USA > Missouri > Jackson County > History of Jackson County, Missouri > Part 64
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S. L. Lowe was educated in the Blue Springs public school, the War- rensburg State Normal and pursued a commercial course in Spauldings Commercial College. For six years he and a partner named H. P. Gould- man operated a livery barn in Blue Springs. Then under the name of Lowe he was engaged in the hardware business for three years. In 1912 he engaged in farming and the raising of cattle and hogs. On this place Mr. Lowe has descendants of the original Shorthorn herd founded by his father who was a breeder of fine cattle.
Mr. Lowe has been twice married. His first marriage took place Feb. 28, 1901 with Lynda Walton Gouldman, who was born in King and Queens County, Va., April 1, 1877 and died April 28, 1910, leaving three children: Eldred Gouldman, born Jan. 3, 1902; Clifton Mordaunt, born Jan. 11, 1904 ; and Henry Ralph, born June 30, 1908. Mr. Lowe was mar- ried the second time Aug. 2, 1916 with Miss Susan Osborn, of Higginsville, Mo., born Feb. 8, 1883, a daughter of George and Susan (Rose) Osborn, natives, respectively of Boone County, Mo. and Fleming County, Ky. The Osborns moved from Davis County to Lafayette County, Mo. in 1865. George Osborn died in 1897 and his wife departed this life in 1903. One
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child has blessed this second marriage: Mary Elizabeth, born July 31, 1919.
Eldred Gouldman Lowe enlisted in the United States navy July 13, 1918, at Chicago, and was trained at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. He was assigned to Newport and served on the navy patrol ship Marguerite with headquarters at Key West. His ship is now doing duty in the Gulf of Mexico.
Mr. Lowe is a Democrat and is a member of the Baptist Church.
Silas V. Dillingham,-Sixty-five years of residence on one farm in Sniabar township is the record of Silas V. Dillingham, large land owner of Jackson County. Mr. Dillingham was born Oct. 31, 1854. The old home of the Dillingham family is still standing within sight of the home which was erected by Mr. Dillingham in 1891. The Dillingham homestead was erected by the elder Dillingham in the early forties.
Veachel Dillingham, father of the subject of this review, was born in Virginia in 1818 and died in January, 1864. He married Nancy Jane Gib- son, a native of Kentucky, who died in 1881. Veachel and Nancy Jane Dillingham were parents of seven children: Elizabeth, widow of Larken Johnson, Blue Springs, Mo .; Mrs. M. E. Walsh, lives in Texas ; Mrs. Jennie Hamilton, deceased; Mrs. America Mitchell, deceased; Mrs. Sallie Harra lives east of Buckner, Mo .; John, deceased; Silas V., of this review.
After the father's death, Silas V. and his brother were the support of their mother and five sisters. Naturally he began doing the work of a farmer while yet in his youth. He continued to assist in the support of his widowed mother until he was 25 years old. Two years later, his re- maining sister married and moved away from the home place. For ten years following his mother's death he lived a bachelor's life. In 1889 the estate was divided and Mr. Dillingham purchased the interests of the other heirs, accumulating 240 acres. He has built up a splendid farm and has added to his first as the years passed. He first bought 22 acres from Larken Johnson. He then bought 40 acres from Mrs. Mack. His next purchase was a tract of 98 acres from a brother-in-law. In the spring of 1919 he purchased 69 acres and now owns a large total of 470 acres.
Mr. Dillingham was married in 1889 to Miss Julia Daniels, born in Jackson County, a daughter of Henry and Mattie (McGill) Daniels. She died in 1902. Four children were born to this marriage: Mary and Anna Jane, at home with their father and two children died in infancy. Mr. Dillingham is a Democrat.
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It is worthy of note that Veachel Dillingham served in the Confed- erate army during the Civil War under General Price and took part in many battles. While in Texas he became ill of measles and died. During the day's march he had become soaking wet, becoming ill in the evening, he was left in the care of an old couple by a comrade, Perry Gibson, and was never again heard from. It is presumed that he died in the Texas home and that his body was buried by the old couple who cared for him.
George Henry Hifner, one of the pioneer citizens of Jackson County, now living retired on a farm near Atherton, was born in Jessamine County, Ky., Feb. 11, 1833. He is a son of William and Margaret (Funk) Hifner, natives of Kentucky.
William Hifner was a son of Peter Hifner who reared a family of six children. Margaret (Funk) Hifner was a daughter of Peter Funk, who was father of 14 children, six sons and three daughters of whom were reared to maturity. William Hifner died in Jessamine County in 1836. His wife died at the age of 86 years. George Henry Hifner migrated to Missouri when 24 years of age. When 17 years old he had learned the trade of wagon maker which he followed for some years and carried on a shop at Sulphur Wells, Ky. When he came to Missouri he located near Liberty, Clay County, and followed farming until the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861. He enlisted in Clay County under Capt. William Price, in Colonel Thornton's regiment, General Price's Division and went with his command to Lexington, thence to Springfield, and to Lewis and took part in the battle of Elkhorn Tavern, Ark. From there he went to White River and the army crossed to Tennessee, but Mr. Hifner, then orderly sergeant, was sick and could not accompany his command. He was sent to Little Rock, Ark. and returned on foot in 1862 with two other men, William Jenkins and John Creek, for companions. He was arrested upon his arrival home and imprisoned in the Federal prison at St. Louis from August until Christmas of that year. Dec. 29, 1863 he was released and engaged in the hemp and produce business at Missouri City which he fol- lowed until 1870. In 1869 he traded for his present home farm near Atherton and moved on to it in March. This farm consisted of 187 acres and Mr. Hifner acquired a large estate of 871 acres. In 1885 he decided that it was the better policy to make a division of his land among his five children instead of having them wait until his death. He gave 102 acres to his daughter Maggie; 127 acres to his daughter Ella; 160 acres to his son James ; and gave to William 80 acres; and gave 80 acres to John. He kept the remainder of his land so as to have property for himself and the
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GEORGE HENRY HIFNER AND WIFE.
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rest of his family. During his long, active career, Mr. Hifner was an extensive grain raiser and cattle and hog producer and one of the most successful farmers in Jackson County.
In 1858, at the old Liberty fair, he was awarded a first prize for the finest corn crop raised on an acre of ground, producing 133.40 bushels to the acre, the corn averaging 134 bushels and 37 pounds to the measured bushel and the best in quality, winning all the premiums. The associa- tion agreed to pay the corn prize in money or silver ware. Mr. and Mrs. Hifner decided to accept silver ware and the State authorities had a set of silver spoons made at St. Louis, marked with the family initial. This silver ware is still in the family.
Mr. Hifner was married Feb. 15, 1855 to Eliza J. Horine of Jessamine County, Ky., a daughter of David Horine of Kentucky. The children born to this marriage are as follow: John C. B., Atherton, Mo .; Elizabeth, at home; Ella, wife of Ed Gallagher, Kansas City, Mo .; Margaret, wife of James D. Beets, of Independence; Prof. W. D., Independence, Mo .; James D., a farmer living near Lees Summit; Boswell, at home. The mother of these children died in April, 1905.
The Hifner residence was erected in 1869. Mr. Hifner recently sold his home place where he now resides but will continue to make his home on the farm. He was one of the leading members of the Greenback party in Jackson County in the seventies and was a candidate for various offices, at one time having been a candidate for congressman from the Fifth District. He has always been independent in political matters. He be- came a member of the Christian church when 16 years of age, joining the church at Old Jessamine, Ky. He assisted in the building of the Lib- erty Christian church and also helped to erect a church at Missouri City, later helping materially to build the church on Blue Bottoms, near Ather- ton. He also contributed to the building of the Pleasant Union church. This church has since been sold and the proceeds turned over to the Inde- pendence Christian church. Mr. Hifner now holds membership in the Independence Christian church to which he contributed $1,000 in the fall of 1919. He has filled the offices of elder and superintendent of the Sun- day school in the various churches with which he has been affiliated and is now an elder in the Independence Christian church. He has heard many pioneer preachers discourse from the pulpit in his time, such as Rev. Franklin, George Rogers, James A. Garfield, Scott, Ricketts, Raccoon Smith and Alexander Campbell.
Mr. and Mrs. Hifner have grandchildren as follow: Boyd, Frank,
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Henry, Thomas, Chub, Ila, Mona, Flora, Mabel and Ella Beets; Pauline, Kate, Bertha, William, Lora, Mary and Nellie Gallagher; Russell, Lloyd, Lola, Blanche, Garland Hifner; Gilbert, now in U. S. navy, Stanley, Henry and Helen Hifner. They have nine great grandchildren.
Although past 87 years of age, this patriarch is active both mentally and physically and takes a keen interest in life and present day events. He is well informed.
Whitsett P. Fishback, former merchant of Oak Grove, Mo. was born on a pioneer farm in Lafayette County, Mo., Feb. 13, 1849. He is the son of Fant L. and Pamelia (Ewing) Fishback, natives of Virginia and Tennes- see, respectively, who came to Missouri in the early forties. Pamelia Ewing accompanied her father, William Young Ewing, from Giles County, Tenn. during the early thirties. Fant L. Fishback developed a farm about three and a half miles south of Napoleon, Lafayette County and there reared his family.
When W. P. Fishback was 24 years of age, like many other young men of his age in that adventurous era, he became imbued with the desire to see the great unknown West. Accordingly he traveled to the mining country and went to the Washoe Valley in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and was employed in cutting wood which was rolled down the steep mountain sides for shipment to the smelters of the famous mining town of Virginia City, which was then in the heyday of its prosperity and fame. The wood was hauled to Virginia City via a small narrow gauge railroad. Mr. Fishback spent two years in the west and for a time was employed on a valley ranch. He returned to Missouri in 1875 and spent two years in Vernon County before settling down in his home county. In 1883 he engaged in the mercantile business in Oak Grove in partner- ship with W. H. Poindexter. Later Mr. Fishback became sole proprietor and carried on the business alone until he took in his brother, Robert Fish- back, as a partner. The firm was continued under the name of Fishback Brothers until the death of Robert Fishback, the interest of the deceased brother being retained for the benefit of his widow and son, Roy. Mr. Fishback continued the business until Roy Fishback, his nephew, became old enough to take his place in the store and it was operated by the uncle and nephew until Jan. 1, 1919, when it was sold to Gray Brothers of Oak Grove. Mr. Fishback and his nephew, Roy, are owners of 150 acres of land five miles south of Oak Grove and at the present time, Roy Fishback is traveling in Colorado in the interest of a dry goods firm.
There were four children born to Fant L. and Pamelia Fishback as
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follows: Sarah died in 1862; James E., died in 1918; George, died in 1918; Whitsett P., of this review, and Robert E. Fishback. The latter was born in 1851 and died in 1905. He married Lucy Grubb, a daughter of G. W. Grubb and she now resides at Oak Grove. They were the par- ents of three children, Roy, Mrs. Carrie Gray and Whitsett E.
Mr. Fishback is a Democrat and a member of the Cumberland Presby- terian church.
John W. Hudson, Oak Grove, Mo., is one of the old timers of Jackson County, who was born in a log cabin and reared in this county. Nearly his entire life has been spent in the vicinity of Oak Grove. He was born May 23, 1848 and is the son of John Hill and Mary Page (Wilson) Hudson who were natives of Virginia and came to Jackson County in 1832.
John Hill Hudson first settled near Blue Springs and later located about two and a half miles west of Oak Grove where he entered a con- siderable acreage of land which cost him $1.25 an acre, and thereby hangs a tale. Mr. Hudson, senior, was gifted with wisdom and had a desire to accumulate land. He accordingly built his cabin so that it would lap over the township lines, and thus enable him to prove up on three or four parcels of land as he desired. He built a two room log cabin and was thus enabled to change his residence from one congressional township to the other as it was necessary. He slept and ate his meals in one side of the house until he had proved up on an "80" and then changed over to the other side and proved up on another "80". This led eventually to compli- cations and the township line at this point became lost, officially some years later. It was necessary to find the intersecting line. The county court ordered a corps of surveyors, William Z. Hickman, Martin O. Jones and Tom Lee, to locate the line, and to establish the corner. The survey- ors made quite a hunt for the missing corner and at length one of the party bethought himself of an idea. Perhaps the intersection was located on the site of the Hudson home. Young John W. Hudson was thereupon sent upon the roof with a plumb line and ordered to move around on the roof until the lead pointed at the proper place. In this manner the corner was officially established and the records were made complete. John Hill Hudson accumulated over 600 acres of land during his lifetime and was one of the best known and substantial of the pioneers of Sniabar town- ship. He died in 1848 and his wife Feb. 18, 1888. There were six chil- dren in the Hudson family as follows: Thomas W., deceased; David Hill, deceased; James R., died in Oak Grove; Mrs. Albinda W. Chum, deceased; Sarah C., wife of D. B. Shores, Argonia, Kan .; John W., of this review;
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James R. Hudson crossed the plains to California in 1852 by the ox wagon route. Thomas W. also went to California in 1852.
John W. Hudson cared for his mother during her last years and in 1871 he was married and built his first home. During the Civil War the family moved to Carroll County and lived with David H. Hudson. After his marriage, Mr. Hudson settled on his home place of 90 acres and im- proved it. He accumulated a total of 137 acres which he sold in 1904 and then located in Oak Grove. He resided on a farm adjoining Grain Valley, Mo. for six years and for the next five years he lived in Kansas City. Sept. 10, 1918, he located in Oak Grove.
Mr. Hudson was married in 1871 to Mary Etta Austin who was acci- dently killed in a team runaway during the winter of 1902, leaving six children: Verta Ann, wife of Arthur J. Alford, Oak Grove, Mo .; William Thomas, a grocer of Kansas City, Mo .; Minnie Hudson, deceased; Edward Lee, a farmer of Vernon County, Mo .; Mary Alice Gregg, Kansas City; Lena Frances Mabry, Grain Valley, Mo .; Mr. Hudson's second marriage occurred in 1904 with Cora A. Mason, who died Jan. 16, 1909 at the age of 41 years.
Mr. Hudson has always been a Democrat and is an excellent citizen.
Joseph L. Carr, farmer of Blue township, is one of the old timers of Jackson County. He was born in Baltimore County, Md., March 20, 1849, and is a son of James and Annie (Lesoured) Carr, who came to Missouri in 1867 and settled in Jackson County on the very farm where Mr. Carr is living and where he has resided for two years more than a half cen- tury. James and Annie Carr were parents of a family of 11 children only four of whom are now living, viz: Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Loclhard, living at Independence; Rachel Anne and Laura Matilda, living on the home place and Joseph L., the subject of this review.
Joseph L. Carr received such education as the schools of his day afforded and during his entire life has been a great reader and student. They say that reading constantly keeps a man young and if such is the case, Mr. Carr has profited by his constant reading of literature and the daily newspapers as he is active, well informed and clear eyed. He lives comfortably upon his small farm of 16 acres, but he and his son are farming over 80 acres in all.
Mr. Carr was married on Oct. 22, 1874 to Martha E. Land, who was born in Jackson County in 1854 and is a daughter of the late Joshua Land, a well known pioneer of this county. Five children blessed this union, viz .: Nora B., living at the home of attorney Dryden; Josie A., wife of
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Howard Johnson, north of Grain Valley; Mrs. Rachel M. Hudnall, north of Blue Springs; Britton L., resides in Oklahoma; John W., at home with his father, is the father of one child, Cora V. Carr. Mr. Carr has two other grandchildren, Mary Ellen Johnson and Robert Hudnall.
Mr. Carr is a stanch Democrat of the old school and is loyal to Wil- sonian principles.
Roy Montgomery, farmer and stockman, owner of 175 acres of splen- did farm land in Sniabar township, is a member of one of the old and prominent pioneer families of Jackson County. Mr. Montgomery was born Nov. 27, 1873 and is a son of Isaac N. Montgomery, details of whose life are given with the biography of E. E. Montgomery of Blue Springs, who is a brother of Roy Montgomery. Mr. Montgomery attended the Round Grove School and was reared to the life of a farmer. He has re- sided on his present place since 1894.
Nov. 28, 1894, Mr. Montgomery was married to Lue Wampler, who was born Nov. 1, 1875, in Illinois and is a daughter of Jacob and Angeline (Chiddix) Wampler, the former born in Knox County, Ind. and the latter a native of West Virginia. Jacob Wampler and Angelina Chiddix were married in Illinois and came to Jackson County, Mo., in August, 1878. They settled on the place now owned by Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery. Jacob Wampler was born May 18, 1839 and died June 27, 1884. His wife was born Jan. 13, 1854 and now resides in Independence. She was mar- ried to James Mack in 1886 and is mother of two children by her first marriage: Mrs. Roy Montgomery of this review; and Mary, wife of Charles B. Mabrey, near Mecklin, Mo. By her second marriage with Mr. Mack she is mother of two children: Auda A. died in 1907 and James born Aug. 5, 1889, now lives in Independence.
Three children have been born to Roy and Lue Montgomery, as fol- low: Marvel Angeline, born Aug. 17, 1896; Sue Ione, born May 23, 1898; and Isaac Dow, born Oct. 16, 1902. Both Marvel Angeline and Sue Ione Montgomery were educated in the Oak Grove and Slater High Schools and have studied at Howard Payne College, Fayette, Mo. and are members of the Eastern Star lodge. Isaac Dow Montgomery is a student in Grain Valley High School.
Mr. Montgomery is a director of the Citizens State Bank of Blue Springs and is prominent in Jackson County. He is a Democrat and is affiliated with the Grain Valley Masonic lodge and has attained the Scot- tish Rite degree of Masonry in Kansas City. Mr. Montgomery and wife, two daughters and son are all members of the M. E. Church, South.
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Eugene H. Chrisman, of Sniabar township and owner of a well im- proved farm of 87 acres on the Spring Branch road east of Independence, is a native of Jackson County. He was born Jan. 11, 1870, on the Chris- man home place, now the Fisher place. His parents were Saunders and Elizabeth (Jones) Chrisman, the former of whom was born in Virginia Dec. 1.2, 1825, and came to Jackson County with his parents when six years of age. Elizabeth (Jones) Chrisman was a sister of the late Judge Jones of this county. She was born Jan. 9, 1835 and died June 28, 1896. Saunders Chrisman died May 18, 1906. He was a Confederate soldier in the Civil War. They were parents of the following children: Charley,' died in infancy ; Albert, lives north of Adams Station; Orville, Hickman's Mill; Eugene H., of this review; Jeremiah V., a mail carrier of Independ- ence, Mo.
Eugene H. Chrisman attended the district schools and has always fol- lowed farming. When 16 years old he began working out by the day and by the month. For five years he was engaged in the restaurant business in Independence. He purchased his present farm in 1909 at a cost of $60 an acre. Mr. Chrisman has improved his place and it is easily worth $300 an acre. He erected a neat modern bungalow in 1915 to replace his first residence which was burned in 1915.
Mr. Chrisman was married in 1894 to Nannie Fields, and to this mar- riage children have been born as follows: Gladys Josephine aged 23 years, married Luther Vandyke, lives six miles east of Lees Summit and has three children, De Chrisman and James Philip, twins, and Vera Eugene.
W. W. Fields, father of Mrs. Nannie Chrisman, was born Sept. 11, 1844, on a farm one and a half miles east of his present place on the Lexington road. He is a son of William and Amanda (Chiles) Fields who were born, reared and married in Morrill County, Ky. They came to Jack- son County in 1836. In 1856, William Fields, the elder, sold his first farm and purchased the land where Sater Necessary now lives. He was born in 1806 and died in 1862. His wife, Amanda, was born in 1812, and died in 1868.
William W. Fields enlisted in the Confederate army in 1862, in Com- pany K, Hays regiment, Joe Shelby's brigade, and served for three years, surrendering at Shreveport, La., June 14, 1865. He was with Shelby's command to the end and participated in all of the battles in which Shelby commanded. Saunders Chrisman, father of Eugene Chrisman of this re- view, was a member of the same company. Mr. Fields was married in
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1871 to Josie Adams, who was born in Nelson County, Ky., in 1854, a daughter of Leck Adams. Seven children were born to this marriage: Nannie, wife of Eugene H. Chrisman; Mrs. Myrtle Fisher, living on a nearby farm; Fred, a carpenter, Independence; William, living on the Blue Springs road; Mrs. Perna Searcey, living near Bristow; Tina Belle, lives in Kansas City ; and Ernest, at home.
For a number of years Mr. Fields worked at the carpenter trade and accumulated a total of 224 acres. He now has but 72 acres, upon which he has resided since 1893. Mr. Fields has been a Mason for 40 years.
Mr. Chrisman is a Democrat. He and Mrs. Chrisman are members of the Methodist Church South.
John Dudgeon, late resident of Fort Osage township, was one of the best known men in the northern part of Jackson County. He was born in Taylor County, Ky., May 2, 1868, and died at his home in Fort Osage township, Oct. 7, 1918. He was a son of W. Dandridge and Susan (Over- street) Dudgeon, natives of Casey County, Ky. The Dudgeon family came from Kentucky to Ray County, Mo., in 1880, and John Dudgeon attained young manhood in Ray County. He was married on March 26, 1890, to Miss Fannie Endsley, who was born Oct. 7, 1871, in Ray County. She was a daughter of Ethbert M. and Eliza (Vance) Endsley, both of whom were born and reared in Ray County. Ethbert M. Endsley was born June 18, 1834, and died Oct. 31, 1908. He was a son of John Ends- ley, a native of North Carolina, who was one of the first pioneers of western Missouri, settling in Ray County in 1824. Ethbert Endsley crossed the plains to California in the fifties, spent some time in the gold mines, and returned home in the winter of 1857. Ethbert M. Endsley married Eliza Vance on Dec. 27, 1857. To this union nine children were horn: Amidore Endsley, of Orrick, Mo .; Alice Helfor, of Topeka, Kan .; Birty Endsley, of Orrick; Johnnie Endsley, of Orrick; Everett Endsley, of Orrick; Fannie Dudgeon, of Sibley ; Eliza Thurman, of Orrick; two died in infancy. After the death of his first wife, he was married to Marie L. Owens, Sept. 15, 1876, and to this union five children were born: Arthur Endsley, of Orrick; Walter Endsley, of Orrick; Callie Coons, of Orrick ; two died in infancy. Mr. Endsley became prominent in Ray County, and was a member of the Free Masons.
After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Dudgeon resided on their farm in Ray County until 1914. In that year they sold their Ray County farm and came to Jackson County, where they purchased 128 acres in Fort Osage township. Mr. Dudgeon did considerable improving on his farm
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during the comparatively short period in which he resided in Jackson County, and the Dudgeon farm is one of the well improved and valuable farms in the county. Two children were born to John and Fannie Dudgeon, as follows: John Birtie, born Sept. 5, 1891, and an infant son born and died April 11, 1897. John Birtie is managing the home farm, was mar- ried on July 9, 1912, to Ellen Leake, and has two children, Frances Lu- cille, born April 17, 1913, and Fannie Leota, born Dec. 7, 1914.
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