USA > Missouri > Dade County > History of Dade County and her people : from the date of the earliest settlements to the present time > Part 41
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Mr. Mallory is one of the substantial farmers of South Township, and enjoys his prosperity with rustic simplicity.
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EDGAR P. MANN.
From the sticks to the stars is a long leap, and one that is seldom attained by mortal man during the span of a single life, yet there are many instances recorded in history where boys have attained positions of promi- nence late in life after many years of hardship and struggle in rising above obscurity.
Edgar P. Mann was born upon a farm in Warren County, Missouri, April 9th, 1858. His grandfather, Thomas Mann, was born in Burks County, North Caro- lina, came as a young man to St. Louis in 1812, and after- ward settled in Lincoln County, Missouri, in 1815, where he married and where his son, Josiah Mann, was born in 1823. JJosiah Mann was married in Warren County, Mis- souri, to Elizabeth Judith Moore in 1844, to which union right children were born: Thomas W., died in infancy; Mary J., now the widow of Thomas W. Mahan, lives in Kansas City; Dr. John A., lives in Wellington, Mo .; Joseph B., lives at Leadville, Colo., and is a railroad engineer;
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Edgar P., the subject of this sketch; George L., a lawyer, living at Sapulpa, Okla .; Dr. Frank W., lives at Welling- ton, Mo., and Robert L., a merchant, living at Welling- ton, Mo.
Elizabeth J. Mann died at Wellington, Mo., in March, 1899, and her husband, Josiah Mann, died at the same place in May, 1905. He was a farmer, and all his family was reared on a farm, all the children being born on the farm in Warren County, Missouri, where the parents set- tled when they were married, except Robert L., who was born in St. Louis County on a farm. Josiah Mann moved with his family from Warren County to St. Louis County in 1865, arriving there the day after the night of Lin- coln's assassination. They moved from the St. Louis County farm to a farm near Wellington, in Lafayette County, Missouri, in December, 1872.
William Moore, the maternal grandfather of Edgar P. Mann, married Eleanor Gravelly, botl: natives of Virginia, and emigrated from Henry County, Virginia, to Warren County, Missouri, in 1840, and settled upon a farm near Warrenton, the county seat. William Moore died there in 1858, and his widow, Eleanor Moore, died at the home of Josiah Mann in Lafayette County in 1890. They had one son, who died soon after reaching majority, and six daughters, all of whom married and settled in Missouri, as have all the descendants of both the Mann and Moore families, with few exceptions.
Edgar P. Mann, when 7 years of age, moved with his parents from Warren County to a farm in St. Louis County, and at the age of 14 years moved with them to a farm in Lafayette County, Missouri, where he grew to maturity. He received his education in the common schools, the graded school at Wellington, Mo., and after- ward attended the State Normal School at Warrensburg. Mo. He taught school three years in Lafayette County, and was for one year principal of the schools at Welling- ton. Desiring to become a lawyer, he moved to Lexington, Mo., where he entered the law office of John S. Black- well, a leading lawyer of that place, as well as of Central
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Missouri, during which time he did clerical work in the various county offices to pay his way while pursuing his law studies. He was admitted to the bar before Hon. John P. Strother, Circuit Judge, at Lexington, Mo., De- cember 21st, 1881, after three years of study, during all of which time he was permitted to, and did, practice in the Probate Court and tried cases in the justices' courts all over Lafayette County, and was required by his pre- ceptor to draw all his pleadings and instructions in civil cases, and the indictments found by the Grand Jury, as well as all legal papers drawn in the office, without using any forms to go by, it being his preceptor's theory that such practice was important in obtaining a legal educa- tion. The result was that when Mr. Mann was admitted to the bar he was able to draw, without the aid of any kind of form, any legal conveyance then in use and any form of pleading used in court procedure. After his admission to the bar he remained for a while in the office of Mr. Blackwell, then agreed to become one of a party of young men to emigrate to Tacoma, Wash., but after severing his relations with Mr. Blackwell he was persuaded by his mother to remain in Missouri. In look- ing over Southwest Missouri for a location to practice, on recommendation of Judge D. P. Stratton he came to Greenfield August 28th, 1883, and the next day moved into an office on the east side of the square with Captain Alfred Kennedy, and began his legal career. In October, 1884, he formed a partnership with Judge Mason Talbutt, a pioneer attorney of Greenfield, which continued till January 1st, 1901. At that time Mr. Maun received the appointment of District Attorney for the K. C., Ft. S. & M. Railroad Company, and moved to Springfield to fill that position and also to engage in the general practice of law. That company sold to the Frisco September 1st following, and Mr. Mann was offered the position of General Attor- bey for the Frisco, with offices in St. Louis, which offer he refused, remaining in Springfield and engaging in the general practice until February, 1904, when he was again appointed District Attorney by the Frisco company, which
T. J. UNDERWOOD.
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position he still holds, in addition to his general practice in the law firm of Mann, Todd & Mann.
Mr. Mann has also been active in civic affairs since going to Springfield. He is now president of the Spring- field Club, chairman of the board of trustees of the Young Woman's Christian Association, an elder in the Calvary Presbyterian church, director in and general attorney for the United Iron Works Company, and a director in the Springfield Grocery Company. Fraternally Mr. Mann has attained the Knights Templar degree in Masonry, and is also an Odd Fellow.
Edgar P. Mann was married in Greenfield, Mo., on the 2nd day of June, 1887, to Mary Elizabeth Clark, daughter of Captain S. S. and Margaret A. Clark. To this union were born two children:
(1) Frank Clark Mann, born in Greenfield, Mo., September 2nd, 1888. educated at Rolla and at the State University at Columbia law department, and is now a partner in his father's office at Springfield. He was mar- ried to Marjorie Potts of Boone County, Missouri and they have two children: Edgar P., born October 28th, 1914, and Mary Marjorie, born November 4th, 1916.
(2) Mildred, born at Greenfield, Mo., March 31st, 1891, married to Jolin F. McGregor, secretary of the McGregor-Noe Hardware Company of Springfield.
In politics Mr. Mann is a Democrat, and the only office he ever held was that of mayor of the city of Green- field, elected on a Citizens' ticket for two successive terms, and was also a member of the school board. Was never a voluntary candidate for any office, but always took an active part in every political campaign, either as a plat- form speaker or member of the executive committee. He served as a member of the Democratic State Committee from 1895 to 1898, and was presidential elector for the Sixth Congressional District in 1900.
Notwithstanding his many successes, Mr. Mann is still a plain man, whose heart and sympathy is with the common people. He takes great delight in recalling tlie many pleasant experiences connected with his early life
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in Greenfield. In conversation recently with the writer of this sketch, when his personal career was being dis- cussed and his many legal victories recounted, Mr. Mann, in his very modest way, used language something like this:
"If I were writing my own history, trying to charac- terize my professional record accurately, I would lay no emphasis upon the amount of big litigation that I have been engaged in or upon any notable victories I have won in the courts, nor upon the fact that I have attained some reputation as a corporate lawyer. The legal work that I would point to, if asked to designate the thing I am proudest of, is my record as attorney for the little old Greenfield & Northern Railroad Company when I was a young, inexperienced lawyer. Relying entirely upon my own resources and without consulting with anyone else, I became attorney for the proposed Greenfield & Northern Railroad and drew its original charter and all of the amendments thereto, and condemned its right-of-way and depot grounds, wrote its bonds and wrote the deed of trust securing the same. I wrote its construction con- tracts. I attended to all of its title deeds and decrees in court vesting the title in the corporation to that and other property. I wrote the record of its corporate meet- ings, its board of directors, and all of the resolutions and everything; and, in fact, did all of the legal work in con- nection with it during its entire existence as an independ- ent corporation, and during that period attended to all of its litigation in court. When that road was bonght by the old Kansas City Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad Company, Mr. Miller, its owner, was informed by General Nettleton, president of the purchasing road, and Wallace Pratt, its general counsel, that the deal could not be con- summated for several months by reason of the fact that he had had a young, inexperienced country lawyer do his legal work, which involved the very right of the corpora tion to exist, and the title to all of its property and the validity of its bonds: that they were sure, in consequence, that the work had been done wrong, and that it would have to be done over again. I sent them the complete
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records in my possession belonging to the legal depart- ment of the Greenfield & Northern, and Mr. Miller sent them the rest. In one week's time they called us to Kansas City ready to take the property over and pay for it with- out the dotting of an 'i' or the crossing of a "t." Mr. Pratt and Mr. Nettleton stated that this was the only ah- solutely perfect railroad record they had ever seen, and stated that if the records of the old Kansas City, Fort Scott & Memphis Railroad had been kept with the same accuracy and the same painstaking degree of care de- voted to all of its organization work, the company would have been saved many thousands of dollars. And Mr. Pratt, the general solicitor, then and there stated to me that if I would take it he would give me the first vacancy on his staff of attorneys for the railroad, and that was the beginning of my career as a railroad attorney. I speak of this as an illustration of the fact that in my judgment whatever degree of success I have made as a lawyer has been the result of hard work and painstaking care, rather than of the possession of any degree of ability above the ordinary."
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JAMES S MARSHALL.
Who, among our citizenship, is due more honor and praise than the man or woman who devotes years to the teaching of our young? To successfully take this great work upon one's shoulders means more than being merely educated; it means a great devotion to the cause, and requires a tact that when it is in evidence is almost uncanny. All honor to our teachers, who receive all too little for their precious services and devotion. Such a one was James S. Marshall during his teaching career among us of over twenty years. Twenty years he spent in starting our future citizens on the road to usefulness. who can estimate the value of his work, and the good he has done for the young of this county? James S. Mar- shall is a native of Cedar County, Missouri, born Decem- ber 23, 1868, a son of John Marshall and Mary M. McCon-
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nell, his wife, natives of West Virginia and Virginia, respectively. Mary McConnell was brought to Dade County when a very small child by her parents, more extended mention of whom will be found elsewhere in this work. John Marshall was in the prime of life when he came to Dade County, just prior to the Civil war. He enlisted in the Sixth Missouri Volunteer Cavalry and served his country with valor for about four years. After the war he engaged in farming, in which he was success- ful, and at the time of his death, October 23rd, 1913, he owned 156 acres of good land in Sac Township, Dade County, where his widow now resides. They had seven children, of whom James S. was the oldest. The others are: Rob't A., a business man of Greenfield; J. W. and W. H., both farmers of Dade County; one sister, Ella, married George Jones, and died leaving one child, Mabel, who is married to Troy Johnson, a farmer of Sac Town- ship. Another sister died in early life, unmarried. John Marshall was a highly respected citizen. He was a Re- publican in politics, a member of the G. A. R. and a con- sistent member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. James S. Marshall received his education in the public schools of Dade County and studied for two years in the Dadeville Academy, and started teaching at the age of 22 years. In all, he has devoted 20 years of his life to this commendable work. He taught at Greenfield one year, Carlock district one year, Sand Mountain two years, Flint Hill and Jones districts one year each, then for seven years at the Speight School, following this with five years in the Cave district, one year at Shady Grove, and his last two years in the Stockton District. That he was proficient in his work goes without saying. During this time he was saving of his money, and was able to buy him a farm of 80 acres in Sac Township. He never made his home on this, however, but he kept it for eight years and in 1906 he sold this tract and bought 60 acres of improved land in South Morgan Township, where he now lives. This farm is on the main Greenfield and Dadeville road, and is well improved and all in cultivation and equipped
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with good buildings. In 1912 he built a new residence, cutting the timber and building the building with his own hands. He carries on a deal of stock raising, raising good horses and the Poland-China hogs. Mr. Marshall was married March 18th, 1896, to Miss Alice Rainey, wlio was born in Howell County, Missouri, October 29th, 1875, a daughter of Enos and Amanda (Northington) Rainey, both natives of Tennessee, where they were married, and came to Missouri at an early day, settling in Howell County, near West Plains, where he died about 1878. The mother came to Dade County, bringing her three daugh- ters, in 1878, and settled in South Morgan Township. She raised her three girls, who are all living and married, besides Mrs. Marshall. Minnie married Elisha Dodson and lives in Oregon County, Missouri, and Matilda is the wife of R. W. Smith of Monett, Mo.
To Mr. and Mrs. Marshall have been born five chil- dren, all of whom are at home and receiving the advan- tages of good educations. They are, in order of birth: Cleo, born December 21st, 1897; Kyle, born February 21st, 1901; Raincy, born March 21st, 1904; Ralph, born March 26, 1909; Blanche, born September 21st, 1913. Mr. Marshall has always been a staunch Democrat, has served as township assessor for two years, and was appointed postmaster at Dadeville on July 4th, 1914, which position he now holds and fills with entire satisfaction to the citizens of Dadeville. Mr. Marshall is a member of Twi- light lodge No. 103, I. O. O. F., and the W. O. W. at Dade- ville. Of the progressive thinkers of the county Mr. Mar- shall is in the first rank. Finely educated, popular and of pleasing personality, he numbers his friends by the hundreds in all parts of the county. He is a broad- minded gentleman, a booster for good roads and free public schools, liberal with his time and money for all worthy undertakings for the good of the county and state. A man living a clean life and setting an example it is well for our young people to follow. So say we, all of us.
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THOMAS J. MASSEY.
Born in Laclede County, Missouri, July 19th, 1864, son of Henry and Amanda (Robertson) Massey. His father was born in Tennessee and died in 1904 at the age of 83 years. The Masseys were early settlers in Ten- nessee, and followed farming. Henry was a veterinary surgeon and came with his family to Missouri in 1837 and squatted on a piece of government land. A short time before the Civil war he settled in Laclede County, where he homesteaded a tract of land and built a log cabin, in which he lived while he improved the land. For some two years previous to the war he was a resident of Dade County, where his first two children were born. At the breaking out of the Civil war he enlisted in a cavalry regiment in the Union army and served three and one-half years. He received a sabre wound at the battle of Chattanooga. At the close of the war he ro- turned to his Missouri farm, where he lived and pros- pered. He handled considerable live stock and enjoyed a large clientele as a veterinary surgeon. He was a mem- ber of the G. A. R. and voted the Democratic ticket all his life.
Amanda (Robertson) Massey was a native of Indiana, and died in 1912. at the age of 76 years. She was of German ancestry, a member of the M. E. church and the mother of 12 children.
Thomas J. Massey was raised on a farm, and attended country schools and high school at Hartville, Wright County, Missouri. He read medicine at home and entered Old Northwestern Medical College at St. Joseph. Mo., in 1>'S, and graduated in 1891. Previous to his graduation, however, in 1889. he hung out his shingle at Duncan, Webster County, and remained there eight years. From there he went to Hartville, and after practicing one year came to Lockwood. This last move was made in 1899. Dr. Massey is now considered one of the leading physicians in Southwest Missouri, having a large and ever-increasing practice. h: 1905 he took a post-graduate course at the Polyelinie Institute of Chicago.
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Dr. Massey has prospered financially as well as pro- fessionally. He now owns a 160-acre farm in Grant Town- ship, and 80 aeres in Smith Township, a half interest in the Massey & Smith drug business in Lockwood, and is a stockholder in the Allen-Pheiffer Chemical Company of St. Louis. In addition to this, he has one of the finest homes in Lockwood.
He was married in 1889 to Miss Mabelle Saylor, who was born in Douglass County, Illinois, in 1867, a daugh- ter of Allen and Lydia (Daniels) Saylor. Mr. Saylor was a farmer. Both are now deceased. Dr. Massey and wife were the parents of two children, only one of whom is now living:
(1) Pearne, born in Webster County in 1891, and died in Dade County January 8th, 1914.
(2) Ruby, born in Webster County August 1st, 1894, and is a clerk in his father's drug store.
Dr. Massey and wife are members of the Baptist church. He is a member of the local lodges of Masons and Odd Fellows, a member of the Dade County Medical As- sociation and a Democrat.
No field of activity in life offers greater opportunity than the medical profession to develop the best there is in a man. It tries a man's courage, his patience and his conscience. Dr. Massey has demonstrated the fact that he possesses all three of the above medical graces. He has given the best of his life and his service to the poor, as well as the rich, and charity patients have received the same conscientious treatment as the millionaire.
ERNEST L. MAXWELL.
Among the highly successful and enterprising farm- ers of Dade county we must mention Ernest L. Maxwell of South Morgan township. Mr. Maxwell is a native of Dade County having been born here March 23, 1869 a son of Henry C. Maxwell and Catherine (Woody) Maxwell is a native of Illinois and was brought here by his parents at an early day. His father Bluford Maxwell settled in
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eastern Dade County where they took up land and pros- pered and spent their lives here, both are deceased and are buried in Polk county, Mo. Ernest Maxwell's mother Catherine Woody was a daughter of James Calvin and Elizabeth ( Alexander) Woody, a pioneer family of Dade county; a more complete history of the Woody family may be found in the sketch of John Woody, a brother of Mrs. Maxwell.
Ernest Maxwell was the only child of his parents, at an early age he went to live with his grandfather Woody and stayed with him until he was twenty-one years of age, the last year he received a share of the crops and it was ther. that he married and started out for himself. He first rented 80 acres of land making a good crop the first year, he continued to rent land for some seven years at different places in Dade county but in 1897 bought 210 acres in Sac township, known as the old Grisham farm which he improved greatly and stayed there about nine years, then rented the old Woody place, all the time getting ahead in better shape so in 1910,, having sold his Sac township farm, bought 330 acres in South Morgan township, where he now lives. This place had been rented for years and was in a rundown condition but Mr. Max- well was just the mar to put this fine place back in shape. He went to work with his usual energy and skill, fenced and cross fenced it, built a fine large barn and improved the house and generally put things in first class shape. He now has one of the very best farms in Dade County, 280 acres in a fine state of cultivation and 50 acres of fine timber. There is no doubt but that a large body of ore will be found on this place as it lays close to Corey where the best zinc mines in the country are located. Mr. Maxwell does general farming and stock raising, is progressive in every way, he has found that alfalfa is a good crop on nis land and he also believes in sheep as money makers. He now has a fine flock of 45 head which have a great deal more than paid their way and Mr. Maxwell is proud of the fact that he has raised this flock from a pair of sheep given him by his father-in-law
ISOM A. YOUNG AND FAMILY.
DR. R. M. CRUTCHER AND WIFE.
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at the time of his marriage. Mr. Maxwell is a large breed- er of Whiteface cattle. He now has four registered heffers and one male "Weldon Success," No. 548418.
Mr. Maxwel! is also a large feeder of hogs, getting ready for market two to three carload a year. He has an deal stock farm, has plenty of good water furnished by springs and wells as well as a good spring branch.
Mr. Maxwell was married November 11, 1890 to Miss Eva A. Clabough, who was born in Dade county, August 6th, 1874, a daughter of James M. and Barbara (Grisham) Clabough, both of whom were natives of Dade county and came of pioneer families. Both are now deceased and a more complete record may be found elsewhere in this volume.
To Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Maxwell have been born four children, the record of this family is as follows: Gilbert L., born January 6th, 1892 and married Lucy McPeak and they live in South Morgan township and have one child, James Lowell, born October 25th, 1916; Flora, born Jan- uary 27th, 1894 and married Elmer T. McConnell, a farmer of Sac township and they have two children, Christine, born March 25th, 1914 and Jona Gale, born November 13, 1916, Josephine, born July 8th, 1916, and Eunice, born August 21st, 1907, both at home and attending school.
Mr. Maxwell is a republican and active in his party, he has served on the school board for many years and has never shirked his duty to his county or state in any way, he is one of our leading citizens, always ready to lend a hand to any enterprise for the good of all the county, he is active in the interests of good roads and free public schools, in short, he is the type of citizen that we need more of, he has been very successful in a financial way but it can be said of him that his success has been won by strictly fair dealing and his untiring energy and attention to business.
May many of our young men, just starting out to win their way in the world, take notice of what may be ac- complished by close application and honesty in all things and by following these principles, as Mr. Maxwell has done, that success is surely theirs.
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FRED C. MEYERS.
Was born on the 21st day of April, 1851, near Brem- en, Germany, son of Henry Meyers and Minnie (Erd- sieck ) Meyers, both natives of Germany and were married there. They were farmers. His father came to Illinois about 1854 and the mother with Fred, a boy of about four years came a year later. They located in Quincy where the father followed the milling business for ten years after which he purchased a farm in Adams county of 120 acres and moved there where he farmed for 12 years and retired, turning the farm over to his youngest son. His first wife died about the year 1863 after which he married Minnie Niecamp, who died about 1870. Henry Meyers died in 1904.
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