Jackson County MO

Biographical Sketch of Calvin Logan Thomas

Calvin Logan Thomas, a rancher, two and a half miles southeast of San Bernardino, was born in Bledsoe County, Tennessee, January 5, 1837. His father, E. H. Thomas, was a native of Kentucky, and his mother, Edna (Zinn) Thomas, was born in South Carolina. His parents moved to Jackson County, Missouri, when the subject of this sketch was but four years old. From there the removed to McDonald County, where they remained until 1852, when they crossed the plains by ox team to Oregon. When they got to Utah, however, they found it was too late in the season, so … Read more

Biography of James Philip Murray

James Philip Murray. The largest institution of its kind in Kansas City, Kansas, is the Murray Baking Company. As a business it is one of the considerable assets of the community. Its product is known and appreciated by thousands of customers. The business affords employment, and on other grounds could hardly be left out of any list of leading enterprises. The business also had a human interest, since the plant is the outgrowth and product of the technical ability and the energy of one man, James P. Murray. Mr. Murray came to America some thirty-five years ago, poor in worldly … Read more

Biographical Sketch of David Cary

The stockmen and farmers are the ones who have made Harney county what she is at this time, and it is they who have wrought out the wealth here that gives the county a standing among her sisters and to them is due the credit of opening the country and developing its resources in a commendable manner. One of this worthy class is named at the head of this article and it is with pleasure that we grant him consideration in this volume of this county’s annals. Mr. Cary was born in Jackson county, Missouri, on January 16, 1836, being … Read more

Biography of E. C. Glass, D. D. S.

E. C. Glass, D. D. S., has been a resident of Independence since 1903, and is one of the leading members of the dental profession in Southern Kansas. Born January 28, 1876, the year of the hundredth anniversary of our national independence, he was given the name Earl Centennial Glass. His birth occurred near Bois d’Arc, Greene County, in Southern Missouri. His parents are Albert M. and Susan (Van Voorhis) Glass, both of whom are still living, with their home at Bois d’Arc, Missouri. The Glass family came originally from Scotland and settled in Virginia in colonial days, while the … Read more

Biography of William C. Hook

William C. Hook, United States Circuit Judge of the Eighth Judicial Circuit, had been a resident of Leavenworth since childhood, and his people have some interesting associations with Kansas in the territorial as well as the later period. Enos and Dawson Adams Hook, brothers, the former the father of Judge Hook and the latter an uncle, came to Kansas when it was a territory and had an active part in the upbuilding of the community in and around Leavenworth. They were the sons of John and Nancy (Adams) Hook. The mother was of the old Pennsylvania family of Adams. The … Read more

Biography of Benjamin B. Harris

Benjamin B. Harris, attorney at law, City Clerk of San Bernardino, and treasurer of the Society of California Pioneers-of San Bernardino County, was born in Hanover County, Virginia, in 1824. When seventeen years of age he went to Nashville, Tennessee, and was there educated, graduating at Nashville University in 1845; studied law in a private office in that State, and was admitted to the bar of Tennessee. In 1847 he went to Panola County, Texas, expecting to remain there permanently, but the climate being malarious he suffered with liver troubles, which necessitated a change in his purposes. After the discovery … Read more

Houses of the Osage Tribe

Frame of an Osage habitation, near Hominy, Okla., 1911

From the earliest historical times the habitat of the Osage was among the hills and valleys of the Ozarks, south of the Missouri, in the present State of Missouri, and here they continued to dwell until their removal during the early part-of the 19th century. When Père Marquette passed down the Mississippi, late in the month of June 1673, he learned of the Osage, and on his map, prepared soon afterwards, indicated the villages of that tribe near a stream which was evidently the river bearing their tribal name. They continued to occupy rather permanent villages until the beginning of … 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 Dr. Beverly A. Barrett

Dr. Barrett is the son of John S. and Margaret (Patterson) Barrett, and was born in St. Genevieve county, January 8, 1826. The father was also a physician, was a Virginian, and emigrated to this State in 1811, and was a member of the first Missouri General Assembly. Beverly A. was the sixth child of a family of ten children, and had the advantages of a common school education in his native county, subsequently attending a seminary taught by Fox and Davis at Fredericktown  He began the study of his profession in 1845, and after two years’ close application to medical … Read more

Biography of Charles H. Browne

Charles H. Browne is proprietor and editor of the Horton Headlight-Commercial, now the only journal published in that enterprising and flourishing city of Brown County. Mr. Browne had been largely identified with newspaper work since he left school, and is a vigorous type of citizen and easily a leader in any community. For a number of years he had been connected with the National Guard of Kansas and had been especially active in recent events in which the country had been involved in tronble, first with Mexico and later with Germany. The Horton Headlight-Commercial is a consolidation of half a … Read more

Biography of A. P. Fonda

A. P. Fonda has made a most creditable record as a farmer, as a lawyer and particularly as a citizen whose devotion to the welfare of the great majority Is a recognized fact. A resident of Independence, he was born in Leavenworth, Kansas, March 30, 1878, his parents being Anthony Philip and Laura D. (Wier) Fonda, the former a native of the state of New York and the latter of New Jersey. His parents became acquainted and were married in Leavenworth, Kansas. The father conducted the first wholesale grocery in Kansas City, which place was then known as Port Fonda. … Read more

Biography of George W. Longenecker, M. D.

George W. Longenecker, M. D. Fifteen years of conscientious work in his profession have brought Doctor Longenecker some of the best rewards and honors that come to the doctor in his home community at Elsmore, and he had long been recognized as one of the leading physicians and citizens of Allen County. Doctor Longenecker is a native of Kansas, having been born on a farm in Miami County March 5, 1876. His paternal ancestors were of German stock, but have lived in this country since Colonial days. Several generations of the family lived in Pennsylvania, where Doctor Longenecker’s grandfather spent … Read more

Biography of John Harrison Atwood

John Harrison Atwood. While Mr. Atwood had had his home and law business at Kansas City, Missouri, since 1909, he is still regarded as a Kansas man. His is one of the names most familiar to the people of the state in the realm of law and oratory and political leadership. For a quarter of a century Mr. Atwood was a member of the Kansas bar, residing at Leavenworth. Perhaps as much credit is due to him as to any other individual for the rehabilitation and upbuilding of the democratic party in Kansas. In 1896 came Bryan and a new … Read more

Biography of John Hunt

John Hunt is one of the oldest business men in point of continuous service at Grenola, Kansas. He established a lumber business there more than thirty-four years ago, and today he is the only merchant furnishing lumber and building supplies to the people of that community. He had had a long and active career, and aside from his material achievement he may take special pride in the fact that he had reared a large family of self-respecting, honest and worthy children. He represents old American stock. The Hunts came originally from Wales and were settlers in New Jersey in colonial … Read more

Biography of William E. Schermerhorn

William E. Schermerhorn is a merchant at Wilson and for a man of thirty-five carrics some very heavy responsibilities. He is a native of Kansas and son of a pioneer whose career recalls some interesting events and developments in the far West. His father, E. D. Schermerhorn, is still living at Wilson, nearly seventy years of age. E. D. Schermerhorn was born near Troy, New York, in 1848. His ancestors were the Schermerhorn family of Holland established on Manhattan Island by three brothers in the time of Peter Stuyvesant. The name Schermerhorn is still found in local nomenclature in and … Read more

Biography of John H. Rice

John H. Rice had the distinction of having made his mark in two states of the Union of widely different tendencies–Georgia and Kansas. He was born in Greene County, Tennessee, November 14, 1825, and his father, a native of Virginia, was surveyor of the county, named for twenty-six consecutive terms. Mr. Rice commenced his higher education at Tusculum College, in his native county, of which his maternal uncle, Dr. Samuel W. Doak, was president. He was admitted to the bar in 1845 and, a few months afterward, opened an office at Cassville, Georgia. In 1855, in addition to conducting a … 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 Nicholas Boyns

Nicholas Boyns. Any community however large is the better off for the presence of a citizen of such commercial calibre and individual enterprise as Nicholas Boyns. The time of his arrival on the scene which had been his permanent home for many years was 1871. In that year he landed in Kansas City, Missouri. His arrival made no particular stir, and he was practically unknown and his possibilities of work were unvalued. Deep within him he had ambition, energy and a long look ahead. The first employment which he was not long in finding was as clerk in the famous … Read more

Biography of Robert H. Ramsey

Robert H. Ramsey. During the past thirty-five years no name had been more closely identified with the ranching and stock raising interests of Butler County than that of Ramsey. Robert H. Ramsey is a son of A. C. Ramsey, who was the pioneer of the family in the cattle industry. Robert Ramsey himself had handled cattle and ranching as a conspicuous interest of his career, but is also identified with the business community of El Dorado. He was born in Bellefontaine, Ohio, November 18, 1881. Albert C. Ramsey, his father, was born in Coshocton County, Ohio, June 7, 1837, one … Read more

Biography of August Bondi

August Bondi was a splendid figure in the annals of Kansas for fully half a century, and had been fitly described as soldier and patriot and one of the immortal followers of John Brown. From the city of culture and of old world civilization, Vienna, Austria, it is a far cry to the plains of Kansas where were performed those deeds which will ring down through history. August Bondi was born at Vienna July 21, 1833, a son of Hart Emanuel and Martha (Frankl) Bondi, who were also natives of Vienna. His father was a Jewish manufacturer of cotton goods. … Read more