Cherokee County KS

Biography of General Marion Swanson

General Marion Swanson of Muskogee, well known in real estate circles through his purchase and sale of farm lands, is also engaged in farming, but follows this more as a recreation than as a source of livelihood. He was born in Lineville, Iowa, April 29, 1863, and is a son of William E. and Susan J. (Edgemand) Swanson. His father was always engaged in farming and stock raising and General Swanson, therefore, early became familiar with the various phases of agricultural life. He was educated in the public schools of Millersburg, Cherokee county, Kansas, and when not busy with his … Read more

Biography of John William Waldron, Rev.

Rev. John William Waldron is well known in a number of towns and cities of Kansas through his active ministerial labors in behalf of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and is now living at Galena, where he is pastor of the local church of his denomination. He had spent most of his life in Kansas, and by unusual talents as a preacher and unselfish devotion to his church had become a recognized leader in Methodism in this city. Both he and his people for many generations back are English. His grandfather, John Waldron, spent his life in England and was a … Read more

Biography of J. Louis Griswold, M. D.

J. Louis Griswold, M. D. During his long and active practice at Columbus, Doctor Griswold has become a recognized specialist in medical and surgical work, and has well earned a position among the foremost members of his profession in Cherokee County. Doctor Griswold has lived in this section of Kansas for more than thirty years, and was a druggist before taking up his studies and preparations for medicine. He was born on a farm in Bureau County, Illinois. His Griswold ancestors came originally from Wales and were colonial settlers in Connecticut. His grandfather, Willard Griswold, was born in Connecticut in … Read more

Biography of Lewis Corbin True, Col.

Col. Lewis C. True. Some interesting distinctions belong to this veteran soldier and lawyer who now lives retired at Kansas City, Kansas. He came to Kansas soon after leaving the army, and spent several years combating the hardships and plagues which afflicted the farmers in that period in Franklin County. Unable to make progress as a farmer, he took up the study of law, and in 1871 was admitted to practice in Cherokee County. He spent five years in general practice at Chetopa, and was then elected county attorney of Labette County. Kansas had just enacted its state wide prohibition … Read more

Biography of Alexander McCrary

Alexander McCrary was born in Ross County, Ohio, in 1825, son of Alexander and Mary (Summers) McCrary. His father was a native of South Carolina and his mother of Kentucky. Mr. McCrary spent his youth upon a farm, receiving such an education as the common schools afforded and was early inured to the hard labor of pioneer farming. His natural mechanical tastes and ideas prompted his taking up a trade, and at the age of twenty-one years he started out in life as a carpenter, and later as a bridge builder and millwright. In 1856 he moved to Iowa and … Read more

Biography of Oscar Maxel Yount

Oscar Maxel Yount. The person of this sketch, Oscar Maxel Yount, is perhaps the most wonderful example, everything being taken into consideration, of what a determined will-power can accomplish that the Sunflower State had ever produced. He had been a lawyer and engaged in the active practice of his profession since June 22, 1905. He is a native son of Kansas, and the work he had done in his profession and in civic affairs had brought him a place of special esteem throughout the state and especially in his home community of Galena. He was not born with a “silver … Read more

Biography of A. H. Skidmore

A. H. Skidmore. The general instances in the early life of men who “do things” are peculiarly similar. Differing in detail, the general outline is the short and simple story of the rise and progress to eminence from poverty to prosperity. Assiduous toil, the common school advantages, and the struggle for supremacy generates reliance on self, the natural, rather than art is their guide; individual talents are developed and each shows through the originality thereby becoming and recognized as self-made men. Judge Skidmore was born in Virginia February 14, 1856, was reared to manhood on a farm by parents possessing … Read more

Biography of Charles O. Stockslager

One of the leading representatives of the bench of Idaho is Judge Charles O. Stockslager, now presiding over the courts of the fourth judicial district. He maintains his residence in Hailey, and in that city and throughout this section of the state is widely known as a jurist of marked ability, whose “even-handed justice” has won him “golden opinions’” from the bar and from the general public. A native of Indiana, he was born in Harrison County, February 8, 1847, and is a son of Captain Jacob Stockslager, whose birth occurred in Virginia and who won his title in gallant … Read more

Jeremiah John Miller – Obituary

Medical Springs, Oregon Jeremiah John Miller, 81, a longtime Medical Springs resident, died Dec. 5, 2001, at his home. There will be a memorial service later. Jeremiah was born at Baxter Springs, Kan., where he grew up on his grandmother’s farm. He graduated from Joplin High School and enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps, which took him to Randolph Field at San Antonio, Texas. There he met and fell in love with Adeline Kosharek. They were married on July 1, 1940, and spent 27 years in the U.S. Air Force where his career was in aircraft maintenance and engineering. … Read more

Biography of Stephen Robert Ping

Stephen Robert Ping. Kansas is not only famous for its rich lands, its crops of wheat and alfalfa, but also for its untold wealth of resources under ground, and though these resources are comparatively little known even to many of the Sunflower people, Southwestern Kansas is pre-eminently a mineral section. One of the centers of the production of lead and zinc ores is Galena in Cherokee County, Kansas. Galena is one mile from the Missouri state line and ten miles to the Oklahoma state line. In the year of 1916 a strip of country thirty-five miles long and fifteen miles … Read more

Biography of Frank L. Ball

Frank L. Ball, M. D. A resident of Kansas nearly all his life, Dr. Frank L. Ball had for the past fifteen years been one of the leading physicians and surgeons of Cherokee County. His family were among the pioneer settlers of Southeastern Kansas, and the name had been closely identified with the agricultural development and with the civic and professional life of various communities. The Ball family is of Scotch-Irish descent. Originally they were Quakers, and it is said that the first of the name came to Pennsylvania with William Penn. Doctor Ball’s grandfather was Guy Ball, a native … Read more

Biography of James J. Bulger

James J. Bulger has been a resident of Kansas since his boyhood and through recourse to the best of educational institutions in the Sunflower State he prepared himself for the legal profession, which he has dignified by his character and achievement and through the medium of which he advanced to judicial position, his service having been on the bench of the District Court of Cherokee County. Since 1912 he has been engaged in the general practice of his profession in the City of Wichita, where he has built up a large and important law business and retains a representative clientage. … Read more

Biography of Jesse M. Foster

Jesse M. Foster, a native Kansan, had been a practical newspaper man since leaving college. He is now proprietor and publisher of the Clifton News, one of the oldest papers in continuous publication in Washington County. This paper was established in December, 1885, by J. M. and J. C. Padgett. It was first known as the Local News. It was changed to the Clifton News in 1891 by L. A. Palmer, then the publisher. The successive owners and publishers were I. C. Ware, one year, A. Q. Miller, two years, N. F. Hewitt, Stoy E. Ware, Burt Fraser, P. M. … Read more

Biography of Ellsworth L. Burton

Ellsworth L. Burton. One of the very able members of the Kansas Legislature in the session of 1915-16 was Representative E. L. Burton from Parsons. Mr. Burton is an attorney by profession, has spent most of his life in Kansas, and has some very influential and important connections in his part of the state. He was born at Mattoon, Illinois, April 30, 1868. The Burtons came from England and settled in the Carolinas during colonial days. Mr. Burton is a direct descendant of Cavalier Burton. His grandfather Alfred Burton was born near Guilford Court House in North Carolina, and died … Read more

Biography of Frank William Boss

Frank William Boss. Among the county officials of Cherokee County, one whose previous record, general qualifications for ability and character, gave, at the time of his election, in 1912, every ground for a successful career, and whose discharge of the duties of his office had since vindicated the faith placed in him, is Frank William Boss, county attorney. Mr. Boss had the reputation of being an indefatigable worker, combining scholarship with an active energy and forceful personality, and these qualities have been much esteemed in an office in which the people of the county have endeavored to place men who … Read more

Biography of M. W. Burrows

Coming to Indian Territory in 1890, M. W. Burrows was for many years actively identified with oil development work in this state, but has recently purchased a farm in Cherokee County, Kansas, which he intends to devote to the raising of fruit. He was born in Newton County, Missouri, January 17, 1876, of the marriage of J. H. and Mary E. (Medlin) Burrows, both natives of that state. The father is seventy years of age and is now living in Cherokee County, Kansas. In 1890 he came to Indian Territory, locating near Copan, on the Little Caney River, and there … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Eugene F. Ware

Eugene F. Ware, a soldier of Iowa, a lawyer and public man of Kansas, and an author both of that state and Missouri, was born at Hartford, Connecticut, May 29, 1841. His parents moved to Burlington, Iowa, in his childhood and he was educated in the public schools of that place. During the Civil war he reached the rank of captain in the Fourth Iowa Cavalry. He took a section of land in Cherokee County, Kansas, in 1867, studied law and was admitted to the bar at Fort Scott and to the United States Supreme Court; entered the law firm … Read more