Judith Thomas Family
Mrs. Thomas is the daughter of John and Elizabeth McGown Henry. She is one of five children born to this union. Mack, Minnie, Charlie (deceased), and John, of Troy, Missouri, and Judith of Marceline. Mack was the father of Earl Henry and grandfather of B. M. Henry of this city. John married Miss Fannie Piggott and had five children: Marjorie Henry of Salisbury, Ann Wood of Maryland, Charles of Delaware, and Frances Henry of the home. Judith married W. A. Thomas of Lyndon, Illinois, in 1904, and they had two children: Verne, deceased, and Bernice Thomas Mobley of Marceline. Mr. Thomas passed away in 1946 and Mrs. Thomas still resides at 314 East Howell Street. She has one grandson, Dean Mobley of Liberty, Missouri, and one granddaughter, Mrs. Judith Grantham of Grandview, Missouri.
G. H. Freeman
George H. Freeman, one of Marceline’s pioneer citizens, was born September 2, 1849, in Macon County. In 1878 he and Nancy Ellen Pillars, of Macon County, were united in marriage. To this union was born three children: Orbra L., 1880; Richard C., 1883; and Jennie Lynn (Freeman) Wilson, 1885. On October 25, 1888, shortly after the town was chartered, the family moved to Marceline, then purchased a home at 122 West Booker Street, now Florence’s Rest Home. Mr. Freeman was employed by the Santa Fe Railway for more than 27 years as a car inspector, and as manager of the Santa Fe Reading Room. He died at the age of 82 in the home of his son, R. C. Freeman. His wife, Nancy, preceded him in death in 1923, and son Orbra, in 1926. He was survived by his daughter, Mrs. H. E. Wilson, of Chillicothe, Illinois. As a young man, Richard C. Freeman was employed by the Santa Fe Railroad until 1909 when he claimed land near Las Vegas, New Mexico, under the homestead act. In 1912 he returned to Marceline where he entered the real estate business. In March of 1916, he and Blanche E. Locke were united in marriage. They had four children, J. Howard, Louise, Kenneth G., and Clifford L.In 1921 “Rich” operated a secondhand store and they purchased their home at 520 West Lake Street. In 1924 he took a job as police officer. He was chief of police for 24 continuous years. In 1950 he returned to the real estate business and retired in 1953. He was then appointed Police Judge for the city, an office which he held until his death in 1958. His wife, Blanche, followed him in death in 1959. He is survived by his two sons, Howard and Clifford, and daughter, Louise, all of Marceline, and son Kenneth of Knoxville, Iowa.
E. W. Taylor
E. W. Taylor moved to the vicinity of Marceline in 1869. During the spring and summer of 1887 he was active in construction work on the Chicago, Santa Fe and California Railway (now called Santa Fe.) In March 1888 he entered the drug business with his father and Dr. La Dow on West Santa Fe Avenue. The drug store was moved in 1889 to the building where Elmo’s Drug Store is, and again in 1890 moved to the location now occupied by the Lohmar’s Drug. Mr. Taylor continued in business there until May 1930. Mr. Taylor served as grand high priest of the grand chapter Royal Arch Masons, state of Missouri from April 1926 to April 1927. He was an active member in Masonic circles until his death. Mr. and Mrs. Taylor, the former Jessie Null, moved to Marceline and resided on West Santa Fe Avenue. They had two sons, Verne, deceased, and Willard Lee who resides in Chicago. The family home is still in the family being owned by Mrs. H. W. Rodgers and Mrs. Roy A. Richardson.
B. F. Simpson
In March 1903, the B. F. Simpson family of Kansas City and the J. B. Miller family from Tina, Missouri came to Marceline. They opened a dry goods and women’s ready-to-wear store in the B. B. Putman building near the present site of the James McLaughlin building. Mr. Simpson started his career in merchandising in 1892 in Carrollton, Missouri. In 1894 he went to Kansas City where he was assistant to the superintendent of the “Leiter Co.” He was at “Peck’s” six years, then went to the “John Taylor Dry Goods Co.” where he was manager of the first floor. The Simpson and Miller Dry Goods Co. moved to the Hemming building when it was completed in 1904. When the partnership was dissolved, Mr. Simpson became the sole owner and the store was known as “Simpson’s.” Mr. Miller had two sons who lived in Marceline where they were married. Herbert C. Miller, a retired Division Engineer, is living in Emporia, Kansas, and Ercill in Buckner, Missouri. Mr. Simpson retired in 1947 after selling his business to the “Chownings” in Madison, Missouri.Mrs. Simpson was a cousin of the late Clarence M. Kendrick, well known attorney. He was editor of the Marceline Mirror in 1898 and continued the practice of law with headquarters at the Mirror office. Mr. Kendrick’s parents came to Marceline in a covered wagon in 1889. Mrs. Audry Walsworth, who wrote the Jubilee Pageant, is the daughter-in-law of the late Mr. and Mrs. Don Walsworth. Mrs. Don Walsworth, Sr., was the former Joy Kendrick, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence Kendrick. The first scene of the Pageant was taken from the “Marceline Souvenir,” the program prepared by Mr. C. M. Kendrick for the 25th Anniversary of Marceline.
Henry Dave Porter
Mr. Henry Dave Porter came to Marceline in 1890 and began work as a contractor and carpenter. He built the Carnegie Library on California Street and the I.O.O.F. building on Kansas Avenue. He also built school buildings in adjoining towns and one in New Cambria, Missouri. Mr. Porter and family lived at 624 North Missouri Avenue. His children were sons, George, David, Harold, Theodore, and Clarence, and a daughter, Edith.
William Montgomery
William Montgomery came to Marceline in February 1888, and bought several lots from the Santa Fe Land Company and started building a home at the northwest corner of the 100 Block of West Walker Street. Many of the early residences in the community were built by Mr. Montgomery. He also developed an area known as the Boswell and Montgomery addition to the City of Marceline. Mrs. Montgomery arrived during the month of March from Cameron, Missouri, where she had been staying since their marriage. She helped organize the Methodist Episcopal Church, which was built in the 100 block of West Lake Street on the north side. The parsonage was across the street. Mr. Monty, or “Monty,” as he was called by close friends, was as strong a Presbyterian as his wife was a Methodist. He became a charter member of the church which was located on Kansas Avenue across from the company store. He was a member of the school board when the first two-story brick public school was built. The members of the board traveled all over Missouri getting ideas for the most modern school. Central School was the result. He served at various times as alderman and, at his death in 1920, was president of the township board. In the winters, Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery were active in supporting Lyceum Courses, which both entertained and enlightened audiences. The center of entertainment was the Cater Opera House. In the summer they were members of a group of sponsors who brought the Chautauqua which was held in a large tent in the park (where the Park School was built). Such men as Admiral Hobson, William Jennings Bryan, Admiral Cook, Bob Burdette, humorist, Senator Robert LaFollette, etc., shared their experiences with the townspeople. Many fine musicians appeared also. Helen Montgomery Spradling, a daughter, lives at Carthage, Missouri, now.
John Wilson Porter
John Wilson Porter came to Marceline from Bynumville and was among the first settlers. He was an active home builder and contractor and some of his work were the buildings where Simpson & Miller Dry Goods Store, Reece’s Confectionery, and Otto Zurcher Millinery Shop were on Kansas Avenue. There are two houses on West Howell Avenue, three on West Gracia Avenue, two on West Lake Street, and many others which he built that are still lived in today. Mr. Porter had the following men helping him in the building trade: James Womack, E. E. Fitch, S. N. Brown, W. E. Buruss, Floyd Newman, and Charles Henning. Mr. Porter and his wife Rose had two sons – Harvey and Frank, and two daughters, Ethel and Iva.
J. T. Wallar
Early in the year 1894, J. T. Wallar came to Marceline and purchased the Burch Grocery Store located at the southwest corner of Kansas Avenue and Howell Streets. Mr. Wallar soon brought his family here, consisting of Mrs. Wallar, two sons, Stephen and Samuel, and two daughters, Elizabeth and Florence. The two sons became partners in the business and in a short time, Johnny Ficklin, a loyal and wholesome young man, came into the store as clerk and solicitor and remained with the company until the store was sold in the late twenties. In the fall of 1894 a disastrous fire which started in the photograph studio on the second floor, destroyed the building and contents. Dr. Cater, who owned the building, began rebuilding at once and in due time the Wallars were in business again. All was well until 1900 when a fire in the drug store of Allen & Blincoe next door, south of Wallar’s, burned and the whole building went again. After this disaster, the Wallars bought the dry goods store of one L. J. Hall, added groceries, and were in business again. In a short time it was evident they must move as the owner of the building asked for possession. At this time the Wallar Company bought the building now occupied by Mattinglys and conducted a prosperous business there many years. The Wallars originally came from Ohio, arriving in southwest Missouri in 1875. From there they came to Linn County and established their home on the corner of Ritchie Avenue and Chestnut Street. In 1907 the old house was removed to make way for a new and more modern residence. The two survivors of the family, Mrs. Luther Hardaway and Mrs. Claud Buchanan, reside in this home.
David Lee Teeter
David Lee Teeter and Fannie May Hazelrigg were married in 1895 at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Hazelrigg. The couple settled in Lingo, Missouri where Mr. Teeter was engaged in coal mining. In 1907, the family moved to Marceline, Missouri where he was employed in the coal mines. There were eight children born to this union and they are George, Mildred, and Gwendolyn, all living in Marceline; Lucy, Elsie, Leo, and Lawrence, living away from here and Lester, deceased.Mr. Teeter passed away in 1917 and Mrs. Teeter in 1956 and were laid to rest in the High Hill Cemetery.
John A. Floray
John A. Floray was born in Brunswick on December 13, 1854, and lived there until he was a young man. He was employed by the Santa Fe Railroad and he worked as far as Marceline and stopped off to stay in 1874. He and John Lynn started a brickyard, a part of which can still be seen, east of Marceline on the water tower road near the first branch. Some of the first buildings were made of the bricks that they made. There are a few of the old bricks still remaining in the buildings along the block where Hayden’s Butcher Shop was located. Mr. Floray met and married Julia Ann Snider on January 1, 1891. They moved to a farm east of Marceline and lived there until his death in 1942. Mrs. Floray’s folks came from Baltimore, Maryland, to Bucklin in 1859. Her father operated a blacksmith shop there until 1866 when he moved his family to a farm east of Marceline on the county line road. Mr. Snider died in 1898 and Mrs. Snider in 1900. Mr. Floray’s grandson, Ola Floray, Jr., lives on the old Snider farm now.