James D. Canary, president of the First State Bank of Caney, Kan., began his independent career at an early age and with a laudable ambition for a large business life, which ambition, accompanied by energy, integrity, perseverance, and business ability, has already accomplished great results. Mr. Canary was born in Gallia county, Ohio, April 5, 1869, son of Simeon and Elmira (Dillard) Canary, natives of Ohio. Simeon Canary was a farmer by vocation and moved from Ohio to Cooper county, Missouri, where he died when his son, James, was three years of age. Four years later the mother removed to Grayson county, Texas, where James was reared on a farm and received a common school education. The death of his father and the straitened circumstances of his mother threw him upon his own resources at a tender age—in fact, he became the main dependence of his mother when nine years old. In 1890, when twenty-one years of age, Mr. Canary was united in marriage to Miss Anola J. Gibson, an estimable young lady, in whose veins courses a tinge of the Cherokee blood, and soon thereafter he moved to Webber's Falls, Okla., where he was employed for a short time as bookkeeper in the general store of William M. Gibson. He then returned to farming and located on a farm in Washington county, Oklahoma, near Caney, Kan., where he remained until 1906, when he removed to the town of Caney. For the past seven years he has been interested in the oil and gas fields of northern Oklahoma and owns three sections of land in Washington county, Oklahoma, known as the Canary Oil Field. He was the chief promoter of the Canary Oil Company, now operating in Washington county, Oklahoma. In April, 1909, he became president of the newly organized First State Bank of Caney, Kan., and is also president of the Bank of Copan, at Copan, Washington county, Oklahoma. In addition to his banking and gas and oil interests he is interested in the glass industry at Caney and also in the raising of fine Hereford cattle. He has thus in a few years built up large business interests by his own unaided efforts, and at the same time has gained an enviable reputation for accuracy of business methods and sagacity of judgment. Fraternally, he is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.