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 51
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 51
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 51
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After acquiring a fair education in the pioneer schools, our subject devoted himself to work on the home farm. His father died when he was eighteen years of age and, being the only son, the work of carrying on the place fell upon his young shoulders. In the fall of 1862 his mother was married to Mr. Washington Watts, after which they rented the home place and moved to a farm seven miles from Clarksville, our subject still making his home with his mother. She died in May, 1864, and the'following spring James C. re- turned to the homestead and resumed its man- agement, since which time' he has made it his honie. He was married in 1864 to Miss Sally W. Todd, the daughter of F. C. and Mary A. (Buford) Todd, natives of the Blue Grass State. The daughter grew to a noble womanhood, and since
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coming into our subject's life has shed sunshine and happiness all about her. To them have been born three children, namely: J. Lillian, wife of W. A. Dudley, a promising young attorney of Ellsbury, Lincoln County, this State; William F. and James M., aged respectively twenty-six and twenty years, who are unmarried and at home, as- sisting in the management of the home farm.
In the spring of 1862 our subject enlisted in Company A, Pike County Battalion, Enrolled Missouri Militia, which was under the command of Capt. W. C. Allison. He served until the lat- ter part of 1883, during which time, though he participated in no active engagement, he had sev- eral very narrow escapes. On one occasion he was fired upon from ambush while standing by the side of a horse, the bullet passing within an inch of his body and killing the horse.
Mr. Jordan is a Democrat in politics and never loses an opportunity to vote in favor of that party's candidates. The Cumberland Presby- terian Church finds in him one of its most active and consistent members. At all times and at all places he has shown himself to be a loyal citizen and is therefore well regarded by his fellow citi- zens.
W ILLIAM T. BAIRD. No man in Kirksville takes higher rank than he whose name heads this sketch; no one is more public-spirited or has done more to ad- vance the educational interests of this community than he. He has been wise in not waiting to have his executors erect a monument to his memory, for in life he has carried out his own plans and has endowed a chair in the Missouri Valley Col- lege. His generosity is a matter of comment, and his fixedness of purpose and strict integrity of character have won for him the love and admira- tion of his fellows. He has served in many local offices, having been a member of the School Board, Treasurer of the State Normal School for twenty-three years, was Acting County Treasurer for four years, and a helper of the American Sun-
day School Union (through Rev. George W. Sharp, its Missionary for Northern Missouri) in the great work of evangelizing the people, espe- cially the children and youth, in the outlying dis- tricts, thus perfecting the happy relation formed with Mr. Sharp, who was his first pastor. During the seven years of his pastorate, peace, growth and prosperity attended the church. Mr. Baird acknowledges his lasting gratitude and thanks to him for leading him into the activities of the Christian life and usefulness in the Master's serv- ice. Of Mr. Baird's numerous private benefac- tions we are not permitted to speak; the day of the Lord will reveal them.
Mr. Baird was born in Carroll County, Ky., January 19, 1835, and is the son of Barzilla Adams and Mary M. (Scanland) Baird. The former, a native of Paris, Ky., born November 4, 1803, was a farmer and son of one Thomas Baird, of North Carolina. The father of Thomas was a native of Scotland and in company with six brothers emi- grated to the United States prior to the War of the Revolution, and all settled in different parts of the country. They were agriculturists by occupa- tion and took their share of service in the early wars of their adopted land. Our subject's grand- father was a hero of the War for Independence, and subsequently concluded to try his fortunes in Kentucky, moving his family into the heart of the Blue Grass region; his wife was Miss Mary Smith, of Scotch-Irish descent, and of the old Covenanter faith. Both lived to be over four- score years of age. Barzilla and Mary Baird had the following children: Mary Elizabeth, wife of Jesse Edward, a farmer in Oklahoma; Martha Jane, wife of John W. Hoggins, a farmer of Car- roll County, Ky .; William T., of this sketch; Par- ker, who owns a farm in Carroll County, Ky .; Agnes, unmarried and a resident of Garden City, Kan .; John J., traveling salesman, whose home is in Beloit, Kan .; Nancy T., wife of W. T. Easter- day, a grocer of Watson, Cal. The mother of these children died in February, 1846, aged forty- seven years, and the father afterward married Eliza Wright, of Owen County, Ky., who bore him six children. Mr. Baird died September 20, 1885, at the age of eighty-two years, as a result of
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an injury sustained while engaged in assisting a neighbor in lifting an immense log. He was actively interested in the Methodist Episcopal Church, in which he held official positions.
William T. Baird was reared to farm life and received a district school education during the winter months. The remainder of the year he helped to clear his father's farm, aided in mak- ing rails and was a first-class hand at cradling wheat. He attributes much of his success in life to the fact that he would never partake of liquor under any circumstances. After reaching his ma- jority he engaged in teaching in Grant County, Ky., and three months afterward came to Mis- souri in company with Prof. Nason. A part of the journey he made by steamer, and landing at La Grange, he rode as far as Kirksville, where hc stopped on account of the impassable condition of the roads, his intended destination being a point in Kansas. The date of his arrival here was March 21, 1857, and for the next seven months he found employment in teaching in Elys Dis- trict; then for four months he conducted a school in Wilson Township, and finally was for a year in partnership with Prof. Nason in Kirksville.
August 24, 1858, Mr. Baird married Martha C., daughter of Matthew P. Hannah. About this time he accepted a position as clerk for J. C. Thatcher at fifteen dollars a month, and when his wages were raised to twenty dollars he thought he was doing well. His wife was a most efficient aid and rocked their first baby in a cradle impro- vised from a shoe box. Their eldest child, Frank, who was instructed in business ways by his father, is now a banker in Helena, Mont. Ella died at the age of two years, and Aggie Myrtle when an infant of two months. Alta Melone, who is now studying in Mission Valley College, Marshall, Mo., is talented as a singer and gives great promise.
In 1859 Mr. Baird was employed by the Circuit Clerk to make out tax books and the same fall, when a branch of the Bank of St. Louis was or- ganized here, he was made clerk. In 1863 he was appointed cashier, and continued to hold that position for two years and 'until the bank closed up its business in compliance with an act of the
Legislature. In 1866 he took charge of the pri- vate bank of Stebbins & Porter, conducting the samc for a year, and then, in company with S. Reed, he bought out the firm. A year later Mr. Reed disposed of his interest to Melone & Ep- person, the style of the firm becoming Baird, Me- lone & Co. For ten years they were very suc- cessful and passed through the crisis of 1873 un- scathed. In 1878 Mr. Baird bought out his part- ners and conducted the business alone as the Ex- change Bank of W. T. Baird. In 1882 he organ- ized the First National Bank, of which he was the principal owner and cashier. The First Interna- tional Bank, with which he is now connected, was regularly organized under the State laws in No- vember, 1894.
Mr. Baird is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, of which he is a Ruling Elder, and is Treasurer of the Synod of Mis- souri, and also Treasurer of the Church Extension Association of the Synod of Missouri. He is a member and Vice-President of the Board of Trus- tees of the Missouri Valley College, and is Chair- man of the Finance Committee, having charge of the endowment funds. At a meeting of the Board of Trustees, the following resolution was adopted on motion of J. C. Cobb :
"A true friend of Christian education is a loyal friend of Christ and of His Church. The man who gives his money for the purpose of endow- ing a religious college is a far-seeing benefactor to the coming generations of his race. 'Well done, good and faithful servant,' is the manner in which our Lord would recognize the faithfulness of his stewards. Following this Divine example, we desire, in the name of the Lord and of the Church, to express to William T. Baird our hearty gratitude for his generous additional gift of five thousand dollars to his already munificent gift of a like amount to the endowment fund of Mis- souri Valley College. 'He that soweth bounti- fully shall reap also bountifully.' The names as well as the deeds of generous and faithful men are the inheritance of the Church. In order, therefore, that the name of our brother and co- laborer may be fittingly connected with our col-
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lege in a memorial relation, he is hereby requested to nominate one of the chairs of the institution, the same to be known hereafter according to his designation.
"Dated June II, 1890. "JAMES MARTIN, Secretary."
Complying with this suggestion Mr. Baird named the chair Baird-Mitchell, the latter out of compliment to his pastor, the Rev. J. B. Mitchell, D.D., under whose teachings he had sat for eight- een years. A literary society in the same college is called the Bairdean, out of compliment to our subject. He is a life member of the American Bible Society of New York, and of the Board of Missions of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, St. Louis, and is a member of the Board of Pub- lication of the Cumberland Presbyterian Publish- ing House, Nashville, Tenn. For thirty years he has been Superintendent of the Sunday School in Kirksville. Fraternally he was for seven con- secutive years Master of the Kirksville Masonic lodge, and for several years was Deputy Grand Master of the Second Masonic District of Mis- souri. Politically he is a Democrat.
P ETER P. PULLIAM, whose postoffice ad- dress is Maywood, Lewis County, resides in a pleasant home situate in the midst of what is known as Finley Prairie, the choicest agri- cultural section in this locality. He is a practical and thrifty farmer, giving much of his attention to raising cattle, horses and mules. One of the kind who attends strictly to his own business af- fairs, he has ever avoided politics and shuns pub- lic office, though he is faithful in the discharge of his duties as a citizen and gives his allegiance to the Democratic party.
The great-grandfather of the above, Thomas Pulliam, was of English birth and was one of the early settlers of Culpeper County, Va. He was married in that State to a lady who was also of English origin and there he passed his declining years. He was a soldier in the War of the Revo-
lution and by occupation was a farmer. His son Thomas, our subject's grandfather, was born in Page County, Va., and followed an agricultural life in his native State. He married Kizzie Lillard of Virginia, who bore him four sons and a daugh- ter, namely: William, Ransom, Thomas, Jr., Isa- bel and Pendleton; the daughter married Jerry Jeffries and moved to Lewis County, Mo. The father of these children lived to an advanced age and was suddenly summoned by death while on his way from his fields to the house.
Thomas Pulliam, Jr., father of our subject, bore a Christian name which was common in the fam- ily, having been used in several generations; he was born in Page County in 1800 and left home before coming of age. He took a position as Overseer on a neighboring plantation and was thus employed until 1826, when he married Eliza- beth Kiblinger, who was of German descent and a native of Page County. After his marriage Mr. Pulliam purchased land in that county and en- gaged in farming until 1841, when he sold out and moved by team to Lewis County, Mo. Set- tling near Canton, he remained there for several years, finally purchasing land adjoining that owned by our subject on the west and here passed the remainder of his days. He was an exemplary citizen and led a consistent Christian life, being a member of the Baptist Church, to which his wife also belonged. At the time of his demise his estate numbered one hundred and sixty acres. His family were as follows: Peter, Andrew Thom- as, Frances J., who died in early womanhood; Kizzie, wife of E. T. Christian, now of Putnam County, Mo .; Gabriel, who has never married and who is a resident of this county; Isaac, who remained single and died at our subject's home- stead in 1892; James F., who lives near La Grange; Nancy, who first married John C. Jones and after his death married his uncle, Nathaniel Jones; Mary, who is the wife of Mart Brinkley of Berthoud, Col.
Our subject was born March 31, 1827, in Page County, Va., and in 184I came with his parents to Missouri. After working for a few years at vari- ous employments by the day or month he started overland with an ox team in March, 1850, and reached California in August; there he turned his
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attention to mining for almost three years and was fairly successful. He returned home by way of the Isthmus and Mississippi River and invested his means in the farm which he still owns and to which he added adjoining tracts until it com- prised eight hundred and forty acres. A portion of this he has since divided among his children, but still retains nearly four hundred acres. .
March 5, 1855, Mr. Pulliam married Artie G., daughter of David S. and Sarah (Cox) Lillard; she was born July 6, 1833, in Sangamon County, Ill., but her parents 'were natives of Kentucky. Both Mr. and Mrs. Pulliam have been members of the Baptist Church since childhood and are now identified with the South Union Church, Maywood. Our subject has been a Deacon of the same since it was organized and has also been a Superintendent in the Sunday School for a few years. He has always been interested in educa- tional matters and has given his children a good start in life.
Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Pul- liam: Sarah E., wife of George T. White of this county, was born December 8, 1856; David T., born March 22, 1858, married Lilian Rice of Cali- fornia and they are now living in Colorado, where Mr. Pulliam is a Baptist minister, having charge of a congregation at Berthoud and one elsewhere and where he owns a large amount of real estate, being a man of good executive ability; Artie, born January 7, 1862, became the wife of Daniel J. Wiseman of this county October 31, 1893; Jos. F., born May 3, 1863, died February 19, 1890, leaving a wife and one child, who reside in this county; Luanna, born December 13, 1864, died October 16, 1881; Lonnie M., born December 3, 1866, is the wife of William Hall, President and Assistant Cashier of the Home Savings Bank, La Belle, Mo .; J. William, born February II, 1872, was married . September 18, 1894, to Frances, daughter of Westley and Elizabeth (Anderson) Cave, all natives of this State. Mrs. J. W. Pullianı was born April 29, 1876, in this county and with her husband is now living at the old homestead of our subject. The latter may well be proud of his family, as his children are all members of the Baptist Church and are good and reliable citi- zens. Several of them have completed their edu-
cations at La Grange College and David T., who graduated from there, afterward pursued a theo- logical course in the Baptist Seminary, Rochester, N. Y.
Both Mr. Pulliam's deceased children died re- joicing and said they wanted to meet all in Heav- en. Our subject's home has always been known as an orphans' home and a ministers' home. They have resided in their present home since they first moved here and were never known to be without an orphan; at present they have Charles Clem- ments, who has been there for seventeen years. When he came to them he was nearly blind, and has since become entirely sightless. He had not a cent when he entered the Pulliam home, but, having saved what money our subject gave him, has at present about fifteen hundred dollars in- vested in real estate. Mamie Turpin also is liv- ing with our subject, having gone there six years ago. Mrs. Pulliam, our subject's wife, has con- tinued to teach a Sunday-school class and has taught the primary class for the last thirty years. Mrs. Pulliam and all her children are connected with missionary work.
W ILLIAM D. BARR is one of the most progressive young farmers of Lewis County and, though only a few years since he started out in the battle of life entirely without means, he now finds himself the pro- prietor of some seven hundred and twenty acres of valuable and improved farm land. He has a comfortable home, which is furnished in a taste- ful manner and supplied with many of the lux- uries and refinements of life. As he is not one of those who live for themselves alone he strives to do what good he can, and since childhood has been a faithful member of the Baptist Church. When the new edifice was erected in Maywood in 1893 he donated the land for the site, did effective service as Treasurer of the Building Committee . and contributed one hundred dollars in money.
Mr. Barr is a native of Hancock County, Ill., having been born September 22, 1861. His fath-
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er, Jerry B., was a native of Kentucky and a well- educated man. In his early life he taught school in the Blue Grass State, and before leaving there was married; he then moved to Scotland County, Mo., taking with him a number of slaves. Later he moved to Hancock County, Ill., and bought land three miles west of La Harpe. He owned altogether over fifteen hundred acres of choice land, eight hundred acres of this lying in one body and the remainder in separate tracts. He devoted himself to raising grain and stock and was esteemed the wealthiest man in the county. Through the dishonesty of his trusted employés and friends he lost most of his valuable estate and in 1861 exchanged what was left for property in Lewis County. In Illinois he served as Assessor of his township. For three years he operated a sawmill and farm on the Fabius River and then selling out purchased a place in Marion County, removing thence the mill machinery. The loca- tion is still known as Barr's Mill. In 1880 he sold his one-hundred-and-seventy-acre farm to his son and moved to Adams County, Iowa. For five years he operated a farm there, but preferring Missouri, he returned and purchased the place known as the Briscoe Homestead, and while liv- ing here death overtook him; his second wife survives him and is still on the old farm. By his first marriage three children were born, namely: May, wife of N. R. Cason, now living on the old farm; William D. and Albert F. of Adams Coun- ty, Iowa.
When only three months old William D. Barr was brought by his parents to Lewis County, and he continued to live with his father until he went to Iowa. The young man then purchased the home place of one hundred and seventy-two acres and cultivated the same until 1888; he then moved to the farm where he now resides-the original Lillard Estate. His wife received one hundred and twenty acres as her share of the property and Mr. Barr bought out several of the other heirs and thus owns two hundred and forty-eight acres in a body. In 1891 he invested in two hun- dred acres more, but at the end of six months sold it at a profit of fifteen hundred dollars. His next venture was to buy the Schiller Place, one of seventy-four acres, lying in Marion County, and
this he still retains. Later he bought a two-thirds interest in the mill property at Maywood and in 1895 bought two hundred and twenty acres of land near Hester, Marion County, of his brother, A. L. Barr; in 1895 he bought forty acres adjoin- ing the old homestead in Marion County. He has niade a specialty of stock-raising and usually keeps about one hundred head of cattle and front one to two hundred hogs, annually buying and shipping extensively.
March 6, 1887, Mr. Barr married Sarah, daugh- ter of D. E. and Mildred (Long) Lillard. Mr. Barr had small opportunities for obtaining an education, but his natural ability and business tact have always been apparent. He keeps from three to five hands, who attend to the arduous duties of the farm, and in addition to his large landed in- terests he owns four houses in Maywood, which he built and leases to tenants. Socially he is a member of Maywood Lodge No. 275, M. W. of A., and has been Treasurer of the same since it was organized.
T HOMAS M. YOUNG, one of the old resi- dents of Marion County, became the own- er of his valuable farm, located on Section 8, Township 59, Range 6, in 1883, and has since engaged in the cultivation and improvement of the place. He makes a specialty of raising and feeding cattle, shipping from one to two cars per year; he has been very successful with his wheat crops and in the season of 1894 sold almost three thousand bushels. For some four terms he has held the office of Road Overseer and has always taken a fair share of local improvement upon his own shoulders. He started out in life empty- handed and has been the architect of his own for- tunes; he may well be proud of the success he has achieved, for he is but little over thirty years of age and is as comfortably situated as many an industrious man of twice his years.
Our subject's father, Malony Young, was born in North Carolina and moved to Marion County when quite young, where he married Angeline
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Carter of this county and settled upon a farm in Fabius Township; afterward he sold the home- stead and moved to the mouth of the Fabius Riv- er, four miles below Quincy, becoming the own- er of a fertile tract of rich bottom land. He erect- ed a warehouse for storing and handling grain and other products, then shipping the same to various points by boats; at that time this was a distributing place for all the products of this sec- tion. Mr. Young owned the island which is now called in his honor and which belongs to E. Kimball of Quincy. In connection with his other business operations Mr. Young tilled his farm and raised crops on the island, which was about half- way across the river. The distance, about half a mile, was usually covered by fording the river, the team swimming the deepest points; the grain raised on the island was brought across on small flat-boats. Mr. Young also engaged in baling and shipping prairie grass hay, which was then quite plentiful. He died when our subject was only a year old, leaving a wife and nine children, but his widow soon followed him to the better land. The eldest son, James W., now of Hanni- bal, is Captain of the "Henry Reed" raft, and has been engaged in boating since his youth; Frank died unmarried; Louisa V. after her mother's death took charge of the family and never mar- ried; Zachariah died unmarried; Mildred is the wife of Samuel Smoot of Scotland County, Mo .; Boone (deceased) was unmarried; Lena is the wife of Enoch Hansbrough of Fabius Township; Cor- delia married William Hansbrough of the same place; Thomas M. completes the family.
Our subject was born in Marion County July 6, 1862, and as he was left an orphan when only two years of age he lived at home with his broth -- ers and sisters. When in his nineteenth year he commenced working for his cousin, Nelson Love- lace of Fabius Township, with whom he remained for four years; he then returned to the homestead, which he managed in company with his brother James for a year. He was quite successful in raising large crops, but the second year they lost the entire results of their toil, as their crop was destroyed by high water in July. That fall Mr. Young returned to his cousin and sowed a crop of wheat on shares, and this arrangement con-
tinued to exist for another four years. In 1883 he purchased eighty-one acres of his present farm and in 1888 bought two hundred and sixteen acres more.
September II, 1884, Mr. Young married Ellen Baxter, daughter of James W. and Priscilla (Brown) Baxter, who were natives of Marion County. Mrs. Young was born in this locality September 12, 1864, and by her marriage has be- come the mother of four children, namely: Rus- sell B., born September 1, 1885; Lena Rose, born October 29, 1887; Ruby E., born January 22, 1889; Ruth C., born March 5, 1894; the young- est was not long spared to them, as she died when only five days old. Mr. and Mrs. Young are members of the Bethel Baptist Church. Our subject became only recently identified with the same, though since he was eighteen years of age he has been a member of the Christian Church. Politically he is a Democrat.
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