USA > Missouri > Grundy County > The History of Grundy County, Missouri : an encyclopedia of useful information, and a compendium of actual facts > Part 61
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
Graham married Miss Rebecca Phillips, February 15, 1826. He lived on a farm and made spinning-wheels, and speculated on the river; loaded a flat- boat with pork and lard and took it down to New Orleans, met with a good sale and did well, was very successful in his speculations and amassed con- siderable property before he left Illinois. He came to Missouri in the sum- mer of 1845, and settled in Grundy county, where he has made his home ever since. Mr. Graham was one of the early settlers of this county, and he has ever been a valuable acquisition to the county. He came here with a respectable capital, about $10,000, which he invested in machinery and other improvements (he held an interest in seven mills at one time in this and adjoining counties, holding from one-third to two-thirds interest in each of them), and industries to the great advantage of this then newly settled region. He embarked in the mercantile business in Trenton, took Mr. James Austin into partnership with him, carried on business for a short time and then sold out to Asliley Gulley. In 1846 he and Mr. Phillips went into the sheep business, and he sent his son to Clarke county, Olio, to buy them, who bought 1,019 head, which he drove through to Missouri. They followed this business a few years, then abandoned it, as it did not pay, washed wool in St. Louis bringing only twenty-two and one-third cents per pound. He afterwards outfitted nine men to go to California, his three sons among the number; they went in the early excitement. This proved another bad investment. He has retired from all business. Mr. Graham served as postmaster for twenty years, part of the time in Illinois. His wife was born in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania, October 15, 1803, and was reared in West Virginia. Her parents moved to White county, Illinois, where she lived about twenty-nine years. Mr. and Mrs. Graham have had nine children; namely, Nancy H., James, William, John M., Emily, George, Alfred, Oliver and Robert. Nancy H. and Robert are dead.
WILLIAM GRAHAM
Was born in White county, Illinois, September 27, 1830, where he lived until he was about fifteen years of age, when he came with his father to Missouri, where he has lived most of the time since. He went to Califor- nia in 1850, and remained about two years, when he came back to stay with his parents. He married Miss Bathsheba E. Patton, April 28, 1853, and located on a farm where he lived about ten years, after which he embarked in the mercantile business at Gentryville, Missouri, continuing ten years, then sold out and came back to the farm, where he still remains. His wife was born in Montgomery county, Virginia, January 3, 1835, where her parents lived until 1843, when her mother moved to Missouri, where she has lived ever since.
584
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
MASON GULLEY
Was born in Garrett county, Kentucky, October 12, 1820, and lived there about five years when his father moved to Jessamine county same State. There he learned the blacksmith's trade with Alex. Hamilton. He afterward moved to Johnson county, Indiana, where he went into partnership with George Creasey and they worked together until 1865, when he moved to Grundy county, Missouri, and located on the farm where he still lives. He has a shop on his farm where he does work for his neighbors, running his farm in connection with the shop. Mr. and Mrs. Gulley have had seven children, named, Mary Frances (dead), Wm. Jordan, James A., Martha, Benjamin, Jessie W., and Ashley. Four are married and live near them. Mr. Gulley owns a well cultivated farm of eighty-three acres.
WILLIAM C. HARVEY.
William Cox Harvey was born in Henry county, Indiana, November 12, 1826, where he lived until he was sixteen years of age. His father moved to Grundy county, Missouri, and he has since lived on the farm that his father located on. He was county assessor from 184S to 1852; was next elected sheriff and collector in 1854, holding the office two terms, up to 1856; and from that time to 1858 was again assessor, and could have any office in the county he wanted. He was an old line Whig, and ran against two Whig candidates; he would not go before the convention as a candidate because he had a good many Democratic friends, and so ran independent and beat them both, for sheriff. Mr. Harvey is a man of very little learn- ing, and had to hire clerks to do his writing, as he could write only enough to sign his name; but he was a man of fine perception, and knew if there was anything wrong about his books by hearing his clerks read them to him. To-day he has no enemies that he is aware of, notwithstanding he has bought tax titles and dealt in real estate ever since he retired from office. He sold all the swamp land in the county while he was sheriff, and in all his deal- ings was never accused of wronging the county ont of a cent; he ran for assessor and was elected under the old township law, holding the office about one year; was again elected by one hundred to six or seven votes; could command the suffrage of the county to-day for almost any office he would ask for. He has been identified with the Grand River College ever since it was started, and has held several offices in connection with it, and is for anything that will improve the town and county in which he lives. Mr. Harvey married Miss Elizabeth C. Peery in 1854. They have had six children; viz., Absalom Evans, Eleanor, Stephen I., Sarah, Anna N. and Martha L. Absalom E., Eleanor and Sarah are dead.
Mr. Harvey buys and sells real estate, is a large breeder of mules, and does a general farming and stock-raising business. He is a remarkable
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
man, generous to a fault, and a good neighbor and citizen. To know him once is to know him always. He is always a friend to the poor and needy.
ABSALOM HARVEY
Was born in Randolph county, North Carolina, June 13, 1791, where he lived until he was about thirteen years of age. His father then moved to the Territory of Indiana, where he resided about thirty-four years. He lived on a farm and used to buy hogs and drive them to Cincinnati, Ohio, to market, following the business about fifteen years. He served in the War of 1812, under General Harrison. At the close of the war he married Miss Eleanor Julian, October 5, 1813, and settled on a farm in Wayne county, Indiana, where he lived until 1820, then moved to Blue River, Henry county, same State, and lived there twenty years. In the fall of 1842 he moved to Grundy county, Missouri, where he settled on the farm now owned by his son in Edinburg. He was a noted hunter and used to indulge in the sport a great deal, and kept several hounds; he used to take his dogs and go up the country and start up a deer in the woods on the spot which is now Main Street, Edinburg. The deer went through the place snorting, and when the town was started it was originally called " Buck- snort," owing to this snorting as soon as they got into the town, and was so called for a long time, when the people became possessed of the idea that it was not a nice name, and it was changed. They wanted to call it Harvey- ville, but Mr. Harvey would not have it that way, so an old Scotchman, named McFarland, had the naming of it, and he called it Edinburg after the classical city in Scotland where he came from. Mr. Harvey very frequently went with the Indians on their hunting excursions, as they had to have a white man with them to keep from being molested on those hunting tours. His death occurred September 17, 1872. He was a kind husband and father, beloved by all who knew him. He was grandfather to thirty-four children, and great-grandfather to sixteen children. His wife still survives. She was born in Randolph county, North Carolina, October 9, 1796. She lived with her parents, Isaac and Sarah Julian, until she was married. She has been a pioneer all of her life and helped to settle up two new Territories before coming to this county. Their family consisted of eight children; named, respectively; Jennie, Isaac J., Sarah L., Evans, William C., Elizabeth E., Sophronia J. and 'a babe not named. She is grandmother to thirty- seven children, great-grandmother to twenty-nine children, and great-great- grandmother to three children. She is a woman of many sterling quali- ties. Her eldest son came from California to visit her in 1874, and she ac- companied him back, as she wanted to see those of her grandchildren she had never seen; she remained about three months. She was reared a Quaker, but not liking that creed, felt as though she ought to join some church, and so united with the Baptist Church, and still remains an active member.
586
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
JACOB H. KACKLEY
Was born June 5, 1836, in Jessamine county, Kentucky. He is the third child of James and Eliza Kackley, who migrated from Kentucky to Mis- souri in 1844. Jacob H. Kackley lived with his parents, working on the farm, until he grew to manhood, at which time he commenced to farm on his own resources. August 3, 1861, he enlisted in the Twenty-second reg- iment of Missouri volunteers, under Col. Merrill. He served about three years, and was discharged September 23, 1864. December 25, 1864, he married Miss Mary Embry, daughter of George Embry, all of Grundy county. She died August 31, 1865, and March 20, 1866, he married Miss Nancy Lucas, daughter of James Lucas, then residents of Grundy county. By his second wife Mr. K. is the father of five children, whose names are, Alice M., Walter S., Ella M., Izetta and Orie J. Mr. Kackley is now one of the most prosperous farmers of Grundy county.
WILLIAM M'CAMMON
Was born in Clay county, Kentucky, January 4, 1811, where he resided until grown, and attended school a short time, but received most of his edu- cation since he came to Missouri. He used to study at night by the light of the fire-place, after he had done a hard days' work. He married Miss Rosanna Oxford, March 13, 1834. In 1837 he moved to Grundy county, Missouri, then called Livingston county, where he still lives on the farm he first settled on. Their post-office then was Spring Hill, about twenty miles distant .. His father and mother were members of the M. E. Church, but he took a dislike to the church when he was a boy, for in those days they had what were called circuit riders, and they used to ride up to his father's house and call him, "here, William, you take my horse and take good care · of him, feed, water and clean him off." Then when he would go to the house, if it happened to be cold weather, they would order him to bring in some dry wood and build up a fire, and William you do this and that, when they were great big strapping fellows and did nothing but eat and drink. Every quarter they would ride up to his father's and say, " Brother McCammon, we want so much money to-day, as your part towards paying us for preaching"; and his father and mother would scrape up every cent they could find, and they denied themselves a good many necessaries of life to pay those men, who were better able to work than his father. Such things as these disgusted him, and he said that if ever he preached he would never charge people anything as long as he was able to work. He joined the Baptist Church, was ordained elder in that society in September, 1843; when the Union Church on Cook Creek was built in 1844, was called to take charge of it, which position he has held ever since, except one year. The church then called him again, which call he has accepted and will con-
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
tinne to hold as long as he lives. The elder has never received but $7.50 caslı for his services since he took charge of the church. His church members offered to pay him something for preaching, but he told them that they were as poor as he was, and he could work on his farm and make a living for himself and family, and if they had anything to give, to give it to the widows and orphans who needed it, as he did not want any pay for doing his Master's work. The elder used to hunt up neighborhoods where there were no appointments, and would. send them word that he would be there on Sunday to preach to them, and they would all turn out to hear the word of God, as it was seldom they got a chance in those days to listen to a preacher. He has organized several churches in this and adjoining counties, and has been a self-appointed missionary, doing good where he could without pay, often riding on horseback fifteen miles on Sat- urday morning and preaching twice on that day and the same on Sunday, then return home and go to plowing on Monday morning. The elder had a good business woman for a wife who looked after his farm when he was away; was very saving and would not let anything go to waste, and he attributes his success in this world, pecuniarily, to his wife's management. She was born in Buncombe county, North Carolina, August 6, 1811. She was as good as she was saving, and never saw any one suffer for want of anything she had to give, but gave it freely. She reared a large family of children; namely, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Locky, William Henry, Rosanna, Sarah, Cornelia and Minerva Frances. The first two were born in Ken- tucky, and the rest were born on this farm, married here, and live within a radius of ten miles. William Henry and Cornelia are dead. Mrs. McCam- mon died August 14, 1874. In 1880 the elder made a division of his prop- erty among his children, so they all have good homes; he gave up all work at that time thinking that as he was getting old he would do no labor the rest of his days, but his church insisted he should continue to preach for them. This he has consented to do, and will as long as he is able. He lives with his youngest daughter and husband, who have the old homestead.
JUDGE WILLIAM METCALF.
William Metcalf was born in Rock Castle county, Kentucky. His parents moved to Laurel county while he was quite young, and his early manhood was spent in that county, where he remained until 1835, when he came to Missouri. He stopped for a short time in Randolph county, then moved to Macon county, this State. There he remained a short time and moved to Grundy county, then called Livingston, in 1838. Mr. Metcalf served ont the unexpired term of Ashley Gulley as sheriff, when Mr. Gulley was in the Mexican War in 1847, and was elected to the office of sheriff in 1850; was appointed to serve out the unexpired term of James Sutton as assessor of
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
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this county; was appointed county judge to serve out an unexpired term, which he resigned owing to some misunderstanding between him and the other two judges; was afterwards appointed to serve ont the unexpired term of Judge Casey Tate; was elected to the office afterwards. He was twice married; his first wife was Miss Elizabeth Elkins, whom he married in January, 1827. They had eight children: Elmira, Stephen, Leanna, Reuben, Mary Ann, Daniel (who was the first white male child born in this county; was born June 13, 1838), Wm. Henry, Sarah Elizabeth. His wife died December 26, 1843, and he remained a widower about one year when he married Mrs. Abigail Bowman. They had three children; viz., Pernecia Ann, Amos C., and Edwin B. The judge was a delegate to the State convention to eleet delegates to the national convention that nom- inated Abraham Lincoln the second time. He was an old line Whig in his young days. He died March 31, 1878, and it was said that during his residence in this county he had been elected to various public offices within the gift of his fellow citizens, and notably engaged in enterprises affecting the welfare of the people, and for more than thirty-five years had been a member of the Baptist Church. Judge Metcalf's integrity stands unques- tioned, his convietion of duty, his principles, his course in life, are com- mendable, and he always lived evenly and conscientiously toward his neigh- bors and fellow men. As he exemplified the upright, straightforward man in all dealings, and as a father and citizen, we all know that a good man has gone from our midst.
AMOS C. METCALF
Was born in Grundy county, Missouri, January 24, 1848, on the farm that he still lives on and owns. He attended the district school in his younger days; attended the Grand River College, and also went to Prof. R. C. Nor- ton, at Trenton. Mr. Metealf married Miss Mary R. Tate, October 8, 1871, and settled on the farm. His wife was born in Grundy county, September 3, 1853, on a part of the farm her husband now owns. They have had five children: Amy A., Nettie, Edwin, William and Alma M. Amy A. and William are dead.
MRS. LAUVISA B. MOORE.
Lanvisa Peery was born in Tazewell county, Virginia, December 17, 1811, where she resided until she was about twenty-four years of age, when she came to Missouri with her father, who settled on a farm near Edinburg. She was educated in her native county, and taught the first school in Grundy county, then called Livingston county, in the summer of 1836. She taught in a small log house, with a floor of linden bark, weighted to to hold it from warping. She taught one term that year. She was mar- ried to Milton L. Moore, April 6, 1837, and moved on a farm about one and one-half miles north of Edinburg, where they lived about two years, when
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
they sold out and bought a farm adjoining her father's farm, where she still lives. She joined the M. E. Church when she was about sixteen years of age, and still remains an active member. Her husband died leaving her with eight children. She taught school one term after she was married, while her husband was in California. She has kept boarders, run her farm, and educated her children. Iler eldest daughter married Prof. John Morse Ordway, second president of the old Grand River College, now pro- fessor of chemistry in Boston, Massachusetts. Her second daughter mar- ried John D. Froman, a farmer, who has run Mrs. Moore's farm for several years. She is very hale looking, and intelligent, and it is a pleasure to sit and listen to her stories of old times, and what they did in the early settlement of this county. Her children were named as follows: Virginia, Naney Jane, Sarah Amanda, a babe not named, Elbert, James Fiekling, Luther Brown and George Henry. Sarah Amanda, Luther Brown and George Henry are living. Her husband, Milton L. Moore, was born in Tazewell county, Virginia, June 6, 1807, where he lived about twenty-three years. He learned the bricklayer's trade, which he followed until he was married, and some little after. His farm took most of his time and he gave up work at his trade. He came to Grundy county in the fall of 1836, and lived here until the gold fever broke out in California in the spring of 1850, when he thought he would try his fortune in that land of gold, and remained there until 1853, when he started for home, but only got as far as Lake Nicaragua, where he died.
BURL MASTERS
Was born in Garrard county, Kentneky, January 14, 1818. His father left there when he was quite small and came to Chariton county, Missouri, where he lived until 1834, when he came to Livingston county, then called Carroll where he settled on a farm at the head of Clear Creek. He remained there and married Miss Nancy Harris, January 28, 1844, and lived on his father's place about two years, when he moved to Gees Creek, Grundy county, lived there until 1854, when he moved on the farm that he is still living on, about two and one-half miles south of Edinburg, and has fol- lowed farming and hunting ever since. He has hunted all over this county when there were but few settlers. Mr. Masters took a trip with his team down to Jasper county, Missouri, and back, in 1879; he enjoys very good health. Mr. and Mrs. M. had twelve children; viz., Mary, Charlotte, Columbus, George Washington, babe not named, Nancy Jane, Burl, Martha, Benjamin F., Elizabeth, Hester Ann and Eva; all are living excepting Columbus, George Washington, babe, Burt, Martha and Nancy Jane. Mr. Masters owns a farm of one hundred and sixty aeres.
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
WILLIAM P. MILLER
Was born in Bath county, Kentucky, November 20, 1822, where he lived about two years, when his mother took him to Mercer county, the same State, where he was reared by a man named Curry. When sixteen years of age he made a trip to South Carolina with a drove of hogs, and on his return went to Cincinnati, Ohio. He engaged in steamboating from there to New Orleans for some time. Next he went to Schuyler county, Illinois, and stopped about eighteen months, then moved to Gentry county, Missouri, in 1841, where he made his home for several years. He learned the plaster- er's trade, which he followed in varions places in the State. He helped to cut the hemp off the ground where the old port of St. Joseph was built in August, 1843, and by Christmas there were about three hundred families living there. He left Gentry and went to Chariton connty, where he mar- ried Miss B. M. Moore, and rented a farm and farmed for three years. Came to Grundy county in 1849, and lived on the old Wild farm that winter, when he took up a claim in Mercer county, which he sold the same fall, then wintered in Daviess county as houses were scarce in this county. In the spring of 1851 he built a cabin on the bluffs this side of Trenton, which he gave up, as other parties claimed it; then he rented a farm in the sonthwest corner of the county, of Jesse Harris, where he lived one year; rented a farm in Livingston county, where he stayed two years; took up a claim over in Daviess county, and lived there abont six years, then sold out; went back to Livingston county, remained about one year; came back to this county, about six miles east of Trenton; stayed there about two years; then began moving, stopping a while in Livingston and Grundy counties; moved on a farm northeast of Trenton and lived there about seventeen months; next moved on a farm near Lindley; then left and went into Sullivan eonnty, near Lindley, where he bought a farm; lived there about six years; sold out and came back to this county and bought the old Warner farm, where he still lives. Mr. and Mrs. Miller have had nine children: Mary Jane, Cerilda E., Sarah E., James T., William Henry, Nancy Ann, Oliver G. S., Arviley, Miriam, and a babe not named. Cerilda E., and Sarah E., are dead.
JESSE MILLER
Was born in Virginia, January 12, 1802, where he lived until about the close of the war in 1812, when he moved to Franklin county, Ohio, lived there about twenty-seven years, and followed farming. He married Miss Mercy Ann Everett, in October, 1826, then moved on his farm where he lived until he came to Grundy county, September 20, 1839, and located on a farm near Grubtown, then in Livingston county, where he died. He was county judge at the same time Dr. W. P. Thompson and Judge Woods served, and was one of the first grand jurors; he died the last year of his
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
judgeship, December 18, 1845. His wife remained a widow about two years when she married William Willis, November 18, 1847. They settled on the old Jesse Miller farm, and lived there about six years, when they sold out there and bought the old Oxford farm where they lived about twenty- five years, when he rented his farm and moved on the old Freeman farm with his son Thomas, who, as they were getting old, wanted them to live with him. They came to Edinburg and he embarked in the mercantile business which he carried on about one year, in connection with his farm, then sold out the store to James Peery. He was born in England, May 19, 1805, where he lived until he was twenty-five or twenty-six years of age, when he came to America, settled in New York State and lived there about six years; moved to Franklin county, Ohio, and lived there about the same length of time when he came to this county, with Mr. Miller, in 1839. He died Sep- tember 10, 1879. His wife still survives him and lives in Edinburg. She had six children by her first husband: Mary Ann, Sarah Jane, Catherine, Amelia Avis, Albert Chapman and Sylvania; and three children by her sec- ond husband : Thomas G. P., a babe, not named, and Millie.
GEOGRE W. NICHOLS
Was born in Boone county, Missouri, August 1, 1828, where he lived until he grew to manhood. He was in the Mexican War under General Price, and served about fourteen months in the Boone company. He went to California at the breaking ont of the gold fever in 1849, remained about three years, and came back to Missouri. Mr. Nichols married Miss Louisa E. Patton, of Grundy county, December 16, 1857. He moved to Gallatin, where he and his brother embarked in the dry goods and grocery trade, un- der the firm name of B. F. & G. W. Nichols, and then moved to Bancroft, where they built the first house, and opened a branch store, which he ran about two years. When the war broke out they closed up and he moved on a farm near Edinburg where he lived about eighteen months then moved on the Patton farm south of town. Was in the Missouri militia, and served about one year. He moved back to Daviess county, near Gallatin, where he lived one year, then moved to Gentryville, Missouri, where he stayed about three months, then returned to the Patton farm in Grundy county where he still lives and does a general farming business. His wife was born in Russell county, Virginia, March 27, 1839, where she lived until she was about three years old when her mother came to Grundy county, Missouri, November, 1841 (her mother was the first school teacher in this part of Grundy county and taught six terms), and settled on the farm where she still lives. Mr. and Mrs. Nichols belong to the M. E. Church (South); he was steward in the church for several years. They have had eight children: Laura E., William A., Edward, Robert Lee, Harry P., Barhie K., David M. and Paul N .; William A. and David M. are dead.
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