Clay County KS Genealogy – Page 2 of 2

Biography of Charles Sumner Risdon

Charles Sumner Risdon. Among the men who have lent dignity to the educator’s profession in Kansas, Charles Sumner Risdon is deserving of more than passing mention. Throughout his career he has been a resident of the Sunflower State, and from the time of his earliest ambitions for a career as an educator until he realized the attainment of his goal, he attended the educational institutions of the state. His standing in his profession was recognized in 1901, when he was appointed superintendent of schools of Independence, and this office he has filled so capably, that there has been no thought … Read more

Biography of Samuel R. Dillinger, Jr.

Samuel R. Dillinger, Jr. At all times the grain trade is one of vital importance in every country, and at the present time, when the eyes of a large portion of the earth are turned expectantly to the mighty grain yields of the United States, does the conservation of this food and its proper handling as a commercial factor take on added importance. To buy grain carefully, knowingly and economically requires something more than the trading instinet, it necessitates the possession of special talents and certain knowledge that can only come through actual experience. Samuel R. Dillinger, who is manager … 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 De Witt C. Tyler, M. D.

De Witt C. Tyler, M. D. Though he is now retiring from the work which had engaged his attention for so many years Doctor Tyler is properly credited with being the oldest physician and surgeon of Clifton, where he began practice thirty-six years ago. By intense devotion to his work Doctor Tyler long enjoyed a splendid practice in Clay and Washington counties, and though much of his service had gone unremunerated he had exercised fine business ability and owned a large amount of property in this section of the state. Doctor Tyler was born at Roscoe, Illinois, March 13, 1850, … Read more

Biography of William Sherman Timmons

William Sherman Timmons. One of the highly respected residents and leading business men of Riley, Kansas, is William Sherman Timmons, owner of a lumber yard and dealing also in coal and grain. He belongs to old American stock, his ancestors for generations having resided in one or other of the great states of the Union. There is present in almost every individual, be his station in life what it may, a latent pride of ancestry and a pleasure in being able to trace a clear line far back in the silence of the past. Sometimes men and women offer fortunes … Read more

Biography of Mrs. Phoebe (Read) Pinkerton

Mrs. Phoebe (Read) Pinkerton. With a dignified recognition of official responsibility and the poise and charm of an intellectual woman, Mrs. Phoebe (Read) Pinkerton, register of deeds for Clay County, impresses a visitor very favorably and in a section of country where interesting personalities are by no means lacking. Mrs. Pinkerton is widely known and is universally esteemed, and was brought to Clay Center by her parents in 1878. Mrs. Pinkerton was born in the City of Manchester, England, and is a daughter of Rev. William and Margaret (Martin) Read. Both parents were born at Manchester, the father on February … Read more

Bracken, George – Obituary

George Bracken, 49, former city car salesman and instructor at Oklahoma City University, died Saturday [December 24, 1951] in El Reno sanitarium after suffering a series of strokes. Bracken had lived in El Reno with his sister, Mrs. Paul Strate the past three years. Born in Kingfisher, he was the son of the late Arthur E. Bracken, state pioneer and first licensed undertaker in the state. He was graduated from Kansas university in 1923 and for 14 years he was a salesman in Kansas City, Mo. He came to Oklahoma City in 1937 and was employed by Green-lease-Moore Chevrolet Co. … Read more

Biography of William Henry Bond

William Henry Bond came up the Missouri River in 1865 to the City of Leavenworth and founded the wholesale grocery establishment of Bond & Funk. Though now living retired with home in Kansas City, Missouri, Mr. Bond had been more or less vitally and closely identified with Leavenworth’s welfare and progress for half a century. He was born in the State of Missouri at Weston on July 19, 1840. His parents, William H. and Mary (Hitchcock) Bond, arrived in Missouri when it was on the western frontier. His father was a miner by occupation. Mr. Bond is a direct descendant … Read more

Biography of Horace E. Potter, M. D.

Horace E. Potter, M. D., had been located at Clifton for over thirty years, and besides his successful associations with the profession is a man of high standing and wide repute for his active relations with community affairs. Doctor Potter came to Kansas on his graduation from medical college. He was born in Henry County, Illinois, December 25, 1858. His ancestry is Scotch and his forefathers came from Scotland to Connecticut in colonial times. His father, Loren E. Potter, was also a physician. He was born at Potter’s Corners near Buffalo in Erie County, New York, in 1822. When he … Read more

Biography of Samuel R. Dillinger

Samuel R. Dillinger. One of the well known families of Clay County is that of Dillinger, which for many years had been active in the grain elevator business, and it had a worthy representative in Samuel R. Dillinger, who is manager of the Farmers Elevator Company at Bennington, Kansas. Mr. Dillinger was born in Des Moines County, Iowa, July 15, 1855, and is the elder of two sons born to his parents, who were Daniel and Nancy (Davis) Dillinger. His younger brother, Daniel Dillinger, came to Kansas in 1886 and is a prosperous farmer in Sherman County. In tracing his … Read more

Kansas Registrations of Enemy Aliens, 1917 – 1921

The series contains original affidavits of registration that record personal information about each registrant, their photograph affixed to the majority of documents, and the registrants fingerprints. All of these are specific to Kansas, and most have the actual documents attached.

Biography of G. Leroy Ramsey

G. Leroy Ramsey. Among the men who are marking their names indelibly upon the stockraising history of Southeastern Kansas, one who had been more than ordinarily active in this field of endeavor and whose operations have assumed large proportions is G. LeRoy Ramsey, who owned and operates 1,760 acres six miles north of El Dorado and 560 acres northeast of that city, all in Butler County. Mr. Ramsey not only raises and ships cattle extensively, but of recent years had been interested in oil leases. He was born at Belle Center, Ohio, December 22, 1872, and is a son of … Read more

Biography of Glenn Swogger

Glenn Swogger is one of the younger men in the newspaper business in Kansas and began his career as an editor and publisher soon after leaving Kansas University. Mr. Swogger is editor and owner of The Waverly Gazette and The Harris Commercial. The Waverly Gazette is one of the older papers of Coffey County. It was established as the Gridley Gazette in 1887 by Ben Swearingen, was moved to Burlington in 1888 and in 1889 to Waverly, where it had been published continuously ever since. The Harris Commercial is one of the live weekly papers of Anderson County and was … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John P. Marshall

John P. Marshall was born in New Alresford, Hampshire, England, October 11, 1846. His father was William Marshall, a contractor and builder of that town. Leaving school, John P. Marshall worked in the drygoods business at Southampton, and at Stony Stratford, Buckinghamshire, until 1865, when he came to Montreal where he worked in the wholesale drygoods business until September, 1868, when he moved to Chicago. In February, 1870, he came to Wakefield and took up land southwest of town. This he farmed until January, 1890, when he was called to take the management of the Co-operative Store in Wakefield, a … Read more

Clay County Kansas Veterans of World War 1

1917 – 1918 Compiled and arranged by Frederick W. Hood From the official reports of General John J. Pershing, Commander in Chief Colonel Leonard P. Ayers, Chief of Statistics Branch and other reliable writers Dedication To the soldiers, sailors, marines and army nurses of Clay County, who served in the cause of our country, willing to give their lives for the freedom of the word from the most dreadful menace of all time, this volume is dedicated. The Telescope Publishing Company Belleville, Kansas The great war drama ended, our fighting men have returned home. The sound of the giant cannon … Read more

Biography of Frank A. Moss

Frank A. Moss. For over thirty years the name Moss had been significant of the finest integrity and ability in connection with the banking affairs of St. Marys. The First National Bank of that city is practically a product of the financial genius of the Moss family. The founder and for many years the president was the late John A. Moss, and that office is now filed by his son, Frank A. Moss. The late John A. Moss was born in London, England, May 5, 1846, and had an experience that identified him with the frontier towns of Kansas. He … Read more

Biography of Frederick William Parrott

F. W. Parrott. Probably no agency so molds public opinion as does the reputable newspaper, and on this account the editor of a journal of standing occupies a position of great accountability. It may matter little, perhaps, whether one can convince his next door neighbor of the value of his enlightened opinions, but when his audience numbers hundreds and thousands his effort become a force of momentous strength and solemn responsibility. That this is generally realized by the men who through special talents are called upon to accept such a position may be seen when they show not only the … Read more

Biography of Col. Perry M. Hoisington

Col. Perry M. Hoisington, of Newton, is one of the big men of Kansas today. For over a quarter of a century he had been closely identified with the state military organization, at first with the old Kansas Militia and now with the Kansas National Guard. At the head of his fine regiment, the Second, he gave some good service on the Texas border in 1916 and is now ready for the call to duty in France. His business career had been equally successful and progressive. Colonel Hoisington is president of the First National Bank of Newton and had been … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dr. W. W. Bryan

(See Grant and Adair) -William Wear, son of Charles S. and Mildred (Wear) Bryan born September 7, 1868 in Cooper County, Missouri. Graduated from Western Dental College of Kansas City, Mo. Married at Vinita August 11,1892, Rachel Bell, daughter of William Henry and Eliza Jane (Bell) Mayes, born September 12, 1868. They were the parents of: Charles S. born July 14, 1896, and died Nov. 9 of the same year; Frances, born May 17, 1895 and died June 21, 1895; William Mayes born July 14, 1896 and died Nov. 9, 1896; Joe Cullus, born February 10, 1903, and Mamie Alexander … Read more