USA > Missouri > Livingston County > History of Caldwell and Livingston counties, Missouri, written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri; a reliable and detailed history of Caldwell and Livingston counties--their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens; general and local statistics of great value; incidents and reminiscences > Part 95
USA > Missouri > Caldwell County > History of Caldwell and Livingston counties, Missouri, written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri; a reliable and detailed history of Caldwell and Livingston counties--their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens; general and local statistics of great value; incidents and reminiscences > Part 95
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
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GEORGE E. WILLIAMS
(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Post-office, Utica).
Since commencing in life for himself, Mr. Williams has divided his attention to two callings only, first as clerk in a mercantile establish- ment and then to the business which now receives his attention. He is a native born resident of the State, having been born in Ray county September 28, 1847, and after leaving the common schools, in which he acquired a good education, sufficient for all ordinary practical purposes, he began clerking in a dry goods and grocery house at Utica, an occupation which he continued for two years. But a desire to enter actively into agricultural life, led him to move on his present
903
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
farm, where he has since been successfully occupied in its improve- ment and cultivation. He believes in the high grading of all classes of cattle and other stock, though he grows no fancy breeds. Mr. Williams' father, M. J. Williams, is a Kentuckian by birth, and in another portion of this work more extended mention is made of him. He was the father of nine children, and of these George E. was the second child. February 2, 1879, he was united in marriage at Camp Point, Adams county, Ill., with Miss Rebecca F. Carson, a daughter of a substantial tiller of the soil there, Mr. John Carson. Her mother's maiden name was Miss Nancy Curl, and Rebecca was the oldest of their three children. Mr. and Mrs. Williams have had three children : Johnnie M., born January 1, 1870; Harry E., born February 17, 1873, and Nellie A., born March 11, 1875. Himself and wife are members of the Utica Baptist Church.
52
7
CHAPTER XIV.
GRAND RIVER TOWNSHIP.
Position and Description - Archæology - First Settlers - Dates and Description of the First Land Entries - Items of Early History - The Town (?) of Astoria - Sketch of Grandville or "Coonville" - The Township in War Times -- Historical Sketch of the Town of Bedford - Biographical Sketches of Many Old Settlers and Citizens.
Grand River is the southeastern township of Livingston county. It comprises all of Congressional township 56, range 22, that portion of township 56, range 21, in this connty, and that portion of town- ship 57, range 22, within the county and lying south of the center of the track of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad. Next to Jackson it is the largest township in the county.
The greater portion of the township is rolling, not to say that it is rough and broken. The land along the west side of Grand river is bluffy in many places. Timber, stone and water are plenty. Num- erous stone quarries have been opened and some coal mined. The best lands for agricultural purposes are in the central portion of the township.
ANCIENT MOUNDS.
In the northwestern part of the township, on se. 1/4 sec. 31-57-22, are three or four large mounds, the work of that mysterious race, the ancient Mound Builders. They belong to that class known to archæologists as the sepulchral mounds, or burial places of the dead. Some five or six years ago one of these mounds was opened by W. H. Munro, J. R. Middleton and two or three other gentlemen. In a rudely constructed vault composed of loose stones, portions of a human skeleton, in a good state of preservation, were found, and some of these are now in the possession of the writer. No careful search was made for pottery or copper implements, often found in this class of mounds. Doubtless future and closer examinations will yield interesting and perhaps important results.
(904)
905
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
FIRST ACTUAL SETTLERS.
Following is a list of the first actual settlers in what is now Grand River township, together with a description of the lands they settled upon, and the date when they entered the same: -
IN TOWNSHIP 56, RANGE 21.
Name.
Description.
Date.
Rhodias Fewell
se. sec. 7
Oct. 19, 1836
John Silvery
w. & sw. 7
Oct. 3, 1836
Alex. Silvery
nw. $ w. ¿ sw. sec. 18
Nov. 15, 1836
Wm. C. Fewell
ne. sw. sec. 18
Nov. 28, 1836
Reuben Leaton
sw. sec. 20 and ne. à sec. 29
Sept. 29, 1836
John Stucky
e. ¿ nw. sec. 30
Sept. 7, 1837
John Stucky
w. & sw. sec. 30
Jan. 28, 1837
John Stucky
e. ¿ sw. sec. 30
Aug.30, 1839
Rueben Leaton
sw. frac. sec. 28
Jan. 23, 1837
Joel H. Green
nw. 4 and sw. frac. sec. 33
Feb. 3, 1837
TOWNSHIP 56, RANGE 22.
Joseph Wolfskill .
w. ¿ nw. w .¿ sw. sec. 2
Aug. 7, 1838
Benj. A. Fewell
e. ¿ sw. sec. 2
Aug. 24, 1838
John Wolfskill
ne. sec. 3 n. of Gr. river Aug. 7 1838
Geo. Wolfskill
Frac. ne. sec. 3 s. of Gr. river
May 17, 1838
R. R. Mills .
s. frac. nw. sec. 3
July 20, 1838
B. A Fewell
se. se. sec. 3
Aug. 24, 1838 July 11, 1838
Anselm Rowley
sw. se. sec. 3
July 19, 1838
Thos. Jones
sw. sw. sec. 3, and ne. nw. sec. 10
July 11, 1838
Wm. Le Barron
frac. ne. sec. 4
June 26, 1838
B. A. Fewell
frac. ne. sec. 4
May 23, 1838
S. A. Alexander
frac. nw. sec. 4 e. ¿ se. ne. sw. and sw. sw. sec. 4
June 26, 1838 June 2, 1838
B. D. Midgett
nw. sw. sec. 4
Nov. 14, 1837
Collins Williams S. A. Alexander
se. ne. and ne. se. sec. 5
Nov. 13, 1837
John A. Moore J. K. Reddick Geo. Munro
e. ¿ sw. sec. 6
July 18, 1838 Mar. 1, 1837
W. P. Stovall .
nw. nw. and nw. sw. sec. S
Mar. 14, 1837
R. R. Mills .
sw. sec. 9
July 20, 1838
J. G. Caldwell Geo. Wolfskill John Wolfskill W. C. Wright Reuben Leaton
e. ¿ se. sec. 9
Oct. 21, 1839 1838
Feb. 28, 1837
R. T. Mance
e. ¿ ne. sec. 11
Aug. 24, 1838
Cyrus Ballew
sw. nw. sec. 12
Dec. 20, 1838
Alex. Silvey
frac. sw. and frac. se. sec. 12
Dec. 8, 1836
John Silvey
frac. ne. ne. nw. se. and w. ¿ ne. sec. 13 se. ne. sec 13
May 31, 1837 April 6, 1837
Amassas Silvey Alex. Silvey Rhodias Fewell J. C. Ballew
e. ¿ se. sec. 13 .
Nov. 15, 1836
nw. sec. 13 .
Sept. 10, 1836
Abner Johnson
e. ¿ ne. e. ¿ se. sec. 17
Sept. 4, 1839
Henry Duncan
w. ¿ se. sec. 17
June 24, 1837
John Ringo
n. ¿ nw .. sec. 21
Mar. 1, 1837
Asa Lanter
s. ¿ se. sec. 21 Jan. 6, 1837
w. ¿ sw. sec. 30
Mar. 23, 1838
Solomon Lewis Whitfield Dicken
ne. 4 and c. ¿ se. 4 and nw. se.sec. 27
Nov. 15, 1836
Joseph Jones .
se. sw. sec. 3
Nov. 13, 1837
Wm. LeBarron
B. A. Fewell
w. ¿ se. sec. 4
w. ¿ ne. and ne. ne. sec. 5
June 26, 1838
nw. se. sec. 5
July 31, 1838
w. ¿ ne. sec. 6
W. ¿ sw. se. nw. & sw. ne. sec. 10. frac. ne. sec. 10, and frac. nw. sec. 11 frac. sw. and frac. se. sec. 11 frac. se. sec. 11
May 13, 1837
Feb. 21, 1837
nw. sw. sec. 13
May 10, 1838
906
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
Name.
Description.
Date.
Jeremiah Murray
w. ¿ ne. sec. 26
May 25, 1838
Aquila Jones
e. ¿ ne. sec. 26
Oct. 15, 1838
Wm. L. Brown
e. ¿ nw. and nw. se. sec. 25
Mar. 25, 1839
Chris. Coats
nw. sec. 31
April 9, 1838
Jas. A. Lewis
w. ¿ sw. sec. 31
April 30, 1838
Elisha McGuire
se. sw. sec. 32
May 14, 1838
TOWNSHIP 57, RANGE 22.
Wm. LeBarrou .
w. ¿ sw. sec. 33
June 26, 1838
Collins Williams
se. se. sec. 30
Nov. 22, 1839
Geo. Munro .
ne.# &ne. se. e. ¿ sw. &fr. nw.t sec. 31 Feb. 24, 1837
Geo. Munro
nw. frac. and nw. se. sec. 31
July 23, 1838
Harris Shaw
w. ¿ sw. and nw. frac. sec. 31 Aug. 15, 1838
John Hall and W. P. Stone
se. ¿ e. ¿ sw. frac. ne. 4 sec. 31
Feb. 9, 1837
Jas. R. Reddick
nw. ¿ and frac. ne. 4 sec. 32
May 31, 1838
It will be observed that no entries have been noted after the year 1839.
EARLY HISTORICAL ITEMS.
Upon the first settlement of the county it was the general belief that the Grand river was to become the highway to the markets of the world ; railroads were scarcely known or understood. Navigation by water was common, and it was considered that in time the river would be employed for all the purposes of commercial transportation neces- sary for the general welfare of the people in this quarter. Therefore, at a very early date settlements were made as near the stream as possible, so that the settlers might be near shipping ports or a "river town," and so the large number of locations in this township at so early a date may be readily accounted for.
Perhaps Dr. John Wolfskill, who then lived in Carroll, was the first practicing physician in this township; he died here in 1877. Many anecdotes are related of his experiences among the pioneers. Some of these stories are rather broad and seemingly improbable. On one occasion, as the story is told, he was called to prescribe for a lady, who declared he was " the first doctor ever on the place." He left her some powders which he directed she should take " in water." The direction was literally obeyed. A barrel of water was procured into which the lady entered with many remonstrances and protesta- tions, but with sublime obedience, and then she heroically took the potion. On learning the facts the doctor discontinued the treatment.
For many years after the first settlement the people procured such " store goods " as they needed at Carrollton and Brunswick. There was but little money and bartering and trading were resorted to as means of purchase.
When the first settlers came traces of the old French trading post at the mouth of Locust creek could still be seen. A few straggling,
907
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
bands of Indians passed. up and down the river from time to time hunting and begging. They were the only tramps in the country at that period.
O. K. Smith, a New Yorker, was the first school teacher in the southeastern portion of the township, and taught in a small log cabin, with slab seats, about 1843. He was afterward a merchant in Grandville.
Perhaps the first steamboat to come up Grand river was the Bed- ford, in the year 1839 or 1840. On her return trip she was wrecked at the shoals of Grand river, and gave her name to the town at that point. Afterwards another boat was wrecked at Ballew's ford. She was taken out at high water, a dock was built, and she was repaired and remodeled and finally floated off. Years afterwards she was in the Missouri river trade. Jeremiah Jacobs was one of the workmen engaged in raising and repairing this boat.
Two other small stern-wheel boats plied up and down the river for a season or more prior to 1850. These were called trading boats, and had no passenger accommodations.
In early days there was a race track laid out in the prairie, in sec- tion 24, and the citizens held frequent " meetings " to test the speed of their horses. "Plug" racers and short distances were the rule, but the excitement was none the less intense, and the betting was free and spirited. Jim Turner, Howard Silvey and Harvey Low were noted patrons of the turf.
A certain Methodist preacher was sent for to perform a marriage ceremony in this township many years ago. He was inexperienced and bashful, and desiring to perform his part properly resolved to use the marriage service contained in the book of discipline of his church. Arriving at the house where the ceremony was to be performed he found the bride and groom and the wedding guests assembled and in waiting. The preacher was shown to a private room, and hastily pre- paring his toilet he found that he had forgotten his discipline. Sum- moning a colored member of the household, he said : " Tell Mrs. - to send me a discipline immediately." In a few minutes the servant came bearing a small burden carefully wrapped and concealed in a blanket, and handing it to the preacher said, with evident embarrass- ment : " Here's your dissipin, sir ; it ain't got no handle, but it's all the one we've got !" The modest parson was so overwhelmed with confusion at the miscomprehension of his request that it was with great difficulty he was able to improvise a marriage service proper and perfect.
908
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
Prominent among the early settlers of this township was Hon. Geo. Munro, who, with John Munro, came from Cooper county in 1837 and settled on the well known " Munro farm," two miles west of Bedford. Renowned for his many good qualities of head and heart, no man is more pleasantly remembered by those who knew him. He represented the county three times in the Legislature, having been elected in 1854, 1856 and 1858. Dr. John Wolfskill, though not originally a citizen of the township, living across the line in Carroll, was very well and popularly known in the township, and his death, in August, 1877, was generally regretted.
ASTORIA.
The first town regularly laid out and platted in Livingston county, after its organization, was called " Astoria." Its founder was Henry H. Mitchell, of St. Louis, who laid out the town in March, 1837, having entered the land on the 6th of that month. He.recorded his plat on the 12th of April following, fifteen days before the plat of Utica was filed, but some of the lots were sold April 3. Doubtless at the time Mr. Mitchell thought his town would one day become the metropolis of the Grand river valley.
Astoria was located on the west bank of Grand river, half a mile below the mouth of Locust creek ( nw. 1/4 section 20, township 56, range 12 ) and fairly in the midst of what was then considered the most import- ant area of civilization in this quarter of Missouri. But whatever Mitchell's anticipations may have been, not a single house was ever built on the site of Astoria.
Boyd's Atlas sketch says that no houses were ever built at Astoria, but that, in 1868, " the site was changed to the mouth of Locust creek, where a town was laid out and called Grandville." The latter statement is incorrect. Grandville owed nothing of its existence to Astoria, but had a separate and distinct origin.
Mr. James Ruegger, of Chillicothe, has a copy of the original plat of Astoria. It is well executed in colors, denotes where banks, churches, public halls and other important buildings were expected to be, although portrayed as really existing, and exhibits quite a town on paper ! Mr. Mitchell sold some lots in his projected town for $100 each. Among the first settlers in the vicinity were John Lehman, Isaac Dunney, John Eshelman and Fred. Hininger, who came up from St. Louis more than forty years ago.
909
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
GRANDVILLE.
The town of Grandville was established about the year 1840; it was never regularly laid out and platted. Its site was near the mouth of Locust creek.
Mr. John Jacobs came to this township in 1842, and the little vil- lage was then in existence. Mr. Jacobs, still a resident of the town- ship, relates that during its existence Grandville - or " Coonville " - as it was often called - had two stores, one by Smith & Fielding and one by Hurd. At one time there was a tobacco factory, owned and operated by Fielding & Holtzelaw. There was a dramshop run by two brothers named Parkinson.
. The Parkinson Brothers at one time ran a steamboat called the Duroc up Grand river as far as Utica or the forks. The boat had a difficult job of getting back into the Missouri, owing to a sudden fall in Grand river. She grounded and was only extricated by tow cables and by a lucky rise in Locust creek.
As late as 1845 O. K. Smith owned a store in Grandville, and elections were held here about this time. The place generally bore a reputation for bad whisky, hard fights and disorders generally. On one occasion a man named Bennett stabbed and killed another man named White. This occurred on a bluff bank of the river near the village. Being pursued immediately Bennett sprang into the river, presumably to escape by swimming across, but as he was never afterwards heard of, it is believed he was drowned.
On another occasion there was a colt show at " Coonville." Some contestants from Chariton county, prominent among whom were Tom Standley and two other men named Cranson and Snow, raised a row, because they did not win the premium and tried to " clean out " the successful Livingston county men. After a hard fought battle with fists and feet, involving much biting, scratching and gouging, the " east siders " were badly defeated and put to flight.
The downfall of Grandville was occasioned by its unhealthy loca- tion. Some of its citizens, Fielding, Reddick, and others died. In 1849 there were two cases of cholera in the neighborhood. One man named Bradley died ; another named Jones was attacked, but recov- ered. It was at this time that the contagion carried off many victims at Brunswick, Glasgow and other towns on the Missouri, and was prevalent in the West generally.
910
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
7
IN WAR TIMES.
During the Civil War this township suffered considerably at the hands of the lawless and unscrupulous of both parties. Between the Federal jayhawkers and the rebel bushwhackers there was a great deal of robbing and plundering.
John Bailey, whose murder by the militia in 1862 is mentioned else- where, was an old citizen of this township, and a man of good charac- ter. He was a strong partisan, however, and it is said offended more by his words than by his deeds. Mr. Wm. Barbee, of Carroll county, would have been killed at the same time had he not made the Masonic signal of distress, which was recognized by a lieutenant of the militia who interfered and saved his life.
Jim Jackson, Jim Rider and other Confederate partisans made a few raids into the township, but those whom they visited wished that even these visits had been fewer.
THE TOWN OF BEDFORD.
The original site of the town of Bedford was first laid out and platted as the " town of Laborn," in 1837. According to the records its location was on the ne. 1/4 of section 4, " a few rods below the shoals of Grand river." By whom the town was laid out can not now be stated.
The site was entered by a Wm. Le Barron, a Frenchman, of St. Louis, in 1838, and it is said that he laid off the town of Bedford the same year. It is certain, from the records, that the town of that name was platted in 1839, and it may have been surveyed before. Le Bar- ron was here a short time and built a house. He died in St. Louis, whither he had gone to purchase the necessary machinery for putting in a water mill.
Although Bedford occupies the former site of Laborn, and though the original plat contains the same number of streets and blocks, yet it seems that Le Barron caused a new survey to be made, and had the town newly platted, as the records declare. The original plat of the " town of Bedford " is of the same size as the " town of Laborn."
As to the origin of the name of Bedford, there is some uncertainty. The common acceptation is that it was called for the steamboat of that name which was wrecked on the shoals at the site. But the Bed- ford did not ascend Grand river until 1840, while the town was laid out and named as early as 1839, according to the original record, still
911
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
in existence. Indeed, there is some reason to believe that the town was surveyed in 1838.
It is almost impossible to obtain the correct details of the early his- tory of Bedford. Daniel G. Saunders was probably the second mer- chant. A school was taught by John S. Bowles in 1840. Perhaps the first religious services were conducted by a Methodist minister, whose name is best remembered as Newbill, or Neuble. Henry H. Huffman was a merchant at a very early date; some believe he was the first.
The first ferry over Grand river was run by John Custer, and he was succeeded by Tyre Cauthorn, Phil Saunders and others. The only mode of crossing the river was by ferry until 1866, when the first bridge was erected. The disaster to this structure is elsewhere noted. The present bridge was completed in January last.
Bedford grew slowly until after the war. It was a well known point, but never a place of considerable importance, until after the building of the Wabash Railroad in 1871. In early days goods were brought to the place up the old wagon road from Brunswick save a few consignments landed by the steamboats.
The first mill -a saw mill - was built by Alex. Davis, who sold to a Mr. Hicks, and the latter attached a grist mill. The fine water power at Bedford has never been properly utilized, and perhaps in this age of steam never will be.
During the war, in the fall of 1864, Jim Jackson and his band of a dozen bushwhackers entered the town from their lair over in Chari- ton county. The town was unprotected and entirely at their mercy. They robbed the store of Danl. G. Saunders, completely " cleaning out " the establishment. They also took two horses belonging to Union men and made diligent inquiry for Judge S. B. De Land, whom they swore to kill on sight. Mr. W. H. Vincent, then the vil- lage blacksmith, was made to shoe their horses, and received a cast- off wornout horse for his pay; but after a time the Chillicothe militia took the animal from Mr. Vincent, claiming it as " contra- band."
The cyclone of 1880 was very destructive of property at Bedford. It destroyed the mill, tore down or badly damaged about fifteen other buildings, and swept out the center span of the bridge. And yet it is a matter of wonderment that the terrible storm did not do even more and worse damage.
The present leading business interests of the town are two stores, a steam saw mill, two tobacco factories, an implement store, two
912
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
hotels and a chair factory. The public school belongs to district No. 5, township 56, range 22. There are two departments, and the average attendance in each during the last term was about twenty- five. The principal is J. T. Smith ; assistant, Miss Letha Pine.
BEDFORD STATION,
on the Wabash Railroad, a little more than a mile north of the town of Bedford, was laid out December 1, 1870, by D. G. Saunders and others. In 1877 a horse railway connecting the town with the station was established by Ed. Austin and R. F. Davis ; but it was discontinued in 1882.
M. E. CHURCH SOUTH.
The Bedford Methodist Episcopal Church South, was organized as early as the year 1852. Dr. Wolfskill and wife, S. A. Alexander and wife, Cyrus Ballew and wife, James A. Hix and wife, George Wolfskill and wife, Daniel Singleton and wife, Henry Duncan and wife, John and Mary Baily, Harriet Hoffman, Juda Ballew, Mrs. Laura Saunders, Mr. and Mrs. George Munro, were the original mem- bers. The pastors have been Revs. Devlin, Bell, Carter, Keran, Pyle, Leeper, Rose, Austin, Sarter, Carlyle, Rucker, Warren, Cope, Dockery, Rush, Anderson, Caples, Nolan, Penn, Jordan and Ashby. The present church building, a frame, was erected in 1875, at a cost of $2,300. It was injured somewhat in the cyclone of 1880. The church has a membership of about 70 and the Sab -. bath-school has 50. J. N. Mitchell is superintendent of the school.
MASONIC LODGE.
The charter was granted to Alexander Lodge No. 385, A. F. and A. M., October 13, 1871. The charter members and first officers were : J. M. Alexander, master ; Joseph Jones and D. H. Hammons, wardens ; James Wright, secretary ; G. W. Wright, treasurer; G. W. Wolfskill and I. S. Ballew, deacons; W. H. Jones, tyler ; M. McDaniels, Daniel Root, B. B. Hayden, B. F. Lucas, W. P. Du- laney, D. A. Creason, Daniel Singleton, D. A. Singleton and Jas. H. Mckinney. The past masters have been J. M. Alexander, D. H. Hammons, W. P. Munro, W. H. Vincent, E. E. Wescott, J. R. Houx, A. L. Utt and C. E. Gates. The lodge formerly had a membership of about 70, but some of the members have been dimitted to form the Avalon and Hale City lodges. The present mem- bership is 40.
913
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
BIOGRAPHICAL.
ATHAN M. BALLEW
(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Post-office, Hale City).
Nowhere within the limits of Livingston county can there be found a man who takes greater interest in its agricultural and stock affairs than A. M. Ballew, or who strives continually to promote and advance these interests to a higher plane. He has a native pride in this county, for he was born here on September 4, 1844, and it is perhaps but natural that he should strive to see all its matters placed on a foot- ing equal if not superior to the affairs of other counties in the State. Cyrus Ballew, his father, originally from North Carolina, was by occupation a tanner and farmer, following the latter calling at the time of his death in 1857; he was then some 64 years old. Athan's mother, before her marriage Miss Amy Sides, was a sister to Col. John Sides, of Confederate fame, the family being famous in the his- tory of North Carolina; she died in 1881. The youngest of 8 children, Athan M. secured a fair common school education after which, at the early age of. 13, he had to commence for himself, his father having died when the son was but a young child. His first occupation, splitting rails, was not very remunerative, and yet by practicing strict economy, and by working industriously he began to get ahead in life and in 1870 was enabled to purchase lands and stock. This he has since continued until at the present time he has 400 acres, adorned with an elegant residence and improved with fine barns, out- buildings, etc. ; and it is with pardonable pride that he can now look back upon the results of his labors, for all his transactions have been carried on in a manner above reproach. Of stock he has fine Poland- China hogs and recently he has purchased a splendid Polled-Angus male animal, believing this grade of cattle the best for general use in this section. His pastures afford splendid feeding and grazing ground, and everything about the place indicates enterprise and thrift. He is a member of the M. E. Church South and also belongs to the F. & M. Mutual Aid Society. Mr. Ballew was married October 27, 1867, to Miss Mary Olinger, of East Tennessee, daughter of a sub- stantial farmer then of that locality, but now of Saline county, Mo .; her mother, Lucinda (McAmos) Olinger, died January 27, 1886. Mrs. Ballew was born Angust 13, 1846, the oldest child in the family. They have 7 children : George F., John C., Mary L., May Belle, Mattie, Ora and Charley T. Mrs. Ballew is a member of the Baptist Church.
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