Missouri

Biographical Sketch of Cariesman, Horatio

Whose land grant fronts the Brazos River on the west side, where the station of Thompson is now on the Santa Fe road, was born in Virginia in 1792, but moved in early life first to Kentucky and then to Missouri, where he engaged in surveying. In 1818 he married Miss Mary Kinchaloe, and in the fall of 1821 prepared to immigrate to Texas with the Kinchaloe family. They embarked on boats to descend the river, but winter coming on, they held up until the next spring, when Mr. Kinchaloe preceded the party to New Orleans, where he chartered a … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Darst, Abraham

Abraham Darst came to Texas in the early ’20 from St. Charles County, Missouri, and settled at Damon’s Mound. This famous mound is situated partly in Fort Bend County and partly in Brazoria, all of the league of Mr. Darst being in the latter county. He was married twice, the children of the first wife being Emery, John, Edmund and Patrick. By his last wife were Rosetta and Richard. Emery Darst married Miss Mary Ann Moore. She was born in St. Charles County, Mo., and died in 1902, in the eighty-third year of her age. Her people came to Texas … 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 Austin, Stephen F.

It seems that on account of the long distance and slow transmission of mails in those days, that Stephen F. Austin, busy at New Orleans doing the work his father had entrusted to him, was not aware of the fatal illness and death of his father until some time after that sad event. Where the father, however, laid down the work the son took it up. The application of Moses Austin was approved by General Arredonda at Monterey on the 17th of January, 1821, a few days after the departure of Austin from San Antonio. This action of the Commanding … Read more

Biography of Henry Sheppard

Henry Sheppard, among the early people of Greene county, was the man who made and left the best impression. He was born in Cumberland county, New Jersey, on November 8th, 1821, of the seventh generation from the original settler of his name. His father was a quiet man of moderate means who gave to his sons what education he could in schools and at home taught them, by precept and by example, industry, self-reliance and truth. The mother was a deeply religious woman. Henry, the oldest son, an ambitious and independent boy supported himself from the age of fifteen. He … Read more

Biography of Hon T. A. Sherwood

Thomas Adiel Sherwood was born at Eatonton, in Putnam county, Georgia, June 2, 1834, where he spent his early life. His father, Rev. Adiel Sherwood, D.D., was a Baptist clergyman of great learning and prominence, who was born and reared at Fort Edward, in the State of New York. The family were of English extraction. Dr. Thomas Sherwood, and Andrew, his brother, immigrated to this country during its colonial period, from Nottinghamshire, England, and settled in Connecticut. Dr. Thomas Sherwood was the grandfather of Major Adiel Sherwood, who served in the war of the Revolution under Gen. George Washington, and … Read more

Biography of Rev. Augustus H. Tevis

The scholarly subject of this sketch is a native of Rush County, Indiana, born on his father’s farm, May 13, 1841, and was the ninth child of a family of three sons and seven daughters. His parents were Dr. Daniel H. and Phoebe (Scott) Tevis, the former having been a physician by profession,—a self-made man, who enjoyed a large and lucrative practice. He (Dr. Daniel H.) was born in Bracken county, Kentucky, and was quite a scholar as a linguist, being a proficient in both Latin and Greek. The elder Dr. Tevis died in 1858, and his wife in 1862, … Read more

Biography of Dr. Thomas Jefferson Bailey

Dr. Bailey was a native of Kentucky, born in Lincoln county, January 17, 1803, whith his father, John Bailey, had removed with his family from Virginia. There the father died, and Thomas J. grew up to manhood. He read medicine at Danville under the able preceptor ship of Drs. Smith and McDowell, till he was prepared for practice. Prior to removing to Missouri, in 1828, he married Miss Harriet Sproul, a native of the same county as himself. He settled first in Ralls county, this State, where he practiced medicine till 1837, removing thence to Springfield, when that town was a mere … Read more

Biography of Dr. Beverly A. Barrett

Dr. Barrett is the son of John S. and Margaret (Patterson) Barrett, and was born in St. Genevieve county, January 8, 1826. The father was also a physician, was a Virginian, and emigrated to this State in 1811, and was a member of the first Missouri General Assembly. Beverly A. was the sixth child of a family of ten children, and had the advantages of a common school education in his native county, subsequently attending a seminary taught by Fox and Davis at Fredericktown  He began the study of his profession in 1845, and after two years’ close application to medical … Read more

Biography of Ransom D. Blades, Sr.

This old settler and prominent citizen is the son of Edward and Ellen (Maynar) Blades, and was born in McMinn county, Tennessee, January 29, 1821. He was the second child and oldest son. His parents were natives of North Carolina, but moved to Tennessee shortly after their marriage. In 1836, when Ransom was fifteen years of age, they came to Greene county, Missouri, and settled on section 10, township 28, range 24. Then that part of the county was settled by only two or three families, and to the southwest of them there were no neighbors nearer than forty miles. … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Jeremiah C. Cravens

This gentleman was born in Saline county, Missouri, February 18th, 1838. He is a son of Dr. John Cravens, who for many years was the peer of the finest physicians and surgeons of the State. They are of Virginia ancestry, Jeremiah’s grandfather, Dr. Joseph Cravens, being for many years a leading physician of Rockingham county, Virginia. Jeremiah C. graduated from the Missouri State University in the class of 1860, taking the degree of Bachelor of Arts. The civil war breaking out soon after leaving school, he cast his lot with the fortunes of the Confederacy, and followed its flag until … Read more

Biography of Rev. William Jackson Haydon

Rev. Haydon is the son of Jarvis and Harriet Ann (Mitchell) Haydon, and was born near Lynchburg, Virginia, June 8th, 1835. His father (Jarvis) was born in the same State, February 1st, 1797, and died there February 10th, 1852. His mother was a daughter of John Mitchell, and was born in Amherst county, Virginia, April 18th, 1805. She was married at sixteen years old, and died August 7th, 1850. William Jackson Haydon was the third born in a family of six children, all but two of whom are dead. The other surviving one, Alexander, still lives in Virginia, engaged in … Read more

Biography of Col. Fidelio Sharp Jones

Col. Jones is the son of Col. Joseph and Matilda (Sewell) Jones, and was born in Tazewell, Claiborne county, Tennessee, July 19th, 1835. His father and mother were both Virginians, and the former was once colonel of militia in times of peace. Fidelio S. was the oldest of ten children, eight of whom lived to be grown. In 1837, his parents moved to Greene county, Missouri, locating at Springfield, where the subject of this sketch was reared and educated, and where both his parents died, the father in 1865, and the mother in 1881. In 1852 he began his business … Read more

Biography of Capt. George M. Jones

Capt. Jones is the son of Henry F. and Mary (Waller) Jones, and was born in Shelby county, Tennessee, Oct. 19th, 1836.His father is still living there, aged eighty-one. His mother died in l856. George M. grew up on the farm, receiving his education at the common schools of the county where he lived. At the age of seventeen he went to Memphis, Tenn., and sold dry goods for the firm of Cossitt, Hill & Talmadge. He remained with them something over three years, receiving for his first year’s service, $75.00 and board; for the second, $100.00, and the third, … Read more

Biography of Capt. S. H. Julian

Captain Julian is the son of Isaac and Nancy (Wood) Julian, and was born, in Monroe county, Tennessee, April 4, 1822. When he was fifteen years of age his parents moved to Greene county, Missouri, and settled the farm in Cass township, where they both afterwards died. Stephen grew to manhood upon the farm, and on May 15, 1842, was married to Miss Sarah L. Vestal, of Putnam county, Indiana, but a native of North Carolina. They were blessed with six children, Flavius C., Melcena M., Mary L., John C. (deceased), Robert F. and William R. He built a house … Read more

Biography of Daniel C. Kennedy

Mr. Kennedy was born in Queens county, Ireland, February 14, 1841, and is the third child of Michael and Elizabeth (Condron) Kennedy. His parents emigrated to America in 1843, and in 1848 his father went back to Ireland to assist his countrymen in their struggle for independence. The agitation being suppressed by the government, he returned to America and settled permanently with his family in St. Louis, where be died in 1863, in the sixtieth year of his age. Daniel C. received a common school education in the city of St. Louis, and at the age of fourteen entered the … Read more

Biographical Sketch of Alfred A. Lowdermilk, M. D.

Dr. Lowdermilk is the son of William and Martha (Rhodes) Lowdermilk, and was born in Greene county, Tennessee, June 24, 1848. In 1856, his parents moved to Sangamon county, Illinois, taking young Alfred with them. At fourteen years old, he started out to make his own living and learned the trade of tinsmith, which he followed till he was twenty-one years old. He then, in 1869, entered and took a course of lectures in the Louisville Medical College. The next year he began the practice in Vernon and Barton counties, this State, thus acquiring the means to complete his professional … Read more

Biography of Dr. Joseph M’Adoo

The subject of this sketch was born in Donegal county, Ireland, August 9, 1832. His parents were Thomas and Esther Rankin McAdoo, and Joseph was the oldest of six children, four brothers and two sisters. He came to America with his parents in 1838, locating near West Greenville, Mercer county, Pennsylvania, and there resided till he completed his education, which was partially obtained in the common schools of the county, and completed at Westminister College, and at Philadelphia. He began teaching school at eighteen, teaching in several districts, where others failed because of bad order in the school room. Young … Read more

Biography of John L. M’Craw, Sr.

Mr. McCraw was born in Hawkins county, Tenn., in 1808, where he was reared and educated. In 1886 he married Elizabeth H. Kenner of the same county, and the same year he immigrated to Greene county, Mo., and bought the farm in Taylor township, where he lived and died. In farming and stock-rearing he encountered all the hardships incident to pioneer life. The stock did well upon the prairie grasses, and sheep and pigs found natural enemies in the wolves that infested the country at the time. Mills were few and far between, coffee and biscuits luxuries that could be … Read more

Biography of William M’Kerrall

This well-known subject was born in Orange county, N. C., June 17,1824. At sixteen he received the appointment to West Point Military Academy, and entered same class with Gen. Hancock. He was compelled to leave school, however, on account of ill health, and returned to North Carolina. There he entered Caldwell Institute, John Wilson, D.D., president, and took a regular collegiate course. At the outbreak of the Mexican war, young McKerall volunteered and was elected first lieutenant of Co. E of the North Carolina regiment, which company he served with during the war, latterly as acting captain. On one occasion, … Read more