USA > Missouri > Cass County > History of Cass County, Missouri > Part 77
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Mr. Kirk is a progressive and public spirited citizen and his political affiliations are with the Republican party. He takes an active interest in political affairs and was a delegate to the National Republican Con- vention at Chicago in 1916. He was also in attendance at the Republican Convention at that city in 1912. He is one of Cass County's progressive and substantial citizens.
D. C. Idol, owner and editor of the Belton "Herald," was born in North Carolina, in 1851, a son of John and Charity Ann (Huff) of North Carolina. The father was a minister of the Christian Church, and served as captain in the Confederate Army.
D. C. Idol came to Cass County, Missouri, in 1884, and located in Belton. For some years he was a contractor and builder. In 1890 he bought the "Cass County Leader," and later bought the "Belton Herald," which paper he still publishes. This is one of the live, well-edited weekly newspapers of the county and wields a strong influence for good in Belton.
Mr. Idol was married in Grayson County, Virginia, in 1874, to Miss Nancy C. Ross, a daughter of Welborn Ross. Mr. and Mrs. Idol have four children: Edgar Ross Idol, editor of the "Register," at Pleasant Hill; S. C. Idol, of Idaho Falls, is a newspaper man; Roy C. Idol, Spokane, Washington, is also a newspaper man; and Nancy R. Campbell, Belton, Missouri.
W. J. Laffoon, chief clerk of the Bank of Freeman and a former treasurer of Cass County, is a native Missourian. He was born at Gray- don Springs, Missouri, November 29, 1860, a son of Sanford and Sarah (Adams) Laffoon. The father was a native of Tennessee and settled in Polk County, Missouri, in 1844. He was killed in 1862 at Pocahontas, Arkansas, while on his way to join General Price's army. Sarah Adams was born in Jackson County, Missouri, her parents having settled where
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the present town of Cockrell is located, in 1833. After the death of her first husband she was again married. She died in Oregon in 1906.
Mr. Laffoon came to Cass County with his mother in 1864, and the family located in the western part of the county. They went to Oregon in 1875. For a time W. J. Laffoon carried pony express in that state. In 1883 he returned to Cass County and worked at the carpenter trade and also followed farming. In 1893 he was appointed postmaster of Freeman, serving four years. In 1898, Mr. Laffoon was elected treasurer of Cass County and served two terms, being reelected. He was then cashier of the Bank of Freeman for two years, and since that time has held his present position.
Mr. Laffoon was first married to Miss Emma Clemens of Oregon, and one child was born to this union, F. L., who resides at Freeman. Mrs. Laffoon died in 1895. In October, 1901, Mr. Laffoon was married to Miss Fannie Paige, a former teacher of Freeman.
Mr. Laffoon is a member of the Presbyterian Church. His fraternal affiliations are with the Masonic Lodge, Eastern Star, and the Knights of Pythias. He has always been a Democrat.
Winchester Payne is another of those early rugged pioneers who made a home in this county in 1842. He was born near Frankfort, Kentucky, March 16, 1813. When nineteen years of age he learned the cabinet maker's trade at Frankfort. October 25, 1838, he was united in marriage to Sarah Katherine Headen, of Shelby County, Kentucky. They had two sons, William H. Payne and George W. Payne, and one daughter, Elizabeth P. Cummings. Both the sons and the wife are now deceased. The daughter, Mrs. Cummings married a prominent citizen and business man of Harrisonville, Mrs. Cummings died some thirty years ago, leaving a widow with four small girls, all of whom now reside in Harrisonville. Mr. Payne died at his homestead in Harrisonville February 26, 1881. His home from 1846 to his death was located just east of the northeast corner of the square at Harrisonville. After his death his widow re- mained at the old homestead with her daughter, Mrs. Cummings, and at the death of Mrs. Payne this property fell to Mrs. Cummings who has since made her home there.
After Mr. Payne reached manhood in 1840 he moved with his family from Kentucky to a farm near Fulton, Missouri, where he re-
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mained until 1842. He then came here. On reaching this county he rented a farm three miles south of Harrisonville and erected an eight- horse water-power saw mill, this he ran in connection with his farming, cabinet shop and brick yard. This brick yard furnished brick for the few brick structures of the community. On this yard the bricks were burnt to build the old Cummings residence formerly located where the Mike Robbins home now stands.
Winchester Payne was converted to the religion of Christ at his old home in Kentucky, and united with the Baptist Church. When he settled in this county he put his membership with the Grand River Baptist Church where he continued to hold his membership until the old New Hope (now Harrisonville Baptist Church) was organized. On this organ- ization he removed his church relations to the then new church at Harri- sonville. His family, following his foot steps, became members of the Baptist Church. Mr. Payne lived a consistent Christian life, contributing of his means and energy to the sustaining of Chirst's cause. His widow remained a faithful adherent to the Baptist Church until her death. The children yet reside here and are active in the church of their parents.
Roy T. Cloud, editor of the Pleasant Hill "Times," is one of the well known newspaper men of Cass County. He was born at Pleasant Hill, Missouri, October 3, 1878, a son of T. H. and Catherine Cloud, the former, a prominent Pleasant Hill attorney, was a native of Kentucky, and the latter was born in Missouri. They were the parents of eight children: Frank, died at the age of twenty-three; Pryor, Amy and Alfred died in infancy; Mrs. Catherine Pfou, Anaheim, California; Al- fred Bruce, St. Petersburg, Florida; Mrs. Mamie Carroll, Tampa, Florida, and Roy T., subject of this sketch.
Roy T. Cloud was reared and educated in Pleasant Hill and began his newspaper career at the age of seventeen, in the "Gazette" office. A year later he went with the Pleasant Hill "Local" which he and James Walden purchased a year later. They published this paper two years, when Mr. Cloud bought the Pleasant Hill "Post," successor to the "Gazette." In 1901 the "Post" was changed to the "Times," under which title it is still published by Mr. Cloud. It is a well-edited, live weekly newspaper and has a good circulation.
Mr. Cloud was married December 6, 1899, to Miss Josephine
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Savage, of Wellington, Kansas. She is a native of Kansas and a daughter of W. R. and Emma Savage. Three children have been born to this union : Tilghman; William Franklin, died in infancy; and Fred Bruce.
Charles L. Harris, a former postmaster of Harrisonville, is a native son of Cass County. He was born in Harrisonville February 21, 1869, a son of S. T. and Mary J. (Saeger) Harris, the former a native of Potter County, Pennsylvania, and the latter of Elmira, New York. The father was a salt water sailor in early life and later learned printing. During the Civil War he served in the Union Army. In 1866 he came to Mis- souri, settling in Henry County. The following year he came to Harri- sonville and published the "Cass County Republican" for a number of years. He also published the "Times-Courier." He was in Los Angeles, California from 1873 to 1880. He bought the "Cass News" in 1886 and published it until 1894, when he retired. He died in 1909 and his wife passed away in 1911.
Charles L. Harris is the eldest of five children born to his parents. He was reared in Harrisonville, educated in the public schools and began life in the newspaper business which has been his life's vocation. In 1896 he received an appointment in the United States Internal Revenue Serv- ice, and in 1902 was appointed postmaster of Harrisonville, serving in that office for eleven years.
Mr. Harris was married in 1893 to Miss Cora M., a daughter of E. E. Webber. He is a Republican and for a number of years has been promi- nent in the politics of Cass County and Missouri.
Charles William Allen, of Pleasant Hill, is a member of one of the very early pioneer families of Cass County. He was born in Pleasant Hill township in 1841, and is a son of Jacob and Betsey (Wheeler) Allen. Jacob Allen was a native of Virginia, and when a young man removed to Tennessee, and in 1839, came to Missouri, settling in Polk township, Cass County, about two and one-half miles east of Pleasant Hill. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Betsey Wheeler, was a daughter of John and Mary Wheeler, who came to Cass County from Tennessee about 1839. After coming here they spent the remainder of their lives on their farm in Camp Branch township.
Jacob and Betsey Allen were the parents of twelve children, nine of whom grew to maturity: James, deceased; Andy, deceased; Solomon,
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deceased; Joseph, deceased; Mary, married James Porter, and is now deceased; Eliza, married William Hodge and is now deceased; Charles William, the subject of this sketch; John, address unknown; and Hugh, deceased.
Mr. Allen was reared amidst the pioneer surroundings of the early days in Cass County, and he did not have the opportunity for an education which later times afforded. He has made farming his chief occupation, having been engaged in tilling the soil in Polk and Pleasant Hill townships all his life. In 1903 he bought a small farm adjoining Pleasant Hill, where he has since been principally engaged in farming in a small way and raising chickens.
Mr. Allen was married to Miss Emma Roupe, a daughter of John Roupe, a Cass County pioneer; they have no children.
William H. Allen, of Pleasant Hill, is one of the large land owners of Cass County. He is a native son of this county, having been born at Pleasant Hill, in 1857. His parents were James and Amanda (Harrelson) Allen. The father was a native of Washington County, Virginia, born May 27, 1829. He came to Missouri with his father, Jacob Allen, in 1838. They located two miles east of Pleasant Hill, where James Allen spent the remainder of his life, and died in 1908, aged eighty-two years. Amanda Harrelson, mother of William H. Allen, was a daughter of Nathan Harrel- son, a prominent pioneer of Cass County, a sketch of whom appears in this volume. Amanda Harrelson was born in Clay County, Missouri, Janu- ary 18, 1834, and died in Cass County, July 29, 1860. Her remains and those of her husband are buried in the Pleasant Hill cemetery. They were the parents of two children, Walter S., who is now living retired at Belton, Missouri, and William H., the subject of this sketch.
William H. Allen was reared in Pleasant Hill and educated in the public schools there and Central College at Fayette, Missouri. He began life as a farmer and stock raiser in Big Creek township when he was twenty-three years old. He first bought land five miles west of Pleasant Hill and has added to his original purchase until he now owns fourteen hundred sixty acres of well improved and valuable land. His place is located about two and one-half miles south of Greenwood and is one of the most valuable farms in that locality. He carries on stock raising and feeding extensively and is also one of the successful dairymen of Cass County. He keeps from forty to fifty head of milch cows and has his place well equipped for handling the dairy business on an extensive scale. He built a large modern dairy barn in 1912, which perhaps has not an
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equal in Cass County for the purpose for which it is intended. Mr. Allen has three lakes on his place, one of which is the finest body of water for fishing in the county. He has under course of construction another lake which will cover a surface of thirty acres when completed.
Mr. Allen was married in 1880 to Miss Mattie F. Dewar, of Pleasant Hill, Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Allen have five children living as follows: Walter S., married Miss Vernie Schofield, and resides on the home farm; Annie, married George Dunn, Jr., Pleasant Hill; James, a Presbyterian minister engaged in foreign missionary work in Belgium, Congo, Africa; Martha, resides at home; and Nathan Allen resides at Pleasant Hill. A son, Frank, died at the age of twenty-two years. The Allen family is prominent in the community, and Mr. Allen is a progressive and public spirited man who has made good.
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