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BIOGRAPHIES.
History of Linn County,
Missouri
An Encyclopedia of Useful Information, and A Compendium of
Actual Facts.
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It Contains
A Condensed History of the State of Missouri and Its Chief
Cities -
St. Louis, Kansas City and St. Joseph;
A Reliable History of Lynn County -
Its Pioneer Record, War History,
Resources, Biographical Sketches and Portraits of
Prominent Citizens; General and Local Statistics of great
Value, and a Large Amount of Miscellaneous
Matter, Incidents, etc. Etc.
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ILLUSTRATED
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Publ. Kansas City, Mo.
Birdsall & Dean.
1882
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Bucklin & Bucklin Twp. -
JAMES M. WALTER was born in Fauquier
county, Virginia, where he continued to reside till he was
seven years old. His parents then moved to Indiana
where the subject of this sketch was raised on a farm.
In 1867 he moved to Linn county, Missouri, which has since
been his place of residence, residing on his farm four miles
from St. Catharine. Mr. Walter was first
married in 1847, to Miss Ada Richardson, of Indiana.
On one child, sa son named Thomas A., was born in
this union. His first wife died in 1850, and Mr.
Walter was again married, in 1852, to Miss Mary Lowry,
by whom he has seven children living: James W.,
Robert N., Marion T., George C., Lucy J., Andrew J., and
Marinda C. Mr. Walter's father served in the
War of 1812. One of his sons, though young, served in
the great Civil War in the United States.
Source: History of Linn County,
Missouri -
Publ. Kansas City, Mo. by Birdsall & Dean -
1882 - Page 667 |
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Bucklin & Bucklin Twp. -
JOHN L. WATSON. The subject of
this sketch is a native Missourian, having been born, raised
and educated in Linn county. He is the son of
Josiah and Rhoda Watson. His father was from
Virginia and his mother from Kentucky. They came to
Missouri when young people, were married in Chariton county,
and came to this county in 1836. Mr. Watson now
resides near Bucklin, and is engaged in farming. He is
strictly a free man, never having been joined in matrimony,
nor connected himself with any organization. He is a
man of sterling integrity, and noted for honesty and
truthfulness.
Source: History of Linn County,
Missouri -
Publ. Kansas City, Mo. by Birdsall & Dean -
1882 - Page 669 |
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Locust Creek Twp. -
GEORGE W. WESTGATE
was born in
LaSalle county, Illinois, Apr. 16, 1841. He was there
reared. In the fall of 1861 he enlisted in Company C,
Seventh Illinois Cavalry, and served for three years, when
he was honorably discharged. He was engaged in the
battle of Stone River, and at this battle was wounded in the
right arm, which laid him up for two months. He was
also in the battles of Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, and
numerous skirmishes. After his discharge he returned
to Illinois, where he remained until 1869, when he came to
Linn county and located in Grantsville township. He
there followed the occupation of cattle dealer until 1879,
when he came to Linneus, since which time he has been
engaged in the livery business. Mr. Westgate
was married to Janet C. Cochran, Oct. 10, 1866.
She was born in Scotland, Sept. 4, 1842, and came to America
in the fall of 1853. Their children's names and ages
are as follows: Robert H., born Sep. 4, 1876,
died Oct. 13, 1876; Laura A., born Mar. 27, 1869;
Ida W., born Apr. 15, 1871; Clara W., born Apr.
13, 1873; Martha E., born Sept. 23, 1876; George
C., born Apr. 5, 1879. The children were all born
in Linn county except Laura A.
Source: History of Linn County,
Missouri -
Publ. Kansas City, Mo. by Birdsall & Dean -
1882 |
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Bucklin & Bucklin Twp. -
E. J. WHEELER. The successful
and experienced business man whose name heads this sketch is
a native of Prince Edward county, Virginia, and was born on
the thirtieth day of March, 1829. His parents were
Drury N. and Susan E. Wheeler, both natives of Virginia,
who moved to this State as early as 1831. They settled
in Chariton county when the country was a wilderness,
infested with the wild animals common to the unsettled
sections of this latitude. There Mr. Wheeler
grew up, acquiring such an education as the primitive
schools of that early day afforded. In the spring of
1850 he left his parents and engaged in the worthy vocation
of farming, and by close attention to business accumulated
in course of time a handsome property, which became the
nucleus of his subsequent possessions. In the spring
of 1864 he sold his two farms and came to Bucklin, in Linn
county, and early in the succeeding year engaged in the
leaf-tobacco business, which, however, he sold out in the
summer following, realizing a profit of $2,200 on his stock
of tobacco. He then built a commodious store-house and
engaged extensively in the general merchandise business,
which he continued till September, 1880, when he sold out.
During his business courser as general merchant he also
owned and operated a lumber yard, flouring, saw, and
carding-mill. For three years after coming to Bucklin
Mr. Wheeler was engaged as express agent for the
American Express Company. Mr. Wheeler took no
active part in the great civil war of 1861 to 1865, though
he was considered southern in sentiment. His
neutrality of action made him the object of abuse of both
parties, and he was frequently annoyed by having his
property converted to the use of both Federals and
Confederates. He has once forced, in 1864, to open his
store, which was robbed of large quantities of goods.
His safe was also robbed of five hundred dollars in cash.
Mr. Wheeler has frequently served his town and
township in official capacities, and served two years as one
of the judges of the County Court. At this writing he
is engaged in handling farm machinery and shaved hoop-poles,
and also in running a livery stable and dealing in horses.,
mules, and cattle; and occasionally discounting commercial
paper and handling real estate. Though he has lost
heavily in bad debts (his debtors having gone to almost
every State in the Union and some to Canada), he is still
financially solid, his property aggregating nearly $100,000.
He owns lands in Linn, Chariton, Macon and Sullivan
counties, this State, and also in Kansas, among which are
some fine stock farms. Like all men who engage in
extensive business enterprises, Judge Wheeler has had
his ups and downs. In addition to robberies and losses
by men he had credited, he was twice burned out without
insurance, aggregating losses to the amount of over $4,000.
Judge Wheeler has been three times married. His
first wife was Miss Louisa F. Brooks, and he was
married to her Oct. 17, 1850. She died Mar. 4, 1852,
and he was again married Nov. 21, 1863, to Miss Martha
Ann Brooks. This lady also died Feb. 3, 1880,
leaving him seven children,most of whom were grown. He
was a third time married, on the fourth of January, 1881, to
Miss Lizzie Nagel, widow of James M. Nagle, a
lady of intelligence and culture, who had two children by
her former marriage. Judge W. has done much
toward building up the town of Bucklin, and has erected
quite a number of buildings. He has been a member of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, and of the Masonic
order for upwards of twenty years, and has always been noted
as a liberal giver, donating freely to churches of all
denominations, and charities of all kinds; aiding the
individual needy, when he thought them worthy objects of
charity. All his life long he has been a man of strict
morals, firmness and sobriety, and Linn County may well be
proud of such a citizen as Judge R. J. Wheeler.
Source: History of Linn County,
Missouri -
Publ. Kansas City, Mo. by Birdsall & Dean -
1882 - Page 668 |
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Bucklin Twp. -
THOMAS WHITAKER was born in Yorkshire,
England, Sept. 8, 1824, where he was reared and educated and
came to this country at the age of twenty-two years, and
settled in Livingston county, New York, where he remained
four years, following the business of clerking in a dry
goods store. He then removed to Alleghany county, New
York, where he engaged in farming, and at the age of
thirty-four years removed to St. Joseph county, Michigan,
where he commenced the study of law in the office of
Judge Perran M. Smith, at Centerville, in that
State. He continued that until 1861, when he entered
the regular enrolled troops from that State, joining the
Eighth Michigan Regiment, which belonged to Burnside's
corps.
From the Eighth Michigan the Judge was transferred to
the engineer corps of the regular army, where he continued
until the close of the war. On receiving his discharge
he returned to his home at Centerville, and soon after
entered the law department of the Ann Arbor University,
taking a full law course at that thorough college.
Soon after the close of his studies he removed to Linn
county, Missouri, settling at Linneus in June, 1866, where
he was admitted to the bar and commenced the practice of
law. In the winter of 1866-67 he taught school one
term with satisfaction to all. In May, 1868, Judge
Whitaker removed to Bucklin, where he remained in the
practice of his profession until 1878, when he made
Brookfield his home for a period of three years. June
last the Judge concluded to return to Bucklin, where he has
since resided. The Judge has long been a prominent
citizen of the town of county.
At the general election held in November, 1874,
Judge Whitaker was elected judge of the Court of the
Common Pleas, a court which in all civil cases held
coordinate jurisdiction with the Circuit Court, and was
established at Brookfield. This position the Judge
held until the common pleas court expired by limitation,
Jan. 1, 1881.
The Judge was married just
before he left England to Miss Charlotte Hatfield,
daughter of John and Mary Hatfield, of Yorkshire,
England. By this marriage there were born to the Judge
two children, John C. and Edith M. Mrs.
Whitaker died in June, 1865. The Judge was again
married in this county, at Bucklin, 1870, to Miss Elmira
Owenby, a native of Virginia.
There are no children by this marriage. The
two children are both living in Linneus, the daughter,
Edith, being the wife of Prof. Nickerson, of this
city, and the son now holds the responsible position of
prescription clerk in Bradley's drug store, Linneus,
Missouri.
Source: History of Linn County,
Missouri -
Publ. Kansas City, Mo. by Birdsall & Dean -
1882 |
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Bucklin & Bucklin Twp. -
WILLIAM L. WHITE is the son of
Reynolds and Catharine White, and was born in the State
of Massachusetts, though his parents were both natives of
New York. He was educated in the public schools, and
at the age of thirteen learned the trade of paper-making, at
which he worked for seven years. Ten years of his life
Mr. White spent in Wisconsin, engaged in farming.
Four years of that time he served as treasurer of Pierce
county in that State. He was engaged for three years
in mining pursuits, two of which were spent in California,
and one in Colorado. When the great war came on in
1861, Mr. White enlisted for the Union in the Second
Massachusetts Infantry, and served three years. He was
in the battle of Winchester, both battles of Bull Run,
Slaughter Mountain, Antietam, and Chancellorville, and was
severely wounded in the latter engagement. Mr.
White was married 1852 to Miss Frances C. Bartholomew,
of Massachusetts. Nine children have been born in this
union, seven of whom still survive. He moved to Linn
county in 1874, where he has ever since resided and has been
been successfully engaged in farming, as his well improved
farm amply verifies.
Source: History of Linn County,
Missouri -
Publ. Kansas City, Mo. by Birdsall & Dean -
1882 - Page 667 |
John B. Wilcox |
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Spencer A. Willbarger |
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