USA > Missouri > Jackson County > History of Jackson County, Missouri > Part 56
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William G. Chiles was born in Jackson County, in the Six Mile coun- try of Osage township, June 22, 1836. He was the fourth son of Joel F. and Azubah (Skinner) Chiles, a sketch of whom appears in this volume. When 14 years of age, he entered the employ of Frank Chiles, a cousin, who conducted a store at Sibley. He remained with him until the latter's death, in 1852. William G. then joined his brother, C. C. Chiles, who was managing their father's interest in the store of Lightner and Chiles, and he was afterward with the firm of Chiles and Garrison until 1853. He
WILLIAM G. CHILES.
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then entered the Masonic College at Lexington, Mo. Upon his father's death, in 1855, he went home and assisted in the management of the estate until the spring of 1861. When the Civil War broke out he enlisted in the Missouri State Militia, and was enrolled until September, 1861, when he left Missouri, and went to Texas, with C. C. Chiles, his brother, and Eli- jah Chiles, a cousin, and others who had gathered their movable posses- sions and had started for Grayson County, Texas. He remained with the train until it reached the Creek Nation, and he then started in advance of the expedition, with David Miller, to secure a location for his brother and family. Upon his arrival at Sherman, Texas, he was assisted in se- curing the location by Mr. Hendricks, a lawyer, who referred him to John Bacon, who lived on the Choctaw, eight miles east of Sherman. He got a farm of 200 acres, two miles east of Warren. Soon afterwards they sold the greater part of their outfit of wagons and mules and horses to a buyer for the Confederate government, and they then bought 320 acres of im- proved land four miles from Sherman, paying $3,000 in Confederate money. After seeing his brother settled in his new home, William G. Chiles has- tened to his Missouri home, arriving there late in November. He found that he would not be allowed to remain there, so he started again for Texas. He had his wagon equipped for the journey and his supplies loaded when some Kansas Jayhawkers came to the farm and took every- think movable. He then secured another outfit and moved it to a church in Greeton valley, Lafayette County, and he made another start in Jan- uary. Arriving safely in Texas, he went to Fort Smith with the inten- tion of joining the Confederate forces. Arriving there he took charge of the ordnance department of Col. James Clarkson's forces, and joined Cap- tain Minehart's company. July 3, 1862, he was captured by a scout be- longing to General Blount's command, on Cabin Creek, in the Cherokee Na- tion. July 17th, with 115 prisoners of war, including Colonel Clarkson, he was sent in wagons to Fort Leavenworth. Eight days later the party ar- rived in Leavenworth, where the prisoners were paraded, inspected and placed in a prison camp. Through the intercession of his friends he was released on parole August 4th, and returned to Jackson County. He was required to report to the commandant at Fort Leavenworth on the first day of each week. December 1st, he was ordered to Platte County, and Sept. 1, 1863, he was ordered to report to General Schofield, in Kansas City. The Generaljordered him to take the oath of allegiance or join the militia, or he would be banished from the country. He chose banishment, was placed under $3,000 bond, and agreed to go to Canada. He did so, and
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remained in Toronto and Oakville, Canada, until the following December, when he requested the district provost marshal of this district to allow him to spend the winter in Clark County, Ky. He received his pass on Christmas Day, went to Kentucky, and remained there until the follow- ing March. He then obtained permission to go to Idaho, and there remain until the close of the war. From Canada he went to Platte County, where with P. P. Skinner and T. G. Calmes, he obtained an outfit for crossing the plains. He reached Boise City in August, and engaged in freighting from the Boise Valley to Owyhee, Minnesota, and Umatilla Landing, on the Columbia River, also to Idaho City. On his first trip to Umatilla he became snowbound and of necessity took steamer at the landing to Port- land, Ore., thence by steamer to San Francisco, by way of Vancouver, and reached the Golden Gate the day after the assassination of President Lin- coln. He then went by steamer to Sacramento, and by stage to Dawes- ville, where his brother, I. C. Chiles, lived on his ranch. He also visited an uncle, J. B. Chiles, who lived in the Chiles Valley, and had resided in California prior to the discovery of gold. After his visit he returned to Umatilla, and with his cousin, he took a load of freight on the first day of May to Central City, Idaho, receiving 14 cents per pound for freighting. Late that fall he crossed the mountains to Virginia City, Mont., and joined Henry and Cyrus Calmes, who had ox teams loaded with freight from Salt Lake City. He took cattle and mules to Crow Creek, and went into winter camp there, prospecting and hunting during the winter on Indian Creek. In September, 1866, Mr. Chiles sold his interest in the mines and ranch on Indian Creek, and returned to Montana. From Helena, Mont., he went to Fort Benton, then the head of navigation on the Mis- souri River. He paid $40 for his passage down the river to St. Joseph on a flat boat, operated by Parkison and Price. This boat was propelled by oars, and on the first day the rowers gave out. A two-hour relief was then arranged, and by rowing day and night they reached Sioux City on the last of October. Mr. Chiles there boarded a steamer for St. Joseph, ar- riving home by rail, Nov. 2, 1866. In June, 1867, he made a trip to Gray- son County, Texas, on horseback. After visiting Hunt and Fanning coun- ties, Texas, he returned to Grayson County and took charge of the farm which he operated until 1868. In 1869 he rented his farm and returned to Missouri. In July he again went to Texas, traveling by mule team, and sold his Grayson County farm for $10 in gold per acre. Purchasing cattle to be driven to Baxter Springs, Kan., he placed them in charge of John Belcher, and late in September, he started on horseback to overtake
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the cattle. He caught up with the outfit a few miles the other side of Baxter Springs. A severe snow storm had occurred and the cattle were widely scattered. Mr. Chiles assisted in rounding them up, and in a few days sold his cattle to Kansas dealers, and started for Jackson County with a party. At Fort Scott, the others took train for Kansas City, leav- ing Mr. Chiles with the horses and wagons to drive through to Lees Sum- mit. He arrived home in November, and in 1870, purchased of his brother, P. S. Chiles, an interest in the farm which served for his future home. Mr. Chiles developed a fine farm, which he improved with a handsome resi- dence, and was rated as one of the substantial citizens of Jackson County. His farm consisted of 320 acres in Fort Osage township.
Sept. 28, 1870, Mr. Chiles was married to Mary E. Murfee, who was born in Jackson County, April 23, 1849, a daughter of Joseph and Emily (Rice) Murfee, the former a native of Virginia, and the latter of Missouri. Joseph Murfee died in Indiana during the Civil War, and Mrs. Emily Mur- fee died in Jackson County, in June, 1849. Seven children were born to this marriage, as follow: The first child died in infancy; Isaac C., Inde- pendence ; Phineas S., died at the age of two years; Mary E., Kansas City ; Grahame M., on the home place; William G., Independence; Caroline, the wife of Elmer Allen, Independence.
In 1884, Mr. Chiles was elected associate judge of the Jackson County Court, on the Democratic ticket, and was re-elected to the office, serving in all four years. He was a member of the court which had charge of the erection of the new county office building in Independence, and let the contract for the erection of the county court house in Kansas City. He made a capable and careful official, who faithfully performed the duties of his office with fidelity and dispatch, always having in mind the best interests of the people. He became a member of the Christian church in 1861, and served as deacon and trustee of the Buckner church, which he helped to organize, and to which he was always a liberal contributor.
Grahame Murfee Chiles, farmer and livestock dealer, owner of 306 acres of well improved land in Fort Osage township, was born on the place where he now resides, Sept. 30, 1874. He was educated in the pub- lic schools and Spalding Commercial College, and Stanbury Private Nor- mal School. From early manhood he has been engaged in farming and dealing in livestock. For several years Mr. Chiles has been a successful buyer and shipper of livestock. For the past 18 years he has been en- gaged in the breeding of pure-bred Shorthorn cattle, and has made a suc- cess of this advanced phase of animal husbandry. Only recently he has
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dispersed his herd of Shorthorns. His home farm consists of 240 acres, and the Chiles farm holdings total 306 acres in all.
Mr. Chiles was married Nov. 17, 1897, to Miss Mary Blanche McCune, who was born Nov. 29, 1876, in Fort Osage township, a daughter of Na- thaniel and Margaret (Hall) McCune, natives of Ohio. Nathaniel McCune was born Jan. 30, 1842, in Coshocton County, Ohio, and was there reared as a farmer. He enlisted in Company A, One Hundred and Ninety-fourth Ohio infantry, in 1864, and served until the close of the war. Shortly be- fore his marriage, in August, 1868, he made a trip to Jackson County, and in the spring of 1869 he came to Jackson County and settled on a farm of 160 acres near Buckner. Mrs. McCune was born in Ohio in 1853. Na- thaniel McCune died in May, 1898. His widow makes her home with her children, of whom she has three living: Mrs. Nora B. Roth, Buckner, Mo .; Mrs. Mary Blanche Chiles, of this review; and Mrs. Sarah Robert- son, Buckner, Mo.
To Grahame M. and Mary Blanche Chiles have been born five chil- dren, four of whom are living: Glen Hall, died at the age of three years ; Margaret Isabel, born Sept. 1, 1901, is a student in William Woods Col- lege, Fulton, Mo .; Emily Murfee, born Nov. 11, 1903, a student in Buckner High School; Dorothy Ruth, born July 24, 1905; Mary Beall, born Oct. 12, 1913. The mother of these children attended the public schools and graduated from the Baptist Female College at Lexington, Mo., in 1895.
Mr. and Mrs. Chiles have traveled extensively, and both have lived all of their lives in Jackson County, excepting when they were absent on trips over the country. They have traveled all over Western United States, the Northwest and also the Southern States and Canada. They are progressive and interesting people, whose social position in Jackson County is assured. Mr. Chiles is a Democrat. Mrs. Chiles is a member of the Presbyterian church.
Chelton A. Browning, a leading farmer and stockman of Prairie town- ship and the owner of 325 acres of well improved land, has lived in Jack- son County since 1874. He was born in Pendelton County, Ky. and is the son of William T. and Eliza (Miller) Browning, both natives of Ken- tucky. The father was born in Pendelton County in 1830 and died in Jackson County, Mo., in 1914. The mother was born in Clark County, Ky., in 1836 and died in Jackson County about 1909. The Browning family settled in Jackson in 1874, where the father was engaged in farming dur- ing the balance of his active career. William T. and Eliza (Miller) Browning was the parents of ten children as follows: Chelton A., the
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subject of this sketch; Harrison O., resides in Johnson County; Talitha Thompson, a widow residing near Blue Springs; Elijah H., resides in Buchanan County; Early, deceased; Joseph, Raytown; Thornton, lives near Lees Summit; Charles, lives near Blue Springs; Cora, Raytown; and A. K., Independence.
Chelton A. Browning remained on the home farm with his parents until about 1880, and then operated rented land until 1882 when he bought 120 acres ; he has added more land to his original purchase until he is now the owner of 320 acres of valuable land in Prairie township. His place is well improved and he carries on his farming on an extensive scale, using modern methods and up-to-date machinery. He also raises stock quite extensively.
Mr. Browning was married March 9, 1880, to Miss Abbie Hall, a native of Pendleton County, Ky., born in 1855. To this union were born the following children: Alvah, a merchant, Greenwood; Larkin E., a traveling salesman, Kansas City ; Harry, resides at Greenwood; Lacy, Holi- day, Kan .; Arthur, resides on the home farm in Prairie township; and Vernon resides on the home farm. The mother of these children died Nov. 18, 1914, and on Oct. 15, 1917, Mr. Browning was married to Jessie Roberts, a native of Covington, Ky.
Mr. Browning is a Democrat and a member of the Christian church.
Ivin Long, a successful merchant of Greenwood, is a native of Missouri. He was born in Cass County, Feb. 15, 1873, and is the son of John and Martha Susan (Cox) Long. They were the parents of seven children, of whom Ivin, the subject of this sketch, is the second in order of birth, and four of whom are now living.
John Long was born in Kentucky, and in early life removed to Illinois. About 48 years ago he came to Missouri, and located in Cass County, where for many years he was successfully engaged in farming and stock raising. About 1887 he began buying and selling livestock, and also conducted a meat market in Greenwood, where he now resides. His wife was a native of Illinois, born Dec. 1, 1852, and died Feb. 14, 1914.
Ivin Long received his education in the public schools of Greenwood, and began his business career when he was 18 years old. He engaged in the meat business in Greenwood, and four years later bought a stock of groceries, and shortly afterwards engaged in the general mercantile busi- ness, which he has since conducted. His business has expanded from year to year until he has built up a large trade, and is meeting with success.
Mr. Long was married in 1895 to Miss Stella Wilkins, a daughter of
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R. J. and Mary (Vandergraff) Wilkins, early settlers in Jackson County. Mrs. Long was born in this county. To Mr. and Mrs. Long have been born two sons, Robert J. and Claude W., who are successfully engaged in the hardware business at Greenwood.
Mr. Long is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a Democrat, and a member of the Presbyterian church. He is a successful and a wide awake business man, and a public spirited and a progressive citizen.
John H. Haynes, of Prairie township, has for many years been suc- cessfully engaged in farming and stock raising, and is the owner of a well improved farm of 89 acres. He was born in Ash County, North Carolina, March 4, 1854, and is the son of Joseph and Lamyra (Johnson) Haynes, both natives of North Carolina. They were the parents of the following children: William J., St. Louis, Mo .; Stephen G., deceased; John H., the subject of this sketch; Martha L., married Henry T. Langenberg, and is now a widow, residing in St. Louis, Mo .; Mary M., married J. W. Noel, and is now a widow, residing at Lees Summit, and Fannie E., married James L. Kreeger, Boonville, Mo.
Joseph Haynes was born in Stokes County, N. C., October 11, 1816, and on May 12, 1850, married Lamyra Johnson, who was born in Wilkes County, N. C., Aug. 15, 1819. She died March 18, 1897. She was a daugh- ter of William and Letitia Johnson, both natives of North Carolina. Jo- seph Haynes was a son of William G. and Martha (Hill) Haynes, natives of North Carolina. Martha Hill was a descendant of a distinguished colonial family, whose members were prominent in Georgia and North Carolina. She was a daughter of Major Robert Hill, who served in the Revo- lutionary War with the rank of major in Washington's army.
Joseph Haynes came to Missouri and settled in Polk County, in 1866, and in the fall of 1872 came to Jackson County, and settled on the farm where John H. now resides. However, he was not a practical farmer, as he had been engaged in the mercantile business nearly all his life. His sons conducted the farm, and here he spent the remainder of his life.
John H. Haynes received his education in his native State, attending the public schools, and later attending at Morrisville, Mo. He has always followed farming and stock raising, and since coming to Jackson County has made his home on his present place, which was the family homestead. He has improved the place and has made a success of his farming. For ten years he was engaged in breeding Shorthorn cattle.
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Mr. Haynes was married in 1905, to Elizabeth B. George, a native of Kentucky. She died Oct. 4, 1915, at the age of 48 years. To Mr. and Mrs. Haynes were born two children: Martha T. and John H.
Mr. Haynes is a Democrat and a member of the Methodist church.
John E. Lightfoot, a Civil War veteran, and for many years a resi- dent of Jackson County, now deceased, was a native of Kentucky. He was born in Pendleton County, Aug. 7, 1841, and died in Jackson County, March 4, 1919. He was a son of Frank and Louisa (Dunken) Lightfoot, both natives of Tennessee. They moved to Kentucky at an early day and there reared a family of five children, of whom John E. was the third in order of birth.
John E. Lightfoot came to Missouri from Kentucky in 1882, and first settled in Johnson County, where he was engaged in farming and stock raising 14 years. He then moved to Jackson County and followed farming until the time of his death. During the Civil War he served for three years in the Confederate cavalry, under General Morgan, and saw much active service, and received one slight wound. At the close of the war he was discharged at Mt. Sterling, Ky. He was a Democrat and a member of the Masonic lodge.
Dec. 2, 1869, John E. Lightfoot was united in marriage with Miss Louisa Colvin, a native of Harrison County, Ky., born Aug. 9, 1847, who now resides with her son, Charles C., in Van Buren township, Jackson County. To John E. Lightfoot and wife were born the following children: the eldest, a daughter, and died in infancy; Frank, lives near Lone Jack; James, Pleasant Hill; Susan, married William Cogswell, and resides in Jackson County; May, married Oliver Thompson, lives near Lone Jack ; Ruth, married William Ingrum, and is now deceased, and Charles D.
Charles D. Lightfoot was born in Jonnson County, Mo., Oct. 10, 1885, and he received his education in the public school, and in early life en- gaged in farming and has met with a very satisfactory degree of success. In 1910, he bought a farm in Van Buren township, which he later sold and bought his present place in the same township. His farm consists of 160 acres and is well improved. He carried on general farming and also raises livestock quite extensively.
Jan. 4, 1910, Charles D. Lightfoot was united in marriage with Miss Bettie Perdue, a native of Jackson County. She is a daughter of Daniel and Amanda (Tyler) Perdue, the former a native of Texas, and the latter of Jackson County. The father spent his entire life in Jackson County,
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and the mother now lives with her youngest son. To Mr. and Mrs. Light- foot have been born two children, Charles Raymond and Howard Francis.
Mr. Lightfoot is a member of the Christian church, and one of the substantial citizens of Jackson County of the younger generation.
Thomas B. Hudspeth has not only won a National and even a world- wide reputation as a breeder of fox and wolf hounds, but he has achieved a material success as a farmer, stockman and orchardist. He is, without doubt, one of the most versatile and able men of his class in Missouri, and is known far and wide throughout the land wherever there are hu: .. nan or dog lovers. Mr. Hudspeth's splendid country estate in For ~~~~ townships bears ample testimony of the fact that he has not r the material side of industry while indulging himself in his h( of hound breeder and sportsman. Mr. Hudspeth is owner of 1,200 acres of farm land in Jackson County, divided into three improved farms. ™ Hudspeth homestead tract, which he owns, consists of 160 acr nas
been in the family since it was entered from the government », his an- cestor. Sixteen years ago he planted an apple orchard of 50 acres, and this orchard is now 'giving great yields of apples. The 1919 crop has yielded a total of 2,599 barrels all of which is handled by the proprietor, placed in cold storage, and sold by him.
Mr. Hudspeth's entire large estate is under his personal management and supervision, only 90 acres of which are cultivated by tenants. He is one of the well known Missouri jack breeders, and raises numbers of mules each year, making a specialty of jacks for breeding purposes. He has, at the present writing, on his place, 50 head of horses and mules, 30 head of cattle, and 150 head of fine hogs.
Colonel Hudspeth's real specialty, however, is his fox hounds. For over 50 years he has been producing the finest fox and wolf hounds in America, and has sold the product of his breeding kennels in all parts of the United States, Canada and the Phillipine Islands. He shipped the first fox hounds to the Islands in 1914. They ere the first real fox hounds ever shipped to the Phillipines, demonstrating that our Island possessions are becoming thoroughly Amer d when Uncle Sam's children across the seas can take up the good old sport of chasing the elusive fox. He has shipped hounds to points in Old Mexico. During his career he has produced many prize winning animals, and has been awarded many silver cups for his exhibits in past years. He was awarded a silver loving cup by the Kansas City Kennel Club for the largest exhibit of hounds (52) in 1915. In 1914 he was awarded the silver cup for the
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Thomas B Houdspeth
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best fox hound shown at the Kansas City Kennel Club's exhibit. In both 1911 and 1912 he carried off the honors and won the cups. He was awarded the cup at the Springfield meet in 1906, held by the Springfield, Mo., Kennel Club, for the best hounds, although he only showed two ani- mals at this meet. Mr. Hudspeth usually keeps from 100 to 300 hounds on his farm.
A little history of the breeding and production of the Hudspeth fox and wolf hounds will be apt at this point. During the Civil War, Thomas B. Hudspeth was yet a boy. His family, like others in Jackson County, were forced to leave the county on account of Order No. 11. He could not bear to leave his favorite hounds with no one to look after them. Ac- cordingly he selected the best hounds which his uncle then had, and went with them to the North Grand River country. While living there he had many fine races after deer and fox. When the war was over he returned to the old home in Fort Osage township, with 16 fine hounds, all tried and true animals, who had never failed nor flunked on the chase.
There were but few houses left standing in the country at that time, and it looked like a wilderness. Wild game, such as wild dogs, wolves, wild cats, and foxes abounded. Domestic poultry and animals were not safe because of the depredations of these wild animals. Thomas Hudspeth's hounds proved to be of great value in ridding the neighborhood of the beasts which preyed upon domestic animals, inasmuch as he owned the only pack of trained animals in the country at the time. The news that he owned a splendid pack of hounds soon spread all over the country, and he was besieged with invitations to come to the homes of the settlers and help them hunt the wild animals. As he was fond of the sport he rarely refused an invitation, and was busily engaged for some time in running his hounds in chase of the foxes and wolves, which were numerous in the county.
Colonel Hudspeth has bred hounds since that time-a period of 54 years-and has given his direct attention to breeding since 1861. He has met with success, and is not' only a practical hunter, but is a lover of the chase. It has been Mr. Hudspeth's experience that to successfully breed and raise hounds requires years of experience and close study, and also love of hunting, which gives that perfect confidence and accord between the hunter and his hounds.
The Hudspeth hounds are descended from animals brought to Jack- son County by his grandfather, in 1828, his grandfather being a sportsman, who brought with him from Kentucky, his hounds, race horses, game
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chickens and negroes, adjuncts which were necessary to the life of a Ken- tucky gentleman in the old days.
In 1858, a colony of English went to the State of Kansas. They took with them some fine English fox hounds. One of the young hounds be- longing to the pack was lost where the party camped, and was brought to Mr. Hudspeth's uncle's house by some of the negroes. His uncle knew nothing of the short-eared hound, and dubbed the animal a cur, because he had coarse hair and short ears. After he was full grown they very soon found out he was the right kind. On two different occasions he out- ran about 30 other hounds. They got so far behind in nine hours that they failed to get in at the killing, except one female, named "Fancy." The big wolf hid in a log, and was shot by a man named John Hamilton. This wolf was the largest ever seen in the county. The name of "Ring- wood" was given this English hound. "Ringwood" and "Fancy" were crossed. "Fancy" was a descendant of Col. James Chiles' "Old White Foot," which he had obtained from Wash. Maupin, and was brought to Missouri from Kentucky by Colonel Chiles in 1829. "Old White Foot" was sired by "Tennessee Leed," who had outran all of Mr. Maupin's hounds in the chase. Thus, the history of the Hudspeth's hounds extend- ing over 100 years is summed up.
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