Post Oak, Missouri

January 6, 1806, in the Canton of Neuchattel, Switzerland, the son of David L. Des Combes, who died in St. Louis county, this state. At the age of fourteen he came with his parents to America, embarking from Holland, and touching on the south shore of Greenland, thence through Hudson's Bay to the mouth of Nelson river. Here they disembarked and proceeded up the river by means of boats until they reached lake Winnepeg, thence proceeding up the Red River of the North, sometimes rowing up the current of streams and across lakes, then hauling the boat after them across a " carry " to the next body of water, and thus proceed¬ ing until they were far in the wilds of the northern wilderness. Here the family remained one summer and two frozen winters, subsisting a portion of the time on dried buffalo meat procured from the savages, and fish which they took from the river after having cut through ice from six to eight feet in thickness. Dissatisfied, they determined to proceed south into the United States. Accordingly, in the spring of 1823, they started on their perilous journey through the trackless forest, sometimes by river and sometimes by land, till they reached the source of St. Peter's river. At this point the father cut down a large tree and 'made a canoe in which the family proceeded until they reached Fort Snelling, destitute of the necessaries of life. When the youthful Des Combes was presented a loaf of bread by the garrison of the fort, he threw up his arms in joyful glee and exclaimed: "Thank the Lord, here is bread once more." They proceeded down the Mississippi river and settled at St. Louis when the great metropolis was scarcely larger than Warrensburg. He mar¬ ried Martha A. Wash on the sixth day of April, 1837, and the following are the names of the children, five of whom are still living: Thomas L., Mary L., Adelia A., Charles E., William F., Virginia E., Rachel R., Martha Day, John N., Susan Rand, Eugene. When Mr. Des Combes first came to Post Oak township, in 1856, his present well cultivated farm was an open prairie, without tree or fence. His farm consists of about 500 acres of fine land, well fenced, with orchards and groves, large and elegant house and barns, all of which have been the result of his own labor and enterprise. Mr. and Mrs. Des Combes, though well advanced in years, enjoy reasonable good health, and have the satisfaction of seeing their children grow up to honor and usefulness. To give one-half of the history of this eventful life would require a volume in itself, and to do jus¬ tice to such a subject would overstep the limits of time and space intended in this work. We cannot, however, refrain from recording the fact that C. L. Des Combes became a member of the Old School Presbyterian church before he left Switzerland, and has been a member since that date. His wife is a member of the Methodist Episcopel church south, having been received into that religious organization in September, 1832, while living in Virginia. One of his sons, Charles E., lives in Georgia; he was a soldier in the confederate army, and served under Gen. F. M. Cockrell. The vessel which brought the Des Combes family from Europe to America was three months on the voyage to the mouth of Nelson river, and three months more were consumed in the journey up the river to their first settlement, on the Red River of the North. Mr. Des Combes, in 1850, made a trip to California, crossing the plains, and returning by way of the isthmus and New York city. During fifty-two years of ceaseless activity, as a man delighting in manual labor, he knew not a day's sickness, though the weight of years is peceptible in his weakening frame.

Passage source: The History of Johnson County, Missouri : Including a Reliable History of the Townships, Cities, and Towns, Together with a Map of the County; a Condensed History of Missouri; the State Constitution; an Abstract of the Most Important Laws; the Physical Features of the County; the Early Settlers and Pioneers; the Political and War History; the Religious and Educational History...statistics and Miscellaneous Matters, Etc., Etc, published 1881.

Among the enterprising farmers and public-spirited citizens of Post Oak township is Mr. Abner Grinstead. He is a man of idividuality and gener¬ ous impulses towards all persons with whom he associates. Reared in Missouri, he may well be taken as a fair representative of that character so much admired in public and private life. On February 26, 1829, Mad¬ ison county, Kentucky, he was born ; but his parents removed to Calla¬ way county, Missouri, when he was only eighteen' months old. In about three years thereafter they removed to Pettis county, where most of young Grinstead's boyhood days were spent, during a small portion of which time he attended the district school in his own neighborhood. He was married to Miss Charity A. Wells, daughter of Col. Ransom Wells, November 17, 1853. The names of their children are as follows: Mary Alice, now wife of Paschal Henshaw, living in Vernon county; Jesse Ran¬ som, and Abner Rector. By industry and economy Mr. Grinstead has accumulated a good property. He owns 260 acres of land, 205 of which are under excellent cultivation. An orchard of about three acres of bear¬ ing apple and peach trees, a fine house with barn and adjacent buildings, a flock of fifty to one hundred sheep, sixty head of hogs, 110 acres of corn, a large herd of cattle, and every facility for operating his farm, are among the resources which contribute to his wealth and enjoyment. When Mr. Grinstead first came to this township, he purchased land near the present site of Cornelia, but soon after removed to his present residence. Newton Chrisman entered the eighty acres of government land where Mr. G. now lives. The father of our subject, Jesse C. Grinstead, was born in Decem¬ ber, 1798, near Richmond, Virginia. Although a mere boy he served m the last war with Great Britain, being stationed for a time at Norfolk. He now draws pension as a veteran soldier of that war. The »vife of this aged pioneer is also living with her husband, in Pettis county. It is remarkable how they have withstood the toil and experience of so many years, and still live to see their descendants respected, prosperous and happv.

Passage source: The History of Johnson County, Missouri : Including a Reliable History of the Townships, Cities, and Towns, Together with a Map of the County; a Condensed History of Missouri; the State Constitution; an Abstract of the Most Important Laws; the Physical Features of the County; the Early Settlers and Pioneers; the Political and War History; the Religious and Educational History...statistics and Miscellaneous Matters, Etc., Etc, published 1881.

The subject of this brief sketch was born in this county, Nov. 21, 1844, son of B. F. Wall, one of the first settlers in this neighborhood. S. E. Wall was married in Pettis county Oct. 2, 1869, to Miss Alice Gray, daughter of John T. Gray; she was born in that county in 1847. In 1869, he commenced farming for himself, and in the spring of 1871, came to his present farm. His home is beautifully located on his farm of 151 acres, the house costing about $3,000, is one of the finest in Post Oak township. He is a faithful member of the Baptist church, an intelligent, energetic and generous hearted worker in every good cause.

Passage source: The History of Johnson County, Missouri : Including a Reliable History of the Townships, Cities, and Towns, Together with a Map of the County; a Condensed History of Missouri; the State Constitution; an Abstract of the Most Important Laws; the Physical Features of the County; the Early Settlers and Pioneers; the Political and War History; the Religious and Educational History...statistics and Miscellaneous Matters, Etc., Etc, published 1881.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Post Oak Township - it names this place 7 more 7 times.