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 75
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Owen Nugent, of Kansas City, Kas., was born in County Monaghan, Ireland, in 1844, where the family were evicted from their homestead, by Shirley, landlord of the estate on which they rented their farm. From there he came with the rest of the family to Drogheda, County Louth, where he served his apprenticeship to the carpenter's trade. He
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afterward became a contractor and builder, and in connection with this kept a grocery store and liquor house, and at a later period an under- taking establishment. He took a deep interest in politics, made speeches for, and helped to elect John Martin for County Meath. He made speeches for the National party, and advocated the release of the Fenian prisoners, and at one time was introduced to Parnell, by George Harley Kirk, M. P. This being before Parnell was in politics. He also gave his aid and support to A. M. Sullivan, M. P .; met T. D. Sullivan, and was also acquainted with John Nolan, who was secretary of the first Amnesty Committee, and O'Donovan Rossa, besides all the Fenian officers. He served as a member of the city council of Drog- heda, County Louth, for one year, and was on the grand jury one term. His name is mentioned in the court of chancery, and at one time he won the sum of £16,000. He studied elocution, was a leader in a dramatic club which played several dramas, also Shakespeare's leading tragedies, in all of which he took a prominent part. Although he had been success- ful in his native land, he was unfortunate enough to lose much of his property, and being proud and ambitious, he determined to retrieve his fortunes in America, and after reaching the United States he opened a liquor house, in New York, but through fraud lost all his remaining property, consisting of several thousand dollars. He then began working at his trade, and after a short period opened a hotel in Stanton, Iowa, which he afterward sold, and came to Atchison, Kas., where he was taken sick, and was unable to do anything for about a year. At the end of this time he came to Kansas City, Kas., and worked at his trade for seven years, for George Fowler & Son, beef and pork packers, and in 1884 he took a prominent part in politics, and was the first Irish- man, in Wyandotte County, to come out openly and advocate the prin- ciples of the Republican party. He made several speeches during the Blaine and Logan campaign, and was the cause of bringing many Irish- men into the Republican ranks. He was married in Ireland, to Miss Mary Smith, and to them a family of sixteen children have been born, four of whom died in infancy. The family are members of the Roman Catholic Church.
J. H. Olliges, one of the original settlers of Argentine, and one of that city's prominent business men, is a native of Hanover, Germany, where his birth occurred on May 17, 1842. He is the second eldest of nine children, six of whom are now living, born to the marriage of Antoine and Tobina (Haynes) Olliges, who were originally from Paris. The father owned an interest in a cattle and sheep ranch, but left
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France and settled in Hanover, Germany, when a young man. Later he studied law, and still later he engaged in merchandising, at which he was so successful that he retired from active duties in 1870. His death occurred in 1887 at the age of eighty years. His wife died six months later. Several members of the Olliges family served under Napoleon Bonaparte, and Nicholas Olliges, and uncle of our subject, was one of Bonaparte's soldiers, and fought at the battle of Moscow. He came to the United States in 1862, was desirous of entering the United States Army, but was rejected owing to his bad eyesight. He died in 1864. J. H. Olliges was educated by a private instructor, and finished in a private school. He was also a military student from six to fourteen years. In 1859 he emigrated to this country, but pre- vious to that time he had been interested in school matters, and was also interested in the care of stock up to that time. After coming to this country he followed shipping merchandise to London, England, and engaged in any occupation which presented itself. He was a sailor, and contemplated a trip to Africa, but his father refused to let him go. After this he went to Covington, Ky., and worked at any honest employment he could secure, experiencing many hardships, but never becoming discouraged. In the spring he began clerking in a stove and tinware shop at Covington, but only remained in this posi- tion but a short time. In 1862 he enlisted in the Union army as a driver in the Cumberland Division, and served until he took sick, when he was compelled to go to the hospital in Cincinnati. After recover- ing he returned to his regiment, fought at Stone River, and assisted in the capture of Cumberland Gap. He was in the battle of Perryville, Bardstown, Ky., and was taken prisoner by Morgan. Later he was paroled, and returned to Louisville, where he re-entered the service. He was mustered out in 1865, returned to Louisville, Ky., and engaged in a wholesale grocery house of that city, where he remained two years. After this he was with Bose & Co., wholesale grocers and liquor dealers, with whom he remained one year, and then returned to his former employers, remaining with them six months. He then worked with Tate & Son for a short time, then again returned to old employer with whom he remained but a few months. He then engaged in the transfer business, made considerable money, and remained for some time, but afterward was in a tin and hardware store for seven years. Owing to ill health he gave up this position and rested until 1871, when he went to Indiana and began tilling the soil, continuing at this eight years, and meeting with unusual success. From there he went
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to Covington, Ky., and in 1880 embarked in the grocery business, which he continued for eighteen months. After this he sold ont and traveled for his health. In 1882 he came to Kansas City, took charge of a hardware store, but gave this up and took charge of the Santa Fe freight office in Argentine for one year. " He was then in the furniture business for some time, and afterward with the firm of Borgstedr & Co., remaining with them for two years and five months, after which he dissolved partnership. He began'business for himself, and has since carried it on, meeting with much success. In October, 1868, he was married to Miss Mary E. Zainer, who was born in 1846, and the danghter of Louis Zainer, and the fruits of this union were six children, five living: Louis, Tobina, Lizzie, Lulu, Johnny (de- ceased) and Mary. Mr. Olliges is a Demoorat in his politics, and socially is a member of the I. O. O. F. For twelve years himself and family have been members of the Catholic Church.
Angust Olson is a native of Sweden, and like the majority of his countrymen, he is honest, industrious and thrifty. He was born Au- gnst 28, 1843, being a son of Olof Anderson and Anna Kajsa, the former of whom was born August 31, 1814, and the latter November 16, 1816, their marriage taking place about 1840, and in time resulting in the birth of four children: Anders, August, Anders and Anna. The two named Anders are deceased, the elder one dying before the latter was born. The father and mother are both living, their home being in the village of Fiskinge, Parish of Asker, Sweden, and the former de- voted his attention to farming, but is now retired from the active duties of life ou account of his advanced age, his farm being now cultivated by his son-in law, who lives with him. August Olson was reared to manhood npon his father's farm, which he helped to cultivate until he reached the age of twenty-six years. In 1869 he emigrated to Amer- ica, leaving Gothenburg on April 2, and going to Hull, England, from which place he went by rail to Liverpool, and there, April 9, took pas- sage in the "City of Baltimore," and after a voyage of nineteen days, the vessel reached New York. Upon the following day he left that place for Kansas City, Mo., and he arrived on May 6, 1869, but on the afternoon of the same day left for Lawrence, Kas., in the vicinity of which place he remained for three years, one of the years being spent as a farm hand, and the other two was an employe of P. D. Ridenour, then of Lawrence, but now wholesale grocer of Kansas City, Mo. In 1872 Mr. Olson returned to Kansas City, and for eight years was in the employ of the Armour Packing Company. For a year or
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so following this, he clerked for P. Larson & Company, grocers, on James Street, and in 1883 he engaged in business for himself, at No. 422 North Fifth Street, Kansas City, Kas. His establishment is first class in every respect, and Mr. Olson does all in his power to supply the wants of his patrons, and as a result has built up a paying trade. In 1889 he erected a new two-story business building, and is now fully equipped to cater to the wants of the public. He was married March 9, 1871, to Miss Britta Christena Erickson, who was born in the same village as himself, January 31, 1844, her father being Erick Erickson, and her mother Britta Kajsa. The former was a farmer, and died in Sweden in 1878, but his wife still lives, and resides in Fiskinge. Mrs. Olson came to America in 1870, and on August 25, 1879, passed to her long home, leaving four children to mourn her death, their names be- ing as follows: Henry, Anna, Emma and an infant daughter that sur- vived its mother just one week. On October 9, 1880, Mr. Olson was married to Miss Jacobina Frederica Maria Huglund, who was born on the Island of Gottland, Sweden, September 18, 1850, her parents be- ing Gustave and Anna Cecelia (Storms) Huglund, both of whom are living. Mrs. Olson was the younger of two daughters, the elder of whom died before she was born. Mr. Olson and his present wife have had five children as follows: Charley, Mary, Theodore, Lillie and Laura, all of whom are living, and they are worthy members of the Missionary Baptist Church.
John Olson, blacksmith and carriage builder of Piper Prairie Town- ship, Wyandotte County, Kas., owes his nativity to Denmark, where his birth occurred on October 4, 1859, and is the only child resulting from the marriage of Louis and Mary (Sornson) Olson, natives of Co- penhagen, the father born on May 16, 1819, and the mother on April 8, 1823. The former was a tailor by trade, and followed that occupa- tion in the city of his birth. John Olson remained in the old country until his eighteenth year, learned the trade of blacksmith, and this he has since followed. He emigrated to the United States in 1872, landed at New York, and from there went to Quebec, with an idea of return- ing home, but at the last determined to remain. He had considerable difficulty in reaching Chicago, taking turns in walking and riding, and arrived in that city in 1875, where he remained three years, following his trade. In 1878 he moved to Ogden, Utah, and Nevada, to view the country, and there, in prospecting, he lost his hard-earned savings. He returned by way of Cheyenne to Denver, where he car- ried on the blacksmith's trade on the Denver & South Park Railroad
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for eighteen months. He then tried prospecting in Nevada again, and met with the same success as before. He afterward worked with a Dutchman named Brown in a blacksmith shop, where he remained thirteen months. From there he came to Kansas City, Mo , using a check pass, and worked for W. A. Weston, in a shop, for two years. Urged then by several of his familiar friends to come to Maywood and start a shop, he did so in 1883, and there remained until 1887. He then came to Piper, and by his industrious habits and honest work has built up a trade which averages about $7,000 per year. He makes to order everything in the way of a vehicle, and always guarantees his work. He is now the owner of a fine dwelling, and has a good shop. He was married on April 5, 1882, to Miss Mary Lobner, a native of Old Germany, born May 5, 1858, and the daughter of Frank and Mark Lobner, of Denmark. They have two children: Frank (born February 22, 1887), and Louis (whose birth occurred on April 10, 1884). Mr. Olson is a life-long Republican in his political views, and socially, is a member of Banner Spring Lodge, K. of P.
Joseph H. O'Rielly ranks among the most popular druggists of Kansas City, Kas., which desirable state of affairs is owing to his ac- curacy, strict attention to business, honesty, and desire to please his patrons. He was born in the town of Chatham, Province of Ontario, Canada, April 8, 1864, and was one of a family of children born to Charles P. and Catherine (Hogan) O' Rielly, the former of whom was born in Ireland and the latter in New Brunswick. The father accom- panied his parents to America when he was but an infant, and on reaching this country the family located at Kingston, Ont., and here he was reared, educated and married, the last event taking place about 1853. Of a family of nine children born to them, five were sons and four were daughters, and the subject of this sketch was the fifth of the family. Their names are as follows: Thomas E., James A., Frank, John, Joseph H., Kate, Nellie, Mary and Annie. When the subject of this sketch was thirteen years of age, or in 1877, he accompanied his parents to the United States, and with them located at Sterling, Rice County, Kas., which place continued to be his home until 1880, a very good early education being also received there. In 1883 he became a clerk in a drug store in Independence, Mo., but after remaining there about a year and a half he entered the employ of his brothers, Frank and John, who were the proprietors and managers of a drug store in Kan- sas City, Mo., and remained with them thirteen months. While thus employed, he pursued his pharmaceutical studies in the Kansas City
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University for one term, and on July 24, 1886, established his present drug store on North Third Street, which he has conducted with satis- factory success up to the present. He is courteous in his dealings with all, and as he carried a well selected stock of goods, which he disposes of at, reasonable rates, he receives a liberal share of public favor. He is a wide awake and enterprising young man of good habits, and is a consistent member of the Roman Catholic Church. Few, if any, of the young business men of the county possess more friends than he, and all are desirious that he should make a success of his life, which he gives every promise of doing.
W. P. Overton is the treasurer of the Wyandotte Coal & Lime Company, but was born in Jackson County, Mo., in 1826, and there made his home until seventeen years of age, at which time he bought and fitted out a wagon train to Santa Fe, but afterward took charge of a train of wagons for Napoleon Stone & Co., of Independence, Mo., and went to Salt Lake, thence to California with an ox-team, where he disposed of the latter. He continued to follow this calling until the opening of the Mexican War, when he joined the First Regiment of Missouri Mounted Volunteers and was at Chihuahua, and various other skirmishes, but was not injured during the entire time. He was pen- sioned when the other old soldiers were, but not before. He was mar- ried in St. Joseph, Mo., to Miss Mary J. Wales, a native of Mas -. sachusetts, soon after which event they went to Grayson County, Tex., and operated a saw-mill for some two years, after which he returned to Jackson County, Mo., and there his wife passed from life about 1849 or 1850. Mr. Overton then began making trips across the plains once more, in all making the trip about eight times. In 1855 he set- tled down to the saw-mill business, and this received his attention until some eight or ten years since, when he began dealing in coal. How- ever two of these years were spent taking a rest from business cares and in traveling around. His second marriage took place about 1858, his wife being Miss Sarah M. Barnett, by whom he has the following family: Mand, Stella, William, Sadie, George and Alma. His first union resulted in the birth of one child .- Elizabeth. Mr. Overton is, and always has been, a Democrat in his political views, and prior to the war he was the owner of slaves. His father. Jesse Over- ton, was a trader, and built the first Government road from Fort Scott to Fort Leavenworth, and broke the first 1,000 acres of land for the Goverment at the latter place. He was a native of Alabama, and died in Jackson County, Mo., near Independence, when about
5
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forty two years of age. He was of English descent, his ancestors hav- ing all been natives of that country, but his wife's people were the Camerons of Scotland.
Joseph S. Paradis, meat-market, Armourdale, Kas. Among the necessities of trade a reliable meat-market forms an important institu- tion in all places. In this line we have a representative establishment, which combines all the essentials of a first-class house in this line, and is conducted by Mr. Joseph S. Paradis. This business was established by him in October, 1886, and during the four years he has steadily maintained the high reputation of his market, and has annually in- creased the volume of his trade. Mr. Paradis was born in Montreal, Canada, on June 12, 1868, and his parents, Samuel and Margaret (Bedore) Paradis, were also born in Canada, and were of French de- scent. They came to the United States in 1870, located in Iowa and moved from there to Kansas in 1883. They are now residents of Armourdale, Kas. The father is a carpenter by trade, and has fol- lowed this the principal part of his life. Joseph S. Paradis, the sec- ond in birth of ten living children, was but two years of age on leaving Canada and was reared to the butcher's business. He was fairly educated in the common schools, and after coming to Wyandotte County, Kas., was in business for eighteen months. He then came to Armourdale, and has since carried on the butcher's business at this place. He has a large trade and is doing well. On April 30, 1890, his nuptials with Miss Carrie Mack, a native of Wyandotte County, Kas., and the daughter of George Mack, were celebrated. Mr. Paradis is a wide-awake, stirring young man, and is identified with a great many public enterprises. He is a member of the A. O. U. W., and Select Knights.
Corwine Patterson (colored) is a man who enjoys the distinction of knowing nearly every person in Wyandotte County, Kas., and has done many acts of kindness to nearly every second person therein. He is popular with all classes, and throughout a public career of many years no taint of suspicion nor well-founded breath of scandal has at- tached itself to his name, which is his especial pride to keep pure in the sight of God and man. Honorable and upright in all his deal- ings, frank and unhesitating in expressing his views, possessing a profound contempt for hypocrisy and deceit, whatever his faults may be, his bitterest enemies, if such he has, must attribute them to errors of the head and not of the heart. In social life he is courteous and affable, magnanimous to his foes, and of a kind and forgiving disposi-
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tion, he attracts the regard of all who approach him, and has innumer- able friends among both political parties. In any worthy history of the county his name should be given a prominent place, for he has had many difficulties to surmount, chief among which was race prej- udice, but his life points its own moral, and has few parallels in the history of "men of mark " among the colored race. He was born at Roanoke, Howard County, Mo., October 31, 1848, and is now in his forty second year. Like so many of the prosperous business men of the present day, he was reared on a farm, but at the early age of fif- teen years he showed that he possessed a mind and will of his own, and with the independence which has ever characterized his efforts, he determined to seek a fresh field for his labors, and accordingly went to Glasgow, where he enlisted in Company G, Sixty-fifth United States Colored Infantry, and was mustered in at St. Louis. He im- mediately went South with his regiment and afterward distinguished himself at the battles of Port Hudson, Milliken's Bend, Baton Rouge, New Orleans and others, and at the close of the war was mustered out of the service at Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis. He then returned to his former home in Missouri, but as the state of affairs there was not congenial to his liberty-loving spirit, he determined to emigrate to " Free Kansas." This decision was not acted upon, however, until he had taken an academic course in Lincoln Institute, which is one of the leading institutions for colored people in the country, and thus fitted he started out to fight the battle of life for himself. He soon made his way to Wyandotte, Kas. (now Kansas City), which place he reached in June, 1868, and almost immediately secured employment with the Union Pacific Railway Company, with which he remained for five years. He next opened a grocery establishment, but being ap- pointed one of a committee to care for the colored emigrants who were flocking to the country from the South in great numbers, he disposed of his stock of goods, and as a tribute to the faithfulness which he manifested toward his race, he was elected to the position of constable, which office, coupled with that of deputy sheriff, he held for several years, and in addition has filled the positions of deputy city marshal for six years, sanitary sargeant, two years, and is the commander of Sumner Post No. 10, G. A. R., being also secretary of the S. of P. and one of the leading members of the society. He is one of the men who took the initiative steps which resulted in the erection of its two- story brick hall at the corner of Sixth and Kansas Avenue, which is valued at $6,000. In 1872 he was elected a member of the Board of
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Education, and discharged his duties very creditably for two terms, and has ever since taken a conspicuous part in the educational affairs of the county. He has been successful in the accumulation of wordly goods, and his property is now valued at $25,000, all of which he has accumulated within the space of a few years. In politics he is a dyed- in the-wool stalwart Republican, never scratches his tickets or bolts a nominee. But very few of the colored men of Kansas have taken so conspicuous a part in the local or State politics as he. He has been a delegate to all of the county conventions, many of the State Conven- tions, and is always present at all the political contests of the county, and more than once the party has owed its success to his intelligence and sagacious management. He has been secretary of the Republican Central Committee, and in 1889 was appointed to the responsible posi- tion of street commissioner of Kansas City, which was a fitting recogni- tion of his ability, integrity and business capacity, not to mention the great service he has long rendered his party in this county. He has proved the right man in the right place, and it is safe to say that his administration of affairs has redounded to his credit. On July 3, 1873, he was united in marriage to Miss Henrietta Scott, of Kansas City, and to their union two bright and intelligent children have been born: Robert Elliott and Ida May, the former being an attendant of the high school of Kansas City, and making rapid progress in his studies, and the latter nearing the point of graduation in the Lincoln School. Mr. Patterson is devoted to his family, friends, party, city, county and State, and may well be said to be one of those rare gentle- men and "prince of men," who are seldom duplicated in any com- munity.
John Patterson is superintendent of the Fifth Street division of the Metropolitan Street Railway in Kansas City, Kas., but was born in Logan County, Ill., February 15, 1858, and at the age of eight years was taken to Southwest Missouri, but two years later went to the " Lone Star State " on his own hook and remained in that State for about one year. He then returned to his native State, where he re- sided for some four or five years, following various employments dur- ing this time, after which he returned to Missouri, but this time located in the northeastern part of the State, and began breaking on the Wa- bash Railroad from Moberty to Ottumwa, Iowa, but in time was pro- moted to the position of conductor, which he filled for about five years, then held the same position on the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad, but gave up this position and came to Kansas City, Kas., where he was
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sick for some time. Upon recovering, he entered the employ of the Metropolitan Street Railway Company, as a conductor on a horse-car, afterward becoming gripman, and some time later was appointed to the position of superintendent of the Eighteenth Street line, and was given his present position on August 20, 1889. He has general charge of the division and every man, and all the works are under his control, and by able and efficient management he has won the liking of all the men under him as well as the respect and confidence of the company. He has always taken a front place in every enterprise in which he has been engaged, and that quickly, and fully deserves the esteem which is accorded him. He is quite well to do, and has a pleasant residence at No. 1833 Minnesota Avenue. He was married in Knox County, Mo., to Miss Helen Riley, a native of Illinois, and by her had one child, Aggie. Mr. Patterson is a Republican in politics, and is a mem- ber of the National Union Benefit Association.
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