Missouri

Biography of John D. Graves

JOHN D. GRAVES. Mr. Graves is accounted a prosperous farmer and stock-man of Stone County, Missouri, and like the majority of native Missourians he is progressive in his views and of an energetic temperament. He was born in Livingston County August 28, 1847, to the union of James C. and Lititia (Webber) Graves, the former a native of Virginia, born March 15, 1803, and the latter of Boone County, Kentucky, born October 10, 1808. The Graves family came originally from England and settled in the Old Dominion at a period antedating the Revolution. Joseph Graves, our subject’s grandfather, was born … Read more

Biography of William Brown

WILLIAM BROWN. Christian County has long had the reputation of being one of the best farming and stockraising counties in the State. Not only do the farmers here give much attention to these industries, but they are generally men of enterprise and information who are well posted on all the current topics of the day. Prominent among those who have done their full share in advancing every interest of the county is William Brown, who was born in Wilkes County, N. C., April 27, 1845, and is the youngest of four children born to Rufus B. and Ruth (Barnes) Brown. … Read more

Biography of James P. Lee

JAMES P. LEE. The above worthy gentleman is a member of the well known firm of Merrick & Lee, general merchants at Swan, Missouri, and is noted for honorable, upright dealing. He is a business man of high ability, a most reliable authority on all matters connected with his line, and a popular citizen, who deservedly enjoys the confidence and respect of a wide and constantly increasing circle. He is also engaged in farming and is as successful in that as he is in his business. Mr. Lee was born in Washington County, Penn., in 1855, and is a son … Read more

Biography of G. T. B. Perry

G. T. B. PERRY. The practical value of shrewdness and discrimination combined with strict probity is exemplified in the prosperous condition of those who transact business on these principles. Mr. G. T. B. Perry, a prominent general merchant of Ozark, has a reputation for honorable dealing built up out of the practice of these invaluable principles. He is a product of the Blue Grass soil of Kentucky, Logan County, near Russellville, and is a son of John T. and Mary E. (Ewing) Perry, both natives of Kentucky. The grandfather, Samuel Perry, was a native of Virginia, and the family came … Read more

Biography of J. M. Gideon, M. D.

J. M. GIDEON, M. D. There is generally a wide diversity of opinion among people outside of the medical profession in their estimate of the skill and ability of a particular physician. A family is likely to pin its faith on one practitioner and distrust all the rest. If there is a member of the profession in Ozark who has successfully fought down this prejudice and now stands secure in the confidence and high esteem of the general public, that man is Dr. J. M. Gideon, a man whose research in the field of science has produced such remarkable results … Read more

Biography of Henry J. Hinkle

HENRY J. HINKLE. No better proof of the advancement of Sparta in the last few years can be shown than the dimensions which the hardware trade has assumed. Among those prominently engaged in that line of business in the county is Henry J. Hinkle, who is a gentleman of standing and repute, his business being the outgrowth of his own energy and push. Mr. Hinkle was born in Fremont County, Iowa, March 8, 1856, and is a son of William and Alvira (Winstow) Hinkle. The elder Hinkle was a native of the Keystone State and of German descent. The father … Read more

Biography of J. M. Haworth

J. M. HAWORTH. The locality in which Forsyth is situated is indeed fortunate in having among its citizens such a man as Mr. Haworth is conceded to be, for his connection with the interests of the county, both as a minister of the Gospel, business man and agriculturist, has proven of much benefit and influence. He inherits much of his energy and push from his Irish ancestors, his grandfather having been a native of the Emerald Isle, and having emigrated to the United States at a period antedating the Revolutionary War, in which he served with distinction. He took up … Read more

Biography of B. V. Morris

He whose name heads this sketch, B. V. Morris, is not only a gentleman in every sense of the word, but as a business man is shrewd, practical and far-seeing, well qualified to discharge the necessary duties of life and well adapted to the active life he has led. He was born October 4, 1848, a son of Isaiah and Mary A. (Vaughn) Morris, both of whom were born in the Buckeye State, the former being a native of Columbiana County, and a son of Abraham and Mary (Heisler) Morris. Abraham Morris was born in New Jersey, in which State the … Read more

Biography of George B. Shepherd

GEORGE B. SHEPHERD. This gentleman is one of the prosperous farmers and successful merchants of Stone County, Missouri, and has resided here since 1871, coming thither from the vicinity of Terre Haute, Indiana He was born in Floyd County, Kentucky, August 31, 1832, and was a son of David and Lucretia (Hale) Shepherd, both of whom were natives of Lee County, Virginia They were among the early pioneers of the Blue Grass State, and made their settlement at the head of Licking River where they improved a farm, and where the father also followed the-calling of a stone mason and … Read more

Biography of William French

WILLIAM FRENCH. The French family are among the prominent of the early families of Christian County, Missouri, and have for many years ranked among the leading agriculturists, in following which calling the male members of the family have been pronouncedly successful. William French, one of the early citizens of the county near Billings, is a native of Kentucky, born in Caldwell County, in 1835, to the union of Joseph and Lucy (Scott) French. The father was also a native of Kentucky and was a son of William and Jane (Ross) French, the former a descendant of German ancestors. The French … Read more

Slave Narrative of Emma Knight

Person Interviewed: Emma Knight Location: Hannibal, Missouri Emma Knight, living at 924 North Street, Hannibal Missouri was born in slavery on the farm of Will and Emily Ely, near Florida, Monroe County. The following is her story as she told it: “We lived on a Creek near Florida. We belonged to Will Ely. He had only five slaves, my father and mother and three of us girls. I was only eight or nine years old. De Elys had eight children. Dere was Paula, Ann, Sarah, Becky, Emily, Lizzie, Will, Ike, and Frank. Lizzie was de oldest girl and I was … Read more

Biography of J. L. Raines

J. L. Raines.  The bankers of Kansas paid a significant honor to J. L. Raines in 1916 when they elected him president for the year of the Kansas State Bankers Association. Mr. Raines is a country banker, president of the Bank of Perry, and while most of his financial service had been rendered in connection with that institution his range of vision and judgment had not been confined by the limits of his experience. Mr. Raines took the lead in establishing and organizing the Bank of Perry in 1890, his principal associate being W. H. Huddleston, of Oskaloosa. It was … Read more

Biography of James M. Chisham

James M. Chisham. Perhaps no one had been more closely identified with the public affairs and public ntilitias of Atchison than Mr. James M. Chisham, who is now superintendent of the Atchison Water Company. For a number of years he filled official positions in the city’s government, and helped make Atchison a city of medern improvements, including paved streets, and possessed of those public utilities which are insoparable from health and convenience. He is an old resident of Atchison, having come to the city when a child. He had fought his own way to success. He was born in Randolph … Read more

Biography of Ira Puderbaugh, M.D.

Ira Puderbaugh, M. D. The second physician in practice at Ozawkis was Dr. Aaron Puderbaugh, and in that same locality his son Dr. Ira Puderbaugh had handled the bulk of the professional work for the past fifteen years. Ozawkie is the native town of Dr. Ira Puderbaugh, where he was born March 5, 1878. His ancestors were Germans who immigrated to Pennsylvania in very early times. His grandfather was born in Pennsylvania in 1810, afterwards moved to Western Ohio, from there to Indiana, and finally came to Kansas, where be lived retired until his death at Ozawkie in 1883. Dr. Aaron … Read more

Biography of Edward E. Doughty

Edward E. Doughty, who had been cashier of the Troy State Bank since the organization of that institution eleven years age, while not a native of Kansas, represents a family which had been identified with the northeastern part of the state since territorial days. Mr. Doughty was born in Nodaway County, Missouri, September 20, 1877, a son of William L. Doughty and grandson of Abel Doughty. The family came originally to New York in Colonial times. They were Scotch people. Abel Doughty was born in New York State and in 1856 came to Kansas when it was a territory and … Read more

Biography of Maurice McAuliffe

Maurice McAuliffe, of Salina, had not only fitted himself comfortably and substantially into the agricultural affairs of Kansas as an individual farmer and stock man, but had been one of the leaders in the new agrisultural movement and uplift. He is most widely known as one of the fine factors in the organization of the Farmers Union of Kansas, and is now serving his ninth term as president of that vigorous organization. He was also a prominent figure in the Alliance movement. The Farmers Union of Kansas is affiliated with the larger organization known as the National Farmers Union, which … Read more

Biography of Earl A. Nossaman

Earl A. Nossaman, secretary of the Monarch Cement Company at Humboldt, had lived in Kansas since early infancy, educated himself for the teaching profession, which he followed for a number of years, and was in the drug business before he accepted his present official position with the Monarch Cement Company. He went with this company while it was being reorganised, and as manager of the sales department had had much to do with its successful operations in recent years. His ancestry goes back to Hesse Cassel, Germany, where his great-grandfather was born. Coming to America, this ancestor settled in Pennsylvania. … Read more

Biography of James M. Meek

James M. Meek is one of the veteran stock farmers and dealers of Nemaha County, and is now living retired at Centralia. Mr. Meek is widely known over this section of Kansas, especially through his terms of service in the Legislature and the Senate, in which he proved a capable representative of his constituency and did much to promote the wholesome business and civic interests of his state. Mr. Meek was born in Union County, Ohio, September 28, 1852, grew up in Northwest Missouri, and had been a resident of Kansas over thirty-five years. His ancestors were English people who … Read more

Biography of Francis M. Avey

Francis M. Avey. Of the men whose ability, industry and forethought have added to the character, wealth and progress of Champaign County none stands higher than Francis M. Avey, now living retired at Rantoul, which has been his home for over forty-five years. Among other enviable distinctions Mr. Avey is one of the honored survivors of the great war of the rebellion, and he was a member of the first regiment that marched away from Illinois to fight in the South. His entire career has been in keeping with the high standards of patriotism which caused him to enter the … Read more

Biography of David Bailey

David Bailey. In the latter part of 1854 or the early part of 1855 Mr. Bailey moved to Monticello, Illinois. After a short sojourn there he came to Urbana, and in March or April, 1856, moved to Champaign, where for a number of years, in connection with W. B. Bailey, he conducted a small country store in a frame building that he erected on the site now occupied by the Robeson Department Store. David Bailey was one of the thirteen men who founded the First National Bank of Champaign, in 1865. Application for organization was made to the government in … Read more