Transcribed from the "History of Wichita and Sedgwick County Kansas" Vol II, Editor: Hon. O. H. Bentley, C. F. Cooper & Co, Chicago,1910
Provided by Angie Bond from the Jessie Baird Collection
Submitted to Sedgwick County KSGenWeb by Jan LaMotte

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JAMES ALLISON 1838-1916

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    James Allison was born in Columbiana county, Ohio. He lived on the farm from the age of six to twenty-one, in Morrow county, Ohio. Received his education in the Ohio Wesleyan University at Delaware. For four years after leaving college he superintended the public schools in Fredericktown, Ohio. Then on account of failing health he was compelled to give up his chosen profession. A few years later he engaged in the wholesale and retail lumber business at Mansfield, Ohio, and continued in this business twenty years. He located in Wichita March, 1886, twenty-four years ago. All these years he has been actively engaged in the real estate and loan business. He has always stood for "greater Wichita." An earnest worker in the Board of Trade and Chamber of Commerce.

    He has represented the Fifth ward in the City Council and in the Board of Education. He has always been a Republican. For many years he was a leader of his party in the Fifth ward. He was the United States commissioner from the State of Kansas to the World's Exposition held in Paris in 1900. He was distinctly a champion of the West Side. He led the forces to pave West Douglas avenue, Seneca street and University avenue, the latter two being the first residence streets paved in Wichita. He helped in many ways to locate Friends University in what was formerly known as the Garfield University property.

    He has been an active leader in building Trinity M. E. church, one of the finest and largest churches in the city, now having a membership of about 800 and over one thousand enrolled in her Sunday School. The best thought and energy of his life has been given to superintending Sunday Schools thirty-six years.

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Note: James Allison was the son of Obadiah and Jemima (Best) Allison. Obadiah Allison was the brother of Nancy Allison McKinley, mother of President William McKinley. James Allison married Emily Fowler in 1895. The James Allison Middle School was named for him.

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