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 57
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 57
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 57
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George W., born February 29, 1856, received a district-school education and a practical training in farm work. October 15, 1879, hc married the daughter of Albert and Malinda T. (Miller) Penne- well, whose union was celebrated February 23, 1859, and who were natives of Maryland and Ken- tucky respectively. Mrs. Miner was born in this county May 10, 1861, and, as her mother died when she was only nine years old and she was the eldest of six girls, she took charge of her younger sisters until the time of her marriage. George W. lived at home for a ycar after his marriage and then came to his present farm, which comprises one hundred and sixty acres, and as previously stated he owns an interest in a threshing machine. In 1885 he was elected to serve as School Director
and was reëlccted on the expiration of his term. He has seven children, namely: James H. D., born June 26, 1880; George W. E., born Decem- ber 20, 1882; Cecil L. G., born December II, 1886; John S. D., born September 25, 1888; Charles A. G., born May 19, 1890; Cora Eda, born October 21, 1891; Malcolm E. E., born June 1I, 1894. For three years George Miner has been a member of the K. of P., being identified with the De Leon Lodge No. 5 of Hannibal.
W ILLIAM H. PINE (deceased) was one of the honored old residents of Marion County, his home being in Miller Township. He was a man of quiet and retiring disposition and was averse to appearing before the public in any political office. He declined the nomination for the County Judgeship at one time and the only office which he ever held was that of School Trustee, from which he resigned at the close of twelve years. However, he had amply displayed his executive ability and his methodical and practical way of doing things, which quali- ties were responsible for his own success in life. In his relations with his family and the outside world he was noted for integrity, honesty and kindliness. After an illness which numbered only a few days he was summoned to the silent land January 21, 1893.
The paternal grandfather of our subject, who bore the sanie Christian name, was of German parentage and a native of Pennsylvania. About 1810 he moved to Hamilton County, Ohio, where he passed the remainder of his life. His family comprised the following children: Benjamin T., Sarah A., William H., Hannah, Lazarus, Isaac, Abraham and George; of this large family Abra- ham is the sole survivor. His home is near Cin- cinnati and he is still in the employ of the C., H. & D. R. R. The parents of our subject were Lazarus and Elizabeth (Holden) Pine, the latter of whom died of consumption in 1848.
William H. Pine was born eight miles from Cincinnati, in Hamilton County, Ohio, April 20,
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1826, and was but fourteen years of age when his father died. He obtained such education as the district school afforded during the winter terms and worked on the farm in summers. When in his seventeenth year he was apprenticed to his Uncle Martin Barnes, a cooper, and two years later went to Franklin County, Ind., where he remained for a year working at his trade. Returning to his old home in Ohio he remained there until 1846, when he went west and concluded to found a home in Marion County, Mo. The same year he married Miss Maria Sanders, who in company with her sister's family had previously come to this locality, and whom he had met in Hamilton Coun- ty, Ohio. They were married December 20, 1846. Until 1849 Mr. Pine continued to work at his trade in connection with farming, but then was stricken with the prevailing gold fever, and in the spring of 1850 started overland for Califor- nia; for three years he engaged in mining in the Sacramento Valley, meeting with very good suc- cess. He was in partnership with a man by the name of Jenkins, who bought his interest in the mine for three thousand dollars and a short time afterward disposed of the mine for four thousand or five thousand dollars. Mr. Pine returned home by way of the Isthmus and the Mississippi River and once more turned his attention to his old em- ployments.
In 1854 Mr. Pine bought out his former em- ployer, a Mr. Hubbard, and thenceforth conduct- ed the business in his own name for a number of years. He manufactured great numbers of bar- rels for the Scipio Distillery until during the sec- ond year of the war, when the high tax upon coop- erage rendered the business unprofitable; Mr. Pine then engaged in the cultivation of the farm he had purchased on his return from the Pacific Slope. In 1865 he purchased a sawmill for the purpose of converting the timber upon his land into railroad ties and square lumber, having large contracts with the H. & St. Jo. R. R .; when his supplies were exhausted at the end of about two years he sold his mill and from that time onward was solely a farmer and stock-raiser.
Although Mr. Pine took no part in the War of the Rebellion he suffered pecuniary losses from the depredations of soldiers. As he came from
the East he favored the Union, but was very con- servative and never indulged in argument. The questions of the times wrought the public up to such a pitch that crowds would frequently congre- gate in and around his shops, and in 1862, while some Kansas troops were in the vicinity, a colored man carried the report to them that a Confederate company was being organized, that their head- quarters were in Pine's shop and that he was tak- ing an active part in the matter; this report had no foundation whatever, but originated in the idle talk of a few whose valor was confined to words. The soldiers acted hastily and in an unwarranted manner, for without making proper investigations they rode onto the premises, fired repeatedly into the house and shop and set fire to the barn, which was destroyed with all its contents, including a new buggy and harness which had just been pur- chased. Owing to this injustice it can scarcely be wondered at that Mr. Pine from that time until the close of the war gave his sympathy to the Southern cause. One of the bullets fired into his house is now kept as a trophy by his son, George Pine. From time to time the father added to his possessions until he owned over three hundred acres of land. His careful business methods were shown when his large estate was settled, as with the exception of a security debt of five hundred dollars there was not a claim of one cent against the property.
Mrs. Maria Pine, who survives her husband and is still living on the old homestead, is won- derfully well preserved, being active both in mind and body, and makes a practice of driving alone in her carriage to Hannibal and all through this section of the country. She was born in Ripley County, Ind., May 12, 1827, and is the daughter of Eli and Orpha (Lingo Sanders, the former of whom was born in Batavia, Ohio, in 1800. They were the parents of ten children, all of whom lived . to maturity with one exception. Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Pine had seven children: Lazarus E., a bridge carpenter on the U. P. R. R .; Mary E., wife of William J. Weatherly, retired farmer, liv- ing in Columbia, Mo .; George W., a genial and well-to-do farmer of Miller Township, this coun- ty; Sadie M. (Mrs. William Jellison), of Ralls County, Mo .; Margaret (Mrs. D. M. Carroll),
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who died in this county August 10, 1893, leaving eight children; Sterling P., who died in 1871, aged ten years; Nellie A., who married Henry Schok- necht, a draper and upholsterer of St. Louis; An- nie, who married W. F. Testerman, who has just taken charge of the home farm. Mrs. Maria Pine has been a faithful member of the Christian Church since 1844 and is beloved by all who know her.
S AMUEL M. ELLIOTT came to dwell on the homestead which he now occupies, on Section 23, Clay Township, Ralls County, in 1862, and from that time until the present has been actively concerned in everything pertaining to the welfare and advancement of this com- munity. He is a man of prominence and influ- ence, honorable and upright in all his dealings, and enjoys the respect and love of all who have the pleasure of his acquaintance. He possesses a genial, happy way in his intercourse with peo- ple, readily winning hosts of friends. Fraternally he is a Master Mason, belonging to Ralls Lodge No. 33, of Centre.
The Doctor's father, Samuel Elliott, was born in Chester County, Pa., and died in 1854, when in his sixty-ninth year. He married Lillie Skinner, a native of Franklin County, Pa., who died in 1874, aged eighty-eight years. At the age of eight- een years Mr. Elliott commenced learning the blacksmith trade, which he followed for some time, and later turned his attention to agricultural pursuits, in which he had been reared. He was a good scholar and a member of the Old Line Whig party. In 1836 he went to Ohio on horse- back with a view to locate there should a favor- able opportunity present itself, but he did not finally carry out his plans. His family comprised six sons and six daughters, as follows: John W .. a retired merchant of Richmond, Va .; William, a retired merchant of Franklin County, Pa .; Mary A., deceased; Stephen, who died in Wisconsin; Samuel M .; Sarah, deceased; Lillie, who resides in Franklin County, Pa .; Katie, wife of the Rev.
Brewer, a Lutheran minister of Carthage, Ill .; George, who is a farmer in California; and Jane, Robert and Mattie, who are deceased.
The birth of S. M. Elliott occurred in Franklin County, Pa., March 29, 1825. He was reared on his father's homestead, in Path Valley, in his na- tive county, and remained there until after reach- ing his majority. He then started forth deter- mined to succeed in the battle of life, and, going to Grant County, Wis., obtained employment in the mines. He was absent from home from 1846 to 1848, and then returning to the Keystone State remained there until 1850. That year he emi- grated to Hannibal, Mo., but not long afterward returned to Wisconsin, where he continued to re- side for five years more. Coming back to this State, he lived for a year on South River and did not permanently settle down until 1862. He then purchased thirty-six acres and added to it until he now owns one hundred and ten acres, his pres- ent farm. The place is a beautiful and desirable one, the gardens well kept and even the barns and out-buildings show the care which is bestowed upon them.
April 18, 1854, Mr. Elliott married in this county Martha S. Riddle, who was born in Mar- tinsburg, Va., December II, 1828. Her father, John N. Riddle, was a native of the same town, born in January, 1803, and died April 4, 1845. His wife, who was a Miss Susan Tabb, was like- wise of Martinsburg, born in September, 1802, and survived until August 14, 1875. She was married March 26, 1818, and emigrated west- ward at a later date, arriving in Hannibal, Mo., July 4, 1836. Mr. and Mrs. Riddle located on South River, in this county, and there passed the remainder of their lives. Of their eight children, Martha S. is the eldest; William is a Texas farmer; Katie is also living in the Lone Star State; Joseph is deceased; Mary married John Stone, a carpen- ter, and is now deceased; Elizabeth, Lavina and David are all residents of Texas. Their father was for some years engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods in Virginia, but after coming west gave himself entirely to agriculture.
In his early manhood Mr. Elliott attended the medical college in Philadelphia for two terms
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PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
with the intention of adopting that profession, but was obliged to abandon his plans on account of poor health. An out-door life seemed neces- sary to his welfare and has resulted favorably. A few years since he was injured while lifting some heavy machinery, and has been obliged to give up much of his active work. For a year and a half, while living in Wisconsin, he was fairly success- ful as the proprietor of a livery and express busi- ness. Politically he is a Democrat and was Deputy Assessor for one year, though he had never aspired to official honors. Formerly he was a member of the Presbyterian denomination, but growing liberal in his views is now non- affiliated.
J AMES H. GENTRY, whose sketch now in- vites attention, is one of the oldest and most prominent residents of Ralls County, of which section he has been a resident since 1848. He owns one of the largest and best culti- vated estates in Missouri, including four hun- dred and thirty-two acres, lying in Clay Town- ship, whereon Mr. Gentry still makes his home.
Our subject is a native of Virginia and was born in Amherst County, March 21, 1817. His parents were Harman and Sarah C. (Roberts) Gentry, the former born in Albemarle County, Va., and died December 12, 1870, aged eighty- one years. Mrs. Sarah C. Gentry was born in Nelson County, Va., and departed this life in 1870, aged eighty years. They were married near Lynchburg near the close of the War of 1812, and remained in their native State until 1832, when they came to Missouri, settling on a farm adjoin- ing where their son, our subject, now resides, and there passed the remainder of their lives. The father was a millwright by trade, which bus- iness he followed throughout life. He built the Tatlow mill, near Palmyra and the one at Louis- iana, which were the first in the county. He was very prominent in public affairs and in all the relations of life was true to himself and others.
To Harman and Sarah C. Gentry there were
born four sons and three daughters, of whom we make the following mention: James H., our subject, was the eldest of the family; Anna E. is the widow of William Vaughan, of Monroe County, Mo .; Sarah J. married William Newland, and both are deceased; Susan married Jacob L. Clayton, and they are also deceased. The other children died in infancy.
Our subject accompanied his parents on their removal to this county from Virginia in 1832. He remained at home until 1848, when he started out for himself and located where he now lives. During the latter years of his parents' life he cared for them and looked after the management of the place. Success has attended the efforts of Mr. Gentry from the first and he is now re- garded as one of the wealthy and influential citi- zens of the county. He was married in this town- ship in 1849 to Miss Juliet E. Martin, who was born in Franklin County, Ky., in 1829. Her parents were James S. and Mary J. (Geard) Mar- tin, the former born in Scott County, Ky. He died in 1887, aged seventy-five years. Mary J. was born in Woodford County, Ky., and died in 1884, when sixty-one years old. They were mar- ried in the Blue Grass State and made their home there until 1832, when they came to Ralls County, locating near Big Creek. This locality was their home until 1883, when they broke up housekeep- ing and went to live with their children. Mr. Martin was an extensive farmer and slave-holder and prominent both in the affairs of his native State and Missouri. Their union resulted in the birth of ten children: William, living in Cali- fornia; John A., M. D., deceased; James E., de- ceased; Juliet, Mrs. Gentry; Susan married Jas. M. Hollyman, of Marion County, and is now de- ceased; Mary married Wm. Switzer, and is also deceased; Sarah married Thos. Ash, and three died young. Prior to his union with Miss Geard Mr. Martin married a Miss Wilson, also of Ken- tucky, who died in 1829, leaving a daughter, Nannie, now deceased, who became the wife of Larkin Caldwell, of Shelby County, Mo.
To our subject and his estimable wife there have been born five sons and five daughters: Virginia A, is the wife of David Riddle, a farmer
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and merchant of Vernon, Texas; Sallie C. is the wife of Harvey Caldwell, of New London, this county; Mary J. married John F. Minor, a farmer of Marion County; James H. is a physi- cian practicing in Arizona; William M. is a farmer of Rensselaer Township, this county; Eugene R. is engaged in the wire fence business in this county; Joseph E. is residing with his parents; Walter L. is a dentist of Arizona; Susan A. is at home; and Annie E. is the wife of Charles E. Medcalf, a prominent farmer of Ralls County.
The house of Mr. Gentry, which was built in 1844, before he took possession of the place, was destroyed by fire February 10, 1895, while the family were away to church. It was immediately replaced by a beautiful residence, neat and sub- stantially finished and which is furnished in a manner which indicates its occupants to be peo- ple of means and good taste.
Mr. Gentry is ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church, with which denomination he has been connected since 1840. In early life he was a Whig, but of late years he votes the Democratic ticket. His estimable character and useful life have secured to him the respect of his acquaint- ances and the deeper regard of those who know him best.
R OBERT K. KEITH, who resides in Town- ship 55, Range 5, is a native of Ralls County and is a son of James H. Keith, whose sketch appears elsewhere in this work. He was born June 23, 1870, and remained at home, assisting in the farm work and attending such dis- trict schools as the township afforded, until twenty-three years of age. When twenty-one years old, however, he commenced life for him- self, renting a portion of the home place. On October 23, 1892, he married Emma N. Ford,
a daughter of Daniel B. and Mary (Keithly) Ford. She was the sixth child in a family of eight, and our subject was also the sixth child in a family of the same number. Immediately after their mar- riage they took up their residence witli his brother Joseph, on the Widow Long farm, in this county, but remained there only a few months, while the house, which is now their residence, was being prepared for their reception. On February 28 of the following year, they removed to their present place, which is a portion of the estate of his father, and which the brothers use and control together. There are three hundred and eighty acres in this tract, of which number our subject cultivates seventy acres, the remainder being in grass. In his agricultural pursuits he has fol- lowed a general line of farming, raising a variety of grains and stocks. In politics he is a Demo- crat. He was formerly a member of the Presby- terian Church, but at present does not hold mem- bership with any denomination. His wife is a member of the Christian Church, with which body she has been connected since her fourteenth year. She is a native of Ralls County, born September 18, 1872, but the greater part of her life was spent in the town of Wellsville, Montgomery County, receiving her education in the schools of that place. They have one child, Hiram Remley, named in honor of a cousin of his mother, and a friend of his father. He was born December 8, 1894. Mr. Keith has been very unfortunate in the way of accidents and bodily injuries as well, but most fortunate in escaping fatal injury. In May, 1889, while squirrel hunting, he was shot by the accidental discharge of a gun in the hands of his brother, the entire charge passing through his hat, cutting a furrow four inches long through the hair and scalp. In December, 1891, he re- ceived an injury in the hand from a butcher knife, from which the blood flowed so freely as almost to produce fatal results.
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with Beefich G. Of Inhop
PORTRAIT AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD.
463
GOODWIN O. BISHOP.
G OODWIN O. BISHOP, now serving to , the full satisfaction of the people as City Assessor of Hannibal, was honored by being elected to this place in 1894, on the Re- publican ticket. He has always been an active worker in the party and was one of the twenty- seven voters of Hannibal who supported Lincoln in 1860. A man of progressive ideas, he has been an influential factor in the growth and develop- ment of Hannibal, where he is very well known and highly esteemed.
John Bishop, grandfather of our subject, was born in England and emigrated to the United States in 1750, later taking part in the War of the Revolution. His son, Sylvester, father of G. O. Bishop, was a native of Vermont, and was a patriot in the War of 1812. At the age of twenty- two years he joined the Methodist Church, in which he was ordained an Elder, and soon after- wards became a minister. He removed to Jeffer- son . County, N. Y., about 1800 and engaged in farming there for many years. On reaching man's estate he married Almeda Kingsbury, by whom he had nine children.
The birth of our subject occurred in Hender- son Township, Jefferson County, N. Y., June 19, 1830. He remained under the parental roof until reaching his seventeenth year, when he left home in order to learn a trade. He had previously at- tended the district and select schools and had obtained a good general education. For three years he served an apprenticeship to the joiner's and ship-builder's trade, and in 1849 took passage on the schooner Oxford at Shemont Bay, on Lake Ontario, his destination being Cleveland, Ohio. Reaching there he spent two years as a journey- man working at his trade, and from 1850 to 1854 was employed as superintendent of bridges,
buildings and water works on the C., C. & C. and the C., N. & T. Railroads.
In 1854 Mr. Bishop took a contract to con- struct part of the D. & M. Railroad, and two years later, in connection with a partner, con- tracted to build a rolling mill and thirty houses on the north branch of the Chicago River, in the city of that name. The mill and houses were partly constructed in Newport, Mich., and were shipped in sailing vessels to Chicago. The plant was finished in 1857, the year of the great panic, and after the mill was put in operation Mr. Bishop became inspector of iron in the concern. This rolling mill was the first one utilized for making "T" rails in the State of Illinois. In 1858 our sub- ject came to Hannibal, and from that time until the outbreak of the war was employed in build- ing bridges on the H. & N. Railroad. In 1860' he was superintendent of bridges, water works and buildings on the H. & St. J. Railroad. Dur- ing the Rebellion he was Captain of a company of men who were kept busy in building bridges which were burned by the Confederates.
In connection with Col. J. T. K. Howard, for- mer manager of the H. & St. J. Railroad, Mr. Bishop took a contract in 1887 to transfer freight from the Burlington Railroad to Hannibal. In order to do this they purchased from the United States Government the steamer "Huron," and a number of barges from other parties. The fol- lowing year the two partners associated them- selves with Amos J. Stillwell and obtaining sub- scription from Monroe County, Mason Township and Hannibal, in Missouri; and Pike County, Ill., built the H. & N. Railroad, which is now a part of the Wabash, and the H. & C. M. Railroad, now incorporated in M., K. & T. road. Mr. Bishop was largely instrumental in securing the construc-
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tion of these roads, and was Superintendent of the H. & N. road during the first part of its exist- ence. He also helped in the construction of the S. & M. Railroad, having the contract for laying the tracks from Springfield, Mo., to Memphis, Tenn. He was also awarded the contract for building the first street railway in Hannibal, and was superintendent of the sewer system of this place.
In 1855 Mr. Bishop was united in marriage with Miss Isabella Young, who was born at West Point, N. Y., and whose parents were James and Hettie (Gregory) Young; James Young was born at Abbottsford, Scotland. To them were born four children: Hettie, who married John L. Lathrop, of Hannibal; Otis G., living in Michi- gan; Alice, who is the wife of Harry F. Morris, County Collector, and Margaret.
S AMUEL C. YAGER. This gentleman, who is one of the prominent and progress- ive business men of Louisiana, is engaged as a miller and grain dealer. He is a native of Illinois, and was born January 5, 1841, in La Harpe, Hancock County. His parents were Fran- cis E. and Elizabeth (Simms) Yager, both natives of Washington County, Ky. The father was a farmer, but also carried on the business of a miller with great success. He was the son of Nicholas Yager, a native of Kentucky, and of German ancestry. On his mother's side he was of English descent, the founder of this branch of the family coming to America in Colonial days with Lord Baltimore and locating in Maryland. The male members of the family of Simms later fought in the War of 1812 and were also participants in the Mexican War.
About the year 1834 the father of our subject moved with his family to Illinois, settling in Han- cock County, where he lived until the spring of 1842, when he took up his abode in Monroe County, Mo., where his death occurred in March, 1864. The maternal grandfather of Samuel C.
was Samuel Simms. His daughter, Elizabeth, was born in 1808, and lived until September, 1889. Both parents were devout members of the Catholic Church, and in politics the father was a Union Democrat. During the late war he was a Union man, and for some time served in the State Militia.
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