USA > Missouri > Vernon County > History of Vernon County, Missouri : past and present, including an account of the cities, towns and villages of the county Vol. II > Part 26
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opened a clothing store. Three years later, in 1887, Mr. Glenn removed to Nevada, his present home, and established and car- ried on a large and growing business with marked success, hav- ing branch stores at Eldorado Springs, Columbia and Clinton, Mo., and Perry, Okla. Desiring to lessen his business cares and responsibilities, Mr. Glenn first sold all except his Nevada store and finally retired from the mercantile trade. On March 1, 1907, Mr. Glenn turned his attention to banking, having been a stock- holder and director of the First National Bank of Nevada since 1889, when it was established. On January 1, 1908, he succeeded Mr. Theodore Lacoff as president of the bank and since that time has devoted himself to its interests. The other officers of the bank are Willington Barnes, vice-president; Wooddy Swear- ingen, cashier, and W. F. Sterett, assistant cashier. The board of directors includes, besides the officers named, Messrs. M. T. January, W. T. Goss, N. Johannes, W. D. Bailey and J. D. In- grane. This bank is the strongest monetary institution in Vernon county, having a capital and surplus of $200,000. Its resources and liabilities as shown at the close of business November 10, 1910, were :
RESOURCES.
Loans and discounts. .$661,437.01
Overdrafts . 13,212.57
United States bonds to secure circulation 100,000.00
Other United States bonds. 600.00
Banking house, furniture and fixtures. .
24,431.60
Redemption fund with United States treasurer 1.200.00
Cash and sight exchanged. 124,262.63
$925,143.81
LIABILITIES.
Capital stock.
$100,000.00
Surplus and undivided profits (earned)
$110,989.94
Circulation, national bank notes 99,100.00
Deposits 615,053.87
$925,143.81
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HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY
This bank has had a phenomenal growth from a small begin- ning in small quarters. Since February, 1910, it has occupied its present beautiful and commodious quarters, furnished with every modern convenience and device, the building and equipment rep- resenting an outlay of some $50,000.
Mr. Glenn is alive to all that relates to the welfare and bet- terment of his community and is rightly counted among the pro- gressive citizens of Nevada. He engages heartily in social and civic affairs and is identified with various fraternal and benevo- lent organizations.
On October 12, 1886, Mr. Glenn married Miss Lena Biggs, whose father, Judge John D. Biggs, was state senator from Ralls county, Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Glenn have three children, named respectively James K., Beryl and Beatrice.
Robert M. Golden, a substantial farmer and land owner in Harrison township, Vernon county, Missouri, was born in Han- cock county, Illinois, December 27, 1856. His parents, Mahlon and Sarah (Hornbeck) Golden, were natives of Kentucky and Ohio, respectively, and moved from Illinois to Lynn county, Kansas, with their family of five children in 1871. They lived there one summer and then came to Vernon county, Missouri, where the father bought forty acres of land in section 6, Harri- son township to which he added another 160 acres prior to 1883, and there made the family home and lived till his decease in 1898. He was a man of limited education, but was a successful and prosperous farmer, giving particular attention to raising fine horses and owned at the time of his death a quarter section of land. His widow survived till 1906 and left six children, all now, 1911, living.
Robert M., the second child, attended the common schools in Illinois and Missouri till he was eighteen years of age. With $600 given him by his father he bought forty acres of land, to which he has since added more, and now owns 346 acres in Harrison township. After his father's death in 1898 he engaged in the hardware business at Garland, Kan., but sold that in 1910 and resumed farming on his land, which is situated one mile east of that city. Since his mother's decease in 1906 he and his three sisters have made their home together at Garland, he as the head of the household and one of the sisters super-
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intending the household affairs. The other two sisters, women of fine attainments, are successful teachers.
Mr. Golden is a bachelor, a member of Garland Lodge, No. 603, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and also belongs to the Mod- ern Woodmen of America. In politics he adheres to the prin- ciples of the Democratic party. He is a man of progressive ideas, a good citizen and is highly esteemed for his sterling character and worth.
Walter Mortimer Gordon, widely known as the proprietor of the Nevada Auto and Electric Works, is a native of Lewis county, Missouri, and was born December 8, 1875, to James and Hattie A. (Moffitt) Gordon, both natives of Lewis county, Missouri. Some years ago they moved from Lewis county to Greenville, Tex., then to Walker, Mo., Vernon county, and now reside in Nevada.
Our subject acquired his schooling in the public schools of Vernon county and early turned his attention to the carpenter's trade, but a little later became interested in electrical work. He learned his trade under Mr. James Rilly, at Nevada, and for a time was in the employ of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Rail- way Company as electrician and was located a while in St. Louis. In 1904, Mr. Gordon opened his business in Nevada, establishing his electrical works on South Main street, and a little later added the automobile department. The rapid growth of the business soon necessitated increased facilities and larger space to accom- modate the demands of the trade, and he moved into his present commodious quarters at the corner of Walnut and Washington streets. The building, comparatively new, is 42 by 100 feet in dimensions and is equipped with every modern and labor-saving device required in an up-to-date auto repair shop and garage. He owns five cars and carries in his establishment a complete line of electrical fixtures and appliances, and besides repair work in the shop, furnishing missing or broken parts for auto- mobiles, steam and electrical machinery and engines, he is pre- pared to do, and does, a large amount of contract work, installing plants, wiring business houses, offices and dwellings, having in his employ a large force of expert and skilled workmen.
Mr. Gordon is a thorough man of affairs and has more than a local reputation as a wide-awake business man and an electrician
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of distinction. He was for eight years in the state militia, being a sergeant of Company H, Second Missouri Regiment, and during the Spanish-American war was with his regiment at Chickamauga. Lexington, Ky., and Albany, Ga. He holds membership in the Southwestern Automobile Retail Dealers' Association, and in fra- ternal orders is identified with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Modern Woodmen of America and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. On January 4, 1910, Mr. Gordon married Miss Elsa Linkelmann, of Nevada.
William F. Gordon, one of the leading citizens and prominent men of affairs of Nevada, Vernon county, Missouri, is a native of Lexington, Mo., and was born July 25, 1849, to Linn B. and Catherine (Faulkerson) Gordon, natives of Kentucky and Ten- nessee, respectively. The father settled in Missouri in 1832 and died in 1884 at Lexington, where the mother still resides.
Our subject's paternal grandparents were George Haynes and Martha (Boyd) Gordon; the former was a native of Kentucky, born May 27, 1796, and at one time served as county surveyor of Lafayette county, Missouri. He was next to the youngest of a family of twelve children, the names and dates of birth of the others being: Nancy Gordon, born May 28, 1774; John Gordon, born August 29, 1775; Polly Gordon, born June 30, 1777 ; James Gordon, born July 2, 1779; Betsey Gordon, born August 12, 1781; Lucy Gordon, born July 13, 1783; Thomas Gordon, born February 24, 1786; William Gordon, born September 30, 1788; Joseph Gordon, born March 25, 1791; Elizabeth Gordon, born October 31, 1793, and Sallie Gordon, born October 25, 1798. Our subject's maternal grandparents, Frederick and Sallie (Bradley) Faulkerson, were natives of Tennessee, whence they moved to Lexington, Mo., and settled on a farm, where they passed the remainder of their lives.
William F. spent his childhood and youth on his father's farm and acquired his education in the public schools and at the Dover high school. When twenty years of age he settled on a farm in Walker township, Vernon county, and for thirty years devoted his attention to farming, stock raising, trading, feeding and shipping becoming one of the largest operators in that line in the country. Removing to Nevada in 1899, he continued his stock business a short time till the pressure of
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other duties claimed his attention. Mr. Gordon, also during this time, was called to various public trusts, which he discharged with fidelity. In 1882 he was appointed public administrator and two years later was elected to the same office for a second term. Resigning the office in 1886, he was elected county clerk of Vernon county, receiving a handsome majority of the votes cast, and at the expiration of his term was re-elected, serving in all eight years in that capacity. In 1904 he was again elected public administrator and has been re-elected for each succeeding term since, his present term expiring in 1912. Mr. Gordon has also served twelve years continuously as justice of the peace, and is a member of the township board of Center township, and for several years has served as school land commissioner. He has for many years been active as a political worker and holds a prominent place in the local councils of the Democratic party. Mr. Gordon is an active member of the Knights of Pythias.
In 1879 he married Miss Maggie M. Evans, of Liberty, Clay county, Missouri, and there have been born to them four chil- dren, to-wit: Ollie May, who is married to Mr. A. B. Wert, of Nevada ; Sallie Kate, who lives at home; Mattie B., the wife of Mr. C. V. Dean, of Nevada, and William F. Gordon, Jr., of Nevada.
William T. Goss is a successful merchant and prominent man of affairs of Nevada, Vernon county, Missouri. A native Mis- sourian, he was born in Monroe county, February 4, 1848, to George W. and Parmelia (Winn) Goss, the former a native of Kentucky and a farmer by occupation, and the mother a native of Missouri. Both are now deceased.
William T. grew up on his father's farm and gained his educa- tion in the public schools of his native place. He began his busi- ness life soon after attaining his majority, first spending four years as a clerk in a mercantile house at Paris, Mo. Thence he went to Hannibal, Mo., and there spent six years in a similar position, after which he was employed as a clerk in a boot and shoe store at Kansas City. .
In 1884, having gained a varied and valuable experience, and having accumulated a sufficient capital, Mr. Goss formed, with Mr. F. H. Glenn, a co-partnership, under the firm name of Goss & Glenn, and opened a clothing store at New London, Mo., which
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HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY
was carried on successfully three years. In September, 1887, the firm established itself at Nevada in the same line of trade, and for nearly a quarter of a century has conducted, with eminent success one of the largest and most prosperous clothing establish- ments in southwestern Missouri, having, prior to 1905, branch stores in the towns of Perry, Oklahoma, Eldorado Springs and Columbia, Mo., and also at Clinton, Mo., the store last named being sold in 1907.
Mr. Goss is widely known, not only as a thoroughly up-to-date business man, who has achieved well-earned success by upright and fair dealing, but also as a public-spirited citizen who is in hearty sympathy with and ready to give generous support to any worthy object or cause looking to the welfare and development of his city and community, and wherever known he is honored and esteemed as one whose manly career furnishes an example worthy of emulation.
In 1883 Mr. Goss married Miss Nettie Burnett, of Higginsville, and a native of Monroe county, Missouri. They have four chil- dren, of whom three, viz., Virginia, Burnett and Gladys, are liv- ing, and one, Carl, is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Goss are staunch members of the Christian Church.
John McNeal Graham, a native of Scotland, was born July 16, 1844, and is a son of William Graham, who was born in northern Scotland in 1817, and who in 1852 came to this country with his family in the sailing vessel "The Aberdeen," landing in New York after a tedious passage of seven weeks. He was a miller, and after spending some three years in New York owned and operated a flouring mill at Danville, N. Y., and another near Buf- falo. Going to Yorkville, Kalamazoo county, Michigan, in 1856, he there operated the Yorkville mills and also bought a quarter section of land in Kalamazoo county. He was twice married and by his first wife had, besides our subject, another son, Irwin S. Graham, who enlisted in 1861 at the first call for troops and served through the Civil War as a member of Company B, Elev- enth regiment, Michigan volunteer infantry, rising to the rank of second lieutenant. He died without issue. By his second mar- riage the father had five children, viz., William, who died without issue; Phillip, who lives in Yorkville, Mich .; Hugh, who died without issue; Thomas, who lives near Gull Lake, Kalamazoo
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BIOGRAPHICAL
county, Michigan, and Elizabeth, who resides in Elkhart, Ind. He died at Yorkville in June, 1857.
After his father's death our subject worked on a farm and continued farming till November 1861, when he enlisted in Com- pany F, First Michigan light artillery. The company was sent to Louisville and thence to West Point, Ky., to guard the river. Their first battle was at Henderson, Ky., whence they went to Cumberland Gap and thence to Richmond, Ky. There, during two days' engagement, Mr. Graham, while riding in the lead, had three horses killed under him, and while he escaped the shots he was rendered unconscious by a stroke on the head from one of the wounded horses and lay on the field while a Confederate regi- ment passed over him. On regaining consciousness, the fighting forces having passed on, he caught a stray horse and galloped away, followed by Confederate bullets from some soldiers on the field. Nearly all of his company being either killed or captured, he overtook General Nelson and acted as orderly on his staff on the retreat to Louisville. Here the company was reorganized and going to Mumfordsville was in several skirmishes with John Morgan's troops. In 1863, crossing Cumberland mountains to relieve Burnside at Lexington, the company was in the battle there, and then going to Strawberry Plains encountered General Longstreet. Returning to Lexington in the spring of 1864, after recruiting, they proceeded toward Atlanta, being under fire dur- ing most of the way, and after accompanying Sherman on his famous "march to the sea," under command of General Thomas, followed Hood on his retreat and overtook him at Franklin, Tenn., where occurred one of the fiercest fights of the campaign. Break- ing through Hood's lines they again encountered him at Nash- ville and after a hot contest, lasting two days, routed and cap- tured practically his entire army. From Nashville they were ordered to Negley, Tenn., where, in January, 1865, Mr. Graham was honorably discharged after serving three years and three months. Returning to Michigan, Mr. Graham remained there till May, 1867, when he came to Vernon county, where he has since made his home. Until 1873 he gave his attention to farming, but then entered the employ of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company, and so continued till 1894. From 1901 till September, 1902, he carried the mail on the "star route" and after that till September 15, 1910, was in the rural delivery service. Since then
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HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY
he has lived in retirement at his home in Walker, enjoying the well-earned fruits of his busy career. Mr. Graham has been active in fraternal affairs and in the fall of 1865 joined Richland Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, in Michigan. He was ad- mitted to the Walker Lodge on coming thither, and so continued till the lodge surrendered its charter, when he received his demit from the grand lodge.
In politics he is a staunch Republican, and in religious fellow- ship is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church.
On July 30, 1870, Mr. Graham was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth C. Clack, who was born in Menard county, Illinois, May 8, 1851, a daughter of Sterling S. and Hannah (Britton) Clack, the former born in Kentucky May 18, 1825, and the latter in Illinois October 6, 1825. Mrs. Graham's paternal grandfather, John Twitt Clack, was a native of Tennessee and married Cas- sandra Bell, who was born in Simpson county, Kentucky. Her maternal grandfather, Benjamin Britton, was born in Virginia and married Elizabeth Brunk, who was born in Ohio. Her parents were married in Sangamon county, Illinois, in October, 1848, and besides Mrs. Graham, who was their second child, had four children, viz., Benoni M., who lives in Walker ; John Britton, now deceased; William S., of Kansas City, and Joseph A. Clack, of Sheldon, Mo. Mrs. Graham's parents settled in Vernon county in September, 1868, and the father died in Blue Mound township March 18, 1870, but the mother survived till May 5, 1909.
Of eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. Graham the eldest, Walter B., was born May 6, 1871; Irving S. was born July 28, 1873; Anna Net Neal, who was born October 18, 1875, is mar- ried to Mr. D. M. Wall, of Kansas City ; Helen H., born January 19, 1880, is the wife of Mr. B. H. Lowry, of Columbus, Kan .; John B., born December 10, 1881, died December 23, 1882; William F., who was born September 30, 1884, passed away Au- gust 6, 1906; Joseph A. was born January 10, 1887, and Hugh P., the youngest child, was born December 30, 1889.
Hampton P. Gray. A number of years passed in sincere and earnest endeavor to thoroughly discharge every duty of the posi- tions which he occupied was a marked characteristic of Judge Gray's career in life. He was one of the native-born residents of Missouri, his birth having occurred in Boone county January
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27, 1820. His father and mother, John and Sarah (Thompson) Gray, were originally from Virginia and Kentucky, respectively. The former became one of the earliest settlers of Boone county, Missouri, and took active part in its development, establishing, among other things, the first ferry at Rocheport, on the Missouri river. In 1839 he removed to Head's Fort, Pettis county, which continued to be his home until called away by death. Mrs. Gray came of Irish parentage. She bore her husband eight children, and of these Hampton was the seventh child and third son. From an early age he obtained a fair schooling, living in the meantime upon the home farm in either Boone or Howard counties. But finally a cherished desire to follow the legal profession as a call- ing led him to commence the study of law, and under that honored and able advocate, Abiel Leonard, he pursued his legal studies for some time. However, he never applied himself to active prac- tice but engaged in agricultural pursuits, which he continued up to 1880. During a portion of the war troubles he had removed from his home in southwest Missouri to Monroe county, his wife's health being such as to necessitate her removal from the scenes of turmoil and strife. In 1867 he located at Columbia, Boone county, and remained there until 1869, when he came to Vernon county, where he was numbered among her most respected citi- zens. While living in Pettis county Mr. Gray held the position of judge of the county court for eleven years, a fact which needs no additional words of commendation. In 1872 he was chosen to represent this county in the state legislature, and served through both the general and adjourned sessions with credit to himself and his constituents, being a member of the committee on agricul- ture and retrenchment and reform. In 1881 Judge Gray was appointed to fill a vacancy in the office of county judge, and in 1882 he was made the probate judge of the county. He was twice married. First, May 2, 1842, to Miss Amanda Snell, a native of Kentucky, who accompanied her parents to Boone county, Mis- souri, while only an infant. She died in January, 1865, leaving three children: Ashby, John C. and Clifton S. In April, 1867, the Judge was married to Mrs. Albina (Snell) Hudson, widow of President Hudson, of the State University. She was a sister to his first wife, and by her previous marriage had two sons, Walter P. and James S. Hudson. Judge Gray was well known and his
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HISTORY OF VERNON COUNTY
agreeable and kindly manner and gentlemanly bearing gained for him wide respect. He died June 1, 1894.
William L. Gray is one of the substantial citizens of Vernon county, whose success is the result of his own persistent and perse- vering effort. He was born February 24, 1839, in Virginia, to Thomas and Anna Frances (McClelland) Gray, natives of Vir- ginia.
When our subject was only two years old he lost his father by death and was reared by his mother, who also is now dead, but who became a resident of Harrison county, Missouri, where William L. lived till 1893 and acquired 500 acres of land. This he then sold and moving to Vernon county he bought and settled on 240 acres in section 15, Deerfield township, and engaged in farming with marked success, giving particular attention to rais- ing cattle and hogs.
Mr. Gray has been active in business affairs aside from his farming operations. He is a stockholder in the Harrison County Bank, and helped to organize the Moundsville State Bank, and was elected its president in the year 1910. This bank has a paid up capital stock of $10,000 and a surplus of $300, and under the careful, conservative and wise management of those in charge of its affairs fills an important place among the safe financial institu- tions of the county. Mr. Gray has been twice married. His first wife, whose maiden name was Martha Taylor, passed away in 1863, and in October, 1872, he was united in marriage with Miss Marian Cruse. Mr. and Mrs. Gray have four children, named, respectively, William L., George L., Donald T. and Chester H. Gray.
Mr. Gray began his career on a small farm of sixty acres, and from a small beginning has made his way by good management, wise forethought and persistent and persevering hard work to his present place among the leading citizens of Vernon county. In political opinion he adheres to the principles of the Democratic party as propounded by William Jennings Bryan.
Edward N. Green is a native Missourian and was born in Vernon county January 20, 1869. His parents, Mathew and Martha J. (Yeager) Green, were natives of North Carolina and Missouri, respectively. The father settled on a farm in Virgit
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township, Vernon county, Missouri, in April, 1865, and there established the family homestead, where the mother died in 1892 at the age of forty-eight years. The father lived to be seventy- eight years old and died in California October 12, 1910. Our subject's mother was his second wife. They had a family of five children, viz., Edward N. and Edmund L., a twin brother, who lives in Badger township, Vernon county ; Minerva C., who is mar- ried to Mr. W. L. Powelson, of Lawton, Okla .; Samuel Edwin, who died June 16, 1900, and Mattie Edna, who was married to Mr. Charles V. Goss, and died in 1903.
Our subject traces his maternal ancestry back some 200 years to Germany, the first representatives of this branch of the Yeager family coming to this country and settling in Virginia more than a century ago. Edward N. grew up on his father's farm and acquired a good common school education in the district schools, and has spent the most of his life in farming pursuits and owns one of the most productive and highly cultivated and best im- proved farms in Badger township, where he lived twenty years. While living on his farm Mr. Green served eight years as con- stable and for four years was township collector. In the spring of 1909 he retired from the farm and moving into Nevada turned his attention to the real estate business, buying, selling, trading, negotiating loans, etc. Mr. Green is actively identified with the Modern Woodmen of America and also belongs to the Knights of Pythias. On September 9, 1891, he married Miss Viola O., daughter of Peter and Harriet (Scott) Delp, who came to Missouri from Illinois. They have two children, Robert L., born in 1892, and Harriet M., born in 1895, who are now attending the Nevada high school.
Lon N. Hagood belongs to the younger class of enterprising and wide-awake business men of Nevada, Mo., where he was born December 20, 1880. He is a son of Charles C. and Nettie W. (Shepard) Hagood, the former a native of La Grange and the latter of Glasgow, Mo. They removed to Nevada in 1879 and for several years the father was engaged in mercantile business, but later was connected with the old Citizens' Bank, prior to his retirement from active business in 1896.
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