Biographical Sketch of Greenville Blankenship

Greenville, son of John and Agnes Blankenship, was born in Greenupsburgh, Greenup County, Kentucky, June 2, 1817. His mother died when he was about four years old, and his father removed to Lawrence County, Ohio, where he lived until reaching his sixteenth year, when, in company with his father, he returned to his native county in Kentucky and there remained until 1849. In that year he came to Missouri, stopped one winter in Ray County, then came to Daviess County and settled in Benton Township, near old Pattonsburg, in the spring of 1850. He purchased a tract of wild land, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James Forth

James Forth was born in Virginia, February 14, 1844. When he was six years old his. parents moved to Grundy county, this State, remaining two years, and then moved to Arkansas. His father died on that trip, in September, 1852, and was buried on the way out. The family, however, continued on the road until they reached their destination, and remained in Arkansas about two years. They then returned to Grundy county, Missouri, and there James. lived until the war came on. In 1861 he enlisted, as a volunteer, in. Company H, Twenty-third Missouri, and served three years, when he … Read more

Biography of Rev. A. E. Woodruff

Was born in Morris County, New Jersey, May 14, 1822. His father was born in New Jersey, and his mother in Massachusetts; she died in the year 1827, and his father died in 1845. Young Woodruff was brought up on a farm and educated at the district schools. At the age of nineteen years he learned the trade of a carpenter, and, after working in his native place two years, he went to Franklin County, Ohio, where he remained about seventeen years, then removed to Marion County, Indiana, and lived seven years, and in 1868 came to Missouri and located … 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 D. W. Handy

D. W. Handy was born in Barren county, Kentucky, in 1826, and is a son of Robert A. and Rosana Handy. Mr. Handy lived in Kentucky until the year of 1865 when he moved to Daviess county, Missouri, settling on a farm three miles south of Salem. He remained on the farm three years, when he sold his farm and went into the mercantile business at Bancroft in this county. Here he remained about a year when he sold out and moved to Salem, buying out the store of his brother, R. W. Handy. He remained in business at. Salem … Read more

Missouri Atlases and Plat Books

Sample Missouri Plat Book closeup

198 online plat books and atlases organized by county and ordered by date for the State of Missouri. At the bottom of the page are two items that can help you use these documents in your genealogy research. The first is a blog post Plat Books Revealed: Mapping Generations of History and the second a video where Ben Clark explains what plat maps are used for, how to navigate them, and pulls out a few interesting stories from them.

Biographical Sketch of John F. McDougal

John F. McDougal. This gentleman was born in Virginia, May 1, 1814, and lived there till March, 1866, and there acquired his education. His coming to Missouri was on the last named date, and here again he engaged in farming, as he had done in Virginia, though he found a much more inviting field for agriculture here than in the time-worn” mother of Presidents.” Mr. McDougal came straight to Daviess county and settled in Lincoln township just when, this country was first recovering from the evil effects of the Civil War. He has been quite successful as a farmer and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George R. Forth

George Ransom Forth was born in White County, Virginia, October 14, 1847, and is a son of William and Melinda Forth, nee Mays, both natives of Virginia. When George was about four years of age his parents moved to Grundy County, Missouri, and remained one year, and then started to Arkansas. His father died on the journey there. His mother and family lived in Arkansas about two years and then moved back to Grundy County and lived there until 1862, when they located in Daviess County, and his mother is still a resident of this county. George was educated at … Read more

Biographical Sketch of E. J. Phillips

E. J. Phillips was born in Chesterfield county, Virginia, May 18, 1831. His parents, Edward and Elizabeth Phillips, were also natives of Virginia. The subject of our sketch learned the carpenter’s trade when he was twenty-one years old, and was employed in that business for seven years; next worked as a millwright for a few years, then began farming, which has been his occupation ever since. In 1852 he came to Missouri and settled in Platte county, and in 1877 came to this county, and now owns a fine farm of 200 acres. Mr. Phillips was united in marriage, September … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Alfred C. Minnick

Was born in Washington County, Virginia, July 24, 1819. His parents, John and Elizabeth McCauley Minnick, were also natives of Virginia. He was reared to manhood upon his father’s farm in his native County, and there received his education. On the 28th of October, 1841, he was united in marriage to Miss Martha Houston, daughter of John Houston, both natives of Virginia. Two children were the fruits of this union; namely, John, and Elizabeth C., now Mrs. W. L. Dryden. Mrs. Minnick died in Washington County, Virginia, October 5, 1845. On the 23d of December, 1846, Mr. Minnick married Miss … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Ferdinand Tourney

Ferdinand Tourney was born in Ohio, November 15, 1833. His parents moved to Illinois when he was about six months old, and there Ferdinand was reared and educated. He began life as a farmer and continued that business during his residence in Illinois. In the spring of 1862 he came to this State and settled in Daviess county, and immediately engaged in farming. Mr. Tourney is a man of fine business qualifications, and his reputation for fair dealing with his fellow-men has won for him many warm friends. He was married in Livingston county, this State, in November, 1866, to … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George P. Allen

George P. Allen was born in Botetourt county, Virginia, July 30, 1821. His parents, William and Caroline Allen, were both natives of the same State. He received his education in the common schools of Virginia, and began the study of civil engineering. He learned the surveyor’s art, and has been engaged principally in that business through life. For the first few years after leaving school he was engaged in the mercantile business in his native State. In 1854 he removed to Missouri and settled in Daviess county, and from 1856 to 1861 held the responsible’ position of county surveyor. In … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dr. John N. Raley

John N. Raley is a native of Belmont county, Ohio, and was born April 11, 1829; his parents were natives of Virginia. He was educated at the Mount Pleasant Seminary, of Mount Pleasant, Ohio, and lived upon a farm until he was twenty-two years old, then began clerking on a steamboat on the Illinois River, where he was engaged for two years. He was next employed in keeping books for grain merchants on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, in Illinois, and after a few years there moved to the State of Iowa and engaged in farming for two years. In … 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 William P. Dunnington

William P. Dunnington. This gentleman is a native of Maryland, born July 21, 1816. At nine years of age he moved with his parents to Virginia, where he grew up and received a good common school education. In the fall of 1835 Mr. Dunnington moved to Ohio, but only remained one year when he moved to Illinois, where he remained a year engaged in farming. He came to Daviess county, this State, in, the spring of 1838, and settled in Harrison township, where he has ever since resided engaged in farming. Mr. Dunnington was married, in this county, September 16, … Read more

Biography of Elisha Frost

Elisha Frost, the subject of this sketch was born in Grayson county, Virginia, December 26, 1812, and was there reared and received his education. His parents were natives of the same State, and both died there. On the 14th of Au- gust, 1841, Mr. Frost and Miss Elizabeth Brown were joined in marriage, the Rev. William Carico, of the Methodist Church, performing the ceremony. By this union they have nine children; namely, James H., born February 5, 1843; George H., born November 12, 1844; John W., born October 30, 1846; Nancy E., born June 5, 1848; William C., born September … Read more

Biographical Sketch of H. L. Yates

Was born in Rappahannock county, Virginia, September 21, 1830. His parents, Garret and Frances Yates, were also natives of Virginia. He was educated in the common schools of his native State, and reared upon a farm. In February, 1852, he migrated to Missouri and settled in Holt county, and one year later came to this county and settled on the farm where he now lives. Mr. Yates was united in marriage, June 29, 1854, to Miss Mary M. Bird, who was born August 8, 1836, in Howard county, Missouri. By this union they have had nine children, seven of whom … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Dr. R. J. Terry

R. J. Terry is an Indianian by birth, and first saw the light of day in, Franklin County, that State, on April 10th, 1832. His father, Ansel Terry, is a resident of this County; and his mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Foster, died in 1844. Our subject accompanied his parents in their removal from his native State to Daviess County, Missouri, in 1841, and was here reared to manhood upon his father’s farm and received his nonprofessional education. On August 5th, 1852, he married Miss Mary O. Hammond, daughter of John Hammond, of this county. Two children, now living, … Read more

Biographical Sketch of William P. Heyser

The gentleman whose name heads this sketch is a native of Kentucky, born July 19, 1840. He was reared and educated in his native State, and left there in 1857, locating in DeKalb County, this State, where lie engaged in farming residing there until 1864. In the spring of that year he went overland with teams to Virginia City, Montana, and there engaged in teaming and cattle-herding until 1867, when lie returned to DeKalb County, Missouri. Mr. Heyser came to Daviess County in 1870, and has resided here ever since, engaged in the laudable occupation of farming. He has a … Read more

Biography of Chester I. Long

Definite distinction and assured prestige have been gained by Chester I. Long as one of the representative member of the Kansas bar, and his influence in public affairs had been wide and potent, as indicated by the fact that he was elected to the United States Senate from Kansas and had been a recognized leader in the councils of the republican party in the Sunflower State. He is engaged in the practice of his profession in the City of Wichita, had honored Kansas by his character and achievement, and is eminently entitled to recognition in this history. Mr. Long was … Read more