Andrew Calvin Sewell, a younger brother of J. B. Sewell, was born in Overton County, Tennessee, May 30, 1856. He was fifteen when the family came across the country in a prairie schooner to Montgomery County, Kansas, and in the meantime had attended public schools in Tennessee. While living on the farm southwest of Independence he continued his education in the district schools and in the fall of 1876 became a teacher. Preparatory to beginning his work as a teacher he had attended a private school conducted by Professor Morrison of Radical City. In his home district, Harrisonville, he taught a term, then attended the Normal Institute at Independence, and in the fall of 1877 took up his work in the Peebler District. The following spring he returned to the Harrisonville District and taught a term of three months, and then for three years was principal of schools at Elk City. After that he was again in the Harrisonville District, afterwards was principal for a year at Elk City, and then entered the mercantile business at Elk City. In 1898 he moved to Joplin, Missouri, where he was connected with merchandising and also as a prospector and miner for about two years. In 1901, after coming back to Elk City, he secured leases for about 17,000 acres of land in behalf of the Elk City Gas and Oil Company. Beginning in 1903 he was again in the mercantile business in Elk City for five years, and in the fall of 1907 went to Kansas City, Missouri, and worked in a dry goods department store until failing health compelled him to return to Kansas. In February, 1908, he took up work with the Daily Evening Star, remaining with that journal for two years, and on March 16, 1910, entered the H. Baden Mercantile Company, where he had since remained He now had charge of the wholesale furnishing goods line and also assists in the retail department. He owned a third interest in the old homestead, and had his home at 905 West Pine Street in Independence.
He had been active figure in democratic politics in Montgomery County for many years. In 1880 he was a candidate for county superintendent of schools, and succeeded in cutting down the normal republican majority of 700 to 146. Since the age of seventeen he had been a member of the Baptist Church.
In 1882 at Elk City he married Miss Etta Davis, whose father Lew Davis was a farmer. Mrs. Sewell died at Elk City in 1894, leaving five children: Bessie, who now lives on her Grandfather Davis’ farm; Addie, who died at the age of 4 1/2 years; Thomas G., who is with the Prairie Oil & Gas Company at Independence; Ellene, wife of Turner Jones, who is cashier of a bank at Altoona, Kansas; and Gladys, who is a teacher in the public schools of Elk City. In 1905 Mr. A. C. Sewell was married at Independence to Miss Stella MeVey, whose father was a Methodist Episcopal minister. By this marriage there were two children: Beatrice, who died at the age of six months; and Ruth, still at home.