USA > Missouri > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, Missouri > Part 38
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Dr. Alfred L. Wessling was educated in the public schools and Drury College at Springfield, Missouri, and received his professional education at St. Louis Medical University and was graduated a B. S. M. D. from the National University of Arts and Sciences in 1914. He began practicing first at Freeburg, Missouri, where he remained one year, then he was in Springfield, Missouri, one year and then located in Martinsville and lived there one and one-half years, and, after being in the army for seventeen months, located in New Hampton, September, 1919.
Doctor Wessling enlisted in the army, took an examination and was made first lieutenant in the Medical Reserve Corps and entered service
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March 6, 1918 at Eberts Field, Lonoke, Arkansas, where he remained for three months and then went to Vancouver Barracks, Washington, and was there until January, 1919, when he went to Camp Upton, New York and was mustered out there August 6, 1919, immediately returning to New Hampton where he has since practiced.
Doctor Wessling was married July 29, 1919, to Laura E. Burnett, of Eldorado Springs, Missouri, a daughter of Isaac Burnett. She is also a native of Missouri and is a graduate of the Osceola, Missouri, High School, and attended the Springfield State Teachers College and prior to her mar- riage, taught school, but during the World War was in the adjutant gen- eral's office at Washington, D. C., for two years. They have one child, Alfred Louis Wessling, Jr., born July 9, 1921.
Doctor Wessling is a member of the Knights of Pythias, Modern Woodmen of America, County, State and American Medical Associations, and is also a member of the American Legion at New Hampton, being a charter member at this place. He is captain of the Medical Reserve Corps and his commission will not expire until December 17, 1924. Doc- tor Wessling is also city physician of New Hampton. He is a skilled physician and has a large practice.
E. J. Castle, a substantial farmer of Bethany Township, was born in Auglaize County, Ohio, in 1852, the son of Ananias and Jane (Erwin) Castle. Mr. and Mrs. Ananias Castle came to Harrison County in 1871 and settled in Union Township. He died at the home of his son, E. J. Castle, in 1903 at the age of seventy-seven years and his wife died in 1908 at the age of eighty-three and both are buried at Oakland Cemetery.
Mr. and Mrs. Ananias Castle were the parents of the following chil- dren: Mary Ellen Hollis, of Kansas City, Kansas; James M., of Philip County, Kansas; E. J., the subject of this sketch; Urias, of Los Angeles, California; Mrs. Sarah Hughes, deceased, who lived in Oklahoma; Mrs. Martha Alamon, of Jennings, Oklahoma; William, of Rutland, Canada; Eli, who died at Jenings, Oklahoma, and Emma Carson, of Cameron, Missouri.
E. J. Castle moved to his present farm March 18, 1885, at which time he bought ninety-one acres from the Cuddy estate, and later bought fifty acres from the George Hand land, and an additional two acres, making a total of one hundred forty-three acres in the home farm, which is located
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three miles northwest of Bethany, Missouri. Mr. Castle does general farming and also operates a threshing machine.
Mr. Castle was married January 1, 1873, to Mary M. C. Friedley, a daughter of John M. and Cynthia (Arnold) Friedley, who came to Har- rison County, September, 1857 and settled, first on Pole Cat Creek, and later bought a farm in Jefferson Township in 1863. Mr. Friedley died February 17, 1900 and his wife died February 15, 1907 and both are buried in Oakland Cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Friedley were the parents of the following children : Mrs. Elizabeth King who died in Oklahoma; George W., who was killed at Brownville, Arkansas, while in the Federal service, in 1862; Mrs. Susan A. Seaburn of Bethany, Missouri; and Mrs. Castle, who was born in Harrison County, Indiana. July 26, 1853; Jacob D., born in 1842.
Mr. and Mrs. Castle have two children living: Julia A., the wife of Shelby Wise, and who have five children, Moree, Rohenia, Irene, Oluf and Robert; William R., a farmer of Dallas Township, who married Ada Wise, deceased, and who has one daughter, Ethel; and Davie E., who died in infancy.
Mr. Castle has a primitive buhr stone, made and used by George Hand, who bought ninety acres of land in Jefferson Township, which is part of the farm now owned by Mr. Castle. This buhr stone was made by hand of native stone or "nigger" head being used for the base and another of the same kind cut to fit in a hole in the base and operated by horse power. and this primitive mill was used to grind corn for Mr. Hand and his neigh- bors. The capacity of the mill was about four or five bushels daily. Mr. Hand also made wagons, old fashioned spinning wheels and different kinds of implements, and was also a wheel wright. Mr. Hand was an early settler here, coming to this county about 1861, and died here in 1883.
Mr. Castle has a gold twenty-five cent piece which he has had for more than fifty years, and for which he has been offered $25.00.
Mrs. Castle has a spinning wheel owned by her mother and given to her in 1836 when she was fifteen years of age, and she also has a Bible printed in 1828 and used by her father when he attended school in Ken- tucky.
Mr. and Mrs. Castle have met with success in life, due to good man- agement, thrift and industry, and have many friends throughout the town- ship and county.
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J. W. Cover, editor and publisher of the New Hampton Tribune, New Hampton, Missouri, learned the printer's trade in his father's office, be- ginning in 1883, when he owned the Albany Ledger. In 1884, J. H. Cover purchased the Bethany Broad Ax from D. J. Heaston, and continued as owner and editor for ten years, when he sold to J. A. Templeman. J. W. continued in his father's office till reaching majority. Was married to Mary Prentiss March 25, 1891. To this union eight children were born, seven living.
Has been connected with several newspapers in north Missouri in the past thirty years. The past twelve years has been engaged in farming, previous to establishing this paper. The Tribune is doing a good business.
The New Hampton Tribune was established January 1, 1921. J. W. Cover was born in Pike County, Illinois, October 22, 1869. Is fifty-one years old. Oldest son of J. H. and Margaret Cover, now deceased.
Alvin Ellsworth Kidwell, a enterprising and well known citizen of near New Hampton, Missouri, was born near Martinsville, Missouri, February 2, 1885, the son of Benjamin F. and Laura (Edson) Kidwell, both of whom now live at Martinsville.
Benjamin Kidwell was born in Gentry County, Missouri, in November, 1855, and his parents, Perry and Rebecca Kidwell came to Harrison County from Kentucky in 1854 and settled near Martinsville, where Perry Kid- well entered land and improved a farm. He died in 1910 at the home of John Barnes in Dallas Township, and his wife died in Martinsville in 1905 and both are buried in Kidwell Cemetery on their old home place. Perry Kidwell's father, the great grandfather of Alvin E. Kidwell, was the first one buried in this cemetery.
Benjamin F. Kidwell and wife reside at Martinsville, where Mr. Kid- well has been in the mercantile business for about thirty-five years. They are the parents of the following children Nellie, the wife of Willie Van- hoozer of Martinsville; Lemon Leroy, who lives on the old home place, which was entered by his grandfather; Gustavus, of Martinsville; Alvin E., the subject of this sketch; Bertha, the wife of Lloyd England of Hol- yoke, Colorado; Altie, the wife of Charles Walters of Martinsville; Robert of Martinsville; Ola Kidwell, who died at the age of ninteen years, with tuberculosis ; Dorthy, who teaches at Mt. Tabor; and Lula, a graduate of Martinsville High School. Robert Kidwell entered the U. S. Navy, in
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April, 1917, to serve in the World War, and soon after was on the Battle- ship Louisiana. He served three years and two months in the war. In March, 1921, he married Olive Creekmore, and they located in Martins- ville.
Alvin E. Kidwell was educated in the schools of Martinsville, and, at an early age, began farming, which occupation, he has since followed. He owns his present place of fifteen and one-half acres, near New Hamp- ton, and also owns eighty acres two and one-half miles southeast of town, but moved to his farm near New Hampton for school privileges. Mr. Kidwell has a poultry house 24x30 feet, with two floors, which he built in August, 1920. He has 400 hens in this house now, and has many young chickens of the Rhode Island Reds and Brown Leghorn variety. His little place presents a neat appearance, with good residence, barn and garage, and he has electric lights in his residence and garage. Mr. Kid- well has forty Duroc Jersey hogs and a few Jersy cows.
Alvin E. Kidwell was married March 11, 1906 to Fannie E. Lam- bert, a daughter of John and Emma F. (Spitzer) Lambert. Mrs. Emma Lambert, who was born in West Virginia, died in 1913 at the age of fifty-two years on the home place near Martinsville, Missouri, and her husband, John Lambert is now living in Bethany, Mr. and Mrs. Lambert were the parents of the following children: Alberta, the wife of Wash Kinzley of Utopia, Kansas; David of Ochiltree, Texas; Sailor of Helena, Montana, Cheste of Kansas City, Missouri ; Bessie, who died at the age of five years; Mrs. Alvin E. Kidwell; Ruby, the wife of Thomas Updegraff of Bethany: Dacy the wife of Frank Swartz of Martinsville; and Pearl, the wife of Clarence Travis of King City, Missouri.
Mr. and Mrs. Kidwell have two children: Eunice and Bernice, both of whom, attend school in New Hampton, Missouri.
James W. Casebolt, a well known citizen of Bethany and member of a pioneer family of this county, was born in Jefferson Township, three miles north of Bethany, Missouri, November 5, 1865, the son of Harrison and Rachel (Archer) Casebolt, both of whom are deceased. Harrison Casebolt was born in Fayette County, Ohio, September 4, 1818, and died May 31, 1893, aged seventy-four years. eight months, twenty-seven days. He came to Harrison County, Missouri, in 1854, and settled in Jefferson Township, where he improved a farm. He also owned other farms at
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different times. During the Civil War he was unable to join the army but declared his allegiance to the Union. He moved to Holt County, Mis- souri, in the fall of 1885 and lived with a son there until his death. He is buried in Miriam Cemetery at Bethany, with his wife, who died Febru- ary 13, 1899, aged seventy years, ten months, thirty days.
Mr. and Mrs. Harrison Casebolt were married in 1845 and were the parents of the following children: Mary E., the wife of James Gates, and who died in Kansas; Robert E., a retired farmer of Bethany, Missouri; John H., who died at the age of fifty-four years, and who was manager of the Commercial Hotel at the time of his death, and who was a butcher and in the restaurant business prior to entering the hotel; Elias, retired, of St. Joseph, Missouri; five children who died in infancy; James W., of this sketch; Sarah Catherine Parker, deceased; David H., who died in North Dakota, and Lottie Ann, the wife of Ransom Hodgins of Holt County, Missouri.
James W. Casebolt attended his first school in the old brick school house in Bethany, and later at Double Oak in Jefferson Township, then in the old ground hog and the Woollond south of Bethany, and, after sixteen years of age, worked for different people. After his marriage, he worked rented farms in this county. He eventually purchased twenty acres of land, and later thirty and one-half acres, which he improved and later traded for property in Bethany where he now lives, and, since moving to Bethany, he has been engaged in bridge work, and has also run a jitney.
December 24, 1884, Mr. Casebolt was married to Ruth A. Zerbe, a daughter of William and Mary (Gilbert) Zerbe. Mrs. Zerbe lived at Mar- tinsville, Missouri where she died at eighty-two years of age. October 30, 1921, and is buried in the Kidwell Cemetery by the side of her hus- band. Her husband died in 1916.
Mr. and Mrs. Zerbe were the parents of the following children: Ed., a farmer in southern, Missouri; Flora, the wife of John Crotts of Martinsville, Missouri; Ida, the wife of Samuel Goucher, now deceased of Cherry County, Nebraska; Ola, the wife of Lewis Adams of Chery County, Nebraska; Henry, deceased; Mrs. Casebolt, of this sketch; Jesse, deceased; Lizzie, the wife of Lewis Brown of St. Joseph, Missouri; Frank of Dallas township; and a son, who died in infancy; and Len of Ottowa, Kansas.
Mr. and Mrs. Casebolt have nine children: Frederick Festus, a farmer of Dallas Township, who married Lillian Jennings; Lillie May, the wife of
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Merl Chubbick, of Lewis, Iowa; Hershel, a farmer of Cherry County, Ne- braska ; Homer, a coal operator of Valley, Nebraska, and who married Clara Carter; Robert Emmet of Casper, Wyoming; Bert, who lives in Nebraska; Flora Myrtle, who married Mable Carter of Jefferson Township; and Loretta and Velma, who live at home. Mr. and Mrs. Casebolt have nine grandchildren.
Herschel Casebolt and Merl Chubbick were in the late War, the former enlisted at Merryman, Nebraska and was overseas in the cavalry service, and the latter enlisted in the United States Navy from Iowa.
Mr. Casebolt is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Martinsville, Missouri. He is a well respected citizen of Bethany, and has many friends in this county.
Peter A. Smith, a prominent farmer and stockman of Grant Town- ship, is a member of one of the pioneer families of this section. Mr. Smith was born on the place where he now resides in Grant Township, December 17, 1869. He is a son of Theodore A. and Mary (Brown) Dur- ham Smith, the former a native of Prussia and the latter of Greenbrier County, West Virginia.
Theodore A. Smith first settled in Pattonsburg, when he came to Missouri in 1856 and in 1866 he came to Harrison County and settled in Grant Township. He learned the carpenter's trade in earily life and was a very fine workman. He worked at his trade after coming to Harrison County and a number of houses which he built are still standing. He built the house where Peter A. Smith now lives in 1857 for Berry Music, who then owned the place which Mr. Smith afterwards bought and lived here until the time of his death. This was the first frame house built in this part of the county. The lumber used in this construction was sawed at Lock's Mills which was located on the Grand River. Mr. Smith did all the work in connection with building this house even to making the window sashes and doors which are of walnut and the siding is of the same material and also the interior finishing. The main building of the house is now occupied by Peter A. Smith and family and is in an excellent state of preservation.
Theodore A. Smith also built the Burdine Taylor house and the Reak- aecker house, which are also still standing, occupied, and in a good state of preservation.
PETER A. SMITH AND FAMILY
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Theodore A. Smith remained in Harrison County until the Civil War broke out when he went to Illinois. He was unfit for military service and remained in Illinois until the close of the war. He then returned to Har- rison County where he was engaged in farming and stock raising until the time of his death. He died October 13, 1903, at the age of seventy- six years.
Peter A. Smith was the only child born to the marriage of Theodore A. Smith and Mary (Brown) Durham. By a former marriage of Theo- dore A. Smith to Catharine Stapleton, the following children were born: Anna, married James Reakaecker and is now a widow and lives in Okla- homa ; Berry E., Linn County, Kansas; Mary, married D. W. Killen, Grant Township; Winifred, married A. D. Brunner and now lives in California ; John M., Marionville, Missouri; Sarah C. married James McElhiney and she is a widow and now lives in Bethany, Missouri and Christina, married Isaac Phillebaum, Bethany, Missouri.
The mother was first married to Martin Durham and three children were born to that union as follows: Edwin R., Kansas City, Missouri ; Jennie, married John M. Smith, Marionville, Missouri; and Emma, mar- ried W. M. Swain and is now deceased. The mother died December 20, 1909, at the age of eighty-one years.
Peter A. Smith was reared on the home place in Grant Township and educated in the public schools. He has lived on the home place all his life except six years, when he lived at Bethany. He has always followed farming and stock raising and is one of the successful men in this line of endeavor in Harrison County. His place consists of 200 acres of well improved and productive land and he carries on general farming and stock raising.
Mr. Smith was married February 2, 1902, to Miss Addie Spence, a native of Harrison County, who was also born in Grant Township. She is a daughter of Marion and Lucinda Spence, early settlers of Harrison County who are now deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been born two children: Howard M. and Earnest E., both of whom reside at home with their parents.
Mr. Smith is a Republican and a member of the Christian Church. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge of Bethany, and the Brotherhood of American Yeoman. He is a substantial citizen and the Smith family rank among the best citizens of Harrison County.
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Chester Hershel Casebolt, second son of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Casebolt, was born November 12, 1881, in Harrison County, near Bethany, Mis- souri, where he lived until the year of 1914, when he went to Merryman, Nebraska, at which place he has resided ever since.
In the year of 1917 he was called into service of the World War .. On the 25th of September, 1917 he was called to Camp Funston, Kansas, for training. He was placed in the 35th Company 164th Depot Brigade. He remained there but a short time then he was sent to Camp Pike, Little Rock, Arkansas, and transferred from the 35th Company, to the 87th Divi- sion, Battery C, 335th Field Artillery. On July, 1918, he was sent to Camp Dix, N. J., remaining there till he was sent across to France, landing there, September 13, 1918, taking twelve days to cross.
He served five months in France. On February 16th, 1919, he started for America, landing here the 5th of March at Camp Merritt, N. J. He remained there for a short time then was sent to Camp Dodge, Iowa, where he received his discharge and went to his home in Merryman, Ne- braska, where he still resides. On July the 3rd he was married to Miss Edith McCray and has one child, a daughter, Lena Fern Casebolt.
Jesse F. Gibson, a highly respected and enterprising farmer of White Oak Township, was born in Ringgold County, Iowa, October 10, 1863, the son of Larkin A. and Elizabeth (Lytle) Gibson both deceased. Larkin Gibson was born in Hendricks County, Indiana in 1832 and died in 1908, and his wife was born in the same county about 1830 and died in July, 1900 at the age of seventy-one years; both are buried at Kober Cemetery. Mr. and Mrs. Gibson were the parents of the following children: John C. of Worth County, Missouri; George W. of Colorado; Jesse F., of this sketch ; William S. of Colorado Springs, Colorado and James G. of Cali- fornia.
During the Civil War, Larkin Gibson was with the Iowa State Militia and after the war, he came to Missouri and located in Washington Town- ship, Harrison County. He lived in a log cabin at first and knew all of the hardships of early days. He made trips to St. Joseph, Missouri, for salt, sugar and other supplies, and while there on one trip, his oldest son, who was with him, contracted scarlet fever, and after arriving home, the entire family also took the disease. Mr. Gibson's second home was a two story frame building, the lumber being hauled from Leon, Iowa. This was the first good frame house in that vicinity.
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Jesse F. Gibson spent his boyhood days on his father's farm and attended the Zimmerman school in Washington Township. He remained at home until twenty-one years of age, and then for four years ran a hack line and carried mail from Siloam Springs to Albany, at the end of which time he began farming in this county, and bought 160 acres of land, which he improved and on which he lived until 1895, when he moved to Bethany and bought property, but returned to the farm and bought his present home from N. A. Johnson in 1919. This place consists of 1223 acres, one and one-fourth miles northwest of New Hampton, and is well improved with good residence, barn and other buildings. There are five good wells on the farm, as Mr. Gibson appreciates the worth of plenty of good water, as during his early experiences in farming, when he handled stock a creek was the only source of stock water.
Mr. Gibson was married in November, 1888 to Flora Carver, a daugh- ter of J. E. and Martha J. (Jones) Carver, both deceased. J. E. Carver was born in St. Francois County, Missouri and was a veteran of the Civil War, having been in the Confederate Army under General Marmaduke. He died in 1917 in Washington Township at the age of seventy-six years, and his wife died at Siloam Springs, Gentry County in 1902 at the age of forty-seven years. Mrs. Jesse Gibson was born in Gentry County and is the only child of her parents.
Mr. and Mrs. Gibson have had three children: Wade Alby, who died at the age of three years; Edward O., who lives at home; and Sheldon on the home place. Sheldon Gibson married Marjorie Van Houten, a daughter of John and Anna Van Houten of Dallas Township.
Mr. Gibson is a member of the Masonic Lodge at Denver Missouri. He is an energetic man and prominent in the affairs of his township, and his family stand high in the community.
George R. Miller a successful attorney, with offices in Eagleville, Missouri, and also secretary of the Jefferson Highway Special Roard Dis- trict, was born near Hatfield, Missouri, November 16, 1893, the son of Judson D. and Myrtle B. (Fletcher) Miller, who now live at Eagleville, Missouri. Judson Miller is a retired farmer. He came here with his parents, Jacob A. and Malissa A. (Hill) Miller from Lowell, Indiana. Jacob A. Miler was a veteran of the Civil War, having enlisted from Illinois in the Union army. His wife died in 1878.
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Judson D. Miller and wife were the parents of two children: Charles A., now prosecuting attorney of Harrison County ; and George R., the sub- ject of this sketch.
George R. Miller was educated in the Eagleville High School, and was graduated therefrom in 1910 and then attended the Maryville State Teachers College for three years. He received his professional education in the Kansas City School of Law. Charles A. Miller is also a graduate of the Maryville State Teachers College and of the Kansas City School of Law.
Mr. Miller was married August 29, 1917 to Lola Riley of Eagle- ville, Missouri, a daughter of C. L. Riley, (a druggist) and Iona (Travis) Riley. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have one child, a daughter, Iona Myrtle.
Mr. Miller is secretary of the Jefferson Highway Special Road Dis- trict and is also secretary of the Bethany Abstract and Title Company. He is an able lawyer and has an extensive practice in this section of the state.
George R. Miller was in service during the World War. He entered the army June 20, 1918, and was mustered out February 10, 1919. He was with the medical detachment of the 210th Field Signal Battalion and stationed at Camp Funston. He was with the 10th Division, ready to go overseas when the armistice was signed.
Sergeant Levi C. Wilkinson, a well known young man of Bethany, was born at Mitchelville, Missouri, May 4, 1895, the son of John B. and Jane (Kinkade) Wilkinson, both of whom now live on a farm six miles northwest of Eagleville. John B. Wilkinson was a native of this county, and his wife was born in Ohio. They were married in this county, are the parents of the following children: Mrs. Wing Hacker of Bethany; Mrs. John Walker of Bethany; Harlan of Eagleville, Missouri; Mrs. John York and Mrs. Joe Sullivan of Bethany ; Mrs. Charles Hall of Essex, Iowa; Levi C., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Ralph Lynch of Bethany, and Callie who lives at home.
Levi C. Wilkinson was educated in the public schools of Bethany, and after finishing school, worked in a garage here until the beginning of the World War, when he enlisted May 28, 1917, as a private, and was first sent to Camp Clark at Nevada, Missouri, where he was stationed until September 26, 1917, and was then sent to Fort Sill, Oklahoma and
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remained there until April 13, 1918. He was promoted to Corporal, Jan- nary 10, 1918. From Fort Sill he went to Long Island, New York, at Camp Mills and started overseas with the 35th Division, May 24, 1918, and landed at Liverpool, England, thence to Romsey, England and then to South Hampton, and from there, was sent to LaHavre, France. He went into the trenches June 28, 1918. He was with the Wesserling sector tember 13th to September 16th, and in the Argonne, September 26th to October 2nd. He was promoted to Sergeant, October 17, 1918 an was at Verdun, October 26th to November 2nd, and was entitled to two W. S. Chevrons. He was mustered out May 8, 1919, at Camp Funston.
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