Stage Drivers from Kansas.

All these Stage Drivers, live in Kansas, although not all drove stages in Kansas.
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Root, Frank A., author and publisher, was born at Binghampton, N. Y., July 3, 1837, son of Albert B. and Marinda (Boyden) Root. He was educated in the country schools of New York and Pennsylvania, and in his boyhood worked on a farm. He was later hod-carrier and stage driver in Pennsylvania. At the age of twenty he came to Kansas, where he worked first in the office of the Herald of Freedom at Lawrence, and in the latter '50s was local editor on the Quindaro Chindowan. When the Civil war broke out he was assistant postmaster at Atchison, and was prevented from enlisting by his resignation not being accepted. Early in 1863 he went on the overland stage line at Atchison as messenger; later was local agent in charge of the California mail at Latham station, Col.; was then traveling mail agent on the stage line, and made trips across the plains between the Missouri river and the Rocky mountains. On Oct. 21, 1864, he married Miss Emma Clark of Atchison, Kan.; was part owner of the Daily and Weekly Free-Press of that city from 1865 to 1869; part owner of the Waterville Telegraph in 1870-71, and one of the owners of the Seneca Courier 1871-72. In the latter year he became proprietor of the Holton Express; was postmaster at that place; was publisher of the Topeka Argus in 1876; of the North Topeka Times 1876 to 1880; was postmaster at North Topeka in the latter '70s; was one of the owners of the Review and the Review Press at Gunnison, Col., from 1880 till 1886, and from that time until 1893 was publisher of the Topeka Mail. He is the author of "The Overland Stage to California" (1901).

Ole Erickson Ladd, now deceased, was a prominent pioneer and highly respected citizen of Greenwood county. He was a native of Norway, born November 15, 1839, a son of Erick and Karen Ladd. He came to America with his parents in 1851, being then twelve years of age. The family located in Stoughton, Dane county, Wisconsin, where his parents resided until their deaths.  In the spring of 1857, when Ole E. Ladd was about eighteen years of age, he came to Kansas City, Mo., where he was employed as stage driver for nearly two years, between Kansas City and Leavenworth.

John J. Jenness in 1861 came to Kansas, locating first at Indianola. For two years he engaged in driving stage to Saint Mary's Mission, after which he followed the same occupation for another firm between Abilene and Junction City. In 1864 Mr. Jenness enlisted for 100 days' service in the Civil war, being stationed at Fort Leavenworth until the following fall, when he received an honorable discharge. Then at Junction City he sold goods at auction during the winter and for a short time was engaged in the saloon business at Wyandotte. At Lawrence, Kansas, he manufactured the brick which entered into the construction of the Eldridge Hotel, which replaced the hotel destroyed by Quantrell and his band. After that he was a stage driver from Lawrence to Topeka, later station agent at Pritchard, west of Salina, for the Overland Stage Company, and in 1866 was employed by that company to erect its stables.

ISAAC FRANKLIN ROSE at one time he was a stage driver from Caldwell, Kansas, to Fort Sill, Oklahoma.

Dec 23, 1921, Henry Hegwer, Pioneer, soldier, scout, Indian fighter, stage driver, buffalo hunter and business man died. Henry was an old time Chase County resident.

Flamboyant and colorful, Donald R. "Cannonball" Green (1839-1922) ran a stage line connecting the railroad to towns across southwestern Kansas. Green started his first stage service in Kingman in 1876. It ran through Pratt to Coldwater and later to Greensburg, a town he helped found in 1886.
Green's stage line served areas not reached by the railroad, and for a few years he also carried the mail from Wichita to Kingman. Known for their speed, Green's coaches were pulled by teams of six or eight horses which were changed every eight to ten miles. More than just a driver, Green was an advisor and teacher, sharing with passengers his knowledge of southwestern Kansas and the prairie landscape.

As the railroads advanced, Green moved his stage service west but stage demand soon dwindled. In 1898 he took a claim in Oklahoma Territory when the Cherokee Strip opened. Although Green also served in the Kansas legislature, he was best known for his stage route between Kingman and Greensburg, the Cannonball Highway, which became U.S. Highway 54.  Green died in Long Beach, California and is buried in Maple Grove Cemetery in Wichita.

Wild Bill" Hickok was a loyal friend, as I had many opportunities to prove. He came to Kansas in 1855 and became a stage driver on the Santa Fe Trail. As sharpshooter, scout, and spy for the Union army, he had many narrow escapes. He was captured several times and sentenced to be shot.

Robert Carleton Madden employed in farm work and as a driver for the S. W. Stage lines at various points between Wichita and Emporia.

Topeka Kansas, 1874-5.
Carter, M. A., driver with S. W. Stage and Omnibus Co., res e s Buchanan bet 7th and Eighth ave.
Clark, John, driver S. W. Stage Company, bds Capitol House.

Medicine Lodge, Earl Williams has for a long time been a driver on the Medicine Lodge and Kingman stage line.

Leavenworth City.
David Johns, Age 27.
Joseph Nicoles, Age 39.

Miami 1870.
Isaac L. Bounty, Age 33.

Lykens County, 1860.
Isaac Shaw, Age 22.

Sedgwick County, 1870.
Johns J. Palmer, Age 24.

Harper County, 1885.
William Pursell, Age none.

Osage County, 1865.
Jas. Sanders, Age 23.

Anderson County, 1870.
John Linn, Age 50.

Sedgwick County, 1875.
C. H. Miller, Age 24.
A. W. Terrill, Age 26.
F. Robinson, Age 23.
L. A. Brown, Age 32.
James Fahey, Age 40.
D. Patterson, Age 28.