CHAPTER XXVII (Part 33)
BIOGRAPHICAL
Woodson A. Hastain - The Hastain family is one of the oldest if not the oldest pioneer family living in Henry County at the present time. It is one of the old, honorable and well established families of the county, members of which have always taken a prominent and influential part in Henry County affairs. The late Woodson A. Hastain of Clinton was a worthy representative of this fine old family and left a record behind him of which his family and descendants can well be proud.
Woodson A. Hastain was born October 8, 1835, and departed this life February 18, 1914. He was born at old Tebo, five miles north of Calhoun, Henry County, and he was a son of Daniel McCumskey and Anna (Green) Hastain. Daniel McC. Hastain was born in White County, Tennessee, and came to Henry County in the early twenties, being among the very first pioneers of this county. He died here during the early seventies.
Anna (Green) Hastain was born December 15, 1815, and died April 13, 1839. She was a daughter of Reverend John and Rachel (Mackey) Green. The Rev. John Green was born in North Carolina and died in Tennessee. He was the son of Jarvis and Sarah (Griggs) Green. The former was a private under Capt. Robert Forter, North Carolina, and enlisted in the Army of Independence for service in the American Revolution in 1777. He was killed in a battle with the Indians some time later. Daniel McCumskey Hastain was the son of David, who was born in 1772, and Margaret M. (Roddy) Hastain, born September 23, 1775, natives of Virginia who were in the vanguard of the early settlers of Tennessee. It will thus be seen that the Hastains are of the purest and oldest American stock of undoubted colonial ancestry of English origin.
Daniel McC. Hastain had children as follows: James Preston and John Green, deceased; Montgomery died in California; Mary Ann, wife of Abner Dice; Woodson A., subject of this review. All were reared in Henry County. Daniel McC. Hastain was twice married, his second wife being Martha Jane Wade, who bore him children as follows: Thomas Jefferson, died near Calhoun,, Missouri; Minerva Jane, Almira Elizabeth, deceased; Susan Melvina (Pigg) Ruhl, Denver, Colorado; Purlina Jackson, deceased; Mrs. Sarah Frances Schirk, died in Sedalia; Joseph Columbus, deceased; Mrs. Jennie L. Reese, Los Angeles, California; Pleasant Dawson, deceased.
When W. A. Hastain attained young manhood, he was married, March 28, 1865, to Miss Sarah Jane Walker, who was born June 22, 1847, on a farm ten miles north of Clinton. She is the daughter of Pleasant (born 1796, died 1879) and Missouri Adeline (Lindsey) Walker (born 1816, died 1855). Pleasant Walker was born and reared in Kentucky and came to Henry County, Missouri, with George Wilcox Walker and made settlement in the northern part of Henry County in 1832. Pleasant Walker and George Wilcox Walker were brothers and partners during their entire lives. Mrs. Missouri Adeline Walker was a native of North Carolina.
By a former marriage, Pleasant Walker had a daughter, Mrs. Sarepta Avery, who died in 1917. The children of Pleasant and Missouri Adeline Walker were as follows: Mrs. Bethia or Bertha Middagh, deceased; Harriet Ann, died in childhood; Mrs. Sarah Jane Hastain; Mrs. Mary Doyle, Kansas City, Missouri; Almira, died at the age of ten years. Taylor Lindsay died in Henry County, and Mrs. Emily Glasgow, deceased.
After their marriage, W. A. and Sarah Jane Hastain settled upon a tract of partly improved prairie land in Henry County, just south of the town of Leeton, and there made their first home and improved a splendid farm of 300 acres. They resided upon this farm until 1870, and then moved to a fine farm of 400 acres situated five miles east of Clinton. At first, they bought an eighty acre tract which formed the nucleus around which they built up a large 400 acre farm. They erected a comfortable residence and good farm buildings and beautified the premises with shade trees and shrubbery, which in the course of years made a beautiful country home. Mr. Hastain was an extensive stockman who was a large feeder and grower of live stock and accumulated a comfortable competence in this manner. He took a considerable interest in affairs outside of his agricultural interests, and for twenty years he served as vice-president of the Citizens Bank of Clinton. Mr. and Mrs. Hastain moved to Clinton in 1905, but after four years' residence in the city they again moved to the country, this time locating upon a place one mile east of the city, where Mr. Hastain died.
To Woodson A. and Sarah Jane Hastain were born a family of thirteen children: William T., a farmer living in the northern part of Henry County; Mrs. Anna Adeline Hoist, Los Angeles, California; Pleasant Walker, died at the age of two years; Emma Lena, wife of Thomas Wilson, Osceola, Missouri; Bertha May, widow of Joseph McCuan, Colorado Springs, Colorado; Jennie Lind, died in infancy; Sarepta, lives in Boston, Massachusetts; George Woodson, Searcy, Arkansas; Mrs. Sarah Frances Ellett, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Sarah Frances had a twin who is deceased; Mrs. Marie Farnham, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Maggie Ella, died in infancy; Maude Glasgow, wife of E. H. Cornick, assistant manager of the Larrabee Mills, Clinton, Missouri, makes her home with Mrs. Hastain. Each of the children received a high school education and several of them received a collegiate training at Baird College. It is also a matter worthy of recording that in 1858 Mr. Hastain, with others, drove a large herd of cattle across country to the Pacific Coast and engaged in milling on the coast for some time. The Hastains were married in Saline County, Missouri, and resided in Johnson County, Missouri, from 1865 to 1870.
Mr. Hastain was a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, as is Mrs. Hastain. He was a Democrat but took little or no active part in political matters, being devoted to his home and family. All of the daughters of the family are members of the Daughters of the American Revolution.
Richard B. Wilson - The Wilson family is one of the oldest and one of the most honored families in Henry County and dates their beginning with the history of Henry County as early as 1841. The striking characteristics of this family as a whole is the spirit of co-operation which has manifested itself during all these years among the various members of the family and which has brought prosperity in no small degree to the members of the family. Richard B. Wilson, better known as "Dick" Wilson, postmaster of Montrose, is a worthy descendant of excellent ancestry who has made a success of his life's work.
R. B. Wilson was born in Deepwater township April 9, 1854, and is the son of James R. and Susan (Everett) Wilson, natives of Kentucky and Virginia, respectively. James R. Wilson was born November 26, 1803, and died June 7, 1898. He was a son of James Wilson, a native of North Ireland who was of Scotch descent. He was one of the early pioneers of the state of Kentucky. James R. Wilson came to Henry County, Missouri, in 1841 and first settled in Bear Creek township, later entering free Government land in Deepwater township. To his first tract, he added a considerable acreage which he purchased from the Government, improved his farm and resided thereon until his death. Susan (Everett) Wilson, his wife, was a daughter of John Everett, a native of Virginia. John Everett was a soldier of the Revolution and belonged to a prominent Virginia family. James R. and Susan Wilson reared a family of seven children: John M. Wilson, a miner in the West and in California and who died at El Paso, Texas; Mary Everett, widow of Rev. James H. Houx, former noted minister of Warrensburg, Missouri; Joseph H., of Deepwater township, a sketch of whom appears in this volume; Edwin Wilson, removed to Texas after the close of the Civil War, and died in Austin; Susan Elizabeth, residing on the old home place of the Wilson family; William W., born December 26, 1851, Montrose, Missouri, residing with R. B. Wilson; Richard B., subject of this sketch.
During the Civil War, the Wilson home was a place of refuge for Bates County people who were forced to abandon their homes. During part of this period, the Wilsons lived in Johnson County, returning to their home after peace was declared. Mr. Wilson received such education as was afforded by the district and private schools of his day and took up the life of a farmer. He is owner of a splendidly improved farm of 160 acres in Deepwater township and also owns another farm of 120 acres in Bear Creek township. He resided on his farm until 1913, at which time he came to Montrose, although his family are still living upon the home place, Mr. Wilson's position as postmaster requiring that he live in Montrose.
December 22, 1892, Richard B. Wilson and Marion Vickars were united in marriage. Mrs. Marion Wilson was born in Bear Creek township, a daughter of William H. Vickars, a pioneer of Henry County and whose people were old neighbors of the Wilsons in Virginia. To this marriage, were born three children: Edwin Vickars Wilson, who is tilling the home farm in Deepwater township; Katherine Frances and James Ramsey, at home.
The Democratic party has always had the steadfast allegiance of Mr. Wilson. He received the appointment of postmaster at Montrose in 1913 and assumed the duties of his position in July, 1913. Mr. Wilson's conduct of the affairs of the office have been such as to commend him to the many patrons of the office. He is a member of the Methodist Church South, and is affiliated with the Woodmen of the World Lodge of Montrose.
William H. Vickars was one of the earliest of the pioneer settlers of Henry County who was reared in this county and spent practically his entire life here. He was born in Kanawha County, Virginia, December 25, 1842 and departed this life in Montrose, August 17, 1911. He was the son of Stephen Decatur Vickars, who was born in Maysville, Kentucky, in 1813, and died in Henry County, 1895. Stephen Decatur Vickars was the son of James Vickars of Virginia, who was a native of North Ireland and was descended from Scotch Presbyterian stock.
When James Vickars immigrated to America, he first settled in Virginia and from that State went to Maysville, Kentucky, about the same period that the Wilsons settled in that vicinity. From Maysville, Kentucky, he went to the Kanawha Valley region of Virginia now West Virginia in company with the Wilsons. James Vickars built the first steamboat and operated it upon the Kanawha River, a feat which did much to open up the Kanawha Valley to settlement and development. He also in company with James Wilson freighted produce to New Orleans down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers.
Stephen Decatur Vickars left his home in the Kanawha Valley country in 1842 and came to Henry County, Missouri in search of a future home for his family. He entered free Government land in Bear Creek township and spent all of his days in this county engaged in agricultural pursuits, taking a prominent and important part in the early development of Henry County. His wife, prior to her marriage, was Frances Marion Stewart of the old Stewart family of Virginia of undoubted Revolutionary ancestry. She was the daughter of Daniel Stewart, who was also a pioneer settler in Henry County, who enlisted for service in the War of 1812 and received a grant of Government land in Henry County, coming here not long after Stephen Decatur Vickars and his family made a permanent settlement in this county. Mrs. Francis Marion Vickars, was born in Fauquier County, Virginia, in 1821 and died in 1915, one of the best beloved of the pioneer women of Henry County. Her life was devoted to good deeds and she was loved and revered by all the people of the countryside for her goodness and kindliness, a friend to all, all were friends of hers. She was deeply religious and an ardent and tireless church worker. It is a matter of history that the first school held in this section of Henry County, was taught in the home of Stephen Vickars and through his influence and liberality a teacher was obtained and the education of the youth of the neighborhood began and continued through the years. This school was taught by Mrs. Susan Bronaugh. After a residence here of some years, the modest pioneer home of the Vickars family was supplanted by an imposing frame edifice erected by Mr. Vickars much of the material used in its construction, such as window sash, etc., being brought by steamboat from Cincinnati and then hauled over land from the landing place at Boonville on the Missouri. This house was one of the very first large residences erected in the county and for many years was a landmark.
To Stephen Decatur and Frances Marion Vickars were born three children: William Henry; Emeline, died at the age of fourteen years; Mrs. Frances Ann, or Nannie, deceased wife of William F. Carter.
William H. Vickars was reared to manhood in Henry County and became a farmer, following this vocation until a few years before his death, when he removed to a home at Montrose, where his death occurred. His farm was situated in Walker township. Mr. Vickars was married to Susan Cornelia Peyton, who was born in Boonville, Missouri, in 1846 and died in 1895. She was the daughter of Frederick S. and Lucretia (Hartt) Peyton, who were natives of Fredericksburg, Virginia, and were early pioneers of Cooper County, Missouri.
Five children were born to William H. and Susan Cornelia Vickars, as follows: Ella Peyton, wife of Harry Armstrong, a farmer in Davis township, a sketch of whom appears in this volume; Frederick resides in California; William Carter Vickars lives in California; and Mrs. Marion Wilson of this review.
Mr. Vickars was a Democrat and was a member of the Methodist Church South.
