Chicago Illinois

Biography of Louis Van Dorp

Louis Van Dorp. More than thirty-five years a resident of Kansas, Louis Van Dorp, though he arrived in the state with only a few dollars available cash capital, had built up and maintained for years a large and important service as a sheet metal contractor. With his headquarters in Topeka, his contraets have called him and his class of workmen to all parts of the state. A native of Detroit, Michigan, where he was born November 22, 1857, Louis Van Dorp is one of the three children of August and Sophia (Kohn) Van Dorp, both of whom were natives of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of J. N. Gilbranson

J.N. GILBRANSON. – There is no European country to which the United States is more in debt than to the Scandinavian peninsula. From there we had Ericsson, whose invention of the Monitor is deemed by many to have turned the tide of war in 1862. From the country of Ericsson we have also many of our best citizens. One of these is Mr. Gilbranson, who was born at Christiana, Norway, in 1834, and came to Chicago in 1854. He resided in Missouri until the war broke out, being actively engaged in his business of contracting and building. Returning to Chicago, … Read more

Biography of J. T. B. Gephart

J. T. B. Gephart is president of the Citizens State Bank of City Falls, Jefferson County. Mr. Gephart had been prominently associated with banking in that old town of Kansas for over thirty-four years. The present Citizens State Bank is the logical successor of the old Hicks, Gephart & Company, which was instituted as a private banking house in 1871 by Mr. S. C. Gephart and W. C. Hicks. On the death of Mr. Hicks in 1878 he was succeeded by W. F. Hicks, and the death of S. C. Gephart in 1882 brought his son J. T. B. Oephart … Read more

Biography of Hon. A. E. Craver

Hon. A. E. Craver, a leading member of the Washington county bar for many years, was connected with the work of the courts both as lawyer and lawmaker and was representing his district in the state legislature at the time of his death, on January 29, 1922, leaving the impress of his individuality upon the legislative history of Oklahoma. He was born in Marshall County, Indiana, September 17, 1866, and was a son of George Washington and Eliza (Gray) Craver, the former a native of Hagerstown, Maryland, while the latter was born in Baltimore, that state. The father was a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Joseph Sherman Van De Boe

Van De Boe, Joseph Sherman; real estate; born, Jan. 20, 1859, Cooperstown, N. Y.; son of John Leeland Van De Boe; common school education; married in December, 1881, Miss Mary A. Wood, of Lebanon; issue, one son, Hugh Robert, born Oct. 14, 1885; Mrs. Van De Boe died in December, 1909, while visiting her son, in Hong Kong, China; business career, began to work when 12 years of age; worked on a farm; mgr. Drug Co. in Andover, N. Y.; realizing the need of further education, worked in country store in Ulysses, Pa., and attended Academy there; then went to … Read more

Charles Ferdinand Todd of Duluth MN

Charles Ferdinand Todd9, (Walter S.8, Ira7, Jehiel6, Stephen5, Stephen4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born July 25, 1844, in Cooperstown, N. Y., married June 1, 1871, Harriet Ophelia, daughter of Hon. Elnathan and Salome (Cushman) Hathaway, who was born in Assonet Village, Freetown, Mass. Her mother was a cousin of Charlotte Cushman, the actress. Soon after their marriage, they went to Chicago, Ill., where he engaged in the wholesale produce business and which he continued for several years. Later he moved to Duluth, Minn., where he was a dealer in fancy butter. They lived in Chicago at the time of the great … Read more

Biography of John Harvey Staatz M. D.

John Harvey Staatz, M. D. The community of Rushton in Rice County had known and appreciated the services of Dr. Staatz as a capable physician and surgeon for the past seventeen years. Doctor Staatz is a man of real attainments in his profession, was unusually well qualified before beginning practice, and had kept in close touch with the leaders in medical science ever since. He represents the pioneer element of Kansas, his father having come to the state when Kansas was still a territory. Doctor Staatz was born at Enterprise in Dickinson County December 6, 1874. His father, John Frederick … Read more

Biography of Cecil K. Reiff

Cecil K. Reiff, principal of the Central high school at Muskogee, was born in Wabash county, Indiana, October 23, 1888, and is a son of Jacob and Catherine (Baer) Reiff, the former a native of Wurtemberg, Germany, while the latter was born in Ohio. The father was but thirteen years of age when he was brought to America by his parents, the family home being established in Ohio, where he completed his education and afterward took up the occupation of tilling the soil. During the period of the Civil war he served on guard duty near Washington, D. C., and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of R. J. A. Mack

R. J. A. Mack, of Redlands, is a native of Syracuse, New York, born June 24, 1842. He received his education in the schools of Syracuse and Fulton, New York, and commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Townsend, of Syracuse; he also attended and graduated at the college at Geneva. He began practice at Syracuse, afterward continuing at Rochester, and later at Lyons, New York. Thence he removed to Chicago, where he attended Bennett Medical College (Eclectic), graduating in 1876. He practiced in Chicago until 1886, when he removed to California, and on the 9th of November of that … Read more

Biography of Michael Lowry

Michael Lowry. One of the prominent and substantial families of Champaign County bears the name of Lowry and this name for half a century has represented here good citizenship, honest industry and faithful membership in the Roman Catholic Church. While not an unusually prolific family, it is a long-lived one and at present there are three generations residing at Philo, Illinois. Michael Lowry was born in County Tipperary, Ireland, June 9, 1850. His parents were John and Margaret (Nolan) Lowry, natives of the same county, and from there they came to America and to Illinois in 1865. John Lowry settled … Read more

Biography of Edwin O. Crandall

EDWIN O. CRANDALL. Deceased – It is pleasant to give an epitome of a career that has been filled with good deeds and in which upright principles have been set forth and especially gratifying to all is it to be enabled to chronicle the items of the life of one who has made a pleasing success in a number of walks of life and has always manifested in the pure of life and has always manifested a kindness, geniality and faithfulness that are both enjoyable and praiseworthy. Of this class is the gentleman, whose life history we now essay to … Read more

Calvin Chamberlain Todd of Aberdeen SD

Calvin Chamberlain Todd8, (George T.7, Eli6, Jonah5, Abraham4, Jonah3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born Dec. 14, 1856, married July 2, 1901, Katherine E. Case, who was born Sept. 29, 1866, and was a native of Aldenville, Penn. In 1883, she moved with her father’s family to S. Dak.; she took a two years course at Pratt’s Arts Institute, in Brooklyn, N. Y.; taught school in S. Dak. He attended the Wisconsin State University, receiving his diploma from there; later he went to the McCormick Theological Seminary, in Chicago, Ill., and graduated. He was ordained as a Presbyterian Minister and has held pastorates … Read more

Biography of Harry C. Kariher, M. D.

Harry C. Kariher, M. D. Perhaps no call is so insistent in man as that of personal service to others. It is one of the beautiful elements of humanity; it lies at the root of religion and permeates every brotherhood organization. The appeal for help made by the physically sick and maimed has led many a noble-hearted young man to prepare for and devote himself to the arduous profession of medicine, occasionally thereby to a large extent turning aside from the pleasures of the leisurely life that ample means might have afforded him, finding compensation in the knowledge of the … Read more

Corthell Genealogy of Hingham to South Abington, Massachusetts

Elmer Lawrence Corthell

Of the first generation of the Corthell family in America there are records somewhat contradictory. Robert Corthell appears at Hingham, Mass., at the commencement of the eighteenth century. Nothing earlier of him seems to be known. He married Oct. 13, 1708, Deborah, daughter of Benjamin and Deborah Tower, his wife being born in Hingham in February, 1685. Robert Corthell died March 5, 1737-38, aged fifty-two years.

Chandler Family of Boston and East Bridgewater MA

This Boston – East Bridgewater Chandler family, the head of which was the late Hon. Peleg Whitman Chandler, long one of the leading counselors of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and one of a family of lawyers, comes of a Massachusetts-Maine branch of the ancient Duxbury family whose progenitor was Edmund Chandler. The branch just alluded to for several generations at New Gloucester and Bangor, Maine, and at Boston in this Commonwealth, has been one of liberal education, college-bred men, men who have adorned the legal profession, and it has allied itself through generations with a number of the ancient and first families of the Old Colony. There follows in chronological order from Edmund Chandler, the first American ancestor of this branch of American Chandlers, and in detail the family history and genealogy.

Biography of Judge Napoleon B. Maxey

Judge N. B. Maxey has the distinction of holding the oldest license to practice law in the Oklahoma courts. Notwithstanding the fact he is still active in the profession, maintaining his once in Muskogee but frequently called to other sections of the state in connection with his specialty of insurance and surety law. He was born in Smith County, Tennessee, July 15, 1853, and the fact that his father, Thomas J. Maxey, was of French extraction probably accounts for the name given to the future Muskogee lawyer, Napoleon Bonaparte Maxey. Whether the name carries with it any qualifications that to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Frank P. Simmen

Mayor Frank P. Simmen stands out as one of the most progressive and constructive executives San Mateo has ever had. Being a sound business man of the highest type, Mr. Simmen set out not to play to a political gallery but to give San Mateo a clean-cut businesslike administration. The condition of the city finances, the completion of the new city hall, the extensive street improvements, the proposed municipal baths and a dozen other matters bear out the success of Mayor Simmen’s policies. Mayor Simmen is a man of many responsibilities; and San Mateo is to be congratulated on securing … Read more

Slave Narrative of Anna Baker

Interviewer: Mrs. Richard Kolb Person Interviewed: Anna Baker Location: Aberdeen, Mississippi Age: 80 Anna Baker, 80-year old ex-slave, is tall and well built. She is what the Negroes term a “high brown.” Her high forehead and prominent cheek bones indicate that there is a strain of other than the pure African in her blood. She is in fair health. “Lemme see how old I is. Well, I tells you jus’ lak I tol’ dat Home Loan man what was here las’ week. I ‘members a pow’ful lot ’bout slavery times an’ ’bout ‘fore surrender. I know I was a right … Read more

Biography of James G. Mehlin

James G. Mehlin, a pioneer farmer of Nowata county who is now residing one and one-half miles northeast of Alluwe, was born in Stuttgart, Wurtemburg, Germany, on the 21st of January, 1841. His parents were both born in that country and the father died there. Mrs. Mehlin came to America prior to her son James G. and located in New York, where her death occurred in 1870. James G. Merlin came to America in 1854 and, landing in New York, remained there a short time, but later removed to Maryland. Subsequently he went to Chicago, Illinois, where his brother Charles … Read more

Biography of Edwin J. Moffitt, M. D.

Edwin J. Moffitt, M. D. A physician and surgeon of Manhattan for the past fifteen years, Doctor Moffitt is highly esteemed professionally and also as a citizen. He is a man of wide experience and thorough professional qualifications, yet is unostentatious and allows his merits and abilities to speak for themselves. He was born at Jesup, Iowa, May 23, 1872, a son of William and Alice (Muncey) Moffitt. William Moffitt, who was born at Cadiz, Ohio, of Scotch parents, was a Union soldier in the Civil war, as was also his father. Grandfather Moffitt attained the post of provost marshal, … Read more