Biography of Dr. Leonidas Kirby

In performing the arduous labors of the general medical practitioner, Dr. Leonidas Kirby has been very conscientious in the discharge of his professional duties, is well up to the times in medical lore, and has the intelligence to properly apply his knowledge. As evidence of his skill and ability to adapt himself to circumstances, when he first commenced the practice of medicine, a child of G. J. Howells accidentally got a grain of corn in its windpipe and was in a dying condition from the same. Dr. Kirby met the father with his child in the street and performed the operation … Read more

Biography of Fred L. Stephenson

Fred L. Stephenson is president of the Commercial State Bank of Yates Center. He had many other interests that connect him with that community, and for many years had been one of the live and energetic citizens, ever ready to co-operate in any plan for the advancement of local welfare. Mr. Stephenson had spent most of his life in Kansas and he owes to his individual energies and the opportunities of the state his prosperity and his position in affairs. His ancestors were English people who came to New York in Colonial days. His grandfather was Thomas Stephenson, a native … Read more

Biography of Orvis Milton Bloom

Orvis Milton Bloom, one of the well known oil producers living at Independence, Kansas, has been closely identified with the oil districts of the southwest for over twenty years. He was born in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, February 9, 1873, a son of A. W. and Rebecca (MacCracken) Bloom. His mother is now living at Independence. Mr. Bloom was one of a large family of children, and his brother, C. L. Bloom, has been one of the most successful oil operators in the southwest. When O. M. Bloom was five years of age his parents moved to Fulton County, Indiana, and … Read more

Biography of Frank McClellan

Frank McClellan. After many years employed as an educator in Kansas, Frank McClellan turned his attention to business affairs at Coffeyville, and now has one of the leading offices there for insurance and loans. His birthplace was Bedford, Pennsylvania, where he was born January 21, 1860. His grandfather, Abraham McClellan, was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1798, came to the United States when a young man, becoming a farmer and stock raiser in Pennsylvania. He died at Rainsburg, Pennsylvania, in 1883. On account of his service in the state militia he was familiarly known as Captain McClellan. Captain McClellan married … Read more

Biography of Keenan Hurst

Keenan Hurst, a veteran of the Civil war, forty years a resident of Elk County, is one of the most widely known and esteemed men in this section of Kansas. He followed farming and stock raising several years, took an active part in politics, finally entered the legal profession, and had handled a general practice as an attorney at Howard. He is now serving as city attorney and deputy county attorney. Mr. Hurst was born in Warren County, Ohio, March 5, 1839. His Hurst ancestors came from England to Virginia in colonial days. His grandfather, George Hurst, was born in … Read more

Conley, Mary Eliza Wood Mrs. – Obituary

Mrs. J. M. Conley Dies, Early Settler Here Mrs. J. M. Conley, resident of the Flora district for many years, passed away at a nursing home at Milton, Monday, February 26. She had been in poor health for some years and had been cared for in a private institution. Funeral services were held yesterday at Milton, and were attended by her daughters who live in Wallowa county, and by Mrs. J. C. Conley and Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Strickler. Mary Eliza Wood was born December 6, 1859, and was married to Jesse Monroe Conley at Mulberry, Missouri December 25, … Read more

Biography of Col. James Montgomery

Col. James Montgomery, one of the free-state leaders in Kansas and an officer in the Civil war, was a native of Ashtabula County, where he was born in 1814, and was a cousin of the hero of Quebec. In 1837 he went to Kentucky, where he taught school. He moved to Pike County, Missouri, with his family, in 1852, and a year later located in Jackson County in order to be ready to enter Kansas as soon as the territory was organized and the lands opened to settlement. Some of his friends, among whom was Doctor Thornton, knowing him to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Leslie A. and H. G. Breed

Leslie A. and H. G. Breed, farmers, P. O. Jewell City. Leslie A. was born in Erie County, Pa., December 11, 1855, removed to Johnson County, then to Linn County, thence to Missouri, and came to Jewell County, Kan., in 1873, and took a homestead and timber claim; and the father and son are now the owners of 320 acres of land, and they keep about 60 head of cattle and 120 fine head of hogs. Leslie A. held the office of Township Clerk for four years. He was married December 4, 1879, at McCabe Chapel, in Brown’s Creek Township, … 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 Charles M. Hilleary

Charles M. Hilleary, who had identified himself since early youth with educational work and is now superintendent of the city schools of Humboldt, represents one of the early pioneer families of Bourbon County. He was born at the Village of Xenia in Bourbon County, Kansas, May 28, 1879. His people located in that section of southeastern Kansas prior to the Civil war. The Hillearys came originally from England and were colonial settlers in Virginia. Professor Hilleary’s grandfather Daniel Stump Hilleary was born in 1823. In early life he removed west, to Ohio, later into Illinois, and still later to Kansas. … Read more

Conley, Mary Eliza Wood Mrs. – Obituary

Flora, Wallowa County, Oregon Mrs. J. M. Conley Dies, Early Settler Here Mrs. J.M. Conley, resident of the Flora district for many years, passed away at a nursing home at Milton, Monday, February 26. She had been in poor health for some years and had been cared for in a private institution. Funeral services were held yesterday at Milton, and were attended by her daughters who live in Wallowa county, and by Mrs. J. C. Conley and Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Strickler. Mary Eliza Wood was born December 6, 1859, and was married to Jesse Monroe Conley at Mulberry, … Read more

Biography of John Ellsworth Wiley

John Ellsworth Wiley, a prominent lawyer of Mound City, had been a resident of Kansas for half a century and during his active life had made himself useful both in the field of education and in that of the law and had attained no small degree of success and honor in his chosen vocation. Mr. Wiley was born on a farm in Knox County, Missouri, November 20, 1861, son of Elijah Perry and Amy Jane (Shahan) Wiley. The Wiley family had the spirit of pioneers and have lived successively on various frontiers of advancing civilization. Elijah P. Wiley was born … 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.

Boner, Laura Mahon Mrs. – Obituary

Joseph, Wallowa County, Oregon Funeral Held Monday For Mrs. Laura Boner Memorial services were conducted Monday at 2 p.m. at the Booth-Bollman chapel for Mrs. Laura Boner who passed away at Wallowa Memorial Hospital where she had been a patient for two days. She had been in frail health since fracturing her hip several months ago. Elder Leon Cornforth officiated at the service, Mrs. John Sinclair was organist, and Mrs. George Swanson was soloist, singing “In The Garden” and “Beautiful Isle of Somewhere.” Vault entombment was in the Praire Creek Cemetery. She was born October 10, 1878 in LaCygne, Kansas, … 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 Charles H. Johnson

Charles H. Johnson, of Colony, during his long and active career had been a farmer, insurance man and auctioneer, editor and publisher and also an inventor of no ordinary ability and success. He was born at Forest Home, Iowa, July 2, 1856, a son of James C. and Sarah Ann (Swangle) Johnson. Both parents were natives of Ohio. They went to Iowa as pioneers and after living in that state for a number of years came to Kansas in 1873 and here also they identified themselves with the pioneer element in Linn County. The father was an active farmer and … Read more

Biography of Hon. Jeremiah D. Botkin

Hon. Jeremiah D. Botkin. This distinguished citizen of Kansas was born April 24, 1849, in a log house on a farm in Logan County, Illinois. His parents were Richard and Nancy (Barr) Botkin, and his ancestry traces straight back to a Revolutionary hero. Richard Botkin was born April 24, 1822, in Clark County, Ohio, and he died at Wellington, Kansas, March 24, 1898. He was a son of George and Sarah (Hester) Botkin, the father being a native of Virginia and the son of Charles Botkin, a Revolutionary soldier from that state, and the mother a native of Ohio. Richard … Read more

Biography of Edwin Carlos Lane

Edwin Carlos Lane, editor of one of the leading county-seat newspapers of Iowa, was born August 11, 1855, on the home farm of his maternal grandfather situated midway between Plano and Bristol Station near the main line of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, in Little Rock township, Kendall county, Illinois. He was one of a family of three sons and one daughter whose parents were Levi Hart and Emily Jane (Kendrick) Lane. The father was born in Lewis county, New York, in 1830, and was a son of Lyman Lane, a native of Suffield, Connecticut, who was born in … Read more

Biography of Camden L. Bloom

C. L. Bloom. One of the most picturesque careers in the mid-continent oil and gas fields has been that of Camden L. Bloom of Independence. By an unusual capacity for hard labor and by a foresight seasoned by long and active experience he made one large fortune, which was swept away in the panic of 1907. With a few dollars realized by mortgaging his home, he made a new start, and today his operations and holdings would constitute another modest fortune at least. His life began in Clearfield County, Pennsylvania, March 14, 1868. His people, the Blooms, came from Germany … Read more

Biography of Rufus Joel Hill

Rufus Joel Hill. There are many points of historical interest pertinent to the personal career and ancestral record of this venerable pioneer citizen who is now living practically retired in his pleasant home at Independence, Montgomery County. On both the paternal and maternal sides he is a scion of fine old American colonial stock and individually he had precedence as being one of the pioneer members of the Kansas bar, as well as a broad-minded and public-spirited citizen who had played well his part in connection with the civic and material development and progress of the Sunflower State, within whose … Read more