SOLOMON KESNER, insurance and loan agent, was born in Perry County, Ind., in 1832, where he lived until 1855, when he moved to Illinois, remaining there one year; thence to Iowa, and in 1857 located in Coffey County, Kan., and engaged in farming. Cleared up and improved a farm and remained there until 1860. Thence to Woodson County, where he improved another farm and engaged in farming and stock-raising. Mr. K. was among the pioneers of Woodson County. In 1879, he sold out and improved another farm, putting up a large stone house and other buildings and planted an orchard of twenty acres, and sold this and engaged in the hotel business at LeRoy, Coffey County. After remaining there one year, he traded this property for a grist mill in Elk County, and after a short time traded this for his present farm at Yates Center, Woodson County. In 1883, he engaged in the insurance and loan business Chautauqua County, with headquarters at Sedan, and has been doing a large business. For a number of years he was engaged in selling goods on the road and handling patent rights, besides attending to his farming interests, and for six months has been at work on a double bunch hay rake, which he has just succeeded in getting patented, which he is confident will take the lead in rakes in this country. Mr. Kesner is a public-spirited man, who takes a lively interest in all improvements or anything of a progressive tendency, and being a good business man, has accumulated a nice property since he came to Kansas, although he has been afflicted with poor health for several years. In 1854, he was united in marriage to Miss Sabra Kitterman, of Indiana. They have seven children--Christopher C., Elizabeth C., John W., Sarah A., George T., Amanda J. and Nancy E. Mr. K. is an active member of the Christian Church, and has been a member since eighteen years of age.

Kansas Collection Books
William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas
Woodson County, Part 3
Biographical Sketches (Bailey-Pickett)
http://www.kancoll.org/books/cutler/