Edward Winslow Wellington.—The history of the Twentieth century is a chronicle of business progress and development. Commercial prosperity and business conquests now fill the annals of our country and the man who successfully establishes, operates and controls extensive commercial interests is the victor of the present age. Mr. Wellington is a representative of the class of substantial builders who have served faithfully in the upbuilding of this great commonwealth. He is a pioneer of central Kansas who has nobly done his duty in establishing and maintaining the material interests and moral welfare of his community. Mr. Wellington is a native of the Bay State, born at Cambridge, Mass., February 4, 1853, the son of Ambrose and Lucy Jane Kent Wellington. On both sides he is descended from Colonial stock. The Wellington family was established in America by Roger Wellington, a Welshman, who settled in Massachusetts Bay Colony at Watertown, now Cambridge, in 1632. He was born in Wales in 1609 and died March 11, 1697. Benjamin, his son, lived until January 8, 1709; his son, Benjamin, Jr., was born in 1675, and was town clerk of Lexington, Mass., and lived until October 31, 1738. Timothy, the son of Benjamin, Jr., was born July 27, 1719, and lived until 1791; his son, Benjamin, was born August 7, 1743. When the Revolutionary war broke out Benjamin Wellington was one of first Continental army soldiers to meet the British scouts in advance of the British army on their way to Lexington that memorable morning of April, 1775, and was the first armed soldier of the Continental army to be captured in the Revolutionary war. Benjamin O. Wellington, son of Timothy, was born August 23, 1778, at Lexington, Mass. He married Polly Hastings, whose ancestors had settled on a farm adjoining the one Roger Wellington had located in 1632. They became the parents of seventeen children before Benjamin died in 1853. The Wellington family lot in Mount Auburn cemetery occupies a part of each of these original forms owned by the Wellington and Hastings families in the Colonial days.

Ambrose Wellington, the son of Benjamin O. and father of Edward Wellington, whose name heads this sketch, was born in Lexington, Mass., April 11, 1819. He received an excellent education, graduating from Harvard University with the class of 1841. After leaving college he was master of a boys' school for a few years, and in 1845 founded the first school for colored children in Boston. Ambrose Wellington was one of the pioneer educators of his day, he was noted for his opposition to corporal punishment. Some of the most brilliant men of his day recognized his great worth and ability, and were his friends and associates, among them Benjamin Butler, Charles Sumner, Wendell Phillips and Josiah Quincy. He was a profound lawyer, a well known geologist and educator of great ability. On May 27, 1845, he married Lucy Jane Kent, daughter of William A. Kent, of Concord, N. H., and the niece of Governor Kent, of Maine. The Kent family was one of prominence in New England during the Colonial days, and many men of ability have descended from it. For a number of years Colonel Kent was in the United States customs service in Boston. Ambrose Wellington died March 26, 1895, and his wife departed this life April 25, 1907.

Edward Winslow Wellington received his elementary education in the public schools. Subsequently he attended the Latin school in Boston, Mass., then entered Harvard University, graduating from the literary department with the class of 1874. After leaving college he began to study law in his father's office, and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1877. Mr. Wellington came west in the spring of 1877, stopping in Denver for a short time; from that city he rode to Saline county, Kansas, on horseback, a perilous trip at that time, as Indian raids were still frequent along the trail. He operated a sheep ranch near Tescott, in Ottawa county, about a year, then engaged in the same business on the Elkhorn, Ellsworth county. Having faith in Kansas and its future, Mr. Wellington purchased 12,000 acres of land in Ellsworth county, one of the largest ranches in central Kansas. He named the postoffice near this ranch Carneiro, a Portuguese word meaning mutton. He built fine buildings on the ranch, so that it presented a thoroughly modern appearance, and became one of the noted places in the county. In 1887, Mr. Wellington located in the town of Ellsworth. He invested heavily in town property and since that time has erected more business blocks and residences than any other man in the town. The store buildings cover the west side of Douglas avenue from First to Second streets, and are the best in the city. Since locating in Ellsworth Mr. Wellington has been greatly interested in civic improvements. At an early day he purchased the old court house, opera house and Odd Fellows' hall, and at once began tearing them down to make room for new buildings with modern conveniences. He was the first to install steam heat in his buildings. Following this came fine plate-glass fronts, the first in the town, then cement sidewalks. Taking great pride in the growth of his home city, Mr. Wellington built, owns and operates the sewerage system of the town. No amount of time, energy or money is too great for him to spend if it be for the betterment of the community. Mr. Wellington typifies the spirit of the West. Progress and improvement are his watchwords. He is preëminently a business man and his efforts have been crowned with well-deserved success. In addition to his large land holdings he has a business concern handling loans and insurance under the firm name of E. W. Wellington & Son. They also have an abstract office.

Mr. Wellington has not confined his energies to business alone, but, is one of the most prominent Masons in Kansas. He is a past grand master of Kansas, past grand high priest, past grand commander, past grand master of Council, past potentate Isis temple, Temple Ancient Arabic Order Mystic Shrine. Mr. Wellington is a Republican. On September 23, 1879, he married Clara, the daughter of Maj. George Edwards, United States army, retired, of Boston, who was a classmate of Gen. U. S. Grant. Mrs. Wellington was a niece of Milne Edwards, the well known naturalist of Paris. One child has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Wellington—Waldo Forster—born September 26, 1884, and is associated with his father in business in Ellsworth. Mrs. Wellington occupies a prominent place in the social life of Ellsworth and central Kansas. The Wellington home is one of the largest and finest in Ellsworth, with beautiful grounds and is known for the hospitality of its hostess, who has many friends.