Atchison County KS

Biography of William E. Durant

William E. Durant. Few citizens of Clay County are better known than William E. Durant, who is clerk of the District Court, a veteran of the Civil war, and a representative and bearer of a name that had been honorably known in this state for over a half century. He was born in Will County, Illinois, April 25, 1843. His parents were Edward T. and Sally Ann (Whallon) Durant, and his paternal grandparents were Edward and Lucina (Willey) Durant, natives of New York. The Durant ancestors went from France to England and in colonial days came to the United States … Read more

Biography of Samuel V. Fraser, Rev.

Rev. Samuel V. Fraser. One of the younger members of the Roman Catholic clergy in Kansas is Rev. Samuel V. Fraser, pastor of the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Minneapolis, who in this, his first charge, had shown that he possesses with the dignity of his high calling Christian zeal, tempered with the knowledge of and sympathy for human frailty, that had endeared him to his parishioners, had won him the respect of his fellow citizens in general and promises to so increase his influence that it is certain that a rich field of usefulness awaits his future. Father … Read more

Biography of Lester M. Crawford

Lester M. Crawford of Topeka is one of the men of remarkable enterprise in a state which for years had been in the habit of contributing enterprise, ideas, principles for the vitalizing and regeneration of the world. He is perhaps best known as the owner and lessee of a chain of theaters in a dozen or more cities of Kansas and other states. He had done more than any other man to bring artistic talent to Topeka and other cities of the state. A theatrical man is not often a pioneer in agriculture, but the readers of that old agricultural … Read more

Biography of John Byers Heffelfinger

John Byers Heffelfinger, superintendent of city schools at Arkansas City, is a Kansas educator of wide and diversified experience and exceptional attainments. He began teaching in country schools when a boy and since completing his college cours had given his best thought and practically all his time to the profession. Mr. Heffelfinger was vice president of the Kansas State Teachers’ Association in 1912, and in 1916 was president of the Southern Kansas Teachers’ Association. The Heffelfinger family in America produced a number of noteworthy men. Mr. Heffelfinger is of German origin, though his people came to Pennsylvania about the middle … Read more

Biography of Col. Horack L. Moore

Col. Horack L. Moore, of Lawrence, had seen valiant service as a soldier of the Civil war and in after campaigns against the hostile Indians of the West. He had also been a successful business man and banker, had served a term in Congress and is still a local leader in substantial and beneficial enterprises. He is a native of Ohio, born at Mantua, February 25, 1837, and received his higher edueation at the Western Reserve Electric Institute, at Hiram, Ohio. In 1858 he moved to Kansas with his brother Francis, who died a mouth after their arrival in Atchison … Read more

Biography of A. Beauchamp

A. Beauchamp. More than thirty years ago A. Beauchamp entered the service of the Chicago, Burlington & Quiney Railway at Atchison as car clerk, and had been continnously with that road, being now one of the veteran employees, and by successive promotions now handles the responsibilities of local agent for the company at Atchison. Mr. Beauchamp is a native of Kansas, and was born in Doniphan County September 15, 1856. That date indicates the pioncer residence of the family in this state. He was born four years before Kansas became a state. It was in the border epoch of Kansas … Read more

Biography of William D. Casey

William D. Casey was admitted to the bar at Atchison before he was twenty-one years of age, and the expectations based upon his early attainments have been fully justified in his career as a lawyer during the past twenty-five years. Mr. Casey had long been an active leader in Atchison County affairs as well as a forceful and successful member of the bar. He was born in Carroll County, Missouri, November 19, 1871, a son of Warren Casey, who was born in New York State, where the family originally settled, in 1850. Warren Casey was reared in his native state, … Read more

Biography of John G. Laughlin

John G. Laughlin. The name Laughlin had been well known in Atchison County and other sections of Kansas for nearly half a century. John Gregory Laughlin of this family is a prominent young banker and is cashier of the Devon State Bank in Bourbon County. He was born at Atchison, Kansas, April 25, 1889. The previous generations of the family came out of Ireland. Grandfather Patrick Laughlin came from Ireland to the United States in 1852, first locating in Wisconsin, and from there coming to Kansas in 1867. He was a farmer and stone mason, lived retired after coming to … Read more

Biography of Alexander E. Mayhew

The rewards of purity in public life are many, but one of the most important and apparent is continuance in public life. This is true everywhere, and of course it is true in Idaho, where the fact is emphasized and illustrated by the career of Judge Mayhew of Wallace, Shoshone County, Idaho. At least he lives at Wallace, but he is a man of the west and for the west, and his influence is active and far-reaching. Alexander E. Mayhew, son of Samuel and Elizabeth (Conklin) Mayhew, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, March 31, 1830. His father, a native of … Read more

Biography of Mrs. Gladys Evarts Hill

Mrs. Gladys Evarts Hill. Perhaps no more appropriate selection could have been made by the Department of Kansas Ladies of the Grand Army of the Republic than their choice of Gladys Evarts Hill as patriotic instructor. Mrs. Hill through parentage and far reaching ancestry represents the true idea of patriotism, a patriotism not alone of words and expediency but of deeds and heroism. Gladys Evarts Hill was born at Clyde, Cloud County, Kansas, and is a daughter of Daniel Sapp and Elizabeth Jane (Evarts) Lusadder, and a granddaughter of Isaac and Susanne (Musick) Lusadder, or, as the name was then … 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 Albert C. Berger

Albert C. Berger is the founder and president of the Atchison Leather Products Company, one of the newer industries of the city, but one which adds to the distinction of Atchison as a manufacturing and disprosperity of the community, since its goods go over a large territory and the business furnishes employment to many hands. Mr. Berger is one of the forceful and enterprising tributing point, and it is a factor in the commercial younger men of Kansas. He came here in his twenties and was born in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, October 25, 1885. His father, Albert Berger, Sr., was born … Read more

Biography of Anton Diebolt, Jr.

Anton Diebolt, Jr., cashier of the Piqua State Bank in Woodson County, is one of the younger bankers of Kansas and had studied and practiced banking with a varied experience in different institutions ever since reaching manhood. He is a native of Kansas and represents a family that have had an important share in business and financial circles. He was born in Atchison County, Kansas, October 10, 1885, a son of Anton Diebolt, Sr., and a grandson of Joseph Diebolt. The Diebolt family in the earlier generations lived in the Province of Alsace, on the border between the French and … Read more

Biography of Thomas E. Donnellan

Thomas E. Donnellan of Parsons has the active supervision of all Southeastern Kansas, Eastern Oklahoma and Southwest Missouri for the International Harvester Company. He has been general agent for that great corporation for the past fifteen years. Mr. Donnellan is a Kansas man, is a birthright farmer and knows the practical side of farming, an experience which has proved valuable to him as representing a great agricultural house. His family on both sides came to Kansas in territorial days. His father, John Donnellan, who was born in County Clare, Ireland, in 1824, came to this country at the age of … Read more

Biography of John M. Morley

John M. Morley has devoted practically his untire career to the business of banking, is one of the largest private bankers in Northeastern Kansas, is sole owner of the Bank of Severance and is also president of the State Bank of Purcell. Born at Mason in Warren County, Ohio, November 23, 1852, he is of Catholic parentage and ancestry, His grandfather, John Morley, was born in County Mayo, Ireland, and spent his life there as a farmer. Boger Morley, father of John M., was a territorial pioneer in Kansas. Born in County Mayo, Ireland, in 1829, he came to this … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Katherine E. Wrong

Katherine E. Wrong. It is a fact established by experience and observation that in many positions to which women have in recent years become qualifled by a changing view of their social rights and abilities, sconomy and efficiency have been the gratifying results of their administration. Many instances of this could be found in the great State of Kansas, which takes first rank among states that have granted women equal rights in politics and in economie affairs. Particularly does woman’s efficiency display itself in those offices where talent and tact are necessary to success. Cloud County had had good reason … Read more

Biography of Joseph O. Ward M. D.

Joseph O. Ward, M. D., is a physician and surgeon of Horton whose work and attainments have brought him increasing repntstion for skill and ability. Doctor Ward is a native of Kansas, was a successful teacher before he took up his preparation for a medical career, and had been in practice now for almost twenty years. His father, M. Ward, who is still living at the venerable age of eighty-four, had had a most mteresting career and one that had brought him in close contast with pioneer conditions of the Middle West. Born in Ireland in 1833, he came to this … Read more

Biography of Holmes Dysinger, Rev.

Rev. Holmes Dysinger has for the past twelve years been connected with the Western Theological Seminary of the Lutheran Church at Atchison, and since 1910 had been dean of the seminary. He had spent more than thirty years in the work of the church as a minister and as an educator, and had been connected with prominent schools and pastorates in nearly all parts of the country. Mr. Dysinger is of an old Pennsylvania family and was born at Mifflin, that state, March 26, 1853. The Dysingers’ original home was in Southern Germany. They came across the ocean and settled … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel C. Pomeroy

Samuel C. Pomeroy, one of the leaders of Kansas in the times of her free-state travail whose political ambition overleaped his sense of honor, was born in Southampton, Massachusetts, January 3, 1816. When a young man be became strongly imbued with antislavery sentiments. He happened to be present when President Pierce signed the Kansas-Nebraska bill, and is said to have remarked to the nation’s chief executive: “Your victory is but an adjournment of the question from the halls of legislation at Washington to the open prairies of the Freedom-loving West, and there, sir, we shall beat you.” So earnest was … Read more

Biographical Sketch of H. A. Lewis

H. A. Lewis, grain dealer, was born in Georgia December 7, 1859; attended an academy, also St. Benedict College, Atchison, Kan. Came to Jewell City in August, 1872, and engaged in the grain business, and is also purchasing grain in Mankato. Mr. Lewis was in the grain business with his father in Atchison for six years. Is a member of the Odd Fellows’ Lodge, and K. of P. Mr. Lewis has just branched out in business for himself, and is working up a good trade. He is young and enterprising, and will come to the front in the commercial world.