Kansas City Kansas

Biographical Sketch of Dr. Joseph P. Root

Dr. Joseph P. Root, who was one of the early physicians of Wyandotte, then a part of Leavenworth County, was born at Greenwich, Massachusetts, April 23, 1826, and died at Kansas City, Kansas, July 20, 1885. He was a member of the Connecticut-Kansas Colony, better known as the Beccher Bible and Bifle Company, which settled at Wahaunsee. He organized free-state forces and in every way identified himself with the early history of the torritory. As chairman of the Free-State Executive Committee, he located the road from Topeka to Nebraska City, thereby securing a safe route of travel for free-state immigrants. … Read more

Biography of Wesley R. Childs

Wesley R. Childs is a native Kansan, had been a resident of Kansas City, Kansas, since 1895, had accepted the many opportunities to make himself useful in civic affairs as well as in business, was formerly postmaster, and is now giving his attention to his duties as executive special representative in Kansas and Missouri for the Illinois Life Insurance Company. Mr. Childs was born June 26, 1869, in Allen County in an old log cabin that stood on the farm now owned by L. L. Northrop near Iola. His parents, Lucas S. and Sophia (Keyes) Childs had come to Kansas … Read more

Biography of George Rushton

George Rushton. The George Rushton Baking Company, Incorporated, at Rosedale, is the largest concern of its kind in the State of Kansas. Every day its ovens turn out 20,000 loaves of high class bread, sold and consumed principally in the two Kansas cities, while the weekly capacity of the pie plant is 75,000 pies. It is the only pie baking plant on a large scale in the two cities. Baking had been a trade in the Rushton family for so many generations back that no record had been kept of the originator of the business. The president and founder of … Read more

Biography of Edwin Ruthven Heath

Edwin Ruthven Heath, a prominent physician and specialist of Kansas City, Kansas, had a record among Kansas citizens that is unique. As a boy he knew the terrors, excitements and thrilling incidents of life in California following the discovery of gold in ’49. As a traveler both in North and South America he had contributed a part of the world’s knowledge of geography, peoples and science. He spent twelve years in South America, practiced medicine in remote construction camps and among wild and semi-barbarous tribes, and he helped build some of the pioneer railways of that continent. To as great … Read more

Biography of John J. Fowles

John J. Fowles has been a Kansas educator since 1908 and is now superintendent of the city schools of Summerfield. Largely through his own earnest efforts he acquired a liberal education. He was born in Eldora, Iowa, January 3, 1884. He is of a Colonial American family. This branch of the Fowlers came out of England and settled in New York in pioneer times His grandfather. Thomas Charles Fowler, was born in Kentucky and died at Eldora, Iowa, before John J. Fowler was born. He was one of the pioneers around Eldora and became well known as a stockman and … Read more

Biography of Charles William Trickett

Charles William Trickett. That Kansas City, Kansas, can claim distinction of being the largest city in the United States without a saloon or commercialized vice district is due more to the fearless and strenuous efforts of Charles William Trickett than to any other one man. The people of an entire state committed to the cause of prohibition followed with a great deal of interest and admiration his remarkable campaign, made some years ago while assistant attorney general, for rigid law enforcement and the driving out of the saloons and other commercialized forms of vice which had hitherto enjoyed immunity in … Read more

Biography of George M. Gray, M. D.

George M. Gray, M. D. There is hardly a more eminent physician and surgeon in the State of Kansas than Dr. George M. Gray, of Kansas City, Kansas. He is ex-president of the Kansas State Medical Society, a member of the American Medical Association, and has been accorded the honor of a fellowship in the American College of Surgeons. In 1915 Governor Capper appointed him a member of the State Board of Medical Registration and Examination for Kansas and he is now president of the board. Doctor Gray has been in active practice at Kansas City, Kansas, for more than … Read more

Biography of Charles R. Jennison, Dr.

Dr. Charles R. Jennison, of Leavenworth, a brigadier general during the Civil war and afterward a leader in the public affairs of the state, was born in Jefferson County, New York, June 6, 1834. When he was twelve years old he moved with his parents to Wisconsin, and at the age of nineteen years he began to study medicine. After completing his medical course he practiced for a short time in Wisconsin and then came to Kansas, settling at Osawatomie in 1857. Within a short time he moved to Mound City, where he remained for three years, and then went … Read more

Biography of Lewis Corbin True, Col.

Col. Lewis C. True. Some interesting distinctions belong to this veteran soldier and lawyer who now lives retired at Kansas City, Kansas. He came to Kansas soon after leaving the army, and spent several years combating the hardships and plagues which afflicted the farmers in that period in Franklin County. Unable to make progress as a farmer, he took up the study of law, and in 1871 was admitted to practice in Cherokee County. He spent five years in general practice at Chetopa, and was then elected county attorney of Labette County. Kansas had just enacted its state wide prohibition … Read more

Biography of Peter J. Broll

Peter J. Broll. Of the successful business men of Kansas City, Kansas, perhaps none began life with fewer opportunities and under more unpromising circumstances than Peter J. Broll. The education which most boys secure while living in comfortable homes and attending schools with nothing else to divert their minds was denied him and he obtained his education largely by direct contact with the world and those processes of intelligent thought which are quickened by a live mind and a fundamental interest in the life about him. A humble clerkship was his first opportunity of experience, and gradually, being of a … Read more

Biography of J. Carroll Montgomery, M. D.

J. Carroll Montgomery, M. D. In the office of Doctor Montgomery at Manhattan is a large map of Riley County showing in detail all the features of the county and particularly those which are the work and evidence of man’s activities. A number of different colored pegs or pins are usually found dotted about over this map. It is in this way that Doctor Montgomery as county and city health officer of Manhattan and Riley County keeps track of the district under his jurisdiction, a glance at one of these charts indicate the location of all infectious diseases prevalent in … Read more

Biography of James W. Reid

James W. Reid, assistant general attorney of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company at Parsons, is one of Parsons’ young lawyers and a man of many brilliant qualifications and of rising reputation. He was born in Johnson County, Missouri, July 22, 1883. His ancestors came out of England and were early settlers in the State of Ohio. His father J. N. Reid was born in Ohio, and died at Xenia in that state in 1896. Most of his active career was spent in Missouri as a farmer, and he was also a traveling salesman for a number of years. … Read more

Biography of Thomas E. Trigg

Thomas E. Trigg. “A map of busy life” mused the poet Cowper more than a hundred years ago, over his newspaper. The description yet holds good, a century of existence only having widened its field and strengthened its power. With its modern perfected machinery for the garnering of news, and with its vivid portrayal of the world’s happenings, it is, indeed, a map of swiftly passing events, one that had become a necessary vitalizing element and an indispensable factor of every day living. How surely the development of a newspaper in a community marks the latter’s progress. A name well … Read more

Biography of Edward R. Callender

Edward R. Callender, proprietor of the Callender Printing Company of Kansas City, Kansas, had lived in this state for over thirty-five years and for a quarter of a century had been a resident of Kansas City, Kansas. He learned printing when a boy, and his name is widely known through his connection with the printing trade and also at different times as a publisher of newspapers. Mr. Callender was born at Berlin, Wisconsin, August 31, 1867, the third in a family of six children whose parents were John H. and Marian (Russell) Callender. His father was a native of Canada … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. D. B. Matney

Mamie, daughter of Barney and Susie Tucker was born March 8, 1868, in Johnson County, Kansas, edu­cated in that county. Married in Kansas City, Kansas, May 1, 1887, David B., son of John R. and Missouri Matney, born October 8, 1862 in Jackson County, Missouri. They are the parents of Albert J., born March 4, 1888, married Jennie Connel, had two children, Albert Eugene, born November 1, 1911 amid Geneva Matney, born December 14, 1913. Albert J. died at Roswell, New Mexico, January 21, 1915 and Lewis Franklin Matney, born August 27, 1889 Mr. Matney is a farmer near Vinita. … Read more

Biography of J. M. Massey

J. M. Massey. One of the live and prosperous communities of Southeastern Kansas which is offering unsurpassed opportunities for the development of men and large business interests is the growing City of Chanute. In this locality may be found many of the raw materials, or they can be easily obtained through railroad shipments. Here is an immense local market, and here are the men, solid, reliable and aggressive, ready and willing to push ahead to the ultimate end whatever enterprise they connect themselves with. Once an individual establishes himself in the line for which he is best fitted, if he … 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 William H. Manser, M. D.

William H. Manser, M. D.,had that splendid satisfaction which comes to the man who found himself in a congenial vocation early in life and had steadily broadened and improved his service and capacity for doing good. Dr. Manser is now the oldest physician in point of continnous service at Burden, where he had practiced thirty-three years. Though of New England ancestry, the Mansers having located in Massachusetts in Colonial times, Dr. Manser is a native of old Virginia, born at Beckley in what was then simply Western Virginia and as a result of the Civil war became the State of West Virginia. … Read more

Biography of Wylie White Cook

Wylie White Cook. During a period of more than thirty years, Hon. Wylie White Cook has been almost constantly before the people of Kansas as the incumbent of public positions, and that he still retains in marked degree the confidence and respect of Kansans is evidence of his worth, fidelity and integrity, for the duties of the various offices which he has held have in nearly every case directly affected the welfare of the community. In Mr. Cook’s case it has almost invariably been a case of the office seeking the man, for with but one exception in his long … Read more

Biography of Ira Puderbaugh, M.D.

Ira Puderbaugh, M. D. The second physician in practice at Ozawkis was Dr. Aaron Puderbaugh, and in that same locality his son Dr. Ira Puderbaugh had handled the bulk of the professional work for the past fifteen years. Ozawkie is the native town of Dr. Ira Puderbaugh, where he was born March 5, 1878. His ancestors were Germans who immigrated to Pennsylvania in very early times. His grandfather was born in Pennsylvania in 1810, afterwards moved to Western Ohio, from there to Indiana, and finally came to Kansas, where be lived retired until his death at Ozawkie in 1883. Dr. Aaron … Read more