CHAPTER XXVII (Part 11)
BIOGRAPHICAL
James E. Bennett, a former Henry County sheriff who has been prominently identified with the affairs of this county for a number of years, is a native of Kentucky. He was born June 19, 1850, and is a son of John and Martha (Ham) Bennett, both natives of Kentucky and descendants of Kentucky pioneer stock.
James E. Bennett's parents moved to Bates County from Benton County, Missouri, in 1856, when James was six years of age. They first settled in Benton County and after remaining a short time there went to the western part of Bates County and settled on a farm not far from the Kansas State line. This section was in the heart of the Border War district. When the Civil War broke out the father joined the cause of Confederacy, serving under General Price. A few months after the outbreak of the war he returned to his Bates County home and removed his family to Henry County on what is known as the Lafe Cruse place, near where Cook's old mill stood on the Grand River. About a year later the family went to Pettis County. After the war the father bought a place in Pettis County on Flat Creek. Here he followed farming, meeting with a fair degree of success until his death. The mother survived him eight years. Both died on the old home place on Flat creek in Pettis County.
James E. Bennett was one of a family of eleven children, ten of whom are now living: W. T., Orange California; G. L., Green Ridge, Missouri; James E., the subject of this sketch; H. L. Spokane, Washington; Susan, married Milton Durrell, Ionia, Missouri; Martha J., married May Field, who is now deceased and she resides at Hot Springs, Arkansas; Walter L., Rockville, Missouri; Lillie, married Philip Snovall, a member of the board of county judges at Benton County, and resides at Ionia, Missouri; John M., Brownington, Missouri; and Ed A., who resides on the old home place in Pettis County. Of the ten members of this family, the youngest is fifty-one years of age and the oldest about seventy-two.
The boyhood days of James E. Bennett were spent amidst the scenes and hardships of the Border and Civil Wars, and he has a distinct recollection of many of the tragedies of that time. He witnessed a number of minor engagements between the contending factions and many of the events of those times left an indelible impression on his mind. He was reared on a farm and received his education in the schools which the early times afforded and began life as a farmer in the vicinity of Windsor, Missouri. About 1880, he was elected marshal of Windsor, serving in that capacity for six years, and during that time he also held the office as constable. He was then appointed deputy sheriff of Henry County under Sheriff W. J. Ellison, and had charge of the county jail during the latter part of Sheriff Ellison's administration. Sheriff Ellison was succeeded by Sheriff James H. Calloway, and Mr. Bennett was appointed deputy sheriff under Sheriff Calloway, continuing to have charge of the jail for four years more. He was then elected sheriff of Henry County, and at the expiration of his first term, was re-elected and served for four years. In going out of the office of sheriff, Mr. Bennett left a record as one of the capable and conscientious officers of Henry County.
At the close of his official career, Mr. Bennett bought a farm, near Windsor, where he was engaged in farming and stock raising about eight years. In 1904 he came to Clinton and since that time has been engaged in buying and selling horses and mules, and he is one of the extensive dealers in that line in this section of the State.
On June 17, 1873, James E. Bennett was united in marriage with Miss Catherine I. Hines, a daughter of Brantley and Elizabeth (Douglas) Hines. The father was a soldier in the Confederate Army and when the war ended he was in Texas in the service of the "lost cause." After the close of the war and while on his way home, on a transport on the Red River, the boat sank on account of overloading and he was drowned.
To Mr. and Mrs. Bennett have been born four children, as follows: Mary Myrtle (oldest), married Charles Gray, and is now deceased; Walter, supervisor of the State Hospital at Nevada, Missouri; Wallace, who is engaged in the transfer business at Long Beach, California; Edwin, associated with his father in business in Clinton.
Mr. Bennett has been identified with the Democratic party since boyhood, and it may be truly said of him that he is a staunch Democrat. He is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workman and the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a public spirited and progressive citizen and there are few, if any, men in Henry County who have more friends than "Jim" Bennett.
Dr. L. L. Cress, a well-known and successful veterinary surgeon of Clinton, Missouri, is a native of North Carolina. He was born at Salisbury March 9, 1878, and is a son of Adolphus and America (Cody) Cress, both natives of North Carolina, and now residents of Salisbury.
The Cress family is of Holland descent, members of whom settled near Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, probably about 1700. Many descendants of these early Pennsylvania pioneers are scattered throughout the East, including Ohio and Illinois. The great-grandfather of Doctor Cress went to North Carolina and the Southern members of the Cress family are descendants from him.
Many members of the Cress family served in the Revolutionary War in Washington's army. Americas Cody, mother of Doctor Cress, comes from a long line of Southern ancestors who suffered severe losses during the Civil War. The late William F. Cody, "Buffalo Bill," was a cousin of Doctor Cress' mother.
Doctor Cress was one of a family of ten children all of whom are now living. He received his early education in Rowan County, North Carolina in an old log school house near Salisbury. Doctor Cress is a young man but he has experienced the atmosphere of the log school house. His early life was spent on his father's farm and in 1898, he came to Missouri and located at Clinton. Here he was employed by a veterinary surgeon, and young Cress soon discovered that he had a liking for the profession of his employer and under the preceptorship of his employer began the study of veterinary surgery, and at the same time getting considerable actual practice! He was thus employed for eighteen months when he entered the Kansas City School of Veterinary Surgery and after studying there two years, entered the Ontario Veterinary College at Toronto, Canada, where he was graduated in the Class of 1904. He then returned to Clinton, where he has since been engaged in the practice of his profession. Doctor Cress has met with well-merited success in his chosen profession and is one of the capable veterinary surgeons of the State, and is recognized as such.
In 1910, Doctor Cress was united in marriage with Miss Pearl Hawkins of Clinton. They are both members of the Presbyterian Church. Doctor Cress is a man who has read a great deal and traveled much. He has been in the East, the West and the South, but as he expresses it himself, after he returned to Missouri from a trip, he feels like "jumping up and cracking his heels together, and saying that he is glad he's back home."
Archalus Binum Redford, a Henry County pioneer now residing at Urich, is a native of Tennessee. He was born in Knox County July 18, 1829, a son of Noah and Phoebe (Dodson) Redford. Noah Redford was a native of North Carolina. He came to Missouri in 1834 and first settled in Moniteau County, and moved from there to Johnson County, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was a resident of Johnson County for over fifty years, and died in that county and his remains are buried at Warrensburg. His wife also died in Johnson County and is also buried at Warrensburg. A. Binum Redford is the only member of a family of eight brothers and sisters now living.
Binum Redford came to Big Creek township, Henry County, in 1857, and first purchased two hundred acres of land at $7.50 per acre. He then entered one hundred sixty acres of Government land, which cost him seventy-five cents per acre, and he is now one of the large land owners of Henry County. He owns nine hundred ninety-nine acres. When Mr. Redford came here there were very few settlers in western Henry County, James Smith was the only settler in the vicinity where Mr. Redford located and the country was one broad expanse of unfenced prairie, and Mr. Reford recalls the days of free range with a sort of regret, common to the cattle men of the early days. There were no public schools when he came here and Clinton was a small hamlet. Mr. Redford has seen many changes in the sixty-one years of his residence in Henry County. When he came here there were a number of Osage Indians in this vicinity. They were friendly and inoffensive. During the Civil War Mr. Redford remained on his place and was one of the few men who had no trouble with either side, although some of his horses were taken.
Mr. Redford's first wife was Hannah Anderson, to whom he was married in Johnson County, and the following children were born to this union: Mrs. Serepta Overbey, Urich, Missouri; Noah, deceased; John, deceased, and Robert, a farmer and stockman in Big Creek township. The mother of these children died in March, 1906, and Mr. Redford was married to Miss Dora Barnett, now deceased. Mr. Redford was united in marriage August 28, 1913, with Hannah N. Colson, widow of Archibald B. Colson, a Henry County pioneer, who settled in Walker township. He died in 1906. Mrs. Redford is a native of Missouri, born in Osage County, September 24, 1848. She is a daughter of Moses and Susan Glenn (Hibler) Sevier. They were early settlers in Henry County and came from Osage County in 1855. The father was a native of Birksville, Kentucky, and a grandson of Governor John Sevier, the first Governor of Tennessee.
Moses Sevier was a captain of a Confederate company in the Civil War. He died September 11, 1876, aged sixty-eight years, at Dallas, Texas. His wife died in 1884. Mrs. Redford is the oldest of a family of ten children born to her parents, only two of whom are living. Mrs. Redford and Mrs. Pliny Hanes, Dallas, Texas.
By her marriage to Archibald B. Colson, Mrs. Redford has seven children: Doctor John, Schell City; Mrs. Mattie Angle, Clinton, Missouri; Mrs. Laura Crissman, Bonham, Texas; Mrs. Mollie Clizer, Montrose, Missouri; Mrs. Gertrude Harness, Walker township, Henry County; B. S. Colson, Appleton City, Missouri, and Richard P., Montrose, Missouri.
Mr. and Mrs. Redford are among the honored pioneers of Henry County and are highly respected in the county, which has been their home for over half a century.
William M. Poynter of Clinton has had an unusual and successful business career, and has been identified with the banking industry for a number of years. He was born in Kentucky, July 7, 1855, a son of William H. and Frances Lucinda (Asbury) Poynter, both natives of Kentucky. The Poynter family belong to old Kentucky stock, the great-great-grandfather of William M. Poynter being the founder of the family in Kentucky. He was a native of Ireland, and went to Kentucky about the time that the celebrated Daniel Boone did. He fought Indians where Boonesborough, Kentucky, now stands. He had the characteristic, endured the hardships and is entitled to the honor of the Kentucky pioneers of the early days. His wife was a Scotch woman.
William H. Poynter, the father of the subject of this sketch, came to Missouri from Kentucky in 1858 and settled in Holt County, where he spent the remainder of his life. He was a soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War, serving as a member of the 9th Regiment, Missouri Cavalry. He was a man of considerable means when the war broke out, but like many others met with heavy financial losses on account of the disturbed conditions created by that conflict. In early life he was a Whig and later became a Democrat. He died August 13, 1909, aged eighty-five years. His wife and the mother of William M. Poynter, preceded him in death a number of years, she having departed this life about the time the Civil War broke out. They were the parents of nine children, three of whom are now living: William M., the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Henry Myer, who lives in Holt County, Missouri, and James H., who also lived in Holt County, Missouri.
William M. Poynter was reared and educated in Holt County, Missouri, and began life as a farmer, which he successfully followed until 1901, when he sold his farm in Holt County and went to Vernon County. In 1902, he went to Creighton, Missouri, where he organized the Bank of Creighton, and was its first president. He was identified with that bank until February, 1905, when he disposed of his interest and went to Avalon, Missouri, and organized the Citizens Bank of Avalon. He was elected cashier of that institution, and retained his connection with that bank until 1914. He organized the Bank of Bigelow in February, 1902, and his son George W., has been cashier of that bank since its organization. Mr. Poynter was one of the organizers of the Citizens Bank of Oregon, Missouri, which organization was affected in 1890. He was engaged in farming at that time and served as a director of that bank for a number of years. He is a stockholder in the Clinton National Bank, Clinton, Missouri, and a member of the board of directors. He is also a stockholder in the Denton Title and Trust Company of Butler, Missouri. In addition to his banking interests, Mr. Poynter owns considerable land, much of which is located in Arkansas.
Mr. Poynter was united in marriage April 25, 1905, with Miss Minnie Single, a native of Indianola, Texas, and a daughter of Charles and Mary A. (Studley) Single, the former a native of Stuttgart, Germany, and the latter of Dorsett, England. The father was a soldier in the United States Regular Army prior to and during the Civil War. He was killed by lightning while in his tent at Chattanooga, Tennessee, August 6, 1863.
He was first lieutenant in the 32nd Regiment, Missouri Infantry, and at the time of his death was acting quartermaster general. Mrs. Poynter was one of a family of three children born to her parents, the other two being Charles, who lives near Blairstown, Henry County, and John, who lives just across the line in Cass County. The mother married again, March 6, 1867, her second husband being J. B. Weymeyer of St. Louis, now of Henry County, and four children were born to this union, W. H., farmer, Bogard township, Henry County; George S., also a farmer in Bogard township; Annie C, married George Wisely, and is now deceased, and Robert W., who also resides in Bogard township. The mother died December 12, 1903, and her husband now resides with his son, George.
Mrs. Poynter's stepfather and her mother came to Henry County with their family March 10, 1867, settling in Bogard township, and the old home place is still owned by a member of the family. Mrs. Poynter is one of the pioneer teachers of Henry County. In early life she had excellent educational advantages, receiving much of her education in Florida, and later attended Webster's School in St. Louis, Missouri. She began teaching in Henry County when sixteen years old, and during the course of her career as a teacher taught in every school district in Bogard township, except the Blairstown district. She taught the first term that was ever taught in the brick school at Urich, and from the time she was sixteen years of age she taught school every year until she was married. She owns a valuable farm of 200 acres, eighty acres of which is in Henry County and 120 in Cass County, which she bought and paid for out of her earnings while teaching school.
Mr. and Mrs. Poynter have no children but by a former marriage Mr. Poynter has eight children, as follows: W. L., engaged in the oil business, Clinton, Missouri; George W., cashier of the Bank of Bigelow, Bigelow, Missouri; James A., Kansas City; Mrs. Ethel Clayton, Carney, Missouri; Emery C, cashier of the Minden State Bank, Minden, Missouri; R. F., cashier of the Bank of Fortesque, Missouri; Samuel C, farmer in Holt County, and Harold L., bookkeeper in the Cameron Trust Company at Cameron, Missouri.
Mr. Poynter has been a life long Democrat and is a member of the time honored Masonic Lodge.
