Biographical Sketches

Cella Dayton

"First Woman Doctor In Kansas"

Celia Dayton was the daughter of Samuel Hebert of Herkin County, New York. She was born in Herkin County, June 24, 1815 and became the first woman doctor in Kansas. She began the study of medicine with Dr. John E. Todd of Baldwinsville, N. Y. She also took a partial course at Casselton University, Rutland, Vermont.

She began the practice of medicine in 1849 at Baldwinsville, Onondaga County, N. Y. From there she went to Butler, Branch County, Michigan and practiced medicine nearly five years. She was also a practicing doctor in Rutland County, Vermont and St. Albans. In January, 1859 she came to Spring Hill, Kansas and was successful as a doctor in this community.

In 1831 she was married to Amos A. Dayton and had one son, Dr. Hiram E. Dayton. Her son was killed at Blue Springs, Missouri Jan 27, 1862 while acting as a Civil War scout against Quantrill's men.

Dr. Dayton died on Nov. 18, 1895 and was buried in the Spring Hill Cemetery.

Marshall and Loretta Ensor

--from a brochure by the Ensor Farmsite & Museum

Marshall H. Ensor (1899-1970) Marshall, the only son of Jacob and Ida Ensor, lived his entire life on this farm. However, he earned his living as a public school teacher in Olathe. Marshall began teaching industrial arts in 1915 and except for a period during World War II, he taught at Olathe, High School until his retirement in 1965. Marshall and his sister were both very active in amateur radio and operated a ham radio station for fifty years. In 1940, Marshall received the Paley Award. Each year, William S. Paley, the president of CBS radio, would honor one ham radio operator. Ensor became Paley's third and last winner for his efforts in teaching code lessons over his station for ten years, and for helping more than 10,000 listeners become proficient operators. The radio transmitter is still in the farmhouse kitchen as it has been since 1937.

Loretta Ensor (1904-1991) Loretta was the only daughter of Ida and Jacob Ensor and lived in this house for eighty-three of her eighty-seven years. Loretta worked several years at the County Registrar's Office until a serious illness forced her to resign. When polio struck Jacob Ensor, Loretta took over tending the farm. Loretta has left her farm for those of us who come after, so that we might see how things used to be. Loretta was proud of her family and wants us to appreciate how they worked to enrich the lives and to contribute to their community.

The Ensor Farmsite & Museum is located at 18995 W. 183rd Street in Olathe, Kansas. It is open to the public Friday, Saturday & Sundays from June through Labor Day. Hours are 1p.m. - 5p.m.

Adam Legler, Swiss Immigrant

--from a brochure made by the Lenexa Historical Society for the Legler Barn Museum

Adam Legler, his wife, Elizabeth, and their five year-old daughter Margaret, came to America from Switzerland in 1845. They journeyed by boat from their home in Glaurus, Switzerland, with two of Adam's brothers and over 100 other immigrants, arriving in New Orleans.
The Legler family traveled up the Mississippi River to St. Louis. From here Adam's two brothers went on to New Glaurus, Wisconsin and with friends, introduced the first Swiss cheese in America.

Adam and his family settled for a while in the St. Louis, Missouri area on a farm in the community of Beaufort in Franklin County, just 50 mils southwest of St. Louis. While in Missouri, six more children were born to Adam and Elizabeth; Fred, Henry, David I, Louisa, Nimrod, and David II.

Adam received his naturalization papers in 1852 and in the early 1860's he and his family boarded a Missouri River packet boat which took them to the Westport Landing. Adam walked to Johnson County and purchased land, which would soon after become part of Lenexa and eventually become the four corners of 95th and Quivira Road (prime commercial real estate today!) He purchased the land, which was directly adjacent to the Santa Fe Trail, from the Shawnee Indians and Harmann Wolfkuhl, an early developer in the Lenexa area.

The last of the Legler farmland was sold off in the 1950's by Ralph Walters, a great-grandson of Adam Legler.

Page updated: 06 Mar 2025 07:43:25