Miles Elson

MILES ELSON is one of the rising young attorneys of Smith Center, has earned his share of practice and public honors in the county, and while he has been a member of the bar only a brief time his experience of life has been broadened and fortified by a number of years of active work as teacher and county superintendent of schools.

The Elsons were among the pioneers of Smith County and have lived there nearly forty-five years. As a family they are English and came to America more than a century ago. Mr. Elson's grandfather, Cornelius Elson, was born in Indiana in 1820. He farmed for many years in the State of Iowa and in 1874 brought his family to Smith County, Kansas. He was a homesteader and continued farming here until his death in 1878. During the Civil war he served as a member of the Home Guard in Iowa. His wife was Miss Eliza Thomas, also of Indiana.

J. N. Elson, father of the Smith Center attorney, was born in Warren County, Iowa, in 1855 and was nineteen years of age when he came to Smith County. He began his career here as a pioneer homesteader, and for forty years was identified with Smith County agriculture and local affairs. In 1916 he retired and has since lived at Sawtelle, California. He is a republican and a member of the Congregational Church and of the Masonic fraternity. J. N. Elson married Emily A. Kellum. She was born in Polk County, Iowa, in 1855. Miles Elson, who was born in Smith County, Kansas, March 25, 1881, is the oldest child of his parents. The second is Arlie, a ranchman at Van Nuys, California; Hattie lives with her parents, and Ethel is the wife of George Juhlin, a farmer of Smith County.

Miles Elson grew to manhood on his father's farm. He attended the rural schools and graduated from the Lebanon High School. He made good use of his educational opportunities and fitted himself for teaching. Aside from one year of teaching in Jewell County his work as an educator was done in Smith County. He was connected with the schools for ten years, and in 1912 was elected county superintendent and made a splendid record in that office until 1916. While teaching he studied law and in January, 1918, was enrolled among the lawyers of Smith County and entered immediately into practice. In 1918 the republican party made him its candidate for county attorney, and he was elected in November of that year. Mr. Elson is also secretary and treasurer of the Smith County Fair Association. He is past noble grand of Vesta Lodge No. 153, Independent Order of Odd Fellows. July 23, 1913, in Smith County, Mr. Elson married Miss Bessie Parks, daughter of J. B. and Fannie (Glenn) Parks. Her parents reside in Smith County, where her father is a farmer. Mr. and Mrs. Elson have one son, Ralph, born January 3, 1916.