Edgar Burnett McConnell, the owner and editor of the "Plains Journal," one of the leading newspaper men of southwestern Kansas, is descended from old Colonial stock. He was born in Sumner county, Kansas, February 9, 1879, the son of Jesse and Hannah Burnett McConnell. Jesse McConnell was born in Johnson county, Indiana, May 12, 1849, and the same year the family removed to Davis county, Iowa, where the mother died in 1896, being survived by the husband until 1902. Asa Johnson, Edgar McConnell's great-great-grandfather, was a soldier in the Continental army, taking part in the battle of Bunker Hill. He built the first house in the city of Burlington, Vt., where he lived many years. Mrs. McConnell was born in Monroe county, Iowa, November 29, 1858, the daughter of John and Charlotte Johnson Burnett. Her father was a native of Virginia, and her mother of Illinois; the former died in 1909, but Mr. Burnett still resides in Drakesville, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. McConnell were married in 1875, and two years later came to Kansas, locating on government land in Sumner county, but removed to Davis county, Iowa, in 1880, where Mr. McConnell is still engaged in farming. They became the parents of six children: George David, born August 16, 1877, now a farmer of Haskell county; Harry Callaway, born February 2, 1885, also a farmer of Haskell county; Jesse Howard, born November 11, 1891; Dale Grant, born October 14, 1898; Lottie Ruth, born February 11, 1893, and Edgar Burnett of this record.

Edgar B. McConnell was educated in the public schools of Davis county, Iowa. When only nineteen years of age he began teaching in Davis county, but believing there were more opportunities in Kansas, came here in 1901, settling on government land in Haskell county. The following six years, he was engaged in operating his farm and teaching school. In 1906 he was the Republican nominee for county superintendent of public instruction of Haskell county, but was defeated by the woman who ran on the Democratic ticket. The next year Mr. McConnell came to Plains and engaged in the real estate and insurance business until 1909, when he bought the "Plains Journal," one of the wide-awake weekly papers of the Southwest, established November 11, 1906. Mr. McConnell is clerk of West Plains township, and police judge of Plains. Both of these positions he is filling with great credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of the residents of the community. The "Journal" has a large circulation in Meade county, where it plays no unimportant part in moulding public opinion, for no man has more influence in shaping policy than the journalist, and if he be a man of high standard and clean thought does much for the upbuilding of the community and country where his paper is read. Mr. McConnell was married April 12, 1902, to Mamie Agnes, the daughter of Amos and Eva Penn Reniker, of Moulton, Iowa. Mrs. McConnell was born on a farm in Van Buren county, Iowa, July 25, 1883. Her parents were natives of that State and were engaged in farming. They had ten children: Mamie Agnes, Neil, Frederick, Viola, Bertha, Edith, Lillie, Muriel, Orville and Lena. Mrs. McConnell is quite proud, and justly so, that she is a direct descendant of William Penn, who founded the colony at Philadelphia during Colonial days. There are three children in the McConnell family: Grace Edna, born October 28, 1903; Agnes Ruth, born October 17, 1906, and Dona Faith, born October 1, 1912. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.