E. O. Sloan, M. D. The attainment of success in life along any path of endeavor demands energy, honesty, conscientiousness, self-reliance and proper preparation. The presence of genius is also desirable, but for permanency the homely virtues and practical qualities are absolutely necessary. To the undoubted possession of these may be, in large part, attributed the success that had attended the efforts of Dr. E. O. Sloan, who had figured prominently in the medical profession of Crawford County for more than a quarter of a century, as a practitioner at Pittsburg and had maintained throughout his entire career a high standard of professional ethics and scientific principles.
Dr. E. O. Sloan was born in Polk County, Missouri, February 25, 1855, and is a son of Dr. Absalom C. and Mary Jane (Hamilton) Sloan. He belongs to a family of Scotch-Irish origin which emigrated to America from Scotland and Ireland at an early day and located in Kentucky as pioneers during colonial times. In that state was born the grandfather of Doctor Sloan, Jeremiah Nelson Sloan, August 26, 1789. A farmer and stock raiser by vocation, in 1831 he moved to Polk County, Missouri, where he was elected the first county judge. He came to be a man of importance, substance and general worth in his community, and wielded a large influence for good among his fellow-citizens, who, recognizing his superior judgment and absolute integrity, relied upon him in matters of public import. In 1846, he met a sudden death by being thrown from his horse. His wife, whom he married in Kentucky, was Mary Sloan, born in 1805, in Vermont, and died in California, in 1861.
Dr. Absalom C. Sloan was born in Kentucky, October 25, 1822, and was nine years of age when taken by his parents to Polk County, Missouri, the family settling on a farm on the banks of the Sac River. He attended the public schools, but his education was largely self-gained, and he early became a brilliant conversationalist, with an extraordinary vocabulary, the reputation for which remained with him throughout his life. As he grew to manhood he continued to be a student on a variety of subjects, and finally took up the medical profession as his life work, receiving instruction under the preceptorship of Doctor Matthews. During a large part of his early career he practiced in Cedar County, Missouri, although at the outbreak of the Civil war he was in Greene County. In 1864 he located at Walnut Grove, Missouri, and there built up a large and satisfying practice and became one of the leading lights of his community. His death occurred at Walnut Grove, March 11, 1899. In his early life, Doctor Sloan was an abolitionist, and later joined the ranks of the republican party, of which he remained a stanch member until his death. In the welfare of his community he took a profound interest, and at all times gave his support to public-spirited movements. His fraternal connection was with the Masonic order, in which he reached the Royal Arch degree, and in religious matters he belonged to the Christian Church, in which he was a deacon for many years. Doctor Sloan married Mary Jane Hamilton, who was born in Tennessee, in 1826, and died January 30, 1894, at Walnut Grove, Missouri. She was a daughter of Elijah Hamilton, who was born in 1790, in Tennessee, the son of a Welsh emigrant to America and a man of some wealth. Elijah Hamilton grew to the age of eighteen years on his father’s Tennessee plantation and then enlisted in the United States army, later fighting all through the War of 1812, under General Scott. After the war he removed to Polk County, Missouri, where he homesteaded a farm, and there continued to reside during the balance of his life, dying in 1865. He married Sarah Brown, who was born in Georgia, daughter of Alexander Brown, and she died in Polk County, Missouri, [p.2114] whence she had been brought by her parents. Dr. Absalom C. and Mary Jane (Hamilton) Sloan were the parents of eight children, as follows: Jeremiah N., born in 1848, in Polk County, Missouri, who followed farming all his life and died in Texas in 1883; Martha M., who died in 1869, at Walnut Grove, Missouri, as the wife of A. P. Routh, deceased, a merchant of that place; Sanford Hamilton, who was a physician and surgeon throughout his career and died in 1901, at Whitesboro, Texas; Dr. E. O., of this notice; Lewis C., who followed farming in the vicinity of Walnut Grove until his death in 1896; Ellen Lineoln, who is the wife of W. G. Miller, a farmer near Walnut Grove; Jacob Samuel, who is also a farmer in that vicinity; and Willard C., a zinc miner near Carthage, Missouri.
E. O. Sloan attended the public schools of Walnut Grove, Missouri, where he secured a high school education. From the time that he was a youth he had held to the resolution that he would one day become a professional man, and chose medicine as that most likely to prove congenial and profitable. Therefore, following his graduation from the high school, he began making plans, and after studying for some time under his father entered the Missouri Medical College of St. Louis, now Washington University, from which he was graduated with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, in 1881. In the meantime, in order to defray his expenses, he was a merchant at Walnut Grove for four years. Doctor Sloan began practice at Walnut Grove immediately after his graduation, but remained there only a short time, in 1882 coming to Kansas and establishing himself in an office at Cherryvale. That city had the benefit of his services for seven years, but in 1890 he changed his scene of activities to Pittsburg, where he had since carried on a general medical and surgical practice. His offices are now located in the Commerce Building. He had an extensive and lucrative practice, holds to high ideals in his professional service, and is justly numbered among the leading professional men of Crawford County, which is distinguished for high rank in the medical profession. Doctor Sloan belongs to the Southeastern Medical Society and to the Crawford County Medical Society, of which he was president for two years, and had been city health officer of Pittsburg for two years. He is intelligently interested in all that pertains to modern progress and improvement, not only along professional, but also material and moral lines, always finding time to study important public questions and ever ready to lend his influence for the betterment of humanity. He is a republican in his political views, belongs to the Christian Church, and is a member of the Masons, in which order he had reached the Knights Templar degree.
On March 30, 1876, at Walnut Grove, Missouri, Doctor Sloan was united in marriage with Miss Lucy Mizener, daughter of E. A. and Cynthia (Sager) Mizener. Mr. Mizener lost his life as a Union soldier at the battle of Chickamauga, during the Civil war, in 1863, but Mrs. Mizener still survives him and resided at Long Beach, California, having reached the remarkable age of ninety-two years. To Doctor and Mrs. Sloan there have been born four children, as follows: Laura Welthier, born December 13, 1877, who died March 19, 1895; Maud S., born February 23, 1880, residing with her parents; Georgia Pauline, born February 22, 1882, and now the wife of Charles W. Osborn, head bookkeeper for the National Bank of Pittsburg; and Edna O., born August 28, 1891, who is the wife of John Winston Hill, employed in the office of the secretary of the Erie Railroad Company, at Kansas City, Missouri.