Peter Percival Elder facts for kids

Peter Percival Elder was an important American politician, businessman, and newspaper editor. He was born in New Portland, Maine on September 20, 1823, and passed away in Ottawa, Kansas on November 19, 1914. Elder played a big part in the early history of Kansas, especially during the time when it was becoming a state.

Early Life and Moving to Kansas

Peter Elder grew up on a farm in northern Maine. He went to school in Farmington, Maine and Readfield, Maine, and then became a teacher.

He strongly believed that slavery should be ended. This belief, called abolitionism, led him to move to Kansas in 1857. At that time, Kansas was a territory, and people were arguing fiercely about whether it would allow slavery or be a "free state." Elder wanted to help Kansas become a free state. He settled in Franklin County, Kansas, and later helped set up the county government, serving as one of its first leaders.

A Career in Politics

Elder quickly became involved in Kansas politics.

• In 1859, he was chosen to be the clerk for the territory's house of representatives.
• The next year, in 1860, he was elected to the state senate under the new Wyandotte Constitution. This constitution made Kansas a free state.

Helping Native American Tribes

In 1861, Peter Elder was given an important job: he became an agent for the Osage and Seneca Native American tribes near Fort Scott. During the American Civil War, he worked hard to keep these tribes peaceful and friendly with the Union side. He even helped the Union army get Osage recruits to join their fight.

Returning to State Government

After the Civil War ended, Elder left his agent job in 1865. He moved to the new town of Ottawa and built one of the first large houses there.

• In 1868, he was elected to the state senate again to fill an empty spot.
• In 1870, he led the Kansas Republican central committee. That same year, he was elected the sixth Lieutenant Governor of Kansas, serving with Governor James M. Harvey.
• He also served in the Kansas House of Representatives from 1875 to 1877, and again in 1883. In 1877, his fellow representatives chose him to be their Speaker, which is a very important leadership role.
• In 1890, he was elected to the House of Representatives once more, this time as part of the "Alliance" movement, and he was again chosen as Speaker.

Business Ventures

Besides his political work, Peter Elder was also a successful businessman in Ottawa.

• He was the president of a railroad company that built tracks connecting Ottawa to Olathe.
• He also ran a banking business and later became the president of the First National Bank of Ottawa.
• In 1873, he left the bank to spend more time on his large farming and livestock businesses.
• In 1896, he started a newspaper called the Ottawa Times. He was its publisher and editor for several years.

Family Life

Peter Elder married Catherine Felker in 1845. She was born in 1824 and passed away in 1912. They had two children:

• Olena (born 1846, died 1910)
• Aldamar (born 1854, died 1951)

Aldamar followed in his father's footsteps. He became a well-known local businessman and was also elected to the Kansas House of Representatives in 1910, representing the Democratic Party.