CHAPTER XXVII (Part 26)
BIOGRAPHICAL
Fred C. Hill - The success of an institution depends almost entirely upon the personality and ability of the executive head. A banking concern depends for its popularity and success upon the personality and ability of the cashier, especially in the smaller cities where the cashier is practically the only individual with whom the patrons are brought into personal contact while transacting business with the bank. The Montrose Savings Bank is a popular, thriving financial concern whose success is due in no small measure to the energy, geniality, progressiveness, and ability of its cashier, Fred C. Hill.
Fred C. Hill was born May 15, 1878 in Calhoun, Missouri, and is the son of George and Mary (Ostermeyer) Hill, natives, respectively of Indiana and Illinois. George Hill was born in 1853 and was the son of Christopher A. Hill, a native of Indiana who moved to Henry County, Missouri, in 1865 and made a settlement near Montrose. After a few years' residence in this vicinity he located at Calhoun, Missouri, where George Hill was married and embarked in the smithing business, being thus engaged for a number of years until his recent retirement. He, with his sons conduct a thriving mercantile business in Calhoun, which is one of the most prosperous towns in Henry County. Three sons were born to George and Mary Hill: Charles L. and Walter 0., merchants at Calhoun, Missouri; and Fred C, subject of this sketch.
Fred C. Hill was educated in the public schools of his native town, his education being supplemented by experience in the usual school which affords a thorough training for a young man who if possessed of ability, can make his own way in the world without an academic education and training. We refer, to the school of experience which requires that a man actually do things worth while. Mr. Hill's training has been such as to eminently fit him for banking. His first experience in banking was as bookkeeper in the Bank of Calhoun, a position which he entered upon in 1898. Two years later he became bookkeeper of the Citizens Bank of Windsor. In January of 1906 he became teller of the Clinton National Bank, a position which he resigned in June, 1906, to become cashier of the Montrose Savings Bank.
Mr. Hill was married in October, 1904, to Miss Earl Morrow, of Buffalo, Missouri, a daughter of R. A. Morrow. Two children have been born of this marriage: George Robert Hill, aged ten years; and Mary Ellen Hill, aged five years.
The Democratic party has always had the support and allegiance of Mr. Hill. He is affiliated with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of Clinton. Mrs. Hill is interested in religious works and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.
The Montrose Savings Bank was established in 1895 by R H. Dugan, 0. P. Wilson, W. S. Winkler, and others. Mr. 0. P. Wilson served as the first cashier of the bank, and was succeeded by W. S. Winkler, who served as cashier until succeeded by the present incumbent, Fred C. Hill. This bank has a capital of $15,000, with a surplus of $15,000 and is in a flourishing and prosperous condition. The undivided profits on hand at this writing (April, 1918) exceed $1,750, all of which has been earned by the bank in due course of business. The bank is owned by twelve individual stockholders who live in Montrose or vicinity. The deposits now exceed $210,000. The officers of the bank are as follows: R. H. Dugan, president; H. Welling, vice-president; Fred C. Hill, cashier; R. H. Dugan, H. Welling, Fred C. Hill, A. J. Mann, Mrs. W. N. Nickell, Joseph DeBold, and W. L. Gurner form the board of directors.
Charles M. Clark, cashier of the Farmers and Merchants Bank, Montrose, Missouri, was born August 4, 1869, in Deepwater township, Henry County, and is the son of David W. and Sarah E. (Jackson) Clarke, the former of whom was a native of Virginia and the latter was a native of North Carolina.
David Clark was the son of Joseph Clark, a native of Ireland, who emigrated from his native land to Virginia, and after a residence of some years in that State, he came to Missouri, as early as 1837, and settled in Lafayette county, developed a farm in that county and there ended his days. David Clark was reared to maturity in Lafayette County and was married in that county to Sarah E. Jackson. During the early fifties he came to Henry County and settled in Deepwater township, developing a farm which is still in possession of the Clark family. During the Civil War he served in Capt. John B. Newberry's company of Missouri State Militia. He resided upon his farm of 140 acres in Deepwater township until death came to him. Nine children were born to David W. and Sarah E. Clark: Dr. J. W. Clark, Liberal, Missouri; Mrs. Louisa J. Barker, Kansas City, Missouri; Mrs. Elizabeth Marsh, a resident of Indiana; Mrs. Lucy A. Gutridge, deceased, was a resident of Montrose, where he died in 1900; Wesley, who is tilling the home place east of Montrose; Mrs. I. J. Marsh, living in Bear Creek township; Charles M., subject of this review; Mrs. Lillian Covey, Appleton City, Missouri. After receiving such education as was afforded by the district schools in the vicinity of his home, Mr. Clark attended the Academy at Butler, Missouri. For a period of two years he taught school and then engaged in the mercantile business at Montrose, a vocation in which he was profit ably engaged for over twenty years. In 1913 he entered the Farmers and Merchants Bank as cashier. His work as cashier of this bank is marked by efficiency, courtesy of demeanor and a desire to attend to the wants of the patrons of the bank in the most painstaking and obliging manner.
On November 12, 1893, Charles M. Clark and Miss Vina Campbell were united in marriage. Mrs. Vina Clark was born in Bates County, Missouri, a daughter of John Campbell an old settler of that county. The children born of this union are as follows: Constance E., a teacher in the Windsor High School, is a graduate of the Montrose High School, and holds a state teacher's certificate from the Warrensburg State Normal School; Ralph C, born in April, 1896, a soldier in the National Army who enlisted as a member of Supply Company, 137th Infantry, in April, 1917, and is now the regimental supply sergeant at Camp Doniphan, and who prior to his enlistment, was with the International Harvester Company at Hutchinson, Kansas, left for the front in France April 13, 1918, and is now on the fighting line serving his country and the great cause of world freedom for all nations and peoples.
The Republican party has always had the allegiance and support of Mr. Clark and he served four years as postmaster of Montrose under Presidents Roosevelt and Taft. He is a member of the Baptist Church and is frateraally affiliated with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, Lodge No. 408, Montrose, Missouri.
Robert H. Dugan - The life story of Robert H. Dugan, Union veteran and president of the Montrose Savings Bank, is an interesting one which borders upon the romantic in many instances, especially during his youth ful days when he was obsessed with the idea of joining the Union forces. Mr. Dugan began his career in Henry County as a farm hand and secured his first job with J. D. Brown, south of Montrose. Upon arriving at Germantown, he learned that Mr. Brown was a former Illinois man, and he hastened to the Brown place, remarking in later years, that it was the only place he ever worked where a man could get breakfast, dinner and two suppers after working hours. Mr. Brown is fond of telling their mutual friends that "Bob Dugan is one of my boys; who got his start while working for me."
Robert H. Dugan was born in Bureau County, Illinois, January 27, 1844, and is the son of Thomas and Pyrena (Ellis) Dugan, natives of County Down, Ireland, and Virginia, respectively. Thomas Dugan was born in 1809 and died in 1849. He was reared to young manhood in Ireland and crossed the ocean to America, locating in Illinois, where he was married to Pyrena Ellis (born 1830, died September 9, 1902). Mrs. Pyrena Dugan was the daughter of Virginia parents. Thomas Dugan died in Grundy County, Illinois. Mrs. Dugan spent her last days at the home of her son, Robert, in Henry County. There were but two children in the family, a brother of Robert H., dying in his youth.
Four times after the breaking out of the conflict between the North and the South, Robert Dugan tried to join the Union forces, running away from home and joining the army against the wishes of his mother and the home folks. He was three times sworn into the service, and twice he was compelled to return home on account of being under the required age for enlistment. At last, in June, 1864, he realized his heart's desire and having enlisted at Morris, Grundy County, Illinois, in June, 1864, he was mustered into the service as a member of Company H, 138th Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and served for six months. He saw service in Kansas and Missouri on provost duty, mostly. After his honorable discharge from the service he returned to his old home in Grundy County and remained there until 1868, when in March of that year he came to Henry County. Sometime after coming to this county he bought eighty acres of land located two and a half miles northeast of Montrose. This land cost $7 an acre and Mr. Dugan had a cash capital of $700. In 1869 he erected a cabin on the place and broke up the ground with an ox-team, having driven through from Illinois in the fall of 1868. He spent the spring and summer of that year working on the J. D. Brown farm as previously stated. Mr. Dugan increased his holdings to 175 acres in his home place upon which he made his home until 1900. He accumulated a total of 300 acres and made a profitable business of buying and selling farm land in Henry County. He owns eighty acres in Oklahoma and has given farms to each of his children, to the extent of from forty to 120 acres. He gave his home farm to his sons. Mr. Dugan owns considerable town property in Montrose. He owns a large brick business block, a hotel, and has a handsome brick residence which sets in a park which Mr. Dugan purchased and laid out fronting the railway depot. He erected the City Hotel and operated it for one year. Mr. Dugan is one of the principal organizers and is president of the Montrose Savings Bank.
On February 2, 1871, Robert H. Dugan and Clara Miller, were united in marriage. Mrs. Clara Dugan was born in 1852 and departed this life on April 6, 1909. She was a daughter of James Miller, a pioneer of Henry County. James M. Miller, father of Mrs. Clara Dugan, was a veteran of the Mexican War who enlisted with Illinois troops at Paris, Illinois. He came to Henry county in the fifties and made a permanent settlement in the vicinity of Montrose. Eleven children were born of this marriage: Mrs. Cora Dunlap, living five miles southeast of Montrose; James, Albuquerque, New Mexico; Mrs. May Kelland, Montrose, Missouri; Mrs. Mary Burnaugh, Lebanon, Laclede County, Missouri; Mrs. Ida Pumphrey, Paola, Kansas; Mrs. Margaret Warner, Paola, Kansas; Mrs. Beulah Petty, who died at Paola, Kansas; Thomas, a farmer located three miles southwest of Montrose; and Edward, a farmer living four miles southwest of Montrose; William, residing six miles northwest of Appleton City, Missouri.
In politics, Mr. Dugan has always been a Republican. For many years he has been a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and is affiliated with the Grand Army of the Republic Post, Appleton City, Missouri. Personally, Mr. Dugan is a kindly, intelligent citizen of the old school whose last days are being spent in peace and comfort in the city which he has seen grow from its very inception and in which he has been such an important factor in upbuilding.
