- William Chrisman
William Chrisman (
November 10 1822 – 1897) was born inFayette County, Kentucky to Joseph and Eleanor Chrisman. He attended Georgetown College and Center College in Kentucky where he received his degree in Law. Fact|date=January 2008 In 1847 he was admitted to the bar and began practicing law inDanville, Kentucky .On May 10, 1848, William Chrisman married Lucie A. Lee, a member of the distinguished Lee family of Virginia. That day William and his wife set out for
Independence, Missouri . Upon arrival Chrisman was admitted to the bar in Missouri and began his law practice on the Independence Square.In 1857, William Chrisman turned his interests towards financial pursuits and helped found the Independence Savings Institution. Over the years, with several changes in partners, the bank became Chrisman-Sawyer Banking Company. The bank is today known as Hillcrest Bank and still resides in the same location as the original bank on the Independence Square.
In 1867 Chrisman was elected to the first Board of Education of the Independence School District. In that capacity he served as Secretary of the Board. He also helped found the Kansas City Ladies’ College in Independence and paid for the financing of the college’s principal buildings. Fact|date=January 2008
As a delegate to Missouri’s 1875 Constitutional Convention, Chrisman helped craft the constitution of Missouri. The 1945 Constitution now used in Missouri is largely based on this document. Though relatively removed from politics, William Chrisman spent most of his life a member of the Whig Party and in later years switched to the Democratic Party.
William Chrisman suffered a stroke in 1888 and was forced to give up most of his law and financial business dealings.
Death/Children
In February 1889, his wife Lucie died. William Chrisman died in 1897 and was buried in Mount Washington Cemetery in
Independence, Missouri .He was survived by his three children:
* George Chrisman – of Independence
* James Chrisman – who died at Fulton College
* Maggie Chrisman Swope. She married Logan Swope, the nephew of Col.Thomas H. Swope , who was renowned in the area for his gift of Swope Park to Kansas City and his infamous murder.Posthumously
In 1917, the Independence School District pursued a campaign to build a new high school. The tax issue passed and a site was sought for the new home of Independence High School. Maggie Chrisman Swope, offered the sale of a plot of land at Maple and Union for $1.00 in exchange for the high school being renamed after her father. Since the doors to the Maple Avenue building opened the school has been known as
William Chrisman High School .ource
*"A Memorial Record of Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri" (1892)
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