USA > Missouri > Clay County > History of Clay County, Missouri > Part 35
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It has been said that this type of architecture has been almost for- gotten, as it is not in keeping with modern times; but the owner was desirous of carrying out in detail this beautiful period.
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Upon this tract of land surrounding this beautiful home, the archi- tect has prepared landscape drawings, which, when completed, will sur- pass any home in this part of the country.
The entire seventy acres will be beautified with drives and stone bridges, old fashioned well with oaken buckets, an ice house with a unique tower, dinner bell suspended on a stone column 16 feet high. exedra on a mound by a lake, shelter houses at the main entrances and formal garden 70 by 200 feet landscaped with flower beds, drinking fountains, sun dials, bird baths and surrounded with covered promenades and rustic stone walls and steps.
The interior of the house is finished with white and tinted gray and ivory ; natural finished floors and old fashioned colonial wall decorations, fire places and lighting fixtures. Features which are interesting and refer to centuries ago are the book-cases and china closets. These cab- inets are nothing more than recesses in the wall and enclosed with old fashioned glass paneled doors.
The rooms are large, light and especially well ventilated; and the service portion, such as baths, kitchens and pantries have tile lined walls and floors and are equipped with all modern conveniences such as cab- inets, hinged tables, electrical ranges, sinks, refrigerators, etc.
Upon the completion of this edifice, the architectural character was departed from by adding a humorous feature, that of placing bronze door knockers upon three of the chamber doors-a symbol of "Robinson Crusoe", the old "Liberty Bell" and the "Devil with a fire pot".
Sidney Street, an enterprising merchant of Linden, who is also post- master at that place, is a native of Virginia. He was born at Union Hill, Virginia, April 7, 1875, and is a son of John A. and Fannie A. (Jefferson) Street, both natives of Virginia. Fannie A. Street died April 26, 1895 and John A. Street died in 1907.
John A. Street spent his early life in his native state, where he was married and in 1886 came to Clay County with his family. Shortly after coming to Clay County, he was engaged in business at Linden, in partner- ship with Doctor Adkins. In 1903, he and his son, Sidney Street, engaged in the mercantile business at Linden under the firm name of John A. Street and Son. When the father died in 1907, William, Sidney and Mamie Street continued the business until January 1, 1920, when Sidney Street became the sole owner and proprietor. Mr. Street conducts a
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general store and carries a very complete stock of dry goods, groceries, shoes, hardware and farming implements. He buys and sells all kinds of marketable country produce and does an extensive business; his cus- tomers extend over a large scope of territory surrounding Linden. His store is a large structure, 30 x 60 feet, and was built jointly by Mr. Street and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Linden, in 1914.
Sidney Street is one of the following children born to his parents: Nannie, married George Williams of Salem, Virginia; Ina, married John Bennett of Glade Hill, Virginia; William A. of Linden; Miss Mamie Street of Linden; Sidney, the subject of this sketch; and Victoria, died at the age of twenty-three years.
On October 18, 1910, Sidney Street was married to Miss Zepha A. Bandy, of Liberty, Missouri, and a daughter of C. G. and Harriett A. (Estes) Bandy. C. G. Bandy was a native of Virginia and his wife was born in Clay County and now lives in Kansas City, Missouri. Her father, Abraham Estes, was a bugler in the United States army in the Mexican War and was killed west of Liberty in Clay County, during the Civil War. To Mr. and Mrs. Street have been born three children: Louise, Sidney. Jr., and Vernon.
Mrs. Street is one of the following children born to her parents: Lizzie, married A. C. Spear, Kansas City, Missouri; Ernest, a traveling salesman; Jesse, whose address is unknown; Charlotte, married Frank Rogers, of Warrensburg, Missouri; Floyd, Liberty, Missouri; John, Lib- erty, Missouri ; Mrs. Street of this sketch ; and Edna, who resides in Kan- sas City.
Mr. Street is a member of the Indpendent Order of Odd Fellows and the Rebeccas.
E. L. Pigg, cashier of Missouri City Banking Company, Missouri City, Missouri, is one of the well known and successful bankers of Clay County. He was born at Orrick, Ray County, Missouri, October 9, 1885, a son of W. L. and Margaret (Kirkpatrick) Pigg.
W. L. Pigg was one of the organizers of the Citizens Exchange Bank, which was founded in 1890, and he has been president of that institution since that time and is well known as one of the substantial men of affairs of Ray County.
E. L. Pigg attended the public schools and was graduated from the high school at Richmond, Missouri, in the class of 1905. He was then a
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student in the University of Missouri at Columbia for one year and on May 2, 1906, he came to Missouri City as assistant cashier of the Mis- souri City Banking Company and the following year he became cashier and has served in that capacity to the present time.
Mr. Pigg was first married February 2, 1910, to Miss Anna Ham- acher, of Richmond, Missouri. She died April 24, 1914, leaving one son, E. L., Jr. On September 2, 1915, Mr. Pigg was married to Miss Angie Cleary, of Noble County, Ohio. She is a daughter of John W. and Mary , Cleary. Her mother died in September, 1919, and the father now resides in Noble County, Ohio. To Mr. and Mrs. Pigg have been born two children, Margaret Cleary Pigg and William Boyd Pigg.
In 1909, Mr. Pigg was elected secretary of Group Four of the Mis- souri Bankers Association and in 1910, he was elected chairman. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, at Liberty, Missouri; is a Royal Arch Mason and a Knights Templar and a member of the Mystic Shrine, Ararat Temple, Kansas City. He also holds membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
David Y. Stollings, of Liberty township, is a native of Clay County and a descendant of one of the early pioneer families of this county. He was born on the place where he now resides October 10, 1842, and with the exception of the time he was in the Confederate Army and a few years spent in the West, Clay County has been his home. His parents were Jesse Stollings and Sarah (Benton) Stollings.
Jesse Stollings was a native of Virginia and came to Missouri and settled in Clay County. Here he bought 240 acres of land at fourteen dollars an acre from Uncle Joseph Bright, a Clay County pioneer. Later Jesse Stollings sold 120 acres to James McCarty. Further history of the Stollings family appears in this volume in the sketch of John S. Stollings.
David Y. Stollings now owns 160 acres of the old home place where he was born and 103 acres three miles west of the home place. When Jesse Stollings settled here he built a three-room log cabin and here his nine children, four girls and five boys, were born. This pioneer log cabin stood on the place until 1889. Jesse Stollings died on this place September 24, 1865, and his wife departed this life April 1, 1904, and her remains and those of her husband and four of their children are laid to rest in the family cemetery on the home place.
Sarah (Benton) Stollings was born in Kentucky, September 19, 1820,
DAVID Y. STOLLINGS
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and was a daughter of Hiram Benton who came from Kentucky with his family and settled in Clay County about 1842, or perhaps a little earl- ier. Of the nine children born to Jesse and Sarah (Benton) Stollings, three are now liviing as follows: John S., Sarah Margaret. Gray, Okla- homa, and David Y., the subject of this sketch.
David Y. Stollings was reared on the home farm in Liberty township and educated in the early day schools, such as the pioneer times afforded, his first teacher being Professor Johnson. During the Civil War he en- listed in the Confederate Army under Gen. Joe Shelby in Price's Army. He was in several battles and skirmishes and was at Shreveport, Louisiana, when the war closed. He saw service in Missouri, Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana and was in the army about one year.
After the close of the war Mr. Stollings returned to Clay County and shortly afterwards went to Colorado, where he remained about six years. He then returned to Clay County and bought the interests of the other heirs in the home place, and cared for his mother as long as she lived. He has been successfully engaged in farming and stock raising and is one of the substantial and well-to-do citizens of Clay County. He is now seventy-eight years old and is assisted in the operation of his broad acres by his nephew.
Mr. Stollings is one of the few men now living who has had an oppor- tunity to witness the great development that has taken place in this country during the last half century and more. He witnessed the pass- ing of the pioneers who built the first cabins in Clay County. He saw the West as it was and had the experience of driving an ox team across the unbroken and unsettled plains to the then mountain village of Denver, and on the trip saw thousands of buffalo which were practically the sole inhabitants of the then desert waste.
The Linden Bank, Linden, Missouri, was organized by O. E. Clardy and J. M. Brandenburg, June 10, 1919. The capital stock is $10,000.00 and a surplus of $2,000.00. The first officers were James M. Branden- burg, president; J. E. Thomas, vice-president; Sidney Street, cashier; and R. E. Dudley, assistant cashier. The board of directors consisted of the above mentioned gentlemen and J. M. Blevins and Harry Nave.
The present officers of the bank are J. E. Thomas, president; Harry Nave, vice-president; R. E. Dudley, cashier ; and besides these gentlemen the directors are J. M. Blevins, Sidney Street, and J. T. Masterson.
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The Linden Bank has had a good substantial business from the start and numbers among its patrons the leading business men and farmers in and around Linden. It is under the management of good substantial and conservative men who have been successful in their respective busi- ness operations.
The Missouri City Banking Company .- In 1885, William F. and Charles W. Norton organized the firm of Norton Brothers, Bankers, and began business at Missouri City in the room which had been occupied by the old Missouri City Savings Bank which was organized in 1878 and did business until 1883. Charles W. Norton was cashier of Norton Brothers, Bankers. In 1896. the Norton Banking Company was incorporated and W. F. Norton became president, Claud M. Donovan, cashier. and C. W. Norton was a member of the board of directors. The capital stock of the bank was $10,000.00. In 1903, the capital stock was increased to $20,000.00.
In 1906, C. M. Donovan resigned to accept a position with the Citizens Exchange Bank at Orrick, Missouri. The same year, E. L. Pigg, son of W. L. Pigg, president of the Citizens Exchange Bank of Orrick. became cashier of the Norton Banking Co., succeeding Mr. Donovan.
November 1, 1909, Norton Brothers sold their interest in the bank to E. L. Pigg and C. G. Shaw, the present owners, and in October, 1910, the name of the bank was changed to The Missouri City Banking Com- pany, the present name.
The present officers are: C. G. Shaw, president : E. L. Pigg, cashier ; and the directors, besides the above named gentlemen, are George C. Gray, A. C. Pigg and A. S. Shaw. The capital stock is $20,000.00; sur- plus and undivided profits, $15,000.00 and deposits about $150,000.00.
This is one of the substantial and well managed banking institutions in Clay County. The officers are all men of extensive banking experience and conservative business men.
Isaac Ellis Thomas, deceased, was for many years identified with Clay County and was a member of one of the pioneer families of this sec- tion. He was born in Gallatin township, on the farm where his widow now resides, June 20, 1835. a son of Napoleon B. and Sarah (Faubion) Thomas.
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Napoleon B. Thomas was a native of Tennessee, born February 23, 1810 and died in Clay County, January 24, 1875. He was a very early pioneer settler of Clay County. He made the trip from Tennessee to this county on horseback in 1832. Sarah (Faubion) Thomas was born October 24, 1812, and died August 30, 1879. She was a daughter of Rev. Jacob Faubion.
To Napoleon B. and Sarah (Faubion) Thomas were born the follow- ing children: Isaac Ellis, the subject of this sketch; James S., born June 15, 1837; William M. K., born October 5, 1839; Lafayette W., born Janu- ary 3, 1842; Mary Adelia, who married Thomas Boydston, was born June 6, 1844; American J., born November 3, 1846, married William Nelson Johnson; Sarah Frances, born August 21, 1850, died at the age of thirteen years; Eliza Alice, married William Bowles of Barton County, Missouri, was born March 17, 1853 ; and Margaret E., born December 17, 1856, mar- ried Joseph M. Tarwater.
Isaac Ellis Thomas was reared and educated in Clay County, served in the Confederate army under Gen. Sterling Price during the Civil War and participated in the battle of Wilson Creek and a number of other engagements. He followed farming and stock raising throughout his career. He remained on the home place and cared for his father and mother in their declining years and spent his life on the old Thomas place in Gallatin township, where he was born. He died in May, 1914, age seventy-eight years, eleven months and seven days, and his remains are buried at Chapel cemetery.
Isaac Ellis Thomas was married September 16, 1896, to Miss Burlie Owen Smith. She was born at Liberty, Missouri, March 17, 1871, and is a daughter of Mack and Irene (Turpin) Smith. Mack Smith was born in Sacramento, California, in 1840. He was captured and carried away by the Indians when a child and was not heard from for fifteen years. The Smith family came to Illinois from California and the mother of Mack Smith died six weeks after reaching that state. Mack Smith later came to Clay County and was killed at Liberty.
To Mack and Irene (Turpin) Smith were born the following chil- dren: Josephine, married Albert Schwartz, Quenemo, Kansas; Alonzo H. Smith, Los Angeles, California; and Mrs. Thomas of this sketch. After the death of Mack Smith his widow married Thomas Francis Weldon and to that union was born one son, Clarence A. Weldon, of Kansas City, Missouri. Mrs. Thomas' mother now resides in Kansas City, Missouri.
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Anderson Isaac Turpin, grandfather of Mrs. Thomas, was the pioneer tailor of Liberty, Missouri. He came from Sterling, Kentucky, and set- tled in Olathe, Kansas, before the Civil War and was at Westport for a time and then came to Liberty. He died here in 1882.
To Isaac Ellis Thomas and wife was born one daughter, Irene Fay, born May 13, 1898, married John B. Sevage and they live on the home place. Mr. Sevage was born in Gallatin township and is a son of Oscar and Mary (Allen) Sevage.
Mrs. Thomas has in her possession some interesting historic docu- ments, among which is a patent, or land warrant, issued to William Brown for 160 acres of land of which her home place is a part. It was signed by President Andrew Jackson and dated November 1, 1830. She also has a receipt given by Mr. Starks to Napoleon Thomas for a negro woman named Catherine, the price paid for the slave being $1,100.00.
Luke E. Donovan, a successful and enterprising merchant of Missouri City, who has been engaged in the mercantile business there for the past eighteen years, is a native of Clay County. He was born at Missouri City, September 18. 1881, a son of A. K. and Elizabeth (Marsh) Donovan, a more extensive history of whom appears in connection with the biog- raphy of C. M. Donovan in this volume.
Luke E. Donovan was reared and educated in Missouri City and was graduated from the public schools there in the class of 1900. Two years later, with C. G. Shaw, he opened a store for the Missouri City Coal Com- pany at that place and in 1903, Mr. Donovan and C. G. Shaw purchased the store and he has been engaged in business here since that time. They carry a complete stock of general merchandise and have an extensive business in Missouri City and vicinity. The firm owns its own building, which is a brick structure. 24 x 36 feet, and was built in 1901 by the Mis- souri City Coal Company.
Luke E. Donovan was married October 18, 1906, to Miss Cecil Bell. a daughter of W. S. and Ella Bell. She is a grand daughter of G. W. Bell, a Clay County pioneer, who served under Colonel Doniphan in the Mexican War and died here about 1908 and his remains are buried in the cemetery at Missouri City. Mrs. Donovan was reared and educated in Missouri City and graduated in the same class with her husband.
Mr. Donovan is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Missouri City and is a Knights Templar and a member of the Mystic
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Shrine of Kansas City, Missouri. He also holds membership in the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows at Missouri City and Benevolent and Pro- tective Order of Elks at Excelsior Springs. He is an enterprising citizen and one of the substantial men of Clay County.
James P. Heifner, the well known druggist who for the past seventeen years has conducted a drug store at Missouri City, was born near Jack- sonville, Randolph County, Missouri, August 27, 1868. He is a son of Jacob and Susan E. (Brock) Heifner, both now deceased.
Jacob Heifner was a native of Kentucky and an early settler in Mis- souri. He served in the Confederate army during the Civil War and participated in some of the notable engagements of that conflict, includ- ing the battle of Gettysburg. He went to California in 1848, and while en route, he camped in Clay County and here became acquainted with John A. Shouse, a Mexican War veteran, and they became very closely associated. They drove ox teams together and had many interesting pioneer experiences in common. Jacob Heifner died at the age of seventy-three years. His wife was a native of Macon County, Missouri, and a descendant of a pioneer family of that section. She died at the age of forty-eight years.
Jacob and Susan E. (Brock) Heifner were the parents of the follow- ing children: Rev. M. L. was a Missionary Baptist minister and died November 11, 1918, at the age of fifty-eight years; Mary E., died at the age of two years; W. P., lives at Jacksonville, Missouri; J. B., subject of this sketch; George W., an employe of the Wabash Railroad at Moberly, Missouri; Minnie, married William Lamb, of Huntsville, Missouri; and Edna E., married James Manning, of Moberly, Missouri.
James B. Heifner was educated in the public schools at Jacksonville, Missouri, and when a young man was the possessor of unusual talent in vocal music. He applied himself to the study of this art and when he was twenty-two years old, he began teaching vocal music and was suc- cessful in that vocation from the beginning. He taught music for thirteen years and during that time his work brought him over the states of Illinois, Nebraska and Kansas, as well as Missouri. He taught 2,367 pupils in Monroe County, Missouri. At a musical convention which he conducted at Leesburg, Missouri, there were over 7,000 people.
In 1904, Mr. Heifner came to Missouri City and purchased the drug business from Dr. Wysong and conducted a business at the old stand
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until 1917, when he moved to his present location. Mr. Heifner passed the State Board of Pharmacy examination in 1911, and is a licensed pharmacist. He carries a complete line of drugs and druggist sundries and also sells pianos and other musical instruments. Mr. Heifner owns the building in which his store is located and also a good residence in Missouri City. He also owns twenty-five acres of valuable Missouri river bottom land in the vicinity of Missouri City, the operation of which he has found to be highly profitable. During the past season of 1920, he raised twelve acres of potatoes for which he received $4,800.00. He raises an early variety of potatoes known as the Early Ohio and used government certified seed. He also raised thirteen acres of corn this season.
Mr. Heifner was married in 1904 to Miss Ruby E. Polson, of Moberly, Missouri. She is a daughter of Linley and Amanda Polson, the former of whom died at Cairo, Missouri, in August, 1919, and the latter, August 3, 1920, and their remains are buried at Moberly, Missouri. Mrs. Heifner has one brother and a sister: Harry Polson, of Moberly, Missouri: and Bernice, who married Harold Hutsel, of Moberly, Missouri.
Mr. Heifner is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Lodge No. 500, at Missouri City. Missouri, and is one of the progressive business men of this section.
Robert L. Kenyon, manager for Sears, Roebuck and Company of North Kansas City, Missouri, is one of the live progressive business men of this section. He was born in Saline County, Missouri, August 2, 1885, a son of Charles and Hattie (Felkens) Kenyon.
Charles Kenyon was born in Ray County, Missouri, and died at For- sythe, Missouri, in 1900, at the age of sixty-five years. He was a son of Captain Kenyon, a native of Virginia, who spent the latter years of his life in Richmond, Missouri, where he died. Captain Kenyon had the dis- tinction of having served in two wars. He ran away from home when he was a boy and enlisted during the Mexican War and when the Civil War broke out, he enlisted in the Union army and served throughout that con- flict. Hattie (Felkens) Kenyon was born in Saline County, Missouri, and now resides at Forsythe, Missouri.
To Charles and Hattie (Felkens) Kenyon were born the following children : Joseph, lives on the home place at Forsythe, Missouri; Robert L., the subject of this sketch; Allison, Estella, Bertie and Raymond.
Robert L. Kenyon was educated in the public schools at Forsythe.
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Missouri, and first entered the mercantile business at that place. He then came to Kansas City, Missouri, and entered the employ of the old Jones Dry Goods Company which has since been reorganized into the Jones Store Company. He was employed in the receiving department of that concern for seven years. On October 14, 1911, he entered the employ of Sears, Roebuck and Company and now has charge of the North Kansas City warehouse for that company.
Mr. Kenyon was married March 11, 1908, to Miss Mary C. Scott, of Carrollton, Missouri, and to that union have been born two children, Delores Loretta and Etta May.
Mr. Kenyon is a member of the North Kansas City Commercial Club and was the first vice-president of that organization. He is a mem- ber of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and the Modern Woodmen of America. He takes a commendable interest in local affairs and has served two terms as a member of the North Kansas City council.
John Gragg, of the well known firm of Nall and Gragg, leading grocers of North Kansas City, is a native son of Clay County and is a descendant of very early pioneer settlers of this section of Missouri. He was born in Gallatin township, April 4, 1878, a son of Ben Long and Martha E. (Bryant) Gragg.
Ben Long Gragg was born in Platte County, Missouri, in 1846, and died in 1911, and his remains are buried at Barry, Missouri. He is a son of John and Elizabeth (Ford) Gragg. John Gragg came to Missouri and settled in Platte County with his parents in 1814, and they were among the very first settlers in this part of the state. Martha E. (Bryant) Gragg was born in Louisville, Kentucky, and came to Missouri with her parents, Louis and Jemima Bryant, who were early settlers here and both now deceased. Mrs. Gragg lives on her old home place, eight miles north of North Kansas City, where she has lived for the past thirty years. Ben Long and Martha E. (Bryant) Gragg were the parents of the following children: Louis Mahala, married Harry Griffith, Liberty, Missouri ; John, the subject of this sketch; Jefferson Jerome, who is engaged in the insur- ance business at Colorado Springs, Colorado; and Ben, lives on the home place in Gallatin township.
John Gragg was reared in Clay County and educated in the Faubion School District in Gallatin township. He was successfully engaged in farming and stock raising near Gashland until 1920, when in February,
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he rented his farm and in August, 1920, he engaged in the grocery and meat business in partnership with Edgar Nall, under the firm name of Nall and Gragg. They are both enterprising business men and are doing a good business.
December 8, 1897, John Gragg was married to Miss Lena Belle Nall, a daughter of George and Elizabeth Nall, further mention of whom is made in connection with the sketch of Edgar Nall in this volume. To Mr. and Mrs. Gragg have been born one daughter, Lucile, who married John Johnson, a farmer, who resides near Parkville, Missouri, and they have one son, John Johnson, Jr., who was born December 27, 1916.
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