USA > Missouri > Cooper County > History of Howard and Cooper counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages : together with a condensed history of Missouri, a reliable and detailed history of Howard and Cooper counties-- its pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens, general and local statistics of great value, incidents and reminiscences > Part 115
USA > Missouri > Howard County > History of Howard and Cooper counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages : together with a condensed history of Missouri, a reliable and detailed history of Howard and Cooper counties-- its pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens, general and local statistics of great value, incidents and reminiscences > Part 115
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
ward McPherson, of Boonville ; the eldest sister, Ann Quarles, wife of James Quarles, died in Boonville, in 1850 ; the brothers - Addison died in St. Louis, of cholera, in 1848; and William died of yellow fever, in Mississippi, in 1853. Mr. and Mrs. R. have been members of the Christian church since 1863, and prior to that were connected with the Baptist church. He is also a member of the P. of HI. At the age of three-score and ten, less two years, Mr. Mills is still vigor- ous and active in mind and body.
HUNTER N. MILLS,
farmer, section 26. By reference to Henry. W. Mills' sketch it will be seen that Hunter N. is the seventh of the former's family of ten living children, and was born November 7, 1849. The son remained with his family until 1875, when, being then twenty-six years of age, and having married the year previous, he settled on his present place, a comfortable homestead of 220 acres, which he has well improved. Since then he has been prosecuting his farm affairs with great energy, and has justly won the reputation of being one of the enterprising, successful young farmers of the township. He grows over 150 acres of grain annually, about four-fifths of which is wheat, and he also raises considerable numbers of stock, mainly hogs and cattle. He was mar- ried October 7, 1874, to Miss Ella Thomas, daughter of Doctor Thomas, now of Greenwood, Jackson county, but for a number of years a prominent physician of this county. She was born near Pis- gah, this county, April 2, 1853. They have a family of three inter- esting children : Mabel Gray, aged seven years; Irene Vibert, aged four years, and William Robert, aged two years. Mrs. Mills is a member of the Baptist denomination, and he is a member of the Christian denomination and of the Patrons of Husbandry.
JOHN J. MILLS,
farmer, section 23. Mr. Mills is of German nativity, having been born in Hanover, Germany, March 22, 1822. When quite a young man he entered into the royal army of his native kingdom and served something over a year, participating during that time in the war with Denmark. But in 1852 he came to this country and made his perma- ment home in Cooper county. The first year after his arrival here he worked with Benjamin Hawkins and helped build a bridge over the Petite Saline at the Lick. The following two years he worked in the mill at Big Lick for Mr. Gooch, and at about the expiration of this time was married, in October, 1855, to Miss Louisa, daughter of
1153
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
Theobold Miller, of this county, but originally of Prussia. He then engaged in farming, buying eighty acres of land, and by industry and good management has achieved excellent success as a farmer. He has increased his possessions until now his place contains about 300 acres of good land, and he grows annually over 100 acres of grain, besides raising some stock. During the war Mr. Mills was a mem- ber of the Missouri state militia, and in 1864 enlisted in the 45th Missouri infantry, under Colonel Murphy, doing service principally in Missouri and Tennessee. Mr. Mills' first wife died, leaving him four children : Charles L., married Miss Roxy Shipley, January 18, 1880; Mary, wife of Henry Tine ; John A. and Louisa W., now at home. Subsequently he married Miss Margaret Miller, sister of his first wife. She died ten years afterwards, leaving three children : Sophia, Catherine and Sarah, all at home. His present wife was for- merly Mrs. Elvina, widow of John Jacobs. She is a member of the Methodist church, and a very worthy lady.
THOMAS MITCHELL,
farmer. For nearly three-quarters of a century the Mitchell family has been identified with the material development and agricultural in- terests of Cooper county. Its representatives for three generations have ranked among the substantial and well-to-do farmers of the county, and of these Thomas Mitchell, the subject of this sketch, and the grandson of the old pioneer of the family to the county, Thomas Mitchell, is by no means the least worthy. He was born iu Cooper county, near Boonville, Missouri, April 12, 1822. Starting, out in life for himself at a comparatively early age, and relying almost en- tirely upon his own exertions to make his way in the world, he de- voted himself to farming, and went to work with a degree of energy and resolution that could not fail to produce substantial and satisfac- tory results. Accordingly, he soon became possessed of an excellent farm of his own, and for years he has held a position among the most progressive farmers of the county. He has made a specialty of wheat growing, and he it was who first introduced into this county the cele- brated Fultz variety of wheat, which has resulted in so much advan- tage and profit to farmers, and, in fact, to all classes in the county. He raises annually about 100 acres of this variety of wheat, and, as an evidence of his success in wheat growing, the fact should be stated that for six years in succession he has raised as much as twenty-five bushels to the acre on the same ground. Mr. Mitchell was married on the 15th of February, 1848, to Miss Elizabeth Pulliam, of Boone
1154
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
county. They have been blessed with three children, but two of whom, however, are now living : James P. and Flora. The second child, William P., died in infancy, in 1855, aged twenty months. James P. is married, and resides with his father. Mr. Mitchell was the eldest of a family of eight children of William N. and Margaret Mitchell. Wil- liam N., the father, was born in East Tennessee January 20, 1799, and when seventeen years of age came with his parents to Cooper county, who immigrated here in 1816. His father, Thomas Mitchell, Sr., was originally from Virginia. His mother's maiden name was Elizabeth Moran. They are believed to be the first family that drove through to this part of the state from the Mississippi, on the south side of the Missouri river. They crossed the Petite Saline at a ford near where Hurt's bridge now stands. He died on his homestead near Boonville August 13, 1839. His wife preceded him to the grave nearly twenty years, having died October 27, 1820. He was a successful farmer, and took a zealous interest in public affairs. He was a devoted par- tisan of General Jackson. Of his family of four sons, including Wil- liam N., the father of Thomas, Jr., all of whom became influential citizens, none are now living. William N. died May 7, 1865, pre- ceded to the grave by his wife ( formerly Miss Margaret Miller, daugh- ter of Judge James Miller, one of the first members of the county court ), November 21, 1862. She was born in Mecklenburg county, North Carolina, June 2, 1803. They were married August 17, 1820. Both William N. and his wife were kind and good neighbors, and were highly esteemed by all who knew them. Mr. Thomas Mitchell, Jr., and wife, have been worthy and exemplary members of the Bap- tist church at Boonville for the last thirty years.
Z. R. NEAL,
farmer and miller, section 7. Z. R. Neal was the second of a family of seven children of Rev. Minor and Nancy ( Amick ) Neal, for many ycars residents of this and Morgan county. The father was a min- ister of the Cumberland Presbyterian church for twenty-five years, and up to the time of his death, in August, 1878. The mother is still living, and resides near Otterville. Rev. Minor Neal was a native of Kentucky, but came to this county early in life, where, excepting fifteen years' residence in Morgan county, he continued to live until his death. He was twice married. His first wife survived her mar- riage but a short time, and by his second he reared his family of children : Margaret E., wife of W. R. Spencer; Z. R., May W., wife of Samuel Hickson ; James R., George M., Louisa J., wife of
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
B. F. Young, and Thomas L. Z. R. Neal was brought up to the occupation of a farmer, which he has since followed. He rented land up to 1882, when he bought his present homestead. Of his farm there are over 200 acres in the bottom. He raises about 100 acres of wheat, and about seventy-five acres of corn, besides other cereal products. March 18, 1875, Mr. Neal was married to Miss May E., daughter of John Fluke, of this county. They have one child, William, aged four years ; one is dead, John M., aged eighteen months. Mr. N. is also interested in saw-milling, having had a mill since the fall of 1882. He is a member of the Cumberland Presby- terian church.
P. C. NUCKOLS.
If commencing in the world without means or other advantages, accumulating a comfortable estate by one's own industry, maintaining his family in comfort, and, through all, preserving a name above reproach, may be said to constitute a worthy and successful life, then the life of Mr. Nuckols may be justly so characterized. He came to this county in 1869, then a young man twenty years of age, having been born in Goochland county, Virginia, February 1st, 1849, and began here as a farm laborer, working by the month. He is now the owner of the well-known Walker farm, near Overton, containing three hundred acres of fine bottom land-one of the choice farms of the county. He first worked a year for Mr. J. K. Ragland, then a year for Dabuey Jordon, of Howard county, and after this followed overseeing three years. Having married December 3d, 1873, after overseeing, he rented land of Mr. Ragland, and farmed on his own account two years. Removing then to the Walker farm, he kept vig- orously at work, economizing and managing to the best advantage, and in Ferbruary, 1882, bought the place entire, and became its owner and proprietor. Still comparatively a young man and full of energy, directed by good judgment, he has every promise of becom- ing one of the first farmers of Cooper county. He now produces annually over 200 acres of grain, and is making a fine beginning in stock raising. His wife, who has contributed not a little to his suc- cess, by industry and good management of their domestic affairs, was formerly a Miss Zerelda J., daughter of Fountain and Catherine Brushwood, of Boone county. She is also niece of Mrs. James Farris, of this county. They have one child, Mattie Belle, aged 6 years. One is dead, an infant, Bettie, aged 14 months. Mr. Nuckols s a member of the Baptist church. He has been a member of the A.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
O. U. W. three years. His parents, George P. and Martha ( Craw- ford) Nuckols, are still residents of Virginia, where they were both born and raised.
ULRICH OERLY,
farmer, section 33. Mr. Oerly was a son of Christian and Mary ( Hans- wirth ) Oerly of Switzerland, where he himself was born June 21,1827. He, with his father and family, came to this country in 1850, and settled in Ohio, where the father died in 1851. Two years afterwards Ulrich came to Moniteau county and lived there until 1865 and then came to Cooper county and located on his present farm. It contains over 300 acres of good land, and he has it comfortably improved. He gives his attention to wheat growing, and raising sheep and hogs, in all of which he has had excellent success. He was married April 13, 1852, to Miss Margaret Gather, of Tuscarawas county, Ohio, but originally of Switzerland. They have had a family of nine children, eight of whom are still living. Mary died in infancy, John, married Elizabeth Misch- ler ; Emanuel, married Mary Mischler ; who died in February, 1882, Samuel, married Mary Grauch ; Mary, married Adam Schilb ; William Ferdinand, Charles and Frederick. Mr. Oerly served in the militia during the war. He is an industrious, well-to-do farmer and well re- spected citizen.
JOHN PURSLEY,
farmer, section 28. Ahont the beginning of the present century John Pursley, the grandfather of the subject of this sketch, then a young man, came from South Carolina, where he had been born and reared, and made his home in Illinois, then a territory. He there married and lived opposite St. Louis a number of years in what is known as the American bottom. But as early as 1815 he removed to this county with his family. He first settled on what is now known as the Wool- dridge farm, and afterwards, in about 1830, on the present John S. Campbell farm, where he and his wife lived until their deaths, she dy- ing about 1848 ; he about 1854. They reared a family of seven chil- dren : Rua, died unmarried ; Caroline, late wife of John Lamb ; Gar- vin, deceased father of our subject ; John, died unmarried ; Robert, died in boyhood ; Joseph, died in 1875, and Ann, wife of Elijah Beg- ley, of Cedar county. Garvin, the third of this family, after he grew up was married to Miss Margaret, daughter of Charles Clark, of this county, in about 1842. The first two years of their married life was spent in Cedar county, this state. They then settled on a farm on the Saline in this county, but in Jannary, 1852, his wife died, leaving him
1157
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
a family of three children, two, Robert and Joseph, having died in infancy. Those living were : Louisa, wife of Smith Campbell, of Moniteau county ; Charles, died July 24, 1867, aged twenty-one, and Johu, the subject of this sketch. In 1855 the father married again, Miss Sarah Taylor then becoming his wife. Three children resulted from this union : Preston W., Ulysses G. and Perry T. He died Feb- ruary 12, 1882, in his sixty-third year, having been born in St. Clair county, Illinois, April 9, 1819. His last wife still survives him. John, his only surviving son by his first marriage, was born July 26, 1848. He was reared on his father's farm, and received a practical education in youth in the neighborhood schools. January 16, 1870, he was married to Miss Julia, daughter of Enoch Rector. She was born in Cedar county, December 29, 1849. Five years after their marriage they lived on his father's homestead in this county, but in 1875 they settled on their present place, a good farm of 160 acres of land, com- fortably and substantially improved. Mr. Pursley is an industrious farmer, and is well respected as a neighbor. They have three children : Beulah, aged twelve years ; Ernest, aged nine years, and Earle, aged five years.
WILLIAM RAGLAND,
farmer and stock dealer. William M. Ragland, the father of William, the subject of this sketch, and J. Kelly Ragland, his brother, came to this country at a comparatively early day from Virginia, in which state they were born and reared, and purchased a thousand acres of land in Saline township, a part of which was the old " Governor Miller farm." William M. Ragland was married near Bunceton, this county, to Miss Bettie, daughter of James Quarles, formerly of Louisa county, Vir- ginia. Of their family of children, William, the subject of the present sketch, was born June 18, 1857. On account of the unsettled condition of affairs during the war, William R. Ragland removed with his family to St. Louis, where he died a short time before the restora- tion of peace. His widow subsequently became the wife of Richard P. Rider, president of Steven's college, of Columbia, Missouri, where she now resides. J. Kelly Ragland, the brother, married Miss Maria, daughter of Dr. Buckner. She died, however, some time afterwards. The land J. Kelly Ragland and his brother purchased, they improved in a superior manner for the purpose of stock raising, which they carried on on a large scale. J. Kelly remained in Cooper county until his death, which occurred in November, 1882. He was one of the leading stock men of central Missouri and was, besides, a man of supe-
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
rior education and fine business qualifications. After a long and active life, he died with as many friends and as few enemies as any man who ever passed away within the border of this county. He left a large estate at his death, appraised at nearly $100,000, which was divided among his relations. William Ragland, the subject of this sketch, and his brother James, own the farm of their late uncle, one of the finest landed estates in the county. They are extensively engaged in grain growing and stock raising, and are among the most prominent agriculturalists in these lines. William Ragland was married Septem- ber 21, 1882, to Miss Ella E., daughter of W. G. Hayes, of Saline township. They settled on the " Kelly Ragland farm," in February of the present year. Both are worthy members of the church.
A. F. SANGER,
merchant and postmaster, Gooch's Mill. Mr. Sanger was a lad of twelve years when his parents, Dominique and Christiana Sanger, emigrated from Silesia, Prussia, to this country in 1859, and located in Boonville, he having been born in " the dear old Fatherland beyond the Rhine," March 6, 1847. His father died here in 1873, and his mother followed her life partner into the mysteries of death in 1880. The son spent his youth partly in this city and partly in St. Louis, here working at the potter's trade, there employed in a rectifying establishment, and for two years he travelled for J. M. Jeggler. In the fore-winter of 1863 he enlisted in the union service, and was an attache of the Rolla supply train, and wore the blue for about ten months. He enlisted again in the fall of 1864 at St. Louis, and was stationed at Little Rock, Arkansas, until July, 1865. Up to 1874 he was engaged in various lines of business, always active and full of energy, and in February of that year he took charge of the large business establishment of Meistrell & Smith, at Gooch's Mill, which he has since conducted, and with the most gratifying success. This is one of the largest business houses in the eastern part of the county, and enjoys an extensive and rapidly increasing trade. Mr. Sanger is essentially a self-made and self-educated man, and he has made him- self one of the best qualified and most thorough-going business men of the county. He has been postmaster for a number of years, and is exceptionally popular with all who know him. He was married November 12, 1872, in Boonville, to Miss Mary T., daughter of Joseph and Catharine Spady. She was born July 8, 1851. They have no children of their own, but have an adopted daughter, Mary (Nelson), they are rearing. Mr. Sanger has a neat farm of nearly
1159.
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
a quarter section of low land about two miles southwest of the mill. He is a member of the Catholic church at Boonville.
JACOB SCHILB,
farmer, section 34. Jacob Schilb, Sr., the father of the subject of this sketch, followed the trade of carpentry in Bavaria, Germany, of which country he was a native, and he there lived until his immigra- tion to America in 1847. He was married in Bavaria to Miss Marga- ret Miller, and of this union there were five children, four sons and a daughter, Margaret, who subsequently became the wife of Henry Myers, in this county, and died some two years afterwards. The sons are all living and are residents of the same neighborhood, all substantial and well respected citizens. They are as follows : Jacob, Adam, Theobald D. (or David), and Frederick. The father and family located on the farm where Jacob now lives shortly after their arrival in this country. They had been on the way from Germany over five months, a journey of remarkable length in the time occupied, during which they passed through varied and trying experiences. The father died on his farm in about nine years after his location. up- on it, the date of his death being June 30, 1856. The mother, how- ever, survived until the 30th of December, 1875, when she followed her husband to the grave. He was an industrious, good farmer, a worthy citizen, and a generous and kind neighbor. Jacob Schilb, the eldest son, was born November 24, 1825, and was, therefore, about thirty-three years of age when his parents came to this country. He became a resident of Cooper county in 1852. Farming has.con- stituted his principal occupation, and he now has a neat farm, com- fortably and substantially improved. The following year after his arrival here, he was married, May 29, 1853, to Miss Anna B. Kise- ling, originally of Bavaria. They have had a family of seven children, . two of whom are dead - Barbara dying at the age of three years, and Sophia in infancy. Those living are : Margaret, wife of Aug. Stock ; Elizabeth, wife of George Stock ; Mary, widow of Alex. Stock ; Caro- line and Mamie, both at home and unmarried. Mr. S. and his family are members of the Evangelical church at Pleasaut Green.
ADAM SCHILB,
farmer, section 32. Thirty-three years Mr. Schilb has been a resident of Cooper county, and these three decades and more of the flower of his life have been devoted to honest, untiring indastry, resulting not less in the material development and prosperity of the county than
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
in his own comfortable situation in life. His fine farm of nearly three-quarters of a section of land is but a fraction of what he has made, it is only what he has saved, and bears the same ratio to the aggregate value of his services that the net profits of a business house bear to the aggregate volume of its business. Who will un- dertake to estimate the worth of such men to a country? Starting out in life without anything but his own brawn and brain, for a num- ber of years he worked in a pottery for Wesley Williamson, grad- nally paying for and making a farm to which he ultimately turned his whole attention, and now he is one of the substantial farmers and comfortably situated citizens of the county, and has been for years. He was married March 1, 1853, to Miss Barbara, daughter of Leon- ard Beltz, brought by her parents from Bavaria to this county. They have eight children, and have lost two ; Adam, married Mary Oerly ; Catherine, died in infancy ; William, died aged fifteen years ; Jacob, Theobold, Franz, Barbara, Elizabeth, Lonisa and Mary. He and wife are both members of the Evangelical church at Pleasant Green. Mr. Schilb's parents, Jacob and Margaret ( Miller ) Schilb had a family of five children, of whom Adam, the subject of this sketch, was the second, having been born January 14, 1828. In the sketch of the eldest brother, Jacob, will be given further particulars of the father's family. Space, however, may be spared here to mention that Theo- dore David, oue of the younger of the sons, is also a well-to-do farmer and a self-made man and resides near the subject of this sketch. He was born October 10, 1833. He commenced in life for himself by learning the blacksmith's trade with David Ferce in Boon- ville, and worked there three years. He then put up a shop of his own on a piece of land he bought, and followed blacksmithing and farming together until about the close of the late war. Since that time he has given his whole attention to farming. His place contains about 200 acres of choice land, and is well improved. He raises both grain and stock for the general markets and is a worthy brother of Adam as a farmer and citizen. As a neighbor and friend he is more than ordinarily hospitable and kind. He was married August 31, 1857, to Miss Catherine Youngk, a young lady formerly of Indiana, born Oc- tober 15, 1839. They have been blessed with twelve children : Da- vid, Henry, Margaret, Frederick, Sylvester, Catherine E., Elizabeth, Barbara, Jacob, Adam, Catherine and Mary. Adam and Catherine E., however, being dead. Mr. Schilb is an active and earnest sup- porter of the public school system. He and family are members of the Evangelical church.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
HERMAN SCHMIDT, DECEASED.
It is impossible to estimate how much this country owes to the hardy, honest sons of the German Fatherland who have come over here and joined their labor and their intelligence with those of the people of the New World in building up one of the greatest nations the sun ever shone upon. There is not a county, nor scarcely a neighbor hood, in the United States that does not bear the marks of their industry and of the successful, useful lives they lead. This reflection is induced by scanning the life of Herman Schmidt, deceased, the sub- ject of this sketch. But sixteen years old when he came to America with his brother's family, in 1836, and making his home in Cooper county four years afterwards, by his own worth and exertions he became a successful farmer and established for himself an honor- able name as a public-spirited, patriotic citizen, proving of value to the community in which he lived as a civil officer, and gal- lantly serving his country when it was threatened with destruction by the late civil war. He was born in Saxony, Germany, Decen- ber 22, 1820, and was a son of Frederick and Christina Schmidt, who emigrated to this country iu 1836, and after four years' residence in Ohio settled in this county in 1840. The mother died a short time after their arrival here, and subsequently the father married Mrs. Christina Yost, of St. Louis. He died September 25, 1865, and his last wife three years afterwards. September 30, 1868, Herman, the only son of his father who reached maturity, devoted himself to agri- culture and soon became remarked among his neighbors for his untir- ing industry, and the intelligence, frugality and success with which he conducted his farming operations. He was busily occupied with farm duties when the war burst upon the country ; but he dropped every- thing and became an ardent and resolute soldier for the Union, being a volunteer in the Missouri state militia. After the restoration of peace he was an active republican, believing it as much his duty to protect the country against the ballots of its enemies as against their bullets. In fact, he was one of a body of seven enfans perdus who cast their ballots for Lincoln in this county in 1860. He held various civil offices in the township, but steadily refused to accept a county office, which he was many times pressed to do. Local positions he filled ; such as justice of the peace for eight years, and others, for the accommodation of his neighbors. He was married July 28, 1847, to Miss Theressa, sister of Ernst Spieler, originally from Germany, and reared a family of six children : Henry, died aged nineteen ; Ida, wife
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