Cass County, Missouri - Biographical sketches, 1917 (part 12 of 15)

Mr. Gray has a well equipped slaughter house where he kills and dresses hogs for farmers in the vicinity, at a stipulated price ranging from two to four dollars. He slaughters about five hundred hogs annually. Mr. Gray is also quite extensively engaged in fruit growing, and is one of the successful fruit men, although working on a small scale in Cass County. Chicken raising is another branch of activity in which he takes considerable interest and in which he has met with marked success. He raises barred rock chickens and has an excellent strain of this breed.

Mr. Gray was united in marriage in 1885 to Miss Addie Farley, a daughter of 0. P. Farley, and Herpalice (Horridge) Farley, the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of England. The Farley family came to Cass County, Missouri, in 1870. Here the father was success¬ fully engaged in farming until his death in 1900. His widow now resides with her daughter, Mrs. Gray. To Mr. and Mrs. Gray have been born five children as follows: Lela, Kansas City, Missouri; Lafayette, Clinton,

The Gray family are well known and highly respected in Raymore township. Mr. Gray is a Republican having always supported the policies and principles of that party.

D. A. Chandler, of Mt. Pleasant township, is a Civil War veteran, who has spent over fifty years of his life in Cass County. Mr. Chandler was born in Belmont County, Ohio, in 1842, a son of Isaac and Alice Chandler. The Chandler family is of English origin and was founded in Pennsylvania in an early day. Isaac Chandler removed from Pennsyl¬ vania to Ohio when a young man. There he took up a farm and also worked at his trade which was that of a tailor. He often remarked that "he cleared and improved his land with the needle". The section of Ohio where he settled was quite heavily timbered with the kind of timber that required considerable chopping and burning in order to convert it into a state of cultivation. He hewed logs and built a home with his own hands and there reared a family of eleven children, besides two nephews. He was a man of high personal character. For a number of years he served as justice of the peace, but more frequently acted in the role of peacemaker rather than magistrate. He always counciled peace and much of the litigation brought to his court was amicably adjusted in his court between the would be litigants upon his suggestion and by his influence. He and his wife, who was a noble Christian woman, both spent their lives in Ohio.

D. A. Chandler grew to manhood in Ohio. After the death of his father and mother he lived with an older brother until he became of age. Like the average boy of his time he was engaged in the peaceful pursuit of farming when the Civil War broke out. In 1862 he enlisted in Com¬ pany B, One Hundred Twenty-sixth Ohio Infantry, and for the two years which followed his enlistment he saw much service, participating in many battles and numerous skirmishes. He served under Generals Mead and Grant and was seriously wounded in the Battle of Spottsylvania, which incapacitated him for further service. Later Mr. Chandler received his honorable discharge and returned to Ohio where he remained until 1865, when he came to Cass County and settled at Pleasant Hill. Shortly after¬ wards he removed to Mt. Pleasant township where he was successfully engaged in farming and dairying for a number of years. He is now retired.

Mr. Chandler was married in 1867 to Miss E. M. Persons, a daughter of L. C. and M. P. (Knapp) Persons, and a niece of Reverend M. D. Todd. Mrs. Chandler came to Cass County in 1866. To Mr. and Mrs. Chandler have been born two sons: Ernest K., Kansas City, Missouri; and Gene E., of Mt. Pleasant township.

Mr. and Mrs. Chandler are members of the Christian church. Mr. Chandler has been an officer in that church a number of years. Mrs. Chandler is a member of the C. W. B. M. and the Benevolent Association.

D. G. Shackelford, a well known real-estate man of Peculiar, belongs to a pioneer famliy of Raymore township. He was born in Fayette County, Ohio, in 1855, a son of Lewis and Elizabeth Ann Shackelford. The father was a native of Ohio and of Welsh descent. His parents came from North Carolina. In 1868 the Shackelford family came to Missouri and after three months residence near Lees Summit settled in Raymore township, Cass County, where the father bought six hundred forty acres of land and engaged in general farming and stock raising. The Shackelfords were the fifth family to settle in Raymore township. During their first few years here their postoffice was Lees Summit. Pleasant Hill was their trading point. Lewis Shackelford was a Baptist minister and one of the early day preachers in Raymore township. To Lewis and Elizabeth Ann Shackelford were born the following children: John A., Peculiar; W. W., Peculiar; Mrs. Mary F. Armstrong, Freeman; N. A., Peculiar; and D. G., the subject of this sketch.

D. G. Shackelford received a good education in the public schools and for a time taught school. In 1880 he went to Oregon, making the trip overland. About a year later he returned to Cass County and for a time clerked in a store at Harrisonville, later going to Paola, Kansas. He followed farming for a while, then engaged in the mercantile busi¬ ness at Peculiar. Later Mr. Shackelford disposed of his mercantile inter¬ ests and accepted a position as traveling salesman and was thus engaged until about 1894. He then engaged in the real-estate business at Peculiar and to the present time has devoted himself to that industry.

Mr. Shackelford has been successful in his real-estate operations, having accumulated considerable property in Peculiar. He also owns land in Kansas.

Kansas City, Missouri. Mrs. Shackelford died in 1888. In 1894 Mr. Shackelford was married to Miss Lura Moore, a daughter of Andrew and Christa Moore. Her father died in 1912 and the mother now resides at Peculiar with Mrs. Shackelford. Andrew Moore was a man of high per¬ sonal character and lived a consistent Christian life. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. His wife is also a member of that denomination, and even at the advanced age of eighty-four did not miss a single Sunday service during the year 1916. Mr. and Mrs. Shackelford have one child, Marjorie Kate, a student in the Peculiar schools.

H. F. Britton, a successful farmer and stockman and one of the most extensive land owners of West Peculiar township, was born in Ohio in 1844. He is a son of George W. and Elizabeth Britton. The Britton family came from Virginia to Ohio in 1844. They later removed to Illi¬ nois, where the father, George W. Britton, was successfully engaged in farming for a number of years. He spent the latter part of his life in that state.

H. F. Britton was associated with his father, engaged in farming and stock raising until he was about thirty years of age, when he engaged in that industry on his own account. In 1901 he came to Missouri, locat¬ ing in the vicinity of Peculiar where he bought seven hundred twenty acres of land. He bought more land later and now owns sixteen hundred fifty acres, and has been successfully engaged in stock raising for a num¬ ber of years. His land is well adapted to the stock business. Four hun¬ dred acres of the farm are now devoted to bluegrass. Mr. Britton has rented his land for the past two years and resides in Peculiar where he has recently purchased a home.

In 1881 Mr. Britton was married to Parthina Eley, a daughter of William and Margaret Eley. The following children have been born to this union: Leslie M., Mrs. Leta May Wood, and Margaret, all of whom reside at Peculiar.

Mr. and Mrs. Britton are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, south. Mr. Britton has been a trustee and steward in that church for more than forty years. He takes a keen interest in local affairs and is an especially strong advocate of good schools. For many years Mr. Brit¬ ton has been a member of the local school board. He is one of the repre¬ sentative and substantial citizens of Cass County. The Britton family is well and favorably known in the community.

Henry A. Knepp, a Cass County pioneer, who has had a successful business career, came to this county in 1867. He was attracted to this section of the state by its broad prairie, most of which was then free range, and, as he expressed it, "It seemed as though this country would be a pasture forever". He earned his first money after coming here chop¬ ping wood and splitting rails at one dollar per day. When Mr. Knepp came here, the section where he settled was wild and unbroken and had every indication of a frontier community. He has seen in this vicinity deer and prairie chickens and other native game, most of which have long since disappeared. He has frequently fought prairie fires. Mr. Knepp experienced all the many hardships incident to pioneer life. He assisted in building a school house in Peculiar township in 1869. In 1871 the Christian church was built in Peculiar, Rev. Marion Todd being one of the first preachers. In those days the supplies for the settlers were all hauled from Pleasant Hill. Mr. Knepp has a vivid recollection of many of the events of early days, some amusing and some otherwise, but he says the early settlers had much amusement and enjoyment as well as grief. He tells of the old time parties, singing schools, and other pastimes. He relates how, on one occasion, they loaded an organ on a wagon and drove for miles around the country, serenading the settlers.

Mr. Knepp is a native of Pennsylvania. He was born in Center County, March 24, 1845. He is a son of William and Sophia (Peters) Knepp, both natives of Union County, Pennsylvania, now Snyder County. Henry A. moved to Michigan with his parents in 1863 and located in St. Joseph County. He was reared on a farm and received a good public school education. He also attended Colon Seminary, Colon, Michigan. In 1867 he came to Cass County, Missouri, locating in Peculiar township, three-fourths of a mile northeast of Peculiar. His home has been here ever since with the exception of from October, 1911, to April, 1913, when he resided in Kansas City, Missouri.

Mr. Knepp purchased his first land which consisted of seventy-five acres at eleven dollars per acre, on five years time at eight per cent inter¬ est. He worked at harvesting the first summer here by the day and did whatever else he could get to do in order to raise enough money to pay the interest on his indebtedness and make a living for himself. When the note came due he had the money with which to pay it, but he arranged to borrow money and invested that which he had in hogs. Shortly after¬ wards the hogs all died of cholera, leaving Mr. Knepp with the experience and a big debt. However he went to work with determination to pay out, and he did. He lived in a frail shack, which was later replaced by a sub¬ stantial modern residence. In 1873 he began to deal in stock quite exten¬ sively, raising cattle and hogs. He was successful in his farming oper¬ ations and fed a great many cattle with profit. During the course of his career he bought more land as opportunity offered and now owns eleven hundred fifty acres.

In 1894 Mr. Knepp sold his stock and bought property in the town of Peculiar, where he engaged in the grocery and hardware business with a partner. Three years later he bought his partner's interest and turned the business over to his son and son-in-law. He became president of the Patrons and Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Cass County and was very active in the affairs of that organization until 1905, when he was forced to give up the duties of that office and resign on account of failing health. He then became interested in the Allen Banking Com¬ pany at Harrisonviile, and the Cass County Bank of Peculiar and has been a director in both of these institutions ever since.

Mr. Knepp was married in this county November 6, 1867, to Miss Rachel Ann Martin, a daughter of Alfred Martin, of St. Joseph County, Michigan. To this union were born two children as follows: Mrs. Ella S. Thompson ; and William M., both of whom reside at Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. William M., is engaged in the laundry business. He owns and operates a laundry, the value of which is estimated at about one hundred thousand dollars. He is president of the Northwest Laundrymen's Asso¬ ciation of Canada. The mother of these children died May 11, 1877.

September 3, 1879, Mr. Knepp was married to Miss Lelia Conover, a daughter of Dr. R. A. and Sarah (Fisher) Conover. Doctor Conover was a prominent physician in his day. At the time of his death in 1886 he was president of the Kansas City Medical Association. Mrs. Knepp was born at Eureka, Illinois. Her grandfather Conover was one of the found¬ ers of the Eureka College, which is located there. Her mother now resides in old Peculiar at the advanced age of eighty-three years. The Conover family were among the early settlers in the vicinity of Peculiar and in the early days suffered the many hardships and privations incident to pioneer life. They were here during the memorable devastation of this section by the grasshoppers.

of administrator for a number of estates during his career. He takes a commendable interest in public affairs and in the promotion of the wel¬ fare of the community and is an enthusiastic supporter of every worthy' movement, the object of which is the betterment of Cass County. He has always been a staunch Republican. For a number of years Mr. Knepp served on the school board. He has held the offices of collector and assessor many times. Mr. and Mrs. Knepp are members of the Christian church, but generally attend the Methodist Episcopal church, there being no Christian church in Peculiar. They are both teachers in the local Sunday school. Mr. and Mrs. Knepp travel extensively. They have made about seven trips to the Pacific coast, have traveled south and east and have been to Canada twice, as well as on various other trips. Mr. Knepp is one of the substantial business men of Cass County, who has made good use of his time and opportunities. Both he and Mrs. Knepp are well known and prominent in the community.

Daniel McEowen, a successful farmer and stockman and early settler of West Peculiar township, was born in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, in 1840. He is a son of John P. and Mary (Galasby) McEowen, natives of Pennsylvania. John P. McEowen was a son of Daniel McEowen, a Pennsylvania farmer of Scotch Irish ancestry. In 1856 John P. McEowen removed from Pennsylvania to Illinois with his family. At that time Daniel, the subject of this sketch, was sixteen years old. Later they went to Kansas, where the father spent the remainder of his life.

In 1868 Daniel McEowen came to Missouri and settled in the vicinity of where Peculiar now stands. This was in the early days in the settle¬ ment of that locality. When Mr. McEowen first came here the settle¬ ments in this county were confined to the timber along the streams, but shortly afterwards the opened plains began to be settled. Yankee Hill, which the postoffice department named Peculiar was his postoffice and Pleasant Hill the principal trading point. Wild game was plentiful when Mr. McEowen settled here and he has frequently seen deer in this locality and prairie chickens and other small game were in abundance. When years time at ten dollars per acre. He paid for this by breaking prairie for his neighbors and when his note came due, at the expiration of two years time, he lacked only fifty dollars being able to pay it off, which money he succeeded in raising in a short time. He has made farming and stock raising his chief occupation and has met with a very satisfactory degree of success, becoming one of the extensive land owners and stockmen of Cass County. He has added to his original purchase of land until he now owns seven hundred twenty acres of productive and valuable land, a part of which is located in Miami County, Kansas.

Mr. McEowen was united in marriage December 17, 1874, with Miss Mary J. Knepp, a member of a Cass County pioneer family. The follow¬ ing children were born to this union: A. W., Peculiar; Frank, Louisburg, Kansas; Lewis M., Peculiar, Missouri; Mrs. Belle Hutchison, Laredo, Mis¬ souri; Mrs. Mayme Cowger, Peculiar; John K., Peculiar; Mrs. Lila Ethel Masterson, Wilmore, Kansas; Bertha R. ; and Zaidee, residing at home. The mother of these children died in February, 1908. By a former mar¬ riage to Miss Rebecca M. Bitts, Mr. McEowen has one daughter, Mrs. Nellie R. Walker of Blue Springs, Nebraska.

Mr. McEowen is a progressive citizen and an enthusiastic supporter of any movement for the improvement, advancement and betterment of Cass County. For many years he has contributed his part to the upbuild¬ ing of this section of the state. He has served on the local school board for a number of years. Mr. McEowen is a staunch supporter of the policies and principles of the Republican party and has been active and influential of the councils of his party. He has often been a delegate to political conventions of his party. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

A. W. McEowen is a native of Cass County and a son of Daniel McEowen, an early settler of this county, a sketch of whom appears in this volume. A W. McEowen is interested in farming and stock raising and has also been secretary and manager of the Peculiar Mutual Tele¬ phone Company since its organization. His official duties in connection with this public service institution practically takes all his time. This company has ninety-seven stockholders and operates about two hundred telephones. It has had a substantial growth and very satisfactory record since its organization. Mr. McEowen began life as a farmer and stockman and devoted himself exclusively to that line of endeavor, until he became interested in the telephone business as above stated.

Mr. McEowen was married to Miss Etta Nighbert, a daughter of Hugh and Isabell Nighbert, of Tennessee. Mrs. McEowen came to Cass County in 1904, making her home with her uncle Horace Barker. Two years later her widowed mother came here and spent the balance of her life with her daughter, Mrs. McEowen. She was a woman of noble Christian character and made many friends during her residence in this county.

To Mr. and Mrs. McEowen have been born two children: Wesley, an ambitious boy of studious habits, whose plan is to obtain a higher edu¬ cation; and Bufford.

Mrs. McEowen is a practical woman and is successfully engaged in raising Plymouth Rock chickens. She takes an active part in the work of her church and its auxiliaries and is prominent in the community. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and holds member¬ ship in the Willing Workers. Mr. McEowen is a Republican and takes an active interest in local political affairs. He has served as township committeeman and is now clerk of the local school board. He is a man of genial disposition and is very popular, having a wide circle of friends.

W. S. Callaway, a Civil War veteran, now residing at Peculiar, is a native son of Cass County. He belongs to one of the pioneer families of this section of the state. Mr. Callaway was born in 1847 and is a son of John F. and Mary C. (Marrow) Callaway. The Callaway family came from Tennessee in 1844, and the father entered six hundred acres of government land in Bates County, although the family lived in Cass, which at that time was Van Buren County. Some of the early members of the Callaway family came from North Carolina to Virginia.

W. S. Callaway has one brother living, Hugh Callaway, who resides at Carrollton, Missouri. The date at which the Callaway family settled in Cass County was an early period in the settlement of this section and at that time the settlements were confined to streams, as the pioneers in those days were not inclined to venture out into the open prairie to make their permanent home, for various reasons. Mr. Callaway spent his boy¬ hood days amidst the primitive pioneer surroundings of considerably more than a half century ago. As a boy he has a distinct recollection of much of the pioneer life of Cass County. In those days the broad prairies stretched out for miles until the horizon limited the vision, and there was not a sign of a fence to be seen. Mr. Callaway has seen deer by the herds. Various kinds of small game, such as quails and prairie chickens, were so plentiful that they scarcely attracted passing notice. Most of the supplies in those days were hauled from Kansas City, or rather West- port. The neighbors would arrange to make up a six ox team and wagon and in that way haul their supplies. They hauled their wheat and corn to Hickman's Mills to have their flour and meal ground. Mr. Callaway remembers when Kansas City, the present metropolis of the west, was no larger than Harrisonville now is. He says that the years of hardship which followed immediately after the Civil War were even worse than the pioneer days which preceded that period by several years.

Mr. Callaway was a mere boy when the Civil War broke out. How¬ ever he served more than two years in the Confederate army, during that long and fearful struggle, and gallantly fought for the right as he saw it. The principles of "the lost cause'' have ever been a part of his nature and dear to him. In 1873 he began life for himself as a farmer and has met with success both as a farmer and stock raiser. He now owns two hundred acres of valuable land which he rents, although he and his wife reside in their old homestead and retain ten acres of the home site.

Mr. Callaway was married in 1873 to Miss Lizzie Wills, a daughter of Alpheus and Lacy Ann Wills, who were early settlers in Missouri, com¬ ing here in 1857.

To Mr. and Mrs. Callaway have been born seven children, as follows: Mrs. Mary C. Wilburn, Peculiar; John F., Peculiar; Mrs. Cora J. Funk, Alberta, Canada; T. A., Peculiar; H. T., Harrisonville; Lacy, Fulton, Mis¬ souri ; and W. S., Peculiar.

J. F. Callaway, senior member of the firm of Callaway & Welborn, general merchants of Peculiar, Missouri, is a native of Cass County. He is a son of W. S. and Elizabeth Callaway. W. S. Callaway, the father, was a son of John and Mary Callaway, natives of Tennessee, who settled in Cass County in 1844.

J. F. Callaway was reared and educated in Cass County. January 20, 1900, a partnership was formed with J. F. Garrett, and they engaged in the mercantile business at Peculiar. In 1902 W. A. Welborn succeeded to the interest of J. F. Garrett and the Ann became Callaway & Welborn. Two years later, Mrs. Alice Hockaday became a partner in the business and since that time the business has been conducted under the firm name of Callaway & Welborn. They do an extensive business, carrying stock worth about ten thousand dollars. Their methods of square dealing have

Mr. Callaway was united in marriage December 29, 1898 with Miss Ollie Welborn, a daughter of J. H. Welborn and a sister of his partner, W. A. Welborn, a sketch of whom appears in this volume.

J. B. Urton, who is now engaged in the hotel business at Peculiar, has had much to do with the progress and development of this thriving Cass County town. Mr. Urton is a Virginian and was born in Hamp¬ shire County in 1845. His parents were William and Martha Urton. The family came to Cass County in 1872, but on account of sickness, returned to their native state, Virginia, in a short time. J. B. Urton engaged in carpenter work there and remained in Virginia until after the death of his mother, when he returned to Cass County and settled near where Peculiar now stands. In 1888 the town was laid out and here Mr. Urton constructed a great many buildings, among which were the Presbyterian church and residences for John Bickhouser, Ed Lane, Mr. Smith and many others. Mr. Urton built the first hall in Peculiar for Taylor Wills and constructed the first scales in Peculiar. Since that time he has built twenty-five others. In 1897 Mr. Urton built the first hotel in Peculiar, which he conducted for some time. The same year, he erected the public school building. He afterwards sold his hotel and bought forty-four lots near the depot where he built another hotel of which he is now proprietor. It is a fourteen room structure and well arranged for the purpose for which it is intended. Mr. Urton conducts a nice little hotel which is a credit to the town and highly appreciated by the traveling public. He endeavors to supply his people with the best the market affords. The hotel is well furnished. The rooms are kept in a neat and sanitary condi¬ tion. Mr. Urton proceeds on the basis that a satisfied customer is the best advertisement. In addition to the hotel business Mr. Urton is quite a successful poultry man and he has gone quite extensively into that important industry. He was the first to introduce the telephone in Peculiar. In 1900 he bought two instruments and installed one in his hotel and the other in the depot.

Mr. Urton has seen much of the development of Cass County. When he came here there was vast, unbroken prairie in the vicinity of Peculiar. He has taken a commendable interest in public affairs. Since the town of Peculiar was started he has had its civic well-being at heart. He has also done much to aid the development of this section of Cass County. He loaded the first carload of hogs shipped from Peculiar in 1888 and the same year he loaded the first carload of cattle at that point for John W. Urton, a cousin of his. Since that time Peculiar has developed into one of the important shipping points of Cass County and Mr. Urton has surely done his part towards making it so. He is one of the most progressive men of the town. He has held several local offices of trust and responsi¬ bility, having been constable for two years, for several years was town marshall, and he has also been a member of the town board. It may be truly said of Mr. Urton that in whatever capacity he has served he has always given the best that was in him, and his efforts have been crowned with success. He is a stockholder in the Woodmen Hall and is ever ready to support any worthy local enterprise.

W. A. Welborn, of the firm of Callaway & Welborn, general mer¬ chants at Peculiar, Missouri, is a native son of Cass County. He was bom in 1866 and is a son of J. H. and Margaret (Sabins) Welborn. The Welborn family were natives of South Carolina who, at an early day, removed to Kentucky. Margaret Sabins was a native of Kentucky and a daughter of Washington Sabins. Both the Welborn and Sabins families are of English descent.

J. H. Welborn came to Missouri in 1855 and located near Harrisonville. The ensuing year he was married and the following children were born to that union: Mrs. Mollie Hockaday, Peculiar, Missouri; Alice Hockaday, Peculiar, Missouri; Mrs. Ollie Callaway, Peculiar, Missouri; W. J., Peculiar, Missouri; and W. A., the subject of this sketch.

W. A. Welborn received his education in the public schools of Cass County. The first school which he ever attended was the Walnut Grove school, at that time taught by Allen Glenn, the editor of this work. Mr. Welborn remained on the home place until his marriage. He saw much of the early day life in Cass County. He has herded cattle on the open range and experienced many of the ups and downs common to the early settlers. He remembers well the devastation wrought by grasshoppers, prairie fires and other devastating visitations, which broke the dull monotony of life on the plains in the early days.

Mr. Welborn was married in 1896 to Miss Mollie Callaway, a daughter of W. S. and Lizzie Callaway, natives of Missouri. Four children have been born to this union, as follows: James, Frank, Elizabeth and Hallie.

Mr. Welborn followed farming until 1902, when he bought an inter¬ est in his present business and since that time has been actively identified with the firm of Callaway & Welborn. They carry an extensive line of general merchandise and are progressive and up-to-date merchants. Mr. Welborn is one of the progressive business men of Cass County and, in addition to his mercantile interests, owns a valuable farm of one hundred sixty acres, three and one-half miles southeast of Peculiar. Mr. Welborn devotes no part of his time to his farm.

George F. Scott, a prominent farmer and dairyman of Mt. Pleasant township, is a native of Illinois. He was born in Tazewell County, Illinois, in May, 1850, and is a son of John and Mary Jane (Rook) Scott. John Scott was a native of Warwick, England, and a descendant of Scotch parents. His parents, George T. and Sarah Ann Scott, were born in Anman, Scotland, the father being born December 8, 1797 and the mother December 5, 1797. They immigrated to the United States with their family about 1830 and settled at Providence, Rhode Island. Later they went to Massachusetts and in 1843 came west, locating in Atlanta, Logan County, Illinois, reaching that place October 18th. John Scott was the third, in order of birth, of a family of five sons and three daughters and was the youngest born in England. He was born in 1827. He was a quiet, unassuming Christian gentleman and was highly regarded by all who knew him.

Mary Jane Rook, mother of George F. Scott, was born near Troy, Ohio, March 18, 1832, of German parentage. When she was a child her parents moved to Lafayette, Indiana. In 1846 they went to Illinois, where she met John Scott. They were married in 1849. The following children were born to that union: George F., the subject of this sketch; M. Isabelle; John A.; William; Kate; Mary A.; Jennie E. ; and Charles R. The mother died November 7, 1869, and the father departed this life May 25, 1882.

In 1902 he came to Cass County and bought eighty acres of land in Mt. Pleasant township, where he has since been successfully engaged in dairy¬ ing. His place is well improved and thoroughly equipped with modem sanitary dairying appliances. His broad, fertile acres are well kept and in an excellent state of cultivation. A great amount of his land is under blue grass. He has a valuable herd of pure bred Jersey cows.

Mr. Scott was married in 1874 to Miss Alice C. Paul, a native of Logan County, Illinois, daughter of H. A. J. Paul, a native of Indiana, who was a very early settler in Logan County, Illinois. To Mr. and Mrs. Scott have been born the following children: Mrs. Cora B. Short, Emden, Illi¬ nois; Charles, Grand View, Missouri; Mrs. Pearl March, Belton, Missouri; Mrs. Effie Samuel, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Mrs. Grace Keeney, Belton, Missouri; and Roy E., Belton, Missouri.

Before coming to Missouri, Mr. Scott was active in political affairs and while living in Illinois served as township treasurer, was a member of the school board for several years and was postmaster of Boynton for some time. He is a kind-hearted, genial gentleman and has the faculty of making many friends. Mrs. Scott is a thoroughly domestic woman and a lover of flowers. She has transformed her home into a veritable greenhouse.

C. H. Scott, son of George F. Scott, a sketch of whom precedes this article, was bom in 1879. For a number of years he was engaged in farming and stock raising in Mt. Pleasant township, Cass County. He made a specialty of raising Jersey cattle and saddle horses. He gave much time to training his own horses and is considered a very success¬ ful horse trainer. He sold his Cass County farm in 1916, and removed to Grand View, Missouri, where he has since been successfully engaged in the grocery business.

Mr. Scott was married in 1902 to Mrs. Pearl Long, daughter of Will¬ iam J. and Sarah Craig. The Craig family came to Cass County in 1879 and settled in the vicinity of Raymore. Mr. Craig became one of the wealthy men of that locality. He helped organize the Bank of Raymore and was one of its heaviest stockholders.

To Mr. and Mrs. Scott have been born two children: Mildred Fern Scott and George W. Scott. While Mr. Scott was a resident of Cass County he took an active part in local political affairs. He served as township trustee for two terms and was also a member of the school board for a number of years. He is now deputy postmaster of Grand View and one of the progressive business men of that live town.

J. M. Knight, a successful farmer and stockman of West Peculiar township, is a native son of Cass County. He was born in 1858. His parents were James and Mary Knight, pioneer settlers of Cass County. James Knight, grandfather of J. M., came from Tennessee to Missouri and located in Cooper County, in the early thirties. Later he removed to Johnson County. James Knight, father of the subject of this sketch, came to Cass County prior to the Civil War. He died in 1875. His wife departed this life in 1872. They were the parents of nine children, five of whom are living, as follows: Henry, Decatur, Arkansas; Terrel, Cen¬ terville, Kansas; J. M., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Nannie Hider, San Diego, California; and Mrs. Mary Ramsey, Drexel, Missouri.

J. M. Knight's parents died when he was quite young and he was thrown upon his own resources at an early age. He worked at various employments and was thus deprived of many of the pleasures of early boyhood. He distinctly remembers many of the incidents of early life and some of his trials and disappointments made a lasting impression on his youthful mind. He recalls having worked for one man four months who refused to pay him. However he succeeded in getting his pay sev¬ eral months afterwards. He worked for George Roberts who gave him a silver dollar for one day's work. This was the first money he ever possessed. During the next three weeks he had saved seventeen dollars, with which he bought a suit of clothes.

After his marriage in 1882, J. M. Knight followed farming on rented land for some time and later took charge of the county farm which he conducted for four years. In 1887 he bought one hundred sixty acres of land in West Peculiar township where he has since been engaged in farming and stock raising. He has added to his original purchase and now owns a splendid farm of three hundred forty acres, one hundred seventy-five acres of which are devoted to bluegrass. The place is well improved with good substantial buildings. Every indication about the farm denotes that its owner is one of the thrifty, progressive agricul¬ turists of Cass County.

Mr. Knight was married in 1882 to Miss Susie Sabin, daughter of Washington and Tobitha Sabin of Kentucky. Three children were born to this union, as follows: John, West Peculiar township; Mary, Peculiar township; and Frank, Peculiar township.

organizers of the Cass County Bank at Peculiar, and one of the charter members of the organization. He has been president of the bank since that time. He and his wife are members of the Methodist church. Mr. Knight belongs to the Modem Woodmen of America. His political affiliations have always been with the Democratic party. He is one of Cass County's substantial citizens who has overcome obstacles and suc¬ ceeded and whatever success has come to him his wife is entitled to a due amount of credit for her co-operation and encouragement have been his inspiration.

J. M. Powell, now residing in Peculiar, has been successfully engaged in farming and stock raising in Cass County for a number of years. He is a descendant of Cass County pioneer stock and was bom here in 1857. His parents were J. R. and Elizabeth C. (Bailey) Powell. J. R. Powell was a native of east Tennessee, who came to Cass County in 1840 and settled in Union township where he pre-empted one hundred sixty acres of government land. He was prominent in the early day organization and development of that part of the county and for a number of years served as justice of the peace. He and his wife, who was also a native of east Tennessee, endured many hardships and inconveniences of pioneer life in Cass County, but it seems that in the eternal fitness of things the work of settling and developing this country fell to the lot of those who were able to proceed with the work before them.

When Order No. 11 was issued the Powell family removed to Pleas¬ ant Hill, where they remained until the close of the war. They then returned to Union township and rebuilt his buildings which had been burned during the war. He followed farming during the remainder of his life. However the actual operation of the place was carried on dur¬ ing the latter years of his life by his son, Wyley B., now deceased. The father died about 1897. The mother died on the home place in 1875. J. R. Powell was a man of high moral character, although he never identified himself with any particular denomination. The mother belonged to the Baptist church.

J. M. Powell received his education in the public schools of Cass County. He remembers George Ellis as one of his first school teachers and among the first preachers in Union township recalls Rev. Jerry Farmer, Major Dean, and later Rev. T. L. Powell, a cousin of his. Rev. G. W. Burgess was also an early minister here. In 1882, Mr. Powell went to

Riley County, Kansas, where he bought one hundred sixty acres of land. He was engaged in farming and stock raising there for twelve years, when he sold his place and returned to Cass County. Here he bought one hundred thirty acres of land. Mr. Powell has bought, sold and traded until he now owns two hundred fifteen acres, located about three miles southwest of Peculiar. His is a very valuable farm. He makes a specialty of raising Shorthorn cattle. In 1916 he bought a comfortable home in Peculiar, where he and his wife now reside.

Mr. Powell was married in 1878 to Miss Saleta Laffoon, a daughter of Druary Laffoon, a native of Tennessee, who bought the old Powell place in Union township after coming to Cass County. To Mr. and Mrs. Powell have been born two children: Delvena, a teacher, who makes her home with her parents in Peculiar and is now teaching at Adrian, Mis¬ souri, and Mrs. Ora Phillips, Peculiar.

Mr. Powell has seen many changes since the dawn of his memory in Cass County. He remembers when most of the country was open, unbroken prairie and most of the roads consisted of mere trails across the country. When people went from one place to another there were no fences to confine their journey nor a so-called highway or public road, but they proceeded on the mathematical theory that a straight line is the shortest distance between two points.

Mr. Powell has always taken a keen interest in local affairs and has served on the school board for a number of years. He was clerk of the Fairview district several terms and is now trustee of West Peculiar town¬ ship. Both Mr. and Mrs. Powell are members of the Baptist church and are active in the work of their congregation. He is a deacon and Mrs. Powell is president of the Ladies Aid Society. The Powells are prom¬ inent in the community and have a broad acquaintance and many friends in Cass County.

J. B. Hook, an enterprising merchant at Jaudon, Missouri, is a native of Cass County, and belongs to one of its prominent pioneer families. He was bom in 1874 and is a son of A. S. and Georgia Hook. The father now resides in this county and is one of the substantial citizens of Dolan township. He is a son of J. B. Hook, a native of Virginia, who settled in Cass County in 1844. He pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres of government land and bought additional land, until at the time of his death in 1886, he owned fifteen hundred acres. He was an extensive cattle raiser and dealer and during his time was one of the leading stockmen of the county. He had a large acquaintance and was known as "Squire Hook". Like many others, he met with considerable loss and suffered severe privations and hardships during the Civil War, and it is said that at one time during that period he lived on potatoes for six weeks.

J. B. Hook is one of a family of eleven children, six of whom are now living as follows: J. B., the subject of this sketch; Abner, Nevada; Frank, Harrisonville ; Ed, Belton; Mrs. May Calbert, Williamstown, Kan¬ sas; and Fannie Balding, Williamstown, Kansas. J. B. Hook spent his boyhood days on the home farm and was educated in the public schools. When a young man he became superintendent of the Cudahay ranch and held that position for thirteen years. He then bought a farm at Belton, which he later traded for property in the town of Belton. In 1915 he bought a store at Jaudon where he has since been engaged in the general mercantile business. He has also been an extensive produce dealer and, in fact, buys whatever the farmers have to sell in that locality.

Mr. Hook was married in 1902 to Miss Annie Wilson, a daughter of William and Ann (Neilson) Wilson, the former of English and the latter of Scottish descent. Mrs. Hook was born in Canada, in 1883. Her par¬ ents came to Cass County where they remained about five years when they returned to Canada. To Mr. and Mrs. Hook have been bom four children as follows: Charles, Vera, Dorothy and Robert.

William 0. Heiviy, a well known and successful citizen of Raymore township is perhaps best known as Cass County's most scientific and suc¬ cessful bee-keeper. Mr. Heiviy was born in Lee County, Illinois, March 17, 1860, and is a son of Peter and Margaret Heiviy. Peter Heiviy, the father, was a son of Peter Heiviy, Sr., a Pennsylvanian. In 1858 Peter Heiviy, father of William 0., removed from Pennsylvania to Illinois, and in 1868, came to Missouri, and settled in Cass County. He died here November 30, 1914. His wife preceded him in death, she having passed away in 1906. They were the parents of four children as follows: Jacob A., Raymore; William O., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Lizzie A. Beatty, Harrisonville, Missouri; and Howard W., Raymore.

When William 0. Ileivly was a boy he was always of a scientific turn of mind and when he was twenty-two years old he began farming for himself, and two years later became interested in bee culture, a subject which requires the closest kind of observation as well as studious applica¬ tion. Mr. Heivly soon had an apiary consisting of one hundred and thirty-live colonies. He is an expert on quality and production of honey and has made a very careful study of every angle of the bee business. He says that white clover is the principal material from which high grade honey is made and that when white clover is plentiful and in good condi¬ tion that one colony of bees will produce from one hundred and fifty to three hundred pounds of honey. He begins to take the honey from the hives about the tenth of June, and continues this process from six to eight weeks. The honey is extracted by a device which makes it a simple and easy process. In the spring time the dandelion furnishes the bees food for brooding and in the fall an excellent dark grade of honey is made from the Spanish needle, goldenrod, smartweed, etc. Mr. Heivly never allows his bees to swarm. He has added to a colony as many as five tiers in order to keep the bees busy and producing the honey. Mr. Heivly does not confine himself to the production of honey and beeswax which are important items in themselves, but he is an extensive dealer in bees and has built up a large trade in that connection. He never misses attending a sale where bees are to be sold and is invariably ready to sup¬ ply the market with high grade bees.

In addition to his apiary, Mr. Heivly is quite an extensive fruit grower and general farmer and also a poultry fancier. He has a number of Buff Orpingtons and has been very successful in the production of eggs. Mr. Heivly is very systematic in the conduct of his business affairs, keeping an itemized record of every department of his productions for the last fifteen years. He can readily turn to any week or month of any one of these years, and determine in an instant his comparative pro¬ duction of honey, eggs, chickens, etc.

Mr. Heivly was married in 1892 to Miss Lilya Barger, a daughter of Henry C. and Virginia A. Barger. Henry C. Barger was a son of Jasper C., a native of Germany, who immigrated to Pennsylvania when he was a young man. Mrs. Heivly was one of a family of four children and was born in Jackson County, Missouri. The other members of her family are as follows : Jasper C. Barger, Grand View, Missouri ; John H. Barger, Edwardsville, Kansas; and Joseph B. Barger, Edwardsville, Kansas. To Mr. and Mrs. Heivly have been bom four children: Ida May, Kansas City, Missouri; Grace B., Ethel A., and Josie A. The Heivly family are well known and highly respected in the community and Mr. Heivly is one of Cass County's substantial citizens.

R. M. Meador, a well known resident of West Line, is a native son of Cass County. He was bora in 1848 and is a son of Jesse V. and Sarah T. (Massey) Meador, natives of Tennessee. Jesse V. Meador was a son of Rene Meador, who was also a native of Tennessee and came to Mis¬ souri, settling in Jackson County, in 1835. In 1839 he came to Cass County and entered government land near Dayton, where he died. Some years later his son, Jesse V., returned to Jackson County and in 1846 came back to Cass County, where he resided until the time of his death in 1907. In addition to farming and stockraising he dealt extensively in horses and mules and became very well-to-do. At the time of his death he owned two hundred forty acres of land. He was a man of genial disposition and his manly ways won for him a great many friends. He was a member of the Baptist church and a deacon for a number of years and frequently was a delegate to church conventions.

R. M. Meador's mother, Sarah T. Massey, was a daughter of Abel and Judith Massey, natives of Tennessee, who came to Missouri in 1835, settling in Union township, Cass County. The mother died in 1910. To Jesse V. and Sarah T. Meador were born six children, two of whom are now living, R. M., the subject of this sketch and Mrs. E. A. Sheppard, of Kansas City, Missouri.

R. M. Meador was educated in the public schools. He began life as a farmer in Union township at the age of twenty-one, continuing that occupation for fifteen years. In 1883 he and his brother, A. M. Meador, purchased a hardware and implement store at West Line and were suc¬ cessfully engaged in that business for fifteen years. Since that time R. M. has been engaged in the grain business at West Line. He owns a farm in Union township and also property in the town of West Line.

Mr. Meador was married in 1883 to Miss Mary E. Clement, a daugh¬ ter of B. A. and Susan Clement, who resided near Cleveland, Missouri. The Clement family came to Cass County from Callaway County, Mis¬ souri, in 1866. To Mr. and Mrs. Meador have been bora six children as follows: J. A., West Line; Mrs. Ella Jones, West Line; Ada, Mary, Ora and Oliver, all of whom reside at home.

Many changes have taken place in Cass County within the recol¬ lection of Mr. Meador. He can remember when their nearest neighbor north of their home wras nine miles distant. It was the same distance to any neighbor, except his grandfather Massey, who lived one mile away. There were no roads or fences in those days, and the traveler followed the trail regardless of section lines. Wild game, including deer, wild turkeys and prairie chickens, was in abundance. In the early days Mr. Meador fought prairie fires, which on several occasions swept over the country destroying the fences and frequently the buildings. In those days the settlers in that locality hauled their supplies from Westport or Independence, there being no Kansas City at that time. It was the cus¬ tom of the early settlers to make two trips yearly for supplies, usually making one trip in the spring and another in the fall. Mr. Meador has heard his parents tell of riding to Pleasant Hill on horseback, a distance of twenty miles, to attend church. Mr. Meador, himself, frequently rode fifteen or twenty miles to attend church or a picnic with his best girl in the early days.

Mr. Meador has always taken an active interest in local affairs and has served as trustee, assessor, and clerk of West Dolan township. He has been clerk of the school board for over twenty years.

J. R. Lusher, a well-known merchant at West Line, Missouri, is a native of Cass County, bora in 1859. He is a son of John H. and Emiline (Torrey) Lusher. The father was a native of Switzerland and immi¬ grated to America when a young man. John H. Lusher first located in New York and was married in that city. In 1856 he came to Cass County, Missouri, bought land and engaged in farming and stock raising. Four years later he removed to Johnson County, Kansas, where he resided until 1885, when he returned to Missouri. While in Kansas he was suc¬ cessfully engaged in farming and stock raising and became very wellto-do. He was prominent in politics and represented Johnson County in the Kansas legislature for two terms. John H. Lusher was always an adherent to the policies and principles of the republican party. He died in 1912. He was a man who believed in a square deal and was always loyal to his friends. He possessed a strong character and stood high in the community.

J. R. Lusher was one of a family of four children born to his par¬ ents, as follows: R. 0., Kansas City, Missouri; W. D., Los Angeles, Cal¬ ifornia; L. W., Kansas City, Missouri; and J. R., the subject of this sketch. Mr. Lusher was educated in the public schools. He began life for himself at the age of eighteen. He first entered the drug business in Kansas, which engaged his attention for some years, and in 1880 he en- gaged in that business at West Line, Missouri. In all, Mr. Lusher was engaged in the drug business about thirty years. At one time he was the owner of the commissary for the Kansas City Southern Railroad Company and furnished its supplies from Kansas City to Pittsburg, Kan¬ sas. He was thus engaged for three years. He has also been extensively interested in the stock business, and has handled Percheron horses and Mammoth jacks for several years. He was engaged in the dry goods business for a number of years also. In 1914 he engaged in the general mercantile business at West Line. He carries hardware, groceries, im¬ plements, and shoes, and is one of Cass County's progressive merchants, who keeps pace with the methods of the times.

Mr. Lusher was united in marriage in 1880 with Miss Cora A. Rebo, a daughter of W. H. and Eliza Rebo, of Johnson County, Kansas. To this union were bom two children, Mrs. Corda B. Williams, of West Line, who has three children, Zoe, Lusher and Cora; and R. E., who married Luella Richardson, and they have three children, Lester, Helen and Sanford.

Although Mr. Lusher is practically a young man, he has seen many changes in Cass County since his boyhood. He remembers when the entire section of the country was one vast open plain and a house was rarely to be seen. As a boy he herded cattle in Johnson County, Kansas, on what was known as the "Black Bob Reservation". At that time there were no white settlers on the reservation. He was acquainted with the Shawnee Indians of that section and visited their camps almost every day.

M. N. Stark, the efficient and trustworthy cashier of the Bank of West Line, Missouri, was bom in Cass County, near West Line, in 1884, son of William R. and Mary E. (Crenshaw) Stark. William R. Stark was the son of David Stark, who immigrated with his family to Missouri from Kentucky about 1856. They settled in Cass County. Mary E. (Crenshaw) Stark was the daughter of Wm. T. Crenshaw, a native of Kentucky. The following children were born to William R. and Mary E. (Crenshaw) Stark: David, the well-known and honored senator, who resides in West Line, Missouri; James, Freeman, Missouri; M. N., sub¬ ject of this review; E. L., West Line, Missouri; Stella, West Line, Mis¬ souri; Galen, West Line, Missouri; W. R., West Line, Missouri; Daniel, West Line, Missouri; and Louis, West Line, Missouri.

William R. Stark was one of the most distinguished men of Cass County. He was widely known as a prominent and successful farmer and stockman. Mr. Stark dealt extensively in cattle. Throughout his life he displayed great ability and foresight. He was an active, robust, energetic man and very fond of out-door life. His life was one of great activity and usefulness. William R. Stark was a member of the Baptist church and a tireless worker in all humane and Christian causes. By his industry and good management he accumulated much wealth and at the time of his death, in 1901, was owner of sixteen hundred acres of land and not one acre was obtained at the expense of his fellowman. There are now more than two thousand acres in the Stark estate. Few men in Cass County are better known than was he, for Mr. Stark was a man who would be known wherever he went, for he possessed a marked individuality. For many years he went among the people of the county until we may safely say without exaggeration that practically every one knew him, and few there are who do not miss with sadness his familiar form and voice. He has proven it is possible for a man to be a philan¬ thropist and a business man on the largest scale at the same time. Such examples are not so numerous as they should be and deserve to be noted when they occur. Mrs. Stark, widow of William R. Stark, was ever her husband's faithful co-worker. She now resides in Columbia, Missouri, where four of her children are in school.

M. N. Stark spent the days of his boyhood upon his father's farm assisting with the work and attending the district school. His first business venture was a financial success, and he was very proud of the first money he had ever earned. He was a mere lad when he became deeply interested in the poultry industry and the success which attended his efforts in raising Plymouth Rocks greatly encouraged him to proceed in poultry husbandry. Mr. Stark is now recognized as an expert poultry fancier. When many are complaining of the scarcity of eggs M. N. Stark has no difficulty finding upon his farm from seventy to one hundred eggs each day.

In 1913 M. N. Stark was elected cashier of the bank of West Line, Missouri. He is also one of the stockholders of the bank. The Bank of West Line was organized in 1910 with Lewis G. McGill, president, and C. J. Wortham, vice president, and with a capital stock of eleven thousand dollars. The marked success of this bank has attracted wide-spread at¬ tention, and Mr. Stark feels justly proud of the institution, which is a constant reminder of the confidence and esteem in which he is held. The profits of the bank, which are commensurate with its magnitude, are constantly increasing and are largely due to Mr. Stark's good business judgment and to the fact that he has mastered well the intricate problem of finance.

D. W. Blake, of Dolan township, has been a resident of Cass County for nearly forty years and is a highly esteemed and honored pioneer. He was born in 1851 in Nicholas County, Kentucky, son of Thomas and Abigail J. (Robertson) Blake. Thomas Blake was the son of George Blake, who was bom in Virginia and in an early day immigrated to Ken¬ tucky. Thomas Blake, an ex-justice of the peace in Kentucky, brought his family to Missouri in 1879 and located in Cass County, where he pur¬ chased forty acres of land. He was engaged in general farming. The following sons are the surviving children of Thomas and Abigail J. (Robertson) Blake: John, Amsterdam, Missouri; J. H., Osawatomie, Kansas; T. D., Lacrosse, Kansas; and D. W., subject of this review. Mr. and Mrs. Blake were familiarly known as "Uncle Tom" and "Aunt Abi¬ gail", and their names are still fresh and precious in the memory of the people of Cass County. They were renowned for their warm, southern hospitality and gentle, kind manners. Both father and mother were energetic workers in all good and noble causes and both were worthy members of the Presbyterian church. They have long since passed on to meet their Creator.

At the age of twenty-one years, D. W. Blake was taken into partner¬ ship with his father. He always lived with his parents. He was sepa¬ rated from them but three weeks, and that separation was made neces¬ sary when he drove through from Kentucky to Missouri. His parents then came on the train. The father died in 1889 and the mother fol¬ lowed him in death in 1898.

In 1877 D. W. Blake and Eliza Trilby of Kentucky, were united in marriage and this union was blessed with one child:, Mrs. Irene Cecil, of Freeman, Missouri. Mrs. Blake died in 1878. Mr. Blake has never re¬ married. Mrs. Cecil is the mother of one child, Gladys.

When Mr. Blake came to Cass County with his parents, in 1879, he found the few settlements along the streams where the early pioneers had chosen sites in order to be near the timber. He recalls the pioneer preachers, among whom he best remembers Rev. Hunter, and the primi- tive churches. In those days families went to church, walking the en¬ tire distance of several miles, or riding horseback, or coming in farm wagons. Mr. Blake is an earnest member and deacon of the Christian church. He has established for himself a fine reputation in Cass County and enjoys the respect of all who know him.

E. C. Wiley, a successful and enterprising merchant of Freeman, Missouri, was born in St. Joseph County, Michigan, in 1863. He is the only son of L. C. and Margaret M. (Ferguson) Wiley. L. C. Wiley was the son of Samuel Wiley, a pioneer of St. Joseph County, Michigan, who had migrated from the State of New York. He had learned the shoe¬ makers' trade in New York, but he engaged in general farming in Michi¬ gan, where he purchased a large farm. In 1870, L. C. Wiley, with his family, came from Michigan to Missouri and located upon a farm, a part of which is now the site of Garden City. Margaret M. (Ferguson) Wiley was the daughter of William Ferguson, a native of Pennsylvania.

E. C. Wiley was a child seven years of age when he came to Cass County with his parents. He was a lad of observing mind and remembers how widely scattered were the settlements then. Many times in his youth he was called upon to help fight the destructive prairie fires and to assist his father in saving their property. He received what educa¬ tion was available in the little red school house on the four comers, near Garden City. At the age of twenty-two years he was employed for one year in the livery business in Garden City, after which he was engaged in the grocery business there. Mr. Wiley was employed for one year in the railroad office in Garden City.

E. C. Wiley's first wife was Flora T. Clemens, daughter of David Clemens, of Garden City. Several years after Mrs. Wiley's death, E. C. Wiley and Della M. Thornberg, daughter of Isaac and Susan Thornberg, were united in marriage in 1897, and to this union has been born one son, Merwin F. The Thornberg family came to Missouri from Indiana in 1892 and located in Dayton.

Mr. and Mrs. Wiley resided in Texas for more than a year. When they returned to Missouri Mr. Wiley engaged in the general mercantile business in Raymore. In 1913 he moved his stock of goods to Freeman, and for the past four years has dealt in general merchandise in this city. Mr. Wiley keeps a neat, clean stock of goods, valued at about ten thou¬ sand dollars. No man in the west, perhaps, has a better knowledge of the wants and needs of the people in general merchandise and very few persons have better taste and judgment in all matters relating to the buying and selling of goods, a work for which he is peculiarly fitted.

J. H. Brown, one of Cass County's pioneers, was bom in Bates County, Missouri, in 1857. He is the son of A. H. and Elizabeth Brown. The father came to Missouri at a very early date from Virginia and set¬ tled in Bates County, and the mother was born in Missouri. Five sons were born to A. H. and Elizabeth Brown, two of whom are now living, namely: J. H., subject of this review; and B. E., Eldorado Springs, Mis¬ souri. J. H. Brown was but a small boy when Order No. 11 was issued, but he recalls how the Brown family moved away in a wagon, drawn by two cows, with one horse hitched in front of the cows. They came to the end of their journey in Texas and there remained until 1868, when A. H. Brown brought his family back to Cass County. He purchased one hundred acres of land and engaged in the peaceful pursuits of farming. Here, in 1879, he quietly passed on to meet his Creator, and fourteen years later, in 1893, his wife joined him in death. Mr. and Mrs. Brown, in their quiet and unassuming way, nobly did their part in the develop¬ ment of Cass County, and will long be remembered among the county's most useful citizens.

J. H. Brown was eleven years of age when his parents returned to Cass County from Texas and he well recalls the state of the county just after the Civil War. The county's natural resources had not then been despoiled and there were many large forest trees along the streams. Much of the country was wide, open prairie, and deer, prairie chickens, wolves and wild turkeys could be seen in great numbers. He obtained his education in the small, log school house, where his first teacher was Ben¬ jamin Stephens. Among the pioneer preachers to whom he often listened was Rev. C. C. Wood.

In 1878 J. H. Brown and Mary Childs, daughter of James Childs, were united in marriage, and to this union have been born the following children: James A., Benjamin M., Mrs. Lucy E. Lacy, Mrs. Myrtle P. Lacy, and Iris N. All the children have been reared to maturity and are now living.

After his mother's death, in 1893, Mr. Brown purchased the old home place and has since been engaged in farming and stock raising upon his farm in Dolan township. Though he feeds some cattle he has specialized in the breeding of Poland China hogs, and he has been very successful in his chosen vocation. J. H. Brown's life has been one of great activity and usefulness.

W. S. James, president of the Archie State Bank, Archie, Missouri, is one of the well-known members of the banking fraternity of Cass County. Mr. James is a native of Illinois, born near Quincy, in 1859. He is a son of J. H. and M. V. (Taylor) James, the former a native of Mis¬ souri, and the latter of Kentucky. J. H. James was a son of Adam

James, a Kentuckian who settled in Missouri in 1828. The mother of W. S. James was a daughter of Andrew Taylor, a native of Kentucky. J. H. James, the father, followed farming in early life, but later engaged in the grain business at Ursa, Illinois. He became an extensive grain dealer at that place and was engaged in that business about twentyfive years. He died there March 11, 1911. His wife died in 1909. They were the parents of six children, five of whom are living, as follows: W. S., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Amanda Sheppard, Ursa, Illinois; E. T., Goddard, Kansas; Mrs. Mary Ketchum, Iola, Kansas; and C. A., Carthage, Illinois.

W. S. James was educated in the public schools and the State Normal School at Kirksville, Missouri. He began teaching school near Ursa, Illi¬ nois, when he was nineteen years old, and followed that profession about four years. He then learned telegraphy and for two years was employed as telegraph operator at Harrisonville, Missouri. Later he became cash¬ ier of the Farmers' Bank at Foster, Missouri, remaining there until 1912. He then became an extensive stockholder in the Archie State Bank at Archie, Missouri, and became president of that institution. The follow¬ ing year Mrs. James was elected cashier of that bank. Mr. James has been president of the bank and his wife cashier to the present time. The Archie State Bank is a substantial institution, and is conducted on safe, conservative banking methods, and has among its patrons the sub¬ stantial business men and farmers in the vicinity of Archie.

Mr. James was united in marriage with Miss Cora L. Haynes, daugh¬ ter of Dr. J. N. and Jenette (McCubbin) Haynes, the former a native of Kentucky, and the latter of Scotland. They were the parents of six children, as follows: Cora L., now Mrs. W. S. James, wife of the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Margaret Barton, Amorett, Missouri; Deen Garland, Pleasanton, Kansas; and Fred E., Dallas, Texas. To Mr. and Mrs. James have been born two children, Eula and Virginia.

Mr. and Mrs. James have an extensive acquaintance in the vicinity of Archie. Their uprightness of character and high business integrity have won the justly merited confidence and esteem of the public.

J. B. Wilson, of Drexel, Missouri, a prominent real estate man of that thriving town, is known over a broad scope of territory in Missouri and Kansas as "Wilson, the Land Man." He is a native of Pike County, Illinois, bom in 1841, and is a son of James and Ann (Stevenson) Wilson. James Wilson, the father, was a native of New Hampshire, and a son of James Wilson, a native of Scotland. James Wilson, J. B.'s father, followed fanning in his native state. He was a near neighbor of Presi¬ dent Pierce's father. In 1833 James Wilson removed to Illinois, which was at a very early day in the settlement of that state. He was a man of strong personality and prominent in the affairs of the new country, after coming to Illinois. He was captain of the local militia, and served as justice of the peace for a number of years. He died in 1848. His wife, Ann Stevenson, was a daughter of John Stevenson of Kentucky. She came to Missouri in 1901, and there she died in 1908.

J. B. Wilson received a common school education. He spent his early life on a farm in Illinois. In 1873 he went to Kansas, settling in Miami County, Kansas, about four miles southwest of Drexel, Missouri. Here he bought a hundred seventy acres of land, where he followed farm¬ ing and stock raising until 1888, when he opened a general store at Sugar, which was three and one-half miles southwest of Drexel, Missouri. There he carried on a mercantile business until 1891. He then came to Drexel, Missouri, and engaged in the live stock business, becoming one of the most extensive cattle dealers in that section. He shipped thousands of car loads of cattle and hogs, and made Drexel one of the important ship¬ ping points along the line of the Kansas City Southern Railway, and thus added greatly to the commercial development of the live stock in¬ terests of southwestern Cass County.

In 1905 Mr. Wilson engaged in the real estate business in Drexel. In turning to that field of enterprise, he has applied himself with the spirit of push and energy characteristic of the man, which has made of his real estate venture a success from the start. He is one of the most successful real estate men of the county, and probably one of the best posted men on land values in western Missouri. He has seen the develop¬ ment of this section of the country from the time that he came here, when land could have been bought for five dollars per acre, to the present price of real estate, which is probably the mere beginning of land values in this country. The value of land and other products has undergone considerable change since Mr. Wilson came here. In 1875 he bought twenty-two head of yearling steers at six dollars and twenty-five cents each. The same cattle would be worth about fifty dollars a head today. On the other hand, he paid thirteen cents per pound for wire fence in the early day and was the first man to use wire for fencing purposes in his section of the country.

Mr. Wilson was married in 1862 to Miss Sarah Ann Rickey, a daugh¬ ter of Brice Rickey, of Illinois. One child was born to this union. Mrs. Wilson died in 1865. In 1871 Mr. Wilson was married to Sarah A. Nor¬ ton, a daughter of John Norton, of Illinois. She departed this life in 1910.

Mr. Wilson is one of the progressive and public spirited men of Drexel. He owns property in Mexico as well as in his home town. He takes a prominent part in local affairs and has served as treasurer of Coldwater township for six years.

C. C. Cable, president of the Inter-State Bank of Drexel, Missouri, is a prominent factor in the financial and commercial sphere of Cass County, and has been actively identified with this section of Missouri for a number of years. He was born in Warren County, Illinois, in 1855,

Cable was a native of New York, and a son of George Cable, who mi¬ grated from New York to Illinois at an early day. He died in that State in 1861. Minerva J. Foster, mother of C. C. Cable, was a daughter of John C. Foster of Illinois.

George H. Cable came to Cass County from Illinois in 1867, and settled in Everett township, and purchased two hundred and forty acres of land, for which he paid sixteen dollars per acre. This same land sold in 1917 for one hundred and ten dollars per acre. George H. and Minerva J. (Foster) Cable were the parents of the following children: M. M.,

C. C. Cable received a good public school education and in early life was engaged in teaching school during the winter months, and followed farming in the summers. In 1880 he and L. T. Dorsett bought out a store and engaged in the mercantile business at Everett, Missouri, where they remained one year. Mr. Cable then went to Louisburg, Kansas, where he sold goods for a year and then returned to Cass County, and in partnership with M. M. Cable and W. L. Lacy, purchased the general store from W. W. Mardis, and in 1892 Mr. Cable and others organized the Drexel and Freeman Mercantile Company, and Mr. Cable was at Freeman in connection with this business until 1899. He then became extensively interested in the Inter-State Bank of Drexel, becoming its cashier, and for the past several years has held the office of president and been actively identified with the management of that institution. This bank has had a substantial growth since Mr. Cable has been con¬ nected with it, which reflects great credit upon him as the active head of this well-known financial institution. When he came here the deposits of the bank amounted to about fifty thousand dollars, and the loans were about forty-two thousand dollars, as compared with the following state¬ ment of the bank, issued March 5, 1917 : Resources - Loans and dis¬ counts, undoubtedly good on personal collateral, $233,860.21 ; loans, real estate, $2,260.50; overdrafts, $4,089.72; bonds and stocks, $1,500.00; real estate, banking house, $2,500.00; furniture and fixtures, $2,500.00; due from other banks and bankers, subject to check, $75,163.81 ; cash items, $5,202.92; currency, $4,008.00; specie, $4,033.02. Total, $325,118.18. Liabilities - Capital stock paid in, $25,000.00; surplus fund, $25,000.00; undivided profits, net, $6,012.80; individual deposits, subject to check, $241,549.84; time certificates of deposits, $27,555.54. Total, $325,118.18. In addition to his banking interests, Mr. Cable owns a section of valuable land in Everett township, and has a nice home in Drexel.

Mr. Cable was married in 1877 to Miss Dora George, a daughter of F. M. George, of Archie, Missouri. They have one son, J. Ray, an in¬ structor in the University of Missouri.

While Mr. Cable is a comparatively young man, many changes have taken place in this section of the country within the scope of his mem¬ ory. When the Cable family settled here, there was not a settlement between the Cable homestead in Everett township and the present site of Drexel. Pleasant Hill was the nearest railroad station, and Mr. Cable has hauled hogs to that point for shipment. He has seen numbers of deer, wild turkey and prairie chickens. He remembers his first teacher at the Cable school, a Mr. King. He recalls the early day pastimes, when the principal amusements were singing schools, spelling bees, horse races and the like.

A. J. Bradbury, of Everett, is a native son of Cass County, and be¬ longs to one of the real pioneer families of this county. The Bradburys were among the first settlers in what is now Cass County. A. J. Brad¬ bury was born in 1847, a son of Leonard and Nancy Bradbury. Leonard was a son of Walter Bradbury, who was a native of Scotland and settled in Kentucky when he was a young man. He took part in the Cherokee Indian War and was wounded three times. In 1833 Walter Bradbury, grandfather of A. J., came to Missouri from Kentucky and settled in what is now Cass County. Here he spent the remainder of his life and died in 1852. His son, Leonard Bradbury, was born in St. Charles, Mis¬ souri. He came to this section with his parents in 1833. In 1844 he bought a tract of land, which was the first permanent settlement in Coldwater township. In 1846 he homesteaded a farm, where he was en¬ gaged in farming until the time of his death, in 1903. He was a man of high integrity and esteemed by all who knew him. He was one of the promoters and original members of the Old Settlers' Association of Cass County.

A. J. Bradbury grew to manhood on the old homestead in Coldwater township, and attended school near Morristown. He recalls the times when there was much unoccupied territory in Cass County, when there were only a few scattered families in the southern part of the county. He can name almost all the settlers who lived in that vicinity when he was a boy. He recalls Beck, Dudley, Patton, Hollis and Shipley. The settlers received their mail about once a week, and then had to send a boy to Harrisonville for it. At that time "mail day" was considered quite an event. Game of all kinds was in abundance. Mr. Bradbury has seen deer frequently. Wild turkeys and prairie chickens were to be found most any time. He also recalls the devastation wrought by prairie fires. Indians were still here when Mr. Bradbury was a boy and he re¬ members having frequently played in the wigwams of the Indians. He remembers Rev. Shaler, who preached to the Indians in the early days, and Rev. C. C. Wood, another pioneer preacher, who preached the gospel to the pioneers on numerous occasions before the Civil War. Mr. Brad¬ bury recalls many events of the pioneer days and can tell much concern¬ ing the hardships, amusements and various incidents of pioneer life. He recalls the days when spelling bees, singing schools, and the old-fashioned dances were the principal amusements of the young people. He tells of having seen a family go to church in a cart drawn by a team which was composed of a horse and a cow. That, compared to modern-day trans¬ portation, is a striking illustration of the progress made in Cass County since Mr. Bradbury's earliest recollections.

Mr. Bradbury was united in marriage in 1871 to Miss Mary A. Hocker, a daughter of B. D. Hocker, a native of Kentucky, who settled in Cass County in 1869. He was a successful farmer and stockman and for nine years was engaged in the mercantile business at Brosley, Mis¬ souri, where he also served as postmaster for six years. To Mr. and Mrs. Bradbury have been born three children: Lee A., Drexel, Mis¬ souri ; Mrs. E. Maud French, Archie, Missouri ; and Mrs. Sallie P. Limpus, Drexel, Missouri.

Mr. Bradbury is a successful farmer and stockman of Everett town¬ ship. He has a well-improved farm of one hundred twenty-one acres. The Bradbury residence is in Everett. Both he and his wife are mem¬ bers of the Christian church and active in the work of their congregation.

Fred Unnewehr, a successful farmer and stockman of Austin town¬ ship, was born in Germany, September 17, 1862. He is a son of Herman and Wilhelmina Unnewehr. The father died in Germany in 1914, and the mother now resides there. They were the parents of six children, twro of whom came to this country and the others remained in their native land.

Fred Unnewehr remained in Germany until he was nineteen years old, when he immigrated to America, landing at Baltimore, Maryland. He went from there to Breese, Illinois, where he worked as a farm hand for four years. He then came to Missouri, and worked on a farm at Norborne, Carroll County. His work consisted mostly in caring for and feeding cattle, and he worked in that capacity for about three years. He then engaged in farming in Carroll County, where he remained until 1907. He then came to Cass County and purchased two hundred sixtyfive acres of land in the northern part of Austin township. Since that time he has bought more land and now owns three hundred forty-six acres of well-improved and valuable land. Eighty acres of his farm are under blue grass, and altogether his is one of the valuable farms of Cass County. He is a successful farmer and has been especially successful in stock raising. He keeps high-grade Angus cattle, having a registered animal at the head of his herd. He is also one of the most successful hog raisers in Cass County, and has some of the finest registered Poland

Mr. Unnewehr was married in 1890 to Miss Minnie Theener, a daugh¬ ter of Ferdinand and Catherine (Dittmer) Theener, the former a native of Germany and the latter of St. Louis, Missouri. The mother died in 1907, and the father is now engaged in farming in Grand River town¬ ship, near Lone Tree. Mrs. Unnewehr was reared and educated in Illi¬ nois. To Mr. and Mrs. Unnewehr have been born six children, as follows: Herman, died 1910, at age of nineteen years; Fred, resides in Idaho; Carl, George, Henry, and Wilhelmina, all of whom reside at home.

Mr. Unnewehr is of the thrifty type of the American farmer, who, by his industry, has won his way to success. Politically he is a Repub¬ lican, and the family are members of the German Evangelical church.

E. E. Parsons, a successful farmer and stockman of Grand River township, traces his lineage through a long line of honorable American ancestors. He is a native of Illinois, born in 1851, a son of Elisha and Orpha (Sirpless) Parsons. The Parsons family is of English origin and was founded in this country by Joseph Parsons, who emigrated from England to Massachusetts in 1635. He bore the distinction of being the first color-bearer of the first military organization in America. The line of descent from Joseph Parsons to Edward E. Parsons, the subject of this sketch, is as follows: Joseph, second son of Joseph the first; Daniel, son of Joseph the second; Aaron, son of Daniel; Elijah, son of Aaron; Elisha, son of Elijah; Elisha the second, son of Elisha; and Edward E., the subject of this sketch, son of Elisha. Elijah J. Parsons, great-grand¬ father of Edward E., was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, serving in Washington's army, and Elisha, his son, the grandfather of Edward E., was a soldier in the War of 1812. The members of the Parsons family have mostly been farmers for generations, and as a rule have been thrifty and successful citizens. Orpha Sirpless, mother of Edward E. Parsons, was of Irish descent. Both she and her husband are now deceased.

E. E. Parsons was reared to manhood in Illinois, where he was edu¬ cated. He began life as a farmer and stockman. He engaged in farm¬ ing and stock raising in Indiana, where he owned a valuable farm of three hundred twenty acres, which he sold in 1902, and came to Missouri. Here he bought what was known as the Sulzer farm and began opera¬ tions on this place in 1904. Five years later he sold this place and bought a farm near Lone Tree, which he improved and sold in 1912. He then bought one hundred twenty acres about a mile east of Lone Tree, where he now resides. This is one of the valuable farms of Cass County and is conveniently located and well improved. Mr. Parsons is a successful combination of the scientific and practical agriculturist. He understands maintaining the fertility of the soil by the practical appli¬ cation of scientific methods. He is a close observer and watches the lit¬ tle details. He raises stock quite extensively, specializing in pure-blood Aberdeen Angus cattle. Mrs. Parsons has won a reputation as a suc¬ cessful chicken fancier. She raises the Buff Plymouth Rocks, and has made of this venture a profitable enterprise. Mrs. Parsons has the very best strain of these birds that money can buy.

Mr. and Mrs. Parsons were married in 1875. She bore the maiden name of Sarah Roberts, and is a native of Illinois, a daughter of William Roberts. They have no children. Mr. and Mrs. Parsons are well known in southern Cass County and are prominent in the community.

Charles S. Nelson, the present State Representative from Cass County, is a successful farmer and stockman and belongs to one of the pioneer families of this county. Mr. Nelson was born in Cass County in 1869, and is a son of H. L. and Elizabeth Nelson, natives of Kentucky. H. L. Nelson was the son of Reuben Nelson, who was also a Kentuckian and a descendent of old Virginia stock. The Nelson family originally came from England and settled in the Virginia Colony and belong to the same family as Lord Nelson. Reuben Nelson, grandfather of Charles S., came from Kentucky to Missouri in 1839 and settled in Cass County, then Van Buren County. He entered one hundred twenty acres of land from the government, which is a part of the present home place of Charles S. Nelson.

H. L. Nelson, the father of Charles S., was a farmer and stock raiser and spent practically all of his life in Cass County. He was a successful man of affairs and at the time of his death, in 1900, was considered wellto-do. His widow resides with Charles S., the subject of this sketch, and is one of the few pioneer women of Cass County left to tell the story of the early settlement of this county and the vicissitudes and hardships which the early settlers here endured. H. L. and Elizabeth Nelson were the parents of the following children: Horace, resides in Oklahoma; Joseph P., Henry County, Missouri; Bureguard, Big Springs, Texas; J.

T., Freeman, Missouri; Mrs. Laura F. Roberts, Mound City, Kansas; George C., Freeman, Missouri; Mrs. Ellen Van Meter, Freeman, Missouri; and Charles S., the subject of this sketch.

Mr. Nelson was reared on his father's farm and attended the dis¬ trict school in that locality and later took a course in the State Normal School at Warrensburg, Missouri. He then engaged in teaching and taught school in Missouri, Texas and Mexico for fifteen years. He then engaged in farming and stock raising on the home place in Dolan town¬ ship. Mr. Nelson is considered one of the scientific farmers of the mid¬ dle west. He has given special attention to "seed corn breeding", and is authority on this subject and in this line of work he is frequently called to speak at agricultural meetings and conventions throughout the country. Mr. Nelson owns a splendid farm of two hundred ten acres, and in addition to his grain farming gives special attention to raising Percheron horses and Poland China hogs.

Mr. Nelson was united in marriage in 1895 to Miss Georgia Gear¬ hart, a daughter of Jonathan and Nancy Gearhart, of Everett, Missouri, and one child has been born to this union, Charles Orville, who resides at home with his parents.

Mr. Nelson has always taken a commendable interest in political matters and local affairs and is a staunch Democrat. He has served as assessor of Dolan township for six years, and in 1914 was elected a member of the State Legislature from Cass County. As a member of the State Legislature he served as chairman of the Committee on Agri¬ culture and distinguished himself in that capacity as a capable repre¬ sentative of that department of legislation. He was recently called to Jefferson City by Governor Gardner in connection with the recent move¬ ment to encourage intensified farming and maximum production as a necessary move in connection with the present European war.

Mr. Nelson is a progressive citizen and represents that type of agri¬ culturist whom the world is regarding more and more as an important factor in modern conditions.

Mark W. Prewitt, a well-known and successful auctioneer and pro¬ prietor of the People's Auction Company, Harrisonville, Missouri, is a native son of Cass County and belongs to a pioneer family of this sec¬ tion. Mr. Prewitt was born in Grand River township, December 22, 1872, a son of Robert H. and Martha S. (Wills) Prewitt, the former a native of Montgomery County, Kentucky, and the latter of Mexico, Missouri, of Indiana parentage, who were early settlers in that section of the State.

Robert H. Prewitt lived in Kentucky until the Civil War broke out when he enlisted in the Confederate Army and served for four years. He participated in a great many battles and lesser engagements and was wounded at the battle of Wilson's Creek. At the close of the war he came to Cass County and settled in Grand River township on the place where Mark W., the subject of this sketch, now resides. He was extensively engaged in the dairy business and for a number of years furnished Harrisonville with its milk supply and frequently kept as many as forty head of cows. Politically he was a Democrat and always took an active interest in local politics. He served as justice of the peace and constable of Grand River township and at one time was a candidate for county recorder. He died in July, 1896, and his wife lives with her son. They were the parents of the following children: Willis D., was a teacher in the west for a number of years and died in Denver, Colo¬ rado, while engaged in the United States mail service; Mollie, married Proctor K. Owens, and has an extensive art and china painting estab¬ lishment in Detroit, Michigan; Mark W., the subject of this sketch; and Anna, married E. P. Fulton, Grand River township.

Mark W. Prewitt was reared on the farm in Grand River township and was educated in the district schools and the Harrisonville High School. He was associated with his father on the home farm and when seventeen years of age began teaching and was one of Cass County's most successful teachers for seventeen years, when his health failed. He then decided to take up auctioneering and took a course in the Mis¬ souri Auction School at Kansas City, where he wras graduated in Jan¬ uary, 1913, and immediately established the People's Auction Company at Harrisonville. In addition to his regular auction business here, he conducts sales over a large section in western Missouri. He specializes in merchandise auction sales, although he carries on a general auction business and in fact conducts all kinds of auction sales and is considered one of the best auctioneers in this section.

Mr. Prewitt was married September 3, 1899, to Miss Louise M. Smith, a native of Illinois, who at the time of her marriage resided at Belton, Missouri. She is a daughter of Henry Smith, who now resides at Harrisonville. To Mr. and Mrs. Prewitt have been born four children, as follows: Bonnie May, bookkeeper for the People's Auction Company; DeWitt Sherman, Wynona Chiquita, and Faye Louie, all residing at home.

Mr. Prewitt is a member of the Masonic lodge and a number of fra¬ ternal insurance orders. He is a Democrat and has served as assessor of Grand River township for four years, and at one time was appointed county assessor by former Governor Joseph W. Folk. He and his family are members of the Baptist church.

E. J. Polk, a member of the firm of Polk Bros. Milling and Supply Company of Harrisonville, Missouri, is a native of Indiana. He was born in 1860 and is a son of Irvin and Elizabeth (Marlette) Polk. Irvin Polk was a miller as was also his father, Cleborn Polk. Cleborn Polk was a native of Kentucky. His ancestors lived in Tennessee and were of Scotch descent. They belonged to the same family as President James K. Polk and General Polk. Elizabeth Marlette, the mother of E. J. Polk, was a daughter of Epperson Marlette, and of French descent.

E. J. Polk was educated in the public schools of Indiana and at the Northern Indiana State Normal School. For a number of years he was engaged in superintending the construction of mills, and in fact, has been engaged in the milling business in one way or another all his life. In 1906 he came to Harrisonville, and in partnership with his two brothers, William C. and Charles L., bought the mill which he has since operated. Polk Bros. Milling and Supply Company was incorporated in 1913 with a capital stock of forty thousand dollars. The mill has a capacity of one hundred and fifty barrels of flour and two hundred barrels of meal daily. They buy a great deal of grain from the surrounding country in Cass County in addition to what they purchase elsewhere. They sell most of their flour in Arkansas and Texas, although they have customers in vari¬ ous parts of the country.

E. J. Polk is one of a family of four children who are now living, the others being as follows: Mrs. Dovev Pringle, Chicago, Illinois; William C., Hindsville, Arkansas; and Charles L., Sanford, Florida.

Mr. Polk was married in 1881 to Miss Mary Howell, a daughter of H. C. Howell, of Martinsville, Illinois. Mr. and Mrs. Polk are members of the Baptist church.

Albert W. Wood, a prominent farmer and stockman of Peculiar town¬ ship, is a native of Illinois. He is a son of William H. and Elizabeth H. (Mack) Wood, both natives of Charleston, Illinois. The Wood family came to Missouri and settled in Osceola, St. Clair County, when Albert W. was about five years old. They now reside at Appleton City, Missouri.

Albert W. Wood was reared to manhood in St. Clair County, where he received his education in the public schools and the Appleton City Academy. For a number of years he followed railroading and for a time was in the employ of the Metropolitan Street Railway Company, Kansas City, and has also been in the employ of the Missouri Pacific, Missouri, Kansas and Texas, and the Northern Pacific as brakeman and conductor. Mr. Wood spent eighteen months in the service of the United States at the time of the Spanish-American War. The greater portion of this time being spent in Cuba. He was enlisted in Third Regiment of United States volunteer engineers under Col. David Duboise Gaillard. Mr. Wood was a victim of yellow fever at the time his regiment returned home. After his recovery he was assigned to various duties on the island and served some time there before being discharged.