John H. Covault, of Wichita, Kan., is a native of Indiana, where he was born, in Blackford county, on March 4, 1870. His parents were Nathaniel and Barbara Covault. The elder Covault was a native of Pennsylvania, of Welsh descent, and his wife a native of Ohio, of German ancestry. In 1878 the family moved to Sedgwick county, Kansas, and there the parents lived until their death, leaving behind them an honorable record for industry and honesty. They were the parents of three children. John N. Covault was eight years old when he accompanied his parents to Kansas, where he grew to a strong and healthy manhood. His education was obtained in the public schools of the county. In 1893 he was married to Mrs. Ella (Davis) Wright, daughter of Oliver P. and Martha Davis, who are now living near Dacoma, Okla. Mrs. Covault was born in Illinois, April 29, 1867. After marriage Mr. Covault continued to engage in agricultural pursuits near the city of Colwich, until 1900, when he came to Wichita, and in 1904 entered the employment of the International Harvester Company of America. His work with this company has taken him to nearly all parts of the civilized world. In his travels he has visited England, France, Spain, Portugal, Africa, Brazil, Uruguay, and the Argentine Republic. Mr. Covault has gathered a fine collection of souvenirs from the different places of interest that he has visited.
In 1909 he resigned from the service of the Harvester company. Mr. Covault has taken an active part in making Wichita a greater Wichita. He lives at No. 326 South Osage street, where he owns a fine residence. At present he has a garage located on the west side. (History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas: past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county; Chicago: C.F. Cooper & Co., 1910, Pages 751-752)
Louis K. Cowley, agent of Cadillac automobile with salesrooms at No. 114-116 North Topeka avenue, Wichita, Kan., is a native of the Wolverine State, having been born at Lansing, Mich., on April 26, 1878. He is a son of J. H. and Edith (Meade) Cowley, who removed to Lansing from Detroit, and who are both still living in Lansing, the elder Cowley being a pioneer merchant of the latter city. Louis K. Cowley was educated in the public schools of Lansing and at the Michigan Agricultural College, graduating from the latter institution in the class of 1898. He first entered the employ of Peet Bros., of Kansas City, as a traveling salesman throughout the Southwest. He took up the real estate business next, and made a specialty of ranches in Butler and Cowley counties, Kansas, from 1901 to 1908. In 1907 he began in the automobile business at Winfield as a side line, and in 1908 found that the business had grown to such proportions that he dropped the real estate business entirely and moved to Wichita, where he opened a salesroom, and has since conducted business on a larger scale, making a specialty of the Cadillac machine and pushing sales in thirteen counties adjacent to and in the locality of Wichita. Mr. Cowley is a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He was married in 1902 to Miss Grace Dunnebacke, of Lansing, Mich., and of this union one child has been born, Christine Louise Cowley. (History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas: past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county; Chicago: C.F. Cooper & Co., 1910, Page 752)
Joseph A. Crider, farmer, of Kechi township, Sedgwick county, Kansas, was born August 31, 1839, in Preble county Ohio. He is the son of Samuel C. and Catherine (Aringes) Crider. The father died in Ohio in 1855 and the mother in 1882. They were the parents of eight children, of whom Joseph W. was the youngest. The Crier ancestry is traced to Germany. Joseph A. Crider acquired his education in the public schools of Ohio, which he attended until twenty years old, and lived under the paternal roof until he was twenty-three. He was married on March 29, 1863, in Preble county, to Miss Anna Frantz. Ten children have been born of this union, of whom nine are now living. They are: Cassius E., born January 2, 1864, Thaddeus R., single, born January 28, 1866, Charles A., single, born February 9, 1868, Walter T., single, born June 22, 1870; Clarence H., single, born November 30, 1872; Samuel E., single born April 21, 1875; Mrs. Alpha Knebler, born October 17, 1877; Jesse F., single, born September 28, 1882, Joseph J., single, born July 29, 1884. Ralph deceased, was born June 10, 1888. Mr. Crider, on March 29, 1877, left Ohio and came to Kansas, locating first in Kechi township, where he lived six years. In 1883 he bought eighty acres of land in Section 36, Grant township, which he afterwards sold. He then bought 100 acres of land in Section 2, Kechi township, where he now resides. He is a Republican in politics and active in the interests of his party when it puts good men in nomination for office. (History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas: past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county; Chicago: C.F. Cooper & Co., 1910, Pages 752-753)
Elwood E. Crossley, a retired farmer of Cheney, Kan., was born on June 2, 1859, in Danville, Pa., of English-French ancestry. His father came from England to the United States when about eight years old and located in Danville, where he lived and died. Elwood E. remained under the parental roof until he was twenty-one. His first occupation was that of attendant in a hospital. After this he was a clerk for a short time in the mercantile business, and in the spring of 1880 he came to Kansas to take up his permanent residence. He located at Cheney, which at that time was but a small village containing only a few houses and before the railroad was built, and worked at painting for a living. A short time after his arrival he purchased a farm of 160 acres and on it made his bachelor quarters for about four years. He then returned to Pennsylvania on a visit and while there was married to Miss Hester Parsel an accomplished lady born at Waterford, Canada. The marriage took place at the village of Buck Horn, on January 12, 1888. No children have been born of this union. Mr. Crossely returned to Cheney with his wife in 1889 and acquired more land, making in all 320 acres that he owns. After a residence of over eleven years on the farm he engaged in other pursuits. For one year he was in the livery business, which he sold out, and then made another visit to his old home in Pennsylvania, and to Canada, where his wife's relatives resided, coming back to Kansas in 1899. Mr. Crossley then engaged in the hardware and implement business, purchasing a half interest from D. M. Main. The firm afterwards became Northcutt & Crossley, and then Main & Crossley, until its dissolution. Mr. Crossley ever since he has resided in Cheney has been known as a public spirited citizen who has had much to do with the building up of the town. He has held nearly all of the township and some other offices in a satisfactory manner. He was treasurer of Grand River township for one year before he resided in the village of Cheney. He was also treasurer of Morton township for four years, and built the town hall, and was councilman of Cheney for five years at different times. Fraternally Mr. Crossley is a Mason, being a member of Morton Lodge, No. 258, A. F. and A. M. and of Wichita Consistory, No. 2. He is a member of the Scottish Rite bodies and has filled nearly all the chairs in his lodge. Mr. Crossley has been successful in all his business undertakings. He helped organize, in 1900, a creamery in Cheney which proved to be a profitable enterprise. He has taken a great interest in the raising of stock and dealt in Norman bred horses and Shorthorn Hereford cattle. He has been known to realize from his stock in a single year as much as $2,800. He is a large land owner at the present time, but likes to recall the vicissitudes that beset him for awhile in the attempts to raise stock. He says: "It just appeared at one time that my calves, cattle and chickens would take sick and die, and I was almost discouraged." But he stuck to his work during times of panic until his luck changed and everything he has touched in the way of raising stock since has paid him handsomely and made him prosperous. Mr. Crossely is a man who has proved his efficiency in everything he has undertaken. In politics he is a Democrat of the Grover Cleveland type. (History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas: past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county; Chicago: C.F. Cooper & Co., 1910, Pages 753-754)
Frank T. Culp, proprietor of the market at No. 239 North Main Street, Wichita, Kan., was born in Westphalia, Kan., on July 17, 1884. His parents were John S. and Margaret (Watts) Culp, natives of Pennsylvania and Illinois, respectively who moved to Kansas in 1878. The father was a carpenter by trade, and he and his wife are both living. Frank T. Culp was the fourth child of a family of six. They are: Blanche, wife of Melvin C. Jones, of Wichita; Garnette, wife of G. B. Carrothers, of Wichita; William W., in business at the market with his brother; Frank T., Linnie, wife of C. C. Haberson of Wichita, and Lucile Culp of Wichita. Frank T. Culp was educated at the public schools of Wichita and variously employed until he entered the employ of "Uncle" Joe Stewart in the meat business at No. 241 North Main Street. Becoming familiar with all the details of the business, he purchased the plant, in 1905, at 123 South Main street, and continued at the same stand until July, 1909, when he combined with the one now operated by him and which he purchased in February, 1909. The first cold storage room in connection with any market, and also the only one in Wichita prior to June 1910, was with the Culp market, now conducted by Frank T. Culp, which enjoys a liberal trade worthy of this, one of the leading markets of the city of Wichita. Mr. Culp is a member of the Wichita Commercial Club. He was married in December, 1904 to Miss Josephine Hoover, daughter of J. Q. Hoover, of Wichita. Mr. and Mrs. Culp have one child, John, born April 20, 1908. (History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas: past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county; Chicago: C.F. Cooper & Co., 1910, Pages 754-755)
Hon. Charles L. Davidson, the first mayor to serve under Wichita's commission form of government, was born in Cuba, Allegheny county, New York, November 22, 1859. He is a son of S. L. and Susan R. (Hampton) Davidson. The first twelve years of his life were spent in his native state. The father, desiring to locate in the West, went on a tour of inspection and decided on Wichita as the place to make his future home, the family arriving on October 22, 1872. Charles L. attended the Wichita and Lawrence, Kan., schools and after completing his education, entered into business with his father in the S. L. Davidson Mortgage Company. This was the only company in that line of business in Wichita which remained intact and weathered the storm after the boom. This company is still in existence, the pioneer in its line.
Mr. Davidson has served in many official capacities in city and state. For five years he was president of the park board and three years president of the Chamber of Commerce. It was while serving in this capacity in 1904 that he called a meeting in Wichita and the "Square Deal" movement was inaugurated, which has spread until the entire nation feels its influence.
Mr. Davidson was councilman during the time that both Ross and McClain filled the office of mayor. In 1906 he was elected to the state legislature. One of the bills which he introduced and which became a law was the new tax law, which called for a revaluation of all property throughout the state, in this way readjusting and equalizing the tax levy under the new valuation. He was the author of this bill, and it is known as the "Davidson law."
In 1909, when Wichita adopted the commission form of government, he was selected to fill the position of mayor. The wisdom of the people in selecting a business man for this position is shown in the results attained. When Mr. Davidson took his place as mayor he found the treasury empty and a deficiency of over $300,000. These debts have all been paid, and on January 1, 1911, there will be a balance in the treasury. The public improvements have been on a scale scarcely dreamed of by the residents of Wichita. The New Forum is being built as a cost of $200,000, with a seating capacity of 6,000. The dam on Little river has been built at a cost of $30,000. Forty-six miles of streets have been paved. More than 100 miles of sewers are being built, and thirty miles of water mains have been laid. The city has voted bonds and the land has been bought on which to build the new city workhouse and jail.
Mr. Davidson has arranged a uniform city plan under which all future improvements will be promoted. He has arranged with the different railroads entering the city for the elevating of their tracks and the building of a union depot for the accommotion of the public.
While Mr. Davidson has spent a very busy life so far as business is concerned, he has not neglected the social part. He is a thirty-second degree Mason and is active in the co-ordinate bodies of the Scottish Rite. He is also a member of the Chamber of Commerce and the Commercial Club. He is an ardent autoist, a good fisherman and spent weeks at a time hunting big game in the mountains of Colorado. In addition to this, he is one of the leading members of St. Paul's Methodist church, a liberal contributor to the same, and for twenty-five years, the superintendent of its Sunday School. Organized League of Kansas Municipalities, of which he is serving his second term as president. Vice-president of League of American Municipalities. (History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas: past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county; Chicago: C.F. Cooper & Co., 1910, Pages 755-756)
John A. Davidson, Civil War veteran, of Valley Center, Sedgwick county, Kansas, was born December 10, 1843, in Logan county, Illinois. His parents were John B. and Anna (Simpson) Davidson, both natives of Scotland. John B. Davidson, the father of John A., was one of a family of twenty-one children, and came to the United States and located at Newburyport, R. I., where he remained up to the time of his removal to Logan county, Illinois in 1840. He was a farmer, and this trade he followed up to the time of his death, on January 18, 1881, in Logan county, Illinois. His widow died in 1901. John A. Davidson received his education in the public schools of Illinois, and subsequently attended an academy at Wheeling, Va., for four years. He enlisted as a private in Company F, One Hundred and Sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. After the regiment was equipped at Lincoln, Ill., it was sent South and placed in the Army of Mississippi, and in West Tennessee was engaged in several important battles. It fought at Jackson, Tenn., Porters Cross Roads, and then was sent to Vicksburg, Miss., where it was kept busy digging rifle pits and throwing up earthworks to protect itself from the enemy's shot, being in close quarters. The regiment was then assigned to the Sixteenth Army Corps and General Grant sent it up the Yazoo river. Afterwards the regiment operated in the Mississippi campaign, and also at Little Rock, Hot Springs and Benton , Ark. Often it ws engaged in chasing General Shelby's Confederate troops. After this the regiment was under Gen. Powell Clayton up to July, 865, when it was discharged at Springfield, Ill. Mr. Davidson has held many honorary positions in the G. A. R. He was appointed assistant deputy commander in January, 1910. he is now past commander of E. E. Warner Post, No. 335, Valley Center, Kan. Mr. Davidson located in Sedgwick county in 1882, and has filled various business positions up to the present time. His residence has been in Valley Center since 1885. He was elected mayor in 1898 and 1899. He was also a justice of the peace one term and has been the police judge of Valley Center for seven years. Fraternally Mr. Davidson is a member of the Masonic order, Valley Center Lodge, No. 364; of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Valley Center Loge, No. 223, of which he is now past grand, and also of the Rebeccas and Easter Star. In politics he is a Democrat with independent inclinations. (History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas: past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county; Chicago: C.F. Cooper & Co., 1910, Pages 756-757)
J. Oak Davidson, one of the most prominent citizens of Wichita, Kan., was born in Cuba, N. Y., on March , 1850. His parents were S. L. and Susan (Roda) Davidson. The father of J. Oak Davidson was a man of some wealth and was able to give his son the advantage of a good education. In 1872 the parents moved from New York to Wichita, Kan., where the father embarked in the real estate and loan business. In 1880 the firm of S. L. Davidson & Co. was organized, the son, J. Oak Davidson being the company. In 1883 J. Oak Davidson organized the Davidson Loan Company, with a paid up capital stock of $100,000. About this time Mr. Davidson bought the northwest corner of Main Street and Douglass avenue and organized the Citizens State Bank of which he was elected president. The bank erected the building now occupied by the Kansas National Bank. The Citizens bank occupied the building until 1896, when the institution was liquidated and Mr. Davidson bought a controlling interest in the Kansas National Bank, moving it into its present quarters. At the same time Mr. Davidson became president and a director of the latter named bank. In 1902 Mr. Davidson sold his holdings in the bank and retired from its directorate. While in the Citizens bank, in 1886, Mr. Davidson conceived the idea of opening an addition on the west side of the river, and bought about 500 acres. To reach this property he built a bridge across the river at Oak street. Mr. Davidson has always been a lover of horses, and on this property he built a half-mile track. The balance he subdivided into lots and many of the best residences in the city have been built on this property. In 1887 Mr. Davidson built the residence now occupied by Tipton Cox. In 1885 Mr. Davidson and others organized the Riverside & Suburban Street Railway Company, building the first standard guage in Wichita. This road ran from Douglas avenue north on Market street to Pine, and west to the race track and Riverside. It was later extended two and a half miles north to the Alamo addition. During this same year (1886) Mr. Davidson negotiated with an electrical company in St. Louis to electrify the road, but the work was so crude that it resulted in failure. In January, 1887, Mr. Davidson went to New York and engaged the Thompson-Houston Company to equip two and a half miles of the road. This was the first successfully operated electric street railway in the United States. In 1887 Mr. Davidson added to his street railway holdings by purchasing the road running to Fairmount and also to the Burton Car Works, making fifteen miles of electric street railroad he owned. In 1890 he effected the consolidation of the three systems in operation in Wichita, rebuilding the narrow guage, making it standard, and operating the entire system by electricity. These holdings were taken over by the Wichita Electric Railway Company, of which Mr. Davidson was president. He held this position until 1893, when he retired from the company. The same year he went to Coffeyville, Kan., and purchased oil and gas leases, accumulating 33,000 acres. The next five years of Mr. Davidson's life were spent in Chicago, where he organized a company to handle his gas leases in Kansas and induced the Wichita Natural Gas Company to lay its pipes to the field at a cost of $4,000,000, in this way supplying Wichita with plenty of cheap gas. The company also piped to Newton and Hutchison. Mr. Davidson bought the holdings of the Artificial Gas and Electric Company of Wichita and relaid all the mains and rebuilt the electric plant, Mr. Davidson being the president of this company. In 1909 the company sold its gas and electric holdings in Wichita to an eastern syndicate. When the Burton Stock Car Company was looking for a location to build its shops Mr. Davison induced it to locate on land about four miles north of Wichita by giving the company seventy acres of land and agreeing to be responsible for a bonus of $200,000. The Board of Trade and people of Wichita assumed $50,000 of this and substantially paid that amount. The balance was paid by Mr. Davidson. At one time the car company employed between 500 and 600 workmen, and had a little city of 250 homes. On account of the inconvenience of returning cars for repair, the company moved its shops to Chicago. Mr. Davidson was a stockholder and director in the car company. He is also president of the Hutchinson Gas and Fuel Company, which supplies Newton and Hutchinson with gas. Mr. Davidson was married in 1876 to Miss Ida F. Fitch, a daughter of Joseph P. Fitch and Frances E. (Guyer) Fitch, of Eldora, Kan. Of this union one son, Frank O. Davidson, was born in 1877. The latter was married to Miss Elsie Bell, of Chicago and lives in Wichita, where he is engaged in the insurance business. Mr. Davidson's wife died in 1883 and in 1887 he was married to Miss Bessie Carver, of Jacksonville, Ill., by whom he has had two children - Oakley, attending a young ladies' school in the East and a son, James Ogden, attending the public schools in Wichita. Fraternally, Mr. Davidson is a member of the Masonic order, being a member of the Wichita lodge and the Wichita consistory. He lives in a beautiful home at No. 935 North Lawrence street. (History of Wichita and Sedgwick County, Kansas: past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county; Chicago: C.F. Cooper & Co., 1910, Pages 757-759)
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