USA > Missouri > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, Missouri > Part 63
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George A. Powell, president of the Citizens Bank of Eagleville and a farmer and stockman of Colfax Township where he has land holdings of 480 acres has been a resident of Harrison County for many years and is a well known citizen here.
G. A. Powell was born near Galena, Jo Daviess County, Illinois, October 14, 1857. His parents were G. B. and Eliza (Saucer) Powell to whom four children were born. All of them are dead except G. A., the subject of this review. G. B. Powell was born in Hardin County, Kentucky, March 31, 1830. His parents, Abel and Miss (Turner) Powell, both natives of Kentucky, came to Illinois in 1835 and settled in Jo Daviess County on a farm. They both died in Illinois and their remains are buried there. They were the parents of three sons: Wil-
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liam, deceased; G. B., now living with his son, the subject of this sketch ; and Milton, deceased.
In 1870, G. B. Powell came to Harrison County and settled in Lin- coln Township where he farmed until his retirement from active business life. He is a Republican and is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows lodge. He was married in 1854 to Eliza Saucer who was born in Jo Daviess County, Illinois, in 1834. She died in 1911 and her remains are buried in the Eagleville Cemetery. She was a member of the Methodist Church.
George A. Powell attended the district school in Illinois and was reared on a farm. When he was thirteen years old he came with his parents to Missouri where he has spent the remainder of his life. He owned a farm in Lincoln Township which he operated in partnership with his brother, Fred, for five years. This land is now owned by Earl Powell, a nephew of G. A. Powell. In 1893 Mr. Powell bought the Heze- kiah Herring farm of 360 acres where he is living now. He has made extensive improvements on the place and has engaged in stock buying and selling in connection with general farming. In both lines of busi- ness, Mr. Powell has been both enterprising and successful. His home is located on the Jefferson Highway two and one-half miles north of Eaglevile.
G. A. Powell was married October 21, 1893 to Ida Gilbert, born in Tazewell County, Illinois, a daughter of John and Martha (Taylor) Gil- bert, both natives of Indiana. Mr. Gilbert is dead and his widow now lives in Tazewell County, Illinois. Mrs. Powell was a teacher in the rural schools of Illinois for several years before her marriage. To the union of G. A. and Ida (Gilbert) Powell two children were born: Lenore, a graduate of the State Teachers College at Kirksville and a teacher for a number of years, is now married to Myrh Magee, of Los Angeles, Cali- fornia; and Fred, a graduate of the Eagleville High School, now em- ployed in a bank in Los Angeles, California.
George A. Powell is a Republican and is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. In 1900 he assisted John Barber in the organization of the Citizens Bank at Eagleville. He is a stockholder in that institution and is also its president. His wide acquaintance in the county and his varied interests have made him a valuable officer in the bank. Mr. Powell has always been a progressive farmer and a far- sighted business man and is reckoned as one of the efficient and sub- stantial citizens of his community.
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William Warren Little, a well known farmer and stockman of Col- fax Township, is the owner of two farms and has a new, modern house on Jefferson Highway. He has 240 acres of land in Missouri and 60 acres in Decatur County, Iowa. Mr. Little belongs to one of the pio- neer families of the county and has lived here since he was one and one- half years old. His father and mother were pioneers, first in Missouri, and later in Iowa and the family name has been well and favorably known in these two states for many years.
W. W. Little was born near Madison, Wisconsin, April 25, 1855. His parents were James M. and Elizabeth Daliah (Forster) Little. They had eight children, five of whom are still living. James M. Little was born in Monroe County, Ohio, June 25, 1830. He went to Wisconsin in 1854 and came to Harrison County in 1856 and rented land in Colfax Tow- ship for several years. During the Civil War he bought a farm in De- catur County, Fayette Township, Iowa which he operated until his death, February 11, 1896. His wife was born in Pennsylvania, April 10, 1832 and died in California in 1912.
William Warren Little attended the district school and grew up on the farm. His father was a invalid and had little to give his chil- dren. Mr. Little therefore started as a poor boy and began early to make his own way in the world. He helped break up the wild prairie land and worked hard for his success. He bought forty acres of land from his father in the fall of 1876 and added to this as he could until he completed the work of purchasing his present holdings. Mr. Little has been raising stock for many years and he attributes much of his success to that line of work.
W. W. Little was married on November 8, 1877 to Martha C. Graham, born in Wisconsin, March 11, 1859 and to this union five children were born: Mabel G., wife of Harry Wilcoxson of Colfax Township; Letha D., married to James Hart of Colfax Township; Nora, wife of Henry Brooks, also living in Colfax Township; James Otis, living in Decatur County, Iowa; and Glenn G. of Colfax Township. Mrs. Little died September 14 1916. On October 15, 1919 Mr. Little married Mae Lillian Graham, born in Wayne Wisconsin, a cousin of Martha C. (Graham) Little. Mrs. Mae Lillian (Graham) Little is a graduate of the State University at Madison, Wisconsin and was a teacher for a number of years before her marriage. She was the head of the department of mathematics in the Wausau High School, Wausau, Wiscousin, for several years. Her parents were
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Charles W. and Margaret (Hay) Graham. Mr. Graham was a native of Jefferson County, Missouri and Mrs. Graham was born near Glasgow, Scotland. They lived in Warren, Illinois for many years and are now dead. Mr. Little has six grandchildren.
Mr. Little is a Democrat and is identified with the United Brethern Church. He has served as a member of the school board of District No. 11 for twenty years. He is a man who has made a marked success in life by his own efforts. He was ambitious and determined and these qualities added to his integrity made possible the carrying out of his enterprises.
R. F. Richardson, well known as an enterprising farmer of Colfax Township where he owns 240 acres of land, is a native of Harrison County. His family for three generations have been successful farmers here and Mr. Richardson received therefore a most efficient traning in all of the work that pertains to the successful operation of a farm while he was growing up.
R. F. Richardson was born in Colfax Township, July 24, 1864. His parents were John B. and Abigail (Bridges)' Richardson whose chil- dren were: Charles, deceased; Mary E., wife of Silas Dale of Dallas, Texas; Albert I., deceased, a review of whose life appears in this vol- ume; R. F., the subject of this sketch; and Nettie, married to W. A. Fulkerson of Boise, Idaho.
John B. Richardson was born in Hart County, Kentucky, in 1841 and came to Harrison County when he was a lad of thirteen with his parents, Paschal and Miss (Wardup) Richardson, both natives of Hart County, Kentucky. John B. Richardson married Abigail Bridges in 1860. She was born in Indiana. They lived on their farm in Colfax Township and were successful in their work. Mr. Richardson was a republican in politics and served as justice of the peace in the township. He died in 1919 and his widow, now eighty-one years old, is living at Blythedale.
R. F. Richardson attended the district school and was reared on the farm. He rented land from his father for the first two years after he started to work for himself. After his marriage he went to Eagle- ville where his father-in-law gave Mrs. Richardson seventy acres of land. This land Mr. Richardson sold two years later and bought eighty- three and one-half acres in Section Seventeen in Colfax Township. Five
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years later he sold this farm and in 1894 he bought his present farm of 240 acres of land, eighty acres of which is timber. Mr. Richardson has made extensive improvements. He has operated a handle factory on his farm for several years. He installed a lathe which he uses to make the handles for axes, hammers and such tools, using only native timber for the handles. Mr. Richardson has achieved success in this work and now ships his products to many states in the union.
R. F. Richardson was married December 25, 1887 to Lana Dale, born in Kentucky in 1867, the daughter of James and Elizabeth (Shir- ley) Dale, early settlers of this county and both now dead. To the union of R. F. and Lana (Dale) Richardson the following children were born: Earl, living in Colfax Township; Clair, also of Colfax Township; Ruth, at home with her father and the oldest child who died in infancy.
Mr. Richardson is identified with the Republican party and is a member of the United Brethern Church. He was cashier of the Citizens Bank at Blythedale from 1911 to 1915 and is now a director of that institution. He has served his community in various official capacities and the fact that he has been frequently reelected attests to his effi- ciency. He was township collector in Colfax Township for six years; clerk and assessor for four years; trustee for four years; and is now serving as clerk and assessor.
Since the death of his wife, February 9, 1919, Mr. Richardson's daughter, Ruth, has kept house for him. He is a man who has versatile abilities and wide range of interests, and in all of his activities he has been successful.
E. E. Haskins, a prominent farmer and stockman of Colfax Town- ship, is of English parentage but has lived in Missouri for practically all of his life. He was born in Canada, February 22, 1874, the son of Myron J. and Helen (Simpson) Haskins.
Myron J. Haskins was born in New York State, September 13, 1844 and moved to Canada with his parents. On December 19, 1865 he was married to Helen Simpson, born in Prince Edward Province, Canada, March 16, 1848 and they came to Missouri with their family in 1880 and located on the farm now owned by their son, E. E. Haskins. They were the parents of six children: Mabel C., wife of J. T. Whittig of Cald- well, Idaho; Charles E., of Lamoni, Iowa; Melvin E., living at Skiatook, Oklahoma; Mary H., died January 29, 1892; E. E., the subject of this
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review; and Roy E., now living at Lamoni, Iowa. Myron J. Haskins was a republican in politics and was a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He was highly esteemed by the community where he lived and was elected to serve in various official capacities in the township. He was justice of the peace for a while and was a member of the township board. He was also an elder in the church with which he was identified. He died January 17, 1896. His widow died December 21, 1920.
E. E. Haskins was only six years old when his parents came to Harrison County. He attended the district schools and began work for himself when he was twenty-two years old. He operated a part of the estate for his mother for a while, then rented a farm for a few years. In 1916 he bought 120 acres of land and later became heir to some land so that his holdings are now 319 acres, all well improved. Mr. Haskins raises Duroc hogs and has been successful in that work.
On December 13, 1896 Mr. Haskins was married to Mabel Earley who was born in Kewanee, Illinois, February 4, 1881. She was the daughter of William and Sarah (Whitehouse) Earley, both natives of England who left their native country in 1863 after their marriage. They settled first in Illinois but moved to Decatur County, Iowa in 1889 They also lived in this county for a short time. They were the parents of thirteen children, Mrs. Haskins being the twelfth child born to them. Both Mr. and Mrs. Earley are dead and their remains are buried in Andover, Missouri.
To the union of E. E. and Mabel (Earley) Haskins seven children were born: Malcolm, trained for service in the World War at Camp Funston, Kansas and later was in training in Detroit when the armis- vice was signed, now living in Colfax Township; Iva E., married to Garland Wendell, of Bethany; Miriam, wife of Everett Wilcoxson of Colfax Township; Clayton Boyd, died in infancy; and Velton, Crystal, and Arlo, are living at home. Mr. and Mrs. Haskins have one grand- child, Fay Louise Haskins.
E. E. Haskins is a republican and is a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in which he is an elder. He is serving his third term as a justice of the peace and member of the township board. Mr. Haskins is a reliable and substantial citizen and an efficient officer of his township. He is enterprising and pro- gressive in his work and can always be depended upon to further the cause of civic welfare.
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J. O. Ballew, a prominent farmer and stockman of Hamilton Town- ship, is the owner of Hillsdale Stock Farm, embracing 280 acres of well improved land. Mr. Ballew belongs to one of the pioneer families of the county, his grandparents having entered land here from the government in early days. Mr. Ballew was born in Hamilton Township, March 8, 1881, the son of George W. and Emira E. (Allen) Ballew.
George W. Ballew was born in Howard County, Missouri, April 19, 1846 and followed the vocation of farming all of his life. His parents were William W. and Mary Ann (Taylor) Ballew, both natives of Mis- souri. They came to Harrison County in 1883 and took up land in Union Township. This was unbroken prairie then and the land had to be broken up with teams of oxen. It meant a life of untiring effort but the pioneers were inured to toil and privation and found their happi- ness in their successful work on the land.
George W. Ballew was married on December 4, 1870 to Emira E. Allen, born August 8, 1853 at Bethany, the daughter of Alston and Emily (Duncanson) Allen, the former born in Overton County, Tennessee and the latter in Livingston County, Kentucky. Mr. Allen was a car- penter and lived in Bethany where he and his wife reared a family of four children. One son is now dead. Mrs. Ballew is a member of the Christian church and now makes her home at Eagleville. George W. Ballew died May 28, 1910.
To George W. and Emira E. (Allen) Ballew six children were born: N. B., a garage owner at Eagleville; J. O., the subject of this review; Lewis, living in Union Township; Walter W., of Hamilton Township; Clarence, deceased; Bessie, wife of Jess Barrett of Independence, Mis- souri.
J. O. Ballew was reared on a farm and has been connected with farm affairs all of his life. He obtained his education in the rural schools and in 1902 bought his present farm where he has made ex- tensive improvements. He has built a new house which is equipped with electricity. For the last eight years Mr. Ballew has been inter- ested in the breeding of Percheron horses and jacks. In this line of work he has achieved a marked success; the jacks that he showed at the Harrison County Fair in 1919 won the first prize and the grand champion prize.
J. O. Ballew was married in February, 1901, to Grace Hunsicker, born in November, 1884, a daughter of Charles B. and Jemima (Loy)
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Hunsicker, of Hamilton Township. A sketch of the life of Mr. Hun- sicker may be found in this volume. To the union of J. O. and Grace (Hunsicker) Ballew five children were born: Clyde, deceased; Mabel, Lucille, Carl and Roberta May, all at home.
Mr. Ballew is a Republican in his political views and is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a reliable young man who is making a success of his undertakings because of his spirit of pro- gressiveness and his business foresight.
D. H. McLain, a substantial farmer and stockman of Hamilton Town- ship and the owner of 265 acres of well improved land, is a native of Harrison County where he has spent all of his life. He was born in Clay Township, December 17, 1871. His parents were D. F. and Mamie (Sylvester) Mclain.
D. F. McLain was born in Knox County, Ohio, July 26, 1846 and was engaged in farming all of his life. After the close of the Civil War he came to Harrison County and settled in Clay Township where he bought, fed and shipped live stock in connection with his general farm work. He became a well known stockman of the community. He was married the first time in 1870 at Albany, Missouri, to Mamie Sylvester, born in Meigs County, Ohio, April 19, 1852. To this union three children were born: D. H., the subject of this sketch; Hortense, deceased; and Finley, deceased. Mamie (Sylvester) McLain died in 1881 and Mr. McLain was married the second time in 1884 to Theodosia Sylvester, a sister of his first wife. Mr. McLain was a Democrat and a member of the Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows. He died May 30, 1898 and his widow now lives with D. H. McLain.
D. H. McLain was reared in Clay Township and came to Hamilton Township in 1900 where he bought his present farm on which he has made several improvements. He has operated his farm with success and has dealt in stock also with success.
D. H. McLain was married March 21, 1900, to Eva Greenwood, born in Clay Township, the daughter of Daniel and Hester (Marshall) Green- wood. Daniel Greenwood was born in Indiana and his wife was a native of Kentucky. They were the parents of thirteen children of whom eight grew to maturity. Mrs. McLain, the eighth child born, was a twin. Daniel Greenwood and his wife were early settlers in this county. They
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lived on the Grand River and it was necessary to work hard to make a living for the family. To the union of D. H. and Eva (Greenwood) McLain four children were born: Dwight D., Ned N., Hugh H., and Paul D., all living at home.
Mr. McLain is a Democrat in politics and is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons at Eagleville. He has served as col- lector and trustee of the township. Mr. McLain is a man who is highly esteemed in his community. He is an enterprising farmer and an efficient citizen.
George I. Huitt, farmer and stockman of Hamilton Township, is the owner of 140 acres of well improved land and is well known in the town- ship as a man of integrity and industry. He was born in Union Town- ship, this county, January 10, 1872. His parents were Israel and Susan Rebecca (Davis) Huitt.
Israel Huitt was born in Ohio, March 29, 1850. He was a hard working farmer all of his life and always rented the land which he farmed. He lived in Iowa for a short time and came with his parents to Harrison County later. His father was Jefferson Huitt and he mar- ried a Miss Maxline. They settled in Washington Township and re- mained there. Israel Huitt, however, went west in the 70's and home- steaded land in Nebraska but soon returned to Harrison County. He married Susan Rebecca Davis who was born in Union Township, April 2, 1853. To their union eleven children were born, two of whom are now dead. George I., the subject of this review was the oldest child. Israel Huitt died in Hamilton Township, January 19, 1914 and his widow now resides at Eagleville.
George I. Huitt attended the district schools of Iowa and Missouri. His first school was at Davis City, Iowa, where his parents lived for one year. He began work for himself as a farm hand at ten dollars a month. He continued to receive this salary for two years. In 1896 after his marriage he began operating rented land and in 1901 he moved to Hamil- ton Township where he bought his present farm in 1904. He has im- proved this land and, besides conducting a general farm, has raised stock with success.
Mr. Huitt was married September 1, 1895 to Belle Harrold, born in Marion Township, May 21, 1878. She was the daughter of Jesse and
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Sarah C. (Preston) Harrold, the former a native of Indiana and the latter born in Ohio. They were married in Missouri after the close of the Civil War. Mr. Harrold is a veteran of the Civil War and now lives on a farm in Marion Township. To the union of George I. and Belle (Harrold) Huitt six children were born, four of whom died in infancy. The remaining two are Gladys L. and Garland L., both living at home.
Mr. Huitt is a Republican and is a member of the Christian Church. He is also a member of the Knights of Pythias lodge. Mr. Huitt is an enterprising man who has made his success in life entirely by his own efforts. Such men are always an asset to a community which they have helped build up.
R. L. Martin, the owner of three farms, comprising 480 acres in Hamilton Township, is a native of Harrison County, where he was born in Colfax Township, April 27, 1858. The Martin name appears in the annals of the county in the early '50s when William D. Martin, father of the subject of this review, homesteaded land here. The Martin his- tory is therefore the story of the growth of the county from pioneer days to the present.
William D. Martin was born in Tennessee, June 14, 1821. Upon coming to Harrison . County he took up eighty acres of land in Colfax Township, later buying forty acres more. Here he farmed until his death in November 20, 1898. He was a well known man of his time and served his township as constable and road overseer for many years. He was married twice, the first time to Sarah Owens, a native of Barnes County, Kentucky. To this union seven children were born: Lucinda, was married and is now deceased; John W., deceased; Singleton W., deceased; Nancy Jane, now Mrs. McCormick, of Pleasanton, Iowa; a daughter who died in infancy; R. L., the subject of this sketch; and George W., deceased. Mrs. Martin died in 1865 and Mr. Martin then married Anna Owens, a cousin to his first wife, and to this union five children were born: Emmett, now living in Kansas; Fannie, now Mrs. H. Young, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Lena, married to Dean Creamer, of Eagleville; Clara. deceased; and Clarence, accidentally killed at his home in Iowa, near Lamoni, October 11, 1921.
R. L. Martin grew up amidst the privations of the early life on the frontier and, during his life, has watched the country pass through the
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various stages of transmutation up to the present highly organized civic body that makes up the county. Mr. Martin is a practical and pro- gressive farmer. Of his three farms, he chose as a residence the one nearest a shipping point, Blythedale. He raises high grade Jersey Duroc hogs and Hereford cattle and has been successful in this line of work.
Mr. Martin was married to Minnie B. Miller on April 2, 1892 and to this union four children were born: Murryl, Ralph, Ray and Harry, all living at home.
Mr. Martin is a Republican and is a member of the modern Wood- men of America lodge. He is a stockholder in the Blythedale Creamery. He is a reliable citizen who is highly esteemed by his fellow citizens in the township.
Charles Girdner, cashier of the First National Bank of Cainsville, is a member of a family whose name has been well known in Harrison County for three generations. His grandfather, Joseph Girdner, was a native of Kentucky, and came with his wife, Anna (Prichard) Girdner, to Missouri, settling here when the country was still wild prairie land and rearing a family of five boys and three girls on their home place in Mercer County.
John R. Girdner, a son of Joseph and Anna (Prichard) Girdner, was born in Mercer County and grew to manhood on the farm. He owned a great deal of land and farmed for many years in Trail Creek Township. He also fed cattle. He married Mariah Isabelle Grandlee, a native of Pennsylvania. They are living now in Princeton. Their children were: George E., a lumber dealer of Cainsville, a sketch of whom appears in this volume; Jennie, deceased, was married to Stoton Boxley; Bessie M., now the wife of Fred Clements, of Princeton; Cleo, living with her par- ents at Princeton; and Charles, the subject of this review, who was the third child born to his parents.
Charles Girdner was born in Trail Creek Township, Harrison County, five miles south of Cainsville, September 14, 1878 and was reared on the farm. He attended the Ross district school and the Princeton High School and, in 1904, he entered the Eastman Business College at Pough- keepsie, New York, and later graduated there. He came home and farmed until the organization of the First National Bank when he ac- cepted a position in it.
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The First National Bank of Cainsville was organized September 13, 1906 with a capital stock of $25,000.00. The bank has maintained the same capital stock and has a surplus of $20,000.00 and undivided profits of $7,000.00. The building in which the business is done is owned by the bank and the stockholders are farmers of Harrison County and busi- ness men of Cainsville. The officers were: J. R. Girdner, president ; A. J. Bush, vice president; R. W. Boeger, cashier; Charles Girdner, assistant cashier.
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