Marshall County KS Archives Biographies.....Stephens, L. H. unknown - living in 1917
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com July 23, 2005, 12:47 pm

Author: B. F. Bowen

DR. L. H. STEPHENS.

    Doctor Stephens, a well-known and prominent dentist of Summerfield, is a
native of the West, and located in Summerfield in his profession in 1901, since
which time he has met with much success. He has been associated with the
practice of dentistry since boyhood. Doctor Stephens received his education in
colleges at Omaha, Kansas City and Chicago. As a young practitioner he was
associated with his brother. Dr. C. A. Stephens, in the old Indian Territory,
where they had an extensive practice in the Quapaw nation and throughout the
northeast part of the territory. They later practiced in Blue Rapids, Kansas,
prior to the location of Doctor Stephens in Summerfield.

    Since locating in Summerfield Doctor Stephens has served as a member of the
city council for several years and was in the spring of 1915 elected mayor of
the city and re-elected in 1917. During his official life he has demonstrated
his ability as an able law maker and executive. The present administration have
extended their lighting system to Burchard, Nebraska, thus adding a substantial
revenue to their home treasury. He took a most active part in the endeavor of
the city to issue bonds for the installation of the present light plant, which
.is today one of the substantial institutions of the city, and in which all take
the greatest pride. The old board sidewalks have been abolished and cement walks
have been placed in all parts of the city. The park has been reconstructed and
many improvements have been made, including the planting of trees and the
removal of old stumps and dead trees. A new cement sidewalk to the cemetery,
one-half mile distant, has been completed, and the home-beautiful and
tree-planting movement has been encouraged. A beautiful silver loving-cup was
given for the best-kept lawn, and a prize, "The Summerfield Beautiful Trophy,"
for the best-kept residence. These had a most desirable effect and many
substantial improvements were made in the city. Another innovation that brought
much good to the city and the surrounding country is the, good roads work of the
Interstate Good Roads Association, of which the Doctor is president. Hills have
been removed, grades established, bridges raised and trees planted by the
roadside. The street from the town to the cemetery has been beautified by the
planting of trees along the walk.

    In addition to the physical development of the country, Doctor Stephens has
always taken a keen interest in the educational development of his home
community, and has encouraged the building of the best school houses and the
employment of the most efficient teachers. When the school house burned in 1905
he was prominent in establishing a subscription school board for the purpose of
renting a building in which the interrupted term of school could be finished and
hiring the regular teachers, so that the senior class of the school completed
their work and were graduated, in spite of difficulties. A new school building
was in time erected, to which has since been added a substantial addition. It
has always been one of Doctor Stephens' greatest ambitions to help and assist
the young man or young woman who shows a disposition to help themselves.

    Fraternally, Doctor Stephens is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted
Masons, and has attained the thirty-second degree. He has three times served as
master of his lodge at Summerfield. During his administration as mayor of the
city, a ladies' rest-room has been erected, and is one of the best in the
county. It is entirely modern, with reading room, rest rooms and toilets, all
under the supervision of a caretaker, and is a most comfortable and attractive
place.

Doctor Stephens is identified with the Republican party and has represented his
party in Marshall county at the state convention. He has for several years been
a member of the central committee from St. Bridget township. While taking the
greatest interest in all civic life of his city and county and always working
for the best interest of the people, he has never in any sense been an office
seeker, and while he has served as a member of the city council and as mayor the
honors came to him unsolicited.

    Doctor Stephens has always taken much interest in outdoor sports and is at
present the president of the "National Coursing Association." As a hunter he is
recognized as one of the genuine sportsmen of this section of the country. He
maintains one of the leading kennels of greyhounds in America. A portion of his
vacation each year is spent in the West, where he has many friends and
acquaintances and where he always finds a hearty welcome with the ranchmen and
is accepted as one of them on their rides and hunts.

    Doctor Stephens' life has been a most active one, it being his good fortune
to take a broad view of life and to find genuine delight in everything which
goes to make living worth while, whether it be a delicate problem in science or
art, or a rough one of the big out-doors.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

History of Marshall County, Kansas: its people, industries, and institutions
by
Emma E. Forter

Indianapolis, Ind.: B.F. Bowen & Co. (1917)

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ks/marshall/bios/stephens66bs.txt

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