Charles T. Carpenter
Encyclopedia
Charles Thomas Carpenter, born December 9, 1858 in Bedford County, Tennessee, died February 22, 1945 at Montgomery County, Kansas
, was a pioneer banker who was taken hostage
by the Dalton Gang
in their last raid, October 5, 1892, in Coffeyville, Kansas
.
Carpenter was a son of Samuel and Sarah (Montgomery) Carpenter, of Palmetto, Tennessee. He was schooled in a private institution at Palmetto, and attended the State University at Bloomington, Indiana
, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi
and graduated in 1876 with an Bachelor of Arts degree. After graduation, he moved to Kansas to join his parents at Oswego, Kansas
, where he first worked for his father, and then served two years as cashier of Condon Bank. In 1886 he moved to Coffeyville as a partner in the Condon Bank office established at Coffeyville that year. He was also senior partner in the Charles T. Carpenter Insurance Agency, the largest agency in Montgomery County, Kansas
. He served as president of the Coffeyville Board of Education and trustee of the Montgomery County High School at Independence, Kansas
.
Carpenter married in 1892 at Rockport, Indiana
to Temple West, who was born in Pike County, Indiana
. She was a prominent woman of Southern Kansas in religious, social and public affairs, president of the Carnegie Library
of Coffeyville, and the first woman honored with a place on the school board of that city. She and her husband were the parents of seven children.
When the Dalton Gang
attempted to rob two banks in Coffeyville on October 5, 1892, Charles T. Carpenter was taken hostage in his bank. In the gun battle that followed the failed raid, which turned out to be the gang's last, four townspeople were killed, and four gang members were killed and the fifth captured and imprisoned. Carpenter was not physically injured in the affray.
Montgomery County, Kansas
Montgomery County is a county located in southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 35,471. Its county seat is Independence, and its most populous city is Coffeyville. The Coffeyville Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Montgomery...
, was a pioneer banker who was taken hostage
Hostage
A hostage is a person or entity which is held by a captor. The original definition meant that this was handed over by one of two belligerent parties to the other or seized as security for the carrying out of an agreement, or as a preventive measure against certain acts of war...
by the Dalton Gang
Dalton Gang
The Dalton Gang, also known as The Dalton Brothers, was a family of both lawmen and outlaws in the American Old West during 1890-1892. They specialized in bank and train robberies. They were related to the Younger brothers, who rode with Jesse James, though they acted later and independently of...
in their last raid, October 5, 1892, in Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville, Kansas
Coffeyville is a city situated along the Verdigris River in the southeastern part of Montgomery County, located in Southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,295...
.
Carpenter was a son of Samuel and Sarah (Montgomery) Carpenter, of Palmetto, Tennessee. He was schooled in a private institution at Palmetto, and attended the State University at Bloomington, Indiana
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
, where he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi
Phi Kappa Phi
The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
and graduated in 1876 with an Bachelor of Arts degree. After graduation, he moved to Kansas to join his parents at Oswego, Kansas
Oswego, Kansas
Oswego is a city in and the county seat of Labette County, Kansas, United States,, and situated along the Neosho River. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 1,829.-History:...
, where he first worked for his father, and then served two years as cashier of Condon Bank. In 1886 he moved to Coffeyville as a partner in the Condon Bank office established at Coffeyville that year. He was also senior partner in the Charles T. Carpenter Insurance Agency, the largest agency in Montgomery County, Kansas
Montgomery County, Kansas
Montgomery County is a county located in southeast Kansas, in the Central United States. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 35,471. Its county seat is Independence, and its most populous city is Coffeyville. The Coffeyville Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Montgomery...
. He served as president of the Coffeyville Board of Education and trustee of the Montgomery County High School at Independence, Kansas
Independence, Kansas
Independence is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 9,483.-Geography:...
.
Carpenter married in 1892 at Rockport, Indiana
Rockport, Indiana
Rockport is a city in Ohio Township, Spencer County, Indiana, along the Ohio River. The population was 2,160 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Spencer County.-History:...
to Temple West, who was born in Pike County, Indiana
Pike County, Indiana
As of the census of 2000, there were 12,837 people, 5,119 households, and 3,680 families residing in the county. The population density was 38 people per square mile . There were 5,611 housing units at an average density of 17 per square mile...
. She was a prominent woman of Southern Kansas in religious, social and public affairs, president of the Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library
Carnegie Library, Carnegie Public Library, Carnegie Free Library, Carnegie Free Public Library, Andrew Carnegie Library, Andrew Carnegie Free Library or Carnegie Library Building may refer to any of the following Carnegie libraries:- California :*Carnegie Library , listed on the National Register...
of Coffeyville, and the first woman honored with a place on the school board of that city. She and her husband were the parents of seven children.
When the Dalton Gang
Dalton Gang
The Dalton Gang, also known as The Dalton Brothers, was a family of both lawmen and outlaws in the American Old West during 1890-1892. They specialized in bank and train robberies. They were related to the Younger brothers, who rode with Jesse James, though they acted later and independently of...
attempted to rob two banks in Coffeyville on October 5, 1892, Charles T. Carpenter was taken hostage in his bank. In the gun battle that followed the failed raid, which turned out to be the gang's last, four townspeople were killed, and four gang members were killed and the fifth captured and imprisoned. Carpenter was not physically injured in the affray.