SAMUEL D. MCSPADEN. We present with pleasure a sketch of the life of one of the most substantial and prominent farmers and stockraisers of Pike Creek Valley, Carter County, Missouri This worthy citizen was born in Gordon County, Ga., in 1847.
The son of Joseph and Edith (Dillard ) McSpaden, the father a native of Virginia, born October 16, 1820, and the mother of east Tennessee, born October 1, 1827. Mr. and Mrs. McSpaden met for the first time in Gordon County, Ga., whither they had removed with their parents, and here they were married. In 1869 they moved to Carter County, Missouri, and settled on a small improved farm in Dry Valley. There they passed the closing scenes of their lives, the father dying January 24, 1882, and the mother August 15, 1883. During his entire life Mr. McSpaden followed farming, and he was quite a wealthy man at one time, although he lost all by paying security debts. He led a very active life and was one of the truly good men, a Christian in its true sense. His father, Samuel McSpaden, died in Maury County, Tennessee, when our subject was a small boy. He was a native Virginian, but moved from there to Tennessee and thence to Georgia, where he died. He was a farmer and an extensive stock trader. He and wife, whose maiden name was Phoebe Butcher, had a large family, and one of their sons, William, died in the city of Mexico during the Mexican War. The father of our subject was the only one who came to Missouri. Grandfather John Dillard died in Gordon County, Ga., before the birth of our subject. He was a farmer. His wife died about twenty-five years afterward. Her maiden name was Rhoda Lee. Eight children were born to the parents of our sub-ject, as follows: Victoria, wife of Judge James W. Linder; Samuel D.; John W. went to Texas for his health and died there in 1886; Alice, deceased, was the wife of Ephraim Vincent; Jane, wife of John Jaco; Cornelius A. D.; Sarah, wife of James Kinnard, and Joseph Franklin, who is the present postmaster at Van Buren.
The schooling of our subject, limited as it was, was cut short by his father’s financial misfortunes and he came to Carter County with the rest of the family. In 1869 he was married to Miss Amanda Neal, a native of Maury County, Tennessee, and the daughter of Adam and Alsie (Montgomery) Neal, natives of North Carolina. Mr. Neal and family moved from the Old North State to Georgia, and in 1862 Mr. Neal was killed at Bridgeport, Tennessee, while in the Confederate Army. Mrs. Neal afterward married Joseph Shepard and now resides in Barry County, Missouri To Mr. and Mrs. McSpaden were born fourteen children: Julia E., wife of Lee Barrett, of Oregon County; Georgianna Mahala, wife of William Hill; Cordelia, Moses M., John E., Lewis J., Dallas Barto, Alsie C., Joseph, Franklin, Loley E., Hendricks, (deceased), Bessie and Elsie, twins. One died in infancy.
Mr. McSpaden lived in Bradley County, Tennessee, one year after marriage and then moved to Maury County, Tennessee In 1869 he came to Carter County, Missouri, and resided in Dry Valley until five years ago when he settled on his present farm of 226 acres, one of the best tracts of land in the county. When he and wife were first married she had about $125 and he had a yoke of oxen and a wagon. They came to Carter County and the property they have accumulated is the result of much hard work and judicious management. In 1863 he joined the First Georgia State Line Troops and was in many engagements, but was home on a furlough when the war closed. He was a brave soldier and a non-commissioned officer. He is a Mason, a member of Van Buren Lodge No. 509, and he and wife and several of the children are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Politically he is a Democrat, but cares nothing for office. He is one of the most substantial men in Carter County and has the satisfaction of knowing how all his property came, for he commenced at the bottom round of the ladder.