Anderson County Biographies
"Portrait and Biographical Record of Southeastern Kansas"
Biographical Publishing Co., Chicago, 1894
HON. EDWIN T. METCALF, M. D., located
in Colony in the fall of 1882, and is now
the oldest physician in years of active
practice in this place. Skilled in his profession, he has won a high reputation among his
brethren of the medical fraternity, and is also
widely known in public circles throughout the
state. He is the present State Senator from his
district, and the upright course which he has taken
in the Legislature has brought credit to himself
and satisfaction to his constituents.
The Doctor was born near Carlinville, Ill., July
27, 1843, and is a son of John M. and Isabelle
(Wyeth) Metcalf, the former a native of Kentucky,
and the latter of Pennsylvania. His mother was
a lineal descendant of one of the signers of the
Declaration of Independence. John Metcalf went
to Illinois when a young man with his father,
William Metcalf, who settled in Macoupin County,
purchasing large tracts of land and locating his
sons in that vicinity, which still goes by the name
of the Metcalf settlement. He was a slaveholder
in Kentucky, but becoming convinced that slavery
was wrong, disposed of his negroes and removed
to a free state, becoming a wealthy farmer of
Illinois.
The Doctor's father worked at farm labor during his youth, and in his leisure hours read medicine with Doctor Wood, of Carrollton, Ill. Subsequently he located as a physician in Winchester,
Scott County, but again returned to the farm for
a short time. Afterward he located in Greenfield,
Ill., removing thence to Waverly, where he died
in 1858. His widow is still living and now makes
her home in Oakland, Cal. Although reared on a
slave plantation in the south, he became a bitter
opponent of the institution of slavery, and in
1856 was a delegate to the first Republican convention held in Bloomington, Ill. He was a member of the Baptist Church and of the Masonic
fraternity. He died on the Gulf of Mexico, while
going to Texas for his health. The Metcalf family
numbered seven children: Julia, wife of Silas
Burnett, of Dallas, Tex.; Edwin T.; George D., a
lawyer of Oakland, Cal.; Harriet, wife of Peter
Casserly, of Springfield, Ill.; Richard W., who died
in childhood; John W., professor of music in Oakland, Cal.; and one who died in infancy.
Doctor Metcalf of this sketch spent his early life
in Waverly, Ill., and there acquired his literary
education. In 1862 he enlisted in the Union
army, and was assigned to Company G, One Hundred and First Illinois Infantry, in which he
served eight months, when he was discharged on
account of physical disability. Returning to
Waverly in July, 1863, he entered the office of Dr.
J. B. Miner, who had resigned his position as First
Assistant Surgeon of the One Hundred and First
Regiment. With him Mr. Metcalf read medicine for
three years, and then attended lectures at Rush
Medical College. In 1867 he located in Tallula,
Ill., where he successfully engaged in practice until coming to Kansas in 1882.
The Doctor was married in 1864 to Chattie,
daughter of James and Thurza Burnett. She was
born in Waverly, March 10, 1847. By their
union were born seven children: Milton, now a
lawyer of Kansas City; Anna, George, Patti, Edwin, John and Belle, who died in infancy.
In politics, Dr. Metcalf is a stalwart Republican,
and now represents Anderson and Linn Counties
in the State Senate. The last session of the Assembly was a memorable one, as two Houses were
organized in the lower branch of the Legislature, a
legal one by the Republicans and an illegal one by
the Populists. Senator Metcalf was a stanch supporter of the legal House and assisted in defending it at all times. The history of that session is
so well known throughout the Union that special
mention is unnecessary in this volume. The Doctor has been Chairman of the Committee on Public Health and Immigration, and is a member of
several other important committees. He belongs
to the Christian Church,and socially is connected
with the Masonic fraternity, the Ancient Order of
United Workmen and the Grand Army of the Republic.
Other business interests occupy the attention of
our subject besides his practice. He is a stockholder in the People's Bank of Colony and in the
Eastern Kansas Telephone Company. He also
owns a farm near Colony. When he first came
to this place he conducted a drug business, but
after a time gave it up, as his attention was all
required by his increasing practice. He now receives a liberal patronage and stands in the front
rank as a physician. His popularity and prominence in all circles are well merited.
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