Washington County MO Genealogy

Biography of Hon. J. W. McClurg

HON. J. W. McCLURG, ex-governor of the State of Missouri. A man’s life work measures his success, and the man who devotes his powers to the accomplishment of an honorable purpose is to be honored. If a careful study is made of the motives which actuate every man’s life, there is always to be found some object for which he lives. In Hon. J. W. McClurg it seems to have been an ambition to make the best use of his native and acquired powers and to develop in himself a true manhood. A native of St. Louis County, Missouri, he … Read more

The Brickey Family of Prairie du Rocher Illinois

Two years prior to Missouri’s admission into the Union, October 16, 1819, Franklin W. Brickey saw the light of day in Potosi, Missouri. He attended the public schools and at the age of 19 he came to Illinois. In 1838 he started in business at Fort Chartres, supplying steam-boats with wood and general merchandise. Enterprising and with great foresight he became interested in the Red Bud Mill. In 1858 he erected the present mill at Prairie du Rocher, and at that time his property in Fort Chartres had been swept away by high water. He afterwards started the general merchandise … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Willard Sitton

WILLARD SITTON. Although Oregon County, Missouri, is well known for the energy, enterprise and push of its farmers, Willard Sitton stands at the van in this industry, and has shown much wisdom and good judgment in the conduct of agricultural affairs, and, through his own endeavors, has won an enviable reputation. He is a prominent resident of Johnson Township, this county, and is deservedly ranked among its successful farmers and stockmen. Mr. Sitton was born in Washington County, Missouri, October 14, 1856, and received a fair education in the common schools of the same. His youthful days were spent in … Read more

Biography of Austin, Moses

For the information of our readers who are not familiar with the early colonial scheme of settling Texas with American colonists when it was a province of Spain, we will give a short sketch of the man in whose brain it originated and the various causes which led to it. Moses Austin was a native of Connecticut, born at the village of Durham in 1767. When a boy he went to Philadelphia, and in 1787 he married Miss Maria Brown. His brother, Stephen, was then at the head of an important house in Philadelphia, and Moses Austin soon after his … Read more

Biography of Capt. John James Sitton

CAPT. JOHN JAMES SITTON, one of the wealthiest and most influential citizens of Oregon County, Missouri, has been prominently identified with the best interests of the county for many years, and no worthy movement is allowed to fail for want of support on his part. He is now located at Garfield, where he has a fine residence, and where he is highly esteemed. Capt. Sitton was born in Washington County, Missouri, at Palmer, July 5, 1842, and he is the son of Harvey and Martha F. (Wingo) Sitton, natives respectively of South Carolina and Virginia. Harvey Sitton was a young … Read more

Biography of Hon. Orlando B. Ficklin

Hon. Orlando B. Ficklin, attorney at law, Charleston; he was born in Kentucky Dec. 16, 1808, being the son of William and Elizabeth Kenner (Williams) Ficklin, both of Virginia. His early education was obtained in country schools, in Kentucky and Missouri, except about one year, which he spent at Cumberland College, located at Princeton, Caldwell Co., Ky., under the auspices of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. His parents having removed to Potosi, Washington Co., Mo., he commenced the study of law with Henry Shurlds of that place, who was afterward elected to the Circuit Court bench, and at a later period … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Esop Lewis

Esop Lewis, a blacksmith, was of English parentage, and lived in the State of New York, from whence he removed to Vermont. The names of his children were Rufus, Benjamin, Eli, Chandis, Salina, and Hannah. Rufus, who was a cooper by trade, married Elizabeth Gilbert, of Connecticut, and moved with his parents to Ohio in 1816. They went from there to Kentucky, and in 1819 they came to Missouri in keel-boats, landing at St. Genevieve. They settled in Washington County, and in 1839 Rufus Lewis, with his wife and son, Enos W., came to Montgomery County. They had three children … Read more

Biography of Samuel Henry Melcher

Samuel Henry Melcher is the son of Woodbury Melchor, Esq:, and a grandson of Capt. Samuel B. French, was born in Gilmanton, N. H., October 30, 1828. Was educated at Gilford and Gilmanton academies; graduated at medical department, Dartmouth College, in Grafton county, N, H.; then in Boston, Mass., until 1859, when he traveled South and through Texas; and at the close of that year, settled in Potosi, Washington county, Missouri. On the breaking out of the war, he offered his services at once to Gen. Lyon, at St. Louis arsenal; and was mustered in as assistant surgeon 5th Regt. … Read more

Biography of Robert S. Sutton

ROBERT S. SUTTON. This substantial and extremely well-known citizen of Eminence Township, Shannon County, Missouri, has devoted his life to farming and stockraising, and what he does not know about these two branches of human endeavor is hardly worthy of consideration. He owes his nativity to Washington County, Missouri, where he was born in 1858, a son of William J. and Ellen (McClowney) Sutton, natives of Kentucky and Washington County, Missouri, the birth of the former occurring in 1831. When a boy William J. Sutton came with his parents to Washington County, Missouri, where he married and lived until after … Read more

Biography of Rev. John Dunbar

Rev. John Dunbar was a missionary to the Pawnes Indians of the West for a period of more than twenty years before he became a resident of Kansas. He spent a little over a year in the territory and, as its first treasurer, assisted in the organization of Brown County. Mr. Dunbar was a native of Palmer, Massachusetts, born March 3, 1804. In 1832 he was graduated at Williams College, and later at the Auburn Theological Seminary. While a student at the latter institution he received an appointment as missionary to the western Indians; was ordained at Ithaca, New York, … Read more

Biography of D. H. Allison

D. H. ALLISON. There is nothing which adds so much to the pleasure and convenience of the public as a well-stocked, thoroughly appointed and ably managed livery stable. In such connection we make due reference to the livery establishment of Mr. D. H. Allison, whose reputation in that respect, as well as a trainer, is known throughout the length and breadth of the county. Mr. Allison has made his home and carried on business in Van Buren, Carter County, Missouri, for about two years and has met with well-deserved success. He was born at Irondale, Washington County, Missouri, and was … Read more

Biography of Hon. Joshua Sholar

HON. JOSHUA SHOLAR. The free country of America affords numberless instances of men who have made their way alone in life, having nothing on which to depend but their own strong arms and a determination to do and to succeed. Such men are always self-reliant, their necessities having taught them that what is done must be done through themselves alone. They are worthy and well qualified to perform what duties they are called upon to discharge and are almost without exception leaders of thought in their community, and lead lives of great usefulness. In considering the gentlemen of this class … Read more

Missouri Atlases and Plat Books

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.