E. Darling was born in 1871 in McDonough county, Illinois, and in 1879 he came to Norton county. In 1896 he was married to Minnie Bronson, a Norton county girl, who passed away in 1915. The husband has two sons to cheer him. They live on a farm south of Norton. (page 87)
A. W. Davis came to Almena 13 years ago. He is in the Furniture business and has learned it from top to bottom. He is also a licensed undertaker. (page 67)
A. W. Day, manager of the Central Grain Elevator of Norton, was born in 1889, in Jewell county, and came here in 1915. Mr. Day married Mabel Morrill and they have one child, Joyce born in 1915. (page 61)
The present cashier of the First National Bank at Edmond, Mr. Roy Deever, was born in 1889 in Kansas. He served as cashier of the Berryton State Bank at Berryton, Kansas and held the same position in a bank at Abilene before coming to Edmond. Mr. Deever was married in 1910 to Miss Glessie Burton, a popular Topeka girl. They are members of the United Brethren Church, and he is a member of the Masonic lodge. (page 86)
John Deimer built the first residence in New Clayton; was the first section boss, which position he held until 1898 when his son, Charley succeeded him. Mr. Diemer lived a retired life until his death in 1907. His wife still resides at Clayton. (page 97)
Jonas Delp came to the Solomon Valley in an early day where he homesteaded. He still lives near Edmond on the old homestead. (page 85)
H. A. Dey was born in 1862 in Brighton, Iowa, and came to Norton county with his father, L.C. Dey, in 1878. Mr. Dey Sr. is now living in Squim, Washington. H.A. Dey has been in the livery business at Norton since 1902. In 1891 he married Nettie B. Mason and two children have been born to them, Ethel, born in 1894 and Vollie, born in 1902. Mr. Dey has always been a popular man among his fellows and is well liked. (page 60)
William Duff was born in 1874 at Kirwin, Kansas and came to Norton county in 1913 where he has been engaged in the general store business since that time. In 1905 he was married to Miss Mable Bottomly, a Smith county girl. [Almena, maybe] (page 76)
Andrew Dyatt was born in 1860 in Canada and moved with his father to Illinois in 1862. In 1877 he moved to Nebraska, where he was in the horse sale business and afterwards engaged in the mining business as manager of some of the largest mines in Leadville, Colorado. In 1896 Mr. Dyatt moved to Norton county, afterwards organizing the Merchants State Bank, and he is at this time president of the First National Bank. He married Miss Olive Burnap in 1900 and they have two boys. He is a large land owner, haivng [sic] 1200 acres in the county besides eastern land. He is a member of the Masonic lodge. [Almena] (page 73)
W. H. Dufford, the pioneer broom corn raiser and broom maker of Northwest Kansas settled in Decatur county in 1884. He farmed and raised broom corn until 1913 when he selected Norton as the best place to start a broom factory and to school his children. He is the father of six and they all attend Norton schools. Mr. Dufford manufactures brooms for the wholesale trade and all of his corn is grown in and around Norton county and an industry of this kind should be patronized by Norton people as far as possible; and it is, for he has a very nice business at the present time and is looking forward to the time when he can enlarge the business. (page 83)
W.A. and Allison Eakin located here [Clayton] in 1903, succeeding M. E.. Nelson & Son, in the mercantile business. He erected the first cement store building, which was occupied until 1912 when it was destroyed by fire. Later rebuilt and now occupied by Eakin Bros. as a general store. (page 97)
Eakin Bros., who own the pioneer store, have had a leading part in the development and growth of Clayton. The store was opened in July 1903 and since that time they have opened two other stores, one at Jennings and one at Dresden. The store at Clayton has been robbed eight times and in 1913 was burned to the ground, but before the walls had fallen Mr. W.A. Eakin had wired for goods and the next day was up and doing business again. Clayton is fortunate in having such a man as W. A.. Eakin for a merchant. He was born in Knuckells [Nuckolls] county, Nebraska, in 1877 and in 1900 was united in marriage to Miss Myrtle Milner, a native of Webster county, Nebraska. In the eight years that Eakin Bros. have been in business in Clayton they have had twenty-three competitors. When this county had seven successive dry years Mr. Eakin carried the worthy farmers who asked assistance and he is deserving of the good business that he now has. (page 100)
O. P.. Ecord located here [Clayton] in 1909, successor to F.M. Gallatin. Was the proprietor of the R.R. hotel. Later purchased the drug business in which he continued until 1915. (page 97)
Carl G. Eddy, general agent for Bank Savings Life Insurance Co., of Topeka, maintains an office in Oronoque. Mr. Eddy is one of the leading life insurance men of northwest Kansas, and produces a large volume of business in this section of the state. He is in charge of a number of counties and divides his time between them, devoting about on week each month to his Oronoque office. (page 103)
R.C. Elrod, one of Norton’s most popular and successful merchants, was born in 1860 in Tennessee. Came to Norton in 1903 where he has been in business since that time, starting with the Norton Mercantile Company, when they dissolved he started the present Ladies Furnishing store, known as Elrod’s Quality Store, with Frank Palmer as partner. Mr. Elrod has made good in Norton and the store is today one of the most completely stocked in the county. In 1890 Mr. Elrod married Delia Ackley of Oberlin. Mr. Elrod is a member of the Baptist church, the M.W.A., the A.O.U.W. and the K.P. (page 82)
J.E. Erwin, the present manager of Bowers Tavern, was born in 1876 in Louisa County, Iowa. He came to this county in 1897 and traveled for the Armour Company until 1908. In 1914 he took charge of the hotel. In 1905 he was united in marriage with Miss Ida Strayer, a Norton county girl. Mr. Erwin is a popular and progressive business man. (page 82)
Miss Vernie Fawcett was born in Decatur County near Jennings and came to Norton in 1906. She is a graduate of the business course of the Norton County High School of the Class of 1910, and was editor of the High School paper. She studied law in the office of Robert Hemphill and was admitted to the bar in 1913. She was court reporter at Norton for a short while and at this time is City Attorney and Clerk of Norton, being appointed to both of these offices in 1915. She is a member of the M. E. Church and the Eastern Star. (page 12)
James Fawver was born in Phillips county in 1887 and came to Norton in 1905. He and his father, Sam Fawver, who still lives seven miles south of Almena was in the feed business until 1909 and in 1914 Mr. Fawver started in the shoe and gents furnishing business in which he has been successful. In 1908 he was married to Miss Lydia Bard. He is a member of the M.W.A. (page 87)
J. L. Fearing has been in Almena for two years, and filled a long-felt want when he opened up a photograph studio here. Before coming to Almena Mr. Fearing was at Mankato for seventeen years. He was born in Iowa in 1874 and in 1897 he married Opha Dazey of Mankato. They have four children, two boys and two girls. Mr. Fearing has a nice trade in the county, and his work justifies it. He is not only a good business man but a hustler and a booster for Almena. (page 67)
Born in 1872 at Green Bay, Wisconsin, B. Feldhausen came to Norton in 1906, but he has been in Kansas since 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Feldhausen run a general store at Edmond. They were married in 1903 and have one child, Mildred, who was born in 1906. Mrs. Feldhausen was born in Kansas. They have been successful in a financial way and own over 200 acres of land adjoining Edmond, besides the store and town property. (page 85)
D. [David] Ferris was born in Ireland in 1849, and came to the United States in 1865, settling in Norton county in 1881. He has four children and is a member of the Catholic church and the M.W.A. Mr. Ferris has worked for the Missouri Pacific for nearly forty years and at present is section foreman at Edmond. (page 86)
Asa Flanagin, veterinarian at Norton is a graduate of Manhattan College and came to the county in 1916 where he entered into partnership with Dr. W. H. Marshall, and they have an excellent and successful practice. (page 29)
B. P. Fleming was born in 1879 in Pennsylvania and came to Norton in 1888. He worked in the livery barn of C.W. Posson, and four years later bought him out and has run a livery since that time. He is a good business man and well liked. He married Cathrine Fox and they have four children, Jessie, born in 1898, Anna, born in 1899, Marie, born in 1901 and Helen, born in 1905. Mr. Fleming is a member of the Catholic church and the Knights of Columbus. (page 65)
A. O. Flock who has recently opened a restaurant in Almena, was born in 1870 in Iowa and came to the county in 1909 where he worked for Howe’s drug store until 1916. (page 67)
A. C. Foley was born in 1854 in Davis county, Missouri, came to Norton county in 1890, where he farmed until 1896 when he was elected to the legislature, where he made a creditable record. Mr. Foley married Miss Maggie Weaver, and to this union six children were born, four of whom are still living, three boys - David, Winnie and John are among Norton county's prosperous farmers and stockraisers, and Mable, one of the Norton popular teachers, now teaching in the city schools of Chicago. Mr. Foley is a member of the Baptist church, served seven years as director and two years as president of the County Sunday School Association. He is also a member of the Odd Fellows. (page 17)
G.W. Folsom came here from Achilles [Rawlins County, Kansas??] in 1904 and was successor to the Eakin mercantile Co., in which he continued for sometime, then organized the State Bank of which he was cashier. (page 97)
Fred E. Foote was born in 1858 in Cleveland, Ohio. He came to Norton county in 1873. He has had 21 years experience as engineer, both in the field and the office. He is at present county surveyor. (page 29)
S. F. Fordice was born in Washington county, Iowa in 1876. Came to Norton county in 1904. He raises Belgian and Percheron horses. (page 32)
Forest Fought was born in Henderson county, Illinois in 1884. He came to this county in 1885. He has been in the blacksmith business at Oronoque and in 1913 with his father George Fought , he started a garage at Oronoque. In 1915 Mr. Fought was married to Miss Frankie Davis, and one child has been born to them. Mr. Fought is a member of the Odd Fellows. (page 33)
George Fought was born in 1855 in West Va. and came to Norton county in 1885. He is the fourth of six children. He farmed until 1913 when he and his son, F. C. Fought, started a garage. (page 29)
E. E. Foy, owner of the suitatorium. Mr. Foy has been in the dry cleaning business for the past five years, coming here from Dallas, Texas, where he was widely known and successful. The suitatorium has a large amount of business from in and around Calvert, Long Island, Prairie View and Selden. (page 72)
F. C. Fulcrut, an unassuming but successful business man of Norton, was born in 1861 at Goodyear, Minnesota, and came to Norton County in 1885. He farmed for one year, and was clerk in a store for six years. In 1892 he entered the dry goods and shoe business and has continued in this since that time. He married Minnie Davies in 1892 and they have one child, Vernon D., born in 1896. He is now attending Lawrence University. Mr. Fulcrut is a member of the Episcopal Church, the Masonic lodge and the M. W. A. (page 11)