Louis E. Horville, president of the Iola State Bank, is a native of Kansas. He was born in Allen county, July 27, 1865, and is a son of Daniel and Margaret (Bird) Horville. Daniel Horville was a native of France, and came to America, alone, when a boy of fourteen years. When he landed in New York City he had about seventy-five cents, with which to begin his commercial career in the new world. After remaining in New York for a time, he came west and located in Illinois, and in 1856, came to Kansas, settling in Allen county. This was an early day in the settlement of that section of the State; he engaged in the mercantile business for a short time, when he settled on government land and engaged in the stock business. He began in a small way, but prospered and bought additional land. He fed hundreds of cattle for the market and in the early days went as far as Indian Territory, to buy steers, which he drove to Kansas City and sold for oxen. This proved to be a profitable business, and in the early days, he shipped cattle to New York, St. Louis, and Chicago, and later when markets became established at Kansas City, he shipped to that point. He was a pioneer cattleman of Kansas, and followed that business, successfully, until his death in 1903. He was one of the successful business men of Allen county and accumulated a fortune, and at the time of his death, owned over two thousand acres of improved land. He was prominent in local affairs and active in politics; he served as one of the county commissioners of Allen county for a number of years. His wife, Margaret Bird was a native of Ohio, who removed to Iowa with her parents at an early day. They were also pioneers of Kansas, coming to this State in 1858. Louis E. Horville spent his boyhood days on the farm and attended the district schools. He later attended the Iola High School, where he completed the regular course and later, attended business college at Lawrence. He then engagd[sic] in farming and stock raising, making a specialty of raising blooded short horn cattle, and also fed cattle extensively for the market. He is still interested in the stock business and has one of the fine stock farms of Allen county. Shortly after the Iola State Bank was organized, he became a heavy investor in the stock of that institution and became its president, which office he still holds. Mr. Horville was married January 17, 1903, to Miss Ada A., daughter of A. E. and Tashie P. Wright, natives of Ohio. The Wright family came to Kansas about 1869, when Mrs. Horville was a baby. The father was engaged in the grocery business at Iola for a number of years, and is now a hardware merchant at Gas, Kans. Mr. Horville is one of the successful business men of Allen county. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.