History of Johnson County, Missouri, Part 45

Author: Cockrell, Ewing
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Topeka, Kan. : Historical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1234

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W. F. Thomson, a well-known and successful merchant of Warrens- burg, is the son of one of the pioneer families of Johnson county. He was born October 18, 1881, in Warrensburg, the son of Clifton and Nancy B. (Warren) Thomson. Clifton Thomson was born in Pettis county, Missouri, and was a member of one of the leading pioneer families near Georgetown, Missouri. His death occurred in 1899. W. F. Thomson is the great-grandson of Martin Warren, in whose honor the city of Warrensburg was named.

The early education of W. F. Thomson was obtained in the War- rensburg public schools. He later attended the Warrensburg State Normal School for three years. After leaving school, he was engaged for several years in writing life insurance. With six years' experience in this line of work, Mr. Thomson abandoned the insurance business and entered the mercantile business, September 8, 1908, at 131 West Pine street, in Warrensburg, where he continued in business until June 1, 1913, when he moved to his present location at 118 West Pine street. Mr. Thomson's New and Used Furniture Store occupies a building con- taining three floors and 25 x 90 feet in dimensions. He has a splendid trade, carrying everything in stock needed to furnish a home.

December 24, 1904, W. F. Thomson was united in marriage with Ota B. Nash, the daughter of Thomas and Amanda (Witt) Nash. Mrs. Thomson was born in Clinton county, Missouri. Both her parents are natives of Missouri. Thomas Nash's father and mother came from Kentucky in an early day and settled in Buchanan county, Missouri. Mrs. Witt is now deceased and Thomas Witt, grandfather of Ota B. (Nash) Thomson, now makes his home in Warrensburg. To W. F. and Ota Thomson have been born four children: the oldest child died in infancy; Stella Blanche, Warren N., and Mary E Mr. and Mrs. Thomson reside at 408 South Washington avenue in Warrensburg, Missouri. The Thomson family has long been considered one of the highly respected families of Johnson county.

J. B. Elliott, the progressive stockman of Warrensburg township, is one of Johnson county's exemplary citizens. He was born in Holmes county, Ohio, in 1854, the son of Moses and Martha A. (Frizzell) Elliott, both of whom were natives of Holmes county, Ohio. Moses Elliott was born in 1826. He came to Johnson county, in 1872 and settled on the farm in Warrensburg township, which place is now owned by his son, J. B., the subject of this review. Moses Elliott purchased

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two hundred acres of land from Judge Welshans, paying thirty dollars an acre. He engaged in farming and stock raising and fed cattle. Mr. Elliott succeeded well in his new Western home, which he enjoyed but a few short years, when his death occurred in 1895. Interment was made in the Warrensburg cemetery. Mrs. Elliott died in 1909 and she, too, was laid to rest in the Warrensburg cemetery. Moses and Martha A. (Frizzell) Elliott were the parents of the following children : Mrs. Elmira Reid now deceased, who was the wife of James N. Reid; Mary J., Warrensburg; J. B., the subject of this review; Mrs. Emma Spiess, now deceased, who was the wife of Adolph Spiess, of War- rensburg; J. F., a well-known farmer, Warrensburg; Mrs. Martha A. Statler, the twin of J. F., who is the wife of J. A. Statler, of Akron, Ohio; and Cora W., who died in 1916.

J. B. Elliott received his education in the public schools of Johnson county. Early in life he began working for himself. engaged in farm- ing on the home place. He remained at home with his parents until he was thirty years of age. He and his brother, J. F., were in partner- ship in farming and stock raising for many years. For the past ten years J. B. Elliott and his brother-in-law, E. R. McClean, have been associated in the stock business, making a specialty of raising Shorthorn cattle. Mr. McClean's father, William McClean, was owner of the first herd of pure-bred Shorthorns in this section of the country. After his death, his son and Mr. Elliott took charge of the cattle, which are now on the McClean place. Mr. Elliott also raises Shropshire sheep, Poland China hogs, and mules. At the time of this writing, he has fifty head of sheep and for the season of 1917 the fleece averaged ten pounds of wool each and sold for sixty-one cents a pound. Bear creek flows through the Elliott stock farm, which is one of the pretty country spots in Missouri. The farm comprises three hundred twenty acres of valuable land, two hundred acres of which are rich bottom soil.

April 16, 1885, J. B. Elliott and Mary McClean were united in mar- riage. Mrs. Elliott is the daughter of William and Mary (Robinson) McClean, who came to Johnson county in 1868 from Ross county. Ohio. The McClean family settled on the farm in Warrensburg township, which place is now owned by the son, E. R. McClean. Both parents of Mrs. Elliott are now deceased and their remains are interred in the Warrensburg cemetery. The Elliott home is one of the attractive residences in Johnson county. It is located upon an elevation, over- looking the entire farm. The residence is a large structure of two

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stories, 16 x 34 feet in dimensions, built with an "L" and summer kitchen. The house is modern with a hot and cold water system throughout. There are several large and small stock barns on the place, all in keeping with the well-kept surroundings. The lawn is well shaded by fine, old, stately trees, adding the finishing touch to as beautiful a country scene as suggested in some charming pastoral idyl. Both Mr. and Mrs. Elliott are members of the Methodist Episco- pal church in Johnson county, of which church Mr. Elliott has been a member for more than fifty years and steward for the past thirty-five years. He is a quiet, unobtrusive, model citizen, one who is held in the highest esteem in this county, where he has lived for nearly a half century.

Clinton J. Rucker, one of the directors of the American Trust Company of Warrensburg since the organization of the bank as the Johnson County Trust Company in 1898, a successful and prosperous farmer and stockman and operator of a threshing outfit, is one of the best and most skilled mechanicians in this section of Missouri. He was born in 1858 in Greene county, Ohio. Clinton J. Rucker is the oldest of ten children born to his parents, John and Mary J. (Smith) Rucker, natives of Rockingham county, Virginia, who were as follow: Clinton J., the subject of this review; Mrs. Mary Crow, Decatur, Illinois; Mrs. Sarah Barnhardt, the wife of John C. Barnhardt, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; Mrs. Jennie Smith, the wife of Dr. Alexander Smith, of Union county, Ohio; William, Portland, Oregon; Mrs. Alice Hitt, the wife of Henry T. Hitt, now deceased; Dr. Frank, who was a prominent and very successful physician of Centerview, Missouri, and is now deceased; Mrs. Rosalie Bolton, the wife of Dr. Wesley Bolton, who is a graduate of the St. Joseph Medical College, St. Joseph, Missouri, and is now engaged in the practice of medicine in Warrensburg; Mrs. May McBride, the wife of J. C. McBride, the well-known druggist of Warrensburg; and Mrs. Annie L. Leary, the wife of Harry Leary, Kansas City, Missouri. Of the three sons born to John and Mary J. Rucker, only two are now living. Dr. Lee Franklin Rucker, known as Dr. Frank Rucker, died several years ago. He was a graduate of the St. Louis Medical College and for many years was engaged in the practice of medicine at Centerview. Doctor Rucker was widely known in Johnson county and his loss has been keenly felt in the medi- cal profession. The only surviving brother of Clinton J. Rucker, William

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Rucker, of Portland, Oregon, is a master mechanic and engineer, super- vising the erection of steam machinery.

John Rucker came with his family to Missouri in 1884 and settled on land known as the Gallaher addition to Warrensburg, where he engaged in farming. Mr. Rucker increased his holdings at different times, purchasing eighty acres of land in the southeastern part of Warrensburg, which was later included within the city limits of War- rensburg, which place Clinton J. Rucker used to farm ; and four hundred eighty acres of land, known as the C. H. McFarland farm; and the Shelton place southeast of Warrensburg with eighty acres adjoining the place on the east. John Rucker was an industrious, capable, remark- ably intelligent business man and richly deserved the success which attended all his efforts. His death occurred in Warrensburg in 1887. His widow survived him only six years, when she joined her husband in death, September 23, 1893.

At the age of twenty-one years, Clinton J. Rucker began life for himself and for three years was engaged in farming in Greene county, Ohio. With his accumulated savings, he purchased a small farm in Ohio, the place comprising twenty-seven acres of good farm land, for which he paid seventy-five dollars an acre. January 13, 1883, he came to Warrensburg and six months later his father came West. Until the marriage of Clinton J. Rucker, father and son were associated in farm- ing on a place one and a half miles southeast of Warrensburg and later, on a farm twelve miles south of Warrensburg. Prior to his marriage, Clinton J. Rucker purchased two hundred fifty-five acres of the old homestead.

March 18, 1885, Clinton J. Rucker was united in marriage with Sadie E. Drummond, of Guernsey county, Ohio. Sadie (Drummond) Rucker is one of eight children born to her parents. Samuel and Sarah (Tingle) Drummond. the other children being as follow: Albert, who married Eliza Day and resides in Warrensburg: Theodore, who mar- ried Georgia Gilliland, now deceased, and he resides in Warrensburg; Mrs. Rowena Davies, the wife of Ezra Davies, a highly respected hardware merchant of Fayetteville, Arkansas; Mrs. Rhoda Fickas, the wife of Richard Fickas, of Santiago, California; Joseph H., who is a successful real estate man, residing in Arkansas Pass, Texas; William, Los Angeles, California ; and Edward, a civil engineer, residing in Port- land. Oregon. Samuel Drummond was a skilled cabinetmaker, having learned the trade in early manhood, but he was engaged in farming

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after coming to Missouri in 1867. He died in July, 1878 and in Novem- ber, 1890, Mrs. Drummond joined him in death. To Clinton J. and Sadie E. Rucker have been born the following children, all of whom were born in Johnson county and now live at home with their parents : Pearl, who is a graduate of the Warrensburg High School; Grace, and Mabel, graduates of the high school and Warrensburg Normal School; and Drummond. Pearl is a graduate of the Warrensburg State Normal School. Grace is a graduate of the city high school and normal and taught school for four years. Mabel is a graduate of the high school and normal college and is now a supervisor in the State Normal School at Ada, Oklahoma. Drummond is a graduate of the city high school, class of 1917, and is now a junior in the normal school.

The Rucker farm, which is located two miles northeast of Warrens- burg, adjoining the the county farm on the east, comprises eighty acres of valuable land, which Mr. Rucker purchased in February, 1904. Mr. Rucker has greatly improved the place since his coming to it, remodeling the house, making it modern, and rebuilding the barn, which is now 60 x 72 feet in dimensions, with concrete floors and a splendid basement. Mr. Rucker's machine shop, in which he rebuilds machines, is located on the farm. The shop is equipped with engines, lathes, power drill presses, grinders, boilermaker's tools, plumber's tools, car- penter's tools, tinner's tools, and complete blacksmithing equipment. In connection with the shop, there is a large warehouse, 44 x 64 feet in dimensions, in which are stored machines. Mr. Rucker has, at the time of this writing, ten grain separators, six steam and one oil tractors for sale. In a stock room 16 x 24 feet in dimensions, are kept all the supplies necessary for his work. Mr. Rucker makes a specialty of rebuilding engines and threshers.

In addition to general farming and stock raising, Clinton J. Rucker annually operates a thresher. He has been engaged in this work for thirty-four consecutive years. In connection with this work, he has improved many of the outfits that were difficult to operate. Mr. Rucker has three machines at work this season, 1917, and has sold two outfits this year. Last year he made seven sales. He buys old machines, paying cash for them, and then rebuilds and sells them. He can put any old machine in excellent condition. Mr. Rucker purchases some casting, but makes most that he uses. He can make any part of a machine and he always keeps in his shop a large stock of repairs.

Mr. Rucker has deserved all the splendid success that has come

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to him. He lias prospered remarkably well and at the time of this writing is the owner of extensive property interests, owning a fine twenty-acre tract adjoining Warrensburg on the north, on which place is a handsome, modern residence. one of the finest in the state of Missouri; residence property in Magnolia, Missouri; a cottage and flat of twenty-four rooms in Sedalia, Missouri; and residence property on Walnut street in Kansas City, Missouri. The Rucker property north of Warrensburg was formerly the Marcus Youngs place. It is a beauti- ful home, surrounded with large, native trees and with a park, including ten acres of land. An excellent spring is on this farm. Mr. Rucker's home, although in the country, has all the conveniences of a city resi- dence, being supplied with city water and electric lights obtained from Warrensburg. Mr. Rucker is also the owner of an Oldsmobile, a forty- eight hundred dollar car. sixty horse-power engine, and a six-cylinder Mitchell machine. With the Oldsmobile, the Rucker home is but two hours' ride from Kansas City, Missouri.

Charles Lowe, of the firm. Stockton & Lowe of Warrens- burg, was born in 1857 in Henry county, Indiana. He is the son of George and Mary E. (Roach) Lowe, the former, a native of Ireland, who came with his parents to America when he was but an infant, and the latter, a native of Virginia. George Lowe was one of eleven sons born to his parents. Both he and his wife lived to be eighty-five years of age and their remains are interred in the cemetery at Newcastle. Indiana. George and Mary E. Lowe were the parents of the following children: Virginia, wife of Henry Hurliman, of Newcastle. Indiana; William, who resides in Warrensburg: Anne, died at the age of twenty- one years; David. died at the age of forty-five years; Jane, was the wife of John Whisman and is now deceased and he resides in Cass county, Indiana; Elizabeth, wife of Roy Carnell, of Cass county. Indi- ana: Alice, was the wife of George Goodwin and is now deceased and he resides at Newcastle. Indiana; George, Jr., Indianapolis, Indiana ; John, died at Newcastle, Indiana : Charles T., the subject of this review; and Henry S., of Indianapolis, Indiana.

Charles Lowe attended the public schools of Newcastle, Indiana. February 13, 1877, he came to Warrensburg from Indiana and engaged in carpentering. From that work he became interested in contracting and for probably eighteen years was thus engaged. He then entered the manufacturing business, associated with the firm of Stockton & Lowe, in the manufacture of concrete materials. For the past ten

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years, their place of business has been located on Gay street in War- rensburg on the Quarry switch. During the year of 1916 the com- pany unloaded two hundred thirty-six cars of materials.

The first business venture of Mr. Lowe in contracting in War- rensburg was the purchase of an acre of land upon which he built four houses, which he sold on the monthly payment plan. This proved so successful that for many years afterward he was engaged in buying vacant lots and building houses. He has erected all sorts of buildings, from a small, inexpensive cottage to a ten thousand dollar structure. There are but three or four houses between the old town of War- rensburg and Gay street, which Charles Lowe has not built or improved. He purchased five acres of the Minerva land estate, when there was but one brick building on the place, and with the exception of that one house, he has built every house now on this addition, which lies between Gay and North streets.

In 1891, Charles Lowe was united in marriage with Ida M. Nor- ris, of Warrensburg. By a former marriage with Sarah Scheadenberger, he has one son, Harry, who married Vorden Derheart, and they reside in Warrensburg. Mr. and Mrs. Lowe reside at 502 North Maguire street in Warrensburg, on which street there were but four families residing, when Mr. Lowe located his home there. Mr. and Mrs. Lowe are highly esteemed in Warrensburg, where they are numbered among the most substantial citizens.

George W. Houx, a prosperous citizen of Centerview township, a retired farmer and stockman, is a member of one of the first pioneer families of Johnson county. Mr. Houx was born in a log cabin on his father's farm in Johnson county in 1839, a son of Philip and Margaret Houx, who had settled in the county in 1837. Philip Houx was a son of Jacob Houx, who had come to Missouri among the first settlers and had located in Cooper county, where he became a very successful and wealthy farmer and stockman. The son, Philip, left Cooper county to make his permanent home in Johnson county and he, too, became a wealthy landowner. At one time, Philip Houx was the owner of two thousand acres of valuable land in Johnson and adjoining counties. He was a leading stockman of his day and was extensively interested in raising mules and cattle. although he devoted much time to general farming. Mr. Houx was prominent as a man of public affairs and he served the county four years as sheriff. He always took an enthusi- astic part in politics and was a valued member of the Democratic party.

GEORGE W. HOUX.

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Philip Houx departed this life in 1856. Mrs. Houx died in 1884. To Philip and Margaret Houx were born eight children.

Public schools were not established in Johnson county until after the Civil War and George W. Houx obtained his education in the old- fashioned "subscription schools." He attended school at Hill school- house, where at different times the following men and women taught: Samuel Chamberlain, Miss Scott, and Mr. Thaxton. Mr. Houx has a vivid recollection of the early institutions in Johnson county. With the pioneer of the early forties, the church was considered the most important. Of course, there were no church buildings at first and when George W. Houx was a lad such a thing as a Sunday school was unheard of, but religious services were held at irregular intervals, most frequently in some settler's log cabin or out under the trees. Traveling pioneer preachers would visit a community and the people would come for miles and miles to hear him preach. It was no simple task for him to go from settlement to settlement, through thick forests and muddy swamps, yet he was always brave and cheerful, a welcome visitor in every cabin home. Reverends Robert and John Morrow, Henry Renick, and the Weir brothers were early day preachers, who often were welcomed in the Houx home. Traveling was mostly done on horseback in the early days or in wagons drawn by oxen. The settlers never went from home merely for the pleasure of going from place to place sightseeing, for travel was difficult and dangerous. There were no roads, merely trails across the open prairie, and one followed direc- tions then. Mr. Houx remembers when there was not one house on the trail from his father's place to Warrensburg. When the Houx family settled in Johnson county, the father built a log cabin on his vast tract of land. This house had but one room and when the entire family of ten members gathered around the open fire in the winter time, it sometimes seemed uncomfortably cozy. The ingenious manner in which the brave, patient mother managed to rear her large family, eight lively and sturdy boys and girls to eat and sleep, in one small room is something for the spoiled children of fashion of today to ponder upon and deeply consider. The experiences of his youth, George W. Houx will never forget. He and his brothers often drove yokes of oxen, which were used when breaking virgin sod, and they assisted their father countless times in fighting the dreaded and destructive prairie fires. Mr. Houx has, in the years gone by, cradled grain in the

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old way, the only known way then. He recalls the time when deer, wild turkeys, ducks, geese, and prairie chickens were here in abun- dance. He remembers the howling of the wolves at night time and relates that the moans of a young calf, which had been caught by a wolf at night, guided his father and brothers to its rescue and it after- ward became a very useful work-ox. The young people of Mr. Houx's day had many happy times. Life was not all monotonous toil, for there were parties, dances, "singing schools," "quilting bees," house- raisings, and "husking bees," which were largely attended and greatly enjoyed.

For three years, George W. Houx served in the Civil War with the Confederates. His brother, Jacob, fought under General Cockrell and was killed during the war. After the conflict had ended, Mr. Houx returned to the farm in Johnson county. He has always lived on a farm and until his mother's death made his home with her. He owns a tract of land in this county, a place comprising four hundred fifty- eight acres, which he now rents. Formerly, Mr. Houx raised large herds of stock, specializing in Berkshire and Poland China hogs.

In 1898, George W. Houx and Mrs. Anna K. Fulkerson, widow of W. P. Fulkerson, were united in marriage. To this union has been born one child, a daughter, Georgia M., who is now attending school in Warrensburg. Mrs. Houx is the mother of five children, of her first marriage: Mrs. Edna R. Hart, Warrensburg, Missouri; P. P., Centerview, Missouri; Mrs. Hattie L. Goings, Minden, Nebraska: Mrs. Elizabeth Lee, Columbus, Missouri ; and W. D., Centerview, Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Houx reside on the Fulkerson place and the two sons, P. P. and W. D., live with them and manage the farm. The Fulker- son brothers in addition own a farm of their own, which they also manage, making seven hundred acres in all. They are industrious and intelligent, young agriculturists and this past season harvested seventy- five tons of hay, one thousand nine hundred forty bushels of wheat, and had planted eighty acres of their land in corn. They are devoting most of their attention, however, to stock raising. There are two hundred ninety-seven acres in their farm.

Mr. Houx is a worthy member and active worker of the Presby- terian church. His long and useful career in Johnson county has now spanned more than three-quarters of a century and he is just as inter- ested in the growth and progress of the county today as he was fifty

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years ago. Mr. Houx has always contributed his support and encour- agement to all enterprises which had the good of the community as their object. He is a noble and honored pioneer, who has bravely and cheerfully "done his bit."

Mrs. Hannah (Broyles) Baird, a pioneer woman of Missouri, was born March 6, 1827, in Campbell county, Tennessee. She is the de- scendant of a fine, old colonial famliy, prominent in the early days in the South, ancestors noted for great longevity. One lived to be one hundred five years of age and another, to the age of one hundred three years. In Tennessee, Mrs. Baird was reared, educated and married.

December 25, 1845, Louis Baird and Hannah Broyles were united in marriage at Jellico, Tennessee. Louis Baird was born October 14, 1824, in Campbell county, Tennessee. To them were born fifteen children: Tasy and Nancy, twins; Louis and Hannah, twins, both of whom died seven weeks after birth: Mrs. Elizabeth Mckinney, born November 29, 1848 and is now deceased: Mrs. Keisiah Benefield, born October 18, 1850, and died April 13, 1897; Mrs. Martha J. Mckinney, born August 12. 1852, and is now residing at Elston, Missouri; Mrs. Samantha Smith, born April 25, 1854, and now resides at Nile, Mis- souri : Mrs. Eliza Emaline Cook, born December 25, 1857, and is now residing at Yeiser, Colorado; Mrs. Margaret Y. Birlew, born De- cember 4, 1859, and is deceased; Mrs. Rebecca Demaries Gilmore, born October 29, 1861, resides at Hugo, Oklahoma; Mrs. Mary Faulkner Lemons, born December 12, 1863, and now resides at Birchtree, Mis- souri ; Lawson Bell Wallace, born September 26, 1867, and now resides at Mountaingrove, Missouri; John Bowman, a skilled marble and gran- ite cutter as there is in the state, of the firm of Baird & Townsend, Warrensburg, Missouri; and one child, born August 22, 1873, who died in infancy. Mrs. Hannah (Broyles) Baird has fifty-four grand- children, fifty great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren, having probably more descendants than any other living person in John- son county, or perhaps in the state.

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History of Johnson County, Missouri, Part 45

Author: Cockrell, Ewing Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Topeka, Kan. : Historical Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1234

Author: Cockrell, Ewing
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Topeka, Kan. : Historical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1234