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 94

Author: National Historical Company
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1198

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 94
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 94

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).

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

formerly Miss Mariah C. Kepner. Four children blessed this union : Clara E., George K., John M., deceased, and Mary L., deceased. Besides Airy-View farm, Mr. Crawford owns about 200 acres of land in Palestine township. He and his wife are members of the Baptist church.

JOHN G. EDWARDS AND BIRDIE EDWARDS.

John G. and Miss Birdie Edwards, brother and sister, were born and reared in this county, and now reside on their father's farm, of which they principally have the management -the one of the out- door, business affairs, the other of the indoor, domestic concerns. Their father, who is still living at an advanced age, Cornelius Ed- wards, was a son of Arnold and Elizabeth Edwards, of Fauquier county, Virginia, and was born in that county, December 11, 1811. His mother, the grandmother of John G. and Birdie, was a daughter of James I. and Vina Smith, of the Old Dominion, from which James I. Smith volunteered in the Continental army at the beginning of the war for independence, and served under General Washington through that entire struggle. Both Arnold and Elizabeth Edwards lived to old age and died in their native state. Cornelius, their son, who for the last forty-five years has been a worthy and respected citizen of Cooper county, started ont in life for himself at the age of sixteen, going from home in order to apprentice himself to the blacksmith's trade. He worked at that occupation eighteen months, and then learned the wagon-maker's trade, which he followed for many years. In 1838 he came to Cooper county and engaged in the wagon making business, continuing it here with excellent success until, having bought a nuelens of his present farm, he finally gave his whole attention to farming. His farm contains over 500 aeres of good land, and for years he has ranked among the substantial, successful farmers of the county. However, being now past seventy-two years of age, he has retired from the active management of the place, and turned that duty over to his children. Over thirty-four years ago, April 17, 1849, he was married to Miss Mary A., daughter of Robert and Mary Scott, of Cooper county. She was born in Kentucky, August 5, 1831. They have had seven children - John G., Mary L., deceased, late wife of Benijah Hurt ; Charles, deceased ; Martha A., Birdie E. and Edna P. John G. Edwards was born November 1, 1850, and Birdie, the sixth of the family, October 7, 1865. John G. is a young man of untiring industry, great enterprise and more than ordinary intelligence. He bids fair to become one of the leading farmers and prominent citizens

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

of the county. Miss Birdie is a young lady of superior personal worth and rare mental and personal attractions.

FREDERICK FRICKE.

Henry Fricke, who was born in Germany in 1800, came to this country, bringing his family in 1846, and located in St. Louis county, where he engaged in farming. The following year, however, he died of cholera, leaving his wife, Christiana, formerly a Miss Spaendan, a widow with a family of children. They had had six children : Henry, Frederick, Charles, John, Christopher and Christina ; but two of them are now living - Frederick, the subject of this sketch, and Charles. The mother, who was born the same year of her husband's birth, survived her husband nineteen years and died a widow in 1866. Frederick Fricke was nineteen years of age when his father died, having been born in Brunswick, Germany, December 31, 1828. On the death of his father the management of the farm in St. Louis county devolved upon him, which he conducted with excellent success. However, in 1853 he came to Cooper county and bought a farm in Clark's Fork township containing 120 acres, on which he lived until 1866, when he sold it and bought another farm of 200 acres. In 1880 he sold that also and bought his present place of 2672 acres, an excel- lent farm, and substantially and comfortably improved. He devotes his attention principally to growing grain. In 1851 Mr. Fricke was married to Miss Sophia Fredmeyer, of St. Louis county, who still lives to comfort and brighten his home. Though not favored, or disfa- vored, as some regard it, with a family of children, he is not discon- tented with his fortune, for, with the poet, Otway, he is prone to think that while -

"Children blessings seem, but torments are, When young our folly, and when old our care."

Mr. Tricke and wife are members of the Lutheran church.

ALEXANDER H. AND JOHN GREENHALGE,

farmers and stock raisers and dealers. These gentlemen, who con- duct a large farming business in this county, and have also important farming and stock interests elsewhere, are the only two surviving members of a family of five brothers and sisters born to James and Nancy A. Greenhalge, for many years worthy and highly respected residents of Cooper county, but now deceased. James Greenhalge was a native of England, born in Lancastershire, August 6, 1797, but when he was four years of age his parents immigrated to this country,

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

landing at Baltimore and proceeding thence to Garrard county, Ken- tucky, where they settled and where the son was reared. Being of a quick, active mind and ambitious to advance himself in the world, young James Greenhalge applied his attention to books at an early age and studied with great assidnity, thus acquiring what was justly considered a superior education, taking the time and his opportunities into account. On attaining his majority he came to Missouri, and taught school in St. Charles county for some time. From there he went to St. Louis, and was connected with the police department of that city. After this he returned to Kentucky, where he remained until his removal to this county in 1836. In the meantime, however, in 1825, he was married in Kentucky, his wife being a daughter of Alexander and Sarah A. ( Dinwiddie ) Henderson, of that state. Set- tled in this county he became a large farmer, which occupation he followed until his death December 9, 1862. His wife followed him in death July 18, 1874. Of their children Eliza J., wife of John Craw- ford, died in 1855, leaving a son Henry, now a resident of this county ; Amanda died in 1852 and Sarah A. died early in life. Alexander H. and John were born respectively July 12, 1826, and March 14, 1828. From early life they have been constant and equal partners in their farming and other interests. Their farm here contains an even sec- tion of land, and this is devoted to grain and stock raising, which they carry on on a somewhat extensive scale. In the state of Ne- braska they own a large tract of land, where they have a cattle ranche. Alexander H. is now in that state and has charge of their cattle inter- ests, while John remains here and supervises their Missouri affairs. Besides this John looks after important landed interests in Bates county. Both are men of great enterprise and business ability, and most excellent and worthy citizens.

WILLIAM HURT.

The Hurt family have been identified with Cooper county from the pioneer days of the county, and through three generations have borne a name unsullied by an unworthy act. Colonel Clayton Hurt, the father of William, was a native of the Old Dominion, born in Bed- ford county, January 15, 1790, but early in life came out to Kentucky where he met and wou in marriage, in 1814, Miss Mary, daughter of James Dillard, his bride being five years his junior. After the birth of their first child, in 1815, they immigrated to Missouri and settled in Boonville township, of this county. On account of the temper of the Indians at that time they were compelled to live in Fort Cole for

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

a while, and there William, the subject of this sketch was born March 7, 1816. During the Indian troubles, Colonel Hurt took a conspien- ons and gallant part in the defence of the pioneer settlers, and was made colonel of their military organizations, which they were com- pelled to keep up, a title he honorably won and ever afterwards bore. Subsequently he became a prominent and wealthy farmer, and reared a large family of children, eleven in all, seven of whom are still living and are residents, with one exception, of Cooper county. The father died in 1862, and the mother five years afterwards - both followed to their graves by the sorrow of the old settlers then living and of a wide circle of friends. William Hurt, their second-born and oldest son, grew up in the pioneer days of the county, and both by inheritance and the influence that surrounded his early life became imbued with those sterling virtues that make men respected and esteemed wher- ever integrity, courage and plain, honest industry are valued. He, too, besides leading a worthy career as a citizen and neighbor has been a successful farmer, and now as the shadows of old age approach he is so situated that he can enjoy the evening of life in comfort. He was married September 6, 1837, to Miss Catherine, daughter of Captain Andrew Robertson, an early settler of the county. Six children were granted them by the favor of Heaven, all of whom are residents of the county : Mary C., wife of Alexander MeFarland ; Emmeline, wife of Frank Davis ; Jenkins, Benijah, William A. and James M. All of these reside near their father and have families of their own. To each he has given a farm, and he himself still resides on his old homestead. May 28, 1882, his wife was taken from him and laid to rest until the night of death shall be broken by the dawn of eternity's day. His children and grandchildren are near to cheer and brighten his way through the gathering mists of advancing years.

JAMES M. HURT,

farmer. Among the young farmers of Cooper county who, by their industry and enterprise give promise of future prominence and use- fulness in the agricultural affairs of the county, is the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. He was born in Clark's Fork town- ship April 10th, 1853, and is the youngest of a family of six, four sons and two daughters, reared by William and Catherine ( Robertson ) Hurt, as follows : Catherine, wife of A. W. McFarland ; Nancy E., wife of F. M. Davis ; Jenkin D., married Miss Lucy Potter, Be- nijah married Miss Mary E. Edwards ; William, Jr., married Miss Bet- tie Johnson, and James M., the subject of this sketch, married Miss

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

Adaline, daughter of Benjamin and Harriet Rogers November 26th, 1874. She was born May 28th, 1855. They have two children, Jessie, born August 18th, 1876, and John William, born September 28th, 1879. Mr. Hurt has a neat farm of nearly a quarter section of land and gives his attention mainly to growing grain, but also raises some stock - horses, mules, etc. He is in the morning of life, buoyant with hope, and, thrice armed with industry, intelligence and integrity, the future promises him a prosperous and honorable career.

SAMUEL L. JEWETT,

miller and farmer. Mr. Jewett, who commenced the active duties of life for himself at the age of seventeen with nothing to depend on save his own self-reliance, has for many years ranked among the more substantial and better-respected class of citizens of this county. His father, Gilmore Jewett, was a native of Ohio, born August 10th, 1793, and early in life came further west and located in Illinois. There he met and married Miss Elizabeth, daughter of William and Mary Alexander, of Monroe county, Samuel L. is the third of the three children living of the family of seven from this union, the other two living being William S., of Jefferson county, Missouri, and Laura A., wife of J. A. Owen, of Cooper county. Their father was a school teacher and farmer, which occupations he followed in Monroe county, Illinois, until the time of his death January 20th, 1835, his wife fol- lowing him to the grave two years afterwards. Samuel L. was born in Monroe county, Illinois, November 12th, 1833. When seventeen years of age he began to learn the milling business, at which he worked nntil 1852, when, his education being incomplete, and having saved up enough to defray his expenses while at school, he entered Shurtleff College, an institution of high repute in Illinois at that time, in which he remained as a student three terms, thus acquiring an excellent practical education. After his college course he returned to his trade, which he has since followed in Illinois, California and this state - in later years, however, in connection with farming. In 1860 he bought his present mill property and farm, to which he has since devoted his entire attention. This farm contains 160 acres, and his mill has a capacity for nearly 1,500 bushels of grain per day, and has a wide and excellent reputation. October 10th, 1860, Mr. Jewett was married to Miss Martha M., daughter of N. L. and Nancy Dor- sey, of Madison county, Illinois. She was born January 14th, 1834. They have six children : Ben D., born August 3d, 1861, now of

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

Barton county, Missouri ; Bessie A., born April 3d, 1863; William J., born January 20th, 1865 ; Edward M., born June 1st, 1868 : Hal- bert A., born August 27th, 1870, and Theodore B., born November 18th, 1873. Mr. Jewett was for fourteen years postmaster at Clark's Fork up to 1880, and until he resigned the office. He is master of both the Fairview and county granges, P. of H.

JOHN KING,

farmer. Mr. King landed in this country in 1853, from Germany, a stranger to our language and laws, and without money enough to jingle on a tombstone. He commenced here as a farm laborer. His farm now contains 400 acres of splendid land, has a fine residence, and is otherwise handsomely improved ; and for years he has ranked among the wealthy, prominent farmers of Cooper county - the old story of German thrift iu a free country and on fertile soil. He was born in Holstein, Germany, February 15, 1828, and was a son of Hans and Auble (Caw ) King, of that country, both of whom are now.deceased. But three of their family of nine children survive : Catherine, Auble and John. The father was a merchant, born in 1800, and died in 1855. The mother died in 1847. John King, on coming to this country, first touched the continent at New Orleans. From there he went up the river to Davenport, Iowa, and then returned as far as St. Louis, from which place he came to Boonville. Arrived in this county, he went to work as a laborer on a farm, and by 1859 was able to buy a tract of land of 180 aeres in Clark's Fork township. He farmed on this until about the close of the war, when he sold it and went to St. Louis. He remained there only a short time, and returned and bought a part of his present farm. He has prospered year after year, and added to his farm, and improved it, until it has reached its present value and importance. He grows over 200 acres of grain, besides hay, ete., and raises 150 hogs, and annually fattens from twenty-five to thirty head of cattle. January 18, 1859, he was mar- ried to Miss Sophia, daughter of Bernard and Sophia Fredmeyer, of this county. Of this union, seven children have been born, six of whom are living, viz. : Minnie, born May 29, 1859 (wife of William Twillman ) ; Mary, born February 3, 1863; Henry, born April 11, 1865 ; Luey, born August 27, 1867 ; Sophia, born November 29, 1869, and Ella, born September 6, 1872. Sophia, the second child, born February 20, 1861, died November 9, 1864. Mr. and Mrs. King are both members of the German Lutheran church.

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

ARCHIMEDES W. MCFARLAND.

Mr. McFarland is a cousin of Truman W. McFarland, of Boon- ville, in whose sketch is given an account of their grandparents, Jacob, Sr., and Nancy ( Cathy ) McFarland, originally of North Carolina. Archimedes W.'s father, Jacob, Jr., was born before his parents left their native state, but attained his majority here, and in 1833 was married to Miss Matilda Fleming, formerly of Kentucky. He died, however, about three years after his marriage, leaving his wife a widow with two children : Archimedes W., the subject of this sketch, born in Boonville township, September 15, 1834, and Armin- da, J., born in 1835, now the wife of Robert Comer, of Henry county, Missouri. Eight years after her husband's death, Mrs. McFarland also died, and thus the two children were left orphans in childhood. However, they were kindly cared for by relatives and friends, and their father having died possessed of some property, they were not entirely dependent upon the generosity of others in their tender years. After Archimedes grew up he sold his interest in his father's estate, and bought a farm in Henry, where he followed farming until 1865. He then sold out his farm in that county and returned to the home of his childhood days, where he bought a tract of land adjacent to the farm that his father-in-law, Mr. William Hurt, had given him in Clark's Fork township. He now has a good farm, and is one of the well respected farmers and good citizens of the township. December 10, 1857, he was married to Miss Mary Hurt, of this county. They have three children, two being dead : Alice G., born December 7, 1858, wife of Robert Johnson ; William J., born September 9, 1863, and Agnes L., born December 5, 1877. Laura C. and Lillie M. are deceased. Mr. McFarland's farm contains about a quarter section of good land, and he follows both grain and stock raising.

GEORGE H. MEYER,

owner and proprietor of Forest Grove farm. This farm, one of the finest in its vicinity, is situated about nine miles east of Boonville, and contains 385 acres of the best quality of land. It was improved mainly by Mr. Meyer himself, who, starting out on his own responsi- bility at an early age, with but little to go on, save his own ability and disposition for intelligent industry, soon became able to buy a tract of land, now forming a part of his present farm, and, meeting with continued success, kept adding to his original tract until his place now contains nearly 400 acres. It is an exceptionally well im-

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

proved farm. His residence, recently erected and completed, is one of the handsomest, without and within, in the township, and is fur- nished in excellent style. In short, his homestead is a credit and an ornament to the vicinity in which he lives. Mr. Meyer, the owner of the property, was born in Monitean county, Missouri, February 5, 1853, and was one of a family of ten children of Henry and Catherine Meyer, of whom five are living. His parents were both natives of Germany ; his father born in 1812, and his mother, formerly Miss Anna Ballman, in 1815. They were married in 1838, and both are still living now on their homestead in Clark's Fork township, hale and hearty in their old age. George H., the subject of this sketch, after he grew up was married to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of Deidrich and Elizabeth Molan, of St. Louis, June 16, 1874. She was born October 29, 1856. They have three children : Henry C., born Janu- ary 16, 1876 ; Herman Wm., born September 1, 1878 ; George H., Jr., born November 17, 1880. Mr. Meyer is a partner in business with Peter Wehmeier, near him, and they have a thriving trade. Mr. and Mrs. Meyer are both members of the Lutheran church at Clark's Fork.

ALBERT MUNTZEL,

farmer. Albert Muntzel, son of Peter and Sophia ( Ohlendorf) Muntzel, was born in Germany, February 20, 1833, and when nine years of age was brought by his parents to this country, who immi- grated to America in 1844, and in the following spring settled on a farm in St. Louis county, where Albert grew to manhood. Reared on a farm he adopted agriculture as his calling for life, and has since fol- lowed it with the exception of one year spent in merchandising in St. Louis. In 1859 he came to Cooper county and became a partner with his brother, Daniel Muntzel, in the ownership and conduct of a farm in Clark's Fork township. In this he continued until 1865, when he sold out his interest in the partnership farm to his brother, and bought another place in the same township. However, during this time, in the spring of 1862, he enlisted in the Union army, enter- ing the ranks as a private, but was shortly made first lieutenant, in which capacity he served until the close of the war. September 22, 1866, he was married to Miss Margaret Schmidt, daughter of John A. and Catherine Schmidt, of Bavaria, Germany. She was born in that country, September 21, 1846, and came over to this country with her parents. Eight children resulted from this union, four of whom are living : Lizzie C., born January 5, 1867, died March 17, 1880 ;

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

Albert P., born October 10, 1868 ; Martin W., born July 26, 1870 ; Leonard D., born July 18, 1872, died April 7, 1880; Edward J., born January 15, 1875 ; Christian E. J., born September 15, 1877, died May 5, 1880 ; Clara J., born October 5, 1879, and Julia S. M., born October 15, 1881. Mr. Muntzel and his family are members of the German Lutheran church of Clark's Fork. His farm contains nearly 300 acres of good land, and he has it handsomely improved with a fine residence, excellent fences, barns, etc.

SAMUEL A. PAXTON, JR.

The subject of this sketch was born on the 11th of August, 1865, and is the youngest of two sons born to Samuel Paxton, Sr. and wife, whose maiden name was Margaret K. Mcclanahan. His brother, Christopher C., was born January 25, 1861. Their father, Samuel Paxton, Sr., is a native of Virginia, having been born in that state August 8, 1833. Early in life, however, he came to this state, and was here married to Miss McClanaban who was born in Macon county April 16, 1845. Both Christopher C. and Samuel A. were reared to the occupation of farming, in which they are now engaged. Both are young men of industry and intelligence, and give every promise of becoming substantial, successful farmers and good citizens. Their parents are both living and are also residents of the county, worthy and well respected by all who know them.

DR. JEROME D. POTTS.

Dr. Potts has been engaged in the practice of medicine about six years, over four of which have been spent in the practice at his present location, and, although a young man, he has achieved excellent suc- cess in the profession and bids fair to become a leading physician of the county. He was born in Boone county, Missouri, April 7, 1855, and at the age of twenty years entered the state university as a student, where he remained two years, graduating in the class of 1877. He then went to Philadelphia and became a matriculate in the medical hospital of that city. After his course in Philadelphia he returned to Boone county, and began the practice of medicine at Roche- port, continuing it there until 1879, when he came to Clark's Fork. May 5, 1880, he was married to Miss Carrie E., daughter of Henry W. Mills of this county. They have one child, Erla. His parents, James F. and Cornelia E. (McQuilty ) Potts, are both living and reside on their homestead near Rocheport. The doctor is the

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

oldest of their family of six children, four daughters and two sons, one of whom, however, a daughter, their second child, is dead.

WILLIAM RANKIN,

farmer and miller. For over forty-five years Mr. Rankin has been running the oldest and the first flouring mill establishment ever built or operated in Cooper county - the old Boyd mill on the Petite Saline. Originally it was a water mill with a capacity of but two bushels of wheat per hour and was only fifteen feet square. For this, with twenty- six acres of ground, his father paid $2,750 as far back as 1838, the water power being considered the valuable part of the property. The mill had then been run eight years, and the following year Mr. Wm. Rankin commenced the erection of a new mill on the site of the old one, and completed it in 1840, then one of the largest and best mills in central Missouri. For fourteen years he run it by water power, but about 1854 added steam to it, since which it has been run by the latter power almost exclusively. It now has a capacity of over 800 bushels of grain per day, or more correctly twenty bushels of wheat and fifteen bushels of corn per hour. This mill has a wide reputation for the purity and excellence of the breadstuff's it manufactures, and is one of the noted popular mills in the county. Besides this, Mr. Rankin has an excellent farm which he conducts with substantial success. His parents, Matthew and Nancy ( Smith ) Rankin, were both of Irish birth, the father born near Londonderry in 1777, and his mother near Dub- lin in 1779. Both came to America early in life and were married in Hagerstown, Pennsylvania, in 1802. Subsequently they removed to Virginia, and there William, the subject of this sketch, was born in Winchester, Frederick county, October 20, 1806. Of four brothers and four sisters, but one brother, James, now of Hickory county, this state, is living. The father and family came to Cooper county in 1830, and here both parents lived until their deaths. In 1844, April 4, William Rankin, the subject of this sketch, was married to Miss Elizabeth, daughter of William and Susanna MeFarland, of this county. Two sons were born to them : Silas, born January 9, 1845, and Robert S., born December 13, 1849. Robert S. was married May 14, 1873, to Miss Louisa Duncan, and now has three children ; Maud, born February 25, 1874 ; Mabel, born June 11, 1875 ; and Myrtle, born April 20, 1877. Both sons are identified with their father in the conduct of both the mill and farm. Mr. Rankin has sought no politi- cal office through life, nor held any except that of township collector in 1868. His son, Robert, is a member of the A. F. and A. M. and the A. O. U. W.

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Author: National Historical Company Publication date: 1883 Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1198

Author: National Historical Company
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1198