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 33
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Mr. and Mrs. Leonard have two children, viz. : Hazel, who was born February 25, 1895, and Irene, born March 1, 1904.
Edwin T. Letton was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, December 11, 1850. He is the eldest child, and one of five sur- vivors of a family of eight children born to Lemuel P. and Catherine (Couchman) Letton, natives of Bourbon county, Ken- tucky, the former born in 1829, and the latter in 1832. The father was a farmer and stock raiser, and had three brothers who served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. He remained with his family during the war, and in 1868 moved to Lafayette county, Missouri ; later went to Johnson county, and still later moved to Barton county and settled on a small farm near Lamar. where the family lived till the father's decease on May 1, 1899. The other surviving children are, Mrs. J. A. Ram- sey. and Mrs. William Parker, both of Barton county, and Mrs. Robert Cole and Allen Letton, both of Santa Rosa, California. The mother made her home with her youngest daughter till the latter's decease in 1909, since which time she has remained with Mr. Usher, who is a merchant of Minden.
In politics Mr. Lemuel P. Letton was a staunch Democrat.
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In religious faith he was identified with the Christian Church, as are all the members of his family.
Edwin T. acquired his education in the public schools of his native place and came to Missouri with his parents and lived at home till he was twenty-three years old.
On March 6, 1873, he was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Henderson, who was born in Columbus, Mo., January 28, 1849, to Walker and Sena (Houx) Henderson, the former born in Paris, Bourbon county, Kentucky, and the latter in Missouri. Mr. Henderson. a farmer and merchant, was a pioneer settler of Johnson county, Missouri, a wealthy man and an owner of many slaves. Although his sympathies were with the Con- federacy, he was politic enough to remain neutral during the Civil War, and obviated trouble by extending his hospitalities to both sides and feeding the soldiers of both armies.
He was not a church-going man, but was moral and upright in all his dealings, and prized truth and honesty above all these.
He was the father of seven children of whom Mrs. Letton was the second in order of birth. After his marriage Mr. Letton cultivated leased land in Johnson county for a time and then moved onto a tract of eighty acres, a gift to Mrs. Letton from her father. This they rented in the spring of 1878, and coming to Vernon county, Mr. Letton worked leased land in Blue Mound township two years. In 1880 he bought 280 acres in section 17, and there made his home with his family till October, 1910; moving then into the city of Nevada, he, in February, 1911, purchased the handsome, modern residence at No. 228 South Main street, where the family now reside.
In his farming operations Mr. Letton gave particular attention to breeding high-grade horses, cattle and hogs with marked suc- cess. He now-1911-owns 960 acres of land in one body in Blue Mound township, besides a quarter section in section 11. In 1885 he began breeding registered Scotch Short Horn cattle, keeping from seventy-five to one hundred head, but now keeps about half that number. He gave special attention to breeding standard breed Kentucky trotting horses from 1895 till 1902, but since then has kept but a limited number of trotters. He now feeds, for the market, from two to five car loads of cattle annually, besides a large number of hogs. He also raises vast
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quantities of hay, oats, wheat and corn, cultivating all of his land except some 400 acres which he rents.
In 1891 Mr. Letton helped to organize the Farmer's Bank of Walker, of which he has been president since the resignation of Mr. A. Edwards, its first president, in 1895. Besides he is vice- president of the Farmers Mutual Insurance Company, of Nevada.
He is a Democrat in politics but has uniformly declined political office. Since sixteen years of age he has been a member of the Christian Church, and was a prominent factor in building the church edifice in Blue Mound township, for which he pur- chased the greater part of the lumber, besides generous con- tributions of money. Since the building was erected he has filled the office of elder most of the time, and for many years was superintendent of the Sunday school.
Of three children born to Mr. and Mrs. Letton, Charles Hed- rick, born March 20, 1874, was educated in Columbia University and Business College, Quincy, Ill., and is now a member of the firm of Carpenter and Shaffer, Butler, Mo. He married in September, 1907, Miss Frankie Lisle. The second child, Ruth L., born February 12, 1873, was married in 1900 to Mr. J. E. Haggard, of Nevada, and they have one child, Wanda, three years old. The youngest child, Ula Blanche, who was born June 23, 1891, lives with her parents.
Edward E. Levens, is one of the prominent, enterprising and progressive citizens of Nevada, Mo., who has gained his position by his own untiring effort. He is a native of Booneville, Mo., and was born June 9, 1864, to Henry C. and Margaret J. (Lawton) Levens, both natives of Cooper county, Missouri, where the father was a well-known teacher and lawyer and for several terms served as county clerk. He died in 1896 when seventy-six years old, his widow surviving till 1908, and passing away at the age of seventy-six. Our subject's paternal grandfather Basel Levens settled in Cooper county, Missouri, when a boy, and was prom- inent and influential there, in pioneer days. His maternal grand- father, Edward E. Lawton, came from Rhode Island to Missouri in 1821, and was a successful and well-known physician in Cooper county in the early days, and was especially noted as an astronomer and for scholarly attainments. His death occurred in 1878 when he was eighty-two years of age. Our subject has one
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brother, Lewis H. Levens, who is financial agent for the Farm and Home Savings and Loan Association of Nevada, living in Kansas City.
Edward E. acquired his early education under the preceptor- ship of Professor Anthony Haynes, and later attended Kemper's College, at Booneville, Mo. He began his business life as car accountant for the Missouri, Pacific Railway Company, and con- tinued in that capacity four years. He was then two years chief clerk for general road master for the Gould system, after which he became chief clerk to the superintendent of the Colorado division of the Missouri-Pacific Railway. After serving two years he resigned to accept the position of assistant to superintendent of telegraph lines of the Missouri and Texas Railway, which he filled eight years. He then resigned the position, and for two years was a loan broker, with his residence at Sedalia, and in 1898, became secretary of the Farm and Home Savings and Loan Association and moved to Nevada where he has since made his home.
Mr. Levens has taken a commendable interest in political and civic affairs, and is a member of the Republican Central Com- mittee. He is actively identified with fraternal orders, and a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
In 1897 Mr. Levens married Miss Rose E. Hain, a daughter of Mr. S. R. Hain, of Sedalia, Mo., and they have one child, Margaret M. by name.
Edward P. Lindley is a worthy member of the bar of Nevada, Vernon county, Missouri. He is a native Missourian, and was born at Monticello, Mo. He had resided in Washington City, in Davenport, Iowa, in Chicago, Ill., and in St. Louis, Mo., whence he moved to his present home in April, 1886. In earlier life he was employed as a clerk in a commission house, in a bank, in an assessor's office and in the actuary department of a life insurance company. He studied law at the St. Louis Law School, and was graduated with the class of 1877, and since then has practiced his profession. On October 27, 1881, Mr. Lindley was united in marriage with Miss Hattie I. Thompson, at Maryville, Mo., and they have four children, viz .: Mabel, who is married to Mr. Perry Sargeant, of St. Louis; James J., who lives in Nevada ; Eleanor V.,
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who is married to Mr. C. H. Price, of Nevada. Mo., and Mary Catherine Lindley, of Nevada.
James J. Lindley, the only son, was born in St. Louis, Mo., June, 1885. He was educated at Culver Military Academy, Indiana, and at the Missouri State University, and after leaving college engaged in the farm mortgage business. On October 5, 1907, he married Miss Florence Cockerill, a daughter of Mr. A. B. Cockerhill, of Nevada, Mo. He is a member of the Beta Theta Pi college fraternity, and belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, also a Knight Templar and a Shriner, Ararat Temple, Kansas City. Mo.
Hayden W. Linn was born in North Carolina, September 26, 1832, and is a son of John and Nancy (DePoyster) Linn, the former of whom was a native of North Carolina and the latter of South Carolina. John Linn became such an early settler in what now constitutes a portion of Vernon county that brief men- tion of him, at least, ought to be made in this connection. His birth occurred in 1792, and until reaching the age of maturity he grew up in his native state, following as the majority of other farmers' boys, the pursuits of agricultural labor. Subsequently he removed to Kentucky, from whence he came to Missouri some years afterwards, settling in what was then known as Bates county in 1848. This continued to be his home until his death, February 11, 1874, at the advanced age of over eighty years. His wife survived him until 1878, when she, too, passed away, having borne a family of six children: James M., William, John, Elizabeth, who married James Mayfield, of Cooper county ; Isa- bella, wife of James McKill, and Hayden W. During his resi- dence here Mr. Linn devoted himself to his chosen life of a farmer, his location being in Coal township on a farm later owned by the subject of this sketch. He is well remembered by the earlier settlers of the county, for he took not an unimportant part in its development and growth from a pioneer day. Hayden was but a boy when the family came to Missouri, and here he was reared to manhood, his peaceful occupation of everyday life finally being interrupted by the outburst of impending war trou- bles. Early in the commencement of the strife, on May 15, 1861, he enlisted as a member of the State Guard, in the Third Mis- souri cavalry, of Marmaduke's brigade, afterwards taking part
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in the battles of Carthage, Wilson's Creek and Drywood, on the raid to Cape Girardeau, before Little Rock, etc .; with others he fought Steele from Little Rock to Camden, participating in the engagements of Poison Spring, Saline River and the battles of Price's raid, up to the time of the surrender at Shreveport. Finally he went to Texas and rejoined his family, the peace and harmony of his own fireside forming a striking contrast to the four years of internecine strife through which he had but just passed. In 1866, returning to Vernon county, Missouri. without a dollar, Mr. Linn commenced at once to regain something of the position, at least, which he had occupied before the war. Resuming farming he continued it until 1874, when he was elected county recorder, a position the duties of which he ably discharged for eight years. For a short time after this he was occupied in mercantile pursuits, then gave his attention to feeding cattle in connection with farming, and finally entered the bank with which he was connected. In 1886 he was elected assistant cashier and its acting vice-president, Judge D. P. Stratton being president.
In June, 1856, Mr. Linn was married to Miss Bettie Harrison, of Morgan county, Missouri, daughter of Samuel C. and Mary (Powell) Harrison, the former of Tennessee and the latter of Virginia nativity. Their children were: Albia W .. Charles P., Mary, John, Maria and Marvin. Maud died in 1875. Mr. Linn belonged to the A. F. and A. M., was a Knights Templar, and he also was a member of the A. O. W. Y. He was the owner of 460 acres in this county.
John G. Linn came originally from Barron county, Kentucky, where his birth occurred March 19, 1830, one of six children in the family of his parents, John and Nancy Linn, nee DePoyster, the former a farmer by occupation and a native of North Caro- lina, and his wife formerly from South Carolina. At an early day the family removed to Kentucky, where their children grew to maturity. There were two daughters and three sons besides John G., named James M., Elizabeth (who -married a Mr. May- field, of Cooper county). William I., Hayden W. and Isabel, wife of James McKill. The father became one of the first settlers in this section of Missouri, and, as mentioned elsewhere, located in what now constitutes Coal township, Vernon county, in Novem- ber, 1848. There he lived until his death, February 6, 1873. For
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twenty-five years he was a resident of the county, and both as a citizen and neighbor was held in the highest esteem. His garner was always open to the needy and his house was a shelter to the wayfaring man from the storms and tempests of life. As a Christian his character stands unblemished and unimpeachable. His widow followed him to the grave September 22, 1878. Like his brothers, John G. was raised a farmer and has continued to follow it until the present, except during the war, when he served as a soldier for a number of years. At first he was with Colonel Hunter, but afterwards entered the Eighth Missouri infantry and participated in the battles of Drywood, Pea Ridge, Cane Hill and Helena, on July 4, 1863, where he was captured, subsequently being held a prisoner until the close of the war, confined first at Alton, Ill., and then at Ft. Delaware, afterwards being sent to Richmond, Va., for exchange. In 1854 he was married to Miss Elizabeth Arnott, of Fort Scott, Kan., who died October 15, 1860, leaving two children: Nevada, wife of C. C. Thompson, and Leona, wife of Charles Osman. In 1871 Mr. Linn married Miss Sarah Harrison, a native of. Morgan county, Missouri, and by this union there are six children: Walter C., Johnnie C., Mary Belle, Sterling P., Forrest and Roy Holmes.
The Logan Family. Joseph B. Logan, a native of Blount county, Tennessee, was born February 28, 1799, being the son of Charles Logan, originally from Belfast, Ireland, who, when but twelve years of age, left home and secured passage on a ship bound for America, and several years after his arrival in this country he was obliged to work to pay his passage money. After his marriage in Virginia to Miss Sarah Hunter, Mr. Logan moved to Tennessee, where he reared a family of three sons and seven daughters. He served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and as an early settler of Blount county lived with his wife in a fort for a number of years, serving against the Indians. They belonged to the Presbyterian Church. Joseph B. Logan was reared in Tennessee; following teaming and farming, and with only limited chances for acquiring an education, though he did attend a winter's term of school taught by the renowned Gen. Sam. Houston. In 1832 he married Miss Sarah Cochran, whose birth occurred in Blount county, Tennessee, December 24. 1813. Leaving there in 1856, they came to Jackson county, Missouri,
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to make their home, and in the fall of the next year, 1857, located in Vernon county, taking up a claim on section 36 of Walker township. After living in a tent some little time, they moved into the house where the remainder of their days were spent. Mr. Logan died February 4, 1871, and his widow March 23, 1875, sincerely mourned by all, for as among the first permanent set- tlers of Vernon county they had become highly respected, and were indeed worthy people. Their children were: Charles N., Sarah E., Barney L., John C., Nancy J., James L., Phebe C. and Rheuhama L. The parents naturally sympathized with the South during the war and four of their sons were in the Confederate army under General Price. John C. was killed at Lone Jack in 1862.
Joseph W. Love, a successful physician and surgeon at Ne- vada, is a native of Cedar county, Missouri, and was born October 5, 1869. He is the third child of a family of four sons and five daughters, of whom seven are now living, born to William D. and George Ann Love, both natives of Missouri. They lived in Cedar county, Missouri, in their earlier lives, but later settled in Vernon county and were for many years residents of Bacon township. James Love, our subject's paternal grandfather, was a physician and practiced his profession in Cedar county during his early life; but on the opening of the Civil War, in 1861, he moved to Calloway county and there conducted a successful practice till his decease, at the age of seventy-three years.
Our subject's maternal grandfather, Thomas T. Loy, moved from Kentucky, his native state, to Cedar county, and was en- gaged in farming till his decease in 1882, at the age of seventy- two years. His wife's maiden name was Sarah A. Turner, and she passed away in Cedar county in 1907, at the age of ninety years.
Joseph W. acquired his preliminary education in the public schools of his native place, and later studied at the Northwestern Normal and Business College at Stanberry, Mo., with the class of 1890. Mr. Love next turned his attention to business and for a time was bookkeeper, and later cashier, of a banking house at Bellevue, Ida. His desire, however, was to enter the medical profession, and with this purpose in view he pursued a course of study at the American Medical College at St. Louis, where
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he was graduated with the class of 1896. Dr. Love began his practice at Harwood, in Vernon county, and continued there five years; going thence to Cannon City, Colo., he opened an office, but soon returned to Vernon county and carried on a successful practice at Walker for eight years. In January, 1909, Dr. Love took up his residence in Nevada, where he has estab- lished himself in a large and constantly growing practice, ranking among the leading physicians in the city.
Dr. Love is a member of the National and State Eclectic Medical Associations and also is actively identified with various fraternal organizations, being a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
On March 4, 1896, Dr. Love was united in marriage with Miss Blanche Wright, a daughter of Robert and Frances (Latim- bra) Wright, of Bellevue, Ida. Dr. and Mrs. Love have one child, Walter Standlee.
Andrew J. Longacre was born in Rowan county, Tennessee, September 16, 1829. He was the son of Benjamin and Judith (Perkins) Longacre, the former a tanner by trade and of Virginia nativity, and the latter a native of Tennessee. Andrew J. was the youngest of nine children in his parents' family. When seven years old he accompanied his father to Johnson county, Missouri, and there made his home for a number of years, or until coming to this county in 1857. Here he remained, closely connected with farming and kindred pursuits. In November, 1849, Mr. Longacre was married to Miss Polly B. Shumate, who was born in Lafayette county, Missouri. She died April 9, 1864, leaving three children: William C., Benjamin H. and Balis A. In Feb- ruary, 1865, his second marriage occurred, when Miss Sarah F. Caton, of Carroll county, Missouri, became his wife. She was the daughter of Hugh M. and Nancy Ann (Harvey) Caton. To Mr. and Mrs. Longacre a family of four children were given: Hugh L., Precious T., John J. and Emma May. Mr. Longacre was a member of the M. E. Church South and also to the A. F. and A. M.
William M. Lowe, who was for many years a leading citizen of Vernon county, Missouri, and who passed away universally
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honored and beloved, November 27, 1894, was born near Crab Orchard, Lincoln county, Kentucky, August 20, 1821, to Thomas and Margaret (Dudgeon) Lowe. The father, also a native of Kentucky, was the fifth son of Jesse and Susan (Sablett) Lowe, who reared a family of ten sons and four daughters. Thomas was a man of superior attainments and taught school in his early life. During the War of 1812 he participated in the battle of New Orleans, under General Jackson, where he was severely wounded, and after which he returned to his home on foot.
He was a man of fine physique, strong character and char- acterized by his kind-heartedness and hospitality. He died m 1825 and in 1833 his widow, with her family, settled in Vernon county, Missouri, where she died in 1871. Jesse Low was one of the famous nine, who, with Daniel Boone, successfully resisted the attack of the Indians on the fort at Crab Orchard in pioneer days. He married when young and soon afterward moved from Virginia, his native state, to Kentucky, and there he and his wife passed their lives.
William M. grew up on a farm and when about nineteen years old worked for a time on a cotton plantation in Texas, after which he served as a Texas Ranger, under Capt. Jack Hayes, remaining with him till the close of the Mexican War and serving in that struggle under Generals Taylor and John E. Wood, and participating in the battles of Brownsville, Camaryo, Monterey, Buena Vista and many others. After the war closed he was in the Indian service a short time, and then, with others, in 1849, went to California. There he worked three and a half years teaming, and then for five and a half years served as sheriff of Trinity county, and besides capturing during that time the notorious outlaw and highwayman Walker, his official career was marked by many perilous and thrilling incidents and experi- ences. Mr. Lowe returned to Vernon county in 1857 and at the opening of the Civil War entered the Confederate army, under General Price, and served as a captain in the Trans-Mississippi Department till the war ended. After his surrender at Shreves- port he was the only man allowed to return home with his com- mand in possession of their arms and horse. After his return home Captain Lowe for nine years owned and conducted a saw and grist mill on Clear Creek, and also engaged in farming and
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stock raising, which pursuits occupied his chief attention to the close of his life, his finely improved farm of 320 acres being espe- cially adapted to his purposes.
Mr. Lowe was a man of splendid personal qualities, of high ideals, genial and hospitable, and withal upright and honorable in his dealings. He stood high in Masonic circles and was a member of O'Sullivan Commandery, No. 16, Knights Templar, of Nevada, and in California held office in both the Grand Lodge and Grand Chapter. On January 13, 1859, Mr. Lowe was united in marriage with Miss Barbara C. Williams, who was born near Fulton, Mo., March 6, 1837. Of nine children born to them, George M., the eldest, lives at Fayetteville, Ark .; Inez is mar- ried to Mr. J. Cozatt, of Joplin, Mo .; Emily J. is deceased ; Frances is a teacher in the public schools at Nevada; Lizzie is married to Mr. G. T. Edmiston, of Wallace, Idaho; Katherine H. lives in Nevada; Nora is deceased; Thomas H., a West Point cadet of 1905, is a lieutenant in the Twenty-eighth infantry regi- ment of regulars at Fort Snelling, Minn., and Nell B. is married to Mr. Arthur Batty and lives in Buffalo, N. Y.
Mrs. Lowe, who now resides in the city of Nevada, is a woman of splendid attainments. Her parents, Reuben H. and Evaline (Moore) Williams, were natives of Virginia and Mary- land, respectively. They moved from St. Charles county, Mis- souri, to Vernon county when Mrs. Lowe was ten years of age. The father was killed in the battle of Pea Ridge during the Civil War, and her mother died in 1872 at the age of sixty-three years.
Mrs. Lowe is the eldest of a family of four children, the others being Arthur P. Williams, of Nevada, Mo .; Louis W., now deceased, and Henry C., who lives in Merkel, Texas.
Henry C. Lyons was born in Lewis county, Kentucky, April 15, 1844, the youngest of a family of eight children born to William and Sarah E. (Hampton) Lyons. The father, who was a millwright by trade, moved from Vermont, his native state, to Lewis county, Kentucky, where he married, his wife being a native of Kentucky. In 1851 they moved to Champaign county, Illinois, and settled on a tract of 240 acres near Mahomet, where they made their home, and where the mother died in 1853. and where Mr. Lyons passed away in 1867 at the age of seventy- two years. He was an old-time Whig until the formation of the
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Republican party in 1856, and in 1860 voted for Abraham Lincoln.
Henry C. was educated in the common schools in Illinois and reared a farmer. At the opening of the Civil War, after sev- eral unsuccessful attempts to enlist in the Union army, he was finally, in 1864, admitted to the One Hundred and Thirty-fifth regiment, Illinois volunteer infantry, and served till the end of the war. Returning home he, in October, 1865, married Miss Emma Scott, a daughter of Mr. Fielding L. Scott, of Champaign county. In the spring of 1878 Mr. Lyons moved with his family to Vernon county, Missouri, and settled on a tract of 400 acres, in sections 3, 10, 33 and 34, Osage township, where he estab- lished the family home and has since resided engaged in general farming and stock raising, making a specialty the past fifteen years of high-grade, pure-blooded Jersey hogs, raising an aver- age of 100 each year. Mrs. Lyons died in August, 1884, leaving besides her husband, six children, three of whom are now living, viz., Julia, who was born December 25, 1873, and is now the wife of Mr. C. H. Compton, of Metz, Mo .; Theodosia, born Feb- ruary 11, 1876, and now the wife of Mr. George Schaffer, of Bates county, Missouri, and Lillie, born .August 29, 1881, who is now married to Mr. H. C. Swope, a farmer of Osage township.
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