DAWSON
MONUMENT COMPANY
William H. Dawson was born in Iowa in
1858 and came to Kansas in 1870 with his parents. They located at Independence
where he learned the marble trade from his father.
Winfield Courier, June 15, 1876. GEORGE DAWSON, ESQ., of
Independence, passed through town on Monday morning on his way to Wichita to
deliver sundry monuments sold by his enterprising firm of the first-named
place.
On January 9, 1879 the Courier reported
the following item. "Mr. Wm. Dawson and Mr. James Anderson of Dawson &
Son's marble works at Independence, were in the city during the holidays. They
intend to start a branch of their marble works in this place."
The Courier reported on the following
week "Dawson & Son are putting up a building on the corner of Ninth
avenue and Millington street. They are going to start a branch of their marble
works at Independence. Mr. Wm. Dawson will have charge of the business at this
place."
On January 30th the Courier reported
"We would call attention to the 'ad' of the new firm of Dawson & Son,
marble dealers. They have had years of experience and can get up as fine a
tombstone or monument as can be procured anywhere. This is the first enterprise
of the kind that has been started in the city and they will undoubtedly have
plenty to do."
April 13, 1882 - Courant - Noble E.
Dawson, a brother of our Wm. Dawson, has recently been appointed stenographer
of the House of Representatives at Washington.
Courant, December 1, 1881. Some weeks ago
we mentioned the fact that Mr. E. E. Thorpe, from New York, was figuring on
starting a tannery in our city. We are now glad to say that the project is an
assured fact. Mr. Thorpe has purchased a lot on South Main street, a well has
been dug, and the excavation for the cellar is being made. Messrs. Benton &
Connor have the contract for the stone work, and J. W. Randall the carpenter
work for the building, which, if the weather proves favorable, will be
completed about the first of January. This adds another industry to Winfield,
of which we shall have more to say as the work progresses.
Winfield Courier, December 20, 1883. Marble Works Removed.
W. H. Dawson has removed his Winfield Marble Works to his new building on South
Main street. The building is the one formerly owned by the Kansas Tannery. Mr. Dawson
has enlarged the works, put in new machinery, and is able to turn out a better
grade of work than ever before.
Traveler, February 11, 1885. Wm. Prince, agent of
the Cowley County Marble Works of Winfield, interviewed our people Monday and
Tuesday on the subject of tombstones.
Winfield Marble Works at 1309-1317 Main
Street. Mr. Dawson died in 1935[1],
unmarried, and left the business to his long time employee, Vernon G. Kropp.
Mr. Kropp changed the company name to W. H. Dawson Monument Co. to honor and maintain
Mr. Dawson's name. Mr. Kropp died, unmarried, in 1969 and left the property to
his sister Odessa Kropp and left the business to his long time foreman, Robert
E. Flottman.
The Flottman family history is told in
the "Cowley County Heritage" book. Mr. Flottman died in 1976,
leaving the business to his two sons, Robert Lee and Melvin Ben Flottman. They
named long time employee Jerrold R. Calvin as manager of the Company. In 1979
they incorporated the company as Dawson Monument Co. Inc. and Mr. Calvin and
his son Tom Calvin bought into the company.
In 1990, Robert Flottman was President
and Ben Flottman was senior vice-president of the Dawson Monument Company, Inc.
The Pauline Jones book "Bluestem
Country" reports that the Dawson building was constructed in 1882 and
originally provided quarters for a tannery.
Winfield Courier, March 20, 1884.
Rev. P. F. Jones has sold his half
interest in the stone building on south Main, now occupied by the Winfield
Marble Works, to W. H. Dawson for $950.