CHAPTER XXVII (Part 12)
BIOGRAPHICAL
John Nicholson Pierce, a prominent retired minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church, residing at Clinton, is a native of Pennsylvania. He was born twenty miles south of Pittsburg, December 12, 1834, a son of Andrew and Sarah (Nicholson) Pierce. The Pierce homestead in Pennsylvania is located on what is said to have been a grant of land by the Government of 4,000 acres to Andrew Pierce> for services rendered in the Revolutionary War, and the homestead is still owned by his descendants.
John Nicholson Pierce grew to manhood on the Pierce homestead farm and here in the fresh air of farm life developed a sound body and mind. After receiving a good preparatory education, he entered Allegheny College at Meadville, Pennsylvania, where he was graduated in the class of 1857 with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Later, this same institution conferred upon him the degree of Master of Arts. After leaving college, Mr. Pierce spent one year at the head of public schools at McKeesport, Pennsylvania. He then began preaching in the Methodist Church on a circuit which consisted of eight preaching places in eastern Ohio, receiving $185 for his first year's work. This was in 1858 and the membership of the church on this circuit was largely increased during his labors. One church was built and dedicated in New Waterford, where there had never been a Methodist organization before, and that church is still standing and in a flourishing condition. During this period he held a successful revival at Columbiana, Ohio, which was followed by the building of a new church which is now in a prosperous condition.
After a trial year spent on this circuit. Reverend Pierce was admitted on trial into the Pittsburg Conference and given a good place, and success continued to crown his efforts. At that time a Methodist minister was permitted to remain only two years in charge of the same church. Reverend Pierce was given charge at Dayton, Pennsylvania, and before his time was out there he was taken to New York and ordained both a deacon and elder and appointed to take charge of a mission in Arizona. But before he could reach the location of his new field the Civil War broke out and he went to Washington as chaplain of the 85th Regiment, Pennsylvania infantry, and served in the capacity as chaplain throughout the war. At the close of that conflict he was sent by Bishop Ames into Missouri to do ministerial work for the church and his work in this State has all been south of the Missouri River.
He was the first pastor of the Grand Avenue Church in Kansas City, Missouri, and preached the first sermon and the last one ever preached in that church, a period of forty-two years intervening between them. Trinity Church in St. Louis was built and dedicated under his pastorate. He was pastor and presiding elder in Sedalia and Clinton and pastor in Carthage, Springfield and Warrensburg.
Few ministers of the Gospel have had a more active career, a career crowned by results equaled only by the efforts put forth, than Rev. John Nicholson Pierce. He did his part in building churches and parsonages, for thirty of the best years of his life, and at the close of this long and successful career he retired with more achievement to his credit than can be said of but few men in any line of endeavor.
After retiring from the regular work of the ministry, Mr. Pierce engaged in the lumber business and was later interested in the Industrial Iron Works of Clinton. He has also been interested in other industrial and financial affairs. He was largely interested in Oklahoma City during its early days and built more than forty houses there, which was no small contribution to the up-building of that city of marvelous growth. Mr. Pierce has been successful in his business undertakings and is now living practically retired, with the exception of the personal attention which he gives his investments.
In 1857, soon after his graduation from college, John Nicholson Pierce was united in marriage with Miss Emma Curtis of Meadville, Pennsylvania. To this union were born two sons and two daughters, as follows: Ida May, now the widow of Rev. Charles Newell, and her son, Charles Newell, is editor of the Dallas, Texas, Dispatch, and Rev. John T. Newell, prominent Methodist preacher of Des Moines Conference is also her son; Emma C, wife of Dr. A. A. Thompson, district superintendent of the Des Moines Conference, and their only son, A. R. Thompson, is one of the prominent bankers of Nebraska, being vice-president and general manager of the Nebraska National Bank, Hastings, Nebraska; Frank R. Pierce, resides in St. Louis and is president of one of the largest lumber companies of that city; and Andrew B. Pierce, a retired merchant, the youngest son of Reverend Pierce of this marriage, Ironton, Missouri.
Mr. Pierce's first wife and the mother of these four children died at Independence, Missouri, in February, 1867.
In April, 1868, Mr. Pierce was united in marriage with Miss Lucy Bennett, and to this union have been born the following children: Herbert, a planter in Arkansas; Helen, wife of Espey C. Jones, Boone County, near Columbia, Missouri, and Harold, a lawyer in New Mexico; Mrs. Hallie (Hall), Clinton, Missouri.
Mrs. Lucy (Bennett) Pierce was born in January, 1841, at Zanesville, Ohio, daughter of Uriah P. Bennett, who served as editor of the "Zanesville Courier" for a period of twenty-five years. For the past twenty-five years Mrs. Pierce has been secretary of the Clinton Shakespearian Club, and is active in literary and religious work. Mr. Pierce has eleven grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.
Reverend Pierce is now in his eighty-fourth year and is as active in body and keen in intellect as the average man of fifty. He enjoys an extensive acquaintance not only in the immediate vicinity of his home but throughout the country. He numbers among his intimate acquaintances many of the prominent men and women of the United States. He has just cause, at the end of his active career, to feel that sense of satisfaction that his life's work has been a success, both from a spiritual and a business standpoint. It may be truly said of him that he has not lived in vain.
Dr. W. B. Calvert, a prominent dentist of Clinton, is a native son of Henry County, and a descendant of one of the honored pioneer families of this section. He was born near where Delmar now stands in Davis township, August 20, 1871, a son of Samuel and Mary S. (Beckett) Calvert. The father was a native of Kentucky, born in Harrison County, March 1, 1831. He was a son of Isaac Calvert and Mildred (Chambers) Calvert. Isaac Calvert was born in Culpeper County, Virginia, October 18, 1783, and married Mildred Chambers in Harrison County, Kentucky, June 25, 1823. He died near Franklin, Harrison County, Kentucky, July 13, 1853. He was a son of Isaac and Katherine Calvert, the former, a native of Prince Williams County, Virginia, born in 1743 and married in 1771. He died February 1, 1809.
The Calvert family traced the founding of that family in this country to the first permanent English settlement in America at Jamestown, Virginia, in 1607, Doctor Calvert of this review being a direct descendant from a Calvert who was a member of the Jamestown Colony.
Mary S. Beckett, Doctor Calvert's mother, was born at Chambersburg, Clark County, Missouri, July 19, 1841, a daughter of Woodford and Duranda (Taylor) Beckett. Woodford Beckett was a native of Pendleton County, Kentucky, and an early pioneer of Missouri. He came to this State in 1837 and located near Hannibal, where he remained until 1839, when he went to Clark County and there spent the remainder of his life. He was a surveyor and prominent in Clark County. He was of English descent and traced his ancestors to the same family as that of Sir Thomas Beckett, well known in English history.
Duranda Taylor Beckett, wife of Woodford Beckett, was a native of Kentucky, and was related to Zachariah Taylor. Doctor Calvert's parents were married April 18, 1869, and two children were born to this union, of whom the doctor is the eldest, and Ellen, born March 15, 1874, now the wife of William Kious, Kahoka, Missouri.
Samuel Calvert came to Henry County in 1857 and settled in Davis township, where he engaged in farming, which was his life occupation. When the Civil War broke out, his sympathies were with the South and he joined the Confederate army, serving under Gen. Sterling Price in Missouri, Arkansas and Texas, participating in all the principal battles fought by General Price's army. He received a gunshot wound at the Battle of Lone Jack. He died November 6, 1896. His wife preceded him in death a number of years, having departed this life in January, 1874, when Doctor Calvert was a little over three years old.
When his mother died, Doctor Calvert went to live with his grandparents, Woodford Beckett and wife, who resided in Clark County, Missouri. His grandfather was a surveyor, and when Doctor Calvert was a boy he assisted his grandfather a great deal in that line of work and became quite proficient as a surveyor himself. He received his education in the public schools of Clark County and Kahoka College at Kahoka, Missouri. After receiving a good preparatory education, he entered the Western Dental College at Kansas City, Missouri, and after studying there one year entered the Keokuk Dental College at Keokuk, Iowa, where he was graduated with a degree of Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1900.
He then engaged in the practice of his profession at Milan, Sullivan County, Missouri, where he remained about six months, and in the spring of 1901 he came to Clinton, where he has since been engaged in the practice. Doctor Calvert is a skillful dentist and recognized as one of the capable professional men of western Missouri, who are schooled and skilled in the great science of dentistry.
Doctor Calvert was united in marriage June 26, 1902, with Mrs. Lillian (Sawyer) Pugh, who was born near Indianapolis, Indiana, of North Carolina parentage. Mrs. Calvert has one son by a former marriage to John Pugh, Joel S. Pugh, who was engaged in the wholesale lumber business at Ardmore, Oklahoma.
Doctor Calvert is a member of the Masonic Lodge and is a Democrat. He takes an active interest in local municipal affairs and for ten consecutive years has served in one capacity or another in connection with the city government of Clinton. He has been councilman for four years and was a member of the public works commission when the electric light plant was built by the city. He is a progressive citizen and a professional man of high standing. Doctor Calvert can always be safely relied upon to co-operate with any movement that has for its purpose the betterment or up-building of his city and county.
