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 42

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 42
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 42

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REV. J. V. B. FLACK, D. D. (Excelsior Springs).

Rev. Dr. Flack was born and reared in the State of Ohio. His father's name was John V. Flack, and lived to a ripe old age. His mother's maiden name was Mary Maddox, and died in early life, leaving the son to be cared for by an uncle and aunt. J. V. B. Flack was educated at Holmes University, and at the age of 21 began his life-work - that of preaching the Gospel. He was very successful and soon took front rank as a pulpit orator and a revivalist. He trav- eled and labored extensively, and over 8,000 persons were converted under his ministrations in 1884. He was made a Doctor of Divinity by Rutherford College, of North Carolina, one of the best colleges in the South. He has been the editor of a religious paper for many years, being elected by his church people at General Conference. He was for eight years the presiding officer of the General Conference. He also edits an independent paper called The Sentinel of Truth, at Excelsior Springs, Mo. Dr. Flack married at 26 years of age, on the 28th of July, 1867, Miss Marrieta Smith, the daughter of Judge Samuel Smith, of Illinois, then becoming his wife. As the fruits of their marriage seven children, five boys and two girls, have been born to them, five of whom are living. Dr. F. is the original founder of Excelsior Springs, and brought that very popular watering place and health resort before the public until now it is a young and growing city of the fourth class. Through his efforts the Christian Union Chapel was built at Excelsior Springs, and a free pulpit provided for all Christians. He has been a very active and energetic business man for many years, and a pronounced advocate of the temperance work in the different States. He is in continual demand as a preacher and lecturer. He has dedicated 23 church houses and united some 200 in matrimony. Has preached 300 burials. He is the author of several works on the Unity of the Church, and a compiler of a Union Hymn Book. Politically, he has always been a Democrat. He is known largely throughout the States, and evangelizes throughout several States from year to year. In short, Dr. Flack has been one of the most active men of his times, and is now, at the age of forty-five, in the prime of his life and usefulness.

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

HENRY C. FOLEY (Farmer, Post-office, Liberty).

Elijah Foley, the grandfather of Henry C., was an early settler of Kentucky from Virginia, and Richard Foley, Henry C.'s father, and the son of Elijah Foley, was born in the Blue Grass State, and reared there. When in young manhood he was married to Miss Mary Funk, formerly of Maryland, and afterwards continued to reside in Kentucky until 1852. While a resident of Fayette county, that State, Henry C. Foley, the subject of this sketch, was born October 25, 1833. When he was about 19 years of age the family removed to Missouri, and he accompanied them. They settled on a farm in Clay county, where the father died in 1856. The same year of his father's death, Henry C. returned to Kentucky, and in a few years was married there, in 1859, to Miss Rebecca Brock, a daughter of Winfield Brock, de- ceased. After his marriage he resided in that county until 1865, and then returned to Missouri, and bought a farm three miles north of Liberty, where he has ever since made his home. February 22, 1878, he had the misfortune to lose his wife. She left him six children at her death : Foster R., Florence, Mary, Dandy J., Keller and Eliza. Mr. F. is a member of the Christian Church. His farm contains 286 acres, and he has other valuable land in the county. His place is well improved.

WILLIAM E. FOWLER

(Attorney at Law, and of Fowler & Thomson, Land, Loan, Pension, Patent, Fire and Life Insurance Agents, Excelsior Springs).

Mr. Fowler, a young man now in his twenty-fourth year, located at Excelsior Springs, from Ohio, in the spring of 1883. Like many of the better citizens of this place, he was drawn here by the reputation of the waters of the Springs. For some years previous to coming to Excelsior Springs he had been hard at work in the acquisition of his general and professional education. Ambitious to fit himself thor- oughly for an active and useful life and to begin his career at the earliest day possible, he had unquestionably overworked himself and drawn too heavily on his physical strength and energies. The result was that although he succeeded in preparing himself for his profession at an earlier age than is common with young attorneys, at the very time he expected and wished to begin active work at the bar he found himself physically exhausted and his health shattered. This illustrates one of the most striking differences between the systems and policies of European and American institutions of learning. In Europe physi- cal health and development are as studiously considered and provided for as the culture of the mind. But in this country, particularly in the West, such is the hurry and push of life and the anxiety of students to get into affairs, that little or no attention is paid to the physical man, and his general health is sacrificed to the exigencies of rapid advancement through his college course. Mr. Fowler went to

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

school at Beverly, Ohio, the place of his nativity, and then from school he entered a law school at Baltimore, Md., one of the best in- stitutions of the kind in the country, reading law in the office of Hon. F. P. Stevens, a well known Baltimore attorney. He graduated at Baltimore in the year 1882. From there he at once returned to Ohio and entered upon the practice of his profession at Beverly. But soon finding that his physical energies were exhausted, he was compelled to make a change of residence for his health. Excelsior Springs was highly recommended to him and he accordingly came to this place. Here he received marked benefit from the use of the waters of the Springs and by auxiliary treatment, and soon decided to make this place his permanent home. He therefore entered upon the practice of his profession here, and thus far he has been greatly encouraged by

the favor with which he has been received, both personally and as an attorney. In the agency business he and Mr. Thomson are doing well, and have reason to be greatly pleased with their success. Mr. Fowler was born at Beverly, Washington county, Ohio, May 19, 1861, and was the firth of seven children of Joseph and Mary Fowler, his father, a grandson of Capt. John Fowler, of Revolutionary fame. Capt. Fowler participated in the battle of Lexington, where he was severely wounded, and was with Washington on that eventful night when the American army crossed the Delaware. Mr. Fowler's father, Joseph Fowler, referred to above, is one of the old and highly respected citizens of Washington county, a merchant of long experi- ence, and he is one of the best insurance agents in the Eastern States.

CHARLES FUNK

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

Mr. Funk was born in Clay county, July 14, 1854. His father was Richard Funk, now deceased, formerly of Jessamine county, Ky., and his mother was a Miss Sarah J. Bell before her marriage, a daughter of Fielding Bell, from Mason county, Ky., who came to this county in 1836. Charles Funk grew up on his father's farm in this county, and received a common school education. January 13, 1876, he was married to Miss Mary Richardson, a daughter of Samuel H. Richard- son, deceased, formerly of Madison county, Ky. Mr. and Mrs. Funk have three children : Pattie, Richard H. and Charles Ralph. Mr. Funk has a good farm and is comfortably situated. Neither he nor his father ever held an official position, nor sought or desired one. Both are domestic home men, industrious, energetic farmers, and well respected citizens, or rather the father was in his lifetime, and Mr. Funk, Jr., still is.

GEORGE WASHINGTON GEORGE

(Farmer, Post-office, Missouri City).

" Grandfather" Joseph Groom, of the vicinity of Liberty, is said to be the oldest living resident of the county, being now well advanced

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

in his eighty-ninth year. But Mr. George, the subject of this sketch, though many years " Grandfather " Groom's junior, has been a resi- dent of the county longer than Mr. Groom. "Grandfather " Groom came here in 1824, then a young man 28 years of age. Mr. George was brought here by his parents when he was in childhood, in 1819. He has, therefore, been a resident of the county for 66 years. When Mr. G.'s parents settled in this county there were not half a dozen white families in the present limits of the county, and not as many in all the territory west of the Chariton, on this side of the Missouri, as now reside in Liberty township. His parents, Baley O. and Jemima (Withers) George, came from Kentucky, though his father was originally from Virginia. On settling in this county they located about six miles east of the present site of Liberty, where the father entered land and improved a farm. He became a prominent man of the county, and served in different positions of public trust. He was a judge of the first election ever held in the county. At the age of 70 years he died here, in 1865. His wife died in 1863. Eight sons and five daughters of their family were reared to years of maturity, and four of them, including two of the daughters, are still living. George W. was the second of their children, and was born in Madison county, Ky., April 15, 1815. He was principally reared, however, in Clay county, this State, and his educational advantages were limited to those of the schools of that period. As is well known, there are different periods of advancement in the progress of civilization. In this Western country the first was the period of the hunters and fur traders ; then came the pioneer settlers with their families, known as the log-cabin, stock-chimney period ; after that was the period of the hewed log-house and stone chimney, with now and then a plank floor, instead of broad-ax dressed puncheons ; later along sawmills and brickyards were established, and neat frame and comfortable brick residences were built ; and then came railroads, agricultural machin- ery, handsome architecture and all the comforts and graces of advanced social, business and industrial life. So, in the matter of education, different epochs are as distinctly marked : First, was the round log school-room without a floor, with a fireplace occupying one entire end of the building, and with no light except such as came through the unclosed entrance of a wooden-hinged, clapboard door. Those were the days of goose-quill pens, the "Testament " and the " Life of Marion" for readers, and teachers who invariably pronounced fatigue " fatigew," and bigamy " bigmary ; " afterward came punch- eon floors, a log sawed out of one end of the building to admit light, a long sycamore plank to write on, teachers who taught that the world was not flat, and other comforts and conveniences of a rather advanced civilization. But finally came frame and brick school-houses, and at last patent cast-mounted seats and desks, and the inevitable, ubiqui- tous and thoroughly intolerable, spectacled, gingery, effervescing " professor." Alas ! the infliction he puts upon the public more than offsets all the benefits of modern educational facilities. Mr. George was reared and educated before the era of puncheon floor school-

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

houses ; but, nevertheless, by close application and a good deal of study at home he succeeded in obtaining a sufficient knowledge of books for all practical purposes in that early day. After he grew up he was married in this county to Miss Elizabeth F. Neeley, a sister to Richard A. and William L. Neeley, whose sketches appear in this volume. Mr. George continued farming after his marriage, to which he had been brought up, and in 1847 settled on the place where he now resides. For three years before he resided in Buchanan county. Returning then to Clay, this has ever since been his permanent home. He has been fairly successful and is comfortably situated. He owns about 350 acres of land, and his farm is well improved. He and his good wife reared five children : William ( now of Rich Hill), Fannie, Richard W., Thomas N. and Clement B. One, Susan, died in early maidenhood.

JUDSON M. GRUBBS

(Of J. M. Grubbs & Co., Dealers in Groceries, Queensware, Glassware, etc., Missouri City).

Mr. Grubbs was about ten years of age when his parents, Hardin and Elizabeth (Lively ) Grubbs, removed from Spottsylvania county, Va., to Clay county, Mo., in 1856. The father was a mechanic by trade and worked at carpentering, cabinetmaking and wagonmaking as occasion rendered most available or profitable. He died here August 5, 1865. He was twice married and it should have been re- marked that his second wife, the mother of the subject of this sketch, died before the family left Virginia. The father was also a farmer by occupation and had a comfortable homestead in Virginia. Judson M., born in Spottsylvania county, Va., January 1, 1846, was principally reared, however, in Clay county, Mo. Brought up on the farm, he remained at home until he was 20 years of age and then engaged as clerk in a general store, which he followed for some eight years. After this he began the grocery business on his own account at Nor- borne, in Carroll county. He sold goods there for about two years and then returned to Missouri City, whereupon he and his brother, E. M. Grubbs, formed their present partnership, and engaged in the grocery business at this place. Their experience here has been satis- factory and they have built up a large trade and established one of the leading grocery houses of the southern part of the county. They have an annual business of about $20,000. November 9, 1876, Mr. Grubbs was married to Miss Bettie L. Aker, daughter of Preston Aker, of Ray county. They have three children : Roy E., Ralph H. and Ethel M. Mr. and Mrs. G. are members of the Christian Church, and Mr. G. holds the office of deacon.

MOSES C. HUTCHINGS

(Farmer, Post-office, Missouri City).

Mr. Hutchings, although comparatively a young man, has neverthe- less, by his energy and industry, established for himself the name of

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

being one of the thoroughgoing farmers of Fishing River township. He is a worthy son of the county by nativity, born on his father's homestead in Fishing River township December 17, 1841. His father being a farmer by occupation, Moses was brought up to that calling, and during the war he served faithfully in the Home Guards under Capt. D. P. Whitmer for a term of nine months. He then enlisted in the State militia and served under Capt. Colley six months. Through the remainder of the war he served under Capt. M. T. Real. On the 22d of October, 1874, Mr. Hutchings was married to Miss Maggie A. Koehler. Four children are the fruits of their happy married life : Mary J., Elijah, Benjamin and Ange E. Mr. Hutchings has a good farm of 781/2 acres. His parents were Moses and Matilda Hutchings, his father a native of Tennessee, but his mother originally of Indiana. They came to this county in an early day.

CHARLES W. JACOBS, M. D. (Physician and Surgeon, Excelsior Springs).

Dr. Jacobs, who is the city physican of Excelsior Springs and the regular attending physician to the Excelsior Bath House and at the two leading hotels at the place, is a physician of thorough training and superior attainments. After a thorough course of general read- ing he took a course of four terms at the Eclectic Medical College of Cincinnati and graduated with high honor in the class of 1880. He then located at Richmond, in Ray county, where he was born and reared, for the general practice of medicine in connection with his brother. Dr. Jacobs (Charles W. ) was having a more than ordi- narily successful experience at Richmond when his health failed, the following year after he located there, caused primarily by hard study while preparing for his profession and directly by severe cold con- tracted from the exposures of an active country practice. His lungs became critically affected, and in the hope of receiving benefit from travel and the purity of mountain air he went to Colorado. Dr. Jacobs received marked benefit by his visit to Colorado and returned much improved. Resuming his practice at Richmond, the hard work and exposures incident to a large practice soon brought back his lung trouble, and he was compelled to quit the regular country practice again. He then came to Excelsior Springs, and has obtained much good from the use of the water and baths at this place in connection with his own treatment. He has become thoroughly convinced from his own experience that many who believe themselves to be seriously if not hopelessly afflicted with lung trouble could be materially bene- fitted, if not entirely cured, by the use of the waters of Excelsior Springs, under proper medical directions and treatment. Having made a special study of the medicinal properties of the water here and of the classes of affections it is best adapted to remedy, he is pecu- liarly well qualified for the responsible position he holds, that of con- sulting physician for the Springs. His success here in the treatment of lung diseases and other afflictions of a persistent, difficult charac-

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

ter has in many cases been remarkable. A number of cures have been effected which were hardly even hoped for by the patients themselves, so long had they hoped against hope without a ray of realization. Dr. Jacobs is a man of culture and a gentleman of dignified, refined manners. A man of fine feeling and of the warm- est sympathy for the suffering, he brings to bear in his practice not only professional skill and ability, but, what is often more valuable, that manifest solicitude or welfare of his patients, which is always a balm to the sick. He is justly very popular as a physician and citizen. Dr. Jacobs is a worthy representative of one of the old and highly respected families of Clay county. His father, Maj. Clayton Jacobs, was for years one of the leading merchants of Richmond, and was abundantly successful. He is now retired on an ample competence. Maj. Jacobs held various official positions in Clay county, including those of collector of the revenue, sheriff, assessor, etc. He was from Lincoln county, Ky., and served in the Mormon War in this State, assisting to drive the polygam- ists out of the country. For 20 years he has been an elder in the Christian Church, and is a church member of half a century's stand- ing. His good wife, a motherly and noble-hearted old lady, is still spared to make the evening of his life as happy as their earlier years have been. Dr. Jacobs was born at Richmond, and was given good advantages and received an excellent general education. Of his parents' family of children all have become useful and promi- nent members of society.

JAMES L. JENNETT

(With Dykes, Chrisman & Co., Dealers in General Merchandise, Prathersville).

Capt. Jennett is a native of Virginia, born in Halifax county, on the 5th day of September, 1838. He was a son of James H. and Susan T. Jennett, and was brought to Missouri at the age of seven years by his parents, who settled in Franklin county, this State, in 1845. Capt. Jennett was partly reared in Franklin county and received a common school education. During the war he served in the Southern army, Fifty-ninth Virginia Regiment, under Gen. Wise, of Virginia, and par- ticipated in the battles of Cheat Mountain, Seven Pines, Malvern Hill, in the sieges of Charleston, S. C., and Petersburg, Va., and numerous other engagements. He was publicly complimented by his general for gallantry and bravery while in South Carolina. Early in 1865 he was captured at Burkville, Va., and was a prisoner at Washington when President Lincoln was assassinated. He was then transferred to Johnson's Island, where he was held a prisoner until after the close of the war. On being released at the close of the war he returned home to Franklin county. Capt. Jennett came to Clay county in 1869, where he has ever since resided. He has held several local offices in this county and served as special deputy sheriff and city marshal of Kearney for several years. The Captain is a member of the mercantile firm of Dykes, Chrisman & Co. They are engaged in gen-

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HISTORY OF CLAY' COUNTY.

eral merchandising, both at Prathersville and Kearney, and are doing a good business at each place. In 1866 Capt. Jennett was married to Miss Hattie Patton, of Franklin county, Mo. They have four chil- dren : Nellie, Edna, Harry and Lula. A son, James F., died in infancy. Mrs. Jennett is a member of the Baptist Church at Kear- ney. The Captain is a member of the A. F. and A. M.

TILFORD JENKINS

(Farmer, Post-office, Missouri City).

Mr. Jenkins has a farm of 80 acres in Fishing River township, and was born in Fayette county, Ky., in 1827. He was a son of Willis Jenkins, and has his place fairly improved. His father was originally from Virginia, and Mr. Jenkins, himself, is an energetic farmer and also carried on a blacksmith shop on his farm. In 1858 Mr. Jenkins, the subject of this sketch, was married to Miss Elizabeth Weaver, which happy union has resulted in nine children, namely : Mary A., Willis, Catherine, Edward L., Laura, Leona , Louisa and William S. The other one died in infancy. Mrs. Jenkins is a member of the Christian Church. Mr. Jenkins was educated in the common schools. He went for some time to Capt. Lawrence Dailey, who was a gallant old soldier boy in the War of 1812.

MELVIN McKEE

(Farmer and Fine Stock Raiser, Post-office, Prathersville).

David and Elizabeth McKee, the parents of the subject of the pre- sent sketch, came to Missouri in 1833 and settled in Platte county, where they made their permanent home, and reared a family of chil- dren. The father was a farmer by occupation and young Melvin was reared to that calling in this county. In 1857 he was married to Miss Pheoba A. Gromes, a union that has proved one of singular con- tentment and happiness and has been blessed with eight children : Charles, William, Samuel, Julia, Bettie, Ella, Mattie, Curtis, the last, being deceased. Mrs. McKee is a worthy and exemplary member of the Christian Church. Mr. McKee has always made farming and, in late years, raising fine stock, his regular pursuit. He has a good farm of 200 acres, well improved. His residence building was erected at a cost of $2,500, and his barn was put up at a cost of $1,000. Mr. McKee is a director of the school district and has been for a number of years. He has a good herd of thoroughbred, short horn and high grade cattle, some of which are as handsome animals as are to be seen in the county.

DAVID O. McCRAY

(Postmaster, Excelsior Springs).

Mr. McCray is a native Missourian, born in Caldwell county, March 10, 1855. He was the eighth in a family of 11 children, seven

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

of whom are now living, of William and Nancy (Carroll) McCray, who came to Missouri at an early day, and settled in Caldwell county. William McCray became a large farmer and stock-raiser of that county and still resides there, having an extensive stock farm of 1,100 acres. When he first removed to Caldwell county the nearest government land office was at Plattsburg and he went to that place on foot and entered 500 acres of land at the then price of 12 1-2 cents an acre. During the war he was a strong Union man and two of his sons were in the Union army, the eldest, Frank, losing a leg at Lone Jack. David O. was reared on the farm in Caldwell county, and received a high school education. He then began an apprenticeship at the printer's trade, which he acquired, and afterwards he became the editor of the Lucas county Republican, at Chariton, Iowa. Since then he has had editorial charge of eight papers at different points in Kansas, Iowa and Missouri, the last one being the Herald at this place. In January, 1883, he was appointed postmaster at Excelsior Springs and still holds the office. He also has a news stand in con- nection with the post-office and a circulating library. Mr. McCray was married to Miss Carrie Stevens, a daughter of Dr. E. W. Stevens, a prominent citizen of Cameron, Mo., May 1, 1878. Mr. and Mrs. McC. have one child, Lena M.

FOSTER MEANS

(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Post-office, Missouri City).

'Squire Means is now in his sixty-second year, and until two years ago was never sick an hour in his life ; even then he was only indis- posed for a few days. The fact that he has always lived an active, temperate life, directed from the beginning by good judgment, is mainly the reason that he has been so fortunate in the matter of good health. He has always avoided going to extremes in everything or unnecessarily exposing himself, although he never stood back when anything proper was to be done, whatever the risk or hardship might be. He has been, and is yet, an active, energetic workingman, and although now closely approaching old age he bears his years so well that one would be far from taking him to be as old a man as he really is. 'Squire Means was born in this county in 1823. From infancy he has lived on a farm, and, since he became old enough to do for himself, has been a farmer on his own account. He has been fairly successful, and has a good homestead. Like most of the farmers of this vicinity, he raises some stock, and is interested in short horn cattle. In 1844 he was married to Miss Jemima Munkers, of one of the early families of Clay county. The 'Squire and wife have reared but one son, Albert E., who is still on the farm with his parents. In 1858 'Squire M. was elected a justice of the peace of Fishing River township and continued to hold that office until toward the latter part of the war, when he was ousted by the superlatively loyal faction of thrifty patriots of that day, because he was adjudged not to be as loyal as he might be. Since 1862 he has taken a prominent part in

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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