CHAPTER XXVII (Part 61)
BIOGRAPHICAL
Joseph W. Huston, late of Windsor, Missouri, was a useful and widely known citizen of Henry County and was a pioneer settler of this county, accompanying his parents to Missouri as early as 1844. He was born in Morgan County, Illinois, December 8, 1839, and was the son of Robert P. and Nancy (Spencer) Huston, being the third born of eight children.
The Huston family came to Boone County, Missouri, in 1844, and some time later made a permanent location in Henry County, in the vicinity of Windsor. Both Robert P. and Nancy Huston died in Windsor.
In 1861, Joseph W. Huston went to Texas and enlisted in the Confederate Army, serving until the close of the Civil War, when he returned to his home in Henry County and engaged in farming. He first rented land in Johnson County and then purchased a farm in Tebo township, Henry County, upon which he placed substantial improvements. He resided on his farm for forty-five years and in 1912 located in Windsor, where he lived in well earned retirement until his death, November 17, 1917.
November 2, 1871, Mr. Huston was united in marriage with Emma E. Allen, who was born November 1, 1847, at Old Harmony Mission in Bates County, Missouri, the daughter of George J. and Esther (Mitchel) Allen, concerning whom the reader is referred to the biography of Robert W. Allen elsewhere in this volume.
When fifteen years of age, Joseph W. Huston was converted to the cause of Christianity under the pastorate of Rev. A. P. Linn in Boone County, and during the remainder of his life he was a true and consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, living a blameless and irreproachable life. He was a man highly esteemed for his many worthy traits and sterling qualities and was universally respected and admired by all who knew him. Mrs. Huston is a member of the Methodist Church.
Residing with her at her home in Windsor is a sister, Miss Belle Allen.
John W. Boyd, a successful farmer and stockman, owner of a splendid farm of 201 acres of land in sections 1, 11 and 12, Tebo township, is a native son of Missouri. He was born in Lafayette County, September 18, 1873, a son of James A. and Mary D. (Forsey) Boyd.
James A. Boyd was born in Jackson, Alabama, June 28, 1826, and is now making his home in Windsor, one of the oldest residents of Henry County. He was reared in the southland and became a plantation owner, using slaves to the number of 100 to perform the work of his plantation.
During the Civil War, he was engaged in the manufacture of saltpetre for the Confederate government, saltpetre being an important ingredient used in the making of gunpowder. At the close of the war, he removed to Illinois and located near Jacksonville, where he remained until 1868.
He then moved to Lafayette County, Missouri, where he was engaged in farming until 1894, when he came to Henry County, and after a few years spent in farming he located in Windsor and has resided there for the past twenty years. Mrs. Mary D. (Forsey) Boyd was born July 26, 1832, and departed this life January 5, 1910.
To James A. and Mary D. Boyd were born eleven children, eight of whom are living, as follows: Mrs. Harriet Hurt, a widow living at Windsor, with her father; Eliza, lives with her father; Thomas K., lives in Kansas; William, deceased; James A., Jr., lives at Ault, Colorado; Mattie L., deceased; Mrs. Mary D. Jackson, a widow, lives in Idaho; David M., is a farmer in Tebo township; Forsey is deceased; Lindley lives at Wichita, Kansas; John W. is the youngest of the family.
Reared upon the farm, John W. Boyd received his education in the district school and spent some months as a student in the State Normal School at Warrensburg. He accompanied his parents to Henry County in 1894 and purchased his present farm, consisting of 161 acres, which he bought on his own account and forty acres which his wife inherited.
December 29, 1897, John W. Boyd and Miss Annie Allen were united in marriage. Two children have been born to this marriage: Julia and Helen. Mrs. Annie (Allen) Boyd was born in Tebo township, Henry County, January 13, 1876, a daughter of William M. and Julia (Harris) Allen, who were parents of seven children: William R., Ava, Missouri; Mrs. Esther Hurt, Aberdeen, Idaho; Mrs. John W. Boyd, of this review; Charles, deceased; twins died in infancy; John Allen, the youngest son of the family, makes his home with Mr. and Mrs. Boyd.
William M. Allen was born in Tebo township December 10, 1838, and died February 15, 1914. He was the son of George J. Allen, a native of Buncombe County, North Carolina, who came to Henry County and settled here in 1835. George Allen was accompanied by his brother, Robert W. Allen, and their father, James Allen. The Allens were among the very earliest pioneers of Tebo township and assisted in the organization of the first schools and church in the township. They were among the founders of Salem Presbyterian Church, which was the first church of that denomination to be organized in Henry County. William M. Allen was married January 12, 1870, to Julia Harris, who was born in St. Clair County, Missouri, September 3, 1849, and departed this life May 28, 1885.
To William M. and Julia Allen belong the credit and honor of having reared a splendid family of sons and daughters and who were among the earliest of the pioneer families of this county.
The Democratic party has always had the allegiance of John W. Boyd and he has held the office of tax collector of his township for a period of four years. His time is fully occupied with his farming and live stock operations and he has little choice for political affairs. He and Mrs. Boyd are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and are highly esteemed as excellent and worthy citizens of Henry County.
Eugene E. Wall - The day of the old time methods of tilling the soil in Missouri with its attendant waste and depletion of fertility and natural resources is fast passing. Intelligent methods of crop raising, conserving the richness of the soil and the application of scientific knowledge to crop production and the raising of live stock is taking the place of the former slipshod methods of hit and miss ways of farming. It has been ascertained that it costs less to produce live stock of the pure bred variety and to fatten them for the markets than to raise the former scrub cattle and hogs with which the Missouri farms were formerly stocked.
Here and there in the different counties of the State a number of intelligent and highly progressive agriculturists and live stock men are taking the lead in this latest development in the science of animal husbandry.
Where formerly the stockman gave little heed to the kind of cattle and hogs which he raised from year to year, there are now leaders who keep and produce only the best and purest bred stock which in turn is dispersed over the country among others who see the need of improving their herds, and a vast amount of good results. A leader in the production of fine live stock, and one of the most successful and widely known breeders in the State of Missouri is Eugene E. Wall of Tebo township, Henry County. Mr. Wall embarked in the pure bred live stock industry in 1895, and now maintains one of the most famous herds of registered Hereford cattle in the country. His Herefords have been exhibited throughout the country at various State fairs and the American Royal Stock Show at Kansas City. In the season of 1911, Mr. Wall sold a carload of cattle which brought the highest price on the Kansas City market, known up to that time, the cattle bringing $12.50 per hundred weight, a price of two dollars over and above the top market price. Again in 1912, he received $12.20 per hundred for a carload of cattle. Mr. Wall's herd leader, "Beau Merry" No. 566449, was bred by Gudgell and Simpson, and the animal is valued at over $4,000. The fine cattle produced on the Wall farm are sold in many Western and Southern States, and he holds public sales which are attended by buyers from all sections of the country. Mr. Wall is also a breeder of Duroc Jersey hogs.
Eugene E. Wall was born in Tebo township, June 26, 1860, the son of Julius F. and Bettie (Woolfolk) Wall, who were parents of two children: Eugene E., subject of this sketch; and Julius F., a druggist in Windsor. The father of these boys was killed on August 16, 1862, while participating in the Battle of Lone Jack, he having enlisted with the Confederate forces at the outbreak of the Civil War. He was born in North Carolina in 1830 and accompanied his parents to Henry County, Missouri, in 1836, the family settling on the farm now owned by Eugene E. Wall, of this review. The grandfather of Eugene E. Wall was Mason Wall, who was well known among the early pioneers of Henry County.
On the 10th of August, 1862, about 100 boys of northern Henry and southern Johnson County met in an elm grove, about three miles southwest of where Leeton now stands. Doctor Warren was made captain of the company. The following day Julius F. Wall joined this company. This company joined the command of General Cockrell in the western part of Henry County and were sworn into the Confederate service in the afternoon of August 15th. This was about four miles west of Lone Jack, and in the night of the 15th they marched into Lone Jack, where the battle was fought on August 16. Julius F. Wall and a number of others of this county were killed in this battle and were buried by their comrades on the battlefield where they had fallen. After the war a monument was erected to mark the graves of the Confederate dead.
Julius F. Wall's father, Mason Wall, was a native of North Carolina and fought in the War of 1812 and was made major. After the war, he received a grant of land from the Government for his services. In 1836, Mason Wall came to Henry County.
Mrs. Bettie (Woolfolk) Wall was born in Boone County, Missouri, and her parents, formerly from Kentucky, settled in Henry County, in 1856. After the death of Julius F. Wall, his widow married James H. Bass.
Four children were born of this marriage: Mrs. Kate Carmichael, Holden, Missouri; Mrs. Sallie Hayden, widow, living at Pueblo, Colorado; Mrs. Ella Grinstead, deceased; Mrs. Bessie Rex, Drexel, Missouri. The mother of these children departed this life in 1900.
After attending the district school and the Windsor public school, Eugene E. Wall studied for one year, 1876-1877, in Central College at Fayette, Missouri. From 1877 to 1881, he was engaged in the sheep business in western Texas. Returning to Windsor, he was connected with the furniture and undertaking business there until his marriage in 1883, at which time he purchased the old home place of the family and engaged in farming and live stock raising. Mr. Wall has prospered as he deserved and is owner of 720 acres of well improved farm land.
March 7, 1883, Eugene E. Wall and Miss Anna Sutherland were united in marriage. Mrs. Anna Wall was born February 4, 1863, in Boone County, Missouri, the daughter of Logan and Margaret (Harris) Sutherland, natives of Kentucky, both of whom are descended from Colonial Revolutionary stock. To this marriage five children have been born: Charles S., a farmer in Tebo township; Julius F., a private in the National Army; Mrs. Helen Pigg, Windsor, Missouri, who with her mother, is a member of the daughters of the American Revolution; Logan and John W., at home with their parents.
Mr. Wall is allied with the Democratic party, but confines his interest and activities in politics to voting. He and Mrs. Wall are members of the Baptist Church. Mr. Wall is affiliated with the American Hereford Breeders' Association and takes considerable interest in the affairs of this association.
