USA > Missouri > Shelby County > General history of Shelby County, Missouri > Part 41
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
been a consistent member of the Baptist church, of which his wife also was a de- vout adherent. They became the parents of twelve children, of whom the subject of this sketch is the eldest of the six now living : George W., now deceased, was a resident of Hunnewell, this state; Alfred resides on the old homestead, as already stated; William is a resident of Eneho, Oklahoma; Sarah Belle is the wife of Wesley Barker, of Shelby county; Charles is now a resident of Oakdale; and Nannie G. is the wife of William F. Kincheloe, of Shelby county, Missouri.
John T. Perry, the immediate subject of this review, received his educational discipline in the public schools of his na- tive county, including a course in the special school of higher academic order maintained in the Camden district. That he did not neglect the advantages thus afforded him is evidenced in the fact that he became a successful teacher, hav- ing been employed as such in the com- mon schools of his native state from 1867 until 1872, in which latter year he joined his parents in Missouri. There- after he taught in the schools of Shelby and Monroe counties at intervals until 1884, becoming one of the successful and popular exponents of the pedagogie pro- fession in this section of the state. In the meanwhile he had taken up his resi- dence on a farm in the vicinity of Hun- newell, Shelby county. and he continued to be identified with agricultural pur- suits in this county for many years, hav- ing sold his farm in Jackson township in 1904. In 1880 he was elected judge of the County court. retaining this ineum- beney for six years and giving an ad- mirable administration. In the meall-
while he also taught school and gave a general supervision to his farm. In 1886 he was elected county clerk, in which office he served for three succes- sive terms, within which he did much to systematize the work of the office and bring it up to a high standard of effi- cieney. During his tenure of this po- sition he devoted careful attention to the study of law and he was admitted to the bar in 1898, after which he was engaged in the general practice of his profession in Shelbyville for a period of five years, controlling a successful business and having a representative clientele. Upon his retirement from practice he engaged in the hardware business in this city in partnership with his son John O., with whom he was thus associated until 1906, when they sold the business. He was one of the organizers and incorporators of the Bank of Lentner, in the village of Lentner, this county, and served as its cashier for several months. In 1908 he was elected representative of Shelby county in the state legislature, and he has proved an able, conscientious and discriminating legislator. He has given loyal service in behalf of the cause of the Democratic party and is an able ex- ponent of its principles and policies. Judge Perry and his wife are zealous members of the Baptist church in their home city and he is affiliated with St. Andrews Lodge, No. 96, Free and Ac- cepted Masons, and with the local lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows.
On September 4. 1873, was solemnized the marriage of Judge Perry to Miss Rosa A. Snider, who was born and reared in Shelby county and who is a
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danghter of the late John S. Snider, ' M. and Nannie (Blackford) Freeman, who was a representative merchant and farmer of the county. To Judge and Mrs. Perry were born seven children, of whom five are living, namely: Mary M., who is the wife of Prof. Ira Rich- ardson, a member of the faculty of the Missouri State Normal School at Spring- field; Margaret M., who remains at the parental home; John O., who is engaged in farming at Epworth; Myrtle, who is the wife of H. G. Kellogg, of Kirksville, this state; and Clarence, who remains with his parents and is attending the public schools.
JAMES M. FREEMAN.
This well known and highly esteemed citizen of Shelbyville is a native son of Shelby county, with whose annals the name has been identified for more than three-quarters of a century, implying that the family was here founded in the pioneer days. He is known as one of the aggressive, energetic and successful business men and loyal and progressive citizens of the county, and is now en- gaged in the jewelry business in Shelby- ville, of which city he served as post- master for more than a decade. Such is his standing in the community that a work of this nature most consistently may give brief record of his career, thus paying a slight tribute to a worthy citi- zen who has contributed generously to the industrial, commercial and civic progress of his home city and conty.
James M. Freeman was born on the homestead farm of his parents, in Black Creek township, Shelby county, Missouri, on March 19, 1862, and is a son of James
the former of whom was born in the state of Kentucky, in 1832, and the latter of whom was born in Shelby county, Missouri, in 1838, being a daughter of Hardin Blackford, an honored pioneer of this section of the state. In 1844, when James M. Freeman, Sr., was a lad of about twelve years, his parents re- moved from Kentucky to Missonri and took up their residence in Marion county, where his father secured a traet of wild land and engaged in general agricultural pursuits. Abont four years later, in the memorable year 1849, young James M. Freeman, who was then seventeen years of age, joined the hegira to California, whither so many ambitious and intrepid argonauts were wending their way in search of gold. Mr. Free- man made the long, tedious and perilous trip across the plains and passed four years in California, where he did a suc- cessful teaming business among the vari- ons mining camps and where he also met with no little success in his own mining operations. After his return to Mis- souri he was associated in the work and management of his father's farm, in Marion county, until the time of his mar- riage in 1854, when he removed to Shelby county and purchased a farm in Black Creek township, where he passed the residue of his long and useful life, be- coming one of the representative agri- culturists and stock-growers of the county and a citizen whose influence was always exerted in support of all that makes for the best in social and material affairs. He became the owner of a landed estate of 1,000 acres, and the fine old homestead bears today unmistakable
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evidences of his thrift and well directed On June 6, 1896, under the administra- industry. He was summoned to his re- ward on May 8, 1891. His wife is still living. In polities he was a staunch and intelligent supporter of the principles and policies for which the Republican party stands sponsor. During the Civil war his sympathies and support were given to the cause of the Union. Of the ten children of James M. and Nannie (Blackford) Freeman five are now liv- ing, and concerning them the following brief data are consistently incorporated for perpetuation in this sketch: John is engaged in business in the city of Spokane, Washington; Kate is the wife of John M. Peacher, of Shelby county ; James M. is the immediate subject of this sketch: Thomas is a prosperous farmer of Shelby county: and Cora is the wife of Thomas Turner. of this county.
.James M. Freeman. Jr., whose name introduces this article, was reared to the study and invigorating discipline of the home farm. in whose work he early be- gan to lend his quota of aid, while he was also afforded the advantages of the dis- trict schools, so that he waxed strong in both mind and body, and later he was for two years a student in the Novelty High School, a well conducted institu- tion of high academic order. in Knox county. After the completion of his in unequivocal confidence and esteem.
school work he returned to the home farm, in the operation and management of which he was associated with his honored father until the death of the latter. In 1895 he removed to Shelby- ville, though he still continued to give a general supervision to the farm and dealt somewhat extensively in live stock.
tion of President Mckinley, Mr. Free- man was appointed postmaster of Shel- byville, and his service in this position was one marked by care, discrimination and marked executive ability. The pub- lic appreciation of his labors in the of- fice was shown in his long retention of the same, for he continued inenmbent during the remainder of the administra- tion of the lamented and martyred presi- dent and also the two terms of his suc- cessor. President Roosevelt, having re- tired from the office in February. 1908. He soon afterward sold his interest in the old home farm and made a number of judicious investments in real estate in Shelbyville, where he erected a num- ber of substantial business buildings. which he still owns, together with other realty in the city. In the year of 1909 he engaged in the jewelry business in Shelbyville, where he now has an at- tractive and well-stocked establishment and caters to a substantial and represen- tative trade. He is essentially progres- sive and public-spirited as a citizen. has been a leader in the local ranks of the Republican party for a number of years, and he has done much to further the civic and material upbuilding and ad- vancement of his home city and native county, where he is well known and held
Hle was one of the charter members of the Shelby County Railway Company and is still a stockholder of the same. He is affiliated with the Masonic frater- nity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
On April 14, 1886, was recorded the marriage of Mr. Freeman to Miss Ella
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M. Stnart, of Shelbyville, who was born and reared in this county, and who is a daughter of J. G. Stuart, a snecessful merchant of Shelbyville.
ADOLPHUS E. SINGLETON.
A native son of Shelby county, where he has maintained his home from the time of his birth, Judge Singleton has here been a prominent factor in connec- tion with industrial and business affairs and has also been influential in connec- tion with matters of public import. He is the owner of a fine farm estate in the county and is at the present time suc- cessfully engaged in the handling of coal, grain and feed in the thriving little city of Shelbyville, where he is associated with his brother in this important line of enterprise, under the firm name of Singleton Brothers. He has served as county judge and has ever shown a lively interest in all that has concerned the progress and prosperity of his native county and its people. As a thoroughly representative and highly esteemed citi- zen of Shelby county he is most consist- ently accorded recognition in this pub- lication.
in succeeding generations. William Sin- gleton, the honored father of him whose name initiates this article, was born in Virginia in the year 1818, and was there reared to maturity, receiving a common school education. In 1834, when sixteen years of age, he came to Missouri, first taking up his abode in Marion county, whence he later removed to Lewis county, where he remained until 1854, when he removed with his family to Shelby county, where he became the owner of a large tract of land in Taylor township, and where he developed a fine farm, passing the residue of his long and useful life on this old homestead, which is still in the possession of the family. He was a man of exemplary character, leal and loyal in all the relations of life, zealous and earnest in the furtherance of his business affairs and successful in his well directed endeavors. He wielded mueh influence in his community and none could have held a more seenre place in popular confidence and esteem. In polities he was a staunch adherent of the Democratic party and his religious faith was that of the Baptist church. His wife is a devoted member of the M. E. church, South. He died on Jannary 1, 1894, at the age of seventy-five years, and his widow still remains on the old home- stead, having attained to the venerable being admirably preserved in both men- tal and physical faculties. She is one of the revered pioneer women of the county, being held in affectionate regard by all who know her. Her maiden name was Susan Vandiver and she was born in Virginia, where her marriage to Mr. Singleton was solemnized in the year
The Singleton family was early found- ed in the Old Dominion commonwealth of Virginia, that cradle of so much of our national history, and the lineage is ' age of eighty-seven years (1910) and traced back to staunch English origin. In that state was born Minor Singleton, who was the paternal grandfather of the subject of this review and who there passed his entire life, devoting his active career principally to agricultural pur- suits, with which basic line of industry the name has been identified prominently
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1848. Of the eleven children of this worker in its local ranks. He has held union five are now living: Benjamin H. is associated with the subject of this sketch in business at Shelbyville; Adol- phus H. is the next in order of birth; Jacob H. is a farmer of Shelby county; Ella is still at the old home in this county; and Cary remains with her mother on the old home farm.
Adolphus E. Singleton was reared under the beneficent influences of the home farm, to whose work he early be- gan to contribute his quota, so that he learned the lessons of practical industry while he was also availing himself of the advantages of the public schools of the locality and period. He continued to be actively and successfully identified with diversified farming and stock-growing until August, 1905, when he left the farm and took up his residence in Shelbyville, where he is now engaged in business, as already noted. His elder son now oper- ates the farm on shares and thus Judge Singleton himself still continues to ex- ercise a general supervision of the fine old homestead which so long represented his abiding place and which gives evi- denee of his able and progressive man- agement, being one of the model farms of the county. The place comprises 240 acres of most productive land, all being available for cultivation, and the per- manent improvements are of excellent order, so that everything bears unmis- takable evidence of thrift and prosperity. The farm is located in Taylor township, about fourteen miles distant from Shel- byville, the county seat.
In politics JJudge Singleton has never wavered in his allegiance to the Demo- cratie party and he has been a zealous
various minor offices of public trust and in 1898 he was elected county judge, of which position he continued incumbent for one term, or four years, and in which he gave an able and acceptable admin- istration of the affairs assigned to him for adjudication. His wife holds mem- bership in the Baptist church and they are liberal and zealous in the support of the various departments of its work.
On February 20, 1879, was solemnized the marriage of Judge Singleton to Miss Alice Magruder, who was born and reared in Shelby county and who is a daughter of the late Thomas G. Ma- gruder, long a representative farmer of this county. Judge and Mrs. Singleton have four children: Walter T., who had charge of the home farm, married Miss Edna Moore and they have no children; Susan E., Ellen M. and Benjamin A. re- main at the parental home in Shelbyville. Judge Singleton was elected mayor of Shelbyville in 1906, serving two years as such.
CHARLES H. LASLEY.
For nearly forty years the subject of this brief memoir has been connected with the mercantile interests of that see- tion of Missouri in which he now lives, and during the whole of that period he has given to the world around him a fine example of uprightness in private life and sterling integrity in business. Born, reared, educated and married in this state, and having made his excellent ree- ord among its people, whatever he is he is all Missouri's own, her produet in every particular and her representative
CHARLES H. LASLEY
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in all that is worthy in manhood and ele- vated in citizenship.
Mr. Lasley is a native of Monroe coun- ty, in this state, where his life began on September 17, 1853. He is a son of Wil- liam M. and Margaret A. (Gillispie) Las- ley, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Kentucky. The father came to this state and located in Paris when he was but a young man. For a number of years he clerked for Mr. Parsons, one of the leading dry goods merchants of Paris, and after acquiring a thorough knowledge of the business started a store of his own in partnership with Marquis D. Blakey, under the firm name of Blakey & Lasley, the store being conducted at Clinton, in Monroe county, of this state.
The establishment was engaged in gen- eral merchandising and continued in operation for a number of years. Then Mr. Lasley's health failed and he retired to a farm in Monroe county, on which he died a few years later. His wife was Miss Margaret Gillispie before her mar- riage. She was born in Kentucky and be- came a resident of Missouri at an early age. They became the parents of two children, one of whom, a daughter (Vir- ginia J.), has died, leaving Charles H. at this time the only survivor of his father's household. In politics the father was a pronounced and unyielding Democrat, but he was never an office seeker or de- sirons of public distinction of any kind. He lived for his home and his community. and gave his best energies at all times to promote the welfare of both. He was very successful in business and enjoyed a wide and well-founded popularity among the people.
His son, Charles H. Lasley, passed his
boyhood and youth on his father's farm, acquiring strength of sinew and flexi- bility of function in its exacting but vig- orous labors. Through this steady com- munion with nature he also gained breadth of view, and like all farmers' sons who profit by the lessons of their homes, became a self-reliant and re- sonreeful man. He was educated mainly in private schools, completing his aca- demic training in a more advanced insti- tution of learning at Palmyra. When he reached the age of seventeen he began the battle of life for himself by entering a dry goods store at Shelbina as a clerk and salesman. He remained in this store four years, giving his employer service that was entirely satisfactory, and ac- quiring a thorough knowledge of the bus- iness, for he was studious and attentive and allowed no opportunity to gain nse- ful knowledge to escape him unused.
In 1875 Mr. Lasley formed a partner- ship with Mr. Cotton to conduct the dry goods business under the name and style of Cotton & Lasley. He was now fairly launched on the uncertain sea of mercan- tile life, and his career in business, engi- ncered and captained by himself, was be- gun. The partnership with Mr. Cotton lasted six years, being dissolved in 1881. In September of that year Mr. Lasley formed a new business connection, his associate in this being Mr. Thompson, and the business which occupied their faculties being the dry goods and cloth- ing trade. The partnership continued and the enterprise flourished until the death of Mr. Thompson in 1886. Mr. Lasley then entered into partnership with Mr. Million and started a store de- voted exclusively to the clothing trade,
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the firm name being Lasley & Million. In 1873 Mr. Lasley purchased Mr. Mil- lion's interest in the business and took his brother in as a partner, the firm be- ing known as that of C. H. Lasley & Bro. Three years later he bought his brother's interest and gave two of his sons a half share in the undertaking, changing the style of the house to C. H. Lasley & Co., under which name it is still doing an ex- tensive and profitable business.
Mr. Lasley has been very successful in all his operations and his success is the logical result of his excellent business capacity, superior judgment and close attention to all the de- tails of what he has had in hand. He is a stockholder and director of the Old Bank of Shelbina and is connected in a leading way with other commercial and financial enterprises. In the affairs of the community he has always taken an ardent and helpful interest. being among the foremost in all worthy proj- eets for its improvement. In political faith he is a Democrat who supports his party wisely and loyally withont seek- ing any of its honors or emoluments for himself. On June 18, 1879. he was united in marriage with Miss Anna Downing, a native of this state. They have five chil- dren, Roy D., IFenry R., Roland R., Bes- sie and William Kenneth, all of whom are still living at home and adding brightness and charm to the parental fireside. The scion of an old Virginia family, the father has well sustained the virtues and traditions of his ancestry and exemplified on the new soil of Mis- souri the sterling manhood which has so long dignified and adorned that of the "Old Dominion." He is one of Shelby
county's best citizens and rielly deserves the high esteem in which he is held by all classes of its people.
BENJAMIN H. SINGLETON.
The fine old state of Missouri has rep- resented the home of this well known and popular citizen of Shelbyville from the time of his birth and he has here found adequate opportunities for the gaining of definite success. He was long identi- fied with agricultural pursuits but is now well established in the coal, grain and feed business in Shelbyville as junior member of the firm of Singleton Broth- ers, in which his associate is his brother, Judge Adolphus Singleton, of whom in- dividual mention is made on other pages of this work, together with adequate data concerning the family history, so that further reference to the same is not demanded in the present article.
Benjamin H. Singleton was born in Marion county, Missouri, February 6, 1850, and when he was but four years of age his parents removed to Shelby county, where he was reared to maturity on the home farm and where he had such educational advantages as were afforded by the common schools of the locality and period. He eventually initiated his independent career as a farmer and stock-grower and became the owner of a valuable farm of 240 acres in Monroe county, where he continued to be en- gaged in diversified agriculture and the raising of excellent grades of live stock from 1881 until 1906, in which latter year he sold his farm and removed to Shelby- ville, where he has since been engaged in successful business with his brother,
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as has already been noted in this con-' one of the best improved and most valu- text. He is a progressive business man able farms of the county. He is now living virtually retired in the thriving little city of Shelbyville, where he is the owner of a considerable amount of real estate and has various capitalistie inter- ests of importance. and public-spirited citizen, is a staunch advocate of the principles and policies for which the Democratic party stands sponsor, is a charter member of the lo- cal organization of the Court of Honor, and his wife is a member of the Baptist church.
On Jannary 29, 1879, Mr. Singleton was united in marriage to Miss Florida Fields, who was born in Kentucky, and who was a child at the time of her par- ents' removal to Missouri. Her father, Henry H. Fields, settled in Monroe county, this state, where he passed the remainder of his life. Mr. and Mrs. Sin- gleton became the parents of five chil- dren, of whom three are living: Martha, who remains at the parental home ; Den- nis E., of Fulton, Missouri ; and Benja- min Clay, of Shelbyville.
JOHN W. FRYE.
Though a native of West Virginia and a scion of one of the sterling families early founded in the historie Old Do- minion, this well known and honored citizen of Shelbyville has been a resi- dent of this county from his boyhood days and has here risen to a position of prominence and influence as a citizen of utmost loyalty and publie spirit, and as one who has ably contributed to the in- dustrial and civie development and prog- ress of this attractive and favored sec- tion of the state. He was long identi- fied in an active way with agriculture and stock-growing and still retains his fine landed estate of 220 aeres in Black Creek township, the same constituting
Mr. Frye was born in Hardin county, West Virginia, May 22, 1856, and in that commonwealth also were born his grand- father, Westfall Frye, and his father, Benjamin F. Frye, the date of the lat- ter's nativity having been November 18, 1829, at which time the state was still an integral part of Virginia. There the grandfather passed his entire life and his active career was devoted principally to agricultural pursuits, in which con- nection lie was the owner of a good plan- tation. Benjamin F. Frye was reared and educated in his native state, where he continued to reside until 1852, when, at the age of about twenty-three years, he came to Missonri for the purpose of investigating conditions with a view to permanent location. He passed about two years in Shelby county and then re- turned to West Virginia, where, in 1855, was solemnized his marriage to Miss Eliza Clagett, who likewise was born in Hardin county, that state. They con- tinued their residence there until 1857. when they came to Missouri and estab- lished their home on a farm in Black Creek township, where the father was actively engaged in diversified farming and stock-growing, in connection with extensive dealing in live stock, until 1895, when he retired, removing to Shel- byville, where he passed the closing years of his life in the home of his son, John W., subject of this review. He was
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