USA > Missouri > A history of northwest Missouri, Volume III > Part 35
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judgment approved, and never compromising with a signally acute con- science for the sake of expediency. About the time of the close of his senatorial career, Mr. Wornall's name was prominently brought forward in connection with the candidacy for governor of the state and though the overtures made in this direction came from strong and influential sources he insisted upon withdrawing in favor of another candidate, Charles Hardin, his bosom friend, for the distinguished office.
In 1872 Mr. Wornall was elected president of the Kansas City Na- tional Bank, and he retained this post until the institution resigned its charter and closed its business. He was instrumental in organizing the Bank of Kansas City, now incorporated as the National Bank of Kansas City, and of this institution he was president for many years prior to his death. In 1872 and 1873, as a mark of respect and as indication of his influence and high standing in the Baptist Church, he was twice and successively elected moderator of the Missouri General Association of this denomination, this being the highest honor conferred by that body. For eleven years he served as moderator of the Blue River Association of his church, in which he was ever a zealous and devoted member. Within the climacteric period of the Civil war Gennison and 1,400 of his men took possession of the home of Mr. Wornall, both the farm and the residence, and in this occupation by military forces the family were deprived of the use of all save one room of the house. Mr. Wornall was informed that on Saturday morning he would be shot, and the intervening four days he and his devoted wife passed in prayer to the Throne of Grace. Gen- nison finally sent for Mr. Wornall, on Saturday morning, and after cursing him with noteworthy fluency said to him: "I came to kill you but why in hell I can't, I don't know. Pray your God for me," follow- ing with the statement that if Mr. Wornall would go with him and figure up the damages done by the invader and his men everything would be paid for in gold. This generous recompense was made and Mr. Wornall even had to intervene, and beg clemency for a private who had shot a pig the same morning and whom Gennison had threatened to execute.
Secure in the high regard of all who knew him, a man of lofty ideals and noble character and one whose career was marked by large and worthy achievement, Hon. John B. Wornall passed to his reward on the 24th of March, 1892, shortly after he had passed the psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten.
THOMAS JOHNSON WORNALL, the subject of this sketch, was born at Ninth and Main Streets, Kansas City, Missouri, on the 28th day of June, 1865. He was a son of John B. Wornall and Eliza Johnson Wornall, and in 1869 his parents moved to where the Densmore Hotel now stands, between Ninth and Tenth on Locust Street, so far out that their friends talked of their then being in the country. In 1876 the family moved to what was known as the Stockdale Farm, or more generally known as the Wornall Farm. He was reared on this farm, educated at the country school nearby, and after having attended high school at Eleventh and Locust, in Kansas City, for a year and a half, started into William Jewell College in 1882.
After four years at William Jewell College, he was married on the 19th of May, 1886, to Miss Emma Lee Petty, only child of L. T. Petty, a widower living eight miles northeast of Liberty, and half way between that and Excelsior Springs.
Mr. Petty came from that sturdy Virginia stock, and immigrated by land with his mother, two brothers and three sisters-two brothers having preceded him. Mr. Petty having lost his wife some eight years previous,
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and having but one child, it was deemed best for all concerned that Mr. Wornall quit the old home and move over here, which he did.
Out of the union of this family were born four children, but Lindsay P. died in infancy. Thomas J. Jr., attended school in the country, also the high school in Liberty, and graduated from William Jewell College in 1910. He was married on October 30, 1911, to Miss Floy Crews of Lib- erty, Missouri, and they have a girl and boy, Sue Melva and Lindsay Petty, and are residing at present on part of the old farm, known as the "George Petty Farm." A daughter, Lucy Lee Wornall, was born on the 4th of September, 1891, and died in January, 1906, passing away in her fifteenth year. She was by nature one of the sweetest children that ever lived, uniting with the Baptist Church when she was nine years of age, and through her sweetness of character, leading both her brothers to Christ before she was called to her Heavenly Home. She was a nat- ural musician, and while never taking lessons, had composed over forty pieces before her death. Their next child, Richard Bristow Wornall, was born the 26th day of November, 1893. He attended Liberty High School, two years at William Jewell, one year at Culver, and one year of mining engineering at Rolla, and is now taking a four year course in agriculture at the University of Missouri at Columbia.
Mr. Wornall naturally loving agricultural pursuits, and especially the raising of fine stock, and showing the same, has spent the greater part of his life in these pursuits.
In 1897, having disposed of his cheaper cattle, he started in to build a herd of Shorthorn cattle, the equal to any in the world. As a steer feeder, previous to '96, he had topped Chicago market nine years out of ten, and using the same judgment in picking his breeding herd, he en- tered the show ring in 1899. And in 1899 and 1900 won first in herd over Shorthorns and all other beef breeds, Grand Champions for two years at Iowa, Minnesota, Milwaukee, Indiana, Illinois, St. Louis, and American Royal, without a single defeat in a two years' unbroken record that has never been equaled before or since.
He continued in the show ring until he dispersed his herd in 1906, winning more than his share of the premiums wherever shown. In 1897 he helped form the Association of Fair Managers, he having in 1902 been chosen secretary and general manager of the American Royal Live Stock Show. This association of fair managers is composed of repre- sentatives from every state fair and national exposition, including five in foreign countries. Mr. Wornall has held the position of chairman of the executive committee two years, vice president two years, and president two years.
While not caring especially for politics, except to help his friends, yet in 1905 he was unanimously nominated, and the republicans refusing to nominate anyone against him, was unanimously elected to the senate from the Fifth district.
He was appointed, by Governor Dockery, chairman of the Junketing Committee, and afterwards appointed chairman of Appropriations Com- mittee, a distinguished honor, since the same had never before been held by a new member. He was chairman of the Inauguration Committee of the induction of Governor Folk to his seat. He was the author of the Wornall Demurrage Bill, which sought to give the farmers and grain men more time to unload their grain, but at the same time prohibiting them from using railroad cars as warehouses. This bill was the hardest fought of any in the three sessions of the Legislature by Senator Wornall, and was the first anti-railroad bill passing the Missouri state senate in sixteen years. His interest in agriculture led him to look after the needs of the experiment station at Columbia, and he increased their appropria-
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tion from $45,000, the session previous, to $187,000, and through his efforts both the agriculture building at Columbia, costing $100,000, and the college gymnasium, costing $70,000, were the direct results.
His ability as an organizer was shown in the passage of the appro- priation bills in the senate, with but one dissenting voice, and that on a clause of militia, in forty-five minutes, appropriating over nine million dollars. But the absolute fairness to each institution was the cause.
After his term in the senate had expired, and refusing to again stand for election, he was importuned by friends all over the state to permit the use of his name for that of governor, but having served, as he con- sidered, his duty to his state, and having had the extreme pleasure of occupying the same seat as his father, he desired no further honors. However, Governor Hadley honored him by appointing him one of the curators of the Missouri State University. He was chosen on the Exec- utive Committee at the School of Mines, Rolla, and served as chairman and was chosen a member of and chairman of the Executive Board at Columbia, and served in that capacity until the close of his term.
The most signal honor that has been paid him was being chosen unanimously as member of the Executive Committee, and then as chair- man of the Conference on Education in Missouri, Secretary of Agricul- ture Houston being one of the vice presidents, and Dr. A. Ross Hill, of Columbia, another.
Mr. Wornall has been one of four delegates-at-large for sixteen years to the National Association of Stockmen, the most powerful organization of its kind in existence.
These honors have come to him unsought, but he has put forth his best efforts in every way to serve at the best of his ability, and the results can show for themselves.
In 1901, with two friends he visited Europe and brought all the champion Shorthorns home with them, which sold in the sale ring in Chicago on November 7th of that year, making an average of $1,122.00, being the highest average of any breed since the New York Mill Sale of 1872.
He is at the present time living in Liberty, Missouri, where they moved in 1901 for the education of their children.
JOHN RICHARD WEBB. In the person of John Richard Webb is found a sample of that material which has brought Harrison County into the limelight as a prosperous agricultural center. Endowed with more than average ability and backed by shrewd business judgment and determina- tion, this progressive farmer has worked his way to the ownership of a handsome property, located two miles south of Mount Moriah, which he is devoting to cattle feeding and the growing of horses, mules and hogs.
John R. Webb is a son of the late Joseph Webb, and now occupies the old Webb homestead on which he was born March 8, 1866. He re- ceived his early education in the district schools and this was supple- mented by attendance at Grand River College, now Gallatin College, which was then situated at Edinburg. When he finished school he re- turned to the homestead, and soon thereafter embarked upon a career of his own on a quarter-section of his father's estate, his subsequent success in life having been made as a cattle feeder and a grower of horses, mules and hogs. As a shipper he has used the railroad to some extent, and as a trader he is known widely all over the county. He has added some twelve hundred acres of land to his original holdings, the chief of which tract or tracts is a grass farm, his plan being to grow and buy young stock that will become ready for shipment off his pasture land. In 1914
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Mr. Webb replaced the old home which had been erected by his father with a more pretentious and modern structure, suggestive of the bunga- low, with six rooms and closets, and including bath and running water, with all other modern improvements.
Mr. Webb was married in Harrison County, Missouri, April 22, 1893, to Miss Dora Weathers, a daughter of William H. and Ellen (Mckinley) Weathers, the latter the daughter of an Illinois family. Mr. Weathers came from Toledo, Illinois, where he was born, to Missouri prior to the outbreak of the Civil war. His family comprised the following children : Mollie, who became the wife of James S. Graham, of Bedford, Iowa ; Hannah, who became the wife of Bud Ferguson, of Gilman City, Mis- souri ; Dora, born November 30, 1869, and now the wife of John R. Webb; Ida, who became the wife of D. Plank, of Bolton, Missouri ; Etta, who became the wife of Anderson Foster, of Bolton, where her parents now reside; Alonzo, also of Bolton; and Frank, who is a resident of Blue Ridge, Missouri. To Mr. and Mrs. Webb there has been born one daughter, Catherine Marie, born September 23, 1897, who is now the wife of Clay Criger.
Mr. Webb's political affiliation is with the democracy, his father having belonged to that party, but his only activities are as a voter at elections. He has, however, taken an interest in those things which have affected his community, and may always be depended upon to support beneficial movements and enterprises. His long residence in this vicinity and his wide business connections have given him an extensive acquaint- ance, and he is universally known as a man of integrity and high princi- ples. With his family, he is identified with the Baptist Church.
A RICHARD FRANKLIN CRAVEN. Forty-two years ago, when he first came to Gentry County, Richard Franklin Craven was the happy pos- sessor of $24 in cash and a two-year-old colt. These were his material possessions, but far more valuable than either were his ambition, his determination, his indomitable spirit and his intense energy, charac- teristics which have since combined to form the medium through which he has worked out his success. Today he is one of the most sub- stantial of Albany's residents, possessed of a handsome competency and the esteem and respect of his fellow-citizens, and a short review of his career should be of interest to every admirer of American self-made manhood.
Mr. Craven was born October 16, 1854, in Ray County, Missouri, and is a son of Dr. Franklin and Annie (Campbell) Craven, and a grandson of Richard Franklin Craven, who reared a large family. Franklin Craven was born at Knoxville, Tennessee, April 19, 1817, and died in Missouri, November 23, 1901. He was not an educated man, being unable to either read or write, came to Missouri in young manhood and devoted himself to agricultural pursuits throughout his career. His title of "Doctor" was given him merely because he was the seventh son of his parents. He and his brother Wyatt were soldiers in the Mexican war, while Joel and John Craven were other brothers who reared families in Ray County, Missouri. "Dr." Franklin Craven was married in Tennes- see to Miss Annie Campbell, who was born in Indiana, and she died in 1857, leaving the following children: James, who died in Ray County, Missouri, leaving a family ; Nancy, who became the wife of John Craven ; Wyatt, who spent his life in Ray County; Clementine, who became the wife of John Metcalf and lives at Syracuse, Kansas; Jerre, a resident of Bates County, Missouri ; Elizabeth, who became the wife of A. W. Wyman and spent her life in Ray County, owning Excelsior Springs, which was opened up on their farm; Jackson, who died as a young man; Henley,
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who passed away in early life; Hulda, who married James Grace and died in Gentry County, Missouri; Julia, who married Doctor Kelley and died in Kansas City, Missouri; and Richard Franklin, of this review. Franklin Craven was married the second time to Mrs. Narcisis Wilson, and they became the parents of three children, namely : John F. Craven, O. W. Craven and Anna Craven.
Richard Franklin Craven grew up at Excelsior Springs where he resided until about nineteen years of age, when he came to Gentry County. His education was of the ordinary kind, finishing at a four- months' term in Gentry County, the best he ever had. He was brought up on a farm and that vocation he took up when a man, and has continued to be engaged in tilling the soil to the present time. When Mr. Craven began life independently he settled at Siloam Springs. He had worked for an uncle to secure the cash and colt before mentioned, and these con- stituted his capital when he faced life on his own accord. Mr. Craven had made up his mind to leave the old home where some turmoil and discord had resulted from the coming of a stepmother and subsequent children, and also because he had awakened to the fact that his social companions at home were not the most desirable. He came to Gentry County because his brother and sister lived here, and with the latter he located for a time, and in that locality was married. With his young wife he started to keep house in the most primitive manner, aided by good friends, and for several years was a renter, but soon gained a place of his own and his substantial building toward the top continued from year to year. Hard work stared Mr. and Mrs. Craven in the face from the start, but they accepted the challenge, fought hard and held fast until a condition of financial independence came to them. Mr. Craven bought his first land, a tract of forty acres, near Siloam Springs, and to this he added until he had gathered 160 acres of timbered bottom, as fine soil as there is in the county. It was at first covered with a heavy growth of timber, and hazel brush ten feet high, and the grubbing and clearing of this formed the real labor of his early life. It was all cleared in time and the fertility of the soil has responded to the touch of the plowman and yielded abundantly, never failing Mr. Craven until the big flood on Muddy Creek overran it, took the crop and seeded it somewhat to burrs. His wife was the great factor in the economy of the household and Mr. Craven attributes to her the credit for their combined success. Mr. Craven stayed with his farm actively until overtaken by the afflictions of sciatica when his physical troubles began. He was occupied for the next two years trying to rid himself of the disease through the medium of medicine, doctors and medical springs, but finally decided to leave the farm exposures and take up his residence at Albany, a course which he followed, now being the owner of a small tract adjoining the town, where he has a comfortable home.
In his political life, as he expresses it, Mr. Craven has been "just a voter." His political training was of the democratic faith, his people having espoused that cause for generations back. He is liberal with his ballot, or franchise, in the matter of selecting men for public office and reforms his ticket to suit the best interests of the county before he votes it. His only political service, if it may be termed as such, was as an alderman of Albany. It devolved upon the council of which he was a member to take care of the load placed upon the town as a result of whisky prosecutions and the burden of the water tower, and these serv- ices it ably discharged. In church matters Mr. Craven was brought up under a righteous influence, so far as morality went, but his father never allied himself with the church until sixty-five years old. His teach- ings, however, were of the right kind in the matter of instilling principle
Gev. Hurry A Lawyers D.D and Family.
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into his children. Mr. Craven and his wife joined the Missionary Bap- tist Church at Siloam Springs, and he officiated with it from that time until he left the locality. They are now members of the Albany Baptist Church.
Mr. Craven was united in marriage in September, 1875, with Miss Mary Ann McGill, daughter of Frank M. and Catherine (Davis) McGill, farming people of Gentry County who are well known here. Frank M. McGill died April 2, 1909, being seventy-seven years, seven months, and twenty-seven days old. Catherine Davis McGill died at the age of eighty- one years, seven months and five days. There were eight children in the McGill family, those growing to maturity being: Nancy, who became the wife of Mat Chilton ; Mrs. Craven ; John W .; William; Martha, who mar- ried Giles Parman; James F .; and Rilla, who married Charles McNees. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Cravens: Katie Lee, who is the wife of Bert Williams, of Kansas City, Missouri; James, a resident of Conard, Montana; William V., who resides at McFall, Missouri; Charles F., engaged in farming at Siloam Springs; and John F., who resides at the old home place.
REV. HENRY A. SAWYERS, D. D. During the last quarter of a century one of the leading figures in the Presbyterian Church of Northwest Missouri has been Rev. Henry A. Sawyers, now pastor of the First Presbyterian Church at Savannah. Reverend Sawyers began his pas- torate work in Missouri at Cameron in July, 1890, was pastor of the church there about four and one-half years, in November, 1894, took charge of the church at Oregon, in February, 1903, became pastor of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Joseph, and in May, 1912, left that charge to accept his present pastorate in Savannah. Along with the duties of active pastoral work Reverend Sawyers has served as moderator of the Presbytery of St. Joseph and the Synod of Missouri, and repre- sented the St. Joseph Presbytery in the general assembly of the Pres- byterian Church, United States of America, four different times, at Saratoga, New York, in 1894; at St. Louis, Missouri, in 1900; at Colum- bus, Ohio, in 1907; and at Atlanta, Georgia, in 1913; also with his wife was a delegate to the International Christian Endeavor Convention in New York City in 1892, and again in San Francisco in 1897. For more than twenty years he has served as chairman by regular annual election of the home mission work in the Presbytery of St. Joseph, and is also chairman of the Vacancy and Supply Committee, which exercises a gen- eral supervision over vacant churches and provides them with ministers.
Henry A. Sawyers was born near Woodsfield in Monroe County, Ohio, February 22, 1859. He was born on a farm and was the son of a farmer, the late William Orr Sawyers, and his wife, Agnes (Kirker) Sawyers. His father, who spent his last years in Missouri, died at his home three miles west of Maryville October 1, 1914, when past eighty- five years of age. His life was as useful as it was long. He was born on a farm near Bellaire, Ohio, November 22, 1828, the son of parents who were of Scotch stock and natives of the north of Ireland. William O. Sawyers spent most of his life in Eastern Ohio in the valley of the Ohio River, and when three years of age his parents moved to Monroe County not far from the site of Woodsfield, the county seat, and as a boy he could stand on the hills of his home farm and see the smoke- stacks of steamboats passing up and down the Ohio. He attended a log schoolhouse in that community, settled down on a farm after his mar- riage, reared all his family there, and in December, 1894, when already advanced in years, moved to Northwest Missouri in order to be near his
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children. All his education had come from attendance at a subscription school, and what he lacked of book knowledge was made up by keen observation and experience in dealing with men and affairs. Of his character it has been said: "His sense of fairness and justice was strong and although fearless and of a positive temperament he never sued any- one or was sued in his life and was often called upon to adjust differences between people. He lived a clean, religious, moral and temperate life. These qualities, joined to a witty, social nature, surrounded him always with a host of friends." His ancestors had for generations been Pres- byterians, and early in life he united with the Pleasant Ridge United Presbyterian Church in Ohio, and later with the Presbyterian Church at New Castle in that state, and subsequently became identified with the Maryville Presbyterian Church. In all these different congregations he was made a ruling elder. On April 22, 1858, William O. Sawyers married Agnes Kirker, and they became the parents of ten children, two of whom were twins. Agnes (Kirker) Sawyers, who died at her home near Maryville on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1908, was born on an old family homestead near Belfast in County Antrim, Ireland, June 26, 1837, and was a child of three years when her parents came to America and settled in Ohio. She was reared partly in a brother's home in Baltimore, Maryland, and married Mr. Sawyers in Belmont County, Ohio. William O. Sawyers and wife lived together as man and wife for more than half a century, and in April preceding the death of Mrs. Sawyers celebrated their golden wedding anniversary among their children, grandchildren and friends. The surviving chil- dren of this fine old couple are: Rev. Henry A .; John K. and William G., both of Maryville, the latter a prominent lawyer ; Robert J., a farmer west of Maryville ; Lulu M., wife of T. M. Neff ; Jennie B., wife of Wilbur Snyder; Christina S., wife of Lawrence Gault; and Miss Elizabeth A. When William O. Sawyers died he was survived by nineteen grand- children.
Rev. Henry A. Sawyers grew up as a farmer boy in Eastern Ohio, attended country schools, and at the age of sixteen became a teacher, continuing that work for three years and was in one school for five terms. He entered as a student of Franklin College, New Athens, Ohio, in 1879, and was graduated B. A. in 1883, and later received the degrees Master of Arts and Doctor of Divinity from the same institution. In the fall of 1883 Doctor Sawyers entered Lane Theological Seminary of Cincinnati, and was graduated in 1886. After leaving college he had served as a supply and in evangelistic work until graduating from the seminary, and his first pastoral charge was at Auburn, Indiana, where he remained from May, 1886, until July, 1890, when he came to Mis- souri and began the activities which have already been outlined. Rev- erend Sawyers has long been esteemed for his talent as a pulpit orator and ability as pastor. A large number of his sermons have appeared in periodicals and their publication in book form in the near future will prove a welcome addition to religious literature. Reverend Sawyers and his wife have some valuable interests in St. Joseph, consisting of some pieces of real estate, and also considerable farming land. Reverend Sawyers is independent in politics.
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