USA > Missouri > Shelby County > General history of Shelby County, Missouri > Part 71
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Politically, a Democrat, while he never held a very Inerative office he has many times been honored with positions of trnst.
He was appointed constable of Taylor township in 1871, was elected publie ad- ministrator of Shelby county and com- missioned by Governor Woodson in 1874, but never qualified. Was elected justice of the peace of Taylor township in 1876 and held that office for six years ; was appointed and commissioned by Governor Franeis in 1890 as a notary public of Shelby county and filled that office for four years, and in 1894, at the solicitation of Congressman William II. Hatch, he was appointed, by Mr. Hurt,
the doorkeeper of the house of repre- sentatives of the fifty-third congress, messenger and assigned to the commit- tee on agriculture, which was Colonel Hatch's committee. This position he filled during the rest of Colonel Hatch's career as congressman, and the Hon. William H. Hateh never had a warmer friend or a greater admirer than James M. Holliday.
While in Washington Mr. Holliday visited Memorial Hall and was mortified to find Missouri with her long list of illustrious men without a representative. Mr. Holliday, being a student of Mis- souri's great men and an admirer of Col. Thomas H. Benton, at once begun the agitation of the question of having the statue of Thomas H. Benton placed in Statuary Hall in Washington, D. C. He wrote an article and had it published in the Shelbina "Democrat," calling atten- tion to this neglect.
He also wrote a letter to Governor Stone, urging him to take up the matter, to which Governor Stone replied, prom- ising to bring the matter before the leg- islature in his message, and this was done and Squire Holliday's work was accomplished, which is a jewel among his snecesses of which he has always been prond.
It was his especial desire to have Col. Thomas II. Benton represent Missouri in Statuary Hall in Washington, D. C., but along with this the Missouri legis- lature placed the statue of Franeis P. Blair.
James M. Holliday left Shelby county in November, 1896, moving to the state of Montana, again entering into the hardships and enjoying the hospitalities
WILLIAM A. HIRRLINGER
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
of pioneer life. He located on and home- passed his life in Germany. His son, steaded 160 acres of land, lived on it five years, proved up and got a deed to it. Has been successful in other ven- tures and has a niee competeney to lean upon in his declining years.
He has had the confidence of the Democratic party in the great state of Montana, as evidenced by his nomina- tions for the legislature and county com- missioner without his solicitation.
He has while in Montana filled the office of postmaster four years, road supervisor six years, and has been hon- ored many times with various minor of- fees. He is now living in Helena, Mon- tana, and is a constant reader of the "Shelby County Herald" and "Shelbina Democrat," and has never lost interest in Shelby county people and their enter- prises or its history.
WILLIAM A. HIRRLINGER.
William A. Hirrlinger, one of the leading farmers of Jefferson township, in this county, was born in Richland county, Ohio, on June 28, 1846, but came to Missouri with his parents in 1852. The family took np its residence at Shel- byville, and here he grew to manhood and obtained his education. He has passed all his subsequent years in this county, and may therefore, without im- propriety, be ealled a product of Shelby county, and in all respects except his birth a Missourian. For he is thor- oughly imbued with the spirit of the people of this state, and devoted to its welfare in every way.
Mr. Hirrlinger's paternal grandfather, Frederick Hirrlinger, was born and
William, the father of William A., was also born in that country, his life begin- ning in the city of Wittenburg in 1822. In 1844 he came to the United States and during the next six years had his home in Cineinnati, Ohio. In 1850 he moved to Illinois, and in 1852 to Missouri, set- tling his family at Shelbyville. During the Civil war he enlisted in the army, his regiment becoming a part of the com- mand of General Greene, and while the conflict lasted he saw considerable active service, taking part in the battles of Lexington and Pea Ridge, Missouri, and a number of other engagements of great or small importance.
He was a cabinet maker, and at the close of his military service returned to Shelbyville and worked at his trade until 1865. He then turned his attention to farming, which he followed until his death in May, 1871. The mother, whose maiden name was Magdalena Doerr, was also a native of Germany and a daughter of Jacob and Magdalena Doerr, who were born and reared in that country, and belonged to families long resident there. She died on July 11, 1887. By their marriage they became the parents of seven children. One of them died in infaney and the rest grew to maturity. Those now living are: William A., the subject of this sketch; Magdalena. the wife of Stephen M. Hancock, of Marion, Indiana; Eliza, the wife of John Van Houten; Emma, the wife of Charles Rheinheimer, of Shelbyville: and Cora, the wife of L. L. Wheeler, of Clarence.
William A. Hirrlinger attended the schools in Shelbyville, and after com- pleting their course of study worked at
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the carpenter trade until 1870. He then became a farmer and has been one ever since. In 1875 he located in Jefferson township, this county, and from that time to the present (1910) has been engaged in his chosen occupation there. His farm comprises 162 acres of first rate land and is well improved and vigorously culti- vated according to the most advanced modern methods. It is very productive, yielding good returns for the labor and care bestowed upon it. Through its products Mr. Hirrlinger has gained a competency for life, and by his faithful attention to all the duties of citizenship and his cordial interest in and energetic activity in promoting the welfare of his township and county, he has arisen to an exalted place in the regard and good will of their people.
He was married in November, 1871, to Miss Keziah A. Barr, a native of this county. They had four children, all of whom are living. They are: Virgil F., whose home is in this county ; Lily Irene, the wife of G. M. Edmonds, of Clay town- ship, this county; Berthia E., the wife of G. C. Chinn, of Lentner township; and Myrtle, the wife of S. B. Searles, of Belleville, Ontario, Canada. Their mother died on June 28, 1882, and on April 15, 1885, the father married a sec- ond wife, making Miss Louisa Hen- ninger, a native of Monroe county, his choice on this occasion. They had no children. His second wife died in 1892, and in 1894 he married a third, Miss Ma- ria Turney, a daughter of Daniel and Hannah (Waite) Turney, natives of Can- ada, who located in Monroe county, Mis- souri, in 1869. They, also, have no chil- dren.
In political connection Mr. Hirrlinger is allied with the Democratic party. When Mr. Hirrlinger became of age he offered his first vote for Seymour in 1868, but was denied the right to vote on the ground that his father had served in the Confederate army, notwithstanding the fact that he had himself been mus- tered into the Missouri militia during the last year of the war and had done guard duty at Shelbyville during Ander- son's raid on Shelbina. He served on the school board about six years, and in many other ways has been beneficial to the township and county by reason of his public spirit and helpful interest in the public affairs of his locality. He is a director of the Farmers' Mutual In- surance Company of the county, and connected with other institutions of valne to the people. His religious affiliation is with the Methodist Episcopal Church South, of which his wife is also a mem- ber, and in the congregation to which they belong he has been one of the stew- ards for more than forty years. His interest in church work leads him to great industry in the worthy and com- mendable activities of the sect to which he is attached, and also to serviceable exertions in behalf of other church or- ganizations. Jefferson township has no better or more useful citizen, and none whom the people hold in more cordial and sincere regard.
JOHN M. WOOD.
The subject of this brief sketch is one of the able and popular officials of Shelby county, where he has been superinten- dent of the county infirmary from the
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time of its establishment in 1900. He has proved a most careful, efficient and generous executive officer in connection with this well ordered institution for the aid of the helpless and indigent residents of the county, and he is well entitled to representation in this publication.
Mr. Wood is a scion of one of the sterling pioneer families of Missouri, though he himself is a native of the Lone Star state. His paternal grand- father, Malcolm Wood, was born and reared in Missouri, where he passed his entire life, his parents having come from Kentucky to this state in an early day. John M. Wood was born in Texas on September 6, 1872, and is a son of John and Sallie (Swearengen) Wood, both of whom were natives of Shelby county, Missouri, and now reside near Walker- ville in this county. The father devoted practically his entire active career to agricultural pursuits, in which connec- tion he maintained his residence in Texas for a period of about four years, at the expiration of which he returned to Mis- sonri. He is a Democrat in his political proclivities, is affiliated with the Ma- sonie fraternity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and both he and his wife hold membership in the Metho- dist Episcopal church, South. They be- came the parents of thirteen children, of whom only five are now living, namely : James H., who is a resident of Knox county, this state; Cora, who is the wife of Charles Quigley, of Shelby county; John M., who is the immediate subject of this review ; Emma G., who is the wife of James Fitzpatrick, of Shelby county ; and Nellie, who resides on the old home- stead in Shelby county.
John M. Wood was abont four years of age at the time of the family's return from Texas to Missouri, and he was reared to maturity on the homestead farm of his father in Salt River town- ship, Shelby county, where he received his early edneational training in the district schools. From his youth to the present time he has been actively identified with the great basie art of agriculture, having continued to be in- dividually engaged in this vocation and in the raising of live stock in this county from the time he was twenty-one years of age until 1900, on the 15th of Febru- ary of which year he was assigned charge of the Shelby county poor farm. Upon the completion of the infirmary build- ings he was continned in charge of the farm and made superintendent of the infirmary. The institution is located one-half mile northwest of the city of Shelbyville and the farm contains twenty-six acres, affording adequate provision for raising much of the food prodnets required in the eondneting of the institution, which has about thirty- three inmates at the time of this writing, in the spring of 1910. The main build- ing, a substantial structure of pressed briek, is modern in its design and sani- tary provisions, is two stories in height, with ample basement, and is 40 by 60 feet in dimensions. The plumbing is of the best type and the building is heated with steam. The county is to be hon- ored in having made so effective pro- vision for its unfortunate wards and is to be congratulated on having in charge of the infirmary so capable, earnest and true-hearted a manager,-one who has deep sympathy for those consigned to his
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care but who is not lacking in the main- tenance of proper discipline.
In politics Mr. Wood gives his alle- giance to the Democratic party and he is essentially loyal and public-spirited as a citizen. In a fraternal way he is iden- tified with Shelby Lodge, No. 33, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, in Shel- byville, and he holds membership in the Methodist Episcopal church, Sonth, and his wife of the Christian church, in whose work they take a zealons interest.
On March 9, 1898, Mr. Wood was united in marriage to Miss Bessie Grif- fith, who was born, reared and educated in Shelby county, and who is his effective and popular coadjutor at the infirmary, of which she is matron. She is a dangh- ter of John Griffith, a representative farmer of this county. Mr. and Mrs. Wood have an adopted son, Jolmn T., who is five years of age.
PRESTON B. DUNN.
One of the representative and hon- ored citizens of Shelby county and a scion of one of its best known pioneer families, Hon. Preston B. Dunn, vice- president of the Shelbyville Bank, has so ordered his course in all the relations of life that he has made his influence felt in a potent way in connection with industrial, financial and eivic affairs and matters of publie import. He stands as a fine type of loyal and useful eitizen- ship, has attained to large and generous success through worthy means, and well merits the high esteem in which he is held in his native county. He was for- merly president of the bank of which he is now vice-president, being one of
the largest stockholders of this substan- tial institution and having, in his present office, acted principally in an advisory capacity sinee his retirement from the presidency. A review of the history of the Shelbyville Bank appears on other pages of this publication.
Preston B. Dunn was born on the homestead farm of his father, in Black Creek township, Shelby county, Missouri. on August 9. 1843, and is a grandson of James Dunn, who was one of the ster- ling pioneers of Kentucky, where he con- tinned to reside until his death. In Jes- samine county, that state, John Dunn, father of the subject of this review. was born in the year 1792, and there he was reared to maturity and continued to maintain his home until 1824, when he came to Missouri and numbered himself among the early settlers of Howard county, where he remained until 1832. when he removed to Marion county. from which section he came to Shelby county in 1836. Here he secured a tract of land six miles west of the present thriving lit- tle city of Shelbyville, the old home- stead, which he developed into a pro- ductive farm, having been located in Black Creek township. He was a man of energy, ambition, strong mentality and mature judgment, and he played no insignificant part in the material and civic upbuilding of the county, where he ever commanded the fullest measure of popular confidence and esteem and where he continued to maintain his home until his death, which occurred in July, 1866, having retired from active labors in the same year and having been a resident of Shelbyville at the time of his demise. He was one of the extensive and success-
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ful farmers and stock-growers of this seetion of the state and wielded marked and beneficent influence in connection with local affairs of a publie order. He was a staunch Whig in polities and after the dissolution of that party gave his allegiance to the cause of the American and Union parties. He became the owner of a considerable number of slaves and his sympathies were with the cause of the Union when the Civil war was projected upon a divided nation. Both he and his wife were zealous mem- bers of the Presbyterian church, show- ing their lively and constant faith in all manner of good works and kindly deeds.
In the year 1818 was solemnized the marriage of John Dunn to Miss Eliza- beth Doak, who was born and reared in Harrison county, Kentucky, and who was a woman of noble and gracious attributes of character, her fidelity and strength being such as to make her a true helpmeet in the strenuous life of the pioneer days. She was summoned to the life eternal in 1876. Of the thirteen children three died in infaney, and of the number only two are now living: Mar- tha C., who is the wife of John F. MeMurray, of Shelbina, this county, and Preston B., whose name initiates this artiele.
Preston B. Dunn was reared to the sturdy and invigorating discipline of the pioneer farm and to the common sehools of Shelby county, including the Shelby high school, of Shelbyville, he is indebted for his early educational training, which was effectively supplemented by a course in Westminster College, at Fulton, Mis- souri, in which institution he was grad- nated as a member of the elass of 1864.
Thereafter he remained on the old home- stead and devoted a portion of the time to teaching in the country schools until 1866, when he entered the Lonisville Law School, at Louisville, Kentucky, in which institution he was graduated in March, 1867, with the degree of Bachelor of Law. Shortly afterward, at Shelby- ville, he was admitted to the bar of his native state, and there he began the practical work of his profession, in which he gained high prestige and unqualified success and in which he continued con- seeutively until 1892. He was identified during the long intervening years with much important litigation, retained a large and representative clientage, and was known as a counsellor well forti- fied in the science of jurisprudence and in the practical application of the same.
In 1893 Mr. Dunn was elected presi- dent of the Shelbyville Bank and he con- tinued as the able chief executive of this solid and popular financial institution until 1899, when he resigned the active administrative duties to others, though he has since continued to serve as viee- president, as previously stated in this article.
In polities Mr. Dunn has been a zeal- ons and effective advocate of the prin- ciples and policies of the Democratie party, but his partisanship is not of the narrow order that prechides the view- ing of public matters from a broad- minded and clearly outlined vantage point. As a young man he served as deputy collector of Shelby county, and in 1890 he was elected as representative of Shelby county in the state legislature, in which he made an admirable record. lle is affiliated with the Independent
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Order of Odd Fellows, is a member of the Presbyterian church, and his wife is a communicant of the Protestant Epis- copal church. As a citizen he has ever been liberal, loyal and progressive, and he has done much to further the material and civic advancement of his home county, of whose citizens he is one of the best known and most highly honored, and of whose bar he was long one of the leading members.
On January 9, 1873. Mr. Dunn was united in marriage to Miss Clara Me- Murtry, who was born and reared in Shelby county, where her father, Alex- ander McMurtry, was a sterling pioneer settler. Mrs. Dunn was summoned to eternal rest on March 8, 1885, and both of their children are living: Alexander M., who is now cashier of the Shelby- ville Bank; and Preston B., Jr., who is engaged in business at San Antonio, Texas. On December 26, 1888, was sol- emnized the marriage of Mr. Dunn to Miss Lillie M. Rogers, daughter of Ste- phen Rogers, of Monroe City, this state. and they have one child, Clara R., who is a popular figure in connection with the social activities of her native city.
THE SHELBYVILLE BANK.
Among the oldest and most favorably known of the secure and ably managed banking houses of northern Missouri is that known as the Shelbyville Bank. which dates its inception back to the year 1874, when it was organized under the title of the Shelby County Savings Bank. It was originally a jointstock institu- tion, of which John T. Cooper was presi- dent and Philip Dimmitt cashier. Under
these conditions the bank was continued successfully for several years, and then its president and cashier purchased the stoek of the other interested principals and changed the title to Cooper & Dim- mitt. As a private institution conducted by this firm, the bank gained wide repute as one of the substantial and solid finan- cial institutions of the state, and its title to popular support and confidence was based not more clearly upon its sound financial basis than upon the high char- aeter of the men who controlled its af- fairs. Mr. Cooper sold his interest to Dr. Philip Dimmitt, and thereafter the business was successfully continued un- der the title of Philip Dimmitt, banker, with operations based on a capital of $12,000. Dr. Dimmitt had in his employ, in an executive capacity, his son Frank and later Lindley G. Schofield also. In 1892, after the death of his wife, Dr. Dimmitt retired from active business, having sold the banking business, De- cember 13th of that year, to Preston B. Dunn, Lindley G. Schofield, Frank, Prince, and Marvin, Pope and Lee Dim- mitt. At this time the institution was reorganized under the title of the Shel- byville Bank, which has since been re- tained, the previously mentioned gentle- men being the stockholders of the bank, whose capital was increased to $20,000. The officers elected under the new re- gime were as here noted: Preston B. Dunn, president: Lindley G. Schofield, cashier : and these executive officers were also members of the directorate, which likewise included the other three stock- holders, Frank, Prince and Pope Dim- mitt. On May 31, 1894. the capital stock was increased to $20,000, and at the next
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annual election, in 1895, the following directors were chosen : Preston B. Dnnn, Lindley G. Schofield, Frank and Prince Dimmitt, and Reason Baker. Mr. Dunn continned in the presidency and Mr. Schofield became vice-president, being succeeded in the position of cashier by Marvin Dimmitt. Under these condi- tions the business was thereafter con- tinned until 1902, in the annual election of which year the following directors were chosen: Preston B. Dunn, Joseph Doyle, John Frye, Prince Dimmitt, and A. M. Dunn. As Mr. Dunn wished to retire from active administrative duties, Prince Dimmitt was elected president and Mr. Dunn assumed the essentially honorary office of vice-president. They have since continued incumbent of these positions, and A. M. Dunn, son of the vice-president, has been the able and popular cashier. George O. Tannehill has been assistant cashier since Janu- ary, 1904. The directorate remains un- changed, save that Preston B. Dunn, Jr., succeeded John Frye in the election of 1904. The history of the Shelbyville Bank has been one of continuous and substantial growth and expansion, and at all times have its interested princi- pals stood representative of the best class of citizenship as well as of finan- cial stability. The bank controls a large and important business and adds ma- terially to the business prestige of Shelby county.
SANFORD BAKER.
Mr. Baker, who is postmaster at Ep- worth, is one of the successful and popu- lar business men of this village and is
well entitled to consideration in this pub- lication. He served with no little dis- tinetion as a member of the regular army of the United States, in which he took part in the Spanish-American war, and was later stationed in the Philip- pine Islands, and as a citizen he mani- fests the same spirit of loyalty that made lim an effective soldier of the republic.
Mr. Baker is a native of the fine old Buckeye state, having been born at Woodsfield, Monroe county, Ohio, on March 15, 1877, and being a scion of one of the pioneer families of that state, where his grandfather, Henry Baker, a native of Pennsylvania, took up his abode in an early day. Leander C. Baker, father of the subject of this sketch, was likewise born at Woodsfield, Ohio, in the year 1854, and there he was reared and educated. His aetive career was one of elose identification with ag- ricultural pursuits, and he died when a young man, having passed away on April 8, 1886, at which time he was a resident of Monroe county, Ohio. In 1876 he was united in marriage to Miss Susana Mc- Cammon, of Woodsfield, Ohio, and she is still living, maintaining her home in Shelby county, Missouri. They became the parents of three children, of whom the eldest is he whose name initiates this article; Minnie is the wife of John F. Burkhardt, of Shelby county; and Luey C. is the wife of Joseph Wilson, likewise a resident of this county.
Sanford Baker secured his rudimen- tary education in the public schools and was about eleven years of age at the time of the family removal to Missouri, where he continued to attend school as opportunity presented. After leaving
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school he followed farm work, princi- pally in Illinois and Nevada, until 1897, when he enlisted in Company H, Twen- ty-second United States Infantry, under command of Colonel Wycoff, who was killed in an engagement in Cuba in the Spanish-American war. Mr. Baker was with his regiment in this conflict with Spain, having taken part in the battle of El Caney, the bombardment and siege of Santiago de Cuba, and having been present at the capitulation of that city. He also took part in many engagements after his regiment was sent to the Phil- ippine Islands, where he remained until the expiration of his three years' term of enlistment, when he was mustered ont, at Cabion island of Luzon, on An- gust 10, 1900, dnly receiving his honor- able discharge, with the rank of cor- poral. Immediately after his discharge from the service Mr. Baker set sail for America, disembarking in the port of San Francisco and thence coming to the home of his mother, near Bethel, Shelby county, Missouri, where he remained for a short interval. He then went to Quiney, Illinois, where he was employed in a wagon shop for one year, after which he passed two years in Nevada, where he was employed for some time in a gold stamp mill and later in an estab- lishment handling gold by the eyanide process.
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