1905 History of Crawford County Kansas

Charles R. Rice, one of the owners of the well known and popular establishment of the Pittsburg Dry Goods Company, belongs to the class of young business men in Pittsburg, and by his progressive methods and enterprise has built up one of the largest dry-goods stores in this section of the state. He has been reared to the career of a merchant, and has known no other occupation from the time of boyhood, so that he is thoroughly acquainted with all the details of the business, and is known everywhere as a shrewd, upright and successful young business man.

Mr. Rice was born in Adair county, Missouri, in 1867, a son James W. and Sarah L. (Elliott) Rice. His father was a native of Ohio, and followed the occupation of farming. He came west and settled in Adair county, Missouri, where he died in 1868, when his son Charles was one year old. Mrs. Sarah Rice is still living, and makes her home at Kirksville, Missouri.

Mr. Rice was taken to Moulton, Iowa, when he was quite young, and in that city was reared and educated. His mother had married J. M. Wight, a prominent merchant of that place, and when Charles left school he began work in his stepfather's store, where he mastered all the details of the mercantile business. He remained with his stepfather several years, and then held various positions with some prominent firms in Kansas, principally at Hutchinson, where he lived for five years and had a responsible position in a large store. In the latter part of 1900 he came to Pittsburg, and, in partnership with H. J. Toevs, also of Hutchinson, formed the Pittsburg Dry Goods Company. They opened up their store with a stock of forty-five hundred dollars' value, and the business has been so ably conducted and has become so popular that their stock is now worth eighteen thousand dollars, and the establishment is one of the largest dry-goods stores in this part of the state, occupying the large building at 301 North Broadway. It is a purchasers' emporium, with metropolitan features and facilities for meeting a high-grade demand, having an especially fine line of dress goods, silks, trimmings, linens and laces. Mr. Rice makes periodical trips to the eastern markets, where he is known as a shrewd and careful buyer, and in Pittsburg and Crawford county he is well known for his excellent business qualifications and for his straightforward, upright manner.

Mr. Rice was married in Galva, Kansas, to Miss Loti Prentice, and they have one son, Hugh Prentice Rice.