A Standard History of Kansas and Kansans/Biography/William Boast

Nearly forty-five years ago the Boast family came to Shawnee County, Kansas. Mr. William Boast, who now lives retired in Topeka, had a long and active career in general farming and stock raising, and by industry and good foresight he accumulated 480 acres in Menoken Township of Shawnee County. He retired from active farm work in 1901, and later sold his old homestead and reinvested in a quarter section of land six miles north of North Topeka on the Rochester Road. He also owns 270 acres of fine Missouri land six miles north of Kansas City.

Mr. Boast is a member of an English-Canadian family. He was born in Richmond County of the Province of Quebec in 1854. His grandfather, Joseph Boast, was born in Yorkshire, England, and came to Canada in very early days. William Boast, Sr., who was born in Montreal, Canada, in 1821, brought his family to Kansas in 1872 and located in Shawnee County. For many years he was a prominent resident of Menoken Township, where he died in 1899 at the age of seventy-eight years, six months. He was a man of more than ordinary ability, and his public spirited citizenship was on a par with his success as a business man. William Boast, Sr., married Anna Scott of the Province of Quebec. Her father, George Scott, was a successful farmer. To their marriage were born ten children, five sons and five daughters. Those now living are William, Jr., Anna and Edward. The daughter Anna is Mrs. Clinton Antrim and lives at 1269 North Kansas Avenue in Topeka. The son Edward is a farmer and lives near Elmont.

William Boast, Jr., was eighteen years of age when the family came to Shawnee County, Kansas. In the meantime he had received a substantial education and was ready to take up the serious responsibilities of life. He lived with his father in Menoken Township ten miles north of Topeka and afterwards went on a farm of his own, and with what success his activities as a farmer were carried on has already been noted.

In 1880 Mr. Boast married Miss Lulabell Coleman. Her father, A. M. Coleman, came from Indiana to Kansas in 1871 and was one of the early farmers of Menoken Township. Mr. and Mrs. Boast are the parents of three sons and one daughter, C. W., R. A., G. A. and Hazel Ann. The son C. W. is now a mail carrier in Topeka and lives in Highland Park. R. A. resides with his father at 909 North Jackson Street. G. A. is proprietor of a feed yard in Kansas City, Missouri. Hazel Ann recently completed her studies in the Topeka High School.