Biography of Holmes, Samuel

Samuel Holmes has shown an ability amounting to genius for the successful handling of business affairs, especially landed transactions, and during his long residence in Kansas had accumulated some of the finest sections of farming land in Greenwood and surrounding counties. Mr. Holmes learned the value of industry when a boy, also the principles of straightforward integrity, and it may be said that in consequence he had always been a successful man. He is now eighty-three years of age and lives practically retired at Eureka. One of the connections he still retains is as vice president of the Home National … Read more

Biography of Charles W. Shinn, Hon.

Hon. Charles W. Shinn. In an able and vigorous service of eight years on the bench, Hon. Charles W. Shinn, now city attorney of Neodesha, Kansas, gained an enviable reputation for legal ability, thorough understanding of the law, wise judgments and unimpeachable integrity. As a private practitioner of law this reputation is still justified, while as a citizen Judge Shinn is numbered with the foremost men of Neodesha. Judge Shinn is a native of Illinois, born May 30, 1854, in Hancock County, and is a son of John K. and Tabitha (Ogden) Shinn. The Shinn family is of English ancestry … Read more

Biography of John Pedroja

John Pedroja. One of the most reliable and progressive of the younger members of the Crawford County bar, who stands high in professional ability as a man of broad business and financial judgment, is John Pedroja, who since 1911 has been engaged in practice at Mulberry. He has also served the public well and conscientiously in the offices of city clerk and city attorney during the past four years, and is a citizen who has done much to advance the interests of his community. Mr. Pedroja was born at Gnosca, Switzerland, November 27, 1880, and is a son of Charles … Read more

Biography of James L. Fitzmorris

James L. Fitzmorris is a native of Kansas, was a soldier in the famous Twentieth Kansas Infantry during the Philippine war, had gained more than a local reputation as a blooded cattle raiser and extensive rancher, and had also played a worthy part as a citizen of Fall River, where he is now serving as mayor. Mr. Fitzmorris was born in Elk County, Kansas, July 25, 1875. His father, Morris Fitzmorris, who was a very early settler in Kansas, was born in Ireland in 1843, a son of Thomas and Margaret (Carney) Fitzmorris. Thomas Fitzmorris in old age came to … 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

Biography of George Washington Smith

George Washington Smith. On first coming to Kansas thirty-three years ago Mr. Smith engaged in educational work, and was at the head of several city school systems for a number of years. He finally entered business at Lawrence, living in that city while his own children were finishing their educations, and in recent years had resumed teaching and is now superintendent of the city schools of Neosho Falls. He is one of the most widely experienced and competent school men in Kansas. He was born at Knoxville in Marion County, Iowa, May 25, 1860. His paternal ancestors came out of … Read more

Biography of Ralph M. McKee

Ralph M. McKee is superintendent of the consolidated city schools at Neal in Greenwood County. He is one of the younger men engaged in educational work in Kansas, and had a highly creditable record for the work he had already done and stands high both among his fellow teachers and in his home community. Mr. McKee was born at Xenia, Ohio, December 1, 1893. His McKee ancestors were early settlers in America. Mr. McKee had strains of English and Irish ancestry, and inherits good qualities through both lines. His father, W. T. McKee, was born in Ohio in 1861, and … Read more

Biography of David C. Johnson

David C. Johnson in his business career had been identified with the City of Eureka and had been a factor in affairs there for over a quarter of a century. He is one of the expert men in that field in real estate and related lines of business and is manager of the Eureka Mortgage Company. Mr. Johnson had lived in Kansas since early boyhood. He was born at Effingham, Illinois, February 20, 1860. The Johnson family became identified with Illinois when it was a territory and in fact when that place was marked off as a distinct section of … Read more

Biography of Sylvester Freemont Wicker

Sylvester Freemont Wicker. In point of experience and continuous practice Mr. Wicker is one of the oldest members of the bar in Greenwood County. He had been identified with a general practice as a lawyer and many business affairs in that section for the past thirty-three years. He now had his home and interests at Eureka. The stock from which he is descended is Scotch-Irish. The Wickers settled in North Carolina during colonial times. Mr. Wicker’s father and grandfather were natives of the Old North state. His grandfather James Wicker was born in North Carolina in 1807, and was an … Read more

Biography of John Kiene

John Kiene is one of the younger men in the educational affairs of the state and is principal of the high school at Madison. Mr. Kiene is broadly and liberally educated, and had a practical knowledge that comes not from books alone. He was born on a farm at Valencia, Kansas, December 30, 1893. His father is Mr. F. A. Kiene, a well known citizen of Shawnee County now living on his farm near Topeka. He was born in 1834 in Alsace Lorraine, France, but in 1846, as a boy of twelve, was brought to America by his parents, who … Read more

Skaggs, Henry T. – Obituary

Enterprise, Oregon Henry T. Skaggs was born in Indiana, Sept. 13, 1848, and died at his home in Enterprise on Dec. 25, 1920, aged 72 years, 3 months and 7 days. When a young man he moved to Missouri, and soon afterward to Madison, Kansas, where on Sept. 18, 1881, he was married to Miss Effie Martin. About 31 years ago Mr. and Mrs. Skaggs moved to Dayton, Washington, and 28 years ago they moved to Wallowa county, locating near Flora. A year ago last October they moved to Enterprise. He leaves a wife, Mrs. Effie Skaggs, one daughter, Mrs. … Read more

Biography of Robert E. Kenner

Robert E. Kenner. No better lesson relative to the value of honorable effort intelligently directed can be found than that offered by the career of a man who has risen to a responsible position through his own initiative, and in this connection the life of Robert E. Kenner presents an example. Still a young man, he has worked his way to an important post, that of superintendent of the American Zinc, Lead and Smelter Company, at Dearing, Kansas, and in so doing has been dependent only upon his own resource and industry. Mr. Kenner was born at Eureka, Kansas, August … Read more

Biography of Alonzo F. Dove

Alonzo F. Dove, postmaster at Hamilton, is a native of Greenwood County and son of a pioneer family there. For many years he followed the work of educator in his native county and since retiring from the school room had been engaged in telephone work and had handled loans and insurance at Hamilton, where his last teaching work was done, and during the present administration was appointed to the office of postmaster. Mr. Dove’s English ancestors emigrated to Virginia in the colonial period of our history. In Rockingham County of that state was born Henry Dove on February 7, 1765. … Read more

Biography of Joseph Allen Fuller

Joseph A. Fuller is clerk of the district court of Greenwood County, with home and offices at Eureka. For a man not yet thirty years of age he had had a great variety of experience, had been a successful teacher, and had also been a participant in the farming and stock raising activities of his home county. His Fuller ancestors came to the colonies in the Mayflower. His grandfather was Joseph Allen Fuller, for whom he was named. The grandfather was born in Illinois, and in 1860 came out to Kansas and was one of the early settlers at Emporia. … Read more

Biography of William Harrison Yandell, M. D.

William Harrison Yandell, M. D. Greenwood County had known the Yandell family as substantial farming people and trustworths and valuable citizens since 1879. Dr. W. H. Yandell was at that time nine years of age, and he is now snecessfully practlcing medicine and surgery in a locality where he grew up as a boy. He had a large practice at Piedmont and extending out over the surrounding country, and he began his profeesional work there soon after graduating in medicine. He was born in Graves County, Kentucky, August 27, 1870. His ancestors were two brothers of Welsh and Seotch parentage … Read more

Biography of Fred Schuyle Jackson

Fred Schuyle Jackson, of Topeka, prominent lawyer, former congressman, ex-attorney-general of Kansas, is one of the many able men who have made Kansas notable as a commonwealth. His father was Martin Van Buren Jackson, who bore a conspicuous part in the border warfare of Kansas. Fred S. Jackson was born April 19, 1868, and his birth occurred in the block house at Stanton near Osawatomie. His early education came chiefly from the public schools of Miami and Greenwood counties, and of earlier experiences and service readered should be mentioned five years spent in the schoolroom as a teacher, In the … Read more

Biography of John H. Smythe

John H. Smythe. The life of John Henry Smythe, who for many years had served as city clerk of Eureka, had been one that exemplifies the true spirit and practice of service. He had always been a worker. He had performed faithfully those duties that have come to him in a long career, whether as a soldier on the battlefield, as an employe of business concerns, or as a public official. While he had attained none of the conspicuous places in business or public life, there is much that is honorable, instructive and praiseworthy in what he had done, and … Read more

Kansas Registrations of Enemy Aliens, 1917 – 1921

Enemy Alien Registration Affidavit for Bernhardt Vick - Cropped Photo

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 Ray Broomfield

Ray Broomfield is one of the youngest bank officials in Kansas. He went with the Neal State Bank as cashier upon its organization in October, 1915, and his thorough knowledge of banking and his genial personality were a decided factor in the success of that institution. Mr. Broomfield is now cashier of the Home State Bank, Clearwater, Kansas. The Neal State Bank was started as a state bank and had a capital of $10,000. The officers are: A. N. McQuown of Wichita, president; C. W. Boone of Neal, vice president. Mr. Broomfield was born at Milton, Kansas, April 21, 1891, … Read more

Biography of Howard J. Hodgson

Howard J. Hodgson, who had practiced law at Eureka since 1888, had gained a strong hold on the business, professional and civic affairs of his home county, and is one of the prominent Kansans of today. Mr. Hodgson had lived in this state since he was six years of age, his people being pioneers of Greenwood County. He is a native of Canada, having been born near Lindsay in County Victoria, Ontario, October 6, 1863. His grandfather, John Hodgson, was born in England in 1795, and as a young man immigrated to Canada and spent his active years as a farmer in … Read more