William Elsey Connelley

“ Samuel Hummer grew up in Pennsylvania, followed farming there for a number of years, and in 1868 brought his family out to Kansas. On the 16th of December of that year he ate his first meal in the state at the old Gordon Hotel on East Fourth Street in Topeka. He then settled on his farm and from the first gave particular attention to the raising of good grades of livestock. He was one of the successful men of his time, and lived a long and useful life, which came to its close in 1891 at the age of eighty. ”

“ Since then by hard work and good judgment he has acquired 1,500 acres of land, of which 1,000 acres is under cultivation, and all of it within ten miles of Topeka. He is one of the largest stock raisers in Shawnee County, raising the Durham, Shorthorn and Hereford cattle. ”