USA > Missouri > Jackson County > History of Jackson County, Missouri > Part 30
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Mildred Knox married Rolla Bascomb Moore, of Berkeley, Cal. and has one child, Rollin Bascomb, Jr., the great grandchild of Dr. and Mrs. Bryant.
Judge Thomas Austin Smart, father of Mrs. John Bryant, was born in Campbell County, Va., Nov. 16, 1806, and died Sept. 18, 1879. He came to Missouri in 1836 and located in Kansas City, when it was but a frontier village. He located on a plot of ground which is now the intersection of Walnut and Eleventh streets and owned a farm there, the boundaries of which extended beyond McGee street. He served two years as a member of the Missouri Legislature and also served as county judge. He mar- ried Harriet Louise Thompson, a native of Kentucky who died of cholera in 1849. Their children were: Mrs. Amanda Caroline Graves, wife of E. P. Graves, who died May 6, 1919, and she died Aug. 23, 1919; Mrs. Eliza Ann Ridge, wife of Dr. I. M. Ridge, both of whom are deceased; Martha died at the age of 15 years; George Washington and William Smart died in infancy; Oliver P., Thomas Gilpin and Mary Smart died in infancy; Mrs. Harriet Matilda Smart Bryant, of this review. The chil- dren of Dr. I. M. and Eliza Ann Ridge are: William and Thomas Smart Ridge, Kansas City, Mo .; and Mrs. Robert E. Lakeman, deceased.
Judge Smart was a charter member and an elder of the First Chris-
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tian Church of Kansas City. His wife was a charter member of the Inde- pendence Christian church.
For the past 60 years, Dr. John Bryant has been an active member of the Christian church of Independence. For the past six years he has been an elder of the church prior to this, having served as deacon of his church. Dr. Bryant was one of the heaviest contributors to the building of the Christian church of his home city. Mrs. Bryant became a member of the church in Kansas City, later uniting with the Independence church, and she has been a member of this denomination for 50 years.
Stanley and Henry J. Hifner, farmers and dairymen, living on the Lexington road, five miles northeast of Independence, are the sons of J. D. and Fidelia (Odell) Hifner, the latter of whom died in 1905.
J. D. Hifner, the father, was born in Clay County, Missouri, Dec. 30, 1867, and is the son of George Henry Hifner, of Atherton, Mo. George Henry Hifner was born in Jessamime County, Kentucky, in 1833, and is a son of William and Margaret (Funk) Hifner. William Hifner came from Maryland to Kentucky with his father, Peter Hifner. William Hifner died in Jessamime County, Kentucky, in 1836. His wife died at the age of 86 years. George Henry Hifner came to Missouri when 24 years of age, and followed his trade of wagon maker, which he had begun learning when 17 years old. He located near Liberty, Clay County, Missouri, and followed farming until the outbreak of the Civil War. He enlisted in 1861 under Capt. William Price, Colonel Thornton's regiment, Gen. Sterling Price's di- vision, and served until he was captured by the Federals, in August, 1862, when he was placed in prison at St. Louis. He was released Dec. 29, 1862, and embarked in the produce business at Missouri City, where he remained until 1870. He then came to Jackson County, and settled on his farm of 187 acres, near Atherton. He increased his holdings to 871 acres, which he divided among his five children in 1885, giving each child a farm, ex- cepting a considerable acreage which he kept for his younger children. He was married in 1855 to Eliza J. Horine, of Jessamime County, Kentucky. a daughter of David Horine. The children born to this marriage are as follow: John C. B. Hifner, Atherton, Mo .; Lizzie, at home; Ella, wife of Ed. Gallagher, Kansas City, Mo .; Margaret, wife of James Beets; W. D. Hifner, Independence. Mo .; James D., a farmer living near Lees Summit; Boswell, at home.
James D. Hifner was born Dec. 30, 1867. After the death of his first wife, in 1905, he married Martha Chiles, who reared the children. The children are as follow: Gilbert, Stanley, Henry and Helen.
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Gilbert Hifner enlisted in the United States navy in 1917 and from Aug. 4, 1918, to Nov. 11, 1919, was on duty in France. He was born in 1895, and was trained at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. He was with the United States S. S. Bridgeport at Brest, France, serving as chief yeo- man aboard this vessel.
Stanley Hifner was born on the Blue Springs road, Sept. 29, 1896, and was educated in the public schools of Independence, Mo.
Henry Hifner was born at Atherton, Mo., in December, 1901, and is in partnership with his brother, Stanley, in the farming operations.
Helen Hifner lives with her parents at Lees Summit, Mo.
Stanley and Henry Hifner are farming 214 acres of land on the Lex- ington road, and have harvested during the past season, 15 acres of alfalfa, 65 acres of wheat, and 15 acres of corn, the balance of their acreage being in pasture.
The Hifner Brothers raise pure-bred Duroc-Jersey hogs, and usually have a drove of 100 animals on the place. They maintain a herd of 15 head of Holsteins, and operate a dairy with this herd. Since taking pos- session of their farm they have added some substantial improvements to the place and are making a success of their farming and stock raising venture.
Ed. E. Fender, proprietor of Old Colonial Home Farm, which consists of 52 acres, in Blue township, was born in Lee County, Illinois, May 16, 1869. He is a son of Absalom and America (Myers) Fender, both of whom were born and reared in Lee County, Illinois. Mrs. Fender was born March 9, 1847, and is now living at Holden, Mo. She was married in 1866. Absa- lom Fender was born in Lee County Feb. 16, 1844, and died at Goodland, Kan., in 1904. For 19 years prior to his death he had made his home in western Kansas, and had taken up a homestead near Goodland. The chil- dren born to Absalom and America Fender are as follow: J. L. Fender, Holden, Mo .; Ed. E., of this review ; Gay, wife of E. J. Scott, McCook, Neb .; Phoebe, wife of Charles Neff, Kingsville, Mo .; Lillie, wife of Warren Mid- dleton Canarado, Kan .; Roy, died at Goodland, Kan., at the age of 21 years ; Fred E., lives at Independence, Mo .; Homer, was killed by a street car in Los Angeles in 1919; Earl lives at Holden, Mo .; Iva is the wife of George Dillon, Holden, Mo.
Absalom Fender was a son of Solomon Fender, an early pioneer of Lee County, Illinois. Mrs. Fender's father settled in Lee County prior to the Black Hawk War in 1832.
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"CEDAR CREST FARM" AND JERSEY HERD, INDEPENDENCE, MO., OWNED BY MAJOR ROBERT W. BARR.
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He resigned from the United States army in 1913 but in September, 1917, when the United States had entered the World War he enlisted as a captain and in November of the same year he was promoted to major of the 342nd Field Artillery and was stationed at Camp Funston. Just before his regi- ment sailed for France he was taken ill with pneumonia and was in the military hospital for 20 months, the dread disease causing the loss of his right lung. He was honorably discharged from the service in November, 1918. Upon his return from the hospital he located in Jackson County on Cedar Crest farm, his present home place, which he had purchased in 1915. This fine farm comprises 80 acres located four and a half miles northeast of Independence on the Lexington road and is one of the finest improved tracts in Jackson County. Mr. Barr has 54 head of registered Jersey cows. His herd leader is a grandson of "Golden Ferns Noble", a $25,000 bull owned by William Proctor of New York City.
Mr. Barr was married in 1910 at West Point, N. Y., to Miss Mary Emily Glasgow, of Clinton, Mo., a daughter of Samuel and Emily (Walker) Glasgow, both of whom are deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Barr have a daughter, Virginia, born at Fort Baker, Cal., in 1911.
Major Barr is a Knights Templar Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine at Kansas City, Mo. He is a member of the Presbyterian church.
H. E. Barclay, cashier of the Atherton State Bank, Atherton, Mo., was born in Boone County, Missouri, Feb. 2, 1885. He is a son of A. C. and Anna W. (Everman) Barclay, both of whom are now living in Boone County.
Mr. Barclay was educated in the Boone County public and high schools and the Central Business College of Sedalia. For four years, following his graduation from business college, he was in the employ of the Fidelity Trust Company of Kansas City, Mo. Prior to locating in Atherton, he or- ganized the Virgil State Bank, at Virgil, Kan., and was in charge of that bank for one year previous to coming to Atherton, where he assisted in the organization of the Atherton State Bank, and became cashier of this flourishing institution.
Mr. Barclay was married Aug. 22, 1912, to Miss Mary Murray, of Kan- sas City, a daughter of Mrs. Emma Murray. Besides his banking connec- tions, Mr. Barclay is secretary and treasurer of the Atherton Elevator Company, which is owned by local parties and was incorporated in March, 1918, with a capital of $10,000. The president of this concern is Murt Sullivan. The directors are: H. E. Barclay, Murt Sullivan, John Mueller, J. W. Adams, Claude Giffin, Fred Stewart, J. B. Lynch and Boyd Beets.
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The capacity of the elevators is 13,000 bushels, and an extensive grain busi- ness is conducted.
The Atherton State Bank, Atherton, Mo., was organized Sept. 21, 1915, with a capital stock of $10,000. The surplus was $1,000 at the time of organization. The officers at the time of the organization were: Pres- ident, J. B. Lynch; vice-president, Boyd Beets; cashier, H. C. Barclay ; directors, J. B. Lynch, Boyd Beets, H. E. Barclay, W. C. Adams, J. R. Jones, Claude Giffin and Murt Sullivan. The directorate is the same with the ex- ception that J. W. Adams and John Mueller have succeeded W. C. Adams and J. R. Jones, and Fred Stewart succeeds Boyd Beets.
The capital stock of the bank is $10,000, with a surplus and undivided profits of $3,500. The deposits will exceed $70,000, figures which show a healthy and steady growth of the bank during its existence.
Lind and J. C. Stockwood, The Stockwood Tire Company .- An account of the career of Lind and J. C. Stockwood, and the success of the Stock- wood Tire Company, of Independence, furnishes ample evidence that oppor- tunity in America is not dead, and proves beyond doubt that where new comers to this country are ambitious and energetic, they can succeed. Both Lind and J. C. Stockwood came to America with no knowledge of our language, and unfamiliar with our customs, yet, in a few short years of residence in this country, they have made a splendid success in business and are rapidly forging to the front.
The main office of the Stockwood Tire Company, which does a general retail and wholesale tire business, is located at 2301 Grand avenue, Kansas City. This plant is the wholesale distributing point for the concern which handles the Barney Oldfield Tire in Missouri. The company has a branch store at Excelsior Springs, and at Lees Summit. Their Independence retail store is located at 310 and 312 West Maple street. Lind Stockwood is man- ager of the local store, and J. C. Stockwood is manager of the Kansas City wholesale house.
J. C. and Lind Stockwood were born in Denmark, the former having been born in 1892, and the latter in 1889. They are the sons of J. C. Stockwood, who resides in Denmark. They have two sisters, Mary and Anna Stockwood. Lind Stockwood emigrated from Denmark to America in September, 1907. When he landed in New York he had but $10.00. His first employment was on a farm, where he remained one and a half years, and in the meantime learned the English language. He was then em- ployed in railroad work for one year, after which he was in the employ of a rubber manufacturing concern at Worcester. Mass., where he learned
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the rubber business. In 1909 his brother, J. C. Stockwood, crossed the ocean and Lind met him at New York, and turned over to him his job in the rubber factory, and then came to Kansas City, Mo. His first work here was as locomotive fireman on the Rock Island railroad. He later entered the employ of the Norton Tire Company in Kansas City. His brother, J. C., came on from the East and was employed by the same con- cern. In 1916 Stockwood Brothers purchased the A. J. Stevens stock of tires at 215 West Maple. In April, 1917, they moved to their present loca- tion, 310-312 West Maple street, where they have a store room 40x100 feet. This firm was the first to handle truck tires in Independence. In July, 1917, they opened the Lees Summit store, with J. W. Moffatt as manager. In April, 1919, the Excelsior Springs and the Kansas City stores were established, with J. C. Stockwood as manager at Kansas City, and A. C. Martenson as manager at Excelsior Springs.
J. C. Stockwood married Alma Brems, a native of Denmark and makes his home in Kansas City. They have two children: Robert and Lillian.
When Lind and J. C. Stockwood came to this country their unfamiliar- ity with our language was such that neither could order a meal intelligently. The fact that they have learned our language and become familiar with American customs in a few years and have established themselves in a flourishing business shows the mettle of which they are made. Both have been naturalized since coming to America.
John Mueller, merchant, Atherton, Mo., was born in Germany in 1872. He is a son of Felix and Anna Marie (Steinhilber) Mueller, the former of whom was drowned while engaged in the government mail service in Ger- many in 1886. His widow, accompanied by her son, John, of this review, came to America in 1887, and located in Kansas City. For 11 years follow- ing her advent in Kansas City she washed dishes in a hotel at $15 per month. Mrs. Mueller is now 74 years of age, and still makes her home in Kansas City.
John Mueller learned the trade of butcher and was in the employ of the Weber Meat Markets and the Cudahy Packing Company, of Kansas City, for several years. He then started a small meat market at Four- teenth and Cherry streets, following which he engaged in huckstering and buying calves for a year. He located at Atherton in 1900, opening up a meat market. He later added a stock of groceries and drygoods, and also conducts a hardware store, which is situated in a building 28x60 feet, across the street from his main store. He carried a stock of goods valued at $10,000, and is doing a splendid business.
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Mr. Mueller was married Dec. 26, 1899, to Emily Sturhahn, a native of Quincy, Ill. Seven children have been born to this marriage: Anna, Lola and Mayola twins, Felix, Margaret, George and John.
Besides his stores, Mr. Mueller is owner of 336 acres of land, rich bot- tom soil, 36 acres of which adjoins the town of Atherton. He is a director of the Atherton State Bank, and is one of the leading citizens of this sec- tion of Jackson County.
Jo L. Hill .- Three generations of the Hill family have resided on the Hill farm in Blue township, a part of which was entered by Adam Hill, grandfather of the present owner of the place, over 80 years ago. Jo L. Hill, of this review, was born on the Hill farm Oct. 2, 1871. He is a son of William Moberly Hill, who was born on the same farm July 6; 1836, and was a son of Adam Hill, who came from Kentucky to Jackson County in 1833, purchased the farm, and also entered 80 acres of government land in Blue township. Adam Hill died on the place in 1886, at the age of 86 years, and his remains are interred in the Hill cemetery.
Adam Hill was a blacksmith, and followed his trade in this county. The old Independence and Westport landing road ran along the southeast side of his farm. During the forties he maintained a race track on his farm, and kept and bred some fast race horses. Many horse owners brought their racing stock to his track to try them out. A son, Curtis Hill, served with Gen. Joe Shelby in the Confederate Army. He enlisted when 18 years of age, and fought in many battles during the war. Once he was asked by General Shelby which of the many engagements he liked the best. He replied promptly, "I liked the one which we fought on the banks of the Mississippi River, with the Union soldiers on the other side of the water, which was so wide that the guns of neither army could reach the enemy on either side."
After the close of the war, Curtis Hill engaged in freighting across the plains. Upon the return trip of one of his expeditions, Indians attacked the train at the Upper Cimarron country or crossing, and he and a French- man were killed. His body was later brought home by Joseph Connelly and buried in the Hill cemetery.
William Moberly Hill was reared on the home farm and became owner of 300 acres of land, 76 acres of which is now a part of the Mount Wash- ington cemetery. When he was a pupil in the Rock Creek school, taught by the father of W. Z. Hickman, author of this history, he took part in the annual ducking, a custom which prevailed in the country school districts of those days. The boys of the school took the teacher down to a hole cut
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in the ice of a nearby creek, and ducked him in order to compel him to grant them more than one day as a holiday at Christmas time.
William Moberly Hill was a slave owner at the time of the outbreak of the Civil War. He took his slaves and went to Texas, and did not return until 1865. He passed through Lone Jack on the day following the raid of the Red Legs from Kansas, and found a lone storekeeper mourning the loss of his entire stock of goods. Upon his return to Jackson County he was accompanied by his father and his brother, Curtis Hill. He developed a fine farm and prospered. A large orchard which he planted in 1896 is now in good bearing condition. He was married to Ann Elizabeth Gossett, who was born in Kentucky in 1851, and accompanied her parents to Jack- son County in 1866, they settling on the farm now owned by Carson Brothers. She died Nov. 1, 1880. The children born to William Moberly and Ann Elizabeth Hill are: Curtis, Kansas City, Mo .; Jo L., subject of this sketch; Jacob Gossett Hill, Kansas City, Mo .; Mrs. Fannie B. Abston, Englewood; Adam, a dairyman on part of the home place; Dr. William Hickman, formerly a member of the United States Medical Corps at Camp Funston, and now stationed at Camp Upton, N. Y .; Sanford died in infancy.
Jo L. Hill was educated in the public schools and Woodland College, and studied for one year in the State University at Columbia. The years intervening until he settled down to farming were spent in traveling. One trip which he took to Alaska through British Columbia took five months. He went down the Yukon River to Dawson, and thence to the mouth of the great river. The year following was spent in mining in Colorado, after which he came home to the farm.
Mr. Hill was married in 1908 to Miss Bessie G. Duncan, of Blue town- ship, a daughter of J. T. and Margaret (Brown) Duncan, of Independence, Mo. The children of the Duncan family are as follow: Mrs. Blanche Oli- ver, of Raytown; Sanford S., Blue Spring, Mo .; E. C. Duncan, Grain Val- lew, Mo .; Ernest J., Independence, Mo .; Olan, Independence, Mo .; W. F., James I., Independence, Mo., and Mrs. Jo L. Hill.
Asa K. Browning, real estate and loans, rooms Nos. 1 and 2, Battery Block, Independence, was born in Pendleton County, Ky., July 21, 1870 and is a son of William T. and Eliza J. Miller Browning, both of whom are deceased.
William T. Browning was born in Pendleton County, Ky., in 1830, and died in Jackson County, near Raytown in 1914. During the Civil War he served as a private soldier in Company I, 5th Kentucky Infantry, Confed- erate Army, and took part in 26 hard fought battles and over 70 skirmishes
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during his term of service. He was married in Kentucky to Eliza J. Miller who was born in 1836 and died in 1908. He came to Jackson County in March, 1874, and operated a farm in Prairie township, near Lees Summit, for 20 years. He then sold his farm and purchased another place near Raytown where he died. The children born to William T. and Eliza J. Browning are as follow: C. A. Browning, Greenwood, Mo .; H. O. Brown- ing, Kingsville, Mo .; Mrs. Talitha F. Thompson, Blue Springs, Mo .; E. H. Browning, Rushville, Mo .; Joseph Browning, Raytown; Asa K., of this sketch; Thornton, Lees Summit, Mo .; Charles, Blue Springs, Mo .; Cora Browning, Raytown; Early Browning died in September, 1897, at the age of 31 years.
For several years after locating here, W. T. Browning was engaged in the wholesale tobacco business. He purchased tobacco in quantities at Lees Summit and shipped it in car lots to Louisville and Cincinnati. His brother, O. N. Browning, of Lees Summit was at one time the largest loose leaf tobacco dealer in the United States.
At the time of Mrs. Brownings death in 1908, Mr. and Mrs. Browning had 29 grand children and five great grand children. This estimable couple had lived together for 56 years and had lived to see all of their children grow to maturity. Nine of these children are living at the present time. William T. Browning took an unusually active part in church and religious work and lived according to his creed. He was kind and obliging and strictly honest in all of his business dealings and enjoyed the respect and esteem of all who knew him. His home was a very hospitable one and his door was always open, a warm welcome being always given to both friend and stranger.
Until he attained the age of 30 years, Asa K. Browning followed the vocation of farmer and stockman. For two years, he was employed in the Kansas City stock yards. In 1902 he opened his real estate office in Independence in partnership with M. L. Hall, now deceased. For six years following Mr. Hall's death the firm was known as Browning and Galloway. For the past four years, Mr. Browning has been in business on his own account with offices in rooms 1 and 2, of the Battery Block. He specializes in farm lands and handles loans on real estate and farms.
Mr. Browning was married April 28, 1897 to Miss Ella St. Clair, a daughter of E. P. and Mary A. (Nowlin) St. Clair, the former of whom died in 1895 and his remains are buried in the St. Clair family cemetery. Mrs. St. Clair resides in Independence and is 77 years of age. E. P. and Mary A. St. Clair were parents of the following children: H. L. St. Clair, Oak
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Grove, Mo .; Mrs. Ella Browning of this review; and G. M. St. Clair, Kan- sas City, Mo.
Mr. and Mrs. Browning have a very pleasant home at 916 South Main street. They are members of the Independence Christian church. They have good and just right to be proud of the record of members of the family on both sides who served in the World War. Six nephews saw service in the war, as follow: Chris D. Browning was a member of the 39th Signal Corps and later with the American Relief Association. James L. Browning was with the 356th Infantry, 89th Division and participated in the St. Mihiel drive. Willie H. Browning and Charles R. Browning served in the United States navy. Irving K. Browning was a lieutenant in the Aviation Corps. Haston St. Clair served with the 110th Engineer Corps, 35th Division.
Geo. A. Gould .- The real estate, loan and insurance business operated under the name of Geo. A. Gould and Company in the Battery Block, Inde- pendence, Mo. was first established in April, 1908, and conducted under the firm name of Gould, Burdick and Company. In July, 1909, Mr. Gould pur- chased the interest of Mr. Burdick and the name of the concern was changed to Geo. A. Gould and Company two years later. Oct. 1, 1919, J. M. Gould, a son of Geo. A. Gould, became a member of the firm which is doing an ex- tensive business.
Geo. A. Gould was born in Becker County, Minn., Aug. 25, 1873. He was reared in Ottertail County, Minn. and educated in the public schools. In 1887 he came to Jackson County with his parents and here finished his schooling. He then pursued a course in general business. For 11 years he was in the employ of the Parsons Hawkeye Feeder Company, working in the factory and as traveling salesman on the road in Missouri and Kansas.
Mr. Gould was married Dec. 29, 1897 to Miss Winifred McIntyre of Beloit, Mitchell County, Kan. She is a daughter of D. M. and Lodema S. McIntyre, both of whom are residing in Independence. Mr. McIntyre is a member of the firm of Geo. A. Gould and Company. Mr. and Mrs. Gould have seven children: J. M. Gould, educated in the public schools and Cen- tral Business College of Kansas City, and now a member of the firm; Faye G., stenographer for R. B. Jones and Company, Kansas City, resides at home; Max W., a student in Central Business College, Kansas City ; Fern H., in Independence High School; Roy H., Paul M., Eva May, in the public schools. Blanche R. Gould died in January, 1909.
Geo. A. Gould is a son of Clayton G. and Ellen D. (Sherman) Gould, the former of whom was a native of New York. He was a son of George
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