Bailor, Silas

Born on December 25, 1857 in Warren County, Ohio to Adam and Sarah Bailor.
Died on July 18, 1948 in Welllington, KS.
Married Della Adams on March 15, 1883.
Parents of four children: One daughter died in infancy, Blanche, Mabel, and Silas.
Came to Geneva with his family in 1876 after having lived in South Whitney, IN and Mason County, IL.
He was educated in the country school and attended Geneva High School for a time.
He began farming near Strang with his brother, L. D.
Working on his farm and at the foundry in Geneva, he designed and built the first successful two-row cultivator in 1892.
In 1897, A. Bailor and Son reopened a machine shop at 135 No 8th where they worked on his patented cultivator.
In 1899, Silas bought John Gustafson's blacksmith shop at 152 So. 8th and moved it to Lot 7.

He associated with Dempster Manufacturing Company in Beatrice.
Then he partnered with Mr. Rankin of Tarkio, MO. This partnership of Rankin & Bailor evolved into the Midland Plow Company of St. Joseph, MO.
In 1909, Mr. Bailor connected with the Bailor Plow Manufacturing Company at Atchison, KS and improved the two row idea to using three horses and only one man.
In 1921, the Bailor Cultivator Company became the Bailor Plow Manufacturing Company.
In 1904, at the Great Louisiana Purchase Exposition in St. Louis, he was given the "Highest Award" in competition with other makes from all parts of the world.
In 1912, he bought land near Dill City, OK used as a proving ground and later his home.
He eventually moved to Wellington KS to be near his siblings.