Topeka Kansas

Biography of James Willis Gleed

James Willis Gleed, general attorney for the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company of St. Louis, was born at Morrisville, Vermont, March 8, 1859. His father, Thomas Gleed, now deceased, was a native of England, who came to America during the ’30s, settling at first in Canada, but later he removed to northern Vermont, where he resided to the time of his death in 1861, when he was but thirty-five years of age. In early manhood he had wedded Cornelia Fisk, a native of the Green Mountain state and a representative of an old New England family that was established in Massachusetts … Read more

Biography of Elmer Stover Emmert

Elmer Stover Emmert, senior partner of the well known firm of Emmert Brothers and thus head of one of the strong insurance agencies not only of Muskogee but of the state, was born in Humboldt, Kansas, May 18, 1868, and is a son of David B. and Margaret D. (Moffett) Emmert, the former a newspaper publisher. During the early boyhood of Elmer S. Emmert the parents removed with their family to Wichita, Kansas, and there he pursued his education in the public schools until a further removal was made to Albuquerque, New Mexico. After the death of his father, at … Read more

Biography of Lewis T. Hussey

Within the limits of Kansas there is probably no better informed insurance man than Lewis T. Hussey, who is now filling the responsible position of state fire marshal at Topeka. Mr. Hussey is the only son of Jerry Hussey of Williamsburg, reference to whom is made on other pages. Born in Clermont County, Ohio, November 19, 1866, Lewis T. Hussey came with his parents to Kansas when two years old, and in his early life imbibed the spirit of Kansas prairie. His youth was spent on a farm, where he learned all the duties of a Kansas country place during … Read more

Biography of Robert Ives Lee

Robert Ives Lee. In the death of Robert Ives Lee, which occurred at Chicago, Illinois, December 19, 1911, there passed away one of the most prominent horsemen of the Middle West. He was born May 5, 1846, at Boston, Massachusetts, and was a son of the late Brev.-Brig.-Gen. William Raymond Lee III, U. S. V., A. M., A. A. S., and Helen Maria (Amory) Lee, of Amory Street, Boston, the former of whom was descended from Henry and Mary Lee. Henry Lee, the founder of the Lee family of Marblehead, Massachusetts, died at Manchester, that state, in 1675, and was … Read more

Biography of Hiram B. Miller

Hiram B. Miller. Kansas wheat and corn and other farm products have been so much emphasized as partly to obscure the fact that the great basic industry of the state up to twenty-five or thirty years ago was live stock. Older residents of the state, now a little past their prime, will recall that the leading industry of their youth, except perhaps in the few counties along the eastern border, was the raising of live stock on the great ranges. Of the men who stood pre-eminent in that industry special mention should be made of the late Hiram B. Miller, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George Godfrey Moore

George Godfrey Moore, general agent for Kansas of the Germania Life Insurance Company, had been a resident of the state since 1900. He is one of the well known and capable men in the insurance field in this state, and had the personality and energy which make for success in that business. When he first came to Kansas it was as a newspaper man, and his career had been one of somewhat varied interests and activities. He was born in the City of Philadelphia November 20, 1872, grew up in the Quaker City, graduating from high school in 1888, and … Read more

Biography of Dr. Louis Ostrom

Dr. Louis Ostrom, A. B. M. D., was born in Helsingland, Sweden, May 1, 1874, and came to America when six years old. His father is a pipe-organ builder, known among hundreds of churches all over the country. Young Ostrom attended public schools, and as soon as he was able to work, was at one time or another employed during vacations in nearly all the shops of Moline. After becoming a student of Augustana College, he worked during the different vacations as section hand on the street car line, printer in a job office, and pressman to the Moline Daily … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel N. Hawkes

Assistant attorney-general of Kansas with a residence at Topeka, Samuel N. Hawkes is one of the older members of the Kansas bar, and had been in active practice in various parts of the state for more than thirty years. He came to Kansas with a training and education received at one of the oldest eastern universities, and his career had been one of uninterrupted success and influential participation in the life of his own community and the state. He was born at Portland, Maine, May 8, 1861, a son of Charles M. and Susan A. (Whitney) Hawkes. His father, who … Read more

Biography of James A. Paull

James A. Paull, present county treasurer of Ellsworth County, had long been identified with business, industrial and civic affairs in this section of Kansas. Mr. Paull had a very interesting ancestry. The family originated in Alsace Lorraine, immigrated to England, and from that county Richard Paull established the name in America. Richard Paull was born in 1615 and at the age of twenty, in June, 1635, embarked on the “True Love de London” for the Bermudas. He soon settled in Massachusetts and on November 7, 1638, married Margery Turner, of Cohasset, now Taunton, Massachusetts. There are several public records concerning … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Allen A. Alderfer

Allen A. Alderfer had been a merchant and connected with different enterprises in Topeka for many years, and is one of the well known citizens. He came to Kansas when he was about twenty-one years of age. He was born at Sterling, Illinois, August 16, 1865, a son of Philip and Matilda (Siegfried) Alderfer. Both parents were natives of Pennsylvania, his father of Laneaster, and from that state he moved to Akron, Ohio, and later to Sterling, Illinois, where he is now living retired. He spent his active business career as a cigar maker and farmer. The mother died in … Read more

Biography of William Gardner Smyser

William Gardner Smyser, now living retired at Topeka, is one of the interesting citizens of the capital city both on account of his individual experiences and his long service as a railroad and constructing engineer, and also because of his family lineage. Ho is connected by family ties with a number of notable Americans. The Smysors came out of Germany and settled in Pennsylvania early in the eighteenth century. The cause of their coming to America was participation in some revolutionary movement in Germany. The original name of the family was Bowemund. The Bowemunds and others had some part in … Read more

Biography of Albe B. Whiting

Albe B. Whiting, a resident of Topeka for the past forty years, is distinguished as being one of the few survivors of the great free-soil struggle in Kansas during the decade of the ’50m. His home had been in Kansas since 1856, and few men now living have more interesting-experiences to connect them with Kansas history. Of New England birth and ancestry, he was born in Lamoille County, Vermont, November 10, 1835, and had already Imssed the fourscoro milestone on life’s joursey. His parents were Harris and Mary (Dodge) Whiting. His father was of old English celonial ancestry, and died … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Albert G. Patrick

Albert G. Patrick, of Jefferson and Calhoun counties, Kansas, was one of the free-state leaders and, although he finally died full of years and honor, had a most narrow escape from death in the most exciting period of the border troubles. He was an Indiana native, born at Salem, Washington County, in 1824, and a settler at Leavenworth, February 18, 1856. He wrote an account of the robbery and stuffing of the ballot box in the Currler-Beck contest for a seat in the Council, which was published in an Indiana paper and aroused the men of the town. In the … Read more

Biography of Roswell L. Cofran

Roswell L. Cofran, a prominent Topeka business man and former mayor of the city, has the faculty of growing old gracefully, and is still vigorous and useful though past the age of three score and ten. His has been a long and varied career. He served as a soldier in the Civil war. For forty years he has been proprietor of one of the largest foundries and machine shops in the State of Kansas, and is still active in attending to his business affairs. Born in the Green Mountain State of Vermont at Wheelock, Caledonia County, February 3, 1842, he … Read more

Biography of Dandridge E. Kelsey

For thirty-six years Shawnee County was the home of Dandridge E. Kelsey, not only one of her pioneer settlers but unmistakably one of her most respected and valued men. He came to Kansas three years after the close of the great Civil war, in which struggle he had borne an honorable part, and in Shawnee County sought the opportunity of providing, through toil, patience and prudence, a comfortable home for his family and a competency for old age. All this he did but those early years were hard as the tragic days of Kansas had not all been lived through. … Read more

Biography of James Archibald Campbell

James Archibald Campbell. The Campbell family have been residents of Kansas thirty-five years, and the name is especially well known and prominent in connection with the civic life of Topeka and Shawnee County. James A. Campbell has long been a business man of that city, and his two sons, James A., Jr., and Edwin A. Campbell give a distinction to the family by the fact that at the same time they hold two of the county offices of Shawnee County. James A., Jr., is the present county surveyor, while Edwin A. is the present county treasurer. Before James A. Campbell … Read more

Biography of D. Maynard Dibble

D. Maynard Dibble. Steady application to the development of an idea had brought about the material success and business prorninence of D. Maynard Dibble, now well known in business circles in Topeka. He had practically been a resident of this city all of his life, for he was brought here when but nine months old, and from earliest youth had been identified with business affairs. While he is vice president of the Citizens State Bank, the major part of his attention had always been devoted to the grocery and market business, and through initiative, natural resource and an intelligent use … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Amory Lee

Thomas Amory Lee, a member of the Topeka bar, graduated from Kansas University with the degrees of Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts, and from Harvard Law School with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He practiced law at Boston, Massachusetts, for several years, and has traveled in this country and abroad. He is second lieutenant in the Missouri National Guards, instructor on the Law of Real Property in the Law School of Washburn College, a member of the Massachusetts Society of the Cincinnati, sometime chancellor of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion, ex-member of the Society of … Read more

Biography of Oliver Franklin Winner

Oliver Franklin Winner. The excellent business standing of Oliver Franklin Winner rests upon many years of connection with agricultural affairs in Shawnee County, where he is still the owner of a large and valuable property. Particularly is he known as an authority upon the subject of alfalfa growing, to which he has devoted many years of study and investigation. Mr. Winner is an Illinoisan by nativity, and was born at Belvidere, Boone County, in 1859, being a son of Martin W. Winner. Martin W. Winner was born in New York, from which state he emigrated as a young man to … Read more

Biography of William H. Reed

William H. Reed. By reason of the extent and quality of his usefulness, his commercial soundness and acumen, his public spirit, his integrity, and his nearness to the fundamental requirements of citizenship, William H. Reed affords in his career an excellent and encouraging example of success gained through the proper use of every day abilities and opportunities. He laboriously climbed every round of the mercantile ladder, and so ably did he make use of his opportunities, that he was able to retire from activities in the evening of life, and is now quietly residing at his comfortable home at Topeka. … Read more