History of Clay and Platte 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 Clay and Platte Counties --their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens., Part 33

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1156

USA > Missouri > Platte County > History of Clay and Platte 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 Clay and Platte Counties --their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens. > Part 33
USA > Missouri > Clay County > History of Clay and Platte 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 Clay and Platte Counties --their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens. > Part 33

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LEWIS B. DOUGHERTY

(Cashier of the Commercial Savings Bank, Liberty).

On the second expedition of Lewis and Clark to the Rocky Moun- tains in about 1799, Maj. John Dougherty, the father of the subject of this sketch, first came West from Kentucky. He was then only a youth some 17 years of age, but made one of the most resolute pioneers in the expedition. Traveling extensively over the West, he was finally located at Ft. Leavenworth, Kas., as Indian agent, where, having married in the meantime, at St. Louis, Mo., his son, Lewis B., was born December 7, 1828, and is believed to have been the first white child born in Kansas. In 1830 Maj. Dougherty removed to St. Louis, of which city Mrs. Dougherty was a native. Her maiden name was Mary Hertzog. Maj. Dougherty removed to Council Bluffs from St. Louis in about 1833, where he was stationed for some time as Indian agent. He was afterwards stationed at Ft. Leavenworth, and after some years resided again in St. Louis. Returning to Leavenworth later along he was there until 1837, in charge of the Indian agency. About this time he removed to Liberty and made his permanent home here. He became a leading and influential citizen of this county, and repre- sented it in the Legislature, a colleague with Gen. Doniphan and William Wood. He opened a large farm, some six or seven miles from Liberty, on which he resided until his death. Maj. Dougherty

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

died in January, 1761, well known throughout Clay county, and, indeed, over a large region of country surrounding he was as highly esteemed by all as he was well known. No man in the county stood higher in the opinions of the public and his neighbors. He was a man of high character, courage and generosity, and withal a man of great kindness of heart. Energetic, frugal in his manner of living, but never par- simonious, and a man of good business ability, he accumulated a com- fortable property, which he left intact to his children at his death. Moreover, he had been generous in providing them with the best means for mental culture and otherwise fitting them for the activities of life within his power. A typical, good citizen, one whose industry and enterprise were not less valuable to the community than to him- self and an exemplary man in his own family, his memory is revered by his children and all who knew him as that of one whose example is worthy of all imitation. Lewis B. Dougherty, the subject of this sketch, was reared on his father's farm near Liberty. He was edu- cated at the State University in Columbia, from which he graduated in 1847. The same year of his graduation Mr. Dougherty went to Ft. Kearney, in Nebraska Territory, where he engaged in the suttling busi- ness, which he followed with success at that place four years. From there he went to Ft. Laramie, in Wyoming, about 1852, continuing in the same business at the latter place some four or five years. He was absent from Clay county in all about 10 years, and after his return in 1857 he settled on a farm, where he continued to reside, occupied principally with agricultural pursuits, some 12 or 15 years. When the Commercial Savings Bank of Liberty was organized, in he became a stockholder. About six years afterwards, in 1871, he was elected cashier of the bank, a position he has continued ever since to hold. The bank has a capital stock of $50,000. This is well known as one of the most substantial and reliable banks on the western border of the State, and for the enviable reputation it has made, a large share of credit is due to the good management of Mr. Dougherty. He is also still interested in farming, and has a val- uable farm in the county, as well as a good farm in Vernon county, and one in Douglas county. In 1874 Mr. Dougherty was elected trea- surer of the county and discharged the duties of that responsible office with efficiency and fidelity and to the general satisfaction of the pub- lic. December 7, 1858, he was married to Miss Anna Carey, a daugh- ter of Daniel Carey, one of the pioneer settlers and substantial citizens of Platte county, but now deceased. Mrs. Dougherty was educated at Liberty and at the Camden Female College. Mr. and Mrs. D. have two children : Flora, now the wife of C. C. Courtney, of Kansas City, and John L. One besides is deceased, Mary, who died in 1880, at the age of eight years. Mr. and Mrs. D. are members of the Presby- terian Church, and Mr. Dougherty is a prominent member of the Masonic order, belonging to the Lodge, Chapter and Commandery. Mr. D. had two brothers and a sister who lived to reach mature years, but one of his brothers was killed at the battle of Franklin, Tenn., a member of the Third Missouri Confederate infantry, in the company of

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

the subject of this sketch. His other brother, O'F. Dougherty, is a resident of this place, and his sister is the wife of Gen. C. F. Ruff, of Philadelphia.

O'FALLON DOUGHERTY

(Farmer, Stock-raiser and Stock-dealer, Liberty).

Mr. Dougherty was a son of Maj. John Dougherty and is a brother to L. B. Dougherty, whose sketch precedes this. In the former sketch an outline of the family history has been given. Mr. Dough- erty was born in St. Louis June 5, 1832, but as the family. subse- quently removed to this county, he was principally reared here. His education was acquired at William Jewell College, where he took a thorough course of four years and subsequently graduated. After the close of his college course he returned to the farm and engaged in farming with his father with whom he continued until the latter's death. Mr. Dougherty inherited the old family homestead and stills owns it. He has a fine place of 1,162 acres, all improved except about 200 acres of timber. He has been extensively engaged in farming and raising stock for many years, to which his place is well adapted. His improvements on the farm are of an excellent class, a large com- fortable, tastily built residence, good barns and other buildings, and good fences. November 30, 1865, Mr. Dougherty was married to Miss Sarah, a daughter of James and Eliza Nutter, early settlers of this county. Mrs. Dougherty was educated at the Liberty Female Seminary. They have two children : Katie and Mary Hertzog. In the spring of 1881 Mr. Dougherty removed to Liberty in order to edu- cate his daughters. He is now just completing a handsome, spacious two-story brick residence in town, where he will make his permanent home. Mr. and Mrs. D. are members of the Baptist Church and he is a member of the Chapter and Commandery in the Masonic order. Mr. Dougherty's father, Maj. Dougherty, was at one time engaged in this county in the unusual pursuit of raising buffalo. He began with one cow and in a few years his stock of buffalo had increased until during one summer he had 23 head of calves. He was a great ad- mirer of Henry Clay and sheared some wool from one of his best buf- falo which his wife carded, spun and knit into a pair of mittens and a pair of socks. The Major sent them to the great Whig chief and states- man of that day, Henry Clay, from whom he received a most compli- mentary acknowledgment. After the death of Mr. Clay they were contributed by his heirs to the cabinet of reliques of public men at Washington, and they are now on exhibition in a glass case, with a card giving their history, in the Patent Office, in the Interior Depart- ment building.

JAMES R. EATON, A. B., A. M., Ph. D.

(Professor of Natural Sciences, William Jewell College, Liberty, Missouri).

Dr. Eaton is a native of New York He was born at Hamilton, Mad- ison county, that State, December 11, 1834. He was a son of Rev.

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

Dr. George W. Eaton, one of the most accomplished scholars and eminent educators of New York. His whole life was devoted to the cause of education. The following concerning him and his services is reproduced from the report of the Commissioner of Education of the United States for the year 1872 : -

Dr. James R. Eaton received his general education at the Madison University of New York. He graduated in 1856 and received the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Immediately following his graduation from the Mad- ison University he entered the Hamilton Theological Seminary of the Baptist Church, in which he continued as a student for a period of two years, graduating in 1858 with the degree of Master of Arts.

Well recommended for ripe scholarship and for the natural charac- teristics necessary to a successful and useful career as an educator, Prof. Eaton, after his graduation at Madison, was tendered, in 1859, the chair of Adjunct-Professor of Mathematics and Natural Sciences in the Union University of Murfreesboro, Tenn., which he accepted. He filled that position and discharged the duties which it imposed with ability and eminent satisfaction to all concerned for two years. He was then offered and he accepted the professorship of Ancient Lan- guages in Bethel College of Russellville, Ky. The events of the war, however, soon unsettled affairs in Kentucky so much that he re- signed his position at Bethel College and left the State.

Prof. Eaton now went to New York, and soon afterwards received the appointment of superintendent of the advertising department and of the foreign mail delivery in the post-office of the city of New York. He continued at the head of that department in the New York city post-office until the close of the war. Prof.Eaton found official life in the civil service of the government by no means as congenial as the profession of teaching, and in 1866 he accepted the chair of Natural Sciences in the University of Louisville, Ky. He continued there for three years and until he came to Liberty, Mo., in 1869, to enter upon the duties of Professor of Natural Sciences and Natural Theology in William Jewell College, a position to which he had been called by the board of regents of this institution. He has occupied this position in William Jewell College from that time to the present, continuously, a period of 16 years. In the meantime, in 1876, his Alma Mater, Madison University of New York, honored him and herself by conferring upon him the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. The promise early given of a successful and useful career for Dr. Eaton as an edu- cator has already been fulfilled to an eminent degree. With him teaching is a labor of love, the source of his greatest pleasure outside of his family and his church; and he has devoted his life, all his ener- gies, to it with that zeal and disinterestedness, and that singleness of purpose - the mental and moral elevation and improvement of those committed to his charge - which stamp him a man of great nobility of character, and one fitted for the delicate and responsible duties of an educator, not less by the native qualities of his head and heart than by his superior attainments as a scholar. The Doctor is justly re- garded as one of the leading educators of the State. For ten years

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

he was president of the Education Board of William Jewell College, and until he resigned the position. His resignation was accepted with great reluctance.

Dr. Eaton is also active and prominent in the church and his ser- vices have been of great value to his denomination at Liberty and to the cause of religion. Though a scientist of profound learning and great ability and a devoted believer in the great principles established by scientific research, unlike many of greater pretentions but of unquestionably less depth of thought and thoroughness of investiga- tion, he has never found anything to shake his faith in the Word of God, the doctrine of faith in Christ as contained in the Holy Scriptures. On the contrary, he has ever found science an unerring witness for religion, the faithful handmaid of religious truth.

Dr. Eaton devotes much of his leisure from his regular duties to general reading, and in the course of his studies of a general charac- ter he has collected an unusually large and valuable library, probably the best general library in this part of the State, outside of a large city. He has nearly twelve hundred volumes, all works of solid merit, and most of them standard authors on the subjects which they respect- ively treat.

On the 6th of June, 1872, Dr. Eaton was married at Liberty, Mo., to Miss Mattie E. Lewright. She is a lady of superior education and in- telligence. She is a native of Missouri, born in Franklin county, and was educated by a private tutor, a gentleman who was a graduate of the ancient and famous University of Edinburgh, Scotland. She is a daughter of Wm. P. Lewright, formerly of Virginia.

The Doctor and Mrs. Eaton have one child living, Hubert L., a prom- ising son aged about four years. Two others are deceased, both sons, Harold W. and Lewright B.

Dr. Eaton has an interesting and valuable collection of geological specimens, many of which he gathered himself in the West and else- where in the United States. He also has an interesting cabinet of curios of various kinds, collected from different parts of the world, and one of the finest collections of ancient and rare coins in the United States. His collection of coins, in fact, is said to be the best, though not the largest, one outside of Europe. It was exhibited at the Louis- ville Exposition in 1884 and one of the papers of that city made the following notice of it: -

" Among the new features at the Exposition will be the rare collection of coins belonging to Dr. J. R. Eaton, of William Jewell College. He has been 30 years mak- ing this collection, and it is probably the best and most complete one this side of the British Museum. All the coins mentioned in the Scriptures are here, from the gold daric, contributed to build Solomon's temple, to the mite, such as the poor widow cast into the treasury. Here also are the old Greek coins from the didrachma of Ægina, which must have been coined before the year 869 B. C., to the quarter obolus, the smallest coin ever circulated. The sacred obolus which was placed in the mouth of each corpse to pay the dead man's ferriage across the river Styx. The coins of Alex- ander the Great and his successors.

The collection embraces all the varieties of Roman coins. There is the original As. of bronze and weighing one pound, the largest coin in existence. It was recently exhumed at Naples and is a better specimen than the one in the British Museum. Besides these there are moderncoins of all nations now in use."

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

WILLIAM W. ESTES

(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Post-office, Liberty) .

Whatever may be said of the productive quality of much of the farm- ing land of Virginia, no one who knows anything about Virginians will question the fact that they know a good piece of land when they see it. In all the emigrations from different States to the West, Vir- ginians have generally gotten the best of their fellow-emigrants from other States in the choice of good lands. Away back in the territorial days of Missouri, the more intelligent class of people in Virginia have made themselves familiar with the general character of the lands in this part of the country ; especially well informed were those who ex- pected to emigrate West. Among these was the father of the subject of the present sketch, together with a large number of other Vir- ginians. Before coming to this State he had visited Kentucky when quite a young man, but returning to Virginia he was married and shortly afterwards, in company with quite a colony, came out to Mis- souri and settled in Saline county. That was as early as 1819. About two years afterwards he and a number of his fellow-emigrants came up the river, and crossing over, settled on the fertile lands of Clay county. This was one of the early settlements made in the county. Thomas Estes became a well-to-do farmer of this county and respected by all who knew him. He died here in 1854. His wife died in 1866. Their homestead was about a mile and a half northeast of Liberty. He left a large landed property at his death and a number of slaves. It should have been remarked before this, however, that after his first wife's death he was married again. By each wife he left a family of children. Of the first family only one is now living, and also one of the last marriage. William W. Estes was born in Saline county, March 7, 1821, but was reared on the family homestead in Clay county. In 1849 he, with a company composed of twelve young men of Clay county and twelve from Howard county, went to California overland, being about three months on the road. He spent two years in Cali- fornia engaged in mining. Returning in the fall of 1851, he came by way of Panama and New Orleans, and on reaching home settled down permanently to farming and stock-raising, which he has ever since followed. June 1, 1852, he was married to Miss Catherine Lincoln, a daughter of David Lincoln, one of the pioneer settlers of the county. She lived to brighten his home for nearly thirty years, but was at last taken away by death, September 25, 1881. She was a good and true and faithful wife and was esteemed by her neighbors and acquaintances only less than she was loved in her own family. But one child was reared to mature years. She is still living, Elizabeth D., the wife of James Bevins, who resides on the Estes' homestead and assists in the management of the farm. Mr. and Mrs. Bevins have two children, Katie C. and Plum, and have lost two, all of whom died in infancy. The farm contains 230 acres and is one of the choice farms of the

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

vicinity. Messrs. Estes and Bevins are justly esteemed as among the best citizens of the community.

ROBERT C. EWING

(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Post-office, Liberty).

Mr. Ewing is a representative of a family, whose name he bears, that has given to several of the Western States, including Missouri, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois, some of their leading citizens. He was a son of J. B. Ewing, who came to this county from Ken- tucky in an early day, and who was a nephew of Rev. Finis Ewing, one of the noted preachers of his day, a man of finished education, fine presence, a magnificent orator and of profound piety. J. R. Ewing came to Clay county a young man in 1821. His parents had previously settled in Lafayette county, this State, at a very early day. He was married here to Miss Ruth Moore, a daughter of James Moore, formerly of North Carolina. After his marriage he settled on a farm adjoining the one where his son now resides. Robert C., the subject of this sketch, was born on that place, October 23, 1833. On the 5th of January, 1859, he was married to Miss Sarah Downing, a daughter of Charles Downing, formerly of Kentucky. After his marriage Mr. Ewing continued farming, which he had previously engaged in, for himself and by industry and good manage- ment he has become comfortably situated. Mr. and Mrs. Ewing have three children, Charles R., John D. and Robert C. One is deceased, Nettie. She died in the fall of 1881, being at the time the wife of Lilburn Arnold. Mrs. E. is a member of the Baptist Church.

JUDGE JOSEPH THORNBURG FIELD ( DECEASED )

(Vicinity of Liberty).

He whose name heads this sketch was for many years, and until his death, regarded as one of the prominent representative citizens of Clay county. He was long a leading farmer and held many positions of public trust, as well as being prominently identified with business affairs and in every relation of life acquitted himself with great credit. He was born in Madison county, Va., December 10, 1798, and was the eldest of a family of nine children. In 1800 the family removed to Kentucky and settled in Bourbon county, where he grew to manhood, and resided until approaching middle age of life. In 1838 he went to Boone county, that State, where he made his home for several years and became a prominent citizen of that county. He was elected sheriff while there and discharged the duties of that office with marked efficiency and popularity. From Boone county, Ky., he emigrated to Missouri, and made a permanent settlement in Clay county. Here he was married in 1845 to Miss Mary A. Thompson, of Caldwell county, but formerly of Kentucky. She survived her marriage, how- ever, only a short time, and left him one child, Sarah E., now the wife of John Chancellor. To his second wife Judge Field was mar-

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

ried in the spring of 1848. She was a Miss Margaret Wymore, daughter of Samuel Wymore, of this county, an early settler from Kentucky. Meantime he had bought land and improved a farm and by his industry and good management was steadily coming to the front as a prominent farmer and stock-raiser. Later along he was honored with different official positions in the county and among others was twice elected a member of the county court and served one term as county treasurer. As a county judge he is said to have been one of the most efficient ever honored with that position in Clay county, and in various other positions he held he acquitted himself with not less credit and popularity. He also became interested in banking and was director of the Liberty branch of the Farmers' Bank of Missouri. During the latter years of the career of the bank he served as its president, and under his management it obtained a wide and enviable reputation. By his economy and industry and admirable good judg- ment, he was enabled to acquire a comfortable fortune. He died at his homestead in this county March 19, 1881, at the ripe old age of 82. Judge Field was a valuable, good citizen, and as a friend, generous and faithful. As a husband and father, he was all that loved ones could have wished him to be, a good and true man in every relation of life and one whose memory is kindly cherished by those who knew him. In business affairs he was remarkably methodical and systema- tic and punctual and precise in all his transactions. His second wife died only a short time after her marriage, and he was subsequently married to Miss Amanda J., daughter of Leonard Brasfield, who came to this county from Kentucky in 1818. Four children were. the fruits of his last marriage : Mary J., wife of William Clark; Ada, wife of Hon. James M. Bohart, of Clinton county ; Joseph E. and Daniel B. The latter has charge of the old family homestead and is a young man of liberal education and of marked enterprise and personal worth.

JAMES D. FORD (Mayor of Liberty and Deputy County Collector).

Prominent among the young men of Clay county who, by their own merits, are steadily and surely coming to the front in public and busi- ness affairs, is the subject of the present sketch. Mr. Ford, who is a young man of industry and sterling character, received more than an average general education at Liberty High School and at William Jewell College. Subsequently he followed farming for two years and then, in 1877, engaged in the grocery business at Liberty. Three years later he sold his interest in the grocery trade and became a clerk in the clothing house of J. J. Stogdale, one of the leading houses in that line in the county. Since Mr. Stogdale's election to the office of county collector, Mr. F. has had entire control of the store and also fills the office of deputy collector under Mr. Stogdale. In the spring of 1880 Mr. Ford was elected mayor of Liberty, and was the youngest mayor who ever occupied the office at this place.

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

Although he has taken an active interest in politics for some years, and is regarded on all hands as one of the influential young men of the county, he has never himself been a candidate for office, except when he ran for mayor. March 13, 1884, he was married to Mrs. S. J. Haskill, a young widow lady, daughter of James H. Hubbard, of Plattsburg. Mrs. F. is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Ford was born at Liberty, March 13, 1856. His father is Capt. James H. Ford, a retired and highly respected citizen of this place. Capt. Ford was deputy sheriff when he entered the Southern army in 1862. Since the war he has held the offices of deputy sheriff and deputy collector. He came to this county from Kentucky in 1837, where he was afterwards married to Miss Mary Duncan, also formerly of Kentucky.

PHILIP FRAHER

(Of Fraher & Son, Manufacturers and Dealers in Boots and Shoes, Liberty).

Philip Fraher, the senior member of the above named firm, was born in Ballinamona, County Limerick, Ireland, April 2, 1822, and was the third son of Thomas Fraher and Johannah Herbert. He received a fair education, and learned the shoemaking trade. After completing his apprenticeship he carried on business on his own account for a few years, but, concluding to emigrate, came to the United States in May, 1846. After spending short periods in Massachusetts, Con- necticut, Pennsylvania and New York City, he came West and located in Liberty, Mo., in March, 1851. He formed a business partnership with his brother, James, which was continued up to January 10, 1874, at which time the partnership between the brothers was dissolved, and the separate firms of Philip Fraher & Son and James Fraher & Sons were established. Previous to the late war the old firm of P. & J. Fraher did a large business in manufacturing boots and shoes to order, employing as many as thirteen hands during the busy season. Of late years the use of improved machinery by large manufacturers has so lessened the cost of production, and the products themselves have improved so much in style and quality, as to decrease the de- mand for the home-made article and increase the business in ready- made boots and shoes, in which the present firm of Philip Fraher & Son, in connection with their custom department, are extensive dealers, carrying the largest stock in the county and having built up a very satisfactory trade. Philip Fraher was married June 17, 1849, in St. Peter's Catholic Church, New York City, the Rev. Father Quinn officiating, to Miss Mary Anne Frazer, oldest daughter of Thomas Frazer and Elizabeth McLean, of Scrabby, County Cavan, Ireland. Miss Frazer was born May 15, 1828, and came to the United States also in 1846. After their marriage, she came West with her husband, locating, as above stated, in Liberty, Mo., where she died July 30, 1879, universally beloved and respected. Of this marriage there was born one son, Thomas J., who is a graduate of William Jewell College, and since attaining his majority has been associated with his father in business. He is a young man of good

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Author: Publication date: 1885 Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1156

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1156