CAPT. GEORGE FRY, an old and honored citizen of Shannon County, Missouri, is a native of the Buckeye State, born in Franklin County in 1817.
His father, George Fry, was a native of Pennsylvania, who went to Ohio in 1812 or 1813, floating down the Ohio River to the Sciota in flatboats with his family and household effects. He then went up the Sciota where he afterwards located, and there passed the balance of his days, dying when seventy-seven years of age. He was in the Indian War, and was in the battle of Tippecanoe. When he first went to Ohio the Indians were still there; in fact that State had only been admitted into the Union about ten years, and was but sparsely settled.
Capt. George Fry, who was one of seven children, spent his school days in Athens County, Ohio, whither his parents had moved, and there reached man-hood. He turned his attention to farming at first, but afterward was superintendent of the iron works at Vinton Station, Vinton County, for fifteen years. Following this he took up railroad contracting on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, and afterward, in 1869, went to West Virginia, and was on the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. He was also in Kentucky on a railroad south of Lexington, and all the time was building railroad bridges, etc. Later he came West with the intention of taking contract on the Cuba and Salem branch, but arrived too late to get contract and instead became foreman. He helped build the railroad to Steeleville, where he worked for different parties, and then a part of the time had charge of the iron works in Salem. He was also in Phelps County for a time. In all he was in the iron works several years, and as an iron worker has had a vast experience. Afterward he came to Shannon County and located at the mouth of Shawnee Creek on Jack Fork River, where he now owns a fine farm. In the year 1861 he was in Cincinnati, Ohio, and raised Company 1, of the Seventy-fifth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was made captain. He served nearly three years and was in the battles of Bull Run, Chancellorsville, and many others. At the battle of Bull Run he had command of a company of fifty men who went into that fight and in less than thirty minutes only eight or ten were left. Of the Seventy-fifth Regiment Capt. Fry was the only live officer left after that battle. He was never wounded nor taken prisoner. Although not old enough in 1840, Capt. Fry voted for Gen. William H. Harrison and he voted for Benjamin Harrison.
In the year 1892 the Captain was married to Miss Melvinia Myrick who was born in 1820. She is still living and they have four living children. The eldest son, James M., was with our subject through the war and is now a farmer in this county.
