Bond, William Henry

The following data is extracted from A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans.

William Henry Bond came up the Missouri River in 1865 to the City of Leavenworth and founded the wholesale grocery establishment of Bond & Funk. Though now living retired with home in Kansas City, Missouri, Mr. Bond had been more or less vitally and closely identified with Leavenworth's welfare and progress for half a century.

He was born in the State of Missouri at Weston on July 19, 1840. His parents, William H. and Mary (Hitchcock) Bond, arrived in Missouri when it was on the western frontier. His father was a miner by occupation. Mr. Bond is a direct descendant of Joseph Bond who came from England in 1721 and settled in Pennsylvania. He was a Quaker.

Part of Mr. Bond's youth was spent in New Orleans but for the most part he was reared in St. Louis, where he received his early education. At St. Louis on April 21, 1862, he married Miss Josephine Fisher.

It was three years after his marriage that he became a resident of Leavenworth. He continued in business as a wholesale grocery merchant for nine years, and after that had many diverse business interests and was also closely connected with the community's affairs. He was a pronounced republican in politics and was allied with the organization from the time of the Civil war. In 1872 he was elected a member of the Kansas State Legislature. In 1874 and again in 1876 he was chosen sheriff of Leavenworth County and filled that office with ability four years. Mr. Bond in 1906 was appointed United States commissioner, but held the office only a year until he resigned. His wife passed away March 6, 1907, and after that he gave up his home in Leavenworth. For one year he was engaged in mining in Chihuahua, Mexico, but for several years now had had his home in Kansas City, Missouri. As a business man, as a public official and as a private citizen of Kansas, the life of Mr. Bond had been a credit alike to himself and the state. He served as captain of the Metropolitan Guard when that organization was in its prime at Leavenworth.

Four children were born to William Henry Bond and wife. Ada, Mrs. Thomas Quigley; William Quincy, who died when five years of age; Estella May, wife of Herbert Nunn; and Lee.

Mr. Lee Bond, a well known lawyer of Leavenworth, was born in that city March 21, 1873. He had known Leavenworth as a home all his life. His early education was acquired in the public schools, and after settling in his mind definitely his future vocation, he entered the law department of Washington University at St. Louis in 1895, and two years later was granted his degree LL. B. He had now been an active member of the bar of Leavenworth for more than twenty years. From 1905 to 1913 he served as Leavenworth County's attorney, and since 1907 had filled the office of United States commissioner. He is an active republican. Mr. Lee Bond was married September 27, 1899, to Miss Veva Atchison of Leavenworth.

Source: A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans

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