ARNOLD LANGE.
Lancaster township, Atchison county, is rightly considered as one of the genuine garden spots of the State of Kansas, because of the fertility of the soil, the well kept appearance of the fields, and the excellent improvements on the farms, the owners of which seem to vie with each other as to who can have the nicest looking and most productive farm. This township has a large German population, or rather, American citizen farmers, of German birth or descent, and it is a proverb in this land that, wherever you see a community of thrifty farmers of German descent, there you will find enterprise, thrift and progress. Arnold Lange, of this township, is a successful farmer and breeder, of German birth who has made good in his adopted country and holds a high place in the citizenship of the county.
Arnold Lange was born in Westphalia, Prussia, German Empire, December 23, 1853, and is a son of Herman and Charlotte (Mittendorf) Lange, who were born and reared in the Fatherland. Herman Lange was a farmer and coal dealer, and also conducted a grocery store for a time. He was born in 1824, lived all of his life in his native land and died in 1907. His wife, Charlotte, died in 1899, at the age of seventy-six years. They were the parents of twelve children, six of whom are living.
Arnold Lange received his schooling in Germany and worked as farmer and teamster until his emigration from Germany to America in 1882. He settled in Atchison county and invested his capital in eighty acres of land north of Huron, which he cultivated for nine years with fair success. He then sold the farm at an increase over the purchase price and bought the farm which now constitutes his home place and which contains 240 acres of good land. The improvements on the land when Mr. Lange purchased the tract were indifferent and included a small house. Naturally one of his thrift and pride could not remain long content with poor accommodations and he has built a commodious farm residence and a very fine barn and improved the looks of his place with shrubbery and trees until it presents a handsome appearance. He has also set out an orchard of six acres. Mr. Lange has specialized in his live stock raising with considerable success and his efforts in breeding thoroughbred Percheron horses have met with reward commensurate with his efforts. He has bred and raised some very fine animals of this class and in 1906 was awarded first prize on Percheron draft animals at the county fair held in Effingham. His interest is given to breeding fine cattle and his herd of shorthorns are as good as can be found in the county.
Mr. Lange was married in 1883 to Miss Minnie Kloepper, who has borne him three children: Herman, of Huron, Kan.; William, a farmer, of Grasshopper township, and Arnold, a graduate of the Huron schools and at home assisting his father in the farm work. The mother of these children was born December 14, 1865, in Illinois, and is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Christian Kloepper deceased. Mr. Lange is a Democrat, and is a member of the German Lutheran church. He is fraternally connected with the Modern Woodmen lodge.