Brown County KS

Biography of Henry J. Calnan

Henry J. Calnan, publisher and editor of the Weekly Kansas Chief at Troy, had had an unusually varied experience even for a newspaper man. Since acquiring the Kansas Chief he had improved its influence and strengthened its organization and equipment in keeping with the dignity of the paper as the oldest journal under one continuous name in the State of Kansas. The files of the Kansas Chief contain sixty complete volumes. The paper was founded in 1857 by Sol Miller at White Cloud, Kansas, and was first known as the White Cloud Chief. The paper was moved to Troy July … Read more

Biography of George H. Grimmell, M. D.

George H. Grimmell, M. D. One of the first graduates of medicine to set up in practice at Howard, Kansas, was Dr. George H. Grimmell, who rendered his first professional services in that section of Elk County thirty years ago. With the exception of about eight years spent at Onaga, Doctor Grimmell had been continuously in practice at Howard since 1898, and is accounted one of the most competent surgeons in that locality. The first authentic records of his ancestry is found in the annals of the first crusade of 1096, A. D. There was a Sir John Von Grimmell, … Read more

Biography of James Boyd Hitt

James Boyd Hitt, who had been actively identified with school work nearly twenty years, is now superintendent of the city schools of Everest, Brown County. Mr. Hitt did his first work as an educator in his native State of Ohio and had been connected with kansas schools for about ten years. His forefathers in the Hitt family were of Scotch-Irish ancestry and were early settlers in Virginia. His grandfather, Garrett T. Hitt, was born in Culpeper County, Virginia. He came North and located in Ohio, at first in Tuscarawas County and later in Williams County. He followed farming, and after a … Read more

Biography of Rev. John Dunbar

Rev. John Dunbar was a missionary to the Pawnes Indians of the West for a period of more than twenty years before he became a resident of Kansas. He spent a little over a year in the territory and, as its first treasurer, assisted in the organization of Brown County. Mr. Dunbar was a native of Palmer, Massachusetts, born March 3, 1804. In 1832 he was graduated at Williams College, and later at the Auburn Theological Seminary. While a student at the latter institution he received an appointment as missionary to the western Indians; was ordained at Ithaca, New York, … Read more

Biography of Samuel K. Klinefelter

Samuel K. Klinefelter is the junior member of the firm of Hayt & Klinefelter, the proprietors of the well known Fashion Livery Stables of Riverside. Mr. Klinefelter was born in Richland County, Ohio, June 10, 1845. His parents, Joseph and Elizabeth Klinefelter, were natives of Pennsylvania and were among the early settlers of the county in which he was born. He was reared in his native place until twelve years of age. In 1857 his father moved to Brown County, Kansas and was there engaged in farming occupations until his death in 1858. Mr. Klinefelter was brought up to farm … 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 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 Walter C. Palmer, M. D.

Walter C. Palmer, M. D., after practicing several years in Kansas City, Missouri, where his father was for a number of years a member of the medical profession, removed to Hiawatha, Kansas, and is now giving all his time and attention to surgery. In addition to his broad experience as a practitioner and his equipment in American schools, Doctor Palmer, went abroad in 1916 and from April to July worked in the war hospitals in France. Nowhere had surgical methods undergone greater changes and been brought to a higher degree of perfection than in the hospitals in the war zone … Read more

Biography of Chester E. Hunsaker

Chester E. Hunsaker is editor of the Everest Enterprise at Everest in Brown County. The Enterprise is now in its twenty-ninth volume. It was first published on March 9, 1888, having been founded in that year by T. A. H. Lowe. It is a weekly paper and had a large and influential circulation in that section of Brown County. Mr. Hunsaker is one of the younger editors of Kansas, and had spent most of his life in this state. He was born at Tarkio in Northwest Missouri July 4, 1891. His ancestors were Colonial settlers from England in New York. … Read more

Biography of Frederick M. Thompson

Frederick M. Thompson, superintendent of the city schools of Horton, and an educator of long and successful experience, is a native of Kansas, and his family have been identified with this state since the territorial period. His father, Samuel C. Thompson, who is now living at Leavenworth at the venerable age of eighty-two, came out to Kansas in 1856 and for a time was identified with the frontier Town of Leavenworth and later removed to Springdale. where he was employed by the firm of Russell Waddell and Major in their big sawmill twelve miles west of Leavenworth on “Big Stranger.” … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Carl H. Skinner

Carl H. Skinner is superintendent of the city schools of Nortonville. He had been engaged in school work since before he attained his majority, and is one of the school men who are thoroughly in love with their calling and profession. Mr. Skinner possesses that fundamental requisite of a good teacher–a love for and understanding of young people. That is worth more than a bundle of academic degrees. But he also possesses in addition the technical skill and the experience which enable him to guide and administer a school system. A native of Kansas, Mr. Skinner was born at Burden … Read more

Biography of Sardins Mason Brewster

Sardins Mason Brewster was born in Irving Township, Brown County, Kansas, on June 19, 1870. When he was about four years of age his parents moved to White Cloud, Doniphan County, Kansas, where he resided for more than thirty years. His father was Arthur Seeley Brewster, a native of New York, who came with his parents to Ashtabuia County, Ohio, at an early age. His father was a practicing attorney at White Cloud and practiced in Doniphan, Brown and neighboring counties. He was for six years county attorney of Doniphan County, Kansas, and held many positions of public trust. He … 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 Elmer Birdell Gift

Elmer Birdell Gift, a native Kansan, spent his active years in educational work. He is now city superintendent of the public schools of Manhattan, and has been a teacher or a student in higher educational institutions continuously for the past twenty years. He was born on a farm in Smith County, Kansas, April 28, 1874, a son of John and Rachel Ann (Akers) Gift. His parents came to Kansas from Iowa in 1873, settling on a farm. His father was a native of Pennsylvania of German lineage, while his mother was born in Ohio of Scotch and English ancestry. Their … Read more

Biography of John Schilling

John Schilling. A hazardous and arduous task confronted those venturesome and hardy men who forsook the security and comforts of the settled communities during the ’50s and penetrated the wilds of the untrodden West. None but themselves and their children can ever realize, in the faintest degree, the difficulties with which they were forced to contend, the perils to which they were exposed, and the privations which they endured. Fortunately, they were animated by an indomitable spirit and sustained by inflexible resolution, and patiently, perseveringly and steadfastly accomplished their mission, leaving to their posterity the fruits of their enterprise, in … Read more

Biography of Carey J. Wilson

Carey J. Wilson is superintendent of insurance for the State of Kansas. His is one of the busiest offices at the State Capitol and practically every minute of his official time is taken up either with the broader policies of the state insurance department or with the immense amount of details pertaining to the ability of companies to meet solvency requirements, as well as the general conduct of business within the state. To this office Mr. Wilson brought years of practical experience in the insurance field. He had been solely identified with insurance since he left college. Though a native … Read more

Biography of William Colfax Markham

William Colfax Markham, son of the late Dr. L. A. Markham and younger brother of Dean Markham of Baker University, is a Kansas man distinguished by exceptional talents and a versatile ability which have caused him to be referred to as editor, poet, playwright and enterprising citizen. He was born at Bolivar, Ohio, September 10, 1868, and he spent his youth in the various places where his father was engaged in his ministerial labors. For three years he was a student in Baldwin University at Berea, Ohio, and in 1886 he moved with his parents to Missouri and subsequently entered … Read more

Biography of John C. Hoyt

John C. Hoyt became identified with the real estate, loan and insurance business at El Dorado over thirty years ago. He is the dean in that line of business in Butler County, and the reputation for honesty and integrity which had become associated with his name through many long years had brought him all the business that his firm could attend to during the rapid development of Butler County’s resources in recent years. Mr. Hoyt was born near Bellevue, Ohio, September 3, 1860. His people have been identified with Northern Ohio since pioneer times. His grandfather, John Hoyt, was born … Read more

Biography of Allen Thomas Stewart

Allen Thomas Stewart is one of the younger business men of Doniphan County and had established himself firmly in business and civic esteem at Denton, where he is proprietor of the only drug store and is now serving his second suecessive term as mayor. Most of his life had been spent in Kansas. He was born at Salem, Kentucky, in Livingston County, March 11, 1881, and came to this state with his parents when he was five years old. He attended public schools, graduated from the high school at Seneca. Kansas, in 1901, and following that had two years in … 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