Washington County KS

Biography of August Soller

August Soller. With all the wealth of opportunity America presents to young men of ambition it required exceptional ability, long perseverance and character to attain such an enviable position as August Soller now enjoys as a banker and business man at Washington. Even a brief outline of his career is an object lesson in American achievement. He was born in Switzerland, August 27, 1857. Left an orphan at an early age, having only the bare fundamentals of an education, he determined to come to America. As a boy he worked in factories and in other lines of employment and finally … Read more

Biography of Thomas J. White

Thomas J. White, a lawyer of high standing in both Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, had been a resident of Kansas forty-eight years. He had his experience as an early homesteader, was in railway service for a number of years, and gained a very thorough knowledge of public men and national politics in his relationship as confidential clerk to Senator Ingalls. He had been a lawyer for nearly thirty-five years. Mr. White was born at Whitstable, a town on the seacoast in County Kent, England, January 27, 1842. He was the second in a family of seven children … Read more

Biography of Alvin H. Tegeler

Alvin H. Tegeler is still a young man but had had more than fifteen years of active experience as a banker, beginning in early boyhood, and had been continuously identified with the Bank of Palmer, of which he is now cashier. This is one of the older banking houses of Washington County. The firm of Bissell & Kaiser established it as a private bank in 1882, but it had operated under a state charter since 1887. The bank, whose home is on Main Street, had a capital of $25,000 and surplus of $5,000. The present officers are: M. E. Southwick, … Read more

Biography of A. W. Matthews

A. W. Matthews, former county official, had been active in business affairs at Washington for upwards of twenty years, and had a well established business in real estate and loans. He individually owned considerable farming property and had made all he had by close attention to business and honorable and straight-forward relations. Mr. Matthews was born on his father’s homestead in Cloud County, Kansas, November 23, 1874. His father, W. T. Matthews, who now lives at Miltonvale, Kansas, was born in Iowa in 1848. When he was a boy his parents moved to Kirksville, Missouri. Grand-father Matthews was in business … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ira Mahaffey

Ira Mahaffey has for two terms, two years each, been the affable and courteous clerk of the District Court at Concordia. Few people entirely appreciate the ability and tact required for the successful administration of such an office. Not only must the records be properly kept, legible and correct and easily grasped by the ordinary mind, but the clerk himself must be accommodating and at all times genial and attentive to those who have business with his office. All these qualities Mr. Mahaffey possesses and more too. Politically he is a republican, and while he is a strong believer in … Read more

Biography of Jesse M. Foster

Jesse M. Foster, a native Kansan, had been a practical newspaper man since leaving college. He is now proprietor and publisher of the Clifton News, one of the oldest papers in continuous publication in Washington County. This paper was established in December, 1885, by J. M. and J. C. Padgett. It was first known as the Local News. It was changed to the Clifton News in 1891 by L. A. Palmer, then the publisher. The successive owners and publishers were I. C. Ware, one year, A. Q. Miller, two years, N. F. Hewitt, Stoy E. Ware, Burt Fraser, P. M. … Read more