History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 90

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

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The construction of railroads having commenced in the State of Mis- souri, Mr Pratt, in the autumn of 1852, resumed his old profession of civil engineering, taking employment at the time on the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and during the next twenty years, i.e., till 1872, he was engaged for most of the time in the location and construction of rail- roads, principally in Missouri, but doing some work in Iowa, in Kansas and in Arkansas. While on the Pacific railroad, he also located and superintended the construction of the old plank road from Columbia to Providence in 1854-5, and while engineer of the Columbia Branch railroad, he also located the turnpikes from Columbia to Rocheport, to Ashland and to Cedar Creek in 1867. So also, while engineer of the Helena and Iron Mountain railroad, he superintended the construction of a levee on the Mississippi river below Helena, in 1871.

When the board of railroad commissioners for the State of

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Missouri was organized, April 27th, 1875, Mr. Pratt was appointed the secretary of that commission, which position he held until January 10th, 1881, when he was commissioned as railroad commissioner for six years, having been elected for that office at the general election held November 2d, 1880, at which election he received the largest. vote given in Missouri for any candidate, either State or Federal.

Mr. Pratt has been a resident of Boone county ever since 1842, and of Columbia since 1843.

DR. G. W. RIGGINS.

The subject of this notice was born February 16th, 1825, on a farm part of which was in Callaway and part in Boone county, Missouri, the house being in Callaway ; he, therefore, is a native of that county. His father, Joseph Riggins, was born in North Carolina, but when quite a young man emigrated to Kentucky, where he married Miss Barzillia Lawless, the mother of the doctor. They lived in Kentucky for sev- eral years and in 1816 came to Missouri and located in Howard county, and built the first cabin where the town of Old Franklin was afterwards built. The site of the present city of Boonville, opposite the town of Old Franklin, was then a dense thicket, and the Indians roamed the forest and killed the settlers at their own sweet will. Mr. Riggins had no neighbors nearer than the forts above and below his cabin, at too great a distance to afford his constant protection. Several of his neighbors were killed by the Indians, after the neighborhood had become more thickly settled. He lived at Old Franklin about four years and then bought the farm upon which the doctor was born. He shortly afterwards moved to Cole county, Missouri, where he died in 1849 in his seventy-third year. His widow survived him several years and died at the residence of her son, John M. Riggins, of Saline county, Missouri, at the age of eighty years. Dr. G. W. Riggins was educated in Cole county, Missouri. He studied medicine with Dr. Wm. Bolton of that county, and afterwards he took the medical course at McDowell's College, St. Louis. It was connected with the State University during his first year's lectures there, but before his graduation, in 1849, the connection had been severed.

In 1846 Dr. Riggins enlisted in Capt. Monroe M. Parsons' company, Doniphan's regiment, and served in the Mexican war, being mustered in at Ft. Leavenworth. The history of this regiment is fully set forth on other pages. The doctor was a participant in all of its engage- ments, marches, skirmishes, etc. After the battle of Sacramento,

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Col. Doniphan appointed Dr. Riggins assistant surgeon of the regi- ment. At that time he was but a private soldier. He, refused to ac- cept the appointment and was then detailed to take charge of the wounded, which he did.

Returning to his home in Cole county he practiced medicine for three years, when he removed to Callaway county and continued the practice until the breaking out of the war. He took sides at once with the Confederacy and went into the State Guard under ex-Governor, after- ward Maj .- Gen. Sterling Price and commanded a battalion of Calla- way county's best soldiers. At the reorganization of the army at Memphis, he, upon the urgent solicitation of Gen. Price, went into the medical department. He went to Jackson and Mobile, and pro- cured large stores of supplies for the sanitary needs of Price's army. He continued in that department until the bright star of the Confederate Government set to rise no more When the war closed he had charge of a hospital near Shreveport, Louisiana. He remained at Shreve- port, practicing his profession, until 1874, being there in the yellow fever epidemic of 1873, when he had charge of a number of cases. He made up his mind never to undergo another siege of the terrible Yellow Jack, and in 1874 came to Columbia, Boone county, Missouri. He abandoned the practice of medicine and speculated in tobacco for about a year and then opened a family grocery store and sold goods for several years. In the fall of 1881 he went to Texas and engaged in business there, but soon sold out and returned to Columbia, and in partnership with a gentleman named Moore, opened a carriage factory under the firm name of Moore, Riggins & Co. Dr. Riggins was a practicing physician of Jefferson City during the terrible scourge of cholera there in the years 1850-51. He was the first physician called upon to attend the stricken. Men fell upon the streets with the plague and died before they could be taken into a house. Dr. Riggins has been married twice, the first time in 1849, to Miss Tennessee Matthews Dean, daughter of John Dean of Jefferson City, Missouri. This union was blest by four children, Augusta B., George, William and Emmett. Augusta B., has been married twice. Her first hus- band was Wesley Cates, and her second was Dr. John A. Malcoum. She is now a widow and lives at Denison, Texas. George is now in New Mexico. William died at Vicksburg, Mississippi, in 1863. Em- mett lives in Columbia. Dr. R.'s first wife died in 1866. He was mar- ried the second time in 1870, to Mrs Winans, widow of Col. Winans, who was killed during the war, and a daughter of W. W. Harper, of

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Boone county. By this marriage they have one child, Mary Harper . Riggins. The doctor is a member of the Masonic order, holding his membership at Twilight lodge, No. 114, at Columbia. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. 1

JOHN DE WILTON ROBINSON.

John De Wilton Robinson is the son of B. F. Robinson, of South Carolina, one of the early settlers of Boone county, and a member of the Columbia bar, now residing at Dallas, Texas. His mother's maiden name was Frances De Wilton McLanahan, also a native of South Carolina. John was born in Boone county, city of Columbia, June 27, 1834. He grew up in this county and received his education at the State University, graduating in the class of 1853. He studied law under Judge F. P. Wright of Warsaw, Missouri, and was admit- ted to the bar of that place in 1854, Hon. Waldo P. Johnson and Judge Ballou being his examiners. Locating at Kansas City, he prac- ticed there till 1861, four years of which time he served as city attorney.

Mr. Robinson came of a race of Southern people, and, when the civil troubles began, naturally he espoused the cause of the Confederacy, and staked his all upon the issue in favor of the sunny South. In 1861 he made tours to the southern part of Missouri in the interest of the cause. He joined Rucker's company in August, 1862, and soon afterwards figured in the famous Poindexter's raid. He was in the actions at Switzler's mill and Compton's ferry on Grand river. After the command disbanded, he was taken prisoner by the Federals in this county and held nine months, the time being divided between Columbia, St. Louis, Cairo, Camp Douglas, and other Federal pris- ons, during which he endured all the privations and indignities of a prisoner of war. In the spring of 1863 he was exchanged at City Point, Virginia, and joined Mckinney's battalion and was sent to Pemberton's army in Mississippi. He arrived there eight days before the siege of Vicksburg opened. He was transferred to Lowe's bat- tery (afterwards Dawson's ) and was in the battles of Baker's Creek, Big Black, siege of Vicksburg, Mission Ridge, Kelly's Cross Roads, La., defence of Mobile and other fights and skirmishes. He had been captured at Vicksburg, but was released on parole and was in the service at the time of the surrender. He served as private " No. 4 on the gun," and never lost three days during the entire period of his service except while a prisoner. After the war he returned to Mis-

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JOSEPH K. ROGERS, LL. D.

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

souri and bought a farm in Howard county, which he operated four years. He then went to Rocheport, and after remaining two years, moved back to Columbia, where he has been ever since engaged in the practice of the law. In 1880, he was elected county attorney on the Democratic ticket, which office he still holds, and has en- deavored always to do his duty without fear or favor. Mr. Robin- son was married July 5, 1854, to Miss Sallie Bedford, a native of Boone county and the first graduate of Christian College, being the valedictorian of 1853. They have had two children Fannie De Wilton, wife of Bemm Scott, of Clark county, and Benjamin F. Mr. and Mrs. Robinson are both members of the Christian Church. Mr. R. is also a member of the Masonic fraternity, and belongs to the blue lodge and chapter.

JOSEPH KIRTLEY ROGERS, A. B., A. M., LL. D.

The subject of this sketch was born in Fayette county, Kentucky, November 19, 1828. His ancestry emigrated from England to Vir- ginia, and thence to Kentucky soon after the Boone settlements there. They located subsequently at Bryan Station, and members of the fam- ily are now scattered through all the Western States. His father and mother, William and Frances Rogers, removed to Missouri in the fall of 1830, and settled upon a farm about ten miles west of Palmyra, the county seat of Marion county. In this frontier land, where the, tracks of the retiring red man were fresh in the soil and the embers of his camp-fires still smouldered in the forests, he spent his child- hood and youth. He grew up amid the trials and struggles of a new country, which inure to hardships and train to habits of industry and self-reliance.

His education was commenced in the traditional frontier " log school house " with " puncheon floor," " slab seats," and a log cut out for a window. Mr. Noah Flood, subsequently a prominent min- ister of the Baptist faith in Missouri, presided over this school. Af- ter leaving the country school he attended a private school at Phila- delphia, Marion county, Missouri, taught by F. T. Kemper, one of the best educators in the State, and then entered Masonic College, Marion county, Missouri, presided over at that time by G. J. Worth- ington Smith, of Virginia. Archibald Patterson was professor of mathematics. He remained here two and a half years, making good progress in Latin and mathematics, and in the fall of 1850 entered Missouri University at Columbia, and graduated July 4, 1853, in the

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course of arts with the degree of A. B. He received the honorary de- gree of A. M. in 1856, and the degree of LL. D. on May 31, 1882. He was a very industrious student and accomplished the work in three years that was allotted for four years at the University, and thereby impaired his health which he never regained. In the fall of 1854 he opened the St. Joseph Female Academy at St. Joseph, Missouri, and successfully managed it two years, and then, owing to his feeble health, he gave up the school and returned to Columbia.

In 1856 he accepted a position as professor in Christian College, Columbia, under L. B. Wilkes, the president of the institution. In July, 1858, upon the resignation of President Wilkes, Mr. Rogers was elected his successor as president of Christian College. He held this important and arduous position, discharging its duties with signal ability and success until July, 1877, when, on account of impaired health, he resigned. The popularity of the school during this time was all its most enthusiastic friends could desire, and more than its best and most substantial friends expected.

Having taken .charge of Christian College in 1858, the school had just arrived at a happy and prosperous period when the war broke out. And though at a loss financially, President Rogers stood faith- fully by his school with a competent corps of teachers, never losing a day or swerving from duty.

In August, 1855, he was married to Miss Jennie E., daughter Cap- tain Archibald S. and Amanda Robards, of Hannibal, Missouri, an accomplished and cultured lady, who afterwards became a most im- portant aid and co-worker with him in his protracted and laborious educational work.

She now resides on the homestead in Columbia, living on an ample competence left by her husband to her and. her family. Her family consist of Lenoir S. and A. Bowen Rogers, who are now in business in New Mexico, and Fanny and her husband, A. B. Holland, Jennie M., and R. Estell live with her.

After he resigned his presidency he made several trips to the far West with hope of regaining his lost health, and had only returned the morning of the day of his death, which occurred at 12 o'clock at night, August 24th, 1882, at his residence in Columbia.

Immediately after his death there was a spontaneous move on the part of the citizens of Columbia and vicinity to honor the man whom they loved, which resulted in the following meetings, where appro- priate and lengthy resolutions were passed expressive of the sense of

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the respective assemblies, viz. : Board of trustees of Christian Col- lege ; executive committee of the board of curators of the University of the State of Missouri ; a meeting of the citizens of Columbia and vicinity held at the court-house in Columbia ; and also a meeting of his pupils held at the Christian church, where there were scores present, some who had sat under his instruction when he was a professor in Christian College twenty-five years ago, whose locks are now silvered with gray, and some who attended later. The classes of little boys of long ago had their representatives in the staunchest citizens of to-day. All ages, ranging over the entire time of his connection with the col- lege, were there to do him honor. And those who knew him best loved him most, and to them the recollection of his words are per- petual benedictions.

WILLIAM I. ROBERTS.

William I. Roberts, city marshal, Columbia, Missouri, is the son of Dr. William R. and Mary E. (Brown) Roberts, natives of Virginia. The subject of this sketch was born in Augusta county, Virginia, June 27th, 1847, and came with his parents to Rocheport, Boone county, Missouri, June 5th, 1859. Completed his education at the Rocheport Academy, under the instructions of Prof. Newton Searcy, one of the ablest educators of the country. Enlisted in the Confed- erate service in the fall of 1862 under Col. Poindexter, and partici- pated in the raid known by his name. Was captured and taken to St. Louis, where he was confined in McDowell's College, and afterwards at Alton. Was released from prison in the spring of 1863, and in the fall of 1864 reenlisted in Company E, Searcy's battalion. Was afterwards transferred to the ordnance department and was assistant ordnance sergeant up to the close of the war. Surrendered at Shreveport, Louisiana, and was paroled at Alexandria. Returning to his home in Rocheport, he was engaged as a clerk by H. H. Garth. Was appointed marshal of the town in 1867, and was city weigh- master and agent for the Rocheport stage line. July 18th, 1866, he started to cross the plains, but went no further than Nebraska, return -. ing home July 12th, 1867. Was again appointed marshal of the town, which position he held until 1870. In February, 1870, he came to Columbia and took charge of the Columbia Hotel, on Broad- way, which he conducted for one year, For the next three years he clerked in different stores and acted as agent for the Rocheport ferry and stage line; was appointed city marshal, July 16th, 1874, and svas re-appointed in 1876, holding the office continuously ever since.

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He is a member of the Presbyterian church, and belongs to the order of United Workmen ; also K. of P. He was married, October 5th, 1870, to Miss Mintie, daughter of George and Amanda Knox. By this marriage they have one son and one daughter, Reuben K. and Mary B. Mrs. Roberts is a member of the Presbyterian church. The father of Mrs. Roberts twice represented this county in the legis- lature and was a prominent business man of Rocheport. He died some time in 1847 or 1848. Mr. Roberts has as an official as well as in private life, won the esteem and confidence of the entire community in which he lives. His excellent judgment and cool determination in dealing with the lawless class stamps him as eminently fitted for the duties of his important and dangerous office.

JOHN ROGERS, JR.

The subject of this sketch is probably entitled to the distinction of being the oldest citizen now living in Boone county, and, notwithstand- ing his great age, he is still a healthy, vigorous old man. With all his faculties unimpaired, he looks serenely backward to the time when steam was unknown as a motive power, and steamboats and locomo- tives had not been dreamed of. He gazes backward over an extinct world of human beings. Of all the millions of men and women who were breathing the breath of life when he was ushered into this world, three figures, side by side, would more than express the number who linger still upon the shores of time. What a wonderful vista ! How remarkable the view through all those changeful years, from 1792 to 1882-four-score and ten years! John Rogers, Jr., was born in Culpepper county, Virginia, March 14th, 1792. His father, John Rogers, Sr., was born in England, and emigrated to the United States long before the revolutionary war. He afterwards removed to Harri- son county, Kentucky, where he died in 1821, at the age of seventy- three years. His wife, Nancy (Gregg) Rogers, was born in Stafford county, Virginia, and died in Harrison county, Kentucky, at the advanced age of ninety-seven years. John Rogers, Jr., came to Kentucky with his parents, and in 1817 went to St. Louis county, Missouri, where he remained one year, going from there to Pike county, Missouri, where he remained three years. Previous to coming to Missouri Mr. Rogers was married to Mary, daughter of Edmund Mountjoy, of Bourbon county, Kentucky. By this mar- riage they had nine children, four sons and five daughters, only one of whom, John M. Rogers, of Pike county, is now living. Mr.

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Rogers came to Columbia in 1821. There was at that time but one store in the place, A. J. Williams, proprietor. The hotel was kept by Gentry. Eld. James Barnes was then sheriff of Boone county. Mr. Rogers has a vivid recollection of the first Fourth of July cele- bration he ever attended at Columbia. The day was honored by a: barbecue just east of Flat Branch. There was no speaking. The,- young men amused themselves with foot races, jumping and wrestling. Mr. Rogers settled on a farm about four miles south of Centralia, where he remained for four years, then returned to Pike county, where his wife died, January 19th, 1877, in the eightieth year of her age. Returning to Columbia, he was married, December 6th, 1877, to Mrs. Mary E. Moody. Since his marriage he has resided in Columbia. Mrs. Rogers died June 25th, 1882, leaving one daughter, by the last marriage, aged one year and eight months. Mr. Rogers was first a member of the Baptist church, having united with that denomination under the preaching of Rev. Benjamin Allen in 1814. In 1819 he joined the Christian church in Pike county, Missouri, under the preaching of Eld. Stephen Ruddle, at Ramsey's Creek church. He is a close student of the Bible. He believes that every great event in the world's history is either narrated or foretold by the inspired authors of Holy Writ. He holds that our civil war, also the assas- sination of President Lincoln, is foretold, and can cite to the chapter and verse. He is a fluent talker, and on such topics as he takes an interest in is quite entertaining.

HON. JAMES S. ROLLINS, LL. D.1

James S. Rollins is a native of Richmond, Madison County, Ken- tucky, where he was born April 19th, 1812. His paternal grand- father was a native of Ireland. His father, Dr. Anthony Wayne Rollins, was a prominent physician. His mother, whose maiden name was Rodes, was a native of Albemarle county, Virginia. Maj. Rollins had six brothers and sisters, all of whom are dead, except his youngest sister, who is the wife of Hon. Curtis F. Burnam, a former assistant secretary of the United States treasury.

In early youth Maj. Rollins pursued an academic course in his

1 So much has been written and published of Major Rollins, and such frequent mention is made of him and his connection with. Boone county in the general history of this volume, that a condensed sketch is deemed sufficient for the purposes of this work. Indeed, to pub- lish anything like a complete biography of so distinguished a subject would require a volume in itself, and far transcend the limits of this publication.

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native town, and in 1827 entered Washington College, Pennsylvania, but at the end of the junior year, he left this institution and entered the University of Indiana, at Bloomington, where he graduated in 1830. His parents having removed to Boone county, Maj. Rollins, after graduating, joined them. Coming to Missouri, he took charge- of his father's plantation for one year. He then read law under Hon .. Abiel Leonard, and spent two years at the Transylvania Law School Lexington, Ky., where he graduated in 1834. He at once entered upon the duties of his profession at Columbia, Missouri. During the Black Hawk war he served for about six months on the staff of Gen .. Richard Gentry. In 1836 Maj. Rollins and his law partner, Thomas-

PHOTO ENG.CO.N.Y.

RESIDENCE OF HON. JAMES S. ROLLINS, COLUMBIA, MO.

Miller, became editors of the Columbia Patriot, a Whig paper, which they conducted for several years,

In 1836 Maj. Rollins attended a railroad convention at St. Louis, the first ever held in the State, and as chairman of the committee on resolutions, drafted and submitted a memorial to Congress asking for a grant of public lands to aid in constructing public works, which the convention favored.

Mr. Rollins was married June 6th, 1837, to Miss Mary E. Hickman, a native of Howard county. They have had eleven children, eight of

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whom are living. The oldest son, James H. Rollins, is a graduate of West Point and a captain in the U. S. regular army.

Maj. Rollins commenced his public career in 1838 as the Whig candidate for the legislature. He was elected, and, though quite young, took an active part in the deliberations of that body. During the sessions of 1838-39 he was very active in regard to educational matters, and drafted, introduced and ably advocated the bill to found and endow the State University of Missouri. He was reelected in 1840. During both his terms of service in the legislature he was energetic and earnest in the advocacy of the prosecution of internal improvements, and especially the building of railroads and the improve- ments of rivers at public expense. He cast his first vote for president in 1836, for General Harrison. In 1844 he was a delegate to the Baltimore Convention which nominated Henry Clay for president. During this campaign he made many effective speeches in support of Mr. Clay. Two years following he was elected to the State Senate, and was the leading advocate of the bill to establish the first lunatic asylum at Fulton. In 1848 he was the Whig candidate for governor, and polled a vote far in excess of the usual strength of his party, although defeated by Hon. Austin A. King. In the general assembly of 1847-49, Maj. Rollins was the Whig candidate for the United States Senate, but the large Democratic majority precluded all hope of his election. In 1854 he was again elected to the legislature, during which session he boldly opposed the extension of slavery into the territories. He voted for Col. Doniphan for the United States Senate and made an eloquent speech in support of his favorite can- didate. In 1857 Maj. Rollins was again the Whig candidate for governor to fill the vacancy caused by the election of Governor Polk to the United States Senate. His opponent in this race was Hon. R. M. Stewart. They made a joint canvass of the State and the excite- ment was very great. Stewart was declared elected by two hundred and thirty votes, but many of Maj. Rollins's friends thought that he was really elected. At all events, it was a glorious triumph for the Whig candidate who had pushed a forlorn hope to the very verge of victory. `In 1860 he was elected to congress from the 9th district. He supported Bell and Everett, while his opponent, Hon. John B. Henderson, supported Douglass and Johnson. He took his seat in the special term called by President Lincoln to convene July 4th, 1861, to take measures to suppress the rebellion. He at once took sides with the union. He made many thrilling and effective speeches both

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History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 90

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