My Genealogy Hound

WILLIAM L. CARVER, superintendent of the Carthage Gas Company, was born in 1840, in East Aurora, New York. His father L. F. Carver was a native of the State of New York; Angeline C. Johnson was his mother’s maiden name. Mr. Carver was reared in New York until seventeen years of age, when he went to Kansas, where he completed his education at Baldwin City, at Baker University; afterwards engaging as a salesman in a mercantile house, and first embarked in business at Lawrence, Kansas. During the war he served in a Kansas regiment for one hundred days. In 1874 he came to Joplin, Jasper county, Missouri, where he engaged in mining for three years. In 1878 he came to Carthage, where he first engaged as book-keeper for the Gas Company, and their assistant secretary, and subsequently superintendent of the Gas Company, retaining this position at the present time. This company was organized in the spring of 1878; they have extensive works, both in Carthage and Joplin. The second year they manufactured over two and one-half million feet of gas, and in 1881, more than doubled this amount. The city of Carthage was first lighted with gas in July, 1878. Since the organization of the company they have manufactured over a billion feet of gas. In December, 1867, he married Miss Cleora A. Simpson of Lawrence, Kansas. They have one child living, Walter R., born July 12, 1869. Both Mr. and Mrs. Carver are prominent members of the Congregational Church of Carthage, and are charter members of the Congregational Church of Joplin, Missouri. Mr. Carver was instrumental in building the large tabernacle in Joplin, for the use of religious meetings; he is also a member of the I. O. O. F. Although of rather a quiet turn of mind, Mr. Carver is foremost in all enterprises of public welfare, and commands the respect of business men and the people of the church and community generally.