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 34
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 34
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 34
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107
Missionary Baptist Church, while his wife is a member of the Southern Methodist denomina- tion. Fraternally our subject is a member of the K. of P., in which he has held several offices. He is also connected with the Triple Alliance, and was First Patriarch in the lodge here. His po- litical affiliations are with the Democratic party.
C READ T. GRIMMETT, engaged in farming in Hartford Township, Pike County, is a native of Virginia, having been born in Franklin County, June 21, 1831. His parents were Josiah and Susan (Thomas) Grimmett, the former of whom was also a native of the above county, in the Old Dominion, and was born September 6, 1806. He was in turn the son of Nicholas and Margaret (Cox) Grimmett. The father of Nicholas was born in Scotland, whence he came to America when a young man and located in Virginia. He later moved to Ten- nessee and located on the French Broad River. He was there only a short time when he returned to Virginia and passed the remaining years of his life engaged in farming.
Grandfather Nicholas Grimmett lived in Vir- ginia after his marriage with Miss Cox, until the War of 1812, when he enlisted and was stationed at Norfolk, that State. On his return home from the field of battle he continued to reside there until 1833, when he emigrated with his family to Pike County, Mo., where his death occurred about 1858. He became the parent of nine chil- dren, namely: Josiah; Ona, Mrs. Elijah DeHart, lived and died in Virginia, where her husband was a farmer and school teacher; James made his home in Pike County, this State, until his de- cease in 1860; Sarah became Mrs. William G. Gooch and spent the years of her married life in Linn County, Mo .; John lived and died in Pike County, engaged in farming; Samuel left Vir- ginia for Texas about 1834, and during the con- flict between that State and Mexico aided the for- mer to gain independence. He served as Sheriff of his county for some years, and was shot and
killed while discharging his duties as such. Mar- garet Grimmett married Sanford Jewell, who is now deceased; she makes her home in this county. Phebe married Robert Price, and since the death of her husband she makes her abode with her sister Margaret; Martha married Harvey Fry, and both are deceased; Josiah married Susan Thomas, in Virginia, and in December, 1831, emigrated to this State and county, where he entered a tract of land near Louisiana and made it his home for about seven years. He then sold out and purchased a farm in Hartford Town- ship, where he was residing at the time of his death, July 31, 1869. His wife was born in Vir- ginia in 1813, and was of English ancestry. She died in this county in March, 1844.
To Josiah and Susan (Thomas) Grimmett there were born six children, viz: Cread T., the subject of this sketch, born June 21, 1831; Mar- garet, March 16, 1833; Samuel, in October, 1835; America, November 23, 1837; Nicholas, in Feb- ruary, 1840; and James B., June 23, 1842. Mar- garet became the wife of Benjamin Gilland, a farmer of Lincoln County, this State, where shc died in January, 1880. Samuel lived at home until twenty-four years of age, when he volun- teered in the State Militia and served his coun- try about six months. He was present at the battle of Ashley, where he was wounded in the hand and hip. After the war he was married to Miss Angeline Linsey and located in Lincoln County, where he is now living. America is now Mrs. J. B. Thomas, and makes her home also in Lincoln County, where her husband is a well- to-do agriculturist. Nicholas volunteered his services in the late war and served under Gen. Price. He fought in the battle of Lexington, Mo., soon after which he was taken sick and rc- turned home, in the winter of 1862. In 1866 he made a trip to Central America, but returning home the following year, died in April. James served also in the State troops during the Civil War, but a year thercafter volunteered as a mem- ber of the United States troops and participated in the battle of Ashley and another conflict which took place near the City of Jefferson. After this he was sent with his regiment to New Orleans,
294
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
La., and aided in the capture of the Spanish Fort and also Fort Blakely. He was with his com- pany at Montgomery, Ala., when the war closed, and on being discharged returned home. He was later married in Lincoln County, Mo., to Miss Eliza Nunn, and they are at present residing on the old homestead of her parents.
The original of this sketch came to Missouri with his parents when a boy and made his home with his father and mother until his marriage, December 15, 1853, with Miss Melissa Lovelace. He continued to reside on the home farm for three years thereafter, when he purchasd a saw- mill on Indian Creek, which he operated until the outbreak of the late war. He volunteered his services as a member of the Home Guards and served about two years, participating in the battle of Ashley, where he was wounded in 'the face.
On the establishment of peace our subject again engaged in the milling business, which he has continued ever since, in connection with his farming interests. His landed possessions com- prise one hundred and forty acres which are well- cultivated, and yield him a good income. To Mr. and Mrs. Grimmett there have been born four children, namely: Virginia, September 12, 1854; Emma, March 5, 1859; John, January 14, 1862; and Clark, December 8, 1867. The eldest daugh- ter completed her education at Olney, and was afterward married to George Anson, January 4, 1876. She is now living in Bowling Green, Mo., where her husband carries on the combined oc- cupations of farmer and butcher; Emma died April 11, 1879; John acquired his education in the district schools, and when attaining mature years was married to Miss Mary Todd.
Mrs. Melissa Grimmett is the daughter of Bar- nett and Elizabeth (Orr) Lovelace, of English and Scotch ancestry. Her father was a native of Maryland, whence he was taken by his parents to North Carolina when a boy. In that State he was married to Miss Orr, May 24, 1821. Six years later they emigrated to Missouri, settling near Indian Creek Church, in Hartford Township, where they lived and died. There were born to them ten children, viz: James, born April 3, 1822; Robert, April 9, 1824; Calvin, November 28, 1825; Melissa, June 1, 1828; Samuel, March 6, 1830; Philip, March 8, 1832; Isaac, December 13, 1833; Mary, January 30, 1837; Eliza, January 5, 1839; and Daniel, November 4, 1842. Of this large family two died in infancy. Calvin served during the late war in the Union Army; he mar- ried Nancy Sheets, July 2, 1854, and on her death, in 1864, was married to Mrs. Mary Stew- art. He then made his home in Southwest Mis- souri, but about a year ago moved to Ohio. Sam- uel Lovelace married Delilah Love, May 8, 1853; he is farming in Hartford Township, this county. Philip married Minerva Sheets, February 22, 1863, and died October 23, 1880; he was a car- penter by trade. Isaac served in the Union Army as a member of the State Guards, and on the close of the war married Salena Cobb; he is a tinner now living in Willsville, Mo. Mary, Mrs. Joseph Lovell, is living on a farm in Lincoln County. Eliza became Mrs. Patrick Carver, and makes her home on a good property in Benton County, Mo. Daniel died August 1, 1846. The Lovelace fam- ily were Whigs in politics, and its various mem- bers were identified with the Cumberland Pres- byterian Church.
1 5
GEORGE BIRD.
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
297
GEORGE BIRD.
G EORGE BIRD. Prominent among the early pioneers of Ralls County is this worthy old settler, who is now living in Saline Township, his home being on Section 32. During the war he purchased eighty acres of his homestead, which at present consists of one hun- dred and fifty-four acres, well adapted for general farming.
Joseph, father of George Bird, was a native of Virginia, and in early life engaged in farming and transporting merchandise from Louisville, Ky., to Nashville, Tenn. He had moved with his parents to Hardin County, Ky., at an early day, and in that locality passed the remainder of his life. There his marriage with Rachel Cregar was celebrated, and to them were born four children, namely: George, Mary, wife of Daniel Young, an extensive farmer and merchant of Mead County, Ky .; Letitia, deceased, wife of Martin McNeely, also deceased; and Tabitha, who mar- ried Mr. Bilen, and resides in Mead County, Ky. The father of these children died in 1887, aged sixty-eight years, and his wife, a native of Mary- land, died in 1885, when in her seventy-third year.
George Bird was born in Hardin County, Ky., April 2, 1819. His boyhood was passed on his father's farm, his time being spent in giving such assistance as was in his power in the management of the place, and during the winter he attended the district schools. He remained under the par- ental roof until reaching his eighteenth year, when he set forth to make his own fortune. Going to Elizabethtown, he was variously employed there and in the surrounding country for the next five years. He won the reputation of being the best rail-splitter in the State, and in his active
years has cut more than enough rails to fence Ralls County. He was always of an energetic, industrious disposition, and was never afraid of work, even of the hardest kind. In 1841 he went to Mead County, Ky., and for six years engage:1 in farming, also running the engine in the fac- tory at Gray Hampton. It was in 1855 that he decided to come to Missouri, and arriving in this county he rented a farm near Sidney for some three years. Then he purchased a place consist- ing of thirty acres, and lived thereon until the be- ginning of the war. In his youth he was de- cidedly handicapped, as his father suffered greatly with the rheumatism, and he was thus the main. dependence of the family.
In his native county Mr. Bird was married in 1844 to Juliana Hager, who was born in Breck- enridge County, Ky., in 1827. Her parents, John and Annie Hager, were also Kentuckians, the father being a farmer and stockraiser.
Eight children, four sons and four daughters, came to bless the hearthstone of our subject and wife. The sons, Harris, Robert, George and Joe, are all enterprising and successful young farmers of this county; Juliet married Stephen Tremble, a farmer of this region; Alice wedded O. B. Nor- ris, who owns a well-improved farm in Ralls County ; Polly became the wife of Joe Crigbaum, a farmer of Ralls County, and has since been called to the silent land; Annie, the youngest of the family, is also deceased.
As becomes a good citizen, Mr. Bird takes a laudable interest in whatever pertains to the up- building of the community in which he dwells, uses his influence on behalf of good educational advantages for the young, and is thoroughly in accord with works of progress. In his political
11
298
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
faith he is an ardent Republican. Religiously, he is not identified with any church organization, but has a high standard of morals, and a keen realization of his duty toward his fellow men.
P ARKS L. KABLER, M. D., of Hannibal, is one of the ablest and best known physicians of this section. He opened an office here in 1891 and has since found his time fully occu- pied in meeting the demands of his large clientage, among whom are numbered many of the best citizens of the place. He is local Surgeon for the C., B. & Q. R. R., the H. & St. Jo. R. R., and the St. L., K. & N .- W .. On account of his many pressing duties he was recently obliged to decline the appointment of Physician to the State Insane Asylum at Fulton, Mo., which assignment was made by Gov. Francis.
The doctor's great-grandfather, Frederick Kab- ler, was a relative of Gen. Kabler, who won fame in the German Army, and emigrating to America was an extensive planter in Campbell County, Va. His son, Nicholas N., the next in line of descent, was a Methodist minister in the same county, but in 1830, came to what is now Warren County, Mo., where he settled permanently; his wife was Sallie Golden. Three sons and two daughters were born to this worthy couple, name- ly: William A., Charles N., now of California; Parks, who died in early manhood; Ellen, who married Capt. William McMurtrie of St. Louis; Anna, who was first married to William Poin- dexter and afterward to William A. Smith, an officer on a line of steamers running between New York and Liverpool. Nicholas N. Kabler, the father, died soon after coming to this State in 1834.
William A., the father of our subject, was born in Campbell, County, Va., April 3, 1823, and after coming west was a clerk on a steamboat plying between St. Louis and the Yellowstone River; this was about 1849. He became well acquainted with Indian customs and had great influence among the red men. A man very fond of hunting, he killed upward of one thousand deer and many
bears and wolves. After leaving the steamboat service he engaged in merchandising, continuing in business at Pauldingsville, Mo., until the war came on, but during that period suffered severe financial losses. He is now a resident of Lincoln County, Mo., and is esteemed one of the best citi- zens of that locality. In 1844 he married Jane, daughter of James and Mary (Sharp) Pendleton ; she is a native of Virginia and a member of the same family as the late Senator George H. Pen- dleton of Ohio. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Kabler, all but two living to maturity: Robert J., now a resident of Troy, Mo .; Elvira, the deceased wife of C. C. Archer; Victoria (Mrs. H. W. Ober), of Lincoln County; Fannie, wife of T. C. Arnold of San Francisco, Cal .; Isabel, deceased at the age of twelve years; Parks L. completes the family.
The birth of our subject occurred January 28, 1853, in St. Charles County, and until he was sey- enteen years of age he lived on his father's farm, receiving the benefits of a district-school educa- tion. Then taking up the study of telegraphy he took charge of the station at Wright City, Mo., for the Wabash R. R., remaining there five years. During his leisure moments he took up the study of medicine, thus preparing himself for college, and in 1879 was graduated from the Missouri Medical College at St. Louis, where he had taken the necessary lectures. For the next eight years he was successfully engaged in practice in War- ren and Lincoln Counties, but in 1888 he became one of the proprietors of the Hannibal "Morning Journal," and held the position of business man- ager of that paper for two years. Then resuming his professional work, he took a course in the New York Post-graduate School of Medicine in the spring of 1891, on finishing which he decided to locate in Hannibal. He is Chief Medical Di- rector of the O. of the T. A., and a member of the Missouri State and the Marion County Medical Societies; he is also Secretary of the Board of United States Pension Examiners of the First Congressional District.
May 25, 1882, Dr. Kabler married Rose M. Knott, who died in 1890, leaving two children: Wauneta and Fannie. She was a daughter of William J. Knott, now Assistant Secretary of
299
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
State and a resident of Jefferson City. In 1892 the doctor married Betty M., daughter of Richard Miller (deceased), formerly of Rocheport, Mo. She is a member of the Christian Church and ac- tive in all kinds of charitable work.
Our subject still retains an interest in the "Morning Journal" of this city and is President of the company which publishes the same. In this line he has been very successful and has directed the policy of the "Journal" in an able manner, bringing its influence to bear, among other things, upon the question of street paving, sewerage and electric lighting, and largely owing to the "Jour- nal's" stand on these subjects are the present ex- cellent systems now in vogue. Politically he has always been a Democrat, but is perfectly fair in his treatment of his opponents. Dr. Kabler is a member of the Masonic Order, Pauldingsville Lodge No. II, and is a member of the Park Meth- odist Church of Hannibal.
H ON. D. HOWELL SHIELDS, M. D. Among the distinguished citizens of Han- nibal is this gentleman, who is one of its best representatives. In 1885 he was honored by being elected on the Democratic ticket to repre- sent Marion County in the State Legislature, and this not only without his seeking, but even during his absence, for he was nominated while in Canada and at election time was in St. Louis. His serv- ices in the House were notable and among the results accruing to the advantage of this city was the bill passed during that session authorizing the building of a Court-House in the City of Hanni- bal. The doctor was the author of the bill that empowered the city to pave the streets and alleys and to build sewers, and as its outcome we now have the handsome Broadway and other leading downtown streets and the present thorough sewer system. From 1880 to 1884 he was in the Ser- geant-at-Arms Department of the United States Senate, and for six years, beginning with 1884, was Chairman of the Democratic State Central Committee, and for six years prior was Chairman of the Executive Committee of the same body.
His parents were George W. and Martha (How- ell) Shields, the former being the son of David Shields, a tanner by trade and a native of Alle- gheny County, Pa. The latter's father emigrated from the northern part of Ireland to the Keystone State, where he passed the remainder of his life, with the exception of a few years spent in Ohio. The Howells were early pioneers of Kentucky. George W. Shields was born in Trumbull County, Ohio, August 5, 1806, and learned civil engineer- ing; he was employed on the great National Pike crossing the Alleghenies, which remains to this day. In 1829 he went to Kentucky and surveyed the line of railroad between Lexington and Frank- fort, on which for years horses were used for the motive power. In 1833 he went to Missis- sippi and was there employed in railroad survey- ing. On his return to Kentucky he was made Assistant State Engineer and had charge of the construction of pike roads until 1842; the follow- ing year he became a resident of Hannibal, where he was for the most part engaged in pork and beef packing and where he was honored with the posi- tions of Justice of the Peace, Mayor and City En- gineer, which latter office he held at the time of his death. Under the administration of An- drew Johnson he was made Postmaster of Hanni- bal; he was President of the H. & N. R. R. until its completion, when he turned it over to what was then the T. W. & W. R. R. Although he did much for the development and upbuilding of the city, he was justly proud of one thing in particu- lar, the grading and fine appearance of Broadway, which he considered the best work of his life. Upon his death in 1880 resolutions of respect were drafted by the City Council and the lodge of the A. O. U. W. drew up resolutions of condolence.
The wife of George W. Shields was born in 1816 at Bardstown, Ky., and was a daughter of Daniel S. and Sallie Garnett (Shipp) Howell. The former's father, Caleb Howell, was one of three brothers who immigrated from Wales, settling in New Jersey in early colonial times. Mrs. Shields' father emigrated to Kentucky and settled at Louis- ville prior to 1800. From Jefferson County he afterward went to Nelson County. Seventeen Howells of this stock, all from Morris County, N. J., served on the patriot side during the Revolu-
300
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
tionary War. His son Daniel, born in 1783 in Morris County, N. J., moved with his parents to the Blue Grass State, afterward became a member of the Kentucky Senate and President of the I .. & N. P. R. Co. Edmund G. Shipp, great-grand- father of our subject on the maternal side, was distinguished in the War of 1812 and was voted a sword by Congress as a testimonial for gallantry which he displayed in defending a frontier post against an attack of British and Indians. George W. and Martha A. Shields had five children, in- cluding our subject, all of whom lived to man- hood and womanhood. Hon. George H., the eld- est, a prominent lawyer of St. Louis, represented Marion County in the State Legislature, was a member of the State Constitutional Convention of 1875 and was Attorney-General of the Depart- inent of the Interior under Harrison's administra- tion; Lizzie, wife of G. A. Howard; Mary L. (de- ceased) was the wife of H. L. Swift of Hannibal; E. Garnett, a civil engineer, is now living in Hillsboro, Texas.
Dr. D. H. Shields was born in Hannibal, Feb- ruary 9, 1846, and grew to manhood here. He received his first education in private schools, as the public-school system was not then in success- ful operation in Hannibal. In 1861 he enlisted in the Confederate service as a private in the Mis- souri State Guards, the regiment being command- ed by Col. Burbridge. During his six months' service he took part in the Battles of Carthage, Cane Creek, Wilson's Creek, Dry Wood and in a skirmish near Lexington. On the expiration of his term of service he was a youth of only fifteen years and did not reënlist, but instead went west, spending some time in Denver, and in the latter part of 1865 and 1866 was in Montana. Return- ing home he took up the study of medicine under the instruction of Dr. Ed. Duffield, one of the prominent physicians of Northeastern Missouri, and in 1867 entered Bellevue Medical Hospital and College, New York City, where he grad- uated two years later. From that time until 1885 he was successfully engaged in the practice of medicine in this, the city of his birth. His outside interests pressed upon his attention and took up so much of his time that for the past ten years he has practically given up general practice. He
was Vice-President of the ex-Confederate Asso- ciation of the State and was also Director of the Confederate Cemetery at Springfield, Mo. Since 1884 he has been an active worker in the A. O. U. IV., belonging to the supreme body of that organ- ization, in which he has held nearly every office; he is now Grand Medical Examiner for the State and has for the past eleven years been elected rep- resentative to the Supreme Lodge. At the meet- ing which convened in Toronto in 1893 he was elected Supreme Master Workman of the World, which position he held for a year, and is now Past Supreme Master Workman. Upon his retire- ment from the office of Supreme Master Work- man of the World he was presented with a beau- tifully executed copy (pen drawing) of resolutions complimenting his course and the success of the order while he was at its head. In 1890 he was honored by being elected President of the Na- tional Fraternal Congress, composed of represen- tatives of the leading fraternal beneficial organiza- tions in America. Since 1882 he has been Grand Recorder of the Select Knights A. O. U. W. and is also a K. of P. For years he has been a mem- ber of the Missouri Medical Association, of which he was at one time Vice-President, and was a member of the American Medical Association.
In April, 1894, he entered into a company or- ganized and chartered to manufacture infants' shoes and moccasins, known as the Hannibal Shoe Company. The first inception was to afford work for the girls who were required to labor. It was thought that there could be employed fif- teen or twenty operators in this work, but owing to the demand for the product the company, of which Dr. Shields is President, had to erect a building for the work and they now employ over fifty operators, and the demand for their goods is so great as to keep the work over thirty days behind in filling orders. The plant will be en- larged from time to time as long as a demand continues for the product.
In 1877 the doctor married Catherine, daughter of Dr. George and Alice (Levering) Alexander of · Hannibal. She was born in Clark County, Mo., but her father was a native of Baltimore, Md. In that city the grandfather, Dr. Ashton R. Alexan- der, was once the foremost physician. Dr. and
301
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
Mrs. Shields have one daughter, Alice, now the wife of James C. Howell, who owns a drug estab- lishment in Hannibal. Dr. Shields is popular and highly respected in social, commercial and political circles and has always been one of the active leaders in public improvements, and has kept the welfare of the city and his fellow-man sincerely at heart.
J EFFERSON A. MAYHALL, one of the prominent farmers and well-known men of Ralls County, is a native of Kentucky, hav- ing been born in Franklin County, February 5, 1829. He was the second of thirteen children born to Samuel W. and Louisiana B. (Alsop) Mayhall, of whom seven still survive. For a full history of the father we refer the reader to the biography of C. C. W. Mayhall, elsewhere in this book.
Josiah Bartlett, the grand uncle of Mrs. May- hall, was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Grandfather William Mayhall served through three campaigns in the War of 1812, being present at the battles of River Raisin, Tippecanoe and the Cowpens. He was one of the pioneer river men of Kentucky and made thirteen trips to New Orleans as Captain of a fleet of flat boats. The men walked back to Kentucky each time after the disposition of their cargo and boats.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.