USA > Missouri > Marion County > Portrait and biographical record of Marion, Ralls and Pike counties, Missouri, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties; together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the Unted States > Part 14
USA > Missouri > Pike County > Portrait and biographical record of Marion, Ralls and Pike counties, Missouri, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties; together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the Unted States > Part 14
USA > Missouri > Ralls County > Portrait and biographical record of Marion, Ralls and Pike counties, Missouri, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the counties; together with biographies and portraits of all the presidents of the Unted States > Part 14
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worthy people, possessing the respect and high regard of all with whom they come in contact. Politically, Mr. Dodd was in former years a Dem- ocrat, but is now a supporter of the Prohibition party, which is more in accord with his convic- tions on the great questions of the day.
J OSIAH S. WISEMAN, an honored citizen of Maywood. Lewis County. owned former- ly three hundred and twenty aeres of land, the site of the present village, and has owned as much as seven hundred acres at one time. In public affairs he has been prominent. In 1865 he came within two votes of being elected to the Legislature from his district, and afterward he served on the United States jury at St. Louis. which sat upon the celebrated M. Brown case. Originally a Democrat, when the war began he found it necessary to change his political faith to accord with his principles, and he has since been an ardent Republican and an able exponent of that party's views.
Our subject was born in Virginia. November 17. 1820, and received a good common-school education. He remained with his parents until he was twenty-four years of age, living at that time in Marion County, Mo. After his marriage he went to Knox County, where he began farm- ing on a tract of two hundred acres. being thus engaged for four years. Afterward he purchased three hundred and twenty acres, on which stands the Town of Maywood. When he had increased his possessions to seven hundred acres he disposed of the hali-section tract, dividing it among his children. He has always taken a deep interest in educational and public matters, and has done his share in these directions. He has served ser- eral times as Justice of the Peace, and has filled local offices to the satisfaction of all.
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May 16. 1862, a number of Confederates sur- rounded the home of Mr. Wiseman about mid- night and fired three shots at his wife, who in her fright ventured too near the window. One of the bullets split on a nail in passing the age the wall of the house, one piece lodging in the breast of
Mrs. Wiseman. Our subject ran from the house but was perceived by the Confederates, who sho at him from both ends of the building: 1 . c caped uninjured, but did not dare return hon for some time. He enlisted in the enrolled militi August 3. 1862. serving for ninety-five days tl first year, and until the war was over. Mr. Wist man belonged to the Sixty-ninth Regimento State Militia, Company C. of Lewis County, an at the close of his service received an honoraly discharge.
In 1844 Mr. Wiseman married Rebecca. daug' ter of John and Hannah (Wiseman) Johnston, cousin, who proved a faithful companion and ti sharer of his joys and sorrows for forty-cig! years, when she was claimed by death. She va born May 11, 1826, and died May 2, 1892. why in her sixty-sixth year. She was the mother three children: Mary, who was born August 1845. married Samuel Mann, a real-estate ay pension agent at Quincy. Ill., and they have ty children. Harvey J. (born in Lewis County, Md and John C. (born in Marion County. Mc John W .. whose birth occurred April 5. 1848. a who resides on a portion of the old homeste near Maywood. married Ellen Creaey, daugh: of Daniel and Elizabeth Creacy of Lewis Count and they have three children. Josiah D., John af Ethel: Calvin, who was born September 13. IS and who lives on another part of the home fa" married Susan Redding of Lewis County, and : two children. William R. and Jessie. May IS: :. Mir. Wiseman married Mrs. Mary E. Hitz daughter of Isaac and Susan (Spencer) Sammic
Since the age of thirty-five Mr. Wiseman been an active member of the Baptist Chut and was the first clerk of South Union Chur Maywood. He had the privilege of attend! the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, also enjoyed a visit to the World's Fair in ( cago. Fond of music. he plays well on the or; and while he was in the Utah building at the he entertained the people who were present his singing and playing.
Ilis grandfather. Thomas Wiseman, who of Welsh parentage, was a youth of eighteen w the Battle of Brandywine was fought, and within hearing of the noted engagement. Ov
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to the fact that he was a cripple he was unable to take part. His parents, who were Quakers, settled at a point on the Schuylkill River, within twenty-two miles of Philadelphia. He was reared on a farm near Georgetown, and was married early in life to Elizabeth Anderson, who had immi- grated from Ireland to America with her parents. Accompanied by his bride he removed to Har- rison, Va., where he engaged in farming on rent- ed land; while there his oldest child was born. It was still an infant when he, returning from a neighboring forest where he had been cutting rails, heard several guns discharged in the direc- tion of the home of a Mr. McIntyre. Some feel- ing had existed between this neighbor and the Indians of the locality, and after taking his wife. and child to a place of safety, Mr. Wiseman went to see what was the trouble, and found Mr. Mc- Intyre shot and his wife tomahawked. He then started with a party in pursuit of the Indians and fired upon them, wounding several, and from that time forward they had no more trouble with the red men.
Soon afterward Mr. Wiseman moved to the vicinity of Printertown, where he took up a tract under the old land grant. In 1836 he concluded to dispose of his property, which he did, and then joined his children in Marion County, Mo. His wife died soon after their arrival in Missouri, and afterward he made his home with his children un- til his death. He was long a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and was a man of true pioneer stamp. His children were as fol- lows: John, who lived in Knox County, Mo .; Hannah, wife of John Johnston of Marion Coun- ty; Thomas, our subject's father, who was born in 1793; Sarah, who married a Mr. Woodyard, and afterward came to Missouri; Rebecca, wife of Joseph Carder of Virginia; Benjamin, born February 29, 1800; Jonathan; Isaac, who mar- ried in Virginia and became a resident of Marion County; Samuel and Lemuel (twins), who reside in this county; Joseph, who died in the Old Do- minion from the effects of a wound received in the Federal service; George, who also remained in Virginia.
Thomas Wiseman, our subject's father, was born in Harrison County, Va., February 16, 1793,
and married Nancy, daughter of Joseph and Mary (Yates) Cross, January 6, 1817. After that event he settled on a farm in his native State and in 1839 moved to Marion County, where he en- tered land in Round Grove Township. His death occurred September 1, 1849. He was a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which his wife also belonged. In the War of 1812 he enlisted and held the position of fifer, but was never engaged in actual service on account of the ensuing close of hostilities. His eldest son, Hendon (born November 5, 1817), married Phoebe A. Cross September 25, 1839. He took up his residence on a portion of land now occupied by the capital city of Iowa, and subsequently sold out at a good price. Later he removed to Sioux City, Iowa, where he was un- fortunate in losing all his possessions, after which he moved to Cedar, Neb., where he has since re- sided. Soon after he had moved to the latter place (1862) he enlisted in Company I, Second Nebraska Cavalry, called out for frontier protec- tion. They were ordered to join Sulley's regi- ment in Dakota; after Hendon had been absent from home about thirty days he learned that his entire family, with the exception of his wife, who had gone to town to make some purchases, had been murdered by the savages. The poor wom- an on her return home was horrified by the dread- ful sight and fled to the settlement of St. James. where she gave the alarm. A searching party went out, and after visiting the scene of the mur- der, found that three of the children were dead; but two who were found in a dying condition were able to give the details of the massacre. The father, two hundred miles distant in Dakota, started for home at once, without permission or food, and did not stop until he reached Fort Ran- dall, some one hundred miles away. There was some talk of arresting him as a deserter, but he was finally assisted on his journey. His wife, who had gone to Sioux City, had become nearly insane, and, hoping to overcome her unhappy mental condition, he took her to visit relatives in the East. He was without ready money and made an appeal to the Government for aid in view of his army services and his unusual mis- fortunes. The neighbors, who were still in fear
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of the Indians, dug a hole in which they buried all his children, without coffins or proper rites.
Harrison, the second brother of our subject, was born March 19, 1819, and died November 25, 1824; Melvina, the eldest sister, born in Novem- ber, 1822, died on the Ist of the following Sep- tember; Lucinda, born July 28, 1824, married Joseph Johnston of Marion County, and is now deceased; Harriet, born May 6, 1826, was a life- long invalid and died about 1888, unmarried : Eliza, born March 21, 1828, married Benjamin Lake of Marion County and died in 1892; Lemuel E., born April 10, 1830, died in California; Will- iam H., born September 17, 1832, died (unmar- ried) August 3, 1866; Elizabeth, born October 5, 1834, became the wife of Kellogg Lake; Mary, who married James Tillett, was born September 7, 1836; John, born January 19, 1839, was in the Federal service, returned home ill and died soon afterward (April 21, 1863); Susan D., born Sep- tember 17, 1842, died in childhood; Thomas M., born April 21, 1844, is still living in Marion County.
W ILLIAM T. FINDLY is a young man of enterprise and ability and regarded as one of the most popular and effi- cient druggists in Louisiana, in which city he was born July 31, 1867. His parents were Henry Ju- lian and Mary Anderson (Baird) Findly, the for- mer of whom was born in Stanford, Ky., August I, 1818, and was the son of William Carson Findly, also a native of that State, and of Irish ancestry. The grandfather was a Presbyterian minister.
The father of our subject was a merchant in his native place, and in 1845 came to Louisiana, and, establishing himself in the same business, carried it on successfully until his deccase in July, 1870. He was in early life an old-line Whig, but afterward joined the ranks of the Democratic party. He was a member in excellent standing of the Christian Church, and was always promi- nent and active in its meetings. Socially he was a Mason and stood high in the fraternity.
The mother of our subject was born in Lynch- burg, Nelson County, Ky., October 24, 1830, and was the daughter of Thomas J. and Catherine M. (Jones) Baird. They took up the line of march to Kentucky about fifty-nine years ago, and on arriving there the father engaged in the hotel business, building the hotel known as the Wind- sor House. (For a full history of this branch of the family the reader is referred to the sketch of P. H. Baird on another page in this volume).
Mr. and Mrs. Henry J. Findly were the parents of seven children, namely: Julian A., Charles F., John L., Mollie B. (all deceased); Harry J., George H. and William T. Harry J. is a resi- dent of this city and the proprietor of a fine gro- cery store; George H. is in St. Louis, engaged on the St. Louis "Republic."
The subject of this memoir received his educa- tion in the public schools of his native city, and desirous of becoming a druggist took a course in the St. Louis College of Pharmacy, after com- pleting which he began in the business as clerk for C. J. Chapman and J. W. Crowdus, Dallas, Texas. He remained there about a year, when he returned to St. Louis and established himself at his present place of business, corner of Fifth and Georgia Streets ; this was in November, 1892. He carries a full line of drugs and druggists' sun- dries, and makes a specialty of preparing pre- scriptions. He has built up a good trade, and his patronage is constantly on the increase. Mr. Findly, in connection with James O. Ducker and George Harvey, has patented a medicine known as the "Pan-a-kas," which is liberally indorsed by physicians in different parts of the country as a specific for various diseases. It is held as a grand adjunct to the pharmacopeia of the progressive physician, and is having an extensive sale.
In politics our subject is a Republican, and re- ligiously a devoted member of the Christian Church. He has taken an active part in local politics, and in 1895 was nominated and elected City Councilman from the Third Ward, which office he still holds. He is Chairman of the Gas and Light Committees, and also renders efficient service on the Ordinance Committee. He is a member of the K. of P., belonging to Anchor
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Lodge No. 60, Louisiana, of which he is at pres- ent Chancellor.
Dr. Findly and Miss Minnie A. Wait were united in marriage December 14, 1892. Her par- ents were John D. and Jennie (Cast) Wait. The Waits were natives of Watertown, N. Y., and the Casts came from Ohio. Miss Minnie was born in the former city in 1868, and was the youngest of two daughters born to her parents. Her sister Fannie is now the wife of B. S. Carrick. Her parents make their home in Louisiana. Mr. and Mrs. Findly have been blessed with a son: Claude Crewdson, born in March, 1895. Mr. Findly is a progressive and active young business man, and is coming rapidly to the front as one of the lead- ing citizens of Louisiana. He is of pleasing ad- dress, popular and highly esteemed.
A LBERT G. HURST. Great credit is due the young man who starts out in life with no capital save a good constitution and the habits of industry and perseverance in- culcated in hin at the old home, but who, never- theless, is undaunted by the difficulties in his pathway and at length achieves success. Among the many who have thus prospered is our sub- ject, now numbered among the leading farmers of Marion County and the owner of a val- uable farm situated on Section 3, Township 59. Range 7.
A son of John B. and Hester W. (Bryan) Hurst, our subject is a native of Fayette County, Ky., his birth having occurred April' 29, 1840. His pa- ternal grandparents were Pennsylvanians and early settlers of Kentucky, both dying in Fayette County. Our subject's father lived in that neigh- borhood until 1841, when, as he had relatives liv- ing in Marion County, he decided to move thither. Accordingly with his young wife he emigrated to the vicinity of Palmyra, where he purchased eighty acres of land; after making improvements thereon he sold out in a few years. For some time thereafter he leased farm land, renting finally the Brown Homestead, in the same locality, where
he lived for four years. Then he went across the line into Lewis County, where he dwelt for three years, after which he was for eight years a tenant on the Bates Farm, near Palmyra. His last years were spent on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, lying along the Mississippi River, in this county. His death occurred November 26, 1869, his wife having preceded him to the silent land on August 8, 1848. Their four children were: Albert G., Elizabeth, Ellen and Bryan (last is de- ceased).
The early years of our subject were passed un- der the parental roof and he was just arriving at man's estate when the troublous days just before the war came on. In 1861 he enlisted in Company A, under Capt. John Priest, Confederate Army, and served about one and a half years, during which he participated in the Battles of Blue Mills, Springfield, Pea Ridge, Corinth, and in numerous skirmishes. He was never injured in any way, but was captured in Boone County, Mo., and re- mained in prison at Jefferson City for three months; he was transferred to St. Louis, where he remained two weeks, after which he was trans- ferred to Alton, Ill. On being released he re- turned to his father's farm, where he lived quietly for some time.
November 17, 1863, Mr. Hurst was united in marriage to Rebecca V. Coons, who was born March 13, 1842, in Marion County. Her parents were Joseph and Elizabeth (Nelson) Coons, early settlers of this county and natives of Kentucky. Eight children came to bless the union of Mr. and Mrs. Hurst, as follows: Joseph Lee, who mar- ried Susie Gaines and lives near the home of his father; Emmett M .; Mary E. (Mrs. James Had- field) of this vicinity; Latham, Bryan, James, Annie, who married L. L. Leach, whose sketch appears on another page of this volume; Wade, who was born April 29, 1880, and is still at home. The children have all been given good common- school educations and are well fitted for life's du- ties.
In 1864 Mr. Hurst rented the Bates Farm, near Palmyra, and cultivated the place for three years. He then removed with his family to his father's old farm, near the Mississippi River, in Marion County and lived thereon for eight years; then
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for a year he managed a rented farm near Phila- delphia, Mo. By this time he had managed with his wife's assistance to save some money, so he purchased forty acres of land near his father's farm. After improving the place and residing thereon for about seven years a favorable oppor- tunity presented itself and he sold out. In 1883 he bought eighty acres of his present farm, which he has greatly increased in value by a judicious outlay of money. Here he intends to make a permanent home and, having this in view, has miade excellent improvements on the place, which was one of the best in this vicinity. Since be- coming a voter he has given his allegiance to the Democratic party. Religiously he and his fam- ily are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.
A UGUST C. GANSZ, one of the able and successful young journalists in this por- tion of Missouri, is editor and proprietor of the "Pike County News," published in Louisi- ana, Mo. The paper was started in 1890 by the Pike County Publishing Company, with Col. W. H. Edgar as editor, but since July, 1892, our sub- ject has been the manager of the plant, and to him is due the credit of its increasing popularity and growing circulation. The paper, a bright, newsy sheet, is issued every Thursday, and is con- ducted in the interests of Pike County, and more particularly of Louisiana. It is a good exponent of Republican principles, and gives in a con- densed and clear style the current events of the outside world, as well as local news.
The father of A. C. Gansz, who bore the Chris- tian name of Carl, was a native of Germany. He emigrated to the United States in 1853 and set- tled at Palmyra, Mo., where he worked at his trade as a contracting stone-mason, and also man- aged a farm. He was a supporter of the Repub- lican party and religiously was identified with the Lutheran Church. He was called to his final rest September 7, 1882, and left to his children the priceless heritage of an unblemished name. His
wife, who was Miss Mary Keohler, was also of German birth and crossed the Atlantic to the United States in 1854 with an uncle. Mr. and Mrs. Gansz were the parents of eight children: Philip C., editor of the Macon "Republican," Ma- son, Mo .; August C., whose name heads this biography; George, accidentally killed by a gun- shot in 1862; Anna C., living at Macon, Mo .; Charles F., a resident of Palmyra; Elizabeth, wife of A. H. Hollyman, Palmyra; Maggie (Mrs. George W. Collet), living near Britton, O. T .; Susan, at home. The mother is yet alive and is passing her declining days in Palmyra.
A. C. Gansz was born February 15, 1860, in Palmyra and lived under the parental roof until attaining his majority. He obtained a practical knowledge of farming under his father's instruc- tion, and managed to acquire a general education in the district schools; he also worked with his father at his trade, and in 1881 went to Quincy, Ill., where he remained about a year. Returning home he took up the business of his father after the latter's death, and for about five years en- gaged in contracting and building. Desiring to see something of the West he went to Wichita, Kan., and opened a coal and feed store, which he conducted with fair success for about three years. In 1890 he went into the newspaper busi- ness in company with his brother in Macon, Mo., and during his two years' stay there became mas- ter of the various departments of work. In July, 1892, he leased the "Pike County News" plant in company with the brother just mentioned and has since given his entire attention to the improve- ment of the paper and to increasing the subscrip- tion list; in connection therewith he has a good trade in job printing. He is a member of the Evening Star Lodge No. 28, I. O. O. F., Louisi- ana, and belongs to the S. of T. and B. of St. A.
March 31, 1887, Mr. Gansz was married in St. Louis to Alice, daughter of John N. and Julia Ann (Masterson) Foster. The latter was from one of the oldest families of Marion County, her grandfather having been the first white :ettler there, it is believed. Mr. and Mrs. Gansz have one child-Julia Eleanora-who was born in Ma- con September 3, 1890. The parents are mem-
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bers of the Episcopal Church and are counted among the most active and influential workers in its congregation.
J I OHN ALEXANDER MORRISS. Promi- nent among the capable and efficient agri- culturists of Marion County stands Mr. John A. Morriss, who follows farm pursuits on the old homestead, where he was born, January 12, 1850. This farm is pleasantly located on Sec- tion 8, Township 58, Range 8, and is one of the most desirable in the community. He has spent his entire life in tilling the soil and is an energetic, industrious man, having the respect and confi- dence of the people who are his neighbors. .
The parents of our subject were Vincent and Susan Ann (Poor) Morriss, natives respectively of Virginia and Kentucky. They were both brought to this county when young by their parents and were married in Marion County, within whose borders they passed the remainder of their lives. From the time of their union until 1886 they occupied the old homestead, now owned by their son, John A. That year, however, they entered the home of their daughter, May Frances Browen, in this township, where they died, the mother in 1888 and the father in Novem- ber of the succeeding year.
The brothers and sisters of our subject were seven in number: Elizabeth, Mary F., Robert L., Lizzie, James M., Belle and Julia. John assisted his father in farm work until the former's mar- riage (February 4, 1872), at which time Miss Nancy S. M. Stephenson became his wife. She was born in this county January 21, 1855, and was the daughter of William and Susan (Ragar) Stephenson, residents of this part of Missouri, but natives of Kentucky. After coming to this State they lived in Township 58 until the death of the father, which took place January 1, 1855. Mrs. Stephenson now makes her home with her daughter, Mrs. Morriss, and is seventy-two years of age.
After his marriage our subject purchased a quarter section of land in Shelby County, on
which he built a house and lived there for seven- teen years. This quarter section he improved into a productive tract of land and after selling it in- vested the proceeds in his present estate of two hundred and ten acres, fifty-five of which lie in Shelby County. He moved to this place in 1889, it being a much more desirable place and located conveniently near a school-house. It was and is his ambition and desire to have his sons and daughters well educated and two of them are now attending school. James Wesley, born November 9, 1872, married Mary Emerson, and both now live with our subject; Susan M., born January 26, 1875, died August 14, 1876; John W., born Sep- tember 27, 1878; Julia A., born March 7, 1882.
Mr. Morriss adheres to the principles of the Democratic party. He has never been an office- seeker, nor has he ever been induced to serve in a public capacity, for he is a man devoted to home and family. With his wife he belongs to the Bap- tist Church and is an active worker and con- tributor to its various projects of usefulness.
L AWSON W. GIVENS. It affords the biographer great pleasure to place this worthy name among those of the repre- sentative men of Pike County. He is the owner of a beautiful farm on Section 32, Township 54, Range 2, this property having come into his pos- session as early as 1853. In addition to super- vising its management he has conducted his father's farm for many years of his mature life, and has given abundant proof of his ability as an agriculturist.
Mr. Givens was born April 25, 1828, three miles northeast of his present home, and is the third of six children whose parents were Samitel and Sarah (Gilmore) Givens, and the only survivor of the family. The father was born in South Carolina in 1801, and after his marriage decided to emigrate to Missouri, carrying out this plan in 1826. He entered a quarter section of land and settled down to a busy, industrious life, his career being terminated by his death on January 8, 1880.
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