Emporia Kansas

Biography of Thomas F. Morrison

Thomas F. Morrison. One of the prominent members of the Neosho County bar is Thomas F. Morrison, who as a practitioner at Chanute since 1903 had been connected with much of the important litigation tried in the courts of this district. He is also a leading member of the democratic party of this portion of the state, where his influence had been widely felt in political as well as professional circles, and had represented his community in the Kansas Legislature, as a member of which body he was the author of some exceedingly beneficial legislation. Mr. Morrison was born June … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George Marshall Crawford

George Marshall Crawford, the only son of Governor Crawford, was born at Emporia, Kansas, July 10, 1872, and for a number of years has been a prominent newspaper man and publisher at Topeka. His education came from the public schools of Topeka and the preparatory department at Washburn College, and in 1894 he graduated A. B. from Yale University. For three years he was a reporter on the Topeka Capital, but since September, 1897, has been manager of the Mail Printing Honse, in which he is a partner. Mr. Crawford is an active republican, an eighteen degree Scottish Rite Mason, … Read more

Biography of P. J. Concannon

P. J. Concannon. A well known business man of Emporia, Mr. Concannon had done much in recent years to keep that city up to date in the matter of theatrical and entertainment enterprises, but in earlier years he was variously identified with lumber manufacture, farming and had been a resident of the state almost continuously since early boyhood. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, May 7, 1863, a son of Martin and Anna (Walsh) Concannon. Both his parents were natives of County Mayo, Ireland, where the paternal grandfather spent his life. Anna Walsh’s mother, Julia Walsh, came to America … Read more

Biography of Ancil F. Hatten

Ancil F. Hatten has been continuously editor and owner of the Westphalia Times at Westphalia since 1889. This is the only newspaper of Westphalia, and is one of the oldest journals of opinion in Anderson County. It was founded in 1885 by A. D. Reed, and four years later Mr. Hatten took charge and had been responsible for the large circulation and influence the Times had enjoyed throughout the past thirty years. Mr. Hatten is a former postmaster of Westphalia and had long been an influential figure in democratic politics in that section of the state. He came to Kansas … Read more

Biography of William Hebard Grayum

William Hebard Grayum. Perhaps one of the greatest factors in the wonderful progress that the State of Kansas had made in the last twenty years, had been the recognition of the value of education and the provision made for the extension of a sound public school system. Communities vie with each other in efforts to secure for the heads of their own institutions, scholarly men with progressive ideas, and to these hearty support is generally given, with results satisfying to the schools and the public at large. In this connection may be mentioned the able principal of the high school … Read more

Biography of Frank L. Abbey M. D.

Frank L. Abbey, M. D., long a resident of Newton and formerly a druggist but for twenty years a successful physician, had during the greater part of his professional career been identified with the Axtell Hospital as a member of its staff of physicians. Doctor Abbey was born at Kingsbury, Illinois, February 1, 1861. He is of English ancestry, his grandfather, Luke Abbey, having been born in Yorkshire, England, in 1787. When about twenty-four years of age he came to America with his second wife and two children, and settled first in New Jersey, then in Ohio and finally, as … Read more

Biography of Owen C. Wasson

Owen C. Wasson. Because of the success which had attended his efforts, his commercial soundness and acumen, his spirit of public helpfulness and his good citizenship, the career of Owen C. Wasson, of Peru, offers an encouraging example of prosperity and position gained through a proper utilization of ordinary opportunities. Since entering upon his independent life, numerous vocations have attracted the activities of Mr. Wasson, but he had made steady advancement in each, and is now the proprietor of a well-established hardware and implement business at Peru and one of the city’s substantial business citizens. Mr. Wasson was born on … Read more

Biography of David S. Gilmore

David S. Gilmore has been connected with the publishing and editing of newspapers in Southern Kansas for a quarter of a century or more. For upwards of twenty years he had been proprietor and editor of the Northern Lyon County Journal at Allen, and is one of the leading citizens of that town. He is a son of one of the very prominent pioneers and early builders of Emporia, the late D. S. Gilmore. D. S. Gilmore was born in County Dundee, Scotland, in 1841, a son of William Gilmore, who was a cabinet maker and who brought his family … Read more

Biography of Frank Winfred Shelton, M. D.

Frank Winfred Shelton, M. D. One of the institutions which serve to give metropolitan character to the City of Independence is the Independence Hospital, the founder and builder of which was Dr. Frank Winfred Shelton, one of the most prominent surgeons of Southern Kansas. Doctor Shelton built this institution in 1906. It is situated on a commanding site at 706 South Fifth Street and in equipment and service, considering its accommodations, it is one of the best hospitals in the state. Besides the hospital building proper, Doctor Shelton erected a special building to serve as nurses’ dormitory, storerooms, laundry and … Read more

Biography of Anna Mallows, Anna

Miss Anna Mallows. To paraphrase an old proverb, To woman’s work there is neither end or limit of capacity for human service and usefulness. Women have succssded as home makers, as teachers, in all the learned professions, in executive business, and one of the bright Kansas women, Miss Anna Mallows, is a very successful newspaper woman, proprietor, and publisher of the White Cloud Globe. The White Cloud Globe is now the only paper published in that city. It was founded in 1892 by John J. Faulkner, and throughout its twenty-five years it had never exhibited more enterprise as a real … Read more

Biography of F. S. Cravens, Mrs.

Mrs. F. S. Cravens is the proprietor of the Cravens School of Music at Emporia, and for a number of years had been one of the leaders in musical circles of that city. She is a native of Kansas and one of the notable women whom this Sunflower commonwealth had produced. The daughter of a pioneer citizen of Manhattan, where she was born in February, 1866, she exhibited unusual musical talents when a girl, and by careful training and study both in America and abroad had long enjoyed a high position both as an individual artist and as a successful … Read more

Biography of Samuel N. Wood, Col.

Col. Samuel N. Wood, long a resident of Lawrence and a leader of the free-state party in Kansas, was prominent as one of the founders of the republican party, as a legislator in both houses, as an editor and one of the original stockholders of the Atchison. Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad. He was born at Mount Gilead. Ohio, December 30, 1825. the son of Quaker parents, from whom he imbibed his anti-slavery sentiments at an early age. In 1844, although too young to vote, he was chairman of the liberal party central committee of this county. Four years later … Read more

Biography of Albert Irven Decker

Albert Irven Decker. In the demands which it makes upon its devotees, educational work is exceedingly exacting. The duty of the educator, ostensibly, is to instill a practical, working knowledge into each of his pupils, but his correlative, although less direct, function of instilling character and worthy precepts through his personal influence is equally important. The duty first named calls for an individual of knowledge and specialized training, while the second demands a conscientious and capable person whose life and mode of living provide a fit criterion and example for the minds of youth. When a man is found in … Read more

Biography of Hiram C. Whitley

Hiram C. Whitley. The State of Kansas is filled with interesting men, many of them known to the world at large. The city of Emporia had several. One is a prominent business man, who for upwards of forty years had given his time and energies to the upbuilding of that locality. This is Hiram C. Whitley who was at one time chief of the secret service division of the United States Treasury. The story of his life, particularly the early years, reads like a book, and in fact his experiences have been described in a book which was published about … Read more

Biography of Edward Shellenbaum

Edward Shellenbaum is co-editor and owner with D. E. Deputy of the Manhattan Nationalist. He entered the newspaper field a few years ago after long and competent service as postmaster at Randolph in Riley County. A native Kansan, he was born in Riley County on his father’s farm near Randolph, November 25, 1875, a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Siebecker) Shellenbaum. Mention of the name of the late Henry Shellenbaum serves to recall not only one of the most prominent pioneers of Riley County, but also some incidents of pioneer life that fittingly find a place in the history of … Read more

Biography of John Redmond

John Redmond. One of the prominent newspaper men of Kansas, and there is no doubt but that the state had its full share of talented journalists, is John Redmond, the able editor and prosperous owner and publisher of the Burlington Daily Republican of Burlington. A natural inclination for this profession probably prevented the state from registering one more able member of its bar, for he was early designed for the law, in which his brother, C. H. Redmond, now of Denver, Colorado, is so successful, and in which his father, the late James Redmond, so long held a distinguished place. … Read more

Biography of James Claude Wilhoit, M. D.

James Claude Wilhoit, M. D. This is the name of a prominent young physician and surgeon at Manhattan, but a man who in spite of his years has attained an enviable prominence in the professional and business life of his home state. Doctor Wilhoit has those natural gifts which together with thorough training make the proficient surgeon. His work is now largely surgery and diagnosis. He was born at Westmoreland in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, July 14, 1885, a son of Dr. John W. and Jennie (Armstrong) Wilhoit. His parents were natives of Kentucky, where they married, and they came to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of J. T. Shive

J. T. Shive, another son of John W. Shive, was born on his father’s farm in Harvey County December 12, 1875, was educated partly in the rural schools there and attended the State Normal School at Emporia. At the age of nineteen he began teaching in Neosho County, followed that work two years, then for nine years was connected with the Burrton State Bank, beginning as bookkeeper and promoted to assistant cashier and cashier. In April, 1908, he became cashier of the Galesburg State Bank, but on July 1, 1917, returned to the Burrton State Bank as cashier. He is … Read more

Biography of James A. Walker

James A. Walker, a resident of Kansas for more than thirty years, had applied himself with credit to various lines of business and official activity, but is now most widely known as state deputy of the Modern Woodmen of America, with headquarters at Emporia, where he had had his home for the past six years. Born at Winterset, Iowa, February 12, 1866, he grew up on his father’s farm in Missouri, gained his early education in the public schools of that state, and early in 1884 at the age of eighteen arrived in Jefferson County, Kansas. Then followed two years … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Amos Hinsdale Plumb

Amos Hinsdale Plumb is one of the children of the late Senator Preston B. Plumb and Caroline (Southwick) Plumb. He was born at Emporia, January 31, 1869, He was educated in the public schools of Emporia and the Kansas State University at Lawrence. Mr. Plumb’s chief business activities have been in real estate and mining. He organized and is president of the Mutual Building and Loan Association of Emporia, and during 1915-17 was president of the building and loan section of the Kansas Bankers’ Association. He was married at Omaha, Nebraska, January 1, 1897, to Elva Lawrence Gibson, daughter of … Read more