USA > Missouri > Buchanan County > St Joseph > History of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, Mo. : from the time of the Platte purchase to the end of the year 1915 biographical sketches of noted citizens, living and dead > Part 46
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New York Post-Graduate in 1898, and in the New York Polyclinic in 1907. He occupied the chair of chemistry and diagnosis at the Central Medical College, St. Joseph. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and the B'nai B'rith society. Doctor Eliscu has practiced in St. Joseph since the fall of 1893. He enjoys a good general practice, and has a reputation as a diagnostician all over America.
He was married in 1906 to Miss
DR. FREDERICK ELISCU
-Photo by Mulvane.
a writer of short stories; a brother, Julius, and a sister, Rose, are artists of distinction. Doctor Eliscu, after receiving his education at Stefan, Cel Mare, Roumania, came to the United States in 1898. He received the de- gree of Ph. G. from the New York College of Pharmacy and Chemistry in 1891, and of M. D. from the North- western Medical College in 1893. He took the post-graduate course at the
Rose Speer of Lincoln, Nebr., to which union three daughters have been born
PURD B. WRIGHT, former librarian of the Free Public Library, was born near .Weston, Platte County, Missouri, Sept. 4, 1860. His father died in 1865, and, with his mother, he moved in 1867 . to Cameron, where he went to school and worked on a farm until sixteen, when he learned the printers' trade and was for nine years on the
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Vindicator, as printer, reporter and editor. He came to St. Joseph in 1883 and was city editor of the Her- ald, resigning in April of 1885 to be- come city clerk, which position he held until 1895, under Mayors Hart- wig, Doyle, Englehart and Shepherd. He was instrumental in establishing the Free Public Library; was secre- tary of the Commerce Club in 1895-96; and was librarian for three years. He was married to Miss Lulu M. Floyd at
ber, was a native of Virginia. Mr. Stauber attended Lewis College, Glas- gow, Mo., from which he was grad- uated in 1879. He read law and prac- ticed first in Brookfield, but in 1883 came to St. Joseph, where for many years he has been the senior member of the firm of Stauber, Crandall & Strop, which has a very extensive and lucrative practice. Mr. Stauber is an active Republican and is prominent in politics. Never asking for an office
RALPH O. STAUBER
-Photo by Mulvane.
Sioux City, Iowa, in 1885. Mr. Wright s now in charge of the public library n Kansas City.
RALPH O. STAUBER, attorney, is native of Martinsburg, Va., where e was born June 2, 1859. His father, Col. T. J. Stauber, was an editor, and is mother, Margaret (Burwell) Stau-
for himself, he is a power in his party, and in the past has been very close to national administrations, where his judgment and sagacity were esteemed.
Mr. Stauber was married June 20, 1888, to Miss Anna M. Carter of St. Joseph. Their family consists of two daughters.
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*
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OZRO H. MULVANE
OZRO H. MULVANE, photographer, at 810 Frederick Avenue, is a native of Ohio. He was born in Newcomers- town, and with his parents moved to
Newman, Ill., at the age of six year; In 1875 he went to Lincoln, Neb where he served an apprenticeship i photography. He has been in bus
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ness in St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and Lead, S. D. He came to St. Joseph from Kansas City in 1911, and began busi- ness at his present location.
He was married to Miss Jennie Sin- clair of Lincoln, Neb., in 1909. Fra- ernally he is a Woodman of the World.
GEORGE G. STARMER, politician, at 1612 Commercial Street, is a native of Worth County, Missouri, where he
In 1900 he went to the stockyards and was made chief of police at the Hammond packing plant. He re- mained there a year and a half, and then engaged in business on his own account at his present location. He is a Red Man and a Woodman of the World.
CHARLES BLOOMFIELD EDGAR is a native Missourian and was born in St. Louis, where he attended the pub- lic schools, and later the Transyl-
GEORGE G. STARMER
-Photo by Mulvane.
was born April 6, 1852. In 1866 he came with his parents to Buchanan County, where he was educated. In 1879 he went to Bozeman, Montana, where he remained seven years. In 1886 he returned to St. Joseph and engaged in business as a plastering contractor. In 1896 he was appointed deputy in the office of Sheriff Hull, which position he held for four years.
vania University of Lexington, Ky. He began his editorial career in the university, where he was editor of The Collegian, the monthly publica- tion of the students.
Mr. Edgar was educated for the ministry, and preached for some years in Missouri, Kentucky, and Brooklyn, N. Y., but during those years he was always connected with the press. In
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October, 1894, he became president and editor of The Daily. News (now The News-Press) of St. Joseph. At that time the paper was losing money and was but a small affair of about 4,000 circulation, but under his man- agement it grew to be the largest and best paper in the city. In 1898 The News purchased the two morn- ing papers, The Gazette and The Her- ald, and hyphenated them, publishing them as the morning edition of The
Aurora, daughter of Judge W. B. Drescher of Hannibal, Mo. They have a daughter, Miss Helen, and a son, Joseph Carl Edgar.
WILLIAM GORDON was born in Aledo, Ill., in the year 1877. He at- tended the schools of his native state, and in 1894 removed with his parents to Iowa, where his education was com- pleted. In 1900 he came to St. Joseph and was employed as a draughtsman in the office of E. J. Eckel, architect,
WILLIAM GORDON
News for more than a year, when Mr. Edgar sold them to Lewis Gaylord and associates.
In 1905 Mr. Edgar sold his interest in The News, which thereafter was consolidated with The Press, and bought an interest in The Star of Lin- coln, Neb. Four years later he sold that interest and bought three after- noon papers in Oklahoma City, which he consolidated in one, The Times.
Mr. Edgar married, in 1882, Miss
and later with Eckel & Mann. After a few years he associated himself f with Ben. W. Trunk. They opened an office on South Eighth Street. The firm of Trunk & Gordon now has of- fices in Rooms 8, 9 and 10, Donnell) Court building, where they have been" located since 1909. The firm enjoys a large practice from the surrounding country in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and Nebraska, as well as in St. Joseph, where they have been employed for. many public and private buildings.
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SAMUEL I. MOTTER, attorney-at-
law, rooms 712-14-16 Corby-Forsee Building, is a native of St. Joseph, the date of his birth being November 7, 1874. He attended the public schools
the autumn of that year he entered the University of Michigan's law de- partment, and was graduated in 1899, receiving the degree of LL.B. He re- turned to St. Joseph and was admit-
SAMUEL I. MOTTER
of the city, and was graduated from Central High School in 1891. He en- ered Yale the same year, and re- Ceived the degree of A.B. in 1896. In
ted to the bar in the fall of 1899, and at once entered the practice of law in St. Joseph, and is now engaged in the general practice. He was appointed
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assistant prosecuting attorney in 1901, and was appointed member of the public library board in 1910. He was elected member of the school board in 1914, and is still an active member of that board.
Mr. Motter was married to Miss Su- san Jane Brittain of St. Joseph in 1910. They have one daughter, Susan Brittain Motter. He has membership cards in the Masons, Elks and Red Men.
been successful in building up a large and profitable business. He gives o his time and means to the promotion and advancement of any worthy pub lic enterprise and delights in seeing St. Joseph become more and more & better town. He was married to Miss Allie M. Carnes of Galt, Mo., in 1897 ;. Fraternally he is a member of the Knights of the Maccabees. He is & son of the late Joseph McInerny, call prominent citizen and politician.
DR. JOSEPH M. McINERNY
DR. JOSEPH M. McINERNY, 5151/2 Edmond Street, was born in St. Jo- seph, February 19, 1873. After attend- ing the primary schools he went to the Christian Brothers College in St. Joseph and St. Mary's College in Atchison, Kansas. Then he entered the Northwestern Medical College in St. Joseph and received his diploma in 1893. Two years later he took a post-graduate course in Rush Medical College of Chicago. He began prac- ticing in St. Joseph in 1898 and has
WILLIAM D. RUSK, attorney, was born in Woodford County, Kentuckyy June 15. 1850, and his parents were also Kentuckians. He came to St! Joseph in 1856 and after going through the high school completed a course at Phillips' College, Exeter, New Hampshire, graduating in 1872. Re turning to St. Joseph, he taught ir
P f B the high school for six years, being principal from 1877 to 1882. He be gan practicing law in 1882, and was married October 16, 1884.
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HENRY KRUG, JR., was born in St. Joseph, July 9, 1861. Educated in the public and high schools of St. Jo- seph, he entered the packing business when but sixteen years of age, and gained the benefit of the excellent training under the supervision of his father and uncle. He was one of the organizers of the German-American Bank in 1887, when he was made vice- president, a position which he contin- led to hold until 1913, in that year
No. 1105 Krug Park Place.
On May 18, 1892, Mr. Krug was mar- ried to Miss Selma Hegner of St. Jo- seph, prominent in the social life of the city. Mr. and Mrs. Krug have no children, but have reared two chil- dren whom they adopted.
DR. ARTILEUS V. BANES was born near Zanesville, Ohio, February 19, 1845, where he received his primary education; came to St. Joseph in April, 1858, with his step-father, the
HENRY KRUG, JR.
ucceeding to the presidency. He was ne of the organizers of the St. Joseph tock Yards Company in 1887, and is lso largely interested in a number f important commercial enterprises. Ir. Krug is a deacon in the First Presbyterian Church, of which the amily have always been members. His social connections include mem- ership in the St. Joseph, Country, Benton and Commerce Clubs. The leasant family home is located at
late Judge John A. Dolman. He took a classical course with Professor E. B. Neely of St. Joseph, and in 1860 went to Denver and later to. Montana, where he was successful in mining for four years. Returning to St. Joseph, he read medicine, was graduated from Jefferson College, Philadelphia, in 1868, and has become celebrated in his profession. He was married in Phila- delphia, March, 1873, to Miss Bessie Davis.
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JOHN P. FREEMAN, JR., was born in Winfield Junction, Queens County, Long Island, New York, November 15, 1865. He came to St. Joseph in Aug- ust, 1885, and at once took up the plumber's trade, serving his appren- ticeship with M. E. Herbert, at 616 Felix Street. He was married to Miss Mary G. Conniff in the St. Joseph Cathedral, September 29, 1892. Mr. Freeman removed to Mexico, Mo., in 1893, where he engaged in business,
Quebec, Canada, Nov. 30, 1841. His father, David Lawlor, a carriage mak- er, and his mother, whose maiden name was Margaret Sullivan, were born in Ireland, and came to the prov- ince in 1830. After learning the print- ers' trade, Mr. Lawlor went to New York and thence to Liberty, Clay County, Missouri. He came to St. Jo- seph in 1872 and entered the employ of the Steam Printing Company, where he worked first as compositor
JOHN P. FREEMAN, JR.
but returned to St. Joseph in 1901. For many years he was identified with the union labor movement, serving as president of the plumbers' organiza- tion and also of the Central Labor Council. He was appointed city plumbing inspector by Mayor William E. Spratt in April, 1905. He was re- appointed by Mayors Clayton and Pfeiffer and served until the spring of 1915.
MICHAEL LAWLOR, publisher of the Catholic Tribune, was born at
and then as superintendent. In 1899 he purchased a half interest in the Catholic Tribune, which he retained for three years. In 1894 he became the sole proprietor of this publication, which has prospered under his able guidance. At Liberty, Mr. Lawlor mar- ried Miss Margaret McCormick, daugh- ter of Thomas and Dorothea (Alex- ander) McCormick. Nine children- four boys and five girls-were born into this union.
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WILLIAM T. LETTS, proprietor of box factory and cooperage works, is a native of England, where he was born May 17, 1851. His parents were George T. and Mary (Knight) Letts. Mr. Letts was schooled and learned his trade of box making in England and came to America in 1882, locating in Chicago, where he remained two years and then came to St. Joseph, where he has since built up a profit- able business in the manufacture of
only to Joseph Robidoux, the founder of the City of St. Joseph, in the early history of the city, and who lived to see it expand and spread out over the large body of land he pre-empted ad- jacent to the original town site, was Frederick W. Smith. Captain Smith was born October 3, 1815, in Prussia. He received his early education in his native town and afterwards entered a military academy, where he was edu- cated as a civil engineer. When eigh-
WILLIAM T. LETTS -Photo by Mulvane.
all kinds of packing boxes and coop- erage. Mr. Letts is one of the most enterprising of St. Joseph's citizens. Before leaving England Mr. Letts met and married Miss Elizabeth Palmer, in 1871. Of this union nine children were born, six boys and three girls. Mrs. Letts died in 1899. In 1900 Mr. Letts married Mrs. Reid Arnnol of St. Joseph.
FREDERICK W. SMITH, second
teen years of age he sailed for Amer- ica. Landing in New York in 1833, he remained there almost a year, and then removed to New Orleans, where he was employed in a cotton press. Owing to the breaking out of the yel- low fever in that city, he embarked on the Mississippi River, and came to St. Louis, where soon after his arrival he was appointed Deputy City Sur- veyor. In 1838, or 1839, he left St.
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Louis for the Platte Purchase and set- tled at Blacksnake Hills (now St. Jo- seph). Here he engaged in farming and surveying. He made the original map of St. Joseph and named it after the founder of the city, Joseph Robi- doux. Captain Smith pre-empted lands, upon which a portion of the city now stands, and which has been divided and sub-divided and sold at different times. He was a captain of of the militia for a number of years,
public spirited man, and Smith Park, which he gave to the city, perpetuated his name.
CHARLES L. FAUST, attorney-at- law, was born April 24, 1879, in Logan County, Ohio. He moved with his parents to Kansas when a year and a half old, and his early years were spent on a farm near Highland. He began his education in the common schools of the community in which he was reared, and attended Highland
CHARLES L. FAUST
and was afterwards made a major of the state volunteers; was appointed the first postmaster of the village of St. Joseph; in 1861 he was elected mayor of the city; his last office was that of judge of the Buchanan county court, his term ending in 1876. He married Miss Jane Tolin, of Daviess County, Missouri, in 1843, who died shortly before her husband. Captain Smith died May 7, 1883. He was
University from 1892 to 1898. He taught the Winona district school, three miles west of Highland, from 1898 to 1900, and in the latter year entered the State University of Kan- sas, graduating from the law depart- ment in 1903. He finished the course with honors, being president of his class at graduation. During two years of the time spent in the University, and during vacation periods, he stud-
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ied in the office of Judge John Q. A. Norton, leader of the Douglas County bar. Mr. Faust came to St. Joseph in October, 1903, and has practiced law here uninterruptedly since that date. He was appointed city counselor in April, 1915. Fraternally he is a Ma- son and an Elk.
LEWIS C. GABBERT, lawyer, in the Corby-Forsee Building, was born January 21, 1874, in Platte County. He is the son of George B. and Alice
latter being given him as winner of the Kentucky Inter-Collegiate contest in 1895. He was elected prosecuting attorney of Buchanan County in 1902, and during the year 1907 was presi- dent of the Monroe Club, the local Democratic organization. He was mar- ried in Louisville, October 5, 1897, to a daughter of Judge N. Sandifer of Lancaster, Ky. They have three chil- dren, Benton S., Lewis C., Jr., and Virginia Lee.
-
LEWIS C. GABBERT
-Photo by Mulvane.
Layton Gabbert. He finished his col- lege education in 1897 from the Cen- ter College, Danville, Ky., having pre- viously attended the Missouri State University and William Jewel College. Mr. Gabbert gained distinction as an orator at college, receiving two gold medals and a cash prize of $50, the
CHARLES M. BETTS, real estate agent, 71612 Edmond Street, was born in Otsego County, N. Y., June 27, 1852. His father, Roderick C. Betts, a farmer, was born in Maryland. His mother's maiden name was Johanna P. Wilson; she was a native of New York State. The family went to
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Bloomington, Ill., in September of 1865, and returned to New York in August of 1873. Our subject was edu- cated in the district and common schools and then learned the machin- ists' trade; came to St. Joseph March 13, 1875, and has resided here continu- ously since, with the exception of two years; worked as a machinist in the shops of the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad Company for ten years, and then went to Wal-
the sophomore class of the University of Chicago in October, 1897. Mr. Betts is a Republican in politics, though not a strict partisan.
FRANCIS W. BRAND, plumbing in- spector, was born in Pierce City, Mo., October 23, 1875, and came with his parents to St. Joseph in 1884. He was educated in this city and in Portland, Ore., where the family afterward lived. He began his apprenticeship in the plumbing trade in 1893, and
FRANCIS W. BRAND
nut, Texas, where he remained for two years; returned to St. Joseph in 1887 and embarked in the real estate busi- ness, in which he has been successful. Was married Oct. 10, 1876, in St. Jo- seph, to Miss Mary A. Estes, born Jan. 15, 1855. They have one child, Otie E. born Dec. 14, 1877, who graduated from the St. Joseph high school, class of 1896; entered the freshman class of the Northwestern University, at Evanston, Ill., in September, 1896, and
for several years worked here and in Omaha, until April, 1915, when he was appointed city plumbing inspector, which office he is filling quite accept- ably. He was married in 1899 to Miss Anna Marie Falk. They have a fam- ily of three children. Fraternally Mr. Brand is an Odd Fellow and Wood- man of the World. He has always taken an interest in organized labor, and holds the office of secretary of the St. Joseph Central Labor Council.
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CHARLES C. CROW
A former St. Joseph attorney, now of Kansas City, and a candidate for judge of the Kansas City Court of Appeals.
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FREDERICK NEUDORFF, presi- dent of the Neudorff Hardware Com- pany, 114 South Fourth Street, St. Joseph, Mo., was born in Platte coun- ty, Mo., July 5, 1859. His father, Louis Otto, was born in Germany, and his mother, whose maiden name was Ar- nold, was born in Alsace, then a prov- ince of France. About 1863 he was brought to St. Joseph and has resided here ever since. He attended the pub-
tion, as well as numerous other semi- public positions without pay. He is independent in thought about religion, politics and public duty, a positive op- timist, believes in service and humil- ity. Mr. Neudorff was married to a daughter of Rev. H. Fiegenhaum and at her decease married his present wife, a daughter of Frederick Bauer. He is the father of six living children. He loves his home, friends, music, lit-
FREDERICK NEUDORFF.
lic schools until 111/2 years old, and for forty-five years has been located in the same block as employe and owner -- since 1887 in business for himself. Mr. Neudorff served two terms on the school board, vice-president one term. He has been a member of the park board, and for practically fifteen years he has been president of the St. Joseph Retail Merchants Associa-
erature and art in its various expres- sions, and has been considered by his friends as a fairly useful citizen. Dewey Avenue Boulevard and the ex- tension of Blacksnake sewer are largely due to his faith and energy. Mr. Neudorff is a positive man who loves sincerity, dislikes sham and pre- tense.
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HARRY E. WYATT, president of the Drovers and Merchants Bank, Lake Avenue and Cherokee Street, was born in Atchison county, May 1, 1869. He was educated in the schools of his native county and in 1886 served a year in the office of the probate judge in Rock Port. Having a desire to become a banker he engaged with the Bank of Atchison County in 1888 in the capacity of clerk and book- keeper. He held this position until
union. He was again married April 9, 1913, to Mrs. Mary Baker of St. Joseph. They have one child, an in- teresting little daughter. Fraternally Mr. Wyatt has memberships in the Elks, Masons and Knights of Pythias. He has been an important factor in the growth and upbuilding of the Drovers and Merchants Bank, of which a recent writer said: "The wide experience of its officers in the making of careful loans is of inestim-
HARRY E. WYATT
1902, when he was promoted to the office of cashier. He held this post until 1908, when he came to St. Joseph to accept the presidency of the Drov- ers and Merchants Bank, which office he still holds, to the general satisfac- tion of the large number of patrons of the bank.
Mr. Wyatt was married to Miss Mary Sly of Atchison county, June 24, 1891, who died in July, 1909. Two children, both sons, were born to this
able value to the bank's patrons. The officers are well known and have the highest standing in business and fi- nancial circles of the state, and are ever ready to offer responsible persons financial service of the highest char- acter."
REV. WILLIAM HARMON LITTLE, Baptist minister, was born in Buchan- an county, September 7, 1868, one mile northwest of what is now the town of
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Dearborn, then known as Lick Skillet. After completing the work of the com- mon schools he finished his education in William Jewel College at Liberty, Mo. While yet a young man he learned the trade of carpenter and later served as constable of Center Township. He was a deputy under Sheriff Andriano in 1900. Rev. Little lived on a farm one mile north of Old Sparta for twen- ty years and was for a time assistant to the postmaster at Adams postoffice.
and Missouri Avenues, is a native of Illinois. He was born in Bloomington, July 12, 1873. His parents moved to Denver when he was ten years of age and most of his early education was received there. In 1890 he entered the Louisville Medical College and graduated from this school in 1894. After graduation he entered the St. Luke's Hospital in Denver as an in- terne, where he remained one year, and in 1895 he located in La Junta,
bL U
DR. ARTHUR R. TIMMERMAN
He was married to Miss Jennie Laston in 1896. They have two children, Gladys and William Jewell. Fraternal- ly he is a Mason and an Odd Fellow. He has been in the ministry since 1903 and was pastor of the Baptist church at Beloit for three years.
DR. ARTHUR R. TIMMERMAN, physician and surgeon, with offices in the Odd Fellows building, King Hill
Colo., where he was engaged in the practice of his profession for ten years. He came to St. Joseph in 1904 and opened his present office. He was surgeon for the Stock Yards Com- pany 1906-08. He was married to Miss Leonora Hall, of Pueblo, Colo., in 1835. They have one son, Arthur, fourteen years old. Fraternally Dr. Timiner- man is a Mason and Knight of Pyth-
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of
ias. He is a member of the Buchanan County, Missouri State, Missouri Val- ley and American Medical Societies and of the Academy of Surgery of St. Joseph.
VICTOR SCHWIEN, dealer in fancy groceries and liquors at 416 Felix Street, is a native of Alsace, France, and his parentage was German and French. He was born August 1, 1865. He came with his parents to America in 1866, first locating in Chicago, Ill.,
to Miss Amiela Dietz of Weston, Mo. They have five children, all sons.
RANDOLPH T. DAVIS, one of the foremost men of the community in his day, was born December 26, 1837, in Buchanan County, the son of Ishmael and Nancy (McDaniel) Davis, who were among the first settlers of Bu- chanan County. Our subject attended such schools as there were in those days, and at the age of sixteen entered the Western high school to prepare for
VICTOR SCHWIEN
where he was educated. He came to St. Joseph in 1880 and engaged with H. C. Boller in the hardware business for four years, and later was asso- ciated with James Horigan in a plumbers' supply business. He devot- ed five years to this last mentioned pursuit. In 1888 he and Patrick Nevin purchased the business of Tex- tor Brothers, at the present location of Nevin & Schwien.
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