EDWARD T REESE

There is no story more edifying than the story of a successful man who has gained places of responsibility by persevering labor and strict fidelity to every duty that has devolved upon him. Such a man is Edward T. Reese, the mayor of the village of Denton, Doniphan county, Kansas, merchant and section foreman for the Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company.

Born October 8, 1853, at Caseyville, Illinois, Mr. Reese is a son of Evan and Christiana (Spicer) Reese. His father was a native of Monmouthshire, Wales, born in 1822, and came to America at the age of seventeen years. His mother was born in Wales also, in 1827. They have another son, William E. Reese, of St. Joseph, Missouri. Evan Reese brought his family to Kansas in 1860 and settled on a farm a mile south of Troy, where he lived until his retirement from active life and removal to the town mentioned.

Edward T. Reese gained a limited education in the public schools and at the age of eighteen years married and engaged in railroading. He began his railroad career in the service of the St. Joseph & Grand Island Railroad Company at Troy as section man under foreman Tom Casey, and remained with that company fifteen years, twelve years of the time as foreman. He was first placed in charge of the Severance section, but was later transferred and had the Troy section in charge for ten years. In the summer of 1887 he entered the service of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company and has been foreman at Wathena, Pawnee, Powhattan and at Bellville, in charge of an extra gang and in the Horton yards. He was for a short time a foreman in the employ of the Union Pacific Railway Company at Rogers and Papillion and in the Omaha yards. In the fall of 1899 he returned to the service of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway Company as foreman of the Denton section. Recently Mr. Reese bought the stock of general merchandise of L. D. Priester, of Denton, and with the assistance of Mrs. Reese is conducting a successful and increasing trade.

Edward T. Reese was married, December 10, 1871. to Mattie Kretzer, who died without issue, and afterward he married Mrs. Mollie Hinchsliff, a daughter of Thomas Adams, of Jefferson county, Kansas. Mrs. Reese's children are Mabel and Harry Hinchsliff. One of the prominent Republicans of his township, Mr. Reese has served Denton two years as a member of the village council, and in the spring of 1898 was elected the mayor and was re-elected in the following spring.