History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume II, Part 43

Author: Douglass, Robert Sidney. 4n
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 802

USA > Missouri > History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume II > Part 43

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ROBERT CHARLES YOUNG. Broad-minded, keen-sighted, and public-spirited, Robert Charles Young of Campbell, Dunklin county, takes an active and intelligent interest in ad- vancing all reform movements, having worked and written extensively for the tem- perance cause, a movement in the right direc- tion, which was formerly opposed by many of his fellow-citizens, but has now their earn- est support. Mayhap, however, he is best known for his achievements in arousing the interests of the people throughout the county in the betterment of agricultural methods, and inspiring them with a desire for a knowl- edge of scientific agriculture as carried on by an up-to-date farmer. Within the past ten years he has written many valuable articles on this important subject, and is now a steady correspondent for the Dunklin Demo- erat, also for agricultural journals and other periodicals of Missouri, including Colman's Rural World, published in St. Louis. He is equally interested in the temperance cause, speaking and writing in its favor, and de- voting much of his time and energy towards its advancement.

Mr. Young was born January 1, 1850, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where his father was engaged in business as wholesale hard- ware merchant. His father died while he was vet an infant, and the family became separ- ated. He was taken to Athens county, Ohio, where he received his preliminary education, being a pupil in the district school. At the age of twenty-two years he attended a public school at Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, where he was under the instruction of a Miss Booth, formerly an associate teacher with James A. Garfield at Hiram College, Hiram, Ohio. On

August 16, 1875, Mr. Young began his pro- fessional career in Greenup county, Ken- tucky, where he taught five months. Desirous of further advancing his knowledge, he sub- sequently attended Dickinson Seminary, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, for two terms, while there being an active and valued mem- ber of the Belles-Lettres Society. In 1877 he entered Heidelberg University, at Tiffin, Ohio, and was there graduated in 1880, with the degree of Bachelor of Science, his class having had twenty-one members. He then taught or worked in the woods for upwards of a score of years, afterwards continuing his educational work until 1904, in which he met with eminent success.

In 1896 Mr. Young began farming on his own account, and has since made a practical test of the agricultural methods he had so long advocated, and for year to year has made steady progress along the lines that lead to agricultural prosperity. He has a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres at Camp- bell, Missouri, and also owns one hundred and sixty acres in Arkansas. He has one hundred and thirty-five acres of his home farm well fenced and well improved, and, in the summer of 1911, erected a fifteen-hundred dollar barn, forty-four feet by eighty feet, and forty feet in height, it being one of the best structures of the kind in this part of Dunklin county. Mr. Young pays consider- able attention to the growing of stock of a good grade, keeping ten head of cattle, and working to obtain a herd of Polled Durhams ; he also has thirty Duroc Jersey hogs, and four mules. His orchard contains eighty apple trees, and, one hundred and thirty peach trees, and produces an abundance of fruit.

A leading citizen, and a farmer of prom- inence, Mr. Young has been a prime mover in the establishment of beneficial enterprises and organizations, and has used his influence towards the cleansing and purifying of both the sanitary and moral conditions of public places, and has been especially active in help- ing to advance the agricultural status of the county. He assisted in the organization of the local Farmers' Institute, of which he has been secretary since 1906, and was a pro- moter of the Truck Growers' Rally, which met annually for several years. In 1910 the Farmers' Institute, which, owing to the strenuous efforts of Mr. Young, is now a very strong organization, merged the Truek Grow- ers Rally into a magnificent "Corn Show,"

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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

which proved a great success, drawing visit- ors from all parts of the county. The Frisco Railroad Company ably seconded the efforts of the farmers, giving a one-hundred dollar scholarship to the person between the ages of eighteen years and forty years who brought in the best ten ears of corn to the Corn Show. Mr. Young was the first man in Dunklin county to tile his land for drainage, and his modern methods of farming have been quite influential in educating farmers along agri- cultural lines, especial use having been made of the United States Bulletins for farmers, issued by the Government. Largely through his work, the value of land in Dunklin and adjacent counties has been increased three dollars an acre, a sum amounting to $1,000,000.

Politically Mr. Young is a Republican in national affairs, but in local elections he votes for the best men and measures, regardless of party prejudice. Since 1871 he has been a consistent member of the Methodist Episco- pal church, which he has served as steward and local preacher for many years. Fra- ternally he belongs to Campbell Court, No. 5, Tribe of Ben Hur, at Campbell; and of Camp, No. 205, Woodmen of the World, of Campbell.

Mr. Young has been twice married. He married first, in 1883, Martha Warnock, and their only child, Lily May, died in infancy. On January 12, 1895, Mr. Young married for his second wife Mrs. Lucy M. Harrison.

RUFUS H. STANLEY. A prominent and in- fluential citizen of Malden, Missouri, is Rufus H. Stanley, who is here engaged in an ex- tensive contracting, building and lumber busi- ness. In connection with his work he employs a force of about fifty men and his contracts extend throughout Dunklin county, where he has gained distinctive prestige as a business man whose dealings have ever been of the fair and honorable type. Mr. Stanley was born in Warren county, Tennessee, on the 2nd of February, 1843, and he is a son of Richard H. and Obedience (Forrington) Stanley, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of North Carolina. The father was engaged in the saddlery business during the major portion of his active career and he was summoned to the life eternal at seventy-seven years of age, at which time Rufus H. of this review was a child of but twelve years of age. The mother died at the age of ninety-six years. The early youth of R. H. Stanley was passed

in the respective homes of his brother and brother-in-law and his preliminary educa- tional training consisted of such advantages as were afforded in the schools of the locality and period. As a young man he entered upon an apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade and for a number of years was engaged in that line of enterprise. At the time of the inception of the Civil war he set up a little store at McMinnville, Tennessee, buying his goods in company with his brother. On one occasion his stock was taken by the rebels but he took the risk of driving seventy-five miles for a new supply, which was liable of confiscation. Finally becoming discouraged by his successive losses, he gave up his store and removed to Illinois, where he followed the work of his trade, the scene of his opera- tions having been principally in Perry, Ham- ilton and Jefferson counties. In the '80s, however, he removed to California, where he remained one year. In 1890, through the in- fluence of a Mr. Garrison, he was prevailed upon to come to southeastern Missouri, where he has since resided. He has followed the contracting and building business in this sec- tion of the state during the intervening years to the present time, most of his work along this line being at Malden, Kennett and New Madrid. His contracts cover all kinds of work in the construction line and it may be noted here that he has erected the most im- portant buildings in each of the above men- tioned places.

In connection with his work Mr. Stanley requires the assistance of some fifty men, and this in itself shows the extent of his opera- tions. He erected the brick kilns at Kennett and Malden and in addition to his other in- terests carries a large and complete line of lumber, paints, hardware, wall paper, etc. His work has even extended into Arkansas, in various cities of which state he has erected large business blocks. He has been familiar with the ins and outs of the building business from earliest youth and now contents himself with confining his attention to this line of en- terprise, in which he has realized a fair com- petency. He says that southeastern Missouri is the best country he has ever seen for a poor man and he also says it is the most healthful country he has ever lived in. In his political convictions he is an uncompromising sup- porter of the prnciples and policies for which the Democratic party stands sponsor and while he has never manifested aught of desire for the emoluments and honors of public

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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI .

office of any description, he is ever on the qui vive to help along any project advanced for the good of the county and state at large. He is connected with a number of fraternal and social organizations of representative char- acter and in their religious faith the Stanley family are consistent members of the Chris- tian church, to whose philanthropical work he is a most liberal contributor. As a citizen Mr. Stanley's patriotism and loyalty have ever been of the most insistent order, and as a man he is honorable and reliable in every possible connection. No one in this part of the state commands a higher degree of popu- lar confidence and esteem than does he.

In Perry county, Illinois, on the 3rd of July, 1867, Mr. Stanley was united in mar- riage to Miss Della McGee, who was born and reared in Hamilton county, Illinois, and who is a daughter of John H. McGee, long a rep- resentative citizen of that state. Mr. and Mrs. Stanley are the parents of three chil- dren, concerning whom the following brief data are here incorporated,-Rufus Herbert, Jr., is a prominent attorney at Hugo, Okla- homa, and for a time he was engaged in the practice of his profession at Poplar Bluff, Missouri, where he was twice elected prose- cuting attorney; Obie is the wife of T. C. Ashcraft, a merchant at Malden, Missouri; and Vernal is a music teacher at home. In the time-honored Masonic order Mr. Stanley has passed through the circle of the York Rite branch, holding membership in Malden Lodge, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons ; Kennett Chapter, Royal Arch Masons; and Malden Commandery, Knights Templars. In all of Mr. Stanley's building operations he has never had a law suit or a dissatisfaction.

JAMES D. TEMPLETON. To few is it given to attain so high a place in the esteem and affection of their fellow citizens as that en- joyed by James D. Templeton, who is known throughout the vicinity of Malden and Dun- klin county as "Uncle Jim." Mr. Temple- ton is a prosperous and progressive farmer in Cotton Hill township, where he is the owner of a fine estate of three hundred acres, the same being eligibly located four and one half miles distant from Malden.

James D. Templeton was born at Double Springs, Mississippi, on the 13th of July, 1846, and is a son of James and Darkus (Sommers) Templeton, both of whom were natives of Mississippi, where was solemnized their marriage in the year 1831. Mr. and

Mrs. Templeton became the parents of nine children, of whom two are living at the pres- ent time, namely,-Angeline, who is the wife of John L. Arnold, a farmer in Hall county, Texas, and James, the immediate subject of this review. The mother of the above chil- dren came to Missouri and resided with the subject of this notice until her death, which occurred in 1890, aged seventy-nine years. The father passed away in Mississippi, in 1855, aged forty-seven years.

On the old homestead farm in Mississippi James D. Templeton was reared to adult age and he received his limited elementary educa- tional training in the public schools of his native place. He was a child of but nine years of age at the time of his father's death and thus was early bereft of paternal care and guidance. He became interested in farm- ing as a young man and located on his pres- ent estate near Malden, Dunklin county, Mis- souri, in the year 1867. Beginning with but twenty acres of land, he has added continu- ally to his original holdings until he is now the owner of a farm of three hundred acres, the same representing some of the most arable land in Dunklin county. He devotes his at- tention to diversified agriculture and the raising of high-grade stock and has gained high prestige as a farmer of note in this sec- tion of the state, where he is honored and es- teemed as a man of mark in all the rela- tions of life.

Mr. Templeton was first married in 1866, his wife having been Miss Margaret H. Ar- nold, who was summoned to the life eternal in 1873 and who was survived by six chil- dren, one of whom, William A. Templeton, conducts the store at McGuire Corner, about five miles south of Malden. In 1874 Mr. Templeton wedded Miss Nancy Williams, a daughter of a prominent farmer southwest of Malden. This union was prolific of eight children, three of whom reside near Mal- den, namely: Grover, who is an extensive farmer and land owner; Dora, who is the wife of Charles Carmen; and Ora, who is now Mrs. Luther Bray. Mrs. Templeton died in 1891 and in that year, Mr. Templeton mar- ried Miss Lydia C. Halzheuser, who passed to eternal rest in 1900. For his fourth wife Mr. Templeton chose Miss Emma Turner, of Memphis, Tennessee, the ceremony having been performed on the 22nd of November, 1900. She died in 1907 and on the 28th of May, 1908, Mr. Templeton was united in mar- riage to Mrs. Tennie Rodgers Maynard, the

James D Templeton

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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

widow of E. M. Maynard and mother of Flora Maynard, who married Grover Templeton, a son of Mr. Templeton.

In politics Mr. Templeton accords a stal- wart allegiance to the principles and policies for which the Democratic party stands spon- sor, and while he has never participated ac- tively in public affairs he gives freely of his aid and influence in support of all measures and enterprises projected for the good of the general welfare. Mr. Templeton was for- merly an active Mason at Clarkton but he was demitted from the order when the lodge at that place broke up. In his religious faith he is a devout member of the Methodist Protestant church, in which he has been a member of the board of trustees for the past forty-three years. He is a man of high ideals and deep human sympathy-one whose char- ity knows only the bounds of his opportuni- ties, and he is everywhere accorded the un- alloyed confidence and respect of all with whom he comes in contact.

H. CLEM NANSON. It is rather unusual nowadays to find a man who has engaged in the same line of work all of his life. As a rule a boy decides on a certain career and changes his mind many times during his adolescent period, or, as soon as he launches out on his chosen calling he finds it not suited to his tastes or capabilities. This has not been the experience of Mr. Nanson. He is in the merchandise business, commenced when a little lad of fourteen years of age, and he has never seen reason to alter his course. He is a man who knows his own business and he attends to it.

H. Clem Nanson was born at St. Louis, Missouri, November 25, 1874. His father, Clement Charles Nanson, is a native Mis- sourian, his birthplace being Benson, that state, and the year 1850. He was reared to adult age in Missouri and was there educated in the public schools. Later lie formed a partnership alliance with Mr. T. B. Simss and the two opened a general store at Car- uthersville, doing business under the firm name of Simss & Nanson. In 1872 Mr. Nan- son was united in marriage to Miss Sallie W. Bushey, born on the 10th day of December, 1855, on the old Bushey farm at Caruthers- ville, where her parents, George W. and Mary P. (Walker) Bushey, had maintained their residence for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Nanson had but one child, H. Clem, and in 1874, the year that he was born, the fam-

ily moved to St. Louis, where the father en- gaged in the merchandise business; later he went to Leadville, Colorado, then to Mem- phis, Tennessee, still following the same occupation. He was a man who had two great interests, his store and the Democratic party. He died in the month of September, 1902, in St. Louis, and is buried in Bellefoun- taine cemetery.

H. Clem Nanson attended school until fourteen years old at Christian Brothers' College, Memphis, Tennessee. In 1888 he commenced to work in a dry goods store. After two years had elapsed he realized that if he would be successful in life it was neces- sary for him to obtain some more education, and he went to Caruthersville and remained there in school for several years. After leav- ing school for the second time he went to St. Louis and far a while worked for the Brown Shoe Company of that city ; later he went to Claremore, Indian Territory, and worked in a general store. During the ensuing three years, after leaving Claremore, he was em- ployed by the Illinois Central Railroad Com- pany at New Orleans, but after this experi- ence he returned to the commercial life as being the one in which he could achieve most success. In 1900 he returned to Caruthers- ville, gained employment with the Cunning- ham Store Company, and then went into bus- iness for himself. He has a first class store, handles women's articles exclusively, and his is the only store in Caruthersville that is de- voted to women's garments only-indeed there is no other such store in the whole of southeastern Missouri. The Nanson Dry Goods Company, of which Mr. Nanson is the active superintendent, was incorporated August 19, 1905, with Mr. Coppage, presi- dent; J. M. Ward, of Memphis, vice-presi- dent; H. Clem Nanson, secretary and treasurer. The above named three gentle- men are the only stockholders of the corpora- tion. The Nanson Dry Goods Company has recently bought out the Caruthersville Sup- ply Store.

On St. Valentine's day, 1901, Mr. Nanson was married to Miss Mary Alice Clayton, born December 30, 1881, in Pemiscot county, Missouri, the adopted daughter of H. C. Gar- rett and wife. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Nanson,-Joseph S., born March 11, 1903; H. Clement, Jr., born July 27, 1905; Mary Alice, born December 25, 1907; and James Clayton, born October 1, 1910.

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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

Iu political views Mr. Nanson is a stanch Democrat, as was his father before him. In a religious way he holds membership with the Presbyterian chnreh, and in fraternal connection he is affiliated with the Benevo- lent and Protective Order of Elks and with the Modern Woodmen of America. He has a high standing with his business, political, re- ligions and fraternal associates, and is de- servedly popular.

ROBERT G. HUBBARD. To Robert Green Hubbard has come the attainment of a dis- tinguished position in connection with agri- cultural pursuits in Dunklin county, Mis- souri. His life achievements worthily illus- trate what may be attained by persistent and painstaking effort and inasmuch as his suc- cess in life is the result of his own well directed endeavors it is the more gratifying to contemplate. He is the owner of a tract of one hundred and twenty acres of land south of Clarkton, a portion of his estate lying within the city limits. Mr. Hubbard has figured prominently in connection with the public affairs of Clarkton, having been the efficient incumbent of the office of mayor for a term of two years.

On his father's farm, in the close vicinity of Clarkton, Missouri, on the 23d of August, 1865, occurred the birth of Robert G. Hub- bard, who is a son of M. W. and Elizabeth (Hodges) Hubbard, the former of whom was born and reared in Madison county, Ken- tucky, and the latter is a native of Smith county, Tennessee, whence she accompanied her father, the late Judge R. L. Hodges to Missouri in the ante-bellum days. M. W. Hubbard came to this state about 1861 and he was a farmer and merchant during the greater part of his active career, the scene of his operations having been Clarkton. Mr. Hubbard passed to the Great Beyond in May, 1900, and his beloved wife is now residing at Clarkton. They became the parents of four children, of whom Robert G. is the immediate subject of this review ; Charles T. and Walter M. are mentioned elsewhere in this work; and Mollie is the wife of B. F. Jarman, a farmer of note in Dunklin county and has two sons, Frank and Robert.

Robert Green Hubbard passed his boy- hood and youth on the old homestead farm near Clarkton and he received a good com- mon-sehool education. He early began to assist his father in the work and management

of the farm and in 1901 purchased a tract of land from Tom Baird, after having inherited fifty-four acres of the paternal estate. In 1903 he sold the land he had purchased in order to buy another tract of his father's farm which was up for sale. He is now the owner of a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, the same representing one of the finest estates in Dunklin county. He is engaged in diversified agriculture and the raising of high-grade cattle and horses. He has about two acres set out to apple and peach trees. In 1906 Mr. Hubbard became interested in the general merchandise business at Clark- ton as a member of the firm of Hubbard Bros., his partner in that enterprise hav- ing been his brother, Walter M. Hubbard. He continued to be interested in the mercan- tile business for a period of two years and then disposed of his interests to his brother. In his political proclivities he is a stanch advocate of the cause of the Democratic party, in the local councils of which he is an active worker. In 1906 he was honored by his fellow citizens with election to the office of mayor of Clarkton and he served as such for a term of two years. His capable admin- istration of the municipal affairs of the city was characterized by a strict policy for prog- ress and improvement and during the period of his regime he accomplished a great deal for the good of Clarkton. He is affiliated with a number of representative social and fraternal organizations of a local nature and in his religious faith is a consistent member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church at Clarkton.

In the year 1888 Mr. Hubbard was united in marriage to Miss Flora Timberman, a daughter of Mat Timberman, an old resident of Dunklin county. This union has been pro- lific of three children, as follows,-Tabitha is the wife of Cornelius Stattler, of St. Louis, Missouri: they have two children, Tabitha and Cornelius; Maggie married W. F. Wells, a druggist at Clarkton; and Josephine re- mains at the parental home.

Mr. Hubbard is a man of liberal views and broad human sympathy. He is generous in his judgment of his fellow men and is ever ready to help those less fortunately situated in life than himself. He is honored and es- teemed throughout Dunklin county as a man of his word and he numbers among his per- sonal friends some of the most influential citizens of this section of the state.

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HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI

WILLIAM L. CRAIG. A business man of dis- tinctive prestige and influence at Malden, Missouri, is William Craig, who, in addition to being an embalmer and funeral director, is also prominently identified with the build- ing material business in this place. He has achieved a marvelous success for himself and is recognized as a citizen of intrinsic loyalty and public spirit. He was born three miles south of Malden, the date of his nativity be- ing the 4th of November, 1868, and he is a son of Judge J. P. and Harriett R. (Hood) Craig, both of whom were born in western Tennessee, whence they came to Missouri in the ante-bellum days. For a number of years after his arrival at Malden Judge Craig was engaged in the general merchandise business but later he turned his attention to farming operations. He was a stanch Democrat in his political proclivities and, while not an active politician, was ever on the qui vive to do all in his power to advance the general welfare of his home community. In 1894 he was elected county judge of Dunklin county and he served with the utmost efficiency in that capacity for a period of four years. In their religious faith he and his wife were devout members of the Presbyterian church, in the various departments of whose work they were most active factors. Coming to Missouri as a poor man, Judge Craig became a man of extensive means and influence prior to his death, which occurred on the 8th of February, 1901. His cherished and devoted wife, who preceded him to a life eternal, passed away in 1885, at the age of forty-five years. They were the parents of four chil- dren, concerning whom the following brief data are here incorporated,-Joseph died in infancy; Flora died in childhood; Jennie, who grew to maturity and married James Warren, died in Butler county, Missouri in 1908, at the age of fifty years; and William L. is the immediate subject of this review.

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History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests, Volume II, Part 43

Author: Douglass, Robert Sidney. 4n Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 802

Author: Douglass, Robert Sidney. 4n
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago : The Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 802