Sedgwick County KSGenWeb

Portrait And Biographical Album of Sedgwick County, Kan.

Chapman Brothers 1888

Pages 547 - 549 

WILLIAM H. DWIGHT, M. D., was the second physician to locate in Mt. Hope, and is now the oldest in practice. He has a pleasant residence just outside the city limits. He is wide-awake and ever ready to promote the interests of the community in which he lives. Whatever he undertakes he pushes through with characteristic energy and tact, and his hand is felt in every important movement, be it political or a public enterprise. Although still comparatively a young man, he has achieved a brilliant success in his profession, and has a large practice. He comes of honorable Puritan ancestry; the first of his name, John Dwight, who came to America, fled from his native country in 1634 to avoid religious persecution, and settled in Dedham, Mass., where he could worship God after his own heart. Notable among his descendants of today is President Dwight, of Yale College.

            The father of our subject, Harrison Dwight, a farmer by occupation, was born in New York, April 16, 1817. He there grew to manhood and married, Jan. 8, 1852, Harriet N. Congdon, a daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Salisbury) Congdon, the latter a native of Scotland. The Congdon family were from Baden, Germany, whence they emigrated to England, and from there came to the United States many years ago. Their daughter, the mother of our subject, was born in Washington County, N. Y., March 5, 1821. Immediately after marriage Mr. and Mrs. Dwight moved to Ingham County, Mich., where he had previously purchased land. In 1853 he sold his property there, and after passing a few months in New York returned to Michigan and located in Jackson County, where he cleared a valuable farm from the forest; it contained a half-section of land. In 1864 he removed with his family to Cortland County, N. Y., and there passed the remainder of his life. He was a man of rare energy and stability, a fine type of the manly men hardened by the struggle that has formed our National character, and both in Michigan and in his native State of New York he took an active part in public affairs, and held the office of Justice of the Peace. In politics he was a strong Abolitionist, and gave his earnest support to that party. The mother of our subject, a woman of good mental endowments, who heartily sympathized with her husband in his advanced views, after his death came to Kansas in 1883, and made her home with her son until her death, Dec. 27, 1886.

            Our subject was an only child. He was born in Ingham County, Mich., Oct. 28, 1852, during the brief residence of his parents in that county. He was afterward educated in the public schools and academy of Cortland County, N. Y., attending school winters and working on the farm in the summer, thus earning money enough to partly clothe himself and pay his expenses at school. At the age of twenty he taught school one term, and then commenced to read medicine with Dr. Thomas Dwight, of Preston, N. Y., as preceptor, who was a distant relative. He subsequently entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons, Syracuse University, in October, 1873, and after pursuing a thorough and exhaustive course of study was graduated from that institution in 1876. After that lie traveled for awhile, visiting the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia and taking an extended tour in the South. In 1877 he commenced the practice of his profession at Eaton, Madison Co., N. Y., whence he removed to Beaver Meadow, remaining there until 1879.

            Dr. Dwight was married to his amiable and accomplished wife, formerly Miss Frances A. Graves, Sept. 22, 1875. She is an only daughter, and the eldest of the children born to Webster and Betsy (Marsh) Graves, natives of New York. She was born in Cortland County, N. Y., April 27, 1857. Her father was a blacksmith, but subsequently became a general agent for Howe's Sewing Machine. He died in the State of New York, Oct. 7, 1887, at the age of fifty-four. His widow is now living in Norwich, N. Y. Four children were born to her and her husband, as follows: Dell, a wholesale music dealer in Norwich, N. Y.; Willie, a dealer in sewing machines and a partner in the national View Company; Lucius lives at home with his mother; Mrs. Dwight, the eldest child and only daughter. Her union with our subject has been blessed by the birth of one daughter, Lottie Belle.

            Dr. Dwight found his prospects were not very encouraging in Beaver Meadow, N. Y., and in April, 1879, he started westward in search of a more promising location. He stopped a short time in Missouri, but the month of May, 1879, found him at Mt. Hope. He looked over adjacent territory, but found no other place that suited him better in every respect than this town, and decided to locate here, and on the 4th of June, 1879, established himself in his profession at this point. He has steadily gained the confidence of the people in this and adjacent localities, and now ranks among the leading physicians of Sedgwick County. He is a member of the Kansas Southeastern Medical Society, and is identified with several social organizations. He is a Royal Arch Mason, and has been Master of Friendship Lodge No. 108, A. F. & A. M., at Haven, Reno County, still retaining his membership in that organization, and is one of the active workers in the fraternity. He also belongs to the K. of P., at Mt. Hope. When the Doctor came here the town was in its infancy, not having been organized, and he afterward became one of its incorporators. He is a leader among the Republicans of this county, and is usually a delegate to the political conventions; in 1886 he was a delegate to the State Convention. He is very much interested in educational affairs, and is doing good work as a member of the School Board. He is also Notary Public. Although our subject takes such a prominent part in public affairs, the demands of his professional and other business, for he represents two insurance companies, will not admit of his holding public office other than the positions mentioned.

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