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 Elisha H. Rollins

Elisha H. Rollins, partner of Mr. Ireland in the proprietorship of the Ireland & Rollins Planing Mills Company, and one of the progressive and energetic business men of Fort Scott, was born March 15, 1859, on Prince Edward Island, a son of John and Mary (Harker) Rollins, natives of that place, who passed their entire lives there in agricultural pursuits. The father died in 1909, at the age of seventy-five years, while the mother passed away many years before, being forty-seven years old at the time of her demise. The fourth in a family of nine children, Elisha H. Rollins … Read more

Biography of William Frank Flack, M. D.

William Frank Flack, M. D. While the medical profession for centuries had enlisted some of the most profound minds of all times, modern discoveries and developments have opened up new fields for the brilliant physician and surgeon, and many of this profession have turned their attention to particular branches, specializing along certain lines. This development had been necessary, for the problems presented in the calling today are so serious and difficult of solution that the average physician had not the expert knowledge to handle all satisfactorily. For some years past William Frank Flack, the pioneer physician of Elk County, had … Read more

Lee, Oscar Grant – Obituary

Funeral services for Oscar G. Lee, pioneer realtor and hotel man of Oklahoma City who died in Kansas City, Mo., Wednesday afternoon [June 13, 1934], will be held here at 10:30 a.m., Friday, it was announced Wednesday night. Death, caused by hardening of the arteries, came to Lee following almost a year’s confinement in St. Luke’s Hospital in Kansas City. He had been a resident of that city since leaving Oklahoma City in 1913. While Lee was supposed to have staked out a claim in Oklahoma City following the run of 1889, friends of his here recalled that he originally … Read more

Biography of Edgar Fenton Broomhall

Edgar Fenton Broomhall is secretary of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company with headquarters and home at Parsons. Native ability and long experience in railroading have given Mr. Broomhall unusual qualifications for the large responsibilities he now enjoys. He was born in Chicago August 18, 1877, and from that date it will be seen that he is still a young man. His father, Charles W. Broomhall, was born in Wilmington, Ohio, August 9, 1850, grew up and married in his native state, and in early life learned telegraphy and was an operator until 1888. For several years he was … Read more

Biography of Benjamin Franklin Strong, M. D.

Benjamin Franklin Strong, M. D. Now engaged in practice as a physician and surgeon at Chautauqua, Doctor Strong had a wide acquaintance in the two states of Kansas and Missouri, had practiced medicine in both states and had also a successful business record to his credit prior to his entrance into the medical profession. He was born in Sabula, Iowa, June 4, 1861. He represents an old American family. His first American ancestor was Elder John Strong, who was the founder of Northampton, Massachusetts. The Strong family originated in Scotland but this branch of it came from England. Many generations … Read more

Biography of Henry Carl Alwes

Henry Carl Alwes is manager of the Western Typesetting Company and president of the Gate City Directory Company of Kansas City, Missouri. He organized the latter company in 1911 and from the beginning had been its manager. Mr. Alwes had conquered obstacles in the path to success as he had met them. He is a man of versatile talents. He is a practical printer, is a pharmacist by profession, had filled offices of responsibility as editor and newspaper manager, linotype operator, and in other ways in connection with some of the best known newspapers of Kansas, Chicago and the Middle … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Rufus E. Cable

Rufus E. Cable was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He came to Kansas City, Missouri, in 1856, and was employed as a clerk in the establishment of W. E. Proctor, who was the proprietor of a general store. The store of Mr. Proctor and all other business houses in Kansas City, Missouri, were at that time on the levee along the south bank of the Missouri River. The residences were scattered about on the hills back of the business houses. At that time M. J. Payne was mayor of Kansas City, Missouri. Mr. Cable in 1865 moved to Wyandotte, now Kansas … Read more

Biography of Francis Joseph Scherman

Francis Joseph Scherman. A leading representative of the agricultural interests of Shawnee County, Francis Joseph Scherman is also a member of the Kansas bar and had taken more than an ordinarily prominent part in public affairs. His present fine farm, where he is engaged in general and stock raising operations, is located not far from the City of Topeka, and Mr. Scherman had a number of business interests at the Kansas capital, where he is widely and favorably known. Mr. Scherman was born November 6, 1872, in Johnson County, Kansas, and is a son of Andrew Scherman, who was born … Read more

Biography of James F. Rankin

James F. Rankin has proved his ability both in general business affairs and as a banker, and is the organizer and active official of the State Bank of Sidney. Mr. Rankin was born near Deland, Illinois, October 31, 1879, a son of Joseph H. and Emma (Brown) Rankin. His parents were natives of Ohio, and his father was for a number of years a general merchant at Deland, but about 1902 removed to Champaign County and located in the city of Champaign, where he is still living. James F. is the only surviving child, his younger brother, Willis D., having … Read more

Erskine, Wayne Everett – Obituary

Baker City, Oregon Wayne Everett Erskine, 77, of Baker City, died Dec. 10, 2000, at St. Elizabeth Health Services. His funeral was Thursday at the Coles-Strommer Funeral Home, 1950 Place St. Pastor Lennie Spooner of the Baker City Church of the Nazarene officiated. Vault interment was at Mount Hope Cemetery. Mr. Erskine was born on Aug. 9, 1923, to W.R. and Stella Shortell Erskine. He was born on a small farm at Runnells, Iowa, and raised in the Prairie City, Iowa, area. He was married to Marjorie Arrasmith on June 8, 1941, at Bethany, Mo. He was a very good … Read more

Biography of William Schwartz

William Schwartz was one of the pioneers of Eastern Kansas. Many of his activities identified him with Miami County and the City of Paola, though in later years his interests were widely extended. Throughout his career the traits of industry and enterprise are strongly pronounced. He was born in Nassau, Germany, May 4, 1838, and there obtained his early education. He was one of a family of seven children, two sons and five daughters. When he was eighteen years of age, in 1856, William Schwartz set out for the land of promise, crossed the ocean and landed in Philadelphia. He … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Shaler W. Eldridge

Shaler W. Eldridge, one of the leading free-state men of Lawrence and therefore of the Territory of Kansas, was a native of Massachusetts, born at West Springfield, August 29, 1816. The twelve years previous to coming to Kansas, he spent as a leading railroad contractor of New England. Arriving in Kansas City, Missouri, January 3, 1855, he purchased the American House from Samuel C. Pomeroy, who had previously obtained it from the Emigrant Aid Society. It is needless to say that it was headquarters for the free-state men, and that it harbored Governor Reeder in his escape from Kansas. In … Read more

Biography of Albert James Herrod

Albert James Herrod in 1916 was elected judge of the District Court of Wyandotte County for the short term of forty days in Division 3. He had the distinction of being the youngest judge in the state at the present time, and his attainments and ability give promise of a large career of usefulness for the future. Judge Herrod was born at Newark, England, April 14, 1885. He was the fourth in a family of five children, three boys and two girls, born to Walter and Catherine (Taylor) Herrod. His grandfather John Herrod was a successful English maltster and also … Read more

Biography of B. S. Smith

B. S. Smith is one of the oldest business men of Humboldt. He had been a merchant there thirty years. In that time he had built up the largest and most complete dry goods establishment not only in the city but in that part of the state: It is a splendid store, stocked with a varied assortment of all the goods required by a discriminating trade, and had been built up on the foundation of square and honest dealing and a careful and painstaking service. Mr. Smith is also well known in other lines of business and as a public … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas S. Huffaker

Thomas S. Huffaker, a pioneer Indian missionary among the Shawnees, a founder of Council Grove and an old-time republican leader, was born in Clay County, Missouri, March 30, 1825, a son of Rev. George Huffaker, who had come from Kentucky five years before. In 1849 he came to Kansas in connection with the manual training school for the Shawnee Indians at the mission in what is now Jefferson County, The following year he went to Council Grove, where he took charge of the Indian mission school which had been established on the Kaw reservation there by the Methodist Episcopal Church … Read more

Biography of Floyd E. Doubleday

Floyd E. Doubleday. It has been the fortune of Floyd E. Doubleday to realize many of his worthy ambitions, and through the exercise of good judgment and business ability to wrest from his opportunities financial and general success. For many years he has been interested in the coal industry, and at the present time is accounted one of the leading operators of Pittsburg. Mr. Doubleday was born at Italy, New York, June 23, 1859, and is a son of Guy L. and Caroline (Hobart) Doubleday. The Doubleday family is of English origin and traces its ancestry back in America to … Read more

Biography of Benjamin Richmond

Benjamin Richmond is head of the B. Richmond Department Store at 635-637 Osage Avenue in Kansas City, Kansas. One of the leading merchants of this city since 1901, his is a record of success in every way unusual and most creditable. He came to America without capital and at one time worked for very low wages. He comes of a high class and cultured Jewish family. He was born in Russia September 15, 1874, one of the four children still living whose parents were Rev. Moses and Bessie Richmond, who were also natives of Russia. Rev. Moses Richmond was a … Read more

Biography of William Henry Robinson, M. D.

William Henry Robinson, M. D. The value of an individual life is often expressed not so much through its positive services of a routine nature, but in its attitude toward those ideals and things which are still objects to be realized in that particular community. Such had been the distinctive role played by Dr. W. H. Robinson at Eudora, in addition to the splendid work he had performed through his profession. Doctor Robinson first came to Kansas in 1872, when a young man, and had spent most of his active career in this state. He was born at one of … Read more

Biography of Owen M. Thomas

Owen M. Thomas. The Citizens State Bank of Bronson, of which Owen M. Thomas is vice president, is an institution which had grown rapidly and prospered since it was established less than ten years ago, and its success is largely due to the character of the men entrusted with its executive management. Mr. Thomas had been actively identified with banking for ten years, both in Oklahoma and in Kansas. Though a young man, his career had apparently been one of rapid accomplishment, and he had achieved as much in ten years as many men do in their entire active life. … Read more