Miller, Frank C.

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

Frank C. Miller. The substantial rewards of a business career seldom come so rapidly and in such liberal measure as had been true in the career of Mr. Frank C. Miller of Humboldt. Mr. Miller had lived in Humboldt since 1891. He was fifteen years of age when he came to the city, and his first occupation was the cigar manufacturing business, which he learned as an apprentice and followed as a journeyman for a number of years. In fact he gave up the cigar business only in 1908.

Since then his interests have become widely and rapidly extended. In 1908 he engaged in the ice business, and is now owner of a large plant located on the Neosho River at West Bridge Street. He supplies the entire City of Humboldt and also a large surrounding territory with his products.

Since 1912 he had been one of the leading oil and gas producers in this section of Kansas. His productions are chiefly in the field two miles south of Humboldt, where he had six producing oil wells and two gas wells. He is interested in many other leases around Humboldt. Among his property interests are a farm of 290 acres 4½ miles southwest of Humboldt; forty-five acres of oil land south and southwest of Humboldt; a farm of 135 acres which he had under lease northwest of Humboldt; a leased farm of sixty-five acres south of the town, and one of eighty acres east of Humboldt; he had under lease 160 acres southwest and a quarter interest in 160 acres east of Humboldt. Besides his home at No. 1 Water Street he had a dwelling in the southwest part of the city. Thus at the age of forty Mr. Miller had reached financial independence and yet had the promise of many years of usefulness and activity before him.

He was born at St. Charles, Missouri, April 6, 1876, and his ancestors originally came out of Germany and were pioneers in that historic section of Missouri where Mr. Miller was born. His father, August A. Miller, was born at St. Charles in 1848, grew up and married there, and became a cigar manufacturer. In 1881 he removed to Kansas, locating at Humboldt, and followed his trade and business for many years. In 1914 he became interested in the oil fields of this section. He is still living at Humboldt. Politically he is a republican, is a member of the Christian Church, and belongs to Humboldt Camp of the Modern Woodmen of America.

August Miller married for his first wife Maggie Heckie, who was born in 1850 at St. Charles, Missouri, where she died in 1881. She was the mother of three children: Frank C.; Eugene T., who is a horse breeder at San Ysidro, California; and George, a supervisor of school buildings at Los Angeles, California. August Miller married for his second wife Miss Ellis, of Humboldt, Kansas. They have one daughter, Pearl, wife of E. A. Braucker, who is a hardware merchant at Humboldt, Kansas.

Frank C. Miller grew up at St. Charles, Missouri, attended the public schools, but left off the study of books at the age of thirteen and began working for his self support. His first experience as a wage earner was in a nursery at St. Charles, where he put in two years before coming out to Humboldt, Kansas.

Mr. Miller is a democrat, and had given service on the school board at Humboldt. He is affiliated with Pacific Lodge No. 29, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Humboldt, with Valley Chapter No. 11, Royal Arch Masons, at Humboldt, and with the Knights and Ladies of Security in the same place. He is one of the aggressive and influential members of the Humboldt Board of Trade and served that organization as vice president.

On October 1, 1900, at Humboldt, he married Miss Harriet I. Gleason, daughter of E. A. and Mary J. (Nigh) Gleason. Her father is now deceased. He was a farmer and for some years lived retired. Her mother now makes her home with Mr. and Mrs. Miller. The latter are the parents of one child, Eugene B., born August 4, 1901.

Source: A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans

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