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 85
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 85
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 85
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May 2, 1875, Mr. Swigert married Clara E. Bu- chanan, daughter of his step-father. The young couple commenced housekeeping on a farm in Saverton Township, and for five years lived in various parts of the county, Mr. Swigert working at farming during the summer and at book bind- ing in the winter. In 1880 Mr. Swigert returned to Hannibal, being employed at the printing and book binding business, coming in 1881 to his present homestead. Of the two hundred and ten acres which constitute this farm, about one hun- dred and thirty-five acres are cultivated, and the remainder is used for pasture. Our subject is the only man in this portion of the county who deals extensively in pure bred Poland-China hogs, which he raises and sells to the farmers for breeders.
Mr. and Mrs. Swigert are the parents of four children, three of whom are living. One died in infancy, unnamed, and the others are Joseph, Robert and Fannie, all at home. The parents are both members of the Baptist Church of New London, and enjoy the confidence and good will of all who know them. Politically Mr. Swigert is a true blue Republican, having been affiliated with the party since attaining his majority. He pos- sesses an extensive fund of information in regard to the current and practical affairs of the day, and is a man of strong convictions.
J OHN J. SMITH lives in honorable retire- ment on a splendidly improved farm in Buf- falo Township, Pike County, which is owned by his son, Joseph H. The early years of his life were passed in working at his trade of a millwright, which business he abandoned in order to follow carpentering. This he continued until about ten years ago, when he came to live with his son.
Our subject was born in Bath County, Ky., October 28, 1812, and was the eldest of seven children, born to Joab and Nancy (Johnson) Smith, of whom three survive. The father was also a Kentuckian by birth, and was born about the year 1789. He there grew to manhood and married Miss Johnson. In 1817 the young cou- ple came to Missouri, and after spending one win- ter near where is now located the City of St. Charles, came to what is now Pike County, lo- cating on Salt River. There the father was living at the time of his decease, when in his thirty- eighth year.
The mother of our subject was also born about 1789 and lived to a good old age, dying when in her eightieth year. For a number of years prior to her decease she made her home with our sub- ject. Her parents were Thomas and Ann (Win- field) Johnson, the former of whom was born near Dublin, Ireland, of which city his father was at one time the Postmaster. Thomas was given
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a good education, and one day, while away from home on an errand, he fell in with some officers of a vessel which was about ready to sail for Amer- ica. Being anxious to see something of the New World, he "shipped" with them, and as the boat left the shores of old Ireland he gazed for the last time on the land of his birth, and from that time until his death he never heard from his par- ents, or they from him.
The grandfather of our subject married Miss Ann Winfield, of Maryland, who made teaching the vocation of her life. He was well educated and became a noted instructor; both lived to a good old age.
John J., of this sketch, grew to man's estate under the parental roof, attending school from the time he was old enough until a lad of fourteen years, when he was apprenticed to learn the trade of a millwright under the instruction of an uncle. He gave his undivided attention to mastering this business, and in 1833, when pronounced by his relative as thoroughly qualified, established a business for himself. For some three or four years he followed this trade successfully, when, on the event of his marriage to Miss Yeater, in 1837, he abandoned the work, as it required him too often to be away from home. He then gave his attention to the carpenter's trade, and for nearly forty years plied his plane and chisel with success. About ten years ago, however, he re- tired to the farm which he purchased one year before his marriage.
Miss Martha W. Yeater and our subject were married October 17, 1837. The lady was the daughter of Joseph B. and Mary (Phenix) Yeater, and was born at Grassy Creek, this county, Feb- ruary 16, 1820. There she grew to womanhood and lived happily with our subject until her de- cease, which occurred in December, 1878. She became the mother of eight children, of whom five are still living. They are: William B., a farmer in this township; Mary E., who married William Caverley, a progressive farmer and stock-raiser of this county; Zachariah Taylor, who has been twice married and is the father of two children; he is living on a good farm in this county, of which he is the owner; Joseph H. married Miss
Ella Collins, by whom he has two sons and one daughter; Martha J. is now Mrs. Horace McLeod; her husband is a well-to-do farmer of Pike County. Mr. Smith, although in his eighty-third year, is active and enjoying splendid health, and is in every way a remarkably preserved old gen- tleman. He is one of the very few pioneers of this State now living, and it is deeply interesting to hear him relate some of the early events of his life, which he does in a very entertaining manner. He is courteous and affable in manner and has hosts of friends throughout the county by whom he is held in high regard. He is a great temper- ance man and never fails to cast a vote in favor of Prohibition candidates. He is a consistent member of the Baptist Church, his membership dating back forty years, and is a liberal supporter, by means and influence, of all worthy causes. He is, in fact, one of the representative and prominent old residents of the county, whose history we are pleased to place before the public.
W ILLIAM P. H. GATES. Among the many residents of Pike County who . deserve notice in this volume, Mr. Gates is most certainly not one of the least. He is successfully engaged in farming and stock- raising in Spencer Township, among whose resi- dents he is greatly esteemed.
Mr. Gates was born in Oldham County, Ky., February 23, 1849, and is the son of Peter F. and Elizabeth (Ayres) Gates. The father was also born in the above county, the date thereof being May 23, 1805. He in turn was the son of the Rev. Elijah and Docia Gates and departed this life in April, 1864. His father was a second time married, and together with his last wife was drowned in the Mississippi River near St. Louis while en route to this county from Kentucky, where he was an extensive slaveholder and preacher in the Primitive Baptist Church. Mrs. Elizabeth Gates was also a native of the Blue Grass State and was born February 20, 1809. She
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was the daughter of John and Agnes Ayres, like- wise natives of that State, where they lived and died.
The parents of our subject were married No- vember 15, 1831, in Kentucky and to them were born seven children, five sons and two daughters, as follows: Elijah died in early youth; John A. is a farmer residing in this township; Joseph T. and Edmond are deceased; Eva married James A. Crow, a retired farmer now residing at Curry- ville, this State; William, of this sketch, was the next born, and Martha, the youngest of the house- hold, died in infancy.
Peter F. Gates came to this county in 1853, set- tling at once in this township, near Spencerburg. Here he carried on farming, his estate being run by slave labor. He was a very prominent man in the locality and well thought of by all who knew him. He was possessed of more than an ordi- nary education to assist him in the battle of life and took great interest in politics.
Our subject was married in 1883 to Miss P. T. (Pinkie) Davis, who is five years younger and a native of this State. She was the daughter of Vir- gil C. and Martha (Brown) Davis, the former of whom was a native of Kentucky, his birth occur- ring in the Blue Grass State in 1825. He is now residing near New Hartford, this State, where he is engaged in farming. His parents were Rev. William and Damarius (Carpenter) Davis, the former an Elder and noted preacher in the Bap- tist Church for sixty-three years, and a substan- tial farmer and stock-raiser of Pike County, who came hither from his native State, Kentucky, with his family and a large number of slaves at a time when the settlers were few and far between. He died when eighty-four years old, in 1883, hav- ing spent a long and useful life. The mother of Mrs. Gates was born in this county and died when the former was a few weeks old. She was the daughter of John and Elizabeth Brown, natives of Virginia. Her father was noted for being one of the best farmers and business men of this county. She was then adopted by her grand- father Davis and his second wife, whose name was Mary A. McMichael. This estimable lady was also born in Kentucky and lived to a good old
age. Virgil C. Davis and his wife were married in this county and to them were born two chil- dren, John W. and P. T. (Pinkie), Mrs. Gates. The latter is a lady of fine education and for nine years, from 1874 to 1883, taught school in this county.
William Gates was deprived of the care of his father when fifteen years of age. He continued to make his home with his mother until her death, after which the brother and sister lived together on the old homestead until November, 1882, when the latter was married. William still made his home on the old estate until February of the fol- lowing year, when he moved to Curryville, this State, and for one year was engaged in the mill- ing business. He then purchased his present place · (Prairie Grain Farm), having derived its name from the amount of grain it annually produces, which then comprised two hundred acres. It is now, however, three hundred and sixty acres in extent and is classed among the finest and most productive estates in Pike County.
Mr. Gates is a devoted member of the Mission- ary Baptist Church. Politically he is a Demo- crat and never fails to cast his vote for the prin- ciples in which he believes.
S LADE HUDSON is one of the wealthiest and most extensive agriculturists of Pike County. For many years his home has been in Hartford Township, where he owns a beautiful farm comprising seven hundred acres. The place is well improved with good buildings, fences, orchards, etc., has fine running water, and is a model farnı of this decade. It would readily command a very high price in the market and is considered one of the most desirable tracts of land in the county.
The parents of the above-named gentleman were Thomas and Mary (Hammond) Hudson1. The father was born in Kentucky in 1798, and by trade was a blacksmith, although he also man- aged a farm and a mill. His father, Isaac Hud-
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son, was born in Georgia, and volunteered in the Continental Army in the War for Independence, serving until the triumph of his side. He married a Miss Mollie Shephard, of Georgia, and for some years afterward they continued to dwell in that State, when they moved to Kentucky, and finally to Lincoln County, Mo. The Hudsons were of Scotch and Welsh ancestry, the progeni- tors of the family having settled in Georgia at a very early period. Our subject's father was mar- ried in this State and became the father of the following children: Louisa J., Mrs. Quinton Wilson, died in this county in August, 1873; William J., a painter by trade, lived in this State and in Illinois, and is supposed to have died at Hot Springs, Ark., some twenty-three years ago; Mary is the wife of Wesley Green, a farmer of this county; Isaac T. married Helen McConnell of this State, and is a carpenter of Dodge City, Kan .; James N., when sixteen years old, went to California, bought a farm and married, and is still living in that State; Slade is the next in order of birth; Lucinda died in childhood; Charles Wes- ley, a farmer and trader in Lincoln County, Mo., married Emily F. Hagood; Henry B., who has been twice married, is now agent for tombstones in Montgomery City, Mo., and Wealthy R. Zella is the widow of Hiram Weatherford and now lives in Lincoln County.
Slade Hudson was born in Pike County No- vember 12, 1838, and when fifteen years of age went to live with his maternal grandfather, under whose roof he dwelt for the next seven years. He received a common school education, and when of age, on November 17, 1859, he married Ade- line Mabry, and soon afterward he moved to his farm in Lincoln County and engaged in its culti- vation and improvement for the next eighteen years, at the end of which time he sold out and, moving to this locality, bought his present valu- able homestead in Pike County.
Thirteen children graced the union of Mr. and Mrs. Hudson, two dying when quite young, the others being as follows: Eva L., who received a good education and lived at home; Alice J., wife of Thomas J. Buchanan, a farmer of this county ; Mary E., who died when in her sixteenth year;
Elizabeth A., who is at home; George W., of Lin- coln County, whose wife was formerly Dora S. Buchanan; Joseph A., who married Bertie Rog- ers, is now living with his father, but will soon move near Bellflower, Montgomery County, to reside, and Benjamin I., Slade A., James T., Jessie M., and Fred L., who are still under tlie parental roof. Mrs. Hudson is a daughter of Pleasant and Bathsheba (Ingraham) Mabry, who were natives of Kentucky, and in early years moved to Pike County. Of their seven children, Philip and Jonathan served for six months in the United States Army; the former is now a resident of Hickory County and the latter of Montgomery County, Mo .; Cornelius is also a resident of Mont- gomery County, as is his younger brother, Ben- jamin; Samuel is a citizen of Lincoln County, and Nancy, wife of William Hudson, dwells in Polk County. It has been one of the chief ambi- tions of Mr. Hudson and his estimable wife to give their children excellent school privileges and to bring them up to be useful and valued citi- zens in the communities where they may locate. They are members of the Christian Church and enjoy the friendship of all who have the pleasure of their acquaintance. Politically Mr. Hudson is a Democrat and fraternally belongs to the Ma- sonic order, to the A. O. U. W. and to the Triple Alliance.
T HOMAS CRENSHAW MOORE, pro- prietor of the leading harness and sad- dlery house of Hannibal, was born in Ralls County, Mo., in Clay Township, March 21, 1855. He is the son of James Priestly Moore, a native of Jessamine County, Ky., having been born there in 1823. He was the son of John Moore, also a Kentuckian, and of Irish ancestry. The latter was a farmer by occupation and removed to Missouri when James, his son, was a lad of eight years. He first located in Hannibal, but afterwards removed to Ralls County, where he died at Hydesburg, in the summer of 1848. His wife was before her marriage Anna Owen. She
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was also a native of the Blue Grass State and was married to John Moore about 1820. James was an only child and the mother departed this life when he was an infant. The grandfather of our subject was a soldier in the war between Texas and Mexico.
The early manhood of James P. Moore was spent at home. He learned later the trade of a plasterer, which he followed for many years. On abandoning this occupation he purchased a farm in Clay Township, which he moved upon and op- erated until a few years prior to his decease. He disposed of his estate in 1889 and moved to Mon- roe City, where he was the proprietor of a good harness and saddlery establishment at the time of his death, May 20, 1893. He was a Democrat in politics and a member in good standing of the Baptist Church.
The mother of our subject was Sarah F., daughter of Richard and Frances (Crenshaw) Davis, natives of Virginia. The Davis family was of Welch ancestry and the Crenshaws of French descent. Richard Davis was the son of John Davis, who was a neighbor of Patrick Henry. Thomas Crenshaw, our subject's great- grandfather, owned the "Mill of the slashes," where young Henry Clay took his "grists." At the house of Thomas Crenshaw the first Sunday school in the United States was organized by Bishop Asburry of the Methodist Episcopal Church. This was in 1786. The great-grand- parents lived and died in Hanover County, Va.
James and Sarah Moore were married at Han- nibal, Mo., November 16, 1848, at the home of Theopholis Stone. Mrs. Sarah Moore was a member of the Baptist Church, in the faith of which she died, August 11, 1883, at the old home place in Ralls County. She was the youngest member of the following large family: Mary A. married John Bethel of Kentucky; Nancy G. was married to John Woods; Thomas C., for- merly an attorney at Richmond, Va .; Susan C., married Moses Hawkins, of Ralls County, Mo .; Elizabeth H., married Rev. William Myln, and went with him as a missionary to Africa, sailing on the brig Susan & Elizabeth, in 1835; she was taken sick and died soon after arriving in Liberia,
and was buried on the western coast of Africa. John R. was a farmer, and is deceased; Lucy M. married Jacob La Fevre, and was at one time the teacher of Mark Twain and is mentioned by him in some of his writings; Nathaniel H., Anderson C., and Catherine M. died young; Richard de- parted this life in California, April 3, 1850, dur- ing the gold excitement in that State; Saphronia E. married Orville Randolph and died in Mont- gomery County, Mo .; Emily C. married John H. Davis. There are now forty-eight grand-chil- dren in the family, and it may be truly said of them that they lead honorable and useful lives, respected by all who know them. Mr. and Mrs. James P. Moore became the parents of six chil- dren. Anna Frances, married Roderick E. Shaw, a descendant of Commodore Perry; he is now deceased. John Richard makes his home in St. Louis and is engaged in the auditor's office of the Wabash Railroad; he married Mrs. Fran- ces Brown and has a son, Louis D. Laura S. married Joseph L. Diven of Chicago and had two children, James Moore and Sadie Lou Anna. She afterward married Robert K. Megown of Monroe City; Thomas C. married Mary P. Laps- ley. James P., now of Monroe City, married Carrie Hume, a native of Kentucky; Minnie E. is living in Ralls County, Mo .; she married James A. B. McElroy, Jr., and to them have been born a daughter-Anna Geraldine.
Thomas C. Moore, the subject proper of this sketch, spent his early life on the home farm, in Clay Township, where he attended the common schools and later became a student in the Van Rensselaer Academy. He remained on the farm until attaining his twenty-fifth year, when he came to Hannibal, and in 1881 formed a partner- ship with C. F. McVeagh in the harness and sad- dlery business, operating under the style of Mc- Veagh & Moore. This connection existed for two years, when Mr. Moore purchased the inter- est of his partner and has since carried on the business alone. It is located on Maine Street, and is direct headquarters for all articles coming under the head of harness, saddlery and turf goods. Mr. Moore manufactures his own har- ness and is at the head of the leading business of
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this kind in the city. He is also interested in the C. D. LaFevre Sand Co., which is engaged in getting out river sand for the market.
The original of this sketch was married De- cember 26, 1882, at Moberly, to Mary P., daugh- ter of Samuel McKee and Paulina Theresa Laps- ley, natives respectively of Kentucky and Mis- souri. To them have been born two children- James Lapsley, whose birth occurred September 18, 1884, and Anna Pauline, born October 31, 1889. The Lapsleys were descended from the French Huguenots of that name who emigrated from France to the North of Ireland. Joseph Lapsley with two brothers emigrated to the United States early in the eighteenth century. The two brothers settled in Philadelphia, Pa. 'Howard Lapsley, a banker in New York, is a descendant of the Philadelphia Lapsleys). Joseph Lapsley settled in Virginia, about 1742. He married Sarah, daughter of Michael Woods, a native of Ireland.
Dr. Samuel McKee Lapsley, the father of Mrs. Moore, was a son of John A. Lapsley and Mary W. McKee, who were married August 10, 1805. The father of John A. also bore the name of John and was born September 29, 1753. He was the son of Joseph Lapsley, above referred to. John Lapsley, Sr., was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, under Gen. Morgan. He was wounded at the battle of Brandywine while carrying or- ders from the General to the troops in the field.
Our subject and his wife are members of the Presbyterian Church, and in politics the former is a Democrat. Socially he is a K. of P.
C OLONEL WILLIAM COCKRELL SPLAWN, of Center Township, was born in Fairfield District, South Caro- lina, April 15, 1822, and is of Irish origin. His father, William Splawn, was also born in South Carolina, and was a large cotton planter, owning a large estate and a number of slaves. He mar- ried Elizabeth Cockrell, daughter of Jeremiah
and Jemima Cockrell, natives of that State. They were the parents of five daughters and three sons: Sarah married William S. Tipton in South Caro- lina before the family removed from that State; Eliza, who, on the death of her sister, also mar- ried William S: Tipton; Rosanna married R. B. Coldwell, of Ralls County, Mo .; Jemima mar- ried S. B. Means; Nancy became the wife of O. H. P. Phillips; Jeremiah died in 1832; Stephen died in childhood; William C., our subject. The father died when our subject was a year and a half old. Soon after his death his widow disposed of the estate and in 1827 moved to Montgomery County, Ky., where she rented a farm for a few years and then bought a small place. Their fine estate had been encumbered by her husband becoming se- curity for a friend, which, when the debts were paid, left but little to support the family.
In 1840 the family, with the exception of three daughters, one of whom was married in South Carolina and two in Kentucky, came to New London, Ralls County, Mo., arriving October 25. They spent the winter in New London, when the mother took up eighty acres each for the girls and purchased two hundred and thirty-five acres where the Town of Center is now located. In March following they moved to the tract now oc- cupied by the poor farm, which was a portion of the original tract. After locating here they pur- chased land from time to time until they owned about a thousand acres.
The subject of this sketch was married Febru- ary 2, 1842, before he was twenty years old, to Mary D. Ely, a daughter of John and Sarah (Pike) Ely. She was among the first children born in Ralls County. Her father was a native of Bath County, Ky., and her mother of Raleigh, N. C. After her marriage her mother made her home with our subject until her death, which oc- curred some years later. Soon after commenc- ing life for himself Mr. Splawn gave his atten- tion principally to trading in horses and mules, raising many and also buying many when colts, and keeping them on his large farm until ready for the market. He drove them to St. Louis long before there were any railroads, and shipped thein from that point by boat to Natchez, New Orleans
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and Vicksburg, which latter place was his nearest market. This business he followed for over forty years and can safely say that he has handled more horses and mules than any man living in Mis- souri. He was well known throughout the South and West. At the breaking out of the war he owned thirteen slaves.
Our subject attended the first State Fair held in Missouri, which was in 1845. Soon after the Legislature divided the State into five districts in which fairs were to be held. One was located at Paris, of which Mr. Splawn was a director for eight years. When Gov. Jackson made a call for the State Militia he was one of the first to respond and was made Lieutenant-Colonel of the regi- ment. He was in the service for six months. In 1864 he rented a large tract of land from his uncle, Davis Cockrell, and engaged extensively in cot- ton raising, in which enterprise he was very suc- cessful, selling his cotton in Memphis for fifty cents a pound. The following year, in company with two partners, he planted two thousand four hundred acres of cotton in Madison Parish, La., and lost forty-one thousand dollars on ac- count of the boll worm. He then returned to Mis- souri and purchased nine hundred acres of land, having sold his farm before going South. He did not resume his business of buying horses and mules, but engaged in breeding thoroughbred Hereford cattle. This he continued until 1894. when he made a clearance sale and disposed of his entire stock. He did this on account of ad- vanced age, being unable to longer give the busi- ness his attention. He is a member of the Na- tional Hereford Association, and is widely known in this connection as a breeder of cattle. His long experience and natural ability in that line made him one of the best judges of stock in the coun- try, and his opinions were always in demand on such subjects.
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