Gallatin Missouri

Biography of John J. Enyaet

John J., son of Abram and Jane Enyart, was born near Plattsburg, Clinton county, Missouri, May 15, 1838, and lived there until 1848, when his parents moved to Gentry county, and settled upon a farm in Boyle township. Four years after taking up their residence in Gentry county his father died, and one year later, in 1853, his mother also journeyed to ” that bourne from whence no traveler ere returns.” Thus left alone, he made his home with his half-brother, William Mulligan, until 1857, when he came to Daviess County and lived with his uncle, H. W. Enyart, near … Read more

Biographical Sketch of John B. Williams

John B. Williams was the son of Cordey and Mary Williams, was born upon a farm in Callaway county, Missouri, August 11, 1844. When he was two years old his parents removed to Montgomery county and settled on a farm near Danville, where he lived until seven years of age. In the spring of 1853 his parents again changed their place of residence, this time moving to Gentry county, near Albany, where he lived until he reached his seventeenth year, when, in 1861, he enlisted in the Union army, joining Colonel Manlove Cranor’s regiment of six months militia. At the … 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 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

Biographical Sketch of William G. Callison

Was born in Daviess county, Missouri, August 8, 1846, and is the son of Franklin Callison, whose biography appears elsewhere. Our subject was educated chiefly in his native county, finishing his scholastic training with a two years’ course at the excellent academy at Gallatin. After leaving school he engaged, with his father, in merchandising at Jamesport until 1878, when he was admitted to the bar and began the practice of the legal profession in the courts of this and adjoining counties. This business he has since con-tinned with good success. In addition to his professional business Mr. Callison gives personal … 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 John Cravens

John Cravens, son of Dr. Joseph and Mary Cravens, was born in Harrisonburg, Rockingham county, Virginia, October 28, 1797, where he was reared and educated. He began the study of medicine under his father,, when in his nineteenth year, and began practice some six years later. After practicing with his father two years, he removed to Hardy county, Virginia now West Virginia, and began practice at Petersburg, but only remained one year, when he removed to Pendleton county, opened an office in Franklin, the county seat, and was an active practitioner in that county for ten years. In 1837 he … Read more

Biographical Sketch of James T. Allen, M. D.

James T. Allen was born in Botetourt, Botetourt county, Virginia, July 16, 1833. He lived with his parents until he was sixteen years old, then attended the Presbyterian High School for one year, and was a student one year at Princeton College, New Jersey. In 1851 he began reading medicine under Dr. Matthew Wallace, of Pocahontas County, Virginia, and continued under his preceptorship until 1853. During the winter of 1854 and 1855 he attended medical lectures at the Virginia Medical College, at Richmond. He came to Missouri in the spring of 1855 and settled at Auberry Grove, now Jamesport, and … Read more

Biography of John D. Coulson

John D. Coulson was born near McMinnville, Warren county, Tennessee, February 9, 1807, and was there reared and educated. He attended the old time subscription schools, taught in a log cabin with dirt floor, warmed from a huge fireplace, seats of split logs raised on pegs, and the only window being the space left by an absent log; thus he acquired his early education, and there he lived until he attained his twenty-third year. Leaving his old home in 1829, he journeyed toward the West, and arrived at St. Louis on the 3d of March, the eve of General Jackson’s … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Oliver A. Smalley

Oliver A. Smalley was born on a farm near Wayne Center, Wayne county, New York, June 16,1848. When he was eight years of age his parents, Silas H. and Almira Smalley, removed to Manchester, Delaware county, Iowa, and there he lived until he was seventeen, receiving his education in the common schools of that place, supplemented with a course in the Commercial College of Dubuque, Iowa. Leaving home in 1865 he entered the office of the Dubuque & Sioux City Railroad Company, at Manchester, as assistant freight agent and baggage master, and remained in the employ of that company until … 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

Biography of Colonel James H. B. McFerran

James H. B. McFerran was born in Washington county, Maryland, September 17, 1819. At the age of six years his father died, and he remained with his mother until his seventeenth year, attending school part of the time. On reaching the above age he engaged in the stone cutting business under a contractor by the name of Andrew Small, receiving seventy-five cents, per day for the first year. Owing to an aptitude for the work, the second year he was given the position of superintendent, at a salary of one dollar and eighty-seven and one-half cents per day, and continued … Read more

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

Biography of Samuel P. Cox

Samuel P. Cox was born in Williamsburg, Whitley county, Kentucky, December 16, 1828. In 1839 his parents, Levi and Cynthia Cox, removed to Missouri and located in the eastern part of Daviess county, now known as Jackson township, and the subject of this sketch lived at home and worked upon the farm until 1847. In the spring of that year he enlisted in company D, Captain W. H. Rogers, Oregon Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel Powell, commanding, for the war with Mexico. He served until November, 1848, when he received his honorable discharge at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Returning to the old homestead he … Read more

Biography of John A. Keck

John A. Keck was born in Baltimore, Maryland, October 27, 1843, but his parents, John and Elizabeth Keck, removed from his native city when he was but six months old, and settled in Bracken county, Kentucky. From there they removed, after a residence of about six years, coming to Missouri and settling upon a farm in Shelby county, where he was reared to manhood and received his education. His mother is still living, and is a descendant of the Tevis family, who founded Tevis college, of Kentucky. His father died in Gallatin in 1876. Our subject lived with his parents … Read more

Biography of James W. Miller

Was born near Staunton, Augusta county, Virginia, May 14, 1823, where he lived with his parents, George M. and Margaret A. Miller, until his fourteenth year. He received a common school education, having attended the early subscription schools of his native county. Leaving home in 1836, he went to Lexington, Rockbridge county, Virginia, where he was employed as a clerk in the store of Moore & McCue, remaining with them until 1840, when he was employed in the same capacity by Samuel B. Finley, of the same place. From Lexington he went to Charlottesville, Virginia, in 1842, and accepted a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Albert F. McFarland

Albert F. McFarland was born in Platte county, Missouri, near Weston, August 5, 1838, and resided there until he was twenty-three years old, receiving his education in the common schools and at Pleasant Ridge College, of that county. He pursued a course of medical studies at St. Louis, Missouri, during the years 1860, ’61, ’62 and ’63, and began practice in the general army hospital in 1863, where he continued to practice until the close of the war, in 1865. In 1866 he made a trip across the plains to Salt Lake City, Utah, and to Virginia City, Montana, returning … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Thomas R. Shaw

Was born near Decatur, Macon county, Illinois, June 19, 1845. In 1846. his parents removed to Iowa and settled near Mount Pleasant. He completed his education in the Mount Pleasant high school under Prof. John. A. Smith, in 1861. From that time until 1864, he was employed as a clerk, excepting one year spent in visiting relatives at Lexington, Kentucky. In 1864 he enlisted in Company A, Forty-fifth Iowa Volunteer Infantry for a term of 100 days. At the expiration of his enlistment he returned home and soon after made a prospecting tour to the Missouri River, visiting Omaha, Plattsmouth, … 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 Benton Miller

The subject of this sketch was born in Sardis, Monroe county, Ohio, December 26, 1838. He lived in his birthplace until he was sixteen years of age, when his parents moved to Missouri and settled in what is now Colfax township, Daviess county, in 1855. In 1861 he enlisted and served six months in the home guards, and in February, 1862, enlisted in Company A, First Missouri Cavalry Militia, in which he served during the war. In April, 1863, he was promoted from orderly sergeant to first lieutenaut, and for the last eighteen months he was in the service, had … Read more