Riley County KS

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 Leslie V. Johnson

With all the progressiveness and enterprise of the native Kansan, Leslie V. Johnson had made his years in this state count chiefly as a banker, and for many years had found a large opportunity to serve the public through his post as cashier of the State Bank of Randolph in Riley County. As in the case with many successful business men and financiers, he had the atmosphere of a farm during his youth. He was born on his father’s farm in Pottawatomie County, October 8, 1872, and his earliest recollections are associated with that rural district. As a boy he … Read more

Biography of John Fosha

John Fosha, a successful farmer from Silver Creek township, Stephenson County, Illinois, built his wealth through hard work and determination. With land holdings in both Illinois and Kansas, his achievements reflect his industrious nature. Born to German immigrants, he began working the land early, becoming one of the region’s largest landowners. Married in 1856, John and his wife Mina raised twelve children. A community leader and member of the Evangelical church, he has witnessed significant agricultural development in northern Illinois.

Biography of J. Carroll Montgomery, M. D.

J. Carroll Montgomery, M. D. In the office of Doctor Montgomery at Manhattan is a large map of Riley County showing in detail all the features of the county and particularly those which are the work and evidence of man’s activities. A number of different colored pegs or pins are usually found dotted about over this map. It is in this way that Doctor Montgomery as county and city health officer of Manhattan and Riley County keeps track of the district under his jurisdiction, a glance at one of these charts indicate the location of all infectious diseases prevalent in … 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

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

Biography of William Peterson

William Peterson, during the last years of his life, lived retired with his wife in a comfortable home at Randolph in Riley County. He had a remarkable range of experience. A native of Sweden, he came to the United States a poor man. He had hardly become accustomed to American ways before he entered the army to fight for his adopted land. Three years of gallant and faithful service as a Union soldier are to his credit. Nearly fifty years ago he came out to the new State of Kansas. He was a homesteader and for years a successful farmer … Read more

Biography of Charles Wilbur McCampbell

Associate professor of animal husbandry in the State Agricultural College at Manhattan and secretary of the State Livestock Registry Board whose offices are in the same city, Charles W. McCampbell is a native Kansan and for ten years had broadened and amplified his experience and authoritative knowledge of all phases of the livestock industry, not only with reference to Kansas but to the world at large. While he had perhaps rendered his greatest service as an instructor of the younger generation of Kansas farmers, some of his practical demonstration work and experiments have attracted national attention from livestock men. He … Read more

Biography of Isaac T. Goodnow

Isaac T. Goodnow. There are certain names that should be preserved in the annals of Kansas with testimonials of pride and admiration, and one of these is Isaac T. Goodnow, who was a member of a notable group of liberty-loving men whose efforts had much to do with making Kansas a free state and opening the way for her to become the great and prosperous commonwealth she is now. He assisted in the founding of educational and religious institutions, he co-operated with others for business expansion and in every way during a long and singularly useful life displayed those qualities … Read more

Biography of Robert Pugh

One of the valuable acquisitions to the citizenship of Shawnee County was made about the close of the Civil war when Robert Pugh came to Kansas and became one of the pioneer homesteadors in Topeka and Tecumseh Township. During his active lifetime Robert Pugh developed a splendid estate as a farmer, and the qualities of his enterpriss descended to his only son living, Burton H. Pugh, who for many years had been one of the leading factors in the potato industry of the Kaw Valley. A native of Preble County, Ohio, Robert Pugh was born January 26. 1830, a son … 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 Alfred Worrel

Alfred Worrel. One of the prosperous farmers and stockraisers of Zeandale Township, Riley County, Kansas, is Alfred Worrel, one of the best known residents of this section and a highly esteemed citizen. Mr. Worrel was born in Harrison County, Kentucky, September 24, 1859. His parents were William and Susan (Moore) Worrel, both natives of Kentucky. William Worrel was born in Harrison County, September 12, 1825, and died at his home in Zeandale Township, Riley County, Kansas, July 2, 1901. He was the third eldest in a family of ten children born to his parents, Richard and Jane (Snodgrass) Worrel, both … Read more

Biography of Harry O. Sutcliff

Harry O. Sutcliff is superintendent of the city schools of Wheaton in Pottawatomie County. Mr. Sutcliff is still young, with life before him, but had already proved an instrument of great service in the educational affairs of his native state. He was born on a farm in Jewell County, Kansas, January 14, 1891. The Suteliff family had lived in this state for over thirty-five years. His grandfather, Robert Sutcliff, was born in England in 1820 and came when a young man to the United States, living in Illinois until 1880, when he removed to Jewell County, Kansas, and followed farming … Read more

Biography of James Franklin O’Daniel

The reader of modern Kansas history learns of the wonderful development of the state, of its wealth and resources, of its great educational institutions and its culture, and of its enterprise and reform legislation. Back, however, of all these truthful and encouraging records exists a vital and more interesting page of history, and only by linking the past with the present, may justice be done to all. A half century in the great cyele of Time means little, but it sometimes covers an entire individual life. There are men in different sections of this great state to whose labor, courage … 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 William M. Jardine

William M. Jardine, Dean of the Division of Agriculture and Director of the Agricultural Experiment Station, Kansas State Agricultural College, was born January 16, 1879, on a ranch in Oneida County, Idaho, where his parents, William and Rebecca (Dudley) Jardine had settled as pioneers in 1871 at the time of their marriage. William Jardine was born at Paisley, Scotland, in 1849, and came to this country when fifteen years of age. Rebecca Dudley was born at Willard City, Utah, in 1855, of Welsh parentage. William M. Jardine, their fourth child and eldest son, found it necessary at an early age … Read more

Biography of James M. May

James M. May. A great and forceful influence was removed from the religious affairs of the State of Kansas in the death of James M. May, which occurred at his home in Manhattan August 17, 1915. The best work of his life was performed as a Sunday School and church organizer and missionary. However, he had a wonderful adaptability and resourcefulness, and might have been successful as a mechanic, a farmer or in almost any line of business, had not his earnest devotion to the cause of religion kept him in that field of effort during all his active years. … Read more

Biography of Elmer Birdell Gift

Elmer Birdell Gift, a native Kansan, spent his active years in educational work. He is now city superintendent of the public schools of Manhattan, and has been a teacher or a student in higher educational institutions continuously for the past twenty years. He was born on a farm in Smith County, Kansas, April 28, 1874, a son of John and Rachel Ann (Akers) Gift. His parents came to Kansas from Iowa in 1873, settling on a farm. His father was a native of Pennsylvania of German lineage, while his mother was born in Ohio of Scotch and English ancestry. Their … Read more

Biography of Delmar E. Deputy

Long a prominent citizen of Riley County and a successful business man of Manhattan, Delmar E. Deputy, in his capacity of private citizen and as a member of the firm of Deputy & Schellenbaum, publishers of the Manhattan Nationalist, had done much to advance the welfare of his city and county. He was born in Jennings County, Indiana, November 9, 1862, a son of Silvester F. and Jane (Fowler) Deputy, natives also of Jennings County, and descendants of old Virginia ancestors, and with his parents came to Kansas in 1878 and settled in Riley County, where the father became a … Read more

Biography of Arthur Leonard Guy

Arthur Leonard Guy. That Kansas within the last half century had made rapid strides forward and had won a foremost place among the states of the Union is gratifying to those who love her and have grown up within her borders. It is not so remarkable, however, that this is true, because she had elemental strength to draw from and a stable eitizenship to guard and guide her enterprises. One of her pioneers who came to Clay County shortly after the curtain had been rung down upon the great fractricidal period of war was William Guy, a man of great … Read more