Dr. Sylvester Lucas

[W. Gray]

Howard City Beacon, August 28, 1875:

"Dr. Lucas will soon commence the erection of a stone building on Washington Ave into which he will move his stock of drugs."

Same issue:

"Call on Dr. Lucas for the best brand of tobacco and cigars ever kept west of the Mississippi River."

Same issue:

"Dr. Sylvester Lucas, Dealer in Pure Drugs, Medicines, Wines and Liquors. Also keeps a full line of Tobacco and Cigars, notions, stationery, Howard City, Kansas."


Letter to the Editor, Prairie Star, circa September 9, 2009.

"To any Historians of Elk County:

   "I am the great-grandson of Dr. Sylvester Lucas a physician and surgeon in Howard who was shot and killed on Jun 7, 1886 in an act of self-defense by Jesse Graham, under sheriff at the time. The story so intrigued me that I visited Howard in August of 1966 to research what I could. I did know that the doctor drank heavily and was abusive to my great-grandmother, so much so that she left him and returned to her home in Indiana.

   "In 1882, Dr. Lucas married a Frances Whitely, 18, of Howard. A year after the shooting his widow married an Edsol E. Finley of Wellington, Kans. If there are any photos of this woman I would like to have a copy.

   "I have lots of information about the doctor and photographs including one looking north up Wabash Avenue in 1890 Howard City. I also have one of Jesse Graham. I would like to pass these and any information on to some local historian or historical society."

   I sent an Email to the letter writer saying that I hoped someone from the museum or from the Elk County Historical Society would contact him but, in the meantime, asked that he access the Elk County forum and look around in the "Good Old Days" and "Coffee Shop" sections to see what the forum was about. I provided him with a warning about the "Politics" section. I then asked that he consider joining the Forum and tell the story about Dr. Lucas in the "Good Old Days" section.

   I cannot say if anyone from Elk County contacted the letter writer about the materials he has, but subsequently he replied that he was gathering his information and sending it to the WSU archives in Wichita where "it can be accessed."