USA > Missouri > Linn County > Compendium of history and biography of Linn County, Missouri > Part 51
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On February 11, 1896, he was married to Miss Nellie E. Rhoades, a daughter of John and Amanda Rhoades, respected and valued resi- dents of Brookfield, Missouri. Mrs. Fore died on July 30, 1911, and her untimely demise is still a source of universal sorrow throughout the city and township in which she lived. For she was warmly
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esteemed as an excellent woman, and a forceful agency in the social, intellectual and religious life of the community. There were no chil- dren born of her union with the doctor.
In fraternal life Dr. Fore is connected with the Order of Odd Fel- lows and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. Politically, while he is not an active partisan, and has never sought an office of any kind, he believes firmly in the principles of the Democratic party and supports them loyally. He sees in them the promise and in their supremacy the fulfillment of the highest and most enduring good to his county, state and country, but he is not intolerant to the views and opinions of other men. He is an excellent citizen and the county holds him in cordial regard as such.
DR. JOHN S. EVANS
Although born in Denbigshire, Wales, Dr. John S. Evans of Brook- field has been a resident of Linn county, Missouri, for about thirty years and has practiced his profession here for a period of about twenty-one years. During that period his services to the residents of the county have been so signal and extensive that he has endeared him- self to the people as much as he ever could have done if he were native among them. He has also become so thorough in his sympathy with their aspirations and purposes and so loyal and devoted to their insti- tutions, that he is, for all practical purposes, as much an American as any of them.
Dr. Evans' life began on February 27, 1865, and he is a son of Rev. Ebenezer and Mary A. (Jones) Evans, both Welsh by nativity and long descent. The father was a Presbyterian clergyman, and died in his native land when his son was about eleven years of age, leaving his widow and three children, the other two being daughters, to deeply mourn their early bereavement. The mother accepted the duty of rearing her offspring thus thrust upon her, with the resignation of a sturdy Christian woman and the fortitude and self-reliance of a Roman matron, and she performed her duty faithfully to the full extent of her powers.
The doctor began his academic education and also his professional training in the land of his birth, but his studies in both were inter- rupted when he was fifteen by an event of the greatest moment in his life, as it seemed to him then and has since proved to be. When he
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was at that age, that is, in 1880, the family emigrated to this country, and on their arrival came at once to Missouri and located in Macon county. The doctor soon afterward came to Brookfield and accepted employment as a bookkeeper, and while performing his duties as such attended the Brookfield Academy, which was then conducted by Dr. Findley.
He completed his course of instruction at the academy in June, 1884 and then determined to continue his medical studies, which, how- ever, he had not wholly neglected in the meantime. In 1887 he entered the St. Louis Medical College, and later matriculated at the Missouri Medical College of St. Louis, Missouri, from which institution he was graduated in 1890 with the degree of M. D.
He immediately returned to Brookfield, and located here to take up the duties of his chosen profession and he has been kept busy with an extensive and very exacting practice ever since. He has devoted himself especially to surgery and grown eminent in that department of the medical science. He is called for many miles distant on critical cases requiring the highest skill and attention, and is very successful in treating them.
Always eager to get information, and at all times equally as willing to impart it, Dr. Evans has availed himself of all opportuni- ties for the former and cheerfully responded to all calls for the latter. He is a diligent student of the best literature of his profession, espe- cially all that bears on his favored lines of practice.
In the public affairs of his home city and county the doctor has always taken an earnest interest and an active part. He has long been a member of the school board, and from the dawn of his manhood has been a zealous worker for the progress and improvement of the section in which he lives.
Dr. Evans was married on March 25, 1891, to Miss Margaret J. Shaw, the daughter of a Presbyterian clergyman and a native of this state. They have two sons and a daughter, Paul, Lane and Alice G. The father is a member of the Presbyterian church and attentive to its claims upon him, both with reference to the good work it under- takes, in which he is always a helpful force, and in the exemplifica- tion of its teachings in his daily life and his relations and dealings with fellow men. Fraternally he is connected with the Masonic order, and in that, too, he takes a serviceable interest, regarding it as a force of considerable potency for the betterment and social enjoyment of mankind.
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ISAAC NEWTON WILBER
We have the sanction of Holy Writ for the declaration that a prophet is not without honor save in his own country. But, however this may be with prophets, it is not always true of men who devote their best faculties and long years of their time to the service of great corporations and other lines of business of commanding importance. This was testified in a glowing manner in the case of Isaac Newton Wilber on Saturday afternoon, December 28, 1907, when the citizens of Hannibal, Missouri, and the railroad men connected with the Burling- ton Railroad in that city assembled in the court house to show their appreciation of Mr. Wilber's fifty years of zealous and effective work for that system of railroading.
On this occasion, which was just before Mr. Wilber's retirement from the service of the road, all honors to a private citizen, who had nothing to recommend him but his ability and fidelity to duty in several trying and arduous capacities, were outdone by the testimonial given Mr. Wilber. Music, flowers, song and oratory were features of the meeting, and several men high in the councils of the road paid him glowing tributes for his long and faithful and at all times efficient service, and the general verdict was "Well done, good and faithful man, in a continuous round of duty for fifty years." .
Mr. Wilber was born in Dutchess county, New York, on February 24, 1836, and was reared to the age of eighteen on a farm. He received a good common school education, and in November, 1854, when he was eighteen, moved with his parents and the rest of the family to Moline, Illinois. He remained at Moline, working in a saw mill, until Novem- ber, 1857, then changed his residence to Missouri and his occupation to work for the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad, beginning his engagement on the road December 1, 1857. His first work was making ties in a saw mill which the company leased in Kansas.
This occupied him until the fall of 1858, when he went to the end of the track then built and delivered ties and rails to track layers until February 13, 1859, when the track was finished. From that time until October, 1860, he worked as a laborer with a gang of carpenters erect- ing depots and other necessary structures on the line of the road. He next secured a position as brakeman and continued to serve the com- pany in that capacity until February, 1862, at which time he became fireman on one of the locomotives. He served as fireman until May, 1863, wnen he was promoted to the position of engineer.
He held this position until September 1, 1868, when he was made
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roundhouse foreman in Hannibal, remaining as such until September 1, 1877, and then again went on the road as engineer. On October 1, 1884, he was again made foreman of the roundhouse in Hannibal and remained in charge of it until May 1, 1887. At that time he was sent to Brookfield as division master mechanic, which position he filled until the death of N. J. Paradise, in January, 1896, when he was made master mechanic with headquarters at Hannibal, and he continued to serve the road in this capacity until his retirement on January 1, 1908.
Mr. Wilber is a son of George W. and Mary A. (Stewart) Wilber, who were also natives of the state of New York. The father was a farmer, but after removing his family to Moline, Illinois, in 1854, worked for a lumber company in connection with his farming until the death of the mother in 1876. He then changed his residence to Hannibal and passed the remainder of his life, and where he died on January 24, 1890, at the advanced age of seventy-eight years.
Nine children, five sons and four daughters, were born in the family, and three of the sons and two of the daughters are still living. Two of the sons reside in Brookfield. One son, Jacob E. Wilber, served in the One Hundred and Nineteenth Volunteer Infantry three years during the Civil War. He was in the army commanded by General Sherman, and saw a great deal of active service during the momentous and sanguinary conflict. He is now an engineer on the Burlington rail- road. The grandfather of these children was Jacob Wilber. He died in the state of New York.
In the early days, when Mr. Wilber was firing on a locomotive, all the engines were known by names. His berth was on the Old Hanni- bal, No. 2. During the Civil War he also saw service in defense of the Union, enlisting in a company of the Home Guard under a ninety days' call. There was considerable turbulence in his neighborhood at the time, and he was called into active hostilities on more than one occasion, especially while doing guard duty on the river front in Hannibal.
Mr. Wilber was married on April 7, 1861, in Hannibal, to Miss Levina Kain, a native of Pennsylvania. They have seven children: Mary L., who is now Mrs. M. A. Cooley; Henrietta, who is the wife of George Chapman; George S., who is now master mechanic of the St. Joe division of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy; Jacob E., who is a machinist for the Iron Mountain Railroad; Isaac N., Jr., who is a machinist for the Denver & Rio Grande Railroad at Grand Junction, Colorado; Sarah E., who is the wife of Charles Betebenner, of Han-
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nibal; and Walter A., who is also a railroad man, but is living at home.
Mr. Wilber has been a member of the Masonic Order since 1865 and has always taken a great interest in the fraternity in general and his lodge in particular. He is now the only surviving member of the old guard of railroad men in Missouri and he is beloved as few men in the state have ever been. His character and services were well epitomized by Hon. George A. Mahan in an eloquent address delivered by that gentleman at the testimonial given Mr. Wilber at the time of his retirement from active work for the railroad. Mr. Mahan said in part: "What more splendid tribute than the presence of this large gathering of the friends and associates of Mr. Wilber could be paid to his worth as a man and his good citizenship? The people of Hannibal long since learned to love and honor him for those sterling qualities which make the true man. The life of this master mechanic has been one of construction and not destruction. He builded always for the better interest of the railroad company, the men who worked under him and the city and state in which he lived. To emulate the life and follow in the footsteps of Mr. Wilber would surely bring its just reward and make us all the best of citizens."
THOMAS HALLIBURTON
From the dawn of his manhood Thomas Halliburton has been en- gaged in merchandising, and the success he has made of his calling shows that whether Nature intended him for it or not, she endowed him highly with the necessary qualifications for following it on an elevated plane. He is now the leading merchant of Brookfield and has the best and most popular general dry goods store in northeastern Missouri, as well as one of the most extensively and completely equipped and stocked.
Mr. Halliburton was born at Linneus on September 20, 1851, and is a son of Wesley and Armilda (Collins) Halliburton, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Kentucky. The father was born in 1812 and brought by his parents to Huntsville, Randolph county, Missouri, in 1822. He grew to manhood in that county, and there studied law and taught school. After his admission to the bar he prac- ticed in several counties in northeastern Missouri, being a circuit attor- ney, according to the custom of the time.
About the year 1847 he located at Linneus, and some years after-
THOMAS HALLIBURTON
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wards was made receiver of the government land office at Milan, Sulli- van county, by President Pierce. During his tenure of this office he handled a great deal of money, which periodically he carried to St. Louis on horseback. He resumed his residence in Linneus in 1860, and in 1861 moved to Brunswick, Chariton county, where he lived until after the close of the Civil war. He was one of the first promoters of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad and one of its first directors. When he moved from Brunswick he took up his residence in St. Louis county, but three years later settled on his farm near Milan, where he died in June, 1890. His second wife, the mother of his son Thomas, died in 1870.
Mr. Halliburton, the elder, was a member of the constitutional con- vention of 1872 and afterward served in the state senate. He was mar- ried three times, his first wife having been a Miss Holemon, who bore him three children, one of whom, a son, is living and has his home in Milan. She died in Macon county. The second marriage was with the mother of Thomas Halliburton and resulted in the birth of ten chil- dren, six of whom are living. The third wife, whose maiden name was Judith Owens, is living and resides in Carthage, Mo.
The husband was a pronounced Democrat and a leader of his party in the state. But he was opposed to its secession from the Union and a potent factor in preventing that disaster. In fraternal life he was an Odd Fellow and in religious affiliation a Baptist. His father, Am- brose Halliburton, was born in Tennessee and was a farmer. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and as a reward of his patriotism was given a grant of land by the government, as were his five brothers, who were also soldiers in that war. He located his grant in what is now Linn county, and became a pioneer of Randolph county in 1822, and there passed the remainder of his days.
Thomas Halliburton was reared and educated in Linneus. In 1872 he started in business in that city as a general merchant, opening a fine store, which he conducted for a period of fifteen years. In 1887 he moved to Brookfield, and since then has been at the head of the impos- ing and popular dry goods emporium which has made him known throughout the state, and a man of special prominence and influence in this county. He is also a stockholder in and one of the directors of the Brownlee Bank, and has been president of the Brookfield Commer- cial Club two years.
Mr. Halliburton was married at Linneus on September 1, 1874, to Miss Mollie Russell, a daughter of David and Deborah A. (Trumbo) Russell. Three sons have blessed the union and brightened the home-
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stead: Fred R., who is connected with his father in business; Russell B., who is a commercial tourist, and James C., who is president of the Halliburton Company of Brookfield. The father is a member of the Order of Elks, the Order of Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of the World. He is one of the leading men and merchants of this part of the state, and is most highly esteemed wherever he is known.
He began his mercantile enterprise when he was just twenty-one and on a small scale. But he had great aptitude for the business and he increased his qualifications by close and intelligent study of his undertaking in all its bearings, expanding his operations as he had opportunity and means, and from the beginning building as if he knew the magnitude he could reach and the necessity for his making every step of the progress sound and enduring. He has contributed very largely and substantially to the commercial greatness and power of Brookfield, and helped to put many forces in motion for its growth and advancement. And by his steady, upright and successful course, his ceaseless enterprise, his originality and resourcefulness and his adop- tion of every worthy new idea, he has made himself one of the most influential and representative business men in the West. He is also one of Linn county's best and most useful citizens in many other ways.
WILLIAM J. TUITE (Deceased)
By the death of the late William J. Tuite on April 4, 1911, the city of Brookfield lost a valued citizen and one of its honored pioneers. He arrived at the city in 1866, just six years after it was laid out, and lived there until his death. He was very helpful in the work of laying its foundations, and to the end of his life took a warm and energetic interest in its growth, development and improvement. He had pro- gressive ideas and considerable versatility in efforts to realize them, and his public spirit was always equal to any demand made on it.
Mr. Tuite was a native of Ireland, born in the city of Dublin on May 12, 1824. His parents, Richard and Eliza (Baguell) Tuite, were also natives of that country, but moved to the province of Ontario, Canada, in its pioneer days and during the childhood of their son Wil- liam, and there they passed the remainder of their days, dying at advanced ages and after long records of usefulness and upright living.
Their son William grew to manhood in Ontario and obtained a lim- ited education in the district schools of that province. After leaving
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school he learned the trade of a stonemason, and soon after completing his apprenticeship moved to New York state. There he was united in marriage with Miss Gussie Thomas, and by this union became the father of two daughters, one of whom is living, Mrs. Eveline Quinn, who is a resident of this county. Her mother died in Hampton, Wash- ington county, N. Y., on March 15, 1865, and on May 30, 1886, the father contracted a second marriage, being united on this occasion with Miss Nancy M. Dodge, a native of the state of New York, and the daughter of Otis Dodge, who came to Brookfield in 1868. The second Mrs. Tuite is still living and is one of the most respected and estimable matrons of Brookfield.
Mr. Tuite was a Republican in his political faith and allegiance, but not an active partisan and never sought or desired a political office of any kind. He was content to give his attention to his own affairs and leave the administration of those of the city and county to persons who desired the honor of attending to it. Fraternally he was con- nected with the Order of Odd Fellows, and in religious faith adhered to the teachings of the Baptist church, and in his daily life he exempli- fied them and those of his lodge on all occasions and in all his dealings.
Not far from the age of ninety years when he died, for a number of years he lived retired from all active work, but he never lost interest in the welfare of Brookfield and Linn county, and passed his declining period of earthly existence revered as a pioneer and patriarch of the city for whom all its people had high respect as a man of worth and fidelity to duty at all times, an example to the whole community by rea- son of his integrity of character, his usefulness as a citizen and his abiding straightforwardness as a man. When he passed away in the fullness of years and of public esteem, all classes of the residents of Brookfield testified to his genuine merit in forceful and impressive ways.
JAMES CARPENTER
Born in County Kent, England, and endowed by nature with many of the sturdy and sterling qualities which have made the "bright little, tight little isle" the commanding commercial and naval power of the world, James Carpenter, the pioneer grocer of Brookfield, has proven himself to be a valuable addition to the enterprise, progressive- ness and business ability which characterize American manhood in its best development, and has risen to the first rank in business circles and
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the general esteem of the people in Linn county, where he has lived since 1869.
Mr. Carpenter's life began on January 3, 1848, and he is a son of James and Jane (Cornwell) Carpenter, both of the same nativity as himself. The father was a carpenter by trade as well as by name, and worked industriously at his craft for years in his native land. Seeking to better his condition in life, he came to the United States to found a new home for his family, which he left in England. His hopes were not realized here, as he died soon after his arrival in the country.
His son James was but five years old when his mother brought him and his two brothers to this country and located in Waterville, New York. In that city James grew to manhood and obtained his education in the district schools. After leaving school he farmed in the neigh- borhood of Waterville, Oneida county, New York, until 1869, then came to Missouri, located in Linn county and in company with his brother George F. bought a tract of 160 acres of wild land four and one-half miles southwest of Bucklin.
In company with his uncle, Stephen Sharp, he improved that land and lived on it sixteen years, making it over into a valuable and pro- ductive farm, and prospering in the operation of it. In 1885 he changed his residence to Brookfield and started the grocery business in which he is still engaged in that city. His mother died in Brookfield in 1899, and the surviving members of the family are Mr. Carpenter, his brother Cornwell, who lives in the state of New York, and their sister, Mrs. Jennie Tooey, whose home is in Lincoln, Nebraska.
Mr. Carpenter was married in 1881 to Miss Laura F. Cody, a daughter of Michael Cody, who located in Linn county in 1870. Four children have been born of the union, three sons and one daughter, all of whom are living. The sons are Arthur C., George P. and J. Encell, all of whom are associated with their father in the grocery business. The daughter is Laura W., who is still living at home with her parents. The grocery firm trades under the name and style of James Carpenter Sons.
In the public affairs of the city and county of his home Mr. Car- penter has taken a cordial and helpful interest. He has served on the school board for fifteen years and been twice a member of the city council of Brookfield. In fraternal relations he is connected with the Woodmen of the World and the Knights and Ladies of Security, and his religious affiliation is with the Christian church, in which he is one of the elders of the congregation to which he belongs.
The people of Brookfield and Linn county have found him upright
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and square in his dealings and worthy of their high regard in every way. In business, in public office and in private life he has shown him- self true to every duty, zealous for the welfare of his community, active in helping to promote every form of public improvement and a fine type of manhood from every point of view. They esteem him fully in accordance with his demonstrated worth and the high character of his citizenship.
MARVIN C. POST
The worthy son of a distinguished father, and his capable and enterprising successor as the owner and manager of the largest hard- ware business in Linn county, Marvin C. Post of Brookfield is one of the most respected and influential men in this part of Missouri. From his boyhood he has shown admirable traits of character and business ability, and ever since the dawn of his manhood he has taken an ear- nest, practical interest in the welfare and improvement of the city and county of his home. He has therefore fully justified the confidence and esteem the people bestow upon him, both in reference to his business acumen and the uprightness and usefulness of his life in other respects.
Mr. Post was born in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, in March, 1864, and when he was but little over one year old his parents, Jerome C. and Julia P. (Hollister) Post, moved to Brookfield. A sketch of their lives will be found in this volume. The son grew to manhood in Brookfield and obtained his education in its public schools. At an early age he became associated with his father in business, and later opened a store of his own on the south side of the city. This was in 1891, and he con- ducted this store for about ten years. In 1901, having bought his father's business some years before, he opened his present establish- ment, conducting the two as separate stores until 1904, when he con- solidated them, and has carried them on as one ever since.
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