William Barclay

WILLIAM BARCLAY. - For nearly a quarter of a century Mr. Barclay has been engaged in the successful practice of his profession, that of civil engineering, in Kansas City, Kansas, and he is recognized as one of its able representatives in this state. He is now incumbent of the office of city engineer of the metropolis of Wyandotte county and is one of the progressive, alert and public spirited citizens of the county, to whose every interest he is loyal.

William Barclay, both in character and productive energies, well exemplifies the canny traits of the stanch race of which he is a scion, and he takes just pride in reverting to his Scottish ancestry, which is of sterling order. He was born on the homestead farm of his parents, in Will county, Illinois, on the 16th of December, 1861, and is a son of James and Rachael (McMicken) Barclay, both of whom were born and reared in Scotland, where their marriage was solemnized and where three of their six children were born. In 1856 they came to the United States and established their home in Will county, Illinois, where the father followed agricultural pursuits for several years. They then removed to Aurora, that state, where the mother died, and later the father came to Kansas City, Kansas, where he passed the residue of his life and where he died when well advanced in years. He was a stanch Republican in his political proclivities and both he and his wife were zealous and consistent members of the United Presbyterian church. They became the parents of four sons and two daughters.

The associations and influences of the farm compassed the childhood and youth of William Barclay, and he continued to be identified with the great basic industry of agriculture until he had attained to his legal majority. His early educational discipline was gained in the public schools of his native state and after leaving the farm he taught for one term in a district school, after which he entered the University of Illinois, at Champaign, in which he completed a course in civil engineering and was graduated as a member of the class of 1887, with the well earned degree of Civil Engineer. Soon after his graduation he came to Kansas City, Kansas, where he has since been engaged in the active practice of his profession, in which he has gained high reputation and been identified with much important engineering work at various points in the state as well as in Wyandotte county. For a number of years he served as deputy county surveyor and he was then elected county surveyor, of which office he continued incumbent seven years, by three successive elections. He has also accomplished much effective work as city engineer of Argentine and Rosedale, this county, and he has served as city engineer of Kansas City since June, 1909. He has devised and brought into effect many plans for the improvement of Kansas City in the matter of street grading, extending of the sewerage system and in making divers other public improvements for the general good of the community. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party, and as a citizen he is assentially[sic] progressive, broad minded and public spirited, a man well worthy of the unqualified popular esteem so uniformly accorded to him. In the year 1891 Mr. Barclay was united in marriage to Miss Elizabeth L. Fraser, who was born and reared in the state of Illinois, and they have seven children. Both Mr. and Mrs. Barclay hold membership in the United Presbyterian church, whose faith has been that of his forebears for many generations.