1905 History of Crawford County Kansas

Alvin H. Lanyon is the elder son of the late S. H. Lanyon, the pioneer and industrial founder of the city of Pittsburg, whose career has been briefly sketched above. It has been a notable characteristic of this family that its members, wherever they have made the center of their activity, have held a dominant position in business, financial or industrial affairs, and the name Lanyon has been synonymous with conservativeness, financial standing and broad ability. The same is true of this member of the family, who is assistant cashier of the National Bank of Pittsburg and since arriving at years of maturity has been closely identified with the material and social interests and welfare of this city.

Mr. Lanyon was born in Mineral Point, Wisconsin, May 22, 1863, being the elder of the two sons born to S. H. and Emily M. (Dabb) Lanyon, his brother Arthur K. being cashier of the above bank. The first fourteen years of his life were spent at his native heath of Mineral Point, and during nearly all the subsequent years he has been a resident of Pittsburg, with which he has grown up and has watched a bare prairie become covered with a thriving city of fourteen thousand people, in which evolution and development he himself has taken no small part. His educational training was received in the common schools, and in 1882 he graduated from the business college at Paola, Kansas.

He spent the major part of his young manhood in his father's smelter works, but in 1900 became associated with banking interests, and has since been identified with the Lanyon bank at Pittsburg, otherwise known as the National Bank of Pittsburg. He has been one of its directors since its organization, and since 1903 has been assistant cashier.

Politically Mr. Lanyon has been a stanch Republican since casting his first vote for James G. Blaine. He is a member of the Elks lodge, and one of the most prominent Masons of southeastern Kansas, having penetrated all the mysteries of the noble and ancient craft up to and including the thirty-second degree, being a Knight Templar and a Shriner.

During the past year Mr. Lanyon has erected one of the most beautiful and artistic homes of Pittsburg, and he and his fine family now dispense their well known hospitality from this residence. Mr. Lanyon was married in April, 1889, to Miss Anna Merithew, of Indianapolis, and their happy union has been blessed with five children, namely: Raymond B., in high school, Searle H., also in high school, and Rowena E., Franklin L. and Alan C. Mrs. Lanyon was born in Rockport, Indiana, and was educated in the Indianapolis high school. Her parents are both deceased.