Born in Bathgate, Scotland to William Milne II and Jane Anderson. Lived in Kirkcaldy. James and brother Thomas came from Glasgow on the steamship Norwegian and arrived in Philadelphia on 11 Mar 1886. Settled in St. Louis, MO. Worked 5 years before being able to send for his fiancee. He was married to Isabella Sharp Henderson 2 June 1891 after she arrived from Scotland. Accompanying her were James' mother, Jane, and youngest brother, Alfred, who was a deaf mute. Address was 214 East Avenue in Hutchinson. They lived in Oklahoma and Kansas where he worked in department stores. He was a member of the Hutchinson Commercial Club. James and his family moved to Arkansas City, KS in 1898, and to Guthrie, OK in 1899, address 815 E. Noble, to Iola, KS in 1904, went back to Guthrie in between 1904 and 1907, in 1907 went to Coffeyville, KS and came back to Guthrie that same year. In 1910 the address was 612 East Washington St. He learned to play golf and helped lay out the first golf course in Oklahoma at Guthrie. 3 kids. James became a citizen in Atchison, KS on 14 Sep 1940; his address was listed as 608 N. 3rd St. His address in 1951 was 1201 Lawrence St. in Emporia; it has been moved to 1015 Rural St. in Emporia.
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Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 about James Anderson Milne
Name: James Anderson Milne
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 14 Aug 1864
Birth Place: Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
Father: William Milne
Mother: Jane Anderson
FHL Film Number: 6035516
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The Hutchinson News, 29 Aug 1894, Wednesday
J. A. Milne has moved to 314 Third avenue east.
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The Hutchinson News, 08 Jan 1898, Saturday
W. M. Craig, of the firm of Craig & Co., has been in the city for the past week and leaves tomorrow for Winfield where he has interests. Mr. Craig told the Short Talk writer that he contemplated spending more of his time in the future in Hutchinson, as their business, under the able management of Mr. Milne, is growing so that it necessitates that he have more assistance.
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The Hutchinson News, 04 May 1898, Wednesday
James A. Milne has resigned his position as manager of the W. M. Craig & Co. store.
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The Hutchinson News, 07 May 1898, Saturday
As was noticed in the early part of the week in this paper, Mr. Jas. Milne has resigned his position as manager of the Wm. Craig Dry Goods Company. Mr. Wm. Craig, assisted by Mr. W. T. Docherty, will manage the store in the future and it is needless to say that these gentlemen will always see to it that the Busiest Store in Kansas will always have bargains for those in need of dry goods. Mr. Milne has not yet decided what business he will embark in, but it is to be hoped he will not leave Hutchinson, for he is a general favorite, especially in business circles.
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The Hutchinson News, 14 May 1898, Saturday
J. A. Milne and Doc Henderson chaperoned a fishing party to Florence on Monday.
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The Hutchinson Democrat, 23 Jul 1898, Saturday
J. A. Milne has charge of Irvan & Brown's store during the absence of Maury Brown.
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The Arkansas City Daily Traveler, 03 Aug 1898, Wednesday
J. A. Milne, formerly of P. Martin & Co, Hutchinson, Kan. has taken a position with Squier's & Co. and will have charge of the dress goods department.
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The Hutchinson News, 17 Oct 1898, Monday
James Milne is in the city visiting his friends and family. Mr. Milne is now in Business in Arkansas City but says he would prefer to live in Hutchinson.
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The Hutchinson News, 22 Oct 1898, Saturday
James Milne, of Arkansas City, was here the first of the week.
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The Saturday Bee, 22 Oct 1898, Saturday
J. A. Milne, who is in business in Arkansas City, spent Sunday with his family in this city.
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The Hutchinson News, 27 Oct 1898, Thursday
J. A. Milne, formerly manager of the Leader Dry Goods store of this city, is now in business in Arkansas City. He was here Sunday.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 31 Mar 1899, Friday
J. A. Milne, head salesman at Ramsay Bros., has leased the resident at 815 east Noble and will occupy the same next week when his family arrives from Hutchinson, Kas.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 16 Jul 1901, Tuesday
RAMSAY IN THE EAST.
Guthrie Merchant Standing Up for the Capitol City.
The following self-explanatory letter shows that Mr. Ramsay is standing up for Guthrie:
The Buckingham, Avon-by-the-Sea, N. J., July 11, 1901.
F. B. Lucas, Secretary Guthrie Club.
Dear Sir:
When coming down the Hudson by boat the other day I got to talking to a man who is thinking of going to Guthrie this fall. He is corresponding with Oklahoma City people and getting Oklahoma City papers. I have written Milne to send him the Guthrie papers once or twice a week for a while, but if you have any stuff about Guthrie lying round send it to him. Hope you are still building railroads and locating factories, etc. I am yours truly, Robt. W. Ramsay.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 06 Aug 1901, Tuesday
TOURNAMENT CLOSES TONIGHT.
Frank Derr and J. A. Milne this evening will play off their tie in the golf tournament which was inaugurated a week ago. All the other contestants have dropped out, being outplayed, leaving the finals to be played by Derr and Milne.
The prize is a silver tankard offered by Robert W. Ramsay. The holder of the trophy must win it three times successively to retain permanent possession.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 07 Sep 1904, Wednesday
J. A. MILNE WILL LEAVE FOR IOLA TOMORROW.
J. A. Milne, manager of the Ramsay Brothers store in Guthrie, will leave tomorrow for Iola, Kansas, to look after the affairs of Ramsay store at that point. Mr. Milne is manager of several Mercantile establishments in various parts of Oklahoma and Kansas and a splendid business is being done at all of the places. The Guthrie store has grown to huge proportions and the trade it has acquired is not only a big thing to the proprietors but also a boon to the capital city.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 11 Mar 1907, Monday
J. A. Milne, who for years has been the manager of the Ramsay Bros. dry goods store in this city, left this morning for Coffeyville, Kansas, to take charge of a stock of good purchased there by Mr. Ramsay last week. Mr. Milne will move his family to Coffeyville about May 1, and will make that place his home. The Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods company have five stores located in Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri and the Coffeyville store makes the sixth.
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The Coffeyville Daily Journal, 11 Mar 1907, Tuesday
THE CONDON STORE SOLD
Ramsay Bros. Are the New Proprietors.
Mr. Condon Will Take a Few Month's Vacation and Then Re-engage in Business.
The dry goods store of W. M. Condon & Co., was sold Saturday evening to Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods company. The change became effective at once. R. W. Ramsay, of Guthrie, Okla., was here, accompanied by James A. Milne of that city and Mont. Palmer of Iola. Mr. Palmer is manager of the Iola store and Mr. Milne will become the manager of the store here. The Ramsay people have stores at Guthrie, Carthage, Iola and Pittsburg. They are experienced dry goods men and have made a success of their other stores. They will undoubtedly make their store here a success.
"We will expand the store and make it larger as the business grows," Mr. Ramsay said Monday. "We believe Coffeyville is one of the best cities in this state and we will keep the store fully abreast of the progress of the city. We are here to stay.
Mr. Condon, who took over the store seven years ago from the C. H. Willhof company, leaves Coffeyville with many friends. He left Sunday evening for Calico Rock, Ark., to join Mrs. Condon, who has been there several weeks. They will take a vacation there for some time and Mr. Condon is going to put in time fishing and hunting. The town in located in the mountainous part of northern Arkansas. Mr. Condon's father, C. M. Condon, of Oswego, will spend a week there with his sonin the outing. Mr. Condon has no definite plans for the future so far as business is concerned, but after a few months' vacation will probably re-engage in some kind of business.
Mr. and Mrs. Condon have been prominent in this city's social life ever since they came seven years ago, and they will be missed by their many friends.
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The Coffeyville Daily Record, 11 Mar 1907, Monday
W. M. CONDON & CO. SELL OUT
The dry goods business conducted for the past nine years by the W. M. Condon & Co., has been sold out to the Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods Co., of Iola, Kansas, Pittsburg, Kansas, Carthage, M., and Guthrie, Okla. While we are sorry to loose (sic) W. M. Condon and Co., we are glad to welcome such a strong concern as the Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods Co. to our city. They are very successful dry goods men, operating the largest stores in the several towns that they are interested in. This store will be under the personal management of James A. Milne who is a stockholder in the concern, and who is a thoroughly experienced dry goods man.
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The Coffeyville Daily Record, 04 Apr 1907, Thursday
RAMSEY (sic) TO DISCONTINUE
New Dry Goods Firm Forced to Leave Coffeyville on Account of Larger Investments
J. A. Milne, general manager for Ramsay Dry Goods Co. store in this city announced the intention of his firm this morning to the effect that the company would discontinue their store in this city at an early date.
The news will be received with surprise and regret by the public as the Ramsay system of conducting the dry goods business is very popular. The firm has been forced to make this change on account of buying the large Donnald department store at Atchison.
Robert Ramsay, president of the company who has been managing the Guthrie store, will take charge of the Atchison store, while Mr. Milne will go to the Guthrie establishment. This leaves the Coffeyville store without a manager and on account of this alone the company have decided to leave Coffeyville.
The Record regrets to see the firm leave this city as both the store and its manager have become popular. Mr. Milne is an able business man and capable of handling large stores successfully and while he has been in Coffeyville but a short time has made the Ramsay store a better and more popular house than ever before. The stock will possibly be closed out at retail or sold in bulk within a short while.
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The Coffeyville Daily Journal, 04 Apr 1907, Thursday
RAMSAY'S STORE TO QUIT
COMPELLED TO CLOSE THEIR BUSINESS HERE
Inability to Get an Atchison Manager of to Abandon a Deal There Direct Cause
The Ramsay Bros. dry goods store in this city, formerly the W. M. Condon & Co. store, is for sale. It will be sold either in bulk or at retail. If not sold at bulk to some other merchant a big retail sale will be commenced in a few days.
The reason for this is that when the store was bought last month a deal was also on for a new store to be started at Atchison by the same firm. A manager had been selected for that store, but he was unable to take it. This necessitates the removal of R. W. Ramsay from Guthrie to Atchison and necessitates the return of J. A. Milne the local manager, to Guthrie. All efforts to arrange matters so the Coffeyville store could be continued have failed.
"Our business has grown every day since we came here," said J. A. Milne, the Coffeyville manager, Thursday. "We are not quitting because the store does not pay nor because we do not have faith in Coffeyville. I firmly believe that within a year or two at most this city will have 25,000 people. But we have simply been unable to get a manager for the Atchison store and we are tied up so we cannot abandon the effort to put in a store there. We have tried every possible way to arrange for the continuance of this store, but so far we have failed. There seems to be no way out for us but to sell it to some other merchant. We would rather do this than to conduct a closing sale. I am frank to say that we are all disappointed at having to leave Coffeyville for this store was becoming a good property for us."
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The Atchison Champion, 2 Aug 1907, Fri, Page 5
J.A. Milne, manager of Ramsay Bros'. Guthrie, Okla., store, arrived in the city last evening. He and Mr. R.W. Ramsay leave tonight for New York City where they will buy goods for their five stores.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 24 Aug 1910, Thursday
. . . The (park) commission has been figuring on plans for the West Side park for colored people, and is about ready to commence work. The commission is now composed of J. A. Milne, Dr. C. S. Petty and Will Patterson.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 12 Sep 1910, Monday
The store of J. A. Milne & Co., was opened this morning with a large line of ladies' ready-to-wear goods and furnishings.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 10 Oct 1910, Monday
J. A. Milne of Milne's Ready-to-Wear Store, left this morning for New York City. The big business this store is doing makes it very necessary for Mr. Milne to go at this time.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 05 Aug 1912, Monday
J. A. Milne, manager of the Milne store, 113 West Oklahoma Avenue left Saturday evening for eastern cities to purchase seasonable stock for his business ...... Mr. J. A. Milne and Miss Minnie Stratton, of the Milne Ladies Ready To Wear Store, left Saturday evening for New York and eastern markets to buy new fall merchandise.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 20 Aug 1912, Tuesday
J. A. Milne and Mrs. Nannie Stratton are still in New York buying goods for the fall and winter trade.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 28 Sep 1914, Monday
GOLFERS ATTENTION
All Members of the Guthrie Golf Club and any others who intend to join the club will meet in the Ione Hotel Wednesday night at 8 p.m.--J. A. Milne, Secy.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 06 Apr 1915, Tuesday
FOR RENT--The Milne residence, 612 East Washington Avenue. Nice location; 6 rooms and bathroom; modern; 3 porches; cellar; in good order. Apply at the house.
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The Atchison Champion, 19 May 1915, Page 2
J. A. Milne, manager of the Ramsay store, while in a street car in St. Louis, Monday, felt a man's hand in one of his pockets. He grabbed the man and demanded to know what he meant. The fellow said Mr. Milne certainly was mistaken, but when released, he ran through the car and jumped off. Passengers yelled to a policeman, who gave chase and placed the man under arrest. At the police headquarters he was well known, and is being held for the grand jury. Mr. Milne lost no money, but all he had with him was in the pocket in which he felt the strange hand.
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The Emporia Gazette, 31 May 1941
Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Milne Have Been Married 50 Years
Monday, June 2, is the 50th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Milne, 1201 Lawrence. They will celebrate the occasion Sunday, when all of their family will be in Emporia.
The Milnes have lived in Emporia for the past 10 years and Sunday their two sons and daughters-in-law will be here to help them commemorate the event. They are Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Milne, of St. Louis, and Mr. and Mrs. George M. Milne of Oklahoma City.
This evening, Mr. and Mrs. Milne will be guests of honor of their daughter, Mrs. E. T. Lowther, and Mr. Lowther at the Lowther home, 807 Sherwood, where their friends have been invited for a reception. Sunday noon, the family will entertain Mr. and Mrs. Milne with a golden wedding dinner at the Broadview Hotel. Present will be Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Milne, Mr. and Mrs. George Milne, Miss Kathleen Lowther, who arrived today from Oklahoma City; Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Lowther and the Milne's only grandchild, Jimmy Lowther.
BOTH BORN IN SCOTLAND
The Milnes were born and grew up in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, not far from Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth on the Scottish east coast. In the 1880's Mr. Milne came to the United States, following his apprenticeship in the dry goods business in Scotland. He worked in St. Louis and then came west to Kansas, taking a job with the old Martin Dry Goods store in Hutchinson. In 1891, Miss Isabella Henderson, to whom Mr. Milne had become engaged four years before in Scotland, traveled alone to Hutchinson, where on June 2, she and Mr. Milne were married by the Rev. Dr. Irwin, of the Presbyterian Church.
Their two sons were born during the 10 years they lived in Hutchinson. In 1901 the family moved to Guthrie, Okla, where Mr. Milne became associated with the Ramsay Brothers Dry Goods Company. Their daughter, Mrs. Lowther, was born in Guthrie. They lived in Oklahoma during the days of early statehood and saw the removal of the state capital from Guthrie to Oklahoma City and the decline of the former capital as the states business center.
RETURNED TO KANSAS
When the Ramsay company moved its store to Atchison, Kan., about 15 years later, Mr. Milne soon followed and for the next 15 years he was the manager of the large Atchison store and buyer for all the Ramsay stores. After leaving the Ramsay firm, Mr. Milne was associated with Sears, Roebuck and Company in Oklahoma City and Chicago before moving to Emporia about 10 years ago to complete his active merchandising career of more than 50 years with the then newly reorganized Newman Dry Goods Company. He retired in 1930.
The Milne's oldest son, Robert, is manager of the St. Louis district for Sears, Roebuck and Company and their son, George, is merchandise manager with the John A. Brown Dry Goods Company, in Oklahoma City, formerly the Rorabaugh-Brown Store. They will return to their homes Sunday. Jimmy Lowther will go to St. Louis for a week's visit with Mr. and Mrs. Robert Milne. Miss Kathleen Lowther, who teachers in Oklahoma City, will remain in Emporia for an indefinite visit.
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The Emporia Gazette, 15 Mar 1952
James A. Milne Dead
James A. Milne, 1201 Lawrence, retired dry goods merchant, died this morning at 4 o'clock in Newman Memorial County Hospital after a 3-1/2-month illness. He was 87 years old.
Surviving are his wife, of the home; two sons, Robert J. Milne, of Corona Del Mar, Calif., and George M. Milne, of Oklahoma City; a daughter, Mrs. E. T. Lowther, 807 Sherwood, Emporia; and a grandson, Ens. James E. Lowther, now stationed on a Navy destroyer in the Pacific.
Arrangements for the funeral service had not been completed today.
James Anderson Milne was born August 14, 1864, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Milne, in Bathgate County, Lenlithgow, Scotland. His parents were hotel operators and Mr. Milne grew up in Dunfermline and in Kirkcaldy, where the family had the Temperance Hotel.
Apprenticed for four years in 1878 to the Gibb Dry Goods firm in Kirkcaldy, Mr. Milne came to the United States in 1886 and first was employed by a St. Louis firm. In 1888, when Kansas was booming, he went to Hutchinson where he worked for P. Martin & Co., forerunner of the Wiley store. While in Hutchinson Mr. Milne married his childhood sweetheart, Isabella Henderson, who came from his home town in Scotland, June 2, 1891.
In the early days of Oklahoma territory, the Milnes moved to Guthrie where he was associated with the late R. W. Ramsay and in 1912 went with the Ramsay firm as manager and buyer in Atchison. After several years with Sears Roebuck in Oklahoma City and Chicago, Mr. Milne came to Emporia, in 1931, with the reorganized Newman Dry Goods Company. He retired in 1936.
In June of last year, Mr. and Mrs. Milne observed their 60th wedding anniversary. Mr. Milne had been in failing health for the past year. He was a Presbyterian.
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The Emporia Gazette, 17 Mar 1952
Milne Funeral Tuesday
Funeral services for J. A. Milne, 1201 Lawrence, who died Saturday, will be held Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock at the McVey Funeral Home. The Rev. Robert L. Moreland, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, will conduct the services. Burial will be in Memorial Lawn Cemetery.
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The Emporia Gazette, 19 Mar 1952
The Milne Funeral
Funeral services for James A. Milne, who died Saturday morning in Newman Memorial County Hospital, were held Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock at the McVey Chapel. The Rev. Robert L. Moreland, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, conducted the services. T. C. Owen sang, accompanied by Mrs. H. W. Richmond.
Pallbearers were C. H. Lambert, Everette Barr, Ted McDaniel, W. E. Beitz, Warren Morris, Warren E. Ives, George Caspari and Arthur Musgrave. Burial was in Memorial Lawn Cemetery.
Out-of-town relatives and friends who attended the services were Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Milne, Corona Del Mar., Calif.; George Milne, Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Mrs. William Stanton, Jr., Atchison.
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1905 Guthrie City Directory: r. 620 N. Elm; Mngr Ramsey Bros D G Co
1907 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Av; Mngr Ramsey Bros D G Co
1908 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Av Tel. 96; Mngr Ramsey Bros Dry Goods Co
1910 Guthrie Census: 612 N. Elm (hard to tell which street)
1910 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Av, Dry Goods Manager, Ramsey's Dept. Store 108 W. Oklahoma Av
1912 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Ave, J. A. Milne Co. (James A. Milne, George Henderson) ladies Furnishings, 113 W. Oklahoma Av
1917 Atchison City Directory; r. 608 N. 3d; clk, Ramsay's
1923 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; clk, Ramsay's
1924 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; mdse mgr, Ramsay's
1926 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; dept mgr, Ramsay Bros D G Co
1926 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; dept mgr, Ramsay Bros D G Co
1930 Atchison Census: 303 N. 3rd St; not working
1940 Emporia Census: 1201 Lawrence; not working, but received income
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Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 about James Anderson Milne
Name: James Anderson Milne
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 14 Aug 1864
Birth Place: Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
Father: William Milne
Mother: Jane Anderson
FHL Film Number: 6035516
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The Hutchinson News, 29 Aug 1894, Wednesday
J. A. Milne has moved to 314 Third avenue east.
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The Hutchinson News, 08 Jan 1898, Saturday
W. M. Craig, of the firm of Craig & Co., has been in the city for the past week and leaves tomorrow for Winfield where he has interests. Mr. Craig told the Short Talk writer that he contemplated spending more of his time in the future in Hutchinson, as their business, under the able management of Mr. Milne, is growing so that it necessitates that he have more assistance.
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The Hutchinson News, 04 May 1898, Wednesday
James A. Milne has resigned his position as manager of the W. M. Craig & Co. store.
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The Hutchinson News, 07 May 1898, Saturday
As was noticed in the early part of the week in this paper, Mr. Jas. Milne has resigned his position as manager of the Wm. Craig Dry Goods Company. Mr. Wm. Craig, assisted by Mr. W. T. Docherty, will manage the store in the future and it is needless to say that these gentlemen will always see to it that the Busiest Store in Kansas will always have bargains for those in need of dry goods. Mr. Milne has not yet decided what business he will embark in, but it is to be hoped he will not leave Hutchinson, for he is a general favorite, especially in business circles.
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The Hutchinson News, 14 May 1898, Saturday
J. A. Milne and Doc Henderson chaperoned a fishing party to Florence on Monday.
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The Hutchinson Democrat, 23 Jul 1898, Saturday
J. A. Milne has charge of Irvan & Brown's store during the absence of Maury Brown.
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The Arkansas City Daily Traveler, 03 Aug 1898, Wednesday
J. A. Milne, formerly of P. Martin & Co, Hutchinson, Kan. has taken a position with Squier's & Co. and will have charge of the dress goods department.
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The Hutchinson News, 17 Oct 1898, Monday
James Milne is in the city visiting his friends and family. Mr. Milne is now in Business in Arkansas City but says he would prefer to live in Hutchinson.
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The Hutchinson News, 22 Oct 1898, Saturday
James Milne, of Arkansas City, was here the first of the week.
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The Saturday Bee, 22 Oct 1898, Saturday
J. A. Milne, who is in business in Arkansas City, spent Sunday with his family in this city.
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The Hutchinson News, 27 Oct 1898, Thursday
J. A. Milne, formerly manager of the Leader Dry Goods store of this city, is now in business in Arkansas City. He was here Sunday.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 31 Mar 1899, Friday
J. A. Milne, head salesman at Ramsay Bros., has leased the resident at 815 east Noble and will occupy the same next week when his family arrives from Hutchinson, Kas.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 16 Jul 1901, Tuesday
RAMSAY IN THE EAST.
Guthrie Merchant Standing Up for the Capitol City.
The following self-explanatory letter shows that Mr. Ramsay is standing up for Guthrie:
The Buckingham, Avon-by-the-Sea, N. J., July 11, 1901.
F. B. Lucas, Secretary Guthrie Club.
Dear Sir:
When coming down the Hudson by boat the other day I got to talking to a man who is thinking of going to Guthrie this fall. He is corresponding with Oklahoma City people and getting Oklahoma City papers. I have written Milne to send him the Guthrie papers once or twice a week for a while, but if you have any stuff about Guthrie lying round send it to him. Hope you are still building railroads and locating factories, etc. I am yours truly, Robt. W. Ramsay.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 06 Aug 1901, Tuesday
TOURNAMENT CLOSES TONIGHT.
Frank Derr and J. A. Milne this evening will play off their tie in the golf tournament which was inaugurated a week ago. All the other contestants have dropped out, being outplayed, leaving the finals to be played by Derr and Milne.
The prize is a silver tankard offered by Robert W. Ramsay. The holder of the trophy must win it three times successively to retain permanent possession.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 07 Sep 1904, Wednesday
J. A. MILNE WILL LEAVE FOR IOLA TOMORROW.
J. A. Milne, manager of the Ramsay Brothers store in Guthrie, will leave tomorrow for Iola, Kansas, to look after the affairs of Ramsay store at that point. Mr. Milne is manager of several Mercantile establishments in various parts of Oklahoma and Kansas and a splendid business is being done at all of the places. The Guthrie store has grown to huge proportions and the trade it has acquired is not only a big thing to the proprietors but also a boon to the capital city.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 11 Mar 1907, Monday
J. A. Milne, who for years has been the manager of the Ramsay Bros. dry goods store in this city, left this morning for Coffeyville, Kansas, to take charge of a stock of good purchased there by Mr. Ramsay last week. Mr. Milne will move his family to Coffeyville about May 1, and will make that place his home. The Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods company have five stores located in Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri and the Coffeyville store makes the sixth.
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The Coffeyville Daily Journal, 11 Mar 1907, Tuesday
THE CONDON STORE SOLD
Ramsay Bros. Are the New Proprietors.
Mr. Condon Will Take a Few Month's Vacation and Then Re-engage in Business.
The dry goods store of W. M. Condon & Co., was sold Saturday evening to Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods company. The change became effective at once. R. W. Ramsay, of Guthrie, Okla., was here, accompanied by James A. Milne of that city and Mont. Palmer of Iola. Mr. Palmer is manager of the Iola store and Mr. Milne will become the manager of the store here. The Ramsay people have stores at Guthrie, Carthage, Iola and Pittsburg. They are experienced dry goods men and have made a success of their other stores. They will undoubtedly make their store here a success.
"We will expand the store and make it larger as the business grows," Mr. Ramsay said Monday. "We believe Coffeyville is one of the best cities in this state and we will keep the store fully abreast of the progress of the city. We are here to stay.
Mr. Condon, who took over the store seven years ago from the C. H. Willhof company, leaves Coffeyville with many friends. He left Sunday evening for Calico Rock, Ark., to join Mrs. Condon, who has been there several weeks. They will take a vacation there for some time and Mr. Condon is going to put in time fishing and hunting. The town in located in the mountainous part of northern Arkansas. Mr. Condon's father, C. M. Condon, of Oswego, will spend a week there with his sonin the outing. Mr. Condon has no definite plans for the future so far as business is concerned, but after a few months' vacation will probably re-engage in some kind of business.
Mr. and Mrs. Condon have been prominent in this city's social life ever since they came seven years ago, and they will be missed by their many friends.
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The Coffeyville Daily Record, 11 Mar 1907, Monday
W. M. CONDON & CO. SELL OUT
The dry goods business conducted for the past nine years by the W. M. Condon & Co., has been sold out to the Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods Co., of Iola, Kansas, Pittsburg, Kansas, Carthage, M., and Guthrie, Okla. While we are sorry to loose (sic) W. M. Condon and Co., we are glad to welcome such a strong concern as the Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods Co. to our city. They are very successful dry goods men, operating the largest stores in the several towns that they are interested in. This store will be under the personal management of James A. Milne who is a stockholder in the concern, and who is a thoroughly experienced dry goods man.
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The Coffeyville Daily Record, 04 Apr 1907, Thursday
RAMSEY (sic) TO DISCONTINUE
New Dry Goods Firm Forced to Leave Coffeyville on Account of Larger Investments
J. A. Milne, general manager for Ramsay Dry Goods Co. store in this city announced the intention of his firm this morning to the effect that the company would discontinue their store in this city at an early date.
The news will be received with surprise and regret by the public as the Ramsay system of conducting the dry goods business is very popular. The firm has been forced to make this change on account of buying the large Donnald department store at Atchison.
Robert Ramsay, president of the company who has been managing the Guthrie store, will take charge of the Atchison store, while Mr. Milne will go to the Guthrie establishment. This leaves the Coffeyville store without a manager and on account of this alone the company have decided to leave Coffeyville.
The Record regrets to see the firm leave this city as both the store and its manager have become popular. Mr. Milne is an able business man and capable of handling large stores successfully and while he has been in Coffeyville but a short time has made the Ramsay store a better and more popular house than ever before. The stock will possibly be closed out at retail or sold in bulk within a short while.
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The Coffeyville Daily Journal, 04 Apr 1907, Thursday
RAMSAY'S STORE TO QUIT
COMPELLED TO CLOSE THEIR BUSINESS HERE
Inability to Get an Atchison Manager of to Abandon a Deal There Direct Cause
The Ramsay Bros. dry goods store in this city, formerly the W. M. Condon & Co. store, is for sale. It will be sold either in bulk or at retail. If not sold at bulk to some other merchant a big retail sale will be commenced in a few days.
The reason for this is that when the store was bought last month a deal was also on for a new store to be started at Atchison by the same firm. A manager had been selected for that store, but he was unable to take it. This necessitates the removal of R. W. Ramsay from Guthrie to Atchison and necessitates the return of J. A. Milne the local manager, to Guthrie. All efforts to arrange matters so the Coffeyville store could be continued have failed.
"Our business has grown every day since we came here," said J. A. Milne, the Coffeyville manager, Thursday. "We are not quitting because the store does not pay nor because we do not have faith in Coffeyville. I firmly believe that within a year or two at most this city will have 25,000 people. But we have simply been unable to get a manager for the Atchison store and we are tied up so we cannot abandon the effort to put in a store there. We have tried every possible way to arrange for the continuance of this store, but so far we have failed. There seems to be no way out for us but to sell it to some other merchant. We would rather do this than to conduct a closing sale. I am frank to say that we are all disappointed at having to leave Coffeyville for this store was becoming a good property for us."
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The Atchison Champion, 2 Aug 1907, Fri, Page 5
J.A. Milne, manager of Ramsay Bros'. Guthrie, Okla., store, arrived in the city last evening. He and Mr. R.W. Ramsay leave tonight for New York City where they will buy goods for their five stores.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 24 Aug 1910, Thursday
. . . The (park) commission has been figuring on plans for the West Side park for colored people, and is about ready to commence work. The commission is now composed of J. A. Milne, Dr. C. S. Petty and Will Patterson.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 12 Sep 1910, Monday
The store of J. A. Milne & Co., was opened this morning with a large line of ladies' ready-to-wear goods and furnishings.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 10 Oct 1910, Monday
J. A. Milne of Milne's Ready-to-Wear Store, left this morning for New York City. The big business this store is doing makes it very necessary for Mr. Milne to go at this time.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 05 Aug 1912, Monday
J. A. Milne, manager of the Milne store, 113 West Oklahoma Avenue left Saturday evening for eastern cities to purchase seasonable stock for his business ...... Mr. J. A. Milne and Miss Minnie Stratton, of the Milne Ladies Ready To Wear Store, left Saturday evening for New York and eastern markets to buy new fall merchandise.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 20 Aug 1912, Tuesday
J. A. Milne and Mrs. Nannie Stratton are still in New York buying goods for the fall and winter trade.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 28 Sep 1914, Monday
GOLFERS ATTENTION
All Members of the Guthrie Golf Club and any others who intend to join the club will meet in the Ione Hotel Wednesday night at 8 p.m.--J. A. Milne, Secy.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 06 Apr 1915, Tuesday
FOR RENT--The Milne residence, 612 East Washington Avenue. Nice location; 6 rooms and bathroom; modern; 3 porches; cellar; in good order. Apply at the house.
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The Atchison Champion, 19 May 1915, Page 2
J. A. Milne, manager of the Ramsay store, while in a street car in St. Louis, Monday, felt a man's hand in one of his pockets. He grabbed the man and demanded to know what he meant. The fellow said Mr. Milne certainly was mistaken, but when released, he ran through the car and jumped off. Passengers yelled to a policeman, who gave chase and placed the man under arrest. At the police headquarters he was well known, and is being held for the grand jury. Mr. Milne lost no money, but all he had with him was in the pocket in which he felt the strange hand.
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The Emporia Gazette, 31 May 1941
Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Milne Have Been Married 50 Years
Monday, June 2, is the 50th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Milne, 1201 Lawrence. They will celebrate the occasion Sunday, when all of their family will be in Emporia.
The Milnes have lived in Emporia for the past 10 years and Sunday their two sons and daughters-in-law will be here to help them commemorate the event. They are Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Milne, of St. Louis, and Mr. and Mrs. George M. Milne of Oklahoma City.
This evening, Mr. and Mrs. Milne will be guests of honor of their daughter, Mrs. E. T. Lowther, and Mr. Lowther at the Lowther home, 807 Sherwood, where their friends have been invited for a reception. Sunday noon, the family will entertain Mr. and Mrs. Milne with a golden wedding dinner at the Broadview Hotel. Present will be Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Milne, Mr. and Mrs. George Milne, Miss Kathleen Lowther, who arrived today from Oklahoma City; Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Lowther and the Milne's only grandchild, Jimmy Lowther.
BOTH BORN IN SCOTLAND
The Milnes were born and grew up in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, not far from Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth on the Scottish east coast. In the 1880's Mr. Milne came to the United States, following his apprenticeship in the dry goods business in Scotland. He worked in St. Louis and then came west to Kansas, taking a job with the old Martin Dry Goods store in Hutchinson. In 1891, Miss Isabella Henderson, to whom Mr. Milne had become engaged four years before in Scotland, traveled alone to Hutchinson, where on June 2, she and Mr. Milne were married by the Rev. Dr. Irwin, of the Presbyterian Church.
Their two sons were born during the 10 years they lived in Hutchinson. In 1901 the family moved to Guthrie, Okla, where Mr. Milne became associated with the Ramsay Brothers Dry Goods Company. Their daughter, Mrs. Lowther, was born in Guthrie. They lived in Oklahoma during the days of early statehood and saw the removal of the state capital from Guthrie to Oklahoma City and the decline of the former capital as the states business center.
RETURNED TO KANSAS
When the Ramsay company moved its store to Atchison, Kan., about 15 years later, Mr. Milne soon followed and for the next 15 years he was the manager of the large Atchison store and buyer for all the Ramsay stores. After leaving the Ramsay firm, Mr. Milne was associated with Sears, Roebuck and Company in Oklahoma City and Chicago before moving to Emporia about 10 years ago to complete his active merchandising career of more than 50 years with the then newly reorganized Newman Dry Goods Company. He retired in 1930.
The Milne's oldest son, Robert, is manager of the St. Louis district for Sears, Roebuck and Company and their son, George, is merchandise manager with the John A. Brown Dry Goods Company, in Oklahoma City, formerly the Rorabaugh-Brown Store. They will return to their homes Sunday. Jimmy Lowther will go to St. Louis for a week's visit with Mr. and Mrs. Robert Milne. Miss Kathleen Lowther, who teachers in Oklahoma City, will remain in Emporia for an indefinite visit.
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The Emporia Gazette, 15 Mar 1952
James A. Milne Dead
James A. Milne, 1201 Lawrence, retired dry goods merchant, died this morning at 4 o'clock in Newman Memorial County Hospital after a 3-1/2-month illness. He was 87 years old.
Surviving are his wife, of the home; two sons, Robert J. Milne, of Corona Del Mar, Calif., and George M. Milne, of Oklahoma City; a daughter, Mrs. E. T. Lowther, 807 Sherwood, Emporia; and a grandson, Ens. James E. Lowther, now stationed on a Navy destroyer in the Pacific.
Arrangements for the funeral service had not been completed today.
James Anderson Milne was born August 14, 1864, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Milne, in Bathgate County, Lenlithgow, Scotland. His parents were hotel operators and Mr. Milne grew up in Dunfermline and in Kirkcaldy, where the family had the Temperance Hotel.
Apprenticed for four years in 1878 to the Gibb Dry Goods firm in Kirkcaldy, Mr. Milne came to the United States in 1886 and first was employed by a St. Louis firm. In 1888, when Kansas was booming, he went to Hutchinson where he worked for P. Martin & Co., forerunner of the Wiley store. While in Hutchinson Mr. Milne married his childhood sweetheart, Isabella Henderson, who came from his home town in Scotland, June 2, 1891.
In the early days of Oklahoma territory, the Milnes moved to Guthrie where he was associated with the late R. W. Ramsay and in 1912 went with the Ramsay firm as manager and buyer in Atchison. After several years with Sears Roebuck in Oklahoma City and Chicago, Mr. Milne came to Emporia, in 1931, with the reorganized Newman Dry Goods Company. He retired in 1936.
In June of last year, Mr. and Mrs. Milne observed their 60th wedding anniversary. Mr. Milne had been in failing health for the past year. He was a Presbyterian.
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The Emporia Gazette, 17 Mar 1952
Milne Funeral Tuesday
Funeral services for J. A. Milne, 1201 Lawrence, who died Saturday, will be held Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock at the McVey Funeral Home. The Rev. Robert L. Moreland, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, will conduct the services. Burial will be in Memorial Lawn Cemetery.
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The Emporia Gazette, 19 Mar 1952
The Milne Funeral
Funeral services for James A. Milne, who died Saturday morning in Newman Memorial County Hospital, were held Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock at the McVey Chapel. The Rev. Robert L. Moreland, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, conducted the services. T. C. Owen sang, accompanied by Mrs. H. W. Richmond.
Pallbearers were C. H. Lambert, Everette Barr, Ted McDaniel, W. E. Beitz, Warren Morris, Warren E. Ives, George Caspari and Arthur Musgrave. Burial was in Memorial Lawn Cemetery.
Out-of-town relatives and friends who attended the services were Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Milne, Corona Del Mar., Calif.; George Milne, Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Mrs. William Stanton, Jr., Atchison.
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1905 Guthrie City Directory: r. 620 N. Elm; Mngr Ramsey Bros D G Co
1907 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Av; Mngr Ramsey Bros D G Co
1908 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Av Tel. 96; Mngr Ramsey Bros Dry Goods Co
1910 Guthrie Census: 612 N. Elm (hard to tell which street)
1910 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Av, Dry Goods Manager, Ramsey's Dept. Store 108 W. Oklahoma Av
1912 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Ave, J. A. Milne Co. (James A. Milne, George Henderson) ladies Furnishings, 113 W. Oklahoma Av
1917 Atchison City Directory; r. 608 N. 3d; clk, Ramsay's
1923 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; clk, Ramsay's
1924 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; mdse mgr, Ramsay's
1926 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; dept mgr, Ramsay Bros D G Co
1926 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; dept mgr, Ramsay Bros D G Co
1930 Atchison Census: 303 N. 3rd St; not working
1940 Emporia Census: 1201 Lawrence; not working, but received income
Born in Bathgate, Scotland to William Milne II and Jane Anderson. Lived in Kirkcaldy. James and brother Thomas came from Glasgow on the steamship Norwegian and arrived in Philadelphia on 11 Mar 1886. Settled in St. Louis, MO. Worked 5 years before being able to send for his fiancee. He was married to Isabella Sharp Henderson 2 June 1891 after she arrived from Scotland. Accompanying her were James' mother, Jane, and youngest brother, Alfred, who was a deaf mute. Address was 214 East Avenue in Hutchinson. They lived in Oklahoma and Kansas where he worked in department stores. He was a member of the Hutchinson Commercial Club. James and his family moved to Arkansas City, KS in 1898, and to Guthrie, OK in 1899, address 815 E. Noble, to Iola, KS in 1904, went back to Guthrie in between 1904 and 1907, in 1907 went to Coffeyville, KS and came back to Guthrie that same year. In 1910 the address was 612 East Washington St. He learned to play golf and helped lay out the first golf course in Oklahoma at Guthrie. 3 kids. James became a citizen in Atchison, KS on 14 Sep 1940; his address was listed as 608 N. 3rd St. His address in 1951 was 1201 Lawrence St. in Emporia; it has been moved to 1015 Rural St. in Emporia.
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Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 about James Anderson Milne
Name: James Anderson Milne
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 14 Aug 1864
Birth Place: Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
Father: William Milne
Mother: Jane Anderson
FHL Film Number: 6035516
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The Hutchinson News, 29 Aug 1894, Wednesday
J. A. Milne has moved to 314 Third avenue east.
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The Hutchinson News, 08 Jan 1898, Saturday
W. M. Craig, of the firm of Craig & Co., has been in the city for the past week and leaves tomorrow for Winfield where he has interests. Mr. Craig told the Short Talk writer that he contemplated spending more of his time in the future in Hutchinson, as their business, under the able management of Mr. Milne, is growing so that it necessitates that he have more assistance.
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The Hutchinson News, 04 May 1898, Wednesday
James A. Milne has resigned his position as manager of the W. M. Craig & Co. store.
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The Hutchinson News, 07 May 1898, Saturday
As was noticed in the early part of the week in this paper, Mr. Jas. Milne has resigned his position as manager of the Wm. Craig Dry Goods Company. Mr. Wm. Craig, assisted by Mr. W. T. Docherty, will manage the store in the future and it is needless to say that these gentlemen will always see to it that the Busiest Store in Kansas will always have bargains for those in need of dry goods. Mr. Milne has not yet decided what business he will embark in, but it is to be hoped he will not leave Hutchinson, for he is a general favorite, especially in business circles.
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The Hutchinson News, 14 May 1898, Saturday
J. A. Milne and Doc Henderson chaperoned a fishing party to Florence on Monday.
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The Hutchinson Democrat, 23 Jul 1898, Saturday
J. A. Milne has charge of Irvan & Brown's store during the absence of Maury Brown.
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The Arkansas City Daily Traveler, 03 Aug 1898, Wednesday
J. A. Milne, formerly of P. Martin & Co, Hutchinson, Kan. has taken a position with Squier's & Co. and will have charge of the dress goods department.
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The Hutchinson News, 17 Oct 1898, Monday
James Milne is in the city visiting his friends and family. Mr. Milne is now in Business in Arkansas City but says he would prefer to live in Hutchinson.
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The Hutchinson News, 22 Oct 1898, Saturday
James Milne, of Arkansas City, was here the first of the week.
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The Saturday Bee, 22 Oct 1898, Saturday
J. A. Milne, who is in business in Arkansas City, spent Sunday with his family in this city.
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The Hutchinson News, 27 Oct 1898, Thursday
J. A. Milne, formerly manager of the Leader Dry Goods store of this city, is now in business in Arkansas City. He was here Sunday.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 31 Mar 1899, Friday
J. A. Milne, head salesman at Ramsay Bros., has leased the resident at 815 east Noble and will occupy the same next week when his family arrives from Hutchinson, Kas.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 16 Jul 1901, Tuesday
RAMSAY IN THE EAST.
Guthrie Merchant Standing Up for the Capitol City.
The following self-explanatory letter shows that Mr. Ramsay is standing up for Guthrie:
The Buckingham, Avon-by-the-Sea, N. J., July 11, 1901.
F. B. Lucas, Secretary Guthrie Club.
Dear Sir:
When coming down the Hudson by boat the other day I got to talking to a man who is thinking of going to Guthrie this fall. He is corresponding with Oklahoma City people and getting Oklahoma City papers. I have written Milne to send him the Guthrie papers once or twice a week for a while, but if you have any stuff about Guthrie lying round send it to him. Hope you are still building railroads and locating factories, etc. I am yours truly, Robt. W. Ramsay.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 06 Aug 1901, Tuesday
TOURNAMENT CLOSES TONIGHT.
Frank Derr and J. A. Milne this evening will play off their tie in the golf tournament which was inaugurated a week ago. All the other contestants have dropped out, being outplayed, leaving the finals to be played by Derr and Milne.
The prize is a silver tankard offered by Robert W. Ramsay. The holder of the trophy must win it three times successively to retain permanent possession.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 07 Sep 1904, Wednesday
J. A. MILNE WILL LEAVE FOR IOLA TOMORROW.
J. A. Milne, manager of the Ramsay Brothers store in Guthrie, will leave tomorrow for Iola, Kansas, to look after the affairs of Ramsay store at that point. Mr. Milne is manager of several Mercantile establishments in various parts of Oklahoma and Kansas and a splendid business is being done at all of the places. The Guthrie store has grown to huge proportions and the trade it has acquired is not only a big thing to the proprietors but also a boon to the capital city.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 11 Mar 1907, Monday
J. A. Milne, who for years has been the manager of the Ramsay Bros. dry goods store in this city, left this morning for Coffeyville, Kansas, to take charge of a stock of good purchased there by Mr. Ramsay last week. Mr. Milne will move his family to Coffeyville about May 1, and will make that place his home. The Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods company have five stores located in Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri and the Coffeyville store makes the sixth.
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The Coffeyville Daily Journal, 11 Mar 1907, Tuesday
THE CONDON STORE SOLD
Ramsay Bros. Are the New Proprietors.
Mr. Condon Will Take a Few Month's Vacation and Then Re-engage in Business.
The dry goods store of W. M. Condon & Co., was sold Saturday evening to Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods company. The change became effective at once. R. W. Ramsay, of Guthrie, Okla., was here, accompanied by James A. Milne of that city and Mont. Palmer of Iola. Mr. Palmer is manager of the Iola store and Mr. Milne will become the manager of the store here. The Ramsay people have stores at Guthrie, Carthage, Iola and Pittsburg. They are experienced dry goods men and have made a success of their other stores. They will undoubtedly make their store here a success.
"We will expand the store and make it larger as the business grows," Mr. Ramsay said Monday. "We believe Coffeyville is one of the best cities in this state and we will keep the store fully abreast of the progress of the city. We are here to stay.
Mr. Condon, who took over the store seven years ago from the C. H. Willhof company, leaves Coffeyville with many friends. He left Sunday evening for Calico Rock, Ark., to join Mrs. Condon, who has been there several weeks. They will take a vacation there for some time and Mr. Condon is going to put in time fishing and hunting. The town in located in the mountainous part of northern Arkansas. Mr. Condon's father, C. M. Condon, of Oswego, will spend a week there with his sonin the outing. Mr. Condon has no definite plans for the future so far as business is concerned, but after a few months' vacation will probably re-engage in some kind of business.
Mr. and Mrs. Condon have been prominent in this city's social life ever since they came seven years ago, and they will be missed by their many friends.
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The Coffeyville Daily Record, 11 Mar 1907, Monday
W. M. CONDON & CO. SELL OUT
The dry goods business conducted for the past nine years by the W. M. Condon & Co., has been sold out to the Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods Co., of Iola, Kansas, Pittsburg, Kansas, Carthage, M., and Guthrie, Okla. While we are sorry to loose (sic) W. M. Condon and Co., we are glad to welcome such a strong concern as the Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods Co. to our city. They are very successful dry goods men, operating the largest stores in the several towns that they are interested in. This store will be under the personal management of James A. Milne who is a stockholder in the concern, and who is a thoroughly experienced dry goods man.
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The Coffeyville Daily Record, 04 Apr 1907, Thursday
RAMSEY (sic) TO DISCONTINUE
New Dry Goods Firm Forced to Leave Coffeyville on Account of Larger Investments
J. A. Milne, general manager for Ramsay Dry Goods Co. store in this city announced the intention of his firm this morning to the effect that the company would discontinue their store in this city at an early date.
The news will be received with surprise and regret by the public as the Ramsay system of conducting the dry goods business is very popular. The firm has been forced to make this change on account of buying the large Donnald department store at Atchison.
Robert Ramsay, president of the company who has been managing the Guthrie store, will take charge of the Atchison store, while Mr. Milne will go to the Guthrie establishment. This leaves the Coffeyville store without a manager and on account of this alone the company have decided to leave Coffeyville.
The Record regrets to see the firm leave this city as both the store and its manager have become popular. Mr. Milne is an able business man and capable of handling large stores successfully and while he has been in Coffeyville but a short time has made the Ramsay store a better and more popular house than ever before. The stock will possibly be closed out at retail or sold in bulk within a short while.
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The Coffeyville Daily Journal, 04 Apr 1907, Thursday
RAMSAY'S STORE TO QUIT
COMPELLED TO CLOSE THEIR BUSINESS HERE
Inability to Get an Atchison Manager of to Abandon a Deal There Direct Cause
The Ramsay Bros. dry goods store in this city, formerly the W. M. Condon & Co. store, is for sale. It will be sold either in bulk or at retail. If not sold at bulk to some other merchant a big retail sale will be commenced in a few days.
The reason for this is that when the store was bought last month a deal was also on for a new store to be started at Atchison by the same firm. A manager had been selected for that store, but he was unable to take it. This necessitates the removal of R. W. Ramsay from Guthrie to Atchison and necessitates the return of J. A. Milne the local manager, to Guthrie. All efforts to arrange matters so the Coffeyville store could be continued have failed.
"Our business has grown every day since we came here," said J. A. Milne, the Coffeyville manager, Thursday. "We are not quitting because the store does not pay nor because we do not have faith in Coffeyville. I firmly believe that within a year or two at most this city will have 25,000 people. But we have simply been unable to get a manager for the Atchison store and we are tied up so we cannot abandon the effort to put in a store there. We have tried every possible way to arrange for the continuance of this store, but so far we have failed. There seems to be no way out for us but to sell it to some other merchant. We would rather do this than to conduct a closing sale. I am frank to say that we are all disappointed at having to leave Coffeyville for this store was becoming a good property for us."
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The Atchison Champion, 2 Aug 1907, Fri, Page 5
J.A. Milne, manager of Ramsay Bros'. Guthrie, Okla., store, arrived in the city last evening. He and Mr. R.W. Ramsay leave tonight for New York City where they will buy goods for their five stores.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 24 Aug 1910, Thursday
. . . The (park) commission has been figuring on plans for the West Side park for colored people, and is about ready to commence work. The commission is now composed of J. A. Milne, Dr. C. S. Petty and Will Patterson.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 12 Sep 1910, Monday
The store of J. A. Milne & Co., was opened this morning with a large line of ladies' ready-to-wear goods and furnishings.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 10 Oct 1910, Monday
J. A. Milne of Milne's Ready-to-Wear Store, left this morning for New York City. The big business this store is doing makes it very necessary for Mr. Milne to go at this time.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 05 Aug 1912, Monday
J. A. Milne, manager of the Milne store, 113 West Oklahoma Avenue left Saturday evening for eastern cities to purchase seasonable stock for his business ...... Mr. J. A. Milne and Miss Minnie Stratton, of the Milne Ladies Ready To Wear Store, left Saturday evening for New York and eastern markets to buy new fall merchandise.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 20 Aug 1912, Tuesday
J. A. Milne and Mrs. Nannie Stratton are still in New York buying goods for the fall and winter trade.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 28 Sep 1914, Monday
GOLFERS ATTENTION
All Members of the Guthrie Golf Club and any others who intend to join the club will meet in the Ione Hotel Wednesday night at 8 p.m.--J. A. Milne, Secy.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 06 Apr 1915, Tuesday
FOR RENT--The Milne residence, 612 East Washington Avenue. Nice location; 6 rooms and bathroom; modern; 3 porches; cellar; in good order. Apply at the house.
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The Atchison Champion, 19 May 1915, Page 2
J. A. Milne, manager of the Ramsay store, while in a street car in St. Louis, Monday, felt a man's hand in one of his pockets. He grabbed the man and demanded to know what he meant. The fellow said Mr. Milne certainly was mistaken, but when released, he ran through the car and jumped off. Passengers yelled to a policeman, who gave chase and placed the man under arrest. At the police headquarters he was well known, and is being held for the grand jury. Mr. Milne lost no money, but all he had with him was in the pocket in which he felt the strange hand.
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The Emporia Gazette, 31 May 1941
Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Milne Have Been Married 50 Years
Monday, June 2, is the 50th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Milne, 1201 Lawrence. They will celebrate the occasion Sunday, when all of their family will be in Emporia.
The Milnes have lived in Emporia for the past 10 years and Sunday their two sons and daughters-in-law will be here to help them commemorate the event. They are Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Milne, of St. Louis, and Mr. and Mrs. George M. Milne of Oklahoma City.
This evening, Mr. and Mrs. Milne will be guests of honor of their daughter, Mrs. E. T. Lowther, and Mr. Lowther at the Lowther home, 807 Sherwood, where their friends have been invited for a reception. Sunday noon, the family will entertain Mr. and Mrs. Milne with a golden wedding dinner at the Broadview Hotel. Present will be Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Milne, Mr. and Mrs. George Milne, Miss Kathleen Lowther, who arrived today from Oklahoma City; Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Lowther and the Milne's only grandchild, Jimmy Lowther.
BOTH BORN IN SCOTLAND
The Milnes were born and grew up in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, not far from Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth on the Scottish east coast. In the 1880's Mr. Milne came to the United States, following his apprenticeship in the dry goods business in Scotland. He worked in St. Louis and then came west to Kansas, taking a job with the old Martin Dry Goods store in Hutchinson. In 1891, Miss Isabella Henderson, to whom Mr. Milne had become engaged four years before in Scotland, traveled alone to Hutchinson, where on June 2, she and Mr. Milne were married by the Rev. Dr. Irwin, of the Presbyterian Church.
Their two sons were born during the 10 years they lived in Hutchinson. In 1901 the family moved to Guthrie, Okla, where Mr. Milne became associated with the Ramsay Brothers Dry Goods Company. Their daughter, Mrs. Lowther, was born in Guthrie. They lived in Oklahoma during the days of early statehood and saw the removal of the state capital from Guthrie to Oklahoma City and the decline of the former capital as the states business center.
RETURNED TO KANSAS
When the Ramsay company moved its store to Atchison, Kan., about 15 years later, Mr. Milne soon followed and for the next 15 years he was the manager of the large Atchison store and buyer for all the Ramsay stores. After leaving the Ramsay firm, Mr. Milne was associated with Sears, Roebuck and Company in Oklahoma City and Chicago before moving to Emporia about 10 years ago to complete his active merchandising career of more than 50 years with the then newly reorganized Newman Dry Goods Company. He retired in 1930.
The Milne's oldest son, Robert, is manager of the St. Louis district for Sears, Roebuck and Company and their son, George, is merchandise manager with the John A. Brown Dry Goods Company, in Oklahoma City, formerly the Rorabaugh-Brown Store. They will return to their homes Sunday. Jimmy Lowther will go to St. Louis for a week's visit with Mr. and Mrs. Robert Milne. Miss Kathleen Lowther, who teachers in Oklahoma City, will remain in Emporia for an indefinite visit.
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The Emporia Gazette, 15 Mar 1952
James A. Milne Dead
James A. Milne, 1201 Lawrence, retired dry goods merchant, died this morning at 4 o'clock in Newman Memorial County Hospital after a 3-1/2-month illness. He was 87 years old.
Surviving are his wife, of the home; two sons, Robert J. Milne, of Corona Del Mar, Calif., and George M. Milne, of Oklahoma City; a daughter, Mrs. E. T. Lowther, 807 Sherwood, Emporia; and a grandson, Ens. James E. Lowther, now stationed on a Navy destroyer in the Pacific.
Arrangements for the funeral service had not been completed today.
James Anderson Milne was born August 14, 1864, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Milne, in Bathgate County, Lenlithgow, Scotland. His parents were hotel operators and Mr. Milne grew up in Dunfermline and in Kirkcaldy, where the family had the Temperance Hotel.
Apprenticed for four years in 1878 to the Gibb Dry Goods firm in Kirkcaldy, Mr. Milne came to the United States in 1886 and first was employed by a St. Louis firm. In 1888, when Kansas was booming, he went to Hutchinson where he worked for P. Martin & Co., forerunner of the Wiley store. While in Hutchinson Mr. Milne married his childhood sweetheart, Isabella Henderson, who came from his home town in Scotland, June 2, 1891.
In the early days of Oklahoma territory, the Milnes moved to Guthrie where he was associated with the late R. W. Ramsay and in 1912 went with the Ramsay firm as manager and buyer in Atchison. After several years with Sears Roebuck in Oklahoma City and Chicago, Mr. Milne came to Emporia, in 1931, with the reorganized Newman Dry Goods Company. He retired in 1936.
In June of last year, Mr. and Mrs. Milne observed their 60th wedding anniversary. Mr. Milne had been in failing health for the past year. He was a Presbyterian.
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The Emporia Gazette, 17 Mar 1952
Milne Funeral Tuesday
Funeral services for J. A. Milne, 1201 Lawrence, who died Saturday, will be held Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock at the McVey Funeral Home. The Rev. Robert L. Moreland, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, will conduct the services. Burial will be in Memorial Lawn Cemetery.
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The Emporia Gazette, 19 Mar 1952
The Milne Funeral
Funeral services for James A. Milne, who died Saturday morning in Newman Memorial County Hospital, were held Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock at the McVey Chapel. The Rev. Robert L. Moreland, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, conducted the services. T. C. Owen sang, accompanied by Mrs. H. W. Richmond.
Pallbearers were C. H. Lambert, Everette Barr, Ted McDaniel, W. E. Beitz, Warren Morris, Warren E. Ives, George Caspari and Arthur Musgrave. Burial was in Memorial Lawn Cemetery.
Out-of-town relatives and friends who attended the services were Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Milne, Corona Del Mar., Calif.; George Milne, Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Mrs. William Stanton, Jr., Atchison.
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1905 Guthrie City Directory: r. 620 N. Elm; Mngr Ramsey Bros D G Co
1907 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Av; Mngr Ramsey Bros D G Co
1908 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Av Tel. 96; Mngr Ramsey Bros Dry Goods Co
1910 Guthrie Census: 612 N. Elm (hard to tell which street)
1910 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Av, Dry Goods Manager, Ramsey's Dept. Store 108 W. Oklahoma Av
1912 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Ave, J. A. Milne Co. (James A. Milne, George Henderson) ladies Furnishings, 113 W. Oklahoma Av
1917 Atchison City Directory; r. 608 N. 3d; clk, Ramsay's
1923 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; clk, Ramsay's
1924 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; mdse mgr, Ramsay's
1926 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; dept mgr, Ramsay Bros D G Co
1926 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; dept mgr, Ramsay Bros D G Co
1930 Atchison Census: 303 N. 3rd St; not working
1940 Emporia Census: 1201 Lawrence; not working, but received income
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Scotland, Select Births and Baptisms, 1564-1950 about James Anderson Milne
Name: James Anderson Milne
Gender: Male
Birth Date: 14 Aug 1864
Birth Place: Bathgate, West Lothian, Scotland
Father: William Milne
Mother: Jane Anderson
FHL Film Number: 6035516
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The Hutchinson News, 29 Aug 1894, Wednesday
J. A. Milne has moved to 314 Third avenue east.
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The Hutchinson News, 08 Jan 1898, Saturday
W. M. Craig, of the firm of Craig & Co., has been in the city for the past week and leaves tomorrow for Winfield where he has interests. Mr. Craig told the Short Talk writer that he contemplated spending more of his time in the future in Hutchinson, as their business, under the able management of Mr. Milne, is growing so that it necessitates that he have more assistance.
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The Hutchinson News, 04 May 1898, Wednesday
James A. Milne has resigned his position as manager of the W. M. Craig & Co. store.
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The Hutchinson News, 07 May 1898, Saturday
As was noticed in the early part of the week in this paper, Mr. Jas. Milne has resigned his position as manager of the Wm. Craig Dry Goods Company. Mr. Wm. Craig, assisted by Mr. W. T. Docherty, will manage the store in the future and it is needless to say that these gentlemen will always see to it that the Busiest Store in Kansas will always have bargains for those in need of dry goods. Mr. Milne has not yet decided what business he will embark in, but it is to be hoped he will not leave Hutchinson, for he is a general favorite, especially in business circles.
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The Hutchinson News, 14 May 1898, Saturday
J. A. Milne and Doc Henderson chaperoned a fishing party to Florence on Monday.
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The Hutchinson Democrat, 23 Jul 1898, Saturday
J. A. Milne has charge of Irvan & Brown's store during the absence of Maury Brown.
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The Arkansas City Daily Traveler, 03 Aug 1898, Wednesday
J. A. Milne, formerly of P. Martin & Co, Hutchinson, Kan. has taken a position with Squier's & Co. and will have charge of the dress goods department.
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The Hutchinson News, 17 Oct 1898, Monday
James Milne is in the city visiting his friends and family. Mr. Milne is now in Business in Arkansas City but says he would prefer to live in Hutchinson.
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The Hutchinson News, 22 Oct 1898, Saturday
James Milne, of Arkansas City, was here the first of the week.
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The Saturday Bee, 22 Oct 1898, Saturday
J. A. Milne, who is in business in Arkansas City, spent Sunday with his family in this city.
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The Hutchinson News, 27 Oct 1898, Thursday
J. A. Milne, formerly manager of the Leader Dry Goods store of this city, is now in business in Arkansas City. He was here Sunday.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 31 Mar 1899, Friday
J. A. Milne, head salesman at Ramsay Bros., has leased the resident at 815 east Noble and will occupy the same next week when his family arrives from Hutchinson, Kas.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 16 Jul 1901, Tuesday
RAMSAY IN THE EAST.
Guthrie Merchant Standing Up for the Capitol City.
The following self-explanatory letter shows that Mr. Ramsay is standing up for Guthrie:
The Buckingham, Avon-by-the-Sea, N. J., July 11, 1901.
F. B. Lucas, Secretary Guthrie Club.
Dear Sir:
When coming down the Hudson by boat the other day I got to talking to a man who is thinking of going to Guthrie this fall. He is corresponding with Oklahoma City people and getting Oklahoma City papers. I have written Milne to send him the Guthrie papers once or twice a week for a while, but if you have any stuff about Guthrie lying round send it to him. Hope you are still building railroads and locating factories, etc. I am yours truly, Robt. W. Ramsay.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 06 Aug 1901, Tuesday
TOURNAMENT CLOSES TONIGHT.
Frank Derr and J. A. Milne this evening will play off their tie in the golf tournament which was inaugurated a week ago. All the other contestants have dropped out, being outplayed, leaving the finals to be played by Derr and Milne.
The prize is a silver tankard offered by Robert W. Ramsay. The holder of the trophy must win it three times successively to retain permanent possession.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 07 Sep 1904, Wednesday
J. A. MILNE WILL LEAVE FOR IOLA TOMORROW.
J. A. Milne, manager of the Ramsay Brothers store in Guthrie, will leave tomorrow for Iola, Kansas, to look after the affairs of Ramsay store at that point. Mr. Milne is manager of several Mercantile establishments in various parts of Oklahoma and Kansas and a splendid business is being done at all of the places. The Guthrie store has grown to huge proportions and the trade it has acquired is not only a big thing to the proprietors but also a boon to the capital city.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 11 Mar 1907, Monday
J. A. Milne, who for years has been the manager of the Ramsay Bros. dry goods store in this city, left this morning for Coffeyville, Kansas, to take charge of a stock of good purchased there by Mr. Ramsay last week. Mr. Milne will move his family to Coffeyville about May 1, and will make that place his home. The Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods company have five stores located in Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri and the Coffeyville store makes the sixth.
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The Coffeyville Daily Journal, 11 Mar 1907, Tuesday
THE CONDON STORE SOLD
Ramsay Bros. Are the New Proprietors.
Mr. Condon Will Take a Few Month's Vacation and Then Re-engage in Business.
The dry goods store of W. M. Condon & Co., was sold Saturday evening to Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods company. The change became effective at once. R. W. Ramsay, of Guthrie, Okla., was here, accompanied by James A. Milne of that city and Mont. Palmer of Iola. Mr. Palmer is manager of the Iola store and Mr. Milne will become the manager of the store here. The Ramsay people have stores at Guthrie, Carthage, Iola and Pittsburg. They are experienced dry goods men and have made a success of their other stores. They will undoubtedly make their store here a success.
"We will expand the store and make it larger as the business grows," Mr. Ramsay said Monday. "We believe Coffeyville is one of the best cities in this state and we will keep the store fully abreast of the progress of the city. We are here to stay.
Mr. Condon, who took over the store seven years ago from the C. H. Willhof company, leaves Coffeyville with many friends. He left Sunday evening for Calico Rock, Ark., to join Mrs. Condon, who has been there several weeks. They will take a vacation there for some time and Mr. Condon is going to put in time fishing and hunting. The town in located in the mountainous part of northern Arkansas. Mr. Condon's father, C. M. Condon, of Oswego, will spend a week there with his sonin the outing. Mr. Condon has no definite plans for the future so far as business is concerned, but after a few months' vacation will probably re-engage in some kind of business.
Mr. and Mrs. Condon have been prominent in this city's social life ever since they came seven years ago, and they will be missed by their many friends.
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The Coffeyville Daily Record, 11 Mar 1907, Monday
W. M. CONDON & CO. SELL OUT
The dry goods business conducted for the past nine years by the W. M. Condon & Co., has been sold out to the Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods Co., of Iola, Kansas, Pittsburg, Kansas, Carthage, M., and Guthrie, Okla. While we are sorry to loose (sic) W. M. Condon and Co., we are glad to welcome such a strong concern as the Ramsay Bros. Dry Goods Co. to our city. They are very successful dry goods men, operating the largest stores in the several towns that they are interested in. This store will be under the personal management of James A. Milne who is a stockholder in the concern, and who is a thoroughly experienced dry goods man.
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The Coffeyville Daily Record, 04 Apr 1907, Thursday
RAMSEY (sic) TO DISCONTINUE
New Dry Goods Firm Forced to Leave Coffeyville on Account of Larger Investments
J. A. Milne, general manager for Ramsay Dry Goods Co. store in this city announced the intention of his firm this morning to the effect that the company would discontinue their store in this city at an early date.
The news will be received with surprise and regret by the public as the Ramsay system of conducting the dry goods business is very popular. The firm has been forced to make this change on account of buying the large Donnald department store at Atchison.
Robert Ramsay, president of the company who has been managing the Guthrie store, will take charge of the Atchison store, while Mr. Milne will go to the Guthrie establishment. This leaves the Coffeyville store without a manager and on account of this alone the company have decided to leave Coffeyville.
The Record regrets to see the firm leave this city as both the store and its manager have become popular. Mr. Milne is an able business man and capable of handling large stores successfully and while he has been in Coffeyville but a short time has made the Ramsay store a better and more popular house than ever before. The stock will possibly be closed out at retail or sold in bulk within a short while.
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The Coffeyville Daily Journal, 04 Apr 1907, Thursday
RAMSAY'S STORE TO QUIT
COMPELLED TO CLOSE THEIR BUSINESS HERE
Inability to Get an Atchison Manager of to Abandon a Deal There Direct Cause
The Ramsay Bros. dry goods store in this city, formerly the W. M. Condon & Co. store, is for sale. It will be sold either in bulk or at retail. If not sold at bulk to some other merchant a big retail sale will be commenced in a few days.
The reason for this is that when the store was bought last month a deal was also on for a new store to be started at Atchison by the same firm. A manager had been selected for that store, but he was unable to take it. This necessitates the removal of R. W. Ramsay from Guthrie to Atchison and necessitates the return of J. A. Milne the local manager, to Guthrie. All efforts to arrange matters so the Coffeyville store could be continued have failed.
"Our business has grown every day since we came here," said J. A. Milne, the Coffeyville manager, Thursday. "We are not quitting because the store does not pay nor because we do not have faith in Coffeyville. I firmly believe that within a year or two at most this city will have 25,000 people. But we have simply been unable to get a manager for the Atchison store and we are tied up so we cannot abandon the effort to put in a store there. We have tried every possible way to arrange for the continuance of this store, but so far we have failed. There seems to be no way out for us but to sell it to some other merchant. We would rather do this than to conduct a closing sale. I am frank to say that we are all disappointed at having to leave Coffeyville for this store was becoming a good property for us."
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The Atchison Champion, 2 Aug 1907, Fri, Page 5
J.A. Milne, manager of Ramsay Bros'. Guthrie, Okla., store, arrived in the city last evening. He and Mr. R.W. Ramsay leave tonight for New York City where they will buy goods for their five stores.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 24 Aug 1910, Thursday
. . . The (park) commission has been figuring on plans for the West Side park for colored people, and is about ready to commence work. The commission is now composed of J. A. Milne, Dr. C. S. Petty and Will Patterson.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 12 Sep 1910, Monday
The store of J. A. Milne & Co., was opened this morning with a large line of ladies' ready-to-wear goods and furnishings.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 10 Oct 1910, Monday
J. A. Milne of Milne's Ready-to-Wear Store, left this morning for New York City. The big business this store is doing makes it very necessary for Mr. Milne to go at this time.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 05 Aug 1912, Monday
J. A. Milne, manager of the Milne store, 113 West Oklahoma Avenue left Saturday evening for eastern cities to purchase seasonable stock for his business ...... Mr. J. A. Milne and Miss Minnie Stratton, of the Milne Ladies Ready To Wear Store, left Saturday evening for New York and eastern markets to buy new fall merchandise.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 20 Aug 1912, Tuesday
J. A. Milne and Mrs. Nannie Stratton are still in New York buying goods for the fall and winter trade.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 28 Sep 1914, Monday
GOLFERS ATTENTION
All Members of the Guthrie Golf Club and any others who intend to join the club will meet in the Ione Hotel Wednesday night at 8 p.m.--J. A. Milne, Secy.
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The Guthrie Daily Leader, 06 Apr 1915, Tuesday
FOR RENT--The Milne residence, 612 East Washington Avenue. Nice location; 6 rooms and bathroom; modern; 3 porches; cellar; in good order. Apply at the house.
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The Atchison Champion, 19 May 1915, Page 2
J. A. Milne, manager of the Ramsay store, while in a street car in St. Louis, Monday, felt a man's hand in one of his pockets. He grabbed the man and demanded to know what he meant. The fellow said Mr. Milne certainly was mistaken, but when released, he ran through the car and jumped off. Passengers yelled to a policeman, who gave chase and placed the man under arrest. At the police headquarters he was well known, and is being held for the grand jury. Mr. Milne lost no money, but all he had with him was in the pocket in which he felt the strange hand.
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The Emporia Gazette, 31 May 1941
Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Milne Have Been Married 50 Years
Monday, June 2, is the 50th wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Milne, 1201 Lawrence. They will celebrate the occasion Sunday, when all of their family will be in Emporia.
The Milnes have lived in Emporia for the past 10 years and Sunday their two sons and daughters-in-law will be here to help them commemorate the event. They are Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Milne, of St. Louis, and Mr. and Mrs. George M. Milne of Oklahoma City.
This evening, Mr. and Mrs. Milne will be guests of honor of their daughter, Mrs. E. T. Lowther, and Mr. Lowther at the Lowther home, 807 Sherwood, where their friends have been invited for a reception. Sunday noon, the family will entertain Mr. and Mrs. Milne with a golden wedding dinner at the Broadview Hotel. Present will be Mr. and Mrs. R. J. Milne, Mr. and Mrs. George Milne, Miss Kathleen Lowther, who arrived today from Oklahoma City; Mr. and Mrs. E. T. Lowther and the Milne's only grandchild, Jimmy Lowther.
BOTH BORN IN SCOTLAND
The Milnes were born and grew up in Kirkcaldy, Scotland, not far from Edinburgh and the Firth of Forth on the Scottish east coast. In the 1880's Mr. Milne came to the United States, following his apprenticeship in the dry goods business in Scotland. He worked in St. Louis and then came west to Kansas, taking a job with the old Martin Dry Goods store in Hutchinson. In 1891, Miss Isabella Henderson, to whom Mr. Milne had become engaged four years before in Scotland, traveled alone to Hutchinson, where on June 2, she and Mr. Milne were married by the Rev. Dr. Irwin, of the Presbyterian Church.
Their two sons were born during the 10 years they lived in Hutchinson. In 1901 the family moved to Guthrie, Okla, where Mr. Milne became associated with the Ramsay Brothers Dry Goods Company. Their daughter, Mrs. Lowther, was born in Guthrie. They lived in Oklahoma during the days of early statehood and saw the removal of the state capital from Guthrie to Oklahoma City and the decline of the former capital as the states business center.
RETURNED TO KANSAS
When the Ramsay company moved its store to Atchison, Kan., about 15 years later, Mr. Milne soon followed and for the next 15 years he was the manager of the large Atchison store and buyer for all the Ramsay stores. After leaving the Ramsay firm, Mr. Milne was associated with Sears, Roebuck and Company in Oklahoma City and Chicago before moving to Emporia about 10 years ago to complete his active merchandising career of more than 50 years with the then newly reorganized Newman Dry Goods Company. He retired in 1930.
The Milne's oldest son, Robert, is manager of the St. Louis district for Sears, Roebuck and Company and their son, George, is merchandise manager with the John A. Brown Dry Goods Company, in Oklahoma City, formerly the Rorabaugh-Brown Store. They will return to their homes Sunday. Jimmy Lowther will go to St. Louis for a week's visit with Mr. and Mrs. Robert Milne. Miss Kathleen Lowther, who teachers in Oklahoma City, will remain in Emporia for an indefinite visit.
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The Emporia Gazette, 15 Mar 1952
James A. Milne Dead
James A. Milne, 1201 Lawrence, retired dry goods merchant, died this morning at 4 o'clock in Newman Memorial County Hospital after a 3-1/2-month illness. He was 87 years old.
Surviving are his wife, of the home; two sons, Robert J. Milne, of Corona Del Mar, Calif., and George M. Milne, of Oklahoma City; a daughter, Mrs. E. T. Lowther, 807 Sherwood, Emporia; and a grandson, Ens. James E. Lowther, now stationed on a Navy destroyer in the Pacific.
Arrangements for the funeral service had not been completed today.
James Anderson Milne was born August 14, 1864, the son of Mr. and Mrs. William Milne, in Bathgate County, Lenlithgow, Scotland. His parents were hotel operators and Mr. Milne grew up in Dunfermline and in Kirkcaldy, where the family had the Temperance Hotel.
Apprenticed for four years in 1878 to the Gibb Dry Goods firm in Kirkcaldy, Mr. Milne came to the United States in 1886 and first was employed by a St. Louis firm. In 1888, when Kansas was booming, he went to Hutchinson where he worked for P. Martin & Co., forerunner of the Wiley store. While in Hutchinson Mr. Milne married his childhood sweetheart, Isabella Henderson, who came from his home town in Scotland, June 2, 1891.
In the early days of Oklahoma territory, the Milnes moved to Guthrie where he was associated with the late R. W. Ramsay and in 1912 went with the Ramsay firm as manager and buyer in Atchison. After several years with Sears Roebuck in Oklahoma City and Chicago, Mr. Milne came to Emporia, in 1931, with the reorganized Newman Dry Goods Company. He retired in 1936.
In June of last year, Mr. and Mrs. Milne observed their 60th wedding anniversary. Mr. Milne had been in failing health for the past year. He was a Presbyterian.
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The Emporia Gazette, 17 Mar 1952
Milne Funeral Tuesday
Funeral services for J. A. Milne, 1201 Lawrence, who died Saturday, will be held Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock at the McVey Funeral Home. The Rev. Robert L. Moreland, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, will conduct the services. Burial will be in Memorial Lawn Cemetery.
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The Emporia Gazette, 19 Mar 1952
The Milne Funeral
Funeral services for James A. Milne, who died Saturday morning in Newman Memorial County Hospital, were held Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock at the McVey Chapel. The Rev. Robert L. Moreland, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, conducted the services. T. C. Owen sang, accompanied by Mrs. H. W. Richmond.
Pallbearers were C. H. Lambert, Everette Barr, Ted McDaniel, W. E. Beitz, Warren Morris, Warren E. Ives, George Caspari and Arthur Musgrave. Burial was in Memorial Lawn Cemetery.
Out-of-town relatives and friends who attended the services were Mr. and Mrs. Robert J. Milne, Corona Del Mar., Calif.; George Milne, Oklahoma City, Okla.; and Mrs. William Stanton, Jr., Atchison.
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1905 Guthrie City Directory: r. 620 N. Elm; Mngr Ramsey Bros D G Co
1907 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Av; Mngr Ramsey Bros D G Co
1908 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Av Tel. 96; Mngr Ramsey Bros Dry Goods Co
1910 Guthrie Census: 612 N. Elm (hard to tell which street)
1910 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Av, Dry Goods Manager, Ramsey's Dept. Store 108 W. Oklahoma Av
1912 Guthrie City Directory: r. 612 E. Washn Ave, J. A. Milne Co. (James A. Milne, George Henderson) ladies Furnishings, 113 W. Oklahoma Av
1917 Atchison City Directory; r. 608 N. 3d; clk, Ramsay's
1923 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; clk, Ramsay's
1924 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; mdse mgr, Ramsay's
1926 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; dept mgr, Ramsay Bros D G Co
1926 Atchison City Directory; r. 303 Santa Fe; dept mgr, Ramsay Bros D G Co
1930 Atchison Census: 303 N. 3rd St; not working
1940 Emporia Census: 1201 Lawrence; not working, but received income
