Kansas City Missouri

Biographical Sketch of Shaler W. Eldridge

Shaler W. Eldridge, one of the leading free-state men of Lawrence and therefore of the Territory of Kansas, was a native of Massachusetts, born at West Springfield, August 29, 1816. The twelve years previous to coming to Kansas, he spent as a leading railroad contractor of New England. Arriving in Kansas City, Missouri, January 3, 1855, he purchased the American House from Samuel C. Pomeroy, who had previously obtained it from the Emigrant Aid Society. It is needless to say that it was headquarters for the free-state men, and that it harbored Governor Reeder in his escape from Kansas. In … 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

Biographical Sketch of Artemus Clark Plummer

Plummer, Artemus Clark; optometrist; born in a log cabin, near Harmony, Ind.; son of Thomas Jermiah and Martha Richards Plummer; educated in district school of Indiana, and Blackwater, Mo.; at the age of 16, began work on a farm and continued at it until 21 years old, then went to Kansas City, and entered Spalding’s Commercial College; doing odd jobs to pay his way; 1899, went to New York City, and entered Dr. R. H. Knowles’ School of Optometry, graduating in 1901; previous to coming to Cleveland, was with Tiffany & Co., New York City, for several years.

Biography of Walter R. Pratt

Walter R. Pratt. In 1899 Mr. Pratt established himself in business in the City of Independence, Montgomery County, and he had not only continued as one of the representative factors in the business activities of this community, but had also so shown his civic loyalty and progressiveness as to be called upon to serve as mayor of the city, of which office he was the incumbent one term and in which he gave a most effective administration. Mr. Pratt is of Scotch and English lineage and the first representatives of the family in America settled in Virginia, in the colonial … Read more

Biography of Harry Jiencke

For about a quarter of a century Harry Jiencke traveled about over the State of Kansas as a salesman, building up a large acquaintance and business relationship, but for the past twelve years had been prominently identified with the oil and gas and various other industrial affairs of Independence, where he is one of the well known citizens. Of an old German family of Mecklenburg, he came to America when only a youth. He was born May 27, 1858. His father, Joachim Jiencke, was born in Mecklenburg in 1806 and died there in 1869. He was a man of more … Read more

Biography of Jesse Clyde Nichols

Jesse Clyde Nichols. Under the stressful conditions of modern life the work that a man does cannot in any sense be estimated by his personal age, but rather by the intensity and concentration of his performance. Many Kansas people and people in other states know something of the positions and achievements of J. C. Nichols and the natural assumption would be that he is a man past the middle age of a natural lifetime at least. The fact is that he graduated from Kansas University fifteen years ago and within that time he had compressed as much dynamic force and … Read more

Biography of J. Homer McCall, M. D.

Dr. J. Homer McCall, physician and surgeon of Fort Gibson, was born in De Kalb county, Illinois, April 2, 1859, and is a son of Alfred and Catherine (Durham) McCall, who were natives of Ohio and of New York respectively. The father was of Scotch-Irish descent, while the mother came of German lineage. In early manhood Alfred McCall devoted his life to the ministry but later became a railroad promoter and was active in connection with the building of the Florida, Memphis & Columbia River Railroad, which is now a part of the Santa Fe system. He was also active … Read more

Biography of Henry Carl Alwes

Henry Carl Alwes is manager of the Western Typesetting Company and president of the Gate City Directory Company of Kansas City, Missouri. He organized the latter company in 1911 and from the beginning had been its manager. Mr. Alwes had conquered obstacles in the path to success as he had met them. He is a man of versatile talents. He is a practical printer, is a pharmacist by profession, had filled offices of responsibility as editor and newspaper manager, linotype operator, and in other ways in connection with some of the best known newspapers of Kansas, Chicago and the Middle … Read more

Biography of James H. Campbell

James H. Campbell. Prominent among the men identified with the financial and business interests of Iola, Kansas, is found James H. Campbell, cashier of the Iola State Bank and an official in various other enterprises. Mr. Campbell had been a resident of this section all his life and here had worked his own way to an edifying and well-deserved success, unaided save by inherent business acumen and persevering labor. He was born on a farm twelve miles northeast of Iola, in Anderson County, Kansas, January 31, 1874, and is a son of James H. and Bethia A. (Simpson) Campbell. James … Read more

Biography of Herman Genthe

Herman Genthe. The oldest bakery establishment of Topeka under one continuous ownership and management is that conducted by Mr. Herman Genthe, who now had associated with him his oldest son. Mr. Genthe is a master of his trade. He learned it as a boy in Germany, where his ancestors so far as known were millers and had a great deal to do with those grains that furnish the staple food stuffs, wheat and rye. Mr. Genthe’s talent as a maker of fine bread is therefore partly an inheritance from his ancestors, though it had been developed by his individual experience … Read more

Biography of James T. Pedigo

James T. Pedigo, president of the Pedigo-Weber Shoe Company of St. Louis, has the qualities of alertness and business enterprise which make for success and thus he has reached a most creditable position in the commercial circles of the city. A native of Tenne-see, he was born in Clay county, November 21, 1868, and is a son of Zackariah Pedigo, who passed away in 1917 at the advanced age of seventy-seven years. He, too, was born in Tennessee and engaged in farthing in that state. At the time of the Civil war he joined the Union army, loyally defending the … Read more

Biography of Wilbur Austin Lawton

Wilbur Austin Lawton. When Mr. Lawton came to Lyon County more than thirty years ago he found the district around what is now the flourishing little City of Americus a raw and almost unbroken prairie. He was one of the men who undertook to convert the former cattle range into a fertile farming district, and he had contributed to this development to the extent of several hundred acres at least. At the same time he had been an important factor in local affairs, had been a banker, active in local politics, and for a number of years had been postmaster … Read more

Biography of Herbert G. Tureman, M. D.

Dr. Herbert G. Tureman one of the most prominent physicians of Kansas City, enjoying a large practice, specializes on the treatment of diseases of the ear, nose, throat and chest. He has made steady progress in his profession and holds to the highest standards in his practice at all times. Missouri numbers him among her native sons for his birth occurred in Callaway county, January 17, 1875, his parents being Robert W. and Sally (Flood) Tureman, who were also natives of Callaway county. The father has devoted his life to financial interests and was an officer of the First National … Read more

Biography of Edward J. Curtin

Edward J. Curtin, who in the practice of law has gained wide recognition of his ability to present with clearness and force any cause which engages his attention and his powers, was born in Jackson county, Missouri, August 9, 1875. He is one of a family of eight children, all of whom are yet living and of whom he is the fourth in order of birth. His parents are Cornelius and Elizabeth (McKenna) Curtin, both of whom are natives of Ireland. The father came to the United States in his boyhood days, first settling in New York and afterward removing … Read more

Biography of William H. Holt

William H. Holt came to Kansas a number of years ago as a railway employee, but soon took up banking and had had a wide experience in that field, partly in Kansas and partly in Northwestern Texas, and is now cashier of the Central National Bank of Ellsworth. This is one of the largest and most substantial banks in Southern Kansas. Mr. Holt was born at Grafton, West Virginia, August 2, 1879. His ancestors came originally out of England and were colonial settlers in Virginia. His father, James W. Holt, was born at Kingwood in Preston County, West Virginia, in … Read more

Biography of John C. Asahl

John C. Asahl, a resident of Ramona since 1903 and connected with its mercantile interests throughout, the period, has also figured prominently in connection with public affairs of the city and no man has labored more earnestly, zealously and effectively to bring about public progress, reform and improvement than he Mr. Asahl is a native of Missouri, his birth having occurred in the city of California, March 7, 1870. His father, Charles Asahl, was a native of Germany and came to the United States in 1850, settling in Chicago in the year of the yellow fever plague. He was a … Read more

Bracken, George – Obituary

George Bracken, 49, former city car salesman and instructor at Oklahoma City University, died Saturday [December 24, 1951] in El Reno sanitarium after suffering a series of strokes. Bracken had lived in El Reno with his sister, Mrs. Paul Strate the past three years. Born in Kingfisher, he was the son of the late Arthur E. Bracken, state pioneer and first licensed undertaker in the state. He was graduated from Kansas university in 1923 and for 14 years he was a salesman in Kansas City, Mo. He came to Oklahoma City in 1937 and was employed by Green-lease-Moore Chevrolet Co. … Read more

Biography of Maurice McAuliffe

Maurice McAuliffe, of Salina, had not only fitted himself comfortably and substantially into the agricultural affairs of Kansas as an individual farmer and stock man, but had been one of the leaders in the new agrisultural movement and uplift. He is most widely known as one of the fine factors in the organization of the Farmers Union of Kansas, and is now serving his ninth term as president of that vigorous organization. He was also a prominent figure in the Alliance movement. The Farmers Union of Kansas is affiliated with the larger organization known as the National Farmers Union, which … Read more

Biography of William Ernest Barker, M. D.

William Ernest Barker, M. D. Prominent among the medical men of Southeastern Kansas is Dr. William Ernest Barker, who since 1881 has been engaged in practice at Chanute. During this long period of devotion to his profession he has built up a large and representative professional business, and is justly regarded in medical circles and by the general public as a thoroughly learned, skilled and reliable physician and surgeon. Doctor Barker is a native of Birmingham, England, and a son of William and Martha (Timmins) Barker. William Barker was born in England, served in the regular army during his youth, … Read more

Biography of John Mahlan Moore

John Mahlan Moore has long been prominently identified with financial affairs in Kansas, was one of the leading bankers of Wichita and assisted in the organization of many banks in that section of the state and remained a resident of Wichita until a few years ago when he was translated to a higher sphere of banking in the metropolis of the Misspuri Valley at Kansas City. Mr. Moore is now vice president of the Southwest National Bank of Commerce of Kansas City, Missouri. His successful career in banking affairs in the Middle West is not due to a wealthy or … Read more