Grundy County, Missouri - Chapter 13, 1908

GRUNDY COUNTY'S GREAT MEN - Jewett Norris, the Carnegie of Grundy County - Col. John H. Shanklin, lawyer and .Jurist - Rezin A. DeBolt, Politician and Lawyer - Stephen Peery, Lawyer and Farmer - George H. Hubbell, Student and Lawyer - Richard C. Norton, L. L. D., Pioneer Educator.

T IS THE purpose of this chapter to review, briefly, the career of some of Grundy County's greatest men who have passed over the divide. While many a man of commanding intellect has taken an active part in the development of this land, some who rose through sheer brain power above an unlettered environment and some who had all the education and culture of the day, six men, perhaps stand out above the rest. They are Jewett Norris, John H. Shanklin, Stephen

JEW'ETT NORRIS, the Carnegie of Grundy County, was Ijorn on a New Hampshire farm June II, i8o(j, and died in St. Paul, Minnesota, May 12, 1891. 'J'he first fourteen }ears of his Hfc were s]:)ent on that farm. His opportunities for securing an education were very Hmited, his schoohng being" confined to a three months' term a year in the country school, yet he became a man of l)r()a(l culture and ripe scholarshi]), and head an unusual amount of good common sense.

At fifteen he became a clerk in a country store. He worked there alxitit a year, then was in commercial employ in Boston for three years and in New York for se\'en years.

In 1835 he came to ^lissouri, locating on what is now the AW A. ]\rcA ay farm, then unstu'veyed land, near the present limits of Trenton. He married Sarah A. Perry in 1837. He lived here in a log cabin characteristic of the time, and farmed for twentv years. During this time he took an active part in public affairs, being a meml)er of the first county court of this county, and aiding in the organization of the county. In 1855 he moved to Trenton and engaged in the mercantile business.

Jewett Norris was elected to the state senate in 1858, and re-elected in 1862. Fie was a resourceful and useful legislator, taking high rank among his colleagues. At the outbreak of the war he did much to crvstallize union sentiment in this part of the state; with both voice and purse he rendered effective aid, speaking in behalf of the Union all over this part of the slate, lie was eaptain and ([uarlerniaster of the Grundy County l)attaHon of militia organized in 1862, furnishing suppHes to this and to the Mercer County battahon out of his own ])rivate means. In 1863 and 1864 he was Heutenant colonel of the Thirteenth enrolled Missouri militia, and was mustering officer for many cotmties.

In 1870, his health being then impaired, Mr. Norris moved to St. Paul, Minnesota. In Grundy County he was always successful as a btisiness man, and in Minnesota he made in\-estments which yielded him good returns.

In 1890 he gave the city of Trenton $50,000 with which the Jewett Norris Library was bfiilt. He died ]\lav I J, 1 89 1, shortly before its completion, and was buried in this city.

COL. JOHN'h. SHANKLIN, a broad minded, capable law}-er, was born in Monroe County, West Virginia, (then Virginia), November 2, 1824. He was the eighth child in a family of ten.

He attended school in the rough log school houses of that time until he was sixteen, afterwards teaching two terms there. At twenty-one he was working on a farm in \'irginia.

In 1846 in com])anv with one com])anion, and with less than one hundred dollars in his pocket he started west, arriving in Grundy County April 10 of that year. The rest of his life he was a citizen of Trenton. For three years after arriving he taught school. In 1847 he enlisted as a private in the ^Fexican war, in Capt. (no. C. Griffin's company, and took part in the piclures(iue march over the Santa Fe trail. In the spring of 1848 lie was made quar-

Mr. Shanklin married Miss Kitty Ann Collier January 22, 1850. They had five children, three of whom are living: Orville M., Walter H. and Carrie Vannatta. Shortly after his marriage he was appointed probate judge, which led him to take up the study of law. He was a partner of Jacob T. Tindall from 1855 until the latter fell in the battle of Shiloh, 1 86 1. Mr. Shanklin was made division inspector, with rank of colonel, by Gov. Gamble. He enlisted most of the six months militia from this and neighboring counties. In 1862 he was made lieutenant colonel of the Third Missouri state militia, which regiment he helped to raise. Soon after that he was elected a member of the Missouri state convention, to fill a vacancy caused by Col. Tindall's death, and served in that body in its sessions of June, 1862 and 1863. Ii"^ August 1862 he was made Colonel of the Thirtieth enrolled militia and was with that regiment in command of the post at Chillicothe until March, 1863, when, at his recjuest, he was relieved. After a year spent in law practice he went again into military ser\^ice in which he remained until the close of the war.

In 1868 Mr. Shanklin became president of the Chillicothe & Des Moines Railroad company, and it was largely due to his influence that its roadbed was transferred to the Rock Island, thus bringing that road into Trenton. He was a delegate to the state constitutional convention in 1875, and took a conspicuous part in the proceedings, especially in securing liberal provisions for the common schools.

He became interested in the mining business in 1880 and 1 88 1, investing considerable capital in the silver and copper mines of New Mexico.

Meanwhile James Austin had joined the law firm of Tindall & Shanklin in 1858, and upon the death of Tindall the firm became Shanklin & Austin. Mr. Shanklin and Mr. Austin continued to be associated in business for a number of years, the latter partner finally retiring from the law to devote his time to the banking business, in which they were jointly interested. Colonel Shanklin formed a partnership with Messrs. Low and McDougal of Gallatin in 1876, which partnership continued about ten years. He was president of the Missouri Bar association in 1882 and 1883, had charge of the task of building a railroad and highway bridge across the Missouri river at Fort Leavenworth in 1886, and in 1890 was a member of the towaisite committee at Guthrie, Oklahoma. He took a leading part in many home enterprises.

Colonel Shanklin retired from business several years before his death, which occurred on June 14, 1904. While he achieved success in many lines of endeavor, his greatest prominent is due to his legal ability. A man of sound judgment, quick intuition and clear intellect, he was always fair, broad, and impartial. He was a critical student, and relied for success upon superior knowledge rather than upon brilliant abilit}', and did not resort to trickery or pettyfogging tactics. Grundy County has never yet produced a man who stands higher with the bar of the state than Colonel Shanklin. In politics he was a whig before the war, and afterwards a Democrat.

REZIX A DEBOLT, who was born in Ohio, January 20, 1828, was in many ways the opposite of Colonel Shanklin. A\'hile the latter was calm and judicious, the former was quick and impetuous. Mr. Shanklin was always conservative. Mr. DeBolt was always radical.

Air. DeBolt li\ed on a farm and attended country schools until seventeen years old. In 1845 he was a|)i)renticed for three years to a tanner and followed this trade for a few years after working- out his apprenticeshi]). In the meantime he was studying law and was admitted to the bar in 1856. In 1858 he came to Missouri, settling in Trenton. The next year he was appointed county school commissioner and was elected to the same office in i860. His spare time he gave to the practice of law.

When the war broke out he spoke earnestly and effectively for the Union cause. He was made captain of the Twenty-third Missouri volunteers and was captured at Shiloh. Entering the service again in 1864 after a term of imprisonment and a term of retirement he was commissioned major of the Fortyfourth ]\Iissouri volunteers, remaining with his command until the close of the war.

For a time supporting the Republican partv, he changed his political affiliations and in 1877 was elected to congress on the Democratic ticket. After a term in congress he devoted his entire time to the practice of law.

]\Ir. DeBolt was married to Maria IMcClery in Ohio, in 1840. His wife dying- in 1869, he was married to Miss Laurestine \J. Dinsmoor of Canada. Mr. DeBoh died Octo1)er 29, 1891.

STEPHEN Ph:]^R\' was liorn on a \'ir-inia farm June 2/, 1836. ] lis parents came to ?^Iissouri in 1838, setthng- on a farm near Edinburg, where he grew to manhood. He attended Grand River college for some time, afterwards taking a course in law at ?^IcKendrick college, Illinois, 1855.

Mr. Pcery entered the law of (ice of Tindall & Shanklin in 1856 and was admitted to the bar in 1857. He opened up a law office in Trenton in 1859, where he practiced for many years.

In politics he was an aggressive Repul:)lican. His first political office was probate judge, he being elected to that place in 1859. He was elected to the state senate in 1890. Pie was perhaps more a shrewd, live, active business man than politician, though he had much influence in politics.

Pic lost his health about the close of his term in the senate, traveled west at the expiration of that term, and at last, despairing of recovery, shot himself through the heart at Phoenix, Arizona, January 31, 1896. The body was Ijrought to Grundy County for interment.

GEORGE PI. HUBBELL was born in New York, Eebruary 11, 1818, where he lived till sixteen years old. In 1835 he came west, becoming a student of Marion college, then a thriving institution in

Marion county, Missouri. Here he remained three years, leaving for Howard County, where he taught school and studied law. In 1842 he moved to Buchanan County settling at Sparta, then the county seat, the next year coming to Grundy County, which he made his home until his death. Air. Hubbell practiced law until 1847 when he was elected clerk of the county and circuit courts which office he held seventeen years, making one of the best officers the county ever had. In 1870, notwithstanding the fact that he was a staunch Democrat and this a strong Republican county, he was elected representative. A trait of his character which made him popular is shown in the fact that he voted for John B. Henderson, the Republican candidate for United States senator against Frank Blair, the Democratic candidate, because the majority of his constitutents were Republicans who wanted Henderson.

jMr. Hubbell for a number of years lived on a farm in this county. To the last days of his life he took a keen interest in the educational, political and industrial affairs of the county, and even in his extreme old age his mind was vigorous and keen and his memory remarkably retentive. He died December 16, 1906.

RICHARD C. NORTON, L.L.D., pioneer educator and father of the Trenton High school, was born near Hiram, Portage county, Ohio, June 16, 1840. Died at his home in Trenton, Missouri, Tvlonday. May 18, 1908. He spent his early life on the farm, attending the public schools and afterward finishing his education in Hiram college, of which James A. Garfield, was president. Possessed of more than average natural ability, strengthened by the vigor of a country life, under the shadow of Hiram college, which brought him in contact with scholarly men and with commendable aspirations, he soon acquired a deep culture of mind and heart that pervaded his after years and fitted him for the manifold duties of a useful and successful life. He united with the Christian church in 1864.

At the breaking out of the civil war, though a young man with a bright prospect before him, his love for his country prompted him to become one of its 'defenders. He became a member of Company A, Forty-second regiment, Ohio vounteers, commanded by James A. Garfield.

On account of ill health he was disch-arged March 18, 1863. On the 17th day of March 1864, he was united in marriage to Miss Marian Lucretia Mason, who survives him. In the spring of 1865 they moved to this county, where he was made principal of the Trenton public school, then occupying two rooms. He at once reorganized the schools which grew until additional room was required, and the central part of the Central school building composed of eight rooms was erected.

He also filled the position of county school commissioner under the law enacted immediately after the civil war, and organized the entire county into districts.

rensburg state normal, taking with him many students to that institution from this county. When the state normal school was established by the legislature at Cape Girardeau, he was made president, "which position he held for thirteen years. Feeling that his life and that of his companion were sufficiently far advanced, that they should have a permanent home, he resigned the presidency of the Cape Girardeau school, very much against the wishes of the entire board of regents and returned to Trenton to erect a home for his declining years. But he was not permitted to stay out of the school work long. After six months rest he was elected to a chair in the state normal in Kirksville, which he held for several years, but making Trenton his settled home. He afterward taught a few classes in Avalon college in Trenton under Prof. Kumler, the founder of the college, and also filled the position of county school commissioner until he declined to serve longer. He was one of the prominent educators of the state and was often urged to become a candidate for state superintendent.