USA > Missouri > A history of northeast Missouri, Vol. 2 pt 2 > Part 45
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JOHN EDWARD MEGOWN is the cashier of the Ralls County Bank, and a member of a pioneer family of settlers in this county. He was born on a farm near New London, July 3, 1859, and came to mature years upon the home farm. His American ancestry began its history among the colonists of Pennsylvania just after the Revolutionary war, for it was in the year 1782 that Mr. Megown's great-great-grandfather, Samuel Megown, brought his family out from Ireland and established himself in western Pennsylvania. Samuel Megown was a brick-maker and to him is ascribed the credit for making the bricks and erecting the first brick building upon the site of Pittsburg, in which city he passed his life and reared his family.
His son, John Megown, and the great-grandfather of the subject, was born in County Down, Ireland, in 1778. He grew up and married in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, where he owned a saw mill and also was occupied in farming. His dual vocations he pursued with pleasing suc- cess, and his standing among the citizens of his county was sufficient to make him one of the first men of the district, in which he was ever prom- inent and popular. He married Sarah Addie, born in a block house at Steubenville, Ohio, in 1786, and she lies buried in Beaver county, Penn- sylvania, while her husband rests in one of the old cemeteries of Butler county where he was placed at death, July 30. 1826.
The issue of this patriarchal couple were Samuel, founder of the Ralls county branch of this extensive family; Elizabeth, who married a Mr. Phillips; who was killed in the Florida war; Sarah J. and Alexan- der, deceased ; Mary J. became Mrs. John Shepler, of Brighton, Penn- sylvania ; Hugh L. died in Missouri in 1836; Robert J. is deceased, and
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Ellen married Alexander Gray and passed her life in Pittsburg, Penn- sylvania.
It was not more than a natural sequence that John Megown should learn the brick-making and mason trade, and he followed it until late in life, but his declining years were spent as a farmer.
Samuel Megown, his son, and the grandfather of John Edward Megown of this review, was born in the city of Pittsburg, January 1, 1811, and in 1816 his parents took him to Butler county, Pennsylvania. He returned to Pittsburg in 1832 and entered upon his life work with such education as the popular schools of his day provided. He also learned brick-making, the trade of his father and grandfather before him, and made that his calling in life until after he came to Missouri. It was in 1836 that he migrated to the Missouri commonwealth and he made brick in Clay township for two years after his location in the state. He subsequently lived in Saline and Spencer townships and carried on his trade as long as the growing country made a demand for his brick. He finally abandoned the work and passed his declining years as a farmer. During the vigor of his life he was active in matters pertaining to the public weal. He was county assessor in 1862-3-4 and deputy assessor from 1865 to 1868 under Thomas C. Rice. In 1870 he was elected a county judge and filled that office one term in an acceptable manner. He served as justice of the peace for sixteen years, and in many ways bore his share of the burden of public and civic life. He was a Republi- can and a member of the Presbyterian church.
On April 22, 1832, he was married to Miss Julia McKready, born in Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, on September 5, 1815. She was a daughter of Stuart and Margaret (McCoy) McKready, of Scotch ances- try, whose children were Mrs. Megown, Henry, Margaret, who mar- ried William Johnson and died in Kentucky ; Agnes, the wife of Thomas Scott, formerly of St. Louis and now of Philadelphia, and George, a merchant of Beaver county, Pennsylvania.
Samuel and Julia Megown became the parents of fifteen children, ten of whom came to mature years, and they are described as follows: Judge John Megown, a conspicuous citizen of Ralls county for many years, and the father of the subject; George A., a retired farmer now of Monroe City, Missouri; Samuel, a miller of Monroe City, Missouri ; Robert K., a veterinary surgeon of Monroe City; Margaret J., deceased ; Sarah, who married William Couch, a Ralls county farmer; Agnes, deceased ; Julia, who married James K. Longwell, of Ralls county ; Jaines H. and Thomas S.
Judge John Megown was born in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, February 18, 1834. He learned the family trade, brickmaking, and followed it with farming until he was nineteen years old, when he found himself able, as the result of close study in his spare time, to teach school. He began teaching in Center township and followed the profession for three years. He had his eye on the profession of law, and with that in mind gave his attention, in such time as he could spare from his teaching duties, to the study of Blackstone, Parsons and other texts on law, and so well did he apply himself that he was admitted to the bar in March, 1857, when he was twenty-three years of age. Having achieved his ambition, Judge Megown began the practice of his profession in Frank- ford, Missouri, but after a year circumstances made it expedient that he return for a time to his teaching. He accordingly resumed that work in Ralls county and so continued until 1860 when he was appointed United States deputy marshal. He occupied an office in New London while engaged in his official duties, from which he separated soon after the election of Mr. Lincoln to the presidency. With the outbreak of the
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Rebellion he engaged in farming and in 1862 and 1863 he served as assessor of Ralls county. Near the close of the war he resumed law practice in New London and added the duties of assessor to his practice in 1866, when he was again elected to that office. Judge Megown's long official life began with his election to the office of probate judge in 1870, and he was twice thereafter reelected, his services covering a period of twelve years. He was elected county judge and served two years, and from the expiration of his probate term until his death in 1902 he gave his time and energies to the practice of law.
Judge Megown became interested in the historical events of his county from the time of his entry into the legal profession. He was a close observer of happenings and of the acts of public men and he began a systematic era of note-taking, which he continued during his long life. He wrote rather voluminously of the various powers owning Missouri from the time of its discovery, of the kingly and other authority that had been exercised over it before 1803, and of the various congressmen who have been elected since Ralls county was organized, with Ralls county as a part of the congressional district, and of the presidents of the United States from Washington down the line until the close of his life. A liberal criticism of this manuscript work would reveal sufficient live matter to make an octavo volume of several hundred pages, which should brighten the shelves of book-collectors throughout Ralls county.
On April 4, 1856, Judge Megown married in Ralls county Miss Mary E. Conn, a daughter of James W. and Lydia C. (Bird) Conn. The Conns were a Virginia family who migrated to Marion county, Missouri, where Mrs. Megown was born. The children of Judge and Mrs. Megown are James S., of New London ; John Edward, of this review; Katie, the wife of Howard Swigert, who died in 1902; Susie, who married R. H. Womack and resides in St. Louis; Miss Elizabeth, of New London; Preston W., a merchant of New London; Dr. Gay B., a veterinary surgeon of this city ; Miss Berilla, of St. Louis, Missouri; Jennie, the wife of R. E. May- hall of Biloxi, Mississippi; and Benton B., attorney at law, now circuit clerk of Ralls county.
While Judge Megown identified himself with no church he held views much in harmony with the Presbyterian faith, and his wife was a member of the Christian church.
The first active work of John Edward Megown after he finished his schooling in the University of Missouri, was as deputy under county clerk Biggs. In 1888 he was elected treasurer of Ralls county for a term of four years. He entered the office as the successor of Thomas M. Winn, and gave an excellent account of his stewardship to the county. He retired from the office to take up banking as cashier of the institution which he is now serving. For twenty years Mr. Megown has been the chief factor in the daily affairs of the bank, which is the oldest financial institution in the county, and one of the strong depositories, holding the confidence and respect of the public mind.
Having been trained to farm life in his youth, Mr. Megown has ever displayed a friendly interest toward that industry which underlies all business prosperity, and has kept himself close to the sphere in which he started life as the owner and manager of a fine farm. He has dis- carded politics as an active participant in local campaigns, but the prin- ciples of Democracy are ever dear to him as they were when he first learned of them from the lips of his ancestors.
On October 2, 1888, Mr. Megown was united in marriage with Miss Laura James, a daughter of John D. and Jennie A. (Rector) James, a member of a pioneer family of this section of the state, and one of the leading business men of the county.
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Mr. and Mrs. Megown have three children: May, the wife of Dr. George E. Watson, D. D. S., Vivian and Edward.
BEN ELY HULSE. The records of Northeastern Missouri show no more distinguished or conscientious service than that rendered by Ben Ely Hulse, for seventeen years a practitioner before the bar of Ralls county, during which time he has served with distinction in various positions of public trust and responsibility. At no time have his actions inspired anything but the highest esteem and respect, not only for his ability as a lawyer, but because of a genial and attractive personality and a high standard of manhood. Of a keen and analytical mind, Mr. Hulse is not merely a student of law, but a man of great culture and learning, one whose opinion on any subject is valuable. Ben Ely Hulse was born near Center, Missouri, September 18, 1868, and is a son of David C. Hulse and a grandson of James Hulse.
James Hulse was born in 1800, in Montgomery county, Kentucky,. and although he possessed only a fair knowledge of the common branchies of learning, was a man of good business sense. While his name was not on the church rolls, he was a Missionary Baptist in his religious belief, and was a bitter partisan Democrat, exhibiting much sympathy for the South during the Civil war. His family belonged to the pioneers of Kentucky, as his father, Richard Hulse, settled there during the terri- torial days of the Corncracker commonwealth. In 1834 he came to Ralls county, Missouri, establishing a home three miles northwest of Madison- ville, and the cabin he erected for his family is yet in use and was owned until recently by some of his descendants. He passed away there nearly sixty years later, and was laid to rest in the family graveyard by the side of his wife, who had been Susan Eads, a member of the family of Capt. J. B. Eads, who built the famous St. Louis bridge. James and Susan Hulse had the following children : Thomas D., of Ralls county ; David C .; Elizabeth, who married J. M. Newton, and resides in Ralls county ; Cath- erine, deceased, who was the wife of Hiram Biggers, of this county ; Lewis D., who makes his home in California; and Ellen, who married John L. Rigg and is now a resident of Ralls county.
David C. Hulse was born in Montgomery county, Kentucky, in 1831, and was three years of age when he was brought to the little log cabin in Ralls county. He was given somewhat better educational advantages than those secured by his father, and in 1849 crossed the "Great American Desert" to California, passing a few years among the motley crowd of gold hunters of that famous Eldorado. He subsequently returned to Missouri by the route on which he had gone out, and invested the pro- ceeds of his labors in Ralls county land. During the Rebellion, his farm lay along the trail from New London to Mexico and he suffered at the hands of the military until he was stripped bare of even the necessities of his household. He was a man of business ability, industrious and thrifty, and rebuilt his fortunes and recouped his losses after the restora- tion of peace. In politics a radical Democrat, he cared little for public office. His religious belief was of the Christian church.
David C. Hulse married Rebecca J. Hall, a daughter of Thomas and Sarah (Silvers) Hall, who came from Missouri to Virginia. Mr. Hulse passed away March 27, 1900, and his wife April 21, 1905, they having been the parents of the following children: James E., of New London ; Marcus L., a business man of Center, Missouri; Sarah E., the wife of C. W. Cole; William H., Samuel D. and Thomas P., all agriculturists of Ralls county ; Lucinda, the wife of T. W. Stout, of Hannibal, Missouri ; L. Marshall, county collector of Ralls county ; Ben Ely ; and John D., a merchant of Center, Missouri.
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After attending the public schools of Ralls county, Ben Ely Hulse did academic work in the university at Columbia, for which he took a diploma, following which he taught country school intermittently from the age of eighteen years while completing his education, and concluded his work in the schoolroom after five years as a teacher. Choosing law as his life work at this time, he read in the offices of J. P. Wood and J. O. Allison, in New London, and was admitted upon taking the bar examination, in September, 1895, at Hannibal. He was appointed by Governor Stone, circuit court of Ralls county, to fill a vacancy, and was elected to the office in 1896 and again in 1898. In 1902 he retired, after more than six years in one of the chief offices of the county, and entered more actively into the practice of law. During his administra- tion, one of the most noted criminal cases in the history of Ralls county was tried. Death alone will efface from the memory of the old residents of the county the famous case of Missouri vs. Alexander Jester, who was charged with the killing of Gilbert Gates, a brother of the financier, John W. Gates, whose millions were behind the prosecution in an effort to convict the slayer of his brother twenty years before.
In the spring of 1902, Mr. Hulse was nominated for the office of prosecuting attorney, and when he turned over the keys of the clerk's office, he received those of the legal adviser of Ralls county and began his duties as a lawyer instead of a clerical man. He was elected to suc- ceed himself in 1904, and the records of the office are living witness to the strenuous character of his performance of duty. Of the many cases before the juries, but four verdicts were returned against this fearless, tire- less prosecutor, whose whole being seemed to be wrapped up in the case at hand. He managed the prosecution of Doctor Watson, charged with poisoning his wife, a case which attracted national attention, brought rep- resentatives from metropolitan newspapers to New London, and a variety of witnesses used as "experts" upon some features of the case, such an array as had never been gathered together in this section, to offer testi- mony for and against the accused man. Notwithstanding the evidence adduced was strong, it failed to impress the jury that the Doctor was guilty of first degree murder, and he was acquitted, as per the instructions of the court.
His work in the prosecutor's office gave Mr. Hulse an experience needed in the development of a strong man at the bar. His administra- tion was marked by hard work, study and a tenacity which demonstrated the sincerity of his purpose. He returned to private practice equipped to combat the leaders of the bar, a position he himself occupies. His sev- eral campaigns for office gave him an insight into the mysteries of suc- cessful politics and trained him in the art of winning and retaining friends. He made acquaintances all over the ninth judicial district, and when there appeared an opportunity to call upon them for aid he was ready to do so. He filed for the Democratic nomination for congress when it appeared that Speaker Clark might win the presidential nomina- tion, and had the assurance from over the district that his candidacy would be well received and supported. Mr. Hulse is a member of the school board of New London, and of the board of trustees of the Christian church. He is a director of the Bank of New London, and his fraternal affiliations are with the Masons, in which he is past master of New Lon- don Lodge No. 307, and a former representative to the Grand Lodge; and with the Knights of Pythias, in which he is a past chancellor.
On October 22, 1897, Mr. Hulse married Miss Ella Shacklett, a daugh- ter of Edward Shacklett, whose wife, Mary Brown, was a daughter of Colonel Brown, a Mexican war soldier, blacksmith and prominent member of the Christian church. Mr. and Mrs. Hulse have three children : Fred
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B., who is thirteen years old ; Edward H., who has passed his tenth birth- day ; and Mary Virginia, who is four years of age.
ROBERT WILLIAM HADEN. Among the prominent and influential farmers of Ralls county, Missouri, is Robert William Haden. He has been a farmer and stockman all of his life, and was bred to the business by his father, who was a farmer before him. He is one of the most pro- gressive farmers in this section, being active in all that tends to raise the standard of the crops raised or in any way add to the prosperity of the farmers throughout the county. In addition to his farming interests he has other interests of a financial nature, which take much of his time.
Robert W. Haden was born west of Salt river, in Ralls county, May 3, 1871. He belongs to one of the early families of this county, settlers whose identification with this section of Missouri began before this com- monwealth entered the sisterhood of states. Kentucky was the birthplace of Henley, the founder of this old Missouri family, the grandfather of Robert W. Haden. His son, Clifton B., was born in this county, the father having emigrated hither in 1811 and here Henley Haden spent the remaining years of his life in clearing land and building a home on the Salt river, and continued the work of agriculture, until his death in about 1874 at sixty-seven years of age. He married Harriet Bailey, a native of the state of Virginia, whose parents had also come into Mis- souri as pioneers. Four children were born to them, of whom Clifton Haden is the only one now living. Henley Haden died in Ralls county. His wife passed away when about forty-five years of age.
Clifton B. Haden, the father of Robert W. Haden, was born in Ralls county, on the 12th of November, 1841. Here in the community where he was born he received his education and grew to manhood. He had just begun to farm for himself, when he married Miss Frances Fuqua, the daughter of James Fuqua and Fannie (Chapman) Fuqua. James Fuqua was born in Virginia in 1800, and came to Missouri shortly after his marriage. He started farming in a small way, but before his death he had accumulated a large estate, having been remarkably successful. He took a very prominent part in public affairs, being a Republican in politics, and serving for years as a justice of the peace. He died in April, 1877. The marriage of Clifton B. Haden and Miss Fuqua occurred on the 2d of February, 1862, and they began their life together on a tract of land not far from the old home this land now being part of his present farm. He at first devoted himself solely to farming, but after a time he drifted into feeding stock for market, and during the zenith of his activ- ity, his farm was one of the busiest spots in the locality. When the Civil war broke out, Mr. Haden sided with the cause of the Confederacy, and enlisted in the Confederate militia of Missouri, but he saw little service in the field. He is a Democrat in politics and together with his whole family belongs to the Christian church, of which he is an elder. He is an even- tempered man, not easily excited, and of massive frame, but his calm exterior covers an active, alert mind, quick to seize an advantage. Eight children were born of his marriage to Frances Fuqua of whom six survive. James married Emarilla Jackson; Lucy became the wife of W. T. Jack- son ; Robert W .; Nora, who is Mrs. John Fossnacht; Docia L., who mar- ried Linn Howard and Edgar, whose wife was Mildred Gentry.
Robert W. Haden received his education in the rural district where his family had always lived, and he began to be trained for his future life as a farmer, under his father's watchful eye, from his earliest boy- hood. The sound principles of farming and trading and caring for stock that had brought prosperity to the father were drilled into the boy. Although he first began as a farmer he also became more interested in
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feeding and shipping stock, and for many years this interest has been paramount. Some two loads of stock are shipped out of Ralls county every weck under his bill of lading. His farm lies to the west of New London, but his home is one of the best residences in the county seat, He is a stock holder in the Ralls County Fair Association, and has taken an active part in the administration of the annual fair, having served as superintendent of the cattle exhibits. He is also a stock holder in the Ralls County Bank.
Mr. Haden was married July 9, 1891, to Miss Mattie Pritchett, a daughter of Sydney Pritchett, whose ancestors came from Virginia to Pike county, Missouri, at an carly date. Sydney Pritchett was born in 1833, and became a farmer with large and valuable holdings. He married Mary E. Beshears, a daughter of James Beshears, and their children are Addie, who is the wife of George Porter; Mrs. Haden; Ed., of Pike county, Illinois ; Jesse, who is deceased ; and Harvey A., who is a farmer in Ralls county, which he is now serving as sheriff. Mr. Pritchett died in 1905 while his wife survived him three years.
Mr. and Mrs. Haden are the parents of the following children : Marie, Irvin, Clara and Clifford. Roy R. died at five years of age. The family are loyal members of the Christian church, and Mr. Haden is a member of the Democratic party.
WALTER G. BONEY, a lumber merchant of Cairo, Missouri, is one of the native born, energetic and enterprising business men of Randolph county who after a rather wide experience in other states and in different parts of this state has found his native county one of the pleasantest places of all and not at all lacking in opportunity for the alert and dis- cerning business man. He is a scion of one of Randolph county's early pioneer families and is well sustaining the prominence for worthy citizen- ship which the family name has held in this county for seventy-five years. His father is William J. Boney, who as a prominent pioneer of Randolph county receives individual mention in this volume and in whose sketch will be found a brief but complete outline of the lineage and history of this family since established on American soil. His mother was Emily Campbell before her marriage and to these parents he was born in Cairo township on December 16, 1860. After attaining his majority he went to Winchester, Tennessee, where he attended a normal school four months, and then returned northward to Jacksonville, Illinois, where he was engaged in farming eighteen months. Returning to Randolph county, he farmed there three years and then from September, 1885 until 1888 was similarly engaged in Kansas. He was then successively located in Polk county and in St. Clair county, Missouri, and then in 1889 returned again to Randolph county, where after farming one year he, with his brother Arthur T. Boney, opened a hardware business at Jacksonville. This busi- ness relation was continued about four years and then in March, 1894, he returned to Kansas to dispose of a 160 acre farm he had purchased during his previous residence there. He remained in Kansas six years, however, and did not return to Randolph county until 1900, in which year he purchased a farm there of 250 acres. This he gave his personal management six years and then rented it until 1912, when he sold it. After leaving this farm he maintained his residence in Moberly one year in order to give his son the benefit of the educational advantages there and then removed to Liberty, Clay county, where his son became a student in William Jewell College. In January, 1910, Mr. Boney purchased the lumber business in Cairo, to which he has since given his attention. In political views and adherency he is aligned with the Democratic party. He is a member of the Baptist church. As a citizen Mr. Boney is
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