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Massac County Biographies
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Frank H. Curtis
Frank H. Curtis is a school man, superintendent of the city schools of Bern in Nemaha County (Kansas) and has been a factor in Kansas educational affairs for a number of years.
He was born in Massac County, Illinois, July 28, 1874, but when five years of age went with his parents to Western Kansas and grew up in Trego County when that was a frontier section. Mr. Curtis is of Scotch-Irish ancestry and members of the family were pioneers in Kentucky. His father, Dr. D. B. Curtis, was born in Kentucky in 1815. He graduated from the Louisville Medical College at Louisville, Kentucky, practiced for a number of years in Massac County, Illinois, and in 1879 removed to Trego County, where he was one of the early practitioners of medicine. He lived there and followed his profession until his death in 1894. Doctor Curtis was a republican. During the Civil war he served with the Union army as a surgeon. His first wife was Miss Reardon, and the only child of that union is Emma, wife of George Ufford, a merchant at Wakeeney, Kansas. For his second wife Doctor Curtis married Miss Bettie Priestley, who was born in Illinois and died in Trego County, Kansas. They had a large family of children, ten in number. D. W. Curtis, a farmer at Miami, Florida; Anna, who died at Kanopolis, Kansas, the wife of Rev. F. C. Griffith, formerly a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church and now editor of a paper at Kanopolis; Jennie, twin sister of Anna, wife of A. E. Rassicott, a cattleman and liveryman living at Ransom, Kansas; Frank Henry, who was the fourth in order of birth; John, who died when twenty years of age; Mollie, twin sister of John, wife of Burdette Dubbs, a farmer and connected with a mercantile concern at Ransom, Kansas; Louise, wife of Rev. Howard Thomison, a Methodist Episcopal minister living in Oklahoma; E. P., who is a student in Columbia University in New York City and is at this writing enrolled in the Ambulance Corps ready for call to active service in Europe; Helen, wife of Lee Miller, a farmer at Ransom, Kansas; and J. S., also a farmer at Ransom.
Frank Henry Curtis was educated in the rural schools of Trego County. Besides the common schools he attended the Kansas Wesleyan University at Salina and was graduated from the Normal department in 1912 with the degree Bachelor of Pedagogy. In 1905 he had taken up active work as a teacher in Trego County and was in the rural schools three years and then filled out the unexpired term of one year as county superintendent of schools as successor of Mrs. Clara Smith. After this he resumed his studies, and in 1913 became superintendent of schools at Brownell, Kansas, remaining two years. He then entered the State Normal School at Emporia, from which he received his life teacher's certificate in 1916. Mr. Curtis took his present position as superintendent of schools at Bern in the fall of 1916.
He is also a farmer by ownership, and has a quarter section of good land in Trego County. Mr. Curtis is unmarried. Politically he is a prohibitionist, and is licensed as a local preacher in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
[Source: "A standard history of Kansas and Kansans" By William Elsey Connelley; Published by Lewis, 1918; Submitted by K. Torp]
Angus M.L. McBane
ANGUS M. L. McBANE, a retired lawyer and merchant of Shawneetown, Ill., and ex-judge of Gallatin county, is justly entitled to be classed as one of the foremost citizens of the city. The McBane family is of Scotch origin, the grandfather of Judge McBane coming from Scotland in the early part of the nineteenth century and settling at Cannonsburg, Pa., where he reared a family of children. One of his sons, Dr. A. M. L. McBane, was born at Cannonsburg in 1808. He received a fine literary education, which was supplemented by a complete course in the science of medicine. After graduating from medical college he traveled extensively through Europe, and upon returning to America located at Louisville, where he soon won eminence as a physician. In 1836 he went to Parkersburg, W. Va., and practiced there until 1842, when, in company with his brother William, he came to Illinois. The two brothers bought 1,600 acres of land where Metropolis City now stands, and 600 acres on the opposite side of the Ohio river in Kentucky. Here Dr. McBane passed the remainder of his life, in the practice of his profession and in looking after his large landed and commercial interests. His death occurred July 3, 1860. In 1836, while living in Louisville, he was married to Miss Ellen Willard of that city, though a native of New York. She was of English and French extraction, her father, Rev. Joseph Willard, having been an Episcopal minister at Newark, N. J., as early as 1806. Later he came West and died at Marietta, Ohio. He was a descendant of Maj. Simon Willard, who was somewhat famous in the early history of Boston. Dr. McBane and his wife had five children, viz.: Angus M. L., the subject of this sketch; Joseph, a graduate of the New Orleans Medical college, died on shipboard while crossing the Atlantic and was buried at sea; Ellen, deceased; Marietta, widow of William Ward, living in Chicago, the mother of three children, one son, Frank, being a traveling man and secretary of the Standard club; and William A., who was a real estate and insurance man of Metropolis City at the time of his death in 1903. Angus M. L. McBane was born at Parkersburg, W. Va,, Sept. 8, 1837. He was but five years of age when his parents came to Illinois. Ever since that time he has resided in that state and has been identified with the growth and development of Massac and Gallatin counties. He obtained his early education in the schools of Metropolis City, one of his teachers being Robert G. Ingersoll, who afterward achieved a world-wide reputation as an exponent of Agnosticism. Although nominally a student at this time young McBane was really an assistant teacher, Mr. Ingersoll devoting most of his time to Latin and history, leaving the greater part of his other school work to McBane. Later Judge McBane graduated from Princeton college of New York, after which he returned home, took up the study of law under Hon, C. G. Simons and W. H. Green, and in 1860 graduated from the law department of the Kentucky State University, at Louisville. He began practice at Metropolis City, but scarcely established himself when the Civil War broke out. His desire was to enter the service of his country, but the recent death of his father made it necessary for him to remain at home to look after the large estate and to care for the family. However, he organized two companies, one in White County, Ill., and the other at Ford's Ferry, Ky., both of which were mustered into the army as part of the Forty-eighth Illinois infantry, of which he was made adjutant, but for reasons already stated he was compelled to resign the position. He accompanied Grant's forces from Paducah to Pittsburg Landing, and in the capacity of expressman for Grant's army was present at the historic battle of Shiloh. In 1864 he removed to Shawneetown, where he was elected county judge the following year and held the position for four years. In addition to his large law practice Judge McBane became interested in the mercantile affairs of Shawneetown. For several years he conducted one of the largest general stores there and was a large buyer of grain. In 1877 he practically retired from both professional and commercial life, and since then has devoted his time to the management of his large and varied investments. He was married in 1862 to Miss Mary, daughter of John D. Richeson, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. They have no children. Judge McBane is a member and past dictator in the Knights of Honor; has been president of the Business Men's association ever since it was organized in 1890; was once a candidate for state senator, and is always active in promoting the general welfare of the- community in which he lives. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
[Source: "Memoirs of The Lower Ohio valley: Personal and Genealogical", Volume 2 By Federal Publishing Company, 1905 – TK - Transcribed by FOFG]
