Other County Histories | Civil War | 1913 Vol. 1 | 1913 Vol. 2 | 1916 | Depression | | |||
History of Livingston County from The History of Caldwell and Livingston Counties, Missouri. 1886 |
|||
Position and Description -
County Schools -
First Settlers and First Land Entries -
Organization -
Sketch of the Town of Wheeling, Its History, Business Interests, Church, Societies, Etc. -
Biographies of Certain Citizens of the Township.
Wheeling township comprises the west half of township 58, range 22, and that
part of the west half of township 57 in the same range lying north of the center
of the track of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad; it contains about 29
sections of land, and is one of the smallest townships in the county. Its
general surface is prairie and bottom land. The famous Wheeling prairie is a
fine body of land, renowned for its fertility and general excellence.
Medicine creek flows along the western border of the township and a
considerable portion is taken up with its bottom lands, not all of which have
been reduced to cultivation, but which are susceptible of reclamation, and
doubtless in time will be brought under the dominion of the plow.
Like the other townships of the county the principal productions of Wheeling
are grain and stock, to the raising of which it is well adapted. There is a
general effort to improve the stock of cattle by the introduction of short-horns
and other superior breeds. Blue grass grows extensively and luxuriantly.
On section 31, about one mile and a half northwest of the town of Wheeling, a
coal mine has been opened. The vein runs from 18 to 30 inches in thickness. The
quality of the coal is fairly good, though impregnated to some extent with
sulphuret of iron (sulphur). Limestone of good quality is found, and one quarry
of considerable importance has been opened.
The principal varieties of timber are oak, hickory and elm, and there is a
sufficiency for general purposes.
Besides the school at Wheeling, there are four others in the township, as
follows: -
No. 1, township 58, range 22, Gish School-house, located on the center of the
east line of section 29. Number of scholars in the district, 82; number enrolled
last term, 33 males and 27 females. Branches taught, common and higher English.
No. 2, township 58, range 22, "New York School," located on the
center of the east line of section 8. Number of scholars last term, 25 males and
17 females. Branches taught, common and higher English.
No. 2, township 57, range 22, South Wheeling, located sw. ¼ section 9.
Number of scholars last term, 15 males and 14 females. Branches taught, common
English. The first teacher of this school was Rev. M. L. Smith.
Prairie Valley School, District No. 5, had 28 scholars enrolled at the last
term. The common English branches only are taught.
The first settlers of the township made the first entries of land, and their
names and the tracts on which they settled are given and described below, up to
the year 1840: -
Ezekiel Norman | se. sec. 6 | Dec. 9, 1839 |
Elijah Harvey | e. ½ ne. sec. 28 | Nov. 7, 1839 |
Thos. Botts | e. ½ se. sec. 28, e. ½ ne. sec. 33 | Oct.25, 1839 |
Nathan H. Gregory | se. ¼ e. ½ sw. sec .30 and n. ½ sec. 31 | Oct. 25, 1839 |
Moses Caldwell | sw. sec. 32 | Dec. 19, 1839 |
Joseph Miller | e. ½ se. sec. 33 | Oct. 25, 1839 |
James Littrell entered the ne. se. section 4, in township 57, range 22, April
18, 1839, in which year, it will be noted, all the very first entries were made.
The first town in the vicinity of the township was "New Baltimore,"
established by John Botts, in 1858, laid out and named Bottsville in 1860, and
changed to Meadville in 1869. While "New Baltimore" consisted of a
store and a blacksmith shop, and moreover was three miles over in Linn county,
it nevertheless was a well known locality to the first settlers.
Collier's Mill, on Medicine creek, at the crossing of the State road (ne. nw.
sec. 31) was an institution of much note in its day, not many years since.
Although there were settlements in the township as early as 1839, and
probably in 1838 or 1837, yet the greater portion was not settled until twenty
years later, and indeed many locations were made after the Civil War. At the
latter period many persons from the Northern States came in, forming an
enterprising population and a most valuable accession to the community. Mr. J.
L. Babb, who built the third house on the Wheeling prairie, in 1858, says at
that time there was not a panel of fence on the prairie. The county abounded in
game and fish.
Wheeling township was organized May 6, 1867, on petition of Augustine Wiley,
John Wiley and others, out of the territory belonging to Chillicothe township.
At first it comprised all of Congressional township 57 and 58, in range 22, a
portion of the township lying south of Grand River, but in March, 1871, the
Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad became the southern boundary as at present. The
first justice of the peace was Augustine Wiley. The township was named for the
town of Wheeling. At the first township election the total number of voters was
72.
The town of Wheeling stands on the east side of section 5, township 57, range
22, one mile from the Linn county line. It was laid out October 7, 1865, by
Henry Nay, and by him named for Wheeling, W. Va. The first house was completed
by Mr. Nay in May, 1866, and was occupied by E. C. Williams, who became the
first merchant. The next to come were E. Collamer and C. Marden, the former a
son of Jacob Collamer, of Vermont, who was Postmaster-General in 1849 and United
States Senator afterward. The second house was built by Isaac W. White. Soon
after the town began to improve and fill up with something of rapidity. The town
was not regularly platted till June 1, 1866.
The first preacher in the town was Rev. Burr, a "Northern"
Methodist, who held the first services in Mr. Nay's house. All denominations
held services at the same place until 1868, when the old school-house was built.
The first church was the Methodist Episcopal (North), which was completed in the
fall of 1874, and is still occupied almost in common by other denominations
having organizations in the place - the Baptists, Presbyterians and Christians.
The school-house was built under the auspices of the officers of the school
district, comprising territory outside the town.
In 1866 the first depot was built and a station established. This burned in
1881, when a temporary one was built, and this was succeeded the next year by
the present building. The first practicing physician to locate in the village
was Dr. James Gish, who came in 1868. A Mr. Nash was the first blacksmith. The
first burial in the cemetery was that of Mrs. Linnie C. Barkley, who died near
town on February 4, 1868, aged 27. She was the wife of James Barkley, the
well-known Chillicothe printer.
At present the business enterprises of Wheeling comprise three general
stores, a drug store, a lumber yard, two grain elevators, two implement stores,
two blacksmith shops, a harness shop, two boot and shoe shops, three physicians,
three notaries, two justices of the peace, two grain dealers, four stock
dealers, three plasterers and stone masons, three carpenters and builders, two
hotels, two livery stables, and one meat market.
The shipments from the station average annually about 125 cars of grain, 50
cars of hogs, 35 cars of cattle, 5 cars of sheep and 12 cars of hay, besides
considerable quantities of poultry, game, eggs, apples and other produce.
There is only one church building, but all denominations are allowed its use.
The Masonic Order, the Grand Army of the Republic and the Knights of Labor have
good working organizations. The citizens are gratified in being able to state
that in the history of the village there has been but one dwelling-house
destroyed by fire, and that there has never been a saloon or dramshop in the
place. Present population is about 250.
The present public school at Wheeling is the successor of a school first
organized in January, 1860, in a small log building, which was built in the fall
of 1859, and which stood in what is now the southern part of the town. The first
teacher was Daniel Bowers, who taught here for five years, being assisted by his
wife, who was also a teacher. In 1869 a new school-house, a frame, was erected.
The present building was erected in 1882, and, including the furniture, cost
about $2,500. It contains two rooms, with seats for 100 pupils. There are two
departments, primary and grammar. In the latter the higher English branches are
taught.
In May, 1868, this church was organized, with the following members: D. S.
McCullough, Eva McCullough, Dellia McCullough, Jas. P. Smith; J. N. Hastings,
Rachel Hastings, Phebe Riggs, L. D. Brown, R. R. Stout, R. T. Abbot, Anna
McCullough and Lizzie Nay. A frame church building was erected in 1874, which
cost $1,600. The pastors who have ministered to this church have been the Revs.
H. L. Beardsly, - Andrews, W. L. Edmonds, - Bozell, T. P. Hales, Jas. Allen, -
Scott, H. B. Barnes, S. Knupp, T. J. Engeart and - Noble. The membership at
present writing is 30. This charge was in the Chillicothe circuit until 1877,
when it was made part of Meadville circuit. Mr. Geo. Real has been class-leader
since 1869.
The Sabbath-school is composed of 45 scholars, Geo. Real being
superintendent.
Masonic Lodge. - Wheeling Lodge, A. F. and A. M., was organized in
1873, by S. W. Haynes, Dr. W. W. Edgerton and Thos. C. Hayden. There were
seventeen members. The first officers were S. W. Haynes, W; M., W. W. Edgerton
and Thos. C. Hayden, wardens. The dispensation was issued January 13, 1873, and
the charter bears date October 17, 1873. The past masters have been W. W.
Edgerton, Geo. W. Babb, S. W. Haynes, J. E. Pardonner, J. C. Gish, D. Carpenter
and S. B. Patterson. The lodge has always been prosperous, and is one of the
best working organizations in the State. It owns its own lodge building, a
frame, and meets every second and fourth Saturday in each month. The present
membership is 30.
Farmers' and Mechanics' Mutual Aid Society. - Wheeling Society No.
396, was instituted September 23, 1885, with the following officers: R. G.
Arnold, president; D. Carpenter, secretary; H. Bird, treasurer; S. W. Haynes,
deputy; W. A. Swope, medical examiner. There are at present writing 11 members.
Grand Army of the Republic - Henry G. Gilbert Post, No. 160, G. A. R.,
was organized March 30, 1884, with 18 members. The first officers were Geo.
Real, commander; N. E. Kidder and B. Wolf, vice-commanders; Ad. Carpenter,
adjutant; E. A. Packer, officer of the day; F. C. Platt, commissary; John Fort,
chaplain. The present number of members is 32. The post meets the first Saturday
in each month.
Not only as the popular host of this well established hostelry has Mr. Arnold
become well known to the people of Livingston county, but officially and also in
the private walks of life. He first came to Wheeling in 1872 and engaged in
farming, continuing that occupation until 1883, when, in January, of that year,
he was commissioned postmaster here. While living on the farm he was elected
justice of the peace and has since filled that position. In 1885 he was chosen
township clerk and assessor and besides this he has served the people as clerk
and director of the school board for this district. In all of these positions
Mr. Arnold has discharged his duties in a manner above reproach. In the fall of
1885 he purchased the property known as the Arnold House and commenced
conducting the hotel on November 1. A man of pleasing manners, kind and
courteous to all, he attends closely to the wants of his patrons. Mr. A. owes
his nativity to New Berlin, Chenango county, N. Y., where he was born June 11,
1833. James S. Arnold, his father, a tanner and currier by occupation and also a
tiller of the soil, was of English descent. He was married at New Berlin, N. Y.,
to Miss Abigail Spear, daughter of a hotel keeper, and the third of four
children, Martin S., Lydia, Abigail and Betsy S. James S. was one of five
children, the others being Jabez S., Rachel, Beulina and Benjamin. Mr. and Mrs.
A.. had three children, of whom George B. was the eldest and then came Cornelia,
now deceased, and Eli. The parents are both now dead. George was educated at the
common schools in New York with the exception of four terms at an academy in New
Berlin. Subsequently for three months he drove a stage and then, November 17,
1847, commenced to learn the trade of harness maker, following it for eighteen
years afterwards. As soon as his apprenticeship was completed he began business
for himself, adding to this line a stock of boots and shoes. Disposing of this
business he engaged in the dry goods and grocery trade, sold out in 1871 and
went to Reading, Mich., in a similar business, and from that place he came here
as above stated. Mr. A. has been twice married; first in 1855 to Miss Ruth
Palmer, of Brookfield, N. Y., who bore him five children: George J., Alice C.
Lewis W., LeRay D. and Mary A. Mrs. Arnold died in April, 1879. In May, 1884,
Mrs. Margaret A. Duval became his wife. Mr. A. is a member of Phoebus Lodge No.
82, A. F. and A. M., of New York.
There are in every community some persons who, on account of their industry
and practical management of the affairs which fall to their lot, deserve special
credit; and such is Mrs. Beat. Since the death of her husband some two years
ago, she has, with the assistance of her eldest daughter, Miss Rachel, managed
the farm in a most admirable manner, in fact, the skill, business tact and
judgment they have displayed have equaled those of their neighbors, though of
course they have encountered the disadvantages that universally fall to woman's
lot when placed in opposition with the sterner sex. Mrs. Beat was born in the
town of Alva, in Stirlingshire, Scotland, October 22, 1840, her father, James
Morrison, referred to elsewhere, having been a native of the same locality. On
March 20, 1856, she was married, becoming the wife of William Beat, who was born
in Perthshire, Scotland, at Methvin, March 10, 1829. By occupation he was a
farmer. His father was a large manufacturer of cotton fabrics at Perth. Upon
deciding to come to America, Mr. Beat left the home of his childhood in 1844;
reaching America and immediately settling at Milwaukee, Wis., which place he
reached July 4, of that year. Subsequently he moved upon a farm in Dane county,
west of Madison, where he gave his attention to agricultural pursuits until the
spring of 1868, then coming to Livingston county, and locating on the farm which
his widow now occupies. Here his death occurred February 25, 1884, at the age of
55. He was a member of the Presbyterian Church, as his wife also is, and held
membership in Wheeling Lodge of the Grange. He left a family of eight children,
six of whom are living: Rachel, born June 18, 1859; James, born September 9,
1862, died November 1, 1869; Jessie, born March 8, 1864, died February 8, 1877;
Christiana, born December 21, 1867; Mamie, born September 8, 1871; Edwin, born
May 20, 1874; Ida, born February 3, 1878; Bertie, born January 21, 1880. Mr.
Beat was a man recognized as a progressive agriculturist, and in his death the
community realized a severe loss. His widow is one of the most respected persons
of this township.
One of the foremost men among the agriculturists of Livingston county is he
whose name appears above, and he is a son whom Missouri might well be proud to
own. His birth occurred August 18, 1845, near Hannibal, Marion county, Mo., and
from that time to the present he has continued to make his home within the
borders of the State, a respected, intelligent and influential citizen, of
irreproachable character, and a person held in the highest esteem. His parents
were George W. and Martha (Rudder) Bird, both Kentuckians by birth, the former
of whom came to Missouri as early as 1814. He died in October, 1858, at the age
of 64 years. His father built the first house ever erected in what is now the
city of Hannibal, at a time when Indians were far more numerous than white
people. (See History of Marion county, Mo., pp. 887, 888.) Mrs. Bird's father
was a soldier in the War of 1812. Harrison was the eighth of 10 children in his
father's family, five of whom grew to maturity. He attended the district
schools in the vicinity of his birthplace when young, became well acquainted
with Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), and after leaving school began milling at
Hannibal, where he remained for 5 years. Then he commenced farming in Linn
county, improving a farm from raw land, and subsequently came to this county in
1882, settling a short distance from his present place of residence. On the farm
which he now occupies he gives considerable attention to the stock business,
buying and raising quite extensively each year. For three months during the war
Mr. Bird was with the Confederate forces under Col. Porter, was captured in
Ralls county, and on account of sickness was paroled under bond; he took part in
the actions of Palmyra, Newark and Kirksville. In 1867 he married at Hannibal
Miss Lydia A.. Herriman, whose father, John Herriman, was one of the earliest
settlers in Chillicothe. They have had 6 children: Mattie E., born March 22,
1869; Hattie H., born January 3, 1871; Ida Herriman, born March 11, 1878; Laura,
born November 1, 1880; Anna May, born February 20, 1883, and Elmer, born April
27, 1885. One of these is deceased. Mr. and Mrs. B. and family are members of
the Wheeling Christian Church. The former belongs to the Masonic Order, and is a
member of the A. H. T. A. His parents were living near New Madrid at the time of
the terrible earthquake that convulsed the country from the falls of the Ohio
nearly to Vicksburg. Mrs. Bird's mother's name was Botts, her maternal
grandfather, Thomas Botts, having been the first settler in Linn county.
Bottsville (now Meadville), was named after one of his sons. It is but the truth
to say that no family within the limits of this county is more highly respected
than that of Mr. Bird. Personally he is a man unassuming in his demeanor but
energetic and straight-forward in every course in life. He is one of the few
whom to meet once is to wish for a more extended acquaintance.
To attempt to give a detailed and comprehensive account of the many travels
undergone by the subject of this sketch would be an undertaking of greater
magnitude than the limits of this work would allow. His travels have proved of
much benefit to him, for, being a man of close observation and deep thought, he
has stored his mind with almost everything of value to be secured by such
experiences as have fallen to his lot, and has improved every opportunity
afforded him. He has visited the Sandwich Islands, made the Isthmian and San
Juan routes while Walker was filibustering in Nicaragua, and has crossed the
plains a number of times, as we shall soon see. Mr. Bolter is of French and
Irish descent. His father, Hiram Bolter, was a blacksmith by occupation and died
at the age of 63 in 1864. His wife, formerly Sarah Percival, the mother of John,
died in 1859, when 59 years old. They had 7 children: Samuel P., Hiram R., John
V. H., Amphelia M., Ruth, Sarah and William. Only two of these are living. John
was born in Augusta, Oneida county, N. Y., June 18, 1826, and when old enough,
was a student at the district schools, later on attending the academy at
Augusta. At the age of 20 he removed to Athens, Clark county, Mo., taught school
there six months, read law for three years, and was next employed by Ensign
& Thayer, of New York, to travel through Canada and the entire West. In 1850
he went overland to California, first stopping at Placerville, and thence to
Nevada City, where he remained 9 months, then returning to his father's in
Farmington, Ia, on account of ill health. In the fall of 1851 he married Miss
Mary J. French, of Farmington, and afterwards attended to blacksmithing until
going to California in 1854. In the fall of 1855 he went back to Farmington, and
after about 4 years removed to his farm in Clark county, Mo., where he
followed farming and practiced law some years. In the fall of 1869 he came to
this county, and settled on a farm near Wheeling, which he cultivated most of
the time until within the past three years. Since then he has been steadily
occupied in blacksmithing, and he now has one of the finest shops in this
portion of the State, the upper story being used as a public hall. During the
war Mr. B. served in Co. B, 69th regiment M. S. M., as orderly, participating in
several skirmishes. He belongs to the Congregational Church at Meadville, and
has been a member of the Masonic Order since 1849, being one of the charter
members of the lodge at Wheeling. He has filled different official positions
very acceptably. In November, 1863, he was elected treasurer of Clark county,
was justice of the peace from 1860 to 1863, member of the district school board
for many years and county road commissioner, and he also attended as a member
the State Constitutional Convention. Mr. and Mrs. Bolter have had 4 children, 3
of whom are living: Amphelia M., Mrs. Oleson, living in Lake county, Cal.;
Elliott J., in the shop with his father; Ida M., married Chas. H. Foreman, of
Linn county, and they have one child, a daughter. Elbert G., a twin brother to
Elliott, was killed by the cars November 6, 1878.
- Callimachus.
And this, written by the philosophic cultured poet of Cyrene over 2,000 years
ago, is as true now as then - true at all times and in all countries; the good
man never dies! The influence of his life is imperishable. During his short
career John B. Buckner lived a life that has left a tender memory behind. He was
born on January 7, l851, near Meredosia, Morgan county, Ill., the son of Watson
Buckner, a native of LaRue county, Ky., who died in 1870, at the age of 51. Miss
Ollie Hodges was the maiden name of John's mother, and she was born in Hart
county, of the Blue Grass State. John B. was the seventh child in a family of 8
children, 4 of whom survive. He was a member of the celebrated family
whose name he bore, well known to all Virginians and Kentuckians, and the
Confederate general, S. B. Buckner, was a second cousin of his. Until his
fifteenth year Mr. B. attended school after becoming old enough, in Illinois,
then accompanying his parents to Missouri in 1865 and settling in this county
one mile south of Eversonville. In March, 1880, he moved to the home which he
occupied until his death, January 2, 1886. His illness was of short duration, an
attack of pneumonia, so fatal in its results, having seized him December 27,
1885. He had always followed farming, was extensively engaged in stock raising
and feeding, and was esteemed one of the most progressive, intelligent and
energetic agriculturists of this community. His friends were legion. He belonged
to the Masonic fraternity, and was also a member of the Anti-Horse-Thief
Association. Mr. Buckner was married March 7, 1876, to Miss Jennie Burch, of
Indiana, though at that time a resident of Linn county, Mo. Her parents were
Capt. John and Elizabeth (Nixon) Burch, the former of New York and the latter of
Kentucky birth. Mrs. Buckner was the second child of 8 children, three of which
were girls. Mr. and Mrs. B. had born to them two boys, John Herbert, born May
26, 1881, and Jay Burch, born March 8, 1883.
At this time there is living within the limits of Livingston county a man
well and favorably known - John Burris, the father of the subject of this
sketch, mention of whom is made elsewhere in these pages. His son Augustus E.
was born April 9, 1852, near Keystone Furnace, Jackson county, O., and is now
numbered among the leading representatives of the younger agriculturists of this
county. When comparatively young he was brought to Missouri and in this State he
enjoyed excellent educational advantages, his rudimentary schooling having been
obtained in Ohio. In 1868, upon his father's removal to this locality, he
entered the district schools first and afterwards the High School at
Chillicothe, from which later on he became a student at the State University at
Columbia. Thus equipped with an advanced education and prepared to enter
actively into business affairs, he began farming on the home tract of land,
consisting of a section of land, and in 1873 he purchased and moved to his
present farm, erecting a residence, etc., and to the original improvements which
had been made he has added from time to time numerous others, until this now
constitutes one of the best places in the township. September 15, 1881, Mr.
Burris was united in marriage with Miss Emma Sidebottom, who was born in Linn
county, Mo. Her father, a Kentuckian by birth, was for 50 years a minister of
the gospel in the Methodist denomination, and also a farmer. He died on his farm
north of Meadville, Linn county, in 1879, aged 69 years. Mr. and Mrs. Burris
have been blessed with three children: Donie, born October 3, 1882; Lucretia,
born November 29, 1883, and Dwight, born April 8, 1885. Mr. and Mrs. Burris are
members of the M. E. Church at Wheeling.
The subject of this sketch was born near Mound Station, in Brown county,
Ill., being the son of J. C. Davis, originally from Tennessee. He gave his
attention principally to farming, though possessed of natural mechanical ability
and skilled in several trades. He died in December, 1879, aged 63 years. The
maiden name of the mother of George was Rhoda Ausmus, also of Tennessee. Her
father was of German descent and a farmer and manufacturer of weaving machinery.
George W. was the oldest of 9 children, 5 of whom survive. His three sisters are
Nancy Kinderd, living in Illinois; Lydia Phillips, of Linn county, Mo., and
Orpha, of the same county. His two brothers are Richard, of St. Clair county,
this state, a stock dealer, and Buchanan, in Kingman county, Kansas. George W.
has four uncles on his mother's side who are Baptist ministers, and one who is a
Christian preacher; he has also six maternal aunts. After receiving his
education in the district school of Illinois and growing up there he began
farming, continuing it for some thirty years, when he came to Missouri. Upon
spending a few months in Livingston county he purchased and moved upon a farm in
Linn county, where he remained for 15 years; but after several trips to and from
Illinois he finally located permanently in this county, on his present farm,
where he devotes himself assiduously to the raising of fine sheep and short-horn
cattle. In this he is meeting with encouraging success. During the war Mr. Davis
enlisted in Co. I, 119th Illinois infantry, under the captaincy of Capt. John
May, a veteran of the Mexican War, but on account at physical disability was
discharged; on arriving in Missouri he became a member of the E. M. M., in which
he remained until the close of the war. In 1855 Mr. Davis was married to Miss
Sarah Ameu, her father, who is still living in Illinois at the age of 73, having
been a native of Germany. Mrs. Davis has four brothers: Philip, of Brown county,
Ill., Francis M., of Oregon, William R. in Salt. Lake City, and Peter, in
Kansas; she also has a sister living in Linn county, Mo., Anna Smith. They have
had 11 children, whose names and dates of birth are: Kate, 1857, wife of Thomas
Merain, and mother of 3 children; James, 1861, married Miss Lou Shirtzer,
and has one child; Ann, 1863, married Al. McKane, and has 2 children; Ettie,
1864, wife of Abe. Corzette, and they have 2 children; Julia, 1867; John, 1868;
Will, 1871; Talinda, 1872; Minnie, 1874; George, 1877, and Freddie, born in
1882.
Jasper P. Fell, a successful farmer of Wheeling township, has proved himself
a worthy son of an honored and respected settler of this county, John R. Fell, a
native of Pennsylvania, who died here in 1872 at the age of 56. His wife was
also originally from the Keystone State - Miss Sarah Rathbuth, and she is still
living at the age of 68 years. Jasper's parents removed to Trumbull county, O.,
when he was but a child, there remaining for about nine years, after which they
came to Livingston county, Mo. Young Fell grew up principally in Ohio and
Missouri, attending the district schools in each of these States, where he
received a practical education, sufficient for all necessary purposes of
every-day life. Subsequently he became occupied with farming interests and to
this he has since given his attention. The perseverance and industry displayed
in the management of his farm have not been without substantial results and
nothing is left undone which will improve or promote the interests of this
county, and the community in which he resides. He is a large feeder of cattle
and hogs, taking great interest in all stock matters, and, indeed, he is a
leader in this branch of agriculture in this part of Livingston county. November
17, 1872, Mr. Fell was married to a most estimable young lady, Miss Elsie
Johnson, a native of New York State, but at the time of her marriage a resident
of Missouri. Her father was a native of Connecticut, Gile Johnson, though he was
reared in the Empire State, whither his father had removed when the son was but
five years of age. Mrs. Fell was the eighth child. She is a lady whose good
judgment and refinement and attractive disposition have endeared her to a host
of friends and acquaintances. In their family have been two children, but both
are now deceased. Mrs. F. is a member of the Methodist Church, while her husband
belongs to the A. H. T. A. of Missouri.
He whose name heads this brief sketch is one of Wheeling's most active and
enterprising business men, alive to all current issues and public-spirited and
progressive in all matters tending to benefit the community. He is a Kentuckian
by birth, born October 30, 1826, in Glasgow, Barren county. His parents were
John and Mary (Willis) Forrester, and in their family were three children, of
whom Samuel was the youngest and the only one now living. John Forrester was an
agriculturist by occupation; he died at the age of 75 in 1845. His first wife
was formerly a Miss Quissenberry. As young Samuel grew towards youth and early
manhood he attended school in the neighborhood of his home, afterwards working
on the farm until he left Kentucky for Missouri, in the spring of 1856.
Immediately he settled in this county on a farm north of Chillicothe, remaining
there until July, 1879, when he removed to Wheeling, embarking at once in
mercantile pursuits, which he has since successfully carried on. His stock of
goods is complete in all particulars, and his patronage is such as one would
most desire, and is steadily on the increase. While on the farm Mr. Forrester
made several trips across the plains by wagon, freighting goods up the South
Platte road to Julesburg, but, fortunately, upon these excursions he escaped any
harm from Indians, then so numerous in that portion of the country. In October,
1865, he discontinued his freighting operations. In 1849, Mr. Forrester was
married to Miss Caroline Jenkins, who became the mother of two children: John
Henry died at the age of 16, and Ellen, the daughter, married William T. Harper,
of Missouri; she died in 1873, leaving a little girl, Elizabeth, who still
survives. Mrs. F. died in November, 1866. Mr. F. was again married in 1869, Miss
Sarah Ann Gist, daughter of John Gist, one of Livingston's most substantial
farmers, becoming his wife. Mr. Forrester is a member of Union Baptist Church,
north of Chillicothe. He also belongs to Friendship Lodge, No. 89, A. F. and A.
M.
Silas W. Haynes, whose life has been an active one, and who has by his own
industry and intelligent management secured a substantial footing among the
citizens of this community, was born in Baldwinsville, Onondaga county, N. Y.,
October 12, 1844, of English origin. His father, Horace Haynes, is now a
resident of Reading, Hillsdale county, Mich., where he follows the pursuit of
agriculture. Silas' mother's maiden name was Adaline Sweet. They were married in
New York and subsequently had a family of five children: Delia Jane, Silas
Wright, Martha Ann, Arthur Edwin and Albert Willis, who is at present a resident
of Punta Arenas, Cal. Arthur E. Haynes is a professor of mathematics at
Hillsdale College, Mich., and a man of superior learning and refined culture,
and of recognized intellectual ability. Recently he has been elected a member of
the London Mathematical Society, only four other professors in this country
having been similarly honored. Silas W. Haynes commenced to attend school in New
York, but his education was principally obtained in Michigan, at the common
schools. After leaving school he gave his attention to agricultural pursuits for
six years, then learning the trade of carpenter, at which he worked some before
coming of age. In August, 1864, he entered the army and was a member of the 4th
army corps in the 4th Michigan infantry, under Gen. Thomas, participating in the
battles of Decatur, Murfreesboro, Nashville and others. He was honorably
discharged in 1866 with the rank of corporal. Following this Mr. H. farmed five
years, and then settled at Wheeling, Mo., where he has been principally occupied
in building since that time. In politics he has been a life-long Democrat; and
August 29, 1885, he was appointed postmaster at this place. In 1868 Mr. Haynes
married Mrs. Sylvia Ferris, of Reading, Mich., daughter of Capt. John Reed, who
sailed the great lakes for 18 years. They have two children living, Arthur
Willis, born August 7, 1870, and Bertha Beatrice, born June 7, 1873. Mr. H. is a
member of the Masonic fraternity, and belongs to H. C. Gilbert Post of the G. A.
R; He was the chief organizer of the Masonic lodge at this place, two previous
attempts having been ineffectually made. For six years he has held the position
of worshipful master. He is also adjutant in the G. A. R. He is connected with
the Baptist Church, of which he is clerk, and his served as a member of the
school board for several years. In all the walks of life Mr. Haynes is a man of
more than ordinary prominence, straightforward and honorable in all things, and
of universal popularity.
There are many citizens of foreign birth represented within the pages of this
volume, but none are more deserving of mention than Michael Inderwiesen, who was
born September 18, 1848, in the village of Rupertshutte, Bavaria, Germany. His
father was John I. Inderwiesen, a farmer by occupation and successful in his
calling. His family numbered seven children, of whom Michael was the eldest. He
was educated in the excellent schools of his native country - schools noted for
their thoroughness, and subsequently became possessed of a desire to emigrate to
a new country, where a young man had superior opportunities for bettering his
condition in life. In 1861 he accompanied his parents to this country, some of
their relatives having previously located in Clark county, Mo., where also Mr.
Inderwiesen and family now became settled. Michael at once began to attend to
farm duties about the home place and in 1872 he went to Morgan county, Ill.,
where for two years he worked upon a farm, handling and feeding cattle, etc.
While in that county he took unto himself a wife in the person of Miss Balbena
Feger, to whom he was married September 26, 1874. Her father was a substantial
agriculturist of that county, having moved originally from Baden, Germany. In
1875 Mr. Inderweisen returned to Clark county, Mo., and resumed his farming
operations there, continuing that occupation for two seasons, when he came to
this county. In 1880 he purchased his present farm, moved upon it and has since
added greatly to its improvement. He raises a number of short-horn cattle,
wisely believing that it pays far better in the end to feed good graded stock
than a poor quality. Mr. and Mrs. I. have three children: Carl W., born August
27, 1875; Bertha A., born July 13, 1879, and Frank H., born October 7, 1885. Mr.
Inderwiesen and wife are members of the Catholic Church.
A lifetime devoted with perseverance and energy to the pursuits of
agriculture have contributed very materially to the success which has attended
the efforts of Mr. Kendall, a man of substantial and established worth. Like
many of the residents of this county, he is a Kentuckian by birth, having been
born May 8, 1835, near Brandenburg, Meade county. His parents were James and
Eliza Kendall, the former of Nelson county, of the Blue Grass State, who died
February 5, 1884, at the age of 80 years; the mother departed this life in 1882,
when 69 years old. Their family consisted of three children, two of whom were
boys, and of these Eli was the eldest child and is the only one now living. He
was brought up in his native State, receiving a common school education and
entering actively upon farming at the age of 21, and this occupation he
continued to follow in Kentucky until 1869, when he removed to this county. For
seven years he lived in Wheeling, carrying on his farming operations just west
of the town, but in 1877 he purchased his present place, consisting of 80 acres
of well improved land, admirably adapted to the purposes of general farming.
This has continued to be his home, and here he raises principally short-horn
cattle, deeming that the best breed for ordinary stock business. His
thoroughness as a man and good taste and industry as an agriculturist are to be
seen in the surroundings of his home place, and he deserves the position in
which he is held by so many in the community. Mr. Kendall married May 29, 1856,
Miss E. R. Van Meter, whose cousin, William Van Meter (son of Abram Van Meter,
of Illinois), is a noted philanthropist of New York. They have two daughters:
Susan E., born June 5, 1857, is the wife of Joseph Barrett, and they have a
daughter, Stella May, five years old; Nannie B., was born March 31, 1860, and is
now Mrs. John Wright, of Kentucky; she has a son two years old, James Floyd. Mr.
and Mrs. K. are members of the Baptist Church at Wheeling. He has been honored
by the people with the position of township clerk.
On the first of September, 1849, near Palmyra, Marion county, Mo., there was
born to Levi and Elizabeth Lake, nee Haley, a son, whom we now take as
the subject of this sketch. His father was a native of that county, and is now
engaged in farming near Eversonville, Linn county; he is 58 years of age. The
mother came originally from Lincoln county, Ky., her father during life having
been a farmer there; her mother still survives at the age of 82. Benjamin F. was
the eldest of 10 children, 8 of whom are now living. In growing up; he had to
contend with many obstacles in the way of acquiring an education and was obliged
to overcome many difficulties, and he surely deserves much credit for his
perseverance in study. Upon leaving his father's farm, at, the age of 18, he
served a three years' apprenticeship at the blacksmith's trade; previous to this
he had managed the home farm for some time, his father having been nearly
assassinated by an infamous wretch whom he had benefited in various ways. At the
expiration of three years he left Linneus and went to Coatesville, Ia., where he
worked a while and subsequently acquired an interest in the business of his
employers. This argued rare merit and capacity, for, as he says, he had entered
the town "not without a dollar but without a cent." A year later Mr.
Lake removed to Eversonville, Linn county, Mo., and remained there until
December, 1871, when he located in Hicks City, Jackson county, Mo. From that
time until the spring of 1873 he conducted a blacksmith shop there, soon
returned to Eversonville, and was an invalid for some time. He continued to
follow his trade, however, attending besides to a farm, until coming to Wheeling
in 1875, and here he also carried on a shop. His partner in business was a Mr.
Way, whose interest he purchased in 1877, and finally he discontinued the
business entirely in the spring of 1881. During this time he had erected the
store now occupied as a drug store, and the building in which Mr. Nunnelly now
is, the upper story being used as a Masonic hall. Mr. Lake has been identified
with the business interests of this place in other capacities, building up a
sound reputation in each and all of them. He was a dealer in agricultural
implements, and transfer agent for an Auburn, N. Y., manufactory, and was also
occupied in the hardware and grocery trade, but subsequently he began buying
grain, dealing in stock, etc., and he has recently built an elevator here, run
by steam machinery; his grain transactions are very large, for he handles
immense quantities of all kinds of this product. Mr. Lake was married July 23,
1871, to Miss Margaret E. Ring, of Davis county, Ia., but at that time living in
Johnson county, Mo. They have five children: William Walter, born August 14,
1872; Edward Arthur, born January 5, 1875; Levi Truman, born June 26, 1877;
Willis Lloyd, born October 27, 1879, and Alta Maude, born July 15, 1883. Mr. L.
belongs to the Masonic and K. of L. orders at this place, and also to the A. H.
T. A., being a delegate to the State convention held at Kirksville in 1885.
On this page of the History of Livingston county is found the life-record of
a man, briefly and but poorly written indeed, whose career has been as honorable
in the honesty of manhood, as worthy in so far as duty well and faithfully
performed goes, and as untarnished by reproach as that of any man mentioned in
the history of this community. He is one of the native-born citizens of
Missouri, his birth having occurred near Glasgow, Howard county, April 4, 1838.
James Littrell, his father, a Kentuckian by nativity, became located in Howard
county as early as 1820. His death, however, occurred in Linn county March 6,
1884. William J., the fourth of seven children in the family, as he grew up
received instruction in the district schools of the State and immediately after
completing his course commenced to apply himself closely to agricultural
pursuits, and from that time to the present this has been his chief occupation.
However, for two years he was engaged in the construction of the Hannibal and
St.. Joseph Railroad. His first farming operations for himself were in
Livingston county, the scene of his labors at that time being south of Wheeling.
In 1866 he moved to his present farm all of which, save 80 acres, was wild land,
and there were but three other homesteaders on the prairie at that time. This he
has since improved from time to time, until its surroundings and conveniences in
the way of improvements are of a high order. September 20, 1866, Mr. Littrell
was married to Miss Emma Gish, then of Livingston county but formerly from
Indiana. Her father, Joel Gish, died March 3, 1885, at the residence of Judge L.
in this county. Mr. Littrell was once elected by the people to the judicial
bench of the county, his duties in this capacity being discharged with singular
care and fidelity. For several years he has served as justice of the peace in
this township. At this time he resides on his farm of 80 acres. For seven
successive years he acted as school director and it is largely owing to his
judgment and interest that schools in this vicinity have been so advanced
intellectually. He has been instrumental in securing only the best teachers,
believing it of far more benefit to expend more in this direction than to have
inferior teaching at limited wages. The stock upon his farm are principally of
the short-horn grade. Judge and Mrs. Littrell have eight children: James Gish,
born June 21, 1867; Sarah E., born July 3, 1869; William Virgil, born October 1,
1871; Joseph E., born February 6, 1874; Ida May, born July 9, 1876; Mary Maude,
born April 22, 1879; Flavius Seymour, born February 11, 1882; and Iva Etta, born
July 23, 1885. The Judge and his wife are members of the Baptist Church at
Prison Creek, in Linn county. He belongs to the A. F. A. and M. at Wheeling, was
also a member of the Grange during its existence, and is now connected with the
A. H. T. A.
The subject of this sketch is of Scotch birth and antecedents, his ancestors
on both his father's and mother's side having been natives of Scotland. They are
known as families of remarkable long life, and though neither of the immediate
relatives of Mr. and Mrs. Morrison, Sr., belong to the clans of that country, it
is very probable that they came originally of the clan McGregor. James and
Rachel Morrison, nee Henderson, were born in Stirlingshire, Scotland, and
became the parents of 10 children, of whom James H. was the only son and seventh
child. The father died some nine years ago at the age of 76; the mother is now
located in Chicago, and is 72 years old; James H. Morrison was born
within sight of the historic Stirling Castle, in Stirlingshire, February 18,
1849. In 1853, when but four years old, he was brought by his father to this
country, settling in Wisconsin, in which state he grew up and received his
education. After a course in the district schools he attended one term at the
University of Wisconsin, and at the age of 20, was graduated from Worthington
and Warner's Commercial College at Madison, Wis. Upon leaving school Mr. M. as
the only son attended to numerous duties about the home farm, and after his
father's death purchased the interest of the other children in the estate. In
the meantime the family had removed to Missouri in 1872, and located on the farm
in this county which Mr. M. now occupies. This is an excellent tract of land,
well improved and stocked with superior animals. He is a warm admirer and large
breeder of Polled-Angus cattle, believing this to be the coming breed for this
country, and in this particular branch of agriculture he has become well known.
As a man of industry and enterprise, Mr. M. has no superiors. These
characteristics are born in him. He is a great reader, a fine conversationalist,
and a man of intelligence and as such is recognized by all. In 1878, he married
Miss Sallie A. Seeley, a native of Connecticut, but who preceded him to this
county some two years. Formerly she had also resided in Wisconsin. Of the five
children born to them, Emma, born October 10, 1879, is still living, and James
Arthur, born May 29, 1881, died October 29 following; three infants are also
deceased. Mr. Morrison belongs to the Anti-Horse-Thief Association.
Of those persons of German antecedents mentioned in this volume none are more
deserving of especial remark than Henry Nay, a man whom Wheeling will ever have
cause to remember for the part he has taken in its building up and improvement.
John Nay, his grandfather, was a Revolutionary soldier, and John Nay, his
father, was under the command of Jackson at the battle of New Orleans. Henry,
the fourth of six children, four of whom were boys, was born in Marion county,
W. Va., February 22, 1822, and was reared there until 21 year old, then removing
to Worthington. When 17 years of age he commenced to learn the blacksmith's
trade, opened a shop at Worthington, and conducted it until the war broke out.
His education consisted of one three months' course. Two of his brothers are now
eminent ministers in the M. E. Church. Mr. N., himself, joined that denomination
when 17 and is still firm in the faith. August 25, 1842, he was married to Miss
Eleanor Hess, and they have had 12 children, 8 of whom are living; Catharine,
born June 9, 1843, is deceased; Phoebe, born February 22, 1845, married the
first time James Taggert and afterwards J. F. Belsche, by whom she has five
children; John, born June 11, 1846, has been three times married; Mahala, born
March 27, 1848, is now Mrs. William Patterson, and they have 7 children; Eleanor
Jane, born March 1, 1849, is the wife of H. A. Watson, and has one child;
Elizabeth, born October 21, 1850; Sarah L., born September 18, 1852; Henry M.,
born May 20, 1855; Francis D., born May 11, 1857, married September 18, 1884,
Mattie E. Maggard; Justine E., born July 8, 1859, married Annie Dockum; A. E.,
born August 16, 1861, and James R., born June 2, 1866. August 16, 1861, Mr. Nay
enlisted in the Union army and was commissioned colonel, but acted frequently as
captain of mounted and infantry scouts. A detailed account of the part he took
in the war would take up more space than can be given in this connection;
suffice it to say that his career was one of unusual hard service, fraught with
many dangers, marked with signal bravery and one of great service to his
country. He was honorably discharged June 17, 1865, at Worthington, his son,
John, also having been a soldier in the 6th U. S. calvary. October 7, 1865, Mr.
N. came to Chillicothe and settled on land which he had previously purchased. On
June, of the following year, he laid out the town of Wheeling, naming it after
the capital of his native State. His present place is near to the town,
embracing 200 acres, and here he lives, enjoying to an unbounded extent the
esteem of all who know him. He has ever been a liberal assistant of all public
and meritorious enterprises.
Mr. Nay is a man who can appreciate the comforts of a desirable home and
surroundings, and at this time there is in process of erection on his well
improved farm a substantial and attractive residence - one that will prove an
ornament to his farm and a credit to the community. He came originally from what
is now West Virginia, the county of Marion (formerly the county of Harrison)
having been divided so as to make two, and thus it is said that his birth
occurred in Harrison county December 23, 1831. His father, Oliver Nay, and his
mother, nee Tryphene Tetrich, were also Virginians by nativity, the
former having been a farmer by calling. His death occurred December 24, 1853, at
the age of 45 years. To himself and wife were given 13 children, 7 boys and 6
girls, and 9 of the family of children are living besides the mother. Losson,
the fourth child, after leaving the district schools where he received his
education, began farming and continued it until 1868, when he removed to the
town of Mannington, on the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, entering into the
milling business. At first he built a saw mill run by water power, but to this
was gradually added grist machinery and steam power. For 9 years he gave his
attention to this pursuit, but losing possession of his property through
chicanery he left the town and removed to the farm of his wife's father,
engaging in the lumber business. After some 4 years he started West, first
visited Kansas, and then, upon a careful survey of the possibilities, concluded
to cast his fortunes with Missouri, and he has had no reason to regret this
move. Locating in this county, he soon bought a farm and rented another, and
finally settled upon his own, which has since been greatly improved. He is much
interested in the breeding of fine thoroughbred Dewrock swine, having some
excellent animals of this grade. He also gives no little attention to poultry
raising. During the war Mr. Nay served some time in the West Virginia militia
and also in the transportation service of the United States. He was married in
1854 to Miss Mary Sheep, a native of Pennsylvania, her father, an old resident
of Greene county, Pa., having removed to Virginia when Mary was ten years old.
She was the eldest child in a family of two boys and four girls. Mr. and Mrs.
Nay are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Wheeling. Mr. Nay has been
a member for 40 years and his wife for 33 years, and by the help of God they
will continue to the end. Mr. N. obtained his education in a log cabin, in which
greased paper was put over the cracks for glass. Split poles were used for
seats. What a contrast to the privileges enjoyed by the youth of the present
day!
Livingston county is rapidly coming into a position as one of the foremost
stock counties in the State, and it is but uttering a plain fact to say that to
a few men in this community is due the credit for advancing stock interests here
and establishing a reputation in this department which is bound to stand for
years. Mr. Norman has had not a little to do towards developing the stock
matters of Livingston, and if for no other account he is accorded a word by
place in this volume. He was born in Macedon, Wayne county, N. Y., September 25,
1839, the third of eight children born to Isaac and Eliza (Smith) Norman, the
former a native of Sheffield, England, and the latter originally from New York
City. The father came to America when 22 years of age and died in New York in
1883 at the age of 72 years; the mother still survives and lives in Macedon, N.
Y., being 67 years old. Henry S. Norman early divided his time between working
on a farm and attending school. His educational facilities in youth were more
than usually favorable, for after leaving the district schools he took course at
the graded school at Fairport. Discontinuing his studies, he commenced work on
the New York Central Railroad in the employ of which company he remained some
two years. Then a trip West was decided upon, and, leaving New York, he first
stopped in Dane county, Wis., which was his home for five years. For a year and
a half after this Mr. Norman made his home in Iowa City, Ia., occupied in
tilling the soil, and from there he come to this county, in 1866. Since that
time he has been prominently identified with Livingston county in different
capacities. He has ever been a warm friend of education, taking active part in
all movements tending to benefit or encourage school facilities hereabouts; and
it is largely due to his interest and that of men of kindred feeling, that the
school in this district has taken such an advanced position as an educational
institution. His children have not been denied these privileges, and one of his
daughters, Miss Elvie, still young in years, but an instructor of true merit and
ability, and one of the most popular young ladies in the county, is a successful
teacher in the public schools. Mr. N. was married June 20, 1863, to Miss Alice
Jones, of Illinois, but at the date mentioned a resident of Wisconsin. They have
three children: Albert E., born May 6, 1865; Elvie M., born June 5, 1868, and
Elmer I., born November 22, 1876. Mr. Norman is a member of the A. H. T. A. For
many years he has been a member of the board of directors of the district
schools. His cattle are principally of the Durham grade and animals unsurpassed
by any in the township.
This well known representative citizen of Livingston county was born in
Ontario county, New York, July 6, 1841, of English ancestry, his parents both
having been born in Herefordshire, England. His father, George W. Peugh, was
related to the Earl of Hereford, and first saw the light in the ancestral castle
of that family. He died at the age of 72 in 1873. The mother, formerly Elizabeth
Gething, was born in the Clowden mansion. Her death occurred in 1854, when 46
years old. Three of the 12 children born to them are now living and of these
Peter was the eldest. His early education was begun in New York, and
subsequently he attended Thornhill Academy, 15 miles from Toronto, Canada, later
being a student at the High School of Battle Creek, Michigan. After the death of
his mother in 1854, he was adopted by Gen. S. G. Champlin, of Grand Rapids,
Michigan, at that time colonel of the 3d Michigan regiment, but later on
promoted to general. In 1861 he accompanied Col. Champlin into the army, finally
served on his staff and took part in the first battle of Bull Run. At the battle
of Fair Oaks the Colonel, who had fallen wounded, was removed from the field by
Mr. Peugh, and the latter was afterwards presented with a watch, in which the
service rendered was engraved, by order of Col. Champlin. At the second battle
of Bull Run he (Col. C.) was again wounded, but Mr. Peugh attended him this
time, remaining with him until January 23, 1863, when the General, as he now
was, expired. February 1 following, Mr. Peugh went to Washington, and through
the influence of Zach. Chandler he was appointed by Stanton, Secretary of War,
captain of the watch under Gen. C. H. Tompkins. May 1, 1865, he was promoted
assistant storekeeper on the staff of Gen. A. P. Blunt, and continued in that
position until the year, 1868, then resigning and bearing the rank and
emoluments of a captain in the regular army. After spending one year in
merchandising at Washington, D. C., Mr. Peugh came west and passed some
time in Kansas, then coming to Chillicothe, Mo., and engaging with Mr. Alex.
Noble in the manufacture of brick and contracting and building, constructing the
brick portion of the jail and also the building where the county records are
kept. In 1870 he purchased a farm of 120 acres, but at this time has an estate
of 340 acres. In 1874 he was elected trustee of the township and took great
interest in perfecting township organizations, as well as being prominent in
other matters. While in the army he was a constant student of the law, and in
September, 1863, he was admitted to the bar at Washington City and in September
(30), 1880, after a re-examination in this State, he was re-admitted to
practice. In 1858-59 he studied veterinary surgery under M. P. Baker, and
traveled with him some time, performing important operations. Upon the close of
the war he served in the quartermaster's department, collecting stoves, etc.
February 23, 1870, Mr. Peugh was married to Miss Charlotte D. Dickinson, of
Galesburg, Michigan, her mother having been a cousin of Martin Van Buren. Of the
3 children born to them one is living, Edward Dewayne Peugh. Mr. Peugh is an
elder in the Presbyterian Church, and is also secretary of the Anti-Horse-Thief
Association. He has numerous very valuable war relics, probably some of which
can not be duplicated, and besides these he has other mementoes unlike any to be
found in Europe or America. Amongst these there is an iron ring made from a
splinter of the first Monitor, commanded by John L. Wordon, that whipped the
Merrimack, and also a diminutive pipe made from the wood of the oak tree under
which Warwick, "the Kingmaker," held one of his councils. Mr. Peugh is
one of the most prominent men in the county, liberal and public-spirited and
highly respected.
William Scruby was born in the village of Melbourne, Cambridgeshire (in which
is situated the world-famed University of Cambridge), England, March 11, 1827,
being the eldest of a family of 13 children born to William and Hannah Scruby, nee
Standford. When 12 years old he commenced clerking in a grocery and drapery
house of an uncle, James Scruby, with whom he remained 5 years, and embarked in
business for himself in 1840. The year following, upon emigrating to America, he
settled upon a farm in Fond du Lac county, Wis., on which he resided 10 years,
also engaging in merchandising for two years. In 1860 he went to Steele county,
Minn., farmed there four years, and in the meantime was appointed acting county
auditor to fill the place of the auditor, whose illness prevented him from
discharging his official duties. He took the first census of the town of
Owatonna, was subsequently made deputy auditor, and while serving as such was
elected sheriff. During his term in this position he continued to act as deputy
auditor until about two years before leaving the county, when he built a
warehouse and carried on a very successful agricultural implement business. In
the fall of 1867, Mr. Scruby removed to Springfield, Mo., on account of the
extreme winters in Minnesota, and in August, 1868, he went to Carrollton, Ill.,
remaining there until his location at Wheeling in the spring of 1872, soon
settling upon his farm. In 1874 he began buying grain and selling agricultural
implements, and also ran a lumber yard, his sons conducting the farm until 1879
when it was rented out as it has since been. In the spring of 1884, in
connection with the firm of Edgerton & Scruby, in which his sons are
partners, he built the first grain warehouse and elevator here, putting in
corn-shelling machinery. Mr. Scruby has done much for the interest of Wheeling
in a quiet, unassuming way, and is highly esteemed for his many noble qualities
of mind and heart. He is well informed on all current topics of the day and is a
ready public speaker. In 1849 he was married in London to Miss Elizabeth Pryor,
of an old Isle of Jersey family. They have 4 boys and 3 girls: Emma, married
Alonzo Frank, of Greene county, Ill., and they have three children; Fannie
married A. D. Gage and has 4 children; Frank married Miss Belle Fenstermacher
and has 3 children; Edwin married Josie Reynolds; Alice is now Mrs. Frank
Bassett, and they have 1 child dead and 2 living; William and Horace are
unmarried. During the terrible Indian troubles in Minnesota, Mr. S. held a
captain's commission in the State militia, and has a most vivid memory of those
horrors.
A man of marked character and more than ordinary prominence in the material
affairs of Livingston county is the subject of this sketch, Mr. Frank Scruby,
one of the leading business men of Wheeling. His birth occurred in Fond du Lac,
Fond du Lac county, Wis., June 3, 1854, and his father is William Scruby, an
outline of whose life history immediately precedes this. In 1868 he accompanied
his parents to Illinois and at the Carrollton Academy in this State received a
good education. Leaving school at the age of 16 years, he began the butchering
business, a trade with which he became thoroughly familiar in all its branches,
and continued it off and on until 1878. In 1871 Mr. Scruby had come to
Livingston county, Mo., and besides being interested in butchering, he farmed,
clerked and also bought grain. In 1876 he went to the Pacific Slope and located
at Red Bluff, Cal., where for some time he conducted a meat market, or up to
1878. In that year he returned to Missouri on a visit, but in 1879 again went to
California, where subsequently he was elected assessor and collector of the city
of Red Bluff; his popularity being attested by the highly complimentary majority
of votes cast for him. May 18, 1880, however, he resigned this position and in
company with a Mr. Cheeny Calhoun went to Arizona, prospecting all over that
territory before any railroad except the Southern Pacific, which was then
building, had entered the region and meeting with many thrilling and narrow
escapes. Two months later he was taken ill, and making his way back to San
Francisco (from which place he expected to return to Red Bluff) he remained
there for some time, interested in working at his trade. In August 1880, Mr,
Scruby settled permanently at Wheeling and entered into the grain and stock
business with his father, meeting with unusual success. March 21, 1884, he with
Dr W. W. Edgerton purchased the interest of M. S. L. Jackson, in a general store
and constructed an excellent warehouse and elevator to handle grain, the first
one at this place. The patronage which they control is extensive in every way
and to Mr. Scruby is due not a little of their success, for he has proven
himself a man of superior management and rare business ability and efficiency.
Public-spirited in his tendencies, he does not a little to advance all worthy
movements. He was appointed postmaster Wheeling, Mo., November 4, 1881, by
Thomas L. James, and recently he was elected township trustee and treasurer of
this (Wheeling) township, the duties of which he is now discharging. Mr. Scruby
was married February 16, 1881, to Miss Anna Belle Feustermacher, whose father
was the first supervisor of this township, after the township organization was
adopted. They have three children: Nina Belle, born January 8, 1882; Wilbur
William, born March 31, 1883, and Charles A., born October 2, 1884. Mr. S. was a
charter member of the Red Bluff Lodge of the A. O. U. W. He also belongs to the
K. of L. and takes a large interest in helping the laboring class of people in
his community. In fact he is the poor man's friend. Mr. Scruby has always
been a stanch Republican and has taken no little interest in the success
of his party, keeping well posted on the political issues of the day. A man that
studies largely the interests of the people, he is looked upon as a leader of
men.
Dr. Swope, who is numbered among the younger members of the medical
fraternity in this county, came originally from Adams county, Ill., in the
vicinity of Clayton, where he was born May 20, 1861. On his father's side he is
of German descent, Albert F. Swope, the father, having been born in Spencer
county, Ky.; he is still residing in Illinois at the age of 65 years, and by
occupation is a farmer. The Doctor's mother, formerly Carrie T. Sullivan,
was born near Caruthersville, Ind. In their family were seven children and of
these John M. (married), Joseph M. (married), Homer M., William A. and Lottie E.
are living, and Sudie and Mary are deceased. William A. commenced his education
in the State of his birth, attending neighborhood schools at first and
subsequently entering Shaddock College, at Quincy, Ill., where he received an
excellent course. After this, having chosen the profession of medicine as the
calling to which he would devote his energies in life, he went to Louisville,
Ky., and attended the medical department of the university of that city, from
which he was graduated in 1885. Previous to becoming a student here, however, he
had read medicine with Dr. G. W. Cox, of Clayton, Ill. After graduating Dr.
Swope returned home, but in a short time started West to seek a location and
finally, in May, 1885, he took up his residence at Wheeling, where be has since
been prominent in professional affairs. He has charge of the only drug store in
the place, his father having purchased the interest of Dr. Seibert in the firm
of Seibert & Carpenter. Dr. S. is a thoroughly educated physician of the
allopathic school, is a man of enterprise and progress, and a valuable
acquisition socially and professionally to the town of his adoption. He belongs
to the Masonic lodge at Clayton.
Personal popularity, it can not be denied, results largely from the industry, perseverance and close attention to business which a person displays in the management of any particular branch of trade. And in the case of Mr. Wolfe this is certainly true, for he has adhered so closely to farming and the stock industry and helped in so many ways to advance all worthy interests in this community, that high esteem has been placed upon him. Born in Franklin county, Pa., near Shippensburg, April 22, 1847, he was the son of Jacob L. and Elizabeth (Newcomer) Wolfe, both also natives of the State of Pennsylvania. The former died in this county August 26, 1871, at the age of 56 years. In their family were 12 children, of whom Benjamin F. was the seventh child. As he grew up in the State of his birth he obtained a good common education in the district schools, after leaving which he went into the army. After being mustered out he remained in Pennsylvania till the spring of 1868, then went to Dowagiac, Cass county, Mich., worked in flouring mills there till the spring of 1869, and then settled in this county. His present farm is well improved, having upon it all necessary buildings, a neat residence, etc, and convenient outbuildings. He is a believer in fine thoroughbred cattle, has graded all his stock to a fair standard and is working now to place them on a still higher plane. In 1864 Mr. Wolfe enlisted in the 195th Pennsylvanian volunteer infantry, Col. Fisher commanding, and the regiment was attached to the 8th corps; he served with the Army of the Potomac in Sheridan's valley campaign against Early, and was mustered out in the winter of 1864 at Harrisburg. December 25, 1879, he was married to Miss Mary L. Littrell, of Linn county, Mo., her father, Joseph Littrell; being one of that county's most substantial farmers. Her mother was formerly Miss Mary Ann Barbee, also of Missouri, and she was the eldest in the family of seven children. Mr. and Mrs. Wolfe have 3 children: Bennie Beulah, born November 15, 1880; Ada, born December 26, 1884, and Annie Delene, born February 13, 1886. Mr. W. holds the position of senior vice-commander in H. C. Gilbert Post of the G. A. R. at this place.