Among the capable business citizens of Grant City, one who has won ultimate success through his own persevering efforts is Charles F. KATER, who is identified prominently with the breeding of Hereford cattle and who has been a resideht of Worth County for a quarter of a century, coming to this locality in October, 1889. Mr. KATER is a native of the City of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was born November 26, 1857, a son of John and Anna P. (KID) KATER.

John KATER was born at Cold Springs, Scotland, in 1804, and came to the United States about the time he became of age with his father, who was also named John KATER. The latter brought the family to the United States and settled in the City of Philadelphia, where he passed the remainder of his life and died at about the time of the breaking out of the Civil war. Among his children were the following: James; William; John; Eliza; Adda, who married a Mr. LEMON; Martha; and a daughter who married a Mr. CUNNINGHAM of Philadelphia.

John KATER, the father of Charles F. KATER, became a very successful business man, being possessed of the thrift, energy and industry of his race. He was a man of progressive ideas and foresight, and was the originator of the market house system in Philadelphia, and of the cold storage system, having one of the first, if not the first, cold storage market houses in the United States. He followed this business throughout his life, and also followed various other lines of endeavor, investing his capital in growing enterprises and giving to them the benefit of his broad experience and excellent business acumen. Among his interests were large oil factories in the City of Philadelphia for the manufacture of lard oil, in which industry he was also a pioneer. Mr. KATER contributed materially to the growth and development of the city, building a number of business and residence structures in the southwest end of the city, and was a member of the city council from the Twenty-sixth Ward for a long period. He was one of the city fathers when the city began bridging the Schuylkill River, a matter that gave the council much important work to do, and in various ways played an important part in advancing the interests of the Pennsylvania metropolis. A stanch and lifelong republican, he steadfastly supported the principles and candidates of his party, and won some local reputation as a campaigner. When he retired from the activities of business life, he went to his home at Media, and there his death occurred in May, 1877. His long and active career was at all times characterized by a strict adherence to the highest business principles, a faithful devotion to the duties that devolved upon him, and a steady loyalty to friendships. Mr. KATER married Miss Anna P. KID, daughter of John KID, also Scotch people, of Paisley; and she survived her husband only a short time, dying in July, 1877. They were the parents of the following children: Mary, who married first a Mr. GARRETT, and second Ben McGINNIS, and died at Charleston, South Carolina; John, who died in the City of Philadelphia; Annie, who became the wife of Nat CONRAD and died at Charleston, South Carolina; Charles F., the subject of this review; and Samuel F., a resident of Ringgold County, Iowa.

Charles F. KATER passed his boyhood in Philadelphia, where he attended the public schools, and subsequently became a student at Swarthmore College, the largest school of Quakers in the United States. At the age of nineteen years he laid aside his studies to embark upon his business career in the offices of his father, who was engaged in the market business and owned large market houses at 1528 and 1542 South Street, Philadelphia. He was so associated, and as an office manager with another concern of that city, until 1882, at which time he decided to seek his fortune in the West, and accordingly moved to Iowa. Settling at Mount Ayr, on a farm, he remained there until 1889, being engaged in cultivating a large tract located ten miles south of the city, and had some success as a general farmer. In the last year mentioned he disposed of his interests in Iowa and came to Missouri. When he reached Grant City, having decided to locate in Worth County, Mr. KATER purchased the WITTMER Farm, located just west of the county seat and containing 360 acres of land. This he devoted to general farming and stock feeding, in which he had some experience, and continued thus until 1893, at which time he engaged in the growing and breeding of the White Face cattle. His start in this line of industry was secured from A. INGRAM, of Mount Ayr, from whom he purchased the individual "Eclipse," and four cows, "Mary Wilton," "Topsy," "Myrtle," and "Dora." All the offspring from these animals have been pedigreed, and animals which have come from them have been scattered all over Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and North and South Dakota. In his line of business there are few who can approach Mr. KATER for judgment or business ability. He has made a close study of the line to which he has devoted himself, and through an intelligent use of modern methods has kept fully abreast of the advancements constantly being made. For fifteen years he was also engaged in the breeding of saddle horses, starting from "Artes Denmark," as his sire, a stallion which came from the stud of a prominent breeder of Louisville, Kentucky. Mr. KATER did a wonderful business here for a number of years, and abandoned it only when the automobile encroached upon the domain of this noble animal.

Mr. KATER was married in Ringgold County, Iowa, in February, 1887, to Miss Anna P. MOFFATT, a daughter of Peter MOFFATT, a Scotchman and farmer, who came to the State of Iowa from Nova Scotia. Two children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. KATER, namely: Bessie, who is the wife of Wesley BARNES, living on Mr. KATER's farm; and Miss Flola, who is unmarried and resides with her parents.

Mr. KATER is a republican in his political views, but has never been a factor in public affairs in his locality and has not expressed a desire for office. He has never cared for fraternal orders, but is connected with the Baptist Church, to which the members of his family also belong.

SOURCE: WILLIAMS, Walter. A History of Northwestern Missouri Vol. II. Pp. 123-24. Lewis Publ. Co. Chicago. 1918.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2009