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WILLIAM H. OLMSTED
Vol. 3, p. 1110
Book has photo

Through progressive policies, fair and honorable dealings and marked
executive ability Hon. William H. Olmsted has gained and retained
precedence as one of the representative exponents of the retail
merchandise business in the northwestern part of Oklahoma, and he is
a prominent and influential citizen of Waynoka, besides having been
representative of Woods County in both the Fourth and Fifth General
Assemblies of the Oklahoma Legislature. He is a man of broad mental
ken, is direct and positive, well fortified in his opinions
concerning matters of economic and governmental policy and has proved
a most valuable member of the legislature, the while his official
preferments [sic] indicate his sterling qualities and consequent hold
upon popular confidence and approbation.

William Henry Olmsted was born in Knox County, Illinois, on the 27th
of July, 1854, and is a son of Edwin R. and Harriet B. (BOYER)
Olmsted, the former a native of Ohio and the later of Illinois, in
which state her parents were pioneers. The Olmsted family was founded
in America in 1632, two of its representative were patriot soldiers
of the continental line in the War of the Revolution, and the lineage
traces back to sterling English origin. The family history has been
traced in England back to 1580 and a scion of the American branch has
been recently published a most interesting genealogical record that
gives authentic data concerning the various generations both in
England and America. Of the children of Edwin R. and Harriet B.
Olmsted four sons and two daughters are living besides the subject of
this review: Nelson H. is engaged in the manufacturing of pumps at
Liberty, Nebraska; George W. is conducting at that place a barber
shop; Horace J. is employed in the offices of the modern Woodmen at
Rock Island, Illinois; Frank E. is a printer and publisher at
Nebraska City, Nebraska; Mr. J. W. EATINGER resides at Newton,
Kansas, her husband being identified with railroad operations; and
Mrs. W. L. FREEMAN is a resident of Bloomington, Illinois, where her
husband is engaged in the bakery business.

The rudimentary education of William H. Olmsted was acquired in the
public schools of his native state, but in the broad school of
experience he has gained the stable fund of knowledge that makes him
a man of circumspection, mature, judgment and well fortified
opinions. At the age of eighteen years he was conducting independent
operations as a farmer in Iowa, to which state he had accompanied his
parents in 1870, the family having removed in 1878 to Kansas, and a
few years later to the little town of Liberty, Nebraska, where his
parents passed the remainder of their lives. After serving his
association with agricultural pursuits Mr. Olmsted became a stone
mason and plasterer, and later he developed a prosperous business as
a contractor and builder at Syracuse, Hamilton County, Kansas. He
served efficiently as mayor of that city and there held also the
office of township trustee.

In 1893, shortly after the Cherokee Strip in Oklahoma was opened to
settlement, Mr. Olmsted here established his residence at Waynoka,
where he has since maintained his home and where he has been one of
the most liberal and influential forces in the development and
upbuilding of the thriving little city. For a time Mr. Olmsted was
here engaged in the hardware and lumber business and he then turned
his attention to a general merchandise enterprise, which he operated
independently for eighteen years. But for the past year he has been a
member of the firm of Olmsted & HAWKINS. His former enterprise for a
number of years was known as one of the largest and most substantial
of its kind in Northwest Oklahoma. The reinforced concrete building
erected by Mr. Olmsted for the accommodation of the business is said
to be the only fireproof business building in Oklahoma west of
Oklahoma City.

Within the period of his residence at Waynoka Mr. Olmsted has served
as township trustee and as president of the village board of
trustees. During his administration in the latter office a municipal
bond issue of $27,000 was voted and out of the proceeds were provided
the excellent and thoroughly modern waterworks and electric lighting
systems owned by this ambitious little city. In politics Mr. Olmsted
accords unwavering allegiance tot he republican party, and as a
candidate on its ticket he was elected, in 1912, representative of
Woods County in the lower house of the State Legislature. In the
ensuing session he devoted himself largely to the promotion of
legislation for the improving of the public highways of the state,
and he was otherwise alert and progressive in supporting measures
that appealed to his judgment as tending to foster the best interest
of this commonwealth and its people. He was re-elected in 1914, and
in the Fifth Legislature was found specially active in supporting
measures for the advancement of the agricultural interest of the
state and in obtaining adequate appropriations for the Oklahoma
Northwestern Normal School at Alva. In this session he was a member
of the committees on criminal jurisprudence and on public roads and
highways.

Mr. Olmsted is vice president of the First National Bank of Waynoka,
is one of the active and influential members of the Waynoka
Commercial Club, besides being identified with the Oklahoma
Retailers' Association. In the Masonic fraternity he has received the
thirty-second degree of the Ancient Accepted Scottish Rite in
Oklahoma Consistory No. 1 at Guthrie, and his ancient craft
affiliation is with Waynoka Lodge No. 422, Ancient, Free and Accepted
Masons. He holds membership also in the Independent Order of Odd
Fellows and the Woodmen of the World.

At Burlington, Kansas, on the 28th day of December, 1881, was
solemnized the marriage of Mr. Olmsted to Miss Minnie P. ROWELL who
received excellent educational advantages in the City of Chicago and
who was thereafter a successful teacher in the public schools of
Illinois. Mr. And Mrs. Olmsted have four children: Mildred E. is the
wife of Robert V. WILLIAMS, who is engaged in the mercantile business
at DeQueen, Arkansas; Stanley E. is employed as a special railroad
officer at El Paso, Texas; and Dorothy and Katherine remain at the
parental home, which is known for its gracious hospitality.

Typed for OKGenWeb by Marti Graham, 14 October, 1998.