Biography of Alexander M. Irving

Alexander M. Irving was born in Chambersburg, Pike county, Illinois, January 16, 1842. He attended the common schools of his native place and thus acquired the foundation for his present educational advantages. When he had reached the age of sixteen, his father died and he was compelled to earn his own living and assist his mother, and was engaged in work upon the farm until the mutterings of coming war spread over the land in 1861, when he espoused the cause of the Union, and enlisted in Company H, Ninety-ninth Regiment of Illinois Volunteer Infantry, in August of the year … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Joshua W. Alexander

Joshua W. Alexander, only son of Thomas W. and Jane Alexander, was born at Cincinnati, Ohio, January 22, 1852. When he had reached the age of four years, his parents removed to Anoka County, Minnesota, and settled upon a farm. There his father died in 1859, and in 1860 his mother removed to Canton, Lewis County, Missouri, and soon after returned to Cincinnati, where the subject of our sketch attended school until July, 1863, when they once more made Canton their home, and there he attended the graded school until 1868, when he entered the Christian University at Canton, graduating … Read more

Biography of Frank Ewing

Frank Ewing began the study of law with R. W. P. Muse, of Zanesville, Ohio, in 1856, and was admitted to the bar in 1859 by the Supreme Court of Ohio; From 1846 to 1867 he was a successful farmer in that State, and during the last nine years of his residence there held the office of justice of the peace. In 1867 he removed with his wife and two sons to Daviess county, Missouri, and located in Gallatin, where he engaged for two years in mercantile pursuits. The same year he was also enrolled as a member of the … Read more

Biography of Joab Woodruff

Joab Woodruff was born in Johnson county, Indiana, near Nineveh, October 25, 1825. His parents Joab and Sophia Woodruff lived upon a farm, and there the subject of our sketch grew to manhood, giving most of his time and attention to work upon the farm, and having little opportunity to enjoy the advantages of education, receiving only three months schooling, during the winters, from the time he was of school age until he was sixteen years old. The school houses were of the most primitive pattern of the old log variety, sad the three months sessions during the winters were … Read more

Biography of Thomas J. Crain

Thomas J. Crain was born near the Ohio river, in Fleming county, Kentucky, September 4, 1830. He was reared and educated in his native place, and continued to reside there until 1855, when he migrated to Missouri and entered land in Holt county, improving the same and living upon it until 1864, in February of which year he rented his farm and went to Nebraska City, Nebraska. Here he was engaged in freighting to Denver, Colorado, for one year, when he opened a feeding stable, and carried on that business until the spring of 1866, then went to Hamburg, Iowa, … Read more

Biography of Jehiel T. Day

Jehiel T. Day was born near Mt. Vernon, Knox county, Ohio, November 12, 1833. He was reared and grew to manhood in his native place, receiving his primary education in Sloan’s Academy, of Mt. Vernon, which he completed with. a two years’ course in Oberlin College. In his twenty-first year he became a teacher in the district schools, which occupation he alternated with farming, continuing to teach in winter and farm in summer until the dark cloud of civil war hovered over the land in the spring of 1861. In April of that year he laid aside his peaceful pursuits … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Miles Bristow

Miles Bristow was born in Jackson County, Indiana, June 2, 1836. His father was a native of Kentucky. His parents moved to Gallatin, Daviess County, Missouri, when he was about three years of age, where he remained until the death of his father in 1851. During the next three years he spent the greater part of his time with his brother on a farm, and in a tannery at Gallatin; then purchased land in Sheridan township, and for over four years was engaged in farming and teaching. In 1862 he was enrolled in Company E, Fifty-first Regiment Missouri Infantry, and … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James L. Chapman

James L. Chapman is a native of West Virginia, born near Manchester, Hancock County, in the widely quoted “Pan-handle district,” March 23, 1818, and there he was reared, educated, and lived until the 5th of April, 1854. In that year he migrated to the “land of the Hawkeye,” settling in Jefferson county, but remained in that county only till the following fall, then removed to Wayne county, Iowa, and there continued to live and engage in farming until 1864, when he made his home in Missouri, locating in Harrison county. Six years he pursued farming avocations in that county, then … Read more

Biography of Marcus A. Low

No intelligent resident of Kansas would dispute the assertion that in Marcus A. Low, of Topeka, is found one of the really big men of the state. He is a man of many achievements. His ability in the law had led to distinguished position with great corporations; his ranching and developing of oil and gas properties have been conducted on so large a scale as seemingly might have been weighty enough interests to engage the ordinary man; his political foresight and intnition have caused his selection for public office as high as he would accept, but not upon these evidences … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Samuel T. Brosins

Samuel T. Brosins is a native of Hancock, Maryland, and was born April 1, 1817. His parents removed to Missouri and settled at Gallatin in 1849, and here he was reared, receiving his education in the common schools and academy of Gallatin. In 1867 he began reading law, under the preceptor-ship of Judge Robert L. Dodge, studying during the summer and teaching during the winter until 1871, when he was admitted to the bar, and at once became associated with William C. Gillihan, and the firm of Gillihan Brosins are among the ablest practitioners of the Daviess county bar. During … Read more

Biography of Alexander M. Dockery

Alexander M. Dockery was born in Livingston county, Missouri, February 11, 1845. His father is a distinguished minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. Sarah E. McHaney, his mother, was a native of Kentucky; of their family of three children, the subject of this sketch is the only survivor. He received a thorough classical education in Macon Academy, Macon, Missouri. In 1863 he entered the St. Louis Medical College, from which he graduated in March, 1865, receiving his diploma. Dr. Dockery then located for the practice of his chosen profession in Linneus, Missouri, where he pursued the practice of medicine … Read more

Biography of William Henry McClung

William Henry McClung, son of Charles and Mary McClung, was born in what is now Jamesport township, this county, February 20, 1842. When he was five years old his parents removed to Greenbrier county, Virginia, where young McClung was reared a farmer, and attended the schools held an the log school houses prevalent in that portion of the country. The learning he thus acquired was meager, attending only one year, but he has by observation and study, since obtained a good business education. When he left home it was to become a soldier in the Confederate army, enlisting in the … Read more

Biography of William Mann

William Mann was born in Hancock, Washington county, Maryland, April 1, 1839. He is the son of Jonathan E. and Mary A. Mann, who came to Missouri in 1841 and settled at Gallatin, where the subject of this sketch was reared. His educational advantages were limited, only having the opportunity of attending school two or three months each year from the time he was eight until fifteen years of age. His mother died when he was nine, and his father just before he became of age. His father being a merchant, young Mann started for himself in the same calling, … Read more

Biography of John H. Townsend

John H. Townsend was born at Smyrna, Costa (now Kent) county, Delaware, March 16, 1843. When seven years of age his parents removed to Madison county, Indiana, and settled at Collinsville, where he lived with them until he reached the age of eighteen years, and was there educated. On leaving home in 1861 he went to Placerville, California. On his arrival there he had but six dollars. On the first day after his arrival he was employed as a clerk by B. Meacham, a dry goods merchant, at a salary of six hundred dollars per year and board, and remained … Read more

Biographical Sketch of George Washington Schaffer

The subject of this sketch, George Washington Schaffer, was born in St. Louis, Missouri, July 4, 1847. His parents removed, during his boyhood, to Galesburg, Illinois, where they resided several years. Returning to St. Louis, Mr. Schaffer engaged in the butcher business, and continued there until the fall of 1868. His next field of operation was Kansas City, where he followed his trade for some time. From Kansas City he went to St. Joseph, where he remained until 1874, and then returned to St. Louis. He lived in St. Louis one year, during which time he had a rib broken while … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Milton Ewing

Milton, son of Frank and Rebecca Ewing, was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, October 30, 1848. He was reared in his native county, and received his education in the schools of Zanesville, Ohio. When nineteen years of age he accompanied his parents in their removal to Missouri, settling at Gallatin in 1867. He early evinced a decided interest in and preference for the law, and in 1868 began legal studies in the office of Judge R. L. Dodge, of Gallatin, continuing with Judge Dodge one year, then entered the office of Judge Samuel A. Richardson, with whom he studied until … Read more

Biography of William Henry Folmsbee

William Henry Folmsbee was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 22, 1831. His parents were Isaac and Deborah Folmsbee; his father, who was major in the United States regular army, died when the subject of this sketch had reached the age of seven years, and his mother followed him to the grave “some two years later. Thus thrown upon the world at this early age to provide for himself, he found a kind friend in the person of Dr. William Ensign, who gave him a home, reared and educated him. He attended the common and higher schools of Cincinnati, and while … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jacob Mettel

Jacob Mettel was born in Hesse, Hamburg, Germany, August 12, 1845. His parents removed from the “Faderland” while he was an infant, and crossed the broad ocean to the “Land of the free,” settling in Franklin county, Indiana, where he was reared and attended school. When eighteen years of age he left home and went to Harrison, Ohio, where he learned the shoemaking trade with Frederick Fisher, remaining with him two years and nine months. In 1866 he went to Cincinnati, worked for Paul Shauner for two years and a half, and, at the expiration of that time, was employed … Read more

Biography of David F. Hanna, M. D.

The subject of this sketch was born in Greenbrier county, West Virginia, August 18, 1851. His father, John W. Hanna, is also a native of Virginia. His mother, whose maiden name was Rebecca Deitz, died at the birth of our subject, and he was reared by his grandmother, a most estimable and cultured lady who carefully trained the mind of her young, charge in those channels calculated to make him a pure minded, honest and honorable man and a respected and useful citizen. He was educated at Louisburg Academy and grew to manhood in his native county. After leaving school … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Joseph A. Wickham

Joseph A. Wickham was born in Monroe, Michigan, November 14, 1844. When he arrived at the age of ten years his father died, and he left his native place and went to Brunswick, Chariton county, Missouri, to live with an uncle. There he lived for five years and attended the common schools of that place. In 1861 he served in the Missouri State Guards under General John B. Clark, and in 1862 went to Norwalk, Huron county, Ohio, to finish the jeweler’s trade under James A. Wilkinson, with whom he worked a year before leaving Brunswick. In 1863 he enlisted … Read more