JOHN R. HASSLER, blacksmith at Williamsburg, is a son of John and 
Elizabeth (Dowd) Hassler, who came to Missouri from Tennessee in 1834, and 
settled in the northeastern part of the county, where Mrs. H. died.  
Subsequently Mr. H. went to Montgomery county and then to Pike county,
where he lived until his death.  John R. was the third of eight children, 
only five of whom are now living, and was born in Tennessee on the 26th of 
April, 1834.  The other four are Samuel C. and Michael J. in Pike county; 
James M. in Oregon, and Francis M. in Montgomery county.  John R. was reared 
at home on the farm until fifteen years of age, when he entered the shop of 
T.D. Bishop, near Shamrock, to learn the blacksmith's trade, where he worked 
as an apprentice for three years.  He afterwards continued in the shop
with Mr. Bishop until 1866, improving a farm, also, in the meantime,
near the shop.  Mr. Bishop then retired from the shop, and Mr. Hassler 
carried it on up to 1878.  He then came to Williamsburg, where he has since 
continued to carry on a shop.  Mr. Hassler is a skilful blacksmith and a 
popular man, and has a fine run of custom.  He still owns his farm of 120 
acres, near his former place of business, and has his farm rented out.  On 
the 21st of February, 1856, Mr. Hassler was married to Miss Mary J. Bishop, 
daughter of T.D. Bishop, his old tutor in the blacksmith trade, and one of 
the highly respected citizens of the neighborhood.  She was born on the 23d 
of November, 1840.  Mr. and Mrs. H. have had a family of eight children: 
Dora A. died in 1873, in her seventeenth year; Tyra B. married Dora A. 
Crump, and now working with his father; William Samuel, also with his 
father; Rebecca J., at home; James W., died in infancy; Mary Viola, John 
Edward, and Maggie Caroline, all at home.  Mr. and Mrs. H. are members of 
the Christian church at Liberty, and Mr. H. is a Mason at Martinsburg, 
Audrain county.