While Mr. Perdue has been primarily a farmer, he has given his attention to other matters as betokens a man of influence and substance. In the year 1891 he assisted in the organization of the Huron State Bank and is president of this thriving concern. In 1906 he took part in the organization of the Commercial State Bank of Atchison, which was succeeded later by the First National Bank, of which banking institution he has served as president since 1900. He is also a stockholder of the State Savings Bank of Leavenworth, Kansas.
Mr. Perdue was married in 1878 to Mary Viola Davey, of Brown county, Kansas, a daughter of Charles Davey, which marriage has resulted in the birth of seven children, as follows: Mrs. Maria Walters, living on a farm near Huron; Edna, wife of J. M. Delaney, merchant, of Huron, Kan.; Mrs. Mabel Schmidt, wife of the assistant cashier of the Huron State Bank; Charles, who is cultivating the home farm; Thomas Hendricks, at home; George, a farmer in North Dakota; and Edward, Jr.
Mr. Perdue has been a life-long Democrat, who has always taken a more or less active part in the political affairs of the county. He was elected county commissioner in 1897 and served one term. In 1904 he served one term as a member of the State legislature, representing this district, declining reëlection when his term of office expired. While he was reared in the Catholic belief, Mr. Perdue is tolerant of all creeds and takes a broad-minded view of religious matters. He belongs to the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Modern Woodmen.
DR. CHARLES L. HIXON.
Dr. Charles L. Hixon, a leading dental practitioner of Atchison is a native son of Kansas and comes of a pioneer family of the State. He was born on a farm in Jackson county, Kansas, January 14, 1872, and is a son of John S. and Alice (Clark) Hixon. His father, John S. Hixon, was born in Ohio in 1850, a son of Jacob and Cassandra (Stonebraker) Hixon, who resided in Ashland county, Ohio, until their removal to Putnam county, Indiana, in the early pioneer days when that part of the Hoosier State was being settled by large numbers of Ohio people. Alice Clark Hixon, mother of Dr. Hixon, was likewise born in 1850 in Putnam county, Indiana, a daughter of Andrew Jackson and Harriet (Mann) Clark, natives of New York State, and also pioneer settlers of Putnam county, Indiana. While John S. Hixon and Alice Clark were attending the district school in the neighborhood of their respective homes, they became great friends, and the warm friendship ripening into love which culminated in their marriage several years later in Jackson county, Kansas.
The Hixons and Clarks were essentially pioneers, and the history of the family for generations shows that some member of the family, or several of them, have been continually pushing westward and settling in the newer countries. Jacob Hixon was one of the first men in his neighborhood to hearken to the call of the West, and, after disposing of his land holdings in Putnam county, Indiana, he with all of his family migrated to Kansas, settling in Jackson county. They arrived in Atchison during the stormy days of the Civil war, and at a time when the local vigilance committee was in control of community affairs and were naturally very suspicious of all strangers. There had been considerable lawlessness in Atchison and neighboring towns and many outrages had been perpetrated by border ruffians and outlaws. The vigilance committee had taken charge of the affairs and had summarily lynched three men on the banks of White Clay creek just previous to the arrival of the Hixon family. Mr. Hixon was interrogated as to his loyalty to the Union and asked his intentions. His replies being satisfactory to the members of the committee, he was allowed to proceed on his way to Jackson county and arrived at Holton, Kansas, without further delay. Jacob Hixon settled on a fine farm near Holton, developed it and prospered as the years rolled on and the country became more and more settled. He died in 1905, at the advanced age of eighty-four years, his wife, Cassandra, departing this life in 1885.
The Clark family came to Kansas from Indiana in 1868, and Andrew Jackson Clark naturally settled in that part of Jackson county where his old friend and neighbor had chosen his place of residence. The intimacy which had existed between the two families in Putnam county, Indiana, was renewed, and as time went on, John S. Hixon and Alice Clark grew to maturity and were united in marriage. Their married life has been a happy and prosperous one, and five children have blessed this union: Dr. Charles L. Hixon, with whom this review is directly concerned; Mrs. J. C. Neeley, of Weiser, Idaho; Ernest H. Hixon, of Kansas City, Mo.; one child died in infancy. John S. Hixon became prominently identified with the civic life of Jackson county and is serving his county well and faithfully as treasurer for two terms, having been elected on the Republican ticket in 1912 and again in 1914. Mr. and Mrs. John S. Hixon reside in Holton, in Jackson county, and are prosperous and well respected in the neighborhood.
Dr. C. L. Hixon spent his boyhood days on the farm and early learned to assist in the farm work. He received his elementary education in the district schools, and was ambitious to secure a higher education. He has practically educated himself, and after learning all that was possible for him to learn in the country school, he attended Campbell College, at Holton, Kan., for two years. His ambition was to become a dentist, and with this end in view he matriculated in the University of Iowa in 1895. After spending two profitable years in this institution in the study of dentistry he returned home, and a short time later opened an office in Atchison, where he has practiced continuously for the past eighteen years. After seven years of practice in his first location, he opened well equipped offices at 519 Commercial street, and remained there until his removal to his present location at 613 Commercial street, where he has offices equipped with all the latest appliances for facilitating his work. Dr. Hixon is kept very busy attending to the calls made upon him in the practice of his profession, and during the many years he has been located in Atchison, he has built up an extensive and lucrative practice. He finds time, however, to keep abreast of the latest developments made in his profession, and is ever seeking to better his skill and knowledge of dentistry. He has been distinctly honored by the members of his profession, having served as president of the Northeast Kansas Dental Association, and is at present an active member of this association. He is a leading member of the Atchison Dental Association, and ranks high in his profession, not only as a successful practitioner, but as a citizen who has the best interests of his home city at heart. He is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Washington Lodge, No. 5, and is fraternally affiliated with the Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Rebekah and Eastern Star lodges.
Dr. Hixon was united in marriage with Miss Inez B. Horn in 1902, and one child has been born to this union, Charles Horn Hixon, born May 25, 1907. Mrs. Inez B. Hixon was born in Atchison county, a daughter of J. H. and Catharine (Wallick) Horn, who reside at 1126 North Third street, Atchison. Mrs. Horn is a daughter of Benjamin Wallick, who served as sheriff of the county during the time of the Civil war.