Pottawatomie County KS Genealogy

Biography of John Henry Tole

John H. Tole. While it is certainly true that a live and growing community such as Liberty offers many and widely diversified opportunities for advancement along every line of personal endeavor, yet it is just as true that only a certain percentage achieve distinction, and a large number fail of even attaining a competency. It takes something more than mere opportunity to elevate a man from the common level of every-day accomplishments. Unless he has within him that divine spark of genius for his life work, be will continue to belong to the great majority of mediocre humanity, instead of … Read more

Biography of Archibald Steel Johnson

Archibald Steel Johnson, a resident of Kansas nearly forty years, has one of the very interesting places historically considered. It is located a few miles from North Topeka on rural route No. 6 in Shawnee County, and is a farm of eighty acres which he bought in 1907. The history of this farm is especially interesting. The site comprises the old historic Town of Indianola. This town was established when the Territory of Kansas was new. It was the home of a large number of abolitionists, though there were two or three pro-slavery families in the same community. When this … Read more

Biography of James Claude Wilhoit, M. D.

James Claude Wilhoit, M. D. This is the name of a prominent young physician and surgeon at Manhattan, but a man who in spite of his years has attained an enviable prominence in the professional and business life of his home state. Doctor Wilhoit has those natural gifts which together with thorough training make the proficient surgeon. His work is now largely surgery and diagnosis. He was born at Westmoreland in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, July 14, 1885, a son of Dr. John W. and Jennie (Armstrong) Wilhoit. His parents were natives of Kentucky, where they married, and they came to … Read more

Biography of John T. Feighny

John T. Feighny has spent all his life in Northern Kansas and from a farm in Jackson County he went to Emmett some years ago and engaged in the grain and elevator business, which he successfully continues to the present time. Mr. Feighny was born in Jackson County, Kansas, September 2, 1873. His parents, John and Mary (Lyons) Feighny, were both natives of County Limerick, Ireland, but were married in Boston, Massachusetts. Her father was born in 1830 and the mother in 1842. John Feighny was sixteen years of age when he came to the United States, landing in New … Read more

Biography of Warren S. Plummer

Warren S. Plummer, former county clerk of Pottawatomie County, is secretary, treasurer and manager of the Westmoreland Mercantile Company, the largest general merchandise house in business at the county seat. Mr. Plummer started life with an earnest purpose, and had steadily kept that in view and by industry and honorable dealings had attained a position where he is recognized as one of the leading men of his home county. He is a native of Pottawatomie County, having been born near the present Village of Flush, then known as Myers Valley, on January 7, 1875. He is of old American stock, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James E. Conroy

James Edward Conroy. One of the largest landowners and most successful farmers and stock raisers in Riley County is James Edward Conroy, whose entire life has been devoted to agricultural activities. Mr. Conroy is progressive and enterprising, believes in thoroughbred stock and in modern methods of farming and keeps himself well informed on these subjects and thereby prospers. James Edward Conroy was born February 24, 1862 in Pottawatomie County, Kansas. He is a son of James and Mary (Dempsy) Conroy, both of whom were born in Queen’s County, Ireland. They came to the United States and were married in the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ralph W. Squires

Ralph W. Squires, present register of deeds of Shawnee County, was born at Columbus, Ohio, April 29, 1870, and was nine years of age when brought to Kansas by his parents, Jeremiah and Virginia E. (Schimp) Squires, and for a few years the family lived on the farm in Pottawatomie County. The recollection of the booming of the prairie chickens in the spring when frost covered the earth in the morning, the cries of the plover, and other incidents of pioneer life, left an indelible impress on his youthful mind. He received his education in the public schools and later … Read more

Biography of Charles F. Little, M.D.

Charles F. Little, M. D., is one of the oldest living members of the medical profession in Kansas. It was fully half a century ago that he came to Manhattan, and until his recent retirement was almost continuously identifled with his professional duties in Riley County. Doctor Little is one of the men who gained their training and attended their first cases prior to the Civil war. In the war he served as an assistant surgeon. A great fund of practical business ability has been a prominent characteristie of Doctor Little and for years he has been one of the … Read more

Biography of Lester Martin Combs

Lester Martin Combs has been an active newspaper man since he graduated from Baker University five years ago and is now editor, manager and treasurer of the Anthony Republican, the official paper of Harper County. The Republican is the oldest paper in Harper County and was established a few years after the county was organized in 1879. The first editors and publishers were George W. Maffet and Charles Metcalf. For several years in the late ’80s the Republican had a daily edition. At the present time the Republican is printed at a modern plant on South Bluff Street. The Anthony … Read more

Biography of John McKimens

John McKimens. Pottawatomie County was organized in 1857, It is one of the oldest counties in that section of the state that was fairly well settled during the border period of Kansas history. The present county seat, Westmoreland, was established in 1871 and was named for Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The pioneer who gave the name to the county seat was the late John McKimens, Sr. He was one of the first settlers in Pottawatomie County, having located at the present site of Westmoreland in Oetober, 1856, a year before the county was organized. John McKimens, Sr., was born in Pennsylvania … Read more

Biography of S. E. Leinbach

S. E. Leinbach. Fifty years have passed since Mr. Leinbach became a resident of Kansas. He arrived in Pottawatomie County as a pioneer not long after the close of the Civil war, in which he had played a gallant part as a Union soldier. The war was the first great event in his life and his settlement in Kansas the second. Mr. Leinbach developed a homestead and had since acquired a large body of the fertile and valuable soil of Pottawatomie County. He is now living at Onaga and had been a public spirited factor in the progress of that … Read more

Biography of Michael Floersch

Michael Floersch. In the year 1854, the late Michael Floersch, then a young man of twenty-one years, came from Missouri to Kansas and homesteaded a claim in the Pottawatomie country. He had been reared in Missouri, where his parents had settled on coming to the United States when he was eight years old. He was born in Germany, in 1833, and was reared in the faith of the Catholic Church, to the teachings of which he consistently adhered through a long, active and exemplary career. When Mr. Floersch came to Kansas he was without capital other than indomitable courage, unlimited … Read more

Biography of Herman Zabel

Herman Zabel has spent all his life in Pottawatomie County and is a son of one of the early pioneers there. His own career had been one of varied interests and activities. He still owned a big farm near the county seat and is also vice president of the Farmers State Bank of Westmoreland in that city. His father, the late Charles Zabel, was born near the city of Berlin, Germany, in 1851, and deserves a permanent record among the pioneers of Pottawatomie County. At the age of nineteen he came to the United States, worked in the pineries and … Read more

Kansas Registrations of Enemy Aliens, 1917 – 1921

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 Frank G. Hooper

Frank G. Hooper has lived in Pottawatomie County since 1885. He had shown exceptional ability in accumulating those things which mean a high degree of material prosperity, and for many years was identified with farming and had one of the largest single estates in Pottawatomie County. He is now living zetized at Belvue and is vice president of the Belvue State Bank. Mr. Hooper was born at Palmyra in Jefferson County, Wisconsin, February 16, 1860. His grandparents were George and Elizabeth Hooper, both natives of England. George Hooper was born in 1799 and in 1845 brought his family to the … Read more

Biography of Oscar Ramsey Searl, M. D.

Oscar Ramsey Searl, M. D. The name Searl had been associated with the medical profession in Northern Kansas for fully half a century. Dr. O. R. Searl is a son of a pioneer doctor of Solomon, Kansas, Dr. O. F. Searl. The son had practiced for nearly twenty years at Belvue, and besides his success in the profession he had made himself an influential factor in local affairs. He was born at Solomon, Kansas, July 5, 1872. Dr. O. F. Searl was of English family and represented Colonial settlers in Massachusetts. He was born in Massachasetts November 15, 1841, grew … Read more

Biography of Matthew A. Brennan

Matthew A. Brennan has been a resident of Kansas since 1903, was identified with farming, railroading and other lines of business for some years, but is now one of Topeka’s successful undertakers. He was born in County Limerick, Ireland, February 16, 1882. The Brennan family furnishes one of the old and respected names of Limerick County. His grandfather was John Brennan, a farmer, and the father was Bartholomew Brennan, a native of County Limerick and a cooper by trade. Bartholomew Brennan married Johanna O’Shea, who was born in County Limerick, daughter of Matthew O’Shea. The eight children of Bartholomew Brennan … Read more

Biography of Duke A. Rogers

Duke A. Rogers. In preparing a review of the prominent men of Kansas whose lives have been devoted to persistent effort, and who by energy and ability of a high order have risen to places of business distinction, the record of Duke A. Rogers, oil and gas producer of Caney, is found to be one that compels more than passing attention. Mr. Rogers is one who essentially belongs to the men of action of Kansas, and, that he has not overlooked his opportunities, is clearly shown in what he has accomplished. He is prominently identified with the business and financial … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Julius Timendorfer

Timendorfer, Julius; real estate and insurance; born, Rosdin, Silesia, Germany, Sept. 7, 1856; son of M. and Henrietta Fischer Timendorfer; educated in the public and manual training schools of native city, and Berlin; married, Oct. 4, 1886, Anna Rosenthal, of Stuttgart, Wurtemberg, Germany; issue, two daughters, Florence & Irma; when 15, entered a department store, as apprentice; worked three years without pay to learn the business; then worked as clerk; employed in a silk house in Koenigsburg, for 1 year; went into coal and lumber business with his father in Berlin; city salesman; landed in New York in 1877; worked … Read more

Biography of Mary Morrall Darling

Mrs. Mary Morrall Darling is the daughter of Wamego’s pioneer physician, Dr. Albert Morrall, and she is now living in the same house where she was born May 14, 1872. The Morralls were English people and were colonial settlers in the Carolinas. Her great-great-grandfather was Daniel Morrall who married Lydia Savanen. Her great-grandfather was John Morrall. Her grandfather, George Washington Morrall, was born at Georgetown, South Carolina, August 17, 1786, became an attorney by profession, and practiced at Grahamville and at Beaufort, South Carolina, dying in the latter city February 22, 1836. He married Phoebe Jenkins Tripp, who was born … Read more