Frank M. Sheridan, of Paola, senior member of the law firm of Sheridan, Meuser & Sheridan, is recognized as one of the most able and leading lawyers of Miami county, and of that section of the state. He was born in Vinton county, Ohio, May 11, 1867, and is a son of William D. and Melinda A. (McLafferty) Sheridan, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania, as were their parents before them. The parents of Mr. Sheridan removed from Armstrong county, Pennsylvania, to Kansas, in 1858, and after remaining in this state for a time removed to Wisconsin, making the journey with an ox team. From Wisconsin they returned to their native State of Pennsylvania, and from there later removed to Ohio, where they resided until 1867. In that year they once more came to Kansas, and located on a homestead about eight miles south of Paola, which the father had preëmpted in what was then Lykins, now Miami county, on his first trip to Kansas and which he had retained. His whole active career was given to agricultural pursuits. Both parents have passed away, the father's death having occurred in Paola in 1899, at the age of seventy-three, and that of the mother in 1898, at the age of sixty-four. They are survived by two sons—Bernard J. Sheridan, a well known newspaper man and politician, of Paola, and Frank M.

The earlier school opportunities of Frank M. Sheridan were not those of the present day. His common school education was begun in a "dug out" and later at the age of eleven he walked twenty-one miles to take up the task of doing chores for his board and washing while attending school in a "settled" district. Later he secured similar employment with a harness maker in order to attend the town school in Marysville, Kan. He was almost prepared for graduation when circumstances necessitated his return to the home farm. Until twenty years of age Mr. Sheridan had spent the most of his life on the farm, though he had entered professional life at the age of seventeen when he began teaching a country school. He is endowed with those sturdy traits of character which insure success in any trade, profession or calling, which traits were manifested in his energetic and conscientious work in the school room. He taught during the winters and devoted himself assiduously to farm duties during the summers. His proficiency as a teacher won merited recognition in the form of increased wages from time to time, until in 1888, when he received the highest wages paid in that section of the county. At that time his brother, the late John C. Sheridan, persuaded him to take up the study of law in his office. He began his studies in March, 1888, and in the following autumn entered the law department of the University at Ann Arbor, where he was graduated in 1890, and was next to the youngest member in a class of 221 members. He first began the practice of his profession in Joplin, Mo., but two years later located in Kansas City, Mo., where he remained until 1897, when he was called to Paola to organize the law firm of Sheridan & Sheridan, and to assume the practice of his brother, John C. Sheridan, whose continued illness and subsequent death left to our subject the burden of a large accumulated business. He ably and successfully carried forward the business of the firm and at present he is regarded as of the leading lawyers of that section of the state. He has been admitted to practice in the various courts of the state, including the Supreme court, and also the Federal courts and the supreme court of the United States; and during his years of practice, which have been unusually busy ones, he has had charge of a number of important cases. The firm of Sheridan, Meuser & Sheridan includes, besides Mr. Sheridan, Charles T. Meuser and Bernard J. Sheridan, both promising young lawyers, learned and graduated in the study of law.

On Jan. 11, 1898, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Sheridan and Miss Katharine E. Taylor, of Kansas City, Mo. In politics Mr. Sheridan is a stanch Democrat and has done much hard and effective work in behalf of his party in Miami county, having held several positions of prominence and responsibility in the Democratic party organizations of his county. He never considers politics further than the interests involved, however, and has never been a candidate for official preferment. He is opposed to sectarian schools and regards the prohibition law as impractical and believes that better results could be obtained in every direction by high license and governmental regulation in kindred ways. Although a communicant of the Roman Catholic church, he is very liberal in his religious views, having taught Sunday school in other denominations. Mrs. Sheridan is also a member of the Catholic church.