USA > Missouri > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, Missouri > Part 29
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Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Youngman were the parents of the following children: Nellie, who died when twenty-one years of age; Harry, who died when twenty-two years of age; Stacy G., who lives on the home farm; Charles F., the subject of this sketch; Jacob Oliver, a farmer in Butler Township; Edward E., a railroad engineer of Enid, Oklahoma; Irvin, who was a school teacher died when twenty-two years old; William A., a farmer of Gentry County; and Katy P., the wife of William Gray of
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Butler Township. By a former marriage of Jacob Youngman, he was the father of the following children: Lewis, of Kansas City, Missouri; Mrs. Elizabeth Ainslie of Oklahoma City; Mrs. Alice E. Mock of Cal- ifornia; Mrs. Mary Tull, of Butler Township; and Carrie, whose address is unknown.
Charles Franklin Youngman was educated in the schools of Butler Township, and after finishing school, lived in Colorado one and one-half years, and in Oklahoma for seven years, where he bought a relinquish- ment on 160 acres of land near Hallett in Pawnee County. He returned from Oklahoma in 1907 and has made his home in this county ever since. He bought eighty acres of his present farm from B. P. Clark and 120 acres from Sanford Tilley, making a total of 200 acres in his home place and he also owns about six acres of timber land in Cypress Town- ship. Mr. Youngman built his present home in the fall of 1917. He has a nice two story residence, with basement, one barn and other build- hogs, and has a registered Shorthorn bull, and raises the Barred ply- mouth Rock chickens. Mr. Youngman has twenty-five cows on his farm and, at the present time, milks twenty-one cows.
Charles F. Youngman was married January 1, 1893 to Dora May Tilley, a daughter of Sanford M. and Lydia Ruanna (Salmon) Tilley, both deceased. Sanford Tilley was born in North Carolina and moved to Indiana with his parents, and then moved to Platte County, Missouri, eventually locating in Harrison County. His father, Reuben D. Tilley, entered land in Cypress and Butler Townships and died in this county. Sanford Tilley was a veteran of the Mexican War. He died in March, 1913 and is buried on the home place. His wife, who was a native of Daviess County, Missouri, died in 1884. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Charles Youngman, Captain Salmon, was a verteran of the Mexican War ,and was killed at Taos, New Mexico and is buried there, with a son who was also killed.
Mr. and Mrs. Sanford Tilley were the parents of the following chil- dren: Luther, who died when three years of age; Oscar, of South Dakota; Mrs. Martha Gilson of Colorado; Henry M., deceased; Ruanna Loomis, deceased; Oliver P., of Cypress Township; Clara, who died when twelve years of age; Leroy Tilley, of Dallas County, Missouri, who married Jessie B. Evans, of Cypress Township; and Dora M., who was born in Butler Township and educated here.
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Mr. and Mrs. Youngman are the parents of fourteen children, all living: Louise, a graduate of the Maryville State Teachers College, and who now teaches in Hallett, Oklahoma ; Daphne, at home; Stacy, a gradu-) ate of Bethany High School, who is now a teacher in Oklahoma ; Herbert, at home; Luther, of Oklahoma; Max G., at home; Dorothy, a student in Bethany High School; Marguerita also a student in Bethany High School; Kermit, Kenneth, Roberta Alice, Karl Merton and Charles Jr., all at home. Harry Youngman was in the World War, having entered the army July 17, 1918 and was sent to Camp McArthur, Texas, for training. During his stay there, he contracted the influenza and did not get to go overseas on this account, and was discharged in March, 1919; Stacy Youngman also served during the war at the Great Lakes Training Camp and also at Norfolk, Virginia, and made three trips overseas in convoy service. He is still in the reserve corps.
Charles Franklin Youngman is a member of the Woodmen of the World at Matkins, Missouri, and is also a member of the Farm Bureau. He and his family are well known and stand high among the citizens of the township and surrounding country.
Thomas C. Miles, a prosperous farmer and stockman of Grant Town- ship, is a native of Harrison County. He was born in Sherman Town- ship, November 23, 1875, a son of John and Sophronia (Williams) Miles, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Missouri. John Miles came to Harrison County when a boy and spent his life in this section. He died on July 30, 1918 and his widow now resides in Fox Creek Town- ship.
Thomas C. Miles was one of a family of eight children born to his parents, seven of whom grew to maturity. He was reared in Fox Creek Township and attended the public schools. He began working out by the month at an early age and for five years he was employed by J. C. Ray, for fifteen dollars per month. At the end of five years he had saved seven hundred dollars and owned a horse and buggy. He then engaged in farm- ing for himself on the C. W. Wetherd place in Trail Creek Township. In 1908, he bought eighty acres of land in Trail Creek Township and in 1915 he bought 120 acres in Grant Township, which is now his home place and his wife owns forty acres which makes in all 240 acres, all of which is free of incumbrances. Mr. Miles carries on general farming and stock rais-
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ing, raising a great many cattle and hogs. Besides operating his own land, he rents sixty acres across the road which he also cultivates.
On January 11, 1903, Mr. Miles was married to Miss Mary Wetherd, a daughter of C. W. Wetherd, an early settler and prominent farmer of Trail Creek Township, who is now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Miles have been born one child, Albert Forrest.
Mr. Miles is a Republican and while a resident of Trail Creek Town- ship served as a member of the township board. He is an industrious and enterprising citizen and by constant application to his business and good management he has accumulated a competence while still practically a young man.
C. B. Hunsicker, a prominent landowner and breeder of high grade stock in Hamilton Township, has lived in Harrison County since his early boyhood when he came here with his parents early settlers of this part of the state. Mr. Hunsicker was born in Pickaway County, Ohio, Novem- ber 9, 1848, the son of Joseph L. and Margaret (Hedges) Hunsicker.
Joseph L. Hunsicker was born in Perry, Ohio, May 9, 1821. He went with his parents to Pickaway County, Ohio, and later married Margaret Hedges, born at Circleville in Pickaway County, Ohio, June 7, 1820. They moved to Clark County, Illinois, where they lived until 1857. On Septem- ber 24th of that year they moved to Harrison County and located in Marion Township, where they remained for three years and then moved to Hamilton Township. Mr. Hunsicker retired from active farm life and moved to Eagleville. He died at Pawnee, October 24, 1903, and his wife died June 23, 1901. Their remains are buried in the Masonic Cemetery at Eagleville. To their union six children were born: Margaret, widow of Bassett T. Mallett, now living at Pawnee; C. B., the subject of the present review; James H. and Martha E., twins, now deceased; Jacob, a resident of Indianola, Iowa; and Nemona, married to W. H. Payne of Mulhull, Oklahoma.
C. B. Hunsicker was a lad of ten years when his parents came to Missouri. He has always known farm life. He bought his first land, a tract of eighty acres, in 1873. This piece of land formed the nucleus of his present large holdings. He added to the original farm as he could and now owns 1,000 acres of land in Hamilton Township and 325 acres in Hale County, Texas, and also owns 1,000 acres of land in Old Mexico. He
le . B. Hunsicher
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has given 600 acres to his children. Mr. Hunsicker has made extensive improvements on all of his land, thus enhancing its value.
Mr. Hunsicker's main interest, however, has been in the breeding of stock in which he has achieved marked success. He handles Shorthorn cattle, Percheron horses, Poland-China hogs, and Mammoth jacks and jennies. He started this line of business when he was a young man. At that time he began to buy live stock all over Harrison County ; he often drove horses and mules to Omaha, and mules to St. Joseph. Mr. Hun- sicker keeps a horse saddled at all hours and has probably sat in the saddle as much as any man in the county. He has owned at various times several good saddle horses, the last one, a bay, named Dan Patch, has been in Mr. Hunsicker's possesion for five year.
C. B. Hunsicker was married on December 24th, 1875, to Jemima Loy, born in Iowa, and to this union three children were born: George L., living in Hamilton Township; Gracia M., married to Oliver Ballew, a sketch of whose life appears in this volume; and Eva Belle, wife of A. R. Brill of Hamilton Township. Mrs. Hunsicker died in May, 1911, and Mr. Hunsicker was married the second time on November 15, 1917, to Mrs. Mary Pierson, an estimable lady and a member of a prominent pioneer family of Harrison County.
Mr. Hunsicker is a Republican in his political views and is a member of the Methodist Church, although he is liberal with all the churches. He is a man of marked business acumen and this added to his innate fondness for his work with live stock has made him prominent among the stock raisers of Harrison County. He is interested also in business ventures that are calculated to benefit the community. He helped to organize the Citizens Bank at Eagleville and is a stockholder and a director of that institution. He is also a shareholder in the Harrison County Fair Asso- ciation. Mr. Hunsicker is a substantial and reliable citizen of his com- munity. one who merits the high esteem in which he is held.
Bethany Steam Laundry, of which Frank A. Everett is proprietor, is one of the up-to-date laundries of northern Missouri and an important factor among the industries of Bethany and Harrison County. The plant is located on North Fifteenth street, one-half block from the public square and occupies two floors of a large building. It is equipped with all kinds of modern laundry machinery and does an extensive general laundry busi- ness, including flat work, rough dry, as well as the regular laundry work.
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This extensive laundry business made its humble beginning in 1917 when Frank A. and his brother D. E. Everett were induced to come here and engage in the laundry business at the solicitation of the Bethany Com- mercial Club which has since been reorganized and is now known as the Chaniber of Commerce. The Everett brothers started with a small laundry, occupying a portion of the present building. In April, 1918, Frank A. Everett bought his brothers interest who has since been asso- ciated with the Bethany Clipper. Mr. Everett has gone on extending and enlarging his business, adding new machinery from time to time and estab- lishing agencies in other towns until he has increased the volume of busi- ness of the Bethany Laundry to about six times its original capacity. He now has on his pay roll about twelve people.
In addition to the regular laundry business, dyeing, dry cleaning and pressing is also carried on here. Mr. Everett had conducted a department embracing this sphere for several years and in 1921 the Reliable Dry Clean- ing Company was merged with the Bethany Steam Laundry and they have a large patronage and give universal satisfaction in this branch of industry. They also have a department devoted to reblocking hats.
Frank A. Everett has had many years experience in the laundry busi- ness and, in fact, that has been the chief occupation of his life. He was bor : in Clinton County, Missouri, of pioneer parents. He received his education in the public schools and has worked in the laundry business since he was sixteen years old and was engaged in that line of work in St. Joseph, Missouri, prior to coming to Bethany to engage in business. He is a progressive and enterprising business man and one of the sub- stantial citizens of Bethany.
Noah S. Cox, one of the leading farmers and breeders of Butler Town- ship, and proprietor of Evergreen Stock Farm, was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, April 16, 1870, the son of Andrew and Sarah (Yod- ers) Cox, both natives of Pennsylvania. Andrew Cox is living in Harri- son County, Missouri, and his wife died October 11. 1905 and is buried in Pleasant Ridge Cemetery.
The great grandfather of Noah S. Cox was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.
Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Cox were the parents of the following children: William, a farmer of Cypress Township; Samuel, deceased; Elizabeth, the wife of William Bell of Pender, Nebraska; Jennie, the wife of Jack Cox of Palco, Kansas; Jacob of Williamsburg, Iowa; Dora, the wife of Albert
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Knight of Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Andrew deceased ; Noah Sherman, the sub- ject of this sketch; Albert, deceased; Emma, the wife of Perry Welch of Butler Township; Harry of Idaho; and Mattie, the wife of Marshall Hall of Bethany, Missouri.
Noah S. Cox was educated in the public schools of Iowa and attended Bethany High school. He has lived in Cypress and Butler Townships since 1883, and moved to his present farm in 1894. This place has excellent improvements, all put on by himself, including; residence, four barns, granary, garage, crib, smoke house and one of the best cellars in the county. Mr. Cox raises only registered and pure bred stock, and special- izes in the breeding of Percheron horses, Shorthorn cattle, Mammoth Jacks and Jennets, and Spotted Poland China hogs. He has an imported Percheron stallion, one of the best breeders of the state, his colts always taking the blue ribbon. "Harley," the head of the jacks was bred by Mr. Cox and is of Kentucky stock. "Types Favorite," the Shorthorn bull, has taken premiums at the Pattonsburg and Bethany fairs, and a special premium that the Chicago Shorthorn Association hung up. He is two years old and weighs 1700 pounds. "O. K. Prince," one of Faulkner's breeding, was one year old in March, 1920, and is a fine animal. Mr. Cox raises the standard bred Barred Plymouth Rock chickens.
Noah S. Cox was married December 5, 1895 to Lucy D. Smith, a daughter of John A and Martha (Davis) Smith, both deceased, who were early settlers of this township. Mrs. Cox was born, reared and educated in Butler Township.
Mr. and Mrs. Cox are the parents of the following children: Winnie, the wife of Leland Minor, the later a graduate of the Gem City Business College, and lives in Santa Rosa, Missouri; Fern, who died when nearly two years of age; Grant, married Ruth Jarrett, a daughter of Sam Jarrett of Daviess County, Missouri, and they now live in Daviess County ; Brookie, Lawrence, Crystal and Lucille, all at home.
Mr. Cox is a member of the Yeoman lodge and of the Methodist Church. He was on the district school board of Butler Township for twelve years. Mr. Cox is a progressive citizen, as well as an energetic farmer and stock breeder. He is an asset to the citizenship of Harrison County.
Cecil E. Van Meter, an energetic and prosperour farmer of Butler Township, and member of a pioneer family of this section, was born Beb- ruary 5, 1884, the son of James and Catherine (Maize) Van Meter. James
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Van Meter was born in this township one-half mile north of the home of Cecil E. Van Meter, January 11, 1843, and died November 6, 1894. His wife, who was born in Cypress Township, April 5, 1850, died in February, 1906 in Butler Township. James Van Meter owned 2414 acres in Butler Township at the time of his death. During the Civil War, he was with the 23rd Missouri Infantry under Colonel Robinson and was in the Battle of Shiloh, where he was taken prisoner. He served until the war closed.
Mr. and Mrs. James Van Meter were the parents of the following children : Mrs. Mary E. Green of Hamlet, Nebraska; John L., Mrs. Rachel Haight, Martha A., George H. and Lora J., all decased; Robert N. of Butler Township; Charles A., deceased; Elisie N. Attebery of Colorado ; Cecil E., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Orpha A. McCray of Merriman, Nebraska; Florence C., deceased; Vesta V., and an infant son who died February 6, 1888.
Cecil E. Van Meter was educated in the public schools and has fol- lowed farming since finishing his education. He bought 100 acres of the home place, heired sixty-one and one-half acres and bought an additional fifty eight and one-half acres adjoining on the south. He does general farming and stock raising and is quite successful. His farm is well im- proved with residence, barn and other buildings, which are well kept, and the place is located eight miles notheast of McFall, Missouri and four miles southeast of Matkins. Mr. Van Meter raises the pure bred brown Leghorn poultry and has recently built a poultry house 30x30 feet, which is up-to- date and modern.
In December, 1905, Mr. Van Meter was married to Lesta Attebery, a daughter of James and Emaline (Buis) Attebery. James Attebery lives in Sulphur Springs, Arkansas. He was born in Harrison County, Missouri, and his wife was a native of Ohio. She died in 1918 and is buried in Colorado.
Mr. and Mrs. Attebery were the parents of the following children; The Rev. Benton of Pawnee, Oklahoma, a minister of the Baptist Church; Rosa Nickerson of Colorado; Lewis of Colorado; Mrs. Van Meter; Mrs. Josie Maize of Bethany, Missouri; Walter of Butler Township; Ernest of Colorado; Robert, Akron, Colorado; a son and daughter who died in in- fancy; Gladys, who died in girlhood; Worth, who died when a young man; and a twin sister of Rosa Nickerson, who died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Van Meter are rearing two other children: Nathlie and Rudolph Van Meter.
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Mrs. Van Meter was born near Ridgeway and received her education in the public schools.
Mr. Van Meter is a substantial citizen and well respected in the community.
Joseph Lewis, a successful farmer, and member of a pioneer family of Harrison County, was born on the farm now owned by George Justice in Bethany township, December 3, 1862, the son of John and Letitia J. (Justice) Lewis, early settlers of this township. Mr. and Mrs. John Lewis were born in Indiana, where they were married, but came west in the 50's. John Lewis served in the Union Army in the Civil War, and was killed by bushwhackers at New Lexington, Missouri, 1865, while guarding an army supply train. He enlisted from Harrison County, Missouri, and is buried in the Munson Cemetery. His wife lives in Bethany Township, and is eighty-four years of age.
Mr. and Mrs. John Lewis were the parents of the following children: Mary C. York of Manchester, Oklahoma; Mrs. Martha A. Whittaker of Bethany Township; Mrs. Serilda A. Luellen of Harrisburg, Colorado; Mrs. Sarah J. Bryant of Cypress Township; and Joseph, the subject of this sketch.
Joseph Lewis was educated in the Brady school district and has earned his own living since boyhood, working by the month at first. He bought his first land in 1889 in partnership with his mother, and went in debt for his share of ninety-seven acres, which was 50 acres, and his mother later purchased it from him, later he bought another place which he sold. He then went to Oklahoma and made a race for a claim in Okla- homa, which he failed to get. He bought a town lot there, and, with his cousin Claude Lewis, went in the cattle business, taking a claim in a valley in Gloss Mountains and engaged in this business there for five years. He received an injury which unfitted him for this line of work, and he then returned to Harrison County in 1897 and bought the heirs interest of Lewis Williams of a 290 acre farm, which Mrs. Lewis now owns. They also own the Clay Burris farm of 118 acres in Bethany Township, and Mr. Lewis also owns a farm of 1674 acres near Bridge- port. He makes his home on the Lewis Williams place, and does general farming and stock raising, operating more than 450 acres of land. He also owns 120 acres near Albany Oregan. He raises the registered Poland China hogs and is very successful, both in farming and stock raising.
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Joseph Lewis was married December 24, 1891 to Mary E. Williams, a daughter of Lewis and Sarah Williams, both deceased. Lewis Williams entered a part of the farm now owned by Joseph Lewis, and he and his wife both died here, and are buried in Mt. Olivet Cemetery.
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Lewis are the parents of the following children: Mabel, the wife of Walter Watson of Cypress Township; Arthur of Beth- any Township; Everett, at home; Ethel, who died when fourteen months of age; Merritt, at home; Harvey of Cypress Township; Bessie, Samuel and Garland, at home; and Ernest, who was born in Polk County, Oregon, also at home. Everett Lewis was in the United States Navy during the World War, and was in service for eighteen months on the Battleship Oregon.
Joseph Lewis and family are well known in Harrison County, and highly respected citizens.
Thomas C. Vandevort, now deceased, during his life was prominently identified with the agricultural interests of this county. He was born in Athens County, Ohio in 1833 and came to Harrison County before the Civil War. During the war, he was with Company I, 1st regiment, Mis- souri infantry, and was in the cavalry later, and served for three years. At the end of the war, he engaged in farming. He died in 1872, and is buried in Hatton Cemetery.
Mr. Vandevort was married in 1862 to Mary E. Youngs, a daughter of William H. and Love (Salmon) Youngs. Mrs. Vandevort was born in Hardin County, Ohio and came to Missouri with her parents in 1847. W. H. Youngs had a blacksmith shop at Happy Valley, and made wagons, ox yokes and log chains for people going to California in 1849 and 1850.
Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Youngs were the parents of the following chil- dren; Mrs. William Youngs, deceased ; Mrs. Vandevort ; John L. Young of Clpress Township; Mrs. Pauline Rice, deceased; George L. Young, deceased; Mrs. Sarah Jane Ray of Cypress Township; B. L. Youngs of Cypress Township. And, by a fromer marriage of W. H. Youngs, he had a son, Thomas Samuel Youngs, and daughter Johanna Hatton, both deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Vandevort were the parents of two children: Alice, the wife of U. F. Criger of Mt. Mariah this county, and William, who lives on the home place. Mr. and Mrs. Criger have seven children: Perlie May McKee, Orlie, deceased; Clifford, Mrs. Ethel Woodward, Clay, Mrs. Lola Hobbs, Harvey and Logan.
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William Vandevort, who lives with his mother on the home place, was born in Cypress Township, October 12, 1864, and was educated in the public schools. He is a member of the Masonic, Modern Woodmen of America and Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodges.
Mrs. Vandevort and her son have made their home on their present farm for the past thirty years. They have sixty acres, which is a part of the homestead of Thomas C. Vandevort.
Mrs. Vandevort is a woman of intelligence, and in spite of an acci- dent, which partly incapacitates her, does considerable work, and finds time to read and gets enjoyment out of life among her books and papers. She and her son have a comfortable home.
George T. Montgomery, a leading farmer of Cypress Township, and proprietor of Spring Branch Farm, was born in Otoe County, Nebraska, September 18, 1869, the son of George W. and Anna (Wilson) Montgomery, both of whom are deceased.
George Montgomery was born on the ocean while his parents were on the way to America from Scotland. He was reared in New York but later returned to Scotland and was educated there, and, upon his return to the United States, located in Nebraska in 1847, and made this his home until his death in April, 1900, his wife having died in 1871.
Mr. and Mrs. George Montgomery were the parents of the following children: Mrs. John Lowrey of Otoe County, Nebraska; Mrs. D. J. Cush- ing, deceased, whose husband lives in Del Rosa, California; Mrs. James Welch of Nebraska City; William of Nebraska City; and George T., the subject of this sketch.
George T. Montgomery was educated in the public schools and at Nebraska City College in Nebraska, taking three years of work at this school. After finishing his education, he engaged in farming and stock raising in Nebraska, and came to Harrison County, Missouri in January, 1901, and bought 320 acres of land, his present home, later buying an additional 120 acres, his entire acreage totaling 440 acres. This is an excellent farm, the main feature which first attracted Mr. Montgomery being the abundance of water from natural springs. Mr. Montgomery raises Angus cattle, Poland China and Hampshire hogs, crossed, and White Leghorn poultry, and is one of the most successful farmers in the county. He has a good residence, and fine barn, and other buildings well equipped for the raising of stock. He has electric lights and water works, making
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