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 98
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 98
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WILLIAM J. HARRIS, DECEASED.
The name that heads this sketch was borne by a man whose mem- ory is eminently worthy to be preserved to his descendants. Left an orphan in his infancy by the death of his father, his bringing up was attended with but few of the advantages that are thought necessary to fit one to fight successfully the great battle of life. He started out in the world for himself when a mere youth, without money, with an education to acquire by his own exertions, and practically without friends. But, as the sequel shows, he triumphed over all these diffi- culties and left the record of a career behind him that not all of the most favored sons of fortune have succeeded in making. He was born in Virginia, June 2, 1816, but was reared in Madison county, Ken- tucky. His father died before the son had even lisped the name " papa " on his infant lips. There was but oue other, a sister Elea- nor, now the wife of Isham Majors, of Cass county, Missouri, in the family of children. After William J. grew up he removed with his mother, whose maiden name was Nancy Harris, and sister to this state, and during the first year after their arrival they lived in Boone county. They then went to Van Buren county, at that time adjoining Cass. In 1839 William J. was connected with the Santa Fe trade, making two trips across the plains. He then came to Howard county, and lived with Hon. Alfred Morrison, near Glasgow, one of the purest and best men who ever honored the state with their citizenship, for about ten years. From here, attracted by the Midiasian stories of vast fortunes acquired, as by the wave of a magician's wand, beyond the sun-lit summits of the Cordilleras, he went to California and remained in the Golden State engaged in mining, principally, for two years. On his return he acquired eighty acres of land, the nest-egg, so to speak, of his subsequent splendid farm of about 400 acres, where his sons and his last wife now live. He was married after his return to this state to Miss Sallie A., daughter of Thomas A. McMahan, of Sa- line township. He and his good wife, a noble-hearted woman, then went to work, each striving with untiring industry to make them- selves comfortable in life by the time that old age should come on and warn them that the days of their labor must close. Nor were the re- wards of their honest toil slow in coming. They were soon possessed of a comfortable estate. But death visits the happiest firesides. On the 31st of July, 1862, he entered this household, and Mrs. Harris' mortal life passed away, But she ceased to live here only to begin a life eternal where death shall never enter. She left four children to
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mourn her loss as follows : William P., Sterling P., Thomas A., Mantie and Leona. Leona died in 1865, aged eight years. Five years afterwards Mr. Harris was married November 15, 1867, to Miss Elizabeth Lake, a step-daughter of Judge Heath, of Howard county, and a most worthy lady. Of this union two children were born, one of whom, Stella L., is living, but Ada, the other, is dead. Mr. Har- ris died November 12, 1881. He had been a member of the Christian church for ten years, and all through life was noted for his purity of character, his noble morality and his sweetness and equanimity of dis- position. It is remarked of him by those who accompanied him that he performed the unusual feat of crossing the plains with an ox-team without swearing an oath. His three sons, William P., Sterling P. and Thomas A. bought the homestead farm at the partition sale of the present year, paying $35 per acre, and are now conducting it with great energy and excellent business ability.
COLUMBUS HIGGERSON,
farmer, section 34. Among the more intelligent, progressive and ad- vanced-idead farmers of Cooper county, Mr. Higgerson deserves to be singled out for special mention. He was born in Madison county, Kentucky, October 9, 1835. His parents were Joseph and Nancy I. (Zacary ) Higgerson, originally of Virginia. Both came out to Ken- tucky early in life, and some years after their marriage removed, in 1837, to Missouri and improved the farm on which Columbus now lives. They reared a family of five children, viz. : James W., who died June 5, 1880 ; Jane T., now the widow of H. C. Turley, who died in 1878; Angeline, who became the wife of S. F. Morton, and died about 1859 ; Lucy F., now the wife of Captain Nicholas Smith ; and Columbus. After improving his farm and following farming a number of years with excellent success, the father engaged in merchandising at Tur- ley's bridge on the Lamine, in addition to his other interests, and was following that when he was murdered and robbed on Christmas morn- ing, 1861, a day above all others when peace on earth and good will among men should reign supreme. He was called out of his house to the store by several desperados on the pretence of purchasing some article in the store, and was shot down and robbed of several hun- dred dollars, His wife died seven years afterwards, 1868. Colum- bus grew up on his father's farm, and when he came to choose a calling for life adopted farming as his occupation, which he has since followed. In youth he received a very fair education in the common schools, and being possessed of a progressive, active mind, his career as a farmer
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has since been marked by constant efforts to elevate and dignify his calling, as well as to promote his own interests. He believes in farming not only on the most intelligent business prin- ciples, but according to most improved methods as demon- strated by scientific experiments and by the experience of the best educated agriculturalists. Hence in planting he considers the adaptability of his soil to the different kinds of products, and when and how to plant to the best advantage. In stock raising he holds that the trouble and expense connected with handling stock ought not to be thrown away on cheap, unsalable breeds, but should be expended on the very best grades that can be had .. Of the fine Cotswold breed of sheep he raises he sells the lambs at ten dollars each, instead of raising ordinary sheep and selling them for less than half that price after they are grown. In other kinds of stock he is equally as dis- criminating and intelligent in his system of breeding, raising, etc. In horses he has the fine saddle Roebreck and Ruter breeds, of which he also makes a specialty. His farm contains 340 acres of fine land, all under fence and well improved. He grows over 200 acres of grain, and raises considerable quantities of the best grades of stock. Mr.Higgerson was married April 15, 1836, to Miss Mary F., daughter of Benjamin Herndon, an old and highly respected citizen of the coun- ty. She was born April 15, 1836. They have had a family of nine children, two of whom are dead, Charles Edwin and Martha Ellen, died in infancy. The others are Emmet Lee, Ida Belle, Effie May, Mary Enola, Susan Ollie, James Jackson, and Benjamin Herndon. Mrs. Higgerson is a member of the Christian church.
DR. AUGUSTUS WILLIAM KUECKELHAN,
was born in Sickte, duchy of Brunswick, Germany, May 1, 1812. His father, Henry Kneckelhan, one of two brothers, was manager of a feudal barony. His brother came to America with the Brunswick troops and was killed in the revolution. Henry Kueckelhan married Miss Augusta Schaefer, of a French Hugenot family, and to them were born three children -one son and two danghters : Minna, who died May 1, 1882, aged seventy-two years, and Augusta, who married Al- brecht Schmidt in Helmstedt, and who died fifteen years ago, and Augustus, the only surviving child. He received the rudiments of his literary education in the village school, and when seven years old was taken to an uncle's home near the city of Hanover, where he was in- structed in the French, English and German languages, and other sciences suited to one of his age ; also receiving a lesson in Latin each
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day. Two years later he was sent to the gymnasium in Hanover, which, under the direction and teachings of the learned Latin gran- marian, Grotefent, had become a renowned classical school. Being too far advanced in French and English he was given Hebrew lessons. To retain his citizenship in his native country - the duchy of Bruns- wick - he was obliged to visit a school of that country, and accord- ingly completed his classical education in Hotzminden, a celebrated school, and matriculated as a student of medicine in the university of Gottingen in the spring of 1827. Owing to the general revolutionary condition of the countries in the winter of 1829-30, the students in Goettingen became implicated in the popular movements, and it be- came expedient for Augustus Kueckelhan to leave the kingdom of Hanover, and he, with some friends, went to Wurzburg, kingdom of Bavaria, attracted by the reputation of Schoenlein, the greatest clinical lecturer of his time. He there attended lectures and took the degree of doctor of medicine, surgery and obstetrics, October 13, 1832. Being desirous of coming to the United States he matured his plans for the journey, and took passage at Bremen on the Columbus April 27, 1833, landing at Baltimore on July 4th of that year. Then he assumed control of a company of 240 emigrants who had arrived in the same ship, and, acting as interpreter, took them to St. Louis, which city was reached August 16th. He opened an office there, and also pur- chased a farm in that county, where he practised for some time, In March, 1836, he came to Boonville and, although he found seven well established physicians in the place, soon secured a large, extensive practice. He subsequently secured a tract of land, and in 1854 he entirely withdrew from the practice of medicine and lived a farmer's life, turning his landed possessions of 700 acres into a model stock farm. In the fall of 1863, having been annoyed and injured by carpet- baggers, home guards, and people of that class, he repaired to St. Louis, and his name being favorably known as a physician he soon established himself in the best practice. May 31, 1840, Dr. Kneckelhan was married to Mrs. Margaret E. Quarles, widow of Clevius Quarles, and a daughter of Dr. William Mills. She was born February 10, 1817, in Louisa county, Virginia. Her father, who went to Mississippi, died on the Yazoo river. Dr. Kueckelhan and wife have four chil- dren : Oberon Augustus, Bettie ( wife of D. C. Wing), Charles A. and Minnie. All of them have received excellent educations, and the eldest girls attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart at St. Louis. Dr. Kueckelhan's farm contains 700 acres of well improved land, and upon it is a neat, comfortable dwelling, on section 33, township 49, range
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18. He is giving much attention to the raising of sheep, having 700 head, and he is endeavoring to improve the breed of the Cotswold and South Down grades. He is a physician of advanced views, and has written numerous articles for medical papers, some of which have been widely copied. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. and A. F. and A. M.
THOMAS M. AND JESSE T. McMAHAN,
farmers. The biography of the McMahan family begins with the very alphabet, so to speak, of the history of Cooper county. The founders of the family in this county came to this section of the state away back in 1811, when the silence of the forests and the solitudes of the trackless prairies had but little more than been broken by the voice of white men, and when all nature was in its wild and primitive state. Three brothers came together from Kentucky, James, Thomas and Samuel McMahan, and settled at first in Loutre island, now a part of Montgomery county, but they were driven from there by the innumerable thousands of rattle and copperhead snakes that came across the river and took up their abode on the island. The McMa- han brothers then crossed the river into Cooper county, where they lived until their deaths, brave-hearted, noble-souled pioneers, worthy to have been the founders of civilization in any country, and where their descendants still live themselves, a credit to their pioneer fore- fathers. The name of William McMahan deserves mention also with the other founders of the family in the county. He was here when the three brothers crossed the river, and settled in Cooper. Their neighbors at that time were David Jones, Stephen Turley, William Reed, James Anderson and William, or Bill Anderson, as he was familiarly called. They built Fort Mahan, in which they all lived, more or less, for several years, the Indians being often in a state of open hostility. James, Thomas and Samuel McMahan all married and reared families, the first two marrying sisters, daughters of David McGee, another pioneer settler ; Samuel, however, married in Madison county, Kentucky, before coming to this state. His wife's maiden name was Miss Sarah Clark. Some time after the erection of their fort they went to Boone's Lick, Howard county, to make salt, as there was no other means of supplying themselves with that necessity. Returning then to Howard county they resumed the work of opening up and improving their farms, and James and Thomas be- came successful farmers and prominent, influential citizens of the county. Samuel was succeeding quite as well in life, but while on his way to Boonville, to pay for a tract of land he had pre-empted,
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he was killed by the Indians. This tract of land, where he was then opening and improving his farm, is the same tract on which his son Thomas, one of the subjects of this sketch, now resides. Thomas was then eight years of age, and of the family of children he was the second ; William was his eldest brother, Samuel W., John W. and Jesse were the younger ones. Some years after their father's death their mother became the wife of Thomas Smith, an early settler. He died about 1840, leaving two daughters and a son by this union : Malinda and Emily, and Thomas, now Captain Smith, of this county. She survived until about six years ago, dying at the advanced age of nearly eighty-uine years. For many years prior to her death she had lived with her son Thomas, in the old family homestead. Thomas M. was born before his parents left Madison county, Kentucky, on the 15th of June, 1805 ; he is, therefore, now eight years past the allotted age of three-score and ten, and is still comparatively active and vigorous in mind and body. He was married March 25, 1830, to Miss Lucy Riddle, a daughter of an early settler of the county, from Maryland, and has continued to live on the family homestead on which his father settled in 1813, from that time to this. He and his good wife lived together in comfort and happiness for nearly fifty years, and were blessed with a family of six children ; but at last she was taken from him by death, about eight years ago. Three of his children, also, sleep the sleep that knows no waking until the dawn of eternal day. Of those living, Samuel lives in Arrow Rock, and Robert and Benjamin are residents of the county ; Margaret is the wife of Ed. Brown. Of the dead : Sallie became the wife of Wm. Harris, and Susan was the wife of Charles Sites. Mr. McMahan has been an industrious farmer for over half a century, and has lived without reproach a useful and upright life. Jesse T. McMahan, the second subject of this sketch, is a grandson of Samuel, the father of Thomas M., and a sou of Samuel W., the eldest of the grand- father's family of children. Jesse's father, Samuel W., was born in Kentucky, before his parents came to this state, and some time after their emigration here, was married to Miss Harriett Riddle. Of this union nine children were reared, Jesse T. being the sixth, as follows : Samuel L., Wm. A., Jas. E., Nicholas W., Erasmus D., Jesse T., Benj. M., Edmonia, present wife of W. A. Huff, and Lucy, now the wife of E. S. Herndon, of Saline county. The sons are all residents of Saline township. The father, who was a successful farmer and a highly esteemed citizen of the county, died at an advanced age in 1876. The mother, however, is still living and makes her home with
64
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her son Jesse T. Jesse T. McMahan was born on the farm where he now lives, January 18, 1853, and, in common with the other children, received an ordinary, practical education in youth. After he grew up, farming has constituted his life occupation, and in the prosecution of his farm interests he shows much energy and enterprise. The farm contains over half a section of good land, and he gives his atten- tion to both grain growing and stock raising. Still a young man, with his opportunities and qualifications, he will doubtless prove a valnable and useful farmer and citizen of the county.
NICHOLAS W. McMAHAN,
farmer, section 20. Mr. McMahon, second son of Samuel W. and Harriet (Riddle ) McMahan, was born in Lamine township, January 24th, 1840, and was reared on the farm, receiving a practical education in the neighborhood schools in youth. After he grew up he was married December 10th, 1868, to Miss Mary E. Kincheloe, daughter of Mrs. Betsey Kincheloe, whose husband had some time before deceased. Mrs. McMahan was born in Lamine township, March 26th, 1841. Mr. McMahan followed farming with his father on the family home- stead during the war, and has since given his attention mainly to that occupation, although for several years he followed the plasterer's trade, which he had previously learned. He located on his present farm about seven years ago - a neat place of nearly a quarter section of land - on which he grows grain, principally corn, and raises some stock. Mr. and Mrs. McMahan have but one child, a daughter, Roena, born February 10th, 1871. She is taking an advanced course of study in school at Arrow Rock, and gives promise of becoming a lady of rare graces of mind and person. Her parents are taking a deep interest in her education, and purpose giving her all the advan- tages the best schools afford, both in the course of a general educa- tion and in music. Mr. McMahan and family are members of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.
REDD & GIBSON,
general merchants, Lamine City. The general merchandising busi- ness of the above firm was established at Lamine City in November, 1871, since which time it has been conducted with excellent ability and success. They carry a large and well selected stock of goods, and command an extensive and steadily increasing trade. Mr. Redd, the senior partner of the firm, was born in Madison county, Ken- tucky, March 17th, 1836. Both his parents, however, Samuel and
.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
Nancy (Cornell ) Redd, were natives of Virginia, the father of Gooch- land county and the mother of Louisa county. They removed to this state in the fall of 1836, and settled in Lamine township, this county, abont twelve miles west of Boonville. There the father died in December, 1859, and the mother in the spring of 1868. The father was a millwright by trade, but followed farming mainly in this county. There were five of their family of children, four of whom are still living. Of those living John T., the subject of this sketch, is the eldest and the only son. Up to the time of engaging in his present business, farming constituted his principal occupation. In 1865 he went to Monitean county, but remained only two years, after which he returned to Cooper and farmed with Mr. Gibson, his pres- ent partner, one year. In 1870 he made a visit to Texas, and after his return the following year engaged in merchandising. He has been postmaster since 1874. He has a neat farm of nearly 200 acres, a part of the old Redd family homestead. May 5th, 1878, Mr. Redd was married to Miss Marietta M., daughter of Sammel R. Collins, originally of Kentucky. They have two children, Harry Temple and Mary Neoma. They lost their eldest, William Lee. Mr. and Mrs. Redd are members of the Christian church.
Thomas B. Gibson, the junior member of the firm, although the senior in age, is also a Virginian by nativity, having been born in Louisa county of the "Old Mother of Presidents," January 21st, 1830. His father was William B. Gibson, and his mother's maiden name was Susan T. Turner. They were married in Virginia and reared a family of six children, of whom Thomas B. was the second. How- ever, when Thomas was a lad nine years of age, his parents immi- grated to this state and settled in Howard county near Boone's Lick, where the father subsequently died. The mother after this went to California, where she had a brother and sister, with whom she lived. She died there about 1877. Thomas remained in Missouri, but in 1848 went to Fort Leavenworth, where he entered the employ of the government, and thence made a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Re- turning some six months afterward, in 1849, he went to California and followed mining there mainly, until 1852, when he returned to this state. Here he was engaged in the stock business principally until 1859, when he joined the expedition to Pike's Peak, and was gone all the following summer. Returning again to Missouri, he was married February 26th, 1838, to Miss Nancy Redd, a sister of his present partner in business. Farming and stock raising then occu- pied his attention until 1864, when he joined General Parsons' com-
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mand of Confederates, and served as orderly sergeant of company F. until the close of the war. After the restoration of peace he resumed farming, and in 1869 located on the old Redd homestead, where he now lives, and a part of which he owns. He grows about 100 acres of grain and raises considerable stock, principally cattle and hogs. As stated above, he engaged in his present mercantile business in 1871. Mr. and Mrs. Gibson reared a family of two children, William B., aged twenty-two years, still at home, and Mary F., wife of William R. Scott, of Saline township.
MORITZ SCHUSTER,
farmer, section 4. Mr. Schuster is a native of Saxony, and was born March 1, 1844. When he was thirteen years of age, his parents, Franc and Theressa Schuster, immigrated to this country, and, stop- ping in St. Lonis the winter of 1857-58, the following spring came on up the river, and bought the farm on which Moritz now lives, where they made their home until their deaths. Six of their family of chil- dren are living : Moritz, Joseph, William, Sophia (now the wife of Otto Sandrock, of Oregon ), Adam, and Anna, wife of Joseph Esser. The mother of these died during the war, and afterwards the father was married to Magdaline Schuster, of Prussia ; but in 1875 he also died, and his second wife thereafter returned to the old country, where she has since died. Joseph grew up on the farm, and during the war, being, in 1862, old enough for military duty, served sixteen months in the Missouri state militia at Boonville. February 21, 1865, he was married to Miss Rachel, sister to Noah Hildibridle, of this connty. They have a family of five children living : Nancy C., Henry, Frank, Flora Ada and Guy. After his marriage, Mr. Schuster lived in Blackwater, where he followed farming for three years, and then removed to the old family homestead farm, where he has since resided. It contains nearly 300 acres, and is well improved. He grows over 100 acres of grain, and raises some live stock, mainly cat- tle and hogs.
THOMAS E. STAPLES, M. D.
Doctor Staples claims the Old Dominion as the state of his nativity. He was born in Henry county, Virginia, December 7, 1823. In the fifteenth year of his age, in company with his parents, he came to Missouri, and after stopping at Glasgow, Howard county, a little less than a year, the family continued on to Saline county, where they settled and made their permanent home. There the father died September 13, 1881, at the advanced age of eighty-five. The mother
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
still survives, a venerable old lady in the enjoyment of comparatively good health, considering her age, respected and esteemed by all who know her for her many amiable qualities of mind and heart. It is impossible in a brief sketch to do justice to the eventful life of our subject, whose experience would, if properly written up, make a vol- ume. His early literary advantages were good. He received a full course at the Patrick Henry academy, of Virginia, where he made re- markable progress as a linguist, though he displayed little taste for mathematics. In 1838, at the request of his father, he began the study of medicine under Doctor Scales, of North Carolina. After various interruptions and delays, he graduated in this science in the medical department of the state university at St. Louis, in 1848. The 2d day of May, of the same year, he was joined in marriage to Miss Lucy Bernard, daughter of Isaac Bernard, one of the old and well known pioneer citizens of this county. This marriage occurred in St. Louis, where the young couple contemplated settling, but an overruling Providence guided them to Ridge Prairie, Saline county, where the doctor began the practice with Doctor G. W. Rothwell, now of Sedalia. Subsequently he removed to Georgetown, Pettis county, where he lived, with the exception of a few short intervals, till the breaking out of our late civil war, he being most of the time engaged in the duties of a large medical practice. At the close of the war they moved to Saline county, where they remained till 1867, and then settled on their present home in Blackwater township, of this county. In 1846 he volunteered in the United States service against Mexico, and formed a part of the celebrated Doniphan's regiment - 1st Missouri regiment, mounted volunteers. After assisting in the subjugation of New Mexico, it will be remembered that Colonel Doni- phan was ordered to join General Wool at Chihuahua, and that by a change of tactics, General Wool's columns were directed to other points, which left Colonel Doniphan in the midst of a hostile country, with no support but his own brave regiment, consisting at the time of not more than eight hundred effective men. "Forward, march !" was the order of the commanding officer and the sentiment of his men. At Brazito they met the enemy, thirteen hundred strong, under the . Mexican General Ponce De Leon. After an engagement, lasting thirty minutes, the Mexicans were put to flight with heavy loss, the Missourians having no men killed and only eight wounded. This battle was fought December 25, 1847, and in a short time followed the battle of Sacramento, where our gallant regiment encountered six thousand Mexicans, and completely routed their columns - one of the
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