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 50

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 50
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 50

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).

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

schools of the day. Having accompanied his parents to this county in 1845, he has made it his home ever since and has risen by his own aid in life from a small, obscure and almost unknown tiller of the soil, to one of the most prominent, influential and highly successful men of the county. His first start to obtain a competence was in working as a farm hand and driving stock to the South, having for 14 years, while still in Kentucky, gone to South Carolina and Georgia with stock. With the exception of 40 acres of timber, he now owns 500 acres, all under fence, upon which is a good residence and also ex- cellent outbuildings. This is admirably adapted for stock purposes. He has turned his attention for the last 20 years principally to stock- raising and feeding beef cattle ; he has had ready for market nearly every year from two to four car loads of beef cattle besides quite a number of fat hogs. He has not bought over 100 barrels of corn in 20 years. As has been estimated, he is recognized as a man of excel- lent financial ability, in recognition of which he was elected president of the Kearney Bank and in which he is one of the prominent stock- holders. A man of high, social and moral standing in his community, he is recognized everywhere for his true, sterling worth and ines- timable value to the county in which he has chosen to make his home. A warm friend and supporter of education, he has proven his appre- ciation of the school system of this county by having without com- pensation furnished a number of persons with the means necessary to obtain good school facilities. During the existence of that party, he was a Whig in politics and since that time has been an ardent Democrat. In March, 1847, Mr. Gosney was married to Miss Susan E. Gosney, a daughter of Rev. Fielding Gosney, of Monroe county, Mo. She died November 10, 1854, leaving one child, Susan E., wife of Henry Anderson, a prominent farmer of Clay county. Mrs. G. was a member of the Christian Church. For his second wife Mr. Gosney married Miss Mary E. Anderson, June 1, 1859. She was born, reared and educated in Woodford county, Ky., and is a lady of many estimable qualities. Her parents were Capt. Spencer and Catherine (Hicks ) Anderson, of this county. Mrs. G. is a member of Kearney Missionary Baptist Church, while her husband is connected with Mount Gilead Christian Church, in which he is now and has been a deacon for a number of years. He became a member of the Chris- tian Church in Kentucky in 1838, uniting with Mt. Gilead in 1845. He has since had his membership there.

WILLIAM O. GREASON

(Dealer in General Merchandise, and Justice of the Peace, Holt).

Mr. Greason has been at Holt for over ten years, having come here from North Carolina in 1873. However, one year prior to that he had spent in Clinton county, of this State. He has been engaged in general merchandising at Holt ever since coming to the county. Mr. Greason is a man of excellent education, good business qualifications, and is justly popular both as a merchant and a citizen in and around

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

Holt. He was born in Guilford county, North Carolina, in 1851, and when he was a youth lost his father, who died in the Confederate service at Charlotte, N. C., February 15, 1865. Mr. Greason, Sr., was one of the substantial and highly respected citizens of Guilford county, in his native State. William O. was reared in that county and educated at Yadkin College, where he took a course extending through a period of about six years. He was then appointed deputy sheriff of Guilford county, although he was only 19 years of age. Mr. Greason continued in the office of deputy sheriff until he came to Missouri, in 1872. In 1881 he was married to Miss Maggie A. Fitch, a daughter of John F. and Sarah J. (Dicky ) Fitch, formerly of Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Greason have no children, having lost their only child, a little son, in infancy. Mr. G. is a member of the C. U. Church, and Mrs. G is a member of the M. E. Church South. Mr. Greason's mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth J. Rankin, is still living, a resident of North Carolina, on the old family home- stead. His father's Christian name was Gideon. In 1882 Mr. Greason was elected a justice of the peace, and has continued to serve in that capacity ever since he qualified for the office after his election. He has made an efficient and capable magistrate, one in whose integrity and good judgment the community have implicit confidence.

JOHN T. HARMON (Farmer and Stock-raiser, Post-office, Kearney) .

Mr. Harmon was next to the eldest in the family of children of Jacob I. Harmon, additional reference to whom is made further along, and was born in Garrard county, Kentucky, December 15, 1843. He was a lad six years of age when his parents removed to Clay county, Mo., where they made their permanent home, and young Harmon was accordingly reared here. His school advantages were . quite limited, and his father not being a man of large means, he was compelled to start out in the world for himself without a dollar. When the war broke out in 1861 he was a youth about eighteen years of age, and at once enlisted in Co. D, Fourth Iowa infantry, under Capt. Burton, of Col. Dodges' regiment, and was afterwards out in the active service for nearly two years. In 1863, however, he was honorably discharged on account of physical disability. He then went West, across the plains, principally for the benefit of his health, and returned in 1864. The following year Mr. Harmon was married to Miss Sarah, a daughter of George and Louisa (Brooks ) Oder. At the time of his marriage, Mr. H. had a good team and three mule colts, which was all the stock he possessed. Nevertheless, he went resolutely to work, and made a good crop the first year. He was soon able to buy the necessary farm stock to carry on farming ; though he owned but 65 acres of land when he married. From that begin- ning he has steadily prospered, and is now one of the substantial citi- zens of the county. He owns over 500 acres of fine land in different tracts, and in his home place, which is well improved, has 347 acres.

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

This was the T. T. Bevins farm which he bought in 1881. He is a remarkably hard working man, and possesses unconquerable energy. What he has now he has made by his own hard labor, economy and good management. Although he has been successful by honest daily industry, it still looks a little hard that some who never did a hard day's work in their lives should be able by a simple dicker or trick or twist in the grain market to make five times as much, and five times five, as Mr. H. has succeeded in gathering together by a lifetime of labor and self-denial; in other words, the farmer works in the rain and burning sunshine, and in all the changes of weather to raise a bushel of wheat, while the grain speculator makes as much as the price of thousands of bushels in two minutes, and without even un- gloving his delicate, tender hands, - a condition of affairs which ren- ders such an anomaly and wrong as that not only possible, but the regular rule must necessarily be radically wrong ; and some day the people will become educated up to the point of seeing it and remedy- ing it. Mr. and Mrs. Harmon have six children : James H., Mary F., wife of Adam Foreighner, Lizzie B., Sarah T., Walter D. and Louisa. Three others they lost in infancy. Mrs. H. is a member of the Chris- tian Church. The Harmon family is of German descent. Mr. H.'s great grandfather, Jacob Harmon, was reared in this country and served in the War for Independence. Jacob J. Harmon, the father of John T., was a son of Reese and Nancy (Nelson ) Harmon, originally of Pennsylvania. Her father, Wm. Nelson, also served in the American army during the Revolution. He was of Irish descent. Jacob I. Harmon was born in Garrard county, Ky., December 13, 1819, and in 1838 was married to Miss Mary Conn, daughter of Rev. John and Elizabeth Conn, of Kentucky. In 1849 Mr. H. came to Missouri, and settled in Clay county. Two years later he went on the plains, and afterwards, for about seven years, followed teaming in the far West, either on his own account, for private parties, or for the Gov- ernment, generally coming home, however, to raise a crop during each cropping season. Ever since that he has followed farming ex- clusively, in this county. During the war he was in the militia for a short time ; and in 1865 he was absent from the county some months on account of the unsettled condition of affairs. Since then he has been engaged in farming, and has served as deputy sheriff of the county and as constable of the township. He and wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, and he is a member of the Blue Lodge and the Royal Arch Chapter, A. F. and A. M. He has a good farm comfortably improved and is pleasantly situated in life.

FREDERICK HARTEL

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

After an active and useful career of more than a generation, not without reward in the substantial evidences of success, as well as other- wise, Mr. Hartel has now comparatively retired from the regular duties of business and industrial affairs, and is spending the evening of life

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

in comparative ease and contentment. He commenced for himself at an early age, and from that time until the present his career has been one of unceasing industry and activity. Like many of our better foreign born citizens he is a native of Hesse-Darmstadt, Germany, where he was born November 15, 1808. He was the fourth of six children of Abraham and Anna Marie Hartel, and after being reared and educated at his native place accompanied his parents to the United States. Subsequently they located in Missouri, taking up their home in Clay county in 1842, where they afterwards died. The subject of this sketch, Frederick Hartel, has continued to live here since that time, a period now of over forty years. Though not numbered among the wealthiest men in the county he is, as before mentioned, in com- fortable circumstances, having a farm of 100 acres under fence and in cultivation. His family is one of which any husband and father might well be proud. In October, 1845, Miss Barbara Hoff became his wife, and to them have been born six children : Louis, Jacob ( deceased ), Frederick, Kate, Conrad and William. Louis married Miss Agnes Sell, and is a farmer in Clinton county, Mo .; Kate is the wife of Prof. John H. Frick, professor of mathematics and natural sciences in Central Wesleyan College at Warrenton, Mo. A sketch of his life and mention of the college with which he is connected are given in the History of St. Charles, Montgomery and Warren Counties, recently published by the authors of the present volume. Frederick is engaged in raising and shipping stock. Conrad married Miss Lizzie Irmiger, and is living on the farm with his parents. He is an industrious young man, and is more than ordinarily successful in the management of the homestead. William is a student in the Theological Department of Boston University in Boston, Mass., and is a graduate of Central Wesleyan College. Jacob married Miss Susan Frick. He and wife are now both deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Hartel and all of their children are members of the German M. E. Church.

WILLIAM H. HAWKINS

(Proprietor of Hawkins' Boot and Shoe Shop, Kearney).

Mr. Hawkins has long been engaged in the occupation which he now follows. His father, Capt. John C. Hawkins, was in the same busi- ness before him. However, in later years his father was also a farmer, and William H. was partly reared on a farm. He received a common school education. Having gone to Texas, in the meantime, in 1862, he entered the Confederate army, becoming a member of Co. F, Eighth Texas regiment, under Col. Overton. He did not serve, however, throughout the war, but after being in Col. Overton's regi- ment, returned to Milan county, Texas, where he had previously resided. In 1866 Mr. Hawkins came back to Clay county, Mo., and resumed shoemaking, which he had previously followed in Texas.' He has followed shoemaking also continuously ever since. However, in 1866, he made another trip to Texas and was absent about a year engaged in farming. Mr. Hawkins has a good run of custom at

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

Kearney, and is doing as well as could be expected in a place the size of this. In 1868 he was married to Miss Mary J. Groom, a daughter of Amos and Sallie (Chaney ) Groom, early settlers from Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. H. have one child : Mary M .; they have had the mis- fortune to lose six in childhood. He and wife are members of the Christian Church. Mr. H. is a strict temperance man. His father, Capt. Hawkins, came from Woodford county, Ky., and located at Liberty in about 1829. Subsequently he engaged in farming in Clay county. He was in the Mormon War, and helped to drive the dis- ciples of polygamy out of the States. There was where he received his title of captain. He died in 1868, in the sixty-fifth year of his age. His wife, whose maiden name was Mary E. Turnum, died in 1857. They had 12 children, 11 of whom are living. William H., the seventh in their family of children, was born June 14, 1840.

GEORGE S. HENDERSON (Dealer in Hardware, Farm Implements, Etc., Kearney).

Mr. Henderson was a youth seventeen years of age when his pa- rents came to Missouri in 1853, and had received an elementary knowledge of books in the log school-houses of the period. But here he went to work at hard labor on the farm and was beginning to get something of a start when the war broke out in 1861. He then enlisted in Capt. Tom McCarty's company for the Southern service, and served until 1863, when he was taken sick and compelled to re- turn home. In 1865 he went to St. Louis county, where the family had removed in the meantime, and remained there until 1866 engaged in farming. At that time he was employed by Messrs. E. M. Samuel & Sons, commission merchants, to travel for their house, which he fol- lowed for a year. After his employment with Messrs. Samuel & Sons, Mr. H. went to Holt county and engaged in the saw milling business. Two years later he bought a saw mill at Rulo, Neb., but in 1874 came back to Clay county, where he was interested in a farm and engaged in farming. In 1876 Mr. Henderson was married to Miss Nannie B. Leach, a daughter of Daniel and Elizabeth Leach, formerly of Scott county, Ky., but afterwards of Platte county, and later still of this (Clay) county. Mr. Henderson bought his present stock of goods in February, 1884, and has been engaged in business ever since. He and wife have two children : Daniel H. and G. DeMatt. Mrs. H. is a member of the Christian Church. Mr. Henderson was formerly interested in short horn cattle. He is a man of energy and enter- prise and will doubtless prove one of the successful men of the county. Mr. Henderson's father was James Henderson, originally of Mason county, Ky., but whose parents came from Virginia. He was a large trader from Kentucky with the South before the railroads, and made as many as 13 trips from New Orleans to Kentucky on horseback. He dealt largely in mules and also in bacon, and transported his bacon either by wagons or by flatboats to the South. He was a man of great energy and thorough reliability. He came to Missouri with his family

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

in 1853, locating first in Lafayette county, but settled in Clay county the following year. He died here in 1877 in the seventy-second year of his age. His wife, who was a Miss Brittyann Howe before her mar- riage, lived to reach the age of 66, dying in 1870. They were both members of the Old School Presbyterian Church, and are buried at Mount Gilead, Clay county, Mo. They had a family of five chil- dren, four sons and one daughter ; the daughter is dead.

JACOB HESSEL (DECEASED ) (Late of Kearney Township).

On the 13th of August, 1881, died at his homestead in this county, Jacob Hessel, where for over 25 years he was known as one of the highly respected and influential citizens of Kearney township. He was a man who achieved success in life solely by his own exertions and personal worth, and his intelligent appreciation of the conditions and opportunities of life around him. From early circumstances but little or no better than the average of those of the youths among whom he was reared, he rose to a creditable degree of success in life, both in standing and influence. He came of a well respected German family, and was the youngest of five children, born February 14, 1824, in Germany. In 1845 he left the country of his nativity and came to America, locating in Clay county, Mo., in 1846. He was a farmer by occupation, but when the news of the discovery of gold in Cali- fornia reached the citizens of this county, he was drawn into the tide of Western emigrants, and went to the golden coast of that far-off Eldorado, remaining for three years. However, he then returned to Clay county, and here made his home until his death. Successful in the material affairs of life, he had accumulated 216 acres of land, all of which is now under fence, and 160 acres are in cultivation and blue grass pasture. On October 16, 1855, he had been married to one of the fairest daughters of the old Fatherland, Mrs. Malia Bauman, whose maiden name was Moeller. Their family consisted of seven children : William is now in Denver, Col .; Louis is a student at Central Wesleyan College, at Warrenton; Carrie is attending the same school ; Mary is living with her mother; Jacob died September 15, 1883 ; Edward and Henry live on the old homestead and carry on the farming and stock-raising operations. They are enterprising and progressive young agriculturists, and have achieved quite a reputation in the stock business, having sold during the past year two car loads of cattle and one of hogs. Mr. Hessel was a member of the Bethel German M. E. Church. His wife and her children are connected with the same denomination.

CONRAD HESSEL

(Farmer, Post-office, Kearney).

Mr. Hessel is another example of what energy, industry and perse- verance, when intelligently applied, have accomplished for those of

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

foreign birth who have seen fit to locate within the boundaries of this country. Like many of the oldest residents of this county who have become possessed of means and gained a competence sufficient to en- able them to pass their later years in ease and retirement, is a native of Germany, having been born there February 8, 1821. Other mem- bers of this family have also settled in Clay county from Germany, mention of whom is made elsewhere. The youth of Conrad was passed as those of other youths of the country, aud when 22 years of age he left the place of his birth and emigrated to the United States, locating first in Ohio, in 1843, and then in 1847 in Clay county, which has con- tinued to be his home for a period of about 40 years. His beginning in this county was indeed an humble one. Poor in purse, and by no means thoroughly conversant with the customs of this country, he commenced at once with characteristic thrift and industry to situate himself comfortably in life, which he has done, though at a cost of many years of hard toil and labor. The fruit of his success is now seen in the handsome homestead which he owns, a beautifully culti- vated farm of 525 acres. In 1855 he was married to Miss Christina Heinz, and to them were born seven children : Fred, Kathrina, Eliza- beth, Conrad, Louis, Barbara and Christina. Three of these are mar- ried, viz. : Frederick married Miss Katie Weber, and is now engaged in farming in this county ; Elizabeth, wife of O. H. Weber, also a farmer, and Kathrina, now Mrs. William H. Stein, whose husband is pastor of the German Methodist Church at Hays City, Kas. Conrad is superintendent of the Sabbath-school connected with the Bethel M. E. Church, of which Mr. and Mrs. Hessel and their children are mem- bers. His domestic life has been one of great contentment and happi- ness, and he has reared a worthy family of children. A progressive farmer and an intelligent citizen, he is held in high respect by all who know him.

JOHN L. HODGES

(Stock Trader, Post-Office, Kearney).

It was as early as 1826 that the family of which Mr. Hodges was a member settled in Clay county. His parents were among the pioneer settlers of the county, and became well-to-do and highly respected residents of Fishing River township. His father, Judge Hodges, served as an officer in the Black Hawk War, and was afterward elected a judge of the county court for a number of terms. He was one of the most popular men in the county, and was elected by an almost unanimous vote of the people. He died here in January, 1873. His wife, whose maiden name was Louisana Lingfelter, of German descent, died in April, 1881, in her seventy-seventh year. Judge Hodges had a fine farm of some 400 acres, most of which is still in possession of the family. He was a slaveholder before the war and a man of strong Southern feeling, though he took no active part, on account of his advanced years. Still, he enlisted in the State Guard, for home pro- tection. He was an earnest and consistent member of the Old School Baptist Church, as was also his wife. He was quite zealous for the

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

church, and a liberal supporter of both it and the cause of good schools. Of their family of eleven children seven are living, all sons except one, Amanda, the wife of A. G. Mosby, and all residents of Clay county, except Albert, who went to Oregon in 1850. John L. Hodges was born in this county March 11, 1851, and at the age of 20 enlisted in Co. F, under Capt. Pixley, of the Missouri State Guard, of which company he was orderly sergeant. He was in the battles of Lexington and Pea Ridge. But on account of inflammatory rheuma- tism, brought on by the exposures of camp-life, he was compelled to return home. In 1865 he was married to Miss Sarah E. Riley, a daugh- ter of William P. Riley of this county. Mr. Hodges has been en- gaged in farming and stock-raising and also dealing in stock up to four years ago. He had a good farm, but sold his place in 1880 and removed to Kearney, where he is engaged exclusively in dealing in and shipping stock. He is considered one of the best judges of stock in this part of the county, and has had a successful experience as a stock dealer. Mr. and Mrs. Hodges have three children : John L., Jr., Anna M. and Allen O. They have lost one, William H., at an early age. Mr. H. and wife are members of the Christian Church.

JOHN T. HUFFAKER

(Of Mitchell & Huffaker, Dealers in General Merchandise, Holt).

As is well known Clay county received its largest early immigra- tion during the " Thirties," at which time there was almost a flood tide of pioneer settlers, principally from Kentucky. Among the hun- dreds of other families who came during the first years of the " Thir- ties," was that of the father of Mr. Huffaker, Washington Huffaker. He settled in this county in 1831, and was the first sheriff of the county after its organization. He was subsequently a county judge for a number of years, and held other official positions. Judge Huffaker was one of the prominent and highly respected citizens of the county. He was a successful farmer and died here in 1863. His wife, who was a Miss Sarah Shackleford before her marriage, died in 1864. They reared a family of seven children, all of whom are living and are themselves the heads of families. John T. was born on the farm in this county in 1850. On growing up he became a farmer and fol- lowed farming and stock-raising until 1879, when he engaged in busi- ness at Holt with the Rev. Mr. Mitchell. Mr. Huffaker has served as mayor of Holt and in the town council. In 1880 he was married to Miss Laura Holt, a daughter of Col. John B. Holt, the founder of the town of Holt, and one of the leading wealthy citizens of the county. He was a gallant soldier in the Mexican War, and served in the Confederate army through the Civil War, rising by his ability and intrepidity as an officer to the command of a company which became noted for its valor on many a hard fought field. He is now living a quiet, retired life at Holt, in the possession of a competence, but best of all of an honored name and clear conscience. Mr. Huffaker, the subject of this sketch, is a leading and prominent Mason, and a worthy and exemplary member of the Christian Church.

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

JOHN N. HUNTER

(Postmaster, Holt).

Mr. Hunter is a native of Nebraska, a fact which can perhaps be truthfully asserted of no other citizen of Missouri, at least of none not younger than he and probably a few others in the whole country, Nebraska included. His father, R. M. Hunter, was one of the pioneers of Nebraska, going there away back in the " Fifties," before the scream of the locomotive was heard on the plains, or the buffalo and Indian had been pushed on against the apron of the Cordilleras. He was born in Nemaha county, Neb., in 1859. His mother's maiden name was Miss Hollenbeck, a native of Illinois. His father was originally from Ohio, and was a saddle and harnessmaker, a trade that was very profitable in Nebraska in an early day, when one could exchange a good saddle for nearly enough buffalo robes to wall in and cover an ordinary sized house. There was also a good demand for saddles and harness among the white pioneers and emigrants bound for the golden shore, washed by the Pacific sea. However, on account of the severity of the climate in that early day when all the country was open and the biting frost came flying across the country with the speed of the wind, apparently guided only by the portentous sun dogs that seemed to absorb the warmth from the cheerless star of day, the family left Nebraska and came further south, to Missouri, where the elements and animal life were not. so much at war with each other as they are in the young State of the plains. After re- siding in Atchison county for awhile, they settled in Clay county, near Holt. In 1879 they removed to Kansas, where they now reside. Mr. Hunter, Jr., was partly reared in the vicinity of Holt, and has made this his home continuously from the time the family first came here. In 1883 he was appointed deputy postmaster of Holt, and a short time afterwards was himself made postmaster. He has held the office ever since. He also carries a stock of books and stationery in connection with his duties as postmaster. In 1876 Mr. Hunter was married to Miss Elizabeth Ditto, a daughter of J. P. Ditto, of Clay county. Mr. and Mrs. H. have two children, John J. and Leonard W. They have lost one in infancy, Ida May. Mr. and Mr. H. are members of the Christian Union Church. Mr. Hunter's father also followed farming and handling stock, in which he is still engaged to some extent.

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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