USA > Missouri > A history of northwest Missouri, Volume III > Part 32
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William H. Richter was born in Fulton County, Indiana, September 9, 1848, but from the age of seven grew up on his father's farm in Harrison County. His father had walked all the distance from Indiana to Missouri to enter his land, and then in 1855 the entire family started out to take possession of the new home. They made the journey with a covered wagon, which was the primitive method of travel, and on arriving found the country almost destitute of social advantages. There were no schoolhouses, and William H. Richter first attended a select school kept in a private home by Mrs. Hannah Boyce. He was also a pupil in the old Ground Hog schoolhouse, a log cabin located on Polecat Creek, and in 1858 became a pupil in the newly organized Spring Hill school district. There he attended school in a frame house built for the
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purpose, the first frame schoolhouse of Harrison County. As an illus- tration of the backwardness of educational facilities in this county at the time, Mr. Richter recalls having witnessed the spectacle of two young men, one nineteen and the other twenty-one, both learning their A B C's in this school. Mr. Richter for three years attended the old Grand River College at Edinburg, and had his home with his parents until the age of twenty-one. At the age of twelve years he commenced transacting busi- ness for his father and under his instructions, such as paying the taxes, buying stock and collecting small debts, which was a great help in after years. At the age of fourteen he was sent by his father to the State of Nebraska alone, with team and wagon, a distance of 100 miles across a wild country, in places twenty miles without a house in sight, a trip which he made, there and back, in safety.
Part of his early career was devoted to teaching, and he taught in country schools for seven winters, occupying himself with farming in the summer. He then turned his attention exclusively to farming, and has lived on his present place since June, 1871. His land lies in sec- tions 11 and 12, and forty years ago it was all raw prairie. For the eighty acres which comprised his first home he paid by raising corn at 15 cents a bushel, the first crop paying for the land. He broke up the sod and fenced his fields, and there he and his wife spent their first years in a log house with a puncheon floor. In that humble cabin their first child was born. Later the cabin gave way to a more comfortable frame house, and that was the home while the children were growing up and being educated. In 1910 the farm was improved by the construction of an attractive farm residence, one of the conspicuous places now in that locality. From time to time as needed barns and other buildings and conveniences for stock have been added, and his equipment for the handling and housing of his blooded cattle is now complete. His farm, or ranch, as it may properly be termed, has grown from an 80-acre tract to 490 acres, and has for many years been noted as a thoroughbred stock farm.
Mr. Richter began handling Shorthorn cattle in 1896, starting his herd with "Gold Standard" and "Minnie's Eagle," of the George Neff herd. He has also added strains from the Duncan and Bellows herds, and his stock is now exclusively made up of the "Choice Goods" strain of the Bellows herd. Mr. Richter's fine stock has found its way into other states, into Nebraska and as far west as Washington, and in Missouri he has furnished the nucleus for many herds. His active management of the farm and the stock continued until he reached the age of sixty, and at that time he turned over the business to his sons, and they continue it under their father's name.
Mr. Richter is a republican, having voted for only one democrat in his life, and has served as township collector. Although a man of Chris- tian principles, he has never affiliated with any one denomination. On June 1, 1871, Mr. Richter married Mrs. Jennie Elwell, widow of Capt. George W. Elwell, and a daughter of David B. Manville. Mr. Manville, who now lives at Gallatin, Missouri, at the venerable age of ninety- three, was born in Morrow County, Ohio, July 3, 1821. His father, Fleming Manville, settled near Valparaiso, Indiana, about 1855, and died there in 1863. Fleming Manville married Sallie Steward, and they became the parents of eleven children. David B. Manville came out to Missouri in the fall of 1859. He was a teacher in early life, but later followed farming, and was a republican in politics. He married Mary B. Lounsberry, who was born in New York State and died in Harrison County. Her children were : Mrs. Richter, who was born July 18, 1845; and James Harvey, who died at Bethany, leaving two sons. Mrs. Rich-
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ter by her marriage to Captain Elwell has a daughter, Mary E., wife of William H. Hockridge. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Richter are : Frank M., who was born June 8, 1872, was educated in the public schools and in the Chillicothe Business College, and for several years has been actively associated with his brother as a farmer and stock man. Frank Richter married Hattie Carr, and they have a son, William Edward. James George, the second son, was born August 24, 1884, is one of the firm of stock men and farmers of which his father is the head, and by his marriage to Ruth Vosburg has a daughter, Edna Jane.
HON. DAVID J. HEASTON. In the death of Judge David J. Heaston, which occurred July 21, 1902, at Bethany, there passed from life's activi- ties one of the unique and forceful characters of Harrison County and one who had been a resident here from the year 1859. He was an eastern man, having been born in Champaign County, Ohio, March 22, 1835, and in 1839 was taken by his parents to near Winchester, Indiana, where he grew to manhood and received his education in the public schools. In addition to the elementary schools, he attended Asbury University, at Greencastle, Indiana, and owing to his limited means was obliged to teach school to secure the funds with which to pursue his higher education. In 1857 he entered college at Oxford, Ohio, and spent a year there, and prior to this time had read law for about a year with Judge Jeremiah Smith, of Winchester, Indiana, continuing his legal studies while he taught school. In 1858 he was admitted to the bar in the Circuit Court at Winchester and was prepared to enter his profes- sion with credit and with confidence of success.
It was in the spring of 1859 that Judge Heaston decided to come into the great valley of. the Mississippi, and accordingly, in that year, estab- lished himself at Bethany, where he was shortly afterward licensed by Judge McFerran. During the Civil war he was commissioned colonel of the state militia, having always been a great Union man and wielding great influence for the flag. In 1861 he took editorial charge of the Weekly Union, of Bethany, at the request of its owners, and through this connection his influence for the Government was made felt. He was a clear, terse and energetic writer and soon placed the paper at the head of journalistic efforts in this section. Judge Heaston was elected captain of the first company organized in response to the call of the governor, and when the enrolled militia of the county was formed into the Fifty-seventh Regiment he was commissioned colonel of the same.
In politics Judge Heaston was always a democrat, and died in the faith. He canvassed the County of Harrison in 1860 in behalf of Stephen A. Douglas for President and did a like service for every democratic candidate for that office until he died. He was a delegate to nearly all the democratic state conventions from the war on, and in 1872 was a delegate to the national democratic convention at Baltimore, assisting in the nomination of Greeley and Brown, the standard-bearers of that year. In 1876 he was the elector for his congressional district on the democratic ticket and, being elected, he attended the electoral college and aided in casting the electoral vote of Missouri for Tilden and Hendricks for President and vice president.
In 1870 Judge Heaston started a democratic paper at Bethany, known as The Watchman, and conducted it with success for three years. In 1877, in connection with B. F. Meyer, he started a democratic paper in Harrison County-the county being without such a paper at that time- known as The Broad-Axe. This he edited with his accustomed vigor until 1884, and under his editorial management the paper acquired a
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state reputation as a fearless and able exponent of democratic doctrines and principles.
In 1878 Judge Heaston was elected a member of the state senate from the fourth district by a large majority, his counties being Ray, Caldwell, Daviess and Harrison, and served as chairman of the com- mittees on Public Printing and Federal Relations, in addition to doing other important committee work. His qualifications as an able attorney brought him forward prominently as one of the revisionists of the state statutes in 1879, and in the special session of 1882 he presented a bill for the redistricting of the state into congressional districts which, after a warm struggle, was adopted in the democratic caucus decisively and became a law as he introduced it. He became a candidate for congress upon his record in the senate and his other public work, and after a lively and interesting campaign came within a very few votes of the nomination.
During all this time, notwithstanding his heavy and important edi- torial labors, his official duties and political work and aspirations, he read law assiduously and practiced his profession vigorously. He was longer in the practice than any other member of the profession when he left it, and was honored with the title of "The Father of the Bar."
Judge Heaston was made a Mason at Winchester, Indiana, where he grew up, taking the master's degree in June, 1857. He received the Royal Arch degree at Gallatin, Missouri, in 1866, and the order of Knight Templar at Trenton in 1882, while the Council degree was conferred upon him at St. Louis in 1885. He served as worshipful master, as high priest and as eminent commander, and frequently represented the lodges in the grand bodies of the state as a delegate. He was for many years district deputy grand master for his Masonic- district and spent much time delivering lectures and building up the order.
In September, 1866, Judge Heaston joined the Christian Church at Bethany, and became a member of the committee which was in charge of the building of the new church. In all walks of life he was always an exemplary citizen and did much to build up the religious, educational, moral and industrial phases of his county and town. No man was held in higher esteem than he and when he passed away his sterling advice and kindly counsel were greatly missed by those who had benefited thereby and who knew the man, his great mind and his earnest heart.
On January 17, 1861, Judge Heaston was united in marriage with Miss Margaret E. Monson, a daughter of Thomas Monson, then sheriff of Harrison County, Missouri. Of the six children of this union who grew to mature years, Sarah Catherine is the wife of Ed L. Dunn, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and has one child, Ed L. Dunn, in the real estate and loan business in Oklahoma City ; Truman; Heaston; Leonard who is a resident of Oklahoma City and register of deeds there, married May McClure in 1888, and has two children, Bert, a dealer in automobiles, and Victor, in high school; George W. died unmarried, February 14, 1902; and Warren L. married Allie Crickett and died December 27, 1900.
For over forty-three years Judge Heaston was a resident of Bethany and in all that time his honesty and probity of character were never questioned. In all matters pertaining to the material prosperity of his city and county his assistance, financially and otherwise, could always be counted upon and he was also an earnest advocate of all movements tending to elevate humanity and make society and home better and happier.
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HON. ALEXANDER M. DOCKERY. During the past thirty years there has hardly been a man, woman or child in Northwest Missouri who has not been familiar by constant repetition with the name of Alexander M. Dockery, whose career of public service has kept him almost constantly active in district, state and national affairs through an entire generation. For sixteen years Mr. Dockery represented the Third Missouri District in congress, and since the beginning of the present administration has held the post of third assistant postmaster-general.
His active public service has obscured the fact, except in his home town of Gallatin and among his more intimate friends, that Mr. Dock- ery began his career as a physician, and besides several other degrees is entitled to the letters M. D. Alexander M. Dockery was born in Daviess County, Missouri, February 11, 1845. His parents were Rev. Willis E. and Sarah E. (McHaney) Dockery, his father having been a distinguished minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Mr. Dockery, who is the only survivor of three children, was liberally edu- cated in Macon Academy at Macon, Missouri, and in 1863 entered the St. Louis Medical College and was graduated in March, 1865, M. D. He later attended lectures at Bellevue College in New York and the Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, and did his first practice at Linneus, Missouri, and from 1867 to 1874 practiced at Chillicothe. He was recognized as a thoroughly equipped and skillful physician, and might have attained distinction in the profession had he not chosen other lines of endeavor.
In March, 1874, having abandoned practice, Mr. Dockery removed to Gallatin and became associated with Thomas B. Yates in the estab- lishment of the Farmers Exchange Bank, an institution which has had a solid career of forty years. He served as its cashier until 1882. Prior to his election to Congress Mr. Dockery served as county physician of Livingston County from 1870 to 1874, was president of the board of education at Chillicothe in 1870-72, was a member of the board of cura- tors of the University of Missouri from 1872 to 1882, and at Gallatin was a member of the city council 1878-81, and mayor during 1881-83.
From 1878 until his election to Congress Mr. Dockery was chairman of the democratic congressional committee of the Tenth District, in 1880 was chairman of the congressional convention at Brunswick, and in 1882 at the convention in Cameron was nominated for representative in Congress. Altogether there were six men in the field for the nomina- tion, and it was one of the most exciting conventions held in that district for many years. The deciding ballot was twenty-eight. The opposition had been unable to unite, since Mr. Dockery was the second choice in all the counties. His election from the Third District came in Novem- ber, 1882, and he continued as representative in Congress from March 4, 1883, to March 4, 1899. In the successive seven conventions Mr. Dockery was renominated without opposition. During his career in Congress Mr. Dockery was a member of the Committee on Claims, Committee on Accounts, Committee on Postoffices and Post Roads four years, and for the last ten years of his service in the house was a member of the Com- mittee on Appropriations and had charge of the District of Columbia and the legislative, executive and judicial appropriation bills. From 1893 to 1895 he was chairman of what is known as the "Dockery Com- mission," which, among other notable achievements, devised the present accounting system of the national treasury. This system has been in successful operation since October 1, 1894. During the World's Fair at Chicago he was chairman of a special committee appointed by the house to investigate and simplify methods of business. This commit- tee's elaborate report served as a basis for the work of organization of
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the Louisiana Purchase Exposition at St. Louis. While a member of the Committee on Postoffices and Post Roads Mr. Dockery was instru- mental in securing the installation of the second fast mail train service in the United States, from New York to Kansas City by way of St. Louis. In 1886 Mr. Dockery was chosen permanent chairman of the democratic state convention of St. Louis.
At the conclusion of his eighth term Mr. Dockery declined a renomi- nation in order to enter the race for governor in 1900. He was nominated by acclamation in June of that year in the convention held in a large tent at Kansas City, the nominating speech being made by Hon. W. S. Cowherd, of Kansas City. In the following November he was elected Governor of Missouri against his republican opponent, Joseph Flory, of Moberly. Taking his oath as governor January 14, 1901, Mr. Dockery was chief executive of his native state four years. After retiring from the governor's chair in 1905 he continued active in democratic politics, being chairman of the state convention in 1906, and in 1912 was elected treasurer of the democratic state committee and reelected in 1914. At the beginning of President Wilson's administration Mr. Dockery was appointed third assistant postmaster-general, his appointment being confirmed by the senate March 13, 1913, and he entered upon his duties March 17th. As third assistant postmaster-general he has supervision and control of all the fiscal affairs of the postal service, including the postal savings system, amounting in volume to more than three hundred and sixty million dollars yearly.
In 1906 Governor Dockery was awarded the degree LL.D. by the University of Missouri. In the interval between his term as governor and his recent promotion to the postoffice department, Mr. Dockery proved himself a citizen of force and influence in his home city of Gallatin. He served as a member and president of the board of educa- tion from 1908 to 1912, was president of the Gallatin Commercial Club from its organization in 1908 to 1914, and has been president of the Daviess County Chautauqua Association since its organization in 1909. He was also chairman of the building committee which supervised con- struction of the new courthouse, and of the committee which supervised construction of the new Gallatin schoolhouse. Of his local civic activi- ties Governor Dockery probably takes most pride in his work as ex-officio road overseer in his county, a service which he has performed gratui- tously but none the less effectively at various times during the past thirty years. Governor Dockery was married April 14, 1869, to Miss Mary E. Bird, daughter of Greenup Bird. All of the seven children of their marriage died in infancy. His wife died at the executive mansion, Jefferson City, January 1, 1903.
Governor Dockery has some interesting fraternal relations. In 1880 he was elected eminent commander of Kadosh Commandery No. 21, Knights Templar, at Cameron; in 1881 was elected grand master of Missouri Masons; in May, 1883, was chosen grand high priest of the Royal Arch Masons of Missouri, and since 1886 has been a member of the board of directors of the Masonic Home of Missouri, being chairman of the executive committee the greater part of the time. In May, 1910, he was elected grand master of the Missouri Odd Fellows, and this gives him the unusual distinction of being the only person in the state who has been grand master of both Missouri Masons and Missouri Odd Fel- lows. Since May, 1910, he has been president of the Odd Fellows Home Board of Liberty.
COLUMBUS L. KUNKEL. Among the steadfast, upright and highly honored citizens of Nodaway Township, Holt County, is the representa-
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tive farmer and stock grower whose name initiates this paragraph and whose well-improved farm gives ample voucher for the industry and well- directed energy which he has brought to bear in its improvement and various operation. Mr. Kunkel is a native of Holt County, which has been his home from the time of his birth to the present, and he is a representative of one of the sterling pioneer families of this favored division of the state.
Columbus L. Kunkel was born on the old homestead farm of his father in Nodaway Township, Holt County, and the date of his nativity was February 2, 1857. He is a son of William M. and Elizabeth A. (Robinson) Kunkel, of whose eight children-four sons and four daugh- ters-five are living. William M. Kunkel was born near Galion, Craw- ford County, Ohio, on the 20th of June, 1832, and about the year 1845 he accompanied his parents on their removal from the old Buckeye State to Missouri, the journey having been made with team and wagon to the Mississippi River, and from St. Louis to St. Joseph by boat. the latter place being the point from which they made their way to their destination in Holt County. Jacob Kunkel, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, purchased a relinquishment claim to land that had been entered from the Government by the original owner, and he there insti- tuted the reclamation of a farm in the midst of a virtual wilderness. Both he and his wife passed the residue of their lives on this old home- stead and there their son William M. became, with the passing of years, one of the substantial and successful farmers and stock raisers of the county. He made excellent improvements on the place and there con- tinued to reside until 1880, when he removed to the Village of Newport, this county, where he has since followed the shoemaker's trade, though he has reached the age of more than eighty years, this trade having been learned by him under the direction of his father. He is one of the well known pioneer citizens of Holt County and his circle of friends is coincident with that of his acquaintances. He is a republican in poli- tics and both he and his wife, who likewise is of venerable age, are zealous members of the Evangelical Church.
Columbus L. Kunkel was reared to adult age on the old homestead farm which was the place of his birth and his early educational advan- tages were those afforded in the public schools of the locality and period. As a boy he began to assist in the work of the farm, and during the long intervening years he has found both satisfaction and profit in his continued identification with the basic industries of agriculture and stock growing. His present homestead, which comprises 1781/2 acres, is under excellent cultivation and he has here maintained his residence since January 2, 1879. The land was obtained from the Government by his great-uncle, Henry Kunkel, a brother of the grandfather of the present owner, and by him was sold to Joseph Anselman, who was the father of Mrs. Kunkel, wife of him to whom this review is dedicated. Mr. Anselman became the owner of the property in the autumn of 1865, and of the buildings now on the place the only one that was not erected by the present proprietor is the old house that was built by Mr. Anselman and which stands to the rear of the newer and essentially modern resi- dence. On this old homestead Mr. Anselman continued to reside until his death, in December, 1882, and here also his devoted wife passed the closing years of her life. In the winter of 1866 Mr. Anselman was associated with others in the founding of the Evangelical Church near his old home, and of this church Mr. Kunkel and his wife are zealous and valued members. Mr. Kunkel has served as a member of its board of trustees and as superintendent of its Sunday school, in which depart- ment he now holds the office of assistant superintendent. He is a staunch
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republican in politics but has had no ambition for the honors or emolu- ments of public office. In a fraternal way he is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World.
In the year 1878 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Kunkel to Miss Eliza Anselman, who was born and reared in Holt County, her father, Joseph Anselman, having been a native of Germany, whence he emigrated to the United States when he was twenty years old. In about 1866 he came to Missouri and settled on the farm now owned by his son-in-law, Mr. Kunkel, as previously noted in this sketch. He became the father of three sons and seven daughters, and of the number four are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Kunkel became the parents of ten children, all of whom are living except one, Norman, who died at the age of fourteen months. The names of the surviving children are here entered in the respective order of birth: Adolph E., Beryl S., Mabel A., Julia, Jesta M., Harrison, Dale D., Ruby and Charlene. Mabel A. is the wife of Roy Hardman and Charlene is the wife of Wesley Mart.
B. F. PRAISWATER. Northwest Missouri has been the home of Mr. Praiswater all his life, and from a farmer boy he graduated into inde- pendent activities as an agriculturist, and for many years has been one of the most substantially situated citizens of Hickory Township, in Holt County.
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