CHAPTER XXVII (Part 13)
BIOGRAPHICAL
Joseph H. Wilson - Among the noted personages of Henry County who have figured prominently in the development of this county since the pioneer days, none has had a more varied nor more honorable and useful career than Joseph H. Wilson, the "Sage" of Deepwater township, who has lived in Henry County since his parents brought him to this county an infant in arms. Well educated, intelligent, progressive and endowed with a keen and discerning intellect, his long life has been filled with deeds well done, not only in enhancement of his own personal interests, but he has accomplished much in behalf of Henry County and his fellow citizens.
Reared in the southland, and of decided southern sympathies, he was among the first to take up arms in behalf of what he deemed to be a just and righteous cause. Deeply religious, he has devoted many years of his life to the furtherance of the cause of Christianity and especially delighted in the training of the young in the paths of right living and in giving them a knowledge of the Scriptures. So remarkable is Mr. Wilson's memory and so constant is his reading and study that for many years he was the final authority in settling disputes and questions of boundary lines between farms in his section of the county.
Joseph H. Wilson, pioneer, Deepwater township, was born in Cabelle County, West Virginia, October 31, 1840, and is the son of James Ramsey (born January, 1803, died June, 1897) and Susan (Everett) Wilson (born 1811, died 1875).
James Ramsey Wilson was born in Maysville, Kentucky, and was the son of James Wilson, who was born in Ireland. James Wilson of Maysville, Kentucky, married a Miss Bailey, who was a daughter of Col. Samuel Bailey, a Revolutionary soldier who was killed by the Indians during an attack made upon the settlement by the savages in the early history of Kentucky.
James Wilson and his family were among the first pioneer settlers in Kanawha County, West Virginia, and it is a matter of history that James Wilson made the first salt at the Kanawha Salt Works, located above the city of Charleston, in partnership with John Savaryn, a Frenchman.
As previously stated the Wilsons came to Henry County from Kanawha County in March, 1841, and established a permanent home in this county. The first settlement of the Wilson family was made near the Teays settlement on Marshall Creek in March, 1841.
In 1845, they settled permanently in Deepwater township. James R. and Susan Wilson reared a splendid family of sons and daughters: John M., went west when seventeen and had mines in the West, Mexico and South America, died in 1914, aged seventy-seven years, at El Paso, Texas; Mrs. Mary E. Houx, widow of the late Rev. J. H. Houx, Warrensburg, Missouri; Joseph H., subject of this review; Capt. Edwin, born 1842, died June 10, 1910, at Austin, Texas; Susan Elizabeth, living on the old home place; William W., makes his home with Richard B. Wilson, and Richard B., postmaster of Montrose.
The first company of Confederate soldiers enlisted in Henry County in May, 1861, found Joseph H. Wilson enrolled as a member. In the spring of 1862, he was invalided at Lexington, Missouri, ill with typhoid fever and received his discharge from the service in the fall of 1862. He enlisted in the service the second time at Springfield December 25, 1862.
Three of his company came home to get horses but storms prevented their accomplishing the task and the effort to capture Springfield failed and General Price's army fell back to Arkansas. Mr. Wilson disguised himself and went to St. Louis, thence to Cincinnati, Ohio, and from there made his way through Cabelle County, West Virginia, to Red Sulphur Springs, Monroe County, Virginia. He was imbued with the idea of getting into the thick of the fight and believed that he could only do so by joining a Virginia regiment. He offered his services to General Williams, brigade commander, and Col. Patton, of the 22nd Virginia Infantry, and was sworn into the Confederate service for a third time. His command marched from Monroe County to the Kanawha River Valley and took possession of the valley, fighting the battles of Fayette Court House and Cotton Hill. He was forced to march without a gun for some time but managed to secure a weapon and took part in this light.
Mr. Wilson served until the close of the war but was made prisoner near Boone Court House on the Guyandotte River April 9, 1864. He was paroled and sent back from Camp Chase to Baltimore. From there he went down the bay and up the James River, arriving at Richmond, Virginia, March 9, 1865, just before the surrender of General Lee's army at Appomattox Court House. Mr. Wilson participated in the battles of Carthage, Missouri, Wilson's Creek, Drywood and Lexington.
After his return from the battlefields of the South, Joseph H. Wilson, in November, 1868, settled on a farm on Round Prairie, Bates County, Missouri, where he resided until the spring of 1876, when he came again to Henry County and settled upon the old home place of the family in Deepwater township. In 1888 he removed to Appleton City, Missouri, and in the spring of 1889 moved to his present place near Montrose. This farm consisting of one hundred twenty acres is one of the most picturesque and attractive places in Henry County. A handsome brick residence surrounded by beautiful shade trees and shrubbery occupies a commanding site at the top of a gently rising knoll or hill which affords a view of the surrounding country for many miles - a view which is unsurpassed for magnificence and beauty of the landscape in this section of Missouri. A beautiful pastoral scene unfolds to the view as one gazes in any direction. This section which is now dotted with handsome farm homes and waving fields of grain and is unsurpassed in its richness of soil anywhere in the state of Missouri was once a virgin wilderness and Joseph H. Wilson himself has hunted deer and other wild animals and fished in the streams nearby at a period when settlers were few and far between. Geese and ducks were plentiful and it was no trouble for him to bag a dozen or so with ease in a short time. He often visited the Indian camps on the Deepwater during his boyhood days and the height of his aspirations when a boy was to have a gun and a dog. His next ambition as he grew older was to have a nice home with every comfort and even luxuries and to own a big orchard with trees hanging loaded with big red apples. He has owned several guns and dogs, and has the beautiful home and has hunted and fished to his heart's content, and is truly thankful for all the blessings which Providence has showered upon him.
In 1876, he organized the firm of J. H. Wilson and Brothers and during all these years he has managed the Wilson estate, which has been kept intact and farmed for the benefit and to the great profit of every member of the Wilson family, although each has his individual holdings aside from the estate. Mr. Wilson is owner of four hundred acres of land in his own right. This business of Wilson Brothers has been so managed for over forty years that he has never had a lawsuit and has never sued nor has he been sued.
On November 8, 1866, the marriage of Joseph H. Wilson and Miss Susan Cassandra Bruce, a daughter of Simeon C. and Zerilda Catherine (Browning) Bruce of St. Clair County was consummated. Simeon C. Bruce was a native of Tennessee, a son of Robert Bruce of Sumner County, Tennessee. Mrs. Zerilda (Browning) Bruce was the daughter of Dr. Jacob Browning, a native of Tennessee and a Henry County pioneer, after whom Brownington was named. Mrs. Wilson was born November 4, 1844 and has born him twelve children, seven of whom are living: Bruce McFarlan Wilson, farmer and stockman, Montrose, Missouri, married Maud Colson; Kate, wife of D. W. Stewart, Kansas City, Missouri; James Ennels, operates the home farm; Susan R., wife of William T. Lampkin, Payette, Idaho; Walter B., at home with his parents; Henry Everett, St. Louis, Missouri, a stockman and salesman; Anna, wife of Benjamin P. Lampkin, Deepwater township. Bates County, Missouri.
Since attaining his majority Mr. Wilson has been a stanch Democrat. He is affiliated with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons Lodge No. 408, Montrose, Missouri, and has been a Mason since 1878. He is a member of Chapter No. 90, George Frank Guley, Appleton City, Missouri.
Mr. Wilson is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, of Montrose and was steward of his church from 1870 to 1910. He was superintendent of the Sunday school for twenty-six years and is conceded to be the best authority upon family genealogy as concerns those families living in his section of the county. He was first made a steward of the church at Round Prairie in Bates County and when he removed to Henry County the same office was given him by the Montrose church. When he retired from the Sunday school superintendency by reason of advancing age the members of the Sunday school gave him a beautiful embossed Bible as a testimonial of their love and high esteem, in token of his twenty six years of faithful and unremitting service in behalf of the young folks of the church.
Mr. Wilson has lived an honest, honorable and just life according to the precepts of the greatest Teacher of all, and although during his long business career he has seen men take advantage of their fellows he has never succumbed to similar temptations and has treated his fellow men in a just and upright way. He likes to do right because it is right and because he has loved to deal justly and honorably with others. His seventy-seven years have been well and profitably spent and now in the eventide of his life he is able to look back over the years that have passed and calmly await the last great summons with a heart and mind at peace with all mankind. Mr. Wilson attributes much of his success in life to the faithful and loving counsel and assistance of his wife, whom he has invariably consulted regarding his business transactions.
Although he has passed the age when men are active in civic affairs, this aged gentleman still takes a keen interest in movements of the day and is a constant reader who keeps abreast of the times and is well informed on many subjects. He was a member of the "One Hundred Booster Club," which put across the Third Liberty Loan in Henry County, and made the big drive to obtain the quota of this county in bond subscriptions an overwhelming success.
Henry Baum, a well known hardware merchant of Clinton, Missouri, has been identified with the business development of Henry County for many years. He was born in Wittenberg, Germany, April 10, 1853, and is a son of Patrick and Mary Ann (Walter) Baum, and was the fifth child in the order of birth in a family of six boys. The father died in his native land when Henry was about three years old and in 1859 the mother and her six boys, Henry then being about six years of age, came to America and on Christmas Day, 1859, the family landed at New Orleans, Louisiana. They then came up the Mississippi River as far as Cairo, Illinois, by boat, and on January 1, 1860, reached St. Louis by rail. They then went to Lebanon, Illinois, where the boys grew to manhood and the mother spent the remainder of her life there. Of this family, Henry, the subject of this sketch, is the only one living.
Mr. Baum was educated in the public schools at Lebanon, Illinois, and in 1870, when he was seventeen years of age, he went to St. Louis to make his own way in the world. Here he learned the tinner's trade and worked at his trade in St. Louis about seven and one-half years. He then worked as a journeyman tinner in different places, including Kansas City. October 1, 1884, he came to Clinton and entered the employ of the Hasler Hardware Company, having charge of their tinshop for eighteen years and seven months. On June 19, 1902, he engaged in business for himself in Clinton. At first he engaged in the tinning business and gradually added a stock of hardware which he increased from time to time until today he has one of the most complete stocks of hardware to be found in Henry County, and is one of the leading hardware merchants of this section. Mr. Baum has but one rule in business and that is to give a square deal to everybody, which accounts for the rapid growth and development of his humble beginning sixteen years ago to a business of the present magnitude of Henry Baum's Hardware Store at Clinton. Mr. Baum employs five men in the store and tin shop.
January 19, 1879, Henry Baum was united in marriage with Miss Melora Eleanora Bergmann, a native of St. Louis. She was reared in that city and received her education under the training of the nuns in St. Peter and Paul's Parish.
To Mr. and Mrs. Baum were born three children, as follows: Catherine Eleanora, a graduate of the Clinton High School, the Missouri State University, and is now a teacher in the Clinton High School; Emil Henry, a sheet iron worker, Chicago, Illinois; and Edgar Walter, with his father at Clinton.
Mrs. Baum departed this life March 30, 1918. She was a woman of noble character and led an exemplary Christian life, and no small part of her husband's success is due to the wisdom of her counsel and her sympathetic co-operation. She was a devout member of the Catholic Church and Mr. Baum and his children are communicants of the same denomination. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks of Clinton and has been identified with that lodge for a number of years.
