Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 340 - 342

H. G. TOLER, a Director of the Garfield University, and a real-estate agent, is one of the leading citizens of Wichita, and is prominently identified with the business men of Sedgwick County. He is a native of Richmond, Va., born Oct. 2, 1846, to George W. and Susan A. (Jones) Toler, likewise natives of Virginia. His father was very prominent and influential in public and political affairs in Virginia's capital city. He was a member of the Old Richmond Blues, and was Mayor of Richmond for one year, being the first one elected to that high office by the Know-Nothing party. He was actively interested in educational matters, and as he was well-to-do gave his children a fine education. While he remained a resident of Richmond he was prosperously engaged in the loan, real-estate and brokerage business. In 1855 he removed with his family to Kansas City, Mo., then a town of 300 inhabitants, and there he engaged in furnishing steamboats with supplies, continuing in that business five years. Subsequently he became an auctioneer, and followed that calling until his death in 1866. He took a leading part in public affairs while he lived in Kansas City, and for a number of years held the office of Recorder. He was a man of remarkable decision of character, and business talents of a high order. His wife survived him several years. In 1872 she removed with her family to St. Louis, where they remained until 1874, thence to Plattsburg, Mo., and from there in 1878 to Wichita, Kan., where the mother died in 1880. To her and her husband had been born two sons and two daughters, as follows: Mrs. C. W. Parry, of Kansas City; Mrs. M. S. Lovejoy, of Penos, Old Mexico; Edwin W., of Kansas City, where he is engaged in the real-estate business with another gentleman, under the firm name of Toler & Evart, and H. G.

     The subject of this sketch started out from the parental home at the age of fourteen years to learn to become a self-supporting and self-reliant member of society, and as a means to that end entered the printing-office of the Kansas City Advertiser, afterward the Kansas City Times, and was in the employ of the editors of that sheet for two and one-half years. He then went to New Mexico, driving six yoke of cattle across the plains. This was a long, tedious, but most eventful journey, and our subject thought that if he ever returned alive no one should ever catch him in another such fix. This was in the fall and winter of 1864-65, it taking him six months to travel across the plains to his destination, and the winter season was one of unusual severity. He saw many outfits burning their ox-yokes, their loads of bacon, flour, corn, and everything that would keep them warm, and many men were frozen while sitting on their mules. He returned from his trip to Mexico with nothing but a supply of wood and corn; some members of his party were frozen; one man had to have his legs and arms amputated.

     On his return to Kansas City from his memorable Mexican trip Mr. Toler entered into the employ of Scott, Cutler & Co., wholesale groccrs, representing that house on the road, being the first gentleman so employed by any business firm of Kansas City; he traveled on horseback, with a pair of saddle-bags, visiting Paola, Garnett, and other places within a circuit of 100 miles of his headquarters, He continued to represent that firm until they were burned out. When his father died the care of the family devolved on our subject, as his brother was married, and had a family of his own to care for. Subsequently Mr. Toler engaged in the horse trade, and followed it two years. He then engaged in the liquor and wholesale grocery business until 1872. He then removed with his family to St. Louis, where he became interested in the tea business with Hugh Menown, continuing with him until their establishment was burned out in 1875. He then went in with Forbes Bros. in the tea business, traveling on the road until 1876; our subject then returned to Kansas City, and entered into the wholesale grocery business with Cochrane, Carroll & Beckham, continuing with them the ensuing three years, and while thus employed moved his family to Wichita, Kan., where he afterward established himself in the retail grocery business. Finding that it did not pay he sold out, and went on the road again, this time for Bittman, Taylor & Co., of Leavenworth, Kan., continuing with them until 1884. In 1885 Mr. Toler opened an office in Wichita, for the purpose of engaging in the real-estate business, which he has since prosecuted with much success, and in the very few years that have elapsed since he first started out he has so increased his property that he may now be numbered among the wealthy men of this city. He is a man of marked energy and enterprise, and while laying the foundations of his own prosperity has greatly aided in building up Wichita. He has made seven additions to the city, platted and disposed of the same, and has erected twenty houses in the northern part of the city. He purchased 515 acres of land five miles from the city, and has converted it into a valuable stock farm, devoting it to the breeding of fine horses and Jersey cattle. Our subject is a Director in the State National Bank, of Wichita, and a Director of the Wichita City Street Railway. He is noted for his unbounded generosity, benevolence and public-spiritedness. He takes a marked interest in educational matters, is one of the Directors of Garfield University, and has donated liberally to its support, as well as to other public institutions in the city.

     Mr. Toler was married, in 1867, to Miss Sallie J. Frame, of Kansas City, and niece of Allen Frame. Of their union three sons have been born - Foster, Edwin C., and H. G., Jr. Our subject and his wife are leading members of the Christian Church. It was mainly through the earnest and persistent efforts of Mrs. Toler and Mrs. Ella G. Shields, daughter of Gov. Glenn, of Illinois, that this church was established; they called a meeting of those in sympathy with the religious views of the Christian Church, organized a church, the first one in the city of that denomination, and employed the Rev. T. J. Shelton as the pastor.

     Mr. Toler is a Democrat in politics; socially he is an Odd Fellow and a Knight of Pythias, belonging to First Lodge No. 1, of Missouri.

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