The Alford American Family Association Serving the Alford community over 25 Years We Are Family!! Click for CONTACT Information
Last Updated: 19 SEP 2021 by #0197	HOME    ·    Members List    ·    Databases   ·    Updates

D.S. ALFORD. The family represented by Mr. Alford was founded in America in 1632, by Alexander Alford, who emigrated from Somersetshire, England, to Windsor, Conn., and later, with his brother, Benedict, served in the Pequod war. After him, in line of descent, were Josiah, Nathaniel (1^st), Nathaniel (2^nd), a soldier in the Revolutionary war; Arba, Alfred and D.S. Alford. Alfred was a prominent manufacturer of Riverton, Conn., from 1845 to 1860, and was active in public affairs, serving several terms in the state legislature. His death occurred when he was seventy-nine years of age. His wife, Sylvia, was a daughter of Daniel Stillman, and a granddaughter of Roger Stillman, who served in the Revolution, as did also other members of the family. The Stillmans were of English extraction and were early settlers of Connecticut. Daniel Stillman was a prominent farmer and a deacon in the Congregational Church at Colebrook, Conn. Alfred and Sylvia Alford were the parents of six children, four of whom are living.

After having spent his boyhood years at Riverton, Conn., where he was born October 2, 1848, and having prepared for college at Wilbraham Academy, D.S. Alford entered Wesleyan University at Middletown, Conn., and there continued until his graduation in 1871, with the degree of A. B. Some years later the degree of A. M. was conferred upon him. While in the university he was a member of the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity and also assisted in establishing and conducting the College Argus, which is still published. In 1871 he began the study of law with Judge Hiram Goodwin, of Riverton. In October, 1872, he came to Lawrence, where he finished his studies and was admitted to the Kansas bar in 1873. The year following he became a partner of his former preceptor, Judge Nevison, under the firm name of Nevison & Alford, which title was afterward changed to Nevison, Simpson & Alford, and later returned to its former name for six years. From 1894 to 1896 he was a member of the firm of Alford & Savage. In 1897 the firm name became Alford & Alford, his son, Alfred Cecil, being admitted, and remaining with him until his enlistment in the Spanish-American war.

Mr. Alford is attorney for many companies and corporations. Since 1889 he has acted as local attorney for the Santa Fe Railroad. He has made a specialty of corporation law, with which he has a thorough familiarity and in which he has acquired a broad knowledge. His practice in the federal courts is large and important. He is a member of the State Bar Association of Kansas. In politics he is a stanch Republican. By virtue of Revolutionary descent he is connected with the Kansas City Chapter, Sons of the Revolution, and with the Sons of the American Revolution of Kansas. In Plymouth Congregational Church he was for years a member of the board of trustees and a deacon. For about eight years he was proprietor of the Lawrence Daily and Weekly Tribune.

The marriage of Mr. Alford, in Lawrence, united him with Miss Susan D. Savage, and six children were born of their union, viz.: Alfred C, who was killed in a battle with the insurgents at Manila, February 7, 1899, during the Spanish-American war; Anna M. and Donald S., students in the University of Kansas; Joseph S., member of the class of 1900 in the high school; Theodore and Sylvia. Mrs. Alford was born in Hartford, Vt., the only child of Joseph and Amanda (Crandall) Savage. The Savage family was founded in America by John Savage, who crossed the ocean prior to 1652 from his native land, England, and settled in New England. Some of his descendants served in the Revolutionary war. His son, Capt. John Savage, settled in Middletown, Conn. One of the family, Abijah Savage, accompanied Arnold’s expedition to Quebec and in the Revolution served as captain of a company; Thomas, son of Seth Savage, also served in the war with England, after which he engaged in farming in Hartford. His son, William, who was a farmer, when advanced in years joined his sons, Joseph and Forrest, in Lawrence, Kans. These two sons were among the very earliest settlers of Lawrence and were among the founders of Plymouth Congregational Church, in which William served as a deacon until he died. Four generations of the Savage family have made Lawrence their home, and all of the name have proved themselves to be honest and honorable, capable business men and progressive citizens. Some of the family still remain in the east and one of the descendants occupies the old homestead at Hartford.

Joseph Savage, father of Mrs. Alford, was reared in Vermont, and became one of the founders of Lawrence, where he was a prominent citizen. In addition to farm pursuits he was interested in geology, and his collection of geological and mineralogical specimens was one of the largest in the state. Fond of music, he frequently entertained the early settlers of the town in this way. His ability brought him into prominence among the pioneers of Kansas, and, had his tastes been in that direction, he might have become an influential factor in state politics. He was a member of the United States geological survey of Yellowstone Park, and was also employed by Yale College to make geological collections in western Kansas and Wyoming. His wife, who was a descendant of an English family that became pioneers of Massachusetts and Vermont, died in Lawrence when she was in middle life. Their daughter, Mrs. Alford, was reared on the then frontier and received her education in the University of Kansas. She was in Lawrence at the time of the various raids during the Civil war (notably the Quantrell raid) and witnessed many of the stirring scenes of those days, as well as the city’s subsequent commercial development and social progress.

************************************************************************

The following article pertains to Daniel Stillman Alford’s family’s connection to the University of Kansas.

D.S. ALFORD
THE GRADUATE MAGAZINE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS, Volume 20
Lawrence, KS, March 1922
Page 14

Susan Savage Alford, fs 67-73, 613 W. First Street, Coffeyville, Kan., has written an interesting note to the Graduate Magazine. Mrs. Alford entered the University the day it first opened in 1867 and was a student for five years, but did not graduate. The University has filled a large place in the Alford family. Mrs. Alford’s oldest son, Alfred Cecil Alford c’95 l’96, was killed while serving in the Philippines in 1899. He was the first graduate of the University to give his life in the Spanish-American war.

Dr. J.F. Alford ’06 took two years of medical work at K.U., graduating at the school of medicine at the University of Pennsylvania later. After serving over-seas and being wounded in the Argonne, he was given two years vocational work at the University of Pennsylvania, graduating last year with a degree not previously given there, that of doctor of science of surgery.

Ann Alford Sellards, ’01 lives at Belmont, Calif.; Dr. Joseph F. Alford now is located at Crested Butte, Colo.; Theodore C. Alford ’07, 3515 Chestnut St., Kansas City, Mo.; and Mrs. Sylvia Alford Osborn ’12, at 613 W. First Street, Coffeyville, Kan.