USA > Missouri > Greene County > Past and present of Greene County, Missouri, early and recent history and genealogical records of many of the representative citizens, Volume II > Part 29
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To Alec J. Wood and wife four children have been born, namely : Roxie is the wife of Julius Webber, a farmer of Franklin township; Albert, of this sketch; Clarence is employed in the North Side Frisco shops; Madge lives at home.
James Wood, paternal grandfather of our subject, was a native of England, having been born in the world's greatest city-London. He emi- grated to America when a young man, locating first in New Orleans, Lou- isiana, where he lived for some time, finally coming to Missouri in an early day. He entered a homestead in Franklin township, Greene county, and here established the future home of the family, and developed a farm from the wilds. He served in the Federal army during the Civil war in the Home Guards.
Albert Wood grew to manhood on the homestead and there worked when he was a boy. He received his education in the district schools, and remained with his parents until 1907, when he came to Springfield and secured
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employment in the freight yards of the North Side Frisco shops as laborer. Three months later he went to work at steel car repairing, and remained at this until 1912, when he was appointed foreman of the steel car repairing department there, and has held this responsible position ever since, giving splendid satisfaction. He has forty-two hands under his direction.
Mr. Wood was married in December, 1910, to Effie Bleckledge, a daugh- ter of Frank Bleckledge and wife. To this union two children have been born, namely : Thelma and Alice.
Politically Mr. Wood is a Republican. He belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and to the Methodist Episcopal church.
HARRY E. MARTIN.
In all ages of the world industry, perseverance and energy, where intel- ligently applied, have achieved results which could only have been gained by having one end in view, and by improving every opportunity of ultimately attaining that object. Harry E. Martin, chief engineer of the Springfield Furniture Company, is an example of what can be accomplished when the spirit of determination is exercised in connection with the every-day affairs of life.
Mr. Martin was born on March 17, 1879, at Richland, Missouri. He is a son of John H. and Mary (Young) Martin, the latter a daughter of Pres- ton Young, and she is now about fifty-four years of age, the former being a year older, and they now make their home near Richland, Pulaski county, this state, where Mr. Martin is a machinist by trade. He formerly lived in Springfield, where he was chief engineer and master mechanic for the Davis planing mill for a period of twenty-five years, and for ten years he worked as a machinist at the Springfield Wagon Works. He is at this writ- ing building a corn-mill at Brumley, Miller county. He owns and operates a large farm in Pulaski county. I His family consists of three children, namely : . Harry E., of this sketch; Icy is the wife of Arthur Bryant, a farmer of near Richland, Missouri; William lives in St. Louis, where he is working as electrician for the street railway company.
The paternal grandfather of our subject was Charles Martin; he was a wagon manufacturer by trade, an early settler of Miller county, this state, and died there many years ago.
Harry E. Martin received his education in the public schools of Rich- land and Springfield. He worked for some time in the Davis planing mill, where he finally became fireman, but his principal work there was as an ap- prentice machinist under his father. Later he worked on a farm which his
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father owned. When only eighteen years old he was filling the position of engineer for the Culver Lumber Manufacturing Company at Kansas City. In 1903 he returned to Springfield and became engineer for the Springfield Furniture Company, and in a short time was promoted to chief engineer, which position he still holds, discharging his duties with his usual fidelity and ability. He is also master mechanic at this plant, and has many hands under his direction. He is an expert machinist and does all the machine work for this large factory. He has kept well up-to-date both as a machinist and engineer, and has no superiors in either line in Greene county. He has also found time to make himself an expert electrician, and was instrumental in obtaining the new electric plant for the concern with which he is now con- nected. He is a self-made man, and learned to be an electrician through ex- tensive home study, taking the course of the American Correspondence School.
Mr. Martin was married in December, 1906, to Lillian Bergstresser, a daughter of Charles and Ellen (East) Bergstresser, of Harlan, Iowa. This union has been without issue. Mr. and Mrs. Martin own a pleasant home on the National Boulevard, where they operate a chicken hatchery, composed of thirty-eight incubators.
Politically, Mr. Martin is a Democrat. He belongs to the Knights of Pythias, Woodmen of the World, and to the National Association of Sta- tionary Engineers. He is now serving his second term as treasurer of the local order of the latter. Religiously, he is a member of the First Christian church.
NAPOLEON GOSNEY.
It is the dreams ahead that keep hope in us all. To some it is dreams of financial success, to others political power ; still others, perhaps, it is dreams of health, pleasure, fame or the chance to be of service to mankind. To those who, in early life, fate has not been overly kind, it has been the dreams of the possible opportunities held by the mystical future that has given them hope to continue the battle, often against seemingly overwhelm- ing odds. Napoleon Gosney, for many years one of the leading contractors of Springfield, who for some time has been living retired, had dreams when he was a boy, and these led him to a useful and succesful life in a material way, as well as caused him to so shape his ends as to become a helpful citizen.
Mr. Gosney was born at Ottawa, Canada, May 24, 1852. He is a son of Andrew and Delphine Gosney. The father was born near Montreal, Canada, and the mother was born at Ottawa. They grew in their native
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localities and received common school educations, and were married in Ot- tawa. Andrew Gosney was a contractor in stone and lime, and was also a stone cutter. He died at the age of forty-five years, when our subject was a small boy. His wife survived to the advanced age of ninety years, and her parents lived to be over one hundred years of age. To Andrew Gosney and wife eleven children were born, named as follows: Delphine, deceased; Severe died in 1910; Henry, Emma and Leon, all deceased; Napoleon, of this review; Emily, deceased; Lenore lives in Minnesota; Mrs. Eugenia Dugan is living near Cleveland, Ohio; Exzelda lives in Ottawa, Canada, and one died in infancy.
Napoleon Gosney grew to manhood in Canada and received a common school education. He followed in the footsteps of his father in a business way and learned to be a stone cutter and mason. When seventeen years of age he left Canada and moved to Akron, Ohio, where he lived about four years, then traveled over the East and South working at his trade. He came to Missouri in 1877, locating in Springfield later, and here engaged in construction work, organizing at different times several construction com- panies and became one of the best known men in this line of endeavor in this section of the state. He has done an immense amount of construction work for the Frisco. Operating for many years on an extensive scale, giv- ing his close attention to his affairs and exercising good judgment and fore- sight, he accumulated a comfortable competence. He retired from active life about eight years ago on account of failing health.
Mr. Gosney was married at Carthage, Missouri, September 10, 1878, to Josephine A. Smith, who was born in Winchester, Indiana, August 16, 1858, and she spent her girlhood days in the Hoosier state and was edu- cated there. She removed with her parents in 1872 to Jasper county, Mis- souri, where the family home was established. She is a daughter of George A. Smith and Nancy Ann Paxton, who were born in Pennsylvania. Mr. Smith was a millwright by trade. He bought a large farm in Jasper coun- ty, Missouri, and was a successful farmer, and there his death occurred about 1884. His wife was a native of Pennsylvania, and she was reared and married in Cleveland, Ohio. She died in 1892 at the family home near Carthage.
Five children have been born to Napoleon Gosney and wife, namely : Eugenia May, wife of William Henry McCowan, was born March 5, 1879, and is at present living in Springfield. She has six children: Josephine Anna, born September 5, 1904; William Henry McGowan, Jr., born March 6, 1907; Frances Eugenia, born March 15, 1910; Richard Gosney, born July 16, 1911; Mary Eileen, born April 19, 1913, and Nell Genevieve, born June 25, 1914. Vera Pearl, wife of O. B. McGlothlan, was born October 19, 1881, and is living on a farm in Webster county, Missouri. She has
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three children: Loriene Josephine, born May 14, 1904; Lucile Donella, born December 30, 1905, and Vera Cordus, born December 24, 1907. Les- ter S., born August 5, 1883, is working in Kansas City at this writing. Josephine and Reynold are both deceased.
Politically, Mr. Gosney is a Republican and has been loyal to the party through both victory and defeat. During his residence in Springfield of twenty-two years he has become well known and has always been regarded as a good and honorable citizen in every respect. The family belong to the Christian church, to which Mr. Gosney gives liberal support.
CHARLES LOUIS KING.
For many years Charles Louis King has occupied a prominent place in the business circles of Walnut Grove and few men are better known in Greene, Polk and Dade counties. As merchant, stock man and banker, each role having been successfully followed by him, his career has been charac- terized by industry and sound judgment, and fair dealing is his watchword in all his transactions. He has for a decade been president of the Citizen's. Bank at Walnut Grove. He is optimistic, looking on the bright side of life and never complains at the rough places in the road, knowing that life is a battle in which no victories are won by the slothful, but that the prize is to- the vigilant and the strong of heart.
Mr. King was born at Walnut Grove, Missouri, February 7, 1868. He- is a son of John M. and Nancy E. (Carlock) King, the father born at Walnut Grove on November 12, 1839, and the mother was born at Dadeville, this- state, on October 5, 1845, each representatives of pioneer families in this section of the Ozarks. They grew to maturity amid frontier scenes, were- educated in the early-day subscription schools, and upon reaching maturity married and established their home at Walnut Grove, where Mr. King spent his life, engaged in various pursuits, such as farming and operating a hotel, and was always well and favorably known throughout this locality. During the Civil war John M. King enlisted in Company K, Sixth Missouri Infantry, Federal army, and served faithfully as a private for two years, when he was discharged on account of disability.
Charles L. King grew to manhood in his native community and received his education in the Walnut Grove schools, and here he has spent the major portion of his life. When twenty years of age he went to California and herded cattle on one of the large ranches of that state for a period of five years, during which time he became an excellent judge of cattle, and, upon returning to Walnut Grove, bought and shipped live stock for a period of six.
CHARLES L. KING.
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years with much success, then operated a drug store here for three years, enjoying a good trade. He then went to Oklahoma, where he engaged in the hardware business for a year, then returned to Walnut Grove and organ- ized the Citizen's Bank, and from that time to the present he has been presi- dent, a period of ten years, during which his able management and conservative policy have resulted in the building up of one of the sound and safe banking institutions in this part of the state and a large business is carried on with the country, a general banking business being done along the most approved and modern methods of banking. Mr. King also finds time to deal extensively in the mule business.
On December 31, 1912, Mr. King was united in marriage to Audrey B. Morgan, of Humansville, Missouri, a daughter of Daniel W. and Eliza A. Morgan, a highly respected and well-known family of that place.
Politically Mr. King is a Democrat and has been more or less active in. local party affairs, although not as a candidate for public honors. In 1907 he united with the Presbyterian church at Walnut Grove, of which he has. since been a consistent member. Fraternally he belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks at Springfield and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows at Walnut Grove. He is a good mixer, friendly, obliging and has no trouble in retaining the many friendships which he forms everywhere- he goes.
JOHN W. HARTT.
In these days of large commercial transactions, when credits cut a large factor in the daily round of business, the province of the banker is. very wide and very important. The excellence of the banks of the pres- ent compared with those of the past gives to all classes of business men first-class security for their deposits, assistance when they are in need of ready money to move their business, and a means of exchanging credits. that could be accomplished in no other way. In a large measure the suc- cess of the present time in all branches of business is largely the result of the present banking methods. One of the flourishing and substantial banks of Greene county is the Bank of Strafford, of which John W. Hartt is the present able and popular cashier.
Mr. Hartt was born in Hardeman county, Tennessee, February 19, 1869. He is a son of John S. and Eliza A. (Johnson) Hartt. The father was born in Missouri, August 10, 1839, and was reared on a farm in this state. He received a limited education in the public schools. When a young man he learned the shoemaker's trade, which he followed in later life. He- also devoted considerable time to the butchering business, maintaining the-
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same in several different parts of his native state, his last location being Fair Grove, Greene county, where his death occurred in the year 1889. He was a member of the Baptist church. His wife was born in Hardeman county, Tennessee, January 13, 1841, and there she grew to womanhood and was educated, coming to Missouri in 1876. She survived her husband two years, dying in Fair Grove. She, too, was a member of the Baptist church. To these parents seven children were born, namely: Joseph, de- ceased; Amanda, deceased; John W., of this sketch; James, deceased; Frank, deceased; Margaret; Mrs. Mae Putman lives in Springfield.
The first seven years of our subject's life were spent in Tennessee. He lived with his parents in different parts of Missouri until he was six- teen years old, when he came with the family to Fair Grove. He received a common school education and when a young man worked on the farm and also learned the carpenter's trade, which he followed for some time. He worked for some time in different stores, including the Long Brothers' general merchandise store at Fair Grove. He then carried the mail for eighteen months; then went into the drug business for himself; later be- came assistant cashier of the Bank of Fair Grove, in which he remained two years, and then went to Strafford and assisted in organizing the Bank of Strafford, of which he is the present cashier. He has done much toward building up a popular and sound banking institution which would be a credit to any community. It has a capital stock of ten thousand dollars, is ex- cellently housed and modernly equipped and managed under safe and con- servative methods, and has a large list of depositors. A general banking business is carried on. The directors of the bank are L. C. Ricketts, Theo. Thorson, A. B. Grier, C. A. Womack, J. J. Foster, Jr., W. P. Camp, J. W. Hartt. The officers are: L. C. Ricketts, president; Theo. Thorson, vice- president; J. W. Hartt, cashier, and T. F. Womack, bookkeeper.
Mr. Hartt came to Strafford in February, 19II, and on the 14th of that month the bank began business, which has increased gradually in vol- ume ever since.
Our subject was married September 15, 1896, to Sarah I. Minor, who was born in Kansas in 1877. She is a daughter of William and Amanda Minor. They spent their lives on a farm and are now deceased.
Mrs. Hartt grew to womanhood on the home farm and received a good . education. One child has been born to our subject and wife, Pauline Hartt, whose birth occurred October 24, 1907.
Politically, Mr. Hartt is a Democrat. Fraternally, he belongs to the Masonic order, and in religious matters he is a member of the Baptist church. He is a man who has relied very largely upon his own resources and has succeeded in life despite obstacles that would probably have thwart- ed the purpose of a man of less ambition and determination.
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JAMES W. REILLY.
The name Reilly has long been a familiar one among railroad men of Springfield, for both our subject and his father before him were long on the Frisco payrolls in this city, having come here from the great Crescent City of the far South shortly after the close of the war between the states. The one is now living in retirement and the other has passed on to his eternal rest.
James W. Reilly was born on January 25, 1856, at New Orleans, Lou- isiana. He is a son of John and Bridget (Fitzpatrick) Reilly, and, as the names would indicate, his Irish blood comes from both sides of the house. The father of our subject was born in County Cavan, Ireland, where he spent his boyhood days, emigrating to New York City when a young man, and from there went south to New Orleans, working some time as a laborer and gang foreman. Coming to Missouri in the sixties he assisted in building the St. Louis & San Francisco railroad line from St. Louis to Springfield, work- ing from Rolla to Neosho. Later he became gang foreman in the North Side shops, Springfield, having long been connected with the blacksmith depart- ment, and was numbered among the Frisco employees for a period of twenty years. His death occurred in 1897 at the age of sixty-seven years, and he was buried in St. Mary's cemetery. He and his wife were both members of the Catholic church. The mother of our subject died in 1886 at the age of fifty-five years. The following children were born to John Reilly and wife, namely: James W., of this sketch; Charles, who was a car repairer . in the Frisco shops at Springfield, died when forty-nine years of age; Mary is the widow of Warren Reed, deceased, and lives with her children in St. Louis; Eugene died in infancy ; John is a car repairer in the Frisco's North Side shops, Springfield; Ellen married John Powell, a traveling engineer for the Chicago & Eastern Illinois railroad and lives at Danville, Illinois.
James W. Reilly was twelve years of age when he came to St. Louis. Two years later he was employed as water-boy, when the road was being built into Springfield, having thus begun his railroad career at a tender age. after a brief schooling. However, it was not long until his father removed with him to a farm, where they remained some time, then young Reilly. re- turned to the city and went to work in the North Side railroad shops, learning the trade of car repairer. He worked as foreman for sixteen years in the North Side shops, also as journeyman for some time. At intervals he had en- gaged in farming for short periods. In September, 1911, he left the road permanently and has since lived in retirement. He owns several valuable prop- erties in Springfield, which he keeps rented. He now lives on the site where his father built the first house for the family upon coming here. it being one
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of three homes in the section of the city now known as "the North Side." Our subject erected his present splendid residence in 1911.
Mr. Reilly was married in 1879 to Mary E. Hooper, a daughter of Spencer and Harriet F. (Kane) Hooper. Her father was a native of North Carolina, from which state he came to Missouri in 1845, located in Greene county, and the Hooper family lived on a farm on the Cherry street road, near Springfield. Mrs. Reilly grew to womanhood in this locality and was educated in the common schools of Greene county.
To our subject and wife six children have been born, namely: Paul married Hattie Dodson and is employed as switchman in St. Louis for the Iron Mountain railroad; Kate married T. E. McKenna, a Springfield switch- man, and they have four children, Francis, Thomas, Elenore and Paul; James L. is a switchman for the Cotton Belt at Jonesboro, Kansas. He married Maud Gaffker and they have two children, Clifford and Louise; Charles died in infancy ; Ralph is engaged in the grocery business on Jefferson street, this city ; he married Annie Connelly and they have two children, Connelly and Clarence; Clarence died on May 26, 1914.
Politically, Mr. Reilly is a Democrat. Fraternally, he belongs to the Catholic Knights and the Modern Woodmen of America.
COLUMBUS JEFFERSON PIKE, M. D.
Proper intellectual discipline, thorough professional knowledge and the possession and utilization of the qualities and attributes essential to success has made Dr. Columbus Jefferson Pike, of Willard, Greene county, eminent in his chosen calling, and he has by his own efforts risen to a place in the front rank of the enterprising general practitioners in a county long distin- guished for the high order of its medical talent.
Doctor Pike was born at Brighton, Polk county, Missouri, March 12, 1851. He is a son of James M. and Polly (DeRossett) Pike. The father was born in 1808 in Montgomery county, Tennessee, and in that state he spent his boyhood days and received his education in the town of Clarksville, remaining in his native state until 1835, when he emigrated to Missouri and settled on a farm in Polk county. He had married in Tennessee and three of his children were born there before he removed with his family to Mis- souri. Upon coming to this state he first settled on one hundred and sixty acres near Morrisville, where he lived for seven years, then sold out and bought about three hundred acres near Brighton, and he operated this excel- lent farm until 1854, when he entered the mercantile business at Brighton, which he continued until 1863, when his store was burned, and he returned
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to his farm, where he resided until his death in 1878. He was a prominent man in that community. He was a Democrat and a Southern sympathizer during the war between the states, and religiously he belonged to the Bap- tist church. James M. Pike was twice married, first to Miss Mallard, by which union twelve children were born, namely: William, born in 1830, died in 1904; Sarah lives in Slagle; James M., Jr., died in 1912; Mrs. Mary Jane Slagle died in 1862; the fifth and sixth children, twins, died in infancy ; Mrs. Lucy Bryant is deceased; Mrs. Rebecca Slagle lives at Brighton, Missouri ; Polly Ann is deceased; George W. lives in Texas; Carney and Joseph J. both reside at Slagle, Polk county. Polly DeRossett was the second wife of James M. Pike, and to this union ten children were born, namely: Mrs. Lora Lick- lider lives at Slagle, Polk county ; Richard lives at Cliquot, Missouri; Emily died May 25, 1914; Thomas Leander lives at Pleasant Hope, Polk county ; Ransom is a merchant at March, this state; Sebain is a Baptist preacher and lives at Bolivar, Polk county ; Dr. Columbus J., of this sketch; the eighth and ninth children, twins, died in infancy ; Robert L., the youngest of the twenty- two children, is engaged in farming at Rocky Ford, Colorado. The mother of these children, Polly DeRossett, was born in Tennessee in 1825, and her death occurred in 1905.
Dr. Columbus J. Pike, of this sketch, spent his boyhood days on his father's farm, and he was seventeen years old when the death of his father occurred. He received his early education in the public schools at Slagle, Polk county. He began life for himself by entering the drug business at Brighton, which he continued four years, reading medicine the meantime, and finally entered the Kansas City Medical College, from which he was grad- uated in 1890, having made an excellent record there. He began at once the practice of his profession at Pleasant Hope, his native county, where he got a good start, but remained only eighteen months, when he located at North- view, Webster county, Missouri, and practiced there for a period of eight years in a most satisfactory manner, then came to Willard. Greene county. Desiring to further add to his medical knowledge, he took a post-graduate course in the New York Post-Graduate College, from which he was grad- uated in 1904, after which he returned to Willard, and has since been con- tinuously engaged in the general practice of medicine, enjoying all the while a lucrative practice, and uniform success has attended his work in his voca- tion. He stands high with the people and his professional brethren in this section of the state, as may be surmised from the fact that he was president of the Southwestern Missouri Medical Society for the year 1913, his office expiring in April, 1914. In this responsible position he discharged his duties in a manner that reflected credit upon himself and to the satisfaction of all concerned. He is also a member of the Missouri State Medical Association, the Greene County Medical Society and the American Medical Association.
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