Kansas

Biography of Ralph Chester Dixon

Ralph Chester Dixon. While many of the successful men represented in this publication have found their work as farmers, eattle men, merchants, bankers and in the professions, Ralph Chester Dixon had directed his energies practically along one line since leaving college and had made a notable success as a fruit grower and horticulturist in the vicinity of Arkansas City. He had a splendid fruit farm three miles northwest of the city, and is one of the leading commercial apple growers of the state. Mr. Dixon is a native of Kansas, born at Caldwell August 5, 1875. His people have lived … Read more

Biography of Francis C. Dwinnell

Francis C. Dwinnell is a leading business man of Frankfort, Kansas, now proprietor of the electric light plant which supplies electric current not only to that town but to the town of Vermillion. Besides his own important business connections he represents a family that had been identified with this section of Kansas since territorial days. He is of New England and Revolutionary lineage. His great grandfather fought gallantly in the struggle for independence during the Revolution. His grandfather, Francis Dwinnell, was a soldier in the War of 1812. He was born at Charlestown, New Hampshire, in 1792, and was quite … Read more

Biography of James Calvin Morrow

James Calvin Morrow. In the death of James Calvin Morrow, which occurred at Washington July 4, 1912, there passed away one of the men whose works and influence have been most conspicuous in the development of both the City and County of Washington. He was a pioneer in the best sense of the term, a hard worker, a good manager of men, a keen and resoureeful business man, and especially faithful and efficient in the performance of his civic responsibilities and his obligations to friends and family. It is only a matter of simple justice to refer to him as … Read more

Biography of J. Harry Barley

J. Harry Barley is proprietor and publisher of the Republican-Register, the oldest newspaper in Washington County, and still one of the most sucessful newspapers in the state. Mr. Barley is a young newspaper man, and prior to the purchase of the Republican-Register his experience was chiefly in education and banking. The Republican-Register is the direct and lineal descendant of the Western Observer, which was founded at Washington in March, 1869. Its publisher was Mark J. Kelly. Mr. Kelly had come to Washington through the influence of Col. Dave Ballard, who gave him a bonus of ten town lots to start … Read more

Biography of Leroy E. Sawin

Leroy E. Sawin. For a young man Leroy E. Sawin had come into large prominence and responeibility in Washington County, where he is now filling the office of county clerk. To this office Mr. Sawin brought qualifications and ability far in advance of his years. He is one of the local men entrusted with the grave responsibility of raising the local quots for the National American Army. He was a member of the registration board of the county and was on the exemption board until removed on account of draft age, sharing that responsibility with Dr. Henry D. Smith and … Read more

Biography of Mark H. Williams

Mark H. Williams, now living retired at Barnes and enjoying the accumulations of many well spent years, is a veteran of the Civil war and had been a resident of Barnes and of the State of Kansas since 1885. He is a native Pennsyivanian, and the family was introduced to that state from Scotland by his grandfather, Evan Williams, who was born in Scotland in 1771. He was a millwright by trade, and followed that occupation for many years in Pennsylvania. He died in Center County, of that state, in 1854. It was in Center County, Pennsylvania, that Mark H. … Read more

Biography of Sylvanus Sylvester Longley

Sylvanus Sylvester Longley, now living retired at Greenleaf, is one of Kansas’ interesting personalities. Few men have succeedad in compressing even within eighty-three years of life so many varied activities and achievements. Mr. Longley traveled practically over all the habitable globe before he came to Kansas. He was a pioneer in this state, and his business and civic relations in Washington County have rolled up a wealth of esteem which he now enjoys in his declining years. Mr. Longley is a native of the Pine Tree state, born at Foxcroft, Maine, September 15, 1834. He is of old English ancestry, … Read more

Biography of John Adams Jones

John Adams Jones. While the main work of his life for over twenty years had been education, and he had served fourteen years as superintendent of the city schools of Highland, Mr. Jones had many other interests and ties to connect him with that thriving town of Doniphan County. Besides his position as a Kansas educator, all the older base ball fans who followed the fortunes of the teams in the Western League know the name of Mr. Jones as a former pitcher and one of the steadiest and most resourceful players of the national pastime. Mr. Jones was born … Read more

Biography of William James Phillips M. D.

William James Phillips, M. D. The community of Beaumont, Kansas, esteems Dr. William J. Phillips as its pioneer physician and surgeon and as a man whose capable efforts have been directed through a long period of years largely to the service of his fellow men. Doctor Phillips had gained his best recognition in a comparatively limited community, and had been well satisfied to do his work there and to merit the esteem and respect of those closest to him. Many men more widely known have not accomplished so much in that work which is so vitally necessary to human welfare. … Read more

Biography of Edward A. Hood

Edward A. Hood, cashier of the Greenleaf State Bank, had had an active career in Kansas for a number of years, at first in the lumber business and leter as a banker. Mr. Hood did not begin life as the son of a wealthy family, but had gained his opportanities by hard work and constant vigilance. He was born at Salem, Arkansas, October 5, 1878. His ancestors in the paternal line were Scotch people. His grandfather, Graham W. Hood, was born in Scotland, came to this country when a young man and settled in Missouri among the pioneers, and for … Read more

Biography of William H. Squier

William H. Squier probably had more active connection with the commercial life of Beaumont than any other citizen. He is vice president of the Beaumont State Bank, conducts a large and successful hardware business and is also proprietor of the lumber yard there. Mr. Squier is a native of Pennsylvania, and that state was the home of the family for several generations. The Squiers are of both English and French descent. On immigrating from England more than a century ago they first located in New Jersey and afterward moved to Pennsylvania. Mr. Squier’s grandfather, Amzy Squier, spent all his life … Read more

Biography of Jacob J. Fisher

Jacob J. Fisher. The thrift and enterprise that brought snecees to the early Kansas farmers were well illustrated in the case of Jacob J. Fisher, who now resided in a comfortable home at Salina, had abundance of this world’s goods for all his future needs, had reared an honorable and honored family, and had now reached that time in life when he can properly shift the heavier responsibilities to younger shoulders. He was born October 10, 1847, on a farm in Cambria County, Pennsylvania. His father, Oleriet Fisher, was born in Germany. Jacob J. was the third in a family … Read more

Biography of T. W. McCarthy

T. W. McCarthy is master mechanic of the Rock Island lince in the Kansas Division, and is a veteran in this branch of railroad service. He began his career many years ago as an apprentice back in New York, and had risen stsadily in the grade of responsibilities until he is now at the head of the large shops of the Rock Island Road at Horton, which is division headquarters. He is master mechanic in the shops situated just west of the city limits, and had the general oversight and supervision of 700 employes. At one time or other every … Read more

Biography of William M. Boone, M. D.

William M. Boone, M. D., who located at Highland, Doniphan County, a well-equipped physician and surgeon in 1892, had steadily practiced in that community for over a quarter of a century and is now the oldest member in point of continuous service of the local profession. Doctor Boone belongs to the family of Kentucky Boones and four or five generations back his ancestry was the same as that of the famous frontiersman and hunter, Daniel Boone. The Boone family origlnated in Southern England, and it will be recalled that Daniel Boone was a native of Pennsylvania but subsequently went to … Read more

Biography of Mary Morrall Darling

Mrs. Mary Morrall Darling is the daughter of Wamego’s pioneer physician, Dr. Albert Morrall, and she is now living in the same house where she was born May 14, 1872. The Morralls were English people and were colonial settlers in the Carolinas. Her great-great-grandfather was Daniel Morrall who married Lydia Savanen. Her great-grandfather was John Morrall. Her grandfather, George Washington Morrall, was born at Georgetown, South Carolina, August 17, 1786, became an attorney by profession, and practiced at Grahamville and at Beaufort, South Carolina, dying in the latter city February 22, 1836. He married Phoebe Jenkins Tripp, who was born … Read more

Biography of Glenn A. Smith

Glenn Smith, postmaster of Horton, and for many years engaged in the drug business in that city, had lived most of his life, a period of forty-seven years, in Kansas and had well earned a position of esteem as well as material prosperity. His ancestors were Scotch-Irish people who early settled in New York State. It was in New York State that his father, Nathan C. Smith, was born in 1819. Nathan C. Smith spent his early life in New York and afterwards removed to Western Pennsylvania, in that historic region associated with Washington’s exploits during the French and Indian … Read more

Biography of Ed C. Varner

Ed C. Varner. A substantial Kansas farmer who is making a good living and proving himself a factor in the citizenship of Butler County, Ed C. Varner had in the course of two years become one of the well known oil men of the entire country. Fortune sometimes plays strange froaks and showers its benefits upon those apparently untieserving. However, as a rule the rewards of fortune are wisely bestowed. Ed C. Varner did much to merit all the prosperity that had come to him in the rich oil districts of Augusta. It was largely his foresight and wisdom that … Read more

Biography of Harris W. Manning, M. D.

Harris W. Manning, M. D. The country along the banks of the Cottonwood River around Emporia had become a landmark in Kansas literature, largely due to the ability of William Allen White in investing those scenes with literary color and description. It was along the hanks of the farnous Cotton wood, four miles west of Emporia in Lyon County, that Dr. Harris W. Manning, a prominent physician and a specialist at Eureka, was born September 20, 1868. His father, Patrick W. Manning, belonged to the colony of earliest settlers in Lyon County, having homesteaded a claim there about the middle … Read more

Biography of August Bondi

August Bondi was a splendid figure in the annals of Kansas for fully half a century, and had been fitly described as soldier and patriot and one of the immortal followers of John Brown. From the city of culture and of old world civilization, Vienna, Austria, it is a far cry to the plains of Kansas where were performed those deeds which will ring down through history. August Bondi was born at Vienna July 21, 1833, a son of Hart Emanuel and Martha (Frankl) Bondi, who were also natives of Vienna. His father was a Jewish manufacturer of cotton goods. … Read more

Biography of Oscar R. Farris

Oscar R. Farris had an active experience as an educator for a number of years in the State of Indiana, where he was born, and about eight years ago he came to Kansas and had been a factor in vitalizing some of the schools of this state. He is now superintendent of the city schools system of Eureka. That is one of the best equipped public school organizations in Kansas, and his responsibilities and eapable administration make Mr. Farris one of the leading educators of Kansas. He was born in Knox County, Indiana, January 16, 1881. His Farris aucestors came … Read more