Unless otherwise noted, biographies submitted by Dick Barton.

L. M. Kirk

In the spring of 1880, L. M. Kirk opened a depot for the sale of agricultural implements, on the corner of Second and Chestnut streets, putting up, for the purpose, a building 35 x 70 in ground area, besides line house and other additions.  He also also put in a large set of scales.  Here, he carried on business of large proportions, and the year 1882, made sales of over $50,000 worth of goods.  In January, 1883, Enos Sayers, of Victoria township, purchased the whole business, and ran it alone for a short time, when he admitted R. A. Walker to a partnership with him, under the firm name of Sayers and Walker.  This continues to the present day.  They handle all kinds of agricultural machinery and implements; among others  the Deering binders, Champion machinery and Eclipse wind mills, and are large dealers in seeds, line, coal and stone.

L. M. Kirk, who has been among the prominent business men of Atlantic, and is now living a retired life, came here in 1872.  He is a native of Jefferson county, Ohio, born February 20, 1838.  He remained in his native county, engaged in agriculture and sheep husbandry, until 1869.  His first business in Atlantic was in the grocery trade; afterwards he dealt extensively in agricultural implements for a number of years.  Although retired from active business life, he is settling up business matters, and has large real estate interests.  He was married October 27, 1864, to Elizabeth Beuff, a native of Mahoning county, Ohio.  They have four children - Alice, Lorena, Willard and Anna.

CHARLES KUESTER owes his nativity to Hanover, Germany, having been born on the 30th of January, 1853, and is the son of Christopher and Catharine Kuester. When about twelve years of age he came to America with his parents, and settled in LaSalle county, Illinois, where he grew to manhood, and was there educated in the public schools. He lived with his parents seventeen years, when he began farming, and was so engaged until 1873, when he came to Cass county and bought eighty acres of wild land on section 17, Noble township. He has since improved one hundred and sixty acres of land, and has erected a large frame house. He has a fine large pasture, and has in all his land two hundred and forty acres, which he intends to cultivates, Mr. Kuester was married in 1875, to Catharine E. Abhaw, by whom he has had four children - John Adam, Sophia Mary, Bertha Matilda, and Louis.

HENRY KUESTER came to Cass county in 1872, and rented land for about two years in Noble township. In 1875 he purchased one hundred and sixty acres of wild land on section 17 of Noble township, where he erected a house and improved one hundred acres. In 1883 he purchased the Hayden farm, on sections 5 and 8, in all about one hundred and forty acres of improved land. He was born in Germany, October 29, 1847, and when seventeen years of age, emigrated to America, and located in LaSalle county, Illinois. He worked on a farm for about three months, after which he rented land until he came to Cass county, in 1873. He was married in 1868 to Caroline Koehler, who was born in Prussia, October 1, 1843, and came to America when six years of age, and was reared in Wisconsin. Mr. and Mrs. Kuester are the parents of six children - Amelia, Dora, Caroline, Henry, Louisa and John. Mrs. K. has two children by a former husband, Philip Sinner, now deceased. Their names are, Conrad and Elizabeth.