Saline County Bios
"Portrait and Biographical Record of Dickinson, Saline, McPherson and Marion Counties," 1893
CHARLES A. HILLER, of Salina, is one of
the most prominent lawyers of Central
Kansas. He was born in New Haven,
Conn., near College Square. His father, Jonathan
Hiller, came of one of the prominent families of
Boston. His mother was in her maidenhood Abby
M. Allen, and her family has furnished one of the
Chief Justices of the Court of Vermont and an Associate Justice in Vermont and Massachusetts.
The subject of this sketch was reared in the
classical old college town of New Haven. He attended the Hopkins Grammar School of that city,
and after pursuing a Yale Academical Course was
graduated in the Class of '64. He then pursued a
commercial course in Eastman's Business College,
of Poughkeepsie, N. Y., just after the close of the
war, when fifteen hundred students were in attendance at that school. Mr. Hiller then spent several
months in travel, visiting various States of the
Union, and in 1867, at the age of twenty-one
years, he pre-empted a claim in Ottawa County,
Kan., which he improved, making it his home for
some time. It was in his possession for fifteen
years, when he sold it.
In the spring of 1868, Mr. Hiller was called to
Salina and became assistant to the Clerk of the
District Court, which was then in session for the
second time. In those early days, Mr. Hiller assisted in all The county offices except
that of Trea- surer and was appointed the first County Clerk of
Ottawa County. He was elected at the next election for two years. In the meantime he had been
reading law, and in the fall of 1869 was admitted
to the Bar, after which he became a member of the
firm of Lowe, Mohler & Hiller. The senior member died in 1873. Our subject, on the dissolution
of the firm, began to widen his circuit. He now
practices in all the State and Federal Courts and
is doing a large and lucrative business.(khhp) In
1884, he was the independent candidate for Judge
of the Fourth District, comprising Saline, McPherson, Lincoln, Russell and Ellsworth Counties, but
suffered defeat by Judge Hines, the Republican
nominee. In 1886 and again in 1888, he made the
race for the Legislature on the Democratic ticket
and canvassed the county, speaking in English,
German and Swedish. In 1890, he was a member
of the State Central Committee.
In 1877, Mr. Hiller was united in marriage with
Miss Marguerite C. Blodgett, of Salina, an accomplished lady, who possesses a rare contralto voice
and has long been a member of the choir in the
Episcopal Church. They have a family of two
children, Ralph and Edwards.
Mr. Hiller is also a musician and is conversant
with sixteen different languages, many of which
he speaks very fluently. In 1891, he prepared an
Arabic calendar, which has solicited praise from
all Arabic students. It has been adopted by the
Mystic Shrine for use and he has been requested to
prepare one for each member. Mr. Hiller was made
a Mason in the New Haven lodge, one of the oldest
in the United States. He has always been a close
student. He spends his leisure in study and finds
recreation in his books. He has the finest library
in this part of the State, containing many rare and
"curious volumes of forgotten lore." He also has
one of the finest private telescopes in the country
and during the past few years has given much attention to the study of astronomy. Mr. Hiller has
a genial, companionable nature which wins him
friends wherever he goes. He is one of the ablest
members of The Kansas Bar, possesses quick and
keen perceptive powers, is logical and his arguments are convincing. He well deserves the high
rank he has attained among his professional
brethren and in business and social circles.
Return to Saline Co. KHHP
|
This website created June 15, 2011 by Sheryl McClure.
� 2011 Kansas History and Heritage Project
|