JOHN KINTREA. Among the countless industries of the United States, there are none which attracts more universal attention than that of merchandising. Among those prominently engaged in this occupation in Taney County, is John Kintrea, who has a fine store at Kirbyville. This gentleman was born at Woodstock, February 28, 1852, and, no doubt, inherits his perseverance, industry and sturdy traits of character from his Scotch ancestors.
His father, James Kintrea, was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1820, and when a young man emigrated to Canada. Later he found his way to Missouri and followed the painter’s trade at Springfield, while a resident of that city. His death occurred in Oregon on the 4th of July, 1893, while there visiting. Politically he was a Democrat and socially a Mason of a number of years’ standing. He was well known and well respected all over Greene County. He married Miss Margaret Katna, a native of Scotland, born near Edinburgh, who died in Springfield in 1890. Ten children were born to this worthy couple, five sons and five daughters, all but two surviving: Agnes, wife of John Edgerton, of Portland, Ore.; Margaret, single, resides at Paris, Canada; John, subject; William, single, resides at Springfield where he is in the dry goods business; Belle, wife of Dr. Bissett, of Springfield; James, married, resides at Portland, Ore.; Catherine, wife of William Thompson, resides at Paris, Canada; Jennie, wife of Thomas Flittan, resides at Parsons, Kan.; while Valentine and Frank both died young. The parents of these children were active members of the Presbyterian Church.
Our subject spent his boyhood days in his native county and in addition to a good common-school education, attended the Komoko Seminary in Middlesex County, Canada. When eighteen or nineteen years of age he came to Greene County and clerked in the store of J. H. Minehardt for four years. After that he was in the employ of Charles H. Heer, with whom he remained eight years, being his traveling salesman for a number of years. In 1883 he embarked in business for himself at Roy, Douglas County, Missouri, and followed merchandising about two years and a half in company with his father-in-law, J. E. Smith. He then sold out and in 1886 located at Forsyth, where he remained five months. After that he came to Kirbyville and has since been actively engaged in merchandising and handling cotton. He has a cotton gin and a mill for grinding corn, and buys nearly all the cotton in this part of the county. He is doing an extensive business, and in 1892 he sold 543 bales of cotton. He also handles stock and grain and is one of the leading business men in Taney County. In merchandising he does an annual business of from $50,000 to $60,000, and also does a large business in the wholesale line. He has a line of teams between Chadwick and his store and handles a large amount of goods of all kinds. In political matters he is with the Democratic party, but does not aspire to office. All his property has been accumulated by his own efforts and he has been unusually successful. He owns a half interest in the Ferguson, Kintrea Drug Co., of Springfield, which does an extensive retail and wholesale business, and carries a stock of goods valued at $20,000. This company was incorporated in 1892, with a capital stock of $30,000. John R. Ferguson is the president, John Kintrea is vice-president, E. N. Ferguson, secretary and treasurer. This company is doing the largest business of any drug house in the Southwest. Until lately, Mr. Kintrea owned stock in the Central National Bank of Springfield. He owns considerable property at Kirbyville and a good residence property at Springfield. Fraternally, he is a member of the K. of H. order at Springfield.
Mr. Kintrea selected his wife in the person of Miss Narcissa Smith, a native of Springfield and the daughter of Hon. J. E. Smith, who formerly resided there, but now makes his home at Roy, Douglas County. Mr. and Mrs. Kintrea are the parents of four children, as follows: Bertie Belle, Katie M., Frank and John E. Mr. Kintrea is doing a banking business only to accommodate the people of the neighborhood, and he is the largest taxpayer in the county.