Fred W. Kaufman, merchant, Cummings, Kan., was born in Nortonville, Kan., February 18, 1879. He is a son of Frank and Louise (Baker) Kaufman, who were the parents of thirteen children. Frank Kaufman was born in Servia, Germany, in 1833. When a youth, in his native land he learned the shoemaker’s trade which he followed there until eighteen years of age, and he then emigrated from Germany to America in 1851. He came to Atchison, Kan., and worked as a cobbler. When the town of Pardee, Kan., was founded, Mr. Kaufman opened a shoe shop in that town and conducted it for about four years, after which he located in Nortonville and worked at his trade until his demise in 1911. The children of Frank and Louise Kaufman were as follows: Charles, deceased, merchant of Nortonville, born 1866, died 1908; Edward, a merchant, Nortonville; Fred, a merchant of Cummings, Kan., the subject of this review; Mrs. Anna Coon, of Rock Creek, Kan.; Mrs. Flora Hilderbrand, Independence, Kan.; Walter, a farmer, living near Cleveland, Okla.; Grace, residing at Nortonville. The mother of these children was born near the city of Atchison, and is now living in Nortonville.
Fred Kaufman was reared in Nortonville and attended the public schools of his native city after which he studied in the Atchison Business College. At the age of fifteen years he was employed as clerk in a general merchandise store in his home city. In 1900 he went to St. Joseph, Mo., where he was employed in the wholesale department of the Wheeler & Motter Mercantile Company for a period of nine years, and served in the capacity of mail order clerk in this establishment. He was then given a traveling position as salesman with his firm and for three years sold goods in the surrounding territory with considerable success. His ambitions led him to undertake things in his own behalf, however, and in 1912 Mr. Kaufman located in Colorado, where he was engaged in ranching for three years. Three years’ hard work enabled him to develop his Colorado farm into a good piece of salable property and he then disposed of his holdings and came to Cummings where he invested his cash capital in a general merchandise store which he is conducting with considerable success. His previous commercial experience has proven to be invaluable to him since entering the mercantile field in his own behalf, and he has developed a splendid business in Cummings. Besides his large store in Cummings, Mr. Kaufman has invested in 210 acres of land in Colorado and Oklahoma.
Mr. Kaufman was married September 6, 1905, to Carrie E. Hackney, and this marriage has been blessed with two children: Fred, Jr., and Maxine C., both of whom are at home with their parents. Mrs. Kaufman was born October 27, 1884, at Agency, Buchanan county, Missouri, and is a daughter of Alfred and Pauline (Slover) Hackney, natives of Wisconsin and Missouri, respectively. Alfred Hackney was a son of Thomas and Mary (Saxton) Hackney, the former a native of England. Thomas was an early pioneer settler in Doniphan county, Kansas, coming there about 1852, and also operated a drug store at Wathena, Doniphan county. Mrs. Thomas Hackney is still living at the age of eighty-eight years, born August, 1827. Alfred is now living in retirement at St. Joseph, Mo., and has attained the age of sixty-five years. Mrs. Kaufman’s mother died in 1904, at the age of forty years.
Mr. Kaufman is a Republican in politics and is affiliated with the United Commercial Travelers’ lodge at Hastings, Neb. He and Mrs. Kaufman attend religious worship at the Baptist church, of which Mrs. Kaufman is a member. Mr. Kaufman is a splendid type of self-made man whose success in the mercantile field is certain to continue in the years to come. His business methods are such as to commend him favorably to the many patrons of his store; he is likewise a good citizen who has the best interest of his town and county at heart.
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.