1905 History of Crawford County Kansas
WILLIAM LANYON, JR.
William Lanyon, Jr., a director of the National Bank of Pittsburg and prominent in other directions in Pittsburg and southeastern Kansas, is a member of the well known Lanyon family which figures so conspicuously on these pages both from a personal point of view and because of the immense impetus which their industries and financial enterprise have given to Crawford county as well as to other centers of the middle west. Zinc smelting was for many years the great industry of the Pittsburg district and still retains an important place here, and the various members of the last two adult generations of the Lanyons were responsible for its establishment and successful prosecution in these parts. Mr. William Lanyon, Jr., has himself maintained the high reputation of his house in his career as a financier and industrial magnate, and is recognized as one of the powers that move the business machinery of Pittsburg.
Mr. Lanyon was born at Mineral Point, Wisconsin, in 1862, being a son of William and Maria (Thomas) Lanyon. William, Sr., was born in England, where all the family had their origin, and when a child was brought to American shores by his parents, who settled at Mineral Point about the same time the other Lanyons located there. Mineral Point is the place where the Lanyon zinc industry, which afterward aggregated millions of dollars in property, had its humble beginning. The senior Mr. Lanyon came to Pittsburg, Kansas, in 1882 in the interest of the smelter plant established at that time, and has since spent much of his time in southeastern Kansas, but he and his wife still retain their home at Mineral Point. He is now president of the State Bank of Iola, Kansas, at which city he spends much of his time. Like most of the other members of the family, he has disposed of a large part of his smelter interests and is devoting his attention mainly to banking.
Mr. William Lanyon, Jr., came to Pittsburg with his father in 1882, and became connected with the then recently established Lanyon smelter. A few years later the discovery of natural gas in the vicinity of Iola caused a removal of the smelter plants to that place in order that they might benefit by the cheap fuel, and Mr. Lanyon moved to that city temporarily, and was later connected with the Lanyon zinc works at Neodesha. All the time, however, he has retained his home in Pittsburg, his residence on North Joplin street occupying the entire half block between Nineteenth and Twentieth, being one of the most commodious and comfortable homes of the city. In September, 1903, he disposed of most of his interests at Neodesha and purchased an interest in the Lanyon bank at Pittsburg, the National Bank of Pittsburg, and as one of the directors he gives largely of his time and energies to the management of this important financial institution, whose history is given on other pages of this work. He is one of the largest stockholders in this bank.
Mr. Lanyon is a member of the Pittsburg board of education, and is interested in all matters affecting the public welfare. He has attained to the thirty-second degree in Masonry, and is a member of the commandery and of the Mystic Shrine. He was married in 1883 to Miss Amelia (Spratler) Lanyon, and they have four children, Roy, Linnett, Wilma and Helen.
Pages 256-262 from A Twentieth century history and biographical record of Crawford County, Kansas, by Home Authors; Illustrated. Published by Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago, IL : 1905. 656 p. ill. Transcribed by Tristian Weaver, student at Baxter Springs Middle School, Baxter Springs, Kansas, in March, 2003.
