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 43

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 43
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 43

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

404

HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

politics, having been a member of the Democratic Central Committee, etc. The 'Squire was a son of Andrew and Sarah W. Means, who came to Missouri in 1817, first locating in Howard county. Five years afterwards they settled in Clay, where they lived until their deaths. The father was from North Carolina, originally, but the mother was a native of Virginia.

MABRY MITCHELL

(Dealer in General Merchandise, Prathersville).

Mr. Mitchell has been engaged in business at Prathersville for about four years. Previous to that he was engaged in the produce trade at Denver, Col., for some time, or rather in shipping produce from this part of the country to that market. He is a native of Clay county and has spent most of his life within its borders. He was born in Liberty, November 18, 1826, and was a son of Mabry and Martha A. Mitchell, pioneer settlers of the county. His father was a native of South Carolina, and came West in 1819. Reared in the county, for a number of years young Mitchell was engaged in farming and raising stock and to some extent in dealing in stock. In 1845, April 15, he was married to Miss Evaline Leakey. She died September 10, 1875. Mr. Mitchell was married to his present wife November 15, 1877. She was a Mrs. Martha E. Davidson, daughter of Jonathan Atkins, a pioneer. By his first wife he has three children : Mary E., now Hiatt ; Sarah F. ( now Brown ), and Samuel H. Mrs. Mitchell is a member of the Primitive Baptist Church, and Mr. Mitchell is a mem- ber of the Missionary Baptists. He is also a member of the A. F. and A. M., and forever a supporter of the temperance cause.

ROBERT H. MOORE (DECEASED ) (Vicinity of Prathersville).

Mr. Moore died at his homestead in this county in July, 1882. He had been a resident of this county for nearly 30 years and was one of its well respected citizens, and industrious, energetic farmers. He was a worthy member of the Masonic Order and his loss was greatly deplored by the fellow-members of his lodge and all who knew him. During the late war he was a gallant soldier in the Union army under Gen. Leslie Combs. He came of a fan.ily that had previously proved its devotion to the cause of liberty and free government, in the War for Independence. His father, Peter Moore, served in the army of the Revolution and participated in the battle of Brandywine, where he was severely wounded. He subsequently died of his wound. Mr. Moore, deceased, the subject of this sketch, came to Clay county in 1853 and resided here until his death. His widow still resides on the homestead in this county. She was a Miss Amelia R. Nichols be- fore her marriage. They were married in 1853 in Kentucky. Three children are living of their family : Margaret, Flora and George T. George T. superintends affairs and carries on the farm. He is now

405

HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

absent in Kentucky, looking after property in which he is inter- ested.

JOHN H. MOSBY

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

Mr. Mosby parents, Wade and Rebecca Mosby, came to Clay county from Kentucky in 1822. They made this their permanent home, the father being a farmer by occupation. John H. was born after the family settled here, in 1824. Reared in this county, he was married in 1855 to Miss Sarah Hall. Meanwhile he had been to California and returned. He went overland to the Pacific coast in 1850, and was " absent about two years. While there he was principally engaged in mining. Most of the time he was on the Yuba, in the vicinity of Nevada City, but for a time was on the Poor Man's creek, which was then thought to be of little or no value as a mining district, but which afterwards was found to have some of the richest deposits in the country, and became a wealthy mining region. Returning in 1852, Mr. Mosby engaged in farming and stock-raising in this county. His whole time, for the past 30 years, has been busily occupied with his farming and stock interests. He has a large farm of 600 acres, one of the best farms in Fishing River township, and he is extensively en- gaged in raising and dealing in stock. He has a handsome herd of short horn cattle, and feeds annually about 100 head of beef cattle, besides a large number of marketable hogs. Mr. Mosby is one of the leading farmers and stock-raisers of this part of the county, and is in comfortable circumstances. His place is well improved, in- cluding a handsome residence, erected in 1871, at a cost of $5,000. He also has large and comfortable barns and other outbuildings, and his lands are mainly devoted to blue grass for stock pasturage, but enough is reserved for grain for the ordinary purposes of stock raising. Mr. and Mrs. Mosby have a family of five children : Addie, the wife of Charles Dye; Ettie, Ida, Gertie and William. They have lost three : Edgar, Mamie and Ernest. Mr. and Mrs. M. are members of the Christian Church.

DEWILTON MOSBY

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

Mr. Mosby's farm contains 560 acres, and, like his cousin John H., he makes a specialty of the stock business. He fattens for the mar- kets annually from 50 to 75 head of cattle and a large number of hogs. August 23, 1873, he was married to Miss Martha M. Archer, of this county. They have five children: Jesse D., Rosa L., Emmet A., Nicholas and Bonnie M. Nicholas was named for his grandfather, Nicholas Mosby, who came to this county from Kentucky in 1837. Nicholas Mosby, the elder, was born in Woodford county, that State, and was reared in Kentucky, where he married Miss Mary Shouse. Some years afterwards he came to Missouri and settled in Clay county. He was an energetic farmer, and soon became comfortably situated.

406

HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

His son, Dewilton Mosby, the subject of this sketch, was born in Kentucky, April 23, 1825, and was about 12 years of age when the family came to Clay county. He was reared on a farm, and in 1846 enlisted for the Mexican War. He served under Col. Doniphan and was honorably discharged at New Orleans after the final defeat of the Mexicans. He then came home and resumed farming. In 1850 he went to California, driving an ox team across the plains, and five months were occupied with the trip.' After his return again he went to farming, and has followed it ever since.

ALBERT G. MOSBY

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

The subject of this sketch is a brother to Dewilton Mosby, already mentioned, and was born in Woodford county, Ky., in 1829. He was therefore in childhood when his parents came to Missouri, in 1833, and settled in Clay county. Brought up in that county in that early day, he, of course, had to experience hard work incident to Western farm life -improving land, and farming before the era of farm ma- chinery, and when everything done had to be done by hard work. While this was pretty severe on some who had no taste for straight- forward manual labor, to the subject of this sketch it was not as dis- agreeable as might be expected. He was early trained that the most honest way to make a living was by honest industry, and that if he hoped to succeed in life, without reproach, the surest and safest course was to rely upon honest labor. Accordingly, he came up a hard-working, upright man, which he has ever since continued to be. He has relied on his own exertions alone for success, and has not been disappointed. Now, and for years past, he has been comfortably situated on a good farm, where he has every necessary convenience to make life a satisfaction and pleasure. His place contains about 640 acres, and besides raising large quantities of grain and other pro- ducts, he feeds annually for the wholesale markets about 150 head of beef cattle, and nearly an equal number of hogs. His farm is mainly

run in blue grass for stock purposes. In 1850 Mr. Mosby was mar- ried to Miss Mary A. Hodges, daughter of Judge W. V. Hodges, of this county, but formerly of Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Mosby have six children : Eva M., now the wife of William T. Pixley ; Lunette, now the wife of Dr. C. B. Hardin ; George A., Lee J., John H. and James D. Mr. and Mrs. M. are members of the Primitive Baptist Church. Mr. Mosby also has a large grain farm in the Missouri river bottoms in this county.

HENRY F. MUDD (Farmer, Post-office, Missouri City).

Mr. Mudd is a representative of the well known Mudd family in this State and Kentucky, but originally from Maryland. Dr. Mudd, an eminent physician of St. Louis, is a representative of the same

407

HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

family. Members of the family are also prominent in Lincoln county and in other counties of this State, as well as in Kentucky. There is a tradition in the Mudd family, which seems authentic, that the entire stock of that name in the United States descended from two brothers who formed a part of Lord Baltimore's Maryland colony. Mr. Mudd himself was a school teacher for many years, but has long been retired on a farm near where he is engaged in the peaceful pur- suit of agriculture. He was a son of William and Eliza Mudd, for- merly of Kentucky, and was born in Ralls county, Mo., in 1830. In 1858 he was married to Miss Lydia C. Nichols. They have four children : James R., William T., Sarah E. and Henry F. Mrs. M. died in 1881. She was of Baptist parentage and embraced the Catholic faith only a short time previous to her last illness. Mr. Mudd is also a member of that church. He has a good farm of 100 acres, where he resides with his children.

RICHARD N. NEELEY (Farmer, Post-office, Liberty).

This old and respected citizen of the county was born in Bedford county, Tenn., April 6, 1815. His father, Clement Neeley, was from Fairfield district, S. C., and went to Tennessee when a young man. His mother, nee Susan Harrington, was from North Carolina, but partly reared in Kentucky. They removed to Missouri in 1816, and located in Howard county. Six years later they came to Clay county, and the following spring settled on the place where Mr. N., the sub- ject of this sketch, now resides. Consequently he has been living on this same place for a period of nearly 62 years. The father died here December 8, 1865. A family of three brothers and two sisters were left. The eldest brother died of cholera in 1833. A sketch of the younger of the two brothers left appears elsewhere. Mr. Neeley was reared on the farm where he now lives, and when he was about 17 years of age he and his eldest brother went to Gallatin, where they established a stock ranch. He clerked there at the first Presi- dential election, held after Daviess county was organized. Three . years later he returned to Clay county and resumed farming, to which he had been brought up. In 1846 he enlisted under Col. Doniphan for the Mexican War, and followed the standard of the doughty old Mexican veteran until the flag of the Union waved in triumph above the marble halls of the Montezumas. After the war he returned home, and, January 14, 1850, was married to Miss Mary A., a daughter of Thomas Harrington, an early settler from Tennessee. Ever since then he has been settled on the old homestead, and also engaged in farming and stock-raising. For a number of years, however, he sold goods on the road in this State, a business that is now called drum- ming, the only difference between this and that being that now they travel on the railroad instead of a dirt road, as then, and sell by sample, instead of directly to the customer. Then the old-fashioned, common-sense name was peddling. Another difference is that the

408

HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

men who sold the goods then generally owned them, but now the seller is usually traveling clerk, but gives himself the altitudinous title of " commercial traveler." Mr. Neeley's line of goods consisted of clocks, and he had a number of young men on the road under him. He also did an extensive collecting business for wholesale merchants as he passed through the country. Mr. and Mrs. Neeley have reared two children, Clement and Maggie E. Mrs. N. is a member of the Christian Church, and he is a prominent member of the Odd Fellows' Order. Before the war Mr. Neeley was elected sheriff of Clay county, and was afterwards re-elected, serving until hostilities began. One other fact remains to be mentioned. In 1853 he engaged in the livery business at Liberty, and continued in the business about four years, in partnership with Judge A. Moore, whose sketch appears in this work. Mr. Neeley is now unfortunately afflicted with paralysis, but retains much of his mental vigor, and physically is still able to get about his own house. His life has been one of uprightness and integ- rity, and he has the good wishes of all who know him.

CAPT. SAMUEL D. NOWLIN

(Of Simmons & Nowlin, Dealers in Dry Goods, Clothing, Hats and Caps, Boots and Shoes, Etc., Missouri City).

For many years Capt. Nowlin's father, Bryan W. Nowlin, was an enterprising merchant in this section of Missouri, in Clay and Ray counties. He was from Kentucky and came here when a young man. He first followed teaching school and taught in Cooper and Saline counties. Then turning his attention to merchandising, he followed that business for a time at Liberty and afterwards at Fredericksburg, . in Ray county. Returning to Clay county in about 1852, he established a store at Missouri City, which he carried on until 1865, but was nearly broken up by the war, having lost a great deal by depredators from both sides. Mr. Nowlin, Sr., now resides at Prathersville. He was twice married. His first wife, who became the mother of the subject of this sketch, was a Miss Lucy N. Davis, a sister of W. H. H. and Albert G. Davis of this county. She died August 9, 1869. His second wife was a Mrs. Bowls, widow of the late S. D. Bowls. Capt. Nowlin was born in Ray county, August 18, 1838. He was princi- pally reared in that county. Under his father his opportunities for learning the mercantile business were good and he learned all the practical details of running a country store. June 30, 1861, he was married to Miss Sarah M. Peery, daughter of Thomas Peery, of How- ard county. The following September, Capt. Nowlin enlisted in the State Guard, Southern service, under Col. Thompson, and served for about seven months. He was elected first lieutenant of Co. C, and took part in the battles of Lexington, Pea Ridge and Spring- field. At Springfield he was promoted to the position of adjutant of Thompson's regiment, with the rank of captain, and served in that position until the close of his term of service. At Van Buren, in Arkansas, March 16, 1862, he was honorably discharged. After that

409

HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

he was at home during the remainder of the war. For two years after the war he was engaged in the grocery business at Missouri City, and then turned his attention to farming, which he followed with success in the county until February, 1883, when he became a member of the present firm. Capt. Nowlin's first wife died Decem- ber 27, 1864. She left two children, Thomas B., now a clerk in a dry goods house at Kansas City, and Sarah M., a young lady at home. April 28, 1868, Capt. Nowlin was married to Miss Martha C. Skin- ner, a daughter of Robert J. Skinner, of Montgomery county. Her father was an attorney and died at St. Joe while attending court there. By his last marriage Capt. Nowlin has five children : Zadie W., Cleon L., Tracy C., William N. and Harrison D. Mrs. Nowlin is a mem- ber of the Christian Church.

JOHN H. PIBURN

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

Among the energetic agriculturists and thorough-going men of Fishing River township, the subject of the present sketch is justly accorded an enviable position. By his own work, enterprise and bus- iness qualities he has accumulated a comfortable start in life and is already one of the substantial farmers of the township. He was born in Clay county, October 10, 1841, and was a son of David Piburn, a native of Tennessee. Edward Piburn, the grandfather of John H., was one of the pioneers of Missouri. He came here with his family in 1818 and settled in Howard county. From that county he removed to Clay county in 1820 and here made his permanent home. David Piburn was in infancy when the family came to this county. He grew up on the farm and subsequently married Miss Matilda Shouse, a daughter of John Shouse, who settled here from Kentucky in 1824. Mr. Piburn (David, the father of John ) still resides in this county. He served in the Mormon War and helped to drive the followers of Joe Smith out of the State. John H. Piburn was brought up to the life of a farmer and was still at home when the war broke out in 1861. He then enlisted in Col. Thompson's cavalry regiment for the South- ern service and served out the full time of his enlistment. During that time he took part in the fights at Rock Creek, Pea Ridge and a number of skirmishes. In the spring of 1862 he went west to Denver to void the war troubles, and afterwards followed freighting across the plains for a time. Finally, however, he located at Nebraska City, where he remained until after the restoration of peace. In the spring of 1866 he returned home and resumed farming to which he had been brought up. He also engaged in trading in stock, which he contin- ued to 1873. February 18, of that year, he was married to Miss Cordies Rice, a daughter of William and Laura ( Brasfield ) Rice, early settlers in this county. After his marriage Mr. Piburn located the following year on the farm where he has ever since resided. He first bought a tract of 60 acres, but to that he has since added from time to time until he now has about 300 acres. For some years past he

410

HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

has also been engaged in the threshing machine business, and for the last two years has run a steam thresher. His cash receipts from threshing has been about $20,000. During the winter of 1884-85 he bought and established a new steam saw mill, which is located near Mis- souri City and is doing a good business. In 1880 and 1882, Mr. Piburn made two trips to Arkansas and the Indian Territory to buy stock, and was satisfactorily successful in the sale of the stock bought. Mr. and Mrs. Piburn have three children : Charles Ross, Gertie May and James Lester.

JOHN A. POSEY, M. D. (Physician and Surgeon, Missouri City).

Among the physicians and with the public generally, Dr. Posey is recognized as one of the leading members of his profession in Mid- dle-Western Missouri. He took a thorough course at the St. Louis Medical College, and afterwards had the benefit of a year's practice as assistant physician to the St. Louis City Hospital. Since then he has been in the active general practice for about 16 years, and has had a large and varied practice. He is a prominent member of the State and District Medical Societies, and has been president of the latter, which meets quarterly at Kansas City. He has also for many years been an active member of the Clay County Medical Society. Dr. Posey was born on his father's farm, in Fishing River township, this county, December 19, 1838. His father was James F. Posey and his mother's maiden name was Julia A. Singleton. Both were from Kentucky, and his grandfather Posey was one of the old pioneers of that State from Virginia. Dr. Posey was reared in this county and concluded his general educational course with two years at William Jewell Col- lege. In 1863 he began the study of medicine under Dr. B. M. Beck- ham of Clayvillage, in Shelby county, a leading physician of that county, and the following fall entered the St. Louis Medical College. He continued through two terms at the latter institution and gradu- ated with honor in the classs of '67. In the meantime, however, be- tween his first and second terms, he was engaged in the practice of medicine at Barnsville, in Clinton county. After graduating he was elected assistant physician of the St. Louis City Hospital, and after serving in that position a year he located at Missouri City, where he has ever since been engaged in the general practice. Dr. Posey is a man who keeps fully abreast of the times in his profession, and is a liberal subscriber for different medical journals, periodicals, etc., and for the latest and best works on medical and surgical subjects with which he occupies his leisure time in order to give his patients the benefit of the most thorough information attainable and all the new and improved remedies. November 16, 1870, he was married to Miss Amanda Wysong, daughter of L. B. Wysong, of Prathersville. Mrs. Posey's family was originally from Virginia, but she was born and educated in Ohio. The Doctor and wife have three children : Mary E., Harvey B. and John Lester. Mrs. P. is a member of the M. E.

411

HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

Church, and the doctor is a member of the Christian Church, and the A. F. and A. M.

JOHN S. PRATHER,

(Of Prather & Crockett, Dealers in Dry Goods, Notion, Hats and Caps, Boots and Shoes, Groceries and Provisions, Excelsior Springs).

For some years prior to engaging in business, Mr. Prather was farming in this county. He came here from Kentucky, where he was born and reared. The county of his nativity was Fayette, and the time of his birth in 1848. His father, John M. Prather, was sheriff of Estill county for some years and a prominent citizen of that county. He died there in 1862. He had also been a farmer for many years and was quite successful in his chosen occupation. Mr. Pra- ther, Jr., was reared in Estill county, and in 1872 was married to Miss Louella Roberts, a daughter of Dennis Roberts, a farmer of Clay county, Mo. In the meantime, however, Mr. Prather had come to this State and located in Clay county. He came here in about 1868, and followed school teaching for a number of years, and then turned his attention to farming. In 1879 he began merchandising at Moscow, and two years later came to Excelsior. Prather & Crockett carry a large stock of goods in their line and are doing an excellent business. Both are business men of good qualifications and thorough reliability, and are justly popular in the community not only as merchants, but as citizens in all the walks of private life. Mr. and Mrs. Prather are members of the Christian Church. They have six children : Clay, Reba, Benjamin, Thomas, John and Roy.

WILLIAM R. PRICE

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

Maj. W. E. Price, the father of the subject of this sketch, came to Missouri from Jessamine county, Ky., in 1824, and entered land in Fishing River township, in Clay county, where he improved a farm and resided until his death. He was a major of a regiment during the Mormon war, and afterwards served as sheriff of the county. He died here January 4, 1880, at the age of 84. His wife is still living, now in her eighty-seventh year. She is remarkably bright and active, considering her advanced years, and is seemingly in as good health and spirits as she was in the morning of life. William R. Price was born on his father's farm in this county October 4, 1829, and remained at home until he was 19 years of age. He then, in 1850, went over- land to California, and was absent in the West, barring several visits home, until 1865. He was principally in California, but parts of the time was also in Nevada and New Mexico.

His regular occupation out there was handling stock and ranching, in which he had good success. Being at home about the time that the war broke out he enlisted in the Southern service under Col. Thompson, and was out about a year. During that time he took part in the fights at Lexington, Independence, Pea Ridge, and several

412

HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

others. Returning home in the spring of 1862, the next year he went back to California. In 1865 he made another visit home, and on his return trip to the West was robbed by a band of predatory Indians, resulting in a loss to him of about $6,000. This almost completely broke him up, and on that account he returned to Clay county and rented a farm, going to work again with resolution to get another start. He has been in this county ever since, and now owns the farm which he rented to begin with. He first bought a part of the place in 1867, and has subsequently made two other purchases, by which he has be- come owner of all of it, a fine farm of 300 acres, and one of the best places in the county. February 24, 1881, Mr. Price was married to Miss Katie W. Dudley, a daughter of Elder James W. Dudley, of Au- drain county. Mr. and Mrs. Price have two children : Virginia Russell and James Dudley. Mr. and Mrs. Price are members of the Old School Baptist Church.

WALTER C. PRICE

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

During the war Mr. Price served about seven months in the South- ern army under Gen. Sterling Price. While in the army he took part in the battle of Pea Ridge, and one or two engagements of less import- ance. W. C. Price was reared in this county, and has long been accounted one of the substantial farmers and respected citizens of the county. His father was early chosen justice of the peace of Fishing River township, and afterwards he held that office for a number of years. Besides farming, being a man of energy and enterprise, he was from time to time identified with other interests, among others that of bridge building, and he built a number of bridges in the county. In agricultural affairs he always showed marked public spirit. He was largely instrumental in organizing the first agricultural society ever formed in this county, and in recognition of his prominence and services in the matter he was elected the first president of the society. Walter C. Price was born in this county in 1832, and was a son of Ebenezer and Sarah Price, who came here from Kentucky in 1826. His father, as has been said, was a farmer by occupation, and Walter was brought up to farming and handling stock. In 1860 he was mar- ried to Miss Mattie Young, of this county. They have five children : William Y., Winfrey E., Sallie E., Mary and Kittie. Mrs. Price is a member of the Baptist Church, and the 'Squire is a worthy member of the Masonic Order.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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