Keith Evans Cox is a Kansas newspaper man with wide experience and ability, and is now editor and proprietor of the Cheney Sentinel, in Sedgwick County.
Apart from his own work and the influence he has exercised in journalism, much interest attaches to his name because of his honored father and mother, both of whom were prominent in the early days of Kansas.
His father was the late William Edgar Cox. A Kentuckian by birth, he first came out to Kansas from Frankfort in 1859. He remained only a short time, and on returning to Kentucky during the Civil war period gave offense because of his pronounced Union sentiments to his father, who was a wealthy planter and slave holder. William E. Cox again came to Kansas in 1871, and in 1872 located at Wellington. He was a strong and active opponent of the liquor interests, and a devout Methodist. He had studied law during his early career and for many years served as justice of the peace. He was one of the most highly esteemed citizens of Wellington, where he died June 8, 1902, at the age of sixty.
On March 17, 1875, William E. Cox married Mary Evans. They were married at Wellington, where Mrs. Cox still resides with her two daughters. She was the mother of five children, four of whom are still living. Mrs. Mary E. Cox performed a service worth mentioning in any history of Kansas in settling up the Home Valley District near Belle Plaine, Kansas. She personally induced some twenty-five or thirty families to locate there. That was in the spring of 1872. She was also one of the first primary teacher in Sumner County, and conducted the first millinery store at Belle Plaine in Sumner County. Her father, Elijah Evans, came from Iowa and took up a homestead at Independence in 1871, but later moved to Wellington, where for many years he held the office of probate judge.
Keith Evans Cox was born at Wellington, Kansas, August 28, 1880. After attending the public schools of his native town, he started to learn the printer’s trade in the office of the old People’s Voice at Wellington. For the past eleven years he has been an active factor in Kansas newspaper life. In September, 1905, he leased the Monitor at Leonardville, Kansas, a paper he published two years. The following year was spent as manager of the Kiowa Journal. For another year he was proprietor of the Wellington Daily Mail, and after selling out his interests there was special railroad and sporting correspondent for the Newton Kansan for two years. From August, 1911, until July, 1913, he edited the Eldorado Republican. At the latter date he bought the Cheney Sentinel from L. A. McCaffree.
The Cheney Sentinel was established February 27, 1884, the year following the organization of the town. It was first known as the Herald with George W. Brown as editor. Later the name was changed to the Blade, then back to Herald, and finally became the Sentinel. Mr. Cox is making it one of the brightest and newsiest country papers in Sedgwick County.
Fraternally he is a Mason and Modern Woodman. On March 12, 1910, he married Olive Lulu Anderson of Wellington. Their daughter, Harriet Ammazette, was born May 13, 1913.