Manhattan Kansas

Biography of Rollin Buell

Rollin Buell. Since his education was finishod Rollin Buell had applied himself chiefly to banking in Kansas, and is now cashier of the Farmers State Bank at Potter in Atchison County. Almost since pioneer times the Buell family was identified with Macoupin County, Illinois, where Rollin Buell was born September 15, 1883, and his father, Charles Buell, in 1856. The grandfather. John Buell, was born in England, and after coming to America located on a farm in Macoupin County, Illinois, whero he died in 1865. John Buell married Miss Mitchell. Her father was a remarkably successful Illinois farmer. He reared … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William R. Spilman

William R. Spilman, the oldest son of Judge Spilman, was born at Manhattan December 6, 1870, and received his education in the city schools and the State Agricultural College. In 1890 he became court reporter under his father of the Twenty-first Judiela I District, and that position he held for seventeen years. He resigned to become a stenographer in the navy department at Washington, but later at the request of Assistant Postmaster General Bristow was transferred to the postoffice department. In that department he has filled a number of important positions. He has been superintendent of rural delivery, superintendent of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Col. E. Barker

Col. E. Barker, farmer, P. O. Jewell City, was born in Maine, August 12, 1816; removed to Manhattan in Riley County, Kan.; thence to Jewell County in 1870, and is now the owner of 100 acres of land, well improved, with a fine house, the same being situated adjoining the town of Jewell City. The colonel was in the special service of the United States army for over four years; was Colonel of the Third Regiment, Second Brigade of Sixth Division of the Maine State Militia for over seventeen years. Has held office of Deputy Sheriff in Oxford County, Minn., … Read more

Biography of Walter E. Wilson

Walter E. Wilson, banker and business man at Washington, is the present bank commissioner of Kansas. His appointment had brought additional credit upon Governor Capper’s administration as one of those that reflect thorough business administration of state affairs. A native of Kansas and of a pioneer family, Mr. Wilson was born at Manhattan August 21, 1871. He is of an old Virginia family, the Wilsons having come from England and first settled at Jamestown in Colonial times and afterwards moving to the western portion of the state in what is now West Virginia. Their affiliations were all with the North … Read more

Biography of Henry Bennett

Henry Bennett, of Topeka, has been a resident of Kansas over forty years. Before coming to Kansas he made an enviable record as a gallant soldier in the Union army, having served with the famous Chicago Board of Trade Battery. He has lived three-quarters of a century, but still retains his youth and the optimism of virile and aggressive manhood. No individual record could be more worthy of a place in Kansas history than that of Henry Bennett. He was one of the two sons of William and Rachel (Ludby) Bennett, and was born at Chicago, Illinois, June 15, 1841. … Read more

Biography of Robert E. Rosenstein

Robert E. Rosenstein of Baxter Springs is a man of varied talents and abilities and has successfully performed the services of a minister of the Gospel and lawyer at the same time. And though his time and attention are now given to the law, he occasionally preaches and is widely known over several states in the ministry of the Christian Church. While Mr. Rosenstein spent most of his early life in Texas, he was born at Cairo, Illinois, January 4, 1871. His father Rudolph Rosenstein was born at Mecklenberg-Schwerin, Germany, in 1826, and came to America at the age of … Read more

Biography of J. W. Searson, Prof.

It is a laudable aim of educational institutions continually to bring solidity and scholarship to their teaching boards, thereby adding greatness to their organizations and at the same time making certain the wider diffusion of knowledge. The Kansas State Agricultural College, at Manhattan, Kansas, had pursued this course in the selection of its faculty, with the result that some of the ablest and most enlightened educators of the country devote their time and efforts to this progressive institution. Among these mention may be particularly made of Prof. J. W. Searson who, for the past six years, had occupied the chair … Read more

Biography of Charles Sumner Newlon, M.D.

Dr. Charles Sumner Newlon, who for the past fifteen years has engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery in Kansas City, Missouri, and who for many years prior to this period was a physician and surgeon of the state of Kansas, was born at Newton’s Grove, Cass county, Iowa, in 1858, a son of Dr. William Smithson and Maria (Wimp) Newlon. The ancestral line is traced back to his great-grandfather, John Newlon. The grandfather, Hiram Newlon, was born in Virginia and was a cousin of Dolly Madison, wife of the fourth president of the United States and also a … Read more

Biography of Lloyd S. Fry

Lloyd S. Fry. When he came to the City of Manhattan in 1883, Mr. Fry engaged at once in the work which had occupied him for a number of years in Pennsylvania and Kansas and which brought him an enviable place among the state’s leading educators. He was employed as a teacher in the College Hill School, and in 1886 was elected superintendent of the city schools of Manhattan, a position he held two years. His record as an educator included two years in charge of the schools of Randolph, one year at Atwood, three years at Hays City. In … Read more

Biography of Thomas E. Wagstaff

An attorney of long and successful experience in Montgomery County, both in Coffeyville and Independence, Thomas E. Wagstaff had been and is a leader in republican politics in the state, and a few years ago his name beeame known all over Kansas as a candidate for nomination to the office of governor. He lost the nomination by only a few votes. This was in 1910, when W. R. Stubbs was nominated and afterwards elected. His family have been identified with Kansas for forty years. Thomas E. Wagstaff was born at Galesburg, Illinois, July 23, 1875, and was still an infant … Read more

Biography of Adoniram Judson Whitford

Adoniram Judson Whitford. A special place in ranks of the pioneer business men of Kansas should be accorded the late Adoniram Judson Whitford of Manhattan. For over forty years he sold hardware in that city. When he opened his first stock of goods the Civil war was raging over the country. He began on a modest scale, in proportion to his individual resources, and also to the needs and demands of the town and surrounding country. He prospered and expanded his enterprise even as Manhattan expanded as a city and the surrounding country took upon itself advanced features of progress. … Read more

Biography of John Melville Kimball

Kansas has many octogenarians. The soil and climate and other conditions are conducive to bringing men and women to a happy and contented old age, but few of them have lived so long in the Sunflower State as John Melville Kimball, who at the age of four score is still young in spirit and can enjoy the wonderful retrospect of years which goes back to the very establishment of the institntions of the state. He is a pioneer settler of Riley County, and for half a century was successfully identified with farming in Manhattan Township until he retired to his … Read more

Biography of Jesse M. Foster

Jesse M. Foster, a native Kansan, had been a practical newspaper man since leaving college. He is now proprietor and publisher of the Clifton News, one of the oldest papers in continuous publication in Washington County. This paper was established in December, 1885, by J. M. and J. C. Padgett. It was first known as the Local News. It was changed to the Clifton News in 1891 by L. A. Palmer, then the publisher. The successive owners and publishers were I. C. Ware, one year, A. Q. Miller, two years, N. F. Hewitt, Stoy E. Ware, Burt Fraser, P. M. … Read more

Biography of Grant Elwood Kelsey

Grant Elwood Kelsey. General farming and the raising of live stock are engaging the attention of many foresighted men in Kansas. Many of these have additional interests as had Grant Elwood Kelsey, a well known citizen and prosperons agriculturist of Menoken Township, Shawnee County, but their land and its rich yielding occupies the first place in their affections. Grant Elwood Kelsey was born on a farm in Dearborn County, Indiana, March 14, 1867. His parents were Scott and Mahala (Allen) Kelsey, who are mentioned elsewhere in this work. He attended the country schools in Indiana and later near Topeka, Kansas, … Read more

Biography of Edward Carl Johnson

Edward Carl Johnson. Identified with the Kansas State Agricultural College at Manhattan since the fall of 1912, Edward Carl Johnson is now dean of the division of college extension and is also superintendent of farmers’ institutes and state leader of county agent work. At first his work was that of superintendent of institutes and demonstration in the division of college extension. Since September, 1915, his duties have been as just described. Mr. Johnson is an expert in several departments affecting the broad science of agriculture. His authorship of a number of bulletins and monographs prove this. But his work has … Read more

Biography of Edward C. Kassebaum

Edward C. Kassebaum. On the highest point of bottom land between Kansas City, Missouri, and Manhattan, Kansas, is located the forty acre farm belonging to Edward C. Kassebaum, who carries on general farming, but who, perhaps, is more widely known as a grower of water melons, a field in which he has attained something more than a local reputation. This farm is situated in Menoken Township, Shawnee County, and has been brought to a high state of cultivation under the practical and intelligent efforts of Mr. Kassebaum, who has been a resident of this locality all his life and who … Read more

Biography of George Crook Dye

George Crook Dye. One of the representative men of Chautauqua County, Kansas, is George Crook Dye, mayor of Niotaze and proprietor of a large mercantile business there, and a bank director, and also one of the leading agriculturists of the county, profitably operating 530 acres of fine land. Mr. Dye had spent his entire life in Kansas and is devoted to her every interest. George Crook Dye was born February 12, 1879, at Niotaze, Kansas. He is the only son of his father’s second marriage, and his parents were Enoch and Mrs. Delia (Sheldon) (Pendleton) Dye. His mother was born … Read more

Biographical Sketch of J. J. Donelan

J. J. Donelan is secretary, treasurer and manager of the Concordia Gas Company, the progress and development of which have largely depended upon his ability as an engineer and as a business executive. The plant of the Concordia Gas Company was erected by the American Gas Construction Company. The Lowe-Tenny process of manufacture is used, and the company manufactures gas for lighting, heating and cooking purposes to the amount of about 16,000,000 cubic feet annually or 150,000 feet per day. They have storage capacity for 70,000 feet. The company now had fifteen miles of gas pipe about the city, with … Read more

Biography of George S. Hine

George S. Hine is state dairy commissioner of Kansas with office in the State Agricultural College at Manhattan. His early life was spent on a Wisconsin dairy farm. Thus he is in a measure a dairyman to the manner born, as well as a man of thorough technical training and wide experience in that field. He had gained considerable distinction as a technical expert in his chosen profession in Wisconsin before he was called to Kansas, and has been identified with the dairy department of the state for the past six years. He was born on his father’s farm near … Read more

Biography of Prof. Edward Norris Wentworth

Prof. Edward Norris Wentworth. Editor, author, and professor of animal breeding at the Kansas State Agricultural College, at Manhattan, Edward Norris Wentworth has accomplished more in the way of adding to the knowledge of mankind, in his twenty-nine years, than have many others in a whole lifetime. His studies have been particularly directed along the line of animal breeding, but, while making this his specialty, he has further broadened his field of knowledge and has won collegiate honors and degrees through high scholarship. Edward Norris Wentworth was born at Dover, New Hampshire, January 11, 1887, and is a son of … Read more