Wilson H. Hottle, editor and publisher of the "Allen Enterprise," an influential weekly paper, was born on a farm near Darlington, Montgomery county, Indiana, Sept. 9, 1867, in the same log cabin where his mother first saw the light of day. He was the second son of Benjamin F. and Martha J. (Sayre) Hottle. His father was born at Columbus, Ohio, Oct. 3, 1838, being the youngest in a family of ten children. Benjamin's mother died while he was an infant and his father sent him to an aunt in Virginia to raise. About 1859 his father married a sister of his first wife, and moved to Indiana. Benjamin learned the jeweler's trade at Knightstown, Ind., and worked at that occupation until the outbreak of the Civil war, when he enlisted as a private in Company H, Eleventh Indiana infantry, known as Wallace's Zouaves. For meritorious service as a sharp-shooter he was commissioned captain after two and a half years' service, but declined to qualify, preferring to remain with his own company, as he would have been transferred to a different regiment had he become captain. He took part at the siege of Vicksburg and other important battles, and was one of the crew that built and rigged the mock monitor which gave the Confederates in the city a great scare. He was mustered out of the service in the spring of 1864, returned to Darlington, and in December of that year married Martha Sayre, the daughter of a Montgomery county farmer. She was born May 27, 1842, and was the youngest in a family of ten children. She died May 4, 1897, at Council Grove, Kan. For eight years the family lived in Indiana, but in 1872 came to Kansas and located on a farm near Tonganoxie, Leavenworth county. In 1879 Mr. Hottle removed to Morris county, locating on government land which he bought for $1.25 an acre. He sold his farm in 1888 and built a home at Council Grove, where he enjoyed his sunset years after a life of toil. Six children were born to bless the Hottle home: Charles F., of Topeka; Wilson H., the subject of this review; Elizabeth, wife of Daniel W. Allen, a commercial traveler of Chicago, Ill.; Nora C., wife of Everett K. Pierce, a farmer of Lyon county, Kansas; Newton H., deceased; and Frederick C., now a farmer at Altamont, Kan.

Wilson H. Hottle was educated in the public schools until he was twelve years of age and in 1891 began to learn the printer's trade in the office of the old "Council Grove Courier." After finishing his apprenticeship, Mr. Hottle worked as a printer at Council Grove for ten years on the "Republican," "Courier" and "Guard." During this time he became ambitious to own a newspaper of his own and on Sept. 1, 1900, he established the "News" at Admire, Kan., which he published until Feb. 1, 1909. Believing that there was a better opening at Allen, Mr. Hottle moved his plant to that town and renamed the publication the "Allen Enterprise," a local weekly which he has since continued to issue. It is an influential organ having a wide circulation. Mr. Hottle is wide awake, progressive, runs his paper with a view to county and city improvements, and is always working for the good of the town and the northern part of Lyon county.

In 1896 he married Miss Minnie M. Myers, the daughter of Benjamin Myers, a millwright of Atchison, Kan. They have two children—Earl, born Oct. 28, 1897, and Harry D. H., born Dec. 13, 1899. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.