Atlantic County NJ

Biography of David Ranken, Jr.

David Ranken, Jr. was born in Ireland in 1835, from a prosperous Scotch-Irish family. He moved to St. Louis in 1862 to manage an inherited estate and remained unmarried, focusing on real estate investments and civic duties. Ranken established the David Ranken, Jr. School of Mechanical Trades, intending to promote respect for manual labor and vocational skills. He endowed the school with significant financial contributions in his lifetime and remained involved until his death in 1910. The school flourished, significantly impacting vocational education in St. Louis.

Biography of Joseph Larrick

Joseph Larrick, a pioneer settler in Johnson County, Kansas, arrived in 1858 from Virginia and lived there for over fifty years. He established the area’s first grinding and sawmill, essential to local pioneers during the Civil War. Despite the tensions of the border ruffian era and threats like the Quantrill raid, Larrick’s mill provided vital resources to the community. Born on February 15, 1817, he married Rebecca Thompson and had eleven children, witnessing significant historical developments like the arrival of the first railroad in Johnson County. Larrick passed away in 1909.