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 37
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 37
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In April, 1846, in connection with the late John B. Williams, of the Fulton Telegraph, he established the Liberty Tribune, in Liberty, Clay county, Mo., whither he immediately removed and there he has ever since made his home. The connection between himself and Mr. Williams in the publication of the Tribune was terminated within a year after the first issue, and he became and has since remained the sole proprietor of that paper. The Tribune, in its history, has had no suspension, and but one failure of issue, which occurred in Sep- tember, 1861.
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
He was married June 28, 1848, to Miss Enna F. Peters, daughter of the late John R. Peters, of Clay county, Mo. She died December 3, 1867, leaving four children. May 3, 1871, Mr. Miller married Miss Lulu Wilson, daughter of the late Hon. John Wilson, of Platte county, Mo.
His educational advantages were such as could be obtained in his youth in the common schools of the country, and this he supplemented by research and observation. From his earliest acquaintance with politics to the dissolution of the Whig party, he was an enthusiastic member of it. Since then he has been a member of the Democratic party and earnestly co-operates in the advocacy of its principles. He was reared and educated under the influences of the Old School Pres- byterian Church, and though not a communicant of any church, he retains a great respect and reverence for that grand and venerable body of Christians.
He has ever been an earnest advocate of all public enterprises in- augurated in Clay county - its railroads, schools, colleges, agricul- tural society, etc. - indeed, of all measures and conceptions whose purpose and tendency were to increase the wealth and social and moral well being of the people among whom he has so long lived.
Mr. Miller's characteristics are untiring industry, great tenacity of purpose, close adherence to approved forms, customs and usages, conscientious attachment to truth and right, and steady, unflinching devotion to friends.
JOHN J. MOORE
(Farmer and ex-County Collector, Post-office, Liberty).
Mr. Moore was born in Orange county, N. C., March 2, 1882. His father, Col. James Moore, was one of the prominent citizens of that county, and was colonel of militia and the founder of Mooresville, of which he was for many years postmaster. The mother, who was a Miss Margaret Robertson, was a lady of marked intelligence and of one of the best families in that part of the country. John J. Moore grew up in Orange county and remained at home until 1846, when he came to Missouri and made his home in Clay county. Here he shortly en- listed for the Mexican War under Col. Doniphan, and was out until the close of the war. He then returned to Clay county and followed farming for a few years, at the expiration of which time he engaged in the livery business at Liberty. For several years preceding 1861 he served as deputy sheriff of the county, and then enlisted in the Confederate service under Gen. Price. The first two years of the war he served east of the Mississippi, and the rest of the time in the Trans-Mississippi department. He was a member of the Forty-third Missouri infantry, and was with his regiment in all the engagements in which it took part. Returning after the war, he resumed the livery business and continued it with success up to 1872, when he was elected county collector. Two years later he was re-elected, and he was again re-elected in 1876, serving until March, 1879. Since the close of his last term Mr. Moore has been residing on the farm, which he owns,
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
near Liberty, containing about 200 acres. In the summer of 1852 he was married to Miss Eliza, a daughter of John Lee, formerly of North Carolina. His wife was reared in the same neighborhood as himself, but just across the line in Caswell county. They have two children : William E., in the dry goods business at Liberty, and Ruth, the wife of John W. Norton, Esq., an attorney at Kansas City, a son of Judge Norton of the Supreme Court. Mrs. Moore is a member of the M. E. Church South, and Mr. Moore is a member of the I. O. O. F.
ELISHA A. MOORE
(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Post-office, Liberty).
During the war Mr. Moore was in the Union service, and did his full share of duty toward preserving the Union, which both Southern- ers and the loyal people of the North are now glad, or profess to be, is an established fact. He was born in Andrew county, Mo., April 8, 1845, but was partly reared in Clay county, this State, where his parents, William and Lucinda Moore, removed when Elisha A. was in infancy. His father was a native of South Caro- lina, and was a carpenter by trade. He came to Missouri when a young man. Mr. Moore's mother was a daughter of Judge Elisha Cameron, of Clay county. In 1850 the father, William Moore, went on a trip to California, and died there about a year afterwards. When Elisha A. was about eight years of age his mother came back to Clay county, and here he grew to manhood. In June, 1863, he enlisted in Co. B, Sixth Missouri cavalry, State militia, under Col. E. C. Catherwood. He served until the close of the war, and was honorably mustered out at St. Louis in 1865. He then came back to Clay county, but soon afterwards engaged in freighting across the plains, and followed that for several years, becoming wagon- master of a train. Returning in 1868, he now made Clay county his home for about a year. In June, 1869, he was married to Miss Mary C. Williams, of Jackson county, a daughter of Samuel S. Williams, formerly of Fleming county, Ky., but now deceased. After his marriage Mr. Moore followed farming in Jackson county for about six years, and bought a farm there. But selling out at the expiration of that time he came back to this county and settled on his present place, which he had previously bought. He has a good place of 135 acres, well improved, including a fine orchard of 300 bearing trees. Mr. Moore is president of the district school board, and has been a school director nearly ever since he came back to the county. Mrs. Moore is a member of the M. E. Church. They have four children: Mary Ellen, Arthur W., Walter H., and Charles C.
JAMES W. MOSBY
(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Post-office Liberty).
The Mosby family is originally of Virginia, and Gen. Mosby, of Confederate fame, is one of its prominent representatives. The sub-
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
ject of the present sketch, however, comes of a Kentucky branch of the family. He was a son of Wade Mosby, a native of Woodford county, Kentucky. The father removed to Clay county, Missouri, as early as 1824. He was a farmer by occupation and died here in 1857. The mother, who was a Miss Rebecca Shouse before her marriage, died in 1865. James W. Mosby was born October 1, 1836, and was reared in this county. He was brought up a farmer, and in 1860 was married to Miss Sue Riley, a daughter of Alfred M. Riley, an early settler of Clay county. The result of this union has been one child, Charles, who is now a youth, twenty-four years of age. Mr. and Mrs. M.'are members of the Christian Church. Mr. Mosby has a good farm of 320 acres, a half mile from Robinson's Station, on the H. & St. Jo. Railroad, and is comfortably situated. He breeds and deals in short horn cattle and feeds cattle and hogs for the wholesale market; in fact, he is quite a stock dealer, and is satisfactorily successful. He has always taken quite an interest in schools and does much to keep up a high standard of efficiency in the schools of his vicinity.
CHARLES MOSBY
(Farmer and Fine Stock-raiser, Post-office, Liberty).
Mr. Mosby is a son of James W. Mosby and was born on his father's homestead in this county in October, 1861. He was reared on a farm and in 1881, at the age of twenty, or, rather in his twenty-first year, he was married to Miss Jennie Grooms, a daughter of Capt. John S. Grooms, an old and prominent citizen of this county. Mr. and Mrs. M. have two children, James F. and John G. Mr. Mosby was reared a farmer and stock-raiser and has continued in the calling to which he was brought up. He has a handsome farm of 300 acres, situated two miles and a half north of Liberty, which is substantially and comfortably improved. He makes a specialty of raising fine Polland-Angus cattle and has a handsome herd of that breed of stock. On several of his stock he has been awarded premiums at different fairs. At the head of his herd he has a fine bull, Byron, imported from Scotland. Mr. Mosby also fattens a number of beef cattle and quite a number of hogs each winter for the wholesale markets. He is a farmer of enterprise and a man of good education. He was educated at William Jewell College, and afterwards took a course at Jackson- ville Business College. Mr. M. is one of the prominent young farmers of the county. He has excellent young stock for sale at all times.
WILLIAM H. NEWLEE
(Dealer in Drugs, Medicines, Paints, Oils, Etc., Etc., Liberty).
Mr. Newlee was born in Claiborne county, Tenn., at Cumber- land Gap, December 22, 1853. His father, C. A. Newlee, was from Virginia, and made his home in Tennessee when a young man. He was there married to Miss Mary C. Huff, and in 1857 they removed to Missouri and located at Liberty. He was a merchant tailor by
.
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
trade and followed that here for a number of years. William H. was reared at Liberty and educated at William Jewell College. At the age of nineteen he commenced learning the drug business under Mr. Hughes at this place and continued under him for six years. In 1878 he became a member of the firm of Bradley & Newlee, dealers in drugs, and five years later he bought out Mr. Bradley and has ever since continued the business alone. He carries a complete stock of drugs, medicines and all other goods of kindred lines and his trade is steadily growing. March 16, 1880, Mr. Newlee was married to Miss Clara Miller, a daughter of David S. Miller, deceased, one of the early settlers of this county. Mrs. Newlee was educated at the Clay Sem- inary. They have two children : Arthur Martin, and Charles Embree. Mrs. Newlee is a member of the Presbyterian Church.
LANCE W. NEWMAN
(Attorney at Law and Prosecuting Attorney, Liberty).
Mr. Newman is a young lawyer who is steadily and surely making his way to the front in his profession, and as a prominent and useful citizen. A man of thorough collegiate education, a close student of and well versed in the law, he at the same time has, to a more than ordinary degree, the natural attributes essential to a successful career at the bar and in public life. Favored with a strong, vigorous con- stitution, full of life and spirit, he is also a man of studious habits, and closely and diligently applies himself to whatever he has in hand. Gifted with an active, well balanced mind, and of sober, mature judg- ment on all questions coming under his consideration, smooth and graceful in his address, a pleasing and forcible speaker, a man of a high sense of honor, unquestioned integrity and singular fairness and liberality, of a mind just and liberal, and generous of heart and character, he is very naturally highly esteemed by all who know him, and of much personal popularity. Mr. Newman, like the repre- sentatives of most of the early families in this section of the State, descends from old Virginia ancestry. His father, Peyton Newman, was a native of the Old Dominion, but was reared in Kentucky, whither his parents removed when he was a mere boy. He grew up in Boyd county, that State, but when a young man came to Missouri and located in Platte county, near the present town of Edgerton, where he bought land and improved a farm. That was as early as 1838, and he was one of the pioneer settlers of that county. There, a few years afterwards, he was married to Miss Susan, a daughter of Lance Woodward, an early settler of that county from Kentucky, but originally from Stafford county, Va. He (Mr. Woodward ) is still living on his farm in Platte county, and is now in his eighty-ninth year. His daughter, Mrs. Newman, was principally reared in Madison county, Ky., where she resided before coming to Missouri. Mr. New- man, Sr., is a successful farmer and stock-raiser of Platte county. Lance W. Newman, the subject of this sketch, was reared on his father's farm in Platte county, and in early youth attended the common
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
schools of the vicinity. Afterward he matriculated at William Jewell College, and continued a student here until he was honorably graduated in the class of 1880. After his graduation young Newman was appointed clerk of the probate court of Clay county, and while dis- charging the duties of that position he studied law under the tutorage of Maj. Samuel Hardwicke, whose sketch appears elsewhere. Two years later, after a thorough course of preparatory study, he was admitted to the bar, in 1882. About this time he was appointed jus- tice of the peace, and he held this position until he resigned it to accept his present office, that of prosecuting attorney, to which he was elected in the fall of 1884. Meantime, in 1883, he had been elected city attorney of Liberty, and he discharged the duties of that office for one term. In the fall of 1884, as indicated above, he was a candidate for prosecuting attorney. He made the race in a free-for-all contest, and had two opponents, Messrs. James W. Fraher and James L. Sheetz, both highly popular and thoroughly capable young lawyers. The race was warmly but honorably and good-naturedly contested. Mr. Newman was successful by 103 plurality. Mr. N. entered upon his duties as prosecuting attorney in January, 1885. He will, unquestionably, make an able and successful, but, we believe, a just and not illiberal public prosecutor, one who will show good judgment and heart enough not to make his office an engine of inhumanity and injustice. Seeing to it that the laws are faithfully enforced, when their enforcement is necessary or can be made to accomplish any substantial good, he will doubtless, nevertheless, show mercy that is due and proper :
" For earthly power doth show likest to God's, When mercy seasons justice."
Mr. Newman is not a married man ; but if the whisperings of the wind can be relied upon, he is already suppliant at the feet of the fair mistress of the heart, for mercy unto himself; and doubtless he who can win the suffrages of his fellow-citizens can win the heart and hand of one more tender and sympathetic than even the most sensitive of the sterner sex.
DARWIN J. NUTTER
(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Liberty).
Mr. Nutter was reared in this county, and received a more than average general education as he grew up. He had the benefit of two years' course at the Georgetown College, of Kentucky. At the out- break of the war, or rather in the fall of 1861, he enlisted in the Con- federate service, under Gen. Stein, and was out about. eight months. While encamped in Arkansas the malaria of its swamps fastened upon him and thoroughly shattered his health. On that account he received an honorable discharge Thence returning home, where he remained a short time, he went West to Colorado, both to eradicate the mala- ria from his system and to avoid the militia, who were as little to be
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
endured as the malaria. Mr. Nutter was out there nearly four years engaged in the stock business, but returned in 1865, and resumed farming in this county, to which he had been brought up. He has followed that occupation ever since and has made it a satisfactory success. He has a good farm of nearly 400 acres, five miles west of Liberty, and has his place well improved and well stocked. He moved into town several years ago for the purpose of educating his children, but still carries on his farm himself. He is now town counselor and on every hand is accounted one of the worthy, substantial citizens of the place. September 19, 1873, he was married to Miss Lucy Cor- bin, a daughter of the late Dr. Corbin, of Nicholas county, Ky., who died there in 1853, just as he was preparing to remove to this State with his family. Mr. and Mrs. N. have four children : Theophilus, Warda, Gertie and Allie. Mr. Nutter, himself, was born in this county, November 5, 1841. He was a son of James and Elizabeth M. ( Adkins) Nutter, both from Kentucky, his father from Scott county. They came here in about 1838, and the father, a successful farmer, died in 1846.
JAMES D. OLDHAM (Retired Farmer, Post-Office, Liberty).
Mr. Oldham, now in his seventy-fourth year, has been a resident of Clay county for many years, and is well known as one of the worthy and respected citizens of the county. By a lifetime of honest industry he has situated himself comfortably in life and has ample provision for old age. He has a good farm of 200 acres well stocked and fairly improved and his home is provided with every necessary sober comfort to be desired. He was born in Shelby county, Ky., January 26, 1811, and was reared in his native county. His father, James T. Oldham, came from Virginia, when a youth, with his parents and grew up in Scott county. At about the age of twenty years, he located in Shelby county, where he was married to Miss Maggie R. Davis, in 1808. She was born and reared in Scott county, and her father's family was said to be the first family that settled in that county. Mr. Oldham, senior, died in 1824 in middle age. His wife survived until 1876. There were seven children in the fam- ily, all of whom lived to reach mature years. James D. Oldham, the subject of this sketch, after he grew up, was married in Scott county, Kentucky, November 14, 1836, to Miss Annie Neill, daughter of Rodman and Mary Neill. Thirteen years afterwards Mr. O. removed to Lawrence county, Indiana, with his family, where he resided for twenty years. He then came to Clay county, and has made his home here ever since. Farming and raising stock have been his regular pursuit, and in this he has been fairly successful. In 1877 Mr. Old- ham had the misfortune to lose his good wife. She had borne him fifteen children, ten of whom are living: William, Baxter, John, Mary, August, Callie, Nevin, Nathaniel, Lee O. and Henry. James, Rodham, George, Nathan and Warren are deceased. Mrs. O. was
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
an earnest member of the Presbyterian Church, and Mr. Oldham has himself long been a member of that denomination, and takes a com- mendable interest in the welfare of the church and the cause of religion.
CYRUS PARK
(Farmer and Stock-dealer, Post-office, Liberty) .
Mr. Park was born in Madison county, Ky., September 7, 1838, and was reared in his native county. His education was com- pleted at the high school, sustained by private subscription and lo- cated on his father's farm. Young Park took a thorough course in the English branches, mathematics, and also obtained a good knowledge of Latin. He remained on the family homestead with his father engaged in farming and handling stock for some eight or ten years after he reached his majority. But on January 2, 1868, he was mar- ried to Miss Mary E. Cobb, a daughter of Jesse Cobb, of Estill county, Ky., and the same year he removed to Missouri. Mrs. Park was born November 4, 1843, and was educated in Lincoln county, Ky., and at Madison Female Institute, Richmond, Ky. Mr. and Mrs. Park are both members of the Christian Church. On coming to Missouri, Mr. Park located in Clay county and followed farming, being also all the time engaged in trading in stock. He now owns a neat homestead just inside the town limits of Liberty, and near the college building. He bought this place in 1880, in order to be near the college, so as to educate his children. Mr. and Mrs. Park have had two children, Jessie E. and Marcus Taylor ; the latter died January 11, 1884, in his fourteenth year. He was a singularly bright and promising boy and greatly loved by all who knew him. The following notice of his death is taken from the Liberty Tribune.
IN MEMORY OF MARCUS TAYLOR PARK,
Aged 13 years, 4 months and 15 days. Thus early in life has passed away one who bid fair to live out the allotted time of man. But alas! "the grim monster Death." claims as his victims the young and tender boy as well as the feeble old man. So on the morning of January 11th, 1884, while the stars were paling their beautiful light before the great king of day, Taylor's spirit tooks its flight to the golden shores that lie beyond the dark valley of death. His voice no more to be heard on earth, will join the heavenly choir to sing the chorus of the song so sweetly sung to his memory - " God's children gathering home."
But Oh! how hard it was to give him up. Although for twenty long and weary weeks he was the victim of disease and suffering, yet he never murmured or com- plained, always submissive to the wishes of fond and loving parents, who so faith- fully and tenderly watched over him to the last.
During his sickness he would often say: "Pa I'm so anxious to get well. I want to live to be a good and useful man." And having known him from the day of his birth, I feel confident in saying that had his young life been spared, he would have been a noble Christian man - God's grandest work.
But such could not be ; for while deeply enshrined in the hearts of parents, friends, teachers and schoolmates, God in his faultless wisdom thought best to take his pure spirit to a better world, while kind friends laid to rest his little body beneath the beauti- ful flowers that decorated his casket, there to wait till the resurrection morn, when Taylor, in a pure and spotless robe, will welcome his loved ones to the " Sweet by-and- by." A FRIEND.
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
RICHARD L. RAYMOND
(Farmer and Fine Stock Raiser; Post-office, Liberty).
Mr. Raymond was about 14 years of age when his parents removed to this county from Nicholas county, Ky. His father, Hon. John M. Raymond, was a prominent citizen of that county, and had served in the Legislature of the State. Mr. R.'s mother was a Miss Sarah Griffith, from Harrison county, Ky. Her father had also served in the Legislature several terms, and was a member of the Senate when he died, and the family was one of the prominent influential families of the county. On coming to Clay county Mr. Raymond, Sr., set- tled about eight miles from Liberty, where he was successfully en- gaged in farming and stock raising until his death, which occurred in 1863. R. L. Raymond, the subject of this sketch, was born in Nicholas county, Ky., October 27, 1842. He was reared on a farm (after the age of 14) near Liberty, Mo. After arriving at his ma- jority he followed clerking in a store for awhile and then formed a partnership with Judge Gordon and H. A. Bland, in connection with whom he sold goods for about five years. Subsequently he sold his interest in the mercantile business and resumed farming and raising stock, to which he had been brought up. For years Mr. Raymond has made a specialty of fine stock. His farm contains about 300 acres of choice land, and is well improved. The class of stock in which he is principally interested is fine short horn cattle, and he has a large herd of these, some 90, one of the largest and finest in the county. Besides, Mr. Raymond is interested with John Garth and James C. Leary in a ranch in New Mexico, where they own jointly about 1,000 head of cattle. Mr. R. is at present secretary of the Clay County Fine Stock Association. In 1881 he removed to Liberty, where he now resides. Mr. R. has a handsome residence property at this place, and is otherwise comfortably and pleasantly situated. December 1, 1868, he was married to Miss Mattie R. Wilson, a daughter of Thomas J. Wilson, deceased, late of Kansas City, but a native of Maryland, and one of the earliest settlers in Kansas City. Mr. and Mrs. Raymond have three children : Katie, Irene and Mattie R. He and wife are members of the Christian Church.
CAPT. ALLEN G. REED
(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Post-office, Liberty).
Capt. Reed, like perhaps a majority of the old residents of Clay county, is a Kentuckian by nativity. He was born May 26, 1812, in Clark county. Capt. Reed was a son of Capt. Joseph Reed, and a grandson of Samuel Reed, of South Carolina, who served under Wash- ington throughout the War for Independence. Samuel Reed's wife was a sister of Col. Hampton, father of Gen. Wade Hampton, of colo- nial and revolutionary times, and who served with distinction in the War of 1812; he was for years a distinguished member of Congress,
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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.
holding, also, other official positions of distinction, and being at one time the owner of over 3,000 slaves, besides being one of the largest plantation proprietors in the South. Gen. Wade Hampton, now of the United States Senate, and Capt. Reed are therefore second cous- ins, being the grandsons of brother and sister. Capt. Reed's father commanded a company in the War of 1812. His parents had emi- grated to Kentucky in an early day from South Carolina. In 1810 Capt. Joseph Reed was married in Clark county, Ky., to Miss Cathe- rine F. Griggsby. Over 20 years afterwards he removed with his family to Missouri, and settled in Clay county, buying land near Lib- erty, where he improved a farm and resided until his death. He died
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