Posted on: Nodaway Co Biographies Reply Here: http://cgi.rootsweb.com/~genbbs/genbbs.cgi/USA/Mo/NodawayBios/34 Surname: WORKMAN, MOTLEY, WEAVER, TAYLOR, STORMS, CARMICHAEL, SAYERS, DENNY, PETTIGO, LAFON, LAFOON, CARTER, FLOURY, CARPENTER, LAMAR, MCFADDEN, MARR, OLIPHANT, BURCH, THORNHILL ------------------------- From: Past And Present, Nodaway County Missouri. Published 1910. Volume I, pages 520-522. The great state of Indiana made a liberal contribution to the early settlement and development of Nodaway county, many of our most enterprising and progressive early pioneers having been natives of that state. In fact, Union township, this county, was at one time known locally as the "Hoosier settlement," from the fact that in the early settlement of that section natives of Indiana assumed a prominent part. As early as 1857 the following Indianans were settled here: Jacob Taylor, Peter Storms, Washington Storms, Hardin Carmichael, Peter Sayers, William Denny, William Pettigo, Henderson Lafon, Wesley Carter. In 1859 came John Workman, William Weaver, Jonathan Weaver, Samuel Weaver, George Floury, James Carpenter, William Lamar, John McFadden, and William Marr. In 1860 the newcomers here from Indiana were Starling Carmichael, Archibald Carmichael and his son Archibald, Augustus Carmichael and William Oliphant. A worth scion of one of those early settlers is the subject of this sketch: William Workman, who is now living in Maryville, having laid aside active toil after many years of honest and earnest endeavor, which brought to him a gratifying measure of prosperity. William Workman was born in Monroe county, Indiana, on March 5, 1834, and is a son of John and Elizabeth (Motley) Workman. These parents were both natives of the state of North Carolina, where they were reared and married, removing to Indiana in 1832. In 1859 they came to Nodaway county, Missouri, making the long overland journey with an ox team and wagon, the other members of their party being William Weaver and family and two nephews, Jonathan and Samuel Weaver, with a widowed sister. John Workman had, prior to this time, made an examination of the country and had been favorably impressed by the soil, climate and general conditions, and also was influenced by the fact that there were already a number of Indiana people here, as has been stated in the opening paragraph of this sketch. On his arrival here, John Workman bought one hundred and sixty acres of land located one mile from Storms, in Union township. The land cost him eight dollars an acre, a very few acres being broke and the only improvement being a rude board shanty, but he at once set to work and in a few years his farm was numbered among the best in the township, and has remained the family homestead ever since, now being owned by the subject of this sketch. Here John and Elizabeth Workman reared their children to lives of honor and usefulness, and here their deaths occurred, the former at the age of eighty-six years and the latter at seventy-six. They were a grand old couple and few enjoyed to so marked an extent the respect and veneration of their neighbors. John Workman took a deep interest in the welfare of the community and in about 1903 or 1904 he erected on his farm a church known as Workman Chapel, donating land for the same and for a cemetery, this being all the more notable for the fact that he did not hold membership with any society. His generosity was extended for the benefit of the entire community and the only conditions he imposed on those who wished to use the chapel was that no collections should be taken in public services held there, and this rule has always been observed. The church has remained in the hands and control of the family, though they are generous in giving its use, John Workman stating that if, in the absence of collections, money was needed for current expenses, he would foot the bills. He was eminently public-spirited and was a stanch advocate of good roads, bridges and school houses. A Democrat in political principles, he was liberal and broad-minded and stood ever for the greatest good to the greatest number. The children born to John and Elizabeth Workman were as follows: William, the immediate subject of this sketch; John, who married and reared his family in Nodaway County but is now residing near Springfield, Missouri; David, of Union township; James, also of Union township; Francis, a resident of Polk township; Joseph Thomas, of Maryville; Celia, the wife of Starling Carmichael, of Pickering, this county; Margaret became the wife of Joel Burch, who came to Missouri with the Workman family in 1859; she is now deceased; Nancy Ann became the wife of William Oliphant, who came to Missouri in 1860 but subsequently they removed to Indiana, where she died and where he is still living. William Workman was reared on the Indiana homestead and there received his education in the common schools. On attaining mature years he married Margaret Weaver, a daughter of Joshua Weaver and sister of Nancy, Jonathan and Samuel Weaver, all of whom came to Missouri with the Workmans. When he arrived here William Workman possessed an old wagon, two yoke of light oxen, a cow and a colt. His progress was slow at first and it was several years before he owned a place of his own, he finally securing a tract of land in Union township, on which was a rude log shanty. He was several years in paying for this land, but he eventually accomplished this and then he traded his original tract for more land and as he prospered in his affairs he invested in more land until now he is the owner of over twelve hundred acres of splendid land, including the old homestead of eighty acres entered by his father. His land, which adjoins the homestead, lies nearly all in Union township, and for some of it he paid as high as twenty-five dollars an acre, although the greater part of it cost from five to ten dollars an acre. Mr. Workman has made many splendid improvements on his property, having erected a neat, comfortable and attractive residence and other necessary buildings. Here he has carried on general farming operations, with which he has combined stock raising and feeding, in both of which lines he has met with a gratifying measure of success. He devoted his attention unremittingly to the operation of this farm until 1980, when he retired from active labor and has since had his residence in the beautiful city of Maryville, his pleasant home being located on East Seventh street. To him and his wife was born one daughter, Elizabeth, the wife of John Thornhill, of Maryville. Politically, Mr. Workman is a stanch Democrat, but he has never aspired to public office. He is public-spirited and progressive in his ideas and withholds his support from no movement which promises to be of material benefit to the community in general. Frank and candid in his dealings with others, he enjoys an excellent reputation for integrity and honesty of motive and he deserves the high esteem in which he is held by all who know him.