Born Nov. 19, 1827.
The prominent lawyer and statesman, William Crowninshield Endicott, is a native of Salem, in the state of Massachusetts. He is a direct descendant of ex-gov. John Endicott, and a grandson of Jacob Crowninshield. Graduating at Harvard in 1847, he studied in the law school and with Nathanael J. Lord, and was admitted to the Massachusetts bar in 1850.
He then practiced law until 1873, when he was appointed associate justice of the supreme court of Massachusetts, which office he held for ten years, when he resigned.
Mr. Endicott was originally a "whig" in politics, but when that party was broken up, he joined the democrats, and was a candidate of that party for the governorship of Massachusetts in 1884, but received defeat, although he was very popular, and polled quite a large vote.
In March, 1885, he was appointed secretary of war, which position he still holds (1888). The war department was established by act of congress in 1789. The secretary of war is at the head, and performs the duties respecting military affairs, subject to the wishes of the president, of whose cabinet the secretary is a member. The duties of this office are manifold, requiring a general supervision of army affairs.
Samuel Endicott
SAMUEL ENDICOTT, farmer, Section 20, native of West Virginia, was born in 1824. His parents moved to Jasper County, Mo., in 1834; there he was raised. In 1854, his father came to Kansas and located in Drywood Township, but he did not come to the State until 1855, when he selected his claim, and in 1856 moved onto it; at this time it was nothing but a wilderness, and the Indians were numerous, Osages, Pottawatomies and Kickapoos, often stopping at his cabin; the border-ruffians also stopped there, but he was in the bushes concealed; they robbed him and afterward took him prisoner while visiting a sick neighbor, but released him, taking away his horse and saddle. In 1864, he was called out in the militia, and was stationed at Fort Scott, afterward following Price into Missouri. He also had a chance to make a raid with Jennison into Missouri, but the style of warfare carried on by him was not to Mr. Endicott's liking, so he returned home. He has been married three times, but has only two children living. His present wife is Miss McDonald, of Tennessee. He is a grain farmer, and owns 200 acres.
