Rice County KS Genealogy – Access Genealogy

Biography of John Harvey Staatz M. D.

John Harvey Staatz, M. D. The community of Rushton in Rice County had known and appreciated the services of Dr. Staatz as a capable physician and surgeon for the past seventeen years. Doctor Staatz is a man of real attainments in his profession, was unusually well qualified before beginning practice, and had kept in close touch with the leaders in medical science ever since. He represents the pioneer element of Kansas, his father having come to the state when Kansas was still a territory. Doctor Staatz was born at Enterprise in Dickinson County December 6, 1874. His father, John Frederick … Read more

Biography of George Brinton Ross

George Brinton Ross is chief grain inspector of Kansas. His residence is still at Sterling and in Rice County his activities as a farmer, business man and banker have been centered for over thirty years. Mr. Ross was instrumental in securing the passage of a bill by which the office of the state grain department was removed from Topeka to Kansas City, Kansas. This had proved a wise measure, since it had enabled the grain department to perform the business which this inspection service deserves. It had increased the volume of business performed by the department, since it places all … 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 William Miller Kenton

William Miller Kenton first came to Kansas nearly forty years ago, acquired an interest in a homestead in Rice County, and by his subsequent exertions had developed a large amount of fine farming land and is one of the leading men of affairs and citizens at Chase. Mr. Kenton was born in Bracken County, Kentucky, October 4, 1850. His Kenton ancestry goes back to the earliest period of colonization of the Kentucky country and the name of Kenton is a famous one in old Kentucky, and doubtless there is some relationship between this branch and the noted Simon Kenton, one … Read more

Biography of Charles M. Branch

Charles M. Branch, a resident of Kansas since 1873, is a banker of thirty years experience and is president of the Citizens Bank of Hutchinson, one of the few institutions in the state with resources of over $1,000,000. Mr. Branch was born at Vinton, Benton County, Iowa, September 27, 1859. His English ancestors first settled in Vermont, and his grandfather, Minor Branch, moved his family from that state to Northern Indiana in pioneer times, and died in Indiana before Charles M. Branch was born. Phineas C. Branch, father of the Hutchinson banker, was one of the pioneer homesteaders of Reno … Read more

Biography of Leroy E. Quinlan

Leroy E. Quinlan, though admitted to the bar less than two years ago, had made a most promising beginning of a successful legal career and is now justifying the confidence of his friends and supporters by his administration of the office of county attorney of Rice County. Mr. Quinlan is a native of Kansas, was born at Hoisington May 22, 1893. His grandfather, Charles Michael Quinlan, was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1832, came to America when a young man, settled on a farm in Indiana, married there, and enlisted and went all through the Civil war as a … Read more

Biography of George J. Brown

George J. Brown, president of the Citizens State Bank of Sterling, is a son of the late Thomas H. Brown, whose career had been previously sketched. George J. Brown was born in the home of his parents at Norway, Iowa, September 26, 1879, but had lived in Sterling since very early childhood. He graduated from the local high school in 1897 and later attended A. N. Palmer’s Business College at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At the age of eighteen he began work in his father’s bank as bookkeeper, was promoted to assistant cashier, and since the death of his father had … Read more

Biography of Joseph Hubbard Butler

Joseph Hubbard Butler, a representative of a pioneer family of Oklahoma, bears a name that has long been an honored one in business circles and public affairs of this part of the state and is now serving as Vice President of the Home Farm Mortgage Company of Vinita, displaying enterprise, determination and administrative ability in the control of his interests. He was born in Kokomo, Indiana, October 12, 1870, of the marriage of Hardy H. and Mary Butler, who were also natives of the Hoosier state. The father engaged in merchandising at Kokomo until 1877, when he went to Sterling, … Read more

Biography of Charles C. Shumway

Charles C. Shumway, who had been a resident of Rice County for over thirty years, was formerly a farmer and rancher and for the past five years had been a leading factor in the Little River State Bank, of which he is president. Mr. Shumway is of old colonial stock. His ancestry in the paternal line goes back to Peter Shumway, who was born in 1635 and came to America from France between 1660 and 1675. He was of Huguenot stock. He was on the roll of colonial soldiers of Massachusetts as early as 1675. He was called out for … Read more

Biography of William Christee Smyser

William Christee Smyser, who died at Sterling, Kansas, August 9, 1917, had been for thirty-five years a resident of that section of the state. Few men have assumed and carried out to such a successful conclusion the larger responsibilities of business affairs. One of the outstanding characteristics of big business men is a quiet efficiency of performance that handles a great volume of work with a notable absence of noise and confusion. This quiet efficiency was a mark of Mr. Smyser’s entire career. Under his direction large affairs were transacted and things got themselves done in the form of concrete … Read more

Biography of John R. Beeching

John R. Beeching is a lawyer and since 1910 had been accumulating a large general practice and a rising reputation at the bar of Hutchinson. Mr. Beeching is a native Kansan, and represents a pioneer family in Rush County, where he was born February 19, 1884. His grandfather, Charles Beeching, was an Englishman, born in 1830, was a mechanic by trade, and on coming to America first settled in Connecticut and afterwards moved to Huntington, Indiana, where he died in 1898. Perry Beeching, father of the Hutchinson lawyer, was born in Connecticut in 1858. He was reared at Huntington, Indiana, … Read more

Biography of John B. Furstenberg

John B. Furstenberg is the president and treasurer of the Boggs Broom Corn Company and his efforts have been an important factor in making St. Louis the center of the broom corn trade of the world. He is at all times actuated by a most progressive spirit and his initiative and energy have enabled him to formulate new plans that have led to the continued growth and development of the business. He is possessed of the spirit of western enterprise and progress and is by birth, training and preference a western man, for he was born in Sterling, Kansas, July … Read more

Biography of James F. Gilliland

James F. Gilliland, principal of the high school of Arkansas City, is a graduate of the University of Kansas and had been active in educational work from school days. He worked his way through college and university partly by teaching. A native of Kansas, he was born near Beloit, in Mitchell County, March 22, 1881. His Gilliland ancestors were Scotch-Irish people who were early settlers in the State of Pennsylvania. His father, Henry Clay Gilliland, was born in Iowa, March 31, 1842, grew up near Washington, Iowa, and spent his active career as a farmer. When he was still under … Read more

Biography of George M. Hoffman

George M. Hoffman, president of the Citizens State Bank of Little River, came to Kansas in territorial times and is one of the oldest residents of the state. His life had been as varied in its activities and experiences as it had been long, and perhaps no individual had contributed more to the real advancement and upbuilding of the Town of Little River than Mr. Hoffman. His birth occurred in Franklin County, Indiana, February 7, 1843, and he is of German ancestry in the paternal line and his paternal grandfather was a German soldier in the magnificent army of Napoleon … Read more

Biography of William Q. Elliott

William Q. Elliott, who joined the pioneers of Rice County in the early ’70s, had been one of the conspicuous men in that section of the state for many years. His sturdy energy as a farmer brought him liberal rewards, and he had used his means and influence to do good in many directions. He sent a large family of children into the honorable walks of life, had stanchly upheld the forces of religion and morality in his home community and state, and at the age of fourscore his usefulness still continues, especially manifesting itself in his official work with … Read more

Stone, Karl R. – Obituary

Karl Roy Stone, a well-known La Grande businessman and longtime head of the Union County Planning Commission, died Saturday at Grande Ronde Hospital. He was 89. Mr. Stone, of 1703 Cedar St., was born on Sept. 15, 1895, in Sterling, Kan., to Robert and Amalia “Mollie” Birk. He served with the U.S. Army during World War I, and was corporal of the honor guards at the funeral of Buffalo Bill Cody at Pike’s Peak, Colo. He married Genevieve Rogers at Watertown, N.Y., on Aug. 27, 1919. The couple homesteaded near Reedsport in 1920, and Mr. Stone owned and operated the … Read more

Biography of Emery E. Smith

Emery E. Smith. While the average size of farms in Rice County is considerably larger than in eastern counties, there are few even of the larger farms which have been so completely developed on the diversified plan as that of Emery E. Smith. Mr. Smith’s holdings aggregate upwards of 1,000 acres, and he had given the best years of his life to the development of this splendid ranch and farm, which is situated two and a half miles southeast of Little River. Mr. Smith belongs to the pioneer element of Rice County and had lived there since he was ten … 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 George G. Green

George G. Green, cashier of the Citizens State Bank of Little River, represents a pioneer family of Rice County, and had spent nearly all his life in this locality. He was born near Lexington, Missouri, November 16, 1869. His paternal ancestors came out of England and were colonists in Virginia. His grandfather, George Green, became a pioneer farmer in Western Illinois and died at Quincy in that state before George G. was born. The founder of the family in Kansas was William Green, father of the Little River banker. He was born at Quincy, Illinois, in 1831, grew up there, … Read more

Biography of Robert Dinsmore

Robert Dinsmore, whose interests in Rice County and the City of Lyons cover a long period of years, had been successful both as a merchant and farmer, and represents a solid and substantial old family in Western Kansas. Mr. Dinsmore was born in Pike County, Illinois, August 27, 1863. The paternal ancestry had been in America since colonial days and it is recalled that a Lord Dinsmore of another branch of the same family accompanied General Lafayette on the latter’s second visit to the United States. Robert Dinsmore’s grandfather was also named Robert, and in the early years of the … Read more