Kansas

Biographical Sketch of Charles F. Foley

A member of the Kansas Public Utilities Commission since 1913, Charles F. Foley is a lawyer by profession, began practice thirty years ago at Lyons, and is a resident of that city. His duties, however, require his presence in Topeka much of the time. A native of Canada, educated in that country and at Boston, Massachusetts, he came at the age of twenty to Kansas in 1880 and by teaching school in the eastern section of the state earned enongh to defray his expenses at the University of Kansas. He was gradnated from the law department in 1884, then continued … Read more

Biography of Winfield A. S. Bird

For thirty-five years a Topeka lawyer, Mr. Bird’s name had become widely known over the state not only in the legal profession, but as a practical farmer and stockman, by his various distinctions in Masonry and other fraternities, and by his important services in the State Legislature. In his own character and in an carnest ambition to acquit himself well among the world’s useful workers, is to be found the secret of his snccess. He was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania, August 31, 1855, and spent his early life there. His father, Archibald Bird, was born in the same county … Read more

Biography of George A. Crawford

George A. Crawford, the founder of Fort Scott, a well known editor and public man and several times a gubernatorial candidate, was born in Clinton County, Pennsylvania, July 27, 1827, of Scotch-Irish-German stock. After recejving an aendemie education and graduating from Jefferson College, he taught school in Kentucky and Mississippi, when he returned to Pennsylvania to study law. While still reading for the bar, he became edjtor and proprietor of the Clinton Demoernt. During the early ’50s he took an active part in politics against the Know-Nothings and in 1855 was a delegate to the Pennsylvania Demeratie State Couvention. In … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Rev. Samuel M. Irvin

Rev. Samuel M. Irvin, a Pennsylvanian, was appointed a missionary to the Iowa Indians by the Presbyterian Foreign Board in 1835. A regular mission, of which he was appointed superintendent, was established at the Platte Purchase, Northwestern Missouri, in April, 1837. In the following year it was moved across the Missouri River and located near the present Town of Highland, Doniphan County, Kansas, and there Mr. Irvin and his wife coutinued their labors until the mission was discontinued, after which he was for several years connected with the Highland University. At the time he came to Kansas the nearest postoffice … Read more

Biography of Hon. P. I. Bonebrake

There is great truth in the sontence “biography is history teaching by example.” After considering the story related in the following paragraphs one is convinced that there is more real history pertaining to a city, county and state in the life record of such a man as P. I. Bonebrake of Topeka than can be found in many pages of the detailed statisties. The editors of this publication have been fortunate in securing a transcript of Mr. Bonebrake’s personal reminiscences of his life and time, and the following article is a digest of those reminiscences, together with such comments as … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Allen A. Alderfer

Allen A. Alderfer had been a merchant and connected with different enterprises in Topeka for many years, and is one of the well known citizens. He came to Kansas when he was about twenty-one years of age. He was born at Sterling, Illinois, August 16, 1865, a son of Philip and Matilda (Siegfried) Alderfer. Both parents were natives of Pennsylvania, his father of Laneaster, and from that state he moved to Akron, Ohio, and later to Sterling, Illinois, where he is now living retired. He spent his active business career as a cigar maker and farmer. The mother died in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Judge John Guthrie

Judge John Guthrie, during the forty years of his residence at Topeka, was recognized as one of the leading men in professional, public and scholarly circles, in the State of Kansas. Previously, he had been known as a successful criminal lawyer of Indiana and an honorable officer of the Civil war. He was born in Switzerland County, that state, in July, 1829; was admitted to the bar in 1857, and served as a private and the captain of Company D, Forty-sixth Indiana Infantry, from the beginning of the war until the breaking of his health in 1862. In May, 1865, … Read more

Biography of Adolph Carl Stich

Adolph Carl Stich, who died at his home in Independence October 8, 1915, was identified with Independence more than forty years, and for many years was one of the foremost citizens of Kansas. Only one estimate could be placed on his career–it was constructive, efficient, positive, and redounded not so much to his own advantage as to the community in which he lived. He was a true type of the business and city builder. No other individual contributed so much to the material and civic advancement of Independence. The record of his life is one that can he read to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Francis

John Francis, one of the leading pioneers and public men of Allen County and his section of the state, was born in Norfolk, England, April 24, 1837, and soon after be had attained his majority came to the struggling territory as an ardent advocate of free statehood. In the fall of 1858 he settled at Osawatomie, and during the following winter was one of John Brown’s closest followers. In March, 1859, he took up his residence on a pre-emption claim in Allen County. In July, 1861, he enlisted in Company D, Fifth Kansas Regiment, and served until November, 1863, when … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Edwin C. Manning

Edwin C. Manning, the founder of Winfield, the organizer of the County of Cowley, one of the early editors of the state and thirty or forty years ago a republican leader of Kansas, was born in Redford, Clinton County, New York, November 7, 1838. He was educated both in Vermont and Iowa, taught school at an early age, at the age of nineteen commenced to learn the printer’s trade and in 1859, then about of age, was among the first to start for the Pike’s Peak region in search of gold. He returned a disillusioned young man, but became interested … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Abel C. Wilder

Abel C. Wilder, prominent in the free-soil movements of Kansas Territory, in the establishment of the republican party within its limits and the founding of the commonwealth, was born at Mendon, Massachusetts, March 18, 1828. With little book learning, he early became identified with business at Rochester, New York, and did much to found its public library. While still a resident of the East, the Kansas question enlisted his deep interest and sympathy, and he came to the territory at his first opportunity in March, 1857. Engaging in the land business at Leavenworth, he at once became prominent in that … Read more

Biography of Thomas E. Wagstaff

An attorney of long and successful experience in Montgomery County, both in Coffeyville and Independence, Thomas E. Wagstaff had been and is a leader in republican politics in the state, and a few years ago his name beeame known all over Kansas as a candidate for nomination to the office of governor. He lost the nomination by only a few votes. This was in 1910, when W. R. Stubbs was nominated and afterwards elected. His family have been identified with Kansas for forty years. Thomas E. Wagstaff was born at Galesburg, Illinois, July 23, 1875, and was still an infant … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dr. Joseph P. Root

Dr. Joseph P. Root, who was one of the early physicians of Wyandotte, then a part of Leavenworth County, was born at Greenwich, Massachusetts, April 23, 1826, and died at Kansas City, Kansas, July 20, 1885. He was a member of the Connecticut-Kansas Colony, better known as the Beccher Bible and Bifle Company, which settled at Wahaunsee. He organized free-state forces and in every way identified himself with the early history of the torritory. As chairman of the Free-State Executive Committee, he located the road from Topeka to Nebraska City, thereby securing a safe route of travel for free-state immigrants. … Read more

Biography of Marcus A. Low

No intelligent resident of Kansas would dispute the assertion that in Marcus A. Low, of Topeka, is found one of the really big men of the state. He is a man of many achievements. His ability in the law had led to distinguished position with great corporations; his ranching and developing of oil and gas properties have been conducted on so large a scale as seemingly might have been weighty enough interests to engage the ordinary man; his political foresight and intnition have caused his selection for public office as high as he would accept, but not upon these evidences … Read more

Biography of Rev. John G. Pratt

Rev. John G. Pratt, one of the most widely known Protestant missionaries of Kansas and the West, was born in Hingham, Massachusetts in 1814 and graduated from Andover Seminary in the fall of 1836. He was immediately licensed to preach and the Baptist Suciety sent him to the Indian country to labor among the Shawnees. He continued that work for seven years, and in the fall of 1844 located four miles south of Fort Leavenworth to take charge of a contemplated mission of Green Bay Indians, lately arrived from Wisconsin. But they did not receive the promised allotment of land, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Gen. Carmi W. Babcock

Gen. Carmi W. Babcock, president of the first free state council of 1857-58, a leading citizen of Lawrence and a prominent contractor in the building of several noted structures of the state, was born in Franklin County, Vermont, April 21, 1830. In 1850, after teaching for a time, he moved to St. Paul, Minnesota, where he read law and was admitted to the bar. He arrived at Lawrence in September, 1854, and finding that everything was too unsettled to make the practice of the law reliable he engaged in the real estate business. In 1857 he established a bank, only … Read more

Biography of Josiah C. Trask

Josiah C. Trask was one of the 180 victims of the terrible Quantrill raid and massacre at Lawrence, on August 21, 1863. He was a young and brilliant editor at the time of his death and few men of Kansas were more beloved. His father was a minister, who preached in Massachnsetts for many years, and he himself was born at Warren, that state, May 9, 1837. He pursued an academic course at Fitchburg, and when sixteen years of age went to Boston, where he was employed as a printer in various newspaper offices. Through his father-in-law, Joel B. Hibbard, … Read more

Biography of Solomon Secrest

Sixty years have rolled away since Solomon Secrest, one of Riley County’s pioneer settlers and most respected citizens, first surveyed with wonder and admiration, the beautiful, peaceful valley of Fancy Creek, then sleeping quiet and praetically unknown within the enfolding hills. In November, 1856, with his brother Edward and Henry Shellenbaum, returning from a buffalo hunt on the Saline River, whither they had accompanied a band of Wyandotte Indians, journeyed up the Blue River in search of Henry Coundry, an old acquaintance, who had settled in the previous year near the mouth of Mill Creek. In their search they came … Read more

Biography of Cyrus K. Holliday

Cyrus K. Holliday was one of the founders of Topeka, in which, for many years, he was the largest taxpayer; projected and built the first portion of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad; was one of the organizers of the republican party in Kansas, and an all-around promoter of great enterprises. Born at Carlisle, Pennsylvania, April 3, 1826, he was educated for the legal profession, but decided in early manhood in favor of a business life. His first venture was the building of a short line of railroad in his native state, in which he accumulated some $20,000, which … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Colonel and Judge Oscar E. Learnard

Colonel and Judge Oscar E. Learnard, one of the founders of Burlington, for many years a resident of Lawrence, one of the organizers of the republican party in Kansas and prominent in numerous state institutions and enterprises, was born at Fairfax, Vermont, November 14, 1832. He was of English and Franch Huguenot stock. In 1855, the year after his graduation from the Albany Law School, Mr. Learnard came to Kansas and located at Lawrence, and the next year he commanded a “mounted regiment” of the free-state forces in the border war. In the spring of 1857 he helped to locate … Read more