A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans Collections – Page 103 of 109

Biographical Sketch of Rev. Thomas Johnson

Rev. Thomas Johnson, for twenty-six years a missionary among the Shawnee and other Indian tribes of Kansas and one of the prominent characters in American Methodism of his day, was born in Virginia, July 11, 1802. When comparatively young he came to Missouri and in 1826 entered the Methodist ministry. His first charge was at Mount Prairie, Arkansas, and in 1828, having been received into full connection, he was appointed to Fishing River. In 1830 he was appointed to the Shawnee mission, which was in the Missouri district, and served as its super-intendent until 1841, when he resigned on account … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Rev. Samuel M. Irvin

Rev. Samuel M. Irvin, a Pennsylvanian, was appointed a missionary to the Iowa Indians by the Presbyterian Foreign Board in 1835. A regular mission, of which he was appointed superintendent, was established at the Platte Purchase, Northwestern Missouri, in April, 1837. In the following year it was moved across the Missouri River and located near the present Town of Highland, Doniphan County, Kansas, and there Mr. Irvin and his wife coutinued their labors until the mission was discontinued, after which he was for several years connected with the Highland University. At the time he came to Kansas the nearest postoffice … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Rev. Gerard Heinz O. S. B.,

Rev. Gerard Heinz, O. S. B., pastor of St. Benedict’s Catholic Church at Atchison, had for almost forty years been connected with the Catholic institutions of this city as student, teacher, director and, pastor. Father Heinz was born in Chicago, Illinois, July 11, 1864. a son of Nicholas Heinz, who died in that city in 1876, at the age of fifty. Father Heinz lived in Chicago during the time of the great fire in 1871. While there he attended paroehial schools, but in 1877, at the age of thirteen, entered St. Benedict’s College at Atchison. He pursued the classical, philosophical and theological … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ray E. Frazier

Ray E. Frazier, the elder son of Nathan F. and Emma (Crook) Frazier, was born at El Dorado September 15, 1876. He received his education in the public schools of El Dorado and at Wentworth Military Academy, Lexington, Missouri, from which he was graduated in 1895, and began his financial training in a minor position in the Merchants National Bank, or which his father was president. There he evinced a marked aptitude for banking and applied himself so earnestly to his duties that upon the organization of the Citizens State Bank he was made assistant cashier and later vice president. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ralph W. Squires

Ralph W. Squires, present register of deeds of Shawnee County, was born at Columbus, Ohio, April 29, 1870, and was nine years of age when brought to Kansas by his parents, Jeremiah and Virginia E. (Schimp) Squires, and for a few years the family lived on the farm in Pottawatomie County. The recollection of the booming of the prairie chickens in the spring when frost covered the earth in the morning, the cries of the plover, and other incidents of pioneer life, left an indelible impress on his youthful mind. He received his education in the public schools and later … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ralph W. McDonald

Ralph W. McDonald is proprietor and editor of the Robinson Index at Robinson, Kansas. His activities and experiences have nearly all been wrought out in the environment of a printing office and editorial sanctum. At the age of eighteen he left school and began his apprenticeship in the printing office of the Hiawatha World. He was with that paper in various capacities until July, 1914, when he removed to Robinson and bought the Index. This is one of the older papers of Brown County, having been established in 1891. Through populism and every other politicaliam it had steadfastly advocated republican … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Prof. Lewis L. Dyche

Prof. Lewis L. Dyche, who held the chair of systematic zoology and taxidermy at the University of Kansas from 1900 until his death January 20, 1915, had a wide reputation in North America in his chosen fields. He was born at Berkeley Springs, West Virginia, March 20, 1857, in early life he came to Kansas, and in 1884 received the degrees of B. S. and B. A. from the University of Kansas. During the years 1885-86 he was assistant professor of zoology, and in 1886 he received the degree of A. M. He was then made professor of comparative anatomy, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Peter J. Cortelyou

Peter J. Cortelyou, third son of Luther Cortelyou, was born on a farm in Talbott County, Maryland, June 25, 1885, and was four years of age when his parents removed to Muscotah, Kansas. He attended the public schools there, graduated from the Atchison County High School in 1904, and then for several years was associated with his father in the grain business. During 1910-12 he owned and edited the Muscotah Record. In November, 1913, he was appointed postmaster of Muscotah, under President Wilson, and had filled that office to the present date. On July 1, 1916, Mr. P. J. Cortelyou … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Peter Becker

Peter Becker was born in Prussia, Germany, in 1841. His father, George Becker, was born in Prussia and came to the United States about 1846, locating at Mansfield, Ohio, where he was a merchant. He had served his term in the regular army of Germany. Peter Becker was five years of age when brought to the United States, and he grew up at Mansfield, Ohio. From that point he enlisted and served as a Union soldier, and after his period of gallant and faithful service he returned to Mansfield, was married there, and in 1868 brought his family to Atchison, Kansas. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Paul Jean Wall

Paul Jean Wall was born at Wichita on the 19th of October, 1885, and after his graduation in the high school at St. Louis, Missouri, he entered, in 1904, the University of Kansas, in the law department of which he was graduated in 1908 and from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Laws. In June of the same year was recorded his admission to the bar of his native state, and in his chosen profession he is well upholding the prestige of the honored name which he bears., For three years after his admission to the bar he … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Paul E. Walker

Paul E. Walker, a son of A. D. Walker of Holton, has been a Topeka lawyer for the past fifteen years. He was born at his father’s home in Holton, Kansas, August 27, 1876, grew up in his native city, attending the public schools, and took his college course in California, being a graduate of Leland Stanford University. He took his A. B. degree there in 1898, and then entered the Harvard Law School, where he was graduated LL.B. in 1902. In the fall of 1902 Mr. Walker began practice in Topeka as assistant attorney for the Rock Island Railway … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Patrick McInerney, Rev.

Rev. Patrick McInerney is pastor of the Assumption Catholic Church of Topeka. Reared and trained for the duties of the priesthood abroad, he has been in the ministry of the church in America for the past eighteen years, and all that time has been spent in Kansas. He is an able priest, devoted to the cause, and has an important record of constructive work in the various parishes where he has served. One of the eleven children of Patrick and Bridget (Purcell) McInerney, he was born in Ireland March 6, 1876. He attended the local schools of Ireland and the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Owen A. Bassett

Owen A. Bassett was one of the ablest and most energetie actors in the Border troubles, the Civil war and the civil affairs of the Roconstruction period. A Pennsylvasian by birth, his father moved to Illinois in 1837 and two years later to Iowa. The family home was first in Lee County. The son’s original intention was to be a civil engineer, but he finally decided in favor of the law, although the stirring and compelling affairs which entered his life prevented him for many years from utilizing the legal training which he acquired. In 1855 he was employed in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Otto W. Shelksohn, M. D.

Otto W. Shelksohn, M. D. Occupying a prominent place among the medical men of Lincoln County is Dr. Otto W. Shelksohn, of Sylvan Grove, Kansas, where he had been in active and successful practice for a number of years. Doctor Shelksohn is an example of a self-made man, in that he conquered early drawbacks of environment and lack of opportunity through his own efforts and had won his way far toward the front through the recognition of his own ability and a determination to excel in his chosen profession. Otto W. Shelksohn was born October 18, 1868, at Homestead, Allegheny … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Otis B. Gunn

Otis B. Gunn was a native of Massachusetts, born at Montague, October 27, 1828, and before he came west as a railroad engineer, had served as rodman on the Hoosac Tunnel Railroad and superintendent of the construction work of the line between Rochester and Niagara Falls. In 1853 he was appointed division engineer in the building of the Toledo, Wabash and Western, and followed railroad construction westward until he settled at Wyandotte, Kansas, in 1857. He was a member of the 1861 State Senate, and while thus serving was appointed major of the Fourth Kansas, later the Tenth Kansas Infantry. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Otho T. Woods

Otho T. Woods is now serving as United States marshal for the District of Kansas, with headquarters at Topeka. He is a Kansas man, was reared on a farm, and had made himself a factor in public affairs of his home district, and it was his creditable and efficient service as a county sheriff which preceded and gave him the qualifieations for his present responsible post. He was born in November, 1865, and had spent most of his life in Kansas. He was one of eight children born to John C. and Laura E. (Smith) Woods, his father having been … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Oscar Rice, Jr.

Oscar Rice was born in Terrell County, Georgia, August 23, 1865, and was about two years of age when his parents removed to Kansas. He attended the public schools in Fort Scott and after leaving high school he started out as a traveling salesman for the Fort Scott Wholesale Drug Company. He was successfully engaged as traveling representative of that concern until 1910, when he planned and organized The Western Automobile Indemnity Association. Mr. Rice for many years had been active in the Masonic Fraternity, is an active member of the Scottish Rite and is also a Knight Templar and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of O. A. Olson, Dr.

Dr. O. A. Olson is one of the well known practitioners of Concordia, where he had spent many years in his suceessful healing of many obstinate and troublesome cases both chronic and otherwise. His success had been unusual, in spite of the fact that his treatment is simple. Patients come to him from all over the state, and he had cured many aihments that have been given up by other practitioners. Doctor Olson was born in Sweden in November, 1859, and came to the United States in 1880. In his younger years he learned the stone mason’s trads, and followed … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Noble L. Prentis

Noble L. Prentis, a leading Kansas editor for twenty-one years, and for the last decade of his life identified with the Kansas City Star, was born on April 8, 1839, in a log cabin three miles from Mount Sterling, Brown County, Illinois. His parents were natives of Vermont, descended from English settlers, and on both sides of the family came of brave Revolutionary stock. His parents died at Warsaw, Illinois, of cholera during the epidemic of 1849, leaving him an orphan at the age of ten years. He went to live with an uncle in Vermont and remained there until … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Nevin M. Foltz

Nevin M. Foltz, the younger son of Martin L. Foltz, was born at Burlingame, Kansas, October 14, 1879. He now had the important responsibilities of managing the old homestead of 365 acres in Shawnee County. He had helped set the pace in this county as a stock raiser, and is making a specialty of high grade shorthorn cattle. Like his brother active in local affairs, he is one of the directors of the Wakarusa State Bank, is serving as present township trustee and is also secretary of the Wakarusa Commercial Club. As a voter his support had always gone to … Read more