Biographical Sketch of John B. Dinsmore

John B. Dinsmore, born on April 10, 1850, in Daviess County’s Jackson Township, was educated locally. He ventured to Kansas in 1870, working in railroading before returning to Daviess County in 1872, where he served as township constable and collector. After shifting to farming and stock-raising, he later transitioned into butchering and stock-trading in Jamesport. Dinsmore married M. M. Travis on March 9, 1876, and is regarded as a capable businessman within his community.

Biography of Samuel P. Cox

Samuel P. Cox, born on December 16, 1828, in Kentucky, moved to Missouri as a child. He enlisted for the Mexican War in 1847 and returned to farming after his discharge. Cox entered the mercantile business in 1851 and later pursued cattle driving to California. Active in the Civil War, he rose to the rank of lieutenant-colonel of the Missouri State Militia. After the war, he engaged in various business ventures, including hospitality and sales. He and his wife, Mary, had six children and were esteemed members of their community.

Biographical Sketch of John W. Burge

John W. Burge was born on September 21, 1838, in Patrick County, Virginia. After moving to Platte County, Missouri, in 1836, he later settled in Daviess County in 1857. A Confederate soldier in the Civil War, he fought in numerous battles before returning home to farm. In 1874, he married Nannie Peniston, with whom he had three children. Both are active church members and are well-respected in their community.

Biography of John Oxford

John Oxford was born on April 9, 1833, in Clay County, Kentucky, to Jonathan and Elizabeth Spurlock Oxford. His father, a Daviess County pioneer, was killed during the Civil War. Raised on the family farm, John married Martha J. Lockridge in 1859, with whom he had eight children. After her death in 1880, he remained active in the Methodist Episcopal Church and the A.O.U.W. Lodge No. 39. A prominent local farmer, he managed 265 acres, focusing on stock-raising and orchard cultivation.

Biographical Sketch of Theodore Peniston

Theodore Peniston was born on May 6, 1812, in Jessamine County, Kentucky, and moved to Daviess County, Missouri, in 1831. He was raised on a farm and educated in Kentucky, later marrying Susan Witdams in 1848, with whom he had six children. A significant figure in the community, he contributed to the county’s development and practiced law alongside farming. Peniston is recognized as one of the oldest settlers in the area and is esteemed as a quiet, valuable citizen.

Biographical Sketch of William B. Smith

William B. Smith was born on November 21, 1829, in Howard County, Missouri. He moved to Daviess County at a young age and later lived in Platte, Saline, and Pay Counties. In 1866, he returned to Daviess County and married Mary A. Davis, with whom he had six children. Smith held various local government positions, including township commissioner and clerk, and served as a state legislator from 1874 to 1875. He is regarded with high respect in his community.

Biographical Sketch of Dr. W M. P. Johnson

William P. Johnson was born on April 25, 1855, in Mount Pleasant, Iowa, where he was raised and educated. After leaving college in 1873, he studied medicine under Dr. H. B. Miller until 1881. He began his medical practice in Orlinda, Missouri, and later moved to Daviess County, settling at Jackson Station in October 1881. Known for his ambition and reliability, Dr. Johnson quickly established a successful practice, displaying qualities that foreshadowed his future accomplishments.

Biographical Sketch of Turner Langford

Turner Langford was born on January 20, 1828, in Harrison County, Indiana. He moved to Illinois at age six and then to Iowa, where he grew up working on his father’s farm. He married Elizabeth Davis on March 18, 1852, and they had six children. In 1855, Langford settled in Daviess County, where he became a prominent farmer and stock dealer, contributing significantly to the community’s development.

Biographical Sketch of George W. Litton

George W. Litton was born on May 16, 1842, in Livingston County, where he was raised and educated. He began his career as a farmer, later moving to Daviess County in 1880, where he opened a dry goods and grocery store in Lock Springs, partnering with Mr. Minnick. Married on May 21, 1865, to Nancy E. Minnick, they had six children, five of whom survived. Known for his business acumen, Mr. Litton gained the respect of his new community and established a successful trade.

Biographical Sketch of James H. Carter

James H. Carter was born on July 11, 1843, in Jasper County, Missouri, and moved to the current county with his family at age nine. He enlisted in the Missouri State Militia in 1861, serving throughout the Civil War. By age twenty-two, he began farming and acquired a cultivated 180-acre farm. He married Amanda F. Rhinehart in 1865, with whom he had three children, and later married Mary R. Youtsey in 1878, having two more children. The Carters were respected members of their community.

Biographical Sketch of James Critten

James Critten, born March 26, 1840, in Putnam County, Ohio, moved to Daviess County at age 15, where his father became a respected farmer. After serving in the Missouri State Militia during the Civil War, Critten returned to farming, now owning a productive 160-acre property. He married Samanthe Macy in 1868, with whom he has two children. Critten is an active member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and served as a justice of the peace in 1871, earning community respect.

Biographical Sketch of Joseph Critter

Joseph Critter was born on March 4, 1843, in Putnam County, Ohio, and later moved to Daviess County with his family. Educated in local schools, he served in the Missouri State Cavalry during the Civil War. After the war, he returned to farming, now owning 165 acres, primarily for stock-raising. In 1866, he married Samanthe Story, and they had two children. The couple are active members of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, and Critter identifies as a Republican.

Biography of George M. Smith

George M. Smith was born on October 3, 1824, in Roan, North Carolina, and later moved to Indiana, where he was raised on a farm. He married Sarah A. Murnan in 1848 and lived in Hancock County before relocating to Illinois and then Missouri in 1858. Smith became a successful farmer, owning 340 acres and engaging in stock-raising. During the Civil War, he served as a second lieutenant in the Missouri State Militia. He held various local offices and had six children with Sarah.

Biographical Sketch of John B. Marley, M. D.

John B. Marley, M.D., was born on March 23, 1834, in Greene County. He pursued education in St. Louis but interrupted his studies to serve in the Civil War. After graduating from medical college in 1868, he practiced in various locations, including Chariton County, Missouri, and Dallas County, Texas. In 1870, he returned to Missouri, eventually settling in Lock Springs by 1880. Dr. Marley married Nancy S. Hooper in 1869, and they had five children together.

Biography of A. L. Martin

Alphonso L. Martin was born on October 19, 1827, in White County, Tennessee. His family moved to Missouri shortly after his birth, where he grew up on a farm. He married Mary Jane Burge in 1849, with whom he had two children. After her death, he remarried Rachel A. McCue in 1856, and they had seven children. Martin served in the Confederate army during the Civil War and later became a respected figure in Daviess County, holding various public offices, including sheriff and justice of the peace.

Biographical Sketch of Sebron Sneed

Sebron Sneed was born on January 7, 1835, in Ray County, Missouri. He moved to Livingston County as a child and received his education there, graduating from college in Liberty, Missouri, in 1855. Sneed engaged in various occupations, including stock dealing and farming, before purchasing a sawmill in 1868. Eventually, he entered the mercantile business, operating in Sampsell Station and later in Mooresville and Jackson Station. He married Mary A. Goodman in 1860, and they had three children together.

Biographical Sketch of David G. Miller

David G. Miller was born on April 13, 1828, in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, to Michael and Sarah Gates Miller. After spending years farming in Ohio, he relocated to Missouri in 1855. He married Matilda Monroe in 1851, with whom he had eight children, six of whom are living. Matilda passed away in May 1871. A member of the A. O. U. W. and A. F. A. M., Miller is known for his business acumen and Republican political affiliation, and he owns a successful farm.

Biographical Sketch of S. K. Dinsmore

S. K. Dinsmore was born on September 9, 1811, in Greene County, Tennessee. He was raised on a farm and learned blacksmithing in Kentucky. Dinsmore married Martha A. Blakely on October 25, 1842, and they moved to Daviess County, Missouri, in 1848. He became a respected farmer, cultivating 120 acres of his 160-acre property until his death on October 12, 1880. Dinsmore and Martha had ten children, and she continued to live on the homestead, esteemed by the community.

Biographical Sketch of James P. Drummond

James P. Drummond was born on September 25, 1813, in Monroe County, West Virginia. He married Sydney Nickell in 1836, and in 1839 moved to Daviess County, Missouri, where he settled on 160 acres. They had eleven children before Sydney’s death in 1858. In 1859, he married Maria F. Mann. Drummond was active in the Masonic order and owned a prominent farm in Daviess County, earning respect in his community.

Biographical Sketch of Isaac M. McCue

Isaac M. McCue was born on April 6, 1830, in Nicholas County, Virginia. He moved to Chariton County, Missouri, in 1844 with his family. In 1854, he married Martha A. Livingston and began farming independently. Although exempt from military service due to disability, seven of his brothers served in the Confederate army, three of whom were killed. In 1865, McCue settled on his current farm. He has served as township assessor and is recognized as an honorable citizen and devoted family man, with two children, James L. and Paul S.