Wyandotte County Biographies
"Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kansas--Historical and Biographical"
Goodspeed Publishing Co., Chicago, 1890
Maj. E. S. W. Drought is a Canadian by birth, born in Montreal
in 1844, and when a child was brought to the United States by his
parents, and has been a resident of Kansas since he was thirteen or
fourteen years of age, his education and rearing being received in this
State. In 1861 he went t6 Colorado, but returned in the spring of
that year and joined the Union army, becoming a member of Williamson's Mounted Rifles, but in the spring of the following year was
transferred to the Fifth Kansas Cavalry, and was mustered out of
service at Fort Leavenworth in the month of August, 1864. In 1864
he organized a force of men, and took a herd of 1,000 cattle from Kansas to Fort Sumner, N. M., but his main object was to go with thirty
of the men to Old Mexico to fight the Greasers. While waiting for a
guide in New Mexico, they were disbanded by order of the Government, and in March, 1865, reached home. He was afterward connected with a force which was to storm Petersburg, Va., but the war closed
before they could do so. He was then on guard duty at Washington,
D. C, for several months, after which he returned to his old home
in Kansas, and opened a general store at Salina, Kas., which he
continued to conduct until he, in September, 1867, received the appointment of post trader at Fort Laramie, Wyo., the duties of
which he discharged until November, 1869, at which time he returned to Leavenworth, Kas. In the spring of 1870 he moved to
Wyandotte, and after following farming and stock-raising for some
time, was elected to the position of county sheriff, which he held from
1871 to 1875. He next filled the position of county treasurer for four
years, and the following six years were spent as a representative of
Wyandotte County, in the State Legislature, and was an able and active member of that body, his views on all matters being shrewd and
sensible. In 1885 he organized a company under the statutes of Kansas, and made the surveys and locations of the Kansas City, Wyandotte & North- Western Railroad, from here to Beatrice, Neb., and
during the following year carried the bonds of the road to Wyandotte
County, and commenced the construction of the road under the reorganization. At the same time he was engaged in the construction of
some of the substantial buildings of Kansas City, among which may be
mentioned the court-house, and has otherwise been a useful citizen of
the place. He is a prominent politician and is a stanch Republican.
Goliah Dunbar is foreman of the coal and lumber department of
Armour's Packing House, at Kansas City, and has been honorably
connected with this establishment for more than two years. Although
still a young man, his views on all subjects are sound, and being enterprising, industrious and pushing, he is one of the establishment's valued employees. He was born in Clark County, Iowa, in 1861, but
was afterward taken to Washington County by his parents, and there
made his home, until he was about eighteen years of age, when he
went to the Hoosier State, and for a number of years worked at
various callings, near Crawfordsville, in Clinton County. His next
move was to Washington County, Kas., where he intended to enter
some land, but as the land office was closed at that time, he was compelled to abandon the idea for some time, and when he did have the
opportunity all the best land was taken. After spending one year in
that place, he returned to Washington County, Iowa, thence to Fairfield, Iowa, moving thither with his young wife, whom he had married
in Washington County, and in the above-mentioned town he worked at
railroading, until 1884, when he came to Kansas City, his first employment being Dole's Packing House, becoming afterward an employee of Mr. Fowler. The latter sent him to a ranch in Waubansee
County, but at the end of one year he went to Clay Centre, Kas., and
for six months worked in a blacksmith shop. He next found employment in a brick-yard belonging to a man by the name of Speck, afterward becoming foreman of a brick yard. He again returned to Kansas City, and worked in the smokehouse of the Fowler Packing Company, but a year later entered Mr. Armour's employ, being in the olio
room at first, receiving his present appointment some time after. He
unfortunately got his foot mashed, which necessitated the amputation of the leg, and for this received $2,500 from an insurance
company. His residence is at No. 717 Greeley Avenue, and, besides this
property he owns some lots on Minnesota Avenue, between Thirteenth
and Fourteenth Streets. He is a Democrat and a member of the A.
O. U. W. His wife was formerly Miss Minerva E. George, whose
birth occurred in Illinois, in 1866, and their marriage, which took
place in 1882, has resulted in the birth of two children: John M. and
Gracie E.
Robert Duncan, grocer, Edwardsville, Kas. The field of enterprise opened up in the grocery line is a large one, and many prominent
citizens of Edwardsville are engaged therein. Among the representative houses that of Mr. Robert Duncan is entitled to due recognition.
This gentleman has been in business here for four years, carries a
stock of goods valued at $1,500, and is doing an annual business of
about $5,000. He owes his nativity to New Brunswick, his birth occurring on September 20, 1830, and is the son of John and Christina
(Gerrad) Duncan, both natives of Scotland. The parents were married in New Brunswick, and their eight sons and one daughter were
born and reared there. Robert Duncan, the fifth in order of birth of
the above-mentioned children, left the parental roof when nine years
of age and went with a Mr. Esson to near Kingston, Upper Canada.
He remained with this family for about ten years, received a good common-school education, and during this time clerked in a mercantile
establishment. Then from 1849 until 1863 he was in the Cobury post office, Ottawa and Kingston, also engaged in clerking. In 1863 his
health failed from confinement, and he decided to come west, his object being to locate somewhere along the line of the Union Pacific
Railroad. He went to work on the road with pick and shovel, working on this and the Leavenworth branch from 1863 to 1868, and also
engaged in various other occupations, such as farming, saw-milling,
etc. At the last mentioned date he settled here, and for six years was
foreman for Mr. Taylor, in his business. During 1877 he was township trustee, and for several years was clerk of the township board,
also clerk of the school board. In 1863 he was married to Miss Mary
A. Jeffers. Previous to this, in 1858, he was married in Canada, to
Miss Margaret Wilson, who bore him two children - a son and daughter. The daughter, Fannie C, married and resides in Winnipeg,
Canada. Mr. Duncan and his present wife are members of the Christian
Church, and in politics he is a Democrat.
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