Kansas

Biography of J. T. B. Gephart

J. T. B. Gephart is president of the Citizens State Bank of City Falls, Jefferson County. Mr. Gephart had been prominently associated with banking in that old town of Kansas for over thirty-four years. The present Citizens State Bank is the logical successor of the old Hicks, Gephart & Company, which was instituted as a private banking house in 1871 by Mr. S. C. Gephart and W. C. Hicks. On the death of Mr. Hicks in 1878 he was succeeded by W. F. Hicks, and the death of S. C. Gephart in 1882 brought his son J. T. B. Oephart … Read more

Biography of William F. Hill

William F. Hill is the dean of the newspaper profession in Pottawatomie County. The Becorder had been published consecutively at Westmoreland for thirty-two years, and Mr. Hill had been proprietor and publisher of the paper for more than a quarter of a century. When he first came to Kansas it was in the role of a teacher, and he was at one time principal of schools in Havensville, and Westmoreland of Pottawatomie County. He is of English ancestry, and his forebears came to Virginia in Colonial times. His grandfather, John R. Hill, was born in Ohio and spent his life … Read more

Biography of Andrew G. Beck

Andrew G. Beck is entitled to distinction among the pioneers of Saline County, Kansas, where his family located, among the first of the Swedish colonists, nearly half a century ago. Mr. Beck’s material affairs have been wonderfully prospered. At the same time he had shouldered a large share of those responsibilities which devolve upon good citizenship. In helping himself he had helped others and his name is everywhere spoken with honor and respect. His birth occurred in Sweden May 20, 1860. His parents were Nelse Johnson and Maria (Johnson) Beck. His father was born March 1, 1832. It was in … Read more

Biography of Tom D. Smith

Tom D. Smith, lawyer at Hiawatha, had for a number of years been regarded as one of the most forceful orators and leaders in the republican party of Kansas. Because of his unusual resources as a speaker and reasoner, he was given some of the most important assignments during the national republican campaign of 1916. Much of his work was done in the far East. He spoke at President Wilson’s home and at Long Brauch, and spoke with Charles E. Hughes and William Taft during the Union Square meeting in New York City. He stumped all over New Jersey, Connecticut … Read more

Biography of Andrew Garfield Marple

Andrew Garfield Marple, a successful educator and school administrator, is now superintendent of the city schools of White Cloud, Kansas. He is a native of this state, was educated here, and most of his work in mature years had been secomplished within the borders of Kansas. He was born at Yates Center, Kansas, November 16, 1881. His ancestors were Englishmen who settled in Virginia more than a century ago. His grandfather, David Marple, was born in Virginia in 1812, grew up and married in that state Miss Sneff, and subsequently removed to Northern Illinois, where he became a merchant. By trade … Read more

Biography of William O. Worswick

William O. Worswick, though he began his career as a teacher and commercial man, had been in active practice as a member of the Oskaloosa bar for the past thirty years, and is an ex-county attorney of Jefferson County. Mr. Worswick is of English ancestry. The name was originally Warwick, and as such it is famous in English history. Mr. Worswick’s paternal grandfather was Henry Ward Worswick, who served as captain of a Man of War in the English Navy. He was born in Lancastershire, England, and in 1826 he brought his family to America and settled at Brooklyn, New … Read more

Biography of Samuel H. Waddle

Samuel H. Waddle is now the oldest original settler in his locality of Saline County. He went there more than fifty years ago. He knew Central Kansas when it was an almost unlimited stretch of prairie. The buffalo and the Indians were still here and the frontier civilization was a straggling line of homestead shacks and habitations, putting up a bold front against the domain of the wilderness. He suffered those privations due to searcity of crops, isolation from large towns and settlements, and he experienced the prairie fires, the long continued drought, the grasshoppers and every other plague and … Read more

Biography of Joseph H. McGauhey, M. D.

Joseph H. McGauhey, M. D.,had been in the general practice of medicine at White Cloud, twenty-eight years, and is also identified with the banking business of his town, and had farming interests in Brown County. The McGauhey ancestors were Scolch-Irish, and Doctor McGauhey’s great-grandfather was the immigrant to this country. His grandfather was Archibald McGauhey, who spent most of his life as a farmer in Indiana, where he died. John McGauhey, father of Doctor McGauhey, was born in Pennsylvania in 1809. For a time during his childhood his parents lived in North Carolina and afterward moved to Indiana, where he … Read more

Biography of John M. Everts

John M. Everts. When he came to Kansas Mr. Everts took up farming and with every reason might still be classifled as a farmer since he had two well improved places in Nemaha County near Baileyville. For over twenty years, however, he had given much of his time to the Baileyville State Bank, of which he is the general cashier. Mr. Everts was born near Mansfield in Richland County, Ohio, August 10, 1857. His grandfather, Gilbert Everts, was born in Canada in 1802, but reared his family and spent many years as a farmer in Richland County, Ohio. In 1880 … Read more

Biography of Edward E. Doughty

Edward E. Doughty, who had been cashier of the Troy State Bank since the organization of that institution eleven years age, while not a native of Kansas, represents a family which had been identified with the northeastern part of the state since territorial days. Mr. Doughty was born in Nodaway County, Missouri, September 20, 1877, a son of William L. Doughty and grandson of Abel Doughty. The family came originally to New York in Colonial times. They were Scotch people. Abel Doughty was born in New York State and in 1856 came to Kansas when it was a territory and … Read more

Biography of Maurice McAuliffe

Maurice McAuliffe, of Salina, had not only fitted himself comfortably and substantially into the agricultural affairs of Kansas as an individual farmer and stock man, but had been one of the leaders in the new agrisultural movement and uplift. He is most widely known as one of the fine factors in the organization of the Farmers Union of Kansas, and is now serving his ninth term as president of that vigorous organization. He was also a prominent figure in the Alliance movement. The Farmers Union of Kansas is affiliated with the larger organization known as the National Farmers Union, which … Read more

Biography of Earl A. Nossaman

Earl A. Nossaman, secretary of the Monarch Cement Company at Humboldt, had lived in Kansas since early infancy, educated himself for the teaching profession, which he followed for a number of years, and was in the drug business before he accepted his present official position with the Monarch Cement Company. He went with this company while it was being reorganised, and as manager of the sales department had had much to do with its successful operations in recent years. His ancestry goes back to Hesse Cassel, Germany, where his great-grandfather was born. Coming to America, this ancestor settled in Pennsylvania. … Read more

Biography of Ed J. Dunfee

Ed J. Dunfee. One of the most difficult of the officers under the Kansas form of government is that of county sheriff. The discharge of the duties of this position calls for the incumbent to possess qualities of personal courage, tempered with diplomacy and tact, executive capacity, and no small amount of detective ability. To successfully serve in this office in a manner that wins the admiration of the community to such a degree that re-election is secured without opposition is something unusual, but this had been the experience of Ed J. Dunfee, sheriff of Allen County, now serving his … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Peter J. Cortelyou

Peter J. Cortelyou, third son of Luther Cortelyou, was born on a farm in Talbott County, Maryland, June 25, 1885, and was four years of age when his parents removed to Muscotah, Kansas. He attended the public schools there, graduated from the Atchison County High School in 1904, and then for several years was associated with his father in the grain business. During 1910-12 he owned and edited the Muscotah Record. In November, 1913, he was appointed postmaster of Muscotah, under President Wilson, and had filled that office to the present date. On July 1, 1916, Mr. P. J. Cortelyou … Read more

Biography of James M. Meek

James M. Meek is one of the veteran stock farmers and dealers of Nemaha County, and is now living retired at Centralia. Mr. Meek is widely known over this section of Kansas, especially through his terms of service in the Legislature and the Senate, in which he proved a capable representative of his constituency and did much to promote the wholesome business and civic interests of his state. Mr. Meek was born in Union County, Ohio, September 28, 1852, grew up in Northwest Missouri, and had been a resident of Kansas over thirty-five years. His ancestors were English people who … Read more

Biography of Robert M. Bronaugh

Robert M. Bronaugh of Baileyville had been a factor in the life of Kansas for considerably more than half a century. His people were in fact territorial pioneers. He fought when the country needed his fighting ability as a young man during the Civil war, and after that took up farming and latterly business connections with Baileyville, where he is still a merchant and is vice president of the Baileyville State Bank. He comes of old French stock and of aristocratic ancestry in America. Mr. Bronaugh was born in Schuyler County, Illinois, May 6, 1844. His paternal ancestors some generations … Read more

Biography of John Gardner Shelden

John Gardner Shelden, of El Dorado, had made himself a man of success and influential leadership in spite of handicaps and obvious disadvantages. In his early life he was a farmer and school teacher, lost a leg in the railroad service, continued to fight the good fight regardless of physical conditions and in recent years had become one of the leading oil and gas operators in this section of the state. There are many sound reasons why the name Shelden rings honorable and true in Butler County. It is good sound Ameriean stock, of the pioneer type. The story of … Read more

Biography of Howard Ross

Howard Ross, has built up a large business as a retail meat dealer in Champaign, learned his trade in that city, and by good management and by making it a point to offer the best of service and goods he is now one of the leaders in his line in the county. Mr. Ross was born near Savoy, Illinois, August 29, 1874, a son of David I. and Mary Elizabeth (Bowers) Ross. His father was born in Newburgh, New York, and his mother in Indiana. David Ross came to Champaign County about 1869. He was an active farmer here until … Read more

Biography of F. C. Amsbary

F. C. Amsbary, superintendent and manager of the Champaign Waterworks, has been superintending waterworks plants in different parts of the country for upwards of thirty years. It has in fact been his regular profession, though some of his younger years were devoted to railroading. Mr. Amsbary has numerous connections that identify him with the substantial interests of his home city. A native of Illinois, he was born at Pekin, January 24, 1863, a son of William Wallace and Harriet E. (Harlow) Amsbary, both of whom are natives of New York State. William W. Amsbary moved to Champaign in 1907, and … Read more

Biography of Peter Stewart Campbell

Peter Stewart Campbell came to Champaign County when he was a small boy, learned the trade in one of the shops of the county and for many years has been identified either with a newspaper establishment or with a printing shop of his own. He now has one of the principal job printing houses of Urbana. Mr. Campbell was born in Ayrshire, Scotland, April 18, 1868, a son of Archibald B. and Christina (Stewart) Campbell. He was one of seven children, named as follows: Alexander, deceased; Jennie, wife of G. L. Baker, of Champaign; Mary, widow of Robert Leslie, living … Read more