By Bronwyn Page
From the Archives
William Houston Whiteside and his son, U.S. Army Col. Houston Latimer Whiteside, did more than witness Hutchinson’s rise from a frontier settlement, they shaped it. Their combined lives, spanning from 1846 to 1990, mirror the rise of Hutchinson’s own story; from a raw outpost on the Arkansas River to a community defined by civic institutions, infrastructure, and a deep respect for its past.
William Houston Whiteside was born on Oct. 7, 1846, in Tennessee. As a young man, he began to read law and became a qualified lawyer by apprenticing under his uncle. He was offered a position in his uncle’s law firm, but ended up striking out on his own to become a pioneer settler in Kansas.
With a law education and several hundred dollars to his name, Whiteside arrived in Kansas better equipped than most pioneers. A chance encounter with Leslie Perry on a train to Newton would change the course of Hutchinson’s future. Perry offered Whiteside a half-interest in a newspaper planned for a new settlement being promoted by C.C. Hutchinson. That settlement became Hutchinson, and Whiteside stepped naturally into the role of its first true publisher. Through The Hutchinson News, he helped establish one of the community’s earliest civic voices and set the tone for a town just beginning to define itself.
While building the newspaper, Whiteside opened his law practice and immersed himself in the rugged life of early Kansas: hunting buffalo and antelope, navigating a region still shared with Native peoples, and helping establish the legal and civic foundations of Reno County. He was elected county attorney in 1874, later served as city attorney, and ultimately became president of the Reno County Bar Association for 35 years.
His influence extended far beyond the courtroom. Whiteside helped establish public utilities, advocated for bridges and the Harsha Canal, and championed the reformatory and state fair projects that shaped Hutchinson’s growth and connected it to the wider state. His work placed Hutchinson firmly on the map as a place of opportunity, stability, and civic ambition.
His son, Houston Latimer Whiteside, inherited not only his father’s name but his sense of duty. Though he first imagined a legal career, he instead entered West Point, where he befriended future military giants like Omar Bradley and George S. Patton. He served stateside during World War I, resigned, traveled, worked briefly in New York, and ultimately returned home; disenchanted with big-city life and committed to Hutchinson’s steadier rhythms.
Houston L. Whiteside never sought public office, claiming no talent for public speaking, but he became a trusted business figure and confidant to leading families such as the Careys and Meyers. He served again during World War II, then spent his later years traveling widely.
His most lasting contribution, however, was his unwavering belief in preserving Reno County’s story. Whiteside often spoke about the responsibility communities have to remember themselves, and he feared that Hutchinson’s past might fade without intentional care. Though he considered supporting statewide preservation efforts, he ultimately chose to champion local history at home. Encouraged by his friend and fellow historian Nation Meyer, he committed himself to strengthening the Reno County Historical Society, ensuring that the legacy his father helped build would be safeguarded for generations. The elder Whiteside helped build the town; the younger ensured its story would endure.
Bronwyn Page is the director of operations at the Reno County Museum. She can be reached at bronwyn@renocomuseum.org.