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 38
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 38
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R. J. PAYNE,
one of the oldest citizens of this vicinity, and a man who has been identified with the interests of the county for a long period, was born here on his present farm, May 1, 1825, his father being Robert Payne, of Scott county, Ky. May 25, 1848, R. J. was united in marriage to Miss Leonora Benson, of Howard county, and the daughter of Zach- ariah and Martha Benson, of Kentucky. She died May 6, 1866, leav- ing four children - Lanra F., William, Thomas J. and Robert W. Mr. Payne is actively engaged in farming and the raising of stock upon section 36, and is the owner of a farm of 480 acres, under good cul- tivation.
JOHN W. AND JAMES M. PEACHER,
farmers and millers. These gentlemen are well-known farmers and business men of Howard county. They have a farm of one hundred and fifty-six acres, and their mill is a saw and grist mill. Both were reared in this county - John W. having been born January 11, 1850, and James M., June 25, 1852. Their father, William Peacher, was also born and brought up in this county, and the mother, whose name before her marriage was Emily F. Burnan, was of Macon county, Mo. Their father is now dead. It was about 1860 that they settled in their present place, and since the death of their father they have been very successful in farming and milling, which they make their entire business.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
WILLIAM S. PEARSON
is one of the substantial and successful farmers of Howard county. He was born and reared in this county, and is now forty-eight years of age. His father, Thomas Herndon, and mother, whose maiden name was Lucy Cartner, were both natives of England, and came to Howard county at an early day. They had seven children, William S., the subject of this sketch, being the fourth. His father died in 1847, and his mother in 1875. Both were well respected by all who knew them, and were deeply regretted when they passed away. Wil- liam S. Pearson was married, September 10, 1869, to Miss Fannie, daughter of John Snell, who was one of the early settlers of the county. Mr. Snell died in September, 1870, and Mrs. Pearson, his daughter, February 17, 1871. She was a most amiable and estimable lady, and in her home she seemed to live only for the happiness of those around her. Mr. Pearson served with the " Richmond Grays " eight months during the war, but was then taken prisoner and paroled. He is a member of the Christian church, and also of the I. O. O. F. As a farmer and a citizen he holds an enviable place in the estimation of his neighbors and all who know hin.
ISAAC PEARSON,
an early but now retired merchant of Fayette, Missouri, was born in Kendal, Westmoreland county, England, January 20, 1810. John Pearson, his father, and his mother, Mary Pearson, whose maiden name was Bland, were also natives of England. On the 27th of De- cember, 1825, Isaac Pearson, with his brother, Thomas H., sailed for America, arriving in Philadelphia February 17, 1826. In the spring of the following year, Isaac, the subject of this sketch, having gone to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the meantime, came by river from that city to Franklin, in this county, on the steamboat Muskingum, reaching there April 9, 1827. There he engaged as clerk in the store of Joseph Simpson, an acquaintance of his father's. Afterwards he went to Sante Fe, New Mexico, and about 1830 to Chihuahua, where he engaged in merchandising. From that point he went to Old Mex- ico, and finally to the city of Mexico ; but after an absence of nearly five years he returned to Missouri, and in 1835 he and his brother, Thomas H., engaged in merchandising at Fayette, in which he con- tinned about four years, when he went on a farm. Later on he re- turned to the mercantile business, and was a partner of Boone, Pear- son & Smith, of Fayette, and Boone, Bostwick & Co., of Glasgow, continuing until 1864, when the store at Glasgow was burned during an attack by the soldiery on that place, by which a loss of over $50,- 000 was inflicted. In 1837 he was married to Miss Julia A. Hunting- ton, daughter of Jonathan Huntington, and of this union Isaac H., the son now in business in Fayette, was born. Mr. Pearson has led an active and somewhat eventful life, and through all the vicissitudes of fortune has ever maintained a strict integrity and a spotless name among those who know him best.
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ISAAC H. PEARSON,
dry goods, clothing, boots, shoes, etc., a leading merchant of Fay- ette, and a son of Isaac Pearson and Julia A. Huntington, who were married in 1837, was born in Howard county, Missouri, Febru- ary 8, 1839, and was reared in this county, receiving his education from the common schools and from Central college. His father was also for many years a prominent merchant of Fayette, and at the age of sixteen he entered his father's store as clerk, where he continued until 1864. He then went to Springfield, Illinois, where he clerked six months, and thence to Keokuk, Iowa, but returned to Fayette, his old home, in August, 1865. Here he engaged in his present bus- iness, first with Mr. Benjamin Smith, under the firm name of Smith & Pearson, but five years afterwards, in 1870, became and has since continued sole proprietor. On the 20th of February, 1866, he was married to Miss Kate Terry, of Saline county, this state. They have five children living : Julian H., Guy, Benjamin S., Leigh H. and James W. Mr. Pearson possesses all the qualifications of a successful business man, and as a citizen he is popular and public spirited. He is a member of the Episcopal church.
DAVID PEELER
was born in Rutherford county, North Carolina, May 8, 1794. He came to Old Franklin, Howard county, in the fall of 1817, to look at the country, and in the spring of the following year, with his brother John, emigrated to Missouri, settling in Howard, where he continued to reside until his death, which occurred April 30, 1882. He planted his first crop in the spring of 1818, and continued success- fully the occupation of farming until his death. He was several times called upon to serve his fellow-citizens officially ; first in the capacity of magistrate for a term of years, afterward as judge of the county court for some time, and later he was elected representative of the county, and, with Charles Kanole as colleague, was in the legislature of 1840-41. He was married to Sarah Wilcoxson in 1821, by whom he had ten children - Alfred, Elizabeth, Joseph, Martha A., Rebecca I., Napoleon B., William H., Barnabas, John O. and James D .- all of whom he lived to see grown up and settled in life, though four of them preceded him in death. His wife, dying in the spring of 1857, he was married again in 1864 to Miss Brown, of Howard county, by whom he had two more children - Rosa Belle and George. Having a limited education himself, he was made to feel the need of it by his associations, and determined that his children should not suffer the loss that he felt so keenly. Therefore he encouraged and aided them in obtaining all in their reach as they grew up. He enjoyed the friendship of a number of notable men -such as Benton, Gamble, Ryland, the Leonards, Miller, McNair, Boggs, Reynolds, and a cata- logne of others whose names are inseparably linked with the history of the county and state. Such associations stimulated to reading and
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reflection, and produced a breadth of mind and force of character that raised him above the level of mediocrity. With such friendships, had he been more ambitions, he might have figured more notably be- fore the public. The writer has often heard him utter this conviction, forced upon him while in the legislature, that while the state had such young men as Doniphan, Jamison and others to represent her, she had no use for him in that capacity. Had he been avaricious, he might have been very wealthy, for his eyes were not closed to the many op- portunities that presented themselves during a long lifetime. His tastes were rigidly simple, while his conceptions of honesty, integ- rity and true manhood were severely exact, holding that a man who was guilty of a little meanness, wilfully, only waited the opportunity to commit a greater. His simple habits of life secured to him unin- terrupted good health until its close. Though fond of home, and finding his chief enjoyments there, he was social to an eminent de- gree, and readily welcomed his friends with a heartfelt hospitality free from any parade or ceremony. Strong and decided in his convictions, yet he was nnobtrusive, and therefore he seldom aroused ill will in those whom he opposed, though they felt his opposition to be a living force. Firm in his attachments and sincere in all things, he could not affect friendship or good will where it was not felt; hence, his friend- ships were lifelong. With his neighbors he had no broils or law-suits, carried no weapons, needed no medicine, made no debts, cherished no animosities, lost none of his mental or physical powers until the very last, passed over a long life so well rounded and shaped as a citizen, that at the end he could look back over it all and say that there was little to regret. On his deathbed, among many others, he made this striking remark :- "I have read some and lived long enough to know something of the lives of men, and can say that few are blessed as I am. Having lived beyond the allotted time, in full possession of my mental powers, surrounded with so many of my children and grandchildren and such kind neighbors - I have as good neighbors as any man ever had - there is nothing I can wish for ; I am proud of my friends, proud of my neighbors, and proud of my children." Such was the close of the life of one of the pioneers of the state - a sample of that sturdy, simple manhood that laid the broad and deep foundation of the prosperity of the great commonwealth of Missouri.
ALEXANDER PETRIE.
Among all the immigrants who settle in this country from Europe, none are more thrifty or make better citizens than the Scotch. They are almost invariably men of more than average intelligence, indus- trious and of even, excellent habits, and they assimulate readily with our people and institutions, and soon come to be regarded as the best and most substantial citizens. Mr. Petrie is another of the many illustrations that could be given of the truth of what is here said. He came over to this country, from Scotland, and settled in Howard county when a young man twenty-three years of age, and with no
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means but his brawn and brain, and now, sixteen years after- wards, he has a farm of 216 acres in one of the richest counties in the state, an interesting family around him of six children, and is a school director of his district. Such a record no man need be ashamed of, and many might well covet. He was born in Moray- shire, Scotland, in September, 1844, and came to this country in 1867. His father, Alexander Petrie, and mother, Isabella, whose name before her marriage was Morrison, were also both natives of Scotland, and his mother died there, in October, 1881, his father still surviving her. On coming to this county, he first worked on a farm with Mr. John Walker, where he continued three years. He then rented land of Mr. Prewitt, which he worked until 1876, when he bought the farm on which he now lives. On the 30th of June, 1866, he was married to Miss Elsie Tolmie, also a native of Scotland, and he has six children - Alexander, Jessie, Bella, John, Kate and Donald. Mrs. Petrie died October 14, 1881. Mr. Petrie is a member of the M. E. church.
RICHARD R. PIERCE.
In 1839, Charles S. Pierce, the father of Richard R., came from Virginia and settled in Howard county, where he lived until his death, and reared his family. Richard R. was born in Rappahanock county, Va., July 31, 1837. His father, also a native of Virginia, was born March 26, 1809. When quite a young man, Charles S. Pierce was married, in Virginia, to Miss Elizabeth Jones, of Rappahanock county. Of this union four children were born, of whom the subject of this sketch was the second. His first wife having died, in 1842, Mr. Pieree, the father, was married again in 1847, Miss Martha Broils be- coming his second wife. Seven children were born of this marriage. In 1876, March 26th, he died at his home in this county, his wife fol- lowing him in death one year afterwards, March, 1877. In 1839, on coming from Virginia, the family first settled near Old Franklin, but remaining there only a year, they then came and settled on the place where the father died ; and here Richard R. was reared. In 1861, on the breaking out of the war, young Pierce, then twenty-four years old, joined the Confederate army, enlisting in company E, 9th regi- ment, but six months afterwards, while retreating from Lexington, Mo., he was taken prisoner and paroled. In November, 1863, he again entered the army, becoming a member of company C, Elliott's battalion, in General Shelby's command, in which he remained until the General surrendered, at Shreveport, La., in 1865. Returning home after the conclusion of the war, he again engaged in farming, in which he has ever since continued. Mr. Pierce has a farm of 260 acres, well improved, and he is one of the successful farmers of How- ard county.
DAVID A. PIERCE,
is one of the enterprising young farmers of Howard county. He was born here May 22, 1855, and has followed farming all his life. He
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
now lives in Prairie township, having moved to his present place, from Richmond township, in 1883. In Richmond township he had lived since 1878, and prior to that on his father's farm, although he had been farming on his own account for some time previously. He is a son of Charles S. and Martha Pierce, an old and respected family of this county. In 1883, he was married, February 14, to Miss Mariam, daughter of B. F. Snyder, of Howard county.
LEWIS S. PROSSER,
dry goods, clothing, hats, caps, boots, shoes, etc., Fayette. Among the biographical sketches of the leading business men of Howard county, the name of Lewis S. Prosser justly claims a prominent place. Mr. Prosser is a native of Chariton county, Missouri, and was born November 20, 1847. His father, Dr. Lewis S. Prosser, was born in Virginia and came to Chariton county in 1842. His mother, whose maiden name was Julia E. Price, is also a Virginian by birth, from the Old Dominion which gave General Sterling Price and so many other distinguished citizens to Missouri. Dr. Prosser, since his immigration to this state, has continued to reside in Chariton county, where he has been constantly engaged in the practice of his profession and where he has reared his family. Mr. Lewis S. Prosser's youth was spent in that county on his father's farm, during which, when not at school, he assisted in farming. After he had grown to early manhood, having acquired a substantial edu- cation, he engaged in clerking, and in this he continued, desultorily, however (being engaged part of his time in farming), until 1874, when he came to Fayette, Missouri. Here he began the dry goods business, the house being styled and known as "L. S. Prosser & Co.," his partner being Mr. Tyson Dines, an old pioneer of Missouri, and for many years a minister of the gospel. In this relation he continued until 1878, since which he has been alone. In March, 1883, he moved into his new business building, one of the best busi- ness houses in Fayette. Here he carries a heavy stock of goods. Mr. Prosser is a thoroughly competent and energetic business man, and the success he has achieved has been well earned. He was married February 20, 1872, to Miss Mary C. Dines, daughter of his former partner, a most excellent and worthy lady, by whom he had two chil- dren, Mary B. and Paul P. He is a member of the A. O. U. W., and a Knight Templar in the Masonic order.
WILLIAM L. REED.
The Reed family were among the early pioneers of Clark county, Kentucky. Joseph S., the father, and Mary ( Bush ) Reed, the mother of William L., were both born in this county, and here their son William was born August 13, 1853. He was reared in his native county until 1865, and then accompanied his parents to Howard county, Missouri. In 1867-68 he lived in Boone county, and in 1869
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returned to this county, and here owns a farm of 200 acres in sec- tion 6. He was married February 1, 1877, to Miss Anna E. Manion, a native of Kentucky. Their three children are named Mary, Fan- nie A. and William H. Mr. Reed is a member of the I. O. O. F.
JAMES H. ROBERTSON,
attorney and notary public. Mr. Robertson, born and reared in Howard county, where he took the usual course in the common schools, entered McKee college, of Macon, Missouri, and continued as a student there three years. His father, Philip Robertson, was an early settler of this county, emigrating from Virginia in 1828. The father was born in Orange county, of that state, October 25, 1802, and died at his home, in Howard county, March 7, 1863. He was married to Miss Winny, daughter of John Cain, who settled in How- ard county as early as 1817. His daughter, Mrs. Robertson, who was born November 27, 1805, died September 10, 1845. James H. Robertson was born February 15, 1842, and in 1858, when but six- teen years old, engaged in school teaching, which he followed until 1861. On the breaking out of the war he enlisted under Captain Rains in the Missouri state guards, serving three months, and he then enlisted in the regular Confederate service in company C, 3d Louisiana infantry. He remained in the Confederate army, except while a prisoner, until captured and paroled at Shreveport, Louisiana, in 1865. He was in ten engagements, among them the battle of Wil- son's creek, Missouri ; the battle of Corinth, Mississippi, and the siege of Vicksburg. At Corinth he was wounded and taken prisoner and confined in the hospital three months. Returning later to the Confederate service, he was again captured at the fall of Vicksburg, and finally, having the third time taken his place in the Confederate ranks, was captured, as stated above, at the close of the war. In 1865 he returned home to Howard county, Missouri, and engaged in farming, following that until 1868, when he established the Dem- ocratic Banner. He edited the Banner until 1872, and having stud- ied law in the meantime, was admitted to the bar (in 1871, however) and began practice. In 1872 he was elected prosecuting attorney of the county, filling that office two years, and in 1878 was again elected, his last term having expired in 1880.
THOMAS A. RORER
is a prominent farmer of Howard county, having a place of 260 acres of excellent land, well improved and well cultivated. He was born in this county March 10, 1846, and was here reared and edu- cated. Besides taking the usual course in the common schools, he was a student in Central college three years. His father, German Rorer, was a native of Virginia, but came to this county in an early day. He married Miss Mariah Withers, of this county, and by this union five children were reared. The father died in 1864. Thomas
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A. has followed farming all his life. In 1860 he went to Audrain county, this state, where he remained two years. Returning home, he then farmed in Chariton township until 1882, when he located in his present place. He was married April 25, 1876, to Miss Lucy J. Wilkerson, daughter of William Wilkerson, a pioneer settler of Howard county.
CHARLES ROSENBAUM,
dry goods, clothing, boots, shoes, hats, caps, etc. Well known and prominently identified with the business interests of Howard county, is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch, one of the leading merchants of Fayette. Mr. Rosenbaum is a native of Germany, having been born in that country July 20, 1837, but he has lived in this country since he was fourteen years of age, so that in duration of res- idence, as well as in name, he is as much of an American as two- thirds of the population of the United States. Enterprising, intelli- gent and of a progressive mind, he saw even when a youth that America presented opportunities and advantages for rising in the world, not to be found in the older countries of Europe, and accord- ingly, in 1851, he came to the United States and settled in Wakefield, R. I. There he remained ten years engaged in the dry goods and clothing business, and in 1861 came to Lebanon, Mo., believing that still better opportunities were to be found farther west. Devoting himself closely to business in Lebanon for three years, he then pushed on still farther westward, and making a detour to Lawrence, Kan., on his journey, where he stopped a few months, he finally settled in Fayette, where he has since lived, and where he has built up a good business, winning the confidence of the people with the growth of the country. In November, 1860, he was married to Miss Schlessinger, a noble and true woman, who died, however, November 17, 1874, leav- ing him two children - Joseph and Jacob. About five years after- wards, January 28, 1880, he was married again, this time to Mrs. Fannie Semell, a most excellent lady, her maiden name having been Hymen ; and of this marriage they have one child - Mortimer. Mr. Rosenbaum is a member of the I. O. O. F., also of the A. O. U. W. and of the I. O. B. B., of Sidota, Mo., lodge No. 258. He was for several years a member of the city council of Fayette, and also of the school board. As a citizen and as a business man he has the respect of all who know him.
M. SCHMIRK,
of Schmirk & Bowers, undertakers, furniture, stoves, tinware, etc. The life of Mr. Schmirk illustrates with singular aptness the sterling qualities of the German character. Economical, but not mean, indus- trious but not reckless of resources in the pursuits of wealth, steady, constant and true, the son of the fatherland goes forward with even step in life, achieving in the end, if not so brilliant a success as some,
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a far more certain and substantial one than the majority. And such, thus far, has been and promises still to be, the career of Mr. Sehmirk. Born in Saxony, Germany, March 18, 1831, at the age of twenty- three he came to America without a friend and without means to make his way in a strange land save his honest hands and the courage to use them. Having learned the cabinet trade in his native country, on arriving in the new world in 1854 he settled in Virginia, where he worked two years. Influenced by the better opportunities in life in the west, in 1857 he came to Missouri and settled in Fayette, where he has since lived. Here he worked for S. C. Major until 1867 ; and, true to the character of his race for frugality and steady advance- ment in life, he that year was able to become the partner in business with his late employer in which he continued until the death of Mr. Major in 1880. After this the present partnership was formed. Mr. Sehmirk is a member of the Masonic order and of the German Lutheran church. In character and integrity he may justly say :
" Come one, come all; this firm rock shall fly From its firm base as soon as I."
JOHN L. SETTLE.
Except during the war, Mr. Settle has lived in this county and followed farming all his life. On the breaking out of hostilities he was thirty years of age and in 1864 enlisted in the Confederate army, in company E, of Col. Perkin's command, and served until the final surrender in 1865. His father, Martin Settle, was from Virginia and was born there about 1780, but came to Howard county in 1823. His mother, Ann Settle, was a native of Kentucky and was a Miss Horse- man before her marriage. They had eleven children, of whom John L. was the tenth. He was born in this county in 1831. His father died in 1858 and his mother in 1878. John L. was brought up on his father's farm, where he remained until 1854, when he settled on his present place. His farm consists of 159 acres of excel- Jent land in a good state of improvement. In 1853 - May 23, - he was married to Miss Martha Dudgeon, daughter of A. Dudgeon, of this county, and they have two children - Wilford D. and Jeff D). Mr. Settle is a member of the Masonic order and of the Christian church. He is a man of solid worth and of great industry and energy.
JOHN SHAFROTH ( DECEASED).
The subject of this memoir was for twenty-five years a leading merchant of Fayette, and a man whose life was so interwoven with the business interests and prosperity of the place that the whole com- munity felt a loss when he passed away. He was born in Switzerland, September 3, 1810, and came to Ameriea when a young man, settling first in St. Louis, where he lived three years. He then came to Rocheport, Missouri, but a year later came to Fayette and here made
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his home until his death. He was married November 9, 1840, and reared a family of six children - Sophia, William, Laura, Louisa, Carrie and John T. He died May 8, 1866, aged fifty-five years, seven months and fifteen days. Such were the measures of a well- spent life - from birth to marriage, and to death. But how little they tell - nothing - of the real life he had !- of his trials, hopes, disap- pointments and triumphs ; of his sorrows and pleasures, and withal, of the worth of the man - of a character that raised him from the position of a stranger, alone, penniless and in a foreign land, to that of competence and general esteem ; surrounded him by friends and blessed with the comforts of home and family : - such, more nearly, would be the outline of the life-record of John Shafroth, were it to be written. But here we can only stop to pay the tribute of a word to his memory - a man in whom the better qualities of human nature were so mingled that -
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