E. Thompson Allen, for many years one of the most representative and respected citizens of Wichita, was born on a farm in Indiana, May 8, 1850, and died at Wichita, Dec. 13, 1911, after a long life of uprightness and kindness, that may well be an example to all who knew him. Those who remember Mr. Allen ever speak of his many lovable attributes, but the greatest of them was kindness. Not only did he display this characteristic to the little children on the street where he lived, but also to his business associates and all with whom he came in contact. In the heat of political strife and the everyday battle of life, passing up and down the streets of the city he loved so well, he is ever remembered for his great gentleness and thought of others. Mr. Allen was always ready to give bountifully, not only of money but also of his services for the uplift of his city and of its people. Every request met with a spontaneous generosity that was remarkable. He had a kind word for everyone, and when he could not speak well of a fellow man he remained silent. Thompson Allen came of old Kentucky stock, his father being one of those tall, stern, hardy pioneers who crossed into Indiana at an early date and began raising highbred stock, sending to Scotland for many of his finest cattle. It was on a beautiful stock farm in Indiana that Mr. Allen first saw the light of day. During the Civil war he rode to town every day to get the mail, the "Cincinnati Commercial-Gazette," and all the news that he could gather to take back to his neighborhood. He grew up in this healthy environment and, after completing his elementary education, attended DePauw University. After leaving college Mr. Allen married Maria Hutchings and set out for the West, at that time the land of promise. Soon after arriving in Kansas he located in Chanute, but he and his wife were called back to Indiana within the year and they did not return until 1884. At that time he located in Wichita, and from then until his death was one of the energetic and progressive men of the city. He was a born politician and never missed a political caucus and very few meetings of the same character. At different times he was chairman of the Republican county committee and the city committee, and was always a delegate from his ward in the days of conventions. For some years he acted as street commissioner of Wichita. He loved all dumb creatures, and the most spirited horses would grow gentle under his kindness and loving care. Mr. Allen traveled widely, visiting the cities of the East, but the little fields in the Eastern states seemed agriculturally impossible after the broad rolling prairies of Kansas; the restrictions of the East, the regulation of traffic in cities, and the inelastic conditions of trade were things upon which he made open war, as being unnatural after the freedom of the West. Kansas to him was free and Wichita was the finest spot in Kansas, the quintessence of all that was desirable. Everyone who came in contact with this kind man felt that life had been made better and brighter by his smile and kind words. He was one of the few who, for sixty years, passed through life making the pathway of others easier. Mrs. Allen died about two years ago. There were two children born to Mr. and Mrs. Allen—Dr. William H., of Fort Smith, Ark., and Pearl, the wife of Victor Murdock of Wichita. During his life Mr. Allen was surrounded by a large circle of friends who have the kindest recollections of him. For some years he was associated with M. C. Cook, in the real estate business. Mr. Allen was a member the Knights of Pythias, the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and the Wichita Real Estate Dealers' Association.