USA > Missouri > A history of northwest Missouri, Volume III > Part 45
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He has always been progressive, has lived a clean and honorable life and holds the respect of the community in which he lives. He has also traveled considerable, having made three trips to California and is at present planning another and a visit to the exposition.
Mr. Canaday lives at Blythedale, Missouri, is still active in mind and body and personally attends to his business, that of loaning private money.
His life, with that of his father's family, is intertwined with the early history of Harrison County and it is fitting that his record be kept in this volume.
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URI HALLOCK. Although not a native of Missouri, Uri Hallock, one of the early farmers of the Bethany locality of Harrison County, has passed nearly a half a century here, having attached himself to the community in 1867. He is a native of Jefferson County, Ohio, born August 2, 1840, and a son of John Wesley and Mary (Stone) Hallock.
The grandfather of Uri Halloek was Joseph D. Hallock, a native of Vermont, who was brought up among humble surroundings and thus was able to acquire only a meager education. At the outbreak of the War of 1812 he enlisted for service in the American army, and for this was granted at the close of the war a land grant, which he laid at Centerville, Iowa, or that vicinity. There he passed away about the close of the Civil war, aged eighty-four years, after a life spent in agricultural pursuits. He married Susanna Birch.
John Wesley Hallock, the father of Uri Hallock, was born at Ver- gennes, Addison County, Vermont, and was little more than a lad when he accompanied his parents to near Columbus, Ohio, where he grew to manhood. He acquired a fair education and adopted the vocation of farming as his life work. In politics he was an ardent whig and his religious faith was that of the Methodist Church, in which he served as an exhorter and leader. When he first went to Iowa he was engaged in teaching singing, but in later years devoted his entire attention to his farming interests in Jefferson County, where he died in 1852, Mrs. Hai- lock surviving for some time. Their children were as follows: Joseph, who was a Missouri soldier of the Eighteenth Volunteer Infantry during the Civil war and spent his last years at Leadville, Colorado, being the father of a son; Emily, who married Samuel McGill, spent much of her life in Van Buren County, Iowa, and died at Norman, Oklahoma, where her husband owned a claim; Uri, of this notice; Hymen, who died as a member of the Seventh Iowa Infantry, during the Civil war, at St. Louis; and Irene, who became the wife of Jonathan Harris, and died at Olathe, Kansas.
Uri Hallock was nine years of age when he accompanied his parents to Iowa, and near Centerville he grew to manhood, his youthful en- vironment being that of the farm and his education coming from the district schools. He had barely begun life on his own account when he responded to President Lincoln's call for 75,000 volunteers to defend the Union, and he enlisted at Centerville, Iowa, in Company D, Sixth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, his captain being M. M. Waldon and his colonel, McDowell. The regiment rendezvoused at Burlington, Iowa, and was ordered to Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, subsequently taking part in the Springfield campaign after the engagement at Wilson Creek, and spending the following winter at Sedalia. In the spring of 1862 the Fifteenth Army Corps went to Shiloh to assist General Grant, and Mr. Hallock took part in the battle at that place and was taken prisoner by the enemy. He was sent to Montgomery, Alabama, where he was confined for a short time, as well as at Griffin and Macon, Georgia, and in the prison at Atlanta. At Macon he remained during the summer and was finally exchanged, being sent, with about fifteen hundred others, to Richmond, Virginia, and walking to the flag of truce boat bound for Annapolis, Maryland. There he was turned over to the Federal authorities and after about a month was sent to St. Louis.
At St. Louis the former prisoners were sent each to his own com. mand, Mr. Hallock finding his regiment at Memphis, Tennessee. The winter of 1862-3 the command spent at Grand Junction, Tennessee, and the next spring went to the investment of Vicksburg where General Sherman's troops kept Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's army from going to the relief of Vicksburg. After the fall of the city the Fifteenth Corps
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fought Johnston at Jackson, Mississippi, and then went back to Vicks- burg and up the river to Memphis and across to Chattanooga, taking part in the battle of Missionary Ridge. There Mr. Hallock was wounded and left the regiment. He was hit with a musket ball in the right arm and was in the hospital there and at Nashville until he became able to go home, when he was paroled, staying home until the spring of 1864. At that time he rejoined his regiment, then at Chattanooga, and started with Sherman's command on the Atlanta campaign. He only accom- panied his regiment a few days when it was discovered that lying on the ground had set up inflammation in his injured ribs and he was sent back to the hospital and when he rejoined his command it was on the Chattahoochie River, July 16th. The next day his term of enlistment expired and he was discharged and sent back to Davenport, Iowa.
Mr. Hallock then returned to his home, recuperated from his wound, was married, and in 1867 came to Missouri. When he came here he was without capital and accordingly moved to an eighty-acre tract of land which was owned by his wife, in section 12, and which formed the nucleus for his present home. He has done all the substantial improving necessary to make a comfortable and attractive home and has been identified with diversified farming all his life. For a time he was a breeder of English Shire horses, which he carried on in a small way, and this business is still being conducted in a modest manner by his sons. Mr. Hallock's home farm of 250 acres is located in section 7, township 63, range 7.
In politics Mr. Hallock has identified himself with the democratic party and has served as justice of the peace of his township two years, his locality being ordinarily a republican stronghold by the odds of three to one. He has been in the Christian Church ever since coming to the county, as a member of the Bethany congregation, and while he resided in Bethany served as elder.
Mr. Hallock was married September 16, 1866, to Mrs. Electa A. Dale, a daughter of Shubal and Rhoda A. (Withington) Fuller, she being born at Beekmantown, Connecticut, where she was a school teacher. Mr. Fuller was born in Ohio, a son of Isaac Fuller, of New York. Mrs. Hallock's first husband was Thomas J. Dale, who died of typhoid fever in the Union army and left the following children: Shubal A., a farmer of Harrison County ; Victoria A., the wife of John L. Foster, of Ridgeway, Missouri; and Sarah E., the wife of B. O. Coleman, of Clinton, Oklahoma. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hallock have been as follows: Hymen J., a farmer of Harrison County, married Dora Frencham; Barton C., engaged in farming near his brother, married Maggie Harrison; John W., a farmer near his father, married Rose Spencher; and Ora M., who is the wife of J. M. Bender, a farmer of Harrison County.
MRS. ROBERT KENNISH. In Liberty Township of Holt County one of the homes which suggest comfort and enterprise and the best standards of Northwest Missouri agriculture is that now occupied by Mrs. Robert Kennish, and has been her home for the past thirty years. It was here that her late husband, Robert Kennish, who died July 29, 1909, spent his active career, developed a good farm, and while providing for his family also accumulated the honors of good citizenship and kindly and helpful relations with the community.
Mrs. Robert Kennish was the mother of eight children, and the seven still living are: William, who married Martha Harshman; Nettie, wife of William Cantlin; Grace, unmarried; Emma, wife of B. E. Hed-
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rick; Robert, who lives at home; Catherine, unmarried; and Myrtle. All the children were born on the home farm.
Mrs. Kennish before her marriage was Dora Skeels, a daughter of George and Serelda (Caton) Skeels. Mrs. Kennish had five brothers and sisters named Frank, Floyd, Myrtle, May and George.
Mr. and Mrs. Kennish were married in Holt County, March 11, 1883, and at once settled on the farm which has been the family home for more than thirty years. The land had no improvements at the time, and they lived in the first buildings erected there. The homestead comprises 120 acres, and Mrs. Kennish and her son, Robert, are now active managers of the farm. Mrs. Kennish is a member of the Presbyterian Church, and her husband was a republican in politics. Though he had begun life a poor man and with very little schooling, having gained his education by self study and observation, his thorough industry and good habits put him among the successful men of Holt County. He was from a family that originated on the Isle of Man.
Mrs. Kennish was born in Fulton County, Ohio, and came to Holt County with her parents about 1864. Her father was a prominent man in Holt County, taught school here for several years, later was post- master at Mound City, and for a number of years served as judge of the County Court from the upper district of Holt County. He was an active republican, and cast his first vote for John C. Fremont in 1856. After some years as a Holt County farmer he moved out to Parsons, Kansas, and lived there until his death. Mrs. Kennish's mother is still living, with her home in Mound City.
CHARLES JOSEPH DOPKINS, of Bethany, has passed his life as a farmer and has lived in the County of Harrison since 1866, in which year he came hither with his parents from Cattaraugus County, New York, where his birth occurred August 16, 1859. His father was Joseph C. Dopkins, born at Hoosac, Rensselaer County, New York, June 18, 1820, and on his father's side was of German descent, while his mother was of Irish stock. Joseph C. Dopkins was one of several children, among whom were: Ann J., who married Mr. Havens and spent her life in the City of Buffalo, New York; Matilda, who married William Madison and died also at Buffalo; Daniel, who died at Woodland, California ; Joseph Case, the father of Charles Joseph; and Elizabeth, who became the wife of Mr. Miles and spent her life at Randolph, New York.
Joseph Case Dopkins was orphaned as a child and grew up in the home of relatives, his sister, Mrs. Madison, having much of his care. He was fortunate in securing a collegiate education and started out in life for himself at a rather early age, taking to the Lakes as a sailor and soon drifting into the whaling business, which he followed for many years, visiting many ports and various parts of the world. He completed his life on the water as a sailor on the Great Lakes, and when he aban- doned that career became attached to the Pennsylvania Railway shops, at Corry, Pennsylvania, as a carbuilder, leaving that vocation to come to Missouri. He missed active service during the Civil war, having suffered a broken arm, but was an ardent Union man and several of his relatives served in the volunteer forces throughout the struggle.
Mr. Dopkins brought his family of six children to Missouri by rail- road to Chillicothe and by wagon to his destination in Harrison County. He had made a prospecting tour of this country which had favorably impressed him with the opportunities and advantages here, and settled in Jefferson Township on land which he had previously purchased. This was nearly all wild and uncultivated and presented many discouraging problems to a man whose former life had been connected with vocations
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in no way allied with the soil, but he possessed energy and perseverance, and during the fifteen years that he resided on this property he was able to bring it under a good state of cultivation, only leaving it because of encroaching years and attending feebleness. In 1886 he located at Bethany, and here he was largely occupied with his duties as public administrator of Harrison County.
Mr. Dopkins was a republican in his political views, and was elected public administrator of the county some time during the '70s, his services being so acceptable in that capacity that he served therein for a period of sixteen years. Among the many estates he administered was one of peculiar interest, that of a miser named Barker, who lived and died southeast of Bethany. He lived in a miserable hovel or shack and was supposed to be poor, aside from his realty possessions, which were in sight. In searching for property, however, Mr. Dopkins found several thousand dollars in gold coin and currency, hidden in an old trunk and in other junk about the premises, and while there seemed to be no relatives at first, when the money was found and advertised a daughter appeared on the scene, proved her identity, and secured the estate. Mr. Dopkins passed away while still in office, July 10, 1894. Mr. Dopkins' early experience as a sailor, his early ones as an educated youth and his wide travels made him a personage of wide information, when to this is added his course of historical reading throughout life, but he never essayed to public speaking. He belonged to the Methodist Church and served it faithfully as a trustee.
Joseph Case Dopkins was married to Miss Sarepta Barnum, who was born at Collins, Erie County, New York, November 21, 1822, the daughter of natives of the Empire State. She still survives her husband and resides at Sanger, Fresno County, California. The children born to Joseph Case and Sarepta Dopkins were as follows: Florence S., who is the wife of Z. T. Rose, of Dinuba, California; De Witt H., who is a resi- dent of the same place; Mary E., who became the wife of N. L. Durgin, of Sanger, California; George M., of Dinuba, California; William H., who married Harriet Browning and died in Harrison County, Missouri, leaving a family; and Charles Joseph, of this review.
Charles Joseph Dopkins received his education in Jefferson Town- ship, Harrison County, and engaged in farming in that locality at the time he reached his majority. He had thoroughly learned this vocation from his father, and met with a fair measure of success in his operations, but in 1877 crossed the plains to Denver, Colorado, and located at Long- mont, where he worked on a ranch and was also connected with rail- road construction work as a section boss. After two years spent in Denver, Mr. Dopkins returned to Missouri, and was engaged in farm- ing until 1883, when he again turned his face westward, this time mak- ing a trip to California. He was still a single man, and at the end of one year returned to take charge of matters at home, his brother having died. He resumed farming in Jefferson Township until 1902, when he again went to California, this time with his family, and after spending 21/2 years largely in sight-seeing among the big trees, the orange and fruit country, the mountains and the big observatory, returned to his home. At that time he located at Bethany, which has been his place of residence to the present time.
In political matters a republican, Mr. Dopkins cast his first presi- dential vote for James A. Garfield and has continued to vote for every candidate of his party for that office, casting a vote for Colonel Roose- velt while in California, at that time being yard boss for a sawmill in Fresno County. He has served as township assessor two terms and as township trustee one term. A Methodist in his religious faith, Mr.
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Dopkins has been both class leader and trustee of his church at Bethany, and for three years was superintendent of the Sunday School there. His fraternal connection is with the Yeomen.
On October 26, 1887, Mr. Dopkins was united in marriage with Miss Emma May Weary, a daughter of Franklin and Mollie (Grim) Weary, natives of Union County, Pennsylvania, from whence they moved to Illinois prior to the outbreak of the Civil war. They resided in Stephen- son County for several years, and there Mrs. Dopkins was born July 14, 1865, one of seven children. Mr. Weary was a widower when he married Mollie Grim, his first wife having been a Miss Stover, by whom he had a son, Millard, who is now a resident of Lanark, Illinois. Mrs. Weary was a widow at the time of her marriage to Mr. Weary, her first husband having been Philip Shaffer, by whom she had two chil- dren-Chesty, who died in Jefferson Township, Harrison County, as Mrs. Sharp Winningham; and Clementine, who married Edward Hicks, of Fort Scott, Kansas. The brothers of Mrs. Dopkins are: Thronton, of St. Joseph; Franklin G., also of that city; and Lewis, of Wetmore, Kansas.
Two daughters, Iva May and Florence S., have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Dopkins. The former was educated at Bethany and graduated in music at Cameron, Missouri, taught one season in the Missionary Train- ing School, Chicago, and then completed her education by a course of one year at Northwestern University, Evanston. Miss Florence S., who obtained her early education in the Bethany public schools, is now a student of Northwestern University.
ALEXANDER GREENWELL. The distinction of being the oldest settler now living in Gentry County, Missouri, belongs to Alexander Green- well, one of the successful farmers in the locality tributary to Darlington, who came hither in 1840 from Schuyler County, Illinois, with an ox- team, in company with his parents, Robert and Dorcas (Frakes) Green- well.
Robert Greenwell was born in Maryland, and as a young man moved to Kentucky, where he was residing at the time of the commencing of the War of 1812. He enlisted for service in the army of the United States, went down the Mississippi River on a flatboat to engage in his duties as a soldier, saw active and heavy service, including the decisive battle of New Orleans, and when he received his honorable discharge made his way home on foot. From his Kentucky home he migrated as a pioneer to the State of Illinois, there residing in Schuyler County until 1840, when he gathered his family about him and sought a new location in the promising and newly-opened country west of the Mississippi, making the journey with an ox-team and carrying his family belongings with him. The Father of Waters was crossed at Quincy, Illinois, and the family then wended their way westward toward their destination in the County of Clinton, Missouri, Gentry County at that time having not yet been laid out. Robert Greenwell entered 160 acres of land on Grand River and patented it, and here for seven years made his home and engaged in agricultural pursuits, then returning to his former home in Schuyler County, Illinois, where he passed away when about sixty years of age, in 1860. His wife, whom he married in Ken- tucky, died in Cowley County, Kansas, as a pensioner of the War of 1812. The children of Robert and Dorcas (Frakes) Greenwell were as follows: James, wlio died while a resident of California, leaving a son who is still a resident of Cloverdale, that state; William, whose death occurred in Cowley County, Kansas, with his mother; Henry, who died at Wichita, Kansas; Robert, who died at Kansas City, Missouri;
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Alexander, of this review; Stephen, who died in Cowley County, Kansas; Marion, who passed away in Colorado; Hardin, who died in Schuyler County, Illinois; and Jane, who married James Chick and resides in Palo Pinto County, Texas.
When Alexander Greenwell came to Missouri he was a lad of but thirteen years and from that time he has spent his life within the limits of Gentry County. His early recollections are of Indians, a wild com- munity filled with game, deer, turkeys, a few elk and wild bees beyond description. This made living a matter of conquest over Nature. The trading place was St. Joseph, the boat-landing was on the river, and there were but two stores there, these being kept by Jo Roubidoux and a Mr. Patch, while the few people who were living along the Grand River and could be called neighbors devoted themselves to farming. Corn was the chief product, no wheat being grown at that time, and the market products comprised hickory and hazel nuts, while occasionally they drove a few hogs to market. Each did his own work, making the clothing they wore, and the roads were little more than paths across the country, not a bridge being found in the entire county.
Mr. Greenwell purchased the old homestead his father entered from the heirs, and of the timber lands he has acquired he cleared up forty acres. He has added to the farm, and it is now rated among thie best bottom properties in the county. While he was making a farm and raising stock, he ran a ferry on Grand River, at the place called Green- well's Ford, establishing the first ferry there years previous to the Civil war. This institution proved to be a money-maker and aided him materially in the building and improving of his farm. His ferry rates for a two-horse wagon was 50 cents, for a footman 10 cents and for a single horseman 20 cents, although he received nothing from the soldiers whom he ferried across during the Civil war. His whole career as a ferryman was spent without an accident or untoward incident, although many times the water covered the wide bottoms adjacent to the stream. When the bridge was built the ferry was abandoned. Mr. Greenwell was in the Union army a short time, being under Colonel Cranor and stationed at St. Joseph for a period. His duties were as a guard, and he finally left the state service, securing a substitute in his place.
Mr. Greenwell is a democrat. His life has been practically without political activity, save as a voter, and he has never held office. It was his privilege to see Abraham Lincoln when he was wont to plead law cases in Schuyler County, Illinois, and has always regarded the Martyred President as one of the best and greatest men the Nation has known. Mr. Greenwell is something of a philosopher in his way and it is his observation that there is only one way of making a success of life and that is in a straightforward, honorable career. He has always been a temperance man, and favored giving the ballot to women in 1914, in Missouri, believing that such a course of action would soon seal the doom of the liquor interests. He belongs to the Christian Church, of which he has been a member for a long time, and has helped build many churches, his last contribution being toward the new edifice of the Chris- tian congregation at Albany. He has distributed charity in a practical, unassuming and quiet way, giving freely of his means to all worthy appeals.
Mr. Greenwell was married in 1846, in this community, to Miss Bathena Gossett, a daughter of Joseph Gossett, and she died in 1864, having been the mother of three children, namely: John, who was mur- dered by robbers in 1889; Stephen, who lives on the homestead place ; Mary, who married Lee Stone, of Jackson County, Missouri. Mr. Green- well was married the second time, in September, 1865, to Mary J. Matney, Vol. III-20
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a daughter of John Matney, who came from Kentucky to Missouri, engaged in agricultural pursuits, and died in Platte County. Mr. and Mrs. Greenwell have had five children: Jasper, a resident of Wyoming; Thomas, who resides on the homestead farm, married Blanche Edwards; Alexander S., a resident of Wyoming; Charley, a resident of Nebraska, married Tot Rhodecker; and Nellie, who is the wife of Harry Johnson, of Albany. Mr. Greenwell is one of the old Masons of Gentry County, and belongs to the lodge at Darlington.
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RICHARD C. NORTON. The late Richard C. Norton, who died at his home in Trenton, Missouri, May 18, 1908, was one of Missouri's distin- guished educators, and for upwards of forty years was engaged in his chosen work as a teacher, an educational executive and in the effective exercise of his influence in behalf of better schools and other moral and intellectual agencies in this state. Mrs. Norton, who survives him, is still living at her home in Trenton.
Richard C. Norton was of old and distinguished lineage and was born near Hiram, Portage County, Ohio, June 16, 1840. The genealogy of the Norton family which has been compiled by one of its members, shows an unbroken line of twenty generations from the late Richard C. Norton. In the twentieth generation the head of the family was a Lord Norville, of France, who was an officer under William the Conqueror, and went with that Norman invader into England in 1066. For many genera- tions the family home was in England. Richard Norton, who was in the eighth generation before Richard C. Norton, came to America in 1635, having been preceded by some of his brothers. He was a New England settler, and from him the line of descent is traced through the following heads of generations: John Norton, who owned landed estates at Bran- ford, Connecticut, in which colony he died November 5, 1709; John Nor- ton, II, born at Branford, October 16, 1657, and died April 25, 1725; Ebenezer Norton, born at Farmington, Connecticut, and died March 21, 1750; Bethuel Norton, born at Farmington, subsequently removed to Oneida County, New York, served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war, and participated in an exploring expedition over the western country towards the Mississippi River; Peter Norton, born May 11, 1770, at New Hartford, New York, was grandfather of the late Richard C. Norton. Peter Norton married Elthina Thompson. About 1807 he came out to the new State of Ohio, living for two years in Trumbull County, and then locating in what is now Summit County.
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