Other

Eads Aviation
by Peggy Smith Hake
Miller County’s first airport was dedicated at Iberia on Saturday, May 30, 1933. The name given the new airfield was Eads Airport, which still stands today less than a mile west of Iberia on the old Iberia-Ulman road. The field first consisted of 50 acres. In 1941, it was expanded to 130 acres by the purchase of an additional 80 acres. It was then one of the largest ports in central Missouri, larger than the Jefferson City field although it was not as well equipped.
This past May was the 69th anniversary of Miller County’s first airport. It was a very important day all those years ago when the airport was dedicated at Iberia. It was estimated that 2,000 people came to the dedication ceremony with aircraft flown in from St. Louis, Jefferson City, Springfield, Bagnell Dam, and East St. Louis, Illinois.
It was an exciting day for the residents of Iberia. The merchants closed their doors and busy farmers deserted their plow handles to attend the official opening on that Saturday in late May which had been designated as “Lindbergh Day” across the country. It was an appropriate day for an airport dedication..........
One of the special events featured James G. Haizlip who had just won a trans-continental race. The cross-country flight lasted 10 hours and 19 minutes. James had flown 2500 miles from Los Angeles to New York just the year before and had been awarded the Bendix Trophy for his transcontinental flight. His wife, Mae Haizlip, who accompanied him to Iberia, was the winner of the women’s speed record----she won this national race in 1932 at Cleveland, Ohio. Her speed was clocked at 265 miles per hour!
James G. Haizlip dedicated the new Eads Airport that day. He was the Assistant Manager of the Shell Petroleum Corporation’s aviation department.
Other performers during the day included a parachuting team called “The Three Black Cats”. The three-man team consisted of Joe Switlik, William Hutchins, and Carl Lange from East St. Louis, Illinois. They flew into the airport in a Monocoach plane and used it in their stunt show. They parachuted from a height of 2200 feet, wore two parachutes each, and landed safely about one-quarter mile from the airport.
Other stunt performers were Walter Looney and Leonard Trowbridge of Springfield, flying an American Eagle, (a three-cylinder airplane). James Malone, accompanied by Ford Eads, son of Alf and Lou (Bond) Eads of Iberia, did some somersaults, rolls, tail spins, etc. in the Ead’s Stinson aircraft.
Other well-known aviators of the area were in attendance that day, including Harold Law and G. S. Salley in their Monocoupe from Jefferson City; W. E. Keith, Leslie Boos, and Louis Wilbers , of LW Airways, in a Robin plane, also of Jefferson City; and B. M. Tuxhorn of Kansas City.
The following is a listing of other aviation events to happen in Miller County before history was made at the dedication of Eads Airport in Iberia in May 1933...........

In June 1930, Harry Tompkins and Leslie Burks, Eldon businessmen, purchased a Curtis-Robin monoplane, the first to be owned by residents of Miller County.

J. A. Eads of Iberia began to take flying lessons about 1931 and in December, 1932, he bought a new Stinson, four-place cabin monoplane from B. M. Tuxhorn of Kansas City and in July 1933, obtained his private pilot’s license. He could fly to St. Louis in 1 hour and 10 minutes while it took four hours by auto.

In November 1930, an airplane crashed in the north part of Iberia. Early on a Sunday morning, 13 Nov 1930, Arthur Perkins, living near the old Newlight Church, was surprised when a plane dropped from the skies and came to rest in his barn lot, barely missing a huge elm tree, gouging it’s nose in the earth within 10 feet of his barn! Two young men, dressed in University of Missouri football uniforms, climbed out of the wreckage, uninjured but very bewildered. They asked where they were, thinking they were in the Westphalia (Osage County) area. The students had been in what they called “the Osage Dam country” and had lost their way of flight. (It was never explained why they were wearing football uniforms!!)

In 1930, Union Electric Power Company, owners of Bagnell Dam which was under construction at that time, bought the old Houston farm near the dam site to provide a landing field for airplanes which were used by the compnay’s many officials and employees. Space available provided two runways; each 2000 feet long and 300 feet wide. In 1929 and 1930, the ace aviator for Union Electric was Earl G. Bahl who had once been the flying instructor for Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh. He piloted the company’s tri-motor plane, which was named “Union Electric”, and commuted daily between St. Louis and Bagnell Dam on a route that followed the electric transmission lines into the St. Louis area. Bahl had a barnstorming group of flyers in the early 1920s whom Lindbergh joined at Lincoln, Nebraska. Unfortunately, Earl Bahl was killed in an auto accident at St. Louis in October 1930 at the peak of his aviation career.

Miller County advanced to the more modern means of transportation in the early 1930s. Progress was made from the beginning.......from foot and horseback over old Indian trails; to ox-driven wagons; to stagecoaches, hacks, and buggies; the river carried flat-boats, keel boats, steamboats; in the early 1880s the railroad come to the county; in the early 1900s the horseless carriage/auto made an appearance and finally, in the late 1920s-early 30s, the airplane came to Miller County.

NANCY ADELINE RUSSELL

Nancy Adeline Russell was born in Miller County on Nov. 18, 1854, a daughter of Hiram Buckner Russell (b.1831) and Martha J. Clark (b.1828). Her grandparents, Hiram & Jemima Russell were early settlers of Miller County and came to Central Missouri before 1840 from Tennessee. Some of the children of Hiram Buckner Russell & Martha J. Clark were:

1. Mary D. Russell b. c/1852

2. Nancy Adeline Russell b.1854.

3. James A. Russell b. c/1857.

4. Hiram T. Russell b. c/1858.

5. William F. Russell b. c/1860.

6. Samuel Russell

7. Lewis Russell.

In 1860, the Russells were living in Saline Township, near the families of Miller, Haynes, VanHooser, Hicks, Long,  Wyrick and Stephens.

Nancy Adeline Russell married John Van Hooser in Miller County Feb. 26. 1873, the marriage performed by B. I. Berkley, minister of the gospel. John was born in Miller county July 26, 1849, the younger of two sons born to Buford Van Hooser and his second wife, Deborah Jenkins-Freeman.

Deborah was the widow of James Freeman, who died in Miller County in the early 1840s, leaving her with six young children to rear alone. They had married in Clairbourne County Tennessee and moved to Miller County in the late 1830s.

(NOTE: Deborah Jenkins-Freeman-Van Hooser and her first husband, James Freeman, were my great-great-great grandparents....I am a descendant of their daughter, Jane Freeman, who married Greenville Boyd in Miller County on Dec.18, 1856.

Per information found in the book, "Goodspeed's 1889 history of Benton, Cole, Miller, Morgan, and Maries Counties," John & Nancy VanHooser owned 290 acres of prime land in Saline Township where they built a home in 1885. The land was improved and cultivated and John planted 100 apple trees as well as other small fruit trees. He had many acres of timber and was a successful stockraiser of Saline Township. He was a member of the school board, the Agricultural Wheel, and took a great interest in education for his children. They were members of the Olean Christian Church in 1889.

Nancy Adeline & John VanHooser became parents of four children who were: 1. Hiram Buckner Van Hooser (b. 1876) (married Mary A. Bond 2/21/1895, and then married Mary Hill 11/11/1900.

2. Martha Leona Van Hooser (b. 1878) married Oliver Etter 1894 and then married J.C. Dicknite.

3. Nancy Meck Van Hooser (b. 1882) married Thomas W. Bond 1904.

4. Deborah Jane Van Hooser (b. 1886) married William A. Allen.

In the census of 1900, Nancy & John Van Hooser were living in the east part of Saline Township near the families of Belshe, Gilleland, Bond, Dooley, Proctor, Hinds, Blackburn and Buster. In their home was son, Hiram and his daughter Grace, age 3 years, and the two youngest children of the Van Hoosers, Nancy Meck and Deborah Jane Van Hooser.

John Van Hooser preceded Nancy in death. He died on Jan. 1, 1932, at the age of 82 and was buried at Eldon Cemetery. Nancy Adeline remained his widow and lived until Oct. 8, 1942, when she died at her home near Etterville, almost reaching her 88th birthday. She was survived by four children, 12 grandchildren, 22 great-grandchildren and two brothers, Samuel and Louis Russell. Her services were held at the Etterville Christian Church, conducted by Rev. A. L. Alexander of Eldon, with burial in Eldon Cemetery beside her husband, John Van Hooser, who had died 10 years earlier.

BUCKNER RUSSELL FAMILY

Buckner J. Russell was born in Cole County, Mo, on 9/291830. He was the fourth of six children born to Hiram B. Russell (1804-1885) and Jemima Etter (1804-1879), natives of Kentucky and Virginia respectively. The Russell family had the distinction of having two towns named after them....Russell in Logan County Kentucky and Russellville in Cole County Mo.
Hiram & Jemima, Buckner's parents, came to Missouri in 1826 and settled in what is now Moniteau County (then Cole county) but later moved to Saline Township in Miller County. They were among the county's earliest settlers. Hiram bought farm land (about 210 acres) on the northern county praire, where he improved and cultivated land.
They reared six children including:
1. Alexander M. Russell born c/1826 married Louisa Cotten 1848.
2. James M. Russell born 1828 married Martha J. ?????.
3. Jane Russell born c/1829 (never married)
4. Buckner J. Russell born 1830 married Mahala Clark 1850.
5. Susan M. Russell born 1832 married C. W. Popejoy 1854.
6. William Russell born 1835 married Mary Crisp 1853.
Later in life, Hiram & Jemima moved to the Mt. Pleasant community where she died in 1879 and Hiram died in 1885. Both are buried at the Mt. Pleasant Cemetery.
Buckner J. Russell helped his father on the family farm and helped to cleat the land. He was educated in the subscription schools (each family paid a fee for a teacher) of northern Miller County. In 1850, Buckner married Martha Jane Clark, a daughter of James Clark and Mary/Polly Stubblefield, natives of East Tenn.
Buckner J. Russell became a successful farmer and stock raiser of Saline Township. By 1889, he owned two farms and had 360 acres under cultivation. He raised a good grade of livestock, including cattle and hogs, which he shipped to market twice yearly. He was interested in getting his children properly educated and helped to organize a school district in his township.
Buckner and Martha Jane were parents of 10 children, eight of whom lived to adulthood. They were:
1. Mary Elizabeth Russell born 1852 married William Harrison 1875.
2. Ann Elizabeth Russell born 1853 died young.
3. Nancy Adeline Russell 1854-1942 married John Van Hooser 1874.
4. James Alexander Russell 1856-1883 married Susan F. Currence1876.
5. Hiram Thomas Russell 1858-1891 married Margaret S. Bond 1877.
6. William Franklin Russell 1860-1935 married Mary A. Bond 1880.
7. John Russell born c/1862 died in infancy.
8. Martha Jane Russell 1864-1922 married Samuel B. Etter 1885.
9. Samuel Buckner Russell 1867-1952 married Lucy Heldstab 1889.
10. Lewis Cummins Russell 1869-1959 married Adora M. Clark.
In the 1900 census of Saline Township, Buckner was age 70 and Martha was 71. They were living in the east part of Saline Township near the families of Allee, Berry, Wyrick, Burris, Atkins, Bolton and Walser. Buckner lived until 1907. His wife of 55 years, Martha Jane (Clark) died two years earlier, in 1905. Both are buried at the Mt. Pleasant AF&Am Cemetery, where many other members of the Russell family are interred. Buckner J. Russell, Sept. 29, 1830-Jan. 26, 1907. Martha J. (Clark) Russell, May 9, 1829-Aug. 20, 1905.

MATHIAS MEREDITH FAMILY

Mathias Meredith was born in Miller County Oct. 29, 1866. He was a son of Daniel Mathias Meredith and Mary J. Pemberton. His parents married in Miller County on July 23, 1863, the marriage performed by A. J. Wilson, a justice of the peace. The Meredith family came to Missouri from Tenn. and according to census records, Mary Pemberton Meredith was born in Illinois in 1843. The children of Daniel & Mary were:
1. James Albert Meredith 1864-1951 married Malissa Paralee Smith in 1887 and Susan F. Shelton in 1908.
2. Mathias Meredith 1866-1935 married Margaret Stone 1884, & Martha Dunham 1896.
3. Nancy Ann Meredith born 1869 married John Shelton.
4. Mary C. Meredith born 1871 married ????
5. Sarah C. Meredith 1872-1897.
6. Miranda Francis Meredith born 1875 married James Carleton.
7. Parthenia L. Meredith born 1877 married James Sanders.
8. Arrenia M. Meredith born 1885 Married ???.
Mathias' father, Daniel Meredith, was a veteran of the Civil War. He served in Company H of the 9th Provost Enrolled Missouri Militia. In the 1880 census of Miller County the Merediths were living in Richwoods Township near the families of Dean, Plemmons, Neal, Loveall, Allen, Whittle, Clark, Brumley, and Shelton. Daniel and his wife, Mary (Pemberton) are buried at Hickory Point Cemetery in northern Richwoods Township. Daniel Mathias Meredith 1844-1907 & Mary J. Meredith 1843-1908.
On oct. 17, 1884, Mathias Meredith married Margaret Stone, a daughter of Julius and Elizabeth (Anderson) Stone of Richwoods Township. They became parents of three children:
1. James Thomas Meredith born 9/4/1886 married Agnes Peeples 1904.
2. Stella A. Meredith born Dec. 1889 married Jesse Teaverbaugh 1905 (died 1918) then married a Reich?
3. A male infant was born 1/6/1888 and died young.
Margaret/Maggie Stone Meredith died as a young woman and Mathias married his second wife, Martha P. Dunham, on 11/24/1896. They became parents of three children including:
4. Ray Meredith born 1898 married ???.
5. Bevie M. Meredith born 1900 died young.
6. Fern Meredith born??? married Toupin ???.
Note: Fern was a graduate of Iberia Academy, Class of 1930.
In 1900, Mathias & Martha lived west of Iberia near the families of Groves, Bond, Wall, Arnold and Mace. His two children by Margaret (Stone) were living with their grandparents, Julius & Elizabeth Stone, in 1900. Their mother had been deceased for about five years and Mathias had a new wife and two children in the census of 1900. His parents Daniel and Mary (Pemberton) Meredith were living in the town of iberia in 1900.
According to the obituary of Mathias Meredith he had spent several years as a carpenter and painter. Mathias died at the age 68 on 7/1/1935. Martha (Durham) Meredith had died 10 years earlier in1925, and was buried at Iberia Cemetery. His funeral services were at the Iberia Baptist Church and he was buried beside Martha at Iberia Cemetery. Mathias was survived by four children: James T. Meredith, Stella A. Reich, Ray Meredith and Fern Toupin. A brother, James Albert Meredith and three sisters, Nancy Ann Shelton, Miranda Carleton, and Mrs. James Sanders (Parthenia).

MARGARET ADELINE ALLEN

Margaret Adeline Allen was born in Miller County in 1853, the fourth of 10
children born to Marshall Elias Allen (born circa 1828, Barren County,
Kentucky) and Eliza Jane Shelton (born circa 1826 in East Tennessee). Her
parents were married in Miller County June 3, 1847, the marriage performed
by Jonathon Blevans, a justice of the peace for Richwoods Township. The
children of Marshall and Eliza (Shelton) Allen were:
1. Jeremiah A. Allen b. c/1849 m. James M. Cradoc 1869
2. James Walker Allen b./1850 m (unknown-he moved to Arkansas)
3. Julia Ann Allen b. c/1852 m. _____Miller
4. Margaret Adeline Allen b. 1853 m. John Brown Tallman 1874
5. Mary E. Allen b. c/1855 m. C. L. Brown 1875
6. William Daniel Allen b. c/1856 m.
7. Brown R. Allen b. c/1858 m.
8. Robert G. Allen b. c/1859 m. Mariah Tallman 1878
9. John R. Allen b. c/1861 m.
10. Louis W. Allen b. c/1865 m. (unknown-moved to Oklahoma)
Margaret Adeline married John Brown Tallman, a Civil War veteran, on March
15, 1874. Rev. A. M. Misseldine performed their marriage ceremony. John was
a son of William Tallman (1806-1867) and his wife Susan (born c/1806),
natives of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania. John Brown Tallman was born in
Lycoming County on Feb. 18, 1839, and came to Miller County with his
parents prior to the Civil War. John was the oldest of five children born
to William and Susan, including:
1. John Brown Tallman 1839-1900 m. Margaret Adeline Allen 1874
2. Martha Tallman 1840-1863
3. Jeremiah W. Tallman b. 1842 m. 1-Sarah M. Brown 2- Ann Brown
4. Robert Thomas Tallman b. 1845 m. 1-Jane Brown 2-Mary L. Miller
5. Matthew Brown Tallman 1846-1863
Margaret (Allen) and John Tallman began their married life on a farm near
Iberia. In the census of 1880, their neighbors were John and Dorcas
(Shelton) Ferguson, Isabella Ferguson (mother of John Ferguson and a native
of Scotland), William and Elizabeth McCubbin, Daniel and Elizabeth
(Hoskins) Keeth, James and Martha Burgess and Willis and Polly Ann
(Keeth-Smith)Long.
Margaret and John were parents of at least three children. They were:
1. Blanche Tallman b. March 1, 1875 d. July 5, 1949 m. Matthew B.
Petriken 1911
2. Guy Tallman b. c/1878 d. Oct. . 4, 1943 m. not known (per obit
notice), he had one child)
3. Gail Tallman b. c/1880 d. probably in youth.
John Brown Tallman died May 5, 1900, at age 61, and was buried at the
Tallman Family Cemetery, south of Iberia near Custer Creek. Margaret Adeline
(Allen) Tallman lived until Nov. 7. 1934, when she died at age of 81 years.
Her death occurred at the home of her sister, Mary Tallman Brown, in
Springfield. Margaret's funeral services were held at the Crocker
Presbyterian Church and she was buried beside her husband at Tallman
Cemetery.

LEATHA JANE LOVEALL

Leatha Jane Loveall was born in Miller County on April 10, 1864. She
was the oldest daughter of Silas Loveall (b. 1842 in Miller County) and
Amanda Colvin (b. 1845 in Grainge County, Tennessee) Silas and Amanda
married in Miller County July 18, 1861, and became parents of several
children. The Loveall family came to Miller County in the 1830s from
Kentucky and the Colvin family came from Grainger/Union Counties,
Tennessee, in the 1850's and settled in Glaize Township near Bear
Creek. Some of the early Loveall families settled in Jim Henry Township
and also in the Saline Valley of Equality Township. Later a branch of
the family settled in Glaize Township near the Colvin family.
The children of Silas and Amanda (Colvin) Loveall were::
1. Leatha Jane Loveall 1864-1946 m. Josephus Whittle 1878
2. Barbara Ann Loveall b 1865 m. 1-James H. Evans 1882, 2-_Brown
3. Vina Frances Loveall b 1869 m Edwin Gaches
4. Stacey Adeline Loveall b. 1872 m Frank Gaches
5. Jasper M. Loveall b 1875 m. Emma Wheat
6. James J. Loveall 1879-1950 m Rosa Spearman
7. Elizabeth Loveall b. 1881 m Theodore Benton Workman
8. John Loveall b 1883 m. Paradine Stout
Amanda Colvin Loveall died in the early 1890s and Silas then married
Elizabeth J. Loveall in Miller County Nov. 7, 1896. They moved to
southern Missouri and it was there he died and was buried.
Most of the children of Silas and Amanda Loveall moved to Oklahoma and
remained there the remainder of their lives. Leatha Jane, the oldest
child, married Josephus Whittle on Aug. 29, 1878, at the young age of
14. She was the only one of her Loveall family to remain in Miller
County. She and Josephus reared their large family in southwest
Richwoods Township in the Pleasant Hill community.
Josephus Whittle was born in Miller County Sept. 8, 1856, a son of John
Levi Whittle and Nancy Jane Keeth. Both his Whittle and Keeth families
came to Miller County from Edmonson County, Kentucky, in the early 1840s
and homesteaded land in Richwoods Township in the Pleasant Hill
community.
When Leatha Jane was born in 1864, her parents gave her the names of all
her aunts on both the maternal and paternal side of the family. Her
full name was Mary Martha Vina Temperance Roseanne Elizabeth Lorraine
Leatha Jane!...I can understand why she only used the last two!!
Leatha Jane and Josephus Whittle became parents of 11 children
including:
1. Silas Levi Whittle, b. 1880-1881
2. James A. Whittle, b. 1882-1882
3. Lallah Brooks Whittle b. 1883- m. Frank V. Andrews
4. Carrie Gertrude Whittle b. 1886- m. Perry Tolbert Wyrick
5. Olia Rayford Whittle b. 1888- m Fannie Jane Luttrell
6. Arlie Everett Whittle b. 1891- m Ida Johnston
7. Bertha Irene Whittle b. 1894- m. Nicholas Shelton
8. Amanda Eliz. Whittle b. 1896- m. Chesley Sylvester Wyrick
9. Otto E. Whittle b. 1900- m. Sarah Ann Stone
10. Sylvia Alive Whittle b 1904- m. Ransome Alexander
11. John Wilburn Whittle b. 1907- m. Lois Stites
Leatha Jane and Josephus observed their 50th wedding anniversary in
August 1928 with a large crowd on hand to help them celebrate their
special day. Large tables of food were set outside under shade trees
(as was the custom in the early 20th century) and everyone enjoyed the
day visiting and sharing memories. You might wonder why I know all
this. I was not born yet but I have pictures of their 50th wedding
anniversary with the crowd on hand and the abundance of good country
food set up on the tables. Josephus and Leatha Jane were my
great-grandparents and I wish I could have been there to see all the
activity and joined in on the fun time that everyone had that day.
Josephus died just two months later in October 1928 at age 72. He was
buried at Pleasant Hill Cemetery near the farm where they had reared
their children. Leatha Jane lived with her youngest daughter, Sylvia
Whittle Alexander, and family most of her remaining years. She died on
March 20, 1946, almost reaching her 82nd birthday.
Her funeral services were held at Pleasant Hill Christian Church where
she had been an active member for many years. Her services were
conducted by Rev. Otto Shearrer, pastor of the Iberia Nazarene Church,
and she was buried beside Josephus in the cemetery nearby. She was
survived by eight children, 39 grand-children, 35 great-grandchildren,
and two great-great-granchildren. Also surviving were some of her
brothers and sisters in Oklahoma -- Stacey Loveall Gaches, Frances
Loveall Gaches, Barbara Loveall Brown, James J. Loveall and Jasper
Loveall.

ELIAS ALLEN FAMILY

Elias Allen died in Miller County in June 1885, leaving a will which was filed in the Miller County Probate Court. According to census records, Elias was born c/1810 in Kentucky although I found a record where he was living in Smith County, Tennessee, in 1832. He may have been a typical young man of the early 19th century, who made a habit of moving around exploring new country. The Allen family had been in Barren County, Kentucky, for quite sometime and he probably was born there also, but in the early 1830s, had ventured down to north central Tennessee. Trying to keep up with our wandering ancestors can keep one busy!
Elias Allen came to Miller County in the early 1840s with other members of his Allen family. Other Barren County, Kentucky, families who came along with the Allens were the Gardners, Baileys, Wheelers and Shacklefords. By either birth or marriage, all these families had kinship.
On Jan. 6, 1842, Elias Allen married Mary Gardner, the marriage performed by Squire Williams, a justice of the peace in the Big Richwoods. Elias had a brother, Joel Allen, and he married Jemimah Gardner and his sister, Olive Allen, married Jacob Gardner. I have not been able to definitely confirm it, but I believe Elias' wife, Mary Gardner, was the younger sister of Jacob Gardner and Jemimah Gardner Allen.
Elias and Mary homesteaded more than 250 acres of land directly east of Iberia, just outside today's city limits. Elias was a slaveowner and brought at least six Negroes with him to Miller County. In 1859, the six slaves were assessed with a value of $1,950; in 1860 their value was $1,800; and by 1862, their value had decreased to $500. The Civil War was being fought and the fate of the slaves seemed to be "written on the wall". With their assessed value falling so drastically, it would appear the war was being won in 1862 by the northern forces, at least in Miller County.
The first school constructed near the Iberia community for the area children was located about one mile east of Iberia. On Jan. 19, 1870, Elias and Mary Allen sold a half-acre of land to the township board of education of the Third District for the total of $1. This school was located on the old Iberia-Big Piney road, and was known for years as "Allen School." It was situated on land that is owned today by the Hopkins family. After it was no longer used as a school building, Mr. and Mrs. Marion Hopkins purchased the building, remodeled it, and lived in the house for a number of years.
Some of the neighbors of Elias and Mary during the mid to late 1800s were the families of Groff, Tallman, Miller, Gooch, Lynch, Dyer, Short, Allen, Gardner, Irwin, Hedges, and Keeth. Today the Allen land is owned in part by the Robert Hopkins family and the Norman DeVore family.
Elias and Mary (Gardner) Allen were parents of only two children, a daughter and a son. They were:
1. Cornelia B. Allen, 1846-1891, m. Thomas Fisher 13 Feb. 1882 by John R. Hamlin. Thomas was from
Franklin County, Missouri.
2. Robert Allen, 1850-1897, m Mariah Tallman, 17 Oct. 1878 by J.M.Darby, Minister. Mariah was a daughter of Charles and Isabella Tallman, natives of Pennsylvania.
When Elias died in 1885, at age 75, he bequeathed all his land to his wife, Mary. He also gave her all his personal effects including money, cattle, horses, sheep, hogs, notes, accounts, and all other assets which he might have at the time of his death. At the death of his wife, their two children would inherit the land (160 acres to Robert and 60 acres to Cornelia). His will was witnessed by two Iberia residents, Isaiah Latchem and Jeremiah C. Tallman.
Mary Gardner Allen died on Aug. 16, 1894, and was survived by her son, Robert. Cornelia Allen Fisher died in January 1891, so she did not inherit her portion of the land. Robert Allen died in May 1897 and was Elias and Mary's only living heir.
Cornelia and Thomas Fisher had no children so the only heirs left after the death of Elias, Mary, Cornelia, and Robert, were the children of Robert and his wife, Mariah (Tallman). They were:
1. Edna Allen, 1880-1893.
2. Belle F. Allen, 1883-1913, m. Lamont Tallman 1906
3. Oscar Allen, 1884-1886
4. Emmitt V. Allen, 1887-1948, m. Irene Edith ________.
5. Agnes F. Allen, 1888-____, m.C.E. Prater 1914
6. Robert Roy Allen, 1890-1928, m. Elsie Edith Atwell 1915
Elias and Mary Allen, their daughter Cornelia Allen Fisher, son Robert Allen and wife Mariah (Tallman), are all buried at Iberia Cemetery, which bordered the land where they had lived for over half a century.

HICKS-GRADY FAMILIES

In the 1860 census of Miller Co., in Osage township, lived a family named
Hicks-3 brothers and a sister-Fulton born ca 1837 in Tenn; John born ca 1838
Tenn; Robert born ca 1840 Tenn; and Sarah born ca 1843 Tenn. They lived
near the present site of St. Anthony and their neighbors in the mid 19th
century included: John and Ellender Barr, William Kinworthy, William Blize,
and Isaac Renfro. I believe Fulton's full name was Creed Fulton Hicks and he
married Sarah West in Miller Co. in 1863, marriage performed by George
Willson, Minister. His sister Sarah Hicks, married Harden West of Osage Co.
in 1867. Harden and Sarah West may have been brother and sister.
There was a family named West who lived in northeast Miller Co. in this era of time very near the Osage/Maries Co.boundary line. By 1870, none of the above Hicks men were enumerated in the Miller Co. census, but there were two other Hicks families living in the same general area of Osage township near St. Anthony.
They were Manessah and James K.P. Hicks with their respective families. I
believe the Hicks brothers and sister found in the 1860 census and the two
Hicks men (Manessah & James) were kinfolk, possibly brothers and sister. In
an interview with Willie Hicks of St. Anthony, descendant of James Hicks, I
learned that according to family legend, "his grandfather James Hicks, had a
brother called Nass (Manessah) Hicks who lived in Miller Co. for awhile.
Uncle Nass moved his family to Texas. James also had brothers named John
Hicks (see 1860 census), and George Hicks and a sister who married some man over toward Maries Co. (Osage Co?). John Hicks moved to southern Missouri and none of the family ever saw him again." George Hicks is the only name that does not show up in a census record. It is possible he was George
Robert? In genealogical research, one has to speculate widely! All the
Hicks descendants in the area today are descended from James K. Polk Hicks
and Nancy Grady, daughter of Calvin and Mary (West) Grady and a granddaughter of John and Mary Grady of North Carolina and Virginia respectively. James married Nancy in Miller Co. on 9 Nov 1865, performed by H. S. Burlingame, a Justice of the Peace who lived nearby in the northern Richwooods/southern Osage township area; today near St. Anthony. The small village of St. Anthony is situated very near the boundary line of the two townships
mentioned and it is difficult to determine which township a pioneer family
was living in when reviewing old census records. James K. Polk Hicks was
born 10 Aug 1835 in Tennessee and died 19 March 1902. Nancy Grady Hicks was born in 1845 and died in 1937. Both are buried in the Hicks cemetery, a
short distance north of St. Anthony. The children of James Hicks and Nancy
Grady were:
MARTIN C. HICKS born 1866, died ? m. Mary S. Dake (1872-1932);
SARAH J. HICKS ( 1868-1917) m. George E. Stickney in 1887;
MARY ELLEN HICKS born ? died ? m. Henry Dake;
DOLLY HICKS born 1870, died young;
JAMES M. HICKS (1879-1957) m. Rachel L. Dake (1876-1936) in 1895; THOMAS HICKS (1874-1918) never married;
JOHN R. HICKS (1877-1958) m. Stella M. Pendleton (1882-1969);
GEORGE HICKS (1880-1970) m. Emma Pendleton (died in 1977) in
1913, both buried in St. Louis County;
SUSAN EFFIE HICKS (1882-1891);
EDWARD HICKS (1885-?) m. Lucille (they died and are buried in Colorado).
Nancy Grady Hicks' father, Calvin Grady, and his second wife, Sarah (Colvin)
were living on an adjoining farm in the 1870 census. (NOTE: Per the family,
Sarah was a Birdsong, not a Colvin, but in the marriage records her name is
Colvin). Calvin Grady and Nancy's mother Mary (called Polly) were natives of
Tennessee. He was born 22 Sept 1823 and Polly was born in January 1825.
Calvin and Polly (West) Grady were parents of 7 children including:
MARY SUSAN GRADY (1845-1932) m. Henry Tyler 1865;
NANCY GRADY (1847-1937) m. James K. Polk Hicks 1865;
SARAH GRADY (1849-?) no further record found;
FRANCES/FRANKEY CRADY born 1851 m. William Humphrey 1873;
HARDIN GRADY born ca 1857, no further record found;
EMELINE GRADY born 1858, no further record found;
THOMAS J. GRADY ( 1862-1944) m. Sarah J. Jones (1864-1943) in 1882.

Children of Calvin Grady and his 2nd wife, Sarah Colvin/Birdsong? were:
ASA F. GRADY (1866-1932) m. Sarah I. Thompson (1878-1940) in 1894; HANNAH ELIZABETH GRADY (1868-1936) m. Henry F. Carroll in 1887; and REBECCA GRADY born ca 1871 m. 1)___Howard 2)_______Davis.

Calvin Grady and his 3rd wife, Martha J. Haskins, whom he married 29 Dec
1872, had no children. Calvin Grady is buried at Belk cemetery in northern
Richwoods township near the Big Tavern Creek. His first wife, Polly (West)
is buried beside him.
CALVIN GRADY 22 Sept 1823-16 Feb 1881
POLLY GRADY,his wife Jan 1825-7 Mar 1864
Calvin's 2nd wife, Sarah is buried at the Hicks cemetery north of St.Anthony.
Sarah Grady, wife of Calvin (1835-1871)
Calvin fathered 10 children and was married 3 times.
The generations proceed forward through the children of Calvin Gray which
reached into the families of Humphrey, Tyler, Hicks , and Carroll. His two
sons, Thomas and Asa, carried the family name Grady on into newer
generations. The children of Thomas J. and Sarah I. (Jones) Grady were
:WALTER GRADY (1883-1946)m. Martha K. Wilson (1889-1969) in 1905; JAMES C. GRADY (1884-1966) m. Margie K._______;
MELVIN born 1886 m. M. Ann Gholson;
ELMER born 1889 (deaf mute) never married;
EVA GRADY born 1891 m. Emery Robertson;
LAURA GRADY born 1894 m. Robert Gardner;
CORA GRADY born 1896 m.Roy Holeyfield;
ANNA GRADY born 1899 m. Houston Shackleford;
CLYDE GRADY born 1902 m. Ida Helton;
LAWRENCE GRADY born 1904 m. Madora_____;
ASA GRADY (1907-1918) never married.
The children of Asa F. Grady and Sarah Thompson
were : WALTER GRADY (1898-1941) m. Ruth F. Groves; and CALVIN GRADY
(b____d._____) m. Maude Clark. The marriage of Calvin and Maude produced 2 children, but both died young. Walther and Ruth had no children, so the
family of Asa F. Grady and Susan Thompson did not carry the Grady name
forward. Th sons of Thomas and Sarah (Jones) Grady have produced sons who
have guaranteed the ancestral Grady name will continue into the future.

OBITUARIES FOR 2 daughters of Calvin Grady and Mary/Polly (West):

HANNAH ELIZABETH GRADY:
Hannah was born 31 Dec 1868 in Miller County and died 17 Aug 1936. On 22 Dec.1887, she married Henry F. Carroll of Miller Co. They were parents of 7
children including: Asa Carroll, Bert Carroll, Icy Carroll Cadwell, Evelyn
Carroll Buenger, Roy Carroll, May Carroll Williams, and Gertie Carroll Irwin.
Hannah was survived by a sister, Rebecca (Grady) Davis; 2 half-sisters,
Fannie Humphrey and Nancy Hicks; and a half brother, Thomas Grady. She was
buried at the Madden Cemetery in southern Miller County.

MARY SUSAN GRADY:
Mary Susan was born 15 Feb 1845 in Missouri and died in July, 1932 in Miller
Co., MO. She married Henry Tyler in 1863. They were the parents of 3
children, John Tyler, William Tyler, and a third son died in infancy. She
was preceded in death by her son John Tyler in 1891 and her husband, Henry
Tyler, in 1912. She was survived by her son, William Tyler; 2 sisters, Nancy
Hicks and Frankey Humphrey; 1 brother, Thomas Grady; a half-brother, Asa
Grady; and 2 half-sisters; Hannah Carroll and Rebecca Howard. Mary Susan
reared a stepdaughter, Mrs. Mart Humphrey. She also reared 2 grandsons, D.M.
Tyler, and B.M. Tyler, son of John Tyler and his wife. Mary Susan (Grady)
Tyler ws buried at the Tyler (Atwell) cemetery in southeast Miller County.

NOTE: I have no known relationship to anyone in this article, however, my
greatgrandfather was Alonzo Hicks ,son of Jesse Hicks and Sarah Ann
Templeton, Jesse was the son of Robert M. Hicks and Mary Polly Van Hooser
Hicks, and Robert was the son of James Hicks and Patsy Stubblefield Hicks-all
of whom resided in Miller County.  I just re-typed this article for Peggy's web site. Cheryl. User920035@aol.com

CYNTHIA HAWKINS SPEARMAN
by Peggy Smith Hake
From: " Window to the Past", dated 26 March 1992
Sometimes when I walk down the road to yesterday, I encounter some of the
most remarkable people. One of the most extraordinary ladies I have found
was Cynthia Frances Hawkins-Spearman. She ws born in Miller County,MO in
March 1851, a daughter of Presley and Sarepta (McCubbin) Hawkins. She was
born in Glaize township near the present town of Brumley. Cynthia was a
product of a fine, old Virginia family where, for generations, her ancestors
lived. Her great-grandfahter, John Hawkins (1759-1831), was a Revoluntionary
War soldier and married Frances Thorpe (1782-1837) for whom Cynthia was
named. The Hawkins family moved from Hampshire County, Virginia (now West
Virginia) in the early 19th century and located in Kentucky near
Elizabethtown.
Cynthia's grandparents were Coleman Hawkins, son of John and Frances, and his wife, Sarah Martha Bond. Coleman was born in Virginia in 1786 and died in
Hart County, Kentucky in 1863. Cynthia's father, Presley Hawkins, was born
in Virginia in 1819. He came to Miller County circa 1842 from Hart County,
Kentucky. He and his wife, Serapta Ballard McCubbin (1822-1874), were
married in Miller County on June 15, 1843.
Presley and Serapta have several children including James Martin Hawkins,
Mary Catherine Hawkins, Cynthia Frances Hawkins, Dr. Zachariah W. Hawkins,
William Lewis Hawkins and Millard Fillmore Hawkins. Cynthia's father,
Presley, died in 1859 and left Serapta with several young children. Some of
these children went to Texas after the Civil War and Serapta went with them.
She died near Waco,Texas in 1847 and is buried near Bosqueville. Cynthia
lived in Texas during the years her mother was alive, but returned to Miller
County after 1880. In 1885, she married Zebedee Spearman, a widower with
four children. His first wife was Mary Gardner who was a native of Barren
County, Kentucky. Zebedee was a son of Thomas W. and Nancy (Shelton)
Spearman, natives of South Carolina.
Cynthia was a school teacher in the early schools of Miller County. She
taught for over 40 years and helped many children down a successful path of
life. What made Cynthia differnt from the other women who taught in the 19th
century?....When she was about 10 years old, circa 1861, Cynthia lost both
arms in a cane mill accident. Her mother, a widow, was operating the cane
mill on her farm. The men had volunteered to go to war as the Civil War
began to rage across the coutnry and the women were left to do the hard
farmwork. While helping her mother feed stalks into the mill, her arms were
caught in the rollers. When her arms were finally freed, they were crushed
and badly mangled. Two days later, after suffering terrible pain, Dr.Anton
Nixdorf decided her arms had to be amputated. A carpenter nearby had a small
saw and it was used to amputate her arms! What 'true grit' that young girl
must have had!
Cynthia was the first woman elected to a public office in Miller County.
During 1895 and 1896, she served as County "Superintendent of the Public
Schools. Her Hawkins family were prominent in politics. Her brother , James
Hawkins, was a state representative, county court judge, and collector. Her
nephew, Charles R. 'Ted' Hawkins, was state representative for many years.
She was also related to Alvin P. Hawkins, a former governor of Texas.
In March, 1940, about 250 students and friends gathered at the Brumley high
school and honored Miss Cynthia on her 88th birthday. She told them how she
traveled to Texas in a covered wagon; later traveled by train and automobile;
sailed on a ship while in California; and finally flew in an airplane on a
trip back from California. She also related incidents while teaching school.
She told them that "sometimes it was necessary to whip in those days'' and
many of her former students agreed she could use a hickory switch just as
well as a person who had both hands!
She had seen many changes in her lifetime. Miss Cynthia died in Miller
County on July 14, 1943 at the age of 92 years and was buried in Hawkins
cemetery which is located in the same community where she had been born 92
years earlier.
NOTE: Cynthia never had any children of her own but she proved to be a
wonderful step-mother to Zebedee's surviving children by his first wife, Mary
E. Gardner. The children were Gilbert S. Spearman born c/1861; Alzena A.
Spearman b. c/1863; Laura Alice Spearman b. c/1866; Willard S. Spearman
1867-1950; and Orlando W. Spearman 1870-1870.
Mary Gardner Spearman died in April 1871 and is buried at the old Rankin Wright/Spearman cemetery in Richwoods township southwest of Iberia. Zebedee Spearman died in February 1897 and was buried beside his first wife in Rankin Wright/Spearman cemetery.
His second wife, Cynthia Hawkins Spearman, was buried in Hawkins cemetery
near other members of her Hawkins family.

IBERIA A.F. & A. M. MASONIC LODGE #410
by Peggy Smith Hake

According to GOODSPEED'S HISTORY OF COLE, MILLER, MONITEAU, BENTON, OSAGE, & MARIES COUNTIES, 1889, the Iberia Lodge #410 of the AF & Am Masons was organized in 1873, but no mention is made of their masonic hall until 1889 when it was stated, "(in 1889) they had a hall and other property valued near $2000." The hall evidently was in existence as early as 1876 because old Miller County newspapers (the Mller County Vidette) reported that the Iberia I.O.O.F. Lodge (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) met in "the masonic hall" for meetings.

The first officers of Iberia Lodge #410 were William E. Wheeler, Worshipful
Master (born c/1825 in Kentucky); George W. Helm the S.W. (born c/1820
Tennessee); and Benjamin F. Brickey, the J.W. (born c/1820 Kentucky). Helm
and Brickey were neighbors in the old Fairview/Livingston Cemetery area and
Wheeler lived a short distance east of Iberia.

By 1889, 16 years after organization, they had 42 active members on their
roster. Among the early Worshipful Masters of Lodge #410 included: Albert A.
Arendall operator and miller of the old Brays Mill; Squire John Ferguson, a
native of Dumfries, Scotland who was a noted Civil War veteran; Francis E.
Lombar, early merchant of Iberia, born in New York; Thomas J. Marchant,
another early Iberia merchant, born in Tennessee; Theodore B. Robinson, an
attorney from Tuscumbia who was born in southeast Missouri; and Miles J.
Davidson, a businessman of Iberia whose ancestors came to Miller County from
East Tennessee.

Iberia had several other fraternities and societies during the era following
the Civil War. It appears the Masons (Lodge #410) were the first to organize
in 1873. The others were:
1. Iberia Lodge #340 I.O.O.F. (Independent Order of Odd Fellows) who organized
in 1875 with seven members. In 1878, they were holding their meeting at the
Iberia Masonic Hall. By 1889 they had a membeship of 40 persons. About 1882
a quit claim was given to the trustees of the I.O.O.F. Lodge (Albert
Arendall, E. C. Thompson, and Manesseh Jones) for a tract of land in Iberia.
The owners of the land were Charles Martin, Frank Lee, and John Ferguson.
The land was near the old Farnham Store. I believe they built the hall, a
two-story building that still stands on Main Street which has been purchased
and remodeled by Kerry Rowden and made into an apartment house.

2. G.A.R. Miles Carrol Post #111 (Grand Army of the Republic), a society of
Union Civil War sodiers. They organized in 1884. The G.A.R. built their own
hall which burned in the early 20th century. They rebuilt and the building
still exists today which is the home of Iberia American Legion Post #108.

3.Iberia Olive Branch Lodge #543 of the I.O.G.T. (International Order of
Grand Templars), organized in 1881. Many of their members were people who
attended the Iberia Congreational Chruch (the families of Lombar, Hume,
Fancher, Moore, Marlow , and Jones)

In two old Miller County newspapers (THE MILLER COUNTY VIDETTE---August 1876 and December 1878, there were advertisements of county societies but Iberia's Masonic Lodge #410 (organized in 1873) is not mentioned. There were Masonic Lodges at Tuscumbia and Brumley who advertised the time and place of their meetings and listed their Worshipful Masters and Secretarys....Unfortunately Iberia did not post their meetings in the old newspapers, so the important information needed can not be found to susbtantiate their early history.

ADDENDUM: In 1874, "Campbells's Gazeteer of Missouri" stated , "Iberia
contains a church, a masonic hall, 4 stores, and a saddle shop."

ANTON DUBBERT

Anton Dubbert, son of Johannes Dubbert and Elizabeth Shauf, was born in
Lipstein, Germany on March 2, 1857. About 1872, at the age of 16 years, he
came to America and it is family legend he was a stowaway on the ship that
brought him across the Atlantic.

Eventually he came to Miller County where he married Josephine Hake on
February 16, 1885. She was a daughter of Bernard Henry Hake and Katherine
Wankum. Father Cosmos Seeberger, priest of Charlestown (St. Elizabeth),
performed the wedding ceremony.

In 1880, there was another family named Dubbert living in Miller County.
They were August and Elizabeth Dubbert and they had six children enumerated
during the census taken that year. August may have been an older brother or
an uncle to Anton and perhaps that is why he ventured into Miller County.

After Anton and Josephine married they settled on a farm in the Big Tavern
country of Osage township and for the remainder of his life he farmed this
land which was in the northeast part of the county, south of St. Elizabeth.
Their neighbors in the 1900 census included John and Elizabeth (Buechter)
Volmert, Louisa Wilson, William R. Drake, Davis Hickey, William & Ida
Deatley, and James Clark.

The children born to Anton and Josephine were:
1. Henry Lawrence Dubbert 1886-1914
2. Frances Elizabeth Dubbert 1887-1978 m. William George Kirkweg
3. Louise Benjamin Dubbert 1889-1939
4. Paulus Anthony Dubbert 1891-1937
5. Theresa A. Dubbert b. Feb 1894 m. Henry H. Boeckmann
6. Cecelia T. Dubbert 1895-1905
7. John E.Dubbert 1897-1901
8. John J. Dubbert 1900-1976
9. George Dubbert 1904-1923

Anton Dubbert died October 8, 1935 and was buried at St. Anthony cemetery in
the small village of St. Anthony in Richwoods township. He was buried beside
his wife, Josephine, who had died 10 years previously on February 11, 1926.

NOTE: I saw a small obituary that was written when Anton died in 1936 but it
did not give very much information. Raymond Shaefer of Olympia, Washington,
a descendant of the Dubbert family, sent me additional information so I could
make this article more complete.

MORROW-HUMPHREY

Mary Ardella 'Deed' Humphrey was born in Miller County in May 1881, a
daughter of Joseph Morrow and Sarah Duncan. She was one of several children
born to her parents including:
1. James E. Morrow b.c/1874
2. Susan J. Morrow b.c/1877
3. Columbus Morrow b.c/1878
4. Mary Morrow b.1881 m. Francis Marion Humphrey
5. William J. Morrow b.c/1884
6. Arthur Morrow b.c/1890

Mary's parents were married in Miller County on 10 May 1873. the marriage
performed by George O. Morris, a minister

Joseph C. Morrow, Mary's father, was born in Sept. 1854, a son of Thomas and
Emily Morrow who were natives of South Carolina and Georgia, respectively. I
believe her great grandfather was Joseph Morrow who came to Miller County in
the 1850s; died in 1859 and was buried in eastern Miller County near the
Maries County line. There is a grave just off Highway BB on a county road
and there is a single stone with the following wording....."Joseph Morrow,
aged 75 years; died 2 July 1859....He died as he lived, believing in God".

The children of Thomas and Emily Morrow were:
1. Mary C. Morrow b.c/1852 SC m. no record
2. Joseph C. Morrow b.c/1854 SC m. Sarah Duncan 1873
3. William T. Morrow b.c/1858 MO m. Amanda E. Smith 1887
4. Thana A. Morrow b.c/1861 MO m. no record
5. Emily A. Morrow b. c/1866 MO m. no record

I have not found much about the Duncan family who were Mary's maternal
ancestral family. I only know her mother's name was Sarah M. Duncan and
Sarah, with 3 children, were living in her mother's household during the
census of 1880. Her mother was Mary S. Duncan, born circa 1829 in Tennesee.
I have not found the name of her husband. For some reason Joseph C. Morrow,
Sarah's husband, was living in the home of his parents during the same
census. He was about 27 years old and Sarah (Duncan) Morrow was about 21
years of age.

Sometime prior to 1900, Sarah (Duncan) Morrow must have died because in the census of 1900 (Richwoods township), Joseph Morrow is listed as a widower and in his home was 3 sons: Columbus, William, and Arthur. His aged mother, Emily Morrow was living with them and she was listed as a widow (of Thomas Morrow), born in Sept. 1819 in Georgia.

Mary 'Deed' Morrow married Francis Marion Humphrey in Miller County on
November 17, 1899, the marriage performed by James M. Renfrow, a minister of the gospel. Francis Marion (called Marion) was born in January 1878 and was a son of James and Mary E. Humphrey. In 1900, Marion and Mary/Deed,
newlyweds, were living northeast of Iberia near the families of Irwin,
Hedges, Wilson, Denton and Shockley.

Marion Humphrey died at the age of 58 years in 1936 and was buried at Brays
Union Cemetery. Mary Ardella/'Deed' lived until 1960 almost reaching her
80th birthday. Their children were:
1. Edward Humphrey m. remained single
2. Harley Humphrey m. Nova Martin
3. Woodrow Humphrey m. Florence Wyrick
4. Mabel Humphrey m. George Edwards
5. Raymond Humphrey m. Ruth Bond
6. Jennings Humphrey m. Stella _________
7. Erma Humphrey m. Samuel Farnham
8. Archie Humphrey m. Marguerite Agee
9. Truman Humphrey m. Veda Shelton

MOSES MARTIN
by Peggy Smith Hake
MOSES G. MARTIN was born 22 Dec 1860 in Pulaski County, Kentucky. He was a son of George W. Martin (19 Mar 1832-30 Jul 1903) and Nancy/Fannie Martin (23 Apr 1831-14 Oct 1950). His father and mother married in Pulaski Co., KY c/1849 and became parents of 12 children including: ANNA J., SUSAN M., GENERAL S., MOSES G., LUCY A., ISABELLA, GEORGE H., LUVERNIA, ANTHONY P., and WILLIAM C.
George W. and Nancy/Fannie Martin moved to Miller County about 1866 from Kentucky with their older children. Anthony and William were born after they arrived in central Missouri. Other members of the Martin family had come to Miller County prior to 1860 and had also settled in Glaize township. There were two other Martin families in the census of 1860---Moses Tate Martin and his wife, Nancy (Bilyeu), and John Jr. & Sisley (Roberts) Martin....all had come from Pulaski Co., KY so there must have been some close kinship between all the Martin families.
Moses G. Martin grew to manhood on his parents farm located east of Ulman in Glaize township. He married Zilphia F. Winfrey on May 8, 1881. Their marriage was performed by John B. Wilson, a justice of the peace. Zilphia was a daughter of William C. and Christena Winfrey of Kentucky and Ohio, respectively. Zilphia was born in Miller County in June 1865 and was 16 years old when she married Moses.
Moses and Zilphia were parents of six children including:
1. Anthony Cordell Martin b. Jan 1883 m. Vernetta Wyrick
2. George Carroll Martin b. Apr 1885 m. Ollie S. Colvin
3. Ida Martin b. Mar 1888 m. C. O. Robinson
4. Viola Martin 1890-1891
5. Livonia Martin b. Feb 1892 m. K. P. King
6. William C. Martin b. Apr 1895 m. Edna Neal
In 1887, Moses and Zilphia became members of a Baptist church that was located at Gott Graveyard but later transferred to the Ulman Methodist Church. He and Zilphia are both buried at Gott Cemetery.
Moses G. Martin 22 Dec 1860-10 Oct 1928
Zilphia F. Martin 12 Jun 1865-16 Jan 1957
The Martin's family history has been traced back several generations to another Moses Martin, born circa 1760 in Surry County, North Carolina, and his wife, Anna Heath, also born in North Carolina. The name Moses was handed down through four generations of the Martin family.

Iberia Mill & Electric Light Company
by Peggy Smith Hake
In early 1908, the Iberia Mill and Electric Light Company was organized. On January 20, 1908, Articles of Agreement were drawn up at Iberia by a Board of Directors. They began the old mill and electric company with a capital stock of $9,000 which included 90 shares with the value of $100 each.
The Board of Directors included Charles W. Farnham, president; John L. Irwin, vice president; Frank Topping, secretary; John S. Casey, treasurer; Miles J. Davidson, David P. Farnham, and William A. von Gremp, members.
The shareholders who purchased the shares at $100 each were the following:
SHAREHOLDERS NO. OF SHARES PURCHASED
Miles J. Davidson 10
Wm. A. von Gremp 10
John S. Casey 10
Frank Topping 10
John L. Irwin 10
William L. Farnham 10
Charles W. Farnham 10
James A. Eads 10
William H. Irwin 3
David P. Farnham 2 1/2
George A. Mace 2 1/2
Lewis F. Atwell 1
William T. Hedges 1
The "Articles of Agreement" were filed for record at the Miller County courthouse on January 30, 1908 by W. M. Bear, Deputy Recorder for Charles E. Howell, Recorder of Deeds.
The land on which the mill and electric light company was built was owned by Miles and Electa Davidson and included Lots 1, 2, 3, and 4 in Block 3 of Lombar's Second Addition to the Original Town of Iberia. The mill faced Thompson Street on the west and Benage Street on the south and was directly behind the old four-room elementary school. Water was piped into the old mill building from a large spring that was directly east of the mill.
The building has been gone now for many years but I remember the old structure, which was huge and deserted, standing there in the early 1940s when I was attending the Iberia elementary school.

ISAAC DARNEAL ROWDEN
by Peggy Smith Hake
Isaac Darneal Rowden was born in Illinois on July 22, 1841. He was a son of Nathaniel Rowden and his fourth wife, Anna McKinney Dennis. Nathaniel and Anna married in Greene Co., ILL in 1836. She was the widow of William Dennis and a daughter of Abraham and Mary McKinney.
Isaac’s paternal grandparents were Abraham and Rachel (Cheek) Rowden, early pioneers of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Isaac came to Central Missouri with his parents sometime after 1841 where other members of the Rowden family had also settled. The land where the Rowdens homesteaded was in eastern Miller County and western Maries County, so these families are found in census records in both counties. The Rowden’s family history has been researched very thoroughly and extends back many generations to Colonial Virginia and even earlier to 17th century England.
Isaac Darneal Rowden married Caroline L. Clark in Miller County on 7 November 1865. Caroline was born in Miller County 4 October 1846 and was a daughter of Alexander Clark and Minerva Davidson-Myers. Her maternal grandparents were John P. ‘Hoppin’ and Elizabeth (Farmber) Clark and her maternal grandparents were William O. and Rhoda (Boyd) Davidson, all who came to Miller County in the mid 1830s from Greenup County, Kentucky.
NOTE: It seems that no matter whom I research for my articles, I have some connection to at least one family. While compiling this article, I found I have ancestral ties to the Rowdens, Clarks, and Boyds...............
During the Civil War, Isaac enlisted into military service and served as a private in Co. K of the 12th Missouri Cavalry during 1863-1865. He was wounded during this time and was released from duty, but he re-enlisted and served “with conspicous bravery”, per his obituary. In some of his military records, it says he suffered from deafness in his right ear so evidently this was an injury he obtained while fighting in the war. Other Miller County men who fought with Isaac in Co. K of the 12th MO Cavalry were Silas Capps, John A. Setser, John Schubert, and Greenville Boyd.
Isaac and Caroline married after he returned from the Civil War and by 1870, they were living in Miller County in eastern Osage township. Some of the neighbors were the families of Clark, Boyd, Cross, Davidson, Hamilton, Ahart, Humphrey, and Whalen. In their home were three young children: Jacob, Minerva, and Mary Agnes. Ten more children would be born by 1891.
In 1880, Isaac and Caroline had moved to Maries County and were living in Miller township (near the Miller County line). Their neighbors there were the Healeys, Blankenships, Clarks, Palmers, Hickeys, Bransons, Lawsons, Claytons, and Rowdens.
The children of Isaac and Caroline (Clark) Rowden were: JACOB H. ROWDEN 1866-1881; MINERVA A. ROWDEN b. 1868 m. William Boyd; MARY AGNES ROWDEN b. 1870 m. James R. Goff; ADDIE GERTRUDE ROWDEN 1872-1890; ISAAC ELMER ROWDEN 1873-1963 m. Arizona Workman; FRANCIS MARION ROWDEN 1876-1916; GEORGE WASHINGTON ROWDEN 1879-1958 m. Leffa Snyder; ISABELL ROWDEN 1882-1883; DAISY M. ROWDEN 1884-1884; PEARL ROWDEN b. 1885 m. Carroll Stevens; BESSIE H. ROWDEN b. 1888 m. James M. Hardin; DESSIE M. ROWDEN b. 1888 (twin to Bessie) m. Lewis M. Tidwell; and OLIVE MAUDE ROWDEN b. 1891 m. Rufus Ray Crum.
Sometime before the turn of the 20th century, Isaac, Caroline, and their children left Missouri and first traveled to Lincoln County, OK where they stayed for a short time. They decided to go to the Northwest and traveled to Idaho, first locating near the Slickpoo Indian Mission in Asotin County. They also lived in Nez Perce County and about 1919, moved to Lewiston, Idaho near the Washington state line. It was in Lewiston that Isaac died on September 9, 1926 at the age of 85 years. He had suffered a paralytic stroke ten months earlier and never recovered. He was survived by his aged wife, to whom he had been married almost 61 years, 8 children, 32 grandchildren and 17 great grandchildren. Caroline (Clark) Rowden lived until February 4, 1929 when she died at the age of 83 years.
NOTE: In 1992, I heard from a great granddaughter of Isaac and Caroline Rowden. She lives in Pasco, Washington and wrote me a wonderful letter about her grandfather, George Washington Rowden, oldest son of Isaac and Caroline. About 1982, she went back to Idaho to visit the old homestead of her great grandparents, accompanied by her mother and sister. The farmhouse was gone, but parts of the chimney and foundation remained. She said, “The yellow ‘homestead rose’ that Isaac and Caroline had planted by the door was in full, glorious bloom”. The old barn was still standing. The farm was located on the Little Mission creek near the Slickpoo Mission of the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. I am sure their visit to the family’s pioneer homestead rekindled some wonderful old memories for the granddaughter and great granddaughter of Isaac and Caroline Rowden!

Fair Play (River Town)
by Peggy Smith Hake
The Osage River has played a very important part in the history and development of Miller County. When the first pioneers came into the area there were only old trails that had been used by the Indian tribes who lived and roamed the hills, valleys, and prairies of the county. The river was navigated by canoes and flatboats and eventually riverboats, which carried people, animals, supplies, and equipment up and down its waters. As settlers began to move into the area, these rivers had to be forded to settle outward in all directions.....everyone who came into Miller County could not settle along the river banks. The expansion had to go both north and south of the river.
Small settlements were established along the banks of the Osage and ferry boats were used to get the people from one side to the other. According to the county’s recorded history, the first ferry was built in the early 1830s just above where Bagnell Dam is now located in Franklin township. The second ferry was established at Brockman Ford, downriver from the first one..........The third ferry was located at the “the western ending of the Old Blue Tail trail, owned by T. O. and T. G. Witten”. I am not sure where the ‘old Blue Tail’ trail was located in Miller County.
The fourth ferry was established at Harrison’s Landing (today’s Tuscumbia) in the mid 1830s. This old settlement was a trading post built and operated by John B. and James P. Harrison, brothers who came from Phelps County, Missouri........The fifth ferry was established in Jim Henry township about 1839 on the west side of the Osage on land owned by John S. Witten. It was given the name Fair Play and was a frontier settlement with a storehouse and a ferry crossing.
I have been asked to write something about Fair Play. Some inquiries about the early settlement appeared on the Internet and I was contacted to see if I had any information about Fair Play....Actually, I did not know anything about its history other than knowing it had been an early-day river settlement. I always enjoy researching new material for a story................
On December 8, 1839, J.H.C. Branham and Jarrett Medlin formed a mercantile firm called “JHC Branham and Company” and they opened a store at a place eventually known as Fair Play. It lay on the west side of the Osage River in Jim Henry township. Today the location would be east of Marys Home and west of St. Elizabeth.......There was an old pioneer road/trail that led from Iberia in Richwoods township northward to the Osage River with a crossing near the old Fair Play landing. It ran on north through Jim Henry township and entered Cole County.
Some of the early settlers who lived in the area were the families of Witten, Jenkins, McCarty, Denton, Coggburn, Hoskins, Farley, Allen, Berry, Williams, Robbins, and Riggs.
In 1850, John F. Atkisson, a merchant from Warsaw, Benton Co., Missouri, opened a store at Fair Play. Others who operated stores at the old river town were Wilburn Robbins, Green B. Coggburn, John G. Witten, Dr. Charles Otto Curtman, James Z. Williams and Charles Ingram........In 1853, John Witten was fined $20 by the Miller County Court for operating an unlicensed ferry at the Fair Play river crossing.
In the Spring of 1857, James Z. Williams and Charles Ingram entered into a partnership back in Livingston County, Kentucky and by June that year, they had come to Miller county to “Witten’s Ferry” at Fair Play. They bought a one-acre plot of land near the river and built a storehouse and three small houses for their families. Some trouble arose between the partners and by 1860, their mercantile business went broke.....Everything on the one-acre lot was sold by the Miller County sheriff to settle their debts. It was stated by folks living near the old river settlement that “all merchants at Fair Play went broke!”...........
Dr. Charles Otto Curtman, a German immigrant from Giessen, Hesse Darmstadt, Germany, came to Miller County in the early 1850s and settled east of the river, across from Fair Play. He built a storehouse on the east side of the Osage and also began a medical practice. Dr. Curtman had graduated from the Berlin University with credentials of a physician and a chemist. In 1852, Dr. Curtman married Sarah Boyd, daughter of James and Ruth (Clark) Boyd, natives of Greenup County, Kentucky. They were early settlers of the Big Tavern Creek country, south of the Osage River. Sarah died in 1857 and in 1858, Dr. Curtman married Elizabeth Jane Wilson of Maries County. At the beginning of the Civil War, the Curtmans moved to St. Louis where they remained the rest of their lives. Evidently his storehouse, across the river from Fair Play, was never used again after he left the county.
On an old map of Miller County, dated 1862, Fair Play is still shown as a town on the Osage, but I imagine by that time it had begun its demise as a flourishing river settlement. In 1862, Jacob Capps began a ferry service at the site where an old road led to the river. It began at Iberia and went northward to Hickory Hill in Cole County. I imagine this was the beginning of Capps Landing near the mouth of Humphrey’s Creek where its waters emptied into the Osage.
The Old St. Elizabeth ferry was begun in 1872 by David Jenkins and began operation at that site.........Fair Play was located between Capps Landing and Old St. Elizabeth, so I believe with the bad luck that seemed to hound merchants at Fair Play and two new ferry services established in the same area, the old, historical river settlement known as Fair Play, just disappeared and never was rebuilt.
NOTE: One source states there was mail service at Fair Play but according to the book, MISSOURI POST OFFICES 1804-1981 by Robert G. Schultz, there is no mention given of a post office ever existing at Fair Play during the 3 decades it was in existence.

Andrew L. Benage

Andrew L. Benage was born in Union County, Pennsylvania in February 1844. He was a son of John Benage and his first wife (name not found). John was also a native of Union County and was born there 3 August 1804. John and his first wife were parents of several children including: MARTHA A. BENAGE m. Charles Guger/Getgen (they later moved to Butler County, Iowa); MARY C. BENAGE 1834-1891 (never married); JOHN WALLS BENAGE 1839-1893 (never married); ANDREW L. BENAGE 1844-1932 m. Margaret J.______; REBECCA BENAGE 1845-1899 (never married); and MARGARET J. BENAGE 1848-1896 (never married).
Sometime before John Benage came to Miller County, which was prior to the Civil War, he married Elizabeth M. Irland, a widow with three daughters. They came to the Big Richwoods and settled near Iberia. In the 1860 census, John, Elizabeth, and his children were living together and her daughters (Cornelia and Mary) lived on the adjoining farm. Her children were: Cornelia Irland b. c/1840 m. Nicholas Long 1861; Mary L. Irland b. c/1845; and Martha/Mattie Irland. Martha/Mattie did not appear in the 1860 census so she may have married back in Pennsylvania and remained there.
Elizabeth Ireland-Benage acquired 420 acres of land when they came to the county. That land today includes the present site of the old Eads airport, Rekus Funeral Home, Assembly of God Church, First Baptist Church, Pendleton Acres, part of the Kleo Robertson land, and part of the James Burks property.
At the age of 45 years, in 1863, Elizabeth died and her land was passed on to her three daughters. Her will and probate information is on file in Miller County probate records. Her three daughters were named as her heirs (Cornelia Irland Long, Mary L. Irland, and Martha E. Irland). They were given all her land, her personal property and family heirlooms. Cornelia Irland, who married Nicholas Long in 1861, died in 1866 and left him with 3 small children to rear. The other two daughters, Mary and Martha, do not appear in the 1870 census, so I tend to believe they may have returned back to their home in Union County, Pennsylvania.
John Benage applied for a land grant in January 1859, which contained 40 acres. This land and other Benage land was situated about 2 miles south of Iberia. I believe some of the Benage descendants are living on this land today.
Andrew L. Benage and his older sister, Martha, were the only children of John Benage to marry. Andrew was able to pass the family name on to his six children and his sons carried the name on to later generations. In January, 1872, Andrew married a girl named Margaret. I have not been able to find a record of their marriage in Miller County, so they either married in another county or I overlooked it in my search. They became parents to the following: ERNEST E. BENAGE 1872-1949 m. Cora M. Mace in 1898; JOHN L. BENAGE b. 1874 m. Ethel G. Harrison; OTTO BENAGE b. 1876 m._______; FREDERICK BENAGE b. 1878 m. 1-Hester Bear 2-Nellie Muth; ALICE MAUDE BENAGE b. 1884 m. William Bear; and SYLVIA MAE BENAGE b. 1891 m. Dr. John O. Bradshaw.
All six children of Andrew and Cora (Mace) Benage were graduates of the Iberia Academy. Ernest graduated in 1894, the second student to graduate from the old school. In 1895, Fred, John, and Otto graduated together; Maude in 1904; and Sylvia in 1909. John and Otto Benage became doctors and practiced medicine in Laclede County, MO. Fred moved to Oklahoma and the two daughters, Maude (Bradshaw) and Sylvia (Bear) lived in southwest Missouri.
Andrew Benage was an influential businessman in the Iberia area for a number of years and then moved to Lebanon, Laclede Co., MO where he died on May 30, 1932 at the age of 88 years. He had served with the Union Army in the Civil War and remained active in the G.A.R. Posts at both Iberia and Lebanon. He died on Memorial Day in 1932 while his G.A.R. comrades were honoring departed soldiers at the Lebanon cemetery.
He was survived by his aged wife, Margaret, with whom he had celebrated 50 years of marriage in January 1932. He was also survived by four sons, and two daughters. Andrew’s funeral services and his burial were held in Lebanon.
ADDENDUM TO THE BENAGE STORY:
The Benage family were among several Pennsylvanians who came to Miller County and settled in the Big Richwoods including the families of Tallman, Brown, Moore, Getgen, Noyes, Lahr, Groff, Heltzell, Irwin, Farnham, Hedges, Newhart, and Johnston. Some remained, some moved on.
During the Civil War, the Benages and other Pennyslyvanias, were threatened and harassed by the Confederate troops in the area. Being from a northern state and voting for Republican Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 elections, they were prime targets of the Confederate forces roaming in Miller County.
The southern sympathizers went to the farm of John Benage, south of Iberia, but John had already taken his family, some of his livestock, food supplies, and some equipment to a safe place and was gone for 2 months in hiding. While gone, he lost his corn crop and 15 acres of wheat, which was ready to be harvested. Later, in October 1861, the Confederates came back to his farm and the farm of his son, Andrew, and threatened the life of John and his family again. They destroyed the Benage’s home furnishings, carried away kitchen equipment, clothing, cornmeal, breads, and meats that were preserved for the winter ahead. They stole his guns, powder, powder horns, and ammunition.......They took his horses, wagon, saddles, bridles, and the grain from his barn. Still not satisfied with the damage that had been done, they set fire to his hay and wheat stacks......Needless to say, the Benage family was left destitute but with their lives intact.
Getting through the Civil War times for these Pennsylvania families was a real heartache and quite a challenge, but they did survive and their descendants are still living in Miller County, over 140 years later..............