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BIOGRAPHIES
Source:
General History of Macon County, Missouri
- Vols. 1 & 2 -
Publ.
Chicago: Henry Taylor & Company
1910
NOTE: Feel free to ask me to Transcribe biographies of
your choice. ~ Thanks,
Sharon Wick
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JAMES H. MONTGOMERY.
As a farmer and dealer in live stock of extensive operations
in both fields of enterprise, as a lumber merchant and
leading hardware and farming implement dispenser, and as a
high-toned and progressive citizen, James H. Montgomery
of Gifford in Easeley township has for many years been known
and universally acknowledged as a leading and representative
man in Macon county, worthy of the highest regard from the
people and enjoying it in full measure. Almost the
whole of his life to the present time (1900) has been passed
among them and his career is creditable alike to him and to
them, and has been beneficial to both.
Mr. Montgomery is not a
native of Macon county or the state of Missouri, but he has
lived in the state from the time when he was two years old
and is therefore, in feelings, aspirations and local
patriotism, to all intents and purposes, a Missourian.
He was reared in the state, educated in its public schools,
married into two of its prominent and influential families,
and has conducted all his undertakings as parts of its
productive activities. He was born at Fincastle,
Indiana, in 1855, and came with his parents to this state in
1857. His parents, George and Catherine (Fosher)
Montgomery, were also aliens to the state by nativity,
the father having been born in Kentucky and the mother in
Indiana. But the former became a resident of Missouri
and passed the remainder of his days in active and
appreciated service to its people, and the latter is still
living in Linn county, where she has long had her home.
On the arrival in this state the father located at
Brookfield in Linn county, and there engaged in farming and
feeding and raising stock. He was successful in his
business, and as he always took an earnest interest and
active pat in public affairs, he rose to consequence in the
official life in every locality in which he lived. He
was county tax collector of Linn county for four years, and
was on the school boards of that county and Macon county at
different times for many years. In 1884 he moved to
his county, and here repeated the admirable features of his
activity in Linn county. He served as county judge for
eight years or longer, and was universally esteemed by the
people, without regard to class or station in life or to
party or church connections. He was himself a Democrat
of strong convictions and great energy and influence in the
councils and contests of his party, and as a man and citizen
stood everywhere in the very first rank. His death
occurred in March, 1893. His widow and his mother are
still living in Linn county. He and his wife were the
parents of five children. Four of them grew to
maturity and three are now living, James, Jacob and
George.
James H. Montgomery grew to manhood on his
father's Linn county farm and obtained his education in the
country schools in the neighborhood. He began life for
himself as a farmer and stock man and he is still engaged in
these fruitful and important industries, although he has
also made an admirable record and career as a merchant.
His landed estate embraces over 2,000 acres of first rate
land, and except what is given up to grazing purposes, the
greater part of the whole tract is under advanced
cultivation. In his cattle industry he specializes in
shorthorn cattle of superior strains and has a high
reputation in the markets for the excellence of his output.
In 1905, in association with his son-in-law, Willis
A. McNeal, a sketch of whom will be found in this work,
he started an enterprise in the lumber trade under the firm
name of Montgomery and Company, and before the year
was out the firm became also dealers in hardware and farm
implements. It is still in active operation and
carrying on a steadily increasing business with each
succession of the seasons. Mr. Montgomery is
also a stockholder and director of the Winigan State Bank
and the Farmers' Exchange Bank of Gifford, in addition he
conducts a flourishing and profitable concrete plant of good
proportions and with a large and active trade.
Mr. Montgomery is a Republican in his political
convictions and allegiance and, although he is not what is
called an active partisan, he gives his party loyal support
and seeks its advantage in all proper ways that are quiet
and unobtrusive. He has been a member of the school
board for more than twenty years, and has shown great zeal
and progressiveness in behalf of the schools, contributing
both breadth of view and enterprise to their management, and
leading them steadily to higher standards of excellence.
He is connected with the fraternal life of the community by
membership in the Order of Modern Woodsmen of America, and
with its religious forces by his activity and energy in
behalf of the Methodist church, to which he has belonged for
many years.
In 1879 Mr. Montgomery was united in marriage to
Miss Clara S. Dean, whose father and grandfather were
prominent in the public and social life of Canada and who
was born in that country herself. They had four
children: Rosa, the wife of Willis A. McNeal;
Homer; Harry, the cashier of the Farmers'
Exchange Bank of Gifford; and Mabel. The mother
of these children died on July 1, 1897, and in 1901, the
father chose a second wife, Miss May Rice, a native
of Macon county, whose parents were also native Missourians.
Macon county has no better citizens than the members of the
Montgomery family, and none for whom the people of
the county have a higher regard or a more universal and
well-founded admiration.
Source:
General History of Macon County, Missouri - Vol. II - Publ.
Chicago: Henry Taylor & Company - 1910 - Page 901 |
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