This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DNB.2ACI/167.247.1.2.1 Message Board Post: Part of this sounds like I have the same relative, Kate Andrews. Her mother was Fanny, and Father Joseph Matthhew, Kate as she was called (Catherine Elizabeth) was my grandfathers sister, lived in Macon at her death, but had taught school in Moberly, she could have been involved in her mothers will.

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Graves, Walker, Reynolds Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DNB.2ACI/440 Message Board Post: General History of Macon County Missouri: 1910 Henry Taylor & Co., Chicago, IL pp. 848-850. George Reynolds--This prominent, public-spirited and progressive citizen an prosperous farmer of Middlefork township, Macon county, was born in the neighboring county of Shelby on December 25, 1845, and is a son of Kentucky parentage, his parents and all his grandparents having been born and lived in the Blue Grass state. His paternal grandfather, George Reynolds, was one of the early settlers in what is now Shelby county, and also lived for a number of years in Macon county. Mr. Reynolds is a son of George Madison and Elizabeth (Raney) Reynolds, who emigrated from their native state to Missouri about the year 1838 and located in Shelby county. The father was born in 1821. He was therefore but seventeen years old when he became a resident of this state. His school days were over when he came hither, and they would have been if he had not ended them before. For the exacting conditions on the frontier, as this portion of Missouri was then, required that every available force be put to work in breaking up the land, making necessary improvements and finding a living for the household whose members were engaged in this arduous but promising task. Mr. Reynolds was large and old enough to do a man's portion of the toil, and he was often forced by the exigencies of the situation to do more. He gave himself resolutely to the performance of the duties before him, and passed the remainder of his days farming in Shelby county, first on his father's far! m and later on his own ending a busy and useful life in 1885 on the land he helped to redeem from the wilderness and make over into a comfortable home. In his ventures Mr. Reynolds was successful, foraging steadily ahead in a worldly way until he became the owner of 400 acres of highly fertile land with good buildings and other improvements plentifully bestowed upon it, and winning his way in the regard and good will of the people around him until he was universally esteemed. He was married in 1843 to Miss Elizabeth Raney, a native of Pulaski County, Kentucky as he was of Lincoln county in that state. Of the twelve children born to them seven are living: George the immediate subject of this article; Sarah Frances, the wife of J.H. Hughes, of Wright county, Missouri; William, who lives in Randolph county; John D, whose home is in Macon county; Clemency, the wife of R. G. Heron , of Bevier, Macon county; Eben, a prosperous citizen of the new state of Oklahoma; and Elizabeth, the wife of James Heron, who is now living in Shelby county. The father was a life-long member of the Democratic party in political allegiance and a B! aptist in church relations. George Reynolds, the third of the family to bear the name in direct and immediate descent, was educated at the Liberty school in Shelby county and grew to manhood in that county. He remained there until 1876, when he attained his majority and took up the burden of life for himself. He had acquired a thorough knowledge of farming on his father's farm, and he chose the occupation of his forefathers for generations as his own. Coming to Macon county in 1876, he at once turned his attention to farming and raising stock, and to those lines of industry he has steadfastly adhered during all his subsequent year in spite of all temptations to take up and follow others which promised more considerable immediate returns. He now owns 135 acres of land, his farm, which is all under cultivation, being considered one of the best and most desirable in the township of Middlefork. Mr. Reynolds has given close, and constant and careful attention to his agricultural and live stock interests, but he has not allowed them to absorb the whole of his time and energy. He has taken an active and leading part in local public affairs and performed his whole duty in the service of his township and its people. He served as a justice of the peace from 1882 to 1894, clerked in a general store in Woodville three years, and was diligently employed as road overseer for fifteen years. In all these positions he was faithful and zealous, and the people who have had the benefit of his services in them have naught but praise for the manner in which he has always discharged every duty, whether it was in business or official station, in public or in private life. On April 17, 1873, he was united in marriage with Miss Ollie Albright, a daughter of J. M. and Ann Albright, well known and highly respected citizens of Macon county. Of the seven children born of this union three have died. The four living are: James M. and John N., who live in Macon county; Edgar, whose home is in Oklahoma; and Porter, who is a prominent business man in Hannibal, Missouri. The father has always taken a very active part in politics as a Democrat, rendering his party good service and helping it to win many victories in the county and state. In religious affiliations he is connected by membership with the Holiness church, in which he is also a zealous and effective worker. His thirty-three years of residence and useful and productive labor in Macon county have not been devoid of excellent results. he has acquired a competency for himself and aided materially in building up and improving the county. In private and in public life he has been a stimulating! example to the young, a companion and help to the mature and a comfort to the aged, and all alike hold him in the highest esteem. General History of Macon County Missouri: 1910 Henry Taylor & Co., Chicago, IL pp. 838-839. Lysander Lee Graves--Born, reared, educated and married in Middlefork township, Macon county, in which he has expended all the energies of his life from his birth to the present time, Lysander Lee Graves is wholly a product of that township and a worthy representative of its people. He is one of the intelligent and energetic farmers of the county, and exhibits their salient characteristics of industry and thrift in his business as he shows their public spirit, progressiveness and breadth of view in his citizenship. Mr. Graves was born in Middlefork township, this county, on March 9, 1866, and is a son of William R. and Permelia (Reynolds) Graves. He is a brother of Robert M. Graves of the same township in a sketch of whom, elsewhere in this work, a brief history of the parents will be found. Lysander L. Graves has shown himself to be worthy of his ancestry and a fine exemplar of the sterling traits of characters and manhood for which they were distinguished. Like other of his day and locality, Mr. Graves obtained his education in the country schools near his father’s home and worked on the parental farm while getting it. He remained at home until 1890, assisting his father in the work of the homestead and laying up what he could save of his earnings as a part of his equipment for the battle of life when the time should come for him to take it up for himself. This he did until 1890, when he bought eighty acres of land and began farming on his own account. He has conducted his operations with great enterprise and skill, farming intelligently and progressively and managing his business with shrewdness and careful attention to its every detail, and he has been very successful. He now owns 480 acres and has most of it under cultivation and yielding abundant returns for the labor and care he bestows upon it. Mr. Graves was married on February 27, 1890, to Miss Tena Mayers, a native of this county and a daughter of A.T.H. and Minerva (Rowland) Mayers, who are well known and highly esteemed throughout the county. Six children have been born of the union, but only four are living. They are two sons, William A., and two daughters, Gertrude, Beulah, and Homer Lee, all of whom are still abiding with their parents. The head of the house is a zealous, loyal and active Democrat in politics, at all times eager for the success of his party and doing all he can to bring victory to its banners. He has also been active and serviceable to the community in ways not directly political, having served with credit to himself and benefit to the township as school director, and taken a cordial and effective interest in every commendable enterprise for the advancement and improvement of the country all around his and the promotion of all its productive activities. He is prominent in the public, b! usiness and social life of the township, and richly deserves all the encomiums that have been passed upon him as a farmer and a citizen, and they are many, for he is universally esteemed. General History of Macon County Missouri: 1910 Henry Taylor & Co., Chicago, IL pp. 842-844. Robert Madison Graves--The nineteenth century was very near its meridian in time when Robert Madison Graves, of Middlefork township, Macon county, was born in the locality of his present residence on April l, 1849. He has witnessed all of its subsequent splendor of development, progress and achievement, and in his own way and location has done his part towards all that has been accomplished, giving his aid at all times to every worthy undertaking for the improvement of his township, which was the place of his nativity and has always been his home, and doing all in his power to advance the interests of its people. Mr. Graves is of North Carolina ancestry on his father’s side, his grandfather, Thomas Graves, having been born and reared in that state. His father William R. Graves, the son of Thomas, was born in Pulaski County, Kentucky, on December 12, 1822, and became a resident of Macon county in this state when he was a boy of sixteen, coming hither in 1838. He took up a tract of government land, but soon afterward sold his claim. He then bought a tract of 160 acres. True, the country was new and unpeopled, and all the advance of the white race were still stubbornly resisted by the Indians. The forests and plains were still the roving grounds of wild beasts, which were all too willing to levy on the fruits of systematic industry and even human life itself for their subsistence. Danger lurked in every shadow and every day was fraught with peril. The common necessaries of existence were hard to get and the luxuries were altogether unattainable. But Mr. Graves met all th! e conditions of his frontier life with lofty courage, cheerful endurance and a resolute determination to build and prosper where he had stuck his stake. Having started farming in the wilderness, he never faltered in his purpose, but kept on improving his land and enlarging his operations until, as has been shown, he became one of the most extensive landholders in the county. He raised considerable numbers of cattle and other live stock and fed a great many for the markets every year, and this industry was one of the principal factors in building up his fortune. As a pioneer settler and a man of capacity, breadth of view and progressiveness, he was called on to take an active part in the early government of the township and county, and had a large share in getting started in municipal life and laying the foundations of their civil institutions and their present prosperity and greatness. He rose to commanding influence in the county, and when he died on June 20, 1898, was one of the most prominent citizens of northeastern Missouri. In 1845 he was married to Miss Permelia Reynolds, a native of Macon county, who died in 1869. They became the parents of thirteen children, three of whom have passed away. Those living are: Ursula Jane, the wife of J.J. Richardson; Robert M., the interesting theme of this article; Mary D., the wife of R. H. Walker; Hiram N., who lives in Macon City; James F.; William G.; Sarah, the wife of William Richardson; Isabelle, widow of James Rowe; Catherine, the wife of John Tooley; and Lysander Lee. They ar! e all residents of this county, and in their several spheres are accounted as being among the most progressive, representative and useful citizens of the section of the state in which they live. In politics the father was a prominent and influential Democrat, and in religion a leading and hard working member of the Christian church. Robert M. Graves is literally a child of the frontier and the product of its conditions. He obtained his education in the district schools in the neighborhood of his father’s farm, which he attended irregularly during the winter months for a few years, all the while assisting in the labors of the farm, which in that day formed the first requirement for everybody. At the best his gleanings from this field of small production would have been slender but he was not allowed to get all even it might have furnished. The Civil War broke out in the midst of his school days, ant that great sectional contest so disturbed the social, civil and business institutions of this part of the state that almost everything was at a standstill during its continuance. The warfare waged in and around this section was of a predatory nature, and it required the utmost vigilance on the part of the farmers to save what they had from the foragers of both sides to the controversy. Mr. Graves ! remained at home, partially to help in taking care of the property and carrying on the work and partially because it was dangerous for anyone to be on the highways much of the time. He lived with his parents until 1873, when he married and moved into a home of his own. Since then he has been continuously and very actively engaged in farming and raising stock, and in all his operations he has been eminently successful. He began with a farm of 200 acres, which he bought on time, and he now owns 600 owns, 500 of which are under cultivation and highly productive. Mr. Graves has not only been successful in business and in developing and promoting his own welfare, but he has also taken an active and helpful interest in the prosperity and progress of the township and county, and done all he could to advance their interests along lines of wholesome development. He has served the public well and wisely as constable, justice of the peace and school director officially, and by his example and influence has inspired an kept at work the spirit of progress in others, stimulating them to exertion and directing their force to worthy and profitable results. On January 9, 1873, Mr. Graves was united in marriage with Miss Flora A. Sage, a daughter of James and Sarah (Jett) Sage, natives of Kentucky and pioneers of Missouri, now living in Macon county, where they have long resided. Mr. and Mrs. Graves have had six children, three of whom have died. Those living are Philip M., a prosperous farmer in this county, and Grace and Emory, who are still living with their parents on the family homestead. The father is a very active, hard working Democrat, influential in his party and regarded as on of its wisest and most judicious leaders. He and his wife and all the children are members of the Christian church and are among the most energetic and effective workers in the congregation to which they belong. The family stands well socially and is regarded as one of the most useful, representative and estimable in the county, dignifying and adorning life, both public and private, official, social and religious, and bearing well its part ! in the performance of duty and in service to the community whatever may be the line of endeavor that requires attention and the force of action and example. General History of Macon County Missouri: 1910 Henry Taylor & Co., Chicago, IL pp. 833-835. George W. Graves—One of the oldest residents of Macon county and one of the early arrivals in this section from the country farther east, George W. Graves has witnessed the growth of the section from a primeval wilderness to its present state of progress and high development, and has contributed his full share of the labor required to bring about the gratifying change. He also bore his full share of the burden of pioneer life and risked all the hazards of the frontier, becoming familiar with them in boyhood when they were numerous and at all times imminent, and seeing them gradually removed through the onward march of civilization. Mr. Graves was born in Pulaski county, Kentucky, on October 12,1829, and came to this county with his mother in 1838, when he was but nine years old. He is a grandson of Robert Graves, a prominent citizen of the county of his nativity, and the son of Jessie and Celia (Graves) Graves, and the only survivor of their eight children. His parents were born, reared, and married in Kentucky, Pulaski county, and there the father passed the whole of his life as an industrious and well-to-do farmer. After his death the mother brought the two sons she had to Missouri and located in Macon county. Here the sons grew to manhood and obtained their education in the district schools, or rather in the subscription schools of the neighborhood, as they were in those early days. While attending school and after leaving the shrine of Cadmus George w. worked on farms and assisted his mother remaining with her until 1850. In that year he took up eighty acres of government land, on which he ha! s been actively and extensively engaged in farming and raising live stock ever since. Mr. Graves has given his farm his closest attention from the start and prospered in working it. He has increased it to 120 acres, all of which he cultivates with industry and skill, getting large returns for his intelligent labor and raising the value of his property by steady increased from year to year. He is a student of his business and applies with judgment and profit what he learns by reading and observation, keeping himself abreast of the most advanced thought in agricultural pursuits, and disseminating his acquisitions on the subject among his friends and neighbors by his example and the results of his experiments. On January 12, 1850, Mr. Graves was married to Miss Louisa Moss, a native of Macon county and daughter of Carl and Mary Moss, prosperous and esteemed farmers of that county. By this union they became parents of four children all of whom are living and residents of Macon county. They are: Francis Marion, Martha Ann, the wife of John Bohannon; John A.; and Mary P., the wife of John Whiles. In politics the father has been a life-long Democrat, always loyal to his party and zealous in its service, firmly attached to its principles and feeling it to be his duty to do all he could to have them prevail in the government of the country. He is now fourscore years of age and over, and has passed nearly three-quarters of a century in Macon county. He is a venerable link connecting the dawn of the county’s history with its present noonday splendor of development and power, and is revered by the people accordingly, as he is, also for his sterling worth, his usefulness in th! e past in promoting the welfare of the township and county, and his upright and elevated citizenship. Macon county has no better man among her people and none who is held in more general good will and esteem. His life is an inspiration to endeavor and his character is well worthy of imitation by all who strive after lofty ideals. General History of Macon County Missouri: 1910 Henry Taylor & Co., Chicago, IL pp 836-838. John Tooley--In the case of John Tooley, one of the prominent, enterprising and successful farmers of Middlefork township, Macon county, desire and duty, the positive and negative poles of our being, have worked harmoniously and enabled him to pursue, in the main, the vocation he wished and win the results he sought. He has tried his hand at various occupations, but never had to be driven to any, and found enjoyment and profit in all. The experience has given him breadth of view and self knowledge, and each pursuit has helped to make him more capable for the next. Mr. Tooley is a native of this county and was born on July 7, 1860. He is a son of Stephen and Louisa E. (Walker) Tooley, the former bon in Shelby county, Kentucky, and the latter in Macon county, Missouri. The father’s life began in 1829, and he came to Missouri in the fifties, locating in Macon county. Here he was busily occupied in general farming until 1868, when he moved to Clarence in Shelby county and became a dealer in tobacco, buying and selling extensively, making large shipments to the eastern markets and supplying a considerable local trade. He built the first tobacco barn in Clarence and continued his operations in handling the staple article of merchandise of almost universal use which claimed his attention until 1872. He then saw better opportunities for profit and advancement in handling live stock, and he turned his attention to the commodity, in which he dealt actively until 1893. He then moved to this county, and retiring from business, has m! ade his home with his son John ever since. For a quarter of a century he was interested in general merchandising at Clarence being for a time a member of the firm of Chinn, Tooley and Company and afterward of that of Tooley and Bishop. Mr. Tooley ‘s parents were married in 1856. His mother’s maiden name was Louisa E. Walker, and she was a daughter of Isham M. Walker, one of the revered pioneers of Macon county, a brief account of whose useful life will be found elsewhere in this work. Of the seven children born of the union only two are living, John and his sister Nannie, who is the wife of Thomas Boulware of Louisville, Kentucky. In politics the father has always been an energetic and loyal Democrat, interested in the triumph of his party and on all occasions doing what he could to make it victorious. His business career is greatly to his credit and gave him high rank in mercantile circles, and his elevated citizenship touching all the relations of life has won him the respect and regard of all classes of the people. John Tooley’s education was limited to what he could get in the curriculum of the district schools in Shelby and Macon counties, except what he learned in the stern but thorough school of experience. When he finished his scholastic studies he went to California, where he remained until 1885, doing whatever he found to do, and doing everything as well as he could. He mined some, helped to build bridges, and found profitable employment in other lines of endeavor, being always willing to perform any labor that was at hand and making the most he could of it. In 1885 he returned to Macon county and bought eighty acres of land, the nucleus of his present farm of 330 acres, and here he has been vigorously, diligently and successfully engaged in farming and raising live-stock ever since. He is enterprising and prosperous, and occupies a position of prominence and influence in the civil and social life of the township and county. He has given close and intelligent attent! ion to the needs of the section of the state in which he lives, and his service in promoting its advancement are highly appreciated by all its people. Mr. Tooley was married on November 27, 1888, to Miss Catherine Graves, a native of Macon county and a daughter of William R. and Permelia (Reynolds) Graves, an account of whose lives appear on another page of this volume. The union has resulted in five children all of whom are living and still at home with their parents. They are Lulu, Riley, Marie, Eva, and Isham. The father takes an active part in local politics as a Democrat firm in the faith and of unwavering loyalty to his party. In its behalf he exerts himself with energy and effectiveness, and is known throughout the county as one of the men of influence in his township whose counsel is warmly welcomed and whose services are highly esteemed in the county organization and all the undertakings of the party. He and his wife are zealous and devoted member of the Christian church and earnest and energetic workers in its behalf. General History of Macon County Missouri: 1910 Henry Taylor & Co., Chicago, IL pp 839-841. William Green Graves—Among the enterprising and successful farmers and business men of Middlefork township, Macon county, William Green graves holds a high rank. In everything he has undertaken he has shown ability, intelligence and progressiveness of a high order, and has so far made every day of his activity count to his advantage and advancement. In his farming operations he has been and is eminently successful, and for the short period of his experience as a merchant he is able to show good returns both as a man of business and in the favorable impression he made on the business world around him and the scene of his enterprise. Mr. Graves was born in the township in which he now lives on April 3, 1864. He is a son of William R. and Permelia (Reynolds) Graves, a brief account of whose lives will be found in a sketch of his brother, Robert M. Graves, elsewhere in this work. William G. Graves obtained his education in the district schools of Macon county, working on his father’s farm while attending them, and preparing himself by both study and experience in practical industry for the battle of life that was before him. He remained at home with his parents until 1892, when he and his brother, Hiram N. Graves, a sketch of whom appears on another page, formed a partnership and bought a general store at Woodville, in which was then located the postoffice at that place, and during the next five years they conducted a flourishing and profitable business under the firm name of Graves Brothers. They handled general merchandise and had a considerable trade, meeting the requirements of the locality! in the extent and variety of their stock and making a friend of every patron by the upright and square manner in which they dealt with all comers. In December 1897, after Mr. Graves has sold his interest in the store at Woodville to his brother and lived for some months on the Hogan farm, which he rented for one year, he and his brother-in-law, John W. Tooley, bought out the other heirs of the William R. Graves estate and on 400 acres of the land belonging to the prior to their purchase Mr. Graves settled down to farming as a permanent occupation, determined to give his whole attention to the management, development, and improvement of his property and the operations properly growing out of it. Since that time he has been continuously and extensively engaged in agricultural pursuits and raising live-stock for the markets on a large scale. He has been very enterprising and far-seeing, has applied intelligence and energy to his work, and has had his eyes open and his faculties ready to take advantage of any opportunity he might find to improve his condition and accelerate his progress. Studious of his business and look! ing to all its details with sleepless vigilance, he has made it prosperous in a high degree, and risen to the first rank among the farmers of Macon county. Mr. Graves has also taken an active and intelligent interest in local public affairs and lent himself willingly, zealously, and effectively to all undertakings for the improvement of the township and county and promoting the lasting welfare of their people. He served wisely and efficiently as school director, and in many other ways has given the people the benefit of his intelligence, progressiveness and breadth of view. In politics he is an active working Democrat, with good judgment as an adviser and indomitable energy as a worker in behalf of his party, and his services to it are highly appreciated by both its leaders and its rank and file. On March 5, 1895, Mr. Graves was united in marriage with Miss Eva Haley, a daughter of James and Sarah (Wedding) Hales, prominent residents of Randolph county in this state. The four children born of this union are all living and all still at home with their parents. They are Hettie, Opal, William G., Jr., and J. T. and are now seeking to acquire good educations and prepare themselves to take their parents’ places in the general esteem and good will of the people and carry the family name to farther conquests in business life and keep up the excellent reputation it has socially and in every other way. The family home is one of the pleasant and popular resorts for elevated social enjoyment in the township, and is a center of refined and gracious hospitality. Wherever they are known Mr. and Mrs. Graves are held in highest esteem. General History of Macon County Missouri: 1910 Henry Taylor & Co., Chicago, IL pp 841-842 Hiram M. Reynolds—This prominent and prosperous farmer and leading citizen of Middlefork township, in this county, is a brother of Ebenezer E. Reynolds, a sketch of whom will be found on another page of this work, which contains the family history at some length. Mr. Reynolds was born in Randolph county, Missouri, on December 20, 1836, and is a son of George and Sarah (Skidmore) Reynolds, the former a native of Georgia and the latter of Kentucky. They came to Missouri in the very early days, being pioneers in the state, and passed the remainder of their days here. Hiram M. Reynolds obtained his education in the district schools of Shelby county, where he passed his boyhood and youth. He located in Macon county early in the seventies and has been profitably engaged in farming and raising stock here ever since, with the exception of ten years, which he passed at Carthage, Jasper county, occupied in railroading. Farm life had, however, a potent and commanding voice for him, and at the end of the period mentioned returned to Macon county and bought forty acres of land, on which he is still living and expending his powers to his own advantage and the great improvement of the place. He was also engaged in farming in Shelby county at the dawn of his manhood, and made his industry there tell in every way to his benefit. He farms with skill and judgment applying to his work the information he gleans from a careful reading and study of what is written on the subject, as well as the lessons of experience, and is regarded as one of the most p! rogressive agriculturists in the township. Mr. Reynolds was married in 1863 to Miss Nancy J. Crane, a native of Kentucky, and by the marriage became the father of four children, all of whom are living. They are: John: Mattie, wife of C.E. Long; George W.; and James P., all residents of this county. The mother of these children died in 1876, and in September, 1880, the father married a second wife, being united on this occasion with Miss Catherine M. Hodges, who was born and reared in Macon county. The five children born of this marriage are all living and are: Ida, the wife of John E. Fredeick, of California; Albert E., who lives in this county; Frank, who is in business in Hannibal; and Hiram N. and Charles E., both of whom are living at home with their parents. In politics the father has been a life-long Democrat, warmly interested at all times in the success of his party and doing all he can to bring that about. In religion he leans toward the Christian church, of which his wife is a zealous and energetic working member. She and her husband are well esteemed, both on account of their personal merit and their public spirit and zeal in promoting the welfare of the community in which they live and the comfort and convenience of its people. They are leaders in thought and action in all good works, and are held in high appreciation for the enterprise they show in both. General History of Macon County Missouri: 1910 Henry Taylor & Co., Chicago, IL pp 846-848. Ebenezer E. Reynolds—The oldest native born resident of Middlefork township, Macon county, Ebenezer E. Reynolds has a distinction all his own, and one that entitles him to and secures for him the respect and consideration of all its people. But he is not dependent on the accident of his birth for the esteem in which he is universally held. He has demonstrated in his long and useful life among this people that he possesses qualities of head and heart that would win him regard and good will anywhere and establish him in the favorable opinion of any community. Mr. Reynolds came into being in the township of his present residence on July 15, 1838, and is a scion of an old North Carolina family living in that state from early colonial times. His grandfather, James Reynolds, moved from that state into Georgia as a young man, and in Georgia Ebenezer’s father, George Reynolds, was born. He became a resident of Missouri in 1819, two years before the admission of the territory into the Union as a state. Mr. Reynolds located first in what was then Howard county, where he remained a number of years. Then, after a short residence in Randolph county, he moved to Macon county in 1836 and founded his home at Woodville, where he was prosperously engaged in farming until his death in 1851. He was one of the pioneers of this portion of the state and his memory is embalmed in the hearts of the people as that of one of the founders of their present civil institutions and their substantial prosperity. He was married to Miss Sarah Skidm! ore, a native of Kentucky. They had fourteen children and two of them are still living: Hiram M., who is a resident of this county, and Ebenezer E. In political faith and action the father was an ardent Democrat throughout his mature life, and to the end of his days he gave loyal and unstinted support to the principles and candidates of his party. He was also influential in the early government of the township, being one of the wisest and far-seeing of the first settlers and well qualified to lead in local public affairs. Many of the movements toward a local autonomy and settled form of government were started and all were heartily supported by him. He lived to see the fruits of his labors and his self-sacrificing devotion to the good of the neighborhood in a well developed and prosperous community, full of present life and energy and rich in promise for the future. Ebenezer E. Reynolds obtained what scholastic training was available to the children of the frontier tin the primitive country schools of his boyhood in this locality. But Nature was his main teacher, and free communion with her gave him breadth of view, quickness of perception, readiness in action and unyielding self-reliance. He remained with his parents until 1861, then at the first call for volunteers in defense of his political principles, which were deemed to be seriously threatened by the controversy between the North and the South, and the election of a president of the United States on sectional issues, he enlisted in the State Guards, a little later transferring his allegiance and his arms to the service of the Confederacy, and entering its armies in a company under the command of Captain Ben. Eli Guthrie. His military service continued to the end of the war. It was arduous, dangerous and trying, and he still bears the mark of its hardships upon him. He partic! ipated in many noted engagements, among them the battles at Lexington, Missouri; Pea Ridge, Arkansas; Corinth, Vicksburg, and Iuka, Mississippi; Franklin Tennessee; New Hope Church, and Lookout Mountain, Georgia, and others, besides many skirmishes and minor engagements. He was wounded seven times, but none of the wounds were so serious as to incapacitate him for service permanently. When the great civil strife between the sections of the country ended Mr. Reynolds was mustered out of the service at Jackson Mississippi. He then returned to this county, where he purchased land and was actively engaged in farming and improving it and raising stock until 1894, when he retired, having won a competency and earned a rest for the remainder of his days by the intensity if not the length of his industry, and the trials of his years of action if not the amount of labor performed in them. He owns forty acres of land and has been a successful man, wining by worth and fidelity to duty the high place he occupies in the esteem of his fellow men. In politics Mr. Reynolds is an unwavering Democrat, and with a loyalty to his party that never hesitates, he is always ready for the march when the advance is sounded to help with all the powers at his command to win victory for the cause to which he is pledged. His services to the party are highly appreciated by its leaders, and they are sincere and disinterested, for he has never sought or desired any of the honors or emoluments of public office. His religious connection is with the Missionary Baptist church, in which he has long been an active worker. He was married on May 30, 1867, to Miss Mary J. Shoush of Macon county. All of the six children born to them are living. They are: Robert Lee, who lives in Hannibal; Gilla Ann, wife of Joseph Robey, of this county; Hesekiah, who is also a resident of Hannibal; George M., who lives in Joplin; Sarah Jane, wife of Perry Chinn of this county; and Ebenezer, who is living in Hannibal. Their mother died on October 14, 1883, ! and on July 27, 1898, the father married Mrs. Mary C. Keen, of Macon county. They have had three children, one of whom is living, heir son Dennis, who is still with his parents. General History of Macon County Missouri: 1910 Henry Taylor & Co., Chicago, IL pp 858-860. Isham M. Walker—of Narrows township, Macon county, who is well and favorably known as a successful and progressive farmer and excellent citizen, is a native of the county and was reared and educated almost wholly within its border. He was born on October 15, 1853, and if not himself exactly a child of the frontier, inherited from his parents its sturdy independence, self-reliance and capacity for any task that might properly be laid before him. Mr. Walker’s parents, Isham and Mahitable (Murphy) Waker, were dwellers in this state in its pioneer days and experienced all the hardships and privations and felt all the alarms of such a state of existence. The father was born in Kentucky in 1816, and came with his parents to this state when he was a small boy. His father, Johnson Walker, was also a native of Kentucky and born into being there while it, too, was a wilderness. He grew to manhood on or beyond the border of civilization and was prepared by his experience there for the more exacting ones that awaited him in the new home still farther from the centers of cultivated life to which, as a young man, he brought his little family at a very early day in the history of what is now the rich, populous and influential state of Missouri. The family located in Howard county, and the son, Isham, Sr., who had come to that section as a child, remained at home until he reached the age of nineteen. In 1835, taking! his father’s example as his incitement and guide, he sought a new home in an undeveloped region, determined to make his own way in the work and build a name and reputation for himself without the aid of parental influence or family standing. He came to Macon county and entered land on which he determined to found a home and develop a citizenship of usefulness. Macon county that extended all the way to the Iowa line and was sparsely peopled. On the land on which he thus became possess the elder Mr. Walker passed the remainder of his days, developing and improving his property and adding to it until he owned 800 acres. On this farm also he reared his family and rose to prominence and influence as one of the leading landholders of the county and one of its most judicious, progressive and serviceable citizens. During the whole of his residence in the county he was actively engaged in extensive general farming and raising superior live stock, and in all his undertakings he was eminently successful. He took an active interest, also, in the public affairs of the county, helping to give proper trend and enterprise to its forces of development and improvement, and to guide its political and moral agencies along lines of wholesome and elevating potency. The father’s death occurred in 1877l. His first marriage was with Miss Mahitable Murphy, of Macon county. They became the parents of seven children and five of them are living: Elizabeth, the widow of L. E. Hope, of Christianburg, Kentucky; Gabriel M., who lives in Macon county; Sarah J., the wife of Jacob Albright, of Joplin, Missouri; Andrew B., who is one of the prosperous citizens of St. Louis; and Isham M. The mother of these children died in 1855, and in 1860 the father married a second time, on this occasion being united with Miss Malinda Andrews, of Howard county, in this state. Of their two children only one is living, Anna D., the wife of George Wisdom, of Macon county. His father was a Democrat in politics and a Baptist in religious connections. He took an active part in the work of both his party and his church. Second wife died in 1897. Isham M. Walker, like nearly all the children of his day and locality, obtained his education in the district schools in large measure. But unlike most of the other he had the benefit of a finishing course at Mount Pleasant College, in Huntsville, Missouri. He passed his early life assisting his parents on the farm, working on it even after leaving college, and remaining at home until 1876. He then started a farming enterprise of his own on 100 acres of land which his father gave him, and has continued it energetically and profitably to the present time. He now owns 210 acres of good land and has the greater part of it under skillful and productive cultivation. Mr. Walker has not, however, devoted himself wholly to his own interests. He has been zealously serviceable to the community as a member of the school board and in many other ways, aiding in every worthy project for the improvement of the region around him, and contributing essentially and substantially to the welfare of its people. He was married on November 19, 1876, to Miss Mary J. McGrew, a daughter of Clinton and Angeline (Spencer) McGrew, prominent citizens of Macon county. They have five children, all living in Macon county but one. They are: Susan Luella, the wife of Alfred Purdy; Melville C., whose home is at Rockyford, Colorado; Hubert E., of this county; Henry F., also of this county; and Victor T., who is still at home. The father is a Democrat in politics and he and his wife are Baptists in religion, and both active workers in the church in which they belong. They stand well in the county, being reckoned among its most prosperous and influential citizens ! and most active factors for good to the whole people. They are generous in social life, making their home a center of refined and considerate hospitality, and contributing liberally to everything that ministers to the enjoyment of their hosts of friends, who hold them in cordial admiration as all the rest of the population does in high respect. General History of Macon County Missouri: 1910 Henry Taylor & Co., Chicago, IL pp 896-897. William J. Richardson—The son of two of Macon county’s venerated pioneers, and himself subjected to many of the privations and dangers of a newly settled country, William J. Richardson, one of the prosperous and progressive farmers of Round Grove township, is well prepared to realize and rejoice in the improvement and progress of the county from the state in which he first knew it to its present advanced development. And if his modesty did not forbid he might also feel satisfaction over his own part in bringing about the great and gratifying change. As it is, he rejoices in having had the opportunity to contribute, even in a small way, as he may think, to what has been achieved. Mr. Richardson was born in the township in which he now resided on September 21, 1852, and is a son of James and Jane (Grimes) Richardson, natives of Virginia, who came to Missouri and settle in Macon county in 1834. They were reared and educated in their native state, where the father was born in 1805, and were married there in 1832. Buoyed up with high hopes, and of a disposition to dare anything in the discharge of duty, the young couple, after passing two years of their married life in the neighborhood of their parental homesteads, determined to cast their lot in the distant West, where the boundless opportunities of life were as yet almost untouched. Nor did they hesitate because the experiment they were about to try was full of peril, and embodied a surrender of nearly everything they had been accustomed to in the way of comfort and social enjoyment. They believed in themselves, and in the end they found their faith fully justified. ON arriving in this county the h! usband entered 160 acres of government land in what is now Round Grove township, and on this he passed the remainder of his days, gradually breaking it up and improving it until it became a very fruitful, well-improved and valuable farm, yielding good harvests and other profitable returns for the labor bestowed upon it and providing all the comforts of a good country home. On this farm the father died in 1877, after rearing a family to enrich the county and spending forty-three years of faithful industry upon it. He and his wife were the parents of seven children, but three of whom are living at this time. They are Jack J., a resident of Macon county; M.D., who lives in Kansas City, Missouri; and the interesting subject of these paragraphs. The father was a Democrat in politics and took an active part in local and general political work. He died at the age of seventy-two with general recognition of his worth and estimable qualities as a citizen from all who knew him at! tending him to his last earthly resting place. William J. Richardson obtained a limited education in the primitive country schools of his boyhood and youth, going to school in the winter and working on his father’s farm during the rest of the year. After leaving school he continued to work on the farm and assist the family until 1876. During the next two years he farmed rented land on his own account in this county, and at the end of that period went to Kansas, where he remained one year. Returning to Macon county, he passed another summer on the homestead, and during the twelve succeeding years was located at Clarence and engaged in teaming and other occupations. In 1897 he came back once more to this county and bought eighty acres of land, on which he has ever since carried on a flourishing industry in farming and raising stock. On June 9, 1876, Mr. Richardson was married to Miss Sarah C. Graves, a daughter of William R. and Permelia Graves, highly respected citizens of Macon county, and numbered among its most worthy and progressive people. Ten children were born to this marriage an five of them are living: Permelia, the wife of Ira Barton of this county; Mamie, the wife of Geo. W. Bogart of Kansas City Missouri; and Newton, Nazo, and Cuba, all of who are still members of the parental household. Following the political principles in which he was trained at home, and with his convictions strengthened and established by his own reading, reflection and observation, Mr. Richardson is a staunch and zealous Democrat, working in all campaigns for the success of his party, and at all times helping to guide it forward in straight lines of integrity and fidelity to duty. In religious affiliation he and his wife are earnest and active working members of the Christian church, seeking by all means at their c! ommand to promote its welfare and enlarge its usefulness. In social life they stand high, and in a general way they are everywhere esteemed for their enterprise, usefulness and elevated citizenship, which has been helpful both in its own activity and in the forces for good it has awakened and set in motion in others. General History of Randolph/Macon County: 1894 p 1023. George W. Graves (Farmer and Stock-raiser) This energetic and enterprising farmer and extensive stock-raiser of Middle Fork township, is indigenous to the county, having been born here April 27, 1846. His mother, nee Miss Permelia Reynolds, was a native also of Macon, while his father, William R. Graves, was cradled in the waving blue grass of Kentucky. Mr. Graves came to Macon in 1839, and settled first in Woodville, but after remaining a short time moved to a small farm in the vicinity, and finally bought land farther north upon which he still lives. He has accumulated a handsome portion of worldly goods, owning, all told, 785 acres. George W. grew to maturity on his father’s farm, and adopted that pursuit as his own means of subsistence. He owns 240 acres of land and is a stable farmer. He is in the strictest sense of the word a self-made man. Or brisk, active habits of thought and deed, he is not like “dumb driven cattle,” but a “he! ro in the strife,” and his example of wide-awake go-ahead-ativness is of incalculable benefit in the township. Mr. Graves handles all kinds of stock and of the best grades. This man of strong calibre has filled several offices within the gift of the people. He served as magistrate for two years, dealing out justice with an impartial hand, and in 1882 was appointed collector. To this position he was re-elected in 1883 for a term of two years. Ad interim, while money and worldly advancement certainly seem to be the end and object for which most men live, there are few who do no, at some time in the course of their toilsome journey, linger for a moment by the wayside to pluck some of the sweet-smelling blossoms of love. Mr. Graves proved no exception to this rule, and has twice languished a captive in the silken chains of beauty. His first choice was Miss Mary W. Patton, of Macon. They were married April 15, 1866. The three children born of this union, Permelia E! ., Robert H. and an infant son, were early laid to “rest in the quiet earth’s breast”, while Mrs. G. herself, in 1879, filled an untimely grave. Mr. Graves married the second time Miss Mary H. Judy of Macon. His home is blessed by five charming children: William A., Ida M., Oliver F., Pearly G. and George L. Mr. Graves is inclined to the Christian Church, while his wife is a member of the Missionary Baptist Church.

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DNB.2ACI/167.247.1.2 Message Board Post: RE: Macon Andrews family in your posting: In a Macon online record I find a Fannie Andrews deceased with a Will or Probate conducted and an "Adm, Kate E. Andrews." I am searching for a Kate E. Andrews from Moberly MO. She was the daughter of Aaron & Mildred Andrews. Is there any connection to your Fannie? Do you know who this Kate Andrews in Fannies Probate would be to you? Thanks for sharing.

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DNB.2ACI/439.1.1 Message Board Post: I enjoyed your contribution to the published history of Macon county, Donna. For those considering buying the book, it does focus on the mines, but there is other Bevier history too, and lots of photos. Barnes and Noble has the book listed as Currently Unavailable under the titile "Macon County, Missouri Pictorial History"

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DNB.2ACI/439.1 Message Board Post: Dear Gloria, I am the person that compiled the book, "Our Black Diamond Heritage". I purchased the rest of the printed copies of the book and I have less than 10 copies left for sale. I resale the books for the same amount that I paid for them, which is $35. If you would like to purchase one of these books then, please, contact me--or--- you can just send me a payment to cover the cost of the book and shipping is $2.00. I accept money orders, personal checks and payments through PayPal. (I sell and buy on ebay, also, so I have the payments available to me.) It's okay if you feel that this amount is too much for this book. I will understand, but, if you want to purchase a copy, please, contact me. Best of Luck with your Research! Donna

would someone give the exact name of the book so that we could contact Barnes & Noble and see if we can still buy the book......Sarah Rierson iowamom@prairieinet.net ----- Original Message ----- From: <ConnWill@aol.com> To: <MOMACON-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Friday, December 27, 2002 9:21 PM Subject: [MOMACON] Re: Macon, Missouri Coal Mine > This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > > Classification: Query > > Message Board URL: > > http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DNB.2ACI/438.1.1.1 > > Message Board Post: > > I bought a copy of the book from Barnes and Noble Online about a year ago. Very nice, lots of photos, including "Big David" which I remember visiting on a school field trip many many years ago. >

Was the mine called Binkley Mine?.....Somewhere I have a picture of me standing in that big scoop or bucket (whatever it was called).....I used to spend my summers in Macon with my aunt and uncle Carl Powell....my cousins husband Jack DeVine was an engineer at the mine In days long gone by I think I had a grandfather that was a minor in Bevier.....one of the many Welsh that lived on Welsh hill and were minors....also a grandfather that was a boot/shoemaker/business man in Bevier....Sarah Rierson iowamom@prairieinet.net ----- Original Message ----- From: <MJHecate@aol.com> To: <MOMACON-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Saturday, December 28, 2002 9:37 AM Subject: [MOMACON] Re: Macon, Missouri Coal Mine > This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. > > Classification: Query > > Message Board URL: > > http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DNB.2ACI/438.1.1.1.1 > > Message Board Post: > > Thanks! I remember my dad taking my brother, sister, and I to see Big David years ago too. I remember being so fascinated by such a big piece of equipment, but scared of the noise it made. > > Have a Happy Holiday! >

I am researching Joseph Burk 1818-1880 who was born in Ireland and lived short time in Sangamon County, Illinois prior to his moving over to Macon County, Missouri. He is found in Russell Township in 1860 census with wife, Maryann Robinson Burk and Callao in 1880 census. Children include James Jasper, Margaret Jane, Homer Nuton, Martha Ann, Joseph Edwin, Adlia, George Whitfield, Nancy Sheba, John Sanford, Charles Monroe, Thomas Franklin and Tidwell - all born between 1841 and 1866. Maryann Robinson's father was James Robinson and her mother Martha Crowder and they lived Macon County as well.

When Big David arrived at the Sinclair (Peabody) Coal Co. property northwest of Moberly he was in pieces. My father was one of the machinists who assembled him. Over time, he rumbled thru the countyside of Randolph and Macon counties. It was sad to see the last of him when he was sold. Shirly

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DNB.2ACI/438.1.1.1.1 Message Board Post: Thanks! I remember my dad taking my brother, sister, and I to see Big David years ago too. I remember being so fascinated by such a big piece of equipment, but scared of the noise it made. Have a Happy Holiday!

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DNB.2ACI/438.1.1.1 Message Board Post: I bought a copy of the book from Barnes and Noble Online about a year ago. Very nice, lots of photos, including "Big David" which I remember visiting on a school field trip many many years ago.

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DNB.2ACI/439 Message Board Post: Could you tell me where I would get a copy of the book you mentioned? My dad worked for the Bevier & Southern RR and I grew up in that area.

"...I was tracking my Great, Great, Great Grandfather John Denning who worked in one of these coal mines in the 1860. Why does everyone think that I'm doing the Brown Family I have no desire to do the Brown Family History only the Denning family History..." Probably because you didn't give the surname you were researching and your listed name is Brown (a logical leap of faith). You received an answer on the coal mine question from the hands-down expert on coal mining in Macon County...who then, offered some additional help based on the little information that you gave the list and her vast knowledge of Macon County surnames and families. Donna has been of invaluable help to all of us doing Macon County research and we are continually in her debt. Most of us would not give you extraneous information if you just tell us what you need. Best of luck to you in your Denning history/research and happy holidays. Sharon

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DNB.2ACI/438.1.2 Message Board Post: I was tracking my Great, Great, Great Grandfather John Denning who worked in one of these coal mines in the 1860. Why does everyone think that I'm doing the Brown Family I have no desire to do the Brown Family History only the Denning family History.

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DNB.2ACI/438.1.1 Message Board Post: Are copies of the book still available? If yes, where would I order one from? Thank you!

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DNB.2ACI/438.1 Message Board Post: Dear Charles, You have asked a HUGE question! There were many coal mines in Macon County, Missouri in 1860 and 1861. ALL of the mines, by 1860 were in the Bevier Coal District. The most prominent were: in 1860: Hazelton and New Castle and in 1861: Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad Mine #1 (later the Loomis and Snively Mine #1), OakDale, later Centreville #2, Centreville Mine (later Centreville #3), Oakwood which later became Centreville Mine #4 and Mine #6. As I state, all were located either in Bevier, Macon Co., MO or east or west of the town along the Hannibal and St. Joseph railroad tracks. I have done extensive research regarding the coal mining in Macon Co., MO in order to have a book published about the coal mining heritage. The book is entitled, "Our Black Diamond Heritage" (1993). I know that there was a Brown family that lived and worked in the coal mines south of Bevier, in the Ardmore area, in the 1880's. I have a friend that is a descendant of this family and will gladly give you her postal address and phone number if you will contact me directly at my email address. I wish you the best of luck with your research and I hope this will be of some help. Donna

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/DNB.2ACI/438 Message Board Post: Does anyone know what the name of the coal mine in Macon, Missouri around 1860, 1861

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DNB.2ACI/306.1.2 Message Board Post: I believe you to be my cousin. My mother is Juanita Roberts and my uncle is LeRoy Roberts.

This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/DNB.2ACI/436.1 Message Board Post: Did you ever get anyone to do this? My mother and I just went to New Cambria cemeteries last week but I have a daughter who still lives up there. She would be willing to do this if you still need someone.

Thought these might be helpful to others with Missouri connections: Clarifying Clara http://www.rootdig.com/adn/clarifyingclara.html This article discusses a death certificate from the 1920s in Macon County, Missouri, and what additional records could be searched, etc. Charlotte's Web On the Lake http://www.rootdig.com/adn/charlottesweb.html This article analyzes a probate from Chariton County, Missouri in the early 1900s. Fred --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now