USA > Missouri > Shelby County > General history of Shelby County, Missouri > Part 40
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since 1905. For five years he was snc- cessfully engaged in business as a buyer and shipper of grain, at Clarence, this county, and he still devotes considerable attention to this line of enterprise. Mr. Harrison elings to the political faith in which he was reared and is a staunch advocate of the generic principles for which the Democratic party ever has stood sponsor. Both he and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and he is affiliated with the Shelbina camp of the Modern Wood- men of America.
On April 18, 1878, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Harrison to Miss Lanra B. Penn, of Shelbyville, this county, a danghter of Rev. William Penn, who was a prominent and influential minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, South. Of the four children of this union, three are living-Ernest, who is engaged as engineer on the Santa Fe at Marcelenc, Missouri; William Penn, a farmer; and Howard, also railroading. The family is one whose members are distinctively popular in the community and the at- tractive home is a center of gracions hospitality.
JOHN FREDERICK BURCKHARDT.
John Frederick Burckhardt passed his boyhood and youth on the home farm and early began to assist in its work, in the meanwhile duly availing himself of the advantages of the district school of the neighborhood. Later he continued his studies in the public schools of the vil- lage of Leonard. ITe left school at the age of nineteen years and thereafter he continued to be identified with the work
and management of his father's farm until 1902, when he purchased sixty acres of land in section 17 of his native town- ship and initiated independent opera- tions as a farmer and stock-grower. His early experience and consequent inti- mate knowledge of these two basic lines of industry enabled him to direct his energies with marked discrimination, and the result has been that his success has been of pronounced order. To his original tract he has added until he now has a well improved farm estate of two hundred and ten acres, of which one hun- dred and eighty acres are maintained under effective cultivation. His home- stead has excellent buildings and the able management that he gives to his farm is well shown in its general air of thrift and prosperity. Mr. Burckhardt was reared in the faith of the Republican party and has never deviated therefrom since attaining to the right of franchise. Like his parents he is a member of the Presbyterian church, and in the same both he and his wife are zealous workers. They have a wide circle of friends in their home county and their home is one of gracious hospitality and refined at- mosphere. In a fraternal way he is affiliated with the lodge of Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Bethel, this county.
On the 19th of April, 1902. was re- corded the marriage of John Frederick Burckhardt to Miss Minnie E. Baker, who was born in Washington county, Ohio, on the 30th of October, 1879, and who came with her parents to Shelby county. Missouri, when a child. She is a daughter of Leander and Susana (Mc- Cammon) Baker, the former of whom
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was born in Pennsylvania and the latter in Ireland. They are now residents of Shelby county, where Mr. Baker is a sue- cessful farmer. Mr and Mrs. Burckhardt have one child, Burdett Frederick, who was born in December, 1904.
RICHARD COLLIER.
The subject of this sketch is one of the best known and most highly es- teemed citizens of his native county and city, and is at the present time ineum- bent of the position of postmaster of Shelbyville, of which city he was for- merly mayor and in which he has held other offices of trust, betokening the high regard of the people of the community in which practically his entire life has been passed. He is a member of one of the old and honored pioneer families of this section of the state, and thus there are many elements which render con- sistent a review of his personal career and genealogical data in this publication.
Richard Collier was born in Shelby- ville, Missouri, November 25, 1849, and is a son of James M. and Catherine B. (Gooch) Collier, both of whom were born in the state of Kentucky, whence their respective parents moved to Missouri in an early day. William Collier, grand- father of the subject of this review, was likewise a native of Kentucky, and he passed the closing years of his life in Grandy county, Missouri, where he de- veloped a farm and was a well known pioneer. James M. Collier was reared to maturity in Missouri, where he re- ceived a common-school education and where he learned in his youth the trade of brickmason, which he followed for
some time, later becoming a successful contractor in connection with his trade. Just before the inception of the Civil war he settled on a farm near Oakdale, Shelby county, where the family home was maintained for several years. He finally took up his residence in Shelby- ville, where he built up a successful con- tracting business in the erection of brick buildings and other structures, and he was among the early incumbents of the office of sheriff of Shelby county. He was one of the argonauts who made their way to California during the memorable gold excitement of 1849 and succeeding years, and he made a very snecessful venture in taking mules across the plains to the mining districts, where he dis- posed of the animals at a large profit. TTe was identified with gold mining in California about four years and was very successful in his operations.
James Collier manifested unqualified loyalty to the Union at the time of the Civil war. He enlisted in 1861, in re- sponse to President Lincoln's first call for volunteers, becoming a member of a Missonri regiment and continuing in active service during practically the en- tire period of the great internecine con- fliet, within which he participated in a large number of the important battles on the sanguinary fields of the Sonth. He was made captain of his company, and his regiment was commanded by Col. B. F. Benjamin. He continued throughout life to manifest a deep in- terest in his old comrades, though for- getting the animosities engendered of the great war between the states, and he was a popular and honored member of the Grand Army of the Republic. In
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politics he was aligned as a staunch sup- porter of the cause of the Republican party from the time of its organization until his death, and he hield membership also in the Masonic fraternity. He was a man of exalted integrity of character, was a devout and zealons worker in con- nection with religious activities and was one of the pillars of the Christian church in Shelbyville, of which he was a charter member and in which he served as an elder for many years prior to his death, which occurred in the year 1899, his de- voted wife having preceded him to the life eternal by more than a decade. He was the foremost factor in connection with the founding of the church men- tioned and was active in all departments of its work. He ordered his life upon the highest plane of honor and fidelity, and hold the fullest measure of popular confidence and regard. He was a suc- cessful business man and was a stock- holder of the Citizens' Bank of Shelby- ville at the time of his demise. Of his ten children, five are now living, namely : Susan, who is the wife of Henry G. Mil- ler, of Shelby county : Sarah, who is the wife of Oliver P. Robinson, of Quincy, Illinois ; Laura, who is the wife of M. E. McMaster, likewise of Quincy, Illinois; Richard, who is the immediate subject of this sketch; and Edwin E., who is a representative farmer of Shelby county.
Richard Collier is indebted to the schools of Shelbyville for his early edu- cational discipline, and after leaving school he was associated with his father in the work and management of the home farm for two years. He then served a virtual apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade, in which he became a
skilled workman, and he followed the work of his trade, doing a general con- tracting business, for a period of about six years, after which he conducted a meat market in Shelbyville for about five years. Upon retiring from this line of enterprise he established himself in the furniture business in this city, con- tinuing the same until September, 1902, when he became a carrier on one of the rural free mail delivery routes from Shelbyville, continuing to be thus en- gaged for five years, at the expiration of which, in February, 1908, under the administration of President Roosevelt, he received his commission as postmas- ter of Shelbyville, of which office he has since continued incumbent. He has done much to improve the service of this of- fice and his administration of its affairs has met with marked popular commen- dation. Mr. Collier has long been in- fnential in public affairs of a local order and is known as a loyal and progressive citizen. He served some years as a mem- ber of the board of aldermen of Shelby- ville, was city treasurer for four years, and in 1896 was elected mayor, remain- ing in tenure of this chief executive of- fice of the municipal government for two terms. ITis political proclivities are in- licated in the stannch allegiance which he accords to the Republican party, and he has been an active worker in its canse. He and his wife are zealous members of the Christian church and he is affili- ated with the Shelbyville lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
On November 24, 1879, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Collier to Miss Mar- tha Bigelow, who was born in the state of Indiana and who was a child at the
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PRINCE DIMMITT
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time of the family removal to Missouri. She is a daughter of the late William Bigelow, who was a successful farmer of Shelby county. Mr. and Mrs. Collier became the parents of nine children, all of whom are living except two, one who died at the age of thirteen years and the other an infant. Edwin W. is now a resident of Washington; Earl Sheldon is engaged in merchandising in Shelby county ; Morte maintains his home in the mining city of Anaconda, Montana; and Gleeta, Maude, Jeanette and Clara re- main at the parental home.
PRINCE DIMMITT.
The adaptability of the American mind to various pursuits and different lines of thought and action is well illustrated in the career of Prince Dimmitt, of Shelby- ville. He has been successively a farmer, business man and banker, and has been masterful in each undertaking. compell- ing Fortune to wait upon his will and minister to his triumphs by the force of his character, his business acumen and lis comprehensive breadth and readiness of view. He has been quick to see and alert to seize opportunities for his ad- vancement, and has had the ability and the industry to make the most of them when he has embraced them.
Mr. Dimmitt was born in Cooper coun- ty, Missouri, on July 30, 1860, and was brought to Shelby county when he was but six months old, his parents becoming residents of this county at that time. He is a son of Dr. Dimmitt, now deceased, a sketch of whose life will be found else- where in this volume. Destined for an exalted place in the financial and busi-
ness circles of the county. Mr. Dimmitt grew to manhood among its people and was educated in the public schools of Shelbyville, completing the high school course and being graduated from the high school in that city.
After leaving school he turned his at- tention to farming, although he had a leaning to business pursuits. But he lost nothing by the venture, as he applied his business instincts to his farming opera- tions and made them highly successful. In 1878 he entered into partnership with his older brother Frank in the manage- ment of an extensive farm, and they con- ducted its operations together until 1881. Ife then bought his brother's interest in the property, and from that time until 1898 farmed alone. He made his farm one of the best in the county and reaped the reward of his enterprise and industry in doing this when he came to sell the place a few months ago, receiving $112.50 an acre for it, the highest price over paid for farm land in the part of the county in which it is located.
In 1893 he was chosen vice-president of the Bank of Shelbyville, and five years later gave up farming and removed to Shelbyville. where he has ever since re- sided. In 1902 he rose by the choice of the directors to the presidency of the bank, and he has ably and progressively filled that position until the present time (1911). Under his vigorous and enter- prising management the institution has made great progress, adding considerably to the volume of its business and the number and consequence of its patrons. It is known as one of the soundest and best managed financial institutions in this part of the state and has a high rank
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in banking circles in all parts of many neighboring states. Conducting a general banking business embracing all the de- sirable features of present-day banking, it seeks to meet all requirements in the way of accommodation to the community and its people and aid in every way available to it in the progress and devel- opment of the county. And that it is succeeding in these endeavors is shown by the extent of its operations and the high regard in which it is held by all classes of the people.
Mr. Dimmitt was married on March 17, 1881, to Miss Cora E. Schofield, a daughter of Ellis and Elizabeth (Bax- ter) Schofield, of Palmyra, Missouri. The seven children that have blessed their union and brightened their house- hold are all living. They are: Nora L., the wife of Wallace Quinsenberry, of Mo- berly, Missouri; Edith B., a teacher in the public schools in the state of Utah; Cora L., the wife of Robert Maupin, of Kansas City, Missouri, and Enla S., Wil- liam P. E., Prince H., Jr., and Fannie Agee, all of whom are still members of the parental family circle.
With a broad enduring interest in the welfare of the masses of the people, and believing firmly in their right to a con- trolling voice in the public affairs of the country, Mr. Dimmitt has been a life- long Democrat, zealous and effective in the service of his party and holding high rank in its councils in the county. His religious affiliation is with the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and he takes an active and serviceable interest in its affairs, being one of the trustees of the congregation to which he belongs and a teacher in its Sunday school. Well es-
teemed as a man and social companion, standing high as a citizen, and exhibiting on all occasions a deep and practical in- terest in the welfare of the whole county and all its people, he is one of its most worthy, popular and representative men.
JOHN J. HEWITT.
The president of the Citizens' Bank of Shelbyville has been a resident of Shelby county from the time of his na- tivity, is a member of one of the hon- ored pioneer families of this favored section of the state, and in both busi- ness and civic affairs he has ever stood exponent of the highest type of citizen- ship, the while he has commanded to the fullest extent the high regard of the people of the community which has ever represented his home.
.John J. Hewitt was born on the old homestead farm in Bethel township, Shelby county, Missouri, February 24. 1849, and is a son of Samnel M. and Caroline (Morgan) Hewitt, both natives of Kentucky, where the former was born in the year 1800 and the latter in 1810. The father was reared and educated in his native state, where he continued to reside until 1836, when he removed to Missouri and took up his abode in Ma- rion county. In the following year he came to Shelby county, where he secured a tract of land, upon which practically no improvements had been made, and there instituted the work of developing a farm. He became eventually one of the leading farmers of the county, where he accumulated a fine landed estate of 260 aeres in Bethel township, and he con- tinned to reside on his homestead until
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his death, in 1871. He was a man of prominence and influence in his commu- nity, was a staunch Democrat in his po- litical adhiereney, and he was a worthy and zealous member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and his wife was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South. Their marriage was sol- emnized in the state of Kentucky. Mrs. Hewitt was summoned to the life eternal in the year 1894. They became the par- ents of ten children, and concerning the seven now living the following brief data are given: Russell is a resident of Guthrie, Oklahoma, where he is engaged in business; Samuel M. is a successful farmer of Shelby county; Luther G. is engaged in the real estate business in Shelbyville; Missouri is the wife of Jacob Curry and they reside in the east- ern part of the state of Colorado; John J. is the immediate subject of this re- view; Isabelle is the widow of Frank M. Magruder and maintains her home in Shelby county; and Virginia is the wife of John W. Howe, of this county.
John J. Hewitt was reared on the old home farm, in whose work he early began to lend his aid, and his rudimen- tary education was secured in the coun- try schools, after which he continued his studies in the high school of Shelbyville. He made good use of his opportunities and proved himself eligible for peda- gogic honors, as he had devoted no little time to the study of the higher branches in a private way. He was known as a successful and popular teacher in the public schools during a period of ten years, and during the last two years of this interval he was principal of the vil-
lage schools of Newark, Knox county, Missouri.
In 1880 Mr. Hewitt engaged in the general merchandise business in Shelby- ville, where he built up a large and sub- stantial trade, becoming one of the lead- ing merchants of this thriving little city, where he continued operations in. this line for a period of nine years, or until 1894, when he became one of the organ- izers and incorporators of the Citizens' Bank of Shelbyville, of which he has since been president and to whose up- building his personal popularity and able services have been largely contribu- tory. A brief record concerning this well ordered and successful financial in- stitution is given on other pages of this work. Mr. Hewitt now devotes himself largely to the active supervision of the executive affairs of the bank, and he is a citizen who manifests at all times a deep and helpful interest in all measures that tend to advance the welfare and progress of his home city and county.
In politics Mr. Hewitt is a staunch supporter of the cause of the Democratic party, and he has been called upon to serve in various positions of distinctive public trust. He was elected county school commissioner in 1890 and retained this incumbency for two years, within which he was most zealous and efficient in furthering educational interests in his jurisdiction. In 1892 he was elected county treasurer, of which office he re- mained in tenure for four years and in which he gave an admirable and popular administration of the fiscal affairs of the county. He also served four years as mayor of Shelbyville after a regime
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marked by the strictest business meth- ods and the most progressive policies. He has been active in the work of his political party in his native county, and is well fortified in his convictions as to matters of public polity. He is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, in which he is identified with the lodge and chapter in Shelbyville, and both he and his wife are devoted and zealous members of the Methodist Episcopal church, South. In the Shelbyville church of this denomina- tion he has held the position of Sunday- school superintendent for thirty years, and he is also actively concerned in all other departments of the church work.
On May 31, 1881, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Hewitt to Miss Lillian Turner, who was born and reared in Shelby county, where her father, the late Halman Turner, was a successful farmer and honored and influential citizen. Mr. and Mrs. Hewitt have four children, namely: Esta, who is the wife of Roy L. Dimmitt, of Birmingham, Alabama, where he is superintendent of manual training in the public schools. Mrs. Dim- mitt is a graduate of the Howard Payne College of Missouri. John Vance. who is attending the law department of Co- lumbia University of New York; Floyd. who is now attending the State Univer- sity of Missouri, and Cresap. who re- main at the parental home.
THE CITIZENS' BANK OF SHELBYVILLE.
There is no one factor that deter- mines with so much of positive emphasis the status of the business and general prosperity of a community as the extent
and character of its banking institutions, and in this regard the financial interests of Shelby county are reposed in banks of ample capital and wise and conserva- tive management, as well as by the en- listment of the support of citizens of the highest character and most thoroughly representative influence.
The Citizens' Bank of Shelbyville holds prestige as one of the substantial and ably directed financial institutions of the county, and though its age is com- paratively represented by about half a decade, its effective policy and the per- sonnel of its executive corps have gained to it an impregnable standing in the confidence and support of the commun- ity. The charter of the bank was granted in April, 1894, and it opened its doors for business on the 1st of the fol- lowing month. It is incorporated with a capital stock of $20,000 and the origi- nal board of directors comprised the fol- lowing named citizens: John J. Hewitt, Alonzo Cooper, James T. Lloyd, James L. Feely, James Edelen, William 1. Hughes and James M. Gentry. The per- sonnel of the executive corps at the ini- tiation of business was as follows: John J. Hewitt, president : James T. Lloyd, vice-president ; and William W. Mitchell, cashier. Mr. Hewitt has retained the presidency to the present time and Mr. Mitchell served twelve years and was succeeded by James M. Pickett, besides being secretary of the board of directors. which now includes, besides these two officers, the following named citizens : Alonzo Cooper, who is now vice-presi- dent ; John W. Frye. Theo. B. Damrell and Mrs. Nanie Terrell.
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JOHN T. PERRY.
Judge Perry is another of the honored citizens contributed to Shelby county by the fine old Bluegrass state, whence have come many whose names have been prominently identified with the annals of Missouri history. Judge Perry has fol- lowed various lines of activity and has ever stood representative of the most loyal and useful citizenship. He served on the bench of the County court for six years, has held the office of county clerk for twelve years, and is at the present time (1909) representative of Shelby county in the state legislature, to which he was elected in the autumn of 1908. As a lawyer, judge, teacher in the public schools and business man he has acquit- ted himself well, and the diversity of his services bears evidence of his versatility and also stands as voucher of the trust reposed in him in the county which has represented his home for more than thirty-eight years. He is now living vir- tually retired in the city of Shelbyville.
Judge Perry is a native of Anderson county, Kentucky, where he was born on July 22, 1850, and he is a scion of a family early founded in Virginia, the fine Old Dominion that cradled so much of our national history. In that state was born his grandfather, William Perry, who was a youth at the time of the family removal to Kentneky. with whose pioneer history the name became intimately identified. The judge is a son of Berry and Polly (Searcy) Perry, both of whom were born and reared in Ken- tucky, where their marriage was sol- emnized in the year 1849. The father was born on June 7, 1826, and is still
living, maintaining his home with his son Alfred on the old farmstead which he secured nearly forty years ago and which has since continued as his place of abode. He has attained to the venerable age of nearly eighty-four years and is admirably preserved in both his mental and physical faculties, while he has the respect and esteem that have been gained by righteousness of life and that are the grateful concomitants of worthy old age. His cherished and devoted wife died in September 1898. Berry Perry de- voted practically his entire active carcer to the great basic industry of agricul- ture, with the allied enterprise of stock- growing. He came to Missouri in the year 1871 and purchased a farm in Jackson township, Shelby county, where lie continued to be successfully engaged in general farming and stock-growing until 1895, when he sold his farm to his son Alfred, who now operates the same. He, himself, continued to reside on the homestead, as already noted. He is an honored veteran of the Mexican war, in which he served in the command of Gen. Zachary Taylor, and in the company of which John H. MeBrier was captain. This Kentucky regiment saw much active service and he continued with the same until the battle of Buena Vista, in which he was so severely wounded as to in- capacitate him for further service, whereupon he was granted his honorable discharge. During the Civil war his sympathies were with the cause of the South. He is one of the now compara- tively few Mexican war veterans still living in Missouri. In polities he has over rendered a staunch allegiance to the Democratic party, and he has long
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