A history of northeast Missouri, Vol. 2 pt 2, Part 28

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864- , ed
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 912

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GEORGE LAMME. Many of the progressive agriculturists of Pike county are devoting their attention to the breeding of stock, finding that by using modern progressive methods they can utilize to the full- est extent the peculiar properties of the soil of this section which develop some of the finest pasture land in the state. Lying one mile west of Curryville, in Pike county, is the handsome farm belonging to George Lamme, a tract of 560 acres, of which 240 acres are devoted to blue grass pasture for the breeding of high-grade Hereford cattle. Mr. Lamme, who is recognized as one of the best judges of stock in the county, has been engaged in agricultural pursuits all of his life, and although he has lived on his present property only three years, has become well known for his progressive methods. He was born in Tazewell county, Illinois, March 27, 1858.

Educated in the district schools of his native vicinity, and reared to the life of a farmer, Mr. Lamme remained under the parental roof until his marriage, in 1882, to Nora B. McJilton, who was twenty-two years of age, and a native of Clarke county, Ohio, from whence she removed with her parents to Illinois at the age of fifteen years. Imme- diately after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Lamme removed to Marion county, Kansas, and settled on an improved farm. There they con- tinued to reside until 1895, in that year removing to Audrain county, Missouri, where they located on the Signor farm, three miles southeast of Vandalia, Mr. Lamme having disposed of his Kansas property. He later added to his holdings and eventually accumulated three farms, all of which he traded, in 1909, for his present farm, located one mile west of Curryville and seven miles northeast of Vandalia, the John Watt Caldwell farm of 560 acres. He now feeds from sixty to eighty head of cattle, depending on buying young stock, and has about 300 acres under cultivation, 240 acres being devoted to blue grass pasture, and 200 acres being in corn, although Mr. Lamme generally feeds more grain than he raises. In addition, he devotes some attention to the breeding of mules and Percheron horses. This farm is readily conceded to be one of the best in Pike county. Its residence stands one-quarter of a mile back from the wagon road, with a view of the Chicago & Alton Rail- road, and in the midst of a finely graded stretch of country. An abundance of water is supplied by a well 250 feet deep, the water being pumped by a gas engine into cement tanks. The original brick resi- dence was erected some thirty years ago, of brick manufactured on the premises, by John Watt Caldwell, but numerous improvements have been made, and the home can boast of modern conveniences of every kind. Mr. Lamme is a first-class citizen, and is possessed of many

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warm friends. Respecting the opinions and rights of others, he is also at all times ready to lend a helping hand to those troubled by sickness or affliction, and his charities are many. Although he has never cared for public office, he has always been interested in the cause of educa- tion, and is at present serving efficiently as a member of the school board of directors of Curryville district.

Mr. and Mrs. Lamme have had the following children: Ethel, the wife of Fred H. Naysmith; Harry, who died January 30, 1910, at the age of twenty-six years, single; Bessie, who married Thomas J. Geiler ; Delbert, who resides at Texahoma, Oklahoma; and Ray, Leota, Clif- ford, Ernest, Hazel, Pearl, Willis and Freda, all at home with their parents.

LAWRENCE DERBY BASS. In the year 1818, two years before the organization of Boone county and only a few years after the original colonies had located in this vicinity, the Bass family was founded in Boone county. The above named representative is the fourth genera- tion of the family in this part of the state, and for nearly a century the name has been honored for its sterling citizenship and its prominent associations with business and the substantial activities of the com- munity.

Great-grandfather Lawrence Bass and his brother Peter were the founders of the family fortunes in this vicinity in 1818. Peter located about two and a half miles south of the homestead now occupied by Mr. L. Derby Bass, while the settlement of Lawrence was a inile and a half east of his brother's. As pioneers they got their land from the government, and both being men of great energy they established extensive plantations and in time acquired many broad acres in this part of the state. Throughout its residence here the Bass family have been known as big farmers, with large interests in lands and their prod- ucts, and in ante-bellum days they kept many slaves, who always enjoyed the kindest of treatment and care. Lawrence Bass married Nancy Patton, and they reared a family of ten children. Eli, a son of Peter, was a miller, and the old Bass mill, as it was known, was one of the important institutions of its day. When the university was established at Columbia, Lawrence Bass assisted in the platting of the campus, and in this as in many other ways was a citizen of great public spirit.

George Bass, the grandfather, was one of the ten children of Law- rence and Nancy. He died at his home four miles south of Fayett in 1863 at the age of sixty, so that he was about fifteen years old when the family came to Misouri. After reaching maturity he moved over into Howard county, which was his home for about thirty years, and he was one of the wealthy planters and slave owners of that county. He married Susan Wiseman of ,Boone county, and their children were: Lawrence, Edward, James, Thomas Andrew, Alonzo, John, Augustus, William, Sallie and Mary.

Lawrence Bass, father of L. Derby Bass, was born on his father's farm near Ashland, January 22, 1830, being the only one of his father's children born in Boone county, the family moving to Howard county when he was four years old. His birthplace was on the old James Wiseman farm five miles northwest of Ashland. His death occurred on his homestead on the Ashland pike on the 20th of January, 1902. The late Lawrence Bass had a career of varied interest. He lived in a period of stimulating activities, and he possessed the energy and initi- ative to participate to the fullest extent in the progressive undertak- ings of the time. When he was twenty years old he went out to Cali- fornia, soon after the first rush to the golden coast, and for twenty-

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five years was immersed in the stirring scenes of the west in the states of California and Nevada. He made money in freighting, mining and trading, and at one time he loaned Jolm W. Mackay (father of Clar- ence) ten thousand dollars with which to buy the Bonanza mine, from which Mackay took enough wealth to enable him to construct the Pacific cable. During his career of success Mackay always recognized his in- debtedness to Lawrence Bass in giving him his start. After his return from the west and during his residence in old Boone, Lawrence Bass was identified in many ways with the business and civic affairs of this community. In 1886 he established the bank of Bass & Johnston, at first with a capital of ten thousand, which was afterwards raised to twenty thousand. For more than a quarter century he was interested in merchandising at Ashland, being head of the firm of Bass, Johnston & Company. He was a member of Salem church, and was known for many acts of philanthropy and public-spirited citizenship. Before start- ing for California he had learned the saddlery business, but he was drawn into more absorbing pursuits, and for half a century was in the midst of large enterprises and affairs. He married on the 17th of November, 1870, Miss Sallie Ellis, a daughter of Abram E. Ellis, and she was the mother of the immediate subject of this article.

Lawrence Derby Bass was born on the 20th of September, 1879, at his present homestead out the Ashland pike. After attending the coun- try schools he spent four years in the Kemper Military Academy of Boonville and in 1900 was graduated from Blees Academy, after which he took a business course. He had just finished his schooling when his father died, and the son then took charge of the home farm, and for the past ten years has been one of the leading farmers and stock grow- ers of this section of Missouri. He has seven hundred and sixty acres in the state, having added one hundred and sixty acres since he came into possession, making one of the finest farms in the county. He goes in for sheep and cattle raising as a specialty. One of the features of the homestead which make it one of the show places of Boone county is a deer park of twenty acres, containing twenty-five deer and elk, this being the only preserve of the kind in this county. All the modern im- provements of this fine estate have been added under the management of Mr. Bass. Besides his farm Mr. Bass has other varied interests in business. He is vice-president of the Bass-Johnston Banking Associa- tion of Ashland, and has stock in banks in Oklahoma, Kansas City and elsewhere. Politically he is a Democrat, and his only fraternal asso- ciation is with the Elks.

L. Derby Bass was married June 22, 1904, to Miss Ella Read, who was born in 1884 and is a daughter of John Read of Colorado.

HON. JAMES EDWARD SIMS. One of the oldest and most highly hon- . ored families of Audrain county, Missouri, is that bearing the name of Sims, members of which since pioneer days have risen to positions of honor and trust within the gift of the people, and have discharged the duties and responsibilities of their high offices to the entire satisfaction of their fellow men and to the honor of the family name. A worthy representa- tive of this old family is found in the person of the Hon. James Edward Sims, of Thompson, Missouri, ex-judge of the Audrain county court. as- a member of which he sustained the dignity of the bench and displayed a comprehensive appreciation of the responsibilities placed in his hands. Mr. Sims is but another of northeastern Missouri's public men who are products of the farm, for the greater part of his life has been spent on his handsome property in Audrain county, where he was born November 14,

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1849, a son of Garland M. and Elizabeth (Turner) Sims, the former of Kentucky and the latter of Virginia.

Elias Sims, the paternal grandfather of Judge Sims, came to Mis- souri some time between the years 1810 and 1820, and settled near Mil- lersburg, Callaway county, although his home was in Boone county, and there spent the remainder of his life. His children were: William M., a farmer and stock raiser of Audrain county, who died in Mexico; Gar- land M .; James M., who died near Mexico about 1890; Winifred, of Boone county, who married Jacob Mosly ; Louisa married Mr. Maupin, of Howard county ; Minerva, who married Dr. Ed Rackliff, all of whom are dead; Robert P., now living in Kansas City, Missouri ; and Sallie, who left for California in 1865. Elizabeth Turner was the daughter of Thomas Turner, of Virginia, and was married to Garland M. Sims in Boone county, following which they settled on the present farm of Judge Sims, during the early forties. Mr. Sims entered a large tract of land on the south fork of the Salt river, twelve miles southwest of Mexico, on the old Columbia and Mexico road, paying $1.25 per acre, and accumulating about 800 acres, of which about 600 are still in the family name. When he first came to this vicinity Jackson Turner, his wife's brother, and his sister, were living near by, and some distance away were the homes of the Hornadays, the McMillans, the Clendenins and Judge James Jackson, one of the first judges of the county court, as well as that of Perry Cox, a prominent old settler. At that time deer, turkeys and wolves were to be found in abundance, and the family larder was kept well filled by the unerring aim of Mr. Sims, who in his day was a great hunter. The land was broken in pioneer style with three yoke of oxen, and Mr. Sims himself made the rails with which to fence his land. He was first a stalwart Whig and later a Democrat, and assisted in the organization and erection of the Christian and Baptist churches at Salt River, where he was buried. His death occurred September 13, 1888, when he was sixty-eight years of age, while his wife passed away Decem- ber 28, 1878, and during the ten years that intervened before his own death, he made his home with his children. In addition to cultivating his broad acres and engaging extensively in corn growing, he also grazed great herds of cattle in the open prairie and bred hundreds of mules and horses. He was widely known, both for his abilities and his sterling characteristics, and no man had more friends in his community. He and his wife had seven children, as follows: Catherine, deceased, who married Sam Wright; Minerva, the wife of G. M. Wright, living in the vicinity of the homestead farm; James Edward; Winnifred, who died young; Sallie, who married J. C. Hitt, of Longmont, California; and Willie and Laura, both of whom died young.

The entire life of James Edward Sims has been spent on the parental farm where he was born. Some years prior to his father's death he began to superintend the property, and eventually purchased a piece thereof from his father, to which he added from time to time as the years passed by, finally accumulating 592 acres, all a part of the old home place. There he erected new and modern buildings to replace those that had been built many years before, and engaged in general farm- ing, which he has continued to the present time with much success, although he now owns but 352 acres of land, the remainder having been given to his children. In former years he fed as many as 100 to 125 head of Shorthorn cattle, but during late years has had smaller herds, and breeds from thoroughbred males, in addition to raising some hogs and sheep.

A stalwart and active Democrat in his political views, Judge Sims served his township as justice of the peace for twelve years, with such

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general satisfaction that in 1898 he was elected presiding judge of the county court for a term of four years, an office which he held for eight years. There was no opposition at his re-election, and at the primaries led his party over others who also had no opposition, his eminently satisfactory services being thus endorsed. During his term on the bench, Judge Sims' main associates were Judges Guy McCune of the eastern district, Henry Spurling of the western district, and later Judge Heaton of the eastern district and Judges J. A. Lewis and Baker Barnes of the western district. During his term of office the steam heating plant was installed in the court house, a greatly needed reform. For two terms Judge Sims served as chairman of the Democratic county central committee, and he subsequently became delegate to the state convention and the Pertle Springs convention. In the work of his party he has always been active and influential, and he has often been urged to make the race for the state legislature, but has preferred the quiet of the farm to the struggling field of politics.

In 1872 Judge Sims was united in marriage with Miss Belle Ridge- way, daughter of Z. J. and Margaret R. (Harrison) Ridgeway, the latter the daughter of the first county judge of Audrain county, Judge James Harrison. James Harrison was born near Richmond, Virginia, and died in October, 1877, at the age of eighty years, at his old home in Audrain county, near Concord, Boone county, where he had settled in 1831. He was married in Boone county to Rebecca Crockett, who had come to Missouri with her father, Samuel Crockett, a member of the old Crockett family of Tennessee, and she died some five years before her husband. Of their ten children, three daughters and two sons are living in 1912, namely : John, of California; William, living in Kansas; Margaret R., widow of Z. T. Ridgeway, who still survives at the age of ninety years and makes her home with her son-in-law, Judge J. E. Sims; Nancy, the widow of James Smith; and Lucy, the wife of William R. Dunley. The children who passed away were: Samuel, who died at the age of forty years, unmarried; Thomas Jefferson, who lived for some years near Thompson; Mary, who was the wife of Richard Phil- lips; Virginia, who married a Mr. Patterson; and Sarah and Jane, who died young. Mrs. Sims was born in Audrain county, in 1849. Her mother, Mrs. Ridgeway, is one of the oldest native-born Missourians.

Judge and Mrs. Sims have had the following children, each one of. whom owns a portion of the old homestead: Egbert Jackson; William Hardin; Bessie, the wife of W. Hardin Rixey, of Mexico; James Harri- son, living on the old Ridgeway homestead; and Elva R. and Grover Clark, at home.

HOWARD ELLIS is one of the busiest men in New Florence, where he has made his home all his life, and where he is now identified with some of the most significant industries and enterprises of the town. News- paper work has claimed his attention since he was graduated from St. Charles College in 1887, and he has been connected with various pub- lications since that time. He has been editor and proprietor of the Montgomery County Leader since 1889, and since July, 1910, has been acting assistant cashier of the New Florence Bank, which claims a part of his time and attention, the remainder being given to his newspaper and other business interests.

Born in New Florence, Missouri, on June 9, 1868, Mr. Ellis is the son of Pendleton Price and Elizabeth Elvira (Viers) Ellis. The father was born in Greene county, Indiana, on November 11, 1829, and died on December 14, 1901. He spent his boyhood at Brunswick, Missouri, and as a man was especially prominent in church affairs and in secret

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societies. He joined the Methodist church when he was twelve years of age and was identified with the activities of that body all his life there- after. His wife was born on May 5, 1841, and when she was three years of age her mother died. Her early life was thus spent in Mont- gomery county, Maryland, under the care of her maternal uncles, the Dyson family, prominent people and early settlers of that district.

The public schools of New Florence gave to Howard Ellis his early education, after which he entered St. Charles College, from which insti- tution he was graduated in June, 1887. In March of 1888, Mr. Ellis, together with C. A. Davault, founded the Montgomery County Leader, scon after which he bought out the Davault interests and became the sole proprietor of the paper, continuing to bear that relation to the publication since then, as well as being editor of the same. Mr. Ellis was interested in and assisted in the founding of the Rhineland Sun- beam, the Bellflower Telegram and the Martineburg Sunbeam. He has been president of the Montgomery County Press Association, and has twiee been president of the Northeast Missouri Press Association, in 1900 and 1901. He was president of the Missouri State Press Asso- ciation in 1903, at which time every assignment on the program was filled, and the association had the largest attendance it had known for many years. In July, 1910, Mr. Ellis became assistant. cashier of the New Florence Bank, of which he was a director for many years pre- vious, and since his election to that position he has been dividing his attention between his duties as assistant cashier and those of editor and publisher of the Leader. He has proven himself a capable and suc- cessful newspaper man and has given to New Florence these many years past a satisfying and newsy publication, while his service with the New Florence Bank has demonstrated his ability along other lines as · well.

Mr. Ellis is a Democrat, but his busy life precludes the possibility of service in the party ranks, or as an office holder, although he has on frequent occasions served as a member of political committees, and was presidential elector of the ninth Missouri district in 1908, and secretary of the county central committee in 1912. He is a southern Methodist, and a trustee of the church. He is a teacher of the largest adult Bible class in Montgomery county, and was president of the Mont- gomery County Sunday School Association for five consecutive years, serving most efficiently in that office. He has also been a delegate to various district and annual conferences, and has in many ways taken an active part in the activities of his church .. Mr. Ellis is a Mason and has held every office in the local lodge. He is now secretary of the Missouri Old Trails Road Association, and was the first secretary of the National Old Trails Road Association, in Kansas City, Missouri, in 1912.

On November 10, 1892, Mr. Ellis was united in marriage with Miss Mary C. Knox of New Florence, Missouri, and they have two children, -Fannie Geneva Ellis, born April 22, 1899, and Pendleton Price Ellis, born June 1, 1910, and named in honor of his paternal grandfather.

The accomplishments of Mr. Ellis are the more praiseworthy when it is known that,-to quote his own significant and concise statement of the case,-he secured his college education upon his promise to pay later. When he entered upon his business career he was endowed with a eash capital of $20, but he was reinforced in the way of assets by the posses- sion of a splendid fund of ambition and high hopes for a successful future. He is now the owner of a comfortable home, other real estate and business interests which afford him an ample income, and he has gained and retained the highest regard and esteem of all who know him

ALFRED BESGROVE AND FAMILY.

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in any of the manifold relations of life. It will be readily acknowledged that these are accomplishments well worthy of the man.

HON. ROBERT D. RODGERS, ex-judge of the circuit court, and one of Mexico's leading legal luminaries, was born on a farm seven miles south- east of Mexico, Missouri, March 26, 1863, and is a son of Andrew J. and Jane M. (Dunlap) Rodgers. His grandfather, Capt. Charles B. Rodgers, was captain of a company from Callaway county during the Mexican war, following the close of which he returned to his farm near Fulton, Missouri, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was married August 10, 1823, to Althea W. Overfelt. Andrew J. Rodgers was born November 18, 1828, in Virginia, and as a lad was brought by his parents to Callaway county, Missouri, where he was married to Jane M. Dunlap, a native of that county, and daughter of David Dunlap, a farmer who came from Virginia. Andrew J. Rodgers came to Audrain county during the early 'fifties, and the rest of his life was spent here, his active career being spent in livestock trading southeast of Mexico, and his death occurring January 7, 1898, when he was seventy years of age, in Mexico, where he was living in retirement. He never sought public preferment, but devoted his whole attention to his business interests, and was known as one of his community's substantial citizens. His five brothers served during the Civil war as soldiers in the Confed- erate army. His wife died at Galesburg, Illinois, March 11, 1907, when seventy-six years of age, in the faith of the Christian church, having been the mother of fourteen children, ten of whom reached maturity, and nine of whom are now living.

Robert D. Rodgers received his early education in the country schools of Audrain county, following which, after careful preparation, he en- tered the law department of the University of Missouri, and was grad- uated therefrom in June, 1892. He has been in practice in Mexico to the present time and has attained an enviable reputation in his profes- sion. In 1894 he was made police judge of Mexico, and after two years spent in that office became prosecuting attorney, the duties of which po- sition he capably discharged for two terms of two years each. In 1903, at the time of the death of Judge E. M. Hughes, of the circuit court, Mr. Rodgers was appointed by Governor Dockery to fill the vacancy, but soon thereafter resigned from office, formed a partnership and entered upon the practice of his profession with Judge Fry, the firm style being Fry & Rodgers. Mr. Rodgers has taken an earnest and active part in various matters which have affected his community, and has ever been recognized as standing for progressiveness, morality and good citizenship. A stanch friend of the cause of education, he has served as a member of the school board, and his career has always been one of unblemished character. He was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for state senator from the eleventh senatorial district, composed of Audrain, Lincoln and Pike counties, was nominated at the August primary, 1912, without opposition and elected in the fall election for a term of four years. An extended residence in Mexico has given him a wide acquaint- ance, and he stands high in public confidence, as he does in the esteem of his business associates and professional brethren.

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A history of northeast Missouri, Vol. 2 pt 2, Part 28

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864- , ed Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing company Number of Pages: 912

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864- , ed
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis publishing company
Number of Pages: 912