USA > Kansas > Wyandotte County > Kansas City > Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas. Historical and biographical. Comprising a condensed history of the state, a careful history of Wyandotte County, and a comprehensive history of the growth of the cities, towns and villages > Part 59
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spent in stone quarrying at White Rock, Mo., and the following win- ter he acted as yardman for the Pacific Hotel, after which he went to Council Bluffs, Iowa, and for a short time was in the Pacific Hotel of that place. Fort Dodge, Iowa, was his next stopping place, a short time being spent in the coal mine of that place, after which he went to Iowa Falls, and in the vicinity of that place worked through a harvest and threshing season, the following winter being spent in a packing- house in Des Moines. In the spring he went to Sioux Falls and was engaged in the patent-right business for a short time, after which Cus- ter City, Dak., was the scene of his operations, he being in that place when Gen. Custer was killed by the Indians four miles distant. From that place he went to Fort Perry, thence to Fort Sully, and here he and a companion bought an Indian dug-out, and in it drifted and rowed down the Missouri River to St. Joe, a distance of nearly 3,000 miles. They stopped off at this place a week, after which Mr. Erick- son came once more to Kansas City, and for one month worked as a section hand. He then spent a sufficient length of time in Tonga- noxie, Kas., to assist in the building of a foundation of a mill, after which he returned to Kansas City and worked the following winter in the Armourdale Packing House, and the next spring, which was the spring of 1880, he built upon his James Street lot the foundation for his present business building. The next year he erected a one-story stone building, 22x62 feet, and in 1882 engaged in the grocery bus- iness in this building. At the end of eighteen months he sold a half interest in it to F. O. Wheeler, which connection lasted for five years. Mr. Erickson then sold his half to John L. Jones, and as he had been elected to the position of assistant street commissioner of Kansas City. he began discharging his duties, and continued to do so for one year. He next served nine months on the police force under Chief Serviss, and then spent a few months in the stockyards. In May he and his present partner, O. Nelson, bought a grocery on West Seventh Street, Kansas City. Mo., and in the fall of 1889 the firm of Erickson & Nel- son bought a stock of groceries from William Baggs, who had been doing business in Mr. Erickson's building on James Street. The stock of goods on West Seventh Street was then removed to the James Street building, and the two were united into one large establishment, which he and Mr. Nelson have conducted very successfully up to the present time. Mr. Erickson has since added a second story to his building, with an additional twenty-eight feet in length, so that it is now ninety feet long. He also owns a lot at No. 318 James Street, and
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upon it he has erected a two-story frame business building which he rents. He was married in 1882 to Miss Cecelia Nelson, a native of Sweden, who came to America in 1871. She had three daughters by a former marriage, their names being Edith, Selma and Huldah. Mr. Erickson has always been noted for his industry, and although he met with many difficulties on first coming to this country he has sur- mounted them all, and bids fair to become a wealthy man as he is, al- ready, an honored citizen.
Dr. Chauncey R. Fairchild, of Kansas City, Kas., was born in Che- nango County,. N Y., February 4, 1818, being the second of three children born to Agur and Betsey (Hodge) Fairchild, the former of whom was born in Derby, Conn., December 9, 1782, and the latter in New Haven County, Conn., in 1792, their union taking place April 6, 1814. They died on October 18, 1846, and in June, 1849, respectively, after having passed long and useful lives. The paternal grandparents, Dr. Joseph and Hannah (Wheeler) Fairchild, were also born in the "Nutmeg State," and the great-grandfather, Joseph Fairchild, was born in England, and came to America when he was a young man. His wife, whose maiden name was Hannah Porter, was a sister of Dr. Pre- serve Porter, a prominent physician of New Haven County, Conn., who has five sons, all of whom became physicians. She lived to be one hundred and two years old, and her son, Dr. Joseph Fairchild, reached the advanced age of ninety-six, his wife attaining her ninety- first year. The maternal grandparents of the subject of this sketch, Chester and Hannah (Riggs) Hodge, were born in Connecticut, and the name of the great grandfather was Philo Hodge. The children of Agur and Betsey (Hodge) Fairchild are: Harriet (who is the widow of John R. Adams, and resides in Lorain County, Ohio), Chester S. (who died on December 13, 1884; his wife, formerly Miss Caroline Mann, being also dead), and Dr. Chauncey R. The latter accompanied his parents to Lorain County, Ohio, when he was ten years of age, and in early life, took up the study of medicine, which has received his almost undivided attention ever since. He is a graduate of the Pittsfield Medical College, of Massachusets, and in 1844 he began the active practice of his profession in Hancock County. After remaining there eight years he spent one year in New York City, and in 1853 lo- cated in Clinton, Ill., but in 1858 removed to Providence, La. He was there practicing the "healing art " at the opening of the Rebellion, but he immediately returned to Illinois, and in 1866 came West and located in St. Joseph, Mo., in which place he remained four years. In
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1870 he removed to Seneca, Kas., in which place and vicinity he practiced for fifteen years. Since 1885 he has been a resident of Kan- sas City, Kas., and has built up a lucrative practice among the best class of people of this section. He is the proprietor of a sanitarium in . Kansas City, which he conducts in connection with his practice. He is popular, both professionally and socially, and since taking up his abode in Wyandotte County, he has proved to be a public-spirited citi- zen. He was married on August 10, 1839, to Miss Almira Paddack, who was born in Essex County, N. Y., January 28, 1822, and to them have been born six children, of whom four sons are living.
E. H. Farrell, contractor and builder, Kansas City, Kas. Mr. Farrell was born in Rochester, N. Y., in 1854, spent his boyhood and youth in Menekaunee, Wis., and received a good practical education in the country schools and at the fireside at home during long winter evenings. He learned his trade in Milwaukee, serving a three years' apprenticeship, and afterward worked for nine years for the man with whom he learned his trade. After this he came to Atchison, Kas., remained there four years working at his trade, and then went to Leavenworth, where he carried on his trade for six years, contracting and building houses. While a resident of Atchison he was in the grocery business for some time, and after his residence in Leavenworth he came to Kansas City, Kas. Here he has followed his trade of con- tractor and builder ever since. He built the Douglas School Building, Gazette Building, woodwork on county jail, remodeled Northup's place, woodwork on stores for Dahlgren and stores for Bryson Bros., electric building, flats for Mat Harris, and many small residences in the town. He had as many as fifteen to twenty-five men working for him last year, and finished over $60,000 worth of work. He is a skilled workman, is seldom or never out of employment, and his promptness and reliability must mark him as a most desirable man with whom to establish business in this line.
James Ferguson is a prominent and honored pioneer citizen of Kansas City, Kas., and is at present license inspector of that place. He was born in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Penn., January 29, 1840, to Bijah and Susan (Palmer) Ferguson, both of whom were born near Chambersburg, Penn., the former being the son of Hugh Ferguson, a native of Scotland. Bijah Ferguson and his wife be- came the parents of six children, their names being as follows: Ben- jamin, Belle, Sarah, John, James and William. The father in his early life followed the pursuit of a farmer, but subsequently located
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in Allegheny City, Penn., where for several years he served as chief of police. Upon the opening of the Mexican War, he enlisted in Company A, First Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, and served throughout the whole war, returning home as first lieutenant of his company. He subsequently held different official positions in Alle- gheny City, and later removed to Pittsburgh, where he spent the re- mainder of his life, his wife having died a few years prior to this removal. James Ferguson, the immediate subject of this memoir, was reared to manhood in Pittsburgh and Allegheny City, and he was fortunate enough to secure an excellent early education. At the age of eighteen years he began to learn the carpenter's trade, and after serving three years under James Graham, of Pittsburgh, he followed his trade in Pittsburgh, until the war broke out. Early in April, 1861, he responded to his country's call and became a volun- teer in Company D, Twelfth Pennsylvania Regiment, with which he served out the time of his enlistment, three months, being mustered out at Pittsburgh on August 8. He then followed the carpenter's trade in Pittsburgh until the fall of 1863, when he came West and located in Wyandotte, Kas., and for a number of months following worked at his trade in Kansas City, Mo. In May, 1864, he removed to Leavenworth, Kas., working at his trade there also. In August, 1864, he in company with some other workmen, went to Harmicello, Colo., for the purpose of erecting a store-room and dwelling-house for Col. William Craig, and when that work was finished in the summer of 1865, he returned to Kansas and again took up his residence in Wyandotte. In November, 1866, he returned to his old home in Pittsburgh, Penn., where, on December 5, following, he was married to Miss Catherine Gardner, returning with her to Wyandotte, Kas., in the spring of 1868. He has resided here ever since, and has followed the pursuit of a carpenter and contractor, several years being spent as a car-builder in the shops of the Union Pacific Railway, holding for as much as six years the position of foreman. In the fall of 1883 he was elected to the position of sheriff of Wyandotte County, on the Republican ticket, and during his term of service proved himself to be an efficient, punctual, industrious and honest official. He entered upon his duties in January, 1884, and served until January, 1888, having been re-elected in the fall of 1885. Upon the occasion of his second election he received the largest majority ever accorded a candi- date for county office, it being over 1,900, and would have undoubted- ly received a second re-election had it not been owing to the fact
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that the office is limited to two terms. In the spring of 1889 he was appointed license inspector by Mayor Coy, and he is now serv- ing in that capacity in a very efficient manner. His marriage has resulted in the birth of seven children: Mollie B., Charles S., Will- iam G., Albert, Belle, John and James. Of these Charles, Albert and John are deceased. Mr. Ferguson is a member of the K. of P., Fellowship Lodge No. 2, the I. O. O. F., Summanduwat Lodge No. 3, and attained to the Encampment, and he also belongs to the Union Veterans. Throughout his entire life he has been a devoted member of the Republican party and personally, and in every private relation and duty of life, too much can not be said in his praise. He has always been liberal, honorable and high-minded, and although he has most emphatically a "will of his own," yet he is not aggressive nor disputatious. His career has been marked by kind deeds, and it can be truly said of him that he never violated a friendship nor forgot a kind action done him. He is extensively known throughout Wyan- dotte County, and no one of her citizens possesses a higher degree of public esteem.
L. G. Ferguson, contractor and builder, Kansas City, Kas. Were it necessary for us to include in the sketch of Mr. Ferguson's life some items pertaining to his ability and skill as a builder, perhaps the greatest compliment that could be paid him would be for us to point out those monuments of his handiwork scattered far and near. He came to Kansas City, Kas., from Ottawa, Ill., in 1880, and here he has since remained, engaged in his chosen occupation. He makes a spe- cialty of school-houses and brickwork as follows : Two on Wood Street; Riverview; two in Armourdale, Boston Place, High School; two in Long Addition; two school buildings in Argentine; the brick block of Seventh at 123 James Street, and a large number of frame dwellings, one and two stories high. Mr. Ferguson was born in Wells County, Ind., on October 21, 1844, and is a son of John and Sarah (Meyers) Ferguson, natives of Ohio, the father born in 1818 and the mother in 1819. The father was of English-Irish descent, and was a carpenter and builder by trade. He moved to Illi- nois in 1850, and there resided until 1880, when he came to Kansas City, his death occurring here in December, 1887. The mother was of German extraction and died in 1889. L. G. Ferguson learned his trade in Illinois with his father, received a good common-school edu- cation, and was married on April 12, 1883, to Miss Maggie Dawall, a native of Michigan. To this union were born three children: Walter
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I., Edith L. and Alice M. In his political views Mr. Ferguson affil- iates with the Republican party. Socially he is a member of the Ma- sonic fraternity, Wyandotte Lodge No. 247, the A. O. U. W., Riv- erview Lodge, and is a member of the A. O. F., Kansas City, Mo., Lodge No. 6351. Mr. Ferguson is a capable and persevering busi- ness man, and deserving of the success he is achieving.
Prof. John W. Ferguson, who, for the past eight years has been identified with the public schools of Kansas City, Kas., and who has acquired a widespread reputation as a disciplinarian, educator and school manager, was born in Oxford, Benton County, Ind., Angust 11, 1850, being a son of John and Sarah (Meyers) Ferguson, both of whom were born in the State of Ohio, the former in 1819 and the latter in 1818. Paternally Prof. Ferguson is of Irish-English descent, but from his mother inherits German blood. His parents were mar- ried in 1839, and of a family of seven children born to them, four are still living and reside in Kansas City, Kas. The father of these chil- dren, who was a contractor and carpenter by occupation, died on No- vember 20, 1885, his widow passing to her long home March 5, 1887. When the subject of this sketch was but two years of age his parents removed from Oxford to Bluffton, Ind., and at the age of six years he was taken by them to Morris, Grundy County, Ill. Two years later La Salle County, Ill., became their home, and there John W. spent his youth. In his early life when not in school, his time was divided between assisting his father at the carpenter's trade and laboring upon a farm. At the age of fourteen, he with his parents located in Mar- seilles, Ill., and he attended the schools of that place until he was seventeen years of age, after which he began following the occupation of teaching, and with the exception of two years, his entire attention has been devoted to educational work. During the first eleven years of his professional career his entire services were performed in La Salle County, and the fact that his operations were confined to four differ- ent districts is evidence of his success as a teacher. He taught his first school for $26.25 per month, but as the work he did was ap- preciated his salary was raised accordingly from time to time, until he at last received $65 a month. In 1880 he removed to Kansas City, Kas., and for two years thereafter gave his attention to the carpenter's trade. In the spring of 1881 he was elected a member of the school board in Old Kansas City, Kas., but this position he resigned in the spring of 1882, and two weeks later he was elected superintendent of the schools of that city, and held the position until 1886. In that
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year he was elected superintendent of the schools of the consolidated cities of Wyandotte, Kansas City and Armourdale, and has since dis- charged the duties of this position to the satisfaction of all concerned. He has made an able and efficient superintendent, and under his man- agement the schools have experienced a career of prosperity and growth almost phenomenal. During his first year, four years ago, he had forty-three teachers and 2,005 pupils, and during the school year just closed he had under his charge 104 teachers and 6,000 pupils, which is a showing, perhaps without a parallel in the country. It adds much more to the credit of Prof. Ferguson, too, when it is re- membered that all the strifes and jealousies, which naturally existed between the schools of the three cities at the time of their consolida- tion had to be overcome, and the fact that he succeeded in harmoniz- ing the work and uniting the schools under one system is evidence of his superior tact and skill as a school manager. He has devoted twenty-three years to his present calling, and now ranks among the leading educators of the State. His marriage, which occurred on September 19, 1876, was to Miss Ella M. Harley, a former pupil. She died on February 20, 1890, leaving, besides her sorrowing hus- band, a family of four children to mourn their loss, their names being Harley L. (born June 19, 1877), Sarah J. (born February 22, 1879), William A. (born July 15, 1882), and Gertrude (born March 18, 1887). Prof. Ferguson is a stanch supporter of Republican principles, and socially belongs to the A. O. U. W., and since the age of twenty-one has been a member of the Masonic fraternity. He was a charter mem- ber of Kaw Lodge No. 272, and served as its first master for two years. He is at present high priest of Wyandotte Chapter No. 6, and belongs to Ivanhoe Commandery No. 20. He has always led a strictly tem- perate life.
W. S. Ferguson is in the real estate, loan and insurance business in Kansas City, Kas., and is one of the prosperous and successful business men of the city. He was born in Gallatin County, Ky., in 1861, and in 1865 was brought by his parents to Kansas, and was reared in the southern part of Leavenworth County, near Glenwood. He received no advantages for acquiring an education, but after he attained his twenty-first year he determined to improve his knowledge of the "world of books" and during his leisure moments devoted his time to studying such books as came in his way. At the age of twen- ty-two years he first left the farm and began working by the month, at $27 per month, and in time succeeded in saving $50. As his sal-
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ary had been increased to $50, he concluded to erect him a house in Leavenworth, and his mornings and evenings were devoted to com- pleting his home. He never had more than $1.75 in money until he began working for himself, and it is owing to this that he knew the value of every cent, and saved his money, instead of spending it fool- ishly. After a time he was enabled to purchase a half interest in the furniture establishment in which he had worked as a clerk, but made the purchase on credit and was so unfortunate as to be burned out June, 1885, the loss being $7,400. They then went to Wichita and entered the coal and feed business, but this business proved to be a failure, and seeing the depression of the times, he traded his interest in the coal and feed business for vacant property in the town and then traded that for property in Kansas City, Kas. Here he moved in 1886 and opened a real estate and loan office. He took hold of the London Heights, loaned money for the New England Loan & Trust Company, and after the first four months began doing a paying business. From March 1, 1889, to March 1, 1890, he loaned $244,000. He has been very successful in real estate, and in June, 1881, bought $31,000 worth of property and had disposed of it all before January 1, 1890. He bought seventy-four lots in January of the last-named year, and now has only twenty-eight left, and although he lost $4,800 by going security for an acquaintance, he still continues to pursue the even tenor of his way. He was married at the age of twenty-three years to Miss Bertha E. Gates, by whom he has three children: Win- field, Myrtle May and Florence Fay. Mrs. Ferguson was educated in Leavenworth, Kas., and is a woman of more than average attain- ments, and her husband says that much of the success that has attended his efforts has been due to her counsel and advice. Both are members of the First Presbyterian Church of Leavenworth, and he is a member of the K. of P. In addition to his real estate business he is the owner of one of the finest grocery establishments in the town, but leaves it principally to the management of others.
J. A. Fligor, carpenter, Edwardsville, Kas. With the rapid and steady advance of Edwardsville, with the continual increase in her building operations, the profession of an architect is one of primary importance, and is one on which the first step of progress is depend- ent. Among those who are prominent in this calling is Mr. J. A. Fli- gor, who owes his nativity to Pennsylvania, his birth occurring on September 26, 1829. He is a son of William and Sarah (Keslar) Fli- gor, and the grandson of John Fligor, who was born in Germany, and
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who came to America when a boy. The latter's wife, Elizabeth Fitz- hugh, was born in London, England, and came to America in early girlhood. They were married in Philadelphia, Penn. There, in West- moreland County, of that State, the Fligor family lived, and there their children were born and reared, inheriting a strong love for their native soil. William and Sarah (Keslar) Fligor were both natives of Westmoreland County, and were married there in 1822, he at the age of twenty-two, and she when twenty years of age. Her parents were reared in Philadelphia. Mr. and Mrs. Fligor became the parents of ten children-six sons and four daughters-three sons and three daugh- ters now living-the three daughters now living in Westmoreland County, and are named as follows: Nancy, Esther and Sarah. Of the sons, Peter is in the grocery business in Arkansas, and Isaiah is a farmer in Ohio. The parents of these children are deceased, the father dying in December, 1863, and the mother in March, 1888. J. A. Fligor was reared on a farm, and left home equipped with a common- school education. He began working at the carpenter's trade, fearless of the future, confident in his own power to make his own way in life, and drifted into the northern part of Ohio, or wherever his fancy led him. He was in Cleveland, Sandusky, Springfield and many other places, Fremont being the last place. In 1857, in company with Maj. Downs and Canfield, he left Ohio for Wyandotte, Kas., and after arriving here built one of the first store-houses in the city, just north of what is now Dunning's Hall. He remained here until 1859, and then went to Leavenworth, then down to Johnson County, but later settled in Edwardsville, and is one of the oldest residents. His first advent here was to run the post office, and since that time he has made his headquarters at this place. He has worked at his trade all over the adjoining country, and many evidences of his ability and skill may be seen in every direction. He was married September 2, 1872, to Miss M. E. Fray, who was born February 10, 1855, a daughter of Benjamin and Eliza Fray. Mr. and Mrs. Fray, who were natives of Pennsyl- vania, removed to Doniphan County, Kas., in 1854, Benjamin Fray dying in April, 1855. His wife, Eliza Fray, died in the spring of 1861. The union of Mr. Fligor and Miss Fray, resulted in the birth of three children-two daughters and a son: Sarah E. (born March 22, 1873), Margaret E. (born March 29, 1876), and John F. (born April 18, 1890, and died July 31, 1890). Mr. Fligor is an Odd Fellow, being a charter member of Lodge No. 3, the first organized in the county, and in which lodge he was the first noble grand. He also helped organize the
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State Lodge. He is a Republican in politics, being one of the old Free- soil men, and was here through the early trouble on the border. He was a delegate to the convention that nominated S. C. Cobb for Con- gress. Mr. Fligor has accumulated a fair competency, and is pretty well satisfied with the world as revealed in Kansas.
James E. Fisher one of the old settlers of Wyandotte County, a man esteemed and respected for his many good qualities of mind and heart, has been a resident of Rosedale since 1872. He was born in Geauga County, Ohio, February 19, 1835. When only seven years of age, his parents gave up farming, and moved to the thriving little manufactur- ing village of Chagrin Falls, Cuyahoga County, distant about sixteen miles from Cleveland, Ohio, the county seat, where he entered into the manufacturing of doors, sash and blinds, which gave J. E. ample op- portunity to learn habits of industry, and the use of tools and machin- ery, which he has never had reason to regret. He attended the schools of the village, and there grew to manhood. In 1856 he went to Cali- fornia via Nicaragua, and remained in that State nine years, engaged in mining most of the time, but his trip was not a success financially, and he then returned to Ohio. In 1865 he came to Kansas City, Mo., where he operated with his brother Abel, a saw-mill at the foot of Fifth Street in the bottoms, where the Linseed Oil Works now stand. They cut timber from the bottoms- mostly cottonwood and sycamore, though the main dependence was to raft the logs from the Missouri River lands, as far up as Leavenworth, and on the Platte River as far up as Platte City (in Platte County, Mo.). Having sold his mill in- terests in 1872, he bought fifty-four acres of land overlooking and joining Rosedale, and turned his attention to fruit-growing. He im- proved by building and otherwise, until he had a fine property. This he sold in 1886, and moved to Rosedale, where he has interests, and has made it his home since. He, with others who were interested in public schools, organized District No. 39, in 1873. He held the office of director until he moved out of the district, with credit to himself and satisfaction to the people of the district. On coming here he was unanimously elected director of schools. He was elected a member of the city council in April, 1890. Mr. Fisher is the son of Abel and Ruth (Green) Fisher, his father a native of Massachusetts, and his mother of New York State. They immigrated to the Connecticut Western Reserve of Ohio in 1818. The father was a farmer by occu- pation, aud also followed the carpenter and joiner's trade in his younger years. His death occurred in Ohio, in October, 1869, at the age of sixty-
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