Gallatin Missouri

Biography of Joab Woodruff

Joab Woodruff was born on October 25, 1825, in Johnson County, Indiana. He grew up working on his family’s farm with limited educational opportunities. At eighteen, he began a life of farming and trade. In 1846, he married Paulina Fisher and together they established a farm. In 1856, they moved to Gallatin, Missouri, where Woodruff engaged in diversified agriculture. He served as a captain during the Civil War and later held a commission in 1866. Woodruff and Paulina had six children and were active members of the Christian Church.

Biographical Sketch of John B. Williams

John B. Williams was born on August 11, 1844, in Callaway County, Missouri. He moved with his family to Montgomery County and later to Gentry County, where he enlisted in the Union army during the Civil War. After the war, he pursued a career in the drug business with his brother before transitioning to jewelry and musical merchandise. He married Mary E. Poe in 1868 and they had six children, actively participating in the Christian Church in Gallatin.

Biographical Sketch of Joseph A. Wickham

Joseph A. Wickham was born on November 14, 1844, in Monroe, Michigan. After his father’s death, he moved to Missouri to live with an uncle. He served in the Missouri State Guards and later enlisted in the Sixty-eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry during the Civil War. Following his service, he pursued a career in the jewelry business before moving to Gallatin, where he opened a store and became a prominent civic leader, serving as mayor and city treasurer. Wickham was married to Lucy Cunningham, and they had four children.

Biography of Ebenezer West

Ebenezer West was born in Indiana on February 9, 1829, and spent his childhood in Boone County. After marrying Julia Ann Robinson in 1850, he initially farmed before transitioning to various occupations, including working in a county recorder’s office and photography. He enlisted in the Union Army during the Civil War, serving with the Twenty-third Missouri Volunteer Infantry, where he sustained injuries and was captured at the Battle of Shiloh. Post-war, he pursued merchandising and cabinet making, and served in the Missouri General Assembly. He later settled in Gallatin, continuing his career in painting.

Biography of John H. Townsend

John H. Townsend was born on March 16, 1843, in Smyrna, Delaware. His family moved to Madison County, Indiana, where he grew up and received his education. In 1861, he relocated to Placerville, California, working as a clerk and successfully investing in mining stock. In 1865, he returned to Missouri, entering the mercantile business with his uncle, and later established a successful dry goods and grocery business in Gallatin. Townsend married Arbetia V. Higgins in 1868 and had two children. He was active in the Presbyterian Church and local Masonic organizations.

Biographical Sketch of George Brethard Thomas

George Brethard Thomas, born on March 29, 1842, in Maryland, moved to Missouri in 1860 after his father’s death. He worked as a hotel clerk before transitioning to farming in 1861, which he pursued until 1881. Alongside farming, he co-owned a meat market from 1866 to 1875 and served over ten years as clerk of the Shriver district. Thomas married Epha Brosins, with whom he had five children. In 1881, he acquired and managed the Palace Hotel, gaining local patronage.

Biographical Sketch of Oliver A. Smalley

Oliver A. Smalley was born on June 16, 1848, in New York and moved to Iowa at age eight. He worked as an assistant freight agent before engaging in the hardware business in Missouri with his father. Later, he became a traveling salesman, shifted to the butcher business, and eventually started dealing in flour, feed, and grain. Active in local governance, he served as deputy sheriff and city marshal. Smalley married Margaret L. Jones in 1872 and they had three children.

Biographical Sketch of Thomas R. Shaw

Thomas R. Shaw was born on June 19, 1845, near Decatur, Illinois. His family moved to Iowa in 1846, where he completed his education in 1861. After clerking and serving in the Civil War with the Forty-fifth Iowa Volunteer Infantry in 1864, he began law studies in Gallatin and was admitted to the bar in May 1865. Shaw held various public positions, including public administrator and Probate Judge. He married Jane Buchhols in 1867, and they had five children.

Biographical Sketch of George Washington Schaffer

George Washington Schaffer, born on July 4, 1847, in St. Louis, Missouri, had a diverse career in the butcher business, working in various cities including Galesburg, Kansas City, and Chicago. He faced challenges, including a serious injury while handling cattle. Eventually, Schaffer settled in Jamesport, Missouri, where he established himself as a respected businessman in the meat market and confectionery industries. His strong reputation earned him the trust of the local community, aligning with his patriotic name reflecting American independence.

Biography of Hon. Samuel A. Richardson

Samuel A. Richardson, born on July 26, 1826, in Anderson County, Kentucky, was the son of Colonel John C. Richardson. His family settled in Missouri in 1831, where he contributed to farm operations while acquiring a basic education. He later attended the State University at Columbia and studied law. Admitted to the bar in 1852, he practiced law across several counties before being elected judge of the Twenty-eighth Judicial Circuit in 1872. A committed family man and community member, he was also active in real estate, farming, and stock-raising.

Biography of James W. Miller

James W. Miller was born on May 14, 1823, in Augusta County, Virginia. He worked as a clerk in various stores before becoming a partner in a mercantile firm in Greenbrier County. In 1854, he moved to Missouri, where he farmed and served in the Confederate Army during the Civil War. After the war, he focused on farming and later became a salesman in Gallatin. He married Harriet P. Allen in 1847 and had six children. Miller was active in the Old School Presbyterian Church and local Masonic organizations.

Biography of Benton Miller

Benton Miller was born on December 26, 1838, in Sardis, Ohio. He moved to Missouri in 1855 and served in the First Missouri Cavalry Militia during the Civil War, achieving the rank of first lieutenant. Post-war, he engaged in general merchandising in Gallatin and contributed to the community as a tax collector and supporter of local enterprises. He married Mattie A. Robinson in 1866 and they had three children: Norman B., Virgil G., and Ida B., all born in Gallatin.

Biographical Sketch of Jacob Mettel

Jacob Mettel was born on August 12, 1845, in Hesse, Hamburg, Germany. His family immigrated to Franklin County, Indiana, when he was an infant. After learning the shoemaking trade in Ohio, Mettel settled in Gallatin in 1872, eventually opening his own shop in 1875. He married Catharine C. Bird in 1869, and they had four children: Frederick, Minnie, Oliver, and Harry. Mrs. Mettel is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

Biography of Major Joseph H. McGee

Joseph H. McGee, born on July 6, 1821, in Clermont County, Ohio, came from a lineage of Irish immigrants. After moving to Missouri in 1837, he pursued a tailoring career and transitioned into public service, becoming county clerk for multiple terms. He served as a captain and later major during the Civil War. Post-war, McGee held various political offices, including state register of lands and common pleas judge. A man of strong convictions, he shifted from his early Democratic beliefs to support the Republican Party during the Civil War.

Biography of Independence Mann

Independence Mann was born on July 4, 1843, in Maryland and later moved to Missouri, where he began his career as a dry goods clerk. He enlisted in the Confederate Army in 1861, serving valiantly through key Civil War battles until he was wounded and captured at Pea Ridge. After the war, he resumed his merchant career, establishing a successful business in Jamesport. Mann married Tobie Taylor in 1868, and they had two children. He was an esteemed community member, active in church and civic organizations.

Biographical Sketch of William G. Callison

William G. Callison, born on August 8, 1846, in Daviess County, Missouri, completed his education at a local academy before joining his father in merchandising. In 1878, he was admitted to the bar and established a successful law practice, while also managing a large stock farm of 1,500 acres. Married in 1873, he has two children and is actively involved in local politics as a Democratic leader. Callison is also a city attorney, township collector, and co-editor of the local Democratic newspaper, earning widespread respect in his community.

Biography of Colonel James H. B. McFerran

James H. B. McFerran, born on September 17, 1819, in Maryland, transitioned from stone cutting to law, studying under Samuel A. Lowe. He served as prosecuting attorney and a county commissioner before becoming a judge in 1859. During the Civil War, he organized the First Cavalry Regiment of Missouri State Militia, achieving the rank of colonel. Post-war, he engaged in banking, founding the Daviess County Saving Association and later the Peoples Saving Bank in Chillicothe. McFerran settled in Colorado Springs in 1873, remaining active in both law and banking while enjoying family life.

Biographical Sketch of Albert F. McFarland

Albert F. McFarland, born on August 5, 1838, in Platte County, Missouri, pursued education at local schools and Pleasant Ridge College before studying medicine in St. Louis. He began practicing at a general army hospital during the Civil War. After a journey across the plains to Utah and Montana in 1866, he settled in Daviess County in 1867 and started his medical practice. McFarland was elected clerk of the Circuit Court in 1874, a position he was re-elected to in 1878, fulfilling his duties effectively.

Biography of Henry Clay McDougal

Henry Clay McDougal, born December 9, 1844, in Marion County, Virginia, was the son of John F. and Elvira McDougal. He served in the Union Army during the Civil War and later worked in the U.S. Quartermaster Department. After establishing himself in Gallatin, Missouri, he became a prominent lawyer, mayor, and probate judge. A dedicated community member, he supported public education and engaged in local political affairs while maintaining a high professional reputation. McDougal was respected for his integrity and strong connections within the community.

Biography of William Henry McClung

William Henry McClung was born on February 20, 1842, in present-day Jamesport township. After relocating to Greenbrier County, Virginia, he grew up working on a farm and attended local schools. Enlisting in the Confederate army in 1862, he served until the war’s end at Appomattox. McClung moved to Missouri in 1868, working various jobs before entering the drug business briefly in 1875. In 1874, he married Maggie J. Prichard, with whom he had two children. He was active in his community and various fraternal organizations.