Biography of Alonzo O. Blair, M. D.

Alonzo O. Blair, M. D. By nearly forty years of practice in Southeastern Kansas Doctor Blair has become widely known as a successful physician and surgeon, and for more than a quarter of a century has been identified professionally and also in a business way with the City of Pittsburg. By ancestry he is of Scotch-Irish stock. His great-great-grandfather came in colonial times from England and settled in South Carolina. Doctor Blair’s grandfather was a native of South Carolina, but was opposed to the institution of slavery and moved from that state to Tennessee and thence to Illinois. He was … Read more

Biography of William S. Norton

William S. Norton. Whatever their environment, men of true ability have the power to raise themselves above circumstances, and apparently handicaps and difficulties act only as a spur to increase effort and accomplishment. There are few Kansas whose careers better illustrate the truth of this assertion than that of William S. Norton, who is known so well in Cherokee County as a financier and business man. Mr. Norton could review by personal recollections practically every phase of life in Southwestern Missouri and Southeastern Kansas during the last half century. He was a Union soldier during the war and the keynote … Read more

Biography of Wilber A. Cochel, Prof.

Prof. Wilber A. Cochel. There is no doubt but that educational education means more to the United States today than any other kind of education and great institutions like the Kansas State Agricultural College are standard bearers in disseminating agricultural knowledge. This college management, with remarkable judgment, has gathered together a group of thoroughly trained instructors covering every phase of agriculture, the agriculture of modern progress. At the head of the animal husbandry division is found Prof. Wilber A. Coehel, a scholar and scientist whose name carries weight in many states of the Union on account of his discoveries and … Read more

Biography of Dawson W. Cooley

Dawson W. Cooley is president of the Oxford Bank in Sumner County. His home has been in Kansas for upwards of half a century, and while his years have been chiefly employed in the banking business, he has also identified himself with various other enterprises for the good and upbuilding of this state. Mr. Cooley is one of the surviving veterans of the great Union army during the Civil war. He served during the first two years of that struggle in one of the noted regiments of New York State. His enlistment was in Company C of the Ninth New … Read more

Biography of John Levi Hunt, Hon.

Hon. John Levi Hunt. It may be said that Hon. John Levi Hunt, assistant attorney-general of Kansas, and member of the leading law firm of Wheeler, Switzer & Hunt, is one of the fortunate men of Topeka. He was fortunate in having a good parentage, a fair endowment of intellect and feeling, a liberal education, in attaching himself to one of the learned professions, and in casting in his lot with the people of Topeka when her enterprises were probably at their fullest tide of development, and under circumstances which enabled him to co-operate in her material growth. While he … Read more

Biography of Michael Floersch

Michael Floersch. In the year 1854, the late Michael Floersch, then a young man of twenty-one years, came from Missouri to Kansas and homesteaded a claim in the Pottawatomie country. He had been reared in Missouri, where his parents had settled on coming to the United States when he was eight years old. He was born in Germany, in 1833, and was reared in the faith of the Catholic Church, to the teachings of which he consistently adhered through a long, active and exemplary career. When Mr. Floersch came to Kansas he was without capital other than indomitable courage, unlimited … Read more

Biography of William Timmerman

Western Terea Cotta Company of Kansas City, Kansas, is the only successful industry for the making of this building material, which has had such a remarkable growth of popularity in use during recent years, between Chicago and the extreme Pacific coast. It is an industry which reflects credit upon the growing importance of Kansas City, Kansas, and is the only concern of its kind in the state. Terra cotta, which is the Italian for “burnt clay,” is perhaps the oldest manufactured building material known in history. It has been manufactured in America only during the last forty or forty-five years … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Minot Judson Savage

Savage, Minot Judson; Clergyman; born, Norridgewock, Me., June, 10, 1841; son of Joseph L. and Ann S. (Stinson) Savage; fitted for college, but did not take course, because of poor health; graduate Bangor Theological Seminary, 1864; (D. D., Harvard, 1896); married Ella A. Dodge, of Harvard, Mass., 1864; Congregational home missionary in California, 1864-1867; pastor, Framingham Mass., 1867-1869, Hannibal, Mo., 1869-1873; became Unitarian; pastor Third Unitarian Church, Chicago, 1873-1874, Church of the Unity, Boston, 1874-1896; minister Church of the Messiah, New York, 1896-1906; retired. Author: Christianity, the Science of Manhood, 1873; The Religion of Evolution, 1876; Light on the Cloud, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George H. Schwan

Schwan, George H.; Consular Agent for the German Empire; born, Cleveland, March 27, 1860; educated, Cleveland public schools: graduated from Concordia College. Ft Wayne, Ind., 189; took post-graduate course, Concordia University, St. Louis, Mo.; read law and admitted to the bar in 1882; began practice in Cleveland and continued same until elected to the common pleas bench in 1904; appointed by Gov. Nash to Police Court, in 1901, to fill out an unexpired term; member a number political organizations; Republican; member German Lutheran Church.

Biographical Sketch of William F. Singer

Singer, William F.; mgr. Fairbanks, Morse & Co.; born, Sept. 20, 1860, St. Louis Mo.; educated in St. Louis public schools and at Washington University; married, Aug. 7, 1889, Alice Nugent, at Kansas City, Mo.; chief clerk, Maintenance of Way Department, Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis R. R., from 1887 to 1892; general storekeeper, World’s Fair, Chicago, 1892-1894; purchasing agent Western Stone Co., Chicago, 1894-1900; in Cleveland since as manager for Fairbanks, Morse & Co., scales, gas engines, steam pumps, etc.; member Masons, Royal Arcanum, Cleveland Athletic Club.

Biographical Sketch of Artemus Clark Plummer

Plummer, Artemus Clark; optometrist; born in a log cabin, near Harmony, Ind.; son of Thomas Jermiah and Martha Richards Plummer; educated in district school of Indiana, and Blackwater, Mo.; at the age of 16, began work on a farm and continued at it until 21 years old, then went to Kansas City, and entered Spalding’s Commercial College; doing odd jobs to pay his way; 1899, went to New York City, and entered Dr. R. H. Knowles’ School of Optometry, graduating in 1901; previous to coming to Cleveland, was with Tiffany & Co., New York City, for several years.

Biography of O. B. Toalson

Many lines of activity profit by the enterprising spirit and resourceful business ability of O. B. Toalson, agriculturist, dairyman and lumberman, whose marked executive ability and determination have enabled him to carry forward to a successful termination whatever he has undertaken. He was born in the western part of Missouri, January 10, 1869, and there acquired his education. In 1906, when thirty-seven years of age, he came to Bartlesville and embarked in the retail lumber business, in which he is still engaged. Broadening the scope of his activities, in 1911 he turned his attention to the dairy business, the family … Read more

Biography of Harris Robert

Robert, Harris, proprietor of the Alamo Pharmacy of Muskogee, has been a lifelong resident of this section of the state, his birth having occurred in Muskogee county, about eight miles south of the city of Muskogee, on the 19th of December, 1882. He is a son of P. C. and Angeline (Davis) Harris, of whom mention is made elsewhere in this work in connection with the sketch of their son, Dr. James G. Harris. Robert Harris, spending his youthful days under the parental roof, pursued his education in the old time subscription schools of Muskogee county until he had mastered … Read more

Biography of Orion Littell Rider

Orion Littell Rider, a leading attorney of Vinita whose professional ability is indicated by the large and distinctively representative clientage accorded hire, has served his fellow citizens in various capacities and has always done able and conscientious work. His birth occurred in Mason county, Illinois, on the 7th of January, 1874, and his parents were Dr. Robert G. and Harriet M. (Littell) Rider, the former born near Cleveland, Ohio, and the latter in the state of New Jersey. The father was a physician, acquiring his professional training in Pennsylvania, and he first opened an office at Mobile, Alabama, whence he … Read more

Biography of E. M. Revard

E. M. Revard is a progressive young agriculturist of Washington county and although but} twenty-three years of age he has already become the owner of extensive farming interests in this section of the state, his business affairs being most judiciously managed. He was born in Cedarville, Kansas, December 19, 1898, and is a son of Francis and Belle (Higgins) Revard, prominent and highly respected residents of Bartlesville, the father devoting his attention to the raising of stock, in which he has been very successful. Among the most highly prized possessions of the subject of this review is a letter, dated … Read more

Biography of Charles A. Looney

Charles A. Looney, editor and general manager of the Muskogee Times-Democrat, with which he has been identified for more than two decades, is a well known and influential factor in journalistic circles of northeastern Oklahoma. His birth occurred in Shelbyville, Missouri, on the 27th of April, 1877, his parents being William Thomas and Annie B. Looney. After acquiring his preliminary education he pursued a course of study in the high school at Eldorado Springs, Missouri, and subsequently entered the University of Missouri, thus being well qualified by liberal educational training for life’s practical and responsible duties. When his textbooks were … Read more

Biography of Samuel Aaron Kenoyer

Samuel Aaron Kenoyer, a prominent real estate operator of Miami, has won a substantial, measure of success through the capable management of his business affairs and has also aided materially in improving and developing his city, being recognized as a most progressive and public-spirited citizen. He was born in Kentland, Newton county, Indiana, September 30, 1873, of the marriage of James and Nancy Jane Kenoyer, the former also born in that county, while the latter was likewise a native of the Hoosier state. For a time the father engaged in farming and he afterward turned his attention to the carpenter’s … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel Rockwell

Rockwell, Samuel; civil engineer; born, Brooklyn, N. Y., Feb. 20, 1847; son of William and Susan Lawrence Prince Rockwell; educated, Yale College and Sheffield Scientific School, 1873; Ph. B.; married, St. Joseph, Mo., June 7, 1881, Cordelia Ann Geiger; issue, four sons and one daughter; business career, 1873-1877, resident engineer D. L. & W. R. R., Hoboken, N. J.; built tunnel through Bergen Hill and other changes of line and separation of grade work; 1877-1881, contractor; 1881-1882, asst. city engineer, Kansas City, Mo.; 1882-1884, principal asst. engineer, St. Paul Water Works; 1884-1887, locating and constructing engineer, St. Paul & M. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William Banks Rogers

Rogers, William Banks; clergyman; born at Cincinnati, Dec. 7, 1857; son of Joseph Hill and Mary Rose (Mcllvain) Rogers; academic and collegiate course St. Xavier’s College, 1869-1875; St. Stanislaus Seminary, Normal, Florissant, Mo., 1875-1879, Woodstock College, Maryland, philosophy, science, 1879-1881; Louvain, Belgium, metaphysics, ethics, 1881-1882; Woodstock College, theology, 1887-1891; taught English and classics, St. Ignatius College, Chicago, 1882-1884; St. Xavier’s College, Cincinnati, 1884-1887; ordained Roman Catholic priest, 1890; perfect studies, St. Xavier’s College, Cincinnati, 1891-1892, Marquette College, Milwaukee, 1893-1895, St. Louis University, 1896-1898; pres. Marquette College, 1898-1900, St. Louis University, 1900-1908; resigned February, 1908, on account of ill health; in … Read more

Lambert, John A. – Obituary

John A. Lambert was born in Nashville, Tenn., Feb. 10, 1845, and died July 28, 1917, making him 72 years, 5 months and 18 days old. From Nashville he went with his parents to Illinois, and from there to Missouri.. In 1864 his parents died and he with an older brother crossed the plains, arriving in Oregon in December, 1869. He was converted and joined the Methodist Church of which he was a lifelong member. He was united in marriage to Miss Mary Ellen Coovert, March 13, 1870. Their home was on a farm four miles south of Dayton until … Read more