Edgar A. Chase, a prominent farmer and fruit grower of Brown county, Kans., was born in that county, June 24, 1864. He is a son of L. Elbridge and Almira Z. (Grover) Chase, both natives of Limington, Me. Elbridge Chase came west with his father at a very early day. Their original intention was to go to Pike's Peak, but when they reached Pawnee Rock the father established a trading post, which he conducted for a time, and in 1858 located in Brown county. Here they engaged in farming and stock raising, and were also engaged in buying and shipping cattle, on an extensive scale, becoming the largest cattle dealers in Northeastern Kansas. They also were engaged in the general mercantile business in Hiawatha, until 1885, when they disposed of their mercantile business there, and established a similar enterprise at Padonia, Kans., where they also dealt in grain, coal and lumber. They were pioneer cattle men of that section of the State. In those days they had to drive their cattle to St. Joseph, Mo., which was the nearest market. Edgar A. Chase was reared on his father's farm and attended the district school, and later the Hiawatha High School, after which he took a course in Bryant Business College. He then entered his father's store at Hiawatha, and when the business was removed to Padonia, he went there and remained until 1889. He then engaged in farming for a short time, when he went to Logan county and filed on a homestead, making his home in that county until 1892, when he removed to Russell Springs, Kans., and organized the Logan County Bank. He was the majority stock holder, and became the cashier of that institution. While serving in that capacity, he was also extensively engaged in the cattle business, and was the largest cattle buyer in Logan county, and for a time operated throughout the northwestern part of the State. In 1898 the bank's affairs were liquidated, and the business was closed with a clean slate. In 1899, Mr. Chase returned to Brown county, where he has since been engaged in farming and stock raising. He is also one of the most successful apple growers in that section of the State. He has a sixty acre apple orchard in Brown county, and thirty-five acres in Atchison county. In addition to marketing the product of his own orchards he buys a great many carloads of apples each year, for the market, and during an average season handles about a hundred carloads. He has been a persistent advocate of improved methods in fruit growing, and has been largely instrumental in introducing the spraying of apple trees in that section. While Mr. Chase is primarily a farmer and horticulturist, he is also interested in a number of other local enterprises. He was one of the organizers of the Brown County Mutual Telephone Company, and was the first secretary of that company. Mr. Chase was united in marriage March 21, 1885, to Miss Ione N., daughter of Henry T. and Ella (Bates) Kinney. Henry T. Kinney is a native of Ohio, and was an early settler in Kansas. He located in Brown county in 1866 where he served as county surveyor fifteen years, when he removed to Manhattan, and later went to Michigan, where he now resides. Mrs. Chase was born in Michigan and came to Brown county, Kansas, with her parents when about two years old. She was educated in the public schools, and Kansas State Agricultural College of Manhattan, and prior to her marriage taught school for several terms in Riley county. To Mr. and Mrs. Chase have been born four children: Minnie, died in infancy; Lawrence, died in infancy; Doris, a graduate of the district schools, and the Hiawatha Academy; and Edgar, also a graduate of the district schools and the Hiawatha Academy. Mr. Chase is a member of the Knights of Pythias, being a charter member of Russell Springs Lodge, No. 252, and his political views are Democratic. Mrs. Chase and her daughter are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.