WILLISTON HADWEN ADDINGTON
Williston Hadwen Addington, Physician, was born at East Aurora, New York, October 19, 1854, son of George Hawxhurst
and Elizabeth Allen (Arnold) Addington.
The father was born in Erie County, New York, April 25, 1826, and died at East Aurora. He was a farmer, a horse
breeder, and an auctioneer, whose English and Scotch ancestors were early settlers in America. Among them is Lord
Morforth of England. Elizabeth Allen Arnold was born in Erie county, New York, in June, 1834, and died at East
Aurora in April 1918. She was an active worker in the Universalist Church, and in all charity organizations. Of
New England stock she was a direct descendant of Ethan Allen.
Dr. Addington received his medical degree from the University of Buffalo in 1879. A Democrat Dr. Addington has
been president of the school board in Spickard, Missouri, and Altoona, Kansas.
His marriage to Ellen Amelia Mosher was solemnized at Orchard Park, New York, October 15, 1879. Mrs. Addington
was born at Orchard Park on October 20, 1854. To them were born the following children: Winifred, in May, 1882,
who died in January, 1892; Katherine on Septembe r2, 1883, who married W. W. Tracy; Francis on April 12, 1885 who
died in September 1885; James H., in July 1886 who died in January, 1887 and Hadwen A., born June 14, 1890, who
married Madge Moore.
Dr. Addington is a member of the Medical Reserve and the Universal church, the American and Kansas State Medical
Associations, the Medical Association of the Grundy County, Missouri, Medical Association in 1906 and has been
the president of the Wilson County Medical Society. He is a Mason, an Odd Fellow, and a Woodman of the World. His
hobby is horses. Residence: Altoona. (Illustriana Kansas, by Sara Mullin Baldwin & Robert Morton Baldwin, 1933,
page 12)
ARMSTRONG, ROBERT
Robert Armstrong, of Jefferson County, lived at
Perry. He was from Indiana, and was born about 1825. In 1865 he was employed on the old Kansas Pacific railroad.
He was elected a member of the legislature of 1868. About 1870 he left Jefferson county for Neodesha, Wilson County.
(Transactions of the Kansas State Historical Society 1907-1908, Vol. X, edited by Geo. W. Martin, Secretary, State
Printing Office, Topeka, 1908, page 268)
BARTELS, WILLIAM LEWIS
William Lewis Bartels, retired, of Iola, whose
presence has been conspicuously recognized in the business and social world of Allen county for the past forty
years, is one of the remaining pioneers of Kansas whose business career almost spans the history of his county
and whose life, filling with years, has been crowned with the reward of honest, earliest and intelligent effort.
He has not simply been in the county but distinctly of the county and, while he has witnessed most of the events
of importance that have happened here he has caused some of them to happen and knew that others were going to happen.
He had arrived at the age of responsible citizenship when he first saw Allen county and was equipped with a fair
education, a good constitution, an abundance of energy and a good name. This combination, carefully guarded, will
win in the race of any life and, when its cares have been laid aside, it can not be said that "it was all
in vain."
"Lew" Bartels was burn in Muskingum county,
Ohio, May 11, 1842. He is a son of Christian Bartels, born in Hanover, Germany, in 1808. The latter was a miller's
son and, in 1835, came to the United States. He has a brother, Lewis, who resides at Gypsum, Kansas, and another
brother, Henry, who remained in Germany. Christian Bartels learned the tailor's trade in his youth and his first
work in this country was done in Philadelphia. He located at Zanesville, Ohio, about 1840 and was there married
to Sarah Pryor, whose parents were among the first settlers of that community. In 1831 he went to Bureau county,
Illinois, and located in Sheffield. He had undertaken farming in Illinois and, feeling cramped for room and with
the expectation of getting a "claim," he came to Kansas in 1860. He pre-empted a quarter section on Onion
Creek, on the south line of Iola township and died there in 1878. His widow died in Iola in 1898. Their children
are: Amelia, widow of Jesse VanFossen, of Humboldt; Mary, died single; W. L.; Margaret, wife of D. B. Stephens,
of Iola; Sarah, who married Robert L. Travis, of Humboldt, Kansas; Thomas M., a leading merchant of Iola.
Among the first things that Lew Bartels encountered
on coming to Kansas was the Civil war. It was no trial for him to meet his obligation in this matter for he was
a strong believer in the union of the states and cowardice was not a part of his makeup. He enlisted August 10,
1861, in Company G, Ninth Kansas, Colonel Lynde; and the first thing that was done was to raid the Rebels and Bushwhackers
who sacked Humboldt. They were overtaken at Cabin Creek and a battle ensued. The fellows who burned Humboldt also
came in for a raid and the Ninth did its duty toward them. The Ninth spent the winter of 1861 on post duty at Humboldt
and the next spring it was marched to Leavenworth, Kansas, and mounted. It took the Santa Fe trail for Fort Union,
New Mexico, guarding the overland stage line against the Indians and Rebels. The regiment returned to Leavenworth
the same fall and Company G did provost guard duty around the city till the spring of 1863. The regiment guarded
the southern border of the state and chased Quantrel's band of guerrillas in Missouri the greater part of the year.
General Joe Shelby's men were encountered at different times in his feints on Kansas City and north Missouri. The
spring of 1864 the Ninth Kansas was ordered toward Little Rock and had many brushes with the Confederates in Arkansas.
Our subject enlisted as a private and was discharged at Duvalls Bluff, Arkansas, January 6, 1865, being a sergeant
and having seen three and one-half years of service.
Mr. Bartels tilled the soil the first four years
succeeding the war. He went into Degenhart's harness shop at Humboldt, learned the trade and the business and spent
three years there. He came to Iola in 1874 and opened a shop and did a thriving business in the old building on
his present business corner till 1885. He was then appointed Deputy Revenue Collector for fourteen eastern Kansas
counties. He officiated in this capacity four and a half years and acquitted himself with credit to himself and
with great satisfaction to the government. Upon the election of Harrison the Deputy force resigned in a body and,
in reply to his letter of resignation his chief sent Mr. Bartels the following:
"In terminating our official relations I desire
to say that I have always considered the business of the Second Division in safe hands, and to thank you for your
care and fidelity in the discharge of your duties. Your selection and appointment has never caused me a regret.
I hope your prosperity and happiness in future may equal your individual merits."
Retiring from the revenue service Mr. Bartels established
himself in the hardware business and his house became one of the popular places of business in Allen county. He
conducted its affairs most satisfactorily till April 1899 when he sold his stock and retired from active business.
During the year 1898 he erected the "Bartels Block," a two story brick 22x120 feet with basement and
the following year his brick residence, on East Madison avenue, was erected, and he thus becomes the owner of two
of the most attractive and substantial structures in the city.
March 22, 1863, Mr. Bartels was married in Allen
county to Sidney, a daughter of John B. Tibbetts, who was driven out of Missouri in 1861 by the Rebels and came
over into Allen county. Mr. Tibbetts was a shoemaker and was born in Massachusetts. He married Miss Amy Wood.
Mr. and Mrs. Bartels' children are Ida H., wife of Eli Wharton, of Iola, Kansas; Josie, wife of B. C. Potter, of
Iola; Rosie, wife of Edward Langford, of Iola; William Z. Bartels, who married Jessie Webb; Ollie, Maud and Jessie
Bartels.
The Democracy of the Bartels' is proverbial. Their
adherence to the principles of the ancient and honored faith is constant. William L. has been twice honored with
election to the office of Mayor of Iola, first in 1882 when he was chiefly concerned in getting the Missouri Pacific
Railway to build into Iola, and second in 1892 when he gave the city a business administration. (History of Allen
and Woodson Counties, Kansas, edited & compiled by L. Wallace Duncan and Chas F. Scott, 1901, pages 387-389,
submitted by Carolyn Kuczmarski)
McGRATH, ROBERT W.
Robert W. McGrath. One of the most successful and energetic members of the legal fraternity of Wilson county is
Robert W. McGrath, of Fredonia, who has not only attained a high standing in certain lines of his profession, but
has become known as a business man of exceptional acumen and accomplishment. He was born in McLean county, Illinois,
March 28, 1863, one of eight children born to Michael and Amelia (Ryan) McGrath, natives of Ireland. The father
was one of the revolutionists during the uprising in Ireland in 1848, and in that year was forced to leave his
native country in disguise. He made his way to free America and established his residence in the State of Connecticut.
The mother came from her native land to Canada, in 1847, and the following year removed to Connecticut, where she
met Michael McGrath, and they were married in 1852. They removed to Bloomington, Ill., in 1855, and there the father
followed farming until 1879, when they removed to Kansas. He died in Wilson county, in 1907, at the advanced age
of ninety-two years, possessing all of his faculties unimpaired until the last. The mother died in 1896, at the
age of seventy-four years. They were members of the Catholic church and Mr. McGrath was a Republican in his political
views. The preliminary education of Robert W. McGrath began in McLean county, Illinois, was continued in Wilson
county, Kansas, and before he had reached the age of twenty years he became a teacher in the public schools. In
that way he paid the expenses of his further education in the Kansas Normal College at Fort Scott, the State Normal
School at Emporia, and the University of Kansas, in the law department of which last named institution he graduated
in 1893 with the degree of Bachelor of Laws. He began his practice in Fredonia and was successful from the start.
He possesses all the qualities of an able practitioner. He has an extensive knowledge of the law, is a capable
advocate, and is particularly strong in the real estate and commercial branches of his profession, of which he
has made a specialty ever since opening his office. He is well known throughout southeastern Kansas as an authority
on lands, titles and land investments, to which he has given a large portion of his attention and study for a number
of years. Arbitration is no new theme to him, for it has been the basis of his law business for years. Whenever
possible he has sought to bring about amicable settlements of disputes without resorts to the courts, and thus
has saved his clients the expense and annoyance of extended litigation. Among the members of his profession he
is known as a legal diplomat, which is, after all, the highest and best reputation known to the disciples of Blackstone.
He possesses rare business ability, and his talents in that direction, accentuated by his law practice along the
lines of his individual strength, have made him a business man of a high order. He is distinctly a self--made man,
and out of the resources of his own genius and industry has built a professional reputation and practice. He has
extensive banking interests in Fredonia and elsewhere, being one of the largest stockholders in and the president
of the Coyville State Bank at Coyville, Kan. He has also extensive investments in lands and improved city real
estate, and is recognized as one of the substantial business men of Wilson county. With implicit faith in the future
of Fredonia, he made extensive investments in property when values were low and others had lost hope of the city's
development, and by improving the property and disposing of it under better conditions gained profit for himself
and contributed to Fredonia's prosperity at the same time. Mr. McGrath is a man of refined temperament and happy
social qualities and is a citizen of public spirit and of the highest integrity. He has never aspired to an elective
office and is possibly the only lawyer in Fredonia and Wilson county who has never cherished ambition for a public
career. He is more of a church worker and home builder than statesman or would be statesman. Continuing in the
faith of his parents, he is a devoted member of the Catholic church at Fredonia, to the support of which he has
probably been the largest contributor of the city. He gave more than $2,000 in money and in ground to the church
edifice recently erected, and in the absence of a resident pastor has had charge of the Catholic Sunday schools
in Fredonia for several years, being perhaps the only Catholic layman in Kansas now such a .position.. He believes
in the prohibition of the liquor traffic and in his political views is aligned with the progressive branch of the
Republican party, believing in the referendum in legislation and in the recall of public officials when necessity
so requires. He is opposed to large armies and navies and is heartily in sympathy with President Taft's efforts
in behalf of international arbitration. (Kansas Biography, 1912, Vol. III, Part 2, Pages 816-818. Transcribed by:
Millie Mowry (A picture of Robert W. McGrath may be obtained by contacting the contributor at Rock2Plate@aol.com)
WILLIAMS, EDWIN
J.
Edwin J. Williams, financier and the president of the Wilson County Bank, was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, Nov.
8, 1868, the son of D. T. and Mary T. (Davis) Williams. His grandfather was a native of Wales, where he lived and
died. D. T. Williams was born in Wales, but came to America and located in Ohio, where he became interested in
rolling mills. He belonged to the Ohio state militia, but never was called on to carry arms in defense of his adopted
country. He died in Ohio in 1895. Edwin Williams' maternal grandfather, David R. Davis, came to Kansas in 1872
and built a rolling mill at Rosedale that year, becoming one of the pioneer manufacturers of the state.
Edwin Williams was reared in Ohio and received his education in the public schools. In 1900 he came to Kansas,
located at Waverly and engaged in the mercantile business but soon moved to Salina where he remained three and
a half years. He went to Quenemo in 1905 to accept the position of vice-president of the Farmers' State Bank. Mr.
Williams was successful as a banker and decided to organize a bank in which he would hold the controlling interest.
With this end in view he located at Burlingame and organized the Burlingame National Bank, of which he was president.
It is capitalized at $25,000 and has a surplus of $10,000. Ever since its organization the bank has conducted a
flourishing business, which reflects great credit upon the promoters and it is regarded as one of the most substantial
banking concerns in the eastern part of the state.
On Jan. 31, 1900, Mr. Williams married Ina, the daughter of Louis Gephart. Mr. Gephart is a native of Ohio, who
came to Kansas in 1888; took up land and also conducted a mercantile house. At different times Mr. Gephart bought
more land and has made a fortune. He is one of the stockholders of the Burlingame National Bank and has a number
of fine farms. He has retired from active business and spends his time looking after his property. One child has
been born to Mr. and Mrs. Williams, Louis Edwin, who is four years old (1911). Mr. Williams is a Mason, belonging
to Knight Templar Lodge No. 5, of Topeka, Kan.; he also belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks
and is a stanch supporter of the Republican party. The family are members of the Presbyterian church.
In February, 1911, Mr. Williams sold the controlling interest in the Burlingame National Bank and after spending
the summer in California, returned to Kansas, located at Fredonia, bought a large interest in the Wilson County
Bank and became its president, which position he now holds. The Wilson County Bank is one of the strongest financial
institutions in the state, having done business since its organization in 1871. Its capital, surplus and profits
are $75,000. (Kansas Biography, Vol. III, part 2, 1912, Transcribed as written by Millie Mowry)
