The History of Daviess County, Missouri. Daviess County, Missouri: Birdsall & Dean. 1882.
Lucien B. Noah was born on August 23, 1829, in Ohio and moved to Daviess County, Missouri, with his family at the age of sixteen. After completing his education, he worked as a cabinet maker and carpenter before transitioning to farming in 1861. He later expanded into milling operations in 1866. Noah owns a 280-acre farm in Liberty Township. He married Cassandre Gisebert in 1858, and they had eleven children, with ten living today.
G. W. Henderson was born in Clay County, Missouri, on March 11, 1834, and moved to Gentry County at a young age, where his father was a pioneer settler. Growing up in Daviess County, he received a solid education and taught school for four years. In 1859, he married Matilda McBrayer, with whom he had four children. After her death in 1878, he continued his work as a stock and grain broker and was elected County judge in 1874, earning a reputation as a respected public servant.
William Wilson, born in Ireland in 1800, was educated in his homeland and began his career as a farmer. In 1847, he emigrated to America with his family, initially settling in New Orleans before moving to southern Illinois, where he continued farming. He later relocated to northern Illinois and then Kansas, before finally settling in his current State and County in 1870. Married in 1881, Wilson had five children but lost his wife in Illinois. Now over eighty, he remains actively involved in farming and stock-raising.
Samuel Wilson, born in County Donegal, Ireland, in March 1842, emigrated to America with his family at the age of four. They first settled in New Orleans before moving to Illinois, where Wilson was raised and educated. He began his career as a farmer, transitioning to Kansas from 1868 to 1872. Later, he relocated to Daviess County, where he currently resides on a well-improved 196-acre farm. Known for his industrious nature, Wilson is respected by his community.
Lafayette F. Myers, born on June 1, 1844, in Daviess County, spent his early years in California, where he worked in the stock business and freighting. Returning to his birthplace in 1866, he focused on farming and stock-raising, owning a 280-acre farm with a brick residence and a large orchard. He married Mary E. Shelby on November 12, 1868, and they have four children. Myers is recognized as one of the most prominent citizens in Daviess County.
George W. Morris was born on March 28, 1847, in DeKalb County, Missouri, and moved to Liberty Township with his family as a child. He became a farmer, owning 120 acres of improved land, where he still resides. Morris married A. E. Lydick in 1871, and they had four children: Kittie, Alma, Charles, and William. He served as justice of the peace from 1875 to 1881 before becoming assessor of the township. His farm is well arranged, featuring ample water and fencing.
William H. Hartman, born October 3, 1824, in Pennsylvania, moved to Chicago in 1844, staying until 1854 before relocating to California. He worked in teaming and later trucking for the Pacific Distillery Company in San Francisco. In 1868, he returned to Chicago, then settled in Jackson County, Missouri, before moving to Liberty Township, where he became a successful farmer on a 220-acre property. Hartman married Flora Auman in 1866, and they had seven children together.
John J. Wample was born in Virginia in February 1829 and was educated there. He began farming independently before moving to Tennessee in 1848, then to Daviess County, Indiana in 1851, where he has since farmed on an eighty-acre property in Liberty Township. He married Elizabeth Hudle in 1850, and they have two children, Isaac E. and Mary J. Wample is recognized as a hardworking and successful farmer, providing well for his family.
Benjamin Matchett Jr. was born in Essex County, England, on December 3, 1840, and emigrated to America at age fourteen. He worked on the Grand Trunk Railroad in Canada before moving to Indiana, where he completed his education. Matchett enlisted in the Twenty-ninth Indiana Volunteer Infantry in 1861, serving as a spy and in signal service until his discharge in 1863. After a brief stint in farming, he became a minister, dedicating his life to preaching and helping others across three states. He married Alida Munn in 1863 and had six children.
John McDougall, born in Isla, Scotland on April 17, 1824, began his career in farming before transitioning to a role in the customs office in 1847. Seeking new opportunities, he immigrated to the United States in 1853, working various jobs including in a foundry, farming, and as a stone-quarry laborer before settling in Daviess County, Indiana in 1866. Married to Janet Johnston in 1853, they had five children. Janet passed away in 1877, leaving behind a legacy of respect and admiration.
R. L. Vallandigham was born on January 1, 1837, in Ray County and raised in Daviess County. Initially a farmer, he shifted to operating a grist and saw-mill in 1868 before returning to farming in 1874. A Confederate soldier during the Civil War, he served in Company F and was wounded at Pea Ridge. He married M. A. Parks in 1873, with five children resulting from their union. Vallandigham currently resides on a 164-acre farm in Liberty Township.
Born on May 24, 1812, in Stickney, England, Benjamin Matchett initially worked as a railroad contractor before immigrating to America in 1855. After working on the Grand Trunk Railway in Canada, he settled in LaPorte, Indiana, where he farmed until 1868, eventually moving to Daviess County, Missouri. Matchett was married twice, fathering four children. He owned and improved a 175-acre farm and played a key role in the early development of railroad track fastening technology.
H. C. Thompson was born on April 27, 1846, in Caldwell County, where he was raised. In 1865, he moved to Daviess County, where he has since farmed on a well-improved 280-acre property in Liberty Township, specializing in livestock. Married on January 26, 1867, to Maria H. Lynn, they have six children. A respected figure in his community, Thompson is known for his practical farming skills and integrity as a businessman.
R. S. E. Lewis was born on May 29, 1836, in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. He began his career in farming and lumbering before relocating to Illinois in 1851, then briefly to Iowa. In 1857, he settled in Daviess County, where he has engaged successfully in farming, managing a 230-acre property. Married twice, Lewis is a father of six and has a notable interest in stock-raising, particularly horses, with annual sales averaging between fifteen to twenty.
T. A. Martin was born on November 9, 1842, in Belmont County, Ohio, and raised in Indiana. He worked as a farmer until enlisting in the Seventy-second Indiana Volunteers during the Civil War, serving from 1862 to 1865 and participating in several significant battles. In 1868, he moved to Daviess County, Missouri, where he continued farming on 120 acres of improved land. Martin married N. J. Rude in 1869, and they had six children. He is recognized as a skilled farmer and a respected community member.
J. A. Stigers was born on October 23, 1838, in Fulton County, Pennsylvania. At thirteen, his family moved to Ohio, where he pursued farming. After spending two years in Mahaska County, Iowa, he settled in Liberty Township, Missouri, owning a 160-acre farm. In 1868, he married Jennie Chadwick, with whom he had three children. An accomplished farmer, Stigers managed a herd of cattle and hogs and served two terms as justice of the peace but chose to focus on his farming endeavors.
Jacob Tingler was born on January 30, 1823, in Guerusey County, Ohio. After completing his education, he worked in the boot and shoe trade for three years before turning to farming. He married Elizabeth J. Sailor in 1847 and moved to Steuben County, Indiana, in 1849. In 1866, they relocated to Daviess County, Missouri, enticed by the area’s fertile land, where they established a home on a well-improved forty acres. They had six children, with four surviving, and were known as good citizens and neighbors.
J. Koger, born on September 10, 1834, in Kentucky, moved to his current county at the age of eight. He became a farmer and stock dealer, owning a 500-acre improved farm in Liberty Township. A Union supporter during the Civil War, he enlisted in 1852 and served until the war’s end. Koger was married twice, first to Elizabeth Netherton, with whom he had four children, and later to Miss Lydick, with whom he had six children, two of whom survived.
John H. Searcy, born on November 9, 1844, in Illinois, moved to Daviess County at the age of twelve. He pursued a career in farming and stock-raising, currently owning a well-improved 181-acre farm in Jefferson Township. Renowned for his experience and integrity, Searcy first married Parmelia Garrison in Daviess County; after her death, he married Susan E. Helmbaugh. His contributions and character have made a significant impact in the county.
Rev. John W. Black was born on February 11, 1833, in Boone County, Missouri. He moved with his family to Daviess County in 1849. An educator from age eighteen, he became highly regarded in the community. Black was licensed to preach in 1860 by the New Salem Baptist Church and was ordained in 1877, serving as a missionary. He married Tabitha Sappington in 1853 and they had five children. Black remains a respected figure in Victoria where he owns a home.