USA > Missouri > Nodaway County > Past and present of Nodaway County, Missouri Volume II > Part 9
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Joseph Jackson was educated in the Maryville schools. In October. 1861. he joined Kimble's regiment, as sergeant of Company F. for state service, and remained with the same for six months or until the regiment disbanded. He then enlisted in the Thirty-sixth Regiment Missouri State Militia, as second lieutenant of Company F, and in this he served a year and six months. This regiment did not see any field service. After it was disbanded, Mr. Jackson gave further evidence of his patriotism by enlist- ing on October 3. 1863, in the Twelfth Missouri Cavalry, volunteer, as first sergeant of Company F. This regiment was attached to Brigadier- General Hatche's brigade of General Wilson's cavalry command, which joined General Thomas' army at Gravel Springs, Alabama, as the army
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was coming west from Atlanta, Georgia. After this Mr. Jackson saw some hard service in campaign and battle, such as on the bloody field of Franklin, Tennessee. under General Schofield, who was at that time in command of Thomas' army. Later he met with a severe accident, his right leg being shot off eight inches below the knee, during a charge on a Confederate battery, at the battle of Nashville, on the third day, near Spring Hill. He was taken back to Franklin and placed in the hospital, which was an old church, in which were men from both armies, among the wounded; this was on December 18, 1864. On January 20, 1865, he was removed and taken to the hospital at Nashville, where he remained until April 4th, following, then was sent to a hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, having been there when Lincoln was assassinated. Then he was sent to St. Louis. Besides his wounded leg, he was also recovering from a severe wound in the right arm, received in the same battle. But notwithstanding these afflictions he never regretted his service to his country. Mr. Jackson was mustered out and honorably discharged on July 2, 1865. Returning home, Mr. Jackson was appointed county clerk by the county court. Dr. B. G. Ford, county clerk, resigning in his favor, and at a special election in the fall of 1865, he was elected county clerk. He discharged his duties so faithfully that he was retained in this office for a period of thirteen and one-half years. Turn- ing his attention to banking, in 1873 he purchased a one-third interest in the Fisher & French Bank and it was re-organized as Fisher, Jackson & Company. In 1877 J. C. Terhune and Mr. Jackson bought Mr. Fisher's interest. and under the subsequent re-organization it was known as the Farmers Bank, with a capitalization of fifty thousand dollars. In June. 1884, this bank was merged into the First National Bank, with a capital of one hundred thousand dollars. In 1886 Mr. Terhune sold his interest to some St. Joseph bankers, and in 1904 Mr. Jackson bought their stock. being then in full control. Joseph Jackson, Jr., having secured stock at this time. became cashier, which position he still very worthily holds, the elder Jackson being president.
This bank is conservatively managed and is regarded as one of the soundest and safest institutions of its kind in the state and enjoys a pres- tige and a patronage second to none in northern Missouri.
On April 29, 1866, Mr. Jackson married Amanda Broyles, daughter of William W. and Sarah Broyles, natives of Tennessee, from which state they migrated to Missouri, and came to Nodaway county as early as 18.15. Mrs. Jackson was born in Andrew county, this state. December 9. 18.47. This union resulted in the birth of six children, one dying in infancy, named
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as follows. Lola C. is the wife of J. F. Colby, of Maryville : Laura is the wife of Miles Saunders, of Pueblo. Colorado: Mary is the wife of Paul Ream, of Kansas City, Missouri: Nellie is the wife of George E. Alexander, of Denver, Colorado: Joseph, Jr.
Mr. Jackson is a Republican in politics and he belongs to the Presby- terian church. Public-spirited and liberal, he has ever been in the forefront of all plans for improvement and the betterment of Maryville and Nodaway county, where he is widely known and esteemed for his life of industry. public service, honesty and integrity of purpose.
REUBEN BARRETT.
Reuben Barrett, one of the pioneer settlers of Nodaway county. Mis- souri, and one who enjoys to a large degree the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens, was born in Warren county, Pennsylvania, on Septem- ber 15. 1844. He is a son of Edmund and Matilda (Taylor) Barrett, of whom extended reference is made in the sketch of Charles W. Barrett, which appears elsewhere in this work. Reuben was reared on the home farm and received a fair common school education. In June, 1862, when but seventeen years old, he enlisted in Company M. Twenty-first Regiment Pennsylvania Cavalry, in which he was made a corporal. The following year he enlisted in Company G. Two Hundred and Eleventh Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. To him was assigned the honor of carry- ing the brigade flag and he remained in the active service to the end of the war. He took part in the Petersburg campaign, and was an eye witness of the surrender of General Lee to General Grant at Appomattox. He par- ticipated in the Grand Review at Washington, was honorably discharged on June 14. 1865, and mustered out at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
Returning home. Mr. Barrett resumed work on the farm, where he remained until 1866. when he went to Vineland. New Jersey, where he was employed as a gardener and raiser of small fruit. Later he worked in the Pennsylvania oil fields and for two years was engaged in the handling of benzine. Subsequently he was in the employ of a lumber company, having charge of an engine. and in 1874 he rafted lumber down the Allegheny and Ohio rivers to Louisville, Kentucky. In May, 1874, Mr. Barrett came to Nodaway county, Missouri, and purchased eighty acres of wild prairie
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land, in section 15. the southwestern corner of Monroe township, where he has lived ever since. He bought a team and at once entered upon the task of breaking the land and putting it in shape for cultivation, and in the fol- lowing September he returned to Pennsylvania for his wife and child. bringing them at once to their new home in this county. His first land was bought on credit and after he had completed the payments on it. he bought a forty-acre tract and later, eighty acres more. making his total landed holdings two hundred acres, all of which is under a high state of cultiva- tion. He has been practical and progressive in his methods and has for many years been numbered among the representative farmers of his sec- tion of the county.
While in the Pennsylvania oil region in 1869, Mr. Barrett was married to Margaret M. Gregg, who was born in Warren county, that state, on February 22, 1844. a daughter of Robert and Harriett Gregg. Her par- ents were natives of England, and were consistent members of the Metho- dist Episcopal church. Her father was a highly educated man and was a successful merchant in Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania. They were the parents of the following children: Elizabeth. James H .. Robert. Mary Jane. Eleanor, Margaret M., Emily, Sarah. Ruth and William. To Mr. and Mrs. Barrett have been born six children, namely: Gertrude L., who died at the age of four years: Mabel R. married Manville Carothers, of Kirksville. Missouri, and they have three daughters and a son. Margaret M .. Carol B., Doris I. and Barrett M .: James H. graduated from the Skidmore high school. attended the old seminary at Maryville, engaged in teaching school here and in South Dakota, and is now a resident of Dixon, the latter state. where he is engaged in the mercantile business. also owning a farm of one hundred and sixty acres; Bessie R. died on January 12. 1897. at the age of fourteen years ; Floyd R. and Frederick M. are both at home. Frederick has taught school three terms. He and Floyd have bought and now own a valuable tract of land adjoining their father's home place. In her early life Mrs. Barrett was a successful teacher, having taught sixteen terms and commanding the best positions.
Religiously. the Barrett family are all connected with the Methodist Episcopal church and take an active part in advancing its varied interests. In 1888 Mr. Barrett was licensed as an exhorter. in 1890 was made a local preacher, and in 1896 was made a regularly ordained minister of the gospel. though he had done some preaching for some years before being licensed. He has been a licensed preacher over twenty years and during that period
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he has united many couples in the holy bonds of matrimony and preached many funeral sermons. He has lived to see all but two of his first neigh- bors here either die or move away. His life has been exemplary in every respect and he has ever supported those interests which are calculated to uplift and benefit humanity. He is widely known and possesses a remark- able memory for faces. He is highly esteemed and beloved by his neigh- bors, who appreciate his high character and genuine worth.
JONAS F. BROWN.
The visitor to the old Brown homestead-or more properly. plantation- in the historic Blue Grass state of nearly a century ago found there the true hospitality and characteristic freedom of the premises of which so much has been said and written of those early days in the old South, and. coming down through two generations or more. many of the admirable qualities of head and heart of the Browns of those days are found outcropping in the character of Jonas F. Brown, a Nodaway county farmer, who is a native of Rock Castle county. Kentucky, born there on July 27, 1864. the son of Daniel Brown. The father was also born in that place, June 10, 1833, being the son of Stephen and Barbara Brown. He remained in Rock Castle county until after Lee's surrender in the spring of 1865. He married Ruthie Watson, a native of Pulaski county. Kentucky, and eleven children were born to them. At the close of the Civil war. Daniel Brown moved to Illinois and lived there four years, then. in November. 1869. came to Nodaway county, Missouri. and located two miles west and one mile north of Skidmore where he re- mained until 1902, having bought forty acres of land when he arrived here. Afterwards a spell of sickness, which lasted eighteen months, reduced him almost to poverty : but when he recovered he resumed work on his forty acres. only a part of which had been paid for. But he had a team and about six months' provisions, and in time he paid his debts and was enabled to buy more land, from time to time, until he owned a total of four hundred and forty acres, which he farmed successfully. He sold out about 1900 and moved into Skidmore, where he has since resided.
Eleven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Brown; one, named Andrew, died when four years old in Kentucky: all the others grew to ma- turity and are living : Rhoda Ann married J. C. Collins and lives about three
.
Julia & Brown.
Jonas F Broren
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miles northwest of Skidmore, and of the five children born to her, three are living ; George Marion lives three miles southeast of Burlington Junction, married Etta Wiles and has eleven children living and two deceased; he has three hundred and twenty acres in a farm there; Jonas Fountain lives on his father's old home place in the west half of Monroe township; he married Julia Gwin and they have six children; he owns three hundred and sixty acres of land; Charles Willard lives on a part of the old home place and owns two hundred acres well improved ; he married Stallie Ruddell, daughter of William Ruddell; of the four children born to them, two are living, two having died in infancy ; he has a fine, modern home : Barbara married Clyde Gilliland and lives in Texas ; they have two children: Betty Jane, who mar- ried Robert E. Singleton, lives in Randolph county, Missouri, and has four children ; Hattie May, who married R. E. Bender, lives in Texas and of her three children, one is deceased : Carrie married Thomas Martin and lives in Bedford, Iowa; of six children born to them, five are living; John Frank- lin is farming in Texas and is unmarried ; Nettie Belle is at home with her father. Mr. Brown and all his daughters belong to the Christian church. Mrs. Brown's death occurred on April 1, 1896.
When Jonas F. Brown, of this review, was twenty-one years of age he began life for himself, having at that age finished a select school at Quitman, a select school at Skidmore-and two terms of school in the college at Tarkio, having left the school room in 1891.
On March 9. 1892, Mr. Brown married Julia E. Gwin. daughter of Theodore Gwin and wife. She was born in Wisconsin, and she attended select school at Skidmore for two terms. also the Maryville Seminary. Al- though successfully passing the teachers' examination, she never engaged in teaching.
Two years after his marriage. Mr. Brown sold the farm he previously owned and bought a quarter-section near Quitman : five years later he sold that and moved back to the old home neighborhood. bought a farm on which he has lived continuously ever since-eleven years in August, 1910. He now owns an excellent farm of three hundred and sixty acres, all in the northwest- ern part of Monroe township all adjoining, and here he carries on farm- ing and stock raising very successfully.
Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Brown, named as follows : Cecil Austin, Cora Mildred, Ethel Elizabeth. Myrtle Lois, Gladys Allene and Blanche Bernice. Mr. Brown is a very sociable man, and is well liked by all who know him. He has a pleasant home and delights in entertaining visitors.
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CHARLEY PFEIFFER.
Among the successful and up-to-date farmers and public-spirited and enterprising citizens of Monroe township, Nodaway county, Missouri, must be numbered the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch. Mr. Pfeiffer is a native of Nebraska. having first seen the light of day in Douglas county, that state, on February 20, 1871. He is a son of Hubert and Mary (Stulenwork) Pfeiffer, both of whom were natives of Prussia, though from different parts of that country. They both came to America after attaining mature years and were married here. The subject of this sketch was next to the youngest of their eleven children. The parents lo- cated in Douglas county, Nebraska, about the beginning of the Civil war, remaining there until about 1872, when they came to Nodaway county, Missouri, locating about eight miles northwest of Maryville, where the father bought a farm and where the parents spent the remainder of their days, the mother dying on August 22, 1891, and the father about six months later, on February 22, 1892.
The subject of this sketch was reared by his parents and secured a fair education in the common schools. After reaching manhood's years he was employed as a farm hand for a year or two, but after his marriage, which occurred in 1892, he began farming for himself, operating rented land for about ten years. During a part of this period conditions were "panicky" and it was difficult to make even a living, but by hard work, good manage- ment and the most rigid economy he managed to not only make a living. but saved some money besides, so that in September, 1902, he was enabled to buy the fine farm where he now resides, in section 13, in the southwestern part of Monroe township, the place comprising two hundred acres of as good land as can be found in that section of the county. He is energetic and thoroughly practical in his methods and has thus been enabled to achieve success where many another man would have given up the fight in despair. He is of the type which have made the great Middle West what it is today- one of the most prosperous and advanced sections of our great country and because of the success which he has won and the methods by which he has won it, he is entitled to be numbered among the representative citizens of his township. The farm is well improved, containing a neat and at- tractive residence, commodious and substantial barn and other outbuildings and well kept fences, while the general appearance of the place is pleasing to the eye and a credit to the owner.
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On December 21, 1892, Mr. Pfeiffer was united in marriage to Mary Brummett, who was born and reared near Elmo, this county, the daughter of Banner and Elvira (York) Brummett, who were natives of Knox county, Tennessee. Her parents left their native state and lived in south- ern Missouri during the Civil war period, afterwards locating in Nodaway county, where they spent the rest of their days. They were the parents of eleven children, eight boys and three girls. To Mr. and Mrs. Pfeiffer have been born three children, Loren, Marie and Martha. The home is the center of a large social circle, the spirit of hospitality and good cheer being ever in evidence there.
Fraternally. Mr. Pfeiffer is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, while he and his wife belong to the auxiliary order, the Daughters of Rebekah. Mrs. Pfeiffer is a member of the Methodist Episco- pal church South, in which church her father and a brother were honored ministers, her father having been an active preacher for sixty years. Mr. Pfeiffer is held in high regard by all who know him and he is numbered among the supporters of all worthy movements for advancing the best interests of the community where he lives.
JOHN BROWN.
All credit and respect is due the old pioneers who blazed the way for succeeding generations and labored unceasingly that those who should come after them might be happy and prosperous. We of the aftermath are prone to lose sight of the wonderful deeds they did and the unselfish sacrifices they made ; nevertheless, all honor is due them. Such a one is John Brown, one of Nodaway county's venerable citizens, who has lived to take part in every stage of development of this locality, having come here when the wild beast and the red man roamed at will over prairie sod and through primeval woods. He was born in Jackson county. Tennessee. August 23, 1824. and is the son of Andrew and Mary (Yount) Brown. The mother was a na- tive of North Carolina, from which state she came to Tennessee with her parents, Jacob and Elizabeth Yount. John's father was a native of Sullivan county, Kentucky, who came to Tennessee with his parents. George Brown and wife. When John Brown was a boy, not over ten years of age, the family came to Clinton county, Missouri, and after remaining there one .
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winter moved to Platte county and lived there ten years. In 1841 or 1842 they came to where the town of Graham, Nodaway county, is now located and the father and his children secured a section of government land, when there were but few settlers here, but there was a good supply of timber and several families were located within a few miles. At that time they did not think the prairies could or would be settled. After going a mile or two from where they settled no more houses were seen until Maryville was reached. There were no roads except Indian trials to Maryville, and, of course, no bridges. The vicinity of Graham was then a part of Andrew county. There were no schools. The town of Graham was started by An- drew Brown, who platted part of his farm and sold lots and called the place Brownsville, which name it bore until after the Civil war. The father of John Brown died in 1874, his wife having preceded him to the grave seven months. They were the parents of nine children, three of whom died in childhood, six living to maturity, Jacob Madison, John. Isaiah, Wilson G., Sarah and Nancy Emeline, wife of Rev. John Tate.
John Brown, of this review, was married February 6, 1845, to Priscilla Bohannan, daughter of Thomas and Penelope ( Bartlett) Bohannan. They were married where the town of Skidmore now stands, just west of where the Christian church is now located; that was about thirty-five years before the town was started. Mr. Brown followed farming all his life, with the exception of a few years devoted to blacksmithing. He is a remnant of that hardy band that crossed the dreary western plains to California in 1850 during the gold excitement, and he remained on the Pacific coast two years. His stories of those days and of the early pioneer times in this country are. indeed, instructive and fascinating. Mr. Brown was a soldier in the Confederate army during the Civil war, being under Captain Burris. He took part in the fights at Blue Mills and Lexington, both of which were severe, although not of extensive magnitude. He served four years, or through the war, and was honorably discharged. After the war he went to Nebraska where he farmed several years, then came back to Nodaway county where he has since made his home.
When fourteen years old he joined the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and he was one of the early members of the Masonic lodge of this county and is now the oldest Mason in the county having membership here. For many years he was tyler of Skidmore Lodge. serving up to his eighty- fifth birthday. His wife was called to her reward on November 4. 1877. Nine children were born to them, named as follows: Adeline married John
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Mast, whose sketch appears herein: Andrew Jackson: Mary Ellen married George Sharp: Amanda Jane died in infancy; Elizabeth married Eph- raim Tilton, of Maryville: Zelda E. married James A. Clark; Hester Cordelia is the wife of Oren Masters; George and Frank. John Brown has eleven grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren and one great- great-grandchild living.
EDWARD J. BAKER.
One of the venerable and highly respected citizens of Nodaway county is he whose name appears above, a man whose life has been led along useful and conservative lines, resulting in good to those with whom he came in contact and in success to himself and family. He has been an eye witness of the wonderful transformation which has taken place in this part of the country and has had a large part in the development which has brought Missouri to the forefront among the sisterhood of states.
Edward J. Baker, who is now living retired in Maryville, was born on April 2, 1835, in Champaign county. Ohio, and is a son of John T. and Jemima Baker, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Pennsylvania. When the subject of this sketch was a mere child the family removed to Rock county. Wisconsin, where he was reared and received his education in the common schools, remaining with his parents until their deaths, his mother dying when he was seventeen years old. Soon after this bereavement he entered the pine woods and for five years was employed in the lumber camps. He then began contracting. getting out logs for the lumber mills on the Wisconsin river. During this time he lived at Warsaw and for two or three years he also acted as superintendent of the poor farm of Marathon county. He then returned to Rock county and in 1868 he started for Iowa with several other men, but on the way they deviated to Nodaway county. Missouri, where some of his companions had friends living. His com- panions were James Cook and family, Charles Fairbanks, William Doolittle and Demper Valin. Of these, Mr. Cook located here and died in Nodaway county. Mr. Baker recognized the superior quality of the land here and decided to remain. He bought forty acres of land three miles from Mary- ville and spent six years there, making many improvements, including the erection of a comfortable home. He subsequently bought another eighty-
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acre tract, also in Polk township, this also being unimproved land, and he applied himself vigorously to the task of developing it into a producing farm. He later bought adjoining land, so that the place now contains one hundred and twenty acres. He has built a splendid seven-room house here and other necessary farm buildings, and everything about the place bears evidence of the zealous efforts, persistence and good management of the owner. He devoted himself to a general line of farming, and to facilitate his work he had erected a good windmill, which supplies a fine quality of water for stock purposes and for household use. This land, for which Mr. Baker paid an average of twenty-five dollars an acre, is now conservatively estimated to be worth one hundred and twenty-five dollars an acre. During his first years here. Mr. Baker had a hard time getting along. His finan- cial resources were limited, but he was energetic, resourceful and determined and at length he began to realize on his investment of money and labor. For a number of years he operated a threshing machine with splendid success. In March, 1903, feeling the weight of advancing years and having earned a fair competency. Mr. Baker relinquished the active work of the farm and is now residing in a comfortable and attractive home in the county seat. Maryville, having taken his son, Elmer A., into partnership with him and the latter is now managing and operating the farm.
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