Kassabaum, Charles Henry (1857-1930)

Copyright 2011-2025 John N. Lupia, III

Fig. 1. Photo portrait of Charles Henry Kassabaum (1857-1930) with his son George Alexander Kassabaum (1896-1970).

Charles Henry Kassabuam (1857-1930) was born on December 15, 1857, at York, Pennsylvania, son of Christian Heinrich Kassabaum (1832-1921) and Mary Catherine Getting (1838-1904), both immigrants from Germany. The surname is a northern German dialect for Kirschbaum meaning a cherry tree. In 1860 his family moved to Jackson, Illinois. 

In the 1885 Atchinson City Directory [Kansas] lists him as an artist living at 321 9th Street..

From 1888-1913 he owned an art store in Atchison, Kansas and did picture framing. As a professional artist he specialized in portrait painting. 

On September 4, 1894 he married Minnie Orella Small (1864-1929) at Tazewell, Illinois. A little over a year later they realized Minnie was expecting and  Kassabuam consigned his coin collection to the Chapman Brothers for a sale in February 1896. Their son George was born six months later.

Kassabaum consigned his 109 lots of his coins, medals, paper money collection to S. H. & H. Chapman sale on February 18, 1896, comprising  lots 722 to 831.

The 1900 Census lists him as an artist by profession but was an art instructor at Midland College, Atchinson, Kansas. He had been on faculty since 1898.

Susan V. Craig, Biographical Dictionary of Kansas Artists (Active Before 1945) (2009) on page 200 reports :

"Among the many portraits painted by Kassabaum was one of Vice President Charles Curtis, presented to Mr. Curtis by an Atchison Republican delegation at the time of his nomination in 1928. He also painted a portrait of  Al Smith which the Atchison Democrats gave to the Democratic presidential nominee in St. Louis shortly after his nomination."

In June 1929 he closed his art studio and gallery retiring from the career as a painter and moved in with his son George in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the following month. He lived there for his last year and three months of earthly living.

Charles H. Kassabaum died one month before his 73rd birthday on November 15, 1930 at the home of his son George in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and is buried in Mount Vernon Cemetery, Atchison, Kansas.