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 88
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Oscar A. Weiss is an old and trusted employe of Swift & Co., of Kansas City, Kas., who are in the fertilizing business, and he is fore- man of their tank house and fertilizing department. He is a native German, his birth occurring on September 18, 1853, he being the second of three children born to A. O. and Amelia (Hildebrandt) Weiss, natives of Germany, where the former died in 1858, the latter being a resident of Chicago. Oscar A. Weiss learned the trade of a miller in his native land, an occupation which he continued to follow until his removal to the United States, in 1879. He first settled in the city of Chicago, where he entered the employ of Wall Bros., who were in the fertilizing business, and later entered the employ of the North-Western Fertilizing Company, and subsequently became asso- ciated with Darling & Co., and then with Swift & Co. In the month of February, 1888, he came to Kansas City, Kas., continuing his work
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for Swift & Co., and for the past four years has been their foreman at this place, and has had control of about forty men, being very suc- cessful in their management. He is highly trusted by the company for which he works, for he has proven himself honorable and upright n every respect, and thoroughly competent to successfully discharge every duty incumbent upon his position. He was married in 1876 to Miss Matilda Dehn, a native German, and their union has been blessed by the birth of five children: John, Paul, Frank, William and Anna.
Alfred Weston, superintendent of the canning department of Armour's Packing House, at Kansas City, Kas., was born in Carroll County, N. H., on June 4, 1844, being the son of William and Anna L. (Kennison) Weston. Mr. Weston passed the first years of his life in a manner similar to that of other boys, in the meantime learning the butcher's trade. At the early age of sixteen he commenced the struggle of life in a most energetic manner, going to Boston, where he engaged in the meat and provision business, up to September of the year 1862, at which time he enlisted in the army. He was in the Thirty-eighth Massachusetts Infantry, under Capt. James H. Woods, serving in the Nineteenth Army Corps during the term of service, and engaging in the battles of Berryville, Louisiana and Fisher Hill. The siege of Port Hudson commenced on May 22, lasting until July 8, and on June 14 Mr. Weston was wounded during a charge, being shot in the thigh and left hand, and forced to remain in the hospital for six months. After his recovery he returned to his regiment in Shenandoah Valley, engaging in the battles of Cedar Creek and Win- chester, and the regiment then joined Gen. Sherman, following his march through Georgia. They were mustered out of service and re- turned to the State of Massachusetts. In 1871 the subject of this sketch came West, settling in Chicago, where he was superintendent of the canning department in the firm of Libby, McNeil & Libby. At a later date he occupied the same position with the St. Louis Beef Canning Company for four years, and since 1882, has held his present position with Armour. He is, without doubt, one of the most experi- enced men in the West, and is highly esteemed in business circles. He is a public-spirited man, willing at all times to contribute to the advancement of the community in which he resides. He is a member of the A. O. U. W. On December 24, 1867, Mr. Weston was mar- ried to Miss Abbie J. Littlefield, daughter of Samuel and Elizabeth Littlefield, natives of Maine. Miss Littlefield's birth occurred in Bos- ton in 1847. To this union have been born four children, viz .: Wil-
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bur, Anna L. (married), Arthur F. and Fred. Both Mr. and Mrs. Weston are members of the Third Baptist Church, and the former is superintendent of the Sunday-school, and deacon in this church. In politics he is a strong Republican, serving as chairman of the Re- publican Central Committee.
O. B. White, senior member of the firm of White & Bros., proprie- tors of the Cedar Creek Dairy Farm, at Olathe, Johnson County, was born in La Fayette County, Mo., on January 21, 1849, and is the son of William and Nancy (Bounds) White, natives of Tennessee, and La Fayette County, Mo., respectively. The mother is still living, is sev- enty-three years of age, and is a resident of Kansas City, Kas. The father died in Boulder County, Colo., in 1883. When a young man he came from Tennessee. O. B. White passed the days of his youth in Westport, Mo., Jackson County, and when sixteen years of age he commenced farming in Johnson County, Kas., continuing at this until 1881. The three years following this he was in Kingman County, Kas., and after this he commenced the dairy business in Kansas City, Kas. He had limited means to commence with-six head of stock-but since then he has bent all his energies to the business, and is to-day one of the most extensive dealers in the city. He ships twice per day in Kansas City, Kas., and Kansas City, Mo., runs three milk wagons, and has a large retail and wholesale business. He resides at 208 James Street. Mr. White was married on May 20, 1876, to Miss Mary Robinson, daughter of E. W. Robinson, and a native of La Salle County, Ill., where her birth occurred in 1857. To Mr. and Mrs. White have been born three living children: Nettie, Berton and Joseph. They have two children deceased, one who died at the age of four years and an infant. In his political views Mr. White affiliates with the Democratic party. Mrs. White is a member of the Congregational, Church.
Joseph M. White, dairyman, Kansas City, Kas. Mr. White re- sides at Ohio and Thirteenth Streets, and has been in the dairy busi- ness in this city for seven years. He is the owner of sixty head of cows, and has built up an extensive trade, both wholesale and retail. He was born in Jackson County, Mo., at Westport, on February 8, 1855, and is the son of William and Nancy (Bounds) White, the father a native of Greene County, Tenn., born in 1818, and the mother of Lexington, Mo., born also about 1818. When twenty-one years of age the father went from Tennessee to La Fayette County, Mo., thence to Lexington, and in 1850 to Westport. He was one of the first to
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locate there, and assisted in building up the place, being a carpenter by trade. In 1858 he and family moved to Johnson County, Kas., bought 500 acres of land from the Indians, and resided in that county until 1878. They then moved to Kingman County, Kas., and in 1882 from there to Boulder County, Colo., where he died on November 8, 1883. In later years he had farmed extensively, and had accumulated considerable wealth. He had moved to Colorado from Kansas on account of the grasshoppers, and had lost some money by that and from going security. The mother is still living in Kansas City, Kas., and is now seventy-two years of age. She is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church as was also her husband. He was a stanch Democrat in politics, but never aspired to political positions, although he made a race for Representative of Kingman County, in 1878, and was elected, but was fradulently counted out. He was the son of Joseph White, who was a native of Tennessee and a Missionary Baptist minister. The latter died at Odessa, La Fayette County, Mo., at the age of eighty- five or eighty-six years. He came to Missouri at the same time, and with our subject's father, who at one time owned the entire site of Odessa. The White family originally came from Scotland. Our sub- fect was one of six sons, all but one living, and they are named as follows: James B. (is a farmer in Boulder County, Colo.), David S. (is mining and farming in Colorado), W. L. (dairyman of Kansas City, Kas.), O. B. (is extensively engaged in the dairy business in Kansas City, Kas.), and Jesse B. (died in Johnson County, Kas., at the age of twenty-five years). Joseph M. White spent his school-boy days in Johnson County, Kas., and when twenty years of age started out for himself as a farmer in Sedgwick County, Kas., near Wichita; there he remained until 1880, and then went to Colorado, where he was in the gold and silver mines of Magnolia until 1884. He then came to Kansas City, embarked in the dairy business with his brother, O. B. White, with whom he was connected until March, 1888, at which time he branched off by himself as a dairyman. He started with $47 as a capital, but had the energy and push to succeed, and is now one of the largest dealers in Kansas City. Socially he is a mem- ber of the K. of P. Lodge No. 2, and in politics he is strictly Dem- ocratic.
H. C. Whitlock, a popular educator and farmer, Bonner Springs, Kas. Mr. Whitlock was born in Platte County, Mo., in 1844, was reared and educated in his native State, and supplemented a com- mon-school education by a course at Mount Gilead. After this he
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taught for several years, and later attended the normal at Leaven- worth, Kas. He commenced teaching in the common public schools, and during 1874 and 1875 he was principal of Wyandotte public schools. Then, in 1878, he was elected superintendent of county schools, served one term, was then re-elected in the fall of 1884, and served one more term. He has not taught since that, on account of his health, but has been on his farm in the western part of the county. He spent one year on the Pacific coast, one year in Flor- ida and Cuba, and is now enjoying the best of health. He is the owner of 100 acres of land close to Bonner Springs, but rents this. He was elected superintendent on the Democratic ticket, and had 1,200 more votes in the county than President Cleveland. He was defeated for this position in 1880, when everybody thought him cer- tain of election. He is a very popular educator, and a man of acknowl- edged ability. He is pleasant and sociable in his demeanor, and his happiest moments are in educational work, to which he expects to give the best years of his life. His parents, Preston and Lavina Whitlock, were natives of Kentucky, and the father was a farmer by occupation.
R. Wilcoxon, of White Church, Kas., and an old time farmer of Quindaro Township, came to Wyandotte County, Kas., January 8, 1850, and clerked in the dry goods department of the American Fur Company at a place called Secondia, located about nine miles above the mouth of the Kansas River, in the Delaware Reservation. He carried on this business until 1856, and found the Delaware Indians honest, upright, truthful, but with very little notion of business. Their living was entirely derived from the chase, and they bartered the furs for the necessaries of life. Hunting and trapping parties would leave early in the fall and return the following spring, bringing with them pelts and furs with which to pay their debts. In 1854 Mr. Wilcoxon was united in marriage to Miss Malinda Statler, whose Indian name was Twelenioqud. She was educated at the Shawnee Mission. This union gave Mr. Wilcoxon the right to live here with them, so in the spring of 1856 he began farming, opening up land within a mile of where he had been selling goods. His principal crops were wheat, corn, potatoes, oats, millet, etc., usually raising for home consumption although there was a good market for hogs, selling them to the Dela- wares. Being of a pacific nature from staying at home and attending strictly to his own business, he was never a participant in the bloody times of the border war. He resided quietly on his farm, attended to
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this alone, opened up new land and made improvements as rapidly as possible. In 1861 the land was surveyed and parceled, and through his wife and children he received 240 acres, one 80 in the hills and 160 acres on the Kansas River, that on the river being the part he had already improved and cultivated. He remained there until 1867, when he bought the James Ketchum farm at White Church, having sold eighty acres on the river, moved on this, and soon had thirty acres under cultivation. In 1888 he sold seventy-two acres of this, and kept eight acres for a home. He has a beautiful place, a fine house of modern architecture with eight rooms, and the principal part of the grounds is in orchard. For the past seven years Mr. Wilcoxon has been justice of the peace, and has filled the position of school director for sixteen years. He and family are members of the Meth- odist Episcopal Church, South. Politically Mr. Wilcoxon has always been Democratic until the Greenback party was formed, after which he voted for their candidates for several elections. At present he is with the Democratic party again. He was a private in the Twenty-third Kansas State Militia during the war, bnt has the record of never shoot- ing at a man. He was born in West Virginia March 18, 1828, and was the son of Levi and Catherine (Harris) Wilcoxon, both natives also of West Virginia. The Wilcoxons are of Scotch-Irish extraction, and one of the ancestors lived to be one hundred and fourteen years of age. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Thomas Wilcoxon, died before the struggle for independence took place. Our subject is the only son of six children born to his parents. In 1843 his father accompanied by his whole family, three of his daughters being married and accompanied by their husbands, went to Arkansas, settled near Jackson, and here his death occurred in February of the following year. In March, 1844, the entire family left there and came to Kan- sas City, where they remained a few days. They then went to West- port, where one sister and the mother died in 1849. In the meantime R. Wilcoxon worked by the day or month and seized on any honorable employment that was offered. One of the brothers-in-law died in 1852, and the same year the remainder of the family, with the excep- tion of our subject, went to California, where they have since died. At the present time Mr. Wilcoxon is the sole survivor of the family. After entering the employ of the American Fur Company Mr. Wil- coxon boarded with James Findlay, whose wife was a sister of Judge John Ryland, of La Fayette County, Mo. They were together in the store for six years, and then both left the same year. Mr. Wilcoxon
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is the father of four children-two sons and two daughters-two sons and one daughter now living: Lucinda (wife of James L. Buckland, who is residing in Wyandotte Township, engaged in farming), Emmett (living with his father) and Oscar (also at home). Leanora was born February 23, 1868, and died December 22, 1884. Mr. Wilcoxon voted for Abelard Gutherie, the first delegate from this State to Con- gress, and next for Thomas Johnston. He also voted for the first governor of the State and for the last, Glick (1890). In 1849-50 the cholera raged in this State, and was so fatal that the Delaware Indians hired Dr. J. B. Stone to come out here. In 1849 1,000 Delaware In- dians lived within eight miles of White Church, but when that great scourge occurred they scattered to different parts of the reservation and never got together again.
Isaac D. Wilson is a native of Crawford County, Ill., his birth occurring there June 22, 1832, his parents, Isaac N. and Hannah H. (Decker) Wilson, being Virginians. Both Mr. and Mrs. Wilson ac- companied their respective parents to Crawford County, Ill., in an early day, and it was in that county that they were reared, educated and married. Isaac D. Wilson remained in his native town of Pales- tine until he was twenty-one years of age, and although his father was a hotel proprietor he also owned a farm near town, and upon this Isaac D. labored during his youth when not in school. Upon attain- ing his majority he went to Charleston, Coles County, Ill., and the following ten years were spent in mercantile pursuits in that place. From 1864 to 1866 Chicago, Ill., was the scene of his labors where he was in the wholesale grocery business. In the latter part of the last named year he went to Oxford, Marquette County, Wis., but after being the proprietor and operating a flouring-mill in that place until 1881, he went to Olney, Ill. He continued to own the mill, however, until 1883, and while in Oxford was also engaged in mercantile pur- suits for a period of three years. From Olney, Ill., he came to Kan- sas City, Kas., in the fall of 1882, and here he has ever since given his time and attention to the banking business, he being first a mem- ber of the banking firm of Wilson & Rogers, the former being presi- dent. This bank was succeeded by the Bank of Wyandotte, but as long as it was in existence, Mr. Wilson was also its president. Later, this was changed to the First National Bank, and in this Mr. Wilson continued to hold the position of president until December, 1888, when he sold his interest in the bank, and in 1889 helped to organize the Exchange Bank, of which he has since been president. Socially,
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he is a member of the A. F. & A. M., and politically, is a Demo- crat. He is a man of excellent business qualifications, and thus far has made life a decided success. He was married to Miss Sophia Ricketts, who died the following year, leaving a daughter, who was named Sophia. In April, 1866, Mr. Wilson's second marriage was consummated, Miss Etta Spoor becoming his wife.
William E. Wilt is a gentleman who is honorably connected with the prosperity of Kansas City, Kas., and is well known as one of the substantial and reliable grocers of this place. He is a native of Liver- pool, Perry County, Penn., his birth occurring February 11, 1861, his parents, George W. and Sarah (Krowl) Wilt, being also born in that State, the former's birth occurring July 4, 1834, and the latter's Au- gust 16, 1836. The father was twice married, Miss Krowl being his second wife, their union taking place in 1858, and resulting in the birth of six children: Morris C., William E., George W. (deceased), Irvin E., Francis E. and Annie M. Both parents are living, their home be- ing in Kansas City. In early life the father worked on a farm, but at a later period he began railroading, and continued to follow this occu- pation for fourteen years, twelve of which he was a passenger con- ductor on the Philadelphia & Reading Railway. He subsequently re- sumed farming, but after following the occupation for five years in Cedar County, Mo., he in 1885, removed to Kansas City, Mo., and two years later came to Kansas City, Kas., where his attention has since been given to gardening. He and his wife are consistent members of the Evangelical Church, and are worthy and respected citizens of this section. Mr. Wilt's first wife bore him a daughter, who is now Mrs. Emma Bittinger, of Freeport, Penn. He is a son of George W. Wilt, whose great-grandfather emigrated to America from Holland. When the subject of this sketch was a year and a half old his parents removed to Herndon, Northumberland County, Penn., in which place he spent his boyhood, and attended school until fourteen years of age. For a year and a half after leaving school he acted as extra passenger brakeman on the Philadelphia & Reading Railway, after which he entered the employ of Jonas Duttery, with whom he learned the butcher's trade. At seventeen years of age he came West with his parents to Cedar County, Mo., where for four years he assisted his father at farm- ing, going thereafter to Bates County, Mo., where for a year he was employed in a saw-mill, while there helping to saw the lumber which was used to build the first house in the present city of Rich Hill, Mo. In the spring of 1882 he came to Kansas City, Mo., where he
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spent four years engaged, chiefly, at gardening and fishing. For four winters he followed the latter calling on an extensive scale, mar- keting the large quantities of fish which he caught in Kansas City. During the winter of 1884-85 he followed fishing upon the St. Fran- cis River, in Arkansas, but in February, 1885, came to Kansas City, Kas., and the following summer his time was devoted to gardening with his father. In the fall of 1886 he entered the employ of Wilson Barden, in whose grocery establishment he clerked for seven months. In August, 1887, he went to Los Angeles, Cal., near which place he spent seven months on a ranch, after which he returned to Kansas City, arriving March 19, 1888. March 24 he purchased a meat-market on the corner of Fifth Street and Walker Avenue, taking possession of it two days later, and there did a successful business until October 1, 1889, when he removed to a brick business building, at No. 2001 North Fifth Street, and since then has had as a business partner, his brother, Irvin E., and the firm, under the name of Wilt Bros., has conducted a meat-market and grocery, jointly, at that place up to the present time. Their goods are of excellent quality, and as both members of the firm are young men of good habits, and strictly honorable business men, their trade has become very large, and is constantly increasing. Mr. Wilt was married August 4, 1889, to Miss Mollie K. Roman, an ac- complished young lady, of Osawatomie, Kas., her birth occurring near this city, in 1870, her father being Henry Roman, Mr. Wilt is a member of the Kansas City Retail Butchers' Protective Association, and also of the Merchant's Mercantile Agency, of Chicago. He is a young man of good business qualities, and being intelligent, kindly in disposition, and liberal, he has many warm friends.
F. C. Woestemeyer, merchant, Bethel, Kas. Among the promi- nent business men of Bethel, and among the representative citizens of Wyandotte County, stands the name of Mr. F. C. Woestemeyer, who commenced business in Bethel, in December, 1888, opening a stock of general groceries. His stock invoicing about $500, and his sales amount to about $250 per month. Being so convenient to wholesale houses, he carries but a small stock, and makes two or three trips a week to the city for goods. Mr. Woestemeyer was born in Warren County, Mo., on March 6, 1844, and is the son of Morriz Bernhardt and Elizabeth (Schuster) Woestemeyer, natives of Germany. The parents came to America about 1835, settled in Warren County, made a home, and there their children, five in number-two sons and three daughters-were born and reared. One son, Henry H., is now living in La Fayette
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County, Mo., where he is a prosperous farmer and justice of the peace. Of the daughters, Lizette is the wife of Herman Larberg, a farmer of La Fayette County; Eliza married Herman Holke, a farmer in the same county, and Josephine, wife of William H. H. Bierbaum, also engaged in farming, and a resident of the old home place in Warren County, Mo. The father died in 1849, and about five years later the mother married again, and kept the family together. She died in 1887, when about sixty-five years of age. When F. C. Woestemeyer was about seven- teen years of age he began serving an apprenticeship to the shoe- maker's trade at Femme Osage, Mo., but previously had received a good education in the German language, principally. He learned the trade of Michael Bickel, and remained with him five years, two years as an apprentice and three years as a journeyman. He then went to St. Souis, worked at his trade one year, and later ran a shop. From there he went to Marthasville, Mo., conducted a shop there un- til 1873, when he sold sewing machines and agricultural implements for Middlecamp & Bros. This he continued until 1877, when he went to La Fayette County, and purchased a farm, tilling the soil for seven years. In 1884 he sold his place at an advance of about 100 per cent on the purchase money, and then tried his hand at the gro- cery business in Wellington, La Fayette County, Mo., buying property there. He sold this at a good profit in about eight months, and then he purchased a farm of 160 acres in Johnson County, Kas. There he resided until the fall of 1887, then sold out during the boom, and then came to Wyandotte County, where he bought 140 acres at $60 an acre. Inside of two weeks he sold 40 acres of this for $100 per acre. He was one of the organizers, and the controlling stockholder in the White Church Town Site & Improvement Company. Mr. Woeste- meyer is vice-president and treasurer of the company. During the war he was in the Home Guards and State Militia, but was not called into active service. He is a member of the Evangelical Church, and an active worker in the same. He has been twice married, first to Miss Eliza Peters of Marthasville, Mo., who lived about eleven months, and is buried at Marthasville. His second marriage was on October 22, 1868, to Miss Wilhelmena Oberhellman, of Warren County. They are the parents of eight children: Pauline, Anna, Henry, Otto, Agnes, Bern- hardt, Clara and Althea. Since May, 1889, Mr. Woestemeyer has been postmaster, and has filled that position in a creditable manner. In politics he is a Republican, and is active in all movements that have for their foundation the development of this locality or county.
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