Charles T. Carpenter, of Coffeyville, Kan., is the son of Samuel and Sarah (Montgomery) Carpenter, the former of whom was a native of Bedford county, Tennessee, born in 1827, and the latter was born in Charleston, S. C., a daughter of Thomas Montgomery, who was a large slave owner and well-to-do planter. He left Charleston when a young man and located at Palmetto, Tenn. The Montgomerys were of Scotch-Irish extraction and came to America in the Eighteenth century. The first American immigrant of the Carpenter family came to American from London, England, in 1630, and located at Rehoboth, in Bristol county, Massachusetts. His name was William Carpenter, and upon his migration to America he was accompanied by his three sons, from whom over 2,000 of the family name now in America have descended. Samuel Carpenter, the father of Charles T., came to Kansas in 1874 and located at Oswego, where he engaged in the mercantile business and resided until his death, which occurred in 1903, the last fifteen years of his life being spent in retirement. His father, Peter Carpenter, was a native of North Carolina and by occupation was a farmer. He was a Union man in sentiment and was compelled to leave the South on account of his political views. He went to Iowa, in which state he died some time during the Civil war. Of the union of Samuel and Sarah (Montgomery) Carpenter there were born six children—three sons and three daughters—and they are all living at this writing, Charles T. being the third child and second son in the order of birth. Charles T. Carpenter was born at Palmetto, Bedford county, Tennessee, Dec. 9, 1858. He received his education in the schools of his native town, in the old academy at Palmetto, and at Indiana University, where he graduated in 1876. He then came to Oswego, Kan., and was with his father in the mercantile business for six years, at the end of which period he engaged in the banking business at Oswego. He began his career in this endeavor as a bookkeeper, but later became cashier of the C. M. London Bank, in which position he remained until 1886, when he removed to Coffeyville and became one of the organizers of the London National Bank, of which he was elected vice-president, a position he has held up to the present time. At the beginning this institution was organized as a private bank, but it later became a state bank, and in 1903 was reorganized under the national banking laws. There has been no change in the personnel of the officers, however, as at the time of the original organization C. M. Condon was elected president, Mr. Carpenter vice-president, and Charles M. Ball cashier, and they have continued incumbents of the respective positions. The bank has a capital stock of $100,000, with a surplus of $50,000. This bank and the First National Bank of Coffeyville the Dalton bandits undertook to rob on Oct. 5, 1892. The attempt was unsuccessful, but four citizens and four of the bandits were killed. Three bandits undertook to rob the London bank, and all of them were killed. Mr. Carpenter was on duty in the bank at the time. In addition to his interest in this concern Mr. Carpenter has other investments that demand a portion of his attention, among which is the largest insurance agency in the county. Mr. Carpenter is a Republican. He has never had any aspiration for political honors, preferring to devote his entire time and attention to his business, in which he occupies a prominent and well deserved position. However, he has taken considerable interest in the prohibition movement in Kansas. He takes quite an interest in fraternal societies, is a Royal Arch Mason, and has membership in other fraternal and insurance organizations. He has been a resident of Kansas for thirty-five years, and, as will be seen by the foregoing, has been prominently identified with its interests. In 1892 he was married to Miss Temple West, daughter of Joshua West, of Rockford, Ind., and of this union have been born five sons and two daughters—Walter, Samuel, Charles, Hugh, Marjorie, William, and Sarah.