Kansas

Biography of John Englund

John Englund practically grew up from early boyhood on a farm in Saline County, and instead of going to some distant city he took the opportunities which were right at his door and had become financially independent as well as a citizen of wide esteem in the locality which he had known and which had known him for upwards of half a century. Mr. Englund was born at Smolan, Sweden, May 5, 1858. That province sent many of its sturdy men and women to Saline County in the early days, and the Englund family did their full share in making … Read more

Biography of Samuel R. Clifford

Samuel R. Clifford has long been an active factor in business affairs in Butler County and retains this connection through his present post as assistant cashier of the El Dorado National Bank, El Dorado, Kansas. Mr. Clifford was born in Will County, Illinois, April 12, 1857. His ancestry in the paternal line originated in England and was founded in America during colonial days. His grandfather was also named Samuel R. Clifford and was a native of New York State. He was one of the pioneers in the Village of Chicago, and Mr. Clifford of El Dorado had in his possession … Read more

Biography of Carl Otto Lincoln

Carl Otto Lincoln, a native of Lindsborg and son of one of the founders and developers of the city and community, is a highly educated gentleman and is now manager and editor of the Lindsborg News and Record. He is one of the stockholders and officials in the Bethany Publishing Company, which publishes the News and Record and also the Posten and various college magazines and papers. The News and Record is an independent journal, and was first founded in 1881 as the Smokey Valley News. In 1887 the name was changed to Lindsborg News, published by the Bethany Publishing … Read more

Biography of Levi D. Hill

Levi D. Hill is an old timer in Saline County and is now living retired at Salina. His had been a long and creditable career, and as a young man he served as a soldier of the Union in the Civil war. He was born January 8, 1844, in a one-room log house on a farm in Johnson County, Indiana, a son of Squire S. and Mary Ann (Cunningham) Hill. His father was born in Kentucky and his mother in Indiana. Squire Hill was born February 17, 1810, and died August 5, 1886, at Tipton, Indiana. Throughout his active career … Read more

Biography of John F. Hughes

John F. Hughes was one of the prominent pioneers of McPherson County, went to that section of Kansas soon after the close of the Civil war, in which he bore an honored part, became one of the leading ranchers of the county and of Western Kansas, and was also a factor in public affairs, having served at one time as state senator. His entire life was one of noteworthy experience and endeavor, and his career belongs among the prominent Kansas of the last half century. John F. Hughes was born in Venango County, Pennsylvania, December 28, 1842, and died at … Read more

Biography of Scyrenous F. Lewis

Scyrenous F. Lewis represents a pioneer family in Saline County, where the Lewises located in 1871, when he was only eleven years of age. Most of his mature career had been spent within the boundaries of that county, though he also identified himself with the pioneer opening of Oklahoma and was a homesteader in that country for five or six years. Mr. Lewis had been a practical farmer and also a merchant at Bavaria, and is still in business at that town and is new serving as postmaster. His grandfather Lewis came from Wales. His father, Enoch Lewis, was born … Read more

Biography of Sven Birger Sandzen

Sven Birger Sandzen. A writer in the American Magazine of Art in February, 1917, paid a deserved compliment to Lindsborg as a city of art and culture better known and appreciated by the outside world than many industrial communities of greater population and wealth. This writer said: “Lindsborg had today the largest number of practicing artists in proportion to its population of any city in this country. By artists, however, is not meant merely painters, sculptors and architects, but also musicians. The musical festivals held in this city of the plains have become celebrated for their quality and musically are … Read more

Biography of Fred Goodholm

Fred Goodholm. Having identified himself with the business community of Lindsborg in 1879 Fred Goodholm is a veteran merchant and citizen of that community and his life had been productive of good, had resulted in a satisfying prosperity for himself, and the influence he had exerted in his home city and the worthy family that surrounds him are tokens of a worthy and active career. Mr. Goodholm was born December 24, 1848, at Filipstad, Sweden, a son of Anders and Charlotte (Lind) Goodholm. His father, who was born in 1822 and died in 1878, spent his active career in Sweden … Read more

Biography of John A. Swenson

John A. Swenson. The clean civic and business record of Lindsborg owes not a little to the sterling integrity of John A. Swenson, a pioneer of the city and for many years its leading banker. Mr. Swenson was born at Falun, Sweden, April 16, 1850, a son of Nels P. and Anna Swenson. His father, who was born in April, 1823, was a blacksmith by trade. In 1865 he brought his family to America, located in Chicago, where he followed his trade two years. Another year was spent in Henry County, Iowa, and in 1868 he became one of the … Read more

Biography of William O. Mathes

William O. Mathes. There is no more enthusiastic Kansas than William O. Mathes of McPherson. He knows the state not merely as a great and prosperous modern commonwealth, but by intimate experience with this country when it was in its pioneer stages. He won his competence on a Kansas homestead and he and his people were among the earliest settlers in McPherson County. Mr. Mathes was born in a log house on a farm in Clark County, Indiana, September 7, 1854. His parents were Charles and Mary Ellen (Clark) Mathes. The Mathes family in an earlier generation became pioneers in … Read more

Biography of Jeremiah L. Seitz

Jeremiah L. Seitz is one of the pioneers of McPherson County. He came to Kansas a short time after the close of the Civil war, in which he had served as one of the youngest volunteers on the Union side. As a homesteader, farmer, public official and business man he had played a worthy and influential role in McPherson County since pioneer days. He is still active and had a good business as a collecting agent and auctioneer. Mr. Seitz was born April 16, 1847, at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, son of Jacob and Barbara (Shellebarger) Seitz. His parents were natives of … Read more

Biography of Robert H. Ramsey

Robert H. Ramsey. During the past thirty-five years no name had been more closely identified with the ranching and stock raising interests of Butler County than that of Ramsey. Robert H. Ramsey is a son of A. C. Ramsey, who was the pioneer of the family in the cattle industry. Robert Ramsey himself had handled cattle and ranching as a conspicuous interest of his career, but is also identified with the business community of El Dorado. He was born in Bellefontaine, Ohio, November 18, 1881. Albert C. Ramsey, his father, was born in Coshocton County, Ohio, June 7, 1837, one … Read more

Biography of Nellie Griswold Beatty

Nellie Griswold Beatty. Every man, woman and child in the City of Lawrence knows Mrs. Nellie G. Beatty. Being a native daughter of Kansas and of Lawrence, and having been during the last fifteen years in charge of the popular public library, her name is familiar in every home in the city. Her parents were Dr. Jerome F. Griswold and Helen Mary (Hewitt) Griswold. They were among the early settlers of the free state town, and Doctor Griswold was one of the victims in the inhuman massacre of the Quantrell raid. Nellie Griswold grew to womanhood in Lawrence and attended … Read more

Biography of Charles L. Edwards

Charles L. Edwards was one of the notable figures in the first half century of Kansas. He never became widely known in financial circles, did not make a political reputation, but nevertheless he was one of the most useful men the state ever had. He was intimately identified with the movement by which Kansas was organized with free institutions. He was also the pioneer schoolmaster of Lawrence. He gave many years to the upbuilding of its scholastic institutions, went from Lawrence to serve gallantly through the War of the Rebellion and remained a resident of that city for over sixty … Read more

Biography of Alexander Carraway Spilman

Alexander Carraway Spilman, living at McPherson at the age of eighty, is one of the few survivors of the true pioneer epoch of Kansas. The range of his experience seems remarkable even for a man of his age. He was in Kansas as a witness and newspaper correspondent of the factional turbulence of territorial days. He is a civil engineer by profession and was a member of the United States surveying party which surveyed Kansas west of the sixth principal meridian in 1858. It is probable that he is the only living pioneer or the oldest settler west of that … Read more

Biography of Harvey Elmer Bruce

Harvey Elmer Bruce is one of Kansas’ successful newspaper men, being owner and editor of The Marquette Tribune, which he acquired some years ago and which he had made an influential organ of public opinion in McPherson and adjoining counties of the state. Mr. Bruce was born on a farm in Logan County, Ohio, March 12, 1865, but had lived in McPherson County, Kansas, since early boyhood. He was a successful schoolman in this state before he enrolled in the ranks of newspaper men. His parents were Henry Clay and Louise Jane (Abel) Bruce. His father was born in Somerset … Read more

Biography of Richard Waring

Richard Waring, during his long and active career at Abilene, won the respect and esteem of every citizen. He was a man whose character inspired confidence. He was the trusted adviser of many. Successful in his own affairs, strong in self reliance, he stood as a commanding figure in that community until the close of his life, and his memory will always be revered by the hundreds who knew him as a friend and associate. His life was the expression of a strong and self reliant nature. Born at Belfast, Ireland, July 4, 1850, coming alone to America in 1868, … Read more

Biography of Edward Everett Hazlett, M.D.

Edward Everett Hazlett, M. D. From 1880 until his death on June 17, 1915, Doctor Hazlett practiced medicine and surgery at Abilene, Kansas. That was a period of thirty-five years. He was one of the pioneers in his profession at Abilene, and began practice there when the city to some extent still retained the prestige and the somewhat unenviable prominence it derived as a center of the great cattle industry. Without disparaging the merits and attainments of his contemporaries, it can be stated that Doctor Hazlett was always the leader of his profession in that city, not only in point … Read more

Biography of John August Lindahl

John August Lindahl. One of the families that came as pioneers to Dickinson County in 1870 were the Lindahls. The head of the family, the late August Swenson Lindahl, was a very poor man, having barely enough to bring his family across the ocean and reach this situation almost on the frontier of civilization in Kansas. Like other early settlers he took up a tract of Government land, locating in Center Township, and 2½ miles northeast of the present Town of Enterprise in Dickinson County. There he began the hard work to which he had become accustomed in his native … Read more

Biography of Gideon R. Wolfe

Gideon R. Wolfe has one of the longest records of public service of any county officer in Kansas. For practically a quarter of a century he had been county surveyor of Ellsworth County. Mr. Wolfe is a man of thorough technical training and experience and is a pioneer in Western Kansas. He was born in Center County, Pennsylvania, April 29, 1829, and undoubtedly he is also entitled to distinction as one of the oldest men still active in public service. He was eighty-eight years of age at his last birthday. He comes of English stock, the Wolfes having located in … Read more