This article was donated to the Leavenworth County KSGenWeb site by Steve Long.

John A. Long Had a Busy Career

Born at Leavenworth in 1855, Attended Cathedral School and Later Became Printer on Times

In the passing of John A. Long, Leavenworth has lost another member of a pioneer family.

Mr. Long was the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. Barthlomew Long who, as bride and groom, migrated from Washington, D.C. to Fort Leavenworth in 1855.

Mr. Long was born and reared in Leavenworth and attended the Cathedral school. At the age of 14 he entered The Times office and learned the printers trade later. Later, when still very young, he went to Santa Fe, N.M. where he edited the New Mexican, the first paper printed in Santa Fe.

He decided on civil engineering for a profession and educated himself for it. He served as U.S. deputy surveyor general of New Mexico under Surver General Atkinson, and chief draftsman under Surveyor General George W. Julian, in Santa Fe.

One of his outstanding pieces of work was a government contract to survey land from the Gulf of Mexico to Boise, Idaho. Many hardships and dangers from hostile Indians were encountered in those days.

While engaged in this work, he carried with him copies of the Bible, Shakespeare, Dante, Goethe, and other classics, and all through the years he was able to quote long passages from them.

In 1897 he returned from Boise, Idaho, to his home in Leavenworth.

While in the position of assistant city engineer of Leavenworth, he surveyed and pave Spruce Street. He made a complete survey of the buildings and all underground work on the Soldiers' Home grounds.

For almost thirty years he had been a sewer engineer in the city engineering department of Kansas City, Mo., and with well known engineering firms of that city.

He was a man of sterling worth and integrity. He had a keen mind as evidenced by the fact he not only took his course in engineering from the Scranton Correspondence School of Engineering, but completed a course in railway engineering in ten weeks at the Kansas State Agricultural college.

He was a student of politics and religion, and shile firm in his conviction, he was tolerant of others' opinions.

He was a charter member of the Knights of Columbus, also a member of the Holy Name society.

He was gond of golf as a recreation and won trophies in the game.

Whether work or play, he put his best into it.

The body was received at the O'Donnell chapel and 3 o'clock this afternoon. It will be in state until the hous of the service, 9'oclock tomorrow at Sacred Heart church where Father M.J. O'Farrell will celebrate mass.