Born in Drakes Ferry, Pennsylvania, he attended public schools, and in 1847 enlisted as a private to serve in the Mexican–American War.

He moved to Columbia, Pennsylvania, in 1848, where he was employed in a bank and subsequently went into business for himself.

He then moved to Leavenworth, Kansas, in 1861 and engaged in the transportation of military supplies to the various posts on the plains.

It was claimed that he had bribed his political opponents not to run, leaving the field clear for himself.

[2] From 1877 to 1897, he manufactured wagons and carriages, and from 1897 to 1915 he was president of the First National Bank of Leavenworth.