History of Daviess County Missouri Collections – Page 3 of 19

Biography of John W. Burton

John W. Burton was born in Lawrence County, Indiana, November 29, 1842. His father, Eli Burton, is a native of North Carolina, and is now in the seventieth year of his age; his grandfather, John H. Burton, was a native of Virginia. Eli Burton migrated to Indiana, when a young man, bought a farm. on which was a small log house, and there the subject of this sketch was born, and there his father continues to live, but the log cabin has given way to a handsome modern residence, surrounded by the broad acres of a well-improved farm, instead of … Read more

Biography of John Oxford

The subject of this sketch was born in Clay County, Kentucky, April 9, 1833. His parents are Jonathan and Elizabeth Spurlock Oxford, the former a native of North Carolina, and the latter of Kentucky. His father was one of the first settlers of Daviess County, and was taken out and shot during the war, April 4, 1863; his mother still resides upon the farm where they first settled upon their arrival in this County- Young Oxford was about three years old when his father migrated from Kentucky to this County, and here he was reared upon the home farm, attended … Read more

Biography of John J. Enyaet

John J., son of Abram and Jane Enyart, was born near Plattsburg, Clinton county, Missouri, May 15, 1838, and lived there until 1848, when his parents moved to Gentry county, and settled upon a farm in Boyle township. Four years after taking up their residence in Gentry county his father died, and one year later, in 1853, his mother also journeyed to ” that bourne from whence no traveler ere returns.” Thus left alone, he made his home with his half-brother, William Mulligan, until 1857, when he came to Daviess County and lived with his uncle, H. W. Enyart, near … Read more

Biography of John H. Townsend

John H. Townsend was born at Smyrna, Costa (now Kent) county, Delaware, March 16, 1843. When seven years of age his parents removed to Madison county, Indiana, and settled at Collinsville, where he lived with them until he reached the age of eighteen years, and was there educated. On leaving home in 1861 he went to Placerville, California. On his arrival there he had but six dollars. On the first day after his arrival he was employed as a clerk by B. Meacham, a dry goods merchant, at a salary of six hundred dollars per year and board, and remained … Read more

Biography of John F. Jordin

John F. Jordin was born in Daviess county, September 8, 1851, and is a son of Franklin and Nancy J. Jordin. His father migrated to Daviess county from Virginia in the early days, and was among the first settlers of this county; his mother came from Kentucky with her father, Jennings Ballinger, to this county in 1848 and was married to Franklin Jordin in 1850. The subject of this sketch was one of three children, having two sisters, one of whom died in infancy, and the other, Angeline, married John W. Pinkerton, and is living at present in Ray county, … Read more

Biography of John D. Coulson

John D. Coulson was born near McMinnville, Warren county, Tennessee, February 9, 1807, and was there reared and educated. He attended the old time subscription schools, taught in a log cabin with dirt floor, warmed from a huge fireplace, seats of split logs raised on pegs, and the only window being the space left by an absent log; thus he acquired his early education, and there he lived until he attained his twenty-third year. Leaving his old home in 1829, he journeyed toward the West, and arrived at St. Louis on the 3d of March, the eve of General Jackson’s … Read more

Biography of John Cravens

John Cravens, son of Dr. Joseph and Mary Cravens, was born in Harrisonburg, Rockingham county, Virginia, October 28, 1797, where he was reared and educated. He began the study of medicine under his father,, when in his nineteenth year, and began practice some six years later. After practicing with his father two years, he removed to Hardy county, Virginia now West Virginia, and began practice at Petersburg, but only remained one year, when he removed to Pendleton county, opened an office in Franklin, the county seat, and was an active practitioner in that county for ten years. In 1837 he … Read more

Biography of John A. Keck

John A. Keck was born in Baltimore, Maryland, October 27, 1843, but his parents, John and Elizabeth Keck, removed from his native city when he was but six months old, and settled in Bracken county, Kentucky. From there they removed, after a residence of about six years, coming to Missouri and settling upon a farm in Shelby county, where he was reared to manhood and received his education. His mother is still living, and is a descendant of the Tevis family, who founded Tevis college, of Kentucky. His father died in Gallatin in 1876. Our subject lived with his parents … Read more

Biography of Joab Woodruff

Joab Woodruff was born in Johnson county, Indiana, near Nineveh, October 25, 1825. His parents Joab and Sophia Woodruff lived upon a farm, and there the subject of our sketch grew to manhood, giving most of his time and attention to work upon the farm, and having little opportunity to enjoy the advantages of education, receiving only three months schooling, during the winters, from the time he was of school age until he was sixteen years old. The school houses were of the most primitive pattern of the old log variety, sad the three months sessions during the winters were … Read more

Biography of Jehiel T. Day

Jehiel T. Day was born near Mt. Vernon, Knox county, Ohio, November 12, 1833. He was reared and grew to manhood in his native place, receiving his primary education in Sloan’s Academy, of Mt. Vernon, which he completed with. a two years’ course in Oberlin College. In his twenty-first year he became a teacher in the district schools, which occupation he alternated with farming, continuing to teach in winter and farm in summer until the dark cloud of civil war hovered over the land in the spring of 1861. In April of that year he laid aside his peaceful pursuits … Read more

Biography of Jasper N. Bailey

Jasper N. Bailey was born in Carter county, Kentucky, June 8, 1838; a son of Jesse and Margaret Bailey, nee Webb. His father, by profession, was a teacher, and died in the year 1848; and his mother died December 16, 1876. When he was two years of age his parents left Kentucky and came to Lawrence county, Ohio. After being there six years they came to Daviess county, Missouri. When about seventeen years of age he left home to see the world for him-self and went to New Mexico and remained one year, then returned to Missouri and remained till … Read more

Biography of James W. Miller

Was born near Staunton, Augusta county, Virginia, May 14, 1823, where he lived with his parents, George M. and Margaret A. Miller, until his fourteenth year. He received a common school education, having attended the early subscription schools of his native county. Leaving home in 1836, he went to Lexington, Rockbridge county, Virginia, where he was employed as a clerk in the store of Moore & McCue, remaining with them until 1840, when he was employed in the same capacity by Samuel B. Finley, of the same place. From Lexington he went to Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1842, and accepted a … Read more

Biography of James V. Wilson

Was born in Washington County, Pennsylvania, April 2, 1821. His parents, James and Polly Wilson, nee Venemen, were born in Pennsylvania and were of Scotch-Irish and German descent. They both died in Washington County, Pennsylvania; his father in 1S55 and his mother in 1869. James was reared and educated in Pennsylvania. At the age of twenty-one he learned the carpenter and joiner’s trade and followed that for thirty-years. He worked in Pennsylvania until 1854, then in various places in Ohio and Illinois until 1857 when he located in Daviess County, Missouri. In 1860 he went to Pike’s Peak and remained … Read more

Biography of James C. Murray

Prominent among the enterprising and substantial business men of Jamesport is the subject of this sketch. James C. Murray was born in Belmont county, Ohio, April 8, 1847. He is the son of John and Rose (Moneghan) Murray, natives of Ireland. His education was acquired in the schools of his native State and immediately after leaving school, at the early age of sixteen years, he enlisted under the stars and stripes in Company E, Ninety-eighth Ohio Infantry, but had great difficulty in getting into the army on account of youthfulness, being several times dismissed and ordered home by the drilling officers, … Read more

Biography of J. T. Matchett

J. T. Matchett, the subject of this sketch was born in Halifax, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, March 5, 1838. His father, George Matchett, was a native of Ireland, and his mother, Mary Matchett, was born in the Keystone State. At the age of twenty years our subject migrated to Ohio and settled in Muskingum county, where he lived until 1862. In September of that year he enlisted in Company A, Seventy-eighth Regiment of Ohio Volunteer Infantry, Capt. T. P. Wilson and Col. M. D. Leggett. After a three months’ stay in camp near Zanesville, the regiment reported ready for duty, and … Read more

Biography of J. H. Alexander

J. H. Alexander was born in Kentucky, November 30, 1819, and was one of a family of nine, six boys and three girls. His father was a Virginian by birth, served. a soldier in the War of 1812, and died at the advanced age of seventy-two years; his grandfather was a soldier in the Revolutionary War and was wounded at the battle of Brandywine; his mother was a native of Kentucky and died at the age of forty-six. Mr. Alexander was united in the marriage bonds to Miss Mary V. Reid, on the 5th of June, 1845, and the same … Read more

Biography of Isaiah H. Jones

Isaiah H. Jones was born in Hardin county, Ohio, July 27, 1837. His parents were Jonathan and Eleanor (Pugh) Jones. His father was a prominent farmer and stock-raiser, and a native of Maryland. His mother was born in Virginia. Our subject was reared and educated in his native county, and began his business career as a clerk in a dry goods store at Mt. Victory, Ohio. After two years in that business he went to Rule, Nebraska, where he remained during eight months. From there he went to Grundy county, Missouri, where he engaged in school teaching for a time, … Read more

Biography of Isaac McCulley

The subject of this sketch has the honor of being the first white child born in Marion Township. He was born January 28, 1834. His parents, Taylor McCulley and Mary Groomer McCulley, were natives of Garrard County, Kentucky, but were about the first settlers of Marion Township, Daviess County, Missouri. The father is dead but the mother is still living in the township. Our subject was brought up on a farm and for a few months attended the subscription schools and then had to walk about four miles, and his only text book was a Webster’s Elementary Speller. At twenty … Read more

Biography of Independence Mann

Independence Mann, The subject of this sketch was born near Hancock, in the State of Maryland, on the 4th day of July, 1843, and is the son of Jonathan E. and Mary A. (Brosins) Mann, natives of Marlyand. At an early age, in company with his parents, he removed to this county and received the greater part of his education in the excellent schools of Gallatin. He began his business career as a clerk in the dry goods store of T. J. Casey, at Richmond, Missouri. At the commencement of the Civil War, prompted by a spirit of patriotic devotion … Read more

Biography of Hon. Samuel A. Richardson

Samuel A. Richardson was born in Anderson county, Kentucky, July 26, 1826. He was the second son of Colonel John C. Richardson, who was a native of Virginia, but in early life moved from that State to Anderson county, Kentucky, and in the spring of 1831, with his family, moved to Missouri and settled in the Missouri River bottom, above Camden, in Ray county, and afterwards removed to near Lexington. The family are descendants of the numerous family of Richardsons, from Virginia and Kentucky. Judge Nathaniel Richardson, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, moved from Kentucky and settled in … Read more