Charles H. Trott, of Junction City, Kan., was born in Boston, Mass., Aug. 8, 1837, a son of Peter and Almira (Tolman) Trott. The great-grandfather of Captain Trott was of English ancestry and followed his trade of watchmaker in Boston, where his son, Andrew Cunningham Trott, engaged in the same occupation, as did his son, Peter, thus making three generations that followed the same line of endeavor in Boston. Peter Trott established a jewelry and silversmith business on Washington street, opposite the Old South Church, where his store was a well known and popular one for many years. Charles H. Trott was educated in the public schools of Boston and was graduated in the high school in 1853, after which he entered the employ of the wholesale drug house of Samuel N. & W. A. Brewer, where he remained for five years and received several promotions. Desiring greater opportunity for his independent business career, he came west in 1858, locating first in Nashua, Chickasaw county, Iowa, where he formed a partnership with Caleb Green, under the firm name of Trott & Green, to conduct a general merchandise business. When the storm of Civil war broke over the country, in 1861, Captain Trott did not hesitate between duty and his private interests, but enlisted in July of that year in Company B, Seventh Iowa infantry. When his company was ordered to the front he was obliged to lock up his store, as his partner was absent, thus leaving all to serve the cause of the Union. His regiment was in the First brigade, Fourth division, Fifteenth army corps, under Gen. John A. Logan, and saw continuous service throughout the whole of the conflict. During his term of enlistment he received the following promotions for gallant and meritorious service: From quartermaster-sergeant to second lieutenant and acting regimental quartermaster; then first lieutenant and regimental quartermaster; and finally to captain and assistant adjutant-general. He was recommended for promotion to the office of major, but the war closing before he received his appointment he was never commissioned and was mustered out as captain and assistant adjutant-general in September, 1865. He spent the winter of 1865-66 in his native city of Boston, but in the spring of 1866 he came to Junction City, Kan., where he was appointed postmaster and held that office until 1871. His predecessor had a book and stationery business, which he purchased, and which he has been actively engaged in conducting since 1866, it being the oldest business enterprise under one continuous management in this part of the state. In respect to the volume of business, stock and attractiveness of premises, it is probably the best store of its kind in the retail trade in Kansas. From 1890 to 1896 he served as cashier of the Central National Bank of Junction City, and previous to that he was president of the Central Kansas State Bank, which became the Central National Bank in 1890.

Captain Trott was married on Dec. 3, 1867, to Miss Josephine McBratney, a daughter of Hon. Robert McBratney, of Junction City, and former United States attorney and land agent. Captain and Mrs. Trott have one child, a son, Loring, an interested principal in the firm of C. H. Trott & Brother, of which he is the sole manager and one of the progressive business men of Geary county. He is an alumnus of Lombard University, Galesburg, Ill., and is a prominent Mason, being past eminent commander of Junction City Commandery, Knights Templars.

Captain Trott is a Republican and cast his vote for Abraham Lincoln. He was elected county clerk of Geary county in 1872 and served one term, refusing to be renominated for the office. Both Captain and Mrs. Trott are members of the Universalist church and he is a member of its board of trustees. Mrs. Trott, a woman of culture and of kind and helpful deeds, takes a prominent part in the social affairs of Junction City. Captain Trott has been a resident of Junction City forty years and in the years that have come and gone he has so lived that he has won a business success and a name for uprightness and honesty, being numbered among the most respected and worthy citizens of Geary county, as well as one of its pioneers. Any movement for the moral or material advantage of his town or county has always received his most loyal support.