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 51
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 51
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116
" An old age serene and bright And lovely as a Lapland night."
Major Hughes was born in Jessamine county, Kentucky, October 11, 1812. His father was also a native of Kentucky, but his grand- father, Joseph, came from Virginia and settled, where Daniel, the father of H. H., was born and reared. Major Hughes' mother, before her marriage, was a Miss Nancy Price, of Kentucky, and to his father she bore ten children, of whom Major H. H. was the second. Both parents died in this state. In 1823 Major Hughes was married to Mrs. Sarah Davis, a widow lady, of Virginia. Mrs. Hughes, who before her first marriage, was a Miss Cobb, daughter of James Cobb, of Virginia, by her first husband had two children - Alice W., after- wards Mrs. Edwards, and Lena, afterwards Mrs. Crews. Mrs. C. died in 1880, leaving one child - Enoch Crews - now being reared by his grandparents. Major Hughes is now past seventy-one years old, but
" Age sets gently on his brow."
511
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
DR. W. D. JACKSON.
Dr. Jackson is a Virginian by birth and in that state he was reared and educated, receiving his medical education in the Richmond Eclectic Medical college. He began the practice of his profession in 1836, in Louisa county of his native state, where he was born July 18, 1812. His literary education was obtained in the ordinary schools of the time and by private study at home. By close application to his books he became qualified, in the later years of his youth, to teach school, which he began and followed a number of years, thus obtaining the means upon which to prosecute his medical studies. His medical tutor was Dr. William Meredith, an able physician of Vir- ginia, under whom he studied several years. Dr. Jackson continued the practice of medicine in Louisa county from 1836 to 1845, when he came to West Virginia, where he located and practised about thir- teen years. From there, in 1858, he came to Missouri, settling in Franklin, of this county, and here he has since continued the practice of his profession. In 1832 he was married to Miss Eleanor Thompson, of Virginia, but she was taken from him by death in 1837, leaving him two children - Robert and Mary. He was again married Decem- ber 10, 1838, Miss Mary E. Chewmug, originally of the same state, becoming his wife. She lived to gladden his home for nearly forty years, but on the 12th of November, 1877, fell to sleep in death. She left one child - Anna V. Dr. Jackson was the third time mar- ried in 1878; Mrs. Felicia Agnew, widow of John Agnew, became his third wife. She was the daughter of Hawkins and Sallie Slaughter Brown, of this county, and was born in West Virginia, March 15, 1828.
LILBURN S. KINGSBURY, DECEASED.
" Death comes to all. His cold and sapless hand Waves o'er the world, and beckons us away."
In the meridian of life and the vigor of manhood Lilburn S. Kingsbury was suddenly cut off. He was born in this county Decem- ber 13, 1838, and here yielded up his spirit to the Giver, May 11, 1877. Though his life was a short one, it was an unusually active one, and, what is better than all else, it was such that when his sum- mons came he was not unprepared to receive it. He was reared on his father's farm, in this county, and under that good man, Dr. Kingsbury, no less respected and esteemed as a neighbor than loved and venerated as a father, he was brought up to habits of industry, frugality and Christian morality. Hence the life he led was without a stain, and the name he left his children they may very gladly bear. Lilburn S. had good school and college advantages, and when he left the college walls he was well prepared to enter upon the active duties of life. He first engaged in farming in this county, which he fol- lowed until 1864, when he went to Montana. There he gave his attention to the stock business, and continued in that for two years.
512
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
In 1866 he returned to his old home in Howard county, but only to remain a couple of years, for, in 1868, he was attracted to Texas by the opportunities there offered for the profitable exercise of enter- prise and ability in almost every line of business. He engaged in beef packing, and also in the manufacture of ice in Victory, of that state, and was rewarded with satisfactory success in both enterprises. In 1871 he again returned to this county, this time to remain until the sands of his life ran out ; for
"There is a strange something planted in man To bind him to that earth in dearest ties From whence he drew his birth."
Here he was occupied with farming and stock raising, and was in the very noontide of success when his summons came, and he entered upon that rest, that -
"Sinless, stirless rest, that never changes."
Mr. Kingsbury left a wife and five children to mourn his loss. On the 20th of February, 1861, he was married to Miss Minnie E., daughter of W. J. and Elizabeth Gerhardt Smith of this county. She was born February 23, 1842. Their children are Ferdinand D., Lillian A., Bessie, William W. and Ophelia M. He was a member of the Masonic order and of the I. O. G. T. He was also an exem- plary member of the M. E. church south.
DR. HORACE KINGSBURY, DECEASED.
Dr. Kingsbury lived a useful and honorable life and died a Chris- tian death. No nobler epitaph can be written for the dead. Yet this his memory deserves, and it but tells in modest phrase the real worth of the man. He was born in Randolph county, North Caro- lina, April 7, 1813. When four years of age he was brought by his parents to Howard county, who immigrated here in 1817. Here he was reared and educated, and after reaching manhood studied medi- cine. In 1846 and 1847 he attended medical college in Cincinnati, and was graduated with distinction from the Eclectic medical insti- tution, of that city. Besides being a physician he was a farmer, and soon took rank with the foremost farmers of the county. With his farm and stock interests, and his large practice in the surrounding country, his life was an unusually active and busy one. But he was also a man of great enterprise and more than ordinary sagacity. He began farming in the Missouri river bottom a short distance above Old Franklin. In that district were situated some of the finest lands in Missouri, but at that time much of them was overflowed, but he conceived the idea of draining them on a large scale. The means of no one man was adequate to the enterprise, so he obtained an act of incorporation from the legislature authorizing him and others, whom he had induced to join him, to undertake the work. He was made the president of the company, and the scheme proved an eminently successful one. Thousands of acres of the finest class of lands were reclaimed, which have since yielded up their annual harvests of grain
513
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
to their possessors - tributes to his sagacity and enterprise. He be- gan farming with 160 acres of overflowed land ; for many years before his death he had over 2,000 acres of the rich alluvial soil of the Mis- souri, in cultivation -two as handsome farms as ample means and good taste could make - and this notwithstanding he lost heavily by the war; more, in fact, than an ordinary fortune. Though blessed with a competence of this world's goods, sorrow was not a stranger in his heart and home, for -
There is a Reaper whose name is Death, And with his sickle keen He reaps the bearded grain at a breath And the flowers that grow between.
In 1832 he was united in marriage to Miss Eliza Brashear, a noble and true woman, daughter of Judson Brashear, an old settler of the county, but in 1857 she fell to sleep to wake no more in this life. He married again some years afterwards, Mrs. Isabina, widow of David Allen, deceased, becoming his second wife; but she, too, was taken from him and laid to rest in 1864. On the 3d day of June, 1880, Dr. Kingsbury himself passed away, surrounded by friends and loved ones and mourned by all who knew him. His third wife, for- merly Miss Mary A. Chandler, a most excellent and worthy lady, still survives him, and now resides on the farm where her husband lived and died. For forty years of his life Dr. Kingsbury was a pro- fessor of religion and an active, earnest worker in the church. In 1840 he joined the Methodist church south at Clark's chapel, in this county, and became a trustee in the congregation to which he be- longed, and which then erected its first church building. In that position he continued until his death. His church-life was faithful and sincere, and his death was a noble testimony of the comforting power of the Christian's faith. He was a member of the county court when he died.
L. L. KINGSBURY.
As were in Dr. Horace Kingsbury, the brother of L. L., so in L. L. Kingsbury himself are combined the enterprising, progressive and energetic qualities of the New Englander, and the generous, hospit- able and liberal-minded ideas of the Southerner. And withal, the Kingsbury's represent in an eminent degree the sturdy, frugal charac- teristics of the Hollanders, for there is also a strong Hollander element in their family. That such men would succeed in life, was, and is but natural to be expected. Mr. Kingsbury owns 300 acres of splendid land, and his farm is one of the best improved in the county. He is a systematic, neat, business-like farmer. He has a flock of over 700 head of fine merino sheep, and of sheep raising he makes a specialty. L. L. Kingsbury was born in Howard county, Missouri, August 12th, 1824. He is a son of Jerre Kingsbury, a native of Massachusetts, and his wife Elizabeth, of Randolph county, North Carolina, whose name before her marriage was Scotton, a lady of Dutch extraction. A sketch of the parents will be found in the
514
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
memoir of Dr. Kingsbury, elsewhere in this volume. However, it is worthy, in addition to what is there said, to mention that Joseph Kingsbury, the grandfather of L. L., lived to the advanced age of 109 years. Jerre, the son of Joseph, and father of L. L., was born in 1785, and died April 12th, 1863, aged seventy-eight years. His wife, Elizabeth Scotton Kingsbury, was born in 1789, and died in May, 1852, aged sixty-three years. Jerre Kingsbury came to this county with his family in 1816, and remained in Fort Hempstead the first winter, and in the spring of 1818, bought a claim in Franklin township where he made his home. There L. L. was born August 12th, 1824, and grew to manhood on his father's farm, and received a good, practical, elementary education. On reaching manhood, his father then being far advanced in years, he took charge of the old homestead and carried on the business of the farm with energy and excellent success. On the 16th of January, 1849, he was married to Miss Catherine Boggs, a native of Washington county, this state, she having been born there February 28th, 1829. They have four chil- dren living : John A., Edwin F., married Miss Lou Wilhite ; Katie L. and Noah. Mr. and Mrs. Kingsbury are both members of the Baptist church.
R. T. KINGSBURY.
The fact that Mr. Kingsbury was a son of Dr. Horace Kings- bury, is some assurance, at least, that he is a good citizen, honorable, intelligent and enterprising. And so he is. He is a man on whose name no reproach has fallen. Besides, he is one of the progressive, business-like farmers of the county. He was born in Howard county, Missouri, July 25th, 1848, and was reared on his father's farm. He had good advantages to acquire a practical education in his youth which he did not fail to improve. He attended the common schools, and also took a course in Kemper's well-known and excellent school in Boonville. He has a neat farm of 156 acres of good land, and be- sides giving his attention to general farming makes a specialty of growing fruit for the markets. He has an orchard of fifty acres of choice fruit, and he is still increasing his fruit industry. Mr. Kings- bury has been twice married. First, to Miss Sallie D. Smith, March 2d, 1870, but she survived their marriage only a year, passing away March 17th, 1871. He was again married April 21st, 1872, Miss Alice V. Smith, becoming his second wife. They have five children : Horace, William, Ernest, Robert and Sallie. Mr. Kingsbury is a school director of his district, and is a consistent member of the M. E. church south. He is also a member of Howard Lodge, No. 4, A. F. and A. M., and a Knight Templar.
JOHN LEE.
That the subject of this sketch is a Lee, and a native of Virginia, is a sufficient assurance that he is one of the best men in the county.
515
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
The purity of character and modest worth of the Lee family, is re- cognized wherever American history is read. And whether in public or in private life, point to a Virginia Lee, and you will point to a man whose name is as unsullied as polished steel. John Lee was born near Richmond, Virginia, March 5, 1816. He was a son of John Lee, the elder, and the grandson of Joel Lee, both also natives of Virginia. His father was a soldier under Washington. His mother's maiden name was Susan Owens. In 1819, the family -the elder John Lee, his wife, Susan, and three children-came to Missouri, and settled in Old Franklin, this county, where John, Jr., was reared and educated. Early in youth, he evinced a preference for life on a farm. Accord- ingly, he has followed farming, and stock raising and dealing, ever sinee he attained to manhood. He has gone steadily forward in his modest way, adding to his possessions, year by year, until now he is one of the wealthy men of the county. Besides large stock inter- ests, and other property, he has 1,000 acres of as fine land as there is on the Missouri river, and his farm of 500 acres is one of the best improved places in Howard county. Mr. Lee has been married three times. He was first married to Miss Matilda Graham, April 12, 1842 ; she died in March, 1843. He was again married, in August, 1847, to Miss Mary Bailey, who lived twenty-nine years to cheer and com- fort his life, but finally passed away, leaving three children - Samuel C., Ida V. (Mrs. Ed. Swinney, of Rich Hill), and Sallie (Mrs. C. Thompson ). Mr. L. was the third time married, October 7, 1877, to Miss Susan Talbot. They have three children - John, Holman and Martha. Mr. Lee is a member of the Christian church, also of the Masonic order, and of the I. O. O. F. In every relation in life, he is an upright and honorable man.
JOHN W. LEE.
Mr. Lee's parents were among the earliest settlers of Howard county. His father, A. H., and mother, whose name before her mar- riage was Susan H. Wilcoxson, were both natives of Kentucky, but eame to this county in early life, and here reared their family. John W. was born July 6, 1832, and was brought up to the occupation of a farmer, which he has since followed. In the common schools he received a good substantial education, and since he has been engaged in the active business affairs of life, he has been called to serve the people in the responsible office of justice of the peace. He has a neat farm of ninety acres, all in cultivation, and well improved. Novem- ber 24, 1851, he was married to Miss Alice P. Blankenbaker, an ex- cellent lady, a native of the Old Dominion. They have six children - James A., M. M., L. L., Samuel C., Emma A., and Charles F. Mr. L. is a member of the A. O. U. W., I. O. O. F., and of the M. E. church south.
R. A. LLOYD,
painter, was born in New Franklin, Howard county, Missouri, Jan- mary 24th, 1851. He is a son of Pleasant H., born in North Carolina,
516
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES,
August 21st, 1823. The father came to Howard county in 1835, and worked at the wagon-maker's business until his death, which occurred November 3d, 1875. He was married September 6th, 1848, to Miss A. Batton, who was born in Orange county, Virginia, February 10th, 1833. Six children were reared of this marriage : Thomas B., Robert A., Sarah A., Mary R., John and William E. J. The father was a consistent member of the Christian church for many of the later years of his life and died in that communion. Mrs. Lloyd is also a member of the same denomination. R. A., the subject of this sketch, was reared and educated in this county, and early learned the painter's trade which he has since followed.
WILLIAM H. LONG.
Except two years spent in California, during the gold excitement in that state, Mr. Long has followed farming all his life, and his career as a farmer has been a decidedly successful one. His farm contains 320 acres and the improvements are of a very superior class, the residence alone - a brick house -costing over $6,000. Mr. Long is a native of this county, having been born here November 24th, 1828. His parents were both from Kentucky, but came to this county among the first settlers. Reuben Long, his father, was an energetic, successful farmer, and his wife, the mother of Wmn. H., was Mary Hocker. Wm. H., the second of a family of seven children, was given a good practical education in the common schools of the neighborhood. In 1858 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Brashear, and six years afterwards she was taken from him by the grim de- stroyer, Death, leaving him four children, Annie M., Effie, Della and Willie. Five years more dragged their slow length through his lonely home, and then it was again brightened by the tender love of woman - wife. In December, 1869, Miss L. A. MeCauley, became his wife, and to them three children have been born : Luella, Ida and Emmett. Mr. Long is a member of the Christian church and of the Masonic order.
REUBEN LONG.
Mr. Long, besides being a leading farmer of the county, for his farm ranks among the best and most important, gives special atten- tion to breeding and raising fine cattle. His herd includes some as fine stock as there is in central Missouri, for he makes it a point to spare no time or expense in securing the finest blood that can be had. He is a progressive, enterprising stock man and as such, well deserves mention in this volume. He was the sixth of a family of seven children reared by Reuben Long, the elder, and wife Nancy A., a native of Kentucky. Renben, Jr., was born in Howard county, Missouri, July 27th, 1838. His father was a well-to-do farmer and a man of intelligence, who gave his children good opportunities to qualify themselves for the business duties of life. Young Reuben had the benefit not only of the common schools in his neighborhood, but he
517
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
also took a course in the State university, thus acquiring an excellent education. After returning from the university, he taught school awhile, but soon gave his attention to farming, which he has since fol- lowed. His farm contains 325 acres, and is a model stock farm. He was married June 18th, 1863, to Miss Nannie, danghter of John Knaus, of this county, and now has a family of six children : Wm. E., Birdie B., John, James N., Dora D. and Walter T. In 1846, Mr. Long enlisted in the Mexican war in Captain Singleton's company, raised in this county, but did service only a short time. He is a member of the A. O. U. W.
THOMAS P. LONG,
another son of Reuben Long, Sr., and wife, Nancy Hocker Long, is also a farmer by occupation, and was born in Howard county, Mis- souri, April 10, 1836. He was reared on his father's farm, in this county, and was educated in the common schools of the neighbor- hood. In 1861 he enlisted in the Confederate army, becoming or- derly sergeant in Captain Major's company, and served until 1863, when he was honorably discharged. He was in a number of hard- fought battles, among the rest those of Boonville, Lexington, Carthage and Pea Ridge. On the 10th of September, 1870, he was married to Miss J. Turner, of Howard county. They have six children - Turner, Reuben, Arthur, Clara, Hattie and Buford. Mr. L. owns a farm of 150 acres.
GABRIEL LONG,
five years deputy sheriff and three years deputy assessor of Howard county, is one of the substantial farmers and highly respected citizens of the county. He was born in this county April 21, 1834. His parents were both natives of Kentucky, but came to this county in early life, where they afterwards lived and reared their family. Gabriel was brought up on the farm and received a good educa- tion from the common schools, but after reaching manhood learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed some time. However, he made farming his permanent occupation, and this he has followed with excellent success. In connection with Mr. Ira C. Darby, the partnership of Long & Darby own a fine farm of 314 acres of well improved land. As has been suggested, Mr. L. was appointed dep- uty sheriff, and held that position five years, and at a different time was appointed to and held the office of deputy assessor three years. He is a member of the Christian church, and besides being an exem- plary church member and a popular citizen, is a good man.
A. L. McCOLLOUGH,
a prominent farmer and stock raiser of Howard county, is of Irish descent, his father, John McCollough, having come over to this coun- try from the Emerald Isle of the sea early in life and settled in Ohio.
518
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
There the son, A. L., was reared and received an excellent education from the unsurpassed public schools of the Buckeye state. And, what is of hardly less importance, he learned the thorough system of farming, which has made Ohio one of the first states of the union, and which distinguishes an Ohio farmer wherever he is found. With these advantages, and placed on rich Howard county land - better even than that which he was used to in his native state - Mr. McCol- lough was not long in going to the front among the leading farmers of this county. He has 600 acres of land of a quality that produces from fifty to seventy-five bushels of corn, or from twenty to thirty- five bushels of wheat per acre. His home place contains 380 acres, and has a splendid class of improvements on it, including a brick res- idence and other buildings in accordance. Much of his land is set in blue grass, and he also grows clover, timothy, etc. His farm is well stocked, and some of his stock is of the best quality. Especially is this true of his merino sheep, which are of an extra breed. Mr. McC. was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, June 27, 1822, and lived in that state until 1872, when he came to Howard county. His mother, whose maiden name was Jane Richey, like her husband, is a native of Ireland, but came to America when quite young, about 1804. On the 27th of March, 1843, Mr. McCollough was married to Miss B. Hammond, of Ohio, a good and true woman and wife, but two years ago, January 11, 1881, she was taken from him by death, leaving him seven children living - David, Mary J., Harry, Belle, George, Charles and Margaret. . Mr. McCollough is a consistent, exemplary member of the Episcopal church.
ROBERT E. MCGAVOCK, DECEASED.
At his residence, in Franklin township, on the 11th day of May, 1875, died Robert E. McGavock, a leading farmer and highly re- spected citizen of Howard county. Mr. McGavock came to this county thirty-six years ago, when a young man twenty-one years of age, since which he continued to reside here until the day of his death. He was born in Breckenridge county, Kentucky, July 7, 1826, and was there reared and educated. Robert E. was a son of Robert McGavock, a native of West Virginia, and wife, Ann, daugh- ter of Colonel Thomas Hickman, but their married life was spent in Kentucky. Young McGavock was reared on his father's farm, but in youth enjoyed the advantages afforded by the country schools, and in these received a good, practical education. Having been brought up to the occupation of a farmer, he naturally adopted that as his permanent calling and followed it without intermission through life. In 1847 he came to Missouri and settled in Howard county. On the 21st day of March, 1855, Mr. McGavock was married to Miss Matilda Bondurant, a most amiable and excellent young lady. But, alas !
" Death rides on every passing breeze And lurks in every flower."
519
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
In less than a year from the day she was made a bride, she was cold and still in death. She passed away the 4th of January, 1856. But a warm and tender nature cannot live without one to love, cannot live withont being loved, and while the memory of the departed may be cherished as a sweet dream, too fair to last, yet there is that in us all that leads us to love again, as naturally as the flowers brighten in the morning sun after the chill of night is passed. On the 14th of February, 1857, Mr. McGavock was married again, Miss Sallie Crews, a daughter of Milton Crews, of this county, becoming his sec- ond and worthy and devoted wife. She was born in Madison county, Kentucky, August 8, 1839, but in company with her father's family was brought by him to this county in 1844. Their union was blessed with seven children, five of whom remain to comfort their mother's widowhood - William C., James E, Rosa, Anna and Robert L. Mr. McGavock served for a time as justice of the peace of his township, and at the time of his death was, as he had been for a number of years before, a consistent, exemplary member of the Christian church. In all the relations of life he was an upright, conscientious and God- fearing man.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.