Crawford County KS

Biography of Asa Messinger

Asa Messinger. It is not likely that men within the City of Pittsburg, Kansas, have contributed in greater measure to the making of their surroundings than has Asa Messinger. Look where one will, large buildings and small, modest homes and elegant residences, banking houses and industrial plants, churches and educational institutions, structures for the housing of public utilities–these, and more which contribute to the architectural ensemble of a flourishing town, are the product of his brain and hand. And this is not all. In the capacity of commissioner of streets and public improvements, he has added to the city’s beauty … Read more

Biography of Isaac S. Lightle

Isaac S. Lightle. The influence of a sound, conservative banking house is wide and its practical results far reaching. Without such an institution in its midst, no city can hope to take its place among its sister communities, and to it will come no reliable outside concerns. It may be truly said that the growth and development of a community depends largely upon the quality and stability of its banks, and this means the sagacity and integrity of the men who stand at their head. Therefore the thriving community of Arcadia, in Crawford County, is fortunate in the possession of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Alexander P. Riddle

Alexander P. Riddle, a widely known newspaper man and public character of Ottawa County, was born at Harlansburg, Pennsylvania, August 16, 1846. He learned his trade as a printer in the office of the Franklin (Pennsylvania) Spectator, and in 1869 came to Kansas as a “jour.” He first located at Olathe; then moved to Girard, where he set type and became half owner of the Press. In 1885 he sold his interest and settled at Minneapolis, which has since been his home. There he purchased the Minneapolis Messenger, which he still publishos and edits, as well as the Kansas Workman … Read more

Biography of Oris Polk Dellinger, Prof.

Prof. Oris Polk Dellinger. It must be conceded, and is a source of pride, that Kansas is wide awake and in earnest in the matter of providing the best of educational advantages for her youth. Great institutions have been founded and to their faculties have been called men of scholastic attainments and wide experience in the educational field. One of many departments of study offered by the Kansas State Manual Training Normal School at Pittsburg, an exceedingly interesting and important one is that of biology, which for the past seven years had been under the able direction of Prof. Oris … Read more

Biography of Charles M. Gibson, M. D.

Charles M. Gibson, M. D. During the past decade Dr. Charles M. Gibson has been engaged in the practice of medicine at Franklin, Kansas, and by his devotion to the duties of his profession, his close study and his pronounced skill, has won a liberal and representative practice. His talents and executive ability have gained him recognition in his community, and he has maintained throughout his career a high standard of professional ethics and honorable principles. Dr. Charles M. Gibson was born at Richview, Illinois, July 6, 1879, a son of Samuel B. and Sarah C. (Hussey) Gibson, and a … Read more

Biography of Seth J. Bailey

Seth J. Bailey. The gratifying success which had crowned the efforts of Seth J. Bailey, of Chanute, clearly and emphatically evidence the business skill, perseverance and enterprise of this individual, who had been engaged in business here since the fall of 1900. This is a utilitarian age, one in which advancement and progress come through activity in the industrial and commercial interests of life. There is nothing to which America owes her pre-eminence among the nations of the earth so much as to her inventions, and each year sees additions to the list which bear marked impress upon the world … Read more

Biography of William Lanyon

William Lanyon. More than any other the name Lanyon is distinctive of the zinc industry in Southeastern Kansas, particularly at Pittsburg. The Lanyon family had been prominent in this particular industry for several generations. To a large degree the importance of Pittsburg as a zinc manufacturing center is due to the enterprise of the Lanyons who came to this part of Kansas more than thirty years ago from their original home in Southern Wisconsin, where they had operated extensive mining and manufacturing industries. Though he was one of the earliest of the family to take an active part in the … Read more

Biography of David Heckman

David Heckman. Of the men whose ability, industry and forethought have added to the character, wealth and good government of Liberty, none are better known than David Heckman. Mr. Heckman is a business man, not only by training and long experience, but by preference and natural talent, and all these qualities have been combined to form a force through which he has worked his way to success. He first came to this community in 1870, but it was not until 1877 that he located permanently in Liberty, and since that time his fortunes have been linked indissolubly with those of … Read more

Biography of William Henry Hite

William Henry Hite. In some individuals the business sense is remarkably developed and this proves the medium through which they may attain an eminence not to be gained by those who try to control affairs for which they have no aptitude. It is now generally recognized that no one reaches unusual success who works against his natural inclinations, and when competition is so keen men need every assistance that developed talent can give in order to take profitable advantage of offered opportunities and to be able to develop legitimate business chances. Especially is this true in communities where strong and … Read more

Biography of George W. Kidder

George W. Kidder, who, excepting for the earliest years of infancy, has spent his entire life in Crawford County, has had a long and varied and extremely useful relationship with business affairs in various towns of that county and particularly in Pittsburg. Mr. Kidder is now secretary of the Chamber of Commerce and is also secretary of the Retail Merchants Association. The Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce, which was established in 1881 at the beginning of the town when Pittsburg was nothing more than a coal camp, has been in continuous operation ever since. They performed a great work and the … Read more

Biography of Charles Estabrook Cory

Charles Estabrook Cory, of Fort Scott, divides with Hon. J. G. Slonecker, of Topeka, the honor of being the two oldest referees in bankruptey in continuous service in the State of Kansas, Both were appointed to this office in 1898, before the Bankruptey Law actually went into effect. Mr. Cory received his first appointment from Hon. Cassius G. Foster, and was continued in office by reappointment from Judge William O. Hook, and his last several appointments came from Hon. John C. Pollock. As a lawyer Mr. Cory had been identified with Fort Scott for over thirty years. He began his … Read more

Biography of Dunham O. Munson, M. D.

Dunham O. Munson, M. D., is one of the leading specialists of Southeastern Kansas. He has practiced at Pittsburg upwards of twenty years, and while the earlier part of his practice was devoted to general medicine and surgery, for the past five years he has given his time exclusively to the diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat. He is a man of splendid attainments in his profession and undoubtedly inherits much from his fine old Ameriean ancestry. He was born at Brockport, New York, June 27, 1859, but a part of his early life was spent in Ontario, … Read more

Biography of Samuel Bowman

Samuel Bowman, now of Coffeyville, where he is engaged in the real estate, insurance and loan business with his sons, is a Kansas resident of nearly thirty-five years and was long prominent in Labette County, where he served two terms as probate judge. His Bowman ancestors were German people who came to Pennsylvania in Colonial times. His grandfather, Benjamin Bowman, a native of Pennsylvania, was a farmer and cabinet maker, also a minister of the Dunkard Church, and spent many years in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, where he died some years before Judge Bowman was born. It was in … Read more

Biography of E. O. Sloan, M. D.

E. O. Sloan, M. D. The attainment of success in life along any path of endeavor demands energy, honesty, conscientiousness, self-reliance and proper preparation. The presence of genius is also desirable, but for permanency the homely virtues and practical qualities are absolutely necessary. To the undoubted possession of these may be, in large part, attributed the success that had attended the efforts of Dr. E. O. Sloan, who had figured prominently in the medical profession of Crawford County for more than a quarter of a century, as a practitioner at Pittsburg and had maintained throughout his entire career a high … Read more

Biography of Ebenezer F. Porter, Hon.

For nearly a quarter of a century the Hon. Ebenezer F. Porter, State Senator from the Ninth Senatorial District, had been one of the powers and potential forces in business and in politics, in material progress and in educational affairs in that seetion of the state. He had, from an early age, borne a large share of his father’s as well as his own responsibilities in business affairs and had been forced to deal with matters of far more than ordinary importance. Notwithstanding the extent and seape of his activities, it may be said without fear of contradiction that he … Read more

Biography of John D. Burton

John D. Burton. Like many of his contemporaries in the field of journalism in Southeastern Kansas, John D. Burton, proprietor and editor of the Potwin Ledger, began his career at the case. His entire life had been devoted to newspaper work, as compositor, editor and owner of publications in various parts of the country, but principally in Kansas, where he had resided and labored since the fall of 1878. While his present publication was founded only recently, it had already gained a wide circulation and promises to become an organ of influence in public matters under Mr. Burton’s wise and experienced direction. John D. … Read more

Biography of Charles F. Spencer

Charles F. Spencer. One of the most prominent among the coal operators of Pittsburg, Kansas, is Charlos F. Spencer, under whose able and experienced management a number of the leading, coal companies are being conducted. Mr. Spencer has been identified with this line of business all his life, and few men have a more thorough or more intimate knowledge of the industry. He was born in Cherokee County, Kansas, January 14, 1873, and is a son of J. W. and Ambrosia (Favor) Speneer. The branch of the Spencer family to which Mr. Spencer belongs had its origin in England, from … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Capt. John Hamilton

Capt. John Hamilton, acting under orders from Gen. Zachary Taylor, founded Fort Scott, Kansas, in 1842. He was a native of Pennsylvania, a soldier in the regular army, and first came to Kansas as a youth of nineteen and a United States dragoon, stationed at Fort Leavenworth. In 1842, as a sergeant of the First Dragoons, under Capt. Benjamin D. Moore, he left Fort Wayne, Cherokee Nation, to assist in selecting a site and to establish a military post in Kansas. There wore twenty men in the party and, after selecting the ground, the captain and surgeon of the expedition, … Read more

Biography of Charles H. Johnson

Charles H. Johnson, of Colony, during his long and active career had been a farmer, insurance man and auctioneer, editor and publisher and also an inventor of no ordinary ability and success. He was born at Forest Home, Iowa, July 2, 1856, a son of James C. and Sarah Ann (Swangle) Johnson. Both parents were natives of Ohio. They went to Iowa as pioneers and after living in that state for a number of years came to Kansas in 1873 and here also they identified themselves with the pioneer element in Linn County. The father was an active farmer and … Read more

Biography of J. T. Moore

J. T. Moore is one of the publishers of the Pittsburg Headlight, one of the oldest and most influential daily and weekly newspapers in Southern Kansas. The Headlight had been continuously under the direction of members of the Moore family for over thirty years. Mr. Moore, besides his publication interests, is directly connected with several of the leading industrial organizations of Pittsburg and vicinity. He was born at Paris, Illinois, May 11, 1865. His father, the later William Moore, was a veteran printer, editor and newspaper publisher, and left his impress on a number of cities in the Middle West. … Read more