John H. Crider, of Fort Scott, Kan., a lawyer of high standing and one of the most capable and energetic men of that city, is an Ohio man, having been born in Lancaster, Fairfield county, Ohio, March 2, 1859. His father was Dr. Henry L. Crider and his mother, prior to her marriage was Miss Sarah A. Weisz. Dr. Henry L. Crider and his father, Jacob Crider, were both natives of Fairfield county and spent their entire lives there. The great-grandfather of our subject, Jacob Crider, Sr., was a native of Germany, born Jan. 31, 1768, and was one of a number of German-Swiss emigrants who settled in Fairfield county in a very early day. He and his son Jacob were both farmers by vocation. Dr. Henry L. Crider, however, turned his attention to the profession of dentistry and for many years was a successful practitioner in Lancaster. He was married in Lancaster, Ohio, to Miss Sarah A. Weisz, daughter of Rev. George Weisz, a minister in the German Reform church. Reverend Weisz was of German descent, an early settler in Ohio, and one of the pioneer preachers of that state. To Dr. Crider and his wife were born six children, three of whom died while young. The children who survive are: John H., the subject of this review and the eldest of the children; Jacob W., who is now a banker at Charleston, W. Va.; and Lydia A., now Mrs. L. A. Varney, of Fort Scott.

John H. Crider was reared in his native city of Lancaster and completed his literary education at Heidelberg University, Tiffin, Ohio, where he graduated with the class of 1880. Fortified with excellent educational qualifications, he returned to Lancaster and there pursued a course of private law study, with Col. John M. Connell of that city as his preceptor. He was admitted to the bar by the Supreme Court of the State of Ohio in 1882. Seeking a newer, broader, and more advantageous field for his endeavors, he came to Kansas in October, 1882, and located at Fort Scott, where, with faith in the future of the city and in his own ability to win success in his profession, he at once opened a law office. He had the usual experience of the novitiate in professional life, but gradually demonstrated his ability to handle the largest and most intricate cases presented at the bar, and in his nearly thirty years of practice his clientage has steadily grown in volume and in importance. Among his professional associates he is well known for his attention to details and the provident care with which he prepares his cases, and the reputation he has won as a successful lawyer has not come to him by chance, but is the result of intrepid, untiring, and honorable effort. He has enjoyed both a professional and a financial success.

In December, 1888, Mr. Crider was united in marriage with Miss Ida A. Abbott, daughter of Francis E. Abbott, of Fort Seneca, Seneca county, Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Crider have been born six children, three of whom are living—Frances F., John M., and Marian A. Ida Louise died at the age of sixteen, Robert W. died when three years of age, and one child died in infancy.

Mr. Crider is a good citizen and is always helpful in the upbuilding of the community in which he resides. He is a man of force and is now in the prime of life. He is also an eloquent speaker and has interested many audiences in Kansas by his addresses on patriotism and other subjects. He is one of the authorities on fraternal insurance in this country and possesses unusual ability in that respect. He is domestic in his habits and takes great pride in his home and his family. He is a genial, hopeful man at all times, these qualities making him companionable among his associates. He has always taken an active part in public affairs and politics, and is a loyal Republican and a zealous promoter of the practical work of his party. He was elected three times as city attorney of Fort Scott and served in that capacity with great usefulness to the city. He was also a Presidential elector-at-large for Kansas in 1904. He was seven times elected Grand Master Workman of the Ancient Order of United Workmen of Kansas and served very acceptably for ten years in that position, increasing the membership in Kansas from 26,000 to about 40,000 during his terms of office. He also occupies a prominent place in the fraternal orders of Fort Scott, being a Thirty-second Degree Scottish Rite Mason, and is also a member of the Knights of Pythias, Modern Woodmen of America, and several other orders and societies.