CHAPTER XXVII (Part 25)
BIOGRAPHICAL
James Washington Johnson - Prominent in the affairs of Henry county for nearly thirty-five years, energetic and progressive to a high degree, the late James W. Johnson was a man whose name will long be remembered in Henry County. He created a splendid farm during the course of his residence in this county and reared a fine family of children.
James W. Johnson, widely known as Judge Johnson, was born in Morgan County, near Versailles, Missouri, in 1846, and was the son of Anderson and Rebecca (Smith) Johnson, who were natives of Kentucky and settled in Missouri during the early thirties, when the greater portion of the State was an un-peopled wilderness. Anderson and Rebecca Johnson reared a family of ten children, of whom James W. was the fifth child. He, James W., was reared to young manhood in Morgan County and resided there until the spring of 1879, when he came to Henry County in search of a permanent home for his family. He enlisted in the Confederate service in 1864 during the Civil War and became a soldier when but seventeen years of age. He served under General Marmaduke and saw much active and hazardous service in southwest Missouri, Arkansas and Texas for over one year. Mr. Johnson's first purchase of land was eighty acres in Bear Creek township. This farm was hardly improved and an old log house which had been erected by a former proprietor served as the Johnson home for four years. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson then erected a substantial frame house. He set out a large orchard which bore bountiful crops of apples for many years until the past six years of drought practically ruined many of the trees. He added another eighty acres to his farm and then added forty acres, making two hundred acres in all in the Johnson farm.
In April of 1879, James W. Johnson and Miss Mary McCloud of Morgan County were united in marriage. Mrs. Mary Johnson was born in 1858 in Morgan County, Missouri, and is a daughter of W. H. and Elizabeth (Adams) McCloud, the former of whom was a native of South Carolina and the latter a native of Indiana. Elizabeth (Adams) McCloud was the daughter of Adam Adams, a pioneer settler of Morgan County, Missouri, whose wife lived to the great age of ninety-two years. Mrs. Mary Johnson is one of the seven children born to her father's second marriage. He was father of six children by a former marriage. Her mother departed this life in February, 1898, her father having died in 1874. Three children were born to James W. and Mary Johnson, as follows: Barrington Salmon, born 1881, lives in Texas, married Jewell Rhodes, and has one child, James Samuel; Ewing McCloud Johnson, born April 1, 1893, enlisted in the department of mechanical service in the National Army for overseas service in the World War in behalf of world freedom, April 5, 1918; James Winkler, born April 21, 1896, married March 14, 1918, to Crystal E. Hood, daughter of J. C. Hood of Montrose, Missouri.
Mr. Johnson was a life-long Democrat and prominent and active in the affairs of his party in Henry County. He was once a candidate for county judge and came within two votes of being elected. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and took a proper interest in religious work. He was affiliated with the United Confederate Veterans, Norvel Spangler Camp No. 668, Clinton, Missouri, and took a great interest in the affairs of this organization. Mr. Johnson was a man worth while who left an indelible impress upon the life of the community in which he spent so many active years.
Charles Malcolm Adkins - The Adkins family is one of the oldest of the prominent families of Henry County and dates back to the early forties when the grandfather of Charles M. Adkins came from Warren County, Missouri, to Henry County and settled upon a large tract of land located south of Clinton.
C. M. Adkins was born on a farm six miles southwest of Clinton, in 1872, and is the son of Henry G. (born 1828, died 1875) and Zilpha Jane (Collins) Adkins. Henry G. Adkins was born in Virginia and was a son of John Ward Adkins, who was a pioneer in Warren County, Missouri, and came to Henry County in the early forties and made a permanent settlement south of Clinton. The mother of C. M. Adkins was born in 1828 in Tennessee, and was a daughter of Louis Collins. She died in October, 1903, in Clinton. There were five sons and five daughters born to Henry G. and Zilpha Jane Adkins, as follows: Missouri Ann, deceased wife of Joseph A. Harness, Kansas City, Missouri, died in May, 1918; John T., Clinton township; Louisa J., wife of Robert B. Casey, both of whom are deceased; Henrietta J., wife of Isaac J. Hinkle, both of whom are deceased, the former of whom died at her home in Montrose, April 11, 1918; Mary Elizabeth, wife of Granville Taylor, deceased; William H., Greeley, Colorado; James J., deceased; Mrs. Zilpha H., deceased wife of Frank White; Charles H., deceased; Charles Malcom, subject of this sketch.
Henry G. Adkins achieved a remarkable success as an extensive farmer and stockman. He became owner of 2,400 acres of farm lands in Henry County and gave to each of his children, a tract of 240 acres.
He came to Henry County without any capital whatever, and entered land. He was very prominent in affairs of Henry County during the early days and was widely known throughout the county. He farmed his land on an extensive scale and was a large feeder of live stock. Mr. Adkins was a charter member of the Clinton Lodge of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons.
C. M. Adkins attended the district schools and the Clinton schools and pursued a higher course at Lamkin's Academy. After completing his schooling he located on his grandfather's old place in Clinton township and farmed this 240-acre tract until his removal to Clinton, where he resided for ten years, coming to his present farm in Bear Creek township in 1914.
Mr. Adkins was married in 1892 to Miss Ida B. Erhart, a daughter of Nick Erhart, a biography of whom appears in this volume in connection with the sketch of John Layman. Mrs. Ida B. Adkins was educated in the district school and Baird College, and studied music and art. She is an accomplished musician and an artist of ability who has produced many paintings of merit. Mr. and Mrs. Adkins have three children: Monna Lucille, born 1893, wife of D. S. Fuden, Jr., Clinton, Missouri; Mildred Viola, born January 1, 1895, wife of Charles L. Grimes, Clinton, Missouri, has two sons, Charles Louis, and James Adkins; Henry Merritt, the youngest son, was born September 20, 1897.
Mr. Adkins has long been prominent in the affairs of the Democratic party and he served four years as deputy sheriff under Sheriff Hall while a resident of Clinton. He cast his first vote for Grover Cleveland for the presidency and has consistently voted for the Democratic candidates ever since. He and Mrs. Adkins are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
James H. Waugh, a leading farmer and influential citizen of Big Creek township, was born in Montgomery County, Indiana, February 27, 1866. He is a son of John W. and Julia A. (Hamilton) Waugh, natives of Indiana. The Waugh family trace their family history back to northern England to the year 1687, to John Waugh, who was born in 1687 and died in 1781. His son, Joseph, was born in 1726 and died in 1819. Joseph's son, Joseph, Jr., was born in 1763 and died in 1849. He was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. His son, Milo, was born in 1804 and died in 1857. Milo was the father of John W., who was born in 1839 and died in 1910, and he moved from Ohio to Indiana. His son, James H., is the subject of this sketch. John Waugh, the first above mentioned, who was born in England in 1687, immigrated to America in 1718, landing at Boston. Later, he lived for a time in Maine and then New Hampshire. In 1745, he moved from New Hampshire to Litchfield, Connecticut.
John W. Waugh, the father of James H., came to Henry County, Missouri, in April, 1866, and located on section 17, Big Creek township, where he bought one hundred twenty acres of land. He was a prosperous farmer and stockman and at the time of his death was the owner of eight hundred forty acres. He died August 14, 1911. He was prominent in public affairs and at one time was candidate for county judge on the Republican ticket. His wife died May 22, 1885, and their remains are interred in the Carpenter Cemetery.
John W. and Julia (Hamilton) Waugh were the parents of the following children: James H., the subject of this sketch; E. R., Blairstown, Missouri; Mary, now the wife of Dr. L. L. Smith, Urich, Missouri; R. H., Clarksville, Iowa; Jennie M., married Charles Crist and died at Chanute, Kansas, in 1910, and her remains are buried in Carpenter Cemetery; Walter S., on the home farm in Big Creek township; Minnie, married James Adair, Shawnee township, and Emma E., died in infancy. By a former marriage to Mary E. Henderson, the following children were born to John W. Waugh: William B., Baxter Springs, Kansas, and Martha, who married Ed Darr, and now resides at Blairstown, Missouri. John W. Waugh's first wife died June 28, 1864.
James H. Waugh received his education in the district schools of Big Creek township, attending school at district number two. He remained at home with his parents until he was twenty-two years of age, when he engaged in fanning on his own account in Big Creek township. In 1895 he bought one hundred forty-five acres of land one-half mile south of Norris and since then he has added one hundred acres to his original purchase and now owns two hundred forty-five acres, which is one of the valuable farms in Big Creek township. The place is well improved, with a good farm residence and an ample supply of barns and other farm buildings. Mr. Waugh is a successful stockman and is an extensive feeder of both cattle and hogs, and his place is well equipped for stock raising and feeding purposes. He is of the type of agriculturist who follows farming not for a living, but as a business.
Mr. Waugh was united in marriage March 28, 1888, to Miss Gertrude Haines of Macon County, Missouri. She is a daughter of Joshua and Minerva (Kinzer) Haines, natives of Ohio, the former of Highland County and the latter of Adams County. The Haines family came to Missouri in 1867 and settled in Macon County. The father died in 1871 and the mother afterwards returned to Ohio and was there married to Thomas Murphy, and they came to Johnson County, Missouri, in 1879, and the following year settled in Henry County. They now reside at Chilhowee, Missouri.
To James H. and Gertrude (Haines) Waugh have been born the following children: Edward H., married Gertrude Albin and is now engaged in farming and stock raising near Norris, Missouri, has one child, Sylvia Daphney; John W., married Ursel Gilliam and lives near Norris, Missouri, has one child, Lyle Gilliam, and Jessie N., married James Hunter, Merrill, Blairstown, Missouri. Mr. Merrill is now a private in the National Army.
Mr. Waugh is a progressive citizen and is of the type of men who has contributed to make Henry County what it is today. Since coming to this county he has seen many changes and has many pleasant recollections of pioneer days. He has in his possession a picture of his first cabin home in Henry County, which he prizes very highly. He is one of the substantial men of Big Creek township whose citizenship means something to the community and county. He is a Republican. He is affiliated with Agricola Lodge No. 343 Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. He and Mrs. Waugh and the children are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.
