USA > Missouri > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, Missouri > Part 48
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After the close of the war, Mr. Simpson returned to Harrison County and for a time worked out by the month. Shortly afterwards he bought eighty acres of land which is a part of his present place. He went in debt for his first farm and bought more land from time to time until he became the owner of 840 acres which constitutes the Simpson farm now. He carried on farming and stock raising and has met with success. He has experienced all the hard and good times of the past sixty years and in speaking of present day conditions, Mr. Simpson says, they are not so bad as he experienced on many former occasions. He remembers of hav- ing sold hogs for $1.75 per hundred and other farm produce in proportion.
Mr. Simpson was married September 12, 1867 to Miss Sarah Jane Gillispie, a native of Jackson County, Ohio and a member of a pioneer family of Harrison County. She died in 1883, leaving two sons, J. P. Jr .; and J. N., who operates the home farm, the father having retired from active business about 1916.
Mr. Simpson is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and is a Republican.
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J. P. Simpson, Jr., who operates a part of the home place was reared in Grant Township and has always been engaged in farming on the home place with his father. He was married to Miss Dora Lilly, a native of Harrison County and they have five children as follows: Jasper Roy, Gar- land Russell, Edith Erlene, Joseph Lee and William Howard.
J. N. Simpson, the youngest son of J. P. Simpson, Sr. was born on the home place in Grant Township, where he now resides, October 17, 1880. He was married March 1, 1902, to Miss Pear Slingerland, of Trail Creek Township and they have the following children ; Oliver, Nort, Jr., and John.
G. T. Smothers, cashier of the Commercial State Bank of Ridgeway, is one of the progressive young bankers of Harrison County. He is a native of this county and was born April 11, 1896, a son of Daniel and Rosa B. (Glaze) Smothers, a sketch of whom appears in this volume.
G. T. Smother's was educated in the public schools and the Central Business College of Kansas City, Missouri. After completing his busi- ness course he accepted a position as bookkeeper with the Commercial State Bank of Ridgeway and was serving in that capacity when the United States entered the World War. On June 14, 1918, he enlisted in the United States army and was attached to the Medical Corps. He was in training at Columbia, Missouri, for two months when he was transferred to Camp Greenleaf, Georgia. On June 13, 1919 he was transferred to United States General Hospital, No. 38, New York City. On July 19, 1919, he was transferred to Camp Dodge, Iowa, where he received his dis- charge July 21, 1919. He then returned to Ridgeway and became assist- ant cashier of the Commercial State Bank and served in that capacity until February 1, 1920 when he was elected cashier and since that time has filled that responsible position.
Mr. Smothers was married June 26, 1921 to Miss Dorothy Swartz, a native of New Hampton, Missouri. Mrs. Smothers was educated in the public schools of New Hampton, graduating from the high school and then attended Howard Payne College at Fayette, Missouri, where she special- ized in music and English. She was a teacher in the Ridgeway High School prior to her marriage. She is a daughter of C. E. Swartz of New Hampton.
Mr. Smothers is a member of the American Legion, Updyke Post. No. 228 and he holds membership in the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
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Lorraine Lodge, No. 128. He is a member of the Methodist Church and one of the substantial young men of this county. He is a close student of the intricate problems of finance and banking and by his courteous and obliging manner he has won the esteem and confidence of the business world.
The Commercial State Bank of Ridgeway is one of the substantial and well conducted financial institutions of Harrison County. It was organized with a capital stock of $15,000 in 1908. The surplus of the bank is $11,000.
The first officers of the Commercial State Bank were: C. T. Webb, president; J. N. Homan, vice-president; E. Scott, cashier; and Ora C. Scott, first assistant cashier. The present officers are: Daniel Smothers, president; P. F. Emry, vice-president ; G. T. Smothers, cashier and D. A. Leazenby, assistant cashier. The directors are: Daniel Smothers, P. F. Emry, H. A. Rinehart, J. F. Milligan and C. T. Mitchell.
The bank building which is a two story brick structure, the lower floor which is occupied exclusively by the bank was built about the time the bank was organized. The furniture and fixtures are modern and afford every convenience to the patrons and officers of the bank and pre- sent a neat and rich appearance. This bank has been under capable man- agement since its organization and has had a substantial growth.
J. H. Cunniff, a prominent farmer and stockman of Jefferson Town- ship, is a native of Harrison County and was born on the place where he now resides March 17, 1869. He is a son of John and Deborah (Leeds) Cunniff, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Ohio.
John Cunniff settled in Harrison County in 1866, reaching here May 3rd. He engaged in farming and stock raising in Jefferson Township and met with success. He was a substantial citizen and highly respected by all that knew him. He died May 28, 1905 at the age of seventy-one years and his wife died at the age of sixty-nine years. They were the parents of three children: J. H., the subject of this sketch ; Mrs. Emma Schroff, who lives in Harrison County and Mrs. Mary Morris, Harrison County. By a former marriage of the mother to Mark Harris the following children were born: Mrs. Lydia Maniwaring, Acton, Montana; C. R. Harris, Cherokee, Iowa and F. L. Harris, who died at Blythedale, Missouri, in 1921.
J. H. Cunniff was reared on the place where he now resides and edu-
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cated in the district school. He has always followed farming and stock raising, he is the owner of 363 acres of well improved and valuable land, 160 acres of which is located in Grant Township twelve acres in Bethany Town- ship and the balance upon which the residence is situated is in Jefferson Township. In 1918, Mr. Cunniff erected a large modern residence which is one of the fine homes of Harrison County.
On November 15, 1894, Mr. Cunniff was married to Miss Bessie Buz- zard, a native of Harrison County and a daughter of Isaiah Buzzard, now deceased and his widow lives in Bethany. To Mr. and Mrs. Cunniff were born five children as follows: O. Avery, who entered the United States Army during the World War, July 24, 1918, was trained at Camp Funston, was a member of Company I, 70th Infantry, 10th Division, and was dis- charged February 6, 1919, married November 7, 1919 to Ethel Haselten of Blue Ridge, daughter of Bert and Minnie Haselton who now resides in St. Joseph; Gladys, married Ray McDaniel and they live south of Bethany ; Blanche, Bethany ; Fay, a student and Nina. The mother of these children died March 10, 1908, and in January 24, 1914, Mr. Cunniff was married to Miss Ethel Tilley and they have one child, William Henry. She was born in Cypress Township, a daughter of W. L. and Rose (Francisco) Tilley, both natives of Harrison County and now live in Bethany-she was reared in this county and educated in Bethany schools.
Mr. Cunniff is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. The Encampment and the Knights of Pythias. He is an enterprising and progressive citizen and is widely and favorably known in Harrison County Mrs. Cunniff is a member of the Baptist Church.
Robert M. Ballard, a prominent farmer and stockman of Grant Town- ship, is a native of Harrison County and a member of one of the pioneer families of this section of the state. He was born in Cypress Township, August 15, 1871, a son of Boone and Caroline (Salmon) Ballard, the former a native of Indiana and the latter of Marion County Ohio.
Boone Ballard was a pioneer settler of Harrison County. He came here in 1852 and settled on a farm seven miles south of Bethany, in Cypress Township and was a successful farmer and stock raiser. During the Civil War he served in the Union Army, being a member of the famous Merril Horse. He was first married to Anna Brown, and to that union the follow- ing children were born: William, who was a pioneer of Colorado and helped
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to erect the first cabins in that state and also was a soldier in the Civil War, serving in the same company with his father and now resides at Aspen, Colorado; Eliza, married G. W. Dort, and they both spent their lives at Washington, Kansas; Mrs. Chloe Smith, died at Hutchinson, Kan- sas; Chapman, Taos, New Mexico; and Mrrs. Jane Johnson, Morganville, Kansas.
Robert M. Ballard is one of the following children born to his father's second marriage: N. J., a merchant, Hutchinson, Kansas; John, Bethany, Missouri ; Boone, Seattle, Washington ; Anna, married H. P. Joseph ; Maxey, Colorado; Charles, Stockton, California; Robert M., the subject of this sketch ; Henry, Bethany, Missouri; and Clara, married H. K. Barlow, Beth- any, Missouri.
Robert M. Ballard was reared on the home place in Cypress Town- ship and educated in the public schools. He engaged in farming and stock raising on his own account in early life and in 1909 bought his present farm in Grant Township. His place consists of 159 acres and is well improved, with a good residence and other farm buildings. It is one of the attractive places of Grant Township.
Mr. Ballard was married December 24, 1896 to Miss Lillie Stinson, a native of Harrison County and a member of one of the pioneer families of Harrison County. She was born in Washington Township and is a daugh- ter of Peter D. and Mary (Mclaughlin) Stinson, both natives of Ireland. The father was born in the western part of Ireland and the mother was a native of Belfast. They were both reared in Liverpool, England, and married in that city. They came to America in 1852 and after remaining a short time in Philadelphia, went to New Orleans and from there to Chi- cago. They then lived on a farm near Iowa City, Iowa for a time. In 1857, they came to Harrison County and were among the first settlers in Washington Township. The father learned the coopers trade in early life and worked at it some after coming to this county, but his principal occupation was farming and stock raising. He served in the Union Army during the Civil War. In 1890 he and his wife retired from the farm and removed to Bethany, where they spent the remainder of their lives. He died May 9, 1903 and his wife died February 27, 1906. They were the parents of ten children as follows: Mrs. Elizabeth Peak, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Mrs. M. A. Bram, deceased; Mrs. Lucinda Heller, Kanona, Kansas; J. A. Kanona, Kansas; Mrs. Lettie Chivington, Dresden, Kansas; Mrs. Arabelle Willard, Norcatur, Kansas; W. H., Fairbury, Nebraska ;
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Maggie, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; John C., Cain City, Texas; and Lillie, the wife of Robert M. Ballard, the subject of this sketch.
To Mr. and Mrs. Ballard have been born three children, as follows: Verbal S. resides at home with his parents; Lester R. died at the age of ten years ; and Charles B. died when four months old. Verbal S. Ballard was in the service during the World War and was taking a course of training at Columbia, Missouri, when the Armistice was signed.
Mr. Ballard is a Republican and is the present clerk and assessor of Grant Township. He is a progressive and enterprising citizen and he and his family rank high as representive people of Harrison County.
J. P. Jackson, a progressive and well known farmer and stock man of Grant Township, is a native of Iowa. He was born in Wapello, County, Iowa, August 1, 1856, a son of Aaron Jackson. His mother bore the maiden name of Lewis and his parents were both natives of Indiana. They came to Iowa in 1854 and after remaining two years in that state returned to Indiana when J. P. Jackson of this review was only six weeks old. They made the trip across the plains in a prairie schooner. The mother died' in Indiana in 1863 and the father in 1864. There was one other child in the family besides J. P., Jacob, who now lives in Indiana. Two sisters died when young.
J. P. Jackson was only seven years old when his mother died and his father died the following year. Thus he was left an orphan at a very early age. He was reared by an uncle in Indiana with whom he made his home until he was twenty-one years old. He received his early education in the public schools and later attended Purdue University where he took the agriculture course, working his own way through college. In 1890 he went to Iowa where he was engaged in farming and stock raising' until 1896. He then came to Harrison County and bought a farm just east of the town of Ridgeway, near the corporation limit. He owns 160 acres of valuable and well improved land where he carries on general farm- ing and stock raising. Since coming here Mr. Jackson has made a number of substantial improvements. He has remodeled the residence and his place presents an attractive and well kept appearance and is one of the pretty places of Harrison County.
Mr. Jackson was married February 14, 1883 to Miss Effie A. Scott, a native of Wapello County, Iowa. To Mr. and Mrs. Jackson have been
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born the following children: Carrie, a graduate of the Ridgeway High School, Teachers State College at Warrensburg, Missouri, the State Uni- versity and is now a teacher; Mary, who is also a graduate of the same institutions and is a teacher; Keith, a graduate of the Ridgeway High School and the State Teachers College at Warrensburg, is a manual train- ing teacher, and Roger who is a graduate of the Ridgeway High School, and is now farming with his father.
Mr. Jackson is a Democrat and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a public spirited and substantial citizen and the Jackson family stands high in Harrison County.
Riley Hurst, a prominent farmer and stockman of Colfax Township, has land holdings of 475 acres and lives five and three-fourths miles south of Lamoni, Iowa on the Jefferson Highway where he has a fine modern residence.
Mr. Hurst was born a half mile south of his present home in Colfax Township, May 4, 1870. His parents were James A. and Susan C. (Justice) Hurst to whom thirteen children were born. Eight of the children are still living. James A. Hurst was born in Sangamon County, Illinois in 1834, and died in this county, September 8, 1908. He was a practical farmer all of his life. He came to Harrison County in 1865, with his mother, his wife and four children and located in Colfax Town- ship. They drove through from Illinois with a team and settled in a country that was all unbroken prairie land. Mr. Hurst built a frame house, quite a rarity in those days, which was considered one of the fine homes of the township. The timbers for the house were hauled from Price- ton, Missouri and the shingles were brought from Afton, Iowa. At that time the men who farmed were confronted by the necessity of breaking up the land and Mr. Hurst at once began this work, making as time went on, many improvements which enhanced the value of his land. Susan C. (Justice) Hurst was a native of Tennessee born in 1842. She was married in Illinois and died in Missouri in 1911.
Riley Hurst has followed the vocation of farming all of his life. He attended the district schools of the county and started out to work for himself when he was a young man. He had practical training for his life work on his father's farm of 400 acres and he at first rented land for farming. About thirty-five years ago, however, he bought 100 acres
THE HURST HOMESTEAD
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of land in Colfax Township to which he soon added the forty acres where he now lives. Later on, he added to his land as he could. Mr. and Mrs. Hurst have purchased land that now adjoin the holdings, until they have acquired the present large tract. Mr. Hurst does general farm- ing and raises stock, in both of which pursuits he has achieved success.
Riley Hurst was married on June 5, 1900, to S. Eugenia Hill, born in Caldwell County, February 6, 1872, the daughter of Morris H. and Lucy (Davis) Hill, the former a native of Boone County and the latter born in Caldwell County. Mrs. Hill died in Caldwell County in 1882, and Mr. Hill brought his children to Harrison County in 1885, where he died in 1900, at the age of fifty-nine years. To the union of Riley and S. Eugenia (Hill) Hurst one child was born; Woodson R., married to Nellie Martin and living a mile east of his father's farm. To this union two children have been born.
Mr. Hurst is a democrat in politics and his wife is a member of the Christian Church. Mr. Hurst is one of Harrison County's enterprising citizens. His marked success has been achieved because of his business insight, his integrity, and his progressive methods in his line of work. Such men build up the community of which they are a part and well merit the esteem in which they are held.
In 1919, Mr. Hurst was appointed special road commissioner of the Jefferson Highway road district of Harrison County. He has always been a strong advocate of good roads.
Dr. Lake Brewer a prominent physician of Harrison County, who is successfully engaged in the practice of her profession, at Ridgeway, is a native of Harrison County. She was born at Ridgeway, January 4, 1882, and is a daughter of George W. and Delia (Warner) Brewer, both natives of Ohio and descendants of old American families.
George W. Brewer was born in Zanesville, Ohio, May 12, 1840 and was the eldest son of William and Nancy (Hanes) Brewer. He was a druggist. Prior to coming to Ridgeway, Missouri, he lived at Danville, Illinois. He died in New Orleans in 1898.
The Brewer family was founded in America in 1633, and the first record of them is found in New York. The name was originally Brower, and they came from Holland, and Jacobus Brower was the first member of the family to come to this country.
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Nancy Hanes Brewer, mother of George W. Brewer, was a daughter of Joseph Hanes, who was born in 1750, and served in the American army with the rank of captain in the Revolutionary War.
George W. Brewer was married January 2, 1868, in Champaign County, Illinois, to Miss Delia Warner and three children were born to them as follows: Dr. Lake Brewer, the subject of this sketch ; a son born January 13, 1883, died in infancy ; and a daughter, Leaf, born November 24, 1886.
Delia Warner Brewer was born at Wooster, Ohio, in 1850, and is a daughter of Amasa and Ellsie Ann (Lowery) Warner. The Warner family date back to a very early day, in the settlement of New England. Amasa Warner, Doctor Brewer's grandfather was born in North Hamp- ton County, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Nathan Warner, who was born in Dutchess County, New York, October 31, 1765. and died in Ohio. Nathan Warner was a son of Nathan Warner, who was born in Windhan, Connecticut, in 1744. He was a son of Daniel Warner, who was born in Windhan, Connecticut, in 1714. Daniel Warner was a son of Ichabod, who was born at Northfield, Massachusetts, in 1684. He was a son of Isaac Warner, who was born in 1645, at Northfield, Massachusetts, and Isaac was a son of Andrew Warner, who was the founder of the Warner family in this country. The first mention that is found of Andrew Warner, ap- pears in the town records of Cambridge, Massachusetts, which at that time was known as "Newtowne". On January 7, 1633, and subsequent dates, the name of Andrew Warner, frequently appears. He was born in Essex County, England, in 1595, and probably came to New England in 1629. He was the son of John Warner, a prominent resident of Essex County, England.
Dr. Lake Brewer was reared in Ridgeway and attended the public schools here and was graduated from the high school in the class of 1899. This was the third class which was graduated from the Ridgeway High School. Miss Brewer, then entered the University of Missouri, at Colum- bia and was graduated in the class of 1903, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts and at the same time received a teachers life certificate. She afterwards entered the Medical Department and was graduated in 1908, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine and immediately engaged in the practice of her profession at Ridgeway and has built up a large practice. She is an able physician and is a close student of the advance made in the grcat science of medicine.
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Doctor Brewer is a Republican and was a delegate at the Republican state convention in 1920. She is a member of the Methodist Church, and holds membership in the Yoemen, P. E. O., and the Daughters of 1812. She is a member of the County, State and American Medical Association.
C. C. Fordyce, of Grant Township has been prominently identified with the development of Harrison County in various ways for a number of years. He was born near Dallas, West Virginia, July 7, 1853, a son of John and Margaret Ann (Cameron) Fordyce.
John Fordyce was a native of Stubenville, Ohio, and a son of pioneer parents of that state. Margaret Ann Cameron was a native of Scotland and came to America with her parents who returned to their native land some time after her marriage to John Fordyce. The Fordyce family came west in 1875 and settled in Iowa. The father died in Harrison County, Missouri. The mother died in Taylor County, Iowa. They were the parents of six children: Mrs. Elizabeth Potter, Bethany, Missouri; Mrs. Margaret McConnell, Washington County Pennsylvania; Mrs. Caroline Power, Spirit Lake, Iowa; C. C., the subject of this sketch; George, de- ceased and Mrs. Lou Johnson, who lives near Bedford, Iowa.
During the Civil War, John Fordyce, served in Company G, 85th Pennsylvania Infantry.
C. C. Fordyce was educated in the public schools and when about seventeen years old began working out by the month. About two years later he came to Missouri, landing at Chillicothe, and walked from there to Bethany, a distance of about fifty miles in one day. When he came to Harrison County, Mr. Fordyce had $305.00. He worked one year for eighteen dollars per month and then returned to Pennsylvania for a short time and came back to Harrison County in the spring of 1875 and was married. He farmed and rented land for two years when his wife was given eighty acres of land by her father. Later they sold that farm and bought 160 acres in Trail Creek Township. Later Mr. Fordyce sold that place at a profit of $2,000.00. He then bought a farm in Grant Township, two miles northeast of his present home and in 1889, bought the eighty upon which his residence is located. He bought more land from time to time and is now the owner of 766 acres besides some timber land. Mr. Fordyce was extensively engaged in farming and stock raising for a number of years and met with success. During recent years he has rented his land to his sons who are now successfully operating it.
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In addition to his farming operations, Mr. Fordyce has been and is still interested in a number of other enterprises in which he has invest- ments. He was one of the organizers of the First National Bank of Ridge- way, and served as president of that institution for eleven years.
Mr. Fordyce was married April 21, 1875, to Miss Ida F. Boyce, a native of Harrison County, Missouri. She was born near Blue Ridge, and was a daughter of Daniel D. Boyce, a pioneer settler of Harrison County, who came here about 1855. He served as lieutenant in the Union Army during the Civil War and for many years was prominent in Harrison County. He served as county judge and held various other offices. To Mr. and Mrs. Fordyce were born the following children: Gertrude, married C. E. Smith, Bethany Township; Bessie, married R. D. Swain, Grant Town- ship; Daniel, Oswego, Kansas; Orrie, a farmer in Sherman Township; Roy, Bethany, Missouri; Ralph, Grant Township; and Lela, married Clif- ford Polley, Sherman Township. There are fourteen grandchildren in the Fordyce family.
Mr. Fordyce is a Republican and has held a number of local offices and served as justice of the peace for four years. He and his wife are members of the Methodist Church and are among the highly respected and dependable citizens of Harrison County.
H. J. Hallock, an enterprising and progressive farmer of Grant Town- ship is a native son of Harrison County. He was born in Bethany Town- ship, August 20, 1867, a son of Uriah and Electa (Fuller) Hallock, early settlers in Harrison County.
Uriah Hallock was a native of Ohio and when a young man came west and settled in Appanoose, County, Iowa. When the Civil War broke out he enlisted in an Iowa regiment. He participated in a number of en- gagements and was severely wounded at the battle of Shiloh, which practi- cally disabled him for life. A minnie ball passed through his forearm and through his arm between the shoulder and elbow and through his side. Shortly after the war he came to Harrison County and settled east of Bethany. Here he was engaged in farming and stock raising for a number of years. He always took a prominent part in public affairs and held local office of various kind. He served as justice of the peace. He died September 13, 1918, at the age of seventy-six years and his wife departed this life September 12, 1917 and their remains are buried in the
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