USA > Missouri > Cass County > History of Cass County, Missouri > Part 48
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In 1897, Amos J. Martin and Clara Troyer, daughter of Michael and Christina Troyer, of Garden City, were united in marriage. Michael Troyer died in Dayton township in 1906. His widow is now residing in Dayton township. Amos J. and Clara (Troyer) Martin are the parents of the following children: Ivy A .; Clarence; Ora and Owen, twins; Elsie and Florence.
Mr. Martin recalls the days of the first corn planter and the Haworth checkrower in Dayton township. Previous to the introduction of the checkrower corn land was marked off with the old style marker and check- ing was done by the hand drop. Colonel Campbell was owner of the first checkrower in Dayton township. Knots in the rope were for checking and the rope was then wound up by a windlass turned by hand. When a lad Amos Martin often watched Colonel Campbell's checkrower operating. Frequently the runners were dull and then a huge rock would be placed on one box with a boy on the other to hold it in the ground. One day the boy Amos, remarked to his father, "When you get a planter, pa, I can ride on the box, can't I?"
Among the "old timers" who were here in 1875, but have passed on to their reward were: George Main; Jacob Flook, who was cashier of the first and second banks in Garden City ; Colonel Campbell; G. P. Woods ; and Jacob Burkey, who came with Christian Martin to this county in 1875.
Mr. and Mrs. Martin are widely known and highly respected residents of Cass County. Mr. Martin is broad-minded, alert, and thoroughly up-to-date, a most worthy son of Christian Martin. He has ever taken a keen interest in the affairs of his township and is one of the leading men in the county.
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John W. Colburn, the well-known treasurer of Cass County, was born at Freeman in 1876 and belongs to a Cass County pioneer family. He is a son of Dr. John W. and Rebecca M. (Davidson) Colburn. The father was born in Pleasant Hill, Missouri, in 1843, a son of John W. Colburn, a native of Tennessee, who settled in the vicinity of Pleasant Hill about 1840 and died there in 1881.
Dr. John W. Colburn, the father of the subject of this sketch, was a pioneer doctor of old Morristown, a village which was located about a mile north of where Freeman now stands, before the railroad was buil through that section. Doctor Colburn was a graduate of the St. Louis Medical College. When he began to practice his profession at Morristown the country was sparsely settled and there were few roads at that time. it being mostly the case of "following the trail". He generally rode on horseback carrying his medicines and surgical equipments in his saddle bags. Doctor Colburn made many long drives in all kinds of weather, both day and night, which was the common lot of the doctor in the early days. He frequently drove a two-wheeled cart when the roads were good. He was a man of unusual ability and a very good mathematician. He also took a great deal of pride in his penmanship, to which his books and records bear testimony. He was not only a successful physician, but was a keen and progressive business man as well. During most of his career he was also interested in the mercantile business and at various times conducted a drug store, grocery store and a dry goods store, and at one time had a general store at Freeman. He also accumulated considerable land, and at the time of his death was a wealthy man. He removed to Kansas City in 1896 and died there in 1909.
To John W. and Rebecca M. (Davidson) Colburn were born the fol. lowing children: Mrs. Mary Kate Lawrence, Harrisonville, Missouri; John W., the subject of this sketch; Leora Ethel, and Jesse Franklin, who reside in Kansas City, Missouri, with their mother; George C., Freeman, Missouri; LeRoy Earl and Thomas Henry, who also reside in Kansas City, Missouri.
John W. Colburn received his education in the public schools of Cass County, Kansas City High School, the State Normal School at Warrens- burg, and Spaldings Commercial College at Kansas City. At the age of twenty-one he engaged in farming on the old home farm, three miles northeast of Freeman, and has made farming the chief occupation of his life. He has also been successful as a cattle and hog raiser and has made
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a specialty of Poland China and Duroc Jersey hogs. His farm consists of two hundred twenty-five acres and is one of Cass County's most pro- ductive farms. The place is well improved and under an excellent state of cultivation with a splendid residence and other farm buildings fully in accord with it.
Mr. Colburn was united in marriage in 1903 with Miss Jessamine S. Allen, daughter of J. T. and Jane Allen of Grand River township, who now reside in Harrisonville. To Mr. and Mrs. Colburn have been born two children: Cary Allen and John Frank.
Mr. Colburn is a Democrat and has held various township offices, having been a member of the Dolan township board for six years. For eighteen years he served on the school board. In November, 1916, he was his party's candidate for county treasurer of Cass County and was elected by a very satisfactory majority. He assumed the duties of that office, April 1, 1917. After being elected to the office of county treasurer he moved to Harrisonville where he now resides.
Mr. Colburn is a member of the Baptist church and is a member of the board of the Blue River Mission Baptist Association.
H. M. Halcomb, of Index township, is a prominent farmer and stock- man who has spent nearly sixty years of his life in Cass County. He was born in Kentucky in 1846, a son of Amos and Isabella Catherine Halcomb. The father was a native of North Carolina and when ten years old removed to Logan County, Kentucky, with his parents. In 1855 he came to Mis- souri, first settling in Linn County. In 1856 he came to Cass County and settled in Index township, where he entered eighty acres of land from the government. Upon this place he spent the remainder of his life engaged in farming and stock raising. He died in 1898. His wife was a native of Kentucky. She died in Index township in 1879. They were the par- ents of the following children: J. S., Wilburfalls, Oklahoma; H. M., the subject of this sketch; V. E., a merchant, Liberty, Missouri; Amos B., resides in Vernon County, Missouri; J. W., Jackson County, Missouri; and Mrs. Elizabeth Edella Lusby, Warrensburg, Missouri.
H. M. Halcomb was about ten years old when his parents came to Cass County. Here he was educated in the public schools and grew to manhood. When he was nineteen years old he engaged in farming and stock raising for himself, which vocation he has made his life occupation and in which he has met with a reasonable degree of success.
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At the age of twenty-five Mr. Halcomb was united in marriage with Miss Mary C. Akins of Index township, a daughter of George and Mar- garet Akins, both of whom are now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Halcomb were born the following children: George A., a barber, Nevada, Missouri ; J. M., farmer, Austin township; M. E., a prominent merchant of Harrison- ville; C. B., farmer, Sherman township; E. C., farmer, Sherman town- ship; John S., merchant, Fredonia, Kansas; Aubrey E., on the home place with his father; Walter O., Harrisonville; and Angus K., conductor, Lin- coln, Nebraska.
Coming to Cass County at the time he did gave Mr. Halcomb an oppor- tunity to witness the great growth and development of this section for a period embracing considerably more than half a century. During the Civil War the Halcomb family lived in Harrisonville, after Order No. 11 was issued. In 1864 Mr. Halcomb enrolled in the Missouri State Militia and served under Lieutenant Burke. He is a Democrat and takes an active part in local politics. He has been township committeeman from Index township for the past twelve years.
W. L. Boydston, a well-known former and stockman of Camp Branch township, is a native of Missouri. He was born in Platt County in 1863, a son of Nathaniel C. and Margaret A. (Faubion) Boydston, both natives of east Tennessee. Nathaniel C. Boydston was born in 1811 and came to Missouri with his father Thomas Boydston in 1831. They settled in the Platte purchase, later Platt County, where they lived for a number of years, when they removed to Circleville, Kansas. They returned to Platt County in a short time and in 1887 came to Cass County. During the Civil War they lived in Platt County about two and one-half miles from the Missouri River. During that time they had a variety of experiences with the lawless invaders from the Kansas side. Nathaniel Boydston owned considerable land in Platt County at various times and in the early days was one of the best-posted men on land titles in that section of the state. He died in Cass County in 1901, and his wife departed this life in May, 1911. They were the parents of three children as follows: William L., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Birdie A. Sweney, widow of the late John W. Sweney; and Samuel W.
William L. Boydston was reared in Platt County, Missouri, and educated at the Boydston district school, which took its name from his
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father. Mr. Boydston has been a practical farmer and stockman all his life. He met with considerable loss the first year after coming to Cass County. His barn and cribs were destroyed by fire in which he lost over three thousand three hundred bushels of corn. However he was not discouraged and on the whole is well satisfied with the success which he has met in Cass County. He now owns two farms which are well im- proved and especially well adapted to the stock business. For a number of years he raised mules, but recently he has devoted his attention more to the cattie business in which he has been very successful.
Mr. Boydston was united in marriage at East Lynne, Missouri, in 1890, to Miss Ida May Farmer, daughter of John M. and Mary E. (Bailey) Farmer, pioneer settlers of Pleasant Hill, Missouri. The Rev. Jeremiah Farmer was an uncle of Mrs. Boydston. Mrs. Boydston was born at Pleasant Hill, and removed to East Lynne, in 1871, at about the time that town was started. When she came there she moved into the first house that was built on the townsite. Mrs. Boydston has the following sisters living: Mrs. A. Z. Middlesworth, Kansas City, Missouri; Mrs. Lee Hartzler, Harrisonville, Missouri; Mrs. Minnie Farmer, Harrison- ville, Missouri. John M. Farmer, father of Mrs. Boydston, died March 25, 1881, is buried at Pleasant Hill, Missouri, and his wife died May 11, 1909. She is buried at Harrisonville, Missouri.
To Mr. and Mrs. Boydston have been born the following children : Dottie May, who died in infancy ; Paul N., Margaret L., Charles F., Edna May; Frank W., and Dorothy, all of whom reside at home with their parents. The Boydston family is prominent in the community and Mr. Boydston is one of Cass County's leading citizens.
R. D. Noell, a prominent stockman and one of Cass County's extensive land owners living at Eight Mile in Camp Branch township, is a Vir- ginian. He was born in Lee County, Virginia, March 22, 1862, and is a son of David and Jane B. (Farley) Noell, both natives of Virginia. The father died in 1899 at the age of fifty-seven years and the mother now resides at Flag Pond, Scott County, Virginia. They were the parents of eight children, as follows: R. D., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Annie Smith, Lee County, Virginia; William, Bristol, Tennessee; John, Eight Mile, Missouri; Wright, Scott County, Virginia; Mrs. Alice Hancock, deceased; Mrs. Lizzie Lambert, and James Emory, deceased.
R. D. Noell was reared in Virginia, and educated in the public schools
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at Hurricane, Lee County. In 1884 he came to Cass County and worked at Peculiar for two years. He then went to Camp Branch township, locating at Eight Mile. In 1887 he engaged in the mercantile business there and conducted a general store and the postoffice for fifteen years and at the same time bought grain and stock. For thirty-one years he has been engaged in that business, which has been very extensive, and has prospered. He is a man of keen foresight and good judgment which together with honesty and integrity have been the main elements of his success. Mr. Noell has invested in Cass County land from time to time and now owns five hundred forty-one acres of valuable farm land in this county, twenty acres of which are just south of Eight Mile, and two farms of one hundred twenty-seven acres and fifty-four acres north of Dougherty, and three hundred forty acres near Austin. His places are all well improved and under a high state of cultivation. He raises and feeds cattle and hogs quite extensively and for a number of years has averaged about three car loads annually.
Mr. Noell was united in marriage January 22, 1889, to Miss Olive C. Winders of Freeman, Missouri. She is a daughter of S. P. and Mary J. (McKinsey) Winders. Her mother died in 1895 and her father now resides at Eight Mile. The came to Cass County in 1877. To Mr. and Mrs. Noell have been born three children: Ruth, deceased; George, married Henrietta Clark, and lives on one of his father's farms; and Naomi, a graduate of the Harrisonville High School, and has also attended the State Normal School at Warrensburg and is now teaching her first term in District No. 34. The Noell family is well known in Cass County and prominent in the community.
Mrs. Florence Emrick is a native of Cass County and a descendant of one of the pioneer families of this section. She was born in Harrison- ville in what was known as the old Ayres house on South Independence Street. December 8, 1852. Her parents were Thomas J. and Mary (Bur- ford) Milam. The father was a native of Kentucky and the mother was born in Indiana but reared in Kentucky. They were married in Ken- tucky and in the spring of 1851, came to Missouri and settled in Harrison- ville. The father was a carpenter and also followed farming. In 1858 he built a saw-mill on Grand River, about nine miles south of Harrisonville, which he was operating when the war broke out. When Order No. 11 was issued, he removed with his family to Holton, Jackson County, Kan-
MR. AND MRS. LEANDER EMRICK AND FAMILY.
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sas, where they remained about two years when he returned to Harrison- ville. Shortly after returning to this county, he was fatally injured at his sawmill by a falling smokestack and died a few days after the accident. His wife died in February, 1908, at the age of seventy-four years. They were the parents of four children, two of whom grew to maturity: Mrs. Emrick, the subject of this sketch; and S. F., a well known Cass County farmer and stockman, who now resides at Harrisonville.
Mrs. Emrick was reared principally in Cass County and received her education in the public schools. She recalls many early day circumstances in the history of Cass County and notable events of the Civil War period. She says that during the Civil War her people lived a short distance from Harrisonville and when they came to town to do their trading, they were required to get a pass from the military authorities before they could return home. She remembers of seeing the soldiers who were stationed at the Harrisonville post and she heard the firing while the battle was in progress at Morristown and she also remembers distinctly the day of the Battle of Lonejack. She says in those early days that folks knit their own socks and most of their clothing was made of homemade cloth although her mother made a few shopping trips to Kansas City to pur- chase such wearing apparel as shawls and the more fancy dress goods.
Mrs. Emrick was married in 1876 to Leander Emrick. He was born at West Alexander, Preble County, Ohio, November 23, 1843, and was a son of Jacob and Lavina (Enoch) Emrick. He was educated in the public schools of his native county and Oberlin College. In 1860 he accepted a position as steward on a packet plying on the great lakes and served in that capacity for one season. He then returned to his home county and taught school one term and the following summer attended school at Lebanon Academy and the following winter taught school in Darke County, Ohio. In the spring of 1862 he enlisted in Company D, Sixty- ninth Ohio infantry and served with that regiment until 1864, when he was transferred to the Veteran Reserve Corps of the Fifth Regiment and served in that organization until the close of the war. After receiving his discharge and being mustered out of service, he returned to his Ohio home and, after remaining there about a month, came to Cass County, Missouri, and located in Grand River township about a half mile north- west of where Lone Tree now stands. At one time Mrs. Emrick's father owned the land where Lone Tree is located. Mr. Emrick was one of the
(35)
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successful farmers and stockmen of Cass County and accumulated several hundred acres of land. He died August 6, 1915, on the home place in Grand River township.
To Mr. and Mrs. Emrick were born four children as follows: Stella, married Elmer Gillett, Franklin County, Kansas; Sidney, Kansas City, Missouri; Harrison, in Honolulu; and Logan, Harrisonville. By a former marriage to Anna Holloway, a native of Missouri, Mr. Emrick had the fol- lowing children: Victor, Omaha, Nebraska; Warren, Portland, Oregon; and Eugene, Joplin, Missouri. The mother of these children died June 9, 1875.
Mr. Emrick was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic, the Masonic lodge and politically he was a democrat. Mr. and Mrs. Emrick were active in promoting the Grange movement in Cass County and Mr. Emrick was the chief promoter of the Cass County Mutual Fire Insurance Company and was its president at the time of his death, having held that office for several years.
Mrs. Emrick in a reminiscent mood recalls many changes that have taken place in Harrisonville within her recollection. She says when she was a girl that there was not more than three or four houses south of the public square. There was one log house on Independence Street directly west of the present school buildings and a log house stood on the present school grounds and that was considered quite a distance out in the country in those days.
William E. Wiley, cashier of the Farmers Bank of East Lynne, is a man whose success in this life is due to his own unaided efforts. He obtained his education as a boy by hard work and close application and by depending upon himself in early life he developed the spirit of self- reliance which is of inestimable value in the field of industry and finance.
Mr. Wiley was born in Effingham, Illinois, September 8, 1864, a son of Brunson L. and Margaret N. (Wilson) Wiley, natives of Ontario County, New York. In 1871 the Wiley family came west and settled in Kansas, and in 1874 removed to southern Missouri where the father died in 1889. His wife died in Butler County, Kansas, in 1871. They were the parents of five children, all of whom are living, as follows: Samuel W., Seward, Alaska; Selwyn W., Calumet, Oklahoma; William E., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Martha F. Lockerby, Richmond, Virginia; and Mary E., who desides in Colorado.
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William E. Wiley did not have many school advantages in early life and scarcely attended school until he was nearly sixteen years old. When he was thirteen years of age he ran away from home and obtained a place where he could work for his board and clothes and attend school, and in this way managed to get ten months schooling a year for two years. He then came to Garden City and worked in that vicinity until he was twenty-one years old. He conducted a livery business there for a time and also operated a grocery store in Garden City for a number of years. While thus engaged he met with considerable financial loss as a result of going on a note of security for a friend. In November, 1888, he entered the employ of the R. J. Hurley Lumber Company at Garden City and in August, 1890, came to East Lynne, as local manager for that Company, remaining in that position until January 1, 1910. Mr. Wiley then bought a farm in Maries County, Missouri, where he was engaged in farming and stock raising until 1916 when he became cashier of the Farmers State Bank of East Lynne. This Bank was organized in 1902 with a capital stock of ten thousand dollars and the following officers: P. Spencer, president; J. Z. Hartzler, vice president; and Leonard M. Spencer, cashier. The capital stock of the bank still remains the same and the surplus and undivided profits now amount to thirty thousand dollars. The bank owns its own building. The present officers are: P. Spencer, president; Mrs. A. C. Spencer, vice-president; and William E. Wiley, cashier.
Mr. Wiley was married May 27, 1891, to Miss Anna Belle Clements, of Garden City. She is a daughter of David T. and Catharine (Pardee) Clements. David T. Clements was a native of Kentucky and when three years of age removed to Indiana with his parents. Later the family went to Illinois. He came to Cass County in 1867 and made his home in this county until his death in Garden City, in January, 1915. He is survived by his widow, who resides at Garden City. Mr. Clements was twice married, his first wife's name being Martha Thompson. Two children were born to that union: Charles B., who enlisted in Company E, Fifth Missouri infantry, during the Spanish-American war, and died at Chicka- mauga Park; and Mrs. Della Byler, Garfield, Arkansas. To David T. and Catharine (Pardee) Clements were born the following children: Florence who died April 20, 1917, and is buried at Garden City, Missouri; Jessie R., Garden City; Anna B., married William E. Wiley; D. H., Garden City; Mrs. Arta Perle Wells, El Paso, Texas; David L., Tulsa, Oklahoma, and George C., Garden City.
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Mr. Wiley possesses the rare combination of the progressive business man and conservative banker. His straight-forward methods which he has practiced since his boyhood have won for him the confidence of the business world.
Mrs. Virinda (Pennington) Ward, a pioneer woman of Cass County, a native of Henry County, Iowa, was born in 1848. Her parents were James and Elizabeth (Joseph) Pennington, natives of Kentucky. James Pennington was born June 8, 1791, and was a soldier in the war of 1812. He died in Washington County, Iowa, July 10, 1853. His wife was born in 1812, and died in February, 1886, at East Lynne, Missouri. Mrs. Ward has one brother who resides at La Harpe, Kansas.
Virinda (Pennington) Ward has been twice married. Her first hus- band was Franklin Tinder, to whom she was married in Washington County, Iowa, and four children were born to this union: Elmer Tinder, Carthage, Missouri; and Mrs. Eva Kennedy, now residing near Mott, North Dakota. Those deceased are Catherine Elizabeth and Edward.
Some years after the death of her first husband, Mrs. Tinder mar- ried Phares Ward, a native of Cedar County, Missouri. He served in the federal army during the Civil war, having been a member of the Fifteenth Missouri cavalry. He was in the service about two years. Mr. Ward died at East Lynne in August, 1913. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ward, as follows: Nora, married George W. Earl, superintend- ent of schools at Armstrong, Missouri; and Owen Ward, in the trans- portation department of the army and he has been on the Mexican border in that capacity for a number of months. Those deceased are Lillie May, and Lena.
Mrs. Ward and her first husband, Franklin Tinder, settled in East Lynne in 1872, and for forty-five years this has been her residence. She came here when the town was about a year old and now lives in the first house that was built in East Lynne, althought it has been remodeled and enlarged and is a very substantial structure. She has seen East Lynne develop into quite a village. She was here during the fire of 1884, when the north side of the town was practically all burned. Several years later the south side had a similar fate, so she not only saw the original building of the town, but witnessed the rise from ashes. When she and her husband left Iowa in 1871, they intended originally to go to southern Missouri, but while on the way decided that they would locate in Kansas, and pursuant to that plan got as far as Neosho Falls, Kansas. The wind-
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swept plains of the Jayhawker state did not seem to offer a pleasing place for permanent abode and Mrs. Tinder and her husband turned back and soon afterwards settled in East Lynne, Missouri. When they came here they were penniless. Mr. Tinder worked on the rail-road at times and they lived in an old log house which was built some time prior to the Civil war. She endured many hardships to get a start in life and deserves to be classed among the noble pioneer women who did their part bravely and well in subduing the plains and building up the great west. Mrs. Ward has been a member of the East Lynne Baptist church since 1873.
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