USA > Missouri > Cooper County > History of Cooper County, Missouri > Part 91
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Dec. 18, 1884, John M. Stephens was married to Sophronia Stone, who was born in Livingston County, Mo., daughter of William and Ellen (Alexander) Stone, both natives of Tennessee who came to Missouri many years ago and both are now deceased, and to this union eight children have been born, as follows: Eula, wife of Edward Solomon, of New Frank- lin; Ether, wife of Julius Stegner, of Palestine township; Inez, a Cooper County teacher, who resides with her parents; James W., who was with the American Army of Occupation in Germany, is now at home; Ellen, wife of A. Hilden, of Boonville township; Willie B. (a daughter), at home, Cora L. and John H., both at home. James W. Stephens, the soldier son, was born in Boonville township, Feb. 23, 1892, and was engaged as a farmer and teacher in this county when he was inducted into the National Army for service in the World War. He sought service in the machine gun branch of the army and after a period of preliminary training in this country sailed with his command for France in June, 1918, attached to the 356th Machine Gun Corps, 89th Division. James W. Stephens mar- ried Mary Parrish, daughter of Doctor Parrish and wife, of Pleasant Green. Six of John M. Stephens children have been school teachers.
Peter J. Devine, vice-president of the Clifton City Bank and a well- known and substantial farmer of Otterville township, was born on a farm in Otterville township, Oct. 4, 1870. He is a son of John and Ellen (Mc- Sheehy) Devine, both of whom were born in County Kerry Ireland, and the former is still living at the advanced age of 95 years. John Devine was born in 1824 and was 12 years of age when he came to this country
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with his parents, the family locating in Boston, where he grew to man- hood and where he early learned the care of horses, becoming a teamster. He married in Boston and remained there until he came to Missouri about Civil War times to take part in the railway construction work. . Upon the completion of his contract here, he located in Cooper County and bought a farm in Otterville township, where he was for years actively engaged in farming and where he is now living. His wife died there in 1896, at the age of 68 years. Mr. Devine is a member of the Catholic Church, as was his wife, and their children were reared in that faith. There were seven of these children, as follows: John, Ft. Scott, Kan .; Michael C., of Hammond, Ind .; one who died in infancy; Mrs. Catherine Shea, deceased ; Daniel, deceased; Peter J., and Ellen, deceased.
Reared on the home farm, Peter J. Devine attended the district schools and has ever stuck to the farm. In 1894 he bought 90 acres of land near Clifton City and has since made that his place of residence. As his affairs prospered, Mr. Devine bought adjoining land and now has a well-improved farm of 240 acres, on which he is engaged in general farm- ing and stock raising and on which he has done well. He is a stock- holder in the Clifton City Bank, a member of the board of directors and vice-president of the same. He is a republican and is a member of the local school board.
Mr. Devine has been twice married. In 1895 he was married to Mary Griffin, who died in 1905 at the age of 33 years. To that union three children were born, all of whom died in infancy. In 1907 Mr. De- vine married Louisa Connor, who was born in Pettis County, daughter of Dennis Connor and wife, and to this union three children have been born, Peter J., Jr., and Llewellyn, both deceased; one child, born May 2, 1919, Eleanor Mary, living. Mr. and Mrs. Devine are members of the Catholic Church. Mr. Devine is affiliated with the Knights of Columbus.
John Sweeney, a well-known farmer of Otterville township, was born in County Limerick, Munster, Ireland, Oct. 4, 1848. He was less than three years of age when his parents, John and Ellen (Donohue) Sweeney, came to the United States in 1851, arriving at New Orleans. For some little time after his arrival here, the elder John Sweeney remained in New Orleans and then came up the river to St. Louis, in the neighborhood of which city he began to work as a farm hand. Not long afterward, about the middle of the '50s, he came over into Cooper County with his family and settled in Otterville township, where he bought a farm and estab- lished his home. He gradually increased his land holdings there until
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he became the owner of 700 acres and was accounted one of the well-to-do farmers of that neighborhood. On that farm he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1899, being 80 years of age. His widow died in 1901. When they came to America, their son John was their only child, but six more children were born to them after their arrival here. Of these seven children, five are living. John Sweeney and his wife were devout members of the Catholic Church and their children were reared in that faith.
The junior John Sweeney was reared on the home farm, receiving his schooling at Clifton. From the days of his boyhood, he was required to give his attention to the farm, and as the eldest son, grew to be his father's "right hand man" in the operation of the place. After his mar- riage in 1881, he continued to make his home on the home place, of which, after his father's death, he inherited 80 acres. He has since bought an adjoining 40 acres and now has a farm of 120 acres, which he has improved in excellent fashion and on which he is engaged profitably in general farming and stock raising, being accounted one of the sub- stantial farmers of that community.
In 1881, John Sweeney was united in marriage to Emma Temple- mire, who was born in Lebanon township, daughter of Fred Templemire and wife, natives of Germany who had become residents of this county upon coming to the United States, and to this union five children were born, namely: John R., Sedalia; Edward, deceased; Charles and Nellie, at home, and one who died in infancy. Mrs. Emma Sweeney, mother of these children, died in 1895, at the age of 40 years, and her daughter Nellie is mistress of the household. Charles Sweeney, who also still re- mains at home, has long been assisting his father in the direction of the farm and has helped to develop there a good piece of property. The Sweeneys are members of the Catholic Church. Mr. Sweeney and his son are republicans.
George C. Jones, one of the extensive landowners of Cooper County is a son of the pioneer Caleb Jones who at the time of his death in 1883 was said to be the wealthiest man in Cooper County.
Caleb Jones was born in Baltimore, Md., March 11, 1805, a son of Capt. Joshua Jones, who during the time of the War of 1812 when Balti- more was bombarded by the British (the night of stress which inspired Francis Scott Key to write his immortal "Star Spangled Banner") helped in the defense of the city. About 1815 Capt. Joshua Jones moved with his family from Baltimore to Kentucky, the boy Caleb then being about
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ten years of age, and it was in that state that the latter grew to manhood, his education being received in the schools of Cynthiana, Ky. When he was 21 years of age, in 1826, Caleb Jones came here horseback, swimming his horse across the Missouri River at Franklin. With such meager re- sources as he could command, Caleb Jones put his credit to the test and was able to secure a small stock of merchandise with which he opened a store at the landing at Arrow Rock. This venture was the beginning of the successful career. From the very beginning his affairs prospered, his mercantile venture presently was expanded to include banking and he thus became one of the pioneer bankers of this section of Missouri, his operations necessitating the removal of his base of operations from Arrow Rock to Boonville. He invested largely in real estate and was at one time the owner of about 6,000 acres of land in this county, the greater part of his holdings lying in Blackwater township. He also gave much atten- tion to the live stock business and in all his ventures, whether as mer- chant, banker or stockman and farmer, he prospered, so that it probably is nothing amiss to say, that at the time of his death he was Cooper County's wealthiest citizen. Nov. 10, 1831, Caleb Jones married Nancy Chapman, who was born in April, 1814, in Howard County. She died about ten years before he did, his death occurring May 15, 1883.
George C. Jones, son of Caleb and Nancy (Chapman) Jones, was born in Polk County Dec. 12, 1844, and grew up in this county, from the days of his boyhood his interests being more directly connected with his father's farming operations and he continued a farmer all his life, coming in time to be a large landowner. During the Civil War he went to Canada, but returned to Cooper County in 1865, and resumed farming with his father. later branching out for himself, and became successful, at one time own- ing as much as 1,400 acres of land in this county, mostly in Blackwater township. On March 5, 1868, George C. Jones was married to Ann E. Trent, who was born on March 16, 1844, in Cumberland County, Va., member of an old Colonial family of English ancestry, the family name being derived from the ancient seat of the family on the banks of the river Trent. To that union were born six children, namely: Caleb C., a stock- man and auctioneer of Pilot Grove: Addie Muir, married George H. Mc- Elroy and is now deceased ; Dr. George C. Jones, a dentist at Pilot Grove : Maria, wife of M. L. Jones, Blackwater township; Nancy Trent, wife of Archibald McGuire, Blackwater township and Woodson Trent Jones, Blackwater township. The mother of these children died Jan. 18, 1909. Of late years George C. Jones has disposed of some of his land interests,
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but still retains a life interest in 1,000 acres in Blackwater township which he has divided among his children, preferring to make disposition of his estate while he is living.
William Manger and Julius Manger, now of New York City, owners of several hotels in the large cities of the country, are natives of Boon- ville. They are the sons of Casper Manger and Wilhelmina (Bell) Manger, who were early citizens of Boonville.
William and Julius Manger left Boonville about 30 years ago. Wil- . liam attended Valparaiso University and Julius graduated from Tulane University and was admitted to the bar. They founded the International Coffee Company and were importers and jobbers of coffee and spices. They engaged in the real estate business and have built more than a 1,000 buildings and have dealt extensively in real estate. They are proprietors of the Hotel Netherland, Great Northern Hotel, Navarre Hotel, Endicott Hotel, Grand Hotel, and Bell Apartment Hotel, all in New York City ; The Plaza Hotel, Chicago; The Continental Hotel, Philadelphia; and are inter- ested in many other large enterprises.
Col. Charles C. Bell of Boonville, their uncle, has been their life long friend and adviser.
William Manger is a bachelor. Julius Manger married Miss Lillian Weissenger, a noted Kentucky beauty, and daughter of the late Col. Harry Weissenger, of Louisville, one of the most prominent citizens of Ken- tucky. Mr. and Mrs. Julius Manger have three children.
Dr. Porter E. Williams was born in Versailles, Mo .. March 25, 1867. Dr. Williams' father was also a physician and one of the most prominent in central Missouri, honored, esteemed and respected by all who knew him. He was born in Ohio, and with his father came to Versailles when two years of age. He practiced his profession for about 50 years and died in the spring of 1903, 70 years of age. Dr. Williams' paternal grand- father erected the first building, a blacksmith shop, in Versailles about 1835. Here he manufactured all the plows, axes, horseshoes and nails that were used in that section for a number of years. He died in Ver- sailles when 84 years of age.
The maiden name of Dr. Williams' grandmother on his father's side was Mary McGlothlin. She was born in Ohio and died in Morgan County when 86 years of age. Dr. Williams mother was Miss Alpha Davis, born in Morgan County, Mo. She was the daughter of Porter E. Davis who was born on the old homestead about four miles southeast of Bunceton, now occupied by his grandson, W. E. Davis. Porter E. Davis made the
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trip across the plains to the Pacific Coast in '49 in quest of gold and after three years returned to his home in Cooper County.
Phillip Davis, father of Porter E. Davis and great-grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was one of the early settlers of this county, and located the old Davis homestead above referred to. He was a first cousin of Jefferson Davis, the president of the southern Confederacy. The Davis stock originally came from Mississippi.
Dr. Porter E. Williams was married Nov. 20, 1890, to Miss Gussie Stephens, the daughter of John H. Stephens a brother of Joseph L. Steph- ens and belonged to one of the pioneer families of Cooper County. Dr. Williams has one daughter Adda, the wife of Roy D. Williams a promi- nent attorney of the Cooper County bar.
Dr. Williams graduated at Beaumont Hospital, now the Washington, in 1887, served one year as interne at the hospital and May 6, 1888, located at Bunceton. Nov. 1, 1905, he was appointed superintendent of State Hospital, No. 1, at Fulton, and remained there until 1909, when he re- turned to Bunceton to practice his profession. In 1917 he was appointed to the superintendency of the St. Joseph Hospital No. 2, which position he holds at the present time.
Dr. Williams is a physician of high standing throughout the state, a firm democrat, a loyal friend and an upright and good citizen.
Curtis Earle Chrane, superintendent of public schools of Boonville, is a native Missourian. He was born Oct. 29, 1886, on a farm at Musselfork, Chariton County. He is a son of John Earley and Elizabeth (Stith) Chrane, natives of Missouri and Kentucky, respectively.
John Earley Chrane, was born and reared on a farm which was entered from the government in the early twenties. He was a son of Harold Julius Chrane, who emigrated from Denmark with his family in the nineteenth century and settled in Chariton County, Mo. During the Civil War he served in the Confederate army under General Price. John Earley Chrane was reared to maturity in Chariton County and married Elizabeth Stith, a native of Breckenridge County, Ky., who accompanied her parents to Linn County, Mo., in 1870. John E. Chrane is a farmer and stockman and is now residing upon his farm in Chariton County.
Prof. C. E. Chrane was reared on the home farm and attended the district school. He attended the Warrensburg State Normal School and graduated from this institution when 19 years of age. For three years following he was principal of Windsor High School and afterwards served
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for four years as superintendent of Windsor Public Schools, following which he became Superintendent of Boonville Public Schools, a position which he has held for the past six years. Professor Chrane's work as superintendent of Boonville Public Schools has been such as to place the schools in the front rank of Missouri public school system. He is a graduate of the Missouri State University and has attended summer school sessions at University of Colorado, University of Michigan, and Chicago University.
May 29, 1910, Mr. Chrane was united in marriage with Miss Irmah Griffith, a daughter of Dr. and Mrs. C. E. Griffith, at Windsor, Mo. Dr. Griffith and family now reside at Gallitan, Mo., the birth place of Mrs. Griffith whose maiden name was Harriet Poague. Dr. Griffith's mother was Margaret Drake prior to her marriage and she was a member of one of the pioneer families of Howard County. His father was Dr. Edgar Griffith who at the time of the Civil War was one of the largest land own- ers and wealthiest men in Cass County. He cast his fortunes with the Confederate cause and was impoverished as a result of the ravages of the war. His family suffered severely from the effects of "Order No. 11". To C. E. and Irmah Chrane has been born two children, Barbara Jeanne, born March 22, 1915; and Jacqueline, born Sept. 26, 1916. The mother of these children was a graduate of the Sedalia College of Music, where she pursued a course in violin and elocution. She is also a graduate of the Chicago Conservatory of Music in the same subjects. Two years prior to her marriage she was engaged in Chautauqua work as a reader and violinist.
Mr. Chrane is a member of the Cooper County Board of Education, receiving his appointment to the position from the State Superintendent of Schools. He was also appointed by the governor of Missouri as a mom- ber of the Missouri Library Commission. Mr. and Mrs. Chrane are both members of the Methodist Church, South, as have been all of their an- cestors for generations. They are both'connected with the Order of the Eastern Star and Mr. Chrane is a member of the Ancient Free and Ac- cepted Masons, the Royal Arch Masons and the Knights of Pythias.
Mr. Chrane's career as an educator has been marked with signal suc- cess ; he is a man of more than ordinary ability ; energetic, progressive. highly educated. he is possessed of a strong and likable personality which has made him popular with all classes of the people.
The six years of his incumbency as superintendent of the Boonville
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Public Schools has been an era of progress and advancement which has seen the Boonville Schools take a leading place among the small city schools of Missouri.
Dr. Arthur Wesley Nelson, president of the Bank of Bunceton, chair- man of the board of directors of the Boonville National Bank, member of the board of managers of the Missouri State Hospital at St. Joseph, one of the most extensive landowners and cattle breeders in central Missouri and proprietor of "Eastwood", the great stock farm in Kelly and Lebanon townships was born on that farm and has always regarded the place as his home, a continuous resident there since his return in the spring of 1902 from New York City, where he rounded out his medical education. The Doctor was born Jan. 21, 1878, son and only child of Arthur W. and Lolla (Marmaduke) Nelson, both of whom also were born in this section of Missouri and the latter of whom, a member of one of the most dis- tinguished families in Missouri, is still living, now a resident of Kansas City.
The senior Arthur W. Nelson was born on a pioneer farm two miles west of Boonville in 1854, son of James M. and Margaret (Wyan) Nelson, who had established their home there after their marriage in this county. The latter was one of the oldest living natives of Cooper County at time of her death, July 9, 1919, at the age of 98 years, she having been born in this county in 1821, a daughter of real pioneer parents, the Wyans hav- ing been among the earliest settlers of Cooper County. James M. Nelson was born in Fauquier County, Va., member of a well-established family there, and was self educated. As a young man he came to Missouri and located in Cooper County, where he married Margaret Wyan and estab- lished his home. He was a man of varied activities and was for many years one of the most prominent and influential men in Cooper County. In 1858, in association with W. W. Trigg, he started the first bank that was opened for business in Boonville and thus early became one of the most influential factors in the development of that city and of the region surrounding. He also became a large landowner and the possessor of other interests of a valuable character, the impress of his forceful per- sonality being manifest in many directions throughout the local business world. James M. Nelson died in Aug., 1902, being then at the age of 86 years. His widow died July 9, 1919, she having lived to the great age of 98 years. She was born at Crab Orchard, Ky. James M. Nelson and wife were the parents of four children, all of whom are living save Arthur W., father of Doctor Nelson and the third in order of birth, the others
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being Louis Cass Nelson, a retired banker and capitalist, St. Louis; Mrs. Charles E. Leonard, a widow and owner of the notable "Ravenswood" farm in Palestine township, who is now living at Boonville, and Margaret, wife of the Hon. Lon V. Stephens of St. Louis, former governor of the state of Missouri. Arthur W. Nelson was reared at Boonville and was early trained and schooled in a way to fit him for the large responsibilities entailed upon him by reason of his father's estate. After his marriage to Lolla Marmaduke he established his home on the great ranch in Kelly township now owned by his son, the house in which he and his wife set up their establishment there having been a conventional "big house" of the period, erected by slave labor in 1854. On that place he gave par- ticular attention to the breeding of Shorthorn cattle and had developed one of the finest stock farms in this section when in 1880 his activities were untimely brought to an end, his death coming in a runaway acci- dent in that year. His widow later married Robert W. Cary and is now living at Kansas City. She was born in Saline County, a daughter of Col. Vincent Marmaduke, a gallant officer of the Confederate army dur- ing the Civil War, who was a son of the Hon. M. M. Marmaduke, one time lieutenant-governor of Missouri, and a brother of former Governor Marmaduke, of this state.
Born on the farm on which he is now living, Dr. Arthur W. Nelson was reared at Kansas City, in the schools of which city he received his schooling preparatory to entrance at Wentworth Military Academy, from which institution he was graduated in 1897. He then entered the Uni- versity of the South at Sewanee, Tenn., and was graduated from that institution in 1900, with the degrees of M. D., A. B. and Ph. G. Thus equipped for the practice of his profession Doctor Nelson received the appointment to an internship in the Woman's Hospital at New York City and was there until the spring of 1902, when he returned to his old home in this county, foregoing his expectation of actively engaging in the prac- tice of his profession in order to assume the practical management of the great estate he had inherited in Cooper County and has since been thus engaged, having extended in many ways the operations for many years carried on there. In the spring following his return to Cooper County, Doctor Nelson married and established his home on the old home place, where he since has resided. In 1913, at a cost of $40,000 he rebuilt the historical old farm house which had stood as the dwelling place there for nearly 60 years and erected in its stead one of the finest farm houses in Missouri, the same equipped throughout with modern fittings. One of
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the features of this new house is the great reception hall which with true Southern hospitality the Doctor and his wife ever keep open for the social gatherings of the young people of the neighborhood, the Nelson house thus having long been most pleasantly noted as the center of social activities thereabout. Doctor Nelson is the proprietor of an estate exceeding 2,000 acres in Kelly and Lebanon townships and gives his chief attention to the raising of cattle, hogs and sheep, the operations of the place being under the direction of his ranch manager, J. M. Putman, and the products of the Nelson stock farm are in wide demand among discriminating stock- men throughout this section of the West. Doctor Nelson is widely known in live-stock circles and during the years 1912-15 served as president of the Missouri Live Stock Producers Association, an organization in the affairs of which he has for years taken an active interest and of which he is still a member of the executive committee. In general business affairs the Doctor also has for years taken a proper interest and in 1903 was elected president of the Bunceton Bank at Bunceton, this selection carrying with it the distinction of being the youngest bank president then in the state of Missouri. He also is chairman of the board of directors of the Boonville National Bank. In recognition of his attainments in the field of medical science he was appointed in 1918 a member of the board of managers of the Missouri State Hospital at St. Joseph and is still serv- ing on that important board. In his political views he is a democrat. He is a Mason of high degree, affiliated locally with the blue lodge at Bunceton and is a noble of the Ancient Arabic Order, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, affiliated with the temple at Kansas City, his attainment to the shrine having been through the York Rite of the Ancient Free and Ac- cepted Masons, this latter affiliation being with the Commandery at Boon- ville. The Doctor is a member of the Episcopal Church at Kansas City.
March 25, 1903, Dr. Arthur W. Nelson was united in marriage at Boon- ville with Rilye Stephens, of that city, and to this union two children have been born, Rilye S. and Arthur W., III. Mrs. Nelson was born at Boon- ville and is a daughter of W. Speed and Virginia (Thompson) Stephens, both of whom also were born in Cooper County, members of old families in this section of Missouri, and who are now nving at St. Louis, where W. Speed Stephens is engaged in business as treasurer of a life insurance company.
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