Individual Details
William Austin Kelsoe
(1 Feb 1851 - 9 Mar 1932)
William A. Kelsoe, 81 years old, exchange editor of the Post-Dispatch, and for 58 years a worker on St. Louis newspapers. His newspaper career started in 1874.
"I was so young when he came and visited us, that the only things that stuck in my memory was the fact that he was from St. Louis, and worked for the Post Dispatch, and that he was a vegetarian." (Aline Prouty)
From the History of Fayette County:
KELSOE, William Austin, of the class of 1872, is a native of Greenville, Illinois, where he was born February 1, 1851. His early education was obtained in the schools of Pocahontas, Greenville, and Vandalia, Illinois, and a little country schoolhouse five or six miles east of Highland, Illinois. He entered McKendree College in 1866, and while there was an active member of Plato. After graduating he went to Europe with his classmate, Dr. A.C. Bernays and for two years studied history, literature and philology at the university at Heidelberg. Since August, 1874, he has been engaged in newspaper work in St. Louis, Mo. For three years he was an editorial writer for the Republic, was its city editor for nearly six years and for shorter periods filled the positions of Sunday editor, book reviewer, exchange editor and commercial editor. He has visited nearly every section of the United States as also Canada and Mexico. In 1891 he made a tour of Mexico for the Post-Dispatch, accompanying a delegation of St. Louis merchants and manufacturers. For eight or nine years he was the St. Louis correspondent of the Chicago Times, Cincinnati Enquirer, New York World, Philadelphia Press, Boston Herald and several other papers. From November, 1895, to July, 1901, he was connected with the Globe-Democrat, having been financial and commercial editor, also in charge of the insurance department. He was manager of the Local View Bureau of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition Company, and is now exchange editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. - R.W.R.
Events
Families
Spouse | Frida Hillgaertner (1855 - 1920) |
Child | Stephen Hillgaertner Kelsoe (1888 - ) |
Father | Alexander Kelsoe (1819 - ) |
Mother | Elizabeth Watkins (1823 - 1851) |
Notes
Birth
calculated from 1860 censusCensus
William Watkins M 50 Ohio, MerchantMartha J Watkins F 50 Massachusetts
Cecelia Prouty F 22 Illinois
Wm A Kelso M 19 Illinois, attending school
A W Greenwood M 47 Massachusetts
Census (family)
Wm. A. KELSOE Self M Male W 29 IL Reporter TN OHFrida H. KELSOE Wife M Female W 23 IL BAVARIA HANOVER
Census (family)
Cleveland Ave. 3849, 429, 417Kelsoe, William A., Head, WM, Feb 1851, 49, Married 22 yrs, IL TN OH, Comm Editor GD, Own Free Home
Frida H., Wife, WF, Mar 1855, 45, M-22, 1 child born & living, IL Germ Germ
Steven H., Son, WM, June 1888, 11, single, MO IL IL, at school
Watkins, Martha G., Aunt, WF, Oct 1818, 81, widowed, MA MA MA
Census (family)
Arlington Ave. 1438, 182 252Kelsoe, William A., Head, MW, 52 Married 1- 32 yrs, IL TN OH, Editor Newspaper, rent house
Frida H., Wife, FW, 55, M1-32, 1 child born & living, IL Germany Germany
Steven H., Son, MW, 21, single, MO IL IL, none
Census (family)
McMillian Ave. 4565, 64, 41Kelsoe, William, Head, rent, MW, 68 Married, IL TN OH, Editorial Dept, Newspaper
Frida H., Wife, FW, 64, Married, IL Germany Germany
Steven H., Son, MW, 31, single, MO IL IL, messenger, central Library
Census
William H Kelsoe Head M 79 Illinois TN OH, widowedStephen H Kelsoe Son M 41 Missouri IL IL, single
Frank E Raeder Head M 32 Missouri
Maud L Raeder Mother F 55 England
Death
Thursday, March 10, 1932Paper: Greensboro Daily News (Greensboro, NC)
Page: 5
Newspaperman Dies at St Louis
St Louis March 9
William A Kelsoe, 81, exchange editor of the St Louis Post-Dispatch, who was head of the Louisiana Purchase Exposition press bureau here in 1904, died in a hospital here today of pneumonia
Endnotes
1. Bateman, Newton and Paul Selby (Encl. Illinois)/ Ross, Robert W. and John J. Bullington (Fayette Co.), Historical Encyclopedia of Illinois and History of Fayette County. Vol I. (Chicago: Munsell Publishing Company. 1910.), p. 769.
2. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1900 > MISSOURI > ST LOUIS > 24-WD ST LOUIS Series: T623 Roll: 899 Page: 93.
3. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1910 > MISSOURI > ST LOUIS > 26-WD ST LOUIS Series: T624 Roll: 822 Page: 33.
4. U.S. Census images. Heritage Quest Online. Subscription database through the Sonoma County Public Library. (ProQuest LLC, 2009.), 1920 > MISSOURI > ST LOUIS > 25-WD; ST LOUIS Series: T625 Roll: 961 Page: 177.