Albert E. Mayhew, who had lived in Kansas since early boyhood, had built up the leading hardware business at Effingham in Atchison County, is also a banker there, and is now serving his second term as a representative in the State Legislature.
Mr. Mayhew was born at St. Mary’s, Canada, March 17, 1866, and was brought to Kansas by his parents when he was four years of age. He grew up at Centralia, was educated there in the public schools, graduating from high school in 1883, and for one year was a student in the State Normal School at Emporia. Before engaging in business he taught three years in Nemaha County, Kansas. His business experience began as clerk in different stores. After two years he went into merchandising for himself at Vermillion, Kansas, and was profitably established there until 1899. In that year Mr. Mayhew came to Effingham and built and founded his present hardware store, which is the largest in this section of Atchison County. His two-story building is located on Main Street, and he had extended his trade relations over all that part of the county and draws some trade which normally would go to the City of Atchison.
Mr. Mayhew’s father, William Mayhew, was a Kansas pioneer. He was born in Lancastershire, England, in 1832, and at the age of thirteen ran away from home, erossed the ocean, and located at St. Mary’s, Canada, where he grew to manhood and married. He became a farmer and stock man, and in 1870 came to kansas, locating at Centralia in June of that year. He resumed farming in that section, and was a farmer and stockman for many years, He finally retired and lived at San Diego, California, until his death in 1903. As an American citizen he voted the republican ticket and was very active in his support of the Congregational Church. William Mayhew married Mary Lancaster, who was born in England in 1832 and died at Centralia, Kansas, in 1878. They were the parents of six children: John H., a merchant and speculator living at Denver, Colorado; Robert E., a retired farmer at Topeka, Kansas; George W., who lives at Denver, was for a number of years a farmer but made a fortune in the gold mines of Cripple Creek, Colorado, and is now living retired; Eliza J., wife of Amos B. Clippinger, a manufacturer of tanks, wagdn beds and other commodities of that kind, living in Kansas City, Missouri; Albert E; and Leonard, who is an employer of labor at Los Angeles, California.
Besides his business as a merchant Mr. Mayhew is vieo president of the Efflngham State Bank. He owned his home on Howard Street and also a large farm of 640 acres in Marshall County, Kansas. For a number of years he had been one of the leading republicans of Atchison County. He served on the City Council and for a number of years was president of that body. In 1914 he was elected a member of the Legislature in the lower House, serving in the session of 1915, and was re-elected in 1916 to the session of the following year. He was a member of the Educational Committee, was chairman of the Fees and Salary Committee in 1915, and was also on the Public Utilities, Elections and Labor committees. Mr. Mayhew’s name is most prominently associated with the insurance bill introduced and passed by the Legislature in 1916. This bill regulates the rates of insurances in the state and permits the Superintendent of Insurance to raise or lower rates according to his discretion. Mr. Mayhew was also instrumental in having passed a number of educational bills in the Legislature of 1915. Educational matters particularly appealed to him in his legislative experience. He also faithfully looked after the interests of his constituents.
Mr. Mayhew is an elder in the Presbyterian Church, is president of the Cemetery Association of Effingham, and is afflliated with Mackey Lodge No. 48, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Spartan Lodge No. 250, Independent Order of Odd Felows, and Effingham Camp No. 706, Modern Woodmen of America. He married at Vermillion, Kansas, in 1891, Miss Annie J. Tinker, daughter of Mrs. J. S. (Tinker) Dodson, who now lives at Frankfort, Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Mayhew have one son, Carl H. This son graduated from the. Atchison County High School and from the Baldwin Business College at Baldwin, and is now associated with his father in business.