History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 89

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

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GEORGE M'DANIEL.

The subject of this sketch is the son of William and Sarah A. (Fitzhugh) McDaniel, and was born in King George county, Virginia. He was educated at Caroline 'College, Caroline county, Virginia. Afterwards learned the trade of carriage making in King George

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county, where he followed the business for several years. He came to Boone county, Missouri, in August, 1866, and was married August 27, 1868, to Miss Isabella, daughter of John and Elizabeth (Dailey) Lackland, of Lexington, Kentucky. By this marriage they had three sons and two daughters. Rosa E. died August 19, 1870, and George I., August 10, 1878. After coming to Boone county, he opened a shop in Columbia under the firm name of Homer & McDaniel. Mr. McDaniel is now a member of the firm of McDaniel, Scruggs & Co., contractors and builders. This is the principal firm of the kind in Columbia, and is doing a large business. Mr. McDaniel is a member of the A. O. U. W. He is also a member of the Missionary Baptist church. Mrs. McDaniel is likewise a member of the same church. William McDaniel, the father of George, died at his home in King George county, Virginia, in 1879, aged eighty-two. His mother is still living at the age of seventy-one.

DR. JAMES M'NUTT.

The subject of this sketch is a native of Ireland, having been born in County Donegal about the year 1832. He came to this country in 1841 and settled in Newark, Delaware, where he grew to manhood and received most of his education. In 1852 he was surveyor for several counties in Maryland. He was also engaged in teaching at the same time. In the summer of 1854 he came West and visited the States of Iowa, Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Studied medi- cine under Dr. Alrich, at Fort Penn, Delaware, for about three years and took several courses of lectures at Jefferson Medical College, Phil- adelphia. Travelled for sometime as correspondent of several Eastern papers. In the winter of 1855 he taught school in Iowa. The spring following came to Missouri and spent about one year in St. Louis county. In 1857 went to Bowling Green, Pike county, where he taught a private school for one year. He was then engaged as principal of Bowling Green Academy and had charge of that institu- tion from 1858 to 1860. Enlisted as a surgeon in the Federal army, April 24th, 1863, and served with the Gulf Department in 1864-5. Officiated as surgeon at Forts Livingston and Jackson. He quit the Federal service in 1866 and came to Marshall, Saline county, Mis- souri, where he practiced medicine for several months. In November 1866 he sold his property at Marshall and went to Malta Bend, in the western part of Saline county. The spring following he, with the assistance of J. R. Lunbeck, laid out the town of Malta Bend, the

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

doctor being the leading spirit in this enterprise and the recognized founder of this town. He remained at Malta Bend for two years, then bought a farm two miles south of that place. He lived on this farm until the fall of 1874, when he founded the town of Salt Springs, now on the line of the C. & A. railroad. This was in the summer of 1874. He and his brother-in-law, Arthur S. Lawrence, started a store con- taining a general assortment of dry goods and groceries. Remained at Salt Springs until 1876 when he came to Columbia, Missouri, but soon after returned to Saline. In 1877 he came to Rocheport, Boone county, and in the spring of 1878 came to Columbia and practiced his profession until 1880, when he bought a farm of 280 acres seven miles northeast of Columbia, on the old Mexico road, and 200 acres south of the Fulton road. In June, 1882, he was appointed United States examining surgeon by W. W. Dudley, commissioner. He and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church. He is also a Mason. Was married August 16th, 1866, to a daughter of Solomon L. and Harriet S. (Morgan) Lawrence, of Wilton, Iowa. They have had three sons and two daughters : Fannie, Sophia D., Bernard, Stewart (deceased ) and Lawrence. The father of Dr. McNutt died in Ireland in 1836 and his mother in Iowa in 1873. Dr. McNutt was the third child of a family of seven, all of whom, save the youngest, are living. The doctor, in addition to his medical education, is a fine literary scholar and a writer of considerable ability. At one time he was editor of the Dubuque Herald, his brother, Samuel McNutt, being chief editor.

JOSEPH GRANVILLE NORWOOD, M. D., LL. D.

The subject of this sketch was born in Woodford county, Kentucky, December 20th, 1807. His father, Charles Norwood, was a native of Westmoreland county, Virginia, and the son of John Norwood, an English gentleman, who came to Virginia about the year 1740. Charles, the eldest son of John Norwood, was born in 1753 and was married in 1781 to Ann Dale, of Westmoreland county. He was a soldier of the revolutionary war. Three sons and two daughters were born of his marriage: Frederick, John, Frances, Charles and Ann. Upon the death of his first wife he removed to Kentucky with his. family and a number of relatives. He first settled in Franklin county, but after several years he purchased and removed to a farm in Wood- ford, about five miles from Versailles and seventeen from Lexington. After this removal he married Mildred Dale, a sister of his first wife.

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

Of the children of this marriage Joseph G. is the only survivor. During the war of 1812, Charles Norwood built and operated a powder mill for the purpose of supplying the American army. In 1815 he moved to a small farm near Lexington where he spent the remainder of his life, dying in 1832. When quite young the subject of this sketch became a pupil of the graded school of Aldrich & Vaughn, at Lexington. It was the fixed purpose of the elder Nor- wood that his son should become a physician, while the boy was equally determined to become a printer. The conflict of wishes between the father and son resulted in the son being placed with Mr. Jacob Winn, a private banker and manufacturer of bale-rope and bagging. He remained with Mr. Winn for one year. The elder Norwood, recognizing the bent of his son's mind, now made arrange- ments with Mr. John Bradford, of the Lexington Advertiser, by which he would be allowed to enter his printing office for the purpose of learning the trade for which he had previously shown such an earn- est predilection. After working several years in this office he changed to the Kentucky Whig, published by Nelson Nicholas. Mr. Nicholas died soon after young Norwood entered his office and when. the material was sold he bought it of the administrator, Hon. R. Hawes. Seeing an opportunity to dispose of the property to good advantage, young Norwood soon after sold the office and subscription list to Thomas Smith, editor of the Kentucky Reporter. Mr. Nor- wood now left Lexington and spent nearly a year in travelling in the Southern and Eastern States, returning in the fall of 1827. Soon after his return to Kentucky he went to Cincinnati, and purchased material for a book and job office. There was no lack of work in the way of books and periodicals and the publishing house soon became a popular and paying business. In 1830 Mr. Norwood formed a partnership with James W. Palmer, who insisted on moving the publishing house to Louisville, which in the end proved to be a serious mistake, as Mr. Norwood had predicted from the start. Mr. Palmer offered to pur- chase his partner's interest in the business, and his offer was accepted. Mr. Norwood then entered a commission house, conducted by a rela- tive, but soon found that he knew nothing about the business, with 'little inclination to learn. He therefore withdrew from the firm and returned to Lexington with the fixed determination to devote himself to the study of medicine and the cognate sciences. He accordingly entered Transylvania College and earnestly applied himself to the study of medicine. He opened an office at Madison, Indiana, in

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

March, 1835, and continued to practice his profession until about the close of January following, when he returned to Lexington and gradu- ated the spring following. In 1840 he was called to the Madison Medical Institute and appointed to the chair of surgery. In 1843 he was chosen to fill the chair of materia medica, general therapeutics and medical jurisprudence in the medical department of the University of St. Louis. He remained with this institution until the spring of 1847, when he resigned to accept the place of assistant United States geologist for the country now embraced in Wisconsin, Iowa, Minne-

sota and Dakota. The survey lasted until 1851. In 1851 he received the appointment of State geologist for Illinois, and contin- ued in this survey until the spring of 1858, when he was removed from office by the newly elected Republican governor. In the spring of 1858 he was invited by Prof. G. C. Swallow to take the place of an assist- ant in the geological survey of Missouri, and accepted the offer. He continued in this survey until 1860, when he was elected to the chair of natural science in the University of Missouri. He accepted the place and has been a member of the faculty ever since. He has been twice married. His first wife was Miss Louisa Taylor, daughter of a merchant, formerly of Richmond, Virginia. Her mother's maiden name was Lotspeich, being of Holland origin .. Two sons and one daughter were born of this marriage. The daughter is living, the widow of Col. J. A. Hendricks, of Indiana, who was killed at Pea Ridge. The eldest son died of small-pox in 1831. Mrs. Norwood and her youngest son died of cholera, at Lexington, Kentucky, in 1833. In 1837 Dr. Norwood was married to Mary Frances, a daughter of Mr. John Pugh, of Madison, Indiana. Three sons and five daughters were born of this marriage. Two of the sons and one daughter died in infancy. The third and youngest son, Charles J. Norwood, was for some years engaged in the State geological surveys of Missouri and Kentucky, and was formerly professor of natural science in Bethel College, at Russellville, Kentucky. He is now editor of the Herald- Enterprise, Russellville, Kentucky. He married Miss Sallie White, daughter of Hon. Dougherty White, of Lancaster, Kentucky. Four of the daughters of this last marriage are living, and three of them are married. Louise is the wife of Mr. Overton A. Fitch, of Madison, Indiana. They have one child, now in his sixteenth year. Eliza Boone is the wife of Mr. Henry McConathy, of Columbia. They have four children, two sons and two daughters. Emma is the wife of John D. Vincil, D. D., of St. Louis. They have one son. In the

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

year 1862, during the occupancy of the University building by Federal troops, Dr. Norwood visited the building every day and remained there protecting the property of the University. It may be well to- say that, during these years, he has the reputation of having always done his duty according to his strength and ability.

JAMES C. ORR.

James Carson Orr, the present county collector of Boone county,. was born in Washington county, Virginia, September 8, 1824. At the age of eight years he went with his father's family to Sullivan. county, Tennesee, where he resided until he was about 20 years of age- (or in 1844), when he came to Boone county, settling at Rocheport .. Here he engaged in merchandising for some years. In the winter of 1858-9 he removed to Columbia, which has been his home ever since .. When he first came to Columbia he was deputy sheriff under John M .. Samuel. During the civil war Mr. Orr took no active part. His sym- pathies, however, were with the Southern people, and he was placed under bonds by the Federal authorities for his " good behavior."

In 1866 Mr. Orr was elected sheriff and collector of the county, which position he held for six years, or until 1873. In 1876 he was. again elected sheriff and served one term of two years. In 1880 he- was elected county collector. The frequent elevation and reëlection of Mr. Orr to positions of trust and responsibility proves the estima- tion in which he is held by his fellow-citizens who know him best.

November 2, 1848, Mr. Orr married Mary Thornton, a native of Kentucky. They have four children, one son, John, a clerk and book- keeper, and three daughters, viz. : Cornelia J., now Mrs. Charles A. Miller ; Ida, wife of N. B. Elkins, both of Columbia ; and Minnie, sin- gle. Mr. and Mrs. Orr are members of the M. E. Church South. Mr. Orr is a prominent Mason, having taken all the degrees of the order up to and including the Knight Templars. He is generalissimo of the commandery at present, and has twice been master of the lodge. He is also a Knight of Pythias and a Good Templar:

The father of the subject hereof was John Orr, a native of Penn- sylvania, and a soldier in the war of 1812. His father was a native. of Ireland, and his mother was born in " bonnie Scotland."

FREDERICK PANNELL.

The subject of this sketch is a native of England, having been born in London, February 18, 1830. He is the son of Charles and Mary

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

Ann (Sparr) Pannell. Was educated at Graveshead, where he at- tended St. John's College. He was chorister at St. John's Cathedral. Came to the United States in the fall of 1850, stopping for the first year at Quincy, Illinois. He next went to Hannibal, Missouri, where he was engaged as a teacher of music. He afterwards travelled and taught music in almost every city of consequence in the West. In 1858 he came to Columbia, and was professor of music in Christian College for two years. In 1879 he bought an interest in the Columbia Mills, and has been one of that firm ever since. Was married, in Christian College, by President Rogers, November 16, 1860, to Miss Fannie E., daughter of George and Ann Milton, natives of Virginia. Six children were born of this marriage, five sons and one daughter : Charles F., born October 16, 1861; Al- fred K., born January 18, 1865 ; William M., born June 8, 186 -; Ed- ward F., born December 10, 1870 ; Eva, born August 17, 1873, and died October 21st, 1874, and George H., born January 18, 1876. Charles received his education at Christian College. The other children are attending the University. The oldest son, Charles F., is now a mem- ber of the firm of Trimble, Fyfer & Co., Columbia, Missouri. He went into the store as cash boy at the age of fifteen or sixteen. Mr. Pannell is a well-informed, practical man, energetic and thoroughly in earnest in all his undertakings. He is a very fine musician and a composer of acknowledged ability. Some of his band music has gone the rounds of the entire country. He has frequently heard his music played in strange places and by strange musicians, note by note as he had written and played it, years before in teaching his classes.

JUDGE ALEXANDER PERSINGER, DECEASED.

It is a matter of much regret that the material for a life-sketch of so worthy a subject as Judge Persinger should have been supplied at so late a period before going to press as to necessitate only a brief mention of that distinguished man. Yet such frequent mention is made of him elsewhere in this work, that this and that will suffice where lack of space so compels it. Judge Persinger was the son of Jacob Per- singer, a name given the latter by the gentleman of that name in Bo- tetourt county, Virginia, who adopted Jacob when a captive among the Shawnee Indians. Alexander was born in Botetourt county, Virginia, July 11, 1790. He enjoyed but limited school privileges, and was largely self-educated. He served, when a young man, in the war of 1812, and subsequently came to Illinois, and then, in 1818, came to

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

Missouri and settled in Montgomery county, where he resided till 1829, when he came to Boone county, making his home here till the day of his death. Though he spent many years in public office, he never in his life asked or sought for any public trust. He was first appointed judge of Montgomery county in about 1821, by Gov. Fred. Bates, and the appointment was made without even the judge's knowledge. He yielded to the importunities of his friends, however, and accepted the trust which he so faithfully discharged. He was twice elected and served that county in the legislature, and did simi- lar service one term for Boone county. For eighteen years he served the latter as county court judge, and it was as presiding justice of that court that he achieved his most enduring fame. No man ever graced the position with more dignity, or filled it to the better interest of the county. Judge Persinger had been married, while living in Mont- gomery county, to a Miss Simpson, by whom he had two children, James B. Persinger, who died on his way to California in 1850, and Mrs. Sallie A., who died in 1870, the wife of James E. Johnston, of Columbia. His first wife died in Montgomery county, and he was again married in 1830, to Mrs. Elizabeth Spence, widow of John M. Spence, though no children were born of this union.

Judge Persinger died at the residence of his son-in-law, James E. Johnston, in Columbia, Missouri, September 2, 1875, in the eighty- sixth year of his age. Since 1836 he had been a member of the Christian Church, and died triumphant in the hope of immortality. A gentleman of Columbia who knew him well, says of him in an obit- uary sketch : "The Alexander Persinger who so recently tottered with trembling steps to an honored grave, is dead! His mortality will decay and go back again to the cold, dull earth ; but that high-souled, chivalric body, descended from Revolutionary loins, who twice bared his young bosom to the storms of relentless war waged against his weak and struggling country ; that bold young pioneer who made our wilderness bloom ere Missouri became a star in the constella- tion of States ; that sanguine legislator whose prudence, wisdom and industry contributed so largely in constructing the foundations of our jurisprudence and civilization ; that austere, wise, patient, laborious, learned, incorruptible judge, whose long, eventful, righteous, pros- perous and happy administration of justice so signally blessed and elevated our people, still lives, and will live on through ages until gratitude shall cease to abide in the well-springs of the human heart, and generous appreciation be banished from the human soul. Pure,

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great, good old man! The tearful gratitude and love of a whole people bid you farewell."

JAMES L. PRUETTE.

1 James L. Pruette, proprietor of the Columbia tobacco store, is the son of James and Permelia ( White) Pruette. He was born Novem- ber 8, 1817, in the city of Frankfort, Kentucky, where he was raised and educated. He served an apprenticeship at the tailor's trade, working four years at the business. When about seventeen years old he left his native State and commenced his travels, and for the next forty years was continuously on the move, visiting almost every State of the Union, Canada, Mexico and the tropics. In 1850 he went to California and remained there for two or three years, then came back to the States. Returning to California in 1861, he re- mained there until 1867, when he came to Columbia and went into the- grocery trade with Robert Shock. Sold out his interest in 1875 and bought the tobacco and cigar store of J. M. Baker, and has remained in this business ever since. Previous to this he was weigh-master of Columbia for one year. The citizens of Columbia put him in posses- sion of the tobacco store, and he wishes to express his profound gratitude and hearty appreciation of their kindness. At his death he means to give all that he may then possess to the poor of Columbia. He has built up a good trade, congenial to his taste and sufficiently remunerative to make him independent and comfortable. March 12, 1871, he united with the Methodist Church South, under the preach- ing of Rev. John D. Vincil. He has been a consistent, conscientious member ever since. His father and mother are both dead. His father died when he was an infant. His mother died in 1832.

ROBERT THOMAS PREWITT (DECEASED.)

The subject of this sketch was the son of Moss and Nancy (John- son ) Prewitt. He was born in Columbia, Missouri, July 23d, 1845, and was educated at the State University, graduating from that institution June 28th, 1865, with the degree of A. M. He was married, September 7th, 1869, to Miss Sallie W., youngest daughter of Woodson G. and Lucy J. Rubey, of Columbia. They had three daughters, one of whom, Iza, a lovely child of six years, died of diphtheria in 1876, The surviving children are Laura R. and Lucille, D. Mr. Prewitt was, until his health failed him, an active, energetic man. In 1866 he engaged in the mercantile business in Columbia,

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

being a partner in the firm of Moss & Prewitt. He remained in this: business until 1875, when he left the store in the hope of restoring his health by travelling. He visited the South, spending several years in Florida and Texas, but to little purpose. He returned to Columbia in feeble health, and gradually grew worse until he quietly breathed his last, May 25th, 1880. He was a member of the Baptist church, and an earnest, devoted Christian. He did much for the cause of religion, contributing liberally of his means and laboring personally for that faith which was ever dear to his heart. He was deacon of the church, and for a number of years superintendent of the Baptist Sunday school, and an active member of the Young Men's Christian Association. He was also one of the trustees of Stephens College. He was a zealous worker in the cause of education and temperance ; in fact, every cause calculated to benefit the human race found in him an earnest supporter. Moss Prewitt, the father of Robert was, in his day, one of the most successful business men of Columbia, and his son inherited many of the elements of character which achieved such signal prosperity for his father in the commercial activities of life. Robert Prewitt, though cut off in the morning of promising young manhood, yet lived long enough to establish a character for virtue, devotion to principle and conscientious and unswerving maintenance of conviction of duty, whose influence will be felt long after his name and life shall have faded from the memories. of men.

GEORGE COOLEY PRATT.

The subject of this memoir was born on the 13th of January, 1815, at what is now known as East Longmeadow, in the county of Hamp- den and State of Massachusetts. His father, grandfather and great -- grandfather were large farmers, and lovers of fat cattle and fine horses. His grandfather was a soldier in the great revolution of 1776, serving under Washington through that long and bloody war, which. finally terminated in the liberation of the American colonists from British rule ; and his grandmother, whose maiden name had been Mary Cooley, was one of the young wives of that heroic generation who encouraged the patriotic devotion of their husbands.

Mr. Pratt's school education was obtained at [the district school' in his father's neighborhood, the " high school" at Springfield,. the " academy " at Westfield, and the college at Amherst, from which latter institution he holds the diploma of master of arts.

In 1836 Mr. Pratt entered upon the profession of civil engineering,.

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

being employed on city work, on the survey of Fox river in Wisconsin for the Federal Government, and on the location of the railway from Hartford, Conn., to Springfield, Mass. In the first and second of these engagements he served under a French engineer who had been lieutenant-colonel in the Imperial Guard of the great Napoleon.

In August, 1841, he came to Missouri; in January, 1842, he was appointed professor of languages in Bonne Femme College in Boone county, and on the 22d of December of the same year, he was married to Sarah Maria, daughter of William Shields, Esq., of that neighborhood. On the 15th of June, 1843, he was appointed assistant to Robert S. Thomas, professor of languages in the State University at Columbia, and on the 6th of September of the same year, Prof. Thomas was made professor of metaphysics, logic, etc., and Mr. Pratt was appointed professor of ancient and modern languages. Here he taught the Latin, Greek, French and, on one occasion, the Spanish, languages for seven years ; and, in 1850, he resigned his position and went across the plains to California. The country, from the western boundary of Missouri to the waters of the Sacramento river, in California, was then entirely uninhabited, except by Indians. After spending a year in the gold mines, he returned by way of Central America, Havana and New York, arriving at home in January, 1852. In the spring and summer of that year he assisted his father-in-law in re-surveying a portion of the boundary line between Missouri and Iowa, and closing up the land lines to the State line on both sides of the same.

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History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 89

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