History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 100

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: St. Louis, Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1220

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

mael V., now lives, where he spent the remainder of his life, dying January 19th, 1869. He left eight children : Alice, wife of John W. Carlisle, of Columbia ; Edward H., a physician of Boonville, Mis- souri ; John G., of Fayette, Missouri; Ella, wife of Fielding W. Angell, of Missouri township, and Ishmael V., who is conducting the farm and caring for his mother, Eva, Luther and Robert, all of whom are living on the home place. At the time of his death Mr. Evans was a member of the Methodist Church South at Locust Grove.

GEORGE BRYANT FORBIS.

The subject of this sketch is one among the oldest citizens of Boone county. He was born near Lexington, Kentucky, December 28th, 1799. When in his thirteenth year, his parents removed to Kentucky, where he lived until his nineteenth year, when he began to do for him- self by teaching school, which he followed continuously for fifteen years. He was married, August 13th, 1835, to Miss Elizabeth Wilcox, sister of the late Dr. George B. Wilcox, of Rocheport. Mrs. Forbis is a lineal descendant of Daniel Boone, the pioneer hero of " the dark and bloody ground." She was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, in 1810, where she lived with her parents, John and Sarah (Boone) Wilcox, until her marriage to Mr. Forbis in 1835. They emigrated to Missouri in 1836, arriving in Rocheport November 19th. Soon after his arrival Mr. Forbis purchased the farm upon which he now re- sides. It consists of 212 acres and has been cultivated by him con- tinuously ever since it passed into his possession. He has been from early manhood a consistent member of the Primitive Baptist church. When he came to Missouri he united with the Missionary Baptist church at Walnut Grove, as there was no congregation of Primitive Baptists then within his reach. In 1871 he withdrew from the Walnut Grove church and together with his wife assisted in the organization of the Zoar Primitive Baptist church in Howard county. He has been clerk of this church ever since its organization. He is an ardent de- voted Christian and a firm believer in the Calvinistic tenets of the Old School Baptist denomination. They have eight living children : Sarah, wife of Joel H. Challes ; Mary, relict of the late A. J. Barnett ; Harriet W. ; George W .; Eliza, wife of George W. Thompson ; Emma; John E., of Oregon, and William P., who still remains on the homestead and superintends the farm. "George W. was considerably wounded by the bursting of a shell, while serving in the Confederate army at Pea Ridge. He was afterwards taken prisoner at Port Gibson and

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was incarcerated at Alton until released on parole. Mr. Forbis is a zealous advocate of popular education. He served as school director in his district from 1840 to 1860.

HENRY HARRISON GARTH.

Mr. Garth is another citizen who can boast of having been " to the manner born." He is the son of Jefferson and Mary Garth, old resi- dents of the county, and was born in Columbia, May 5th, 1841. He was reared in his native town and educated in the University there. His first business experience was that of clerk for Stone & Son in the dry goods business in Columbia. In May, 1865, he went to Roche- port and engaged in the grocery business, and is still in the same line of business at the same place. On the 9th of October, 1862, he mar- ried Miss Rhodie Turner, of which union there has been born one child, a daughter, named Lizzie. Mr. Garth belongs to Boone lodge, No. 121, I. O. O. F., and is an honored citizen of Rocheport.

LEOPOLD GROSSMAN.

The subject of this sketch is a son of Francis and Frederica Gross- man, and was born in Baden, Germany, November 15th, 1817. His father was proprietor of a mill, and Leopold learned the trade of miller, having been reared to that vocation from early boyhood. At the age of seventeen, he was " turned out " for two years to learn the art of baking, so that at the age of nineteen, he found himself master of two trades-those of a miller and baker. He then began traveling in these vocations, operating as a journeyman worker in first one and then the other of them, traveling in Germany and France for some years. While thus engaged, he operated in Heidleberg, Stuttgart, Vienna, Strasburg, and many other great cities, all of which tended to expand his mind and give him a knowledge of the business world. In 1840, Mr. Grossman came to the United States, arriving in New Orleans on Christmas of that year. He proceeded to Ohio, and was there employed about three months in a grist mill. Then he and his uncle, Albright Breslaw, went to Fayetteville, Arkansas, where they erected a grist and sawmill. Here Mr. G. remained about one year when he left and went to St. Charles, Missouri, where he had relatives from the old country. Renting a farm, he began farming in St. Charles county, and was there married on the 19th of August, 1842, to Miss Melinda Wokely. In the fall following, he rented a sawmill near St. Charles, and followed " lumbering " till 1844, when he was

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

forced to abandon it because of ill health. He came to Rocheport, in this county, in the spring and here engaged in the bakery business on Water street, which he operated successfully till December, 1845, when he sold out and returned to St. Charles, his wife being dissatis- fied with Rocheport. There he purchased the sawmill he had form- erly rented, and ran it until May, '48. He then sold out and once more returned to Boone county, and has been a citizen here ever since. Again starting his bakery, he continued thus until 1858, when he pur- chased a farm near Rocheport, and began operating it with slaves, of which he owned a considerable number. He still owns the farm. After one year he returned to town, and began the general merchan- dise business with William West, firm style of West & Grossman. At this time he had amassed considerable property. But now came the period of reverses, among which was the payment of one security debt to the amount of $4,000. About the same time the war broke out, paralyzing business, and Mr. G. did but little till 1863, when he and Geo. W. Gregory opened up the bakery and grocery business, which they continued successfully till 1871. During this time they built two large store houses, and a warehouse. Mr. Grossman still carries on this business, Gregory having retired from the firm. In 1875, Mr. G. and Mr. Champion built the " Monitor Mills " in Roche- port, which they still own. He has four living children : Houston ; Josephine, wife of Dr. Edward Evans, of Boonville ; Eliza, and Annie, wife of Dr. Chinn, of Rocheport. Mr. Grossman has done much to build up and keep up the trade of Rocheport, and to improve the town. He has been a member of the town board for twenty years, about half that time serving as town mayor. He was elected president of the savings bank in 1878, and is still in connec- tion therewith. He belongs to the Rocheport lodge of A. F. & A. M., and is one of the most esteemed citizens of the place.

GEN. STEWART B. HATTON.

Gen. Stewart B. Hatton, one of the oldest pioneers of Boone county and a man of distinguished natural ability, popularity and influence, is the tenth son and fourteenth child of Reuben and Joan (Beleau ) Hatton. His father was born in 1762, of English parents, being one of the third generation after the removal from England. He was born and raised to the age of nineteen years in Amelia county, Virginia, receiving an excellent common school education. At the breaking out of the revolutionary war, he entered the American

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

army, being at the time but nineteen years of age. He was at the battles of Guilford Court House and Eutaw Springs, also in the disastrous engagement with Lord Rawdon. The close of the war found him in South Carolina. Being charmed with the country and. the climate, he resolved to remain in the south. Having learned the hatter's trade with his father before the war, he applied for. a situation, and was employed by a Frenchman named Beleau, a descendant of a Huguenot family, of South Carolina, whose wife was of the same faith and nativity. This proved an important epoch in the life of Reuben Hatton. He made love to his employer's daughter and was accepted. In the course of time they were married, and the well-matched couple lived happily together as man and wife for over half a century. Their large family, with but two exceptions, lived to old age and left large families of their own. The descendants of Reuben and Joan Hatton now number over a thousand souls, and are scattered over almost the entire South and West. After his marriage, Reuben Hatton remained for several years in South Carolina. His three oldest children were born in that State. Having heard of Daniel Boone's exploits in Kentucky, he joined one of the bands of emigrants which that daring hunter piloted through the wilderness to one of his settlements on the Kentucky river. They were several months on the road. Reuben Hatton settled on a fine body of land near what was afterwards known as Foxtown, in Madison county. He built him a good house and a hatter's shop. Several of his sons learned the trade, and they did a good business. Real estate having rapidly increased in value, Reuben Hatton found that he could not settle all of his large family on homes of their own in Madison county, and he resolved to emigrate to Missouri. Two of his sons, Mitchell and William, having volunteered in the war of 1812, and having been sent west to protect the frontier, wrote back to their parents to sell out and remove to Missouri, describing it as the finest country they had ever seen. Reuben Hatton was pleased with the idea, and, having disposed of his home in Kentucky, removed to St. Louis county, Missouri, in 1814, when the subject of this sketch was but three years old, he having been born in Madison county, Kentucky, February 5th, 1811. They remained in St. Louis county nearly three years, where Mitchell Hatton, the fourth son, was married. His wife was Anna Whitesides, a niece of Gen. Whitesides, under whom he had served during a portion of the war of 1812, and after whom Whitesides county, Illinois, was afterwards named. Mitchell Hatton died on his

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

farm in. Boone county, now occupied by his son, Fleming B. Hatton, March, 1863, aged sixty-seven. He was a justice of the peace for twenty years, and never had but three cases reversed by the circuit court. Seven children were born to him, only three of whom are now living : Mrs. Hester Ann Hatton, Fleming B. and John W. Hatton. Reuben Hatton came to Boone county in 1817, and settled on a farm near Midway. It is claimed for him that he built the first house in the county that was covered with shingles. However doubtful this may be, there cannot be the least shadow of doubt that he established the first nursery of fruit trees, having brought his stock with him from Kentucky to St. Louis, and from St. Louis to Boone county. Gen. Hatton commenced life for himself as a hatter, having a shop near Midway, in Boone county. He afterwards bought the Dixon water- mill on the Callaham, and removed to the place vacated by Mr. Dixon. He was married, April 5th, 1834, to Alitha Barnes, daughter of Amos Barnes, mentioned elsewhere in this volume. He was married by " old uncle Jimmie Barnes," a pioneer preacher and an uncle of Mrs. Hatton. Three children were born of this marriage, one son and two. daughters. The youngest, Mrs. Wilcox, is dead. The eldest daughter, Mrs. Jackson Yeager, is living on a cotton plantation in Arkansas. The oldest child, Rev. William A. Hatton, is pastor of the Baptist church at Memphis, Missouri. The eldest daughter has been twice married. Her first husband was George W. Milhollen, who was killed in Linn county, Missouri, during the late war. From early manhood to middle age, Gen. Hatton was continually in office, mostly in the militia. He has held every military office from first sergeant to. brigadier-general. In 1850 he was elected to the legislature. He served in the Black Hawk and Mormon wars, and took an active part in the late civil war, being commissioned to raise, organize and send forward troops to Price's army. He assisted in organizing the forces. that were taken south by Gens. Green and Harris. He was with Gen. Harris at the Fulton fight, and planned the ambuscade by which Harris was enabled to get out of a very close place, after inflicting severe loss on the enemy. Their orders were not to fire a gun if it could be avoided, but it became necessary to strike terror into the hearts of his pursuers. It was through his advice that Jeff. Jones was enabled to dictate his own terms to Gen. Henderson, who had a much larger force. During the troubles in Kansas in 1856, he raised- a company of men and went to the assistance of the pro-slavery party, but the difficulty was settled without serious bloodshed. During the-

HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY. 1033

latter part of the late war, he was taken prisoner. He was soon released, however, but was again arrested and kept a close prisoner until near the close of the war. He was severely blamed by some of his own party for not joining the regular army, but in remaining north of the river, he was but obeying positive orders from Gen. Price, who sent couriers through to him every few weeks. Had he not been ordered to remain, he would certainly have gone to the front and remained there. He always advised against fighting on this side of the river, so long as it could be avoided, and in so doing he was but obeying the written instructions received from Gen. Price, and reiterated from time to time. The labors of Gen. Hatton in behalf of the South are not historical, but are none the less sincere and effective on that acconnt. He is a Mason and a member of the Methodist Church.

WILLIAM DOUGLASS HENDERSON.

William Douglass Henderson, one of the most substantial farmers in the vicinity of Midway, was born at a place called Big Muddy, in Illinois, October 29th, 1817, while his parents were en route from Kentucky to Missouri. In the month of November following his- parents reached Florissant, St. Louis county, Missouri, where they remained during the winter. In the spring of 1818 his father came to Boone county, and purchased the land. now known as the Hen- derson homestead, containing 306 acres, situated near Midway. Mr. Henderson was raised on this farm. The opportunities for obtaining an education at this time and place were poor indeed. The subject of this sketch had no other instruction than such as could be obtained by attending subscription schools for a few months of the year, usually in mid-winter. In 1836, his father's health failing, he took control of the farm and managed it until his death, which occurred in 1843. The farm having been willed to Mrs. Henderson, he remained with her until her death, in 1871. Previous to his mother's death, Mr. Henderson had purchased the interest of the other heirs, and so be- came sole proprietor of the old homestead. During the late civil war, Mr. Henderson was avowedly Southern in sentiment, and suffered financially for his principles, notwithstanding he took no part in the struggle. Mr. Henderson has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Eleanor, daughter of Warren Leonard, of Boone county, Missouri, to whom he was married March 29th, 1845. By this mar- riage he has five living children. His oldest daughter, Sarah C., is-

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the wife of Charlie Hance, clerk of the Randolph county court. John C. is married and is living on a farm in the neighborhood of Midway. Agnes is the wife of R. P. Jones, of Moberly, Missouri. Nora and Richard are still living at home. Mr. Henderson was again married April 2d, 1868, to Mrs. Arcena Thurston, of Midway. She died April 7th, 1877. Mr. Henderson has been an active member of the Methodist Church for forty years. He has been class-leader since 1844, and has served as steward and Sunday school superin- tendent for the same length of time. His house is one of the old landmarks of Boone county. It was the first tavern established on the stage route between Columbia and Fayette, and was the voting place for Missouri township from its organization up to 1840.

BRANUM HERN.

Branum Hern is entitled to the distinction of being one among the first settlers of Boone county. Many came at as early a date, and some were here earlier, but perhaps not one in a thousand of those old pioneers, take the county and State over, are alive to-day. The subject of this sketch was born in Madison county, Kentucky, December 23d, 1812, and when a lad of seven years came with his parents to Missouri, arriving in old Franklin, January 6th, 1819. They did not tarry long at that place, coming to Boone county within . the same month of their arrival in Howard - but there was no dis- tinction in those days, all the country of Central Missouri being then known as Howard county. He lived with his parents until he was seventeen, when he began to provide for himself, His father being a mechanic, he became one naturally. He was, even at the age of seven- teen, very skillful as a wheel-wright, and found plenty of work, making spinning wheels, and turning bed-posts, for the people in those days depended almost exclusively upon their own mechanics for furniture, and the necessary appliances for spinning and weaving, there being as yet but little communication with the outer world. He worked in the shops until 1833, when he turned his attention exclusively to farming. In 1839 he purchased a tract of land containing 120 acres, six and one- half miles northeast of Rocheport, of which he has made the farm upon which he now lives. He has been twice married. His first wife was Emeline, daughter of John Barnes. They were married in January, 1833. His second wife was Lucy, daughter of George Crump. They were married in September, 1859. By the first marriage there are four living children : Mary Ann, relict of the the late John Hunter ;

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Hubbard, of Kansas ; William, of Bates county, Missouri, and Sally, wife of Armstead Garnard, also of Bates county.

GEORGE HINTON HILL. -

The subject of this sketch is the son of James A. and Sarah H. Hill, the latter being a daughter of Dr. George B. Wilcox, pioneer physician of Boone county. George was born in Rocheport, September 4th, 1847, and was reared and partially educated in the same town. When fifteen years old, he began to learn the blacksmith's trade with Hen- derson Wheeler,at Rocheport, with whom he worked several years, still making his home with his parents. At the close of his apprenticeship he went to Greencastle, Indiana, where, after working at his trade for a short time, he started in to learn the harness-making. He held on a year, but found that close confinement was impairing his health. For the sake of change he worked on a farm near Greencastle for two years, during which he had the misfortune to have his leg broken by a runaway team. Returning then to Rocheport, on his recovery, in 1870, he made his home with his mother, his father having died during his absence. A year later he moved on a farm near Columbia, which he worked two years, when he returned to Rocheport. After working awhile for his uncle, Judge Hinton, he was engaged by Mr. Wheeler to run his shop in Rocheport. A year later he associated himself with H. F. Williams in blacksmithing. They continued in that business till this writing. Mr. Hill was married on the 24th of March, 1878, to Miss Georgia Crump, of Rocheport. She died September 20th, 1879, having borne one child, a son, named George, born September 18th, 1879. Mr. Hill is a member of the Christian church, and his wife, at her death, belonged to the Baptist church. He is also a mem- ber of Rocheport Lodge No. 147, I. O. G. T., of which he is record- ing secretary.

WILLIAM HULETT.

The subject of this sketch is a Kentuckian, and was born in Mercer county, June 15th, 1830. His parents, Edward and Rebecca Hulett, moved to this State in 1832, and settled in Rocheport, Boone county, where William was reared. He began learning the saddler's and har- ness-maker's trades at the age of sixteen, his " boss " being Mr. Henry Tumy, with whom he not only mastered the art, but worked for him eight years after he had learned it and become a skilled work- man. In 1856, he went to Sturgeon, this county, and opened up in the business for himself, where he remained till 1860. Returning to

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Rocheport, he did not again go into business, as the war was upon us, and no one could tell what the end would be. In 1862, Mr. Hulett enlisted in company A, of Col. Poindexter's regiment of Confederates, and served eighteen months, when he was discharged on account of bad health, and allowed to take his own course. He was out of busi- ness till the spring of '66, when he started a shop in Rocheport, and has so continued ever since. In the fall of '78, he established the livery business in connection with his harness shop, and does a sub- stantial business in both lines. Mr. H. has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Zerelda, daughter of William Phillips, of Roche- port, to whom he was married in 1852. She died the following year, and he was again married, in 1855, to Miss Judith Hunt, daughter of L. B. Hunt, an old resident of this county. Mr. Hulett has five chil- dren : Effie O., (wife of Ernest Granberry ), Daniel E., William B., Pearl and Paul. The first named and her mother belong to the Chris- tian church. Mr. H. belongs to the Rocheport lodge of A. O. U. W. Early in life, Mr. Hulett had the misfortune to contract the habit and love of strong drink ; and though he made money rapidly, he failed to hold it, being fond of jovial companions and the cup that cheers. However, he was fortunate enough to see the folly of such a course of dissipation, and formed a firm resolve to stop it then and there. By the force of a strong will he was enabled to keep his resolution, the: result of which was complete reformation. Mr. H. deserves much credit for thus manfully conquering a depraved appetite, which, alas ! so many fail to do ; and the historian records this by permission of Mr. Hulett, in the hope that there are. " foot-prints, which perhaps an- other, seeing, shall take heart again, " Since his change of life, he has prospered exceedingly well. He owns one of the most pleasant residences in Rocheport, and his shop and livery stable are models of thrift and neatness. The rank that Mr. H. now occupies in business. and social circles, shows what any man can do who only wills.

COMMODORE PERRY HULTZ.

The subject of this sketch was born in Delaware county, New York, September the 16th, 1813, and lived there with his parents until he married, which was on the 22nd of June, 1837, to Miss Acenith W. Armstrong, of the same county. He came to Missouri in company with his father and on the 19th of July, 1837, reached the watermill upon Perche, at Gillaspy's bridge. He shortly afterwards moved to." the farm where he lived the rest of his life. He was without means

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when he arrived in Boone county, but by hard work and dogged per- serverance he soon had a farm of his own. His brother, Hamilton J. Hultz, had come out to Missouri the year before. He is now a prom- inent physician of Louisville, Kentucky. C. P. Hultz was a great reader and kept his mind well stored with literary " good things." Though no politician, he was a ready and fluent speaker upon the cur- rent topics of the day. He worked his way up from a poor boy and at his death left each of his children a handsome property. He farmed and traded in stock generally. He died November 12th, 1878, and his wife died June 25th, 1876. She was a member of the Missionary Baptist church at Bethel. They left four children none of whom are married and are all living in this county. Marshal J. is living upon the northeast quarter of section thirty-four, township forty-eight and range thirteen ; Manlius E. is living upon the southeast quarter of section nine, township forty-eight and range thirteen. Edgar M. and Virginia S. still live upon the old homestead. Manlius E., our : subject, was born in Boone county, December 10th, 1849. He lived upon the old home-place until the spring of 1882, when he moved to his present home. He was educated at the University going until he reached the last year of the course, when he went one year to the Medical Department. He has a fine farm of four hundred acres, and is building a handsome residence.

DANIEL WEBSTER HUNT.

Mr. Hunt was born in Boone county, Missouri, May 16th, 1841, and is the son of Linnæus and Rebecca ( Brushwood ) Hunt. He received a good common school education, and grew to manhood in his native county. During the war he travelled in New Mexico, Colorado, Ne- braska and Iowa. He returned to Boone county when the war closed, and went to farming, and has continued in the business ever since. He was married February 13th, 1879, to Miss Kate, daughter of Solo- mon and Pernecia (Collett) Stickell. She was born in Troy, Lincoln county, Missouri. Her father was a native of Maryland, and her mother was born and reared in Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt have two children, both living, Nellie Stickell and Robert. Mrs. Hunt is a member of the Christian Church at Rocheport, and Mr. Hunt is a Mason, holding his membership at Rocheport. He lives on the north- west quarter of section thirty-six, township forty-eight and range fourteen. He is a very clever gentleman, and his house is noted for old-time hospitality. .

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History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 100

Author: Publication date: 1882 Publisher: St. Louis, Western Historical Company Number of Pages: 1220

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: St. Louis, Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1220