The history of Buchanan County, Missouri, Part 85

Author: Union historical company, St. Joseph, Mo., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: St. Joseph, Mo., Union historical company
Number of Pages: 1104

USA > Missouri > Buchanan County > The history of Buchanan County, Missouri > Part 85

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the Inspector of Public Surveys on the efficiency of his work, and declared to have done the best surveying accomplished that year. In consequence of danger from the treachery of the Indians, the business of surveying was temporarily suspended. He was then offered a part- nership in the large mercantile house of his brother-in-law, Lawrence Maloney, of Dubuque, Iowa. In view, however, of his prospects of securing a large contract in his own line of business, he decided to decline the proposition, and continued the pursuit of his profession. In 1865, he came to St. Joseph.

JULIAN RABADEUX,

foreman of the machine shops of the St. Joseph & Western Railway is a native of Rense, France, and was born December 22, 1848. When quite young his father died, and he came to the United States with his mother, locating at Madison, Indiana, where he was reared and educated. At seventeen years of age he commenced to learn his trade in the shops of the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad at Terre Haute, after which he was employed for a time at Vincennes, Indiana, with the Ohio & Mississippi Company, and afterwards returned to the Terre Haute & Indianapolis Railroad. In 1872 he came to St. Joseph, and for three years was in the employ of the St. Joseph & Denver, when he removed to Effingham, Illinois, and was connected with the St. Louis, Vincennes & Terre Haute Railroad three years. He again became a resident of this city, entering the employ of his present company. He has had the practical experience and is one of the most skilled iron workers to be found in railroad works. He was married in December, 1875, to Miss Clara Richards, of Pennsylvania. They have one child, Perene. Mr. R. is a member of the United Ancient Order of Druids.

HENRY M. RAMEY,

now a prominent attorney of St. Joseph, was born in Oktibbcha County, Mississippi, February 14, 1844. He lived on a plantation till the break- ing out of the civil war, when he left his home and enlisted in the Con- federate service, joining the Ouachita Blues, then attached to the Fourth Louisiana Battalion. He served in many of the most important battles of the war, and was wounded in the terrible action of Franklin, Tennes- see. The command in which he served surrendered at Greensboro, North Carolina, in the spring of 1865, when he returned to his native state and spent the remaining months of the year at school. He then turned his attention to farming, a business in which he engaged during the years 1866 and 1867. This proving unprofitable, he determined to try his fortune in the West. His first experience in that, to him, new

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country, was in trading along the line of the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1868, he landed in St. Joseph, an utter stranger, and in almost bankrupt condition. He, however, had the fortune to secure employment in a hat store, and at the same time began, with that spirit of determination which always ensures success, the study of law. His preceptors were Judge Henry M. and Allen Vories. By assiduous and laborious applica- tion, he soon succeeded in qualifying himself for the bar, and was admit- ted to practice in the fall of 1869. As a practitioner, he has met with encouraging success, and achieved a reputation which secured, in 1874, his election to the office of prosecuting attorney, a position the duties of which he filled with credit to himself, and to the general satisfaction of his constituents. As a man, he enjoys that respect which ability and integrity always command. Politically he has ever been a zealous Dem- ocrat. He was married October 3, 1876, to Miss Adela Vegely, daughter of Augustus Vegely, a representative citizen of St. Joseph. They have two children.

JOHN T. RANSOM,

county treasurer, was born in Lee County, Virginia, December 1, 1819, and came to St. Joseph in the spring of 1857. While a small boy he manifested great taste for the mercantile business. He entered a store in his native county as clerk, in which position he remained six years. At the age of twenty years, in consideration of the value of his services, he was taken into partnership, and remained in the business for seven years. In the meantime, he bought the interest of his partner in the concern. This he afterwards sold out and moved West, coming to St. Joseph. He brought a considerable amount of money with him, a part of which he loaned at a good rate of interest. He also bought a fine farm near the city. He became Deputy County Collector under T. J. Burgess, served through his term, and afterwards for M. M. Claggett, taking the entire charge of the business of the office, which he finally closed up to the entire satisfaction of the county. The ability with which he conducted the collector's very difficult duties brought him very prominently before the people, and in the fall of 1880 he was elected Treasurer of the county. No man stands higher in the estimation of those who have the pleasure of knowing him, or by the tax-payers of the county than does Mr. Ransom. He married Martha Fulkerson, in Lec County, Virginia, July 7, 1846. They have no children of their own, but Mrs. Ransom lost a sister who left an infant daughter, Letta Potcet. They cared for and educated her as their own child. She grew up an accomplished lady, and was married to A. Kirkpatrick, of this city. She died January, 1876.

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E. W. RAY,

of the firm of Dougherty, Ray & Co., lumber dealers, St. Joseph, was born in Randolph County, North Carolina, July 2d, 1832. His parents emigrated to Missouri, settling on a farm in Buchanan County in 1841. Inclined by nature to mercantile rather than to agricultural pursuits, he determined to abandon the plow, and in 1866, embarked in general mer- chandise, in partnership with Mr. Morris, in St. Joseph. After a suc- cessful and highly satisfactory experience of four years in this connec- tion he sold out his interest in the same, and associated himself in the lumber trade with Dougherty and others, thus instituting the firm of Dougherty, Ray & Co., now (1881) one of the representative firms of St. Joseph. November 18, 1858, Mr. Ray married Miss Fannie J. Sny- der, a native of Indiana, born in 1838. The result of this union was two children: Mary F., born August 5th, 1859, died July 13, 1870, and Mark E., born November 3d, 1861. Mr. Ray had the misfortune to lose his first wife. June 24, 1879, he married Miss India Cowden, a native of Indiana, and a lady who achieved an enviable reputation as an instruc- tor of youth. She went to St. Joseph in 1860, and there opened a pri- vate school, which she taught with success till 1864. She afterwards accepted a position in the public schools of St. Joseph, discharging, with distinguished ability, the duties of principal of the Everett School in that city, during a period of seven years, retiring from the profession in 1879, to the universal regret of the many who knew and appreciate her sterling worth.

W. J. REA.

" If yourself correct you'd see, Have the photo taken by Rea."

This gentleman is a native of Canada, and was born May 8, 1838. Was there reared and educated, learning his profession in the State of New York, and there he conducted studies for a number of years ; also, in Canada and Michigan. Previous to this he was in the employ of some of the brightest lights of the photographic world. In 1876, he located in St. Joseph. He does all kinds of photo work-India ink, crayon, etc., and has well appointed and furnished rooms. He is a member of the I. O. O. F. Encampment.

REV. T. S. REEVE

was born in Massachusetts October 5, 1806, and resided there till he was twenty-one years of age when he emigrated to the state of Vermont, where he was engaged in farming for the space of three years. At the end of this period, he returned to his native state, and entered as a student a school at Wilbraham where he remained one year, when he

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went to Hartford, where he attended school two years. He then located in Troy, where he began his first experience as a teacher, continuing for two years, when he removed to Vermont, where he took charge of another school. His next move was to Richmond, Virginia, where he enlisted as city missionary, serving one year. He then took up his abode in Stanton, and from that place moved to Roanoke. After a brief residence in the latter town, he moved to Louisburg, where he engaged in the study of law and practice of the same till 1840. In 1837, he was married to Miss Elizabeth J. Huff, a native of Virgina, and daughter of James P. and Elizabeth Huff. They have had five children, of whom two are (1881) living, James E., a druggist of Kansas City, and Mary B. Reeve, who continues to reside with her parents. In 1840, Mr. Reeve moved to Hannibal, Missouri, where he practiced his pro- fession till 1843, in the fall of which year he abandoned the law and was licensed by the Palmyra Presbytery to preach. He immediately moved to Gentry County, serving there and in Holt County as an itinerant minister till the spring of 1844, when he moved to St. Joseph, where he located, in company with a number of others, and immediately set to work to build a church out of logs, which they cut in the neighboring woods. This primitive structure was the "old log church" referred to in the body of this history, and the first ecclesiastical structure ever erected within the limits of the town. During the building of this church, and till the following year, Mr. Reeve, with his family, lived in a stable. He then cut, with his own hands, the timbers and reared a little log hut for a residence for himself and family. His entire capital in money amounted, at that time, to but three dollars. He subsequently received a salary of two hundred dollars per annum from the American Missionary Society. He discharged, during the space of twelve suc- ceeding years, the duties of pastor of this church, during which period he had the satisfaction of noting the development of the obscure village into the great and prosperous city of St. Joseph. In the fall of 1855, he moved to St. Louis, Missouri; thence to Syracuse, New York, where he was pastor of a Presbyterian Church one year. He then returned to Missouri and located at St. Charles. At the end of two years he removed to St. Louis, and thence to Ironton, Ohio, where he remained in charge of a church four years. His next move was to Hannibal, Mis- souri, where he resided six months in the capacity of agent for a mission- ary society. He subsequently moved to Rushville, Illinois; thence to Lincoln, Illinois, where he had charge of a Congregational Church one year, when he moved to Savannah, Missouri, and there became pastor of the Presbyterian Church. At the end of two years, the church becoming financially embarrassed, he resigned, and moved to Kansas City, where he erected a dwelling house and store in which he embarked in the drug and dry goods trade with his son, James E., to whom, at the

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end of a year, he sold out. He has since continued to live in Kansas City a quiet and retired life.

REESE & McMACHEN,

house, sign and ornamental painters and paper hangers. V. C. Reese was born in Wayne County, Kentucky, October 17, 1843, and was reared and educated in that state, learning his trade at Louisville. He afterwards migrated to Kansas, residing there for seventeen years, and in 1874, took up his abode in St. Joseph. In 1865, Miss Matilda T. Her- bert became his wife. They have six children: Camile G., Lillian L., Edna A., Edith E., Vincent and Parish G. S. D. MacMachen was born in Baltimore, Maryland, December 28, 1853, and in 1858, came to St. Joseph with his parents, and here his father, John H., is well known as a carpenter and builder. Sam. passed his boyhood days, was educated and learned his profession in this city. In 1878, he married Miss Jose- phine Kinsley, of St. Joseph. They have one daughter, Cristenia C. Messrs. Reese & McMachen are first-class workmen, gentlemen ,of the truest type, and command a large patronage.

H. C. REGISTER,

architect and builder, was born in New Hanover County, North Carolina, August 5, 1844, the place of his birth being near Moore's Creek, of Rev- olutionary War fame. He here spent his boyhood days on a farm, and upon reaching his majority in 1861, he enlisted in Company C, Sixty- sixth North Carolina, and participated at the engagements of Peters- burg, Appomattox, forks of the James River and others ; was wounded May 27, 1864, after which he returned home. He learned his trade in the Mississippi Valley and Texas, doing bridge building, and came to St. Joseph in 1867, since which time he has done a large amount of work, both in the city and county. He has natural ability as a draughtsman and makes most of his designs. In 1877, he married Miss Martha J Montgomery. By this union they have one son-William Lee.

MRS. MORANDA REID,

section 27, Postoffice St. Joseph, is a daughter of Major William C. Con- nett, of whom mention is made elsewhere, and was born in Fayette County, Kentucky, January 20, 1828. She was there partly reared, and in Scott County, Kentucky, and was educated in the common schools, and also attended the convent at Lexington, Kentucky. In the spring of 1839, she came with her parents to Buchanan County, Missouri. April 5, 1855, she was married to Walker G. Reid, who was born August 16, 1814, in Loudoun County, Virginia. When five years of age his

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parents moved to Mason County, Kentucky. In 1835 he was married to Miss Lustey, who died fourteen months afterwards, and he then spent several months steamboating on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. In the spring of 1843 he married Miss Sarah Burgess, and in the spring of 1844 came to Missouri and located in Buchanan County. In 1850 he went to California and returned in 1852, and in 1854 his second wife died. By his third wife he had eight children, six now living, John, born June 11, 1857 ; Benjamin F., born November 5, 1859; Charles W., born March 25, 1862 ; Alverda W. (known as Birtie Reid), born November 5, 1864 ; Gertrude G., born August 2, 1868, and Stella S., born in 1871. The farm which Mrs. R. now occupies contains three hundred acres, being mostly improved. Since the death of her husband she has carried on the farm. She takes considerable interest in the education of her children in both science and music.

G. A. RIBLET,

of the firm of Niles, Riblet & Co., proprietors of the Vulcan Machine Shop, was born in West Virginia, July 14, 1846, and there reared, edu- cated, and learned his trade. In 1869, he came to Nebraska, and for three years conducted a blacksmith shop at Tecumseh. In 1873, he took up his abode in St. Joseph, and for six years was in the employ of the Union Foundry, after which he became one of the firm of Chase, Riblet & Co., which was changed to the present firm name. He is an accom- plished workman, and numbered among the leading iron-workers of the city.

JOHN D. RICHARDSON,

merchant, was born in Clark County, Virginia, in 1849. Received a col- legiate education at Hampden Sidney College, in Prince Edward County, Virginia, and came to St. Joseph in 1871. Here he engaged with R. L. McDonald & Co. as stock clerk, remaining in their employ until the spring of 1874. Was then employed by Fallis, Trice & Co. as salesman. In 1876, Henderson & Co. bought out the firm of Fallis, Trice & Co., when Mr. Richardson and Mr. Wyatt took charge of the business for the company. In July, 1876, the present well known and popular firm of Townsend, Wyatt & Co. bought out the store, the busi- ness of which they have since continued to conduct. Mr. Richardson married Miss Mary C. Furguson in 1874. They have two boys, John H., and Herbert Freddie.

THOMAS L. RICKETTS,

carpenter and builder, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 7, 1816, and was reared and learned his trade principally in his native

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city. In 1834, the subject of this sketch removed to Ohio, and in 1836 located in Indiana. For several years he was in the employ of the Mad- ison and Indianapolis Railroad, in the car department, and in 1851 came to Holt County, Missouri, and pursued his trade until 1855, when he removed to Brownville, Nebraska, and built the first frame house in that town. He also erected a saw mill for Ben. Frazer & Co. In 1864, he came to St. Joseph, and the same year enlisted in Company C, Forty- fourth Missouri, serving one year. He participated at the battle of Spanish Fort and other engagements. In 1837, Miss Sarah J. Robinson became his wife. They have six children-Charles Wesley, John, George, Benjamin, Robert and Mary.

WILLIAM RIDENBAUGH.

Wm. Ridenbaugh was born in Bedford, Pennsylvania, on the 19th day of February, 1821. He was apprenticed to the printing business at an ear- ly age, and learned the trade thoroughly. In 1843 he came to Liberty, Missouri, and engaged in the publication of a paper at that place. In the spring of 1845 he came to St. Joseph, and issued the first number of the first paper ever published in this city-the St. Joseph Weekly Ga- zette, moving his printing office from Liberty for that purpose. In Au- gust, 1852, he sold the office to Charles F. Holly, of Savannah, who sub- sequently sold an interest in it to Gen. L. J. Eastin, and then bought it back again, and finally, on the IIth of October, 1854, sold the office to Pfouts & Cundiff, who continued the publication of the paper until the breaking out of the rebellion. On the 28th of June, 1868, the publica- tion of the paper was resumed by Mr. Ridenbaugh, Col. Cundiff and Peter Nugent, who continued to publish it until 1872, when the interest · of the former was disposed of to his son. In August, 1852, Mr. Riden- baugh was elected to the office of Clerk of the Circuit Court, a position he held for twelve years. In November, 1870, he was re-elected to the same position, which he continued to hold up to the time of his death. He was also at one time Judge of the County Court for a brief period, and served as member of the City Council for two years. He was for years Chairman of the Democratic Central Committee, and always took an active part in the management of every political campaign. He was also twice a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions. He was for many years a Director of the Northwestern Fair Association, and at different times occupied a prominent position in almost every company that has ever been organized in St. Joseph. In 1846, Mr. Ridenbaugh was married to Miss Hannah Creal, daughter of H. S. Creal, Esq., of Wathena, who died in 1866, leaving six children. In 1870 Mr. Riden- baugh was again married to Mrs. Mary Baker, daughter of Major George Young, who survives him. The issue of the marriage was one son,

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George. For nearly thirty years he was a citizen of St. Joseph, and his name has been identified with almost every public enterprise that con- tributed to its prosperity. He was the foremost in every movement that his own judgment induced him to believe was right, and adhered to his principles with a tenacity strong as life itself. Warm-hearted, impul- sive, generous almost to a fault, his house was always a home for those who stood in need ; his purse was ever open for the relief of the suffer- ing. No man who ever resided in St. Joseph has given more in public or private charity, and none ever gave more willingly. As a friend he was staunch and true to the last. A hundred acts of kindness on his part remain to be remembered in all the years to come, and the more to be remembered, probably, because they were the less deserved. He died October 18th, 1874.

ISAAC VAN RILEY,

son of Isaac V. and Matilda Riley, was born in 1830, in Montgomery County, Maryland. He was the third of a family of six children. He was raised a farmer, and educated in his native county. In 1850, he moved to Missouri, and settled in St. Joseph, where he engaged as clerk in the general store of Middleton & Riley, first in St. Joseph, and after- wards in Weston, where he remained in business about three years, at the end of which period he returned to St. Joseph. In 1858, he was elected Clerk of the County Court of Buchanan County, a position the duties of which he discharged so acceptably that, at the close of his official term, in 1862, he was again elected to the position, which he filled during another four years' term. In 1867, he took charge of the City Mills, in St. Joseph, which he continued to operate several years. In 1868, he was elected a member of the City Council of St. Joseph, serv -. ing two years. In 1874, he was, for the third time, elected. Clerk of the County Court. The duties of this position he discharged with his usual ability, from January, 1875, to April of the same year, on the 24th of which month he died, after a short illness. Few men have enjoyed so large a share of personal popularity, in St. Joseph, as did Isaac Van Riley. So great was the esteem and regard in which he was held in the county, that the Governor was petitioned to appoint, as his successor, his son Edward V., the present popular clerk, requesting, at the same time, to defer the apointment a week or two, till he (the son) should achieve his majority, the young man, not being, at the time of his father's death, of eligible age. This, in obedience to the wish of the large num- ber of petitioners, was done. As an evidence that none who signed his petition have had cause to regret their act, after a service of three years and nine months, Mr. Riley was elected to the office by a large majority. Isaac Van Riley was married in St. Joseph, in 1852, to Miss Frances N

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Johnson, daughter of Nelson Johnson, Esq., of Shelbyville, Kentucky. He left four children : Edward V., above referred to, born in 1854 ; Nel- son J., the present popular Deputy County Clerk, born in 1858 ; Fannie S., born in 1862, and Amos W., born in 1869.

JAMES H. RINGO,

was born in Fleming County, Kentucky, September 25, 1834. He came to Platte County, Missouri, with his father, David P. Ringo, in Novem- ber, 1844, and to Buchanan County in the fall of 1845, where he has resided all the time since. By hard work, and under adverse circum- stances, he received a liberal education, and at twenty years of age began teaching school, receiving his first certificate as a teacher from Judge William C. Toole, who was then Superintendent of Public Schools in Buchanan County. He was regarded as a very successful teacher, and can point to a number of young men in the county who have arrived at distinc- tion among whom are R. H. Thomas, present Sheriff of Buchanan County ; Stephen C. Woods, a prominent lawyer of Platte County: Dr. J. R. Wood- son, now a successful practitioner at Agency, Missouri ; Benjamin Wood- son, a member of the Missouri Legislature in 1880 and 1881, and O. M. Spencer, Jr., now prosecuting attorney for Buchanan County. In the capacity of teacher he was really an educator, a maker of men, as his labors in the school successfully show. June 24, 1858; he was married to Miss Sara C. Spencer, daughter of O. M. Spencer, Sr., then residing in the lower part of Buchanan County. In 1857, he began reading law, as he could spare the time from other duties, and in 1862, he removed with his family to St. Joseph, and completed his law studies with Judge Sam- uel Ensworth, and began the practice of law in St. Joseph, where he con- tinued until July, 1878, when he began the publication of an evening newspaper, called the Evening Post, which was afterwards changed to the Evening Chronicle. As an editorial writer he is clear, plain, forcible and fearless. After running his paper a few months, he sold it to other parties, and took a position on the editorial staff of the St. Joseph Daily Gazette, where he continued until April, 1880, when he was elected to the office of City Register, for the City of St. Joseph, for the term of two years which he now holds. While engaged in the practice of law he was very successful, very seldom losing a case, and won many important cases in the Supreme Court of the State. To show his energy and deter- mination in the interest of his clients, he fought one single case for seven years, reversing it three times in the Supreme Court, on account of incor- rect instructions given by the Circuit Judge. Out of the number of cases he tried in the Supreme Court, the records show that he lost one. In 1874, he was selected by the Democratic Congressional Convention as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Committee, for the Ninth

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Congressional District, and was successful in electing Hon. David Rea to Congress from that district, the first Democratic congressman the dis- trict had elected for fourteen years. He was prominently spoken of as a candidate for Congress from his district, but gave no encouragement to it, upon the ground that he could do the party more good as Chairman of the Congressional Committee than as a candidate for Congress. Under his administration as Chairman of the Committee, Hon. David Rea was elected to the second term by a largely increased majority over his first vote. Mr. and Mrs. R. have seven children-Martin D., Allie I .. , Enzie O., Samuel E., Oliver N., Lina C: and Leona B.

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The history of Buchanan County, Missouri, Part 85

Author: Union historical company, St. Joseph, Mo., pub. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1881 Publisher: St. Joseph, Mo., Union historical company Number of Pages: 1104

Author: Union historical company, St. Joseph, Mo., pub. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: St. Joseph, Mo., Union historical company
Number of Pages: 1104