CHAPTER XXVII (Part 6)
BIOGRAPHICAL
Dr. William M. Marseilles, a prominent osteopath of Clinton, Missouri, is a native of this State. He was born at Hannibal, Missouri, May 31, 1875, and is a son of William F. and Mary Adelia (Allen) Marseilles.
The Marseilles family is of French descent. William F. Marseilles was born in Hannibal, Missouri. He was a son of William Peter Marseilles, who came from France with a brother and sister to America at a very early day. Joseph, the other brother, located somewhere in the North and the sister remained at Baltimore.
William Peter Marseilles, grandfather of Dr. Marseilles, came west and located at Hannibal, which at that time was a mere boat landing. He was a blacksmith and worked at his trade in Hannibal, where he spent his life.
William F. Marseilles remained in Hannibal until 1890, when he removed to Brookfield. His wife, Mary Adelia (Allen) Marseilles, was a native of Sheboygan, Wisconsin. She died in 1912.
Dr. Marseilles is one of a family of five children born to his parents: Florence, married C. H. Mount, who is now deceased, and she is a student in the American School of Osteopathy at Kirksville, Missouri; William M., the subject of this sketch; C. E., manager of a Thompson restaurant in Chicago; F. F., an osteopath, Flint, Michigan, and Allen, a farmer, Brookfield, Missouri.
Dr. Marseilles was educated in the public schools of Hannibal and Brookfield, Missouri. He then took a course in osteopathy at the American School of Osteopathy at Kirksville, Missouri, and was graduated in 1904 with a degree of Doctor of Osteopathy. He practiced his profession a little over two years at Brookfield and in 1906 came to Clinton, where he has since been successfully engaged in the practice. He was married in 1895 to Miss Myrtle A. Rickett, a native of Brookfield, Missouri. She is a daughter of Abel and Alice (Leavy) Rickett, the former of whom is a native of Pennsylvania and the latter a native of Missouri. Mrs. Marseilles is also a graduate of the American School of Osteopathy, having been a member of the same class as her husband. She and her husband have practiced together since their marriage, and both are successful and skillful osteopaths, and since coming to Clinton have built up a large practice.
To Mr. and Mrs. Marseilles have been born two children, Frances Willard, married Grady Spangler, Clinton, Missouri, and Alice Adelia, a graduate of the Clinton High School, class of 1918. The elder girl is also a graduate of the Clinton High School.
Dr. Marseilles is a Knights Templar Mason, a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, the Modern Woodmen of America, and he and his wife and the older daughter are members of the Eastern Star. The family are members of the Christian Church and Dr. Marseilles is a Democrat.
Dr. Marseilles is an active and energetic member of the Clinton Commercial Club and takes a keen interest in every movement that has for its purpose the building up and betterment of Clinton and Henry County.
His influence and efforts have been a large factor in promoting a "white way" in Clinton, and he has used his influence for the industrial development of the town in the way of encouraging factories to locate here. Dr. Marseilles is a charter member of the Clinton Rotary Club, recently organized. Both he and his wife have an extensive acquaintance in Henry County, and are prominent in the community.
Dr. Stephen Thompson Neill, successfully engaged in the practice of dentistry in Clinton and is mayor of the city; was born in Lexington, Missouri, April 9, 1865. He is a son of Henry and Sallie Ann (Elliott) Neill, the former a native of Lee County, Virginia, and the latter a daughter of Col. Newton Glasgow Elliott of Howard County, Missouri. In early life Major Neill followed merchandising in Lexington, Missouri.
He served throughout the Civil War, was major and colonel of his regiment and participated in the battles of Lone Jack, Pea Ridge, Wilson's Creek and others; he was commander of the post at Clinton, Henry County, where his many acts of kindness and protection were appreciated by those holding opposite views to his. After his military service was concluded he studied law, was admitted to the bar and moved to Warrensburg, Missouri, where he began to practice, and there he remained until his death, which occurred in 1895. His wife passed away in 1871. They were the parents of six children.
Doctor Neill, the youngest, upon the death of his mother was taken by his father's sister, Mrs. Jane H. Wilson, to Lexington, Missouri, where he attended the public schools until the marriage of his father to Mrs. Lizzie Pennock. He then returned to Warrensburg and attended the public schools of that city. In 1876, when eleven years of age, he moved to the home of his sister near Dover and began farm work for his brother-in-law at a salary of five dollars per month, and during the winter months he attended the district school. At the age of sixteen, his aunt, Mrs. Wilson, sent him for a term to Wentworth Military Academy at Lexington and in 1882 he began the study of dentistry, attending the Philadelphia Dental College and the St. Louis Dental College. At the age of twenty years, in 1885, he graduated and began the practice of his profession in Corder, Missouri; a year later he moved to Harrisonville, this State; and in 1887, he came to Clinton, where he has continued in the general practice of dentistry, being widely recognized as one of the most able and efficient representatives of the profession and one of Clinton's most progressive citizens.
In February, 1892, Doctor Neill was married to Miss Cannarissa Adair, of Shawnee Mound, Henry County, Missouri, a daughter of William and Dorcas Ann (Fuqua) Adair, both natives of Kentucky. Her father was a farmer and stock raiser, conducting an extensive business. His parents were residents of Westport, now a part of Kansas City, near Swope Park. He was born in Kentucky, to which his mother had gone on a visit. In 1849, when eighteen years of age, he crossed the plains to California in command of a party from Westport, and made the journey across the Isthmus of Panama upon his return home two years later.
In 1856, he settled in Henry County, where he engaged extensively in farming and stock raising, owning about six hundred acres. The family resided on the old homestead until the death of the father which occurred when he was seventy-eight years of age, while his wife passed away at the age of eighty-three. Mrs. Neill is the youngest of six children. There has been born a son to Doctor and Mrs. Neill, Stephen T. E., whose natal day was October 1, 1904.
Doctor Neill has ever been interested in the welfare and progress of his community. He assisted in the organization of the Missouri Union Telephone Company in 1898 and for twenty years has served as a director. He has been identified with the independent telephone throughout the state and nation, acting as president of the State association and several times as a delegate to the national conventions. He is likewise associated with several other local enterprises.
In politics, Doctor Neill is a Democrat and for seven years was councilman of Clinton, acting at one time for six months as mayor. In April of 1918, he was elected to the office of mayor of Clinton and is now serving the people of his home city in this executive capacity faithfully and well. He belongs to the Blue Lodge, of which he is a past master, and the chapter of the Masonic fraternity, and also to the Knights of Pythias. He is a man of many sterling traits of character, of pronounced professional ability and business enterprise, and wherever he is known he is held in the highest regard.
James S. Spore, proprietor of the Spore & Son, furniture and under taking business, Clinton, Missouri, is the most extensive furniture dealer in Henry County. Mr. Spore was born at Odessa, Missouri, November 12, 1886, and is a son of Elmer E. Spore and Emma (Summer) Spore.
Elmer E. Spore was born near Edenburg, Illinois, June 1, 1860, and came to Missouri with his parents when a child. His father was a physician, and later in life was engaged in contracting and building at Odessa, Missouri. Elmer E. Spore was a graduate pharmacist. He came to Henry County and located at Blairstown, where he organized the firm of Spore & Sweatman, hardware and implement dealers. He disposed of his interests in this business in 1896 and bought a farm east of Clinton. In 1904, he sold his farm and engaged in the furniture business in Clinton. He died February 12, 1917, and his son James S., who was a partner in the business at the time of his father's death, has continued the business under the same firm name of Spore & Son.
Emma (Summer) Spore was born in Quincy, Illinois, and is a daughter of James Summer, a native of Kentucky, who was one of the first pioneer settlers in the vicinity of Quincy, Illinois. He preempted Government land near Quincy, where Mrs. Spore, the mother of James S., now resides.
Elmer E. Spore was strictly a business man. He did not aspire to hold political office, although he took a deep interest in public affairs and for civic betterment from the standpoint of the citizen rather than from the desire to hold public office. He was active in the betterment and up-building of Blairstown, building his residence there and took the same deep interest and civic pride in the advancement of the city of Clinton, after that city became the scene of his business activity. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Woodman of the World and the Christian Church.
James S. Spore was educated in the public schools and the Gem City Business College, Quincy, Illinois, graduating from that institution in 1905. He was then employed in Hannibal, Missouri, for about a year, when he returned to Clinton and engaged in the furniture business with his father, and has been continually associated with this business ever since that time. He and his father conducted the business from 1908 until the time of the father's death and since then James. S. has continued the business under the same firm name . Before the senior Mr. Spore bought this business, it was known as the Clinton Furniture Company, and had been so conducted for a number of years.
The Spore & Son furniture house is located on the south side of the public square and has a frontage of fifty-five feet, and is two hundred feet deep, with two large balconies which practically amount to a second floor. The most complete line of furniture, including rugs, linoleums and wallpaper, in the county, are to be found here. They also carry talking machines and have the best equipped undertaking establishment in the city. Mr. Spore is a licensed embalmer.
June 25, 1914, James S. Spore was united in marriage with Miss Lula Ann Griffith, a native of St. Clair County, Missouri, and a daughter of Wesley and Sarah E. Griffith. To this union has been born one child, James D.
Mr. Spore is a Mason and past master of the Clinton Lodge, and belongs to the Christian church. He is one of the progressive young business men of Henry County.
Conrad Houck, a well to do farmer and Union veteran of Davis township, is one of the oldest of the living pioneers of Henry County. He was born in Baden, Germany, August 1, 1831, and is the son of Valentine and Elizabeth Houck, both of whom spent their lives in their native land.
When but a boy of fourteen years, Conrad was moved by the spirit of adventure and the tales of the new world across the Atlantic, and set sail for America from a Belgian port. He set sail on March 5, 1854, and after an eventful voyage of sixty-five days he arrived at New Orleans. He was possessor of five francs (one dollar) when he arrived here and he immediately went to Rock Island County, Illinois, where he was employed for three years upon a farm at eight dollars per month. In 1857, he brought his savings to Henry County and purchased forty acres of land on time, but continued to work out as a farm hand and at the time of the outbreak of the Civil War he was still working on the neighboring farms.
Mr. Houck enlisted in the 7th Kansas Cavalry and served for four years and one month in active and continuous service of the hardest character. He fought at the battle of Corinth, Mississippi, and the battle of Hollow Spring. His division assisted in driving the army of General Price out of Missouri. When they were ordered to Missouri to take up the pursuit of Price's army his command marched from Tupelo, Mississippi to Memphis, Tennessee, and thence by boat to St. Louis. From St. Louis they crossed the State and took up the pursuit of Price and fought a battle at Pleasanton, Kansas.
Col. William F. Cody, "Buffalo Bill," was a member of Conrad Houck's company and he became well acquainted with Colonel Cody. Mr. Houck carefully saved his army pay and at the close of his service he returned to Henry County and invested his savings in land located south of La Due in Davis and Bear Creek townships. He built a small house in 1867 and developed his fine farm to the utmost and during the years that have passed he has become one of the most substantial farmers of the county.
In the fall of 1867, Mr. Houck was married to Mary Jane Morgan, a native of Indiana, who was born September 16, 1833, and departed this life on September 2, 1911. She was a daughter of Morrell Morgan. Mrs. Houck accompanied her brother-in-law to Henry County soon after the close of the war. One son has been born to Mr. and Mrs. Houck, Stephen Houck, born September 25, 1868, an industrious farmer who is operating the home farm of two hundred acres.
Prior to the Civil War, Mr. Houck was a Democrat. During the course of the war he became a Republican and since that time has voted independently. His son, Stephen, is also an independent voter who believes in supporting good men for office.
Conrad Houck is one of the few remaining patriots of foreign birth who offered their lives that the Union might be saved and who still thinks that the United States is the greatest country on the face of the globe. While too old to actively assist his Government in the present great World War of democracy against the autocracy from which he came in order that he might be free and independent, he has willingly loaned to the Government thousands of dollars of his accumulations in order to finance the war. Mr. Houck and his son, Stephen, are fine citizens who have a reputation for honesty and industry that is unexcelled in the county.
