Biography of Desire Debacker

Desire Debacker. The greatest sources of productive wealth along the Kaw River are the market gardens and fruit orchards. This is an industry which has developed to high proportions in Kansas, and as everyone knows is a business where hard work, careful management, and thorough planning are prerequisites of success. Perhaps no family has made a better record in this field and has shown more of these essentials than that of Debacker, one of whose representatives is named above. The Debackers are Belgian people. Desire Debacker was born near Brussels in Belgium in 1874. His father was the late John … Read more

Biography of Maj. Willis L. Brown

Maj. Willis L. Brown, of Kingman, is one of the eminent Kansas whose records serve to illustrate and adorn the history of the commonwealth. Mr. Brown had been through nearly everything that is significant of Kansas life for forty years. He was at one time a poverty stricken homesteader and while the general public knows him chiefly through his broader business and civic relations, he is still in close touch with Kansas farming and through his work and initiative had probably done as much as any man in Kingman County to promote intensive and high class farming and stock raising. … Read more

Biography of Silas W. Nossaman, M. D.

Silas W. Nossaman, M. D. For the past fifteen years Doctor Nossaman had been carrying the heavy burdens of an extensive country practice as a physician and surgeon at Cunningham. He is one of the prominent medical men of Kingman County, and had spent the greater part of his life in Kansas. He is of old American stock. His great-grandfather was a Virginian, was reared and married in his native state, and in early pioneer days came north and west to Indiana, locating on a farm in Marion County, not far from the City of Indianapolis. He lived there the … Read more

Biography of James C. Lysle

James C. Lysle. The important industries of Leavenworth still include manufacturing and some of the soundest enterprises in this line at the present date their beginning back in the city’s pioneer days. Immediately in this connection, comes the name of James C. Lysle to mind, for he was one of the earliest, one of the most persevering and one of the most straightforward manufacturers that the city had ever known. He was, entirely, a self-made made and in youth had but few educational advantages, but through quiet persistence, faith in himself and his fellow men, and a determination he never … Read more

Biography of Earl A. Nossaman

Earl A. Nossaman, secretary of the Monarch Cement Company at Humboldt, had lived in Kansas since early infancy, educated himself for the teaching profession, which he followed for a number of years, and was in the drug business before he accepted his present official position with the Monarch Cement Company. He went with this company while it was being reorganised, and as manager of the sales department had had much to do with its successful operations in recent years. His ancestry goes back to Hesse Cassel, Germany, where his great-grandfather was born. Coming to America, this ancestor settled in Pennsylvania. … Read more

Biography of Charles E. Phillips, M. D.

Charles E. Phillips, M. D. A resident of Kansas since infancy, Doctor Phillips is a highly trained physician and surgeon and since locating at Zenda twelve years ago had built up more than a local reputation in the field of surgery and enjoys a highly successful and profitable practice. Doctor Phillips was born in Knox County, Missouri, August 15, 1877. His father is Mr. P. W. Phillips, now a resident of Pratt County, Kansas. In his experiences as well as his achievements he deserves mention as one of the remarkable men of Kansas. He was born in St. Louis, Missouri, … 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 B. A. Welch

B. A. Welch, a native of Kansas, had been a prominent citizen of Kingman County for many years, is a former clerk of the District Court, was a farmer in early life, and for the past ten years had been active in the State Bank of Kingman, in which he is now cashier and active head. Mr. Welch was born at Valley Center, Kansas, September 8, 1876. He comes of a pioneer Pennsylvania family. His great-grandfather fought as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. His grandfather, Josiah Edward Welch, was a soldier in the War of 1812. He afterwards went … Read more

Biography of Charles E. Wetherall

Charles E. Wetherall has spent most of his life in Kingman County, and for a number of years had been a merchant and business man at Cunningham. He and his brother own the electric light plant there, and this is significant, because Mr. Wetherall had literally and figuratively supplied much of the motive power which had generated business and general development in that locality. Mr. Wetherall represents an old American family of Irish stock. They came to Virginia in colonial times. His great-grandfather, George Wetherall, was born at Madison Court House, Virginia, and was a planter and slave owner. His … Read more

Biography of H. F. G. Wulf

H. F. G. Wulf though a native of Germany grew up in Kansas, and had had a long and varied and successful experience as a farmer, merchant, and business man. His present home is at Humboldt, where he is president of the Monarch Cement Company. His abilities were called upon to reorganize that local industry. Judge Thomas C. Wilson, of the District Court, First Division, Sedgwick County, appointed him July 10, 1912, as receiver. The plant had become heavily involved, but Mr. Wulf soon had it reorganized, and in addition to paying every creditor a hundred cents on the dollar … 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 Edward F. Erbacher

Edward F. Erbacher is manager of the Kingman Mills of the Kansas Flour Mills Company. He was promoted to that responsibility when a little past his thirtieth birthday, and at the time of his promotion was the youngest man among the many employed in the plant. The Kingman Mills are among the largest and best equipped flour mills of Kansas. Mr. Erbacher belongs to a prominent family of business men of St. Mary’s, Kansas, where he was born February 17, 1887. His father is Mr. John Erbacher, who was born in Germany in 1856, and was chiefly educated there. Coming … Read more

Biography of Charles W. Sample

Charles W. Sample has been a business man at Kingman nearly forty years and had been closely identified with the commercial affairs of that city, as a land owner, banker and in real estate and loans. Mr. Sample was born in Jefferson County, Indiana, October 29, 1851. His ancestors came out of Ireland and settled in Virginia in colonial days. His grandfather, Andrew Sample, was a pioneer farmer in Indiana and died in Jefferson County in that state in 1854. George W. Sample, father of Charles W., was born in Jefferson County, Indiana, in 1815, a date which indicates the … Read more

Biography of Ernest F. Day, M. D.

Ernest F. Day, M. D. The work of Doctor Day as a physician and surgeon had met with cordial appreciation and patronage since he came to Arkansas City over fifteen years ago. He is in every way a most competent and thorough professional man, and in recent years had extended his opportunities for service by his management, in association with Doctor McKay, of the Mercy Hospital there. Doctor Day is a native of Indiana but had spent practically all his life in Kansas. He was born at Rensselaer in Jasper County, Indiana, October 20, 1876. He is of very old … Read more

Biography of John B. Morton, M. D.

John B. Morton, M. D., had been successfully engaged in practice at Nashville for nearly ten years. He is a native of Kansas, and his people were pioneers in the vicinity of Cunningham, where he was born July 11, 1884. He is of Scotch and English ancestry and his forefathers were pioneers in the State of Ohio. His grandfather, Barzillai Morton, was born in Monroe County, Ohio, in 1811, and spent most of his life in his native county, where he conducted a mill for many years. About 1882 he came to Cunningham, Kansas, settling on a farm, and lived … Read more

Biography of Samuel A. Hemphill

Samuel A. Hemphill. Youth is no bar to the handling of important responsibilities in the business field. Witness the case of Samuel A. Hemphill, aged twenty-five, who is vice president and cashier and executive head of the Nashville State Bank at Nashville, Kansas. Mr. Hemphill took up banking as a career soon after leaving school and was given executive responsibilities at a time when most young men are just laying the ground work of the business or professional career. He was born at Pretty Prairie, Kansas, October 5, 1892. His ancestors were Scotch-Irish-Dutch people who came to America in early … Read more

Biography of Rev A. H. Walsh

Rev. A. H. Walsh has been the diligent and devoted pastor of St. Patrick’s Church at Kingman for the past thirteen years, and had accomplished a wonderful work in building up and strengthening the power of the Catholic Church in this section. Father Walsh secured his early education in the Irish National schools. In 1889, at the age of fourteen, he came to America and continued his education in the parochial schools of Chicago. After his career had been definitely determined he entered St. Michael’s College at Toronto, Canada, pursuing the classical course there five years and then remained two … Read more

Biography of Wayne F. Shaw

Wayne F. Shaw grew up on a farm in Kansas, but at an early age had an ambition to teach, and had made teaching a life work and vocation, attended by unusual success. He is now superintendent of the city schools of Kingman. Mr. Shaw is of a New England family transplanted to Kansas. His ancestors were Scotch-Irish and English people who went to Massachusetts in colonial times. One of his ancestors was a Revolutionary soldier. His grandfather, Elijah Shaw, was born at Buckland, Massachusetts, in 1813, spent his life in that state as a farmer and died at Buckland … Read more

Biography of William A. Myers

One of the well known and highly regarded citizens of Topeka, Kansas, with which state he had been practically continuously identified since 1888, is William A. Myers, who is a leading factor in and a probable candidate of the republican forces in Shawnee County. For twenty-eight years he had been a competent and faithful employe of the State of Kansas, in the state printing department, is a man of property and of personal high standing. William A. Myers was born in 1856, in Saint Joseph County, Indiana, and is a son of Andrew and Ellen (Oliver) Myers, and a grandson … Read more

Biography of Fernando A. Parsons

Fernando A. Parsons. The career of Fernando A. Parsons, of Chanute, is remarkable in many ways, but principally because of the number of fields which it had invaded and the success which had attended the ventures in which its author had been engaged. From his youth, when he paid his own way through college, Mr. Parsons had pushed steadily forward, always assisting his community’s interests while advancing his own. With a handsome fortune gained through his good business ability and persistent labors, and at an age when most men are content to retire, Mr. Parsons still continues as an active … Read more