History of Lewis, Clark, Knox, and Scotland counties, Missouri. From the earliest time to the present, together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and mumerous family records, Part 79

Author: Goodspeed, firm, publishers, Chicago (1886-1891, Goodspeed Publishing Co.)
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: St. Louis, Chicago, The Goodspeed publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1308

USA > Missouri > Scotland County > History of Lewis, Clark, Knox, and Scotland counties, Missouri. From the earliest time to the present, together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and mumerous family records > Part 79
USA > Missouri > Lewis County > History of Lewis, Clark, Knox, and Scotland counties, Missouri. From the earliest time to the present, together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and mumerous family records > Part 79
USA > Missouri > Clark County > History of Lewis, Clark, Knox, and Scotland counties, Missouri. From the earliest time to the present, together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and mumerous family records > Part 79
USA > Missouri > Knox County > History of Lewis, Clark, Knox, and Scotland counties, Missouri. From the earliest time to the present, together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and mumerous family records > Part 79

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX.

the only resident physician in Monticello except Dr. J. B. Mar- chand. He has a fine reputation for many miles adjacent to Monticello. He is a Democrat, and first voted for Horace Greeley. He has been secretary of the Lewis County Medical Society for four years, and is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church, while his wife belongs to the Methodist Episcopal Church South.

James W. Nunn was born in Adair County, Ky., in 1849. His father, John M., was of English-Welsh descent, and a native of the same county. The grandfather, John G., was a judge of this county for about twenty years. The mother, Jane C. (Breed- ing), is a native of Kentucky, and of English lineage. The father was but eight years old when they came to this county, where he lived to manhood. He then spent several years in his native State, where he was a farmer and merchant. In 1858 he and his family came to this county, where they still live; the father aged sixty-six, and the mother sixty-two years old. Our subject, the second of six children, received a good education, and at the age of twenty-three was married. His wife, Emma, is a daughter of David and Mary (Roberts) Johnson, natives of Eng- land and Kentucky, respectively. Our subject lived at his father's home, and taught school for several years. After renting land for four years he bought his present farm in 1879. It is a well- stocked estate of 160 acres, and well improved. Mr. and Mrs. Nunn have had five children, but the twins, Edda and Edith, are the only ones living. He and his wife are members of the Christian Church.

William G. Oldham was born in Danville, Ky., June 2, 1837. He is the son of James Oldham, a native of Maryland, of English and German descent. The father came to Kentucky at an early day, and married Lucy, a daughter of James Graves. They had three children, one of whom is now living-Mary A. His first wife died in 1833, and about a year later he married her sister,. Mary E. They had two children: Mrs. L. Turner and our subject. His second wife died in 1837, and A. W. Clarkston became his wife about a year afterward. Their children are James, H. C., Sarah, Laura, Nannie, Julia and Carrie. The father was a cotton and carding mill owner for about twenty years in one part of Kentucky, and was engaged in a flour and carding mill for about ten years in another part. He then came to this State, where he died in 1874, and left a widow, who now makes her home with her children in Canton. Our subject received a fair education, by attending school, and clerking mornings and evenings for his brother-in-law, with whom he lived from his fifteenth to his eighteenth year. This brother-in-law was a merchant in Lincoln County, Ky. Our subject came to this county, was employed on

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a farm, and soon became the heir of some property. About five years later he came to his present farm, where he has been ever since, with the exception of three years as a merchant at Benja- min. The farm embraces 150 acres. In 1858 he married Susan F., a daughter of Rev. John Shanks. Their children are John S., James E., Lou A., William H., Eliza E. and Nannie S. The entire family are members of the Christian Church.

John S. Oldham was born in this county in 1860. He-is the son of William G. and Susan F. (Shanks) Oldham, the former a native of Kentucky, and the latter of this State. The father's ancestry was Scotch and Irish. The parents were married in this county, where they have lived for about thirty years. The father is a granger, and he and his wife are mem- bers of the Christian Church. Politically he is a Democrat. Our subject is the second son of seven children, and made his home with his parents until the age of about twenty. He then married Nannie, a daughter of W. H. and Eliza (Reed) Bum- barger, natives of Kentucky, and of German and Irish descent. Our subject began by renting a farm for four years, and since that has been a blacksmith at Benjamin, where he has met with fair success. His children are Nannie G. and William C. Our subject followed in the political footsteps of his father, and is also a member of the grange. He and his wife are both members of the Christian Church.

Charles S. Orcutt, county treasurer and editor of the Lewis County Journal, was born June 10, 1855, in Wyoming County, Penn., the son of O. DeWitt C. and Lyda (Cook) Orcutt, the former of Irish descent, born in 1806, in Poughkeepsie, N. Y. The father was for many years a teacher and cabinet-maker, and in later years spent a part of his time in shoemaking; and being a splendid scribe did much clerical work at the county seat. In 1850 he married in Pennsylvania, and in 1865 moved to a farm in Shelby County, Mo., and finally came to Monticello, where he died in April, 1870. The mother, of Welsh and Scotch origin, was born in Luzerne County, Penn., in 1826. September 12, 1872, she married G. Morton. Our subject, the third of five children, was educated at Monticello, and at his father's death was compelled to help maintain the family, which he did, assisting to educate a brother and sister at the seminary in Monticello. When fifteen years old he became an apprentice as a tinner, and three years afterward worked as a journeyman, until in 1874, he established a hardware store at Monticello. In 1879 he bought his present paper, and made his first issue September 10, and its large circulation since proves its success. He is a Democrat, and on December 30, 1886, was

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made county treasurer, to fill an unexpired term. He is an Odd Fellow, and also a member of Canton Encampment No. 24. He is also a member of the Christian Church. His first vote was for S. J. Tilden.

George W. Patee was born near Auburn, N. Y., August 30, 1811, the son of Eliphalet and Sallie (Tripp) Patee, natives, re- spectively, of Vermont and Pennsylvania. Our subject grew up on the farm, was fairly educated, and at twenty years of age left his home in New York, where the father died in March, 1877, aged eighty-eight years, and the mother about two years previous. Our subject started out with $2.50, and spent some time in selling fanning mills through Virginia and the Southern States, and also in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. In 1838 he came to Missouri, and established a manufactory for these mills at Cincinnati, this State. He was probably the first to introduce these mills in Northeast Missouri. In 1843 he came to this county and bought 240 acres, where he has since lived, one of the largest land owners and tax-payers, probably, in Northeast Missouri. By his first marriage, with Clara Dixon, his children are Mary, the wife of A. J. Miller; Naomi, the wife of W. C. Bradshaw; George E .; Frank H. ; Lucien D .; Ella, the wife of W. Strickland, of St. Paul, Minn., and Wallace H. After her death he married Mariah L. (Brown) Black. June 26, 1877, after this wife died, he married Mary J. Beach, a native of Saratoga Coun- ty, N. Y., and an intelligent lady. Their children are Rena, widow of Hon. J. J. Louthan, Clara C. and Elizabeth B. Our subject, originally a Whig, has been, since the war, a Demo- crat in his views. He has been a Mason for over forty years; his wife is a member of the Episcopal Church, which church he aided in establishing. Our subject is a self-made man, and very vigorous and hale for his years. He has spent most of his life as a farmer and stock raiser, with especial attention to breeding fine horses. He introduced the famous Bashaw stock. It should be mentioned that his cook-stove, buggy, piano and re- volving horse-rake, which were the first brought to this county, created great curiosity for miles around.

Elijah S. Patterson was born January 9, 1859, the son of Joseph and Clarissa (Lewis) Patterson, natives of Kentucky and this county respectively, and whose sketch appears elsewhere. Our subject was reared to manhood in this county, and educated at Christian University, of Canton, and Christian Brothers' Col- lege, of St. Louis. He became a clerk in the clothing business in 1876, and in 1880 began in Canton, where he now has the largest establishment of the kind in the county, if not in all Northeast Missouri. He carries a large and well-selected stock

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of clothing, boots, hats, and furnishing goods of all kinds. He is a Democrat in politics, and an encampment member of the I. O. O. F. He has some valuable real estate also in Kiowa County, . Kas. He is also interested with the wholesale firm of Peter & Patterson Hat Co., of Quincy, Ill., of which he is vice-presi- dent.

David W. Peterson, farmer, was born in Luzerne (now Wy- oming), County, Penn., in December, 1835, the son of Jarius and Hannah (Post) Peterson. At an early day three broth- ers came from England, and located in Orange County, N. Y. The father, a descendant of theirs, was born in 1803, in that county, and the mother in 1809 in Luzerne County, Penn. She died in 1854, and the father married Clarinda Sprague, who now lives in Lake County, Ind. The father was a farmer, and in 1850 left Pennsylvania, and went to the latter county. He died in 1869. Our subject, one of twins in a fam- ily of eleven children, lived in Indiana after his fourteenth year, but had lived with his grandparents from his eighth year. HE worked at various things in Indiana, and in 1856 went to Iowa and the followng year removed to this county. March 10, 1859, he married Mary E., a daughter of John and Annie E. Wright, and born in Scott County, Ky., in 1833. Their children are Eliza A. and James H. He then began farming in this town- ship, where he bought property. In August, 1865, his wife died, and seven years later he married Eliza A., a daughter of G .B. Sharp, and born in Pendleton County, Ky., in 1850. Their children are Lucretia, Janie, Jarius, David, Ollie and George. She died in October, 1886. He had begun the car- penter's trade in 1865, which he has continued, until about three years ago. Since 1870 he has been on his present estate, which embraces 207 acres. He first voted for Bell, has since been a Republican. He is a member of the Baptist Church, and of the Anti-Horse-Thief Association.

William A. Pierce, farmer and stock dealer, was born in this county in 1845, the son of John D. and Matilda J. (Woods) Pierce, the former a native of Mercer County, Ky., born in 1820, and the latter of the same county, born in 1824. It was about 1842 when the father came to LaBelle Township, and six years later he entered 160 acres of prairie land. About 1858 he sold and went to the Lone Star State, but soon returned and bought a farm in Union Township. Nine years later he sold there, and bought 320 acres, where he finally settled. He was a successful stock dealer, and owned at one time 718 acres. He died in 1883. The mother has been living with her son for the past three years. Our subject, the second of eight children, was educated

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BIOGRAPHICAL APPENDIX.

at Palmyra, and in October, 1868, married Kate, the daughter of William W. and Jane (Bradshaw) Kendrick, and born in 1851 in this county. Their children are Cora, Fannie and Johnnie. Our subject has a fine estate of 400 acres, where he has lived since 1869. He deals in stock largely, and especially in the Shorthorn breed. He is a Democrat, and during the war was a member of the home militia. He is a Mason, and his wife and daughter, Cora, are members of the Baptist Church.

J. B. Pierce, druggist and grocer, was born in this county in 1858, the son of John D. and Matilda J. (Woods) Pierce, who are mentioned in the sketch of W. A. Pierce. Our subject, the fourth child, was educated at La Grange College. He was em- ployed on the farm until 1882, when he came to Lewiston, and with D. G. Humphrey engaged in the livery and feed stable business here. A year later he bought the drug and grocery store of John James, and has ever since had a large trade, and carries a fine stock in both departments. His brothers and sis- ters are as follows: William A .; Ellen, the wife of T. J. Terry; Sarah J., the wife of S. R. Wright, and Nannie L. Politically he is a Democrat, and is a promising young business man.

James W. Porter, farmer, was born in Salem Township, in 1858, the fourth of ten children of William P. and Nancy W. (Robinson) Porter, the former a native of Franklin County, Ky., born December 10, 1815. The father, William, came to Missouri when a young man, and in 1840 purchased a farm in Salem Township. In early days he was an extensive brickmaker, but in later years he was a prominent farmer. He was married in 1851, and died August 1, 1874. The mother was born June 1, 1832, and died in April, 1880. Both were devout Christians, the for- mer a Presbyterian and the latter a Baptist. Our subject was educated at Newark and at La Grange College. He then taught very successfully for two years. In September, 1880, he married Mary A., a daughter of John and Lucy Throckmorton, the former a Kentuckian, and the latter a native of this county. His wife was born in 1861, in Lewis County. Their children are Eola M., Edith M. and John W. He has since lived on the old home- stead, which embraces 160 acres of well-improved land, besides which he owns twenty-five acres of timber. He is an excellent business man, and a good farmer. His first Democratic ticket was for Hancock, and his latter ones have been of a similar tenor. He is a Baptist, while his wife is a member of the Chris- tian Church.

Alfred F. Poulton, lawyer, was born in Columbiana County, Ohio, November 4, 1849, the son of Alfred and Lydia (Lyder) Poulton, natives of Loudoun County, Va. The father came to Pal-

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LEWIS COUNTY.

myra in 1857, where our subject was reared to manhood; he was educated at St. Paul's College and Episcopal school of that place, under Dr. W. B. Corbyn. Our subject was deputy circuit clerk of Marion County for three years, and read law somewhat, but finally studied under Hon. W. M. Boulware, of Palmyra. Since he was admitted in 1870 he has been in successful practice at Canton, and made a specialty of real estate law, collections, and probate business. He was city attorney of Canton for two terms, and served as mayor for three terms, the debt of the city being placed on a sound basis during his administration. Our subject is a Republican, and in 1878 was their candidate for judge of probate court, and although he failed of election he ran 300 votes ahead of his ticket. He aided in founding the Canton News, and was its political editor in 1880. He has been chairman of the county Republican committee, and from 1874 to 1878 was United States commissioner for the Eastern District of Missouri, but soon resigned the office on account of private business. He is Past Master, a Royal Arch Mason, and Past High Priest of same, and Past Grand in the I. O. O. F. lodge. During his tem- porary absence from the county, in 1884, he was made the Repub- lican candidate for representative, and requested his opponent to make a joint canvass of the county, but the latter declined. He lead his ticket, but his party were too much in the minority, and he was defeated. He has represented the county in several Re- publican State conventions, and is well known in Northeast Mis- souri.

G. H. Pratt was born in St. Louis in 1848. He is the son of Ezekiel and Harriet L. (Hequembourg) Pratt, the former a native of Boston, and of English origin, and the latter born in Albany, N. Y., of French stock. The parents were married in St. Louis. The father was an architect by profession. He came to this county in 1855, and purchased a farm. After his death the mother came to Canton in 1863 for the purpose of educating her children. She remained there for twenty-two years, and dur- ing that time she married M. W. Sweet, a carpenter and machin- ist. Mr. Sweet died in 1872, and the mother returned to the farm. Her children by her first husband are Sarah A., the wife of J. A. Barkelew, a carpenter and machinist; George H. and

Harry W. The sons managed their mother's farm, a fine estate of 320 acres, and 240 elsewhere. The paternal grandmother was the daughter of ex-Gov. Lincoln, of Maine. The mother is a descendant of Samuel Morse, of electricity fame, and is also a descendant of the French Huguenots. Her father, Judge Hequembourg, was for many years, and until his death, a justice of the peace in St. Louis, and has now two sons in the city and

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vicinity, both in Government employ until the last year: Col. Alex. and Maj. W. A. Hequembourg.

Prof. Alberto B. Price, superintendent of the city schools, was born in Huntingdon County, Penn., September 9, 1843, the son of John and Catharine (McElheney) Price, natives of Penn- sylvania, and of Irish and German descent, respectively. In 1850 the father came to Fulton County, Ill., where he farmed until his death in 1866; the mother's occurred nine years later. Of their seven sons those living are John, Joseph and George R., all able farmers of McDonough County, Ill. Their daughter, Anastasia, is the wife of Louis Bottenberg, of that county. Our subject, the youngest, received the usual country advantages, and after a youth of studious habits prepared for college, and in 1869 grad- uated from Abingdon College, Knox County, Ill., in the classical course. He had taught two terms of district school in Illinois, and in 1869 came to his present position. In 1871 he was elected county superintendent, but resigned on account of ill health and went to Texas, where he spent five years in teaching at Lockhart, and seven years at Mckinney. In 1883 he returned, and became professor of mathematics in Christian University for two years, when he resigned, and in 1886 became city superintendent of schools again. July 20, 1869, he married Ella, a daughter of Dr. Alanson Mosher. Their children are Albert R. and Ben- jamin B. Our subject is a Prohibition Democrat and a Master Mason, while in the Christian Church he is a leader and super- intendent of the Sunday-school, which position he has filled for many years. His wife, a member of the same church, has been a fellow teacher with him ever since their marriage.

James Price, farmer and stock raiser, was born in Wales in 1844, the eldest of three surviving children of Robert and Jane (Thomas) Price, natives of Wales. They came to this country in about 1850, and located in Ohio, where the father has made his home, except a part of 1859, in this county. He lived in Columbus, but now lives in Licking County, Ohio, engaged in teaming and con- tracting. He has been married three times, and his first wife, our subject's mother, died about 1857. Both parents were Baptists, but the father is now a Presbyterian. Our subject received but few advantages, and began independently at sixteen on his farm. He has been in this county mostly since 1859, and in March, 1869, he married Apthia, a daughter of William and Mary Elston, for- merly of Kentucky. Since that he has lived on his present farm, whose broad acres he has increased from eighty to 320. His estate is well improved and cultivated. He is a man of financial ability, and one of the leading stock men of his county. He served from 1862 until 1864 in Company I, Eleventh Missouri Militia,

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and August 2, 1862, was captured and paroled. In 1864 he joined the Third Ohio Cavalry, and served in Tennessee, Missis- sippi, Alabama and Georgia. He was one of the company that captured the Confederate President. With Republican principles he first voted for Lincoln. His wife is a member of the Christian Church.

James K. Price was born June 12, 1849, the son of James Price, and of English origin. The father came to Missouri in 1835 at the age of twenty-three. He has lived in this county ever since, with the exception of two years in Quincy, Ill., and has made his home with our subject. From a poor beginning he has acquired one of the finest farms in the county. The mother, Mary J., to whom he was married in 1843, was the daughter of Ben- jamin Roberts. He is a Democrat, and a member of the Chris- tian Church. Our subject, the only child, was educated at the university at Canton. After some time farming he was engaged in the drug business at Sherman, Tex. After a year there he returned home and went to Quincy, where he kept a hotel for about two years. Here he married Lizzie, a daughter of John Costeel, a stock agent at that place. They have one child, an infant. Our subject now has charge of our father's farm, a fine estate of over 800 acres. His political principles are Democratic.

Parks Pruet was born in St. Louis County, Mo., in 1832, and is the son of James and Mary (Price) Pruet, natives of Missouri and Georgia, respectively. The mother died about 1872, and the father still lives in this county at the age of eighty-four years. Our subject is of French and Irish origin, and is the first son of seven children, three of whom survive. He was eighteen years of age when they came to this county, and at his majority mar- ried Susan, a daughter of Preston Burford, of Clark County. Their children were Mary I., the wife of R. Tucker; Alzaba (de- ceased) Malinda J. (deceased), Jefferson D., Walter L., an infant unnamed, and Ettie M. After his first wife's death, he married Emma, a daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Hun- sucker ) Holloway, natives of Virginia. Their two children died in infancy. Our subject is a successful farmer, and owns a fine estate near Williamstown. He is a Mason, and holds the princi- ples of the Democratic party. He and his wife and daughter are members of the church.

Matthias Pugh was born July 4, 1820, the second son of John and Jane (Moody) Pugh, the former of Pennsylvania, and the latter of Virginia. They came in a four-horse wagon from Ohio to Monticello in 1840, and after renting a farm for about a year came to the west 'part of this county, where they died at the ages of sixty-five and eighty-one, respectively. Our sub-

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ject was but a boy when they came here, and continued to live with his parents until he was twenty-four years of age. After about three and a half years in the lead mines of Wisconsin he returned with his accumulated money, and bought land in Lewis County. He made his home with his father until 1852, when he married Hannah, a daughter of James and Susannah Mc Williams, natives of Kentucky. Their children are Margaret J., Martha E., Sue and Mary E. (deceased), Sarah F., John J., Sophronia A., Emma, Aaron (deceased), and David W., two of whom are mar- ried. Our subject was in the militia from 1861 to the close of the war. He is a member of the grange, and of the A. H. T. A. Previous to the election of Lincoln he was a Democrat, but has since been a Republican. He and his wife are members of the Baptist Church. His estate consists of 500 acres, well stocked and improved.

John Quinn was born July 27, 1823, in Franklin County, Ky. His father died when our subject was but a week old, and two weeks later the mother also died. About the same time his grandfather, Benjamin Quinn, and eight of his thirteen children died. Our subject was one of a family of five children, who were left helpless, the eldest one being only ten years of age. They were taken in charge by their maternal grandfather, Rev. Mordecai Baulware, who thought it best to go to another country with his own large family, now increased by the addition of his daughter's children. He disposed of the principal part of his own and his grandchildren's property, and moved to Missouri in 1825, settling seven miles north of Palmyra, Marion County. He entered part of the land where our subject now resides, in 1828. Mordecai, the eldest brother of our subject, settled on this land in 1837, and two years later, in August, he married. He died in January, 1840. Our subject lived with his grandfather until fourteen years of age, and as there were no schools in this new country, the grandfather would teach school during the win- ter in his own house, and the neighbors' children attended free of charge. From the age of ten to seventeen our subject attended school most of the time, living one year with his brother, Morde- cai, and two years with his uncle, Hon. John N. Boulware, now of Clark County. In 1842 our subject went to Wisconsin, and tried his luck for three years in the lead mines, meeting with only moderate success. In 1845 he located where he is now residing, and in 1849 he went to California, and joined his brother, Frank- lin, who had been a resident of that State for seven years. In 1852 he returned to his farm, and in September, 1853, he mar- ried Miss Margaret A. Murrell, the eldest daughter of Abner Murrell, a native of North Carolina, but a pioneer of Lewis

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. County. Two children, James A. and Mary A., were born to our subject's marriage. Mary A. died in infancy. James A. lives with his father, and has charge of the farm, which consists of 600 acres, and all the business. He has been married nine years.

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History of Lewis, Clark, Knox, and Scotland counties, Missouri. From the earliest time to the present, together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and mumerous family records, Part 79

Author: Goodspeed, firm, publishers, Chicago (1886-1891, Goodspeed Publishing Co.) Publication date: 1887 Publisher: St. Louis, Chicago, The Goodspeed publishing co. Number of Pages: 1308

Author: Goodspeed, firm, publishers, Chicago (1886-1891, Goodspeed Publishing Co.)
Publication date: 1887
Publisher: St. Louis, Chicago, The Goodspeed publishing co.
Number of Pages: 1308