'W
YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
3 9002 05350 7159
History of Adair County
— BY
E. M. VIOLETTE
Professor of History, State Normal School,
Kirksville, Mo.
TOGETHER WITH
Reminiscenses and Biographical Sketches
Edited by C. N. TOLMAN
Photos by W. M. DENSLOW
PUBLISHED BY
The Denslow History Company
19 11
0. N. ToLMAN, Pres. W. M. Dbnslow, Sec. W. S. Vawtkb, Tbeas.
JOURNAL PRINTING COMPANY
KIRKSVtLLE, MISSOURI
Cp3b Lb
To THE
Memory of the
Early Pioneers of Adair County
This Work is Dedicated
BY the Author
Preface
As the title of this work suggests, the responsibility for its contents
is divided. For Part First I alone am responsible; for the other parts,
I am in no wise responsible, as they were composed and edited by other
hands. When asked by the Denslow History Company a year and a half
ago to write an historical sketch of Adair County, I thought I appreci
ated somewhat the nature of the task, and consented to do it only after
giving the matter some consideration. But I did not think it would
entail as much labor as it actually has. 1 undertook it with the avowed
intention of doing my best to make the History of Adair County some
what different from the ordinary county histories. To do that meant
a great deal of investigation which may never appear to the general
reader as having ever been made. While carrying on some of my in
vestigations I was frequently advised by different ones not to spend
so much time upon them, and I was frequently told that the only read
ers of the book would be those whose biographical sketches constitute
the last part and that they would be interested only in their own biog
raphies. It may be that the historical part will attract very few, but
whether that be the case or not, I have the personal satisfaction of hav
ing endeavored to do the work thoroughly all the way through.
No claim is hereby made to infallibility. I am more fully aware
of the defects than any critic may ever point out. Since my part of
the work has gotten into print, I have discovered some errors and have
greatly regretted I had made them. I have done all I could under the
circumstances to correct them by mentioning them in the page of er
rata on page 1169. Other errors may be found by those who chance to
read this book. I shall consider it a great favor if readers will point
these errors out to me as they discover them. I have found the pre'p-
aration of this sketch interesting though at times laborious, and I shall
always be glad of an opportunity of discovering any mistake I have made.
I anticipate that more exceptions will be taken to the chajDters
on Early Settlements and on the Civil War thaii any others. Time
was not sufficient to enable me to investigate the early settlements as
I would have liked to do. I had therefore to make the chapter on that
subject briefer than I think it ought to be. I have possibly committed
a great offense against a good many people in not including the names
vt The History of Adair County.
of certain persons among those who are named as having come to this
county as the first white settlers. I found it very risky to accept the
claims made by many people that their ancestors were the first to do
this, that, or the other. To my great surprise and amusement, I have
come across the names of five or six people who have it claimed for them
that each one was the first white child born in Kirksville, and of these,
some were born almost five years after the town was laid out. Because
of the great uncertainty of family traditions, I have been compelled to
reject many of them. Of those accepted, there is no assurance that they
are all trustworthy.
Since there are no footnotes to indicate the sources from which I
have drawn my information, it may not be out of place for me to indi
cate here briefly some of the more important sources that have been
used. The official records of the county and of the incorporated towns
and villages have been extensively used. Unfortunately the records
of the county and of Kirksville prior to 1865 are very meagre because of
the burning of the court house in that year. There are many facts
that one would like to know concerning both the county and the town
that can never be known because the records are gone forever. How
ever, the records in the office of the Secretary of State at Jefferson City
were made to yield up some of the facts that had been recorded in the rec
ords that had been burned in the court house in 1865. The published
reports of the various state officials and bureaus, such as the Auditor,
Superintendent of Public Schools, Bureau of Labor, and Bureau of
Mining, were frequently invaluable sources of information. The chap
ter on the Civil War was written largely from the War Records of the
United States Government and from Dr. Joseph A. Mudd's recent book,
entitled "With Porter in North Missouri." Of course, participants
and witnesses were consulted as they were to be found. The account
of the "Big Neck War" in 1829 was written from contemporaneous
sources which were found in the files of the Missouri Intelligencer and
Boon's Lick Advertiser for that year. The newspapers of Adair County
have been thoroughly gleaned, and as there is an almost complete file
reaching back to 1870, the county's history for the last forty years is
very easily followed. In addition to the home papers, the early news
papers of Macon and of Palmyra were gleaned, and some scattered ma
terial gathered therefrom. For example, all that has been given con
cerning the contest over the creation of the group of new counties in
1841, of which Adair County was one, was found in the Palmyra Whig
for that year. The old county history published in 1888 was occ9,sion-
ally used, but generally just for the suggestions that it offered. If any
Preface. vii
matter drawn from it was of vital importance, no statement was taken
unless verified by some more reliable source of information. Personal
interviews with "old timers" have been held as opportunity would offer,
but due caution has always been exercised in taking what has been
gathered in this way. The memory of these interesting people is often
treacherous, and their imagination frequently shows evidence of incredible
activity. The institutional method of treatment has been followed. It would
have been much easier to have made a kind of chronicle out of the work
and given in a straight narrative the events as they occurred from year
to year. But the more difficult method of tracing the history of insti
tutions or movements was preferred, as this shows more nearly the life
of the people than the other.
I cannot close this preface without some mention of the help ren-
dred by a ^Teat number of people in preparing this work. To mention
each one separately would be impossible. But special mention must
be made of Miss Reba Poison of Kirksville, and Col. F. A. Sampson
and Professor Jonas Viles of Columbia. Miss Poison gathered most
of the material for those sections dealing with the Rural Schools and the
Kirksville Schools, and also for the Municipal Organization of Kirks
ville. I am also indebted to the Denslow History Company for the
freedom they have granted me in the preparation of this sketch, and
to the compositing force of the Journal Printing Company for their
patience in handling the copy and proof.
E. M. Violette.
Kirksville, Missouri,
May 31, 1911.
Publishers' Statement
In presenting this History of Adair County to the public, the pub
lishers believe they are putting out a work of which they can be justly
proud. It has taken more than twice as long as was at first antici
pated, but time and labor have only added to its thoroughness, com
pleteness and value, and we trust will be all the more appreciated by
the subscribers and the general public. It has been a stupenduous
undertaking, greater than any of us realized, but we were determined
to make it worthy and as complete as possible, no matter what the
cost, and the time and the labor, it entailed. We feel sure the work is
a monument of its kind, a credit to its publishers, the author and
editors, and to Adair County. Competent critics, who have examined
it, say it is the best thing of its kind ever issued in the West.
Too much cannot be said for Mr. Violette, the author of the His
torical Section. He has, without doubt, made the most careful and
exhaustive research possible in the time allotted to him. For accuracy,
thoroughness and systematic treatment, we believe his part of the work
is unexcelled by any county history anywhere. It was a much greater
task than he realized at the outset, but he did not hesitate nor falter,
laboring all the more assiduously to make it a work of which he might
feel justly proud. The publishers fully appreciate all that he has done,
and trust that the consciousness of a task well done will help to com
pensate him for the labor involved.
The other sections of the work were as carefully and systematically
handled as possible under the circumstances, but errors have crept in,
in spite of the utmost care and vigilance. Some of them are corrected
under "Errata" in the back part of this volume.
We believe we have every reason to feel proud of the illustrations
used in this work. The cuts, made by the Quincy Photo Engraving Co.,
are high-class and unusually artistic. The credit for the character of
illustrations is due almost entirely to W. M. Denslow, proprietor of the
Grand Studio and Secretary of the Company. While some few pictures
have been made by others, he has had entire charge of this part of the
work. The illustrations themselves tell most clearly how well he has
accomplished his task. It has entailed a vast amount of labor, as well
as artistic skill and knowledge.
X The History of Adair County.
The press work is unusually excellent and reflects great credit on
the Journal Printing Co., from whose well equipped plant this work is
issued. We desire to express our thanks to all who have assisted us in anj'^
way in the preparation and marketing of this work. So many have
aided us that space will not permit them to be named here, but it is not
inappropriate to mention a few who have lost no opportunity to give us
needed assistance. To the writers of the reminiscences; W. T. Baird,
P. F. Greenwood, Mrs. Jacob Waddill, Mrs. Otis Miller, T. J. Dockery
and Geo. W. Cain, we feel deeply grateful. Their articles form one of
the most interesting parts of this work. They bring before us vivid
pictures of scenes most of us have never known; glimpses of a fast
fading frontier. To the writers of the excellent articles on the "Great
Men," W. T. Baird, Mrs. G. A. Goben, John R. Kirk and others, we
extend our sincere thanks.
To Daniel and Jacob Novinger, H. C. Worman, G. B. Easley, E. B.
Campbell, B. F. Heiny and others who assisted us in countless ways,
we express our sincere appreciation. To the members of the force of
the Journal Printing Co., for their care and patience in handling copy
and proof, as well as for their uniform courtesy, we are more than
grateful. In closing, we desire to commend this work to our subscribers and
to discriminating lovers of history, feeling sure that we have done better
than we anticipated and more than we promised.
The Denslow History Co.
Kirksville, Mo., Sept. 25, 1911.
Table of Contents
PART I.
CHAPTER I.
Indian Mounds 3_,3
Indian Hunting Grounds. — Indian Mounds. — Exploring Expeditions. — Indian
Collections. CHAPTER II.
Early Settlements 6-17
Indian Treaties. — Early Settlements in Missouri. — "The Cabins," The P'irst Set
tlement in Adair County, 1828.— "Big Neck War," 1829. — Restoration of "The
Cabins," 1830.— Ft. Madison and Ft. Clark.— Settlers between 1831 and 1840.
— Claims of Early Settlers. — Pioneer Life and Conditions. — Places from which
Early Settlers came. CHAPTER III.
The Growth of the County 18-23
Census of Population, 1850-1910. — Land Entries. — Assessed Valuations, 1844-
1910. — Land Values. — Causes of Growth.
CHAPTER IV.
The Creation of the County 24-39
Organization of Missouri Counties, 1805-41. — Iowa and Missouri Boundary
Dispute. — Act of 1841 creating Adair County: Provisions of the Original Bill;
Opposition to the Bill; Passage of Amended Bill. — Hon. John Adair of Ken
tucky. — Boundaries of Adair County. — Selection of County Seat. — County
Seal. — The Five Townships of the County in 1845. — Creation of Other Town
ships, 184.5-1898. — Naming of the Townships.
CHAPTER V.
County Organization 40-67
Section I. — County Officers. First Officers. — Changes in the Organization
of the County Court, 1841-1877. — Changes in other County Offices, 1841-
1905.— List of County Officers, 1841-1911.— The John Owenby Case and the "Big
Warrant." — Suspension of E. M. C. Morelook.
Section II. — County Buildings. Court House: First Court House; Second
Court House; Burning of Court House, April 12, 1865; Propositions to Vote
Bonds to build a Court House; Laying Cornerstone of Third Court House. —
Jail: Early Jails; Propositions to vote Bonds to build a Jail. — Almshouse.
Section III. — Bonded Indebtedness. Railroad Bonds. — Normal School
Bonds. — Court House Bonds. — Jail Bonds.— Liquidation of all Bonds.
CHAPTER VI.
County Politics 68-81
Predominance of Democratic Party in Adair County prior to 1860. — Royalist
and Anti-Royalist Factions in the Democratic Party in Adair County. — Rad
ical and Liberal Factions in Repubhoan Party in Missouri. — Formation of Re-
XII The History of Adair County.
publican Party in Adair County. — Contest between Liberals and Radicals m
Adair County.— Campaign of 1870.— Campaign of 1872 and the Victory of the
Independent County Ticket. — Campaign of 1874 and Victory of People's Party.
—Vote in County on Constitution of 1875.— Campaign of 1876.— Campaign of
1878 and Victory of Greenback-Democratic Ticket. — Campaigns of 1880, 1882,
1884, 1886, and 1888.— Campaign of 1890 and the ^'ictory of the Farmers' Tick-
"jt.- Campaigns of 1892 and of 1894.— Free Silver Campaign of 1896.— Cam
paigns of 1898, 1900 and 1902.— Folk Campaign of 1904.— Campaigns of 1906,
1908, and 1910. — Conclusions concerning County Politics.
CHAPTER VII.
Civil War 82-108
Section I. — Slavery in Ad.vir County. Condition of Slaves in the County.
Section II. — Military Organizations. War Agitation. — "Union Democrat,"
August 23, 1861. — Home Guard Companies. — Skirmish on the Westenhaver
Farm, August 19, 1861. — Twenty-Seventh Infantry, Missouri Volunteers. — Thir
ty-Ninth Infantry, Missouri Volunteers: Massacre of Centralia; Battle of Cen-
tralia. — Fiftieth Regiment, Enrolled Missouri Militia. — Eleventh Regiment Cav
alry, Missouri State Militia. — Twenty-Eighth Missouri State Militia.
Section III. — B.attlb of Kirksville. Military Events in Missouri, January,
'61-March, '62. — Confederate Plans for Recruiting in Missouri after March,
'62. — Movements of Col. Joseph C. Porter in Northeast Missouri prior to the
Battle of Kirksville : Memphis; Vassar's Hill; Florida; Santa Fe; Moore's Mill;
Newark; Kirksville. — Pursuit of Porter by Col. John McNeil. — The Battle. —
The Killed and Wounded. — Execution of Confederate Captives. — Porter's Re
treat and McNeil's Pursuit. — Palmyra Massacre. — Whaley's Mill. — Death of
Porter. — Subsccjuent Career of McNeil. — Significance of the Battle.
CHAPTER VIII.
The Churches 109-150
Section I. — Religious Conditions. Pioneer Preachers. — Camp Meetings
and Revivals. — Church Buildings. — Religious Debates.
Section II. — The Denominations. M. E. Church: Kirksville; Brashear;
Novinger; Connelsville; Sabbath Home; Bethel; Cater Memorial; Bullion. —
M. E. Church, South: Kirksville; Brashear; Trinity. — U. B. Church: Bra-
shear; Gibbs. — Baptist Church (Missionary) : Bear Creek; Kirksville; Novin
ger; Millard. — Baptist Church (Free Will). — Christian Church: Kirksville;
Brashear; Gibbs; Illinois Bend.— C. P. Chuich: Kirksville; Mt. Moriah; Mul
berry; Concord. — Presbyterian Church: Kirksville; Millard. — Episcopalian
Church: Kirksville. — Catholic Churc^h: Adair; Kirksville; Novinger. — Mis
cellaneous Churches: Lutherans; Universalists; Swcdenborgians; Spiritualists;
Salvation Army; Hohness Church — Bible Sociel.v — S. S. Association.
CHAPTER IX.
Fraternal, Patriotic, and Industrial Orders 151-165
Section I. — Fraternal Orders. Masons: Kirksville; Brashear; Novinger.
Odd Fellows: Kirksville; Brasheai-; Novinger. — Knights of Pythias: Kirks
ville; Novinger; Connelsville. — Elks: Kirksville. — A. O. U. W.: Kirksville.
Contents. xiii
Section II. — Patriotic Orders. G. A. R.: Kirksville; Brashear.— Soldiers'
Reunions. — Sons of Veterans. — W. R. C. — U. D. C. — D. A. R. — Graves of Rev
olutionary Soldiers.
Section III. — Industrial Orders. Grange. — Farmers' and Laborers' Union.
— Labor Organizations. CHAPTER X.
The Public Schools 16G-189
Section I. — The Rural Schools. Early School Legislation in Missouri. —
Early School Organization in Adair County. — Township School Funds. — Early
Schools in the County. — Law of 1855 on School Organization. — Supt. Greenwood
on Schools in Salt River and Wilson Townships in the Fifties. — Progress of the
Schools in the County since the Civil War.
Section II. — The Kirksville Schools. Early Schools. — School Buildings. —
Enrollment and Daily Attendance. — Superintendents, 1867-1911. — High School.
Section III. — The Schools op Smaller Towws. Novinger — Brashear. —
Gibbs. — Connelsville. CHAPTER XI.
The Normal School 190-240
Agitation for State Normal Schools in Missouri. — Cumberland Academy. —
Founding of Northeast Missouri Normal School at Kirksville by J. Baldwin. —
Law of 1870 providing for two State Normal Schools. — Adair County votes Bonds
for a State Normal School. — Bid of Adair County for the Location of a State
Normal School at Kirksville. — Location of First District Normal School at Kirks
ville. — Erection of Normal School Buildings. — Model Rural School. — Model
School or Practice School. — President J. Baldwin. — Professor and Mrs. Ferris. —
Professor Nason. — Professor and Mrs. Greenwood. — President Blanton. — Presi
dent Dobson. — President Kirk. — The Faculty. — The Board of Regents. — First
Graduating Class. — Certification of Normal School Graduates. — The Library
and Laboratories. — Student Organizations. — Fortieth Anniversary Celebration,
1 907 . — Statistics . — Summer School . — Appropriations .
CHAPTER XII.
Schools of Osteopathy 241-276
Section I. — The American School of Osteopathy. Dr. A. T. Still: Early
Youth; Shawnee Mission, Kansas; Military Service during Civil War; Discovery
of Osteopathy; The Theory of Osteopathy; Arrival in Kirksville; "Magnetic
Healer" and "Lightning Bone Setter"; Itineraries; First Students in Osteopathy.
— American School of Osteopathy: Incorporation; Early Opposition; First
Graduating Class; Kirksville Bonus; Dedication of A. S. O. Building; Reincorpor
ation; Additions to the Building; Hospital; Consolidation of other Osteopathic
Schools with A. S. 0.; Course of Study; Tuition Fees; Faculty; Graduates;
Student Body; Student Organizations. — Osteopathic Legislation. — American Os
teopathic Association: Session in Kirksville, 1901; Session in Kirksville, 1908;
¦Celebration of the "Old Doctor's" Eightieth Birthday.
Section II. — The Columbian School of Osteopathy. Dr. M. L. Ward. —
Columbian School of Osteopathy: Incorporation; Opening of the School; Dr.
Ward on "True Osteopathy"; Erection of Building; Suspension of School.
XIV The History of Adair County.
CHAPTER XIII.
The County Press 277-286
Benj. Davis, First Printer in the County. — Kirksville Enterprise. — Democrat:
Consolidation with the Kirksville Enterprise; Issue of the "Union Democrat
by the Third Iowa. — Patriot. — Journal: Early Editors; Destruction by Fire;
Incorporation of Journal Printing Company; Equipment. — North Missouri
Tribune. — North Missouri Register: W. B. C. Gillespie. — Kirksville Democrat:
Early Editors; Destruction by Fire; Incorporation of Kirksville Democrat Print
ing Company.— Graphic: W. M. Gill; T, E. Sublette.— Kirksville Daihes:
Daily Journal; Daily Graphic; Daily Express. — Thrice-a-Week Echo. — Bra
shear Papers: Brashear Gazette; Salt River Bugle; Brashear Citizen; Brashear
News. — Novinger Paper: Novinger Record. — Miscellaneous Papers: Pell
Mell Greenbacker; Adair County Farmer.
CHAPTER XIV.
Industries 287-310
Section I. — Agriculture and Stock Raising. Agricultural Yield in 1870 and
1909. — Farm Statistics for 1900. — Stock Raising: Prominent Stock Raisers;
Live Stock Census, 1909. — Poultry Business. — Burk Packing Plant. — Cheese
Factories and Creameries. — Surplus Products of Adair County, 1891-1909. —
Nursery Business.
Section II. — Manufacturing. Grain Milling Industry: Ely Mill; Kirksville
Mills. — Woolen Mills. — Planing Mills. — Wagon and Axe-handle Factories. —
Brick Yards. — Friedman-Shelby Shoe Factory: Activity of Kirksville Business
Men's League in securing the Factory; Erection of Factory. — Railroad Tie In
dustry.Section III. — Coal Mining. Early Coal Mining in the County. — Growth of
the Industry. — The Three Veins. — Statistics compiled from the State Mine In
spector's Reports. — Effect of Coal Industry on the Towns of the County. — Prom
inent Coal Operators.
Section IV. — County Fairs. Adair Count.y Agricultural and Mechanical As
sociation. — Adair County Fair Association. — Efforts to revive the County Fair.
CHAPTER XV.
Transportation Facilities 311-326
Section I. — Stages, Ferries and Bridges. Early Stage Lines and Schedules.
— Ferries and Ferry Rates. — Early Bridges.
Section II. — Railroads. Wabash -Railroad : Incorporation of North Missouri
Railroad; Adair County Bonds for North Missouri Railroad; Completion of the
Road to Kirksville; Early Passenger Service; Change of Name to St. Louis, Kan
sas City and Northern Railroad; Change of Name to Wabash Railroad; Strike
of 1894; Burning of Depots at Kirksville. — "O. K." Railroad: Agitation for a
Railroad west from Quincy; Adair County and Benton Township Bonds for
Quincy, Missouri and Pacific Railroad; Completion of the Road to Kirksville;
The Depot at Kirksville; Extention of the Road westward. — Change in the Name.
— Santa Fe Railroad: Efforts to get the Road through Kirksville; Founding of
Gibbs. — Iowa and St. Louis Railroad: Incorporation; Laying of Track from
Connelsville to Centreville; Controversy with the "O. K." Railroad; Rebuilding
of the Road. — Proposed Lines. — Railroad Wrecks.
Contents. xv
CHAPTER XVI.
The Banks 327-341
Deposits in Banks of County, Nov. 10, 1910.— Kirksville Branch of Bank of St.
Louis. — The Baird Bank: Organization by Porter and Stebbins; W. T. Baird;
Change in Name; Fire; Robbery. — Savings Bank: R. M. Ringo; Robbery. —
— National Bank: Oiganization of Union Bank; Change to National Bank. —
Citizens National Bank: Organization as Citizens Bank; Purchase of Baird
National Bank. — Trust Company. — Brashear Banks: State Bank of Brashear;
Brashear Banking Companj'. — Novinger Banks: Novinger Bank; Union Bank
of Novinger. — Connelsville Banks: Bank of Connelsville; Adair County Min
ers Bank. — Bank of Gibbs. — Building and Loan Associations.
CHAPTER XVII.
Kirksville 342-404
Early Settlers. — Growth in Population. — Municipal Organization: Location
of County Seat; Original Town; Naming of Town; Incorporation in 1857; Sus
pension of Town Government during the War; Reorganization in 1866; Charter
of 1873; City of the Fourth Class, 1886; City of the Third Class, 1893; Chair
men of Board of Trustees, 1866-1872; Mayors, 1873-1911.— Bonded Indebted
ness. — Dramshop Ordinances: Ordinance of 1866; Ordinance of 1873; Aboli
tion of Saloons in 1879, 1887, 1895, and 1907; W. C. T. U. and Good Templars.—
Public Utilities: Water Works; Electric Light Company; Gas Company; Tel
ephone Company; Sewer System. — Street Paving. — Post Office: Postmasters,
1842-1911; Post Office Building; Mail Facilities. — Cemeteries. — Business Firms
in 1866-67; in 1876; in 1886; in 1911.— Hotels.— Shryack-Thom Grocery
Company.— Storms: Storms of 1866, 1872, and 1879; Cyclone of April 27, 1899;
Floods; Snow Storms; Sleets. — Contributions from Kirksville to Sufferers Else
where. — Fires, 1865-1911. Business Colleges: Kirksville Mercantile College;
Burke's Business College. — State Teachers' Association. — Wagner Conservatory.
— Literary Societies: Early Societies; Sojourners. — Public Amusements. — Old
Settlers' Reunions. — Missouri National Guards. — Business Men's Associations.
— Mexican War Veteran's League. — Spanish-American War. — Medical Profes
sion. — Adair County Bar. CHAPTER XVIII.
The Other Towns of the County 405-424
Section I. — Brashear. Paulville. — Founding of Brashear. — Passing of Paul-
ville. — Incorporation of Brashear. — Chairmen of Board of Trustees, 1897-1910,
and Postmasters, 1872-1910. — Brashear Academy.
Section II. — Nineveh. Dr. William Keil: Early Religious Experiences;
Founding of the Communistic Colony at Bethel; Life at Bethel. — Founding of
Colony at Nineveh. — Life at Nineveh. — Dissolution of the Colony. — Members of
the Colony.
Section III. — Connelsville. Missouri and Iowa Townsite Company. — Incor
poration.
Sbckion IV. — Novinger. Founding of the Town. — Railroad Tie Industry.—
Coal Industry. — Incorporation. — Mayors and Postmasters.
Seetion V. — Gibbs. Founding Of the Town. — Incorporation.
XVI The History of Adair County.
Section VI. — Unincorporated Villages. Stahl. — Shibley's Point. — Adair.
Wilmathsville. — Sublette. — Millard. — Danforth. — Youngstown. — Nind. —
Yarrow. — Wilsontown. CHAPTER XIX.
In Memoriam 42.5-439
J. R. Adkins.— H. J. Bailey.— Andrew Beaty.— B. W. Bell.— B. A. Bozarth.—
J. M. Bozarth.— W. G. Brashear.— Guy Chandler.— Robert Clark.— D, J. Clark-
son.— A. K. Collett.— Edwin Darrow.— J. M. DeFrance.— J. T, Dennis.— I. B.
Dodson.— Henry Eokert, Sr.— Andrew Ellison.— D. A. Ely, Sr.— J. S. Erwin.—
W. L. Fletcher.— John R. Floyd.— Peyton Foster.— W. M. Gill.— A. E. Hamil
ton.— C. W. Hardin.— M. P. Hannah.— J. L. Hawkins.— A. H. John.— G. H.
Laughlin.— A. H. Linder.— W. P. Linder.— S. M. Link.— D. F. McClay.— Wm.
Meeks.— J. B. Mitchell.— E. M. C. Morelock.— Noah Motter.— John R. Musick.
— W. P. Nason.— J, I. Nelson.— David Newcomb.— G. W. Novinger.— Hiram
Novinger.— Isaac Novinger. — John C. Novinger. — J. T. Paden. — W. H. Parcells.
— Chas. Patterson.— H. E. Patterson.— John Patterson.— Walker Paul.— D. C.
Pierce. E. L. Pierce.— W. T. Parker.— Gideon Riohey.— R. M. Ringo.— Wm.
Ringo.— E. B. Seitz.— Jacob Shoop.— P. D. Shoop.— W. H. Sheeks.— John T.
Smith.— Noah Stukey.— J. T. Vaughn.— A. L. Woods.
PART II.
Reminiscences 443-460
Geo. W. Cain.— William T. Baird.— Mrs. Jacob F. Waddill.— Mrs. Otis Miller.
— Peyton F. Greenwood. — Thomas J. Docker}',
PART III.
Great Men of the County 463-474
John Roy Musick, by Mrs. G. A. Goben. — Judge Andrew Ellison, by William T.
Baird. — Judge James Elhson. — Superintendent J. M. Greenwood, by John R.
Kirk. — John R. Kirk. — Dr. Andrew Taylor Still. — Judge George W. Wanamaker.
PART IV.
Biographical Sketches 477-1168
Errata 1169
Index 1170-1188
PART I
History of Adair County
CHAPTER I.
INDIAN MOUNDS.
Adair County was evidently a favorite hunting ground for the
Indians at one time. The many Indian remains that have been found
in the county would be sufficient testimony to establish the fact, but
that testimony is strengthened by the stories that have come down from
the first white settlers about the visits that the Indians were accus
tomed to make to this region after they had yielded up their claims to
it and had gone farther north into Iowa. Sometimes they came with
the evident intention of staying, and menaced the safety of the white
settlers. This led to encounters between the Indians and whites, the
most noted of which was the battle of "The Cabins," or the "Big Neck
War," which occurred in July, 1829, and which will be related at length
in the next chapter. How long the Indians had hved here when the
whites came is not known, but the probabilities are they had been here
a very long time.
The remains that have been found were picked up on the ground
along the Chariton River or dug out of mounds in the same region. The
mounds are mostly on the east side of the river, and are estimated at
about three hundred in number. They were always built on high
ground, either on hills or ridges, and were circular in shape. They are
from ten to thirty feet in diameter, and are at present from two to five
feet high in the center. It appears from those in the best state of pre
servation that they were originally banked up rather high at the cir
cumference with a slight slope upwards to the center.
That some of these mounds were used for burial purposes is well
established by the fact that human remains have been found in them.
Very few bones have been found, however, in a good state of preserva
tion. As soon as they were uncovered they generally crumbled into
dust. The teeth were usually in a better state of preservation than
the bones. In the center and at the bottom of one these mounds situated in
section 13, township 61, range 16, about two miles east of Yarrow on
Sugar Creek; there was found a rock grave. Slabs of rock had been
laid on the ground and on them a body had been placed; then other
slabs had been set up on edge along the sides and at the head and feet;
4 History of Adair County.
and then across these upright slabs others had been placed, so that the
body was fairly well enclosed. On top of the grave the dirt had been
piled up several feet. -Considerable skill had been used in constructing
it. This grave was opened by Mr. T. J. Dockery, of Kirksville, sev
eral years ago.
In other mounds that have been opened bodies have been found
which had been laid between layers of loose rock, while in others the
bodies were apparently covered over with dirt and without any such pro
tection. In one or two mounds were found a great lot of burnt rocks,
and it has been supposed that the remains of the persons buried in these
mounds were first cremated and their ashes covered over.
Besides these human remains there have been found all kinds of
stone implements and weapons. Axes, large and small, arrowheads,
spear points, knives, and the like have been found. Pieces of pottery
and pipes have also been taken out. One of the most interesting things
found is a smooth black stone, oval in shape, about a quarter of an inch
thick, about five inches long and an inch and a half wide. Along the
edge notches are cut. It is conjectured that this was a kind of record.
Probably some Indian passed a string through the two holes that had
been bored through it near the end and hung it about his neck, and as
he shot down game lie would keep a record of it bj^ notching this stone.
The stone was found by Mr. T. J. Dockery in the mound which contained
the rock grave mentioned above.
At various times expeditions have been formed among the citi
zens of Kirksville to excavate some of these mounds. The earliest one
of which anything is known was made in July, 1877. The party con
sisted of Sam'l Reed, R. M. Ringo, John Harlan, B. F. Heiny, H. W.
Snyder, Robert Clark, Henry Eckert, A. Wolf, Dan Draper, Wm. Iler-
ron, W. C. B. Gillespie, W. T. Baird, and W. P. Nason. This party
excavated two mounds on the farm of A. K. Collett, six miles west of
Kirksville, and found remains Of two Indians far below the surface
between the layers of loose stone. The bones that were found were
brought to Kirksville and placed on exhibition at Hope's Drug Store.
That these bones are not those of white persons is supported by the fact
that the first white settlement in the county was made in the immediate
vicinity of these mounds, and no tradition has come down of any whites
being buried at these places.
Other expeditions have been made since then, especially in the earlv
eighties. Prof. W. J. Smith of the Kirksville Business College, and T.
J. Dockery made frequent trips, and Prof. C. E. Ross, formerly of the
State Normal School at Kirksville, organized several expeditions.
Indian Mounds. 5
Many relics have been found lying on the ground and some have
been turned up in plowing.
Several collections of relics picked up in the county were made by
different persons. The most noted collections were those of B. W.
Sands, T. J. Dockery, W. J. Smith, C. E. Ross, and Geo. W. Cain. The
Sands collection is probably the largest that was ever made of relics
found in this county. In June, 1886, Prof. Smith arranged an Indian
Exhibition in his Business College, and brought together all the Indian
relics he could get, and to add greater interest he had brought up from
the Indian Territory a number of Cherokee Indians who appeared in
their native costumes and gave certain exhibitions. The event proved
to be one of extraordinary interest.
CHAPTER II.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
Whatever claims the Indians had to lands lying within what is
now Adair County, wove extinguished before any attempt was made
by the whites to settle here. The Sacs and Foxes seem to have had the
host Indian claims to tovvitovy in which Adair County is situated. In
1804 they ceded to ihv United States all lands between tli(> Missouri
and Mississippi Ri^'ers and a lino from the moutli of the Gasconade
River to a point on the Jeifreon River (Salt River) thirty miles from
its mouth do\\'n to the Mississippi. The cession nuule liy tiiis treaty,
however, did not include what is now Adair County. In 1808 a tveaty
was made with the Osagos whereb>' it was agreed that the boundary'
between them and the whites should liogiu at Ft. C^lark, a fort on the
Missouri thirty-five miles below the mouth of the Kansas, and extend
due south to the Arkansas River, thence down the same to the Miss
issippi. In this same treaty it was provided that all huuls north of the
Missouri to which the Osages had claims wore likewise oedod, but this
seems to have been more of a formality tlian anything else.
AVhen the first counties of the territory of Missouri were organized
in 1813, St. Charles County M-as mailo to consist of the territory coded
by the Sacs and Foxes in 1804, with the proviso that if the Indian titles
should be extinguished to lands lying noi-th and west of this country,
the Governor might add such lands to it by proclamation. In 1815
Governor Clark issued a proclamation declaring that the Osage claims
which had been ceded in 1808, extended 1-10 miles north of the Kansas
River, east to the Ottata River, and thonoo south to the Missouri River
where the Gasconade empties into it, and that all other I'laims win-e
unfounded; he further declared that all this territory- was therelDy an
nexed to St. Charles County, and based his action upon the law passed
l)y the Territorial Legislature in 1S13 which organized Umt county.
'Jlio territory thus declared to be annexed to St. Cliarles (\nmtv in
cluded what is now Adair County, but there is some (luestion as to the
authority of the Governor in making his proclamation. If he had no
authority to do so, then the Indian title to the territory which included
the present Adair County, was not extinguished until the treaty made
with the Sacs and Foxes in 1824. In this treaty tliese Indians sur-
Early Settlements. 7
rendered all remaining claims that they had in Missouri, and this sur
render clearly included the present County of Adair.
As has been said, there is no record or tradition of any white set
tlers coming to what is now Adair County until after the Indian titles
were extinguished. There seems to be no record of either the French
or the Spanish in Missouri coming up the Chariton River this far, though
it is not altogether improbable that some of them may have done so.
Perhaps American hunters and trappers may have come in advance of
the first settlers, but of them we have no record.
The first attempt at settlement by the whites in this county was not
made until 1828, twenty-five years after the Louisiana purchase, and
three years after the extinction of the above mentioned Indian title. The
earliest white settlements in Missouri had been made along the Miss
issippi by the French, the first being Ste. Genevieve in 1735, if not a
little earlier. By the time the United States acquired the Louisiana
territory from France, a dozen or more settlements had been estab
lished in the State, chiefly along the Mississippi from St. Louis to New
Madrid. In addition to these Mississippi settlements there was at
least one on the Missouri, that is St. Charles, but it was so close to the
Mississippi that it might well be included in the group of settlements
along that river. The population of these settlements in 1803 was
between six and seven thousand. From 1803 to 1828 the movement
of population into the interior of the state had been along the Missouri
chiefly. Nearly all the new counties that had been formed between
1813, when the first were established, and 1828 were along that river.
The population of the state in 1830 was 140,455, fully one-half of which
belonged to the Missouri River counties. It was from these settlements
along the Missouri River that many moved into the northern and
southern parts of the state, and became thus the earliest pioneers
of these sections. We are therefore prepared to find that the early
settlers in Adair County came largely from tlie Missouri River counties
directly to the south, chiefly Howard County.
It was in 1828 that a band of sturdy pioneers came from Howard
County to dwell in what is now Adair Cormty, a region which was as
yet very much as nature had made it. James Myers, Isaac Gross,
Stephen Gross, Nathan Richardson, Reuben Myrtle and Jacob Gupp
are, according to traditions, the men who composed this first band of
settlers. It seems that Gupp was the only unmarried member. These
men decided to locate on the east side of the Chariton about six miles
west of what is now Kirksville, and tradition has it that they proceeded
to build three cabins, one of which stood just in front of the present
r '
'Trt 1* Mil I ^ *f (
y^^r-; „
Residence op George W. Cain (Six miles west of Kirksville)
Just in front of this house stood one of the three cabins built in 1828 by the first white settlers in this county.
Early Settlements. 9
house of George W. Cain, another on the present farm of Chas. Brawner
a mile or two away from the first, and another on the old Stinson place
which was equally distant in another direction. This settlement be
came known as "The Cabins." The nearest neighbor to this band of
new comers was Jos. Loe, thirty or more miles to the south in what is
now Macon County.
In the next year after this settlement was made, it was suddenly
broken up by what is popularly known locally as the "Big Neck War."
Some attention must be given to this episode, as it reveals something of
the difficulties which pioneers had to encounter, and its story has become
one of the historic traditions of the county. The difficulty in relating
this story exactly is great because the accounts found in the newspapers
long after the event are often contradictory, and no doubt much in
these accounts is fictional.
Upon the extinction of the title of the Indians to the lands in North
Missouri, the Sacs, the Foxes, and the lowas moved into what is now
Iowa. During the following three or four years they were accustomed
to come back to their old hunting grounds in Missouri, and one of these
favorite resorts was the region of the Chariton where deer, elk and fish
were plentiful. Among those who longed for the Chariton was Che
Quesa or Big Neck, a sub-chief of a band of sixty or seventy Iowa In
dians. He had from the first been dissatisfied with the treaty which
had extinguished the Indian titles, and finally he and his band came
back in 1829 to their hunting grounds on the Chariton with the avowed
intention of living in the community permanently.
In coming down the Chariton they reached, some time in the last
of June, the cabins of the white folk who had come to what is now
Adair County in the year previous. Trouble ensued almost immedi
ately. Some hogs which belonged to the whites were killed Ijy the dogs
of the Indians and the meat was appropriated by the Indians. x\ dep
utation of the whites went the next day to the Indians in their camp and
protested against their presence in the state and demanded that they
should pay for the slain hogs and that they should leave. Old Big Neck
replied in broken English that they had not signed a treaty and that
they had come back to live and that they would fight for the land if nec
essary. This hostile attitude caused the handful of whites to reconsid
er their demands, and they decided to send back to the settlements in
Randolph County for assistance against the Indians.
On reaching the settlements in Randolph County the fugitives
spread the alarm and very shortly a band of twenty-six men under
Capt. Trammell was on its way to The Cabins. Before they set out
10 History of Adair County.
word was sent to the Howard County settlers to acquaint the state au
thorities with the situation in the upper country. In reaching The
Cabins the company found that the Indians had retreated farther up
the Chariton, and it was decided to follow them. About ten miles
farther up the river they found the Indians encamped on the east bank,
northeast of what is now Connelsville. The Indians showed bad tem
per from the first by sending their squaws and children out of the camp
and refusing to send out an interpreter. The whites attempted to con
vince the Indians that they were friendly, but when they asked the
Indians to give up their arms this was too much. One Indian cocked
his gun and pointed it towards a Mr. Myers, whereupon the Indian was
shot dead by Myers' son. In a moment the battle was on, and though
it lasted but a short time, the struggle was a fierce one. The probable
date of this battle was July 17, 1829.
Three white men were killed; they were John Myers, James Winn
and Powell Owenby. Owenby was shot dead in the Indian camp.
Winn and Myers were at first merely wounded and attempted to es
cape. Myers was taken up on a horse behind another man, but the horse
was shot from under them and Myers was left on the ground to the mer
cies of the Indians. The killed were all scalped, and it appears from
the remains of Winn that he was burned after he had been captured.
The bodies of Myers and Owenby, however, showed no signs of their
having been burned. Four whites were wounded; they were Capt.
Trammell, James Myers, John W. Myers and John Asbell. Capt.
Trammell died from the effects of his wound after he reached his home in
Randolph County. At least three Indians were killed. How many
were wounded is not known.
The news of this engagement spread rapidly through the counties
along the Missouri, and companies of soldiers from Howard, Boone,
Chariton and Randolph hastened towards the scene of trouble. The
story grew as it passed from mouth to mouth until it was thought that
1500 Indians Avere on their way south to the river. Gov. John Miller
sent in a call for some U. S. troops which were stationed at St. Louis,
and dispatched Gen. LB. Owen with a force of about 200 men with
orders to put down the Indians and restore order. When Owen got to
the scene of trouble he found everything quiet, inasmuch as the Indians.
had withdrawn to Iowa. The other troops that came on from the other
counties found nothing for them to do and therefore retired soon. The
Governor ordered Owen to detail about one hundred men to remain
in the region to protect the settlers from further attack, and if necessary
to retain his force there until he could feel sure that there was no more
danger.
Early Settlements. H
The men who had established the settlement of "The Cabins" the
year before this encounter with the Indians, decided it would be best
for them to abandon their claims for the time at least, and so departed
immediately after the battle for Randolph County Avith the company
that had come up under Capt. Trammell.
Tradition has it that in the spring of 1830 the settlement of "The
C'abins" was restored, but tradition cannot be trusted for a correct list
of the settlers who came in that year. Of the dozen or more persons
who have been said to have come in 1830, the writer is able to name only
three whose claim to this honor has not been questioned in one way or
another. They are John Cain, Andrew Bozarth, and Isaac Parton.
Mr. Cain was the father of Geo. W. Cain, who has lived all his life on
the family estate six miles west of Kirksville. There were undoubtedly
others who came in 1830, but they cannot be named in any confidence.
Among the traditions of the Cain family of this county is one ac
cording to which John Cain, the one mentioned above, bought out the
claims of the Myers family that had ifled the country the year before,
for a pair of shoe leathers. From this one might conclude that either
land was very, very cheap at that time, or that shoe uppers were very
expensive. There is another tradition in this family to the effect that
John Cain and Daniel Boone came from Kentucky to Missouri together
and that after they had lived in Howard County they came into what is
now Adair County. There is nothing at all to support that part of the
tradition that brings Boone into Adair County. He died in 1820 at
the age of eighty or more, and John Cain did not come to Adair County
until 1830.
Between 1830 and 1840 settlements were made in most all of the
present townships of the county, but before following that subject any
further, our attention will be directed briefly towards the last Indian
flurry in the county.
The Black Hawk War which broke out in the summer of 1832,
called attention again to the dangerous situation in which the settlers
in northern and northeastern Missouri were placed. A military force
was sent to what is now Adair County under Capt. Richard Madison
of Ralls County, and a fort was built in the northern part of what is
now Polk Township, about eight miles east of the Chariton and a quar
ter of a mile north of Salt River. This fort was called Ft. Madison,
after the Captain of the company that erected it. It consisted of a
block house enclosed by a palisade. A separate log building was used
for a magazine and the storage of supplies, and brush sheds were built
for the horses. When it was found that there was no danger threat-
12 History of Adair County.
ening, this fort was abandoned and the company occupying it was sent
home to Ralls County.
Later in the summer of 1832 a considerable military force under
General John B. Clark, of Howard County, was sent up the Chariton
to reconnoitre the situation. It is believed that General Clark crossed
the Iowa boundary fine in quest of information; but finding no signs of
Indian disturbances he turned southward, and stopping at what is now
the Collett farm, he built a fort which bore his name. This fort was a
three-cornered affair, built out of split oak logs which were arranged
so that the upper ends were sharpened like pickets and the lower ends
placed in the ground about three feet. Block houses were built at each
corner of the fort with port holes through which the soldiers could shoot.
After the garrison left this fort the Indians are said to have frequent
ly visited the growing settlements along the Chariton between 1835
and 1845. As far as is known they offered no violence to the whites,
though they are said to have frequently killed their hogs. After 1845
there seems to be no account of the Indians coming any more as visitors.
Remains of these two forts existed down to a very late time. The
Collett family is said to have used the block house of Ft. Clark for a
stable for a long while, and until recently the outline of the earthworks
of Ft. Madison were plainly discernible.
The author has made a special effort to find out who the permanent
settlers were during the decade from 1830 to 1840, where they came from
and in what part of the county they settled, but the results have not
been at all satisfactory. The various so-called historical sketches of
pioneer days which have appeared in the county newspapers from time
to time and in the old county history published in 1888, are very contra
dictory on the early settlers and are much in error, so that little depend
ence can be put upon them. The subject is yet to be marked out sat
isfactorily, but it will be done only after long investigation and a care
ful sifting of the evidence acquired.
All that be safely said is that from 1831 to 1840 the following named
persons are known to have settled in what is now Adair County : Frank
Adkins, James A. Adkins, Hiram Bozarth, Washington Conner, Lewis
Conner, Wm. Cohett, A. K. Collett, Thomas Clifton, J. Dabney, Abram
Earhart, Samuel Eaton, Benj. Ely, K. S. Filts, Jack Floyd, Nathaniel
Floyd, Wm. A. Floyd, Jesse Gilstrap, Jas. H. Ginnings, Wm. Hurley,
Isaac Hargis, Charles Hatfield, Wm. Horton, Samuel ll;iy, David James
Wm. B. Jones, Jesse Jones, John Lesley, A. H. Lintler, John Morrow
John Murphy, John Myers, Jr., Robert Myers, Fra.^-c^l Myers, Robt.
Miller, Canada Owenby, Win. Parcells, Hartin Partun, Thos. Parton
Early Settlements. 13
Josiah Rogers, Hiram Reed, John Shibley, David E. Stone, Edward
Stewart, Coleman Stewart, John Stewart, Andrew Thompson, and Jesse
Walker. These men are believed to have been grown men or fast ap
proaching to grown manhood when they came.
Many others are known to have come during this decade, but they
were mere children at the tijne, so they are not included in this list.
There were undoubtedly many others of adult age who came during
these ten years, but who they were is not known to the writer. An in
teresting study here awaits some one who will be willing to labor a long
time upon it.
When the early settlers began to come into this part of the state
the government survey had not been completed; in fact, it may be safely
said it had not been commenced as yet. There was nothing in the way
of patents, deeds or other documentary evidence which the settler could
secure and to which he could point to when he wished to prove his right
to the land he had taken. He took up a "claim" on the land he settled
upon and stood ready to defend his rights with his own muscle and his
musket, if need be. His claim would extend generally from this creek
to that one, or from this hill to that. So secure did he feel in the pos
session of his claim that he sometimes waited for years after the govern
ment survey had been completed through this part of the country before
he entered his land and got a patent from the government. He ran the
risk of having some one preempt his claim and invoke the government
to dispossess him of it, but the one who dared to preempt land that
had been squatted upon ran a risk of another kind that deterred him
from such a procedure. This will explain why it is that some of the
earliest settlers did not enter their lands until long after they had set
tled here. It will also explain why the dates of entry in the plat book
of the county are no safe index as to the exact time when the settlers
first came into the county.
It would be a matter of great interest to know how many people
there were in the county in 1841, the year in which the county was
organized. At that time just about ten years had elapsed since the
settlement- of the county had been resumed, and curiosity, if nothing
else, would prompt one to inquire how many people had come in during
the first decade of actual occupation. But the best that can be done-
will be to make an estimate. Judging from the census of 1850 which
gave the county a little over 2000, we are hkely safe in saying that not
over 1000, if that many, were here by 1841.
Though the first settlement was made along the Chariton River
west of what is now Kirksville, it was the central southern part of the
14 History op Ad.air County.
county that began to fill up first. The probable reason why this part
of the county began to fill up first was its better adaptabihty to farm
ing than the Chariton region. The Chariton offered its special induce
ments in the way of wild game, and the men who first settled it were as
a rule good hunters. These men had, moreover, a decided preference
for timbered land for agricultural purposes over the prairie land. The
reason for this was that the prairie land was harder to cultivate than the
timber land because of the toughness of the soil. It took several yoke
of oxen to pull a plow through the prairie sod, and it was felt an
easier task to clear land of timber than to subdue the prairie land.
But when the prairie began to be settled it filled up much more
rapidly than the river region. Tradition has it that Canada Owenby
was the first settler to take up a prairie claim, but how well this can be
substantiated is not known.
In the early days hunting was more than an occasional pastime
with the pioneers. It was one of their means of livelihood and with
some it seemed to be their chief means. Those Avho established repu
tations as hunters of more than extraordinary skill were John Cain,
Nathaniel Floyd, Frank Adkins, Edward Stewart, James Adkins, Jo
seph Stewart, James Myers, James Clifton, Thomas Clifton, David
Floyd, Wm. Brasfield, Dennis Brasfield, John Lesley, Thomas Turner
and John Burton. Salt River and the Chariton were the chief hunt
ing grounds, and deer, wild turkeys and elk were plentiful. Occasion
ally bears, panthers, wolves, and foxes would be killed. Frank Adkins
had the reputation of being the most successful deer hunter, and Ed.
Stewart of being the most daring hunter of panthers and other danger
ous animals. The fall hunt would usually result in the bagging of
enough game to insure the winter's supply of meat. Bee trees were
frequently found, and the honey taken from them added to the com
fort of the settler's table and offered him a commodity which found ready
sale at the nearest market. Stories have come down of whole wagon
loads of honey which had been taken from the trees and then hauled
out of the county by oxen to the nearby markets.
Conditions during the first years of the early settlement of this
county were hard and primitive. Whatever farming was attempted
was carried on under great difficulties. If the farm was in the timbered
region, the land had to be cleared first and that meant much hard labor.
When that was finished the plowing was done with a wooden mould-
board plow draAvn by oxen. Because of the scarcity of oxen and plows,
the neighbors would frequently join all their forces and do the plowing
on their farms together, taking them one at a time.
Early Settlements. 15
^ The grinding of the grain raised was done at first by hand mills
which the pioneers brought with them. In the course of time horse and
water mills were built. High waters would frequently make water mills
unusable. The first steam mill built in the county was put up by the
German colony at Nineveh. That was erected about 1850 and was for
years the only one of its kind in the county. Going to mill in early
days meant usually going a long distance and frequent delay in taking
one's turn at the mill.
A tanyard was established by Washington Connor on what is now
called the Collett farm, in 1837.
The trading posts for the earliest settlers were Hannibal and Quincy
to the east and Huntsville to the south. It meant a great deal to go to
market then. Trips were not made very often, and full supplies were
always laid in whenever they were made. The first trading post in the
county is said to have been opened up by Col. Jesse Jones, which stood
on what has been known in recent years as the Joel Stinson place. He
also set up there a tramp horse mill, which is said to have been the first
of its kind in the county.
Mail facilities were necessarily meagre. The first post office in
what is now Adair County is said to have been on the Sohn place near
the Baptist church on the Nineveh road between Kirksville and Nin
eveh, and Samuel Withrow is said to have been the first postmaster. Just
when this was established is not known. When David James, the first
county clerk, sent in the election returns from the county in August,
1842, he requested the Secretary of State to address all communications
to him at Bloomington, the county seat of Macon County, as that was
the nearest post office to the Adair County Court House. Mail was car
ried across the country at first on horse back, and then later in stage
coaches. As postage was paid at the place of delivery, the person re
ceiving mail was sometimes put in a very embarrassing position. In
those days of barter and trade "in kind," there was little ready cash,
and men were frequently compelled, according to traditions that h^ve
come down, to borrow as little as a dime with which to pay the post
age on a single letter which had come.
The distances between neighbors were at first great. To have one's
nearest neighbor as far as five miles away was nothing unusual. Of
course neighbors came to mean neighbors as the county filled up.
Prairie and brush fires were frequent, entailing danger and frequently
a great deal of damage. A story of an experience in a prairie fire which
Nathaniel Floyd and his wife had in the early thirties has come down.
They had been to visit a neighbor and on returning to their home on
¦ 16 History of Adair County.
Floyd Creek they found that they were cut off from it by a prairie fire.
Their horses could not be driven across it and so Floyd decided to go-
home in a round about way, while his wife tried to cross the fire line.
When Floyd reached home he found his wife had not arrived as
yet and started in search of her. He found her the next day with all
her woolen clothing burned off. They had caught fire in her efforts to
get across the fire fine. She 'carried all the rest of her fife the marks
of this terrible experience.
Churches and schools were in the course of time established, and
were in keeping with the primitive conditions of the community. The
frontier settlements throughout our nation west of the AUeghanies owe
their first religious organizations largely to the Methodist and Baptist
circuit riders. These men were pioneers in spirit and in body, and
gave themselves heartily to the difficulties of the work that the newly
settled regions presented. It was not otherwise in Adair County.
Something further will be said of the early churches and schools in sub
sequent chapters.
All buildings in these early days, whether dwellings, churches,
school houses, stores, or barns, were built of timber cut down and hewed
out by the settlers themselves. The walls were made of logs, the roofs
were covered with clapboards, and the floors were either dirt or punch
eons. The cabins were usually one story high ahd contained ordinarily
one and never over two rooms. No one of the original cabins built
in 1828 remains, and very few, if any, of the houses built before 1841,
when the county was organized, are still in existence. House and barn
raisings were great events in a settlen\ent. Neighbors from far and
near, generally from far, came to lend a hand, and the work was usually
crowned with a feast of such good things as the community afforded.
Domestic life was exceedingly laborious. Women not only worked
at the usual household duties such as cooking, spinning and weaving,
but they often assisted in the field in plowing, threshing, and some
times in hewing timber. Robert Miller's four daughters established
their reputation as excellent hewers, and were known to have raised a
house or barn by themselves under the direction and help of their father.
The only relaxation which the early pioneer had was to be found
in the occasional church services, the trip to market, or the neighborhood
house or barn raising. But these pioneers had the spirit of conquest
and counted themselves as fortunate in having their lot in a new field
They therefore built their homes and took up their work cheerfully
not always realizing just what their work meant to the future Genera
tions, but with a hope that it would not be in vain.
Early Settlements. 17
The first white person to die a natural death in the county was
Lovern Evans. The first white couple to get married in the county
were Missouri Evans and Sevon Dean. The wedding was celebrated at
John Cain's. The first white child born in the county was James M.
Bozarth, who was born December 14, 1831. Geo. Cain for whom that
honor has been claimed by uninformed persons, was not born until 1833.
Many of these conditions which existed in the first decade of the
history of the first settlement continued until after the war. As the
county became more densely settled and towns were established, life
became less isolated and more comfortable. The further consideration
of these improvements will be included under other subjects in this
history. The settlers of the first decade came largely from some of the coun
ties to the south of what is now Adair, particularly Randolph and How
ard. Many of them had come to these counties from Kentucky and
Tennessee. Some few came directly from Kentucky to Adair County.
For the next twenty years after the first decade we find the new settlers
coming from other states also, such as Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Illinois.
From Pennsylvania came a German element which founded Nineveh,
some account of which will be given in another place. The neighbor
hood called Illinois Bend was settled by people from Illinois. From
Iowa came a few people. But the main streams of immigration flowed
from the Mississippi along Salt River, and from the Missouri along the
Chariton.
;^ HcOruJLOK — BftRRT^ SI
Map of Missouri Illustrating the Census of 1910.
Counties shown in white increased in population between 1900 and 1910.
Those shown in the fine lines decreased in population.
(Reproduced from the St. Louis Republic, October 3, 1910.)
CHAPTER III.
THE GROWTH OF THE COUNTY.
From the beginning the county has enjoyed in a steady and sub
stantial growth. This is exhibited in a variety of ways. The first
index of growth that one usuallj^ consults is the U. S. census reports
on the population. On turning to them we find nothing on the popula
tion of Adair County prior to 1850, as the county was organized in 1841,
the year after the census of 1840 was taken. Inasmuch as no separate
record was kept of the population of the territory that was attached to
Macon County from 1837 to 1841, and out of which the present Adair
County was formed, we have no means of knowing just what the pop
ulation of the county was when it was created in 1841. The census
reports since 1850 give the population of Adair County as follows:
1850 2,342 1890 17,417
1860 8,531 1900 21,728
1870 11,448 1910 22,700
1880 15, 190
White
Free
Colored
1850
2,283
1860
8,436
1870
11,305
1880
14,984
1890
17,114
1900
21,412
1910
*
143
226303316
Slave 51
86
Total
Native Born
Foreign Born
Total
2,342
*
* 1
2,342
S,.531
8,320
229
8, .531
11,448
11,072
376
11,448
15,190
14,708
472 !
15,190
17,417
16,986
431
17,417
21,728
21,233
495
21,728
22,700
*
*
22,700
* Data lacking.
Of the 495 foreign born persons in the county in 1900, 80 were natives of Eng
land, 48 of Canada, 74 of Ireland, 128 of Germany, 58 of Italy, 24 of Scotland,
20 of Sweden, 15 of Wales, and 13 of France.
From this it will be seen that the decade which saw the greatest
rate of increase of population was 1850-60, during which time the pop
ulation increased from 2,342 to 8,531, or nearly four-fold.
The census for 1910 contained a great many surprising revelations.
The population of the entire state for that year was 3,293,335, an in-
20 History of Adair County.
crease of only 186,670, or six per cent in ten years. Of the 114 coun
ties in the state, only 43 showed any increase in population. Of the 71
counties which showed a decrease in population, 32 lost more than ten
per cent of the population they had in 1900, 23 lost between five and ten
per cent, and 16 less than five per cent. The majority of the counties.
that showed any increase in population lie in the southeastern part of
the state, and the majority of those that lost the most heavily lie in the
northern and northwestern part of the state. Of the 44 counties north
of the Missouri River, only 8 showed any increase in population. Adair
County happens to be among these eight. The increase in this county
in the last decade was 972, or 4.5 per cent.
Nearly all the counties that lost in population are agricultural
counties, as a rule. Adair County undoubtedly sustained a loss in
her rural population during the last decade, but the increase in popula
tion in the towns of Kirksville, Novinger, Brashear and Connelsville
was enough to more than offset the decrease in the country.
The same decade that witnessed the largest percentage of increase
in population, that is from the years 1850 to 1860, also saw the greatest.
number of government land entries. An examination of the original
plat book of the county shows that the greatest number of land entries
were made from 1853 to 1857, and particularly in 1855 and 1856. The
earliest entry was made by Thomas M. Easley in 1836. Entries were
made in large numbers in 1839, but from then until 1851 there were practi
cally none. By 1853 the final rush to enter land began and kept up until
practically all the land was entered by 1859. A few entries were made
in the sixties and seventies, and even as late as 1908 T. J. Dockery, of
Kirksville, entered some land in Adair County. But the great bulk of
the land was entered in the fifties of the nineteenth century. The
entries made in the fifties were made mostly by new settlers. There
were speculators in land in the county in those days, but the lands they
bought up did not equal the amount actually occupied by bona fide
settlers. Not only the plat book, but the abstracts of assessment returns of
the county assessor show that the rate of growth in the county was greatest
in the decade from 1850 to 1860. In 1843 the assessor found only 2,100
acres subject to taxation in the county. That was an exceechngly small
amount for that year, inasmuch as permanent settlers had been com
ing in for over ten years and the county had been organized for two
years. It may be that the assessor's returns for 1843 were not com
plete, and this appears all the more probable since the returns for the
very next year show that he had then found 15,131 acres subject to-
The Growth of the County. 21
taxation. For a few years after 1844 the number of acres subject to
taxation gradually increased, but it was not until 1853 that the increase
became marked. From 1853 to 1860 the increase became greater, so
that the maximum limit was reached by the latter year. The following
table will show how many acres there were subject to taxation in the
county from 1853 to 1860, from which the rate of increase may be read
ily computed: 1853 (est.) ... 50, 000 1857 350, 256
1854 94, 348 1858 351, 354
1855 156,817 1859 362,417
1856 262, 109 1860 369, 858
The number of acres subject to taxation at the present time runs
at a httle over 360,000 acres. The above table shows that that num
ber was reached by 1859.
The county has gained in wealth at the same time it has grown in
population. The abstracts of the assessment returns give a basis for
some idea as to the growth in wealth. The returns prior to 1844 are
not available, so that our investigation cannot go back of that year.
The assessed valuation for 1844 is about the same as that of 1845; by
commencing therefore in 1845 and taking every fifth year thereafter,
we are able to set forth in the following table the growth in wealth of
the county from 1845 to the present, as far as assessed valuations will
show it:
1845 . .
. . . . 1 49, 946
1880.
....$3,176,789
1850 . .
90, 290
1885..
... 3, 498, 370
1855
964, 968
1890.
3, 729, 558
1860
1, 154, 291
1895. .
4, 776, 543
1865 . . .
.. 1,430,431
1900...
... 5, 067, 361
1870
. . 2, 966, 820
1905. .
5, 459, 474
1875
3, 388, 046
1910. .
. . 5, 840, 078
Of course, the above valuations as taken from the assessors' lists,
are not actual valuations, and we have no way of determining ex
actly just what they are, inasmuch as the rate of assessment varies
from time to time, and furthermore, there is always a certain amount
of property that never is fisted by the assessor. One would be com
paratively safe, however, in multiplying the above returns by three or
four and taking the product as approximating the actual valuations.
By comparing the tables given above on the increase in popula
tion and on assessed valuations, it will be seen that the largest percent
age of increase in population came in the same decade that saw the
greatest percentage of increase in assessed valuations, that is, the dec-
22 History of Adair County.
ade from 1850 to 1860. In 1850 the assessed valuation was $90,290
and the population 2,342; in 1860 the assessed valuation was $1,154,291
and the population 8,531.
On comparing further the increase in population and the increase
in assessed valuations for 1850 and for 1910, we find that the popula
tion has risen from 2,342 to 22,700, or nearly ten fold, while the increase
in assessed wealth has risen from $90,290 to $5,840,078, or six hundred
and fifty fold. This is a most eloquent commentary on the natural re-
soucres of the county and on the industry of the people.
Like all other frontier districts, land was exceedingly cheap in the
early days of the county. Land was entered under government patents
at $1.25 per acre. The improvements put upon the homestead lands
raised their value, of course, but for a long time these improvements
were meagre, and hence the increase in values was comparatively slight.
The best improved lands just before the war were valued at from $10
to $20 per acre. In the early seventies such lands ranged from $10
to $30; in the early nineties from $40 to $75; and at the present time
from $50 to $100. As long as there was left any government land un
entered that was of good quality, the unimproved land did not rise much
above the price paid for government land. But by the middle of the
fifties, jjractically all the government land was entered, so that values
in unimproved land began to rise. Between 1855 and 1860 there was
much talk of a railroad being built in the county, so that unimproved
land was held at from $5 to $10 an acre. The railroad failed to mate
rialize for a while, so that the values in unimproved lands dropped.
Very shortly after the war all the land fit for agriculture or stock-rais
ing was brought under improvement. Today only a small portion
of the county is unimproved land, and this land lies in the region of
the Chariton River mostly, if not altogether.
The growth of the county is due to a varietj^ of causes, among which
may be noted her facilities for agriculture and stock-raising, her rail
roads, her wealth of timber and coal, and her educational institutions.
In the early days agriculture was practically the only pursuit followed
by the people. But with the coming of the railroads it became possible
to exploit the natural resources of the county. The forests of the Char
iton offered the first field for exploitation, and for years the making of
railroad ties has been a very important industry. It is not so important
now as it was formerly, though it is still maintained. In this same
Chariton region have been found rich deposits of coal, and the coal
mining industry has grown into large proportions. Meanwhile the
raising of fine stock has become one of the greatest enterprises of the
The Growth of the County. 23
county and has brought it to the attention of men dealing in fine stock
far and wide. The State Normal School and the American School of
Osteopathy at Kirksville have been potent agents contributing to the
growth of the county.
From early times the advantages of the county have been in one
form or another brought to the attention of the people of the state and
in adjoining states. The Glasgow News, a newspaper published at
Glasgow, Mo., in its issue for October 8, 1846, contained an article on
Adair County, which it had copied from the Paris Mercury, published
at Paris, Mo. This article was as follows:
"To those who desire good and profitable stock farms, Adair County
offers many advantages, fine large prairies, diversified with streams
which furnish water, and which are thickly set on each side with good
timber. The Grand Chariton is also a great advantage to that county,
as it is an excellent mill stream.
"Those who wish to build in Adair County can get lumber on rea
sonable terms. We saw a lot of excellent inch flooring plank, the price
of which is there only 75 cents per hundred feet; Kirksville, the county
seat, is now rapidly improving. The lands adjoining the county seat
are not yet in the market. Those who wish to settle in a new county
and rise as the county rises, will do well to pay Adair County a visit."
Many of the pioneers who came in the early forties induced many
of their friends who had been left behind in Kentucky, to join them..
This coming in of men to join former friends in their new homes in this
county continued in a noticeable way until at least the war.
Since the war active efforts have been made at several different
times to induce strangers to come to the county. Several immigra
tion societies have been formed at different times. The associations
of Kirksville business men, which have flourished under various names
for thirty years or more, have been the means of bringing certain enter
prises to the town and county which have contributed something to the
general growth.
The county has made steady growth all along, but that which has
counted most in the making of the county what it is now, was done
in the last two decades. Judging from the aggressiveness of the business
and professional men of the county one might say that in the next twen
ty years a decided advance will have been made beyond what has already
been done.
• CHAPTER IV.
THE CREATION OF THE COUNTY.
The history of county organization in Missouri is very instructive
and interesting. As one follows the creation of new counties from 1804,
when the District of Louisiana was divided into five districts, down to
1876, by which time the present 114 counties had all been created, and
sees the map of the counties of the state gradually assume its present
form, one follows very closely the early growth of the state. Adair
County was created together with thirteen other counties in 1841. Prior
to the creation of these thirteen counties only sixty-two counties had
been formed, just a little more than half the present number of coun
ties in the state. In order to understand the circumstances of the or
ganization of Adair County and to appreciate how its creation marked
a stage in the growth of the state, it will be well to review hurriedly
the history of county organization prior to 1841.
In 1804 the United States government divided the great Louisi
ana purchase territory, which had been obtained from France in the
previous year, into two parts; all south of the thirty-third degree of
north latitude was formed into the Orleans Territory and all north
into the District of Louisiana, which was placed under the jurisdiction
of General William Henry Harrison, Governor of the Indiana Terri
tory. In 1805 the District of Louisiana was enacted into a first-class
territory, the lowest class of territories, and was named the Territory
of Louisiana. Meanwhile, General Harrison had divided the District
of Louisiana into five districts, which were called St. Charles, St. Louis,
Ste. Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, and New Madrid. The exact bound
aries of these districts cannot be ascertained, but it is quite hkely that
they had the same boundaries which the districts of the same names had
in 1811. In 1812 Congress raised the Territory of Louisiana into a
second class territory and named it the Territory of Missouri. The
Territorial legislature, which had been provided for by Congress, divided
the territory in 1813 into seven counties: St. Charles, St. Louis, Ste.
Genevieve, Cape Girardeau, New Madrid, Washington, and Arkansas.
New Madrid and Arkansas Counties was practically what is now the
state of Arkansas. The other five counties lay within the boundaries
of what is now Missouri.
-j^wqncT^'jgr'^^
U T^icT
District of Louisiana in 1804,
(This map and the five others following were made
from photographs of maps drawn by the Political
Science Department of the University of Missouri.
They are reproduced by permission of Professor
Jsador Loeb, head of that department.)
Territory of Missouri, 1813.
r
C-, \
4 Sis.''.
V I
tais.
^ ^"^ V'^^^i
V.
Territory of Missouri, 1816.
Missouri Counties, 1821.
(What is now Adair County was at that time a
part of the territory attached to Chariton County.)
%
Missouri Counties, 1841.
(Adair County was created in this year.)
Missouri Counties as They Have Been Since 1876.
The Creation of the County. 31
In 1815 Lawrence County was formed, and in 1816 Howard County.
The latter has been called the mother of counties because of its immense
size and because of the great number of counties which have been cre
ated from within its original boundaries. Adair C.ounty was among
this number.
In 1818 Wayne, Franklin, Pike, Montgomery, Jefferson, Madison,
and Lincoln Counties were created, but no one of these came from what
was then Howard County. In 1820 twenty new counties were formed;
of these Calloway, Boone, Chariton, and Ray were created out of How
ard. By 1830 six more new counties had been formed, one of which was
Randolph with its present boundaries. It was carved out of the orig
inal Chariton County, and provision was made that all the territory
lying to the north of it up to the Iowa line should be attached to it for
purposes of government. This attached territory included what is
now Adair County.
In 1837 Macon County was formed with its present boundaries,
by carving it out of the territory attached to Randolph County; the
territory lying to the north of the new county was attached to it for
purposes of government.
In 1841 Adair County was formed with its present boundaries, by
carving it out of the territory attached to Macon County, and the ter
ritory to the north of the new county was attached to it for purposes of
government. This attached territory was erected into Schuyler County
in 1843, but was not completely severed from Adair County until 1845.
Putnam County was organized in 1843 and attached to Adair County
until 1845, when it was separated. This practice of attaching territory
to counties prevailed through the state and was not peculiar to Ran
dolph, Macon and Adair County.
It would be a matter of great interest to trace the formation of
the other counties created since 1841, but that would lie beyond our
province. It may be in order, however, to state in this connection that
an effort was made in 1868 to take certain sections of Adair, Chariton,
Macon, Sullivan and linn Counties and make a new county out of them,
but nothing came of the effort.
The accompanying maps, which are printed with permission of
the Political Science Department of the University of Missouri, pre
sent graphically the formation of new counties and the changes in county
boundaries from 1803 to the present.
It is not out of the way to mention at this point, of the boundary
contest between Iowa and Missouri which came up in 1838. In that
32 History of Adair County.
year Iowa was made a separate territory, and the claim was set by by
the lowans that the boundary line between Iowa and Missouri as was
claimed by Missouri, was about ten miles too far to the north. The
dispute arose over the location of the Des Moines Rapids. In the act
admitting Missouri into the Union, the northern boundary was de
scribed as a parallel passing through the rapids of the Des Moines River.
Missouri therefore claimed that the line should be drawn so as to com
ply strictly with the provisions of the act, while Iowa, after having been
formed into a separate territory, claimed that the rapids that were in
tended to be mentioned in the act Avere in the Des Moines Rapids of the
Mississippi, and not the Rapids of the Des Moines River. It was
brought forth by Iowa that Missouri and Congress had by different
acts prior to 1838 recognized that Missouri had no right to the line she
was claiming. As has been said, the line as was claimed by Missouri,
was ten miles farther north than Iowa was willing to recognize, and the
area of this strip in dispute was greater than the entire area of Rhode
Island. The contest hung on for a long time, and in its course Adair County
became involved. The controversy was well under way when Adair
County was organized in 1814. It will be recalled that when the county
was organized the territory to the north of it was attached to it for pur
poses of government, and remained attached to it until 1845, at which
time Schuyler County, which had been organized in 1843, was finally
severed from Adair County completely. This attached territory in
cluded a part of the strip in dispute between Iowa and Missouri. When
the oflficials of Adair County sought to collect taxes and administer the
laws of Missouri in this part of the disputed territory, they found them
selves in trouble, just as the officials of other counties had found them
selves when they undertook to do the same things. Very few evidences
of the struggle have come down to us from the records of this county,
but the county court of this county seems to have considered that the
contest between Iowa and Missouri was as good as lost as early as De
cember, 1843, for in that month an entry was made in the county court
records to the effect that the collector, that is, the sheriff, should not
collect any more taxes in the territory claimed by Iowa until further
orders. The contest was finally settled through a friendly suit in the Su
preme Court of the United States in 1849. This body decided that the
Indian line run by Sullivan in 1816 was the true boundary line, and
appointed two commissioners to find this line and re-mark it. This
line was run by Hendershot and Minor in 1850. The controversy closed
The Creation of the County. 33
with Missouri losing the case. The present boundary line runs ten
miles farther south than Missouri had claimed it should run.
The act passed by the state legislature and approved January 29,
1841, providing for the creation of Adair County, provided also for the
creation of thirteen other counties in different parts of the state. Be
tween twenty-five and thirty separate applications for new county or
ganizations were sent to the legislature in January, 1841. These appli
cations came from the southern, western and northern parts of the
state. The whole matter was finally referred to a joint committee of
the two houses of the legislature, and when the committee reported, it
was found there were two reports. The majoritj^ decided to recommend
the organization of nineteen new counties. The minority very strenu
ously opposed this recommendation and bitterly fought the adoption
of the majority report. The argument used by the minority was some
what as follows: The constitution of the state provided that each
county should have one representative in the state legislature, but the
total number of representatives for all the counties should never exceed
one hundred. In case the counties should not be one hundred in num
ber, the legislature had the power to apportion the representatives
among the various counties according to the free white male population,
so that the total number of members in the house should reach one
hundred. If the bill providing for nineteen new counties should pass,
there would be eighty-one counties in the state; as each county was
entitled to at least one representative there would be left only nineteen
representatives to apportion among these eighty-one counties, and there
was great difficulty in getting these nineteen properly apportioned.
The population of the state in 1840 was 172,000 free white males, or
381,754 persons of all ranks and conditions. On the basis of one hun
dred representatives in the House, the unit of representation should be
one representative for every 1,720 free male whites, or one for every
3,817 persons of every description. No proposed county had at the
time 1,720 free white males or 3,817 persons of every description.
A few came close to these figures, but most fell far short. Moreover,
the creation of these new counties would reduce the population of the
old counties from which they were taken, so that in many cases the
counties that had been reduced in size would not contain 1,720 free
white males or 3,817 persons of every description. If this bih should
pass sixty-five counties would have each only one representative, and
of these sixty-five there would be some which would have a population
of more than 6,000. Moreover, the majority of the one hundred rep
resentatives in the House would be elected by counties having an aggre-
34 History of Adair County.
gate population of only 124,788, while the minority would be elected
by counties having a population of 200,906. It was admitted that many
people who were asking for new county organizations were greatlj^ in
convenienced by the existing conditions, but the blame for the unfort
unate situation was laid upon the improvident legislation of the past.
Finally, many of the counties which had recently been org;anized did
not pay enough taxes to the state to pay the expenses of their repre
sentatives in the legislature.
One of the most ardent supporters of this minority report was T.
L. Anderson of Marion County. He said in a speech marked for its
grandiloquence, that the result would be to give double representation
to those counties that were to be reduced in size in order to create the
new counties; the reduced county would retain its representative and
the newly formed county would acquire its representative. Moreover,
the reduced county and the new county would frequently fail to have
the number of inhabitants which the constitution requires them to have
in order to be entitled to representation. The bill tended to take rep
resentation away from the larger counties and to give it to the new coun
ties; in other words, if the new counties were not created all the larger
counties of the state would each have at least two representatives. If
the bill passed fifty-one representatives representing 126,000 persons
would have an ascendancy over the forty-nine members representing
254,000 persons. Mr. Anderson closed his vigorous protest by object
ing to the fact that the matter was being pushed through in one omni
bus bill; he would have been glad to vote for the organization of cer
tain counties if each had been provided for in a special bill, but he would
vote against them all since they were in one bill.
No doubt there was a good deal of "politics" injected into this
question, but the bill after having been amended so as to create only
fourteen counties instead of nineteen as originally drawn up, was passed
by a safe majority. With the passage of this act the counties of the
state were increased to seventy-six in number.
Adair County was named after Hon. John Adair of Kentucky.
This was due to the desire of the many Kentucky immigrants who came
to this part of the state during the decade preceding its organization as
a county, to perpetuate the memory of one of the prominent public
men of their old home state. John Adair was born in Chester County,
South CaroHna, in 1759. After serving in the Revolutionary army he
went to Kentucky and there soon, became identified with the public
activities of that new commonwealth. His service was both military
and civil in character. He was an officer in the Kentucky State Militia,
The Creation of the County. 35
becoming ultimately Brigadier General; he served in the Indian wars
and commanded the Kentucky troops at the battle of New Orleans.
He was U. S. Senator from Kentucky from 1805 to 1806, Governor of
Kentucky from 1820 to 1824, and member of Congress from Kentucky
in 1831-33. He died at Harrodsburg on May 19, 1840. It was in the
year following his death that the county named in his honor was organ
ized. The boundaries of Adair County as the act provided for are the
same as they are today, and are as follows: "Beginning at a point in the
middle of range 13 on the township line dividing townships 60 and 61 ;
thence west on said township line to the range line dividing ranges 17 and
18; thence north on said range line to a point three miles north of the
township line dividing townships 63 and 64; thence east on a line parallel
to said township line to the center of township 64 in range 13; thence
south to the place of beginning." The total area is 570 square miles.
This same act also provided that Jefferson Collins of Lewis County,
L. B. Mitchell of Clark County, and Thomas Ferrell of Monroe County,
should be commissioners to select the permanent seat of justice for the
county, and that this selection should be within two and one-half miles
of the geographical center of the county.
Some time during 1841 or 1842 these commissioners located
and established the county seat in the east half of the northeast quarter
of section 9, township 62 north, range 15 west. The county seat was
called Kirksville, and the original plat was acknowledged on May 18,
1842. The proceedings and acts of the commissioners were legalized
by the legislature on December 19, 1842.
The county had no oflficial seal until 1848. The election returns
which were sent in by the county clerk to the Secretary of State at
Jefferson City show no seal until the year 1848, and the statement was
frequently made in these returns that no provisions had been made as
yet for a seal.
For four years after Adair County was estabhshed as a separate
county, what is now Schuyler County was attached territory. During
these years, 1841-45, the county court records of Adair County make
mention of eleven townships. They were Benton, Morrow, Liberty,
Wilson, Pettis, Goshen, Richland, Wells, Fabbe, Cochran and Parton
townships. Of these the first five lay within the county proper, and the
other six in the attached territory. After the attached territory was
enacted into a separate county in 1845, the Adair County court in its
May adjourned session of that year, proceeded to describe anew the
boundaries of the five townships lying within it. These boundaries
were as follows:
36
History of Adair County.
Townships of Adair County in 1845.
The Creation of the County.
37
Townships of Adaik County Since 1865.
(No attempt has been made to show the location of towns except Kirksville.)
38 History of Adair County.
Benton: Commencing at the northeast corner of Adair County,
thence west along the northern boundary line of Adair County to where
said fine crosses the Chariton River; thence south along the middle
channel of said Chariton River to where it crosses the township line di
viding townships 61 and 62; thence east along said line to where the
range fine dividing ranges 14 and 15 crosses the same; thence north
along said range fine to where the same crosses the township line divid
ing townships 63 and 64; thence east along said township line to the
eastern boundary fine of Adair County; thence north along said bound
ary line to the place of beginning.
Liberty: Commencing at the southwest corner of Adair County,
from thence north along the dividing line between Adair and Sullivan
Counties to the township fine dividing townships 62 and 63; from thence
east along said toAvnship line to where the Chariton River crosses the
same; thence south along the middle of the said Chariton River to the
southern boundary of Adair County; from thence west to the place of
beginning. Morrow: Commencing at the northwest corner of Adair County,
from thence south along the division line between Adair and Sullivan
Counties to where the township line dividing townships 62 and 63
crosses the same; from thence east along said township line to where the
same crosses the Chariton River; from thence north along the middle
of the channel of said river to the northern boundary of Adair County;
thence along said northern boundary line to the place of beginning.
Pettis: Commencing on the division line between Adair and
Macon Counties at the line dividing ranges 14 and 15, thence west
along the division line of said counties of Macon and Adair to the Char
iton River; thence north up the middle of the channel of said river to
where the township line dividing townships 61 and 62 crosses the same;
thence east along said township line to the range line dividing ranges
14 and 15; thence south along said range line to the place of beginning.
Wilson: Commencing at the southeast corner of Pettis township,
thence east along the division line between Adair and Macon Counties
to the southeast corner of Adair County; thence north along the divis
ion line between Adair and Knox Counties to the township line
dividing townships 63 and 64; thence west along said township
line to the range line dividing ranges 14 and 15; thence south along
said range line to the place of beginning.
A comparison of the two accompanying maps show that all the
townships except Pettis are much larger than the townships of the pres
ent time. Benton included besides the present Benton township,, all
of Polk and part of Clay and Nineveh townships; Morrow included
The Creation of the County. 39
parts of Nineveh and Walnut; Liberty a part of Walnut; and Wilson,
all of Salt .River and a part of Clay. Pettis township was in 1845 the
same in boundaries as it is today.
In the records of the proceedings of the county court for 1847 men
tion is made of a Parton township. Just what this was cannot be made
out. No mention seems to be made of this township in any subsequent
record that has come down to us. Owing to the loss of so manj^ county
court records in the court house fire in 1865, it is impossible to state
just when all the new townships were formed. By 1851, however,
there were seven townships, the original five of 1845 and Polk and Clay.
The latter was organized by the county court on June 7, 1851. The
records from 1851 to 1857 do not show any increase in the number of
toAvnships, but by 1865 the number had run up to the present ten, the
three new ones since being Nineveh, Walnut, and Salt River. It is
the testimony of many persons that all of the ten townships were in
existence with their present boundaries before the civil war.
There has been at least one effort to create new townships since the
present ones were formed. In 1898 Oklahoma township was formed
by cutting off the eastern portion of Pettis and the western portion
of Wilson and putting these parts into one township. The
reason for doing this was to furnish more convenient voting precincts
for the people living in this part of the county, but it is evident that
this arrangement was not satisfactory. On December 6, 1898, Okla
homa township was abolished, and Wilson and Pettis townships were
restored to their former boundaries. The county court proceeded later
to establish convenient voting precincts in the Wilson and Pettis town
ships, which served the purpose better than the arrangement for an
extra township.
Six of the townships were named after men who were prominent
either nationally or locally at the time when they were created. Ben
ton was named after Thomas Hart Benton, then at the height of his
power and influence as U. S. Senator from Missouri; Morrow, after
Judge John Morrow, one of the original three county judges of the
county; Pettis, after Spencer Pettis, who was Missouri's sole Congress
man from 1829 to 1831, and who was killed in a duel with Major Bid-
die in St. Louis in 1831; Wilson, after Judge Joseph Wilson, who was
county judge from 1842 to 1844; Polk, after James K. Polk; Clay,
after Henry Clay. Two townships took their names from their phys
ical conditions: Salt River is named after the river of that name that
passes through it; Walnut, after its walnut forests. Nineveh was named
after the German communistic colony of that name which was estab
lished in that part of the county about 1850. Liberty was probably
derived from patriotic sentiments.
CHAPTER V.
COUNTY ORGANIZATION.
Section I — County Officers.
The first officers of the county were all appointed, and held from
the time of their appointment in 1841 till the next election in 1842.
Samuel Easton, Joseph Ringo and John Morrow were appointed Jus
tices of the County Court by the Governor, and Isaac Eby was likewise
appointed by the Governor as Sheriff. These appointments were made
on February 10, 1841. In April David James was appointed County
Clerk by the County Court, and a little later in the same winter he was
appointed Circuit Clerk by Judge Clark, Judge of the Judicial Dis
trict of which Adair County was a part.
The act creating Adair County provided that the Circuit and
County Courts should hold their sessions at the residence of David E.
Sloan until the permanent seat of justice of the county should be estab
lished. It is the tradition, however, that the first session of the County
Court was held in a large school house two miles south of what is now
Kirksville, near the residence of a Mr. Myers. The time of this first
session, wherever it was held, must have been not later than April, as
the records in the Secretary of State's office at Jefferson City show that
David James was appointed by the County Court by April 5. Tra
dition has likewise declared that the first Circuit Court session was held
at the residence of John Cain, six miles west of Kirksville, some time
early in 1841. The Circuit Judge was Jas. A. Clark, and the Circuit
Attorney, Benjamin F. Stringfellow.
From 1841 to 1867 the county court was composed of three jus
tices, who chose one of their number as the presiding officer. From
1841 to 1858 the term of office was four years, and all three of the jus
tices came in and went out at the same time. In 1858 the terms were
lengthened to six years, and arrangements were made so that one jus
tice retired every two years.
The county court when first established attended to probate
matters, as well as the ordinary county administration; but in 1847
a separate probate court, composed of one judge, was estabhshed. This
court took away from the county court its jurisdiction in probate cases.
In 1867 a special law was passed by the legislature abolishing the
County Organization. 41
¦county court justices of Adair County and creating a county court of
only one judge. D. S. Hooper is credited with securing the passage
of this law, as he was a frequent visitor to the legislature while the bill
was pending. He was then appointed by the Governor to fill the office
until the first regular election. Though his term was short, he inaugu
rated a change in the county finances Avhich was greatly needed. The
county funds had for- a long time been insufficient, and as a result the
county warrants were passing for about half their value. The crea
tion of a sole county judge in place of the court of three justices made it
easier to secure court action raising the levy of taxes, so that more in
come would be brought in and the county's credit would be restored.
Judge Hooper did this very thing, and though he was bitterly condemned
for his act by many people, his financial policy proved a good one for
the county at large, which practically all came to realize in time. In
1868 Judge Jacob Sands was elected to succeed Judge Hooper.
It ought to be noted here that many people believed that the county
finances were allowed to get in a bad shape for the purpose of enabling
a few to make money out of the matter. It has been said that those
who bought up the protested county warrants at half price supported
for a long time a county court organization that refused to make a levy
sufficiently large to meet the deficiencies, but when they had accumu
lated a large amount of their warrants they then got a county court
organization of one judge who raised the lev.y and enabled them to col
lect their warrants at full face value and with interest besides. How
much truth there is in this cannot be said.
The same law that abohshed the county court justices in 1867,
also abolished the probate court, and thus threw the probate business
back into the county court. In 1870, however, the legislature by an
other special act, restored the county court of three justices for Adair
County, and also the probate court of one justice.
In June, 1872, the county voted to have township organization,
but it was over a year before the change was effected because of the
opposition there was to the change. The proposition was carried in
June by a vote of 660 to 295, but the election had to be held over again
in November, because the law provided it m.ust be carried by a majority
of the registered voters. The second time it carried easily by a vote
of 1548 to 491. A controversy arose as. to whether the county could
organize under the new township law which had been recently passed
by the legislature, but the Supreme Court finally decided it could. In
August, 1873, the new county court was convened for a called term.
It was composed now of five judges instead of three. They were C. B.
42 History of Adaik (\)unty.
Policy, Presiding Judge: J. S. Erwin, S. P. Shiblej-, A. H. Linder, and
J. H. Rainier, District Judges.
In 1874 a still more radical change was made by the legislature in
the county court of Adair (^ounty. A law was passed in that >car pro
viding that this body should be composed of one judge, who should be
called the Judge of the County Court, and of a townsliip trustee for
each of the ten townships of the county. The judge of the count>- court
was the sole judge, except at the general term. The general term was
the annual session of the court, which was composed of the county
judge and the ten to-\vnship trustees, and was held in June. In this
same year, 1874, the legislature agahi abohshed the probati^ court and
transferred its l:)usiness back again to the count>' court.
In 1875 the present constitution of Missouri was adopted, and
Avith that instrument there came to an end thi> long established prac
tice of passing special legislative acts regarchng the organization of
towns and counties. From that time to this the town and county or
ganizations have been uniform throughout the stat(\ exct'iit in the case
of towns that have clung to the charters that were granted to them
prior to 1875. In conformity to that principle of uniformit>' in local
administration the legislature in 1S77 passed a law which provided or
a system of county courts which have continued to this day. By tliis
law each county is divided into two districts, each of which elects a.
county judge; the entire county elects the presiding judge. In this
same year the probate court of one judge elected by the whole count>'
was restored.
The effort to inaugurate the system provid(>d for b>' this law was
opposed by the then existing county court which was organized on tiie
township basis. The Governor appointed D. A. Ely, Noah Stuke>-,
and Geo. T. Spencer as the county justices, but when they sought to
assume the duties of their office they Avere opposed by Judge Slinger-
land, who had been since 1876 the judge of the county court. Judge
Slingerland claimed to be the legal judge and proceeded to open court
before the judges appointed by the Governor could appear to do that
themselves. The three judges faihng to secure recognition and possess
ion of their offices, instituted judicial proceedings, and in the course of
time received a decision from Judge Ellison in their favor. It seems as
though there Avas something of "pohtics" in this controversy, inas
much as Judge Slingerland was a Republican and the three judges ap
pointed by Governor Phelps Avere Democrats.
This county has never returned to township organization since its
reorganization in 1877, though there have been at least two attempts
County Organization. 43
to that effect. In November, 1880, the county voted on the proposi
tion of adopting township organization, and carried it by 779 to 371; but
the Attorney General decided that it had not been legally submitted,
and hence was lost. In November, 1890, the proposition was again
submitted and was defeated at the polls.
In addition to the county justices Avith which the county began
its existence in 1841, there were a Sheriff and a Clerk of the County
Court and of the Circuit Court. From time to time other oflaces have
been created. In 1845 the office of Surveyor Avas created; in 1846
that of Coroner and that of Assessor, and in 1855, that of County Com
missioner. In 1859 the ofl^ce of Clerk of the County Court and of the
Circuit Court was divided, so that there were two distinct offices, that
of Clerk of the County Court and that of Clerk of the Circuit Court.
The duties of the Circuit Clerk included at that time not only those of
the Circuit Clerk of today, but also those of Recorder. In 1859 there
Avere four Assessors, one for each of the four districts into Avhich the
county had been diAuded. In 1860, hoAvever, this laAV was changed,
and one Assessor Avas provided for for tlfe Avhole county, and there seem
to haA^e been no further changes in that office since then.
In 1866 the offices of SuperA'isor of Registration and County Su
perintendent Avere established. The first Avas created by the Court of
1865 and passed away with the repeal in 1870 of those laws re
garding the suffrage that had been obnoxious. The duty of this officer
was to supervise the registration of those voters who Avere made eligi
ble to vote under the Constitution of 1865. The office of County Commis
sioner Avhich had been established in 1855, was alloAved to lapse during
the war. In 1866 the office of County Superintendent Avas created.
In 1868 the office of County Treasurer was made elective instead
of appointive, and the office of Public Administrator was created; in
1872 that of Prosecuting Attorney and that of Collector were also estab
lished. The Prosecuting Attorney took the place of the County At
torney. When the county was organized in 1841, each judicial circuit
in the state had a circuit attorney. In 1845 a laAv Avas passed by the
legislature authorizing the county courts to employ county attorneys
to assist the circuit attorneys if they saAV fit. The records of this county
shoAV, hoAvever, that in 1844 the county court appointed Samuel True-
lock as county attorney for one year at the magnificent salary of $40
per year. He w"as to prosecute the case against Jesse Kirk, the de
faulting treasurer of the county. From time to time others were ap
pointed until 1872, though there is no evidence to shoAV that they were
appointed regularly every year. In 1872 the offices of Circuit Attor-
Some Early County Officials.
W. T. Porter, W. H. Sheeks,
Circuit Clerk, 1861-67 Sheriff, 1855-59
Isham B. Dodson, Sheriff, 1847-51
Edwin Darrow, B. F. Heiny,
Sheriff, 1867-71 County Clerk, 1875-79
(With the exception of that of Edwin Darrow. all these pictures were taken while
these men were in office.)
County Organization. 45
ney and County Attorney were abolished and that of Prosecuting At
torney for each county was established.
The collection of the taxes was originally the Avork of the sheriff',
who used to make trips throughout the county to gather up the taxes.
He did not carry pads of blank receipts which he fihed out and handed
to the taxpayers as they paid their taxes, but instead a package of legal
cap paper. On narrow slips of foolscap or legal cap paper he wrote out
the receipt for the total amount, omitting the different items and de
tails. He was reheved of this duty in 1872, when the office of County
Collector was created. The county court may yet order the County
Collector to make trips to different parts of the county to facilitate the
collection of taxes, and as late at least as 1891 the court was accustomed
to make this order, and the collector would appear at different places
at different times. For example, M. F. Strock announced in 1886 his
schedule as follows:
Sperry — Clay Township
Stahl — Morrow ToAAmship .
Novinger — Nineveh ToAvnship . .
Millard— Pettis ToAvnship
Sublette — Polk Township
Wilson^Wilson ToAvnship ...
Brashear — Salt River Township
In 1874 the ofl&ce of County Superintendent was abolished by the
legislature and that of County Commissioner was created in its stead.
The office of Recorder was created bj^ order of the County Court
April 9, 1898. Prior to that time this office had been included in this
county under that of Circuit Clerk. In 1865 a law had been passed hy
the legislature providing that when a county had a population of 10,000 or
more the county court might order a separation of the circuit clerk and
recorder. In 1870 the county had a population of 11,000, but the
county court did not see fit to order the separation of the two offices
until 1898. As soon as Governor Stephens Avas notified of this act of
the county court he appointed Harry Focht as Recorder; he served from
April 18, 1898 to January 1, 1899. He was succeeded by Grant Cor-
bin, who was Circuit Clerk and Recorder when the division was
made. The last elective office to be created in Adair County Avas that of
County Superintendent. In 1905 this office was created by the vote
of the people of the county according to a law which permitted coun
ties to have county superintendents instead of county commissioners.
October
7-
- 9
. October
11-
-13
. October
14-
-16
. October
25-
-27
. October
28-
-30
NoA^ember
8-
-10
. November
11-
-13
46 ¦ History of Adair County.
if they chose to have them. In 1909 the law was changed, compelling
each county to have county supervision of the rural and village schools.
The following tabulation shows the various county offices from
1841 to the present. It is not claimed that this is absolutely correct.
It is made up largely from election returns and does not always take
into account those w'ho failed to qualify or those Avho were appointed
to fill unexpired terms. In the main, however, this list is belicA^ed to
be correct.
—
- -- — - _ ... _
state senator
representative
1841
1843
Maj. Bean
Maj. Lusk
1845
77
1847
}i
Jas. C Good
1849
77
1851
Hancock Jackson
Joseph Ringo
1853
John T. Smith
1855
W. H. Parcells
1857
Thos. Richardson
)}
1859
W. S. Fox
W. M. Gates
1861
W. H. Parcells
1863
Abner Gilstrap
Jonathan Ransom
1865
Dr. Lee
1867
Isham B. Dodson
A. H. Linder
1869
A. L. Gibbs
1871
R. H. Browne
D. S. Hooper
1873
77
1875
W. M. Rubey
Jas. Marquess
1877
S. M. Pickler
1879
H. F. Caldwell
F. M. Harrin.gton
1881
0. T. Rouse (1)
JJ
1883
n
1885
W. M. Vancleave
J)
1887
W. H. Sears (2)
J. W. Davis
1889
N. M. Shelton
JJ
1891
J. T. Reynolds
1893
E. R. Stephens
P. D. Grubb
1895
A. N. Seaber
7)
1897
S. M. Pickler
1899
E. B. Fields
})
1901
A. G. Hildreth
1903
T. L. Rubey
77
1905
G. W. Humphrey
F. M. Harrington
1907
F. P. Young
1909
77
J. W. Tinsman
1911
S. M. Pickler
(1) state Senators are elected for four years. The redistricting of the State
every ten years frequently effected a transfer of Adair County from one district to
another, so that there is some apparent irregularity in the succession in office. This
is true in 1881, 1891, and 1901.
(2) Elected to fill vacancy.
circuit judge
circuit attorney
CIRCUIT CLEKK
1841
Jas. A. Clark
B. F. Stringfellow
David James (2)
1843
Wesley Hamilton
77
1845
Addison Reese
Jos. R. Abernathy
1847 i
1849
77
1851
J. J. Lindley
1853
John C. Anderson
1855
E. M. C. Morelock
1857
1859
Thos. Richardson
B. G. BarroAv
1861
W. T. Porter
1863
Jas. Elhson
John T. Foster
1865
E. V. Wilson
W. C. Hilhs
1867
E. 0. Gates
1869
1871
J. W. Henry
Fletcher White
Pros. Att'y (1)
A. Slingerland
1873
J. A. Pickler
1875
JJ
Jas. Ellison
D. C. Pierce
1877
Andrew Ellison
A. D. Risdon
1879
JJ
P. F. Greenwood
W. J. Ashlock
1881
))
A. D. Risdon
1883
77
77
1885
77
1887
JJ
J. W. Johnston
Jas. B. Dodson
1889
77
1891
M. D. Campbell
A. P. Hibbs
1893
JJ
J. B. Dodson
1895
A. D. Risdon
Grant Corbin
1897
J. C. Storm
1899
N. M. Shelton
W. D. Goode
S. S. Cavett
1901
JJ
1903
J. A. Cooley
JJ
1905
77
JJ
1907
W. E. Shiriey
Ed. Rorabaugh
1909
J. E. Rieger
1911
77
G. C. Weatherby
JJ
(1) The office of Prosecuting Attorney was created in 1872, whereupon the office
of Circuit Attorney was discontinued. County Attorneys were originally appointed
to assist the Circuit Attorneys.
(2) The offices of Circuit Clerk and of County Clerk was held by the same per
son from 1841 to 1860. The term was six years until it was changed to four years
in 1867.
RECORDER 1
COUNTY CLERK
ASSESSOR
1841
David James (1)
Thoret Rose
1843
"
J J
1845
'i
JJ
1847
.
JJ
1849 ,
77
Christian Krupp
1851
JJ
1853
Isaac Turner
1855 :
E. M. C. Morelock
JJ
1857
JJ
1859
i
(3)
1861
R. M. Ringo
Franklin Freeman
1863
1
Jas. A. Smith
1865
1867
John Richey
H. W. Snyder
1869
W. J. Ashlock
1871
77
77
1873
Jas. Brewington
1875
B. F. Heiny
(4)
1877
(4)
1879
J. C. Carothers
D. C. Lord
1881
J. W. Waddill
1883
S. S. McLaughlin
JJ
1885
H. C. Sohn
1887
JJ
77
1889
A. C. Rowhnson
1891
P. J. Rieger
F. M. Gilliland
1893
A. C. RoAvlinson
1895
Hezekiah Grisham
T. A. Hulse
1897
" (5)
1899
Grant Corbin (2)
W. R. Holloway
1901
Chas. Englehart
1903
R. M. Miller
JJ
1905
W. S. Policy
1907
Geo. Tuttie
John T. Waddill
1909
JJ
1911
Grove Lowrance
JJ
(1) The Circuit Clerk and County Clerk offices were held by the same men
until 1860 when they were separated. The term was originally six years, but was
cut down to four years in 1867, and has remained so to the present.
(2) The duties of Recorder were taken from the Circuit Clerk in 1898 and a
separate office was created. Harry Focht was Recorder by appointment by the
Governor in 1898. . .n, ^ • j. j r x,
(3) In 1859 there were four assessors for the county instead of one; they were
J A Smith, R. M. Ringo, John McAUister, and John Pickens.
(4) The county had township organization from 1874 to 1877, and hence there
were no County Assessors during that period.
(5) The Assessor's term was lengthened to four years in 1897.
SHERIFF
COLLECTOR
TREASURER
1841
Isaac N. Eby
W. C. Warrener
1843
JJ
Jesse Kirk
1845
Preston MuUanix
John D. Callison
John T. Smith
1847
Isham B. Dodson
(5)
1849
77
1851
John Adkins
Benj. Murphy
1853
77
Evans Mulanix
1855
W. H. Sheeks
J. C. Thatcher
1857
JJ
(6)
1859
Andrew Beatty
1861
JJ
1863
John Owenby
1865
JJ
1867
Edwin Darrow
1869
JJ
G. W. Parks
1871
A. J. Knight
H. W. Snyder
1873
J. D. Miller
A. J. Knight (2)
JJ
1875
JJ
(3)
JJ
1877
P. M. Smith
(3)
JJ
1879
77 1
H. W. Snyder
G. M. McGuire
1881
John Shaver
R. G. Bielby
P. J. Brown
1883
77
JJ
C. H. Malone
1885
J. H. Kinnear
M. F. Strock
M. J. Ross
1887
77
77
77
1889
G. F. Wilhams
Jacob Sands
Theo. Brigham
1891
E. A. Polly
J. H. Paul
A. D. Starr
1893
G. W^ Rupe I
Wm. Meeks
J. S. Matter
1895
JJ
77
JJ
1897
R. I. Blackledge [
W. F. Engelhart
Benj. Ely
1899
J'
JJ
J. S. Matter
1901
C. N. Roberts
F. W. Gibbs ;
JJ
1903
J) 1
77 I
Jas. Crow
1905
J. T. Curry
77
Jos. Berry
1907
JJ
C. A. Chadwick (4) |
JJ
1909
G. F. Wilhams (1)
H. C. Worman (7)
1911
,
U. S. G. DoAvning
(1) The term of Sheriff's office was lengthened to four years in 1909
(2) The duty of collecting taxes was taken from the Sheriff in 1872 and the of
fice of Collector was thereupon created. '
(3) The county was under township organization from 1875 to 1877 and there
was no County Collector during that period. '
(4) The term of the County Collector was lengthened to four years in 1907
(5) The office of Treasurer was filled by appointment of the Countv Court an
parrently until 1868, when it became elective. v^uimty y^onn ap-
(6) Names of Treasurers from 1847 to 1867 could not be found.
(7) The Treasurer's term of office was lengthened to four years in 1909.
CORONER
SURVEYOR
COUNTY SUPT. (4)
1841
1843
1845
S. G. Watkins (2)
1847
David Smith (1)
Bartlett Asher
1849
W. F. T. Lansdale
1851
JJ
1853
1855
John D. Foster
1857
1859
HiranI B. Foster
1861
1863
Edwin Darrow
1865
Levy Y. Henning
(3)
1867
P. J. Brown
Robt. Mercer
1869
P. J. Brown
Lyman Darrow
J. T. Dennis
1871
W. K. Miller
77
1873
G. W. Sublette
Robt. Mercer
1875
R. D. Dean
S. M. Pickler
1877
John Waddill
T. J. Dockery
Robt. Mercer
1879
Theobald MiUer
S. S. McLaughhn
1881
John WaddiU
77
Frank Propst
1883
J. C. McClelland
77
1885
John Waddin
Stephen Hall
77
1887
77
J. D. Brown
1889
77
77
Wm. Hartford
1891
J. J. Mcintosh
L. B. Smith
1893
Robt. Willis
Tyler Paine
W. R. Holloway
1895
C. M. Wilcox
A. P. Vaughn
1897
JJ
77
C. S. Brother
1899
JJ
JJ
1901
JJ
77
H. Blair
1903
W. J. Banning
1905
G. A. Sparling
77
77
1907
77
L. B. Sipple
1909
Foster Easley
77
JJ
1911 1
(1) The office of Coroner was created in 1846, but the incumbents of that office
down to 1865 have not been discovered.
(2) The office of Surveyor was created in 1845. The term of office has always
been four years. The first Surveyor was appointed until election. Bartlett Asher
resigned before the expiration of his term.
(3) Edwin Darrow was elected in 1863 for four years, but the Constitution of
1865 required re-election of all officers, hence the re-election of DarrOw in 1865 for
four years.
(4) The office of County Superintendent was established in 1866. It was changed
to County Commissioner in 1874. In 1905 the county adopted County supervision,
thereby providing for County Superintendents. W. T. Porter is said to have been
elected County Superintendent in 1857, but it is not clear just what the office was
at that time.
52 History of Adair County.
The peculiar organization of the county court and probate court
and the frequent and irregular changes made in their membership from
1841 to 1873, make it impossible to show easily in tabular form the
members of these bodies during that period. The membership of the
county court down to 1878 will be given here .in narrative form, and then
the membership from 1878 to the present will follow in tabular form.
Similar treatment Avill be given the probate court immediately after this.
The first county court was composed of Samuel Easton, Joseph
Ringo, and John MorroAv, Avho Avere appointed by the Governor in 1841
until the first election. In 1842 they Avere succeeded by Jeremiah Bru-
ner, Isaac Gilstrap, and Jos. Wilson, who were elected for a term of four
years. In 1844 Gilstrap and Wilson resigned, and they Avere succeeded
by Nathan Dick and Jonathan Floyd. In 1845 Bruner and Dick resigned,
and Noah Stukey and Samuel Withrow were appointed in their places.
In 1846 Noah Stukey, John Murphy and Jonathan Floyd were
elected for four years.
In 1850 Ellis Wilson, Franklin Freeman and Colden W. Hardin were
elected for four years. In 1851 W. E. Green was elected in place of Ellis
Wilson resigned. When Green resigned in 1852, Geo. Miller was appointed
in his stead. In 1851 B. G. Barrow Avas elected county justice, and in
1853 D. A. Ely Avas appointed; but whom they succeeded is not known.
In 1854 Nelson Grogan, John M. Galyen and Henry Shibley Avere
elected for four years. In 1856 Franklin Freeman was appointed in
'place of Shibley resigned.
In 1858 a change Avas made in the time when the terms of the dif
ferent members Avould expire. Jacob Gilstrap was elected for two
years, Noah Stukey for four years, and D. A. Ely for six years. In 1860,
therefore, Andrew McFerron was elected for six years in place of Gil
strap, and in 1862 Noah Stukey was elected for six years to succeed
himself, and Canada Owenby for four years in place of McFerron resigned,
and in 1864 S. P. Shibley Avas elected for six years to succeed D. A. Ely.
In 1865 all the justices Avere declared removed and S. P. Shibley
was appointed for the long term, Canada Owenby for the middle term,
and 0. H. Beeman for the short term.
In 1866 new judges were elected as follows: John Shibley for six
years, Andrew Gregg for four years, and Wm. Rogers for tAvo years.
In 1867 a special law was passed abolishing the court of three judges
and substituting a court of one judge. D. S. Hooper was appointed to
this position in 1867. In 1868 Jacob Sands was elected to succeed him
for six years.
In 1870 the court was reorganized and two associates added to the
sole judge. A. M. Gregg and A. H. Linder were appointed as associates,
County Organization.
53
and Avere succeeded by Jacob Cook for six years and A. N. Gregg for
four years. In 1872 S. M. Crawford was elected to take Sands' place.
In 1873 the County Court was reorganized. C. B. Pohey was
Presiding Judge, and J. S. Erwin, S. P. Shibley, A. H. Linder, and
J. II. Rainier were District Judges.
In 1874 a further change was made. The court was composed of a
presiding judge and two township judges. Noah Stukey was presiding
judge and the Township Judges were: A. K. Collett, Benton; John W.
Gin, Salt River; S. M. Crawford, Pettis; A. J. Elmore, Wilson; T. G.
Summers, Walnut; James Shott, Nineveh; E. M. C. Morelock, MorroAv;
D. A. Ely, Polk; W. E. Emerson, Clay; A. H. Linder, Liberty.
In 1876 A. Slingerland was Presiding Judge, and the toAvnship
judges were: P. J. BroAvn, Benton; D. A. Ely, Polk; E. M. C. More-
lock, Morrow; J. R. Cook, Wilson; James Shott, Nineveh; G. W. Lord,
Clay; A. H. Linder, Liberty; J. N. McCreery, Salt River; A. B. Milli-
ken. Walnut; S. M. Crawford, Pettis.
In 1877 a law providing for uniform county organization was
passed according to the provisions of the Constitution of the State of
1875 and the Governor appointed Noah Stukey, D. A. Ely and G. T.
Spencer as the County Judges, with Noah Stukey as Presiding Judge,
and the other two as district judges. From that day to this there has
been no change in the form of the court.
PRESIDING judge
.judge FIRST DISTRICT
JUDGE SECOND DISTRICT
1879
M. G. Clem
P. D. Shoop
John H. Rainier
1881
S. F. Stahl
J. Q. Johnson
1883
J. L. Hawkins
G. W. Novinger
77
1885
J. H. Novinger
Geo. R" Huston
1887
W. P. Linder
A. N. Toler
JJ
1889
R. N. Toler
Geo. Meeks
1891
J. J. Keim
Adam Shoop
Wm. Hart
1893
77
Dan'l Tuttie
1895
J. A. Bragg
Jos. Hickman
J J
1897
77
D. H. Crawford
1899
Jos. Hickman
R. N. Toler
G. W. Newton
1901
W. C. Ditmars
JJ
1903
G. W. Newton
JJ
B. R. Hawkins
1905
C. E. Markey
JJ
1907
W. C. Ditmars
"
R. W. Hart
1909
Z. T. Hagans
JJ
1911
A. P. Hopson
J. H. Shoop
S. J. Reed
54
History of Adair County.
The probate court as a separate court was provided for by a law
of 1845. Wm. Hibbard was elected for a term of four years commenc
ing in 1847. He was succeeded by B. G. Barrow in 1851, and then
Abel Stukey served for two terms commencing in 1856. S. N. Hol
loway served from 1864 to 1867, when the court was abolished and the
probate business was transferred to the county court. In 1870 the
court was restored, abolished in 1874, and restored in 1877, and has re
mained in existence ever since. Jacob Sands was Probate Judge from
1870 to 1874.
The probate judges from 1879 to the present are given in the
following table:
PROBATE JUDGE
PUBLIC ADMIN'R
1869
Guy Chandler (1)
1871
1873
JJ
1875
1877
A. L. Shepherd
1879
J. D. Stephens
1881
S. A. Murphy
1883
C. L. LcAvis
1885
Jas. Wait
1887
77
1889
77
1891
Isaac Morgan
1893
Sam'l Preston
1895
H. C. Farrington
1897
Thos. Shott
1899
77
Sam'l Preston
1901
L. P. Carmen
1903
U. S. G. Keller
1905
77
1907
"
1909
Geo. E. McDowell
1911
77
(1) The office of Pubhc Administrator was created in 1868. The term has al
ways been four years.
County Organization. 55
There have been a number of cases brought against different county
officials for derehction of duty and other things. Most of them belong
to the early period of the county. The most interesting is that of John
Owenby, who Avas sheriff' during the war.
Owenby left Kirksville for Jefferson City on February 1, 1867,
with $14,000 for the state, but when it Avas learned he had absconded,
his bondsmen, D. A. Ely and W. B. Harlan, started out in pursuit of
him, and with the aid of a St. Louis detective found him in the Indian
Territorj^ Charges of embezzlement Avere preferred against him, but
the case was never brought to trial.
In defense of Owenby it is claimed by his friends that he had been
duped by men who pretended to be his friends, and that he never in
tended fraud.
As an aftermath to this case arose the combat over Avhat Avas popu
larly known as the "Big Warrant." The bondsmen of Owenby pre
sented a bill of $1,632.35 to the county court as the amount they had
expended in finding Owenby and bringing him back. The county court
granted a warrant for the amount, justifying their action on the ground
that the bondsmen had had an understanding with at least one mem
ber of the court before the pursuit was begun that this expense would
be borne by the county inasmuch as Owenby would be able to give cer
tain information regarding some valuable documents that had been
burned in the court house fire in April, 1865. The warrant Avent to pro
test because of lack of funds. In the course of time a judgment of
$5,000 was rendered against the bondsmen on account of Owenby.
The bondsmen tried to offer the Avarrant in partial payment of the judg
ment, but by that time Judge Hooper was the sole county judge and
he refused to honor the warrant issued by his predecessors. The mat
ter was taken to the circuit court and there decided against the bonds
men, and on their appealing it to the Supreme Court the decision of the
circuit court was confirmed in November, 1870. The ground for this
decision were that the bondsmen were not acting as county officers in
pursuing Owenby, but as private citizens trying to prevent the loss they
would sustain as his bondsmen. The matter stirred up a great deal of
feehng in the community, and was hotly debated on the streets and in
the press. Among the articles written on it Avas one by P. F. and J. M.
Greenwood entitled "Down with the Big Warrant."
Another case concerns E. M. C. Morelock, County and Circuit
Clerk from 1855 to 1861. In October 1856, his bondsmen, Joseph
Ringo, W. H. Parcels, Canada Owenby and 0. H. Beeman, petitioned the
County Court to remove him because of prolonged drunkenness and
56 History of Adair County.
failure to perform the duties of his ofl&ce, and to inform the Attorney
General of the State so that prosecution should be begun against him.
The Court immediately declared him suspended from office and ap
pointed B. G. Barrow as Clerk for an uncertain term. The case, how
ever, was never brought to trial. His original bondsmen were released
and on presenting a new bond he was reinstated in office in Dec, 1856.
Section II — County BuiEdings.
Court House — The law creating the county provided, as has been
stated before, that the first session of the county court should be held at the
residence of David E. Sloan, but no record has survived to tell us anything
of this first meeting. Tradition has it, as has been noted before, that the
first meeting was held at a school house two miles south of what is noAV
Kirksville, instead of Sloan's house. The first records of the county
court that have come down to us are for the meeting held on November
17, 1842, at the house of Jesse Kirk, which stood a short distance from
where the Wabash Depot in Kirksville noAV stands, and from that time
to May, 1843, the sessions of the county court were held in his house.
During this period arrangements were made for the construction
of a temporary court house at Kirksville. This was well enough under
construction by July, 1843 to allow the county court to hold its first
session in it on the 15th of that month. The work on it, however, Avas
not fully completed until the following month. It stood on the lot on
Avhich the National Bank of Kirksville now stands, and is described as
a low one story brick affair, and is said to have cost $1,000, a large
amount for those days and relatively greater in value than the same
amount today. The honor of constructing it fell to John B. Earhart,
who did the brick work, and to John D. Callison, who had the contract
for the wood work. David James, the County Clerk, had the contract
for supplying the furniture. The order of the court for the furnishings
was as follows: "Ordered by the Court that David James furnish four
chairs and furiiish a sufficient quantity of benches for the use of the
Court House, also a bar for the room; also to furnish Avindow shutters
for all the Avindows of the Court House, with hasps or hooks to fasten
them bn the inside of the Court House, also one door shutter AAath a
lock and key, and locks and kees [sic] to all the other doors, the fore-
mentioned [sic] materials all to be good and substanch [sic] and to be
done plain and neat."
It was felt at the time when this court house Avas built that it was
only a makeshift, and so within ten years the county court began to
plan the erection of a permanent building. In February, 1852, the
County Organization. 57
court ordered that a two story court house should be erected in the
pubhc square at Kirksville. To this order the Presiding Judge, Frank
lin Freeman, dissented and left his dissent a matter of record. The
immense sum of $2,200 was appropriated to build the court house thus
ordered, and patriotic citizens desiring to contribute to a court house
fund were urged to do so, and were offered county warrants bearing
six per cent interest in return for their help. Wm. H. Parcells Avas ap
pointed Superintendent of Construction, and he Avas instructed to go to
Edina and procure the plan of the court house of Knox county and sub
mit it to the court. The court later approved the plan which Mr. Par-
cells presented and ordered that he should let the contract on March
8, 1852. On that day the contract was let to Galyen and Douglass,
whereupon the court appropriated $150 more to the original $2,200.
How much more it cost by the time it Avas completed is not known.
During the year 1853 the county court began to use part of the building,
but it was at least two years before the work may be said to have been
finished. The cupola which was the chief exterior adornment, was at
the same time the source of a great deal of trouble, and the records show
that order after order was made to have it repaired so that it would no
longer leak. As late as 1857 the records further show that some sort of
work was being done from time to time in the way of finishing certain
parts of the building. The building was arranged so that the first floor
contained office rooms, and the second floor the court room and a few
other office rooms.
The court rooms of the first and second court houses were long used
for religious purposes and for school purposes. As early as November,
1844, the court authorized the holding of religious services in the court
room of the first court house, and in August, 1851, Robert S. Thompson
Avas given the right to hold a school in it. In December, 1856, Samuel
Sherman was authorized to maintain a school in the court room of the
second court house, provided he would allow political and railroad meet
ings at any time and religious services in it on Saturdays and Sundays.
There are many persons yet living in Kirksville who can remember when
the religious services of the town were held in the court room. In fact,
there was no other place of worship in the town until the Cumberland
Acadejny building was erected in the early sixties. Just exactly when
that building was fitted up for church purposes is not knoAvn.
Early on the morning of April 12, 1865, the second court house Avas
destroyed by fire. It is presumed that the fire started in the county
clerk's office or near it, inasmuch as this office was practicaUy destroyed
by the time the fire was discovered. No one knoAvs hoAv the fire started.
The Second Adair County Court House.
Built in 1853-55; burned to the ground April 12, 1865. This building stood where
the present one stands. This out is made from an old daguerreotype.
County Organization. 59
but the presumption is that it Avas due to accident, though the charge
has been made in the public prints of the county that it was the Avork of
incendiaries who sought to cover up certain things that the records
shoAved to their disadvantage. Many of the records of the circuit
clerk's and recorder's office were saved, but the records of the circuit
court were badly burned. The circuit court records that Avere saved
have since been recopied in new volumes, but the half burnt originals
have been lost. The copied volumes contain only fragments of the
original records. Only three volumes of the records of the county
clerk's office were saved, and they Avere on fire when they Avere taken
out. Two of these volumes contain the record of most of proceedings
of the county court from November, 1842, to November, 1857. These
volumes, Avith the binding burnt off and the edges of the leaves charred,
are now preserved in two tin boxes in the county clerk's office, and are
among the most valuable historical documents on the early history of
the county. Another volume taken from the county clerk's office, the
assessor's Tax Book evidently for 1859, is likewise badly burned and is
preserved in another tin box. The saving of the records in the circuit
clerk and recorder's office Avas largely due to Mr. John L. Porter, who
was then deputy in that office, and to Mr. Ebenezer Vorhees. These
two men took their turn in going in among the faihng embers and hand
ing out the records through the windows.
Over thirty years passed before Adair County possessed another
court house of her own. Meanwhile, the court house square became
known as the Park, which in time was set out in beautiful trees, though
there were times when it was neglected and abused. A band stand
was erected at one time in it, and this Avas used by the Kirksville band
for its open air concerts. Moreover, during this period of thirty years
the county offices and the courts Avere housed in different buildings around
the square at different times.
The proposition to vote bonds to build a court house was submitted
to the voters of the county at four different times at least and defeated
each time before it was carried. The first Avhich proposed the the issue
of $40,000 in bonds, Avas submitted November 5, 1872, and was de
feated by a vote of 179 for to 1788 against. The defeat was doubtless
due in part to the fact that the county Avas already heavily loaded with
bonded indebtedness. Bonds to the amount of $78,000 had been is
sued in 1870 for the Normal School, and bonds to the amount of $75,000
had been issued for the Q. M. & P. R. R. Moreover, Benton township
had voted $40,000 and the east half of Salt River ToAvnship $6,000 for
the same railroad, so that the sum total of bonded indebtedness of the
60 History or Adair County.
county and the two townships just mentioned amounted to $219,000.
It is not surprising that the proposition to vote $40,000 more in bonds
for a court house should have been defeated so decidedly at the polls.
The second proposition was submitted on June 2, 1891. This
was to issue bonds to the amount of $50,000 to build a court house and
a jail. The county court decided that if the matter carried, the court
house should be erected in the center of the square. But the matter
was defeated by a vote of 737 for and 875 against. No such explana
tion can be offered for this defeat as was given for that in 1872. The
<;ounty Avas at that time getting out of debt, the Normal School bonds
having been paid off and the railroad bonds having been cut down consider
ably. Moreover, the county came very near losing all its records by
fire a few months previous. On December 13, 1890, the northwest
corner of the square, including the Masonic building in which the county
oflfices and court were located, Avas burned to the ground. This would
seem to have been sufficient warning to urge the people to vote to care for
their own records, especially since the financial condition of the county was
better than it had been twenty years before. But this did not prove
to be the case. The election returns show that the country people de
feated the proposition. Many of them said that Kirksville ought to
build the court house and that they would leave it for the toAvn to do
so. It was also said that no plans had been submitted to the people
so they could see what they were going to get for their money, and
hence they would not support the proposition.
One of the questions that had been long discussed prior to this
election Avas the site for the new court house when it should be built.
The first court house had stood on the northwest corner of the square,
but the second in the center of the square or park. Many people wanted
the new court house in the square, but some protested against that
and advocated the purchasing of a lot somewhere either on or off the
square on which should be erected the court house. One reason given
against the square or park as the site was that the court house would
have to haA'e four expensive fronts, while if it were built on an ordinary
lot it would need only one front and hence would not be so expensive.
The third proposition was submitted in November, 1892. This
provided for bonds to the amount of $40,000 for a court house and jail,
but Avas lost by a vote of 1094 for and 1407 against.
The fourth proposition Avas submitted at the regular election four
years later, that is, in November, 1896. This provided for bonds to
the amount of $50,000 for a court house and jail, and while the vote was
a httle stronger for the proposition than the one cast in 1892, it was
not enough to carry it. The vote stood 1422 for and 1592 against.
County' Organization. 61
The last effort showed that the sentiment Avas gaining in favor of
¦the building of a court house. This was a matter of encouragement
to those who had long worked to give the county adequate protection
for its records and who had some pride in the county's respectability..
Within a year the matter was submitted again, and this time with suc
cess. On July 6, 1897 a petition bearing over 400 names was submitted
to the county court asking for a special election to vote on $50,000
bonds to erect a court house and jail, with the proviso that the court
house would be built in the public square. The county court granted
the petition and ordered the election to be held on August 3, 1897. The
vote stood 1993 for, and 650 against. The victory for the court house
was a decided one and reflected credit on the voters of the county.
The county court accepted the plans and specifications of Kirscli
& Company of Milwaukee, and let the contract for building the court
house according to the plans and specifications on November 6, 1897,
to Anderson & Menke for $46,675.00.
The corner stone was laid with elaborate ceremony on Monday,
May 2, 1898. The day Avas not as auspicious as had been hoped, on
account of the rain the day before and the threatening weather that
day. But as it was, thousands of people were in town and witnessed the
ceremony. In addition to the regular trains which brought in many
people, a special train came up from Moberly.
At about twelve o'clock the parade was formed on High Street and
moved Avest on McPherson to Franklin, south to Jefferson, west to
Elson, north to Harrison, east to Franklin and south to the Grand Stand
on Washington. Those in the parade came in the following order:
Kirksville Cornet Band, Masonic Order, County Officials, City officials.
Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows, Lincoln Legion of Honor, G. A. R.
Posts, Woodmen Order, American School of Osteopathy, Public Schools,
Columbia School of Osteopathy, State Normal School, Adair County
Volunteers, Old Settlers and other Citizens, and Marine Brass Band.
H. A. Butler was Marshal of the day.
After the parade halted at the Grand Stand, the following program
was carried out: The Address of Welcome was dehvered by Mayor
T. J. Dockery. The corner stone was then laid with Masonic rites
under the direction of Andrew Fisher, acting Grand Master, of La Belle.
The oration was delivered by Dr. C. H. Briggs, S. G. W. of the Grand
Lodge of Missouri.
The program closed Avith a series of "toasts" as follows: "Adair
County, Past, Present and Future," S. M. Pickler; "The State Normal
School," Prof. R. C. Norton; "The Pubhc Schools," Superintendent
County Organization. 63
IV. R. HohoAvay; "The American School of Osteopathy," Dr. Wm.
Smith; "The Columbia School of Osteopathy," Dr. U. M. BroAvder;
"The Old Settiers," Rev. Wm. L. Fletcher; "The Churches and Sundav
Schools," Rev. G. W. Sharp.
The building was finished and occupied on March 31, 1899..
For some reason or other the court did not include the building of
a jail in the contract, and the total cost of the court house including
ixtures, was considerably beyond the original contract. This extra
expenditure was borne out of the contingent fund of the county. There
was considerable criticism on the part of some people because of the
way the matter turned out. The building, however, is architecturally
3, credit to the county, and could not be rebuilt today for probably one-
Iiaff again as much as it cost.
As has been said, the county officers and the county courts were
Tioused in various places during the period between the fire in 1865 and
the erection of the present court house in 1897-98. For about tAventy
years after the fire the different offices were located here and there as
facilities could be found. It was impossible to find a building where
all the offices could be accommodated. For a while a part of the jail
building was used by the county clerk and the county court. A build
ing called Sherwood Hall on the south side, and* also another building
known as the Baylor building, the present Savings Bank Building,
were used at different times for some of the county offices. When the
Masonic building was erected on the northwest corner of the square in
1885, the offices and courts were moved into it. The burning of that
building in 1890 forced the county court to provide temporary quarters
in what is known as the Spencer block just south of the Citizens Na
tional Bank, but as soon as the Masonic building was rebuilt on its
present site, that is justnorthof where the one that burned had stood, the
county offices and courts were moved there. There they remained
until the present court house was occupied in 1899.
Jail — In the early days the county had a kind of calaboose for the
detention of prisoners. It is said to have been a log affair with the logs
fitted closely together. Just where it stood is not known.
A few years before the civil war, probably in 1858, the county built
a jail on the site where the present jail stands. The original structure
was a low, small square brick building in which the various cells were
placed. In a few years after it was erected a frame addition was built
on the front for the use of the jailer. An addition was made to this
frame part in 1877. It has just been noted how after the court house
64 History op Adair County.
was burned in 1865 the county was compelled to make use of the frame
portion for some of the county offices, for a while at least.
Mr. T. J. Dockery, who has long resided in Kirksville, recalls quite
well how this jail was thought of as a wonderful structure when it Avas
built. He says that the people used to go and look at it and become
convinced on seeing it that it was proof against jail deliveries. But it
was found out that it was not so secure a place after all. On October 5,
1873, a jail dehvery took place and five or six of the inmates made their
escape. After that several other escapes were made, so that it became
a common remark that anybody could get out who Avanted to. When
it was thought necessary to use precaution in safekeeping prisoners,
they were taken to the jails of neighboring counties.
The place was long recognized as unsanitary and ill-fitted for what
it was intended to be. As early as 1878 the Grand Jury left on record
its adverse criticism, and nearly every grand jury that inspected this
jail until it was torn down, reiterated this criticism. The building,
however, was allowed to remain in use nearly fifty years before a mod
ern one was erected in its place.
One event took place in the old jail that should be mentioned.
On January 15, 1904, John M. Robertson was executed in it by Sheriff
C. N. Roberts, for the murder of his father-in-law, George Conkle, on
November 13, 1902. This is the only legal execution the county has
ever had.^
We have seen that the county had voted bonds in 1897 to build a
court house and a jail, but that the county court had put all the money
thus voted into a court house. That left the matter in such a shape
that the jail had to be built later with other funds. The need became
so urgent that a proposition was submitted on June 4, 1904, to the peo
ple to issue bonds to the amount of $20,000 for the erection of a modern
jail. This was defeated by a vote of 805 for and 708 against, the two-
thirds majority vote being lacking considerably. The same proposition
was submitted again at the regular election in November of that year,
but it failed again, the vote being 1187 for and 1147 against.
Though two defeats followed one another in so short a time, the
matter was not dropped. The amount proposed was cut down from
$20,000 to $17,000 and submitted again. It took three special elec
tions, however, before this proposition was legally carried. These elec
tions were all held in 1905. How there came to be so many special
elections is a matter of some interest.
The first was held on March 28, and resulted in a defeat of the
proposition, the vote standing 1212 for and 816 against. There were
County Organizatjon. 65
several votes lacking to make the two-thirds majority required by law
in voting on bonds.
The second election was held May 31. The proposition carried
this time by a vote of 1184 and 573 against. There were 12 more votes
than the necessary two-thirds majority. The county court proceeded
to let the contract and issue the bonds. The contract was let to the Pauly
Jail Company of St. Louis and to A. L. Holmes of Kirksville, for the
joint sum of $16,990, and the bonds were sold to Little & Hays for $17,510.
But close investigation later showed that an error had been made in
the notice of the election which invalidated the bonds. The notice
read that the bonds were to run two years, while the county court rec
ords showed that they were to run three years. This error was not
detected until one of the contractors had the foundation laid and much
material on the ground. The county court therefore ordered a new
election to be held on December 1. The vote at this time was 1235
for and 188 against. The bonds were made to run two years and were
sold to the Mississippi Valley Trust Company for $17,367. The con
tracts A\dth the Pauly Jail Company and with A. L. Holmes were re
newed at the original figures, and the work proceeded until the build
ing was completed in July, 1906.
Almshouse — The county maintains a county farm of 160 acres in
the southeast part of Benton township for the keeping of the paupers
of the county. The inmates are housed in an old farm house which is
also used as a residence by the Superintendent. The county's insane
patients are sent to the state asylums at St. Joseph and Fulton.
Section III — Bonded Indebtedness.
The county has contracted bonded indebtedness at different times
for railroads, for the State Normal School located at Kirksville, for the
court house built in 1897-98, and for the jail built in 1905-6. Some
mention has already been made of some of these bonds, and mention
will be made of the others in another place. But it is in order that a
brief account of the entire matter should be given here.
As far as is known the first bonds ever voted by the people of the
county were in favor of the North Missouri Railroad, now the Wabash.
This road was begun in the early fifties and was in operation from St.
Louis to Macon by the time the war came on. The Adair County Court
made arrangements in 1856 to subscribe $50,000 to the capital stock of
this railroad, and in 1857 the proposition to subscribe another $50,000
was submitted to the people. The records that have come down to
us do not show whether the last proposition carried, nor hoAV the first
66 History of Adair County.
3,000 was to be raised. But it seems that in one way or another the
county became obhgated prior to 1860 to the North Missouri Railroad
for $100,000 on condition that the road be built to the Iowa line. The
line got only as far as Macon before the war and was not extended to
Kirksville and the Iowa line until 1868. The county did not consider
itself bound, therefore, to execute its obligations, though it is said
by persons who ought to know that a few thousand dollars were paid
to the railroad. Just how much could not be ascertained. Since the
war the county has several times issued bonds for different purposes,
but at no time has it felt inclined to repudiate any of its debts.
In 1870 the county voted to issue twenty year bonds to the max
imum extent of $100,000 for the purpose of securing the location of the
First District State Normal School in Kirksville. In making its bid
to the Board of Regents for this school, the county offered to issue bonds
sufficient to realize $50,000 for a building, and later offered to issue in
addition other bonds to the amount of $16,000 for the purchase of school
apparatus for the new school building, and for the purchase of the old
school building. The county was able to raise the $50,000 in cash
promised for the new building, only by issuing bonds to the amount of
$62,000, so bad was the credit of the county at that time. This amount
together Avith the $16,000 additional bonds, made the total amount of
bonded indebtedness for the Normal School $78,000.
In 1872 the county issued twenty year bonds to the amount of
$75,000 in behaff of the Q. M. & P. R. R., now the "0. K.", in fulfill
ment of a contract made by the county court under the authority vested
in it by the people of the county at a special election held on March 29,
1870. At that election the people adopted a proposition to subscribe
$100,000 to the capital stock of this railroad, to be paid in the following
installments: $25,000 when the grading should be completed from the
eastern line of the county to Kirksville; $50,000 when the iron should
be laid from West Quincy to Kirksville; and $25,000 when the grading
should be completed from Kirksville to the western border of the county.
This railroad was completed to Kirksville by 1872 and the county pro
ceeded to fulfill its part of the contract by issuing $75,000 in bonds.
The railroad never got the remaining $25,000 because it did not finish
the road to the western border of the county until several years later,
and the delay caused the railroad to forfeit its rights to the rest of the
$100,000 promised by the county.
In this connection it should be mentioned that Benton Township
voted in 1871 to issue $40,000 to the same railroad, and likeA\dse the
eastern half of Salt River Township voted to issue $6,000 for the same.
County Organization.
67
In 1897 the people voted to issue five year bonds to the amount of
$50,000 for the building of a court house and jail. For reasons as have
already been shown, the county court found it feasible to use all the
money realized from these bonds in a court house and hence did not
build a jail. In 1905 the county voted $17,000 in two year bonds
to build a jail and residence for the sheriff'.
As far as can be ascertained this constitutes the list of bonded in
debtedness of the county, except perhaps here and there when some
bridge bonds were issued and sold.
The foUoAving table recapitulates what has been presented in the
preceding paragraphs on the subject of bonded indebtedness of the
county :
date
OBJECT
amt. op bonds
amt. REALIZED
PROM SALE
TIME
INTEREST
1871
Normal Sch.
$78,000
$66,000*
20 yrs.
10%
1872
Q. M. & P.
75,000
75,000t
20 "
10%
1897
Court House
50,000
5 "
5%
1906
Jail
17,000
17,367.20
2 "
5% ,
$220,000
If the bonded indebtedness of Benton and East Salt River Town
ships be added, the above figures would be extended so as to amount to
$266,000. In 1893 there yet remained unpaid $55,000 of the original $75,000
subscribed by the county to the Railroad, and $10,000 of the original
$40,000 subscribed by Benton Township. A proposition to refund these
bonds at a lower rate of interest was submitted in 1893 to the people
of the county and of Benton Township, and it was carried by over
whelming votes. In the county the vote was 631 for to 51 against. It
seems from this that the county had done very httle toAvards meeting
its obligations, though twenty years had come and gone since the bonds
were first issued, and that Benton Township had meauAvhile cut her
bonds down to onefourth of the total original amount.
The county has no bonded indebtedness of any kind at the pres
ent time.
* The Normal School got $50,000 in cash and $16,000 in bonds of the county.
t These bonds were issued to the Railroad and were not put on the market by
the county.
CHAPTER VI.
COUNTY POLITICS.
At the time the county was organized, that is in 1841, the Whigs
had just come into power under Harrison and Tyler in the National
Government, but this national victory of the Whigs had not affected the
Democratic party in its control of Missouri. The Whigs were never a
strong party in this state, though they included in their ranks many
men of influence and ability. Inasmuch as many of the earliest set
tlers in Adair County came from Kentucky or the Missouri River coun
ties of this state, it is not at all surprising to find that in its early years
the county was predominantly Democratic in its politics. Prior to
1860 a Whig was occasionally elected to some county office, but that was
generally due to the personal popularity of the particular Whig candi
date. The true test of the political faith of a community is its votes
on the Presidential electors, and an examination of those cast between
1844 and 1856 inclusive show that there were about twice as many
Democrats in this county during that period as there were Whigs. Since
1860 the county has been regularly Republican according to the above
mentioned test, though there have been some county officers elected
from the ranks of the other parties.
Notwithstanding the fact that the Democrats Avere the predominant
party prior to 1860 and the Republicans have l^een since then, county
politics have gone through several phases which are of considerable
political interest locally.
The long continued supremacy of the Democrats in the state led
to factions within their party, just as it happens with every party that
remains long in power. In the early fifties the Benton and Anti-Ben-
ton factions were active throughout the state. It is not known whether
Adair County Democracy Avas divided on the Benton controversy or
not, but about the time this controversy was coming on there were two
local factions here called Royalists and Anti-Royalists. The Royalists
were led by Wm. H. Parcells and Wm. Sheeks, and the Anti-Royahsts
by A. H. Linder and others. The Presidential election of 1856 served
to put the Whig party the country over out of business, and the Repub
lican party which put forth its national ticket for the first time that
year had not as yet established itself throughout the Union. In this
County Politics. 69
demoralized condition of the opposition, the Democratic party in this
county found itself with practically a clear ^eld from 1856 to 1860, and
frequently the only candidates for local offices that Avere in the race
Avere Royalist and Anti-Royalist Democrats.
With the coming on of the war the political complexion of the
state and county quickly changed. The Repubfican party rapidly
organized itself and got control of the affairs of the nation in 1860 and
of the state of Missouri in 1862. But in a very short time the Repub
lican party in Mssouri split into tAvo wings, the Radicals and the Lib
erals. The issue which started the cleavage was the question of eman
cipating the slaves in the state. The emancipation proclamation of
Lincoln issued on January 1, 1863, did not apply to Missouri. Inas
much as there were many people in the state who favored the emanci
pation of the slaves in Missouri, Governor Gamble called a state conven
tion on June 15 of that year. This convention proceeded to pass an
ordinance which provided for the gradual emancipation of the slaves
of the state. This measure proved unsatisfactory to that element in
the Republican party which wanted immediate emancipation. This
element known as the Radicals proceeded to make an attempt to se
cure the immediate emancipation of the slaves of the state by way of
urging President Lincoln to extend his proclamation so as to include
Missouri. Failing in this they set to work to carry the elections in the
state in 1864, and they .succeeded. After coming into power in that
year, they proAdded for another state convention which met in Jan
uary, 1865 and which passed at once an ordinance for the immediate
emancipation of the slaves in Missouri. In addition to this, this con
vention felt itself authorized to draft a new state constitution to take
the place of the old one adopted in 1820. There was therefore drawn
up and submitted to the people what was popularly known as the "Drake
Constitution," because of the prominent part which Senator Drake took
in its passage. Because of the test oath which resulted in the disfran
chisement of those who had taken any part in the civil war against the
government or who had shown any sympathy for the southern cause,
a great storm of protest arose against this constitution after it went
into effect. The split which had started between the Radicals and
Liberals over the immediate emancipation issue Avidened over the dis
franchisement issue.
The breach between the two elements had not come to a separa
tion of forces. Party organization was yet maintained Avith the Rad
icals in control. Some of the Radical leaders recognized that a mistake
had been made in the rigor of the "Drake Constitution," and Governor
70 History of Adair County.
Fletcher recommended to the legislature that the objectionable section
in this constitution should be repealed, but before the legislature could
act the Supreme Court of the United States decided in January, 1867
that this section was unconstitutional. The Radicals who were in con
trol of the party now sought to maintain themselves in power and pro
ceeded to pass through the legislature in January, 1868 a registry law
which created a Board of Registration for each county which had full
powers in revising the voting hsts. Their schemes brought them suc
cess in the election of 1868, but by the time the next biennial election
came the tide had turned against the Radicals.
This change came about this way. The legislature had in 1869
passed certain amendments to the state constitution eliminating many
of the objectionable features in the sections on suffrage and ordered
them submitted to the people at the regular election in 1870. When
the Republican state convention met it was found to be controlled
by the Radicals who nominated McClurg for re-election as Governor
and refused to endorse the amendments to the state constitution. This
led to a schism in the party, the first one since the issue had been raised
between the Radicals and Liberals. The Liberal delegates in the con
vention Avithdrew from it and nominated B. Gratz Brown for Governor
and endorsed the constitutional amendments. The result was there
were two tickets in the field, the Radical and Liberal Republican tick
ets. Through the assistance given the Liberals by the few Democrats
that were allowed to vote, the Liberal ticket was carried as also were
the constitutional amendments. The adoption of these amendments
opened up the polls again to all Democrats in the state, so that in 1872
they came back into power and retained it for nearly forty years.
The course of political events in the state just related involved all
the counties of the state that were Republican. In Adair County the
first traces of a Republican party are to be found in the year 1860.
John Gill, Isham B. Dodson, D. S. Hooper, A. H. Linder, John Richey
and Dr. R. H. Browne were among the organizers and early leaders of
that party. In the Presidential election of that year, 185 votes were
cast in the county for Lincoln, 293 for Bell, 339 for Breckenridge, and
616 for Douglas. This vote shows what strength the Republicans had
gained by the time the first pohtical contest came on after their organiza
tion. By 1862 the county went Republican; in that year the ma
jority of votes cast for Congressman, State Senator, and Representa
tive were Repubfican. In 1863 the majority of votes cast for Circuit
Judge, Probate Judge and Supreme Judges were Republican, as was
also the majority of votes in the special election of January, 1864 on
F'AjFuv.EEin. j\ji>r:
Wla:o r^'K-v 'T'A.:3dEaB
DEMOCRATIC
Ul. Hno ABt UPrOSED TO
i
NEGRO EttUALITI!
AKTi coivraz%.E:ssio]\ri\.z. xj&xjiki»a.
¦rxoivs,
and in favor of the payment of the
NATIONAL DEBT
EQUAL TAXATION. ABROGATION OF THE "TEST OATH' AND SECURINO TO ALL THE
States of the UDion their Rights undef the Federal Conatitution,
Aro cordiall; inTlted to be praaeot and lahe pari in iha delibersliooa •(%
J
kll
at Sherwood's hail, February 22, '68.
Facsimile op Political Poster in the Campaign op 1868.
The original belongs to F. M. Harrington, Kirksville.
72 History of Adair Countt.
Circuit Judge. The constitution of 1865 was carried in the county by
an overwhelming vote of 569 to 25, but the vote cast was far from a
full one. This is seen in the fact that in the year previous nearly 900
votes had been cast on all sides, while a little less than 600 were cast
in 1865. As far as the evidence available shows, the struggle between the
Radical and Liberal Repubhcans did not arise in this county until after
the constitution of 1865 was adopted and the disfranchising laws were
enforced. There were never many slaves in this county, the census of
1860 giving only 86, so that the interest in the question of gradual or
immediate emancipation does not appear to have stirred up much feel
ing. But the enforcement of the measures of disfranchisement must
have aroused a good deal of feeling. The campaigns during the years
1868-72 were quite lively, as they were everywhere in the state. So
overwhelmed was the Democratic party in the county it did not put out
a county ticket in any. of these campaigns. Those Democrats that
were allowed to vote at all generally voted with the Liberal Republi
cans and some of the Democratic demonstrations during the campaigns
were in behalf of the Liberal Republicans.
The campaign of 1868 opened quite early. On Washington's
birthday the Democrats held a county mass meeting in Kirksville to
which were invited all who were "opposed to Negro Equality and Con
gressional Usurpations," and who were "in favor of the payment of the
National Debt in Greenbacks, equal taxation, abrogation of the test
oath, and securing to all the states of the Union their rights under the
Federal Constitution." In March the Radicals held a county mass
meeting in Kirksville which adopted resolutions declaring that there
were only two parties in the county, loyal and disloyal, and endorsing
Congress for confiding the reconstruction of the South to the loyal
party. These resolutions also approved the impeachment of Presi
dent Johnson. The battle of Kirksville was celebrated on its sixth an
niversary, August 6, and seems to have been made a decided political
demonstration for the Radicals. As the campaign drew to a close a
great debate was held in Kirksville between the Democrats and the
Radicals. It lasted a whole day, J. F. Benjamin (Radical) and J. F.
Wilhams (Democrat) speaking in the morning, and Senator C. D. Drake
(Radical) and John S. Phelps (Democrat) in the afternoon. Senator
Drake was the man after whom the so called "Drake Constitution"
was named, and John S. Phelps was the Democratic candidate for
governor. The campaign in the county in 1870 was made noteworthy by the
County Politics. 73
speeches made by Senator Carl Schurz and B. Gratz Brown, the Liberal
Republican candidate for Governor, in behalf of the cause of the Lib
eral party. It will be recalled that the Liberals and Radicals had sep
arate state tickets in the field which included candidates for Congress,
the State Senate and the House of Representatives as well as candidates
for Governorship and other offices in the state. But in the county the
Radicals were in control of the county organization, and as far as can
be learned there were no Liberal candidates for any of the county offices
except possibly the sheriff. The contest in the county was waged
over the state officers, Congressmen, State Senator and Representa
tive. The result was a great victory for the Radicals, as a majority
vote for the Radical candidates ior Governor and other state officers
ranged from 125 to 175, but the result as regards the State Senate
and House of Representatives was divided. Dr. R. H. Browne, the
Liberal candidate for the State Senate carried the county by 15, and
D. S. Hooper, the Radical candidate for the House was elected by a ma
jority of 61. No record has been found regarding the vote in the county
on the constitutional amendments.
The two Republican papers of the county were divided on the is
sues of the election. The Tribune, edited by F. S. Hoag, was Liberal,
while the Journal, edited by Pickler and Gill, was Radical.
The constitutional amendments that had been carried in 1870
had their effect upon the registration for 1872. In 1870 only 1650 had
been able to register in this county, while in 1872 there were 2574. Some
hope was placed in this enlarged registration removing the Radical
majority of 1870, but this was not realized.
The Democrats got into the contest for the county offices in 1872
for the first time since the war began. They did so under the cover
of Independent County Ticket which was headed by Wm. H. Par-
cells for Representative. On this ticket were placed a few Liberal
Republicans, but the majority of the candidates were Democrats.
The Repubfican ticket was filled up with Radicals, and after a bit
ter campaign the Radicals were successful in the county, carrying every
thing by majorities ranging from 185 to 537.
It win be remembered that in this year (1872) the Democrats
regained the control of the state. This marked the end of the contest
between the Radical and Liberal Repubhcans. All of their forces were
needed to oppose the triumphant Democracy. Because of the special
strength of the Radical Republicans prior to 1872, all Republicans
were known for a long time after that year as "Rads" or "Radicals."
By 1874 a reaction had set in against partisan politics in the state,
74 History of Ad.a.ir County.
which took shape in the formation of a People's Party made up largely
of men from both the Democratic and Repubhcan parties. This party
held a state convention in September and nominated a state ticket
heading it with Major Wm. Gentry of Pettis County for Governor.
In this convention Dr. A. H. John of Adair County was a very influen
tial figure. The platform which this party issued condemned the prac
tice of selecting state and local officers upon national issues and demanded
efficiency and honesty on the part of state and local officials. This
movement was so strong in the state that the Republican party in its
state convention a few weeks later decided not to get out a separate
ticket but to support the People's Ticket instead. This action had
been foreseen by the Repubhcans throughout the state, and action had
been taken by the Repubhcan County Convention of Adair County
condemning this procedure and demanding that the state convention
should put out a Republican ticket. The Democratic state convention
had met a week earlier than the People's Party state convention and had
put out a state ticket.
Prior to any of these state conventions the People's Party in Adair
County held a county convention and nominated candidates for county
offices, some of whom were Democrats and. some Republicans. So
strong was the sentiment in the county in favor of this movement that
both the Democratic and Republican county organizations decided
not to put into the field separate tickets. After that decision was
reached a number of men announced themselves as independent candi
dates for some of the county offices, so that a lively contest ensued for
these offices.
The election came on with two state tickets in the field, the Dem
ocratic and the People's, and with a People's county ticket and a few
independent candidates for county offices in the field. The result was
the election of the Democratic ticket throughout the state, and the elec
tion of some of the People's county ticket in this county and a few of
the independent candidates. Among those elected on the People's
ticket in the county were Jas. Marquess, Representative; B. F. Heiny,
County Clerk; H. W. Snyder, Treasurer; James Ellison, Prosecuting
Attorney. Those elected on the Independent ticket were D. C. Pierce,
Circuit Clerk, and J. D. Miller, Sheriff. In the outcome the Republi
cans fared batter than the Democrats, as all but Pierce and Elhson
were Republicans.
When the campaign first began, the North Missouri Register, the
only Democratic paper in the county, favored the state ticket of the
People's Party. Later in the campaign the editor. Major Gillespie,
County Politics. 75
forsook that party and supported the Democratic state ticket. He was
charged by his pohtical enemies as having changed because of his dis
appointment in not getting the nomination for a certain office, but he
claimed he had changed because he thought the People's party was being
used by the Repubhcans as a tool.
In 1875 the present constitution of the state was carried in the county
by a very close vote, 475 for and 440 against. In Benton township
the vote was 200 for and 217 against. The contest in the county was
a bitter one and was kept up for some time after the election was over.
Much of the opposition came from the "Radicals."
The campaign of 1876 was marked with a decided regularity of
party organizations and candidates throughout the county and the state.
The Presidential campaign made this regularity almost a necessity.
The Democrats were too weak, however, to carry the day in the county
though they elected the state ticket in Missouri and claimed they elected
Tilden as President. The strength of the Republican party in the coun
ty is seen in their majorities which ran from 387 to 448.
The campaign of 1878 is noteworthy because of the combination
made between the Democrats and the Greenbackers, and the victories
they won in the contest for county offices with the Republicans. The
Greenback party was organized as a national party in 1874 and was in
the field with a Presidential ticket in 1876. It got its name from the
main principle it advocated — the payment of the national debt in whole
or in part in greenbacks — a matter which had been agitated ever since
the close of the war. The party was made up generally everywhere
of the dissatisfied element of both parties, and in Missouri it may be
considered the successor of the People's party that held forth in 1874.
Inasmuch as it was the third party it usually made alliances in the dif
ferent counties with the weaker of the two parties. In Adair County
that meant an alliance with the Democratic party. It can hardly be
said to have been in the field in the county prior to this campaign, as
Peter Cooper, the Presidential candidate in 1876 got only 21 votes in
the entire county.
The Greenback County Convention put out a ticket made up of
men who had been or were yet either Democrats or Republicans. Of
the twelve men named for the various offices, four were Democrats, six
Repubhcans, and one Independent. Care was taken so that the can
didates came from different parts of the county and not from any one
part. A Greenback county club had been organized in March, 1878, with
A. H. Linder as president, and W. Halladay as secretary. The exec-
76 History of Adair County.
utive committee included a good many men who had long maintained
active connection with the Repubhcan and Democratic parties. Among
them were A. H. Linder, W. Hahaday, Robert Moore, Jas. Berry, A.
M. Gregg, M. G. Clem, 0. B. Milhken, Thomas Simmons, E. Minter,
Polk Morelock, Jacob Hahaday, 0. H. Beeman, and others.
The Republican party got out its regular ticket, and the race for
Circuit Clerk was made a three cornered affair by D. C. Pierce an
nouncing himself as an Independent candidate for re-election.
The election resulted in the divided victory, each party electing
some of its candidates. The Repubhcans elected Representative,
County Clerk, Circuit Clerk, Sheriff and CoUector, with majorities rang
ing from 6 to 1122 only. The Greenbackers elected County Court
Judges, Probate Judge, Treasurer, Assessor and Coroner. P. F. Green
wood, Independent candidate for Prosecuting Attorney, won his race.
The Grange movement was undoubtedly responsible for much of
the unevenness of politics during the seventies. This movement began
to get started in 1873 and professed to be solely for the purpose of pro
tecting the farmers against extortion on the part of manufacturers of
farming implements, and of merchants, wholesale and retail. It was
against the coiistitution of this order for it to enter the field of politics
and hence no ticket was ever put out as a Grange ticket, but the local
lodges exercised an important influence in pohtics by passing resolutions
which promised support to those belonging to the Grange and con
demning those who did not. There is no doubt but that the victories
of the People's party ticket in 1874 and of the Greenback-Democratic
party ticket in 1878 were partly due to the fermentation which the
Grange had caused in its discussions and agitations.
The campaign of 1880 was carried on in the county with three sep
arate tickets in the field, Republican, Greenback and Democratic. The
alliance between the Greenbackers and Democrats in 1878 could not
be sustained when a national canvass was on. There was considerable
feeling between the Democrats and Greenbackers because of the split
that had taken place, and this made the Republican victory all the more
decided in the county.
The campaign was noted for torchlight processions, big rallies,
flag poles and campaign songs set to familiar tunes. These features
continued to increase in use for several years, the noisiest campaign
being that of 1884 in all probabihty.
The campaign- of 1882 was marked with the same party regularity
of 1880. Three tickets were in the field as then. The county election
resulted in a Repubhcan victory for all the offices except the county
County Politics. 77
judge for the first district. Geo. Novinger, Democrat, was elected to
that office. The Republican majority was considerably reduced, how
ever in the county, which was in keeping with the general trend through
out the nation, and as kind of prophecy of the sweeping Democratic
victory of the following campaign.
In 1884 the Democrats and Greenbackers arranged a fusion ticket
once more for the campaign in this county. The plan had been orig
inally to have separate tickets, but inasmuch as several of the men nom
inated by the Democratic county convention refused to make the race,
it was felt best by the leaders of the party to attempt fusion Avith the
Greenbackers, who were clearly affiihated with the Knights of Labor.
After some effort a complete ticket was made out for all the county of
fices, and this went under the name of People's Ticket.
The Republicans held a primary to decide on their candidates,
and this seems to be the first primary that had been in the county since
1870. The usual method had been to select candidates by county
conventions, but this was objected to so much because of the deals that
could be made, so that a primary was held to decide who should be nom
inees. As far as is known the Republicans have almost uniformly selected
their nominees in this county by the primaries. They have at times been
rather warm, as they have been frequently considered the real elections.
The outcome in 1884 was a great Republican victory in the county,
every office being filled by Republicans. The majority cast for Blaine was
600, and for the county officers from 4 to 446. G. W. Novinger, Demo
cratic-Greenback candidate for re-election for county judge, came with
in 4 of getting the office.
The course of this campaign has already been noted. The jubilee
held by the Democrats of the county over the great national Democratic
victory was about as noisy as any of the rallies which had been held
during the campaign. Some feeling was aroused because of the demon
stration, but good sense finally prevailed and no bad results followed.
By 1886 the Greenback party was out of the field, in this county
at least, and the campaign was waged between the Republicans and
Democrats. The result was the usual Repubhcan victory, with major
ities ranging from 29 to 487.
The campaign of 1888 saw the advent of the Prohibitionists in the
field of county politics. The party had a state organization and put
out a state ticket. ' It was not strong enough to put out an entire coun
ty ticket, but it carried on an agitation in favor of temperance that was
quite out of proportion to the vote cast for the few candidates that made
the race in the county. The principal contest was between the Dem-
78 History^ of Adair County.
ocrats and Republicans with the usual outcome, the Republicans being
victorious with their usual majorities.
The campaign of 1890 will be long remembered as one of the most
interesting local campaigns in the history of the county. It came in
another "off year" and resulted in the defeat of the entire Repubhcan
county ticket, save one candidate. The movement which led to this
defeat seems to have gotten started from the dissatisfaction which arose
over the results of the Republican primary which was held on June 10
for the county offices. When the returns came in it was found that a
large majority of the candidates that had been nominated were from
Kirksville and Benton township. This was particularly displeasing to
the farmers of the Repubhcan party, and since the Farmers' Alliance,
a kind of recrudescence of the Grange, was at that time completing its
organization, their displeasure proved fatal to the ticket. The result
was that a mass meeting of the farmers was called in Kirksville to con
sider the situation. This mass meeting decided that there should be, a
county convention composed of five delegates from each township in
the county, which should decide on what should be done about getting
out another ticket. Such a movement as this was not allowed to go on
without being taken advantage of by the Democrats. But just when
they began to take advantage of this situation is not clear. In other
words, it is not clear whether they were the instigators of the mass meet
ing which met as a result of the Republican primary, or whether they
fell in with the movement after it got started. At any rate, the situa
tion was not allowed to go by without advantage being taken of the
opportunity. The County Convention met as it had been arranged for, and a
Farmers' Ticket was put up. This ticket was dubbed at once by the
editor of the Journal, the leading Repubhcan paper of the county, as
the "Dick and Dave Ticket." The name was coined from the circum
stance that David A. Ely was chairman of the convention and Rich
ard M. Brashear was chairman of the committee that was appointed by
the chair to bring in the nominees for the county offices. The ticket
was made up of Republicans and Democrats who would be sure to bring
it considerable strength.
The campaign was indeed a hvely one. The Farmers' Alhance held
meetings in the different school houses of the county and invited the
candidates on the Farmers' Ticket to come and speak to them. Gen.
James B. Weaver of Iowa, made a speech in Kirksville in September
during the campaign.
All the Farmers' Ticket except the candidate for County Judge,
County Politics. 79
District No. 1, was elected, and the one Repubhcan who was elected to
this office was Adam Shoop, who was a member of the Farmers' Union.
In the campaign of 1892 the Populist party, which had taken def
inite form by that time, put up a county ticket composed very largely
of men who had been successful on the Farmers' Ticket in 1890. The
Democratic county organization endorsed this ticket, but many Demo
crats fought it during the campaign. The result was a complete defeat
for the Populist ticket and the return of the Repubhcans to office in
the county. Nationally the Democrats had gained a sweeping victory, gain
ing the Presidency and both houses of Congress, something they had not
been able to do since the war. The jubilee among the Democrats the
country over was great and Adair County Democracy ratified the vic
tory in a manner which expressed their pleasure in the matter.
This election is marked bjr the first use of the Australian ballot
system in this state. Prior to that time voting had been done by
ballots privately printed and distributed among poll workers. This
system was open to a great deal of abuse and tickets could be altered
or fixed so that unwary persons would vote the wrong ticket in part
or in whole. Not only that but a poll worker could accompanj^ the
voter to the polls and see that the ballot that had been prepared was
cast. The possibilities for the buying of votes were unlimited. The
Australian system has eliminated many of the evils of the old system.
In 1894 only a partial alliance was maintained between the Dem
ocrats and the Populists in the county. There were really two sep
arate tickets with identical candidates for about four of the county offices.
The Republicans again won the day with pluralities ranging from 184
to 1188. Had there been a union of the entire strength of the two par
ties that had been in harmonious alliance two years before, the result
would have been different.
The Free Silver campaign of 1896 was, according to the testimony
of the older citizens, the bitterest campaign since the war. It was
begun quite early. On February 22 the Republicans celebrated the
fiftieth anniversary of the birth of their party. Speeches were made
by S. M. Pickler, John R. Musick, and A. N. Seaber. The fusion of
the Democrats and Populists on the national ticket and the whirlwind
campaign that was carried on by Bryan made it appear as though they
would carry the day. Locally the Democrats and Populists fused on
county candidates. The Republicans got out a campaign paper en
titled "American Progress," which advocated "sound money." About
twenty-five men guaranteed the expense of the publication of the sev-
80 History of Adair County.
enteen issues, but the advertisements paid for it largely. B. F. Heiny
did most of the editorial work on it.
One incident that occurred at Kirksville had a good deal of effect
in the state campaign. In the course of his speech at Kirksville, R. E.
Lewis, Republican candidate for Governor, made some remarks about
the custom of Judge Bryan, the father of the Presidential candidate,
in opening his court with prayer. Democrats said that Lewis spoke of
this in such a way as to ridicule the Judge and his custom, but this was
denied by the Repubhcans. However, the story got wide circulation
and served to add to the bitterness of feehng on all sides.
The outcome locally was the election of all the Republican candi
dates for county offices except the Treasurer and County Judge of the
Second District, which were captured by the fusionists or Popo-Demo-
crats, as they were called.
In 1898 there were three separate tickets. Democratic, Republican,
and People's Party tickets. The Republicans won a complete victory
in the county with pluralities ranging from 33 to 687. The Populist
vote ran about 300.
In 1900 the People's party split, one section fusing with the Dem
ocrats, the other section running a ticket of its own under the name of
the Progressive People's Party. The Republicans won as usual.
In 1902 the three tickets were Republican, Democratic, and Allied
Party. Two Democrats were elected, R. M. Miller as Recorder, and
Jos. Crow as Treasurer. Cooley (Republican) defeated Greenwood
(Democrat) for Prosecuting Attorney by 20 votes only.
The Folk campaign of 1904 will go down in history as one of the
most interesting in the annals of the state. The success of Jos. W.
Folk as Circuit Attorney of St. Louis in prosecuting boodlers and bribers
in that city, and the unearthing of bribery in the state legislature aroused
the conscience of the people to such an extent that, contrary to the wishes
of the party organization of the Democratic party. Folk was nominated
for Governor. The control of the state convention was secured through
primaries or mass conventions in the various precincts of the counties.
In these primaries or mass conventions delegates were elected to the
county conventions, and in the county conventions delegates to the
state convention were elected. Through the selection of Folk men to
the county conventions delegates to the state convention were secured
who supported him. In Adair County mass conventions were held,
and the county convention that met in June was dominated by Folk
men. By that time the Folk movement had grown so in the state that
his nomination was already conceded. The outcome of the campaign
County Politics. 81
in the state that fall was the election of Folk, but the defeat of all the
other Democratic candidates for state offices and the defeat of the Dem
ocratic electors for the President.
In Adair County there were that year the usual three tickets in
the field, the Repubhcan, Democratic and People's Party tickets. The
result was the usual Republican victory. While Folk did not carry the
county he ran way ahead of his ticket.
In 1906 the People's Party disappeared from the field. In its place
appeared the Socialist Party. That year it had candidates for the legislature
and for township offices in Nineveh township. This party polled 110 votes
for Representative, most of them coming from Nineveh township, as
might be expected from the large industrial population at Connels
ville and Novinger. In the contest the Republicans won all the county
offices. In 1908 there were four tickets in the local field, Democratic, Re
publican, Socialist and Prohibition. In this election, it will be recalled,
Taft defeated Bryan in IMissouri by a small plurality, and Hadley was
elected Governor, but the Democratic candidates for the other state
offices were elected. In this county the only Democratic county officer
elected was J. E. Rieger for Prosecuting Attorney.
In 1910 there were four tickets as in 1908, and this time three
Democrats were elected to county offices: G. F. Lowrance, Recorder;
A. P. Hopson, County Judge at large; and Jacob Shoop, Countj'- Judge
for District No. 1. This makes the County Court Democratic for the first
time since 1877. In that year the Governor appointed three county judges
to serve under the provisions of the new law that had been passed re
organizing the county courts. With that exception the county court
has not been Democratic since the Avar, and this has been the first time
the court has been Democratic by election since the war.
This chapter on county pohtics leads to the following conclusions:
1. That prior to the war the Democratic party was dominant in
the county, and since the war the Republican party, according to the
vote on the Presidency.
2. That fusions were frequently made between the Democrats
and some third party during the "off years," and sometimes with notable
success, as in 1878 and 1890.
3. That in other years when Democrats were occasionally elected,
their election was largely due to their personal popularity.
CHAPTER VII.
CIVIL WAR.
Section I. — Slavery in Adair County.
Slavery was never an extensive institution in this county. The
census reports for 1850 gives the number of slaves as 51 in that year,
and that for 1860 as 86. The few that were in the county were owned
by men who had come from slave-holding states and had settled down
as farmers here. It is impossible to say who brought in the first slaves.
Tradition says that in 1835 John Cain brought into the county Dick
Hill, and that in 1837 Jesse Jones brought four slaves. "Uncle Dick"
Hill came to be one of the characters of the county, and won the respect
of all who knew him by his sobriety and industry. He died in 1895
at the age of nearly eighty, and was buried according to his request on
the farm of Geo. Cain, whose father had brought him a slave to this county.
As far as is known the lot of the slaves was a comparatively easy one
here. They were as a rule, well treated as to food, clothing, and amount
of work required. Married slaves were not parted except in cases of
absolute necessity. Several slaves were able to buy their freedom;
some were assisted to their freedom by way of the underground railway.
The following letter written from KirksviUe relates an incident
that is of interest because of its local bearing .
Kirksvihe, Mo., Dec. 28, 1858.
Messrs. Editors of the State Journal (Wis.) : —
A shocking affair occurred in this place yesterday which may be of
interest to some of your readers; the particulars of which are as fol
lows : A Dr. Patton, residing some few miles north of this town, brought
a negro man to this place in order to sell him; but finding no buyers,
resolved to take him south in spite of the entreaties of himself and his
family to be left with' his family. A chain was made fast to one foot
and bound preparatory to taking him, when he seized an axe, laid his
hand upon a block and severed three of his fingers. I saw the poor
mortal a few minutes after, and a more heart-rending scene I never saw.
Three of his fingers were cut close to his hand, and his little finger was
cut close to the bone. He said he would rather die than leave his wife
and children. He knew that the cutting off of his hand would render
CniL War. 83
him unfit for the market and therefore he would be allowed to remam
with his family. S.^juuel Wood.
There were many AATtnesses to this scene in KirksA-ille. The slave's
name was Lee; he was afterwards sold to a KirksAille merchant named
Chinn, who took him to Kentucky.
Though slaverj- was not an extensive institution in the county,
the coiu1:s meted out severe penalties for attempts to interfere with it.
In January, 1S60. Albert Wilkerson was indicted for attempting to en
tice or decoy certain slaves. He was sentenced to four and a half years
in the penitentiary for this offense.
In cIatI suits decisions were sometimes rendered in which slaves were
involved. For example, a suit was brought in this county by the Bank of St .
Louis against W. L. Patton, J. D. CaUison, and G. E. Bushnell. and
judgment was rendered for the plaintiff for S4.076. The following prop
erty was then attached: Certain specified tracts of land, forty head of
hogs, thirty barrels of com, two high post bedsteads, one stand, one
crib, fifteen chairs, one pair hand irons, twelve stacks of timothy hay:
one negro woman Amy, slave for life, 46 years old: one negro girl six
years old named Ann; seventy-five acres of growing com. The nam
ing of the slaves with the other forms of property is an exceUent illus
tration of the way slaves were regarded as chattels.
SeCTTOX II. ^illLITART ObGAXIZATIONS.
This county saw some rather exciting times during the war. In
addition to the battle of Kirksville on August 6, 1S62. which stands
as the most prominent event of this period, there were events which were
of considerable local interest and are remembered well to this day by
many of the 5U^^^vors.
As the issue became drawn between the North and the South.
this cotmty lined up with the North. There was a good deal of sj-mpathy
in this county for the Southern cause; many of the early settlers had
come from Kentucky' or were of southern descent ; but many of these
same i)eople were not willing to subscribe to the doctrine of secession,
.~o that the only thing they could do when the southern states began
to secede was to oppose their action.
The first expression of the county's attitude on the great issue
between the North and the South was in all probabihty at the elec
tion of the delegates to the State Convention which had been called
by Governor Jackson to consider the question of secession. This elec-
rion was held on Febmarj- IS, 1S61. Two tickets were in the field in
S4 History- of Adair Coiniv.
the district of which this county was a part : one w as an unconditional
Union ticket; the other, a conditional Union ticket. The candidates
on the first ticket were Frederick Rowland of ;Marion County, .loseph
;M. Irwin of Shelby County, and John D. Foster of Adair (_\nmty. Those
candidates carried not only this county by a decided majority, but also
the entire district.
During one of the sessions of the convention ~Slv. Foster had cu'ca-
sion to make a speech in which he declared that he had let liis constit
uents know just what his views were during the caiuass prior to the
election; he therefore felt that he had been directly commissioned by
his constituents to do all he could against Missouri's seceihng from the
Union. During the spring of 1S61 there wore several war mass meetings
held in Kirksville. Those held by the southerners were addressed by
W. T. DaA-is and Tom Braimon. It has been said that tliosc two men
were the leaders of those in the county who faAored secession. On
^lay 27 a large Union meeting was held in Kirksville. A prominent
feature of this aff'air was a long procession in which marched an aged man
named Foster, the father of the delegate to the State Couveutiou and
a heavy slave owner. The sight of him in the procession caiTving
the American flag created great enthusiasm.
On .luly 4, 1861, occurred an important c\(nit which miglit have
stirred the excited community more than it did. During the tla>' a
Union man named ^^'a^d stabbed and killed a southern man named
Sumter, against whom he had an old grudge. It is supposed tliat he
felt it would be safe in a coimnunity tliat luul shown itself opposed to
secession for him to settle up old scores with his personal enemy. But
he miscalculated matters if that was the I'asc, Sumter was quiet
and inoffensive, while '\^'ar^l had a bad reputation generally. He was
arrested after the murder and put in jail. A few nights lattn- he was
taken from the jail ami hung just west of whore the ^^"abaslI railroad
now runs. No investigation of the lynciiing was ever made. Sym
pathy in the community was with Sumter even though he had polit
ical views which dift'ered from those of the majority in tlie comnumity.
For some time before this unfortunate affair the work of i>niisting
soldiers on both sides had gotten well under way. No rtn-ord has boi-n
found of the Confederate enlistments that wore made in this cotmt>-.
It is claimed, however, that not less than throe hundred men joined
companies raised in and around the county for the Confodorato ser
vice and that many others shpped out of the cotmty and state and en
tered the Confederate service in other states. E. M. C. Morelock
Civil W.vr. 85
and Wilham F. Davis arc mentioned among the organizers of Confed
erate companies in May and June, 1861. It is said that the company
raised by Morelock joined Green, the famous Confederate recruiting
officer just before the latter was driven out of the northeastern part
of the state. It is also said that Tice Cain of Schuyler County was
the most successful recruiting officer for the Confederate cause.
While this work of recruiting Confederate troops in the county
was going on, a section of the Third Iowa regiment came into Kirksville
and put a stop to it. The leaders of these recruiting efforts fled
th(> county in haste for safety. Among them was Major Morelock,
editor of the Kirksville Democrat. The third Iowa took possession
of his office and got out a special edition entitled "Union Democrat,"
dated August 23, 1861. This edition was a small two-page affair, four
columns to the page. In it were articles expressing the feelings of the
regiment towards the "rebels," especially towards the departed editor.
One article gave an account of Major Morelock's departure. Inasmuch
as it is typical of all the articles, it is given here in its entirety:
"Lost, Strayed or Stolen. — One E. M. C. Morelock, once known
as th(> editor of the Kirksville Weekly Democrat, and who has, at divers
and sundry times and on sundry and divers occasions officiated in va
rious public positions in Adair County, and rumor has it, might have
been first in the hearts of his countrjqnen. On Saturday, the 17th
iust., the heavy tread of armed Federal hosts was heard approaching
Kirksville. For some reason, the sound fell upon the ears of the miss
ing man as the knell of his departing popularity. Suddenly he had
matters away in an opposite direction requiring his immediate atten
tion. There was mounting in hot haste and there was Gilpin out-
Gilpined. Where are you, Morelock'? Why hide that honest face of
yours and create among your friends that surplus anxiety so prejudicial
to good health'' But where ere you roam, O, Morelock, you will have
the comforting assurance that your worldly possessions, i. e., your press,
type, papers, and especially your ponderous subscription list, all left
behind you in your haste to look after your foreign business, are receiv
ing a fatherly care, and that your beloved journal still continues to
faithfully chronicle all passing events, and to labor for the best inter
ests of the good people of Adair County. Terms same as before, one
dollar per year, always in advance, payable in anything from chips
and wiietstones down to gold dollars. The patronage of the public
sohcitod, etc., etc., etc. (Sec the last issue of the Democrat.) Friend
iNIorelock, we found your sanctum and surroundings neglected, needy.
86 History op Adair County.
and in want. The Iowa Third has accepted the part of the Good Shep
herd, lifted the type from their degraded position on the floor, rear
ranged the furniture in a manner so that the printing hall has assumed
its wonted grandeur. Come back then, 0, Morelock, you must ere
this have recovered from your "secesh" attack, and be able once more
to hold up your head among your neighbors like an honest man. Here
is your press, your paper all better than you left it, and we will take
pleasure in again placing all in your hands, providing you continue the
publication of the 'Democrat' in defense of the Union. Unless you do
this our protection will not be given. Repent now, 0, Morelock, re
turn to your flrst love, and when you make your peace with God, you
will have one sin less to account for. Junior."
Further mention of this edition will be made in the chapter on
newspapers. Owing to the lack of records of the Confederate troops in the coun
ty, estimates have to be resorted to. But the Federal records enable us
to do something better than make estimates of those going into the
Federal service by way of joining companies raised here. According
to the report of the Adjutant General of Missouri for 1865, the quota
of men which Adair County had been called upon to furnish from April
15, 1861, to December 19, 1864, was 257. The number of enlistments
credited to the county was 417, that is 160 in excess of what had been
called for. This does not include those who had left the county and
joined companies outside, nor does it include the enlistments made in
the county during 1865. Some effort will now be made to go over the
history of these enlistments, though it is admitted that all of them
have not been found.
President Lincoln issued his call for 75,000 three months' volun
teers on April 15, 1861. In the requisitions made upon the various
states for troops to make up this number, Missouri was asked to supply
four regiments. Governor Jackson refused to respond to this call.
Preparations, however, went on under prominent men throughout the
state for the raising of troops in spite of the Governor's attitude. Com
panies called Home Guards were organized, and in time these were
sworn into the Union service. These Home Guards are not to be con
fused with the State Guards organized under Governor Jackson.
Several Home Guard companies were organized in Adair County
in 1861. Some of these remained in the service only three months,
the term set by President Lincoln. There were at least three such
companies: one organized at Shibley's Point, under Capt. Jacob R.
Cook, which was disbanded on September 5 ; another cafled Adair Coun-
Civil War. 87
ty Company, under Capt. Bolander, which was disbanded on October
5; and another called Adair County Company also, under Capt. James
E. Gordon, which was disbanded on October 15.
Aside from these three companies which were disbanded in the
fall, many others were formed in the county, which remained in the
service for several years. A Home Guard Company was organized
under Capt. Nathan Winters, and another under Capt. Foster R. Hawk.
Both of these companies were sworn into Federal service on August 1.
Later they became Companies A and B, respectively, of the Twenty-
Second Infantry, Missouri Volunteers, under Lieut. Col. John D. Fos
ter and Major Andrew H. Linder. With these two companies there
were in this regiment four other companies which are said to have been
raised by Lieut. Col. Morse between Hannibal and Macon.
The work of recruiting men for these two Adair County compa
nies and of getting them sworn into service, had been facilitated by
the arrival in Kirksville in July of some detachments of the Third Iowa
Infantry and the Sixteenth Illinois Infantry. These Iowa and Illinois
troops were here not only to help in recruiting Federal soldiers, but.
also to run down Confederate recruits and recruiting officers.
Before the work of organizing the Twenty-Second Missouri had
been completed, a skirmish occurred a few miles northeast of Kirks
ville between a squad of twelve men from the two Adair County com
panies that were to become a part of that regiment, and a squad of
Confederate recruits under Capt. Bob Hagar of Monroe County. The
squad from the Adair County companies were under Corporal Harvey
Dix of Company D, Third Iowa. They had been scouting around north
east from Kirksville a few miles, trying to find out where Colonel Green,
the successful Confederate recruiting officer, was to be found. One
day at dinner at the house of a Union man, Dix's squad was attacked
by Capt. Hagar's scouts. In the struggle that ensued Corporal Dix
was killed. He had run out of the house on seeing the enemy come up,
and had backed himself into the chimney corner and from that position
fought as best he could until he was killed. The appearance of Con
federate reinforcements under Capt. W. S. Richardson of Lewis Coun
ty, compelled the squad of Federals to flee as best they could. J. A.
Tinsman, who had been stationed as a picket while the squad had gone
to dinner, came to Kirksville on hearing the firing to give the alarm.
A detachment was sent out to the scene but found the enemy had fled.
This struggle occurred on August 19, 1861, on the Westenhaver
farm in section 32, township 64, range 14. It was the first military
event during the civil war in Adair County, and Corporal Dix was the
88
History or Ad.\ir Cotxty.
first to fall. The Kirksville G. A. R. Post has honored his memory
by naming it after him.
On February 25, 1862, Companies A and B of the Twenty-Second
Infantry, were transferred to the Seventh Regiment of Cavalry, Mis
souri Volunteers, thereby becoming Companies H and I of that regi
ment. In the Seventh Regiment there were also three mounted com
panies from the Eighteenth Missouri Infantr>' and seven companies
from the Black Hawk Cavalrv. The immediate task given to this
Corporal Harvey Dix
Killed in a skirmish northeast of Kirksville, August 19, 1861.
From a faded tin type.
particular company was the guarding of the Hannibal and St. Joseph
Railroad. In September, 1862, this regiment became a part of the
army of the frontier under General Schofield, and participated in the
battles of Newtonia, Fayetteville, Prairie Grove and Van Buren. In
the spring of 1863 it became a part of the Davidson Cavalry Division,
and served in the seventh army corps until the close of the war, taking
part in the battles of Brownsville, Little Rock, Benton, Tulip (Ark.),
Monticello, Moro Bottom, Mount Ida and Red Fork Bryan. In Feb
ruary, 1865, this regiment was consohdated with and became a part of
the First Missouri Cavalry.
In the spring of 1861 a Home Guard company was begun in the
neighborhood of Wilmathville in the northeastern part of the county.
This company was made up of men from this county and from two or
Civil ^^¦AU. 89
three neighboring counties, and was under Capt. Joseph Story. It first
became a part of the First Northeast Missouri Regiment, but in Feb
ruary, 1862, the First and Second Northeast Missouri Regiments were
consolidated into the Twent\-First jMissouri under Colonel D. ^loore.
The company wliich was made up of men from Adair County and neigh
boring counties became Company B in this new regiment. In Juh',
1862, Josiah Davis, who is still living in Kirksville, was elected Captain
in place of Captain Story. This regiment was present at the I'ani-
paigns of Shiloh, Corinth, Tupelo, and Ft. Blakely. At the latter place
it was the first to plant the stars and stripes upon the fortifications,
and after the engagement it marched over 450 miles to brigade head
quarters with 500 Confederate prisoners and two Confederate generals.
In the Twenty-ScA'enth Infantry, Missouri Volunteers, there were
two companies which were made up largely of men from Adair County.
Company C was organized in August, 1862, under Cai^t. D. S. Hooper.
Company D was organized in the same month under Capt. Wm. A. Talb>'
of St. Louis. In 1864 Hooper was honorably discharged, and E. O.
Gates was made Captain of Company C. This regiment was first
sent to RoUa, Mo., and then ordered to ^^icksburg, where it participated
in the cajituro of that place. It formed a part of the celebrated Grain-
ville and Deer Creek expedition. It was in that long, weary and bril
liant march of Sherman from Corinth to Chattanooga, and took part
in the fight of Tuscumbia, Lookout IMountain, and Mission Ridge.
It also took part in the siege of Atlanta and the march to the sea, as
sisting in the taking of Savannah. It was also in the engagement against
General Joe Johnston at Bentonville, N. C. The Adair County Com
panies, that is, Companies C and D, were mustered out June 13, 1865.
The several companies of the Thirt>--Ninth Infantry, Missouri
^'olunteers, were recruited in August, 1864. C^ompany A under Capt.
James A. Smith, and Companj' B under Joseph R. Good, were made
up largely of men from Adair Count}'. In September the various com
panies of this regiment \\-ere put on the trail of bushwhackers that wore
operating in northeast Missouri. The general rendezvous of the regi
ment was Hannibal. In the course of A-arious movements, ^Nlajor A.
y. E. Johnson started from Paris \\-ith detachments of companies A,
G and H, and on striking the trail of Bill Anderson, the famous guerilla,
follo\\ed it up until he came upon him near Centralia on September
27. The struggle that ensued resulted in the almost complete annihi
lation of the pursuing companies. The circumstances were as follows.
Anderson ami his men to the number of 300 or 400, had come to
Centralia early that morning, and had plundered it thoroughh'. They
90 History lU'' Adair (^ouniy.
held up a stage coach on its arrival from Columbia and robbed the
passengers, and when about noon time a train from St. Louis passed
through they stopped it and robbed tlu> passengers and the express car.
Among the iiasscngers were twenty-three dischargetl and furloughed
Union soldiers. These men were taken out, stripped of their uniforms,
and shot down by a detachment of Antlcrson's men at iiis orders. There
upon Anderson and his men retired to their headquarters a couple of
miles from town. This event is known as the Massacre of Centralia.
About three o'clock that aiternoon. the Tlnrt>--Ninth Missouri
jNIounted Infantry under Major .V. V. E. Johnson, came into Centralia.
The regiment was made up of new recruits who were batllx' mounted
and Inully armed. In all there were only about 17r> men. The citi
zens of Centralia advised Major Johnson not to attack Anderson, but
disregarding the warning, he ordered about 125 men to form out in the
open prairie and proceed towards AnthTson's heailquarters. The re
mainder of the regiment were left to attiMid to the horses ami wagons.
Anderson saw what was coming and prepared to meet the attack. He
had the advantage in this preparation, inasmuch as he was in timbered
land, and the timber hid him from the enemy. As the Thirty-Ninth
approachetl, Anderson's men rushed otit with shouts and yells, and in a
few minutes luul killed, accortling to Lieut, Col. Kutzner's report, 122 men,
including Major Johnson, So great was the panic among the Federals
that only a very few of Anderson's men were killed or wounded. This
is known as the Battle of Centralia, though it is sometimes spoken of as
the Massacre of Centralia, liecausc of the rtithless manner in which the
men were cut down.
Company A was almost completely wiped out. The officers killed
were: Jam(>s A. Smith, Captain; William G. Elhott, secoml sergeant;
Joseph S. Nisbett, third sergeant; Mcshack B. Long, fourth sergeant;
John C. Reynolds, fifth sergeant; Andrew AW AA'alters, third ct)rporal;
Jasper May, fifth corjioral; Cainulay Keller, sixth corporal, and Elijah
E, Eitel, eighth corporal. The ju'lvates killed were: Jiisiah .\dams,
George W. Bragg, Outchnile O. Hyrtl, W. H. Braden, John N. Hraden,
Wm. H. Corbin, Andrew J. Capps, John L. Canada, George W. Cook,
P. Cunningham, Andrew J. Denton, Da\id R. Gra\i-s, John B. A\'. Graves,
.\. B. Hayward, A'al. Hines, Benjamin Hargrove, John Hanlin, G. Ihuilin,
AV. H. Jefl'ers, Henry Keller, Daniel Lorton, Joseph INlornnv, James
Morrow, Edwin T, Miles, T. McClanahan, Mark 1. Musick, James K.
P. I\Iock, AA'ni. Norton, Eh F. Osborn, \d. B. Policy, A. S. Parsons,
Jacob Reed, John S. Spirer, Isaac Shuighter, Jos. O. Stultcvillc, Em-
mett H. Selby, Wm. Shocinakcr, Dan .V. Simlcr, Charles AVellbaum,
Civil War. 91
David Wellbaum, J. H. B. Waddill, R. J. WiUiams, Thomas AVaugh,
James Wilhs, John R. Wood, C. C. Wise, and Alfred Zimmerman.
The officers who were not present or who escaped were: Edwin
Darrow, first heutenant; Robert Moore, second heutenant; Otis Mil
ler, first sergeant; Samuel M. Keller, first corporal; Wm. B. Denton,
second corporal; Daniel Y. Conkle, fourth corporal; Peyton F. Foster,
seventh corporal. The privates who were not present or escaped were:
Henry Beecher, John Calvin, Samuel Dye, Peter Dorr, John AV. Gregg,
Val. Judd, John Keller, W. P. Linder, James W. Moore, Jere Mann,
L. Miller, Isaac Novinger, Manuel Novinger, James Pinkerton, Hiram
Panghorn, Calvin Round, John T. Reynolds, Josiah AA^. Snell, Charles
A. Snell, W. P. Stockton, Thomas J. Spencer, and Harrison AVatson.
After the battle was over and the guerillas had left, the people of
Centralia gathered up the remains of the dead and brought them to
town. Some were taken to Mexico and buried. Seventy-nine were
buried in one long trench near the railroad in the eastern part of the
town. The trench was later enclosed with a fence and a slab erected
to the memory of the dead. On it was inscribed: "The remains of
Companies A, G and H, Thirty-Ninth Regiment, Missouri Volunteer
Infantry, who were killed in action at Centralia, Missouri on the 27th
day of September, 1864, are interred here." Later the remains were
transferred to Jefferson City and reinterred in one grave in the National
Cemetery there.
Besides the Missouri Volunteers there were the Enrolled Missouri
Militia and the Missouri State Militia, several companies of which
were made up of Adair County men.
The Fiftieth Regiment of Enrolled Missouri Militia contained at
least two companies organized in Adair County in 1862. They were
Company A, under Capt. James A. Smith, and Company I, under Capt.
Benoni W. Bell. Most of the companies of this regiment were
transferred to the Eighty-Sixth Regiment of the Enrolled Missouri
Militia in 1864. Company A of the Fiftieth became Company A of
the Eighty-Sixth, and Company I became Company D. The regi
mental officers of the Eighty-Sixth were all Adair County men. J. D.
Foster was Colonel; John B. Dodson, Lieutenant Colonel; B. W. Bell,
Major; D. S. Hooper, Adjutant; A. L. Wood, Quarter Master. Jas.
A. Smith remained Captain of Company A of the Fftieth when it became
Company A of the Eighty-Sixth. Shortly before Company I of the
Fiftieth became Company D of the Eighty-Sixth, P. J. Brown became
Captain in place of B. W. Bell, and remained so after the change.
Company I of the Fiftieth was put into active service guarding
92 History of Adair County.
Kirksville for thirty-three days in the summer of 1864. One incident
occurred during that period that is of interest. Every night picket men
were put out at different points along the roads leading into town. One
night report was brought into headquarters that the "rebels" had cap
tured the two pickets which had been stationed near Geo. Rice's house,
east of where the High School now stands. The other pickets were immedi
ately called in and preparations were made for a battle with the oncom
ing foe. But when the foe did not appear, an investigating party was
sent out, and found the two pickets who had been reported as captured,
sound asleep in bed at Rice's house. They were brought to town and
drummed out of the Company forthwith.
In the Eleventh Regiment Cavalry, Missouri State Militia, there
was at least one company of Adair County men; Company B, under
Capt. H. E. York, and later under Capt. Samuel Shibley. This com
pany was organized early in 1862.
In 1865 the Missouri Mihtia was thoroughly reorganized. Most
of the counties were made to organize the loyal citizens into regiments,
so that there was a regiment for nearly every county. The Twenty-
Eighth was made up of eight companies from Adair County. J. B.
Dodson was Colonel, and D. S. Hooper, Major. The Captains were
as follows: Company A, Charles H. Malone; B, Wm. J. Ashlock; C,
George H. Boone; D, Henry M. Barnes; E, Harvey H. Toney;F, Wm.
P. Linder; G, James W. Callison; H, Adam Shoop.
Section III. — The Battle of Kirksville,
August 6, 1862.
In order to understand the significance of the battle of Kirksville
it is necessary to give a brief outline of the general situation in the state
from the outbreak of the war to the day of the engagement.
In the election of 1860, Missouri cast her electoral votes for Doug
las for President, but elected Jackson, a southern rights man as Gov
ernor, and Reynolds, another southern rights man as Lieutenant Gov
ernor. The Legislature elected at this time met in January, 1861, and
through a combination made between the Douglas man and the south
ern rights men, a Speaker was elected who agreed with the Governor
and the Lieutenant Governor in politics. During January and Feb
ruary of that year, six southern states followed South Carolina in se
ceding from the Union. Under the influence of these acts of secession
the Legislature ordered that the people should elect representatives to
a State Convention which should decide whether the State should stay
Civil AVar.
93
in the Union or not. To the great disgust and disappointment of the
southern sympathizers in the Legislature and elsewhere, the election
returns showed that not a single member of the secession party had
been elected, though a few believers in states rights had been elected.
The Convention after discussing matters for some time, finally voted
in March not to secede. This was followed by futile attempts by Gov
ernor Jackson to take the State out of the Union anyhow. How Camp
CoL. John McNeil
Commander of the Federal forces at the battle of Kirksville. Shortly-
after the battle he was given the title of Brigadier General.
Jackson was taken by General Lyons, how the effort to effect peace
between the different parties failed, how Governor Jackson abandoned
Jefferson City, how he defeated Sigel at Carthage, how he went to
Memphis, Tennessee to secure assistance from the Confererate Gov
ernment, how the State Convention in its second session deposed him
and appointed Hamilton R. Gamble in his stead, how the Confederates
won the battle of Wilson's Creek in August and the battle of Lexington
in September, how the subsequent victories of the Federals in the next
few months culminated in the battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, in March,
1862, thereby determining the course of the State with reference to the
94 History of Adair County.
great question of secession — all these things need not be detailed here.
But as we approach nearer to the time of the battle of Kirksville in
August, 1862, it is necessary to note somewhat more carefully the events
that took place.
In June, 1862, all of Missouri, except the three southeast counties,
was erected into a mihtary district called the District of Missouri, and
was placed under the command of General Schofield. The district
was divided into five divisions. The Northeastern Division was placed
under Col. McNeil of St. Louis, his effective force being at that time
1250 men.
At about this time the Federals began to realize what the plans of
the Confederates were after the battle of Pea Ridge, and how those
plans were working out. As has already been intimated, this battle
put an end forever to the Confederates' plan of taking the State out of
the Union, but they did not give up hopes as yet. Many Missouri
men were sent back home after Pea Ridge to recruit soldiers for the Con
federate army, and the forces that were to be raised were to be used in
gaining the State for the southern cause. Places of rendezvous were
appointed and men began to assemble in large numbers at these places
in May and June. The order for a general enrollment which was issued
by Governor Gamble in July served to send many men into these re
cruiting camps in order that they might escape the state militia service.
Among those recruiting in Northeast Missouri were Joseph C.
Porter, Poindexter, Franklin, and McCullough. Porter had been
elected Lieutenant-Colonel of a regiment raised in Lewis County in
July, 1861, and had taken an active part in the campaigns in Missouri
in that year and had been at the battle of Pea Ridge. He was sent
back to his home in Lewis County by General Price after that battle
to recruit troops, and some time in April or May he estabhshed a camp
on the North Fabius River near Monticello. To this camp a goodly
number of recruits came.
When it became apparent to the Federals what was going on under
Porter and others, every step was taken to prevent their plans from
succeeding. General Schofield caused all boats and other means of
crossing the' Missouri River which were not under guard of his troops,
to be destroyed. This was to prevent any considerable number of
Confederate troops from crossing the Missouri and proceeding south
to join the main army. Meanwhile Federal troops were directed against-
the masses of Confederate recruits that were being collected, so as to
crush them before they became too large. As Col. McNeil was in com
mand of the Northeast Division of the District of Missouri, the attack
Civil War. 95
upon these Confederate bands under Porter and the other leaders al
ready mentioned, was largely directed by him.
To escape attack and to increase the number of his enlistments.
Porter moved from his camp on the North Fabius near Monticello, to
Memphis, which he took on July 13. For nearly a month from this
time on Porter was on the move almost constantly, with the Federal
forces generally in close pursuit. As this month of marching and fight
ing culminated in the battle of Kirksville, it is well to note it in detail.
It seems that Porter left Memphis a few hours after he entered it,
going to Downings eight miles away, where he camped that night. On
the .day following Porter's departure from Memphis, Col. McNeil ar
rived with three or four of his officers. After leaving Memphis Porter
became aware that the Federals were pursuing him, and so planned
an ambush at a nearby place called Vassar's Hill. As a result he badly
crippled Major Clopper's battalion of Merrill's Horse on July 18. Por
ter's men have always spoken of this engagement as Oak Ridge, and
Clopper's men as Pierce's Mill.
After this engagement Porter continued his way southward through
Knox and Shelby Counties. At Florida, Monroe County, a skirmish
took place on July 22 between Porter and Major Caldwell of the Third
Iowa Cavalry. Caldwell was forced to fall back, while Porter contin
ued south. Caldwell resumed his pursuit a little later and came upon
Porter at Santa Fe Monroe Co., and was defeated in skirmishes on
July 24. He was compelled to fall back again, while Porter advanced
farther south through Audrain County.
Porter left his camp in Audrain County on July 25 and moved
west to the bound^' line between Callaway and Boone Counties. He
then turned east aX. came to Boone's Spring, nine miles north of Bml-
ton. Here he was 'reinforced by men from Capt. Frost's and Capt.
Cobb's companies, so that he had in all 260 men. The expected attack
from the Federals did not materialize, so Porter proceeded down the
Auxvasse River to Moore's Mill, about seven miles east of Fulton.
Here he was opposed by Col. Guitar who had advanced into Callaway
County from Jefferson City, having been advised by General Schofield
as to the movements of Porter. Guitar's forces were much larger than
Porter's and were therefore able to win a victory which turned Porter
back from his movement south. Notwithstanding this serious check
Porter, according to his recent biographer, accomplished a great deal
in fifteen days, having marched five hundred miles, captured one town,
paroled one hundred of the enemy, fought four battles, and captured
a lot of arms.
96 History of Adair County.
After the engagement at Moore's MiU Porter turned north, sending
detachments to Paris and Canton thereby taking those places. From
Paris he went to Newark, Knox County, where he captured Capt. Lair
and his company. Meanwhile Col. McNeil was following him in hot
pursuit. Finding it advisable to keep on the move, Porter withdrew
to the north from Newark, leaving that town just shortly before Mc
Neil came up. Instead of pushing the pursuit any farther at that
time, McNeil remained at Newark a few days awaiting reinforcements.
Porter continued his march until he reached the western border of
Lewis County, where he was reinforced by a battalion of Col. Cyrus
Franklin who had been sent to capture Canton. With this battalion
was Col. Frisby H. McCullough, of whom we shall hear more shortly.
Porter therefore called a conference of his officers to decide on what
should be done.
The ultimate object of all these movements of Porter was, as has
been said, to gather a large army and move it to Arkansas where it
could then join the forces that were gathering there. Thr problem was
how to get across the Missouri River, and it has already been noted how
the Federals had anticipated this problem and had made the crossing
of that river very difficult by destroying the means of transportation
and by patrolling the river. Nevertheless the Confederates did not
despair of crossing the river, and in order that they might conceal their
plans and draw the Federals away from the Missouri, a feint in force
was to be made in the northern part of the state by Porter's forces,
which feint would perhaps involve a bloody battle. It seems that Mem
phis had been thought of as the proper place at which to concentrate
the Confederate forces and there bring on a battle; but while Porter
and his men were deliberating upon what they should do, a courier came
from Captain Tice Cain to the effect that he and his Schuyler County
Company had entered Kirksville and taken it. Kirksvill'e had been '
held for some days previous to Cain's arrival by a company of newly
enrolled militia (Company A, Fiftieth Regiment) under Capt. James
A. Smith, but this company had been ordered by Col. Gilstrap, who
was in command at Macon, to come to that place and avoid the danger
which it was thought was threatening it at Kirksville. Hardly had
this company left before Capt. Cain came in and sent a courier to Por
ter telling him what he had done. This news caused Porter and his men
to decide in favor of moving to the west and joining Cain at Kirksville,
near which place they might bring on an engagement.
The combined force under Porter numbered about two thousand.
Of this number only about five hundred were well armed, while five
Civil War. 97
hundred were only fairly armed, and the rest, fully one-half the entire
number, were completely unarmed. The presence of so many unarmed
men was doubtless due to the fact that Porter was gathering up recruits
many of whom had no arms of their own and would not get any until
they reached the main Confederate army in Arkansas.
This conference of Porter and his men seems to have been held in
the northeastern part of Knox County near the North Fabius River.
The Federal forces were crowding in upon Porter very rapidly. On
Sunday, August 3, they caught up with him, but after reconnoitering
for a while decided not to give battle and so withdrew. Later that
same day Porter and his force started towards Kirksville, which place
they reached Wednesday forenoon, August 6, and made their entrance
from the northeast.
Seeing how hard pressed he was. Porter decided to give battle at
Kirksville. It has been said by some that he made a mistake in not
going on a little farther west and making his stand in the Chariton River
bottom; it has been claimed that his chances would have been a great
deal better there than in the town. Parties who were witnesses of the
battle and who are still living in Kirksville, say that Porter was altogether
too much pushed to get beyond the town, and could not have chosen
to go farther if he had wished. Warning the people to get out of town.
Porter ordered some of troops to barricade themselves in the houses,
and drew up his main line of defense behind a rail fence that ran along
where the Wabash railroad now is, just west of the central part of the
town. Kirksville was then a very small village, extending from High
Street on the east to the line of the present Wabash railroad on the
west, and a few blocks from the square to the north and the south.
The population was about seven hundred. The census of 1860 gave
it only 658.
As has already been intimated. Porter had been pursued for some
time by McNeil. McNeil had started the pursuit on July 29, the day
after the battle of Moore's Mill. According to his report he had started
out from Palmyra on July 29, and after passing through Clinton, Mon
roe County, he came to Paris, which place he found Porter had just
vacated. The pursuit from there to Kirksville has already been detailed.
It should be added that McNeil remarks in his report that the pursuit
from Newark to Kirksville was delayed somewhat by the worn out
condition of his men and horses, by the character of the country, and
by the burning of the bridges and the destruction of the fords by Por
ter who was in retreat before him.
t ¦':;v4.#i§
Cp#rf :,,x
The Battle op Kirksville, August 6, 1862.
From an Original Painting by Prof. A. D. Towne of Kirksville,
CrviL War. 99
McNeil's forces arrived at the edge of Kirksville about ten o'clock
on the morning of August 6. The main column and artillery had been
preceded by the advance guard composed of detachments of the Sec
ond and Eleventh Missouri State Militia under Major Benjamin. This
advance guard occupied the northeast approach of the town, halting
at the Parcells place, afterwards known as the Kellogg place, and now
the Kinloch farm. When McNeil learned that Porter had halted in the
town, he ordered all his troops to hurry up into line and deployed them
on the northern and eastern sides of the town. Lieut. Col. Shaffer was
put in command of the right wing, which was composed of the Merrill
Horse under Major Clopper, detachments of the Second and Eleventh
Cavalry of the Missouri State Mihtia under Major Benjamin, and a
section of the Third Indiana Battery under Lieut. Armington. Major
Caldwell was put in command of the left wing, which was composed of
his own command and a detachment of the First Cavalry, Missouri
Volunteers, under Major Cox. A section of the steel battery of two
pound howitzers in charge of Sergeant West and ten men of Companj^
C, Second Missouri State Militia, acted as did the Indiana Artillery
under Capt. Barr of the Merrill Horse.
In order to ascertain the exact position of the enemy in the town
McNeil called for an officer and a squad who should charge into the town
and draw the enemy's fire. Lieut. Cowdry of the Merrill Horse and a
squad of eight men were detailed to execute this order. Cowdrey ap
proached the public square, and, according to McNeil's report, entered
the square and passed around it, coming out at the other corner. Ac
cording to eye-witnesses still living in Kirksville, this squad came close
to the northeast corner of the square but never entered it because of
the heavy fire that was being poured into it. The charge revealed
what had been sought for, but it was accomplished at some loss. Ac
cording to McNeil's report, two of the squad were mortally wounded,
three slightly wounded, and five horses killed. Other reports make the
loss still greater while some make it less.
The enemy having been discovered, the attack commenced. The
artillery of five guns, planted near what was then called the Cumberland
Academy, threw shot and shell into cornfields, gardens, and houses where
Porter's men were. The dismounted men were thrown forward and
they seized the outer fine of sheds and houses on the north and east
sides of the town. Meanwhile a large body of Porter's men who had
been in a cornfield in the northeast part of town was driven out. As
the Federal forces moved towards the public square the two -wings met
and succeeded in taking the court house. As Porter yielded ground,
100 History of Adair County.
he concentrated his forces along the main line of defense which had been
stationed on the western edge of the town. From a position where the
Wabash depot now stands he poured a galling fire into McNeil's men;
but McNeil's right wing moved against this line and drove it away to
the west, while the left wing took full possession of the southern part
of the town. The battle lasted about three hours, from about ten in
the morning to one in the afternoon.
The pursuit continued through the woods that lay to the west of
the town, and many horses and large quantities of arms, clothing and
camp equipage were thus found. Major Clopper was ordered to pur
sue the fleeing Confederates with a body of Merrill's Horse, and he is
reported by McNeil as having done so until he felt the enemy had crossed
the Chariton. It is the opinion, however, of certain citizens of Kirks
ville, who were witnesses of the battle, that the pursuit was not kept up
very long, for if it had been the whole of Porter's force, they claim,
would have been captured. At any rate ]\IcNeil explains his failure
to pursue any farther than was done to the hunger and fatigue of his
troops, to the large numbers of the enemy, and to the fear that the
enemy might suddenly fall upon his rear.
It is impossible to state with absolute accuracy the number of men
engaged in this battle or the number of the killed, wounded and cap
tured. Col. McNeil in his report dated September 17, 1862, enumer
ated the forces under his command, but though they amounted to more
than one thousand, he says that only about flve hundred of his men
took part in the battle. The others were engaged in guarding the army
train and in taking care of the horses of the men who were in the firing
line. He reported the Federal casualties as five killed and thirty-two
wounded. According to an account of the battle given in the History
of Shelby County there were six men killed, and their names were as
follows: Capt. Mayne of the Third Iowa; A. H. AA^agoner, Mathias
Olstein and Sylvester Witham, privates of Company C, Merrill's Horse;
Sergeant William Bush of Company B, Ninth Missouri State Militia;
H. H'. Moore of Company E, First Missouri State Militia. These
names have never been verified by the writer from official records.
Col. Wells Blodgett in his address delivered at the unveiling of the
McNeil monument in Bellefontaine Cemetery in St. Louis in 1894,
said that the Federal loss was twenty-eight killed and sixty wounded.
What his source of information was is not known. Col. McNeil was
slightly wounded in the head during the engagement.
While it is impossible to ascertain the exact figures for the Federal
side, the above estimates are undoubtedly more correct than any that
Civil War. 101
may be given for the Confederate side. Porter's men numbered about
two thousand, but not over five hundred, if that many, took part in the
battle. Those that were unarmed or poorly armed hurried on to the
woods west of the town after the battle began. The Confederates
killed are estimated all the way from thirty-five to one hundred and
fifty; the wounded from seventy-five to four hundred, and the cap
tured from fifty to two hundred and fifty. McNeil in his report said
that about one hundred and fifty were killed, three hundred to four
hundred wounded, and forty-seven taken prisoner. He had an excel
lent opportunity of knowing the situation as he stayed in town sev
eral days after the battle, but we cannot take his estimates as being as
correct as an official count would have been.
On the day after the battle, the people of the town were ordered
by Col. McNeil to bury the Confederate dead. According to the testi
mony of several citizens of the town who responded to the order and
who are still living here, the bodies of the twenty-six men who were
killed in the battle were gathered up and put in one large grave in the
cemetery lying west of the square. But according to Air. S. M. John
ston, who was in the battle under McNeil and who has long resided
in Kirksville since the war, there were three graves dug and thirty-
seven Confederates were put in the one dug in a ravine west of the
present Wabash depot, twenty-six in the one in the .cemetery, and over
twenty in the one to the northwest of the cemetery. This does not
include the prisoners who were executed after the battle. As yet the
writer of this article has found no confirmation of the statement of Mr.
Johnston about there being three graves. It is agreed, however, by
all that many of those who were buried in the cemetery were removed
by their friends to other places as convenience permitted.
Among Confederates fatally wounded was Lycurgus Bozarth of Adair
County, who is said to have joined Porter the morning of the battle.
He was of the well known family of Bozarths who were among the first
settlers of the county and whose relatives were generally ardent Un
ionists. He did not die for several days after the battle and was buried
in a separate grave in the cemetery.
The condition of the Confederate wounded after the battle was some
thing frightful. Porter came into town -with practically nothing in the way
of surgical instruments or medical supphes. Dr. A. P. Willard, who
then owned a drug store in Kirksville and is yet a resident of the place,
says that Porter came to him on arri-ving in town and forced him to give
up his surgical instruments. Dr. Willard says that he was promised
the safe return of the instruments but that he never saw them again.
102 History of Adair County.
He is under the impression that Porter wanted to arrange for a hospital
at the Isham Dodson place which stood south west of the town to take
care of the wounded after the battle. Even if that were the case the
rout that ensued after the battle made whatever arrangements Porter
might have made quite useless. The Confederates wounded were
therefore in a deplorable condition. The townspeople were naturally
afraid to render assistance as they felt that they might be dealt with
as rendering help to the enemy of the victors. Moreover, the local
doctors were helpless to do anything, as the only surgical instruments
in town had been taken away and nobody knew anything about where
they were. Whatever of assistance was finally rendered is due to Mr.
John L. Porter, who was then Deputy Circuit Clerk and Recorder of
Adair County and who is yet a citizen of Kirksville. He was a southern
sympathizer but was acquainted with McNeil. On coming back to
town late in the afternoon after the battle was over he saw the dread
ful condition of affairs, and went to McNeil and begged for help. Mc
Neil detailed Surgeon Lyons to do the work. Lyons called in Dr.
Willard to assist him, and for two days these two men amputated limbs
and performed other surgical operations upon the wounded who had
been brought to what is known as the Ivie building which stood on the
northeast corner of the square where Griffith now has his grocery store.
The amputated limbs were thrown out the window of the building
into the alley, and it is said that a cart load accumulated before they
could be taken off and buried. The Ivie building was not sufficient
to accommodate the wounded, so a great many were taken care of at
other places in the town.
The Federal wounded were cared for at the Cumberland Academy
and at the Parcells place east of town until they could be brought in.
Before the battle began, the citizens acting on the warning of Por
ter, had very generally fled. Many of them fled to the north and sev
eral on reaching a place of reasonable safety from danger climbed up
on the roof of a barn and witnessed the battle. Had there not been a
general desertion of the town many of the citizens would have been
killed. As it was one woman, Mrs. Ehzabeth Coots, was mortally
wounded. She and her husband lived in a house just northwest of the
square. When the battle began they took refuge in their cellar. Ac
counts differ as to how she was killed. According to one she was killed
after she had left the cellar and gone back into the house, the battle
being at that time about half over. According to another, some Con
federates tried to take refuge in the Coots cellar while she was still in
it and she was shot as she started to come out. She lived only a few
days after she was shot.
Civil War.
103
The day after the battle fifteen of the Confederates who had been
captured in the fight, were executed on a spot about two hundred yards
southwest of the present Wabash depot. They were executed on the
charge of having violated their paroles. They were; William Bates,
R. M. Galbreath, Lewis Rollins, William Wilson, Columbus Harris,
Reuben Thomas or Thompson, Thomas Webb, and Reuben Green
of Monroe County; James Christian, David Wood, and Bennett
Hayden of Shelby County; William Bailee and Hamilton Brannon of
Marion County; and John Kent of Adair County.
On the second day after the battle. Col. Frisby H. McCullough
was likewise executed. His case seems to be somewhat different from
CoL. Frisby H. McCullough
Executed at Kirksville by order of McNeil, August
From a defaced daguerreotype.
1862.
that of the other fifteen. He had been a very successful recruiting
officer in North Missouri, and was at the time of his execution an officer
in the Missouri State Guards, a military force that had been organ
ized under Governor Jackson for the purpose of taking the state out of
the Union. McCullough had been operating with Porter only a short
time before the battle of Kirksville, having joined him after he left
Newark on his way to Kirksville. Almost immediately after the battle
he had become so ill he could not keep up with the command. De
clining the escort which Porter offered him, he started to go to his home
in Marion County. Near Edina he was captured by the State Militia
104 History of Adair County.
and taken to that place. Knowing that some drastic punishment
would be meted out to him, he asked that he be sent to Palmyra; but
instead he was brought to Kirksville by Capt. James S. Best, whose
command was escorting McNeil's supply train which had come into
Edina on its way to Kirksville just after McCullough had been cap
tured. According to one of McCullough's friends who wrote after the
event, he was paraded up and down the streets of Kirksville amid the
jeers and shouts of joy of the Federals. The author has had
this statement confirmed by at least one of the Federals who was
here at the time. He was taken near the spot where the fifteen had
been shot the day before, and standing up before his executioners and
looking them steadily in the face he gave them the signal to fire. His
remarkable bravery excited the admiration of friend and foe alike.
There is some dispute as to the procedure which led up to the ex
ecution of McCullough. Col. McNeil in a letter to a friend some time
after the event said that "McCullough had been tried by a commission
of which Lieut. Col. Shaffer was President, under Order No. 2 of Gen
eral Halleck, and Nos. 8 and 18 of General Schofield. He had no com
mission except a printed paper authorizing the bearer to recruit for the
Confederate army. He was found guilty of bushwhacking and of
being a guerilla. He Avas a brave fellow and a splendid specimen of
manhood. I would gladly have spared him had duty permitted. As
it was he suffered the same fate that would have fallen to you or me if
we had been found recruiting within the Confederate lines. He met a
soldier's death as became a soldier."
Dr. Joseph. A. Mudd, who was with Porter up to and including the
battle of Moore's Mill, has recently written a book entitled "With Por
ter in North Missouri," which has been extensively used in the prepara
tion of this section. In this book the author has condemned in no un
certain terms the execution of McCullough. He doubts the statement
of McNeil that a trial was held at all, and supports his view by the fact
that the government records contain no account of it whatever. He
moreover points out that in McNeil's report made on September 17,
1862, mention is made of the execution of the fifteen prisoners taken at
the battle of Kirksville who were charged with having broken their
paroles, but no mention is made of the execution of McCullough nor of
any trial. He evten goes further and doubts whether any of these fif
teen were guilty of having violated their paroles as they were charged.
It might be further said that General Sterling Price said that he thought
he had given McCullough a commission to recruit troops at Springfield
the preceding winter, but he did not know whether he ever acted under
Civil War. 105
it or not. It is not known whether General Price ever verified his state
ment made from memory or not.
Some other things took place which make the story sadder still.
A Dr. Davis who had come into town with Porter, was attempting to
give some assistance to the Confederate wounded who Avere in the south
west part of town, when Federal soldiers came up and ordered him to go
with them to McNeil's headquarters. It is said that after he started
to go with them he was made to run, and was then shot down for running.
How true this part of the story is cannot be said.
To the list of the fifteen who were executed on the charge of having
violated their paroles, there came very near being added the name of
Jackson G. Oldham of Kirksville. It seems that there were two Old-
hams by the same name, father and son. The father had been paroled
but the son had never been. Notwithstanding this the son had been
arrested and tried at Macon and executed on the charge of having vio
lated his parole. All this occurred before the battle of Kirksville.
McNeil was about to arrest the father and execute him when Mr. John
L. Porter of Kirksville interceded and assured McNeil that the elder
Oldham had never violated his parole. Porter also protested that the
younger Oldham had been unjustly executed. Later the older Oldham
erected a monument to the memory of his son in the Kirksville cem
etery,* on which was inscribed an account of the awful mistake that
had been made.
As has been already said. Col. McNeil made no attempt to pursue
Porter and his men on the day of the battle except for a little ways
west of town. He assigned as the reason for not doing so the exhausted
condition of his men and horses. He therefore went into camp in Kirks
ville and took measures for collecting forage and supplies for putting
the men and horses in condition for pursuit a little later.
On August 7 Lieut. Col. Morsey with four hundred and twenty-
seven men of the Tenth Cavalrj'^, Missouri State Militia, and Major
Rogers with the Second Battalion of the Eleventh Regiment Cavalry,
Missouri State Militia, came into camp at Kirksville from the north.
As McNeil was moving towards Kirksville from Newark the day before
he had ordered these troops under Morsey and Rogers to move along a
line north of him so as to prevent Porter from escaping into Scotland
or Schuyler Counties. McNeil thinks that Porter's knowledge of this
particular arrangement had obliged him to make his stand at Kirks
ville. The arrival of this force on the seventh swelled McNeil's com
mand to about seventeen hundred and added to the difficulties in get
ting sufficient supplies. However, on the eighth Lieut. Hiller arrived
106 History of Adaik County.
from Palmyra by way of Edina, with eight thousand rations and a good
supply of horse shoes. The escort under Capt. Best that accompanied
this supply train, was the one that brought McCullough a prisoner to
Kirksville from Edina, as has been related.
Porter's retreat towards the Chariton resulted in a more or less
disbandment. However, a part at least of his forces tried to keep to
gether, and moved in a southeasterly direction towards Macon. Near
Stockton in Macon County this body was attacked by a Federal force
and compelled retreat north. This Federal force, which was made up
of a detachment from the Seventh Missouri Cavalry and Guitar's com
mand, had been given the task of preventing the junction of Portcn-
and Poindexter, and in pursuance of that duty intercepted Porter as
he was fleeing from Kirksville. This clash near Stockton occurred on
August 8. The Federals pursued Porter who was retreating north and
came upon him at Walnut Creek. There occurred an ambush which
resulted in the loss of a number of Federals under Col. McFerran, ac
cording to one report one hundred or more, and which enabled the bulk
of Porter's force to get away. After shelling the woods around Walnut
Creek for some time, McFerran moved towards the Chariton River,
and at See's Ford skirmishing again ensued between his forces and
Porter's. But being unable to get his artillery across the river, he was
compeUed to allow Porter to escape. However, Porter had been foiled
in his attempt to cross the North Missouri Railroad (the present Wa
bash R. R.) so as to rally his scattered forces, and finding the way of
escape to the south in a body cut off, he decided to disband his organiza
tion completely and leave each Company to take care of itself. This
was done on August 11.
In the month that followed. Porter managed to get a force together
and on September 12 he effected the capture of Palmyra. The Con
federate prisoners confined in the jail there were liberated, and the
bonds that had been forced from southerh sympathizers {o observe their
oaths of allegiance were taken away from the Provost Marshall's office
and burned. During the night of the twelfth Andrew AUsman, who
had been the object of much hatred on the part of the Confederates,
was taken from his home and murdered. Just when and how and by
whom he was murdered is not definitely known. In retaliation for this
act ten Confederate prisoners were shot at Palmyra by order of McNeil
on October 18, 1862. This event has gone down in history as the Mas
sacre of Palmyra, and served to intensify the hatred on both sides.
After the capture of Palmyra Porter marched northward into Lewis
County. He was followed by McNeil and an engagement took place
Civil War. 107
at Whaley's Mill on September 14, in which Porter's forces were scat
tered. This was Porter's last engagement in North Missouri. For
the next six weeks he gave himself up to the task of getting twelve hun
dred men to the Confederate lines south of the Missouri. He is cred
ited with having sent in all five thousand men from North Missouri
during the year 1862. He was wounded at the battle of Hartsville
in Wright County, Missouri, on January 11, 1863, and died from the
eft'ects of the wound in camp near Batcsville, Arkansas, on February
18, 1863, aged forty-four years.
Col. McNeil served through the war and was given the title of
Brigadier General shortly after the battle of Kirksville. He took an
active part in the politics of the state for some time after the war. One
act of his long after the war has a local bearing. At the time when the
Board of Regents of the First District Normal School was considering
the location of the school, which the act of the General Assembly ap
proved in March, 1870, provided for, friends of Kirksville appealed to
General McNeil to use his influence in behalf of this place. Mr. W. H.
Parcells of Kirksville, who was a long time acquaintance of McNeil,
went to him and urged that since the town had been the scene of con
flict during the war it should be the place where the state should have
one of its institutions. Just what actual influence JMcNeill exerted
in the matter cannot be said; but he did write a letter to certain members
of the Board who were just retiring from their positions as state officers
and hence also from the Board. He died June 7, 1891, aged seventy-
eight years.
The battle of Kirksville was considered at the time as an engagement
of considerable significance, especially by the Federal army officers.
For some time, as we have seen, the Federals had been in hot pursuit of
Porter, and it was thought that this battle had completely ended his
recruiting expedition. The reports of the Federal officers are congrat
ulatory over their marked success in doing away with so dangerous an
enemy. Lieut. Col. Shaffer said it was the most successful battle ever
fought in Missouri and the victory most complete. To a very large
extent their view that the battle was an important one is correct. Por
ter was never able to recover fully from the clef eat he met with at Kirksville.
But it must not be lost sight of that even after this defeat he was able
to keep up his recruiting to a certain extent. AVhat he might have done
if he had won the battle instead of losing it, is of course problematical.
In the history of the desperate effort of the Confederates to force the
State of Missouri out of the Union, the battle of Kirksville has an im-
108 History op Adair County.
portant part, and it is only as it is considered in that connection that it
is given its due place in the annals of Missouri.
The portraits accompanying this chapter are war-time portraits.
It was impossible to get a picture of Colonel Porter, as the only picture
his family had of him was burned in a fire some years ago. The picture
of the battle Avas draAvn by Prof. Allen D. ToAvne of the State Normal
School Faculty at Kirksville. Prof. Towne had the assistance of Mr.
S. M. Johnston, a soldier under McNeil, and Mr. John L. Porter, in
getting a knowledge of the surroundings at the time of the battle. If
the cut were clear it would show the court house in the center of the
background. The large building to the left was the old Cumberland
Academy which stood where the Cooley residence, . formerly knoAvn as
the Ringo residence, now stands. The man mounted on horseback
standing near this Academy building was Colonel McNeil. The line of
soldiers in the foreground stretched from the Cumberland Academy to
Avhat is now the Washington School and faced the southwest. The
picture of Colonel McNeil, from which the half-tone cut Avas made,
Avas furnished the author by Judge W.B.Douglas of St. Louis, and that
of Colonel McCullough by his son, F. H. McCuhough, Jr., of Edina, Mo.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE CHURCHES.
Section I. — Religious Conditions.
The history of the churches of the county begins Avith the pioneer
days and passes through the various stages of growth and development
Avhich mark the history of all institutional life in the county. With
the frontiersman who first settled up this new land came the circuit
rider Avho, fearing not danger in any form, gathered around him in pri
vate homes or school houses the people of the neighborhood and preached
to them. The early preachers Avere freciuently men unlettered and un
sophisticated, and hence deficient in many of the qualifications Avhich
more settled communities Avould require of ministers; their preach
ing Avas strictly orthodox and their prejudices were strong; but they
Avere greatly in earnest and their efforts told upon the lives of the men
Avith whom they came in contact. The present generation oavcs a great
debt of gratitude to the early settlers and the early circuit riders.
They labored together to make our present civilization possible.
The Baptist and Methodist preachers Avere the first to enter this
field, and it is impossible to tell Avhich came first. The history of the
settlement of the middle west shows that the Baptists and Methodists
were generally the first throughout the length and breadth of this vast
region. The explanation for this is easily found. A'ery little of academ
ic preparation was required of the men of these churches Avho wished to
preach, and these churches Avere possessed of a strong missionary spirit
and Avere eager to establish themselves in the ncAV countries that Avere
being opened up. Once estabhshed they continued to groAv and pros
per. This explains why the Baptists and Methodists are so strong
throughout the middle Avest today.
Tradition says that a Rev. Mr. Hulsey preached in what is now
Adair Comity in 1835 while enroute to his destination still farther on.
If this is correct, he is hkely to have been the first man to preach before
a congregation of whites in this county. Just Avhere he preached this
first sermon in the county is not known to the Avriter. It is a matter of
record that Rev. Abram Stiff, father of Dr. A. T. Still, came to Macon
County in 1836, and frequently preached in Avhat is noAV Adair County
until he left the state for Kansas in the forties. He is said to have
preached the first sermon ever delivered in Kirksville.
no
History of Adair County.
The difficulties and the heroism of the pioneer circuit rider have
been well depicted by the daughter of Rev. Stiff, Mrs. Mary Still Adams,
in her autobiography. She relates the leave taking of the family as
her father starts out on one of his trips. "Prince, a large bay horse,
ready for travel, is held at the gate by my brother Andrew. Father
is warmly clad in clothes spun and woven by my mother; even the
socks and tufted mittens were knitted by her hands. Brother James
has assisted him to adjust his heavy bearskin overcoat, while mother
has tied his beaver cap securely under his bearded chin. We have all
accompanied him as far as the gate, he has said good bye and throAvn
Rev. Abram Still
One of the earliest preachers in Adair County.
Reproduced by permission from A. T. Still's Autobiography.
his saddle-bags astride the saddle, and is fast jogging on up the lane and is
soon lost to sight in the big flakes of snow which fell fast and thick."
As he nears a stream which he expected to ford before night, he finds it
greatly swollen by the melting snow and rain, and as it is getting late
he is compelled to spend the night by the riverside. To keep off the
Avolves and panthers he builds large fires in a circle around himself and
horse, and to keep up his courage he sings lustily and prays fervently
Avhile the Avild beasts gather round and scream and yelp in such a way
as to frighten his horse almost to death. After the danger passes the
brave preacher improvises a bed by dragging the central fire to one
side for three feet, and hes down in the spot where it had been, and
The Churches. Ill
sleeps peacefully until morning. When morning conies the river has
receded and he goes on his way to his work.
The pioneer days were noted for their camp meetings, when for
days all work would be suspended and the people would gather in camp
and join in rehgious exercises that were fervid and demonstrative.
The first camp meeting in this county is said to have been held at Les
ley's Ford on the Chariton in the forties. Rev. James Dysart and
Rev. Robert Mitchell conducted it. Camp meetings Avere greatly ap
preciated by the early pioneers in a way that people of older and more
settled communities can not now very easily understand. In those
times preaching services were not held in any community regularly
Avith the coming of Sunday. The circuit rider came at most only once
a month. When, therefore, the neighborhood joined in a camp meeting,
it was to enjoy a season of preaching and social intercourse Avhich the
people had been largely deprived of. It is therefore easily seen Avhy the
camp meeting has passed away from the places where it was once so
popular. With the building up of more thickly settled communities
and with the fixing of more frequent religious services, the conditions
that had made the camp meeting in order, passed awaJ^
The spring and fall "revivals" Avhich had also been held in the
pioneer period, came noAV to be more and more depended upon as a
means of special religious effort, and these were generally marked Avith
the same religious enthusiasm and fervidness that the old-fashioned
camp meeting had possessed. In these latter days less and less de
pendence is put upon the periodical "revival." It is more than thirty
years since this county has seen a good old-fashioned "revival" of the
type that prevailed just after the war. This is partlj^ due, if not
largely so, to the increase in the activities of the church along other
lines which bring similar results in other ways and which removes the
necessity of other methods.
The church buildings of early days were in keeping with general
conditions. At first no regular meeting houses were to be had, but
private houses, school houses and the court house were used. The
court house was the place most generally used by the Kirksville church
organizations until the war broke out. In December, 1856, the county
court in issuing an order allowing the court room to be used for church
services on Saturdays and Sundays, stipulated that in case it was de
sired to have political or railroad speaking in the court room on any
Saturday, the rehgious service must give way to it.
When church buildings began to be erected they were inexpensive
frame buildings, somewhat larger and a trifle better perhaps than the
112 History of Adair County.
school houses of the times. As the county became more thickly set
tled and the people better off flnancially, the meeting houses began to
be built of brick and stone and to be better equipped. The church
building is usually in keeping Avith the material well-being of the com
munity and the spirit of pride and generosity that pervades it. It is
this fact which gives basis to the expectation that the county will in
the future have better church buildings than have as yet been erected.
Inasmuch as Missouri was a border state the strife between the
north and south during the war was keen and bitter, and some aAvful
things were perpetrated on both sides. The effect of this strife on the
churches was disastrous. Most of the churches throughout the state
were closed at least during a portion of the time, especially towards the
close. In Adair County there were two or three years at least, when
church services were completely suspended. The work of reorganization
was sometimes delayed a year or two after the Avar closed, and some
churches were ncA'cr revived.
The contest of arms from 1861 to 1865 had a peculiar effect on the
character of the preaching that was engaged in during the reorganiza
tion of the churches. In the effort to get on their feet again the dif
ferent denominations emphasized their doctrines quite out of propor
tion to other matters. Denominational strife was bitter and feelings
often ran high on such matters that would now seem somewhat second
ary in importance, if not trivial. Nearly every sermon was doctrinal,
so that any stranger could tell what denomination the preacher be
longed to by listening to him a few minutes in any sermon he might preach.
The year 1878 seems to have been the year when religious debates
were most frequent and most thoroughly enjoyed. Spirituahsm, the
inspiration of the Scriptures, evolution, baptism, and other subjects
akin to these Avere fruitful of much discussion. Prior to this year a
small but active group of men and women who called themselves Lib
erals Avas formed in the town. Many of them were Spiritualists. Nat
urally they held ideas quite different from those adhered to in orthodox
circles, and as both sides were insistent on the correctness of their views,
frequent clashes on the platform and pulpit and in the papers were had.
Sometimes the debates would come in the form of two series of
addresses; one would be delivered at one time by one speaker, and the
other would follow a week or month later by another man in reply. For
example, in March, 1878, Prof .G.G. Ferguson came to Kirksville and deliv
ered a series of lectures extending over a week on scientific or semi-
scientific subjects. His opening address was on the "Origin of Man,"
and he handled it in the approved orthodox fashion. Most of the other
The Churches. 113
lectures were astronomical in character. In the foUowdng April a lib
eral leader, named B. F. Underwood, held forth for some nights on
scientific subjects in which he advanced views, scientific and theolog
ical, that were quite different from those of the lecturer of the month
before. The most lively debates, however, Avere those that were held
with the debaters face to face on the same platform. Of these the
Ditzler-Jamison debates held in this same year, 1878, have gone down
in the annals of Kirksville and the county as perhaps the most interest
ing. Dr. Jacob Ditzler was a noted Methodist preacher and has the
reputation of being the strongest debater on certain theological ques
tions which his church ever produced. Professor Jamison was a Lib-
eralist and was at the time residing in Kirksville. The debate Avas
held in the Methodist church and lasted nine consecutive evenings,
beginning IMonday, May 20, and excluding Sunday. Great crowds
attended, and the arguments produced were the subject of comment
on the streets for many days after the debate. The two debaters were
personal friends and maintained their cordiality for each other all through
the debate in spite of the heat of the arguments at times.
The four propositions Avhich the debaters discussed were;
1. The Old and Ncav Testaments are the inspired revelation of
God to man. Ditzler affirmed.
2. The Bible is a merelj^ human production, abounds in contradic
tions and conflicts with success. Jamison affirmed.
3. Infidelity and materialism tend to immorality and to the injury
of society. Ditzler affirmed.
4. The Christian religion and the Bible tend to immorality and the
injury of society. Jamison affirmed.
A full account of the debate was published in the North Mis.souri
Register. The issues of June and July contained synopses of the va
rious speeches. In fact, the last installment was not put in print until
the middle of November, six months after the debate.
Later in the year Spiritualism Avas made the subject of bitter at
tacks. There came to town an old man called "Father" Grimes, who in
a series of addresses accompanied by demonstrations, discoursed on
hj'pnotic influences and attributed many things claimed as revelations
by the Spiritualists as due to hypnotic influences. Other addresses
were given not only in Kirksville but throughout the county. Among
those who participated was President J. BaldAvin of the State Normal
School, who was counted a strong opponent of Spiritualism.
114 History of Adaik Couxty".
The debates Avere not onh- between the orthodox and heterodox,
but at times they were waged between those who were stricth" orthodox.
The subjects of baptism and predestmation furnished the principal
themes for discussions. On the first subject Baptists and Disciples
pitted themselves against Methodists and PresbA-ferians; and on
the second subject it Avas the PresbA-ferians against the field. It Avas
not all peace betAA-een the Baptists and Disciples. The epithet "Camp-
bellite" Avas used by the Baptists or others who AA-ere attackmg the Dis
ciples, when the intention was to annoy if not to insult. As far as the
newspapers show, the controA-ersy between the Baptists and Disciples
Avas at its Avorst in 1886 and 1SS7, when Rev. C. N. Ray of the Baptists,
and Rev. Simpson Eh- of the Disciples, Avaxed Avarm on the platform
and in the public prints OA-er theological differences. And as late as
October, 1891, Rev. Browder of the Disciple church, and Rev. Throg-
morton of the Baptist, belabored each other over certain subtleties
regarding baptism. Two years prior to that Browder, AAho Avas a foe
worthy to be met, debated with a ]\Iethodist by the name of Hart,
AA-ho had been brought to toAvn from Illinois by the pastors of the Meth
odist churches.
Fortunately for us those days of controA-ers}- Avhich Avere exciting
and frequently bitter, are over. It is very seldom that a preacher be
trays his denominational affiliation by his public adch-esses. It may be
that in the course of time just such a bitter period of controA-ersy on
other questions will be necessary to prcA-ent stagnation of thought, but
it is to be hoped that this condition may be aAoided and hence bitter
controA-ersA- made unnecessarA-.
Section II. — The Dexo.aiixatioxs.
This section AAnll be dcA^oted to sketches of the A-arious congrega
tions of the different denominations represented in the county, as far
as data have been collected. Many of the things set forth in a general
way in the preceding section avIU lie abundantly illustrated as Ave pro
ceed. The strongest denominations are the Methodists and Baptists.
The Presbjd;erians, Disciples, Catholics and United Brethren have from
three to five congregations each. A few others have only one or two
congregations.
The Churches. 115
A. — Methodist Episcopal Cliurcli.
Kirksville. — The Methodist Church was operating in the field
which included what is now Adair County as earlj- as 1836. AA'hether
it began any earlier than that is not known. It was in that year Rev.
Abram Still, father of Dr. A. T. Still, Avas transferred from the Holston
Conference of Tennessee to Northern Missouri as a missionary. He
settled in Macon County and for years served in the role of circuit rider
throughout this part of the state. His itinerary brought him frequently
into what is now Adair County; and he is regarded as the first ^Sleth-
odist preacher who ever preached in this part of the country.
The annual conference held at St. Louis in September, 1842, assigned
Rev. Reuben Aldridge to Bloomington, Rev. Wm. J. BroAvn to Adair,
and Rev. Abram Still to Edina, Missouri. It is evident that these ap
pointments were all circuits. Just what territory Avas included in each
of these circuits in unknown. It is likely Bloomington included Macon
County; Adair, Adair County, and Edina Mission, Knox County.
Possibly there was a good deal more than one county in each of these
circuits. It is of interest to know that in the appointments prior to
1842 the names Adair and Edina Mission do not appear, and that after
1842 the name Adair is discontinued, and after 1843 Edina is likeAvise
discontinued. Bloomington, however, appears for several years more,
at least until 1848. It is more than likely that the Bloomington cir
cuit included what is now Adair County for some time prior to the ap
pointments made in 1842, and possibly after 1843 Adair County was in
cluded in that circuit.
The split in the Methodist church that took place in the middle
forties resulted apparently in the M. E. Church, South, gaining pos
session of the field in Adair County and holding it for several years,
up to at least a few years before the outbreak of the war. The Mis
souri Conference was suspended between 1844 and 1848, and Avhatever
Avork the church did in this field during that time seems to have been
supervised by the Illinois Conference. That the M. E. Church South
should be the one to hold this field was quite natural, as the southern
element in Adair County was rather large prior to the war.
Just when the M. E. Church resumed its work in this county is
not knoAvn. By 1865 services were being held by that church in the
old Cumberland Academy in Kirksville, Rev. J. W. Prince doing the
preaching. At that time the building was in a very unfinished condi
tion; there was no plastering on the walls and the seats were wooden
slabs nailed on upright pieces and were without backs. Mr. H. F.
Millan says that men were accustomed to go to the building some time
116
History of Adair County.
in advance of the time of service and whittle on the benches until the
preacher came. In 1866 and for several years after that, services were
held in Sherwood's Hall, the second floor of a building which stood just
east of the Kirksville Savings Bank building. It was while the services
were being held in this hall that a Methodist society was formed. Among
the original members were H. F. Millan, 0. H. Beeman, W. H. Freeman,
and R. H. Browne. By August, 1870, at least, the Methodists were using
the Presbyterian church for their services, but by 1871, they had built
a brick church on the tAvo lots which they had purchased on the cor-
M. E. Church, Kirksville.
ner of Washington and High Streets, and on which the presenti church
building stands. This builchng was dedicated on January 21, 1872.
Rev. John Moorehead was the pastor in charge at the time.
The church in Kirksville Avas not made a station until at least in
the fall of 1871. Up to that time service's witc held only once or twice
a month in Kirksville, the pastor spending the remainder of the time
at other ))oints on the circuit. It appears that Kirksville has been a
station requiring the entire services of a pastor since 1871.
The original Ijuilding was considerably reniodck^l in 1881-82 at
an expense of $3,000. But in the course of ten years it became inade
quate, and it was decided to erect a larger and more elaborate building.
The old one was torn down in 1898, and a new one was completed at a
cost of $17,000 and dedicated on March 5, 1899. Rev. David H. Moore
The Churches.
117
of Cincinnati, preached the dedicatory sermon. Rev. N. P. Tedrick
was pastor. On the day of dedication it was necessary to raise the def
icit amounting to $6,200. By extraordinary efforts the amount Avas
raised by subscription, but for some cause or other the church is yet
strugghng with a heavy debt on the building. Recent efforts seem to
promise the liquidation of the debt inside a year.
The Missouri Annual Conference has convened in Kirksville four
times. The flrst time was March 13-18, 1873, Avith Bishop Bowman
presiding; the second time was March 7-12, 1883, with Bishop AndrcAvs
M. E. Church, Gibbs.
presiding; the third time was March 29-April 2, 1893, with Bishop Fow
ler presiding; and the fourth time was March 14-19, 1900, Avith Bishop
Fitzgerald presiding.
The church in KirksAulle celebrated the centennial of Methodism
in 1884 by holding special services from September 19 to 21.
The pastors of the Kirksville church since 1865, are as follows;
1865-66— J. W. Prince.
1866-68— H. H. Dodd.
1868-70— John Wayman
1870-72— John Moorehead.
1872-74— R. H. Collins.
1874-76— J. M. Parker.
1876-79— J. M. Greene.
1879-80— J. T. Boyle.
1880-82— J. J. Bentiey.
1882-85— T. J. Wheat.
1885-87— W. J. Martindale.
1887-88-
-J. M. Parker.
1888-91-
-J. M. Greene.
1891-95-
-John Gillis.
1895-98-
-J. T. Pierce.
1898-99-
-N. P. Tedrick.
1899-91-
-John T. Pierce.
1901-04-
-R. L. Thompson
1904-06-
-I. F. Lusk.
1906-08-
-F. W. Gee.
1908-11-
-B. F. Jones.
118 History of Adair County.
Besides the church at Kirksville there are seventeen other M. E.
Church congregations in the county, arranged in five circuits. They
are as follows; Greentop Circuit — Bethel, Refuge, and Wilmathville;
Brashear Circuit — Brashear, Bullion, and Sabbath Home; Gibbs Cir
cuit — Gibbs, Wesley Chapel, Cater Memorial and Troy Mills; Novinger
Circuit — Novinger and Connelsville; Youngstown Circuit — Youngs
town, Union Temple, Golden Rule, Elm Grove, and Bald Knob. All
of these congregations have church buildings of their own except Troy
Mills, Golden Rule and Elm Grove. These three use school houses as
places of worship. At the present (1911) the Golden Rule and Elm
Grove classes are arranging to consolidate and build a church at Pure
Air. It has been impossible to get the history of each of the congregations,
but as far as the facts have been secured they Avill now be given.
Brashear. — Exact information has been not secured concerning
the early history of the M. E. Church in the vicinity of Brashear. Years
ago there was a circuit called Sand Hill circuit which included Paulville,
Sand Hill and perhaps some other appointments. After the removal
of the people from Paulville to Brashear in the early seventies, the name
of the circuit was changed to Brashear Circuit. The society at Brashear
was originally the Paulville society. It did not have a church building
until long after the town of Brashear was established. The meetings
were held in school houses until April 13, 1884, when the present church
building, generahy known as McCreery Chapel, Avas dedicated. The
dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. M. L. Curl. Rev. A. H.
Collins was pastor at the time when the church was built. It has been
impossible to get a complete hst of the pastors that have served this
circuit. As far as they were found, they were as foUows;
1866-69— J. Harvey Scott. 1891-92— (Supply).
1875-76— F. M. Green. 1892-96— A. M. Molesworth.
1876-77— J. W. Anderson. 1896-97— J. B. Kipple.
1879-80— S. Carothers. 1897-01— R. Carlyou.
1881-82— Will Brown. 1901-03— T. C. Taylor.
1883-85— A. H. Collins. 1903-04— Benj. Van Dyke.
1886-87— M. V. Briggs. i904-07— C. H. Brott.
1888-89— W. H. Turner. 1907-09— J. F. Youngman.
1889-90— J. S. Wilson. 1909-11— T. E. Bostick
1890-91— P. St. Clair.
The Churches. 119
Novinger. — Methodist services were held in and around Novinger
long before a Methodist church was organized, the preaching being done
by ministers who were either passing through or who lived in nearby
communities. Inasmuch as many of the people in this part of the coun
ty were Germans, the earliest Methodist ministers are said to have been
Germans and preached in German.
In the early seventies Methodist services were held in Avhat was
known as the Novinger school house, a quarter of a mile northwest
from the present limits of Novinger. In this school house revival meet
ings were held during the winter whenever a preacher could be gotten.
One winter a few years after the town of Novinger had been started,
probably in the early eighties, the revival meetings were held in a work
shop which had been built by a Mr. Amick on Frankford Avenue in
Novinger. This shop was used because it was more accessible than the
school house. However, the school house continued to be used as the
place for whatever occasional Methodist services were held. It was
probably about 1885 that a Methodist society was organized. Meetings
continued to be held in the school house until 1891, when a church build
ing was erected. There, Avas considerable debate over the location of
this church building. Some wanted it at Novinger and some at the
graveyard a mile and "a half north of Novinger. It was finally decided
to build at the graveyard. There Avere as yet very few who foresaw at
that time the rapid growth that Novinger was destined to undergo, and
hence the sentiment in favor of the church being near the cemetery
was strong enough to carry the day against those who favored Novinger.
Rev. W. H. Doyle Avas pastor at that time. Father Roselle laid the
cornerstone on July 27, 1891.
In 1903, after Novinger had begun to take on rapid growth, the
Methodists decided to erect a church building in town, and succeeded
in doing so. On January 29, 1904, they dedicated their town church,
the Rev. G. W. Hughey of Springfield preaching the dedicatory ser
mon. The amount necessary to be raised on the day of dedication
was $650, and it looked at the close of the morning service as though
it would not be raised. But by evening the full amount was subscribed
and the dedication was made. Rev. C. N. Wood was pastor at the time.
For three years prior to the erection of this building in town, the con
gregation used the K. P. Hall, which had been built in 1900.
The old church building at the graveyard still remains, and is used
yet on funeral occasions, and was frequently used as a kind of mining
mission, inasmuch as it is near what is now Midland No. 2. The mis
sion work has, hoAvever, been given up of late.
120
History of Adair County.
A parsonage was built in Novinger in 1897. Since 1907 Novinger
and Connelsville have constituted the only appointments on this cir
cuit. The pastqrs since the organization of the society in 1885, have been
as follows, as far as they could be ascertained;
1886-87— C. N. Thompson.
1889-93— W. H. Doyle.
1893-94— W. S. Scull.
1894-95— D. R. Walker.
1895-97— M. R. F. Nickell.
1897-98— H. M. Ingram.
1898-99— M, R. F. Nickell.
1900-03— W. H. Doyle.
1903-05— C. N. Wood.
1905-07— S. E. Shafer.
1907-09— D. J. Little.
1909-10— D. Cunningham.
1910-11— W. C. Francisco.
Sabbath Home, M. E. Church.
Connelsville.— The Methodist church at Connelsville was ded
icated May 31, 1908, by Rev. L. C. Sappenfield.
Sabbath Home. — This is one of the most flourishing country
Methodist churches in this part of the state. It is situated eight miles
The Churches. 121
northeast from Kirksville and five miles north of Brashear. The first
church building was dedicated July 19, 1877 by Rev. F. M. Green. The
present building Avas erected in 1905, during Rev. C. H. Brott's pas
torate. Bethel. — This church was organized in 1874 by Rev. 0. S. Mid-
dleton. The original membership was made up of a class at Ohve-HiU
and at Reed School House. The church building was built in 1874-75.
It is situated twelve miles northeast of Kirksville.
Cater Memorial. — This chapel was built at a cost of about $1,500
in 1896-97, by Rev. E. B. Cater, and was named in his honor. This
was a very appropriate tribute to his faithful service through thirty-one
years as a circuit rider in Northern Missouri. Nearly ten of these years
were spent on circuits in Adair County.
Bullion. — This church was dedicated on November 6, 1882.
B. — Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
Kirksville. — The schism Avhich took place in the Methodist
Church during the forties gave rise to the Southern Methodist Church.
In Missouri it appears the M.- E. Church (commonly called the North
ern Methodist Church) Avas in a dormant condition. During that
period, however. Southern Methodism was quite aggressive and estab
hshed itself in many places firmly and to the exclusion of the other
branch. It appears that in Adair County the onl^' Methodist churches
from the time of the split down to the Avar were Southern. There is no
evidence that a Northern church was organized until after the war.
In 1849 there were three Southern Methodist circuits in this part
of the state, any one of which could have included Kirksville or any
other appointment in Adair County. They were Milan, Edina and
Bloomington. But there is no evidence available to shoAV whether
any Adair County charge was included in any one of these circuits.
Kirksville is first mentioned in the available records of the appointments
of Southern Methodist Conferences in the fifties. The charge was then
spoken of as the Kirksville Mission, and as far as our information goes,
this is the term applied to the work here down to 1869, and perhaps
Kirksville Mission included all the work done by the Southern Meth
odists in the County.
122
History' of Adair County".
The society in KirksAulle seems to have gone to pieces during the
Avar. From the fact that the annual conference continued to assign
men to the Kirksville Mission even though the societ>- in town had sus
pended, it would seem that the Avork Avas not entirely suspended through
out the count3^ The Kirksville society was reorganized on February
JM. E. Church, South, Kirksaille.
14, 1872, by Rev. W. J. Jackson, Avho had been assigned to the Kirks
ville Circuit in 1871. He began the Avork of reorganization liy holding
preaching services once a month in the Cumberland Presbyterian church
in October, 1871. A revival meeting was held in February, 1872, the
preaching being done by Rev. J. AV. Cunningham of Palmyra. This
meeting culminated in the definite reorganization of the society on
The Churches. 123
February 14, Avith eighteen members. Ten of these eighteen were from
Iowa, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio.
The year 1871-72 seems to have been marked by considerable re
newed interest in the work of this denomination in the countj^. Besides
reviving the society at KirksAdlle, two new buildings were built and
dedicated, and over one hundred new members taken in.
In 1849 J. C. Goode donated two lots on Franklin Street to the
M. E. Church South in Kirksville, on condition that a house of worship
should be built and maintained thereon. A church building was par
tially erected, but never completed. In 1862-63 this partially completed
building was torn down and used for firewood. In 1871 Goode's heirs
sued for the recovery of the lot on the ground that the church had not
complied Avith the original contract. The case was carried up to the
Supreme Court and was decided in favor of the church.
On the revival of the Kirksville society in 1872, services were held
first in the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and later in the M. E.
church until 1876, when the Free Will Baptist church building was pur
chased Avith the proceeds from the sale of the two lots on Franklin Street
which had been given the church by J. C. Goode in 1849. This Bap
tist church building stood on the site of the present M. E. Church South
building. It was considerably repaired and opened for regular services
on May 14, 1876.
At that time Kirksville Circuit embraced five appointments, all
east of the St. L., K. C. and N. R. R., now the Wabash. There was
preaching at all of these points one Sunday in each month, except Kirks
ville, which had two services a month. At the close of the conference
year there were 250 members in the circuit, and four good church build
ings. Late in 1877 the Kirksvihe church purchased a reed organ. The
event is worthy of notice because of the editorial comment made upon
it in the North Missouri Register, a paper pubhshed in Kirksville at
that time. The editorial was as follows;
"An organ has been placed in the M. E. Church South, for use at
religious services, in order to conform to the fashion. It may add
strength, beauty and interest to the musical exercises, but we don't be
lieve it. In old times when the congregation 'done' the singing and
filled the church Avith the melody of their voices and put their whole
soul into their singing, there Avas greater reverence in the worship of
God." Early in June, 1888, plans were laid for the erection of a new church
building in Kirksville. The old one was sold to John Bernard, who re-
124 History of An.vii; Cooniy.
movctl it, and is said to linve used it as fuel in burning brick. The cor
nerstone of the new building was laid by Dr. J. 10. A'incil on Friday,
June 23, 1882. The ilay was a very raiiiA- one, yet ninety Masons are
said to have participated in the ceremony. The address was d(>livcred
by Dr. A'incil in the M. E. Church after the stone was laid. Tlu> church
when completed cost about $3,000.
The pastor at the time of its erection and dedication was \. \.
Bayley. He seems ti) have greatly endeared hinisi'lf (o (he people of
the church and toAvn in general during his years of s(>rvi('c. When lie
Avas transferred in the fall of 1883 to another work, a. big rc-ceplion was
given him by the Magnet Club of Kirksville at the Parcells House.
The south wing was added to the church building in tihe summer of
1895. The parsonage was bought in 1SS7.
The jiastors of the Kirksville Mission up to the time of tlu' reor
ganization of the society at Kirks\'illc in 1S71, are, as far as ca.ii be as
certained, as follows:
1852-53— AVni. Warren. 1863 61 Walter Toole.
1856-57- -Isaac Naylor. 1866 67 W.Wood.
1858-59— M. R. Jones. 1867 69 K. Buck.
Since the reorganization the jiastors of th(> Kirksville church hav(^
been :
1871-73— W. J. Jackson. 1889 90- G. E. Tatupiory.
1873-74— C, A. Sherman. 1890 92 -F. Marvin.
1874-75— M. F. Bell. 1893-95—0. B. llolliday.
1875-76— J. R. A. Vaughn. 1895-96- J. L. l^iylor.
1876-77— John Holland. 1896-98— M. C. l-Iardin.
1877-78— C. Cleavcland. 1898-01— A. C. BroAvning.
1878-80— J. 0. Edmonson. 1901-03- K. O. Watson.
1880-83— A. V. Bayley. 1903-07- C. N. Broadhursf.
1883-84— J. 0. Edmonston. 1907-08 (". C. Grimes.
1884-86— J. E. Squires. i()08-09— I. J. Mvvd.
1886-87— J. W. Owen. 1909- lO-h]. E. Hostwick.
1887-89— J. W. Keithley. 1910-11— J. D. Ra,ndolph.
It seems that in October, 1885, the charge at Kirksville became a
station and the pastor from that time on has given his entire time to
the work in that place.
Brashear.— The M. E. Churcli, South, at Bra,shear was organized
at Paulville in 1848. Mr. and Mrs. John Thrasher, Mr. and Mrs. Mc
Dowell and Miss Phoebe Talbot, were the original members. It was
]irobably at fii'st one of the appointinenls on th(- Kirksville Mission
The Churches. 125
Circuit, but just when it was detached and made a part of some other
circuit is not known. This circuit has been known by various names:
Edina, La Plata, Kirksvihe, Queen City, Mt. Carmel, and Brashear.
In 1871 a church building was erected at PaulviUe, and dedicated on
November 19 of that year by Rev. J. W. Cunningham, of Palmyra.
In May, 1880, the building was removed to Brashear, which had been
established in 1872, and whose growth killed Pauh'ille. The building
was repaired and re-opened for services in June. Rev. J. W. Pritchett,
Avho Avas at that time President of HoAvard-Payne College at Fayette,
Mo., preached the opening sermon.
It has been impossible to get the names of all the pastors who have
served this circuit. As far as they have been ascertained they are as
follows :
1885-87— J. T. Kinney. 1900-01— W. E. Tinney.
1887-88— C. G. HiU. 1901-02— J. T. Hood.
1892-93— Wilhams. 1902-06— N. F. Matthews.
1896-97— L. G. Maggart. 1906-07— G. T. Rolston.
Trinity. — Trinity Church Avas organized in Clay township in 1871
by Rev. W. J. Jackson. There were about six members in the: original
class, among whom Avere Mr. and Mrs. Hezekiah Lyon. and Mr. and
Mrs. Henry Atkins. A church building Avas erected in 1872 in the
northwestern part of Clay township. It cost $1,000, and after it was
blown down by the storm of 1878 it Avas rebuilt at a further cost of
$675. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Rev. J. W. Cunning
ham of Palmyra, on June 23, 1872. This charge was originally on the
KirksAolle circuit, but has been on the Brashear circuit since Kirksville
was made a station.
Besides the three Southern Methodist chun^hes that have been
ilcscribed, there is one at Gibbs and another in ('lay township called
Curtis. No information has been secured concerning them.
C. — United Brethren Church.
Brashear. — The U. B. church at Brashear dates back far beyond
the founding of the town of Brashear. In 1859, at the first session of
the Missouri Conference which convened at Atlanta, Rev. W. H. Burns
was assigned for the ensuing year to Atlanta Circuit. This circuit in
cluded the class knoAvn as the Paulville or the White School House
class. This class went, by these two names because it used a hall at
U. B. Church, Brashear.
The Churches. 127
Paulville and the White school house, near Avhat is now Brashear, as
meeting places. The original members of this class were L. Preston,
Mary Preston, Henry Garlock, A. Seibert, F. Seibert, Mary Groolaigh,
W. F. Eagle, Mary Eagle, Maria A. Eagle, Peter Kunkle and Margaret
Kunkle. This congregation had no church building of its own until 1873.
By that time Brashear had been founded and it was decided to build at
that place. After encountering many difficulties, the members of this
church organization Avere able to dedicate a church building costing
over $1,750. The dedication occurred on August 17, 1873. Bish
op Glossbrenner preached the sermon. The occasion was long remem
bered in Brashear and the county because of the immense croAvd that
attended; a special train from Kirksville brought a large number of
people. The editor of the North Missouri Register went along, and
in commenting on the services expressed his thanks that there was no
organ nor paid choir to mar the beautiful simplicity of the occasion.
Prior to the building of the church in Brashear, the U. B.'s had
accustomed for several years to hold annual camp meetings in the Salt
River bottom a quarter of a mile southwest of what is now Brashear.
These were largely attended. They were discontinued when the church
building was erected in 1873. The revival meetings that have had the
most marked influence on the church since that time were the Little
meetings in 1890, and the Petry meetings in 1906 and 1908.
The present church building was erected in 1908, and dedicated
by Dr. T. D. Criks, President of Campbell College of Kansas, on Decem
ber 6, 1908. It is valued at $5,000. The membership in 1909 was 160.
The pastors of the Brashear Circuit have been;
1859-62— W. H. Burns. 1885-87— U. 0. Deputy.
1862-64— Daniel Forbes. 1887-89— Adolph Fisher.
1864-66— J. T. Timmons. ' 1889-90— S. T. Wallace.
1866-67— C. C. Philips. 1890-92— D. H. Bruner.
1867-69— W. G. Grey. 1892-93— E. L. Joshn.
1869-70— W. P. Shanklih. 1893-95— W. L. Scull.
1870-71— Chas. Hibbard. 1895-98— S. R. Dillman.
—John Estep. 1898-00— 0. P. Gariock.
1871-72— B. J. Murray. 1900-01— D. M. Harvey.
—Jas. Herbert. 1901-03— L. D. Neher.
1872-76— A. D. Thomas. 1903-04— G. B. Clay.
1876-77— T. S. Downey. 1904-05— R. H. Beck.
1877-83— J. W. Puhey. 1904-07— J. W. Penn.
1883-84— U. P. Wardruff. 1907-10— Chaster Young.
1884-85— Jas. Herbert. 1910-11— A. C. Tudor.
128 History" of Adair County.
The Missouri Annual Conference of this church has convened at
Brashear four different times: in 1874, Avith Bishop Glossbrenner pre
siding; in 1883, with Bishop E. B. Kephart, presiding; in 1887, with
Bishop J. Weaver presiding; and in 1896, with Bishop J. S. Mills pre
siding. Gibbs. — The U. B. church at Gibbs was originally the Pleasant
View church, which was organized in February 1868 by Rev. W. G.
Grey. The original members were Mr. and Mrs. Cyrus Sanborn, Mr.
and Mrs. Begole, Amanda Houston, Mary Houston, D. P. Houston,
Wm. Houston, John McDoweh, Joseph McDowell, Harriett McDowell,
Mr. and Mrs. Moses Johnson, Benjamin Young, and Mr. and Mrs Jas.
Gunning. The flrst house of worship was situated in section 10, town
ship 61, range 14, a short distance northwest of what is now Gibbs.
It Avas erected in 1878 at a cost of $1,150, and was dedicated in Novem
ber, 1879, by Bishop Wright.
In 1889 the United Brethren throughout the entire denomination
became divided over the question regarding secret societies, and two
denominations resulted. Those favoring secret societies were called
Liberals, and those opposing Radicals. Many a congregation was split
wide open, and two separate congregations were formed where originally
there was only one.
The Pleasant VieAV church was one of the congregations that di
vided. In June, 1895, the Liberals moved the church building to Gibbs,
Avhich had come into existence since the building of the Santa Fe Rail- .
road in 1887. The courts had given them the title to the building. " It
was rededicated by Prof. Reese of the New York College of Nebraska,
on December 1, 1895. In 1906 another and better church building
Avas erected and this was rededicated by Bishop Weakley of Des Moines,
on December 30, 1906.
The Radicals of the original Prarie View congregation proceeded to
build another building after the Liberals had moved the flrst church
building to Gibbs. It was erected at Prairie Bird and Avas dedicated
in November, 1896, by Bishop Halleck Floyd of Dublin, Indiana.
The congregations at Gibbs and Prairie View have no business
affiliations. They belong to separate denominations. A. C. Tudor
is pastor of the Gibbs church, and J. G. Garlock of the Prairie Bend
Chapel. There is another U. B. church at Green Grove, in Nineveh township,
and still another six miles northeast of Kirksville, which was built in
The Churches. 129
1895. Evidently an attempt Avas made to organize a society in Kirks
ville in 1894, but without success.
D. — Baptist Church (Missionary).
Bear Creek. — The oldest Baptist society in Adair County is the
Bear Creek church. This was organized in 1840 by Rev. Talbot Hight.
The original members were Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Barnes, Ehza Hibbard,
Nancy Hibbard, and Nancy Myers. In the course of time a church
building Avas erected three and a half miles north of Kirksville. By this
time the Cohetts, Hustons, Lloyds, Willises, Ashers, and Conners were
members. This church has maintained a continuous organization down to
the present. Data concerning its more recent history are Avanting.
Kirksville. — Very little is known about the Baptist Church in
Kirksville prior to the war. Tradition • says, that it was disbanded
during the war, but no record of its AVork has. survived;
In 1868 the church in Kirksville was reorganized. The place of
meeting Avas a long low one story building which stood' on the northeast
corner of Buchanan and Florence Streets. It had been built in 1858
by Prof. W. P. Nason and had been used by him as a school building
up to 1862.
The members at the time of reorganization were Mr. and Mrs. W.
A. Foster, Mr. and Mrs. Ma,rion Barnes, Mrs. A. P. Willard, Mr. and
Mrs. LcAvis W. Link, Mr. and Mrs. S. M. Link, Mr. and Mrs. George
Shotwell, Mrs. Mary Bond, Mrs. Leisure, and Mr. Henry Cooper. The
pastor was Rev. J. A. Pool.
In 1870 Rev. J. H. Terrill became pastor, and for a while the church
appeared to prosper. A number of prominent people became identi
fied with the church, among whom Avere the Halladays, Ileses, Rays,
Franklands, and Nortons. Plans were made for erecting a new church,
and lots at the corner of McPherson and High Streets were bought and
a brick building begun in June, 1872. The building was completed and
occupied by the folloAving January. Like most all churches, this one
was finished with a great debt hanging over it. Financial difficulties
compelled the church to give up its building. At that time the Cum
berland Presbyterian church had a frame church building at the cor
ner of Franklin and Illinois Streets. Arrangements were made for the
exchange of this building for the Baptist church bmlding, the Cumberland
Presbyterians paying $1,650 additional. The exchange was made in
December, 1877.
f^s-^
Baptist CHVRfH, Kirks\-ille.
Burned Jan. 9, 1910. Rebuilt with some ehanges in the original plan.
Dedicated on Feb. 22, 1911.
The Churches. 131
The financial loss Avhich had been sustained was very discouraging,
but the members began to plan and hope for better things, and by 1896
their hopes were realized. Two lots were bought at the corner of Wash
ington and Marion Streets, and a fine brick building was erected there
on. The church was occupied in November, 1897, but it Avas not ded
icated until some time later because all the indebtedness was not cov
ered by subscriptions at the time it Avas completed. The total cost of
the building and lots was $8,600. The pastor at the time was Rev.
S. H. Morgan, to Avhom the congregation ascribed a great deal of the
credit for the success of the undertaking.
This building was burned on Sunday, January 9, 1910. The even
ing services had begun when it was discovered that the building was on
fire. The congregation was immediately dismissed, and in an hour
nothing but the walls remained.
Arrangements were immediately made for the use of the First
Presljytcrian church building across the street from the post office,
until the burned building could be rebuilt. The AVork on the recon
structed building was completed in February, 1911, and was dedicated
on the 22nd of that month by Rev. W. J. Williamson of St. Louis. Some
changes were made in the plans of the old building by way of making
it larger and arranging for some extra accommodations. The cost of
rebuilding was about $12,000, all of which Avas covered by subscrip
tions some days before the dedication.
The pastors since the reorganization of the church have been:
1868-70— J. H. Pool. 1893-96— S. H. Morgan.
1870-78— J. H. Terrih. 1897-01— M. A. Simmons. ¦
1878-80— J. C. Shipp. 1901-02— O. M. Brownson.
1880-87— W. E. Chambhss. 1903-06— H. A. Weeks.
1887-90— Ray Palmer. 1906-09— H. J. Everiy.
1891-92— W. H. Sawyer. 1909-11— W. H. Stone.
1892-93— W. S. Walker.
The Missouri Baptist Association has convened at least once in
Kirksville, and that was in October, 1898.
Novinger. — The Baptist Church of Novinger has a unique his
tory among the churches of the county. It Avas organized by Rev.
Joe P. Jacobs in the winter of 1901-02, as the result of a series of revival
meetings which he conducted in a Gospel Car called "The Messenger
of Peace," sent out by the American Baptist Publication Society. This
car was fitted up Avith pulpit, chairs, organ and other equipment of a
chapel, and Avas sent from place to place to carry on revival meetings
132 ¦ History of Adair County.
and organize Baptist churches. It stood on a switch in Novinger for
some weeks and the nieetings held in it were well attended. A Baptist
society of fifteen or twenty members was organized at the close of the
meetings and a church builchng erected in 1902.
The pastors have been;
1902-04— J. Frank Moore. 1908-09— A. R. Jones.
1905- — C. M. Benight. 1909-11— C. C. Cunningham.
1905-08— Whittenbraker.
For the past two years the church has been able to employ a pas
tor who gives his entire time to the work there. It also has two lady
missionaries who are busy ministering to those in need of their assist
ance in Novinger and the mining camps near by.
Millard. — In 1860 there was organized the Dover Baptist Church
among the people living on the east fork of the Chariton south of Kirks
ville. Among the members were the Musicks, Ryans, Cunninghams,
and Costellos. Shortly after the town of Millard was laid out this
society removed to that place and was known as the Millard Baptist
Church. By 1890 the society was disbanded, part of the membership
going to La Plata and part to Kirksville.
Besides the Baptist churches that have been described, there are
several others in the county concerning which no data have been se
cured. Of these three are in Clay township; one at Sperry, another is
in the southwest corner (Hazel Green), and the third is in the southeast
corner. There is one at old WilsontoAvn in Wilson township, and an
other called Morris Church in southeastern Walnut.
E. — Baptist Church (Free Will).
The Baptist churches whose history has been outlined are Mission
ary Baptists, to distinguish them from Free Will Baptists. The dis
tinctive difference between the two branches pertains to the communion;
the former believes and practices close communion, the latter open
communion. There are at present at least four different congregations of Free
Will Baptists in the county; Jewell, seven miles northwest of Kirks
ville; Connelsvihe; Bethel, west of ConnelsviUe; and Sublette.
At one time a Free Will Baptist society existed in Kirksville. It
was organized June 4, 1865, by Rev. J. H. Wesscher, with James Hayes,
Phoebe Hayes, Wm, Smith, Jane Smith, Minemoh Smith, Mary Smith,
The Churches. 133
J. McMorrow, Eleanor Dennis, Charles Scovihe, Nancy Scovihe, Guy
Chandler, Sarah Chandler, Ehza Middleton, H. Young, Mrs. W. N.
Wesscher, Mary Jones, Gary Ferguson, Nell MattheAvs, Mrs. Dunham,
and Jupiter Webb (a negro) as members. This society erected a church
building on the site of the present Southern Methodist Church build
ing, in May, 1865, and this is said to have been the first church building
erected in the town. All church organizations had prior to this held
their services in the court house or school houses.
Considerable efforts Avere made to make this part of the state as
kind of center for Free Will Baptists. Rev. Wesscher, Immigration
Agent for the Free Will Baptist Association of Adair and Schuyler
Counties, sent out a circular letter in 1868, setting forth the advantages
of this region and inviting people of his faith to come and settle here.
He got in reply several letters from parties saying they Avere coming.
It is evident, however, that a large number did not come, for after a few
years more the church succumbed. The disbandment occurred in
1872, and the building was sold in 1875 to the Southern Methodists.
When the latter got ready later on to biiild a brick building,; they sold
the one they had bought from the Baptists to a jnan named Bernard,
who moved it aAvay and jised it up as fuel in burning brick.
The pastors during the period from 1868 to 1872 were J. H. Wes
scher, — Cooley, D, C. Miller, and A. SeU.
F. — Christian Church or Disciples.
Kirksville. — The Christian Church in Kirksville has, according
to tradition, a history reaching back to the winter of 1845-46. At that
time E. H. Lossen and Jeremiah Prather organized a society in Kirks
ville, with the following persons as the original members: William
Ivie, John Galyen, Nelson Grogan, Bartlett Asher, Arthusa Bonham,
Mr. and Mrs. George Rice, Mr. and Mrs. John Rice, Mr. and Mrs.
Wm. Linder, Mrs. Sloan, Mrs. Stacy Grogan, Mrs. Jacob Linder, Mrs.
Andrew Linder, Isham B. Dodson, James Dodson, Nancy J. Dodson,
Hulda Dodson, and Mary Sloan.
The society was thirty years in acquiring a church building of its
own. Until the war broke out the court house was used; but after that
was closed to all rehgious services, the members of this society met
at different places until it was completely disorganized.
In 1865 the society was reorganized by Rev. D. M. Kinter. Re
vival meetings were held and about forty members were added. The
question of a meeting house proved troublesome. It was not possible
134
History op Adair County.
to erect a suitable buikhng and so arrangements wci'e nuule for the us(>
of a building known as the Cumberiand Academy. This building had
been started in 1860 by the Kirksville Presbytery of the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church, but owing to the outbreak of the war, work Avas
suspended on it before it was finished. The Presbytery sold it in l'\'b-
ruary, 1865 to D. S. Hooper, Samuel Reed, Jr., Nelson Grogan ami
Abraham AA^off. These men in turn sold it in March, 1865 for $1,500
to a stock company composed of men who belonged to the newly reor
ganized Christian Church. This company offered the use of this build
ing for church services to the church without charge. It is said that
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they had bought the builchng with the expectation that some day the
church would buy it from them. But when it appeared the church did
not intend doing this, the stock company began to look around for a
renter. In February, 1867, they found one in the i)erson of J. Bald
win of Indiana, who began in the fall of that year the North Missouri
Normal School, which grew in three years and a half into the i)rcsent
State Normal School. The congregation continued apparently to hold
services in this building after the Normal School opened up, doAvn to at
least January, 1871, when the school be(^amc a state institution. The
The Churches. 135
congregation seems then to have rented the Free Will Baptist church,
Avhich stood on the site of the present M. E. Church South. This was
used until 1876.
In 1872 the church seems to have been thoroughly reorganized,
with President J. Baldwin, A. J. Knight, John Richey, J. D. Gardner,
and C. H. Dutcher as elders, and G. W. Edwards, L. D. Noblett and
W. E. Coleman as deacons.
In 1876 the congregation erected a building on the site of the pres
ent Christian church. The lot had been purchased in 1871, but no ef
forts were made at erecting a building until September, 1875. This
building Avas completed a few months later and dedicated on February
13, 1876, by Rev. Dr. Hobson of Canton. In 1900 this building was
remodeled and a large wing was added to the south. The church Avas
therefore rededicated on December 9, 1900, Elder J. H. Garrison of St.
Louis, preaching the dedicatory sermon. The improvements cost
$6,500. On the day of dedication enough had not been subscribed by
$2,200 to cover this amount. At the morning service only $1,700 was
raised. The remaining deficit Avas secured by subscriptions at the
night service. The dedicatory ceremony was celebrated in the after
noon at a general mass meeting of all the churches.
Trouble has arisen at least twice between the congregation and the
pastors. In 1885 trouble arose between the elders and the pastor A.
Russell. Three arbiters were called in to adjust matters and are said
to have decided the trouble in favor of the pastor.
In 1906 there occurred a schism in the congregation owing to some
differences of opinion regarding the pastor, G. W. Thompson. When
he was asked to resign the faction that supported him withdrew
and organized another congregation, which took the name of Central
Christian Church. A lot Avas bought and preparations begun for erect
ing a church building. Services Avere held for a while in the Harring
ton Theater, Avith the Rev. Mr. Thompson as the pastor. But the at
tempt failed owing to the smallness of the congregation, and practically
all the seceding faction returned to the original congregation in the course
of a few years.
The records shoAv that in 1872 the membership was 25; in 1884,
150; and in 1910, 600. The pastorate of U. M. Browder was marked
by an unusually large increase in the membership. During his two
years of service, 1889-91, 237 were added to the church, of which num
ber 1 17 were baptized.
It has been impossible to secure the names of all the pastors. Of
those who served prior to the war the following have been ascertained;
136 History of Adair County.
E. H. Lossen, Jeremiah Prather, Allen Wright, — White, A. P. Davis,
Thos. Allen, Jacob Creath, and — Donan.
The pastors since 1865 and their terms of service as far as could
be ascertained, are as follows:
1865-69— D. M. Kinter. 1885-89— Simpson Ely.
1869-70— E. C. Browning. 1889-91— U. M. Browder.
1870-72— J. A. Heddington. 1891-92— G. H. Laughhn.
1872- — C. P. Hohis. 1892-94— Davis Errett.
W. A. Northcutt. 1894-95— Sherman Kirk.
C. P. Hollis. 1895-99— Simpson Ely.
A. RusseU. 1899-05— H. A. Northcutt.
S. H. Hedrix. 1905-06— G. W. Thompson.
Geo. E. Dew. 1906-09— D. A. Wickizer.
J. C. Reynolds. 1909-11— E. J. Wilhs.
1884-85— J. W. Davis.
Brashear. — The Christian Church in Brashear was established in
1890, through the efforts of a few of that denomination who had come
to that place and had not affiliated with any other church. They called
in help, and through the assistance of Evangelists J. M. Hoffman and
P. D. HoUoAvay, succeeded in getting an organization effected. From
1890 to 1897 the congregation met in other churches, school house or
hall. In 1896 the Brashear Academy building Avhich had just been
abandoned for school purposes, was bought and remodeled, and in the
next year was dedicated. Rev. W. A. Hamilton was pastor at the time.
The pastors have been as follows ;
1890-91— J. C. McQuary. 1901-02— R. A. Martin.
1891-92— J. C. Rick. 1902-04— D. R. Kenter.
.1892-93— A. D. Veatch. 1905-07— J. L. Hollowell.
1893-94— B. F. Huthutt. 1908-09— C. E. Hunt.
1893-97— W. A. Hamilton. 1910-11— J. E. Hollowell.
1897-98— A. D. Clark.
The membership at the time of organization, 1890, was ten. At
present it is about one hundred.
Gibbs.— The Christian Church at Gibbs was organized March 1,
1905, by Elder J. L. HoUowell, with a charter membership of twenty-
six. For the first two months the congregation used a store building,
and then rented a hall which was used for two years. A church build
ing was then begun and was used in an unfinished condition for about
two years. It was completed and dedicated by Elder E. M. Richmond
The Churches. 137
on August 29, 1909. The building is a very neat village church, better
by far than the usual village churches
The pastors have been: J. L. Hohowell, D. M. Kinter, C. E.
Hunt, and J. M. Harris. The membership is now sixty-tAvo.
Illinois Bend. — The Illinois Bend Christian Church Avas organ
ized by Elder J. W. Davis on November 28, 1885, with seventeen char
ter members. The building they use is nominally a Union church which
was built in 1884. Four denominations were interested in erecting it,
but the only one that has grown and prospered is the Christian Church,
so that the members of that congregation practicahy own it. They own
the furniture and repair the building. The membership has grown
until it is about 150 at present.
Besides J. W. Davis, J. M. Smith, H. R. Trickett, L. H. Harboard,
A. Munyon, J. L. Hollowell, have sei;ved as pastors. The present pas
tor is J. Morgan Harris.
There is a Christian Church at Star, but no facts concerning it are
available. . ,""
G.^^Ciimberland Presbyterian Church.
Kirksville. — The Cunaberland Presbyterian Church in Kirks
ville was organized on, May 25, i8|6, by' itey.' James Dysart,. Avith J. T.
Smith, David Jaihes, Elmer Jariies,- G. E. Bushneh and Helen Bush
nell as members. The initiative ' in - this Avas taken by David James
and J. T. Smith. Both of 'these men had, belonged to the Eldad Cum
berland Presbyterian Church in Rahd6l{>li "County, and after getting in
Adair County they decided to organize a church of that denomination
in their new home. -They interested Geo. E. Bushnell and his wife,
who moved from Ohio to their neighborhood in 1845, in their plans,
and though the Bushnells had been Methodists in Ohio, they decided
on reading the confession of faith of the Cumberland Presbyterian
Church, they could join James and Smith in organizing a church of
that faith. Word Avas sent to Rev. James Dysart of College Mound,
Mo., and on his coming up the work of organization Avas effected in the
original court house of Adair County, which stood on the northwest
corner of the square where the National Bank of Kirksville now stands.
The membership grcAV very slowly, and of course the society was too
weak to have a regular circuit rider. Visiting preachers afforded all
the preaching that was done for many years. Among these were B.
138
History of Adair County.
F. Caldwell, J. C. Davidson, James Dysart and J. B. Mitchell. A note-
Avorthy revival was held in 1854 in the court house which stood in the
public square and which was burned in 1865; through this revival the
membership Avas increased to 68. This serves to mark the beginning of
the employment of a regular preacher, for in that year Rev. S. C. David
son Avas employed to preach once a month. Affairs seemed to be pros
perous, for in 1857 the congregation employed Rev. J. E. Sharp to
preach every Sunday. Moreover, the Kirksville Presbytery established
C. P. Church, Kirksville.
(Presbyterian since the union in 1906.)
a school in Kirksville which was called the Cumberland Academy, and
a building for the school and for church services also was begun. But
the war which came on put a check to all this actiAuty, and for several
years there were no preaching services at all, and the project for a school
was abandoned.
The church was reorganized in 1868 largely through the leadership
of Rev. G. W. Sharp, who is yet living in Kirksville. A church building
was erected that year on the corner of Franklin and Illinois Streets,
and dedicated the last Sunday in December by Rev. J. B. MitcheU of
The Churches. 139
College Mound. The revivals which came the folloAving year added
over one hundred to the membership. During the year. Prof. W. P.
Nason and several others left the Presbyterian Church and joined the
Cumberland Presbyterians because they could no longer support cer
tain doctrines upheld by that church.
The year 1877 seems to mark considerable prosperity on the part
of this congregation. The finances were such as to enable the church
to employ the entire services of their pastor, J. B. Mitchell, and in De
cember of that year they bought the building which the Baptists had
built in 1872 on the corner of McPherson and High Streets, giving in
exchange therefor their building on Franklin Street and $1,600 in ad
dition, $1,000 of which was given by W. T. Baird. This building was
repaired and dedicated July 7, 1878, by Rev. D. E. Bushneh of San
Jose, California. Services had been held in it, however, with the ex
ception of a short time when closed for repairs, ever since it had been
acquired the preceding December. This building was repaired several
times during the eighties, but it was found desirable to remodel and
enlarge it in 1897. It was rededicated on December 12 of that year
by Dr. W. H. Black, President of Missouri Valley College. There Avere
present at the service tAvp of the former pastors, G. W. Sharp and J. B.
Mitchell, and also W. P. Nason, who supplied the church as preacher
for a short time in the early seventies. The building committee reported
the expenditure of over $6,000 in the remodeling of the church and the
collection of the entire amount pledged to cover the expenditures ex
cept $15. Rev. M. W. Pressly was pastor at the time.
The fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the church was cel
ebrated by special services on October 4, 1896. In the morning a spe
cial sermon was prached by Rev. G. W. Sharp, one of the early pastors,
and the communion was administered by Rev. J. B. Mitchell, another
one of the early pastors. In the evening a program of a more varied
and historical character was rendered. One of the most interesting
features was that of the roll call of the first five members of 1846. As
the names of these persons were called. Dr. Mitchell responded with a
brief character sketch of each. Mr. W. T. Baird also read letters from
John T. Smith, Geo. E. Bushnell and D. E. Bushnell. The first two
were among the five original members, and their letters were in refer
ence to the invitation to be present at the anniversary exercises. Be
fore the anniversary came, Mr. Smith had died. D. E. Bushnell was the
son of Geo. E. Bushnell, and had joined the church here in 1857. He
afterwards entered the ministry and became one of the strongest preach
ers in that denomination in the entire country.
140 History of Adair County.
In 1906 the Cumberland Presbyterians and the Presbyterians
united, and have ever since remained as one congregation. A full ac
count of this win be given in the section dealing with the Presbyterian
church. The Kirksville Cumberland Presbyterian church entertained the
McAdow Synod at least once. In October, 1877, that Synod held its
annual session in KirksA'ille. At that time there were three different
Synods in the state of Missouri. In 1885, however, all these were united
into one Synod, which was thereafter known as the Synod of Missouri.
This Synod convened at least once in Kirksville, and that was in
October, 1901.
The pastors from the time they were first employed down to the
suspension during the war, were;
1854-57— S. C. Davidson. 1857-61— J. E. Sharp.
The pastors since the reorganization were;
1868-70— G. W. Sharp. 1893-96— J. M. McKnight.
1870-71— W. P. Nason. 1896-97— M. W. Pressly.
1871-75— G. W. Sharp. 1898-06— W. L. Darby.
1875-93— J. B. Mitcheh.
As far as is known. Dr. Mitchell's term of service as pastor in Kirks
ville is longer than that of any other pastor in the town. When he
Avithdrew from active service in 1893 the Ministers' Alliance of the city
expressed their appreciation of his labors in fitting resolutions.
Mr. W. T. Baird was clerk of the session continuously from 1868
to the time of the union in 1906.
Mount Moriah. — Two miles southwest of Novinger stands the
Mount Moriah Presbyterian church, formerly a Cumberland Presby
terian church. This Avas built in 1891 at about the same time the Meth
odist church north of Novinger was erected. It seems that this Mount
Moriah church was the result of the failure to make the Methodist
church north of Novinger a union church. Prominent among those
who opposed a union church and favored separate churches, was G. W.
Novinger, to whom it was largely due that the Mount Moriah church
was organized and the building erected.
Mulberry. — The Mulberry Cumberland Presbyterian church was
organized March 11, 1886, by Rev. J. B. Kelso, Avith an original member
ship of about twenty-five. A house of worship was erected at once
in section 11, township 63, range 16, near the town of Fegley.
The Churches. 141
Concord. — The Concord Cumberland Presbyterian church was
organized some time during the eighties, but no further information has
been secured.
Besides these four Cumberland Presbyterian churches which have
been described, there Avere several others which lived for a short time.
Among them were those of Fairview, Troy Mills, Salt River, Ncav Hope,
Pleasant View, and perhaps others.
All the churches in existence in 1906 went into the union of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church and the Northern Presbyterian
Church, so that they are all noAv Presbyteriaii societies.
H. — Presbyterian Church.
Kirksville. — The First Presbyterian Church of Kirksville was
organized in 1859 by the Revs.yH. P., S.", Willis and AndrcAv Greenlee
of the Palmyra Presbytery, with fifteen, .members. John Baird, Sr.,
W. P. Nason, and J. H. 'Myers were cho.aeiitas ruling. elders. The preach
ing for the first year was done by^visititig. preachers, among -whom were
Rev. Willis. In I860-, Rev. Cameron supplied'the pulpit, and continued
through the year until the fall when, owing to the war, all religious ser
vices Avere suspended. .Up'torthis-tiin-e all the services had been held
in Prof. Nason's school house, which stood on the corner of Buchanan
and Florence Streets. , ' . , .; '
In the fah of 1865 an effort at a reorganization of the society was
made, with Rev. James as supply -preacher, but matters apparently did
not go well. In June, 1866, Rev. J. S. Bryant and Rev. George Van
Emman effected an organization that has remained permanent. The
society started out with twenty-two members, and with Rev. Boyd as
pastor. The following were the members at the time: Benjamin
Prior, Rachel Prior, W. P. Nason, J. H. Uber, Chloe Uber, B. N. Uber,
Jane Uber, George Frankenburg, Lucinda Frankenburg, Ella Harris,
R. Voorhies, Sidard Naylor, Eliza Voorhies, Alexander Cross, Martha
Cross, Mary Cross, Catherine Powell, J. P. Beatty, Deborah Pierce,
David Baird, Catherine Baird, and E; J. Boyd. Benjamin Prior, W.
P. Nason, and George Frankenburg were elected ruling elders.
Plans were soon made for a church building, but it was not until
1869 that they Avere realized. Meanwhile, services were held in the old
Cumberland Academy in 1865-66; in Sherwood's Hall in 1866-67, and
in the Baptist church in 1867-68. Work on the new building began
in May, 1868, and was completed in June, 1869, at a cost of $4,000.
142
History of Adair County.
This stood Avhere the unoccupied Presb}d.erian church building noAv stands
across the street from the post office. The congregation occupied it in
January, Avhen it was far from completed. The dedication occurred
on July 11, 1869. 'Rev. J. S. Boyd was pastor at the time.
The building was repaired during the eighties at a cost of $500.
This added to the indebtedness Avhich the church Avas alrcad.A' carrying
from the cost of original construction, and it was not until 1890 that the
Presbyterian Church, Kirksville.
Unoccupied since the union in 1906.
debt was completely paid out. On April 29, 1892, itAvas completely
burned to the ground. The loss included a pipe organ. At the time
Avhen it was destroyed it was the oldest church building in Kirksville.
Efforts Avere immediately begun for the rebuilding of the church.
The congregation secured the -"Opera House" for their services while
they were Avithout a church home. The cornerstone Avas laid on August
8, 1892 at seven p. m. The address on that occasion was delivered bv
Rev. Duncan BroAvn of Macon. The church Avas completed in due time
and Avas tledicated on Monday, March 13, 1893, by Rev. J. H. Brookes.
During the service a historical sketch of the church Ava,s read by S. S.
McLaughlin, and a hymn, the Avords and music of Avhich Avere com-
The Churches. 143
posed by Rev. J. S. Boyd, the first pastor after the reorganization in
1866, was sung by their congregation. This building, which is stiU
standing, cost $10,000. The equipment included a fine pipe organ.
Rev. M. H. Bradley was pastor at the time.
In 1906 the Cumberland Presbyterian and First Presbyterian
churches in Kirksville were united.. This was in pursuance of the ac
tion taken by the General Assemblies of the Cumberland Presbyterian
and the Northern Presbyterian Churches, and ratified by the Presby
teries of those tAVO denominations.
The way towards an amiable union of the local churches was opened.
by the resignation of Rev. W. L. Darby, of the Cumberland Presbyte
rian church, just at the time the organic union of the two denominations
had been ordered. The first step taken was an invitation issued to
the Cumberland Presbyterian church by the Presbyterian church to
join them in their services. The invitation was accepted and a tenta
tive union was accepted for six months. During these six months the
services were held in the Presbyterian Church. At the end of that time
the question as to whether the union should become permanent was
voted upon by the congregations separately, and it was carried almost
unanimously. It Avas decided then to hold the services thereafter in
the old Cumberland Presbyterian church building. Rev. W. C. Tem-
pleton was pastor at the time of the union and has been ever since.
The Presbyterian Synod of Missouri has convened in Kirksville
at least three times; in October, 1874; in October, 1888, and in Oc
tober, 1909.
Two Mission Sunday Schools were organized in 1909 by this church.
One is located on Centennial Avenue and the other on West Patterson
Avenue. These are the only Mission Sunday Schools in Kirksville at
present. The pastors of this church since its reorganization have been as
follows ;
1868-85— J. S. Boyd. 1889-99— M. H. Bradley.
1885-87— G. W. Wilhamson. 1900-01— J. A. Smith.
1887-89— F. R. Farrand. 1901-11— W. C. Templeton.
Millard. — The Presbyterian Church at Millard was organized
in June, 1870, by Rev. J. S. Boyd of Kirksville. Its original member
ship seems to have been made up of persons who had belonged to the
Kirksville congregation, but Avho desired a separate organization in the
neighborhood where they lived. The original members Avere: Mary
Barr, Agnes Barr, Samuel Barr, John Calvin, Mary Dean, R. P. Elliott,
144 History of Adair County.
Nancy Elhott, M. B. Foncannon, Julia S. Foncannon, David Grant,
Caroline Grant, Eliza Grant, and Mary Long. In 1873-74 a church
building was erected at a cost of $1,000. For twenty years or more
the Kirksville pastor served this congregation at least once a month.
I. — Episcopalian Church.
Kirksville. — Trinity Protestant Church was organized about
1870. Episcopal services had been held occasionally in time prior to
that year. A Rev. Mr. Striker is mentioned as having held such ser
vices in March, 1869, but nothing was done until 1870 towards definite
organization. The work of organization seems to have been done by
Rev. Benjamin Sheetz and Rev. Ethelbert Talbot. The latter was then
rector at Macon and has long been Bishop. Among the original mem
bers were Mr. and Mrs. Charles Strong, Mr. Strong's mother, Mrs. J.
M. De France, Mr. and Mrs. John Scovern, Mrs. F. A. Grove, G. W.
Browning, J. C. Thatcher, Alanson Morris, and Mrs. J. A. Hope. Ser
vices were held in different places, such as the old Normal School build
ing (the former Cumberland Academy) and Trueman's Hall. In 1870
the present frame church building Avas erected on Mulanix and Harrison
Streets. It cost $1,200, and the seating and other equipment $300
more. The task of raising the money fell chiefly on Mrs. De France
and Mrs. Scovern. The lot Avas donated by G. W. Browning. The
stained glass windows were put in in 1894, the gift of Rev. Mr. Canfield,
a former pastor. The congregation has ahvays been weak. At differ
ent times additional strength has been attained through temporary in
creases in the membership, but there has been no permanent growth in
all these years.
Among those Avho have served as rectors were:
Benjamin Sheetz. 1888- — C. H. Canfield.
Charles. 1892- — Aiken.
1874-78— R. E. Huntingdon. 1897-00— F. N. Chapman.
Peter Wager. J. M. McBride.
1878- —Robert Talbot. G. W. Preston.
Frank Henry. Frank Hallam.
1886-87— Love. 1907-08— R. K. Tucker.
1887-88— Carroh M. Davis. 1908-10— F. N. Chapman.
The Churches. 145
J. — Catholic Church.
Adair. — The Adair parish has a history running back about forty-
five years. It may be properly considered as a branch of the Edina
parish. For some years prior to the civil Avar, Catholics from Ohio
began to settle in and around Edina, Knox County, and very soon a
strong Catholic church was organized there. In a few years this Cath
olic settlement began to spread westward from Edina, a fcAV Catholic
families settling in Clay township, Adair County. The situation was
seized upon by Father McNamee, then assistant parish priest at Edina.
He interested about a half dozen Catholic families living in Clay township
and nearby in Knox County, in making a start towards founding a
Catholic church, and he arranged to celebrate mass at the home of
Daniel McGonigle, and continued to hold services there occasionally
until a church building was erected. From this small beginning the con
gregation was established and has gradually grown until it now numbers
about 428 souls, representing ninety families. Something like forty
other families have migrated to other places, so that if all had remained
the mejnbership now would be much larger than it is. About one-half
of the congregation live in Knox County, and some live in Schuyler
and Scotland Counties.
When the time came to establish a separate parish a large mission
ary district was laid off, Avhich included the territory from Memphis
to the phariton River, and from Macon to the Iowa line. Witfiin this
mission district were Memphis and the Mudd settlement, seven miles
¦ north of Downing. To get matters well organized and prepare the way
for a regular pastor, priests were sent at intervals from St. Louis by
Archbishop Keudrick. Among these first priests thus sent Avere Fathers
Madden and Daley in the early seventies. But they were not assigned
to this Avork for more than a fcAV months. When they were not in the
field th^e priests at Edina cared for the work.
There have been practically only two resident pastors since the
church was regularly established. The first Avas Father Ryan who served
from about 1877 or 1878 to 1888; the second. Father J. O'Shea, who
succeecjLed Father Ryan and has been in continuous service ever since.
Prior to Father Ryan the officiating priests Avho came from Edina held
services only once a mopjtj;! at least. Father Ryan and Father O'Shea
have been able to give all their time to the work. Mass is said every
Sunday morning at 8 and 10:30 o'clock, and on Aveek days at 8 a. m.
In 1904 the original church building was moved to another site and
the coiistruction of the present building was begun. The dedication of
Catholic Church, Adair.
The Churches. 147
the new building took place on June 15, 1905 with Archbishop Glennon of
St. Louis officiating. It cost, completely furnished, $10,000 and is
by far the prettiest country church in this part of the state. The orig
inal building wih some day be used as a convent, as the parish contem
plates establishing a parochial school in the near future.
Kirksville. — The Kirksville Catholic church was organized in
the fall of 1888 by Father O'Shea, priest at Adair. There were just a
few Catholic families in Kirksville and the adjoining country, Avho were
so situated as to be unable to take advantage of the Catholic services
at Adair, and though the field was not promising. Father O'Shea was in
terested in it and succeeded in getting a church started. He made ar
rangements for monthly services in the Masonic Hall, and then labored
zealously in getting a church building erected. Two lots were secured
in the Font and Ehison addition to the town of Kirksville in August,
1892. The contract for the building was let to Thos. Earhart for $3,400.
The building was completed in due time and was dedicated on Sunday,
July 2, 1893.
The dedication was the occasion for a big demonstration. Special
trains were run into Kirksville from Moberly, Trenton and Edina. It
is estimated that 1,500 came from outside towns, Edina sending the
largest delegation. The sermon was preached by Father Moeller of
St. Louis. The church was richly decorated with votive offerings from all over
the country. In the early nineties people came to Kirksville in large
numbers for osteopathic treatment at the hands of Dr. A. T. Still, many
of whom were Catholics. Many of these Catholics who were benefited
by Dr. Still's treatments left some expression of their gratitude in the
shape of votive offerings. Among these offerings were a statue of the
Sacred Heart, a eostly crucifix, and an altar. When the building was
destroyed by the great cyclone of April 27, 1899, only three of these
offerings were saved. They are in the present church.
Concerning the effort to get a Catholic church started in Kirks
ville, Father O'Shea has expressed in a letter to the author, his appre
ciation of the assistance of Mr. John L. Porter of KirksviUe, in the fol
lowing words; "The church at Kirksville owes its existence to John L.
Porter. No Cathohc was ever kinder to a priest than he was to me,
though he did not belong to the Catholic church nor had he any personal
interest. He gave me the use of the court house (that is, the old
Masonic Hall) to say mass once a month; he went with me to so
licit subscriptions and gave generously himself. And it was he who
148 History of Ad.^r County.
turned the first sod of earth for the foundation of the church building
that we first had at Kirksville, as well as superintended the construc
tion. Let the Catholics of Kirksville look upon Mr. Porter with deepest
gratitude, and respect him and his always."
As has been said, this building was destroyed by the cyclone in
1899. This proved very trying upon Catholicism in Kirksville. It was
six years before another building could be erected. The cornerstone of
the new building was laid by Archbishop Glennon on April 14, 1905,
while he was on his Avay to dedicate the ncAV church at Adair; by June
it was finished, and on June 15 it was dedicated. Father A. B. Gass
Avas priest at the time.
There have been only two resident priests for the Kirksville church ;
Father A. B. Gass from 1903 to 1910; and Father Mercer since 1910.
Father O'Shea conducted the occasional services from the time the first
church Avas dedicated to its destruction, and Father Byrne of Edina
conducted Avhatever services Avere held from 1899 to 1903.
Novinger. — The Catholic church at Novinger was organized by
Father O'Hearn in April, 1901. He was at the time stationed at Milan,
but he saw the opportunity which the field offered in Novinger and put
himself enthusiastically back of the cause and succeeded in his under
taking. At that time a great many foreigners were coming into Novin
ger to work in the mines which were being opened on a large scale, and
many of these foreigners Avere Catholics or were inchned towards Ca-
thohcism. Father O'Hearn reahzed what it meant to thein and to
the church to enter this field and possess it. He had been celebrating
mass in Miner's Hall at Danforth prior to the big boom at Novinger,
and as soon as the boom came, he arranged for Catholic services in the
newly built K. P. Hall at Novinger. He, moreover, began planning for
a church and succeeded in getting a lot at once. In_1902 he left, and
Father Wm. McCormick succeeded. The work on the building was
begun in October, 1902, but the dedication did not occur until October
18, 1905. The Right Rev. Bishop Burke of St. Joseph, dedicated the
building. The church has not been strong enough to maintain a priest all by
itself. It is yet a mission, and is served once a month by a priest sta
tioned at Milan. The original membership was 100; at present it is
about 150.
The officiating priest have been;
1901-02— Father O'Hearn. 1906- —Father McClod.
1902-06— Father McCormick. 1906-10— Father Jermain.
The Churches. 149
K. — Miscelianeous Churches.
Lutherans. — As far as is known the Lutheran church has had only
one congregation in the county, and that proved to be temporary. Some
time in the fifites a group of Germans who settled in the neighborhood
of what is now Novinger, organized this congregation. Prominent
among these early members were Isaac NoA'inger, John NoA'inger, Henry
Capps, Adam Shoop and Philip Shoop. The congregation was never
strong enough to erect a church building. Rca-. Crigler is remembered
by many persons now in and around XoA'inger as one of the early Lu
theran preachers who used to come from time to time and preach to
the people. They usually spoke in German or Pennsyh-ania Dutch.
An attempt was made to organize a Lutheran church in Kirksville
in 1886, but it never succeeded.
On the dissolution of the Lutheran congregation around Novinger
in the seventies, the members AA^ent into the ^Methodist and Cumberland
Presbyterian churches chiefly.
Unia'ersalists. — During the sixties and seA'enties there Avas a
smaU but fairlj' active group of L^niA-ersalists in the county. They are
said to have organized on December 25, 1867. Very little is knoAvn of
their organization. Preaching services Avere held in Kirksville from
time to time. In ]\Iarch, 1875, arrangements were made by the L'ni-
versalists Anth the trustees of the Baptist church to use their building,
but it is said that Rca'. Ray, the Baptist pastor, pocketed the key and
would not alloAV the serA'ices to be held. Rca'. W. L. Fletcher, a highlj'
honored old settler, was among the leaders of this organization. The
Universalist State ConA-ention conA'ened in Kirksville in November,
1876. SwEDENBORGiAxs. — 111 the seA'enties an effort was made to organ
ize a SAvedenborgian church in this countj', but it failed. Chas. Patter
son was the leading spirit in the movement.
Spiritualisai. — In the fall of 1874 a Spiritualistic circle was organ
ized in this district by a Mrs. ]\Iott, IMany prominent citizens were
interested in the circle, among whom Avere AA", INI. Gill, S. M. Pickler,
F. A. Grove, and Miss Emma Coons. The active campaign carried on
by this group, aided bj' some noted travelhng lecturers, aroused the
bitter opposition of a great many people in the community. The first
quarterly meeting of the "North Eastern ^Missouri Association of Pro-
150 History of Adair County.
gressive Liber alists and Spiritualists" was held in Kirksville in November
1879. As the result of the work done in the seventies, there has always
been a small group of Spirituahsts in the county.
Salvation Army. — This religious organization seems to have ap
peared in the county first in 1894. Their work has been only spasmodic
and temporary.Holiness Church.— The Church of God or Hohness Church, first
appeared in Kirksville in 1882. In 1883 a big revival meeting Avas held,
which resulted in a large number of converts, but most of them went
back into the old churches. The few who remained steadfast built a
church within the limits of KirksAalle.
They renewed activity in 1894. There has recently arisen a schism
in the ranks, which has ended in a law suit between the factions over
the church property.
Bible Society. — This was organized in July, 1866, and held annual
meetings until at least 1895, and may have held them later than that.
The object of this association was to assist the American Bible Society
in getting financial support and in distributing Bibles.
Sunday School Association. — There has been a County Sunday
School Association since at least 1875. Annual meetings are held. Mr.
S. S. McLaughlin has been more closely identified Avith this movement
than any one else perhaps.
CHAPTER IX.
FRATERNAL, PATRIOTIC AND INDUSTRIAL ORDERS.
Section I. — Fraternal Orders.
A. — Masonic Order.
Kirksville. — The Masonic order in Kirksville includes tAvo Lodges,
one chapter and one commandery.
The first Lodge was organized under dispensation j\lay 24, 1850,
by A. D. Green, with Isham B. Dodson, W. M.; John Huston, S. W.;
Calvin W. Hardin, J. W. ; J. M. Huston, secretary; Samuel Withrow,
treasurer; Wash. Conner, S. D.; Andrew Grist, J. D.; Wm. Ringo,
steward and tyler. The first meetings were held in Dodson's log house,
which stood on what is now South Osteopathy Avenue, directly west
of the Normal School. This lodge was chartered as the Kirksville
Lodge No. 128, A. F. and A. M., on May 8, 1851. By the time this
charter was granted a large membership had been acquired. This
lodge surrendered its charter in 1863.
Kirksville Lodge, No. 105, A. F. and A. M., Avas organized on May
26, 1864, and chartered June 30, 1864. In it were many of the Lodge
No. 128 which had surrendered its charter the previous year. The char
ter members were: Napoleon Wilson, David Baird, Wm. F. Smith,
James C. Smith, Washington Conner, David A. Ely, Sr., Wm. T. Por
ter, M. P. Hannah, John D. Foster, Wm. T. Baird, Richard M. Ringo,
A. Lane Wood, John D. Stephens, John T. Smith, Abraham Wolf,
John L. Porter, Grogan Nelson, Thos. C. Wilson.
This lodge organized a building association in 1872, Avhich erected
a three story brick building on the western end of the north side of the
square. Ground was broken on July 15 and the cornerstone laid on
August 1. The latter event was the occasion of a notable gathering
of Masons from Iowa and from IMacon and Schuyler Counties. The Masons
met at ten o'clock at the Cumberland Presbyterian church and marched
to the Masonic Hah site. After the stone Avas laid, they marched
to the M. E. Church, where an address was given by John D. Vincil.
A big basket dinner was indulged in at Wilson's Grove. The building
when completed cost about $15,000.
152 History of Adair County.
The Masons used the third floor of this building as their hall, and
dedicated it on the morning of June 24, 1873. The dedication cere
mony was conducted by John M. Oldham of Kirksville, and Rufus E.
Anderson of Palmyra. After the dedication the Masons and their
friends enjoyed a big basket dinner in the grove west of town. After
dinner there Avas speaking in the grove by R. E. Anderson and Orin
Root of Carrollton.
This building was completely burned to the ground on December
13, 1890. The lodge then secured quarters on the second floor of the
building just east of the Savings Bank and retained them until
it moved to its present quarters in the building on north Elson, just
north of where the old Masonic Building had formerly stood.
Adair Lodge, No. 366, A. F. and A. M., was organized May 21,
1881, and was chartered the folloAving October 31. The charter mem
bers were E. 0. Gates, John Burton, F. A. Grove, John MiUer, W. L.
Fletcher, R. H. Browne, H. F. Millan, D. C. Pierce, B. F. Lamkin,
B. F. Henry, and R. M. Ringo. Only three of these are still living —
H. F. Millan, B. F. Lamkin and B. F. Henry. This lodge used the Ma
sonic Hall with the other lodge until the building was burned in 1890.
It then used the same quarters as the other lodge on the south side of
the square and remained there until October, 1910, when the preseni
quarters in the Foster building on Washington Street one block east
from the square, Avere occupied.
CaldweU Chapter, No. 53, R. A. M., was organized July 14, 1869,
and chartered October 7, 1869. The charter members were: Wm.
T. Baird, AVashington Conner, D. A. Ely, Sr., Joseph Bauih, Icabod
Nagley, A. L. Shepherd, David Baird, Isham B. Dodson, George W-
BroAvning, Alanson Morris, R. M. Ringo, Napoleon Wilson. At pres
ent the membership is 124.
Ely Commandery, No. 22, K. T., was organized December 12,
1872, and chartered October 7, 1873. The charter members were;
P. K. Debbie, David Baird, John L. Porter, R. M. Brashear, F. A.
Grove, D. P. Harris, W. R. Parsons, E. D. C. Shortridge, John J. Spen
cer, D. A. Ely, Sr., J. Q. Adams, E. J. BroAA'u, A. F. Chadwick, W. M.
Gates, A. J. Knight, R. L. Sharp, Thomas Shortell, H. L. Turner.
Its membership is about 100.
The Masonic Orders of Kirksville have laid the cornerstones of a
number of public buildings in the town. Among them the main build
ing of the State Normal School (now caUed Baldwin Hall) in 1871;
Science Hall of the Normal School, 1905; M. E. Church South, 1882;
Masonic Hah, 1891; and Smith's Business College, 1883. The Grand
Lodge of Missouri laid the Court House corner stone in 1896.
Fraternal, Patriotic and Industrial Orders. 153
Kirksvihe Chapter, No. isi, Order of Eastern Star, was chartered
August 31, 1901. The charter members were: Mrs. Orabella Goben,
Jessie L. Thatcher, Mrs. Jennie Marks, Miss Linie Deaton, Mrs. Willa
Wilkes, Mrs. Ahce Pierce, Mrs. S. T. McKinney, Mrs. Lillie Wilson,
Miss Alta M. Ringo, Mrs. Evaline Clark, Mrs. A. Goldberg, Miss Alhe
Pollock, Mrs. Hattie L. Grassle, Miss Lena Wilkes, Mrs. Laura M.
Purl, Mrs. M. E. Porter, Mrs. Susan L. Keith, Mrs. Juha Dockery,
M. G. Deaton, H. B. Puri, J. W. Martin, J. H. Holton, G. A. Goben,
J. L. Porter, R. M. Ringo, and Harry Marks.
Brashear. — Paulville Lodge, No. 319, A. F. and A. M., was or
ganized at Paulville on June 14, 1869, under a dispensation granted by
the Grand Lodge of Missouri on May 6, 1869. The charter was granted
October 12, 1869. The charter members were: S. N. Holloway, L. S.
Musick, R. M. Brashear, C. Patterson, W. B. Keller, D. C. Lord, J. L.
Hickman. When the town of Brashear was laid out, Paulville moved
to Brashear, and Avith it went the Paulville Masonic Lodge. A hall
Avas secured and this Avas dedicated on December 27, 1875. In 1884
the lodge occupied the third story of the Brashear Academy building
erected that year. In 1896 the Academy building was remodeled into
a church and since that time the Masons have occupied other quarters.
There is a Masonic lodge at Novinger, but no information could
be secured concerning it.
Northwestern Lodge, No. 88 (Colored), A. F. and A. M., of the
Grand Lodge of Missouri, Iowa, Nebraska, and Minnesota, was char
tered August 23, 1878. It is still in existence.
B. — Odd Fellows.
Kirksville. — Adair Lodge, No. 96, I. 0. 0. F., Avas chartered
May 21, 1856, but who the charter members were is not known. The
charter was pierced by a cannon ball during the battle of Kirksville
on August 6, 1862, and was so soiled and mutilated as to make it impos
sible to decipher from it who the charter members were. Moreover,
the early records of the lodge were so poorly kept that the lodge today
knows practically nothing regarding its early membership.
At the time when the battle of Kirksville occurred the Odd Fellows
were occupying quarters in the Linder building, a three story frame,
on the southeast corner of the square, where Myers Bros, shoe store
154 History of Adair Couxty.
now stands. This room had been used since 1858 and continued to be
used until 1871, Avhen the lodge arranged for new quarters by adding a
third story to the building built by Mr. Tuttie on the southwest corner
of the square. For twenty years the lodge used these quarters. In
1892 the Good Templars' Hall, which was in the third story of the build
ing adjoining the Odd Fellows on the south was bought and the parti
tion wall between the tAvo halls Avas taken out. This gave the lodge
the comfortable quarters which they have used ever since. The dedi
cation of the newly enlarged hall, which occurred on December 14,
1892, was the occasion for a big demonstration. The oration of the
day was dehvered by Past Grand Master Jewell of Carrollton. Visit
ing Odd FeUows from neighboring towns were present.
Adair Encampment, No. 44, was chartered May 24, 1869, but the
charter was surrendered in 1909.
The Kirksvihe Rebecca Lodge Avas chartered May 24, 1889. Be
fore that the Rebecca degree had been conferred on several women in
the open Odd Fellows Lodge. At least tAvo had the degree conferred
upon them in February, 1859.
The Grand Lodge of I. O. 0. F. of Missouri convened in Kirksvihe
May 14-17, 1906. The sessions Avere held in the Normal School chapel.
Mr. Hiram Lloyd of St. Louis, was Grand Master at the time.
Brashear. — Brashear Lodge, No. 522, I. 0. 0. F., was organized
January 15, 1896, by H. S. Carnes, Grand Master, of Trenton, Mo.
The charter members were; C. A. Chadwick, E. W. McDermit, Job
Rainier, J. J. Mitz, Colonel Vawter, W. T. Boone, M. B. Sherwood,
W. S. Vawter, H. H. Barnhart. The founding of this lodge was the
occasion of a large gathering of Odd Fellows from nearby places, thirtj'-
five coming from Kirksville, fifteen from La Plata, twelve from Hurd-
land, and two from Novelty. The organization was effected in the
afternoon, and at night three members were admitted by card and
twelve by initiation. This made the membership twenty-five to start
with. The membership at present (1911) is 100; so far only one death
has occurred in that number.
Novinger. — Novinger Lodge, No. 610, I. 0. 0. F., was chartered
May 23, 1901. The charter members were; George E. Bates, S. A.
Boltz, Henry Frankford, A. A. Hader, and W. E. Huff. The charter
Avas surrendered, hoAvever, on February 18, 1911.
Fraternal, Patriotic and Industrial Orders. 155
Besides the lodges just described, there are Odd FelloAv lodges
at Sperry (No. 553), at Connelsville (No. 668), and at Gibbs (No. 567.)
But no information concerning them has been available .
C. — Knights of Pythias.
Kirksville. — Kirksvihe Lodge, No. 72, Knights of Pythias, Avas
organized on March 28, 1882, by Thomas R. Gelwicks, Gr. K. R. S. of
Alissouri, and was duly chartered on October 20, 1882. The charter
members were as follows: J. W. Martin, J. R. Holmes, J. E. Pierce,
G. W. Mclntyre, J. W. Shryack, E. H. Rice, J. A. Tinsman, C. R. Mc
Donald, W. H. Ivie, A. M. Smith, J. M. Wild, J. T. Earhart, W. L.
Griggs, W. W. Fulkerson, A. B. Coffey, B. F. Heiny, J. D. Miher, J. L.
Porter, C. A. Barnard, E. S. Link, J. W. Link, C. E. Markey, J. T. At-
terbury, N. Wilson, J. S. Pool, R. Clark, Sr., J. W. Long, H. W. Spencer,
J. L. Kemp, W. A. Fowler, Stanley Thompson, A. Solkey, C. A. Brown,
D. D. Glenn, A. R. Morgan, G. S. Merritt, Porter Patten, H. C. Far
rington, J. H. Nichols, C. B. Oldham, and M. A. Miher.
This lodge occupied the Odd Fellows lodge room for a while after
it was organized. Subsequently it moved into its present quarters
over the Kirksville Savings Bank. Its present membership is 250.
Apollo Division No. 12, Uniform Rank, K. of P., has been in ex
istence for over tAventy years.
NoA^NGER. — Novinger Lodge, No. — , Knights of Pythias, Avas
chartered October 18, 1900. The charter members Avere; Henry
Frankford, John T. Novinger, John AV. Cook, H. Shott, F. W. Gloss,
A. Steele, E. Doner, J. G. Vanlaningham, R. A. Carnes, J. W. Capps,
C. Hennick, J. G. Strayer, U. B. Snyder, C. AV. RaiuAvater, J. J. BoAven,
AA'in. Green, W. B. Evans, S. C. GorreU, A. E. Hamilton, D. P. Shaver,
AA^m. Long, J. Siders, Jno. Black. The K. P. Hah Avas built in 1900,
and has been used not only by this lodge but by other fraternal orders
and by the various churches at different times.
There is a K. P. Lodge at Connelsville, but no information could
be obtained regarding it. D. — Elks.
Kirksville.— KirksAuUe Lodge, No. 464, B. P. 0. E., Avas insti
tuted on January 30, 1899. The instituting officers Avere from the St.
Ltwiis Lodge, No. 9, who came in a special car. The work of instituting
the lodge was followed by a banquet. The charter is dated June 22,
156
History of Adair County.
1899, and contains the names of the fohowing charter members; Fred
N. Chapman, E. T. BrcAvington, V. H. Greenwood, G. M. Laughl,nl,
F. C. Miller, E. H. Bestman, C. B. Matthews, M. J. Maxweh, C. W.
Adams, H. H. Straight, C. A. Hamilton, W. T. Stephenson, and Wm.
Smith. This lodge has been particularly prosperous in the last few
years. It erected a handsome club house on the corner of Elson and
Jefferson streets in 1910, the formal opening of which took place on
January 3, 1911. The cost of this bmlding was about $30,000. The
Elks Home, Kirksville.
first floor is given up to reception rooms, gaming rooms and the like;
on the second floor are the offices and an immense lodge room which
is arranged in a very artistic fashion. The charity Avork of this lodge is
very extensiA^e. For some years it has fixed up a Christmas tree in its
rooms for the poor children of the town and thus gladdened the hearts
of many of them by their generosity and sympathetic treatment.
Two of the members of this lodge are life members; they are F. N.
Chapman and J. F. Eckert. Rev. Chapman Avas Grand Chaplain of
the national organization one year.
E— A. O. U. W.
Kirksville. — Milton Lodge, No. 103, A. 0. U. W., Avas chartered
February 1, 1879. Later the uniform rank of Select Knights was organ
ized also. The order was a fraternal order, but it put special emphasis
upon its benevolent insurance system. For some cause or other the in
surance assessments began to be increased about fifteen years, and con
tinued to go up more and more. The result was many members with
drew. The lodge in KirksviUe has been defunct for five years or more.
Fraternal, Patriotic and Industrial Orders. 157
Besides the A. 0. U. W. there have been several other benevolent
fraternal organizations represented in Kirksville. Among them Avere
the Knights of Honor and the Knights of Maccabees. The former is
known to have existed in 1882, and the latter in 1892, but as to hoAv long
they lasted and what they did, nothing further can be said.
Section II. — Patriotic Orders.
A. — G. A. R.
Kirksville. — When the war closed there Avas a Avide-spread desire
to perpetuate the bonds of friendship and brotherly love which had
been formed by comrades in arms. This desire gave rise to several
organizations. Among these Avas the Union Soldiers' League. A league
was partiaUy formed in Kirksvihe in September, 1866, and Sergt. S. W.
Wilhams was appointed to confer with the Secretary of State League.
Capt. F. M. Shelton, Asst. Surgeon A. Douglas, Capt. E. 0. Gates,
H. G. Kernodle, D. S. Hooper, and S. W. WiUiams were the leaders in
this moA'-ement.
The Union Soldiers' League, however, did not prosper. The Grand
Army of the Republic proved to be the organization that enlisted the
interest and support of the greatest number of Federal soldiers. The
first post was organized at Decatur, Illinois in 1866.
Corporal Dix Post, No. I, Department of Alissouri, G. A. R., was
organized in 1866 or early in 1867, and was the first post organized in
the state and is said to have been the first west of the Mississippi River.
Dr. R. H. Browne and J. A. Gormly were among those instrumental
in bringing about the organization of the post. The post lived but a
short time, owing to the fact that politics got into it, as Avas the case
Avith the organization nationally. By 1869 it Avas dead. The
only surviving members of the original post, as far as is knoAvn, are
Joseph D. Miller, now of Topeka, Kansas; Edward Ammerman of
Lenore, California; and George F. Williams of Kirksville.
The post was named after Corporal Harvey Dix, of Company D,
Third loAva Infantry, who was killed in an engagement northeast of
Kirksville on August 19, 1861. He was the first Union soldier to be
killed Avithin the limits of Adair County. An account of this event .
has already been given. The credit of suggesting this name for the
post is said to belong to Joseph D. Miller, who Avas later sheriff of the
county. In 1882 the post was revived and mustered by Nat M. GAvynne,
Assistant Adjutant General of the Missouri Department, Avith the fol-
158 History of Adair County.
lowing charter members; R. H. Browne, John Burton, W. J. Ashlock,
J. H. Kinnear, J. W. Tinsman, G. F. Wilhams, R. G. Bielby, B. F.
Heiny, John Shaver, J. A. Tinsman, Sanford Snyder, and A. D. Risdon.
By this time tAventy-one other posts had been organized in the state,
so that the post number was now 22. The old name was retained.
The records show than an enrollment of 341 has been attained
since the organization. But many of them have died, others moved
away, and some dropped, so that at the present time there are only 72
members. The attendance at the meetings, however, is only about
fifteen. The post meets the first and third Thursdays of each month in the
Grand Jury room, the use of Avhich the county court has given to it
Avithout charge. A few war relics have been placed in this room, and it
is hoped to add to these so that a good museum may be formed.
, The Post has always observed Memorial Day, and has not only
decorated the graves of old Federal soldiers, but for many years it has
also decorated the graves of the Confederates who were buried in the
cemetery after the battle of Kirksville.
A few years ago a monument was erected over this grave, and ac
tive assistance was rendered by the Post in securing the funds for this
purpose. The cannon standing at the northeast corner of the court house
square was placed there a year or two ago by the Post.
The Eighteenth Annual Encampment of the G. A. R. of Missouri
was held in Kirksville May 11-12, 1899.
Brashear. — The Sergeant Ryan Post at Brashear was chartered
October 6, 1884. The charter members were; M. A. Church, B. F.
HaU, J. N. McCreary, J. S. Mclntyre, B. W. Church, D. Y. Conkle,
J. Z. Smith, W. H. Steele, W. H. Dunham, J. Hartsock, B. Pierce, D.
Tuttie, J. F. Wise, J. Norris, and R. U. White. Exactly one hundred
different names have been enrolled, but the present active membership
is only seventeen.
Besides these posts at Kirksville and Brashear there have been
three others at least; the Jas. A. Smith Post at Millard; the A. D.
Hickman Post at Shibley's Point; and the Post at Sublette. No in
formation concerning their organization or subsequent history has been
secured, except that the post at Sublette was disbanded some years
ago, and the membership was merged in the post at Kirksville.
Fraternal, Patriotic and Industrial Orders. 159
Inasmuch as the G. A. R. was responsible for some of the County
Soldiers' Reunions held in this county, it may be appropriate to give
a brief account of them here.
For years county soldiers' reunions Avere held annually late in the
summer; most of them were held in Kirksville. These reunions would
include processions, camp fires, a good deal of speaking, and various
kinds of amusements. The earhest reunion of Avhich there is any rec
ord was held in 1868. An immense crowd attended. The chief event
of the reunion was a sham battle in which many of the manoeuvers of
August 6, 1862 Avere reenacted. Major John A. Pickler superintended
the battle. There was a good deal of pohtical speaking both morning
and afternoon. Among the speakers were Major Clements of Macon,
Major Glaze of Macon, State Supt. T. A. Parker, and Major Wilhams.
It seems that the political coloring given to this celebration made it
unpopular, so that soldiers' reunions were not held any more for a long
time. At least there is no mention of any in the newspapers until 1880.
Soldiers' Reunions seem to have been held annually during the
eighties, but no one ever surpassed the one held in 1880. Moreover,
complaints began to be made against the management; it was said that
questionable side shows were permitted and that the accommodations
were not adequate. Moreover, it cost a great deal of money to pro
vide for the entertainment of the crowds that attended, and the cost
fell pretty heavily upon the same men from year to year. For these
reasons the reunions seem to have been discontinued after 1889.
The one held in 1885 was marked by the organization of an asso
ciation of the survivors of the Twenty-Seventh Missouri Infantry and
another for the Tenth Missouri Infantry. J. E. Pierce was President
and J. H. Novinger, Secretary of the first; G. D. Gray was President
of the second.
By 1880 something of the bitterness of feeling which the war had
produced, began to wear away, and it Avas felt safe and desirable to hold
a big reunion of the old soldiers. Extensive preparations were made
for the event. They seem to have begun with the organization of an
association of the survivors of the Seventh Missouri Cavalry Avho lived
in Adair County. This Avas done in December, 1879. S. M. Crawford
was made President of this organization and T. J. Dockery, Secretary.
Companies C, F, G, H, I and M were represented by the members.
The foUoAving April a Union Veterans Association Avas formed at Kirks
ville and committees Avere appointed to arrange for the reunion. A
camp ground Avas laid out along the northwestern edge of the town,
and hundreds of tents pitched there for the accommodation of the old
soldiers.
160 History of Adair County.
The crowning featurp of the reunion was the sham battle. Sup
plies from the government Avere seciired, so that the men engaged in
it had uniforms, arms, and other equipment very much as in real army
hfe. In 1889 a movement was started to form an association of the sur
vivors of the Thirty-Ninth Missouri Infantry. It was occasioned by
the accidental meeting one day of eight of the survivors in front of the
court room. These eight Avere Otis Miller, Egbert PoUey, John Broadley,
Jerome B. Gr,eenslate, Thos. J. Spencer, A^alentine Judd, John Calvin,
and W. B. Deaton. A pall was made for all the survivors to meet for
organization, but it is not known what becaipe of the master.
Sons of Veterans — A chapter of the Sons of Veterans was
organized here several years ago, and aftier it lapsed it was reorganized,
but as yet enough interest has not been manifested to keep it going.
B. — Women's Orders.
W- K- C. — The Woman's Relief Corps of Kirksville was organiz,e4
on April 30, 1885, with sixty-six charter members. The first President
was Mrs. Julia E. Dockery, and the first Secretary was Mrs. Mary
Sparling. The membership reached the ninety mark at one time.
U. D. C. — The United Daughters of the Confederacy of KirksviUe
effected an organization on August 8, 1891. Mrs. B. P. Gentry was the
first President. The society did not flourish, as there were very few who
were eligible who would take an interest in it.
D. A. R. — The Ann Haynes Chapter of the Daughters of the
American Revolution at Kirksville was organized on February 9, 1907.
The charter members were Minnie Brashear, Rorna Brashear, Mrs.
Edith Campbell, Mrs. Adah Caskey Cockrell, Mrs. Ruby Bowen Cooley,
Mrs. Louisa Taylor Gerdine, Mrs. Sarah Trowbridge Hall, Mrs. Kath-
erine Harrington Swaney, Mrs. Blanche Still I,a.ughlin, Mrs. Flora M.
Mason, Mrs. Charlotte O'NeiU, Clara O'Neil, Clara Brown Spencer,
Mrs. Quintilla Haynes Ringo, Alethea Ringo, Mrs. Eugenia Ringo
Moorman, Mrs. Ethel Ringo AA'eatherly.
The duties of this chapter include an annual visit tp the graves
of the two Revolutionary soldiers buried in Adair County, at which
time these graves are cleaned and decorated Avith flags and floAvers;
the ]weservation of historical refics and the location of places connected
Fraternal, Patriotic and Industrial Orders.
161
with the early history of Missouri and Adair County; the encourage
ment of patriotic education among the school children of the county;
and the study of American history in detail Ijy the members.
Patriotic education among the school children is encouraged through
offering annually a prize to any school other than the high school
at Kirksville, for the best essay on some historical subject selected by a
committe of the chapter, and also through teaching them to salute the
flag and to arise Avhen the national hymn is being sung.
Graves or Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in Adair County.
James Fletcher Thomas Lay
1755-184.5 1755 (?)-1845
Buried on the old Amsbaugh farm. Buried in Cain-Collett Cemetery
The two ReA'olutionary soldiers buried in the county are James
Fletcher and Thomas Ijay. The record of service of Fletcher is as fol
lows; Private in Fourth Troop commanded by Capt. Wm. Parsons,
First Regiment Light Dragoons, Continental Troops; name appears
on pay-roll of the Company for January, 1783; was taken prisoner at
one time. He was born April 29, 1758 and died in Adair County Sep
tember 27, 1845, and Avas buried on the old Amsbaugh farm not far from
the loAver iron bridge, eleven miles southAvest of Kirksville. He had
come to Missouri in 1830.
The record of Thomas Lay is not knoAvn, but there seems to be no
doubt that he was a Revolutionary soldier. He died about 1845 and
162" History" of Adair County.
was buried in the Cain-Collett cemetery, six miles west of Kirksville.
For years and years nothing marked their graves. However, in
1890 a monument was erected at the grave of Lay, and in 1891 one was
placed at the grave of Fletcher. These were provided for through the
generosity of the public-spirited citizens of the county. Most of the
Avork in securing the funds and enlisting the interest of the people was
done by Mr. R. M. Ringo. It seems as though he kncAV of only one
Revolutionary soldier buried in the county when he began the work,
hence only one monument was erected at first, that over Lay's grave.
In fact, the popular notion then Avas that Lay was the only Revolutionary
soldier buried in the county. When, however, he learned of the second
one, Fletcher, he took up the task of securing a monument for his grave
and got the matter under Avay by calling a number of citizens together
on July 28, 1891. At this meeting an executive committee, of which he
was chairman, was appointed, and the work was carried through suc
cessfully and without delay.
The unveihng of these monuments was marked by a good deal
of ceremony. The monument over Lay's grave was unveiled on Oc
tober 10, 1890. A large croAvd of people gathered from Kirksville and
other parts of the county, though the rain kept many more from com
ing. The ora,tion of the day was pronounced by President J. P. Blan
ton. Addresses were also made by Mr. G. M. McGuire and Capt.
Jas. Berry. The inscription on the monument was; "In Memory of
Thomas Lay, a Revolutionary Soldier, Died about 1845, Aged about
90 yrs. Erected by the Citizens of Adair Co., Mo., in 1890."
The unveihng of the Fletcher monument occurred on August 30,
1891. A large crowd was in attendance. Addresses Avere made by
Prof. G. H. Laughlin, Prof. B. P. Gentry, I. B. Dodson, Wm. Fletcher
and Rev. Lagle. The inscription on the monument was; "James
Fletcher, a Revolutionary Soldier, Born Apr. 29, 1758, Died Sept. 27,
1845. Rest Soldier, Rest. Thy warfare's o'er."
Section III. — Industrial Orders.
A. — The Grange.
In 1873 the Grange movement struck the county. "The Patrons
of Husbandry," the official name of what was commonly called the
Grange, was a secret society which had been founded in Washington
in 1867. The objects of the society Avere to remove the restraints and
burdens imposed on agriculture by the commercial class, railroads and
Fraternal, Patriotic and Industrial Orders. 163
canal companies, and to ehminate the expense caused by middle men
in the distribution of finished products from the manufacturer to the
consumer. The dissatisfaction Avith the conditions just after the war
which were marked by low wages and high prices of machinery and
other things a farmer would have to buy, led to efforts to change them.
The Grange came into being as one of these agents that were to right
some of the wrongs in the conditions of the times. It proposed to pur
chase machinery and other things on the co-operative plan and thus
dispense with the middlemen's profits. But it was not intended to be
a commercial organization only; it was to have social and literary fea
tures also.
It spread rapidly throughout the country, especially in the north
western states. By 1873 it had been established in tAventy-two states.
In March, 1873, two Adair County men were appointed as special
deputies to prosecute the work of organizing granges in this and sur
rounding counties. They were Dr. Wm. Gates and John M. Oldham.
By that time tAvo granges had been organized in the county. These
were at Kirksville and Sublette. Within a year later there were nine
teen granges in all in the county. They were Kirksville, Enterprise,
Oak Grove, Victory, Millard, Rural Dell, Paulville, Blanket Grove,
Walnut, Prairie Bend, Liberty, Wellington, Illinois Bend, Spring Val
ley, Green Morris, Fabius, Hazel Green, AVillianis, and Nineveh.
County Grange organization had been effected on July 12, 1873,
with John S. Erwin as President and Chas. Patterson as Secretary.
The constitution of the County Grange set forth as the object of
the organization the facilitation of the transaction of business in buying,
selling, and shipping for members of the subordinate granges represent
ed by delegates in the county grange. Its main provisions were :
1. The members shall consist of delegates from the subordinate
granges, so that each grange shall have at least two delegates, one of
whom shall be a matron. If any subordinate grange shall have over
sixty members it shall have an additional delegate for every thirty mem
bers above the original sixty.
2. The officers of the Grange shall be Master, Overseer, Lecturer,
Steward, Assistant Steward, Chaplain, Treasurer, Secretary, Gate
Keeper, Ceres, Pomona, Flora, and Lady Assistant Steward. They
shall be elected annually in August. •»
3. Regular meetings shall be held in Kirksville on the first Monday
of each month.
4. The Executive Committee shall consist of five men, elected at
the same time as the officers. They shall be on the alert to devise means
164 History op Adair County.
for the advancement of the interests of the whole order, procure favor
able terms and proposals for buying and selhng for the Patrons, and
submit the same to the County Grange. They shall exercise a general
supervision over such proposals as may be accepted by the grange.
Other articles provided for dues and amendments, and a set of by
laws governed the order of business, penalties and forfeitures.
The County Grange held several picnics and other social gather
ings. Among the latter Avas the famous New Year's dinner at Judge
Erwin's on January 1, 1874.
The County Grange adopted resolutions at different times on such
subjects as transportation, encouragement of industry, rehef of the
people, national banks, tariff, and the like, the general tenor of which
one might easily guess. Sometimes it took up local matters and resolved
against this, that and the other. For example, it condemned the Board
of Regents of the Normal School for appropriating $500 from a left-over
fund to President Baldwin, and it condemned the appointment of
Hooper, Oldham and De France as regents and called on them to resign.
A storehouse was built in Kirksville in 1876. This was a 30x60
foot building, two stories high, and stood near the junction of the 0. K.
and Wabash railroads. The meetings of the county grange were held
thereafter in this warehouse.
A co-operative store was established in 1878. The warehouse and
store were to facilitate the scheme for getting better prices for farm pro
ducts and cheapening the prices of things that must be purchased. But
as most such schemes go, they did not work, and in the course of a short
time they were abandoned.
Prominent among those who were leaders in the grange movement
in the county were Judge Erwin, Chas. Patterson, Dr. A. H. John, John
M. Oldham, Dr. Wm. Gates, and J. D. Stephens.
About 1889 there began what was known as the Farmers' and La
borers' Union. This was in one respect a revival of the Grange. The
Grange has kept up its organization to the present, but it has been in
these latter years more of an insurance company than anything else.
The Grange as an organization to level prices and secure financial favors
for its members passed away by the early eighties. The Farmers'
Union or Alliance may be taken as a revived form of the Grange. It
should be noted here that the association of the Grange and the Green
back Party, and of the Farmers' Union and the Populist Party is not
by any means accidental. While the Grange and the Farmers' Union
Avere not alloAved by their constitutions to have anything to do Avith
politics, they had great indirect, if not direct, influence upon the polit
ical development of their times.
Fraternal, Patriotic and Industrial Orders. 165
B. — Labor Organizations.
As far as the available records go, the first labor organization Avas
the Mechanics' Union, Avhich was organized on January 4, 1870, at
KirksvUle, with T. M. Potter, President and J. J. Griggsby, Secretary.
Fifteen members signed the constitution.
On March 12, 1874 an order caUed the Industrial Brotherhood was
organized in KirksviUe by Dr. A. H. John and J. M. Oldham. Another
was organized at Sloan's Point on March 13.
This order was open to any man or woman of good morals who
belonged to the laboring class. It was organized at the time when the
farmers were getting the Grange well under way, and the prediction
was made that Industrial Brotherhoods Avould soon be as thick as Granges.
It is not known how long the order lasted in the county.
The Knights of Labor were in Kirksville as early as 1883 at least.
But it Avas not until the coal mines were developed on a large scale
that labor unions were organized in large numbers. As far as is known,
the first coal miners' union was organized at Danforth in 1879, but the
first important ones were organized at Novinger early in the past decade.
Since the coal miners began to organize unions throughout the county,
carpenters, masons, painters, and other mechanics have also organized
unions for themselves.
CHAPTER X.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Section I — The Rural Schools.
The constitution of Missouri under which the state was admitted
into the Union in 1821, provided that one school or more should be es
tabhshed in each township as soon as it should be practicable or nec
essary. This was in line with the provision of the act of Congress
which in authorizing the Missouri Territory to form a constitution
and state government had stipulated that the sixteenth section of land
in each toAvnship should be devoted to the support of public schools.
Nothing seems to have been done by the State Legislature con
cerning public education until January 17, 1825. At that time an act
was passed which provided that each Congressional township should
form a school district and that the educational affairs of this district
should be under the control of the county court. Hoav much was done
in carrying out the provisions of this laAv cannot be said.
On January 26, 1833, the I^egislature authorized the Governor to
appoint a committee of three who should prepare a system of "common
primary school instruction." The suggestions of this committee were
never taken up by the Legislature.
In the session of 1834-35 an act was passed to regulate the sale of
the sixteenth sections and to proA'ide for organizing, regulating, and
perpetuating common schools. Among other things it provided that
each school district must support a school at least six months of each
year. Because, however, of its imperfections and impracticability
this law was repealed by 1839. Meanwhile an act had been passed
in 1837 which created a school fund for the state. According to this
measure the Governor was required to invest the principal and inter
est of the Saline fund and whatever money the state should receive
from the United States in some safe stock to be known as the "Common
School Fund." Whenever this fund should amount to $500,000 the
profits from it Avere to be used in paying teachers.
It was not until 1839 that anything like adequate legislation had
been passed on the educational system of the state. Inasmuch as
Adair County was created two years after this law was passed and
whatever was done towards organizing the public school system within
The Public Schools. 167
the county in its early years was done according to the provisions of
this law of 1839, it is in order to give its provisions in some detail.
The chief local unit in the system, Avas the Congressional toAvnship.
The officials of this school township was a Township Commissioner of
Schools, not less than tAVO nor more than four Inspectors of Schools, a
Township Clerk, and a Board of Township Directors Avhich Avas com
posed of the Commissioner and the Inspectors. The Commissioner
and Inspectors were elective, the Clerk was appointed by the Board
of Directors. The Commissioner received, apportioned and expended
the school fund, and aided uhe Inspectors in inspecting the schools.
He serA'ed for two years. The Inspectors examined teachers and granted
certificates, visited all the schools in the township at least once a year
and advised with the teachers and trustees. They were elected for one
year. The Board of Directors divided the toAvnship into school dis
tricts, apportioned the school moneys among the districts, and made
reports to the County Clerk.
The number of school districts in every school township was de
termined by the toAvnship voters at the first toAvnship meeting after
the organization of the toAvnship for school purposes. The officers
of the school district were three trustees, a clerk and a collector. The
number of trustees Avas afterwards changed to one, and then back again
to three. These trustees were elected by the voters of the district for
one year. They provided for the school building, employed the teach
ers and authorized the expenditure of school moneys.
On turning from the law as it existed when the county Avas created
to the schools of the county during the forties, Ave find that township
61, range 13 was declared by the Adair County on May 8, 1843 to be
School Township No. I of this county. This seems to be the first action
taken by the county court relative to the provisions of the law of 1839.
At the same time the sheriff was ordered to expose for sale the sixteenth
section of township 61, range 13, the proceeds of Avhich Avould be used
for the schoul of School ToAvnship No. I. Moreover, the court appointed
tAVO inspectors and a commissioner for this school toAvnship. The names
of the inspectors can not be made out from the scorched records of the
county court. The commissioner was Levy Lansberry. This school
township was in the extreme southeastern part of the county.
It appears, hoAvever, that this school township was not actually
organized until 1844 or perhaps even later, for in February, 1844, the
county court re-ordered the organization of this school township and
again appointed a commissioner and two inspectors. Moreover, the
County Treasurer's report made in August of that same year declares
168 History of Adair County.
that no schools had been organized as yet. In the course of time the
county court ordered the formation of other school townships, but
there is nothing to indicate whether the order Avas comphed with at
once and schools put into operation or not.
However, the sixteenth sections in the Congressional toAvnships
were from time to time ordered sold at $1.25 per acre, and the funds
realized from the sales were set apart separately for each township
Avith the provision that only the interest accruing was to be used in
the toAvnships respectively for school purposes. It is not known just
when the sales were completed; they were still going on in 1855 and
1856. It is quite likely that most of the sections AA'cre sold out by that
time, as the entering of government lands in the county Avas practically
completed by then. Nor is it knoAvn just how much Avas received from
these sales originally. But as the township school funds have remained
practically the same from the beginning, it is possible to approximate
pretty closely the amounts originally receiA'ed from the sale by studying
the annual financial statements of the county. From the statement
made in 1908 the foUoAving tabulation regarding the township school
funds has been made. It shows just Avhat each toAvnship has in the way
of funds which are today bearing interest;
Township 61, Range 13 .« 638_87 Township 63, Range 15 ?< 697_00
Township 62, Range 13 618_28 Township 64, Range 15 292_95
Township 63, Range 13 1, 005_16 Township 61, Range 16 593.05
Township 64, Range 13 406_79 Township 62, Range 16 2, 077_37
Township 61, Range 14 1, 501 _69 Township 63, Range 16 837_10
ToAvnship 62, Range 14 1,987_01 ToAvnship 64, Range 16 448_95
ToAvnship 63, Range 14 2, 211_69 Township 61, Range 17 749_15
Township 64, Range 14 1,435.85 Township 62, Range 17 996.54
Township 61, Range 15 497.65 ToAvnship 63, Range 17 1, 136.51
Township 62, Range 15 330.84 ToAvnship 64, Range 17 172.85
The great difference betAveen the amounts received in the different
townships for the same amount of land is due largely to the difference
in the quality of the land in the various toAvnships.
That the educational system was progressing very sloAvly during
the first ten years or more after the county was created, is shoAvn by
the fact that in 1852 there were only six schools in the county and the
average school term Avas only three months. As far as is known no
record of the schools themselves up to that year has survived. We are
compelled to depend upon tradition for any information concerning
them, and that is likely to be wrong in many of its details. According
to one tradition, the first school in the county Avas taught by Manuel Pat-
The Public Schools. 169
terson in 1833. The first school in Benton toAATiship is said to have
been taught by Nathaniel Taylor. Among his pupils were X'oah Ad
kins, Josiah Rogers, AA'iUiam Taylor, and John Owenby. According
to another tradition, a laAs-^er named Brower opened up a school in
1838-39 in the vicinity of what was afterwards knoAvn as KirksA-ille.
In 1841-42 there were said to have been just three schools in the county,
and all of them were subscription schools; Taylor's school in Benton
toAvnship; Harris' school in Liberty toAvnship, and INIiss Louisa Clemen's
school near Ringo's Point. We cannot tell whether these schools were
maintained by public or private funds, but it would not be at all haz
ardous to say that if they received any support from public funds at
all, that was not sufficient to keep them going. In the Aery earliest
days "subscription" or private schools were the only kind in existence,
and even Avhen public support began to be given it was, as had been
said, not sufficient to maintain the schools Avithout extra private help.
Ea'cu as late as 1867 the so called pubhc schools in Kirksville were largely
priA'ate schools.
As for buildings, the earliest schools were "kept" in priA^ate school
houses, log houses usually. In November, 1843, the county court or
dered that the people of KirksviUe be allowed to use the court house for
school purposes on condition that the business of the county should
not be interfered AAith, and up to at least the war, the court house Avas
used off and on for school purposes. In December, 1856, the court
issued an order permitting S. Sherman to maintain a school in the court
room until June 1, provided he Avould giA'e bond to repair all damage
that should be done to the furniture.
In 1855 the State Legislature made a radical change in the local
school organization. The chief local division was now the county, at
the head of which Avas the County Commissioner elected CA-ery two
years. He apportioned the various school moneys, inspected schools,
examined teachers and granted certificates. The next local diAusion
below the county was the school toAvnship. EA'^ery Congressional
township Avas constituted a school district unless the A'oters chose to
diA'ide it into subdistricts not exceeding four in number. Each district
was under three trustees who employed teachers and IcA-ied taxes.
At the time Avhen this law was passed there were only six school
buildings in the county. The six teachers were all men, their average
salary being .813.00 per month. Out of 1037 children of school age
only 168 were enrolled in these six schools.
In the next few y^ears interest in schools began to increase. By
1857 the number of school houses had increased to twenty-six, and the
170 HisTORT OF Adaie County.
number of teachers to tliirtji'-eight, five of whom were women. The
percentage of attendance had also increased, for out of an enumeration
of 2913, 1152 were enrolled m school.
It is fitting that a letter which Supt, J, M, Greenwood of the ICansaSv
City Pubhc Schools wrote to the author in reply to some inquiries,
should be inserted here. It tells a great deal concernmg the waj' scliools
were organized and conducted just prior to the Avai-. It is as folloAVs;
"Replying to your letter concerning the school houses in Salt River
and Wilson Townships in theearljf history of Adair County, I will go
back to the situation in the autumn of 1852 Avhen my parents moved
to Adair County. At that time Salt River formed a part of Wilson
ToAATisliip. In 1852 there was a log school house on my father's farm
about four hundred yards Avest of the old homestead. This house waiJ
built by a f eAV f amihes living on Timbered Branch and the South Fork
of Timbered Branch. School had been taught in it tAvo or three winter
terms each by Mr, Hacldey AUred, the father of Mr. Enoch Allred, and
by a Mr. Rolaert Jennings. It was the first school house in what is noAA'
Salt River Toiwiship. The families whose children attended wei'e the
Earharts, Pershings, Allreds, Smiths, Halsteads, Rodebaughs, and Jeiar
nings. No school was held in it after my father bought the farm. In
fact, the neai-est was the Maxey school house on Salt River seven miles
down the river in the Felts neighborhood.
"In December,- 1854, a school meeting was held at my grandfath
er's house, now the Sangster farm, on Timbered Branch, to organiise a
School District. The men present AA^ere my grandfather, Peyton Fos
ter, Abram Earhart, Squire John Smith, Edmund GreeuAvood (my
father), Doav Kincaid, Hacldey Allred, and J. D. Foster, later the Col
onel of the 22nd Regiment of Missouri Volunteers, Because I could
write a pretty fair hand, I acted as secretary. The meeting AA^as called
to order and the school district Avas organizedj and the men present
contributed lumher, AVork, and money to build the school house, but the
work was not undertalcen till after harvest the next fall. My grand-:
father deeded an acre of ground on the public road about three hundred
yards northAvest of his brick-house, as the school site. The little frame
building was built by my uncle, Capt. H, B. Foster, theh a young man.
"The Ti'ustees elected Avexe Uncle John Smith, Abram Earhart,
and Edmund Greemvood. In the fall of 1855, the directors waited for
some school teacher to come along to talce the school. There Avere
eleven pupils of school age in the district including myself. One young
man did pass through, but he could, teach only Latin and Algebra, so
the Trustees did not hire him. Matters went on till December wheii ;
The Public Schools. 171
Uncle John Smith and Mr. Earhart, — father having no part in the
business,— hired me at fifteen dollars a month to teach a three months'
school. I have the certificate issued to me by Robert Thompson, but
there is no English grammar in it. Father bought a little box stove
at Kirksville, and left it in the school house. My mother's youngest
brother, James M. Foster, Jake Earhart, and myself set the stove up,
built a flue for the chimney, made a httle walnut blaclcboard, but had
no paint put on it. The benches were thick planks Avith wooden legs.
This school house was weather boarded and stood in the middle of the
hickory grove. It Avas called the "Foster School House." School
opened on Wednesday, I think the 5th of December; there Avere nine
boys and two little girls. The folloAving Saturday night and Sunday
a heavy snow fell, and none but the boys attended the remainder of the
term. "A year before this date. Squire William Brashears, Thomas and
John Thrasher, George Conkle, Robert Propst, Meshack Long and his
father, Adam Long, Dorman Hohday, Wilham Watson, Jamison Vise,
and George W. Chamberlain, built the "Brashears School House" on
Hog Branch, about a quarter of a mile west of "Squire Brashears' Horne-
stead." Mr. George W. Chamberlain taught the first school in that
school house during the winter of 1854-55, and I Avent to that school
25 days. "A young man by the name of William Ewing from Lewis County,
taught the school there the same winter that I tried to teach the little
school in the "Foster School."
"The next August, Squire Brashears, Richard Brashears' father,
Thomas Thrasher, and Mr. George Conkle, believing I had succeeded
in my first school, hired me to teach a subscription school in their school
house. I began in August, 1856, and closed in November. For my
work of three months, I received $69.20, a part of which AA^as paid by
the state during the following winter.
"The next year the people living further down on Hog Branch, and
a family or tAvo on Deer Branch (Squire Smith having sold out his claim
on Timbered Branch to Henry Garlock, and then living on Deer Branch),
organized a school district and built a school house near Mr. Conkle's
residence, now in the town of Brashear. This Avas called the "Thrasher
School House," and also the "White School House," because it was
painted white. It was plastered inside, and it Avas the first plastered
school house in that part of the county.
"In the winter of 1856-7, I Avent to school in Kirksville, and in the
autumn of 1857, I went to Canton, Missouri, to school. However, in
172 History of Adair County.
the month of August, 1857, I taught a "Singing Geography Class" of
ten days at the "AA'hite School House," and all the young folks for mUes
around attended. It was a horseback school.
"During the Avinter of 1858-9, Mr. George Conkle, Mr. John Thrash
er, and Uncle John Smith, hired me to teach a four months' school at
the "White School House." The spring being Avet and backward, I
gave one week free, teaching 85 days instead of 80 days. The boys and
girls wanted me to do it, and I taught, or tried to teach, for the love and.
the fun of it. During this period and for a year thereafter, I Avas en
deavoring to regain my health which had been impaired by too severe
study and too little exercise. I received $30 a month.
"During the spring and summer foUoAving, I taught a three months'
term in our home district, and during the following AA'inter I taught an
other term of four months. I received $30 a month. The trustees
were Mr. Samuel Merrih, Mr. Abram Earhart, and Mr. Henry Gar
lock. The Foster School house caught fire a year or two later and burned.
The School District Avas divided and a iicav school house erected north
of the Earhart residence about a mile distant, and it Avas there the last
tirne I passed through that neighborhood. In all the schools except the
first one, I had from 40 to 70 pupils every day, unless the scA^erity of
the weather kept the little ones at home, so rapidly did the country set
tle up." From 1861 to 1865 all the public schools in the county Avere prac
tically suspended on account of the war. In the report to the
State Superintendent concerning the schools of the county in 1865 Ave
find them to be in as good condition as could be expected after four
years of disorganization. Out of an enumeration of 13,937, 2,574 were
enrolled, and there Avere 71 teachers in the county, 37 of whom were
Avomen. But in many districts it was difficult to find enough men who
Avere Avilling to serve as school directors. Teachers Avere often unable
to find any one Avho Avas willing to assume the responsibility of employ
ing teachers. Because of the refusal of directors to serve, many districts
Avere completely disorganized.
From 1865 to 1875 vigorous efforts were made throughout the state
to unify the school system. LaAvs were enacted to proAdde for county
supervision and for uniform township and district taxation. During
this period the present small school district Avas made permanent, and
the system of State Normal Schools was established.
The establishment of Normal Schools had an important connection
with the schools of Adair County. In letters from the County Superin
tendents of the county the importance of the First District Normal
The Public Schools. 17S
School at KirksviUe in training the teachers of the county is constantly
emphasized. This training was something badly needed for in the ear
lier years they had been very inadequately prepared for their work, one
reason for which was undoubtedly the meagre salaries they got.
By 1872 there were 74 school districts in the county, and at least
that many schools in operation. There Avas also said to be one High
School which had been in existence since 1868, but just AA'here it was
located, what it Avas, and how it was conducted are questions Avhich
the records will not solve.
In 1874 a new school law Avas passed by Avhich in manner at least
the County Superintendent's office was abolished. Instead, the office
of County Commissioner was created. Visitation of schools was abol
ished, and about all that Avas left for the County Commissioner to do
was to examine teachers, grant certificates, and make reports to the
State Superintendent. He Avas elected every two years.
The township board of trustees was also abolished at this time.
Each school district Avas made a separate unit, and the clerk of Avhat Avas
formerly the sub-district was left to make the reports to the school of
ficers of the county. With the exception of a change in the term of the
local directorship from one to three years, the governing board of each
school district remained the same as before.
There are at present (1911) eighty school districts in the county.
They were all renumbered last year by the county court in accordance
with a law passed in 1909 requiring all the county courts to foUoAV a
uniform system of numbering.
Each district, with five exceptions, has a Board of Directors com
posed of three members elected for three years, one member retiring
every year. Kirksville, Novinger, Brashear, Connelsville, and Wil
mathville have Boards of six members, two retiring each year. The
clerk is elected by the Board, and may be one of their OAvn members, or
he may be outside of the Board.
The size of the school district depends on the action taken by th&
people who organize it or those Avho later may wish to alter it. The
districts in the Avestern part of the countj^ are practically all of them
three miles square, but those in the eastern part are smaller and are of
different sizes. There has been little tendency towards district con
solidation, but there is need for it in several instances. There are eight
districts where the average attendance is less than eight; there are twen
ty-three districts with less then twenty pupils, and tAventy-six with less
than thirty pupils. Moreover, there are a fcAv districts Avhere the as
sessed valuation is so low that the school terms are only five or six months.
These conditions argue strongly in favor of consolidation at once.
174 History of Adair County'.
Several special actiA'ities connected with the schools of the county
should perhaps be mentioned here. About 1870 a great deal of interest
began to be taken in the county institute. These institutes Avere held
in Kirks-ville, and the members of the Normal School Faculty Avere
often secured as instructors. The importance of these institutes con
tinued to be emphasized doAAm to 1903 AA-hen they were abohshed by
law and the county teachers' association and the approved summer
school Avere instituted in its place.
In the nineties the importance of school libraries began to receive
attention in this county as well as in other counties. -Is late as 1894,
hoAvever, Adair County could not be included in a list of counties haAdng
librar}' facilities equal to those in the lead.
In 1899 a library laAv was passed by the State Legislature requiring
that school boards should provide school libraries by spending annualh'
not less than fiA'c cents per child enumerated in the district for library
purposes. In 1901 another law was passed creating a State Library
Board of fiA'c members. The effect of this new interest in school libra
ries, while not so great as it seems it should haA-e been, has increased
the library facilities of all the counties some. In 1899 there Avere only
192 volumes in all the school libraries of Adair Comity. In 1908 there
were 5851. Only two schools are at present Avithout a libi^ry. This
increase in the library facilities means a great deal in the greater efficiency
of school AA'ork.
The last important development made in the school system of Adair
County Avas the adoption of the county supervision in 1905. An effort
had been made in 1888 to get the people to vote to haA-e the County
Commissioner devote all his time to the superAdsion of the schools in
the county, but the proposition Avas overwhelmingly defeated at the
polls. In 1905, however, it Avas carried by a good majority, and AA'. J.
Banning Avas elected County Superintendent. In 1909, a law Avas passed
compelling all the counties to have countj- superA-ision.
All the schools of this county except Kirksville have been since
1905, under the supervision of the CountA' Superintendent. They are
following approximately the same course at the same time. On finish
ing the eighth grade the pupil is given a county diploma and an entrance
certificate to auA- high school in the state. Annual graduating exer
cises are held in Kirksville during the summer. The classes have num
bered over one hundred in the past two years. In 1909, out of the
graduating class of 113, fifty per cent went on Avith their Avork in a high
school or normal school.
In the eighty school districts of the county there are at present
The Public Scihools. 175
eighty-five school buildings containing one hundred and tAventy-five
rooms. In the last few years a noticeable improvement has taken
place in the school buildings. In addition to the erection of large and
more substantial buildings in Kirksville and the smaller towns and vil
lages, there have been built better country school houses. There are
at present five country school houses built after the model designed by
President John R. Kirk; four of these are according to his original plan,
and one, the Bryant School House, is according to the Model Rural
School House on the Normal School campus, except for the basement.
Even those built in recent years Avhich Avere not patterned after the
Kirk plan, arc usually better than those built thirty years or more ago.
Nearly every school building has pictures on the Avails, its Avails painted
and papered, blinds at the windows, and individual drinking cujis. Some
buildings are heated with furnaces, others by jacketeil stoves. In many
places the single modern desks are to be found.
Ni_)t only has there been an improvement in buildings but there has
been an increase in the enrollment and an increase in the percentage
of the enumeration enrolled. In 1868 only one-half of the enumera
tion AA'ere enroUcd. In recent years about five-sixths of the enumera
tion have been enrolled. The foUoAving tabulation reveals the situation
in the county, including KirksviUe, for the last eight years:
year pupils enumerated i PUPILS ENROLLED PUPILS NOT IN SCHOOL
1903 6458 ' 5292 1166
1904 6800 5466 i 1334
1905 7108 5507 I 1601
1906 : 6605 6010 595
1907 6498 5530 968
1908 ' 6231 5307 924
1909 ' 6403 5528 ' 875
1910 ' 6394 i 5109 1294
The foUoAving statistics furnished by County Superintendent Sip
ple shoAV hoAV the enumeration and enrollment for 1910-11 in certain
school districts cominire:
176 History of Adair County.
SCHOOL
Brashear
Connelsville
Gibbs
[Mulberry
NoA-inger
AA'ilmathsville
Curtis
Green GroA'e
Hazel Creek
Kent
Libertj-
:\It. Carmel (Nind) . . .
Pleasant Hill, No. 16 . . .
Red (Stahl)
Shibley's Point
AA'estern Elm GroA'c . . .
:eratio]
sr ENROLLMENT
120
104
381
350
87
72
100
74
626
475
50
40
72
48
74
55
no
63
70
50
71
41
78
62
79
45
114
74
73
66
71
41
The marked increase in the percentage of the enumeration enrolled
in 1906 is due in part to the decrease in the enumeration and in part to
the enforcement of the truancy laAv which went into effect that year.
The year 1910-11 is marked, howcA'er, by a drop in the percentage of
the enumeration enroUed.
The first six of these schools employ one or more teachers. The
rest are one-room and one-teacher rural schools.
There are between 125 and 150 different teachers employed during
the school year. Of the 125 teaching in December, 1910, only one had
never had any training beyond the eighth grade. L'sually the teachers
of the county haA-e from one to five years of high school and college
Avork and many haA-e had additional college work. Of the 125 teach
ing in the winter term of 1910-11, 30 were men and 95 were Avomen.
The salaries of the teachers haA-e increased some since the war.
In 1909 the average salary of the Adair County teacher Avas S42.50 per
month, but it is a noticeable fact that throughout the history of the
county the salaries of the teachers have been lower than those of a num
ber of other counties in the state.
It costs about $50,000 a year to run the schools of the county. Of
this amount the state pays about -§10,000.
The Public Schools. 177
,"" " Section II — The Kirksville Schools.
AVe haA'e no records from which to relate the history of the first
schools in Kirksville. The town Avas laid out in 1841, and inasmuch as
it AA-as the county seat and centrallj^ located, it began to grow from the
first. But hoAV much was done towards getting the school system or
ganized prior to the outbreak of the war can not be said. It is knoAvn
that Prof. W. P. Nason opened up a school in toAA'n in the fall of 1857
and maintained it until the spring of 1860. He first used a rented build
ing, but in 1858 he erected a building of his oAvn on the corner of Flor
ence and Buchanan streets, and conducted his school in that. His
school was supported in part by whatever public revenues existed for
public education in the toAvn, but chiefly by tuition fees. The enroll
ment was as high as 130 at one time, and two or three assistants were
always employed. In the fall of 1860 Prof. Nason rented his building
to the Kirksville Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church
for the use of the Cumberland Academy which the Presbytery had al
ready organized. A special building was then in process of construc
tion for this academy. The excitement throughout the county in 1860-
61 put an end to the Cumberland Academy as a school, and during that
year the work on the building was also suspended. Prof. Nason re
sumed his teaching in Kirksville in his own building in 1861-62. He
then left the county and did not return until the spring of 1865, when
he remained for six months conducting a spring and summer school.
He left again but returned in the fall of 1866 and maintained a school
that year in the Free Will Baptist church Avhich stood Avhere the present
M. E. Church, South, stands.
As has been said. Prof. Nason's schools Avere supported in part by
public funds and in part by tuition fees. Whether the schools that were
maintained here from 1862 to 1866 Avhile he was out of the county, Avere
supported by public funds too cannot be said. A Mrs. Bryson conducted
a school in 1865-66, and it may be she received some public support.
From all the evidences at hand it seems that the public school
system began to take its present shape in Kirksville in 1867. The school
directors elected in March, 1867 Avere 0. H. Beeman, J. M. Smith,
J. B. BrcAvington, A. D. Risdon, W. H. Freeman and J. G. Jamison.
In 1867-68 the public sch'ools were conducted in the Free Will Baptist
church and the Mercer building, with D. T. Truitt, Miss Harris and
Miss Lewis as teachers. It may be noted here that in September,
1867, President J. Baldwin opened up his North Missouri Normal
School in Kirksville, Avith Prof. Nason as one of his faculty. Although
13
178 History- of Adair County.
students of all ages were admitted in this Normal School and though
private schools were also maintained, the public schools continued to
go on. Among those Avho conducted private schools after 1867 Avere
Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Bryson in 1867, Mr. and Mrs. Robert Mercer in
1868, and others on into the seventies.
In 1869 the public schools of Kirksville began to giA'^e evidences
of ncAv life. In August of that year Avork began on the construction
of a two storj- brick building of four rooms which cost w-hen completed
$6,000. This stood on the site of the present Washington School build
ing. This meant that the inconvenience of ill-adapted rented build
ings would be done away Avith for a while at least. But in a few years
complaint was being made that it was not large enough to accommodate
the students, and the Board was compelled to rent various buildings,
some of them dAvelling houses, in different parts of the town in order that
all the children might be accommodated. The Wilcox, Hooper and
Tuttie buildings Avere used at different times. The Hooper building
was more generally knoAvn as the "cheese factory," and the school in
it was known as the Benton school. This building stood on First street
south of Normal avenue, and was used to accommodate the students
in the southern part of town. It is still standing and has been made
over into a dwelling. At one time the negro church building was used,
for which the Board agreed to pay off the indebtedness upon it. All
these arrangements were made pending the time when new school buUd-
irigs could be erected by the town.
By 1882 agitation Avas begun in favor of building more school
buildings, and on May 6 a proposition was submitted to the people to
issue bonds to the amount of $25,000 to erect a school building. The
proposition failed to carry.
In Aprh, 1883 the matter was submitted again but in a different form.
The people Avere asked to express themselves as to levying a tax for the
purpose of purchasing a building site and also as to which they pre
ferred, one or two new buildings. The vote on the tax levy for a site
Avas 79 for and 226 against; that on one school house, 167 for and 129
against; that on two school houses, 99 for and 141 against. Matters
were made almost immediately Avorse by the destruction by fire of the
Ivie !)uilding which stood on the corner of Franklin and Illinois streets,
on April 20. This building Avhich had formerly stood on the east side
of the square, had been used, after having been removed, as the pri
mary school building. Agitation Avas at once renewed and several mass
meetings were held to get the expressions of opinions of the citizens.
Finally in June another proposition to issue bonds for $25,000 to erect
SIoO
¦a GC n
a oo
SB
5'
.,/;
180 History of Adair County.
two buildings, a central school building costing $25,000, and a building
in the southern part of town costing $5,000, was submitted, and this,
too, was lost by a vote of 128 for and 279 against.
It Avas not until 1887 that the matter Avas brought up again. Mass
meetings were held at the Masonic Hall during February and March,
and a proposition to issue bonds for $21,000 was submitted. The plan
contemplated putting $15,000 in a central school building, $2,500 in a
north ward building, $2,500 in a south ward building, and $1,000 in a
building for negroes. The proposition failed to carry by a very slight
vote. It now became evident that the only objection to the proposi
tion was in the way the buildings were to be erected, so another proposi
tion to expend $25,000 for two buildings which should be about the same
in cost, was submitted and carried in May by a vote of 383 to 93.
The Board removed the building built in 1869 on the site of the pres
ent AVashington Building and erected the latter. At the same time it
erected the present Benton Building. P. M. Smith had the contract
for erecting them both at a cost of $20,880. The schools did not open
until November that year, and even then only the Washington building
was ready for use. Pending the completion of the other, the basement
of the Mercantile College building was. used. When they Avere com
pleted they Avere both alike and the pride of the town.
The enrollment in the schools, however, increased so rapidly it
soon became again necessary to rent more rooms until neAV buildings
could be provided. Some of the primary grades were moved to the
upper floor of the building now used by the Kirksville Roller MiUs and
in 1897 the High School was moved from the Washington bmlding to
the old Mercantile College building, the present Harrington theatre.
In 1898 an effort was made to provide for another building. A
proposition was submitted to the people to issue $12,000 in bonds to
erect two ncAv Avard school buildings. This Avas defeated by a vote of
329 for and 406 against. The next year another proposition Avas sub
mitted Avhich provided for $35,000 to erect a building in the second Avard
and also a High School building. This proposition carried on April
4 by a A-ote of 1023 for and 228 against.
In June, 1899, the contract was let for both buildings for the sum of
$20,485, an unusually low price. The rest of the money realized from
the bonds was used in buying the tAvo blocks of land on Avhich these
houses Avere built, and school equipment. The second Avard building
was giAPen the name of Willard School, and Avas first occupied in January,
1900, but it Avas not fully completed until later. The High School
bmlding was occupied in 1900 also.
wm
a n
o ccoK o
o W M
w
toc
00 -J
182 History of Adair County.
Besides the four buildings for white children there is also one for
negroes called the Lincoln School. The first mention that has been found
of a school for negroes was in 1874-75. Mrs. A. D. Risdon was secured
to teach it. As a usual thing a negro man has since been secured to do
that. The contract Avas let for the erection of a building in June, 1877.
An addition was put on in 1890.
At the present time (1911) there is pressing need for more room,
especially in the grades, and it is only a question of time when new build
ings will have to be provided for.
One of the signs of the popularity and efficiency of a public school
is in the increase in the enrollment and average daily attendance. The
first definite report we have of the Kirksville School shoAvs a decidedly
deplorable condition . This report is for the year ending October 31,1 869,
the year in Avhich the first brick pubhc school building was begun. Accord
ing to it the enrollment was 494, but the average daily attendance Avas
only 64, or only 12 per cent. No explanations are available for that
condition. But things began to mend very shortly. In the printed report of
Principal Selden Sturgis for the year 1870-71 he reported 427 enrolled
and an average daily attendance of 209, or a little less than 50 per cent.
In the next annual report he was happy to state that AvMle the enroll
ment was 401, 26 less than the year before, the average daily attendance
had increased until it Avas 54 per cent of the enrollment. He explains
that if the school term had not been so long, eight months, the average
daily attendance would have been greater, as the students dropped out
in large numbers during the last month. This complaint on the part
of the students about eight months being too long sounds odd to those
who are now accustomed to even longer terms Avith no sense of fatigue.
Principal Sturgis complained in his reports of the irregularity of
attendance, the failure to be prompt, and the lack of systematic grading
of the pupils. For years after him his successors made similar com
plaints about irregular attendance and lack of promptness. He was
able in his time to begin the systematic classification of the pupils and
thus raise the school above the level of the ungraded country school,
but his successors had long to deal Avith the other problems.
In 1879 the enrollment was 642 Avith an average daily attendance
of 450. In 1887 it had run up to 712, and in 1895 to 1048, and in 1911
to 1204. The enforcement of the truancy laAv has had something to do with
increasing the enrollment and attendance, but the most important
> a cco woo
c
184 History of Adair County.
reason for these improA-ements lies in the greater interest of the parents
in the success of their children and of the schools in general.
The work done by the schools was not extensive at first. Up to
1871-72 there were only four grades taught, though there is no doubt
but that certain pupils were given more advanced AVork when they
Avanted it. In 1871-72 the fifth grade was added. It is impossible to
say just when other grades Avere added, but by 1883-84 there were eight
grades. By 1893-94 High School Avork was being done, but it was not
until 1897-98 that this was made a four year course.
The length of the school term has been increased from four months
in 1869 to nine months. It was eight months for a long time. In 1871-
72 it Avas eight months, but it cannot be said that it remained that long
continuously until the nine months' term Avas inaugurated. It was
1906 before that Avas done.
The corps of teachers has been increased gradually from two or
three, as it was in 1867, to thirty-one. It is impossible to state the in
crease year by year, but it is knoAvn that there was ten in 1879, tAvelve
in 1887, nineteen in 1895, and thirty-one in 1911. Of these thirty-one,
tAventy-four are in the grades and seven in the High School.
The Superintendents, or Principals as they were called in the earlier
years, of the Kirksville Schools, have been since 1869 as foUoAvs;
1867-68-
-D. T. Truitt.
1882-85-
-R. R. Steele.
1868-69-
-B. F. Heiny
1885-87-
-D. N. Kennedy.
1869-70-
-F. L. Ferris.
1887-91-
-D. T. Gentry.
1870-72-
-Selden Sturgis.
1891-98-
-W. R. HoUoway,
1872-73-
-C. H. Dutcher.
1898-01-
-C. S. Brother.
1873-74-
- Wilcox.
1901-05-
-E. E. Funk.
1874-76-
-J. P. Wallace.
1905-07-
-H. H. Laughlin.
1876-77-
-C. jNI. PoUey.
1907-08-
— W. J. Banning.
1877-79-
-L. M. Johnson.
1908-10-
-E. 0. Jones.
1879-81-
-G. A. Smith.
1910-11-
-C. E. Banks.
1881-82-
-Ahce Heath.
In 1906 a Supervisor of Music and Art Avas added to the teaching
force of the schools, and a teacher in domestic science is contemplated
in the near future for the high school and the upper grades of the ward
schools. The High School Avas first organized in the Washington School.
The first mention made of it in the available records of the KirksviUe
School District is in the minutes of a Board meeting for April 28, 1893,
Avhen W. R. Laughlin was elected Principal of the High School at a
3
t-i
a;
Cd
c
186 History of Adair County.
salary of $50 per month. It is more than likely that some high school
work had been done before that, and that this Avas just the first step
towards the formal organization of the work beyond the eighth grade.
Owing to the crowded condition of the schools, the High School
was moved in 1897 to the Mercantile College building, which has since
been remodeled into the Harrington theatre. Here it remained until
it Avas installed in the present High School building in 1899-1900.
The teaching force of the High School was at -first not over two or
three. When W. R. Laughhn Avas elected Principal of the High School
for 1893-94, it may be he was the entire High School faculty. From time
to time additions have been made until at present there are seven teach
ers giving practically all their time to High School instruction. With
this increase in the teaching force it has been possible to organize depart
ments and maintain them with some efficiency. The present depart
ments are History, , English, Sciences, Languages, and Mathematics.
Manual Training, Art and Music are also taught.
The number of graduates from the High School have been 172.
The Principals of the High School have been as follows :
1893-95— W. R. Laughlin. 1903-06— L. A. Moorman.
1895-97— C. S. Brother. 1906-08— E. 0. Jones.
1897-00— 0. H. Lind. 1908-10— C. E. Banks. '
1900-02— H. H. Laughlin. 1910-11— W. E. Tydings.
1902-03— S. W. Longan.
Section III — The Schools of the Smaller Towns.
Novinger. — The public school of Novinger has groAvn up with the
town out of .a country school that existed in that vicinity before there
was a town.- According to some of the older citizens of the town, the
first school house in that vicinity Avas a log structure of one room Avhich
stood where the Midland church noAV stands. The teacher Avas Robert
McAlister, a full-blooded Irishman. It is said that the second school
house was a frame building of one room which stood on the topmost
height of Pennyroyal Hill. Chester Brown of Pennsylvania "kept
school" in it. The third one Avas built at the foot of this hill, and Robert
Dolan Avas the teacher for a while at least.
.It is not possible to state AS'hether the first school Avas a priA-ate or
public school. It may have been supported partly by public funds
and partly by priA^ate funds. It is more than likely that the second
one Avas a public school and there is probably no doubt but that the third
was. The third one was in existence Avhen the town began to boom in
1900. With the rapid growth of the town, ncAV and better school facil-
The Public Schools.
187
ities Avere needed, and they Avere not long in being secured. In' 1902 a
four room brick building Avas erected at a cost of $4,000, but it Avas burned
to the ground within five months after its completion. An eight room
brick building was erected immediately on the site of the one burned
and has been in use ever since. It is heated by steam and is fairly mod
ern. It cost $9,000. The funds were not sufficient at the time to erect
PnBLic School, Novinger.
such a building, but scA'-eral persons who Avere vitally interested in the
success of the school and saw what its need Avould shortly be, advanced
$3,000 and trusted to the district for a future reimbursement.
In March, 1905, the NoA-inger District was made a special district
which enabled the voters to make the school levy heavier than in ordi
nary districts. The Board of Directors Avas then increased from three to six.
The length of term has been somewhat increased. In 1899 it was
six months, and in 1904 it was raised to eight months, but in 1905 it
Avas lowered to seven months.
The teaching force now includes seven teachers.
The Principals, as far as they haA^e been ascertained, liaA-e been as
follows ;
1898-99— Leoti AValters. 1902-07— John H. Simpson.
1899-00— J. J. Harris. 1907-10— AV. AV. Shoop.
1900-01— C. M. Hughes. 1910-11— J. B. Runnehs.
1901-02
188 History of Adair County.
Brashear.— The public school of Brashear is an outgrowth of a
country school knoAVii as the White School. This Avas conducted in a
school house a short distance of Avhat is now Brashear, which was built
in 1857. 0. P. Smith is said to have taught the first school in it. J. M.
Greenwood, Superintendent of the Kansas City Schools since 1874,
taught the school in 1858-59. In a previous section of this chapter a
letter from Supt. Greenwood was quoted, giving at length some of the
historjf of this school and others of that vicinity.
The White School was continued until one Avas estabhshed at Brs-
shear about 1873 or 1874. The building erected in Brashear Avas a
one-room frame affair, and was used until about 1890, Avhen a two-room
frame was built. In 1900 a neat three-room brick was erected at a
cost of $4,000.
The Brashear school has shoAvn considerable advancement since the
erection of the present building. The course of study has been extended
so that some high school Avork is now being done. The term has been
lengthened to eight months. The enrollment noAV amounts to about
one hundred.
An effort was made to ascertain who have been Principals from the
beginning, but the records prior to 1899 are missing, so that the first
could not be made up. Prior to 1899 the names of only two Principals
have been found. They are Emma Smith, 1887-88, and M. E. Der-
fler, 1892-93. The Principals since 1899 are as foUows;
1899-00— J. S. BaUey. 1905-06— A. J. NcAvman.
1900-01— J. R. Johnson. 1906-07— Mrs. A. Featherstone.
1901-02— C. F. Holland. 1907-09— W. H. Fugate.
1902-03— W. J. Banning. 1909-IO— A. B. Cluster.
1903-04— C. G. Truitt. 1910-11— J. E. Scotten.
1904-05- -T. J. LcAvis.
Gibbs. — The Gibbs School has groAvn out of what was known as
the Union School, Avhich Avas situated about one mile northwest of the
present site of Gibbs, near the Union cemetery. A log school building
was built there long before the Civil War, and for a number of years a
subscription school Avas conducted in it. The first free pubhc school
was opened there in 1867 Avith an enroUment of about thirty. In that
same year a iicav frame building was erected on a site Avhich is now in
the northern part of Gibbs. Some years later another building was
erected on this same site. Then in 1900 that building was moved to
the place Avhere it now stands and another room added to it.
The Public Schools. 189
From 1867 to 1900 the school term had not been over seven months,
but in 1900 it was raised to eight. The enrollment has been in the neigh
borhood of 70 ever since 1900. It was 78 in March, 1911.
The Principals since 1900 have been:
1900-01— AValter Henninger. 1905-06— Robert St. Clair.
1901-03— Foster Easley. 1906-07— E. T. Barnes.
1903-04— George Barnes. 1907-09— Ada Newton.
1904-05— James Bear. 1909-10— W. B. Wilson.
1905-06— Ed. Rutherford (died). 1910-11— Fred L. Sloop.
Connelsville. — The school in this district has an unusual history.
During the time of the German communistic colony at Nineveh, the
school was located there. After that colony was dissolved the school
was removed to the center of the district, Avhich placed it fully one-half
mile from any public road. It could be reached only by footpaths
through the woods. This building was burned in 1902 and a new one
Avas erected in 1903, west of the former building, so that it is one and
one-half miles from the toAvn of Connelsville. This school has been
known as the Amick School.
AVhen ConnelsAdlle began to grow the need of a school in the town
Avas felt, and for several years an old store building was used. The dis
trict Avas organized as a village school district in 1904 Avith W. W. Shoop
and an assistant as teachers. The next year G. F. Davis was elected as
Principal with two assistants. Mr. Davis served until 1909, when J.
G. A'^an Sickel was elected Principal Avith three assistants.
During the summer of 1909 a modern four-room school building
Avas erected at a cost of $5,500. At present five teachers are employed,
and tAVO years of high school work are done. The enrollment in 1910-11
is 352.
CHAPTER XL
THE NORMAL SCHOOL.
Prior to 1870 the State of Missouri had made no provision for the
training of teachers for the public schools except what -had -been done
in 1867 in the creation of a Normal Department in the State Univer
sity. A law had been passed in 1849 creating a professorship of the the
ory and practice of teaching in the University, but the Board of Cu
rators dechned to comply with that act on the ground that the finan
ces of the institution would not permit it. In 1855 an attempt was
made to secure more liberal provisions for this work, but it failed. In
1867, however, the matter was carried through --tod the above men
tioned Normal Department Avas established.
But the impossibility of this single department doing all or CA^en
half of the work that Avas needed in the training of teachers Avas so thor
oughly understood by leaders in education that the persistent efforts
they had been making for many years for Normal Schools, was kept
up until they succeeded in getting what they wanted in 1870. From
1842 to 1870 every State Superintendent of Schools or every Secretary
of State, who by law had jurisdiction over the educational system of
the state during the terms the office of State Superintendent was abol
ished, made regular biennial recommendations to the Legislature in
favor of State Normal Schools. The GoA^ernors during this period
frequently mentioned the subject faA'orably and sometimes insisted
upon it at length. The State Teachers' association passed resolutions
in favor of the Legislature creating State Normal Schools at least three
different times, that is in 1856, 1866 and 1868. In addition to these
expressions from the Teachers' Association, agitation was carried on
by several leaders in education in a great variety of Avays. Among
these Avere Joseph BaldAvin, President of the North Missouri Normal
School at Kirksville; Major J. B. Merwin, Editor of the American
Journal of Education; Supt. Ira DivoU, and Principal AV. T. Harris
of St. Louis; and Supt. E. B. Neeley of St. Joseph.
The agitation carried on by state officials and teachers finally cul
minated in the passing of a biU, approved March 19, 1870, which created
two normal school districts in the state, and made provision for the
location of a State Normal School in each district. The First District
The Normal School
191
Normal School was located at KirksvUle, the Second District Normal
School at Warrensburg. But before relating how this Avas done, it is
necessary to know something of the history of the North Missouri Nor
mal School at Kiriisville.
In February, 1867, Prof. Joseph Baldwin came from Indiana to
Missouri to find a suitable location for a Normal School. On the thir-
r
*****^**
President Joseph Baldavin.
(From a Photograph taken about 1880.)
teenth day of that month he arrived in Kirksville, and though it was a
toAvn Avithout railroads and Avithout any prospect for the future, he de
cided after spending two or three days here, that this was the place for
his school. Arrangements Avere made for the use of a building known
as the Cumberland Academy building for the contemplated Normal
School. A word concerning this building is here in order.
In December, 1859, the Kirksville Presbytery of the Cumberland
192
History of Adair County.
Presbyterian Church decided, at its session in Kirksville, to establish
a male and female school in that toAvn which should be known as the
Cumberland Academy. A Board of Trustees Avas appointed and the
work of getting funds Avas begun. The Board decided to open the school
at once without Avaiting for the building to be completed, and on March
22, 1860, the school was opened in a rented bmlding, with Rev. Amos
Cumberland Academa-.
Cox as Principal and Miss Maria Ellis as assistant. The enrollment that
spring Avas about fifty. The second session was opened in September,
1860, and in the meauAvhile work was begun on the new building. But
OAving to the excitement into which the country was thrown during the
latter part of 1860, the school was suspended and the Avork on the build
ing discontinued. The school was never moved nor Avas the building
ever finished by the Kirksville Presbytery. The Presbytery was en-
The Normal School. 193
abled by the Legislature in 1865 to dispose of the property, and after
changing hands several times it came into the possession of a stock
company. It Avas Avith this stock company that Professor BaldAvin
made arrangements for the use of it for his Normal School.
This builchng stood on the block Avhere J. A. Cooley's residence
(formerly knoAvn as the Ringo residence) noAV stands, at the corner of
JNIulanix and Hickory streets. It Avas a large two story frame building
Avith a tall steeple, and faced the west. Professor Baldwin finished the
upper floor and divided the lower floor into three or four classrooms by
means of sliding blackboard partitions which permitted the Avhole floor
to be throAvn open for chapel use and public exercises. He also built
a one story flat roofed addition on the rear of the original building.
This added three rooms. He replaced the old rail fence with a board
and later a hedge fence. In view of these extensive improvements
made by Prof. Baldwin, the company agreed to let him have the building
for tAVO years for one hundred dollars a year.
At the time Avhen Prof. BaldAvin decided to locate his school at
Kirksville there was only one normal school in the state and that Avas the
St. Louis City Normal School Avhich had been established in October,
1857, for the purpose of training Avonien Avho wished to become teachers
in the schools of that city. Owing to the fact that this school was strictly
a local institution, the field as regards the state at large Avas unoccupied
in 1867. To Professor Baldwin there justly belongs, therefore, the credit
of having inaugurated the normal school system of the state.
After having made his arrangements for the building. Professor
Baldwin then selected his faculty. Conditional arrangements had
been made Avith Professor and Mrs. F. L. Ferris of Idaville, Indiana,
before he came out to Missouri to look over the field. On his return
he made definite arrangements with them for the Avork. During his
visit in Kirksville, he secured the promise of Prof. AV. P. Nason, who
was then teaching a semi-public school in Kirksville, to be one of the
faculty. After returning to Kirksville with his family early in the
spring, Prof. BaldAvin made the acquaintance of Mr. and Mrs. J. M.
Greenwood, who were living southeast of Kirksville on a farm. The
occasion of the first meeting Avas a trip made by him to the GreeiiAVOod
farm to. buy a cow. He was invited to stay for dinner and while being
entertained in the house, he discovered that Mr. Greenwood had a good
mathematical library, and became very much interested in him. Later
he invited him to be one of the faculty and got his consent. At the same
time Mrs. Greenwood was also secured. These five persons made up
the original faculty.
14
194
History of Adair Couxiy.
The school opened on September 2. 1867 in the remodeled Cumber
land Academy. President BaldAvui canvassed the coimty thoroughly
the preceding simimer. assisted some by Professors Nason and Green
wood. President BaldAAin traA-eled over sixteen counties in northeast
ern Missouri in a two-horse buggy, and so thoroughly did he cover the
field that both buggy and team Avere said to liaA-e been "literally AA-orn
out."
Professor AV. P. X.vsox.
i^Froui a Photograph taken about 1880. "i
The students Avho gathered at the opening of this school Avcrc a de
cidedly heterogeneous mass; thcA- Avere of both sexes, and of all sizes
and ages from the primary grade up. As one of their members has
expressed it, they Avere uncouth, aAvkward, and untutored, but seriously
in earnest. ^NlaiiA- of the men had s]icnt several years in the army and
Avcrc necessarily far behind in their education. None of them had anv
Tin: NoRM.AL School.
195
surplus of money to spend. Most of them were making their own AAaA'
through school, and hence kncAV the precious A-alue of the time and
money they Avcre spending. Judging from external appearances, this
Avas not a very promising lot of students Avith Avhich to start a school.
But there Avas the making of many a man and woman of strength in
that bodv, and fortunatelv there Avas at the head of the school a man
Prokkssor J. M. Gkkexavood.
(Fnun a Photosiraph taken in 1874.)
Avho kncAv hoAV to bring out the very best in those Avhose advantages
had been meager, but Avho Avere willing to strive and toU.
By the close of the school year the enrollment in the Normal De
partment reached one hundred and fortA". This, Avith the enrollment
of one hundred and fortA--four in the A-arious grades of the model school
made the total attendance tAvo hundred and eight \-four. To the Pres
ident and faculty of the school this Avas a vcrA- encouraging beginning.
196 History of Adair County.
though from a financial standpoint it was not very remunerative to the
President. In engaging his associates. President BaldAvin had bound
himself to pay each a certain salary and to bear all the other expenses
of the school, and had agreed to take what was left of the proceeds of
the school. This arrangement was agreed to for three years. The
income for the first year, which came only from tiution fees, Avas $3,705;
the expenditures were $4,020. The President incurred a loss of $135
in addition to his living expenses for a year.
Notwithstanding this financial loss, the enrollment Avas such as
to give the President a basis for his faith in the ultimate success of the
school. Concerning the matter he said: "The success during the year
passes all expectation. That in this Avar cursed region three hundred
students should enter such a school in its first year is truly Avonderful.
The Faculty have consecrated themselves for life to the grand work
of building up a western institution of unsurpassed merits. With all
of their ability, with untiring energy, and Avith unbounded enthusiasm,
they will labor for its success."
The second year of the school was much more successful than the
first. The enrollment was 423, of which 203 Avere in the Normal De
partment and 220 in the various grades of the Model School. The in
crease over the enrollment of the previous year was 139. The income
for the year was $5,520; the expenditures were $4,335. Instead of a
deficit there Avas a surplus of $1,185, and this constituted PresidentBald-
win's salary for the year.
After having run for nearly three and one-half years as a private
institution, the school Avas adopted on December 29, 1870, as one of
the State Normal Schools as provided for by the bill of March 19th of
that year. This was a consummation which President Baldwin and
his chief assistants had been working for since the beginning of the
school and which he had probably had in mind frona the time he decided
to come to Missouri. In the catalogue for the second year it was plainly
stated that efforts Avere being made to make the institution one of a
system of six State Normal Schools. How President Baldwin's school
came to be made the First District Normal School is a story Avorth re
lating in detail.
The Normal School act provided that each of the two district nor
mal schools should be established in the county that would offer the
greatest inducement by way of buildings and grounds, provided the
buildings and grounds should not be less than $25,000 in value and the
grounds should not be less than ten acres in extent. The management
of both schools Avas to be in the hands of a Board of Regents composed
The Normal School.
197
of seven men, three of whom Avere the Secretary of State, the Attorney
General and the Superintendent of Schools, and the other four were to
be appointed by the Governor, two from each district. This Board
was to receive the bids for the new schools and to decide on their location.
As soon as this act was passed an open movement was started to
get the citizens of Adair County to vote bonds so that the county might
be able to make a bid. The county court, which at that time Avas com
posed of only one Justice, Jacob Sands, issued an order on July 5 for a
special election to be held on September 8 for the purpose of voting
upon a proposition to issue bonds, not to exceed $100,000, for "the pur
pose of securing the location of a State Normal School at Kirksville."
At the time when this order was made there Avas considerable op
position to the proposition, particularly among the country people.
In order to meet this opposition newspaper articles appeared setting
forth reasons why the county should vote the bonds, and in addition a
systematic and complete canvass of the county was planned and car
ried out. The work of canvassing the county Avas done by a great many
people, but perhaps President Baldwin and Judge Sands did more ac
tive Avork than anj^ others. During the week preceding the election
a series of meetings was held throughout the county, at which addresses
were made by several prominent citizens. The success of this campaign
is seen in the returns of the election. For the proposition 629 votes
were cast; against it 189. The-vote by townships was as follows;
Townships
BentonPolk
Pettis. . .
Liberty
Salt River
Wilson Clay. . .
Nineveh
Walnut .
Morrow Total .
For
413 2823283821 3725
629
Against 256
11
51
48 34 8
13
11
189
From this table it will be seen that in Benton toAvnship, the town
ship in which Kirksville is located, the vote was almost unanimous,
only tAVO votes having been cast against the proposition. In only two
198 History- of Adair County.
townships Avhere the total vote in each was over 75, was there a major
ity against the proposition.
Inasmuch as two-thirds of the legal voters voting had declared in
favor of the bond proposition, the county court at its session on Sep
tember 12, declared it had been ordered.
On the same day the Adair County Court declared that the propo
sition had carried, it drafted a letter to the State Superintendent stat
ing that the county was ready to make its bid and asking that a meeting
of the Board of Regents should be called as soon as possible to consider
the same. Meanwhile arrangements were being made by Pettis County
to offer a bid for the second district school, and when the State Super
intendent received the official notices of Adair and Pettis Counties,
that they were ready to offer their bids, he called a meeting of the Board
of Regents to be held at Jefferson City on December 1,. 1870.
The Board was composed of Supt. T. A. Parker; Attorney General
H. B. Johnson; Secretary of State F. Rodman; Superintendent E. B.
Neeley of St. Joseph, and President Josejjh Baldwin of Kirksville, rep
resenting the First District; J. R. Milner of Springfield and General
G. R. Smith of Sedalia, representing the Second District.
The Adair County bid contained two propositions:
"First: Ten acres of land within one mile of the public square of
Kirksville, more or less as may be determined by your honorable Board,
Avith a building or buildings to be erected thereon, agreeable to plans
and specifications to be submitted by said Board, of the value of Fifty
Thousand Dollars.
"Second: In addition to the above and supplemental thereto, the
building now used by the North Missouri Normal School and the eight
lots upon which it is situated, together with the furniture, apparatus,
library, ets., now used by said school."
Livingston County offered a bid for the First District School, and
Pettis and Johnson Counties submitted bids for the Second District
School. The propositions from Adair County and Pettis County were ac
cepted, thus creating the First and Second District Schools in the two
counties respectively. On the next day, however, the Board recon
sidered its action and voted to defer the location of the two schools
until December 26, when it would reconvene at Sedalia and then con
sider all bids that might be submitted.
The effect of the news of the action of the Board upon the people
of Kirksville and Adair County may well be imagined. It was beheved,
and is still believed, by a great many Avho were active in the matter,
Judge A. H. Linder.
JuDdE Jacob Sands.
The Men who secured the Location of the School at Kirksville.
Hon. W. n. Parcels.
200 History of Adair County.
that underhand methods Avere being used to depriA^e Kirksville of the
school and to force President BaldAvin to close his institution. For
tunately for Adair County, she had the right kind of men to meet this
crisis. Between the meeting of the Board at Jefferson City on Decem
ber 1 and 2 and its meeting at Sedalia on the 26, plans Avere laid for
OA^ercoming the competition of the other counties, and for securing the
favorable action of the Board. Among other things, the county court
secured the services of B. G. Barrow as an attorney to contest the le
gality of the Board's reconsideration of the location of the school at
Kirksville. When the time came for the Board to meet at Sedalia, large dele
gations from both Kirksville and Chillicothe went doAvn to present
their claims. In the Kirksville delegation Avere Judge Sands, Judge
Linder, and AA'. H. Parcels. Besides these gentlemen there Avere two
others, both of Avhom have since become very prominent in the state,
one in educational Avork and the other in business and politics, whose
chief business was to gather as much information as possible concern
ing the plans of the Chillicothe delegation. Falling in Avith this dele
gation on its Avay to Sedalia, tliej' gradually drcAv from it a complete
outline of its plans. The information they derived enabled the Kirks
ville representatives to proceed intelligently.
AVhen the Board convened on December 26 at Sedalia President
Baldwin offered a resolution to the effect that the bids Avhich had been
made by Adair and Pettis Counties and on which the location of the
Normal Schools had been made at Kirksville and Sedalia, should be con
sidered as before the Board, and that no additional propositions which
might be made by these counties should prejudice their claims to the
location of the schools at the places named. This carried without
any opposition.
Both Adair and Pettis Counties protested against the Board re
considering the location of the two schools, and nearly all the day was
taken up hearing the protests from these counties and the replies from
Livingston and Johnson. Finally the Board ordered the considera
tion of the Adair County bid, whereupon Judge Linder, the agent of
the Adair County Court, submitted the foUoAving communication;
"To the Board of Regents of the State Normal Schools;
"Whereas, on the first day of December, 1870, a proposition was
submitted by the undersigned commissioner of Adair County to your
honorable Board, looking to the location of the State Normal School
for the first district at Kirksville in the said county, which proposition
was, then and there, by a resolution of your Board duly accepted, and
The Normal School. 201
the location thereby was, as Ave claim, secured at Kirksville; and it
further appearing that the said proposition so made and accepted was
and is considered by members of your Board as not being equally fa
vorable to the state in amount as that offered by Pettis County and Se-
daha; and it further appearing that some of the Board do not consider
that the said amount so offered and accepted is sufficient in amount to
fence and beautify the grounds so giA^en in the said proposition for the
said Normal School, and to purchase a library and apparatus to make
said school a first-class institution;
"NoAV claiming a vested right and a valid contract to be existing
betAveen said county and the State of Missouri effectually securing
the said location, and refusing to surrender our right thereunder, but in
order to show our interest in the success and honor of the enterprise
and to shoAV our magnanimity we hereby in consideration of the prom
ises in behalf of the said county, offer and tender by Avay of an additional
donation to- the said State Normal School so located, the sum of Eight
Thousand Dollars of bonds of the said county, having twenty years to
run at 7 per cent interest, to be under the control and subject to the
disposition of the Board for said purposes aforesaid, to be disposed of at
such time and at such price as the court may see fit, and it is expressly
understood herein that this is not to be considered as any portion of
the bid heretofore made, nor in any manner to operate as a variance
or abandonment of the contract heretofore made as aforesaid, or to op
erate as a variance or recission of the said contract."
On the next day Livingston County offered $60,000; and in addi
tion the citizens of Chillicothe offered city lots and lands valued at
$18,000; a block and a half of land in the center of the town with a sem
inary building on it valued at $10,000; two blocks of land in the town
valued at $5,000; and a site of ten acres A-alued at $7,000.
The rivalry between the tAvo counties grew quite animated. Each
was set upon having the school and each was determined to carry the
matter into the courts if the Board decided in favor of theother. The
Board Avas plainly informed by Mr. Hammond of ChUhcothe that his
county would resist by legal process the location of the school at Kirks
ville, and it Avould base its resistance of the ground that the bid of Adair
County was illegal by reason of the illegality of the election on the nor
mal school bonds.
Finally, after having considered the matter for three days, the
Board unanimously voted on December 29 to locate the First District
Normal School at KirksviUe on the terms offered by Adair County,
provided that the site of the school should be ten acres adjoining the
Professor Greenwood. President Baldwin. , Professor Nason.
(The persons whose pictures are on this and the opposite page constituted the faculty when the school
opened as a state institution in January, 1871. From photographs taken about 1871.)
^-¦^C ^
™sT*»"'*'*""»*™«^8rTw!
Mrs. Greenwood.
Professor Pickler.
Miss Gleason.
204 History of Adair County.
North Missouri Normal School grounds and belonging to Edward Par
cels, to Avhich a Avarranty deed should be made immediately, or, in de
fault of such deed being made, the grounds offered by Morris and Richter.
The credit for securing the location of the school at Kirksville be
longs according to the general consensus of opinion, to Judge Sands
and Linder, and W. H. Parcels, and of these three it was the last Avho
played the important part at the critical point in the proceedings. When
the Board met in Sedalia, three Avere known to be in favor of Kirksville
and three in favor of ChUlicothe. Through the influence of Mr. Par
cels, the seventh member. Secretary of State Rodman, Avas induced to
vote for KirksvUle. This made the matter safe for Kirksville, and
perhaps this explains why the vote was flnally unanimous in its favor.
On December 30 the Board declared that "the Normal School for
the First District be hereby declared established within the meaning
of the law," which meant the North Missouri Normal School was then
recognized as a state institution. The Board then elected the foUoAving
persons as the faculty for the remainder of the school year: J. Bald
Avin, Principal; J. M. Greenwood, W. P. Nason, S. M. Pickler, Miss
Flora Gleason, and Mrs. Amanda GreeuAVOod. President Baldwin had
just before this resigned from the Board of Regents.
MeanAvhile the question of the Second District Normal School had
been settled in favor of Johnson County, whereby it was located at
Warrensburg instead of Sedalia.
Livingston County sought to reverse the action of the Board in
locating the First District Normal School at Kirksville through the leg
islature. A legislative committee was appointed to investigate the
matter and report. The committee made a divided report, the minor
ity report being the one that favored Adair County. There is no rec
ord of anything being done Avith the reports. They were presented on
the closing day of the session and may have been shoved aside for lack
of time. Meanwhile the Adair County Court had proceeded to fulfill its
obligations. In order therefore to secure the $50,000 in cash, which the
county had offered in its bid for a building to be conctructed by the
Board of Regents, the court ordered the issue and sale of $60,000 in bonds.
From the sale of these bonds only $51,400 was realized. This shows how
much below par the county's credit was at that time. This amount Avas
in time turned over to the Board and put by that body in the building
noAV known as Baldwin Hall.
In further fulfillment of its obligations the court ordered the issue
of $8,000 in bonds which were delivered to the Board, the proceeds of
which were to be used in fencing and beautifying the grounds and in equip-
The Normal School. 205
ping the school with a library and scientific apparatus. The sale of the
bonds netted the Board only $4,840. Moreover, the court issued $8,000
more in bonds to the North Missouri Normal School Association for
the old site and building, whereupon the trustees of this Association
deeded this property to the Board of Regents. The Board finally dis
posed of the property for $1,600.
In all the county issued $78,000 in bonds, and the net proceeds
which the school received from the sale of these bonds Avas $57,840.
The laAv which provided for the tAvo ncAV State Normal Schools
stipulated that free sites of not less than ten acres must be offered by
the counties competing their location. There Avere at least four proposed
sites for the school at Kirksville; but the Parcels tract of ten acres
which adjoined the grounds of the North Missouri Normal School, and
the Morris and Richter tract of fifteen acres Avhich lay just outside the
southern limits of the town, were the only ones ever seriously consid
ered by the Board. The Parcels tract Avas first selected, but after
waiting three months for a satisfactory Avarranty deed to be made, the
Board accepted the Morris and Richter tract.
The Board employed Randolph Brothers of St. Louis as architects
for the building at Kirksville, and Griffith and Edwards Avere awarded
the contract for the erection of the budding for $51,400.
Ground Avas broken for the foundation on the afternoon of May 17,
1871, with special exercises in honor of the event. More elaborate
exercises were held when the cornerstone Avas laid on September 6.
Great crowds of people came into town to witness the ceremonies. At
10:30 a. m. a procession started from Wilson's Grove, west of the square,
to the ncAV Normal School grounds. The order of the procession Avas
as follows: KirksviUe Cornet Band, Normal School Faculty and Stu
dents, Good Templars Lodges, Bloomfield (loAva) Band, Knights Tem
plar, Masonic Lodges, citizens. After the cornerstone Avas put in place
with Masonic ceremonies under Grand Master Thomas E. Garrett, the
procession returned to the grove where a basket dinner was served.
After the dinner addresses were delivered by several men of prominence,
among Avhom were President Baldwin, Grand Master Garrett, State
Supt. Monteith, and Colonel Norman J. Coleman.
As the work on the building progressed it became knoAvn that the
contract called for only the enclosure of the building. It appears that
only two members of the Board knew just what the contract specified;
the others stated they thought it called for a completed building ready
for use.
206 History of Adair County.
The Board was therefore compelled to call upon the Legislature
for an appropriation to complete the building. The Legislature ap
pointed a committee to investigate the situation both here and at War
rensburg, as the building at the latter place was also in an unfinished
condition. The committee visited both KirksviUe and Warrensburg,
and as regards the building at KirksviUe reported that the Board of
Regents had been neghgent in the arrangements made for a building
and that the Adair County Court had done all that it had agreed to do.
It was therefore recommended that $50,000 be appropriated to complete
the building. A bill to that effect was finally passed, though there was
considerable opposition to it, many declaring that Adair County should
issue more bonds and complete it herself.
Contracts were soon let for the completion of the building, and on
January 16, 1873, it was occupied by the school. The entire school
marched from the old building in the northern part of town to the ncAV
one in the southern part, and took possession of it.
The formal dedication occurred on February 13, 1873, with appro
priate exercises in the chapel. The dedicatory address was to have
been given by Governor Woodson, but on finding it impossible to attend
he sent instead Dr. R. D. Shannon, who delievered that address. Ad
dresses were made by a number of others. During the exercises Pres
ident Baldwin remarked that it was just six years ago that evening that
he had made his first address in Kirksville, in which he asserted that if
the people would give his school the proper encouragement it would be
come a credit to the state. It was indeed a proud moment in the life
of President Baldwin when he stood before the people of KirksAdUe and
pointed to the fulfillment of his prophecy.
This buUding, Avhich has in recent years been named Baldwin HaU,
in honor of President BaldAvin, remained the only buUding of the school
until 1901 when the first annex was built on the northeast. Mean
Avhile the Legislature had appropriated in 1883 $3,500 Avith which to fit
up the basement of the original building for the "Model School" which
had been organized by President Blanton in the faff of 1882. The
first annex has been used ever since' its erection by the Practice Schools,
the department of physical education, and the Library. For its erec
tion the Legislature had appropriated $30,000. In 1905, $50,000 was
appropriated for another building which took the shape of the second
annex on the northwest. Both of these neAV buildings have been erected
during President Kirk's administration.
No demonstration was made during the erection of the first annex,
but the breaking of the ground and the laying of the cornerstone were
The Old Building. (Now Knoavn as Baldwin Hall.)
o
gp?a P
PQ iaX
Library Hall.
The Buildings Since 1905.
Baldwin Hall.
Science Hall.
Breaking op the Ground for Science Hall, July 12, 1905.
The Normal School. 211
made occasions of special exercises. On the day the ground Avas broken
the whole school was gathered to witness the event and a picture was
taken, a cut of Avhich is given on the opposite page. The cornerstone
Avas laid by the Kirksville Masonic Lodges on August 14, 1905. The
principal address was made by Governor Jos. W. Folk. No ceremonies,
however, marked the occupation of the building when completed.
In 1907 there was erected on the campus the Model Rural School
House, which stands as the most distinctive feature of the institution.
For years President Kirk has been a close student of rural schools. He
has thought deeply upon the many problems of the rural school system,
but he has been most interested in the country school houses. After
many plans had been tried, he finally worked out the details of the plan
by Avhich the above mentioned Model Rural School House was erected.
It has three floors. The basement floor which has concrete flooring and
concrete walls, contains the engine room, laundry, bulb and dark rooms,
and the gymnasium. The first floor contains the school room, which is
lighted by windows along the north wall, and separate toilet rooms for
girls and boys. The attic floor contains laboratories, work benches for
manual training, and apparatus for the study of domestic science. The
building is lighted by gas and electricity generated by its own plants.
It also has running hot and cold water throughout the building. The
water is pumped by a- dynamo from a well nearby into a pressure tank,
from which it goes to all parts of the building. For convenience's sake
only the city scAver system is used, but in no other way is the building
dependent on the city for any facility. In this respect it could be inde
pendent also, if a cess-pool Avere dug nearby and the sewage were drained
into it.
A model rural school has been maintained in this building ever
since it has been completed. A high grade teacher has been employed
to conduct the school, and country children near town have been brought
to school daily in a covered wagon and taken back again in the after
noon. Both the building and school are models in the exact sense of the
term, and are for the inspection and study of students and visitors.
The model rural school is a department of the Practice Schools
which offers opportunities for student teachers to acquire experience
in teaching under the direction of skUled directors. These schools have
grown out of what was originally knoAvn as the Model School, some
account of which should be given here.
A Model School Avas established in connection with the school
Avhen it was founded in 1867, and was maintained until December,
1873. This department served not only to exhibit to the students of
Model Rural School House,
The building fronts the south. The accompanying plans explain the arrangement
of the different floors.
FIRST FLOOR PLAN
irz^-Li
PJPE, TO
ESC '.E.
"^^^^
CASwata r-s,
1": wKtPARTmON
SDY'SC RCC-^
Wi'LP COC-CR
CY-'SflSluH 12 1 \23
BASEMENT PLAN
£A3T 5.;£
214 History of Adair County.
the normal department the best methods of teaching as used by the
skilled instructors who were employed to conduct it, but also to prepare
many students who were somewhat advanced in years for the work of
the normal department. This Model School was never a practice
school for prospective teachers. It always purported to be an actual
"model school."
This school was diAdded into three departments, the primary, the
intermediate, and the grammar departments, each of which covered
two years' work. When it was first estabhshed, Professor F. L. Ferris
was Principal of the grammar department, Mrs. L. D. Ferris of the in
termediate department, and Mrs. Amanda Greenwood of the primary
department. The teachers remained in charge of these departments
for three years. We have no information as to how the "Model" Avas
organized or who conducted it in 1870-71 and 1871-72. Miss Kate
Rowland was Principal of the Model School in 1872-73 and Miss Stephan
from September to December, 1873.
The enrollment for the different years was as follows:
1867-68, 144. 1870-71, 68.
1868-69, 220. 1871-72, 48.
1869-70, 1872-73, 53.
Sept. to Dec, 1873, 33.
From this table it will be seen hoAv much the enrollment of the
last year Avas reduced from that of the first two years, and how the en
rollment for the period after the school had been made a state institu
tion gradually dwindled. It is not surprising then that President Bald
win and Miss Stephan recommended to the Board of Regents at their
meeting in December, 1873, that the Model School should be suspended,
and that the Board acted in accordance with that recommendation.
However, it was evidently not the intention of President Baldwin or
the Board to give up permanently the idea of having a Model School.
The Model School was not restored until November, 1882, over a
year after President BaldAvin had left the school. The credit for its
restoration belongs largely to President Blanton, who took charge of the
administration of the school in September, 1882, though there are evi
dences that the matter had been thought of by the school even before
he had been elected to the Presidency. On November 13, 1882, the
Model School was reopened under the supervision of Miss S. Augusta
Jayne. The school was during the first year Avithout any special quarters
of its own, having been accommodated in the various rooms of the
building. In September, 1883, it was installed in the rooms which
The Normal Sciux.jl. 215
had been newly fitted up in the basement during the previous summer.
The basement had up to that time been used only for the heating appa
ratus. Through a special appropriation of $3,500 Avhich the Legisla
ture made in April, 1883, several rooms Avere built in it and the ground
immediately surrounding the building Avas terraced as it is today. In
these new quarters the Model School remained until it Avas removed
to the annex that Avas built on the northeast of the main building in
1901. Unlike the Model School Avhich existed in the early years of the
school, the one Avhich was re-established in 1882 gaA'e opportunity for
practice teaching by the students of the normal deixirtment from the
very start. Indeed, it is doubtful Avhether the term "Model School"
was a proper one to use for it. It was in reality a Practice or Train
ing School and not a "Model." It was not until President Kirk's ad
ministration that the name "Model" Avas given up.
In addition to the new quarters that Avere secured when the first
annex Avas built in 1901, the apparatus used in the work of the school and
the teaching force have been considerably enlarged. There are now a
superAdsor, three critic teachers, and a kindergarten teacher. Prior to
1900-01, there had been only a supervisor, or principal, Avith occasiona-
alh' one assistant. The kindergarten department Avas estabhshed
in 1900-01. The Principals, or Supervisors, of the Training School since its re-
establishment in 1882 are as follows.:
Miss S. Augusta Jayne 1882-83 to 1886-87
Professor J. T. Muir 1887-88 to 1888-89
Miss Marguerite Pumphrey . . . 1889-90 to 1893-94
Mrs. Anna Seitz 1894-95 to 1897-98
Miss Mary DeWitt 1898-99
Miss Opheha Parrish 1899-00 to 1902-03
Miss Montana Hastings 1903-04 to 1904-05
Miss Gertrude Longnecker 1905-06 to 1909-10
Miss Susie Barnes 1910-11 to present.
The school has had five Presidents: Joseph Baldwin, 1867-1881;
W. P. Nason, pro tempore, 1881-82; J. P. Blanton, 1882-1891; W. D.
Dobson, 1891-1899; John R. Kirk, 1899— . They have ah been men of
ability, and each has made his contribution to the development of the
school. It is perhaps avcU to relate here briefly the biographies of the
Presidents and of the members of the original faculty.
Joseph Baldwin Avas born at New Castle, Pennsylvania, on Octo-
216 History of Adair County.
ber 31, 1827. His early education was obtained in the district school,
and in Bartlett Academy at Ncav (^astle. In 1848 he entered Bethany
College, Virginia, from which he was graduated with the A. B. degree
in 1852. In August, 1852, he Avas married to Miss Ella Flukart of Ohio.
Immediately after their marriage they came to Missouri, and in the
fall he opened the Platte City Academy in Platte C'ounty. From 1853
to 1856 he and his wife conducted a ladies' boarding school at Savan
nah, Mo. In 1856 he helped organize the Missouri State Teachers'
Association in St. Louis.
After havifig spent four years in Missouri, he returned to Penn
sylvania and spent one year there in school work. He then went to
Indiana, where within the next ten years he conducted several private
normal schools. During this time he spent one year in the Union army.
The story of his coming to Kirksville in 1867 and opening a Normal
School in the Cumberland Academy buUding and maintaining it as a
private institution for over three years, has alreadj' been told. Since
the history of the institution during the rest of his connection Avith it
is largely a part of his OAvn history, there remains little else to relate here
than to mention that he was elected President of the Sam Houston Normal
Institute at Huntsville, Texas in 1881 and, that after having served
in that position for ten years he was elected to the newly created chair
of Pedagogy in the University of Texas and remained there until 1897,
when he Avas made Professor Emeritus in that institution. He died
January 13, 1899 in Austin, Texas.
President Baldwin greatly regretted leaving Missouri, but the ed
ucational field to Avhich he was called in Texas Avas very like that of
Missouri when he came in 1867. The pioneer instincts were strong in
the man and he rejoiced in an opportunity to labor in a field that was
new and unoccupied. But this was not the only reason he left Mis
souri. For some years he had been the object of petty jealousies and
harassing persecutions, and he had come to realize that his position
in the Kirksville school Avas being undermined by some who assumed to
be his friends. There was before him, therefore, the prospect that this
opposition, which was altogether undeserved, would result in his being
displaced some time sooner or later. Doubtless this and his natural
aversion for any conflict in which his oAvn personal interests Avere in
volved, had much to do with his going to Texas.
The life of President Baldwin is an illustration of what a man Avith
a few great ideas and the willingness to work, may accomplish. It
can not be said of him that he was a broadly learned man or a man of
The Normal School. 217
great versatility. Yet it must be acknowledged that as a result of long
and deep thinking on some of the fubdamental educational questions
of the day, he reached some very sound and definite conclusions of his
OAA'u, for the realization of which he spent the whole of his life. This
constitutes the basis of his greatness.
He believed most firmly in the absolute necessity of the very best
possible elementary and secondary education, and to this end he advo
cated a thorough and scientific preparation of the teachers for thatwork.
The efforts which he put forth to bring about these results have had a
marked infiuence upon the educational systems of Indiana, Missouri,
and Texas.
As has already been said he was by instinct a pioneer. To him
there Avas something decidedly fascinating in a field of labor that had
been heretofore unoccupied. By nature he was eminently fitted to
arouse enthusiasm on the part of others for a new system, and to lead
them to assist him in getting it adopted. As an organizer of new work
he Avas not surpassed.
However, his success in further developing an established Avork
Avas not as great as in initiating it. For this he was not always solely
responsible. Had he received the support from the Board of Regents
in the last years of his administration in this institution, he might have
done much more than he did.
Very few school Presidents have been able to command and main
tain the loyalty and respect of the students as he did. He attained
this through the confidence he placed in them and the sympathetic in
terest he took in their ambitions and enterprises, thus making each stu
dent feel that he was his personal friend. This explains Avhy his name
has ahvays been held in sacred memory by those Avho are under his
direction. The frank and unsuspecting nature of the man made him liable to
be imposed upon by designing persons. Thinking all men were as hon
est as himself, he frequently found himself badly defrauded and abused.
Occasionally he was led into situations which gave his enemies an op
portunity to attack and abuse him, while at the same time he generally
refused to defend himself or to expose those Avho Avere injuring him.
He Avas not Avithout faults. He was but human. However, in the light
of the great service Avhich he did for the state and of the purity of the
motives that always actuated his life, these imperfections appear as
insignificant. His Avork Avas not confined to the school room. He Avas frequently
before the public as a platform orator, speaking chiefly on educational
218 History" of Adair Counti.
topics. He Avas an elder in the Christian church and occasionally
preached and performed other rehgious services. There Avere A^ery few
districts in Northeast Missouri in Avhich he had not spoken to the peo
ple in some Avay or other. He Avas very actiA^e in the educational asso
ciations of the state and nation, and appeared frequently in their dis
cussions. He Avas a frequent contributor to some of the leading educa
tion journals, at one time assisting in the editing of the American School
Journal. He Avrote tAvo works on Pedagogy which Avere extensiA'ely
used in this country and Canada.
One of the most conspicuous cA'cnts in the historj^ of the Normal
School at KirksviUe is knoAAm as BaldAvin Day, June 13, 1893. On that
day President BaldAvin became the guest of the institution, at which
time he Avas greeted by a large numl^er of his former students and asso
ciates, many of AA^hom came from long distances. The idea of having
such an affair as this was conceived by President Dobson. He and a
committee of local alumni Avorked long and faithfully in arranging for
the day. Invitations Avere extended to as many of the "BaldAvin stu
dents" and the "Baldwin faculty" as could be reached, to be present.
All day exercises were held at Avhich addresses Avere made by many of
the former students. Professor Nason, President Dobson and President
Baldwin. No one could fail to see from all this in what high esteem
President BaldAvin Avas held bj^ his students and associates.
In making up her list of great benefactors Missouri must always
include the names of tAvo men who have spent the best part of their
lives in Kirksville, President Joseph Baldivin and Dr. A. T. Still. An
attempt at some appreciation of Dr. Still Avill be made in the next chap
ter. Coming to Missouri at the close of a Avar which had greatly in
jured it. President Baldwin spent fourteen years of the best period of
his life in building up its school system and in that time "accomplished
more for the cause of popular education than any other man in the state."
As yet no formal recognition of the services of either of these men
to the state has been made, but it is hoped that the time Avill soon come
Avhen that will be done in such a way as to keep forever in the memory
of future generations the greatness of the men in their day and time.
Besides President Baldwin, there were in the original faculty Prof.
and Mrs. F. L. Ferris, Prof. W. P. Nason, and Prof, and Mrs. J. M.
GreeiiAvood. Prof, and Mrs. Ferris came, as has already been noted,
Avith President BaldAvin from Indiana. They remained, however, with
the school only about three years. They subsequently moved to Col
orado and died there in 1873. His wife surviA^ed him several years.
The Normal School.
219
Prof. Nason remained Avith the school from 1867 to 1SS7. For a
couple of years thereafter he took up pastoral AVork, scrA-ing several
different charges in the Cumberland PresbA'tcrian Church in this scx'-
tion of the state. From 1889 to 1891 he conducted a private school
at La Belle, but Avas compelled to giA'c it up on account of his ill health.
From that time to his death on July 16, 1909, he led a hfe of retirement.
Presidext Joseph P. Blantox.
i^From a Crayon Portrait made in ISSli.")
In June, 1902, the Board of Regents made him Professor Emeritus of
Ethics as a recognition of the valuable serA-ices he had rendered the
school Avhen in active connection Avith it.
Prof, and ^Nlrs. J. :\I. GreeiiAvood remained Avith the school until
June, 1870, Avhen they resigned to take charge of the :Mt. Pleasant Col
lege at HuntsviUe, :\lo. In January, 1871, they returned to Kirksville
and resumed their \\-ork, the school lun-ing been made, a state institu-
220 History of Ad\ir County.
tion the latter part of December, 1870. In June, 1874, Prof. Green
wood resigned to accept the Superintendency of the Kansas City Schools,
a position which he has occupied ever since. Mrs. Greenwood had sev
ered her connection with the school in June, 1872. She died some time
in 1904. Prof. Greenwood is the only survivor of the original faculty.
President William D. Dobson.
(From a Photograph taken about 1895.)
President J. P. Blanton was born in Cumberland County, Vir
ginia, on January 29, 1849. After having received his early education
in a variety of schools he entered the Freshman class of Hampden-
Sidney College in 1864. In the spring of 1865 he joined the army of
Northern Virginia in its retreat from Petersburg to Appomattox. After
the surrender he returned home, but re-entered college that fall and
remained there until graduation in 1869. After graduation he taught
tAVO years in Kentucky country schools, and then came to Missouri.
The Normal School.
201
After teaching three years in Watson Seminary at Ashley and three years
at Troy, he became Superintendent of Schools at Mexico. He Avas
elected to the Presidency of the State Normal School at Kirksville in
1882, and remained untU 1891 when he became Professor of Pedagogy
in the State University of Missouri. In 1898 he became President of
President John R. Kirk.
(From a Photograph taken about 1910.)
the University of Idaho, but remained there only two years. He died
in St. Louis in 1909.
President W. D. Dobson Avas born in Tusculum, Tennessee, on No
vember 27, 1848. After getting his early education in the district
school and the Academy of Tusculum College, he entered Greenville
and Tusculum College, from which he Avas graduated in 1870. He then
222 History of Adair County.
studied law and Avas admitted to the bar in 1872. He came to Missouri,
but instead of practicing laAv began teaching. For eight years he taught
in Grundy County, during which time he was Superintendent of the
Trenton schools for flve years. After that he was Superintendent at
Carrollton for ten years, and then Superintendent at Moberly for one.
In June, 1891, he Avas elected President of the Normal School at Kirks
Aalle and served untU 1899. He then entered the A. S. 0. at Kirksville
from which he was graduated in 1902. He Avas therefore elected Pro
fessor of Chemistry in that institution, and remained there until 1908
when he moved to St. Louis, Avhere he has been engaged ever since in
the practice of osteopathy.
President John R. Kirk was born in Bureau County, Illinois, Jan
uary 23, 1851. In 1856 his father moved his family to Harrison County,
Mo. He got his earlj^ education in the district schools and the Bethany
High School. He entered the Normal School at Kirksville in 1873 and
attended at irregular intervals until he graduated in 1878. As a teacher
he has filled a variety of positions. Besides teaching in rural schools he
has been Superintendent of Schools at Bethany, Mo., and at Moulton,
loAva; Principal of a ward school in Kansas City, Mo.; a teacher of
history and mathematics in the Central High School of that place, and
Superintendent at Westport. From 1895 to 1899 he served as State
Superintendent of Schools, and then part of one year "as High School
Examiner for the University of Missouri. In 1899 be became President
of the Normal School at Kirksville, and has remained there ever since.
The following is a complete list of the faculty in the order of their
appointment from the beginning to the present time Avith the period
of service of each member:
Joseph BaldAvin Sept., 1867 to June, 1881
W. P. Nason Sept., 1867 to June, 1887
J. M. Greenwood Sept., 1867 to June, 1870
Jan., 1871 to June, 1874
F.L.Ferris Sept., 1867 to June, 1870
Mrs. Amanda Greenwood Sept., 1867 to June, 1872
Mrs. L. D. Ferris Sept., 1867 to June, 1870
S. M. Pickler Jan., 1868 to June, 1873
Rev. J. S. Boyd Sept., 1868 to June, 1869
Rev. John Wa;yman Sept., 1868 to June, 1870
George Frankenberg Sept., 1868 to June, 1869
Mrs. J. S.Boyd Sept., 1868 to June, 1870
Sue Thatcher Sept., 1868 to June, 1870
A.H.John Sept., 1869 to June, 1870
The Normal School.
223
McReynolds)
Frank M. Fluhart
Laura Gleason
Mary Norton (Mrs. McClellan) . . .
Hattie Comings (Mrs. J. R. MUner)
J. T. Smith
C. H. Bigger
Helen Halliburton (Mrs.
Kate F. Rowland . .
MoUie Bowen
Mary WoodsAvorth
Mrs. Mary Blackman
H. F. Wilhams. . .
S. S. HamiU . . .
C. H. Dutcher . . .
Miss Stephan ....
Mary Murtfeldt .
Mrs. Mary WiUiams
W. H. Baker
J. U. Barnard
B. S. Potter
M. T. Henderson . .
Emmir Thompson (Mrs. Hannah)
G. W. Krall
Alta Westcott (Mrs. McLaury). . .
J. W. Shryock
Helen E. Swain
T. Berry Smith
E. R. Booth
C.H.Ford
Ahce Heath (Mrs. C
John T. Paden . . .
Ada Oldham
Anna H. Grigg
M. M. Thomas
E. B. Seitz
Chas. Ross
Martha W. Prewitt (Mrs. Doneghy)
J. P. Blanton. . . .
Ermine Owen . . .
Mrs. A. E. DeVine
B. P. Gentry
S. Augusta Jayne .
W. Proctor)
Sept., 1869 to June, 1870
Jan., 1871 to June, 1872
Sept., 1871 to June, 1872
Sept., 1872 to June, 1874
Sept., 1872 to June, 1873
Sept., 1872 to June, 1873
Sept., 1872 to June, 1875
Sept., 1872 to June, 1873
Sept., 1872 to June, 1873
Sept., 1872 to June, 1873
Sept., 1872 to June, 1875
Sept., 1872 to Mch. 1876
Sept., 1873 to June, 1874
Sept., 1873 to Sept., 1877
Sept., 1873 to June, 1874
Sept., 1872 to June, 1874
Sept., 1873 to June, 1974
Sept., 1874 to June, 1875
Sept., 1874 to June, 1887
Jan., 1875 to June, 1879
Sept., 1875 to June, 1882
Sept., 1874 to Dec. 1875
Sept., 1875 to June, 1879
Apr., 1876 to June, 1876
Apr., 1876 to June, 1882
Sept., 1876 to June, 1877
Sept., 1877 to June, 1878
Sept., 1879 to June, 1880
Sept., 1878 to June, 1882
Sept., 1879 to June, 1881
Sept., 1879 to Aug., 1884
Sept., 1879 to June, 1882
Sept., 1879 to June, 1880
Sept., 1878 to June, 1879
Sept., 1879 to Oct., 1883
Sept., -1880 to June, 1900
Sept., 1881 to June, 1882
Sept., 1882 to June, 1891
Sept., 1882 to June, 1904
Sept., 1882 to June, 1883
Sept., 1882 to present.
Nov. 1882 to June, 1887
224
History of Adair County.
Hortense Snyder
C.S.Sheldon
0. E. McFadon :.. ..
Mary T. Prewitt
P. A. McGuire
Carrie Eggleston
G. W. McGinnis
Miriam B. Swett
Libbie K. MUler (Mrs. Traverse). . .
J. I. Nelson
W. F. Dann
J. T. Muir
F. A. SAvanger
Mary Wight
Marguerite Pumphrey (Mrs, Smith) .
Edgar S. Place
Clara Figge
R.B.Arnold
Carrie Hatton
W. D. Dobson
Marian Shackelford
G. H. Laughlin
C. W. Proctor
J. W. Forquer
R.C.Norton
J. H. Scarborough
Mrs. Anna E. Seitz
William Richardson
L. S. Daugherty
HaUie Hall (Mrs. E. M. Violette) ... .
Ruby Westlake (Mrs. Freudenberger)
J. E. Weatheriy
Kathryn Garwick (Mrs. Rogers)
Margaret DeWitt
John R. Kirk
Ophelia A. Parrish : . . .
E. M. Violette : .
J. T. Vaughn
Carrie Ruth Jackson
A. P. Settle
.Nov.,
. .Sept.,
. .Sept.,
.Sept;,
.Sept.,
..Feb.,
. .Sept.,
.Sept.,• Sept.,
. .Feb.,
. .Sept.,
.Sept.,
. .Sept.,
.Sept.,
.Sept., Sept.,
Sept.,
.Sept.,
• Sept.,
.Sept.,
.Sept.,.Sept.,
.Sept.,
.Sept.,
.Sept.,
.Jan.,.Sept.,
.Sept.,
• Jan.,
.Sept.,.Sept.,
.Sept.,.Sept.,
.Sept.,
.Sept.,
.Sept.,• Sept.,
.Sept., Sept.,
Sept.,
Sept.,
1882 to
1883 to
1883 to
1883 to
1883 to
1884 to
1884 to
1885 to
1885 to
1886 to
1887 to
1887 to
1887 to
1888 to
1888 to
1888 to
1890 to
1889 to
1891 to
1890 to
1891 to
1891 to
1892 to
1893 to
1893 to
1894 to
1894 to
1894 to
1896 to
1897 to
1897 to
1897 to
1899 to
1898 to
1898 to
1899 to
1899 to
1900 to
1900 to
1900 to
1900 to
June, 1884
June, 1893
June, 1886
June, 1904
June, 1884
June, 1885
Feb., 1886
June, 1888
June, 1886
Feb., 1891
June, 1892
Jan., 1894
June, 1894
June, 1889
June, 1894
Feb., 1889
June, 1891
June, 1891
June, 1897
June, 1891
June, 1900
June, 1892
Nov., 1895
June, 1897
June, 1898
June, 1900
June, 1899
June, 1898
June, 1900
present.June, 1902
June, 1900
May, 1906
Jan., 1900
June, 1899
present.
present.
present. Oct., 1909
June, 1908
present.
The Normal School.
225
H. Clay Harvey
M. Winnifred Bryan (Mrs. Fields)
Frances Tinkham (Mrs. F. G. Crowley)
Cass Bear. . . .
Alice Adams (Mrs. W. J. Shepard)
Susie Barnes
Luther Winchester
W. J. Shepard ....
W. P. Nason (Professor Emeritus)
Montana Hastings . .
E.M.Goldberg.., .
Sadie Westrope ....
M. Olive Greer . . .
T. Jennie Green. .
R. M. Ginnings. .
D. A. Lehman ....
J. D. WUson
Blanche Scott
Margaret Linton .
S. S. CarroU
Minnie Brashear ....
Gertrude Longnecker
J. S. Stokes
D. R. Gebhart ....
Cora Reid ....
E. Y. Burton ....
Eugene Fair
R. H. Emberson
Belle Reed.. .
J. W. Heyd
W. A. LcAvis .
A. B. Warner
W. V. Pooley.
A. D. Towne.
E. R. Barrett
Francis Portman
W. H. Zeigel
A. Otterson . .
0. C. BeU....
Sarah Pepper .
Laurie Doolittle.
Sept.,Sept.,Sept.,Sept.,Sept., Sept.,Sept.,Sept.,Sept.,Sept., Sept.,
Sept.,Sept.,Sept.,Sept.,Sept.,Sept.,Sept.,Sept., Sept.,
Dec,
June,
June,June,June,
Sept., Sept.,Sept.,Sept.,
Sept.,
June, Sept.,Sept.,Sept.,Sept.,
Sept.,
Sept.,Sept.,Sept.,
Sept., Sept.,
1900 to
1900 to
1900 to
1900 to
1900 to
1900 to
1901 to
1902 to
1902 to
1903 to
1903 to
1903 to
1903 to
1903 to
1903 to
1903 to
1903 to
1903 to
1904 to
1904 to
1904 to
1905 to
1905 to
1905 to
1905 to
1905 to
1905 to
1905 to
1905 to
1905 to
1906 to
1906 to
1906 to
1906 to
1906 to
1906 to
1907 to
1907 to
1907 to
1907 to
1907 to
present.June, 1906
June, 1905
June, 1903
Aug., 1903
present. June, 1902
Aug., 1903
July, 1909
June, 1905
Aug., 1905
Aug., 1907
Aug., 1907
present.Jan. 1910
Sept., 1905
present. June, 1906
Aug., 1909
Sept., 1906
present.Aug., 1910
present.present.present. June, 1907
present.Aug., 1906
Sept., 1907
present.
present.present. Aug., 1907
present.present.Aug., 1907
present.present. June, 1910
Aug., 1909
present.
226 History of Adair County.
Irma ^^latthcAvs Sept., 1907 to Aug.. 1908
F. W. Plunkett Sept., 1908 to Aug., 1910
:\Iarv G. Young Sept., 1908 to Aug., 1909
H. H. Laughhn Sept., 1908 to Sept., 1910
Edith Sharpe Sept., 1908 to June, 1910
Lora Dexheimer Sept., 1908 to Aug., 1909
Clara Kleinfelter Sept.. 1907 to Aug.. 1909
Ehzabeth Hughes Sept., 1909 to Jan., 1911
Lcota Dockery Sept., 1909 to present.
.Mark Buitoaa-s Sept., 1909 to present.
Harriet HoAvard Sept., 1909 to present.
Byron Cosby Feb., 1910 to present.
H. W. Foght ^ Feb., 1910 to present.
J. L. Biggerstaff' June, 1910 to present.
Julia Richardson Sept., 1910 to present.
Bertha Dakin Smith Sept., 1910 to present.
Carohne LiAdngston Sept., 1910 to jircsent.
Marie Turner Harvey Sept., 1910 to present.
Idella R. Berry Sept., 1910 to present.
Eudora Savage . .Sept., 1910 to present.
The goA^ernment of the school is vested in a Board of Regents, the
present organization of Avhich differs quite materially from what it Avas
oiiginallj'. According to the act of the Legislature of 1870, AAdiich proAdded for
the establishment of tlie first two normal sciiools of the state, the goA--
ernment of both of these schools was placed in the hands of a single
Board of Regents ctMisisting of scA'cn persons. It included the mem
bers of the State Board of Education, that is the State Superintendent,
the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General, and two other persons
from each of the two normal school ilistricts, who were appointed bA'
the Governor. In making the first appointments two of the regents
Avcre appointed for two A't-ars and the other two for four A'cars. There
after all appointments, except those to fill vacancies, Avcrc to be for four
years. The First and Second District Normal Sciiools remained under the
control of a single board, as originally organized, until 1874. In that
year a laAV Avas passed which provided for a separate board for each of
the tAVO schools. Each board Avas to consist of seven members, six of
Avhom were to reside in the district for Avliich they were appointed,
and one of Avhom A\'as to be a resident in the coimty in which the Normal
228 History of Adair County.
School for such district is located. The State Superintendent Avas made
an ex-oflacio member of each of the boards. The term of each appoint
ed regent was extended from four to six years, and it was so arranged
that two of these members should be appointed every two years.
The substitution of two boards, one for each of the two Normal
Schools, in place of the single board for both of them, Avas evidently
in accord with the Avishes of the schools. At least this was true of the
KirksviUe school, as the faculty voted on December 12, 1873, in favor
of a separate board for each of the two schools, and ordered that this
expression of its opinion be forwarded to Governor Woodson and State
Superintendent Monteith in response to letters which they had written
to the faculty on the matter.
The Third District Normal School which was provided for by an
act of the Legislature in 1873, was placed under the control of a sepa
rate board. Doubtless this measure had something to do with the
abolition of the single board for the First and Second District Schools
and the creation of a separate board for each school.
The Board of Regents for the three schools were, up to 1889, gen
erally composed of men of the same political party as that in power
in the state. In that year a law was passed which provided that not
more than four of each board, including the State Superintendent of
Schools, should be long to the same political partj', and the Governor
was instructed in his subsequent appointments to change the personnel
of the board so as to bring about this desired end as soon as possible.
This arrangement did much to eradicate Avhatever tendencies there
were to strict partisanship, and has largely prevented its recurrence.
The officers of the Board are President, Vice-President, Secretary,
and Treasurer, each of Avhom is elected for a term of two years. The
Secretary has usually been some member of the Board. The Treasurer
has always been some one outside of the Board. From 1871 to 1893,
W. T. Baird Avas Treasurer. Since 1893, the Treasureship has rotated
among the banks of Kirksville, some one in the bank holding the office
for tAVO years at a time.
The original Board Avas composed of the foUoAving persons :
First District — E. B. Neeley St. Joseph.
J. Baldwin
Second District — G. R. Smith .
J. A. Milner .
State Board of T. A. Parker
Education — Francis Rodman
H. B. Johnson.. .
. Kirksville.
.Sedalis.
. Springfield.
. State Superintendent.
. Secretary of State.
.Attorney General.
The Normal School.
229
The following is a complete list of the
addresses, and the length of terms which
yet to serve:
Regents of the school, their
they have served or have
E. B. Neeley,
St. Joseph,
Dec.
, 1870 to Jan.,
1874
J. BaldAvin,
Kirksville,
Dec.
, 1870 to Jan.,
1871
G. R. Smith,
Sedalia,
Dec.
, 1870 to Nov.,
1871
J. R. Milner,
Springfield,
Dec.
, 1870 to Jan.,
1874
T. A. Parker,
State Supt.,
.Dec
, 1870 to Jan.,
1871
Francis Rodman,
Sec'y of State,
Dec.
, 1870 to Jan.,
1871
H. B. Johnson,
Atty. General,
Dec.
, 1870 to Jan.,
1871
B. G. Barrow,
Macon,
Jan.
1871 to Apr.,
1871
Ira DivoU,
State Supt.,
Jan.
1871 to June,
1871
N. G. Ferguson,
Louisiana,
Apr.
, 1871 to Jan.,
1874
John Monteith,
State Supt.,
June
, 1871 to Jan.,
1875
E. F. Weigel,
Sec'y of State,
Jan.
1871 to Jan.,
1874
A. J. Baker,
Atty. General,
Jan.
1871 to Jan.,
1873
E. A. Zeundt,
Jefferson City,
Nov
, 1871 to Jan.,
1874
H. Clay Ewing,
Atty. General,
Jan.
1873 to Jan.,
1874
J. M. DeFrance,
Kirksville,
Jan.
1874 to Jan.,
1875
Bartlett Anderson,
Memphis,
Jan.
1874 to Jan.,
1877
G. L. Osborne,
Louisiana,
Jan.
1874 to Jan.,
1876
D..S. Hooper,
KirksviUe,
Jan.
1874 to Jan.,
1877
J. M. McKim,
Newark,
Jan.
1874 to Jan.,
1891
John Oldham,
KirksvUle,
Jan.
1874 to Jan.,
1880
R. D. Shannon,
State Supt.,
Jan.
1875 to Jan.,
1883
Andrew Ellison,
Kirksville,
Jan.
1875 to Mch.,
1891
A. M. Alexander,
Paris,
Jan.
1876 to Jan.,
1883
J. D. Vincil,
Mexico,
Jan.
1877 to Jan.,
1878
W. B. Hays,
Lancaster,
Jan.,
1877 to Jan.,
1899
Ben Eli Guthrie,
Macon,
Jan.
1878 to Jan.,
1889
J. S. Erwin,
Kirksville,
Jan.
1880 to Jan.,
1891
T. C. Campbell,
Kirksville,
Jan.
1883 to Jan.,
1887
W. E. Coleman,
State Supt.,
Jan.
1883 to Jan.,
1891
Sumner Boynton,
Greencastle,
Jan.
1887 to Jan.,
1895
E. 0. Hannah,
Moberly,
Jan.
1889 to Jan.,
1895
George Giller,
Kirksville,
Jan.
1891 to Jan.,
1897
George Hall,
Trenton,
Jan.
1891 to Jan.,
1903
A. D. Risdon,
Kirksville,
Mch
., 1891 to Jan.,
1893
L. E. Wolfe,
State Supt.,
Jan.
1891 to Jan.,
1895
M. W. Laughlin,
Monroe City,
Jan.,
1893 to Jan.,
1899
John R. Kirk,
State Supt.,
Jan.
1895 to Jan.,
1899
230
History of Adair County.
0. J. Chapman,
Breckenridge,
Jan.,
1895 to Jan.,
1899
R. N. Bodine,
Paris,
Jan.,
1895 to Jan.,
1897
Scott J. Miller,
ChiUicothe,
Jan.,
1897 to Jan.,
1907
J. W. Martin,
Kirksville,
Jan.,
1897 to Jan.,
1903
C. C. Fogle,
Lancaster,
Jan.,
1899 to Jan.,
1901
S. M. Pickler,
Kirksville,
Jan.,
1899 to Jan.,
1905
A. W. Muffins,
Linneus,
Jan.,
1899 to Jan.,
1911
W. T. Carrington,
State Supt.,
Jan.,
1899 to Jan.,
1907
J. M. Hardman,
Edina,
Jan.,
1901 to Jan.,
1913
G. A. Goben,
Kirksville,
Jan.,
1903 to Jan.,
1909
Reuben Barney, Sr.,
ChiUicothe,
Jan.,
1903 to Mch.,
1903
Reuben Barnej^, Jr.,
Chillicothe,
Apr.,
1903 to Jan.,
1909
John H. Wood,
Shelbina,
Jan.,
1905 to Jan.,
1917
H. A. Gass,
State Supt.,
Jan.,
1907 to Jan.,
1911
Henry T. Burckhartt,>
Fayette,
Jan.,
1907 to Jan.,
1913
J. C. McKinley,
Unionville,
Jan.,
1909 to Jan.,
1915
E. C. Grim,
Kirksville,
Jan.,
1909 to Jan.,
1915
C. W. Green,
Brookfield,
Mch.
1911 to Jan.,
1917
W. P. Evans,
State Supt.,
Jan.,
1911 to Jan.,
1915
The school had no graduating class until 1872. The class that
year was composed of eight young men as follows: 0. P. Davis, W. N.
Doyle, W. F. Drake, I. N. Matiick, J. T. Smith, J. C. Stevens, Vincent
Stine, and Selden Sturges.
Since 1872 a class has been graduated each year in the advanced
course. The total number of graduates down to the present is 966.
The number of graduates each year is shoAvn elsewhere in this chapter
in tabular form. Besides the graduates in the advanced course there
have been so-called graduates in the sophomore course and for a while
in the junior course also. These were called graduates because of the
certificates to teach for five years that Avere conferred upon them at
the time. By virtue of laAvs passed by the Missouri Legislature in 1887 and
in 1889, the diploma Avhich is conferred on graduation from any of the
Normal Schools of the state, entitles its possessor to teach in the pub
lic schools of the state Avithout further examination, and the certificate
Avhich is conferred on the completion of the elementary course, entitles
the holder to teach two years in the public schools of the state.
At the time when the state adopted the normal school system,
the authority to examine teachers and to grant certificates was vested
in the State Superintendent and the County Superintendents, and
The First Graduating Class, 1S72.
(From Photographs taken in that Year.)
The picture on the right is Selden Sturges, that on the left is Vincent Stine. Those in the groups are: Top row
reading to right, W. F. Drake, AV. N. Doyle, J, C. Stevens; Bottom row, I. N. Matiick, J. T. Smith,
O. P. Davis. The group picture did not include Sturges and Stine, as they were not in
school the year they received their diplomas.
232 History of Adair County.
remained solely with them untU 1887. The certificates conferred by
the State Superintendent entitled the holders to teach without further
examination. Those conferred by the County Superintendents en
titled the holders to teach in the counties for which they Avere given
for a hmited period of time. They Avere of tAvo grades, corresponding
roughly, according to the requirements, to the second and third grade
county certificates of today.
Up to 1887 those completing the different courses in the three
State Normal Schools who sought to teach, were subject to the above
rules and regulations, unless special arrangements were made in their
behalf by the State Superintendent.
The first instance on record of any special arrangement is in a let
ter from State Superintendent Monteith to the County Superintendents,
dated July 12, 1872, in Avhich he recommended that they "honor the
Normal diploma by granting to its possessor a certificate Avithout ex
amination," Avhich Avould be for two years only.
As far as is known, it Avas not until State Superintendent Shan
non's administration that certificates were conferred directly by the
State Superintendent upon those completing the various courses in the
three Normal Schools of the state. Beginning in July, 1878, he issued
certificates to those completing the different courses of these schools,
and kept up this practice until the close of his second administration
in December, 1882. Upon those completing the two and the three
years' courses, he conferred certificates which entitled them to teach
two and three years respectively. Upon those completing the four
years' course, he conferred a life certificate.
It should be noted that it was the custom at the time for each of
the State Normal Schools of Missouri to have its candidates for the
diplomas and certificates of the school examined first by the faculty
and then by an examining committee composed of the State Superin
tendent and the Presidents of the three schools. This arrangement
seems to have been first made in 1875-76. It continued for ten years,
that is down to 1884-85 inclusive.
These examinations by the committee Avere decidedly unpopular
with the students and the faculty of the school. In May, 1885, the
faculty adopted resolutions condemning them and asking the State
Superintendent to adopt another plan for certificating the graduates
of the school.
In June, 1885, the State Superintendent and the Presidents of the
State Normal Schools agreed upon a plan whereby the old system of
examinations by the committee was abolished, and a written examina-
The Normal School. 233
tion near the close of the school by the State Superintendent was to be
substituted. This arrangement was carried into execution only once,
that is, in June, 1886. Before another year rolled around, the matter
had been taken out of the hands of the State Superintendent by the
Legislature. When the General Assembly met in January, 1887, plans had al
ready been laid for securing legislation which would settle the question
of certificating the graduates of the State Normal Schools. A bill
covering the matter was drafted by President Blanton, and Avas lobbied
through largely by him. It passed the Assembly Avithout any partic
ular difficulty and was approved on March 24, 1887. The act pro
vided that "the normal diploma conferred upon completing a four
years' course shall entitle its holder to teach school in any county in
this state without further examination, until annulled by the Board of
Regents or Curators granting the same, or by the County School Com
missioner, or State Superintendent of Schools, for incompetency, cru
elty, immorality, drunkenness, or neglect of duty, and the graded cer
tificate now granted upon the completion of the tAVO years' course shall,
in like manner, entitle the holder to teach the several branches of study
named therein for a period of four years from the date of graduation,
unless such certificate be annulled by said Board, or County School
Commissioner, or State Superintendent of Schools for one or more of
the causes above specified." Provision was also made for the applica
tion of the provisions of this act "the the Normal Department of the
University of Missouri, and of Lincoln Institute." This law was amend
ed in 1889 so as to reduce the term of years that the holder of an ele
mentary certificate might teach from four years to two.
This legislation was a matter of great gratification to the friends
of the State Normal Schools, and especially pleasing to the students.
Immediately on the approval of the first certification bill, the students
of the Kirksville school presented to President Blanton a very fine cane
as a token of their appreciation of his activity in securing its adoption.
The library as at present organized has existed only since Septem
ber, 1903. In the early years of the school the hbrary facilities were
extremely meagre. It was not until President Blanton's time that a
beginning was made towards putting a library under way. But oAving
to the fact that not one cent was ever donated by the State for hbraries
or laboratories prior to 1899, and that all that went into them had to
be paid out of the incidental fund upon which heavy drafts have always
been made, it is readily seen how the library was slow in growing. In
The Chapel as it was at First.
(From a photograph taken prior to 1893, at least.)
Opera chairs were put. in place of the desks in 1S93, and the platform across the far end was shifted to the
corner on the right in 1899.
The Normal School. 235
1899 the state Legislature appropriated $2,500 for libraries and labora
tories. This enabled the school to furnish several departments with a
few books in separate department hbraries. In 1901 an appropriation
was made for a $30,000 buUding, and the plans for this included the
present hbrary and reading room. In 1903 an appropriation of S5,000
was made for equipping this room and for buying books. In June of that
year Miss Parrish Avas made librarian and the departmental libraries were
brought together and the books classified according to the Dewey dec
imal system. The aim has been to build up primarily a Avorking library
for daily classroom use. The library has rapidly outgrown the reading
room and now has use of the two rooms adjoining it which are used as
stack rooms and working rooms. It is hoped that larger quarters may
be had soon. The school has been the depository for the United States
government documents ever since it became a state institution. Out
side of those publications the library contains at present about 12,500
volumes. The history of the laboratories of the school is very much like that
of the library. When the school occupied its new building in 1873,
the small room just east of the chapel constituted the only scientific
laboratory. Here all that passed for science was taught. In 1899 two
rooms in the basement of BaldAvin Hall Avere fitted up for chemistry and
physics. Since then the laboratories have been increased in number
and equipment. There are at present laboratories for chemistry, phys
ics, photography, zoology, and agriculture. The annex on the north
west, called Science Hall and built in 1905, contains the physics, chem
istry and zoology laboratories, also the manual training Avorkshop. A
farm of sixty acres near town has been leased and will be ultimately
purchased. This avUI be used as an experimental station in the agri
culture department.
The students maintain a variety of associations and organizations.
The literary societies are the oldest. Tavo of them, the Philomathean
and the Senior Societies have existed since the seventies. The Eliza
beth Browning Society has been in existence only three or four years.
Besides these there were several other literary societies, but they have
long since expired. There are at present four active debating clubs
among the young men. The first organization was the Websterians.
The Claytpnians, Demosthenonians, and Ciceronians were organized
later. Besides these literary societies and debating clubs there are
several departmental societies, such as the German Club, Historical
Society, Science Club, Nature Study Club, and Latin Club. Certain
oOl
a W
O 14
a. in
2 W
1^
'A O
The Normal School. 237
members of the faculty have maintained a Shakespeare Club for some
years. The students also maintain two active Christian Associations.
The Y. W. C. A. was organized in May, 1895, and the Y. M. C'. A. in
March, 1896. The Y. M. C. A. has maintained in connection Avith the
Y. M. C. A. of the American School of ()steoi)athy, a lecture course
of high grade for over twelve years.
In Athletics the school has ])cen especially active in recent years.
The school had no gymnasium until the northeast annex Avas built in
1901. When the northwest annex was erected in 1905, the gymnasium
in the former building Avas given over to the women exclusively and the
one in the latter buUding to the men. For outdoor games the school
has had a fine athletic field in the uorthAvcst corner of the campus
since 1903. Field Day exercises have been held every year since 1895.
The students have at different times published perioilicals. The
first student publication was, as far as is knoAvn, the Model HcacUight,
a monthly published by the students of the Model School for about
six months in 1888. In 1893 and 1894 pamphlet annuals were issued
by certain literary societies. In September, 1894, the Normal Message,
a monthly publication, was begun. It continued until April, 1900.
Since then four year-books have been pubhshed, the Mnameion in 1901,
and the Echo in 1902, 1904, and 1906. In March, 1909, the Kirksville
Normal School Index, a Aveekly publication, AAas estabhshed. The
honor of getting it started lies largely with Miss Mary McCool, '08, Avho
Avas at that time a post-graduate in the school. It has just started
upon its third year.
The Music Department has, since April, 1909, maintained a spring
Festival of music of high order. The Minneapolis Symj-ihony Orchestra
Avith Emil Oberhoffer as Conductor, and the Normal School Chorus and the
Minneapohs Orchestra Avith D. R. Gebhart of the Normal School
Faculty as Director, together with a number of vocal soloists of special
ability, constitute the talent. Four different programs are rendered
during the festival.
On Friday, October 18, 1907, the school celebrated its fortieth an
niversary with appropriate exercises. Arrangements Avere made rather
hurriedly for the event and the original plan Avas to make it largely a
local affair. But several out-of-toAvn graduates and former students
returned to join in the celebration. Prof. Nason and Supt. Greenwood,
the two surviving members of the original faculty, were present and de
livered addresses during the morning exercises. A basket dinner Avas
held on the campus Avhich Avas participated in by a goodly number.
238 History op Adair County.
During the afternoon exercises addresses were made by Judge Jacob
Sands, Senator Humphrey, Dr. R. D. Shannon, Prof. J. U. Barnard,
Mr. B. F. Heiny, Mr. G. W. CuUison, Mrs. Fluhart and Miss Grace Guy
(noAv Mrs, C. M. Weyand). The roU of graduates was caUed by Prof.
A. B. Warner, to Avhich response was made by rising as the names were
called. A reception was held in the ladies' gj^mnasium from four to five.
The day's program ended with a musical in the evening in the chap
el, which was attended by an immense crowd. Most of the musical
numbers were rendered by graduates and former students of the school.
As an index to the growth of the school, the foUoAving tabulation
showing by years the number of facultj^ members, the number of grad
uates and post graduates, the number receiving certificates, and the
enrollment, is offered. Undergraduates
Post receiving certificates
Year Fac- Grad- Grad- or diplomas Enrollment
ulty uates uates .Tuniors Sophomores Normal Tr. Sch. Total
1867-68 6 — — — — 140 144 284
1868-69 12 — 203 220 423
1869-70 12 — — 15 263 263
1870-71 — — ^ — — 321 68 389
1871-72 7—8 4 13 434 48 482
1872-73 12 — 3 10 14 470 53 523
1873-74 10 1 9 10 21 668 33 701
1874-75 9 4 12 18 42 709 709
1875-76 10 5 14 14 28 627 627
1876-77 9—8 12 18 592 592 .
1877-78 8 3 12 8 27 534 534
1878-79 10 10 10 17 49 458 458
1879-80 11 8 11 14 45 513 513
1880-81 11 6 11 14 32 492 492
1881-82 10 8 9 13 42 481 481
1882-83 11 4 7 17 40 446 103 549
1883-84 12 6 17 27 51 501 181 682
1884-85 12 2 14 — 47 475 182 657
1885-86 12 — 26 — 40 413 126 539
1886-87 11 — 25 — 35 421 111 532
1887-88 11 1 21 — 58 490 169 659
1888-89 13 1 12 — 40 505 121 626
1889-90 12 — 15 -- 44 520 100 620
1890-91 13 — 15 — 49 560 100 660
The Normal 'School.
239
Undergraduates
Year
Faculty
Post
Grad uates
Grad uates
receiving certificates
or diplomas
Juniors Sophomores
Normal
Enrol Inn
Tr. Sch.
ent Total
1891-92
12
3
19
— 28
596
107
703
1892-93
11
6
22
— 32
606
112
718
1893-94
12
3
20
— 30
562
94
656
1894-95
12
—
23
— 41
620
102
722
1895-96
12
4
18
— 42
623
115
738
1896-97
12
2
35
— 26
719
105
824
1897-98
13
—
22
— 35
737
108
845
1898-99
13
1
29
— 43
739
103
842
1899-00
14
3
48
— 113
742
92
834
1900-01
15
3
43
— 58 •
753
102
855
1901-02
18
2
38
— 84
757
94
851
1902-03
19
4
41
— 65
784
179
963
1903-04
24
4
55
— 58
944
175
1119
1904-05
25
4
42
— 71
982
170
1152
1905-06
28
—
40
— 75
1040
180
1220
1906-07
32
8
62
— 67
1157
175
1332
1907-08
34
1
47
— 78
1250
190
1440
1908-09
36
—
44
— 122
1307
220
1527
1909-10
42
4
59
— 152
1394
227
1621
1910-11
45
—
—
—
Total
101 966
178 1970 27558 4409 31967
The marked growth of the school in recent years is due in part at
least to the summer school. The summer school was first held in 1895
as a private affair. Those of the faculty who cared to do so offered
courses and they got their proportion of the fees paid by the students.
In 1900 the summer school Avas taken under the control of the Board.
Special appropriations were made for it by the Legislature in 1901 and
1903. Since then the appropriations have been made on the basis of
four terms of twelve weeks each in every year instead of three terms as
before. The school has therefore continuous sessions the year round,
with the exception of a few weeks scattered betAveen the various
quarters.
Another index as to the growth of the school is its income from
the state. This income is also an indication of the value which the
state places upon its work. The following tabulation shoAvs what has
been appropriated for its support since it became a state institution:
240 History of Adair County.
Biennial Teachers' „ ., ,. _ . . Library and rmtoi
Periods Salaries Buildings Repairs, etc. Labaratories ^°™'
1871-72 $10, 000 . 00 $50, 000 . 00 $60, 000 . 00
1873-74 20,000.00 20,000.00
1875-76 20,000.00 20,000.00
1877-78 15,000.00 15,000'. 00
1879-80 15,000.00 15,000.00
1881-82 20,000.00 20,000.00
1883-84 20,000.00 3,248.20 12,681.60 35,965.80
1885-86 20,000.00 20,000.00
1887-88 25,000.00 3,126.50 28,126.50
1889-90 25,000.00 2,873.00 27,873.00
1891-92 25,000.00 " 25,000.00
1893-94 25,000.00 1,500.00 26,500.00
1895-96 25,000.00 5,250.00 30,250.00
1897-98 27,500.00 6,280.00 33,780.00
1899-00 27,500.00 1,000.00 $2,500.00 31,000.00
1901-02 33,000.00 30,000.00 4,550.00 1,000.00 68,550.00
1903-04 50,000.00 3,250.00 8,500.00 61,750.00
1905-06 90,000.00 50,000.00 11,760.00 7,500.00 159,260.00
1907-08 117,805.00 19,400.00 8,000.00 142,205.00
1909-10 132,700.00 15,600.00 147,870.00
1911-12 156,000.00 10,000.00 25,800.00 13,000.00 204,800.00
Since 1901-02 the school has not been able to draw out all that
has been appropriated for its use biennially, ovdng to deficiencies in the
state treasury. These figures do not represent what the school has
actually received since 1901-02.
CHAPTER XII.
SCHOOLS OF OSTEOPATHY.
Section I. — The American School of Osteopathy.
Any account of the American School of Osteopathy must include
something in the way of a biographical sketch of Dr. A. T. Still, the
founder of the science of osteopathy. Inasmuch as many of his early
experiences paved the way for his ultimate discovery of osteopathy,
it is well to give them in some detail.
Andrew Taylor StiU was born August 6, 1828, three miles
north of Jonesboro, Lee County, Virginia. He was the third
son of Abram and Martha Still. In 1834 his father, who was a
physician and a Methodist preacher, moved his family to New
market, Tennessee. His first schooling was received Avhile living
at this place, in what was knoAvn as "Holston College." In 1837 his
father Avas appointed as the first Methodist missionary to North Mis
souri, Avhich was at that time just being settled up. The trip was made
in seven Aveeks, the family coming in tAvo wagons and with seven horses.
The family lived in Macon County from 1837 to 1840 and thence moved
farther north into Avhat afterAvards Avas knoAA^n as Schuyler County.
In 1845 the family was back again in Macon County.
Dr. Still's schooling during these years was fragmentary and prim
itive in character. The pioneer condition of North Missouri at that
time permitted nothing extended in the way of educational facihties.
In his Autobiography he describes one of the school houses in which he
attended school: "That autumn we felled trees in the woods and built
a log cabin eighteen by twenty feet in size, seven feet high, dirt floor,
with one whole log or pole left out to admit light through sheeting tacked
over the space so we could see to read and write."
An idea of the diversions and at the same time the strenuous life
in Missouri is shown by this further quotation from his Autobiography:
"My father owned a farm and raised a large amount of corn, and
had a great many horses, mules, cattle, sheep, and hogs to feed on it,
so our crops were consumed at home. We had so much corn to husk
and crib that we were compelled to commence very early in order to
get it stored away before cold weather. When Ave were all in our teens,
my eldest brother nineteen, the next seventeen, and myself fifteen, we
Dr. Andrew Taylor Still.
Schools op Osteopathy. 243
gathered corn from early morn till late in the evening, fed the stock,
ate our suppers, and prepared for a good hunt for coons, foxes, opossums,
and skunks. We always took a gun, an axe, a big butcher knife, and
flint and steel to make a fire. We had a polished cow's horn which we
could blow as loud as the horn that overthrcAv the walls of Jericho. As
brother Jim was a great talker, we made him chief horn-blower. He
went into the yard, and bracing himself tooted and tooted and split
the air for miles, while the dogs collected around him and roared and
howled. You never heard such sweet music as brother Jim and the
dogs made. Shortly after his melodies began, we were in line of march,
front, middle and rear rank, and soon journeyed to the Avoods to hunt
opossums, polecats, coons, Avild-cats, foxes, and turkeys."
Dr. Still has given expression to the effects of. this pioneer life
upon his career as follows:
"My frontier experience was valuable to me in more ways than I
can tell. It was invaluable in my scientific researches. Before I had ever
studied anatomy from books I had almost perfected the knoAvledge
from the great book of nature. The skinning of squirrels had brought
me into contact with muscles, nerves, and veins. The bones, the great
foundation of the AVonderful house Ave live in, were ahvays a study to
me long before I learned the hard names given to them by the scientific
world. As the skull of a horse was used at my first school as a seat for
the indolent scholar, I have thought it might be typical of the good
horse sense that led me to go to the fountain head of all knowledge
and there learn the lesson that drugs are dangerous to the body, and
the science of medicine just what some great physicians declared it
to be — a humbug."
On January 29, 1849, he was married to Miss Mary M. Vaughn.
Owing to the destruction of his corn crop by a hail storm in the foUoAV-
ing July he was forced to teach school the next winter, receiving therefor
$15 a month.
In May, 1853, he and his wife left Macon County and went with his
father to the Shawnee Mission of the Methodist Church, which was
located on the Wakarusa, forty miles west of Kansas City. The land
was yet occupied by the Indians. No Enghsh was spoken outside of
the mission. Here he farmed and assisted his father in doctoring the
Indians for erysipelas, fever, flux, pneumonia and cholera which pre
vailed among them. His only preparation for this work had consisted
in "reading medicine" with his father. His experience with the In
dians offered him his first opportuinty to do original research work.
From earliest youth the study of the mechanics of the human body
Mrs. a. T. Still.
Schools of Osteopathy. 245
possessed a great fascination for him. His interest in these things was
probably due largely to his family environment: his father was both a
phj-sician and a preacher; his father's three brothers Avere physicians;
and later his two older brothers became physicians also. He increased
his knowledge of anatomy by digging up the bones of many a "good
Indian" and carefully studying them. His success as a practitioner
among the Indians and the early pioneers was about the average.
He went to Kansas just as the great crisis in the history of that
territory was coming on. Having deep conAdctions on the issues that
were up, he did not hesitate to take a part in the struggle. He was
prominently identified with "Jim" Lane and John BroAvn in their ef
forts to keep the territory free from slaA"ery, and was a member of the
Free State Legislature of 1857, representing Douglas County. In
September, 1861, he enlisted in the Ninth Kansas CaA^alry, and served
as surgeon in that regiment until he was honorablj' discharged in AprU,
1862. He thereupon enlisted in the Twenty-First Kansas State ^Mihtia
and served as Major in it until October, 1864. when that regiment was
disbanded. In 1865-66 he attended the Kansas City [Medical School and re
ceiA'ed there the onlj' formal instruction in medicine he CA^er got. He
had, however, begun to lose faith in drugs while serving in the army,
and his staj' in the Kansas City school does not seem to have strength
ened his faith in them any.
^leanwhile, changes had taken place in his o-wn family. On Sep
tember 29, 1859, his vdfe died, leaving three children, and in the spring
of 1864 two of these children and an adopted child died of spinal menin
gitis. Meanwhile, he was married a second time, taking as his Adfe
Miss Mary E. Turner on NoA-ember 20, 1860. For nearly fifty years
they journeyed together on the pathway of life, ]\Irs. StiU dying on
May 28, 1910.
In the early seA'enties Dr. StiU made some interesting inventions
in machinerj^ Among them were a reaper, mower, and a churii. It
seems as though a mowing machine company got hold of the idea he
had worked out for a reaper and mower, and-used them Avithout making
him any compensation. He was able, however, to peddle his OAvn
churn, and he spent some time at this Adth some degree of success until
the summer of 1874. In that year he made his famous discovery of
osteopathy. Through years of study and thought upon the subject Dr. StUl
had been gradually coining to a realization of the truth he was to im
part. He relates that his first discovery in the science of osteopathy
246 History of Adair County.
Avas made when he was a lad of only ten years. One day when he was
suffering from a headache he made a SAving of his father's plow line be
tween two trees, so that the swing hung within eight or ten inches of
the ground. Throwing the end of a blanket over the SAving, he lay
down on the ground and used the line for a SAvinging pillow. In a short
time he Avas asleep and when he woke up his headache was gone. He
was not able to reason it out how he had relieved himself, but he was
accustomed thereafter to make a rope swing and use it when he felt a
headache coming on.
It has been noted how during the war he had begun to lose faith
in drugs. He kept on revolving his ideas in his mind until finally on
June 22, 1874, according to his testimony, the Avhole light burst in upon
him. How he arrived at this discovery we will let him tell from his
Autobiography :
"This year (1874) I began an extended study of the drive Avheels,
pinions, cups, arms, and shafts of human life with their forces, supplies,
framework, and attachments by ligaments; muscles, their origin, and
insertion; nerves, their origin and supply; blood supply from and to
the heart; how and where the motor nerves received their power and
motion; how the sensory nerves acted in their functions; voluntary and
involuntary nerves in performing their duties, the sources of their sup
ply, and the work done in health, in the obstructing parts, in the places
through which they passed to perform their part in the economy of life :
— all this study awoke a new interest Avithin me. I believed that some
thing abnormal could be found in some of the nerve divisions which
would tolerate a temporary or permanent suspension of the blood either
in arteries or veins and cause disease."
"With this thought I began to ask myself. What is fever? Is it
an effect, or is it a thing, as commonly described by medical authors?
I concluded it was only an effect, and on that line I have experimented
and proven the position I then took to be a truth, AvonderfuUy sustained
by nature responchng every time in the affirmative. I have concluded
after tAventy-five years of observation and experimenting that there is
no such disease as fever, flux, diphtheria, typhus, typhoid, lung fever,
or any other fever classed under the common head of fever; rheumatism,
sciatica, gout, colic, liver disease, nettlerash or croup, on to the end of
the list, do not exist as diseases. All these separately and combined
are only effects. The cause can be found and does exist in the limited
or excited action of the nerves which control the fluids of part of the
whole of the body. It appears perfectly reasonable to any person born
above the condition of an idiot, Avho has familiarized himself with anat-
Schools of Osteopathy. 247
omy and its Avorking with the machinery of life, that all diseases are
effects, the cause being a partial or complete failure of the nerves to
properly conduct the fluids of life."
The theory of osteopathy has many versions, but there is none that
describes it more thoroughly or plainly than the one given by its founder
in his own characteristic language:
"Osteopathy deals with the body as an intricate machine which if
kept in proper adjustment, nourished and cared for, Avill run smoothly
into a ripe and useful old age. As long as the human machine is in
order, like the locomotive or any other mechanical contrivance, it will
perform the functions for which it was intended. When every part of
the machine is adjusted and in perfect harmony, health will hold do
minion over the human organism by laws as natural and immutable as
the law of graAutation. Every living organism has within it the poAver
to manufacture and prepare all chemicals, materials and forces needed
to build and rebuild itself, together with all the machinery and appara
tus required to do this Avork in the most perfect manner, producing
the only substance that can be utilized in the economy of the individual.
No material other than food and water taken in satisfaction of the de
mands of the appetite (not perverted taste) can be introduced from the
outside without detriment."
When Dr. Still made his discovery he Avas living in Baldwin, Kan
sas. This was the home of Baker University, a Methodist institution
which Dr. Still and his father and brothers had helped very materially
to get started some years before. When he asked the privilege of ex
plaining his new found science in the institution, he Avas flatly refused
by the authorities.
Finding Kansas an unwelcome field he came back to Missouri in
1875, and after spending three months visiting his brother E. C. Still
at Macon, he came on to Kirksville. After sojourning here for three
months he sent for his family, consisting then of a Avife and four little
children. They arrived in May, 1875.
In Kirksville he found at least four friends who aided him. One
was Mrs. Ivie, who kept a hotel and gaA^e him his room and meals a
month without charge. Another was F. A. Grove, M. D., who encour
aged him in his ncAV ideas; another was Robert Harris, machinist and
and experienced gunsmith, whose wife was relieved by Dr. Still from
a distressing malady which had afflicted her for years; the fourth AA^as
Charley Chinn, from whom he rented a suite of rooms over his store on
terms that were exceedingly generous. The kindnesses of these people.
Dr. Still never tires of talking about.
248 History of Adair County.
In the North Missouri Register, a paper pubhshed in KirksviUe
from 1870 to 1879, there appeared in the issue for March 11, 1875, Dr.
Still's professional card, in which he announced himself as a Magnetic
Healer and in which he gave his office and office hours. In the issue for
March 18, this personal notice appeared:
"The attention of the readers of the Register is called to the card of
Dr. StiU, magnetic healer, Avho has quietly opened up an office for the
healing of disease, and from the success attending his profession thus
far at this place, he Avith others now associated with him expect to build
up an Infirmary that will be noted for its good Avorks in healing the
afflicted. They now occupy tAvo rear rooms over Chinn's store, and
expect soon to occupy the whole of the upper story thereof."
We see from the advertisement and this personal notice that at so
early a date as 1875 Dr. Still was dreaming of plans for an Infirmary,
which have been realized even more fully than he had then dreamed.
We also note that he had not yet coined the word osteopathy; that
Avas not done until 1887. Until then he used terms which Avould attract
attention, such as Magnetic Healing, and even as late as 1891 he signed
published articles as "The Lightning Bone Setter."
His first patients were among the poor and unfortunate. Many
a time he was either refused admittance or was compelled to come into
the homes he would visit, by the back door, for fear the people Avho
allowed him to come in Avould be ridiculed or ostracized.
In the course of a few months after coming to Kirksville, he had
acquired a practice sufficient, as he says, to feed his "Avife and babies
and pay house rent," but a severe spell of typhoid fever which lasted
from September, 1876 to June, 1877, proved hard on him physically
and financially. In 1878 he went to Kansas where he remained until
1880, when he went to Wadesburgh, Henry County, Missouri. Colonel
Lowe, who was his colonel in the army, Avas living at Wadesburgh and
sent for him to come and treat him. For six years thereafter he prac
ticed in and around Chnton, Holden, Harrison ville. Rich Hill and Kan
sas City. He Avas popularly known as the "tramp doctor." The dif
ficulty of getting patients in any one locality forced him to become an
itinerant doctor.
In 1886 he returned to the northeastern part of the state and opened
up offices at Hannibal, Palmyra, and other places. Finally in 1887
he decided to give up travelling and settle down at Kirksville. He lec
tured in every school house in Adair County, it is said, explaining to
the people his theory. He always found the common people excellent
listeners. The points made Avere illustrated by treating the afflicted
Schools of Osteopathy. 249
in his audiences. Often his treating and lecturing Avould hold his au
dience until after midnight. GeneraUy one of his sons was with, him
and would assist him by holding some portion of the patient's body as
directed, Avhile he did the specific work.
In a fcAV years after he had returned to KirksA-ille he was travelling
again, going over much the same territory he had covered in the early
eighties. Ea'Cii after patients had begun to come in large numbers to
KirksAuUe, Dr. Still and his sons were accustomed to traA'el OA'er this
state and other states and giA-e treatments. This practice of going out
on such trips seems to have been given up about 1894 or 1895.
Dr. Still on such trips Avould frequently give public lectures on the
streets and publicly demonstrate his ideas. At some places people would
come from great distances to see and hear the AA'onderful "faith cure
doctor," as they often called him. Almost all the patients he treated
in public Avere treated A\ithout charge. ^lany a time an afflicted per
son who had been relieved at some public exhibition would go aAvay
shouting at the top of his A'oice for joy.
The pioneer days in the seventies and eighties were times of much
distress of mind and body to Dr. Still and his family. Not only were
times hard, but ridicule and abuse had to be borne. Such terms as
crazy crank, impostor, fake doctor and others still more uncomplimen
tary were used to designate him. In many places little children Avere
taught to cross the street rather than pass him on the sidewalk. Preach
ers condemned him from the pulpit. These were trj-ing times and only
a stout-hearted man could ha.A-e passed through them successfully.
But Dr. Still was not left to bear his burdens alone. To his faithful
Avife Avho remained cheerful and hopeful through it all, Dr. Still as-
scrilies much of the credit of his ultimate success.
As has been stated before, Dr. Still decided to settle doA\ai in Kirks
A'ille somewhere in 1SS7. Very soon the practice became more than he
could handle alone. For scA'cral years one or the other of his sons,
Harry and Charles, had been accustomed to accompany him on his
trips and render assistance, but up to this time neither was a practi
tioner. It occurred to Dr. Still that he should give full instructions
to his eldest son and make out of him a full-fledged practitioner. Suc
ceeding in this and finding he needed more help in attending to his pa
tients who were coming in greater numbers, he began to giA^e full instruc
tion to two other sons, Charles and Herman, and finally to his young
est son Fred, and at least three intimate friends of the family, Air. Wil-
derson, Mr. Hatten, and ]Mr. Ward, each of Avhom were later given the
title of doctor. The success he had AA-ith these members of his famih'
250
History' of Adair County.
and intimate friends proved to him that his science was something which
could be imparted to others, and refuted the oft-repeated statement
of that time that when Dr. Still died osteopathy would die Avith him.
He now began to think of establishing a school in Avhich the science of
osteopathy might be taught to all who Avished to learn it. In a short
time the school was established, but it was in connection with an in
firmary, and for a long time the school was secondary to the infirmary.
The establishing of the infirmary came as a result of the increase
in the number of patients who came to Dr. Still for treatment. By
The First Building of the A. S. O.
1891 they began to come in scores from aU parts of the country. It
Avas nothing uncommon for him to have as many as 100 to 125 different
patients every week. Up to 1892 treatments Avere given at Dr. Still's
residence, or at the homes or boarding houses of the patients. His
extended success in treating and teaching demanded a special building
for this work, and several toAvns offered to erect such a building on con
dition he Avould locate there and bring aU his patients and students Avith
him. Macon Avas among the towns that offered special inducements.
None of these propositions Avere accepted. He decided to remain in
Kirksville, declining at the same time a proffered bonus.
In May, 1892, the American School of Osteopathy was incorpor
ated, and in June of that year Dr. Still made arrangements for the sec-
Schools of Osteopathy. 251
ond member of the faculty, Dr. William Smith of Edinburgh, Scot
land, who was to take charge of the instruction in anatomy and surgery.
Dr. StiU tells in his Autobiography how he became acquainted with
Dr. Smith. One day in June, 1892, Dr. Smith came to KirksvUle sell
ing surgical and medical instruments. He called on Dr. Still, and the
impression he made Avas so favorable, he was forthAvith engaged to
teach in the school the coming season. The school opened in a little
one-story frame building which stood where the Infirmary now stands.
This building was later moved across the street where it now stands.
The cut on the opposite page is from a photograph taken in 1911.
The school was soon threatened with complete extinction by a bill
which Avas introduced in the Missouri Legislature providing that no
school except eclectic, allopathic and homeopathic colleges should grant
diplomas. This biU was introduced in June, 1893. It was readUy
seen that this bill if passed Avould wreck the American School of Osteo
pathy, which had been doing a very lucrative business in Kirksville. A
remonstrance against the bill was circulated and signed in KirksAoUe, and
Judge Andrew Ellison and Dr. William Smith Avent in person to Jeffer
son City to Avork against it. The bill failed to pass the House, and
the school was saved.
Besides opposition abroad there Avas some of it at home. The
Kirksville papers all during 1893, especially March and June, contained
controversial articles betAveen the champions and opponents of osteo
pathy. The opponents were chiefly from the medical profession, though
there were many outside Avho had no faith in osteopathy. But Dr.
Still did not lack for ardent supporters in the toAvn by this time. This
is seen in the demonstration made at the opera house on the evening of
June 22, 1893, Avhen the nineteenth anniversary of the discovery of
osteopathy was celebrated. His address was the event of the program,
in which he gave a sketch of the history of osteopathy. A large crowd
was in attendance and showed enthusiastic interest in his cause.
The first graduating exercises were held at the Opera House on
March 2, 1894. Including the three who had completed their work the
preceding January, this class was composed of nineteen persons as
f oUoAvs : Bird, Arthur Pierson Rich Hill, Mo.
HUl, J. D San Francisco, Calif.
Kerns, Mrs. L.J Springfield, Mo.
BoUes, Mrs. Nettie H Denver, Colo.
Davis, Andrew P Chicago, lU.
Davis, F. S DaUas, Texas.
252 History op Adair County.
Harter, Mrs. Mamie Sedaha, Mo.
Hatten, Jas. 0 St. Louis, Mo.
HUdreth, Arthur G KirksvUle, Mo.
Machin, MiUer Keokuk, Iowa.
Osborn, Jas. H Leon, loAva.
Polmeteer, Frank Kirksville, Mo.
Smith, Wm Kirksville, Mo.
StiU, Chas. E KirksviUe, Mo.
StiU, H. T St. Louis, Mo.
StiU, EdAvard C Macon, Mo.
Ward, M. L Kirksville, Mo.
The first three in the above list are the ones Avho completed their
AVork in January.
Speeches were made by P. F. Greenwood, F. M. Harrington, Pres
ident W. D. Dobson, Dr. StiU, and Mr. Dodge of Sedalia. President
Dobson acted as master of ceremonies. After the exercises a banquet
was giA^en by the class to a number of invited guests at one of the hotels.
Subsequent graduations came at irregular intervals down to 1898-
99. Since that time two classes have been graduated each year, except
the tAVO years, 1907-08, and 1908-09 when there was only one class a
year. One class is graduated in June, the other in January or Feb
ruary. The degree conferred was at first called Diplomate in Osteopathy.
It is now Doctor of Osteopathy.
Commencement exercises were held at first in the Opera House.
After the main part of the present building was erected, they were held in
Memorial Hall, or if the weather permitted the May or June commence
ment exercises have been held on the front lawns of the residences of
Drs. A. T. and C. E. StiU.
The rapid increase in the number of patients and the excellent
prospect for an increase in the number of students led certain towns,
among which Avere Des Moines, Kansas City, Sedalia, and Macon, to
offer special inducements to Dr. Still to locate there. In order to show
their interest in Dr. Still and his work and to give tangible evidence of
that interest, a large number of Kirksville citizens met in a mass meet
ing on May 26, 1894. Every one present felt the importance of keeping
Dr. Still and his institution in town. A committee was appointed to
secure subscriptions to a fund which Avould be tendered to Dr. Still.
S. M. Pickler offered to give five acres of ground in the west part of toAvn,
and R. M. Brashear ten acres in the east part. In a fcAV days $2,600
Avere raised and presented to Dr. StiU, together with some valuable
Schools of Osteopathy.
253
land donations for a building site. On May 28, the following resolutions
were uanimously adopted by another mass meeting of citizens:
"We, the citizens of Kirksville, assembled at the Mayor's office
this evening. May 28, 1894, to take into consideration the advisability
of assisting to erect an infirmary in conjunction with Dr. A. T. Still
for his use and the benefit of humanity, try to express our appreciation
of his great ability as the founder and exponent of the School of Osteo
pathy. That we as citizens feel proud of him as a fellow-townsman;
that we have the utmost confidence in his skill as a healer, as is evidenced
The Second Building.
by hundreds of his patients who come halt and lame and depart
in a few weeks with light heart and straightened limb; that we believe
in his integrity as a man, and we feel proud that he has gained a national
reputation, and earnestly ask Dr. Still to remain with us, and we prom
ise him substantial aid, and our most hearty support in holding up his
hands, as the greatest leader of modern times."
On accepting the money and lands tendered to him. Dr. Still prom
ised to remain in Kirksville; and in doing so he said his decision had
been reached not so much because of the bonus as the hearty co-opera
tion of the citizens which had been manifested.
254 History of Adair County'.
Dr. Still purchased sixty-one acres from Mrs. Haley which lay just
west of his place, for $7,500, and also the G. R. BrcAvington residence
Avhich joined INIrs. Halej^'s property on the south for $3,000.
In August, 1894, the contract Avas let for a three-story buUding,
88 by 44 feet, to cost about $15,000. In the Democrat for August 24,
1894, there Avas pubhshed a letter from Dr. StiU, in which he thanked
the citizens for their contribution and announced that the amount they
had given Avould be used in building the hotel then under construction
by his son, H. M. Still. He further announced that the money expended
in building the ucav infirmarj^ would be what he had earned in the prac
tice of osteopathy.
The dedication of this building occurred on Thursday evening,
January 10, 1895. A formal program Avas carried out, in Avhich there
Avere addresses by J\Ir. P. F. Greeiwood, Dr. Still, Judge AndrcAV Elli
son, Prof. G. H. Laughlin, and Mr. H. F. Millan. The addresses Avere
interspersed with musical selections.
The first anniversary of the dedication of the Infirmary was duly
celebrated by appropriate exercises on January 10, 1896. At sunrise
a number of guns Avere fired and at sundoAvn the firing was repeated.
In the eA^ening ^Memorial Hall was croAvded to. its utmost capacity.
Addresses were made by Dr. StiU and Dr. A. G. Hildreth.
Meamvhile, the school had been rechartered. The first charter
had proved to be deficient in regard to the poAvers Avhich it conferred,
and a ucav one Avas therefore secured. Articles of incorporation Avere
secured from the Adair County Circuit Court on October 22, 1894, and
the same were filed Avith the Secretary of State on October 30. These
articles, with some subsequent minor amendments, are as foUoAvs :
"Article 1: — The name and style of this corporation shall be
The American School of Osteopathy, and shaU be located in the
city of Kirksville in the County of Adair, and State of Missouri.
"Article 2: — The officers of this corporation shall be a President
and such other officers as the Trustees shall from time to time deem
necessary and appoint.
"Article 3: — The object of this corporation is to establish a Col
lege of Osteopathy, the design of Avhich is to improve our present system
of Surgery, Obstetrics and treatment of diseases generally, and place
the same on a more rational and scientific basis, and to impart informa
tion to the medical profession, and to grant and confer such honors
and degrees as are usually granted and conferred by reputable Medical
Colleges; to issue diplomas' in testimony of the same to all students
graduating from said school, under the seal of the corporation, with the
The Third Building.
This is the second building with additions in front and in the rear.
256 History of Adair County.
signature of each member of the faculty and of the President of the
CoUege. "Article 4: — That the corporate powers of said College shaU be
vested in a Board of Trustees to consist of a number not less than five
nor more than thirteen, and that the President of the Board shall be
ex-officio President of the College; which board shall have perpetual
succession, with powers from time to time to fill all vacancies in their
body, and that A. T. StUl, Harry M. Still, Charies E. Still, Blanche
Still and Herman T. Still shall be the first members of said Board, and
shall have the power to increase their number as hereinbefore specified.
"Article 5: — That said Board of Trustees and their successors,
for a period of fifty years, shall have full power and authority to appoint
a faculty to teach such sciences and arts as are usually taught in Med
ical Colleges, and in addition thereto, the science of Osteopathy; to
fill A^acancies in the Faculty, to remoA'e the same, to declare the tenures
and duties of all officers and teachers, and fix their compensation there
for; to provide a suitable building and furnish the same, and to fix the
amount of tuition to be charged students, the number and length of
terms students shall attend such CoUege before graduating, the qual
ifications necessary to admit students into such College; to grant di
plomas to all graduates who shall have passed an examination satis
factory to the Board of Trustees and Faculty, in each and every branch
required to be taught and studied in the curriculum of said College;
and to make all by-laws necessary for carrying into effect the objects
of this corporation not inconsistent with the laws of the State of Mis
souri and the Constitution thereof."
As will be noted, it is not organized as a joint stock company, or
as a commercial concern, but its charter is granted by the State of Mis
souri under the section of law which provides for the establishment
of literary and scientific institutions, the provisions of which require
that the needs and interests of the Avork which the corporation is char
tered to perform shall always be paramount in the management of its
business. The stock of the corporation is noAv owned (1911) by C. E. Still,
Warren Hamilton, W. G. Font, and E. C. Brott.
Up to October, 1895, not more than one class was enrolled a year.
In fact, the school was as yet considered secondary to the Infirmary.
The completion of the new building increased the facilities for both treat
ing and teaching. In 1895 over 30,000 treatments were given to suf
ferers who came from nearly every state in the Union. • In October,
1895, a class of tAventy-seven Avas enrolled, and in January, 1896, another
Schools of Osteopathy.
257
class of twenty was enrolled. Of these tAvo classes twenty-eight Avere
from Missouri and the rest Avere from five other states. These classes
recited to just one teacher in a classroom only 20 by 25, the recitations
taking up only two hours a day.
The facilities which had been so much enlarged in January, 1895,
soon came to be inadequate for both the school and the infirmary. In
May, 1896, Avork was begun upon an addition to the building that more
than doubled its capacity, but even before that Avas completed the
rapidly increasing demands made it necessary to begin work on a second
The A. S. O. Hospital.
addition which trebled the size of the original edifice. The whole build
ing very much as it stands today, was completed in January, 1897.
It is 64 by 175 feet, four stories high, contains sixty rooms, aggregating
about 30,000 square feet of floor space, and cost about $80,000.
The largely increased facilities were provided none too soon, for
while the inflrmary business had grown steadily, increasing at the rate
of about one hundred per cent each j^ear, the increase in the school at
tendance had been phenomenal during the year 1896-97, having in
creased nearly five hundred per cent in that time. While in 1895-96
there were fifty students from six different states reciting two hours a
258 History of Adair County.
day to one teacher in one room, there were in the following year two
hundred and eighty-three students representing twenty-four states
and two Canadian provinces, using nine large classrooms and engaged
with lectures and recitations occupying the entire day from eight in
the morning to five in the afternoon.
For a long time it was felt that a hospital was needed for the accom
modation of patients and for successful clinical work. The infirmary
made no provision for the care of patients. Preparations were begun
for meeting this need early in 1905, and on June 22, 1905, the corner
stone of the hospital building was laid. This came as the closing event
of the graduating exercises for the year. Appropriate addresses were
made by President John R. Kirk, Dr. J. A. Crow, Dr. Nettie Olds Haight,
and Dr. A. T. StiU. Dr. StiU laid the corner stone.
In the course of a few months the hospital was open for patients.
It has an aseptic operating room, a clinical amphitheatre, a lying-in
ward, forty private rooms and two wards. It has a capacity of fifty
to seventy-five patients. The building is made of brick and heavy
gray stone, is two stories high, and is 78 by 108 feet. Patients are brought
from all parts of the country by osteopathic physicians.
In 1906 a training school for nurses was established, and young
women were given training and instruction in nursing. The course is
two years in length, and already sixteen have graduated as trained
nurses. Across the street from the hospital is the nurses' cottage.
The Superintendents of the hospital have been Leone Dalton,
Mary Walters, Miss Gust, Lulie Hall, Bessie Ammerman, Rena Bam-
bert, and Mrs. Ada R. Nesbit.
In 1903 the institution estabhshed a sanitarium at St. Louis, called
the A. T. Still Sanitarium and Hospital. Dr. A. G. Hildreth was in
charge of it at first, and then later Dr. W. D. Dobson managed it. It
was given up during the year 1908.
Several schools of osteopathy have been consolidated Avith the
American School of Osteopathy within the last few years. Among
these schools that have been thus consolidated are: the Dr. S. S. Still
College of Osteopathy of Des Moines, loAva, with which had already
been consohdated the Northern Institute of Osteopathy of Minneapolis,
Minnesota, and the NorthAvestern College of Osteopathy of Fargo,
N. D.; the Milwaukee Colege of Osteopathy of Mihvaukee, Wis.; the
BoUes Institute of Osteopathy (the Colorado College of Osteopathy)
of Denver, Colo.; the Ohio College of Osteopathy of Chillicothe, Ohio;
the Atlantic School of Osteopathy of Buffalo, N. Y. ; and the Southern
School of Osteopathy of Franklin, Ky. Graduates of these schools
Nurses Cottage.
Since this was talcen a full socond story has been added,
260
History of Adair County.
were granted diplomas by the American School of Osteopathy, as the
schools from which they had graduated were consolidated Avith the
A. S. 0.
The course of study at first was very brief. It consisted largely
of a study of anatomy, physiology, diagnosis and practice of osteopathy.
No set amount of time was required to graduate. A student was grad
uated when he got through with his work. As a rule that took just
about a year. In 1896-97 the course was added to, and two years of
work of four terms of tAventy weeks each were required of each student
for graduation. In 1905-06 the course was lengthened one more year,
each of the three years having two semesters of eighteen weeks each.
_ . n, i! S: i! !l il
m'X s!-"'
$.~iJ
n
iMw".
The School and Hospital Buildings.
This change in the content of the courses from time to time is seen
by comparing that for 1897-98, when the school was just getting on its
feet, and that for 1910-11.
In 1897-98 the course of instruction extended over two years and
Avas divided into four terms of five months each. The first term was
devoted to Descriptive Anatomy, including Osteology, Syndesmology,
Myology, Aryology, and Neurology; Histology, including the descrip
tion and recognition of the normal tissues of the body; the principles
of Chemistry and Physics. The second term included Descriptive
Anatomy of the viscera, and organs of special sense; Regional Anatomy,
Avith demonstrations on the cadaver; Didactic and Laboratory Avork
in Chemistry; Physiological Chemistry, Urinalysis, and Toxicology;
Schools of Osteopathy.
261
Physiology of circulation, respiration, digestion, absorption, assimila
tion, secretion and excretion; Principles of Osteopathy. The third
term included Regional Anatomy and Pathology, Avith demon
strations on the cadaver; Surface Anatomy, Advanced Physiology,
Symptomatology and Pathology; Clinical Demonstrations in Osteo
pathy. The fourth term included Pathological Anatomy, Minor Sur
gery, Gynecology and Obstetrics; Chnical Practice in Osteopathy.
The Pit for Surgery Clinics. (In the Hospital.)
The course in 1910-11 covers a period of three years divided into
sixteen or eighteen Aveeks each, with a fourth year of seven months.
The first year includes Anatomy, Histology, General and Physical
Chemistry and Physiology in the first term ; and Anatomy, Bacteriology,
Physiology, Organic and Physiological Chemistry, Histology and Em
bryology in the second term. The second year includes Principles of
Osteopathy and Applied Anatomy, Descriptive Anatomy, Demon
strated Anatomy, Practice of Osteopathy, Osteopathic Mechanics,
Pathology and Bacteriology, Hygiene, Pubhc Health, Dietetics, and
262 History op Adair County.
Toxicology in the first term; and Demonstrated Anatomy, Practice of
Osteopathy, Principles of Osteopathy and Applied Anatomy, Physical
Diagnosis, Neurology and Spinal Pathology in the second term. The
third year includes Osteopathic Clinics, General Surgery, Eye, Ear,
Nose and Throat, Obstetrics, Clinical Practice, Skin and Venereal
Diseases, and Pediatrics in the fir^t term; and Osteopathic Clinics, Op
erative Surgery, Gynecology, Clinical Practice, Physical Diagnosis,
Ambulance and Emergency Work, Obstetrics and Laboratory Diag
nosis in the second term. In the fourth year the work is an extension
of that of the three previous years. Each student in this year is re
quired to elect at least tAventy hours of lectures besides laboratory work.
As the course extends five months, there are 560 hours required of each
student in addition to laboratory work. Research must be made in
some subject assigned by the Faculty and the results embodied in a
thesis. The strengthening of the course has meant a great increase in lab
oratory facilities. There are at present twelve different laboratories.
These include two for Anatomy, three for Bacteriology and Pathology,
one for Gynecology, one for Histology, one for Optical work, one for
Physiology, one for Diagnosis, one for Hospital work, and one for pri
vate demonstration.
The tuition fees have varied from time to time. In 1893 they were
$500 for males and $200 for females. The course Avas then one year in
length. In 1897-98, when the course had been lengthened to two years,
they were $500 for the entire course for both males and females; in
1899-1900 they were reduced to $400. In 1900-01 they were reduced
still further to $300, plus the dissection fees. In 1907-08, when the
course was lengthened from two to three years the tuition was increased
to $425. An attempt has been made to list all the members of the faculty
from time to time, but there is no assurance that the list given below
includes all who have been on the regular faculty. An effort was
also made to determine the length of service of each member, but
it is not likely that this hass been done successfully in every case.
The faculty members in the order of their service and Avith the
terms of their service as far as could be found, are as follows :
A. T. Still 1892-93— present.
C. E. StiU .... 1892-93— present.
H. M. StiU 1892-93—1899-00
Wm. Smith 1892-93—1899-00
1907-08—1909-10
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284
History of Adair County.
C. D. Swope 1909-10— present.
J. N. Waggoner 1909-10— present.
The Deans of the faculty have been:
C. M. T. Hulett 1897-98
, J. M. Littlejohn
G. M. Laughlin 1900-01—1904-05
W. D. Dobson ... 1906-06—1906-07
R. E. Hamilton 1908-09— present.
Dr. A. T. Still has been President since 1892-93, and Warren
Hamilton has been Secretary since 1899-00.
The graduates of the A. S. 0. up to and including the Class of 1910,
number 2,997. The number in each class was as foUoAvs:
1894
19
1903
.. 262
1895
26
1904 . , . .
263
1896. ...
48
1905.. ..
. . . 246
1897. ...
48
1906 ....
.. 266
1898. ...
136
1907 . . .
,. 183
1899. ...
185
1908
.. 107
1900. ...
317
1909 ....
.. 135
1901...
334
1910
153
1902
...269
Total
.2997
The very large classes of 1900 and 1901 Avere due to the fact that
there were graduated in those years a large number of students from
the Columbia School of Osteopathy, the rival school of the A. S. 0.,
which was finally closed up in 1901. The drop in number in 1908 was
due to the fact that only one class was graduated in that year.
If to the A. S. 0. graduates there be added the 1181 graduates of
the various schools that have been consolidated Avith the A. S. 0., the
total alumni will run up to 4,355.
The student body is very cosmopolitan. In it are to be found men
and Avomen from all parts of this country, and many from foreign lands.
Many of them are college and university graduates. The last ten years
have seen a marked increase in the enrollment of well prepared young
men and women in this institution. • A high school education or its
equivalent is required for admission, but this has not been rigidly en
forced. Hence, there are to be found men and women, some of them
quite mature in years, who have had no scholastic training to speak of,
side by side with men and women of high scholastic attainments. The
legislation in many states which requires all candidates for license to
practice osteopathy to have a certain amount of school education be-
A Class in Dissection.
266 History' op Adair County.
fore applying for a license, is having a direct effect on the character of
the student body here. Those with shght academic attainments are be
coming more and more a minority each year. In justice to the case,
however, it should be said that many of the best practitioners in the
profession are men and Avomen who have not had much in the Avay of
scholastic training prior to their study of osteopathy.
The student organizations include clubs, fraternities, and Chris
tian organizations. The oldest of them is perhaps the Atlas Club, an
association of men for general social and professional interests. The
Axis Club is a similar organization for women. The tAvo clubs have
maintained joint club rooms in the Dockery building off the northeast
corner of the square for over ten years. Certain other clubs for sim
ilar purposes, but open to both men and women, have been organized,
such as the Knights of Osteopathy and the Stillonians. The first of
these, however, is no longer in existence.
The fraternities are purely social organizations. There are two or
three of these.
The Y. M. C. A. was organized in 1898, and the Y. W. C. A. in
1899. Both organizations offer opportunities for co-operative Chris
tian activity and fellowship. Association houses have been maintained
by each of them, furnishing comfortable quarters for many of the mem
bers at inexpensive rates and also giving the associations definite cen
ters for their activities.
The institution issues several regular publications. The first cat
alogue was not issued until 1897; in this were given the announcements
for 1897-98. Prior to that time the school made its announcements
through the newspapers. In May, 1897, the Journal of Osteopathy
was established. This is a monthly periodical and is devoted to the
dissemination of news and items of general interest. It is to be dis
tinguished from the Osteopathic Journal, which is a field journal for the
practitioner. The student publications are the Bulletin, published by the Atlas
and Axis Clubs; The Stillonian, published monthly by the Stillonian
Society; the Alpha, by the Iota Tan Sigma fraternity; the Theta Psi
Signet, by the Theta Psi fraternity; the Osteoblast, the annual pub
lished by the Junior class.
The students have been active in several forms of outdoor ath
letics, such as football, basketball and baseball. Tennis and golf have
been popular at times.
For several years after the school began to send out graduates,
osteopathy had no legal status in MisS;Ouri. It was felt desirable to
2;H3oo ''Ig;> ?^>
a:
268 History of Adair County.
acquire legal recognition through the legislature, and the first effort
was made in 1895. A biU was passed by both houses providing among
other things that no person should practice osteopathy in the state
unless he had received a diploma from a legally chartered or established
school of osteopathy. Much to the disappointment of the friends of
osteopathy throughout the state, and especially in Kirksville, Governor
Stone vetoed it Avithin four hours after the adjournment of the Legis
lature. The principal objection Avas that osteopathy was a secret and
should not be legalized.
Though the defeat of this bill was disappointing at the time, the
friends of osteopathy have since been glad that it Avas vetoed. The next
bill was an improvement over the first one and served the profession
better than the other avouIcI have done.
In 1897 another bill legalizing osteopathy was introduced in the
Legislature and after passing the House by a vote of 101 to 16, and the
Senate by 26 to 3, Governor Stephens, avIio had been benefited person
ally by osteopathic treatment, signed the bUl. This biU provided in
the first place that the system, method or science of treating diseases
of the human body, commonly caUed Osteopathy, and as taught and
practiced by the American School of Osteopathy at Kirksville, Mis
souri, is not the practice of medicine and surgery within the meaning
of Article I., Chapter 110 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri of 1889,
and is not subject to the proA'isions of that article. It further provided
that any person having a diploma regularly issued by the American
School of Osteopathy of Kirksville, Missouri, or any other legally char
tered and regularly conducted school of Osteopathy, who shall have
been in personal attendance as a student in such school for at least four
terms of not less than five months each before graduation, shall be au
thorized to treat diseases of the human body according to such system,
after having filed the diploma for record with the county clerk of the
county in Avhich such person purposes to practice. It Avas further pro
vided that any person who should practice or pretend to practice or
use the system, method or science of Osteopathy in treating diseases
of the human body without having complied with the provisions of this
act, should be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor and be subject to a fine.
The credit for securing the passage of this bill belongs particularly
to Dr. H. E. Patterson, now deceased, and Dr. A. G. HUdreth. Gov
ernor Stephens Avas bitterly attacked by the medical profession of the
state for his approval of the bill, but he repUed to his assailants that the
overwhelming vote in both houses showed him that the state Avas evi-
Schools of Osteopathy.
269
dently in favor of osteopathy and that he had reasons of his OAvn for
believing in its efficacy.
The rejoicing in Kirksville was great when the news came that the
Governor had approved the biU. During the rejoicing Dr. StiU's ad
mirers hterally forced him into a clothing store and presented him with
a fine Prince Albert suit of clothes and a plug hat. They then got him
into a photograph gallery and had his picture taken in this garb. As
soon as he got home he took off these "duds," and it is asserted that he
Memorial Hall.
never put them on again. His usual careless dress was much more to
his liking than what his friends would have been pleased to have him
wear. The laAV of 1897 remained until 1903, when a bill Avas passed creat
ing a State Board of Examination which should pass upon persons who
were candidates to practice osteopathy. Only five votes were passed
against this bill. Even the State Board of Medical Examiners rec
ommended its passage, showing that the feeling of animosity against
osteopathy was dying out and that active opposition Avas a thing of the
past in the state.
270
History of Adair County.
The most important provisions of the law of 1903, including the
amendments of 1907, are as follows:
1. The State Board consists of five persons appointed by the Gov
ernor of the State. Their terms are arranged so that the term of one
member expires each j^ear. The Board elects its own President, Sec
retary and Treasurer. The Secretary receives a salary of not more than
$1,500 per annum. The Board keeps a register of all applicants for
certificates, giving the name of the institutions from which they re
ceived diplomas and whether they were rejected or granted certificates.
2. Persons desiring to practice osteopathy in the state must secure
a certificate from this Board. This certificate is made on the basis of
a statement made as to his study in a school of osteopathy and of an
examination by the Board on anatomy, physiology, physiological chem
istry, toxicology, osteopathic pathology, diagnosis, hygiene, obstetrics
and gynecology, surgery, principles and practice of osteopathy, and
other subjects as the Board may require. Provision is made, however,
for a discretionary dispensing Avith this examination in the case of an
osteopathic physician who is a graduate of a reputable college of osteo-
pathjr and who presents a certificate issued on examination by a board
of some other state.
Other provisions are included for registering the certificates and
for infractions of the laAV by persons who do not comply with its pro-
Adsions. In addition to the legal recognition given to osteopathy in Mis
souri, similar recognition has been given in some form or other in forty-
one other states and territories, in the Union. They are as f oUoavs :
Alabama
Kentucky
Oklahoma
Arizona
Maryland
Oregon
Arkansas
Massachusetts
Pennsylvania
California
Michigan
South Carohna
Colorado
Minnesota
South Dakota
Connecticut
Mississippi
Tennessee
Delaware
Missouri
Texas
Florida
Montana
Utah
Hawaii
Nebraska
Vermont
Idaho
New Mexico
Virginia
lUinois
New York
Washington
Indiana
North Carolina
West Virginia
Iowa
North Dakota
Wisconsin
Kansas
Ohio
Wyoming
It has also been legaUzed in British Columbia.
Schools of Osteopathy. 271
The legal status given osteopathy in at least most of the states
named above was secured very largely through the efforts of the A. S.
O. Representatives of the institution have appeared before Legisla
tures and Governors and explained the system and thus contributed
to the success in securing favorable legislation.
The American Osteopathic Association Avas organized in April,
1897. It has convened twice in Kirksville. The first time Avas in July,
1901. It was known at that time as the American Association for the
Advancement of Osteopathy, but the name was changed at the meeting
at Kirksville in 1901. Representatives of eight schools of osteopathj'-
Avere in attendance, and three other schools were admitted by the Asso
ciation. The twelfth annual meeting was held in Kirksville August 3-6,
1908. The particular reason for holding it in Kirksville at that time
was in honor of Dr. Still's eightieth birthday. Osteopaths from all
parts of the country came. Many came in special coaches, and the
Chicago, Ncav York and eastern delegations came in a special train
of six coaches. About seven hundred members of the A. 0. A. regis-
istered, but it was believed there were several hundred more osteopaths
visiting the convention who did not register.
The sessions of the convention were held under a big tent in what
Avas knoAvn then as the Chautauqua park on East Jefferson street be
tAveen Mulanix and Florence streets. The opening session was on
Monday morning, August 3, at which Dr. Still made the welcome ad
dress in his OAvn characteristic style. Sessions were held every morn
ing, afternoon and evening for three days. In addition to these general
sessions, a number of surgical operations Avere performed at the A. S.
O. Hospital and some clinical demonstrations given. Sessions of the
Missouri Valley Osteopathic Association and of the Missouri Osteo
pathic Association were also held during the A. O. A. convention.
The biggest day was Thursday, August 6, the "Old Doctor's"
eightieth birthday. The citizens of Kirksville and the delegates to the
A. 0. A. joined in honoring the founder of osteopathJ^ At eight o'clock
that morning a life-size portrait of Dr. Still Avas unveiled. The por
trait was presented totheA. S.O., by the alumni of that institution. A
special program was rendered, in which addresses Avere made by Dr.
J. A. DeTienne of Brooklyn, Dr. J. L. Holloway of DaUas, Dr. A. G.
HUdreth of St. Louis, Dr. Ernest Sisson of Oakland, Dr. Chas. Haz-
zard of New York, Dr. L. van H. Gerdine of Kirksville, and Dr. Geo.
W. Riley of New York.
At eleven o'clock the first of the citizens' sessions was held. Ad-
272
History of Adair County.
dresses were made by Mayor Selby, Dr. S. T. Lyne, and Dr. A. G.
Hildreth. The second of the citizens' sessions was held in the afternoon at
two o'clock. This was preceded 'by the parade, which had been post
poned from the morning because of the rain. At the head of the parade
were the Knights of Pythias in uniform, who Avere foUoAved by the Nov
inger Band, and the Corporal Dix Post, G. A. R. After them came the
Old Doctor's carriage which contained Dr. Still and his escort. Fol
lowing the carriage came Dr. StiU's relatives and A. S. 0. Faculty,
,*> '•'
'; m
Procession on the "Old Doctor's Day," August 6, 1908.
Osteopathic state delegations. Normal School students, A. S. 0. stu
dents, and citizens of Kirksville. The head of the parade reached the
park before the rear had left the A. S. 0.
The program consisted of addresses by Mr. J. A. Cooley, Prof. B.
P. Gentry, Rev. F. W. Gee, and Prof. H. Clay Harvey. In the evening
the program was continued with addresses by Dr. W. C. Templeton
and President John R. Kirk. At the close of President Kirk's remarks
he presented Dr. Still a loving cup valued at $250 from the citizens of
Kirksville. This Avas the second one presented to him during the con
vention. During the convention $43,000 was raised for the fund for osteo
pathic research. That fund aggregated at that time $70,000.
Schools of Osteopathy. 273
Section II. — The Columbian School of Osteopathy.
For several years Kirksville had tAvo schools of osteopathy, the
second one being the Columbian School of Osteopathy Avhich was estab
lished in 1897, under Dr. M. L. Ward. Dr. Ward had been' Vice-Presi
dent of the A. S. 0. under the first charter of 1892, but for various rea
sons he had withdrawn from this institution, and believing that there
was room for another infirmary and school of osteopathy in Kirksville,
he interested several people of the town in the matter and succeeded in
maintaining a rival institution for several years. Naturally the rivalry
between the two schools was quite bitter, and all the more so since
^ ^^
Dr. M. L. Ward.
both Dr. StiU and Dr. Ward claimed to be the original discoverer of
the science of osteopathy.
Dr. M. L. Ward Avas born in Ohio on May 30, 1849. He came to
Missouri in 1870. He claimed that he began his study along the lines
of osteopathy as early as 1862, Avhen he was yet a youth, and that he
frequently secured results without understanding how he got them. He
claimed that in 1889 he made for himself the discovery for which he
had been seeking. He was a member of the first graduating class in
Dr. StiU's school of osteopathy in 1894, and graduated from the Medical
CoUege of Ohio on April 9, 1897, after having spent the three Avinters
there following his graduation with Dr. StUl.
Schools of Osteopathy. 275
The Columbian School of Osteopathy was chartered in October,
1897, and was incorporated by the Circuit Court of Adair County early
in November. The officers of the incorporation were: Dr. M. L.
Ward, President; H. J. Bailey, Vice-President; P. J. Rieger, Secre
tary; R. M. Brashear, Treasurer. The fifth member of the Board was
J. M. McCall. The financial management was in the hands of Mr.
Brashear, who is said to have furnished practically all the money needed
to start the institution.
This school was opened on November 8, 1897, in the McGuire
building just off the northwest corner of the square. The enrollment on
the first day was tAventy-seven. The faculty Avas composed of Dr. M.
L. Ward, President; Dr. C. H. Thomas, Anatomy; Dr. H. B. Rob-
bins, Chemistry; Dr. E. S. Quinn, PhysiologJ^ In a newspaper adver
tisement prior to the opening. Dr. Ward announced that "the school
Avill be non-sectarian; hence Spiritualism, Methodism, Presbyterian-
ism, Baptism, Catholicism or any other ism or politics will not be in
cluded in the courses of study."
In a published intervicAv Avhich appeared in January, 1898, Dr.
Ward had the following to say concerning the school:
"The object of the Columbian School of Osteopathy is to bring
forward some of the lost sciences that were knoAA^i, practiced and applied
by the ancients in Athens over 2,000 years ago. This period of the his
tory of Athens was looked upon by all nations as the one center of edu
cation, healing, sciences and inventions. Masonry, architecture, and
tempering of metals and many other things of Uke character gave it first
place in the history of the world. During this, the Olympian age, the
ancients had their annual games, such as wresthng, boxing, foot racing
and various other sports, Avhich frequently resulted in injuries, and dis
locations. Readjustments were made, medicine and surgery were
practiced by men who Avere knoAvn as 'bone setters.
"The true science of healing, considered in aU its phases, conse
quently consists of osteopathy, surgery, and medicine. This science
Avas practiced by Zeno, Epicurus, Epictetus, Catelles, and others about
ninety-five years B. C. This is the science that is being brought for
ward by Dr. M. L. Ward, the founder of the great Columbian School of
Osteopathy. It is claimed to be the only school of osteopathy giving
instruction in medicine, surgery and mechanical manipulation. It is
likewise the only institution .requiring six terms to complete the fuU
course in all departments."
The osteopathy course required a period of tAventy months, or four
terms of five months each. The course in medicine required tAvo terms
276 History of Adair County.
of six months each in addition to the twenty months in osteopathy.
In other words, at the end of twenty months, the diploma was granted
to the student graduating in the full course of osteopathy. If the stu
dent wished to pursue the course of medicine, he could do so and at the
end of the three years he received a diploma recognizing him as a doc
tor of medicine.
The avowed object of the founder of the school Avas to combine
medicine, surgery and mechanical manipulation so as to make osteopathy
what he termed a true science. "True Osteopathy" was a favorite
term with him.
Prior to the opening of the school Avork had begun on a building
for it in the southeastern part of the toAvn which, according to one ncAvs-
paper, was called "Mount Brashear." The building was completed
early in 1898 and was occupied at once. It was a very imposing three-
story brick structure, with a great white dome surmounting it. It was
arranged for both treating patients and giving instruction to students.
It cost about $30,000.
In January, 1900, Dr. Ward became the sole owner of the school
and all its property, Mr. Brashear and the other stockholders retiring.
It seems that this arrangement was in accordance with the agreements
made Avhen the school was begun in November, 1897.
The first graduating exercises were held in the grove adjacent to
the school building on June 27, 1899. There were thirty-nine in the
class. The second class of thirty-eight was graduated in February,
1900. A third class was graduated in June, 1900, but this was the last.
The school opened in the fall of 1900, but before the year was out, it
was suspended, and the students were enrolled in the A. S. 0.
Long drawn out litigation betiveen Dr. Ward and Mr. Brashear
over the property, ensued, terminating in the latter getting control
of the same. For years the building has remained unoccupied, except
when a club has occupied it temporarily.
CHAPTER XIII.
THE COUNTY PRESS.
A sketch of journalism in Adair County would, if adequately writ
ten, go back to the time Avhen the first newspaper was established in
the county. Indeed it would go back further than that and give some
account of what newspapers printed outside of the county circulated
in the county prior to the founding of a paper in the county. But that
part of the task cannot be accomplished, and what little is said on the
early history of newspapers in the county must be fragmentary. This
is largely due to the fact that no complete files of the earhest papers
have come down to us, and of some of these papers not a single issue,
as far as known, now exists. As a matter of fact no newspaper ever
published in the county, save the North Missouri Register which was
published from 1870 to 1879, has a complete file of its issues. Care
lessness in preserving the files or destructive fires have been responsible
for the incompleteness of the files. The historical value of the news
paper in spite of its inaccuracies of various sorts, is not realized gener
ally until Ave desire to look up some matter which we know will be set
forth in a newspaper especially if it is of early date. Adair County's
history will not be as fully written as it ought to be, especially in the
late fifties and early sixties, because of the loss of the early newspaper
files. Tradition has it that in February, 1843, a printer by the name of
Benjamin Davis came to Kirksville and opened up a job printing office.
He got out such things as posters and hand-bills, among which were
some posters advertising the sale of toAvn lots in Kirksville. He under
took, however, no newspaper.
It appears that the Kirksville Enterprise Avas the first paper pub
lished in the county. It seems to have been started in 1856 or there
abouts. In other words, the county had been settling up for twenty-
five years or more and had been organized about fifteen years before a
single newspaper was established. This means that during these years
the early settlers read practically nothing, for the probabilities are that
very few newspapers published outside the county circulated among
them. The Enterprise is said to have been started as a campaign pa
per in behalf of Buchanan during his campaign for the Presidency. It
was not intended to become a permanent publication, but it succeeded
278 History of Adair County.
so well it was continued after the campaign. L. F. Walden is said to
have been the first editor and pubUsher. This pubhcation changed
hands frequently during its short career and was finally merged with
the Democrat about 1859.
The Democrat was founded some time in October, 1858 by Foster
and Stone, with J. D. Foster as editor. Wm. B. Harmless in an article
published in the North Missouri Register for January 6, 1876, mentions
having an issue of the Democrat for December 23, 1858, before him,
and says it was Vol. I, No. 15. This fixes the time AA-hen the paper
was estabhshed with considerable certainty at about October, 1858.
It is not known just when this paper and the Enterprise were merged,
but it is believed it was done by E. M. C. Morelock in 1859. Morelock
had bought the Enterprise from Charles Jones, and later the Democrat
from Foster and Stone. When the war broke out the Democrat Avas
the only paper in the county as far as is knoAvn; that the only paper
in the county should be Democratic in politics at that time was in keep
ing Avith conditions, as the county Avas largely Democratic up to the
outbreak of the war.
On August 17, 1861, the Third Iowa Regiment came into Kirks
ville running down Confederate recruits. Many who had taken a prom
inent part in the agitation of the Confederate cause fled the town, among
Avhom Avas Major Morelock, the editor of the Democrat. The loAva
Regiment took charge of his paper and got out a special edition on Au
gust 23,1861. As far as is known this was the last issue of the Demo
crat, and for many years the county was without any paper at all. Sev
eral years after this event, Mr. H. F. Millan of Kirksville, came into
possession of a copy of this Iowa Regiment edition of the Democrat,
and he sent it to the Historical Department of loAva at Des Moines.
This copy is being carefully preserved there. Further details concern
ing this have been mentioned already in the chapter on the Civil War.
The first Republican paper in the county was established by Keel
Bradley some time in August, 1864. It bore the name of the Patriot.
On November 23, 1865, it passed into the hands of W. G. Kernodle,
and after one more issue its name was changed to that of the Weekly
Kirksville Journal. Kernodle associated himself with J. H. Myers
and E. S. Darlington in founding the Journal. The first issue of this
paper was pubhshed on December 2, 1865. At that time there
was considerable feeling over the question as to whether the State
should disfranchise the ex-Confederates and their sympathizers. The
Journal supported the Radical Republican Party which favored dis-
The County Press. 279
franchisement. In April, 1866, W. M. Gill bought out Kernodle's
interest; in the fall of that year John A. Pickler bought out Darlington.
In June, 1868, Pickler and GUI were stiU the editors. On January 21,
1871, Pickler retired and GiU continued to conduct the paper until he
sold it to S. M. Pickler on July 3, 1873. At the time when GiU assumed
sole proprietorship in 1871 the paper was increased in size and the name
changed t® the Dollar Journal. S. M. Pickler made several changes
in the name, calling it for a Avhile Weekly Journal, then Weekly Kirks
ville Journal, and finally Kirksville Journal, which name has been re
tained continuously from that time to the present.
In April, 1880, B. F. Heiny purchased a half interest from Pickler,
and from that time to the present, Avith the exception of a period extend
ing from 1891 to 1894, he has had some connection Avith the paper.
A short time after Mr. Heiny had bought an interest, D.S. Hooper pur
chased the remaining interest of Mr. Pickler. A little later Mr. Hooper
disposed of his interest to S. S. McLaughlin. In December, 1886,
Heiny and McLaughlin leased the paper to Wm. Gill and F. L. Link,
but this arrangement lasted only a short time when Heiny and Mc
Laughlin resumed the management.
On March 15, 1890, the plant was completely destroyed by a fire
that swept the south side of the square from the southeast corner up
to near the southwest corner. All the files of the Journal were lost. The
few old issues reaching back of the fire, that the paper noAv has have
been picked up here and there since that event. The proprietors set
to work to re-establish the paper immediately. Pending the arrival
of the new equipment arrangements were made for publishing the next
few issues in St. Louis. The week after the fire the paper came out on
time, but it contained very little local ncAvs. An account of the fire
and a few locals were all that the paper contained in the way of news.
After three issues the plant had been re-established in temporary quar
ters and the paper appeared Avith its usual amount of ncAvs.
In October, 1891, Mr. Heiny retired from the paper to become
Cashier of the Union Bank, a newly established bank in Kirksville,
now the National Bank of Kirksville. W. F. Link and F. L. Link be
came the proprietors, the former acting as editor and the latter as man
ager. In AprU, 1894, F. L. Link sold his interest to W. F. Link.
On April 22, 1897, articles of incorporation Avere filed for the Jour
nal Printing Company. The firm owning the paper had been known
by that name since November, 1891, but the paper Avas not incorporated
until 1897. B. F. Heiny has been President of the company since its
incorporation and F. L. Link has likcAvise been Secretary and Business
280
History of Adair County.
Manager. The Board of Directors has from time to time employed
some one to write editorial articles; among those thus employed have
been A. N. Seaber and J. A. Cooley. B. F. Heiny has frequently done
this part of the work himself.
For years the Journal occupied quarters on the second floor of the
buUding in which the Normal Book Store has long been, but in 1905
the company erected the large building it now occupies on McPherson
street between Franklin and Elson, and moved into it the first day of
January, 1906.
F. L. Link
With the exception of four years during the nineties, Mr. Link has been
connected -with the Journal continuously since 1868.
The equipment of the Journal has been its pride all along. In
1879 a two-horse-power steam engine was installed to run the press.
Though it was insignificant as compared with engines such as would be
installed now, it was the only one in the county and was something
which the paper felt proud of. The pride of the proprietor, S. M. Pick
ler, over this improA^ement was manifested in the imprimatur put on
all things printed in the shop. It read "Kirksville Journal Steam
Print." Since that time the equipment has been steadily improved
The County Press. 281
until today it includes a monotype machine, a large tAvo-re volution
book press and a pony book press. It is said that some of the stock
holders sold out their stock at less than par when some expensive ma
chinery was installed because they feared it Avould bankrupt the com
pany. But the improvements have proved profitable investments.
The press-work AA'hich this company does for other publications
than the- Journal is very extensive. Four different monthly pubhca-
tions connected with the A. S. 0., and one weekly pubhcation connected
Avith the Normal School, besides other pubhcations, are printed by this
company. It has also printed several different books of considerable
size, and has for years printed the catalogues of the A. S. 0. and the Nor
mal School.
The capital stock when the company Avas incorporated was $4,750.
It has been increased tAvice, once to $10,000, and in April, 1910, to
820,000. Its business for 1910 amounted to 824,913.
Much of the success of this establishment has been due to the man
ager, Mr. F. L. Link. He began to learn the trade in the Journal print
ing office in 1868, when it was OAvned by J. A. Pickler and Wm. Gill.
Since that time he has had some connection with the paper with the
exception of about four years during the nineties. His connection
Avith a county paper is therefore longer by far than that of any other
ncAvspaper man in the county.
After the suspension of the Democrat, that is the old Democrat,
during the war, there was no Democratic paper in the county until 1867.
Early in that year, Ellis & Sons established a paper called the Herald,
which they managed to run until October, 1870.
Before this venture in journalism succumbed, another had been
started, which Avas called the North Missouri Tribune. The first issue
was dated August 25, 1870. The editors, BroAvning and Scovern, were
strong Radicals. But their career was short. On September 29, 1870,
F. S. Hoag purchased the paper and changed its politics from Radical
to Liberal Republicanism. It avUI be recalled that in the fall election
of 1870 the Liberal Republicans had been victorious in the state over
the Radicals, but the Tribune seemed to have had very little influence
in affecting the result in Adair County, as this county remained staunch
ly Radical during that bitter campaign.
Before the year in which the Tribune was established was out, it
had changed hands again. With the issue of December 1, 1870, W. C.
B. Gillespie and a man by the name of Lyda became proprietors, the
first acting as editor. The pohtics were changed to Democratic and the
282 History of Adair County.
name Avas changed with the issue of December 8, 1870, to that of the
North Missouri Register. Mr. Lyda retired from the paper in August,.
1871, but Major Gillespie retained his connection until April, 1879.
For several j'ears during Major Gillespie's connection with this paper
he conducted another one at Macon also. He was accustomed to di
vide his time between KirksviUe and Macon, and to prepare material
which was inserted in both papers identically alike. He found it up
hill work maintaining a strong Democratic paper in a Republican coun
ty, and once or tAvice he affiliated himself Avith some third party which
had been organized in the county. In 1874 he espoused the People's
party cause until late in the campaign, and in 1878 he came very near
coming out squarely for the Greenbackers.
When Major Gillespie sold the paper in April, 1879 to Felix Lane
he reserved the right to use its name and he proceeded to buy the
Macon Examiner and at once changed its name to the North Missouri
Register. This paper he maintained for several years. Mr. Lane
changed the name of the paper he bought from Major Gillespie in
Kirksville to the Kirksville Democrat. He continued his connection
Avith it until March 11, 1880, at which time Dr. A. H. John, a unique
character in the political affairs of the countj' took charge. On July
20, 1882, J. U.Barnard, who had long been a member of the faculty of
the State Nor- mal School at KirksviUe, bought the pap6r and in Au
gust of that year W. L. Chappell became a partner of Mr. Barnard
in publishing the paper. In October, 1883, the latter retired, having
sold his interest to his partner. Later Mr. Chappell's brother bought
an interest in the paper and still later, at least by March 29, 1888, the
firm Avent by the name of Chappell, Bailey & Company.
On March 15, 1890, the plant was destroyed by the same fire that
destroyed the Journal. Fortunately its files from 1882 to 1888 were
saved, but the files from 1879 to 1882, and from 1888 to 1890 were de
stroyed. The files of the North Missouri Register from 1870 to 1879
were also destroyed in this same fire, but fortunately Major Gillespie
had saved two files, and when he left Kirksville in 1879 took one of
them Avith him to Macon. After his death in 1903, these files Avhich he
had prized so highly, Avere donated by his daughters, Mrs. Ammen and
Mrs. Maxon, to the State Normal School at Kirksville.
On September 10, 1891, Chappell and Bailey sold the Democrat
to C. S. Orcutt, Avho had been editor of the Monticello Journal in Lewis
County. The first issue under Mr. Orcut contained a long editorial
to the Democrats of Adair County urging upon them greater unity of
action and more harmony of spirit so that victory might be more regu-
The County Press. 283
larly theirs. It wiU be recaUed that the election of 1890 had been a
regular landslide locaUy for the Democrats by a happy combination
Avith the Farmers' Alhance, and it was not yet apparent that such a
victory would not be regularly repeated.
Mr. Orcutt remained in charge of the paper until ill health com
peUed him to retire early in 1903. On February 6, 1903, Dr. W. T.
Stephenson became proprietor and editor and remained so until De
cember 29, 1905, when the Kirksville Democrat Printing Company
was organized. This company Avas composed of R. Minter, editor, and
J. P. English, manager. Under Dr. Stephenson the name had been
changed to The Democrat. This Avas now changed back to the Kirks
ville Democrat. On May 24, 1907, J. C. Calhoun became editor and
manager. Since then frequent changes have been made in the manage
ment. On January 17, 1908, S. T. Willey assumed the duties of man
ager and has remained so up to the present. Several men have since
that time had charge of the editorial work, among them C. N. Tolman,
Jas. Ellison and S. T. Willey himself. The present editor is I. H. Hum-
phrej'^."' Meanwhile, the company Avhich owned the paper was incor
porated, this having taken place on October 17, 1908.
The Graphic was established by Dr. J. M. Swetnam as publisher
and proprietor; and W. M. Gill, who had been formerly connected with
the Journal, as editor. It seems as though this second Republican
paper in the county was established as the result of a faction in the party
which is said to have grown out of a fight for the Kirksville post office.
The Journal naturally opposed the move to get out another Republican
paper, and a petition was circulated among the Republicans protesting
against it, but all to no avail. Gill continued as editor until December,
1881. In June, 1882, Dr. Swetnam leased the paper to W. M. GiU
and Jacob Sands. Sands seems to have been connected Avith the paper
until the last of December of that year. In June, 1883, T. E. Sublette
purchased the paper from Swetnam and retained Gill as editor until
March, 1885, when he assumed control. He has been proprietor and
editor from that time to this, and has today the record of having been
an editor longer than anj' one in the county.
The Graphic has been a sor.t of free lance ever since its establish
ment. While Repubhcan in principle, it has not hesitated to criticize
individual Republicans and to support Democrats at times. It was
particularly favorable to Folk for Governor in 1904.
In February, 1887, the plant Avas moved into a small brick build
ing, said to be the oldest brick business building in town, on Franklin
284
History op Adair County.
street, just off the southeast corner of the square. It remained there
until it was moved in 1910 to West^^McPherson street, next to the Jour
nal Printing Company.
T. E. Sublette
Editor of the Graphic since 1885.
Each of the Aveeklj- papers in KirksAoUe has at some time or other
maintained a dailj', but no one kept it up A'erj- long. The first to start,
as far as is knoAvn, was the Daily Journal. The first issue was on Maj-
18, 1875, when S. M. Pickler was editor of the Journal. This venture
did not outlast the j'ear, suspending at Christmas. In 1881-82 the Daily
Graphic Avas issued, and some time in the eighties there was a daily
Democrat. It appears that the Daily Journal was revived about this
time, but for how long is not known. -It was revived again in 1891 and
ran from August 26 to December 30. No one of these efforts was prof
itable, hence their suspension shortly after their inauguration.
The Daily Express has been the only daily paper in the county
AA'hich has proved a success financially so far. It Avas started some time
in November, 1901, by N. A. Mathck and J. Rice. In a short time the
The County Press. 285
latter retired, and then in January, 1905, the paper was sold to the
Journal Printing Company. On June 1, 1906, C. C. Howard, formerly
of the Brashear News, bought the paper from the Journal and began a
series of improvements which have brought it to what it is at the pres
ent. In 1907 Walter Ridgway Avas employed as Business ^Manager,
and in November, 1909 he and E. E. Swain purchased the paper from
Mr. HoAvard. In March, 1911, Mr. RidgAvaj' announced his retire
ment by May 1, having sold his interest to ]\Ir. Swain.
The Thrice-a-Week Echo was estabhshed by J. W. Settle in ]\Iarch,
1905. As the name suggests it appeared three time a week. After
maintaining it for tAvo or three years Mr. Settle sold it to S. R. Lloyd,
who changed the name to the KirksAdlle Herald. Later he moved the
paper to Greentop.
The toAvn of Brashear has for a long time supported a ncAvspaper of
some sort. The early efforts at estabhshing a paper were not verj'
successful. Several papers were started and A'ery shortly given up.
Among them were the Brashear Gazette which was started in 1880,
but was very soon suspended because of the litigation among its cred
itors; the Salt River Bugle, Avhich was edited by W. H. Jayne, but just
when is not known; and the Brashear Citizen, Avhich was founded by
E. S. Link in December, 1886. That, too, became a subject of litiga
tion and was suspended by the close of the next year.
The present paper, the Brashear News, has been a financial suc
cess. It was founded by E. L. Hilbert, the first issue appearing on
August 6, 1896. In June, 1897 he disposed of it to M. B. Sherwood,
who in turn sold it to C. C. Howard in July, 1898 The paper was in a
fair way of dying out Avhen Mr. Howard took hold of it, but he gave it a
new start and considerably expanded it. When he came to Kirksville
to take charge of the Daily Express, in June, 1906, he sold the News to
Foster Moore, who is still editor and proprietor.
The files that have been preserved shoAv that the paper has been
careful all along to gather as much county news as possible from all
parts of the county, especially the eastern part. The equipment of the
office is considerable for so small a place.
Novinger has one newspaper, the Novinger Record. This was
founded by the Record Printing Company, with Nat L. Johnson as
manager. The first issue was March 25, 1904. In 1907 the paper was
sold to the Novinger Printing Company, which Avas composed of J. J.
Wells, Marion Rombauer, and J. M. Wood. The last named was made
286 History of Adair County.
editor. He was shortiy followed by George Melvin. In 1909 Walter
Eason took charge of the paper and remained Avith it until October,
1910, when F. L. Morrow became editor. The circulation has run at
times to as high as 1170, but its normal circulation is between 600 and
1000. For a while in 1906, Mr. Johnson of the Novinger Record, also pub
hshed a Connelsville paper, but that proved unremunerative and hence
was suspended.
Besides the papers that have been mentioned there have been sev
eral others started and kept going for a while. Many of these were
political papers pure and simple.
One of these was called the Pell Mell Greenbacker, edited by C. E.
Kinman who had formerly Uved at Edina. As the name suggests the
paper was an organ of the Greenback party. It Avas established before
1887, but just when it was started and when it quit is not known.
The Farmers' Alliance gave rise to a paper devoted exclusively to
its purposes, called the Adair County Farmer, and later the Farmer's
Advocate. It Avas evidently established in 1892, Avith J. T. Miller as
editor. In March, 1894 it Avas sold to a stock company, whereupon
J. Weller Long of Warrensburg was made editor. When Mr. Long re
tired in September of that year, J. M. McCall acted as editor for a few
months. Allen Osenbaugh succeeded Mr. McCall and continued the
paper until 1898, Avhen he sold the plant to a man who moved it out of
the county.
CHAPTER XIV.
INDUSTRIES.
Section I. — Agriculture and Stock Raising.
The chief industry of the county is agriculture and has been from
the beginning.. Prior to the war very few other industries were carried
on. A little coal mining was done in the western part of the county,
but it was not until rather recently that it was developed to what it
is at the present. Many industries were carried on in the homes such
as spinning and weaving. A tanyard was conducted from 1840 to
1855 bj' Washington and Lcaa^s Conner, on the farm now owned by
Ira Collet six miles west of Kirksville. Deer, bear and cattle hides
Avere tanned here. Inasmuch as farming has been the chief industry
of the county, it will be considered first, and others Avill be taken up in
the order which seems most logical.
The eastern and western parts of the county offer the best, advan
tages for farming, though certain portions of the Avestern part are very
fine for agricultural purposes. The chief crop is corn, though some
wheat, oats and hay are raised. The estimated production of these
crops in the county during the year 1909 is, according to the Bureau
of Labor Statistics for 1910, as follows:
acres.
average yield
total yield estimated
per acre
OF COUNTY MARKET VALUE
Wheat
. . 2, 148
17 bu.
36,516 bu. $ 39,072
Corn
,62,296
29 bu.
1,806,584 bu. 1,083,950
Oats
3,640
25 bu.
91,000 bu. 37,310
Hay and forage . .
..73,309
80,639 tons 685,431
Total $1, 845, 763
From this it will be seen that the average yield of Avheat is only 17
bushels, of corn 29 bushels, and oats 25 bushels. That the soil of the
county is capable of a large yield of at least corn and Avheat, has been
well demonstrated. In 1884 the Graphic offered a prize of $25 in cash
to the one who would raise the best acre of corn. Nine contestants
entered the race. They reported yields ranging from 78 to 149 bushels
to the acre. The prize was won by John W. Parker, who raised 149
bushels on an acre; Wm. Conway, who lived two miles south of Bra
shear, came out second best with a yield of 132 bushels. In 1887 Mr.
Salmon Otto of Sloan's Point, offered a prize of $25 in cash to one Avho
produced the largest yield of Avheat to the acre. The prize was won by
Haller's Clover Huller at Work.
Industries. 289
Thos. Pope of the western part of the county, whose yield was over
56 bushels to the acre. Others showed 44 and 51 bushels.
These tests show that at the present time with improved facihties
and more scientific methods than prevailed in the eighties when the
contests were on, the average yield ought to be more now than it is.
A comparison of the data in the table given above for 1909, with
similar data for 1870, shows some interesting facts. For example, in
1870 there were over 46,500 iDushels of wheat raised in the county as
against 36,516 in 1909; of corn there were 216,162 bushels in 1870, and
1,806,584 in 1909; of hay there were 10,469 tons in 1870, and 80,639
tons in 1909. No report was made for oats in 1870. From these compar
isons it is seen that the yield in wheat has decreased, while that of corn
and hay has increased remarkably. The decrease in the yield of wheat
may be due, not to a smaller acreage but to a poorer season, but the in
crease in corn and hay is evidently due to a larger acreage as well as
perhaps a better season.
Tradition has it that the first crop of timothy grass in the county
was grown by Wm. Collet in 1838. It was such a curiosity that people
came for miles to see it.
As new farm machinery has been invented it has been brought on
by the enterprising farmers of the county. No one implement created
so much interest as the harvester and self-binder. The mower and
reaper had been great inventions, but the harvester and self-binder
seemed to be an impracticable thing. It seems to have been brought
into the county first in 1883. The Journal for July 12, 1883, gives a
long account of the successful demonstration of this machine on the
farm of D. L. Conner, ten miles southeast of Kirksville.
The following table taken from the Bureau of Labor Statistics for
1902 regarding the number and acreage of farms and the values of
specified classes of farm property on June 1, 1900, and the gross pro
ducts of 1899, excluding what was fed to stock, is of interest. For sake
of comparison the figures for the state and for Adair County are given:
no. of FARMS acres IN FARMS
Total With Buildings Total Improved
Missouri 284,886 275,634 33,997,873 22,900,043
Adair Co. 2,696 2,616 319,132 240,892
VALUES OF FARM PROPERTY GROSS INCOME
Lands & Buildings Implements Live Products
Improvements Machinery Stock of 1899
Missouri $695,470,723 $148,508,840 $28,602,680 $160,540,004 $161,344,616
Adair Co. 9,275,060 1,167,360 240,580 1,685,966 1,299,620
20
290 HiSTOKT OF Adair County.
Practicallj' every farmer in the countj- produces something in the
way of live stock and fann yard and dairy products, and several carry
on stock raisdng extensively. Among the latter are Still & Laughlin, pro
prietors of the Kinloch Farm, Kirksville, and breeders of Jersey cattle;
NoAnnger & Sons, KirksAnlle, breeders of shorthorn cattle; John W.
Waddill, Brashear, breeder of Jersey cattle; Otto Bros., of Clay Town
ship, breeders of mules; C. A. Robinson, Kirksyille, breeders of Jer
sey cattle; S. J. Miller, Kirksville, importer- and breeder of fine horses;
and H. M. Henley, proprietor of the Henley Ranch, four miles north
west of Stahl, breeder of sheep, mules, horses and cattle. The Henley
Ranch, which embraces 8,000 acres lying in Adair, Sullivan, and Putnam
Coimties, has just recently been established. It has been particularly
successful with Shropshire sheep and Percheron horses. The record
for butter-fat is held by one of the cows of the Kinloch herd owned by
Still & Laughlin. The annual sales in the herds owned by these dififer-
ent proprietors attract buyers from long distances.
The county assessor's live stock census for 1909 was as foUows:
Head AssESSEao Valtje
Horses 9,409 $405,370
Mules 1, 335 56, 510
Asses and jennets 42 2, 725
Cattle , 24, 209 305, 800
Sheep 11, 108 22,455
Hogs 9, 623 34, 540
MisceUaneous 305 300
Total value $827, 700
As the assessed value is about one-fourth of the actual value the
above table wiU have to be multipHed by four. When that is done it is
seen that the live stock of the county is worth about $3,000,000.
The pioneers in the poultry business as a separate business in the
coimty were Holebrooke, Pierce & Wilkes. They began business in
KirksAdlle in 1885. After several changes in the firm the business was
sold to R. C. Combs of Memphis, AAdio later sold out to Chas. Cole.
In Augiist, 1895, Cole disposed of his busijaess to J. Selby of Quincy.
A httle later the firm became Selby & Brother, aoad in 1901 it was in
corporated under the name of Selby Poultry Company. This com
pany has branches at Edina, Hannibal, and Quincy. iwith headquarters
at Kirksville. Eggs, butter and poultry are the chief products that are
bought and shipped to market; in addition, hides, furs, pelts, tallow,
Industries.
291
and feathers are purchased in varying quantities. In 1896 the firm paid
to the people of the county 840,000 for produce, and in 1910 about
875,000. The chief market for produce bought here is Ncav York.
Besides the Selby Company there are the Jonas Produce Company
of Kirksville and Joe Taylor of Brashear, both of whom deal in farmyard,
dairy and packing-house products somcAvhat extensively; many mer
chants at other points in the county do the same on a smaller scale.
The value of the farmyard, dairy and packing-house products shipped
out of the county in 1909 by dealers of all kinds amounted to over
8400,000, according to the last report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics
of ^Missouri.
Burk Bros Packing Plaxt, Kirksville.
One of the most recent industries in the county is the Burk Broth
ers Packing Plant. For almost twelve years Burk Brothers have been
carrjdng on a Avholesale business in meats Avhich has increased year by
year. Seeing the possibilities for a profitable business done on a large
scale these men organized the Burk Brothers Packing Plant Company
in 1909 Avhich Avas incorporated for 870,000. In the spring and summer
of 1910 a plant costing 850,000 Avas erected in the northwest part of
Kirksville on the "0. K." railroad. It has been in operation since
September and its products haA'c found ready sale not only in near liy
towns but in manj' of our large eastern cities. It employs from tAventy-
five to fifty men regularl}^ and slaughters from two hundred to six hiin-
292 History of Adair County.
dred head of hogs, sheep and cattle per Aveek. A government inspector
is retained at the plant and nothing is allowed to be offered for sale
which does not bear his stamp.
The officers of the company are A. J. Burk, President; L. J. Burk,
Vice-President; Hiram Selby, Secretary. The stockholders are from
all parts of the county.
In the seventies several cheese factories were operated. The
first as far as is known was established by Montgomery & Hooper in
Kirksville in 1873. This was maintained only a year or two. Mr.
Hooper then estabhshed one near Millard in 1875 and kept it going for
three years. At the same time D. A. Ely started one at Sublette.
The first creamery in Kirksville was started by Blackman & Wilkes
in 1883. This they maintained until about 1890. For fourteen years
thereafter the city was Avithout a creamery. In 1904 a stock company
was formed and the creamery now in operation Avas built. J. F. Fon
cannon was manager until 1908, when the company sold out to Logan
& Edwards, who are the present proprietors. Statistics are wanting
as to the amount of business of this industry year by year, but it is
known that $28,000 was paid for cream in 1885, and $50,000 in 1910.
The reports of surplus products of Missouri Counties, Avhich the
Bureau of Labor Statistics have published from 1890 to the present,
contain much of interest relative the products of various industries, of
the county. The following compilation from these reports shows what
have been some of the surplus products of Adair County from year to
year. In the table certain years are omitted because no statistics were
given for those years. Surplus products, it should be said are those
that are shipped out of the county and do not include what is used in
home consumption.
Surplus Products of Adair County.
LIVE stock
Cattle, head
Hogs, head
Horses and Mules, head
Sheep and Goats, head .
FARM CROPS
Wheat, bushels
Corn bushels
Oats, bushels
Rye, bushels
Hay. tons
MILL PRODUCTS
Flour, barrels
Corn meal, pounds
Bran, Ship stuff, pounds
Chops, pounds
FARM YARD PRODUCTS
Poultry, live, pounds...
Poultry, dressed, pound 8
Eggs, dozen
Feathers, pounds
FOREST PRODUCTS
Hardwood lumber, feet
Soft lumber, teet
Walnut logs, feet
Railroad Ties
Fence and Pine Posts...
Cord wood, cords
DAIRY PRODUCTS
Butter, pounds
Milk and Cream, gal..
FISH & GAME PRODUCTS
Game, pounds
Furs, pounds
Fish, pounds
PACKING HSB. PRDCTS
Hides and Pelts, pounds
Dressed Meat, pounds. . .
Tallow, pounds
Lard, pounds
VEGETABLES Vegetables, pound s
Picljles and CuGumbers. .
Potatoes, bushels
Canned Veg.&fru!ts,qts.
FRUIT Fresh, Fruit, pounds...
Strawberries, crates
Dried fruit, pounds
Apples, barrels
Raspberries, crates
WOOL & MOHAIR
Wool, pounds
MINE&QUARRY PRDCTS.
Coal, tons
VALUE IKCD. MISC. PRD.
1891
1894
1896
4.342
18,360 540402
7.1!36
28,999 600
1,440
2,875
22,060 1,120 1,261
28,07466,284
101,989 3,736
77
21,45044,800
4,000
14,000
27,000
1,060
1,200 2.750
1,950 600
208,528
458,580
203,792
250,170 3,163
:366,690 4.030
266.066 460
225,000
72,000
84,400
45,793
312
259
112,937
73,21]
87,940
973
2,212
1,000 500
258,688
284,690
101,393
3,000
735385
30,400
11,370 4,400
9
80,060 2,405 46
28,838
245
9,188
72,988
43,940
46,895
7,614
13,300
16,600
1897 3,477
34,130 880
2,340 500500
2,800
1,350
316,079 194,250 1,840
210,000 22,800 49
32,594 4,837 1,244
127,258 714
60,285
940
1,164
7,929
30,69023,080
1898
1899
1900
1901
1902
3,406
25,290 95
1,148
3,279
16,114 842
1,689
2,530
16,263 520 391
5,632
15,198 2,089
4,429
13,750 380
1,564
31,067 1,996
63,364 3,744
3,305 938
1,899
25,500 15,008 661
4,600
492
1,571
3,900
290
3,244
5;900
68,750
i.m
10,850
286
2,613
2,676
2,650299 155,979 28,960
418,680 305(205142,950 8,149
305,234
4t(0,l(l0556,010 15,972
143,803
432,161 142,920 21,790
106,050
400,700 144,960 28,900
607,700
80,000
81,000
2,700
54,000
18,000 18,614
66,000 156
22,500
24,758 15,850 288
36.000 17,325 6,300 84
22,500 11,925 212
18,000 9,800 180
51,190
27,567
34,992
33,711
37,920 800
855
7,752
1,9591,988 90
1,961
2,315
5,5252,095
5,275 750
62,922 1,962
21,855
137,236 3,169 2,125
122 131
18,996 6,780 150
135,620 24,981 5,536 75
187,100 9,090
8,870
15,400
25,895
1,000
1,950
120,000
54S
40,000
1,557 585
78
64,000
30
308,610
3,91)
1,000
940
1.420 26
790
480
82,019
720
1,760
60,800
58,320
114,400
250,560
299,460
299,500
1867,445
1903 4,68
18,249 400
2,475 9,495
195,995 24,954 1,,"-"
158,717
606,74127.6180 1,455
36,000
198,000 2,3257,000 252
48,520 6
36,725 568
110,630 70,303 220
2,022 1,090 60
150 2025
8,791
414,030
$1,273021
1904 5,602
21,805 401
2,998 3,798
173,790 23,450 1,425
5,5911,334
225,067 620,659315,125 540
9,000
2,770 6,775 265
73,183
14,750 4,000
91,946 47,961 510350
373
2,200 SO
180 39
453.500
$1,618,506
1905 -6,305
24,025 486
3,1467,320
51,28027,172
290
348,580
300.900 305,410
147,000895,000 18,600
17,775 14,950 1,356
65,374 560
7,164
5,012 280
290,000 6,4694,648 110
495
120,000 88
32,857
645,315
tl ,798, 460
1906 8,925
18,775 864
3,780
50
1,5301,2005,000
228,651 449,286301,240 5,1
528,000 450,000120,000 51,060 1.752
57,635 13,980 5,021 2,434
289,085 26,397 12,011
925
25,010 1,640
69,520 27
1,300 82B
28,461
522,228
$1,779,970
1907
18,831 869
2,857 5.430
113,223 89,472 1,108 264
1,599
40,356
109,850 94,200
182,656520,619
316,400 13,497
173,000705,000 9,000
20,000 64,800 4,176
87,619 5,27' 1,7665,070
207,786 29,596 15,948 4.706 7,018
61,430 1,7153,199
68470 54
1,400 174 12
44,338
583,880
$1,947,475
1908 5,078
20,668 697
8,7717,700
126,436 36,800 336 599
19,550 5,800
2,400
483,751 610,500
410,000 5,600
525,000 5,500
10,000
30,800 8,172
231,120 40,000 13,588 1,041 510
35,100 13,560 1,200 350
6,500 3,100
36,800 5,300 948
7,258
56.631
568,446
L ,767 ,754
1909 8,729
27,438 1,099
2,914
11,550
143,800 44,200 2,146 1,198
155,000144,(100 87,000
636,403 725,016742,400 8,609
1,104011 21,000 3,500
168,800 14,600
250,901
236,584 74,213 1,494 416
148.938 110,640 33,460 3,140
224,600 165,140 11,890
38,118 18,300 1,1001,250
10,200 216
104,106564,328
2.395739
294 History of Adair County.
The nursery industry was at one time fairly extensive. The Pat
terson Nursery, which was in operation from about 1870 to some time
in the nineties, was a well ordered and successful plant. It was located
one-half mile northwest of KirksviUe. Since its discontinuance there
has been no Avell developed industry of the kind in the county. The
Pattersons were during their time instrumental in stirring up an active
interest in horticulture in the county. During the eighties a large hor
ticultural society was organized and meetings were held once a month.
During the early nineties the drying of fruit Avas a paying business.
During 1890 Trescott Brothers are reported as having dried 29,272
bushels of apples. After 1894, however, no mention has been found
of the business haA'ing continued.
Section II. — Manufacturing.
The milling industry has never been very extensiA^e in the county.
but the history of the industry reaches back into the early years of the
county. The first mills were water mills and Avere generally located
on the Chariton. Mention has been found of two such mills on the
Chariton, one called the Ely Mill at Avhat is noAV Connelsville, and the
other Hargrave's Mill. These two are said to haA'c been built in 1842,
and probably Ely's mUl was built first.
The Ely mill was transformed into a steam mill by the German
communists who came into that neighborhood in 1850 and founded the
town of Nineveh, now Connelsville. This was the first steam mill
in the county and for that niatter, it was the only one for a radius of
perhaps fifty miles or more. Men came for miles and miles to get their
grain ground. This mill ground both corn and wheat. With the dis
solution of the colony, the mill was discontinued.
The first flour mill in Kirksville seems to have been built in 1868.
It Avas owned by Hoag, Swigert & Company, and stood in the northern
part of toAvn. It was thoroughly remodeled in 1880, but Avas burned
to the ground on July 8, 1883. It was then owned by Sam Swigert.
The people of Kirksville were greatly distressed over this loss,
especially the merchants. Frequent mass meetings were held in 1885
and 1886 to consider plans to get another miU. It seems that at that
time there were no flour mills in the county at all, and it was frequently
remarked that 60,000 bushels of wheat were raised in the county every
year but there Avas no mill to grind it up.
The desire for a miU was realized in 1887 or early in 1888, Avhen
Russell & Burklin built one on the site of the present mill off the north-
Filling A Silo on Patterson's Farm
(This Silo was the first in the county.)
296 History of Adair County.
west corner of the square. It was scarcely finished when it was burned
to the ground. This occurred in June, 1888. Work Avas begun on its
reconstruction at once and was finished by September of that year.
In 1891 Millbank & Son purchased the mill, and in 1894 Charies Mill-
bank became the sole owner and has remained so to the present.
One or two other flour mills on a small scale have been started in the
county, but they have not succeeded. Corn meal mills have abounded
at all times and have been successful.
For many years sufficient wool was raised in the county to furnish
raw material for one or two woolen mills or factories. Mention has been
found of tAVO Avoolen mills in 1868. One was the Buckhorn Woolen Mills
near Sharr's MiU on the Chariton, which was operated by Paftnabaker
& Company. The other Avas the Troy MiUs, four miles south of Kirks
ville, which Avas operated by Caldwell & Hall. By 1873 there was one
mill in Kirksville operated by T. C. Harris. By 1883 Edgar Bigsby
Avas proprietor of a woolen mill in the northern part of town. Whether
this is the same one which had been operated by Harris in 1873 or not
is not knoAvn. Several different kinds of woolen goods were produced
by these mills, such as cassimeres, flannels, jeans, satinettes, blankets,
Unsy, plain and fancy yarn, and the like. By 1893 KirksviUe was with
out a woolen mill. Scarcity of raw materials Avas responsible for this.
The sheep industry has never been sufficiently revived and developed
since then to call forth woolen mills.
The planing mill industry has been carried on for thirty-fiA'^e years
or more in the county by different firms. The first to undertake it on
a large scale was A. L. Holmes. He came to Kirksville in 1870 and be
gan taking contracts to erect buildings about 1875 and continued in
that work until his death in NoA'^ember, 1910. He began with a small
horse power saw and planing mill near the northeast corner of the
square. In 1885 he bought a hoop pole factory building beyond the
junction of the two railroads, and in 1887 moved it to where it now
stands and considerably enlarged it. Mr. Holmes was the most exten
sive contractor Kirksville has ever had. Among the public buildings
erected by him are the Baptist church. Christian church, Cumberland
Presbyterian church, M. E. Church, South, A. S. 0. Hospital, County
Jail, and Science Hall of the Normal School. He built very many of the
business houses and dwellings of the town. The most notable of the
latter is the residence of W. T. Baird.
C. C. Anderson began in the planing mill business in KirksviUe
Industries. 297
about 1890. He shortly disposed of this business but started up again
in 1895 and continued in it until his death in 1909. His most notable
constructions in Kirksville are the Court House and Dr. A. T. Still's
residence. W. S. Murphy began in the planing mill business in 1895, and has
in the sixteen years since then built a great many private dwellings
in the county.
For several years the town maintained a wagon factory and a
handle factory. Grassle Brothers started a wagon factory in 1887,
which was maintained by one firm or another until about 1909. The
handle factory was started by Mr. Storm about 1893 and was main
tained for about ten years. No efforts have been made to revive these
factories since their suspension.
A foundry and machine shop has been one of the industries of
Kirksville for years. Loomis's foundry was in operation in 1886. In
recent years Mr. Sherwood has maintained one.
The manufacture of building brick has been carried on by several
different parties at different times in and around KirksAdlle. In 1907
J. M. Ivie & Son made an effort to organize a company to make paving
brick on their land just west of town. In 1908 the Adair Brick & Coal
Company was organized, and the land and machinery of Ivie & Son
were temporarily leased. One kiln of paving brick was burnt Avith ex
cellent results. The company plans to conduct the business on a large
scale as soon as a switch can be laid out to the plant.
The largest manufacturing establishment in the county is the shoe
factory of the Friedman-Shelby Shoe Company of St. Louis. This
is one of the several branch factories which this company has in dif
ferent parts of the state.
Early in April, 1907, the Business Men's League of Kirksville re
ceived an inquiry from this company as to whether the town would be
interested in raising a bonus to secure a shoe factory. The league
sent a committee composed of Dr. H. M. Still and J. E. Goodwin to
St. Louis to investigate the matter and an executive committee of twelve
was appointed to act upon the report of the other committee and carry
out the matter if the proposition should be accepted.
The investigating committee reported that the company Avanted
a bonus of $60,000, a free site for the factory, and free water for five
years. They proposed to erect a brick building 60x300, four stories
298 History op Adair County.
high, and to employ 300 hands at the start with an output of 1800 pairs
of shoes per day, and to increase the force later to 600 hands and the
output to 4000 pairs per day; they further proposed to bring not over
25 per cent of their employes with them and to secure the rest from
Kirksville and nearby toAvns.
Many diverse views were expressed regarding the proposition,
but it Avas finally decided to accept it. F. J. Grassle was made Presi
dent of the executive committee, and while the credit for the success
of the scheme belongs to a score or more of men, no small part of that
credit belongs to him.
It was decided to get options on different tracts of land and to
raise $80,000 in subscriptions. Of this amount $60,000 was to go to
the company and the rest was to be put into the site and tracts of land
adjoining the site. These tracts of land were to be divided into 350 or
400 different lots and every one who subscribed $200 was to get one of
these lots in return for his subscription. -The site Avas donated by Dr.
H. M. StiU and Will Reid, and the land adjoining it on both sides of
the Wabash railroad was bought from different parties. This ground
was platted into toAvn lots, and committees were appointed to sell the
lots; By strenuous efforts by way of personal solicitations and public
meetings, the amount was finally raised. In order that the company
might be guaranteed the prompt payment of the amounts subscribed,
one hundred citizens signed ' a guaranty for the entire amount. The
executive committee was authorized to act as the board of trustees
for the subscribers t-6 the fund. C. S. Sands was made President of
this board, and F. J. Grassle, Secretary. . ,
The contract between the trustees for the subscribers and the shoe
company was signed May 7, 1907, and as soon as the- word was brought
back the next day from St. Louis by the committee 'that it had been
signed, pi'eparations were made for a big celebration that evening in
honor of the event. A big bonfire was built on the southeast corner of
the square. Noise was furnished by all the steam A^histles of the city,
the firing of anvils and giant fire crackers. The band added to the
occasion with several lively selections.
On January 9, 1908, the subscribers drew for their lots to which
they were entitled. The lot numbers were put in one box and the names
of the subscribers in another, and each subscriber got the lot which Avas
draAvn at the same time his name was called. There was one prize
lot, the one on which were a house and barn. ThisfeU to D. C. Rat-
liff, J. F. Waddill, H. M. Adams, and Reese Frankum, who had com
bined to subscribe for one lot.
w
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oog>"1
oo s
w
tH
300 History of Adair County.
The contract for the building was let to Hanlin & Garner of Hannibal
for $53,820 on July 11, 1907. The building was completed in April,
1908, and operations were begun on a small scale early in May.
The factory employs 300 people, to whom are paid $2,500 a week
in wages. The daily output is 1200 pairs of shoes. Men's boys' and
youths' medium priced welt shoes constitute the class of goods man
ufactured. The factory here is one of several factories owned by this
firm in the state.
The manufacture of railroad ties was for a long time one of the
important industries of the county. Most of the timber of the western
part of the county was cut down and made into railroad ties. Oak,
walnut, sycamore, locust, cherry, and mulberry trees were used. In
fact, whole sections were denuded of trees, much to the detriment of
the land. This industry dates back into the seventies, but it was at
its height from about 1885 to 1900. Novinger, especially after the
extension of the 0. K. railroad from Kirksville to that place, and Troy
Mills were important tie stations. Millions of ties were made and
shipped out of the county. They were used by the "0. K." railroad
in its extension from Kirksville Avestvvard, by the Chicago, Milwaukee
and St. Paul when it was built from Kansas City to Chicago, and by
many other railroads. Many different men and firms engaged in the
business. Among them were McDaniels & Bancroft, Pickler & Crebs,
Aaron Kinyon, Wm. Van Cleave, John L. Porter, and P. C. MUls.
Section III. — Coal Mining.
The industry of the county which gives it high rank among the
counties of the state is the coal industry. Because of its importance
it is well to give it some considerable attention.
Just when coal began to be mined in the county, is impossible to
say. Owing to the fact that in the northwestern part of the county
the coal veins crop out on the hUlsides, and hence more an easily accessible,
it may be that some mining was done in a desultory way prior to 1850.
But the sparsity of population, the great difficulties of transportation,
and the cheapness of wood fuel made the demand for coal, hoAvever
easily it might be gotten out, very light. The earliest instance of coal
digging in the county that has come to the knowledge of the author
is that by J. W. Madden, who worked a strip pit near Nineveh in 1854,
and who operated the Beeman bank near Stahl in 1858.
Until the Q. M. & P. railroad was extended west from Kirksville,
Industries. 301
whereby the coal fields of the county were penetrated, whatever coal
was produced in the county was used in home consumption only. The
extension of the railroad west of KirksA^Ue in 1878 marked the begm-
ning of the use of coal by the railroads that run through the county.
In that year coal began to be shipped to markets outside the county.
In the Qunicy Herald during the latter part of November, 1878, it was
announced that the first train load of coal from the Adair County mines
had recently arrived OAcr the Q. M. & P. Railroad, and that a train
load would be receiA-ed CA-ery day. But the eastern market did not
prove as good a one as it was hoped it would be, because of the heavy
competition Avith the coal mines in Illinois. It would probably be not
far from the truth to say that not untU 1897, when the Q. M. & P. R. R.
was extended from Trenton to Kansas City and also made direct con
nections A\-ith Omaha, over one-half of the entire output of the mines
of the county was used in the county by railroads or the local trade.
The coal fields of the county he for the most part in the western
and northwestern parts of the county. The chief centers are Stahl,
Novinger, ConnelsAdUe, and KirksA-Ule. Counting the small mines
operated by indiAdduals and scattered throughout the coal fields, as
well as the large mines operated by firms of large resources, there are
at least twenty-fiA-e mines in the county.
The annual reports of the State ]Mine Inspector, which began in
1887 and continue down to the present, giA-e a great deal of informa
tion concerning the coal industry of the state by counties. From these
haAC been compiled the statistical tables which are included in this
section. ^Tiile it may be possible that the Inspector in his trips through
the coal counties has not always inspected the httle mines and those
in out of way places, yet it is more than likelj' that he has inspected
CA-ery year aU the larger mines, and his statistics concerning them AviU
be fairly indicatiA-e of the actual state of the industry.
The fact that there is no mention made of the coal industry in
Adair County in the first annual report of the State Mine Inspector
in 1887 would seem to indicate that he had not been able to get around
to this county, or that notAvithstanding the beginning that had been
made to dcA^elop the industry commerciaUy it was not yet great enough
to attract his attention. In the second annual report, the one for 1888,
mention is made of only two mines which had an output of only 8,000
tons, and the county Avas ranked sixteenth in the state Avith only one
county producing less than it did. In 1889 the output was doubled,
but no further marked increase occurs untU 1893. In that year thou
sands of acres of coal lands were bought or leased by those who felt
302 History of Adair County.
that there was room for a more extended development of the industry,
and the prediction Avas made by the State Inspector in his report for
1894 that Adair County would soon become one of the large coal pro
ducing counties of the state. The output had been raised in 1893 to
20,957 tons, but the county still ranked only sixteenth in the state,
and no marked increase in the output occurred until 1898. In that
year it reached 62,215 tons and the county ranked elcA'^enth in the state.
The extension of the 0. K. railroad from Trenton to Kansas City and
Omaha in 1897, as has already been remarked, contributed consider
ably to this increase, inasmuch as there were opened up new markets
Avhich raised the demand for more coal.
The years 1899 and 1900 shoAved a still greater output than the
year 1898, but it Avas not until 1901 that the county began to take rank
among the great coal producing counties of the state. In that year
the output from fourteen mines was 347,047 tons, and the county ad
vanced to fourth rank.
The great growth of the coal industry of the county which marked
the year 1901 is due in part at least, to the interest which certain Chi
cago capitalists and railroad magnates took in the coal fields of the
county. These men felt that the coal fields of the Chariton River val
ley had not been worked as fully as they might be. Their plan was to
organize a large coal mining company to operate along the Chariton
River north of Novinger and near Nineveh, and to build a railroad
which should run along the river and thus afford adequate transpor
tation facilities for the coal mined in this river valley.
Before their plans could be put fully into operation, a railroad com
pany had been formed by H. F. Reddig and others, and a railroad begun
extending northAvard from Novinger. This was the Iowa and St. Louis
Railroad, a full account of which will be given in the next chapter.
These Chicago capitalists took over the railroad which had just begun
to be built and made Reddig president of it. They also made him pres
ident of the Manufacturers' Coal and Coke Company which secured
control over 50,000 acres of land in the neighborhood of Connelsville.
He remained in these two positions only a little over a year. This new
railroad, which was soon extended north to CenterviUe, loAva, and south
to Elmer, Mo., undoubtedly helped to increase the output of
coal in the county. Up to the time when it was built, the railroads
which operated through the Chariton River coal fields either skirted it
or crossed it at right angles, and the mines operated on a large scale
had been confined to certain centers. But this new railroad running
along the river and connecting with two other roads running east and
Industries. 303
west, made it possible to open up fields that had heretofore been im
possible to operate- because of the lack of transportation facilities.
Besides the Manufacturers' Coal and Coke Company, several other
companies were organized betAveen 1901 and 1903, some of them having
large capitahzation. Among them Avere the Kansas City Midland,
the Great Northern Fuel Company, Chariton Coal Company, and
Kirksville Coal and Construction Company. These new companies
immediately raised the output to about double what it had been before.
The year 1902 shoAved a slight decrease in the output in the county
as compared with the preceding year, but the years 1903 to 1905 Avere
characterized by large increases. The banner year Avas 1905, in AA'hich
there were mined from the tAventy-tAvo mines 708,388 tons. The county
took second rank in the state, Macon County ranking first.
The banner year was followed by one in which the output dropped
to almost one-half of what it had been the year before. This Avas due
to the suspension of all work for about three months.. This prolonged
suspension was due to the inability of operators and miners to agree
upon a new contract for the coming biennial period. Whenever the
biennial contracts expire all work is suspended by the miners until new
contracts are made; if there is no difficulty the suspension does not
last long; if there is difficulty the suspension is prolonged. In 1906
the difficulty was unusually great and hence many months passed before
the biennial contracts Avere agreed upon. This prolonged suspension,
which amounted to almost six months, and the failure of several oper
ators to renew work during the year at all, cut down the output of the
Adair County mines so that it amounted to only 428,057 tons in that
year, whereas it had been, as it has already been seen, 708,388 tons in
the year before.
During the years 1907, 1908 and 1909 the output Avas greater than
it had been in 1906, and at the end of the year 1909 the county stood
third in the state in the production of coal, but the output was yet
nearly 150,000 tons less than it had been in the banner year. It is
confidently asserted by men who are in the coal business in the county
that the day is not far distant when the county avUI rank first.
Statistics are not yet available for 1910, but when they come out
it Avill show a much smaller production for that year than for many
years previous, as avUI likely be the case for all other coal producing
counties. The biennial suspension in 1910 Avas six months long, last
ing from April until October. Moreover, disaster overtook the Great
Northern Fuel Company, and it suspended operations late in Novem-
304 History of Adair County.
ber. So the output for 1910 AviU prove to be far short of what the mines
of the county have been accustomed to produce.
In order that the groAvth of the industry may be readUy grasped,
the foUoAving table shoAving the output by years and the rank of the
county in the state in the production of coal, is presented:
Year. Output of Coal Rank of County in
IN Tons. Coal Production.
1888 8, 000 16
1889 16,522 13
1890 14,840 15
1891 17,110 15
1892 14, 820 17
1893 20, 957 16
1894 20, 744 15
1895 24,540 13
1896 23, 510 13
1897 27,078 13
1898 62,215 11
1899 104, 868 8
1900 181, 577 7
1900 (last six months) ... 52, 990 9
1901 347, 047 4
1902 512,403 5
1903 516, 267 4
1904 658, 558 3
1905 708, 388 2
1906 428, 037 3
1907 584, 371 3
1908 568, 446 3
1909 564, 328 3
Prior to 1900, the fiscal year ended June 30. In 1900 it was changed
to December 31. Hence the two entries for 1900 in this table.
The coal fields of the county, as has been said, lie for the most
part, in the western and northwestern parts of the count5^ As far as
is knoAvn no coal has been discovered east of a line draAvn north and
south through KirksAdlle, though there were newspaper rumors in
1886 of coal having been discovered near Brashear.
There are at least three veins of coal deposit in the county. The
first one crops out in tlie hills in and around Stahl, and seems to be con
fined to that part of the county altogether. The second vein extends
pretty generally throughout the coal fields of the county, and is found
Connelsville Coal Mines.
306 History of Adair County.
at a depth varying from fifty to seventy-five feet. The third vein under
lies the second at a depth of about 150 feet, and has been found at Stahl,
Connelsville, Novinger, and perhaps at other places.
These veins vary in thickness from 24 to 44 inches. All three of
them are found at Stahl. The first is 42 inches thick, the second 32
inches, and the third 24 inches. An effort was made to AVork out the
second vein, but it Avas not thick enough to be profitable. The third
has never been Avorked. At Novinger and Connelsville the mines are
working the second vein, but it is fully 42 inches thick and sometimes a
little thicker, being therefore from ten to twelve inches thicker than
the stime vein at Stahl. The Kirksville mines are working this same
vein. As yet the third has not been operated, as it is too far below the
surface and is not thick enough to pay.
In 1908 there Avere, according to the State Mine Inspector, sixteen
mines in operation, of which ten were shaft, four were slope and tAvo were
drift mines. There are more slope and drift mines at Stahl than at
any other place in the county. After having dug far back into the hills,
the operators at Stahl constructed shafts on the brows of the hills over
the place of operation, but it was found cheaper to haul the coal out
of the original openings on the hillsides than to lift it to the top of the
shaft, so the shafts were abandoned.
Most of the mines are constructed on the pillar and room plan,
there being in 1908 fourteen mines of that type and only three of the
long wall plan.
Prior to 1907 mining was done in all the mines of the county by
hand, but in that year the mines at Stahl installed mining machines.
The Manufacturers' Coke and Coal Company installed machinery in
1906, but the miners objected to it, so it was never put into operation.
In 1910 the Rombauer Company installed machinery also, so that at
present there are only tAvo mines in which the work of mining is done
by machinery. The following table compiled from the Reports of the State Mine
Inspector regarding the condition of the mines in the county may be
of interest:
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308 History of Adair County.
The coal industry of the county has given rise to several toAvns
and increased the size of others. Stahl, Novinger and Connelsville
owe their existence to the fact that under and around them lie great
beds of coal which have been operated to a great extent. Novinger is
the most striking example of rapid groAvth through the coal industry.
Ten years ago it was a struggling httle village of a dozen houses or so,
but it has become a toAvn of 2,000 population and has just begun its
growth. It is asserted that more coal is loaded on the cars of the 0. K.
railroad at Novinger than at all points put together on that road, in
cluding Quincy and Kansas City. Connelsville grew wonderfully for
a fcAv years after the I. & St. L. road Avas built to it, and it may continue
to grow. The opening of the Star Coal Company mine in the recently
discovered vein west of Kirksville has contributed something to the
wealth and growth of that place.
Before closing this chapter it will be well to say something con
cerning the men who have expended their money in the development
of this industry in the county. A great number of different individuals
and companies have at different times operated mines. At first it
seems that the operations were carried on by individuals, and it does
not appear that companies representing large capital were organized
until long after coal began to be mined for commercial purposes.
Among the individuals who operated different mines in the seven
ties were Messrs. Stout, Porter, Besanko, and Godfrey. The first
three named worked mines on Hazel Creek, an eastern tributary of
the Chariton; the last had a mine west of the Chariton. Mr. John L.
Porter Avas probably more extensively engaged in coal mining than any
other one person in the county prior to 1890. In 1880 S. F. Stahl be
gan to operate a mine at Stahl. For years coal had been mined in that
vicinity, but it could not be mined on a large scale until the railroad was
built through. This Avas done in 1878, and in 1880 Mr. Stahl laid out
the toAvn which bears his name and began to get out coal for shipment
in car load lots. He continued for two or tliree years when he sold out
to S. M. Pickler. At the same time Mr. Stahl was running at Stahl,
J. B. Novinger was engaged in the same business near him.
Meanwhile, a mine was opened at Danforth by Kinyon, Moore
and Dunn. Novinger & Company found some veins on Spring Creek
in 1854. The first company representing considerable capital was the Penn
sylvania Coal Company, which was composed of John Whitehead &
Sons of Pennsylvania. This company purchased the mines at Stahl
and Danforth in 1887, and operated them both. Mr. H. C. McCahan
Industries. 309
was early connected Avith this company and in 1889 became sole pro
prietor. The name of the company has been changed several times,
but Avith the exception of a very short time, Mr. McCahan has had some
connection with it. The style of the company at present is the Stahl
Coal Company. The company abandoned the mines at Danforth
about 1895 on account of the great amount of water.
Mining at Novinger began Avith the effort made by Mr. John L.
Porter to open up a mine on what is now Front street in that town in
1883. The project was abandoned A'ery shortly after it was started.
Nothing further seems to have been done at this place until the 0. K.
Mining Company was organized about 1890. This company was com
posed of I. F. Stroup, Noah Stroup, B. Stroup, Evans, and Radky.
These men opened up the mine known afterwards as Rombauer No. 1.
In 1897 they sold out to the Rombauer Coal Company, of which
Major R. G. Rombauer was President. This company was the first of
the big companies that have operated at NoAdnger; it has opened up
in all four mines, one of them having been exhausted, however, some
years ago.
The other big companies at Novinger are the Kansas City Mid
land Company, the Manufacturers' Coke and Coal Company, and the
Great Northern Fuel Company.
As far as is known, there have been no serious clashes between
operators and miners. There have been the biennial suspensions of
labor for some time, but no violence has been offered by either party.
In June, 1894, when a big strike Avas on, about eighty miners came from
Mendota, Iowa, to Stahl to persuade the Stahl miners to strike. They
do not seem to have succeeded, as the Stahl miners had no grievance
and did not care to strike.
Section IV. — County Fairs.
As far as is known, the county had no fair organization until after
the war. A law was passed by the State Legislature on March 15,
1861, incorporating the Adair County Agricultural and Mechanical
Association, but the war prevented this association from ever doing
anything, until 1866. In that year the Legislature amended the act of
1861, and a fair was held that fall. The grounds lay a quarter of a mile
southwest of the town. Fairs were held annually each fall until 1882
or 1883, when they were discontinued. Complaint had been made in
1880 in the newspapers, of the lack of facilities and the indifference of
the management as to the matter. Special efforts were made in 1883
310 History of Adair County.
to prevent the disbandment of the organization, but sufficient financial
support could not be secured. The business of the association was there
fore wound up and the grounds sold in November, 1883.
For a few years the county Avas Avithout a fair, and no one seemed to
think it worth Avhile organizing one. In 1886, however, a special ef
fort was made toAvards getting a ncAv fair association started, but they
were not successful. HoAvever, in 1889, the Adair County Fair Asso
ciation had been organized, and its first fair Avas held in the fall of that
year. This association continued to hold annual fairs for about five or
six years whereupon they were discontinued.
The fairs were like the ordinary county fairs. Agricultural and
stock exhibits, floral hall exhibits, racing, and the usual side-show amuse
ments made up the features which furnished diA'ersion for the crowds
that attended.
A movement is now on foot to rcA-ive the county fair. It has arisen
from the success which attended a stock and corn show held in Kirks
ville in September, 1910. The plan is to make the fair a strictly live
stock and agricultural exhibition and not a race meet nor a series of
side-shows. The capital stock aatU be .S50,000, and no one person mU
be allowed more than ten shares at 810 each. The principal officers
are H. C. McCahan, President; S. J. Miller, Vice-President; H. Bam-
burg. Secretary; John Propst, Treasurer; W. A. LcAvis, Superintendent.
It is planned to hold the first fair in the faU of 1911.
CHAPTER XV.
TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.
Section I. — Stages, Ferries and Bridges.
Prior to the building of railroads transportation to this county was
by horseback or by wagon. The Chariton does not seem to have been
made use of for such purposes. Freight Avas handled by Avagon from
Quincy, Hannibal, Canton, Macon, and Huntsville. There are many
houses still standing in KirksviUe which were built with lumber which
had been hauled in wagons from one or the other of the above mentioned
places. The transportation of passengers and the carrying of mails
Avas by stage coaches. The stage coach of "modern style" does not seem
to have come into use until near the close of the Avar. Prior to that
time the vehicles were usually very indifferent affairs.
Owing to the fact that all transportation Avas by stage coach or on
horseback, it Avas desirable that connections be made between lines
operating between different points. In the early days of this county
Bloomington, Macon County, was a kind of central terminus for many
stage lines. Coaches Avould arrive there from St. Joseph, Hannibal,
Kirksville, Paris, and Glasgow, so that people found frequently that the
most convenient thing to do to reach certain destinations Avas to go
via Bloomington. There were lively times, it has been said, at this
stage coach center Avhen all the coaches Avere in from their various
places of departure.
After the modern style of coach began to be used out of Kirksville,
special negotiations regarding connections seem to haA^e been carried
on betAveen the men operating out of Kirksville and those operating
out of other places. By February, 1866, Ave told, Chappel and Smith's
coaches which ran out of Kirksville, were able to make good connection
Avith Owens, Ransom & Company's coaches at other places.
Stage lines ran out in all directions from Kirksville. ' In 1850 Ave
hear of a mail route from Kirksville to Sand Hill, tAventy-five miles aAvay,
and another to Lancaster, same distance, and in 1868 a stage line Avas
operating between Kirksville and Atlanta. The building of the North
Missouri Railroad, the present Wabash, through to Kirksville in 1868,
made the stage lines operating north and south out of Kirksville un
necessary. But until the Q. M. & P. R. R. (the present 0. K.) A\'as
312 History of Adair County.
built in 1871. the stage lines running east and west were very import
ant means of communication. ^lemphis, Edina, and ^Milan were reached
by separate stage hues. Some of the schedules as published in the pa
pers ui 1870 are very interesting. For example, the stage operating
betAveen KirksA-ille and Memphis Avas adA-ertised to leave KirksAnlle
on Mondays and Fridays at seven o'clock and to leaA-e IMemphis on
Tuesdays and Saturdays at the same hour. The one between Kirks-
A-iUe and Eduia was operated so that trips were made A-ia PaulA-iUe
each way daily. This was something unusual.
At Edina connections were made Avith coaches going to Canton.
The line running between KirksA-iUe and ]\Iilan alternated trips between
the Two places. The stage left KirksA-iUe on ;Mondays. Wednesdays
and Fridays at seven a. m.. and reached ^lilan A-ia NincAeh, Spring
VaUey, Greencastle and KiddAiUe by scA-en that cA-ening. On Tues
days. Thursdays and Saturdays the return trips were made. The fare
to Greencastle Avas -S2: round trip. s3. The fare to [Milan AAas S3:
round trip, s;.5.
In the early days the means of transportation across streams were
oftentimes Aery meagre. At first fords were the only means available,
and naturally the fnst roads connecting distant points were run so as to
pass through these fords. In the course of time bridges were built,
but they Avere generally few and far between and not \-ery substantial.
The first bridge to be authorized by the county court was that OA-er
Shoal Creek in the summer of 1843. The settlers in that Adcinity sul>
scribed slSl, while the county expended the immense sum of -$17.
For a long time priA-ate ferries were hcensed and a schedule of rates
authorized by the county court. For example, on Aug. 14. 1844 the
Adair County court issued a hcense to D. A. Ely to maintain for tweh-e
months a ferry across the Chariton and authorized the foUoAving rates:
One four horse or ox Avagon 75 cents.
One two horse wagon 50 cents.
One one horse "charriage" or Dearborn 25 cents.
One man or horse 12 1-2 cents.
One foot man 6 1-4 cents.
One led horse 6 1-4 cents.
One sheep or hog 1 cent.
One cow 3 cents.
The extant records show many licenses such as this during the
forties and early fifties.
Sometimes private bridges were licensed. On March 4. 1857 an
act was approved incorporating the Chariton River Bridge Company
Transportation Facilities. 313
and authorizing it to build a bridge cross the Chariton. The toUs
which it might levy were prescribed as follows: Horse and rider, 10
cents; footman, 5 cents; single horse, mule, jack or jennet, 5 cents;
work ox, 2 cents; each head of other stock, 1 cent. No bridge or ferry
was alloAved to be built or operated Avithin two miles of the bridge this
company should erect. It is not knoAAn just Avhen the company built
its bridge, but it is CAddent it did not build it in Adair County.
Up to 1869 no bridge had been put across the Chariton in this county.
This became a matter of interest to the business men of Kirksville and
bridge meetings were arranged for, at AA'hich persons interested could
express themselves as to what should be done. The Journal for July
18, 1868 speaks of one bridge meeting as having gone by default be
cause of lack of attendance. The matter was not dropped, however,
and by December, 1869, the first Chariton bridge in the county was
erected. The contract had been let in August for a truss bridge, 260
feet long A\'ith a main truss of 130 feet, at a cost of over 84,000. This
appears to haA^e been a free bridge.
Section II. — Railroads.
The Wabash Railroad. — The North Missouri Railroad was in
corporated on March 3, 1851. According to the original charter the
road was to be built along the dividing ridge between the IMissouri and
Mississippi Rivers from St. Charles to the Iowa line. The incorporators
were residents of the counties through which the proposed road Avas to
run. In 1852 the charter was amended so as to allow the road to be
extended to St. Louis. In 1853 the legislature extended the credit of
the state to the amount of $2,000,000 to this company in order to ex
pedite the construction of the road.
A survey Avas made in due time and the Board of Directors at the
meeting in St. Louis early in 1854 accepted the route that had been sur
veyed through St. Charles, Warren, Montgomery, Audrain, Monroe,
Macon, Adair, and Schuyler Counties. By 1855 the road had been
completed from St. Louis to Warrenton, and haste in completing it
to the loAva line was urged so that the Iowa trade mightbesaA-edtoSt.
Louis. By 1858 the road was completed to Alexico, and by February,
1859, it reached Macon, where connections were made A\ath the Han
nibal and St. Joe Railroad. According to the charter ferriage across
the river was necessary at St. Charles. It was not untU after the war
that a bridge was built at this point.
The counties along the proposed route were asked to make subscrip-
314 History of Adair County.
tions to the capital stock of the company, and aU of them voted bonds
hberally except Macon County. In 1856 or 1857 the Macon County
court submitted a proposition to the people to subscribe to the capital
stock, but it Avas voted doAvn. The same thing was repeated in 1858.
In Adair County the history of the North Missouri bonds is a
rather complicated one. The first action taken by the county court
seems to have been in 1853, Avhen that body ordered that a proposition
to take stock in the North Missouri Railroad Company should be sub
mitted to the people in May of that year. Evidently the proposition
did not carry, as the same thing Avas submitted again in August, 1854.
It evidently carried when submitted this last time, for in November of
that year the county court appointed William P. Linder as the agent
of the county to subscribe $25,000 capital stock, providing the road was
built to the Iowa line. In the foUoAving December the county court
authorized Linder to sell 25,000 acres of swamp land for 250 shares
in the capital stock of this railroad. By this it seems that the county
had made in all subscriptions amounting to $50,000.
It appears that the county court Avas subsequently displeased
with the way in Avhich Linder conducted the business he was appointed
to transact. At the June term of 1855 he was caUed upon to give "a
full report under oath of his doings in regard to the said road, AA^hat pay
if any he had received of said company or its agent for having secured
the stock thus subscribed by the county," and also to state "at what
time and what amount the county was Uable to be called upon for."
He appeared to ansAver to this summons at this same term, but his re
port was rejected because it was not under oath and Avas not satisfac
tory. He was thereupon dismissed and the County Clerk was instruct
ed to find out directly from the railroad what had been done.
It seems that Mr. Linder had unconditionally subscribed the full
amount ordered by the court. According to the records W. H. Parcells
took up the matter with the railroad directors himself, and though he
had no authority to act for the county, he got them to agree not to call
for the subscription of the county until the railroad was put under con
tract north of the Hannibal and St. Joe Railroad. At the March, 1856,
term of court the arrangements made by Parcells were ratified as though
he had been the regularly appointed agent of the county. He had
meauAvhile been appointed in February, 1856, to act as the agent of the
county in the next regular election of officers of the directory of this
railroad. In October, 1856, the county court appointed a committee com
posed of one man from each township in the county to circulate a pe-
Transportation Facilities. 315
tition among the people to ascertain whether it should subscribe $50,000
additional stock to the North Missouri Railroad. Later it Avas ordered
that such a proposition should be submitted to the people in May,
1857, on condition that the bonds should not be issued until the Avork
was commenced in the county. At the same time another proposi
tion to subscribe $100,000 in the stock of the Keokuk Railroad was sub
mitted. It seems that both proposition were defeated at the polls.
In 1859 the county began to fulfil its obligations to this railroad,
though at that time the road had not been built any farther than Macon.
Perhaps the county court thought it would be encouraging to the com
pany to hurry on with its work if part at least of the bonds should be
issued. In that year the county court paid over to the company $500
cash and $14,500 six per cent bonds. Whatever may have been the
expectations, they were not reahzed. The road was not extended north
Avard from Macon for nearly ten years after Adair County had begun
to meet its promises. The county therefore refused to issue the rest of
the bonds. After the road was extended through the county and be
yond the state line, attempts were made to get the county court to issue
the remaining bonds, but these efforts proved futile. It is not known
Avhether the railroad got the 25,000 acres of SAvamp land Avhich had been
offered for 250 shares of capital stock.
The breaking out of the Avar undoubtedly had much to do Avith
delaying the completion of the road. Shortly after the Avar closed the
task of completing the main line up to the Iowa state line and the branch
line to Kansas City Avas taken up and completed by 1868. Likewise
the bridge across the Missouri at St. Charles Avas built at the same time.
During 1867 the grading of the road had been finished up to Kirks
ville, and on July 4, 1868, the AA^ork of lajang the track to KirksviUe
was completed. By December it was completed to the Iowa line.
No event in the historj^ of Kirksville had CA'-er been looked forward
to with so much interest as the "advent of the iron horse." In the Kirks
ville Journal for July 2, it was announced that the road Avould be fin
ished by the "Fourth," and urged the people to be on hands in the fol
lowing words: "Railroads, Brass Bands, Tournaments, Horse
Fair, Free Rides, ain't that enough for one day's amusement? Don't
fail to be here."
The completion of the road to Kirksville was celebrated by the
railroad by way of an excursion from Macon to Kirksville on July 18,
1868. According to the Macon Journal for July 23, the train left Macon
at 9 :30 a. m. Avith the band on board playing "Hail Columbia." AU along
the way people stood in their doorAvays waving greetings to the excur-
316 History of Adair County.
sionists. The train stopped at each station to let the band play a tune.
It took tAVO hours to make the trip. At Kirksville the train was met
by a great crowd and a band. The excursionists were escorted to a
nearby grove, Avhere some felicitous speech making was indulged in
The day Avas exceedingly hot, but every one seemed to enjoy the occa
sion. The KirksviUe people who gathered at the depot when the train
got ready to leave, were tendered by Supt. Crane a free ride to Macon
and return that evening. Many accepted the invitation, going down
on the excursion and returning on the evening train from St. Ivouis two
or three hours later.
The trains according to the time tables of 1870 afforded fairly good
service. There were two passenger trains each way each day besides
a freight each way. The passenger trains going south left Kirksville
at 12:45 p. m. and 8:00 p. m., and the trains going north at 11:05 a. m.
and 8:00 p. m. But these accommodations were not permanent. In
1874 there was only one passenger a day each way, and the St. Louis
papers did not reach Kirksville until the day after publication. It is
not known how long these poor accommodations lasted, but it is known
that by 1882 at least the trains ran so that the St. Louis papers Avere
brought at a satisfactory hour.
The name of the road Avas changed in February, 1872, to St. Louis,
Kansas City and Northern Railroad. It was subsequently acquired
by the Wabash Railroad company, Avhich had been buying up a number
of roads east and west of the Mississippi. In 1879 these various roads
were consohdated under the name of Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific R. R.
Later the system passed into the hands of a receiver. On October 21,
1889, it Avas sold to the present Wabash Company. In 1899 the Wabash
system comprised 2,236 miles of road connecting St. Louis, -Kansas City
Chicago, Detroit, Toledo and Buffalo.
In July, 1894, there occurred one of the most extensive railroad
strikes in the history of this country. It grew out of trouble between
the Pullman Palace Car Company and its employees over the question
of wages. The American Railway Union took up the causes of the
Pullman employees, and in July, 1894, all railroads that handled the
Pullman cars in the Avest were brought to a stand still for several days.
The Wabash Railroad was one of the roads thus tied up. For days not
a train passed over that road through Kirksville, and according to the
Democrat for July 6, 1894, rust covered the track and the depot had a
hohday air. Many people in Kirksville vividly remember the incon
venience caused by this suspension of train service.
The Wabash depot formerly stood on the west side of the track
Former Wabash Depot at Kirksville Erected in 1895. Burned to the Ground Dec 19, 1907, A
Brick Depot has Since been Erected.
318 History of Adair County.
and a little to the south of the present depot. It was partially destroyed
by fire on June 1, 1895. It had been partly burned down in April,
1885, but had been repaired and made to do service for ten years more.
The citizens met in a couple of days after the fire in 1895, and petitioned
the railroad to build a ucav depot. The railroad responded favorably
to this request and built a new frame depot on the site of the present
depot. There was some agitation in favor of compelling the two roads
to maintain a union depot at the junction, but it never amounted to
anything. The new depot Avas occupied in November, 1895. This
was burned to the ground on December 19, 1907, Avhereupon the rail
road built the present brick depot. There was again a good deal of
agitation in favor of a union depot, but it failed again.
This company has tAventy-four miles of track in the county.
The "0. K." Railroad. — The North Missouri Railroad gave Kirks
ville easy connection with St. Louis and Kansas City and points south.
But as yet connections with Quincy and Chicago Avere difficult. It
Avas quite natural that a railroad running east and west through the
county should be desired. From the time the county was first set
tled Quincy had been one of the important trading points for the people
of this region. Both Kirksville and Quincy saw the advantage a rail
road would be in maintaining their long time connections. Kirksville
seems to have taken the lead in the agitation. As early as 1867, before
the North Missouri road was built to Kirksville, a railroad committee
composed of fifteen of Adair County's prominent citizens, was at Avork.
A railroad convention was held in Quincy in May, 1869, to Avhich
delegates came from various sections interested. It was resolved to do
everything possible towards getting a road from Quincy to KirksviUe.
On June 24, 1869 a big railroad convention was held in Kirksville, Avhich
resulted in the organization of a company Avith a capital of $6,000,000.
No time seems to have been lost in preparing for the Avork of con
struction. A preUminary survey had been made in 1868 for the Quincy
and Missouri Railroad from Quincy to Newark and Edina in Knox
County, and in October, 1869, the line of the Quincy, Missouri and Pa
cific R. R. was surveyed to the Chariton River. Ground Avas broken
Avest of Quincy for the new road on February 23, 1870 and actual con
struction was begun.
When it appeared that the road would be a reality, the people of
Kirksville and Adair County redoubled their activity in the matter.
The favorable attitude of the people towards the project is seen in the
vote that was cast on March 29, 1870, on the proposition to subscribe
Transportation Facilities. 319
$100,000 in county bonds to the capital stock of the ucav railroad. The
A'ote stood 760 for and only 237 against. In Benton township the vote
was 438 for and only 9 against. The proposition carried Avith the fol
lowing conditions attached: $25,000 in bonds were to be issued Avhen
grading was completed from eastern line of county to Kirksville; $50,000
AA'hen iron is laid from West Quincy to KirksA-Ule; $25,000 AA'hen the
grading is completed through the county.
It was felt, hoAvever, that the prize Avas worth still greater effort.
A meeting of Kirksville citizens was held in the office of De France &
Hooper on December 14, 1870, to consider the adA'isabiUty of additional
subscriptions to the capital stock. C. A. Savage, President of the ucav
road, made a speech telling what it was proposed to do. It was voted
by this meeting that it Avould be advisable for Benton toAA-nship to issue
$40,000 in bonds Avhich should be subscribed to the capital stock of the
company. This proposition was put to a A'ote of the people of the town
ship in July, 1871, but it was defeated by a vote of 233 for and 241 against.
Steps were taken, however, for an immediate resubmission, and on
August 16 it was carried by a vote of 487 to 111. The outcome Avas
A^ery pleasing. Bonfires, music, and speeches were indulged in on the
night of the election.
Meanwhile, interest Avas quickened in Quincy. Influence had been
brought to bear upon the Illinois legislature to pass a laAV to alloAV Quincy
to issue city bonds to assist in the building of this railroad, but the
Governor vetoed it. The legislature then passed a laAV over the Gov
ernor's veto in April, 1871, and Quincy proceeded to issue her bonds.
The vote in Quincy on the bonds was 1,940 for and only 185 against.
Adair County and Quincy were not the only communities that
offered financial support. Practically every county along the proposed
line from Quincy to Brownsville, Nebraska, made some sort of sub
scription, as the following list shows:
City of BrownsviUe $ 60, 000
Atchison County 150, 000
Templeton Township (Atchison Co.) 20, 000
Clay Township (Atchison Co.) 20, 000
Gentry County 150, 000
Harrison County 250, 000
Sulhvan County 200, 000
Adair County 100,000
Benton Township (Adair Co.) . . 40, 000
Centre Township (Knox Co.) 50, 000
Jeddo ToAvnship (Lewis Co.) 20, 000
320 History of Adair County.
La BeUe Township (Lewis Co.) 45, 000
Highland Township (Lewis Co.) 25, 000
Total $1,636,000
The work of construction proceeded slowly. It was December,.
1871 before the road was finished to Lewiston. By January, 1872, it
was completed to La Belle, and by March it was at Edina.
Contracts were let for the grading,- bridging and trestle Avork be
tween Edina and Kirksville in October, 1871, with the condition that
the work should be completed by April, 1872. Iron was laid to Lcav-
iston by December, 1871, and iron Avas then on hand to complete the
road to Edina. Work was pushed on the extension west from Edina
after that point was reached, and it was completed on August 27,
1872. The completion of the road to Kirksville was made the occasion
for a demonstration. The last section of the track to be completed
between Kirksville and Edina lay six miles east of town. At about
three o'clock on the afternoon of August 27, President Savage took with
him ten or twelve prominent citizens of Kirksville on a conctruction
train down to the place where the crcAvs were at work. The Avork was
completed at about seven o'clock that evening, and the two construc
tion trains and the special passenger train that had come from the east
ern end of the line pulled into Kirksville. Their arrival had been
awaited by a crowd of 500 Kirksvillians, and as the last train pulled in cheer
after cheer went up, and three salutes were fired by De Kemp's artillery.
The railroad put in a turn table at Kirksville at once, and regular
trains to and from Quincy were inaugurated by the first week in Sep
tember. On October 1, 1872, the completion of the road was formally cel
ebrated by the company by way of a grand excursion from Kirksville
and other points on the road to Quincy. Quincy made big prepara
tions for the event. The train Avas met at the depot by an immense
crowd, and artillery salutes were fired as the train pulled into the sta
tion. The Mayor of Quincy welcomed the guests of the day, and Pres
ident Baldwin of the State Normal School of Kirksville, responded.
The excursionists were invited to take carriages and they Avere taken
over the city. The day was pleasantly spent and was long remembered
by the people of Kirksville and Quincy alike.
In December, 1872, the present frame depot Avas bnUt at Kirks
ville, and it proves somewhat a shock to one's feeling to find that the
newspapers of that time characterized it as a "handsome" building.
Transportation Facilities. 321
In these later days a term quite the opposite has been the one used in
describing it. This depot has proved to be "fire-proof" so far, much to
the regret of the citizens of Kirksville. The Wabash depot burned twice,
and a better depot Avas acquired each time. The 0. K. depot won't
burn and it remains practically the same. In 1895 the 0. K. promised a
new depot, and has frequently rencAved the promise. In 1896 it pro
posed the erection of an immense depot reaching from Franklin to Elson
streets, provided the latter street Avas closed up across its tracks, but this
Avas declined by the city council.
After the road Avas completed to Kirksville special efforts were
necessary to get another depot between Kirksville and the eastern line
of the county. The historj' of these efforts is given in full in the chap
ter on Brashear. It is only necessary to note here that the people in
the eastern part of Salt River toAvnship were exceedinglj^ desirous of
a depot, and they arranged to vote bonds upon themselves to the amount
of $6,000, provided the road would build a depot in that part of the town
ship. It seems as though the proposition to issue bonds for this purpose
had failed to carry in the whole township, so it was granted by the county
court that the eastern and western halves of thetoAvnship should vote
on the question separately. On September 2, 1871, the eastern half
of the township voted by a vote of 73 to 22 to issue $6,000 in bonds
for a depot, tracks and SAvitch. At the same time the Avestern half
refused to issue $12,000 in bonds for the same purpose by a vote of 2
to 67. In January, 1873, the company had complied Avith the propo
sition by Avay of opening up a depot at Brashear and drew the $6,000
in bonds for East Salt River bonds.
It was expected that the road Avould be extended Avest of Kirks
ville at once, but this expectation was long unfulfilled. By 1876 the
road had been extended to the Chariton bottoms and much coal was
thus taken to market.
Quincy is largely responsible for the extension of the road from
Kirksville to Trenton. In March, 1877, a meeting of the prominent
manufacturers of that place occurred, and it was resolved to urge the
extension of the road to at least Trenton. In a fcAv months, Quincy,
through her town council, voted to issue $250,000 in bonds for the com
pletion of the road to Trenton. The U. S. Supreme Court decided
Quincy could issue these bonds, and Quincy began to get them out.
By August, 1878 the grading was completed to the Sullivan County
fine, and the laying of the track west of Kirksville had begun. In Oc
tober, 1878, the bridge over the Chariton River was completed and an
322 History op Adair County.
adequate test made. During 1879 the road was completed to Milan,
and by August, 1881, it was extended to Trenton.
The extension from Milan to Trenton was effected by the Wabash,
St. Louis and Pacific R. R. Company, which had leased this road in
1879 for a term of ninety-nine years. Trenton took an active interest
in securing this extention by way of raising $50,000 for that purpose.
The passing of the Wabash system into the hands of a receiver
during the eighties terminated the lease of the Q. M. & P. R. R., Avhere
upon the stockholders foreclosed the mortgage and took possession and
reorganized it early in 1888, under the name of the Quincy, Omaha and
Kansas City R. R. From this time the road has been known as the
"0. K.," or the Quincy Route, the latter being the official short name.
In 1897 the road was extended from Trenton to Pattonsburg, con
necting there with the Omaha and St. Louis Railroad, Avhich gave an
extension to Omaha, and shortlj'^ after that the road was extended from
Pattonsburg to Kansas City. The name was then changed to Omaha,
Kansas City and Eastern.
In recent years the road Avas acquired by the Burlington system,
and has remained so up to the present.
There are thirty-two miles of track belonging to this road in this
county. The Santa Fe Railroad. — The third railroad to be built through
the county Avas the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe. This line orig
inally operated only in Kansas, having been projected from Atchison
by way of Topeka to the Arkansas Valley. In 1874 it entered Kansas
City over its own tracks, and by 1881 it was extended to El Paso. It
soon began to plan for an extension from Kansas City to Chicago, and
by April, 1888, completed the work. The survey brought the road
through the southeastern part of Adair County, and citizens of Kirks
ville saAv the advantage there Avould be in having it pass through this
place. In January, 1887, a citizens' meeting was called by Mayor
B. W. Ross to consider the advisability of making an effort to secure
the building of the railroad through Kirksville. Subsequently a prop
osition was made to the company that if the road Avere built through
Kirksville a liberal subsidy Avould be offered, but the company declined
oAviDg to the fact that an effort was being made to make the line to
Chicago as direct and short a one as possible, and to come to KirksviUe
Avould lengthen it more than was advisable. The original line as sur-
vej-ed through the county was adhered to. A depot was estabhshed
Transportation Facilities.
323
at Gibbs, which place has become an important trading point for the
southeastern part of the county.
The Iowa and St. Louis Railroad.— The buUding of the fourth
railroad in the county, the Iowa and St. Louis Railroad, is closely con
nected Avith the coal industry of the county. For years coal has been
mined at various places along the Chariton River, but Avith the excep
tion of two or three places where the railroads crossed this river, the
coal industry was not very extensively developed. It was all a ques-
The Santa Fe Depot at Gibbs.
tion of cheap and quick transportation. A mine located several miles
from a railroad could not be operated on a large scale. Many men Avho
kncAv hoAV rich the coal fields Avere along the Chariton saw the oppor
tunity that lay awaiting some one who Avould construct a railroad up
and down that river. All that was needed Avas the right man to take
hold and push.
In the early part of Maj^, 1901, W. S. McCauU, then claim agent
for the Q. 0. & K. C. R. R., while sitting at a country hotel in Adair
County, overheard a conversation between a railroad official and a coal
¦operator about the possibility of building a railroad from CenterviUe,
324 History of Adair County.
Iowa, down, the Chariton. This matter appealed to Mr. McCauU im
mediately. He knew personally of the coal fields around CenterviUe
and in Adair County. It occurred to him that he might try his hand
at building a railroad. The next day lie consulted A\dth H. F. Reddig,
then chief clerk to the General Manager of the 0. K. R. R., and H. H.
Kendrick, then auditor for the same company. These three men there
upon organized a company, and on May 11, 1901, filed articles of in
corporation for the loAva, St. Louis Raihvay Company.
This company had an authorized capital stock of $50,000.00, and
was organized to build a railroad five miles in length from a point on
the 0. K. C. & E. R. R., at or near Novinger, northward to Shibley's
Point. The articles provided that when the capital stock should have
been increased sufficiently the company would construct a railroad to
CenterviUe, Iowa. H. F. Reddig Avas made President of the company;
H. H. Kendrick, Secretary and Auditor; W. S. McCauU, Vice-Presi
dent and General Attorney. The combined credit of these three men
was not enough to have enabled them to buy one mile of right of Avay,
but they set to work to procure mining leases upon several thousand
acres of good coal land, and managed to build a track of four or five miles
north from a connection made with a mine track owned by the Kansas
City Midland Coal Company, Avhich was in time connected with the
0. K. track at Novinger.
Before the end of the first year of the corporate existence of the
company, a Chicago syndicate composed chiefiy of Gates, Lambert and
Keefe, became interested in this project and bought the road. They
reorganized the company, retaining Reddig as President and Kendrick
as Secretary and Auditor. Plans were made for constructing a road
from Des Moines to IMacon, Mo., and later on from Macon to St.
Louis. In a short time the track was laid from ConnelsAdlle to Cen
terviUe. Meanwhile, a very bitter controversy arose between the 0. K. and
the I. & St. L. over the Kansas City Midland track, which connected the
tAVO roads. Some time in March, John W. Gates ordered Reddig to
take possession of the Midland track. Thereupon Reddig proceeded to
spike all the switches leading from the 0. K. main line to the Midland
track. As soon as the general officials of the 0. K. heard what was go
ing on, some of them proceeded in person to Novinger, and about five
o'clock one morning, after having had the spikes drawn from the switches
between the Midland and the 0. K.,they passed Avith an engine and caboose
doAvn the Midland and the I. & St. L. tracks to ConnelsviUe, where
they took up three car loads of coal from a mine there and returned to
Transportation Facilities. 325
Novinger. They then dumped a heavy box-car across the I. & St. L.
right of way, and tore up the connection between that road and the
Midland track. It seems that such a trick had been anticipated and
a watchman had been placed at the connection between the I. & St. L.
and the Midland. But he grew tired during his watch and went off to
sleep, and while he slept the officials passed and repassed on their trip
to Connelsville. Had he remained on duty he could have given the
alarm and a force under the I. & St. L. could have torn up the track
and bottled up an 0. K. engine and caboose with officials on board.
Before the 0. K. officials could finish the Avork of tearing up the connec
tions between the I. & St. L. and Midland tracks, the I. & St. L. officials
had a force out to protect their property, but this force was not large
enough to oppose effectively those working under orders from the 0. K.
officials. Excitement ran high, but only one altercation Avas reported,
and that was between a drunken miner and an 0. K. section boss. Later
in the day the I. & St. L. officials attempted to take up part of the Mid
land track, but the men who were doing the work were arrested and put
under bond. The difficulty Avas settled in March, 1903, by the C. B.
& Q. buying all of the stock of the I. & St. L., and putting the manage
ment of the road in the hands of the O. K. officials.
The first work undertaken by the new management was the prac
tical rebuilding of the road. All train service between Novinger and
CenterviUe Avas suspended until June, 1903, Avhen regular train service
was installed from Novinger to Sedan, loAva. Later the seven miles
of road from Sedan to CenterviUe were abandoned and the track taken
up. During 1903 the road was extended from Novinger to Mercyville
(noAV Elmer), but has never been built any farther, so that today the
road extends from Sedan to Elmer. At Sedan connection is made Avith
Keokuk and Western Road. Most of the right of way has been secured
to Macon, and it is planned to build to this point some time soon.
It has been said that the acquisition of this road by the C. B. & Q.
has checked the development of the coal industry as it had been planned
when the I. & St. L. Avas first inaugurated, OAving to the interest of the
C. B. & Q. in other coal fields.
There are twenty-one miles of track belonging to the I. & St. L.
in Adair County.
Proposed Lines. — There has been a good deal of agitation in the
past for a railroad passing through the county from the southeast to
the northwest. Various lines under different names were projected,
such as the Hannibal & Omaha R. R., St. Louis and NorthAvestern, or
326 History of Adair County.
St. Louis and Omaha R. R., Sioux City and St. Louis R. R. These
railroad schemes were talked of between 1888 and 1892, and at times there
was a good deal of excitement over what appeared to be good prospects
over a short line from St. Louis to Omaha passing through Kirksville.
In a special edition of the Democrat for March 29, 1888, a raUroad map
of the county Avas given in which not only the railroads in operation
were shoAvn, but also two new projected roads. Up to the present noth
ing has ever come of these, schemes.
For some years recently there, has been some agitation in favor
of trolley fines connecting Kirksville with towns in other counties. Among
the routes proposed the one most talked about was to run from Hanni
bal to Kirksville. During the year 1910 the matter was talked of very
extensively, but as yet nothing. material has developed.
Railroad Wrecks. — Railroad wrecks have been neither numerous
nor disastrous in the county. So far as an examination of the newspapers
has been carried only two AATecks have been discovered to have occurred
in the county Avhich were accompanied by loss of life. One was on the
Wabash on January 16, 1883. The morning train going south was
wrecked near Millard, resulting. in the killing of Dr. F. M. Nickell and
in the injury of a good number of people. The other was on the Santa
Fe on August 12, 1894. Two vestibule passenger trains collided near
Gibbs whUe - going at full spped. The collision Avas due to one of the
engineers failing to obey orders to stop at Gibbs. Tavo men were killed
outright, an engineer and an express messenger, and eight injured, some
A^ery seriously.
CHAPTER XVI.
THE BANKS.
There are ten banks in Adair County, four of which are in Kirks
ville, two in Brashear, tAvo in Novinger, one at Connelsville, and one at
Gibbs. The first bank to be established in the county was the Kirks
ville Branch of the Bank of St. Louis. It was opened for business in
November, 1859. The second bank, the Kirksville Savings Bank, Avas
established in 1873. The rest of the banks have been founded since
1890. The banks of the county have proved to be sound financial insti
tutions. There has never been a bank failure in the county. The
panics that swept over the county in 1873 and 1893 passed off without
any serious distress to the local banks. This was largely due to the
confidence which the community had in the integrity of the bankers
and the soundness of their institutions.
The statements of the various banks of the county as published in
the county as the close of business on November 10, 1910, showed that
the deposits amounted to $1,566,499.59. The deposits were distrib
uted among the banks as follows:
KirksviUe National Bank
Citizens National Bank . ,
Kirksville Savings Bank
Kirksville Trust Company
Novinger Bank
Union Bank of Novinger ,
State Bank of Brashear . ,
Adair County Miners Bank.
Bank of Gibbs
Brashear Banking Co.. . ,
363,, 055. 40
285,239,74274,477.29 190,779.01 113,194,54
102,548.25 95,569.84 58, 757 , 23
45, 042 , 25
37,835,04
Total $1,566,499,59
Bank of St. Louis. — The first bank to be organized in Adair Coun
ty was, as has been said, the Kirksville Branch of the Bank of St. Louis.
D. A. Ely, W. P. Linder, M. P. Hannah, J. T. Smith, Isham B. Dodson,
Waddy Thompson, B. G. Barrow, John Thomas, W. H. Parcells, T. C.
Wilson, W. L. Patton, M. G. Clem, and others Avere interested in its
328
History of Adair County.
organization. There Avere to be nine directors for this branch bank;
five Avere to be elected by the stockholders and four ap]x)intcd by the
parent Bank of St. Louis. David A. Ely Avas elected President; W. P.
Linder, Cashier; and C. R. Chinn, Clerk; W. T. Baird, clerk and jan
itor. The organization Avas efi'cctetl on November 29, 1859. The bank
Avas opened in a little old Avooden building known as the Thomas build
ing, Avhich stood on the southeast corner of the square, Avherc the Baird
bank building hoav stands. Some changes had to be made in this build
ing to adapt it to its ucav uses. The accompanying cut is from a pic
ture taken in 1859 before the bank was started. The changes madt>
included some doors in the corner and the tearing away of the fence.
The building Avas moved about 1869 to High street just south of the
First Bank Building in Kirksville.
It stood on the site of the present Baird Bank Building and was tlic home of the
Kirksville Branch of the Bank of St , Louis
M. E. Church, where it uoav stands. It has been remodeled consider
ably, so that it now looks very little as it originally did.
The capital stock of this bank ivas originally $50,000; later it
was increased to $61,000, and finally to $10,000. For every dollar of
capital paid up in gold and silver, the bank was alloAved to issue $2 in
currency. That necessitated the keeping on hands a good deal of gold
The Banks. 329
and silver to redeem any of the bank's currency that might be presented
over the counter. When the battle of Kirksville happened on August
6, 1862, the bank had $78,000 in gold in its littie old safe. As Col.
Porter came into town that morning Avith his Confederate recruits, he
warned the citizens of the danger they were in because of the impend
ing engagement, and they proceeded to flee to safety. Mr. Baird, who
was then in charge of the bank, locked up the safe and the vault and,
putting the keys in his pocket, fled Avith his family to a place about
two miles from town. On returning the next day he found that the
bank had not been molested, much to the relief of himself and those who
were interested in it.
It seems that Avhen this branch bank was organized several of the
stockholders had to borrow the money with which to purchase their
stock. This they did from a bank at Palmyra. After the bank at
Kirksville had gotten started these men then borrowed from their own
bank and paid off their indebtedness to the Palmyra bank. Their
notes were renewed several times Avith the accumulated interest added,
so that in a short time they were getting big accommodations from their
own bank. With the coming on of the war, gold advanced in price,
so that a large sum of money was realized on the sale of what the bank
was fortunate enough to have on hands. In all about $50,000 in coin
was sold at different times. Moreover, there were scA'eral thousands
of dollars of the bank's currency Avhich were still outstanding and un
redeemed when the period of redemption expired, so that these unre
deemed bills proved a source of proflt to the bank also. These things
saved many of the stockholders from bankruptcy.
In March, 1863, Mr. Baird was elected cashier in place of Mr.
Linder, Avho had left the county. On February 15, 1864, the State
Legislature passed a law which authorized the winding up of the business
of the branches of the Bank of St. Louis. The KirksviUe branch was
thereupon closed up in 1865.
The Baird Bank. — In the same year that the Kirksville Branch
of the Bank of St. Louis was liquidated, a new banking company com
posed of Porter & Stebbins was organized, with a capital stock of $5,000,
and opened up for business with Mr. W. T. Baird as manager. Though
there Avas no organic connection between this bank and the branch
bank, the one may in a Avay be considered as the successor of the other.
In 1867 it was discovered that owing to the fact that Stebbins and
Porter were non-residents of the state, they could not continue bank
ing business in the state because of some legal provisions regulating bank-
330
History of Adair County.
ing. Thereupon Mr. Baird got Mr. Samuel Reed to buy up the capital
stock, and the name of the firm became Baird & Reed. On Septem
ber 2, 1868, Malone & Epperson of Macon bought out Mr. Reed, and
for ten years the firm was known as the Exchange Bank of Baird, Ma
lone & Company. Early in June, 1878, Mr. Baird bought out his
partners, and the name of the bank now became Exchange Bank of
W. T. Baird.
In 1882 the bank was reorganized under the name of First National
Bank with a capital stock of $50,000. Mr. Baird retained the controU-
Mr. W. T. Baird
(From a familiar photograph of about twenty years ago.)
ing interest in this institution and was made its cashier and manager.
The other directors were Edwin Darrow, S. M. Link, John Caskey,
and Joseph Baum. EdAvin Darrow Avas elected President; S. M.
Link, Vice-President; and W. T. Baird, Cashier. In 1883 Edwin Dar-
roAv was succeeded by S. M. Link, who continued to serve as President
until his death in 1904.
In 1894 the bank was changed from a national to a state institu
tion and took the name of First International Bank. In June, 1904,
it changed back again to a national bank and went under the name of
Baird National Bank. In February, 1906, the bank was sold to the
Citizens Bank, mention of which will be made in that part of this
ii^^^V
Thb Baird Bank Building. (Now occupied by the Citizens National Bank.)
332 History of Adair County.
chapter dealing with that institution. This marked' tlie passing of
the oldest banking institution in the county.
The Kirksville Branch Bank began business in 1859, it will be re
caUed, in a frame building on the site of the present Citizens Bank.
Before this bank went out of business it had bought what was knoAvn as
the Linder building which stood on the southeast corner of the square
Vhere the Myers Brothers' shoe store noAV is. The Porter & Stebbins
bank bought the furniture of the branch bank, but occupied a building
on the east side Avhere the Thomas Jewelry Store now is. In 1870 the
banking firm of Baird, Malone & Company erected a building of their
own on the site of the building in which the branch bank had begun
business, this old building having been removed the year before. This
building Avas destroyed by the fire that swept most of the south side
of the square out of existence on March 15, 1890. The bank, then known
as the First National Bank, was able to get all of its money out of the
safe before the building burned, and business was resumed in the build
ing diagonally across the street from the present post office building
the next morning. By May 16 the bank was back in the new building
which Avas erected on the site of the one burned. This building is noAv
(1911) occupied by the Citizens National Bank, but it is OAvned by
W. T. Baird.
On the night of February 26, 1895, an attempt was made by bur
glars to rob the International bank. One of the vaults was bloAvn open
and the safe Avrecked; but fortunately for the bank all the money ex
cept $2,000 in silver, was in another vault and safe, and the explosion
had not wrecked the safe containing the silver sufficiently so the bur
glars could get it.
Savings Bank. — The Kirksville Savings Bank Avas organized in
October, 1873, Avith a capital stock of $10,000. The officers were A. J.
Knight, President; C. H. Dutcher, Vice-President; R. M. Ringo,
Cashier. The Directors were F. M. Harrington and H. W. Snyder.
This was the second bank organized in the county, and for nearly twen
ty years this bank and the one with which Mr. Baird was connected,
were the only two banks in the county.
After one year's service as President, A. J. Knight resigned, and
T. C. Campbell of La Plata succeeded him. On Mr. Campbell's death
on February 21, 1887, Samuel Reed was made President.
The bank began business in a building which stood on the site of
the Odd Fellows' Building on the southwest corner of the square. In
February, 1886, the Baylor building, which stood on the Avest end of the
The Banks.
333
south side of the square was purchased and rearranged for banking pur
poses. This building has remained the home of this banking institution
from that time to this.
In June, 1886, the bank was reorganized. New stockholders were
taken in and the capital stock doubled. When the bank was organized
in 1873 the capital stock was $10,000. This Avas increased to $20,000
in'1874, and in 1886 it was increased to $40,000. In 1891 it was doubled
Mr. R. M. Ringo
again, having been raised from $40,000 to $80,000. It has since been
reduced to $60,000. •
On the night of November 10, 1898, the Savings Bank Avas burglar
ized. The vault was apparently entered by means of drilling the locks
of both the outer and inner vault doors, but the safe Avhich stood inside
the vault was entered by some other means than drills and explosives.
The bank sustained a loss of $10,480 in money Avith $4,000 insurance
against burglary. Mr. Samuel Reed lost $15,000 in government bonds
and a box of gold amounting to several thousand dollars. The bank Avas
334 History of Adair County.
not injured in any Avay by the loss. There was no break in the transac
tion of business and the directors immediately IcA^ied upon the stock
holders to make good their loss.
The insurance company after investigating the case, refused to
pay the bank auA-fhing on the 84,000 pohcy Avhich it had issued to the
bank. The bank sued the insurance company but lost the suit. The
grounds taken by Judge Adams of the U. S. Court at Hannibal in his
instructions to the jury, were that the burglary was committed In- some
Kirksville Samx(!s Bank
one Ayho kncAV all about the safe and that the drill holes in the doors
of the vault Avcrc only one of the many things done to make it appear
that a burglar had done the work.
.\s a matter of fact, suspicion was fastened upon a certain employee
of the hank, and though no charges were ever brought against him," he
soon resigned his place and left the town.
The success of the bank has been largely due to H, M. Rimio, com
monly called "Dick" Ringo, who s(M-vc(1 actively in one capacity or an-
The National Bank, Kirksville
336 History of Adair County.
other from the time of its organization to the time of his death in Jan
uary, 1908.
The present officers are: W. P. Foster, President; V. J. HoAvell,
Cashier. National Bank. — The third bank to be organized in the county
was the Union Bank, now the National Bank of KirksviUe. This was
organized by P. C. MiUs and B. F. Heiny, and opened for business on
October 2, 1891. The capital stock was $40,000. The first officers were
S. S. McLaughlin, President; P. C. MiUs, Vice-President; B. F. Heiny,
Cashier. A building was erected on the northwest corner of the square by
this bank before it was opened up for business.
It was changed to a national bank on Jan. 3, 1898, and has since
been knoAvn as the National Bank. The capital stock was raised to $50,000.
In January, 1908, Mr. Heiny severed his connection Avith this in
stitution, and S. F. Stahl became Cashier. Mr. Mills is now President,
and has been for a number of years.
Citizens National Bank. — The Citizens Bank was opened up
for business on July 5, 1904, in the building now occupied by the Kirks
ville Trust Company. The chief stockholders in this bank were H. M.
StUl, W. G. Fout, Warren HajnUton, J. E. WaddiU, Tyler Paine, Geo.
England and others. J. E. Waddill was President and W. G. Fout,
Cashier. The capital stock was $80,000.
In February, 1906, this bank bought out the Baird National Bank
and moved into the building which the latter institution had been occu
pying. In May of that year the Citizens Bank was charteted as a
National Bank, and the capital stock was raised to $100,000.
The present officers are: H. M. StiU, President; Warren Hamil
ton, Vice-President; W. G. Fout, Cashier.
Trust Company. — The Kirksville Trust Company was organized
by the Citizens Bank in March, 1906. It Avas opened up for business
in the Citizens Bank building at the time when that bank transferred
its quarters to the Baird National Bank building. J. E. Waddill was
President, and R. M. MiUer, Secretary. The capital stock is $100,000,
one-half of which is paid up. Several changes have been made. In
January, 1908, B. F. Heiny severed his connection with the National
Bank and became connected with this company. The present officers
are: B. F. Heiny, President; R. M. MUler, Secy.
The Banks.
337
Brashear Banks. — Brashear has two banks, the State Bank of
Brashear and the Brashear Banking Company.
The State Bank of Brashear was estabhshed on October 14, 1890,
with 0. C. Sands, J. N. McCreery, Daniel Tuttie, M. F. Strock, F. M.
Harrington, R. M. Ringo, F. P. Wiseman, Jacob Conkle, W. H. Sohn
and others as stockholders. The capital stock Avas $5,000.
Shortly after this Mr. Sands bought up the other stockholders.
*-'jr-
Kirksville Trust Company.
and he conducted it as a private institution until March, 1900, when he
sold out to Myers Bros. In 1907 Mr. C. S. Davis bought out Myers
Bros, and remains the present owner. The capital stock is now $10,000.
The Brashear Banking Company Avas established in 1907 by George
Tuttie and -E. E. Black, and still remains under them. The capital
stock is $5,000.
NoAaNGER Banks. — Novinger has likcAvise two banks, the Novinger
Bank and the Union Bank of Novinger.
The Novinger Bank was organized on December 1, 1900, by L. D.
HiUyer, with a capital stock of $6,000. The stockholders were L. D.
Hillyer, S. A. Novinger, John Shibley, J. F. Novinger, J. A. Novinger,
,^3iiif*-!|v;,f
^Sft*»*.'_L»
¦^
St.ate Bank of Brashear and Residence of Cashier, Chas. S. Davis.
The Banks. 339
Marion Shoop, F. W. Cain, Jacob Shoop, and John Shoop. Business
was begun in a building on the hill near the present residence of Mrs.
Aaron Kinyon. The present well arranged building was built in 1903
and occupied in September of that year. The capital stock has been
increased from $6,000 to $12,000, and later to $20,000. The oflficers at
the present time are: S. A. Novinger, President; 0. E. Novinger,
Cashier. The Union Bank of Novinger was organized by L. D. Hillyer, S.
A. Novinger, Isaac N. Novinger, J. F. Novinger, and P. C. Mills.
Several of these men were stockholders in "the Novinger Bank. S. A.
Novinger was made President and Isaac Novinger, Cashier. Most of
the original stockholders have since sold out to others. The capital
stock is $10,000. The present President is J. J. Wells, and the Cashier,
I. N. Novinger.
Adair County Miners' Bank. — For a short time Connelsville
afforded two banks, the Bank of Connelsville and the Adair County
Miners' Bank. The first Avas organized in November, 1902, by W. T.
Baird of Kirksville, A. E. Jones, and E. H. Allison, an Illinois banker.
In January, 1903, the Adair County Miners Bank was organized by
L. D. Hillyer of Novinger. As the promoters of the first bank reahzed
there was not enough business for two banks, they surrendered the field
and sold out to the second. The capital stock of the surviving bank,
the Adair County Miners Bank, is $15,000. The first Board of Di
rectors was composed of L. D. Hillyer, F. S. Fechtling, Wm. Motter,
J. W. Cook, and J. E. Reaugh. L. D. Hillyer was elected President
and J. E. Reaugh, Cashier. In 1905 Mr. Hillj'er disposed of his stock,
and F. S. Fechtling was elected President. In 1908 C. G. Young was
elected Cashier.
Bank of Gibbs. — The bank at Gibbs was originaUy a stockhold
ers' organization and was called the Gibbs Savings Bank. It was sold
to Craggs and Elmore in July, 1901, when the name was changed to the
Bank of Gibbs, and the capital stock was reduced to $5,000. Craggs
and Elmore sold out to Frank Myers in February, 1903, and in Decem
ber, 1905, Frank Myers sold to J. H. Myers. Later J. H. Myers sold
out to AUison & MUler, and on AprU 30, 1907, E. B. CampbeU bought
out Allison & Miller. Mr. Campbell has remained in possession of the
bank longer than any other person. The capital stock is stiff $5,000.
Adaih County Minehh Bank, Connelsville,
The Banks. 341
Building and Loan Associations. — The KirksvUle Building and
Loan Association Avas organized in May, 1885, Avith W. G. Fout, Pres
ident; A. M. Smith, Secretary; and W. T. Baird, Treasurer. The
original stock was $80,000; this Avas later raised to $100,000, and then
to $200,000. In 1907 the association Avas rechartered for fifty years,
and the capital stock was raised to $250,000. W. G. Fout has been
President ever since it was organized, and W. G. Downing has been the
Secretary for the last tAvelve years. This association built some modern
frame residences on Jefferson street betAveen Mulanix and Florence
during 1909-10, as an investment, several of which Avere sold off almost
as soon as completed.
There is a Building and Loan Association at NoAonger, Avhich has
been organized in the last year with a capital stock of about $25,000.
These tAvo are the onh' ones in the countA'.
CHAPTER XVII.
KIRKSVILLE.
Early Setilers.— Before Kirksville Avas laid out the vicinity was
knoAvn to some as Long Point, and to others as Hopkinsville. The
first Avhite settlement in the county Avas made in 1828, and Avas kuoAvn
as "The Cabins." This settlement Avas six miles avcst of what is uoav
Kirksville. It is not knoAA'u just Avhen settlers began to occupy the
Mrs. Mary East Slo.\n, \A"]iHnv of David E. Slo.an
Mr. and Mrs. Sloan settled in 1S40 in what later became Kirksville.
land in and around the present KirksA'ille. By 1841, Avhen the toAvn
Avas laid out, there Avere a fcAV settlers living in this vicinity, among
Avhom AAcre Jesse Kirk and David E. Sloan. Mr. Sloan had settled
first in ^^'alnut ToAvnship, but moA^ed his family to Avhat is uoav Kirks
ville in 1840 and built a log cabin on the site of the Avarehouse of L. D.
Cochran it t^ompaiiA-, more generally knoAvn as the KciuuhIa' ware
house, just Avcst of the northwest corner of the square. The tradition
Kirksville.
343
in his family is to the effect that his house was the first one ever built
within the limits of the original Kirksville. He died very shortly after
budding this cabin, but his AvidoAv, Mary East Sloan, lived on thirty
years or more, and was one of the familiar characters in the early his
tory of the town and county. Mr. Kirk lived near the present Willard
School house, and for a long time kept a tavern there.
Besides the Kirk and Sloan families, there Avere during the forties
representatives of the Stewart, Floyd, Holloway, Parcells, Callison,
James, Sheeks, Ivie, Hunsaker, Dodson, Mulanix, Goode, Murphy and
Galyen families in Kirksville. There Avere doubtless other families
•represented during that time, but just Avho they were has not been
ascertained.
Growth in Population. — Kirksville grcAv in population verA- slow
ly at first. In fact, the rate of increase in population was greater for
the county as a whole from 1850 to 1880 inclusive, than for the toAvn.
Since 1880 the tOAvn has grown more rapidly than the county.
The foUoAving figures taken from the census reports, show the pop
ulation of the toAvn and county from 1850 to 1910:
Year. 1850186018701880
1890
1900 1910
The population of KirksA-ille in 1850 is not known.
In Chapter. II of this book some account was given of the growth
of the population of the county. Since that chapter was put into print
the Census Commissioner for the census of 1910 has made public his
report on the situation in the Missouri counties and towns. Inasmuch
as the detailed information concerning Adair County was not available
when the above mentioned chapter was printed, it may be in order to
bring it in at this point.
Adair County had a population in 1910 of 22,700 as compared vyith
21,728 in 1900. The population of the various townships at these two
dates was as follows:
IKSVILLE.
Adair County
(Including Kirksville)
2, 342
658
8,531
1,471
11,448
2,314
15,190
3,510
17, 147
5,966
21,728
6,347
22, 700
344
The History of Adair County.
1910
, 8, 086
,1,709,1,185
,1,490
Township.
Benton (including Kirksville)
Clay
Liberty
Morrow
Nineveh (including ConnelsviUe and Novinger)., 4, 677
Pettis 1,100
Polk 770
Salt River (including Brashear) 1, 470
Walnut 954
Wilson (including Gibbs) 1, 258
1900
7,8262, 207
1,2851,985
2,226 1,307 884
1,6241,112
1,272
In order that it may be clearly seen that the increase of population
has been in the toAvns and the loss in the rural districts, the following
facts are submitted:
Cities and Towns
Kirksville , , , ,
1st ward , ,
2nd Avard. ,
3rd ward , , .
4th Avard . . .
Novinger. . , ,
North Avard
South Avard.
Connelsville . ,
Brashear
Gibbs
Novinger Avas incorporated in 1901 and ConnelsvUle in 1904; hence
neither town shows in the 1900 column.
The foregoing tables, taken from the official statistics just issued
by the Census Bureau at Washington, shoAV that during the past ten
years Adair County gained in population 972.
The City of Kirksville and the other towns of the county show
increased population; hence the rural portion of the county shows a
decided decrease.
Kirksville's gain was 381. Brashear gained 57, and Gibbs gained
58. Novinger and Connelsville have made a marked growth, but as
neither toAvn Avas incorporated at the time of the 1900 census, no com
parison can be made.
1910
1900
..6,347
5,966
1,341
989
1,684
2,333
.1,711
1,022
689
652
458
401
. . 229
168
KlRKSA^LLB. 345
Benton township, including Kirksville, gained 260. As Kirks
vUle alone gained 381, the township outside of Kirksville therefore lost
121 of its inhabitants.
Nineveh toAvnship, including Connelsville and Novinger, gained
2,451. This gain, however, Avas whoUy within the limits of the two
towns; hence, the toAvnship outside of these towns shows a loss.
Salt River toAvnship, outside of Brashear, sustained a loss of 211.
Wilson toAvnship, outside of Gibbs, had a loss of 71.
Clay and Morrow toAvnships show the greatest loss, the former
losing 498 and the latter 495.
The marked increase in the size of the toAvn since 1880 is largely
due to the educational institutions located there, the First District
Normal School and the American School of OsteopathA'. It is per
haps not too much to say that Kirksville would not likely be any larger
than the county seat towns in the counties immediately to the north,
east and west of her if it Avere not for these schools. They have been
the means of attracting many people here, Avho have remained after
having educated their children in them.
MUNICIPAL Organization. — The history of the municipal govern
ment of KirksviUe may be divided into six periods: first, from the time
the town Avas laid out in 1841 to the time of its incorporation in 1857;
second, from 1857 to the suspension of the municipal government dur
ing the war; third, from the reorganization of the town government
in 1866 to the granting of a special charter in 1873; fourth, from 1873
to 1886, AA'hen the town surrendered its charter and became a city of
the fourth class; fifth, from 1886 to 1892, when the city was raised to
one of the third class; and sixth, from 1892 to the present. Some at
tempt Avill be made to describe the changes in the governmental or
ganization of the town as they have occurred from one period to another,
as suggested in the aboA^e outline.
The same law which estabhshed the county in 1841, provided for
three commissioners to locate the county seat. They were Jefferson
Collins of Lewis County, L. B. Mitchell of Clark County, and Thomas
Farrell of Monroe County. They were instructed to locate the county
seat within tAvo and a half miles of the geographical center of the county.
Some time during 1841 they accomphshed the work they were author
ized to do. They entered for the county the northwest quarter of
section 9, toAvnship 62, range 15, which comprised 160 acres. The
county very shortly thereafter disposed of the west half of this quarter
section to W. P. Linder, retaining the east half for the county seat.
346 The History' of Adair County'.
According to a story told in the North Missouri Register for December
4, 1873, it was largely through the influence of David E. Sloan and a
few others that the commissioners selected this particular quarter sec
tion for the county seat site.
When the county seat came to be surveyed off an error was made
by the surveyors in determining the exact boundaries of the land that
had been entered for the county. It had been decided to lay off for
the time, the north forty only of the eighty acres which the county owned-
The surveyors put the northeast corner of this forty acres several feet
too far to the northeast, so that when they had completed their Avork
and had made a plat of the original town it was one block too far to the
north and one half block too far to the east. In other words, the
town was made to extend over into section four on the north and into
the northeast quarter of section nine. The town was subsequently
corrected b}^ taking off these extensions, and by adding what the
county owned on the west and south in the forty acres that had been
set aside for the original town. Later the county had the other forty
acres surveyed and platted, and added them to the original town.
The original toAvn of forty acres as the surveyors laid it out, was
bounded on the north by Avhat is now Missouri Street, on the east by
High Street, on the south by McPherson Street, and on the west by
Main Street. When the corrections were made the northern boundary
was Illinois Street, the eastern was an alley between Marion and High
Streets, and the western the alley west of Main Street. There are
therefore no blocks 5, 6, 15 and 16 in the original toAvn of Kirksville be
cause of this error. The public square is block 9.
The coimty disposed of the town lots that had been laid off in the
eighty acres it had kept for a county seat, by auction sales usually.
The toAvn was named after Jesse Kirk, who Avas living outside the
limits of the town when it Avas laid out. According to the story, as tra
dition has preserved it, his wife was cooking a turkey dinner the day
the surveyors completed their work, and he offered to invite them to
partake of that dinner and indulge in his supply of good whiskey, pro
vided they would name the town in his honor. The offer Avas accepted
and the name of Kirksville was given to the newly laid out town.
The original plat was acknowledged on May 18, 1842, though it
does not seem to have been filed until June 21, 1847. This document
is now in possession of Mr. H. F. Millan of Kirksville. It was used
as one of the papers in a suit of Linder vs. Adair County, and as the case
was tried in Sulhvan County on change of venue, it Avas taken to Milan
and for years Avas left there. Later it was brought from Milan to Kirks-
Kirksville. 347
ville and given to Mr. Millan, who has since preserved it carefully in his
office safe.
Up to 1857 the town of KirksviUe was unincorporated, and hence
was subject to the toAvnship officers of Benton township. No records
have survived from that time, so that it is impossible to give anything
concerning either the tovsmship officers of the transactions of the toAvn-
ship organization.
By the time the town was incorporated several additions had been
made to the original toAvn. These Avere the county's first addition in
1842, Avhich consisted of a tier of blocks Avest of Main Street; the South
addition in 1852, which consisted of six blocks and four half blocks
south of the original town and the county's first addition; the Linder's
first addition in 1854, which consisted of four blocks and four half blocks
east of the original town; and Linder and Mulanix addition in 1856 of
five blocks and eight half blocks south of Linder's first addition.
In 1857 a petition was sent to the Legislature asking that the toAvn
be incorporated and a charter granted. This was granted on January
30, 1857, Avhen the I^egislature passed a special act giving a charter to
the toAvn. This act was only one of a number of similar acts passed
during the fifties and sixties incorporating numerous toAvns in the state.
According to this act of 1857 the town government of Kirksville
was carried on by an elective toAA'n council and A'arious appointive of
ficers. The council was what was commonly called the Board of Trus
tees. It Avas composed of seven trustees elected annually on a general
ticket. The first seven trustees were named by the Legislature in the
act of 1857. They Avere M. P. Hannah, John Thomas, William Lough,
0. H. Beeman, Jesse C. Thatcher, John D. Foster, and E. W. Parcels.
Thereafter the entire board was re-elected every first Monday in April.
Within ten days after the election of each board, the members met and
elected one of their oAvn number as chairman; they also elected a clerk.
The chairman corresponded to the mayor, but he had no power over
the board save that of a presiding officer. The board elected various
other toAvn officers, such as assessor, constable, recorder and treas
urer. The town justice was elected by the county court, .acting upon
the recommendation of the trustees.
No records have come down from the toAvn government as organ
ized under the charter of 1857. It seems, hoAvever, that during the
war the town government became suspended and remained so until
1866. In that year the State Legislature passed an act giving all the
towns and villages in the state the power to reorganize under their for
mer charters, which may have been ignored or set aside. KirksA'ille
348 The History of Adair County.
took advantage of this opportunity. An order was therefore made by
the county court ordering the election of a new board of trustees for the
town, inasmuch as all the trustees at the time the toAvn government
had suspended had left town. This special election too place on May
19, 1866. The trustees elected were J. W. Lee, S. W. WUhams, Sam
uel Reed, W. 0. H. P. Ammerman, J. G. Jamison, John L. Rowlinson,
and 0. H. Beeman. By June the town government was going again.
The extant records of the toAvn begin with the work done by this Board
of Trustees; that does not mean, however, that all the extant records
are continuous from that time to this, for some of them are missing in
the seventies. Judging from the character of the ordinances passed
in 1866, one would suppose that the town Avas being organized for the
first time, as they deal Avith everything from the procuring of a town
seal to the levy of taxes.
Barring a fcAV minor differences, the town government Avas the
same from 1866 to 1873, as it had been from 1857 to its suspension dur
ing the war.
In 1873 a ucav charter was granted the town by the Legislature,
and with this Ave pass to a consideration of the fourth period of the
town's governmental history. This charter provided in the first place,
that an election should be held in April, 1873, and every April there
after, for the purpose of electing a mayor and four "councilmen. The
town Avas divided into two Avards and two councilment were elected
annually from each Avard. The council elected a President pro tempore
who presided in the absence of the mayor. The chief powers of the
councU were to regulate the time and place of holding its meetings, to
judge of the quahfications of its members, to determine contested elec
tions, to appoint and remove all appointive officers, fix their salaries
and determine their duties, and to arrange the finances of the town.
The .appointive officers Avere clerk, treasurer, attorney, marshal, as
sessor and street commissioner.
Two of the mayor's duties were to see that the toAA'n ordinances
Avere enforced and to issue statements of the financial condition of the
town. He had original and exclusive jurisdiction in all cases arising
under the toAvn ordinances, and concurrent jurisdiction with the jus
tices of the peace, subject, of course, to an appeal to the Circuit Court
of Adair County. As presiding officer of the council he had no vote
except in case of a tie.
The next change made in the government of Kirksville was in 1886,
when it gave up the charter of 1873 and became a city of the fourth
class. On March 9, 1886, an ordinance was passed by the toAvn coun-
Kirksville. 349
cil providing for submitting to the voters a proposition for Kirksville
becoming a city of the fourth class under the general law of 1877, which
provided for the reorganization of cities of the first, second, third and
fourth classes. On March 30, 1886, a special election was held to vote
on this proposition, and it was carried by a big majority, 245 to 96. On
the following day Mayor Hope declared the town to be the city of Kirks
ville. The chief officers under the ncAv goA'crnment Avere the board of
aldermen, the mayor, and the marshal, all of whom Avere elective. The
board of aldermen was composed of two men elected from one of the
two wards of the city. The law of 1877 provided that at the first elec
tion for aldermen the one receiAong the highest number of votes in each
ward should hold his office for two years, and the one recei\'ing the next
highest should hold his office for one year; after the first election each
ward was to elect annually one alderman who should hold his office for
tAVO years. The board of aldermen held tAvo regular meetings each
month. The presiding officer was the mayor, but the board elected one
of their oAvn number as president, Avhose only duty seems to have been
to sign all bills passed by the board. The board Avas primarily a leg-
islatiAre body, passing ordinances for the gOA^ernment of the city. It
also levied taxes, granted licenses, and fixed the salaries of all officials
and employees.
The chief executive of the city Avas the mayor, Avho served two
years. He presided at the meetings of the board of aldermen, but had
no vote except in case of a tie. HoAvever, all bills passed by the board
had to be signed by the mayor before they became laws. The mayor
also saw to the enforcement of the city ordinances and made appoint
ments, yyith the consent of the aldermen, to the various city offices.
He Avas also a judicial officer and tried all cases in which the city ordi
nances were involved. From his decisions appeals might be taken to
the circuit court.
One other oflScer Avas specially provided for at this time, the marshal.
He was elected at the same time as the mayor and served two years.
The marshal served as chief of police and assisted in enforcing the city
ordinances. He was also required to attend the meetings of the board
unless on otter duty or excused by the board or the mayor.
The other officers were appointed by the mayor, with the consent
of the board.
On June 6, 1892, an ordinance Avas passed to submit to the voters
at a special election a proposition to organize and become a city of the
third class under the provisions of the general law. The election was
350 The History of Adair County.
held on July 5, 1892, and the proposition Avas carried by a vote of 205
to 107; not half of the voters voted, however. The city did not begin
Avork under the new charter until April, 1893. It has remained under
that charter ever since.
Under the ncAV organization the government has remained as
before, with three notable exceptions. The first is the division of
the city into four Avards instead of two, the election of tAvo councilmen
from each Avard, thereby increasing the number of councilmen from
four to eight, and the changing of the name of the council from that of
board of aldermen to city council. The second is the increase in the
number of elective officers. In addition to the maj'or and marshal,
Avho had been elective under the preceding government, the city attor
ney, collector, treasurer, assessor, recorder, and the police judge were
made elective also. Each of these officers serve for two years. Many
other officers are either appointed by the mayor with the consent of
the council, or are elected by the council. The third is the transfer
of the judicial functions of the mayor to the police judge.
The chairmen of the Board of Trustees from 1857 to 1866 are not
known, as all records are lost. Those from 1866 to 1873 were as follows:
1866— J. G. Jamison. 1870— A. L. Shepherd.
1867— J. G. Jamison. 1871— F. M. Potter.
1868— J. G. Jamison. 1872 (Jan.)— Geo. T. Spencer.
1869— J. B. Brewington. 1872 (Apr.)— S. M. Link.
The Mayors from 1873 to 1886 were as foUoAvs:
1873— H. F. MiUan. 1881 (Jan.)— Dr. J. H. Wesscher.
1874—0. H. Beeman. 1881 (Apr.)— P. M. Smith.
1875— J. E. Watson. 1882— S. M. Pickler.
1876— W. N. Hope. 1883 (Apr.)— G. A. Goben.
1877— W. N. Hope. 1883 (Dec.)— Thos. Sees.
1878— W. N. Hope. 1884— Thos. Sees.
1879— F. M. Harrington. 1885— W. N. Hope.
1880— F. M. Harrington.
Since 1886 the term of the Mayor has been two years instead of
one. The Mayors since then have been:
1886— B. M. Ross. 1899— W. E. Noonan.
1888— John Richey. 1901— T. J. Dockery.
1890— Wm. Gibbons. 1903— G. A. Goben.
1892— J. W. Tinsman. 1905— T. J. Craig.
1893— J. W. Tinsman. 1907— H. Selby.
1895— W. E. Noonan. 1909— J. M. McCall.
1897— T. J. Dockery. 1911— G. A. Goben.
Kirksville. 351
Bonded Indebtedness.- -As far as is known the city had no bonded
indebtedness prior to 1894. Since then the city has voted bonds for
waterworks to the amount of $60,000 in all; for a sewer system, $40,-
000; for paying old city Avarrants, $19,000. In addition, the city coun
cil issaed at one time $9,000 for current- revenue purposes and $6,000 at
another to pay off judgments which had been rendered against the city.
In aU the city has had bonds amounting to $134,000 issued against her.
Of this amount $60,000 has been paid, and $74,000 remains yet un
paid. The foUoAving table presents the salient facts concerning the past
and present bonded indebtedness of the city:
bonded indebtedness of kirksville.
Date of Issue
Amt.
Purpose
Rate
Term
Amt, Paid Unpaid (1911)
1894(1)
$20, 000
Water Works.
5%
20 yrs.
$20, 000
1898
40, 000
Extension of
Water Works.
5%
20 yrs.
24, 000
$16, 000
1903(2)
9,000
Current Revenue
6%
1 yr.
9,000
1906
40, 000
ScAver System.
4%
20 yrs.
7,000
33, 000
1908(3)
19, 000
Old Warrants.
5%
20 yrs.
19,000
1910(4)
6,000
Judgments.
5%
20 yrs.
6,000
Total, $134,000 $60,000 $74,000
(1) After $5,000 of these bonds had been paid off, the city refunded
in 1900 the remaining $15,000 of 4% for twenty years, but managed to
pay the entire amount off in 1906.
(2) The council anticipated this much of the following year's in
come, and issued bonds without a vote of the people.
(3) The issue became a most urgent necessity because of the long
standing inability of the city to pay off old Avarrants.
(4) The bonds to pay judgments Avhich had been rendered against
the city, were issued without vote of the prople.
Dramshop Ordinances. — Just what dramshop regulations the
town of Kirksville had prior to 1866 is unknown, as all records prior to
that time have been lost. The first dramshop ordinance on the ex
tant records is dated July 3, 1866. It provided that every dramshop,
beer saloon, biUiard hall and the like, should be hcensed. The hcense
for a dramshop Avas $25 for six months, and for a beer saloon $10. In
November, 1866 the Ucenses were raised to $50 and $20. At no time
since has the amount been so low as then.
Drinking was evidently indulged in to very great excess in those
352 The History of Adair County.
days. To put a check upon this evil an active temperance campaign
was carried on in Kirksville in January, 1867. The campaign enlisted
the interested and support of a great many prominent citizens. Among
the results was the agreement made by a group of over forty prominent
men of the toAvn not to take a drink for a year ; many of them were ad
dicted to pretty heavy drinking. How faithfully they lived up to this
pledge cannot be said. The campaign does not seem to have effected
any immediate change in the town ordinances regarding the liquor
traffic. The first anti-dramshop legislation in Kirksville, as far as is known,
was passed in September, 1873, when an ordinance prohibiting the sale
of intoxicating liquors and of beer in less than one gallon lots, was passed.
It may be that this legislation Avas the result of a series of temperance
meetings held in Kirksville in February, March and April of that year.
Complaints Avere made, however, within three months after this ordi
nance was passed, that it was being grossly violated, and the attitude of
the people Avas seen in the spring election of 1874. There were two
tickets in the field; one in favor of no licensed saloons, and the other
in favor of them. The latter ticket won by a close vote, and licensed
saloons were again restored.
In April,- 1879, the proposition to license saloons was submitted to
the people of Kirksville. The vote stood 284 against licensing and 140
for. As far as can be made out this is the first time the matter had ever
been referred to the people of the town.
It is not knoAvn how long the town was without licensed saloons
after 1879, as the records are lacking for a fcAv years right at this time,
but it is known that in March, 1884, the town council granted a saloon
license to George Mevin, for which he paid $1,000 for six months, be
sides putting up a bond for $1,000 not to sell to minors or habitual
drunkards, or on Sundays. The license that was granted Avas said,
however, to be only the renewal of one that had been running for tAvo
years, and that the fee was raised at this time from $600 to $1,000.
The city election campaign of 1884 Avas a rather exciting one. There
were two tickets in the field, a no-license ticket and a citizens' ticket
which Avas understood to be a license ticket. The no-license ticket
won the mayorship and a majority of the councilmen by a small margin.
Thos. Sees was elected mayor in opposition to P. M. Smith.
On January 7, 1886, the council passed an ordinance regulating
the sale of liquor in quantities of one gallon or over.
In June, 1886, arrangements were made for a Temperance Camp
at KirksviUe, which was to last six days, July 15-20, during which time
Kirksville. 353
noted temperance speakers would address the assembled crowds. Among
these speakers Avere Geo. Bain, Sam Jones, Sobieski, and St. John. The
camp did not pay out financially, but it proved very influential. A
few days after it closed a Prohibition Club Avas formed. The members
declared they Avere not in favor of a third party, but that they would
not A'ote for any man who did not favor temperance. All this agitation
resulted in the people voting on August 22, 1887, to abolish the saloons
for four years. The vote stood 340 against the saloons and 199 for.
Before the four years expired, however, licensed saloons were again
in operation in Kirksville. Six and Dr. Reamer applied for a saloon
hcense in 1889, and on being refused by the town council appealed to
the circuit court, Avhereupon Judge Ellison decided in December, 1889,
that the ordinance prohibiting saloons in the city was invalid.
By 1890 licensed saloons were in full blast again in the toAvn. Two
of the three saloons were called "supreme court" saloons, because they
paid no city or county license.
An effort Avas made to have the question submitted to the people
again, and the council actually ordered that a special election for that
purpose be held on July 8, 1890, but from some cause or other the coun
cil AvithdrcAv the order on the day before the election. The situation
must have been bad at that time, as complaint M'-as made in the papers
that original package houses Avere flourishing in the toAvn.
The hcensed saloon question Avas submitted a third time on August
9, 1894, with the result that 356 votes were cast against hcensing saloons
and 312 for it. An ordinance covering the niatter conformable to these
returns was passed on January 6, 1895.
At the close of the four years' period the same question Avas sub
mitted a fourth time with the result that a majority vote was cast in
favor of the licensed saloon. The vote was 594 for it and 421 against.
The councU therefore passed an ordinance on September 8, 1898, reg
ulating dramshops. The return to the licensed saloon in 1898 Avas
largely due to the fact that all the attempts at suppressing club houses
which were violating the anti-dramshop laAv, had been futile. A LaAv
and Order League was formed in 1895 to suppress them, but it does not
seem to have been successful.
The last time the licensed saloon question was submitted was in
December, 1907, when the drys won against the Avets by a vote of 645
to 486. The city has been Avithout licensed saloons since that time,
but it is commonly known that liquor is sold in several places in the
town, and several parties have been found guilty in the courts for vio
lations of the liquor laws.
354 The History of Adair County.
One of the most active agencies in sentiment making for the tem
perance cause has been the Woman's Christian Temperance Union.
The Kirksville Union Avas organized on November 23, 1882, Avith the
foUovying charter members: Mesdames E. Beazell, S. H. Smith, A.
Dutcher, A. E. Lantz, Rankin, Brenneman, Blackman, Hooper, Bent-
ley, Chambhss, Boyd, Wheat, and Mitchell. The Union has had a
continuous existence from that time to this, though there haA'e been
times Avhen interest Avas greater than ordinarily.
Another active agent in this work was the Good Templars (I. 0.
G. T.). Perseverance Lodge, No. 41, at Kirksville, AA^as organized in
1873. This association arranged for a hall by building a third story
on the Watson building, which stood just south of the Odd Fellows'
building. The members of the Good Templars in 1873 Avere S. F. Mil
ler, Miss Rowland, Henry Harris, Miss Carrie Gill, W. T. ShoUy, Wm.
Echvards, A. H. Kearnes, Miss Blackman, J. M. Greenwood, W. L.
Stoddard, H. Spencer, Miss Gibson, Miss Brasfield and Miss Link
The Grand Lodge of Missouri held its sessions in Kirksville in July,
1874. In October, 1879, the Templars of District 40, which was com
posed of Adair and Macon Counties, held a convention in Kirksville.
It seems that the Kirksville Chapter was reorganized on March
31, 1884, and then after another relapse it was again reorganized, this
time on July 11, 1891. The meetings were held in the K. P. Hall every
Thursday evening, and the membership in 1892 was said to have been '
seventy-five. It is no longer in existence, having been suspended sev
eral years ago.
The Good Templars had an organization at Brashear. Its mem
bership in 1875 was at least forty.
The Colored Good Templars had an organization at Kirksville.
The Grand Lodge met here in 1883.
In the more recent local option campaigns organizations were ef
fected not only to carry on the campaigns, but also to see to the en
forcement of the laAV. But invariably the organizations have lapsed
and violations of the liquor laws have been indifferently prosecuted.
Public Utilities. — The city affords in the way of public utilities
an electric light plant, a telephone system, a Avater Avorks system, and
a scAverage system. Only the Avater works and the sewerage systems
belong to the city. The others are owned by private companies.
Prior to 1894 the town had no water A\'orks. For fire protection
dependence had to be put upon some wells which had been dug at the
four corners of the square, from which the water Avould be pumped by
Kirksville. 355
a hand engine pump in time of need. The very destructive fires from
which the town suffered brought the people to a fuller realization of the
necessity of providing for a water systein Avhich would afford more ample
protection than the wells at the corner of the square. In March, 1890,
the greater part of the south side of the square burned down. The
necessity of a Avater sj'stem Avas made clearer than ever before. A
special election was therefore held on June 26, 1890, to vote on the
proposition to issue $40,000 in bonds with Avhich to build a Avater
system. But the vote Avas only 333 for to 219 against, and since a
tAvo-thirds niajority Avas not cast for it, it Avas lost.
It was over three years before the matter Avas brought up again
before the people by Avay of a special election. On January 16, 1894,
a proposition to issue $20,000 in bonds to build a water works system
Avas carried by a vote of 669 to 42.
During 1893 an artesian well company Avas organized and an ar
tesian well bored near the present electric light plant. About $3,200
Avas subscribed to the stock of this company. The contract for boring
the Avell Avas let to L. G. BlackhaU of St. Louis in April. Water was
struck at a depth of 425 feet, but that Avas not sufficient for a water
system. When a depth of 1397 feet Avas reached a test was made, and
it Avas discovered that 3,000 gallons could be pumped every hour out
of the well Avithout loAvering the level. Thereupon the well Avas de
clared finished. The cost amounted to $2,700. Now that it was
thought a sufficient supply of water had been secured, the proposi
tion to vote bonds to build the Avater works Avas again submitted in
January, 1894, Avith the result as aboA'e noted.
The bonds were sold to a Chicago firm for $20,065 in February,
and by early April contracts Avere let by the council for four and a half
miles of Avater mains and fifty Ludlow hydrants. Later in the month
contracts for the plant complete had been let. The system included a
reservoir and a pumping station. The Avater Avas raised from the well
into the reservoir and then forced through the mains by the pump. In
October a test was made and it Avas found a stream could be throAvn
ninety feet high. The city accepted the system some time in Decem
ber, 1894.
The system proved to be inadequate. The supply of water was not
sufficient and many complained that the Avater Avas not good either to
drink or for steam purposes. Moreover, there was a groAving demand
for a more extensive service. Some Avere beginning to advocate using
the Chariton as the source of supply. But as that Avould entail heavy
expense in laying a long main from the river to toAvn, it was feared that
356 The History' of Adair County.
it could not be done. The fii-st plan of extension was to haA'e more AveUs
and thus increase the supply of Avater, and a proposition to issue 815,000
in bonds to do that Avas submitted on ISIay 3, 1898, but it A\-as lost by a
Aote of 373 for and 282 against. A two-thirds majority AA'as necessary
to carry it.
The demand became more insistent that mains be laid from the
Chariton to a settling basin near tOA\-n from winch the water would be
brought into the reserA'oir. It Avas also proposed that about three and
a half mUes of new mams should be laid in the city. A special election
was ctilled on July 16, 1898. to vote on a proposition to issue S40.000
to do the aboA'e mentioned things, and it was cai'ried by a A'ote of 648
for and only 147 against. In the course of a year the improA'ements
were made.
The main which brings the Avater from the Chariton to the settling
basin is of scA'cn-inch Calamine steel pipe, and is 27,000 feet long. The
main from the settling basin to the reseiwoir is of the same kind of ma
terial and size, and is 9,000 feet long. Throughout the city there are
OA'er eight miles of mains in serA'ice. For fire protection there haA'e
been installed sixty-four hydrants. ScAen himdred and ninety permits
haA'e been issued to patrons for tapping the mains.
The system has again become inadequate and expensiA'e. In Jan
uary. 1907, it was found necessary to install a motor pump at the set
tling basin in order to force the Avater to flow doAA'ii hill into the reser
A'oir, The proposition to repair the old plant or rebuild it completely
has been considerably discussed in the last year. It is only a matter of
a short time AAhen something avUI haA'e to be done towards making it
up to date and sufficient for the demands of the time. Instead of being
an expense to the city it should be made a source of income and undoubt
edly Avill be Avhen it is put on a proper basis.
The KirksviUe Electric Light, Heating, PoAver and Water Com
pany AA'as organized Septemlier 6, 1888, AA'ith a capital stock of 810.000,
The ofl[icers of the Board of Directors were John Caskey, President;
W. T. Baird, Treasurer; C E. Ross, Secretaiy. This compauA- con
tracted in November, 1888 for the Ball system of lighting and also let
the contract for erecting its building. The council evidently made some
sort of a contract Avith this company for street lights.
In Seiitember, 1889, the Thompson-Huston Electric Company ar
ranged to put in an incandescent plant, ^Meanwhile, the original com
pany ordered machinery to put in the incandescent system of hghting
too. These two companies existed side by side until January, 1891,
Avhen the incandescent company sold out to the older company. The
Kirksville. 357
. machinery of the company selhng out Avas moved to the plant of the old
company near the 0. K. depot.
In April, 1892, the plant was sold to H. C. McCahan, Fred Darrow,
J. M. Kennedy and John Bragg for $15,000. It finally became the
property of McCahan and Kennedy. They sold it in turn to the com
pany that now OAvns it, in AprU, 1908. The stockholders in the company
at that time Avere H. M. Still, Warren Hamilton, Chas. W Miller, John
C. Mills, S. R. McKeehan, P]d. B. Reed, A. H. Garges, and Clarence
Baxter. The city has been able at different times to make contracts Avith
the electric hght company for street lights. From 1888 to 1894, and
from 1898 to 1908, such contracts Avere maintained. The voting out
of the licensed saloons in 1894 and in 1907 resulted in the discontinu
ance of public street lights. The state of the city's finances was such
as to make it impossible to do otherwise. If the state laws did not ham
per the cities in their tax levies and assessment rates, it Avould not follow
that when the saloon licenses were cut off the street lights would have to
be shut off too.
The Kirksville Gas, Heat and Electric Company was incorporated
in February, 1905, Avith a capital stock of $50,000. The franchise AA'as
granted to the company by a special election held on October 10, 1905,
by a vote of 361 to 321. The franchise permits it to generate electricity
and maintain a public heating plant, but it has confined itself to the
Avork of manufacturing gas for heat and illumination. The plant is
located just southwest of the Wabash depot. The present officers are
B. F. Henry, President; C. S. Sands, Secretary; W. P. Foster, Treas
urer; P. D. Schoonmaker, Superintendent. ExtensiA'e improvements
are now going on, so that the capacity of the plant Avill be more than
doubled as soon as they are completed.
The first telephone line installed in toAvn was a private line from
Mr. W T. Baird's bank to his residence. It Avas put up in July, 1881,
and Avas indeed a very curious affair. There was no bell attachment
for calling anyone to the phone. Instead, there Avas a little Avooden
mallet Avhich was used to strike the transmitter. This Avould make a
sound upon the phone at the other end of the line and thus the call
Avas made. Mr. Baird still has the mallet Avhich he used.
Within a year other similar private phones were put in by Dr.
Coe, Dr. Grove, Henry & Hooper, N. A. Baylor, A. Dutcher, and the
Graphic office. It seems as though each line comiected only two points,
and no intercommunication was possible between the phones of differ
ent lines.
258 The History of Adair County.
About 1890 a local telephone company was formed in Kirksville,
by Kennedy, English and Haley. Several changes were made in the
membership of the company, but Mr. J. M. Kennedy remained in it
until the system was sold to the Missouri and Kansas Telephone Com
pany in 1905. MeanwhUe, the KirksviUe company had instaUed sev
eral other exchanges in the county. AU of them were bought up by
the Missouri and Kansas Company. Since this company assumed con
trol of the Kirksville exchange it has instaUed a new system through
out, making it entirely modern and more effectiA'-e.
About 1890, or perhaps a little before that, the city began to
put in sewer lines for drainage purposes primarily. The outlets
were in the raA-ines at the edge of town. The expense of putitng
these lines in Avas borne by the city. An effort Avas made to make the
property owners pay for one line that was put in, but they refused to
do so, and the company that put it in sued the city for the cost of the
line and got judgment.
The primary purpose of these lines that Avere laid was to carry off
surface Avater, but after the city water system was inaugurated in 1894,
the people began to connect their toilets to these lines. The result
was than in a short time complaints began to be made by people liv
ing in the Aicinity of the outlets that they were being injured and dam
aged by the use that Avas being made of the sewer lines. Several dam
age suits were instituted, the most important being the Kellogg suit.
After several trials judgment was rendered against the city for $3,150,
and this Avas confirmed by the higher courts.
The intolerable conditions which had been brought about and the
necessity for a scAver system that would be sanitary and adequate led
to considerable agitation in favor of a bond issue to install one. A prop
osition to issue bonds to the amount of $40,000 for a sewer system Avas
submitted on January 23, 1906, and was carried by a vote of 439 to 111.
It Avas decided to install a septic tank system and the contract Avas
let in due time. A good deal of trouble arose between the contractors
and the city treasurer, N. E. Winn, over the payment of the Avarrants
issued by the city, but matters Avere finally adjusted. Later the city
Avas made a defendant in a suit brought by a company complaining
that their patent had been infringed upon in the building of the sep
tic tanks. The city succeeded in making Lewis & Kitchen, the contrac
tors, codefendants, and that has practically relieved the city of any
further responsibility. The case is still pending (1911) in the U. S.
courts.
Kirksville. 359
Street Paving. — The first paving of the streets in Kirksville was
done, as far as is known, in 1885. In the fall of that year macadam
ized paving was put doA\Ti on the south and west sides of the square at
a cost of $2,200. It does not appear that any other paving was done
anywhere in the town until 1891, when the county court agreed to pay
for one-half of the paving on the north and east sides of the square.
Thereupon these two sides Avere paved across the entire Avidth of the
street. In 1892 Franklin street from the 0. K. depot to McPherson
street, and Elson for about the same distance, were macadamized.
The cost of the Franklin street paving Avas said to have been $8,000.
High street was macadamized from the Christian Church to the Normal
School in 1895. Other streets were paved in a like manner, among which
Avere Normal and Osteopathy avenues.
The macadamized paving proved unsatisfactory very shortly. It
Avas soon Avorn into ruts Avhich made the streets thus paved almost
unusable. After much agitation and serious effort, paving was begun
again after a lull of about ten years. The first of the streets to be paved
during this second period of paving was Jefferson street. This work
Avas done in 1906. The style of paving was the bitulithic. Owing to
the change in grade, many damage suits have arisen out of this paving.
The other streets that have been paA^ed since 1906 have been jiaved with
brick. They are High, from Normal to Washington; Mulanix, from
Normal to Hickory; Franklin, from the 0. K. depot to the southern
end of the street; Elson, from Washington street to Jefferson street;
Harrison street from Elson west to the cemetery; Normal avenue,
from Mulanix to Franklin; Osteopathy avenue from Jefferson south
to the end of that street.
Post Office. — Just when, a post office Avas established at Kirks
ville is not definitely knoAvn. The town Avas laid out in 1841, but it
is evident that it was at least late in 1842 before a post office was estab
lished in the toAvn. The evidence is in the election returns made by
the Circuit and County Clerk, Da\'id James, in August, 1842, to the
Secretary of State. In those returns he asked that all communications
to the Adair County Court from the Secretary of State, be sent to the
nearest post office, Bloomington, Macon County. Just how long this
arrangement lasted is not known.
The first postmaster Avas Jesse Kirk, Avho also kept a tavern near
the present Willard school. The postmasters from the first to the pres
ent, Avith the years when they began to serve, are given as follows:
MAP OF KIRKSVILLE.
(Showing the School Wards.)
IHTRHSVILLI]
Countv Scat of. Adair Co.
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362
The History op Adair County.
1842 (?)— Jesse Kirk.
1846— John T. Smith.
1850— Thomas B. Howe.
1851— J. C. Thatcler.
1855— R. M. Parcells.
1859— A. S. Pierce.
1861 — Alex. Sherwood.
1865— A. Morris.
1870— S. F. MiUer.
1878— D. S. Hooper.
1882— J. D. Miller.
1886— Geo. T. Spencer.
1889— E. C. Pickler.
1894— D. C. Pierce
1897— C. A. Hamilton.
1902— R. D. Hamilton.
1906— F. M. Harrington.
1909— F. M. Harrington.
1874— D. S. Hooper.
Until 1905 the post office was kept in rented buildings and Avas
frequently moved from place to place. In 1873 it was on the south
Kirksville Post Office Building.
side of the square, two doors west of Baird's bank; in 1876 it Avas
moved to a brick building at the rear of the Baird bank; in 1889 it was
moved to the north side, and in 1898 it was moved to a room just east
of the northeast corner of the square. There it remained until the
present government building was erected on the corner of Franklin
and McPherson in 1905. Some time in 1902 or 1903 Congress appro
priated $35,000 for a post office building in Kirksville. The appropri
ation was largely due to the efforts of Congressman James T. Lloyd,
Representative of the district of which Adair County forms a part.
At the same time appropriations Avere made for similar buildings in
Kirksville. . 363
other towns in the state, among which were Columbia, Hannibal and
Moberly. A big scandal arose over the methods alleged to have been
employed by the government agents who determined the sites of these
various buildings, and the matter Avas taken into the courts, without,
however, any final convictions.
The rank of a post office depends upon the amount of business
transacted by it during the fiscal year. It would be of interest to
know just Avhat the business Avas from year to year since the office
began, but that is not possible. However, we are able to compare the
business of 1875 and of more recent years. In 1875 the receipts from
the sale of postage were $3,576.67; in 1905 they were $18,850.08;
in 1910, $22,881.95.
The increase in the amount of business has been marked
since 1895. In that year the office was raised to second rank. The
increase in business has been largely due to the Normal School and
the American School of Osteopathy, which have been drawing larger
and larger number of students to toAyn from year to year.
In 1895 the salary of the postmaster was raised from $1,900 to
$2,000. It is now $2600.
Prior to the building of railroads into Kirksville, all mail came by
stage. Daily mail was something unknown in those days. The sched
ule of arrival and departure of mail stage coaches which appeared in the
Kirksville Journal for July 2, 1868, gives some idea of the mail facilities.
The schedule was as follows:
Macon and South — Leave KirksA'ille, Mon., Wed. and Fri., 7 a. m.
North — Leave Kirksville, Mon., Wed. and Fri., 7 a. m.
Edina — Leave Kirksville, Mon., Wed. and Fri., 7 a. m.
Arrivals in Kirksville on alternate days.
Clarence via Shelbyville — Leave Kirksville on Mon.; arrive
on Wed.
Milan and Intermediate Points — Leave Kirksville on Thurs.;
arrive on Sat.
LiNDERViLLE — Lcavc KirksvUle when carrier comes in, say once
a week or semi-occasionally.
It may be Avell to note that two days after the appearance of this
issue of the Journal which contained the above schedule, the North
Missouri Railroad (now the Wabash) was completed to Kirks\ille, and
daily mail from the south was then established. It may also be noted
that in all probability the mail facilities were much better Avhen the above
schedule was in force then in the earlier days.
364 The History of Adair County.
From the days Avhen railroads reached Kirksville, the post office
here has been the center from AA'hich manj' star route lines radiated.
In 1876, according to the North Missouri Register for March 9 of that
year, there were thirteen postoffices in the county Avhich were off the
railroads. They were Floyd's Creek, Wilmathville, Prairie Bend, Wil
son, Zig, LinderviUe, Nineveh, Shibley's Point, Sloan's Point, Ida,
Ringo's Point, Sand Creek, and Adair. Most of these offices received
mail either weekly or semi-weekly each Avay. This means that once or
tAvice a week many mail coaches would leave Kirksville and pass through
these country post offices and then through others in adjoining counties
until they reached their destination in some distant county, and then
return to Kirksville. In this way most of the country post offices in the
county got mail once or twice a week each Avay.
The star mail routes have been largely done away with in the last
few years in the more settled portions of the county, and rural free de
liveries have taken their places. In September, 1902, five rural free
delivery routes Avere inaugurated running out of Kirksville. Since then
tAVO others have been estabhshed. As a result of this several country
post offices have been discontinued, among Avhich are Clay, Sperry, and
Bullion. There are three rural free deliveries out of Novinger, four out of
Brashear, tAvo out of Stahl, two out of Yarrow, and one each out of
Gibbs and Youngstown.
Free delivery was inaugurated in Kirksville on July 16, 1898, under
C. A. Hamilton. There were then three carriers. The number was
later raised to four. There are employed in the Kirksville post office
five clerks besides the Postmaster, Assistant Postmaster, and four free
citj' carriers.
Cemeteries.— The first cemetery in the town was started in 1842,
near where the Friedman-Shelby shoe factory uoav stands. That tract
of land belonged then to David E. Sloan. He died in 1842 and Avas
buried on his own place according to his request. Subsequently others
in his family were buried there and some outside of the family also.
though it was never intended to make out of the place a public burial
ground. There are a feAv of the grave slabs lying on the ground yet, but
many of the bodies have been removed and buried elscAvhere.
The first cemetery which became a pubhc burial ground is the one
Avest of the nortliAvest corner of the square. Tradition accounts for its
location there by way of a story to the effect that a traveler died while
stopping over in Kirksville and was buried in a tract of land which in-
Kirksville. 365
eluded the present cemetery. • On August 31, 1846, Jesse Kirk, the man
after Avhom KirksAuUe was named, was buried near Avhere the above men
tioned traveler had been laid. From that time on this tract became a
cemetery and has been used continuously ever since.
Several additions have been made to this cemetery. In 1878
Judge A. Slingerland laid off a portion of Avhat Avas known as the Llew
ellyn Grove as an addition to the cemetery on the north. In 1890 Judge
Jacob Sands laid off another addition.
Nature has done much to make this cemetery a beautiful spot.
The long ridges, the deep valleys and the forest trees give it a pleasing
picturesqueness. It has been kept in order for many years by the La
dies' Cemetery Association, to whom the toAvn of Kirksville owes a great
debt for their untiring and unselfish devotion. In addition to the keep
ing up of the cemetery itself, this association has secured the paving of
the street leading to it from the square and has assumed heavy financial
obligations for the paving that was done within the cemetery itself.
In 1895 the Highland Park Cemetery Association was incorporated
Avith a capital of $40,000. It was composed of C. R. Tinsman, E. C.
Bestman, John C. Baird, and Chas. Grassle. This association bought
forty acres at the end of Normal avenue from R. M. Brashear, and pro
ceeded to open this tract up for burial purposes. Mr. Brashear began
almost immediately a suit to recover the land on the ground that it had
been acquired ostensibly for other purposes. He did not Avin the suit.
Many persons have been buried there, but up to the present the former
cemetery has been more generally used.
Business Firms. — The honor of being the first storekeeper in
Kirksville belongs, it is said by some, to John T. Smith, and by others,
to Buck Townsend. Smith's store stood opposite the present Pool
Hotel, and Townsend's store was near the present Wabash depot. A
man by the name of Payton opened up the third store. Just when
these places were opened up is not known.
In May, 1846, J. C. Thatcher & Brother of Macon, started a store
in Kirksville, but they returned to Macon in the following December.
In 1850 Mr. Thatcher resumed business in KirksviUe, and a few years
later built a building on the northeast corner, Avhich Avas burned in
1873. In 1846 Ben Murphy kept a saloon in a place Avest of the present
Willard Hotel building.
In 1852 Albert Page began business in Kirksville. He was suc
ceeded by Madison J. Downing. Boone, Samuels & CarroU is the name
366 The History of Adair County.
of another firm existing prior to the war; Waddy Thompson is also said
to have been in business prior to 1861.
During the war period L. M. Reed opened up a store in Kirksville,
as did also W. B. Harian. In 1865 R. M. Ringo and A. L. Woods car
ried on business in the Thatcher building, Avhich stood on the southeast
corner of the square. In 1864 Jos. Baum & Brother started a store on
the west side. "
In 1866 the Kirksville merchants and professional men were ar
ranged around the square as follows, commencing at the southeast cor
ner and going north: BrcAvington Bros, occupied the loAver story of
the Linder building, which stood on the southeast corner of the square
Avhere Myers Bros.' shoe store now is; in the second story were the
county offices and the Kirksville Journal office, and the third storj' was
the Missouri Lodge hall. Williams & Dennis, land agents, and a law
yer named Ghormley, occupied a building east of the Linder building.
On the southern end of the east side of the square was a butcher shop,
with a tailor shop above. Next door to the north was the banking firm
of Stebbins and Porter, of which Mr. W. T. Baird Avas the cashier.
North of the bank was the store of Pickler & Son, dealers in groceries
and dry goods. Beyond them was Boone & Carroll's one story frame,
then a landmark of the old town. In the frame building originally built
by R. M. Ringo, (but owned in 1866 by T. C. ParceUs,) Knight & Parcells
occupied the first floor; the probate oflBice and the ofl&ces of H. F. Mil
lan and of Harrington & Cover Avere on the second. The next building
to the north Avas occupied by John Coop's grocery, and then came Jos.
Baum's dry goods store.
On the northeast corner of the square was BroAvn & Fitch shoe shop
in Avhat was then a new one-story frame house.
On the north side was the old Union Hotel, concerning which it
was said that the ucav addition on the west contrasted strangely with
the old house. On the first floor of the addition was the hardware store of
M. B. Light, and the dry goods store of A. P. Willard; on the second
floor Avere the offices of Pierce & Griggs, and of W. L. Griggs, attorneys
at law. The other firms on this side were McKay & StcAvart, and Pol
lock Bros.' lumber yard and cabinet house.
On the west side were Richter & Co.'s drug store and the Merchants'
Union Express; a tinshop and stove store in two new buildings; Sloan
& Parcells; a saloon; Wilcox & Jamison's grocery and furniture store;
G. R. Brewington's saddlery and harness shop; Ludwig Baum's clothing
store; Brown's harness shop; Powers & Acher; A. Hart & Co.; Scott
& Dulany's bakery; Ilgenfritz's grocery; Lane & WiUians' drug store;
Kirksville. 367
post office, Dr.W.W. Royal's office; Jacobs & Rogers' bakery; D. Baird's
marble shop.
It is not known what merchants Avere located on the south side
in this year.
A circular letter of the Adair County Immigrant Aid Society sent
out in July, 1867, gives the foUoyying summary of the town: "1 bank,
9 dry goods stores, 4 drug stores, 3 grocery stores, 2 tin and hardware
stores, 2 meat markets, 6 physicians, 14 lawyers, 4 preachers, 2 churches
with 4 congregations, 1 seminary, 1 town hall, 3 real estate agencies, 1
brewery, 3 boot and shoe shops, 3 saddle and harness shops, 1 marble
yard, 3 millinery and dressmaking shops, 1 steam ploAV factory, 1 jewelry
and Avatch-making store, 2 livery stables, 4 hotels, a number of private
boarding houses, 2 insurance offices, 1 barber shop, 1 picture gallery, 2
paint shops, 5 plasterers, 15 carpenters, 4 blacksmiths, 5 brick and stone
masons, 2 cabinet and furnitute stores, 2 merchant tailors, 1 gunsmith
shop, 1 dentist, 2 brick yards, 1 Masonic lodge, 1 Odd Fellow lodge, 1
Good Templar lodge, 1 Legion of Honor, and 1 newspaper and job
office." It Avas further said that during the past building season twelve
business and thirty-five residence buildings were erected.
In March, 1876, the North Missouri Register published the follow
ing summary of Kirksville business firms: 11 dry goods stores (4 of
which keep clothing), 2 exclusive clothing stores, 13 grocery stores, 3
boot and shoe stores, 4 boot and shoe manufactories, 2 furniture stores,
2 undertakers, 2 jewelry stores, 2 bakeries, 3 hardware stores, 3 photo
graph galleries, 2 banks, 4 drug stores, 4 millinery stores, 2 gunsmiths,
3 lumber yards, 2 harness and saddlery establishments, 3 Avagon shops,
5 meat markets, 1 book store, 1 cigar factory, 2 liverj' stables, 7 black
smith shops, 1 tailor shop, 6 dressmaking shops, 1 flour and feed store,
2 marble shops, 1 toy store, 2 restaurants, 2 saloons, 1 wholesale liquor
store, 4 barber shops, 1 confectionery store, 5 hotels, 1 hide and wool
store, 2 real estate agencies, 3 grain warehouses, 2 hay presses, 2 tinware
manufactories. There were enumerated 11 lawyers, 9 physicians, 3
dentists, and many carpenters, plasterers, painters, etc., "to fill the bill
and make the list complete."
In the Democrat for January 7, 1886, a complete list of the Kirks
ville merchants and their location around the square is given. It may
be a matter of historical interest to reproduce that list here. It is as
foUows :
Dry Goods: Doneghy Bros., west side; J. F.Whitacre & Co., west
368 The History of Adair County.
side; Jos. Baum, north side; S. M. Pickler, east side; Brewington &
FoAvler, east side; Hope & Co., south side; B. F. Lamkin, south side;
N. A. Baylor, south side.
Clothing: John L. Porter, west side.
Merchant Tailors: J. J. Edmiston, southeast of square; W. G.
Cochrane, Avest side; J. FoAvler, north side.
MiUiners: W. C. Browning, south side; Mrs. Leach, west side;
Miss Lina CoUins, south east of square.
Jewelers: Hart & MiUer, north side; A. Dutcher, south side;0. S.
Bright, southeast of square.
Shoemakers: Robt. Lorenz, Ellis street; W. L. Smith, EUis street;
B. F. Ilgenfrtiz, southeast of square; J. H. Hunter, northeast of square.
Harness and Saddle Shops: Eckert & Son, west side; P. J. Brown,
north side.
Grocers: Wm. Gibbons, southeast corner; Cross & Moore, east
side; WiUard & Evans, east side; L. A. WiUard, east side; Montgomery
& Bielby, east side; HaUaday Bros., north side; PoUock & Thompson,
north side; Murphy Bros., north side; D. C. Pierce, west side; Jno.
T. Hannah, Avest side; Robt. Lorenz, southwest of square; J. B. Caskey,
southwest of square; J. H. Markey, southA^'cst of square; H. P. EUis,
south of square; Jas. A. Hope, south side.
Hides: S. Jones, south of square.
Hardware: Carothers & Green, east side; Becktol & Snyder,
northeast corner; Robt. Clark, west side.
Druggists: W. G. Fout, west side; F. A. Grove, south side; J. G.
Jamison, south side; T. R. FoAvler, west side.
"Grain, Stock and Machinery: Kennedy & Link, west of square;
Brassfield & Kellogg, near Wabash depot; M. L. Beeman, west of square.
Coal, Wood and Feed: Jno. L. Porter (Ice), corner of Missouri
and Ellis streets; SAvigert & Fusselman, north of square; J. N. Dodson,
south of square; H. P. Ellis, south of square.
Blacksmiths: G. T. Spencer, south of P. 0.; M. Prickett, south
of P. 0.; J. McDonald, McPherson street; M. M. Beeman, west of
square; L. Watson, west of square; 0. H. Beeman, west of square;
Sam Lichty, northwest of square; D. Wais, northwest of square.
Livery Stables: T. E. Graves, south of square; Lee Bros., brick
barn; Henton & Miller, Avest of square.
Ijumber Yards: V. Miller, Avest of square; Lee & Jamison, south
east of square; Douglass & Son, southwest of square.
Photographers: H. G. Parcell, north side; J. D. Redding, south
of square.
Kirksville. 369
Meat Markets: J. D. Redding, south of square; Jno. Davis, east
of square; Jas. Osenbaugh, south of square.
ScAving Machines and Organs: J. H. Morris, east of square; W.
A. Adams, opposite P. 0.; D. S. Guipe, south side.
Second-hand Store: Burt & Gerry, ea.st side.
Furniture & Undertakers: P. M. Smith, northeast corner; Henry
Bestman, east .side.
Variety Wood Works and Grist Mill: A. L. Holmes, north side.
Foundry: G. W. Loomis, near "0. K." depot.
Of the firms named in the foregoing list only three persons are still
in business in the same line at the present time. They are G. R. Brew
ington, Mrs. Leach, and B. F. Ilgenfritz.
A census has been made of the business firms on or near the square
in 1911, and some effort has been made to find out how long they have
been running and who their predecessors Avere in case they followed
other firms. These facts have not been ascertained for all the firms, but
what has been gathered is here given. The list begins at southeast
corner of square and passes around the square, first going north:
Myers Bros.: shoes; successors in 1908 to New Shoe Store owned
by Miss Harvat.
J. S. McKeehan: drugs; began in 1904.
R. B. Davis: dry goods and notions; began in 1909.
Thomas Jewelry Co.: successor to Thomas & Sands in 1890; orig
inal firm, B. W. Sands; later Thomas & Sands.
W. A. Goodwin: groceries; successor in 1909 to Shade Grocery Co.
Palace Bakery: original firm, Sohn & Berger; began in 1897; fre
quent changes in proprietors; present OAvner, J. D. Bondurant.
Grassle Bros.: hardware; successors in 1901 to Farmer & Son;
original business started by unknown firm about forty-five years ago.
Joe Crist: dry goods and notions; began in 1897.
D. C. Burchett: jewelry; began in 1907.
Kirksville Drug Co. : original proprietor, H. J. Rankin, who began in
1895; now owned by W. W. Carper.
Rinehart Music Co.: began in 1907.
Starr Drug Co.: successor in 1909 to W. H. Smith; original firm.
Smith & Duncan who began in 1889.
H. Bamburg: clothing; successor in 1909 toBamburg & Fischel, who
began in 1904.
Kirksville Trust Co.: began in 1906.
OwNBEY Lake.
Just south of the city limits of Kirksville.
Kirksville. 371
R. M. Miller & Co.: dry goods and notions; original firm, Schus
ter & Co.
0. M. Griffith: groceries; began in 1897.
G. E. Underbill: millinery; began in 1896.
Adams & Sons: hardware; began in 1910.
Murphy, Mills & Garges: clothing; successor in 1902 to Murphy
& MiUs, who began in 1899.
Miss Grace Smoyer: mUlinery; began in 1906.
Helme Hardware Co. : successor in 1893 to Cole & Darrow.
New York Candy Kitchen: began in 1905.
National Bank: began in 1891.
Blakely & Underhill: groceries; successor in 1910 to F. A. Adams,
who had begun in 1900.
C. A. Robinson Mercantile Company: dry goods and clothing;
original firm, Robinson, Steer & Jackson Avho began in 1889; incorporated
under present name in 1907.
Robert Clark HardAvare Co.; hardware; successor to Robert Clark,
who began in 1869.
J. I. Fowler; shoes; began in 1904.
McKeehan & Reed: drugs; began in 1894.
Tallman Music Co.; began in 1910.
Wissler Novelty Co.: notions; began in 1909.
Ewing Drug Co.; successor in 1909 to Fout Drug Co.; original
firm, W. G. Fout, who began in 1874.
Beehive Restaurant.
Kirksville Savings Bank; began in 1873.
E. E. Price; groceries; successor in 1910 to Given Bros.
H.H.Davidson; shoes; successor in 1901 to Davidson &Deland, who
began in 1899.
Shacklett & Bondurant; notions; successor in 1910 to Willis Six,
Avho had begun in 1905.
Porter, Wren & Co. : dry goods; successor in 1908 to W. P. Thomp
son & Co., who had begun in 1905.
Normal Book Store; original store was begun at present location
by B. F. Heiny in 1878; many subsequent changes in proprietors; pres
ent owners, Harvat & Morris.
Her both Clothing Co.; began in 1906.
Chas. Harrington: jewelry; successor to A. Dutcher in 1893; busi
ness begun originaUy by Hart, who sold to Dutcher in 1875.
Henry Drug Co.; successor to B. F. Henry in 1908; original busi
ness was begun by F. A. Grove in 1867 or 1868; Henry & Grove from
1883 to 1890; B. F. Henry from 1890 to 1908.
372 The History of Adair County.
BreAvington, Thompson & Hunsaker: dry goods; successor in 1908
to G. R. BrcAvington, who had begun business originally in 1865.
Citizens National Bank: begun in 1904; successor in 1906 to. Baird
National Bank, Avhich had begun originally in 1864 by Porter & Stebbins.
The firms south and east of the southeast corner of the square are ;
Mrs. Leach: millinery j began in 1882.
R. L. Rinehart: newsstand; began in 1900.
Grand Leader; dry goods; began Avith Goodwin & Ryan as propri
etors in 1899; Ryan retired in 1901.
C. S. Sands; jewelry; successor in 1898 to Wm. Hart, who had
begun in business about 1868.
Kerns & Lorton; groceries; began in 1909.
Owl Drug Store: originaUy begun in 1897 by present proprietor,
W. T. Stephenson.
Craig & Son; groceries; began in 1894 as Craig & Evans.
L. W. Vandiver; harness; successor in 1909 to J. H. Kinnear, who
began in 1870.
W. F. ShoUy; books; began in 1909.
Democrat: began in 1870 as North Missouri Register.
C. R. CoAvan; second-hand goods; successor to D. C. Oxer.
Kirksville Plumbing Co.: begun by A. P. Hansen in 1910.
Burk Brothers; meats; began in 1896.
The firms on the streets leading off from the northeast corner of
the square are:
Sneed Electrical Co.: successor to Sneed & Cobb Avho began in
1905. D. F. Hayden: monuments; successor to David Baird in 1906.
Chas. Steiner: bakery; began in 1906.
J. F. Poage: musical instruments.
F. D. Maurer: shoe shop.
T. E. Graves; groceries.
Jonas Produce Co.; avooI and hid^s.
Irwin Davis: cornice works.
The firms on the streets leading off from northwest corner of the
square are:
Hennon & Stahl; furniture; successor in 1909 to D. Kent, who had
begun in 1894.
Vaughn & Deskin; groceries; begun in 1909; original firm began
by Joe Noble in 1904.
L. D. Cochran & Co.: implements; original firm, Kennedy & Link,
who began in 1883; many subsequent changes; present proprietors since
1908.
Kirksville. 373
Mills & Arnold: lumber; successor in 1908 to V. Miller & Co., who
began in 1880.
The firms on the streets leading off The southwest corner of the
square are;
Pool Hotel: Bret Stephenson, proprietor.
Dockery Hotel: Bret Stephenson, proprietor.
Central Hotel; Fred Schroeder, proprietor.
Star Livery: Overfelt & Davis; successors in 1910 to J. H. Overfelt.
Adair Lumber Co. ; successor in 1904 to J. E. WaddUl.
Borneman & Rose: tailors; successor in 1910 to BeU & Rose.
C. H. Becker: harness.
E. C. CoUop: groceries; successor in 1911 to CoUop Bros.
Palace Livery: W. C. Summers, proprietor.
The first hotel in Kirksville was kept by Jesse Kirk. This was lo
cated near the present Willard School, northAvest of the square.
No other hotels are knoAvn of prior to the war except the Garrett
Hotel, which was built by Robt. A. Garrett. It Avas later called the
North Missouri Hotel. It was burned to the ground on December
12, 1893. Another old-time hotel was the St. John's, formerly known as the
Commercial. This was burned March 4, 1885.
In 1886 there Avere the following hotels of different sorts; Pool
Hotel, west of the square, J. S. Pool, proprietor; Parcells House, west
side, H. A. Jackson, proprietor; Ivie Hotel, east side, Mrs. Julia Ivie,
proprietress; Hecker House, east side, Chas. Hecker, proprietor; Deering
House; Vandiver House, opposite depot, J. W. Vandiver, proprietor.
The town now has four hotels for the traveling public; they are the
Pool, the Dockery, the Central and the Quinlan. Of these the
oldest is the Pool. It appears that it Avas originally the American
House, and Avas changed to the Pool by J. S. Pool when he leased it in
1874. The building has been frequently added to and remodeled.
Among the different proprietors have been Isaac Brenneman and E. B.
Keith. Bret Stephenson is the present proprietor.
The Dockery was originally the Leslie. It was considerably en
larged in 1904, and has been under the management of Bret Stephenson
for the last two years.
The Willard Hotel was built in 1876. It was first known as the
Parcells House, and for some years after it was first built, it was the lead
ing hotel in toAvn. S. H. Williams was in charge until 1882. In August,
1910, Mr. and Mrs Jacob H. ShoUy closed the WiUard. They had been in
the hotel business in toAvn for forty years. As far as is known, they have led
all hotel people in the toAvn in the length of service in that business.
374 The History of Adair County.
The Shryack-Thom Grocery Company was organized in February
1905, and was at first simply a copartnership. In March, 1907, it was
incorporated with $20,000 ctpital stock. R. K. Thom became Presi
dent and M. C. Shryack, Secretary and Treasurer. In June, 1910,
C. C. Givens purchased the stock of Mr. Thom, and the company Avas
reorganized with a capital of 840,000. C. C. Givens became Presi
dent and M. C. Shryack remained Secretary and Treasurer.
The firm moved into its new three story brick building on North
Main street late in the fall of 1910. The patronage of this company
comes from the merchants of Adair and surrounding counties. Three
salesmen are constantly on the road, and a force of ten men and women
is required to run the store.
Besides the business firms in and near the square there are at least
a dozen or more stores on the outskirts of the toAvn, some of which are
of considerable size. The bookstores and grocery stores in the neigh
borhood of the American School of Osteopathy are of considerable im
portance. Storms. — The county has been visited by several severe storms.
The most fearful was the cyclone which destroyed a part of KirksAdlle
and killed nearly forty people on April 27, 1899. Some account will be
given of the various storms as far as anything is knoyyn of them.
The first tornado of which any record has been found occurred on
April 30, 1866. The greatest damage was done in Polk aUd Clay toAvn-
ships, where many fences and buildings Avere levelled. As far as is
knoAvn no lives Avere lost.
On June 7, 1872, a wind storm struck Kirksville and badly damaged
the roof of what is now known as Baldwin Hall of the Normal School;
at that time this building was in an unfinished condition, and the storm
considerably delayed the work of completing it.
The most severe storm prior to the great cyclone of April 27, 1899,
was the one Avhich occurred on May 30, 1879. The foUoAving detailed
account of this storm as it appeared in one of the local papers, is here
given in full;
"The cyclone originated on the Chariton, ten miles southAvest,
near Dr. John's, just east of Noah Farr's. It began on Long Branch,
and moved in a northeasterly course, twisting off' timber and leveling
the fences. About one mile from Avhere it started it struck the Widow
Salisbury's barn, and crushed it into sphnters. It crossed the Chari
ton, and pounced upon John and Ed. Link's house and wrecked it very
badly, twisting off trees near by, eighteen inches in diameter. Going
Kirksville. 375
half a mile farther on to Cow Creek it swept down on Mose Hanldn's
house and totally demolished it, sending his household furniture over
the tops of trees, and scattering his bacon to the four winds of heaven.
Near by it leveled to the ground Bob Hankin's dwelling and left not one
stone on top of another. The next house destroyed was Mr. Wallace's,
who lives opposite Mrs. Samuels, on Big Creek. From this point it
went careering through the timber, tearing up big trees by the roots
and breaking others off and scalping the high points, when it spied
Robert Mercer's dwelling built on the north side of a steep hill. It
took off the upper part of the house very unceremoniously, bounded
across and up a ravine, and struck John M. Davis' dAvelling, demolish
ing it completely.
"Across the brakes it went, through Capt. Slingerland's pasture,
and on to J. E. Watson's house Avith all the fury of the mad, irresistible,
terrorizing wind demon that it was. Mr. Watson and Avife and four
children and sister. Miss Mary Myers, had gone upstairs to bed, but
were not yet asleep. They heard a terrible crash, and Mr. Watson
thought the house had been struck by lightning; then it seemed as if
they were being carried upward; then came a crashing and falling of tim
bers, one of Avhich struck Mr. Watson on the head and rendered him
senseless ; when he reyived found himself on the ground weighted doAvn
with the broken timbers and unable to move. His wife Avas near him,
and apparently unhurt. The children were found scattered around
promiscuously, and the little boy badly bruised, as Avas also Miss Myers.
Watson called for help, but was unable to make the neighbors, who
lived some distance, hear, and Mrs. Watson had to go and summon
assistance. It was about an hour before help sufficient arriA'e to ex
tricate Mr. Watson from what came near being a terrible death. The
house was a two-story frame and strongly built, and yet in ten seconds
it was completely crushed and torn into shreds almost and scattered
for several hundred yards around. The floors were torn up and nails
pulled out of the sheeting. The roof was entirely demolished, and the
shingles and sheeting strewn thickly to the northeast for nearly half a
mile. The flue was broken into sections of about two feet in length;
tin sheeting was torn off and rolled into a scroll; the bay window was
thrown to the east and other parts to the west. The floor over the large
cellar under the main part of the building was entirely removed, leav
ing the whole cellar exposed. It is impossible to depict the destruc
tion; it was one mass of debris with not a post standing. Every piece
of furniture in the house was broken with the exception of one small
table; beds, clothing and carpets were badly damaged. It Avas a ruinous
wreck, wrought in an instant and made complete.
376 The History or Adair County.
"What is true of Mr. Watson's house is also true of the others
mentioned, and the most AVonderful part is the escape of all the occu
pants without loss of life or serious injury of body or limb.
"Mr. Mercer's house was built on the north side of a hiU, and in
order to strike it the Avind had to swoop down over the brow, which it
did in good order. The roof was scattered in all directions, and several
trees near by crushed down or twisted off. The roof from the corn crib
was blown away. The bridge across the little creek in front of the house
Avas carried off; fence posts Avere broken off or pulled up for the distance
of 100 yards. Four bee stands were carried away, and were not after
ward found. A heavy trunk of books was carried from the second
floor of the house and set down in the yard without injury; an iron
wedge was picked up from the floor and carried out at the windoAV. An
idea of the force exerted may be gained from the fact that a piece of
2x4 scantling, about 18 inches long, with square ends, was driven per
pendicularly in the ground to a depth of 15 inches. The extrem§ tops
of the limbs of a tree about fifty feet from the house Avere broken off
as though some one had done it with his hands; and the remainder of
the tree was not hurt.
"Two hundred yards across the ravine Avere the ruins of Mr. Da
vis' house, a total demolition. The only warning they had was the burst
ing open of the south door, followed quickly by the crush that leveled
everything. Mr. Davis was caught under the falling timbers and se
verely bruised on the head, left shoulder, left side and lower limb. One
boy was considerably bruised, but was able to extricate himself. His
daughter, thirteen years old, was blown about 150 yards, across into an
adjoining field, but was not seriously hurt. She was so bewildered
that it took her some time to find her way back, and she said she had
been dreaming of hunting birds' nests, and wanted to know whose house
that was and AA'hy they built such structures. The other four children
were scattered about promiscuously, but unhurt. Not a piece of fur
niture was left whole, and considerable clothing was lost.
"The track of the cyclone was not more than 100 yards Avide till
it reached Mr. Watson's house, after which it seemed to spread out
to double that width. A large rock weighing 1,500 or 1,600 pounds
in Wash Conner's yard, who lives near the Chariton, Avas moved some
distance, and a large sycamore tree was taken up by the roots.
"It passed through the northwest part of Kirksville, entirely de
molishing J. E. Watson's large new two-story dwelling, Mrs. Bagg's
dwelling and Mr. Prince's dwelling, each one story buildings.
The History of Adair County. 377
"It gave Dave Baird's residence a close call, lifted the roof of S. S.
McLaughlin's barn, proceeded on its Avay and struck the earth again
at Robert Burris', two miles northeast of Kirksville, raising the roof of
his barn and yvhirling his wagon through the air a distance of 100 yards,
also blowing doAvn twenty-five or thirty apple trees, twisting them off
like tender reeds.
"The next building in its track Avas Peter Moore's barn, which it
threw down, and from there it went to Harve Ginnings' and unroofed
his barn, and cut down about half of his large apple trees. It also moved
W. H. Griffith's barn, a short distance this side of Salt River, about
six feet, and scattered the fences in the vicinity of Salt River in all di
rections. It became very much wider about the time it reached Clay
Township. A great many fruit trees were blown down, which was the
greatest damage in that section. The orchard just adjoining Floyd's
Creek, on the hill, was badly torn up."
On June 5, 1880, a tornado visited the northern and northeastern
parts of the county, doing great damage. It destroyed fences and
orchards. William Horton lost his dAvelling, barn and smoke-house.
He and his Avife were somewhat injured. William CroAv's new residence
was lifted into the air. While in the air the floor dropped out and fell
back to the ground, but the walls and roof were carried off and never
heard of afterward. The family came down with the floor uninjured.
Trinity Methodist Church of Clay township Avas completely demol
ished. On Friday, April 1, 1892, an all afternoon hurricane damaged a great
many buildings in Kirksville and blew down many fences and haystacks
throughout the county. About seventy squares of the tin roofing on
the Normal School building were blown off. A number of barns and
outbuildings were wrecked. Many winds and rains continued at in
tervals until Sunday night, when the storm developed into a small cy
clone accompanied b}' a torrent of rain. The cyclone struck the south
ern part of town and tore through the square and then out through the
eastern part of town. Many residences in the neighborhood of the
Wabash depot were twisted on their foundations. The two-story brick
building on the northeast corner of the square was considerably damaged.
Two newly enclosed houses in the east part of town were carried off their
foundations. All of these storms pale into insignificance when compared with
the awful cyclone of April 27, 1899. The following account is taken
from the Democrat of May 5, 1899:
378 The History of Adair County.
"A terrible cyclone visited the city at 6:15 p. m. on Thursday,
April 27. It had its. rise in the southwest and traveled to the north
east. It was a regular old funnel-shaped monster. It dipped down to
the earth about a mile southwest of the Normal School building and
continued its northeasterly course until it reached Jefferson street, when
it veered slightly to the north. It then worked back and forth between
Washington and McPherson streets, and passed out of town over Judge
EUison's place on Baltimore street and over the Kellogg place a little
farther east. Its pathway was through the eastern portion of the city
and was fully six hundred feet Avide.
"It is difficult for any pen to picture the desolation wrought. With
in five minutes one thousand people were homeless, while the dead and
injured were scattered in all directions.
"It Avas a characteristic tyyirler, and came upon the toAvn Avithout
warning. A Democrat reporter noticed the cyclone as it was first gath
ering force. It Avas south of town and high in the air. The funnel
dropped doAvn toward the earth as it neared the southern limits of the
city, finally touching the earth Avith a leap and commencing its work of
destruction. "Gal. Little's house on the hill right south of toyyn Avas the first to
meet the violence of the storm. The place was blown to atoms, and the
family left bruised and bleeding from numerous injuries.
"The violence of the Avind seemed to increase as it progressed on-
Avard, and the path of destruction became Avider and Avider. Just east
of the Normal School campus forty houses were bloAvn to the ground.
Then came an open space for several blocks, when the wind playfully
uprooted great trees and hurled them high in the air. The storm ap
proached the more thickly settled residence portion Avith a bound. The
startled people heard the awful roaring, grinding, tearing sounds, and
to them it appeared as if all the poAvers of destruction were at work.
Many of the victims did not even have time to run into their cellars.
"Citizens outside the path of the storm watched its onward
rush yyith agonized hearts. Many ran towards the devastated districts
while the cyclone was venting its fury, in order to commence immediately
the work of rescuing the dead and injured.
"The storm was deliberate in its work, and all eye-Avitnesses agree
that it was apparently at a stand-still two or three times. The terrific
work of destruction, however, continued on all sides. The cyclone
moved to the west once and men who were running to the work of res
cue stopped and called to their companions to seek places of safety.
Their fears, however, Avere soon allayed, as the storm passed to the
Kirksville.
379
northeast. Spectators of the storm were, awe-stricken by the aAvful
gradneur of the scene. At one time a house Avas seen saiUng high in
the air. The house was intact and it went up fully a thousand feet
before it disappeared by being exploded into numberless fragments.
Houses coUapsed into kindling wood as if by magic. Those ivho passed
through the ordeal say that it seemed as if their houses Avere torn asun
der by some powerful suction force.
"Within five minutes after the storm the work of rescuing the Aic-
tims was commenced. Several hundred citizens worked all Thursday
East Washington Street, Kirksville, after the cyclone of April 27, 1899.
night in the debris and many ghastly sights were unearthed. To add
to the horror of the hour and the discomfort of the injured and dying,
a frightful wind and rain-storm came up Avithin twenty minutes after
the cyclone passed. This, of course, greatly retarded the work of relief,
but it was continued."
Those who were killed outright, or as the result of injuries, were:
Theo. Brigham, Mrs. Henry BUlington and daughter, Mrs. A. R. Boav-
man. Baby BUlington, Miss Lillie Cunningham, Seth Feather (aged
four years), A. J. Glaze, Mrs. A. J. Glaze, Mrs. W. W. Green, Miss
Bessie Green, Dr. W. B. HoAveUs, John G. Kirk, Florence Lowe, Nettie
LoAA'e, Babe Lowe, J. B. Larkins, Miss Georgia Lainge, Mr. and Mrs.
Gal. Little, Miss Lewis, Mrs. John Mahaffy, Mrs. Anna Miller (aged
380 The History of Adair County.
ninety-eight), Mrs. Blue Pancott and baby, Mrs. Rorabaugh, Mrs. F. K.
Sherburne, John C. Weaver, Leona Whaley, Mrs. Joe Wood, Miss Wood.
Some of the things that happened during the storm were indeed
most peculiar as well as sad and distressing. An account of a few of
them, as taken from the Democrat and the Journal, will reveal still
further the awfulness of the disaster.
Mrs. Blue Panchott and her baby were killed outright. She was
found with her head scA^ered completely from her body and with her
dead baby clasped in her arms. The awful agony of the young hus
band on discovering the situation was something that beggared de
scription. Mr. and Mrs. Glaze, a well-to-do elderly couple, lived in a beauti
ful cottage on the corner of Harrison and Baltimore streets. They saw
the storm coming, and clasping each other in their arms, they were
crushed under the wreckage of their home. Two thousand dollars were
found sewed in the clothing of Mrs. Glaze.
Mr. and Mrs. Henry Lowe were on their way home north of town
when the storm came up. They tried to reach the house before it broke
upon them but failed. They had the aAV'ful experience of seeing their
OAvn home destroyed as they neared it and then of finding their three
children dead in the debris.
Mrs. Patience Hill, aged seventy-one, was caught up and thrown
into the air and sustained a broken leg and bruises.
Mrs. Bullock was saved from serious injury by being covered over
with hay, Avhich broke the force of the timbers that fell upon her.
Theodore Brigham was carried hundreds of feet away from his
home and smashed face downwards into the ground. His wife was
badly injured, and his son, Vernon, was badly bruised.
P. J. Rieger was on his way home when he saw the storm coining,
and just got in in time to take his family to the cellar. His house was
completely demolished.
John C. Weaver's house was reduced to kindhng wood, and he him
self was killed outright. He Avas too old and, feeble to be taken to a
place of refuge, and so the family gathered about his chair and waited
for the end. His sons, Joseph and.Samuel, and his daughter Ella were
badly hurt, as were also Mrs. Joseph Weaver and child.
Mrs. Ann MUler, aged ninety-eight, was kiUed outright. She was
at the time in good health and would likely have passed the century
mark had not this catastrophe happened.
Mrs. Lew Chase and daughter were alone during the storm and had
barely enough of their house left to shelter them. AU of the houses
near them were completely demolished.
Kirksville.
381
Douglas Murphy found a baby in the mud, and Avhen he rubbed
the mud off its face, it laughed and cooed as if to say it was glad it was
alive. - r
Edward Rice was seA-erely injured in trjing to saAc his AAife and two
children. His Avife was sick in bed. When he saw what the cyclone
Avas doing he put his two children in bed AAith his Avife, and covered them
OA'er A\ith carpets, and then spread himself over them like a hen brood
ing over her chickens. The house was torn from its foundations and
broken all to pieces. A section of it smashed in upon him, but he sup-
East McPhehson Street, Kirksville, after the Cyclonb, April 27, 1899.
ported it and thus protected his family until help came. The Rice fam
ily picture was picked up on a farm just outside of Pulaski, Iowa, sixty
miles distant from Kirksville.
A 2x4 scantling was driven through and through the body of a six
teen-year-old girl.
J. E. Rieger's law diploma was found in Clay township. A photo
graph of Sam Brighton and pieces of wall paper, weather-boarding and
shingles were found two miles northeast of Batavia, Iowa, eighty-five
miles from here.
J. T. Coonfield's house was carried across a ditch and jammed into
the .side of a hill. The family were in the house at the time, but all es
caped Avith nothing more than a shaking-up.
382 The History of Adair County.
W. M. Hull's house was lifted from its foundations, but not" greatly
damaged. Master Willie Cole discovered a baby under some debris and all
covered with mud. On being drawn out it lisped "mama."
J. E. Rieger and his sister Sarah ran from the house and laid down
in a ditch, but they were soon covered over Avith timbers. Miss Rieger
was considerably hurt.
John Anderson ran with his young baby to a small bridge on East
Jefferson street and came out unhurt. His wife was not. able to reach
it in time and was badly hurt about the back.
John McCaw was thrown across the street. S. M." Rust was car
ried seventy-five feet or more as his house was being torn to pieces.
Wm. Park rushed out of his house with his baby in his arms and
clasped a tree beside the road. The force of the storm thrashed him
over the ground pretty severely; the baby was thrust under a pile of
lumber. Mrs. Park and Mrs. Bryan Avere hurled around the house and
throAvn into a tree top that lay in the road.
Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Davis were caught as they sought to escape
and dashed to the ground, therebj' getting badly bruised.
Jas. W. Sharp and H. T. BUlington Avere in the house opposite the
house of Mr. and Mrs. Glaze. They were thrown under the fioor of
their house after it had been demolished.
M. G. Deason was on his Avay home when the storm overtook him
east of F. M. Harrington's residence on East Normal avenue. He
tried to run out of its Avay, but instead, ran right into the center of it.
He threw himself across the sidewalk and grasped a fence post, and Avas
able to keep his hold only yyith the greatest difficulty.
Otis Miller, Jr., and Avife were severely hurt as their house was bloAvn
to pieces. Mrs. Volney Johnson, a sister of Mrs. Miller, was badly
hurt in the foot. The Miller and Johnson houses were among the first
to be struck.
Judge Andrew Elhson and his family saved themselves and their
guests by running to their cellar. They got doAAm into it just as their
house was blown to pieces. J. F. Waddill and family has a similar ex
perience. Their cellar Avas filled Avith Avreckage, and it Avas a Avonder
some one of them was not hurt.
At the house of Mr. Fusselman twenty persons are said to have
croAvded into his cellar. Mr. Fusselman was on the steps. He with
the steps was thrown out into the street unharmed. Mr. French, after
putting his people in the cellar, rushed out to aid his son and children,
but Avas caught in the storm and considerably bruised in the face by the
Kirksville. 383
flying debris. One lady was blown into the air and dropped into a mud-
hole Avithout any injury save bruises. She was conscious all the while,
and related afterwards how she felt on seeing the tree tops below her.
One mother was separated from her baby and was unable to find it
until the next morning. It was found alive and well and in the care of
a friend, much to the relief of the frantic mother.
Mrs. Rose Webster and her son George were in the southeast room
of their house and were unaware of their peril until the storm broke upon
them. Their house was demolished and they were blown from Harri
son street to the northeast corner of the Catholic church, a distance of
300 feet.The work of relief began as soon as the cj'clone passed, but a regular
systematic organization was not effected until the next day.
Mayor Noonan called a public meeting for tAvo o'clock Friday af
ternoon. At this meeting executive, finance and relief committees
Avere appointed. The executive committee Avas composed of Mayor
Noonan, Geo. Spencer, John Caskey, W. F. Englehart, W. R. Holloway,
,C. E. Ross, C. S. Brother, Frank Storm, P. J. Rieger, and Geo. Mc
Guire. The finance committee was composed of Dr. A. T. Still, U.Up-
dyke, B. F. Heiny, R. M. Ringo, S. M. Link, Thomas Dockery, Judge
Ellison, and R. M. Brashear. The relief committee was composed of
Major Rombauer, S. S. Evans, B. H. LoAvenstein, and Victor Parrish.
The finance committee put subscription lists into circulation and
soon began to gather in the money. The relief committee established
its headquarters in the parlor of the International Bank, and the execu
tive committee in the parlors of the Savings Bank.
Contributions came in liberally from the people in the town and
county and from all parts of the state and from many places outside the
state. In all something over $24,000 was raised. The relief com
mittee issued a circular letter which was sent in reply to contributors
from a distance. It read as follows : "Please accept the grateful thanks
of all good people of Kirksville for your kind words and helping hand in
our time of trouble. Many are dead, more are dying. The homeless
and helpless are everywhere. Any contributions avUI be gratefully
accepted and faithfully applied to the relief of the distressed. Many
have lost their all and the need is great. May the Lord bless the gener
ous, big hearted people who are responding to the cry of the homeless."
A Ladies' Relief Committee was organized Monday, Avith Mrs.
Mayor Noonan as President, Mrs. Dr. Dobson as Vice-President, and
Mrs. C. E. Still as Secretary, and with one lady from each ward. They
did excellent service in alleviating distress.
384
The History of Adair County.
Trained nurses from Quincy, St. Louis, Ottumwa, and other places
Avere brought in to help take care of the wounded. Twenty-five phy-
cians from nearby towns are said to have come in in response to the call
for extra medical help.
The subscriptions from various towns throughout the country
were as follows:
St. Louis, Mo. . ,
$6,402.46
Nevada, Mo
$1,000.00
Ottumwa, la. , , .
425 , 00
Macon, Mo
1,425.00
St. Joseph, Mo. .
147,00
Des Mftines, la. , .
207.35
Centralia, Mo . .
65.00
Quincy, 111
855.50
Chicago, lU
386,00
Kansas City, Mo...
277.55
Jefferson City, Mo
179,00
Keokuk, la
527,00
Hannibal, Mo
298.35
St. Joe, Mo
843,25
Burlington, la
530.00
Bowling Green,Mo
25.00
JacksonviUe, Mo . .
5,00
La Plata, Mo
200.00
Pure Air, Mo , . . .
5.00
Canton, Mo
130.00
Lathrop, Mo. . . .
25.36
Hamilton, Mo. . . .
41.12
SaUsbury, Mo. . , ,
82.50
Denver, lU
16.00
Slater, Mo , , . .
5.00
Sturgeon, Mo . . .
16.10
Mexico, Mo.. . .
139.61
Memphis, Mo
500.00
Lebanon, Mo. .
1.05
Moberly, Mo
2.00
Bonaparte, la. . . .
14.88
Warrensburg, Mo. .
200.00
Eudora, Kan.. . .
5.00
Lock Spring, Mo.. .
9,00
Paris, Mo
111.50
CenterviUe, la,. . .
200,00
Columbia, Mo. . .
12,50
Steel ville. Mo
21.60
Milton, la
12.33
Edina, Mo
87,25
Moulton, la. ...
' 3,00
Lexington, Mo. . .
131,00
PUot Grove, Mo,, .
15.00
Lancaster, Mo. . . ,
143,00
Unionville, Mo. . .
110,00
Chillicothe, Mo...
122.50
Ijouisiana, Mo. , ,
155.00
Salem, la
5.00
Warsaw, Mo
12.50
Trenton, Mo. . . .
19.75
PowersviUe, Mo, , ,
5.00
Jacksonville, Mo...
5.00
Ncav Florence, Mo. ,
26.10
Martinsburg, Mo...
5.00
Kahoka, Mo
18,00
Philadelphia, Pa. .
25,00
Greencastle, Mo. , ,
100,00
Sedalia, Mo
2.00
Richmond, Mo. . . .
134,35
Helena, Ark
2.50
Monroe City,Mo . .
5,00
Wardo, Ark
2,00
Fulton, Mo
117,82
Shakopec, Minn. . .
5,00
Brookfield, Mo
190.00
Gault, Mo
5.00
VanBuren, Mo, .
1.00
Fayette, Mo. , , ,
101.00
Doniphan, Mo . . ,
5.00
Commerce, Mo , .
10.00
Kirksville.
Knox City, Mo . ,
21.00
Linneus, Mo , , . ,
20,00
Orchard, Mo. . , .
5.65
Potwin, Kan , . .
5,00
EastSt.Louis, lU.,
100.00
Reger, Mo
5.00
Kirksville, Mo . . ,
, 5,114.14
385
The relief committee made a complete report showing just what
was received and what was done with the money. The report was pub
hshed in the Democrat for May 26, 1899.
Union Memorial services were held Sunday evening after the
cyclone at the Christian and Methodist churches. They were impres
sive. An immense crowd of citizens attended each of the services. The
services at the Christian church were conducted by Revs. Chapman,
Simmons and Ely; those at the Methodist church by Revs. Pierce,
Bradley and Darby. The pastors of the various churches worked
faithfully in caring for the dead and dying.
Thousands of sight-seers visited Kirksville from every direction
during the next few days after the storm. The railroads ran excursion
trains to Kirksville, one coming from St. Louis.
The local G. A. R. post was at the time making preparations to
entertain the State Department encampment early in May, and in spite
of the distress that had suddenly come upon the city, went right on with
its plans and succeeded in carrying them on time and Avithout any
serious modifications.
The memories of the awful experiences of the survivors of the cyclone
serve to this day to frighten many of them on the appearance of the least
wind. Cyclone caves were constructed in many jiarts of the town
immediately after the storm, and some of them are still in existence.
The twenty-seventh day of April never passes in Kirksville but Avhat
the memories of that day in 1899 are recalled by all, and by some with
great sorroAV.
On Sunday, May 28, 1899, a wind storm came up suddenly at six
o'clock and did a great deal of damage to property, but injured no people
or stock. During the panic and scare that accompanied the storm,
people plunged into cellars, some of Avhich held Avater from two to three
feet deep. It was anywhere to escape the fury of another cyclone.
Besides wind storms and cyclones, there have been several other
weather disturbances that have been noteworthy events, some account
of which foUows.
The Chariton River has frequently overflowed and has done great
damage to farms along its banks. On July 1, 1875, a heavy downpour
began and continued for over twenty-four hours. On the fblloAAing
386 The History of Adair County.
night the rain came in still heavier torrents. The reports were that
thirteen inches of water in all fell on those tAvo nights.
As a result the Chariton was soon out of its banks. According to
the old settlers the river was fully eight feet higher than it had ever been
since white men began to come to this county. In 1833 John Cain,
father cf Geo. W. Cain, cut a notch to mark the level reached by the
river during the freshet of that spring. The level reached by the flood
of July, 1875, Avas eight feet and eight inches higher than the other.
The river was fully two miles wide.
Quite a number of houses along the bottom Avere swept away.
All those living at Sloan's Point Avere compelled to leave their houses,
together Avith nearly all their household goods, in order to save them
selves. The family of Wm. Pannabaker, whose house stood on the high
est ground at the point, were compelled to take to the roof, from Avhence
they were taken in skiffs. The water ran to the eaves of Ed. Otto's
house, and into the second story of Pannabaker & Tinsman's mill. Sev
eral families retreated to the schoolhouse, where they Avere compelled
to stay two days without any provisions. On Sunday morning a relief .
party from Kirksville reached them. All train service was suspended
for four days.
In July, 1876, the flood was repeated, but not on so large a scale.
Reports were that the water was not so high by three feet as the year
before. Every few years the Chariton overflows and causes much damage
and inconvenience, but no mention has been found of anj'thing as dis
astrous as the flood of 1875. The flood of July 1909 was said by the
old settlers to have been the biggest since 1875. The Chariton bottoms
Avere flooded and fifty families had to move from their homes. One
man was drowned.
One of the record-breaking snoAv storms occurred in early Febru
ary, 1895. The thermometer registered in the neighborhood of 18
degrees below zero, and the snow drifted so as to block up the streets
and the railroads. The 0. K. railroad was particularly hard hit. One
passenger train was snow bound between Kirksville and Knox City
for three days and three nights. It was related that one of the passen
gers was to have been married in Brashear the day after the train got
stuck and was inconsolable until a conveyance came out a day after the
wedding was to have taken place and took him on to Brashear.
The winters of 1880-89, 1889-90, and 1890-91 were extremely mUd.
The first snow for these three years that afforded sleighing fell on March
Kirksville.
387
7, 1891. The winter of 1850-51 is said to have been very warm and
the summer of 1851 very cold.
Mention has been found of three great sleet storms in the county.
The first occurred some time during the winter of 1848-49. The ice
was said to have been three inches thick on the level, and hundreds of
deer were caught. OAving, however, to their starved condition many
of them were worthless.
On January 2, 1897, a heavy rain storm set in, and as the rain fell
it froze. By the following morning ice had been formed almost an
inch thick everywhere, and under this heavy weight limbs of trees, tel-
Looking East on Pierce Street phom Osteopathy Avenue, After Storm
OF January 13, 1911.
ephone, telegraph and light wires and poles were broken doAvn. The
telephone company was the heaviest loser, its loss running about $3,000.
On January 13, 1911, the storm of 1897 repeated itself, and accord
ing to those who saw them both, the latter was more destructive. The
ice Avas formed over an inch thick on wires and trees, and the telephone,
telegraph and light companies Avere greatly damaged. The streets
were impassable all over town.
388 The History of Adair County.
Mention has been found of at least three great drouths. The first
was in 1854-55. No rain fell between May, 1854 and the following May.
All during that winter only one snow fell. In 1894 the prolonged dry
season cut off the corn crop so that nothing was raised except in the
bottom lands and what Avas raised there was scanty. The most severe
drouth was, hoAvever, in 1901. For weeks during July the thermome
ter registered in the nineties or above and all vegetation withered. The
extreme dryness prevented, however, any great amount of sickness.
Contributions from Kirksville to Sufferers Elsewhere. —
KirksviUe has not only been the beneficiary of generous sympathizers
in neighboring cities in times of distress, but she has done her share
along yyith other parts of the county in extending help and sympathy
to those communities far and near that have been visited by great ca
lamities. To the sufferers from the Chicago fire of 1871 the Cumberland
Presbyterian Church and Sunday School sent $36.35. Perhaps other
donations were sent by other organizations, but this is the only one
of which any mention has been found.
Early in 1875 appeals came from drouth stricken Kansas and
Nebraska for help. In response to these appeals $55 was sent to
Kansas by the Adair County Grange and $28 by two of the churches;
in addition $41 was sent to Nebraska.
In May, 1875 the grasshopper plague fell upon the western part of
Missouri, and the farmers had all their young crops completely destroyed.
So distressing were the conditions that the Governor of the state issued
a proclamation asking the people of the state to assemble at their places
of worship and join in prayer to God to remove the plague. At the
meeting held in Kirksville at the M. E. Church on June 3, $50 were
raised and sent to Governor Hardin who later f owarded it to the suffer
ers in Bates County. The plague did not reach Adair County or any
nearby county.
In 1878 yellow fever raged through the South and claimed its thou
sands of victims. Kirksville raised $278.13 and sent it to the relief
committee Avorking in the plague-stricken districts.
In 1881 $32.25 was raised in behalf of the forest fire sufferers in
Michigan. The great drouth in Kansas and Nebraska in 1894 produced an
immense amount of suffering. In response to appeals sent for help, a
mass meeting was held at the M. E. Church in Kirksville late in Jan
uary, 1895, and an executive committee was appointed to secure dona-
Kirksville. 389
tions of clothing, food supplies, and cash. Two 500-pound boxes of
clothing and supplies, one barrel and sixteen sacks of flour, and about
$75 in cash Avere secured and advanced to the proper authorities in
the famine-stricken districts. The contributions sent from Brashear
were about the same as what Kirksville sent.
The fearful earthquake which destroyed San Francisco in April.
1906, stirred the nation perhaps as no other single event in its history.
Millions of dollars poured into that city by sympathizing citizens.
From Kirksville was sent $1,016.18. The contributions came from the
foUoyying sources;
Kirksville Lodge, No. 105, Masons .$ 50.00
Adair Lodge, No. 366, Masons 100 . 00
KirksviUe Lodge, No. 464, B. P. O. E . . . 50 . 00
Kirksville Lodge, No. 72, K. P 50 . 00
Clerks' Union, No. 107 25 . 00
Kirksville State Normal School 72 . 18
American School of Osteopathy 95 . 00
Citizens' Donations 574 . 00
$1,016.18
In July, 1909, all North Missouri was visited by a great flood which
filled all the river bottoms and destroyed much of the crops. Adair
County suffered a great deal, but the greatest devastation was done
in the Grand River bottom in Daviess County. The faculty and stu
dents of the Kirks'yille Normal School raised during the chapel period
one morning, $119.00, to be sent to the Mayor of Pattonsburg to be used
in assisting those who had sustained heavy losses by the flood. Among
the citizens of the town a sum of money was also raised and sent to the
same community.
Fires. — A complete account of the destructive conflagrations that
have occurred in Kirksville would necessarily go back to the earliest
times, but exact information concerning them begins not earlier than
1865. It is proposed to give here an account of only those that affected
the business interests of the town, and of these only the most important.
The first in this list is one of the most important, if not the most
important, conflagrations in the county. This was the burning of the
court house on April 20, 1865. An account of this has already been
given in the chapter on County organization. The loss was irreparable
in many respects because of the destruction of many official records and
documents.
390 The History of Adair County.
On March 1, 1870, Sloan & Parcell's grain warehouse was destroyed,
entailing a loss of $10,000, which Avas covered by $6,000 insurance.
On January 31, 1873, the Avest side of the square was destroyed.
The fire began near the center of the block in Fowler & Hope's furniture
store, betAveen one and two o'clock in the morning; it was not discov
ered until it had gotten Avell under headway, and in spite of great efforts,
the thirteen buildings in the block Avere all swept away. Had there been
a Avind blowing the prospects are that the fire Avould have SAvept scross
the streets and alleys to other blocks of buildings. The total loss Avas
about .$30,000.
On August 24, 1874, the main portion of A\;hat had been known as
Cumberland Academy Avas burned to the ground. This building stood
on the site of the J. A. Cooley residence, long known as the R. M. Ringo
residence, in the north part of toAvn. It was used by the Normal School
from September, 1867 to January, 1873. It is beheved that the fire Avas
the Avork of an incendiary.
On September 24, 1878, tAvo frame buildings on the east side of
the square occupied by the City Bakery and Coburn's Shoe Store, were
destroyed. Extra efforts prevented the fire from spreading.
On December 3, 1878, fire broke out in the North Missouri Hotel,
which stood on the west side of Elson street a few doors south from the
southwest corner of the square. Besides this building another frame
building adjoining it on the north, Avas destroyed. The brick building
which stood on the corner Avas saved from igniting. The total loss was
about $8,000.
On December 27, 1880, fire broke out on the south side of the square
in either the store of Newlon & Granger or of Such & Company. These
two buildings were consumed together with three other frame buildi'ngs
adjoining; moreover, the fire spread southward across the alley and
consumed three buildings on the east side of South Elson street.
On March 25, 1882, the distillery in northeast part of town Avas
burned. Thirty barrels of whiskey are said to have been destroyed.
On January 27, 1883, four store rooms and one carpenter shop on
the northeast corner of the square Avere burned. When the fire was
discovered the Boston Store Avas well under Avay of burning. The ac
count of the fire in the Democrat for February 1 says that during the
fire a meeting was held near the scene, and a committee was appointed
to go over and see whether the fire engine Avas perfectly safe, and it Avas
found that it was. The total loss was about $8,000.
Within a week after this fire another and more diastrous one oc
curred. On February 1 fire broke out in Dean's grocery store, which
Kirksville.
391
was in the Ivie building near the east end of the north side. Mrs. Ivie,
who was then running a hotel in the upper part of the building, discov
ered the fire soon after it got started and gave the alarm. Men rushed
into Dean's store to save his stock. While they were at this work, a
keg of powder exploded and hurled the men out of the building, bloAving
out the ends and walls of the building. Many men Avere injured by the
broken glass. Among them Avere C. E. Ross, Dr. Strickland, Wm.
Hannah, Henry Patterson, Jas. Whiteacre, G. D. Campbell, J. Mc-
Chessney, J. H. Morris, D. E. Goodson, R. D. Magruder, WaUace McKee,
and A. L. Holmes. Fortunately no one was seriously injured. More
over, the fire was confined to one or tAvo adjoining buildings.
The Linder Building.
This building stood on the southeast corner of the square. The fence in the fore
ground of the picture enclosed the court house green.
On July 8, 1883, the Kirksville Flour Mill, owned by Samuel Swi
gert and located in the northern part of town, was destroyed by fire.
The loss was $25,000, with only $8,000 insurance. The fire Avas evi
dently the work of an incendiary.
On June 21, 1884, the Linder buUding, Avhich stood on the south
east corner of the square where Myers Brothers' shoe store now is, and
three other buildings which adjoined it, were burned. The Linder
building was a three-story frame which had been built in 1858, and had
been considered a very fine building in those days. Mrs. Hall's mUh-
nery stock, Shultz's grocery stock, and Drs. Goben and Morrow's oflSce
were destroyed. The fire stopped at the brick building on the south.
392 The History of Adair County.
On February 19, 1885, two frame buildings on the north side of
the square Avere burned to the ground. The brick buildings adjoining
on either side were saved. Among the business firms sustaining loss
Avas the Parcell's photograph gallery.
On March 4, 1885, the St. John's House, formerly the Commercial
Hotel, opposite the depot, Avas burned.
On June 1, 1888, the Kirksville Flour Mill, which had just been com
pleted only a fcAv months before, was so thoroughly destroyed as to re
quire its complete building.
On March 15, 1890, there occurred one of the most extensive fires
in the history of the town.' About three o'clock in the morning the
night watchman discovered that B. F. Lamkin's store on the south side
was on fire. The night was bitterly cold and people responded sloAvly
to the fire alarm. The fire engine exhausted four wells, but nothing
could stop the fire from making its way eastward to the end of the block.
One building Avest of the Lamkin store was also burned. Lamkin's
dry goods stock was completely destroyed, and much damage was done
to Heiny's book stock. Browning's miUinery stock, Hannah & Six's
grocery stock, Dutcher's jewelry stock. Grove's drug stock, and Caskey's
dry goods stock. The First National Bank buUding, which stood at the east
end of the block, was destroyed, but the vault was secure, and Mr. Baird
was able to open up for business in a nearby room that morning almost
on time. The Journal and the Democrat occupied quarters in this
block, and both papers lost their files and entire stock. Only three
builchngs Avere left standing, the Savings Bank building and the two
buildings just east of it. The total loss was about $100,000, AA'ith in
surance amounting to about $55,000.
On December 30, 1890, occurred the only fire which, as far as is
knoAA^n, was accompanied by loss of life. The fire originated in P. M.
Smith's hardware store on the northwest corner of the square whert the
Kirksville National Bank now stands. The fire spread eastward across
the street and burned the Masonic building and one other building to
the east and two to the north. After the fire had gotten a good start
in the Masonic building the fire wall fell on the Hart and Pickler build
ings to the east; the first was crushed like an egg-shell, and the other
was greatly damaged. At the time this happened several people were
in the Hart building helping to remove the stock. Volney Hart, son of
Wm. Hart, the proprietor, was killed instantly, and Fred SAveet, N. D.
Smith, Wm. Price, Wm. Hart and Mrs. Rose Bunker were hurt, some
of them very seriously. The loss amounted to about $75,000, yyith
insurance about $45,000. The county had at that time many of the
Kirksville. 393
county offices on the second floor of the Masonic building, but no rec
ords were lost. The county offices were immediately reopened in the
Spencer block south of the Baird bank building. The post office was
in one of the buildings that were burned, but its contents Avere removed
to a place of safety.
On December 12, 1893, the old North Missouri Hotel yvas burned
to the ground, together Avith two or three other frame buildings. Nearly
all the contents of these buildings Avere saved, as the fire made slow pro
gress. The hotel was one of the oldest buildings in Kirksville at that
time. It had been built some time before the Avar by Robert A. Gar
rett for hotef purposes, and was called the Garrett House for some time.
On October 18, 1895, the Kellogg grain warehouse, which stood Avest
of the depot, was totally destroyed.
On December 19, 1907, the Wabash depot Avas completely destroyed.
This building was a frame building, and had been built in 1895 after the
old one which had stood on the west side of the track, had been par
tially burned on June 1 of that year.
On April 16, 1911, the ax handle factory building, situated in the
north part of town, was burned to the ground. It was being used at
the time by Horton & Lorton as a feed barn. Several head of stock
Avere burned, among which were seven horses and two cows. As the
building had long been a rendezvous for tramps and other irrespons
ible parties, it is belived that the fire was started by the carelessness of
some intruder.
The destructive fires were more numerous on the square in the sev
enties and eighties than since then because the buildings were chiefly
frame, and when a fire got started it usually kept on going until a whole
row Avas consumed. Moreover, there was then very little in the Avay of
fire protection. A volunteer fire coilipany was organized in the early
eighties, and various schemes were carried out to equip the men in it
properly. But the fire engine, Avhich was a hand affair, was able to do
effective work as long as the water in the four wells at the corners of the
square held out. The present water works system was not installed
until 1894. Even after the Avater system was put in fire protection
long remained inadequate because of the lack of a paid fire company.
The volunteer company did all it could Avith the equipment it had, but
on many an occasion the company Avould be slow in assembling and much
time would be lost in getting a team to take the apparatus to the scene
of the fire. In 1910, through the efforts of the Business Men's League,
a fire team and a complete fire outfit were purchased, a fire chief employed
394 The History of Adair County.
by the city to take care of the team and direct the operations of the com
pany during fires.
In the early days the buildings around the square were all frame,
and it Avould be safe to say that ninety per cent of them were burned
at one time or another. As they were burned brick buildings were
erected in their stead, and in the case of brick buildings that were burned
still better ones were usuaUy erected. Fires have been, as a rule, bless
ings in disguise. The last frame building around the square stood
Avhere the Kirksville Trust Company building noAV stands.
Kirksville has had her share of the destruction of residences by fire,
but no attempt has been made to record them here.
Business Colleges.— KirksviUe has had several Business CoUeges.
No one has proved a permanent institution. The most ambitious of
Kirksville Mercantile College.
Built in 1883. Remodeled in 1900 and known now as the Harrington Theater.
these was founded by Mr. and Mrs. Wm. J. Smith in 1882, and was
known as the Kirksville Mercantile College. A few words concerning
this institution will be of interest.
Mr. Smith was reared in Southeastern Missouri amid poverty and
much privation. He was never able to attend school until he was
twenty-four years old; when he attended his first school he had been
married two years. In 1879 he and his wife went to Keokuk, Iowa,
where .she attended the Business College there, while he worked as a
janitor at that institution. In 1880 she graduated, and they came to
Kirksville, where Mrs. Smith hoped to get up a class in penmanship.
They met much disappointment and had to endure much hardship.
Mr. Smith did all sorts of chores and odd jobs about town, and mean-
Kirksville. 395
Avhile tried to secure students in penmanship for his Avife. Finally one
student was obtained, and then others began to come on his recom
mendation. As the class grew, arrangements Avere made for suitable
accommodations for a writing school. In AprU, 1881, a brick build
ing near the center of the town was leased and the school moved into it.
The school was then called the Writing Institute, and Avas under the
management of Mr. Smith. This grew so rapidly that still larger quar
ters AA'ere necessary and a commercial department was added to the
Avriting or penmanship department. During the year 1881, 132 per
sons enrolled in the commercial department, and the name of the insti
tution Avas changed to Kirksville Mercantile College.
In March, 1882, Mr. Smith began soliciting for funds to erect a
suitable building for his institution. He succeeded in selling about
one hundred life scholardhips at $25 each, Avhereupon he proceeded
to erect the building. He purchased a lot at the corner of Washington
and Normal streets, for which he paid $700 doAvn and gave his note for
the balance. On April 21, 1883, the cornerstone of this new building
was laid by the Masonic lodges. In November of that year the build
ing Avas completed. It was a three story brick, 50 by 80 feet in size,
and included departments for plain and ornamental penmanship, book
keeping and actual business, with a capacity for 500 students. The
hall on the upper floor was designed for the use of lectures and entertain
ments of various sorts and had a seating capacity of about 600. This
building has in the last ten years been remodeled and is now known as
the Harrington Theatre, and is used exclusively for theatrical per
formances and public gatherings of various kinds.
During 1883 the College matriculated 424 persons, and sold 183
life memberships in the penmanship department and 53 in the book
keeping department, for $40 each.
In March, 1892, a stock company with a capital of $20,000 Avas
organized to conduct the College. The shares sold for $100 apiece
very readily, one hundred and thirty being sold on the first day. The
Board of Directors was composed of W. J. Smith, W. D. Sigler, J. C.
Carothers, F. M. Harrington, C. E. Darrow, H. M. Tingley, and B. F.
Heiny. W. J. Smith was President, and B. F. Heiny, treasurer. In
February, 1894, Mr. Smith bought out the stockholders and became
sole proprietor, and in May of that year he sold out to J. N. DeAvell and
J. M. Mumma.
By April, 1895 the College had run down so that it was practically
suspended. A number of citizens of Kirksville took the matter in hand
and put new life into it. An effort was made to sell two hundred schol-
396 The History of Adair County.
arships at $50 each on condition that Mr. Smith would resume the
financial management of the school and honor all scholarships. The
effort met with sufficient success so that the College was reopened in
September, 1895. It was, however, suspended permanently in 1896.
Prof. Smith then studied osteopathy and later left Kirksville.
The building passed into the hands of F. M. Harrington. He
afterwards altered it and converted it into the present Harrington
Theatre. The Principals of the College were as foUoAvs;
1884— J. W. Trotter. 1891— V.J. Howell.
1886— Ahce L. Heath (now Mrs. C.W. Proctor.) 1895— J. N. DeweU.
1888— Geo. J. McDaniels.
The dates opposite their names indicate when their term of service
began. Kirksville has had several other Business Schools or CoUeges be
sides this one. The most fiourishing was Burke's Business College.
All of them, hoAvever, Avere small as compared with the one organized
by Prof. Smith. They had quarters in the second story rooms around
the square, as a usual thing.
In 1908 the State Normal School at Kirksville inaugurated a com
mercial department under Prof. Mark Burrows. The department is
primarily, however, for the training of teachers of commercial courses
in the high schools of the state rather than to fit young men and women
directly for commercial positions.
State Teachers Association. — The Missouri State Teachers'
Association has held two of its annual meetings in Kirksville. The
first one was held in December, 1872. It was planned to hold this
meeting in the new Normal School building, but owing to the fact that
the building had not been completed by that time, the meeting was
held in the Masonic hall. The second meeting in KirksviUe was held
in December, 1880. The sessions vvere held in the Presbyterian church.
The attendance was not as large as was expected.
Wagner Conservatory. — The Wagner Conservatory of Music
and Languages was organized in 1893 bj' Prof. E. M. Goldberg, who
had formerly been connected Avith the music department of Stephens'
College at Columbia, Missouri. He has been conducting work in music
and languages ever since in Kirksville. At times Prof. Goldberg has had
assistants, but he has generally been the sole instructor.
Kirksville. 397
Literary Societies. — Forty years or more ago, CA-ery community
maintained a singing school or a literary society. These Avere the means
of furnishing entertainment as well as instruction. Kirksville was
well supplied Avith these institutions. There are many persons who
recaU the singing school conducted by Rca-. J. S. Boyd in the Presbj-te-
rian church during the AAinter of 1870-71, and also the Literary Society
AA'hich was organized by J. M. GreeuAA'ood, J. T. Smith, J. A. Pickler,
and J. W. Halhburton. For occasional diversion spelling matches
would be held, and during the scA-enties these matches were held as a
usual thing, in the Normal School bmlding.
One of the last old-fashioned singing schools organized in the county
Avas that one by Prof. J. R. Howey at Brashear in 1886. He came there
from Ohio and decided then to locate there permanently.
There haA'e been many hterary and social organizations in Kirks
viUe, but in all probabihty the one that has proA'cd most effectiA'e in
its various actiAdties has been the Sojourner's Club. This Avas organ
ized in the fall of 1897. At that time there AA'ere scA'eral hundred
patients in KirksviUe, many Avith literary taste and social cravings.
^Irs. J. B. Foraker of Ohio, who Avas temporarUj' residing in Kirks
ville with an invalid son, conceiA'ed the idea of iuAiting the patients as
Avell as the toAvn women, to her home one afternoon of each week,
furnishing them AA'ith hterary entertainment. After scA'eral weeks these
meetings were adjudged indispensable, and the Club was formaUy or
ganized. While the motto, "Be not unmindful of strangers," is stiU the motto
of the Club, and its original object to furnish social introduction, feUow-
ship and hospitality to strangers is stiU adhered to, many other hues of
work haA'e been taken up. A hbrary was stai'ted soon after the Club
was organized, which has grown into a free hbrarj' open to the public
from nine a. m. untU noon each day.
A year or two later a Home Economics Department was created
A\ith the object of bettering the conditions in the home, by increasing
the knowledge in cookery and the household sciences. TavIcc each month
a meeting is held for the purpose of study and practical demonstrations
along these lines.
The Civic Improvement League was the second Department or
ganized AA'ith the object of improving the civic conditions of KirksA-iUe.
For several years those in charge of the Department were satisfied
A\ith giAdng prizes for the best flower beds, the neatest back yards and
aUeys. and creating a sentiment in favor of CiA'ic Improvement. But
398 The History of Adair County.
in the spring of 1910 the task of keeping the paved streets clean was
undertaken, and has been successfully done ever since.
Early in the history of the Club, the; promise of two rooms in the
Court House to be used as rest rooms for farmers' wives, was granted
by the County Court. They were furnished by the Club and opened
to the farmers' wives in June, 1902. They have since; been supervised
and maintained by the Club.
In the spring of 1906 the deplorable condition of Forest Cc^metery
was brought up and discussed at one of the regular meetings. Many
remedies were suggested and a (jemetery Association was temporarily
organized that afternoon. Two weeks later at a meeting called by the;
President of the Club, the prtisesnt Cemetery Association grew out of
the temporary one and began its work as an independent organization.
In the fall of the same year the matter of organizing a Board of
Charities was taken up. The President and a fJoinmittee from the
Club sent request to the ministers and to all the clubs in town asking
them to s(!nd a representative to a meeting at the Court House for the
purpose of organizing a permanent Board. The Associated Board of
Charities of Kirksville is the result.
Aside from the practical work, each year a program in literature
or history has been planned and carried out. In 1910 the Club began
working to raise money towards building a (ylub House and Library
Building. A lot has been given to the Club for this purpose by Mr.
and Mrs. Warren Hamilton. The Club holds its weekly meetings in
rooms in the A. S. 0. building, which the authorities have kindly put
at its disposal ever since its permanent organization.
Public Amuse.ments. — In the early days the various halls around
the square were used for whatever amusements that were furnished
by local or foreign talent. The first building containing a good theatre
was Smith's Business CoUege. This was opened in December, 1883.
In 1900 the coUege building was remodeled by F. M. Harrington, who
had acquired possession of it, and was made a more adequate theatre
than ever before.
The town has for years afforded a lecture course which offered a
series of lectures and entertainments during the winter months. As
far back as any mention has been found of such a course, it has always
been held in connection with the Normal School in some way or other.
For a long time it appears that the faculty of that institution undertook
to manage the course, but in 1899 the management had passed into
the hands of the Y. M. ('. A.'s of the Normal School and the A. S. O.
Kirksville. 399
The Spring Festival of Music Avas inaugurated by the Music De
partment of the Normal School in 1909. Some account of this Avas
given in the chapter on that institution of learning.
The Kirksville Chautauqua Association Avas organized in 1906 by
a number of enterprising and public spirited citizens of the town. The
purpose was to establish in Kirksville a course of Chautauqua lectures
and entertainments of various kinds during the month of August. Ar
rangements were made from 1906 to 1909 inclusive, for the use of Avhat
Avas knoAvn then as De France Park, a whole block of land between
Mulanix and Florence streets and betAveen Jefferson and Pierce streets.
A big tent was set up on this block and used for the various events on
the general program. In 1910 the De France Park began to be built
up, and the Chautauqua Association was alloAved to use the Normal
School campus. Some very prominent national characters haA'e ap
peared upon the KirksviUe Chautauqua platform. President John R.
Kirk has been the President of the Board ever since its organization,
and John R. Howey has been its Superintendent. Every year until
last year, the course has paid for itself. But in 1910 the expenses ex
ceeded the income by several hundred dollars. Another course will
be given in 1911, but it will depend on hoAV Avell it is patronized this
summer as to whether it will be maintained hereafter or not.
Old Settlers' Reunions. — There have been at least three Old
Settlers' Reunions in the county. The first was held at the Fair Grounds
in Kirksville on October 4, 1889. The meeting was called to order by
Rev. W. L. Fletcher, one of Adair County's oldest settlers. The open
ing address was made by Judge Wesley Halliburton of Milan, on the
Early Pioneers. After dinner reminiscences were related by Dr. Wm.
Gates, Rev. Wm. Jones, Rev. W. L. Fletcher, Washington Conner,
and Elder Russell. The reunion was made somewhat noteworthy by
the presence of Mr. Garland Moore, of Morrow township, aged 108
years. It was largely through the efforts of Mr. R. M. Ringo that he
was gotten out.
In August, 1890, the second reunion was held at the same place as
the year before, and a larger croAvd seems to have been in attendance.
Among the speakers were Rev. W. L. Fletcher, Rev. J. B. Mitchell,
Prof. W. P. Nason, Rev. Josiah Wright, Elder U. M. BroAvder, and Mr.
Miller of Schuyler County. It Avas reported that three of the speakers
selected in 1889 to speak in 1890 — HalUburton, Burkhart, and Gil
strap — had died before the reunion came off.
No account has been found of any other reunions except the one
400 The History of Adair County.
held on September 22, 1896, at CoUett's Grove, six miles west of Kirks
ville. It Avas quite appropriate that the reunion should be held at
this place, as it was in that vicinity that the first permanent Avhite set
tlement was made in this county. The bad weather kept a large number
from attending, but several hundred people gathered as it was. The
usual speeches and reminiscences were given by Rev. Fletcher, W. T.
Baird, John Shibley, Sr., and D. A. Ely. During the day it Avas fre
quently remarked that the reunion Avas being held on the same spot
where, in 1840, a big Whig barbecue had been held.
Missouri National Guards. — Company E, Second Missouri Na
tional Guards, was organized at Kirksville in September, 1880, by J. H.
Kinnear. The organization came as a sort of aftermath to a big sol
diers' reunion held in August of that year. During the reunion the
organization of a company of National Guards Avas discussed, and the
result was that a goodly number of veterans were enrolled. The first
commissioned officers were, J. H. Kinnear, Captain; John A. Richard
son, first lieutenant; William McCarty, second Lieutenant; J. M.
Davis, first sergeant. The next year Captain Kinnear was promited
to be lieutenant colonel of the regiment, whereupon John A. Richard
son Avas elected captain, with J. M. Davis, first lieutenant, and Charles
A. Ross, second lieutenant. In 1883 Captain Richardson left the coun
ty and J. M. Davis was elected captain. The company comprised sixty
men and officers. It AA'as disbanded in 1886.
In 1882 this company was called upon to assist the. sheriff of the
county in arresting the band of men who had robbed the Brookfield
(Mo.) Bank on June 7, 1882. These robbers had taken refuge in a
house on the Hooper farm in Walnut township of this county, tAvelve
miles southwest of Kirksville, on the Chariton River. The sheriff,
John Shaver, suspected that they had taken refuge there and sent out a
lot of detectives in the guise of fishermen, who discovered signs of the
robbers being at the place. They reported to Kirksville as soon as pos
sible; whereupon Sheriff Sharer took fifteen men of Company E to
assist him in arresting the band. Several of the men who were drafted
to go now tell hoAV they dropped out of ranks the night they advanced
toward the robbers' rendezvous, and stayed hidden in the woods until
the robbers were arrested and taken away.
Company C was organized during the Spanish-American War,
in the spring of 1898. J. R. Musick Avas captain, J. E. Rieger and Man-
ville Carothers lieutenants. It became a part of the 6th Regiment,
mustered for the invasion and occupation of Cuba, but the company at
Brookfield was sent in its stead.
Kirksville. 401
The present company was organized on January 6, 1900, with
J. E. Rieger captain, Manville Carothers first lieutenant, and Harry
Laughlin second heutenant. Other lieutenants since that time were
EAving, Heiny, Gates, Geo. Reiger, Williamson, and Elston, the two lat
ter being the present ones. Rieger was succeeded as captain in 1909
after ten years' service, by Leo M. Ewing, the present commander,
when Rieger was elected Major of the Foutrh Regiment.
The present company receives from the State of Missouri armory
rent, light, fuel, and water, together with rent of a target range. The
equipment of guns and clothing is received from the U. S. Govern
ment. When at camp or on duty in the field, the men receive the same
pay as do the corresponding grades in the regular army.
In 1910 the company yvas called out by Governor Hadley to assist
in suppressing a strike at lUasco, Mo. During the rioting the company
was fired upon by the strikers, the men of the company returning the
fire Avith vigor, and as a result, the strike was declared off the next day.
The present strength of the company is fifty-eight men and two
officers, all conditioned and equipped, and fit for service in defense of
the Government.Business Men's Associations. — From time to time the business
men of Kirksville have banded themselves together to protect their
interests and boom the town. In 1891 there was organized the Young
Men's Business Association. Its twofold purpose was to stimulate
enterprise and compile statistics concerning Kirksville. W. F. ShoUy
was President and Chas. V. Miller Secretary.
In 1894 there was organized the Commercial Club. Mr. W. T.
Baird was the President during the six or seven years of its existence.
The present business organization, known as the Kirksville Com
mercial Club, was organized in 1902. It has been very active in its
efforts to develop the town. It was instrumental in bringing the shoe
factory to town and in encouraging other enterprises. It is the first
organization of its kind to have quarters of its OAvn in which meetings
are held. Mexican War Veterans' League. — The Mexican War Veterans'
League was organized at Kirksville during a soldiers' reunion on Sep
tember 16, 1885. Z. F. Rawson, Fourth U. S. Artillery, was made Pres
ident, and John J. Kennedy, Second Illinois Infantry, Secretary. The
other members were; R. D. Emerson, Third Ohio Infantry; Jas. G.
Gordon, Indiana and lUinois Infantry; Geo. David Moore, Third Ohio
402 The History of Adair County.
Infantry; Frank Metier, First Pennsylvania Infantry; John R. Parrish,
Fourth Illinois Infantry; D. C. Lord, Fifth Indiana Infantry; James
Berry, Fourth U. S. ArtiUery; E. E. Mann, U. S. Battieship Mis
sissippi; Michael King, Second lUinois Infantry; Oliver Gerry, First
Missouri Infantry; Matt. Wise, Third Indiana Infantry; John Kenney,
First U. S. Infantry; Sol. Moyer, Sixth U. S. Infantry; P. J. Sublette,
Third Illinois Infantry; T. M. Easley, Illinois Cavalry; H. M. York,
Third Louisiana Infantry. Other Mexican veterans in the county who
did not join the League were; A. 0. Braddigan, King CoUett, Edwin
Parcels, William Capps, Thomas Story. Sylvester Reilly, another-
veteran, died prior to any effort to organize a League.
It is not known how long this League was maintained. Edwin
Parcells is still living in Kirksville at a very advanced age. It is not
known Avhether there are any other survivors of this war or not in the
county. Spanish-American War. — A good deal of interest Avas manifested
in the county in the efforts of Cuba to free herself from Spanish rule.
On October 29, 1895, a mass meeting was held in KirksAdlle for the pur
pose of giving expression to the feelings and sentiments of the people
on the matter. Speeches were niade by Mayor Noonan, Senator Sea
ber, J. R. Musick, President W. D. Dobson, Geo. M. McGuire, T. E.
Sublette and others. Resolutions were adopted urging the United
States Government to do all it could to assist Cuba in her efforts.
When Avar was declared in April, 1898 against Spain, a company
was organized and made itself ready for service. But as has been said
in another section of this chapter, the company at Brookfield was called
out instead of the one at Kirksville.
Notwithstanding the disappointment that many felt over the fail
ure of the Kirksville Company to be called out, great satisfaction was
taken by every one in the county in the success of one Adair County boy
in this war. Shortly after the war broke out the New York Herald
offered $100 to the first man who would plant the stars and stripes on
Cuban soil. The money was won by Ensign Arthur WiUard of Kirks
ville, who was then on the gunboat Machias. While the Wilmington,
the Winslow, and the Hudson was firing on the batteries at Cardenas,
the Machias was making a wreck of the barracks at Diana Cay. When
the Spaniards scampered away. Ensign WiUard and three men went
ashore and planted the American flag on the ruins.
The people of Kirksville showed their appreciation of the honor
which Ensign Willard had brought to his home place, by presenting him
Kirksville. 403
with a beautiful gold mounted sword while he was at home some time
after the war was over.
The Medical Profession. — The first resident physician 'in the
county of Avhom there is any record, was Dr. Abram StiU, father of Dr.
A. T. StiU, who was both preacher and physician.
In 1854 Dr. W. M. Gates, an eclectic physician, came to Adair
County. It is stated that at that time there Avas only one regular grad
uate of an allopathic medical school practicing in the county, and that
was Dr. James Goode. Shortly after the coming of Dr. Gates, there
came Drs. Shoop, Patton, and Lowe. Dr. A. P. Willard was a practic
ing physician here before the war, and is perhaps the only surviving
physician from that period now in the county.
The court records prior to the war shoAV a number of fines assessed
against physicians for practicing without licenses. Among them were
William Lough, W. F. G. Lansdale, Franklin Neff, Jas. C. Goode, and
W. A. Cochrane, who were fined each $50 in April, 1850.
The physicians of the county who registered under the act of 1873,
up to as late as 1888 at least, were as follows; F. A. Grove, J. M. Swet
nam, A. P. WiUard, E. A. Burns, W. G. Pierce, Jeptha S. MiUer, George
R. Combs, W. H. Brown, R. M. Fowler, George A. Shirley, John Bur
ton, A. H. John, R. H. Browne, Philip Snyder, S. L. Ellis, F. T. Mell-
inger, Jacob F. Gall, H. G. Kernodle, J..H. Wesscher, M. L. Bunnelle,
J. B. Weaver, W. H. Allred, S. R. Sage, John Ziegler, Jas. Myers, W. M.
Patton,' W:. R. -Hopkins, S. J. McPherson, J. M. Ledford, A. T. StiU,
C. V. Payton, T. H. Boscow, Benj. Guffey, J. H. WiUiams, W. M. Gates,
Moses Fry, Benj. N. Bond, J. F. CasloAv, J. W. Lee, A. S. Pierce, Thos.
P. Wiseman, Wm. B. Mead, W. L. Taylor, R. L. Galbreath,H.Hereford,
S. D. Weir, F. J. Withington, John Moran, J. Jackson Crider, Emlen
Lewis, J. B. Carter, H. M. Stone, Geo. D. Coe, Samuel Shevely, John
W. McMenanny, J. W. Martin, G. A. Goben, S. W. Saunders, U. P.
Patchen, W. S. HaU, E. H. Doriand, W. F. Perkins, H. S. Strickland,
J. W. HerreU, John A. PuUiam, F. M. NickeU, Jas. A. Houser, J. E.
Dunbar, W. F. Morrow, G. A. Sparling, J. S. Cater, W. T. Mefford,
C. S. Boscow, Seth Clark, H. I. ShuU, H. K. Cunningham, W. S. HaU,
Syrena Andrews, F. M. Barnes, John Shibley, Jas. F. Snyder, Joshua
Beach, A. P. Davis, and H. W. Heryford.
The physicians in KirksviUe in 1886 were: Goben & Morrow,
opposite Post Office; G. A. Sparling, National Bank BuUding; F. A.
Grove, south side; H. Strickland, south side; John Burton, west side;
A. P. WiUard, north side; A. T. StiU, southeast of square; C. D. Henry,
northeast of square; Mrs. L.' Ingham; T. H. Boscow, east of square;
Miss S. Andrews, north of square.
404 The History' of Adair County.
The medical physicians in 1911 are; E. C. CaUison, L. J. Conner,
G. A. Goben, E. C. Grim, E. A. Grim, J. W. Martin, A. W. Parrish,
Bert Parrish, G. A. SparUng, H. J. Rankin, C. M. C. WUcox, J. T. Dod
son, E. E. Quinn.
Besides the medical physicians there are the osteopathic physi
cians on the staff of the American School of Osteopathy, and one or
two osteopaths Avho are not connected with the school.
The town has two hospitals, the Osteopathic Hospital and the Grim
Hospital. The former has been in operation five or six years, the latter
for only a year or two. The new Grim Hospital building in the south
ern part of town, has just been completed.
The Adair County Medical Association has been in existence ever
since 1884 at least. Its officers in 1884 were A. P. Willard, President,
and W. F. Morrow, Secretary.
Adair County Bar. — During 1841, the year in Avhich Adair Coun
ty was formed, the following persons were enrolled before the court and
authorized to practice law; B. F. Tarr, Addison Reese, Jas. S. Green,
Clear Orley, Jas. H. Birch, John A. Myers, John W. Myers, Wm. HaU,
Josiah Fish, and Wesley Halliburton. Whether there were others
who had been enrolled in advance of these is not known. In 1845 Wm.
R. Jones, and in 1847 Abram McKenny and E. B. Cone were admitted.
During the war it was thought necessary to compel the lawyers
to take an oath of allegiance. The Kirksville bar took this oath on
May 19, 1862. The oath was as follows; "We and each of us do sol
emnly swear that we Avill support the Constitution of the United States
and of Missouri, and that we will not take up arms against the Govern-
ernment of the United States nor against the Provisional Government
of Missouri, and that Ave Avill not giA^e aid or comfort to the enemy of
either during the present civil war. So help us God." The signers
were; E. V. WUson, W. S. Griggs, Geo. W. Foster, Geo. W. Sharp,
J. M. Robertson, B. G. Barrow, J. H. Myers, A. L. Gilstrap, I. B. Dod
son, and R. J. Eberman. Of these it seems that G. W. Sharp is the only
one now living. He did not practice law very long, but went into the
ministry. The bar in 1886 was as follows; John C. O'FerraU, P. F. Green
wood, W. D. Oldham, J. M. DeFrance, W. H. DeFrance, J. W. John
ston, H. F. Millan, F. M. Harrington, J. M. McCaU, and J. M. Ivie.
The KirksviUe bar of 191 1 is composed of the foUoAving men: J. E.
Rieger, H. F. MiUan, W. J. Banning, P. J. Rieger, Edward Higbee, J. C.
MUls, P. F. Greenwood, J. A. Cooley, J. D. Smoot, Wm. Frank, G. C.
Weatherby, J. M. McCall, M. D. Campbell, S. H. Elhson, A. Doneghy,
C. E. Murrell, E. O. Beal, Lois Buhl, A. D. Risdon.
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE OTHER TOWNS OF THE COUNTY.
Section I. — Brashear.
Brashear was laid out in 1872, but its history reaches back prior
to that date for several years. A mile and a half northeast of Brashear
there once stood a prosperous little village called Paulville or Paul-
town. This place was laid out by Walker Paul some time before the
war, probably about 1855. Settlers had been coming into this part of
the county ever since 1842, the year when William G. Brashear settled
there. According to tradition he was the first white man to settle in
that vicinity. That Mr. Paul thought his town would become an
important place is evident from his generous plans in laying it out. In
the center was an open square Avhich was so located as to be on the crown
of a beautiful knoll; around the square the business houses were
to be built, and from it the town would grow. Soon after the town was
laid out a fcAV store buildings were erected on the west and north sides
of the square, and the town became a popular trading point for the
people in the Salt River region. There was a grist mill in the village,
but it was burned during the war, for the purpose, it is said by some,
of keeping the Confederate recruits in that section from getting sup
plies from it.
After the war the prospects for this little villege brightened and it
came to have a population of about tAvo hundred people. But in 1872
the Q. M. & P. R. R. (uoav the O. K.) was built from Quincy to Kirks
ville, and in that year the town of Brashear was laid out. This proved
to be the end of Paulville. From the time Brashear was laid out people
in Paulville began to move it, so that in a year or tAvo practically the
entire toAvn had been literally moved over. One church building and
several residences were put on trucks and moved over to Brashear, and
some others were torn down in Paulville and reconstructed in Brashear.
Brashear was therefore at the outset little more than Paulville trans
ferred. How there came to be a Brashear is an interesting story. It is
connected with the building of the Q. M. & P. R. R.
The projectors of this road made several surveys between Edina
and Kirksville before deciding on the exact route. One survey passed
406 The History of Adair County.
through Paulville, but it was decided that the grade would be too great
to make that line advisable. The road was therefore built so as to run
a mile or tAVO south of Paulville. Among those greatly interested m
the route that was decided on Avas John Hurd of Knox County. He
owned some land along the western edge of that county and bestirred
himself to get the road built through that land. Agreements were
made, it is said, between him and the general agent of the road to the
effect that a depot should be established on his land and be called
Hurdland, and further, that no other depot should be built west of
it or east of Salt River. That was to protect the interests of the town
as it would compel those who wished to use that railroad in the eastern
part of Adair County to go to Hurdland.
Many persons in this county, especially those who lived along the
railroad in the eastern part, felt aggrieved at the road for making this
sort of an arrangement. Some objected because of the inconvenience
that would be entailed upon them in going so far from their homes in
order to get needed accommodations from the railroad; others disliked
to have a thriving town built up just over the county line which would
draw wealth away from the county. The experience Avith the North
Missouri Railroad (now the Wabash) had brought its lessons. La
Plata, just south of the southern county line, and Greentop, just north
of the northern county line on this road, had precluded the building
up of trade centers of any importance within the county on this road
outside of Kirksville. It was quite inadvisable to allow the county to
lose its hold upon the trade along the new railroad in the eastern part
of the county through the building up of Hurdland just across the east
ern border line, and several persons interested themselves in doing what
they could to save the situation.
Among those who took an active interest in the matter, the most
aggressive was R. M. Brashear. It was necessary to get funds to in
duce the railroad to open up a depot in the eastern part of the county.
It was therefore decided to submit a proposition to the voters of Salt
River township to issue $6,000 in bonds, which should be given to the
railroad for opening up a depot in that township. The proposition
failed to carry. But those living in the eastern part of Salt River town
ship were determined upon having a depot, and prevailed upon the county
court to allow them to vote upon this bond issue by themselves. The
court allowed them to do so, and the proposition carried. This, by the
way, is the explanation for the so-called East and West Salt River town
ships. There has never been a division of Salt River township into
The Other Towns of the County. 407
two townships. All that was done was the granting of the right to
those living in the eastern half to vote the bonds upon themselves.
Meanwhile Mr.. Brashear had gotten the railroad authorities to
say where they could and Avould locate a depot if it should be estab
lished. Having gotten that information he proceeded to buy thirty
acres of land south of the proposed depot site, and laid out this tract
into town lots. The railroad authorities accepted the offer of $6,000
bonds which had been voted by the taxpayers of the east part of Salt
River township, and thereupon built the depot where they told Mr.
Brashear they would put it.
As soon as the railroad announced where the depot would be, the
people of Paulville realized that the end of their Adllage had come, and
most of them prepared to move at once to the newly laid out town of
Brashear. As has already been said, several buildings were moved on
trucks and set down in Brashear.
This proved not only the end of Paulville, but it checked the pro
gress of Hurdland. Hurdland recovered somewhat from this check
by securing the Santa Fe Railroad through it. There are many people
in Brashear today who lament that the town did not make a stronger
effort to get the Santa Fe; they believe that the town would have grown
to be many times what it is now if it had gotten this railroad.
When Brashear was laid out in 1872 there were no" county roads
leading to it. Mr. Brashear got up petitions for five roads to be built
into his new town from various directions. There was a great deal of
opposition to these roads at first, but after they were opened there was
no further objection to them, as they proved at once their value.
Among the earliest residents of Brashear were R. M. Brashear,
R. F. Prince, and J. N. McCreary, all of Avhom came from Paulville.
Mr. McCreary, who had been the postmaster at Paulville, Avas the
first postmaster at Brashear. When it had become settled that Bra
shear would be laid out he got the government to transfer the office,
and he went with the transfer. He is also said to have been the first
m^n to build a house in the new town. Other early settlers Avere C. G.
Cornell, W. B. Keller, Wm. Hill, John Wyatt, John Young, and Dr.
W. L. Hopkins.
The railroad did not begin to stop its trains at Brashear until after
the depot was finished. That did not occur until February, 1873. The
first agent was John Kerr, who served from February to October, 1873.
He was succeeded by M. F. Strock, who served until 1876. By the
time the depot was completed several buildings had been erected in
the town.
Brashear Park.
Situated in the center of the public square.
The Other Towns of the County. 409
The original town lay on the southern slope of a hill and extended
from Front Street, which Avas parallel to the railroad track and on the
north side of it, north to Chestnut Street, and from Church Street east
for six blocks. The town was laid out around a square, which was
donated as a park to the town by Mr. Brashear. In the faU of 1872
about thirty lots were sold and inside a year about forty buildings were
erected. Various additions have been made to the original town, such as
Hopkins & McCreary's, McClay's, Myers', Millstead's and Tuttie's
south additions. Myers' addition does not lie completely within the
town limits; moreover, much of the land lying within the limits is un
platted as yet (1911).
The town remained under the township organization of Salt River
township until May 23, 1877. On that day J. N. McCreary and twenty-
three others filed a petition with the county court asking for incorpora
tion and for the establishing of police for local government. When the
court became satisfied that tAvo thirds of the taxable inhabitants had
signed the petition, it incorporated the town as a village, and appointed
Rueben Davidson, S. P. Barnhart, W. B. KeUer, W. R. Hopkins, and
C. G. Cornell as trustees to serve until the first regular election in April,
1878. The town has never been able to raise itself to the rank of a city
of the fourth class, inasmuch as its population has never reached the
five hundred mark. It is yet governed by a board of trustees elected
annually. ¦ This board elects its ¦cha.irman > and ¦ clerk, the town mar-
shall and other officers. The chairmen of the board since 1897 have
been as follows; 1897— R. Davidson.
1898— R. Davidson.
1899— R. Davidson.
1900— J. W. Thrasher.
1901— Jas. Hanks.
1902— Jas. Hanks.
1903— Jas. Hanks.
1904— Jas. Hanks.
The records prior to 1899 have been lost, so that this list cannot go
back of that date. It is known through an accidental source of infor
mation that B. F. HaU was chairman of the board in 1885.
The postmasters at Brashear, with the dates of their appointment,
are given below:
1904-
-W. S. Vawter.
1905-
-H. T. Wilson.
1906-
-L. J. SherAvood.
1907-
-J. A. Milstead.
1908-
-J. M. Moore.
1909-
-J. M. Moore.
1910-
-Geo. Forquer.
410
The History of Adair County.
1872— J. N. McCreary.
1884— Frank Keller.
1888— H. T. Savage.
1890— R. Davidson.
1894— Robt. Clark.
1895— Mrs. Davis.
1900— C. A. Chadwick.
1904— H. T. WUson.
1906— Job Rayner.
1910— Geo. Fellers.
Brashear Academy.
Remodeled in 1892 by the Christian Church for church purposes.
Brashear has four churches, each of which has a building of its own.
They are the United Brethren, the M. E. Church, the M. E. Church,
South, and the Christian. An account of each congregation has already
been given in the chapter on churches in the county.
The Other Towns of the County. 411
Some attention was likcAvise given to the public schools of Bra
shear in the chapter on the schools of the county.
In addition to the public schools of this toAvn there was a private
institution called Brashear Academy, which had been started by Prof.
J. S. Bailey in September, 1884. This purported to be of high school
rank, but it is evident that very little was done beyond the grades.
The enrollment ran from 50 to 140, according to newspaper reports.
In 1886 the school was comducted by Profs. S. B. and S. P. Barr, but
later Prof. Bailey resumed control. The school was conducted in a
three-story frame building which had been erected by Prof. Bailey.
The third floor was used by the Masons for a lodge room. In the early
nineties the academy suspended its sessions, and in 1891 the building
was sold to the Christian Church. In the foUoAving year the building
was remodeled and made into a church building by that congregation,
and has been used for such from that time to this.
Mention has been made in the chapter on banks, of the two banks
in Brashear. The Masonic, Odd Fellow and G. A. R. organizations
of Brashear have been treated in the chapter on Fraternal Organizations.
Brashear has been visited by several fires, the most destructive
being that of 1883, when the west side of the square was burned, and
that of 1895, when the north side of the square was destroyed.
Section II. — Nineveh.
In 1849 Nineveh, the most unique settlement in Adair County
and one of the unique settlements of Missouri, was founded. It was
composed of a small group of German communists who came from
Bethel, Shelby County, Missouri. In order to get a proper apprecia
tion of the settlement at Nineveh, it avUI be necessary to say something
about Bethel and its founder. Dr. William Keil.
Dr. Keil was born in Prussia in 1811. He grew up to young man
hood in his native country and became a man milliner. He came to
America in 1835 or 1836, and after living a Avhile in New York he went
to Pittsburgh. He practiced medicine in both of these places with
some degree of success, though it is not certain he ever attended a med
ical school. Shortly after he reached Pittsburgh he was converted in
a revival held by the German Methodists and he joined their church.
In 1839 he was licensed as a local preacher; his success and enthusiasm
as a class leader had recommended him as a suitable candidate for this
higher rank. Very shortly, however, he broke Avith this church. Dur
ing the absence of the regular pastor he is said to have ascended the pul-
412
The History of Adair County.
pit one Sunday and preached for two hours. In this sermon he attacked
the ministry very severely for their acceptance of salaries. At the
close of his sermon he asked all those who believed in the truth of his
statements and who believed in his inspiration, to rise to their feet.
Many arose. This marked the beginning of his following, and for over
thirty years he maintained a strong hold over a considerable group of
people. Dr. KeU now began to preach without any church connection, but
he finally decided it Avould be best to identify himself with some church.
Dr. Wm. Keil, The Fourder of Nineveh.
and so he joined the Protestant Methodists. Later he Avas excluded
from this church because he AA^ould not obey his ecclesiastical superiors.
The group that had Avithdrawn Avith him from the German Methodists
and had gone with him into the Protestant Methodist church, also Avith
drew Avith him from this latter church. He then began to send enthu
siastic young men as representatives of his ideas into other parts of
Pennsylvania and into Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Kentucky, and
Iowa. Their efforts were not without some results. Many accepted
his ideas and believed in him as an inspired leader and teacher.
It was not until he had reached this stage that he began to think
of estabhshing a communistic colony somewhere. When his plans were
announced, many of his foUoAvers sold their property and made prepara
tion to join his colony. An attempt was made to put the colony on the
basis of a constitution Avhich had been drafted by some of those who
The Other Towns of the County. 413
had joined in the movement, but this was rejected by Keil, and his own
imperious will became the laAV to Avhich all gave a willing and an enthu
siastic obedience. The society Avhich was organized remained unin
corporated unto the day of_its dissolution.
In 1844 a committee of three called "spies" was sent to Missouri
to find a suitable site for the colony. They came by boat down the
Ohio and up the Mississippi to St. Louis. It had been intended to in
vestigate the region along the Mississippi north of the mouth of the
Missouri, but on arriving in this district they found the land all under
water from recent spring rains, so that they did not land until they
got to Hannibal. At this place they met a man who interested them
in some land in Shelby County. This land pleased them very much
and they recommended it as the best site for the colony. Dr. Keil
and a few of the colonists came in the autumn of 1844, and others came
on as they could make arrangements. One group purchased a boat
at Pittsburgh and used it in transporting themselves and their goods
to Hannibal, where the boat was disposed of, and they moved their
goods overland to the site of the colony. Frederick Stahl, the father of
Judge S. F. Stahl of Kirksville, was the engineer of this boat.
The main settlement of this colony was called Bethel. Others
lying near it were called Elim, Mamri, and Hebron. All these names
were taken from the Bible. Later the Adair County branch colony
was also given a Biblical name, Nineveh, but the other branch in Oregon
was named Aurora after one of Dr. Keil's daughters.
Inasmuch as the colony had a peculiar religious basis, Ave are in
terested at the outset in its religious institutions. An elegant church
building was erected at Bethel, which was the pride of the colony and
an object of attraction for miles around. Every two weeks the colo
nists gathered in this church to hear Dr. Keil preach. His sermons
do not seem to have been doctrinal, but to have been exhortations to
industry, moral living, and obedience to his authority. Baptism was
discarded, and the regular method of observing the Lord's Supper also.
If it was observed at all, it was by way of a general meal at the house of
some member. The festivals 'were nearly all of them religious in char
acter. Dr. Keil's birthday, Easter, Pentecost, May feast, and the Har
vest feast Avere the occasions of feasting and rejoicing. The first three
were celebrated at Elim, where Dr. Keil resided, the others at Bethel.
The May festival was perhaps the biggest of the feasts. At Christmas
time the church was decorated with two large trees, and the people
gathered at four o'clock on Christmas morning, and after listening to a
414 The History of Adair County.
sermon and participating in singing, huge baskets of cakes, apples and
candy were distributed.
The chief industrial activity of the colony was agriculture, but a
great deal of manufacturing, on a small scale to be sure, was carried on.
A flour mill, a saw mill, a woolen mUl, a distiUery, a tannery, lime and
brick kilns, and a glue plant were built. The motive power of the mills
was furnished by a steam engine. Boots, shoes, hats, gloves, wagons,
plows, woolen and linen goods, liquors, and linseed oil were among the
many things which they manufactured for sale. Some of their pro
ducts, especially the gloves, were much sought for in markets as far dis
tant as New York.
Each industry had a superintendent who arranged the details in
his particular department. The net proceeds realized from the sale
of the products of these various industries, including the farms, were
put in a general fund. This fund grew to be considerable in time. No
dividends were declared, but the surplus earnings were used in enlarg
ing the various enterprises of the colony. Each member of the colony
was a stockholder in every concern.
Common places were provided for the protection of live stock. A
large barn for the horses was built at Bethel, and another for the stock
cattle and cows at Hebron. There was also a common barn for the
Avork cattle, and a common pig sty. The men who had families lived
in separate houses, but the unmarried men lived in '-'the large house,"
which was also used as a hotel and as the colony store.
From the colony store each family would draw each week its share,
of provisions, the share of each family being determined by the number-
in it. There was no choice of articles or goods. Every family got the
same kind of provisions; the difference was in the amount only. The
clothing was made from cloth made by the colony and every one got his
share of that. Special purchases could be made only by those who had
realized something from the sale of such commodities as butter and eggs.
These commodities were about the only things that could be sold as
private property. The proceeds from the sale of other things went
into the general fund. It will be readily seen how little private pocket
change any individual had and hoAV restricted his special purchases
must have been.
The colony maintained a school in which the elementary branches
were taught. German was, of course, the language of the school, but
Enghsh was also taught.
The government of the colony was in the hands of Dr. Keil, but on
The Other Towns of the County. 415
leaving Bethel for Aurora, Oregon, in 1855, he left the management of
affairs in the hands of a deputy president appointed by him. As Dr.
Keil never returned from Oregon, the management passed from one
deputy president to another as occasion required new appointments.
These deputy presidents did all that Dr. Keil had done, and though
they never made personal reports to him, they remained loyal to him.
This long account of the Bethel colony has been given in order that
the branch at Nineveh may be understood. In many respects the
branch and the mother colony were alike, and yet owing to disparity
in size there were differences. The similarities and differences will be
made apparent as this account now proceeds.
In 1849, after the Bethel colony had been in operation about four
years, it Avas decided to establish a branch colony. Dr. Keil and Mr.
Adam Scheulie came to Adair County and selected the farm of David
A. Ely on the Chariton River, as the most suitable site for the branch
colony. Mr. Ely had built a mill which was run by water power fur
nished by a dam Avhich he had constructed in the river. Moreover, it
was known that coal abounded in this vicinity. These were the things,
therefore, that interested Dr. Keil and Mr. Scheulie in this particular
place. One hundred and sixty acres Avere bought from Mr. Ely and a town
laid off, which was called Nineveh. Later a great deal more land was
bought, until there were in all 2,100 acres owned by the colony. In the
spring of 1850 about twenty-five people came from Bethel and began
the work of founding the branch colony, which was to be a reproduction
as far as possible of Bethel.
The mill yvas converted from a water to a steam mill, the first in
the county. It was quite a novelty at that time, and men came from
ten to twenty miles, and sometimes as far as sixty miles, to have their
wheat, corn, and other grain ground. A saw mill Avas also installed,
and much lumber was gotten out. A tannery, shoe shop, blacksmith-
ing and wagon shops and a carpenter shop Avere also erected and put in
operation. But the industries of Nineveh were never as extensive as
those at Bethel, and very little in the Avay of manufactured products,
aside from flour and meal, was put upon the market. As at Bethel,
farming was the chief industry at Nineveh. Some coal was .mined,
but the work Avas done by hired labor. A store was maintained, from
Avhich the colonists drew their weekly supplies.
Dr. Keil did not come with the colonists when this branch was es
tabhshed. As far as is known, he spent very httle time there. How-
416 The History of Adair County.
ever, he managed to keep his hand upon affairs through a board of
three elders. After he left Missouri and Avent to Aurora, Oregon, these
elders were under the deputy president left behind at Bethel.
There Avas no church building at Nineveh, but there was a big
house in which the head elder and his family and the unmarried men of
the colony lived. Religious services Avere held every Sunday in the
hall upstairs in this building. These serA'ices Avere more in the order
of prayer meetings. If, hoAvever, Dr. Keil or some of the so-called
elders of Bethel Avere present, they would preach.
Very few of the festivals celebrated at Bethel were celebrated at
Nineveh. The colonists were too fcAv in number to make elaborate
celebrations possible. There were never more than 150 in the colony
nor more than thirteen dAvellings. Life was somewhat more monoto
nous at Nineveh than at Bethel.
The colony maintained a school for four months in the year. The
teacher was Chas. Knight, AA'ho came from Bethel. As far as is known,
he Avas the only teacher the Nineveh branch ever had.
In 1877 Dr. Keil died. This meant the rapid dissolution of the
colony, for no one was at hand to rule with the same iron hand as he
had ruled. Even he had found some difficulty in retaining control
toward the last. Many of the people in the various colonies began to
see that they did not possess as much property as their non-communistic
neighbors, and many of them withdrew. Among those who withdrew
from the colony at Nineveh were Jacob Culler and family, Hermann
Behrens and family, Michael Snyder and family, and S. F. Stahl. As
these persons withdrew, all of them except Mr. Stahl, received their
share of the property of the colony. The reason why Mr. Stahl did not
get anything Avas he withdrew just before he was tAventy-one, and though
he had kept the colony's store he was not entitled to anything. He Avas
given $25.00, however, as a kind of gift for his services in the store.
After he withdrew he engaged in mercantile business in Nineveh, run-
ring a store in competition with the colony store. His partner was
J. D. Miller, who had likewise withdrawn from the Aurora colony and
had returned to Nineveh. These men maintained their store in Nin
eveh until it was burned in November, 1873, whereupon Mr. Stahl
went into business at Shibley's Point.
Under the circumstances it Avas deemed advisable after Dr. Keil's
death, to make a complete division of the property. Legal proceedings
were thereupon begun. In inventory was made of all the property
owned by the society at Bethel, Nineveh and Aurora, and the various
items Avere as follows:
The Other Towns of the County. 417
Real estate in Shelby County, Mo $ 42, 447 . 50
Town lots in Bethel, Mo 10, 728 . 00
Other lots and improvements in Bethel, Mo 7, 475.00
Property in Oregon 45, 478 . 00
Real estate in Adair County, Mo 2, 790 . 00
Cash and notes in Adair County, Mo 887 . 85
Total $109,806.35
A division was then made between the Bethel colony, which in
cluded Nineveh, and the Aurora colony. To the Bethel colony was
assigned $47,214.25; to the Aurora colony, $62,592.10. After the di
vision had been thus made between the two colonies, the next step was
to divide the property of each colony between the members. This
Avas done without much delay.
It is not clear Avhy the property Adair County property of the Nin
eveh branch should be estimated at so Ioav a figure as $2,790. The
withdrawal of a goodly number had cut down the property consider
ably, but this is not sufficient explanation. Perhaps the low figure is
due to the fact that the claims of J. D. Miller to all the land which had
been deeded in the name of his father should go to him, had been ex
cluded. All the real estate of the colonies at Bethel, Nineveh and
Aurora was originally deeded to individuals and not to the society.
J. D. Miller claimed Avhat had been deeded in his father's name, and
after some time the colony deferred to his claims rather than go into
court. The foUoAving men were among those Avho made up the colony at
Nineveh: Geo. Bauer, Herman Behrens, Henry Beck, Jacob Culler,
August Culler, Wm. Culler, Peter Erich, Peter Felker, Henry Felker,
Henry Frey, George Feller, Tobias Feller, Jacob Findling, J. T. Gall,
Henry Howard, J. M. Miller, Geo. MiUer, Frederick Miley, John Miley,
Peter Pfeiffer, Freeman Pfeiffer, Michael Snyder, Geo. Steinbach, S. F.
Stahl, and John Voght. There were others but their names were not
ascertained. Of those named above August Culler, Wm. Culler, Peter
Felker, Freeman Pfeiffer, John Miley, and S. F. Stahl withdrcAV from
the colony before its dissolution.
In politics the members of the colon jr Avere all Democrats before
the war. During Lincoln's administration they all returned Repub
lican and have generally remained so to the present.
After the dissolution of the colony the members joined different
churches, most of them, hoAvever, going into the Presbyterian or the
Cumberland Presbyterian churches.
28
418 The History of Adair County.
Section HI. — Connelsville.
From the dissolution of the German colony in 1879, until the build
ing of the loAva and St. Louis Railroad in 1901, Nineveh remained a
country cross-road village. Shortly after the building of this railroad
certain promoters became interested in booming the place. In August,
1902, the Missouri and loAva Townsite Company purchased 124 acres
adjoining Nineveh and laid out a new town which they called Connels
ville, presumably after the famous coal and coke town of that name
in Pennsylvania. The Manufacturers' Coal and Coke Company opened up several
mines in and around ConnelsvUle and thus began to operate the coal
industry of that vicinity on a large scale for the first time. During
1902-03 twelve brick store buildings and a hundred or more dwellings
were built. The present town includes old Nineveh, and has a popula
tion, according to the census of 1910, of 652. The future growth of the
town will depend upon the development of the coal industry.
The town was incorporated as a city of the fourth class on April
1, 1904. The officers appointed by the county court at the time of
incorporation were: S. G. Wright, Mayor; Emmett Raugh, Collector;
Simeon TaUahey, MarshaU; S. F. Shumate, Edward Kitts, Fred Shoop,
and N. B. Wellman, Aldermen. Section IV. — Novinger.
The first permanent white settlement in the county was made in
1830 within three or four miles of what is now the town of Novinger.
It seems, however, that it was about ten years before settlers began to
occupy the land in and around Novinger. By 1860 this part of the coun
ty was fairly well settled by a class of hard working and thrifty farm
ers who scarcely dreamed of the vast mineral wealth that underlay
their lands. They were accustomed to go to Kirksville for some of
their trading, but their post office and their chief trading and milling
point was Nineveh, a settlement which had been founded by a colony of
German communists about 1850.
The first step towards the making of the present town of Novinger
was taken after the Q. M. & P. R. R. (now the 0. K.) was extended
west from Kirksville in 1878. In that year, or at least the next, John
C. Novinger laid out on his land a village which bore his name and which
constitutes today the original town of Novinger. Two different indus
tries were beginning to be developed by that time in the western part
of the county, the tie and the coal industries, and the advantage in
The Other Towns of the County.
419
having a railroad run through the timber and coal regions was something
that both the company and the community reahzed. At the time when
the railroad was projected west from Kirksville, the tie industry was lead
ing the coal industry by long odds. Novinger station became the most
important tie settlement in the county, and several individuals and firms
made it their shipping point from yvhich ties by the hundreds of thousands
were shipped to different parts of the country. Notwithstanding the
fact that so much traffic went on through Novinger, this industry con
tributed nothing of permanence to the plaice. A feAv little shanties were
John C. Novingbe, Founder of Novinger.
put up in the toivn for the temporary use of the tie workers, but Avhen
the timber around the place had been cleared off and the tie business
yvas closed up, the tie Avorkers left and their shanties Avere torn doAvn
or converted to other uses. This industry Avas at its height from about
1885 to 1895.
But just as the tie business began to enter its dechne in the county
and particularly around Novinger, the second industry of that part of
the county, the coal industry, began to take on ucav life and to expand
beyond Avhat it had ever been in the past. This industry has been the
means of making the toAvn what it is today, with its nearly 2,000 popu-
420 The History of Adair County.
lation, and more than that, if the outlying mining camps should be
included. In another chapter the development of the coal industry in the
county received special treatment, so that it is necessary to speak bere
only briefly of its rise and growth in Novinger.
In and around Stahl the coal veins have appeared quite neai-
the surface, so that by a little stripping or scraping off of the dirt the
coal could be easily gotten out, or the coal has cropped out on the hill
sides and has been brought out by digging into the hills. Since such
veins were easily discovered it is readily seen why the coal industry
began in and around Stahl earher than it did at Novinger and vicinity,
where the coal veins are all well below the surface of the earth and have
to be reached by shafts.
The first effort to open a mine at Novinger was made by John L.
Porter of KirksvUle in 1883, along Avhat is now Front Street. He sank
an air shaft preparatory to sinking a main shaft, but the railroad com
pany Avith whom he had made a contract had meanwhile become in
solvent, so that his contract became 'valueless. He thereupon aban
doned the project. The air shaft. then filled up with water and was
used for years as a public well. , v •
For many years after Mr. Porter's efforts, several smaU mines were
opened up in and around the place, but none of them amounted to much
until the Rombauer.'.Goal Company bought out the 0. K. Coal Com
pany in 1898 and began to operate on a large scale. The conditions
that made the expansion of the coal industry possible in Novinger and
the county in general, was the extension of theO. K. Railroad west
from Trenton in 1897. This extension opened up the Kansas City and
Omaha markets directly to those who would engage in the coal business
on a large scale. Major Rombauer readily saAV Avhat possibilities there
were in the coal business at Novinger, and the success he has had in his
extensive operations there since he began in 1898, has proved his fore-
sightedness and business ability.
In a year or two after Major Rombauer began his extensive opera
tions, a few business men began to show their faith in the future of
the town by putting their money into business houses and into dwell
ings. Among them were J. V. and C. V. Miller of Kirksville. They
began erecting business houses along Frankford Avenue in 1900, and
in three years they erected twenty-one buildings, mostly brick, along
this street, which with six other buildings belonging to other parties,
occupy four blocks on both sides of the street. In addition to these
business houses, the Miller Brothers erected over twenty residences
The Other Towns of the County. 421
in different parts of the town. They still own all the store buildings
and residences which they erected in the early nineties.
After the Rombauer Company was organized, other large compa
nies have opened mines in and around Novinger. In 1910 there were
four large companies operating eight mines in or near the toAvn. The
pay-roll of these companies amounted to about $50,000 a month in 1909,
when the mines were being operated steadily.
The expansion of the coal industry has produced a great increase
in the population of the town. In .1900 there were less than 100 people
there. In 1910 there were 1711. Coal has been the making of Novin
ger and from the present prospects will continue to make it a still more
important industrial center in the near future.
Up to April 5, 1901, Novinger remained, as far as local govern
ment was concerned, a part of the municipal toAvnship of Nineveh. It
appears never to have been incorporated as a village. But on April
5, 1901, the county court of Adair County, in answer to a petition pre
sented to it, incorporated the town as a city of the fourth class. The
court also appointed the following officers to serve until the foUoAving
election; Mayor, J. F. Novinger; Collector, F. A. Stroup; Marshall,
Frank W. Closs; Aldermen, first Avard, Henry Truitt and Martin Bab
bitt; Aldermen, second ward, Emmanuel Sharp and W. P. Pierson.
It is hoped by many, of the leading people of the town that the pop
ulation Avill increase soon to 2,500, so that the town may take rank as a
city of the third class. It has been thought that if the ten mining
camps around Novinger were incorporated in the town, the number
necessarjr to secure the change from fourth to third class Avould be had.
This will enable the town to arrange for certain local affairs which the
cities of the fourth class do not enjoy.
The toAvn election for Mayor and other elective officers occurs every
two years, in April. The Mayors haA^e been as follows, the date indi
cating the year in Avhich they were elected:
1901— J. F. Novinger. 1907— R. F. Pliipps.
1902— F. P. Gartion. 1908— Martin Rabbitt.
1904— Martin Rabbitt. 1910— Martin Rabbitt.
1906— W. A. MUes.
The postmasters have been as follows:
1877— Rippy. 1904— Harriott.
1879— A. Kinyon. 1908— J. F. Stroup.
1896— Mrs. A. Kinyon. 1910— Henry Frankford.
1897— W. H. Aimck.
The post office was moved into the buUding it now occupies in
1904.
422
The History of Adair County.
Section V. — Gibbs.
Prior to the building of the Santa Fe Railroad through the south
eastern corner of the county in 1887, the little village called Wilson-
town gave some promise of continued existence. But as the railroad
left it to one side, it was at once apparent that its future was threat
ened, just as was PaulviUe when the Q. M. & P. R. R. Avas built and
left it to one side. The successor to WilsontoAvn is Gibbs, just as Bra
shear is the successor to Paulville.
Gibbs Avas laid out in 1887 on land which formerly belonged to
Gibbs Street Scene.
R. M. Brashear, but Avhich at that time belonged to the Gibbs Land
Company. The town remained, however, unincorporated until 1894.
A good deal of business is done at Gibbs. It is situated so that it
draws from three counties. Much grain and stock are shipped to mar
ket from this point. The grain elevator owned by Perrin & Company,
of Chicago, and operated by the Meredith Lumber Company, has a
capacity of 10,000 bushels.
The town was incorporated as a village on February 9, 1894. The
county court appointed Sherman Brown, Jas. L. Glasgow, Olden Pierce,
D. C. Gibbs, and Wm. McVey as the trustees at the time of incorpora
tion.
The O'rHER Towns of the County. 423
Section VI. — Unincorporated Villages.
Besides the towns mentioned in the foregoing pages of this chapter,
there are several unincorporated villages in the county, some account
of which will here be given.
Stahl. — This coal mining town is located on the 0. K. Railroad,
fourteen miles northwest of KirksviUe. It Avas laid out in June, 1882,
by S. F. Stahl, yyho was at that time engaged in the coal mining busi
ness at that place. All the mines and practically all the town property
are now owned by H. C. McCahan. The toAvn has not grown as the
other coal mining towns of the county have grown.
Shibley's Point. — This little viUage is seventeen miles northwest
of Kirksville and three miles northeast of Stahl. It was named after
the Shibleys who settled in that vicinity in the early days of the county.
It was a trading point for that section of the county, especially after
the decline of Nineveh in the late seventies.
Adair. — This village is fifteen miles north of Brashear. It was
platted in April, 1879 for M. C. and Mary E. Cody. It has always been
a Catholic settlement. Many facts concerning the place may be found
in the sketch of the Catholic church at that place.
Wilmathsville. — This village is in Clay Township, eighteen miles
northeast of Kirksville, and nine miles southeast of Greentop, Schuyler
County, its main -shipping point. It was surveyed and platted for
W. B. Reynolds, who had moved from La Grange to that part of the
county in 1856. He afterwards opened up a store on his farm and put
a man by the name of McLean in charge of it. The village Avhich grew
up around this store Avas named after Mrs. McLean, whose given name
Avas Wilmoth. The correct way of spelling the name of the town is
Wilmothsville, though it has generally come to be spelled Wilmathsville.
Sublette. — This village is eight miles north of Kirksville on the
Wabash Railroad. It Avas platted in 1869 for P. J. and Sarah R. Sub
lette. It is located in the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter
of section 34, township 64, range 15, Polk Township. It has been
a convenient shipping point for the farmers of that section of the county.
424 TfiE History of Adair County.
Millard.— This village is eight miles south of Kirksville on the
Wabash Railroad. It was surveyed and platted for S. F. and Maggie
A. Miller in May, 1872. The location is in the northeast quarter of
thenorthwest quarter of section 11, township 61, range 15, Pettis ToAvn
ship. It is surrounded on all sides by excellent farming land. A good
deal of shipping has been done at that place ever since it Avas laid out.
Besides the places named in this section there are Danforth in
Nineveh township, Youngstown in Liberty township, Nind and Yarrow
in Walnut toAvnship and Wilsontown in Wilson township. Danforth is
on the 0. K. railroad and Youngstown and Yarrow are on the
I. & St. L. railroad.
CHAPTER XIX.
IN MEMORIAM.
The object of this chapter is to set forth in alphabetical order,
brief historical sketches of a fcAv of the most prominent men of the
county Avho have passed aAvay from this life in the last forty years or
more. Material Avas not at hand to include sketches of the leaders
of the county who died at an earlier period. Moreover, it is a matter
of regret that the sketches of many men who Avere contemporaneous
Avith these that are given had to be left out. Space Avill not permit
more than is here giA^en. Only the leading facts, such as birth, death,
time of settlement in the county, and connection Avith various activi
ties, are undertaken in these sketches.
J. R. Adkins. — Born in Virginia in 1820; died in Adair County,
October 10, 1888. He moved Avith his father's famUy to Howard Coun
ty in 1825, and in 1834 to Adair County. He was elected sheriff in
1850 and in 1852; he returned to his farm after his terms had expired
and remained there until his death.
H. J. Bailey. — Born in Macoupin County, lUinois, September 19,
1836; died in Kirksville May 8, 1898. He was soon throAvn upon his
own resources. He came to KirksviUe in 1854, and with the exception
of four years he was actively engaged in business thereafter until his
death. He was twice Alderman of the town, and Avas Vice-President
of the Columbian School of Osteopathy. He was a member of the
Cumberland Presbyterian church. He was survived by his wife and
three children.
Andrew Beatty. — Born in Overton County, Tennessee, Novem
ber 11, 1810; died near Wesley Chapel, Adair County, April 3, 1899.
He came to Missouri in 1820, and fiA'^e years later was left an orphan.
He came to Adair County during young manhood, and served as sheriff
for one term during the Avar.
B. W. Bell. — Born in Belmont County, Ohio, in 1822; ched in
KirksviUe June, 1891. His father was a volunteer in the war of 1812.
426 The History of Adair County.
He came to Iowa in 1849 and to Adair County in 1856, locating in Clay
Township. During the war he joined the Home Guard and later
organized Company I, Fiftieth EnroUed Missouri Militia, of Avhich
Company he was captain. In November, 1863, he was made major
of the Eighty-Sixth Enrolled Missouri Militia. During 1875-76 he was
in the mercantile business in Adair County, but returned to farming.
He Avas a Mason and a IVIethodist.
B. A. Bozarth.— Born near Fayette, Mo., January, 1824; died on his
homestead in the western part of the county on November 25, 1903.
At the time of his death he Avas reported to be the oldest Avhite settler
of Adair County. In the fall of 1831 Andrew Bozarth, Hiram Bozarth,
Hardin Hargis, Isaac Gross, Bennett BroAvn, and D. Hayes are said
to have come on a big hunt to that part of Randolph County which was
organized as Adair County in 1841. They camped on the ground
which afterwards became the Bozarth farm. It is said that after the
hunt was over, AndrcAV Bozarth, the father of B. A. Bozarth, took an
axe and cut his name on a tree and declared that the land around about
was his claim, and that next year he would raise a corn crop on it. Next
spring, true to his declaration, he came Avith his family and raised his
crop. At that time B. A. Bozarth was only seven years old. He lived
all the rest of his long life on this same estate. He AA'as married in 1845
to Mrs. F. Jackson, Avho died. in 1895. To this union two children
were born. At his death Mr. Bozarth had thirty-five grand-children,
and thirteen great-grand-children. In 1902 he Avas married to Mrs.
Mary James, who survived him.
J. M. Bozarth. — Born in Adair County, December 14, 1831; died
, . He Avas doubtless the first white child born in the
county. At that time yvhat is now Adair Avas a part of Randolph Coun
ty. His parents, Hiram and Margaret Bozarth, were among the first
permanent settlers in the county. After his father's death in 1846,
his mother undertook to care for her large family. In 1856 he was mar
ried to Miss Rachel McPhetridge. He served about a year in Company
B, Thirty-Ninth Missouri Infantry.
W. G. Brashe.\r.— Born January 13, 1807 in Spartanburg Dis
trict, South Carolina; died in Adair County May 10, 1862. He was
married in 1827 to Miss Rosa Wood and came that same year with his
wife's parents to Ralls County, Missouri. He and his wife came to
Adair County in 1841 and settled near the present Brashear. They
raised eleven out of their tAvelve children.
In Memoriam. 427
Guy Chandler. — Born in Ohio in 1878; died in Adair County on
December 29, 1895. He moved to lUinois in 1848, and from there came
to Adair County in 1855. He served in the State Mihtia and later in
the Seventh Missouri Cavalry during the civil Avar. He was public
administrator of the county for eight years. By his marriage with
Miss Sarah Jones in 1839 he had four sons and three daughters.
Robert Clark. — Born in New York February 29, 1828; died in
Kirksville, November 17, 1895. He moved to Pennsylvania during
young manhood and in 1869 he came to KirksvUle. He immediately
went into the hardware business and remained actiA^e in it until his death.
He Avas prominent in the Democratic party, having served as chairman
of the Countjr Democratic central committee from 1880 to his death.
He was a Mason and a K. P. He was married twice. His sons, Rob
ert and James, continued the business after his death. The Robert
Clark Hardware Company is among the oldest firms in the country, if
not the oldest.
D. J. Clarkson. — Born in lUinois April 11, 1826; died near Adair,
Clay toAvnship, May 5, 1907. He moved to Adair County in 1856,
locating in Clay toAvnship. At that time there were only three houses
in Avhat is uoav the Hazel Green School District, the vicinity of his home.
He was married to Miss Pevehousein 1846. They celebrated their six
tieth Avedding anniA'crsary in 1906 by gathering in a large number of
their friends at their home. He was survived by his wife and three
children. A. K. Collett. — Born near Richmond, Kentucky, November 7,
1821; died on his farm six miles west of Kirksville on April 8, 1898.
He came Avith his father to HoAvard County in early childhood and
thence to Adair County in 1837. A claim was taken up Avest of Avhat is
noAv Kirksville. This is a part of the present Collett estate. He en
listed in the Mexican war. He went with W. H. Parcells to California
in 1849 and remained there for eleven years. He returned in 1860 and
began farming again. He married Miss Cain, daughter of John Cain, in
1848. She died in 1897. He was survived by his only son, Ira CoUett.
Edwin Darrow. — Born in Summit County, Ohio, July 28, 1829;
died in Kirksville, Oct. 27, 1887. In 1846 he came Avith his father to
Iowa and in 1854 to Adair County. He served for three years in the
Union army. Part of that time he Avas first lieutenant of the ill-fated
428 The History of Auair County.
CoinpauA- A, Thirty-Ninth Infantry that Avas completel.A' wiped out at
Centralia in Sept. 1864. He Avas county surveyor and later sheriff for
tAVO terms. He Avas married to Miss Seavy in 1852. To them three
sons and tAvo daughters Avere born.
J. M. De France. — Born in Mercer County, Penusylvania, Sep
tember 12, 1826; died in KirksviUe August 30, 1900. He came Avest
in 1846, settling first in Wisconsin. In 1854 he located at Milan, Mis
souri, and after the Avar closed came to Kirksville. He Avas prominent
in the legal profession until he retired some years before his death. He
was active in a number of circles in the community.
J. T. Dennis.— Died in KirksviUe, March 4, 1873, aged about thirty
years. From 1868 to 1872 he Avas County Superintendent of Schools
and did much toAvard improving the school system of the count>'. His
death came after a brief illness.
Isom B. Dodson.— Born in Wayne County, Indiana, December
7, 1818; died in Kirksville in 1879. He came to Adair County in 1841,
and soon rose to prominence. He Avas sheriff from 1847 to 1851, and
State Senator at the time of the passing of the Drake Constitution. He
Avas major of the Eighteenth Missouri Cavalry. He was survived by
his Avife, who Avas Miss NancA' Murphy, and their two children.
Henry Eckert, Sr. — Born in Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, Feb
ruary 28, 1834; died in Kirksville, March 13, 1900. He came to Amer
ica at the age of fourteen. In 1856 he came to KirksviUe. He was
long identified with the business interests of the toAvn. He w'as mar
ried in 1859 to Miss Reiter. She died in 1886. He was survived by
five sons and one daughter. The funeral services Avere conducted by
Rev. W. P. Nason, and the remains Avere in charge of the Knights Tem
plar. Andrew Ellison. — Born at Monticello, November 6, 184(); died
in St. John's Hospital in St. Louis, June 27, 1902. During his Ixiyhood
his parents moved to Canton, yvhere he hved until he had reached young
manhood. He Avas educated at Christian College, Canton, and Chris
tian Brothers' College, St. Louis. He then "read laAv" and came to
Kirksville in 1867, and commenced the practice of law with his older
brother, Jas. EUison. In 1876 he Avas appointed Judge of the Circuit in
which Adair County lay, to fill the unexpired term of Judge Henry.
In Memoriam. 429
He Avas re-elected in 1878, in 1880, in 1886, and 1892. In aU, he served
twenty-two years on the bench. He was Regent of the State Normal
School at KirksviUe from 1874 to 1894. He Avas married to Miss Hatch
in 1869, by whom he had four children, two sons and two daughters,
all of whom survived him. His funeral was held at the Christian church.
Special trains from Moberly and from Edina were run into KirksviUe
on that day for the benefit of persons who wished to come and pay him
their last respecjts. After retiring from the bench he formed a law part
nership with M. D. Campbell, which he maintained until his death.
Memorial services were held by the court at Macon during its October
session. D. A. Ely, Sr. — Born in Clark County, Kentucky, August 30,
1815; died at his home six miles north of Kirksville on October 14,
1886. He came with his father to Ralls County, Missouri in 1820.
After marrying he moved to Iowa. After a few years there he lost his
wife. He moved to Adair County in 1839. He erected a mill on the
Chariton, which he sold, together with his farm, to the German com
munists, who founded the colony of Nineveh. He went to California
during the gold fever year, 1849, but returned in 1852, and entered the
farm on which he died. He v/as a prominent Mason. The funeral
Avas held at his late residence.
J. S. Erwin. — Born in Sharon, Pennsylvania, May 6, 1819; died
in Kirksville March 11, 1903. He was educated for the ministrj^, but never
took up that work on account of ill health. He was married in 1849 to Miss
Elizabeth Wilson, and moved later to Tennessee. From thence he went
to loAva, and in 1870 he came to Adair County. He Avas Regent of the
Normal School at Kirksville for a number of years. He Avas a Presby
terian and served as Elder from 1870 to his death.
W. L. Fletcher.— Born in 1822; died February 14, 1903. He
came as a small boy Avith his father's family from Kentucky to Misoouri
in 1830, settling in Randolph County. He used to tell how he made the
trip of five hundred miles on foot, for the most part, and clad in nothing
but a long short. He moved to Adair County in 1841. In 1861 he
moved to Iowa, but returned to the county in 1873. He was ordained
as a Universalist minister in 1876. He Avas very'popular as a "marry
ing parson," having officiated at over one hundred and twenty-five Aved-
dings. He was married three times, and had nine children, forty-six
grandchildren, and forty-seven great-grandchildren.
430 The History of Adair County.
John R. Floyd. — Born in Warren County, Kentucky, July 22,
1835; died in Adair County, December 13, 1907. He had been a resi
dent of Adair County for over fifty years. He was married to Miss
Branstetter in 1854. They celebrated their golden wedding anniver
sary in 1904. They had seven sons and four daughters, all of whom
survived him, as did also his wife. He was a member of the Baptist
church and had been since he was sixteen.
Peyton Foster. — Born in Fayette County, Kentucky, October
18, 1791; died in La Plata, Missouri, September 5, 1872. He served in
the Avar of 1812. He moved from Kentucky to lUinois about 1831, and
after living in that state came to Adair County, Missouri. He moved
to La Plata three years prior to his death.
W. M. Gill. — Born in Indiana, August 21, 1843; died in Oakland,
California, July 28, 1901. He came to Kirksville with his parents
in 1855. In 1861 he went to OttumAva, Iowa, where he learned
the printer's trade. He enlisted in the Ninth Iowa Cavalry in 1863.
On returning to Kirksville he took up newspaper Avork. He Avas at
first connected with the Journal from 1866 to 1873. From 1873 to
1880 he was engaged in other business, but in 1880 he founded the Graph
ic and remained Avith it a year or two. In 1887 he Avas again connected
Avith the Journal, but for a short time only. He then left Kirksville
for good. A. E. Hamilton. — Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, March 21,
1849; died in Marceline, Missouri, February 2, 1908. His father's
family came to Missouri in 1861 and settled near Kirksville. He Avas
engaged in mercantile business in several places in Adair County at
different times, among which were Frye, Stahl, and Danforth. At the
time of his death he Avas in business at Marceline. He was never married
until 1907. He was a K. P. and a member of the M. E. Church. He
Avas buried in the Bear Creek cemetery in Adair County.
C. W. Hardin. — Born in Kentucky in 1814; died in Adair County
on August 26, 1877. His father moved his family from Kentucky to
Randolph County, Missouri in 1817. After he became of age he came
to Adair County. Prior to the civil war he was a member of the county
court of this county. He Avas also a member of the Masonic order.
The funeral services Avere conducted at the Baptist church five miles
northAvest of Kirksville.
In Memoriam. 431
M. P. Hannah. — Born in Bedford County, Tennessee, NoA'ember
4, 1807; ched in KirksvUle on October 16, 1877. He moved to this
county in 1844. He yvas engaged first in mercantile business and later
in farming. His last days Avere spent in town. He was a prominent
member of the Presbyterian church and of the Masonic order. His
death came very suddenly, Avhile apparently in his usual good health.
Jas. L. Hawkins. — Born in South Carolina in 1810; died in Kirks
ville on March 30, 1888. He left South Carolina in 1852 and hved in
Tennessee until 1859, when he came to Adair County. He served as
presiding judge of the county court for a term of four years. He was a
licensed minister of the Protestant Methodist church.
A. H. John. — Data concerning the birth and death of this gentle
man are lacking. But it is fitting that some recognition should be given
to his position in Adair County. For years he was a prominent char
acter, especially in politics. He was much of an agitator, and not only
spoke, but wrote several books on various economic questions. He
was at one time editor of the Kirksville Democrat. The period of his
greatest activity was in the seventies and eighties.
Geo. H. Laughlin. — Born at Quincy, lUinois, December 28, 1838;
died in Kirksville, November 16, 1895. His life was spent in preaching
and teaching. He was a graduate of the Abingdon College, and for a
number of years thereafter filled a variety of positions in different schools
in Illinois, Missouri, loAva, Ohio, and Kansas. In 1891 he was called
to the pastorate of the Christian Church in Kirksville, and in 1892 he
was elected to fill the chair of English in the State Normal School at
Kirksville. He continued in this last position doyvn to the time of his
death. He was survived by his wife and four sons. The funeral ser
vices occurred at the Christian Church. The remains Avere in charge
of the Masons with an escort of K. P.'s. Of him it was said that "his
life was a better encomium for him than pen can write."
A. H. Binder. — Born in Hardin County, Kentucky, February 28,
1812; died March 11, 1891. He Uved in Kentucky until he reached
majority. After living a few years in Illinois and Arkansas, he came
to Adair County in 1840. He served in the Union army for nearly t'wo
years, most of the time as major of the Seventh Missouri Cavalry. He
was a member of the county court several times, and was among those
who were directly responsible for the location of the First District Nor
mal School in Kirksville. He Avas married twice.
432 The History of Adair County.
W. P. Linder. — Born in Coles County, Ilhnois, jNIarch 8, 1839;
died , . He was reared in Adair County, haA'ing been brought
here when he Avas onlj' one year old. He was in the Union army during
the ciAil war. He served as County Judge from 1887 to 1891.
S. ^I. Link. — Born in Carrollton, Illinois, in 1837; died in Kirks
ville, September 1, 1904. At the age of tAventy-one he Avent to Colo
rado. In 1867 he came to KirksviUe, Avhere he continued to reside
until his death. He Avas at first engaged in the stock and implement
business. Later he became connected with the First National Bank,
more commonly knoAvn as the Baird Bank. For tAventj' years he was
its President. He Avas an ardent member of the Baptist church, haA'-
ing joined it when only sixteen years of age. He Avas married in 1861
to I\Iiss Link; to them eight children Avere born, six of Avhom survived
him. Of him it was said that "his quiet, unostentatious acts of charity
towards the deserving poor, his kindly friendship for all the deserving,
and his gentle life, strong in all the Christian graces of tenderness, gen
erosity and loAdng-kindness, Avill ahvays be a constant example."
D. F. McClay. — Born in Woodstock, Vermont in 1824; died at
his residence in St. Louis in March, 1904. He Avas of Scotch descent.
He moved from ^'ermont first to Illinois and then to California. He
located in Adair Countj^ near what is now Brashear, in 1856. He moved
into the Ioaa'ii in 1883 and did a great deal in the Avay of building up the
toAvn. Many of the brick business houses and better residences were
built by him. He moved to St. Louis in 1898 to look after his invest
ments there. He was accustomed, hoAvever, to make frequent trips
back to Brashear. He Avas surviy^ed by his Avife and Iavo sons.
Wm. Meeks. — Born ]\Iay 17, 1849, near KirksviUe; died in Ar-
tesia, Ncav Mexico, June 1, 1909. He moved to Kansas in 1871, but
returned to the old homestead near Kirksville in 1877. He served Iavo
terms as county collector from 1893 to 1897. He studied osteopathy,
and after graduating in 1900 Avent to Illinois to practice, but returned
to his farm in Adair County in 1903. Three years later he went to New
Mexico, AA'here he remained until he died. The remains were brought
to Kirksville for burial.
J. B. Mitchell. — Born in Abingdon, Virginia, June 21, 1821;
ched in Kirksville on March 12, 1901. He early entered the ministry
and labored for many years in the Cumberland Presbyterian church.
In Memoriam. 433
He was instrumental in founchng McGee College, which was located in
the early fifties at College Mound, midAvay between Moberly and Macon.
After serving there for many years as President of that institution, he
accepted the call to the pastorate of the Comberland Presbyterian church
in Kirksville. From 1875 to 1893 he remained in charge of that church.
He Avas beloved by all who kncAV him for his gentleness, integrity and
deep piety.
E. M. C. Morelock. — Born in Tennessee in 1809; died at his home
in the western part of the county on June 11, 1888. In 1851 he emi
grated to Missouri. He Avas county clerk of Adair County for six A'ears.
He Avas the founder of the Democrat Avhich existed prior to the war, an
account of Avhich AA'as given in the chapter on the County Press. He
Avas a Mason and a Cumberland Presbyterian.
Noah Motter. — Born in 1825 in Dauphin Countj', Peniisvlvania;
died at Fegley, Adair Count}', July 11, 1904. He Avas brought to young
manhood in his native county. In 1848 he was married to Miss Susan
Dubendorf , and in the same year he came to what Avas aftenvards Nineveh
township in Adair County. He Avasavery successful farmer and man
aged to amass a good deal of farming land. He Avas survived by five
sons and two daughters. His Avife died a fcAv j'ears before him.
John R. Musick. — Born in St. Louis County, February 28, 1849;
died in Omaha, Nebraska, April 14,1901. His life Avas largely spent in
literarj' work. His best production was the Columbian Historical NoA'els
in tAvelve volumes. On returning from the Hawaiian Islands he Avrote
for a Ncav York house a large volume containing his observations. He
also Avrote a historj' of the Spanish-American War. He contributed
short stories and other articles to a number of maga.zines He was for a
time a member of the Republican State Central Committee, and Avas
also for manj' years U^. S. Commissioner at this place. He sustained
some injuries in trjing to give assistance after the cyclone in April,
1899, and never fully recovered.
W. P. Nason. — Born in Fairfield District, South Carohna, May 16,
1824; died at the home of his long time friend, W. T. Baird, Kirksyille,
July 16, 1909. Until he Avas tAventy years old he hved on the farm, iriost
of the time Avith his parents. Thereafter his hfe Avas devoted to teach
ing and preaching. He began teaching in Mississippi in 1849. From
1853 to 1857 he taught in CarroU County, Kentucky. In the spring
434 The History of Adair County.
of 1857 he came with his felloAV-townsman, W. T. Baird, to Kirksville,
making the trip from Kentucky to La Grange, Missouri, by boat, and
from La Grange to Kirksville on horseback. He taught in and around
Kirksville for several years. In 1867 Prof. Baldwin organized the North
east Missouri Normal School, and Prof. Nason was one of the original
faculty. He remained yvith the school until 1887. After severing his
connection he took up pastoral Avork in the Cumberland Presbyterian
church, and for tAvo years conducted a school at La Belle, Missouri.
He retired to private hfe in 1892. He was made Professor Emeritus
of Ethics in the State Normal School at Kirksville in 1902, and remained
so until his death. He was married tAvice. His first Avife died in 1864,
and his second onh' a year or two before his OAvn death.
J. I. Nelson. — Born in LcAviston County, Missouri, in 1848; died
in Kirksville on February 1, 1891. He Avas graduated from Bethany
College, Virginia, and entered the profession of teaching. He was
elected to the chair of mathematics in the State Normal School at Kirks
ville in 1886, and filled it Avith great satisfaction to all until his death.
The funeral was held at the Christian church.
David Newcomb. — Born in Kentucky, October 27, 1808: died in
Clay township January 16, 1892. He moved with his parents to Ohio,
and thence to Illinois and Iowa. He came to Clay township in this
countj' in 1856, and was among the earliest settlers in that part of the
countj'. He Avas twice married.
G. W. Novinger. — Born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, Jan
uary 18, 1847; died near Novinger on November 17, 1901. He came to
this county Avith his parents the same year in Avhich he was born. He
Avas married in 1867 to Miss Mary Motter, who Avith three sons, .sur
vived him. He was among those who organized the Mulberry Com
berland Presbyterian church southwest of Novinger. He Avas a. promi
nent Mason. He was elected County Judge in 1882. He was fatally
hurt in a runaAvay as he was coming home from church one Sunday after
noon and died before night.
Hiram Novinger. — Born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, De
cember 14, 1849; died near Novingi^r, July 27, 1909. He came with his
father, John C. Novinger, to Adair County in 1851. He was married
in 1856 to Miss Sarah Weisse. To this union three chUdren AA'ere born,
all of Avhom, together Avith his Avife, survived him.
In Memoriam. 435
Isaac Novinger. — Born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, March
12, 1815; died near Novinger, Adair County, December 11, 1884. He
was married to Miss Christiana Shoop in 1837. In order that their con
dition might be bettered they moved to Adair County in 1847, bringing
their seven children. He located on the site of what is uoav Novinger.
He later traded his original farm for the one now occupied by his son,
S. A. Novinger. His widow died August 3, 1897.
John C. Novinger. — Born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania,
March 19, 1812; died at Novinger, September 4, 1890. He came to
Adair Countj' in 1851, and settled near the town of "Novinger, which
he subsequently laid out. The funeral was preached at Novinger
Schoolhouse, and his remains were buried on the farm of his son, Hiram.
J. T. Paden.- Born in Georgia, June 6, 1848; died in Kirksville,
August 16, 1884. He moved to Johnson County, Missouri, in early
youth, and in the course of time he prepared himself for teaching. He
was graduated from the State Normal School at Warrensburg in 1879,
and Avas thereafter given a position in the State Normal School at Kirks
Adlle. He Avas noted for his success as a teacher and a student. He
Avas a devoted member of the Christian church. Memorial serAiccs
Avere held in his honor at the Normal School on November 2, 1884.
W. H. Parcells. — Born in Hardin County, Kentucky, in 1815;
died in Adair County, on January 19, 1898. He came in 1838 in com
pany with his cousin, W. P. Linder, to this countj' (then a part of Ma
con County), making the trip from Kentucky on horseback. He re
turned to Kentucky, and the next year brought his parents, sister and
five brothers. They settled three miles below Sloan's Point. After
Kirksville was laid out he engaged in mercantile business at that place.
He Avas among the fortj'-niners of California, but returned in 1851 and
re-engaged in business in Kirksville. He was elected as Representative
to the Legislature in 1854, 1856, and 1860. He was active in securing
the location of the State Normal School in Kirksville. In 1872 he re
tired to his farm, where he remained until his death.
Chas. Patterson. — Born in SAveden in 1825; died in Kirksville,
January 1, 1891. He came to this country in 1849, and settled in Louis
ville, Kentucky. He came to Adair County in 1856 and remained here until
his death. He began the nursery business in 1866, and made a marked
success in it. He was very active in encouraging horticulture and be
longed to several state and national horticultural societies.
436 The History of Adair County.
H. E. Patterson.— Born east of KirksviUe July 13, 1860; died in
Washington, D. C, April 10, 1902. He Avas long engaged in the nur
sery business near Kirksville, and later in the real estate and insurance
business. He filled a number of appointive offices in the city, and in
1885 helped organize the KirksviUe BuUding and Loan Association.
In 1888 he helped organize the first electric hght company in the town.
In 1893 he began to study osteopathy in the American School of Osteo
pathy, and held several official positions in that school. He left Kirks
viUe on account of his poor health and finally settled down in Washing
ton, D. C. in the practice of osteopathy. He hved only a short time after
going there. He was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church,
and was ruling elder in KirksAdlle for many j'ears.
John Patterson. — Born in Sweden in ; died in KirksviUe,
Februarj' 25, 1909. He and his brother, Chas. Patterson, came to Adair
County in 1856, and entered the quarter section of land on which he
died. From time to time he purchased land adjoining his original tract,
until he came to own a very fine and Avell equipped dairy farm. He was
active in developing Adair County, and was a very prominent member
of the State Board of Agriculture and the State Dairy Association. He
built the first silo in Adair County. As a lecturer on agriculture and
dairying he was very successful. He Avas buried at Sabbath Home
cemeterj'. Walker Paul. — Born in Kentucky in 1818; died in 1889. He
moved from Kentuckj' to Ralls County, Missouri, and about 1853 he
came on to Adair County. He laid out the town of Pauh'ille, which
flourished for several years, but which succumbed after the town of Bra
shear was laid out.
D. C. Pierce. — Born in 1844; died in KirksvUle, January
9, 1907. He had been a resident of KirksviUe for over fifty j'ears. He
was circuit clerk and recorder from 1874 to 1878, and postmaster under
Cleveland's second administration. He was engaged in mercantile
business at different times, and Avas very successful. He was a Mason
and a Cumberland Presbyterian.
Edward L. Pierce.— Born in Montgomery County, NeAv York, in
March, 1813 ; died in KirksviUe on April 8, 1 872. He moved to Missouri
in 1856. He practiced mechcine for many years in KirksviUe. He was
a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.
In Memoriam. 437
W. T. Porter. — Born October 4, 1831 in Lancaster, Pennsylvania;
died June 16, 1871, in Kirksville after a long illness. His family moved
from Pennsj'lvania to Missouri in 1849, locating in Cole County. In
1855 he came to Kirksville and began the practice of law. In 1856 he
was elected County School Superintendent on the Democratic ticket,
and in 1858 he was appointed county attorney by the county court. In
1860 he Avas elected circuit clerk and served until 1865, Avhen he Avas re
moved by the laAv which vacated all offices at that time. He Avas struck
with paralysis in 1866 and never fuUj' recovered. "Genial and social in
his intercourse yyith his fellowmen, he endeared himself to all with Avhom
he became acquainted, and in his death Adair County loses one of her
best and most honored citizens," said the North Missouri Register at
that time.
Gideon Richey. — Born in York County, Pennsylvania, September
28, 1790. In 1810 he moved to Ohio, and in 1849 to Indiana. In 1856
he came to Adair Countj'. He was the father of thirteen children, one
of whom, John Richey, served as county clerk of Adair County. He
taught school for several years while in Ohio, but most of his time was
given to farming. In Ohio, Indiana and Missouri he lived the life of a
pioneer on the farm.
R. M. Ringo. — Born in Clay Countj', Inchana, February 5, 1834;
died in Kirksville, January 29, 1909. At the age of sca'cu he moA'cd with
his parents to Adair County. He was never able to attend school until
after he became of age; and then his schooling consisted of only one
month out of twelve for three years in a school at Kirksville, Avhich he
reached by walking ten miles every Monday morning. He Avas elected
county clerk in 1859, and after his term expired^ began in the mercantile
business. In 1873 he organized the Kirksville Savings Bank, and re
mained connected with it in one capacity or another until his death.
His popularity and business abiUty enabled him to build up a strong
financial institution. He was married in 1869 to Miss Haynes. Four
children were born, one dying in infancy. His AAife died a few years
before he died.
Wm. Ringo. — Born in 1797; died in Montgomery County, Kansas,
on October 9, 1875. He came to Adair County in 1841 and remained
here until 1865, when he moved to Nebraska and later to Kansas. He
was the father of R. M. Ringo, long connected Avith the Kirksville Sav
ings Bank.
438 The History of Adair County.
E. B. Seitz.— Born in Fairfield County, Ohio, August 14, 1846;
died in Kirksville, October 8, 1883. His hfe was largely spent in the
school room. He was graduated from Ohio Wesleyan University in
1870, and taught in the GreenvUle (Ohio) High School from 1872 to
1879. In 1879 he Avas elected to the chair of mathematics in the State
Normal School at Kirksville, Avhich position he continued to fill until
his death. He sustained a reputation, Avhich Avas world-Avide, for his
abilitj' in mathematics. Memorial exercises were held in honor of his
Avork and character at the Normal School chapel on October 21, 1883,
at which addresses Avere made by President Blanton, Professor Nason,
and Rev. Mitchell.
.Jacob Shoop. — Born November 1, 1805, in Pennsylvania; died
at Nineveh, Adair County, Missouri, on January 20, 1874. He moved
his family from Pennsylvania to Ralls Countj', Missouri, in 1838, and
thence to Nineveh, Adair County, in 1841. He settled on the farm on
which he died. By industry and perseverance he acquired a compe-
tencj' for himself and family. He was married twice; first to Miss
Polly Snyder in 1825; second to Miss M. Snyder, in 1851.
P. D. Shoop. — Born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, March
15, 1834; died near Novinger, January 10, 1902. He came to Adair
County in 1841. He Avas married to Miss Schountz in 1858. Only tyvo
of their seven children survived him. He Avas at one time county judge.
W. H. Sheeks. — Born in Wayne County, Kentucky, May 8, 1822;
died near Kirksyille, December 19, 1910. During the fall of 1828 he
was brought by his parents to Randolph County, Missouri, and there
raised to his majority. He was married in 1840 to Miss Mary Fletcher,
and thereupon moved to Macon County. In 1849 he moved to Kirks
ville. He Avas elected sheriff of the county in 1855 and served for four
years. He afterwards moved to his farm in the county, on which he
remained until about 1891, when he returned to Kirksville and lived
from that time on in retirement. He Avas visiting his daughter south
east of Kirksville at the time of his death. Had he hved until the fol
lowing Christmas he and his wife would have celebrated their seventieth
wedding anniversary. He was a Cumberland Presbyterian, but later
became a Universalist in beUef. He was a Mason.
John T. Smith.— Born in 1813; died in Livingston, Montana,
June 29, 1896. He came to the county in the early forties, and Avas one
In Memoriam. 439
of the original five who founded the Cumberland Presbyterian church
in Kirksville. He was the representative of the county in the State Leg
islature from 1853 to 1855. He was a farmer and owned Avhat is uoav
caUed the Kinloch Farm. He moved to Montana several years before
his death. Noah Stukey. — Born in Lancaster, Ohio, December 28, 1814;
died near Millard, Adair County, December 8, 1887. He came to Adair
County in 1840 and located on a farm near MiUard, on Avhich he resided
until his death. He served as a member of the county court scA'cral
terms. He became a member of the Lutheran church before coming to
Missouri. Of him it was said that "he was one of that number that in
an early day gave to Adair County a healthy and honest population,
stamping upon it and those that came later, the impetus of integritj',
economy and progress."
J. T. Vaughn. — Born in Monroe County, Missouri, November 21,
1857; died very mysteriously in Kirksyille October 14, 1909. He grew
to manhood on his father's farm. After graduating from Westminster
College at Fulton, Missouri, in 1880, he began teaching. He filled several
public school positions throughout the state, particularly in Paris, Monroe,
Shelbina and Neosho. In 1900 he Avas elected to the chair of American
History in the State Normal School at Kirksville, which position he
filled until the time of his death. He was buried at Monroe City. Me
morial services were held in the Normal School chapel on the Sunday
following his death. He was a Mason and Knight Templar and a firm
Presbyterian. A bronze memorial tablet was placed in his honor by
the students and faculty on the walls of the chapel, during commence
ment week of 1910.
A. L. Woods. — Born in Indiana Sept. 27, 1833; died in KirksviUe,
December 19, 1883. For over twenty-five years he was a citizen of
Kirksville. He was prominently identified with the social, rehgious
and political activities of the toAvn and county. He dropped dead in
the post office yvhile talking to an acquaintance. His Avidow, who
was Miss Ivie, still lives in Kirksville.
PART II.
Reminiscences
REMINISCENCES. George W. Cain.
My father, John Cain, was a native of North Carolina, where he
Avas born in 1770. In his early manhood he emigrated to Kentucky
and became a warm personal friend and intimate associate of Daniel
Boone. When that celebrated hunter and Indian fighter came to
Missouri in the early part of last century, my father came with him
and settied in Howard County. In about 1828 he made a trip with
some others to this section, but did not stay here. Two years later,
in 1830, he brought his family to what is noAV Adair County, settled
here and entered land, a part of Avhich I now own. He lived here till
his death in 1853, and at that time OAvned 840 acres, all in one body.
He was a splendid type of the hardj' pioneer, a type fast disappearing,
and Avhich the world never again shall know. Thej' were strong and
brave, for they must needs be to survive. It was another case of the
survival of the fittest, for the Aveakling fell by the wayside and was for
gotten. He was tAvice married, his first Avife being Emily Hill, a cousin
of the late Senator David B. Hill. I was a child by his second wife,
and was born on the farm where I now live, six miles west of Kirksville,
in 1833. I claim the distinction of being the first white child born in
the region of what is now known as Adair County. Although there
are other claimants for this honor, I believe I have fully established
my claims to the unbiased and disinterested.
Conditions are, of course, much different here now from- what they
were as I remember them when a boy. The inhabitants of the county
were very few and yvidely scattered, for the most part, and our nearest
neighbors were miles away. The GuUeys, Gupps, Myers, Richardsons,
Bozarths, Col. Jones, and a fcAV others, are all the famihes I remember
here in my early boyhood.
Farming was carried on in a very primitive fashion, mostlj' Avith
AA'ooden plows and ox teams, with only a httle patch of corn here and
there, and no other crop was raised. There were very few cattle and
hogs and almost no horses. In 1837 Col. Jesse Jones came herefrom
Macon County, bringing a lot of cattle, hogs, and negro slaves. Hog
and cattle raising soon then became more general. "Aunt Margaret"
Jones, now living at Kirksville, was one of the slaves of Col. Jones, but
I believe Avas born in this county after he moved here.
444 The History of Adair County.
There Avere no stores in this section at all Avhen I was a boy, and
our nearest trading point Avas in Howard County, nearly one hundred
miles away. There Ave had to go to get our supplies, and the trip was
ahvays made on foot. The only supplies purchased was ammunition,
for the country itself furnished all the food and clothing we had. I
remember a man by the name of Eli Mason who nearly ahvays made
this trip and brought back ammunition for the entire neighborhood.
Our food consisted of wUd game, honey, maple syrup and corn
bread. There Avere no mills of any kind for the grinding of the corn.
It was ground either in a "mortar" or on a "gritter." The "mortar"
was a hollowed out stump of a sycamore log, fixed by burning coals
on it. The corn Avas poured in this and beat up with an iron wedge
on the end of a stick. The "gritter" Avas a piece of tin, punched fuU
of holes, like a nutmeg grater, and fastened to a board. The ear of
corn was pushed back and forth over this and meal Avas thus ground.
This could only be done after the corn had been soaked or Avhen it was
comparatively green. Bee trees were in abundance and plenty of ma
ples to tap for syrup. There was no lack of meat, for wild game was
more than plentiful; bear, deer, some buffalo, AAild turkeys, pheasants,
quails, prairie chickens and pigeons Avere here in abundance. I have
often seen the Avhole sky dark with pigeons.
I was at least ten years old before I saAv any Avheat. It Avas raised
by BiUie Collett, on the farm Avhere Ira now lives. He .also raised some
timothy there that year, the first I ever saAv. Our first flour Avas also
beaten, and I well remember the first biscuits I ever tasted, made from
this flour. I did not like it much, for I Avasn't used to that kind of stuff.
Our clothes were made almost altogether of wool, flax and hemp,
all the work being done at home. We raised our sheep, carded and
spun our wool and wove our cloth. The hemp and flax were also raised
on the farm, and were made into cloth by the women of the family.
The onlj' thing Ave ever bought for clothes was a little cotton, to be
woven with the wool to make jeans for pants, and often this Avas not
available. Our footwear Avas mostly moccasins, made of deer skin or buffalo
hide. Later Wm. McPhetridge, father of the present Wm. McPhet
ridge, who lives just south of Novinger, came here and began to make
shoes. We then tanned our oAvn leather and Mr. McPhetridge made
our shoes. He made for me the first pair of shoes I ever owned, and
the first ever made in this county. Soon after this Wash Conner started
a tan-yard, just north of where Ira Collett now lives.
Reminiscences. 445
Our plowing was all done Avith ploAvs having a Avooden mold-board ;
our wagons Avere of our oAvn maaufacture and made entirely of wood,
no iron about them. The wheels Avere sohd pieces of AVOod, saAA'cd from
the butt end of a sycamore log, with a hole bored in the center for the
axle, and all Avas put together with wooden pins. Our farm Avork Avas
all done with ox teams.
Soon the county became more densely populated and a store was
started bj' Samuel Withrow, where Sohn now lives, about four miles
northAvest of Kirksville. This Avas the first store in the county and was
established long before Kirksville was thought of. Later a post office
was established there, the first in the county, and Mr. WithroAV was
appointed postmaster.
I Avell remember the trouble Wash Conner had in getting a letter
sent here to him from his brother. At that time the postage was paid
bj' the man getting the letter Avhen he received it. There was a letter
there for Wash and the postage Avas ten cents. He had manj' hunderds
of dollars worth of hides and leather, but no monej', and Mr. WithroAV
would not give him his letter without it. He came to my father to bor
row the amount, but he was in the same financial condition, for there
was no money in the country, our trade being altogether by barter.
He then went to Col. Jones, but he had no money. Finally it Avas
found that "Nigger Jim," one of Col. Jones' slaves, had just ten cents.
Wash borroAved the money from him and got his letter.
I remember very distinctly the founding of the city of Kirksville,
and the trouble Kirk and Sloan had over its location, each of them Avant-
ing it on his land.
The first store Avas started there bj' Thomas and John Howe. They
ran it for several j'ears and then sold out to Wm. Parcells. The first
saloon in Kirksville was, I believe, started by Howard Sheeks. The
buildings were all of logs, and the goods were hauled overland from
Quincy. There were many stirring events following the settlement of this
county, but as they AviU be handled by Prof. Violette, it is not necessary
for me to dwell on them here. I have told simply of the old times,
things that perhaps no other people on earth, or yet to be, shall
ever experience. They contain many lessons for this and future gen
erations; and if Avhat I have put down shall add a mite to the sum of
human joy or help in the slightest the splendid progress of our people,
it will make sweeter the cup of my own happiness. I am nearing the
end of a long journey; my faithful and beloved companion has already
"gone home," and this Avill probably be the last time I shall do any-
446 The History of Adair County.
thing of this sort; so I desire herewith to bid all Godspeed and wish
them success and happiness. I have seen this section groAV from a
Avilderness to a mighty empire, and I am glad I have had even a small
part in it. I feel, however, that it has only just begun and even greater
things are j'et in store for our people. Geo. W. Cain.
William T. Baird.
My acquaintance with Kirksville began March 21st, 1857, when
Prof. W. P. Nason and I rode into KirksvUle from La Grange, Mo. On
entering the "village" from the southeast the first man we met and
spoke to, Avas W. H. Sheeks, of Avhom we enquired for Mr. James Cog-
hiU, a farmer. Mr. Sheeks was the sheriff of Adair County, and later
when Ave got to know him, he said the fact we enquired for James Cog-
hiU kept him "from arresting us as horse thieves." With the help
of Prof. Nason I secured a school in what was known as the David A.
Ely District. The school house was located in a little hickory thicket
near Mr. James Coghill's residence. It was a log structure with pun
cheon floor. The seats yvere spUt logs supported by two short sticks
in each end. One log was cut out in one end of the building and filled
Avith a row of 8 x 10 glass for a window. I banged on the door with a
stick when I wanted my "students" to come to "books." We rode
around often in wagons draAvn by oxen. I remember of calling on a
young lady one Saturday night, and on Sunday morning the family,
"my girl" and myself all went to a "meeting" at a cross country school
house in an "ox wagon," driving through the prairie grass, scaring up
the prairie chickens and rabbits, and Ave were happy and had a good
time. Of course, I staid with the family until Monday morning.
At that time Kirksville was a small village, not a church nor a
school hou^e in town. The county had erected a brick court house in
the public square, where our present magnificent court house now stands.
Church services were all held in the court house. A Sunday school
was organized and held its sessions there also. There was a fence around
the public square, Avith eight entrances to the court house. There
were no sidewalks except in some places a long plank was laid in front
of the houses; but very soon walks were being laid, first two feet wide,
then four feet. The teams were hitched to the fence around the square,
and later a heavy chain on posts was placed around the square a few
feet from the fence for hitch racks.
There was a saloon in an old shack of a house standing just about
Avhere Ben Henrj-'s drug store is now located, and a man rode up and
Reminiscences. 447
hitched his horse just opposite this saloon and went into this dive and
shot and killed a man and broke for his horse which had gotten betAveen
the hitchrack and the fence, untied the horse, mounted and rode away
at break-neck speed, passing out at an opening on the east side and
went north, pursued closely bj' a number of men from the start, made
his escape and has never been heard of since. I Avas in the bank on the
corner, heard the shot, saAv the fellow run, mount his horse and ride aAvay.
Better things soon began to develop. The Cumberland Presby
terians began the erection of a building for a school to be known as
"Cumberland Academy." This became the property of the State and
the First District Normal School was organized in this building. The
first church building erected in Kirksville was a little frame on a lot
Avhere the M. E. Church now stands. This was done by J. H. Wesscher,
an M. D. and a Free Will Baptist preacher. The first school house
buUt in Kirksville was erected by Prof. W. P. Nason as his personal
property. This was used for religious services, preaching, prayer meet
ing and Sunday school.
We had no railroad and no modern conveniences AvhatcA'cr. I
have seen the wild deer bounding through the hazel brush on Avhat is
now the beautiful Normal campus. The old stage coach AA'as a great
attraction as it came rolling in from Canton and Macon, with a big
horn blowing to let the people knoAV the "mail" Avas coming, and the
people would gather at the post office and listen for their names to be
called, happy to get a letter from home.
Alex. SherAvood built a two-story business house on the south side
of the square, and the second story v,'as used as a hall for public gath
erings. This was the first place of the kind in KirksviUe. The Masonic
Lodge was held in the second story over Ben Murphy's saloon. After
the battle of 1862 the Enrolled Militia was organized for home protec
tion bj' State authority, and we had to do regular military duty. So
one night Joseph Baum and myself Avere stationed on the road north of
toAvn as pickets, about one mile out; and along after midnight we were
called on with the alarming statement that two of our pickets on the
road east of town had been captured by the "rebels" and a fight was
imminent. So Ave all gathered in and about the court house, ready for
battle. Scouts. Avere sent out to reconnoiter and report. But no enemy
could be found. At daybreak that morning our two captured "pick
ets" were found in the home of Mr. Rice, resting sweetly in a feather
bed. So they Avere pubUcly turned out of the company in disgrace.
The first passenger train arrived here July 18th, 1868, at 11:30
a. m. Its arriA'al was hailed Avith great joy and enthusiasm by the peo-
448 The History of Adair County.
pie assembled en masse. It remained here until 3:42 p. m., a AVonder
ful sight to many natiA'es Avho had never seen a railroad train before.
I have seen Kirksville Avhen it was a httle village of a fcAV hundred
people living in small cottages on the public square and immediatelj'
surrounding it, not a business house of importance having been erected.
These have been moved off or burned doAvn, and their places fiUed Avith
good brick business houses of two and three stories, occupied bj' thrifty,
enterprising merchants and bankers, business and professional men;
fine residences, schools, churches and hospitals and factories, and a
city of 8,000 enterprising people, Avith paved streets, good sidewalks,
two railroads and modern conveniences, and manj' beautiful and lovely
homes. But Ave had many hard battles to fight for righteousness and
against king alcohol, gambling and kindred vices. I am told that in
the early days the temperance men bought out the saloons, Avith an
agreement that thej' would quit the business, and the whiskey Avas
emptied out on the ground. But this Avas onlj' temporary, and the
fight AA'as on again. Later a "League of Honor" was formed, on account
of the terrible onslaught liquor drinking was having on society here.
A pledge of "sacred honor" to abstain from drinking for one year
Avas solemnlj' signed. There were nineteen names of "joUy good fel-
loAvs" placed to this pledge, and thej' Avere foUoAved !)j' tyvelve more,
and there Avere eleven non-drinking members joined the "League of
Honor." Every honorable means Avas used for the betterment and
uphft of the people of toAvn and county. One of the strongest factors
in the effort for the cause of righteousness and the good of humanity,
Avas Prof. W. P. Nason. He Avas my teacher in Kentucky and my close
bosom friend, and we came to this county together. He Avas a Presby
terian, an uncompromising temperance man, a strong and forceful
speaker. I think a word here about this good man will not be out of
place. He Avas one of the best friends I ever had. In 1858, at the
earnest solicitation of many friends, he became a candidate for county
school commissioner. WhUe he made his canvass of the county for the
office, I had sole charge of his school in Kirksville. He Avas elected by
a good majority in August, and re-elected in 1860. He was a man of
strong convictions and fearless in his defense for right living, and a ter
ror to evil doers. He kncAV neariy every man in the county and made
his impress for good all over the county and in town. In 1867, in con
nection Avith Prof. Joseph BaldAvin and J. M. GreeuAvood, they organ
ized a private Normal School here, which later became the First Dis
trict State Normal School. He remained Avith the State Normal School
for twenty years, most of the time as Vice-President, and one year
Reminiscences. 449
acting President. He was a man of high ideals and made an impres
sion for good on the hearts and lives of multitudes of young men and
Avomen; his students, AA'ho honor, love and revere his memory, are num
berless and call him "blessed." He Avas ordained as a minister of the
Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and was a strong advocate of the
union of the Presbyterian and Cumberland Presbyterian churches in
1906, and Avas happy over the union of the two Presbj'terian churches
in Kirksville. Prof. Nason Avas born in South Carolina, May 16th,
1824, and died in the home of his life-time friend, W. T. Baird, Kirk.s-
A'ille, Missouri, July 16th, 1909. The funeral and memorial services
Avere held Mondaj', July 19th in the Presbvterian church, attended by
a large number of friends here and from abroad. These ser\ices Avere
conducted bj' the pastcjr. Rev. W. C. Templeton, D. D., assisted by
Rev. W. H. Johnston, and Avere solemn, appropriate and impressive.
Business houses Avere closed. Beautiful tributes and eulogies were
given by Hon. S. M. Pickler, Dr. John R. Kirk, President of the Normal
School, and Miss Ermine Oavcu, all given in tender love of his work and
Avorth, shoAving the high esteem in yvhich he Avas held. Mr. Pickler
said of Prof. Nason: "He AA'as one of nature's noblemen. He was kind,
gentle, earnest, positive, energetic, perscA'cring in the good, and invinc
ible in his stand for morality and right. He was a teacher, a student,
and helper and a positive inspiration to higher ideals to many young men
and women in the classroom. His enthusiasm and good cheer and
genial disposition were like rays of sunshine, blessing and brightening
all within their benign presence.".
Others said beautiful and loving Avords in behalf of this great and
noble Christian man, a man Avho loved and honored God and accepted
Jesus Christ as his Savior, Lord and Master. Surely, a good man has
gone, a "prince in Israel has fallen." "Blessed are the dead which die
in the Lord. Yea, saith the Spirit, that thej' may rest from their la
bors, and their works do foUoAV them." He beheved in being punctual
and faithful in meeting his engagements, and was an "on timer."
W. T. Baird.
Mrs. Jacob F. Waddill.
Kirksville, as I remember it during my childhood, was a very small
hamlet, with no railroads, no churches, no school buildings. The houses
were built for shelter, not for display or luxury. Furniture was crude,
much of it made by the fathers of the household. The floors were
either bare or covered yvith home-made rag carpets. There were no
30
450 The History of Adair County.
theaters, no shoAvs, the onlj' amusement being the old-fashioned husk-
ing-bees, quiltings, spelling and singing schools. How Ave enjoyed
going to a corn husking or a quilting! The women would Avork all daj',
complete the task in the afternoon, then prepare supper for their hus
bands and the young people of the village. After supper the table was
cleared awaj' and young and old joined in a dance. These little events
were quite Avelcome, breaking as thej' (fid the dull routine of daily life.
The rural schools of the countj' Avere tj'pical of the schools in the
sparselj' settied districts of that earh' period. I once attended a blab
bing school in the earh' days, situated in the old BUlington field east of
Kirksville. What an uproar there was, A\ith everj'one spelling or read
ing aloud continuallj', and nobodj' making any real progress. I also
attended another rural school about three miles east of Kirksville. It
was a small log building, furnished Asith seats hewn from huge logs.
A log was remoA'cd from one side of the house to let in the light, as there
Avere no Avindows. The ground was covered Avith loose planks which
served as a floor. Hoav well I remember that little schoolhouse and the
glorious, happj' daj's spent there. The scenery about was beautiful.
Situated on a hill coA'cred Avith bluegrass, and in the background a groAC
¦of trees which furnished delightful shade for our sports at plaj'time;
it is a picture I shall ncA'cr forget.
At one time we had a teacher Avho AA'ould often drop into a heaA'j-
sleep. We Avould then scurry out of doors and thoroughly enjoy our
selves at play until he awoke and droA'c us back to our books. This
offense was often committed, Asilling to receiA'e severe chastisement
if we might have the keen pleasure of stolen play. Our teacher had
other forms of punishment besides the lash. Although school was
seldom going on during the AAinter, Ave had an old stick chimney in the
schoolhouse. Often the teacher would stand a child in the corner of
this chimney for disobejing a rule. Sometimes two would be enjojing
this punishment at once. I say enjoying, because when the teacher's
back Avas turned the youngsters furnished amusement for themselves
and the other pupils by putting soot on each other's faces. Another
form of punishment, not so much enjoyed perhaps, was making a pupil
sit on the floor and place his finger in a crack betAA'een the planks. So
common did this become that the teacher simply said, "Jimmy, take
your place," and the boy kncAv what Avas expected of him. The sun
was our time-piece. The teacher drcAv a line on the fioor to show Avhere
the sun would shine at high noon, and judged the time by how far the
sun deviated from that line.
Reminiscences. 451
The first school I attended in the city of Kirksville was held in a
frame building on the east side of the square. At the time of the war
there was an academy where the Ringo place now stands.
Farming was carried on only on a small scale. Farm implements
were rather crude. The soil was prepared with a single shovel plow;
planting was done by hand, and the common garden hoe Avas much
used in the field. The farmer cradled his wheat and cut his hay with a
scythe. Oxen were much used on the farm, and families would go a
long distance in a Avagon drawn by a team of oxen, to visit friends or
relatives. In very early days the home Avas the center of industrj' in Adair
County. The housewives picked the wool, washed it, and sent it by
their husbands to a carding machine in Howard County, or over the
line in the state of Iowa. Sometimes the wool was there exchanged for
clothes, sometimes brought back to the home and woven into cloth or
spun into yarn. The Avives and daughters made the mittens and stock
ings for the family, spending their spare moments in making laces and
other things used by the household. Later a avooI factory was estab
lished at Kirksville, and situated west of where Mrs. Scott's residence
is now located, near the 0. K. railway. This seemed a luxury to the
people of the little town of Kirksville and regions about. The men took
their corn and wheat to Panabaker mill, near the present town of Youngs
town. Here it was ground and taken back home to be used for bread.
As the town began to gain slowlj' stores were established. Mr. Hannah,
familiarly known as Uncle Batton, conducted a general store on the
square. Later Mr. Thatcher went into the same business.
For a long time there Avere no hotels, but they sprang into existence
as a demand for them grew. Grandmother Kirk, wife of Jesse Kirk,
for Avhom the city Avas named, started what was perhaps the first hotel
in Kirksville, which she conducted for a time where the Miller-ToAvn-
send store now stands. Later Mrs. William Ivie, Avho had been left a
widow by the death of her husband, a Christian minister, conducted a
hotel at the same location. There were frequent A'isitors at these
taverns, coming from Macon in a hack which made regular trips
between the tAvo towns.
The second Adair County court house stood on the public square
and the different religious denominations held services in same room
there.. The people were unpretentious in their dress. Most of the
women and girls wore calico to church. A few had clothing of more
costly material. As the toAvn grew church buildings were erected.
I have heard my grandmother tell of her fear of the Indians in the
452 The History of Adair County.
pioneer period. She often had to stay at home alone with her chil
dren for a Aveek at a time while her husband took the wool to HoAvard
County. One day she Avas working about the house when three In
dians came and looked in at the door. The baby yvas playing on the
floor. She heard one of the Indians say, "Make nice white chief."
She frantically picked up her chUd, afraid it would be stolen by them.
There AA'ere Indians about in mj- girlhood days, and deer, wolves, wild
turkeys and other game were plentiful Avhen I was young.
Then came the period filled Avith hardship, fear, danger and suf
fering — the period of the Civil War. I Avas then living with my father-
in-laAV, John Waddill, on the farm now owned by Geo. Butler.
Each night my father-in-law took his gun and slept away from the
house, afraid he Avould be molested. One morning as we were about
our Avork some of Porter's men came to the house asking for food. We
prepared corn cakes as quickly as we could, but could no took them fast
enough, as the soldiers came in such great crowds. So famished Avere
they that they went to the smokehouse and ate raw bacon and cabbage
— in fact, devoured whatever they could find. Soon they began to
leave, as McNeil's men were close upon their traU. The soldiers planted
a cannon at the gate and we thought there would be a bloody fight at
our very door, but they passed on This Avas on the sixth day of Au
gust, the same day of the battle at Kirksville. Soon after the soldiers
passed on a man came running in saying a dead man was not far from
the house. We found the man near the home of G. W. Butler, now the
old Johnny Waddill place. It was old Mr. Dye, who had been shot
by rebel scouts. Mr. WaddiU and his neighbors took the body to the
WaddiU graveyard, where they buried it. When word Avas received
about the fight at Centralia, Missouri, there was much excitement, as.
many Kirksville boj's were stationed there. Many of them Avere killed,.
some of their bodies being shipped to their people here for burial. James
Waddill, brother of Jacob Waddill, was killed at that place. His body
was never identified and had probably been buried before his relatives
reached there.
One of the saddest instances I remember in connection with the
Civil War was the bringing home of the body of John Oldham, who was
sentenced and shot at Macon City for disobeying military rule. Those-
who knew him well say his disobedience was caused by fear, which ren
dered him incapable of self-control. His father's house was where George
Grassle now lives. When the body was brought to the home some
Union soldiers who were stationed at Kirksville, stoned the house. We
could hear the shrieks and screams of his people, who were alreadjr
Reminiscences. 453
taxed to the utmost by the strain upon them, as the soldiers pelted the
house with rocks. Our house had a number of bullet holes in it as the
result of the war.
When peace broke forth the people began to improve the little toAvn
of Kirksville. Growth was slow at first, but after a time became steady
and sure. The little academy, Avhich served its mission as hospital
during the war, gradually grew, was made a State institution and be
came the great school Avhich.we know today. Other things kept pace
yyith it. Thus KirksA'ille grew from one little log cabin, which was
built by my grandfather, Jesse Kirk, for Avhom the city was named, to
the beautiful city of todaj' — the Athens of North America.
Mrs. J. F. Waddill.
Mrs. Otis Miller.
When Indians j'et lived in Adair County; Avhen wild turkey, wolves
and deer roamed about the uncleared forests which are now cultivated;
when everything about was undeveloped, men used to follow a trail
from HoAvard County, going along Salt River, east of Kirksville, hunting
bees. My father, David E. Sloan, and neighbors were following this trail
one day, when he found a place near old Wilson Town, where he de
cided to make a home. He entered land there, built a log house, and
brought my mother to her new home in 1839. There I was born six
months later, and brought to Kirksville when six weeks old. We lived
in a cabin which my father built. There were but three or four houses
in Kirksville, and they were built of logs.
The first school I attended was held in the court room in the first
Adair County court house, which stood where the National Bank is
located. David James, the first county and circuit clerk of Adair
County, who had his office in the court house at that time, used to amuse
the children by cutting paper baskets which he hung up with string
and filled with pebbles. Our first teacher was Nathan Taylor, who
afterward went to California, died on the plains and was eaten by the
wolves. When I was young we Avore linsey dresses with bright stripes around
the skirt. Our sheets were woven from flax and we had flax buttons
on our clothing, which was made of home-made material.
The first stores I remember were conducted by Jesse Coleman
Thatcher and "Uncle Patton" Hannah. Howard Sheeks had a groggery
shop near our home. Our mother would hardly allow us to steal a
glance in that direction. We lived in a house, part wood and part
frame, where Murphy-Mills & Garges' store now stands.
454 The History of Adair County.
When grown I married and lived in the country for a time. Dur
ing the war, however, I lived in a home Avhere Hermann Herboth now
has a residence, on North High street. On the morning of August 6th,
1862, I went to my sister's to borrow a washboard. She lived in the
home place. I didn't know there was a soldier in town, but when I
reached there the house was full of rebels, who were much excited, and
talking of the coming fight. I hurried home, and seeing a toy which
belonged to the children — a drum on which was painted a picture of a
Union flag, I took it and hid it in the ceUar, fearing the rebels might see
it and do us harm. I was preparing to take my two children and go to
the cellar for safety, when my mother came, and against my protest,
sent the children to the country Avith a minister who was riding on an
old flea-bitten horse. Later she sent back for me. Before Ave had gone
two blocks the muskets were cracking like corn in a popper. Some of
the rebel soldiers entered our house, and from there gave the forlorn
hope signal. We stopped out north of town, stood on an old rail fence
and Avatched the battle.
About dusk we returned home. All day I had been separated from
my children. Our house was so mutilated that we could no longer live
there. Most everj'thing on the place had either been destroyed or
stolen. Somebody had dropped a pair of pilloAvs across the back fence,
unable to get away with his entire load. When I stepped inside the
door, my feet were in a great clot of human blood. Several rebels had
been killed there. We supposed our sheets and other white goods were
taken to the academy, which was being used as a hospital, to be used
for binding the wounds of the soldiers. The walls Avere full of holes
from the cannon balls fired by the Union soldiers. One ball, which had
cut through several studing in the wall, broke the side-rail of the bed.
Another, entering through the fire-place, bursted the cook-stove to mere
fragments. I went over to spend the night at Mrs. Turner's, and saw
nine dead rebel soldiers taken from a corn-field, about where Mrs. Sarah
Avery's residence now stands. A man came to Mrs. Turner's door
and asked to see the lady whose house had been so badly shot up. I
went to the door. He had a bolt of purple calico which had been un-
roUed and then Avrapped about his arms. This he asked me to take to
make dresses for me and the children. I refused, but he left it for me,
knoAving I needed it. It came from one of the stores which had that
claj' been rifled.
The troublous times of the Ciyil War are passed; the old wounds
are healed, and many of its stirring episodes have been forgotten. One
of the tangible evidences of the heart-rending scenes through which
Reminiscences. 455
we passed, as well as one of our treasured souvenirs, is a piece of board
AA'hich was a part of the siding of our old home. It is perforated with a
cannon ball, one of the missiles which almost destroyed our home on
the day of the battle. Mrs. Otis Miller.
Peyton F. Greenwood.
My father and family located in Eastern Salt River township, No
vember 8, 1852. At that time in a radius of five miles around us we had
very few citizens. Among those in that radius were the two Thrasher
families; WiUiam Brashear, father of Richard M. Brashear; Mr. Rora
baugh, grandfather of the present circuit clerk; David Smallwood,
who was the father-in-laAV of Mr. Rorabaugh; William H. Allred; John
W. Smith; Abram Earhart; Samuel Nesbit, and son Joseph Nesbit;
Peyton Foster, my grandfather; George Conkle, are all that I now re
call Avithin that radius as citizens at that time, but for kindness and hos
pitality no people I have ever met in life were more sociable, generous,
and true to their professions, than those whom I have named.
The religious services at that time Avere all held in school houses,
of which we had but one in our neighborhood, and that was known as
the Brashear school house. At this school house all religious denom
inations, when they held services at all, met and worshiped. However,.
camp-meeting were held by the Methodists, usually down on Salt River,,
near what was afterwards known as the Elliott bridge. During a num
ber of years I think there were very few if any church services held,
in the way of camp-meetings or gatherings at the Brashear school house
that I did not attend, not that I Avas a member of any religious society
or church at that time.
In January, 1856, Lewis Conner, a Missionary Baptist minister,
held a revival meeting at the Brashear school house, when quite a num
ber were converted to that faith and united Avith the church. Accord
ing to the requirements they had to be immersed. For the purpose of
carrying out that immersion it became necessary to cut the ice on Hog
Creek, near Uncle Billie Brashear's residence. Among the candidates
for baptism was Uncle Ruben Long. He was taken into the water and
ice and immersed by the minister, Lewis Conner. When he helped him
from the water. Uncle Ruben never stopped to shake hands and ex
tend the right hand of fellowship, but lit out in a lively trot up the hill
to Mr. Brashear's house. I remember this instance from the fact that
it made an impression on my mind at that time to see the ice and Avater
dropping out of his garments as he ran up the hill. Another instance
456 The History of Adair County.
in connection Avith this service was the immersion of Aunt Charlotte
Smith. I remember after she Avas immersed and rose up, she came out
shouting and clasping the hands of every one near her; and then it
flashed up in my mind that she had a true religion, and that hers was a
true conversion. She Avas the wife of John W. Smith, mentioned here
tofore. I highly respected the minister, LcAvis Conner, and it made a
deep impression upon me that I have never forgotten. After holding
these services and performing these baptisms he returned to his home,
was taken down with pneumonia, and in a fcAv daj's died.
At the time we came into Adair County, a few days after yve landed,
my brother, J. M. Greenwood, and I, having heard wild game was plen
tiful, concluded we would go hunting. We went east from our house
until we came into the field of our near neighbor, William Allred, and
there in a corn field we saw a flock of turkeys, from fifty to a hundred in
number. We looked at them for a time and they seemed to be so tame
that we concluded they must be neighbor AUred's turkeys, and left
them Avithout firing a shot, when the truth was they Avere wild turkeys.
Game was so plentiful that my brother on several occasions that I re
member, killed as manj' as three or five deer at one time while he Avas
out hunting. I would then go with a wagon and team and haul them
home. A part of our boyish delight was in coon hunting, and in connec
tion with Mr. AUred's sons we spent much of our time in the sport of
hunting, and killed many coons — a pastime that we enjoyed, and I
believe one of the best parts of the education of a boy is to become ac
quainted Avith the trees, the birds, animals and their habits — everything
as it appears in nature.
In the early fifties there moved into what Avas knoAvn as South
Prairie, Reverend John C, Gibson, a minister in the Missionary Baptist
church. He Avas Ioav in stature but broad and bulky in build. On one
occasion he invited my brother and I to attend a church trial at Avhat Avas
known as the Houk school house, wherein he yvas charged with some of
fense Avith the ordinances of the church and wanted us to see him clean
out the opposition Avho had brought charges against him. We attended
the meeting. After a moderator was elected they proceeded with the
trial, and the evidence they were introducing was pretty hot and heavy
against Brother Gibson, and he was fighting to keep it out and making
considerable noise and a good many statements, when finally old Brother
Denton, who was seated in the south end of the school house, a very
tall, well built athletic man, began to rise up, as I Avould express it, link
by link, and said, "Brother Moderator, if you ever heard cats mew you
will hear them mew now." With that he made a dive at Brother Gibson
Reminiscences. 457
and Brother Gibson made a lunge for the door and down through
the prairie grass, getting away from the school house— he convinced me
that he Avas a sprinter. This Avas the way Brother Gibson '•cleaned
out the opposition" and ended the church trial.
On July 4, 1854, I attended a barbecue in Kirksville, at Avhich great
preparations had been made to feed the crowd, in the way of roast beef,
roast pork and mutton. In the afternoon the celeliration Avas Avound
up by a general fight; old Uncle BiU Adkins and John Floyd being the
first who were engaged in it, at Avhich Uncle Bill in the struggle demanded
to be let loose so that he might get a hck at John Floyd's head, saying
that he wanted to "skin the warnet." From that the fight became gen
eral, Henry Gallup, old Uncle Frank Adkins, WiUiam Watson, Bas Hall,
Jim Oldham and a number of others participating. The finishing of
this fight was the end of that celebration. For all of this there Avas no
one arrested or prosecuted. Kirksville at that time was not even in
corporated. In 1861 the Iowa Third Infantry and the Illinois Sixteenth Regi
ments were located in Kirksville for about a Aveek or ten days, under the
control of General Hurlbert. On the coming in of these tAVO regiments
George W. Foster, my uncle, and myself rode out of town. The second
night Ave were out Ave staj'ed at Old Nineveh and Avere accompanied by
quite a number of militia. About daylight of the first night we stajed
in Nineveh there was an alarm in camp. Being a little nervous and in
terested, as soon as the alarm was given I Avent to the Avindow of the hotel.
The sight to attract my attention Avas a man on a roan horse. He was
wearing a verj' broad-brimmed, home-made straAv hat, and the Avaj- that
horse ran up the lane through NincA'ch Avest, impressed me AA'ith the
idea that it was a thoroughbred. It turned out, however, that the
alarm this gentleman had taken was caused by another militiaman mis
taking a lot of stumps for Rebels and firing into the stumps. After
remaining in Nineveh about a Aveek avc returned to Kirksville. Among
the sights I saAV in Kirksville Avas that the store building of William B.
Linder, on the southeast corner of the square, had been broken open and
looted. The harness shop of James Medley, on the east side of the
square, had been completelj' stripped of its stock of saddles and har
ness; private dwellings had been broken into. I saAv farmers, Avhom
I regarded as good honest citizens, put into their wagons goods of va
rious kinds, such as domestic and cahco, taken from Linder's store,
and carry them home.
In 1862 my father, regarded as a southern sympathizer, and our near
neighbor, Henry Barnhart, Sr., a strong Union man; Abram Earhart,
458 The History of Adair County.
our nearest neighbor, a southern sympathizer, and his nearest neighbor.
Culver 0. Grayson, a Union man, formed an agreement bj' Avhich if
any Rebels were known to be coming into the communitj', my father
would immediately notifj' his neighbor Barnhart, and Mr. Earhart
would notify Mr. Grayson. If any movement Avas known on the part
of the Union soldiers, Mr. Grayson would notify Mr. Earhart, and Mr.
Barnhart would notify my father. In 1862 the famous order, knoAvn as
the Halleck Order, preventing all Rebels and sympathizers from re
moving or carrying any property out of the state of Missouri was is
sued. My father at that time Avas the owner of a number of tAvo-year-
old cattle. Mr. Barnhart likewise was the OAvner of one hundred or
more of similar cattle. However, in order to carry out that bond and
agreement that was made between them, while in violation of Halleck's
order, Mr. Barnhart undertook to take my father's cattle Avith his own
to the state of Illinois, and did so; sold them there, returned, and as
we have alwaj's believed, gave strict account of everj' dollar and turned
it over to him that he had received for these cattle, less Avhat expense
had been incurred in taking them out of the state. By reason of this
understanding between these neighbors, none of us suffered any serious
loss of property from the roving bands that were passing through North
Missouri during that period.
I wish to say uoav, after the lapse of many years, that had the ex
ample of the four men I have mentioned been followed in all of our
communities, Ave would have experienced much less sorrow than Ave did
by neighbor arraigning against neighbor, owing to the prejudices we
entertained at that time. Others have different views upon that sub
ject. I let that pass, as time is the only healer of such thoughts and
feelings. In conclusion, this I wish to say: I have long resided in Adair
County. Owing to my present condition of health, this is the last mes
sage that I shaU likely give to the people of my county. No difference
how manj' mistakes I have made in life, and they are many, I have re
solved to speak of no man unless I can say something good of him; do
no Avrong to any individual, knowingly; but do all the good I can until
my race is run. P. F. Greenwood.
Reminiscences. 459
Thomas J. Dockery.
I came to Adair County with my parents in July, 1855. This was
at the time a typical frontier country, very sparsely settled, with
probably ninety per cent of the land belonging to the Government.
The prairies were covered Avith a luxuriant growth of wild grass, called
blue stem, which reached a height of from two to six feet and made an
excellent quality of hay. From May until frost, the landscape Avas
dotted with Avild flowers of every variety and color. In the timbered
portion of the county, there was absolutely no brush. The trees Avere
verj' large and the ground underneath Avas covered with prairie grass.
The massive trees, the prairie flowers and grass all combined to make
this a truly beautiful and inviting country.
The countj' settlers at the time of my parents' arrival, Avere people
that had foUoAved the advance of civilization from Kentucky, Tennessee
and North Carolina. They were for the most part hunters and depend
ed largely for their food on Avild game. Of this there was an abundance
and it was an easy matter to kill all the deer and turkeys needed. It
was no uncommon thing to see from five to ten deer in a gang, and I
have seen as many as one hundred turkeys in a flock. In addition to
hunting, farming Avas done on a small scale. Ten acres was considred
a large field, and five acres was perhaps more than average in size.
These pioneers Avere strong, healthy people, honest and fair in
their dealings and very hospitable and social. Their houses Avere con
structed of logs, and Avhen a new one Avas to be built, every one for ten
miles or more around Avould join in and lend a helping hand.
Law suits among neighbors were indeed rare, but when one oc
curred, it was tried before a Justice of the Peace, and aroused much in
terest throughout the community. I remember soon after we came
here, a suit was brought before a Justice of the Peace in our locality
and I attended the trial yvith my father. There were, I think, at least
seventy-five present, and to show hoAv primitive the methods of the
day Avere, when it was found necessary for some writing to be done,
the Justice discovered there was no ink in the court room. Not dis
mayed, he called forth in a loud voice the constable and ordered him
to mount his pony and ride, post-haste, to "Old Man Holman's" farm,
which was about one and one-half miles distant, and get a bunch of
poke-berries to make ink. The court thereupon enjoyed a recess. A
little later the constable returned with the berries, their juice was ex
tracted for the ink, and the case proceeded.
There Avas little money in the county in these early days. In truth,
there was no great need for it. Every one wore home-spun clothes
460 The History of Adair County.
and nearly all furniture and agricultural implements yvere made by
home workmen, whose charges were very low. All the leather used
Avas tanned in the county. The settlers would take hides to the tan
yard, where they were tanned on the shares. Nearly every family
owned a set of cobbler's tools, Avith which the father, or some other mem
ber of the household, made and mended shoes for the family.
Though this may come as a shock to present temperance advocates,
practically all families kept on hand a supply of whiskey as an ague pre
ventative. In fact, every store had a barrel of it, with a tin cup placed
near by, that their customers might take a drink, if they desired. In
spite of this plentifulness of whiskey, there were few habitual drunkards.
To illustrate on what a small scale thing Avere done at this time, a
commission was appointed by the county court to purchase furniture
for Adair County's first court house. At the next term of court, a re
port was made that two benches and three chairs had been bought at
a cost of $3.50.
Very few of the best lots around the square sold in the early fifties
for more than $5.00, the majority for less. The lot where the Adair
County Lumber Company building now stands, Avas knocked off at
auction to Col. John T. Smith, one of the county's first settlers and a
very infiuential man in his day, for the sum of $1.00. He felt that he
had paid too much and didn't want to take the deed, but being threat
ened with a law suit, he consented and later sold the property for $800.
The two lots directly north of the Trust Company building were
purchased by Harve Sloan, now deceased, for $5.00, which he paid in
cord wood. It was, of course, little trouble to go west of town and
cut all the wood one might want, from land belonging to the Govern
ment. I well remember one of the earliest transfers made in this city.
M. G. Clem and Franklin Freeman sold to E. W. Parcells two acres
of ground, described as "two acres of ground where the distillery now
stands." This was the only description. The transfer was made Oc
tober 11, 1847. The land was not entered tiU three years later. Of
course land values, as well as the price of all other properties have
advanced many fold since those early days, yet I feel sure we have only
reached the beginning of our splendid progress, and that even greater
things are in store for our people. Those were times of privation and
hardship in many ways, yet the people were contented and happy. I
often wish I could see some of those old times again, and meet some of
those old stahvart pioneers, but is not to be. Nearly all I knew here
when I came are gone and the times have passed, never to return.
T. J. Dockery.
PART III.
Great Men of the County
GREAT MEN OF THE COUNTY.
John Roy Musick.
John Roy Musick was a native of Missouri, the same state which
produced such men as Mark Twain, Eugene Field, and many others
famous as journalists, statesmen and jurists. He was the son of
Ephraim and Mary Musick, and was born in St. Louis County, Feb. 28,
1849. While still a boy his parents moved to Adair Countj', where the
author passed his early life in attending school in the winter and work
ing on the farm in the summer. His application at this period of his
life must have been extraordinary — it certainly Avas successful. At
the age of nineteen he was sent to the Kirksville State Nomal School,
graduating in 1874. The next fcAV years were spent in teaching school
and at the same time studying law. In 1887 he was admitted to the
bar. He was a prominent factor in Republican politics. Everj' Pres
idential election he Avas repeatedlj' called into the field for campaign
speeches. He was a member of the State Central Committee of Mis
souri, and upon the election of William McKinley to the presidency
the first term, the post of consul to Siam was tendered him, but he re
fused, preferriiig to give his attention to his chosen work. As literature
was the bent of his mind and had been from his earliest recollections,
he abandoned the practice of law and engaged wholly in literary work.
He travelled in many parts of the world and gave his impressions and
the facts he gleaned to the reading public in many forms. His most
ambitious work is the "Columbian Historical Novels" in tAvelve vol
umes. All the great critics of the United States and many in England
haA'c been loud in their praise of the series. They opened a new field
for the American reader. Their charm of narrative, keen dissection of
character, unity of interest, beauty of imagery and description, gave
them much of the power of romance combined with accuracy of thought
and statement. He was the author of twelve other volumes besides
the "Columbian Historical Novels," comprising books of travel, his
tories and novels, some of which have_passed through many editions.
His home was in Kirksville, Missouri, until the spring of 1900,
Avhen he removed to Omaha, Avhere he died April 13, 1901.
In social life he was admirable, so simple-minded and so great-
minded, keen in his perceptions, kind in his judgments, resolute, but un-
Mr. J. R. Musick.
Great Men of the County. 465
pretending, considerate of every one, but tasking of himself. We could
give many anecdotes and incidents illustrative of his purity of heart,
honesty of purpose, devotion to family, but space forbids.
He died in the strength and glory of his manhood. Life with him
had been a reality and a work. Death Avas a translation to higher
spheres of hfe and action. Mrs. G. A. Goben.
Judge Andrew Ellison.
Andrew Ellison Avas born in Monticello, Missouri, November 6,
1846. His father. Judge James EUison, Avas one of the most prominent
and successful lawj'ers of Missouri. The familj' moved to Canton,
where he spent his boyhood and attended Christian University, and
later attended Christian Brothers' College, St. Louis, where he won
honors and stood high as a student. He read law in the office of his
father and enjoyed the friendship of Senator James S. Green, who was
widely knoAvn as a great laAvyer.
He joined the Christian church in early life and Avas baptized bj'
Dr. Samuel Hatch, who afterward became his father-in-law. He came
to Kirksville in the spring of 1867 in company yvith his brother, James
Ellison, noAV Judge of the Kansas City Court of Appeals, and began
the practice of laAV at the age of twenty. He soon took rank as one of
the leading lawj'ers of the bar, not only in Kirksville, but throughout
Northeast Missouri, and soon became the peer of the ablest members
of the bar in the highest tribunals of our state.
He was a man of untiring energy, a close student, hard worker,
and mastered his cases before dismissed from his mind. He was a
wise counselor; sagacious, conscientious, far-seeing, a born leader and
an honest man of great ability, far above the average,; brilliant, kind,
gentle, courteous and tender-hearted, a most lovable character, quick
to perceive and grasp the right; a devoted friend in whom you could
safely trust your most sacred thoughts, assured your confidence would
never be betrayed; a kind and generous neighbor, whom all delighted
to honor and rejoiced in his successes.
His social qualities were of the highest order. He had the happy
faculty of making others happy, and was always a most welcome guest
at social gatherings, weddings, dinners and banquets. He was a man
of charming personality and was unusually popular, always ready Avith
some interesting and entertaining story full of Avit and wisdom to en
tertain his hearers; and when he spoke everyone listened and happy to
31
Judge Andrew Ellison
Great Men of 'ihe County. 467
hear. He loved the good and the true in everybody high or low, and
was a friend to all.
As a Regent of the State Normal School for twenty years he gave
much thought and the best energies of his life for the uphft and success
of the school. Through his Avise management of the affairs of the Nor
mal School it took rank as the best school in the state for the education
and equipment of teachers. It owes much of its present prosperity
and high standing to the Avise and judicious planning of Judge Ellison.
No man did more for the cause of education and the upbuilding of the
Normal School than did he during his twenty years of self-sacrificing
service Avithout the hope of fee or reward.
He was married in 1869 to Miss Juha ^l. Hatch, daughter of Dr.
Samuel Hatch, a noted physician and a minister in the Christian church.
Thej' have four children — two daughters and two sons, all married,
prosperous and happy. His eldest son, Samuel H., is a practicing at
torney of more than ordinary abilitj', and bids fair to be one of the best
lawyers in this part of the state.
I am not aiming to write a biography of Judge Andrew Ellison,
but simply want to pay a little tribute to the worth and high character
of a noble man, a sincere friend that I loved and trusted and honored,
whose death I lamented and whose loss I deplored. I never had a bet
ter, safer, wiser friend. His departure Avas not only a great loss to his
family and this community, but to the state at large, for he Avas known
and honored all over the state and beyond. For tAventj'-two j'ears he
was a most just and honored circuit Judge in this judicial circuit, being
elected and re-elected as a Democrat in a district of one thousand Re
publican majoritj'.
I think I cannot close this little sketch better than bj' quoting from
Judge Ellison's last official act, from a "special" to the St. Louis Re
public, from Macon, Missouri;
"It was the refusal to grant a decree in a divorce case. The liti
gants were young and had three pretty children. A petition and cross-
biU had been filed. Able attorneys were on hand to represent the war
ring husband and A\ife. Judge Ellison waved them aside and took
charge of the case. He asked a few questions and read a stack of let
ters from the Avife to the husband. He made up his mind that it was
one of those cases where pride only prevents concessions and reconcil
iation. Then he said, 'Now you are both asking a divorce. I expect
yon both have been fretful. I expect you both have acted hastily at
times, but you have three httle children, who are not responsible for
these troubles. They at least are innocent. The law of both God and
468 The History of Adair County.
man says that it is your duty to raise these children, and in the face of
all this affection and in the face of the fact that you both come from good
people, good stock, and both have good hearts, I will not be an instru
ment — the last act of my official life, the last trial I sit as judge shall
not result in the severance of tivo young people, and in the making of
orphans of three little children. I will not do it. I say to you now I
dismiss the petition in this case and the cross-bill, and ask both of you
earnestly and with a heart full of sympathy for the weakness and frail
ties of humankind — I ask, nay, I beg of you at this halloAve'en time just
preceding Christmas, a daj' on which we will celebrate the greatest
event that ever occurred on earth, the proclamation of peace on earth
and good will to all mankind — I say I ask of you to go back to your
home and become to each other again the strong manly husband and the
dutiful loving Avife. Preserve these letters I have read on the peril of
your future happiness. They represent the all-powerful love of a loyal
woman for a husband that must be worthy, else they had never been
written. Not one word in them need she be ashamed of, and I think
more of you both for having read them. That is all. Mr. Sheriff, ad
journ the court." The litigants followed implicitly Judge Ellison's sug
gestions in the decree, and are now living together happy and prosperous.
This was a most gracous act on the part of a wise Judge, a good-
hearted, true-hearted great man; a beautiful closing of a long, useful,
honorable and successful judicial life of a good and honest man, who
will ever be remembered for the good he has done.
"Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shaU see God." Lincoln
said, "Die Avhen we may, I want it said of me, by those yvho knew me
best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a floyver where I thought
a flower would grow." Surely this applies to Judge Ellison.
In loving remembrance of a true and loving friend.
Sincerely, William T. Baird.
Judge James Ellison.
Judge Ellison is a native Missourian, and was born at Monticello,
LcAvis County, July 12, 1848. In his early boyhood he came to Adair
County with his brother, the late Judge Andrew Ellison. He attended
the pubhc schools here and the Christian University at Canton, Mo.,
also taking a course at Christian Brothers' CoUege at St. Louis. He
then read law and was admitted to the bar at Kirksville in 1867. He
entered at once into the active practice and soon came to be recognized
as one of the ablest attorneys of the state. He served as prosecuting
Judge James Ellison
470 The History of Adair County.
attorney of Adair County, being elected in 1874, and was also presiden
tial elector in 1884, when Cleveland was elected President. In Novem
ber of that year he was appointed Judge of the Kansas City Court of
Appeals and elected to that same office in 1888. In 1896 he was renom
inated and re-elected for a full term. Again in 1908 he received that
same honor, and is therefore still a member of one of Missouri's highest
legal tribunals.
Judge EUison is married and lives at Kansas City, although he still
regards Kirksville as his home.
Judge Ellison is one of the greatest of a family of great lawyers.
He has written many important opinions since he has been on the bench,
and they are regarded as models of true legal exposition. Few, if any,
lawyers in the State are more highly regarded as citizens or more sin
cerely admired for the legal acumen and wide and deep knowledge. It
is believed by those who have Avatched his career that even greater
honors are j'et in store for him.
Superintendent J. M. Greenwood.
Within the memory of men yet living, this cosmopolitan cummu-
nity of Adair County was typical of the most primitive American con
ditions. In the language of Herbert Spencer, Adair County, about
the year 1850, was in a condition of "indefinite, incoherent homoge
neity." Its people were all very much alike. Noticeable differentia
tions had not begun. The specialist was not much in evidence. One
man in those days could be a doctor, preacher, tooth extractor, horse-
shoer, water Avitch, stock raiser, lawyer, farmer, politician and a few
other things, all at one and the same time.
Little by little different qualities among men were developed and
utilized. Specialization began. The farmer ceased to be a doctor or
a lawyer; the preacher and horse-shoer ceased to be farmers. Out
from the mass of homogeneities arose some school teachers. From
among the school teachers arose the mathematicians, scientists and
other specialists. The last quarter of the nineteenth century produced
for the first time in history a new specialist among the school men.
That specialist was the school superintendent, a man of large capabU-
ities, clear insight into educational conditions and processes, and ready
skill in educational organization.
Once in Adair County, about sixty years ago, there was a red-
faced, bare-footed farm boy some ten or tweh'e years of age. He was
healthy, robust, active and ingenious, fond of hunting and other prim-
Great Men of the County. 471
itive sports. This boy was James M. Greenwood, hving somewhere
on the prairies of Adair County between Kirksville and the east line
of the county. Thirty-seven years ago Kansas City appointed this
former Adair County farm boy Superintendent of its City schools, and
James M. Greenwood is now one of the most widely known American
school men.
Young Greenwood grew up as other farm boys did. He loved
books and readily absorbed, assimilated and applied their contents.
He had little opportunity for education. The schools Avere few in num
ber. They had short terms and the very poorest facilities. Nearly
all of those who became educated were self-educated. Mr. Greenwood
attended at times the ordinary public schools, then a seminary or would-
be college down near the Mississippi River and for a short time the
University of Missouri, which institution some dozen years ago con
ferred upon him the degree Doctor of Laws.
Mr. Greenwood had some experience as a teacher in the early pub
lic schools of Illinois and Missouri. He was a member of the first fac
ulty of the Kirksville Normal School, when it started in the fall of 1867
as a private Normal School under the presidency of Professor Joseph
Baldwin. When the Institution in January, 1871, became a State
Normal School, the entire faculty was taken over and made the faculty
of the First District Normal School. Mr. Greenwood was professor
of mathematics, and through his unusual skill and ability in solving
the difficult mathematical problems of the day became yvidely known
throughout the United States and other Enghsh speaking countries.
In the year 1874 Mr. Greenwood was called to Kansas City as Su
perintendent of the Public Schools of that thriAdng town of some tAven
ty thousand people. From that day to the present time, he has been
one of the most positive forces in the educational affairs of Missouri
and of the United States. He has been honored in a large variety of
ways. He has had within his reach educational positions of many kinds
and varieties, from his present office to that of United States Com
missioner of Education; but he has chosen to remain with the Public
School System of Kansas City while that city has been groAving from a
small city of twenty thousand people, to the great distributing center
which it now is, yvith only five other cities in the United States sur
passing it in its weekly clearing-house business.
Superintendent Greenwood has been characterized by his activity
in many educational reforms and improvements. He has been an ex
ponent and an advocate and an exemplar of democracy in education.
He has believed in education through self-actiAdty. He has believed
472 The History of Adair County.
in sending the whole boy to school and in educating all of the boys. He
has stood for the adaptation of education to the needs of the boys and
girls in every separate community. He has been the friend of the home
less and moneyless boys and girls. He has struggled for such laws
and such educational facilities as would in the most effective way en
able young Missourians to educate themselves for the highest efficiency.
Superintendent Greenwood has represented Missouri in educa
tional associations and programs more frequently and in more ways
than any other man that ever Uved in Missouri. He is more in demand
as an educational lecturer than any other school superintendent in the
country. For a quarter of a century we find his name almost contin
uously in the programs of the National Education Association, as well
as the state educational associations of many states.
In middle professional life he was often regarded as an advocate
of fads. It is now somewhat difficult to conceive of that condition
existing some twenty-five or thirty years ago when no college or uni
versity in the state had a department for teaching the literature of the
language we speak. Mr. Greenwood was the first man in Missouri
to plead for a chair of Enghsh in the University and in every college
of the state.
He was among the early advocates of the rational use of industrial
and agricultural education. He has written voluminously. Scarcely
an educational journal of any consequence in the country but has pub
lished many of his articles. He has been the foe and the terror of ex
tremists in education. He has wielded a ready pen for maintaining
sanity and regularity in educational reforms. He has been one of the
most prodigious readers of literature, history, science, philosophy, art
and other records of human achievement. He is more resourceful in
at least a dozen specialties than the typical specialists themselves.
He has been a man of uniformly simple habits of life. He has ex-
empUfied plain living and high thinking. He is at ease in all kinds of
cultivated society. He is a great souled, resourceful, genial, compan
ionable, lovable and patriotic American. John R. Kirk.
John R. Kirk.
A brief sketch of the life of President Kirk is given in the chapter.
on the Normal School, so it is not necessary that it should be repeated
here. He is, however, by his character and achievements, more than
deserving of mention among the great men of this county. Among the
educators of Missouri few, if any, stand higher than he, and he is fast
Great Men of the County. 473
becoming one of the leaders of the educational thought of the country.
As an executive he is probably without a peer, and in energy is a perfect
human dynamo. What he has done for the school and therefore for
the county and the State, is written large in the progress of that splen
did institution. What he found when he came here to assume the
duties of the head of this school and what he has done for its progress
and growth, are matters of current knowledge. Certainly the people
of our county owe him a debt of gratitude.
No doubt he shall yet accomplish much for this community and
aid materially her progress. That he has many plans, not only for the
advancement and glory of the school, but for the good of the entire com
munity, those who have known him well are sure. That he will bring
them to a successful issue is equally patent to those acquainted Avith
his staying qualities and dynamic energy.
Dr. Andrew Taylor Still.
Dr. Still has been thoroughly handled by Mr. Violette in his chapter
on the great school of which he was the founder; so it is not essential
that the events of his splendid career should be recorded here.
Of all the men who have left a lasting impress for good on the com
munity and on the world. Dr. Still is AAithout a peer. He has done
more to make Kirksville famed to the ends of the earth than all others
who have lived in Kirksville. From his splendid mind has come a
great idea which has touched the world yvith a healing wand and brought
happiness and rich content into countless thousands of human habita
tions Avhere were knoAvn only sickness and sorrow. His has been not
only a great material achievement but has added greatly to the sum of
human joy. The beauty of it all is that his great idea shall go on grow
ing and expanding till millions yet unborn shall know its healing touch
and rise up to call him blessed.
Here is truly a great man, unspoiled by success, still the kindly
courteous gentleman, of the severest simplicity as well as highest pur
pose, of purest hfe and lofty ideals. His life has been such that Avhen
his labors are over and he has come to the end of his journey, its sacred
influence shall fall like a holy benediction on the hearts of men.
In almost every community there is some man whose achievements
stand out in such bold relief that he epitomizes the thought and pro
gress of that community; that whenever the name of one is mentioned
the other naturally comes to one's mind. The names of Kirksville and
474 The History of Adair County.
Dr. Still are so associated that one often wonders if one could have been
without the other.
Kirksville owes Dr. Still a debt of gratitude which never can be
paid, no matter how lavish she may heap honors upon him. Like all
great men, full appreciation will not come to him in hfe, but the coming
years will enhance his glory and add to the lustre of his just fame.
Judge George W. Wanamaker.
Judge Wanamaker was born near Picton, Prince Edward County,
Ontario, Canada, October 8, 1846. He spent his early hfe in that coun
try and was educated at Albert College, Belleville, Ontario, later grad
uating from the law department of the University of Michigan.
In 1870 he came to Missouri, and to Kirksville in 1876. He re
mained here two years, serving as city attorney by appointment, and
during the last year of his residence here was a partner of H. F. Millan.
In 1878 he went to Bethany, Missouri, where he has since resided.
In 1881 he became a member of the law firm of Wanamaker and
Barlow, at Bethany, of which he remained a member for twenty-three
years. He filled the office of city attorney of Bethany three terms, and
was assistant prosecuting attorney of Harrison County for four years.
In 1904 he was elected circuit Judge of the Third Judicial Circuit, and
re-elected in 1910. He is regarded as one of the able jurists of the
State, a man of the highest judicial temperament, Avide learning, ster
ling honesty and of the keenest insight into matters of law. Those
who have watched his career feel sure there are yet many honors in
store for him.
He was married to Miss Bessie Templeman, daughter of Wm. A.
Templeman, of Bethany, December 23, 1879.
PART IV.
Biographical
BIOGRAPHICAL.
GEORGE R. BREWINGTON, a native of Scott Springs, Pike County, Mis
souri, was born December 1, 1844, His parents were Robert D, and Ehzabeth Brew
ington. He was married October 16, 1866, to Lillie Freeman, They had three chil
dren: Trusten H,, of Kansas City, Missouri; Robert D., of Color.ido; Laura Brew-
ington-Hall, of Atlanta, Georgia,
Mr. Brewington was reared at Hannibal, Missouri, attending the public schools
and high school of that city, also the Rensselaer Academy, of Ralls County.
His school days were ended by the breaking out of the Civil War. When twenty
years of age he came from Hannibal to Kirksville, bringing part of his father's stock
of boots and .shoes to close out. He started the first lumber yard in Kirksville, and
was for one year in the furniture business with A. L, Shepherd. He opened the
first dry goods store in Millard, removing the stock to Kirksville in 1870, He has
been continuously in the dry goods business here from that date. For twenty years
Trusten H, Brewington was associated with him in the store. Mr, Brewington is
the pioneer merchant of Kirksville, has always enjoyed a good business, and has
customers today that have been trading with him since he established the store,
more than forty years ago. He is a Democrat in politics and a member of the B.
P, O, E, lodge.
JOHN H. BERRY was born March 11, 1862, two miles north of Novinger,
Missouri, His parents were Henry and Susan Berry. Mr. Berry has been mar
ried twice. His first wife was Clara B, Vanlaningham, who was born and reared in
Adair County, Missouri, She was the daughter of Thomas and Henrietta Vanlan
ingham, They had three children: Orville C; Dee H,; Elsie H, Mr. Berry's
second wife was Mary M. A, Hoffman, born and reared in Germany, emigrating to
this country when twelve or tliirteen j'ears of age. To this marriage were born three
children; Rayman J.; Willma S.; Maria M. Mr. Berry lived on a farm until he
was fourteen years of age, at which time his mother died, and his father broke up
housekeeping. He worked at various occupations till twenty years old, then bought
an interest from Jas. H. Novinger, retail merchant. He has been in that line of
business ever since.
JOHN B. CARLETON, son of Caleb and Gaynor (Getchell) Carleton, was
born May 31, 1850,' in Monroe County, Ohio, He was married October 29, 1874,
to Laura Woods. Mrs. Carleton is a daughter of Cyrus and Amanda Caldwell.
She was born April 17, 1855, in Mercer County, Pennsylvania. They had five chil
dren, three of whom are living. The other two are dead. Elsie Grace was born
October 29, 1875, She is now Mrs. Clifton Watkins, of Montana. Chnton, born
January 28, died September 23, 1877; Chester H,, born January 7, 1881; Harry
G., December 16, 1889, died April 28, 1893; Dorothy A,, August 5, 1896,
Mr. Carleton moved to Adair County, Missouri, with his parents in 1859. His
father died here April 5, 1866. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1799. John B.
lived at home till the death of his father, then worked out till married. After his
SoS>
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f/J32,
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o Hw
O •2i
Residence of Eli B. Dodson, Near Kirksville
Biographical. 481
marriage he moved into his present home. Here he has worked at fanning contin
uously since. His farm consists of forty acres, two and one-half miles southeast
of Gibbs. He belongs to the 1. O. 0, F, and Mystic Circle. He is a member of the Meth
odist Church, and is a Prohibitionist.
C. H. CHARLTON, a son of Francis M. and Mary (Stevenson) Charlton, was
born at Buckner, Missouri, May 9, 1882. He was married to Miss Jessie M. John
son, daughter of Charles and Abbie Johnson, February 2, 1904. They have one child
— Gladys Marie, bom February 1, 1907.
Mr, Charlton remained with his parents on a fann in Jackson Countj-, where
he was reared, until nineteen years old. He attended the public school, and also
took a course at the Buckner High School. He took a course at the Kansas City
Business College, graduating in 1902. He then worked as stenographer in the gen
eral office of the Q. O. & K. C, at Kansas City, being transferred after a short time
to Novinger, as car clerk. After fifteen months service here, he went into the em
ploy of the Great Northern Fuel Company as time-keeper. In 1908 he was pro
moted to the office of secretary and treasurer, having full control of the accounting
and selling department of the Company. He held that position till September, 1910,
when he was made general manager by J. S. Keefe, preisident and owner of the Com
pany. Mr, Keefe is also Vice-president and general manager of the American Steel
and Wire Company of Chicago, and a leading factor in the U. S, Steel Corporation.
P. M. DODSON was bom in Adair County, September 9, 18.32, being a son of
Simeon AV. and Sarah Dodson. He was married March 12, 1876, to Rosana Stukey,
daughter of Abel and Mandana Stukey. They had two children: Charley L., born
July 26, 1878; Lena Pearl, December 17, 1881, Mrs. Dodson died November 12,
1907. He was again married March 29, 1908, to Mrs. Elizabeth Jones. They have
no children. !Mr. Dodson was born and reared on a farm, five miles south of Kirksville. He
lived at home on the farm till grown, then married and continued to farm till 1898,
when he sold his farm and moved to Kirksville. He was in the livery business here
for three A'ears, then went into the real estate business, in which he is still engaged.
His office is over the McKeehan drug store. He is a Democrat in politics, and a
member of the M. W. A,
ELI B. DODSON, son of James and Mahulda (Canatsey) Dodson, was bom
November 6, 1858, in Adair County. He was born and reared on the old Dodson
homestead one mile southwest of Kirksville. He lived there with, his parents till
grown, then started farming for himself, and has been engaged in that occupation
all his life. The farm he now owns joins the southwest corner of the corporation of
Kirksville, and consists of 373 acres. The home in which he now Uves was erected
in 1860 and is still a splendid house good for many years.
Mr, Dodson was married May 11, 1890. His wife was Grace Lowther, daughter
of Henry and Suritha LoAvther. They have two children: Roy B., born March 6,
1892; Kenneth T., June 30, 1899. Mr. Dodson and Avife are members of the Chris
tian church.
482
The History of Adair County.
Residence and Barn of J. W. Bundy, 8 miles S, E. Kirksville.
Biographical. 483
DAVID CAPPS was born in Schuyler County, Missouri, June 1, 1851, being a
son of Henry and Charlotte Capps, He was married November 14, 1875, to Katurah
E. Lake, daughter of Leander and Nancy Lake. She was born in Scotland County,
Missouri, October 20, 1857. They had twelve children: Etta M,, born October 30,
1876, died November 24, 1876; Jacob W., February 14, 1878; Henry L,, December
29, 1879; David F,, August 15, 1881; Carrie A., March 6, 1883; Johnson T,, Octo-
tober 20, 1884, died November 23, 1900; Mary M,, August 4, 1886, now Mrs, Jo
seph AVilliams; Nancy E,, April 4, 1888, now Mrs, Roy Shoop; Charlotte C, March
27; 1890, now Mrs. Eddie Stone; Cora F., December 12, 1891; Ina P,, .4.pril 4, 1894;
Arthur T., August 24, 1899,
Mr, Capps moved to Adair County, Missouri, with his parents when a sm.all
baby, and has liA'ed here continuously since. He was reared on a farm, and has al
ways followed that occupation. At present he owns a farm of ninety-eight acres, of
miles west of Novinger. He is a breeder of Chester White hogs and Short-horn
cattle. Mr, Capps is a Republican in politics, a member of the Methodist church,
and belongs to the K. of P, lodge.
WILLIAM A. DODSON was born on the old Dodson homestead, two miles
south of Kirksville, December 25, 1858. His parents were Thomas and Lucinda
(Grogan) Dodson. Thomas Dodson was born September 2, 1823, in Kentucky,
coming to Adair County, Missouri, in 1841, He died October 28, 1896, having been
twice married and the father of thirteen children. The Dodsons trace their ances-
trj' back to 1677, when some of them helped to form the old Quaker colony in Eng
land. Mr, Dodson was married NoA'ember 27, 1877, to Agnes E, Mulligan. They
have two children living, and one dead: Lottie, born November 8, 1879, now Mrs.
S. I. Furlong; Bijou, May 27, 1889, now Mrs, E, 8, Mores, married January 22,
1907. Mr, Furlong has two boys.
Bom and reared on the farm, there Mr. Dodson lived with liis parents till grown,
attending the public school and helping run the farm. He also attended the Mis
souri State Normal School at Kirksville and Christian Brothers' College at St. Louis,
When grown, he married and began farming for himself. He owns a farm of forty-
seven acres, one mile south of the corporate limits of Kirksville, He also handles
206 acres belonging to his brother, making 250 acres in all.
He is a member of the M. AA^ A, Mrs, Dodson belongs to the Presbyterian
church. J. W. BUNDY was bom on a farm in Southern Indiana, March 17, 1850, a son
of Alfred and Louisa Bundy. When eight years old he came to Adair County, His
parents located one mile north of the public square. In 1874 they moved to Bear
Creek farm, then consisting of 200 acres, situated about eight miles southeast of
Kirksville. Mr. Bundy owned the farm from that time, and later added 120 acres,
making a total of 320 acres.
Mr. Bundy's father died April 3, 1877. His mother died September 16, 1908.
His parents were both born in Indiana, their parents coming from North to South
Carolina, and later to Southern Indiana. Mr. Bundy's mother's family was of Rev
olutionary fame. His mother was a near relative of General Carr of the RcA'olution-
ary War. She was also a grand-daughter of Arthur Parr, who was a Revolutionary
soldier and died March 21, 1833.
484
Thk History ok .Voair Covniy.
Residence of Jolui l'"ish,
UesideMi'i> of .V, A'. Fish.
HcsiileiKH' of \\'aU(>r F. I'ish, .Kirksville
Biographical. 485
JOHN FISH was born in DeKalb County, Illinois, May 10, 1840, being a son
of John and Eleanor Fish. He was married January 1, 1879, to Eliza J, Bushe>- of
Greentop, Missouri, born January- 31, 1860. She is a daughter of Joseph and Anges
Bushey, They have five children: \\'alter E,, born September 16, ISSO; Albert \',,
April 11, 1883; Clarence M., March S, 1885; Melvin E., October 12, I8.S(i; Elsie
May, January 28, 1888,
Mr. Fish began railroading in 1866, continuing until 1889, when he moved to
the farm and remained there till 1906, He then entered the real estate business
Ml Kirksville, in which enterprise he is still engaged. He came to .Vdair County
in 1894, Mr, Fish is a Republican, a member of llie Melliodist Ei)iscopal church,
and belongs to the I, O, O, F, lodge.
ALBERT V. FISH, son of John and Eliza J. Fish, was born at Kirksville, Mis
souri, April 11, lS8:j. He was married Marcli 1, 1908, to Lena Pearl Dodson, daugh-
(er of P. M. and Rosa Dodson, They have two children: Avera Leolin, bom Feb
ruary 10, 1909; Herald Ivan, March 24, 1910.
Mr, Fish came from the farm in 1899, and entered the State Normal School
at Kirksville, Missouri, attending a little less tlian four years. He taught the Rural
Dell school in 1903. It is about nine miles east of Kirksville, For about three years
lie was again on the farm, then engaged in the real estate business in Kirksville in
1906. The firm is known as Fish & Sons. He is still ;., member of that firm.
Mr, Fish is a Republican, u, member of the American Voeman Lodge, and be
longs to the Methodist Episcopal church.
WALTER E. FISH, son of .John and Eliza J, Fish, was born at Greentop, Mis
souri, September 16, 1880, He was married February 24, 1909, to Isabelle Shoop,
daughter of Reveren<l James H. and Cass>- Shoop. They have one child, Nell ^'i^'-
ian, born .Vpril 1, 1911.
Mr, Fish left the farm in 1899, and came to Kirksville, entering the State Nor
mal School. He attended a little less than four years. For one year he served as
principal of a school at lievier, Missouri, While thei'e he organized the Young Men's
Christian .Association, and was its first general secretary. In October, 1905, he accepted
the position of Membership Secretary and Boys' AA'ork Director of the South Side
Branch, Y. M, C. .-V., SI. TiOuis, Missotui, In the spring of 1906 he came to Kirks-
\-iIIe, entering the real estate business. The same year the present firm, Fish & Sons,
was organized. In September, 1007, he was appointed Pastor of the Methodist
Episcopal church at Greentop, Missotn-i, the jilace of his birth and childhood. He
was appointed in 1908 to the 'A'A'aconda, M. E, charge, in the Missouri Conference
in Clark Countv, which position he resigned Max- 2, 1910, in order to bring his wife
(o the Grim A- Grim hospital in Kirksville. .At this time he resumed his place in the
firm of Fish A Sons, and is at present abstracting and doing general office AVork.
Mr. Fish is a Republican, and ;i member of the M. AA". A. lodge.
R. DAVIDSON was born in Holmes County, Ohio, October 1, 1839. His pa
rents were James and Elizabeth Davidson. He was married to Miss Harriet Schrack,
daughter of Henry and Mary Schrack, November 25, 1860, They have seven chil
dren: AA'illiam .A., born October 22, 1861; Mary J., bom August 15, 1863;Elmer
K., born December 22, 18(i8; Nora, born March 25, 1871; Lorinda, born November
17, 1873; James H., born August 14, 1876; and Charles F,, born October 22, 1881,
Mr, Da\'idson owns one-half block of land in Brashear. He came to .\dair County
November 25, 1869. He is Republican in politics, a member of the Christian church,
and belongs to the I. O. O, F,
George Walter Ridgway
>X^'
r
w^
'.%
"M
Edward Everett Swain
^'^o>,J'-^mm^
H. Bamburg
Biographical. 487
GEORGE WALTER RIDGWAY was born on a farm in Randolph County,
Missouri, April 27, 1879, being a son of John J, and Mary (AVhite) Ridgway. He
was married July 17, 1908, at Kansas City, to Anabel Taylor, daughter of Charles
and Katherine (Miller) Taylor. They have two children: Katharine Louise, two
years old, and Ruth, 6 months old,
Mr. Ridgway worked on the farm until seventeen years old, attending Fairview
rural school, Randolph County, during the six months fall and Avinter, He then at
tended Sturgeon High School and the Columbia Normal Academy, graduating from
the last named institution in May, 1899. Then entering the Missouri State Uni-
A-ersity, at Columbia, in 1900, he took the A. B, degree in 1904, winning the Stephens
Medal in oratory. In the meantime he taught three terms in the rural schools of
Missouri. After graduation he was principal of the Centralia High School, at Cen
tralia, Missouri, for two years, where he learned the printer's trade in the office of
the Centralia Courier. Becoming business manager of the Columbia, Missouri, Her
ald, in November, 1906, he was associated with Walter Wilhams, now Dean of the
Missouri School of Journalism. He remained in the management of that paper
until January, 1908, then came to Kirksville, Missouri, accepting the position of
business manager of the Daily Express. In November, 1909, he became a, partner
with E. E. Swain in the purchase of that publication, assuming editorial charge.
Later he sold his interest in that paper to E. E. Swain, retiring June 15, 1911.
He is a member of the Christian church.
EDWARD EVERETT SWAIN was born at Ewing, Franklin County, lUinois,
being a son of H. V. J. and Clara (Harrison) Swain, He was married in 1907 to Har
riet S. Ryrie, of Alton, Illinois. Mrs. Swain is a daughter of John A. and Elizabeth
(Stanton) Ryrie. They have one child — Edward Everett, Jr.
Mr. Swain received his early education in the Franklin County public schools.
His family moved to Upper Alton, Illinois, in 1897, where he was a student ot Shurt-
leff College, graduating with the A. B. degree. Upon his graduation he entered news
paper work in Rochester, New York, working for the Herald two years, one year as
political reporter. He then went to St, Louis and worked in the offices of the Globe-
Democrat, a little later becoming night editor of the Associated Press, at St, Louis,
After a year and a half there he went to East St, Louis, Illinois, as editor of the Daily
News, A year later he was in St. Louis on the Republic, and for almost a year served
as copy editor and head-line writer for the Post-Dispatch. In November, 1909,
he formed a partnership with Walter Ridgway, purchasing the Kirksville Daily
Express from C. C. Howard. In the spring of 1911, he purchased Mr. Ridgway's
interest in the paper, assuming control in June.
Mr. Swain is independent politioallj'. He is a member of the Baptist church.
H. B.\MBURG is a native of Boone County, Iowa, born in that state Sep
tember 4, 1871. He was educated in the public and high schools of Chicago and
graduated from the Bryant and Stratton Commercial College. Foe seven years he
was manager of one of the largest clothing stores in Chicago. In 1904 he came to
Kirksville, Missouri, and established the B. & F. store. He caters to clothing and
furnishings for men and boys, and carries only high-class garments.
Mr. Bamburg was married November 14, 1893, to Bertha Fishel, a daughter of
S, Fishel, They have two children — Jerome and Dorothy. Mr. Bamburg is a
member of the Masonic, K. of P., Elks, Yeomen and Foresters' lodges, and is secre
tary of the Kirksville Business Men's League.
488
The History of Adair County.
Mr. and Mrs, C. D. Cooper and Children
Residence of Nelson Ebert, near BuUi!
Biographical. 489
CHESTEEN D. COOPER was born in Sangamon County, Illinois, November
8, 1845, a son of Isaac and Kezia Cooper. He married Miss Sarah J, Glaze, daughtr
of Christian and Susan Glaze, January 6, 1870. They have nine children: Min
nie M., born November 4, 1870, now Mrs. C. D, Thompson; Lola, June 26, 1873,
now Mrs. Thomas Elz; Isaac, August 6, 1875; Amanda E,, August 29, 1877, now
Mrs. E. J, Betts; Sarah A., October 30, 1879, now Mrs, John Myers; Chesten D,,
December 21, 1881; Oscar AV,, August 5, 1885; Elza S., July 26, 1.S8S; and James
I., July 7, 1893. They also reared one child, a nephew, Edward S, Blair, born Au
gust 27, 1888. The children are all living, and all married except James I,
Mr, Cooper farmed in Illinois till the spring of 1874, He then came to Adair
County, where he has since lived continuously on the farm he now OAvns. It con
sists of 120 acres, two and one-half miles northeast of Adair, He also owns an in
terest in 126 acres of land in the same neighborhood,
Mr, Cooper and his family are members of the Christian church. He is a loyal
Democrat, Mrs. Cooper was born in Brown County, Ohio May 24, 1852, a daugh
ter of Christian and Susan Glaze.
NELSON EBERT, a native of Pickaway County, Ohio, was born March 21,
1846. He was married March 23, 1869, to Martha Girton, daughter of Isaac and
Catherine Girton. Mrs. Ebert was also born in Pickaway County, Ohio, September
21, 1840, They had four children: Oscar C, born in Ohio, August 17, 1870; Wil
liam E,, bom in Ohio, February 7, 1872; Myrtle I,, born in Adair County, Mis
souri, December 14, 1873, now Mrs. H. T. Hall; Maple F., born in Adair County,
December 24, 1876, All the children are married.
Mr. Ebert was born and reared on a farm in Ohio. He lived there till 1872,
then moved with his family to this county, where he has since lived. At present he
owns a farm, near Bullion, consisting of 120 acres, well improved, where he has lived
since 1884, He is a Republican, and a member of the Christian church.
A. E. CALLISON was born March 5, 1868, at Shibley's Point, Adair County.
His parents were James AV. and Rebecca (Sallade) Callison. On December 25, 1890,
he was married to Miss Ada E. True, a daughter of James and Elizabeth (Shibley)
True. They have one child, — Avis E., bom September 21, 1891.
Mr, Callison was reared on a farm in this county, where he remained till grown.
He attended the public schools and took a course in the Missouri State Normal, at
KirksA'ille. For ten years he was engaged in teaching, farming a portion of the time.
From 1891 to 1897 Mr, Callison was in the mercantile business at Queen City and
Winigan, Mo. He sold out his business there, followed teaching and farming till
1900, and since then has been engaged entirely in farming. He owns 100 acres, six
miles east of Kirksville. The farm is well improved. He does general farming and
stock feeding, -Mr, Callison is a Repubhcan and a member of the M. W. A.
CHARLES ALLRED was born in Hancock County, Illinois, July 14, 1865.
He is a son of Enoch Allred, an early pioneer of the county, coming to Adair County,
Missouri, from Monroe County, in 1840, Mr, Allred was bom in Illinois where his
father had gone during the Civil War. In 1866 they returned to Adair County,
-where Charles has since lived. He is a barber by profession and has a fine shop in
the National Bank building. He has been a barber for about twenty-eight years.
Mr. Allred was married to NeUie Spry, a daughter of John and Mollie Spry, Sep
tember 16, 1887. They have three children: Lola M., born MaA- 4, 1888; John L.,
October 4, 1892; Russell, December 17, 1895.
490
The History of Adair County.
Residence of Judge C. E. Markey, one mile north Kirksville
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Residence of ;\Irs, E. A. McDanield, Kirksville
Biographical. 491
JUDGE C. E. MARKEY, son of John D. and Margaret S. (Zimmerman) Mar-
kay, was born September 3, 1851, in Frederick County, Maryland. He was united
in marriage June 15, 1876, to Lyda Beeman, daughter of Otho H. and Catharine
Beeman. They had four children, three of whom are living: Minnie A., born May
19, 1880, now Mrs. J. A, Barger of Kansas City, Kansas; Edward P,, December 3,
1881, who lives at Los Angeles, California; Byron H., September 19, 1891; Ora
Mabel, born September 18, 1878, died April 24, 1887.
Mr. Markey moA-ed to Iowa -with his parents when only six months old. In
1857 his father moved to Adair County, Missouri, purchasing a farm near AA'illmath-
ville. Here he lived till 1866, then moved to a farm just north of Kirksville. Mr.
Markey lived there with his parents till his marriage, then bought his present farm,
one mile north of Kirksville, where he now lives. He has 100 acres ot land and a
beautiful home, everything well improved. He is in the dairy business, and raises
Jersey cows.
In 1904 Mr, Markey was elected Judge of the First District, and re-elected in
1906. He is Republican, and takes an active part in politics; belongs to the Meth
odist Episcopal church, and the Masonic and K, of P, lodges,
MRS. E. A. McDANIELD was bom in Wappello County, Iowa, February 5,
1851. She came to Adair County, Missouri, with her parents, William and America
Rich in 1857. She was twice married. On the 15th of March, 1870, she married
William C. Coons, They had two children: Lillian Pauline, now Mis. P, E. I\lc-
Carty of Kansas City, Missouri; and Earle George, also of Kansas City. Her sec
ond marriage was to Hugh F. McDanield, on September 9, 1884, who died at their
home in Fayetteville, Arkansas, .June 29, 1888, They had no children.
After her husband's death she returned to Kirksville and improved the eighty
acres she had inherited of the old Home Farm, originally 240 acres, purchased in
1857, where she has since resided. Thirty-seven acres are inside the corporation of
Kirksville. She has one of the pretty suburban homes. A cut of it is given herewith.
ALBERT R. GEIST was born and reared on a farm in Macon Countj-, ^lis-
souri- There he lived till 1901, spending most of his time in coal mining. He then
went to Colorado'for one year, as prospector for a large mining company, then re
turned to Macon County, living there till 1904. At that time he came to .Adair
CountA', and engaged in work in the mines at Novinger several 3'ears. Since that
time he has engaged in the restaurant business at Greencastle, Edgemont, South Da
kota, and Stahl, Missouri. He is still engaged in that work at Stahl, coming there
in 1910. Mr. Geist was born March 10, 1875, a son of Aaron and Mary Geist. He was
married December 28, 1896, to Susanna Morris, daughter of Shedrick and ^^lary
]AIorris. They have four children: Beulah, born May 11, 1899; Geneva, January
14, 1901; Mary, November 16, 1903; Walter, August 24, 1907.
He is a Socialist in politics and a member of the K. of P. lodge.
CHARLES A. CHADWICK was bom in Knox County, Missouri, June 22,
1869. He is a son of John M. and Helen (Cantuberry) Chadwick. He was mar
ried October 26, 1893, to Emir McCreery, daughter of James and Eliza McCreery.
They have two children: James AA'arren, born March 17, 1895; Russel M., July
15, 1900. Mr. Chadwick comes of old Missouri stock. His grandfather settled in Knox
492
The History' of Adair County.
Charles A. Chadwick
Residence of Charles A, Chadwick, Kirksville
494 The History of Adair County.
County in 1842. Mr. Chadwick was bom on the farm on which his grandfather
settled after coming to this state, and lived there with his parents until twenty years
old, attending the public schools. He then left home and started in business for
himself, going to in Brashear 1890, where he served an apprenticeship as a plasterer,
and worked at his trade several years. In 1894 he went into the hardware business
in that place. He has always been active in public enterprises. When elected
county collector he moA'ed to Kirksville where he has since resided. His term of
office expired March 1, 1911. He is an ardent Republican and has always taken a
very active parts in pohtics, haAdng served as committeeman from his town for a
number of years. He and his wife are both members of the Methodist church. He
was appointed postmaster October 1, 1900, of Brashear, and served seven years and
tliree months. He resigned January 1, 1907, to take charge of the collector's office.
DR. MORRIS EDWIN DERFLER, a native of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania,
was born May 27, 1872. He is a son of Euhart and Catherine Derfler. Euhart
Derfler, the father, was born in Stamback, Bavaria, Germany, February 2, 1845,
and came to America when six months old. His parents settled in Pennsj-lvania,
He served in the Union Army during the Civil War. On January 31, 1871, he was
married to Catherine Novinger, daughter of Joseph Novinger, and niece of John
NoA'inger, the founder of the town known as Novinger, They had one daughter
and three sons: Morris Ed-win, Harry Darlington, George Walker, Anna Elizabeth.
Dr, Derfler came from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania to Adair County, Missouri,
with his parents in the spring of 1881. He attended the pubhc schools of Harris
burg and NoA'inger district. He graduated from the Missouri State Normal School
at Kirksville in 1902, and spent nine years in teaching in the public schools of Mis
souri. He was principal of the Brashear school, Brashear, Missouri, from 1896 to
1898; principal at Hurdland, Missouri, 1898 to 1901; Superintendent of the Gilliam
public schools from 1902 to 1905, He then attended the Missouri State Uni\'ersity,
obtaining a Rollins Scholarship in medicine in 1908; graduated from the Medical
School of Washington University, St. Louis, in 1909, and the same year located in
Novinger, Missouri, for the practice of his profession. In 1898 he was married to
Odella May Moore. They have one daughter, Marion Kathryn.
He is a Democrat, and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
GEORGE W. EVANS, a native of Peoria, Ilhnois, was born August 2, 1849.
He is a son of George and Martha Evans. He was married to Elizabeth Bailey,
daughter of James and Ann Bailey, at Moberly, Missouri, on July 2, 1870. They have
five children living and two dead: Etta, born January 1, 1872, now Mrs. Thomas
MoKinstry (her husband was killed in the Burlington and Rock Island wreck, Sep
tember 15, 1910, on his engine); John A., born December 25, 1874; Wilham J.,
October 28, 1876 (he was killed in a mine explosion at Delugah, Colorado, November
8, 1910. He was superintendent of the mines at time of explosion, trying to save the
lives of the employees in the mine.); Daisy, born June 20, 1880, now Mrs. Ben Black-
ledge, he is engineer Iowa & St. Louis R. R.;Charles F., July 24, 1887; George W.,
Jr,, April 14, 1900; Walter A., May 17, 1903, died September 10 same year.
Mr. EA'ans remained in Illinois till 1868, then went to Iowa for a little over a
year. He moved from there to Randolph County, where he remained eight years
in the mining business. In 1894 he went to Putnam County, where he was super
intendent of the Emporia Coal & Coke Company. He moved to Unionville re
maining till 1900, then came to Adair County, accepting the position of general
Biographical.
495
Dr. Morris Edwin Derfler
496 The History of Adair County.
superintendent of the Manufacturers Coal & Coke Company, with headquarters
at Connelsville. The company owns three mines at Connelsville and two at Nov
inger. The main headquarters of the company are at Chicago, A.E. Harper being
the president. Mr. Evans is a member of the K. of P, lodge.
GEORGE W. DERFLER, son of Euhart and Catherine (Novinger) Derfler,
was born January 9, 1881, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. He was united in marriage
to Bessie Andrews, daughter of John AV. and Sue Andrews, January 1, 1905.
Mr, Derfler came to Adair County with his parents in 1881 and settled near
Novinger. He attended the pubhc school at that place and in 1900 and 1901 took a
course at a business college at Quincy, Illinois. For four years he was bookkeeper
for the Miller Mercantile Company at Novinger, then accepted a position with the
Rombauer Coal Company, first as bookkeeper, then as accountant and cashier,
which position he held until 1910, when he resigned to accept a position with the Burk
Bros. Meat and Provision Company, at Kirksville, Missouri. He is also a stockholder
in that company. He is Democrat in politics, and a member of the K. of P. lodge.
GEORGE B. EASLEY, a native of Rush ville, Schuyler County, Illinois, was
born December 10, 1854, a son of Thomas M. and Sarah A, Easley. He was mar
ried December 26, 1878, to Alice M. Spencer, daughter of J. M. and Laura A. Spen
cer. They have two children: Foster R., born November 28, 1880; Hattie May,
November 3, 1882. Foster R. married Lola Workman, and is now in business at
Brashear. Hattie is now Mrs. W. H. Young- of Gibbs, Missouri.
Mr. Easley came to Adair County in 1855, and remained for two years. He
then went to Macon County for four years; lived in Kirksville again for two years
moved to La Plata, remaining two years; then came to Gibbs in 1901, where he has
since resided. He engaged in the hardware and furniture business; but at present
is in insurance and notary work. He is a Republican, a member of the Christian
church, and belongs to the Masonic order.
F. R. MOORE, son of J. M. and C. A. Moore, was bora March 29, 1883, at
Brashear, Missouri, He remained with his parents on the farm till eleven years old,
then moved with them to Gibbs, Missouri. He lived there five years, then moved
to Brashear. Entering the Brashear News office, he learned the printer's trade,
working with C, C. Howard. Later, at Hurdland and other places, he worked at
his trade, taking a course in Oak Lawn College while at Hurdland. He was foreman
of the Sentinel office at Edina for a short time, then in 1906 purchased the Brashear
News, Avhich he has since edited and conducted.
LEWIS F. MOODY was born near Kirksville, June 28, 1856. He is a son
of Ansalum and Sophia (Laton) Moody. He was united in marriage April 10, 1888,
to Mary L. Teter, born in Randolph County, June 17, 1870. Mrs. Moody was a
daughter of Saul and Rebecca J, (Kitchen) Teter. They have no children.
Mr. Moody was reared on a farm about two miles north of Kirksville, where he
lived till grown. He has lived and farmed in this coimty all his life, except eight
years spent in Macon, from 1888 to 1897. At present he owns a farm of abolit 100
acres, five miles east of Kirksville, where he has liA'ed for the past fourteen years.
Mr. Moody is a Republican, and he and his wife both belong to the Christian
church. Mr. Moody's father for several years was collector of Salt River township,
and was an active minister of the Christian church for many years.
Biographical.
497
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George B. Easley
F. R, Moore
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis F. Moody and Residence 5 mi. E. Kirksville
498
The History- of Adair Coun'ty.
o
o
Biographical. 499
GEORGE W. CONKLE was born in Ashland County, Ohio, July 19, 1842.
In 1857 he moved from the farm where he was reared, coming to Adair County with
his parents, Jacob and Sarah (Bartlett) Conkle. On December 21, 1871, Mr. Con
kle was married to Miss Anna E. Steele, a native of AA'ashington County, Maryland.
Mrs. Conkle was born August 6, 1842. She was a daughter of AA'ilham C. and Mary
M. (Hetzer) Steele. She came to Adair County in 1859.
Just before his marriage, Mr. Conkle bought a farm in the section where his
parents settled, north of Brashear, and lived there till his death. He was killed
November 13, 1902, on the streets of Brashear, by his son-in-law, Mr. Robertson,
who was afterwards executed for the deed. The farm is still owned by his widow
and son. The}' have 120 acres, one-half mile north of Brashear.
Mr. and ^Irs. Conkle had three children: Bertha M., born May 5, 1873, now
Mrs. Bertha Robertson; Nelson R., born September 10, 1878, lives in North Da
kota; Dora E., born November 2, 1881, now Mrs. John Scott, of near Brashear,
JAIr. Conkle was a member of the G. A. R.
ALLEN G. McCLELLAND, son of J. C. and Ehzabeth (Fox) McClelland,
was born July 12, 1860, in Mercer CountA', ^lissouri. He was married September
7, 1884, to Mary N. Boyd, daughter of Charles and Susan (Atkinson) Boyd. They
have tAveh'e children liA'ing, one dead: Alva Earl, born June 29, 1884, died Decem
ber 17, 1888; Enola B,, September 15, 1887; John J., December 1, 1889; Frances
E., December 29, 1891; Charles B., November 16, 1893; Robert B., September 15,
1895; AA^ilham AV., May 29, 1897; Mary M., April 25, 1899; James C, December
22, 1900; Allen G, Jr,, November 8, 1902; ^ladge N., July 12, 1907; Geanell E.,
April 20, 1909. Mrs. McClelland was born June 6, 1864, at Lineville, Iowa.
Mr. McClelland moved \vith his parents to Decatur, Iowa, when only one year
old. They liA'ed there two years, then went to Fairfield, Iowa, remaining there until
the spring of 1866, when they mo\'ed to Adair County, Missouri. He hved at home
till about gro-wn, then went into the railroad train ser\ice, working tor several differ
ent companies. He worked at this for thirteen years, then in February, 1889, quit
railroading, returned to Adair County, and resumed the occupation of farming. He
has been here since that time. In 1904 he formed a partnership with Dr. Hallada}',
in his big farm. They own 480 acres, eight miles northeast of Kirksville, The
home is no doubt the best countr}' home in this county, or one of the best in North
Missouri. It has twelve rooms besides basement, all of them large. It is thoroughly
modern in every way, haAdng its own light, heat and water plants. There are two
bath rooms, concrete walks, fountains, etc. He raises Shorthorn and Hereford cat
tle (running a dairy), and Berkshire hogs.
LEWIS GREGG, son of Andrew and Virginia (AA'orkman) Gregg, was born
April 16, 1860, in Adair Count}-, near Gibbs. He was married to INIiss Mary Long,
October 18, 1893. His -wife is also a native of Adair County. She was bom Decem
ber 27, 1868, a daughter of George and Mary (Barr) Long. They had four children:
."Andrew G, born November 22, died December 24, 1894; Esther, born March 19,
1897; Robert L., September 29, 1901; Charles B., January 11, 1905.
Born and reared on a farm near where he now liA'es, he remained at home till
gro-wm and has always lived in the same neighborhood. He owns a farm of 220 acres,
his brother B, F, Gregg being a partner in the business. It is situated twelve miles
500
The History of Adair County.
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Biographical. 501
southeast of Kirksville and is a splendid farm. He does general farming and stock
raising. Mr. Gregg belongs to one of the oldest families in the count}-. He is Republi
can in politics.
THOMAS J. DOCKERY, a son of John and Mary Docker}-, was born in Law
rence County, Indiana, August 28, 1845. He was married to Mi.'-s Julia E, Linder,
September 26, 1867. Mrs. Dockery is a daughter of Rev. Jame-i H, and Salome
Linder. They have three children: Ethel Ardella, now Mrs. George A. Still; Leota
Lilhan, and Juha Estelle.
Mr. Dockery came to Adair County July 4, 1855. He owns 2,400 acres of land.
He has also built and owns several of the most substantial business houses in Kirks
ville, including the Dockery Hotel,
Responding to Lincoln's first call for troops in 1861, he served until Novem
ber, 1864, Mr, Dockery taught school and lived on a farm till 1876, Avhen he was
elected County Surveyor and moved to Kirksville, He served eight years as Sur
veyor and Bridge Commissioner, superintending the building of the Chariton River
bridges near Youngstown and Connelsville, For thirty years he has been engaged
in real estate and abstract business.
Prominent in Repubhcan politics both in county and state, Mr. Dockery has
been a delegate to the National Republican Convention in 1900, many times a dele
gate to the State Convention; has serA'ed eight years as County Chairman; several
terms as a City Councilman; and was twice elected Mayor of Kirksville. He be
longs to five fraternal organizations: G, A. R., Masons, Knights Templar, Elks
and Odd Fellows:
ULYSSES G. DOWNING was bom in Sullivan County, Missouri, March 4,
1869, being a son of David T. and Jane C. DoAvning. He was united in marriage
April, 1893, to Edna Baker, daughter of George W, and Lenora Baker. Mrs. Down
ing was born at Princeton, Mercer County, Missouri, January 16, 1874. After
their marriage they lived at Green City, the place of Mr. Downing'.? birth, for several
years. They have seven children: Mabel L., born April 15, 1894; AVilliam Earl,
March 21, 1896; Basil U., August 12, 1898; Daisy Mildred, April 27, 1901; Ada
Rosamond, January 1, 1904; Thelma Virginia, February TO, 1907; Mary Loretta,
April 5, 1910. The first three children were born at Green City, Missouri, the oth
ers at Kirksville.
Mr. Downing was raised on a farm, and attended the public school. He taught
for five years after he was grown. He is an ardent Republican in politics, and was
elected to the office of county collector November, 1910. He belongs to the Meth
odist church, and the Odd Fellows lodge,
WILLIAM O. CREASON, a native of Audrain County, Missouri, was born
July 11, 1874, His parents were George H. and Mary A. (McClenny) Creason.
He was rnarried August 7, 1898, to Miss Berdine Lacock. They have one child
—Willard G, bom August 12, 1903.
When only six years old, William Creason moved with his parents to Livings
ton County, where he was reared. He attended the pubhc schools and took a course
at old Avalon College. When eighteen years old he left home and went to Kansas
City. Here he worked for the street car company in the day time and attended bus
iness college at night, taking a course in stenography. He was stenographer for
502
The History of Adair County.
Thomas J. Docker-i
Biographical.
503
Residence of Thomas J. Dockery, Kirks\il!e
V. G. Downing County Collector
AA'. O. Creason
504 The History of Adair County.
E, R, Cowen Lumber Company at Kansas City for a short tim-e'^ thferf Avent to Lousi-
ana and took charge of the wholesale lumber interests for a company there. He next
went into the oil business at Beaumont, Texas; then back to Kansas City, taking
charge of the wholesale orders of the Long, Bell Lumber Company; then to Kirksville
in 1904, where he organized the Adair County Lumber Company, and was taade man
ager. This company at one time had nine different yards, one being at Kirksville
and one at Novinger. On January 1, 1911, he sold out his interests here and bought
a wholesale plant near Little Rock, Arkansas. His family is still in Kirksville. The
lumber plant he bought comprises 5,500 acres, about 600 acres being in cultivation.
Mr. Creason is interested in various other busine,ss enterprises and is a, direc
tor in the Kirksville Building and Loan Association, He belongs to the Elks lodge,
and was largely responsible for their new club building erected in this city.
TYLER PAINE is a native of Mercer County, Pennsylvania, bom February
22, 1856, His parents were Stephen and Elvira Paine. He was married December
30, 1897, to Estelle Hull, daughter of William and Lavina A. Hull. They have two
children: Stephen M., born May 15, 1899; Mildred E., March 18, 1901.
Mr. Paine was reared on a farm. He attended the pubhc school and took a
course in surveying in Thiol College, Greenville, Pennsylvania. He taught school
and followed his profession till 1887, then came to this county. For six years after
coming here he farmed, then in 1892 was elected County Surveyor. He has served
in this office and as road and bridge commissioner and highway engineer since his
first election. He is also interested in farming and owns a farm of 407 acres, six
miles northeast of Kirksville. He is a director and stockholder of the Citizens Bank,
was a member of the City Council six years, and City Engineer for two years,
Mr. Paine is a prominent Odd Fellow, also belonging to the M. AA^ A. and Elk
lodges. His wife is a prominent Rebekah and a memljer of the Presbyterian church.
He is a Republican.
THOMAS A. HULSE, a native of Yorkshire, England, was born February
24, 1849, a son of Thomas and Betty (Shirett) Hulse. He was married Jul}- 31,
1870, to Carohne E, Linder, daughter of James H, and Salome F, (Baker) Linder.
They had nine children, only four of whom are hving: . Lavinia, born July 5, 1871,
died December 22, 1875; Richard A., May 18, 1873, died July 31, 1874; Stella, Au
gust 15, 1877, died March 2, 1889; Minnie, September 11, 1879; Juha E., January
14, 1881, died January 2, 1910; WaHer H., September 23, 1882; Bertha, February
18, 1889, died August 15, 1889; Lola L., July 1, 1890; Eari A., December 3, 1893.
Minnie is now Mrs, Emery D, Waddill. Julia was married May 16, 1906, to Marion
H. Chambers. Walter was married May 10, 1908, to Pearl Talbert.
Mr. Hulse came to America in August, 1868, landing in Adair County soon after.
The next year he went to farming in Walnut township. He continued that occupa
tion till 1900, when he moved to Kirksville. He still owns the farm, in partnership
with Charies Millbank. It consists of 190 acres, three miles south of Kirksville.
Mr. Hulse is a Republican in politics. In 1894 he was elected county assessor
and served two terms. In 1909 he was elected city assessor. He belongs to the
Elks lodge.
Biographical.
50,'>
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506
The History of Adair County.
00
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Biographical. 507
T. E. MALONE was bom in Macon County, Missouri, December 20, 1862,
being a son of Charles H. and Sarah Malone. He was married November 5, 1 96,
to Minnie A. AVoods, daughter of Asa and Leah Woods. They have two children:
Esther, bom October 11, 1897; Harold, March 2, 1902.
Mr. Malone came to Adair County, Missouri, with his parents when two years
old, and has since made this his home. He has a fine farm of 270 acres, eight miles
northeast of La Plata. He makes a specialty of sheep feeding and breeding regis
tered Aberdeen Angus cattle. He is a Repubfican in politics.
THOMAS MILLER was born and reared on a farm in Adair County, Missouri,
r.ear the Macon County line, not far from the present city of Gifford. His father died
when he was only two years old. He lived with his mother till grown, then mar
ried and started farming for himself. He has been engaged in that occupation since,
with the exception of four years, from 1872 to 1876, which he spent in Kansas City
in the flour milling business. In 1876 he returned to Adair County and bought his
present farm where he has since liA-ed. It is only one-half mile north of -where he
ivas born. Part of his present farm was entered by his father when he came to Adair
County. Mr. Miller handles Polled Angus cattle, Poland China hogs and fine horses.
He was bom December 11, 1852, a son of Washington and Grace (Broyles) ^Mil-
]er. On 2^Ia}- 21, 1893, he was married to Emma Fusion, daughter of Albert and
Eliza (McVey) Fuston. Mrs. Miller was born in Putnam County September 9,
]S76. They have eight children: Ernest, born March 11, 1894; A'ernon, September
26, 1895; Ethel, July 31, 1897; Ahce, February 3, 1899; Andrew, December 16,
1900; Cynthia J., April 22, 1902; Roscoe, June 18, 1905; Manford C, December
30, 1909. Air. Miller owns 280 acres of land. He is a Democrat.
IRWIN DAVIS Avas born in Fairmont, Clark C/Ounty, Missouri, November 12,
1n72. Air. Davis married Miss Pearl Cookson, June 15, 1895. In May, 1904, he
established the Cornice" and Tank AA'^orks, on North Frankfin Street, in Kirksville,
which establishment has grown so large that it requires most of the time of several
men to keep the products manufactured, ready to fill orders. This company ships
its products not only to various parts of Missouri, but many orders are coming in
continually from other states.
He is a Democrat in politics and is an active member of the Chapter and Blue
Lodge in Alasonry.
CHARLES F. HOLLENBECK, a native of Herkimer County, New York,
was bom August 6, 1850, a son of Francis and Margaret (Emery) HoUenbeck. He
was married August 23, 1870, to Hulda Hunsaker, daughter of Bradford and Lao
(Stice) HunSaker. They have two children: De Loss AA^, born February 9, 1876;
Auda E., August 10, 1878. One child, a daughter, Clara E., born August 16, 1873,
died December 20, 1873.
Mr. HoUenbeck came to Adair County with his parents in April, 1868. His
father bought a, farm, and he lived at home till grown and married. Besides farm
ing, he has also worked at blacksmithing, wagon making and carpentering. Of late
years he has devoted his entire attention to farming. He and his wife and son De
Loss, Avho makes his home with his parents, own 120 acres, three and one-half miles
southeast of Kirksville. The farm is well improved, and their home is very pretty.
It is a part of the old Hunsaker homestead, on which Mrs. HoUenbeck was born.
Mr. HoUenbeck is a Prohibitionist in politics, and a member of the Christian
church .
508
The History of Adair County.
Farm Scene and Residence of Thomas Miller, near Gifford
Biographical.
509
5' U
oc
510
The History of Adair County.
Hon. Samuel M. Pickler, Representative of Adair County
Biographical. 511
SAMUEL M. PICKLER was born in Washington County, Indiana, in Novem
ber, 1846. His parents were George and Emily Pickler. When six years old he
moved with them to Davis County, Iowa, where he grew to manhood and resided
until 1866. He then came to KirksviUe, Missouri, After coming to Missouri he
entered the private Normal School at Kirksville, taking an advanced course of study,
and assisting as a member of the faculty. When this institution became a State
Normal Mr. Pickler was made a regular member of the faculty, continuing in that
position till 1873. He then turned his attention to journalism and for eight years
thereafter was editor and proprietor of the Kirksville Journal, He has been a suc
cessful merchant, lumber contractor and land owner.
Mr. Pickler has one daughter living — Mrs, F. P. Young; and one son deceased
— Erie Kasson, who died at the age of twelve years. His present wife was formerly
Ida Martin Fowler. Th( late Hon. J. A. Pickler, who served four terms in Congress,
coming from South Dakota, Hon. R. M. Pickler, District Judge in Kansas, and Dr.
E. C. Pickler, of Minneapolis, are brothers of S. M. Pickler.
Mr, Pickler was elected to the Missouri State Legislature four times as repre--
sentative from Adair County. He served in the 29th, 39th, 40th, and -46th General
Assemblies. He was nominated for Congress by the Republicans of the First Mis
souri District in 1900, has served as School Commissioner of Adair County, Mayor
of KirksA'ille, and Regent of the First District Normal School at Kirksville.
JAMES HANKS, B. S., M. D., born February 6, 1860, is a native of Adair
County. He was born near Brashear. He was a son of Wesley and Mary (Shelton)
Hanks. He was united in marriage May 14, 1891, to Miss Estella Hopkins, daugh
ter of W. R. and Mary (Barnett) Hopkins, They haye four children: Paul, born
April 28, 1894; Ralph, August 24, 1895; Jean, August 14, 1897; Horace, Septem
ber 6, 1901.
Although born in Adair County, Dr. Hanks moved with his parents just across
the line into Knox County when but a small boy. Here he lived till about grown,
attending the Brashear Academy, and Oaklawn College at Novelty, Missouri, He
then taught school in this and nearby counties for seven years. In 1886 he began
the study of medicine with Dr. S. Ii, Ellis, then at Brashear. He then entered Belle-
vue Hospital Medical College, New York City, from which he graduated in 1890.
Since then he has taken one post-graduate course in New Orleans and one in Cin
cinnati, Ohio. On graduation in 1890 he entered the practice at Brashear, where
he has been continuously since that time. He has one of the best professional libra
ries in North Missouri. Dr. Hanks belongs to the Masonic order.
BENJAMIN A. LINTNER, son of Casper H. and Margaret fllibbetts) Lint-
ner, was born in Adair County, on a farm near Loefler, Missouri. He belongs to one
of the old families of the county. He was married September 16, 1891, to Minerva
Singley, who died January 15, 1903. They had three children; Mabel O., Amy L.,
and Lewis Ij. He was again married February 26, 1904, to Ahce Hartman, daughter
of H. K. Grisham. Mrs. Lintner was a Avidow, having one daughter — Gladys.
Mr. Lintner moved with his parents to Shelby County, Missouri, when ten years
old, lived there three years, then in 1883 moved to, Carthage, Avhere he lived one
year. He lived two years in Allen County, Kansas, one year in Lecompton, then
in 1887 went to Humboldt, Allen County, where he lived till 1890. In the mean
time he attended school and clerked in several stores. He started out for himself
in 1887, as bookkeeper in a bank at Humboldt. In 1890 he went to Kansas City,
512
The History of Adair County.
Mr. and Mrs. B. A. Lintner and scene a.t Sunnysloiie Dairy l.'arn
near Connelsville
Biographical. 513
accepting a position as bookkeeper for S. A. Brown Lumber and Grain Company.
In the summer of 1890 he quit this kind of work on account of bad health, and went
back to his old home where he farmed for three years, buying a farm. He then sold
his farm and was station agent for the O, K. at various places, moving to Green City.
He railroaded tUl 1903, then went to Connelsville, where he works for the Manufac
turers Coal & Coke Company, being chief clerk of accounts. In 1906 he bought a
farm five miles northwest of Connelsville. It is known as Sunnyslope Dairy Farm,
and consists of sixty acres. He conducts a dairy, handling thoroughbred Jersey
{•attle, registered O, I, C. hogs. He is a member of the Masonic lodge.
JOSEPH G. MAGERS, a native of Macon County, Missouri, was born Octo
ber 31, 1851, being a son of Yancey and Matilda (Greer) Magers. He was mar
ried December 31, 1872, to Mary A, Carter, daughter of LeRoy and Harriet (Ste
vens) Carter. Mrs. Magers is also a native of Macon County, born January 17,
1849. They had two children: The oldest child died in infancy; the other, Ada
v., born June 16, 1884, is now the wife of W. C. Bragg, living near Gifford.
Mr, Magers lived on his father's farm in Macon County until Ms marriage,
then went to Texas and farmed for four years. He then returned to Missouri, set
tled in .\dair County, and bought a portion of the farm he now owns, which is just
across the line from Macon County, and one and one-half miles northeast of Gifford.
The farm consists of 280 acres, well improved. He handles Hereford cattle, Poland-
China hogs, fine horses, etc. He has lived there continuously since coming here in
1882. In 1904 he assisted in organizing the Bank of Gifford and was made its presi
dent, which position he now holds. He devotes much attention to his bank, though
still living on the farm. His son-in-law, W. C. Bragg, assists him in running the
farm and lives on a part of it. Mr. Magers is interested in many other business
enterprises, and is president of the Gifford Brick and Tile Company. He is a Dem-
oci-at, it member of the Baptist church, and belongs to the I. O. O. F. and Rebekah
lodges. C. F. HICKMAN was born in Adair County, Missouri, March 11, 1875, being
a son of Joseph and Nellie Hickman. He was married April 1, 1907, to Daisy L.
Ewing, daughter of William and Anna Ewing. They haA'e two children: Anita,
bom March 5, 1908, and Lorin, bom January 27, 1911.
Mr, Hickman owns a farm of 136 acres, situated three miles northeast of Stahl.
He has lived and farmed in Adair County all his hfe. He does general farming and
stock raising, Mr, Hickman is a Repubfican, and a member of the I. O. 0. F. lodge.
OTIS MILLER was born near Hudson, Ohio, May 18, 1834. His parents were
Ransley and Abby MiUer. He was married September 19, 1858, to Nancy D, Sloan
daughter of David E. and Mary A. Sloan. They had nine children: Mary A.,
born June 29, 1859; Minnie V., January 22, 1861, died September 18, 1862; Clara
E., February 28, 1863; Edwin D., September 16, 1866; Letitia A,, May 6, 1868;
Otis, Jr., March 28, 1870; Conrad B,, October 8, 1872; Grace N., July 4, 1877;
Kate E., September 30, 1879.
Mr. MUler moved to Iowa in 1853, going to Hillsboro, coming from there to Kirks
viUe, Missouri, on January 5, 1854. He farmed seven miles northeast of Kirks
viUe until 1899, then retired, came to KirksviUe and buUt a residence. He sold his
farm, which consisted of 140 acres. His residence in KirksviUe was destroyed in
34
514
The History of Adair County.
Scene at the home of J. G. Magers, near Gifford
Biographical.
515
P
^
516 The History of Adair County.
the tornado of April 27, 1899, at which time his wife and daughter received serious
injuries. Mrs. Miller has never recovered from the injuries she received.
He was a member of Company A., 37th Missouri Volunteer Infantry, taking
part in the battle fought at Centraha, Missouri. His Company lost their captain
and fifty-six men in that battle. Mr. MiUer was first sergeant, and it was part of
his duty to report loss of hfe. He enlisted as private, was made Sergeant, later Ser
geant Major, then promoted to Second lieutenant in Company I, 41st Regiment,
Missouri Volunteer Infantry.
He is a Repubhcan, and he and his wife belong to the Christian church. He is
a member of Corporal Dix Post, No. 22, G. A. R.
STEPHEN L. EGGERT was born October 24, 1869, at Clarksburg, Indiana.
He is a son of John and Matilda Eggert. When but a few months old he came to
Adair County, his father having purchased a farm about seven miles northwest of
Kirksville, Here he hved -with his parents till sixteen years of age, when he went to
making railroad ties for eighteen months. He then came to Kirksville and worked
at the trade of plasterer for eighteen years. At the end of that time, in 1903, he
embarked in the cement business, putting in cement walks, etc. In 1909 he also took
up the paving business. He has put in about a mile and a half of paving in Kirks
ville, giving the best of satisfaction. He also does sewer AVork and has extensive con
tracts. Mr, Eggert also has an interest in the Adair County Brick and Coal Company,
and is secretary of the company.
On June 30, 1896, Mr. Eggert married Miss Ida M. Everhart, daughter of Sam
uel and Mary I. Everhart. They have three children: Carl I., born January 25,
1904; Claude S., born December 23, 1906; and Frances May, born Octover 3, 1910.
Mr, Eggert and his. wife are members of the Presybterian church. He is an Elk
and belongs to the K. of P., Maccabee, and M. W. A. lodges.
FRANCIS- HALLER was born in Chester County, Pennsylvania, June 24,
1883. He is a son of Samuel and Esther (Davis). Haller. He came to this county
with liis parents when only eight months old. He has li\'ed with his parents on the
farm continuously since, attending the public schools. When eighteen years old,
he began to make his own living. He has been running a threshing machine and
saw mill which he owns. He is a Republican, and a member of the I, O. O. F,
SAMUEL PETER HALLER, born at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was a son of
Jacob R. and Anna E.(Heintzelman) Haller. He was born September 9, 1834. He
was married in 1869 to Mary James, who died in 1874. They had one child: Charles,
born December 26, 1872. He lives at KirksviUe. Mr. Haller was again married
April 4, 1878, to Esther Davis, daughter of Emmor and Anne (Linton) Davis. They
have three children: Emmor J., born February 22, 1879; Francis, June 21, 1883;
AVUfis D,, November 17, 1884.
When only a year old, Mr. HaUer moved with his parents from Pennsylvania
to Ohio, where he lived fourteen years. He worked at the jewelry trade with his
father, and also learned the baker's trade. He followed these occupations in various
parts of the country until 1852, when he went to Colorado and engaged in the min
ing business till the breaking out of the Civil War. He joined Company H, Second
Colorado Regiment, and served till the end of the conflict. He was Corporal and
Sergeant, and very honorably discharged. After the war, he and his parents came
Biographical.
517
Stephen L. Eggert, KirksviUe
518 The History of Adair County.
to Adair County, and he hved with them tiU their death. He has been engaged m
farming since coming here, buying his present farm in 1884. It is seA'en miles north
east of Kirksville, and consists of 330 acres.
JNIr. Haller comes from a famous family, and is a nephew of the late General
Heintzelman. Mrs. Haller is English, and a descendant of Sir Arthur Linton. They
are of the Quaker faith. Mr. Haller died May 8, 1911.
BENJAMIN F. HALL, a son of Jesse and Marthinia Hall, was born Octo
ber 17, 1841, in AVashington County, Ohio. He was married October 15, 1865, to
Elizabeth Ashby, daughter of Nathan and Elizabeth Ashby. He moved with his
parents to Knox County, lAIissouri, in 1856. In 1862 he enUsted in Company D,,
21st jAIissouri ^'oluntee^ Infantr}-, serving his country until the close of the war.
After his marriage he moved to Brashear, Adair County, Missouri, in 1881, where he
engaged in buying and selling grain and stock until 1884. They then moved to a
farm, one and one-half miles southeast of Brashear. There he lived till his death,
August 1, 1898. The farm, which is now owned by his widow, Mrs. E. .A. Hall, con
sists of 114 acres. He was a Republican in politics, and a. member of the G. A. R,
THOMAS M, LUDDEN, the subject of this sketch, was born in Clinton Coun
ty, Ohio, .Inly 21, 1866, but his parents brought him to Adair Count}- when he was
three }-ears old. They settled in Clay toAvnship before the village of Adair started,
and he grew up there. After attending the common schools, he went to the Kirks
ville State Normal in 1888-9, and afterwards taught in Adair County, going thence
to Alareeline in 1894. In the vicinity of Alarceline he taught the Oldham School
three consecutive years, and was afterwards assistant principal of the Marceline
schools. Locating in Marceline, he has since been identified with educational work
as a member of the Board of Education, to which position he has been elected for
the past twelve years, serving as president of the Board half that time and now being
in that capacit}-. He has .also been city clerk seven }'ears, serving longer in that of
fice than an}- other man elected to it.
Mr. Ludden was married in 1895 to Miss .Anna Hardey, a nati\'e of Ilhnois,
but Avho came to .-Adair County in 1890. To this union have been born se^'en
children, each of whom is living, as foUoAvs: Gervase I., Anna Monica, J. B., Thomas
M., Jr,, Wilma Frances, AA'inifred Cecilia, .and Ernest J.
Mr. Ludden started in the real estate and insur.ance business in Marceline in
1898, and his patronage has steadily increased since that time. It is safe to say
that no man in the town has done more for its advancement, or has been more read}'
to put his shoulder to the Avheel for any good moA'ement, than Mr. Ludden. He has
repeatedly refused public office, though offered him by his part}-, and has only con
sented to scr\-e when he thought that would best serve the communit}-. His parents
Bernard and Anna Ludden, will long be remembered as enrolled among the sterling
pioneers of Adair. He .also had five brothers and four sisters, who look upon Adair
Count}- as their home.
L. W. MARBLE, a native of Cleveland, Ohio, was born July 16, 1850, He was
married July 12, 1910, to Hattie E. Siieeke, of Lincoln, Nebraska. They have no
children. Mr. Marble is a son of L. O, and .-Amanda Marble, He was in the jewelry
business at Aleringo, Iowa, in 1879 and 1880. Prior to that, however, he spent some
time in the photo business at A'inton, Iowa; Lead City, South Dakota; Lincoln, Ne
braska; Spokane, AA'ashington; Denver, Colorado; Omaha, Nebraska. Two years
BIOGR.A.PHICAL.
519
Residence of Mrs. E. A. Hall and half tone of herself and deceased husband,
Benj. F. HaU
520 The History of Adair County.
ago he came to Kirksville. He spent about thirty yeai's in this business.- For
eight years he served as official photographer for the Burliagton RailAvay, While
in KirksviUe he had a studio on the north side of the public square, AA'hich he sold
April 1, 1911, and moved West. Mrs. Marble is also an artist, doing fine AVork in
oil and Avater colors. She is talented and has become noted for her landscapes and
musical talent.
JOHN PATTERSON (deceased) Avas born in Ui-shult, Sweden, July 10, 1831.
He came to America in 1853, living first in Kentucky, then coming to Adair County,
Missouri, in 1855. He entered a large tract of land, seven miles east of Ivii-ksAdlle.
At the time of his death he owned 700 acres in that section, and was one of the big
cattle men of the country, and one of the best known men in North Missouri. Ho
lived on that farm continuously till Ms death, February 25, 1908. He Avas greatly
intei-ested in dairying, Avas president of the State Dairy Association for a number of
years, and lectured over the country extensiA'ely on scientific dairying and farming.
He also wrote a great deal for magazines and papers.
Mr. Patterson was married March 27, 1861, to Ehzabeth Richardson. They
had one chUd — Ginevra, now Mi-s. G. I. Green, who owns and liA'es on the old home
place, consisting of the original 700 acres. His second wife was Maggie Sees; his
third Avife, Jane E. HiU, who lives just east of the old home place.
Mrs. G. I. Green, the only daughtei- of the late "Uncle Johnie Patterson," was
born on the old home place September 2, 1863. She was married September 8, 1880,
to Henry E, Green, who died in 1892, They had two children: Inez, born May
18, 1883, now the wife of Alfred Lodce; Henry E., May 24, 1885, Mr. Locke and
Ms wife, as well as Mrs. Green's son, live with her. and help to conduct the fann,
ALFRED HULSE, son of John and CordeUa (Smith) Hulse, \A'as born Novem
ber 2, 1872, at Troy Mills, Adair County. He was united in marriage December 28,
1898, to Martha Collins, daughter of Bate and Susan (Nichols) Collins. They had
three children, two of whom are living: Cordie, born April 22, 1904; Pearl, Octo-
bei- 12, 1906; Beuna M., October 16, 1899, died Februai-y 4, 1904,
John Hulse, fathei; of Alfred, was running thi? famous old Avoolen factory at
Troy MiUs at the time of the birth of Alfred Hulse. In about a year and one-half,
however, he moved to the farm, giving up the old factory. Hei-e Alfred Hulse lived
¦with Ms parents till ten years old, when they moved to Kirksville, A year later they
went to Shelby County and remained for three yeai-s, then moved to old LinderA'Ule,
He assisted his father for some years in running a store at that place; latei- he mar
ried and began farming in that neighborhood. In 1904 he moved to Yai-row and
carried maU on a route for a time, then in 1906 opened a general store at that place.
He is stiU engaged in that business. '
Mr. Hulse is a Republican in pohtics, and a member of the M. W. of A. lodge.
T. C. LOWERY was born in Ilhnois, Januai-y 30, 1845; He Avas married Mai'oh
12, 1876, to Eunice C. Story, She was bom February 22, 1850, and died November
20, 1908. They had two children: Gertrude, born December 26, 1876, died Decem
ber 21, 1884; Mai-y Ellen, April 30, ISSO, married Cornelius Desmond.
Mr. Lowery came to Adair Couhty, Missouri, about 1901, He owns a fifty acre
farm. He is a Democrat, and was recently elected as Justice of the Peace for Clay
township, Adair County.
Biographical.
521
Residence of Mrs. G. I. Green, the old Patterson home, 7 miles east of Kirksville
Alfred Hulse's Store at Yarrow
522
The History of Adair County.
d
P4
Biographical.
523
The Family and Residence of W. E, Ebert, 6 miles southeast of KirksviUe
524 The History of Adair County.
WILLIAM E. EBERT was bom February 7, 1872, in Pickaway County, OMo.
His parents were Nelson and Martha (Girton) Ebert. He came to tMs county when
only a few months old. He hved at home and helped Ms father on the farm tul
groAvn, then started farming for himself.
On January 23, 1898, Mr. Ebert was married to Miss Flora Gehrke, a daughter
of Henrj' and Minerva (Hart) GeMke. They have one cMld— Myrtle Minerva,
born Febmary 12, 1901.
Mr. Ebert has engaged in farming all Ms life. He bought Ms present farm in
1899. It has since been Ms home. He does general farming and stock feeding. He
is a Republican and a member of the Christian church.
BERT PARRISH, M. D. was born m Queen City, Mo., June 13, 1886. He
is a son of Dr. A. AA'. and Emma (Bartlett) Parrish. He moved from Queen City to
KirksviUe Avith his parents when but eight years old, attended the public schools
KirksA'ille, and read medicine -with Ms father and Dr. Martin. After graduating
from the KirksviUe High School, he took a course in the State Normal School, then
attended the medical department of the Barnes University, of St. Louis. Graduat
ing there in 1908, he returned to KirksviUe, and for a short time practiced with his
father and Dr. Martin. He then took a course in surgical climes, at New York City.
.After completing the course, he returned to Kii-ks\'ille and opened an office in the
MiUer building. He does a general practice, paying special attention to surgery.
He is a member and Adce-president of the State Aledical Association, secretary of
the Adair County Medical Association and a member of the American Association.
Dr. Bert Parrish is a Democrat in politics and a member of the Elks lodge.
JOSEPH E. NOVINGER, son of James H. and Ehzabeth Novinger, was born
in Adair County, Missouri, NoA'ember 17, 1866. He was married November 4,
18.S8, to Mary F. Albright, daughter of John and Nancy Albright. They have no
children. Air. NoA'inger was born and reared on the farm on which he now li\'es, one and
one-fourth miles west of NoA-inger. He lived at home with Ms parents till grown,
then married and went to farming for Mmself. In 1893 his father retired and moved
to Green City, Alissouri, leaving Mm in charge of the old home place. He has lived
and farmed in this county aU his life. The farm consists of 240 acres. He breeds
Poland China hog» and Shorthorn cattle. He is a Republican and belongs to the
K. of P. lodge.
JOHN H. HOLTON, a son of Henry A. and Rebecca Holton, was born at Plym
outh, Ilhnois, December 31, 1854. He was married August 8, 1877, to Mary J.Cav-
ett, who is a daughter of Rufus and Rebecca Cavett, They have two children:
Emma L., bom April 14, 1880, now wife of Dr. Hugh E. Penland, of Berkeley, Cali
fornia; A. Scott, born September 25, 1889, of KirksAdlle.
Air. Holton Avas born and reared on a farm in Ilhnois; but came to KirksviUe
in ISSo. Two ye.ars later he went into the lumber business here, and now manages
the Baxter Lumber Company yards, near the O, K. station. Air. Holton takes a
deep interest in lodge work, especiaUy in the Alasonic. He is High Priest of Cald-
Avell Chapter, No. 53; Prelate in Ely Commandery, No. 22; district deputy lecturer
for second Alasonic District of Alissouri. He is a Repubhcan.
BuHiKAVMlU'Al..
n. H. Parisli, M. P. KU-k^v^Uo
.")2l> Thk History of Adair Coi nty.
J. W. HORTON was born February 25, 1S4S, eight uiiUvs south of Kirksville,
a son of AA'illiam and Alalinda (ll;\ines1 Horton. He was married" to M.'dissa .\.
Marcus, November 14, 1872. Tliey had six cMldren, only four of whom .-ire hvin.g:
Sila.s .\,, bom September II, 187:!, lives at BiUings, Alont.-ma; Flora E., .Augtisl 9,
187.A, died January 20, 1907, was then the wile of Jtiuies .AnioUl; Mary, llelober 21,
1879. now the wife of AA'Ulis Moots, neiu' Sperry; James 11., January 12, 1S8;1, died
June 1, 1910; AA'alter H., December 1, 1881; Rosa, born Alarch 19, 1S88, now Mrs.
C. H. Britt, of Texmo, Oklahoma,
Air. llorlon lived on the farm with his p.'irents till grown and married. He now
owns lil'teen acres one mile north of Kirksville. lie ha.s owned sevt^r.'d fine farms.
but has sold Ihem oil' and retired, lie is one of the oldest men who were horn in this
county. AA'hen he Avns born the county was in ;i wild stale. Deer and Indians were
l)lenlil'ul. His fnlhcr settled in this eounly in 18.'!5, coming from Tenn<>ssee, He
died in 18,'s9, He was one of the oldt-sl settlers, there being but one liouse in Kirks
A'ille when he came.
Air, Horton is a member of the IJaplist church, Mrs. Horton is a member of
the Melliodist churcli.
.\LBERT K. HALl.AOAY, sou of George AV, and Eliza (\im Horned Halliula} .
was born October 21, 1875, at KirksAiUe, Missouri, He was married May 11, 1900.
to Susan E, Campbell, daughter of AA'iHiani and Fannie l,Lon,g1 I\Mmpbell, The}
h!\^-e one child — Horlensc Elizabeth, born December 9, 1901,
Mr. Halladay lixed in Kirksville till six ycirs old and tlien mo\-cd lo Sui> Cil}-.
Macon County, wli(>re his fiilher coiuluclcd ii store for four years, .going from t.liere lo
-Hurdland and engaging in the niercanlile business, In 1892 they (]uit' the niereiui-
tile business and went lo fanning neiir Hurdland, reniiiining lliere till 191):!, when Hie
present I'Mrni was boughl. During all this time Mr. Hallada}- remained willi hi.-.
father, and helped run lh(> business. In 1902 liis fatlu'r removed to Kirksville, where
he died November 22, 1910,
The son now owns and niMua.ges the farm of 171 acres, live miles .soulheiist of
Kirksville. He a,lso owns ei.uhly acres near llurdliind, in Knox County,
EDWARD P. HOMES was liorn in .Vdair County, Mi.s.souri, May 30, I.S()7, His
parents were Parker H, and .Alba Honuvs, Ihusa. blend of tlu' A'ankei>-Sool hern blood,
his falher having been born in Massacliusells, and his mother in Kentucky. He
was educaled in the common schools and llu> KirksviUe Merc.'Uilile College, gnuhial-
ing from the business depiirlnieni on llie lllh day of May, KS.S.S, wilh a. genenil av
erage grade of 97.
He was married September 16, 1891, lo Mollie Timicr, daughter of ,1, 11. and
Susan Turner, They ha\e three children: .Alpha, born .Augusl 9, 1.S92; Parker II,
Junuiu-y 15, 1900; C;ia.dys, December 13, 19(V2,
Mr, Iliiines has lived on :i part of the same farm all his life. It (Huisists ol' 210
acres, four miles norlhensi of La Plain, He nmkes a specialily of breeding registered
Herd'ord cattli".
He is a DeniocrM.I, in politics, a.nd a Past (Iranil nieinber of La I'latii Lixlge, No,
139, I. O, O, V. He is vcvy much interested in the District School, having served
as director, and district clerk over fil'l.een years. He is also a ineniber of tlie Hank of
La Plata, having l)(>en a sliai-eliolder in that institution ever siniui its organiza.|.ion.
BlOOHAl'llICAL,
527
Residence of ,A, E. Halladay, his dauglilcr Miss Hortense and her pet pony,
"Daisv," 5 miles soullieast of Kirksville
Mr, and Airs, J, AA', Horton and their home, 1 mile north of Kirksville
528
The History of Adair County.
Residence of Edward P. Homes, 4 miles northeast of La Plata
Mr. and Mrs. J. R, Houghton and their home, 2 miles west of Kirksville
Biographical. 529
JAMES H. HOUGHTON, a native of Lewis County, New York, was born
May 18, 1839. His parents were Richardson and Sarah (Bennett) Houghton. He
was married November 27, 1870, to Cyrilda Hunsaker, daughter of Bradford and
Leah (Dyce) Hunsaker, Mrs. Houghton was born near Kirksville, January 13,
1850. They had five children: Clarence R., born August 26, 1872, died October 9,
1882; Arthur J., July 6, 1874, died December 6, 1902; Henderson AV,, May 8, 1876,
died March 13, 1908; Jessie J., February 5, 1879, now Mrs. Perry C. Wimer of Iowa;
Minnie S., January 13, 1881, now Mrs. Robert Reed.
Mr. Houghton remained on the farm in New York where he was bom till 1862,
when he joined Company K., Fifth New York Heavy ArtiUery, serving a little over
three years. He saw much hard service in the South. Fie returned to New York
after the war, and remained a short time. From there he went to Illinois, then to.
loAva, and finally to Adair County, landing here in 1868. He has been engaged in
farming since. In 1885 he bought Ms present farm, where he has since lived. The
farm consists of twelve acres, two miles west of town.
James Houghton is a Prohibitionist in pohtics, and a member of the Methodist
church. He belongs to the G. A. R.
ROSS W. PORTER was bom and reared on a farm in Illinois, where he lived
till grown. His parents were A. A. and Florence (AUingham) Porter. He was born
in AA'arren County, September 11, 1879. He was united in marriage June 20, 1905,
to Lula Hopewell, daughter of John and Katherine (Gooch) Hopewell. They haA'e
two children: Ross H., born August 5, 1906; Donald A., May 12, 1908.
Mr. Porter took a course at the Gem City Business College, at Quincy, Illi
nois. After completing tMs course he accepted a position with the Storm Bros. Han
dle Factory, remaining with them five years. Four years of that time he was their
traveling salesman. He next went into the dry-goods busisess, in wMch he is still
engaged. The firm is known as the Porter-Wren Company, the members being
Air. Porter and Miss AVren,
He is a Democrat, a. member of the Christian church, and belongs to the K. of
P. lodge. Airs. Porter is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
JOHN PROPST was born in Adair County, in East Salt River townsMp, June
24, 1857. He is a son of Robert and Malinda (Ziegler) Propst. He was married March
1, 1881, to Bell M. Voorhies, daughter of Ebenezer and Mary (BeU) Voorhies. They
had three children, only two of them are living: GeneAdeve, born December 25,
1881, now Mrs. J. R. Wright, hves in Evanston, lU.; Ernest V., November 16, 1884,
died November 15, 1895; Homer V., November 10, 1886.
Mr. Propst helped his parents on the farm till twenty-four years old, then mar
ried and began farming for himself. His father started him out with eighty acres,
near the old home place. He lived there one year, then bought part of Ms present
farm, it being a part of the old Voorhies place on Avhich Ms wife was reared. He
bought the other heirs out, later adding to Ms farm until now he has a farm of 420
acres, situated four and one-half miles east of Kirksville. It is considered one of the
best in the county and is splendidly improved. In 1910 he turned the running of the
farm over to his son Homer V., and moved to Kirksville, where he has a beautiful
home. In addition to Ms farm he is interested in various business enterprises; is a
stockholder in the Selby Poultry Company; stockholder and director in the Savings
Bank. He is a Republican and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
530
The History of Adair County.
«
§ao
o
o
Ph
Biographical.
531
City Residence and Farm Residence and bam of John Propst
532
The History of Adair County.
Residence of Mrs. Amanda Griffin, 1 1-2 miles north of Kirksville
Dr. Duff's Drug Store, Gibbs
Biographical. 533
THOMAS W. GRIFFIN was born January 22, 1843, in Hocking County, OMo,
and died July 20, 1896, at his home in tMs county. He was a son of Henry and
Betsy Griffin, He was married to Amanda James, January 17, 1878. She was
born in DaA'is County, Iowa, October 30, 1859, being a daughter of Isaac and N.-incy
James. They had two children: Nellie F., born August 11, 1879; Thomas Ray,
September 15, 1890, Nellie is now Mrs, AV. F. Florea.
Air. Griffin came here with his parents in 1857 and lived here on the farm till
grown. He fanned till 1881, when he moved to Kirksville and engaged in the gro
cery business for two years. He was also in some business at Bullion for tliree years,
then moved to Montgomery County, where he bought a farm and li\-ed nine years.
He then returned to KirksviUe where he remained till his death, Jul}- 26, 1896. After
his death his widow lived in Kirksville with her family till 1910, when she bought
her present place. It consists of forty acres, one mile north of the cit}- of Kirks
A'ille. She has a beautiful home. Her son Ua'cs with her and helps manage the
farm. JOHN D. DUFF, M. D., son of Joshua and Louisa (Carthright) Duff, was bom
April 16, 1857, in Hancock County, Illinois. On December 15, 1878, he was married
to Rosaltha Asher, daughter of Abraham and Harriett Asher. They had five chil
dren, four of whom are living: Rosaltha Florence, born February 1, 1880, now Airs.
Edward L. Davis; Harry S., December 2, 1882, died March 16, 1905; Beeche Grace,
November 2, 1884, now Airs. Guy T. Rouner; Alaurice C, November 4, 1886; Edna
Pearl, October 4, 1888, now Airs. A'ictor P. Kinnard.
Air. Duff remained on the farm in Illinois, where he was born and reared, till
grown. He .attended the public schools and took a course in the Carthage CoUege,
then attended the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Keokuk, Iowa, graduating
in 1887. He then practiced eight years in Kansas. After taking a course at the
Medical School, where he graduated in 1890, he came to Knox County and
practiced fourteen years. From there he went to La Plata for two years, then to
Gibbs, where he has been since 1904. He has conducted a drug store at Gibbs the
past three years. He built a handsome building in 1910. He is a member of the
K. of P., AI. AA'. A. and Yeomen lodges.
ALBERT C. DUDLEY, son of Thomas E. and Lutitia (Hawkins) Dudley, was
born in .Adair County, near Alillard. He was married to Florence Roberts June
15, 1902. She is a daughter of Benjamin F. and Lucy (Allen) Roberts. They haA'e
one child — Vena Fa}-, born April 10, 1904.
AA'hen A-ery young, Albert Dudley moved with his parents to Alaeon County,
just across the line from Ad.air, part of the farm being in this count}-. His father
died when he Avas yet sm,all. He lived with his mother till grown, moving across the
line into .\dair County in 1890. AA'hen married he started farming for himself and
later bought the old home place. His home is in Adair Count}-, and his farm con
sists of 207 acres, only forty acres of which are in this county. He has recently built
a very pretty home. Air. Dudle}- is a breeder of Polled Angus and Shorthorn cattle.
Poland China and Duroe Jersey hogs and fine horses and mules. He does general
farming. Mr. Dudley is connected with the AI. AA'. A. and K. of P. lodges and belongs
to the Christian church. He is Republican in politics.
534
The History of Adair County.
Residence and Fami
of A. C. Dudley and some of his stock on farm,
near Gifford
Biographical. 535
MARION C. MILLER, son of John D. and Louisa Miller, was born December
19, 1873, at Nineveh, Missouri, the old-time Dutch Colony. John D., father of
Marion C. Miller, died in August, 1906. Mr. Miller lived in Nineveh tOl 1882, then
moved with his parents to Texas, returning in 1884. In 1897 Mr. Miller left home
and went to Oregon. In two years he returned, going to Connelsville. He went
into the mercantile business at Novinger, remaining two years, then moved his store
to Connelsville, where he has since been in business. He first formed a partnership
Avith J, W. Gillum, who later sold his interests to the Miller Alercantile Company.
Mr. Miller was married May 12, 1901, to Arvilla E. Stephens, daughter of Frank
and Eva (Leonard) Stephens. They have one child — Vivian H., born April, 1902.
His wife died April 11, 1904, since then his has made his home with his mother.
JOHN NEWTON HARTSOCK was born in Knox County, Missouri, Septem
ber 21, 1860. His parents are John and Melvina Hartsock, He was married April
15, 1888, to Nettie Pearl Ginn, daughter of John and Martha Ginn. They had five
oMldren. Those liA'ing are: Waldo Emerson, born September 26, 1890; Belvie
May, March 8, 1893; John Leroy, October 6, 1909, The other two died in infancy.
Mr. Hartsock owns a farm of 40 acres, known as the Pleasant Hill Poultry and
Fruit Farm, His specialty, howeA'er, is the manufacture of sorghum molasses. For
eighteen years he has produced from one thousand to two thousand gallons yearly.
He came to this county in 1864. Mr. Hartsock is a Republican, and a member
of the Methodist church.
gAMUEL NEWTON was born in La Fayette County, Wisconsin, July 17, 1859.
His parents were William and Anna (Dalton) Newton, He was married July 13,
1890, to Lilhan Goodrich, daughter of Edson and Evaline (Phillips) Goodrich. They
had six children: May, born May 11, 1891; William E,, August 1, 1893; Ruth,,
August 19, 1894; Harry, June 30, 1901; Evaline, January 15, 1905; Opal, .June 29,
1908. Mr. Newton went to Macon, Missouri, with his parents when ten years old,
living there on a farm till grown. He attended the public school, later taking a
course in the State Normal School at Kirksville. After leaving school he was in the
West a few years, then came back to Kansas where he farmed for fifteen years. In
1900 he went to Macon County, remaining there on a farm till 1903, then he moved
to Gibbs, going into the hardware business. He is still so engaged there.
Mr. Newton is a Republican, takes a great interest in polities, and belongs to
the I. O. O. F. lodge.
JAMES E. RIEGER was bom in Peoria County, lUinois, September 20, 1875,
being a son of Gottfried and Rose Rieger. He was married August 25, 1900, to
Alma AA'ray, daughter of W. AI. and Angeline (Patterson) Wray. They have two
cMldren: Wray, born May 25, 1902; Nathan, February 13, 1904.
Mr. Rieger came to Adair County, Missouri, from Illinois when a small boy.
He attended the public school and took a course at the Normal School at Kirksville,
then went to the Missouri State University, where he graduated in 1907. Having
read law he was admitted to the bar that same year, after which he engaged in general
practice in this county till 1908. Although the county is largely Republican, and Mr.
Rieger is a Democrat, he was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Adair County. Refus
ing to be a candidate for the second term, he returned to the general practice.
James E. Rieger belongs to the Baptist church, and is identified with the M. W.
A., I. O. O. F., K. of P. and Elk lodges.
536
The His'roRY of Adair County.
V
a
eo
O
O
Biographical.
537
:M§^^k-
'ainil}- and Residence of J. N. Hartsock, ne.ar Brashear. Farm is known
as the Pleasant Hill Poultry and Fruit Farm
538
The History of Adair County.
Samuel Newton's Hardware Store, Gibbs
BlOGRAPHfCAL.
539
Attorney James E. Rieger, Kirksville
540 The History of Adair County.
JOSEPH W. MURFIN was born in Adair County, Missouri, September 3,
1862, being a son of John W. and Matilda Murfin. He was married February 13,
1889, to Ada Paul, daughter of James H. and Sarah Paul. They have one child—
RusseU, bom October 15, 1906.
Mr. Murfin has a farm of eighty acres, situated six mUes northwest of Brashear,
He makes a specialty of breeding Polled- Angus cattle and .lersey hogs, etc. He is
a Republican in pohtics, a member of the Methodist church, and belongs to the
I. O. O. F., No. 522, at Brashear.
LEVI GRISWOLD was born in Adair County, six miles from where La Plata
now stands, November 15, 1858. His parents were John and Fannie (Shumaker)
Griswold. He married Ijucinda Salsbury January 25, 1888. She is a daughter of
George and Polly R. (Hodge) Salsbury. They have three children: May, born
May 26, 1890; Florence, April 26, 1895; Lola B., July 26, 1902.
Levi Griswold was bom on a farm in the south part of the county, and lived there
till two years old, then moved to the farm he now owns. He has lived there contin
uously since, except one year he spent in Colorado and about fiA'e years spent on a
farm in the same neighborhood. The farm he owns consists of 114 acre, two miles
northeast of Gifford, in Adair County. It is well improved. He handles Shorthorn
cattle, Poland-China hogs, Shropshire sheep, and fi.ne horses.
Mr. Griswold is Republican in politics, and has serA'ed as constable of Pettis
township and road overseer of his district. He belongs to the Christian church and
the I. O. O. F. and Rebekah lodges.
JACOB GARLOCH is a native of West Virginia, being born in Preston County,
June 22, 1849. His parents were Henry and Esther Garloch. He was united in
marriage April 10, 1871, to Martha Kelley, daughter of John G. and Susan Ann
Kelley. They had four children: Henry G, born August 26, 1872; Martha L.,
March 26, 1876; Jacob W., February 17, 1878; Ellen L., December 30, 1882.
Mr. Garloch came to Adair County in 1855. His father shaved sMngles for
some of the first houses in Kirksville. He owns 404 acres of land, two and one-half
miles northwest of Gibbs, Alissouri. He is a Republican in politics, and a member of
the United Brethren church.
JESSE B. HOPSON, son of Cary and Rebecca A. (Coleman) Hopson, was born
March 8, 1859, in Adair County, Walnut township. He was married October 6,
1878, to Miss Laura Urquhart, daughter of Alexander and Clarissa Urquhart. They
have three children hving and one dead: Ethelea, bom July 9, 1879, died July 14,
1899 (she was then the wife of Edward Johnston); EsteUe M., October 14, 1885,
now wife of J. D. Norman, of Linwood, Kansas; Claude R., born September 28,
1888; Leland R., April 4, 1891. Both Claude and Leland are in Des Moines, Iowa.
Air. Hopson belongs to one of the old-time families of this county, and was born
and reared on a farm near what is now known as Nind. Here he remained with
his parents till grown. After his marriage he continued farming for three years,
then went into the mercantile business at Osborn, Missouri. In a short time the store
was destroyed by fire. He then went to Kansas and engaged in real estate business
for five years; then came to Kirksville and clerked in a store for several years, and
worked for three years at the lumber business. In 1901 he moved to Novinger,
where he was employed by V. Miller as manager for the Adair Lumber Company
Biographical.
541
W
542
The History of Adair County.
Family and Residence of Levi Griswold and flock of sheep on his farm,
near Gifford
Biographical.
543
Vi
o
9
544 The History of Adair County.
yards, also managing the yard at Connelsville for a few years, finally returning to
Novinger, where he has since resided and managed the yards.
Mr, Hopson belongs to the I. O. O. F., K. of P. and M. W. A. lodges. He is a
Republican, While in Kansas he served as police judge at Hoxie, was Ju.stioe of the
Peace and also deputy Recorder of Deeds and deputy Clerk of the District Court.
AMOS PROPST was born in Adair County, Missouri, November 7, 1858, be
ing a son of Robert and Malinda Propst. He was married September 10, 1882, to
Mary E. Strock, daughter of M. F. and Ary Strock. They have four children: Ire-
na, born November 9, 1885; Myron, March 18, 1891; Goldie, September 22, 1894;
Eari, September 27, 1897.
Mr. Propst owns a fine farm of 440 acres, situated six miles east of Kirksville.
Mr. Propst has farmed all Ms life and has never held office. He is a Republican
in pohtics, a member of the Methodist church, and belongs to the I. 0. O. F. fra
ternity. SAMUEL T. WILLEY was born in Queen City, Schuyler County, Missouri,
September 7, 1873. He spent his early life in that city, moving to Kirksville Feb
ruary 22, 1890. He has resided here since that time, except two years spent in Ma
con, Missouri. After graduating from the Kirksville High School in 1893, he im
mediately began working for the Kirksville Journal, where he learned the printer's
trade and helped with the paper until 1900. He then opened a job office in Kirks
ville which he conducted for about three years. He moved to Macon, Missouri, at
that time, accepting a position as foreman for the Times-Democrat office. He remain
ed there two years, then returned to KirksviUe and re-entered the employ of the
Journal, being made foreman of the composing room. In January, 1908, he gave
up this position, 'forming a company with other well-known Democrats of the city,
and purchased the KirksAdlle Democrat. Mr. Willey was made secretary of the
company, and is at present serving as secretary and assistant manager.
On April 4, 1897, he was married to Miss Alta M. Dexter, of Rothville, Missouri.
They have three children: Eugena, born February 26, 1898; Maurine, August 13,
1900; Fay, July 6, 1902.
Mr. Willey is a Democrat and has always taken an active part in politics. He and
his wife are both active members of the Christian church, Mr. Willey being a member
of the official board and secretary of the Board of Deacons.
JOHN A. WADDILL is a native of this county, bom March 8, 1873, ten mUes
northeast of Kirksville. He is a, son of Jacob F. and Mary (Adkins) Waddill. He
was married April 17, 1901, to Sadie SeUs, daughter of James and Cytha (Kessinger)
Sells. They have two children : Frank, born January 7, 1903; Lazell, June 3 1905.
Mr. AVaddill attended the public school and took a course at the Kirksville Busi
ness College. He then engaged in the mercantile business at Sperry, remaining there
one year. He farmed a short time, then went into the lumber business. In 1910
he solfl out and went to Colorado, returning February 1, 1911. He then took charge
of the Adair Lumber Company yards, in which he re-purchased stock, and in which
work he is still engaged. Mr. Waddill owns eighty acres of land in Colorado.
He is a Republican, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and belongs
to the I. O. O, F. lodge.
Biographical.
545
The FamUy, Residence and Barn of Amos Propst, 4 1-2 miles east Kirksville
31 3136
546 The History of Adair County.
THOMAS J. WALKER was bom in Campbell County, near LouisviUe, Ken
tucky, June 5, 1841. He was married April 1, 1869, to Sarah A. Adams, daughter
of Robert and Nancy (Oxier) Adams. She was born in Adams County, Ohio, May
20, 1837. They have three children: LueUa F., born January 17, 1872, now Mrs.
V. M. Wolf; Anna L., December 14, 1874, now Mrs. Cole Lewis; Albert H., March
13, 1877, married Margaret Curry of lUinois.
Mr.AValker moved to Ohio with his parents, Ellis and Margaret (Fleak) Walker,
when only about one year old. He lived there till grown, then came to Adair Co.,
Missouri, in 1869. He enlisted in Company I, 39th Ohio Infantry, serving three
years. He Avas severely wounded in a battle, near Atlanta, Georgia, the day of his
discharge, July 4, 1864. He returned to Ohio, remaining till 1869, then came to
Scotland County, Missouri. In 1877 he moved to Kansas, then came to Adair
County in 1882. He has lived here since that time. He owns a place at Bullion,
but for years has not been able to work on account of injuries received during the
Avar. He is a member of the G. A. R., Corporal Dix Post, No. 22, at Kirksville.
THOMAS S. WILSON was born July 6, 1871, in Adair County, Missouri. His
parents were Hugh and Mary O. (Lee) Wilson. He was united in marriage Febru
ary 24, 1892, to Stella Bumpus, daughter of Franklin and Catharine (Talbert) Bum-
pus. TJiey have three children: Virgil H., bom November 26, 1896; Icy C, Oc
tober 23, 1899; Ivy M., January 16, 1902.
Mr. Wilson was born and reared on a farm near Old Wilson Town. He hved here
with his father till grown and married. In 1908 he moved to Gibbs, where he bought
a grist and feed mill, which he still owns and conducts. He also runs a farm of fifty
acres, adjoining Gibbs, which he owns. He has a pretty home in Gibbs. His fa
ther is still living and makes his home with Thomas S. Mr. Wilson is a member of
the M. W. A. and M. B. A. lodges.
DANIEL M. WALKER was born in Johnson County, Indiana, January 27,
1845. He was married March 17, 1863, to Eliza J. Davis, who died January 5, 1875.
They had seven children, three of whom are living: Mary E., now Mrs. John Gash;
Jesse B.; Henry M. His second wife was Sarah L. Voorhies. They were mar
ried February 19, 1879. They have six children living, one dead: Minnie- B., now
Mrs. Bowman; Albert E., deceased; Elmer E.; Lillie M., now Mrs. Fred Steeley;
Seth A.; Roy R.; Susan E.
Mr. Walker moved to McDonough County, Illinois, in 1854, after living a wMle
in Clinton County, Indiana. He lived there untiU 1862 when he joined Company A.,
84th lUinois Infantry. He served till the close of the war, seeing much hard ser
vice. He was severely wounded in the Battle of Chickamagua, September 19, 1863,
captured by General Forrest, and paroled. After the close of the war he lived in
Illinois till 1879, when he moved to Adair County, where he has since resided. He
has been engaged in various occupations.
Mr. I Walker was a father before he was twenty, a grandfather when tMrty-six
and a great-grandfather at the age of fifty-eight. He had fourteen children, nine
of whom are living; fifteen grandchildren, all hving but one; ten great-grandcMl-
dren, all! of whom are living. He can trace his ancestry back for many years. His
father's people were English, Scotch and Irish.
He is a sociaUst in politics, having been a Democrat until recently. At the elec
tion of November, 1910, he was a candidate on the Sociahst ticket for Judge at large
of .-Adair County. He is a member of the G. A. R. and the Christian church.
Biographical.
547
Residence of T. J. Walker, Bullion
Residence of T. S. WUson, Gibbs
548
The History of Adair County.
D. M. Walker and daughter Mrs. Etta Gash; granddaughter, Mrs, Cora Watts„
and great granddaughter, Mildred Watts
Residence of Judge D. H. Crawford, 4 miles west of Brashear
Biographical. 549
JUDGE D. H. CRAWFORD, son of John and Mary Crawford, was born in
Columbus, Ohio, February 1, 1850. He was married July 13, 1869, to Miss Velma
Standeford, daughter of Michael G. and Matilda Standeford. They had seven
cMldren: Adelade, bom June 29, 1870, now Mrs. Chas. Seaver of Kirksville; Jen-
netta B., July 27, 1872, noAV Mrs. J. R. Riley, Brashear, Missouri, R. F. D. No. 2;
James AA^., February 1, 1874, located in Howell County, Missouri, farmer; Dr. D.
Dwight, D. 0., March 19, 1876, of Denison, Texas; Dr. J. S., D. O., January 19,
1879, of Denton, Texas; Mary Velma, June 25, 1882, now Mrs. J. W. Garlock, Bra
shear, Missouri, R. F. D. No. 2; NeUie May, January 15, 1892, now at home.
Mr. Crawford came to Adair County in October, 1856, residing here continu
ously since that time. He has Registered Shorthorn cattle, Shropshire sheep, and
Poland China hogs. His horses are of high grade.
In 1896, Mr. Crawford was elected a member of the county court, serving two
years in that capacity. He assisted in building the new court house,
Mr. Crawford has lived on the same section of land for over forty years. He is
a Democrat. JOHN T. WADDILL is a native of, Adair County, born on a farm fifteen miles
southwest of Kirksville, October 23, 1873. He is a son of George M. and Martha
(Sparks) Waddill, both of whom are living. He was married January 27, 1899, to
Miss Emma A. WiUdns, a daughter of A. M. and Mary Wilkins. They have three
cMldren: John Glenn, born November 25, 1899; Ellen Madge, August 18, 1902;
Mildred Fern, AprU 1, 1907.
Mr. Waddill was bom and reared on the farm, attending the public schools and
remaining with Ms parents until grown. After his marriage he taught school and
farmed in that locality, later purchased a farm, which he still owns. It consists of
271 acres and is fairly well improved. In 1899 he moved to Kirksville, where he
accepted the position of Deputy County Clerk under W. R. Holloway, remaining
in that office until 1903. After spending four years on the farm he was elected County
Clerk, being again elected in 1910, and receiving the nomination of his party with
out opposition. He now lives at Kirksville, where he owns his residence.
J. T. AVaddill is a Republican in politics, and has taken a, very active part in
the affairs of his party.
JACOB F. WADDILL, a native of Coles County, Illinois, was born April 6,
1840, a son of John and Delilah (Phillips) Waddill. He came to Missouri with his
parents in 1855 and located northeast of Kirksville. He lived in that vicinity and
farmed till 1895, then retired and moved to Kirksville, where he has since lived.
He was married September 23, 1860, to Mary J. Adkins, daughter of James
and Susan (Kirk) AdMns. They have twelve children, nine of whom are living:
Ursula, now Mrs. W. F. Maltbey; Asa F.; Avalee, now Mrs. Charles Rice; James
E.; Ora T.; Robert H.; John A.; Maude E., now Mrs. Clyde Bumpus; Freddie L.;
Travis S. (The last two named and Asa F. are dead); David S.; Lilah A., now Mrs.
W. A. Fletcher.
Mrs. Waddill was a granddaughter of Jesse Kirk, for whom the City of Kirks
ville was named, and the first white child bom in the city named for Mm. A Rem
iniscence written by her wiU be found elsewhere in these pages. Mr. Waddill is the
father of more descendants than any other man in this section. He had twelve
chUdren, nine of whom are living; thirty-one grandcMldren living, six dead; three
great-grandchildren, all living, making forty-three living descendants.
550
The History of Adair County.
John T. WaddUl, County Clerk
Biographical.
551
SI
W
552
The History of Adair County.
Jacob F. WaddUl
Biographical.
553
Four Generations — Mr and Mrs. Jacob F. Waddill, and daughter, Mrs. W. F.
Maltbey, and her daughter, Mrs. Gordon Hill, and her daughter Miss
Aileen HUl all of Adair County, Mo.
Residence of J. W. Thrasher, Kirksville
554 The History of Adair County.
J. W. THRASHER was born in .Adair County, near Brashear, May 18, 184(i,
being a son of Thomas R. and Frances Thrasher. He was married March 24, 1868,
to Nancy J, Conkle, daughter of Peter and Margaret Conkle. They have two chil
dren: OUie, born January 12, 1869, now Avifc of A, P, Sharp; Dora, May 3, 1878,
now the wife of C. C. Howard,
Air, Thrasher was reared on the farm near Brashear, where he farmed till 1892,
Avhen he moved to Brashear and went into the mercantile business in 1900. He con
tinued in that, business there till 1906, when he moved to KirksviUe and engaged in
the same business for two years. He then retired. He owns a farm of 160 acres
hear Brashear. He is Democrat, and a member of the Masonic^ lodge, and belongs
to the Methodist Episcopal church, South.
J. W. HATCHER was bom near Jacksonville, Ilhnois, September 4, 1870, a
son of Richard and Alhalia Hatcher. He was united in marriage Decc-mber 26,
1897, to Mary E. Petree, daughter of Bailis and Mary A. Pel.ree. They have fovu-
children: Loyd B., born November 10, 1901; Orville R., October 27, 1903; Mary
Imo, July 19, 1906; Eari W., October 6, 1909,
Mr, Hatcher came to .Adair County in June, 1900. He has b(;en in the abstra.cl,
loan and insurance busiiu^ss in this city for ten yea.r.s. He was formerly a student.
at the Missouri State Normal at Kirksville for three years. His wife is a graduate of
that instituti(ni, graduating with the class of 1895, Mr, Hatcher taught school for
ten years in the public schools of .Andrew and Clinton Counties, Missouri, serving
the last two }-ears as principal of the school at Lathrop, and at Birn-iinghani.
Mr, Hatcher is a Democrat in politics, and a member of the Yeoman and Wood
man lodges. He has been for five years the superintendent of the Sunday Sc^hool
of the Christian church, and has been an active worker in all the departments of
church work. For ten }-ears he has served in various official positions in the eluu'ch.
He takes pari in politics, and stands for progressive improvement.
THOMAS BRUNER was bom in Martin County, Indiana, October 3, 1835,
a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Blackwell) Bruner. On February 6, 18()7, he was
married to Polly Dabney, who died May 23, 1910. His wife was a daughter of Thom
as J. and Cassie (Walker) Dabney. To this union was born one child — Charles J,
Bruner. Mr, Bruner moved to Illinois with his mother when twelve years ot age, his
father having died two years previous. He lived in Illinois until 1849, when they
came to Adair County, Missouri, where he has lived continuously since. In 1.862
he enlisted in Company G, 27th Missouri Volunteer Infantry. He enlisted, as a
private, was promoted to corporal, served three years until the close of the war, see
ing much hard service, but was only slightly wounded. At the close of. the war h(^
returned to Adair County and soon after married. For about twenty-five years
he has owned and lived on his present farm, which consists of 160 acres, six and one-
half miles southeast of Kirksville. He also owns town property and other business
interests. Mr. Bruner is a member of Corporal Dix Post, G. .'A, R. He is Repub
lican in politics and served a number of years as Justice of tli<^ I'eace immedialely
after the war. He belongs l.o the MiU.hodist church.
DR. GERALD ALFRED SPARLING was born at St. Marys, Canada, Jan
uary 21, 1856, being the oldest son of John and Rachel (English) Sparhng. lie was
married August 24, 1880, to Miss Mary E. Isles, daughter of Nicholas and Martha
G. A. Sparfing, M. D.
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ICirksville. Mrs. Bruner died in 1910
556 The History of Adair County'.
D. Isles. They have six cMldren; Martha E., born July 23, 1881; .John Nicholas,
August 27, 1883; Gerald Alfred, June 16, 1886; Mary Rachel, April 17, 1888; A^ir-
ginia Grace, September 24, 1893; Eugene McKinley, November 8, 1898.
Dr. Sparhng's father's family came to the United States in 1864, settUng in
WasMngton, Guernsey County, OMo, and moved to ChiUicothe, Missouri in the
spring of 1868. In 1880 he graduated from the American Medical College at St.
Louis, after which he practiced his profession two years in CMllicothe, In July,
1882, he came to Kirksville and established his practice, remaining there since that
time. He served as coroner of Adair County from 1905 to 1909. Besides his pro
fessional interests he owns city properties and a farm of forty acres. He is a Re
pubhcan, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and belongs to the Masonic
lodge. No. 366.
HUGH MERIDETH, son of WUUam and Martha (HUhs) Merideth, was borri
June 28, 1874, at Cantrel, Iowa. He was married December 5, 1899, to SteUa Pratt,
born in Linn County, Missouri, September 7, 1882. They have two cMldren:
Claude H., born February 1, 1909; Mary M., July 29, 1910.
Mr. Merideth lived at home till 1896, attended the public school at Cantrel
and took a course at a business college at Burlington, Iowa. He then worked at a
lumber yard in Cantrel for seven years. In 1896 he came to Gibbs, where he went
into the lumber business, in which he is still engaged.
EDWARD F. WALTERS was reared on a farm in Knox County, near the Adair
County line. He was born there January 17, 1874, a son of Michael and Rachel
AI. (Wade) Walters. In 1891 he came to Adair County, Missouri, and spent his
early life in farming. He attended the Kirksville Mercantile College the winter of
1896-7, worked as clerk in a store in Kirksville the following summer, and worked in
a store at Gibbs, Missouri, the following winter.
He farmed again for awhile, and in 1902 was examined and received the ap
pointment as carrier on Mail Route No. 5 out of Kirksville, but resigned before the
Route was started to accept the place of Deputy County Collector under F. W.
Gibbs, which place he filled for three years, during his first and second terms of office.
In the spring of 1905 he bought a store at Gibbs, Missouri, where he has since lived.
He runs a grocery store, a very large one for a town of the size of Gibbs.
He Avas married December 20, 1899, to Daisy A. Young, daughter of Ben. W.
and Emily (Elmore) Young. They have three children: Bonnie, born May 6,
1902; Edward M., December 2, 1906; Hollis, June 19, 1908.
Mr. Walters belongs to the Repubhcan party.
B. F. WORKMAN was born in Adair County, Missouri, July 31, 1861. His
parents were Friend and Amanda Workman. He was married January 18, 1885, to
Sabina Elmore, daughter of John and Nancy Elmore. They have three children:
Leola, born January 21, 1886; Esther, April 7, 1890; Byron Elmore, July 13, 1892.
Mr. Workman has lived in Wilson township all bis life. He owns a good farm
of 520 acres, well improved, five and three-fourths miles northeast of La Plata. He
feeds eighty to one hundred cattle every year. The farm is just three miles from
Gibbs. He prides himself on his fine stock. He raises fine horses, thoroughbred
Plymouth Rock chickens, etc. In politics he is a Democrat. He is a member of the
I. O. O. F. and K. of P. lodges of La Plata. His Avife belongs to the Methodist Epis
copal church. He is a stockholder and director in the Bank of La Plata.
PL.3o
Residence of Hugh Merideth, Gibbs
558
The History of Adair County.
o
o
e
Biographical.
559
»^
9
560
The History of Adair County.
Ca
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Biographical. 561
CHARLES S. SANDS was born in Kirksville, March 2, 1869. He is a son of
Jacob and Caroline (HerreU) Sands, who are old residents of Adair County, Jacob
Sands, Ms father, being one of the early settlers. He was married March 2, 1890,
to Bess Moore, a daughter of I. and Kate (Malloy) Moore. They have one child —
Lucile, born January 10, 1892.
Mr. Sands lived at home Avith his parents until fourteen years of age, attending
the public schools and State Normal at Kirksville. When only eleven years old he
began an apprenticesMp for a jeweler, and three years later left home and worked at
his trade in various parts of the country, continuing his travel for four years. At
that time he started in the jewelry business for himself, at Albia, Iowa. He re
mained there six years, then went to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he stayed four years.
In 1898 he came to Kirksville where he has since lived continuously, and engaged in
the jewelry business. He is located in the new Miller building and has a store wMch
is regarded as one of the best equipped in the state.
He is a member of the Masomc, I. O. O. F. and M. W. A. lodges, taking great
interest in that kind of work. He has for seven years been secretary of the Business
Men's League, of Kirksville, and it was largely tMough his initiative that the Fried
man-Shelby Shoe Company located in Kirksville. He is a large stockholder and sec
retary of the KirksA'ille Gas, Heat and Electric Company. He is a Republican in
politics. Mr. Sands is also a member of the Executive Board of Missouri's State
Jewelers' Association. ft
JOHN L. PORTER is a native of Pennsylvania, and was born at Gettysburg
in that state, September 14, 1834, being a son of John B, and Harriet K. Porter.
He was married November 10, 1861, to Mary E, Ivie, a daughter of William H. and
Louisa Ivie. They had seven children, four of whom are living: Harriet K. and
A'incent O., who died in infancy; AV. T.; Mary E., died October 1, 1906; Stacey
G., now wife of Dr. F. C. Miller; Laura W. ; Julia L., now wife of Frank Garth.
In 1839 Mr, Porter moved to Missouri -with his parents, settling at Jefferson
City. He lived there at home till grown, and then went into the telegraph con
struction business. He superintended the bviilding of the first telegraph line from
St. Louis to Leavenworth, Kansas.
In 1853 the family moved to tMs county, where Mr. Porter has since made his
home. After coming here he was engaged in farming for a time. Then in 1858
his brother, W. T. Porter, was elected Circuit Clerk and Recorder, and Mr. Porter
served as deputy under him six years, excepting the time he was in the service of
Uncle Sam. He served about a year in the enrolled Missouri Militia, and was also
Provost Marshal of Northeast Missouri for five months. Mr. Porter was deputy
Circuit Clerk at the time of the burning of the court house, and it was tMough his
efforts that most of the books of that office were saved, an account of wMch is given
in the historical part of tMs book. He also served some years as Probate Judge
by appointment. In the meantime he read law and was admitted to the bar here in 1860, though
he never engaged in the active practice. Shortly after this the test oath law was
passed and he refused to subscribe to it, and consequently was not permitted to
practice. Just prior to the war Mr. Porter and Ms brother went into the real estate busi
ness here, having the first agency of that kind in the county. Mr. Porter was also
the first man in the county to be granted a commission as notary.
562
The History of Adair County.
COCO
s
<!oo
(3
Interior of Sands' Jewelry Store
564
The History of Adair County.
John L. Porter, Kirksville.
Biographical. 565
After the war Mr, Porter was again engaged in the real estate business here,
and from 1864 to 1866, freighted from Atchison, Kansas, to Denver, Colorado. He
was for a feAv years in the clotMng business, and also in the grocery business, at Kirks
Adlle, In recent years he has retired from mei-cantile pursiuts and has devoted Ms
time to the real estate business, and looking after Ms various interests.
^"hen the coal fields began to be opened up here he took an acti\'e part in it.
He helped to organize the Porter Coal and Mining Company and the Pennsylvania
and Missouri Coal and Alining Company, being made president of both companies.
Mr. Porter is still actively engaged in business and has many interests in the
county; owns several tracts of farm land and a large number of business and dwell
ing houses in Ku-ksAaUe. He is a stockholder in the KirksAdUe Trust C/Ompany and
Citizens National Bank.
He is a staunch Democrat, and has alAyays taken an actiA'e part in politics. He
is a member of the Masomc order, belonging to the Blue Lodge Chapter, Commandery
and Shriners. He is also a member of the Knights of PytMas and Elks.
LAFAYETTE LORTON is a native of Burlington, Iowa. He was born Feb
ruary 10, 1855, a son of James L. and Julia A. (Knapp) Lorton. He was married
January 13, 1887, to Anna Vaughn Kerns. She is a natiA'e of Sullivan County, a
daughter of Alexander and Jane (Laughead) Vaughn. They had two cMldren:
George V., born December 28, 1887; Jessie R., July 1, 1890, Airs, Lorton Avas the
widow of James S, Kerns, who died October 3, 1881. They had two cliildren: Al
exander, born October 16, 1877; James A., AprU 15, 1881, died April 30, 1901.
Mr. Lorton is almost a native of Adair County, coming here with Ms parents
when only four Aveeks old. The famUy ciune across the country w^ith an ox team.
Soon after coming here Ms father entered land near Sublette, Air, Lorton liA'ed
with his parents tUl groAvn. AA'hen twenty-three, he started farming for Mmself.
In 1895 he bought Ms present fai-m, consisting of 300 acres, four miles north of Kirks
vUle. He is a breeder of BerksMre hogs, fine cattle, hoi-ses, etc. He is a-Republican
in politics. JOHN G. MILLS, a natiA'e of Schuyler County, Missouri, was born July 31,
1860. His parents were Andrew J. and Frances A. (Payton) MUls. He was married
October 3, 1887, to Alinnie A. Alott, daughter of EdAA'ai-d and Alary S. Alott. They
have thi-^e children: Mabel .\., born February 12, 1889; now wife of Dr. Harry C.
Kirkbride, of NorristoAvn, Pennsyh'ania ; John C. Jr., born Alay S, 1891; Anna
Alary, October 8, 1893.
Mr. Alills was born and rewed on a fai-m near Lancaster, Missouri. He attend
ed the Lancaster High School and tlie State Normal Seliool at Ku-ksA'ille. He stud
ied law and was admitted to the bar at Lancaster in 1896. Forming a partnersliip
in law Avith Judge Edwai-d Higbee, he practiced- law in Lancaster till 1904, when he
came to KirksAdlle and opened up an office under the same firm name. Mr. Higbee
came to KirkswUe also, and they haA'e since been residents of tMs city .They stUI
maintain the office at Lancaster, wMch is in charge of AA'alter Higbee. Besides his
law business Mr. Mills OAvns seA-eral farms in tMs and otlier states. He is interested
extensiA'ely in the mercantile business and other business enterprises.
Mr. MiUs is a Democrat in politics, and a member of the Alasomc, I. O. O. F.,
AI. W. A. and Elk lodges. He serA'ed as county clerk of Schuyler County for eight
years, 1890-1898.
566
The History of Adair County.
o
•A
rt
Biographical. 567
DR. W. T. STEPHENSON was born in St. Louis, November 18, 1851. He
moved from that city to Linneus, Missouri, with his parents when but eight years
old. He attended the public schools of that city, graduating from the high school,
then took a course of lectures in medicine. After practicing at Browning, Missouri,
for a few years, he entered the St. Louis College of Physicians and Surgeons, graduat
ing from that institution in 1892. Immediately after receiving his degree he went
to Milan, Missouri, where he practiced Ms profession until 1896, then moved to
Kirksville. While in Browning he served as postmaster of that city for four years
under President Cleveland. He was also president for the local Pension Board at
Milan, Missouri, 1893 to 1896. From 1903 to 1905 he was the owner of the Kirks
ville Democrat. Upon coming to KirksviUe he gave up his active practice of med
icine and went into the drug business, in which he is still engaged. He recently
moved into the new Miller building, and has what is regarded as one of the most up-
to-date drug stores in North Missouri. Associated with him in business is his son,
D. I. Stephenson, a registered pharmaceutist.
Soon after the close of the Spanish War a handsome sword, costing $200.00,
was presented to Captain Arthur P. Willard, by the State of Missouri, in honor of
his planting the first American fiag on Cuban soil. Dr. Stephenson was chairman
of the committee appointed by Governor Dockery to make this presentation. The
other members of the committee were Sam Pickler and Dr. Warren Hamilton.
Dr, Stephenson is a staunch Democrat and takes an active part in politics. For
several years he has been secretary of the County Committee,
JAMES H. SEFRIT was bom in Daviess County, Indiana, June 24, 1863, be
ing a son of William and Mary (Mathews) Sefrit. He was married February 26,
1900, to Jeimie Barrett, daughter of WiUiam and Anna Barrett. They have three
children: Clarence, born September 28, 1903; Harvey, August 21, 1905; Lucile,
March 26, 1911. Mr. Sefrit has two children by a former marriage: Jessie, born
November' 9, 1893; F'rank, November 30, 1896.
Mr. Sefrit moved to Illinois with his parents when about three years old. There
he lived till grown, then went to Iowa where he liA'ed fifteen years, engaging in farm
ing. He then came to Adair County, in 1902, and bought Ms present farm, where he
has since lived. The farm consists of 160 acres, six miles northeast of Kirksville,
all well improved. He handles fine horses, cattle and mules, a:nd does general farm
ing. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. Both he and his wife belong to the Rebek.ah
jodge. REV. A. C. TUDOR, pastor of the United Brethren church at Brashear, Avas
bom in Wabash County, Indiana, at the city of AA' abash, being a son of AA'illiam F.
and Sarah E. Tudor. He was married October 17, 1900, to Emma AI. Littler.
Mr. Tudor went to Topeka, Kansas, about twenty-three years ago, and lived on
a fruit farm. He was educated at Lecompton, at the Lane University; also took a
course in voice culture and elocution at the School of Oratory at Topeka. After
teaching five years in the public schools of Kansas he entered the ministry. In the
last fourteen years he has held the following appointments: One year in mission
ary work at Bridgewater, South Dakota; one year at May Day, Kansas; one year
at Ogden, Kansas; five years at Fostoria, Kansas; three years at Holton, Kansas;
one year at Trenton, Missouri; two years at Brashear, Missouri.
Mr. Tudor is a Prohibitionist in politics and belongs to the Masonic, I. 0. 0. F.
and M. W, A. lodges.
568
The History of Adair County.
M
o
Biographical.
569
Residence of AV. P. Turner, 2 1-2 miles east of Kirksville.
Residence of Jas. H. Sefrit, 6 miles northeast of Kirksville
570 The History of Adair County.
WILLIAM P. TURNER was born in Belmont County, Ohio, January 21, 1848.
The family moved to Washington County, OMo, about the year 1854, where they re
sided untU the breaking out of the CivU War. WMle only sixteen years old, Wil
ham entered the army, joining Company H, 1st Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, serving
until June 27, 1865. After the close of the war he returned to Ms old Ohio home,
and in 1867 came to Missouri, settling near Clarence in Shelby County, where he
hved for three years, then returning to Ohio, residing near Marietta for seven years.
At that time he came back to Missouri, and Uved on a farm untU the year 1882, then
moved with his famUy to Adair County, buying 240 acres of land, lying two and a
half miles east of KirksviUe, where he and his family have resided for nearly thirty
years. William Turner was married October 14, 1870, to Sarah F. Carothers, daughter
of Louis F. and Angehca (MiUer) Carothers. Mrs. -Turner is a native of Lewis' Coun
ty, Missouri, and was born October 23, 1846. They had nine children, only three
of whom are living: The oldest, Thomas E., was born April 28, 1871, and is noAv a
doctor, residing in PhiladelpMa, Pa.; Henry P. was born December 12, 1872, died
November 26, 1892; William was born October, 1876, died March 11, 1896; EUa,
was born October 30, 1874, died December 18, 1879; Lucy was born November 18,
1879, died July 21, 1881; Grace, now Mrs. George Noe, was bom May 21, 1882,
and now resides on a part of her father's farm; Pearl, now Mrs. George Hunter,
was born July 21, 1885, and now resides in Knox County, Missouri.
Mr. Turner handles Shorthorn cattle and does general farming. His land is
well improved and he has a beautiful home. In politics he is Republican; in reUg-
ion affiliating with the Christian church, and is a member of the Grand Army of
the Republic. FRANK A. STROUP was born near Peoria, Illinois, July 25, 1877, being a son
of I. F. and Martha Stroup. He was married September 8, 1897, to Maud V. Frank
ford, daughter of Henry and Lydia Frankford. They have two children: Phera,
aged twelve, and Etelka, aged seven.
Mr. Stroup moved to Randolph County, Missouri, at the age of three years,
remaining three years; then to Bevier, Macon County. On May 3, 1894, he came
to Novinger, Adair County, where he has since resided. He attended the public
school at Prairie school house, near Bevier, until thirteen years of age, then entered
the mines at that place. He has since filled every position in and about the mines.
He operated the Spring VaUey Coal Company at Stahl, Missouri. In connection
with his father he has been identified as one of the pioneer developers of the Adair
County coal fields, having been engaged in contract construction work, sinking shafts,
building railroad switches, etc., during the progress of opening up this great coal
field. He has also engaged in the hardware and furniture business as managing mem
ber of the Stroup-Nunn Hardware Company. He is secretary of the Novinger
Building and Loan Association, having held that position since its organization
in 1904. Mr. Stroup is Republican in politics and served as postmaster of Novinger
Missouri, under the appointment of President William H. Taft. He is loyal to his
party and was always identified with its interests. He is active in educational af
fairs, having been one of the board of directors when Novinger built the first school
building of importance.
Having the distinction of being the best marksman of the county, he is an ar-
Biographical.
571
w
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572 The History of Adair County.
dent field sportsman, enjoying hunting and trap shooting. He has many tropMes
as evidence of his skUl as a shooter, both at trap and in the field. He is now conduct
ing an office of notary, insurance, abstract and law, as Avell as operating a farm near
NoA'inger. ROBERT G. SCOBEE, son of Robert and Dulcenia J. (Norman) Scobee, was
born in RaUs County, Missouri, February 19, 1853. He was married February 1,
1873, to Nannie B. Cummins, daughter of Elijah and Mary Cummins. They had
mne children, aU but two of whom are living: Lillie M., bom November 21, 1873,
now Mrs. Frank Dowdy; Isaac E., May 6, 1875; Bertie N., March 11, 1877, now
Mrs. Casten Dodson; Nora B., March 2, 1879, now Mrs. Robert Norman; Rob
ert M., March 11, 1881; Jeptha D., November 29, 1883; Dulcenia E,, October 26,
1885, now Mrs. Guy Bundy; Walter B., February 18, 1887, died in March, 1889;
Isaac E., died July 23, 1907; Paul P., January 19, 1892. Isaac E. was an osteo
path, and was shot and killed at Nevada City, California. Jeptha D. is also an
osteopath, at Monroe City. All of the children are married except Paul.
Half of the farm on wMch Mr. Scobee was bom is in Ralls County and half in
Monroe. In 1861 they built on the Monroe County side, and moved into that county.
Robert Scobee lived at home till married, then bought a farm near Ms old home,
Avhere he lived till 1881, then moved to Adair County. He has since made Ms resi
dence here. He farmed and bought and shipped stock till 1906, then went into the
mercantile business at Millard, remaining in that business for one year and a half.
He then bought and sold grain and cattle, still living at Millard. In September,
1910, he went into the mercantile business at Gibbs. He has been the owner of many
different farms. Mr. Scobee is a Democrat and belongs to the Masonic and M. AV.
A. lodges. MICHAEL WEBER was born in Alsace-Lorraine, France, December 17, 1846,
then a French province, now a part of the German Empire. His parents were Ali-
chael and Magdaline (Spillman) Weber. They came to this country when Michael
was but three months old, settling first in Ohio. Here they remained eleven years,
then in 1858, came to Adair County, Missouri. He lived with his parents till grown,
then farmed a number of years. In 1890 he bought a mill at Yarrow, wMch he has
since conducted. They grind feed, meal, buckwheat, flour, etc. It is the oldest
mill of the kind in the county, and was erected in 1847. It is run by water power.
In 1910 Air. Weber put in an electric light plant, which is run by the same power
as his mill. He not only furnishes light for his own home, but the stores and a few
residences at Yarrow. This is said to be the smallest town in the LTnited States
having an electric hght pLant. Besides the mill, Air. Weber owns a farm at YarroAv,
consisting of 260 acres, which he manages.
Mr. AA^eber is of German descent. His grandfather was an officer under Napo
leon, and fought with him for fourteen years.
On May 4, 1881, Mr. AA^eber was married to Magnoha Hays, daughter of Har
rison and Jane (Waddill) Hays. She was born in this county April 14, 1861. They
have four children: Harrison, bom April 25, 1882; John, February 15, 1884; Eva,
August 3, 1887; Henry, May 1, 1890, Mr. Weber belongs to the Repubhcan party.
N. L. WHITE, bom at Fountain Green, Illinois, May 8, 1862, is a son of Jary
and Ehzabeth White. His father was a pioneer of Hancock County, Illinois, coming
from Vermont in June, 1835. He was married November 13, 1883, to Ella N. George.
They have one son, Chellis E., born October 14, 1884, who is employed by the Met-
Biographical.
573
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574
The History of Adair County.
CO00
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Biographical. 575
ropolitan Life Insurance Company. Formerly was Deputy County Clerk under
J. T. WaddiU,
Mr. White came to Adair County, Missouri, in Alarch, 1893, and settled in
Clay township. There he farmed two years, then came to Kirks-ville, where he was
employed by the Adair Lumber Company. The following year he went to La Plata
and bought an interest in the La Plata Lumber Company, where he remained in
business for two years. He then sold out, went to Brashear, purchased a hardware
stock, and controlled that concern for two years. He then sold that business and
came to Kirksville, where for the past eighteen months he has been manager of the
Adair Lumber Company.
He is Republican in politics, a member of the Methodist church, and member
the M. W. A. He is a member of the City Council from the Fourth AVard.
COLONEL W. H. JOHNSON, a native of CaUaway County, Missouri, was
born October 2, 1849, being a son of W. O. and Mary Johnson. He was married
March 2, 1904, to Sophia MitcheU, daughter of L. B. and Malinda Mitchell. Mr.
Johnson has a farm of eighty acres near Gibbs. He is also an auctioneer and has
cried hundreds of sales in this a,nd adjoining counties. He gives special attention
to live stock and is often called to other states to assist in thoroughbred stock sales.
For some time he was marshal at West Plains, Missouri. He has lived in Adair County
for six years. Mr. Johnson is a Democrat in politics, and both he and his wife are
members of the Christian church.
RUFUS G. HUMPHREY, a native of Kentucky, was born in Morgan County
of that state May 28, 1859, being a son of Rufus and Catherine Humphrey. He
was married January 27, 1887, to Beatrice V. Combs, daughter of Harvey B. and
Lucile Combs. They have five children: Juanita, born April 7, 1890, now the wife
of Thomas P. Jones; Forest Talmage, September 7, 1896; Rufus Harvey, March
5, 1900; Marguerite, August 5, 1893; Duward M., September 1, 1910.
Mr. Humphrey Avas born and reared in Kentucky, coming to Scotland Coimty,
Missouri, in 1884. There he lived till 1894, then moved to Lancaster for three years.
In 1897 he came to Kirksville, where he has since lived and been engaged in marble
and real estate business. He is now in partnership with F. W. Gibbs. Mr. Hum
phrey is a Republican in politics, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and
belongs to the Masonic and M. W. A. lodges.
ROBERT L. MILSTEAD was born December 31, 1848, in Ray County, Mis
souri. He liA'ed there in the farm till fourteen years of age, when moved to Iowa
with his parents, remaining there three years, then moved to Macon County, Mis
souri. After liAdng there one year he came to Adair County and farmed until 1907,
when he moved to Brashear, engaging in the general merchandise business with his
brother. The firm was known as Milstead Bros. Later his brother sold his inter
est to H. T. Wilson and Mr. Milstead's son, WiUiam Everett Milstead. Mr. Mil-
stead owns a residence in Brashear and eighty acres of land adjoining. He was en
gaged in farming in Adair County forty years.
: Robert Milstead was married December 10, 1872, to Margaret E. Davidson,
daughter of James and Ehzabeth (Fair) Davidson. They had nine children:
Carrie Maude, born February 1, 1874; John E., October 10, 1875; Myrtle, Decem
ber 24, 1878, died July 7, 1879; William' E., August 20, 1881; Anna E., March 23,
1884; James R., June 15, 1888; Glen M., October 21, 1891; Genevieve M., June
15, 1895; Leta W. March 6, 1898.
Mr. Milstead is a Democrat and a member of the Methodist church.
.576
The History of Adair County.
Residence of N. L. White, KirksviUe
Residence of Col. W. H. Johnson, near Gibbs
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Residence of Robert L. MUstead, Brashear
578 The History of Adair County'.
HIRAM T. HALL, a farmer living six miles southeast of Kirksville, was born
and reared on a farm near Pure Air, moving near Bullion when nine years old. He
has lived in the same vicinity continuously since. At the time of his marriage he
bought his present farm, which consists of 111 acres, two miles southwest of Bul
lion, six miles southeast of KirksviUe. He has a fine farm, a beautiful home, and
is a breeder of thoroughbred Poland-China hogs.
Mr. Hall was bom June 12, 1868, in Adair County, being a son of W. A. and
Delcena (Cain) Hall, He was married February 28, 1894, to Myrtle Ebert, daugh
ter of Nelson and Margaret (Girton) Ebert. Mrs. Hall is also a native of Adair
County, bom near KirksviUe, December 14, 1874. H. T. Hall is a Repubhcan,
and he and Mrs. HaU are members of the Methodist church.
CLARENCE B. McCLANAHAN was born near MiUard, Adair County, Mis
souri, September 14, 1868, being a son of John D. and Jeannette McClanaha,n. He
was married September 15, 1890, to Miss Julia A. Johnson, daughter of Joseph Q.
and Sophia Johnson.
Mr. McClanahan has a well improved farm of 160 acres, 11 m.iles southeast of
Kirksville. The farm is well watered and stocked with the best breeds of cattle,
horses and other stock usually kept by the progressive farmer.
He is a loyal Democrat, having for eight years been a member of the Democratic
Committee from Wilson township. He was the Democratic candidate for Repre
sentative in 1908, carrying his full party vote. He is a prominent member of the
I, O. O. F. lodge.
Mr, McClanahan was one of the first farmers of this county to purchase an auto
mobile. It is due to such enterprising spirits and indomitable energy as that mani
fested by Mr, McClanahan that this county ranks among the foremost of our great
Commonwealth. FRISBY H. McCULLOUGH, son of Lieut. Col. Frisby H. McCullough, C. S.
A., and Eloisa Anne McCullough, is a native of Marion County, Missouri. He
was born November 25, 1862. On July 23, 1889, he was married to Florence L.
Engeroff, daughter of Christopher and Lucy Engeroff, of Columbus, OMo. They
had three cMldren: Frisby H., Jr., bom August 9, 1890; Helen D., April 28, 1892,
died June 6, 1911; Anne Ehzabeth, January 8, 1899.
His father. Colonel McCullough, was executed at KirksviUe, August 8, 1862,
by order of Colonel McNeill, an account of wMch is given in the historical part of
this work. As is stated there, it is now almost umversally conceded that he was
shot without due mihtary process of law," and Colonel McNeill has been severely
criticised for Ms action. Colonel McCullough was regarded as a brave and bril
liant officer, and the manner of his death was as heroic as ever written in the pages
of the world's history.
Mr. McCuUough graduated from Georgeto-wn Umversity Law School in the
class of 1889. Since that time he has been practicing his profession at Edina. He
is considered a very brilliant and able lawyer, and has appeared in many 6f the most
important cases in the courts. He is a Democrat, a member of the Methodist Epis
copal Church, South, and belongs to the Edina Lodge, No. 291, A. F. and A. M.'
Royal Arch Chapter, No. 62, R. A. M., Edina, Missouri; No. 464, B. P. O. E., Kirks
vUle; also a member of Camp No. 4312, M. W. A., Edina, Missouri.
Biographical.
57 9
Mr. and Mrs. H. T. Hall and niece. Miss Myrtle Ebert, six miles southeast of
Kirksville
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Biographical. 581
FRED DARROW, a native of the city of Kirksville, Missouri, was born .Jan
uary 27, 1868, being a son of Edwin and Orvilla F. Darrow. He was married Oc
tober 10, 1894, to Minnie L, Bundy, daughter of Alfred and Louisa Bundy. They
have two children: Vivian, born August 17, 1895; Helen B., December 29, 1898.
Mr, Darrow is a well known citizen of Kirksville. He is a Republican in poli
tics, and is deeply interested in the political and educational affairs of the city. He
served for a time as a member of the Board of Education of the public schools of
Kirksville. Mr. Darrow is a member of the Masonic, I. O. O. F. and K. of P. lodges.
B. C. BARROWS, a hotel-keeper at Gibbs, Missouri, was born in Illinois,
April 27, 1868, being a son of Otis T. and Dora Barrows. He was married January
25, 1891, to Etta Mitchell, daughter of Lemuel B. and Mahnda Mitchell. After
his marriage he lived on a farm one year in Knox County, Missouri, near the little
town of Locust Hill. From there he moved to the town of Gibbs, Adair County,
and there followed the occupation of hotel keeping. For the last nineteen years
he and Ms wife have enjoyed a fine business, being among the very first to settle
in Gibbs. Mr. Barrows' residence in situated in block twenty-one, in the southwest
comer of Gibbs, he being the owner of the entire block. Mrs. Malinda Mitchell makes
her home Avith her daughter, Mrs. B. C. Barrows.
Mr. Barrows is a Republican and a member of the Christian church.
JUDGE THOMAS W. FICKEL, a native of Hocking County, Ohio, was bom
January 31, 1847, being a son of WiUiam and Mary (PuUen) Fickel. When about
twenty-two years old he married and moved to Adair County, his parents coming
here at the same time. They purchased the farm where Judge Fickel still lives.
It consists of 160 acres, four miles south of Kirksville. They have a well improved
farm and a beautiful home. In 1909 he moved to Kirksville to send one his of sons
to school, leaving the farm in charge of his son, Leo Fickel. In July, 1909, he was
appointed County Judge of the First District, on the resignation of Judge Z. T. Ha
gans. Mr. Fickel is a Republican in politics. He was married December 10, 1878,
to Jennie Henry, daughter of Howard and Evahne Henry. They had five children:
Charles E., born October 23, 1879, married and IIa'cs in New York; Leo P., March
7, 1881; Frank H., August 16, 1882, died August 15, 1890; Mary E., January 20,
1890, died September 4, 1890; Roy E., October 11, 1893. Mr. Fickel was first mar
ried before coming from Ohio, to Adeline Webb, April 28, 1868. She died April
8, 1872. They had two children: William W., died April, 1875, when about five
years old; John W., now about forty years old, is married and lives at Memphis,
Missouri. JAMES E. WADDILL was born and reared on a farm, remaining with his pa
rents till twenty years old. He then went to farming and stock raising for Mmself,
continuing that business till about thirty years old, purchasing a farm in Clay town
ship. He still owns 160 acres in that neighborhood. He then came to Kirksville,
where he went into the lumber business, continuing in that business for about eight
years. While engaged in that work here, he became interested in the banking busi
ness, and was for several years president of the Citizens National Bank. Selling
out his interests there, he assisted in organizing the Kirksville Trust Company, and
was made president of that bank. He also helped to promote a large brick and
cement plant at lola, Kansas, and still has extensive interests there. In 1908 Mr.
582
The History of Adair County.
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Biographical.
583
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584
The History of Adair County.
Judge Thomas AA'. Fickel, Kirksville
Biographical. 585
WaddiU sold out his interests in the Trust Company and went into the wholesale
lumber business at Kansas City, in which he is still engaged, but devotes most of his
attention to the real estate business. The company with which he is connected
has offices at Kansas City and Denver, Mr. Waddill making his headquarters at the
latter place. He is still interested, and is a large stockholder in the Adair Lumber
Company yards. The company owns eight yards in various parts of the country.
Mr. Waddill was born in Adair County, Missouri, eight miles northeast of Kirks
A'ille, March 17, 1865. His parents were Jacob F. and Mary J. (Adkins) Waddill.
He was married February 8, 1888, to Augusta Rice, daughter of Columbus and Cath
erine Rice. They have three children:' Orid E., born May 4, 1891; Mary, January
16, 1894; Eva, December 16, 1897.*' "Both Mr. and Mrs. WaddiU come from old-
time families of Adair County.
CHARLES E. ZEIGLER was born and reared on a farm adjoining where he
now lives, in Liberty township. He had difficulty in getting an education, only
attending school about eighteen months all told. He studied at home at night and
at odd times; took examination for a teacher's certificate, and was given a first grade.
After that he farmed in the summer and taught school during the winter for nine
teen years, teaching several years in the same district. He then quit teaching and
devoted Ms entire attention to farming eight years ago, but has taught two terms
since. In leisure moments he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1898,
but has; never entered active practice. At present he devotes his time mostly to
farming, and owns 320 acres of land, two miles southeast of Pure Air. He is a breeder
of thoroughbred Chester WMte hogs.
Mr. Zeigler was bom May 7, 1863, being a son of Harrison and Elizabeth (Wha-
len) Zeigler. He was married August 4, 1909, to Minme McMillan, daughter of
Edward W. and Emily (Goodrich) McMillan. He has tMee children by a former
wife, Oma J. Scofield, who died February 7, 1897. They were married February
28, 1889. The children are: Chester L. and Lester L., twins, born June 22, 1890;
Elmer H., February 18, 1894.
Mr. Zeigler's father, Harrison Zeigler, Avas born in Pennsylvania, November
13, 1813, coming to Adair County, Missouri, in 1859. Here he lived till Ms death,
September 13, 1893. His wife, who was Ehzabeth Whalen, died March 19, 1910.
They had nine cMldren, six of whom are hving, five in Adair County. Mr. Zeigler
has a powder-horn which was carried by his great-grandfather, John Zeigler, during
the Revolutionary War. He was a Revolutionary soldier.
Charles Zeigler is a Republican and a member of the I. O. 0. F. fraternity.
HARRY N. ERVIN, a native of Burhngton, Iowa, was born August 16, 1881,
being a son of Nathaniel M. and Bell (Dalashmutt) Ervin. He was married April
10, 1909, to Laura Bailey, daughter of Elijah R. and Louisa Bailey. They have
one child — Glenn Nathaniel, born June 16, 1910.
Mr. Ervin moved to Adair County, Missouri, with his parents October 26, 1885.
He was reared in this county, and is engaged in farming. He owns a farm of 240
acres situated, east half of the northeast quarter of section 34; northeast quarter
of the southeast quarter of section 3; west half of the northwest qu.arter of section
35; northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 35, township — , range 17.
He does general farming and stock raising. He is a Democrat, a member of the
Episcopal church, and belongs to the I. O. O. F. and D. of R. and M. W. A.
lodges.
586
The History of Adair County.
Prof. D. Jones, Claims to be the World's Champion Speller
Biographical. 587
D. JONES was born near Glenwood, Schuyler County, Missouri, August 10,
1844, being a son of James and Susan Jones. He was married July 13, 1865, to Dul-
cinea Batman, daughter of WUliam and Mary Batman. They have five children:
Victoria, born May 28, 1866; Viola, of Kansas Ci,ty Missouri; Stella, now dead;
Dulcy, of Kansas City, Missouri; Thomas, a merchant in Kansas City, Missouri;
Prudence, also of Kansas City, Missouri.
Mr. Jones, known as the champion Enghsh speller of the world, is a Avell-known
teacher of Adair County. He has had a standing challenge for many years, but has
never been defeated as the champion speller, although his challenge has been an
swered several times. Besides his reputation along tMs line, he is also a pubhc speak
er and has written extensively for papers and magazines. Mr. Jones has taught in
eight different counties of the state and has taught several years at Pleasant Hill,
No. 1, near Wilmathsville, Adair County, Missouri, being still employed in that
district. He is a strong, enthusiastic teacher. He is a Democrat and a member
of the I. O. O. F. lodge.
BEN F. JONES, D. D., a minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, began
his work upon the prairies of Western Kansas, and has had a thorough training in
hardships well known to the pioneers of that state. He has preached in sod houses,
school houses, tents, and in the open; has ministered to congregations where the
cow-boy and plainsman formed an interesting part of the audience; has had a full-
fledged poker game going on in one end of the building while trying to cast out devils
at the other end. He gives it as his experience that a sermon and a poker game
can get along in the same building if they have to,
Mr. Jones was born in Pluramers Landing, Fleming County, Kentucky, March
21, 1868. He was married April 9, 1889, to Charlotte Gladys Kimball, daughter of
George W. and Harriette (Lloyd) Kimball. They have five children: Ren C,
born January 17, 1892; Linn Iri, October 4, 1893; Ahce Judith, May 31, 1896; Char
lotte Frances, August 6, 1906; Minnie May (by adoption). May 31, 1886. Minnie
May is now Mrs. Harry E. Moore of Trenton, Missouri. Mr, Jones entered the
ministry when twenty years old, and has served continuously in the regular pastor
ate until the present. For sixteen years he was a member of the Southwest Kansas
conference, transferring from that to the Missouri conference in the spring of 1905.
For tMee years and six months he was pastor of the First Methodist Church at Tren
ton, Missouri, coming from there to Kirksville, where he has the pastorate of the
First Methodist Church. On June 2, 1910, the Memorial University, of Mason
City, Iowa, conferred the degree of Doctor of Divinity upon him.
He is a, member of the Sons of Veterans, of which he has served as Chaplain,
Division Chaplain and Chaplain of the National Commandery, having been connected
-with that order twenty-tMee years; has belonged to the K. of P. lodge since 1890,
and is a member of the local lodge at Kirksville; was made a Mason in 1895; be
longs to Adair Lodge, No. 366, and Caldwell Chapter, No. 53, Royal Arch.
He is independent politically, but leans to progressive Republicanism.
FERD J. GRASSLE, son of Frederick and Susan Grassle, was born October
23, 1863, in Holmes County, Ohio. He moved to Memphis, Missouri, with his pa
rents in 1868, remaining there a few years, then moving to a farm north of town.
He attended the public school and the Gem City Business College, Quincy, Illinois,
graduating in 1883. For six years he taught school in Scotland County, after which
,588
The History of Adair County.
Rev. B. F. ,Iones, KirksviUe
Biographical. 589
he went to Nebraska and took up a homestead, remaining two years. After study
ing telegraphy at JanesvUle, Wisconsin, Mr. Grassle accepted a position with the
Western Union Telegraph Company at Chicago, and was for one year night man
ager of the Palmer House telegraph office. He then came to tMs county, and was
for a. time station agent at Hurdland, Missouri for the 0. K. railway. Giving up
that position, he served as cashier in the Farmers' Bank of Hurdland for ten years.
In August, 1901, he came to Kirksville, and went into the hardware business with
his brother Albert F., the firm now being known as Grassle Bros. He was one of
the organizers of the Kirksville Gas Company, serving as secretary. About three
years later he bought the interests of J. E. AA^addill, in the Kirksville Trust Com
pany, and was made president of the company. This presidency he had to give up
later, on account of Ms other interests requiring his time and attention. He is still
a member of the Board of Directors and a stockholder.
Mr. Grassle was married September 15, 1892, to Rose J. Funic, daughter of
Thomas W. and Rachel Funk. They have three children living, and two dead:
Kari F., born June 11, 1893; Maurita, March 23, 1897; Pauline, October 15, 1900;
twins, Florence Camille and Margaret Lucille, bom December 31, 1907 (Margaret
died AprU 20, 1908, Florence, May 12, 1908.
F. J. Grassle is Democratic in politics, and belongs to the orders of A. F. and A.
M., I. O. O. F., and Yeomen.
ALBERT F. GRASSLE, a native of Holmes County, Ohio, Avas born Septem
ber 19, 1858, a son of Frederick and Susan Grassle. He was married December 15,
1896, to Hattie Weaver, daughter of John and Nancy AVeaver. Mrs, Grassle Avas
born in Indiana, November 3, 1868. They have four children: Leonah B,, born Feb
ruary 10, 1898; Albert E., October 31, 1900; Herbert L,, November 29, 1902; Nan
cy S., January 14, 1908.
Mr. Grassle moved to MempMs, Missouri, with his parents in 1868, where he
lived till 1873, then moved to a farm near that city. When twenty years old he left
the farm and went to work at the wagon-makers trade at Memphis. In 1885 he went
to Nebraska and remained till 1887, then came to Kirksville and started a wagon
factory. He was in tMs business with his brother and father till 1894. He spent
a short time in California, and on his return was in the employ of the Wabash till
1897. He then went into the grocery business. In 1901, however, he engaged in
hardware business -with Ms brother, Ferd J., in which business he still continues.
He is a Democrat in politics, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and
belongs to the Caldwell Chapter and Ely Commandery, Masomc Order; the K. of
P.; M. W. A., and Yeoman lodges.
A. H. LATHAM, the son of James and Mary A. Latham, was born in Harrison
County, Ohio, January 25, 1857. In the same year he was brought to Adair County,
Missouri, near where he now resides. Here he grew to manhood. He has always
been engaged in farming.
At present he owns sixteen hundred (1600) acres of land, and makes a specialty
of raising cattle and hogs.
In pohtics he is a Republican.
,590
The History of Adair County.
W
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O
Biographical.
591
SJ
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3
o
592 The History of Adair County.
JOHN T. REYNOLDS (deceased) was born in Madison County, Illinois, Sep
tember 19, 1845. His parents were George M. and Mary (Farrer) Reynolds. He
was married October 8, 1876, to Mary E. Conkle, daughter^ of, Peter and Margaret
(Barnes) Conkle. Mrs. Reynolds was born in Clark County, Missouri, May 15,
1855, coming to this county the same year. They had four children: Ir\dng, born
January 1, 1878; Maggie V., September 10, 1879, now Mrs. M. V. Plattz, of Bra
shear, Missouri; Ernest R., September 4, 1888; Lester F., November 22, 1891.
Mr. Reynolds came to Adair County in 1859. He received hs education in the
public schools, the State Normal School at Kirksville, and old Avalon College. He
engaged in teaching for a number of years, after which he devoted his time to farm
ing. He and his Avife owned a farm of 326 acres, situated one and one-half miles
south of Brashear. It is now the property of Mrs. Reynolds. The most of ths
land was entered by Peter Conkle and has never changed title. In 1908 they quit
farming and moved to KirksAdlle, where Mr. Reynolds lived till his death, December
16, 1910. He was elected Representative of Adair County in 1890, serving one term.
He enlisted in Company A, 39th Missouri Infantry when only seventeen years
old, serA'ing nine months, then honorably discharged on account of ill health. He
was an Independent in politics, a member of the United Brethren church, and be
longed to the G. A. R.
W. B. BURTON, a native of Burlington, Wisconsin, was born June 4, 1866,
being a son of Henry J. and Elicta A. Burton. He was married February 22, 1888,
to iAnna Davison, daughter of John and Jennie Davison, They have two children:
H. Byron, bom December 28, 1888; Edna Verna, March 18, 1897.
Mr. Burton came to Adair County -with his parents in 1871, and has since lived
and farmed in this county. He now OAvns 320 acres of land near Millard. He is
a Republican and a member of the Presbyterian church.
SAMUEL F. SHUMATE was born in Schuyler County, Missouri, September
28, 1871. He was married October 20, 1894, to Hannah WMte, daughter of Wil
liam and Sarah J. (Sanders) White. They have six children: Stella, born August
16, 1895; Verna, September 28, 1896; Fred, April 10, 1898; Velma, AprU 12, 1900;
.Jessie, December 12, 1902; Leon, February 4, 1905. All the children are living at
home. Mr. Shumate moved to Adair County, near ConnelsAdlle, -with Ms parents, Wil
liam and Agnes (Wellman) Shumate, when about five years old, where he attended
the pubhc school and lived tiU 1879. He then went to Kansas, spending about three
years, then returned to Schuyler County, Missouri, remaining there only one year.
In 1884 he moved back to Adair County, west of Connelsville, where his father bought
a farm. He lived with Ms father till about nineteen years old, then started out for
Mmself. He worked at various occupations for a few years, spending one year in
Colorado. Soon after returning to tMs county he took a course at the KirksA'ille
Business College. When married he went into the mercantile business at Lavonia,
Schuyler County. In about a year he returned to ConnelsviUe, working at the car
penters trade for a short time. He went to work in a store which was sold a little
later to W. E. Hoff, at which time Mr. Shumate was made manager. A few months
later he formed a partnership with N. B. WeUman and bought out the stores at Nov
inger and Connelsville. Some time after this Mr. WeUman sold his interest to Mr.
Young. Mr. Shumate then bought Mr. Young's interest, later selling an interest
Biographical.
593
J. T. Reynolds, deceased
594
The History of Adair County.
Residence of W. B, Burton, near Millard
Residence of S. Y. Shumate, Connelsville
Biographical. 595
to W. T. Brown, who is stiU his partner. They own a very large building and did
business aggregating $30,000.00 a year. They also own an interest in the Connels
viUe Supply Company Store.
He is a member of the Methodist church, and belongs to the I. O. 0. F., K. of
P. and M. W. A. lodges.
SAMUEL A. VAUGHN came to this county from Pennsylvania in 1866. He
was born in Mercer County, of that State, February 9, 1854, being a son of John
and Harriett (Perrin) Vaughn. He was married April 29, 1880, to Malinda Pres
ton, daughter of Samuel and Rhoda (Phelps) Preston. They have two children
living, one dead: Clarence E., bom June 28, 1882; Ora A,, born June 20, 1884; Les
ter A., died when only eight months old.
Mr. Vaughn settled just north of KirksviUe, upon coming to Adair County,
Missouri, where he lived -with Ms parents tUl about twenty years old, when he began
making his own living. While at home he attended the public schools and took a
course in the State Normal School. For several years he taught school and farmed.
After Ms marriage in 1880 he moved to Kansas where he remained two years, then
returned to this county. He has lived here since that time, and practiced farming.
In 1894 he bought Ms present place, five miles northeast of Kirksville. He has 160
acres, well improved, and a pretty home. He does a dairy business, handling thor
oughbred Jerseys.
Samuel Vaughn is a Republican in politics and a member of the Methodist church.
GEORGE W. WATSON was born near Brashear, Adair County, Missouri,
June 24, 1853, a son of William and Elizabeth (Adams) Watson. He lived at home
for a short time after his father's death, then when grown, in 1873, went to Saline
County and from there came to Adair County, buying a farm five miles northeast
of KirksviUe. He has lived on that farm continuously since coming here. It con
sists of 152 acres, well improved. Forty acres are in Clay townsMp and the others
in Salt River townsMp. He handles thoroughbred Shorthorn cattle, Poland-China
hogs, fine horses, etc.
Mr. Watson was married October 13, 1880, to Jenme Ward, daughter of Alfred
and Eliza Ward. She was bom April 17, 1863 and lived in Linn County, her parents
being early settlers there. They had seven children, only three of whom are living:
Claude A., born July 13, 1882, died January 16, 1906, killed by a train; Berme L.,
October 15, 1884, lives at Los Angeles; Lottie E., July 30, 1886, died November 15,
1891; Gertrude G., born February 29, 1888, now Mrs. Grover Wesher, of Edina,
Missouri; Nelson D., December 28, 1889, died November 15, 1891; Percifal F.,
July 19, 1891, died October 11, 1892; Ward, September 2, 1893.
He is a Democrat and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
JAMES J. THOMPSON was born in Macon County, Missouri, just across the
line from Adair County, near the present city of Gifford, November 12, 1867. He
was reared on the farm entered by his father, part of the land being in Adair County.
His father came to this section from Ohio, in 1866. In 1885 Mr. Thompson built
on the Adair County part of the farm, where he resided tiU his death. In 1900 he
bought the old home farm. It consists of 190 acres. He was a breeder of PoUed-
Angus cattle, Duroc-Jersey hogs, fine horses, etc.
On October 17, 1895, he was married to Lona Cole, daughter of Andrew and
Hannah E. (Ricketts) Cole. Airs. Thompson was bom in Adair County, Walnut
596
The History of Adair County.
Residence of Samuel Anderson Vaughn, 5 miles northeast of Kirksville
Residence of Geo. W. Watson, 5 miles northeast of Kirksville
Biographical.
5ii7
Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Thompson and children, near Gifford.
[Mrs. Thompson died some time ago, and Mr. Thompson died since the Adair County
History went to press.)
598 The History of Adair County.
township, and died June 6, 1909. They had five cMldren: James R., born July
30, 1898; Adah L., NoA'ember 24, 1901; Anna M., May 26, 1903; Lawrence, August
20, 1905; Lula M., January 28, 1909. One child died in infancy.
Mr. Thompson was a Republican, belonged to the Universalist church, and the
I. O. O. F. and M. W. A. lodges. Mr. Thompson died after the beginning of the
pubhcation of this history.
JOSEPH MARSHALL THOMPSON was reared on a farm in Southern In
diana. He was born in Washington County, February 10, 1851, being a son of Rob
ert and Martha A. Thompson. When fifteen years old he moved to Illinois and re
mained three years, then moved to AdaTr County, Missouri, settling about eight
miles southeast of Kirksville, near where he now lives. He married and began
farming for hmself when grown, and has been engaged in farming and stock raising
all Ms life. His specialty is fine cattle. He now owns 360 acres of splendid land.
His land is well improved and he is up-to-date and progressive in his farming.
He was married December 25, 1884, to Elvira C. Wise, daughter of Frank and
Hannah Wise. They have seven children: Minnie, born October 17, 1885, noAV
Mrs. Bert Patten; Bertha M., August 13, 1887, now Mrs. C. H. Paul; Frank M.,
September 14, 1889; Pearl E., July 6, 1893; Leonard, September 25, 1896; Lee,
June 21, 1899; Ada Gertrude, April 7, 1902,
Mr. Thompson belongs to the I, 0. 0. F. lodge, and all the family are members
of the Methodist church.
JUDGE JACOB R. COOK, son of Thomas Bishop and Leah Cook, was born
in Dearborn County, Indiana, April 29, 1838. On July 2, 1865, he was married to
Miss Catharine Rider, a daughter of Lewis and Tracy Rider. They have five cMl
dren: AVilliam H., born September 15, 1868; Ida BeU, February 11, 1873; SopMa
E., March 16, 1876; George Jacob, February 7, 1879; James Jay, September 10,
1880. .ludge Cook came with his father's family to Adair County, Missouri, in 1856,
being eighteen years old. He entered land near Old Nineveh about July, 1859. The
county employed him to cut a wagon road through the timber on the ridge, east of
Stahl about six miles, connecting with the Milan and KirksAdlle road. He had nine
ty hands at work tMee days and cut the road thirty feet wide.
In 1857 he commenced teaching school; taught first in a log house about two
miles southeast of Stahl, in the woods. The house was on Nathan Lay's land. He
taught, in all, twelve terms of school.
On November 8, 1870, he was elected Judge of the County Court of Adair Coun
ty for a term of six years. On the fourteenth day of January, 1884, he was appointed
postmaster at Prairie Bird, eleven miles southeast of Kirksville. In 1874 he was
elected trustee for Wilson township, under township organization.
In June, 1861, he was elected captain of a company of Home Guards at Shib
ley's Point, and serA'ed three months. On February 23, 1862, he enlisted in Com
pany B., 11th Regiment of the Missouri Cavalry, and served as company quarter
master for three years, being discharged at St. Louis, March 3, 1865.
In 1873 he hauled logs that were hewn from two miles west of Old Nineveh to
the farm where he now lives, and built Ms present house, the shingles being made from
wMteoak taken from the same place.
Judge Cook is a Republican, a member of the Methodist church, but has no
lodge affiliations.
Biographical.
599
Residence and Barn of J. M, Thompson, near Bullion
600
The History op Adair County.
Judge Jacob R. Cook
Biographical. 601
WILLIAM F. FRANK, son of Gordon and Nancy E. Frank, was born in Schuy
ler County, Missouri, November 27, 1874. He was married .August 4, 1909, to
Bessie M. Coons. They have no cMldren.
Mr. Frank was educated in the pubhc schools of Schuyler County, Missouri,
and the Missouri State Normal School at Kirksville. He taught school thirteen
years in Schuyler and Adair Counties, Missouri. He was only fifteen years old when
he began teaching, and taught one school continuously for eight years. He came
to Kirksville, Missouri, and entered law practice March, 1904. He read law while
teaching school, later entering the law office of Smoot, Boyd & Smoot, and Avas ad
mitted to the bar in the Circuit Court at Alemphis, Missouri, in 1903, He is now a
member of the law firm of Weatherby & Frank.
Mr. WiUiam Frank is a Repubhcan. He served as police judge of the city of
KirksvUle from 1905 to 1907; served as city attorney from 1907 to 1909, and was
re-elected to that office in 1909, and again re-elected in 1911. He belongs to the
Woodman, Yeoman, Odd Fellow, Mason, Elk and K. of P. lodges.
GLENN C. WEATHERBY was born in Utica, Missouri, January 9, 1877,
being a son of Ralph and Jennie Weatherby. He was married August 12, 1901, to
Lucy Ellen Cox, daughter of Henry and Polly Cox. They have one child — Forest
Cox, born May 12, 1903.
Mr. Weatherby was educated in the public schools of Livingston County, Mis
souri, and the State Normal School at Kirksville, Missouri. He taught in the public
schools of Livingston and Carroll Counties for six years, serving one year as princi
pal of the Dawn High School, Livingston County. He came to Kirksville, Missouri,
in the fall of 1901, and entered the offices of Campbell & EUison, for the study of law.
He was admitted to the bar at the May term of Adair County Circuit Court in 1902.
Since that time he has been engaged in the practice of law in Kirksville, being at
present a member of the firm of Weatherby & Frank. This firm was organized in
September, 1908.
Glenn Weatherby was reared on a farm in Livingston County. He is a staunch
Republican. He was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Adair County November 8,
1910. He is a member of the Woodmen, Yeomen, K. of P., and Elks (Past Exalted
Ruler) lodges.
WILLIAM S. MURPHY, a native of Taylor County, West Virginia, was born
September 4, 1858, being a son of James G. and Jane (Rogers) Murphy. He was
married April 12, 1878, to Mary E. Waldron, who died April 3, 1889. They had
four children: Clarence W,, born January 27, 1880; WUliam L., January 3, 1883;
Minnie E., November 23, 1884, now Mrs. C. N. Tolman; Ada E., March 21, 1887.
His second wife was Lucy O. Gardner. They have five children: Jennie M., born
May 6, 1891, now Mrs. F". M. Ownbey; Anna O., December 27, 1893; Lulu and Lena,
twins, March 26, 1896; James, AprU 28, 1899. Mr. and Mrs. Alurphy are also rais
ing three grandchildren: Robert, Chester and Randall Gleason.
Mr. Murphy was born and reared in West Virginia, where he lived till November,
1888, when he moved to Kirksville, where he has hved continuously since. He is
a carpenter and contractor, and owns and conducts a planing mill near the AA'abash
depot. His home is just outside the southwest city limits, where he owns ten acres
of land and two dwellings. He also owns other residence property in the city. Mr.
Murphy is a member of the Baptist church, a Democrat in politics, and belongs to
the Maccabees and Modern Btotherhood fraternities.
o10
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Interior of office of Weatherby & Frank, Attornejs, Kirks\-ille
Biographical.
603
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Residence of W. S. Murphy, Kirksville
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F^orrest L. Alorrow, Novinger
604
The History of Adair County.
o
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Biogr,4.phical. 605
FORREST L. MORROW was born and reared on a farm near KirksviUe, Mis
souri, living at home with his parents till sixteen years old. He then started out for
himself. He engaged in mercantile business at Youngstown, Nefy and Loeffler at
various times. He also spent a year in that business in AA'ashington. On his re
turn he served as engineer at the KirksviUe AA'ater Works pumping station. In
1907 he worked as outside man for the Novinger Record. At the time of his mar
riage he accepted a position as associate editor of the Kirksville Democrat, remaining
there till October, 1910, then purchased the NoA'inger Record, of which he is now
editor and proprietor. The paper is Independent in pohtics.
Mr. Morrow was born September 25, 1887, being a son of Lewis A. and Susan
C. MorroAV. He was married April 24, 1910, to Eva Inbody, daughter of James T.
and Clara Inbody. They have one child, Forrest Louis, Jr., born April 17, 1911.
Mr. Morrow is a Democrat and belongs to several Fraternal Orders.
E. O. JONES, a native of Linn County, Missouri, was born October 19, 1881,
being a son of John M. and Frances M. (Davis) Jones. He was married Septem
ber 26, 1900, to Anna Nagel, daughter of George W. and Martha Nagel. They
have two children: Robert Nagel, born May 15, 1907;. John Ben, bom October
9, 1909. Mr. Jones' father attended the Kirksville Normal School, taught school awhile,
and then entered the merchandise business in New Boston, a village in Linn County,
Missouri, in which business he has remained ever since.
Mr. Jones spent Ms early life attending the village school, doing some farm work
and assisting his father in the store. After completing the common school he en
tered the law office of G. L. Joyce at Bucklin, Missouri. He read law one year,
then came to Kirksville, where he and Mswife attended the State Normal School.
Mr. Jones taught school and attended school alternate years until 1906, when he was
graduated from the Normal School.
The next year he was elected principal of the Kirksville High School, serving
two years. He was then elected superintendent of the pubhc schools of Kirksville.
He served till 1910, when he gave up his position to enter the law department of
Missouri State University.
He was a student in the University of Wisconsin during one session in 1908.
In 1909 he was awarded a scholarship in American History in the State Normal
School at KirksAdUe.
Mr. Jones belongs to I. O. O. F., K, of P. and the Masons. He and his wife
are both members of the Christian church.
BENJAMIN ROBERTS was born in Washington County, Ohio, April 17, 1844,
and son of Andrew and Eliizabeth (Flowers) Roberts. He was married April 18,
1869, to Alice M. Harris, daughter of William and Jane (McKinney) Harris, She
was born in St. Louis, February 22, 1851. They had twelve children, nine of whom
are liAdng; James R., died in infancy; Elizabeth J., died September 27, 1875; Alask
I., lives in Idaho; Andrew O,, died October 5, 1877; Albert D., lives in Idaho; Ben
jamin F., also lives in Idaho; Develda E.; Ajnos R.; Charity M., now Mrs. Logan
Dunham, of Idaho; Lucy E.; Harvey L.; Weaver R.
Mr. Roberts moved -with Ms parents to Clark County, Missouri, in 1851, where
they remained till 1858, when they came to Adair County, and entered land. He
lived with his parents till the breaking out of the CiAdl War, then joined Company
mi'4."
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C. C. Anderson, deceased
E. O. Jonei-
Biographical. 607
D., 11th Missouri Cavalry, and served six months. This regiment was then con
solidated with the 2nd Missouri Cavalry, and he was made a member of Company
M., serAdng for two and one-half years. He Avas at that time honorably discharged.
He spent most of the time in Missouri and Arkansas. The last two years he was
vidtl Col. McNeil; stationed at Macon at the time of the battle of Kirksville. His
horse being crippled is all that prevented Ms being at the battle of Kirksville. After
the Avar he returned to this county and has since engaged in farming. He also runs
a grist and saw-mill on what is now the Halladay farm, his father owning an inter
est in the mill. He now owns a farm nine miles northeast of Kirksville, consisting
ot 147 acres. He is Republican in politics.
Andrew Roberts, father of Benjamin, was born in Ohio, September 5, 1819, and
came to Adair County, Missouri, in 1858. He died in this county on March 23,
1885. CHARLES C. ANDERSON was a native of Ohio, and was born at Zenia, in
that state. May 16, 1861, being a son of John K. and Mary Anderson. He was mar
ried November 26, 1890, to Florence M. Campbell, a daughter of John H. and Mary
Campbell, She was a member of one of the old-time families of the county, her
father being one of the early settlers and one of the county's best known and most
highly respected citizens.
When a small boy Mr. Anderson moved with Ms parents to Lewis Counts', Mis
souri, where he was reared. He attended the public schools of that section, learned
the carpenter's trade, also studying architecture and building, serving three years
as an apprentice at Canton and La Grange. He then went into the carpenter and
contracting business, and soon afterward moved to Adair Count}', where he resided
till Ms death. He continued that occupation after moving to Kirksville and achieved
a great reputation as an architect. He also conducted a planing mill at Kirksville
for a number of years and had one of the best equipped mUls in this part of the state.
He erected many buildings in Kirksville, which will remain as lasting monuments
to his labor and ability. In 1887 and 1888 he traveled for I'airbanks, selling scales
and heavy hardware. In connection with Mr. Menke, a stone mason of Quincy,
he erected the Adair County Court House, considered to be one of the best build
ings of the kind in the state.' He also built the Dockery Hotel, the Journal building,
also the residences of Dr. A.T. Still, former Mayor Selby, and scores of others.
He died at Ms home in this city September 10, 1909, after a very brief illness.
He was a public-spirited citizen and deservedly popular.
He belonged to the Masonic and I. O. O. F. fraternities, and was also a member
of the Modern Brotherhood.
JOHN C. FUGATE, son of James T. and Laura Fugate, was born in Schuy
ler County, Missouri, March ,14, 1883, and Avas reared on a farm in that section.
He was educated in the country schools, and also attended the Queen City High
School. In 1902 he moved from the farm to Queen City, where he studied law and
was admitted to the bar in 1904. He then formed a partnership with his father
for the practice of his profession, remaining in Queen City tiU 1907. They then
moved to Novinger, where they have since lived and practiced.
Mr. Fugate was married to Miss Carrie Hurd, of Queen City, in 1906. He is
a Democrat in politics and takes a deep interest in political affairs.
()08
The HisTduv of Adair County.
John Clarence Fugate James T. Fugate
Attorneys at Novinger
Biographical. 609
JAMES T. FUG.ATlE, son of Elbert M. and N. C. Fugate, was bom in Schuyler
County, Missouri, August 4, 1859. He was married April 21, 1883, to Laura W. Pay-
ton, daughter of Y. W. and SaUie Payton, also of Schuyler County, Alissouri. They
have two CMldren: John C, born Alarch 14, 1884, and Edith Florence, born January
31, 1893. Mr. Fugate was reared on a farm, and educated in the public schools. He
taught school in Schuyler County from 1878 until 1889. He was admitted to the
practice of Law in 1904, and practiced in Schuyler County. In 1906 he moved to
Aclair County, and is at present located in Novinger, where he has served as City
Attorney since 1907.
Mr. Fugate is a Democrat. He served as School Commissioner in Schuyler
County, and was the nominee of the Democratic party of that county in 1906 for
Prosecuting Attorney. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and Masonic lodges.
WILLIAM THOMAS BAIRD, banker, and one of the most prominent citi
zens of Kirksville, Missouri, was born in Carroll County, Kentucky, January 19,
1835, son of Barzilla Adams and Mary M. (Scanland) Baird. His father was bom
in Paris, Bourbon County, Kentucky, in 1803, was a farmer, and a, son of Thomas
Baird, of North Carolina. The father of Thomas Baird was a native of Scotland,
and in company with six brothers emigrated to the United States prior to the AA'ar of
the Revolution. AU settled in different parts of the country.
AA'. T. Baird was reared on his father's farm and was recognized as a first-class
hand in every kind of farm Avork, excelling in cradling wheat and sphtting raUs, two
vocations in the old husbandry that have passed away. During the winter months
he attended the district school. He taught school for a short time in Grant County,
Kentucky: then in company with Ms bosom friend and teacher, W. P. Nason, he
came to Missouri, and -with the intention of passing tM'ough the state to Kansas, to
make that Ms permanent home. Landing at La Grange he started west, but when
he reached Kirksville, found the roads so nearly impassable that he abdndoned the
journey there — a step which neither he nor Kirksville has ever had occasion to re
gret. He arrived in KirksviUe March 21, 1857, and for some time engaged in teach
ing school, associated -with Prof. Nason, in Kirksville, who was County School Com
missioner. Mr. Baird married Martha C, Hannah, daughter of Matthew P. Hannah, Au
gust 24, 1858. Soon after he accepted a position as clerk for J, C. Thatcher at fif
teen dollars per month, and when Ms wages were raised to twenty dollars, thought
he was doing fine. They have four children: Frank H,, now a resident of Kirks
ville, Missouri (In 1880 he married Miss Helen T. Hunt, daughter of N. Hunt,
of Macon, Missouri. After her death he married Mrs. Mary EUen Rush, of Wash
ington, D. C); EUa, who died at the age of two years; Aggie Myrtle, who died when
two months old; Alta Melone. Alta Melone was educated in Missouri VaUey Col
lege, and graduated from the Academy and School of Music in Marshall. She was
married to E. L. Belshe, of Chicago, in 1899. They have two sons and two daugh
ters. In 1859, when the Branch of the Bank of St. Louis was being organized. Judge
B. G. Barrow said to W. T. Baird, "You better take one share of stock in the Bank,
and you might get to be clerk." He said he had no Inoney. Judge Barrow said
it would only take $10.00 to secure some stock and then 140.00 more at the time of
opening the Bank. So as he just had $10.00 he took the stock, and then borrowed
40
610
The History of Adair County.
Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Baird
Residence of W. T. Baird, Kirksville
Biographical. 61 1
$50.00 from Ms father in Kentucky, and he was elected clerk of the Bank, and this
was the beginning of his banking career.
The first Board of Directors were David A. Ely, W. P. Linder, M. P. Hannah,
I. B. Dodson, M. G. Clem, John T. Smith, John Thomas, B. G. Barrow, and T. C.
Wilson. Officers were D, A. Ely, President; W. P. Linder, Cashier; W. T. Baird,
Clerk, and B. G. Barrow, Attorney. President's salary, $500; Cashier, $1,500;
Clerk, $700; Attorney, $300. The majority of the Dorectors borrowed the money
from a bank in Palmyra to pay their stock, and when the bank opened for business,
they borrowed the money from their own bank and paid it back. The first public
statement was published in the ''Missouri Republican," now "St. Louis Republic,"
June 30, 1860, and showed capital $61,636.00; circulation $120,000.00; deposits,
$8,609.00; loans, $81, .533.00; cash, $109,664.00; liability of President and Direc
tors, $.57,213.00.
On the 6th day of August, 1862, the day of the battle, they had about $78,000.00
in cash in the little iron safe. The cashier was gone, and Mr. Baird was alone. The
citizens were ordered out of town, and great was Mr. Baird's joy when he returned
next day to find the money all safe and secure. Of all the parties connected with the
organization officially, Mr. 'Baird is the only one now living. The bank was allowed
under the State law to issue circulation bank notes in double the amount of the cap
ital. In 1859 Mr. Baird was employed to make out the tax books for Adair Count}',
and the same fall, when a branch of the bank of St. Louis was organized here, he
was made clerk, doing all the janitor work as well. He was appointed cashier of the
bank in 1863, and continued to hold that position until the bank closed up its busi
ness in compliance with an act of the legislature. In 1866 he took charge of the bank
of Stebbins and Porter, and a year later, in partnership with S. Reed, bought out
the bank. After a year his partner disposed of his interest to Melone and Epper
son, and the name of the bank was changed to Baird, Melone & Company, W. T.
Baird, casMer.
It commanded the public confidence and for ten years did an extensive busi
ness, passing safely tMough the crisis of 1873, and exhibiting proofs of prudent man
agement, which increased its hold on the pubhc. In 1878 Mr. Baird bought out the
interests of the partners, and conducted the business under the name of the Ex
change Bank of W. T. Baird. In 1882 he organized the First National Bank of
Kirksville, he being casMer, manager and principal owner. In 1901 the Baird Na
tional Bank of Kirksville, successor to the First National Bank, and First Interna
tional, was organized under the National Bank act, with capital stock of $65,000.00,
and he became connected with it in the same relation as above mentioned. But
later he became President of the Baird National, and his son Frank Baird was made
Cashier. After forty-seven years of successful service in the banking business, from
janitor to President, he sold out and retired from the business of banking.
He has served in many public offices in Kirksville, having been a member of the
Board of Education of the Kirksville pubhc schools, treasurer of the State Normal
School twenty-five years, for four years acting county treasurer of Adair County,
and treasurer of the city. He was acting School Commissioner of Adair County
one year during Mr. Nason's absence. Mr. Baird is a member of the Presbyterian
church; is treasurer of the Synod of Alissouri; was a member of the Board of Pub
lication of the Cumberland Presbyterian church for a number of years; superintend
ent of the Sunday School for forty-five years, up to the time of the union of the two
612
The History of Adair County.
Mr. W. T. Baird
Biographical.
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Presbyterian churches in Kirksville, in 1907; clerk and treasurer of the church for
forty-four years; Ruling Elder since 1866; is a life member of the American Bible
Society; and was Moderator of the Synod of Missouri Cumberland Presbyterian
church, at the time of the union of the two churches, and is Moderator of the Kirks
ville Presbytery of the Presbyterian church at the present time. He has been a mem
ber of the General Assembly of his church several times. He is President of the Board
of Trustees of Missouri Valley CoUege, chairman of the Finance Committee in charge
of Endowment funds, and has contributed $16,000.00 to that college. After Ms
donation of the first $10,000.00 to the college he was requested, by action of the Board
of Trustees, to nominate one of the chairs. In compliance with this request, he gave
the name of Baird-Mitchell to the chair of Greek, associating with Mmself in that
permanent honor. Rev. J. B. Mitchell, D. D,, the faithful pastor under whose minis
trations he sat for eighteen years. A literary society in the Missouri, Valley College
bears the name "Bairdean" in honor of him.
Mr. Baird is a Democrat in politics, and is a member of the Kirksville Lodge,
No. 105, A. F. and A. M.
JUDGE AARON P. HOPSON was born in -Adair County, near Nind, July 2,
1867, a son of Carey and Rebecca (Coleman) Hopson. He married Elizabeth Hoag,
November 17, 1887. She is a daughter of Francis and Rebecca (Swigert) Hoag.
They have one child — Blanche A., born January 24, 1891, now wife of Oral Loav-
rance. Mr. Hopson lived -with his parents on the farm in the southwest part of the
county till seventeen years old. His father died at that time, and he moved to Kirks
ville and attended the Kirksville Business College. The next year he returned to
the farm. About one year later he went into the mercantile business at Nind and
Avas also postmaster at that place. He sold the store, however, and returned to the
farm, then to Colorado, where he remained a year. When he returned from there
he went into the implement business at Kirksville. This business he sold in 1908,
and has since been engaged in farming. At present he also conducts a store at Sub
lette, and has charge of the post office there. His farm consists of 120 acres, seven
mUes northeast of KirksvUle, and is managed by his son-in-law. In the fall elec
tion of 1910 he was elected County Judge at Large. He is a Democrat, and a mem
ber of the Christian church.
JAMES J. WELLS was bom and reared on a farm near Conner, Kansas. He
attended the public school and took a course at Spalding's Commercial College at
Kansas City, graduating in 1890, He was then employed by the C. M, & St. P.
raUway as telegraph operator, then went into the employ of the Missouri Pacific
railway as station agent. He was later made chief rate clerk at the Kansas City
office. In AprU, 1903, he entered the employ of the Q. O. & K. C. as agent at Kirks
ville, where he remained a short time, then was transferred to Novinger. He now
has the agency for both the Q. O. & K. C. and the I. & St. L. at that place. On Feb
ruary 15, 1911, he was given charge of the yards at Novinger, in addition to the local
agency. Mr. Wells was born September 18, 1872, being a son of Francis AI. and Mary
Wells. He was married November 8, 1896, to Susie Holt, daughter of Phihp G.
and Belle Holt, of Holt, Missouri. They have no children.
Besides his railroad position Mr. Wells is a large stockholder and President
of the Union Bank at Novinger, is President of the Novinger Building and Loan
BlOG
Raphical.
615
Mr. J. J, \A'eiis, Nov
mger
61 6
The History of Adair County.
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Biographical.
617
Residence of Airs. AI. M. Currence, 6 miles northeast of KirksviUe
Scene at the home of Sylvester Zentz, 6 miles northwest of Gibbs
618 The History of Adair County.
Association, also interested in other business enterprises. He is a Democrat, and
served two years as a member of the City Council at Novinger. J. J. Wells is affil
iated with the Alasonic, K. of P. and Yoemen lodges, and a devoted member of the
Baptist church.
BENJAMIN CURRENCE, born February 16, 1834, was a native of Virginia,
where he lived till ten years old, when he moved with Ms patents to Seneca County,
Ohio. When twenty-one years of age he left Seneca County and spent three years
in Kansas, after which he sold out, going to Colorado, from there to Iowa and other
states. He finally came to Adair County in 1868, farming here in this count.y till
his death, June 11, 1890.
While in Iowa, Mr. Currence met Miss Margaret M. Schultz, a daughter of
John J. and Dora E. (WaUmon) Schultz, whom he married, December 31, 1863.
They had four children: Frank H., born December 17, 1864, started for Alaska
ten years ago and has not been heard from since April 16, 1900. He is supposed
to be dead. John W., the second son, was born March 6, 1868; he lives in Califor
nia. Bony C, bom April 5, 1873, lives in Tiffin, Ohio; Benfamin E., born Octo
ber 17, 1879, hves at Denver, Colorado.
Mrs. Currence was born in Hilliccan, Felda County, Germany, February 27,
1847. She came to .America with her parents in 1848, and lived in Iowa, meeting her
husband near Oskaloosa, where they were married. Since her husband's death she
has spent her time on the farm, with the exception of five years, which she spent
partly in traveling and partly in Kirksville. The farm she owns consists of 140
acres, six miles northeast of Kirksville. The farm is well improved. Mrs. Cur
rence has a beautiful dwelling.
SYLVESTER ZENTZ was born in Macon County, Missouri, January 18,
1881, being a son of Ralph and Barbara E. Zentz. He was married March 24, 1901,
to Lula Corbin, daughter of Jesse W. and Maria Ellen Alitten. Mrs. Zenta was
the widow of Benton Corbin, her maiden name being Mitten . They have three cMl
dren: Mary Ellen, born February 16, 1902; William Ralph, December 26, 1903;
Reo Vester, February 4, 1909. Mrs. Zentz was born in Adair County, Missouri,
March 30, 1878.
Mr. Zentz has a farm of eighty acres, situated six miles northwest of Gibbs.
He engages in ganeral farming and stock raising. He has always been a farmer.
Air. Zentz is a member of the United Brethren church, the AI. W. A. fraternity, and
is a Republican in politics.
H. B. ROSS was born in Illinois, May 9, 1861, bemg a son of Erastus AI. and
Julia R. Ross. He was married January 8, 1896, to Addie Mills, daughter of Charles
R. and Lucy A. Alills. They have one child — Leslie Mills Ross, born January 14,,
1905. Mr. Ross was reared on a farm in Illinois, and attended the pubhc school. He
brought his family to Adair County, Missouri, December 24, 1908, and has since made
his home here. His farm consists of eighty acres, situated neat Gibbs. He does
general farming and .stock raising.
H. B. Ross is a Democrat, a member of the Christian church, and belongs to
the order of Knights of Pythias.
Biographical. 619
MADISON L. FERGUSON, a native of Indiana, was born November 6, 1852,
a son of John and Nancy (Anderson) Ferguson. He moved to Iowa with his parents
when small, and hved there till 1888, when he moved to this county with his familj-.
He bcfught a farm ten and one-half miles northeast of Kirksville. It consists of eighty
acres of well improved land. Here he has lived continuously. He was in the mer
cantile business at Clay four years, and now runs a store on his farm.
Mr. Ferguson takes a deep interest in public affairs, and lectures oA'er the coun
try on sociahsm.
He was married to Mary A. Drake, March 1, 1874, a daughter of A. J. and Lu
cinda Drake. They have seven children: Clarence D., born February 20, 1875;
Frederick H., January 21, 1876; Wilham J., born April 27, 1879; Robert E,, May
22, 1883; Harry R., November 22, 1887; CecU R,, January 27, 1891; Paul Ethridge,
July 14, 1898. WiUiam J. died January 10, 1894. Mrs. Ferguson is a native of
Adair County and was born August 27, 1854. Her father was one of the earh' set
tlers of the county, coming here from Ohio in 1850.
BYRON BRASSFIELD was born in Schuyler County, Missouri, September
4, 1872. His parents were Francis Marion and Fannie Jane Brassfield. He was
married to Morgia Slauson November 12, 1899. Mrs. Brassfield is a daughter of
Daniel Hallock and Julia Amelia Slauson. They have no children in the family.
Mr. Brassfield came to Adair County, Missouri, in 1908, and owns a house and two
lots in the town of Willmathsville, Missouri.
He is a Democrat in politics and a. Methodist in religion.
L. M. WADDILL was born in Adair County, Missouri, April 16, 1870. He is
a son of Jonathan AVesley AVaddill. He was married June 13, 1894, to Alary Cor-
neU, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. S. H. CorneU. They have three children: Letha,
born October 25, 1903; Leta, October 25, 1903; Myron, February 20, 1906.
Air. Waddill owns a farm of eighty acres, situated five miles northwest of Bra
shear. He does general farming and stock raising. In politics he is a Republican.
He has been a farmer all his life and belongs to one of the old pioneer families.
CHARLES F. STEINER was born at Corydon, Iowa, August 31, 1884, being
a son of Clarence and Maggie Steiner. He was married September 7, 1904, to Jessie
Fulton, daughter of Abraham and Cordelia Fulton.
Mr. Steiner came to Adair County in January, 1894. He is now a leading baker
of Kirksville, havdng headquarters on East Harrison Street, just east of the public
square. He has been in that business there since 1902. He owns city property
and property in Oklahoma. Air. Steiner is a member of the Methodist church,
and belongs to the Odd Fellows, the K. of P. and Yeoman fraternities. He is a Dem
ocrat in politics.
FOREST H. RATLIFF was born in Adair County, Missouri, October 24, 1879,
being a son of David C. and Nora Ratliff. He was married December 23, 1903,
to Alyrtle A^anwey, daughter of John and .Nancy Vanwey. They have four chil
dren: Roland H., born November 6, 1904; Alay, December 26, 1906; Roma, June
10, 1908; David, bom January 15, 1911.
Air. Ratliff owns a farm of forty acres, situated eight miles northeast of Kirks
ville. He does general farming and stock raising. He is a Republican in politics,
a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and the I. O. O. F. lodge.
05 to
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Air. and Mrs. Aladison L. Ferguson, 10 1-2 miles northeast of KirksvUle
BlOGR.lPHICAL .
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The History of Adair County.
Biographical. 623
J. M. TRUE is a native of Clark County, Indiana, born January 14, 1860. He
is a son of John and Razillah True. He owns a farm of 150 acres, situated one and
one-half miles east of Novinger. He does general farming and stock raising. Com
ing to Adair County, Missouri, in 1852, he has lived and farmed here since that time.
He is a Democrat in pohtics. He is one of the old pioneers of the county and one of
its best known men.
DAVIS W. BEGOLE was born in Chelsea, Michigan, August 6, 1842. His
parents were WiUiam A. and Abigail (Nowland) Begole. He was married April
30, 1867, to Lydia Staniford, who died May 6, 1888. They had seven children:
Ahce, now the wife of T. E. Elmore, born AprU 18, 1868; Wilham A., June 1, 1871;
John AV., July 3, 1874; Charlie, December 27, 1875; George D., Alay 29, 1877;
Minnie, November 9, 1883, now the Avife of John Elmore; Lester A., August 7, 1886.
Mr. Begole's second wife was Maxie B. Clemison, to whom he was married April
3, 1889. They have one cMld— Ray, bom February 9, 1890.
Mr, Begole was bom and reared in Michigan. Coming to Adair County in
1866, he settled on a farm one mile west of Gibbs, which he still owns. In 1908 he
leased his farm and retired from active farming, moving to Gibbs, where he now re
sides. He is president of the Farmers' Mutual Insurance Company, a position which
he has held for the past ten years. He is a member of the Alethodist Episcopal
Church, South and the Masonic fraternity.
HENRY FRANCIS MILLAN was born in Palmyra, Missouri, November 10,
1842, His parents moved to Schuyler County, Missouri, in the same year. The
family lived on a farm until 1849, when they moved to Canton, Missouri. He -at
tended the public and private schools and the Methodist Seminary in Canton. In
the spring of 1862 the family moved to Chariton in Lucas County, Iowa, where he
studied law with the Honorable Theodore M. Stuart, and was admitted to the bar
May 16, 1865. After Ms admission to the bar he first located in Osceola, Iowa, but
soon determined to return to and locate in Ms native state. He came to Kirksville
November 1, 1865, where he has resided and practiced his chosen profession ever
since. He was married to Lizzie B. Brewington, daughter of Benjamin and Martha
Brewington, November 17, .1869. They had four children, three of whom are living:
Mattie M., now wife of Dr. Charles W, Hartupee, at Red Wing, Minnesota; HaUie
F., who resides with her father, and Carrie F,, wife of Arthur D, Baum, of Kirks
ville, Missouri. Mrs. MiUan died on the 28th day of August, 1903.
Mr. MiUan is a Republican in politics.
CHARLES A. HAMILTON, son of Henry S. and Margaret Hamilton, was
bom in Knox County, Missouri, January 1, 1861. He has five children by Ms first
marriage: Ada, born November 5, 1889, now Mrs. Harvey Swango, of Quincy,
Illinois; HJ Chfford, born May 30, 1891; Edith H., May 29, 1893; Grace, January
25, 1895; Mildred, October 8, 1902. He was married to Maggie Englehart, July
21, 1909. Mr. Hamilton was reared on a farm in Knox County; attended the public school
and Oak Ijawn College, at Novelty; taught school and farmed in that county till
1893; then came to KirksvUle. He engaged in the Building and Loan Association
and insurance business. He served as postmaster of Kirksville from October 1,
1897, till March 1, 1901. Since going out of the post office, he has been engaged in
real estate, loan and insurance business at Kirksville.
bO
Eesidence of J, M. True, 1 1-2 miles east of Novinger
Biographical.
625
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626
The History of Adair County.
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Biographical. 627
E. C. CALLISON, M. D., a native of Adair County, was born on a farm near
Kirksville, Missouri, April 5, 1866. He is a son of James W. and Rebecca (Sallade)
Callison, and a member of one of the oldest families in this part of the state, his fa
ther being the first white boy born in the city of Kirksville, Dr, Callison was reared
on a farm and attended the public schools, later taking a scientific course in the State
Normal School. He also took a course in the old KirksAdlle Mercantile College.
He taught school five years, reading medicine during vacations. At the end of that
time he entered the medical department of the University of Louisville, Kentucky,
where he remained two years. He then attended the Kentucky School of Medi
cine. Graduating in 1889, he entered the general practice, and for the past six years
has been located at Kirksville.
He is a member of the American Medical Association, the State Association,
president of the North Missouri Association, a member of the Tri-State Associa
tion, and ex-president of the County Association. He is also a member of the local
board of pension examiners, and local registrar for vital statistics. He is a member
of the auxiliary committee for legislation in both Alissouri and American Associations.
T. E. SUBLETTE was born in St. Louis County, Missouri, being a son of Peter
Jackson and Sarah (Russell) Sublette. He was married April 25, 1893, to Kate
Florence Funk, daughter of William and Sarah Funk. They have four children:
Sarah Agnes, born March 9, 1896; Florence Aland, Alay 25, 1897; Eleanor Louise,
March 17, 1901; Mary, January 14, 1905.
Mr. Sublette has been editor and publisher of the Weekly Graphic since June
22, 1883. He was educated in the common schools and the First District Normal
School, at KirksA'ille, being a graduate of the last named institution. He also took
a post-graduate course at the Normal School. He is a Republican, a member of
the CMistian church, and belongs to the Alasonic order.
CHARLES E. MURRELL, son of Samuel and Ahce Murrell, was born in Schuy
ler County, Missouri, May 24, 1875. He was married November 25, 1899, to Ber
tha E. MitcheU, daughter of Dr. W. F. and Elizabeth Mitchell, of Lancaster, Mis
souri. They have three children: William Francis, born February 27, 1901; Na-
tahe, born March 2, 1903; Charles E. Murrell, Jr., April 8, 1910.
Mr. Murrell was educated in the public schools, the State Normal School at
Kirksville, and the Missouri State University. He graduated from the law depart
ment of the university in June, 1899, locating at Kirksville, Missouri, in March,
1901, for the practice of his profession. He is a Democrat in politics, and a member
of the M. W. A., B. P. O. E. and Masons.
JOHN W. WADDILL is a native of Adair County, Missouri, born October 19,
1866, a son of Robert S. and Alargaret Waddill. He was married August 10, 1886,
to Emilia CorneU, daughter of Sebastian and Maggie Cornell. They have one
chUd— Glen B., born July 13, 1897. One child, Bessie L., born August 7, 1888, died
September 2, 1889.
John Waddill belongs to one of the oldest families of the county, and is one of
the best known horsemen in North Missouri. His farm is situated five miles north
west of Brashear and consists of 160 acres. He raises pure-bred draft horses, pure
bred coach horses, OAvning what is known as the Pioneer Stock Farm. His horses
are registered, and he is one of the best known breeders in the state.
Mr .WaddiU is a member of the Methodist church. He is a Republican in politics.
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Biographical.
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The History of Adair County.
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Biographical. 631
CHARLES C. GARDNER was born at Hill, New Hampshire, February 28,
1866, a son of Christopher and Susan B. Gardner. He was married December 30,
1891, to Jennie Gilpatrick, a daughter of Henry C. and Mary J, GUpatrick. They
have five cMldren: Marion. F,, born October 30, 1892; Henry C, September 30,
1894; Helen A., August 6, 1898; Charies F., September 1, 1900; Ruth F., February
2, 1905. He was reared in New Hampshire, attending the public school and Dartmouth
CoUege, from wMch he graduated in June, 1887, taking the degree of A. B. and A.
M. At the date mentioned he moved to Nebraska, remaining there till 1902, when
he came to Kirksville where he has since resided and engaged in the farm loan busi
ness, doing as large a business, perhaps, in that line as any firm in North Missouri.
Mr. Gardner takes a deep interest in public affairs and served two years on the
city council. He is a member of the KirksviUe Lodge, No, 105, A. F, and A, M.,
past master of the lodge; member of Caldwell Chapter, No, 53, and one of the most
prominent and enthusiastic workers in the local lodge. His work as master of the
Blue Lodge was so satisfactory that he was presented with a handsome gold medal
at the time of Ms retirement from office. He is also a member of the A. O, U. W.
fraternity. He is a Republican in politics and a A'ery devoted member of the Pres
byterian church.
AUGUST GEHRKE (deceased) was born in Prussia, Germany, November
23, 1826. He was a Aveaver, learning the trade in Germany when a small boy. He
came to America in 1877, and later came to Adair County, Missouri, where he liA'ed
till Ms death, January 5, 1904, He was engaged in farming continuously and owned
a farm of 100 acres, four miles east of Kirksville. Since his death his son Edward
and his widow have managed the old home place.
He was married July 17, 1863, to Augusta Dominka, They had ten children:
Gottlieb, born in 1864, died when a small child; Carl, May 7, 1866; Wilhelmina,,
August 26, 1868; Augusta, February 20, 1870, died at the age of ninteeen; Ferdi
nand, February 7, 1872, died when four years old; Marie, February 14, 1874, died
at two years of age; Edward, Alay 27, 1878, lives at home; Emma, September 8^
1880; Clara, AprU 15, 1886; Eari D., October 12, 1888.
Mr. Gehrke was one of the most substantial farmers of the county and a well-
known citizen. He was a Republican in politics.
CARL BACHMAN is a native of this county, born March 15, 1871, a son of
Solomon and Angeline J. Bachman. He attended the public school and took a
course in a business college. He followed farming till March, 1909, when he and
others bought out the general merchandise business of E. E. Price at Stahl. The
firm is known as the Stahl Mercantile Company, and is managed by Air, Bachman
and T. S. Hillman, who at present own all the stock. Mr. Bachman also owns a
farm of forty acres, about two miles northwest of Stahl. It is valuable coal land.
Mr. Bachman was united in marriage May 11, 1893, to Mary E. Rowe, daugh
ter of John F. and Millie Rowe. They have four children living, and one dead:
Laura Leona, born March 30, 1894; Hazel L., October 18, 1899; Erma E., Septem
ber 19, 1903; Opal, October 11, 1908; Deletha P,, died in infancy.
Mr. Bachman is a Democrat, and belongs to the M. W, A., I. O. O. F. Encamp
ment, and Rebekah lodges.
632
The History of Adair County.
d6
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Biographical.
()33
Residence of Mrs. August Gherke, 4 miles east of Kirksville
Residence of Colonel Vawter, Brashear
634 The History of Adair County.
COLONEL VAWTER, a native of Lincoln County, Missouri, was born January
26, 1867, being a son of William and Matilda Vawter. He was married June 7,
1896, to Ida M. Rahe, daughter of John and Rebecca Rahe. They have one chUd
— EmU Rahe Vawter, born October 14, 1898.
When only a few months old, Mr. Vawter moved with his parents to Shelby
County, Missouri, later to Kansas where they remained two years. They then came
to Adair County, settling here in 1899, where Mr. Vawter has since lived. He is
engaged in the blacksmith and wagon-making business at Brashear, and has followed
that occupation continuously since grown.
Mr. Vawter is a member of one of the oldest famUies in the United States and
England, many of them being prominent in pubhc life and the commercial world.
A history of the Vawter family, running back to 1016, has been placed with the Mis
souri State Historical Society.
He is a member of the Christian church, the Masonic, Odd Fellow and Mod
ern Brotherhood of .'America fraternities, and the Republican party.
JOHN SCHOOLING GASHWILER, M. D., son of John Samuel and Mary
Louise (Harris) Gashwiler, was born at Sweet Springs, Missouri, July 24, 1878. His
early education was gained in private schools and the Central High School in Kan
sas City, Missouri. He entered the Medico-Surgical College of Kansas City, Mis
souri, now a part of the UniA^ersity of Kansas, in 1897, graduating in 1900, -with the
degree of Doctor of Medicine. He spent an interneship in the Kansas City General
Hospital and in the St. George Hospital. He located in .Novinger, Adair County,
Missouri, in the fall of 1900, for the practice of Ms profession.
Dr. Gashwiler was married October 15, 1902, to Maude Ellen Novinger, daugh
ter of Hiram and Sarah (Niece) Novinger. They have three children: Sarah Lou
ise, born November 6, 1903; Virginia Elizabeth, April 15, 1906; John Hiram, Oc
tober 18, 1908.
Dr. Gashwiler is a member of the Masonic order, belonging to the Shrine, Chap
ter, Commandery, etc. He is also a member of the I. O. O. F., K. of P., M. W. A.
and A. O. U. W. lodges. He served for six years as city physician of Novinger, and
a like period as local surgeon for the O. K. railway. He is ex-president of the Adair
County Medical Association, -vice-president of the Northeast Missouri Medical
Association. He and his family are members of the Baptist, church.
JOHN H. HEDIGER, son of John and Mary J. Hediger, was born April 28,
1880, ten miles west of Youngstown, Adair County. He was united in marriage
April 29, 1906, to Ella A. Hall, daughter of CampbeU and Jane Hall. The parents
of Mrs. Hediger belong to one of the oldest families of the county. Mr. and Mrs.
Hediger have one child — Louetta J., born August 12, 1908.
Mr. Hediger was born and reared on the old Hediger homestead, in the southvyest
part of the county. He lived there till fifteen years old, then moved with his pa
rents near Nefy. When grown he went to Montana for a short time. On Ms re
turn he farmed till 1908, when he became mail carrier of Route one, out of Youngs
town. He gave up that position in 1909, and went into the mercantile business
at Youngstown. On May 23, 1910, he was appointed postmaster of Youngstown,
and still conducts the store and post office there. While engaged in farming he
also ran a thresher, and is said to be the first man in the county to use a gasoline
engine for that sort of work.
Biographical.
635
John Schooling Gashwiler, M. D,, Novinger
636 The History of Adair County.
JOHN T. RATLIFF is a native of Adair County, Missouri, born September
25, 1876. His father, D. C. Ratliff, was born at Plymouth, Schuyler County, Ilh
nois, in 1835; lived several years at Burlington, Iowa, later living four years in Cali-
forma, coming to Adair County in 1865; he bought a 200-acre homestead, where
he lived tMrty-eight years. Here John T. Ratliff was born. His mother was bom
at Charleston, Coles County, Illinois, and came to Adair County in 1856.
Mr. Ratliff has the distinction of owning and occupying the home site of the old
homestead where he was born, which is a well-equipped and one of the most pro
ductive farms in Clay townsMp. It is situated eight miles northeast of Kirksville.
He is greatly interested in modern methods of farming and pure-bred live stock,
making a specialty of sheep and hogs. He attended the Kirksville Normal two years
in 1895 and 1896; afterwards traveled one and one-half years for a Chicago business
house; later, during the Spanish-American War, he served three years, two years
in the Philippines, participating in the Luzon campaign, and later in General Smith's
memorable campaign on the Island of Samoa, receiving personal mention by Gen
eral Smith for service rendered at that time.
Mr, Ratliff is a Repubhcan in politics, and has belonged to the I. O. O. F. lodge
eleven years.
He was united in marriage September 23, 1903, to Mamie E. Corner, youngest
daughter of Albert and Mary J. Corner. They have four children: Roscoe R.,
born September 7, 1904; Kenneth L., February 23, 1906; John T., Jr., March 4,
1908; Norman L., February 23, 1910.
JAMES O. BAILEY, a native of Knox County, Missouri, born January 22,
1858, is a son of James and Nancy (Fretz) Bailey. He was married January 22,
1879, to Ella Davis, daughter of Seth L. and Ellen (Bartlett) Davis. They have
four cMldren: Osborn L., born November 15, 1879; James Guy, August 20, 1883;
Jessie E., July 3, 1886; Leonard, October 12, 1890.
When James O. BaUey was about one year old his father died, and the family
moved to Indiana, where they hved about four years. His mother then married
and they moved back to Missouri, lived near Tipton a few years, then came to Adair
County. Mr. Bailey left home when only fourteen years old. He worked at various
occupations, finally going to Clark County, Iowa, where he met the girl whom he
married. After their marriage he went to farming, remaining in Iowa fifteen years,
part of that time conducting a flouring mill, at Woodburn, Iowa. He then moved
to Douglas County, Missouri, where he hved untU 1896. He then came to Adair
County, and soon after purchased the farm where he now resides. It consists of
ninety-five acres, two miles north of KirksvUle. He conducted a dairy for many
years, and still raises thoroughbred Jersey cattle.
HOMER V. PROPST was born on a farm, four and one-half miles east of Kirks
ville, November 16, 1885. He is a son of John and Belle (Voorhies) Propst. He
was married December 1, 1909, to Carrie Heyd, daughter of Jacob and Elizabeth
Heyd. They have one child, Dorothy Lucile, bom February 18, 1911.
Homer Propst was educated in the pubhc school and took a course in the State
Normal School. He lived with Ms parents untU his marriage, when his parents moved
to KirksviUe, leaving the farm in his charge. It consists of 420 acres, well stocked
and improved. It is considered to be one of the finest farms in the county.
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Residence of J. T. Ratliff, 8 miles northeast Kirksville
638
The History of Adajr County.
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639
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640 The History of Adair County.
JOHN R. RILEY was born August 15, 1860, in Van Bm-en County, Iowa,
being a son of Sylvester and Mary Riley. He was umted in marriage December
25, 1890, to Nettie Crawford, daughter of Darnel and Velma Crawford. They have
three children: Victor D., born January 29, 1892; Frank M., Alay 31, 1894; Mary
Velma, March 10, 1902.
Air. RUey's parents moved to Adair County, Missomi, in 1864. He has lived
here since that time. The farm wMch he OAvns consists of 240 acres, situated three
and one-half miles west of Brashear. He raises Shorthorn cattle, Shropshire sheep.
Black Langshan and Rhode Island Red cMckens.
Air. Riley is a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge, being Past Grand in Lodge No.
522, at Brashear. AA'hen he retired from office, he was presented Avitli a fine Past
Grand collar as a mark of esteem. He is a prominent farmer, an enthusiastic Dem
ocrat, and when a candidate for County .ludge polled a large number of votes.
ALLEN L. BILLINGS, a native of loAva, was born August 22, 1871, a son of
Lewis and Emily Billings. He was married October 11, 1899, to Jessie Vandiver,
of Knox County, Alissouri. They have one cMld — Dora Alean, born July 7, 1900.
Airs. Billings is a daughter of Jasper and Fleckner Vandiver. Mr. Billings came Avith
Ms parents to .Adair County, Alissouri, in 1879, and lived on a farm adjoimng the one
he now owns until he was grown, attending the pubhc schools at AA'Usontown and as
sisting on the farm. After his marriage he moved to Ms present farm, which he pm-
chased shortly before. The farm consists of 120 acres, four and one-half miles south
east of Gibbs. He also owns 190 acres, one mile east of his home place, which makes
310 acres in all. He has ¦¦ very pretty home and his farm is Avell improved.
He is a Democrat, a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge, and the Baptist church.
His wife is a member of the Christian church.
JAMES W. WADDILL is a native of Adair County, Missouri, born April 18,
1866. He is a son of Jonathan and Isabel AA'addill. He was married Alarch 14,
1894, to Ada Murfin, daughter of John and Matilda Murfin. They have three chil
dren: Opal, born February 10, 1896; Mabel, August 8, 1897; Dale, .August 24,
1904. Mr. Waddill owns a farm of seventy-eight acres, situated in section 1, town
ship 62, range 14. He is a member of the Methodist church, the M. AV. .A. frater
nity, and is a Republican in politics.
WILLIAM T. MUSSON, son of Richard and Rebecca Musson, was born in
Morgan County, Illinois, June 12, 1836. He was married NoA'ember 3, 1868, to
Margaret Post, daughter of Benton and Clarissa Post. They have had ten chil
dren: Clarissa R., born October 4, 1869; Deloss R., January 6, 1871; Eddy, Oc
tober 26, 1872; Alice May, May 15, 1874, now Airs. Dr. S. J. Conner; Sarah A.,
March 14, 1876, now Mrs. C. N. Wood; Mary O., March 14, 1878, now Mrs. John
Henry; Stella E., February 15, 1880; Eva C, January 13, 1882; Henry A., Sep
tember 1, 1885; Alvin B., July 11, 1888. Eddy died August 25, 1873.
Mr. Musson came to Adair County, Missouri, November 20, 1868. He has
hved in Kirksville continuously since August, 1898. Besides his city residence he
owns a farm of forty acres, situated six miles southeast of Kirksville.
He is a Repubhcan in politics, a member of the Alethodist Episcopal church,
and belongs to the G A. R.
Biographical.
641
42
642
The History of Adair County.
Residence of .A. L. Billings, 4 1-2 miles southeast ot Gibbs
Residence of A. H. Burns, 6 miles east of KirksvUle
BlOGRAPHICAI,. 643
A. H. BURNS Avas bom in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, November 6, 1849,
a son of WiUiam M. and Mary A. (Troy) Burns. He was married to Martha J.
Morrow, August 17, 1875. His wife was a daughter of J. M. and Rosanna (Laughhn)
Morrow. Mr. Burns has seven hving children and one deceased: Effie J., born Ma}-
12, 1874, now the wife of Judge U. S. G. Keller, of Kirksville; WiUiam M., bom No-
vember"13, 1875, lives at Boise, Idaho; HaUie R., December 31, 1881, now wife of
Charles Keller, of Caldwell, Idaho; Kate F., September 3, 1883, died June 3, 1884;
Alary F., Alay 21, 1885, now wife of G. P. AA'ard, of Knox County, Missouri; Har
vey C, November 19, 1887, now at home; Leland C, May 3, 1893; Chester A.,
AprU 23, 1895.
Air. Bums was born and reared on a farm in Pennsylvania and lived there until
twenty-one years of age, then went to Illinois, where he remained about six months .
He then came to Missouri, landing in Kirksville April 1, 1872. AA'hile in Pennsyl
vania, Air. Burns attended the public schools, later taking a course in the New Leb
anon Academy. He taught school for a fcAV years in Pennsylvania. After coming
to this county he taught for a number of years, engaging in farming during his va
cation. He quit teaching in 1888, and has since given his entire time and attention
to farming. He has a farm of 180 acres, six miles east of Kirksville. He is Repub
lican in politics and has served as Justice of the Peace of his township for two terms.
He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and belongs to the Alet'nodist Episcopal church.
CARL GEHRKE, a native of Oberhiitte, Prussia, Germany, was born Alay 7,
1866. His parents were August and Augusta (Dominkie) Gehrke. He came to
America Avith his parents when a boy, landing in Kirksville when tMrteen years old.
He came directly here, living first on a farm ten miles southeast of Kirksville. Here
they lived till 1892, when he came to his present place.
Holding a diploma from the common school of education in Germany, he entered
the Alissouri State Normal School at Kirksville. After two years' study in that in
stitution he took a course at the American School of Osteopathy, graduating in 1898.
He practiced about two years in Boonville, Alissouri, and Bloomfield, Iowa. Ill
health forced him to give up practice, so he returned to the farm. While practicing
he still retained his farm and returned to its active management. The farm con
sists of 208 acres, four and one-half miles southeast of KirksviUe. It is well improved.
He handles a dairy, keeping thoroughbred Jerseys.
On June 6, 1899, Mr. GeMke was married to Miss June Crittenden, a daughter
of A. I. and Emma Crittenden. They have one child — Hazel, born July 4, 1900.
CHARLES M. BRAWNER, born in Sangamon County, Illinois, January 28,
1853, was a son of John S. and Nancy Brawner. He was married to Mina A. Young,
daughter of George and Elizabeth Young, June 24, 1877. They had five children:
Elsie, born January 17, 1878; Clifford, October 2, 1880; Asa, December 2, 1883;
Agnes, August 18, 1888; Bertha, December 9, 1892.
Mr. Brawner was born in Illinois and came to Adair County with his parents
in 1854, first living in Kirksville, Avhich was a very small village at that time. He
lived on a farm near Kirksville for a number of years; was then in the milling busi-
.ness. After Ms marriage he went to farming. In 1881 he bought the farm which
he now owns, and where he has since resided. It consists of 195 acres, three miles
southeast of Novinger. The farm is well improved and they have a very pretty
home. Mr. Brawner is a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge, and a Republican in pol
itics.
644
The History of Adair County.
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BlOGR.A.PHICAL.
645
Country and Kirksville residences of C. AI. Brawner
646 The History of Adair County.
LARKE HODGE, a native of Coles County, Illinois, was born October 8, 1856.
His parents were William and Louisa Hodge. He moA^ed with them to Adair Count}',
Missouri, in 1865, setthng on a farm in the north part of the county, where he
grew to manhood, later moAdng to Kirksville. When grown he went into the brick
manufacturing business in the counties of Grundy and Harrison. He was also at
Novinger, and laid brick for some time. In 1904 he quit the brick business, being
elected constable of the township. After serving two years in that capacity he was
elected Justice of the Peace, which position he stiU holds. He has also been city
coUector at Novinger since 1906. Besides Ms justice and notary work, he does gen
eral real estate business. He is a Repubhcan in pohtics, and a member of the I. O.
O. F. lodge, having served as District Deputy Grand Master for the past two years.
William Hodge, father of Larke Hodge, has made Adair County his home since
the Civil War. During the war he was a member of the 79th Ilhnois Volunteer In
fantry, serving three years. He is now eighty-two years old. When he came to
this county everything was in a wild state. Wild deer, turkey, wolves, fox and wild
cat were in abundance.
W. W. SHOOP was born in Adair County, Missouri, January 30, 1882. He
comes from one of the old families of the county, being a son of Adam and Cyrena
Shoop, He was married March 7, 1908, to Susie E. Tanner, daughter of Martin
V. and Emma W. Tanner. They have no children.
Mr. Shoop Avas bom in the northwest part of the county, where he remained,
working on the farm during the summer and going to school in the winter, until the
year 1900. He then entered the State Normal School at Kirksville, attending there
for two years. Since that time he has become one of the most successful and pro-
gressiA'e techers of Adair County. He held the principalship of the Novinger school
for four successive years, leaving that for a more lucrative position at Downing, Mis
souri. Mr. Shoop is a Republican, a member of the Presbyterian church, and be
longs to the I. O. O. F. lodge.
R. MINTER is a native of Illinois, born in Brown County of that state, Sep
tember 22, 1849, He is a son of Richard W. and Mary A. (Doye) Minter; Avas mar
ried January 6, 1881, to Miss Dosha Bradshaw, daughter of LcAvis and Fannie Brad-
shaw, near Newark, Missouri. They have two children: Fannie Lou, bom August
5, 1884; Roberta, February 15, 1888. Fannie Lou is the wife of Dr. F. O. Norton,
Dean of Liberal Arts College, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa. Mr. Minter
and family moved to Kirksville, Missouri, November 19, 1905. Roberta is a teach
er in Kirksville Public Schools.
Richard W. Minter, father of the subject of this sketch, was a Virginian, born
in Henry County of that state in 1822. In his westward sojourning he tarried for
a brief time in Mississippi, Tennessee, finally purchasing a home near the old town of
Ripley, Brown County, Illinois, from which place he moved to Knox County, Mis
souri, in 1854, purchasing a new home near the present village of Lucust Hill. Owing
to extreme disturbances and local complications during the Civil War he left Knox
County in 1864, moving to Canada, where he died September 8, 1866. Six years
later Mr. Minter returned to Missouri, settling in Lewistown, Lewis County. Here
he taught school, serving four years as County School Commissioner. In 1881,
soon after his marriage, he moved to La Balle, Missouri, taking charge of the pub
lic schools as principal, later engaging in mercantile pursuits; then forming a part-
AV. W. Shoop
C. F. Steiner, KirksvUle
Lark Hodge, Novinger, at the age of 40 years.
648 The History of Adair County.
nership in loans, real estate and insurance, Avith E. A, Dowell, who was later State
Senator from Twelfth District, Mr. Minter has been a resident of Kirksville since
1905, and was for several years engaged in newspaper work as editor of The Kirks
vUle Democrat. He is now in real estate, insurance and Notary work, in which bus
iness he is active and successful, as a member of the firm of Minter and Winn.
J. D. ELLIOTT, a native of Coshocton County, Ohio, was born July 19, 1866.
His parents were Bartley and Prudence Elliott. He was married to Lulu E. Ander
son, December 30, 1891. She is a daughter of Martin and Sarah A. Anderson, of
Chariton, loAva. They have three children: Burl D., born January 20, 1896; Grace
E., August 16, 1899; Vera May, September 4, 1902.
Moving to loAva with parents when three years old, he lived there and followed
farming tiU 1901, when he moved to this county and bought Ms present farm.
It is situated four miles east of KirksviUe and consists of 120 acres. He is a breeder
of Poland-China hogs and Shorthorn cattle. His farm is known as Fairview Stock
Farm. Mr. Elliott is a Republican,
WILLIAM M. FORD, a native of Pike County, lUinois, was bom June 13,
1840. His parents were David and Hannah (AIcMillan) Ford. He lived in Illinois
until the breaking out of the war in 1861, then joined the 2nd Missouri Cavalry,
and served with that regiment three years, being discharged March 10, 1865. Most
of the time he was in northern Arkansas and southern Missouri, servdng under Col.
McNeil. At the time of the battle of KirksviUe, on August 6, 1862, he was with a
detachment under Alajor Rogers, arriving at Kirksville in the afternoon, after much
of the battle was over. He remained in Kirksville for three days after the battle.
At the close of the war he went back to Illinois. In 1866 he moved to Adair County,
where he has since lived and farmed. He moved to the city of KirksviUe in 1908.
Mr. Ford was married August 29, 1877, to Jane Dye, daughter of William and
Susanna Dye. They ha\'e four children, all living: Wa,lter J., born April 21, 1.S78,
lives at Seattle; DaAdd, February 9, 1880; Lilhan May, AprU 29, 1881, now Mrs.
.James Morehead, liA'es in Green County; Aura B., October 25, 1883.
Air. Ford is a member of the G. A. R.
A. H. GARGES, a member of the firm, Murphy, Mills & Garges, was born at
Lancaster, Mo., where he lived with parents till grown. After attending the public
school he took a course at the Alissouri State University. For a time he clerked in
a store at Lancaster, then went into the mercantile business at that city. The firm
there was known as Mills & Garges. In 1902 he came to Kirksville and formed a
partnership with his former partner, J. C. Mills, and AA'. P. Murphy, under the name
of Alurphy, Alills & Garges. It was a clothing and gents' furnishing store up to
1908, when a ladies' ready-to-wear department was added. It is said to be one of
the largest stores of the kind in North Missouri. Mr. Garges is manager. The
firm also has a store at Gait, also one at Chanute, Kansas.
Mr. Garges was born in Schuyler County, Missouri, December 3, 1863, being a
son of John and Elizabeth Garges. He was married June 12, 1890, to Mary Fau-
cett. They have one child — Louis E., born April 24, 1892. A. H. Garges Is a Dem
ocrat and a member of the Masonic, Elks and M. W. A, lodges.
Biographical.
64!)
Residence of J, D, Elliott, 4 miles east of Kirksville
W. M. Ford and grandchildren, farm residence, 5 miles east of Kirksville
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First Floor Murphy, Mills & Garges' Gents' and Ladies' Ready-to-Wear Clothing Store, KirksviUe
Biographical. 651
L. J. BURK is a native of Warsaw, Illinois, born March 18, 1872. He is a son
of Peter and Catherina Burk. In 1884 he moved with his parents to Knox County,
Missouri, where as a young man he engaged in the poiUtry business. Previous to
coming to Adair County, he spent two years in Quincy, Illinois. In 1896 he came to
Adair County, Missouri, and engaged in the meat business. Recently be became
a member of the Burk Bros. Meat and Provision Company, being vice-president of
the company. The company owns a large packing plant in the northwest pait of
Kirksville. L. J. Burk is supervisor of the retail business. He has been very suc
cessful in his line of work. In politics he is independent. He is an Elk.
ARTHUR J. BURK was born at AA'arsavy, Illinois, April 24, 1876, being ii son
of Peter and Catherina, Burk. In 1884 he moved -with his parents to Edina, Alis
souri, where he grew to early manhood. Before coming to Adair County he had
engaged in the poultry business at Quincy, Ilhnois. He came to Kirksville, Adair
County, Missouri, in 1896, entering the meat business, haA'ing been connected with
the Burk Bros, meat markets.
Recently the Burk Bros. Aleat and Provision Company was organized, and Mr.
Burk was made president of that company. Aside from their former interests, they
now conduct a large packing plant, which they erected in the northwest part of the
city of KirksA'ille, Missouri.
He was married in 1905 to Miss Tennie Selby, daughter of Hiram and EUa Selby.
They have two chUdren: Tennie Alartha, born September 24, 1906; Ella Cath
erine, May 1, 1910. Mr. Burk belongs to the Elk and K. of P. lodges.
HERBERT GLUCK, son of Le\vis C. and Anna (Wolf) Gluck, was born near
Gifford, Adair County, December 6, 1873. He was married September 20, 1899,
to Mattie McHenry, daughter of Alathias and Alary (Simmons) McHenry. They
haA'e two children: Myrtle Alay, born .July 20, 1900, died December 16, 1910;
Lewis, born July 4, 1904,
Mr. Gluck was born and reared on the old Gluck homestead, just north of Gif
ford, on a farm, a part of which he now owns. His father died when he was seven
years old, and he lived there with his mother till grown. He then married and started
farming for himself. He has lived in this county all his hfe, with the exception of one
year spent in Macon County. At present he owns a farm of 112 acres where he li\'es,
and 500 acres just one mile northeast of the home place.
He is Repubhcan in politics, and belongs to the orders of M. AV. A., I. 0. 0. F.,
and Airs. Gluck is a member of the Royal Neighbors.
GEORGE H. FELLERS was born at Nineveh, Adair County, Alissouri, Sep
tember 28, 1869, being a son of Tobias and Anna (Otton) FeUers. He was married
July 5, 1900, to EUa Rainer, daughter of Job and Bettie (Aloore) Rainer. They
have two children: Gladys May, bom August 18, 1902; Mary Gertrude, Alay
12, 1907. Mr. FeUers hved at Nineveh tUl 1882, then moved with his parents to a farm
four miles southwest of Brashear, where he lived tUl 1893. He then moved to Bra
shear. For fifteen years he was A'ery successful in the drug business there, and for
ten years has been interested in the telephone business, conducting the Brashear
Exchange and several country lines. He is prominent in politics, being a Repubh
can and on January 1, 1911, was appointed postmaster at Brashear. He is a mem
ber of the M. W. A, and Masonic lodges.
652
The History of Adair County.
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Residence of Herbert Gluck, near Gifford
Biographical.
655
Residence of George H. 1^'ellers, Brashear
Residence of E H Burton, near MiUard
656
The History of Adair County.
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Biographical. . 657
E. H. BURTON, bom in Wisconsin AprU 15, 1856, a son of H. J. and Electa
Burton. He came to Adair County, Missouri, when twenty years old. He married
March 17, 1880, to Mary C. Ryon, daughter of Henry O. and Adaline Ryon. To
this union were born three cMldren: Elvenia, born September 8, 1881, died same day;
Eddie, born July 10, 1885; Jannie Florence, May 22, 1883.
Air. Burton now owns 133 1-3 acres of good land in Adair County, near Mil
lard. He does general farming and stock raising. He is Picpublican in politics.
MRS. MARY GORDON, daughter of John and Sarah A. Bauer, was bom in
.Adair County, May 22, 1866. She was married March 6, 1889, to John Gordon,
who died November, 1909. They had four children, only two of whom are now liv
ing: Forrest, born January 21, 1890; Lola, August 14, 1899; Ava, May 27, 1895;
Lois, February 19, 1898. Both Ava and Lois are deceased.
Airs. Gordon was born on the place she now owns. It consists of 120 acres,
well improA^ed, twelve miles northeast of Kirksville. Mr. Gordon was just comjjlet-
ing his new home, and was working on a door, when the house was struck by light
ning. He was instantly killed, but the building was not damaged. Mrs. Gordon
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
GEORGE HURWORTH is a native of England. He was bom in Durham
County, England, March 20, 1872, a son of Martin and Jane Hurworth. He Avas
married January 2, 1901, to LoUie Josephine Harriott, daughter of William and
Caroline Justus Harriott. Airs. Hurworth was born on the farm on which they
now live, October 10, 1882. They have three children: Pay Estella, born Decem
ber 31, 1901; Anna Pauline, February 11, 1904; Justus Robert, December 2, 1907.
Mr. Hurworth came to America with his parents in 1878, and settled first near
CMcago, Illinois. They remained there but a short time, then moved to A/Iacon
County, Alissouri, ne.xt to Grundy County for a few years, then to Linn County.
AA'hen grown George Hurworth went to mining and worked in various fields in Iowa
and Missouri. In 1898 he came to Adair County and worked in the mines at Stahl.
He has been engaged in mining and farming continuously since coming here. The
farm which he owns consists of thirty-two acres, three-fourths of a niile east of Stahl.
It is well improved and they have a nice home. He is Republican in politics.
JOHN GOTH ARD, a native of .Jo Daviess County, Illinois, was born October
8, 1854. He is a son of Isaac and Mary (Roff) Gothard. He was married No
vember 24, 1880, to Minerva Cheek, a. daughter of Hamilton and Mary (Galpin)
Cheek. They had five cMldren: Edgar and Edna, t-wins, born March 10, 1882;
.Jesse, July 5, 1883; Quincy, May 5, 1889; Osta, June 16, 1893, died November 10,
1897. Edgar married Miss Ethel Leay, and lives in Lahoma, Oklahoma. Edna
is the wife of Carl Butler of Kirksville. Jesse married Miss Beulah Boyd, and lives
one mile north of the home place. Quincy resides at home.
Born and reared on a farm in Illinois, he lived on the farm with his parents till
grown, then married and lived in the same county for two years. In the spring of
188;4 he went to California, remaining till autumn, when he came to tMs county.
After renting a few years he bought Ms present farm in 1893, Avhere he has since lived.
It is five miles northeast of KirksviUe, consisting of 140 acres. He works at gen
eral farming and stock feeding.
Mr. Gothard is a Republican, He is a member of the Methodist church, and is
also a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge.
43
658
The History of Adair County.
Residence of Geo. Hurworth, near Stahl
Wi»a«Mfe?
Residence of John Gothard, 5 miles northeast of KirksviUe
Biographical. 659
DR. H. J. RANKIN was born in Des Monies County, Iowa, November 2, 1856,
a son of D. C. and Mary J. Rankin, He was married to Miss Catherine Roberts
April 28, 1893, a daughter of Levi and Mary J, Roberts. Airs. Rankin died at her
home in Kirksville, June 13, 1910. She was also a natiA-e of Iowa and was born in
Johnson County of that state, Alay 17, 1865. Dr. and Airs. Rankii) had no chil
dren. Dr. Rankin was reared on a farm in Iowa, attending the public schools of his
section and later took a course at Kossouth Academ}-. He taught school five years
and then began the study of medicine. He attended the medical department of
the Iowa State University, from which he graduated in 1882, He entered the prac
tice in Johnson Count.v, loAva, remaining there eleven years. Then in 1893 he came
to Kirksville, where he has since resided. He practiced his profession and conducted
a drug store here till the death of his wife, when he sold his business and retired.
AMANDUS D. RISDON was bom in Tiffin, Ohio, Seneca County. AVhen
nine years old he left home, going to Alarengo, Iowa. He attended school in the
AA'estern College at AA'eston, Iowa, and Grinnell UniA'ersity at Grinnell, Iowa. Dur
ing the war he enlisted, October 2, 1861, in Company I, 13th Iowa Volunteer Infantry,
under General Grant, taking part in several important engagements. At his lei
sure time during the war he read law, and continued Ms study after retiring from
the army. He was admitted to the bar at Marengo, Iowa, in 1864, and the follow
ing year came to Kirksville, Missouri, and engaged in the practice of his profession.
For fourteen years he was county Prosecuting Attorney, serA'ed seven years as pres
ident of the Board of Education, was secretary of the Board of Regents of the Nor
mal School at Kirksville, served as City Attorney, and was the first City Counselor
of KirksvUle. For forty-seven years he engaged in the practice of his profession,
but has now retired. Mr. Risdon is a Republican, a member of the G. A. R., and
belongs to the Elks lodge.
FRANK F. ROSS was bom in Hancock County, Ilhnois, February 26, 1866,
being a son of E. M. and Julia Ross. He was married March 24, 1895, to Miss Allie
McMiUan, daughter of Dr. L. C. and Mary McMillan. They have one child —
Charhe, bom February 18, 1896.
Mr. Ross came to Macon County, Missouri in 1869, where he lived until 1895.
He then moved to Adair County, and has farmed here since then. He owns a farm
of eighty acres, situated two and one-fourth miles south of Gibbs. Mr. Ross handles
Poland-CMna hogs. White Holland turkeys, and Barred Plymouth Rock chickens.
He is a member of the Christian church and is a Democrat.
J. F. ROSEBERY Avas born January 13, 1868, in Putnam County, Missouri.
He is the son of William and Mary J. Rosebery. He moved with his parents from
Putnam County, Missouri, to Haskell County, Kansas, in 1886. AVas married in
Santa Fe, Kansas, January 15, 1889, to Margaret A. CoUins, also bom in Putnam
County, Missouri, daughter of Alexander and Amanda Collins. They have two
cMldren: Dalton C, born January 29, 1892, and Nola F., born February 13, 1894.
Mr. Rosebery came to Adair County, Missouri, in 1891, where he has been en
gaged in farming and stock raising. He now owns a well-improved farm of 260
acres, situated two and one-half miles northeast of Stahl, Missouri. Has owned
and resided on said farm fourteen years. In politics he is a Repubhcan.
660
The History of Adair County.
Pi
BlOGR.'i.PHICAL.
661
Attorney A. D. Risdon, Kirksville
662
The History of Adair Coun'ty.
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Biographical.
663
Residence and bam of J. F. Rosebery, near Shibley's Point
664 The History, of Adair County.
ELLSWORTH E. PRICE Avas reared on a farm in Sullivan County, where he
attended the public school. He was bom December 28, 1870, a son of Harrison and
Martha Price. When grown he took a course at the State Normal School, after
which he taught seven years. He then went into the mercantile business at Shib
ley's Point, remaining there three years. He next moved to Stahl, engaging in the
same business for seven years. In 1909 he sold out and moved to Kirksville, Mis
souri. In May, 1910, he bought the Givens grocery, which is considered one of the
largest grocery stores in North Alissouri.
He was married October 13, 1895, to EUa Greenstreet, daughter of John and
Lucinda Greenstreet. They have three children: Ival, born February 28, 1897;
Nita, April 30, 1898; Omer, December 11, 1901. He is a member of the Masonic
and K. of P. lodges.
'DANIEL H. HUSTON, a native of Adair County, was born on a farm near
Gibbs, January 1, 1870, a son of George R. and Abighal (MacCuen) Huston. He
was married May 23, 1897, to Emma E. Mitten, daughter of Thomas G. and Mar}'
E. Mitten. They have no children.
Mr. Huston lived with his parents on the farm till grown, attending the public
school. AVhen groAvn he married and Avent into the mercantile business at Gibbs,
and has been there continuously since. He was appointed postmaster at Gibbs
June 12, 1897. He still holds this position. He is a Republican and a member of
the I. O. O. F. and M. W. A. lodges.
ABEL SCOFIELD is a native of Lee County, Virginia. He was born AprU
26, 1833, a son of Joshua and Ada (Warren) Scofield. He has been twice married,
his first wife being Hannah J. (Greathpuse), to whom he was wedded March 26,
1852. She died Alay 12, 1900. They had eleven children, only four of whom are
liA-ing: John, born March 10, 1853; Jesse M., October 17, 1855, died in infancy;
Francis E., June 26, 18,57, died Alay 12, 1863; James M,, March 4, 1858, died August
4, 1894; Henry M. and Thomas F., twins, February 28, 1861; Sarah E., November
9, 1863, died in infancy; Emma, March 29, 1866, was wife of M. Z. A^iee, and
died June 10, 1896; Adelbert and Mary, twins, June 14, 1868 (."Adelbert died in in
fancy); Oliver W., February 16, 1873, died March 10, 1874; Louisa D., May 18,
1876, was wfe of James Hall, and died June 10, 1903.
His second wife Avas Mrs. Florence Beck, whose maiden name was Bozarth, to
Avhom he was married June 16, 1900. They had three chUdren, only one of whom
is hving: Josiah M., born May 20, 1902; Margaret M., March 25, 1901, died April
7, 1902; Hester E,, October 17, 1905, died in infancy. Mrs. Scofield had four chil
dren by her former marriage: Benjamin F., born September 18, 1884; Bessie, Jan
uary 6, 1890; Eva, June 12, 1892; Delassie P., May 30, 1894.
Mr. Scofield moved to Iowa in 1849, remaining there till 1853, Avhen he came
to Missouri and settled in Clark County. Two years later he moved to Macon
County, and remained there tUl 1862. He then came to Adair County, where he
has since lived and farmed. He has lived on his present farm for the past thirty-
two years. It consists of eighty acres and is situated about two miles southeast of
Pure Air.
During the war he served with the Home Guard and State Militia. He be
longs to the G. A. R., and has been a devoted member of the Methodist church fifty-
eight years. He helped to build the first church ever erected in this county, west
of the Chariton River,
Biographical.
665
jd
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666
The History of Adair County.
m
Biographical.
667
D. H. Huston's Store, Gibbs
Residence and family of Abel Scofield, 2 miles southeast of Pure Air
668 The History of Adair County.
BENJAMIN F. HENRY, a native of Jacksonville, Illinois, was born Septem
ber 26, 1847, a son of John and Elizabeth Henry. He was married November 8,
1872, to Belle Botts, daughter of Joshua and Barbara Botts. They have one child
—Clifford Elmore, born December 20, 1873.
Mr. Henry came to Benton County, Missouri, in 1867, and engaged in farming;
came to Kirksville 1869, and clerked for F. A. Grove, in a drug store. In 1883 he
purchased an interest in the store, after which the firm was known as F'. A. Grove
& Company. The store burned in 1890, and Mr. Henry bought Mr. Grove's inter
est. For twenty years he has conducted what is known as Henry's Drug Store.
He has been in the same building thirty-four years.
B. F. Henry is a Democrat in politics. He belongs to the Masonic lodge. Chap
ter, Commandery, Shrine— in fact, has taken all the degrees in Masonry except the
thirty-third. He serves as President of the KirksvUle Gas, Heat and Electric Com
pany, and is interested in many other business enterprises.
VALANTINE J. HOWELL, a native of Marion County, Alissouri, Avas born
October 12, 1865, a. son of Orlando and Nannie (Lair) HoAvell. He remained in
Marion County until twenty-one, attending the pubUc school. He took a course
at the Palmyra Seminary, later at the Kirksville Alercantile College. After com
pleting this course he taught in the College one year, being then elected principal,
which position he held five years. He traveled for the ^Etna Loan Company fiA-e
years, then accepted a position in the Kirksville Savings IBank in 1897. He was
first bookkeeper and has successfully filled all positions up td cashier, which posi
tion he still holds. He has been cashier for the past five years.
Mr. Howell was united in marriage November 6, 1890, to Lucy M. Willis, daugh
ter of Joseph M. and Mary (Brown) WiUis. They have five children: Jeanette,
born March 1, 1894; Edward, December 27, 1894; Virginia, July 12, 1898; Isabel,
September 25, 1904; Louise, August 21, 1906.
V. J. Howell is a Democrat, a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church,
South, and belongs to the Masonic Order, Kirksville Lodge No. 105, and the M.
AV. A. C. M. C. WILLCOX, M. D., was born at Kirksville, Missouri, Aug. 30, 1870,
a son of Elijah and Louisa Willcox. He was married October 9, 1895, to .Jessie M.
GutMie. They have one child— Mildred, born Alay 26, 1899.
Dr. Willcox was educated in the public schools and took a course in the State
Normal School. He graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons, at
Keokuk, loAva, in 1891. In 1903 he took a post-graduate course in the Medical
School and Hospital at New York City. He located at Millard in 1892, for the prac
tice of Ms profession. He practiced in the territory about Millard until 1902, then
removed to Kirksville, where he has since lived and practiced. He was coroner of
Adair County four terms, president of the Board of Pension Examiners seven years,
and County Physician ten years. He is examiner for the New York Life Insurance
Company, International Life Insurance Company, Missouri State Life, Kansas
City life, lUinois Life, Federal Life of Illinois, Minnesota State Mutual, Reliance of
Pittsburg, Prudential, Woodmen, Yeomen, United Order of Foresters, and Royal
Highlanders and Homesteaders.
He is a Repubhcan in pohtics and a member of the Masonic Order, belonging
to the Commandery, Chapter and SMine.
Biographical.
63',)
::d
670
The History of Adair County.
KirksviUe Savings Bank
Biographical.
671
C. M. C. WiUcox, AI, D.
^^^ The History of Adair County.
W. W. Martin, M. D., D. O., and daughter Juanita
Biographical. 673
W. W. MARTIN, M. D., is a native of Adair County' Missouri, born four miles
southeast of KirksviUe, July 19, 1877. He is a .son of William T. and Amanda F.
Martin. He was married June 23, 1904, to PurIa Bown, daughter of James and
Elizabeth Bown, who died August 2, 1908. They had one chUd — Josie Juamta,
born July 2, 1906. He was again married March 30, 1910, to Irma Corbin, daugh
ter of Newton and Mary Corbin.
Dr. Martin was educated in the public schools and the State Normal School.
He graduated from the Columbian School of Osteopathy June 27, 1899. He took
a course in the Eclectic Medical University, graduating from the medical depart
ment March 13, 1903. He has spent seven years in practice at Sperry.
Dr. Martin sold his business at Sperry in March, 1911, and moved to KirksviUe,
Missouri, and is pleasantly located in a suite of rooms in the Grim building on Wash
ington Street. The Still College of Osteopathy of Des Moines, Iowa, on May 24,
1911, conferred on Dr. Martin the honorary degree of D. O.
Dr. Martin is a Republican in politics, a member of the Baptist church and, _ _
I. O. O. F. and B. A. of Y., and recently became a member of the JBt»- F. BiJlOL A. JVLi
WIIXIAM H. JONES is a native of Washington County, Ohio. He was born
January 31, 1864, being a son of Jacob C. and Fannie (Koch) Jones. He was united
in marriage November 17, 1885, to Susie Minor, daughter of Johnson and Kate
(Scott) Minor. They have two children: Ethyl, twenty-tMee years of age; Miss
Lyie, Avho is fifteen years old. Ethyl is now Mrs. Clarence Rich.
Mr. Jones came to Lewis County, Missouri, with his parents when ten years
old. He lived at home until grown, then went to farming, and contmued that occu
pation till 1900. He then went into the' mercantile business at Greencastle, Mis
souri. He was also assistant casMer in the Greencastle Bank for two years. In
March, 1910, he gave up that position and moved to KirksviUe, Missouri, going
into the real estate and loan business, forming a partnership with Silas W. AVinn.
JOHN A. ELMORE was born in Wilson township, Adair County, Alissouri,
November 28, 1873, being a son of John S. and Nancy Elmore. He was married
January 29, 1893, to Annie E, Winn, daughter of Uzad and Polly Ann Winn, Thej'
have no children. Mr, Elmore owns a farm of eighty acres, situated five and three-
fourths miles northeast of La Plata and three miles south of Gibbs He does gen
eral farming and stock raising. He is a Democrat in politics, a member of the Chris
tian church, and belongs to the K. of P. lodge at La Plata.
J. A. SHOCKEY is a native of Ohio, born August 6, 1867. His parents were
John E. and Sarah E. Shockey. He was married January 18, 1891, to Hester J.
Roberts, daughter of Andrew and Ehzabeth H. Roberts. They had six children:
Henry A., born December 26, 1891 (decea,sed); Lelah C, December 21, 1893; Jen
nie F., November 18, 1895; Eva May, January 17, 1898; Imo Pearl, November
21, 1905; John W., April 7, 1910.
Mr. Shockey owns a farm of 240 acres, situated twelve miles northeast of Kirks
ville. He deals in Shropshire sheep, Duroc-Jersey hogs, fine mules, horses, cattle,
etc. He moved to Adair County, Missouri, from Ohio, in 1886. He has since lived
in this county and engaged in farming. , He is a Democrat in politics, and a member
of the Church of God.
674
The History of Adair County.
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Biographical.
675
[?i
676
The History of Adair County.
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Biographical. 677
ORIE J. SMITH was born in Brown County, lUinois, May 7, 1875, a son of
Benjamin and Annie R. (Omer) Smith. His parents moved to Adair County, Mis
souri, in 1889, where he attended the public school and took a course in the Kirks
ville Business College. He Avorked for four years at the implement business at Kirks
ville. After quitting that work he went to Illinois and farmed four years, then came
back to Adair County, Missouri, and conducted his mother's farm.
His father died January 18, 1894. Later he and his mother sold part of the
old home place, and bought 120 acres of land three mUes northeast of KirksvUle.
Mr. Smith lived with his mother in Kirksville and conducted both farms, until
Ms mother's death, October 13, 1910. Later he purchased the remainder of the
farm three miles northeast of Kirksville, where he is now living. He makes a spe
cialty of raising registered Aberdeen-Angus cattle, American Hampshire and Ches
ter White SAvine. He has some of the finest herds of both breeds of hogs, and also
cattle, to be found in northeast Missouri.
WAIyTER E. SPENCER is a native of this county, reared on a farrh near Bra
shear. He was born May 31, 1874, a son of Thomas J. and Martha E. (Howerton)
Spencer. He was married -January 15, 1907, to Zora M. Goldsberry, daughter of
Martin and Rebecca Goldsberry. They have no children.
In 1898 Mr. Spencer left Adair County, Missouri, and went to Nebraska, remain
ing there till 1901, when he enlisted in Company F., 28th U. S. Infantry, regular
army, serving nineteen months. At the end of that time he was honorably discharged.
Part of this time Avas spent in Manila. He was sent with the troops detailed to put
down the Filipino insurrection. Three months was spent in actual campaigning
and hard service. He enlisted as private and was promoted to Corporal. After
his term of enlistment had expired he spent a, few months in California, then re
turned to Brashear. In January, 1909, he went into the real estate, loan and in
surance business at Brashear, in which he is still engaged.
He is a member of the Alasonic lodge, and is a Republican.
LEWIS WALTERS was born in Grainger County, Tennessee, April 25, 1836,
;i son of William and Jerusha (Lay) Walters. He was married August 9, 1856, to
Rachel J. Cook, daughter of Thomas and Leah Cook. Mrs. Walters was bom in
Dearborn County, Indiana, May 3, 1839. They had seventeen children: Rachel
E., born August 17, 1858, now Airs. J. W. G. Sloan; Mary A., March 11, 1860, died
July 31, 1861; William T., September 26, 1861, died December 10, 1862; Hugh A.,
Depember 23, 1862, died October 10, 1868; Jerusha L., March 8, 1864, died August
14, 1864; Louisa E., December 20, 1865, and James M., same date, twins; Louisa
is now Mrs. James R. Sloan; Leah G. and Laura G., January 12, 1869, twins; Laura
died the same day oi her birth, and Leah died October 6, 1870; Jonah W., December
29, 1870; Lewis A., November 14, 1873; Phoebe M., AprU 11, 1875, now Mrs. Sol
omon Shoop; Henry L., January 16, 1877; John S., October 19, 1879; George W.,
October 25, 1882; Nellie L., February 20, 1884, now Mrs. John RusseU. Mr. Wal
ters was first married to Mary A. Wortman, August 27, 1854. They had one chUd
—Martha J., born September 28, 1855. She is now Mrs. John T. Sneath. The
first Avife died November 2, 1855.
Mr. Walter came to Adair County with his parents in 1841, the same year the
county Avas organized. There was only one house in Kirksville. The family drove
through Avith an ox team, taking about eight weeks to make the trip. They set-
00
a >^
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ooci
Thoroughbred hogs on the Black and White Stock Farm, 3 miles northeast of Kirksville, Orie J. Smith, Proprietor
Biographical.
679
cc
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680
The History of Adair County.
Mr. and Mrs. Lewis AA'alters, present residence and pioneer home, near Stahl
Biographical. 681
tied in Morrow township, where Jack Megrew now lives. Mr. Walters lived at home
till grown, then married and entered the land he now owns. He has lived and farmed
on the same place all his life, except the time spent in the army, and two years, 1878
to 1880, in Montana. He owns a farm of 500 acres, one mile east of Stahl. He is
a breeder of Shorthorn cattle, Percheron horses, and Poland-China hogs.
Mr. Walters joined Company B., 39th Missouri Infantry, in 1864, and served
till the close of the Avar. He is a Democrat in politics, and a member of the Baptist
church. CLARENCE M. HUGHES, a native of Schuyler County, Missouri, was born
Alarch 8, 1877, son of James M. and Esther (Corriell) Hughes, old time settlers.
He was married April 7, 1901, to Ida L. Aliller, daughter of John D. and Louisa A.
(Schuele) Miller. Mr. MUler is dead, but Mrs. Miller is still living. They are old
residents of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Hughes have no children.
Mr. Hughes moved Avith his parents to Nineveh when about five years old. He
stayed at home till grown, and taught school in Adair County six years. After his
marriage he went into the mercantile business for a time at Novinger, then at Con
nelsville. He quit that business in 1903. Since then he has been farming and rais
ing stock. He owns a. splendid farm of 160 acres, one mile north of Connelsville.
He lives in Connelsville, where he owns a very pretty home. He is a member of the
K. of P. lodge. Mr. Hughes's mother died November 1, 1910.
WASH MAY was born in Bureau County, Illinois, June 13, 1862, a son of John
and Vesta May. He Avas married September 15, 1882, to Rebecca Gipson, daughter
of John and Sarah Gipson. They have eight children: Bertha, born March 4, 1883,
now Mrs. Clarence Cooper; Alice, July 4, 1885, now Mrs.' Fred Lewellen; Mary E.,
August 23, 1887, now Mrs, Herman Kosch; Herby, April 3, 1889; Lizzie, March
2, 1893; Pettie, November 11, 1895; Alva, AprU 24, 1897; Olcey, January 28, 1899;
Thelma, June 6, 1904.
Mr, May moved to Putnam County, Missouri, with his parents in 1869. He
was reared on farm in that county, and farmed there for several years. In 1908
he sold his farm and came to Stahl, where he went into the hotel and li\'ery busi
ness. In the fall of 1910 he sold out the hotel, and now conducts the liA'ery business
at that place. He is a Republican in politics.
HORACE L. MILLER, son of Hiram and Mary A. Miller, was born February
9, 1851, at Milwaukee, AVisconsin. He was married November 5, 1884, to Nora
Saner, who died June 3, 1899. They had four children: Burdette, twenty-five years
of age; Lillian, twenty-one, now Mrs. Woods; Bessie, sixteen; Matie, twelve.
Mr, Miller started out to earn his own living when fifteen years old. He lived
in Milwaukee till 1871, then came to Adair County, Missouri, buying a farm of 240
acres, near Bullion. He took a big contract for grading on the O. K., but receiving
no recompense, it took the farm to pay his obligations. In 1873 he moved to Kirks
ville, Missouri, later going into the saw mill business, continuing till 1910, when he
traded for the KirksviUe Manufacturing Plant. He manufactures the Cyclone
AA' ashing MacMne, also hay stackers and rakes, porch seats and SAvmgs.
682
The History of Adair County.
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Biographical.
683
684
The History of Adair County.
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Biographical. 685
LONNIE F. GIBBS, a, native of Adair County, was born at Gibbs, ,July 16,
1887, being the first boy born at that place after the town was started. He is a son
of Frank AV. and Emma (McCoy) Gibbs. He Avas married June 16, 1'909, to Kate
Graves, a daughter of Thomas E. Graves. They have no children.
He hved at Gibbs till 1901, when he moved witli his parents to Kirksville. He
attended the pubhc schools, took a course at the State Normal School and the Kirks
A-iUe Business College. After quitting school he accepted a position with the Kirks
vUle Trust Company as bookkeeper. In 1910 he was promoted to teller, which po
sition he noAV holds. He and his wife are both members of the Christian church.
FRANK W. GIBBS was born in Wilson township, Adair County, Missouri,
June 22, 1860. He grew to manhood on the farm, attending the public school dur
ing the winter months, until he was eighteen years old, then came to Kirksville to
complete his education at the State Normal School. He then took up the occupation
of farming and stock raising. In 1887 the Santa Fe railroad was built through the
Gibbs farm. He then founded the town, which was named Gibbs in his honor. Mr.
Gibbs took a great interest in the building of this town, donating the land for the
depot, stock yards, etc. After the town was started he bought and shipped a great
deal of stock.
In the year 1900 he was nominated and elected by the Republican party to
the office of County Collector, which office he held for three successive terms. Since
that time he has been in the real estate business. He was married April 16, 1883,
to Emma AlcCoy, the daughter of J. AV. and R. E. McCoy. Mrs. Gibbs was born,
reared and educated in Adair County. They had three children: Ernest, born
AprU 9, 1884; Alary E., July 2, 1885; Lonnie F., July 16, 1887. Both the first chil
dren died in infancy. Air. Gibbs is known as a A^ery generous, courteous man, con
tinually sacrificing for others. His home has always been one of hospitality; all
who come within its doors are treated courteously.
He is a Alason, Odd Fellow, Yeoman, and belongs to the KirksvUle Order of
Elks. HON. ALONZO L. GIBBS (deceased) was born in Blanford, Alassachusetts,
November 7, 1819. His father, Loring Gibbs, was a, native of that state, and also
his mother, Mary (CoUister) Gibbs, was born in Alassachusetts. Air. Gibbs remained
in his native state until a J'oung man. He received a common school education.
At about the age of twenty-one he went to New Jersey and taught school five years.
in Morris County. Here he became acquainted with Alary A. Garrabrant, daugh
ter of Peter and Elizabeth Garrabrant, the father being one of the substantial farm
ers of that locality. To her he was married October 3, 1848. They had three chil
dren: Loring P., died April 30, 1876, at the age of twenty-two; Frank W., born
June 22, 1860; Dewitt C, April 5, 1866.
PreA'ious to his marriage he was engaged in the mercantile business in Albany,
New York, at which place he remained two years. In the fall of 1849 he moved
AVest, locating at Elkhorn, Wisconsin, where he remained three years, spending one
in mercantile business and two years on a farm. In 1858 he moved to Missouri,
locating in AA^ilson township, Adair County. Here he bought and improved land.
He was a very shrewd, enterprising business man. He was a member of the Repub
lican party, and in 1869 was nominated and elected Representative of Adair County,
serving one term with distinction. Air. Gibbs was one of the founders of the State
Normal School at Kirksville.
C30005
L. F. Gibbs,
Teller, Kirksville Trust Company Bank
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George AV. McCoy
Biographical.
687
F. W. Gibbs, KirksviUe, founder of the city of Gibbs
688
The History of Adair County.
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Biographical.
689
Hon. Alonzo L. Gibbs, deceased
45
690 The History of Adair County.
During the Civil War he was a member of the Home Guards — a strong Union
man, and the county had no better citizen. He was a kind father, a devoted hus
band, and was noted for his hospitality. He was formerly an Episcopalian, but
in later life espoused the Universalist faith. He died September 29, 1882.
GEORGE W. McCOY was born in Tyler County, West Virginia, August 7,
1841, the son of J. W. and R. E. McCoy. He movecl with his parents to Iowa, thence
to Adair County, Missouri, in the year 1860, Avhere he has since resided, except four
years which he spent in the West. He Avas never married. Since his father's death,
which occurred many years ago, he and his aged mother kept house on their farm,
one mile north of Gibbs. One year ago they rented their farm and moved to Gibbs,
where the mother died October 24, 1910. George McCoy continued to reside at
the home tiU his death, January 2, 1911. He was weU knoAvn throughout the coun
ty in which he lived, also in KirksviUe where his sister, Mrs. Frank Gibbs, and many
of his best friends reside. He was always welcome in their homes and honored for
his sunny disposition and good comradeship. He has helped many who Avere needy,
was quick to appreciate a kindness or resent an offense. For many years he was a
member of the Methodist church, at Gibbs — in all he was a model citizen.
J. M. KENNEDY, one of the leading business men of the city, formerly owned
the telephone exchange and light plant, but has sold both, and for five years after the
plant was sold was employed by the company. He came to Adair County with his
mother in 1867, his father having died in 1860. They settled at Kirksville and he
has lived here since. When grown he went into the implement and grain business,
in which he continued till 1904, then sold out his business. In the meantime, in
1889, he estabhshed a telephone system at Kirksville which he continued till 1905,
when he sold it to the Missouri and Kansas, or Bell Company. He was district
manager till July 10, 1910, when this district was consolidated with Hannibal. He
was offered the management of the larger district, but as this would take him away
from Kirksville he declined.
Mr. Kennedy was born at Sparta, Alabama, March 11, 1856, being a .son of
Thomas M. and Sarah B. (Alason) Kennedy. He was married November 21, 1883,
to Carrie Miller, daughter of Valentine and Margaret (Class) Miller, Mrs. Ken
nedy was born near Bloomington, Illinois, January 13, 1862, They had one child —
Sam M. Kennedy, born January 11, 1889.
J. M. Kennedy has been a resident of Adair County, Missouri, forty-four years.
He belongs to the Masonic order, being a member of Chapter No. 7, Ely Com-
mandry No. 22, at Kirksville and a Shriner. He is also a member of the Elks lodge.
HARVEY S. HILT was born near the city of Kirksville, Alissouri, AprU 28,
1856, being a son of John and Sarah Hilt. He was married February 23, 1884, to
Fannie Clark, daughter of Thomas and Catherine Clark. The}- had five children:
lA'erett Roy, born December 13, 1886, died in infancy; Charles S., February 8, 1887,
died in infancy; Opal May, July 13, 1888; .John Thomas, AprU 10, 1890; Mary
.Ann, .April 26, 1898.
Air. HUt has always made Adair County his home. He now owns a farm of
122 acres situated two miles northwest of Adair, Avbere he has lived for ten years
engaged in general farming and stock raising. He is a Democrat in politics and a
member of the Catholic church.
Biographical.
(591
^
692
The History of Adair County.
03
^
.d
a
Pt
Biographical. 693
WILLIAM G. FOUT Avas bom October 11, 1851, at Frederick, Maryland,
being a son of Greenberry and Eliza (Grove) Fout. He was married May 5, 1876,
to Ada DeReamer. They have three chUdren: George Eugene, born August 21,
1877; Anna Maude, February 9, 1879; Clara DeReamer, March 26, 1885, now Mrs.
E. C. Brott.
When Mr. Fout was fourteen years old his father died, and soon after this Mr.
I'out went to Petersburg, AA'est A'irginia, Avhere he clerked in a store and attendefl
the public schools. He remained there two years, then came to KirksA'ille, Mis
souri, landing here in 1869, Avhere he has since made his home. He clerked in a
drug store for Dr. F. A. Grove for three years, then went into the drug business for
himself. In 1904, when the Citizens Bank was organized, he sold his drug store
and entered the bank, being elected cashier. In 1906 the Baird Bank Avas purchased
and continued its operations under the name of National Bank, now being called the
Citizen's National Bank. Air. Fout continues as cashier of this bank. It has a
capital of $100,000.00, and a, surplus of $10,000.00, U. S. depositary. AJr. Fout owns
a beautiful residence in KirksviUe, also a farm of 2,00 acres, two miles northwest of
the city. The farm is all underlaid with rish coal, which Mr. Fout is developing.
Mr. Fout has been president of the Kirksville Building and Loan Association
since its organization. He belongs to the Knights Temjilar Body of Alasonry, and
is a member of the Shrine.
LEWIS ARBOGAST was born in Alsace-Lorraine, Germany, May 18, 1873.
He is a son of Louis and Magdalene Arbogast. He married Ida Alason, daughter
of Floyd and Rachael Mason, February 14, 1898. He came to ,A.dair County, Mis
souri, direct from Ge'rmany, and for a number of years Avas associated with Michael
Webber in the mill business at A'arrow. Selling out Ms interest in the mill in 1900,
he engaged in the mercantile business at Yarrow. In 1904 he was appointed post
master at Yarrow, and now attends to the duties of that position, as well as super
intends the running of his general merchandise business.
He is Republican in politics and belongs to the Masonic, 1. O. O. F., Elks and
AI. W. A. lodges.
SAMUEL HIBBARD, son of AA'illiam B. and Susan J. (Rogers) Hibbard, was
born July 30, 1850, in Adair County, three and one-half miles southeast of Kirks
ville. He was united in marriage September 28, 1887, to Caroline Duckworth.
They have four children living and one dead: Mabel C, borti August 22, 1890;
AVilliam G., .July 19, 1 893; Mary E., May 13, 1898; Thomas P., November 9, 1901.
The second child, a boy, died in infanc.y.
Mr. Hibbard was born on the old Hibbard homestead, the place now owned by
his nephew, S. N. Still. He lived on the farm with his "mother till gro-wn, his father
dying when he was twelve years old. In 1871 he went to Saline County, Missouri,
remaining one year; then to Montana, where he was in the mining business about
four years; then to Black Hills, Dakota, working at the same business for tMee years;
then to Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Old Alexico, etc., part of the time mining,
and part of the time ranoMng. In July, 1909, he returned to Adair County, and
now lives on part of the old Hibbard homestead, where he now farms.
Mr. Hibbard served as County Judge while in Kansas. He Avas then in Kear
ney County. He is a Prohibitionist. He and family belong to the Holiness church.
694
The History of Adair County.
AV. G. Font's residence, Kirksville
Lewis Arbogast's Store, Yarrow
Biographical. 695
SAMUEL A. NOVINGER, a native of this county, was born near Novinger,
October 15, 1850. His parents were Isaac and Christina (Shoop) NoAdnger. He
was united in marriage September 15, 1878, to Mary A. Motter, daughter of Noah
and Susan Motter. She was born in Adair County, February 7, 1857. They have
six children: Blanche, born January 28, 1880, now the wife of Dr' John AA^ Riley,
of New York; Ora E., January 18, 1884; Florence, March 26, 1886, now the wife of
AI. S. Brown, of this county; Jesse, January 16, 1887; Christine, June 16, 1897;
Pauline, December 18, 1900.
Mr. Novinger has spent all his life in farming, except one year in railroading.
He now owns a farm of 356 acres, one and one-fourth miles northwest of Novinger.
He is president and a large stockholder in the Novinger Bank, his son, Ora, being
the cashier. He is also a stockholder in the Connelsville Bank. On the farm he
makes a specialty of breeding Poland-China hogs and Shorthorn cattle. He is a
Democrat and a member of the K. of P. lodge.
HUGH VICTOR ARCHER was born and reared at Alartinstown, Missouri,
where his father was in the mercantile business. In 1909 his father died and he left
home, going to Oklahoma, where he engaged in farming. In 1903 his father moA^ed
with his family to Adair County, purchasing the store at Shibley's Point, which he
conducted till his death. In February, 1911, Mr. Archer returned from Oklahoma
to take charge of the store, which belongs to his mother.
Mr. ^Archer was born November 23,1835^0''i °f Horace R. and Julia A. Archer.
He was married February 19, 1911, to Ora Lewis, daughter of Clarence M. and Viola
LcAvis. Mr. Archer is a Rpublican and belongs to the AI. AA^ A. fraternity.
SAMUEL HATCH ELLISON is a native of KirksviUe, Missouri. He Avas
born January 23, 1875, a son of AndreAV Ellison. He married Miss Margaret Wil
son, daughter of Dr. J. A. AA^ilson of Greentop, Missouri, April 30, 1903. They have
one child — Andrew, born .June 5, 1904.
Mr. Ellison was educated in the Missouri State Normal School at Kirksville.
He read laAV with his father, and was admitted to the bar at the May term of Adair
County, Missouri, Circuit Court in 1897. For a time he was in partnership with
Senator G. W. Humphrey in Shelbina, and after his father's death, June, 1902, he
went into partnership with AI. D. Campbell in Kirksville. The firm is known as
Campbell & Ellison. He is a Democrat and connected with the Alason, K. of P.
and Elk lodges.
Mr. Ellison belongs to a family in which there have been many famous lawyers.
His grandfather, James Ellison, and his father, Andrew EUison, were both Judges
of this Circuit Court, and his uncle, James Ellison, is a Judge of the Kansas City-
Court of Appeals.
RAY C. WADDILL Avas born on a farm near Kirksville, June 15, 1877, being
a son of AVilliam M. and Elizabeth Waddill. He was married December 9, 1904, to
Alinnie CromAvell. They have three children: AVilliam C, six years old; Jack
Spencer, three years of age; Robert B., an infant.
Mr. Waddill liA'ed at home on the farm till nineteen years old, then left home
and clerked in a store in KirksviUe. He attended Smith's Business College. In
1900 he went into the grocery business at 714 South Florence .-Avenue, at Kirksville,
AA'here he is still engaged. He has been very successful, and developed a large trade.
He is Republican in politics.
696
The History of Adair County.
H
Biographical.
697
>-3
698 The History of Adair County.
H. SELBY was bom and reared on a farm in West Virginia, remaining there
till twenty-two years of age, attending the public school, and helping on the home-
place. He came to Alissouri and settled at Kahoka, Clark County. After devoting
several years to teaching school and farming, he went into the poultry business at
AVayland, Clark County. He was afterward in the same business at La Plata, Mis
souri, and for five years followed that work at Keokuk, Iowa. He came to Kirks
ville, Missouri, in 1895, from Quincy, Illinois, where he had been engaged in this.
special line of work, starting a branch house, and moving here to take charge of it.
The company has houses at Hannibal, Edina, KirksviUe, Quincy, and Palmyra
The general offices were moved from Quincy to Kirksville in 1908. He is also a stock
holder and president of the Savings Bank, and president of Burk Bros. Packing Com
pany, in which company he owns stock.
Mr. Selby was born March 17, 1862, in Wirt County, West Virginia. His pa
rents were E. G. and E. M. (Dumire) Selby. He was married August 30, 1885, to
Ella Clay, born in Clark County, Missouri, June 24, 1863. Mrs. Selby is a daughter
of S. P. and Emily Clay. They have seven chUdren: Tennie, born July 24, 1886,
noAv Mrs. A. J. Burk; Emma, May 13, 1888, now Mrs. F'^unk; Paul O., January 20,
1890; June, June 21, 1893; Lois, .June 17, 1897; Eunice, August 14, 1900; Ruth,
February 15, 1903.
H. Selby is a Republican; was for a time member of the Republican Congress
ional Committee, and served as Afayor of Kirksville from 1908 to 1909. He is a
member of the Elks and the Masonic Orders, including Knights Templar and the
Mystic Shrine.
MARTIN E. LOVELAND, son of Richard P. and Hannah M. (Austin) Love-
land, is a natiA-e of Dodge County, Wisconsin, born March 9, 1846. He Avas married
Septtjmber 15, 1872, to Mary S. Boyle, who died February 3, 1892. They had six
children: Alinnie, now Mrs. Ed. Lowry; Laverna, died 1879; OUie, noAv Mrs.
Howard Smith; Stephen, now married; Jane, now Mrs. Thomas Keywood; Harri
son and Alorton. He was again married June 3, 1895, to Sarah (Rowan) Murray,
daughter of Alexander and Mary A. (Bradley) Rowan. They have no children.
When seven years old, Mr. Loveland moved to Mercer County, Missouri, with
- his parents, li^dng there till 1883, then going to Iowa, where he remained for two
years. He next spent five years in Illinois, five years in Mercer County, Missouri,.
then went to Sullivan County, living there thirteen years. In 1903 he came to Adair
County, where he has since lived, spending most of Ms time in KirksviUe, where he
owns a splendid piece of property. The last year he has been farming.
He was a member of Company D., Fifty-First Missouri, joining toward the-
close of the war. He is a member of the G. A. R. and I. O. O. F.
SAMUEL R. LLOYD, son of Jeremiah and Frances (Jones) Lloyd, was born
in LcAvis Count}-, Alissouri, March 17, 18l30. He remained on the farm in Lewis
County till grown, attending the public school and the Christian University, at
Canton, Alissouri. He read law with Anderson & Schofield, of Canton, and his
brother. Representative James T. Lloyd. He was admitted to the bar in 1884.
Since that time he has engaged in the practice of law and newspaper work.
Air. Lloyd was married September 7, 1887, to Margaret L. Allen, daughter of
AA^illiam G. and Susan (Muir) Allen. They have four children: Kathleen, twenty-
one years old; Alildred, nineteen; Margaret, seventeen; Cornelia, fourteen.
Mr, Lloyd is Clerk of the Committee on Accounts in the National House of
Representatives.
Biographical.
699
700 The History of Adair County.
MILLARD C. SHRYACK was bom in A/IcDonough County, Illinois, May 20,
1858. His parents Avere Marcellus and Ehza (Russell) Shryack. He Avas married
August 27, 1882, to Emma Z. Harrison, daughter of John AV. and Liza Harrison.
They had one child — Charles E., horn June 5, ,1883. Charles was married April
22, 1905, to Dora E. Hedland. They have three children: AliUard C, four years
old; John M., two years old; Arthur, an infant.
Air. Shryack moved to Henry County, Missouri, Avith his parents in 1865, liv
ing there one year. They then moved to Johnson County, Avhere he was reared.
Mr. Shryack then went into the general merchandise business at AVarrensburg, con
tinuing in business there till 1905. He then came to KirksAdlle, Missouri, and organ
ized the Shryack-Thom AA'holesale Grocery Company. On March 15, 1907, the
fir, was incorporated under the same names, the incorporation being M. C Shry
ack, R. K. Thom, E. E. Price, and C. E. Shryack. On June 1, 1910, Mr. Thom sold
his stock to Givens Bros., of Mt. Sterling, Illinois. The capital and surplus is $70,-
000.00. The officers are: President, C. C. Givens; Vice-President, C. E. SMyack;
Secretary and Treasurer, M. C. Shryack. In 1910 they erected a handsome new build
ing, costing $32,000.00.
CHARLES C. GIVENS was bom and reared in Brown County, Ilhnois. AVhen
grown he went into the mercantile business, becoming a member of the firm of GiA'ens
Brothers, the largest retail grocery firm in Illinois, Avith headquarters at Mt. Ster
ling. Remaining there till 1908, he came to KirksAdlle, Missouri, and opened a branch
store for that firm. After continuing as manager of that firm till April, 1910, he
sold to E. E. Price, then bought stock in the Shryack-Thom Wholesale Grocery
Company. He spends most of his time buying for the firm, and serves as president
of the company. He also owns two farms in Illinois, 800 acres in all. This he owns
in connection with Ms brothers. The land is situated in Brown County.
Air. Givens was born September 10, 1873, being a son of J. A. and Maria J.
(Putnam) Givens. He was married September 16, 1908, to Petite Alartyn, daugh
ter of D. T. and Susan Martyn. They have no children. Mr. Givens belongs to the
Alasonic Order, and the Presbyterian church.
ISAAC MANNING CROW, born September 17, 1844, in Green County, Ten
nessee, is a son of Russell and Eliza CroAv. He was first married to Aliss Mary E.
Conner. There were eight children born to this union. Mrs. Crow died Alarch 22,
1892. On February 29, 1903, Mr. Crow married Airs. Sarah Sweatman, Avho Avas
born in Alacon County, December 24, 1846, a daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth
Christian. They have no children. Airs. Crow had three cMldren by her first
marriage, all of Avhom are living. The children are SaUie, now Airs. John R, Hilt,
John and Edgar.
Air. Crow came to Adair County with his parents in 1853. His father entered
land near Sublette, and died there in November, 1877. Mr. Crow lived Avith his
father till 1862, when he joined Company C, 7th Missouri Cavalry. He served
four months, after which he spent a year in Illinois and Iowa, then returned home
and remained -with his 'parents till 1867. He married and went to farming for him
self. In 1871 he bought his present farm, where he has since lived. His farm was
originaUy 540 acres, but he has given the boys farms, and now has only 100 acres
left in the old home place.
I. AI. Crow is a Democrat and a member of the Baptist church.
Biographical.
701
702
The History of Adair County.
Mr. and Mrs. I. M. Crow and their home, 4 miles northeast of KirksvUle
Residence of H. D. Archer, 2 miles northwest of Connelsville
Biographical. 703
H. D. ARCHER was born in Putnam County, Alissouri, November 28, 1885,
a son of Horace and Julia Archer. He was married to Lizzie Bergstrom October
28, 1908. Mrs. Archer is a daughter of Lars and Kizziah Bergstrom. They have
one child — Harold, born February 12, 1910.
Mr. Archer has been the manager of a general merchandise store at Shibley's
Point for the past seven years, but in the spring of 1910 moved to his farm of 100
acres, two miles northwest of Connelsville. He is a Republican in politics and a
Presbyterian in his religion.
ABRAM BARNHART moved to Jackson County, Iowa, in the fall of 1885,
coming there Avith his parents, Henry and Hannah (Reed) Barnhart. There he
lived till 1857, then came to Adair County, where he has since lived. His wife came
here the same year from Ohio. All his life he has followed the occupation of farm
ing and stock raising, except the last two years, having retired in the fall of 1909.
At that time he sold his farm, moving to Brashear where he now lives. He and his
wife, a sister of the late C. G. Cornell, own about 700 acres of land in various
parts of the county.
Mr. Barnhart was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, March 27, 1843, where
he lived till 1885. He was married March 7, 1865, to Lufinia Cornell, daughter of
Clark and Louisa Cornell. Mrs. Barnhart was born in Ashland County, Ohio, Octo
ber 12, 1845. They had four chUdren: Henry, born February 16, 1866; Ella,
September 16, 1868; Etta M., February 1, 1873; Minnie, January 7, 1876. Air.
Barnhart is a Republican and a member of the Alethodist Episcopal church.
GEORGE FORQUER, a native of Henderson County, Illinois, was born June
15, 1870. He is a, son of Charles and Angeline Forquer. He was married March
23, 1892, to Maggie Jonas, daughter of Daniel and Tobitha .Jonas. They have three
children: Raymond Lee, born March 3, 1894; Maureta J., January 9, 1897; Ethel
May, May 3, 1905.
Mr. Forquer came to Missouri in 1876, living a part of the time in Knox County
and part of the time in Adair County. He noAV owns city property in Brashear,
and is engaged in real estate, loans and insurance.
He is a Republican in politics, a member of the CMistian church, and belongs
to the I. O. 0. F. lodge. No. 522, at Brashear; also the M. W. A., No. 4.370. He is a
loyal and respected citizen.
CHARLES G. YOUNG was born four miles northeast of ConnelsA'ille, Adair
County, on the home farm, February 2, 1871. He is a son of John and Mahalia
Young. He lived at home and farmed till 1908, he and his father being partners
in the management. The farm was sold in 1909. In Alarch, 1908, he went to Con-
nelsAdlle, purchasing the interest of J. E. Reigh in the Adair County Aliners Bank.
Mr. Reigh was cashier and Mr. Young was elected to succeed him. He has held
the same position since that time. Before going to Connelsville he assisted in organ
izing the Farmers State Bank at Greentop, in which he is still a stockholder. He
takes no active part in its management. The stockholders are principally well-
known farmers in that section. It has a capital stock of $15 000.00 and a surplus
of $1,800.00. Its reports show splendid growth and increasing business. They
own the building wMch is occupied by the bank, a cut of which is shoAvn in these
pages.
704
The History of Adair County.
Old county home, near Gibbs and city residence of A. Barnhart, Brashea
Biographical.
705
46
706
The History of Adair County.
Some stock on farm ot F. D. Kirk, 5 miles northeast of KirksviUe
Residence of David Curtis, near Gifford
Biographical. 707
P. D. KIRK, a native of Adair County, was born April 30, 1819. His parents
were John G. and Minerva (Sloan) Kirk. He was married December 25, 1872, to
Miranda E. Dunham, daughter of Ehjah and Liza Dunham. They had four chil
dren: Myra, bom June 10, 1875, was the wife of W. M. Alurfin, died .Movember 6,
1892; Mertie, March 10, 1877, wife of E. 0. AA^atson; Paul D., died in inl'ancv;
Charles S., October 6, 1887.
Air. Kirk was born and reared on the old Kirk farm, which he now owns and
runs. He lived with his parents till twenty-five, then married. Later he bought
part of the old home place from his father, and has lived there continuously since.
It consists of sixty-eight acres, five miles northeast of Kirksville. He moved (;o
Kirksville in the .summer of 1910.
P. D. Kirk belongs to an old-time family, being a descendant of the Sloans and
Kirks. He is a grandson of Jesse Kirk, for whom the city of Kirksville was named
He is secretary of the Adair County Farmers' Mutual Fire and Lightning In
surance Company, and has devoted most of his time to that business for the pas
eleven years. He is a member of the I. 0. O. F., and belongs to the Christian church
DAVID CURTIS was born in Ray County, Alissouri, June 7, 1841, being a
son of Samuel K. and Nancy (Gentry) Curtis. He was married November 4, 1864,
to Alary M. Rutherford, daughter of George and SaUie (Blanchard) Rutherford-
Mrs. Curtis was bom in Perry County, Indiana, .-August 16, 1842, and came to Adair
in 1854. They have eight children, five of them living: Sarah A., born August
21, 1865, was Mrs. Sam Shoemaker, died June 8, 1899; George D., November 25,
1867; Nancy E., January 14, 1870, was Mrs. Darnel AliUer, died Alay 17, 1900;
Samuel J., April 4. 1872; David A., October 14, 1874; Altha L., January 1, 1877,
now Mrs. Benton Sullivan, of Fort Collins, Colorado; John K., June 8, 1879; Alary
C, Alay 26, 1882, was Mrs. Albert Boydston, died January 28, 1908.
Air. Curtis moved with his parents to Macon County, in 1851. He lived there
with his parents till grown, then married and moved to this county. He lived in the
Illinois Bend neighborhood, then went to his present farm. Eighty acres of it was
given to his wife by her father, George Rutherford. Since then he has purchased
land, and now has a tract of 360 acres, two miles northeast of Gifford. He has lived
there continuously since 1865. He is a, breeder of PoUed-Angus cattle, pure bred
Poland-China hogs, fine horses, etc. He has a splendid and well-imprOA'cd farm.
When Mr. Curtis moved to his present farm, deer, wild turkey, etc., were plen
tiful on his farm, and he has many trophies of his hunting trips. During the war
Mr. Curtis served for a time with the Home Guard of Macon County. Later he
joined Company B. of this county, being the first volunteer for that company. At
the time of the battle of KirksAdlle he Avas down near Alacon guarding a bridge. He
came to KirksA'ille next day.
EVERETT E. NEELY was born in Sullivan County, Missouri, March 13, 1880,
a son of Norman B. and Henrietta Neely. He was married January 12, 1910, to
Grace Clifton, daughter of Alexander and Rachel Clifton. They have one child —
Mildred G.
, Mri Neely was reared on a farm in Sullivan Co., and farmed till twenty-four
years of age. He then went to Stahl, where he clerked for E. E. Price. In October,
1909, after Mr. Price sold out his business, he opened a general merchandise store at
the same place, which he still conducts. He is a Democrat in politics.
708 The History of Adair County.
JOHN C. YOUNG was born four miles northeast of Connelsville, on the old
homestead, February 11, 1873. He is a son of John and Mahalia Young. He was
married February 17, 1895, to Rebacca Hatfield, daughter of W. H. and Susan Hat
field. They have one child— Beulah Hazel, born July 17, 1897.
Mr. Young lived at home till twenty-two, then married and for five years lived
and farmed on the home place. Three years longer he farmed, then moved to Con
nelsviUe, Missouri, and went into the mercantile business, where he is yet engaged.
He is now part owner and manager of the Connelsville Supply Company, a big in
stitution with two large rooms, handling a general line of dry goods, groceries, hard
ware, etc. They have built up a large business.
He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and M. W. A. lodges, and Democratic in poli
tics. His wife belongs to the Baptist church. They own a pretty home.
JOHN FEGLEY, a native of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, He
was born March 24, 1844, a son of DaAud and Elizabeth Fegley. On September 6,
1875, he married Josephine Harry. The.y have three children: Anna, now Mrs.
Charles Gillaspie, was born July 2, 1876; Sarah E., now Mrs. John Gillaspie, Octo
ber 28, 1879; Mary, now Mrs, E. L. Griffith, July 27, 1884.
Mr. Fegley came to Adair County with his parents in 1848. He has lived here
since, with the exception of three years spent in Illinois. He lived in the north part
of the county till 1876, when he moved to where he now lives, five miles northwest
of Kirksville. He and his father own 100 acres there. He has always engaged in
farming. He was a member of the State Militia during the war. He is a Republican.
DAVID FEGLEY, a native of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, was
born December 17, 1820, a, son of Cunis and Margaret S. Fegley. He was united
in marriage June 13, 1843, to Ehzabeth Brown, who died January 9, 1881. They
had tMrteen children, only three of whom are living: John, Adam, and David, Jr.
John and David live in this county, and .4dam in Ilhnois.
Mr. Fegley came to Adair County in 1848. He has lived here since, and been
engaged in farming. He owns a farm of 100 acres, five miles northwest of Kirks
ville, where he and his son, John Fegley, now live.
He served in the State Militia during the war.
JAMES C. GUILE, son of Andrew and Susan (Wishard) Guile, was born March
27, 1851, in Davis County, Iowa. He lived Avith his parents on the farm in Iowa,
where he was born, tiU twenty years old, then came to this county. He remained
here a short time, then returned to Iowa, where he lived and farmed till 1880. He
again came to tMs county, and about two years later purchased the farm where he
has since lived. It consists of eighty acres, two and one-half miles northeast of
KirksvUle. The farm is weU improved and the home is pretty. He does general
farming and stock raising.
Mr. Guile was united in marriage January 6, 1872, with Talitha Aggott, who
died in 1888. They had two children: Delia, now Mrs. John Bruson, born October
28, 1874; Cari, May 6, 1878. He was again married May 24, 1899, to Anna MeM-
grew, daughter of Jackson and NeUie (Walters) Megrew. They had two children":
Pearl M., bom February 24, 1900; Minnie Pauline, September 25, 1904.
Mr. Guile is a Democrat and belongs to the CMistian church.
Biographical.
709
'•/J' a.' <¦
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The History of Adair County.
David Feglev, his son John, and wife and their home 4 miles N. W. of Kirksville
Residence of J. C. Giule, 2 1-2 miles northeast of Kirksville
Biographical. 711
DR. JOB T. DODSON, son of Francis AI. and Eliza (AAiUiams) Dodson, was
born at Unionville, Alissouri, .April 10, 1879. He was united in ma.rriage October
14, 1907, to Rowena M. Young, daughter of Robert and Lucy A' (Painter) A'oung.
They have two chUdren: Francis R., born December 2S, 1908; A'irginia AI., Jan-
usry 10, 1911.
Dr. Dodson lived a( rnionviUe tiU grown, attending the public schools. He
was a student for two years at the Columbia School of Osteopathy; one year at the
American School of Osteopathy; took a third year course at the S. S. StiU School ot
Osteopathy at Des Aloines, Iowa; then took a course in medicine at the Eclectic
Aledical UniArersity at Kansas Cit}-, graduating in 1904. He pra.cticed at Trenton
one year, then came to KirksviUe, where he lias since lived and practiced his pro
fession. Dr. Dodson has built of a big practi(-e at Kirksville.
He owns an extenslA'e farm in Colora.do, one in SuUiA'an Count}-, Alissouri, and
land in Oklahoma, and is interested in other business enterprises. He is a Demo
crat in pohtics, and belongs to the Alasonic, 1. O. O. F. and Elk lodges.
LUTHER M. WILLIS was bom November 20, 1857, in Adair County, being
a son of D. C. and Fannie WiUis. He was married October 1, 1882, to Susa D. Hib
bard, daughter of AA'illiam and Susan Hibbard. She died January 30, 1892. They
had three children: Alaurice E., born Octob(^r 5, 1884, lives at Rupert, Idaho;
Nina E., June 2, 1886, now Airs. David E. Riley, of Heyburn, Idaho; Gertrude .A.,
May 5, 1888, now Airs. John B. Young, of Dell,a, Colorado.
Air. AA'Ulis was reared on a farm three and one-half miles northeast of Kirks
ville, on which he now lives. By the time he Avas grown his mother had died and his
father was in bad health, so he remained at home and took charge of the farm. After
his marriage he and his wife still continued to take care of his father, and after his
death purchased the interest of the other heirs in the old home place. He was there
fore born and has spent all his life on the same farm. His father came to Adair Coun
ty and settled on this place in 1855, living there till his death, June 17, 1882. He
was a native of Virginia.
Air. AA'Ulis is a member of the I. 0. 0. F. and AI. AA'. A. lodges.
PROFESSOR EDWARD M. GOLDBERG, musical director of the Richard
Wagner Conservatory of Alusic and Languages, was born in Luegde, Prussia, in
1850. AVhen tweh'e years old, he entered the Liceum at Hanover, also attending
the School of Music. In 1865 he entered the college at Aluenster, AA'estfalia, com
pleting the course in 1869. He next entered the University of W'uerzburg, taking
work in the department of philology, and a year later continued his studies at the
University of Leipzig, also attending the Royal Conservatory of Alusic. In 1872
he came to America, locating in Chicago, where he established a private school for
the study of modern and classical languages and music. In 1874 he located in AA'ash
ington, also teaching the same year in Cincinnati, where he was tutor of the daugh
ter of Mrs. Allen. After four years he became a professor of modern languages at
the college at AVestfield, Illinois, where he established a musical department. In
1883 he served in the same capacity at Grand River College at Austinburg, Ohio,
where he married Miss Nettie Pierce, a prominent teacher. In 1885 he was engaged
as head of the musical department of Stephens Female College at Columbia, Alis
souri. Here his wife was at the same time teacher of Latin, German and French.
They lived here for eight years. After the death of the president of the college,
712
The History of Adair County.
J. T. Dodson, M. D,, D. 0,, KirksviUe
Biographical.
713
Residence of Dr. J. T. Dodson, KirksviUe
Residence of L. M. AA'Ulis, 3 1-2 miles northeast of Kirksville
714 The History of Adair County.
Professor Goldberg came to Kirksville, Missouri, where he established the Richard
AA agner Conservatory of Music and Languages. During its existence this school
has been attended by no less than two thousand students, from various states, some
coming even from New Alexico. The musical graduates of this institution are teach
ing in ladies' seminaries and private schools, as well as privately, and are considered
very able teachers.
W. B. CURRY was born in Callaway County, Alissouri, November 9, 1871,
being a son of John J. and Alartha E. Curry. He AA'as married August 11, 1896, to
Etna A. Kelso, daughter of .John AI. and Lucy Etna Kelso. They have three chil
dren: Alarion E., horn .January 27, 1902; AA'ilham B., February 21, 1903; Harold
K., January 9, 1910.
Mr. Curry received his education in the pubhc schools of Callaway County.
He took three years' work in the First District Normal School, also three years'
work at the AVUham Jewell College. In 1905 he graduated from the American School
ot Osteopathy. His wife is also a graduate of that institution. He has been a very
successful real estate business man. In politics he is a Democrat. In 1907 he was
elected alderman in a strong Repubhcan ward. He was chairman of the executive
committee that had charge of the erection of the new Baptist church; and was also
prominent in bringing the shoe factory to KirksviUe — in fact, is constantly working
for the interest of Kirksville. He is affiliated with the Masonic, K. of P., B. P. O.
E. and Yeoman lodges.
A. L. STORY is a native of Adair County, Missouri, born July 30, 1860. His
parents were Alfred and Gertrude Story. He was married September 4, 1884, to
Cora B. AVheatcraft, daughter of Samuel and Rebecca AA'heatcraft. They have
four children: Ruth, born April 24, 1886; Stanley, March 14, 1890; Doris, De
cember 15, 1891; Paul, September 25, 1893.
Mr. Story owns two farms, having 220 acres of land in all. His land is well
improved and he is a breeder of thoroughbred Shorthorn cattle, Poland-China hogs,
fine horses, etc. He is a Republican in politics. He lives near WillmathAuUe.
ED. RORABAUGH was born on a farm east of Kirksville, Alissouri, in Salt
River Township. He Avas educated in the public schools of Adair County. When
nineteen years old he came to Kirksville, Avorking at contracting and paper hanging.
He learned telegraphy and, in connection with Mrs. J, Hungerford, conducted a
school for seven years. He served as drug clerk for AA'. H. Smith for some time,
later becoming bookkeeper for Dr. E. C. Callison, In 1908 he Avas elected Circuit
Clerk, being re-elected in 1910 to the same position.
He is a Republican, a member of the Alethodist church, and is affiliated with
the Masonic, I. O. O. F., AA'oodman, Yeoman and Redman lodges, serving as sec-
retnry to Kirksville Lodge, No. 464, B. P. O. E.
C. M. CODY was born in Adair County, Missouri, February 7, 1876. He was
united in marriage to Dorothy Miller, daughter of Abraham and Harriett Miller,
April 13, 1903. They have two children: Edith, born August 14, 1905; Aileen,
May 13, 1908. Air. Cody owns a fine farm of 120 acres, near Adair, where he has
always resided. He engages in general farming and stock raismg. He is, a Repub
lican in politics and a Catholic in his religion.
Biographical.
715
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The History of Adair County.
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BlOGRAPrilCAL.
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The History of Adair County.
rt
Biographical. 719
F. GROVE LOWRANCE, son of Walter and Amner (Towles) Lowrance, was
born in Adair County, Missouri, February 8, 1885, He was united in marriage
October 30, 1905, to Carda Archer, daughter of .John and Linda (Stephens) Archer.
They have one child — Pauline, born December 20, 1907.
Mr. Lowrance Avas reared on a farm, six and one-half miles northeast of Kirks
ville, where he lived till grown. After his marriage he farmed three years, then
moved to Kirksville, Missouri. He worked at the painters' trade till 1910, at which
time he was elected County Recorder by a majority of 889 votes, in spite of the fact
that the county is normally about 700 Republican, He is a Democrat,
GEORGE W. BARGER, the merchant of Sperry, was born in .Adams County,
Illinois, March 28, 1868, His parents' names were Daniel and Martha Barger.
He married Lulu Bown December 29, 1907. They have one child — Neva Ehzabeth,
born January 19, 1908. Mr. Barger was bora and reared on a farm in Illinois. In
1890 he moved to Adair County, Missouri, where he engaged in farming tor a short
time, then went to Colorado and other Western points, being gone from this county
one year. AA'hen he returned he went into the general merchandise business at Sperry,
where he is at present engaged. He handles all kinds of merchandise, including
farm implements and machinery. He OAvns his store building and residence in Sperry.
MATTHIAS FISHER is a native of Hancock County, Ilhnois. He was born
September 24, 1840, a son of Thomas and Elizabeth Fisher. He was married Decem
ber 15, 1867, to Eliza N. Cotton, who died March 7, 1898. They had one child-
Francis Marion, bom January 15, 1870, and died in I-<nox County, April 14, 1894.
He Avas again married in March, 1899, to Ida Alay Maddox. He was married the
last time December 24, 1906, to Nancy J. Duggin. They have no children.
Mr. Fisher is a member of Norcross Post, G. A. R., Novelty, Alissouri. He
served three years in 91st Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and took part in many import
ant battles, among which are the following engagements: Spanish Fort, Alabama;
Mobile, Whistler, Alabama; Morganzie's Bend, Louisiana; Bacon Creek, Kentucky.
He owns a farm of 150 acres near the county line, north of La Plata.
Mr. Fisher is Republican in politics.
I. A. NOVINGER, a native of Adair County, Missouri, was born October 10,
1867, being a son of George W. and Mary J. Novinger. He was married May 19,
1887, to Mary A. Miley, daughter of John and Mary E. Miley. They have six chil
dren: Grace Edna, born July 19, 1890; Clifford Isaac, .August 4, 1892; Ermine
Ophelia, December 31, 1894; George .John, February 15, 1898; Glen AA'eslie, Sep
tember 5, 1900; Mary Leonia, March 26, 1905.
Mr. Novinger moved to his present farm, known as the Elm Grove Stock Farm,
March 7, 1901. The farm Avas originally the Ben Kerns farm, containing about
280 acres. The land has been rented for a number of years, and was very much
run doAvn, They now have 640 acres of as fine land as can be found in the county.
The residence is a two-story brick building containing eleven rooms, strictly modem
throughout, having a large furnace, gas plant, hot and cold water, bath, and every
convenience of a city residence. He makes a specialty of raising registered Percheron
horses. Shorthorn cattle, Poland-China hogs. Mammoth Bronze turkeys, and Ply
mouth Rock chickens. The farm is ideal for raising fine stock.
He is a Democrat, a member of the Presbyterian church, and belongs to the
Masonic, I. O. O. F. and M. W. A. lodges.
720
The History of Adair County.
F. Grove Lowrance, County Recorder, Kirksville
Biographical.
721
Residence and Store of G. W. Barger, Sperry
722
The History of Adair County.
«
-a
Biographical.
723
Scene at Elm Grove Stock Farm and residence of I. A. Novinger,
2 1-2 miles north of Kirksville
724 The History of Adair County.
ALBERT HERREN, a native of Canada, was born November 20, 1850, a son
of James and Elizabeth (Liscom) Herren. Though bom in Canada, when but a baby
he moved with his parents to Illinois. Here he remained on a farm until 1872, when
he moved to Adair County, where he has since hved and farmed. He owns a farm
of 320 acres, southwest of Kirksville. The place where they live joins Airs. Herren's
home and belongs to her. It consists of 305 acres, with one of the most beautiful
homes in the county. She also o-wns 245 acres in Knox County. They do no active
farming, all their land being leased.
Albert Herren was united in marriage February 16, 1904, to Peoria Dowdy, a
daughter of .Jefferson J. and Alary (Atterberry) Dowdy. She was born in Alacon
County, November 24, 1860, coming to this county the same year. They have no
children. By a former marriage Mrs. Herren had three children: Annie L., now
Mrs. Pearl Graham, of Whittier, California; George, of Washington; Alary A.,
now Airs. Charles See, ot Sycamore, Illinois..
Air. Herren is a Republican, and a member of the Christian church.
THOMAS FARLEY, a native of Quincy, Illinois, is a son of James and Bridget
Farley, born September 9, 1861. He was married October 2, 1889, to Agnes Welch,
daughter of AA'Uliam and Bridget Welch. They have three children: Catherine,
born June 1, 1890; Leo, December 28, 1897; Mary, June 11, 1900. Airs. Farley
died August 17, 1905.
Mr. Farley came to Adair County, Missouri, with his parents in 1868, and lived
with them till grown. He then married and began farming for himself. Air. Farley
has always followed the occupation of farming, and now owns 140 acres of well-im
proved land, eight miles northwest of Brashear. He is a Democrat and a member
of the Cathohc church.
W. T. GORDON, a native of Pike County, OMo, was born June 2, 1865, be
ing a son of Cornelius AA'. and Sarah H. Gordon. He was married January 11, 1891,
to Julia A. Cornell, daughter of Michael and Julia Connell. They have three cMl
dren: Agnes E., born May 18, 1892; E. Grace, January 28, 1895; J. Corneha,
May 8, 1898. Mr. Gordon owns a farm of eighty acres, situated near Gibbs, on
the Santa Fe railroad. He does general farming and stock raising. He has lived
in Adair County, Missouri, since coming here with Ms parents in 1868. Mr. Gordon
is a Democrat in politics, and a member of the Catholic church.
JAMES E. GOODWIN, a native of Perquimans County, North Carolina, was
bom December 14, 1867, a son of John AA^ and Mary E. (Norcomb) Goodwin. He
was married November 25, 1891, to Blanche A. Owings, daughter of John R. and
Antina Owings. They have one child — Ralph E., born February 24, 1895.
Mr. Goodwin lived at home in North Carolina till fifteen years old, then went
to Philadelphia. He began his career there as stock boy for Super-Jones & Company
remaining with them six years. They then retired from business. He was pro
moted to floor manager, then put on the road as traveling salesman. Soon after
the retirement of Super- Jones & Company, he went with Young-Smith, Yield & Com
pany, as general salesman. While traveling for this company, in 1898, he came to
Kirksville and in connection -n'ith WiUiam A. Ryon opened the Grand Leader. Mr.
Goodwin continued traveling tUl 1900, when he gave up that work to devote his
entire attention to his store. Three years later he purchased Mr. Ryon's interest
Biographical.
725
Residence of Albert Herren, 10 miles southwest of Kirksville
Residence of Thomas Farlev, near Adair
726
The History of Adair County.
6
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Biographical.
727
Interior of the Grand Leader, both floors, Kirksville
728 The History of Adair County.
and has since conducted the store himself. He has two large floors and handles
dry-goods, shoes, ready-made garments, ets.
He was elected vice-president of the Business Men's Ijeague for a time, and
later president. He was unanimously elected five times, refusing to accept it longer.
He was president of that organization at the time the shoe factory was brought here,
and was largely instrumental in bringing the matter to a successful conclusion. Mr.
GoodAvin has taken a deep interest in public improvements. He belongs to the
M. W. A., K. of P. and Elks lodges.
LAWRENCE W. VANDIVER was bom in Knox County, Missouri, November
19, 1868, a son of Newton and Helen (Shaff) Vandiver. He was married December
28, 1898, to Eva Nett, daughter of James and Sarah (McClanahan) Nett. They
have one child — Lawrence Paul, born October 4, 1903.
Mr. VandiA'er came to Adair County when but four years old. His parents
moA'ed on a farm and he lived with them till grown. After his marriage he moved
to Alacon County, Missouri, and engaged in farming. In July, 1908, he came to
Kirksville, purchasing the old Kinnear harness business, which he still OAvns and
conducts. He is a Repubhcan and belongs to the I. O. O. F., M. W. A., K. of P. and
Elks lodges.
DR. WARREN HAMILTON, son of Henry S. and Margaret Hamilton, was
bom in Knox County, Missouri, July 15, 1869. He was married October 24, 1893,
to Mae De Witt, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth De Witt. They have one child
— Arthur, born August 1, 1896.
Dr. Hamilton remained on the farm in Knox County until fifteen years old,
when he came to Kirksville. He worked at various occupations for a few years,
and farmed for a short time. He graduated at the KirksviUe High School in 1886,
then took a course at the Alissouri State Normal School at KirksviUe. Going to
St. Louis, he traA'eled for a stationery company, later going into the insurance and
loan business at KirksvUle. He attended the American School of Osteopathy, and
in 1898 took entire charge of the business interests of that school, later being made
secretary and treasurer. In the meantime he read law, and was admitted to the
bar in 1896. He did not enter the practice, however, but devoted his time to
the duties of his position with the school.
Dr. HamUton died at his home in KirksviUe, August 2, 1911.
CORNELIUS W. GORDON was born in Pike County, Ohio, January 6, 1845,
a son of William V. and Maria Gordon. He engaged in farming in that state till
1867, when he inoA'ed to Adair County, where he has since resided and followed the
occupation of farming. Mr. Gordon owns a well-improved farm of eighty acres
near Brashear. He is a breeder of Shorthorn cattle and Rhode Island Red chickens.
Mr. Gordon and Miss Sarah H. Taylor, daughter of Samuel and Mary Taylor,
Avere united in marriage August 25, 1863. They had seven children: AViUiam T.,'
born June 2, 1865; Charles E., November 12, 1866; Anna F., December 15, 1869;'
Jessie R., December 5, 1872; EUa E., December 12, 1894; Callie I., June 3o' 1878'
Harry G, November 5, 1881. ' '
Mr. Gordon is a Democrat in politics, a member of the Methodist church, and
belongs to the Masonic Order, Number 319, Brashear.
Biographical.
729
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730
The History of Adair County.
Biographical.
731
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732 The History of Adair County.
HARRY C. McCAHAN, son of Thomas and Sarah L. (Carmon) McCahan,
was born September 27, 1861, at Huntington, Pennsylvania. He was married A.pril
14, 1896, to BeUe Travers, daughter of Judge H. C. and Ellen Travers. They have
no children. Mr. McCahan lived in Pennsylvania tUl 1886, attending school at WiUiamsport
and Birmingham, Pennsylvania, then came to KirksvUle, where he went into the
coal mine operating business. He has been engaged in that business continuously
since. He owns two very productive mines at Stahl, and is interested in various
other business enterprises. He helped to organize the local electric light company,
owned a majority of the stock, and managed the company almost from the begin
ning till he sold out his interests in 1908.
Mrs. AlcCahan comes from a A'ery noted family, and is an author of note. She
has written extensively for newspapers and magazines. She is the author of several
books which have attained -svide popularity and sale, among them the 'Treshus
Child." JAMES BOWN was born on the Atlantic Ocean, December 27, 1841, while
his parents were emigrating from England to Burlington, Iowa. He is a son of Jo
seph and Elizabeth Bown. After emigrating to this country Mr. BoAvn remained at
Burlington, Iowa, until October 10, 1861, then enlisted in Company K, 14th Iowa
Regiment, and served three years. He participated in the battles of Fort Donald
son, Shiloh, Corinth, Pleasant Hill, Tupelo, and other minor engagements.
Mr. Bown was married November 19, 1865, to Elizabeth Ratliff, daughter of
Thomas and Sarah Ratliff. They had six cMldren, five of whom are living: Sarah
Alice, born August 9, 1866, now Mrs. John Ely; Mary Ann Florence, June 4, 1868,
now Mrs. Ira Furnace; WiUiam Thomas, May 8, 1870; Lulu, December 14, 1875,
now Mrs. George W. Barger; Jennie May, May 1, 1881, now Mrs. Charlie Lorton;
Ida Pearl, December 14, 1875 (deceased),
James Bown owns a fine farm of 140 acres, eight miles northeast of KirksAdlle.
He is Republican in politics, and a member of Corporal Dix Post, G. A. R.
WARNER HANKS, son of Wesley and Alary Hanks, was born October 21,
1862, in Ad.air County, Missouri. He was married March 21, 1883, to Angle Sub
lette, daughter of Joseph and Mary Sublette. They have four children: Cyrus
A., born April 14, 1885, now teaching in WasMngton; Myrtle, December 20, 1887;
VirgU, March 28, 1893; Leland, January 20, 1897,
Mr, Hanks owns a farm of 374 acres situated in Wilson township, where he has
lived for twenty years. Ho is a prominent farmer and a member of the board of
school directors in his district. He is a member of the Christian church.
JOHN D. SMOOT was born in Scotland County, Missouri, October 18, 1848,
being a son of Edward and Harriett Smoot. He was ma.rried October 18, 1873, to
Anna D. Ewing, at Morgan, Kentucky, who died December 24, 1894. She was a
daughter of Milton and Nancy Ewing. They had seven children, five of whom are
hving: Dr. John D., born August 21, 1874, lives at Zartman, Montana; Thomas
B,, Alay 26, 1876, died in 1882; Ewing, June 10, 1878, lives at Myuma, Nevada;
Hudson v., February 14, 1880, now a laAvyer at Memphis, Missouri, and elected
Prosecuting Attorney of Scotland County at a recent election; Bessie M., April 2,
1882, is now Mrs. William H. Goff, and lives at Memphis, Missouri; one child Car
son B., born in 1884, died a year later; Hallis A., September 18, 1889, lives at Mem-
COCO
<a<OO
m
H. C. AlcCahan and AA'ife, and their Noted Driving Team, Kirksville
734
The History of Adair County.
X!.a 60
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Biographical.
735
H. C. McCahan's Store Building and Aline at Stahl
oo05
W H
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Residence of James Bown, 8 miles northeast of ICirksville
Biographical.
737
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738 The History of Adair County.
phis. Mr. Smoot was married the second time July 18, 1905, to Miss Lottie G.
PuUian, (nee Bain), daughter of Los Bain. They have one child, Harriett B.
Mr. Smoot was reared on a farm, remaining there till grown. He attended the
public school, also took a course in law at the law department of the Washington
University, at St. Louis. He Avas admitted to the bar at St. Louis, April 1, 1871,
and entered the practice at his old home at Memphis, remaining there continuously
till December, 1908. He was elected Prosecuung Attorney in 1872, the first County
Attorney of that county, and was again elected to that position in 1874. In 1908
he came to Kirksville, Missouri, and formed a partnership with J. A. Cooley.
He is a member of the K. of P. lodge. He and Ms wife belong to the Presbyterian
church. JOHN SADDLER is a native of Bavaria, Germany, born October 17, 1843.
He came to America with his parents, Julius and Maria (Wolfe) Sadler, and settled
in Ohio. In one year they went to Iowa, where they lived for five years. In 1859
they came to Missouri, living in St. Louis for five years, then going to Hannibal,
where they lived fifteen years. John Sadler came to Adair County in 1879 and
bought his present farm, tMee miles west of Gifford, in tMs county. He has 400
acres where he lives, also eighty acres in Macon County, and 140 acres in the State
of Washington. He handles Polled- Angus cattle, Poland-China hogs, and fine horses.
Mr. Sadler was married Alay 7, 1865, to Sarah Ackles. They had six cMldren,
four of whom are living.
Mr. Sadler is a stockholder and director in the Bank of Gifford, also in the Gif
ford Tile Factory. He is a Republican, and was a member of the Missouri State
Militia during the war.
JOHN M. McCALL Avas bom in Brown County, Ohio, December 16, 1844, a
son of James and Catherine McCall. He came to Missouri with his father in the
spring of 1864, when but a young man, and assisted his father in raising a crop in
Alonroe County. In the fall of that year he joined Company F., 39th Missouri
Volunteer Infantry, and served with distinction till the close of the war, when he re
turned to Knox County, this state, where he engaged in farming for a few years.
He then studied law and was admitted to the bar in that county in 1875. He prac
ticed his profession there till 1883, serving one term as prosecuting attorney, from
1879 to 1881. In 1883 he came to Kirksville, where he has since lived and practiced
his profession. In 1890 he was supervisor for taking the United States census in
the fifth district of Missouri. He also served as Mayor of the City of Kirksville
for one term and has held many other positions of honor and trust.
Mr. AlcCaU is a member of the I. O. O. F. and Alasonic orders and of Corporal
Dix Post, No. 22, G. A. R., KirksviUe. He is a devoted member of the Methodist
church .
Mr. AlcCall was married to Alary J. Hickman, of Knox County, Alissouri, De
cember 6, 1866. They had fiA'e children: Morgan H., born AprU 18, 1869; Edgar
O., August 24, 1871. He died October 18, 1872. Metta M,, January .30, 1872;
Charles B., March 23, 1878; Conna V., October 4, 1882. Mrs. AlcCaU died Octo
ber 27, 1889. He was again married to Mary F. Greiner, of this county, August
17, 1892. They have no children.
Biographical.
739
to
o
tr- S
CO
O si
740
The History of Adair County.
John AI, McCall and wife, KirksA'ille
Biographical. 741
WILLIAM H. BELL, a son of John and Nancy Bell, was born in Cass County,
Ilhnois, March 3, 1851. He came to Adair County, Missouri with his parents in
1857. On coming here his father entered land near AliUard, also eighty acres of and
known as the old Bell homestead. Later he purchased land adjoining this, a part
of the tract now OAvned by George Bell. Mr. Bell bought his present farm, consist
ing of 110 acres, three miles south of KirksviUe, in 1882, The farm is a splendid one,
Avith modern improvements and a pretty home. The house is said to be the first
one in the county to have a slate roof. Besides this he owns 110 acres two miles west
of the home place. He is an extensive breeder of PoUed-Angus cattle. He is a stock
holder and director in the National Bank of Kirksville. In politics he is Republican.
Mrs. Maggie BeU, a sister and also a native of Adair County, makes her home with
him. GRANT HARLESS, son of Frank M. and Elvina Hariess, was born in Put
nam County, Missouri, October 9, 1868. He was married December 24, 1889, to
Eliza Palmer, who died August 29, 1904. They had three children: Fred, born
March 6, 1891; Earl, December 24, 1892; Ray, October 7, 1896. He was again
married March 29, 1911, to Vennie E. Maas, a widow, daughter of J. P. Lawson.
Mr. Hariess was reared on a farm in Putnam County, followed the occupation
of farming in that county till 1901, then went to Oklahoma, remaining two years.
In 1903 he came to Adair County, Missouri, where he has since lived and been en
gaged in farming. He also travels at odd times for the K. K. K. Medicine Company.
He was elected road overseer of the district where he lived in 1905, and has since
continuously served in that capacity, being regarded as one of the best in the county.
He lives on the Jasper Abernathy farm, one and one-half miles west of Stahl.
Mr. Hariess is a Republican and belongs to the I. 0. O. F. and Redmen frater
nities. MILTON J. BOZARTH, a native of Hopkinsville, Kentucky, remained in
his native state till twenty-one years old, then came to Missouri where he joined
the Confederate forces, being a member of Capt. John Casey's Company raised in
Washington County. A few months after joining, he was taken prisoner and kept
at Cape Girardeau about a year. He then took the oath, was released, and came to
Adair Count}-, where he has li\'ed most of the time since. In 1864 he went to Ne
braska and remained tiU 1874, then returned to Adair County, where he has since
lived. He owns a farm of 172 acres, two and one-half miles northwest of Pure Air.
He has always been a farmer.
Mr. Bozarth was born July 29, 1839, being a son of Dr. Alfred M. and Minerva
Bozarth. He was married December 26, 1862, to Lucy Bozarth, daughter of Milton
J. and Juha A. Bozarth. Mrs. Bozarth is a native of Howard County, Missouri,
bom February 5, 1843, and came to Adair County with her parents in 1848. They
Had eight children: Mary H., born July 7, 1863, died August 15, 1863; Juha F.,
November 16, 1864, noAV Mrs. Abel Scofield; Robert M., August 11, 1867, died
October 30, 1908; Minnie L,, July 29, 1871, died January 15, 1873; Lizzie A., No
vember 15, 1873, died December 25, 1874; Henry C, August 15, 1880; Harriet G,
September 25, 1883, died January 23, 1896; Fred D., December 27, 1877.
Mr. Bozarth is a Democrat and served as Justice of the Peace of Liberty town-
shio for a few years. He is a member of the CMistian church.
742
The History of Adair County.
Residence of WiUiam H. BeU, 3 miles south of KirksvUle
Grant Hariess with road grader, near Stahl
CO
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C5O
Residence of Milton J. Bozarth, family and grandchildren, 2 1-2 miles northwest of Pure .'Air
744 The History of Adair County.
HENRY H. BARNHART, a native of Adair County, was born and reared on
a farm near Wilson Town, where he lived with his parents till sixteen years old. He
then went to Brashear and worked in a store for C. G. Cornell for a number of years,
leter going into the mercantile business there for himself. He owns and conducts
the store formerly ovnied by Mr. Cornell, also assisted in managing Mr.Cornell's
extensive business interests. The building he occupies is a historic one, being one
of the first stores erected in that section, and moved to Brashear from Paul Town.
For twenty-nine years Mr. Barnhart has been in business at Brashear continuously
— longer than any other man now in business at that place.
Mr. Barnhart was born near old Wilson Town February 16, 1866, being a son
of A. and Lufina (CorneU) Barnhart. He was married July 12, 1905, to Linnie Dea
ton, daughter of Merideth Deaton. By a former marriage, he has two children:
EUa Cleone and Clinton Vere. He is a Republican, and belongs to the Ma.sonic
and I. O. O. F. fraternities.
ELIJAH WILLCOX (deceased) was a native of Ohio, and was born in Darke
County, of that state, March 18, 1839. He came to Adair County in 1857. He
followed farming for a few years and then went into the mercantile business at Kirks
ville, and was in that business continuously till 1881. He then returned to farming,
owning a farm just south of KirksviUe, between the city and what is now Ownbey's
Lake. He resided there till his death, January 12, 1902. He was one of the best
known men in the county and was held in the highest esteem.
He was married December 24, 1864, to Louisa Armacost. They had five chil
dren, only two of whom are living: Dr. C. M. C. Willcox and Mrs. Phoebe A. Her-
ron, both of them residing in Kirksville. Mrs. WiUcox died April 30, 1874.
WILLIAM G. BIBEE came to Adair County, Missouri, with his parents, Pres
ton D. and Maria (Green) Bibee, in 1858, settling near where he now lives. His
father lived there till his death. Mrs. Bibee's father died at the same time that
her husband's father died. They were buried at the same time and in the same cem
etery. Her father came here from Illinois in 1845.
Mr. Bibee lived at home on the farm till grown, then went to farming for Mm
self. He has followed that occupation all his life. At present he owns a farm of
158 acres. Mrs. Bibee owns three lots and a good residence property in Kirksville.
Mr. Bibee is a breeder of Galloway cattle, Poland-China hogs and Percheron horses.
In politics he is a Republican.
CHARLES D. THOMPSON is a native of Washington County, Indiana, born
October 12, 1857. His parents Avere Robert and Martha (Tadlock) Thompson.
When eight years old he moved with his parents to Illinois, remaining there till 1868.
The family then moved to this county. In 1892 Mr. Thompson bought his present
farm where he has since lived. It consists of 248 1-2 acres, well improved. They
have a pretty home.
Mr. Thompson was united in marriage February 3, 1884, to Anna Grimm, daugh
ter of Joseph and Elmira Grimm. Mrs. Thompson is also a native of Indiana born
August 19, 1860. They have four cMldren: E. Lena, born November 8, 1884'
Lulu M., December 5, 1886, now Mrs. Allan E. Mosher, of Fort Smith, Arkansas;
Samuel E., August 14, 1892; Alonzo R., Juno 20, 1894.
Charles Thompson is a member of the Repubhcan party and the Methodist
church.
Biographical.
745
Henry Barnhart's Store, Brashear, Air. Barnhart and the late C. G. Cornell on porch
Mr. Elijah WUleox, father of Dr. C. M, C. Willcox
746
The History of Adair County.
Residence and Barn of AVm. G. Bibee, near Shibley's Point
Biographical.
747
Residence and Barn of C. D. Thompson, 4 miles south of Kirksville
748 The History of Adair County,
JASPER J. ABERNATHY was bom and grew to manhood on a farm just
south of where he now lives. He has farmed all his life, except two years spent in
coal mining. He has always lived at Stahl. At present he owns a farm of 154 acres,
one and one-half miles southwest of that place. He is a breeder of Shorthorn cattle,
Berkshire hogs and Shropshire sheep. His father was a native of Iowa, coining to
Adair County just before the war. His mother was a native of Adair County. Both
Ms father and mother are now dead.
Mr. Abernathy was born February 9, 1874, a son of James M. and Elizabeth
(Walters) Abernathy. He was married May 10, 1895, to Mae A. Huffman, daugh
ter of David and Mary Huffman. They have three children: Ellen Nora, born
December 2, 1896; Flow Pauline, December 28, 1908; Jesse J., August 2, 1905.
He is a Republican and belongs to the United Mine Workers' lodge.
WILLIAM YOUNG was reared on the old Young homestead, near Youngs
town, remaining home and helping run the farm till grown. He was born June 6,
1866, a son of George and Ehzabeth (Sharr) Young. He was married January 29,
1898, to Carrie M. Lance, daughter of J. W. and Barbara Lance. They had five
cMldren: Gladys, born October 31, 1899; Arthur V., January 23, 1901; WiUiam
Audrey, February 23, 1905; Anna Ruth, September 25, 1908; Nina B., February
3, 1911. Mr. Young was educated in the public schools. When married he bought his
present farm, consisting of 332 acres, one and one-half miles east of YoungstoAvn,
and five and one-half miles southwest of Kirksville. He has a splendid farm, a pretty
home, and does general farming and stock raising. He is a Republican.
SAMUEL T. DEVOLLD moved to Scotland County, Missouri, Avith his pa
rents, Le\vis and Mary E. (Dye) DevoUd, in 1861, living there till the beginning of
the war. They came from Hancock County, Ilhnois, where Mr. DevoUd was born
November 15, 1845, For nine months he served without enlisting, then joined Com
pany I, 62nd Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He served tUl March, 1866, being sent
out on the frontier during the Indian wars. After the war he came to Adair County,
Missouri, where he has since lived and been engaged in farming. At present he
owns a farm of 190 acres, two and one-half miles southeast of Pure Air. He is a
breeder of Aberdeen-Angus cattle, fine saddle horses, etc. Mr. DevoUd was Avith
Col. AIcNeil and took part in the battle of Kirksville.
Mr. DevoUd was married December 31, 1866, to* Mary E. Dye, daughter of
James and Carrie (Thomas) Dye. She died February 24, 1888. They had four
children: Clara, born May 23, 1869, now the Avife of Edgar Clayton; Mirandy J.,
October 5, 1871, was the wife of W. H. Fuller, and died January 21, 1898; Hattie,
April 2, 1875, now the wife of W. H, Fuller; WiUie H., July 2, 1878. WiUis H. owns
a farm of eighty-one acres adjoining his father's farm. Mr. DevoUd is a Repub
lican. D. J. BREEN, a son of Patrick and Anna Breen, was born in Adair County,
Missouri, April 28, 1878. He was united in marriage June 7, 1903, to Myrtle F.
WUson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jasper N, Wilson, They have two chUdren:
Alfreda, born March 3, 1904; Daniel Robert, June 3, 1906. Air. Breen is a progres
sive and scientific farmer. He owns a fine farm of 200 acres, and is an extensive
breeder of Duroc-Jersey hogs and Shropshire sheep.
He is Democratic in politics and a Catholic in his religion.
Biographical.
749
Residence of Jasper J. Abernathy, 1 1-2 miles southwest of Stahl
Residence of William Young, 1 1-2 miles east of Youngstown
750 '
The History of Adair County.
Scenes on the farm of Samuel T, DevoUd, 2 1-2 miles southeast Pure Air
Biographical.
751
Residence, bam and thoroughbred sheep on farm of D. J. Breen, near Adair
752 The History of Adair County.
FOSTER R. EASLEY was born in Knox County, Missouri, November 28,
1880. His parents are George B. and Alice M. Easley. He married Leolah M.
Workman, daughter of Byron F. and Sabina Workman, February 20, 1904. They
have three children: Juanita Fae, born February 18, 1905; George Byron, born
August 27, 1906; and Dorothy Ray Easley, born August 25, 1910.
Mr. Easley was born and reared on a farm. He attended the rural schools
until fifteen years old, then attended the La Plata High School for two years. He
completed the elementary course at the Missouri State Normal School at Kirksville,
after which he took a business course at the Gem City Business College of Quincy,
Illinois. After completing his school work he held the principalship of the Gibbs
Public School for two years. For the past few years he has been engaged in the under
taking business at Brashear. At present he is coroner of Adair County, having been
elected in November, 1908. He is a licensed embalmer, holding Missouri State li
cense Number 1146.
Mr. Easley came to Adair County September 1, 1901. He owns residence prop
erty in Brashear. He is Republican in politics and belongs to the Christian church.
The A. F. and A. M., Knights Templar, M. W. A. and I. O. O. F. lodges claun him
as a member.
FRANK M. DARR was born and reared on the farm on which he now lives.
His mother died November 12, 1893, when he was small, and he lived at home Avith
his father till his death, January 30, 1905. His father was born in Ashland County,
Ohio, November 25, 1848. After coming to this county he lived and farmed here
till Ms death. Mr. Darrthen took charge of the old home place, he being the only
heir. It consists of 226 acres, two miles east of Pure Air. He is a breeder of thor
oughbred Aberdeen-Angus cattle, having one of the best herds in the county; also
pure bred Duroc-Jersey hogs, fine horses, etc.
Mr. Darr was born December 15, 1889, being a son of John and Sarah (Hopper)
Darr, both of Avhom are dead. He was married December 15, 1909, to Katie Weber,
daughter of PhUip and Juha (Eitel) Weber. They have one child — Rosa Blanche,
born November 17, 1910. In politics he is a Repubhcan.
JOHN CHADWELL, son of Daniel and Louisa J. (Felts) Chadwell, was born
May 19, 1851, in Knox County, just across the line from his present home in this
county. He married Lorena J. Reed, daughter of Waterman and Ruth (Ingraham)
Reed, March 2, 1871. Mrs. ChadweU came here from Will County, Illinois, in
1869, where she was born, March 15, 1848. Mr. and Airs. ChadweU have two chil
dren liAdng and two dead: Daniel W., born December 28, 1874, and Chester W,,
born February 16, 1885, are both married and living on the old home place. John
H., born June 20, 1878, died F'ebruary 6, 1897. Kindled S., born AprU 19, 1882,
died July 28, 1882.
Air. Chadwell lived in Knox County where he was born, until six years old,
then moved with his parents to his present farm, which is only about one and one-
half miles from his birthplace. He lived at home till nineteen years old, when he
married and bought a farm on the Knox County line near Ms father's farm. He
lived there tUl his father's death in 1877, then bought the old home place. In the
summer of 1910 he retired from the farm and moved to Gibbs, where he now lives.
Mr. Chadivell's father was one of the earliest settlers of Knox County, coming
from Kentucky. His mother belonged to one of the oldest families in Missouri.
The subject of this sketch is a Democrat and is a member of t e Baptist church.
Biographical
753
. \ V 1* ¦ r — ^ •
Foster R. Easley, Brashear, County Coroner
751
TlIK IIlSTOliV OK .\l)AlH ('oUNTA.
Ui'siilcrice luiil simiiic on l''r;uik M, l);u-r'n pliici', 2 niiles cast of I'ure Air
Biookaph
755
John Chadwell, wife and .sons; Farm residence near Gibbs
756 The History of Adair County.
EUGENE RICE was born in Adair County, Missouri, January 4, 1861, a son
of Henry and Julia Rice. He was married November 24, 1901, to Manila Lowe,
daughter of Augustus and Esther Lowe. They have two children: Beulah, born
November 30, 1906; Augustus Eugene, January 25, 1908. Mr. Rice has five chil
dren by a former marriage: John, born September 6, 1885; Francis, March 10,
1887; James, June 10, 1889; Ida, June 21, 1892; Allen, March 26, 1894.
Mr. Rice owns a farm of 120 acres, situated two miles northeast of .KirksviUe.
He is a Repubhcan and belongs to the Masonic lodge. No. 105, at Kirksville.
L. P. FICKEL, son of Thomas W. and Jennie May Fickel, was born in Adair
County, Missouri, March 7, 1881. He was married November 28, 1906, to Pearl
Edith Curry, daughter of J. T. and Emma Curry, They have two children: Berle,
born January 17, 1908, and Vance, born January 25, 1911.
Mr. Fickel conducts his father's farm of 160 acres, situated four miles south of
Kirksville. He is a Republican in politics and a member of the Methodist church.
ALBERT M. WILKINS was born at Enon, Pennsylvania, December 3, 1847.
His parents were James C. and Elizabeth Wilkins. He was married to Leah V.
Hopson, daughter of Cary and Rebecca (Coleman) Hopson, February 11, 1908.
His father died when Albert M. was but eight years old, and the family moved
from Beaver County, Pennsylvania, to Keokuk, Iowa. Here he lived till 1875, Mr,
Wilkins moved to Adair County, Missouri, in 1875, and in 1880 he bought his pres
ent farm, where he has since liA'ed. It consists of 373 acres, one mile west of Yar
row, Missouri. He also owns a farm seven miles west of Yarrow, consisting of 400
acres. He is a breeder of Hereford cattle, Poland-China and Chester White hogs,
and Percheron horses. He is a Republican in politics, and belongs to the B. P. O.
Elks. JOHN F. DIMMITT (deceased) was bom in Illinois June 2, 1851, being a son
of Joshua H. and Ehzabeth (Stephens) Dimmitt. He was married April 11, 1876,
to Sarah E. Blakely, daughter of Jacob W. and Amanda Blakely. They had seven
chUdren, four of whom are living: WiUiam F., born August 27, 1877; Jacob H.,
December 21, 1879, died May 18, 1903; George H., AprU 29, 1882, died October 6,
1906; James A., December 19, 1884, died April 21, 1909; Joseph L., January 13,
1888; John J., July 27, 1891; Arlie L., March 20, 1895.
Mr. Dimmitt lived in Illinois tUl 1865, then moved to Adair County, Missouri.
The Blakely and Dimmitt famihes came from Illinois together, making the trip in
wagons, and landed in Kirksville in March of that year. In the Blakely family was
Sarah, then only seven years old, who afterAvard became Mr. John Dimmitt's wife.
Mr. Dimmitt lived at home tUl grown, then married and began farming for himself,
settling six miles southwest of Novinger. He bought the place just west of the home
place and lived there till the elder Mr. Dimmitt's death in 1879. A few years later
they bought the old home place. Mr. Dimmitt lived there and farmed till his death,
December 11, 1909. Since then his widow and four of her sons, WiUiam, Joseph
John and Arlie, have been running the old home place. It consists of two farms
415 acres, six miles southwest of Novinger. They also own 160 acres in Oklahoma.
They breed Shorthorn cattle, Poland-China hogs and Percheron horses on the farm.
Mr. Dimmitt was a Repubhcan in politics.
?J < <
P2
Residence of Eugene Rice, 4 miles northeast ot KirksviUe
-J
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HKH WwO ao o
Ooa
Residence of L. P. Fickel, 4 miles south of Kirksville
Biographical.
759
^
^ ^
«1
p5
o
HCC M o »O IT)P> D>;3
O O
cj Z
Residence of Mrs. Sarah E, Dimmitt, 6 miles southwest of Novinger
Biographical. 761
JOHN W. TINSMAN was bom in Harmony, Butler County, Penn,sylvania,
in 1842, eimgrating to Adair County, Alissouri, in 1855 with his mother and five
children, of which he was the }-oungest, and four ai-e still living: Mrs, Panebaker,
Airs. Otto, J. .A. Tinsman and himself. Air. Tinsman drove three \-oke of oxen to
break up what now constitutes the ent.ire AA'ilson .Addition to Kirks\-ille, and which
belonged to the Hon. AA'. H. ParceUs at that time. Air, Tinsman graduated from a
log school house on the Chariton Ri\-er after a six months' term the winter of 1860.
He enlisted in the Federal .Army No\-ember, 1861, and was honorabi}- discharged
September, 1865. He married Eudora Panebaker in 1866. Of this union four iliil-
dren were bom, one of whom sur\i\-es— C. R. Tinsman, of Rockford, Illinois.
Air. Tinsman was (>ngaged in milling up to the \-ear 1875, after which he engaged
in photographic scene painting in KirksA-ille. In the year 1895 he entered the employ
of the Chicago Portrait Compain-, of Chicago, and became general manager for
fi\-e western states, including Colorado, New Alexico, .\rizona, California and Utah,
wMch position he held for four years. In 1900 he became interested with his son
in the Ilhnois Sewing Machine Company at Rockford, Illinois, which interest he still
retains. Since 1904 Air. Tinsman has retired from acti\-e business and gi\-es his
attention to the study of art for pleasure.
He served two terms as Alayor of Kirks\-ille and represented Adair County in
the Forty-fifth General Assembly. He studied art one winter in Paris, and spent
one winter in the principal cities of Ital}', Air. Tinsman has a ranch six miles west
of KirksviUe on the Chaalton, Avhere is located his studio called Idyhvild, and when'
he has his collection painted the past ten }-ears. The studio is on ;i, steep bluff and
surrounded b}- ferns, where a cool spring bubbles from the steep sandstone cliff, and
where he entertains his man}- fric-nds.
BENJAMIN F. OWNBEY is a native of Adair Count}-, Alissouri, born Decem
ber 18, 184(), near where he now liA-es. He is a son of Canada and Lucinda (.AA^alker)
Ownbe}-. His father was one of the oldest residents of the county, and one of its
best and most substantial citizens. He was married No\-eiuber 28, 18ti7, to Alar}-
C, vSimpson, daughter of AA'illiam C. and Alalinda (Jones) Simpson. Airs. Ownbc}-
was born in Ohio .August 215, 1849. They ha\e fiA'e cMldren liA'ing — one dead: Ida,
born February 1, 1869, now Airs. Lon Snow; HaUey IL. September 8, 1871, now
Airs. J. B. Harris; AA'Uliain C, December 8, 1874; Robert, Alarch 8, 1876, died No
vember 10, 1878; Emma, .August 14, 1878, now Airs. Alelvin Lowe; Benjamin F.,
Jr., December 17, 1885.
Air. Ownbey was born and reared on a farm, two miles south of KirksA-illc, a
part of which he now owns. He Uved there, helped run the farm and attended the
public school till grown. .At the age of twcnt}--oiie he married and started out to
aeliie\-e his fortune. He has li\-ed in the same neighborhood and farmed contin-
uoiisl}- since that time. He now owns 123 acres, one and one-half miles south of
the corporate limits of KirksAdlle. In 1898 he started what is now called Ownbe\-'s
Lake. It was at first a small pond, but has been enlai-ged, improved and deepened
till it is one of the pi'cttiest and most picturesque spots in North Alissouri. The
lake itself contains eight acres and is from three and one-half to fifteen teet deep.
Of late }-ears it has been made a great pleasure resort for Kirks\ille and surround
ing countr}-. It has been stocked with all kinds ot fish; has a dancing pavillion;
bath houses; boat houses, etc. He has twent}- boats, some of which are motor boats.
The place has recently been enlarged and impro\ed until now an entire forty acres
are gi\-en o\-er to the pleasure seekers.
762
The History of Adair County.
Hon. John W. Tinsman, Youngstown
Biographical.
763
Mr. B. F. Ownbey, Kirksville
764
The History of Adair County.
Canada Ownbey, settled in Adair County in 1837
Biographical. 765
CANADA OWNBEY, deceased, a son of Joseph and Hannah Ownbey, was
born in Bourbon County, Kentucky, June 17, 1811. He moved to Missouri with
his parents in 1820, settling at the mouth ot the Grand River. They remained
there only a short time, on account ot cMUs and feverJbeing so prevalent in that
section. They then moved to Macon County where Mr. Ownbey lived with his
parents till his marriage in 1834. He then farmed in that county till 1837, when
he moved with his family to Adair County, living here and farming till his death,
Sept. 13, 1886. He owned a farm two miles south of KirksviUe.
Mr. Ownbey was one ot the best known men of the county and was highly
esteemed. During the Indian uprising in this section he was commissioned lieuten
ant of the 54th regiment and served as member of the Adair County Court in the
early sixties.
Mr. Ownbey was married July 17, 1844 to Lucinda Walker, in Macon County.
They had eleven children, eight sons and three daughters. AU ot them lived to be
grown. Only four of his children are now living: Mrs. W. H. (Hannah) Herron,
B. F., and G. W., all of this county, and J. W. who resides in Oklahoma.
JOHN R. HOWEY. Mr. John R. Howey has done much to bring
Adair County to the high standard it occupies in the minds of the people. Mr.
Howey is a native of Ohio, bom in Hardin County, May 5, 1861. He was reared
on a farm covered with the heaviest of timber, which he and his five brothers cleared.
On August 28, 1884, he was married to Mary E. Higgins, of the same county. In
the year 1886 they came to Adair County, Missouri, and have lived here since, ex
cept short intervals spent in adjoining counties. Four children have blessed their
home — two boys and two girls, all of whom are living save one. Von AA'eber, the eldest
son, who died November 19, 1907, at the age of twenty-two years and three months.
J. R. Howey was educated in music in the Northwestern University, at Ada,
Ohio, and made that Ms life work. There is scarcely a church or school house in
Adair County where he has not taught a music class and as much as twelve terms in
the same place in many of them. It can be safely said that no one has done more
gratis work for public enterprises than he. It was his efforts that brought about
the first great musical gathering in KirksviUe, In 1900 he organized the Kirksville
Eisteedfod, at which time an aU-day singing contest was held on the 25th day of
May, at which time $300.00 was given in cash prizes for the best rendition of cho
ruses, solos, duetts, etc. The choruses rendered were from the old masters, and this
was said to be the first classical rendition of the masters' Avorks in Kirksville. Two
years later the first Alay Festival was held, Alay 15 and 16, at which time the first
large chorus was ever heard in Kirksville. The chorus numbered eighty voices.
The choruses rendered on this occasion were of a heavier class than in the previous
musical contest, and the entertainment was more of a success, both financiaUy and
musically. At both of these festivals of music noted singers were here taking part.
The work was of high class and a great success. Two years later the KirksAdlle
Chautauqua was organized under his management and at his suggestion.
It was no trouble to enlist the help of the business and professional men of the
city and surrounding country. A committee of twelve was soon selected as an ex
ecutive board of managers, with Air. Howey as superintendent. The first Chau
tauqua Avas held during the month of August, 1904; has been held each year since,
during the month of August, and is considered by the citizens of Kirksville and Adair
County, as one of the greatest educational advantages, Mgh class entertainment.
766
The History of Adair County'.
Prof, John R. Howey, KirksviUe
Biographical. 767
and social features of the year. There is scarcely a new church built in Adair Coun
ty in the last fifteen years that he has not assisted in its building. There is not a
public road in the county, and but tew by-roads, that he is not personaUy familiar
Avith, and helped in one way or another to better their conditions.
In all Air. Howey's public Avork he has been ably assisted by Airs. Howey, not
only in his Chautauqua work, but in all the public enterprises in which he has been
engaged. In 1906 Air. Howey organized fifteen Chautauquas in adjoining counties, and
wMle not all of them have been successful, ten have proved successes and are still
being held each year.
Mr. Howey is knoAvn as a man of great zeal, indomitable energy, and has always
been found on the right side of all improvements and progressive enterprises, lend
ing his time and energy to the upbuilding and betterment of the community in wMch
he hves. J. B. RILEY Avas born in /Adair County, Alissouri, December 28, 1856; bemg
a son ot George R. and CMistina (Melton) RUey. He was married December 13,
1888, to Anna Gow, daughter of Peter and Jeanette (Parker) Gow. They have
five children: Eva Grace, born November 27, 1889; Hugh G., January 11, 1891;
George, July 14, 1892; Etta Ruth, September 19, 1894; Blanche, September 30,
1897. Mr. Riley was bom on a farm in the northeast part ot the county. His father
died when J. R. was about tMee years old, and the family moved to Iowa, remain
ing there for a while, then living m lUmois a few years, next coming to Adair County,
Alissouri. J. B. soon returned to Iowa, however, living there for a number of years.
WhUe there he married. In 1907 he came to Adair County, Missouri, again, where
he has since liA'ed. He bought a farm two miles northeast of KirksAdUe, where he
does general farming. The land is well improved and he has a pretty home.
Mr. Riley is a member of the Alethodist church.
REECE A. RICORD was born January 10, 1853, in Schuyler County, Alis
souri, being a son of AA''ilham M. and Rebecca (Young) Ricord. He was married
October 16, 1898, to Anna Gordon, daughter of Abel and Sarah Gordon. Airs.
Ricord was born April 17, 1870. They have tMee cMldren: William AI., born Sep
tember 27, 1900; Alta May, September 14, 1903; Mabel Grace, Alarch 31, 1907.
Mr. Ricord was reared on the farm in Scotland County, remaimng vrith his
parents till groAvn. After the death of his father, in 1878, he stayed at home, taking
care of his mother and running the farm. He came to this county in 1884, spend
ing about three years in various parts of the county. In 1892 he bought his present
farm, adjoining the town of Clay, nine miles northeast of Kirksville. It contains
149 acres, well improved. He does general farming and stock raising. Airs. Ricord
is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
MELVIN B. SYKES was born in Tompkins County, New York, September 4,
1835, a son of Amasa and Anna (Hicks) Sykes. He Avas married December 25,
1860, to Sabra A. Miller, daughter of Ransley and Abbie Miller. Mrs. Sykes was
born November 21, 1840, and died August 25, 1898. They had eight children:
Joseph R., bom September 24, 1862; AKred C, May 3, 1866; Albert E., May 3,
1866, twin of Alfred; Frank C, January 16, 1869; Herbert W., August 19, 1874;
768
The History of Adair County.
S
Pi
Biographical. 769
Lettie M., August 24, 1876, now Mrs. Harrison See; Charies B., October 4, 1881;
Carrie V., September 18, 1885.
Mr. Sykes moved to Wisconsin when twelve years old, and moved from there to
Adair County, Missouri, in 1857, where he began farming for himself. He bought
his present farm, paying four doUars per acre. He has lived on the same place since
that time. He has forty acres, four miles east of Kirksville.
He is a Repubhcan and a member of the Methodist church.
WILLIAM H. YOUNG was born in AVilson township, Adair County, in 1873,
being a son of Ben and Emily (Elmore) Young, one of the old-time families of the
county. He was reared on a farm in that section, remaining at home till grown.
He then went into the mercantile business at Gibbs, conducting a general store there
for five years. In 1908 he quit that business, bought out the furniture and under
taking business of his father-in-law, G. B. Easley, at that place, and is still engaged
in that work at Gibbs.
He was married to Hattie M. Easley, daughter of George B. a;nd Ahce (Spencer)
Easley, December 26, 1903. Mr. Young is a member of the I. O. 0. F. lodge. He
and his -wife are members ot the Christian church. He is a Republican in politics.
JOBE RAINIER, a native of Ohio, was born April 24, 1849, a son of John H.
and Margaret Jane (Clifford) Ranier. He was born and reared on a farm. About
1883 he went into the timber business, purchasing and selling ties, piles and bridge
timbers for about fifteen years. For several years he was a stock dealer and shipped
the first car load of stock out of Novinger. For eight years he operated a farm of
320 acres near Gibbs, Missouri. In February, 1908, he moved to Brashear a.nd was
appointed postmaster in January, 1909. TMs position he resigned in January, 1911,
on account of the position being too confining. He is a Republican, a member of
the Masonic and I. O. O. F. fraternities, and a Universalist in religion.
Mr. Ranier. was married January 25, 1873, to Elizabeth F. Moore, daughter
of Robert and Mary Jane (Cason) Moore. They had three children: George L.,
born November 10, 1874; Ella M., February 26, 1876, now Mrs. George H. FeUers;
Chariey Wade, Alay 19, 1879.
C. L. HENDERSON, a native of Iowa, Avas born near Winfield, Henry County,
Iowa, December 20, 1876, being a son of WiUiam and Mariah Henderson. He was
married August 8, 1900, to Ida A. Carner, a daughter of Albert and Mary Carner,
of Sperry, Mo. They have three children: Lena Ruth, born June 2, 1904; Pauline
Alice, born August 2, 1907; and Irene Ida, December 25, 1909.
Mr. Henderson was born and reared on a farm in Iowa, moving to Missouri in
1897, and to Kirksville in 1903, where he resided till February, 1911, when he moved
to Sunny Side Stock Farm, one and one-fourth miles north of Sublette, Alissouri,
where he now lives. He is a breeder ot registered Jersey cattle and Duroc hogs, and
Single Comb and Rose Comb Rhode Island Red chickens. During his residence in
Kirksville he served as City Collector for about one term, resigning in February
1911, to move to the farm. The rest of the time he was in Kirksville he was em
ployed by the Helme Hardware Company.
Mr. Henderson is a Repubhcan in politics, and a member of the I. 0. 0. F.,
M.W. of A. and B. A. Y. fraternities. He and his wife are members of the Methodist
church. 60
770
The History of Adair County.
hi
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^''g,','»"Mitwii iK'iliiiiiiinW
Residence of W. H. Young, Gibbs. G. B. Easley and grandson in foreground
Residence of Jobe Rainer, Brashear
Biographical. 771
DR. G. A. GOBEN, a native of Livingston County, Missouri, was born April
2, 1844, being a son of Levi F. and Catherine (Crist) Goben. His father was the
first white settler in Livingston County, settling at what is now known as Goben's
Ford, on Grand River, in 1831. Dr. Goben was born on a farm near Spring Hill
and hved there tUl 1871. He attended the pubUc school there, then attended the
Kentucky School of Medicine, graduating in 1870. After his graduation he spent
one year at his old home at Spring Hill, then went to Jameson, Daviess County,
where he practiced nine years. Since that time he has made his home in Kirksville
and engaged in active practice of general surgery and diseases of women. In 1883
he went to Bellevue Hospital, New A'ork, graduating the second time in 1884. Be
sides tMs, he has done much post-graduate and chnical work, receiving a great deal
of special training from Dr. Senn of Chicago. Governor John S. Marmaduke ap
pointed him a member of the State Board of Health, and he was re-appointed bv
Governor D. R. Francis, serving in all about eleven years. For thirty }'ears he was
a member of the American Medical Association, and was also a member of the Mis
souri State Aledical Association.
Dr. Goben was married May 20, 1872, to Ora Bell Roszelle, daughter of Ed
ward and Mary (Jackson) Roszelle. They have no children.
During the Civil War he Avas a member of Company K., Fourth Provisional
Missouri Alilitia, later being elected captain of his company, serving one year.
Dr. Goben owns considerable property in Kirksville, also 1011 acres of land,
540 acres being in Adair County and 471 acres in Texas County, Missouri. He is
a Democrat, a member of the Masonic and K. of P. fraternities, having taken all the
Mgh degrees in Masonry. Three times he has served as Councilman and has three
times been elected Mayor, wMch office he is holding at present.
The question, "What is your Religion?" was answered by a quotation from
John Stuart Blackie, viz.:
"Creeds and confessions? High Church or Low?
I cannot say; but you would vastly please us
If, with some pointed Scripture, you could show
To which of these belonged the Savior, Jesus.
I tMnk to all or none. Not curious creeds
Or ordered forms of churchly rule He taught.
But soul of loA'e that blossomed into deeds.
With human good and human blessings fraught.
On me nor priest nor presbyter nor Pope,
Bishop nor dean, may stamp a party name;
But Jesus, with His largely human scope.
The serAuce of my human life may claim.
Let prideful priests do battle about creeds;
The church is mine that does most Christ-like deeds."
RAYMOND SHOOP was born in Adair County, near Shibley's Point, January
2, 1877, a son of Adam and Cyrena (Shibley) Shoop. He was reared on the farm,
attending the public school. He afterwards came to Kirksville and attended the
State Normal School, graduating in 1904. In 1907 he took a post-graduate course,
receiving the degree of Master of Pedagogy. He taught chemistry three years at
Joplin. At present he is engaged in lyceum work, putting in lecture courses for the
Porter Bureau, of Des Moines, Iowa. He came from one of the old Avell-known
families of the county.
772
The History of Adair County.
G, A. Goben, M. D,, Mayor of Kirksville
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Residence of U. G. Dawning, Kirksville
774 The History of Adair County.
THE KIRKSVILLE MILIT.\RY BAND was organized September 14, 1910,
with eighteen members, by Charles Smelser, L. T. Shubert and Elhs Stewart.
Funds were subscribed for its support by the business and professional men of Kirks-
-\-ille, and Prof. W. A. Howland, who made such a success of the NoWnger Band, was
hired as director. The boys went to work -nith a will so that now, undes the efficient
leadership of Prof. Howland, they have an orgamzation of which our people are
justly proud, and one deserving the patronage of the people. Conceits are given
twice a week on the pubhc square, and they are adding daUy to their efficiency.
New members have been added until they now have twenty-two, the foUowing
being the roster with instrumentation:
Clarinets — L. T. Shubert, E. AA". Stewart, Paul Howerton, Emmett Rogers.
Cornets — AA'. A. Howland, Director; C. B. Rich, Dr. Grundy, Dr. Alartin.
Altos — Ehner Tudor, Wm. Benson, Luther Paschal, Alert Crow.
Trgmhone — Lee Heaberlm, Chas. Welch, C. L. AlcPherson.
B.A^RiTorE — Claude Heaberlin.
Basses — Jno. Berry, F. Heaberhn, L. F. Gibbs.
Dri'ms — Ben Jones, Roy Rathff; Chas. Smelser, Drum Alaior.
The officers are: E. W. Stewart, President; L. F. Gibbs, Business Alanager;
L. T. Shubert, Secretary and Treasurer; C. A. Smelser, Alanager; W. A. Howland,
Director. WILLIAM M. GEOGHEGAN, a native of Hancock County, Ilhnois, was born
December 11, 1865. He is a son of John J. and Nancy A. (Dye) Geoghegan. He
hved on the farm where he was born tUI 1879, and then came with his parents to
Adair County. He lived near Kirksville till grown, attending the public school.
After Ms marriage he farmed and worked at the carpenter trade. In 1904 he moved
to KirksvUle where he went into the carpenter and contracting business, and has
been in tMs business continuously since. He has built a large number of the splen
did homes, many of them appearing in the cuts in tMs Mstory.
Air. Geoghegan was married to Daisy A. Beall, April 4, 1896. She is a daugh
ter of Leander J. and Hannah (Armstrong) Beall. They have two cMldren: Dale
A., born June 13, 1897; Letha O., born August 23, 1899. AA'iMam Geoghegan is a
Republican, a member of the CMistian church, and belongs to the AI. AV. A. lodge.
FRED O. KLOOS, son of Henry and Harriett Kloos, Avas born in Creston,
Iowa, Alarch 6, 1877. He was married to Lillie Bartlett, NoA'ember 13, 1904. They
have one daughter, Mary Elizabeth, born April 15, 1911. Air. Kloos lived in Iowa
till 1900, working at the restaurant business for several years. When he came here
he took up the same kind of work. In 1906 he formed a partnersMp wdth C. J. Ste
vens, and they now own and conduct the Bee Hive Restaurant.
Air. Kloos is a Republican in politics, and belongs to the Alasonic, Elks and
K. of P. lodges.
CLARENCE J. STEVENS is a native of Aan Buren County, Iowa. He was
born December 5, 1880, being a son of J. R. and Gettie Stevens. He was married
July 22, 1903, to OUie G. Howard. They have two children: Kenneth, born Sep
tember 10, 1904; and Cecil, born Alarch 19, 1907.
Air. SetA-ens hved in Iowa until 1898, when he came to KirksAuUe, Alissouri. For
a time he clerked in a store. In 1906 he formed a partnersMp with F. O. Kloos in
the restaurant business. They are now owners of the Bee Hive Restaurant.
He is a Republican in pohtics, and a member of the K. of P. lodge.
<; £ O
The Kirksville Military Band.— Top Row, left to right: Heaberiin, Berry, Gibbs, Heaberlin, Paschal, Jones.
Second Row: Ratliff, McPherson, Heaberiin, Welch, Benson. TMrd Row: Crow, Tuder, Grundy, Rich, Smelser.
Fourth Row: Shubert, Stewart, Howerton, Rogers, Martin, W. A. Howland, Director,
776
The History of Adair County.
M
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Biographical.
777
CD
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778
The History of Adair County.
O
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Biographical.
779
a
780
The History of Adair County.
M. D. Campbell, KirksvUle
Biographical. 781
MYERS D. CAMPBELL was bom in Putnam County, Missouri, November
19, 1869, being a son of MUton and Rebecca Campbell. He was married September
12, 1894, to Edith E. McClanahan, a, daughter of J. N. and Amanda M. McClana
han. They had five cMldren, four of whom are living: John M., born June 29,
1895; Myers D., Jr., ,Iuly 10, 1897; Arthur D., June 13, 1899; Edith E., iMarch
16, 1904; Ellison M., September 6, 1901, died AprU 22, 1902.
Mr. Campbell was bom and reared on a farm in Putnam County, attending the
public schools of that section. He then took a course at the State Normal School
at KirksvUle, and taught school for two years. While teaching he spent his vaca
tions and odd times in reading law in the office ot Judge Andrew EUison, continuing
that studjf after giving up teaching. In May, 1889, he was admitted to the bar,
at Kirksville, and immediately opened an office here for the pr.actice of his profession.
His brother, Arthur D. Campbell, now cashier of the Citizens National Bank, Alilan,
Missouri, was his law partner here for two years. Later, when Judge Andrew Elli
son retired from the circuit bench, after OA'er twenty-two years of serAuce, he and
Mr. Campbell formed a partnersMp under the name of Ellison & Campbell, which
continued till Judge Ellison's death. Since that time Air. Campbell and S. H.
Ellison, a son of Judge EUison, have been partners in the law business. The firm
is regarded as one of the strongest in the state.
Mr. Campbell was elected Prosecuting Attorney of Ad.air County in 1890. He
is a member of KirksvUle Lodge, No. 105, A. F. and A. AI., and of the B. P. O. E.,
Kirksville, No. 464, being Past Exalted Ruler of the latter order.
JOSEPH N. STUKEY is a native of Adair County, Missouri, and was born
on a farm near the present town of Millard, August 18, 1857. He comes from one
ot the oldest and best known families of this county, his father playing an import
ant part in its history. He is a son of Noah and Mary A. Stukey, and was reared on
the farm on which he now lives. It consists of 320 acres, and is situated about one
mile southwest of Millard. Mr. Stukey was married December 31, 1882, to Alin-
tie E. Sewell, a daughtes of Henry and Ann SeweU. They have two children: Gro
ver, bom, December 8, 1886; Henry, September 19, 1897. Grover graduated from
the Missouri State Normal School, at Kirksville, in 1908, and is now engaged in
teaching. Mr. Stukey's father was a native of Fairfield County, OMo, and came to Adair
County in 1839, making the trip on horseback. He was born December 28, 1814,
and died at his home near MiUard, December 8, 1878. A sketch of his life is given
in the historical part of this work.
The old home in which Noah Stukey hved for so many years was recently torn
down and a handsome new home erected in 1910. It is a modern structure, with
electric fights, etc. Joseph N. Stukey is a Democrat in politics, and he and his fam
ily are members of the South Methodist church.
WILLIAM M. CRAWFORD was born in Columbus, Ohio, August 13, 1854.
His parents were John L. and Mary Ann Crawford. He was married to Elizabeth
Foncannon, October 2, 1879. Mrs. Crawford is a daughter of M. B. and Julia Fon
cannon. They have five chUdren: Anna, born May 27, 1881; Everett, October
10, 1883; Etta, June 3, 1891; Frank, October 26, 1893; Henry, September 10, 1898.
Mr. Crawford owns 140 acres of land, ten mUes southeast of Kirksville. The
farm is well improved, and he raises good stock. He came to Adair County, Mis
souri, in October, 1856. He has lived here since that time. He is Repubhcan in
politics.
782
The History of Adair County.
Residence and pioneer home ot Joseph N. Stukey, 1 mile southwest
of MUlard
BlOGRAl^HICAL.
783
-a o
K
784 The History of Adair County.
PHILIP JOSEPH RIEGER is a native of Peoria County, Illinois, born Feb
ruary 10, 1859. His parents were Gottfried and Catherine Rieger. He was mar
ried January 1, 1890, to Nevada E. McCoy, daughter of Sylvester A. and Edith Mc
Coy. They have three children: Archie Dale, born October 20, 1890; Grover
Claire, November 7, 1892; Mildred Marie, January 15, 1897.
Mr. Rieger was born on a farm, living there with his parents till 1880, when he
moved with them to Adair County where he has since resided. His father bought a
farm in this county. He lived there with his father and farmed, attending the pub
lic school, also took a brief course at the State Normal School. WMle on the farm he
taught school for six years, teaching during the winter months and assisting on the
farm during the summer. In 1890 he was elected Clerk of ths County Court, on
what was known as the Farmers' ticket, serving four years. During that time he
spent all Ms leisure time studying law, reading under the late Judge Andrew Ellison.
He was admitted to the bar in January, 1895, and has practiced here since that time.
In April, 1895, he was elected City Attorney, and again in May, 1909, elected to
fill a vacancy. He Avas elected both times on the Democratic ticket. He is a Dem
ocrat, takes great interest in politics; is chairman of the County Committee, serving
his second term. This makes Mm a member of the Congressional Committee also.
On April 27, 1899, like many other citizens of KirksviUe, Mr. Rieger had an
exciting experience in the KirksviUe cyclone of that date. While over two blocks
from his home he saw and heard the coming storm, and rushing home found Ms fam
Uy on the front porch in an excited condition, watching the fury of the storm some half
mile aAvay. He ordered all to the cellar and was following somewhat rapidly him
self, and Avhile descending the cellar stairway the storm struck with all its fury, car
rying away and completely demolishing the building. His family, including him
self, were saved, being protected by the cellar walls. So close was his escape, hoAv-
ever, that when the cyclone struck his home, Mr. Rieger had hardly reached safety
when his hat was carried away by the tornado and he felt the breath of the storm.
Even now he is unable to state whether he fell or jumped the remaining distance to
the floor of the cellar, but he knows he made a rapid descent.
He belongs to the Masonic, M. W. A., Yeoman and Court of Honor lodges. He
and his family are devoted members of the Presbyterian church. He is serving as
trustee and deacon in the church;
DR. WILLIAM E. MUNN is a native of this county, born near Sloan's Point,
October 27, 1867, a son of AUen and Rosa A. (Tefft) Alunn. He lived at Sloan's
Point until twenty-four years old, attending the public school and farming for a
few years, then took a course at the Kirksville Business CoUege. He read medicine
for a time, then attended the Keokuk College of Physicians and Surgeons, noAv the
medical department of Drake University, graduating in 1905. He practiced under
a preceptor several years before graduation. After graduating he located at Pure
Air, where he has since lived and practiced his profession. He is a member of the
American Medical Association, and the State Association.
Allen, Munn, the father of Dr. Munn, was born at Portsmouth, Ohio, December
24, 1837. He came to this county in 1864, and lived here till his death, October 10
1905. His mother is still living. Mrs. Munn's father came here in 1867.
Dr. Munn was married April 4, 1894, to Amy Hulse, daughter of John and Delia
A. Hulse. They have one child — Hazel Alma, born May 8, 1896. Dr. Munn owns
ten acres of land, and has a beautiful home. He is Republican in politics.
Biographical.
785
Residence of P. J. Rieger, Kirksville
Members of the County Court
Judge James H. Shoop Judge S. J. Reed Judge A. P. Hopson
786
The History of Adair County.
3
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Biographical.
787
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788 The History of Adair County.
PEYTON F. GREENWOOD came to Adair County, Missouri, in 1852, with
his father's family, setthng in East Salt River township, on the farm on which his
father died. From that time up to the present he has been a citizen of this county.
He lived at home till grown, attending the common schools. In the fall of 1859 ,
he went to Wyaconda Seminary at La Grange, Missouri, then came home and at
tended school in Kirksville under Robert Milligan and his wife, then under W. P.
Nason. In 1857 he began teaching school in the winter and working on the farm
with his father in the summer. In 1860 he made up his mind to become a lawyer,
but never read law in an office until he had an office of his own. Admitted to. the
bar in 1866 at KirksA-dUe, he entered the practice of his profession, remaining on the
farm till June, 1872. He then moved to Kirksville and formed a partnership for
the practice of law with John A. Pickler, who was that fall elected prosecuting at
torney of Adair County. Just before his two years expired, Pickler moved to Mus
catine, Iowa, from that time on practicing alone for seA'eral years. Mr. Green
wood then formed a partnership with F. M. Harrington for the purpose of practic
ing law, which partnership continued till January 1, 1877. Continuing the prac
tice, in 1884 he formed a partnership Avith W. D. Oldham, which continued four
years. When Oldham removed to Nebraska, he then practiced law alone till he formed
a partnership with Henry F. Millan which continued' till 1905, when by reason of his
health the partnership was dissolved. Mr. Greenwood has lived on his little place
one mile north of Kirksville since 1901, and enjoys the cool air much better than
that of a stuffy office, and advises young men to take up farming instead of the prac
tice of law. "Occa.sionally some of my old clients come to me, and in my feeble way
I assist them in their legal matters," said Mr. Greenwood, "but I am practically out
of the practice of laAV."
Mr. Greenwood was born in Sangamon County, Illinois, February 12, 1840,
being a son of Edmond and Jenettee (Foster) Greenwood. He was married March
3, 1864, to Julia A. Bryan, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Phemister) Bryan. She
was born in Marion County, Indiana, September 24, 1845. They had eight chil
dren, five of whom are living: Eva, born March 28, 1865; Samuel E., Match 7,
1867, died September 28, 1877; Grace M., October 10, 1874, died December 21,
1892; Nettie B., September 28, 1876, now Mrs. John C. Casebolt; Helen R., July
17, 1878, now Mrs. Morris Tayman; James M., January 4, 1881, died November
14, 1904; Mary C, September 15, 1882, now the wife of S. J. Miller; Cari P., Sep
tember 20, 1884, lives at home.
REESE S. STEWART was born on a farm adjoining where he noAv lives, No
vember 4, 1868. He is a son of William S. and Margaret (CoUop) Stewart. He was
married August 21, 1889, to Ora I. Chaney, daughter of Alphus P. and Harriett
(McClain) Chaney. Mrs. Stewart was born April 26, 1864, in Adair County, Mis
souri. They have two cMldren: AVesley E., born February 8, 1891; William A.,
January 8, 1893.
Mr. Stewart owns 525 acres of land adjoining his old home place, two miles north
of Sperry. He lived with his parents till his marriage, then bought 120 acres of
his present farm. He has since added the other land. He is a breeder of Poland-
China hogs. Short-horn cattle, fine horses, etc. He is a Repubhcan in politics, a
member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and belongs to the I. O. O. F.
and M. W. A. lodges. Mrs. Stewart belongs to the Royal Neighbors and Rebeccahs.
Biographical.
789
* •«r J*
P. F. Greenwood, Kirksville
COO
H awacnHO w
O>ol>
O o
d 3
Residence of Reese S. Stewart, 2 mUes north of Sper
ry
Biographical. 791
CHESTER WOODS was born in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, September 5,
1857, being a son of Cyrus and Amanda Woods. He was married November 22,
1882, to Maggie Sleeth, daughter of Thomas and Uretta Sleeth. They have four
children: Edna, born October 26, 1883; Wyhe, September 2, 1885; May, Septem
ber 7, 1887; Etta, June 5, 1893.
Mr. Woods came to Adair County, Missouri, with his parents in 1868, and has
lived here continuously since, and engaged in the occupation of farming. He owns
a farm of 320 acres near Gibbs. He is a very progressive farmer, takes a deep in
terest in educational matters, giving all Ms cMldren a thorough schooling. He be
longs to the Presbyterian church, the M. W. A. fraternity, and is a Republican in
politics. WILLIAM H. MOTTER, son of Noah and Susan (Dupenderf) Motter, was
born near Nineveh, Adair County, Missouri, on the farm he now owns, December
22, 1859. He was married January 1, 1890, to Rebecca Shott, daughter of Jacob
and Eliza (Swigert) ^ott. Mrs. Motter was born in DaupMn County, Pennsyl-
vama, August 21, 1865, and came to Adair County in 1880. They have nine chU
dren living, one dead: Mabel, born October 7, 1890, died January 30, 1897; Eva
I., May 29, 1892; Paul W., May 1, 1894; Alva F., February 19, 1896; Jacob D.,
February 8, 1898; Marion, May 30, 1900; Gladys, July 25, 1892; Noah, November
24, 1904; Mary, September 10, 1908; Carrie, January 12, 1911.
Mr. Motter lived at home till grown, attending the public school and taking a
course at the State Normal School. He then went to Montana for two years. On
his return he went into partnership with Ms father on the farm. When Ms parents
died he bought part of the old place from the other heirs, and has hved there and
farmed since. The place was originally part of the old Motter homestead, the land
being entered by Ms father. There are 350 acres. He is a breeder of Poland-China
hogs, Short-Horn cattle. He is a Democrat, a member of the Presbyterian church,
and belongs to the M. AA^ A. lodge.
JASPER N. SIBOLE, son of .Joseph and Elizabeth (Speelman) Sibole, was born
in Belmont County, OMo, December 22, 1844. He was married December 24, 1867,
to Phoebe M. Cook, daughter of Thomas B. and Leah (John.son) Cook. Mrs. Sibole
was born in Dearborn County, Indiana, coming to Adair County in 1856. They
had eight children: Jasper L., born October 28, 1868; Lovena W., October 21,
1870, now the wife of W. L. Bybee; Phoebe E., July 11, 1872, died Alarch 29, 1894;
AA'ilham C, May 24, 1876, died March 20, 1877; Alary E., Alay 31, 1878, died Oc
tober 29, 1880; LiUie E., September 13, 1880; John C, April 24, 1883; Joseph B.,
April 9, 1886. All the cMldren living are married except Lillie E. Clarfence was
married December 21, 1904, to Florence M. Still.
Mr. Sibole moved to Indiana with Ms parents in 1846, lived there till 1856,
then moved to loAva. The next year he went to Sulhvan County, lived there till
his father's death in 1858, then moved to Jackson County with his mother, remain
ing there till 1863. He then came to Adair County where he has since li^'ed contin
uously and conducted a farm near Novinger. The farm is three miles northwest
of Novinger, and consists of 125 acres. He handles Short Horn cattle. For the last
tew years Mr. Sibole has been unable to do much active farming on account of poor
health, and Ms son, Clarence, is assisting in conducting the farm.
J. N. Sibole is a Repubhcan and a member of the Church of Gad (.A.cts 20:28).
His wife is a membes of the Methodist church.
CO ts3
aaoO
a>
3
Ood
Residence of Chester Woods, near Gibbs
Biographical.
793
Residence and barn of WiUiam Motter, near Connelsville
794
The History of Adair County.
Residences of J. N. and J. L. Sibole, and their fine cattle, near Novinger
BlOGRAPHIC.\L. 795
COL. JOHN W. SNYDER, a native of Adair County, was born August 15,
1856, being a son of Hiram and Minerva (Shaw) Snyder. He was married August
16, 1876, to DrusiUa Owings, daughter of WiUiam and Mary (Gray) Owings. Mrs.
Snyder was born in Dearborn County, Indiana, September 8, 1856, coming to Sul
hvan County, Missouri, with her parents the following year. They had eight cMl
dren: William T., born May 16, 1878; Lilhe M., January 18, 1880, died January
3, 1905, was the wife of James W. Sizemore; Hiram, January 3, 1883; Charles N.,
December 15, 1885; Leonard, January 9, 1888; Ella R,, October 16, 1889, now wife
of Edgar E. Bales; Bessie B., July 17, 1892, now the wife of Eugene George; Katie
O., October 29, 1895.
Hiram Snyder, father of John W. Snyder, was bom in Dauphin County, Penn
sylvania, coming to Adair County in 1851. He was the father of eighteen cMldren,
seven by Ms first wife and eleven by the second. He also raised four step-children.
Fourteen of the cMldren are still living.
John W. Snyder was born on a, farm near Kirksville, lived in various parts of
the county and spent one year in Putnam County. In 1862 Ms folk settled on a farm
in Adair County, just south and east of where he now lives. Here he lived with Ms
parents till grown, then married and began work for Mmself. He has been engaged
in farming all Ms life. He is also an auctioneer and has followed that Avork, in ad
dition to farming, for the past twenty-eight years, being in that respect like his fath
er, who was both auctioneer and farmer. In Ms time he has sold millions of dollars
worth of property, most of his work being in Sullivan, Putnam, Linn, Alacon and
Adair counties. At present he owns a farm of 356 acres, four and one-half miles
southeast of Greencastle, most of it being in Sullivan County.
THOMAS J. SANDERS was born in Wapello County, Iowa, Alarch 13, 1845,
being a son of Richard and Eliza Sanders. He was married January 30, 1873, to
Sarah E. Atkinson, daughter of Phelix and Ercelia Atkinson. They had eight chil
dren: Henry A., bom August 5, 1874, now dead; William A., December 29, 1875,
also dead; Erceha E., July 21, 1877; Joseph J., June 25, 1879; Myrtle F., Septem
ber 24, 1882; Hugh R., April 3, 1886, now dead; Lemiel T., October 13, 1891; Irvin
E., August 28, 1893.
Mr. Sanders came to Adair County, Missouri, in 1857. He has a farm of 180
acres, situated in the northwest part of Nineveh township. He does general farm
ing and stock raising. He is Republican in politics.
ANDREW J. BOZARTH, son of Thaddeus AV. and Elizabeth (Spi\-ey) Bo
zarth, was born in Adair County, December 17, 1870. He was married November,
1894 to Emma Shafer, daughter of Jacob and .Josephine Shafer. Airs. Bozarth was
born in Adair County May 22, 1870. They had three children: Phena Alay, born
June 3, 1897; Alary Essie, July 22, 1901; Hazel Oletha, September 24, 1906.
Air. Bozarth was born and reared on the old Bozarth homestead, two miles
east of where he now lives. He belongs to one of the oldest families in the county,
some of them settling here in 1830. He Uved at home till grown, but after his mar
riage began farming for Mmself, and has followed that occupation all his life. At
present he owns a farm of 120 acres, six miles south of Stahl. He is a breeder of
Short Horn cattle, Poland China hogs and Percheron horses. In politics he is a
Democrat.
796
The History of Adair County.
/^p.«*»'*'**^*'*^ 4
' A''''^($f '^'i'/'¥'0A
Residence and family of J. W. Snyder and his thoroughbred stock,
4 1-2 southeast of Greencastle
Biographical.
797
Thomas. J. Sanders, ne.ar Shibley's Point
798
The History of Adair County.
¦;'¦'¦/, Ai/&\
Mr. and Mrs, T. AV. Bozarth and the residence and famUy of their son,
A. J. Bozarth, 6 mUes south of Stahl
Biographical. 799
GEORGE W. WILLIAMS was born in Holmes County, Ohio, January 3,
1847, being a son of John M. and Lydia Williams. He was married August 31, 1871,
to Mahalia Johnson, daughter of James R. and Mary A. Johnson. Mrs. WiUiams
was born in Ripley County, Indiana, July 5, 1851, coming to Adair County, Mis
souri in 1859. They had seven children: Charles A., born September 17, 1877,
died September 9, 1878; John H., October 1, 1883, died June 30, 1909; Joseph W.,
.July 10, 1872; Ross L., December 20, 1874; Cora E., July 1, 1879, now Mrs. Wil
ham Capps; Eskie C, October 13, 1888; Maude K., AprU 16, 1891, now Mrs. Cyrus
Wallace. Mr. Williams lived on the farm in Ohio till a young man, then in 1869 came to
Adair County, Missouri, setthng where he now lives near Stahl. He has lived here
and farmed continuously since coming to this county. His farm is three miles south
of Stahl and contains 44 acres. He formerly owned 164 acres, but recently sold a
part of it to his son. He is a Democrat in politics, and believes in the Holiness church.
PHILIP WEBER was born in Ashland County, Ohio, September 28, 1852, a
son of Michael and Magdalene Weber. He came to Adair County in 1858, and was
reared sixteen miles southwest of Kirksville. He has lived in tMs county contin
uously since coming here, and has always followed the occupation of farming. At
present he owns a farm of 520 acres, three miles south of Pure Air. He is a breeder
of Aberdeen-Angus cattle, Poland-China hogs, and buys, grows and sells Percheron
horses. He also has about one hundred stands of bees.
Mr. Weber was married May 28, 1876, to Julia C. Eitel. She was born in Adair
County, April 30, 1858, a daughter of CMistopher and Catherine Eitel. They had
eight chUdren: William, born March 9, 1879; Henry, February 19, 1881, died No
vember 9, 1886; John T., August 1, 1884; James, September 25, 1886, died Septem
ber 26, 1896; Kate, February 16, 1889, now wife of Frank Darr; Isaac, July 15,
1891, died October 22, 1896; Fannie, November 14, 1893, died January 20, 1894;
Rosa B., August 14, 1896. Mr. Weber is a Repubfican.
ADAM HERMAN, a native of Hamilton County, OMo, was born November
13, 1859, being a son of Stephen and Teresa (Michaels) Herman. He was married
August 2, 1880, to Elizabeth Jones, daughter of Daniel and Ehzabeth (Weaver)
Jones. Mrs. Herman was bom in Sulhvan County, Tennessee, March 2, 1864.
They had nine cMldren, eight of whom are liAdng: Emma A., born June 21, 1881,
now the wife of WiUiam Ray; Rosa C, August 3, 1883, now Mrs. Lawrence Wil
hams; Roena B., September 18, 1885, now Mrs. Cleve Ray; Ehza C, October 13,
1887, now Mrs. John Collins; Addie J., December 13, 1890, now Mrs. Leonard Sny
der; Bertha E., May 11, 1892, now Mrs, Elmer Snyder; Jerusha E., October 18,
1895; Ehzabeth N., September 15, 1900, died March 7, 1901; Artie I., January 29,
1902. Moving to Adair County with Ms parents when but soA'en years old, Mr. Herman
has since made this county Ms home. They settled near where the present city of
Novinger now stands, and here he lived with Ms parents until his marriage. All
his life he has followed the occupation of farming. F"'or the past twelve years he has
owned and run a threshing machine during the threshing season. At present he
owns a farm of 160 acres, four miles south of Stahl, and raises Short Horn cattle,
Poland-China hogs and Percheron horses. His farm is well improved. In pol
itics he is a Democrat.
800
Thk llusuiiiv Oh" Aoaih Coi-nia.
Ceo. Washington WUIiiiiiis, residence mid r!iiiiily, 3 lllileH south ol' Stiilil
BlOtJHAPMU'AL,
801
Kesidence and family of .Adam lleriiuin, barn and horses
4 miles south of Slalil
802
The History of Adair County.
Philip Weber's residence, family and thorougbred bull,
3 miles south of Pure Air
Biographical.
803
Philip Weber's thoroughbred cattle on farm, 3 miles south of Pure .\ir
804 The History of Adair County.
ADAM HOERRMANN was born in Adair County, Missouri, near KirksviUe,
August 28, 1871, being a son of John M. and CMistina R. (Hetzel) Hoerrmann. He
was married September 10, 1905, to Mabel G. WiUiams, daughter of WiUiam M.
and Carohne (Rappby) WiUiams. She was born in Adair County, May 29, 1885.
They have two cMldren: Richard M., born May 11, 1907; Rosa M., August 21,
1909. Mr. Hoerrmann moved with his joarents to a farm near Novinger when but a
few months old, to the farm on which he now lives. Here he grew to manhood and
completed the pubhc school course. He won first prize at spelling contest of rep
resentatives of rural schools of Adair County, March 29, 1890, at Kirksville, given
by Wm. Hartford, School Commissioner. He took a course in the Normal School
at Kirksville, after which he taught school three years, twice at West Center and
one term at Novinger. He then began farming, and has since followed that occu
pation. After Ms father's death, November 18, 1878, he lived at the old home place
and helped care for his mother till her death, August 20, 1910.
He now owns a farm of 730 acres, three and one-half miles southwest of Nov
inger. He is a breeder of Short Horn cattle, Duroc-Jersey hogs and Percheron horses.
Coal underlies all of his land and has worked extensively Mine 21, Great Northern
Fuel Company being on a part of Ms farm. He is also interested in several banks
in Adair and Sullivan counties.
In 1896 he was a candidate for assessor on the Popocratic ticket. He is a Dem
ocrat and a member of the K. of P. fraternity.
JACOB HOERRMANN Avas born and reared on a farm near Kirksville. When
six years old Ms parents moved near Novinger, where his father died seven years
later. He lived at home Avith Ms mother till grown. At present he owns a farm of
407 acres, knoAvn as the Knight farm, situated four miles northwest of Pure Air. He
handles fine cattle, Shropshire sheep and Percheron horses.
Mr. Hoerrmann was bom November 28, 1865, being a son of John and Chris
tina (Hetzel) Hoerrmann. He was married March 18, 1896, to Alargaret Ellen
Cain, daughter of George W. and Christina (Novinger) Cain. They have three chil
dren: George Bryan, born Alarch 8, 1897; Mabel Leona, July 27, 1899; Cordie
Opal, May 27, 1904. In politics he is a Democrat.
GEORGE A. CAPPS, a native of Adair County, was bom November 20, 1858,
being a son of Andrew and Lucretia (Allen) Capps. He was married January 3,
1884, to Ellen Stanley, daughter of Josiah and Hannah (Young) Stanley. Mrs.
Capps was born in Adair County June 26, 1863. They had five children, four of
whom are hAdng: Arlie, born March 2, 1887; Ora, February 18, 1889; HaUie, June
30, 1897; Reta, May 13, 1903. The oldest cMld, a giri, died in infancy.
Mr, Capps was reared on a farm in this county, near Stahl, where he lived till
grown. After Ms marriage he began working for Mmself, and has always followed
the occupation of farming. At present he owhs a farm of 180 acres just west of Stahl,
a part of it being the old home place on which he Avas reared. The farm is well im
proved. He is a breeder of Aberdeen-Angus cattle, Duroc-Jersey hogs and Per
cheron horses. His son, Arlie Capps, is a graduate of the Normal School at Kirks
ville, and is teaching at New London, Missouri. Ora Capps is now a student at the
same institution, and is also a teacher.
Andrew Capps, father of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Tennessee
coming to Adair County in 1845. He was killed at Centralia, during the massacre
there at the time of the Civil War.
Biographical.
805
Residence and famUy of Adam Hoerrman, 3 1-2 miles southwest of Novmger
806
The History of Adair County.
f r»?-^ ¦¦
Residence, family and scene on farm of Jacob Hoerrman
4 miles northwest of Pure Air
Biographical.
807
Residence, barn and fine horses of G. A. Capps, near Stahl
808 The History of Adair County.
CHARLES C. HOWARD, son of Charies C. and Mary J. (Carney) Howard,
was born February 3, 1879, at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was married Alay 23, 1899,
to Miss Dora M. Thrasher, daughter of John W.- and Jane (Conkle) Thrasher. They
have one cMld — Grace Ellen, born March 29, 1908. Mr. Howard was born on a
farm. His mother died when he was about four years old, and he then made his
home with his aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. A. A. Parcel, at Rutledge, Missouri.
Here he hved till about grown, attending the high school of that city. He started
in to learn the printer's trade in 1895, and in 1897 bought the Brashear News, wMch
he conducted tiU 1906, when he bought the KirksviUe Daily Express. He con
ducted that paper until November 1, 1909, when he sold it to W. H. Ridgway and
E. E.- Swain. On April 15, 1910, he bought the DaUy Missourian, at Columbia,
wMch he conducted until July 1, 1911, when' he started a new paper at that place,
caUed the DaUy Times. He has added new macMnery, and now has what is con
sidered as one of the best, if not the best equipped daily newspaper office m a to-wn
ot its size in the West.
He belongs to the Odd Fellows, M. W. A. and Yoeman lodges, and he and Ms
wife are both members of the Methodist Church, South. He is a Repubfican.
JOSEPH J. SANDERS is a son of Thomas J. and Sarah E. Sanders. He was
born near Shibley's Point, June 25, 1879. He lived with his parents until grown.
On August 12, 1900, he was married to Lulu Maud Hickman. She is a daughter of
Joseph S. and Nancy E. Hickman. To tMs union two sons were born, Guy and
Vernon Sanders. In 1901 he moved tMee miles northwest of Stahl on a farm of
100 acres. He is a breeder of pure bred and registered Short Horn cattle and Duroc-
Jersey swine. He has some as fine individuals as are to be found in the county.
He is a member of M. W. A. and I. O. O. F. lodges. His wife is a member of
the Presbyterian church.
DR. R. EMMET HAMILTON, son of Henry S. and Alargaret (Wiseman)
Hamilton, was born March 16, 1878, at Edina, Missouri. He was married Decem
ber 2, 1903, to Katherine McMurry. They have two children: Virginia, bom No
vember 27, 1906; Eugene, November 23, 1909.
Mr. Hamilton came to Adair County Avith Ms parents in 1884, and has since
made his home here. He attended the public schools; graduated from the Kirks
ville High School in 1894; graduated from the Missouri State Normal School at
KirksviUe in 1900; took a post-graduate course at the same institution; attended
the Missouri State University; then the Chicago University, attending the medical
department; graduated at the American School of Osteopathy in 1904; then was
employed at the A. S. O. as laboratory assistant. He served as instructor till 1907,
when he was promoted to Registrar, and in 1908 was made Dean of the Faculty,
wMch position he held untU Aug. 1911, when he removed to St. Joseph, Mo., to
practice Osteopathy.
FERl^ANDO W. CAIN was born on the old Cain homestead, May 15, 1864.
He is a son of George W. and Christina (Novinger) Cain. He married Miss Geneva
AI. Jones December 27, 1889. She is a daughter of James W. and Melissa .Jones.
They have two children: Hazel H., born October 2, 1890, and Marian B., born Alarch
25, 1900. When married, Mr. Cain left the old homestead to farm for himself. He bought
his present farm in 1896, where he has since hved. The farm consists of 550 acres,
one and one-half miles southeast of Novinger. It extends almost to the city hmits.
He is a breeder of Percheron and Morgan horses. Mr. Cain is a Democrat.
Biographical.
809
Mr. and Mrs. C. C. Howard, Columbia, Mo.
810
The History op Adair County.
- tH
o a
c
-d c
c8
¦73 a
Biogr.\phical.
811
Dr. R. E. Hamilton, St. Joseph
Formerlv Dean of A. .S. O.
812
The Histoky of ,\dair County.
F. AV. Cain's resideni-c and thoroughbred horses, mar Novinger
Biographical. 813
HENRY P. SHOUSE was born in Kentucky, December 5, 1850, being a son of
George W. and Elizabeth (Kice) Shouse. He moved with his parents to Knox Coun
ty in 1852, where he grew to manhood. He was married to Aliss Millie McCoy,
daughter of G. AV. AlcCoy, in the year 1871. To their union were born six chil
dren, only one hving; Cora died January 20, l,s7i); Frank died August 12, 1883;
Peari died June 0, 1884; Birdie died October 21, 1X95; Tallie died November 11,
1901; tieorge AA', was born August 10, 1875.
He moved with his family to Colorado in 1.S79, where he remained four years.
His witi> died in 1883 in Creely, Colorado, after which he returned to .-Adair County,
Missouri, and was married to Alartha AA'ilson, daughter of Joel and Angle (David
son) AA'ilson. Mrs. Shouse is a nati\-c of Adair County, Alissouri, born June 2, 1859.
They had seven children born, only five of whom are living; Zack, bom September
21, 1885; Glenn, February 8, 1889; Odean, October 5, 1891, died January 25, 1,S92;
Bertha, February 25, 1893, died Alarch 17, 1894; Ruby, January 22, 1895; Bur-
thel, November 21, 1897; Blanche, Augtist 21, 1900.
.'At present Mr. Shouse owns a farm on which he lives, consisting of seventy
acres, fi\e miles southeast of Gibbs, well improved. He is a Republican and a mem
ber of the Christian church.
SAMUEL WALLACE (deceased) was born near A'oungstown, Adair Count}-,
Missouri, August 28, 1875. He was a, son of Robert and Jane Wallace. He was
married January 20, 1900, to Juha Dunham, daughter of George H. and Sarah J.
(Tracy) Dunham. Mrs. Wallace was born in Holt County, Nebraska, Alay 6, IX.SO.
They had four children: Ruth, born January 20, 1901; Robert, December 9, li)02;
Vera, November 26, 1904; George, August 9, 1907.
He was reared on the old Wallace homestead, living at home till his marriage.
He owned a farm of twenty acres, adjoining the old home place. He li\-cd there
from the time of his marriage till his death, August 28, 1907. Since his death his w id-
ow and her brother, Henry Dunham, have been running the farm.
He was a nieinber of the M. W. A. lodge.
M. W. PLATZ was born in LaGrange County, Indiana, January 25, 1866,
being a son of Isaac and Hannah Platz. He was married August 11, 1889, to Liic}-
Power, daughter of Benjamin and Annie Power. They have three children; AI}-ron
Beiinie, born Alarch 10, 1890; Cordie May, May 5, 1893; Elva Dee, August 31, 1898.
Air. Platz moved with his parents to Adair County, Alissouri, in the fall of 1880.
He has since lived and farmed in this county. He now owns a farm of eight}- acres,
situated in Wilson township, north half of the northeast quai'ter of section 4, town
ship 61, range 13. He does general farming and stock raising. He is a Republican
in pohtics and a member of the M.. W. A. fraternity.
WILLIAM D. JONES came to Adair County with his parents, James AI. and
Mary Jones, when seven years old, settUng about tvi^o and one-half miles northwest
of where he now lives. He lived at home till his marriage, then began farming for
Mmself. This occupation he has followed all Ms life, and now owns a farm of 409
acres, one mile northwest of Pure Air. He is a breeder ot Hereford cattle, Poland-
China hogs and Percheron horses.
Air. .Jones was born in Sullivan County, Tennessee, October 14, 1866. He was
married December 25, 1889, to Maggie Snyder, daughter of Samuel and Hester A.
Snyder. They have four cMldren: Clyde; Lura; Ross; John. Mr. Jones is a
member of the Pure Air Draft Horse Company. In pohtics he is a Democrat.
814
The History of Adair County.
J2
3
3O
J=
CQ
W
rt
Biographical.
815
Barn and stock of Wm. D. Jones, 1 mile northwest of Pure Air
816 The History of Adair County.
CALVIN C. JAMES, son of Isaac and Nancy (Dean) James, was born at F^ort
Aladison, Iowa, October 21, 1861. He was married December 13, 1880, to Alargaret
L. Dunham, daughter of .Ajmstead and EUen (Dye) Dunham. They have fiA'e
children: Lena E., bora Alarch 25, 1882; Harry C, January 13, 1885; Alyrtle L.,
Alarch 4, 1887, now Airs. Calvin L. Chandler, of Louisiana, Alissouri; Harry is also
married and hves in Lorasiana; .Archie B., December 16, 1889, liA'es at KirksvdUe,
Missouri; Isaac C, XoA'ember 26, 1891, hves at KirksviUe, Missouri.
Air. James was born on a farm. AA'hen nine years old he came to Adair County
with his parents. He lived A\-ith them till fifteen years old, attending the public
school, then started out for Mmself. He went to Iowa, working at A-arious occupa
tions, till 1889, then started on the road as traveling salesman, and continued in
that business tUl the spring of 1910. He returned to Adair County and resumed the
occupation of farming, leasmg the Dockery and Alills place, consisting of 140 acres,
five and one-half mUes northeast of Kirks-ville. He stUl Ua-cs on this place.
Air. James is a member of the AI. W. A. lodge.
LEMUEL JOHNSON was born in Indiana Alay 20, 1842, bemg a son of Aloses
and Phoebe Johnson. He was married Alay 8, 1878, to Nora J. WandeU, daughter
of Lyman and Rebecca WandeU. They haA-e two cMldren: Jesse J., born Feb
ruary 10, 1882; Josephine, Alay 26, 1892.
During the war Air. Johnson enUsted in Company A, 39th Missouri Volunteer
Infantry, being honorably discharged at the close of the war. He has hved in tMs
county most of his life, coming here Avith Ms parents in 1857. He now OAvns a, farm
of 340 acres, situated — 110 acres in seetion 6, 260 in section 8, and 70 in section 5,
in AA'ilson township, and does general farming and stock raising. He is a Repub
lican. JOHN J. MORGAN is a native of Illinois and was born in Pike County oi
that state August 17, 1852, being a son of James R. and Alaria A. (Bowman) Alor-
gan. He was married Februar}- 11, 1877, to Nancy A. Alorgan, a daughter of Lo
renzo D. and Lucy A. (Hargis) Alorgan. Airs. Alorgan was born Alay 12, 1857,
in SuUiA'an County and resided there until her marriage and came to Adair County
in 1877. Although Airs. Morgan's maiden name was the same as that of her hus
band, she was in no way related to Mm. They have two cMldren: Susan J., born
November 6, 1877, now the vrtfe of Sam G. AA'ood, of KirksAdUe; Clara 0. A., Feb
ruary 16, 1895.
Air. Morgan moved Avith his parents to this county in 1856, drivdng overland
from Ilhnois Avith an ox team. They settled in Liberty tovmsMp, where Ms father
bought a farm. Later Ms father sold out here and returned to lUinois, then to Iowa,
Tennessee and other places, finally returning to Adair County in 1871, where he
hved tUl Ms death, August 12, 1889. The elder Morgan was a native of Tennessee
and was born October 9, 1823. Mr. Alorgan did not return to lUinois Avith Ms father,
but remained here, making his home with Ms grandmother, Mrs. Lynch, and has
made Ms home here continuously since 1856. He hved on the farm till 1873, when
he came to Kirksville, learning the brick and stone mason trade, and has been en
gaged in tMs business continuously since that time. For a number of years he and
Ms son-in-law, S. G Wood, have also been engaged in the house raising and moving
business. Then in 1907 they added the manufacture of cement blocks to their other
business. Mr. Morgan owns a very pretty home on AA'est Harrison Street, where
they have lived for the past thirty years.
Biographical.
817
53
818
The History of Adair County.
Residence and family of J. J. Morgan, KirksvUle
Biographical. 819
DEWITT C. GIBBS, son of A. L. and Alary A. (Garrabrant) Gibbs, is a native
of Adair County. His Avife was formerly Etta Boone. They were married January
1, 1890. Her parents were George H. and Mary (Smallwood) Boone. They have
no chUdren. Bom and reared on the old Gibbs homestead, he lived on the farm till grown,
attending the public school. The city of Gibbs was built on a part of the old farm.
Gibbs was started by him and his brother, F. AV. Gibbs, and named in the honor of
their father.
Mr. Gibbs also took a course at the Smith Business College at Kirksville. After
quitting school he conducted a store for James Whittacre at Gibbs for a short time,
then went into the mercantile business at that place for himself. He conducts a store
called the "Square Deal" at that place. He is a Republican in politics and has al
ways taken a keen interest in public affairs. He belongs to the I. O. O. ¥. and M.
W. A. While not a member of any church organization, he is a, strong believer in
the teachings of the Universalist church, being taught in early boyhood to believe
in an all-wise God and victorious Savior, time and study has only the more con-
Adnced Mm that God is Father of all, Christ the Savior of all. Heaven the home of all.
VALANTINE A. JUDD was born in LouisAdUe, Kentucky, September 15, 1835.
His parents, Valantine W. and Rachel (Crannells) Judd, brought him to Adair Coun
ty, Missouri, in 1850, settling near the present town of.YoungstoAvn, where they en
tered land. When grown, Mr. Judd began farming for himself. He has always been
a farmer, and has lived in this county continuously since 1850. The farm he now
owns is near Youngstown, just south of where he wa§ reared. He has 128 acres.
Near his home was built the first grist mill in the county by Col. Jones.
Mr. Judd was married to Deha Beeman April 6, 1867. She was a daughter of
Martin and Mary A. Beeman, and was born in Ohio, August 13, 1825, coming to
Adair County, Missouri, in 1845. Mrs. Judd died April 12, 1910. They had no
children. Mrs. Judd was formerly the wife .of Jeff' .\Uen. They were married De
cember 16, 1844. They had five children: Louisa, now Mrs. James Kiems; Ehza
beth, now Mrs. Robert Gray; Maggie, now Mrs. Lower Kibler; Jacob; Josephine,
now Mrs. I. C. Simler. Mrs. Kiems and Mrs. Simler are both residents ot this county.
Mr. Valantine Judd is a Republican in politics, and a member of the G. A. R.
In 1864 he joined Company A, 39th Missouri Infantry, and served till the close of
the war. JASPER L. SIBOLE, a farmer and coal dealer hving near Novinger, Mis
souri, was born in Adair County, Missouri, Oct. 28, 1868, being a son of Jasper N.
and Phoebe (Cook) Sibole. He was married Nov. 15, 1896, to Retta Long, daugh
ter of WUUam G. and Sarah A. (Dunham) Long. They had two children; Clifford
L., born March 13, 1899, Sadie L., July 3, 1901. One chUd, a boy, died in in
fancy. Mrs. Sibole is also a native of Adair County, born May 4, 1875, and comes
from one of the oldest famiUes in the county, both on her father's and mother's
side. Born on a farm in North Nineveh townsMp, 1 mile east of Shibley's Point,
Mr. Sibole lived with Ms parents till grown, then married and began farming for
Mmself. He has been engaged in that occupation all his fife. At present he owns
a farm of eighty acres, tliree miles northwest of Novinger. The land is underlaid
with coal, much of it having been worked, Rombauer mine No. 3 being on his
land. He does general farming and stock raising.
Mr. Sibole is a Republican. For six years he served as constable of Nineveh
townsMp and was also road overseer of Ms district for some years. His wife is a
member of the Church of God.
820
The History of Adair County.
DeWitt C. Gibbs' store at Gibbs
Biographical.
821
Residence and barn of V. A. Judd, near Youngstown
822
The History of Ad.air County.
Residence and barn of AA'm. F. Niece, 2 miles southwest of Pure Air
Biographical. 823
WILLIAM F. NIECE, son of George and Barbara Niece, is a native of Adair
County. He was bom October 20, 1859, near Pure Air. He has been engaged in
farming all his life. The home of W. F. Niece is one of the prettiest in the county.
He has 500 acres ot land, two miles southwest of Pure Air. The farm is well improved,
and the house is equipped with modern conveniences. He is a breeder of Short-
Horn cattle, Poland-China hogs and Percheron horses.
Mr. Niece was married December 21, 1884, to Mattie L. Taylor. She was born
March 26, 1865, in Sullivan County, being a daughter of David I. and Nancy J.
(Hannah) Taylor. Mr. and Airs. Niece haA'e no children, but reared a nephew,
Albert Esehmann, son of Mr. Niece's sister. He was born December 26, 1889. Mr.
Niece belongs to the Republican party.
JOHN W. KIMBERLY came ^vith his parents in a wagon, from Defiance Coun
ty, OMo, and settled in the western part of Adair County, Missouri, where his father
lived and farmed till his death June 1, 1910. His mother is still liAdng. Mr. Kim-
berly lived at home till grown, then went to'the Pacific Coast, engaging in the logging
business for a time. He was also in the abstract business at Mount Vernon, Wash
ington. In 1887 he returned to Adair County, Missouri, and has been engaged in
farming and stock raising here since that time. He oAvns a farm of 240 acres, five
and one-half miles southwest of Stahl. He is a breeder ot Short-Horn cattle, Per
cheron horses and Poland-CMna hogs.
John Kimberly was born in Defiance County, Ohio, February 14, 1861, being
a son of Ira and Margaret (Wilson) Kimberly. He was married October 14, 1888,
to Maggie Anderson, daughter of Bryant and Martha (Dupree) Anderson. Mrs.
Kimberly was born in Marion County, Indiana, September 11, 1865, coming to this
county the same year. They h.ad four chUdren: Roscoe D., born October 29,
1889; S. Bland, May 15, 1894; RandaU J., November 9, 1901; Raymond M., June
8, 1905. Mr. Kimberly is interested in other business enterprises besides his farm, being
a stockholder and director in the Novdnger Bank. He served eight years as .Justice
of the Peace of MorroAV tOAvnship, and director for Morrow township for the Adair
County Mutual Insurance Company. He was the Democratic candidate for the
Legislature in 1902, and was beaten by only a few votes. In 1898 he was also his par
ty's nominee for Probate Judge and was defeated by a very small margin,
FRANCIS M. GILLILAND is a native ot Morgan County, Ohio, born No
vember 8, 1855. He is a son of Jesse M. and Elizabeth GiUiland. He was married
January 6, 1881, to Eva M. Phipps, daughter of Samuel H. and Mary Phipps. Mrs.
Gilliland was born in Noble County, OMo, May 16, 1855. They have three children:
Nora P., born February 10, 1894; Alta M., born February 22, 1896; Shiriey M.,
born August 11, 1899.
Reared on a farm in Ohio, Mr. GiUiland lived at home till twenty-five years old.
He learned the carpenter's trade, and worked at that business in Ohio till a few months
after his marriage. He then came to tMs county, where he has since lived, foUowing
carpentering and contracting several years. He then went to farming, in which oc
cupation he is still engaged. At present he owns a farm of 232 acres, one and one-
half miles south of Pure Air. He is a breeder of Short-Horn cattle, Poland-China
hogs, and Percheron horses.
Mr. GiUiland is a Democrat in politics. He has serA'ed as assessor of Adair
County for two terms, from 1890 to 1894. He is a large stockholder and director
of the Novinger Bank, and helped organize that institution.
824
The History of .A.dair County.
^ iT ^^^ ^^^ ^M^r jM^
« •«"""' _ ^ n^
Residence, family, bam and horses of J. W. Kimberly, 5 1-2 mi. southwest of Stahl
Biographical.
825
,/ yvit
vn^
—1 lim.
"''%
Kesidence, family, barn and stock of F. M. Gilliland, 1 1-2 miles south of Pure Air
826
The History of Adair County.
U. 8. G. Keller, Probate Judge
BI0GRAPHIC.4.L. 827
JUDGE U. S. G, KELLER, known as Grant Keller, was born in Adair
County, Missouri, March 15, 1864, being a son of Samuel M. and Nancy (Crab-
tree) KcUer. He was married Sept. 24, 1896, to Miss Effie J. Burns, daughter of
A. H. and Alartha J. Burns. They have six chUdren: Sam B., aged thirteen;
Homer, L., eleven; Carl Grant, nine; Thomas Earl, seven; Frederick, five; Clinton
Hadley, two.
Judge Keller was born and reared on a farm seven miles east of KirksvUle.
His father died when Mr. Keller was five years old and he continued to live with
his mother till his marriage, helping to run the old home farm. He then bought
a part of the old home place, and continued the occupation of farming till 1902,
when he was elected Probate Judge. At this time he moved to KirksviUe to take
charge of his office. In 1906 he was re-elected and again in 1910, the term being
four years. He still owns his farm of 108 acres, eight mUes east of Kirksville. He
also owns six acres and a residence property in KirksvUle.
Judge Keller is an ardent Republican in politics and belongs to the Masonic,
I. O. O. F., K. of P., Elks, Yoemen, M. AV. A., Redmen, A. T. A., Homesteaders
and Sons ot Veteran Fraternities. He is a member of the Methodist church.
WILLIAM McPHETRIDGE is a native of Adair County, bom near Novinger
March 30, 1849. His parents were William and Minerva McPhetridge. He Avas
married November 21, 1869, to Lizzie Bozarth, daughter of MUton J. and Juha Bo
zarth. Airs. McPhetridge was also born in this county, October 27, 1848. They
had six children, four of whom are living; Clarence M., born August 29, 1870, died
September 2, 1872; Eva S., born June 15, 1872, now Mrs. Jacob Shafer; Celia R.,
October 31, 1874, now Mrs. Ira Wimber; Sarah J., March 21, 1878, now Mrs. O. A.
Bliven; one child died in infancy, Gracie F. McPhetridge, bom August, 1886.
Air. McPhetridge lived at home till grown and married. He now owns a farm
adjoining his home place, consisting of 240 acres, one mile west of Novinger. The
land is part of the old McPhetridge homestead, land entered by his father. His
father was a native of Tennessee, born in 1813. He came to this county in 1841,
living here till his death in 1878. Mrs. McPhetridge also belongs to an old family,
some of her people coming here in 1833. Her cousin, J. M. Bozarth, claimed to be
the first Avhite child born in the county.
AA^ilUam McPhetridge is a Democrat, and a member of the Presbyterian church.
On August 8, 1862, soon after the battle of Kirksville, he joined Capt. Arnold's Com
pany and Col. Franklin's regiment, but saw only a little serAdce.
JUDGE SEYMOR J. REED was born in WiU County, Ilhnois, July 24,1854,
being a son of Waterman and Ruth (Ingraham) Reed. He was married November
3, 1878, to Minnie C. Elmore, daughter oi William and Eliza Elmore. They had
seven children, only four of whom are hving: Ohve, born F'ebmary 22, 1880, now
the wife of J. A. Bundy; Waterman AV., July 8, 1881; Eliza, March 17, 18.83, now
Mrs. J. C. Hynds; .Jessie, June 17, 1892, now the wife of Jesse Patton.
Mr. Reed moved to Adair County vpith his parents in 1869, setthng near Old
Wilsontown. He was reared there on a farm, attending the pubhc school. He
afterward took a course at the State Normal School at KirksvUle. He taught school
for a short time, also engaged in railroad business one year, then took up the occu
pation of farming and has followed it continuously since. He owns a farm of 245
acres, two miles west of Gibbs, Missouri. Mrs. Reed was born in Adair County,
being a member of one of the oldest famUies in the county.
S. J. Reed is a Repubhcan and was elected Judge of the County Court, second
district, serving for a period of two years.
828
The History of Adair County.
Judge Grant Keller and family
Biographical.
829
^
a-
(=1 P
CD
830
The History of Adair County.
Family and residence, Wm. McPhetridge near Novinger
Biographical. 831
A. R. ZENTZ was born in Stark County, Ohio, January 11, 1845. His parents
were George and Susan (Reed) Zentz. He was married May 2, 1872, to Barbara
E. Wares of Macon County. Mrs. Zentz is a daughter ot William and Polly Wares.
They had eight chUdren, six of whom are liAdng: Richard, born February 4, 1873,
died May 6, 1888; J. F., November 26, 1875, died June 5, 1909; Sylvester, January
IX, 1881; Lyla E., June 27, 1883; George E,, December 12, 1885; Aubrey L., Sep
tember 6, 1887; Irvin, November 17, 1891; Ray, March 17, 1893.
Mr. Zentz lived on the farm in OMo till August 12, 1862, when he enlisted in
Company B., 104 Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and served till June 28, 1865, when he
was honorably discharged, l^or the last eighteen months of his service he served as
special mes.senger for headquarters of the Army of Ohio, at Cincinnati, being stationed
at Camp Dennison. In the early part of the war he saw much active service. At
the close of the war he returned home and worked at the carpenter's trade for two
years, then went to Pennsylvania for a few months. In June 1868, he came to Mis
souri and settled in Macon County, working at the carpenter's trade and farming.
In 1891 he moved to Brashear and later bought a farm four miles southeast of that
place, where he lived till the spring ot 1910, when he moved back to Brashear. He
turned the farm over to Ms sons, George and Aubrey. It is known as Fairview farm,
and consists of 160 acres, eighty acres being in Knox County.
Mr. Zentz and Ms Avife are members of the United Brethren church. He
belongs to the G. A. R. lodge.
JUDGE JACOB H. SHOOP was born and reared on the old Shoop farm, one
and one-fourth miles northeast of Novinger. He lived at home with his parents
till grown, then formed a partnership with his father, married and continued to live
at the old home place. After the death of his parents he bought the other heirs out
of their portion of the property, and continued to five on the home farm. He still
lives there and also owns a fruit farm in South Missouri. He has an interest in the
Novinger Bank and is interested in various other business enterprises. He is a stock
holder and director in the Burk Bros. Packing Company.
Mr. Shoop was born December 13, 1865, a son of Philip D. and F^rances Shoop.
He was married March 22, 1896, to Julia Fox,daughter of Martin and Johanna (Smith)
Fox. Mrs. Shoop was born in St. Louis, November 14, 1875, coming to Adair County
in 1878. They have three cMldren: Sadie J., bom Febmary 24, 1897; Flora C,
December 4, 1900; Frances S., December 7, 1907.
Philip D. Shoop, his father, was born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, March
16, 1834, and came to Adair County in 1842. He lived here till his death in 1902.
He was also a member of the County Court from the same district in which his son
is now serving. This district has also been served in that capacity by four of Ms
relatives: James H. Novdnger, S. F. Stahl, Adam Shoop, and G. W. Novinger.
Jacob H. Shoop is a Democrat in politics. He was defeated in 1904 for Repre
sentative in the State Legislature in the Republican landslide of that year, but ran
500 votes ahead of the national Democratic ticket. In 1910 he was elected County
Judge of the first district on the Democratic ticket. The district is normaUy 300
Republican majority. He is a member of the K. of P. lodge. Besides his other
interests he owns one-half interest in 480 acres in Canada.
8o2
Tut-: llisrtoiY of Aivaik Covxia,
City residence ot .A. 1?, Zeiilz, Hrasliem- and ciuinlry resilience-, east of Brashear
Biographical.
833
td
a.
t
0
o 5-1 0
CO croo
o
54
834 The History of Adair County.
JAMES H. KINNEAR was born in Jefferson County, Indiana, August 29,
1841, and is a son of WUUam D. and Barbara Kinnear. He was married March 22,
1872, to Millie A. Grisham. They have no children.
Mr. Kinnear was born and reared on a farm in Indiana, and lived there Avith his
parents till the beginning of the Civil War. He then enlisted in Company D, 13th
Indiana Volunteer Infantry, this being the first regiment in Indiana enlisting for
tMee years' service. It has the record of making the first charge and capture of
artillery and flag of any tMee year regiment in the service. This capture was made
July 11, 1861, at Rich Mountain, West Virginia. He served in Virginia till 1863,
and was then sent to Charleston, South Carolina. He was engaged in the siege of
Charleston and assisted in constructing the celebrated "Swamp Angel" used in that
engagement. He re-enlisted at Jacksonville, Florida, December 8, 1864. In AprU,
1865, he returned to Virginia as a member of the second division oi the Army of the
James, and took part in all the battles in Avhich that division was engaged. He
was sent to re-enforce Grant at Cool Harbor in June, 1864; then to Petersburg, and
took part in all the battles along the Potomac up to December, 1864. He was then
sent to Fort Fisher and assisted in its capture January 15, 1865. The army was then
sent to Wilmington, North Carolina, and Mr. Kinnear remained there -with Ms de
tachment till mustered out of service, September 23, 1865, as First Lieutenant, Com
pany B, 13th Indiana Volunteer Infantry.
At the close of the war Mr. Kinnear returned home and remained there till 1867,
then went to Minnesota, remaining till 1870. He then came to KirksAdUe, where
he has since lived. Immediately after coming here he went into the saddle and har
ness business, continuing that business till 1909. At that time he sold out and re
tired from business.
Mr. Kinnear is an ardent Republican and has been much honored by his party.
He has been a delegate to almost every convention in the district, county and state,
for many years, and was also a delegate to the National Convention, at Minneapolis,
in 1892. He was a member of the City Council for a number of terms and served
as Sheriff of Adair County from 1885 to 1889, two terms. Mr. Kinnear is an en
thusiastic member of the Masonic order and has held all the Mghest offices in the gift
of that fraternity.
RALPH R. CAMPBELL was born in McDonough County, Ilhnois, January
5, 1887, a son of E. B. and Matilda A. CampbeU. He was married December 16,
1908, to Grace Dickson. They have no cMldren.
Mr. CampbeU was bom on a farm in Illinois, but when he was four years old
Ms parents moved to Stronghurst, Ilhnois, where his father went into business. He
graduated from the Mgh school at Stronghurst and also the State Normal School,
at Kirksville, Missouri.
Mr. Campbell moved to Adair County, Missouri, with his parents in 1902,
and has lived here continuously since. After completing his course at the Normal
School he taught school two years at Milan, Missouri. In the meantime his father
had gone into the banldng business at Gibbs, and he quit teacMng and entered the
bank as assistant cashier and was later promoted to casMer, wMch position he now
holds. He is Republican in politics, and he and his wife are both members of the Chris
tian church. He is a member of the official board of the church at Gibbs.
TO
00
£
o
Residence of Ralph R. Campbell, Gibbs
836 The History of Adair County.
FRANK M. BUCKINGHAM was bom in Birmingham, Iowa, December 29,
1865, being a son of Edward Dorsey and Susan Buckingham. He was married
August 24, 1893, to Hettie Florence Power, of Memphis, Missouri, daughter of James
Power. Two cMldren have been born to them: Mildred, October 7, 1896; James
Dorsey, October 30, 1901.
Mr. Buckingham's mother died when he Avas small and he moved -with Ms father
to Knox County, Missouri, when about ten years old. They lived there on a farm
till 1873, when they moved to Adair County, settling near Brashear. He Uved
there on a farm and assisted in running it till 1884, Avhen Ms father died.. He came
to KirksviUe in the fall of 1887 and went to Avork in the Journal office, learning the
printer's trade. He remained with that paper till 1903, when he gave up his posf-
tion and moA'ed to Green City. He lived there till the spring of 1911 and was en
gaged in the wholesale produce business. At that time he sold Ms interest there
and returned to Kirksville, accepting the position of bookkeeper and general so
licitor for the KirksviUe Journal, Avhich place he still holds. Mr. Buckingham is
interested in other business enterprises, is a stockholder and director of the Bank
of Green Cit}', and owns stock in the Journal Printing Company and KirksviUe
Trust Company.
He is a member oi the Alasonic Lodge, No. 105, KirksAdlle. He is a Republican
in politics. He and his family are members of the Presbyterian 'church.
AUGUSTUS M. ELLIS, son of Damel R. and Elanor (Thompson) EUis, was
bom January 26, 1852, in Brown County, Ohio. He moA'cd to Iowa with his parents
when eight years old, and lived there Avith them till twenty years of age, then they
came to Adair County. His father died in 1876, and Mrs. Ellis makes her home
Avith her son Augustus M. Air. Ellis has been engaged in farming all his life. He
owns 142 acres of Avell improved land, three miles southwest of Kirksville, also 80
acres one and one-half miles south of his home place, and handles PoUed-Angus,
Short-JIorn and Jersey cattle, doing a dairy business. He also raises Poland-China
and Duroc Jersey hogs.
Mr. Ellis and his mother are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
LEWIS CLEVENGER was born April 29, 1885, at Indianola, Iowa. He is
a son of Jasper N. and Mary Clevenger. He liA'ed at home till grown, then went into
mining business. In 1903 he moved to Connelsville. Here he followed the mining
business till 1910, when he began teaching school, an occupation in which he is still
engaged. Mr. Clevenger took a course in instrumental music at Des Moines Musical Col
lege, and is a very accomplished pianist. He is a very active worker in the Odd Fel
low lodge, and is noAv grand representative of District twenty-one.
WILLIAM EVANS is a native of Wales, born January 29, 1854. His parents
were John and Elizabeth Evans. He was married December 20, 1893,! to Nannie
Brackney, daughter of George Washington and Martha Brackney. ^hey have
six chUdren: George W., bom December 16, 1894; Elizabeth, August 8, 1896;
Frank David, January 22, 1899; Joseph E., November 5, 1900; John, September
25, 1902; Daniel, March 25, 1906.
Mr. Evans came to Adair County, Missouri, in November, 1890, and has since
lived here and farmed. He emigrated from Wales when a young man. He no\v
owns a farm of 240 acres, 4 miles south of Gibbs. He is a Republican and a member
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, North. He is interested in thz civil and edu
cational developments of the county, and is a loyal citizen.
00
< o o
Geo. Lorton, KirksviUe
Lewis Clevinger, Connelsville
J. Irving Hess, KirksviUe
oooo 00
Residence of WUliam Evans, 4 miles south of Gibbs.
Biographical.
839
>
840 The History of Adair County.
ALBERT SMITH, son of Jefferson and Margaret (Chandler) Smith, was born
in Adair County, one mile west of Kirksville, Alissouri, September 20, 1874. He
was married December 24, 1896 to Alice E. Ellis. Mrs. Smith was born in Adair
County, September 1, 1875, a daughter of Daniel R. and Elanor (Thompson) EUis.
They have one child: Clarence A., born October 3, 1897.
Mr. Smith was reared on a farm near KirksviUe. He lived at home with his
parents until sixteen years old, then made his home with A. AA'. Cunningham in
this county till twenty-two years of age. He then began farming for Mmself, con
tinuing in that occupation since that time. AA'hen married he went into business
with his brother-in-law, A. M. Ellis. They live together on a farm three miles
southwest of Kirksville. The farm consists of 142 acres of Avell improved land and
a pretty home. Mr. Smith is a member of the AI. AA'. A. lodge, and belongs to
the Methodist church.
GEORGE W. EITEL, son of Christopher and Catherine (Etzel) Eitel, was
born December 25, 1864. He is a native of this county, bom twelve miles south of
Kirksville. He wns umted in marriage February 14, 1906, to Cora B. Sutton. Mrs.
Fjitel was bom in Sulhvan County, August 18, 1878, a daughter of Thomas and Polly
Sutton. They have no children. Mr. Eitel lived in the Ilhnois Bend neighborhood
till 1872, then moved to the Pure xAir neighborhood, where he has since lived. He
owns a farm of 120 acres, two miles south of Pure Air. He is a breeder of Percheron
horses, and a member of the Pure Air Horse Breeders' Association.
Christopher Eitel, father of George Eitel, was born in Fairfield County, OMo,
July 27, 1836. He came to this county in 1855, and died May 19, 1908. His Avite
is still living, and makes her home Avith her daughters, Mrs. PhUip Carnagey and
Mrs. Lewis Schillie.
Mr. Eitel is Republican in politics. Airs. Eitel is a member of the Methodist
Church, South.
ROBERT DOLAN, a farmer and stock raiser living near Novinger, was born
in Cass County, Ilhnois, August 16, 1868, and moved to Adair County, Alissouri,
with Ms parents, Patrick and Alahnda (Wurtman) Dolan, when about a year old,
settling near Novinger. Living at home tiU grown, he attended the pubUc school
and took a course at the Normal School at Kirksville, also attended the private nor
mal school at ChiUicothe. After teaching school ten years, principally in Adair
County, he began farming, and has followed that occupation since, always making
Ms home in Adair County since coming here. He is a breeder of Short-Horn cattle,
Duroc-Jersey hogs, Percheron horses, etc.
Mr. Dolan was married December 13, 1892, to Cora Lake, daughter of Leonidas
and Nancy (Cory) Lake, She was born in Clark County February 18, 1870. They.
had eight chUdren: Olney B., born September 30, 1893; David L., December 14,
1895; SteUa L., February 28, 1898; Claude L., July 9, 1900; Keturah Pauliu.e,
March 21, 1903; Gladys A., July 22, 1905, died December 3, 1906; Lola F., Septeih-
ber 27, 1907; Tolcy Nelson, December 20, 1910. Mr. Dolan is a Democrat, a mem
ber of the Methodist church, and belongs to the I. O. O. F. lodge.
Biographical.
841
Residence, family and scene on farm of Robt. Dolan, near Novinger
842
The History of Adair C(iunty.
Residence, barn, and scene on farm of ('Seo. AA'. Eitel,
2 miles south of Pure Air.
Biographical. 813
CALVIN J. BARGER, born in Adams County, lUmois, July 27, 1862, is
a son of Daniel and Alartha (AA'Ulard) Barger. He lived on the farm in Adams Coun
ty until grown, then married and farmed for Mmself. In 1892 he came to .-Adair
County, Missouri, and bought a farm of 107 acres, four and one-haff miles north
east of Kirksville, Avhere he still resides. The farm is a splendid one, vrith modern
improvements and a pretty home. He does general farming, has Jersey cattle,
Chester AA'hite hogs, and fine horses.
Mr. Barger was married November 25, 1886, to Miss Alary Clark, daughter
of David and Corneha Clark, who were old settlers of Adair County. They have
four cMldren: Iva Eunice, born October 10, 1893; Orpha Ellen, November 11,
1895; Choe M. D., Alarch 23, 1898; Cariin David, Feb. 12, 1900.
C. J. Barger is a Democrat in pohtics. He and Ms wife are affiliated with the
United Brethren church.
D. P. OTTO, a native of Boone County, Missouri, was born September 15,
1881, being a son of Michael Otto. In 1884 Ms parents brought him to Adair County,
where he has since lived. At present he owns a good farm of 297 1-2 acres of land in
Adair County, in connection with Ms brother, AA^. H. Otto, and engages in stock rais
ing, making a speciality of raising -fine jacks. He is a Democrat in politics and be
longs to the I. O. O. F. lodge, No. 553, at Sperry.
W. H. OTTO, a native of Boone County, Missouri, was born November 25,
1874, being a son of Michael and P. S. Otto. He was married October 19, 1910, to
Leona Voss, daughter of George and Mary Voss. He came to Adair County, Mis
souri, with his parents in 1884, making tMs Ms home since that time. In connection
with his brother, D. P. Otto, he ovpns 297 acres of land situated near Sperry. They
make a speciality of raising fine jacks. Near here was foaled and raised Missouri
Queen, the famous mule wMch took the premiums at the State Fair.
Mr. Otto is a Democrat and a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge. No. 553, at Sperry.
GEORGE A. DAVIS, son of John A. and Martha J. (Gatlen) Davis, was born
in Schuyler County, January 26, 1869. He married Aliss Mary C. Baker, November
24, 1894. Airs. Davis is a daughter of John and Caroline (Swagert) Baker. They
have three children living and two dead: Carohne, born February 27, 1897, died in
infixucy; Cleola, April 13, 1898, died August 13, 1900; Forest, April 29, 1901; Au
brey, April 23, 1903; and George O., born October 10, 1907.
Mr. Davis Avas reared on a farm just across the line in Schuyler County,hving
there mth his parents till grown and married. He then started farming for him
self. He was in the bridge building business in Schuyler County for twelve years;
doing much of that work in this county. In 1906 he bought his present farm, where
he has since resided. His farm consists of 280 acres one mile east of YarrOAV. -He
raises Black Pole cattle, Poland-CMna hogs, and ShropsMre sheep.
Mr. Davis is a Democrat and a member of the I. O. O. F\, M. W. A., and Royal
Neighbor (Alasonic) lodges.
T. O. PEMBERTON is a native of Adair County, Missouri, born in Wilson
townsMp January 3, 1886. . He is a son of Hayden and SopMa Pemberton. He was
married September 3, 1905, to Ethel C. Boon, daughter of George and Ida Boon.
They have one" cittM--=ThomasB-oon-,''boriftiin-e' 10, 1908.
Mr. Pemberton owns 120 acres of land situated one mile northeast of Gibbs.
He engages in general farming and stock raising. He is a Democrat and a member
of the CMistian church.
844
The History of Adair County.
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Prize Avinning Jacks from Otto Bros, herd, near Sperry. Picture taken at Horse ShoAV.
846
The History of Adair County.
Residence, bam and horses of Geo. A. Davis, near Yarrow
Biographical.
847
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848
The History of Adair County.
SMbley's Point School, J. I. Hess, Teacher, 1911
JACOB IRVING HESS, a pubhc school teacher, was born July 31, 1887, near
Tiima, Ilhnois. He was reared on a farm. He was educated in the country schools
of Adams County, graduated from the Lima Pubfic Schools in 1906. He attended
the CMlhcothe Normal School, ChiUicothe, Missouri, two years, 1909-10. He is
at present principal of the ConnelsviUe High School of tMs county. He is author
of "Songs of the Mississippi," a volume of poems and other selections.
The names of his parents are Jacob and Amanda. He owns a farm near Lima,
Illinois. He is single, a Repubhcan in politics, a member of the Christian church
and lielongs to the Court of Honor Lodge. He lives in the City of KirksviUe.
Mr. Hess has contributed the following poem on Kirksville:
Kirksville — that beautiful little town.
Is a shining star in America's crown.
Proud she rises grand and fair
In the rich old county of Adair.
Her Court House of marble and granite and stone
For beauty and grace stands in grandeur alone.
Biographical. 849
On top of the building the statue of gold
Reminds one of marble croAvn'd Athens of old.
Her cool shady aA'enues are bordered Avith trees,
The sweet songs of birds softly rise on the breeze.
Her fame has spread, and her raihvays run
To every land 'neath the shining sun.
The Kirksville State Normal is one of the best
Of the schools that stand in the East or West.
The Osteopath College with students fill.
* The science, discovered by Doctor Still,
Is growing and spreading year by year;
The school is known everywhere.
Few such cities as Kirksville stand.
Whether here or a foreign land;
With churches and factories and foundries and homes.
Public schools, steeples and spires and domes;
With a people courteous, gentle and bright.
Who always stand on the side of right.
In such a city so proudly grand.
With the glory of Nature on every hand.
With the star-spangled banner unfurled on high,
'Neath the cloudless dome of the deep blue sky,
Kirksville could not be other than great.
The prettiest town in the entire State.
Of Missouri, whose star shall ever be
A jewel on the banner of Liberty.
GEORGE LORTON was born in KirksviUe, December 28, 1886, a son of La
fayette and Anna Lorton. He was married February 22, 1911, to Ada Millay, daugh
ter of Robert T. and Laura MUlay.
Mr. Lorton is a staunch Republican. He served as deputy county clerk from
1907 to 1909, under J. T. Waddill. He entered the grocery and meat business De
cember 1, 1909, the firm being known as Kerns & Lorton. Mr. Lorton is a partner
of Mr. Kerns. They occupy a building in Miller Block, Kirksville. Mr. Lorton
was reared on a farm, north of Kirksville. He attended the State Normal School
from 1903 to 1904. He belongs to the Elks, Masons, K. of P., and M. W. A. lodges.
OBEDIA,H LOWE was born in Adair County, Alissouri, December 31, 1865,
being son of Andrew and Effie (AUbright) Lowe. He was married August 6, 1893,
to Lula M. Ginmngs, born November 3, 1875. She is a daughter of James H. and
Sarah Ginnings. They have two children: Virgil, born November 24, 1894; Glenn,
December 30, 1896.
Mr. Lowe was born and reared on a farm, living on the old home place, about
six miles northeast of Kirksville, till about eighteen years old. He attended the
public schools. When grown he leased a portion of his father's farm. After his
marriage he moved to the farm on which he now lives, which Mrs, Lowe inherited
from her father, Harvey Ginnings. It consists of eighty-five acres and has since
been thoroughly improved, some splendid buildings having been erected. He han
dles thoroughbred Duroc-Jersey hogs, fine mules, horses and cattle, a picture of a
portion of one of his herds being given herewith. He is a Democrat in politics, and
a member of the I. O. 0. F. lodge.
850
The History of Adair County.
^.'<«'^*'^,.. tf?i%;
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Residence of H. B. Ross, 4 miles southeast of Gibbs
Horses and Mules on farm of Obe Lowe, 6 miles northeast of Kirksville
Biographical. 851
H. B. ROSS was born in Illinois, May 9, 1861, being a son of Erastus M. and
Juha R. Ross. He was married January 8, 1896, to Addie Mills, daughter of Charles
R. and Lucy A. Mills. They have one cMld — Leslie MiUs Ross, bom January 14,
1905. Mr. Ross was reared on a farm in Illinois, and attended the pubfic school. He
brought Ms family to Adair County, Missouri, December 24, 1908, and has sinbe made
Ms home here. His farm consists of eighty acres, situated four miles southeast of
Gibbs. He does general farming and stock raising.
H. B. Ross is a Democrat, a member of the Christian church, and belongs to the
order of Knights of PytMas.
THOMAS J. SPENCER is a native of Ripley County, Indiana, born March
30, 1844. His parents were James M. and Ruth Spencer. He was married August
23, 1873, to Martha E. Howerton, daughter of Robert and Harriet Howerton. They
have four children: Walter E., born May 31, 1874; James Robert, July 29, 1877;
LiUie Mabel, January 2, 1880; Frank Eari, July 7, 1883.
Mr. Spencer is one of the influential men of this territory and belongs to one of
the Mstorioal families of the county. He has played a very prominent part in the
development of the county. He came to Adair County in 1856 and has seen the con
stant growth from a wild country to a flourishing community.
He is Republican in politics, a member of Sergeant Ryon Post, No. 214, G. A.
R., at Brashear, and belongs to the I. 0. O. F., No. 522, at Brashear. He served
during the war in Company A, 39th Missouri Infantry for one year.
DR. WALTER S. HALL, a native of Pendleton County, Kentucky, was born
August 24, 1846, a son of Jefferson Y. and CyntMa Hall. He was united in marriage
to Emily F. Heryford, who died October 15, 1890. They had six children: Walter;
Irene (now dead; she was Mrs, George Richardson); Edell (now dead; she was Mrs.
Robert Burris); Maude, now Mrs. Pearl Catherton; Minnie, noAv Mrs. Olin Mac-
Guire; Frank, single. He was again married June 9, 1909, to Mary E. Rodcay, who
was accidentally burned to death March, 1910. They had no children.
Dr. Hall was born in Kentucky, but moved to Knox County with his parents
in 1856. He was reared in that county, attending the public schools, and then stud
ied medicine. He attended the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Keokuk, Iowa,
graduating in 1877, then entered the practice in this county at Sublette. He re
mained there eight years, then went to Burlington Junction, remaining two years,
then to Hugoton, Kansas for two years, back to Burlington Junction tor about one
and one-half years. He next went to Hurdland, then to Kirksville, remaining six
years. In the meantime he studied Osteopathy. He practiced in various places,
and finally went to Novinger in 1901, where he now resides and is engaged in practice.
CHARLES HARMON was born in Cincinnati, OMo, March 15, 1869, being a
son of Stephen and Thursday E. Harmon. He was married June 6, 1897, to Alay
WiUiams, daughter of WiUiam and Caroline AVilliams. They had six chUdren: Leo,
born AprU 29, 1898; Emma, March 15, 1900; Albert, March 22, 1902; GaU, Jan
uary 29, 1904; Otis, October 30, 1905; Eari, March 28, 1909.
Mr. Harmon came to Adair County in 1869, when only two months old. His
parents settled near Novinger, lived there a few years, then lived near Stahl. When
eighteen years old Mr. Harmon began farming for himself and has always been en
gaged in that occupation. He owns a farm of 240 acres, five miles southwest of
Stahl. He is a breeder of Short-Horn cattle, Poland-China hogs and fine horses.
He is a Republican in politics.
852
The History of Adair County.
Residence, family, barn, and horses of Charies Harmon, 5 mi, southwest of Stahl
Biographical.
853
a
854 The History of Adair County.
ROBERT LOCKLIN was born in Knox County, Ilhnois, February 24,1862-
His parents were Henry and Bridget (Welch) Locklin. He was married November
15, 1888, to Mary B. Kiernan, daughter of Patrick and Bridget (McGrath) Kier-
nan. They have four cMldren; George R., born November 9, 1889; Marie C,
December 23, 1894; Agnes, December 12, 1896; WiUiam H., January 28, 1903.
Mr. Locklin remained in Illinois till groAvn, then married and farmed for him
self in Ilhnois till 1907. In March of that year he bought his present farm, and
moved to this county, where he has since lived. The farm consists of 300 acres,
on the northwest hmits of Kirksville. He is a breeder of pure bred Percheron horses,
Poland-China hogs, and Short-Horn cattle. When in Illinois he attended the pub
lic school and took a course at the Galesburg Business College. He was a member
of the County Commission of Knox County, Illinois, for two terms; assessor of his
township two terms; collector two terms, and served Ms county in other minor ca
pacities. He is a Democrat, and takes great interest in politics. He is a member of
the Catholic church.
GEORGE F. WILLIAMS was bom in Putnam County, Indiana, April 7, 1839,
being a son of Pressley and Ann (Cope) Williams. He was married in July, 1862,
to Miss Harriet Allies, while at home on a furlough from the war. She died in 1887.
They had six children, four ot whom are living; Delbert W.; Lizzie F., who died
in 1892, and was then the wife of Frank Price; Harley N.; Callie A., noAv the Avife of
John R. BuUard; Cope, noAV the Avife of H. A. Thornbiirg; Myrtle, died in 1887.
Mr. Williams was again married in 1891 to Emma Leech, a widow, and daughter of
David Burt. They have no children.
Mr. Williams was born and reared on a farm in Indiana, living there with his
parents till 1856, when he came to Adair County, where he has since resided.
After coming here he was engaged in farming for a short time and then worked
for Simeon Elliott in a grist and saw mill. Soon afterward the mill was sold to Walker
Paul and moved to Paul Town. He then worked for Paul till 1859, and then went
to Texas, where he remained about six months, then returned to Adair County.
Soon after the war broke out in 1861 he enlisted in Company A, Berge's AVestern
Sharpshooters, under command of Col. Berge of St. Louis. Later this regiment was
called the 14th Missouri Sharpshooters. Then in the fall of 1862 a number of re
cruits were added from Illinois, and the name was changed to 66th Illinois Sharp
shooters. The regiment was a famous one and did valiant service in many hard
fought battles. The soldiers were equipped with the then latest pattern of rifles
and each molded Ms own bullets. Mr. Williams took part in the engagements at
Fort Donaldson, both fights at Corinth, and the siege at Atlanta. He was discharged
in 1864, his term of service having expired.
At the close of the war Mr. Williams returned to this county, and was engaged
in farming for a time and was also in the milling business here for a number of years.
He served as Sheriff of Adair County from 1889 to 1891, and was again elected
in 1908, tor a term of four years. He has been connected with the office either as
Deputy or Sheriff almost continuously since 1867, with the exception of the encum-
bency of J. H. Kinnear. He also served as deputy U. S. Marshal for twelve years,
serving under Leffingwell, Coste, Couzins, and the latter's daughter, Phoebe Couzins.
Mr. Williams is a Republican in politics, a member of the Methodist church, and
belongs to Corporal Dix Post, No. 22, G. A. R.
Biographical.
855
Residence of Robert Locklin, northwest city limits, KirksviUe
Barns on the farm of Robert Locklin, northwest city limits, Kirksville
856
The History of Adair Coun'py.
George F. WiUiams, Sheriff
BlOGRAl^HICAL. 857
JAMES A. COOLEY was born in Madison County, Iowa, January 26, 1872,
a son of F. J. and Rosa Cooley. He married Miss Ruby Bowen, daughter ot A. and
Ella C. Bowen, AprU 13, 1901. They have one child, Barbara, born April 7, 1909.
Bom and reared on a farm in loAva, he remained there till about twenty years
old, attending the public schools. He came to Kirksville and entered the State
Normal School, taking a course of two and one-half years; graduating in the elemen
tary course in 1894, having the honor of leading his class. He taught in Clay Coun
ty during that summer and the next winter, and attended the Kansas State Normal
School at Emporia the next ye,ar, graduating in June, 1896, in the classical course,
also winning first honors in debate in that institution. After his graduation there,
he returned to KirksA-iUe and read laAV, being admitted to the bar in Alarch, 1897.
He has been practicing law continuously since that time.
Mr. Cooley was city attorney for one term, was elected prosecuting attorney
in 1902, re-elected in 1904, and dechned a third nomination. He was tiie Repubfican
nominee for Circuit Judge against Judge Shelton, haAdng no opposition in the pri
mary. He belongs to the Elks and K. of P. lodges.
ROBERT PROPST was born in Adair County, Alissouri, July 5, 1855, being
a son of Robert and Malinda Propst. He was married March 24, 1878, to Mary
Aliller, daughter of Nicholas and Ehzabeth Miller. They have seven cMldren:
Malinda E., bom March 12, 1879; Joseph, January 23, 1881; Viola Gennethi, Jan
uary 27, 1883; Sarah M., February 17, 1885; Lula May, August 28, 1887; Robert
P., December 6, 1890; CecU McKinley, June 16, 1896.
Air. Propst lived on a farm in Adair County until 1899, then moved to Brashear,
retiring from the active life of farming. He rents Ms land. He is Republican in
politics and a member of the United Brethren church.
SANFORD J. MILLER, born at Pleasant Mount, Pennsylvania, May 20, 1854,
is a son of Jonathan B. and Polly A. Miller. He Avas married November 12, 1903,
to Mary C. Greenwood, daughter of Payton F. and Juha A. Greenwood. Mr. Mil
ler hved at home and learned the blacksmith trade, until he was twenty-three years
old; he then clerked in a store for W. H. and I. N. Foster, at Honesdale, Pennsyl
vania, for nearly four years. He was also Chief ot the Fire Department at Honesdale
for three years, after AvMch he went into the mercantile business at Pleasant Mount.
In 1883 he sold out and came to KirksviUe, Missouri. On coming here he went into
the livery business which he conducted for several years, also handling fine horses.
In 1900 he sold out his livery business, and a year later furnished and opened up the
Dockery Hotel, which was soon regarded as one of the best hotels in the state. After
conducting the hotel for about one year, he sold out and built a large barn and began
importing Percheron and French Coach horses from France. Air. A/Iiller makes from
one to three trips a year to France, buys the best the market affords, and ships them
to KirksviUe, Missouri. He gives one public sale every year and disposes of many
-privately. Much of his time he devotes to the breeding of Percheron and French
Coach horses. Standard Bred Trotters and Mammoth Black Jacks. Mr. Miller
put the first registered Percheron horse into the county, also the first imported horse
ever brought into the county, and was the first man in the state to make an importa
tion direct from Europe to the State of Missouri.
858
The History of Adair County.
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The History of Adair County.
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Interior of George Rainer's Store at Brashear
Biographical. 861
JAMES WELLMAN was reared on a farm near C^ueen City, Alissouri. He was
bom in Schuyler County, August 13, 1858, being a son of John and Ehza (Tarr)
AA'elhnau. He was married August 31, 1884, to Alary E. Bass, daughter of AVright
and Ehzabeth (Hughes) Bass. She was born January 1, 1863, and died February
14, 1904. They had nine cMldren, eight of whom are liAdng: Clarence, Ethel,
Minnie AI., Elsa L., Harley G., Homer, Y'emon, John.
Air. AA'eUman remained at home with his parents till Ms marriage, then began
farming for himseU. He moved to Adair County shortly before Ms marriage, where
he contmued farming tOl 1903. He then moved to ConnelsviUe, and went into the
livery business in wMch he is still engaged, being in partnership with his brother,
N. B. AVellman. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and A'oeman lodges.
BENJAMIN R. WATKINS was born in Ford County, Ilhnois, August 29,
1871, a son of Isaiah and Alary E. (Layton) AA'atkins. He was united in marriage
February 15, 1894, to Anna Johnson, daughter of Charles O. and Esther (Peterson)
Johnson. They have two chUdren: Lula AI., born September 22, 1896; Benjamin
Eldon, Alay 27, 1899.
Air. AA'atkms was born and reared on a farm in Illinois. He .started out for him
self when only twelve years old, working at various occupations. AA'hen grown he
married and farmed and ran a tMesher in Ilhnois. He continued that work till
1909, when he bought Ms present farm and moved to this count}-. The farm con
sists of eighty acres, four miles southeast of Kirksville. He does general farming and
stock raising.
He is a member of the CMistian church. AA'hen in Illinois he served as assessor
of Ms home townsMp.
WILLIAM C. R. WINSLOW was born in Hancock County, lUinois, September
1, 1861, being a son of William Henry and Sarah Ann Winslow. He was married
December 24, 1884, to Ida E. Alusson, daughter of Joseph and Alargaret Alusson.
They had five cMldren: Iva E., born September 15, 1888; Joseph A., February
17, 1892; Rachel Helen, Alarch 23, 1894; Alary Eva, Alarch 12, 1898; AA'Uham Alau
rice, September 18, 1902. All the children are single and li-ving at home except the
oldest son.
Air. AA'inslow was born on a farm in Illinois. His father died at NasliAille in
the hospital during the war. His mother then married Abel Gordon, and in 1867
he came to Adair County with his mother and step-father, and was reared on a farm
in this county. When grown he married and began farming for himself, and has
foUowed that occupation all Ms life. In 1909 he moved his family to Kirksville to
send his cMldren to school, but he still spends most of Ms time on the farm, making
a speciality of breeding Short-Horn cattle and doing general farming and stock rais
ing. Air. AA'inslow is a Republican and a member of the Alethodist Episcopal church.
J. W. WILSON, a native of AVilson township, Adair County, Missouri, was
bom January 26, 1848, a son of J. C. and Angemira Wilson. He was married January
26, 1869, to Harriett E. Tipton, daughter of AA'ilham AA^ and Harriett Tipton. They
haA'e four cMldren hAdng: Viola, bom December 8, 1869; Herbert J., September 11,
1871; Edith J., August 25, 1875; Virgmia L., October 22, 1889.
Air. AA'ilson has a farm of eighty acres, situated three and one-half mUes south
east of Gibbs, where he engages in general farming and stock raising. He is a member
of the Baptist Missionary church, and a Repubhcan in pohtics. His wife is a member
of the Alethodist church.
862
The History of Adair County.
Residence of James Wellman, Connelsville
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Biographical.
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Residence of J. W. Wilson, 3 1-2 miles southeast of Gibbs
Biographical. 865
C. T. WOODS was born March 16, 1874, in Adair County, Missouri. He is
a son of Asa and Leah J. Woods. He was married September 23, 1896, to Edith AA'il
son, daughter of J. W. and Harriett Wilson. They have one child— Rachel, born
August 9, 1899.
Mr. Woods owns 180 acres of land, three and one-haff miles south of Gibbs. He
does general farming and stock raising. He is a Republican in politics and a mcml^^er
of the M. AV. A. fraternity.
WILLIAM SHERMAN REYNOLDS was born in .Adair County, Alissouri,
September 20, 1865, being a son of AV. B. and Ruth Reynolds. He was married De
cember 15, 1888, to Lillie Buckmaster. They have three children: Aladge A.,
born August 2, 1889; Ruth D., AprU 27, 1893; Robert W., May 11, 1901.
Mr. Reynolds was engaged in the general merchandise business at Greentop,
Alissouri, for several years, but for the past twenty years has been farming. He deals
in Short-Horn cattle, fine horses, Berkshire hogs and Shropshire sheep. He is a Re
publican and a member of the Alethodist Episcopal church.
HENRY FRANKFORD is a native of Adair County, Missouri, born November
3, 1857. He is a son of James and Amanda Frankford. He was married February
4, 1877, to Liddie A. Piter, daughter of Peter and Liddie Piter. They have two chil
dren: Maud v., born Alay 27, 1879; Grace, September 4, 1881.
Mr. Frankford was born and reared in this county and has lived here all his lite,
spending most of his time at Novinger. He lived with his parents tiU grown and Avas
for many years engaged in the saw-mill business. He served as deputy sheriff under
G. W. Rupe from 1893 to 1897, making his home in Kirksville during that time. He
then returned to Novinger, where he now lives. In the spring of 1910 he was ap
pointed postmaster at that place, wMch position he now holds.
Mr. Frankford is a Republican, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church
and belongs to the I. O. O. F. and K. of P. fraternities.
Mrs. Frankford is also a native of Adair County, and was born February 27,
1858. Her mother, Mrs. Liddie Pffer, is still hving and makes her home Avith her
daughter. She is ninety-±hree years old, said to be the oldest person living in the
county. GEORGE H. SOHN, a native of Jefferson City, Missouri, was born December
18, 1849, being a son of George and Mary (Share) Sohn. He was married October 2,
1870, to Elizabeth A. Christian, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth (Jones) Chris
tian. They have five children: Sarah L., bom February 20, 1872, now the wife of
Charles Marquess; George, April 29, 1873; Share J., December 10, 1874; Lura E.,
February 24, 1877, Avife of Silas Horton; Mary K., December 6, 1879.
Mr. Sohn moved to Adair County with his parents in 1856, settling on the farm
which he now owns. Here he was reared and lived till his marriage. He then farmed
on a part of the old home place till his father's death, and then bought out the other
heirs and took charge of the old home place. Mr. Sohn has lived and farmed in this
county continuously since a small boy. The first store and postoffice in Adair Co.
was on their farm a few feet from Mr. Sohn's house. It was conducted by Samuel
AVithrow. The farm consists of 179 acres, five miles northwest of KirksvUle.
Mr. Sohn is a general farmer and stock raiser. He is a Republican in politics
and a member of the Baptist church.
56
866
The History of Adair County.
3
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rt
Biographical.
867
02
a
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868
The History of Adair County.
Henry Frankford, Postmaster at Novinger. Picture was taken
when he was running saw mill
(3500
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«oo
Residence and family of George H. Sohn, 5 miles northwest of Kirksville
870 The History of Adair County.
WILLIAM H. STEELE is a native of WasMngton County, Alaryland, born
December 14, 1836. His parents Avere WiUiam and Mary Steele. He was married
September 14, 1865, to Mary E. Spencer, daughter of James M. and Ruth Spencer.
They haA'e two children: Ida B., born October 14, 1866, now Mrs. David W. Han
cock; Mary E., December 22, 1875, now Mrs. Jerry Platz.
Mr. Steele moA'ed to Adair County, Missouri, in 1858. He oaa-us 120 acres,
situated one mile north of Brashear, and does general farming. During the war
he served three years and almost six months in Company D, 21st Missouri Volunteer
Infantry. In that time he had over thirty engagements. He took part in the bat
tle of Shiloh, and the siege of Corinth which followed. He was in the second battle
at Corinth, the battle of luka. Champion Hills, sometimes known as the battle of
Baker's Creek, and the battle of Pleasant HiU. He was in the 16th Army Corps,
and was made corporal of the company to which he belonged. He served under Gen
erals Grant, Sherman, and Rosecranz.
AVUham Steele is a great lover of literature. He has a fine library, especially
on the history of the Civil AVar, on which subject he is thoroughly informed. He is
Republican in politics. His wife belongs to the United Brethren church.
GEORGE HUSTON is a native of Pennsylvania and was born in that state
November 22, 1859. He is a son ot John and Sophia Huston. He was never married.
He came to Adair County, Missouri, with his parents in 1866. They settled
near Gibbs, Air. Huston living there with his parents till grown. After their death
he took charge of the old home place and later purchased the interests of the other
heirs. The farm is a splendid one and consists of 170 acres, tw6 miles south of Gibbs,
on the Santa Fe Railway.
GEORGE W. BERRY was born in Novinger, Adair County, Missouri, Sep
tember 15, 1863, and is a son of Henry and Susan Berry. His mother died February
14, 1877, and his father in March, 1888. After their death he worked on the farm by
the month until he Avas twenty-four years of age, then learned the uarpenter trade,
in which he engaged until about 1890. For four years he managed the lumber yard
of J. C. WaddUl, at Novinger. AA'hen he sold out, Mr. Berry worked in the lumber
yard of Miller & Company for three years, then purchased an interest in the Novinger
Mercantile Company, where he assisted in buUding up a large and lucrative business.
He is still a member of that firm, and has ahvays lived in Adair County.
George Berry was married to Lyda Shoop, daughter of Thomas and Henrietta
Vanlaningham. They have no children. Mrs. Berry has two cMldren by a former
marriage — Cornie and Fannie Shoop.
JOHN S. BILLINGTON, a farmer and stock raiser living four miles north
west of Stahl, Missouri, was born January 29, 1859, being a native of Adair County.
He was married August 1, 1880, to Mary A. Adkins, daughter of Stephen and Nancy
Adkins. They have four children: Daisy, born October 6, 1881, now Mrs. Frank
Roe; George, October 4, 1887; Guy and GaU, twins, June 25, 1897.
Mr. BUlington was reared near where he now lives. When he was only six years
old his mother died. He then made his home with his grandfather, E. B. Ledford
tiU grown. Since that time he has been farming, following that occupation all his
life, and living in Adair County. He is a breeder of PoUed-Angus cattle, Poland-
China hogs and Percheron horses. At present he owns a farm of 120 acres four
miles northwest of Stahl, In politics he is a Democrat.
Biographical.
871
o
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872
The History of Adair County.
Biographical.
873
S)
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2;o< 5'
874
The History of Adair County.
Residence, family and scene on farm of J. S. BiUington,
4 miles west of Stahl
Biographical. 875
GEORGE L. RAINIER was born and roared on a farm in Adair County, Mis
souri, being a son of Jobe and Bettie (Moore) Rainier. He lived with his parents till
groAA'n, then married and farmed for himself for four years. He then went to Bra
shear, going into the butcher and grocery business, in which he is still engaged. He
was educated in the public school.
Air. Ranier was born November 10, 1872, near Adair, Missouri. He was married
November 6, 1904, to Lena Alexander, daughter of Sam and Susan (Boran) Alexan
der. They have tMee children: LucUe, bom August 2, 1906; George L., Jr., Sep
tember 4, 1907; Leo, December 22, 1909.
He is a devoted member of the Christian church and a member of the I. O. O. F.
lodge. DANIEL SMITH was born on a farm near Hannibal, Missouri, September 13,
1 865, being a son of George and Lomse Smith. He was married September 29, 1898,
to Delia Danielson. They have two children: Leota, born August 1, 1899; Chf
ford, August 13, 1903.
Mr. Smith was reared on a farm near Hannibal, remaining there Avith Ms pa
rents till grown. When a young man he came to Adair County, where he has since
lived and been engaged in farming. He owns a well improved farm of 160 acres,
near Brashear. Mr. Smith is a Republican in pohtics and takes a deep interest in
political affairs.
SAM DAVIDSON is a native of tMs county, born near Gibbs, Missouri, Decem
ber 28, 1873. He is a son of S. C. and Mary L. (Davis) Davidson. He was mar
ried February 26, 1902, to Mary E. Young, daughter of Ben W. and Emily (Elmore)
Young. They have no cMldren.
Mr. Davidson was reared on the farm entered by Ms father upon coming to tMs
county. He lived and worked on the farm with his parents till grown. He at
tended the public school and took a course at the CMllicothe Normal School. In
1899 he went into the mercantile business at Gibbs, and has been there continuously
since. He now conducts a clotMng and gents' furnishing store at that place.
Sam Davidson belongs to one of the oldest families in the county. He is a
Democrat, and has always taken much interest in political affairs.
ALBERT DYER, born March 22, 1854, is a native of lUinois and a son of James
and Margaret Dyer. He was married January 24, 1882, to Sarah E. Lowe, daughter
of John and Amanda Lowe. Mrs. Dyer was born Aug. 8, 1863, in Davis Co., Iowa.
They had eleven children: Clara, twenty-six years of age; Walter A., twenty-five;
Mary, twenty-tMee; Charley, twenty; Ida, eighteen; Frankie, sixteen; Ahce, four
teen; James, eleven; Willie, six; Clarence, four; Esther, tMee. Mary is now the
wife of J. W. BaUey.
Mr. Dyer came to Schuyler County, Missouri, Avith his parents when a small
boy. Here he lived till grown, then married and began farming for Mmself. About
two years after Ms marriage he moved to Adair County, Missouri, where he lived and
farmed tUl Ms death, August 20, 1910. He owned a farm of 240 acres, one and one-
half miles north of Sublette, where he engaged in general farming and stock raising.
Since his death Ms widow and her sons have been running the farm. The oldest
boy, Walter, also owns eighty acres adjoining the home place.
Mr. Dyer was a Republican and a member of the Baptist church. Mrs. Dyer
belongs to the Methodist Episcopal church.
876
The History of Adair County.
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Biographical.
877
Sam Davidson's store at Gibbs
878
The History of Adair County.
The late Albert Dyer and cMldren
Residence ot Sarah E. Dyer, near Sublette
Biographical.
879
o
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cr
880 The History of Adair County.
BRET HARTE STEPHENSON was born in Browning, Missouri, July 31, 1879,
being a son of Dr. W. T. and Anna H. (Clark) Stephenson. He was married De
cember 14, 1902, to Mabel Keith, daughter of Edward B. and Susan (Peas) Keith.
They have two children: WiUiam K., born July 26, 1904; Bret Harte, Jr., born
May 13, 1910.
Mr. Stephenson moved to Alilan with his parents when thirteen years old, and
worked in his father's drug store three years. In 1895 he came to Kirksville, worked
in the drug store here three years for his father, then started out in business for him
self. He traveled for the Sherwin-Williams Paint Company four years, then went
into the hotel business at Brookfield, where he remained one year. He then went
to Macon, and worked at the same business till June, 1908, Avhen he came to Kirks
ville. He has since been conducting both the Pool and Dockery hotels, both first-
class houses. He is a Democrat, and belongs to the B. P. O. E, lodge.
CHARLES FROBES is a native of Fountain Greene, lUinois. He is a son
of Charles and Amelia Frobes, and was born September 17, 1858. He was married
December 17, 1884, to Maggie B. Stephens, daughter of George and Barbara Ste
phens. They had three oMldren: Flossie, born September 20, 1890, died in in
fancy; Clara, March 15, 1892; Erma, February 25, 1897.
Mr. Frobes came to Knox County, Missouri, in 1868, then to Adair County in
1894. He bought the place where he now lives. He has 160 acres, well improved.
He has served as school director, and was road overseer for two years. He owns a
CadiUac automobile.
Mr. and Mrs. F'robes and daughter Clars are Presbyterians. Mr. Frobes ia a
Democrat. HUGH ABERNATHY came to Adair County with his parents, George and
Dorcas A'oernathy, in 1861 , and has since made Adair County his home. He has
been a farmer all his life, and at present owns a farm of 180 acres, five miles south of
Stahl, Missouri. He is a breeder of Red Polled cattle, Essex hogs, fine mules and
horses, Mr. Abernathy was born in Van Buren County, Iowa, April 27, 1840. He was
married June 12, 1873, to Celina Powell, daughter of Charles and Elizabeth Powell.
Mrs. Abernathy was born in Jefferson County, Iowa, NoA'-ember 18, 1852, coming
to Adair County with her parents when but a baby. They had seven cMldren, four
of whom are dead: Charles, bom June 6, 1875; Hattie E., August 16, 1877, now the
wife of D, E. Danielson; Jesse, January 16, 1880, died June 4, 1882; John 8., Novem
ber 9, 1882; Anna L., October 6, 1887, now wife of H. A. Guy; Harry, May 8, 1894,
died September 5, 1895.
During the war Mr. Abernathy was a member of the State MUitia, Company A,
under Capt. Gordon, serving three years. He is a Republican and a member of the
Baptist church.
W. W. REED was born in Knox County, Missouri, July 8, 1881, being a son of
S. J. and Caroline Reed. He was married July 16, 1905, to Grace Eversull, daughter
of Ezekiel and Anna Eversull. They have two oMldren: Pearl S., bom February
10, 1907; Ralph E., December 18, 1908.
Mr. Reed was born and reared on a farm and has always followed that occupa
tion. At present he owns a farm of eighty acres, situated one and one-half miles
south of Gibbs. He has owned this farm three years and does general farming.
He is Republican in politics and a son of the present County Judge of the Sec
ond District,
Biographical.
881
WUham Keith and Bret Harte Jr., sons of Air, and Airs. B. H. Stephenson
> V vy>'ivVi.g»-kMi<i>Ak^t:!^A^>';v^^^^^
Pool Hotel, Kirksville. B. H. Stephenson, Proprietor
Dockery Hotel, Kirksville. B. H. Stephenson, Proprietor
Biographical.
883
Kieth and Brete Harte Jr. Stephenson, children of Air. and Mrs. B. H.
Stephenson, Kirksville, with their Shetland pony
Interior of A. AA . Rouncr's stoie, at Brashear
884
The History of Adair County.
Automobile and fai
I I es, 4 mi northwest ot Kirksville
Residence of Chas. Frobes, 4 mi. northwest of Kirksville
Biographical.
885
S)
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Q
cr
886 The History of Adair County.
A. W. ROUNER was born and reared on a farm in Knox County, Missouri,
living there tUI grown. He attended the public schools and took a course in the
Missouri State University, also attended the Gem City Business College at Quincy,
Illinois, one year. Upon leaving home he taught school seven years in Knox and
LcAvis Counties, marrying during that period. In 1899 he went into the mercantile
business at Newark, Alissouri. In 1907 he sold his business interests there, going to
Brashear one year later, where he entered the hardware and implement business, in
which he is till engaged.
Mr. Rouner was bom September 14, 1871, being a son of James G. and Cath
erine Rouner. He was married March 4, 1896, to Frances L. Smith, daughter of
James L. and Susan (Snap) Smith. They have two chUdren: George S., born No
vember 7, 1899; James L., November 1, 1909.
He is a member ot the Masonic and M. W. A. lodges. He and his wife belong
to the Baptist church.
J. H. DAVIS was born in Macon County, Mis,souri, June 14, 1869, being a son
of James and Susan Davis. He was married December 25, 1902, to Minnie Buckley,
daughter of J. R. Buckley. They have one cMld — James Randolph, born March
19, 1906. Mr. Davis came to Adair County, Missouri, in 1908. He now conducts a livery
business at the city of Kirksville. He is a Democrat in politics, and for several years
served as constable in Macon County. He is a member of the K. of P. and Elks
lodges. WILLIAM J. SANDRY, son of Wilham J. and Caltha Sandry, was born in
Adair County, Missouri, March 14, 1881. He was reared on the farm on which he
now lives. He attended the public school, took a course at the State Normal School,
and also a course in agriculture at the Missouri State University. His father died
in 1906, and since that time he has had the management ot the home place. The
farm consists of 227 acres, three and one-half miles west of Novinger. This farm
belongs to his mother and the chUdren, he being one of the heirs. Besides his in
terest in the home place. Air. Sandry owns a farm of 137 acres, just southeast of
the farm on which he lives.
He is a thoroughly scientific farmer, and besides Ms farming conducts a cream
ery, one of the largest in this section. He buys cream, manufacturing it into but
ter, and shipping the butter products. He also has a herd of thoroughbred .Jer
seys, consisting of some of the best in the State. He is a breeder of thoroughbred
Shropshire sheep, Berkshire hogs. White Leghorn chickens, and I'ekin ducks.
WILLIAM J. SANDRY (deceased) was born at ShuUsburgh, Wisconsin, Sep
tember 11, 1846. He was married November 1, 1868, to Caltha Capps, daughter of
Henry and Charlotte Capps. She was born in Adair County, Missouri, August 10,
1846. They had seven children: Honor H., born August 10, 1869, now Mrs. Abner
Hamilton; Mattie C, AprU 11, 1872, now Airs. George W. Leisz; Sarah Etta, Sep
tember 6, 1874; Eva M., February 10, 1879, now Mrs. E. H. Scofield; AA'illiam J.,
March 14, 1881; Bertha E., August 24, 1884; Alta AI., September 19, 1891.
Mr. Sandry came to Adair County in 1866, attended the State Normal School,
and tdught for a time. Soon after his marriage he began farming and continued
that occupation until his death, March 6, 1908. He owned the place where his
Avidow and son now live, three and one-half miles west of Novinger. He was ac
cidentally killed by an O. K. coal train at Novinger. At the time of his death he was
a candidate for County Judge.
Biographical.
887
J H. Davis, KirksviUe
888
The His'tory of Adair County'.
go
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Biographical.
889
Residence of E J. Lininger, 4 1-2 miles south of Novinger
Mr. and Mrs. Jeff Smith, 2 mUes southwest of Kirksville
890 The History of Adair County.
JEFFERSON SMITH is a native of Scioto County, Ohio, born December 23,
1846. His parents were George W. and Hannah (Culp) Smith. He was married
December 5, 1900, to Nancy Daniel, daughter of Merrit and Priallia (Head) Trow
bridge. Mrs. Smith is a native of Indiana, born September 28, 1853. She came to
this county in 1855.
Mr. Smith left the farm in Ohio in 1865, coming to this county. He Avorked at
various occupations. At present he OAvns a small place, two miles southwest of
KirksviUe, and drives a rural mail route. He is one of the best known men in the
county and has a wide acquaintance. In an early day he drove a star mail route
from KirksvUle to Edina. He and the late Judge Ellison were great friends, and it
was he who brought that great lawyer to this county, when both were young men.
He has made his home in this county since coming here, with the expeption of two
years spent in the West. During the Avar he was a member of Company H, 191st
Ohio Infantry.
iJefferson Smith has been twice married. His first wife was Margaret Chandler,
by -whom he had four children, all living and all married: William A.; Hannah, wife
of J*. J. Allen; Albert; Thomas W. Mrs. Smith has also been twice married, her
first husband being George L. Daniel. They had seven children, five ot them living:
Elmira, died when six years old; Mary J., now the wife of John Lutz; William H.;
Edward M.; Laura, now the wife of James Keller; Francis, died when ten years
old; B&ssie A., now the wife of C. C. Ownbey.
Mr. Smith is a Prohibitionist in politics, and a member of the G. A. R.
ALFRED ELSEA, a ,son of Jackson and Louise (Rose) Elsea, was bom in Hock
ing County, Ohio, June 29, 1855, and came to Adair County, Missouri, with his pa
rents in 1866. They settled in Nineveh townsMp, where the father lived till his
death in 1898. Mr. Elsea lived at home till grown, then married and began farming
for himself. He has been a farmer all his life. At present he lives on Muldoon
farm, just north of Connelsville. The farm consists of 244 acres. He is a breeder
of Short-Horn cattle, Duroc-Jersey hogs and good horses. Mr. Elsea is road over
seer of District five, and is considered one of the best in the county, being an enthu
siastic good roads man.
¦Mr. Elsea was married July 27, 1880, to Minerva Sanders, daughter of Rich
ard land Ehza (May) Sanders. They have five children: Lemuel Ernest, born
March 20, 1881; Harvey, February 5, 1883; Alta, September 20, 1884, now the wife
of W. O. Summers; Perry W., May 14, 1889; Rosie M,, May 20, 1891, now the
wife of Barnard Murphy.
He is a Republican and a member of the K. of P. Fraternity.
GEORGE W. CODY was bom in Adair County, June 4, 1862. He lived at
home with his parents, John and Sarah Cody, tUl grown. May 28, 1892, Mr, Cody
married Aliss Bridget Ludden, a daughter of Bernard and Anna Ludden. After
his marriage he began farming for himself on the old home place. In 1907, he rented
Mr. Ludden's farm, managing it for his father-in-law, Bernard Ludden, near Adair.
The father of Air. Cody was one ot the early settlers of this county. Bom in
Ireland in 1818, he came to .Adair County in 1841, and lived here tUl his death in
1903. Mr. and Mrs. Cody had seven children, only four of whom are living. Those
living are Sarah E., now Mrs. James H. Bell; W. H. Cody; George W.; and Mary E.
00
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Residence of Bernard Ludden and his son-in-law, G. W. Cody, near Adair
892
The History of Adair County.
Alfred Elsea and his road grader, near ConnelsviUe
Residence of Geo. G. Reedal, 3 miles southeast of Kirksville
Biographical. 893
GEORGE C. REEDAL was born at Lodi, Wisconsin, where he lived with his
parents tiU eight years old, when they moved to Blue Earth City. Here he remained
till sixteen years old, attending the pubfic schools of that city. In 1898 he came to
Adair County, Missouri, buying his present farm about a year later. He has since
lived on the same farm. It consists of 120 acres, three miles southeast of KirksviUe.
Mr. Reedal Avas born July 21, 1882, a son of Gabriel and Ellen (Marsh) Reedal. He
was married February 6, 1909, to Beulah Dean, daughter of Jesse and Charlotte
(Coffin) Dean. Mrs. Reedal was born February 6, 1888, being a natiA'e ot Adair
County, Alissouri. They have one child — Harold Dean, born January 26, 1910.
HARRY S. LINDSEY came to Adair County, Missouri, Avith Ms parents in
1865, and was reared on a farm southeast of Kirksville, attending the pubhc schools
of that neighborhood. After farming until 1883 he moved to Kirksville, where he
has since lived. After coming here he attended the Kirksville Business College,
graduating in 1889, and same year engaged in the real estate and insurance business.
In 1890 he was elected city collector, serving two terms. He also served as
constable of Benton townsMp for six years, being deputy sheriff for that period.
For the past eight years he has been Justice of the Peace of Benton township, and was
re-elected in the fall of 1910 for a term of four years. At the spring election of 1911
he was elected Police Judge of the city of Kirksville for two years.
H. S. Lindsey was born in Pickaway County, OMo, September 4, 1859, being
a son of Abram and Mary A. Lindsey. He was married October 14, 1890, to Mollie
M. Wilkes, daughter of Madison Y. and Jemima O. Wilkes. They had five chil
dren: Carmen Agnes, born July 29, 1891; Pansy Lenore, January 16, 1893; Guy S.,
July 17, 1895, died November 10, 1901; Aladison W., Novemloer 4, 1900; Harry
F., March 15, 1910.
Mr. Lindsey is a Repubhcan in politics, a member of the Presbyterian church,
and belongs to the I. O. O. F. and Masonic lodges. His daughter. Miss Agnes, is
a teacher in the KirksviUe Public Schools.
EDWARD J. LININGER, son of John and Rebecca Lininger, was bom near
Pure Air, Adair County, Missouri, October 17, 1863. He was married February 2,
1885, to Katie M. Vanlaningham, daughter of George W. and Sarah Vanlaningham.
They had four children, two of whom are dead: Frank D., born May 19, 1886, died
March 12, 1887; Charles E., February 2, 1888, died September 13, 1888; Eari B..
February 22, 1890; Alva R., May 1, 1892,
Mr. Lininger went to live with John C. Novinger, when but a small baby, his
mother having died when he was six weeks old. Mr. Novinger owned the land and
lived where the city of Novinger is now located. He lived with Mr. Novinger till
seventeen years old, then started out for himself. He has since that time been en
gaged in farming near Novinger. Later he bought a part of the present farm, which
is part of the old Vanlaningham place, belonging to Mrs, Lininger. Here they ha^-e
since lived. The farm consists of seventy-seven acres, four and one-half miles soutli
of Novinger. He handles fine stock, and does general farming.
894
The History of Adair County.
Harry Lindsey, Police Judge, Kirksville
Biographical. 895
RICHARD M. BRASHEAR was born and reared on a farm near the present
tOATO of Brashear, on land entered by Ms father, who died in 1862 at the beginmng
of the war. Conditions at that time had broken up the father, leaving his famUy
destitute. Air. Brashear was the oldest boy at home, a,nd the care of the famUy
naturaUy devolved upon him. He met that care with heroic fortitude and..courage7"
and succeeded, not only in caring for them, but also educated himself. He attended
the public schools and was for a time- a pupil of Prof. J. AI. Greenwood, who Avas
then a country school teacher. He next went to coUege at Alonroe City with the
intention of gettmg a thorough academic training preparator}' to the study of law.
After attending a short time Ms mother requested that he give up Ms legal ambition
and return home to care for her and the cMldren. This he did. He went on the
farm with hjs mother, soon after started in the five stock business, buying and seMng
as well as raising cattle. In this he was a great success, and contmued in the occupa
tion of farming twenty-five years, accumulatmg some splendid properties. AATien
he gave up that busmess he was the OAvner of 360 acres of good land.
In 1871-2 the road now knoAvn as the O. K. was built- tMough this county, just
north of Brashear, which was then a small place knoAvn as Paul ToAvn. However,
there was no town or depot at Brashear untU 1873. The people of that section, m-
cluding Air. Brashear, made desperate efforts to haAc the road come tMough that
toAvn, but were unsuccessful. They finally succeeded, however, in getting a depot
located Avhere the Brashear depot now stands. Mr. Brashear devoted a year's time
and invested all he owned in gettmg the depot located. "WTien it Avas finaUy accom
plished, the people, in recogmtion of his serAdce, named the place Brashear. Paul
ToAvn soon moved to the new location and ceased to exist.
In 1882 Air. Brashear sold his farm near Brashear and bought a farm of 200
acres adjoining KirksviUe on the east, later adding 280 acres adjoimng tMs tract on
the east, making 480 acres. Later he laid out tAvo additions to the city of KirksvUle,
kno-wn as the Brashear first and second additions. Most of these lots he sold, but
stUl owns a splendid home in that part of the city, and has also sold much of the other
land, but retained forty-five acres. This will later be laid out as a third addition.
After coming to KirksAdUe Air. Brashear continued the Uve stock business for
about ten years, but was fmally forced to give it up on account of UI health. He
then bought and sold real estate, mainly here in KirksviUe, building a large number
of houses. During this period he buUt what is known as the Ward Infirmary, one
of the most handsome buildings of the kind in the country. The institution was
for a time a great success, especially while under the management of Air. Brashear.
In June, 190S, he bought a farm of 1400 acres in Pike County, Alissouri, for
wMch he paid $100,000.00, trading in the infirmary buUding and some other prop
erties here. Since its purchase he has been dcA-oting his time to Ms big farm. He
handles all kinds of live stock and keeps about 2,000 head in all.
Richard AI. Brashear was born Januai'y 13, 1846, being a son of ^'Uham G.
and Rosa (Wood) Brashear. He Avas married October 23, 1873, to Aliss Alargaret
Montgomery, daughter of John and Susan (Tm-ner) Alontgomery. They had seA'en
chUdren: Alinnie AI., bom August 25, 1874; Ida B., January 24, 1877; Wm. Alont
gomery (died in infancy), August 23, 1878; W. Peari, July 11, 1880; Everett E.,
November 2, 1882; Roma, Novem'oer 18, 1885; C. Eugene, AprU 14, 1888; Rich
ard Matson, September 29, 1895. His daughter, Alinnie Brashear, is now an assist
ant teacher in the English Department at the Normal School at KirksviUe.
Mr. Brashear is a Democrat in pohtics and has always taken an actiAe part in
The History of Adair County.
Richard M. Brashear, Kirksville
Biographical.
897
58
898 The History of Adair County.
politics, but has never asked nor desired political preferment. Mr. Brashear is not
a member of any church, but has an unfeigned confidence in a supreme God. He
is a member of the Masonic order, belonging to the Chapter, Commandery and SMine.
He is also a member of the Elks lodge.
JOHN NICK SPARLING, President and General Manager of the Spariing
Aeroplane Company, was born at KirksvUle, Missouri, August 27, 1883, being a son
of Dr. Gerald Alfred Sparling. He was educated in the public schools of Kirksville,
and is a graduate of the State Normal School. After his graduation in 1904 he went
to work for the International Correspondence Schools, as their representative in
Kirksville. In 1909 he was promoted to Division Superintendent of the same or
ganization, in East St. Louis, Illinois, where he won the world's record medal for
gaining new students for the schools. In September, 1909, he resigned from that
position, and in connection with Audrey Risdon organized the Sparling-AIcClintock
Company at Grafton, Illinois, a $25,000.00 corporation, organized for the purpose
of building and exploiting aeroplanes of the design invented by J. N. Sparling, who
is president and manager of the Company. He now has three patents, pertaining
to aeroplanes, pending at WasMngton, In June, 1910, he sold his stock in that com
pany and organized the Sparling Aeroplane Company, at East St. Louis, Illinois.
They own their own sheds, shop, ground, and have a lease on 120 acres of fiat ground
for practice flying. The company had a paid capital of .¦?20,000.00, having a fac
tory at Washington Park, Illinois, and offices at 210 Avenue Building, East St. Louis.
They manufacture propellers, and parts for dirigible balloons and aeroplanes, which
they ship to all parts of the United States. They have orders from the Aero Club
of lUinois, at Chicago, for propellers, which are Mr. Sparling's own design. Two
propellers were shipped to the Philip Rahm Construction Company, of New Orleans,
Louisiana. They are also St. Louis agents tor the Elbridge, Kirkham, Detroit Aero,
Harriman and Curtiss Aeronautic engines, and are putting the Sparling Biplane on
the market.
They have established a school at Washington Park for teaching the art of fiy-
iug, and at this writing have four pupUs — one from Portland, Oregon, one from Den
ver, and two from St . Louis. On Saturday, May 5, Mr. Park, the first pupU, flew
the Sparfing Biplane eighteen mUes cross country without a stop, which demonstrated
that the Sparling Biplane is « real flyer.
JOHN BRASSFIELD was born and reared on a farm, livmg aU home with his
parents till grown. He then went to farming for himself, continuing that occupation
till the war. He then joined Company B, 39th Missouri Volunteer Infantry, serving
one year. At the close of the war he returned to his old vocation. He has lived
on his present farm ten years. The land on which he was born was entered by his
father. He has seen the county develop almost from a wilderness. His earhest
recollection of KirksviUe goes back to when the town was exceedingly small. There
was one store and one saloon and a few scattering dwellings. At the time of the
battle of KirksvUle he was present, but took no part in the battle.
Mr. Brassfield was born six miles northeast of KirksviUe, July 3, 1840, being a
son of WUliam T. and Nancy (Lay) Brassfield. He was married December 9 1875
to Surilda Smith, daughter of John H. and Sarah E. (Duncan) Smith. Mrs. Brass-
field is also a native of Adair County, born May 4, 1858. They have three children-
John W., born December 25, 1876; Alva, September 18, 1880; Jessie L., August
31, 1894. All but Jessie are married. Mr. Brassfield owns eighty-three acres of
land, one mile north of Sperry. He is a Democrat and a member of the Baptist church
Biographical.
899
James E. GoodAvin, proprietor of Grand Leader, Kirksville
900
The His'tory of Adair County.
John Nick Sparling, aviator. East St. Louis, formerly of Kirksville
o as
< S Ph KoO
I^H^IL.
. ^^•'''^^..rmL^
John Nick Sparling in Ms airship at Poplar Bluff
V/ }A .uens Ic-":; M- i ist
COo to
wcc >^oW Hio >a1-1wOcd
Residence of John Brassfield, 1 mile north of Sperry. Mr. and Mrs. Brassfield in foreground
Biographical.
903
The late Dr. Warren B. Hamilton, Kirksville
Born, July 15, 1869; died, August 2, 1911
904 The History of Adair County.
Tyler Paine, County Surveyor and Highway Engineer
Biographical. 905
JOHN T. CURRY, a native of Adams County, Illinois, was born November
11, 1863, being a son of William M. and Elizabeth (Curl) Curry. He was married
February 21, 1877, to Emma Hopper, daughter of J. L. and Nancy J. (Anderson)
Hopper. They have six children: Harvey T., born December 25, 1877; AVUham
M., July 13, 1880; Peari E., February 4, 1884, now Mrs. L. P. Fickel; John H.,
October 18, 1886; Samuel O., December 22, 1890; Leslie K., May 2, 1899,
Mr. Curry was born and reared on a farm in Adams County, Illinois, living
there with his parents tUl grown. He then married and the following year moved to
Linn County, Missouri, Avhere he engaged in farming until 1882. At that time he
returned to Adams County, Illinois, remained there till 1886, then moved Avith his
family to Adair County, Alissouri. Since that time he has made Ms residence in
tMs county and engaged in farming. He lives on what is known as the "Woods
Dairy Farm, J. T. Curry, Proprietor." It is situated two miles south of Kirksville
and consists of 311 acres.
Mr. Curry is a breeder of pure-bred Chester WMte hogs and Jersey cattle. He
started his dairy in 1909 and has now a herd of 51 head, one of the best in the county.
He recently built a handsome new dairy barn. It is one of the best in North Missouri,
and is equipped with the Newton cow tie, said to be the most humane tie ever in
vented; also with the latest improved Lowden macMnery, haAdng stalls for thirty-
eight cows. In addition to this he has a very large and convenient silo.
In 1904 Mr. Curry was elected Sheriff of Adair County and re-elected in 1906,
serving tAvo terms.
The farm on which he lives is considered one of the best in the county, aU of it
under cultivation except forty acres AvMch is in timber. Mr. Curry has had charge
of the farm for the past fifteen years and recently leased it for ten years longer. All
the stock and equipment on the farm belong to him.
Mr. Curry is a Republican in politics and a member of the CMistian church.
He belongs to the Masonic order. No. 105; I. O. O. F., No. 96; Rebekahs, No. 44;
M. W. A., No. 2333, all of KirksvUle.
GEORGE WALL SMITH was born at Sloan's Point, Adair County, Missouri,
October 6, 1846, a son of John B. and Anna (Burgundy) Smith. He was married
July 3, 1872, to Mollie Dodson, daughter of Isom B. and Nancy Dodson. She died
January 6, 1895. They had six cMldren, four of whom are living.
Mr. Smith moved to Kirksville with his parents when two years old. At the
breaking out of the war he joined- Company I, 18th Missouri Infantry, serving tUl
1864. He was with Sherman in his march to the sea and was severely wounded on
the return march. He was wounded at Shiloh and at luka, Mississippi. After the
war he went to Pennsylvania, remaining two years, then to CMcago for five years.
He next came to KirksviUe, where he has since resided. He is a carpenter, working
in that capacity at the State Normal School two years.
He is a Republican, and a member of the Corporal Dix Post G. A. R.
GEORGE L. HOLMES, son of George W. and Agnes Holmes, was born at
Plymouth, Illinois. He was married AprU 10, 1887, to Alary E. Wheatcraft, daugh
ter of Samuel and Rebecca Wheatcraft. They have one chUd — Ruby C, born July
19, 1888. Air. Holmes OAvns an eighty acre farm situated near WillmathvUle, where
he engaged in general farming and stock raising. He has lived in Adair County for
many years. Mr. Holmes is a member of the Methodist church. He also is car
rier for one of the rural mail routes out of WillmathAdlle.
The History of Adair County.
^g^,. •' :\ > i.'
'%*s*< ^';f^A '-¦*"-V-» ,-***;.« ^'Ctt-;!-''."'^^-,* ,*
John T. Curry, 2 miles south of KirksvUle, former Sheriff
Biographical.
907
Residence and barn of John T. Curry, 2 miles south of KirksvUle
Known as the Woods Dairy Farm
908
The History of Adair County.
Residence of'Geo. L. Holmes, WiUmathville
Mr. and Mrs. Holmes in foreground
Miller Blcrbk, Novinger
Biographical. 909
HEZEKIAH GRISHAM came to Missouri with his parents, Joseph B. and
Johana (Gooding) Grisham, in 1851. They settled in Putnam County and lived there
two years, coming to Adair County at that time. After living here a few years,
they moved to Saline County, then back to Adair County. When grown Mr. Grish
am went to Scotland County, engaged in farming, and was married there. In 1883
he returned to Adair County, where he has since lived and engaged in farming, ex
cept four years in which he served as County Clerk of this county, being elected in
1894, At present he owns a farm of 100 acres, one and one-half miles north of Shib
ley's Point. He is a breeder of fine horses, cattle, etc. During the war he served
with Company H, Ninth Illinois Cavalry, was twice wounded, being at the battle
of Vicksburg and other big fights.
Air. Grisham was born in Knox County, Kentucky, August 7, 1846. He was
married July 1, 1870, to Mary A. Barker, daughter of Lewis B, and Hulda (Bates)
Barker. Mrs. Grisham was born in Lewis County, Missouri, March 3, 1854. They
had three children: Perninia, bom May 20, 1876, died March 23, 1910, was the wife
of Ora J. Beeman; Alice, February 27, 1873, now the wife of B. A. Lintner; Lucretia,
May 3, 1877, now the wife of Charles W. Lintner. Mr. Grisham is a Socialist in
polities. FRANK W. RUSSELL was born in Green County, Illinois, November 25,
1868, being a son of James M. and Lucy H. (Hardcastle) Russell. He was married
AprU 20, 1896, to Vida V. Thomas, daughter of David N. and Elizabeth (Gardner)
Thomas. They have four children: Francis Paul, born May 30, 1898; Margaret
E., November 14, 1903; James Milton, January 2, 1907; Mary Lucy, November 7,
1909. Mr. Russell was reared on a farm near Carrollton, Illinois, except six years which
he spent at Topeka, Kansas, when a small boy. He attended the public school
and lived on the farm till twenty-one years old, then left home and went to Texas.
He remained there two years, then went back to Illinois for two years, then came to
Kirksville, Missouri, landing here in January, 1895. He was in the butcher business
till early in 1910, when he went into the contracting and paving business with S. L.
Eggert. He is aflSliated with the K. of P., Redmen, Yoemen and Elks lodges.
DAVID J. WHARTON was reared on a farm in Pennsylvania. He was born in
Mercer County of that state, February 10, 1847, being a son of Jacob and Dorah
AVharton, He was married August 22, 1870, to Josephine Uber, daughter of John
and Chloea Uber. They have two chUdren: Edwin C, born September 11, 1875;
Bertram A, L., November 2, 1878.
Mr. Wharton remained on the farm in Pennsylvania till twenty-one, then came
to Adair County, Missouri, in 1869, remaining here till 1873. At that time he went
to Ilhnois for one year, then to Indianapolis for one year, then to his old home in
Pennsylvania, where he Uved tiU 1879. He then returned to Adair County, Missouri,
and has since lived here. He is engaged in farming and owns 160 acres of land, one
mile west of Novinger. He is a breeder of Short-Horn cattle, Percheron horses,
etc. Coal underlies practically aU Ms farm, except seventy acres which has been
mined. About 750 tons a day were mined for a long time by the Sheridan Coal
Company. Mr. Wharton comes from an old Pennsylvania famUy. His grandfather entered
the land where PhUadelphia now stands. He is a Republican and a member of the
Presbyterian church.
Geo. WaU Smith, Kirksville
From picture taken soon after the War
Hezekiah Grisham, 1 1-2 miles north of Shibley's
Point; former County Clerk
Biographical.
911
Frank Russell, Cit}- .Assessor, KirksAdUe
912
The History of Adair County.
Residence of David Wharton, 1 mile west of Novinger
Residence of J. V. Miller, Novinger
Biographical. 913
JOHN W. ANDREWS, son of Isaac B. and Elizabeth (AA'alker) Andrews, was
born in Alacon County, Alissouri, February 15, 1847. He was married September
15, 1878, to Sue Brawner, twin sister of C. AI. Brawner. She was born in Sangamon
County, Illinois, January 28, 1853, being a daughter of John S. and Nancy (AlcCirady)
Bra\A'ner. She came to Adair County with her parents in 1855. They have three
cMldren: Bessie, born June 10, 1880, now Airs. George Derfler, of Kirksville, Alis
souri; .\lta B., September 5, 1884, now the wife of Arthur C. AA'ard, of No^-inger;
Lula E., July 26, 1890.
Air. Andrews moA^ed to .Adair County, Alissouri, in 1856, and was reared on a
farm near Kirksville. He lived at home till grown, then married and continued
the occupation of farming. He owns a farm of 152 acres, one mile east of Novinger.
Air. Andrews is a Democrat.
JAMES M. WILLIAMS was born in Holmes County, Ohio, December 17,
1843, being a son of John AI. and Lyda AAlUiams. He was married June 2, 1862,
to Harriett Close, daughter of Jessie and Lidia Close. They had tweh'e children.
Air. AA'iUiams Avns born and reared on a farm in Ohio, where he liA-ed until Ms
early manhood. In 1866 he came to Adair County, Missouri, setthng in Alorrow
tOAvnship, south of Stahl, on land he now owns. A few years later he bought land
adjoining, on the south, built a home there and has lived there continuously since.
He owns a farm of 152 acres, four miles southwest of Stahl. He is a breeder of Short-
Horn and Hereford cattle, Duroc-Jersey hogs and Percheron horses.
James AA'iUiams is a Democrat in politics. He served as Justice of the Peace
of AIorrOAV township twenty-two years, and was also townsMp treasurer when the
county was under tOAvnship organization. He is an active church worker.
MRS. R. A. MYERS, daughter of Martin and Defilah , was born in
Muscatine, Iowa. She was married January 14, 1875, to L. J. Myers. They had
seven children: Nellie, wife of S. O. Husted, of Kirksville; Gertrude, wdfe of F. C.
AA'right, of ConnelsAdlle; AA'infield, of Denver, Colorado; Clyde and Glenn, twins;
Floyd; and Blanche.
Airs. Alyers was born and reared in Iowa, but moAed to Kansas in 1879, remain
ing there eleven years. She then came to Missouri, settling in Putnam County.
Later she Avent to SuUiA'an County. In 1903 she came to Adair County, going into
the hotel business at Connelsville. Airs. Alyers conducts the only hotel at that
place. WILLIAM WALLACE, a native of Columbiana County, Ohio, was bom Sep
tember 15, 1848. His parents were Robert and Rachel Wallace. He was married
to Caroline Eitel, February 16, 1873. Airs. WaUace was born in Adair County,
February, 1856, a daughter of John and Magdalinia Eitel. They have tour children
living, and one dead: LiUie, born December 23, 1873, died June 10, 1896. She was
the vidfe of P. C. Brammer; Delia, September 4, 1875, now Mrs. Daniel L. Niece;
SteUa, January 10, 1880, now Airs. AI. Z. Vice; WiUiam R., January 8, 1883; Alary
B., June 23, 1888, now Airs. Lewis E. Burchett.
Air. AA'allace moved to Adair County with Ms parents in 1852. He was reared
on a farm in this county, and has followed the occupation of farming all his life. He
OAvns a farm of 160 acres, three mUes southwest of Pure Air. Air. AA'^aUace is a Re
pubhcan. His wife is a member of the Lutheran church.
914
The History of Adair County.
t?
o B'
fin-a o3
rt
Biographical.
915
W
1-1
soB
i)l(i
Tiiio IIlSTOliV OK .Adaih Coiintv.
Tlie M}-ers Hotel ill. Coiinelsv-ille, Mrs, I!., ;A, M}'ers, I'roprietor
./
^^'T'MSL.
Hcsiilcii r AVni. AVallace, 3 iiiilcH soul Invest of I'lirc ,Aii-; Mr, niid M
AVallace In foreground
Biographical. 917
WILLIAM O. BOZARTH, a native of Adair County, wns Ikmii on a farm near
Hiuleii and reared on the old Bozarth jilace, where J. A. Burchett now lives. After
living with his parents tiU grown, he then married and bought his present farm,
when- he has since lived. He and his wife own 210 acres tour miles north of Loeffler,
on the SuUivan County line, forty acres being in that county. He is a brix'der of
Sliort-Iiorn cattle, Poland-Cliina hogs, Percheron horses and Shropshire sheep.
Air. Boziirth was bora September 11, 1855, being a son of James Madison and
Kacliel (Mid'lu'l ridge) Bozarth. Mrs. Bozarth was born in Sullivan County, Ahircli
1 1, 1872, They have no (diildren. Air. Bo/arth is a Democrat. His wife is a mem
ber of tli(> A1(>thodist I'^piscopal Church.
EMERY D. WADDILL, a native of .Adair Count.y, Alissouri, was born I'l-bruary
2, 1872, being a .son of Gc-orge M, and Alartha (Siiarker) AA'addill, He was mar
ried February 6, 1900, to Alinnie Hulse, daughter of Thomas .A. and Carrie Hulse.
They havi- three diildren ; Robert G., bom Alay 20, 1901; Irene E., April 15, 1905;
I'^ula F,, September 9, 1907.
Mr. AA'addill was born and reared on a farm in the west part of .Adair Count}-,
where he lived wilh his parents till grown. After his niarriagi- he began farming for
himself and continued that occupation until 1905. Since that, time he has lived in
Kirksville. .After serving as deputy County Clerk for one year he went into the
pool and billiard business which he continued six years. In the spring of 1911 he
sold that business and was dected City Alarshall at the .April election. Air. AA'ad-
dil owns a fann ot fifty-three acres, near Sperr\', also two risidenee properties in
Kirks\'iUe. He is a Republican in politics and lieloniis tii the A'cenien, K. of P. and
Elks fraternities.
HENRY WALLACE is a. native of Columbiana, (\iuiily, Ohio, born November
18, 1851. He is a. ,sim of Robert and Hacliel (Brown) AA'allace. He was niarri(xl
DiH-einber 2, 1877, tii Barbara .A. Niece, daughter of Gi-orge and Barbara Niece.
'I'liey had four cliildren; AA'illiani, born January 4, 1879, died .August 22, 1895;
Kosa, .April 25, 1880, now Mrs, I'il. Ilori'man; Charies F., Jul}- 26, 1883; Cyrus D.,
June 28, 1888,
Mr, AA'allac(> came to .Adair Count}-, Missouri, in ISal. His parents .settled on
a farm six miles west of Kirksville. Henry AA'allace was onl}- ci small baby at that
t iiiie. The falher died there Jul}- 1, 185 I ; the iiiol her died in Alarch of the same year,
Mr. AA'allace has li\-ed in this couiil} and I'lu-med all his lite, except five years spent in
Sullivan County. He owns 228 nci-os, two miles soulhwesl of Nminger. He is a
Kepublicaii, a nieiiib(<r of the Prcsbyleiian cliureh, and lu>loii,!;s to Ihe K. of P. lodge.
ROBERT McCLANAHAN was born in Chi}- tinvnship, .Vdair Couiily, Octo
ber 29, 1872. He is a siin of Charles and Alar}- E. McClanahan. He was united in
inarria.gi- Seplember 17, 1892, to FHie Gleason, daughter of Lloyd AA'. and Kiiiina
Gleason, They have six children; I'.ssie, born March 17, 1891; Xdble, .August 29,
l,S9(i; Anna, November (i, l,S98; Charles, March '20, 1901; Lawrence, October 22,
1904; Oral, June 12, i908.
Air. AlcClnnahan wa.s reared on a I'ariii nol far from where lie now lives. He
li\-ed at home till (weiily }-eai-s old, then married and begun farming for hinisidf, .At
pi-esi-iil he owns a fann ot ilS 1-2 acres, eight miles east of KirksvUle. lie belongs
lo the AI. AV, .A. Mdge.
91i
The History of Adair County.
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Residence of Hugh Abernathy, 5 miles south of Stahl
Mr. and Mrs. Abernathy and grandcMldren
E. D. WaddUl, Marshal of KirksvUle
920.
The History of Adair County.
Residence of Henry WaUace, 1 mile west of Novinger
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Golden Rule School House, 2 miles south of Pure Air
Biographical.
921
Residence, Threshing Alachine and Barn of Robert AlcClanahan, 8 miles
east of Kirksville.
922 The History of Adair County.
WILLIAM LUDDEN is a native of Adair County, Missouri, born January 18,
1871. He is a son of Bernard and Anna Ludden. Mr. Ludden was married Feb
ruary 22, 1898, to Anna Nooning, daughter of WiUiam and Rose Nooning. They
have seven chUdren: Francis Dale, born March 9, 1899; Wilham Leo, April 25,
1900; Catherine, January 23, 1902; Charles Robert, July 5, 1903; James Ernest,
October 24, 1904; Margaret, March 21, 1906; John Florian, October 21, 1907.
Mr. Ludden owns a farm of forty acres, situated seven miles north of Brashear.
He is a Democrat in politics, a member of the M. W. A. fraternity and the Catholic
church. JOSEPH M. LUDDEN, son of Bernard and Anna Ludden, Avas born near Adair,
Missouri, April 26, 1869. He was married November 15, 1904, to Katie T. Clark,
a native ot Knox County, Missouri, born March 5, 1880. Mrs. Ludden is a daughter
ot John L. and Marie Clark. They have three children: Gonzaga, born August
25, 1905; Vincent, February 8, 1907; Blanch G., April 5, 1909.
Mr. Ludden li\'ed on the farm with his parents till grown. He farmed till 1896,
then quit farming, and went into the drug business, at Adair. In 1906 he added a
line of general merchandise to his drug store. At present he has one of the largest
general stores ot the kind in a toAvn ot that size in North Alissouri. He has added a
line of farm implements and machinery to his stock. Besides the store at Adair
the company owns and conducts one at Brashear, J. B. Ludden being the manager.
Mr. Ludden is a Democrat in politics, and a member of the Catholic church.
C. H. SHIVELY was born in Dallas County, Iowa, August 14, 1870, being a
son of John H. and Elizabeth Shively. He was married July 11, 1894, to Jennie
B. Thayer, daughter of Roland and Alaggie (Durfee) Thayer. They have tMee
children: Clara R., born AprU 12, 1895; Margarite E., May 11, 1898; Harold E.,
July 10, 1899.
Mr. Shively was reared on a farm near Perry, Iowa, remaining there with his
parents till twenty years old. He then left the farm and embarked in the livery
business at Perry, continuing eighteen months. He next handled butter and eggs
a few years, also acting as agent for the Standard Oil Company for seven years. In
1903 he came to KirksAdUe, taking charge of the management of the Missouri Heat
& Power Company. He is still in the same position. He is also owner and manager
of the Kirksville Bottling Works.
He is Repubhcan in politics, and a member of the K. of P., M. W. A. and Elks
lodges. EDWIN J. BETTS is a native of Marshall County, Illinois, born November 21,
1866, a son of George W. and Barbara Betts. He was married to Amanda Cooper
July 18, 1905. Mrs. Cooper is a daughter of C. D, and Sarah J. Cooper. To this
union was born one child — Vinnie, bom May 13, 1906. Mrs. Betts was formerly
the wife of LeGrande Daman, by whom she had one child — Newell, born April 26,
1901. Mr. Betts was reared on a farm in Illinois where he lived most of his life. He
came to Adair County, Missouri, in the year 1898, and remained two years. He re
turned in 1904, and has lived here continuously since. At present he owns a farm cf
320 acres, three miles northeast of Adair, only 120 acres being in this county the
other in Knox County just across the line. Mr. Betts is a Democrat in politics and
belongs to the Masons and the I. O. O. F.
Biographical.
923
T. M. Ludden, Marceline
CD to
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The Ludden Family.— In center of group, Mr. and Mrs. Bernard Ludden. Standing, left to right, C. C, J. B.,
T. M., J. AI., W. M., T. F. Sitting, Mrs. Hannah Eagen, Mrs. Margaret O'DonneU, Mrs. C. Gast,' Mrs, G. Cody
Biographical.
925
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926
The History of Adair County.
o
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03
M
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O
Biographical.
927
Ed. Rorabaugh, Circuit Clerk, KirksviUe
928 The History of Adair County".
CHARLES STUART ORCUTT was born in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania,
June 10, 1855, and died at Ms home in KirksviUe, Missouri, May 18, 1910. He came
with his parents to Shelby County, Missouri, in 1865, and in March of that year
moved to Alonticello, where his father died four years later. For several years he
worked on a farm. Sometime in the early seventies he learned the trade of a tinner.
In 1879 he entered the newspaper field, and became editor and publisher of the Lewis
County Journal. In 1891 he sold that paper, moved to Kirksville, and assumed con
trol of the Democrat, which he edited for many years. Prior to coming to Kirks
viUe he served two terms as county treasurer of Lewis County. He was prominent
in politics and a well-knoAvn newspaper man. He was a member of the Christian
church and the I. O. O. F. lodge.
Mrs. Orcutt was formerly Miss Mamie Allen, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Wil-
liamson G. Allen, of Kentucky. She was united in marriage to C. S. Orcutt, Decem
ber 23, 1889. Mrs, Orcutt is a native of Lewis County, Missouri. Since the death
of her husband she continues to make her home at Kirksville.
JOHN H. JOHNSTON, a native of Carroll County, Missouri, was bom De
cember 14, 1871, a son ot J. P. and Clara (EUer) Johnston. He was married July
2, 1893, to Miss Ada L. Morrow. Her parents are B. F. and Lucy (Propst) Mor
row. They had two children: Neva J., born October 12, 1895; Glenn, born No
vember 3, 1897, died November 28, 1900.
Mr. Johnston left Carroll County in September, 1893, soon after his marriage.
He went to Mendon, Missouri, where he engaged in the restaurant and confection
ery business for about sixteen months. He then moved to Brashear, and later went
into the butcher and restaurant business at that place, continuing two tears. He
then took up fruit growing and gardening for a few years. In 1903 he went into the
real estate, loan and insurance business, in Avhich he is still engaged, being in part
nership with his brother, James A. Johnston.
Mr. Johnston and his family are members of the United BretMen church. He is
also President of the Missouri Conference branch of Christian Endeavor. He be
longs to the M. W. A. and is clerk of the local camp.
JOHN D. BELL was born March 28, 1823, near LouisvUle, Kentucky, and died
in 1902. He came to Illinois in 1849, spending seven years, thence to Missouri in
1857. He entered forty acres of land four miles south of Kirksville, and eighty acres
east of Millard. He was a perfect farmer in Ms day, pulling weeds when too wet to
hoe and hoeing when too wet to plough. He knew well how to use the ax, and through
Ms industry laid by a sum which today a man would think could only be earned with
the brain. He Avould make raUs by moonlight, and ten o'clock in the evening and
three in the morning often found him at his work.
WALTER L. BROWN was born October 12, 1882, in Adair County, Missouri.
His parents, Richard A. and Susan (Shoop) Brown, were old pioneers of the county.
He was married March 14, 1904, to Millie Stetter. They have one child — IJoyd,
born October 9, 1907.
Mr. Brown lived at home with his parents until his marriage, then went to farm
ing for himself and for five years rented a farm near the home place. He quit farm
ing and formed a partnersMp with S. F. Shumate, a merchant, in 1909. In the
spring of 1911 he sold his interest in the store at Connelsville, and bought a farm
2 miles north of that place, where he now lives.
05(M(35
VaCM
«
o
John D. Bell, deceased
J. H. Johnston, Brashear
C. S. Orcutt, deceased
930 The History of Adair County.
EDWARD HIGBEE was bom in Ashland County, Ohio, January 1, 1847, being
a son of Jesse and Susan (Newmyer) Higbee. He was married to Mary I. Birney,
December 29, 1867, a daughter of Ebenezer and Elizabeth (Lakin) Birney, in Schuy
ler County. They had eight children, scA^en of whom are living: George B., born
November 12, 1868, died in early infancy; Helen B., December 19, 1869, now the
wife of W. A. Leyhe ot Dallas, Texas; Edna B., January 4, 1873, now wife of John
E. Markey, of Glenwood, Missouri; Florence D., September 4, 1875, now wife of
Morgan G. Heap, of TavIu Falls, Idaho; Frances E., August 29, 1877, now wife of
Raymond Burkland, of Lancaster, Missouri; Walter Higbee, September 4, 1881;
Daniel D. Higbee, May 4, 1888; and Zella Louise, November 21, 1890.
Judge Higbee, as he is familiarly called, moved with his parents to Johnson
County, loAva, in 1849, and was reared on a farm in that state. He attended the
public schools of his community and then took a course at the loAva State University.
He read law at Iowa City and Bloomfield, and was admitted to the bar at the latter
place in 1867. Immediately after this admission he moved to Schuyler County,
Missouri, opening up an office at Lancaster for the practice of his profession. He
tried his first case in the circuit court at Kirksville in November, 1867. In 1899
he formed a law partnership with John C. Mills, at Lancaster, the firm being known
as Higbee & Mills. In 1905 they opened an office at Kirksville and the following
year Judge Higbee moved with his family to that city, and has lived here and prac
ticed since that time. Also in 1905 his son, Walter Higbee, who is a graduate of the
law department of the Washington University, at St. Louis, became a member of
the firm, and was put in charge of the Lancaster office. In 1911 Paul D. Higbee, Ms
son, having graduated from both the academic and law departments of the Missouri
State University, also became a member of the firm.
In 1898 and again in 1902, Judge Higbee was the Republican nominee for Judge
of the Supreme Court, and has also twice received the Republican nomination for
Circuit Judge, but in these cases he was defeated by the Democratic opponents.
WMle residing in Schuyler County, in. 1894, Judge Higbee was elected Representative
of that county, in spite of the fact that the county at that time had a normal Dem
ocratic majority of about tMee hundred. He served one term.
Judge Higbee is a member of Adair Lodge, No. 96, I. O. O. F., and of KirksviUe
Lodge, No. 105, A. F. and A. M., of CaldAveU Chapter, No. 53, is Eminent Commander
of Ely Commandery, No. 22, Kirksville, and a member of Moila Temple, St. Jo
seph. He is an ardent Republican and a devoted member of the Christian church,
having been a member of the official board for several years.
Although Judge Higbee gives his entire time to Ms law practice, he is inter
ested in farming. He owns a farm of 330 acres one mile east of Lancaster, while he
and his law partner own some choice farms in Adair County.
JOHN T. BRUNER, born seven mUes southeast of KirksviUe, November 6,
1872, is a son of David and Miranda Bruner. On August 30, 1894, he married Min
nie Coleman, daughter of Judge Clarkson C. and Corneha Coleman, of Colony, Mis
souri. They had two children: Donald Herbert, born January 26, 1896; David
Clarkson, born January 16, 1903, died June 16, age five months.
Air. Bruner was born and reared on a farm near Kirksville. After his marriage
he farmed for one year, then moved to Kirksville, engaged in the implement business
for a time, later working at the miUing business. In 1896 he went into the jewelry
business in KirksviUe, stayed there two years, then in 1898 engaged in the same work
COCD
<!
us
Ph<a;
oo
B. R. Virden, Stahl
Judge Edward Higbee, Kirksville
J. T. Bruner's Jewelry Store, Brashear
932 The History of Adair County.
at Brashear. He now has a fine jewelry store at that place. He is considered an
expert. At one time he and AV. S. Vawter were partners in that work at Brashear.
He is a member of the Masonic, Royal Arch and Knights Templar bodies of
of Masonry, is also a member of the I. O. O. F. and M. W. A. lodges. He, wife and
son Donald are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
B. R. VIRDEN was born on a farm near Shibley's Point, Adair County, Missouri,
September 20, 1859, a son of Hiram and Elizabeth (Wilson) Virden. When quite
young his father moved to Nineveh township, and there B. B.,. Virden grcAv to manhood
on a farm. He attended the public school and took a course in the KirksvUle Bus
iness College. After teaching for some time he was employed in 1887 by Moore
Bros., general merchants at Stahl, as salesman and bookkeeper, in which capacity
he worked for several years. Later he was employed by the Pennsylvania Coal
Company, as store manager and bookkeeper. At present he is engaged in the rail
road tie and wood business, at Stahl. He is also interested in some coal and farming
land near Stahl, and business property at that place. Mr. Virden is a Republican
and a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge.
ALVA M. CROW was born and reared on a farm near Trinity, Missouri. He
is a son of R. T. and Sarah (Stewart) Crow. The date of his birth is September 14,
1876. On January 1, 1899, he married Maude Lewis, a daughter of George Wash
ington and Sarah C. (Griggs) Lewis. Mrs. Crow came to Adair County April 11,
1880. They have tMee children living, and one dead: Morris E., born January 16,
1900; CecU S., September 5, 1901; Byrdie D., February 28, 1903, died when three
weeks old; Boyd L., AprU 10, 1906.
Mrs. Maude Crow's father was George WasMngton Lewis. He was born No
vember 6, 1843, in Madison County, Ohio. In 1880 he came to Missouri, married
Sarah C. Griggs, near Dovraing, Missouri. He bought a farm called the Hop Napp
farm, four miles east of Greentop, Alissouri. He lived there tUl his death. May 9,
1908, aged 64 years, 6 months, 3 days. He left a wife and five children: Sarah C.
Lewis, Ernest B. Lewis, Maude J. Crow, Loney L. Myers, Emma Grace Lewis, Beu
lah A. Pierce.
Mr. Crow lived on the farm near Trinity, where he was born, till grown, then
bought eighty acres of his present farm, married and Avent to farming for himself.
He has lived on the same farm continuously since that time, buying other land untU
he now has 600 acres. It is one of the best improved farms in the county. He is
a breeder of Hereford cattle and fine hogs and horses.
He is a Republican in politics, and Mrs. Crow is a member of the Methodist
church. JAMES I. YOWELL, son of Henry L. and Elizabeth Yowell, was born in Schuy
ler County, March 3, 1881. He was united in marriage January 1, 1905. to Nellie
McAIaster, daughter of Robert and Mary AIcMaster. Mrs. YowoU was born in
Kansas, December 2, 1882, They have no children.
Mr. YoweU came to Adair County Avhen about one year old, and lived in this
county till 1908. He was engaged in farming most of that time, but was in the mer
cantile business at Pure Air during 1907, Avith his brother J. O, YoweU, In 1908 he
went to the state ot Washington, and remained two years. On his return he farmed
one year, and then went into the mercantile business again with his brother at Pure
Air. He also owns about twenty acres of land at Pure Air, and handles thorough
bred Percheron horses. Air, Yowell belongs to the Democratic party.
Biographical.
933
Residence, Family and Bam of Alva AI. Crow, 4 miles east of Greentop
934
The History of Adair County.
Residence of J. I. Yowell, Pure Air
Animals belonging to Pure Air Draft Horse Company
Biographical. 935
JAMES A. WELLBORN was reared on a farm near Sperry. He is a native of
Adair County, born March 21, 1865, a son of Oriando and Mary (Stewart) Well
born. He lived on the farm near Sperry till twenty-two, attending the public school.
He also took a course in the State Normal School at Kirksville. He taught school
and farmed for six years, then in 1886 he bought his present farm where he has since
lived. In 1898 he put a store buUding on his farm, and started a general store, near
the place knoAvn as Trinity. He stUI owns the store and farm. He has a farm of
eighty acres, five miles southeast of Greentop.
Mr. Wellborn was married March 20, 1887, to Emma C. Hart, daughter of Wil
liam and Ehzabeth (Cragg) Hart. She was born in Adair County May 22, 1867.
They have five children: Alaude M., born May 8, 1888; Mary E., June 30, 1891,
now Mrs. RoUa S. Griggs; Frances K., November 3, 1892; Grace E., May 21, 1900;
James A., Jr., July 15, 1902.
Mr. Wellborn is a Democrat and a member of the M. W. A. lodge.
JOHN W. CORNELL, a son of Sebastian and Margaret (Bring) Cornell, was
bom on the old home place northwest of Brashear, September 13, 1873. He was
married August 12, 1896, to Gertrude Cooper, daughter of Albert and Mary (Doss)
Cooper. She was born in Hancock County February 17, 1873. They have no
children. Mr. Cornell lived at home till grown, then married and began farming for him
self. He now owns a farm of forty acres near the old home place, making a specialty
of handling Short-Horns, PoUed-Angus and other fine cattle, and Duroc-Jersey hogs.
He is a member of the Church of God.
SEBASTIAN H. CORNELL was born in Carroll County, Maryland, Septem
ber 18, 1846. He is a son of WiUiam and Mary M. CorneU. Mr. Cornell was mar
ried to Margaret E. Pring, December 25, 1867, at Fort Wayne, AUen County, Indi
ana. She was born in Allen County, Indiana April 15, 1846. Mr. Cornell came with
Ms parents to DeKalb County, Indiana in 1851. They have five children: Emilia
A., now Mrs. John W. WaddUl; John L. W.; Mary A., now Mrs. L. M. WaddiU;
Martha E., now Mrs. Isaac PoweU; Ella M., now A,Irs. C. D. Ferguson.
Mr. Cornell moved to Adair County, Missouri, in the fall of 1867, where he has
since lived. He is a farmer. His farm consists of 190 acres, twelve miles northeast
of Kirksville, Missouri.
ELMER E. HUSTON, a hotel keeper at Brashear, was born in Carter County,
Pennsylvania, May 28, 1861, being a son of George R. and Abighal (McFjwen) Hus
ton. He was married November 10, 1887, to Duffie S. Deaton, daughter of Meri
deth G. and Laura (Zimmerman) Deaton. She Avas born near La Plata, August 9,
1867. They have no children, but one adopted daughter —Nellie B. Huston, born
June 15, 1897.
Mr. Huston came to Adair County with his parents when seven years old, and
was reared on a farm near Gibbs. After grown he followed the occupation of farm
ing till 1901, then went to Idaho and remained one year. Returning to Adair County,
•le went into the hotel business at Brashear, in which he is still engaged, being very
popular among traveling men. He also owns a farm of 100 acres near Edina. He
is a member of the Masonic and I. O. O. F. lodges, and his wife belongs to the Chris
tian church. His father, George R. Huston, was at one time Judge of the County
Court.
936
The History of Adair County.
>
O
C
c3
Biographical.
937
Residence and Bam of Sebastian H. Cornell, 12 miles northeast of Kirks
ville; Mr. and Mrs. Cornell in front of residence
938
The History of Adair County.
Store and Hesideiici> of Jaines AA'ellborn, Trinity
03 CO05
£
«oo
Residence of E. E. Huston, Brashear
910 The History of Adair County.
REV. WILLIAM DAVID ENDRES was born in McDonough County, IU-, near
Bushnell, October 13, 1876. He attended the High School at Blandinsville, lUi
nois. At the age of nineteen he entered Christian Umversity at Canton, Missouri,
and received his A. B. degree in June, 1901. After his graduation he became the
pastor of the Christian Church at Montgomery City, Missouri, where he ministered
for tMee years. During his pastorate there he was married to Miss Lora M. Mudd,
daughter of L. D. Mudd, also of Montgomery City. He later entered Drake Um
versity to do post-graduate work, and took the B. D. degree in June, 1906. From
there he went to Chicago, where he served the churches of his denomination as pas
tor and studied Sociology in the University of Chicago, from which institution he
was granted the degree of Master of Arts. July 1, 1911, he was called to the pastor
ate of the First Christian Church of Kirksville, Missouri, where he now resides vdth
his wife and two chUdren, Cynthia Elizabeth, and W. D., Jr.
RALPH E. LEE, a native of Iroquois, Illinois, was bom June 8, 1872, being a son
of E.W. and.Persis Lee. He was born and reared on a farm in Illinois, remaining there
till twenty-tMee years old, then went to Schuyler County, Missouri, where he lived
and farmed. In 1887 he came to Adair County, Avhere he has since lived and farmed.
At present he OAvns a good farm of eighty acres, one and one-fourth miles northwest
ot Adair. He engages in general farming and stock raising. He is a socialist in pol
itics. Mr. I^ee was married January 21, 1894, to Maggie Jones, daughter of B. F. and
Caroline Jones. TheA' have eight children: Floretta M., born November 3, 1895;
Frank H., September 16, 1897; Erma C, March 16, 1899; Ernest F., February 17,
1901; Henry J., July 26, 1903; Robert E., September 18, 1905; Dwight E., July
13, 1907; Frederick W., September 3, 1909.
JOHN T. NORFOLK was bom in Baltimore, Maryland, December 23, 1846,
being a son of Thomas H. and Mary Norfolk. He was married in 1866 to Eliza
Hodgson, a daughter of Thomas and Rebecca (Boring) Hodgson. They have seven
children: F. M., born in 1867; George T., 1869; Wilham H., 1871; Alice, 1873;
Lafayette, 1875; J. P., 1879; C. C, 1884.
Mr. Norfolk moved to Pennsylvania with his parents when only about nine years
old and was reared there on a farm. He lived at home tiU the breaking out of the
Civil War, and then in 1863 enlisted in 2nd Ohio Volunteer Infantry for a period of
three years. He served until August 23, 1865, when he was mustered out of service
at Camp Chase, Ohio. He then returned to Pennsylvania and remained there till
1871. At that time he came to Adair County, Missouri, where he has since lived and
been engaged in farming. At present he OAvns a farm of 245 acres about four mUes
northwest of Gibbs. He does -general farming and stock raising.
A/Ir. Norfolk is a Republican in politics, a member of the Christian church and
belongs to the G. A. R.
C. I. SPENCER was born in Adair County, Missouri, near Gibbs, August 16,
1888, being a son of W. Scott and Addie Spencer, He was married July 20, 1911,
to Virgie Davidson, daughter of J, W. and CaUie Davidson.
A/Ir. Spencer Avas born and reared on a farm where he lived with his parents till
February, 1910. He was at that time appointed carrier on R. F. D., No. 1 Gibbs
Missouri, which position he now holds.
In politics Mr. Spencer is a Populist, and is a member ot the I. O. O. F. and M.
W. A. fraternities.
Biographical.
941
Rev. W. D. Endres, Kirksville
942
The History of Adair County.
Residence and Family of Ralph Lee, 1 1-4 m.iles northwest of Adair
CO 03
ij <
u KPi <
KO O
Residence of J. T. Norfolk, 4 mUes northwest of Gibbs
944
The History of Adair Cocnty.
3
o
a
Biographical. 945
JUDGE R. W. HART, son of WiUiam and Elizabeth (Cragg) Hart, was born
in Adair County, fourteen miles northeast of KirksviUe, August 29, 1859. He was
married September 22, 1880, to Maria Mackoy, a native of Illinois. Mrs. Hart is
a daughter of James and Sarah Mackoy. Mr. and Mrs. Hart have three children;
James W., born October 14, 1882; Lawrence AI., July 6, 1887; R. Waring, February
25, 1890. Both James and LavsTence are married, and live near their father.
Mr. Hart was bom and reared on a farm near where he now lives. His father
was one of the early settlers of this county, coming here and entering land in the
early days. Mr. Hart lived at home tiU married, then his father gave him part of
the farm on which he now hves. Later he purchased land adjoining and now has 500
acres, one of the best farms in the county, with a beautiful home and splendidly im
proved. He is a stockholder and president of the Farmers State Bank at Greentop, and
is also interested in other business enterprises. In 1906 Mr. Hart was elected Judge
of the Second District, and re-elected in 1908. In 1910 he was not a candidate. He
is Republican and takes a deep interest in politics. He and his family belong to the
Methodist Church, South.
THOMAS J. HICKMAN is a native of Ohio, and was born in Belmont County
of that state April 16, 1865, being a son of Isaac and Mary Ann Hickman. Mr.
Hickman has been tAvice married, his first wdfe being Miss Elizabeth Scobee, to whom
he was married November 2, 1854. They had two cMldren: Sarah, born April
27, 1857; James L., March 29, 1864. After the death of his first wife he married
Lucinda Hughes, a daughter of Lewis Hughes. They were married July 3, 1873,
and they have tMee children: Charles L., bom July 10, 1874; Amy E., August
27, 1879; Maude, March 19, 1884.
Mr. Hickman moved with his parents to Adair County, Missouri, in 1852, set
tling near Old Nineveh. He lived there on a farm till grown, then took up the vo
cation of farming, in which he has been engaged all his life. In 1907 he retired and
moved to Connelsville and was appointed postmaster at that place in 1910, Ms daugh
ter, Maude, serving as his assistant. In January, 1911, he resigned as postmaster
and moved with Ms family to Walla Walla, Washington, where he now lives.
At the breaking out of the war Mr. Hickman enlisted in the 11th Missouri Cav
alry, which was later consolidated with the 2d Missouri Cavalry. He saw much
active service, taking part in the battle at Cape Girardeau, as well as many skirmishes
with bushwhackers. He is a Republican in politics and a member of the Christian
church. HENRY G. GARLOCK, born in Adair County, Missouri, near Brashear in
1872 is a son of Jacob and Martha Garlock. He was married April 15, 1903, to
Jane Long, daughter of George B. and Mary Long.
Mr. Garlock was born and reared on a farm. He lived at home tiU grown, then
married and began farming for himself. All his life he has been a farmer, and at pres
ent owns a farm of 120 acres, three miles northeast of Gibbs. He engages in general
farming and stock raising.
He is a Repubhcan in politics and a member of the United Brethren church.
His Avife is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
Mr. and Mrs. Garlock have tMee children: Walter, born December 23, 1905;
Esther, July 5, 1907; Olin, December 28, 1908.
61
946
The History of Adair County.
Residence and Barn of Judge R. W. Hart, near Trinity
4, , Generations — T. J. Hickman and daughter, Sarah
Hughes, and daughter, Eva Davis and her son
Hugh Watt Davis
James Madison Bozarth and Wife. Mr. Bozarth
said to be the first white chUd born in
Adair County
948 The History of Adair County.
G. A. PROSSER was born in Knox County, Missouri, January 6, 1884, and is
a son of Allen and .Alice Prosser. He was married August 16, 1908, to AlarA- I. Buck,
a daughter of E. AA'. and Ehza Buck. They have one cMld — Pauline Oda, born
November 17, 1909.
Mr. Prosser is a teacher. He was fitted for this work by attending the rural
schools ot Knox County. After finishing the course as prescribed in the country
schools he attended Centenary Academy, Palmyra, Missouri. He then finished a
busmess course at Gem Citj- Business College, QuincA', Illinois. He has attended the
KirksvUle State Normal School two or more years.
As a teacher Air. Prosser has been eminentlj- successful. After teacMng sev
eral years in the rural schools of Adair Count.A', where he won the reputation of be
ing one of the best rural teachers, he was, in 1910, elected to the principalship of the
Willard School of Kirksville. He was re-elected in 1911, and still holds that position.
JAMES W. FARMER was born in Schuyler County, Missouri, February 21,
1877, being a son of WUliam Q. and Naomi Farmer. He was married AprU 12, 1911,
to Nettie Gleason, daughter of Mark and Nancy Gleason.
Mr. Farmer moved to Adair County with his parents when two years old. Here
he lived till grown, then began farming for himself. He has followed that occupa
tion since that time and at present owns a farm of 200 acres, three and one-half miles
northeast of Sperry. He handles Shropshire sheep, Poland-CMna hogs, Short-
Horn cattle and English Shire and Coach horses.
Mr. Farmer is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and his Avife belongs
to the Baptist church.
JAMES I. BURRIS was born in Boone County, Indiana, in 1854, and is a son
of Robert and Palma Burris. He was married in 1881, to Ida Bureh, a daughter of
Moses and Eufona Burch. They have one child — Ora F., bom March 22, 1886.
Mr. Burris was bom in Indiana, but came to Adair County, Missouri, -wdth his
parents when only three years old and has lived here continuously since. He lived
with his parents on the farm till grown, then continued farming for himself. He has
followed that occupation all his life. At present he owns a farm of forty acres, two
miles northeast of Kirksville. It is well improved and he has a very pretty home.
Mr. Burris is a Democrat in pohtics and takes a deep interest in political affairs.
He is a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge, and he and his family belong to the Presby
terian church.
CHARLES J. CUNNINGHAM, a native of Adair County, Missouri, was bom
May 31, 1884, being a son ot Green B. and Ann (Eitel) Cunningham. He was mar
ried December 16, 1903, to Lillie A'owell, daughter of Henry L. and Ehzabeth Yow
eU. Mrs. Cunningham was born August 4, 1883, being also a native of this county.
They have three children: Vernon, born July 9, 1905; Delmas, June 27, 1907;
Lola, January 27, 1910.
Mr. Cunningham' was born and reared on a farm in the western part of Adair
County, where he lived at home with his parents till his marriage. He then beo-an
farming for himself and has foUoAved that occupation all his life. At present he
owns a farm of 330 acres, two miles east of Loeffler, his land being well improved.
This farm is the original home place. Mr. Cunningham is caring for his parents.
He engages in general farming, stock feeding, etc. In polities he is a Republican.
Biographical.
949
G. A. Prosser and family, Kirksville
Calvin J. Barger and Family, 5 miles northeast of Kirksville
9.50
The History of Adair County.
ft
c3
o
5 O o
03
PL.<;
o
o
Residence of James 1. Burris, 2 miles northeast of Kirksville
952
The History of Adair County.
Residence, family, cattle and wheat haiA-est scene on farm of Chailes
J. Cunningham, near Loeffler
BlOOUAl'lUCAL.
953
Jud,ne K\ AA . Han. near Triiiit\-
954 The History of Adair County.
JUDGE SOLOMON F. STAHL was bom at Bethel, Shelby County, Missouri,
February 8, 1851. His parents were Frederick and Margaret Link Stahl. His
father and grandfather were among the original colonists of the German communistic
colony founded at Bethel by Dr. William Keil in 1844, some account of which has
been given in a section in this book on Nineveh. Judge Stahl was educated in the
school maintained by the colony at Bethel. At the age of thirteen years he was
assigned the work of a clerk in the colony store and served in that position from 1864
to 1866. In 1866 he came to Nineveh, Adair County, at which place a branch of the Bethel
Colony had been established in 1849. He and J. G. Bauer were made the colony's
mercantile agents at Nineveh, and acted as such until 1870. In that year he with
drew from the colony and began business for himself in Nineveh in partnership with
J. D. Miller. The firm was burned out in November, 1873, everytMng having been
lost. Judge Stahl then moved to Shibley's Point, a few miles to the north of Nin
eveh, and was engaged in business there from 1874 to 1880. He then moved to what
is now Stahl in this county and developed the coal industry there in a commercial
Avay. He remained there until about 1882, when he moved to Kirksville, and in
connection with D. C. Pierce engaged in the wholesale and retail grocery business.
He was elected assistant cashier ot the First National Bank, commonly kno-wn as the
Baird Bank, and continued in that business until 1885. He then moved to Benton
ville, Arkansas, and was engaged in the banking business there until 1897. In that
year he was appointed U. S. Marshall for the Western District of Arkansas for four
years by President McKinley, and was afterwards reappointed for another four
years by President Roosevelt. In May, 1906, he again returned to Kirksville, and
was elected President of the Kirksville Savings Bank. In 1907 he severed his con
nection with that institution and was elected cashier of the National Bank of Kirks
ville, which position he still holds.
Judge Stahl is a Republican in politics. He was elected County Judge for Dis
trict Number One in Adair Count}' in 1880, and served for two years. He was U. S.
Marshal for the Western District of Arkansas from 1897 to 1905, as has already been
said. He is a member of the Presbyterian church. Prior to the union of the Cumber
land Presbyterian and the Northern Presbyterian churches, he was a member of the
former. He has been an elder for thirty years. He is a member of the Masonic
lodge and of the Commandery.
He was married to Miss Sarah Shoop January 9, 1874. To them six children
have been born: Mrs. Lilhe A. Hennon, KirksvUle; Claude C, deceased; Ray E.,
deceased; Dr. C. S. Stahl, Kirksville; Richard F., KirksviUe; Mrs. Nellie A. Black,
Johnstown, Pennsylvania.
CHARLES BENNETT was born February 25, 1872, in Vinton County, Ohio.
He was married to Grace Miller, a daughter of Otis and Nancy E. Miller, March 20,
1900. They have three cMldren: Ruth M., born March 2, 1903; Chfford C, March
2, 1900; Clinton L., September 19, 1907.
Mr. Bennett came to Adair County, Missouri, in 1890, moving from Illinois,
where he had lived with his parents since quite young. He purchased his present
farm in 1902, and has always been engaged in general farming and stock raising.
He is a Democrat and a member of the Christian church.
Mrs. Bennett is a member of one of the pioneer famihes of the county, her moth
er being the first white girl born in Adair County, Missouri.
Biographical.
955
Judge S. F. Stahl, KirksviUe
toOr 03
P. C. AliUs, President
The National Bank Building, Kirksville
S. F. Stahl, Cashier
Biographical. 957
CHARLES L. FISHER was |3orn in Saxony, Germany, October 22, 1823, and
came to America in 1848 by way of NeAv York. He went to Chicago and lived one
year, then settled in Iowa. Here he married Caroline Aener, July 4, 1852. She
was also a native of Germany, beilig born in Berlin September 20, 1825. In the
fall of 1847 she came with her parents to America by Avay of New Orleans where they
remained one year, then moved to Muscatine, Iowa. ,
Charles L. and Caroline Fisher Moved to Adair County, Missouri, in the fall
of 1856, where they lived tUl the death of Mr. Fisher, October 5, 1886. His Avidow
moved to Kirksville a few months after his death and made this her residence till
her death, October 16, 1891.
Mr. and Mrs. Fisher had three children, two daughters and one son; Otto E.
who died November 15, 1908, lived at 'WUlmathville, Missouri; Amelia (Fisher)
Gardener and Emma (Fisher) Koelh, who\live in Los Angeles, California.
O. E. FISHER, deceased, was a native of Adair County, Missouri, and was
born near WiUmathville, February 14, 1858. His parents, Charles L. and Caroline
Fisher, were among the earliest settlers of this county, coming here in 1856. They
lived on a farm in that section till their death ih the early eighties. Charles L. Fisher
died October 5, 1886; Carohne Fisher died October 16, 1891.
Mr. Fisher was reared on a farm at the old home place, living there with his
parents till grown. He then married and continued the occupation of farming till
his death, November 15, 1908. He owned a farm of 120 acr«s, one mile west of
WUlmathville, which is now the property of his widow; and one farm of 160 acres,
two miles west of WiUmathville. Since his death Mrs. Fisher and her children have
remained at the place and conducted the farm.
Mr. Fisher was one of the prominent men of this section and was regarded as an
excellent citizen.
He was united in marriage September 20, 1885, to Anna Clouse. They had
tMee children, all of whom are living: Verna D., Leonard F., and Orville M.
JUDGE WILLIAM C. DITMARS, bom in Clark County, Missouri, April 17,
1859, is a son of Henry S. and Sarah (Anderson) Ditmars. He was married Septem
ber 23, 1879, to Narcissus Byrd, daughter of John S. Byrd. They had eleven chil
dren, three of whom died in infancy: Ida L., born September 3, 1879, now the wife
of James Ewing; Nellie M., November 28, 1881, wife of C. O. Bledsoe; EUa M.,
December 6, 1883, wife of W. A. Shelton; Charles W., August 1, 1885; William M.,
March 10, 1887; Eva F., AprU 30, 1888, wife of Ed. Palmer; Warner S., September
15, 1889; Opal P., August 18, 1894, wife of Frank Hays. Mrs. Ditmars died Novem
ber 30, 1903. Mr. Ditmars was again married AprU 21, 1907, to Margaret V. Eason,
daughter of John G. Eason.
Judge Ditmars moved to Illinois Avith his parents when five months old, living
there two years, then went to Iowa. Here his parents remained tiU 1868, then cajae
to Adair County where the Judge has since lived. He has always been engaged in
farming and owns a farm of 240 acres, three miles northeast of Sublette. He also
has 160 acres in Colorado. He is a general farmer and stock raiser, and a breeder of
Aberdeen-Angus cattle, fine horses, mules, etc.
In 1903 he helped to organize the Farmers' State Bank at Greentop and is a di
rector and stockholder. From 1901 to 1905 he served as Judge of the First District,
and from 1907 to 1911 he was Presiding Judge. He is a Republican and a member
of the M. W. A. fraternity.
958
The History of Adair County.
Residence of Mrs. Annie Fisher, near WUlmathvUle; Mr. and Mrs. C. L. Fisher
her husband's parents, both deceased
The Old Fisher Homestead, near WiUmathville
Biographical.
959
Judge W. C. Ditmars, Children, and Residence, 3 miles northeast
of Sublette
960 The History of Adair County.
SAMUEL W. WEAVER was born in Noble County, Indiana, August 23. 1863,
bemg a son of John and Nancy (Fretz) Wea\-er.
Air. AA'eaver moA-ed to Cooper Count}-, Alissouri, wdth his parents when only
five vears old, remaining there tMee years. The,v then moved to this countA-. set
thng on a farm near Kirksville. Thej- remamed on the farm mne years and then
moved to Kirksville where Air. AA'eaver has since UA^ed. On coming here he learned
the plasterer and bricklaj-mg trade and worked at that business contmuoush- tUl
1900. .-At that time he and his brother, J. C. AA'eaver, started a cement plant. It
is known as Weaver Bros. Gramtoid Works, and they manufacture cement blocks,
put doAA-n sidewalks and do aU kinds of ornamental work.
The cement plant is one of the most extensive in North Missouri, and they haAe
done a vast amount of business. Their work has been confined largely to KirksA-UIe
and the e\ddences of their labor and skUl can be found in aU parts of the cit.v. These
tAVO brothers haA-e been partners m busmess since they were boj's, and they have
never had a misunderstanding nor even a settlement. It has been share and share
alike with perfect harmony, AA'orking for each other's interests. Although one of
them is married and the other single, the home belongs to both and they live in per
fect amity. As an example of brothers and partners m busmess, this is exceedingly
remarkable. Air. AA'eaver was never married and makes Ms home Avith his brother at 302
North Baltimore Street. He is a Democrat and a member of the Methodist Epis
copal Church, South.
JOSEPH C. WEAVER, a son of John C. and Nancy (Fretz) AA'eaAer, was bom
in Noble County, Indiana, AprU 16, 1865. He was married October 11, 1893, to
Stella Cheney, a. daughter of Alarion and Nettie (Cowell) Cheney. They had fiA-e
children, four of whom are h\dng: NeUie, born December 1, 1894, died December
28, 1894; Benjamin F., February 17, 1896; John B., Alay 15, 1900; Alma G., June
10, 1905; .Anna B., October 31, 1910.
Air. AA'eaver moved to Cooper County, Missouri, with Ms parents when only
three years old. After remaming there about tMee years they moved to tMs coun
ty and settled on a farm near KirksviUe. About nine years later thej- moved to
Kirksville where Air. Weaver has since resided. Soon after xnovdng to KirksvUle
he learned the trade of bricklayer and plasterer, working at that business contin
uously tUl 1900. Then, in connection A\dth Ms brother, S. AA'. Weaver, he started a
cement plant, known as Weaver Bros. Granitoid AA'orks. It is situated near Ms
home at 302 North Baltimore Street. They do all kinds of gramtoid work, as weU
as manufacturing cement blocks, and have a most excellent business. Air. WeaA-er
and his brother have been partners in business since early manhood. He is a Demo
crat in politics and a member of the AI. AA'. A. lodge.
Airs. Weaver was born in Alacon Countv, Alissouri, Alarch 3, 1872. She came
to Adair County Avith her parents when but a cMld and has lived here since.
At the time of the cyclone at Kirks\-UIe, Air. AVeaver and Ms brother were IIa--
ing where they do now, and their parents were making their home A\dth them. All
the members of the family were at home, which was directly in the path of the c.y-
clone. The A-ounger members of the family could have found safetj- in flight after
they saw the storm coming, but refused to leave their parents, both of whom were
too feeble to get away. The house, wMch was a large nine-room building, was com
pletely demolished, broken up into the smallest fragments and split into kindlirg
wood. .All the furniture was destroA-ed, except a piano stool wMeh stood on the
Biographical.
961
•^4"f*'.#C^
^^--fc. w^mm$
Weaver Bros.' Residence and Granitoid Works, Kirksville
962 The History of Adair County.
floor in the parlor and was not even turned over. This was the only thing left of the
house and all its furnishings. Their father, who Avas sitting in a rocking chair, was
carried about twenty feet north of the building, the chair broken into the smallest
bits, and he was so severely injured that he died in a few minutes. Joseph C, the
married brother, was very badly crushed, and it was thought for some weeks that
he could not recover. His wife was also so badly hurt that her life was despaired of.
Ben F., then their only child, was also very badly hurt. Miss Ella, a sister, who is
now Mrs. Frank Davis, but who AA'as then single and at home, had both legs broken,
the kitchen range being literally picked up and thrown on her. The only members
of the family who were able to Avalk after the storm were Samuel W. and his mother,
both of whom Avere badly bruised.
Joseph C. Weaver and his wife have four very talented chUdren. Ben F., the
oldest child, is almost a musical prodigy. He is an accomplished pianist and plays
all sorts of instruments. He has taken but few lessons, and at the age of four years
he played the piano in public concert.
EDWIN REED is a native of Kirksville, Missouri, . born November 14, 1871,
a son of Samuel and Georgiana Reed. He was married June 14, 1894, to Emma
Ross, daughter of Marcus J. and Alary Ross. They have one cMld — Ruth R., born
November 28, 1903.
Mr. Reed was reared in Kirksville and belongs to one of the oldest families in
the county. He attended the public school and the St. Louis School of Pharmacy,
graduating in 1892. He worked for Air. Fout in the drug business till 1894, when
he formed a partnership with S. R. AIcKeehan, the firm being known as McKeehan
& Reed. He owns stock in the Electric Light Company, Ivie Coal Company, Star
Coal Company, Trust Company, Citizens National Bank, and the Union Station
Bank, of St. Louis. He belongs to the Elks, K. of P. and Masonic lodges.
SAMUEL RUSSELL McKEEHAN was born in Appanoose County, Iowa,
June 15, 1860, being a, son of James and Jane McKeehan. He was married June
20, 1880, to Laura B. Pickler, daughter of George and Emily Pickler. They had
four children, two of whom are living; Ethel, born August 24, 1881, now -wife of
Eldie AVood; James S., January 30, 1883, died October 10, 1891; Mettie, bom
October 15, 1886, died November 26, 1889; Edwin Carl, July 3, 1890.
Mr. McKeehan was bom and reared on a farm in Iowa, remaining there till
1876, when he moved -with his parents to Adair County, Missouri, where he has
since lived. They settled on a farm near KirksviUe, and he remained at home -with
them tUl 1879, when he married and followed the vocation of farming till 1884. He
then moved to Sublette where he remained five years and was engaged in the mer-
cantUe business. At the end of that time he came to Kirksville and went into the
drug business with his brother. In 1894 the latter sold his interest to Ed. Reed.
The firm is known as McKeehan & Reed, and they have been in the drug business
in KirksvUle continuously since that time. They are now located on the Avest side
of the square and have what is conceded to be one of the handsomest stores in North
Missouri. Besides his drug business, Mr. McKeehan is interested in many other
business enterprises. He is a stockholder in the Citizens National Bank, owns a
large amount of stock in the Kirksville electric light and ice plants, also in the Star
and Ivie coal companies.
Mr. McKeehan is a Democrat in politics and a member of the Elks and I. O.
O. F. lodges.
COtocn
K
o o
Interior of McKeehan & Heed's Drug Store, Kirksville
964
The History of Adair County.
Residence of S. R. McKeehan, Kirksville
Residence of Edwin Reed, Kirksville
Biographical. 965
REUBEN A. SLAUSON was born in the tOAvn of Marion, Perry County, Ala
bama, November 26, 1870, being a son of Daniel H. and Julia A. Slauson. He was
married September 27, 1891, to Mollie S. Jameson, daughter of William B. and Eliza
J. Jameson. They had seven children, five of whom are living; Stanley H., born
July 16, 1892, died August 13, 1893; .James R., September 6, 1893, (bed September
19, 1893; Edith G., August 25, 1894; Leo G, September 13, 1899; Harry E., No
vember 25, 1902; Hershal A., June 10, 1906; George M., June 27, 1910.
Mr. Slauson moved to Schuyler County, Alissouri, with his parents Avhen about
a year old. Here he was reared on a farm, living there till grown. He then learned
the carpenter's trade and has followed that occupation and farming since, except
two and one-halt years he was weighmaster for the Manufacturers Coal and Coke
CompauA' mines.
He moved to Adair County soon after Ms marriage and has lived here since that
time. At present he owns a farm of eighty acres, one and one-half miles east of
Trmity Store. Mr. Slauson is a Republican in politics, and served as constable of
Clay township two years.
JANE E. PATTERSON, a native of Ohio, was born April 18, 1850, being a
daughter of Joseph and Phoebe KeUer. She was married December 5, 1869, to
Sylvester Hill, son of Isaac and Mary Ann Hill. They had five children: Martha
Etta, born January 30, 1871, died when two years old; Flora Alice, June 16, 1874;
Rosa Lee, January 5, 1876; Eva M., July 19, 1878; Gordon, November 24, 1880.
Mr. and Mrs. Hill lived in KirksviUe for about twelve years, Avhere Mr. Hill
died in February, 1883. He taught singing schools all over the county, and was
higMy respected wherever knoAvn. Mrs. HiU and family still resided in Kirksville
until the fall of 1884. Mrs. Hill was again married and became the wife of John
Patterson, who died February 25, 1909. They had no children. Mrs. Patterson
now lives seven miles east of KirksvUle, on land adjoining the old Patterson home-,
stead. JACOB W. SCOTT was born in Adair County, Polk Township, October 18"
1860. He is a son of Andrew and Mary Scott. He was united in marriage Sep^
tember 3, 1882, to Ellen Bond, daughter of Hugh and Sarah (Hardin) Bond. The^^
had seven children: Martin W., born August 4,- 1883; Jessie, August 12, 1885, no
Mrs. Frank Gillispie; Harry J., July 25, 1888; Nina E., December 13, 1892; Edna
L., December 9, 1894; Jasper, December 23, 1896; Lula E., July 4, 1899.
Mr. Scott was reared on a farm in this county, twelve miles northeast ot Kirks
vUle. He now owns a farm, three miles southwest ot Greentop, in this county. It
consists of eighty acres. He also owns forty acres in NincA'eh Township. He has
farmed all his life, except sixteen months which he spent in serving as janitor at the
court house, being appointed in October, 1909.
He is a member of the Anti-Horse Thief and M. AV. A. lodges.
DAVID SEES, a native of Ohio, was bom May 18, 1865, being a son of Thomas
and Margaret Sees. He was married December 17, 1885, to Estella Parsons, daugh
ter of Ephraim and Marietta Parsons. They have one child — Harry, born .lune 21,
1888. Mrs. Sees Avas born in Illinois, February 10, 1866.
Mr. Sees came to Adair County, Alissouri, with his parents in 1868. He owns
a farm of 114 acres, four mUes west of Brashear, but devotes his time to carpenter
ing and contracting, making his home at Brashear. He has built the greater part
of the best buildings at Brashear. He also takes large contracts in other tOAvns, be
ing considered an expert in his line.
966
The History of Adair County.
Residence of Reuben A. Slauson, 1 1-2 miles east of Trinity
Residence of Mrs. Jane Patterson, 7 miles east of KirksviUe
Biographical. 967
DR. A. W. PARRISH was born in Scotland County, Missouri, March 2, 1851,
being a son of Dr. A. and M. A. Parrish. He was married March 7, 1877, to Emma
L. Bartlett. They had three children, two of whom are living. Those living are
B. C. Parrish, of Omaha, Nebraska, and Dr. Bert B. Parrish, of KirksviUe.
Dr. Parrish was born and reared on a farm in Scotland County, remaining there
with his parents till grown. He attended the public schools of his neighborhood
and took a course at the Memphis High School, He then entered the Keokuk Med
ical College at Keokuk, Iowa, graduating from that institution in 1875. He entered
the practice of his profession at Queen City, remaining there till 1895. He then
came to Kirksville, where he has since lived and been engaged in the general practice
of medicine and surgery.
Dr, Parrish is a Democrat in politics, a member of the I. O. O. F. lodge, also be
longs to No. 366, A. F. and A. M., and to the Chapter, all of Kirksville.
SEVRENIOUS R. BURCHETT, deceased, was born in Adair County, Mis
souri, October 21, 1858. He was married October 25, 1885, to Mary E. Kimberly,
daughter of Ira and Margaret (AA'ilson) Kimberly. Mrs. Burchett was born in De
fiance County, Ohio, August 10, 1864, coming to Adair County, Missouri, in 1868.
They had six children; Emmett, born August 27, 1886; Otto, August 2, 1888;
Nettie, November 23, 1889, now the wife of GaU Custer; Lena, October 11, 1891,
now the wife of Clarence Darr; Warner, May 28, 1897; Ruby, September 10, 1900.
Mr. Burchett was born and reared on the farm on which his widow now resides.
He lived with his parents, George and Elizabeth Burchett, till grown, then mar
ried, and for four years farmed for himself. He then moved to the old home and
helped to care for his parents till their death, purchasing the old home place. Here
he lived and farmed till his death, September 4, 1907. The farm consists ot 160
acres, five miles northwest ot Pure Air. Mrs. Burchett has conducted the farm
since his deatfe. > His father was a native -of Ohio, and came to Adair County, Mis
souri, in the late forties, living there till his death in 1898. Mr. Burchett was a
Democrat. LEONARD NEWCOMB was born in Lee Coujity, Iowa, April 19, 1848, being
a son of David and Anna B. Newcomb. He Avas married January 19, 1871, to Jane
Heryford, daughter of James and Eliza Heryford. Mrs. Newcomb was born in
Scotland Count}-, Missouri, September 4, 1848. They had four chijdren, three ot
whom are living: Fannie, born July 4, 1872, now the wife of O. AI. Sparks; Harry
W., AprU 11, 1880; Maude, March 31, 1884, now wife of Harry A. Kunz; Nellie,
June 20, 1889, died January 4, 1903.
Mr. Newcomb came to Adair County, Missouri, with his parents in 1856, set
tling on a farm which Mr. Newcomb now owns. His father lived there till his death
in 1892, his mother dying in 1889,
After his marriage Mr. Newcomb began farming tor himself on a part of the old
home place, and after the death of his parents came into possession of a part of the
home farm. It consists of 320 acres, two miles north of Sperry. He also owns
twenty acres just across the line in Schuyler County. He does general farming and
stock raising.
Mr. Newcomb is a Democrat in politics and he and his wife are members ot the
Christian church.
968
The History of Adair County.
A. AA . Parrish, AI. D., KirksvUle
Biographical.
969
S. R. Burchett (deceased) and Family,
Residence of L. F. Aloody, 5 miles east of KirksviUe
970
The History of Adair County.
Leonard Newcomb and I''amily, 2 miles north of Sperry
Biographical. 971
GREEN B. CUNNINGHAM, a native of Adair County, was born January 9,
1847, being a son of James and Sarah Cunningham. He was married January 5,
1868, to Julia A. Eitel, a daughter of Gottlieb and Magdalena Eitel, They "had
four children: Claudy B., born October 16, 1870, died September 16, 1879; John,
January 7, 1876; Magdalena, September 11, 1880, now the wife of John Farr; Charles
J., May 31, 1884.
Mr. Cunningham was born near Millard, where he lived till 1850. His father
then went to California and died there. He went with his mother to Randolph
County, Missouri, remaining about a year, during which time his mother died. Air.
Cunmngham then returned to Adair County and made his home with Abal Stukey
until grown. After his marriage he began farming for himself and has followed that
occupation all his lite. He had no school advantages. His wife taught Mm to read
and Avrite. Mr. Cunningham had a farm of 800 acres which he turned over to his
cMldren, retaining a life right in it. He now lives at the old home place, iiear Loeffler,
where he has a very pretty home.
At the breaking out of the Avar Mr. Cunningham joined Company M, 2nd Mis
souri Cavalry, serving until 1864, then re-enlisted in Company H, 42nd Missouri
Infantry, and served tUl the close of the war. He saw much hard service. Air.
Cunningham is the third oldest man born in Adair County. James Kennedy is the
second oldest. There are said to be only two native soldiers of this county living.
Mr. Cuimingham is one and Mr. Kennedy the other.
JUDGE J ACOB SANDS was born at Darlington, Montgomery County, In
diana, February 20, 1838, being a son of Benjamin W. and Margery (Barker) Sands.
Judge Sands was born and reared on a farm in Indiana, remaining at home there
Avith his parents till the breaking out of the war. At the beginning of that conflict
he assisted in organizing Company C, 36th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was made
First Sergeant. Later he was promoted to Lieutenant for meritorious conduct at
the battle of Pea Ridge. After serving almost four years he re-enlisted in the same
company. He took part in many important engagements, including the battle of
Pea Ridge already mentioned, and the siege of Corinth. In the fall of 1862 he Avas
sent to Cincinnati and from there to Louisville, being put in Sheridan's division.
AVhile with this army he fought in the battle ot Perrysville, Chickamauga, Mission
Ridge and Stone River, in the latter battle 230 soldiers of his regiment were killed,
wounded or captured. Judge Sands was in Illinois at the time of the Lincoln-Doug
las campaign and heard several of the famous debates between these tAvo men.
At the close of the war Judge Sands came to Adair County, Alissouri, and bought
a farm in what is known as the Illinois Bend neighborhood. He lived there and
farmed till 1868, w-hen he was elected County Judge. He then sold his farm and
moved to KirksvUle where he has since resided. He served four years on the bench
and then for six years acted as railway mail clerk on the Wabash. He Avas then
elected Probate Judge of this county, serving for six years. Later he also filled the
office of County Collector for two years. Since then he has retired from active busi
ness. He is an ardent Republican and has been honored in many ways by his party.
He is a member of Corporal Dix Post, No. 22, G. A. R., KirksviUe, being Past Com
mander of this organization. He is also a prominent member of the I. O. O. F. order.
Judge Sands is a Republican in politics and a dcA'oted member ot the Methodist
church.
972
The History of Adair. County.
Residence and Barn of Green B. Cunningham, near Lceffler. Air. and
Mrs. Cunningham in foreground, and cannon-balls shot at the
battle of Kirksville on chair. Center picture, Mr. Cunningham
and James Kennedy in fishing boat at Yarrow
Biographical.
973
The old Red School House, near Stahl
Residence of Jacob R. Cook, 4 miles north of Gibbs
974
The History of .\daiu County.
Biographical. 975
E. B. CAMPBELL was bom in McDonough County, lUinois, December 21,
1860, and is a son of John S. and jSTancy V. (Bridges) CampbeU. He was married
March 14, 1883, to TiUa Reed, daughter of John T. and Sarah (Jones) Reed. Mrs.
Campbell was born in Warren County, Illinois, January 17, 1863, and died No
vember 26, 1910. They had five children, three of whom are living: Ralph R.,
bom January 5, 1887; Ward C, August 4, 1890; Arthur D., March 30, 1892, died
.June 12, 1892; Claude R., October 2, 1895; Erman B,, March 30, 1897, died July
13, 1899. Mr. Campbell was born and reared on a farm in Illinois, remaining at home with
his parents till growm. He attended the public schools and took a course at Elliot
Business College, at Burlington, Iowa, Soon after quitting school he married and
moved to Stronghurst, Illinois, where he went into the mercantile business, and was
also engaged in banking. He helped to organize the First National Bank at that
place, was the principal stockholder, and chairman of the finance committee. In
1902 he sold out his interests at Stronghurst and moved with his family to Adair
County, Missouri, where he has since lived. Since coming here he has given his
entire attention to banking. At present he and his sons, Ralph R. and Ward C,
own and conduct a bank at Gibbs, Missouri, and one at Buckhn, Missouri. Mr.
Campbell is president of both banks; Ralph R. is cashier of the institution at Gibbs,
and Ward C. the one at Bucklin. Both institutions are in splendid condition and
ably and carefully managed. Mr. Campbell is also interested in other business en
terprises, owns a large tract of land near Stronghurst, Illinois, and also a large body
of land in Arkansas,
Mr. Campbell is a Republican in politics and a devoted member of the Chris
tian church. He has been a Member of the official board of the church at Kirks
ville for a number of years.
WARD C. CAMPBELL was born at Stronghurst, Illinois, August 4, 1890,
being a son of E. B. and TiUa Campbell. He was married August 16, 1911, to Edna
Millay, daughter of Robert and Laura Millay.
Mr. Campbell moved with his parents to Adair County, Missouri, in 1902. He
attended the public schools, took a two years' course at the State Normal and a
business course at the KirksviUe Business College. After his completion of that
course he entered his father's bank at Gibbs, Missouri, as bookkeeper. In the spring
of 1911 he and his father bought a bank at Bucklin, Missouri, he being made casMer
of that institution. Since then he has married and makes his home at that place.
Mr. CampbeU is a Republican in politics and he and his wife are devoted mem
bers of the Christian church.
THE ELKS LODGE buUding Avas erected in 1910, the corner-stone being laid
June 29, 1910, with elaborate ceremonies, with visitors from all parts of the state.
It was completed'the latter part of the year and formally opened January 3, 1911.
The buUding is conceded to be one of the handsomest of the kind in the state, and
is splendidly furnished, the buUding and furnishing costing about .132,000. It is
located on the corner of Jefferson and Elson Streets.
The local lodge now has a membership of 400, the largest in the state outside
of the big cities. The following are the officers for 1911: B, L, Bontoey, E. R.;
S. S. Cavett, E. L. K.; B, E, Sees, E. Ly. K.; E. Conner, E. Leot. K.; Audrey D.
Risdon, Secretary; F. 0, Kloos, Treasurer; L. M, Ewing, Tyler.; Frank Miller,
I; G.; Harry S. Jonas, Esquire. Trustees: H. M. StUl, W. B, HamUton, Chas. R.
Milbank.
976
The History of Adair Cocnty.
Bank ot Gibbs, E. B. Campbell, President; Ralph R, Campbell, Cashier
Biographical.
977
M
O
0
63
978
The History of Adair County.
Interior Elks' Club, Kirksville, and Delegation that Attended the State
Meeting, B. P. O. E. at Alacon, June, 1911
Biographicajl. 979
DR. E. S. OWNN was bom in New York NoA-ember 17, 18.59. Biis parents
were Matthew and Mary Quinn. He came to Adair County, Missouri, with his pa
rents when a small boy and has hved here since. He was married June 9, 1891, to
Maiy Hayes, daughter of Alichael and Anna Hayes. They haA-e three children:
Carmelita, born Januarv 2, 1893; Hayes, Januarv 11, 1897; Marian, Alarch 14,
1908. Dr. Quinn was educated in the pubhc schools of Adair County and took a course
in the State Normal School. He also attended the Oakland CoUege, at Novelty,
Missouri. He took a course in medicine at Louisville, Kentuckj-; graduating from
the medical department of the Alarion Sims Aledical College, at St. Louis, Mi^ouri,
in 1896. Soon after graduating he entered the practice at Kirksville, and has been
here continuously since. At present he is president of the Adair County Medical
Association, and belongs to both State and National Associations.
He taught in the pubhc schools six years; served as deputy clerk and recorder
four years, from 1890 to 1894. He is a Democrat and a member of the Elk and Wood
man lodges. He is a member of the Cathohc church.
JUDGE GEORGE W. NEWTON was born m La Fayette County, Wisconsm,
August 6, 1862, being a son of WiUiam and Ann Newton. He was married August
1, 1885, to Lela Ives, a daughter of David R. and Alary Iacs. They have twelve
chUdren: Ada, bom September 8, 1886; Lola, November 17, 1778; Ray L., Jan
uary 5, 1889; Mabel, March 24, 1890; OrviUe W., September 15, 1891; Hazel. Au
gust 22, 1894; Kenneth E., July 16, 1896: Alarj-, Januarj 26, 1901; Harold R.,
July 20, 1903; Lucille, May 25, 1905; Edna, March 30, 1909; Geoige W,, Jr., Feb
ruary- 18, 1911.
Judge Newton moved with his parents to Macon County. Missouri, Februarj-
22, 1870, and was rear«i on a farm in that cotmty. After he was grown and mar
ried he continued the occupation of farming and resided in that county till 1894.
He then moved with his family to this coimty, where he has since hved and farmed.
He owns a splendid farm of 387 acres near Gibbs, and lioes general farming and stock
raising. He was elected Coimty Judge of the Second District in 1898, serving four years.
In 1902 he was elected Presiding Judge of the County Court and served for a like
period. Judge Newton is a Repubhcan in pohtics and a member of the Lniversal-
ist church, but does not afiSliate with any lodgps.
CHARLES L. HALL was bom in Macon Coimty, ^Missouri, February 25, 1877,
being a son of Henry H. and Augusta (Hastings) Hall. He was married March 2,
1896, to Cora M. Sinclair, daughter of Geoige E. and Dora Sinclair. They have
SLs children: Ernest, bom October 10, 1896; Mary, Alarch 22, 189-8; Alarie, Sep
tember 21, 1899; Charles W., March 6, 1901; Sidney, January 5, 1903; Alaniie,
March 17, 1905; Bemice, Febmar\- 14, 1907.
Air. Hall was bom and reared on a farm in Macon Coimty, attending the pubhc
schools of his neighborhood. 'When about grown he moved with his parents to Alilan,
Missouri, completing his education at the MUan High School. He hved and farmed
in Sulhvan County till 1896, when he moved to Adair County, where he has since
hved. At present he owns a farm of 320 acres, twelve miles southeast of Kirks-
-ville, which is r^arded as one of the fine farms of the county and is well improved.
He is a breeder of fine horses and cattle and does general farming.
Mr. Hall is a Repubhcan in pohtiis, a member of La Plata lodge. No. 237, A. F.
and A. AI., and he and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
980
The History of Adair County.
^^^* ^&:!^^i>\^^t^>^^^ ^^<^*
E. S. Quinn, M. D., Kirksville
Biographical.
981
liis',(!,'iii'i' o;' I-: S. tJ linn, .M. P., Kirks\ille
982
The History of Adair County.
Judge G. W. Newton, Family, Barn and Home, near Gibbs.
Biographical.
983
Residence, FamUy and Horses on Farm of Charles L. Hall, 12 miles
southeast of Kirksville
984 The History of Adair County.
HENRY SHERMAN was born and reared on a farm in Ilhnois, living there with
his parents till twenty-one years old. He then went to Nebraska, taking a homestead
in Seward County. He remained there three years, then moved to Sumner County,
Kansas, buying a farm which he conducted eight years. He then came to Scotland
County, Missouri, bought a farm, and lived there till 1905. At that time he came to
Adair County, bought Ms present farm of 115 acres, situated four and three-fourths
miles northeast ot Kirksville, where he has since lived.
Mr. Sherman was born April 14, 1854, in La Salle County, Illinois, being a son
of Henry and Susan (Sweet) Sherman. He was married December 4, 1877, to Ellen
Spiece, born December 14, 1857, in New York City. They have three children hv
ing, two dead: Ada, born October 5, 1879, now the wife of John Clayton; WiUiam
T., December 22, 1886; Mabel, June 9, 1889; Henry died in infancy; Gertrude, died
when about three years old.
He is a member of the M. W. A. and I. O. O. F. lodges. Mrs. Sherman is a mem
ber of the CMistian church. Air. Sherman is a Democrat in politics.
T. D. BELL was born in Belmont County, Ohio, June 2, 1836, being a son of
WiUiam B. and Rebecca Bell. He was married December 8, 1858, to Martha Cur
tis. They had three chUdren; Anna Laura, deceased wife of Hon. J. W. Johnson;
Clyde C; Ehzabeth Jane. His second vrife was Miss N. AI. Reynolds, whom he
married November 20, 1891. They had two children: Fannie, born February 8,
1897; Rebecca, September 1, 1902.
In August, 1862, he enlisted in Company E., 98th OMo Volunteer Infantry,
entered the army of the southwest department of the Cumberland, operating in
Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, North and South Carohna, "^^irginia and
Maryland. He was in the battles of Perryville, Chickamauga, Alission Ridge, Look
out Mountain, Dalton, Rome, DaUas, Peachtree Creek, Jonesboro, and many minor
engagements. He served two years as sergeant. After the downfall of the Confed
eracy, he was mustered out at Washington, D. C, in June, 1865, and came to Adair
County, Alissouri, the following year, locating in Clay township, twelve miles north-
cast of Kirksville. He owns a, nice farm there and r,aises fine stock. He is also a
mechanic. Mr. Bell was a Democrat until recently, but is now an uncompromising Repub
lican, belonging to the Insurgents. He is an active worker in the Missionary Baptist
church, of which he has been a member since 1859. He belongs to the G. A. R. and
I. O. O. F. lodge.
LEMUEL C. BOZARTH, son ot Beveriey A. and Francis (Jackson) Bozarth,
was born in Adair County, on the farm he now owns, February 7, 1857. He was
united in marriage April 25, 1880, to Alary E. Shott, daughter of Jonas and OUie
(McPhetridge) Shott. Airs. Bozarth was born in Adair County, April 23, 1862.
They had twelve children: Pearl M., bom February 17, 1881, now Mrs. Joseph
Page; Ira P., July 11, 1882, died August 12, 1883; Minnie A., May 30, 1884; OUie
F., May 17, 1887, now Mrs. Albert Thomas; Ida E., October 18, 1889, now Mrs.
G. L. Miller; Edna O., October 13, 1891; Arthur J., June 13, 1894; Mary Adaline,
August 20, 1896; Lemuel A., January 8, 1901; one child, a twin of Lemuel, died in
infancy; Leonard C, September 17, 1902; Jesse P., August 14, 1904.
Mr. Bozarth was reared on the farm he now owns, which is six miles south of
Novinger. He lived at home with his parents until grown and married. He has
Biographical.
985
«-iW»1B.*
Residence and Barn of Henry Sherman, 5 miles northeast of Kirksville;
Mr. and Mrs. Sherman and granddaughter in foreground
986
The History of Adair Coiinty.
L. C. Bozarth's Residence and Family, 6 miles south ot Novinger
Biographical. 987
spent aU his life in this county, and on the same farm. It consists of 160 acres.
Beverley A. Bozarth, father of Lemuel, was born in Howard County, Missouri,
January 15, 1822. He came to this county in 1829, being among the first white
settlers to come to tMs region. He lived here tUl his death, November 25, 1903.
His wife was Francis Jackson, and they had eleven children, nine of whom are liv
ing. Five are now residing in this county: Alexander; L. C; Aminda, now Mrs.
Bion Ziegler; Ida, now Mrs. Charles Monarch; Julia, now Mrs. James Pinkerton.
Mr. Bozarth belongs to the Universahst church, his wife to the United Brethren.
JAMES H. NOVINGER came to Adair County with his parents in 1851, set
tling where the town of Novinger now stands. He lived at home till grown, then
at the breaking out of the war he enlisted in Company A., R. C, serving only a few
months, then joined the State MUitia, serving till August, 1862. He then joined
Company D, 27th Alissouri Infantry, remaining in its service tUl the close of the
war. He was first sergeant of Ms company. At. the close of the war he returned
home, married, and began farming. This occupation he foUowed till 1893, when he
moved to Green City, where he now lives. He was also interested in the mercantile
business at Novinger for several years. He still owns a farm of 240 acres, just west
of Novinger. Since movdng to Green City he has been in the- banking business,
being president of the bank.
Mr. Novinger was born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, April 20, 1840, be
ing a son of John C. and Sarah (Shott) Novinger. He was married January 21,
1866, to Elizabeth Shoop, daughter of Jacob and Mary (Snyder) Shoop. Mrs. Nov
mger is a native of Adair County, born near Novinger, Missouri, October 18, 1843.
They have two chUdren: Joseph E., born November 17, 1866; Sarah E., March
3, 1872, now the wife of Daniel C. Myers, of Green City, Missouri.
J. H. Novinger is a, Republican. He was Judge of the County Court of Adair
County from 1885 to 1887, township assessor three terms, and Justice of the Peace
of Green City several terms. He belongs to the Presbyterian church and the G. A. E .
ABRAHAM OWEN SANBORN was born at La Crosse, Wisconsin, Septem
ber 14, 1857, being a son of Isaac Mason and Alice (McCullough) Sanborn. He
was married May 20, 1888, to Permelia Eggleston, daughter of Andrew and Harriet
Eggleston. They had two children: Clyde Ray and Asa Owen. Airs. Sanborn
died March 22, 1905. He was afterwards married to Geneva Eggleston, a sister ot
his first wife. They have no children.
Mr. Sanborn moved with his parents to this county in 1859, settling two miles
north of Kirksville, where he lived five years, and in the fall of 1864 moved to the
farm where he now lives, and where he has lived continuously since. It consists of
220 acres, four miles east of .Kirks-ville, and is well improved. He does general farm
ing and stock raising. Mr. Sanborn is a Republican in politics and he and his fam
ily are members of the CMistian church.
Isaac M. Sanborn was bom in Vermont January 1, 1796. He moved from
there to Wisconsin and from there to Minnesota. In 1859 he came to Adair County
and was taken ill while on the trip, dying three weeks after his arrival here. His
wife was born in 1822 in Ardee, Ireland. She came to America when a young girl
and lived in New York eight years. She then moved to Wisconsin where she was
married November 10, 1853, to Mr. Sanborn. After his death she married Ansalum
Moody, with whom she lived until his death in 1886. She then made her home with
her son until her death, June 4, 1906.
988
The History of Adair County.
Mr. and Airs. James H. Novinger, of Green City, and their Farm
Home, near Novinger
Biographical.
989
S. A. Novinger and Family, near Novinger
COCOO
1-3
O
O Tli>O
od
Residence of S. A. Novinger, near Novinger
Biographical. 99 1
PHILIP CARNAGEY moved to Adair County, Missouri, with his parents in
1865, and settled near where he now lives. When grown he left home, married
and began farming for himself. He has followed the occupation of farming all his
life. At present he owns a farm of 292 acres, one and one-half miles southwest of
Pure Air, and makes a specialty of breeding Aberdeen-Angus and Short-Horn cattle,
Poland-CMna hogs and Percheron horses. He is a member of the Pure Air Breed
ers' Association. Mr. Carnagey was born in Ashland County, Ohio, October 19, 1859, being a son
of George A. and Mary (First) Carnagey. He was married March 25, 1888, to Emma
L. Eitel, daughter of Christopher and Catherine (Etzel) Eitel. Airs. Carnagey was
bom in Adair County, October 24, 1869. They had seven chUdren: Eva F., born
February 10, 1889, died September 10, 1890; Laura B., December 27, 1890, now
the wife of R. J. Barnett; Olive D., August 31, 1893; Alta M,, AprU 11, 1896; Mat-
tie M., August 25, 1898; Opal L,, October 28, 1902; Andrew A., March 15, 1906.
All the children were born on the place where they now live.
Mr. Carnagey is of Scotch descent, and a distant relative of Andrew Carnegie,
the Iron King, the way he spells his name being the old Scotch form. Mrs. Carna-
gey's mother, Mrs. Catherine Eitel, is still living, and makes her home with her chU
dren. She was born February 16, 1834, in Germany, coming to America in 1853.
She came to Adair County, Missouri, in 1855. Her maiden name was Etzel, and
she married the same year she came to this county to Christopher Eitel.
Mr. Carnagey is a Republican and a member of the Methodist church.
ROBERT J. BARNETT was bom on a farm in Grundy County, Missouri,
April 15, 1886. He moved with his parents. Perry B. and Mariah J. (Shaney) Bar
nett, to Laredo, Missouri, when two years old. His father was engaged in business
there tor six years; then moved to Kirksville, Alissouri, where he lived eight years.
He then bought a farm near Nind, Missouri. Here Robert lived with his parents
until his marriage, then moved on a farm two miles west of Nind, Missouri, lived
there one year, then moved on his father-in-law's farm near Pure Air. He still rents
100 acres of that farm and lives there.
Mr. Barnett was married December 31, 1908, to Laura B. Carnagey, daughter
of Philip and Emma Ij. (Eitel) Carnagey. They have no children. In politics he
is a Republican.
JESSE O. YOWELL came to Adair County when two years old. His parents
settled near Pure Air, where his father now lives. Air. Yowell engaged in farming
until 1907, then went into the mercantUe business at Pure Air, where he still owns
and conducts a store. He handles general merchandise. Besides his store he owns
a farm of 128 acres, two miles southwest of Pure Air, and thirty acres where the to-wn
of Pure Air is located. He is a stockholder in the Burk Bros. Packing Company at
KirksviUe. On the farm he raises Poland-China hogs and Percheron horses.
J. O. Yowell was born in Schuyler County, Missouri, February 28, 1879, being
a son of Henry and Elizabeth Yowell. He was married Alarch 2, 1903, to Eva Vice,
daughter of Samuel C. and Mary Vice. Mrs. Yowell was born in Adair County
December 13, 1878. They have three chUdren: Mary E., born December 21,
1903; Odessa AI., May 2, 1906; Dental A., August 7, 1908.
Mr. Yowell is a Democrat in politics.
992
The History of Adair County.
-» * » Tfc ^ V^
V ,y^.^^^i^-
Residence and Family of Philip Carnagey, also Residence of his son-in-law,
Robert J. Barnett, 1 1-2 miles southwest of Pure Air
Biographical. 993
B. F. REESMAN was born on a farm eight miles southeast of Kirksville, liv
ing there till grown. He attended the pubhc school and took a course at the State
Normal School at KirksvUle. After teacMng several years he studied at the Amer
ican School of Osteopathy, graduating in 1900. He then went to Idaho, practiced
till 1905, then returned to Adair County and resumed the occupation of farming.
At present he owns a farm of 140 acres, well improved, situated five miles east ot
Kirksville. Here he has lived since giving up his practice. He does general farming
and stock raising.
Air. Ree.sman was born October 29, 1874, being a son ot B. G. and Florence
(Benedict) Reesman, He was married October 2, 1900, to Bertha Barrows, daughter
of OtisT, and Catherine (Carrington) Barrows. They have three chUdren: Homer,
born April 23, 1906; Howard, October 19, 1907; Harold, October 11, 1910.
He belongs to the K. of P. and AI. W. A. lodges.
BEDFORD KEITH DICKERSON is a native of Adair County, Alissouri,
and was born near the present town of Millard, June 5, 1872, being a son of Patrick
H. T. and Catherine I. Dickerson. He was married February 13, 1898, to Anna
Salisbury, a daughter of John and Mary Salisbury. They had four chUdren, only
one of whom is living: William H., born .-Vugust 20, 1899, died the same day; Mary
I., January 5, 1901, died January 8, 1901; Peari R., October 25, 1906, died the same
day; Bedford K., Jr., May 9, 1908.
Mr. Dickerson was born and reared on the farm he now owns and has lived there
all his life. It consists of 160 acres and is situated about four miles southeast of
Millard. It is a splendid farm and is one of the historic places ot the county. Mr.
Dickerson is a member of the I. O. O. F., A. F. & A. M., M. B. A. and AI. W. A.
fraternities, and he and his wife are members ot the Christian church.
PATRICK H. T. DICKERSON, deceased, was born November 20, 1832, in
Barren County, Kentucky. His parents died when he was small, and in 1849 he
and his brother, Harden Dickerson, came to Missouri, making the trip on foot. They
arrived at Dover school house, in Adair County, Missouri, October 25, 1849, where
their brother, Edward, was teaching school at that time. Mr. Dickerson entered
land in Macon County, remaining their till the spring of 1861. He then moved to
Adair County and purchased the farm that his son B. K. Dickerson now owns, liv
ing there till 1898. He then moved to La Plata, where he died April 26, 1899.
He was married to Catherine I. Saltmarsh, December 22, 1852. They had
ten children, five of whom of are living: Mrs. Dickerson was born in Lawrence-
burg, Indiana, November 19, 1837, and came to Missouri in 1851, settling in Macon
County. She died at La Plata September 3, 1902.
GEORGE W. WALTERS, a native of Adair County, Missouri, was born Oc
tober 25, 1883. Lewis and Rachel Walters were his parents. Mr. Walters still
lives on the old home place near Stahl, and assists his father in farming. They have
500 acres of land. He is a. breeder of Percheron horses and owner of two fine stal
lions. He also handles Short-Horn cattle and Poland-China hogs.
Mr. Walters was married December 25, 1905, to Bessie M. Novinger, daughter ot
Jacob B. and Margaret Novinger. Mrs. Walters was born August 24, 1880, in
Adair County near Stahl, Missouri. They have three children: Ralph W., bom
September 27, 1906; Delta M., December 16, 1907; George Francis, October 25,
1910.
994
The History of Adair County.
Residence and Barn of B. F, Reesman, 5 miles east of Kirksville
Biographical.
995
Mr. and Mrs. Patrick H. T. Dickerson, deceased; Residence, Family and Barn
of their son, B. K. Dickerson, four mUes southwest ot MiUard
996 The History of Adair County.
HARRY BALCH, a merchant of Youngstown, was born at Farmington, Illi
nois, January 13, 1876, being a son of Harvey and Amanda (Lance) Balch. He was
married August 22, 1897, to Effie A. Young, daughter of George and Elizabeth (Sharr)
Young. They have one child — Hazel P., born July 31, 1908.
Mr. Balch moved with his parents to Iowa when very small. After livdng there
five years they went to Nebraska where he grew to manhood, helping on the farm
and attending the public school. He also attended a high school at Friend, Ne
braska. When grown he farmed several years for himself, then in 1894 came to
Andrew County, Missouri, coming to Adair County one year later. In 1897, at the
time of his marriage, he went back to Nebraska, where he remained and farmed
four years. Returning to Adair County, Missouri, in 1901, he farmed for three years,
then on the starting of Youngstown, in 1904, built the first house in that town. With
in the next year he started a store at that place, going into the mercantUe business.
He has been in business there since, being the main man in that thriving little city.
The census gives a population of forty two, with two stores, blacksmith shop and
church. It is surrounded by a splendid farming community, and was part of a farm
belonging to Mrs. Balch's father. Mr. Balch was postmaster at Youngstown for
nearly three years.
PETER L. MILLER was born July 1, 1870, in Adair County, Missouri, near
Brashear. He is a son of John and Elizabeth (Biggs) Miller, both of whom are dead.
On October 14, 1891, he was united in marriage to Anna Wilson, daughter of Andrew
J. and Susan (Harrell) Wilson. They have seven children: Dee, born January 4,
1893; Ina B., September 23, 1894; Clyde L., November 29, 1895; Alta M., Sep
tember 7, 1897; Charles, December 15, 1902; Marie, February 18, 1907; Alma,
July 16, 1910.
Mr. Miller remained' on the farm near Brashear till grown. His father owned
the land where Brashear now is, part of it belonging to Mr. Miher for a, time after
his father's death in 1884. After his father's death he began farming for himself,
living near Brashear till 1903. He then bought his present farm and has lived there
since. It consists of 120 acres, five miles southeast of Gibbs, well improved. He
has a pretty home. He is a breeder of Poland-China hogs, fine horses and cattle.
P. L. Miller is a Republican and a devoted member of the Christian church.
ISAAC NEWTON CAPPS, son of Henry and Chariotte (Thorpe) Capps, is
a native of Adair County, born March 27, 1866. He was married November 20
1889, to Ida Uber, daughter of John and Chloe (Voorhies) Uber. She was born in
Mercer County, Pennsylvania, April 13, 1862, and came to Adair County, Alissouri
in 1865. They have four cMldren: Oletha L., bom January 22, 1892; Ermine P.
December 3, 1893; Winona M., November 22, 1895; Everett N., January 8, 1899^
Mr. Capps was reared on the farm he now o-wns, on land entered by his father
who came to this county in 1844. His father was one of the best knovra farmers
of the county, and died at the old home place January 28, 1901. Mr. Capps attend
ed the public school, and took a course at the State Normal School. When grown he
married and continued the occupation of farming. At present he owns a farm of
208 acres, two and one-half miles west of Novinger. He is a breeder of Jersey cattle
and Duroc-Jersey hogs.
He is a Repubhcan, a member of the Presbyterian church, and belongs to the
K. of P. lodge.
Biographical.
997
Harry Balch's Store and Residence, A'oungstown
998
The History of Adair County.
/'/^ f ^ ""^
^t^c
f^mr-"^.^
Residence, Family and Bams of Peter L. Miller, 5 miles southeast of Gibbs
Biographical.
999
Residence and Barn of Isaac Newton Capps, 2 1-2 miles west of Novinger
1000 The History of Adair County.
WILLIAM DANIELSON, son of Andrew and Hettie M. (Johnson) Danielson,
was born in Lee County, Iowa, November 15, 1855. He was married November 30,
1899, to Amanda Abernathy, daughter of Hugh and Jane (Lay) Abernathy. They
had one child. It died in infancy.
Mr. Danielson came to Adair County in 1857 with his parents, settling on the
farm where his mother now lives, which adjoins his farm on the south. He hved at
home tiU his marriage, then began working for Mmself. He has been engaged in
farming and horsebreeding aU his life. Aside from that he is a veterinary and does
considerable work in that line. At present he o-wns a farm of 200 acres, seven miles
southwest of Novinger. He is a beeder of Short-Horn cattle, Percheron and good
road horses, pure-bred jacks and jennets, Poland-China hogs, and thoroughbred
barred Plymouth Rock cMckens which rank third in the state.
Andrew Danielson, father of Wilham Danielson, died July 5, 1909. His mother
is still living. They had ten children, six of whom are living in this county. Mr.
Danielson is a member of the I. O. O. F. fraternity. His youngest sister, Tilda, re
sides at Oakley, Kansas. The oldest, Malinda, resides near Queen City, Missouri,
and Sarah C. resides near Hiimans-viUe, Polk County, Missouri.
WILLIAM KIDDOO, a native of Pennsylvania, was born July 26, 1841, being
a son of Richard and Eliza Kiddoo. He was married December 29, 1864, to Mary A.
Edgar, daughter of R. S. and Elizabeth Edgar. They have nine children: H. G,
born November 17, 1865; M. M., October 31, 1870; N. B., September 6, 1875;
Nora B., October 15, 1877; AI. V., September 6, 1880; R. S., May 14, 1883; E. E.,
August 23, 1885; W. A., February 25, 1887; B. F., August 14, 1888.
Air. Kiddoo moved to Adair County, Missouri, in March, 1904, and has lived
here continuously since. He owns 320 acres of land situated in Pettis and Wilson
townships. He is a Republican in politics and a member of the Methodist church.
JOHN W. DAVIDSON was born in Cass County, Illinois, November 11, 1858,
being a son of John and Jane Davidson. He was married April 1, 1883, to Susan
C. Crawford, daughter of John and Alary Cra-wford. They have four chUdren:
Dale, bom July 6, 1885; Virgie, November 21, 1889, now wife of Charles Spencer;
James, November 7, 1891; Blanche, November 26, 1895.
Mr. Davidson's parents died when he was quite small and he lived in Illinois
with his relatives till about grown. He then came to Adair County, Missouri, com
ing here in 1869, where he has since lived, with the exception of one year spent in
Iowa. He has always been engaged in farming and at present owns a splendid farm
of 260 acres, three miles southwest ot Gibbs. He does general farming and stock
raising. He is an up-to-date, scientific farmer, and has a beautiful home.
Mr. Davidson is a Democrat in politics, a member of the I. O. O, F. lodge, and
he and his family belong to the Alethodist Episcopal Church, South.
ELIJAH W. DOOLEY, son of John and Nancy A. Dooley, was born Septem
ber 13, 1871, in Carlisle, Iowa. He was born and reared on a farm, where he re
mained till 1903, when he came to Missouri, settling in Schuyler Count.y. In 1906
he came to Missouri and has lived here continuously since that time. He is en
gaged in the well-boring business.
Mr. Dooley was married to Talitha Aliller September 12, 1904. They have
two children: John D,, born May 1, 1905; and Charles C, July 19, 1907.
Biographical.
1001
Residence, Family, Barn and Thoroughbred Horses of Wm. Danielson, 7 miles
southwest of Novinger
1002
The History of Adair County.
Residence, Family and Thoroughbred Horses of Wm. Kiddoo, 2 1-2 miles
northwest of La Plata
BIOGRAPHIC-4.L.
1003
Mr. and Mrs. John W. Davidson and their Residence 3' miles southwest
of Gibbs
1004 The History of Adair County.
F. L. LINK, son of Lewis and Hannah M. (Crane) Link, was born in Carroll
ton, Illinois, August 17, 1854. In 1865 he came with his parents to KirksvUle, Mis
souri. November 20, 1878, he was married to Mary L. Downing, daughter of John
H. and Rebecca Ann (White) Downing, at Olney, Lincoln County, Missouri. They
have five children: Charles F., Luella D., Samuel Edgar, Anna V., and Albert. A
grandson, Ralph Link, also has a home with them.
Mr. Link has never aspired to a political office, but has been a member of the
Board of Directors of Kirksville School District almost continuously since 1892, and
has served as President, Secretary, and Treasurer of the Board. At present he holds
the position of Secretary.
He learned the printer's trade in the KirksviUe Journal oflice, beginning at the
age of thirteen, and has filled every position from "de-vil" to manager. He was part
owner of the Journal with B. F. Heiny and S. S. McLaughlin. Later he and W. F.
Link bought the plant. When the Journal Printing Company was incorporated he
was made Secretary and Manager, which position he still holds. Much credit is
due to Mr. Link and the board of directors which has unhesitatingly backed Mm,
for the building up of one of the best printing plants in North Missouri.
He owns a good residence situated on five acres just south of the city limits.
THE JOURNAL PRINTING COMPANY was incorporated in April, 1897.
This company purchased the KirksviUe Journal plant for $4,500.00. B. F. Heiny,
F. L. Link, A. N. Seaber, W. F. Link and T. J. Dockery were the first board of di
rectors. B. F. Heiny was elected president, and F. L. Link secretary and manager.
These gentlemen still retain the offices to wMch they were originally elected, being
unanimously chosen each year. The present board of directors are B. F. Heiny,
F. L. Link, C. E. Still, J. A. Cooley, and Geo. M. Laughlin. The capital stock was
increased to 110,000.00 in 1903, and again increased to .1820,000.00 in 1910. The
plant is one ot the best equipped in North Missouri. Sixteen to eighteen people
are employed, and a great deal of book printing, etc., is done for customers at home
and in other states. While the capital stock has been quadrupled, they have never
made an assessment, and have never missed a dividend. Besides other equipment,
the plant has Miehle and Cottrell book presses and a Lanston Alonotype type-setting
and casting machine. All machines are run by Sprague individual electric motors.
CHARLES FRANCIS LINK was bom in Kirksville, Alissouri, July 7, 1880,
and is a son of F. L. and Mary L. (Downing) Link. He attended the public schools
until about fourteen years of age, when he began learning the printer's trade under
his father. With the exception of two years, spent in the State Normal School,
he has worked at that trade continuously, and is now foreman of the press-room of
the Journal Printing Company, having charge of the electrical, printing and type
setting machinery, A,Ir. Link is a Republican in pohtics, an elder in the Presby
terian church and a Past Chancellor in the K. of P, lodge. He owns a nice home
just south of the city limits, and stock in the Journal Printing Company.
A/Ir. Link was married June 1, 1904, to Lela Belle Tummond, a daughter of
Harry and Alargaret (Lichty) Tummond. They have three cMldren: Robert
Lewis, born August 6, 1906; Anna Margaret, January 22, 1910; and Charles Fran
cis, Jr., Alarch 2, 1911.
Biographical.
1005
fd
oW
CO
1006
The History of Adair County.
Journal Printing Company — Upper, Bindery and Stock Room.
Lower, A Corner of the Composing Room
Biographical.
1007
Journal Printing Company — A View in the Press Room.
Gas Engine and 8 3-4 K. W. Generator.
1008
The History of Adair County.
Residence of Charles F. Link, Kirksville
O. W. Avery, M. D., deceased
Biographical. 1009
DR. O. W. AVERY (deceased), was born in Union County, Ohio, February
22, 1839, being a son of Aaron F. and Elizabeth (Haskins) Avery. He was mar
ried May 2, 1861, to Sarah C. Willey, daughter of Samuel and Elouisa (Pool) Willey.
She was born in Delaware County, Ohio, February 18, 1841. They had no children.
Dr. Avery was born in Ohio, attended the public school, read medicine and
graduated from the Eclectic Medical College at Cincinnati, receiving his diploma in
1850. He practiced his profession in Ohio about two years, then moved to Keokuk
County, Iowa. At the beginning of the war he entered the army there, joining Com
pany I, 40th Iowa Volunteer Infantry. At the close of the war he came to Mis
souri and located at Queen City, where he practiced till 1887. He then came to
Kirksville, where he practiced his profession till his death, September 25, 1909. He
owned a farm of 120 acres in South Missouri, which still belongs to Mrs. Avery.
Mrs. Avery also owns a nice home in Kirks-ville.
Dr. Avery was a member of the Masonic and K. of P. lodges. His widow be
longs to the Christian church.
EDWIN S. RINEHART was born m Knox County, Missouri, September 3,
1864, being a son of Enoch and Martha C. Rinehart. He was married January
27, 1904, to Mary L. Rice, daughter of Columbus T. and Catherine Rice. They
have no children. Mrs. Rinehart is a native of Adair County, and is a member
of one of the old pioneer families.
Air. -Rinehart was born and reared on a farm in Knox County. He remained
there on the farm till about grown, attended the public schools and Oak Lawn Col
lege, at Novelty, Missouri. He also took a two years' course at the Kansas State
Agricultural College, at Manhattan. Soon after quitting school he went into the
electrical construction business, and helped to build the telegraph line along the
Santa F^e railway from Kansas City to Chicago. In 1889 he came to KirksviUe,
and soon after opened up an electrical supply house. In 1901 he added phono
graphs to his supplies. Then, in 1907, he quit the electrical business and went into
the piano business, in which he is still engaged. He o-wns a complete line of all sorts
of musical instruments, as well as sheet music, and has excellent trade. '
Mr. Rinehart is a Republican in politics, and belongs to Kirksville Lodge, No.
105, A. F. and A. M., belonging to the Chapter, and is also a member of the K. of
P. and Elks lodges. Mrs. Rinehart is a member of the Methodist church.
FRANK T. PARISH came to Adair County with his parents when a small
boy. He was born in Macon County, Missouri, .June 14, 1867, a son of John R.
and Samantha Parish. He was married February 22, 1895, to Jennie AliUer, daugh
ter of John and Elizabeth MiUer. They have no chUdren. Mr. Parish had three
cMldren by a former marriage: Lena, who died June 3, 1894; WUliam E., born Alay
18, 1890; James F., January 9, 1892; Maude M., October 12, 1893.
He followed farming till 1901, then came to KirksviUe. He was appointed
deputy sheriff under C. N. Roberts. He served with him three years, then went
into the insurance business, which he has continued since. He served as deputy sher
iff under John T. Curry, and later was appointed constable of Benton to-wnship to
succeed L. P. Carman, who resigned. In December, 1910, he was again appointed
to succeed James Haywood, who also resigned.
Mr. Parish belongs to the AI. W. A. lodge. He is deputy consul for that order,
and spends much of his time working for that lodge, being the agent for the Wood
men Accident Association.
65
Frank T. Parish, KirksvUle, Constable
of Benton Township
Edwin S. Rinehart, Kirksville
Thos. S. Rice, City Collector, KirksviUe
Biographical. 1011
THOMAS S. RICE was born on a farm near Old Paulville. When about a
year old Ms parents moved to Knox County, remaining there till Mr. Rice was four
teen years old, when they returned to Adair County. He attended the Brashear
Academy, and Normal School at Kirks-ville. After leaving school he taught sev
eral years. For a time he traveled. Coming to Kirksville in 1897, he lived here
a short time, then went to Oklahoma. In 1902 he returned and has since lived in
Adair County. On February 18, 1911, Mr. Rice was appointed city collector of
Kirksville, then elected to that position in the spring election.
Mr. Rice was born in Adair County February 26, 1867, being a son of Samuel
and Margaret (Sampson) Rice. He was married November 21, 1897, to Ahce Wat
son, daughter of David and Jerusha (Pierce) Watson. She was.born in McDonough
County, Illinois, in 1878. They have two children: Earl, bom January 30, 1901;
Howard, February 7,"l903.
Thomas S. Rice is a Republican, a member of the Methodist Episcopal church
and belongs to the I. O. O. F. fraternity.
JOHN D. MILLER, deceased, was born in Mahoning County, Ohio, Septem
ber 18, 1837. He was married August 12, 1867, to Louisa Schuele. They had six
children, two of whom died in infancy: George R., born October 20, 1868, lives at
Connelsville; Catherine A., November 4, 1870, now Mrs. S. F. Shoop; M. C, Decem
ber 19, 1873; Ida L., AprU 7, 1878.
Mr. Miller came down the OMo River in a fiat boat to Missouri in 1844 with his
father, settling first in Shelby County. He moved to Adair County in 1850, going
to Nineveh where a Dutch colony had just been started. Here his father died in
1853. Mr. Miller returned to Shelby County, remaining there till 1860, when he
went to Oregon, going around by Panama. He remained there till 1869, trei.ghting
and gold digging, then came back to Connelsville by the same route. He conducted
a tavern and was in the mercantUe business some years. His partner in the mer
cantUe business was S. F. Stahl, then a young man. Their establishment was de
stroyed by fire in 1874 and Mr. Stahl then went to SMbley's Point, Air. MUler going
to work on a farm. He continued in that occupation till his death, August 7, 1906,
making a trip to Texas in the meantime, where he spent two years.
M ANTON M. PATTERSON was born in Logan County, Illinois, September
17, 1868, being a son ot Milton and Jane Patterson. He was married November
10, 1899, to Rebecca Ely, daughter of Stephen S. and Jane Ely. They have no chil
dren. Mrs. Patterson is a native of Adair County, belonging to one of the old pio
neer families.
Mr. Patterson was born in Illinois, but moved to Knox County, Missouri, when
only about six years old. About a year later they moved to Macon County, Mis
souri, where Mr. Patterson was reared. When only about fourteen years old his
father died and he was compeUed- to make his own way. He entered a photograph
¦ gaUery at Macon City, where he learned the photograph business. He has been
engaged in that business continuously since that time. He has worked and been
in business at various places, including Macon, Memphis, Iowa City, Iowa, and
St. Louis, Missouri. He was also with Henry Aloore, at KirksviUe, two years. Fi
naUy, in July, 1910, he returned to KirksviUe and opened up a gallery, being stiU
engaged in that business. He is considered a gifted artist and an excellent pho
tographer. Mr. Patterson is a Repubhcan in pohtics, a member of the M.W. A. fraternity
and belongs to the Presbyterian church.
1012
The History of Adair County.
Mrs. Minnie Leon
Biographical. 1013
DR. CHARLES E. STILL was born at Centropolis, Kansas, January 7, 1865,
and is a son of Dr. .Vndrew T. and Mary E. (Turner) Still. He was married June
30, 1892, to Anna Ryder, daughter of Lewis and Elizabeth Ryder. They had five
children, three of whom are living: Harold, born March 11, 1893, died December
24, 1893; Gladys, December 10, 1894; Andrew T., September 10, 1.S97, died De
cember 3, 1905; Elizabeth, November 1, 1899; Charles E., Jr., March 26, 1907.
Dr. StiU came to Adair County with his parents when nine years old and has
hved here almost continioiisly since. He attended the public schools, graduating
from the Kirksville High School. He also took a course at the KirksvUle Business
College. After quitting school he went to work in the office ot the Kirksville Jour
nal, learning the printer's trade. After working at his trade a few years he studied
Osteopathy with his father. Dr. A, T, StiU, and was the prime mover in the organ
ization of the A, S. ()., an account of which is given in the historical jiart of this work.
On the organization of the school he took a complete course in it and was made vice-
president and general manager, which position he has held continuously since. The
great success and world-wide fame ot this institution has been duc^ in a large meas
ure to his efforts.
Besides the school. Dr. Still is interested in a large number of business enter
prises. He owns a sanitarium in the Ozarks and one at Bentonville, .Vrkansas, Dr.
Earl Laughlin being at present the manager of the latter institution. Dr. StUI is
also a large stockholder in the International Life Insurance Companj', at St. Louis.
Besides these, he and Dr. George M. Laughlin are among the most famous stock
breeders in the world. They are the owners of the famous Kinloch herd of Jersey
cattle and Berkshire hogs. A sketch of these famous herds is gi\'en elsewhere in
this history. Dr. Still owns 350 acres of land adjoining the city ot Kirksville on
the west, on which are located some of the most productive coal mines in the country.
He and Dr. Laughlin also own 450 acres of land adjoining KirksvUle on the east.
These two farms are usei^l by them for the handling of their cattle and hogs.
Dr. Still is a Republican in politics, a member of the Alasonic, K. of P. and
Elks lodges.
LEWIS HUGHES, a native of A\'ayne County, Kentucky, was born Decem
ber 7, 1S66, being a son of Oliver and Einahne Hughes. He was married October
26, 1904, to Rosa Houston, daughter of John and .\nna Houston. They ha\'e two
children: Walter, fi\-e years of age; and Gordon, age two. Air. Hughes has two
children b>- a former marriage: Edward, age twenty-two; and Boone, age twen
ty-one. Air. Hughes moved to Alacon, Alissouri, with his parents, when he was two
^¦ears old. He was reared on a farm in that county, living with his parents till twenty
>-ears old. He worked for the railroad a few years, and was also in the mining bus
iness for a time. Coming to Adair County in 1898, he settled at Novinger, Alis-
.souri, where he worked in the mines.
Mr. Hughes is a Republican in politics. In 1902 he was elected marshal of
Novinger, serving four years. He has acted as deputy sheriff there for the past
nine years. He was elected constable of Nineveh townsMp in 1909, and is still serv
ing in that capacity, and also as deputy sheriff. ^^'Mle at Macon he served on the
police force, and was also deputy sheriff of that county several years. He is a mem
ber of the K. of P., I. O. O. F. and Redmen lodges.
1014
The HisTOTtY of Adair County.
A. T. StiU, M. D., D. O., Kirksville
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1016 The History of Adair County.
DR. HARRY M. STILL was born at Baldwin, Kansas, Alay 26, 18(i7, and is
a son of Dr. Andrew T. and Mary E. Still. He was married October 7, 1891, to
Nannie MiUer, daughter of Lighter and Fannie Miller. Mrs. MUler's name was
Scott, who was a descendant of General Winfield Scott. They have two children:
Fred M., born July 25, 1898; Richard H., November 25, 1903, Mrs. Still was born
at Lexington, Kentucky, July 28, 1867.
Dr. StUl came to KirksviUe with his parents when only about eight years old.
He attended the public school and took a course at the KirksvUle Business College.
After quitting school he clerked in a store several years for John Hannah. He then
took up the study of Osteopathy with his father. After completing his studies in
this science he began to practice at Hannibal, Missouri. He also practiced at Kan
sas City, Missouri, Minneapolis, Minnesota, CMcago, Illinois, New York City, St.
Louis, Missouri. He continued the practice tUl 1907, when he was compelled to
give it up on account of ill health. He then returned to KirksvUle where he has
since lived. Since coming here he has become interested in a large number of busi
ness enterprises. He has dealt largely in real estate, is director and stockholder
in the Star Coal Company, the Kirksville Power, Electric Light and Ice Company.
He is also president of the Citizens National Bank, owns stock in the Journal Print
ing Company and the A. S. O., helping to organize the latter institution. Dr. Still
owns 2,000 acres of land in Adair County, as well as large farms in Iowa, Texas,
Kansas, Oklahoma and other states.
He is a member of the Masonic order, belonging to the Chapter, Commandery
and SMine. He is also a member of the Elks lodge and is a Republican in politics.
ED. J. HUTCHINS, a native of Kansas, was born March 20, 1879. He is a
son of E. C. and Margaret Hutchins. He was married to Ama Halley March 16,
1901. Mrs. Hutchins is a daughter of Don and Helen Halley. They have three
children. Mr. Hutchins moved to Green City, Missouri, with his parents when small,
and lived there one year. They then moved to Greencastle, Missouri, remaining
four years. From there he moved to Stahl, Adair County, in 1884. There he fol
lowed the mining business, later moving to Connelsville, where he now resides. He
has lived in a mining district and followed mining continuously since coming here
in 1884. He is an ardent Socialist in politics.
GEORGE B. HEABERLIN was born eight mUes southeast of KirksvUle, Adair
County, Missouri, January 12, 1862, being a son of John O. and Catherine C. Heab
erlin. He was married F^ebruary 13, 1883, to Martha E. Minton, daughter of Cal
vin L. and Sarah Minton. They have ten children:' Everette E., born November
29, 1883; Leonard L., August 15, 1887; Eunice Z., October 21, 1887; Claude V.,
June 1, 1889; Freeman, September 13, 1891; Rosy M., February 11, 1895; Ben
jamin F., February 27, 1897; John G., April 13, 1899; Augusta E., March 20, 1901;
Theodore, January 20, 1906.
Mr. Heaberlin is a miner by trade. He owns a nice home southeast of the cor
porate limits of Kirksville, where he resides. He is a musician and was formerly
director of the band at KirksvUle. His children are all musicians, and they have an
excellent orchestra, made up of members of the family. In politics he is a Socialist.
He is a member of the United Mine Workers of America.
Biographical.
1017
Dr, H. M, StiU, KirksvUle
1018 The History- of Adair County.
JOHN M. RAINWATER was born in Keokuk County, Iowa, February 3,
1858, being a son of John R. and Rachael A. (La Porte) Rainwater. He was mar
ried May 1, 1881, to Mary C. Shulze, a native of McDonough County, Illinois, bom
there June 9, 1857. Airs. Rainwater was a daughter of John W. and Barbara Shulze.
They had three children, only one of whom is now living: Jesse W., born May 23,
1883, died February 3, 1908; next child died in infancy; Ray M., April 10, 1894.
Moving from Iowa to Kansas in 1860, Mr, Rainwater's parents lived there seven
years, lived in Illinois two years, then went back to Iowa, remaining one year. In
1867 they came to Lewis County, Missouri, coming to Adair County in 1881. Mr.
J. M. Rainwater then married and moved to Ilhnois, where he lived and farmed in
McDonough County tiU 1898, when he came back to Adair County, Missouri. He
then bought his present farm where he has since lived. The farm consists of 120
acres, two mUes east of Kirks-ville. He also owns a farm in the northwest part of
the county, consistsing of 176 acres, making a total of 296 acres which he owns. He
handles thoroughbred Jersey cattle, doing a mUk and cream business as well as gen
eral farming.Mr. Rainwater is a Republican, a member ot the Presbyterian church, and be
longs to the M. W. A. lodge.
MICHAEL G. CLEM was born in Hocking County, Ohio, October 22, 1813.
He lived there till 1841, when he came to Adair County, Missouri. He settled on
a farm near Kirksville, and for many years ran a mill on the Chariton. In 1885
he moved to Kirksville, where he lived till his death, February 23, 1906. He was
married in 1838 to Ellen PuUens. She was also born in Hocking County, Ohio,
March 31, 1820. She is still living, and makes her home with her daughter, Mrs.
Julia Atterberry. Mr. and Mrs. Clem had seven cMldren, four of whom are liv
ing: Mary J. Ely; Mrs. Margaret and Mrs. Julia Atterberry; Mrs. Emma Bragg.
Mrs. Bragg lives near La Plata, in this county, and the other three live in Kirksville.
In Mrs. Clem's familj' there are two lines of five generations: Mrs. Clem; her
daughter, Mrs. Ely; her daughter, Mrs. Alfred West; her daughter. Airs. Charles
Glasgow; her daughter, Miss Margaret Glasgow. Mrs. Clem; her daughter, Mrs.
Ely; her son, John Ely; his son, Charles Ely, and his son, Harold Ely.
I. H. HUMPHREY, the present editor of The Kirks-ville Democrat, is a news-
pai^er man with metropolitan training. He served the New York Herald for many
years as their City of Mexico correspondent, covering a territory which embraced
old Mexico and the five republics of Central America. WhUe in Mexico City he
served on the staff of the Mexican Herald, of which paper he was news editor when
he retired from Latin-American work, and spent some months on the staff of El
Imparcial, the greatest Spanish daily of North America.
MICHAEL HOWLEY was born November 10, 1826. He was a native of Ire
land. He came to American in 1845, landing in New York City with only twenty-
five cents. Working his way west he landed in Adair County in 1848, and worked
in a farm for a short time. Later he entered land, on which he lived till his death.
His vridow and son Andrew, still live on the same farm. It consists of 200 acres,
and has never changed hands. Mr. Howley died November 12, 1887. He served
on the Home Guard all during the war. David Howley, another son, died April
25, 1911. Mr. Howley was united in marriage to Margaret HaU January 12, 1859. They
had nine children, only two of whom are living: Andrew J., and Lucy.
Biographical.
1019
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Five Generations— Mrs. Ellen Clem, her daughter, Mrs. Alargaret Ely; her
daughter, Mrs. Alfred West; her daughter, Mrs. Charles Glasgow;
her daughter. Miss Margaret Glasgow
1020 The History of Adair County.
DR. GEORGE D. GREENSLATE was born in Greenup County, Kentucky,
July 14, 1849, being a son of Silas and Ehzabeth Greenslate. He was married De
cember 18, 1871, to Lorena Erwin. They had five children, four of whom are liv
ing: Jennie, born September 14, 1872; S. V., October 26, 1874; Elizabeth, Jan
uary 26, 1878, now wife of J. M. Frederick; Oren, May 29, 1880, died May 19, 1905;
Ray, October 24, 1889.
Dr. Greenslate came to Adair County, Missouri, with his parents in 1855, set
tling near Trinity school house, in the north part of the county, where his father en
tered land. His parents moved to Schuyler County and lived there till their death,
the father dying in 1879 and the mother in 1905, at the age of ninety-four. Dr.
Greenslate was reared on a farm, attended the public schools and then read medi
cine for a few years with a preceptor. He attended the Keokuk Medical College,
at Keokuk, Iowa, graduating in 1876. He then entered the practice of his profes
sion at WillmathvUle, remaining at that place till his death, July 12, 1911. Soon
after beginning his practice he took a course in a medical college at Joplin, Mis
souri. He was, perhaps, the best known physician in the county, and at the time of
his death, had been the longest in active practice. Soon after going to Willmath-
v\\\e he opened up a drug store, in connection with his practice, which he conducted
till 1903. He then bought out a general store at that place, his daughter, Miss Jen
nie, and son, Silas V., becoming his partners in that business, and the latter was made
manager. Since his death Miss Jennie and Silas V. have taken entire charge of the
store. Dr. Greenslate was a member of the I. 0. O. F. lodge.
SILAS V. GREENSLATE, a native of Adair County, was bom near WiU
mathville, October 26, 1874. He was reared at WUlmathvUle, attended the public
school and graduated at the Kirksville High School in 1894. He then taught school
till 1903, attending the summer sessions at the Normal School, at Kirksvilk-, for a
number of years. In 1903 he quit teaching and went into the mercantile business
with his father at Willmath-ville, being made manager of the store. Since his fath
er's death he and his sister. Miss Jennie, have taken full charge of the business. The
store was entirely destroyed by fire March 14, 1909, including all the contents. A
new buUding was soon erected and- the business continued. One of the largest coun
try stores in the county is the one Mr. Greenslate conducts. Miss Jennie, who
helps to manage the business, also graduated at the KirksviUe High School and took
a brief course at the State Normal School, after which she engaged in teaching for
several years.
Mr. Greenslate was married March 8, 1903, to Stella Callison, daughter of
Daniel Callison. They have one child— Edith, born May 26, 1906.
JAMES B. HIBBARD, son of WUham and Susan J. (Rogers) Hibbard, was
born January 25, 1855, in Adair County, three and one-half miles southeast of Kirks
ville. He was married September 18, 1889, to Laura Dodson, daughter of Benja
min C. and Maggie (Linder) Dodson. They had three children: Hazel M,, born
September 29, 1892; Audrey D,, July 10, 1908; one ohUd, a boy, born June 20,
1891, died in infancy.
Mr. Hibbard lived on the old Hibbard homestead, land entered by his father,
till grown and married. He has been farming all his life, and lived here all the time,
excejil a few trijis west and southwest. At present he owns a farm of eighty acres,
four miles southeast of Kirksville, on which he lives. He is a Democrat in politics.
t
Biographical.
1021
Dr. George D. Greenslate, deceased, WillmathvUle
1022 The History of Adair County.
DANIEL D. NOVINGER was born and grew to manhood on the farm now
owned by his brother, S. A. Novinger. He farmed till twenty-eight years old, then
went into the mercantile business at Novinger, where he remained five years. He then
returned to farming and bought his present farm where he has since lived. He now
owns a farm of 540 acres, five miles southwest of Novinger. He is a breeder of Po
land-China hogs, Duroc-Jersey hogs, fine cattle, horses, etc. His farm is under
laid with four feet of coal, gas is knovm to be present, and probably oil.
Mr. Novinger was born February 20, 1853, a son of Isaac and CMistina (Shoop)
Novinger. He was married May 18, 1882, to Blnora J. Bozarth, daughter of Mil
ton J. and Lucy J. (Spivey) Bozarth. They have four cMldren; Charles A., born
February 13, 1883; Earl D., and Carl S., twins, born January 15, 1886; Isaac M.,
December 30, 1889. Charles A. and Isaac are married, but the others are single
and at home. Mrs. Novinger was bom in Adair County, on the farm where she now
lives, Alarch 9, 1857. Mr. Bozarth is not hving and Mrs. Bozarth makes her home
with Mrs. Novinger.
GEORGE W. VANLANINGHAM was born February 12, 1828, in Harrison
County, Indiana. He was married January 24, 1851, to Sarah S. Blakeley. They
had eleven chUdren, six of whom are living; John W.; Emma L., now Mrs Levi
Phipps; George L.; J. G; Kittle M., now Mrs. Edward Lininger; Thomas M.
Mr. Vanlaningham came to Adair County, Missouri, in 1855, where he lived and
farmed near Novinger till his death, January 15, 1907. Mrs. Vanlaningham died
February 21, 1907. Mr. Vanlaningham was one of the oldest and best known men
in Adair County.
COLUMBUS T. RICE was born in Tompkins County, New York, February
15, 1827. He attended the public schools until about seventeen years of age, when
he was apprenticed to learn the carpenter's trade, - at wMch he worked for four or
five years in Northern New York, then came to CMcago, Illinois. Returning to
New York, he was married to Catherine A. Wyeoff in 1854, shortly after returning
to Chicago, where he followed the contracting and buUding occupation until the
fall of 1857, when he moved with his family to Missouri, where he had previously
entered 200 acres of land in Clay township, Adair County, where he continued to
reside until January, 1896, when he moved to Kirksville, where he resided until his
death, which occurred October 9, 1897 (Ms wife having previously died March 2,
1896). They raised a family of seven children, three sons and four daughters, of
which four are stUl living: Edward A. Rice, born in 1855, receiving his education
at the public schools and State Normal at Kirksville, and a graduate of the A. S. O.,
at present connected with the Post Office department at KirksviUe; Charles Rice,
born in 1863, receiving his education in the public schools of Adair Count.y, and at
present in the lumber business at Milan, SuUivan County, Missouri; Mary L., born
in 1861, receiving her education in the public schools and State Normal at Kirks
ville, married to Edwin S. Rinehart in 1904, and now residing with her husband in
Kirksville, Missouri; August A., born in 1866, receiving her education at the public
schools and State Normal, graduating from the State Normal in 1885, married to
James E. Waddill in 1888.
During the Civil War he volunteered, but was unable to pass the examination,
and then eMisted in the Home Guard and later in the County Militia and served in
this organization during the entire war, participating in the Battle of KirksviUe,
August 6, 1862.
CO(Mo
D. D. Novinger and Family, 5 miles southwest of Novinger
1024 The History of Adair County.
THE WOODMEN DRILL TEAM, as shown by the accompanying cut, was
orgamzed m 1909, with NoaJi C. Lane as captain. It soon became one of the crack
teams of the state and won numerous prizes m competitive drills, ajgainst some of
the best teams in the coimtry. At present John WiUiamson is captain and Sam Stew
art, assistant.
MRS. MARGARET ATTERBERRY was bom in Adair County in 1845, be
ing a daughter of Alichael G. and Ellen Clem. She w-as married in 1872 to AI. V.
Atterberry. They had two cMldren: Elmer and Anna Atterberry. Elmer died
May 10, 1906. Air. Atterberry was also a native of Adair County and was bom
in 1846, and died Alarch 27, 1883. He foUowed the occupation of farming and owned
. a farm of 200 acres, fourteen miles* southwest of KirksviUe. Since his death his -wid
ow and her daughter have made their home at Kirksville.
Mr. Atterberry was a Repubhcan in pohtics, belonged to the A. F. and A. M.
fratermty, and was a member of the Alethodist church.
WILLIAM A. ROSS came to Adair County with his parents when ten years
old. He lived in the vicimty of Brashear and farmed till the death of his'^^-ife, April
15, 1896. Since that time he has lived with Ms son, John Ross, five miles east of
KirksvUle. Mr. Ross was born in Athens County, OMo, September 4, 1855, being a son of
John and RUura Ross. He was married April 28, 1880, to Rosa Emmons, daugh
ter of Lewis E. Eknmons. They had four cMldren: Cora, now Mrs. James Shep
herd; John; Ina, now Mrs. Albert Clemmons; Edward.
JAMES C. CALHOUN was bom in Lewis County, Missouri, AprU 14, 1867.
His parents' names were David E. and Martha (Herr) Calhoun. He was married
to Aliss Anna Walker, a cousm of WUUam J. Bryan, January 14, 1891. Airs. Cal
houn's parents' names were Peter and Charlotte (Jennings) Walker.
. Born and reared on a farm, Mr. Calhoun hved there tUl 1890, when he w-ent to
Gorin and engaged in the harness business. In 1903 he came to Kirksville, where
he dealt in real estate tUI 1909 when he went mto, the grocery business, in which he is
still engaged.
In Mr. Calhoun's family there are six cMldren: Lester, aged nineteen; Har
old, seventeen; Lottie, twelve; Alice, ten; Robert, seven, and Ehzabeth, four.
Mr. Calhoun is a Democrat in politics, a member of the Presbyterian church.
and belongs to the I. O. O. F. and M. W. A. lodges.
J. R. BURCHETT, whose home is at Connels-vUle, Missouri, was bom in Des
Momes County, Iowa, August 23, 1860. He is a son of Benjamin and Onda Bur
chett. He was united in marriage to Maggie Kimberly, a daughter of Ira and Mar
garet Kimberly, August 3, 1890. They hav-e two chUdren: Bruce, born December
5, 1894; Jessie, September 10, 1897.
Though born in Iowa, he came to Adair County, Missouri, when only mne months
old and was reared in tMs county on a fai-m. When twelve years old he left the farm,
worked at various occupations, finaUy entering the restaurant business at Connels
vUle. This he sold recently, and has since given Ms entire time and attention to
his feed and grist mill at Connels-ville. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and AI. W.
A., and votes the Democratic ticket.
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W o ,I)M1.;m DiiiLi. 'ri.:-Ui. Top iiiw, left In riglil : IVank Parish, John Diehl, Jacob Mathias, Earl Starks, Gail
Starks, Ben Green, Fred Parish, Harvey Green, Henry John.son, John Ali^Coy, Oliver Winn. 2nd row: John
Williams ;n, David Ferguson, Jacob Diehl, Sam ShoUy, ^^'alter Hopkins, T. I. Harland, John Hanlin, S. M. Foley,
Clarence Brown, Noah C. Lane. 3rd row; Frank Kutlu-rford, Lyman Hunt, Frank Waters, Bentk>y Smith, E. E.
Crowder, Boyd Howard, Sam Stewart, Clint Halladay. 4tli row; Fred Johnson, Thayne Stevens, Charlie WMte,
Clarence Henderson.
1026
The History of Adair County.
«
Ph
Biographical. 1027
HENRY CLAY WORMAN is a native of Ilhnois, born in Adams County, of
that state, October 22, 1868. He is an adopted son of John and Maria (Barger)
Worman. He was married January 4, 1888, to Mary E. WUson, a daughter of A.
G. and Caroline WUson. They have one adopted son — Sena, born July 9, 1893.
Mr. Worman was reared on a farm in Illinois, where he remained with his pa
rents, working on the farm and attending the public school, until grown. He then
married and started in the farming business for himself, purchasing a farm near the
old home place where he lived until 1892. At that time he came to Adair County,
Missouri, and 'oought a farm twelve miles northeast of Kirksville, which he still
owns, consisting of 120 acres, all well improved. He also owns another farm of
sixty acres, northeast of KirksvUle. After foUowing the occupation of farming till
1898, he was elected county treasurer of Adair County, then moved to Kirksville,
took charge of his office, and has since remained here. His term expires in 1912.
He has a handsome residence in Kirksville, a cut of which is given herein.
He is a Republican and has always taken a deep interest in public affairs. In
1910 he was elected chairman of the County Central Committee, later made a mem
ber of the Congressional Committee. He and his wife both belong to the Methodist
Episcopal church.
G. E. DAVENPORT, a native of Missouri, was born September 16, 1881, being
a son of Charles and Emma Davenport. He was married in 1902 to Gertrude El
more, daughter of Thomas and Alice Elmore. They have two children: Dolores,
born May 27, 1903; Harold, April 19, 1905.
Mr. Davenport was educated in the public schools and Humphrey's College.
He is a traveling salesman and is with Ferguson-McKinney Dry Goods Company, of
St. Louis, Missouri. He came to Adair County in 1907. G. E. Davenport is a Re
publican in politics and a member of the Christian church.
CLARANCE D. FERGUSON, son of M. L. and Mary Ferguson, was bom in
Buchanan County, Iowa, February 20, 1875. He was married to Ella M. Cornell
November 16, 1904. She is a daughter of S. H. and Margaret Cornell. They have
two children: Opal M., born August 22, 1905; Wayne D., born March 26, 1908.
Mr. Ferguson came to Adair County with his parents from Iowa in 1888. He
lived at home till grown, then married and began farming for himself. At present
he owns a farm of 120 acres, two and one-half mUes west of Adair, Clay township.
He handles fine cattle, horses, etc.
JOHN H. BARCLAY was born in lUinois on a farm, May 21, 1860, and re
mained there until he was twenty-three years ot age. He is a son of Charles E. and
.Angehne Barclay. On December 21, 1880, he was married to Sarah F. KeUey, a
daughter of .John and Mary J. KeUey. They have three children living, one dead:
Lloyd E., born October 3, 1881; George E., May 28, 1884; James H., July 18, 1888,
dieii July 25, 1889; Leroy, January 17, 1894.
In 1883 he went from Illinois to Kansas, where he remained tMee years, then
lived in Illinois until 1891, when he moved to Adair County, Missouri. He lived
at Millard for a time, and bought his present farm of eighty acres, where he now re
sides, in 1900. In 1905 he was appointed rural mail carrier for Route One, out of
WiUmathsviUe, and stiU carries on that route, in addition to conducting his farm.
He is a member of the CMistian church, the M. W. A. lodge, and votes the Dem
ocratic ticket.
ItVJS
Thk Ilisrouv ok .Voaiu Ciu'xrv.
II, C. Worniiin, County Treiisurer
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Residence of H. C. Worman, KirksviUe
1030 The History of Adatr County.
GEORGE TUTTLE is a native of Adair County, bom on a farm t«n miles
east of Iflrksville, January 30, 1873. He is a son of Daniel and Sarah (HilB Tuttie,
both of whom are dead. He was married Januarj- 19^ 1893, to Dora Martin, a daugh
ter of James and Alattie Alartin. To thjs lujipn have been bom seven children, all
of whom are h\-ing: Golda, born July 26,«Si«7Vamel, November 10, 1895: Gladys,
January 2, 1898; James, Alay 22, 1901; I.enna, July 11, 1904; Inis and Iris, twins,
November 3, 1906.
Mr. Tuttie spent his early life on the farm on wMch he was bom, remained
there with his parents untU grown, attending the pubhc schools of that neighbor
hood. When only seventeen years old he began biisiness for himself, farming and
sMpping stock, and followed that business continuously fifteen years. In 1906 he
was elected recorder of deeds of Adair County, and quitting the farm, moved to Kirks
ville, where he remained tUl his term of office expired. He then moved to Brashear
to assist in the management of the bank of wMch he is president, also devoting much
time to his farm and stock mterests.
Air. Tuttie is interested in various enterprises, owning tMee tracts of land in
tMs coimty. aggregating 560 acres, with first-class, modem improvements. In 1907
he assisted in organizing the Brashear Banking Company, of Brashear, and was
made president of that institution, a position wMch he still holds. He is a Repub
hcan and has always taken a very active part in pohtics. He is an Odd Fellow, and
a devoted member of the Christian church.
LESLIE B. SIPPLE was bom in Callaway County, Missouri, September 19,
1880, being a son of Lewis H. and Anna R. Sipple. He was married April 27, 1904,
to Jessie G. AlaxweU, daughter of WiUiam Q. and EHizabeth (WiUiams) Maxwell.
They have one child — Ii, Alax, bom May 5, 1909.
Air. Sipple moved to Audram County, Missouri, with his parents, and was reared
there on a farm and in the to^-n of Rush Hill He was educated in the pubhc schools,
the Rush HUl High School and the State Normal School at Kirksv-iUe, Missouri,
graduating from the latter institution in 1911, In the meantime he engaged in
teacMng in rural schools, and in the city schools of Kirksville, and in 1907 was ap
pointed County Superintendent of Schools of Adair County, Missouri, to succeed
Mr. W. J. Banning. He was re-elected in 1909 and again in 1911. He is a Demo
crat, a member of the Alethodist Episcopal Church, and belongs to the M. W. A.
and Masomc lodges.
LEWIS SCHILLIE, a native of Adair County, was bom near Novinger, Alis
souri, December 3, 1868. He is a son of Ludn-ig and Alary A. SchiUie. He was
married to Miss .Yhce Eitel, Alarch 3, 1897. Airs. ScMUie is a daughter of Chris
topher and Catherine Eitel, and was bom September 9, 1876. They have four chil
dren living and two dead: Bessie, born December 18. 1897; Alary, April 13, 1899;
Leotia D., November 1, 1901; Rosa E., February 27, 1904; Clarence. December
19, 1905, died October 29, 1908; one son, born September 9. 1907, died in infancy.
Air. ScMllie has foUowed the occupation of farming all his life. At present he
owns a farm of eighty acres, two miles southeast of Pure Air. He is a breeder of
Percheron horses, good cattle and hogs.
Air. SchiUie is a Cathohc, and Airs. ScEiUie belongs to the Alethodist church.
He is a Democrat in pohtics.
Biographic
.AL.
1031
Geo. Tuttie. Brashear, foi-merly County Reccrder
1032
The History of Adair County.
L. B. Sipple, County Superintendent of Schools, KirksvUle
Biographical.
1033
Residence and Family of Lewis Schilhe, 2 miles southwest of Pure Air
Residence of J. W. CaJef, near Gibbs; formerly old Gibbs' Homestead
1034 The -History of Adair County.
JOHN W. CALEF, son of Albert A. and Minerve (Spencer) Calef, was born in
Hancock County, lUinois, February 4, 1855. He was married November 1, 1877,
to Fannie Cloyd, daughter of Joseph and Mary A. (Chumley) Cloyd. They have
six cMldren: Mary E., born September 19, 1878, now Mrs. W. E. Shouse; Wil
liam E., January 11, 1880, was married September 10, 1902, to OUie F. Swan; Ida
B., February 7, 1883, now Mrs. A. L. Coons; Elizabeth O., August 4, 1884, now Mrs.
T. M. Rimer; Addie P., January 6, 1887, now Mrs. Chester ChadweU; Inez P., Feb
ruary 2, 1896.
Mr. Calef moved to Knox County, Missouri, with his parents in 1866; to Adair
County the following year. He lived on the farm till twenty-three years old, then
married and moved to Knox County, where he lived and farmed till 1907. He then
bought part of a farm ad.ioining the town of Gibbs, which he now owns and on which
he now lives. The farm consists of 240 acres, and is considered one of the finest in
the county. RICHARD T. PHIPPS was born and reared on a farm in Randolph County,
Missouri, where he lived till his early manhood. He then went into the livery busi
ness at Bevier, Macon County, Missouri, remaining there two years. He t .en went
to Randolph County, coming from there to Adair County, going to Novinger in 1901.
He is in the livery business there, and has always engaged in that work,
Mr. Phipps was born August 31, 1866, a son of Joshua R. and Jane PMpps.
He was married October 21, 1891, to Miss Davis, daughter of James and Susan Davis.
They have five children: Goldie A,, born September 4, 1892; Corrine F., December
28, 1895; Teha N., January, 1899; Sidney T., October 21, 1900; Herbert R., Oc
tober 3, 1903.
He is a Democrat and a member of the K. of P. lodge.
JUDGE JOSEPH S. HICKMAN was born in Coshocton County, Ohio, Feb
ruary 4, 1841, being a son of Isaac and Mary (Alien) Hickman. He was married
February 18, 1870, to Nellie Shepherd, daughter of Charles and Martha Shepherd.
Mrs. Hickman was born in Virginia Majf 31, 1860. They had six children, five of
whom are living: Cora; Charles F. and Mattie, twins; Lillian, and Lula. One
child died in infancy.
Judge Hicikman came to Adair County, Missouri, with his parents, when only
ten years old, settling in Shut Eye Valley, Nineveh township, near where he now
lives. When grown he began farming for himself, and for several years clerked in
Henry Shibley's store at Shibley's Point. For six years he taught school, farming
during the summer. In fact, he has always been a farmer. At present he o-wns a
farm of eighty acres, two miles east of Shibley's Point, also 140 acres adjoining Shib
ley's Point. They had a very fine home which was estroyed by fire May 26, 1910,
including all its contents, among which were many papers of historic value.
For two terms Judge Hickman served as County Judge of the First District,
from 1895 to 1899, also four years as Presiding Judge, from 1899 to 1901. He and
Judge Ditmars and Judge Newton being the only men who served eight years as
members of the County Court. Mr. Hickman was a member of the court during
the time of the building of the court house, and it was largely through- his efforts
that the present court house was erected. He was clerk ot his township from 1875
to 1877, while under township organization. He and his family are members of the
Presbyterian church.
Biographical.
1035
cr
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s;
1036
The History of Adair County.
Judge J. S. Hickman, formerly Judge of County Court
COo
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Residence of S. AI. Pickler, KirksvUle; Air. and AJrs. Pickler in theh- Auto in the foreground
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Apollo Brigade, U. R. of K. of P. — Left to right, back row: A. R. Few, C. F. Steiner, J. M. Wild, F. D.
Maurer, R. W. Porter, W. S. Grow, Frank Lamkin, E. E. CoUop, A. P. Funk, S. L. Eggert, R. D. Frankford,
F. M. Swanson, Byrd Reed, A. L. Bartlett, R. W. Buoy, W. S. PoUey, J. F. Robinson. Front row: F. M.
Phipps, F. A. Stroup, R. S. Cross.
Biographical. 1039
APOLLO BRIGADE, No. 12, Uniform RaMc of Knights ot Pythias, was first
organized in 1880, but the by-laws were not finaUy approved tUl 1892. E. C. Pick
ler, John L. Porter and T. E. Sublette were the members of the committee which
wrote the by-laws. Col. John L. Porter was the first captain and was t-wice elected
to succeed himself. He was followed by J. W. Tinsman, W. W. Fulkerson, E. C.
Pickler, Dr. G. A.. Goben, Thomas Craig, T. H. Brewington, A. L. Rider and Dr.
C. E. StUl, in the order mentioned.
The Brigade was reorganized in 1908 by Rev. F. W. Gee, who was then pastor
of the AI. E. Church, South, at Kirksville. He was assisted by J. M. Gates, R. L.
Cross, R. W. Porter, and a number of other members of the K. of P. lodge. Rev.
Mr. Gee was elected captain, J. AI. Gates first lieutenant, and R. L. Cross second
lieutenant. The Brigade now has a membership of about fifty, and the present
officers are: F. M. PMpps, captain; R. L. Cross, first heutenant; Clint HaUaday,
second lieutenant; R. W. Porter, recorder; Ethel Conner, treasurer.
The Brigade is one of the most famous in the State, and has won many prizes
in competitive drills. At St. Joseph they won $195.00; at Hannibal, $100.00; at
St. Louis, $125,00, and a number of smaller prizes at various places.
JAMES H. BURNETT was born in Schuyler County, Missouri, July 21, 1859,
being a son of Rev. Charles W. and Susan Burnett. He was married to Mary Smith,
November 1, 1886. Mrs. Burnett is a daughter of John H. and Sarah E. Smith.
They have six children living, one dead: Bessie, born August 1, 1887, died March
11, 1889; John W., September 22, 1890; Audrey B., May 12, 1893; Leo C, June
25, 1895; Chesna AI., May 12, 1898; Madge M., February 16, 1900; Paul E., July
8, 1903. Air. Burnett was reared on the farm in Schuyler County, where he farmed
one year for himself before coming to Adair County. He moved near Wilmathsville,
Adair County, in 1888, where he has lived almost continuously since. He owns a
farm of 240 acres, just northwest of that town. It is well improved and they have a
pretty home. He is a breeder of Berkshire hogs, Percheron horses and fine cattle.
His family is an old one in this section; Ms maternal grandfather. Fields Trammell,
was a captain of one of the companies in the Indian wars in this state. At the battle
between the Indians and soldiers in 1829, fought between the towns of Novinger and
Greentop, Captain Trammell was shot through the body with an Indian arrow, and
died six weeks later.
Mr. Burnett is a Socialist in politics.
CHARLES ABERNATHY, son of Hugh and Salina (Powell) Abernathy, was
born in Adair County, near Stahl, June 6, 1875. He was married November 2, 1896,
to Lula Williams, daughter of John and Nancy Williams. They have two children:
Glenn, born November 2, 1898; Ina C, May 8, 1902.
Mr. Abernathy was bom and reared on a farm one and one-half miles south of
Stahl, where he lived with his parents till grown. After his marriage he farmed,
working in the mines during the winter, spending all his life in Adair County, ex
cept two years spent in the West. At present he is manager of one of the farm units
of the Henley Ranch, conducting a farm of 296 acres, one and one-half miles west of
Stahl. He is a breeder of PoUed-Angus cattle, Percheron horses and Poland-China
hogs. Mr. Abernathy is a Democrat, and belongs to the M. W. A. and U. M. W.
A. fraternities.
1040
The History of Adair County.
Residence, Family and Orchard of J. H. (Swan) Burnett, near WiUmathville
Biographical.
1041
Attorney Chas. E. Murrell, Kirksville
1042 The History of Adair County.
FRANKLIN McCLAY, of 410 North Franklin Street, KuksvUle, Missouri, was
bom near Chicago, lUmois, February 20, 1853, being a son of David F. and Jane
AlcClay. He was married September 5, 1875, to Margaret A. Mauck. Mrs. AIc-
Clay was born in Harrison County, Indiana, October 13, 1854. They have one
chUd — Washington Irving, born January 30, 1887.
David MoCIay, father of Franklin AleClay, was a native of Vermont, and came
west when a young man, worked in the lead mines of Wis., and sailed from New
A'ork to California in 1849, and on his return purchased a farm, which is now a part
of Chicago. When Franklin McClay was tMee years old his parents came to Adair
County and settled on a farm near the present town of Brashear, where Franklin
was reared. When he was married he began farming and foUowed it almost con
tinuously till the time of his father's death in 1904 in St. Louis.
.At present he owns two farms, one of 560 acres two miles northwest of Bra
shear, and one of 160 acres five miles northwest of Brashear; three properties m
St. Louis and one in Brashear. He rented Ms farm in 1898 and moved to Kirjcs-
ville to educate his son Irving, building a nice residence. TMs was swept away by
the cyclone of April 27, 1899. Then he moved to St. Louis for the summer, where
his father and brother lived, then took up farming again tiU 1904, when he again
moved to KirksvUle. His son Irijing is now on the larger farm.
David F., father of Franklin, was known as one of the most successful men in
Adair County, donating to Brashear three acres of ground for city park.
Mr. McClay is a Republican in politics and he and wife are members of the
United Brethem church. His son is a Republican and is a member of the Alasonic
fraternity. L. E. SCHOENE was born in Lee County, Iowa February 12, 1865, being a
son cf Charles and Ehzabeth (Orth) Sohoene. He was married August 12, 1888, to
Junetta Dunham, daughter of S. R. and Laura Dunham. To them were born six
children: Pearl L., Alma E., Lester R., Travis B., Sidney E., and Lottie Winona;
Travis B. and Lottie Winona having died m infancy.
Sinpe sixteen years old. Air. Schoene has been in the employ of the C. B. & Q.
and Q. O. & K. C. Railway Companies, in the capacity of agent and operator. He
is at present the agent of the O. K. at Brashear, and has served the Company there
for many years. He is very popular with the public, having been a resident of the
county since 1887, and is highly esteemed by the company wMch employs him.
Air. Schoene is a Democrat, a member ot the Methodist Episcoapl church and
belongs to the O. R. T. and I. O. O. F, fraternities.
RAYMOND BENNETT, born May 12, 1875 in Athens County, OMo, is a
son of J. H. and MatUda Bennett. On Alarch 17, 1897, he married Carrie Pass-
waters, a daughter of W. F. and Josie Passwaters. To this union were born two
cMldren: WiUiam C, born in Alarch, 1898; Jessie H., November 3, 1900.
Air. Bennett was born on alarm in Ohio, resided there until 1884, then moved
with his parents to Illinois, In 1890 he came from there to Adair County, Missouri,
where he has smce lived. He was married at the age of twenty-two, and began
farming for himself. His present farm, which consists of 120 acres, eight miles
east of KirksviUe, he purchased in 1900. He handles Poland-China and Berkshire
hogs, Short-Horn cattle, etc. He is a prosperous farmer. Air. Bennett is Dem
ocratic in politics.
Residence of L. E. Schoene, Brashear
D. ¥. McClay, deceased.
1044
The History of Adair County.
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Biographical.
1045
Mr. and Mrs. Frank McClay and their KirksviUe Residence.
1046 The History of .-Vdair County.
JACOB B. NOVINGER, a farmer, stock raiser and coal dealer of Morrow town
ship, is a native of Dauphin County, Pennsylvtuiia. He was born there .-Vugusi 11,
1845, and brought to Adair County, Missouri, when but eighteen months old. His
parents, Isaac and CMistina (Shoop) Novinger, settled where the city of Novinger
now stands. Here he was reai-ed on a fai-m, with no school advantages except those
offered by the common country schools. Reaching his majority, he was unable to
write his name. However, he afterwards attended t'wo terms of school al Greeai-
castle, one under John GltuivUle Mid one under Joe Cust.oi-, now the pi-esident of
the Mutuiil Bank, at Greencastle. He then attended the Normal School, at Kirks
vUle, for two terms, after which he taught school two .yeai-s, again attending the
Normal School Miother term. Since that time he has been engaged in farming.
The city of Novinger was named for the Novinger family. His father's home stood
wliei'e the Baptist church is now located. This Itund was afterwards sold to J. C.
Novinger. After engaging in fanning near Novingei' for a few years, in connection with
Ms brothers, Mr. Novinger married, and farmed with his father-in-law three years,
then bought his present farm, where he has since lived. Soon after buying the fnim
he opened up coal mines on his place and shipped over the 0. K. the first cw of coal
ever taken over that i-oad. His mine is considered one of the best in the county,
running about four feet. There arc two veins of equal thickness and x-ery superior
quality. The fai-m consists of 425 acres, one-half mile west of Stahl. He is a breed
er of Short-Horn cattle, Poland-Chma hogs and Percheron horses. He is a Denid-
crati and a member of the Lutheran church.
Mr. Novinger was married October 11, 1874, to Margai-et Motter, daughter of
Noali and Susannah Motter. Mrs. Novinger was born October 17, 1854, in .'Vdair
County, Missouri. They have eight children: LiUie R., born June 29, 1875, now
AJrs. J. E. Tade, of Green City, Missouri; -Martin L., September 23, 18715; Eman
uel L., December 3, 1878; Minnie C, December 25, 1880, now Mrs, H. H, Guy of
Adair County; Noah I., July 16, 1883; Bessie M., now Mrs. Geo, W, Waltei-s,
August 24, 1885; Jacob B., August 22, 1890; WUliam J. B,, March 14, 1896,
GEORGE W. CAIN was born in Adair County, neskr Novingei", January 2,
1833, a son of John and Emily (Hill) Cain. He married Miss Christina Novinger,
May 13, 1860. She was a daughter of Isaac and Christina (Shoop) Novinger. They
had four chUdren: Oliver !B., born February 16, 1861; Fernando W,, May 5, 1864;
Margai-et E,, January 20, 1866; and WiUiam J,, September 14, 1871, All ai-e mar
ried. Mrs. Cain was born in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, May 3, 1839. She
came to this county with her parents in 1846. She died September 30, 1910,
Mr. Cain claims the distinction of being the first white child born in this county,
being born on the fwm near the present city of Novinger. He owns this same farm
and still hves there. It consists of 553 acres. The farm is well stocked with fine
horses, Shorl-Horn cattle and Poland-China hos's.
In politics, Mr, Cain is a Democrat, Air. Cain joined the Elks lodge at Kirks
vUle in the spring of 1911, and is said to be oldest man in the country to become a.
member of that order. In spite of his advancing years he taki^s a deep interest in
public affairs, and is one of the county's most splendid citizens. A reminiscence
written by him, giving many interesting events and experiences of his life, will be
found in .another section of this work.
o
<
KO
Residence of Jacob Novmger, near Stahl
1408
The History of Adair County.
Mr. George W. Cain, near Novinger
Said to be the first white child born in Adair County
Biographical.
1049
Mrs. George W. Cain, deceased
1050 The History of Adair County.
THOMAS M. EASLEY (deceased), a son of Jesse and Bettie Easley, was born
in Russell County, Kentucky, June 7, 1821. He moved with his parents to Schuy
ler County, Illinois, in 1838. Here he was engaged in farming till the breaking out
of the Mexican war. He served under General Taylor two years, till the close of that
confllict, seeing much hard service.
He then moved to CenterviUe, Iowa, where he conducted a general store till
1850, then went to California, making the trip overland with wagons. During his
trip to California he met Colonel Porter, who afterwards commanded the Confed
erate forces on the day of the battle at KirksvUle. They became warm friends, and
afterwards Colonel Porter was enabled to extend to Mr. Easley many favors, es
pecially during the time ot the Civil War. It was through Colonel Porter's efforts
that neither Mr. Easley's family nor his property was ever molested by the rovmg
bands of bushwhackers.
In 1852 he returned to Schuyler County, Illinois, coming by way of Panama.
On this trip the vessel was wrecked and sunk and he had some thrilling experiences.
He remained in Illinois till 1855, marrying during that period. In the spring of that
year he moved to Adair County, Missouri. He entered land near Gibbs and engaged
in farming there till 1858, then moved just across the line into Macon County, where
he remained till his death, February 11, 1904.
Mr. Easley married Sarah A. Stanford, August 7, 1853. They had nine chil
dren, six of whom are living. Only one, George Easley, of Gibbs, hves in this county.
The others are J. T., E. R., A. E., Mrs. Lizzie Daugherty and Mrs. Effie Payne.
In politics Mr. Easley was an uncompromising Republican. He was a member
of the Masonic order and the Christian church. His wife is till hving at the old
home place in Macon County.
DR. GEORGE A. STILL, Chief Surgeon of the A. S. O. Hospital, and for sev
eral years past, a professor in the American School of Osteopathy, was born in Eu
dora, Kansas, but at an early age his parents. Dr. S. S. and EUa D. StUl, moved to
Missouri, and the son completed the high school course and the third year course
at the State Normal School, in Kirksville. After this he entered Drake University
at Des Moines, Iowa, where he was prominent in both the classroom and athletics,
winning the white "D" at football younger than .anyone at that date; and also, as
the youngest member of the class, won the honors in the four-years' science course,
receiving for excellent scientific work a handsome microscope at the close of the year.
Later, diplomas were received from the American School of Osteopathy and North
western University Medical, of Chicago, where he completed the four-years' course
in surgery and medicine. Special clinical work in surgery was obtained from the
six be,st hospitals in Chicago, including Cook County, Wesley, Mercy and St.Luke's
hospitals. Since graduation, and as post-graduate work. Dr. Still has vdsited practicaUy
every hospital of note in America, including the principal ones in New York, Buffalo,
Toronto, Montreal, Baltimore, PhUadelphia, Rochester, Minn., San Antonio, St.
Louis, Kansas City, and many others, and has seen nearly all the really big surgeons
in the world operate.
Dr. Still is a member of the American Association for the Advancement ot Sci
ence, the Clinical Surgeons of North America, American Chemists, and many more
professional organizations.
In 1904 Dr. Still lectured on Surgery, in Des Moines, and acted as City Path-
Biographical.
1051
Thomas M. Easley, deceased, father of G. B. Easley
1052
The History of Adair County.
Biographical. 1053
ologist and Bacteriologist, also did the surgery for the twenty-four bed \\'est Side
Hospital, connected with the Des Moines School. His private olfici^ was in the K
P. block. In the spring of 1905 he signed up tor work ut th(- A, S. O., and has been in Kirks
ville since then, teaching in the school and managing the surgical hospital. During
a year the Doctor is called away on many operati\'e and consultation trips, and has
operated in more than halt of the states of the Union. Of necessity his practice is
limited to surgery.
Dr. Still has written many articles on surgical subjects and se\'eral monographs
on surgical research.
Dr. Still was happily married to Miss Ardella Dockery, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. T, J. Dockery, in 1906. Airs. StUl is a weU known club woman, being District
President of the Federation of Woman's Clubs, Dr. and Mrs. Still spend the month
of August annually at their pleasant summer home in the pine woods of Crow Wing
County, Alinnesota. This satisfies a strong liking tor hunting and fishing that it
is impossible to think of during the other eleven busy months.
O. P. SPEARS was bom in Harrison County, Kentucky, October 24, 1839,
being a son of Adam and Leah Spears. He remained in Kentucky on the farm until
nineteen years old, then moved to Livingston County, Missouri. He farmed three
years near ChUlicothe, then in 1862 went to California, remaining there until 1867.
In the fall of that year he returned to Livingston County, but the foUowing year
went to Green River City, Wyoming, to assist in constructing the U. P. Railway.
In 1870 he returned to Livingston County, purchasing 200 acres of land, southeast
ot Chillicothe, where he lived tUl 1889, when he sold the farm and for two years trav
eled. About 1891 he located in Carrollton, Alissouri, where he conducted a laundry
for nine years. He then sold out and established a laundry at Kirksville, where he
has since lived.
He is Socialist in politics, and a member of the Christian church.
A. C. SPEARS was born in Livingston County, Missouri, December 16, 1874,
being a son of Reason A. and Alary E. Spears. When tMee years old he moved to
Chillicothe with his parents. In 1895 they went to Carrollton, where he was connect
ed with the Enterprise Steam Laundry. Ten years ago he moved to KirksA-ille,
Missouri, where he is managing foreman of Spears' Steam Laundry. They have
fifteen agencies out of town and employ about ten to fifteen people.
AUDREY D. RISDON was born at Kirksville, July 11, 1883, being a son of
A, D. and Julia E, (Alitchell) Risdon. He was educated in the public schools and
the Normal School at Kirksville, graduating from the last named institution in 1902.
He then took a course in the Kirksville Business College, after which he taught school
one year in the public schools of KirksvUle, holding the chair of mathematics in the
High School. This position he gave up to accept a position in the Baird National
Bank, becoming bookkeeper. When the banks were consolidated and the Citizens
National Bank organized, he was promoted to assistant casMer, remaining in that
position till 1908. He then went into the automobile business, and was also fora
time divison superintendent for the International Correspondence Schools. At
present he is giving some attention to the aeroplane business in connection with J.
N. Sparling. On April 17, 1911, he was appointed city clerk, which position he now
holds. He is a Republican, and a member of the Elks lodge, being secretary of the
local order.
1054
The History of Adair County.
¦s
CO
Biographical.
1055
.Audrey D. Risdon, Cit>- Clerk, Kirksville
1056
The History of Adair County.
H. Selby, former Mayor, Kirksville
Biographical.
1057
Judge Jacob Sands, Kirksville
1058 The History of Adair County.
RAPHAEL M. MILLER, son of James T. and Charlotte (Collins) Miller, was
born January 1, 1876, in Putnam County, Missouri. He was married August 1,
1899, to Jessie M. Stephens, daughter of Judge John D. and America Stephens.
They have two children: Raphael M., Jr., born March 13, 1902; Ronald S., August
25, 1905. Mr. MUler was born at a place called Alilletsburg, now called Graysville. He
moved to Adair County when only about tMee years old, and was reared on a farm
five miles southeast of Kirksville. He attended the public schools and took a three
years' course at the State Normal School. He remained on the farm until twenty
years old, then came to Kirksville and worked for C. A. Robinson in the mercantile
business for eight years. At the end of that time, in 1902, he was elected Recorder
on the Democratic ticket, although the county then had a Republican majority of
about 800. He served four years. During tMs time he assisted in organizing the
KirksviUe Trust Company. Immediately after his term of office expired he was
elected Secretary of the Trust Company. He has served in this and other official
capacities since its orgaMzation. Besides the bank, Mr. Miller is interested in va
rious other business enterprises. He owns severa;l big mercantile establishments,
has stock in numerous manufactories. He also owns 3,500 acres of land in this and
neighboring states.
R. M. Miller is a Democrat in politics, and has served Ms party in various ways.
In 1904 he was elected delegate from the First Congressional District to the National
Democratic convention, the first time this honor has been given to this county in
thirty years.
CHARLES F. BUNDY was born in Indiana in 1854, being a son of Alfred and
Louisa Bundy. He was united in marriage in 1876 to Sarah M. Crawford, daugh
ter ot John and Mary A. Crawford. They have six children: I. A., born in 1878;
Delba, 1879; Guy, 1880; Alta, 1883; Ralph, 1885; Anna BeU, 1888.
Mr. Bundy came with his parents to this county when only four years old. They
settled on a farm near Kirksville, and hero Mr. Bundy grew to manhood. He at
tended the public schools and assisted his father in conducting the farm, remaining
at home till grown. He then married and continued the occupation of farming, and
has followed that business continuously since. He has made this county his home
since coming here in 1858. At present he owns a farm of 240 acres near MiUard.
It is well improved, and he handles all kinds of Mgh-grade stock.
He is a Republican in politics, and he and his family are members of the Pres
byterian church.
WALTER B. OTTO was born and reared on a farm five miles south of Ku-ks-
viUe, Missouri. He was born August 28, 1868, a son of Henry J. and Sarah E. Otto.
His father was one of the early settlers of Adair County. Mr. Otto farmed till 1894,
then moved to Kirks-viUe, where he has since been engaged in the carpenter and con
tracting business.
He was united in marriage January 19, 1896, to Ehzabeth Setters, daughter of
Henry and Zabiah Setters. They have two oMldren: Carl H., born January 11
1897; Ina L., May 5, 1900.
Mr. Otto is a Republican in politics, is a Presbyterian in behef and a member
of the M. W. A. lodge.
Biographical.
1059
Raphael M. Miller, Secretary of KirksvUle Trust Company
1060
The History of Adair County.
b
Biographical.
1061
Residence and Family of Walter B. Otto, Kirksville; his parents, Henry
J. deceased, and Sarah E. Otto
1062 The History of Adair County.
JAMES NOVINGER, son of Isaac and Christina (Shoop) Novinger, was born
April 1, 1840, in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. He was married April 16, 1876,
to Louisa Snyder, daughter of Alichael and Margaret Snyder. The.y had si.K chil
dren, five of whom are living: Solomon, born December 20, 1876; Israel, March
16, 1878; William, November 24, 1879; Harvey, November 11, 1881, died Alay 17,
1899; Grover, October 8, 1884; Benjamin, February 25, 1889.
Mr. Novinger came to Adair County with Ms parents in 1847. He was reared
here on a farm, and foUowed that occupation all his life. He has a farm of 200 acres,
two miles northeast of Novinger.
In 1862 he joined Company D, 27th Infantry of Missouri Volunteers. He
served till the close of the war. Mr. Novinger is a Democrat and a member of the
Presbyterian church.
JACOB J. ABERNATHEY was born in Davis County, Iowa, January 19,
1850. His parents were George and Dorcas Abernathey. "The family moved to
Adair County, Missouri, in 1859, and settled in Morrow township. Mr. Abernathey
has lived in the same part ot the county all his life, except two years spent in Sulli
van County. He has always been a farmer. The farm he now owns is one mile
southeast of Stahl, and consists of 196 acres.
J. J. Abernathey was married I'ebruary 28, 1869, to Isabel Virden, daughter of
Hiram and Elizabeth Virden. They have seven children: Elizabeth, born August
8, 1870, died February 4, 1879; Mary, born September 7, 1872, now Mrs. W. J.
Moore; James, born May 5, 1874; Hettie, born November 24, 1877, died August
26, 1879; Alyrtle, bom September 9, 1879, now Mrs. Charles WiUiams; John, born
September 4, 1881; Albinas, August 28, 1886. All the children are married.
Mr. Abernathey belongs to the I. O. O. F. lodge, and is a Republican. He served
four years as constable of Morrow to-wnship, and was deputy sheriff under J. H.
Kinnear from 1885 to 1889.
EPHRAIM W. IMBLER was born near Fairfield, Iowa, July 19, 1845. He
is a son of Daniel and Saloma (Williams) Imbler. When twelve years old his parents
moved to Knox County, Missouri, where he lived for a few years, then went to Ma
rion County, Missouri, where he was married. After his marriage he farmed a few
years, then went to Sedgwick County, Kansas, and remained till 1880. He next
went back to Knox County, then to Adair County, Missouri, in 1882. Soon after
coming here he bought a farm. He died March — , 1901.
Mr. Imbler was married January 28, 1866, to Anna E. Murray, daughter of
George W. and Matilda A. (Mann) Murray. They had six children; Mary M.,
bom December 23, 1866; Charles W., September 9,' 1868; George E,, October 18,
1870; Henry D., January 8, 1873; Lewis J,, July 7, 1876; Thomas W,, AprU 5,
1879. Henry, Thomas and Alary are still single; but the others are married.
The farm consists of 120 acres of splendidly improved land. Mrs, Imbler, her
daughter Mary and son, Thomas Imbler, live on the place and manage it.
In 1861 Mr. Imbler joined Company F., Third Missouri Volunteer Cavalry,
and served till the close of the war. He saw much hard service in Louisiana and
Arkansas. He was a member of the G, A. R.
Biographical.
1063
Residence, Family and Barn of James Novinger, near Novinger
1064
The History of Adair County.
From left to right: James Novinger, James H. Novinger, George Shoop,
Elisha Wimber, the latter two deceased. They were messmates
during the war and all from the same neighborhood.
Picture was taken at their last reunion
Residence and Family of James Abernathey, near Stahl
Biographical.
1065
E. W. Imbler, deceased, and wife. Also Residence, Barn and Famous
Pear Orchard, 3 miles east ot KirksvUle
1066 The History of Adair County.
GEORGE W. BELL, born in Oldham County, Kentucky, Alay 18, 1849, was a
son of John D. and Nancy BeU. In the spring of 1850 he moved with Ms parents
to Illinois, where they remamed until 1857, then came to Adair County, Alissouri,
entering land adjoining the farm on wMch Air. Bell now lives. George 'tt'. Bell is
a breeder of Aberdeen-.lngus cattle, and had the first registered herd in tMs part
of the country.
Since coming to this county. Air. Bell has always made this his home, and en
gaged in farming. He has 223 acres of land, situated four miles south of Ku-ks-viUe,
where he does general farming and stock raismg. He has two unmarried sisters,
who make their home with Mm. His sister Josie is a native of Adair County, and
Alice is a native of lUinois. Aliss Josie is a member of the Alethodist Episcopal church,
and for sixteen years was a most efficient public school teacher of Adair County.
Air. Bell is Republican in politics.
SAMUEL F. BELL was born m Cass County, Illinois, April 27, 1853, being a
son of John D. and Nancy (Pennington) Bell. He was married March 1, 1883, to
Alillie AlcKinney, daughter of Archibald and Rachel A. (Da^ds) AIcKinnej-. They
have one cMld — Alargaret Alae, born April 7, 1891.
He moved with his parents from Illinois to Adair County, Alissouri, in 1857,
living with them till grown. He then married and bought a farm near Bullion, where
he remained until 1895, when he bought his present farm, located four miles south
of Kirksville. He has 120 acres of fine land, and is a breeder of PoUed-Angus cat
tle. He is a Republican. His family are members of the Alethodist Episcopal
church. DR. JAMES M. KIBLER is a native of Shenandoah County, Virgima. He
was born October 21, 1865. His parents were WiMam F. and Lucinda J. (Otto)
Kibler. On .Ypril 1, 1907, he was married to Lenna Langford, daughter of Robert
L. and Emma (Shelton) Langford. Airs. Kibler is a native of Clark County, Alis
souri; bom December 30, 1881. They have two children: Isabelle, born January
28, 1908; Robert Raymond, bom June 1, 1909.
Dr. Kibler came to Adair County in 1869, and lived on the farm he now owns
till grown. He attended the public school, and took a course at the Alissouri State
Normal School at Kirks-viUe. Later he attended the American School of Osteo
pathy, graduating in 1909. After his graduation he practiced at Lynchburg, A'ir
ginia, and Henderson, Kentucky. In 1904 he took a post-graduate course, after
which he practiced at Staunton, A'irgima. In 1908 he gave up the practice, returned
to Adair County, and resumed the occupation of farming. He ow-ns a farm of 325
acres near A'oungstown, and has a pretty home.
He belongs to the I. O. O. F., and is a member of the Alethodist Episcopal church.
E. E. BLACK was born February 7, 1877, in Knox County, Missouri, and is
a son of Ambrose E. and Pirena E. Black. He was married December 19, 1897, to
Alary P. Tuttie, daughter of Daniel and Sarah Tuttie. They have three cMldren:
Leo, born September 17, 1898; lona, July 19, 1901; Lucille, July 6, 1908.
Mr. Black was bom and reared on a farm in Knox County, where he remained
with his parents till growm. He then came to Adair County, where he engaged in
the mercantile and lumber business till in 1907, he and George Tuttie orgamzed the
Brashear Banking Company, and Mr. Black was made easMer, wMch position he
now holds.
Mr. Black is a member of the I. O. O. F. and M. W. A. lodges.
Biographical.
1067
P : V
.1 *-» •! •
'l-".- rib .. '
Barn, Horses and Thoroughbred Aberdeen Angus Cattle of George W.
BeU, 4 miles south of KirksJille
1068
The History of Adair County.
a
m
o
J3
a
c
-a
Biographical.
1069
Residence, Family, Stock and Scene on I'arm of Dr. J. M. Kibler
near Youngstown
1070
The History of Adair County.
jteS- =.->-. T
Clo
O
^M
[i.
Biographical.
1071
S3
Ca.
W
9
cr
1072 The History of Adair County.
COL. ERNEST A. COGHILL was bom near Sublette, in .\dair County, Alis
souri, August 18, 1S71, being a son of John W, and Susan (Floyd) CogMU. He was
the eleventh child in a family of fourteen. He was mai-ried February 24, 1897, to
Alice B. Hawkins, a daughter ot Judge Hawkins. The>- had two children, one of
whom is living: Roscoe \'irgil, born Alarch 14, 1899, died January 10, 1900; Jolin
Puri, October 23, 1903.
Col. Coghill was born and reared on a farm, land enteriHl b\- his grandfather,
near Sublette, and now owned by L. L. Alickel. His father died when he was eight
years old and his mother a year later. He then made his home with his sister. Airs.
George Horton, till he was fifteen years old. -Yt that age he began to make Ms own
li\-ing. He worked b>- the month on the farm and at other occupations till his mar
riage. A few _\-ears later he bought his present farm, the Elms, and has li^¦ed there
continuously since. It consists of eighty acres and is situated about two miles south
west of Alillard. It is well improved and he has a very prett\- home. He is a breed
er of thoroughbred Short-Horn cattle, SM'opshire sheep, Berkshire hogs and
pedigi-eed saddle horses. For the past five years, in addition to Ms farming, he has
given much attention to auctioneering- and is considered one of the best in his line
in the coimty, making a specialty of farm sales and li^-e stock.
Airs. Coghill is also a nati-\-e of Adair County and was bom on the old Hawkins
homestead, near AlUlard, June 23, 1876. She has lived in tMs county aU her life.
Col. Coghill's father, John A^'. CogMU, was born February 17, 1832, in Kentuckj'.
He was married to Susan Floj-d July 8, 1852. The wedding occurred at an old log
house on land now owned by Emmett Luder. Col. Coghill's grandfather, Jackson
Floyd, came to .Ydair County in 1842, when Schu>-ler Count>- was an attached part
of tMs county. It is said that he entered land where Kirksville is now located.
FRANK LUTZ was born in Adair Coiint>-, Alissouri, near Kirksville, Alarch
19, 1874, being a son of Samuel .\. and Julia Lutz. He was married Alay 23,, 1896,
to Dora C. Claus, daughter of Peter and Catherine Claus. They have one child —
A'irginia, born Alarch 17, 1S97.
Air. Lutz's parents died when he was small and he made his home \\-ith his grand
parents till fourteen jears old. He then started out to make his own way and has
worked at \'arious occupations and has lived in ten different states. Finally, in
1907, he returned to Adair County, where he has since lived and been engaged in
farming, .-Vt present he owns a farm of eighty acres, five miles southwest of Kirks-
-\-iIle. In 1910 he was appointed overseer of road district No. 11, consisting of the
south part of Benton township. In his district there are over 100 miles of road and
nearly eighty miles of it have been graded this year, much other work also being done.
Air. Lutz is considered one of the best OAcrseers in the county, and keeps his reads
in fine condition. He is a Republican in politics and belongs to the AI. AA'. A. fra
ternity. GEORGE W. VANLANINGHAM was born February 12, 1828, in Harrison
County, Indiana. He was married January 24, 1851, to Sarah S. Blakeley, They
had eleven children, six of whom are living: John AA'.; Emma L., no\\- Airs. LeA'i
Phipps; George L.; J. G; Kittie Al., now Mrs. Edward Lininger; Thomas Al.
Mr. A'anlaningham came to .-Vdair County, Alissouri, in 1855, where he lived
and farmed near Novinger tUl his death, January 15, 1907. Airs. A'anlamngham died
February 21, 1907, Air, Vanlaningham was one of the oldest and best known men
in Adair County.
Biographical.
1073
FamUy, Residence, Barn and Stock ot Col. E. A. Coghill,
2 miles southwest of Millard
1074
The History of Adair County.
Upper — Frank Lutz, with Teams and Road Grader
Lower — Residence and Family of Frank Lutz, near Youngstown
Biographical. 1075
DR. GEORGE M. LAUGHLIN, a native of New London, Missouri, was born
December 23, 1872, being a son of George H. and Deborah J. Laughlin. He was
married AprU 11, 1900, to Blanche StiU, daughter of Andrew T. and Mary M. StUI.
Dr. Laughlin graduated from the Kirksville State Normal School in 1894, and taught
in the public schools tor six years. In 1900 he graduated from the American School
of Osteopathy, and since that time has been connected with the school of Osteo
pathy at Kirksville in the capacity of teacher of practice of Osteopathy and general
practitioner. In September, 1911, Dr. LaugMin was elected Dean of the A. S. O.,
succeeding Dr. R. E. Hamilton. He is interested in many business enterprises and
one of the owners of the famous Kinloch Farm. He is a Republican, a member ot
the Christian church and belongs to the Masonic, K. of P. and Elks fraternities.
THE KINLOCH FARM is another institution which is bringing world-wide
fame to Kirksville. It is owned by Dr. George M. Laughlin and Dr. Charles E.
StUl. They are breeders and importers of thoroughbred Jersey cattle and Berk
sMre hogs. The business was started in 1895 by Dr. C. E. Still, but in 1896 he sold
off all Ms live stock, and immediately after this sale the present firm was organized.
They are now, perhaps, the most famous breeders of these lines of stock in the world,
and certainly among the largest. They now have on hands about one hundred
head of registered and imported cattle and about tMee hundred head of registered
and imported hogs. Their hog herd is doubtless the largest of the kind in America
and contains some of the most famous hogs. They are splendidly equipped for
breeding and have a farm of 350 acres adjoining KirksvUle on the west, and another
of 400 acres adjoining on the east. Thej' have a large number of handsome and
commodious barns, with the newest, modern, sanitary equipment.
Dr. StUl makes from one to two trips a year to Europe for the purpose of making
importations, securing the best the European markets afford. They are shipped to
Kirks-ville and sales are held from one to two times a year. These sales are among
the big events with the breeders of the country. Stockmen from all over the United
States and Canada, and often from across the water, come to KirksviUe to attend
these sales. At a recent sale buyers were here from Australia and New Zealand.
In the summer of 1911 a sale was held at their barn, at which some cattle sold for
record prices. Viola's Golden Jolly, an imported animal, sold for $13,000.00. Jolly's
Royal Sultan, an animal of their own breeding, sold for $10,000.00 His mother.
Majesty's Lady Hoopla, sold for $3,400.00.
Their hog herd now consists of about 300 registered ammals. They hold a sale
once a year, and have some of the world's famous hogs. They were the owners of
Star Masterpiece, the highest priced hog in the world, and still have a number ot
his o.ffspring on their farm. Concernmg the Kinloch Farm, we quote the foUovring
as an excerpt from an article written by Prof. Hugh Van Pelt:
"Great and rapid as have improvements been made in the character of dairy
herds surrounding KirksvUle, much of the credit is due the Kinloch Farm operated
at that point by Doctors C. E. Still and Geo. M. Laughlin. During the past fifteen
years many of the best Jerseys ever bred on the Island of Jersey and in America have
been owned at Kinloch Farm, and from time to time they with their progeny sold
by scores and their prepotent blood diffused in herds aU over the country. Many
times prices have been paid causing sacrifice on the part of the sellers, enabling buyers
to secure the best blood kno-wn in the Jersey world at a price -within the reach of the
farmer and dairyman. In fact, since Dr. StUl first organized Kinloch Farm he has
held in mind the breeder who was just beginning, the dairyman who needs produc
tive cows, and the farmer with pride that would lead Mm to seek good buUs for breed
ing up Ms herd."
1076
The History of Adair County.
Dr. George AI. Laughlin, KirksviUe
Biographical.
1077
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Jolly's Royal Sultan, a Thoroughbred Jersey Bull, raised on the Kinloch Farm and sold for $10,000
Photo by \V. M. Denslo-w
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Photo by W. M. Denslow
Majesty's Golden Rose, an Imported Jersey Cow, Property of Kinloch Farm
1080
The History of Adair County.
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Herd of Thoroughbred Berkshires, Property of StiU & Laughhn, of the Kinloch P'arm
1082
The History of Adair County.
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Biographical. 1083
JAMES COY was bom m La Rue Coimty. Kentucky, at HodgenviUe, February
12, 1846. He was a son of John M. and Siama Coy. On November 22, 1876. he was
married to Icy Kriner, who died April 11, 1893. She was a daughter of .Andrew
and Caroline Kriner. They had mne chUdren: .YrcMe AI. Coy, bom August. 3,
1878; WUliam A. Coy, born October 2, 1879; Siania B. Coy, born October 4, 1880,
now Mrs. George Bozarth; Anna F. Coy, born November 13, 1882, now Airs. E. T.
Bozarth; Gracie AI. Coy, bom December 21, 1883; James P. Coy. born February
16, 1885, died September 4, 1902; Mamie AL Coy, bora September 24, 1887, died
January 19, 1890; Connard J. Coy. born June 13, 1889; Lillie R. Coy, bora Sep
tember 17, 1891.
Mr. Coy came to Adair County -with Ms parents October 5, 1855, and settled
near the present town of Pure Air. Here he lived tiU grqwn. He has always been
engaged in farming. At present he owns a farm of 195 acres, one mile east of Pure
Air. He is a breeder of Percheron horses, fine hogs and cattle.
Diudng the war he was a member of Company B., 39t.h Missouri A'olunteer In-
fantrj". He is a Democrat m politics.
CHARLES W. HUGHES, son of James and Sarah Hughes, was born in Schuj'-
ler County, Missouri, August 1, 1858. He married Nettie Converse. October 25,
1877. She is a daughter of Lewis and Salena Converse. They have six children:
Melvin, born September 14, 1878; Homer, January 25, 1880; Edwm, June 6, 1882;
Forest, Alay 19, 1887; Dale, AprU 9, 1897; Coraehus, August 16, 1899.
Mr. Hughes was bom on a farm in Schuyler County. His parents having died
when he was verj- smaU, he made his home with relatives in Iowa, where he Uved tiU
grown. He then married and lived m Marion County. Iowa, tUl 1884. He came to
Adair Countv in that year. He has been livmg and famung in this county smce.
He now owns a farm of sixty-five acres, near Clay. He is a member of the Alethod
ist church. JAMES SEES was bom m Jackson Coimty. OMo, February 4, 1861, bemg a
son of Thomas and Alargaret M. Sees. He was married January 1, 1884, to Emma
J. Strock, daughter of M. F. and Airj" E. Strock. They have seven cMldren: Ina,
bom November 19, 1884; Essie, July 16, 1887; Irviei April 3, 1890; J. Ray and
Idlah Alae, twins, November 14, 1.894: Dale. December 9, 1896: Glenn. October
7, 1902. Mr. Sees came to Adair Countj", Alissouri, with his parents in 1S68. setthng at
old Paul Town. Lived there about two years, then moved to a farm m that vicm-
itv", where ^'Ir. Sees grew to manhood. He Uved there ^-ith his parents, farming
and working at the carpenter's trade untU he was married. He and wife went to
housekeeping m the town of Brashear, living in that \-icimty until the fall of 1890,
then moving to KirksviUe and working at the carpenter's trade untU the spring of
1898. He then moved with Ms family to his farm five miles northwest of Brashear,
where he stiU lives. He does general farming and stock raising. His farm consists
of 160 acres, and is weU improved.
Air. Sees is a. Republican in politics, and is a member of the AI. W. A. lodge.
His wife is a member of the United BretMen church. Mr. Sees is not a member of
any church, but is in ssrmpathy with aU organizations working for the uplift of hu
manity.
1084
The History of Adair County.
Residence, Family, Barn and Horses of James Coy, near Pure Air
Biographical.
1085
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1086
The History of Adair County.
Residence, Family and Bam of James Sees, 7 miles east of KirksviUe
Biographical. 1087
NICHOLAS HAMLING, a native ot Luxemburg, Germany, was born Febru
ary 21, 1865. When very small he moved to France with his parents, John and
Mary (Till) Hamling, remaining there until his coming to America. Landing in
New York February 1, 1890, he went to Illinois where he engaged in farming for six
months, then came to Grundy County, Illinois, then to Stahl November 25 of the
same year. Here he dug coal till 1897, then bought the Miller place. Later he
bought other land near his original place, and now owns a farm of 200 acres, just
southwest of Stahl. He is a breeder of Jersey cattle, and just starting in the dairy
business. He also raises Poland-CMna hogs and Percheron horses. While conduct
ing his farm here he spent some time in Sulhvan County, running a grist mill, and is
just installing the same thing on his present farm.
Mr. Hamling was married June 6, 1908, to Alary Zanter, daughter of Nicholas
and Louise (Brinkey) Zanter. They have one cMld — Louise L., bom October 23,
1909. He was formerly married to Almeda E. Ledford, who died September 11,
1906. They were married July 4, 1894, and had two cMldren: Carrie, born August
10, 1898, died September 15, 1898; John N., January 24, 1904. Mr. Hamhng is a
Repubhcan, a member of the Catholic church, and belongs to the I. O. O. F. lodge.
S. F. SHOOP was bom in Adair County, Missouri, near Nineveh, February
3, 1871, being a son of Judge Adam and Cyrena Shoop. He was married October
28, 1894, to Catherine Miller, a daughter of John D. and Louisa MUler. They have
six children: Leola, born May 7, 1896; Hugo, August 5, 1898; Velma A., January
2, 1900; John D., February 19, 1902; George M., December 29, 1904; Louise, Feb
ruary 27, 1910.
Mr. Shoop was born and reared on a farm just west of Nineveh, living there with
Ms parents till grown. He then went into the mercantile business at WiUmathville,
remaining there six years. Then, in connection with M. C. Miller and J. H. Berry,
he organized the Miller Mercantile Company, and they opened a store at Connels
viUe, and also one at Novinger, Mr. Shoop being made manager of the Connelsville
branch. Later they sold the Novinger store and opened up a big general store at
Nineveh. They now own and conduct two big stores at that place, one at what is
known as old Nineveh and another near the depot at Connels-ville. In addition to
the mercantUe business, Mr. Shoop owns 100 acres of land near Shibley's Point.
Mr. Shoop is a Republican in politics.
HENRY L. YOWELL was born in Howard County, Missouri, September 25,
1850, a son of John S. and Jensey Y. Yowell. He was married November 9, 1876,
to Elizabeth J. Farmer, who died June 10, 1896. They had eight children: Bertha
B., wife of John Cunmngham; Jesse O.; James I.; LiUie M., -wife of Charles Cun
ningham; Grover C. F.,; Robert O.; Amos S.; Etta G. Air. Yowell was again
married October 13, 1900 to Teresa Farmer. They have two children: Snodie, born
Nov. 19, 1902; Fannie P., AprU 25, 1904.
Mr. Yowell moved to Lewis County with Ms parents in 1861. He lived there
ten years, and then moved to Schuyler County. In 1881 he came to Adair County,
and then moved to Schuyler County. In 1881 he came to Adair County, where he
has since lived and farmed. At present he owns a farm of 225 acres, one mile south
west of Pure Air. He handles Aberdeen-Angus cattle and Percheron horses.
He is a Democrat. Mrs. Yowell is a member of the Baptist church.
1088
The History of Adair County.
Residence, Family and Fine Stock of Nick Hamling, near Stahl
Biographical.
1089
Residence and FamUy of S. F. Shoop, Connelsville
¦?o
1090 The History of Adair County.
T. E. ELMORE, a native of Adair County, was born July 8, 1864, being a son
of W. C. and Ehza Elmore. He was married in 1888 to Allie Begole, daughter of
D. W. and Lyda Begole. They had six children: Opal, born September 9, 1889;
Ora, November 28, 1890; Fay, November 24, 1892; Warren, September 13, 1900;
deceased; Aubrey, December 27, 1902; Vita, July 17, 1908.
In 1888 T. E. Elmore and his brother, George, built the first store at Gibbs, it
being the first business estabhshment there. They continued that business four
vears, then Air. Elmore sold out his interest there and moved to a farm south of
Gibbs, remaining there till 1902. At that time he moved to Gibbs and went into the
banldng business, remaining one year. He then went to Oklahoma and remained
a year, returning to Adair County, where he bought his present farm, one mile north
of Gibbs. It consists ot 320 acres and is well improved. He handles PoUed-Angus
cattle, Shropshire sheep and Percheron horses. He has what is considered one of the
best farms in the county and a beautiful home. Besides his home farm he owns
360 acres in Arkansas.
Air. Elmore is a Republican in politics, a member of the 1. O. O. F. fraternity
and belongs to the Alethodist church.
FRANCIS MARTIN HARRINGTON was born in Amsterdam, New York,
within four miles of the place where his gi-andtather, Joseph Hagamen, a Lieutenant
in the Revolutionary War, erected the first grist mill west of the Hudson River.
His father, Martin Harrington, a native of Grafton, Massachusetts, was descended
from several Alassachusetts families who were prominently identified with the cause
ot freedom and Colonial Independence. Eleven of the 130 men in Captain Parker's
Company at the Battle ot Lexington, were Harringtons, and two of them, Jonathan
and Caleb, were numbered among the nine who fell on the Lexington Common, April
19, 1775. Through the Putnanis, Brighams and Elliots, ot Massachusetts, also
comes to Air. Harrington on the paternal side, a splendid line of ancestry.
His mother was Catharine Hagamen of New A'ork, a lineal descendant of the old
Schout-Fiscal, .Adrian Hagamen, who governed tive Dutch Colonies on Long Island
in 1650. Francis Harrington received a fair education in the public schools of Pike Coun
ty, Illinois, where he afterwards taught several terms. . He read law in Pittsfield,
Illinois, with Hay and Matthews. Then entered the Law Department of Northwest
ern University, of Chicago, from which he graduated in 1866. In July of the same
year, he located in Kirksville for the practice of his profession. Four j-ears later he
was married to Aliss Alartha Dutcher of Barry, Illinois. To this union were born
two sons and fi\e daughters, all of whom are living except one infant daughter.
Air. Harrington has been identified with many public improvements in Kirks
viUe through her transition period from a tiny village to a flourishing little city. In
1869 he represented .Vdair County at a meeting held in Quincy for the purpose of or
ganizing a company to build a railroad from O^uincy to Kirksville.
He was one of the directors of the Kirksville Savings Bank at the time of its
estabhshment in 1873, and was for many years -vice-president of this institution.
Air. Harrington was active in the movement to establish the First State Normal
School in Kirksville, and was president of the Public School Board when the Wash
ington and Benton school buildings were erected. He was a member of the Water
Works Committee in the town. He served as County Attorney for five or six years.
Biographical.
1091
Hon. F. AI, Harrmgton, Postmaster, Kirksville
1092 The History of Adair County.
and it was during one of his early terms that the bridge at Sloan's Point was built
across the Chariton River.
Mr. Harrington was a member of the Thirtieth General Assembly of Missouri,
and wMIe attending this session, was elected Alayor of Kirksville without his knowl
edge. He was re-elected Mayor and resigned to become again representative from
Adair County, which office he held untU the close of the Thirty-Second Assembly.
In 1890 Mr. Harrington was the defeated candidate for Congress, although having
made a splendid race for a Republican in a district largely Democratc.
Air. Harrington was an untiring worker in the haUs of the Legislature. He
served on the Ways and Means Committee and other important committees during
the various sessions, and was the author of a number ot important bills, among them,.
the well-known Marriage License BUI passed at the Thirtieth General Assembly,
which requires license to be issued by the Recorder of Deeds. He was also the au
thor of the bill preventing the marriage of cousins in this state.
After an absence of many years, Mr. Harrington became a member of the Forty-
Second General Assembly. Upon his return from Jefferson City a royal welcome was
given him at Ms home on East Normal .Avenue, as a mark of appreciation of his work
as Representative of Adair County.
"Mr. Harrington," writes a friend of his, "has a peculiar shrewdness in man
aging a, case that is undefinable, and is the secret in part, of Ms splendid success."
"As a jury lawyer," continued his legal brother, "he has few peers in his judgment.
A truer friend to his clients I never saw."
Several years ago Mr. Harrington retired from active practice to accept the
office of Postmaster. At the expiration of the term he was reappointed.
ALBERT HERREN, a native of Canada, was born November 20, 1850, a son
of James and Ehzabeth (Liscom) Herren. Though born in Canada, when but a
baby he moved with his parents to Illinois. Here he remained on a farm until 1872,
when he moved to Adair County, where he has since lived and farmed. He owns a
farm of 320 acres, ten miles southwest of Kirksville. -The place where they live
joins Mrs. Herren's home and belongs to her. It consists of 205 acres, with one
of the most beautiful homes in the county. She also owns 245 acres in Knox County.
They do no active farming, all their land being leased.
Albert Herren was united in marriage February 16, 1904, to Peoria Dowdy, a
daughter of Jefferson J. and Mary (Atterberry) Dowdy. She was born in Macon
County, November 24, 1860, coming to this county the same year. They have no
children. By a former marriage Mrs. Herren has three children: Annie A, Bragg,
now Mrs. Pearl Graham, of- Whittier, California; George Bragg, of Washington;
Mary A. Bragg, now Mrs. Charles Lee, of Sycamore, Illinois. Mrs. Herren's former
husband was George J. Bragg, of Washington.
Mr. Herren is a Republican.
MISS RILLA WREN was born in Benton County, Oregon. She lived there
till grown, attending the public schools. In 1890 she came to Kirksville and took a
course in the Kirksville Business College, also a course at the State Normal School.
She then entered the mercantile business and is at present a member of the Porter-
Wren Co., owning a half interest. Miss Wren is the buyer for the firm.
Biographical.
1093
Top, left to right — Mrs. Susan (Novinger) Darr, Isaac Novinger, Jr.
Center — Mrs. Isaac Novinger, Isaac Novinger and Grand cMld,
Grandma Motter. Bottom — Jacob Shoop, Mr. and Mrs. Noah Mot
ter, all deceased, except grandcMld, now Mrs. Shibley
1094
The History of Adair County.
Jacob Novinger and Family, i,ear Stahl
Biographical.
1095
Residence, Barn and Stock ot Daniel D. Novingir, 7 mUes southwest oi
Novinger. Parents of Airs. Novinger, Alilton J. and Lucy J.
Bozarth. Air. Bozaith is deceased
1996 The History of Adair County.
GEORGE YOUNG was born near Canton, Ohio, June 24, 1834, being a son of
Christ and Catherine Young. He was married AprU 12, 1857, to Elizabeth Sharr,
daughter of Philip and Barbara Sharr. They had eight cMldren, five of whom are
living. Those living are, Minnie, now the wife of C. M. Brawner, George A., WUham,
Clinton, Effie, now the wife of Harry Balch.
Mr. Young was born and reared on a farm in Ohio. He followed the occupation
of farming in that state till 1860, when he moved with his family to tMs county.
He purchased land near the present town of Youngstown, where he has since lived
and been engaged in farmmg. At present he owns a farm of 520 acres at Youngstown,
the town bemg built on his farm. He assisted in orgamzing that little city, and
still owns a large number of lots in it. Besides general farming, he handles Short
Horn cattle, Poland Cliina hogs, and Percheron horses.
Mr. Young is a Republican in politics and he and his family are members of
the Methodist church.
SOLOMON E. MOYER was born at Dayton, MicMgan, February 7, 1866,
being a son of Solomon and Nancy C. (Martin) Moyer. He was married October
16, 1892, to Deha Goodwm, daughter of Columbus C. and Margaret (Dillinger)
Goodwin. Mrs. Moyer was born in Sulhvan County, Alissouri, November 25, 1871,
and came to Adair County in 1881. They have one cMld — Pansy O., born August
6, 1893, died August 13, 1902. They have one adopted cMld — Theodore, nme years
old. Mr. Moj-er went to Iowa with his parents when a small boy, then in 1871 moved
to SuUivan County, Missouri, remaining there one year. In 1872 he came to Adair
County, where he has since lived. He has been engaged in the saw mill and bridge
business. At present he devotes his time to buildmg county bridges. He lives at
Youngstown, where he owns a home and twenty-eight acres adjoimng the town.
He is a Democrat and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
THOMAS E. CLARKSON was born at Clayton, lUinois, Alarch 24, 1851, a
son of Kmzie and Theresa Clarkson. He lived in lUinois until 1883, then came to
Knox County, Missouri, where he lived ten years, engaged in farming. He then
came to Adair County and farmed here until 1897, sold his farm, and moved to
Brashear where he buys and sells horses and mules. He has been the constable of
Salt River tovvTiship for twelve years.
FRANCIS A. PEVEHOUSE was born in Adair County, near Brashear, Mis
souri, AprU 17, 1867. He was reared on land seven miles northwest of Brashear,
the farm he now owns being a part of the old home place. When gro-wn he started
farming on the home place for himself. He now owns a farm of 193 acres, six miles
northwest of Brashear. He is a breeder of Short-Horn cattle, Poland-CMna hogs,
and the highest type of graded stock; also he has a fine registered saddle fiUey of his
own raising.
Mr. Pevehouse was married February 12, 1888, to Alary J\ Dunham, daughter
of Elijah and Mary A. Dunham. They had ten children, nine of whom are living:
Elijah W., born December 24, 1888; Nora E., December 13, 1890; Oscar H., May
22, 1892, died February 12, 1894; Roy E., December 4, 1893; Eva L., July 14, 1895;
Francis A., June 24, 1897; Nellie L., January 10, 1900; Goldie M., March 8, 1903;
Glenn E., February 18, 1905; Gladys M., January 8, 1908.
Mr. Pevehouse is a Republican and a member of the Methodist church.
Mr. and Mrs. George Young, Youngstown
Mr. and Airs. S. E. Moyer, Youngstown
1098
The History of Adair County.
Thomas E. Clarkson and His Thoroughbred Horse, Brashear
Residence ot David Barnhill, near Brashear
Biographical.
1099
Air. J. AI. Kenned}-, Kirksville
1100 The History of Adair County.
JOSEPH MCREYNOLDS was born AprU 10, 1847, in Knox County, Alissouri,
being a son of Josiah and Mary (Pue) McReynolds. He was married April 4, 1876,
to Nancy Henry, daughter of Hugh F. and Leah Henrj-. Mrs. McReynolds is also
a native of Knox County, and was born Dec. 8, 1852. They had ten children, seven
of whom are living: Hugh, born AprU 17, 1877; Charies F., Oct. 21, 1878; Homer E.,
AprU 28, 1881; Verdie L., Aug. 17, 1884; Addie M., March 23, 1886, now Airs.
Tony RoUison; Ehzabeth, May 23, 1888; Fannie C, May 23, 1891. Three child
ren died in infancy.
Mr. AIcReynolds was born and reared in Knox County, Missouri, and belongs
to one of the old-time famUies of that section. He remained at home with his parents
till grown, then married and took up the occupation of farming. Soon after his
marriage he moved across the line to Lewis County, where" he remained about five
years. Then in 1881 he came to Adair County and bought his present farm where he
has since lived. It consists of 160 acres, six miles south-west of Gibbs. He also
owns twenty acres across the line in Macon County. He does general farming and
stock raising.
Mr. McReynolds is a Democrat in politics and belongs to the Baptist church.
JOHN A. MYERS, born in SuUivan County, Missouri, near Green City, Sep
tember 3, 1857, is a son of Henry and Mary A. Myers. He was married to Margaret
A. Novinger, daughter of Isaac and Christina Novinger, January 1, 1880. She
belongs to one of the oldest families of Adair County. They have nine cMldren:
Elnora J., born January 25, 1881, now Mrs. I. K. Moore; Rosa L., October 17, 1882,
now Mrs. H. E. Jackson; Isaac J., December 5, 1884; Henry L., October 24, 1886;
John S., September 10, 1888; Sarah C, March 24, 1890; Catherine L., March 20,
1892; Grace A., April 25, 1894; Ralph E., March 20, 1896.
The farm on which Mr. Myers was born and reared is in Sullivan County, within
a half mile of where he now lives. He has always lived in that county and has always
been engaged in farming. He owns a farm of 200 acres, just northeast of Green
City, and is a son of one of the oldest settlers of Sullivan County,
His \\-ife, who was a member of the Novinger family, was born just west of Nov
inger, July 9, 1856. She was reared in Adair County, living there till her marriage
to Air. Myers, Since then she has made her home in Sullivan County.
Air. Alj-ers is a Republican.
ALVARO T. MORROW was born October 29, 1859, in Adair County, Mis
souri. His parents were Joseph Maxwell and Rosanna Morrow. He was married
February 24, 1880, to Anna Lowe, daughter of Hawley and Maria Low, Airs. Mor
row was horn in Adair County, March 29, 1862. They had ten children, eight of
whom are hving: Estelle M.,born December 8, 1882, died AprU 10, 1890; Junia F.,
June 2, 1884; Robert A., May 21, 1886; Alfred G, June 8, 1890; Rosa M,, March
13, 1892; Berthel L., February 16, 1894; Chfford M., March 21, 1896; Catherine
E,, September 7, 1898; George E,, September 20, 1900, The first child, born Sep
tember 13, ISSl, died in infancy.
The farm on which Mr, Alorrow was reared is seven miles east of Kirksville,
He bought the farm now owned by his widow, in 1900, moving there the next year.
He lived there tUl his death, December 4, 1907, Mrs. Morrow has lived on and man
aged the farm since his death. The farm consists of eighty-seven acres, eight miles
northeast of Kirksville. It is well improved. The family belongs to the Methodist
Episcopal church.
o
Residence of Joseph AIcReynolds, six miles southwest ot Gibbs
1102 The History of Adair County.
REUBEN W. PROPST is a native of Adak County, Missouri, and was born
north of the present town of Brashear, Oct. 10, 1860, bemg a son of Robert and Ma
linda Propst. He was united in marriage Feb. 20, 1883, to Ora Paul, daughter of
J. Horatio and Sarah A. Paul. They have four chUdren: Daisy B. bom Nov. 28,
1883; Chauncey F., Aug.6, 1886; Horatio D., Nov.. 28, 1888; Anna L., Jan. 31, 1891.
Air. Propst was born and reared on the old Propst homestead, just north of
Brasheai- remaining at home with his parents tUl grown. He then married and
continued the occupation of farming, having Uved in this county and followed that
business all his life. At present he owns a farm of 240 acres, 4 1-2 miles north of
Brashear. It is regarded as one of the best farms in the county, and is splendidly
improved, the home being a. handsome one with many modern improvements. Air.
Propst is a progressive, scientific farmer, and a breeder of high-grade stock. Mr.
Propst is a Republican in politics and he and his fainil\- belong to the Methodist
church. JOHN H. WALLACE was reai-ed on a farm in Adair County, Missouri, on land
entered by Col. Jones and later sold to Mr. Wallace's grandfather for $2.00'an acre.
He was born there March 10, 1876, son of James and Mary E. WaUace. He was
married May 2, 1899, to Grace Dunham, daughter of George and Mary E. Dunham.
The\' have four cMldren: Orpha, Carroll, Beryl, and Eva.
Mr. Wallace Uved with his parents until his marriage, then began farming for
himself. He now owns forty acres, a part of the old Wallace fai-m, situated near
Youngstown. He also farms other land adjoining. He has hved in this county aU
his life, with the exception of three years spent in Colorado, He is a Republican
and a member of the M, W, A,
JETHRO V. COULSON, a native of Brown County, Illinois, was born April
IS, 1837, being a son of Bethel and Elizabeth Coulson. He was married April 5,
1860, to Lucinda AUison, daughter of Elijah and Mary Allison. They had seven
children: Sarah Ellen, bom February 14, 1861, died September 20, 1892; John L.,
November 22, 1862; James F,, June 25, 1864; Elmer E,, June 11, 1866; Alvars J.,
January 6, 1869; WiUiam H., April 3, 1871; Vianna E., Juno 3, 1873.
Mr. Coulson owns a farm of 160 acres situated at Adair, Missouri, southwest
quarter of section 32, township 63, range 13. He does general farming and makes
a specialty of raising fine Poland-China hogs. Mr. Coulson came to Adair County,
Missouri, in 1861, and has lived here since, except about four years. During the war
he served three months with the Home Guards. He is a Republican.
JAMES W. RILEY, son of James M. and Elizabeth A. (Morris) Riley, was
born in Ross County, Ohio, January 5, 1852. He was married January 28, 1877,
to Nancy Thompson, daughter of John Thompson. They have eleven children : ¦
Elmer, born December 16, 1877; Maud, January 10, 1882; Jim, September 6, 1884;
Homer, December 11, 1886; Dennie, June 29, 1888; OUie, May 8, 1890; Pearl, Oc
tober 1, 1892; Ehzabeth, October 4, 1894; Glen, December 16, 1896,
Air. Riley moved to Johnson County, Missouri, with his parents in 1859, There
his father died in 1860, and in 1861 he and his mother moved to Schuyler County,
where he lived and farmed till 1884. He then moved to Adair County, where he has
since lived and been engaged in farming. At present he Uves on one of the McCahan
farms, one mile south of Stahl. He is a Republican and a member of the I. 0. 0. F.
lodge. Mrs. Riley belongs to the Hohness church.
Biographical.
1103
y y T y ¥ » y o^
Residence and Bam of R. W. Propst, 4 1-2 miles north of Brashear
1104
The History of Adair County.
James (deceased) and Mary E. Wallace, early Pioneers of .Adair County,
parents ot John H. Wallace, near Youngstown
Biographical.
1105
Attorney P. J. Rieger, Kirksville
1106 The History of Adair County.
B. F. HEINY was born in Carroll County, Indiana, September 15, 1845.
Lived on a farm in that county until 22 years of age.
Enlisted in Co. B. 142 Indiana Infantry, at Look-port, Indiana in 1864, and
served until the close of the war. After returning home from the army he attended
school in Idaville, Indiana, for two years, and in the fall of 1867 he came to Kirks-
vUle*with Profs. Joseph Baldwin and F. L. Ferris and entered what is now the Kirks
viUe State Normal School, September 1st, 1867, being one of the first students to
enter the school. He attended the Normal a portion of the time during 1867, 1868,
1869, teaching three terms of school, and doing some writing in the County Clerk's
office. He accepted the position of Deputy County Clerk in 1869 aiid held the
position until January 1st, 1875, when he entered on the duties as Clerk, having been
nominated and elected without opposition. At the close of Ms term of office Jan
uary 1st, 1879 he bought what is now knovsm as the Normal Book Store and soon
after bought an interest in the KirksvUle Journal and took editorial charge of the
paper. The Journal and Book Store were managed by him until 1891 when he sold
both properties to accept the CasMership of the Union BaMc, now The National Bank,
which P. C. MUls and he organized. He remained with the bank as CasMer for 16
years and in January 1908 retired from the bank and on the 1st of March of the same
year accepted the position of Secretary of the KirksvUle Trust Co. and in April 1910
was elected President and assumed the management of the CoBftpany. He is a
member of the Board of Education and was for a number of years F'resident of the
Board. He has been three times Treasurer of the Board of Regents of the Kirks
viUe State Normal School. He is President of the Journal Printing Co. of Kirks
viUe, and is one of its largest stock holders.
He is a republican, a Presbyterian, a Mason, a K. of P. and a member of Corpal
Dix Post No. 22, G. A. R.
ROBERT H. SAMUELS was born Aug. 6, 1854, in the southwest part of Adair
County, Missouri, being a son of Robert and Margaret (Littell) Samuels. He was
married Oct. 1875 to Teressa Lemon, who died in 1888. They had four cMldren:
Hariey, holn .luly 17, 1876; Hugh, Feb. 17, 1878; Cari, Dec. 17, 1880. He was
again married, April 27, 1892, to May Selby, daughter of Joshua and Amanda Selby.
They have two cMldren: Cecil M., born Jan. 10, 1896; Nina M., born Feb. 8, 1902.
Mr. Samuesls moved to the place where he now lives, near Youngstown, when
only a few months old, and has lived there continuously since, and been engaged in
farming all his life. He owns a farm of 160 acres, the old home place, and does gen
eral farming and stock raising.
WILLIAM F. PHILLIPS was reared on a farm about a mile north of where
he now lives. He was born near Yarrow, Adair County, Missouri, February 2, 1868.
He married Rosa Baker, October 7, 1907. She was born in Schuyler County, March
1, 1882, being a daughter ot John and Caroline (Swagert) Baker. They have two
cMldren: Beulah F., born September 19, 1908;Delma L., August 29, 1910.
Mr. PMUips hved with his parents, James and Sophia (Anspach) PMlUps, tUl
grown. He spent six years in Oklahoma before his marriage, and also lived m Macon
County for a short time'. Finally, in 1899, he returned to Adair County, and in the
following year bought his present farm. It is situated one mile east of Yarrow and
consists of 100 acres. He does general farming and stock raising.
He is a Republican and a member of the M. W. A. lodge.
Biographical.
1107
03
CO
o
a
hd
1108
The History of Adair County,
Residence ot Robert II. Samuels, 5 miles southwest of Kirksville
Kesidence of Wm, F. Phillips, near ¦^'arniw
Biographical.
1109
w
u
o a
5^
1110 The History of Adair County.
HON. JAMES T. LLOYD was bom at Canton, Missouri, August 28, 1857,
being a son of Jeremiah and Frances Lloyd. He was married March 1, 1881, to Mary
B. Graves, daughter of Thomas A. and Alary Graves, They had four cMldren:
Oliver J., now Cashier of the National Bank at Shelbina, Missouri; Thomas L.;
Ethel Lee; and Willard P, The latter died at the age of four years.
Mr. Lloyd was reared on a farm in Lewis County, Alissouri, attending the public
schools of his neighborhood. He completed his acedemic education at the Christian
University, Canton, Missouri, .4.fter quitting school, he served as Deputy Sheriff
of Lewis County, and later as Deputy Circuit Clerk, spending his leisure time in
reading law. In the meantime he was admitted to the bar at Edina, Alissouri, in
1882, and afterwards practiced his profession at Monticello for two years. In 1885
he moved to Shelbyville, Shelby County, Missouri, where he engaged in the practice
of law until 1897, when he was elected to Congress, as Representative from the First
Congressional District of Missouri, of- which Adair County is a part. He still makes
his home at ShelbyvUIe, and has been elected to Congress eight times, six times with
out opposition in his party. Air. Lloyd has been highly honored by his colleagues
in Congress, is cha'rman of Accounts Committee, also of the Patronage Committe,
and is a member of Post offlice and Post Roads Committee. This is a recognition
given to but tMee members of the House. He is also held in the highest esteem by the
members of his party, and is now Chairman of the National Democratic Congressional
Committee, one of the highest honors in the gift of the party. Mr. Lloyd is regard
ed as a man ot the sternest integrity, as well as great ability. In all Ms campaigns
he has received the hearty support of many of his constituents of opposite political
faith. Air. Lloyd is a Democrat in politics, and of the most aggressive and progressive
lyiie. He is a member ot the I. O. O. F., K. of P., and M. W. A. fraternities, and
at present is chairman of the Missouri Society at Washington, D. C. He is a member
of the Alethodist church.
MARGARET C. WELCH was born in Adair Co., Mo., a daughter of WiUiam
and Bridget fMurphy) Welch. She was reared near A\'ilmathville, and has lived
in this county all her life. She now owns a pretty home at Adair, where she now
resides. Her father, Wil'iam Welch, was a native of Ireland, where he was born March
27, 1812. He came to America when a young man, living in Kentucky tUl 1854.
He then came to Adair County, Alissouri, and settled near WiUmathville where he
lived at the time ot his death.
ERBIN E. SLOAN was born in Adair County, Alissouri, near KirksvUle, Nov.
10, 1860, and is a son of Columbus J, and Rebecca (Thompson) Sloan, He was
married April 26, 1892, to Flora B. Thompson, daughter of William O, and Cynthia
(Harlan) Thompson. They had seven children, five of whom are living: Paul C,
born Jan. 27, 1893; Audrey B,, May 5, 1894; Bernie, .Vpril 9, 1896, died Jan. 8, 1901;
Eugene, Nov. 8, 1897; Ruth, Aug, 26, 1900. One chUd died ininfaney,
Mr, Sloan was born and reared on a farm three miles west of KirksviUe, living
there with his parents till grown. Since his marriage he has been engaged in farming
and mining, and has made this county his home all his life. At present they own a
farm of eighty acres, eight mUes southwest of KirksvUle. Mrs. Sloan is also a native
ot Adair County, and was born near Kirksville May 3, 1867. Mr. Sloan's parents
were among the earliest settlers of Adair County, coming here from Kentucky in 1840.
Biographical.
111,1
fgr
Hon. James T. Lloyd, Shelbyville, Mo.
1112 The Histoky op Adair County,
WINFIELD SCOTT VAWTER is a member of one of the most famous families
in the country, and oan trace his ancestry back oenturies before 'the Revohitionary
War. The family originally went from France to England, where lihoy played an
important part in that country's history. In 1875 three brothers came from England
and settled in Massachusetts, later taking a prominent part in the affairs of that
early time, their descendants doing much in shaping our country in its early history.
Mr. Va-wter is a direct descendant of one of these brothers.
He is a son of WiUiam and Matilda Vawter and was born in Shelby County,
Mo,, March 28, 1873. liis father is a native of Iowa and served with distinction
during the CivU War, in Co. G. llth Mo. Cavalry. During this conflict his eyes
were so badly injured that in later years he became totally blind. In 1893 lie went
to live with his son, W. S. Vawter who was then at Brashear, On the removal of
that gentleman to Trenton in the summer of 1900 he wont with him and still re
sides with him in that city, i
Mr, Vawter was educated in the public schools of Missouri and moved to Adaii"
County when smaU, settling at Brashear, He was engaged in the mercantile bus
iness at Brashear for about, five years, using his spare moments during that time in
the study of law, his preceptor being Judge Blair. Ho was admitted to the bar in
May 1899 and practiced successfully at Brashear until the summer of 1909 when
he moved to Trenton. Mr,. Vawter served se-veral times as M.a,yot of Brashear.
He is an ardent -Hepublican and, has always .talcen. a deep interest in politicsi He
also tal^es a deep interest in lodge woilc and has held high offices in both the Masonic
and Odd Fellow lodges. He is a student of literary and historical subjeotB as 'svell
as an able and well read lawyer.
In the fall of 1910 Mr. Vawter was appointed City Attorney of Trenton and
the following spring' elected without opposition to succeed himself,
Mr. Vawter was united in marriage Oct, 28, 1908 to Miss' Minnie Barnhart.
They have one child, Wm, B,, boi'n August, 16, 1909.
Mr, Vawter has been connected with the publication of Violette's History of
Adair County since the enterprise was started, and is the "power behind the Ihrono,"
He is now the Treasurer of the company.
NOAH 0. LANE was born at New Boston, Linn County, MisHouri, Aug. 7,
1870, being a son of John H, and Catherine T. Lane, Ho was married Oct, 5, 1898,
to' Kathleen Clapper, ilaughter of WUliam G. and Mary R, Clapper, Thoy have
one child, Mildred Leone, born Deo, 28, 1S99,
Mr. Lane was reared at the little town of New Boston, living at home' with his
parents till about grown. He then learned the barber's trade, in which buninoHS
ho has been engaged almost continuously since. He worked and conducted shops
in a number of places, and in 1904 came to KirksviUe. For a number of years he was
one of the proprietors of the lloyal barber shop. In 1910 he quit this business on
account of ill health, and went to work as special deputy for the Yeomen lodge in
Arkansas, with headquarterM at I'ort Smith, later going to Van Buron.
Mr. Lane is a Democrat in politics and a member of the K. of P., 1, 0, 0, P.,
A, F. and A. M,, M. W. A. and B. A. Y. fraternities, He is considered one of the
best posted lodge men in this part of the country, and takes a deep interest in all
kinds of lodge work. He helped to organize the famous Woodmen drill team which
won so many prizes in the State and District contests.
Biographical.
1113
Al.lorney W. S, Vawter, Trenton, AIo., Treasurer of Denslow
History Company
1114
The History of Adair County.
I .. ,.v ¦•%-:• '^
> —
o3
1>
Id
Biographical. 1115
CHARLES N. TOLMAN was born at Bountiful, Utah, Jan. 24, 1869, a son
of Judson R. and Sophia (Merrill) Tolman. His mother died when he was about
five years old, and he made his home with his grandmother till about eleven years
old. He then went to Colorado and remained in that and adjoining states till 1884,
when he came to Missouri, finallj' locating in Chnton County. He attended the
public schools of that section and took a special course in mathematics at the State
University at Columbia. He taught school in Chnton county several years,, and was
for three years principal ot the schools at Plattsburg. Later he purchased the Dem
ocrat-Lever, a newspaper at that place, which he conducted till 1900. He then
went to St. Joseph and engaged in newspaper work till 1904. Later he was en
gaged in the same business at Sedalia, BoonvUle, KirksvUle, and Trenton. In the
fall of 1909 he returned to KirksviUe and took up the field work for Violette's History
of Adair County. In August., 1910, the Denslow History Company was organized
and he was made President and Field Manager. He also does some magazine and
special newspaper -writing.
Mr. Tolman was married May 24, 1908, to Minnie E. Murphy, daughter ot
W. S. and Maiy E. (Waldron) Murphy. Mrs. Tolaman was born at Grafton, West
Virginia, Nov. 23, 1884, and came to Kirksville, Missouri, with her parents when
about four years old. She was educated in the public schools, graduating from the
Kirksville High School in the class of 1903. She then took the Latin Course of four
years at the State Normal, graduating in 1905 with the degree of Bachelor ot Pedagogy.
For five years she- was a teacher in the Kirksville Public Schools, giving up that po
sition at the time of her marriage. Later she also took a course in shorthand and
typewriting at the same institution, and has assisted in editing this history; writing
the biographical sketches therefor.
Mr. Tolman is a Democrat in politics, is a member of the K. of P. lodge, and he
and his wife both belong to the Christian church.
JAMES H. REED was born March 12, 1868, in Sullivan County, Missouri,
being a son of R. L. and ,Tane Reed. He was mairied Alarch 31, 1892, to Mary PoweU,
daughter of Charles and Sarah PoweU. They have six chUdren: Virgil F., born June
29, 1893; Ottie .lune, June 20, 1895; Eva M., Dec, 8, 1896; Marie, July 12, 1901;
Lenore, March 8, 1904; Alice E., March 9, 1910.
Judge Reed was born and reared on a farm in Sullivan County, remaining there
with his parents till about nineteen years old. He then came to Adair County, where
he worked in the coal mines for a number of years. Later, in addition to mining, he
took up the occupation of farming, and now owns a farm ot 142 acres, two miles
southeast of Stahl. The land is not only excellent for farming, but is all underlaid
with big veins of coal, only a small portion of it having been mined.
Judge Reed served as Constable of Alorrow township for two terms, and in
1902 was elected Justice of the Peace of that township, an office which he still holds.
He is a Democrat in politics and takes a great interest in public affairs.
Mrs. Reed is a native of Adair County, and was born March 15, 1874. Her
father and mother are both living, and make their home with her, Mr. Powell was
bom August. 30, 1825, in lUinois, and came to Adair County in 1855. He was mar
ried to Sarah E. Beets Jan. 3, 1851. They had ten children, 9 of whom are living.
Mrs. Powell was a native of Ohio, and was born January 4, 1831.
1116
The History of Adair County.
C. N. Tolman, President Denslow History Company, Kirksville
Biographical.
1117
Mrs. C. N. Tolman
1118 The History of Adair. County.
W. M. DENSLOW is a son of of the late Judge W. V. Denslow and was born
in Grundy County, Missouri, August 9th, 1858. His education was completed in
Trenton High School. He was married May 22, 1880, to CaUie Schooler, daughter
of Wm. D.~ and Malinda. (Nichols) Schooler. Mr. Denslow is a newspaper man
and a professional photographer. He was in the photograph busmess for six years
at Alacon, Mo., and March 29, 1911 he purchased the Grand Studio on the north
side of the square, in Kirksville. In 1888 he took charge of the Grundy County
Gazette and built that paper up to be one of the best country weeklies in north-west
Missouri. During his residence in Macon for one year he edited the Macon Citizen,
a, paper owned by the late Col. Blees. In 1908 the News PubhsMng Co., a cor
poration with ,1510,000.00 capital was organized in Trenton, Missouri and estab
lished the Trenton Dailey News. Mr. Denslow was selected as its editor and
manager, a position which he voluntary gave up nearly tMee j'ears later, after
that paper had succeeded in establishing the largest daily circulation of anj' news
paper in Grundy County. In August 1910 the Denslow History Company was
organized at Kirksville to complete the history of Adair County, and since that
time he has been secretary and office manager of that company. Mr. Denslow
represented Grundy County in the State Legislature from 1895 to 1899, and was
in July_ 1898 appointed U.^. Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue for the First
District of Missouri, and served until the Spanish- American War tax was repealed.
Mr. Denslow is a Republican in politjcs and a Alethodist in religion and is a
member ot the Elks, Masons and R. A. M. and is a Knight Templar, having just
retired from the position of Eminent Commander of Godfrey De'BouUion Com
mandery, No. 24 at Trenton, Mo. He is also a member of W. O. W. and B. A. Y.
Mr. and Mrs. Denslow have one son Ray V. Denslow, who is a, graduate of the
Missouri State University and for the past year has been editor and manager of the
Trenton Daily News, but who recently took a position in the Trenton postoffice.
He is a prominent Mason and is past Eminent Commander of Emmanuel Commadery
No. 7 at Macon, and Past High Priest of Trenton Royal Arch Chapter No. 66. He
was initiated into the mysteries of Masonry the night of the day he arrived at his
majority, the lodge waiting until after midnight to confer the degrees, that their work
might be legal.
JAMES B. KEPHART, son of John M. and Margaret (Legan) Kephart, was
born in Johnson County, Indiana, May 25, 1859. He was married June 29, 1879,
to Minerva I. Young, daughter of John and Martha (Greenstreet) Young. They
had six children: Alburtis W., born April 23, 1880; Verna May, September 4, 1882;
died July 30, 1883; Edna Erna, February 27, 1886; John Edgar, AprU 10, 1888;
Evah Irene, November 15, 1894; Aurel Buchanan, .Inly 23, 1.900.
Mr. Kephart moved to Iowa with his parents in 1867. Two years later, in 1869,
they came to Adair County, Missouri. He was then only ten years old. They set
tled at Old Paul Town, now Brashear. Here he lived with his parents tiU grown.
He then married, and in 1882 bought his present farm, vi^here he has since hved. It
consists of 200 acres, one and one-half mUes northeast ot Youngstown. He does
general farming and stock raising.
He is a Democrat, and a member of the Christian church.
Biographical.
1119
W. M. Denslow, Proprietor Grand Studio and Secretary Denslow
History Company, Kirksville
o
aHW
UiOW «!
O>W
o
Miller Mercantile Company's Stori;, Connelsville
Biographical. 1121
THOMAS H. VANLANINGHAM was born in Adair County, Alissouri, near
Sloans Point, Dee. 21, 1872, being a son of Thomas and Henrietta (Truitl ) \'an-
laningham. He was married June 4, 1903, to F^annie AI. Beatty, daughter ot Thomas
and Susan Beatty. They have two children: Thomas Everal, born April 13, 1605;
Leland A\ayne, April 23, 1909.
Mr. Vanlaningham was bom and reared on a farm near Sloans Point, remtir. ing
at home with his parents till grown. When about twentj'-five years old he went
to Green City, where he was engaged in the furniture and undertaking business,
remaining till Aug,, 1911, He then came to Kirksville, formed a partnership with
G, W, Lehr, purchasing the Hennon-Stahl Furniture and Undertaking business.
Their main furniture store is at 205 North Elson Street, and their undertaking parlors
at 105 East Harrison Street. J. F, Waddill, a licensed embalmer, has charge of
their undertaking parlors,
Mr. Vanlaningham belongs to an old-time family, his father coming here tronf
lUinois in 1854 and remaining here till his death, Feb. 4, 1906. Mr. Vanlaningham
is a Republican and a member of the M. E. church.
GEORGE V. LEHR was born in Sullivan County, Missouri, April 9, 1S69,
being a son of Lorenze and Margaret Lehr. He was married April 28, 1892, to
Artha A. Davis, daughter of Harley P. and Nancy Davis. They have six cMldren :
Roma, born Sept, 23, 1893; Ralph, Oct. 24, 1895; Mabel L., Dec. 16, 1897; EmU,
May 9, 1903; Harold, Feb. 23, 1906.
Mr. LeM was born and reared on a farm in SuUivan County, remaining at home
tiU twenty-three years old. He then went to farming for himself near Queen Citi,-
till 1898, then moved to Green City, where he engaged in the carpenter and contract
ing business and buying, shipping and breeding stock. He still owns a farm of 100
acres near Green City and six acres witMn the city, with a nice home. Here he live 1 1
tUl -Aug., 1911. At that time he came to Kirksville, and, in connection with Thomas
H. Vanlaningham, purchased the Hennen-Stahl Furniture and Undertaking business.
Their undertaking parlors. are at 1 105 East Harrison Street, and their furniture sture
at 205 North Elson Street.
Mr. Lehr belongs to an old pioneer family of Sullivan County. He is a Democrat
in politics and a member of the Methodist Church.
CHARLES S. DAVIS was born near Green City, SuUivan County, in 1SG7.
He is a son of S. H. and Almira (Watt) Da-vis, both of his grandfathers and families
settling there in the pioneer days of 1853. He attended the common schools ot Sul
hvan County, the Green City College, Kirksville and Warrensburg State Norrr.als,
and the University of CMcago; taught in the country and town schools of Sulli\-an,
and was School Commissioner of that county for two terms. He spent his -\-aca-
tions in store, office, and bank work, and one year in Kansas as manager of a general
merchandise store. He closed his work as a teacher at Edina, Missouri, being Super
intendent of the Schools of that city for two years. In 1899 he went to Europe,
spending a year in school and travel. Returning he located in the banking business
for himself at Winston, Alissouri, where he remained until 1906, when he sold his
bank and went to Edina and took up the abstract business with John W. EnAis,
famiharizing himself with laws, titles and contracts. Mr. Davis purchased the
State BaMc of Brashear, taking possession March 1, 1907.
In September, 1901, he was married to Miss Leta Ennis, daughter of John \\'.
and Jeanette Ennis. They have two children: Ennis, aged eight, and Jeanett<',
aged three.
73
1122
The History of Adair County.
Upper — Undertaking Parlors; Lower — Interior of Furniture Department,
Vanlaningham & Lehr, KirksviUe
Biographical.
1123
C. S. Davis, Cashier State Bank of Brashear
1124 The History of Adair County.
JACOB E. MORELOCK was born and reared on the farm where he now lives.
He has hved there all Ms life, except a short time spent in Utah. He and his brother,
Earl Morelock, own a farm of 100 acres, just east of the home place, also conduct
the home place of 200 acres. They are breeders of thoroughbred Percheron horses,
having one of the best animals in Adair County and a fine jack. They also breed Short-
Horn cattle, Poland-China hogs, Plymouth Rock cMckens and Bronze turkeys.
Jacob Morelock was born Alarch 21, 1869, being a son of Enoch and Martha
Morelock. He was married January 1, 1899, to Agnes Hunt, daughter of James
and Mary Hunt. They had six cMldren, four of whom died in infancy: Gerald
Maxwell, born May 22, 1906; Alarian Marie, January 17, 1911.
Mr. Alorelock is a Democrat and belongs to the I. O. O. F. and Masonic lodges.
Alorelock Bros., Wm. H. E. and Jacob E., own and have on their farm the Short-
Horn bull "Scottish Favorite," and heifer "Sweet Butterfly No. 97111, Mammoth
Jack "Custer No. 2881," and the Imported Percheron Stallion "Robuste No. 4080
(60232)." :
ENOCH B. MORELOCK came to Missouri in 1842. His parents settled at
MUan, Missouri, where he lived till 1861. They then moved to Adair County, gomg
to a farm m the northwest part of the county, where Mr. Morelock has smce hved.
He has been engaged in farming all Ms life. He owns a farm of 200 acres, near the
Henley Ranch, but has retired from active farming, Ms sons. Earl and Jacob, now
runnmg the farm.
Mr. Morelock was born in Sulhvan County, Tennessee, February 24, 1859,
bemg a son of E. M. C. and Elizabeth Morelock. He was married June 14, I860,
to Martha Kelly, daughter of Jacob and Susan Kelly. Mrs. Alorelock was bom
December 24, 1839, and died February 18, 1898. They had seven cMldren: B.
Frank, bom April 18, 1861, died November 8, 1897; Flora Estella, March 9, 1867,
died Febmary 21, 1898, was the wife of C. E. Hunter; Jacob E., March 21, 1869;
Louis H., January 4, 1871, died July 28, 1872; Susan E., November 8, 1873, died
March 22, 1890; WiUiam H. E., May 11, 1881. Infant son, born November 14,'
1864, died January 28, 1865.
Mr. Morelock eMisted in Company B, 39th Missouri Infantrj-, in September,
1864, being discharged in July, 1865. He saw much servdce in the South.
E. AI. C. Morelock, Ms father, was also born m Sullivan County, Tennessee,
the date of Ms birth being December 9, 1809. He came to Missouri in 1842, and
to Adair County in 1851. He was one of the pioneer newspaper men of the county
and founded the KirksviUe Democrat. He was the first representative in the Legis
lature from Sullivan County, ser^'mg tMee terms. He was the second county and
circuit clerk of Adair County, the two offices being combined at that time. In tMs
office he served from 1855 to 1859. He died in Adair County June 11, 1888.
Enoch Morelock is a member of the Democratic party.
JAMES F. ABERNATHY is a native of Adair County, Missouri, and was
born in Nineveh township May 5th, 1874, being a son of Jacob and Isabel Abernathy.
He was married Aug. 1st, 1896 to Bird Hoffner, daughter of Jacob and Manda Hoffner.
They ha-ve three children, Clyde age 14; Don, age 10;Jacob G., age 5. Mr. Abernathy
was born in this county and spent his early life on the farm near Stahl. When gro-wn
he married and continued the occupation of farming, in which he is still engaged.
At present he owns a farm of 128 acres near Stahl, and does general farming and
stock raising.
Mr. Abernathy is a republican in politics and a member of the|M. 'V^. of A.
Biographical.
1125
¦^
/
/
.•^
^ J
Center — Jacob Morelock, the late Alajor E. M. C. Morelock, Earl
Morelock, Enoch B. Morelock. Upper and lower— ^^Thoroughbred
Stock belonging to Morelock Bros., near Henley Ranch.
1126 The History of Adair County.
DR. F. M. BARNES was born in Adair County, Alissouri, Nov. 2, 1857, being
a son of Henry M. and Nancy AI. Barnes. He was married Jan. 10, 1889, to Olive
AI. Gabbert, daughter of Sylvester and America S. Gabbert. They have three
children: Glen F., born Jan. 19, 1890; Monte E., Nov. 13, 1891; Beulah May Oct.
10, 1894.
Dr. Barnes was reared on his father's farm near Kirks-viUe, Missouri, remaining
at home until about seventeen years of age. He attended the public schools during
the winter months and helped his father on the farm during the summer. After
taking a course in the State Normal School at KirksviUe, he went to St. Louis and
attended the Old American Medical CoUege, from wMch institution he graduated
with high honors in March 1885. At least twenty years of his practice he has con
ducted near the neighborhood where he was bom and reared. He is still conductmg
his practice at Brashear, Mo. near the neighborhood where he was born and reared.
He is considered a very successful physician and an ideal citizen.
Dr. Barnes is a Republican in politics, and belongs to the I. O. O. F. lodge.
His wife belongs to the Rebekahs and the Royal Neighbors.
FRANK SHILLIG was born at Richmond, Iowa, January 24, 1859. He is a
son of Peter and Anna Shillig. Mrs, Shillig, his wU'e, was formerly Mrs, Rose Granger,
daughter of Perry and Nancy A. Lillard. They were married April 13, 1909,
Mr. ShiUig was reared on a farm and continued that occupation until a short
time ago when he moved to Kirksville. He came to Adair County, Missouri, in 1904,
and bought a forty acre farm south-east of Kirksville. He is now in the livery bus
iness, proprietor of the Iowa Livery Barn.
Mr. ShUlig is a Democrat, a member of the Catholic church, and belongs to the
Yeoman lodge.
GEORGE HEW ARD was born in Bureau County, lUinois, in 1857, being a
son of Licena and Thomas Heward. He came with his parents to Adair County,
Missouri, when only two years old, and has made this his home continuously since,
with the exception of five years spent in the irrigation district of North Platte, Nebr,,
and two years in the mining bus iness at Leadville, Colorado. Mr Heward has
always made his home on a farm near Sperry, where he still owns a tract of eighty
acres. It is splendidly improved andjlie has a beautiful home. He is considered
an up-to-date farmer and does general farming and stock raising. He is Republican
in politics, but does not affiliate with anj' lodges.
ALLEN H. SHOUSE was born on a farm in Knox County, Missouri, November
21, 1855. He was married October 24, 1878, to Mary Vansiokle, daughter of WU
liam and Susan (Oldfather). Vansickle. They had nine children: Etta, born July
8, 1880, now Mrs. John WandeU; Elisha W., born September 4, 1882; Walter E.,
October 4, 1884; Alva E., August 8, 1886; Iva A., November 24, 1888; Jesse E.,
February 3, 1891; George H., .June 7, 1893; Bertha, November 10, 1898; Orel E.,
August 14, 1904.
Mr. Shouse lived with his parents, George W. and Elizabeth (Rice) ; Shouse, in
Knox County, till thirteen years old, then moved with them to Adair County and
lived at home till grown. At present he owns a farm ot eighty acres, six miles south
east ot Gibbs. He raises PoUed-Angus cattle, Poland-China hogs, and fine horses.
He does general farming and stock raising. He has farmed all his lite.
Mr. Shouse belongs to the Democratic party. He is a member of the Baptist
church and the M. W. A. lodge.
Ko
Si
Residence of F. AI. Barnes, M. D., Brashear
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00
ABitmi mnatmr
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FRANK SHlLtm.
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Iowa Livery Barn, Kirksville; Frank Shillig, Proprietor
Biographical,
1129
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Residence of A. H. Shouse, 6 miles southeast of Gibbs
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O od2
Biographical.
1131
John T. WaddiU, County Clerk, and Family, Kirksville
Pictures ot children, Madge, Mildred ar.d Glenn,
were taken when thev were small
1132 The History of Auair County.
JOHN MAUCK was born in 1851 in Mauck Port, Indiana, being a son of Fabric
and Elizabeth Mauck. He was married Jan. 20, 1878, to Harriet McPheeters, dau
ghter of William .A. and Kitty J. AlcPheeters. They havetwo children: Ancie AL,
born Nov. 15, 1878; Zoe E., AprU 4, 1883, now Mrs, Chas, Church, Ancie Mauck
married Floy Moore of Brashear, Sept, 5, 1911,
Air. Alauck came to Adair County, Alissouri, with his parents in 1858, settling
on the farm near the present town of Brashear, which he now owns. He has lived
there continuously since coming here, and has always been engaged in farming.
He has a splendid farm, situated three miles north of Brashear, His home is regard
ed as one of the prettiest farm residences in the county. His son, Ancie AI., makes
his home with his father, and in recent years has had the management of the farm,
ALFRED REYNOLDS was born near WiUmathville, Adair County, Alissouri,
July 16, 1871, being a son of William B, aiid Ruth D, (Story) Reynolds. He was
married Jan, 10, 1892, to Emma S, Brassfield, daughter of Dennis M. and Racheal
Brassfield. Mrs, Reynolds was bom in Adair County, July 1, 1874. They have
five children: Lula M., bom May 2, 1893; Stanley L:, Oct. 12, 1895; Gertrude R.,
Nov. 12, 1898; Bessie L,, Sept. 10, 1901; Roosevelt, June 27, 1904,
Air. Reynolds wasborn on a farm near WiUmath^'iUe, and remained there with
his parents till 1880, They then moved to Greentop, Alissouri, where his father
went into the mercantUe busmess. He remained there and assisted his father in the
store till his marriage. At that time he returned to .Adair County and farmed for
two years, then returned to Greentop, where he again worked in the store for three
years. Al the end of that time he again returned to this county and bought his
present farm, where he has since lived. It consists of ninety acres four miles north
east of Sperry. He does general farming and stock raising.
Air . Reynolds is a, Republican in politics, and he and his wife are members of
the Baptist Church. Mrs. Reynolds is a member of the Rebekah lodge.
CHARLES BANKS was born in Lexington County, Missouri, Sept. 25, 1876,
and is a son of William and Asenath (Corning) Banks, He was married Dec, 20,
1901, to Etta Dille, daughter of David D, and Mary (White) DiUe, They have two
children: ,Joseph Eugene, born Jan. 26, 1908; Margaret Etta, Sept. 8, 1910. Airs,
Banks was born in Chariton County, Missouri, Oct, 15, 1879.
Air. Banks was born and reared on a farm in Lexington County, remaining
there till about twenty years old. He attended the public school and took a course
at -Avalon College. He then taught country and vUlage schools in that county for
eight years. Then, in 1904, he came to Kirksville and entered the State Normal
School. He took the full course, graduating in 1907, and also held the Library Scholar
ship one year. From 1908 to 1910 he was principal of the KirksvUle High School.
In the summer of 1910 he took advanced work at the Normal and received the degree
of B. A. That same year he was elected Superintendent of the KirksvUle schools
and was reelected in 1911. During the summer of 1911 he did post-graduate work in
the University of Wisconsin. In addition to Ms work as Superintendent of the
KirksviUe Public Schools he teaches some classes at the Normal.
Air. Banks is a member of the Masonic order, and he and his wife belong to the
Methodist Episcopal church.
Biographical.
1133
Residence of John Mauck, 3 miles north of Brashear
Residence of Alfred Reynolds, 4 miles northeast of Sperry
J. V Ledford, deceased
Chas. Banks, Supt. Public Schools, 'KirksviUe
Biographical. 1135
JOHN V. LEDFORD, son of E. B. and Polly Ledford, was born in Green County,
Tennessee, September 16, 1840. He was married to Hannah Bachman April 3,
1864. To this union were born eight children: Jacol), born Jan, S, 1865; Mary,
Dec. 9, 1866; George P., Feb. 23, 1869; John A., Oct. 20, 1871; LiUian Lee, July 15,
1873; Thomas M., Feb. 3, 1875; Elizabeth A., Sept. 9, 1877; Silvina, Nov, 26, 1879.
Mr. Ledford was one of the early pioneers of this county, coming here when a
small boy. He lived in this county and farmed tiU his death, Feb. 11, 1891. On
Sept. 17, 1864, he enlisted in the United States Army, serving till July 19, 1865.
Mrs. Ledford was born in Sullivan County, Tennessee, Sept. 1, 1840, and died at her
home in this county April 25, 1890. Both she and Air. Ledford were devoled nieinbers
of the Presbj'terian church, and had been for many years.
JACOB LEDFORD, son of John V. and Hannah Ledford, was born in Adair
County, Jan. 8, 1865. He was married May 2, 1911, to Mrs. Sarah Stoakes.
Mr. Ledford was born and reared on a farm in the western part of this county,
remaining at hoijie with his parents till their death. The care of several of the young
er children then devolved upon him. He has lived in that part of the county and
farmed and mined all his lite. At present he owns a farm near Stahl, which is under
laid with big veins of coal, some of which has already been mined.
GEORGE .WASHINGTON WILLIS was born in Adams County, Illinois,
March 16, 18.58, being a son of George W. and Hettie (McGinnis) WUlis. He was
married June 4, 1881, to Ida Gardner, daughter of Abner and Ehzabeth (Ileavlin)
Gardner. They had ten children, seven ot whom are living: William S., born April
2, 1884; Clyde T., Oct, 25, 1887, died Alay 11, 1909; Sylvia AI., July 29, 1888, died
AprU 9, 1904; Victor, June 8, 1890, died June 21, 1897; Clarence A., Aug. 19, 1891;
Alta O., June 16, 1894, now the wife of Marion Waggoner; Aland M., Oct. 12, 1898.
Delta E,, May 7, 1900; John H., Nov, 13, 1903; Levirra O., Nov. 2, 1904.
Air, Willis came to Adair County, Missouri, in 1865, settling in the north part of
the county. His father lived there tUl Ms death in 1881, his mother dying in 1891,
He lived at home till about grown, and then married and continued the occupation
of farming. He has been a farmer all his life, except one year, 1894, spent in the
mercantile business at Millard. At present he owns a farm of 120 acres, three and
one-half miles north-east of Connelsville, He does general farming and stock raising,
handling fine horses, cattle and hogs and thoroughbred Shorpshire sheep.
Mr. Willis is a Republican in politics and he and his famUy are members of the
Baptist church.
GILBERT SNEED was born in Knox County, Missouri, July 21, 1885, and is
a son of G. W. and Mary Sneed. He was married Oct. 27, 1907, to Jennie Lind,
They have two cMldren: Stanley, born Jan, 8, 1909; Bemice, May 15, 1910.
Mr. Sneed was born in Knox County, Alissouri, but moved to Kirksville with
his parents when only about ten years old, and has made this city his home since.
When about grown he went into the electrical business, taking up and studying all
lines of electrical construction, and becoming exceedingly proficient in his business-.
In 1905 he opened an electrical supply house, in Kirksville, which he stiU conducts.
He does general electrical contracting and repairing, and carries a full line of electri
cal supplies. Mr. Sneed is a Democrat in politics and a member ot the K. of P. lodge.
1136
The History of Adair County.
Residence, Family, Bam and Horses of G. W. \\'illis, 11 miles north
west of Ku'ksville
Biographical.
1137
J. E. Merelock and Family, 5 miles northwest of Stahl
R. A, Slauson and Family, 1 mile east of Trinity
1138
The History of Adair County.
Barns, Imported Horses and Great Jack belonging to S. J. Miller, Kirks
ville. Mr. MiUer in foreground in front of Barn
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Photo by "W. M. Denalo-w
Miller's Stonewall, 3367, Greatest Jack in Northeast Missouri; 16 hands high and weighs 1210 pounds,
owned by S. J. MiUer, KirksviUe, Mq.
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Introuvable, 41334 (56490), Imported from France by Dunham, Fletcher and Coleman; owned by
S. J. MUler, Kuksville, Mo.
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Photo by W. M. Denslow
Instar 67798 (79181), a two year old, owned by S. J. MUler, KirksviUe and Imported by Mm in 1909.
1142 The History of Adair County.
D. FRANK HAYDEN was born in Livingston County, AIo., Dee. 6, 1868, and is
a son of B. B. and Ehzabeth .\. (\\'iseheart) Hayden. He was married F>b, 6, 1896,
to Jessie E. Hubbell, daughter of George N. and Emma (Baker) Hubbell. They
have one child, Evard A., born AprU 29, 1904,
Air. Hayden was born and reared on a farm in Livingston County, remaining
there with his parents tUl about grown. He attended the public schools, the Stan-
berry Normal, and also took a course at the Gem City Business CoUege, After
graduating from the latter institution, he farmed in Livingston County for a few
years, then went into the hardware business at Hale, Missouri, remaining there three
years. He then returned to the occupation of farming, in which he continued till
1903. .\t that time he came to KirksvUle, where he has since resided. Soon after
coming here he went into the monument business, in which he is still engaged. He
recently added pneumatic tools for lettering and carving, having now one of the
best equiped plants of the kind in North Alissouri. He is a natural mechanic himself
and also employes an expert workman and a traveling salesman.
Air. Hayden is a Democrat in politics, a member of the AI. W. A. lodge, and he
and his family belong to the AI, E. Church, South.
DAVID M. PICKENS was born near Stahl, .Vdair County, Missouri, Dec, 27,
1866, being a son of David R. and Alartha J. Pickens. He was married Jan. 5, 1888,
to Laura .V. O'Bell, daughter of Nicholas and Philopena O'Bell. They have three
children; Alinnie, born July 29, 1891: Albert G, Feb. 14, 1894; Clarence C, Feb,
12, 1906. Air. Pickens was born and reared on a farm near Stahl, When about eighteen
years old he left home and went to work in the mines at Stahl, He farmed and worked
in the mines in that section till 1905, when he moved to Connelsville, AIo., where
he has since lived and been engaged in the mining business.
Air, Pickens is a Republican in politics, a member of the I. O. (>. F. lodge, in
which he takes a deep interest.
JOHN C. DYE, was born in Hancock County, Illinois, Alay 13, 1859, is a son
of William and Susan Dye. His wife was Emma CoUop, daughter of Joseph and
Rebecca CoUop, They were married December 25, 1881. They have one child —
Fannie, now Airs. C, E, Vaughn,
Air. Dye moved to .-Vdair Countj- with parents in 1866. He wa^ reared on a
farm in this county. He has an eighty acre farm six miles northeast of Kirksville.
He has been a farmer all his life. He is Democratic in politics and belongs to the
Alethodist Church South, and the AI. W. .V. lodge.
DR. WILLIAM I. CAIN was born near Xo\-inger. Alissouri, on the old Cain
homestead, September 14, 1871. He was uiai-ried to Aliss Ch;irIotte Hoerrmann, Dec
ember 23, 1896, Mrs. Cain is a daughter of John and Christina (Hetzel) Hoerrmann,
They have two chUdren: Estell \'., bom December 4, 1897, and Edith ()., April 29,
1899. Dr. Cain h\'ed at home till grown, and took a course in the .Vmcrican School of
Osteopathy, graduating in 1899. He entered the practice at Benton Harbor, Mich
igan, remaining there ten years. He next went to Bar Harbor Alaryland, where he
lived till January 1911. On the death of his mother he returned to the old home, and
is now helping his father run the home farm.
CO
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Oo
Interior of D. Frank Havden's Alonument Establishment, Kirksville. Air, Hayden at his desk.
1144 The History of Adair County.
EUGENE CRANDALL BROTT was born at Brookfield, Missouri, Oct. 24,
18181, being a son of Walter E. and Nettie E. Brott. He was married June 3, 1908,
to Clara Fout, daughter of W. G. and Ada Fout.
Mr. Brott was born and reared at Brookfield, Missouri, receiving Ms education in
public schools of that place, and graduating from the high school. His parents died
when he was quite small, and he made his home with an aunt until about nineteen
years of age. He then started out to carve his own way, and for a few years worked
at various occupations, finally going into the real estate business at that place. He
continued in that business till March, 1905, when he went to St. Louis, where he
accepted the position as CMef Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue for the Eastern
District of Missouri. In the spring of 1911 he gave up that position and came to
Kirksville, purchasing stock in the A. S. O. He was made Assistant Secretary and
Treasurer, and after the death of Dr. Warren Hamilton, was promoted to Secretary
and Treasurer, which position he now holds.
Mr. Brott is a Republican in politics and takes a deep interest in public affairs.
For a number of years, while living at Brookfield, he was Chairman of the Repubhcan
Central Committee of that county. He belongs to the Elks lodge.
CHARLES A. SMELSER was born at Galesburg, Illinois, March 3, 1872,
being a son of George and Adaline Smelser. He attended the public school of his
neighborhood, completing his education at Knox Military Academy. After quit-
ing school he served for six years in the 6th 111. Inft., and three years in the ArtUlery,
the last year as quartermaster. He also learned the painter's trade and was for
several years in the employ of the C. B. & Q. R. R. Co. In 1907 he came.to Kirks
viUe, where he has since resided. He worked at his trade here till the summer of
1911, when he accepted the general agency for the Post Dispatch for this section,
When the Kirksville Military Band was organized Mr. Smelser took a deep in
terest in it and was mainly responsible for bringing this matter to a successful issue.
In recognition for his services in this regard he was made manager and drum major.
Mr. Smelser is a Republican in politics, a member of the M. E. Church, South,
and belongs to the M. W. A., Redmen, and M. B. A. lodges, for the latter being
county deputy.
JOHN A. BURCHETT was born in Adair County, Missouri, April 16, 1866, being
a son of Benjamin and Onda (Wright) Burchett. He was married December 4, 1889,
to Jane Bozarth, daughter of James Madison and Rachel (McPhetridge) Bozarth.
Mrs. Burchett is also a native of this county, born July 26, 1869. They have six
cMldren: Bertha Ethel, born September 6, 1892; Beulah M., April 17, 1895; GaU B.,
June 11, 1897; Charles, October 23, 1899; Verna R., November 13, 1905. The first
child, born September 18, 1890, died September 23, same year..
Mr. Buchett lived on the farm in the west part of this county. Liberty townsMp,
till grown. Soon after his marriage he moved to SuUivan County, Missouri, where
he remained eight years, engaged in farming. He then returned to this county,
soon afterward buying his present farm where he has since lived. The farm con
sists ot 200 acres, one-half mile east of old Ringo's Point. He is a breeder of Short
Horn cattle, Poland-China hogs and fine horses.
Mr. Burchett is a member of the Democratic party and belongs to the M. W. A.
lodge.
Biographical.
1145
1146 The History of Adair County.
JOSEPH MOTTER is a native of Adair County, and was born in an old log
house near the Chariton River, not far from the old Wash Conner miU, Dec. 7, 1851.
He is a son of Judge Noah and Susan (Dopendorf) Motter. He was married Jan. 10,
1879, to Carrie E. Shoop. Mrs. Motter was also born in Adair County, May 3, 1859.
She is a daughter of PhUip D. and Frances (Shontz) Shoop. Mr. and Mrs. Motter
had two children, one of whom is living: Clyde C, born Jan. 10, 1880, died Sept. 18,
1910; Noah P., March 27, 1882..
Mr. Alotter moved with his parents to a farm near ConnelsvUle when a small boy,
where he was reared. He lived at home and assisted in conducting the farm tUl his
marriage. He then moved to his present farm, just north of the old home place,
where he lived continuously, with the exception of a few years, until coming to Kirk
sville. In 1906 he retired from active famung and moved to this city where he has
since lived. He turned the management of Ms farm over to his sons, still retaining
a supervisory interest. After the death ot his son Clyde the management devolved
on Ms other son, Noah P., who is now married and lives on the old home place. The
farm is regarded as one of the best in Adair County, and consists of 320 acres, one and
one-half miles east of ConnelsviUe. After the death of his father Air. Motter pur
chased the interest of the other heirs in this tract, and it now all belongs to him. The
southern part of the farm, on wMch was located the' old Alotter home, is owned by his
brother William Motter. Both Mr. and Mrs. Alotter behng to early pioneer families,
sketches of their parents being given in another part of tMs work.
Mr. Alotter is a Democrat in politics, and his wife belongs to the Presbj'terian
church. JAMES M. THRELKELD is a native of Schuyler County, Missouri, born
December 8, 1865, a son of Thomas J. and Jane TMelkeld. He was married Oct.
13, 1887, to Emma E, Hounsom, daughter of. Walter and Frances Hounsom. They
had four children: Archie L. , born March 4, 1889, now a teacher in the KirksvUle
High Sshool; Ombra Maude, AprU 7, 1891; Curtis H., March 17, 1895; Harold
H., October 30, 1905.
Air. Threlkheld was reared on a farm in Schuyler County, attending the public
school and the Western Normal College at Shenandoah, Iowa. He then engaged
in teaching for five years, also farmed for a short time. He then went into the drug
business at Lancaster, which he abandoned in 1891 on account of ill health. He
next went into the life-insurance business. In 1906 he came to KirksvUle, Missouri,
where he has since lived. He is a democrat and a member of the Methodist Episcopal
church. ISAAC CAPPS was bom in Granger County, Tennessee, March 19, 1837, being
a son of David and Barbara Capps. He was married June 17, 1860, to .Amanda
Lay, who died May 20, 1870. He again married Oct. 27, 1872, to Mrs, Sarah Truitt,
formerly Miss McPhetridge, daughter of WiUiam and Minerva McPhetridge. By
the first marriage there were six cMldren, three of whom are living: John G, Caltha,
now Mrs. Hiram Dixon; Marion. By the present there are six children living,
one dead; William; May M., now Mrs. Lon Price; Jonah; Jesse; George; Bert.
Mr. Capps came to this county with his parents in 1844, settling near Novinger,
on the farm now owned by Mr. Capps. He has lived there continuously except a
short time during the war, when he was in Iowa. He has always followed the occup
ation of farming. At present he owns a farm of 360 acres, two and one-half miles
west of Novinger.
Mr. Capps is a Democrat in politics and a member of the Baptist church..
Biographical.
1147
Country Residence, near Connelsville; City Home, KirksviUe, and sons
Clyde (deceased) and Noah P., of Joseph Motter, Kirksville
1148 The History of Adair County.
CLYDE CARDER was born m Knox County, Missouri, November 6, 1883.
He is a son of Harrison B. and Helen Carder. He was united in marriage, August 18,
1904 to Bessie Buford, daughter of J. A. and Alice Buford. They have three children:
Edna, born July 15, 1905;James, June 15, 1907; Leo, May 15, 1909.
Mr. Carder worked at railroading for a time after he was grown, then went to
Edina, and engaged in the automobile business. He remained there till November
1909, when he came to Kirksville and opened up a garage and auto sales room in
connection with his cousin, Archie Carder. They handle the Studebaker, including the
E. M. F. 30 and Flanders 20, Michigan, Auburn. They are expert chauffers and
mechanics as well as salesmen. They conduct a repair shop and carry auto supplies.
Mr. Carder belongs to the Elks lodge.
ARCHIE CARDER son of Issac and Axie Carder, was born in Knox County,
Missouri, October 27, 1881. He was reared on the farm in Knox County, remaining
at home till 1906. He then went to railroading. In 1909 he came to Kirksville,
where he went into the automobile business with his cousm, Clyde Carder. The
firm is known as the Carder Auto Co. Mr. Carder is unmarried. He belongs to the
Elks lodge.
WILLIAM OUINN was bom at Burlmgton, Vermont, October 9, 1852, being
a son of Matthew and Mary A. (Kelley) Quinn. He was married April 19, 1887, to
Margaret Killday, daughter of Micheal and Ann (O'Conner) Killday. They have nine
children: Clara, born March 13, 1888; Mamie, February 15, 1890; Edward, Nov
ember 9, 1892; Albert, December 11, 1894; Constance, January 1, 1896; Matthew,
May 11, 1898; Willie and Margaret, twins, born May 21, 1900; Ray, September 25,
1903. Mr. Quinn moved to Adair County, Missouri, in March 1871. He has since
lived and farmed in this county. He now owns 132 acres of good land, situated
about 4 miles east of Sperry. He does general farming and stock raising..
He is a Republican in politics and a Cathohc in his religion.
GEORGE P. LEDFORD was born in Adair County, Missouri, Feb. 23, 1869,
being a son of John V. and Hannah (Bachman) Ledford. He was married Oct. 8,
1888, to Lizzie O'Bell, daughter of Nicholas and Christina O'Bell. They have three
children: Eldridge V., born Feb. 3, 1890; Alva, Feb. 8, 1891; OUie, Sept. 10, 1892.
Mr. Ledford was born and reared on a farm just north of StaM, the same farm
which he now owns and on which he now lives. Here he has lived aU his life and
been engaged in farming. He now owns a tract of seventy acres near Stahl. His
land is all underlaid with heavy coal beds.
JONATHAN O. SHUMAKER was born March 9, 1856, and reared on a farm
near MiUard, Adair County, Missouri. He was married to Louisa Cavett, and they
have one child — Albert. He lived with his parents, Adam and Louisa (Holman)
Shumaker, till grown, then went into the carpenter and contracting business, working
a number of years at KirksviUe. He continued in that business tiU 1894, then bought
his present farm. After living and farming there four years, he leased the land and
went to Oklahoma. There he spent five years, being in Kansas part of the time,
working at carpentry. He then worked a while at KirksvUle, returning again to Ms
farm in 1907, where he has since lived. The farm consists of seventy-nine acres,
two and one-half mUes northeast of Gifford.
He is a Democrat, a member of the Christian Church, and belongs to the M. W.
A. lodge.
Biographical.
1149
1150 The History of Adair County.
WILLIAM E. SHIRLEY was born at WiUmathville, Adair County, Missouri,
but moved with his parents to Greentop when small, living there till grown. He
attended the public schools and the First Disrrict Normal School at KirksvUle, grad
uating at the latter institution, in. 1898. He then taught school seven years, in the
meantime reading law, and was admitted to the bar in 1902. He practiced at Brashear,
Missouri, then at Novinger, remaining there till he was elected prosecuting
attorney in 1906. After serving one term he was appointed assistant claim attorney
for the O. K. railroad, which position he still holds, having his headquarters at Kirks
viUe. Air. Shirley was born November 2, 1874, a son of George A. and Martha J. Shir
ley. He was married March 27, 1910, to Jessie Nicholas, daughter of Henry and
AlcCallay Nicholas.
He is a Repubhcan, and belongs to the Masonic order, being a member of the
Chapter and Commandery.
HERBERT T. WILSON is a native of this county, and was reared on a farm
near Brashear, Alissouri, commg from one of the oldest famUies in this part of the
State. He was born September 11, 1871, a son of James W. and Harriet E. (Tipton)
WUson. He was married October 1, 1902, to Mary I. Murfin, daughter of John W.
and Matilda A. (Peterson) Murfin. They have no chUdren.
Mr. WUson belongs to the family for which WUson township was named. The
family came to this county in the early thirties. He lived with his parents till twenty,
then came to Brashear. For five years he clerked in the store for James MUstead.
He was also with E. E. Black in the mercantile business, then with C. A. Chadwick
in the lumber and hardware business. In August 1909 he formed a partnership
with R. L. Milstead and Son in the general merchandise busmess, in which he is
still engaged.
He is a member of the I. O. O. F., and the Masonic orders, belonging to the
Royal Arch and Commandery.
DR. JAMES C. NUNN was reared on a farm m Pike County, Missouri. He was
bom March 11, 1865, in that county, being a son of Walter G. and Anna (Robinson)
Nunn. He was united in marriage December 27, 1897, to Kate McGinnis, a native
ofMontgomery County, Missouri. She was a daughter of Erasmus and Fannie
(Berger) McGinnis. They have no children.
Dr. Nunn attended the public schools and the Pike County College, also took
a course at the Watson Seminary, at Ashley, Missouri. He taught school in Pike
County six years, reading medicine in the meantime. He then attended the Hos
pital Medical School at LouisvUle, Kentucky, graduating in 1894. He was appoint
ed interne at the asylum at Fulton, remaining there three years, when he came to
this county, practicing at Stahl and Novinger since that time. At present he is located
at Novinger. For several years he owned drug stores at Stahl and Novinger, but devoted Ms
attention to his practice, hiring managers to run the stores. Since his graduation
he has done much clinical work at St, Louis and also took one year's post-graduate
course at that place. During the time Mr, Folk served as Governor, Dr, Nunn was
a member of the board of managers of the asylum at Fulton, Missouri,
He is a Democrat, and a member of the Masonic, Elks, K. of P, and M, W, A,
lodges.
Biographical.
1151
Residence and Bam of James Young, near AliUard
1152
The History of Adair County.
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Biographical. 1 1 53
WELLINGTON S. HALLADAY was born in Leeds County, Ontario, Canada,
Aug. 14, 1843, a son of Samuel and Sarah HaUaday. He was married Nov. 10, 1873 to
Mary Draper, daughter of Copeland and Mary Draper. They had five chUdren,
four of whom are living: Clarence born July, 1874, died October 13, 1878; Theron,
December 2, 1878; Clinton, November 17, 1883; Ethel (now Mrs. Albert Arnold,)
and Mabel, twins, August 14, 1889.
Mr. HaUaday came from Canada to Adair County, Missouri, with his parents in
1869, settling on a farm five miles east of Kirksville. He lived there and assisted in
conducting the farm till Ms marriage, then going into the dairy business with his father-
in-law near Bullion, in which he continued several years. He then moved to Kirksville,
where he engaged in the grocery busmess six years. He was also Marshal of Kirks
ville for about two years. At the end of that time he returned to farming, in which he
contmued about eleven years. Returning to Kirksville, he and his son, Clinton,,
bought their present blacksmith and wagon shop, at 122 East Harrison Street, which
they have since conducted.
Mr. HaUaday is a Republican in politics and a member of the Baptist Church.
THADEUS W. BOZARTH was bom September 20, 1836, m Adair County,
Missouri, being a son of Andrew Bozarth. He was married October 12, 1862, to
Ehzabeth Spivey. They had seven children: Nancy, now the wife of George Anderson;
CyntMa, the wife of S. E. Snyder; Julia, wife of Grant Burchett; William O.; A. J.,
twin of William O.; James John.
Andrew Bozarth, father of Thadeus W. Bozarth, came to Adair County in 1830
with his brother Hiram. They were originally from Kentucky, moving to Howard
County, Missouri, in the early part of last century.
REV. C. C. CUNNINGHAM was bom in Pitman, Arkansas, April 3, 1885,
being the son of Rev. O. H. L. and Laura T. Cunningham. He was united in marriage
June 10, 1909, to Gertrude Bewick, daughter of S. C. L. and Alice Decker Bewick.
To this union was born one chUd — Chester Bewick, bom December 23, 1910. Mr.
Cunningham was for a time pastor of the Baptist church, at Novinger, Missouri.
He is a member of the K. of P. lodge. In connection with his pastorial duties he
edited the Novinger Record for a few months. In the fall of 1910 he gave up his
work there and entered the State Normal School at KirksvUle, where he is now a
student, often preaching at various places.
JUDGE CHARLES LYMAN LEWIS was bom at Candor, Tioga County, New
York, July 26, 1839, being a son of Asahel and AbigaU E. Lewis. He was married
Dec. 25, 1883, to Minnie E. Shott, daughter of Jacob and Jane E, Shott, They have
no children living. One child, Elsie Jane, bom Dec. 15, 1884, died in 1885.
In 1847 Mr. Lewis emigrated to Illinois with his parents, settling at Newark,
Kendall County, where he obtamed a common school education. He taught school
and clerked in a store, alternatmg between the two callings for two or three years,
then read law at Ottawa, with Cook, Glover and Campbell, being admitted to prac
tice in 1864. He then returned to Newark and for two years served as prosecuting
attorney for that city. In 1867 he came to KirksviUe, Adair County, Missouri, and
entered the practice of Ms profession. He was City Attorney from 1877 to 1879, and
was elected Probate Judge in 1882, serving four years, then re-elected to the same office.
Mr. Lewis is a Republican in politics, taking quite an active part in public affairs.
He is an active member and earnest worker in the Methodist Episcopal Church.
1154 The History of Adair County.
CHARLES H. WRIGHT was born in Adams County, Ohio, Feb. 7, 1860. He
was married Sept. 12, 1879, to Mary GurtMie. They had ten cMldren, eight of whom
are living: Ola, now Mrs. D. M. Newman; Roscoe, pastor of the M. E. Church at
Hannibal, Missouri;Dr. J. E., a dentist at KirksviUe; Albert E,, a farmer at Lipscomb,
Texas; Earl, now dead; Lottie; Cecil; Lloyd; Dorsey, One oMld died in infancy.
Mr. Wright was bom and reared on a farm in Ohio, remaining there with his
parents till grown. He then married and farmed for one year in Adams County.
At that time he moved to Iowa, where he engaged in farming till 1902, when he came to
Adair County, Missouri. He bought a farm of 400 acres near Bullion. He owned
and conducted that farm till the spring of 1911, when he moved with his family to
Hereford, Texas, having sold his farm. He is still engaged in farming, and owns a
tract of 320 acres near Hereford.
Mr, Wright is a Republican in politics, and belongs to the I, O, O, F,, Yeoman and
M, W. A. fraternities. He and his famUy are members of the Methodist Episcopal
Church. JOHN C. WEAVER, deceased, was born in Bedford Co., Pa„ Jan. 18, 1813. He
was married at the age of twenty-seven to Barbara Switzer. They had nine children:
Alary J., William S., Frederick S., John S., Maria I., James K,, three cMldren dying in
infancy. Mrs. Weaver died in 1859, and he was again married in March, 1862, to
Mrs. Nancy Fretz BaUey. They had five children: Hattie L., born Nov. 3, 1868,
now Airs. A. F. Grassle; OUie D., ,Iune 20, 1870, now wife of Dr. George Prewitt;
Ella M,, Jan, 5, 1874, now the wife of Frank M. Davis;Sainuel W., Aug, 23, 1863;
Joseph C, April 16, 1865, Airs. Weaver, his second wife, was formerly the wife of
James Bailey, by whom she had three children: G, W,; James O.; Mary I,
Mr. Weaver came to Alissouri in 1866, setthng in Cooper County, where he re
mained three years. He then came to Adair County, where he resided till his death.
He was killed in the cyclone at his home in Kirksville, April 27, 1899. He was engaged
in farming near Kirksville till a tew years before his death, when he retired and moved
to this city. He was a widely known and public-spirited citizen, highly esteemed by
all who knew him,
JUDGE NATHANIEL M. SHELTON was born in Troy, Lincoln County, Mo.,
Alarch 17, 1851. He was educated in the public school of his native county; then
attended Parker Seminary at, Troy; from there he went to William Jewell College,
Liberty, AIo., completing his education at the State University at Columbia. He
was admitted to the bar in 1875, practicing at Macon, Mo, In 1884 he was elected
to the Legislature, serving in the the Thirty-third General Assembly as Chairman of
the Committee on Education. In 1886 was re-elected in the succeeding Legislature,
was Chairman of the Committe on Criminal Jurisprudence. In 1888 he was elected
senator from the Seventh District, and served four years, being Chairman of the
Committee on Judiciary, In 1898 Judge Shelton was elected Circuit Judge of the
Second District, of which Adair County is a part, and re-elected in 1904, and again
re-elected in 1910 for a term of six years.
Judge Shelton was married November 21, 1878 to Belle Garges, of Lancaster,
Mo. They make their home at Macon, He is a Democrat in politics and takes a
dee)) interest in pubhc affairs. He is regarded as one of the great lawyers of the
State and has been mentioned for the Supreme Bench,
Biographical.
1155
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Residence of Judge S. F. Stahl, Kirksville
Former Residence of C. H. Wright, near Bullion
1156
The History op Adair County.
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Biographical. 1157
HADLEY M. HENLEY is a native of Iowa, born near Davenport, February
26, 1853. His parents were Jesse L. and Sarah Henley. He attended Griswold
College at Davenport, then the Iowa State University. After leaving that college
he studied law, then entered the practice at Davenport. He continued the practice
about ten years, then took up also the loan and brokerage business, in which he is
StiU engaged. His home is still at Davenport, although he spends a portion ot his
time at the Henley Ranch, which is partly in tMs county.
Mr. Henley was married May 28, 1878, to Ella Van Fleet, daughter of John
R. Van Fleet. They had three chUdren, two of them are living: Nellie, born Oct.
1, 1879, died July 12, 1907; Jesse V., December 25, 1886; Louise, now Mrs. J. J.
Vrooman, born November 30, 1888.
Henley ranch is one of the few large agricultural operations which is managed
on strictly business principles and one which furnishes many practical iUustrations of
scientific farming. The ranch is situated in Adair, Putnam and Sullivan counties,
the main buildings, oflfices etc. aU being in Adair, and consists of 8,000 acres of which
2,500 acres are under cultivation. A four year rotation of corn and cow-peas, oats
and clover is being practiced, with a catch crop of rye after the corn and cowpeas
for the late fall and early spring pasture. Other crops, such as rape, kale, vetches,
mangles and field peas are grown to supply various feeding demands. A field of
alfalfa is under experiment. "Headquarters" and all the main buildings are centrally
located. For the purpose of management the land is divided into farm units, each
devoted to its particular line of stock and to the raising of crops best adapted +o
that particular farm unit. The ranch is all under fence, practically all being 48-inch
woven wire, with one barbed wire in top. In all, there is considerable in excess of
100 miles of this kind of fencing on the place. The ranch was started about 12 years
ago, when H. M. Henley of Davenport, la., purchased several hundred acres of land
in the north part of his present holdings, with the intention of raising sheep on
an extensive scale. Land adjoining on all sides was afterwards purchased until it
now embraces the large area mentioned. It was not until within the past two years
that plans were perfected for a ranch devoted to the breeding ot pure bred stock. It
is now, perhaps, the most complete breeding establishment in this part of the country,
and the improvements made are a credit to the owners and managers and should be
the pride of the people of this section. The ranch is managed by Mr. Henley's son,
J. V. Henley, and his son-in-law, J. J. Vrooman. At "headquarters" are tMee res
idences for the use of families taking care of the general work of the ranch. The other
famUies live on the respective farm units. -AU the employes are under the direct
supervision of the superintendent, C. H. Deacon, who is assisted by a foreman. The
stock handled consists of purebred Shropshire sheep, Poland China hogs, Percheron
horses and Jersey cattle. They have what is conceded to be one of the greatest
flocks of SMopshire sheep in the world, having all told about 1,500 head, 500 of which
are imported, making it the largest imported flock in North America. At the head
of the flock is the 1910 International champion ram together with many other im
ported prize-wmning rams and the 1910 International champion flock. The sheep
are divided into flocks from 75 to 200 head. Each flock is located at the respective
sheep farm units, all of which are under the direct care of the English shepherd, P. E.
WUcox. The Poland Chma hog umt is ideally equipped in every respect. It is com
posed of a large central hog house of cement and steel, surrounded by numerous
small farrowing houses and their adjacent crop pastures. The central hog house is
so arranged and heated that the pigs are farrowed during the coldest winter months.
1158 The History of Adair County.
This entire plant has a capacity of 1,000 hogs a year, all of whom are purebred Poland
Chinas, the most typical of which are sold or retained as breeding stock and the others
fattened for market. The Percheron herd is especially fine, being composed of horses
which were awarded prizes at the leading live stock shows of the country. The
stallion at the head of the herd. Matador, is a beautiful black 3-year-old, sired by the
International champion Calypso. Matador has, perhaps, won more prizes than any
other American bred horse of his age. The Jersey herd is maintained particularly to
furnish dairy products to the employes and their families. A milk and butter fat
record is kept of each individual and whenever a cow proves unprofitable she is
eliminated from the herd. The Missouri mule is given a place alongside the pure bred
live stock. About 50 of the best class of mules are utilized for the heavy hauling and
road work, and 50 other younger mules are raised and kept to replace the mature work
mules which are sold when about five years old. At "Headquarters" are about 30
buildmgs which impress one as being a busy little village with its houses, office build
ing, barns, silo, machine shop, garage, sheep and hog houses, etc. Near headquarters,
on a sightly hill overlooking the valley is one of the prettiest bungalows in this part
of the state, which is modern throughout.
Within the past year a considerable sum has been spent for mprovements.
They are not only building fences erecting buildings, bridges, etc., but are doing very
extensive work on the public roads, not only for their own benefit, but for the con
venience of the general public, as well. They are now building a bridge across
Spring Creek and opening up a new road through their place to Greencastle.
Both the managers studied agriculture at the state university and their enthus
iastic efforts for better farming are winning them success and helping to further
Missouri's name as the home of live stock of international reputation,
PROFESSOR J. D. WILSON is a native AIis?ourian and was born in Howard
County Aug. 22, 1862, being a son of David and Sarah Wilson. He spent his early life
on a farm in that section, attending the public schools of his neighborhood. He then
took a course at the State Normal School, at KnksviUe, and entered the profession of
teaching. He was elected superintendent of schools at Cameron, Alissouri, and
served three years. He then resigned and entered Ann Arbor University. After
completing his course there he accepted the position of superintendent of schools
at Sedaha, Alissouri, serving in that capacity nine years. Giving up Ms position there
he took a special course at the Missouri State University, and upon completing Ms
work there he came to KirksvUle znd accepted a professorship in the State Normal
School. He has been with this institution for the past eight years, having charge
of the department of Psycology and Theory of Education. Professor WUson is re
garded as one of the strong men of the state and one of the great psycologists of the
West. He is also a great hypnotist and mind-reader and frequently gives pubhc
entertainments to demonstrate the principles of these subjects.
Professor WUson was married to Clara Carroll June 18, 1890, a daughter of W. S.
and Volumnia CarroU. They have six children: Edna, born March 12, 1892; Mabel,
Feb. 18, 1894; Clara and CarroU, twins Nov. 5, 1898; John, June 7, 1902; Samuel,
March 13, 1908. Professor Wilson is a Republican in politics, a member of the Ben
Hur and Yeoman lodges, and he and his family are members of the Christain Church.
Biographical. 1159
PETER J. SUBLETTE, a pioneer of Adiar County, came of a hardy stock,
French Huguenots, who left France and came to America that they might enjoy
undisturbed their political and religious convictions, settUng in Virginia, then a new
country. ! Later they moved to Madison County, Kentucky, where Peter J. Sublette
was born;March 11, 1818. When sixteen years old his parents moved to Coles County,
Illinois, and with other pioneers began the developement of that rich farming section.
When war was declared against Mexico he enlisted in his country's cause, and saw
much hard service, remaining to the close of the conflict that added an empire to his
country's domain. When the war closed, he returned to his Illinois home and soon
after located in the vicinity of St, Louis, where WiUiam Sublette, and his brothers
noted Indian fur traders, had settled. Here he was married to Sarah R, Warfield
November 2, 1848, Six years later they sold their possessions in St. Louis county and
came by wagon to Adair County, locating on the farm near Sublette, which has ever
since been the family home. Here he and his faitMul wife labored hand in hand and
developed from the virgm prairie one of the finest farms in Adair County. They were
ardent supporters of schools and churches, and Mr. Sublette took the lead in buUd
ing the first church and school house combined, erected in the northern part of the
County. They were the parents of eleven cMldren, eight sons and three daughters,
eight of whom, six sons and two daughters are now living.
Sarah R, Warfield Sublette was born in Warfieldsburg, Maryland April 16, 1828,
and was a daughter of George and Sarah Warfield, her father being a member of the
widely known Warfield famUy of Maryland, Mrs, Sublette was a cousin of ex-
Governor Warfield of that state. Her parents moved from Maryland to Illinois in
1838, and later located m St, Louis County, on the Old Manchester Road. Here she
resided until her marriage with Mr, Sublette, She was a woman of great strength
and refinement of character, and m the trials and hardships incident to buildmg a
home in a new country for a large family of children was the enthusiastic helper and
wise counselor of her husband.
Their children are George W.; James M,; Thomas E,; Miriam R.; Sarah R.;
WiUiam H,; Reuben H,; Daniel W.; Mary E,; WiUard J,; and Warren F, Of
these James M, and Sarah R, died in childhood, and Willaim H. January 18, 1901.
The children who reached the years of maturity were educated in the public schools and
the Kirksville Normal School some of them holdmg post-graduate diplomas from that
institution Of the children Daniel W. and Mary E. reside on the old homestead, near Sub
lette, which they own, and where they were born. To this homestead they have
added until they now have a beautiful and finely improved tract of nearly six hundred
acres. In addition to their course at the Kirksville Normal School they are both
graduates of the Kirksville Business College. Daniel W. Sublette has been a life-long
farmer. He handles stock successfully, keeping nothing on the farm in the stock
line but the best. He makes a speciality of Shorthorn Cattle. He is an Odd Fellow,
Modern Woodman, Rebekah, and a member of the Brotherhood of American A'eomen.
Peter J. Sublette died October 24, 1899, in the eighty-second year of his age, closing
a long life of industry and integrity, one that left its impress on the community for
good. Sarah Warfield Subeltte died March 10, 1904 at the age ot nearly seventy six
years.
1160
The History of Adair County.
^^^
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Residence and Scene on Farm of D. W. Sublette, near Sublette
Biographical.
1161
Upper — Mr. and Mrs. Peter J. Sublette, deceased. Lower — D. W.
Sublette, Mary E. Sublette, near Sublette
1162 The History of Adair County.
WILLIAM WALTERS, a native of Adair County, Missouri, was born June 16,.
1861, being a son of WiUiam' and Jerresha (Lay) Walters. He was married March
25, 1886, to Anna Lawrence, daughter of John and Jane (White) La-ivrence. They
have four cMldren: Hettie, bom February 7, 1889, now the wife of Earl Moots;.
Alabel, November 8, 1890; Mazie, November 12, 1892; Arthur, September 9, 1896.
Mr. Walters was born and reared on a farm near Stahl. When tMrteen years
old d his parents died, and he then lived with Ms brother, Lewis Walters, till gro-wn,
then went to Montana where he remained seven years. He returned to Adair County,
married, and began farming, an occupation wMch he has followed since that time.
Mr. Walters now lives on Ms brother's farm, one and one-half miles south of Stahl.
It consists of 150 acres, and is well improved.
He is a member of the K. of P. and AI. W. A. fraternities.
HENRY L. WALTERS was born in Adah- County, January 16, 1876, being
a son of Lewis and Rachel (Cook) Walters. He was married Alarch 6, 1908, to Nell
Englehart, daughter of Charles and Jane Englehart. They have no children.
Mr. Walters was bom and reared on the old home place, one mile east of StaM.
He attended the public school and took a course at the State Normal School. In
1902 he quit the farm and went into the mercantile business at Shibley's Point -with
E. E. Price. Here he remained a 3'ear, then bought a store at Stahl, where he moved
Ms stock from Shibley's Point. He was in business with Air. Price for two years,
then began conducting a butcher shop and general merchandise store for Mmself.
He is still engaged in that work, and also owns a farm of 160 acres, one and one-half
miles southeast of Stahl.
He is a Democrat, and a member of the M. W. A. His wife is a member of the
CMistian Church.
ALBERT EDWARD AINSLIE, son of Louis J. and Alargaret Ainslie, is a
native ot Adair County, and was born near Adair Oct. 15, 1880. He was married
Oct. 21, 1902, to Florence Nooning, daughter of Wm., H. and Rose (Quinn) Nooning.
They had four cMldren, two of whom are li-ving; -Margaret, Robert, Ernest and
Isadore. Margaret and Robert are deceased. Ernest is four and Isadore two years
of age. Mr. Ainslie was born and reared on a farm near Adair, remaining there with
parents till grown. He then married and continued the occupation of farming and
has always made this county Ms home, with the exception of a shoit time spent in
the West. In 1909 he quit farming and moved to KirksvUle, gomg into the real
estate and insurance business with W. A. Do-wning. He continued in this business
till March 1911 when he accepted the position of Deputy Collector with U. S. G.
Downing, which position he now holds.
Mr. Ainslie comes from one of the old pioneer families, his father, L. J. AinsUe,
being one of the early settlers. The elder Mr. Ainslie is one of the best known men in
the county, is splendidly educated and well posted. He has been a great traveler;
has made the ch-cuit of the globe and been in almost every knowm countrj' in the
world. During the Civil War he served with Co. D. 21st Mo and was badly wounded
at the battle of Shiloh. He still makes this county his home but spends much of
his time in travel.
Ed Ainslie is a Republican in politics, and takes a deep interest in political affairs.
At present he is Secretary and Treasurer of the Republican Central Committee of
Adair County, He and his family belong to the Catholic Church,
Biographical. 1163
ANTHONY J. KOEHL was born at HigMand, Illinois, Aug. 9, 1867, being a
son of Anton and Anna K. Koehl. He was born and reared on a farm in Illinois,
remaining there till twenty-two years of age. He then came to Adair County, Mis
souri, and has made this and adjoining counties his home since that time, spending
some years in Chariton County. He finally came to Kirksville in 1907, and has lived
here continuously since. He was for a time in the collecting business, and also travel
ed in Colorado for a wholesale house. On July 10, 1911, he was appointed Deputy
Sheriff of Adair County, which position he now holds.
Mr. KoeM is a Republican in politics. He has never married.
CLARENCE ELMORE, a son of WiUiam C. and Eliza (Clark) Elmore, was
born July 30, 1872, one mile south of Gibbs, Missouri, and died April 10, 1911. He
was united in marriage March 8, 1893, to Eva Corbin. Mrs. Elmore comes from an
old time familj', being a daughter of Newton and Mary E. (Holloway) Corbin. They
had one child — Lloyd Muir, born July 3, 1893..
Mr. Elmore lived on the home place till grown. When seventeen years old his
father died, and he began farming for himself. When married he moved on the farm
which Ms widow now owns. He inherited it from his father's estate. He lived on
the same farm till his death, except one year spent in Oklahoma. There are eighty
acres in the home place, and twenty acres, two miles south-west ot this farm. He
belonged to the CMistian church, his wife also being a member.
DR. JERE TAYLOR MUIR was born in Trimble Co., Kentucky. His parents
moved to Missouri before he was one year old.
Unhke many who drift into a profession by accident or force of circumstances,
Mr. Muir chose his profession when he was six years old, and began, in early life,
to study the elementary principles of education.
Aside from several special courses, including the law, the main preparation
for his life work was made in two institutions, the State Normal University of lUinois,
and LaGrange College. The bachelor's and master's degrees were conferred on Mm
in regular course, the doctor's degree after his scholastic and professional abUity were
recognized in the educational world.
Dr. Aluir began teacMng when quite young, and the greater part of his education
al work as a teacher has been done in two institutions, LaGrange College, and the
State Normal School, KirksvUle, Missouri.
In the latter he has held various positions, as methods of teaching, director of
the practice school, polirical science, and vice-president. When all students were
required to take music he was for a year and a half in charge of this department.
During the time he organized and instructed the first mUitary band the school ever
had. Under Ms duection the Model School Headlight was pubhshed. This was the
first paper the school had. His wife, Elma Hay Muir, is a college graduate, and a
musician of high rank.
Mr. Muu- represented Lewis County in the legislature three sessions 1905-6,
1907-8, 1909-10, and was the author of many important bills which became laws
wMle he was a member.
He has written several books, including a manual of Orthoxy, more recently a
History and Government of Missouri, and is at present preparing a high work on
CivU Government. Dr. Muir is field representative of the Kirksville State Normal
School.
1164
The History of Adair County.
A. J. Koehl, Deputy Sheriff, Kirksville
LOU J. CROCKETT, born near Maitland, Missouri, is a son of Daniel J. and
Cynthia A. Crockett. He was married September 16, 1910, to Clara Combs. When
ten years old he went with his parents to Kansas, in 1907 he came back to Missouri.
TMee years later he came with his brother E. A. Crockett, to Adair County, buying
twenty acres of land at Clay. They opened up a store at that place, which they
conducted till the summer of 1911 when they moved to Trenton, Mo. Mr. Crockett
spent four years in the State of Oklahoma previous to coming to Missouri. He is
Republican in politics and belongs to the Masonic fraternity.
JAMES WILSON, a native of Dearborn County, Indiana, was born February
27, 1829, being a son of James and Rachel (Standeford) Wilson. He was married
April 27, 1850, to Ehzabeth G. Shepherd, daughter of Rnssell Shepherd. They have
no cMldren. Mr. Wilson was born and reared on a farm, hving there till twenty-seven years
old, then came to Adair County, Missouri, where he purchased a farm in Wilson
township. Here he resided until six years ago, then sold his farm and moved to
Brashear. He is a Republican, and served as townsMp collector of Wilson townsMp
two years under township organization. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity.
Biographical. 1165
THE FARMERS MUTUAL FIRE AND LIGHTNING INSURANCE CO. was
organized in 1894, incorporated May 8 of that year, by J. J. Keim, J. A. Myers, Benj.
Ely, George R. VoorMes, M. B. Horton, H. Corbin, F. W. Gibbs, Ludwig Schilhe,
WUliam McPhetridge, W. M. Harriett, O. B. AlUlikin, S. F. Hoag, A. M. Greeg,
W. P. Foster, C. L. BaUey, A. Stukey, James F. Bragg and W. F. Johnson. The or
gamzers were all residents of Adair County, and the business has been confined en
tirely to this county. It has been in business continuously since the date of organ
ization, and is sonducted on the assessment plan. The risks are confined to farm
property, and now carry $1,263,340.00 in insurance. Thus tar it has cost the insured
only about one-half of what the old-hne companies charge. They have had a phenom
enal growth, and have never failed to pay a loss promptly.
The first president of the company was J. J. Keim, who served for two years, and
was succeeded by D. W. Begole, who had held that office since that time. The first
secretary was A. M. Gregg, who served tUl 1902. He was succeeded by P. D. Kirk,
who now fills that same office. The company maintains an office at the court
house, wMch is in charge ot the secretarj', Mr. Kirk.
For the purpose of carrying on the business, there is a deputy in each township
who has charge of the business in that particular locality.
DANIEL T. VANLANINGHAM, son of Thomas and Henrietta (Truitt) Van-
lanmgham, was born May 19, 1870, near Youngstown, Missouri, on the farm where
he now lives. He was married March 18, 1896, to Addie Shott, daughter of Jonas
and Annie (Wallace) Shott. Mrs. Vanlaningham was bom July 3, 1871, near Nov
mger, Missouri. They have six children: Clarence, born Aug. 30, 1898; Roy, April
24, 1900; Fannie, May 12, 1902; Ira, Dec. 8, 1904; Harry, Feb. 23, 1907; Nellie,
AprU 13, 1909.
Mr. Vanlaningham was bom and reared on the farm where he now lives. He
lived with his parents till grown, attending the public schools, then married and be
gan farmmg for Mmself. In 1905 he quit farming and took up the mercantile bus
iness at Youngstown where he remained two years. During that time Ms father
died. He then went to farming on the old home place. It consists of 218 acres and
at present belongs to his mother but is under his management. He does general
farming and stock raising.
Mr. Vanlaningham is a Repubhcan in politics and belongs to the K. ot P. frater
nity. CHARLES D. THOMPSON was bom on a farm in Clay County, Indiana,
February 17, 1848. He is a son of Joseph and Margaret (Reynolds) Thompson.
He remained in Indiana tUl he joined Company K., 133 Indana Vol. Infantry at the
beginning of the CivU War. He served tUl the close of the war after which he moved
to lUinois, living in Shelby and Vermihon Counties. In 1906 he came to Adair
Coimty, Missouri, buying Ms present farm where he has since lived. He has 182
acres of well improved land and raises fine stock. The farm is situated one and one-
half mUes north of KirksvUle. He does general farming.
Mr. Thompson was umted in marriage September 3, 1874, to Carrie Shoure.
They have five cMldren: Lydia, born September 16, 1875, now Mrs. Ed. McGranahan;
Clifford, October 2, 1877, married; Clinton, AprU 19, 1884; Floyd, November 11,
1887, Sarah, September 8, 1891.
He is a Republican, a member of the Christian Church, and belongs to the M. W.
A. and G. A. R.
1166 The History of Adair County.
NATHANIEL B. WELLMAN was born in Schuyler County, Missouri, May
30, 1867, being a son of John and Eliza Wellman. He was married April 7, 1890,
to Mary Green, daughter of Albert and Lucinda Green. They had five children,
four of whom are li-ving: Leonard, born February 5, 1891; Gladys, I''ebruary 20, 1892,
died August 9, 1909, being drowned in the Chariton River; OUie, February 8, 1894;
Elba, July 9, 1896; Lemah, August 6, 1898.
Mr. Wellman was born and reared on a farm near Queen City, living there till
about grown. He then went ' to Kansas where he remained two years. At that
time he came to Adair County, where he has since lived. He farmed a few years,
and then, in 1901, went to Connelsville where he engaged in the general merchandise
business. After continuing that about a year he sold out and went into the furni
ture business at that place, in which he is stUl engaged.
Mr. Wellman is a Democrat and a member of the I. O. 0. F. and M. W. A.
GEORGE S. SEAT was born in Worth County, Missouri, Jan. 20, 1878, and
is a son of William L. and Rachael J. Seat. He was married April 28, 1904, to
Laura M. Neiger, daughter of Christian L. and Margaret Neiger. They have two
chUdren: Florence M., born March 30, 1905; Mary R., May 30, 1907.
Mr. Seat was born and reared on a farm in Worth County, remaining at home
till grown. He then married and continued the occupation of farming in that
county till March, 1910, when he moved to Adair County, where he has since re
sided. At present he conducts a farm ot 280 acres near Adair.
Mr. Seat is a Democrat in politics and a member of the Baptist Church.
WILLIAM WADDILL is a native of Coles County, Illinois, born June 6, 1843,
a son of John and Delilah (Phillips) Waddill. He was married September 24, 1867,
to Elizabeth Agee, who died in 1887. They have three children living: Cora, born
November 24, 1869, now Mrs. Sherman Hagans; Elba S., born November 20, 1870;
Ray C, born June 15, 1877, His second wife was Kate J. Lowe, whom he married
in 1889. They have no children.
Mr. Waddill came to Adair County in 1856 When grown he engaged in the
occupation of farming. This he continued till 1896, then retired and moved to Kirks
ville where he still resides. He still owns a farm of eighty acres, three miles north
east of Kirksville,
He is a Republican .and a member of the Methodist Episcopal church
JOHN S. WILSON was reared on a farm near Old Wilson Town, the place
where his broeher, J. W. Wilson, now lives. He was born there September 17, 1850,
being a son ot Joel and Angle (Davidson) Wilson. He was married October 3, 1872,
to Alary Clark, daughter of John A. and Drusana (Edgman) Clark. Mrs. Wilson
was born in Macon County, Missouri, January 16, 1855. They have three children:
Robert W., born June 7, 1874, died October 14, 1875; Ora L., January 4, 1876;
John R., March 30, 1878, died October 20, 1879.
Mr. Wilson has lived in this county all his life. He lived with his parents till
his marriage, then started farming for himself. He has followed that occupation
all his life, and now owns a farm ot forty acres, three-fourths of a mile west of Wil
son Town, where he has hved since 1886, He does general farming.
Mr. Wilson is a Democrat and a member of the Boptist Church.
Biographical.
1167
Bethel A. M. E. Church and Rev. John H. Smith, Pastor, KirksviUe
1168 The History of Adaik County.
BETHEL A. M. E. CHURCH, KirksvUle, Missouri, was organized about the
year 1872, by Rev. J. W. Wilson as pastor, who is now a member of the Kansas con
ference and presiding elder of the Kansas City, Kansas, district. The church build
ing was erected in 1878, by Rev. J. P. Watson, who is now a member of the Colorado
conference. 'The present pastor. Rev. J. H. Smith, was transferred in 1910 to this
church from the Colorado conference and has proved Mmself to be a vigorous worker,
having taken over forty members into the church since he came. Bethel church
stands as one of the leading churches in the Hannibal district and has a present mem-
bersMp of 78.
REV. JOHN H. SMITH (Colored) was bom in slavery, a son of Jess and Har
riett Smith. He was born December 26, 1853, in Macon County, Missouri. His
parents were at that time the property of Newton S-witzer. He hved in Macon
till the war was over and his family had been given freedom, then went to St, Louis
and attended the colored high school, graduating from that institution. He worked
in a store at St, Louis several years, later studying for the ministry, being ordained-
to preach in the African Methodist Episcopal church, by Bishop T. M, D, Ward,
D. D., of the N. M. Conference, in 1886. He has been an active worker in that work
since that time. He came to KirksvUle October, 1910, being transferred from the
Colorado conference. He has served, since ordained, in Colorado, Missouri, Louis
iana, Texas and New Mexico conferences.
John Smith was married to Nellie Colquit November 12, 1886. They have
tMee cMldren: Nannie, wife of Frank Moore; Effie, wife of Charles Chandler;
Minnie, wife of Charles Castle.
WILLIAM H. FRAKES (colored) was bom in Boone County, Missouri, April
11, 1854, a son of Thomas J. and Maria Frakes. He was married December 28,
1886, to Lucy A. Toles. They hav^e no children. Mrs. Frakes has a daughter,
Isabel Gilstrap.
Mr. Frakes moved to Li-vingston County with Ms parents at the close of the war.
Here he lived for fourteen years, then went to Linn County, where he attended the
public schools. He then took a two-years' course at Lincoln Institute at Jefferson
City. He taught two years in Linn County, then came to Kirks-viUe in 1886, and
accepted the principalship of the colored school. He taught continuously here tUl
1909, when he quit teaching and has since devoted his time to truck farming. He
owns five acres of ground, and a pretty home, at the southwest city limits.
While teacMng, Mr. Frakes kept up with the advancements, and has always had
the privilege of attending the teachers' meetings and institutes conducted by the
white people. He is a Repubhcan, a member of the Baptist church, and belongs to
the Masonic order.
Errata
p. 128 — "The Radicals of the Original Prairie View Congregation."
should read "Pleasant" instead of "Prairie."
P. 323— The Une under the picture should read "The I. & St. L.
Depot at Connelsville" instead of the "Santa Fe Depot at Gibbs."
P. 402 — The sword presented to Ensign AVillard was provided for by
a special appropration of the State Legislature, and not by the peoples
of Kirksville. The sword was presented in Kirksville, however, through
a delegation of Kirksville citizens.
P. 407 — "he proceeded to buy thirty acres of land south of the
proposed depot site" should read "north" instead of "south."
Archer, Hugh Victor, page 695, born 1887, instead of 1877.
Clem, M. G., page 1019, second name in picture of five gencTations
should be "Mary J. Ely "
Conkle, Mrs. A. E., page 498, picture of home "in Kirksville" in
stead of "near Brashear."
Davenport, G. E., page 1027, date of birth Sept 26, instead of IG.
Herren, Albert., page 724, corrected biography run on page 1092.
Houghton, J. R., page 529, should be "J. R. instead of "J. H."
Hickman, C. F., page 513, name of first child should be "Arita,"
instead of "Anita."
Martin, Dr. W. W., 673, should read, also "member oJ Masomc
Order." Shoop, Judge Jacob., page 785, should be "Jacob" instead of
"James." Tuttie, George., page 1030, birth of first child should read 1894.
Young, W. H., page 770, should read G. B. Easley and grand
daughter in foreground.
75
Index
PART I.— HISTORY
Act creating Adair County, 33
Acreage of farm lands, 289
Adair circuit, AI. E. church, 115
Adair County:
Act creating,33
Bonded indebtedness, 05-7
Boundaries, 35
BuUdings, 56-65
Early conditions, 14-17
Early settlers, 6-14, 443-5
Growth, 19-23
OflBcers, 46-56
Politics, 68-81
County Seat, 35, 345-6
Townships, 35-39
Adair County Agricultural and Alec-
f hanical Association, 309-10
Adair County Fair Association, 310
Adair County Farmer, 286
Adair County Home Guards, 187
-Adair County Aliners Bank, 339
Adair, John, 34-5
Adair, 14.5-7,423
Adkins, J. R,, 425
Advocate, 286
.Agriculture, 287-94
Agricultural statistics for 1909-11, 287
Allied Party, 80
Alms house, 65
American Osteopathic Association, 271
"American Progress," 79
American School of Osteopathy, 250-66:
Incorporation,250, 254-6
Opposition, 251
First graduating exercises, 251-2
KirksviUe bonus, 252-4
Dedication ot building, 254
Enlargement of building, 257
Hospital, 258
Consolidation of Schools of Os
teopathy, 258-60
Faculty Alembers, 262-4
Graduates, 264
OF ADAIR COUNTY.
Student body, 264-6
Students organizations and pub
lications, 266
Amusements, public, 398-9
Ancient Order of United Workmen,
156-7
Anderson, C, C, 296-7
Anderson, T, L., opposition of, to
creation of Adair County, 34
Appropriations for Normal School, 240
Articles of Incorporation of A. S. O.,
254-6
Ashbell, John, 10
Assassination of Dr, Davis, 105
Assassination of Sumter, 84
Assessors, 43, 49
Assessors' Returns, 20-21
Atlanta Circuit, U. B, Church, 125
Atchison, Topeka Santa Fe R, R,, 322
Aurora Colony, 413, 41,5-7
Australian ballot, 79
Axe handle factory, 397
Bailey, H, J,, 425
Baird Bank, 329-32
Baird, W, T,, 328-32; reminiscences,
446-9
Baldwin Day, 218
Baldwin Hali, 206
Baldwin, J,, 191, 215-8
Bank of Connelsville, 339
Bank of Gibbs, 339
Bank of St. Louis, KirksvUle Branch,
83, 327-9
Banks of the County, 327-41
Baptist Church, 16, 129-33
Bar of Adair Countj, 404
Battle ot:
Boone's Spring, 95
Centralia, 89-90
Florida, 95
Kirksville, 92-108, 452, 454
Moore's MiU
Newark, 96
Index.
1171
Oak Ridge, 95
Pierce's AliU, 95
Santa Fe, 95
See's Ford, 106
Stockton, 106
Vassar's Hill, 95
Walnut Creek, 100
Westenhaver's Farm, 87
Whaley's AIUl, 107
Bear Creek Baptist church, 129
Beatty, Andrew, 425
BeU, B. W., 425
Benton School Building, 180
Benton Township:
Organization, 38
BaUroad Bonds, 66, 319
Bethel Colony, 413-5
Bethel AI, E. Church, 121
Bible Society, 150
Big Neck War, 9-11
"Big Warrant," 55
Black Hawk War, 11
Blanton, J. P., 220-1
Bloomington Circuit, AI. E. Church, 115
Bloomington as stage coach center, 311
Board ot .-Yldermen, KirksvUle, 349
Board of Registration, 70
Bonded Indebtedness of:
County, 65-67
KirksvUle, 351
Bonds :
Court House, 67
JaU, 67
Normal School, 66, 197
RaUroad, 66-7, 319, 406-7
Sewer, 351
Water, 355-6
Bonus, KirksviUe, to Dr. Still, 253
Boone, Daniel, 11
Boundaries ot:
Adair County, 35
Townships, in 1.S45, 38
Boj-d, J. S., 142-3
Bozarth, Andrew, 11
Bozarth, B. A., 426
Bozarth, J. AL, 17, 426
Bozarth, Lycurgus, 101
Brasheai-, 405-11
Academy, 136, 411
Banks, 337
Churches, ll,S-20, 121-S, 136
Depot, 321
G, .\. R., 1,58
Alasons, 153
Newspapers, 285
Odd Fellows, 154
Population in 1910, 344"j
Public Schools, 188
Teachers, 188
Brashear Banking Co., 337
Brashear, R. AI., 27, 405-7
Brashear, W. G., 426
Brick Yards, 297
Bridges, 312-3
Browder-Throgmorton Debate, 114
Bullion M, E, Church, 121
Building and Loan .Associations, 341
Burial of Confederate Dead, 101
Burk Packing Company, 400
Burke's Business College, 396
Burlington Railroad System, 322
Burns, W. H, 127
Business Colleges, 394-6
Business Firms, Kirksville, 36.5-7:^
Business Alen's Associations, 401, 297-N
"Cabins," The, 7-9
Cain, Geo., 17; Reminiscences, 413-(j
Cain, John, 11, 14, 443
Cain, Capt, Tice, 96
CaldweU, Alajor, 95
Campaigns, Political:
In the County, 68-81
In Kirksville, 352-3
Camp Meetings, 111, 127
Ciater Alemorial Church, 121
Catholic Church, 14.5-8
Causes for Growth of the County, 22-3
Celebration of:
Battle of Kirksville, 72
Fiftieth Anniversary ot C. P,
Church, 139
Fiftieth Anniversary ot Republican
Party, 79
Dr. StUI's Eightieth Birthday, 271-2
Cemeteries, Kirksville, 364-5, 398
Cemetery Associations, 365
Centennial of Methodism, 117
1172
The History of Adair County.
Census of Adair County 1850-90,
19, 34.3-4
Census ot Live Stock, 1909, 290
Certification of Normal School Grad
uates, 230-2
Chairman of the Board of Trustees:
Kirksville, 350
Brashear, 409
Chandler, Guy, 427
Changes in the County Court, 40-43
Charters of:
Kirksville, 348
A. S. O,, 254-6
North Missouri R, R,, 313
Chautauqua, Kirksville, 399
Cheese Factories, 292
Christian Associations, 237, 260
Christian Church, 133-7
Churches of the County, 109-50
Church Buildings:
AI, E. Church, 116-7, 119
AI, E, Church, South, 123-5
U. B. Church, 127
Baptist Church, 129-31
Christian Church, 135
C. P. Church, 138-9
Presbyterian Church, 141-2
Episcopal Church, 144
Catholic Church, 147-8
Circuit .Attorney, list ot, 48
Circuit Court, first, 40
Circuit Clerks, list of, 48
Circuit Judges, list of, 48
Circuit of County Collectors, 45
Citizens National Bank, 336
Civic Improvement League, 397-8
Civil War, 82-108, 457
Claims, land, of early settlers, 13
Clark, Robert, 427
Clarkson, D. J., 427
Clay Township, Organization of, 38-9
Coal: Fields, 301
Industry, 300-9, 419-21
Operators, 308
Veins, 304-6
CoUection of Taxes, 45
Collectors, County, list of, 50
CoUett, A, K., 427
Colurpbian School of Osteopathy, 273-0
Commissioners, County Seat, 35, 345
Company A., 39 Mo, Infantry, 89-91
Comparison of Grain Yields, 1870
and 1909, 289
Concord C. P, Church, 141
Confederate :
Enlistment, 84-5
Recruiting in N. E, AIo., 94
Loss at the Battle of KirksvUle,
100-1
ConnelsviUe 418:
Banks, 339
Coal Industry, 301-4
Growth, 308
Newspaper, 288
Population, 1910, 344
Public Schools, 189
Connelsville M, E. Church, 170
Conner's Tan Yard, 287
Constitution of 1865, vote ot Adair
County on, 72
Constitution of 1875, vote ot Adair
County on, 75
Contest Between Radicals and Liberals,
69-74
Contributions from Kirksville to Suff
erers elsewhere, 388
Controversy between O, K, and I.
& St, L. R, Rs., 324-5
Controversy over Membership of
County Court, 1877, 42
Coroners, list of, 51
Coots, Mrs. Ehzabeth, 102
County Attorney, 43, 48
County BuUdings, 56-65
County Clerks, list of, 49
County Commissioner, 55, 169, 173
County Court:
First, 40
1841-77, 52-3
Democratic, 81
County Judges, 52-.54
Counties, Missouri, 1841, 24, 34
County :
Offices and Officers, -10-56
Organization, 40-67
Politics, 68-81
Press, 277-86
Index.
1173
Seal, 35
Superintendent, 43, 45, 51
Supervision 174
Corn Yield, 1909, 2S7
Corner Stone:
Court House, 61
Normal School, 205
A. S. O, Hospital, 258
Kirksville Mercantile College, 394
Catholic Church, KirksviUe, 148
M. E.Church, South, KirksviUe, 123
Corporal Dix, 87-88
Court House Bonds, 67
Court Houses, 56-63
Cowdry, Lieut,, 99
Creameries, 292
Creation of Adair County, 24-46
Criticisms of the County Grange, 164
Cumberland Academy, 99, 115-6, 134,
138, 177, 191-3, 447
Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 137-
141
Cyclone, Kirksville, 147, 377-85
Daily Attendance at Kirksville Schools,
182
Daily: Express, 284-5
Graphic, 284
Journal, 284
Danforth, 424
Darrow, Edwin, 427
Daughters of .Ymerican Revolution,
160-1
Davis, Benjamin, 277
Davis, Dr,, Assassination of, 105
Debates, Religious, 112-4
Dedication :
A, S. O. Building, 2.54
Churches, 115-48, in loco
Normal School Building, 206
DeFrance, J, M., 428
Democrats and Greenbackers, Fusion of,
77
Democrat, Kirksville, 2S1-3
Democratic Alass Meeting, 1868, 71-2
Democratic Party, 68-81, in loco
Dennis, J. T,, 428
Demoninational Strife, 112
Deposits in Banks, 1910, 327
Depot, Railrcad at :
Brashear, 407
Kirksville, 316-8, 321-2
"Dick and Dave," Ticket, 78
Discovery ot Osteopath}-, 246-7
Disfranchisement, 69
Di,strict ot Louisiana, 24
District, School, 173
Dissatisfaction among Republicans,
1890, 78
Dissolution of Nineveh Colony, 416-7
Ditzler-Jamison Debates, 113
Dix G, A. R. Post, 88
Dobson, W. D., 221-2
Dockery, T. J., Reminiscences of, 459-00
Dodson, I. B., 428
Drake Constitution, 69
Dramshop Ordinances, Kirks\'ille, 351-4
Drouths, 388
Duties of Kirks\-ille Officers, 348-9
Early: Baptist Preachers, 109
BuUdings, 16
Business Firms, 365-6
Churches, 16
Church Buildings, 111-2
Coal Mining, 300-1
Conditions, 14, 446
Domestic Life, 16
Emigrants, 17
Farming, 14, 443-5, 451
JaUs, 63-4
Alethodist Preachers, 109
AlaU Routes, 363
Post Offices, 15
B.eligious Services, 455-6
Schools. 16, 167-72, 446, 450-1
, Settlers in Alissouri, 7
Settlers in Adair County, 0-17,
443-5, 342, 407
Stores, 445
Trading Posts, 15
Easton, Sam, 40
Eckert, Henry, Sr., 428
Effects CivU War on:
Churches, 112
North AIo. R. R., 315
Effects of Coal Industry on Towns, 308
1174
The History of Adair County.
Effects ot Normal School on the Schools
ot County, 172-3
Eighty-sixth Regiment, Enrolled Mil
itia, 91
Elections, County, 68-81
Electric Light Co., 356-.57
Eleventh Regimen! , Cavalry, Al. S.
AL, 92
Ellison, Andrew, 428-9
Elks, 15,5-6
Ely, D. A,, Sr., 429
Ely Farm, 415
Ely AIUl, 294
Emancipation in Missouri, 69
Emigrants from Alissouri River
Counties, 7
Enrolled Alissouri Militia, 91-92
Enumeration and Enrollment of Pupils,
KirksviUe, 175-6
Episcopal Church, 144
Erwin, J. S,, 427
Establishment ot Osteopathic Infirm
ary, 250
Evans, Lovern, 17
Excursions, Railroad, 315-6, 320
Execution ot:
Confederate prisoners, 103
John Oldham, 452
J. M Robertson, 64
Extension of Q. AI. & P. R, R,, west
ward, 300-1, 321-2
Factories, 294-300
Faculty Alembers:
A. S. O., 262-4
Normal School, 222-6
Fairs, 309-10
Farm acerage, 289
Farmers Advocate, 286
Farmers .'Vlliance, 78
Farmers .and Labors Union, 164
F.armers Ticket, 1890, 78
Farming, early, 443-5, 451
Federal Enlistments, 86
Federal Loss at the Battle ot Kirks
ville, 100
Ferguson Lectures, 112-3
Ferries, 312
Ferris, F, L., 21 S
Festival, Spring, 399
Fiftieth Enrolled AlUitia, 91
Fiftieth Regiment, 96
Fires :
Brashear, 411
KirksviUe, 57-59, 131, 142, 279,
282, 294-6, 318, 332, 389-94
Novinger, 187
Prairie and Brush, 15
Fir.st: Court House, 56
High School in KirksvUle, 173
International Bank, 330
Land Entry 20
National Bank, 330
Normal School Faculty, 193
North-east AIo. Regiment, 89
Pupils in Osteopathy, 249
Sessions of Circuit Court, 4;0
Sessions of County Court, 40, 56
Settlement, 7
Five Districts of the District of Louis
iana, 24
Fletcher, Jas., 161
Fletcher, W . L,, 149, 429
Floods, 385-6
Florida, Battle of, 95
F;oyd, John R., 430
Floyd, Nathaniel, 15
Folk Campaign, 80
Forest Cemetery, 365
Formation of Counties:
Adair, 31
Chariton, 31
Howard, 31
Macon, 31
Randolph 31
Schuyler, 31
Fort Clark, 12
Fortieth Anniversary Celebration of
Normal School, 237
Fort Aladison, 11
Foster, John D., 84
Foster, Peyton, 430
Foster School, 171
Founding of:
Brashear, 405-7
Nineveh, 415
Foundry, 297
Index.
1175
Free Delivery:
CUy, 364
Rural. 364
Free WUl Baptists, 123, 135
Free WUl Baptist Association, 133
Friedman-Shelby Shoe Co., 297-300
Fusion Parties, Vic^tories of, 75, 78
Gas Co., Kirksville, 357
Gibbs, 422:
Bank, 339
Churches, 136-8
Santa Fe R. R., 322-3
Railroad Wreck, 326
Schools, 188-9
Population, 1910, 344
Gibbs Circuit, AI. E. Church, US
Gibbs Land Co., 422
GiU, W. M., 279, 283, 430
Gillespie, W. B., 281-2
Glasgow Newspaper on Adair County, 23
Goode, vs. M. E. Church, South, 123
Good Templars, 354
Gospel Car, 131-2
Governor Brown, 70
Governor Jackson, 93
Graduating Classes:
A. S. 0., 251-2, 264
Normal School, 230
Grain Prizes, 287
Grain Yield, in 1870 and 1909, 289
Grange, 76, 162-4
Graphic Corn Prizes, 287
Graphic, Weekly, 283-4
Great Northern Fuel Co., 303
Greenback Party, 75, 77
Greenback Newspapers, 286
Green Grove U. B. Church, 128
Greentop Circuit, M, E. Church, US
Greenwood, J. AI., 193, 219-20; on Early
Schools in Salt River and WUson
Townships, 170-2
Greenwood, P,F,, Reminiscences of 45.5-8
Grim Hospital, 404
Grocery Cj., SM'yaek-Thom, 374
Gross, Isaac, 7
Gross, Stephen, 7
Growth of County, 19-23,,
Guitar, Odon, 95
Giipp, Jacob, 7
Hamilton, A. E., 4.30
Hannah, W, P., 431
Hardin, C. W,, 430
Harvester and Self Binder, 289
Hawkins, J. L., 431
Hay Yield, 287
Heiny, B. F., 336
High School, Kirksville, 180, 184-6
Highland Park Cemetery, 365
Holiness Church, 150
Holmes, A. L., 286
Home Guards, 86-9
Hospitals, 258, 404
Hospital Arrangements at the Battle
of KirksvUle, 102
Hulsey, Rev., 109
Hunters, Early, 14
Illinois Bend Christian Church, 137
Immigration Societies, 23
Incorporation of:
Brashear, 409
Connelsville, 41S
Gibbs, 422
Kirksville, 347
Novinger, 421
Incorporation ot:
A. S. O., 250-1, 2,54-6
C. S. O., 275
.Journal Printing Co., 279
Democrat Printing Co., 283
Increase ot County:
In Population, 20
In Wealth, 21
Independent Ticket, 73
Indian: Exploring Expeditions, 4-5
Alounds, 3-5
Territorial Claims, 6
Wars, 9-11
Remains, 3-5
Visits, 12
Industries, 287-3 10-, 415
Industrial Brotherhood, 165
Institutes, County, 174
Iowa and AIo. Boundary Dispute, 8,
31, 33
I, & St. L. R. R., 302-3, 323-5
Itinerant Visits of Dr. StUl, 248-9
1176
The History of Adair County.
Jackson, W. J., 122
Jail Bonds, 67
Jails, 63-65
James, David, 15, 40
John, A. H,, 74, 264, 282, 431
Journal, Kirksville, 73
Labor Unions, 165
Land Entries, 20
Land Values, 22
Laughlin, G. H,, 431
Law: Of 1839, on School Organization,
166-7
Ot 1855, 169
Ot 1870, on Normal School 190,
196-7
Lawyers of Adair County, 404
Lay, Thos., 161-2
Lecture Course. 398
Legislation :
Osteopathic, 266-70
Normal School, 190, 196-7
Legislative Investigations of Normal
School, 204
Length of School Term in KirksviUe, 184
Liberal Republicans, 69-72
Liberals, Church, 112
Liberty Township, Organization of, 38
Libi aries :
School., 174
Normal School, 233-5
Lincoln School Building, 182
Linder, A. H., 431
Linder Building, 332
Linder, W. P., 314, 432
Link, F. L,, 279-80
Link, S. M., 4:^2
Literary Societies, 397-8
Live Stock Census, 1909, 290
Live Stock Raisers, 290
Livingston County, Bid for Normal
School, 200-1
Local Option Election, 352-3
Location ot County Seat, 345-6
Location of State Normal School, 198-204
Lutheran Church, 149
Lynching of Ward, 84
Madison, Capt. Richard, U
MaU Faculties, Eariy, 15
Manufactures, 294-300
Manufacturers Coal & Coke Co., 302-3,
418
Marriage, First, 17
Marshal, Kirksville, 349
Masons, 151-3
Mayors :
KirksviUe, 350
Novinger, 421
Mechanics Union, 165
Medical Profession, 403-4
Meeks, William, 432
Meetings :
A. O. A., in Kirkisville, 271
State Teachers Association, In
KirksviUe, 396
Members of Nineveh Colony, 417
Memorial Services for Cyclone Victims,
385
Mercantile Colleges, KirksviUe, 394-6
Methodist Episcopal Church, 16, 115-21
Methodist Episcopal Church, South,
115, 121-5
Mexican War Veterans, League of, 401-2
Military Companies:
During Civil War, 83-92
Since Civil War, 400-1
Military Organization of Mo., 1862, 94
Millard, 424
Baptist Church. 132
G, A. R., 158
Presbyterian Church, 143
Railroad Wreck, 326
Millbank AIUl, 296
Miller Bros., 420
MUler, Mrs. Otis, Reminiscences of,
453-5
Miller, Robt., 16
Mills, Flour and Grist, 294-6
Mills, P. C, 336
Mine Inspectors Reports, 301
Mining Machinery, 306
Missouri Baptist Association, 131
Missouri Conference:
M. E. Church, 117
U. B. Church, 125, 128
Alissouri Counties, 1813-1841, 31
Missouri Legislature of 1861. 92
Missouri Alilitia, 92
Index.
1177
Missouri National Guards, 400-1
MitcheU. J. B., 40, 432-3
Model School, of Normal School, 206,
211-5
Model Rural School, 211
Model Rural School Buildings in County,
175
Moore's Mill, Battle of, 95
Morelock, E. M. C, 5.5-6, 84-5, 278, 433
Morris and Richter's donation ot land
to Normal School, 205
Morrow, John, 40
Morrow Township, Organization of, 38
Mor.sey, Lieut. Col,, 105
Alotter, Noah, 433
Alount Moriah C. P, Church, 140
Mudd, Dr,, on Execution of McCull
ough, 104
Mulberry C. P. Church, 140
Municipal Organization of KirksvUle,
345-50
Murphy, W. S., 297
Musick, J. R., 433
Myers, James, 7, 10
Myers, John, 10
Myrtle, Reuben, 7
McAdow Synod, Meeting of, 140
lilcCahn, H. C, 308-9, 423
McClay, D. F., 432
McCreery Chapel, 118
McCullough, F, H., Execution ot, 103-4
AIcNeUl, Col. John, 93, 94, 98-99, 105
Naming of KirksviUe, 346
Naming of Townships, 37
Nason School House, 129, 141, 177
Nason, W. P., 139. 193, 219. 43.3-4,
446, 447
National Bank, 336
Nelson, J. I., 434
Newark, Battle of, 96
Newcomb, David, 434
Newspapers" of County, 277-86
Normal Department in the University,
190
Normal School, 190-240
Normal School Bonds, 60
North Missouri:
Register, 74-5, 281-2
Railroad, 313-6
RaUroads Bonds, 65-6
Tribune, 281
Novinger, 418-21 :
Banks, 337-9
Building & Loan Association, 341
Churches, 119-20, 131-2, 148-9
Coal Industry, 391-4, 308-9
Fires, 187
Growth, 308
Labor Unions, 165
Alasons, 153
Newspapers, 285-6
Odd Fellows, 154-5
Population, 1910, 344 •''-.:.
Schools, 103-7 ¦^ A
Novinger Bank 337-9 -i'?) ^
Novinger Catholic Church, 148
Novinger Circuit, M. E, Church, 118
Novinger, G. W., 434
Novinger, Hiram, 434
Novinger, Isaac, 435
Novinger, John C, 418, 435
Novinger Lutheran Church, 149
Novinger M. E. Church, 119-20
Novinger Record, 2S5-6
Nind, 424
Nineveh, 411-7; MUl, 294
Nursery Business, 294
Oak Ridge, Battle ot, 95
Oats, Yield ot, 1909, 287
Odd FeUows, 153-5
0. K. R. R. , 318-22
Oklahoma Township, Organization of,39
Oldham, John, Execution of, 105, 452
Old Settlers Reunions, 399-400
O-pening of Normal School, First, 194
Opposition to Creation of Counties
in 1841, 33
Opposition to Osteopathy, 251
Ordinances of Kirksville in 1866, 348
Original Plat of KirksvUle, 346
Original Town:
Of Brashear, 409
Of Kirksville, 346
Orleans Territory, 24
Organization of Republican Party in
.Adair County, 70
Osteopathic Legislation, 251, 266-70
Osteopathy, Schools of, 241-76
1178
The History of Adair County.
O'Shea, Father Joseph, 145
Otto's Wheat Prize, 287
Output of Coal Alines, 18,88-1909, 301-4
Owen, I, B., 10
Owenby, John, 55
Owenby, Powell 10
Packing Plant, 291-2
Paden, J, T,, 435
Palmyra Massacre, 106
Parcells, W. H., 200, 314, 435
Park, Court House, 59
Parsonages, Alethodist, 120, 124
Parton, Isaac, 1 1
Parton Township, 39
Patriot, 278
Patrons ot Husbandry', 162-4
Patterson, Chas. 455
Patterson, H, E., 436
Patterson, John, 436
PaulvUIe, 405
Paulville AI. E, Church, 118
Paul, Walker, 405, 436
Pennsylvania Coal Co., 309-10
Pell Alell Greenbacker, 280
Peoples Party, 73-5, 81
Physicians of County, 403-4
Picture of the Battle of Kirksville, 108
Pierce, D. C, 436
Pierce, E. L., 436
Pierce's Alill, Battle of, 95
Pioneers, 6-17, 23
Pioneer Preachers, 109-11
Plaining Mills, 296
Plans to form New County in 1868, 31
Pleasant View Church, ( U, B,), 128
Political Campaigns, 68-81
Polk Township, Organization of, 38-9
Poor Farm, 65
Population of County, 3, 19 .
Postmasters :
Brashear, 410
KirksvUle, 359-62
Novinger, 409-10
Post Offices in County (1876), 364
Post Office, Kirksville, 359-62
Porter, Col, Jo.seph C, 94-7, 99-100
Porter, John L., 420
Porter and Stebbins Banking Co,, 329
Poultry Business, 290-1
Practice School, 211-15
Prairie View, 128
Preachers, 109-150, in loco
Presbyterian Church, 141-4
Presbyterian Alission, 55, 143
Presidents of Normal School, 215
Prince, J, W,, 115
Principals of KirksvUle Mercantile
College, 396
Principals of KirksviUe High School, 186
Principals of Model School, 215
Probate Court, 41, 54
Probate Judges, 54
Proceeds from Sale of Normal School
Bonds, 204-5
Proclamation of Gov, Clark, 6
Progressive Peojjles Party, 80
Prohibition Party, 77
Proposed Railroad Line, 325-6
Proposition to vote Bonds:
Court House, 59-61
JaU, 64-65
Normal School, 197
Railroad, 314-.5, 319-21
Prosecuting Attorney, 43
Public .Ydministrator, 43
Public Utilities, 354-8
Purchase of Baptist Church by C, P,
Church. 139
Purchase of Organ by M. E. Church,
South, Kirksville, 123
Quarters of County Officers, 63
Quincy RaUroad Bonds, 319
Quincy, Missouri and Pacific R.R., 318,-
322, 405
Q. AI, & P, R. R. Bonds, 66-72
Radical Republicans, 69-73
Railroad Bonds, 314-5, 319-21, 406-7
Railroad Aleetings, 16, 319
Railroad Tie Industry, 300
Raisers ot Live Stock, 290
Rank of Adair County in Coal Industry,
304
Ray — Simpson Debates, 114
Rectors, Episcopalian, 144
Recorder, 45, 49
Refunding ot Bonded Indebtedness, 67
Refusal of Gov. Jackson to Lincoln's
C.aU, 86
Index.
1179
Regents, Boaid of, 2'26-30
Religious Debates, 112-4
Religious Services, Early, 455-6
Remini.scences of:
W. T. Baird, 446-9
George Cain, 443-6
T. J. Dockery, 459-60
P. F. Greenwood, 455-8
Mrs. Otis Miller, 453-5
Airs. Jacob F. WaddiU, 449-53
Removal of Indians to Iowa, . 9
Removal c^i PaulvUIe AI. E. Church,
South, to Brashear, 125
Reorganization, of Kirks\'ille, After
the War, 347-8
Reorganization of Churches:
Reorganization of Churches :
Christain Church, 135
AI. E. Church, South, 122
Representative, 47
Republican Party, 68-81, in loco
Republican Primary, 77
Revolutionary Soldiers Buried in Adair
County, 161-2
Reunions :
Old Settlers, 399-400
Soldiers, 159-60
Revivals, UI, 127
Richardson, Nathan, 7
Richey, Gideon, 437
Ringo, Jos., 40
Ringo, R. M., 162, 332-6, 437
Ringo, \\'Uliam, 437
Rivalry Between Adair and Livingston
Counties over Normal School, 200-1
Robberies :
International Bank, 332
Savings Bank, 333-4
Rombauer Coal company, 420
Rombauer, R. G., 309
Royalists and .-Vnti Royalists, 6S
Rural Free Delivery, 364
Rural Schools, 166-76
Ryan, Father, 145
Sabbath Home AI. E. Church, 120-1
St. Charles County, 'Organizatiori. of, 6
St. Louis Normal School, 193
St.L., K.C., andN.R, R., 316
Sale of Baird National Bank, 330
Sale of;
Baptist Church, 129
Free WUl Baptist Church, 123, 133
Sale of Slaves, 82-3
Saloons, KirksvUle, 351-4
Salt River Bugle, 285
Salt River Railroad Bonds, 66, 321, 406-7
Salvation Army, 150
Sands, Jacob, 197
Sand HiU Cncuit (Al. E, Church), US
Santa Fe, Battle of, 95
Santa Fe Railroad, 322-3
Santa Fe Railroad Wreck, 326
Savings Bank, 332-6
Schedule of:
Ferry Rates, 312
Stage Fares, 312
Schism: Christian Church, 135
U, B. Church, 128
Schofield, Order ot, 94
School in Court House, 94
School Building Elections 17S-S7
School Fund, 168
Schools, Public, 166-87
Scott, J, Harvey, 118
Secession Sentiment in County, S3-4
Second Court House, 56-59
See's Ford, Battle of, 100
Seitz, E. B,, 438
Selby Poultry Co., 290-1
Sessions of County Court, Early, 56
Settlements, Early, 6-17, 44'2-5
Settlers, of 1830-40, 11-13
Seventh Regiment Cav., Mo. Vol., 88
Sewer Systein, 358
Sewer Bonds, 358
Sharp, G, W., 138
Sharp. J, E., 138
Sheeks, W, H,. 438
Sheriff, 43, 50
Sherman, Samuel. 57
Sherwood HaU, 116
Shibleys Point, 423:
G, A. R,, 158
Home Guards, 86
Shoe Factory, 298-300
Addition to Kirskville, 298
Subscribers, 298
1180
The History of Adair County.
Shoop, Jacob, 438
Shoop, P, D,, 438
Shryack-Thom Grocery Co,, 374
Sixteenth IU, Inft,, 87
Slavery, 72, 82-3
Sleets, 387
Sloan Cemetery, 364
Sloan, David E., 342
Smith, James A,, 96
Smith, J, T,, 438-9
Smith, W. J,, 394-6
Snow Storms, 386
Socialist Party, 81
Sojourners Club, 159-60
Soldiers Reunion, 159-69
Sons of Veterans, 160
Spanish-American War, 402-3
Speech of R. E, Lewis, 80
Split: In Alethodist Church, 115, 121
In U. B, Church, 128
Spirituahsts, 112-3, 149-50
Spring IVstival, 237
Stages, 311-2
Stahl, 423:
Coal Industry, 301-4, 308-9, 420
Stahl, S, F., 308, 416
State Bank of Brashear, 337
State Convention ot 1861, 83, 92-93
State Senators, 47
State Teacher's Association, 396
Statistics :
Agricultural, 287
Coal, 301-4, 307
Banks, 327
Normal School, 238-9
StiU, Abram, 109-11, 115
StUl, A, T,, 211-50, 271-2
Still Hospital, 258
Stock Raising, 287-94
Stockton, Battle of, 106
Stores, Early, 445
Storms, 374-88
Street Paving, 359
Strikes, 316, 399
Students of A. S, O., 264
Student Organizations:
A, S, O., 266
Normal School, 235
Student Publications:
A, S, O., 266
Normal School, 237
Stukey, Noah, 439
Sublette, 423
G, A. R., 158
Sublette, T. E., 283
Summary of Business Firms in Kirks
ville, 367
Summer School of Normal School, 239
Sumter, Assassination of, 84
Sunday School .Association, 150
Superintendents of Kirksville Schools,
184
Supervisior of Registration, 43
Surplus Products (1890-1909), 293
Surveyor, 43, 51
Suspension of Columbian School of
Osteopathy, 276
Suspension of Methodist Chm'ch during.
the War, 115
Swedenborgianism, 149
Sympathy for Southern Cause, 83
Synods of:
C. P. Church, 140
Presbyterian Church, 143
Tan Yard of Wash Conner, 15
Teachers Salaries, 176
Telephone Co., 357-8
Temperance Camp, 352-3
TerrUl, J. H., 129
Territory of:
Louisiana, 24
Missouri, 24
Test Oath, 69
Theatres, 396, 398
Third Court Htiuse, 61-63
Third Iowa Reg ment, 85, 87, 278
Thirty-ninth AIo Volunteers, 89-90
Theory ot Osteopathy:
StUl's 247
Ward's 275
Thompson, R. S., 51
Thrice-a-Week Echo, 285
Tie Industry, 300, 499
Time Table of Stages, 312
Timothy Grass, First, 289
Towne, A. D., 108
Index.
1181
Towns of County; see KirksviUe, Bra
shear, ConnelsvUle, Nineveh, Nov
inger, Gibbs, Millard, Shibleys
Point, Adair AA'illmathville, Sub
lette.
Township Organization, 35, 41-2
Townships, Population oi^ 344
Training School for Nurses, 258
Trammell, Capt., 9-10
Transportation Facilities, 311-26
Treasurer, County, 43, 50
Treaty With:
Osages, 6
Sacs and FoxcSj 6
Tribune, Kirksville, 73
Trinity Church (M. E. CJhurch), 125
Truancy Law, 182-4
Trustees of Kirksville, First, 347
Tuition Fees, A. S. 0., 262
Twenty-second Inft., Mo. Vol. 89
Twenty-seventh Inft. AIo. Vol., 87
Underwood Lectures, 113
LTnited Brethem Church, 125-9;
Camp Aleetings, 127
United Daughters of Confederacy, 160
Union Bank, 336
Union Bank of Novinger, 339
Union Democrat, 85-6, 278
Union of C. P. Churcli and Presbyterian
Church, 143'
Universalists, 149
Unveiling of Alonuments to Revolution
ary Soldiers, 162
Vassar's Hill, Battle of, 95
Vaughn, J. T., 439
Vote of Adair County on:
Representative to State Corvvention
of 1861, 83-4
Constitution of 1865, 72
Constitution of 1875, 75
Wabash Railroad, 313-8
Depots in KirksvUle, 310-8
Wreck, 520
Waddill, Mrs. J. F., Reminiscences of,
449-53
Wagner Conservatory, 396
Wagon Factory, 297
Walnut Creek, Battle of, 106
Walnut Township, Organization ot, 38-9
Ward, M. L., 273
War: Black Hawk, 11
CivU, 82-108
Alass Meetings, 84
Alexican, 401-2
Spanish-American, 402-3
Well, .Artesian, 355
Whaley's AliU, Battle ot. 107
Wheat Yield, (1909). 2,87
Whigs in .Adair County, 68
White School House, 172
WUd Honey, 14
Willard, A, P,, 101
Willard, Ensign, 402-3
WiUard School Building, 180
WUlmathvUle, 423
WUsontown, 422, 424
Wilson Township, Organization of 38
Winn, James, 10
Womans Christian Temperance Union,
354
AVomans Relief Corps, 160
Woods, A L,, 439
Wool I'actories, 296
Wrecks, Railroad, 326
Yarrow, 424
A'oung Mens Christian Association,
237, 266
Youngstown Circuit,(M.E.Church),118
Young Womens CMistian Association,
237, 266
PART II.— REMINISCENCES.
Cam, George W,, 443
Baird, W. T,, 446
WaddiU, Airs, Jacob F.,
449
MiUer, Airs. Otis, 453
Greenwood, P, F., 455
Dockery, Thomas J., 459
1182
The History of Adair County.
PART III.— GREAT
Sketches Guts
Alusic, John R 463 464
EU son. Judge .Vndrew 465 466
EULson, Judge James. 468 469
Greenwood, J, AL... 470 195
MEN OF THE COUNTRY.
Sketches
Kirk, John R 472
Still, Dr, .Vndrew T, 473
Wanamaker, Judge
George W 174
(.'Ills 221242
PART IV.
Sketches
Ainslie, A.E 1162
AUred, Chas 489
.Vrbogast, Lewis 693
Archer, H. D 703
Apollo Brigade 1039
Abernathy, Hugh 880
Avery, Dr, O.W. ,.1009
;Vreher, Hugh Victor 695
Abernathey, Chas 1039
Abernc.they, Jasper J, 748
Andrew, John W 913
Abernathey, James . . .1124
/Vbernathey, Jacob J.. 1062
Anderson, Chas, C, 607
.Vtterberry, Airs, AI ,1024
Banks, Charles 1132
Barnett, Robert J 991
Brassfield, John 898
Brashear, Richard M. 895
Brott, Eugene C 1144
Barnhart, .Abram .... 703
Bozarth, Thadeus W. 11.53
Burton, W, B 592
Bozarth, Alilton J, , , 741
Bozarth, WiUiam O,... 917
BiUington, ,John S 870
Balch, Harry 996
Barrows, B, C 581
Barnhart, Henry H.... 744
Burchett, S. R 967
Bozarth, Andrew J, 795
Bibee, WUliam G 744
Barnes, Dr, F, A1....1126
Bundy, J, W 483
Bozarth, Lemuel C... 984
Burchett, John A. . .1144
Bachman, Carl 631
Burk, L, J 651
Burk, .V.J 651
Betts, ]':dwin J 922
-BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES
Cuts Sketches
Brassfield, Byron ()19
Bundy, Chas, F 10.58
694 Burris, J, 1 948
702 Brewington, GeorgeR, 477
1038 Bown, James 732
919 Begole, Davis W 623
1008 Bailey, James 0 636
697 Burnett, James(Swan)1039
Brawner, Chas, AI, 643
749 Bruner, John T 930
914 BeU, T, D 984
1064 Bamburg, H 487
BUlings, .\llen L 640
606 Burchett, J,R 1024
1026 Barclay, John H 1027
J ] 34 BeU, Samuel F 1066
009 Bruner, Thomas 55-1
An Burns, .V . H 643
oQj. .Q-, Bennett, Raymond . 1042
^1145 Bennett, Chas 954
yQj Barger, Geo. W 719
ygj, BeU, Geo. W 1066
rjg^ BeU, William H 741
y i,, Barger, Calvin J S43
,,.0 Breen, D, J 748
J,-", Burton, E, H 657
gg- Berry, John H 477,
A^ Brown, Walter L 92S
-^r, Baird, W, T 609 3
ggg Berry, Geo, W 870
~qo Buckingham, I'mnkAl, 836
y^Q Bell, John D 928
J J,,- Bozarth, J, AI 4'26
_^^,3 Bl.ack, E, E 1066
gon Barnhill, Da-\-id
Bethel AI. E.Church, IHiS
.^,, ^ Carnagey, PhUip ... . 991
^"r1''ri C-oulson, Jethro P 1102
(mL-,,,5 Cornell, John W 935
Cuts 1060 951 736
625 638
1040 645931
486 6-12
1068 555642
721
1067 742
841-949 751655 ¦178
31 610-12 873 929947
1098 1167 992 936
Sketches
Capp.s, Isaae 1146
Capps, Geo. A 804
Cook, Judge Jacob R. 598
Carder, ArcMe 1148
Carder, Clyde 1148
Crawford, WUliam AI. 781
Curry, W. B 714
Capps, David 483
Capps, Isaac .\ewton 996
Clevenger, Lewis 836
Crockett, Lou J 1166
Currence, Benjamin... 618
(Airs. AI. AI.j
Charlton, C. H 481
Calhoun, J. C 1024
Creason, WiUiam O... .501
Cain, Dr. William I . . 1142
Crow, Isaac AI 700
CaUison, A.E 489
Cody, George W 890
Calef, John W 10.34
Conkle, George W 499
(Mrs. A. E.)
Crow, Alva AI 9-32
Carleton, John B 477
ChadweU, .John 7.52
Cain, F. W. 808
Cain, George W 1046
Cooley, James A 857
Cooper, CD 489
Crawfcrd,Judge D. H. .549
Curtii:, David 707
Coy, James 1083
CogbiU, E. A 1072
Cunningham, G. B. 971
CampbeU, E. B 975
CampbeU, Ralph 834
CampbeU, Ward C... 975
Curry, John T 905
Cunninghani,Chas.J... 948
CampbeU, M. D ... 781
Capps, Isaac, 1146
Callison, Dr. E. C... 627
Chadwick, Chas. A... 491
ComeU, S. H 9.35
Cunningham, C. C. ..11-53
Cody, C. AI 714
Clarkson, Thom. E. .1096
Clem, Michael G 1018
Index. 1183
Cuts Sketches Cuts
Davidson, R 485
807 Darr, Frank AI 752 754
600-973 Davenport, G. E 1027
1149 Davis, J. H 886 887
1149 Darrow, Fred 581 582
783 Danielson, William. . .1000 1001
71.5 Dolan, Robert 840 841
DevoUd, Samuel T. . . . 748 750
999 Dimmitt, John F 7.56 760
837 Davidson, Sam 875 877
Downing, U. S. G. . . . .501 503-773
617 Derfler, Geo. W 496
Dodson, Dr. Job T.... 711 712-13
Dudley, Albert C. . . . 533 534
Davis, Geo. A 843 846
503 DavLs, Chas. S 1121 338 1 123
Duff, Dr. John D 533 5.32
702 Dockery, Thomas J. 501 502-03
Dooley, E. W 1000
891 Dye, John C 1142
1033 Dodson, P. AI 481 479
498 Dodson, William A. . . 483
Dod.son, EH B 481 480
933 Derfler, Dr. Alorris E. 494 495
Davidson, John W. . . . 1000 1003
7.55 Dickerson, Bedford K. 993 995
812 Ditmars, Judge W. C. 957 959
8-1048-49 Dyer, Albert 875 878
Davis, Irwin .507 509
488 pickerson,PatrickH.T 993 995
.548 Denjslow, W. AI. ...1118 1119
706 Evans, WiUiam 836 838
1084 Elmore, John A 673 675
1073 Elmore, Clarence 1163
972 Elmore, T. E 1090
976 Elsea Alfred 890 892
83.5-976 Ervin, Harry N 585
EUison, Samuel H. . . . 695
906-07 Ebert, Nelson 489 488
952 EUis, A. AI 836 839
780-1109 Elliott, J. D 648 649
Easley, F.R 752 7.53
628 Easley, Geo. B 496 497
492-93 Evans, Geo. W 494
937 Ebert, WiUiam E .524 523
Eggert, Stephen L — 516 517
718 Eitel, George W 840 842
1098 Endres, Rev. W. D.... 940 941
1019 Elks Lodge 975 977-78
1184
The History of Adair County.
Sketches
Farmers Mutual Ins, Co, 1165
Easley, '.Chomas AI, . .1050
Farley, Thomas 724
Fickel, Judge T, W. 581
Fickel, L, P 756
Forquer, George . ... 703
Fout, WiUiam G 693
FeUers, George H 651
Ford, William M 648
Frobes, Chas 880
Fegley, John 708
Fegley, David 708
Frank, WUham F 601
Fugate, James T 609
Fugate, John C 607
Ferguson, CD 1027
Ferguson, M, L 619
Frankford, Henry . , , . 865
Fish, John 485
Fish, Albert V 485
Fish, Walter E 485
Fisher, Alatthias 719
Frakes, William H, ,,1168
FisherAIrs,Annie(0,E) 957
Fisher, Chas, L 957
Farmer, James W, . . 948
958
950
Gardner, Chas, C
. 631
632
Gordon, C W
728
731
Gordon, W. T
724
726
Greenwood, P, F, .
788
789
Garges, A. H
648
6.50
Givens, Chas, C
. 700
Grisham, Hezekiah. , .
. 909
910
Gehrke, Cari
. 643
644
Gibbs, DeWitt C
819
820
Grassle, Ferd J
. 587
590
Gras,sle, Albert F
. 589
590
Gluck, Herbert
. 651
654
Gashwiler, Dr. J. S,.
. 634
635
Gregg, Lewis
. 499
Gordon, Airs, Mary..
. 657
656
Goodwin, James E. .
, 724
727-899
Geist, Albert R
. 491
Gehrke, August
. 631
633
Garlock, Jacob
, 540
643
Gri.swold, Levi
. 540
542
Griflin, Thomas W, .
. 533
532
(Mrs. Amanda.)
Guts
Sketches
Cuts
Geohegan, WiUiam M. 774
776
1051
GuUe, James C 708
710
725
Gothard, John 657
658
584
Goldberg, Prof, E, M. 711
715
758
Goben, Dr. G. A 771
772
Gilliland, F. M 823
825
694
Greenslate, Dr. G. D.1020
1021
655
Greenslate, SUas V.1020
649
Garlock, Henry G 945
884
Gibbs, Frank W 685
687-88
710
Gibbs, Alonzo 685
689
710
Gibbs, Lonnie F 685
686
602
Green, W. E
778
608-787
GoldenRuleSch .House
920
608
Hall, B,F,(Mrs,E.A.) 518
519
620
Henley, H. M 1157
868
HaUaday, W. S 1153
1152
484484
Hayden, D. Frank ... 1142
1143
Houghton, James R. 529
528
484
Hurworth, Geo 657
658
722
Hamilton, Chas. A. 623
Heaberlin, Geo. B....1016
Hickman, C. F 513
Hartsock,. John N. . . . 535
Holmes, Edward P. . , 526
Heward, George 1126
Hamilton, Dr, R. E. 808
Howley, Michael . . . 1018
Hanks, Dr. James.... 511
Hughes, Chas. W 1083
Hatcher, J. W 554
HaU, Chas. L 979
Hickman, Thomas J, 945
Higbee, Edward , . , 930
Henderson, C L 769
Houston, George 870
Hall, H, T 578
Hodge, Larke 646
HUt, Harvey S 690
Holmes, George L, . . . 905
Hanks, Warner . . 732
Hoerrmann Jacob , , , . 804
Houston, E. E 935
Humphrey, R, G. . 575
Hoerrmann, Adam 804
Herman, Adam 799
Hamling Nicholas ... .1087
Hickman, Judge J. S.1034
537528
1129 811
1085 555983 947931872 579647 692908 737806939805 801
1088 1036
Sketches
Hariess, Grant 741
Huston, Daniel H, , . 664
Haller, Francis 516
Haller, Samuel P, . 516
Hutchins, Ed. J 1016
Hughes, Lewis 1013
Hughes, Clarence M, 681
Hopson, Judge A. P,.. 614-613-
Hibbard, James B, . , . 1020
Hibbard, Samuel .... 693
Hart, Judge R. W, 945
Hulse, Thomas A, . 504
Howell, V, J 668
Horton, J, W 526
HoUenbeck, Chas, F, 507
Halladay, Albert E, 526
Howard, Chas. C 808
Henry, B, F 668
Holton, John H 524
Hediger, John H 634
Hamilton, Dr. Warren 728
Hulse, Alfred 520
Herren, Albert 1092
Harmon, Chas 851
Howey, John R 765
Hopson, Jesse B 540
Hess, J, Irving 848
Hall, Dr, Walter S, 851
Humphrey, I, H. 1018
Harrington, F. M .1090
Heiny, B, F 1106
Imber, Ephriam W. , 1062
Jones, WiUiam D. . . 813
.Tones, D 587
Johnson, Col, W.H.... 575
.Tohnson, Lemuel . 816
Jones, Rev, Ben F, 587
Judd, V, A 819
Jones, William H. . . 673
Jones, E. 0 605
Johnson, John H 928
James, Calvin C 816
Journal Printing Co, 1004
Kennedy, J, M 690
Kiddoo, William . .1000
Kimberiy, John W, , 823
Kibler, Dr. J. M 1066
Kirk, P. D 707
76
Index. 1185
Cuts Sketches Cuts
742 Kirk, John R 222 221-779
667 Kephari, J, B 1118
288 Kloos, Fred 0 774 777
517 Keller, Judge U. S, G. 827 826-28-29
Kinnear, James H, . . . 834
Kirksville MU, Band. 774 775
682 Kinloch Farm 1075-78-79-80-81
-879-785 Koehl, A, J 1163 1164
Ledford, Geo, P 1148
Ledford, John V, .1135 1134
946-953 Ledford, Jacob 1135
Lehr, George V 1121 U 22
^™ Latham, A. H 589 .591
^^'^ Laughlin, Dr, Geo. AI.1075 1076-1077
Lindsey, .fudge H . S, . 893 894
^^'^ Lorton, Layfette 565 566
^°^ Lowrance, F. Grove... 719 720
^^^ Ludden, William 922
Ludden, Joseph M. . . 922 924 925
Ludden, T. M 518 923
730-903 Lintner, B. A 511 512
^^^ Locklin, Robert 854 855
'^^^ Lowery, T. C 520 522
*^^^ Lowe, Obediah 849 850
^^^ Loveland, Martin E, 698
Lininger, Edward J, 893 889
837-848 Lloyd, Samuel R 698
Lee, Ralph E 940 942
Lorton, George 849 837
^°^^ Lewis, C L 1153
^^°'' Lutz, Frank 1072 1074
1065 Lloyd, James T 1110 1111
Link, F, L 1004 280-1005
^^^ Link, Chas, F 1004 1008
^^^ Leon, Mrs, Minnie , . . 1012
^'^^ Lane, Noah C 1112
S17 ;^' Motter, Noah 433 1093
A: Muir, Dr, Jere T 1163
^^, Morelock, E, M, C . . 433 1125
I'l MUlan, Henry F 623 626
fj"p Alorrow, Forest L. ,605 603-04
MUler, Sanford J. . 857-8-9 1138-41
innfi-n7 Murphy, W. S 601 603
lUUb u/ Milstead, Robert L. 575 577
691-1099 McCuUough, F. H. , . . "578
1002 Myers, John A 1100
824 Morelock, Jacob E..1124 1125-37
1069 Morelock, Enoch B,1124 1125
706 Miller, Otis 513 515
1186
The History of Adair County.
Sketches
McClanahan, C B. 678
Murfin, Joseph W, . . 540
Malone, T. E 507
Alusson, William T, 640
Marble, L, W 518
Murrell, Chas, B,
Miller, Horace L,
Moore, F. R
Merideth, Hugh
Moody, Lewis F.
Morrow, A, T
627
. 681
. 496
. 556
. 496
.1100
(Mrs, Annie)
Moyer, S, E 1096
Miller, Thomas 507
Miller, Peter L 996
McCahn, Harry C 732
AIcDanield, Mrs.E.A, 491
Alartin, Dr, W, W. , , 673
AlcClanahan, Robert 917
Markey, Judge C E, 491
Alagers, Joseph G. . . . 513
Mills, John C 565
Motter, WiUiam H, 791
Miller, Alarion C 535
Miller, Raphael M. . .1058
McKeehan, Samuel R, 962
McReynolds, Joseph 1100
McClelland, Allen G. 499
McPhetridge, WUliam 827
M.yers, Mrs. R. A. . . 913
,-AIiUer, J, V
May, Wash 681
Alauck, John 1132
McCall, John M, .. 738
Munn, Dr, W, E 784
McClay, Franklin .1042
Morgan John J. , . . 816
McCoy, George W. . 690
Minter, R 646
Miller, John D 1011
M. W, A, Lodge.. ..
AlcClay, D, F 432
Motter, Joseph C . . 1 146
Novinger, Isaac 435
Novinger, Jacob B..,1046
Novinger, Daniel D.1022
Novinger, James H, , 987
Novinger, James 1062
Novinger, LA 719
Novinger, Joseph E, 524
Cuts 580 541506
629 1041 684
497 639
557 558
497 969
1097 508
998
733-4-5 490 672921490 514
793
536 1120
1059
963-64 1101 500
830916
908-12 683
1133 740786
1044-45 818686
70S
1043
1093 1147
1093
1047-93-94 1023-95
988-1064 1063-64 723988
Sketches Cuts
Novinger, Samuel A, 695 696-989-90
Newton, Samuel ....
. 535
538
Newton, Judge G, W
'. 979
982
Nunn, Dr, J, C
.1150
Neely, Everett E, , . .
. 707
Niece, WiUiam F, . . .
. 823
822
Norfolk, John T
. 940
943
Newcomb, Leonard . .
. 967
970
Otto, Walter B
.1058
1061
Otto, D, P
. 843
845
Otto, W, H
. 843
845
Ownbey, Benjamin F
', 761
369 763
Ownbey, Canada ....
. 765
764
Orcutt, C S
928
929
Patterson, JaneE, .
. 965
966
Phipps, Richard T. .
.1034
1035
Pickler, Samuel M , .
, 511
510 1037
Pichens, David M.. .
,1142
Platz, M.W
. 813
Propst, Robert
, 857
860
•Propst, Amos
. 544
545
Propst, Homer V . .
. 636
Propst, John
. 529
531
Propst, Reuben W. .
.1102
1103
Pemberton, T. 0, . .
, 843
847
Paine, Tyler
. 504
505 904
Phillips, WUliam F, .
,1106
1108
Patterson, John
. 520
295 521
Pevehouse, F, A.
1096
Porter, Ross W
, 529
530
Price, Ellsworth E. .
, 664
665 666
Parish, Frank T
.1009
1010
Porter, Judge John L
, 561
564 1082
Patterson, M. M
.1011
Prosser, G. A
. 948
949
Parrish, Dr, Bert B,
, 524
525
Parrish, Dr. A. W, . ,
. 967,
968
Pure Air Draft
Horse Co. .
934
Ouinn, William 1148
Quinn, Dr, E, S 979
Reynolds, Alfred . . .1132
Risdon, Audrey D...,1053
Risdon, Amandus D, 659
Roseberry, J, F .... 659
Rainer, Jobe 769
.Rainer, George L. 875
Riley, James W 1102
980-81 1133
1055 661
663770860
Index.
1187
Sketches
Rice, Thomas S 1011
Ross, H, B S51
Riley, John R 640
Reed, W. W. . . 880
Rainwater, John AI. .1018
Roberts, Benjamin . . . 605
Ricord, Recce .Y 767
Ratliff, John T 636
Reed, Judge S. J 827
Ridgway, G, W 487
Rathff, Forest H 619
Rice, Eugene 756
Rieger, P, J 7S4
Rieger, James E 535
Reed, Edwin 962
Reynolds, John T, . . . 592
RusseU, Frank W.. .. 909
Riley, J. B 767
Ross, William A 1024
Reesman, B. F 993
Ross, F. F. . . . 659
Rorabaugh, Ed 714
Rouner, A. W 886
Reedal, George G 893
Reynolds, WiUiam S. S65
Rankin, Dr. H. J. . . . 659
Rinehart, Edwin S..1009
Rice, Columbus F. . . .1022
Reed, James H 1115
Rombaurer, ALT....
Smelser, Charles A . .1144
Shelton, .ludge N. AI. . 11.54
Sublette, D.W 1159
Sublette, Peter J 1159
Sloan, Erbin E 1110
Samuels, Robert H. .1106
Seat, George S 1166
Stukey, Joseph N.. . . 781
Sands, Judge Jacob . . 971
Shoop, S. F 1087
Slauson, Reuben A. . . 965
Stephens, Clarence J, 774
Shirley, Willi.am E. . .1150
Smith, Rev. ,Iohn H,1168
Saddler, John 738
Smith, George Wall. 905
Smith, .Albert 840
Schoene, L, E 1042
Scofield, Abel 664
SchiUie, Lewis 1030
Cuts 1010 850 641885
1019 606 637
785 1071 486
7S5 1105 539
963 964 593911 768
994662
717 927
883 892
S67 660
1010
1156
1160-61 1160-61 1108 7S2
1057
1089 1120
966 1137
1167 739
910
839
1043 687
1033
Sketches Cuts
Spencer, CI 940
StiU, Dr, Harry AI...1016 1017
Smith, D.aniel 875 876
Sees, James 1083 1086
Sohn, George H S05 869
Sanborn, .A 0 987
Stroup, Frank A 570 571
Shryack, AI. C 700 701
Scott, Jacob W 965
Shively, C H, 922 926
Sipple, L, B 1030 1032
Selby, H 698 699 1056
Smoot, John D 732
Sherman, Henry 984 985
Shoop, Raymond .... 771
Shouse, Henry P, . . . 813 814
Shouse, Allen H. .. . 112ti 1130
Stewart, Reese S 788 790
Smith, Orie J 677 678
Shoop, W. \V 646 647
Shumaker, J, O ...1148
Shumate, Samuel F, 592 594 1070
Sandry, W.J 886 888
Sandry, W. J., Sr. . . . 886
Snyder, Col. John ^^¦. 795 796
Sibole, Jasper L 819 794
Sibole, Jasper N 791 794
Sanders, Joseph J 808 810
Spencer, Thomas J. . 851 853
Steele, William H. . . . 870 871
Sanders, Thomas J.. 795 797
Shillig, Frank 1126 11 28
Sneed, Gilbert 1135
Story, A. L 714 716
Stahl, Judge S. F 954 9.55-56 1155
Smith, Jefferson 890 SS9
Sefrit, James H 567 569
Swain, E, E 487 4S6
Sees, David 965
Sparhng, J. X S9S 900 901
Sublette, T. E . .".. . 627 284
Shockey, J. A 673 676
Sparling, Dr. G. A. 554 555
Steiner^ Chas. F 619 622 647
Shoop, Judge Jacob II. 831 833 785
Spears, 0,P 1053 1054
Spears, A. C 1053 1054
Scobee, Robert G, . . 572 573
Sykes, Alelvin B, ... 767
Sands, Chas. S 561 562 563
1188
The History of Adair County.
Sketches
Stephenson, Dr. W. T. 567
Stephenson, B. H. . . , 880
Spencer, Walter E. . , . 677
StiU, Dr. Chas. E 1013
Still, Dr. A. T
Stahl School House. .
Shibleys Point Sch.H.
StiU, Dr. Geo. A 1050
Shoop, George
Tinsman, John W. . . 761
Tudor, A. C 567
True, J. M 623
Threlkeld, James AI.1146
Turner, William P. , . 570
Thrasher, John W. . . 554
Thompson, James J, 595
Thompson, Joseph M. 598
Thompson, Chas. D..,, 744
Thompson, C D 1165
Tuttie, George 1030
Tolman, Mr. and Mrs. 1115
Vawter, Col 634
Vawter, W,S 1112
Virden, Benjamin R. 932
Vaughn, Samuel A. . . 595
Vandiver, L. W 728
Vanlaningham, D. T.1165
Vanlaningham, G. W,1022
Vanlaningham, Thos.U21
Williams, George F. 854
Waddill, James E. . . . 581
Walters, WiUi.am . .. .1162
WiUiams, Geo. W. . . . 799
Williams, James M. . 913
Wells, James J 614
Waddill, James W. . . . 640
WaddUl, L. M 619
Woods, Chester 791
Woods, C T 865
Wilson, J. W 861
WaddiU, John W 627
Watson, Geo. W 595
Watkins, Benj. R. . . . 861
WaddiU, Ray C . , . 695
WaddiU, WUliam. ...1166
Wharton, David J, . . 909
WaddiU, John A .544
Weber, Michael . ... 572
Wren, Miss Rilla . .. .1092
Wilson, John S 1166
WUson, Thomas S. 546
Outs 568
881-82-83 679
1015
1014 974 848
1052
1064 762
624 569553597599747
1031
1116-17 633
1113-14 931 596
729
1122 856
800 915
61,5-16 621
792866
864 630596
862
Cuts 938
713671576
862759
547560
1104 559
552-53
912574530547
Sketches
Wellborn, James A. , , 935
Wilson, Herbert T, , ,1150
WUlis, Luther M 711
WiUcox, Dr, C M, C 668
White, N, L 572
Wellman, James .,',,. 861
Wilkins, Albert M.,,. 756
Walker, Thomas J. . . 546
Workman, B. F 556
Wallace, John H 1102
Walters, Edward F. , 556
Wallace, Samuel , , , , 813
(Mrs, JuUa) . ,
WaddiU, Jacob F, . . , 549
Welch, Margaret C ,1110
Walker, Daniel M,.,, 546
Walters, Henry L 1162
Wallace, Henry 917
Walters, Lewis 677
Walters, George W, , 993
WUson, Prof. J. D....1158
Winslow, W. C R,,,, 861
Weatherby, Glenn C 601
WaUace, WiUiam 913
Weber, Philip 799
Weaver, Samuel W, , 960
Weaver, Joseph C . . , 960
WUlis George W 11,35
Wellman, N, B 1166
WaddiU, Emery D, . , 917
WaddUl, John T ,549 550-51 1131
Worman, Henry C... 1027 1028 1029
Willey, Samuel T. . . . 544
Willcox, Ehjah 744
Woodmen Drill Teaml024
Wilsontown Baptist Church
Wimber, Elisha
Weaver, John C 1154
Wright, C H 1154 11.55
Yowell, Jesse 0 991
Young, WiUiam 748 749
Young, John C 708 709
Young, Chas. G 703 340
Yowell, James 1 932 934
Yowell, Henry L 1087
Young, George 1096 1097
Young James 1151
Young, WiUiam H. . , 769 770
Zeigler, Chas. E 585
Zentz, Sylvester 618 617
Zentz, A, R 831 832
548920680
863602916
802-3 961961
1136 919
745
1025 944
1064
^r^
1 ir'
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V* '>i«MhtffT*iTr>WtfA^r,4!Aii
:4^l
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*¦> I T J'rt |>
¦ "n i,tt f-iri* ' • »-