USA > Missouri > Randolph County > History of Randolph County, Missouri > Part 33
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William K. Towles, Jr., has for some years taken an active part in the public affairs of his district. He is now township committeeman of the Democratic party for Cairo township.
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Charles B. Bennett, one of the worthy citizens of Cairo township, who resides on his farm two and a half miles northeast of Cairo, is a native of this county and the descendant of one of the pioneer families that located here when this section of the state was sparsely settled. He was born in this township March 4, 1858, the son of Richard and Eliza- beth (Ridgway) Bennett.
Richard Bennett was born near Lexington, Ky., and accompanied his parents to Missouri when his father, Moses Bennett, came here to take up a frontier farm in the late 40s. The family first settled in Grundy County. Richard Bennett came to Randolph County when old enough to leave home and entered the homestead where his son Charles B. was born. He died in 1903 his wife having passed away in 1885 and both are buried in Liberty Church cemetery. They were the parents of the following children: Mary, the wife of George M. Brown, of Cairo town- ship; Alexander, of Cairo township; Charles, of this review; John, who died in 1915; Fannie, the wife of Smith Ridgway of Cairo township; Izona, deceased; Alice, the wife of Marion Ridgway, deceased; Everett, of Good- well, Okla., and Emit, of West Cliffe, Colo.
Charles B. Bennett spent his boyhood on his father's farm and at- tended the Sherwood school, one of the first school houses of this section of the township. It was located on the Sherwood farm. It was a crude log building furnished with split log benches and his first teacher was Susan Boney. He was eighht years old when entered at the frontier school. Mr. Bennett began to work on the farm and soon entered upon an inde- pendent career. With the exception of four years, when he ran a dairy business in Moberly, he has lived in Cairo township. The farm which he owned and operated for 17 years, Mr. Bennett sold to Dr. Dutton, of Moberly and then bought his present place which is located on one of the rural mail routes out of Cairo. His present farm consists of an 80 acre tract where he located in December, 1913 and had formerly belonged to Everett Campbell. He has a good farm house, a barn 56 x 56 feet, and another barn used for stock, as well as other farm buildings. There is a fine supply of water from two never failing wells, pumped by windmills. Mr. Bennett keeps registered Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs, eligible to registration and has a flock of 150 Barred Plymouth Rock chickens. He is the first man in Cairo township to pay $100 an acre for his land which was the purchase price of his place but he believes the land worth it and has demonstrated that money can be made from property
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valued that high. He and his wife made the money which they now have by hard work when they were younger and now can enjoy the declining years in comfort. He recalls that when a boy he worked in the harvest fields for 50 cents a day and the day was from sun up to sun down and later he kept up the pace on his own land while his wife worked as hard and for as long or longer hours.
On Oct. 2, 1913, Mr. Bennett was married to Miss Jannie Roberts, a daughter of John and Ellen (Ellis) Roberts, both deceased. One child has been born to them, Mary Evlyn. The family are members of Liberty Christian church.
A. C. Sibbitt, the senior member of the firm of A. C. Sibbitt & Son, of Moberly, who are the distributors of the Oldsmobile cars, is one of the progressive business men of this section. Mr. Sibbitt is a native of Indi- ana. He was born in Carroll County of that state, Sept. 19, 1869 and is a son of Richard and Sarah (Tomlinson) Sibbitt. Richard Sibbitt was born in New Jersey and came West and settled in Carroll County, Ind. He was an officer in the Mexican War and died in Carroll County, Ind., at the age of 84 years. His remains are buried at Delphi, Ind.
A. C. Sibbitt is the only survivor of the family of four children born to his parents. He was educated in the public schools of Indiana and DePauw University at Greencastle, Ind. He then engaged in the mer- cantile business at Hoopeston, Ill., and later was engaged in the real estate business. In 1915 he came to Missouri and located in Lincoln County and about a year later he came to Moberly, and since that time has had the sales agency for the Oldsmobile cars in partnership with his son Glenn A. Sibbitt, a sketch of whom appears in this volume.
A. C. Sibbitt was married in 1891 to Miss Maude Norris of Hoopes- ton, Ill. She is a daughter of Luther and Amanda (Lightner) Norris. One son has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Sibbitt, Glenn A., a sketch of whom appears in this volume.
During the few years that A. C. Sibbitt has been in Moberly he has become closely identified with the interest of Moberly and Randolph County.
Glenn A. Sibbitt, junior member of the firm A. C. Sibbitt & Son, 107- 109 East Coates street, Moberly, Mo., sales agent for the Oldsmobile cars, is a native of Illinois. He was born in Vermillion County, Ill., April 16, 1893 and is a son of A. C. and Maude (Norris) Sibbitt, a sketch of whom appears in this volume.
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Glenn A. Sibbitt was educated in the public schools and took a three years course in civil engineering at Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind. When the United States entered the World War, he enlisted Sept. 17, 1917 and was sent to Camp Funston, Kan., for training ,becoming a mem- ber of L. Company, 356th Infantry and on the following April he was commissioned second lieutenant of field artillery. He then was assigned to Camp Jackson, S. C. as an instructor, first brigade F. A. R. D. School of Instruction. He was then sent to Fort Sill, Okla., and in November, 1918 was sent back to Camp Jackson where he received his honorable dis- charge in March, 1919, after a period of 21 months of service. He then returned home and since that time has been engaged in the automobile business at Moberly as above stated.
A. C. Sibbitt & Son are the distributors for the Oldsmobile cars in Missouri for the counties of Randolph, Macon, Adair and Schuyler. Dur- ing the three years that they have had this agency, they have built up an extensive business and rank among the leading automobile dealers in this section.
Glenn Sibbitt is a charter member of Theodore Bazar Post, American Legion of Moberly and is a member of the Phi Kappa Psi college fra- ternity. He is one of the progressive and enterprising young business men of Moberly, who has earned for himself a leading place in Moberly and Randolph County.
William G. Cox, one of the prominent citizens of Randolph County who owns a fine stock farm in Cairo township, was born in Macon County, Sept. 29, 1867, a son of Morgan and Sallie J. (Griffin) Cox. Morgan Cox was born in Kentucky and came to Missouri with his father, Levi Cox, who settled in Macon County at an early day on the farm where William G. Cox was born. Levi Cox died and was laid to rest there.
Morgan Cox came to Randolph County about 1875, and settled in Cairo township, improving a farm which lies just east of William Cox's farm. He passed the remainder of his days in this locality and was laid to rest in Oakland cemetery in 1915 at the age of 74 years. He en- listed in the Confederate army at the outbreak of the Civil War and served under Generals Price and Poindexter. When peace was estab- lished he returned to Missouri and engaged in farming. His widow re- sides on the old home farm. She is now 75 years old. There were two children in the Cox family: Frankie, the widow of Warren Alverson, who makes her home with her mother and William G., of this review, who was
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reared on his parent's farm attended the district school of Haynes dis- trict and when his school days were over, began to farm and raise stock, a vocation he has followed all his life.
There are 290 acres in the William G. Cox farm which is one of the best stock farms in this vicinity and all the improvements with the ex- ception of the house have been made by Mr. Cox himself. He has two good barns, a garage, and other buildings. For the past six years has been raising Aberdeen Angus cattle, having 35 head with a registered male at the head of his herd. Mr. Cox also breeds pure blooded Duroc Jersey hogs; he has five brood sows, all registered and 30 pigs. His registered male is from the champion boar, "Pathfinder". A large flock of chickens, about 200, are kept on the farm, pure bred Barred Plymouth Rocks, and Mrs. Cox takes great pride in her bronze turkeys which she raises and in 1919 her male turkeys averaged 28 pounds, each for which she received $15.
Feb. 11, 1891, Mr. Cox was married to Miss Susie McAdams, a daughter of Charles and Lucy (Coates) McAdams, pioneer settlers of ,Union township, a sketch of whom appears in this volume. Two sons have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Cox: John H., who was educated in the district schools and then graduated from the high school and entered the agricultural department of Missouri University at Columbia and after receiving his degree engaged in farming with his father and Roy Ray- mond also received his elementary education in Randolph County and graduated from the engineering school of Missouri University and is now a civil engineer engaged in professional work at Foreman, Ark. Both brothers enlisted in the service during the World War. John H. entered the aviation branch of the army, and was sent to Urbana, Ill., having en- listed on Jan. 31, 1918, and was mustered out Aug. 13, 1918, because of disability and then returned home. Roy Raymond enlisted in April, 1918, choosing the Marine Corps. He was sent to Paris Island for his training and then to Quantico, Va., where he was assigned to the mine and sapper division and was mustered out in January, 1919.
Mr. and Mrs. Cox are members of Liberty Grange. Mr. Cox is a man of modern methods and a strong advocate of good roads and is work- ing for them in Cairo township. John H. Cox is Master of Liberty Grange No. 2119 and is deputy of Randolph County. He is a member of the Masonic Lodge of Cairo.
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John C. Truesdell, now deceased, was for many years one of Ran- dolph County's well known farmers and stock men, and a pioneer settler of this section. He was born at Rising Sun, Ind., Feb. 9, 1829, and died leaving to his wife the care and responsibility of raising their family of five children of whom John C. was the only son. Subsequently Mrs. Truesdell married a Mr. Hamilton. After the death of her first husband, Mrs. Truesdell moved to Kentucky where her children were reared and educated. She was a native of Kentucky and when her husband died re- turned to that state to be near her own people. She remained there the rest of her life.
John C. Truesdell remained in Kentucky until he was 19 years old, when he came to Monroe County, Mo. and entering land there in 1848. Later he moved to Audrain and Boone counties where he engaged in farming until the spring of 1861 when he came to Randolph County and bought 80 acres of land in Prairie township. He at once began making improvements on the place and when his capital permitted bought more land and that at the time of his death he was the owner of 400 acres of valuable land, which was divided among his heirs.
Mr. Truesdell's first wife was Miss Alma Crews, a native of Ran- dolph County and the daughter of David and Elizabeth (Maupin) Crews. She died Dec. 10, 1874, leaving eight children, of whom three sons are now living. Mr. Truesdell was married on Jan. 10, 1878 to Miss Rebecca Stiles, who was born in Randolph County, Oct. 22, 1852, the daughter of Simeon and Ann Hannah Stiles, natives of Massachusetts and Virginia, respectively, and five children were born to this union: Simeon, who lives on the home farm with his mother; Jerry, of Prairie township; Elizabeth, the wife of Clyde Carr, of Boone County; Samuel, of Prairie township, and one child died in infancy.
John C. Truesdell was a Democrat and with his wife belonged to the Baptist church. His was an honorable and useful life and with his pass- ing, he left the memory of a loving husband and father.
C. B. Embree, who conducts an up-to-date shoe repair shop at 117 East Coates street, Moberly, Mo., is one of the enterprising and pro- gressive citizens of Moberly. He is a native of Randolph County and belongs to one of the pioneer families of this section of the state. Mr. Embree was born in Salt River township, Sept. 6, 1881 and is a son of Philetus and Maggie (Parker) Embrer.
JOHN C. TRUESDELL
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Philetus Embree is one of the real old settlers of Randolph County and a native Missourian. He was born in Monroe County in 1855, a son of Milton Jackson Embree who was a native of Kentucky and a pioneer settler in Monroe County, Mo. He died at Evansville, Monroe County, and his remains are buried there. Maggie (Parker) Embree, mother of C. B. Embree was born at Granvel, Monroe County, in 1858. She is a daughter of Peter Parker. Philetus Embree was engaged in farming in Salt River township for a number of years and he and his wife now re- sides in Moberly. C. B. Embrees' maternal grandfather, Parker, was a native of Virginia and a pioneer of Ralls County, Mo. and afterwards was an early settler in Salt River township, Randolph County, where he fol- lowed farming for a great many years. He died at Hannibal, Mo.
C. B. Embree was the only child born to Philetus and Maggie (Parker) Embree. He was reared in Salt River township and attended the district schools. For a number of years he was employed in the Wabash railroad shops at Moberly as a coach painter. He then entered the employ of the Brown Shoe Company and worked in their Moberly fac- tory until Jan. 1, 1917, when he engaged in the shoe repair business for himself. He opened a shop at 117 East Coates street, where he is still located. He immediately equipped his shop with all modern machinery, installing a finishing machine, jack outfit, repair machine and a sole stitcher and shortly afterwards he installed a nailer. He has one of the best equipped shoe repair shops in the city and by fair dealing and the best of workmanship he has built up a large patronage. In the spring of 1920, Robert H. Roberts became a partner in the business.
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C. B. Embree was married April 25, 1906 to Miss Hattie A. Hulen, a daughter of W. M. and Elizabeth (Roberts) Hulen of Moberly. To Mr. and Mrs. Embree have been born three sons: Hulen, Chester and C. B., Jr. The Embree family are members of the First Christian Church of Moberly.
Alexander McCandless, a Civil War veteran and a retired merchant of Moberly is a Randolph County pioneer and one of the first merchants to engage in business at Moberly, 50 years ago. Mr. McCandless was born in Guernsey County, Ohio, Jan. 20, 1844, and is a son of James and Mary (Charles) McCandless. The McCandless family went to Iowa in 1850 where the father was engaged in farming during the remainder of his active career. He died at the age of 73 years and his remains are buried at Allertown, Ia. His wife died in Covinia, Calif., at the age of 89 years
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and her remains are buried there. They were the parents of the fol- lowing children: Isaac, Allertown. Ia .; John, Kansas City, Mo .; Josie, the widow of Frank Crane, Covinia, Calif .; Alexander, the subject of this sketch ; Charles died at the age of 80 years in Honolulu, Hawaii; William, died at the age of 80 years at Honolulu (William went in 1868, to join his brother Charles who had gone to Honolulu) and there Charles joined a whaling vessel which landed at Honolulu where he located permanently and remained there until his death; Samuel died at Hutchinson, Kan. at the age of 50 years; Elizabeth, married John C. Heasty and died at May- field, Kan. and left 61 descendants, including her children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Alexander McCandless received his education in the public schools of Hamilton, Ill., and in the state of Iowa. He had just about finished at- tending school when on Aug. 14, 1862, he enlisted in Company B, 78th Illinois Infantry and first went to Louisville, Ky., with his regiment and from there to Nashville, Tenn. and took part in the Tallohoma Campaign, the Chattanooga Campaign and he participated in the Battle of Chicka- mauga, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. He was also in the Atlanta Campaign and with Sherman on his March to the Sea and through the Carolinas when Johnson surrendered at Raleigh, N. C., in 1865. Mr. McCandless then marched to Washington, D. C. and took part in the Grand Review in the national capitol in May, 1865. He then returned to Chicago where he received his honorable discharge and was mustered out of service after having served three years, lacking 60 days.
In 1868. Mr. McCandless came to Missouri and located in Louisiana where he remained for two years. In June, 1870, he came to Moberly. Here, in what was then the little village of Moberly, he built a small house on the east side of town. He had $60 in cash, which he paid the carpenter for the work and went in debt for the lot, material and plas- tering. After coming here, Mr. McCandless engaged in the shoe business, which he followed for 20 years, when he engaged in the jewelry busi- ness and for 30 years was engaged in that line. He has prospered in his undertakings and since he has retired from active mercantile life. he has devoted himself to looking after his various interests. He is the owner of five residence properties in Moberly, besides various other interests.
Mr. McCandless is truly a pioneer of Moberly. When he came here the town was barely started. He can only recall a few people who were
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here when he came in 1870. Among those are Henry Miller, a retired groceryman, Ben and David White came here shortly after Mr. McCand- less did and John E. Lynch was then a boy. His father, Pat Lynch, lived here, having moved his frame residence from Old Allen to Moberly.
Mr. McCandless has been twice married. He was married at Ham- ilton, Ill., to Anna L. Law, who died at Moberly in 1885, leaving one son, Frank C., who now resides at Covina, Calif. He married Frances Lincoln Prentis, of Fountain Green, Ill. She is a daughter of Daniel and Nancy (Hughes) Prentis. Daniel Prentis was born in Weathersfield, Vt., Jan. 31, 1799, and died at Fountain Green, Ill., in December, 1884. He was a son of Thomas Prentis, who served in the Revolutionary War with the Connecticut troops. Nancy (Huges) Prentis was born in Clark County, Ind., March 3, 1818, and died at Fountain Green, Ill., in 1892, and she and her husband are buried in the Fountain Green Cemetery. They were the parents of the following children besides Mrs. McCandless: Laura, widow of E. B. Sawyer, Camp Point, Tours, Ill .; George Prentis, who served in the Union army during the Civil War and died near Hous- ton, Tex .; William R. Prentis, died at Lordsburg, Ariz., at the age of 38 years, and Silas Wright Prentis, of Carthage, Ill. He served in the Union army during the Civil War with the 64th Regiment, Illinois Sharp- shooters. He is 78 years old. Mrs. McCandless is a cousin of the late Noble L. Prentis and the well-known writer of Kansas.
Although in his 77th year, Mr. McCandless is active in both mind and body as the average man many years his junior. Only recently he did all the work himself in the erection of a four-room cottage and en- joys amusements such as picture shows and other pastimes as much as ever. He is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and past commander of the Department of Missouri, having been commander in 1917.
Mrs. R. M. Johnston, who owns one of the attractive millinery stores of Moberly, located at 405 Reed street, opened her business here on Feb. 17, 1910, and from the first has been successful. In 1919, she added a women's ready to wear department and today her store is one of the popular shopping centers of the city. Mrs. Johnston carries the latest styles of millinery and women's clothes and special fixtures have been installed for use, which make the house attractive as well as protecting the stock from wear and injury.
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Mrs. Johnston is the daughter of James W. and Susan (Williams) Dysart, the former a native of Macon County, born May 23, 1845, and now lives with his daughter in Moberly. The mother was born near Salisbury, Chariton County, in 1845, and died at Hobart, Okla., at the age of 50 years and is buried in Woodland Cemetery, Moberly. There were two children: Mrs. R. M. Johnston and her sister, Martha Ella, the widow of H. H. Turner and both are charter members of Tabitha Walton Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution. Mrs. Turner has two children: Mary Elizabeth and Robert Dysart.
The Dysart family is of Scotch descent and a town of that name in Scotland is the original home of the family. Rev. James Dysart, a vet- eran of the Black Hawk War and a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, was Mrs. Johnston's grandfather. He came to Missouri in the early days, settling at College Mound and founded the college there. He followed his profession of preacher until he was 82 years old, having preached in Stur- geon, Boone County, Howard, Saline, Randolph, Macon and Adair Counties and many other places during the long years of his services, as he was one of the early ministers of this section when churches were scattered. Reverend Dysart was the founder and president of the board of directors of McGee College from its beginning until it closed. When he died he was laid to rest at College Mound. Mrs. Johnston's great grandfather, James Dysart, came to Randolph County from Tennessee, and he was one of the very first settlers here. He was a man of wealth, and brought slaves and came across the country with his possessions loaded on wagons drawn by ox teams and settled near Huntsville, where he had a large tobacco plantation, but the war impoverished him by freeing the slaves. He is buried in the old family burying ground on the original plantation. Mary Dameron, Mrs. Johnston's grandmother on her father's side, was born in North Carolina and came to Randolph County with her parents. Her father was a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Samuel Williams, a ma- ternal grandfather, settled in Howard County, coming from Kentucky ; later he moved to Chariton, where his daughter, Susan Elizabeth, was born in 1845. Samuel Williams' father was an officer in the colonial army during the Revolutionary War and was wounded and received a pension for many years.
On March 4, 1896, Minnie Dysart married Robert M. Johnston, at Moberly. They have been in business since, Mr. Johnston taking charge of the clerical end of the business and his wife the selling department.
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He is a native of Mckeesport, Pa., but came here years ago with his parents and was reared and educated in the Macon District High School and a college at Clarence, Mo. Mrs. Johnston graduated from the Mo- berly High School, and then attended the Missouri Valley College at Mar- shall for two years; subsequently she took a course in the business college and entered business in St. Louis as buyer for the City Store. She then came to Moberly and began a business career which has been marked by gratifying success.
The Ragsdale-Carter Dairy Company, is one of the well-known insti- tutions of Moberly, where they have an extensive trade of dairy products. Their plant is equipped with all modern machinery to handle this busi- ness by the most modern approved methods and is operated by electricity. The milk is pasturized by the best process known to this science. Other machinery in connection with the plant, including separator, ice cream freezers, washing machines for bottles and cans are to be found here in operation under the strictest sanitary conditions. They distribute milk throughout the city of Moberly and their delivery department is prompt and reliable and they have an extensive trade. The business has been operated under the present management with offices at 309 West Rollins street since Nov. 13, 1919. They employ not less than five men through- out the year in connection with operating the plant and the delivery de- partment.
Joseph C. Carter, manager of the Ragsdale-Carter Dairy Company of Moberly, has been a resident of Randolph County for 20 years, and is one of the well-known business men of Moberly and this section of the state. He was born in Sullivan County, Mo., July 4, 1871, and is a son of George and Elizabeth (Ziegler) Carter, both of whom are now deceased.
Joseph C. Carter was reared in Sullivan County and received a good education in the public schools. He then took a course in the Humphreys College and Business Institute at Humphrey, Mo. He came to Randolph 1 County in 1900 and was engaged in farming and stock raising for five years, when he entered the mail service and for 14 years was a city mail carrier in Moberly. In 1919, Mr. Carter resigned from the government service to engage in his present business, further mention of which is made in this volume.
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