Benton Missouri

Biography of William C. Atkinson

William C. Atkinson is a native of Rockingham county North Carolina, born April 25, 1809. His parents, William and Mary Atkinson, nee Clark, were both born in Maryland; his father forty miles east of Baltimore and his mother in Annapolis. His grandfather, Royal Clark, was the founder of Clarksville, Maryland. The parents of our subject moved to North Carolina and both died in Rockingham county, his mother in 1835 and his father in 1843. His half brother, Thomas Atkinson, was one of the first settlers in Daviess county and died near Gallatin in 1837. At the age of twenty-two years … Read more

Biographical Sketch of E. Ellis, Jr.

E. Ellis, Jr. was born in McLean county, Illinois, November 5, 1853. His father, Elijah Ellis, was a native of Virginia, and his mother, Gracie Canada Ellis, a native of Illinois. His parents came to Missouri in 1859 and located in Daviess county, where they still live. The subject of our sketch received only a common school education, and at twenty. years of age went to Texas where he remained about eight months and then came back to Missouri and farmed one year. In the fall of 1873 he began the drug business in Coffeysburg, remaining one year, then removed … 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

Biographical Sketch of Charles E. Hill

Charles E. Hill is a native of Wisconsin, and was born on the 21st of December, 1854. His father, Alonzo Hill, is a native of Vermont, and his mother, Caroline Hill, nee Rhimes, was born in the State of New York. Mr. Hill came to Daviess county and has long made his home in Pattonsburg, and is one who by his uprightness and integrity, perseverance and industry, has won for himself an honorable place among his fellow-citizens, and that, too, almost by his own unaided exertions. He does not court popularity but wins it by honest toil and deserving merit, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Henry Ward

Henry Ward was born in McLean county, Illinois, October 15, 1834. His parents, Stew-art and Annie Ward, came from Pennsylvania to Illinois in 1832, and during those early days had many narrow escapes from the Indians. His father came to Missouri, to look at the country, in 1841, and was taken sick and died, July 9, of that year. His mother died March 31, 1844. Young Ward was reared and educated in Illinois and lived there till 1865, then came to Missouri and located in Daviess county. He was married February 18, 1857, to Miss Eleanor J. Wilkins, a native … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. T. Miller

W. T. Miller was born in Hawkins county, Tennessee, December 4, 1828. His parents Obadiah and Susan A. Miller, were early settlers of Missouri; his mother died May 5, 1876, and his father, May 25, 1878. When twenty-one years of age he began by renting a small piece of land, was industrious and saving, and in 1853 was able to buy forty acres of raw land. He has kept steadily increasing his possessions until he now owns over four hundred acres of highly improved land. On June 23d, 1853, he was married to Miss Charity W. Nance, a native of … Read more

Biographical Sketch of C. R. Shaw

Was born in Ray county, Missouri, September 14, 1858; son of W. P. and Julia A. Shaw, nee Waterman. His father was born in Tennessee, and now lives near the famous Sweet Springs in Saline county, Missouri, and is well known in S time and adjoining counties. His mother was a native of the State of New York, and died December 14, 1875. The subject of this sketch left home when fourteen years, of age and began the battle of life alone; lie secured railroad employment, and by his natural ability and up-rightness soon won the esteem of his employers, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of E. B. Christie

E. B. Christie was born in Shelby county, Kentucky, March 10, 1851; son of J. B. and Letha Christie, nee Bohannon, both natives of Kentucky. His parents came to Missouri in 1853 and lived in Daviess county till 1862, then removed to Harrison county, where they still reside. Young Christie was a diligent student and at the age of eighteen qualified himself for teaching which calling he followed very successfully in Daviess and Harrison counties. He was the first teacher in Pattonsburg of which he is now mayor. On August 20th, 1876, he married Miss Marv E. Best, a native … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas Walker

Thomas Walker is a native of Stokes county, North Carolina, born December 9, 1814. His parents, Owen and Susannah Walker, were also natives of North Carolina, but moved to Monroe county, Indiana, and lived there about two years, and there, in 1846, the father died. The mother and family then moved to McLean county, Illinois, and lived there two years, then in the fall of 1849 they moved to Missouri and located in Daviess county, and here the mother died in 1856. On January 19th, 1835, Mr. Walker was united in marriage to Miss Cynthia Evans, born in Stokes county, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Mrs. Jane Lockwood

Jane Wilson was born in Cabell county, Virginia, October 29, 1807. Her father, Robert Wilson, was a native of Virginia and a grandson of Robert Dinwiddie, one of the provincial governors of that State, and was reared and educated by the governor and became quite a prominent man; he died in Lee county, Iowa, in 1842. Her mother’s maiden name was Mary Russell, and she was a native of North Carolina and a descendant of a very noted family; she died in Vermillion county, Illinois, in 1862. This subject of our sketch was married November 17, 1825, to David Lockwood, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James A. Meadows

James A. Meadows, the subject of this sketch, is a descendant of one of the pioneer families of Daviess county. Over forty years ago his parents, John and Nancy Meadows, settled in the neighborhood known as the “Virginia Settlement.”‘ They reared a family of eight children: Mary E., Sylvester S., Joseph T., Martha B., Hudson C., James A., Susan P. and. William J. His father died in 1880; his mother is now living on the old homestead. James A. Meadows was born in Benton township, Daviess county, Missouri, February 26, 1843. He lived with his parents until May 24, 1863, … Read more

Biography of Rev. Robert R. Witten

Rev. Robert R. Witten is one of the pioneers of the Methodist Church in Missouri. He was born October 8, 1831, in McMinn county, Tennessee, and is a son of Rev. James Witten, who was born in Tazewell county, Virginia, January 5, 1793. The parents of Rev. James Witten with their family, moved to Sequatchie Valley, Tennessee, James then being sixteen years of age and the oldest of the family, and his father being quite feeble, nearly all the work of opening up a new farm in a heavily timbered country devolved upon him; he never attended school to exceed … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James McMillion

James McMillion is a native of Greenbrier county, West Virginia, born May 7, 1835. His parents, George L. and Elizabeth Hanna McMMillion, were born in Virginia, but came to Missouri in 1845, and located near where the subject of this sketch now lives,; the father died in 1848, and mother in 1878. From the time James was ten years of age, except for four years spent in the army, he has made Benton township his home: Till twenty-three years of age he remained with his mother and his only sister (now Mrs. Daniel Morris) and cared for them. On April … Read more

Biography of John H. Moores

J.H. MOORES. – Among the immigrants who came to the Sate of Oregon in 1852 was Honorable John H. Moores, the subject of this sketch, who deserves more than passing mention for the service rendered by him to the commonwealth during an active business career in the state extending over a period of twenty-eight years. Among the older residents who played a prominent part in the earlier development of the state was his father, the late Colonel I.B. Moores, Sr., whose love of novelty and adventure brought him as one of the first pioneers to Oregon, where he located in … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John Watson

John Watson was born in Lancashire, England, September 22, 1828. He was reared and educated in England and learned the engineer’s trade. In 1865 he came to America and settled at Nebraska City, Nebraska, remained three years, then moved to Peru, same State, where for two years he- was engaged in the saw-mill business. From there he went to Hamburg; Iowa, and entered the agricultural, implement, and flouring business, and was there burned out. In 1876 he located in Pattonsburg, and began anew the milling business, now being the owner of a flouring-mill and also a saw-mill, and is doing … Read more

Biography of William M. Williams

William M. Williams was born in Greenup county, Kentucky, February 9, 1834. His parents, John D. and Eleanor Williams, nee McCosky, were among the first settlers of Kentucky. They came to Missouri in 1841, and, on April 20th, of that year, camped on Grand River in this county near where William M. Williams now lives. His father was a member of the legislature for two terms from this county. He sold goods in Old Pattonsburg for quite a number of years and had an extensive acquaintance over northwest Missouri. He died January 31, 1872; his wife, the mother of the … Read more

Biography of William Earl

William Earl was born in Monroe county, New York, April 13, 1816. His parents, John and Frances Earl, were natives of New Jersey. They located near Rochester, New York, and Mr. Earl engaged in the mercantile business. When young Earl was five years of age his father died and four years later his mother also died. At this early age he started to earn his own living. He first worked near Buffalo, New York, next in different parts of Ohio; and after making a little money attended school at Carthage and by hard study acquired a fair education in the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William Ward

William Ward was born in Clinton county, Missouri, December 8, 1844. He is a son of Rev. A. J. Ward, a minister in the Baptist Church and now laboring in this and adjoining counties. His father was a native of Kentucky, and his mother whose maiden name was Nancy. Sharp, was a native of Tennessee; she died when he was about ten years of age. At about the age of seventeen years he enlisted as a member of Company C, Eleventh Missouri Cavalry, and served about three years and was with the regiment in its many scouts and marches and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of W. H. Deskin

W. H. Deskin is a native of Pike county, Kentucky, born June 5, 1854. His parents, W. H. and Louisa Deskin, nee Atkins, were natives of Kentucky and are now both dead. January 26, 1863, his father was commissioned lieutenant of cavalry to rank from October 4, 1862, by Governor John Letcher of Virginia; served till the close of the war, and participated in many memorable battles; was taken prisoner at Alexandria and while in prison contracted a disease that ended in his death, August 8, 1866. His wife, the mother of the subject of our sketch, only survived him … Read more

Biographical Sketch of E. A. Yost

E. A. Yost was born in Bethany, Franklin county, Illinois, on June 23d, 1852. His parents, W. J. and Maria L. Yost, nee Goodner. His father was of German descent, and died in January, 1879. His mother of Scotch descent, and died in September, 1866. At the age of twelve years young Yost commenced to earn his own living, first being employed as notice boy for a railroad company at Cairo, Illinois, and little by little has worked himself up to his present responsible position, as agent of the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad at Pattonsburg. He was married, … Read more