KENT BIOGRAPHIES, Henry County, Missouri
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KENT, E. C. - b: 1861 Dublin, Ireland
source: 1919 History of Henry Co MO, Uel W. Lamkin, Historical Publishing Co - 
page: 827
residence: Clinton, Clinton Twp

E. C. Kent, president of the Clinton National Bank, and a leading clothing merchant 
of Clinton, Missouri, is a native of Dublin, Ireland. He is a son of Edmund C. Kent, 
who during his active career conducted a large dyeing establishment in Dublin. He 
was also engaged in the bakery and grocery business and now resides in Dublin, 
Ireland, where he is living retired. His wife died in 1916. The Kent family 
emigrated from Ireland to Canada when E. C. Kent was a boy of fourteen years. 
The family returned to Dublin two years later, but E. C., who was then about 
sixteen years of age, remaining with an uncle, who lived at Peru, Indiana. Here he 
attended school until he was twenty-one years of age, when he made a trip to his 
native land, and Scotland. Shortly afterward he returned to Peru, Indiana, where 
he learned the tailor's trade with his uncle. When he was twenty-four years of 
age he went from Peru, Indiana, to Great Bend, Kansas, and after working at his 
trade there about one and one half years, when he went to Palestine, Texas He 
engaged in the merchant tailoring business in the latter place, and conducted an 
extensive business, frequently employing as many as twelve or more tailors, and 
was recognized as having the best merchant tailoring business in the State of 
Texas. In 1891 he came to Clinton, where he conducted an exclusive merchant 
tailoring establishment until 1915, when he added a complete line of clothing 
and men's furnishings. The Kent Clothing House is not only an attractive 
establishment, but carries a complete line of high class clothing and furnishings 
of well recognized merit. Mr. Kent aims to carry well-known and well-
established makes of clothing which have stood the test of time. Mr. Kent has 
met with a large degree of success in the mercantile world, although he has not 
confined his activities to this field, alone. He is a successful banker and a large 
land owner. He was one of the organizers of the Clinton National Bank, and was a 
member of its first board of directors, and he has been connected with that bank 
in an official way since its organization, January 13, 1906, having continually 
served on the board of directors. In January, 1916, he was elected president of 
that institution and is still serving in that capacity. In addition to his property 
interests in Clinton he owns considerable property in Kansas City, Missouri, and 
also a section of valuable land in Barton County, Kansas, which is located about 
five miles from Great Bend. This is recognized as some of the most fertile and 
productive wheat land in Kansas. Mr. Kent was first married at Great Bend, 
Kansas, to Miss Ellen Uphins Diffenbacher, daughter of C. F. Diffenbacher, a 
prominent attorney of Great Bend, Kansas, who for a time was a member of the 
law firm of Diffenbacher & Banty. Mr. Diffenbacher served as district judge in 
Kansas for a number of years. To Mr. and Mrs. Kent were born three children, as 
follow: E. C., who is associated with his father in the clothing store at Clinton; P. 
J., of the United States Aviation Corps, who is now general instructor at United 
States Aviation, Camp Wright, Fairfield, Ohio. He is an honor graduate of Cornell 
University; F. D., the youngest son of Mr. Kent is now serving as first lieutenant 
in the National Army in France. Mr. Kent's first wife died May 22, 1914. On July 
10, 1917, he was united in marriage with Mrs. Christine Vanderespt of Louisville, 
Kentucky. Mr. Kent is a member of the Masonic Lodge and the Benevolent and 
Protective Order of Elks. He is one of the substantial business men of Henry 
County. 

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