Montgomery County KS

Biography of Richard Yates Kennedy

Richard Yates Kennedy. A man of genial presence, of manifest sympathy, of resourceful brain and high educational standards, is found in Richard Yates Kennedy, principal of the Coffeyville High School. He has bad many years of experience in the educational field, some thirty-three more or less continuous, and there are few problems of a teacher’s life that he has not, at one time or another, successfully solved. Professor Kennedy has been a resident of Kansas since 1887, has valuable property investments in Montgomery County, and social, business and civic interests at Coffeyville. Richard Yates Kennedy was born in Whiteside County, … Read more

Biography of Galusha W. Ashby

Galusha W. Ashby. Many of the men of Montgomery County who have attained prominence in business life, have had their training in agricultural work and prior to entering commercial, industrial and financial affairs have achieved success as tillers of the soil. In this category is found Galusha W. Ashby, who until 1914 centered his activities in farming in Montgomery County and since that time has given his fine talents to the advancement of the lumber interests of Liberty, as proprietor of the Liberty Lumber Company. Mr. Ashby was born on a farm in Appanoose County, Iowa, December 23, 1861, and … Read more

Biography of Clayton A. Swiggett

Clayton A. Swiggett is a mechanical engineer both by college diploma and by long and practical experience gained in many localities and in many positions. He is now superintendent of the Western States Portland Cement Company at Independence, and is contributing his ability towards the making of that one of the great industries of Kansas. The Western States Portland Cement plant began operations at Independence in 1905, and from time to time it has been enlarged and improved until its annual capacity is now a million barrels. About 250 men are employed and the pay roll is one of the … Read more

Biography of Charles H. Pocock

Charles H. Pocock. Postmaster of Tyro, in Montgomery County, a farmer and well known citizen of that locality, Charles H. Pocock for many years was identified with educational work both in Kansas and other states. In character and attainments he is type of man whom the people instinctively respect and repose confidence in, and again and again he has been called to duties of a public nature. By ancestry he is English, and his grandfather, Eliyah Pocock, came from England to Ohio in the very early days. He was a farmer and blacksmith and died in Wayne County. Mr. Charles … Read more

Biography of Capt. Edmond D. Pennington

CAPT. EDMOND D. PENNINGTON. This gentleman has resided in the community in which he now lives for the past ten years. He was born in White County, Tennessee, January 26, 1825, a son of John and Nancy (Harris) Pennington the former of whom was born in Virginia, a son of Charles Pennington, a native of England, who married after reaching America, a German lady. He was a soldier of the Revolution, and at an early day became a resident of Tennessee, and later of Illinois, in which State he passed from life, having followed the calling of a Baptist minister … Read more

Slave Narrative of Emma Barr

Interviewer: Miss Irene Robertson Person Interviewed: Emma Barr Location: Madison, Arkansas Age: 65 Occupation: Nursed, Farmed “My parents belong to two people. Mama was born in Mississippi I think and papa come from North Carolina. Papa’s master was Lark Hickerson. Mama was sold from Dr. Ware to Dr. Pope. She was grown when she was sold. She was the mother of twenty-seven children. She had twins three times. “During the Civil War she was run from the Yankees and had twins on the road. They died or was born dead and she nearly died. They was buried between twin trees … Read more

Biography of Martin S. Rochelle

A resident of Wichita for nearly forty years, the late Martin S. Rochelle here achieved distinctive success in connection with business affairs and was a citizen who commanded unequivocal esteem in the community. He was a native of the old Buckeye State and represented the same as a gallant soldier in the Civil war. Mr. Rochelle was born near Columbus, the capital city of Ohio, on the 25th of November, 1842, and at his home in the City of Wichita, Kansas, his death occurred February 25, 1908. He acquired his youthful education in the public schools of Columbus, and was … Read more

Biography of J. Louis Griswold, M. D.

J. Louis Griswold, M. D. During his long and active practice at Columbus, Doctor Griswold has become a recognized specialist in medical and surgical work, and has well earned a position among the foremost members of his profession in Cherokee County. Doctor Griswold has lived in this section of Kansas for more than thirty years, and was a druggist before taking up his studies and preparations for medicine. He was born on a farm in Bureau County, Illinois. His Griswold ancestors came originally from Wales and were colonial settlers in Connecticut. His grandfather, Willard Griswold, was born in Connecticut in … Read more

Biography of Charles Owen

Charles Owen. The production of oil and gas forms one of the most important industries in the State of Kansas. It is not only a source of great wealth, but at the same time serves as a medium of employment for a great many men and a means of livelihood for a great number of dependent families. In this respect Montgomery County is one of the busiest and most productive portions of the state. The cultivation of its fertile farms and the operation of its almost inexhaustible gas and oil wells go hand in hand to make it one of … Read more

Biography of John McEwen Ames

John Moewen Ames. One of the leading business institutions of Caney, Kansas, is that operating under the name of Kan-o-Tex Refining Company, an industry which has contributed materially to the importance of this city as a center of business activity. The credit for the success of this enterprise is largely due to its president, John McEwen Ames, a man of broad experience and marked business talents, who, until coming to Caney in 1915, had been identified with large business corporations in the East. Mr. Ames was born in New York City, New York, February 12, 1867, and is a son … Read more

Biography of E. Clate Fair

E. Clate Fair. As a young man of seventeen years Mr. Fair accompanied his parents on their removal from Ohio to Kansas, in 1884, and here he had been closely and successfully concerned with the retail drug business during the long intervening period of more than thirty years. In 1904 he opened his present handsomely appointed and well equipped drug store at 211 North Pennsylvania Avenue in the thriving little City of Independence, the judicial center of Montgomery County, and his establishment is one of the leading prescription pharmacies in the county, with a substantial and representative patronage. He had … Read more

Biography of John F. Overfield

During his service in the Kansas Legislature as a senator from Montgomery County it had been the enviable distinction of John F. Overfield to have become one of the leading members in influence and aetivity of the State Senate. It is said that he had never introduced a bill in behalf of his constituents that had not secured the approval of both houses and hecome a law. Politically Senator Overfield is a republican of the old school, and is by no means ashamed of the description stand-pat republican. He was elected to the State Senate in 1908, and had served … Read more

Biography of Pratt Barndollar

Pratt Barndollar, a cattle dealer at Coffeyville, had some very interesting connections with the country and the people of Southern Kansas and of Old Indian Territory. His father was the late J. J. Barndollar, who built up by energetic business methods a large estate consisting of mercantile, manufacturing, mining, banking and other business properties, and was one of the leading men of his time in Southern Kansas and Northern Oklahoma. J. J. Barndollar was born at Everett, Bedford County, Pennsylvania, in 1842, and came west when a young man. He arrived at Humboldt, Kansas, in 1869, and in 1871 went … Read more

Biography of O. F. Walke

O. F. Walke who has spent most of his life in Kansas has developed a very substantial business career, and for several years has been proprietor of the Independent Laundry, one of the best equipped establishments of its kind in the southern section of the state. He is of Scotch-Irish ancestry, and his great-grandfather came from the North of Ireland, and was an early farmer in Ohio. Mr. Walke’s grandfather, William Walke, was born in Ohio in 1840, came to Kansas about a quarter of a century ago, and was an active farmer until he retired and died at Columbus, … Read more

Biography of Bert L. Horton

Bert L. Horton, whose full name is Hubert Lee Horton, has spent about thirteen years of his life in Kansas and is one of the large oil producers in Montgomery County. His home and many of his business interests are at Wayside. He is of Pennsylvania birth and ancestry. There were three Horton brothers back in colonial times who came from England. Mr. Horton’s grandfather, Thomas Horton, was reared in New York State, where for a time in the early days he conducted a distillery, but subsequently moved to Tioga County, Pennsylvania, where he engaged in farming until his death. … Read more

Biography of William P. Brown

William P. Brown, brother of S. Allen Brown, a well known citizen of Independence whose career has already been sketched, has been prominently identified with various business affairs in Southeastern Kansas for nearly forty years, and is now a resident and has his headquarters at Coffeyville. Born in Pomeroy, Ohio, July 29, 1861, a son of Gen. William R. Brown, he received his early education in the public schools of that state, and came with his parents to Independence, Kansas, in 1874. He was then a student in the Independence High School, but at the early age of seventeen started … Read more

Slave Narrative of Morris Sheppard

Person Interviewed: Morris Sheppard Location: Fort Gibson, Oklahoma Date of Birth: November, 1852 Age: 85 Old Master tell me I was borned in November 1852, at de old home place about five miles east of Webbers Falls, mebbe kind of northeast, not far from de east bank of de Illinois River. Master’s name was Joe Sheppard, and he was a Cherokee Indian. Tall and slin and handsome. He had black eyes and mustache but his hair was iron gray, and everybody liked him because he was so good-natured and kind. I don’t remember old Mistress’ name. My mammy was a … Read more

Biography of C. F. Lutes

C. F. Lutes. The largest hand glass plant west of the Mississippi River is that of the Fredonia Window Glass Company, located at Fredonia, Kansas. The president and general manager of this enterprise, C. F. Lutes, had been connected with the glass industry ever since entering upon his career, and is a man of experience, resource and energy, who, since coming to Kansas in 1904, had occupied a position of importance among the business men of Fredonia. The success of the company with which he is identified, and its allied interests at Caney, Kansas and Okmulgee, Oklahoma, must be accredited … Read more

Biography of Herschel V. Bolinger

Herschel V. Bolinger. The assistant cashier of the Home National Bank, Herschel V. Bolinger, of Caney, is by inheritance and training well equipped for his responsible position. He comes of a family given to valuable and practical accomplishment, particularly in the line of agricultural effort, which has resided in this country for many generations. Since leaving the schoolroom Mr. Bolinger has been connected with financial institutions, and at Caney has also been identified with railroad affairs and with civic duties. Herschel V. Bolinger was born at Shelburn, Sullivan County, Indiana, March 19, 1884, and is a son of W. T. … Read more

Biography of James Colyer Gordon

James Colyer Gordon, superintendent of the waterworks system of Independence, had, together with his father, who for thirty years was engineer of the waterworks, had more to do with making this public utility a splendid and effleient organ of public service than any other individual. Independence had had a system of waterworks for thirty years or more. For many years it had been a municipally owned plant and the city corporation had expended an immense amount of money in perfecting the plant and the source of supply. The new water plant is located a mile and a half northeast of … Read more