USA > Missouri > Lafayette County > Portrait and biographical record of Lafayette and Saline counties, Missouri : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 75
USA > Missouri > Saline County > Portrait and biographical record of Lafayette and Saline counties, Missouri : containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the United States > Part 75
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Our subject and his wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church and take an active interest in its work. He is a good Republican and is the efficient Mayor of the city and has held the office for several terms, also that of Clerk of the Public School Board. In 1888 he was the candidate on the Republican ticket for County Collector, but as the Democrats have twelve hun- dred majority he was not elected. He is Notary Publie and agent for the North German Lloyd Hamburg-American Packet Co., and also the White Star line of steamers.
E. DOWNS, the well-known and enterpris- ing manager of the Waverly Coal and Mining Company, Waverly, Mo., has for many years been one of the prominent and lead- ing agriculturists of the State. An energetic and progressive citizen, and a representative business man, our subjeet is one of the important factors in
the advancement and promotion of many import- ant interests of La Fayette County, and fully pos- sesses the confidence and regard of his fellow- townsmen. Mr. Downs was born in Ross County. Ohio, on June 15, 1850. Ilis father, John W. Downs, is a native of Ohio, and after having passed his youth and carly married life in the Buckeye State, removed to Missouri, and now re- sides at Malta Bend.
The mother of our subject was Hannah Burke, daughter of Abram Burke, and a native of Ohio. The paternal grandfather, William Downs, was a native of Virginia, and well known in the Old Do- minion as a man of sterling integrity of character. Our subject passed his early youth in his native State, and attended the common schools of Ross County, and assisted his father in the agricultural duties incidental to the work of a large farm. Trained in the daily and annual round of tilling the soil, and also obtaining much practical informa- tion regarding the raising and care of live stock. Mr. Downs served an apprenticeship upon the old homestead which well fitted him to obtain the prosperity to which he has since attained.
December 9, 1869, our subject arrived in Saline County, Mo., and settled upon a farm near Malta Bend, where he profitably engaged in the cultiva- tion of the soil, and remained for seven years. At the expiration of this length of time, Mr. Downs made a change of location, removing to La Fayette County, and making his home near Waverly, but still continuing the pursuit of agriculture, which vocation he followed until the spring of 1890. when he removed to Waverly, and although re- taining his interests in the farming of his home- stead, devotes most of his attention to the milling and mining business. Mr. Downs is not only Manager of the Waverly Coal and Mining Com- pany, but he is also President of the Waverly Mill- ing Company.
The fine farm of four hundred and eighty acres owned by Mr. Downs has been largely devoted to the cultivation of wheat, which has, season after season, yielded an abundant harvest of the golden grain. Our subject resides in one of the pleasant- est and most attractive homes in Waverly. He was married February 4, 1879, to Miss Annie B.
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Younger, a daughter of James Younger, a native of Kentucky, but a resident of Missouri since 1859. The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Downs has been blessed by the birth of four children: James W., Friend E., Jr., Anna Bell and Russell. These young sons and daughter. bright and intelligent children, have an apparently happy future before them, and will each receive the best of educational advantages. Mrs. Downs is among the valued members of the Southern Methodist Episcopal Church, and is an active worker in the same, and ever ready to aid in social and benevolent enter- prises. She enjoys the society and esteem of a large circle of friends and acquaintances.
In political affiliation. Mr. Downs is a stanch Republican, and for the past eight years has been a member of the Republican Central Committee. and also of the Congressional Committee, and is held in such high esteem by his party, that four years ago he was honored with the nomina- tion for Representative to the Legislature from La Fayette County. Hle always takes an active part in politics, being deeply interested in the local and national management of affairs. Fraternally, he is a member of Waverly Lodge, A. O. U. W., and is one of the most popular and thoroughly public- spirited citizens of La Fayette County.
ILLIAM S. THOMAS, the first Mayor of Waverly, and an early shipper and suc- cessful merchant of La Fayette County, has long been identified with the growing inter- ests and rapid advancement of the State of Mis- souri. For a full score of years our subject was financially interested in the building and running of four ferry-boats, a most profitable venture. Ile is also the owner of some of the best store build- ings in Waverly, and, a public-spirited and liberal citizen, commands the regard of his large circle of acquaintance and towns-people. Mr. Thomas was born in Scott County, Ky., and was the son of
Benedict Thomas, a native of Maryland, and an early settler of Kentucky, The Thomas family was originally from Wales, and inherited the sturdy virtues and honest self-reliance character- istic of that substantial nationality.
The mother of our subject, Mrs. Nancy (Smith) Thomas, was a native Kentnekian, and was born in Bryan's Station, The early days of boyhood were spent by Mr. Thomas in his birthplace in Scott County, and later he enjoyed the educa- tional advantage of an extended course of instruc- tion in the seminary at Georgetown. While yet a mere lad, he removed with his parents to Missouri, and in the year 1831 the family settled perma- nently in Lexington. At a very youthful age our subject ambitiously engaged in business for himself, and in 1844, locating in Waverly, en- tered into merchandising and shipping on the river. Ile continued prosperously in this line of work for six years, when, with the great exodus of 1850, he joined the immense army of travelers, who, slowly journeying toward the Pacific Coast, trailed their way for many weeks across the plains of the almost hitherto unknown American Desert.
Arriving safely in the land of gold, after many new and peculiar experiences, Mr. Thomas at once devoted himself to prospceting and mining, and remained in California until 1853, when he re- turned to Waverly, for which city he had an espe- cial attachment, having been accorded the honor in 1847 of the Mayoralty, and was the first incum- bent of an office whose duties he discharged with ability and faithful efficiency. Once agam located in Waverly, he busied himself in the erection of a fire-proof warehouse, where he stored hemp, which at this time he handled profitably. Immediately succeeding the Civil War, he built the four ferry- boats previously mentioned, and for twenty years was widely known as the owner and manager of this excellent investment and successful business venture, In 1866 he was elected County .Judge of La Fayette County, and served four years, from 1866 to 1870, retiring with a highly credit- able record.
Our subject owns a valuable farm of four hun- dred acres, situated in Carroll County, Mo., and has considerable real estate in Waverly, owning
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several unimproved lots and a number of build- ings. In the year 1816 Mr. Thomas was united in marriage with Miss E. J. Hall. a daughter of Brax- ton P. Hall, a native of Kentucky, and in early years a prominent citizen of the State. The cheery home of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas was blessed by the birth of ten children, and of this large family of sons and daughters, eight yet survive. and all are occupying positions of respect and influence in their several homes. Mary, the eldest child, is the wife of Dr. William M. Webb; William H. is the second-born ; then follow Catherine L .; Brax- ton Il .; Nellie, the wife of Dr. Samuels, of Carroll County; Joseph D .; Minnie, the wife of Charles Palmer: and Jettie L., wife of Lewis Ileston. The pleasant and commodious family residence in Waverly is well known to a large cirele of friends and acquaintances, who have long enjoyed its generous hospitality. Mrs. Thomas is a devoted member of the Christian Church, and with her husband and family has always been active in works of social and benevolent enterprises. Pol- itically Mr. Thomas is a firm Demoerat, and re- joices in the success of the old-time party. He is and has ever been an energetie and progressive citizen, and through his excellent management and valuable assistance has materially aided in the advancement of various local improvements within Waverly and the adjoining neigborhood, and is widely known and highly esteemed for his business attainments and sterling integrity of character.
M AJ. JOHN E. RYLAND, Judge of the Criminal Court of the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit and the county of Johnson, of the State of Missouri, Lexington, Mo., the fifth child of Judge Ryland by his first wife, was born near Fayette, Howard County, Mo., July 8, 1830. A full account of his parentage will be found in the sketch of his father, Judge John F. Ryland, published in this volume.
John E. received his education in the old Ma- sonic College, Lexington. an institution of deserv- edly high reputation. from which he graduated July 2, 1852, taking the usual classical and math- ematieal course, of which latter study he was par- ticularly fond. In 1852, he commeneed teaching school in Kansas City, continning his work there during 1853, after which he returned to Lexing- ton and taught as first assistant in the primary department of Masonic College until October, 1855, when he became Principal of that depart- ment, a position which he held for two and a-half years.
In the meantime our subjeet had been studying law and was admitted to the Bar in 1858, when he immediately entered upon the practice of his profes- sion in Lexington, being a partner with his father until the death of the Judge, in 1873, when he asso- eiated his brother Xenophon with himself, under the firm name of Ryland & Ryland. In 1862 he was enrolled with the Missouri miltia and served a little over a year in the Seventy-second Regiment, with the rank of Major. The same year he was appointed Circuit Attorney for the district, to fill a vacaney, and in 1864 was elected to that office for four years. In May, 1865, all officers of the State were required to vacate their offices in ac- eordance with the Constitutional Amendment adopted at that time, and for political reasons Maj. Ryland was not appointed to fill his old office. In 1876 he was a Democratie Elector for the Elev- enth District of the State, easting the ballot of his distriet for Samuel J. Tilden.
In 1852, he was made a Mason in Heroine Lodge No. 104, Kansas City, and has been Junior Grand Warden and Deputy Grand Master of the State. lle has always been deeply interested in educational matters and intimately associated with the seholastie institutions of Missouri. In 1874, he was appointed by the Southwestern Missouri Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South Curator of the Central College at Fayette, and of Central Female College, Lexington. In 1863 he was elected a member of the Board of Education for his own city, and served as such ten years. In 1868 he was elected Mayor of the city and declined a re-election. He served as a member of the City
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Council in 1866. In State and national politics he aets with the Democratic party, but in all local matters he is independent, supporting the best men, irrespective of party. He was brought up a Presbyterian, but since 1850 has been a com- municant of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.
Maj. Ryland was married, Deeember 10, 1860, to N. P., daughter of Isaac Palmer, of Lexington, and has a family of six children, four sons and two daughters, healthy and active. He enjoys a high professional reputation and has a large and inereasing practice in the courts. Ile has inherited not only the legal talents, but the courteous man- ners, of his late father, who for more than fifty years held an honored place among the first law- yers and judges of the State, and was esteemed by all who knew him for the kindness and benev- olence of his character. Maj. Ryland is following in the footsteps of the deceased .Judge and prom- ises fair to leave behind him a record worthy of his name.
R L. WAYMAN. Among the prominent far- mers of La Fayette County is the gentle- man whose name heads this sketch, and whose farm is located on section 9, township 50, range 27. During the late war he saw much act- ive service, the date of his enlistment being in the early part of 1861, when he became a member of the State Guards of Missouri, in Gen. Rainger's Division, where he served for a short time, and then enlisted in Gen. Shelby's Brigade of Volunteer Cavalry, remaining with them until the elose of the war. He participated in a number of impor- tant battles, and various minor engagements. Ile was actively engaged in the battles of Prairie Grove, Lexington, Helena (Ark.), Westport, Springfield and Hartwell, and in the first-mentioned engage- ment was wounded three times.
Mr. Wayman was born in Clark County, Ky., in August, 1838, and is a son of Joseph and Sarah (Crim) Wayman. The father was a native of Ken-
tueky, while his wife was born in Virginia. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Joseph Way- man, was a native of the Old Dominion, and one of the early honored settlers of Kentucky. The first twelve years of our subject's life were passed in the county of his birth, where he attended the subseription schools, and helped his father in car- rying on the homestead. The latter was an ex- tensive stock-raiser, and an influential man in that region. In 1853 Mr. Wayman removed to La Fayette County, and settled on a farm near Odessa, where he resided until 1881, when he located on his present farm, to the cultivation of which he has since devoted himself.
In 1875 Mr. Wayman wedded Miss Letitia Mc Causland. Her father, William MeCausland, of Lexington, Mo., was a native of the Emerald Isle. Mr. and Mrs. Wayman are the parents of two sons and two daughters: Eugene T., Anna S., Julia M. and William S., who are being given excellent ed- ucational advantages.
Since becoming a voter Mr. Wayman has east his ballot in favor of the nominees and principles of the Democratic party. In a business way he has been more than ordinarily successful, which is owing entirely to his industrions and well-directed efforts. As a man he is upright and honorable to to one and all, making friends of those who have the good fortune to make his acquaintance.
W SCOTT THOMAS since April, 1890, at which time he was elected to the position of City Marshal, has made a most efficient offieer. For the last thirteen years he has been engaged in buying, selling and shipping grain quite extensively, and is an enterprising and pro- gressive business man of Waverly, La Fayette County. His paternal grandfather, Notley Thomas, was an early settler of Saline County, Mo. Our subject, who was born in 1849, is a native of that county, and is a son of Osear and Zerelda (Northi) Thomas, both of whom were natives of Kentucky.
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When only six years of age, with his parents, Mr. Thomas removed to Franklin County, where he acquired his common-school education.
Though only fourteen years of age, in 1863 Mr. Thomas enlisted in the Confederate army and served until the close of the war, when he then engaged in farming, following agricultural pur- suits for about eleven years. Since becoming a voter he has affiliated with the Democratic party. and socially. is a member of Middleton Lodge No. 186, A. O. F. W .. and of Waverly Lodge No. 60. W. W.
In 1870, Mr. Thomas was married to Miss Alice. daughter of Albert Cheathem, of this State. Of their union five children have been born, three sons and two daughters, who are as follows: Oscar, Mabel, Frederick, Ester, and an infant, who is yet unnamed. The family of our subject holds an en- viable position in social circles, and has the re- spect and high regard of all.
ARK WHITAKER. There are some men who pride themselves upon the special achievements of their forefathers as states- men, warriors or financiers, but our sub- ject points with pride to his ancestors, who for generations past have been preachers of the Gospel, and, strange to say, both paternal and maternal grandfathers were Old-school Baptist preachers, as also were live of his uneles. Our subject was born January 18, 1832. in Boone County, Ky., the son of John and Frances (Connors) Whitaker. The father was born in Boone County, Ky .. in 1781, and the mother in the same State in 1800. The paternal grandfather, Thomas Whitaker, was born in North Carolina. and the maternal grandfather was John Conners, a native of Virginia. Both men were good and holy supporters of Christianity.
The father of our subject, together with his brother, fought through the entire period of the War of 1812. and they were discharged together.
Of his three children the eldest, John, was born in Boone County. Ky .. in 1830, married Miss Mary Nixon, and resides upon the old home place, which was entered by his grandfather from the Govern- ment; Ehzabeth, who was born in Boone County, married Reuben Eubank, and resided in Saline County, Mo., until her demise.
Our subject was reared on the old homestead and received his education in the common schools of Boone County, Ky. At the age of twenty he left the old home farm, engaging in farming upon land owned by his uncle, where he remained until 1851. In that year, induced by the superior advantages which Missouri offered to the tiller of the soil, he removed to Saline County, bringing with him some of his slaves. In 1855, he located upon one hun- dred and sixty acres of land, which was partially improved and which cost him 825 per acre. Not- withstanding the heavy losses which resulted from the war he has been a successful man.
In 1874, our subject erected a modern frame house, containing eight rooms and two stories in height, the residence costing $2.500. Among the productions of this fertile soil are corn and wheat. the former of which deserves especial mention. Mr. Whitaker has studied the soil adapted to that cereal, understands perfectly the secret of success in raising it, and in that department of farming stands second to none in Saline County.
Mr. Whitaker is a member of the Old-school Baptist Church of Miami, with which he has been identified sinee 1876, and has served as Clerk ever since its organization. His wife and children be- long to the Missionary Baptist Church. In poli- tics, our subject is a stanch Democrat, and winle a Southern sympathizer and a firm believer in slavery, he was not an advocate of the secession of the States. In other words, he believed in fighting to the death for the protection of his property, but not for the destruction of the I'nion. He started for the defense of the canse, but was taken prisoner on the Blackwater with many others and con- veyed to MeDowell College, in St. Louis, Mo .; while there he dug the first chunk out of the wall to make himself a tobacco pipe. Thence he was removed to Alton, III., where he remained for some time and was afterward liberated. He was
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one of the founders and is one of the present stockholders in the Miami Savings Bank. In 1859, he was elected Road Supervisor, in which position he served until 1862. For fifteen years, he filled the responsible office of School Director, and during twelve years of that time was Clerk.
Our subject was married April 5, 1855, to Miss Melvina W. Hogan, who was born in Boone County, Ky., and they have had a family of nine children: William H. was born April 13, 1856, and died in infancy; Thomas A. was born August 22, 1858, and died in 1865; Virginia Frances was born September 4, 1862, and married James E. Baker, a farmer residing near her father's home; Mark, Jr., was born in 1865, and resides at home; Lillie, born September 28, 1868, died in September, 1869; Jolm 11., born April 20. 1871, passed away Novem- ber 22, 1873; Mary E, born March 9, 1874, died in infancy; Lester was born June 23, 1876, and re- sides at home; and Nellie P. was born November 17, 1880, and died in infancy.
G EORGE HALL, the popular and obliging depot agent at Page City, who has most acceptably filled his present position in the employ of the Missouri Pacific Railroad for the twelve past years, is also a successful general agri- culturist and stock-raiser, and is widely known as a genial, energetic and progressive citizen. A con- stant resident in La Fayette County, Mo., for the last sixteen years, our subject has identified him- self with all the leading interests of his home, and serving with ability as School Director from 1882 to 1891, materially aided in the educational ad- vancement of the neighborhood and county. Ilis parents, William II. and Eliza (McFarland) Hall. were early settlers of Platte County, Mo., and in that portion of the State their son, George Hall. was born January 28, 1847. The father of our subjeet, a prosperous brick manufacturer, was a na- tive of South Carolina, in which Southern State the paternal grandfather of our subject. David Hlall, was also born.
The Hall family was very intimately associated with the early history of our nation, and none of the name were more illustrious in the annals of the struggles and triumphs than the Halls of South Carolina. Dominick Augustine Hall, the eminent American jurist, born in South Carolina in 1765, was appointed by President JJefferson District Judge, and afterward resigned to accept a seat on the Bench of the Supreme Court of Louisiana. Ile was a man of decision and unusual strength of character, attributes of success shared by the branch of the family to which our subject belongs. When George Ilall was but nine years of age, his father died, passing away in August, 1856. Ilis wife, who was a native of Kentneky, kept her lit- tle family together, and our subject enjoyed the advantages of the public school instruction until he was fourteen years old.
In 1876, Mr. Hall located upon his present home in La Fayette County, and owns a finely improved farm of one hundred acres, which yields annually an excellent income, its harvests well repaying the tiller of the soil for the care expended in seedtime. Our subject has enjoyed an extended experience as a stock-raiser, handling Shorthorn cattle with great success, and now owns several head of valu- able thoroughbred Jersey cows. At present he is also largely interested in raising a number of fine trotting horses, of which one especially promising two-year-old is of Mambrino stock. The duties of depot agent are discharged with fidelity and ef- ficient care, and naturally absorb much of Mr. Ilall's time, but his energetic habits enable him to accomplish a large amount of business. Upon May 8, 1880, he accepted his present position, tendered to him by the Missouri Pacific Railroad. and has since had but little opportunity for an ex- tended vacation.
In 1880, Mr. Hall was united in marriage with Mrs. George A. Page, a daughter of William John- son, and then the mother of four children, one son and three daughters. These brothers and sis- ters are Willie, Ollie, Stella, and Walter, and each and all have had ample opportunities to enjoy the training and instruction of the excellent schools, in whose upward progress Mr. Hall was, as a School Director, interested for fully nine years. As long-
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time residents of Page City, our subject and his wife are widely known, and occupy a high posi- tion in the social element of their town and neigh- borhood. Their marriage has been blessed by the birth of one son, Birch. a manly boy, bright and in .- telligent. Mr. Hall is in political sentiment a pro- nounced Demoerat. and an earnest adherent of the party favored by his immediate ancestors. Our subject has, however. no aspirations for political oflice, and only desires that our nation, wisely gov- erned, may continue prosperously to hold her power among the mighty nations of the earth.
D AVID GROVES, SR. Among the honored pioneers who have done so much to open up the broad prairies of the West, and have made the formerly uninhabited wil- derness a place where the thrifty homes of farmers, schoolhouses. churches and prosperous villages- the centers of industry and commerce-have sprung up on every hand, no one has taken a more inter- ested and zealous part in forwarding the work than has our subject. For fifty-five years he has made his home on seetion 7, in township 50, range 25, in a substantial residence, which was the third briek house erected in La Fayette County.
The birth of Mr. Groves occurred in Sumner County. Tenn., in the year 1806, his parents being Thomas and Anna (Denning) Groves, both na- tives of the same State. Until reaching mature years, our subject assisted his father in caring for the farm, and in 1835 concluded to seek his for- tunes further West, in accordance with which de- cision he removed to Missouri, locating upon the farm, to the cultivation of which he has for over half a century devoted his time and best energies. During the long years of the past his property has yielded to him an abundant income in return for the care and labor he has bestowed upon it.
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