"William G. Cutler's History of the State of Kansas", online (http://www.kancoll.org/books/cutler/franklin/franklin-co-p9....).

"REV. JAMES P. STEPHENSON, Pastor of the Second Baptist Church, was born in Geauga County, Ohio, June 23, 1845. He took a classical course at Oberlin, Ohio, graduating in 1867, and a three years' course at Rochester Theological Seminary, N. Y., graduating in 1871, and was ordained in December of that year at Paw Paw, Mich., where he had charge of a Baptist Church for seven months, after which he was engaged in mission work in the oil regions of Pennsylvania, then in charge of the First Baptist Church of Warren, Ohio for three years. He came to Ottawa in July, 1877, and at once entered upon his duties as Pastor of the Second Baptist Church. He is a member of the Executive Board of the State Baptist Convention of Kansas, and a Trustee of the Ottawa University. "