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| Mr. Crewson and his good wife live alone in their beautiful home
in Versailles. Mr. Crewson was born in Washington county, Ohio,
December 8, 1849. His father was Benjamin P. Crewson, born in Washington
county, Ohio, August 17, 1825. Jane B. Crewson, mother of E. A. Crewson,
was born in Monroe county Ohio, December 25, 1830. Benjamin Crewson
and his wife are both dead. Mrs. Crewson died in Tulsa, Indian Territory,
July 30, 1906, and Mr. Crewson died at Coffeyville, Kansas, April 13. 1907.
To Benjamin Crewson and wife were born the following childrenL Stewart
E. Crewson, living, at the age of 52 years; Charles C., living, at the
age of ?? years, David B., living aged ??. There were two girls,
Lizzie E. and Mattie J., both are dead. E.A. Crewson was the oldest
child. Benjamin Crewson was a farmer and contractor by occupation.
In 1878 E. A. Crewson, moved to Kansas where he lived till 1888 when he and family came to Missouri, settling in Versailles. He was educated in Washington county, Ohio. Mr. Crewson has been a leading member of the aPresbyterian church since 1880 and a member of the Knights of Pythias since 1881. October 8, 1872, he was married to Frances V. Daniels at Marietta, Ohio. They have one child, a daughter, Lucy May, now the good wife of Mr. J. A. __etty, one of eh proprietors of the Fair store in Versailles. She is __ years old. While he lived in Kansas Mr. Crawson was telegraph operator and poet. It was while he lived there that he composed a volume of poetry that is as good as anything written in Kansas. The title f the book is “Old Times:” and it contains some soul stirring poems that everyone should read. “The Old Hickory Wood Fire” is a masterpiece and it will do you good to read it. Then there is “Old Billy McKay” and dozens of others worth reading. We will reproduce here “The Land Agent’s Lament” which explained Kansas at the time the book was written: THE LAND AGENT’S LAMENT
Lamb of hope burns like a taper,
And our factories, too, are lacking –
There seems nothing in the air
All the land so nicely platted,
And the wooden walks we planted
Maple trees, in summer rainments,
All the hopes so happ’ly painted
Now a string of foolish boomers,
But after Mr. Crewson came to Versailles he engaged in the real estate business and has had much t do with making the new Morgan county. In advertising the county and its natural resources he brought capital here an dhad much to do with bringing in the Rock Island rairoad through the county. His works paid both him and the county for both are now worth many thousands of dollars more than they were a few years ago. While he lived in Columbus, Kansas, Mr. Crewson served one term as mayor and has srerved in that capacity in Versailles. Mr. Crewson has been prominent in politics and is a Republican that has been worth much to his party. He has been importuned to run for congress but has declined to do so. He served as Dr. Joel D. Hubbard’s private secretary while that gentleman was in congress. Mr. Crewson is a public spirited man and is one of our best citizens. |
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| Rev. Isiah Barber lives a mile and a half south of Versailles.
He owns a good farm or two and is a Baptist preacher and farmer.
He was born January 10, 1841, twelve miles north of Pittsburg, Allegheny
county, Pa. His mother’s maiden name was Clows and she was
born in Pennsylvania in 1822 or 23. The mother died in Ohio in 1852
and the father married again and died in 1900, aged 82 years. His
second wife is still living in Wyoming. Rev. I. Barber came to Missouri
from Meigs county, Ohio, in 1865, and arrived in Versailles November 25,
1865. He located six miles south of Versailles on the Versailles
and Linn Creek public road. Rev. Barber was the oldest child in his
father’s family. He has a brother, Lanah Barber living in Lusk, Wyoming;
four others died in infancy, by the last marriage. In all there were nice
children, six boys and three girls. Rev. Barber’s father was a shoemaker,
miner, farmer and soldier. He served in the 18th O.V.L. from ’61
to ’64. Rev. I. Barber was educated in the schools of Pennsylvania
and Ohio. He joined the Baptist church on Elm creek, Marshall county,
Kansas in January 1872. He was married to Telitha Huff, daugther
of James Huff, December 16, 1867. The following children have been
born to this union: Lanah A., born May 15, 1871, and died August
20, 1872; James A., born March 31, 1873; Cora M., born January 3, 1876;
infant, born March 24, 1878, and died the same day; Corwin E., born
April 26, 1880, and died May 16, 1893; Matilda I., born August 15, 1883;
Luther M., born April 11, 1888; Ethel V., born October 7, 1890.
Rev. Barber was nominated and elected by the Republicans as probate Judge of Morgan county and served the county in this capacity from 1890 to 1895. Rev. Barber appends the following note to his biography: “At the close of my last term of school, February 1, 1862, I went to Cincinatti, Ohio, and enlisted in the 63rd regiment O.V.L. Was in the campaigns of Southeast Missouri, Tennessee, and Mississippi. Re-enlisted as corporal January 1, 1864, for three years or to the close of the war. We marched to Atlantic and on to Washington, and was discharged July 8, 1865. On coming to Morgan county from Kansas where I had lived a short time, I helped organize Oak Grove church, in 1874, and in 1875 was ordained to the ministry. I’ve preached to congregations in Morgan, Miller and Camden counties. I am still working, persuading men to let the devil be cast out of them that they may become men of honor and virtue.” |
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| Mr. Drysdale lives on a farm near Excelsior, this county,
He moved there in the spring of 1907 from Versailles where he had lived
for four or five years. Mr. Drysdale was born in Rush county, Indiana,
November 30, 1859. His father was William Drysdale born in Montgomery
county, Ky., in July 1815; his mother was Elizabeth Earnest, born in Shelby
county, Tennessee in 1824. William Drysdale and family came to Morgan
county in 1866 and settled on the Osage River where they lived one year
then moved to Little Morgan, near Smithton, where they lived one year and
then moved to Bates county, Missouri, where they lived till both father
and mother died. William Drysdale died in April 1857, in Bates county.
His wife died in the same place in November 1879. To William Drysdale
and wife were born 13 children, 9boys and 4 girls, five of these children
are living, as follows: James Drysdale, Sarah A. Scheurich, Mary
E. Dark, Ormar Drysdale, all now living in Bates county, and Stephen, subject
of this sketch, living in Morgan county, near Excelsior. William
Drysdale was a farmer and held township offices in Bates county where they
had township organization.
Stephen Drysdale left Bates county and came to Morgan county in 1888 and was mariied here that year. He was educated in public schools and in the Butler academy, of Bates county. He has been a member of the Methodist church 30 years. June 2, 1888, he was married to Mary C. Ivey, of Proctor. The following children were born to this union: Leonard I. Drysdale, born March 11, 1889; Velma R., born August 20, 1890; Ruby P., born September 21, 1898 and died April 20, 1904. Mr Drysdale taught schoolin Morgan county in 1895 and 1896. He is a farmer by occupation. He was elected by the Republicans and served as sheriff of Morgan county two terms, from 1901 to 1904, inclusive. |
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| Mr. Ross lives in Versailles where he has been an active business man
for several years. He was born in Morgan county Missouri, May 22,
1857. His parents were William Perry Ross and Josephine B. Ross.
His father was born in southern Alabama, May 24, 1822; his mother was born
in Tennessee, November 5, 1835. William Perry Ross came to Morgan
county, Missouri, in 1838 and the girl that afterward became his wife came
to this county in 1850. William P. Ross and his wife are both dead.
Mr. Ross died on his farm in Morgan county February 14, 1882 and his wife
died at the same place December 30, 1890. To William P. Ross and
wife were born the following children: Sofronia J., died in infancy;
those living are William Daniel Ross; John P. Ross; Miss Nannie S. Ross;
Mrs. Mary J. Hunter; Dr. Robert M. Ross and A. L. Ross, the subject of
this sketch, and the oldest living child. William Perry Ross was
a farmer and miller. He never held office.
As sated above Asa L. Ross is a native of Morgan county and has lived here all of his life except when he was in college and away on professional business. He was educated in public schools and at the state university at Columbia. He is a member of the church of disciples, commonly called the Christian church, and has been a member of this church 20 years. He is a Mason and a member of the Knights of Pythias. In June 1896, Mr. Ross was married to Miss Fannie Shank. She died in November, 1894, leaving a son and a daughter. The son is Lucius, now in his 19th year and is a student in the Missouri state university, the daughter is Miss Fanny May Ross 13 years old and is a student in Christian college, Columbia, Missouri. November 1, 1905, Mr. Ross was again married, this time to Miss Virginia Rutherford, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Rutherford, of this county. Mr. Ross is by profession a lawyer and is an able member of the Versailles bar. At present he is engaged in banking,being president of the Bank of Versailles, the oldest banking house in Morgan county. Mr. Ross has always taken an active interest in all matters of interest in Morgan county and Versailles. He has been a staunch friend to schools and served one term as county school commisioner. As a lawyer he served three terms as prosecuting attorney of Morgan county, the dates being shown in another part of this book. Mr. Ross’ paternal ancestors were of Scottish descent and helped to colonize South Carolina. From there they emmigrated to Alabama and from there to Kentucky and from Kentucky to Missouri in 1838. His mother’s maiden name was Davidson, a daughter of William F. Davidson, a native of Tennessee. Mr. Ross is a heavy tax payer and a substantial citizen. He is a leading Mason and a prominent Democrat. |
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| Mr. Joachimi lives in Versailles, being one of the oldest merchants
in the county. He was born in Mecklenburg, Germany, September 26, 1843.
His father was Louis George John August Joachimi, born in Newstrality,
Germany , May 4, 1816, and his mother was Carolina Sophia Fredericks Reinschuesel,
born in Guestrow, Germany, August 16, 1821. They came to Morgan county
from Stockton, California, in 1877. Mr. Joachimi died in Versailles,
February 7, 1893, and Mrs. Joachimi died in Versailles, January 9, 1896.
To them were born the following children: Meta Salia; Fannie Stieb;
Louisa Ellison; Anna Muller; Paul Joachimi, died in 1887, and
Max, the subject about whom this sketch is written. Mr. Joachimi
was a printer by trade and at one time, while living in Germany, he was
game warden or forester.
Max Joachimi was educated in the schools of St. Louis and received a good training that has been worth much to him in his extensive business and trade connections. Many years ago Mr. Joachimi was a St. Louis printer and became so well acquainted with the printer’s art that he is now one of the best ad writers in the state, an acquisition that has been worth much to him during the thirty-five years he has been en gaged in the mercantile business here. Without question there is no other business man in Versailles that can turn off the volume of business in a day that Mr. Joachimi can accomplish. He is a trained business man and does things systematically. Shortly after coming to Versailles he served the federal government as deputy United States marshal and it was his lot to be put on the track of some of the most dangerous characters that infested the country at the time. He captured some bad men and turned them over to Uncle Sam. He is a member of the Methodist church and a Mason. November 8, 1886, he was married to Miss Velma Cattrine Gross, of St. Louis. This wife died in Versailles in 1898 and Mr. Joachimi was again married in 1899 to Mollie T. Blaire, of St. Louis. To Mr. Joachimi and his first wife the following children were born: Arthur, now (1907) 40 years old; Max L. P. 37 years old; Carrie (Mrs. Walter) 28 years old; Albert G. died in 1901 when 21 years old, and Miss Lillie, now at home. Mr. Joachimi’s last wife has one daughter, a school girl. Her name is Maude Blaire. The history of Morgan county and Versailles that leaves M. Joachimi out of it not complete by any means. In the first place he is an earnest patriot. He served the federal army during the Civil War and made a brave soldier. After the war he settled down to help build up the county he had helped save from disunion. He has been one of the chief business men in Versailles for thirty-five years. He has kept a large general store and has sold more goods than any other man now living in Versailles. He is public spirited, enterprising and is always ready to help in any laudable enterprise. |
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| Mr. Clark and his wife live in Versailles where they have lived
since 1867. Mr. Clark was born in Protage county, Ohio, April 15,
1835. His father was Carlos Clark, born in Vermont, and his mother
was Matilda Dills, born near Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Clark came to Versailles
in 1867 from Greenfield, Iowa. His parents never lived here.
They have both been dead about a quarter of a century. They died
in Iowa. George P. Clark has three brothers and two sisters as folows:
Charles, who now lives in Springfield, Mo.; Orville, living in Oregon;
Edward living in Iowa. Miles is dead. The sisters are Laura
and Lucy, living in Iowa, Davis county. Carlos Clark was a doctor
by profession. He never held office.
George P. Clark was educated at Troy, Iowa. He has been a member of the Baptist church fifteen years and a Mason 45 years; having joined that lodge in 1861. In 1870 he was married to Sallie Rawlston. She died in 1871. Two this union a pair of twins were born and died in infancy. In 1873 he was married to Miss Carie Coleman, in Versailles. No children have blessed this union. Mr. Clark and his good wife live happily in Versailles where they are held in high esteem by all good people. Sister Clark is a pillar in the Baptist church and for many years has been a teacher in the Sunday school there. She has seen boys and girls of tender ages grow into full man and womanhood and leave the Sunday school for their places to be filled by others. George P. Clark is a leading Democrat and is one of the party’s assets. He is a campaigner from away back but has never held office himself except that of surveyor of he county and mayor of Versailles Whether it is a political meeting or a citizen’s meeting Mr. Clark is always in the forefront to push the cause along. It is safe to guess that he has served oftener as chairman of meetings than any other man in Morgan county. Mr. Clark always stands for law and order and no man will go further down in his pockets to help the needy and distressed as well as public enterprises than he will. Mr. Clark is a good citizen in every respect. He has been merchant, contractor, farmer and mine prospector. |
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| Rev. Sims lives of a farm three miles northwest of Versailles. He was
born February 28, 1838, near Versailles. His father was James Sims,
born in South Carolina, August 14, 1790, and his mother was Rachel McGarity,
born in South Carolina April 15, 1790. James Sims died at his home
near Versailles August 1840 and his wife died April 22, 1862. To
James Sims and wife the following children sere born, twelve in all:
William, born in 1818, June 2 and died in March 1905; John, born July 3,
1822 and died December 29, 1905; Charles W., born August 6, 1831, and died
March 15, 1906; J. E., born February 28, 1888; Malinda, born October 19,
1819, and died January 23, 1845; Matilda, born August 27, 1824; Mary J.,
born June 7, 1829, and died January 22, 1863; Jally, born October 19, 1834,
and died in 188-; Elizabeth born December 1, 1836 and died in 1848.
Three girls died in infancy.
James Sims was a contractor, builder and farmer. J.E. Sims was educated in the common schools of Morgan county and in select schools of Versailles. He has been a member of the Baptist church 51 years and 43 years a minister. He was married January 23, 1861, to Miss Annie E. Williams. To this union six children were born, as follows: C.D. Sims, born November 25, 1861 and now lives at Webb City, Missouri; M.V. Sims, born December 19, 1862, and died April 24, 1863; Dora E. Sims, born July 30, 1864; J.E. Sims Jr., born November 10, 1866; Grace Sims, born September 4, 1868; J. Ben Sims born March 11, 1879. Rev. J. F. Sims lost his wife March 27,1905, and he was married again, this time to Mrs. N.E. Smiley, June 12, 1907. Brother Sims has been an active preacher of the gospel 43 years, doing most of his work here in the community where he was raised. He has been a farmer and a preacher all of these years. He served as justice of the peace from 1863 to 1865**. He has baptized hundreds of people and married many couples. He officiated at the first marriage of his present wife to Mr Smiley. Brother Sims is an ardent worker for his Master and the people of his generation are better for his having lived among them, and no greater compliment can be paid him. **Book actually says 1765, but this is certainly an error** |
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| Mr. Milburn lives in Glensted, where he has lived since about 1880. He started a country store there, being the first man on the grounds. He started his store nearby the Boonville & Versailles branch of the Missouri Pacific railway and did good business from the start Glensted is now a village of many residents, several business houses and is a flourishing town. It owes its existence to the efforts of Mr. Milburn. He has given employment to hundreds of men there who in turn have helped him build the town. He is well fixed financially and he and his good wife dug it out temselves. The writer has known Mr. Milburn ever since he has lived in Glensted and he has never heard any man say Joe Milburn dealt unfairly withhim. Mr. Milburn does not care for a family record of himself in these pages and that accountss for the absence of a family history. It is sufficient to say that he is about fifty years old at the present time and has a happy family, consisting of a wife and children. The county is better off because Joe Milburn has lived in it. He is a member of the Baptist church and is a Mason. |
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| Mr. and Mrs. Fairley live in Versailles where they are landlord
and lady of the City hote., one of the most popular hotels in Central Missouri’
popular because of the kind and genteel treatment received at the hands
of the keepers of the hotel.
Mr. Fairley was bornin Highland county, Ohio, April 21, 1846. His father was James Y. Fairley, born in Scotland, and his mother was James Y. Fairley, born in Scotland, and his mother was Evaline (Carr) Fairley born in Rowden county, Va., in 1802. James Fairley and wife never lived in Missouri; both died in Ohip. James Fairley was a prosperous farmer. He never held office in his life. Alex Fairley, about whom we are writing, had only two full sisters though he had several half brothers and sisters. His sisters are both dead. Alex was educated in the schools of Highland county, Ohio, and among his school-mates was United States senator, Joseph B. Foraker. Fr. Fairley got a good common school education that has made him a good business man He came to Morgan county in 1868 and settled in Little Morgan, on what is new known as the Claggett farm, it belonging to his mother at the time. He lived on this farm seven years and then bought a farm just southwest of Smithton where he lived one year and sold the farm for $35 per acre and then moved to Morgan county and took charge of the Buffalo mines which were turning out much lead in those days. In 1880 Mr. Fairley came to Versailles where he bought a livery stable which he operated till thirteen years ago when he went into the hotel business here and has since been thus engaed. January 28, 1868, Mr. Fairley was married to Miss Mattie C. Taylor, in Ross county, Ohio. No children have been born to them. Mr. and Mrs. Fairley have many good, warm friends in this part of Missouri. Traeling people like to stop with them because of he hospitable treatment they receive at this good stopping place. Mr. Fairley always has a happy good word for all. He is a man on whom the sun is always shining and he causes it to shine on all about him. He only sees the bright side of things and is of a sonny, genial disposition. He is public spirited in all things and contributes to everything the hat is passed around for. Politically he is a Democrat but he has never held oofice. In 1880, he was his party’s nominee for county assessor against John C Carpenter, the Republican nominee. When the election came off it was found that there was a tie vote between these two popular gentlemen and the vote was taken over again, resulting in the election of Carpenter by 14 votes. |
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