Shawnee County KS

Biography of William J. Rickenbacher

The real estate business conducted under the name of William J. Rickenhacher had gone hand in band with the development of Topeka for a number of years, and undoubtedly had contributed as largely toward the advantageous disposal of property and the honorable and satisfactory placing of loans as any concern of the kind in the city. Mr. Rickenbacher is one of the city’s foremost realty men, and while his name necessarily is associated with one of the early families of Topeka, his sucess is self made, and in its scope and usefulness directs attention to qualities of perseverance, business integrity … Read more

Biography of Jesse H. Moore

Jesse H. Moore is the cashier of the Oketo State Bank. The Moore family had for many years been identified with banking and other affairs of Marshall County, and Mr. Moore’s father was the founder of the present bank, his mother is now its president, and this excellent Kansas woman had another special distinction as being one of the few women of the state to hold the office of mayor of a town. The Oketo State Bank’s history begins in 1889, when Z. H. Moore started it as a private bank. In 1900 it was reorganized under state charter. It … Read more

Biography of John Wilson Lauk, M. D.

John Wilson Lauck, M. D. Since 1903 Doctor Lauck had been engaged in his work as a physician and surgeon at Olsburg in Pottawatomie County. During that time Doctor Lauck had become a citizen of prominence in that community. He had done something toward the development of modern farming in that locality and is also a factor in the commercial enterprise of the village. Doctor Lauck is a native of Kansas, having been born in the City of Atchison October 28, 1875. He is of Scotch ancestry and his forefathers came from that country to Maryland in early days. His … Read more

Biography of Joseph C. Wilson

Joseph C. Wilson. Aside from the prominance which is his in the business world by reason of his position as sales manager for the Burroughs Adding Machine Company, at Topeka, Joseph C. Wilson had the distinction of belonging to a family which for three generations have been active in the business, civic and moral development of Kansas. The name had always stood for honorable and public-spirited citizenship and for participation in progressive movements, and Mr. Wilson is proving himself a worthy representative of this old and respected family. Mr. Wilson was born in the City of Topeka, Kansas, June 28, … Read more

Biography of Archie Markland Baird

Archie Markland Baird. One of the additions to the manufacturing interests of Topeka, Archie Markland Baird has for many years been known in railroad circles of the state, and has been connected with numerous movements national in their character. His present business is the manufacture of pneumatic labor-saving devices. His knowledge of the business, his wide connections, and his executive capacity have brought his enterprise to a foremost and commanding position. Mr. Baird was born at Kilmarnock, near Glasgow, Scotland, in 1857, and is a son of William and Janet (Markland) Baird, and a grandson of Archibald Baird, also a … Read more

Biography of Gilbert Leroy Jordan

Gilbert Leroy Jordan. Through persistent aspiration and unceasing labor, Gilbert LeRoy Jordan has won his way to the most satisfying and stable compensation of business life. Still a young man, with his best years before him, he is at the head of one of Topeka’s prominent business establishments, the College Hill Bakery, located at 1509 Lane Street, an enterprise which he has built up solely through his own efforts. Mr. Jordan commenced his business career without the aiding influences afforded by the possession of financial resources and has been the builder of his own fortune. He has kept persistently at … Read more

Biography of William D. Casey

William D. Casey was admitted to the bar at Atchison before he was twenty-one years of age, and the expectations based upon his early attainments have been fully justified in his career as a lawyer during the past twenty-five years. Mr. Casey had long been an active leader in Atchison County affairs as well as a forceful and successful member of the bar. He was born in Carroll County, Missouri, November 19, 1871, a son of Warren Casey, who was born in New York State, where the family originally settled, in 1850. Warren Casey was reared in his native state, … Read more

Biography of Edward E. Doughty

Edward E. Doughty, who had been cashier of the Troy State Bank since the organization of that institution eleven years age, while not a native of Kansas, represents a family which had been identified with the northeastern part of the state since territorial days. Mr. Doughty was born in Nodaway County, Missouri, September 20, 1877, a son of William L. Doughty and grandson of Abel Doughty. The family came originally to New York in Colonial times. They were Scotch people. Abel Doughty was born in New York State and in 1856 came to Kansas when it was a territory and … Read more

Biography of John Kiene

John Kiene is one of the younger men in the educational affairs of the state and is principal of the high school at Madison. Mr. Kiene is broadly and liberally educated, and had a practical knowledge that comes not from books alone. He was born on a farm at Valencia, Kansas, December 30, 1893. His father is Mr. F. A. Kiene, a well known citizen of Shawnee County now living on his farm near Topeka. He was born in 1834 in Alsace Lorraine, France, but in 1846, as a boy of twelve, was brought to America by his parents, who … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Luther C. Challis

Perhaps Luther C. Challis, nearly forty years a citizen of Atchison, is best known as a pioneer railroad man. He was born in New Jersey January 26, 1829, and for some years before moving West was engaged in business in Philadelphia and Boonville, Missouri. In 1855 he located in Atchison and joined his brother as one of the first merchants of that town. He afterward became a banker, and maintained a profitable ferry across the Missouri River until the building of the bridge in 1875. Mr. Challis was elected to a seat in the Territorial Council of 1857-58, made vacant … Read more

Biography of Marcus A. Low

No intelligent resident of Kansas would dispute the assertion that in Marcus A. Low, of Topeka, is found one of the really big men of the state. He is a man of many achievements. His ability in the law had led to distinguished position with great corporations; his ranching and developing of oil and gas properties have been conducted on so large a scale as seemingly might have been weighty enough interests to engage the ordinary man; his political foresight and intnition have caused his selection for public office as high as he would accept, but not upon these evidences … Read more

Biography of Andrew Arnold

One of the old and substantial business houses of Topeka is that now conducted under the style of Arnold Drug Company, an establishment which had been operated by father and son. This business was founded nearly forty-seven years ago by the late Andrew Arnold, who same here as a poor young man and subsequently advanced to a substantial position in business circles and to a leading place in civic affairs. Andrew J. Arnold was born in 1845, at Columbus, the county seat of Bartholomew County, Indiana, a son of Ephraim Arnold, whe was a pioneer of Indiana and prominent in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William P. Snyder

William P. Snyder, deceased, was for many years closely connected with the community interests in and about Dover, Shawnee County, and some record of his life and family connections should be entered in this publication. He was born in Fayette County, Ohio, October 8, 1828. His parents John and Malinda (Campbell) Snyder had three children, all of whom are now deceased. Reared on a farm, William P. Snyder adopted farming as his life’s occupation. His early life was spent at a time when public schools were not in vogue, and the advantages of the old time subscription school were all … Read more

Biography of Samuel J. Crawford

Samuel J. Crawford was one of the first members of the Kansas State Legislature, by service on the field of battle attained the rank of brigadier-general during the Civil war, and was the third governor of the state. He was one of the history makers of early Kansas, and what he did to influence the early political development of Kansas must be told on other pages. Following is a brief sketch of his personal career. He was born in Lawrence County, Indiana, April 10, 1835, grew up on a farm, attended the graded schools of Bedford, Indiana, and the law … Read more

Biography of James C. Shimer

Thirty years or association with the coal and feed business at Topeka had established for James C. Shimer a reputation for ability, resource and unflagging industry. He is one of the captains of suscess who have piloted their own craft to harbor. In his numerous varieties of experience, he had gained the good will of his fellow men, had made a place for himself in the business world and had served his county faithfully and well in public office, and out of all his struggles had evolved the belief that hard work rarely injures any one and that straightforward dealing … Read more

Biography of Charles Estabrook Cory

Charles Estabrook Cory, of Fort Scott, divides with Hon. J. G. Slonecker, of Topeka, the honor of being the two oldest referees in bankruptey in continuous service in the State of Kansas, Both were appointed to this office in 1898, before the Bankruptey Law actually went into effect. Mr. Cory received his first appointment from Hon. Cassius G. Foster, and was continued in office by reappointment from Judge William O. Hook, and his last several appointments came from Hon. John C. Pollock. As a lawyer Mr. Cory had been identified with Fort Scott for over thirty years. He began his … Read more

Biography of William R. Lott

William R. Lott. A resident of Kansas since 1893, William R. Lott came to this state to secure feeding grounds close to the central market. He had for a number of years been extensively engaged in ranching in New Mexico, and is one of the men most familiar with the life of that former territory, especially of conditions there twenty-five or thirty years ago. The fact that he went to New Mexico and sought his fortunes in a country and period where only the strong and the courageous survive is suffleient to indicate the independence and enterprise of Mr. Lott. … Read more

Biography of William Green

William Green. A Topeka merchant whose name has become synonymous in that city with the highest quality of wares and the most reliable methods of merchandising, William Green came to Kansas in 1885 from Green County, Wisconsin. For more than thirty years he has been identified with the material progress of Topeka and his name would undoubtedly be considered among the first mentioned as foremost citizens. A native of England he was born in Derbyshire on November 17, 1844. When he was about six years of age, in 1851, his parents Joseph and Ruth (Cooper) Green left their English farm … Read more

Biography of Arthur Capper

Arthur Capper. It took Kansas half a century to decide that there might be a native worthy of being trusted with administering the highest office in the gift of the people of the state. Every two years the people would elect a governor, but not until 1914 did it elect a native son. A history of the states shows this to be a rather remarkable record. Arthur Capper was the first son of Kansas to be its governor, and he was also the first son to be even a candidate. He has been a candidate three times, the first in … Read more

Biography of Thomas George Howell

Thomas George Howell. The agricultural interests of Silver Lake Township, Shawnee County, have an able representative in the person of Thomas George Howell, whose well-cultivated farm of 235 acres is situated in section 21, township 10, range 14. He had been a resident of the county for many years, and while energetically engaged in advancing his own prosperity had not been unmindful of the duties of citizenship, so that he is rated among his locality’s helpful citizens. Mr. Howell was born on a farm near Brockville, Quebec, Canada, April 80, 1861, the fifth in order of birth of the six … Read more