USA > Missouri > Dunklin County > History of Dunklin County, Mo., 1845-1895 Embracing an historical account of the towns and post-villages of Clarkton, Cotton Plant, Cardwell, Caruth [etc.] Including a department devoted to the description of the early appearance, settlement, development, resources With an album of its people and homes, profusely illustrated > Part 15
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W. C. WHITEAKER, Presiding Judge of the County Court of Dunklin County, was born April 19, 1844, in Bollinger County, Mo. March, 1847, he came to Dunklin County, where he received only a common school education, and the educational facilities of the county were in his youth somewhat limited. Septem- ber 6, 1862, he enlisted in the Confederate Army,
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
where he remained until the close of the war. He then returned to Dunklin County, where he has since resided.
He is by occupation a farmer, but was elected to his present official position in 1894. He resides in the northwest part of this county, his post-office is, how- ever, St. Francois, Arkansas. Judge Whiteaker has
JUDGE W. C. WHITEAKER.
been three times married, first to Emma Edwards, on December 13, 1866; she died February 24, 1874, leaving one son, A. D. Whiteaker, born September 18, 1873. February 13, 1876, Judge Whiteaker took for a second companion Carolina Geer, and to this union was born January 25, 1878, a daughter, Flora. The death of this wife occurred September 15, 1888.
March 16, 1892, he was again married to Louisa Walker. A little daughter, Rosebud, born March 10,
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1893, is the child of this marriage. Judge Whiteaker is well known and is looked upon as a good, true man, and he is filling his present official position in a satis- factory manner.
H. T. WEST, of the firm of West & Bailey, Kennett, Missouri, was born November 30, 1852, in Williamson
H. T. WEST.
County, Illinois, and is the son of N. and M. M. Mulkey-West. He came to Dunklin County, Decem- ber 15, 1878, and located near Kennett, having been married in his native State to Polina J. Ralls, on Sep- tember 26, 1872. Three children were born to this union. William H., a promising young man of Ken- nett; Daisy ( deceased ), and Luella M.
The mother of these children died March 29, 1881. Mr. West took for a second companion Miss R. T. Greer, a native of Scott County, Missouri, and by her is the father of several children, the eldest being Rosie.
The firm of West & Bailey was established in 1891,
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
since which time it has done a thriving business. They keep a fresh and nicely selected line of staple and fancy groceries, confectionery, etc.
Both Mr. West and Mr. Bailey are accommodating business men and Democrats in politics. Mr. and Mrs. West are members of the Christian Church.
FABIUS M. WILKINS, M. D., late of Malden, Mo., was born December 22, 1834, in Wake County, North Carolina. He was the son of John and Helen Grissona- Wilkins, who were also natives of North Carolina. The parents moved to Weakley County, Tennessee, in 1844.
Dr. F. M. Wilkins, the subject of this sketch, grew to manhood in the last named county and State and commenced the study of medicine under Dr. Valney Hawkins in 1853. He took his first course of lectures in the medical department of the University of Nash- ville, during the winter of 1856-57, and commenced the practice of medicine at Union City, Tennessee, in the latter part of 1857. (See photo, p. 282. )
He was a graduate of the University of Nashville, taking this final course in 1859. In June of the same year he removed to Dunklin County, Mo., and be- came one of the most successful pioncer physicians of this county. He was one of the early druggists of Clarkton and later a leading druggist of Malden.
Dr. Wilkins was a member of the Southeast Mis- souri Medical Association and of the Masonic order. He was a Democrat in politics and one of the first members of the Christian Church of Malden.
He was married three times, first to Martha Baird,
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
who died in 1873. His second wife was Tennie Moore, who only lived a few years. His third wife who survives him was Mary E. Scruggs.
Dr. Wilkins had poor health several years before his death, which occurred in 1895. He left a wife, several children and an exceedingly large number of friends to mourn the loss of one of Dun- klin's best and most distinguished men.
W. F. YOUNG, M. D., Nesbit, Mo., was born May 8, 1861. His parents, Joseph H. and Lugenia Todd- Young, were natives of Kentucky. Here their son W. F. grew to manhood, receiving a good education in the common schools of Kentucky and Vandalia High School in Illinois. He came to Missouri in 1881 and married Miss Nannie Pickens of Crawford Co. He early united with the M. E. C. S. and was ordained a Deacon at Charlston, Mo. He was later ordained an Elder and joined the St. Louis Conference, to which he belonged eight years, four years of which time he spent in Dunklin County, being pastor in charge two years at Malden and two years at Kennett. He then located at Kennett but soon removed to Nesbit and commenced the steady practice of medicine, having commenced the study of same during his ministerial career. Here he has continued to study under a well-known physician and in three years time has built up a surprisingly good practice. Dr. and Mrs. Young have five children: Lucelius, Lugenia, James, Paul and Ruth. Mrs. Young is also a devout member of the M. E. C. S.
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
DR. F. M. WILKINS.
n
JUDGE J. M. WALTRIP AND WIFE.
3
2
6
1. MRS. R. H. JONES, nee LANGDON.
2. MISS ALMA F. STOKES.
3. MISS ANNA SEEMAN.
4. MRS. CHARLES RUFF, nee HELM.
5. MISS IDA MORGAN.
6. MISS MATTIE SMYTH.
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
A GROUP OF DUNKLIN COUNTY WOMEN.
MRS. DORA (Keene) ARENDS, daughter of Mrs. Annie M. Keene, of Malden, Mo., was born in Missis sippi County, Missouri, but came to Dunklin County when but three years of age. She was reared in Malden, Missouri, and was one of the prettiest and most popular belles of that town. She was married to Mr. Joe Arends, vice-president of the Levi Mercan- tile Co., on September 3, 1895. Mrs. Arends is a pleasing pianist, a graduate of the St. Vincent Academy at Cape Girardeau, Mo., and a member of the Catholic Church.
Mrs. VICTORINE (Braunm) HORNER, who resides one mile north of Hornersville, is the oldest citizen of which this county boasts, not in point of years but citizenship. She came to the county with her father and mother, Michael and Angeline (Terror ) Braunm in 1830. Mr. Braunm was an Irishman and Mrs. B. a French woman ; they were married on Brushy Prairie on the Mississippi River, where they were residing at the time of the earthquakes of 1811-12.
Their daughter " Victorine " was about five years old when they came to this county. She knows where the buffalo wallows used to be and has heard them
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
bellow not so very far from the place where she now resides ; she has also seen elk and wild cattle, and the howl of the wolf she was perfectly accustomed to in her younger days. Since she first came to the county she has never resided even for a short period any- where else, and has seen the population of the county increase from three or four families to 20,000 inhabi- tants.
Mrs. Horner is a sister to Tecumsy Braunm and Miss Lizzie Braunm, who are both living and are well known in this county. On growing to womanhood Miss Victorine Braunm was married to John Z. Horner, a cousin of the Mr. Horner who founded Hornersville. Mrs. Horner is strong and healthy for her age and is intelligent and entertaining.
She is the kind of old lady one always dreams of with pipe and knitting, and has a nice suit of soft grey hair and a kindly countenance. Her third son, Tecumsy or "Cumps" Horner, has never married and lives at home with his mother.
MRS. HETTIE LANGDON-JONES, daughter of E. J. Langdon, of this county, was born at Cotton Plant, Mo. She was principally reared in Dunklin County, and educated in Iron County, Mo. February 16, 1886, she became the wife of R. H. Jones, formerly editor of the "Clipper," " Enterprise Messenger," and other papers.
Mrs. Jones is generally conceded to be the most beautiful of Dunklin County ladies, and is one of the leading society ladies of Kennett.
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
MISS IDA MORGAN, daughter of Collin Morgan, Kennett, Mo., was born in Stoddard County, Mo., but came to Dunklin County when a child. She has been principally reared and educated in this county and in the State Normal at Cape Girardeau, Mo. She is quite pretty, one of Dunklin's brightest young lady teachers, holds a first-grade State certificate and is one of the teachers in the Kennett High School.
SUSAN BARNETT-RAY was married to William Ray in Perry County, Tenn., and both were natives of Tennessee. " Aunt Susan," as she is familiarly called, is one of the pioneers of this county, having located near Kennett in 1850. She is one of the women who picked the seeds from some of the first cotton ever raised in Dunklin County, and has woven much cloth in the old-fashioned way. Mr. and Mrs. Ray came to the " prairie " in 1853 and later bought land near Nesbit, where Mr. Ray now resides. They were the parents of two girls and ten boys, nine of whom they reared in this county to be twenty-one years of age. In their descendants they have forty grandchildren and six great-grandchildren, with one son yet single.
Mr. Ray, who died several years ago, was a member of I. O. O. F. and both he and Mrs. Ray were among the first members of the Old Harkey's Chapel class of the M. E. C. S.
MRS. FANNIE (Helm ) RUFF is a native of Dunklin County, and the daughter of W. M. Helm of this
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
county, and the wife of Charles Ruff of Kennett. She was educated at Kennett and Cape Girardeau, Mo. Was quite a successful teacher before her mar- riage and is one of Kennett's leading young matrons.
MISS ALMA STOKES is a native of Clarkton, Dunklin County, and the daughter of T. C. Stokes, of Malden, Mo. She was reared in this county and educated in the E. A. Seminary, Lexington, Mo. She has been one of Dunklin's successful teachers for four years and now holds a position in the Kennett High School. Miss Stokes is a handsome young lady and when at home is one of Malden's belles and is also a leader among Kennett's young people.
MISS ANNA SEEMAN was born, reared and educated near Cleveland, Ohio. Nearly nine years ago she came West with her brothers and took up a homestead of 160 acres of land, just across the Missouri line in Mississippi County, Arkansas, since which time she has been known in Dunklin County, but has act- ually been a resident of this county but two years. During this time she has won for herself many friends and become one of the leading belles of Kennett.
MISS MATTIE SMYTH is a native of Dunklin County, and the daughter of James A. Smyth, a pioneer of this county. She received her early education in this county, and in June, 1890, graduated from the " Adair Institute," Adair, Iowa. She also holds a " C." certificate from the State Normal, Cape Girar-
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
deau, Mo., and a first-grade State certificate. She has taught considerably in the public schools of this county, but at present assists her brother James F. Smyth in the treasurer's office, in Kennett.
SANDERS-CO. ST.LOUIS
MISSES VARA AND HENRIETTA WALTRIP.
Miss Smyth is a sister of the writer and is well known in her native county.
TO THE HOME-SEEKER.
.
The people of Dunklin County are always ready to welcome honest, honorable, industrious and enterpris- ing citizens, whether wealthy or the reverse. If you are such and desire to leave an overcrowded city or county and go to a place where you can, for a reason- able amount, purchase a home of your own, and in a way grow up with the country - for this county is yet in its youth - this is the place for you.
But if you are not honest and honorable or expect to make your living without industry and enterprise, you are not wanted here, as your room is more desira- ble than your company. We need and want good American citizens, who will make permanent homes with us. There are very few people who come here who do not like our county and people - of course, we have little peculiarities.
There is no Southern hospitality, however magnani- mous, which can exceed that of the Dunklin County citizen.
Our population is nearly all white. There are not more than a dozen colored people in the entire county outside of the towns of Kennett, Clarkton and Malden. The number in these three towns will perhaps not exceed 125. These are all polite and make good citizens, and are treated well and fairly by our white population.
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HISTORY OF DUNKLIN COUNTY, MO.
However, we are not sorry that our county is very noticeably scarce of colored people and tramps.
Our people - least of all the writer of this volume - have no desire to exaggerate the merits of our county and deceive people into coming here to be dissatisfied, leave and accuse us of having misrepre- sented our county. The aim has been a true pen and photographie picture of our county and people. Be- lieving that you will be favorably impressed by both, we ask you to at least pay us a visit.
.
THE
END
MAY 13 1902
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 0 014 614 710 0
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