Bird Helton

Mr. Bird Helton came as a small boy with his family from Kentucky in a covered wagon pulled by oxen. The family located in Macon County until 1907 and then moved to Marceline. He was employed by the coal mines for over fifty years. He married Annie Love who had moved to Marceline from Pennsylvania in 1893. They had five children and all are still living in Marceline. They are Ray, John, Gladys Atkins, Margaret Riley, and Geneva Helton.

William Edward Cantlon

William Edward Cantlon and Mae Davidson Cantlon, pioneer citizens of Marceline, settled here in 1893. Mr. Cantlon was born in Blue Vale, Canada and his parents settled in Chariton County when he was six years old. He married Mae Davidson of Bucklin in 1890 and settled in Westville, Missouri until moving to Marceline. Mr. Cantlon owned a wagon repair and blacksmith shop and sold wagons, surries and buggies, much the same as the present auto dealers. His first shop was located on East Ritchie Street in the vicinity of the post office and later he moved to East Howell just east of the present hospital. In later years after retiring from this business he was a dealer for cemetery monuments and markers. He retired a few years before his death in 1920 because of ill health. When Mr. Cantlon first arrived in Marceline he built a home on the southwest corner of Santa Fe Ave. and Missouri Avenue. Later the original house was moved to a location just south of Santa Fe Ave. and the present home which is there now remained in the family until a few years after his death. Mr. and Mrs. Cantlon were among the original members of the Presbyterian Church and continued as loyal and faithful members until the church was dissolved in 1920. They are the parents of three children: Mrs. Berniece Milstead, Kirksville, Missouri; Wray W. Cantlon, Tulsa, Oklahoma and Mrs. R. M. Wrenn of Marceline. Mrs. Wrenn before her marriage was a member of the Marceline school system for three years. Mrs. Mae Cantlon died in 1952.

Charles T. Whisenand Family

Dr. Charles T. Whisenand came to Marceline from Bucklin, Missouri, in December 1895, to wed Miss Dona L. Carter who, with her father and mother George and Lueuna Carter and one brother, Talmadge Carter, had moved to Marceline from a farm near Bucklin, Missouri, to build a home, which now stands as a pioneer residence at 909 North Kansas Avenue. Mr. and Mrs. Whisenand first occupied the home at 1000 North Kansas Avenue, a home now one hundred years old and owned by the daughter, Fleeta (Mrs. Herman Rodgers.) Mr. Whisenand formed a partnership with Mr. Talmadge Carter and they owned and operated one of the first ice plants including the bottling works where they distributed hundreds of cases of all kinds of a beverage known as “pop.” Mr. and Mrs. Whisenand next moved to the home at 1101 North Kansas Avenue which has been their home for over sixty-five years. Here their second daughter, Oma, (Mrs. Roy A. Richardson) was born. Mr. Whisenand, now a retired rural mail carrier, at the age of ninety-four years, still has an active interest in the livestock business. He operated a farm during the thirty years that he was rural mail carrier.

Menford George (Wampus) Andrews

Menford George Andrews, better known as “Wampus” came to Marceline as a child from Milan, Missouri was born in 1903. He was a familiar figure about town. His singing, clog dancing and “trombone” playing were his chief accomplishments, plus his “speech making.” No one who ever saw “Wampus” will forget the size of his mouth. Legend had it that he could place three billiard balls in his mouth at once and the same time. He was a likeable person and brought cheer to the public generally. He died in 1951 at the St. Francis Hospital.

Edwin Craig Locke

In 1822 Edwin Craig Locke built a log house for his bride, Sabra Jane Stanley, five miles south-west of the location that later became the pioneer town of Marceline, Missouri, in 1888. Born in Chariton county, their grandparents came to Missouri in a covered wagon with the first settlers. The farm was one mile west of the location where the Santa Fe railroad was to be built, also near the over-head bridge, that’s still in use. Wagons came from a distance of 10 to 15 miles with tents, cots, shovels, picks, and slips to work on the construction of the new railroad. Ed Locke opened the gate to his farm lot and yard for the use of setting up tents for shelter, water and feed for the horses of fifteen men. Sabra Locke and two nieces, Lena and Maude Simpson, cooked breakfast, filled lunch buckets and cooked supper for these men six working days a week. They cooked on a wood stove in a summer kitchen, making bread and pies late into the night. The only groceries bought were coffee and sugar. Vegetables, fruit, and meat were all grown on the farm. It was Ed Locke, using the slip, and Wm. De Long driving his team of horses, that turned the first dirt to start that part of the Santa Fe railroad. There were three girls at this date, Anna May (Mrs. Harry Othic), Sue (Mrs. Chas. Payden), Lucille (Mrs. John McAllister). United with this family later, Blanche (Mrs. Rich Freeman), Emma Locke, Duncan Locke, and Edna Locke Thomas De Long. Descendants of this pioneer family now living in Marceline, Missouri, helping to celebrate the Diamond Jubilee 1963 are two daughters, Emma and Edna, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great great-grandchildren. They are as follows: Harold Payden, Furniture and Western Auto, store owner, Mayor of City, 1945-49. He has a son, Jim, a daughter Anne. Charles Payden, Davis Paint Store, owner, president of the Chamber of Commerce. Howard Freeman, policeman. He has two sons, Gary and David. Clifford Freeman, Mayor 1962-63. His children are Jennie, Rickie, Clay, and Kerry. Miss Louise Freeman, office manager for Walsworth Publishing Co. for 25 years. Russel, Homer, and Miss Helen Othic are living on the same farm of their parents and great-grandparents. George Edwin Thomas, in the work of Color photography, is a Litho photographer. Miss Emma Locke, has been a sales clerk 45 years, Edna Thomas DeLong is the wife of Otis De Long, an engineer on the Santa Fe railroad. Other members of the family that lived in Marceline until they completed their high school education are as follows; Mary Othic Hayen, Frances Othic Martin, Robert Payden, Kenneth Freeman, and Mike Payden. There were nine generations that have lived in or within five miles of Marceline in 145 years.

Erastus Taylor

The Taylor family first came to Missouri in the fall of 1867. Erastus Taylor moved his family from East Elba, Genesee County, New York to the farm where J. P. Taylor now lives, which is located at the north city limits on Highway 5. Here he lived and raised his family until 1885 when his father passed away in New York. He then took his wife and youngest son, William, and went back to his old home, leaving two sons, M. H. and W. S. on the farm here in Missouri. In February 1887, M. H., the oldest son, was married to Bertha E. Phillips and continued to live on the old farm until 1895 when he moved three-fourths of a mile west to the home of his father-in-law, which is now the home of M. H. (Slick) Taylor. In the summer of 1896 he fitted a covered wagon and went to Oklahoma with the thought of homesteading there, but after driving over much of the state, he came back to Missouri and in the fall of 1896, he bought a half interest in the hardware business with Henry Brown. Here he remained until the spring of 1920 when he sold his share of the business back to Mr. Brown and retired to the old Phillips farm until his death on March 15, 1940. M. H. and Bertha Taylor were the parents of five children, all of whom are living at this time. J. P., Don B., and M. H. (Slick), all of Marceline; Kenneth C. of Oklahoma City; and Mrs. C. B. McAllister of Marceline. It’s interesting to note that on what is known as Broadway, north city limits, of Marceline, the Taylor boys have been living for 96 years, a period which comprises three generations.

Janies F. Pendleton

James F. Pendleton, father of Larkin C. Pendleton, and grandfather of Walter Pendleton, pioneers of Marceline, was one of the two first white settlers in Linn County. He and a companion came to Locust Creek country in 1830 on a hunting exhibition. They found the country in accordance with their desires and determined to return and settle on some of its fertile land. In the fall of 1831 they came back and built the first two cabins erected within the borders of the county, they chose as their location what is now Locust Creek Township. They fenced 5 or 6 acres of land the next spring brought their families; thus became the first bona fide white settlers in Linn County. A son, Larkin C. Pendleton, married Ada Spurling, a native of Kentucky. They lived in Laclede, Missouri and were the parents of two sons and one daughter. In 1888 the family moved to what is now Marceline. The father was a carpenter and clerk in times of peace, a valiant soldier in the Union Army for four years during the Civil War. They were members of the Christian Church here, where he served as elder and sang in the choir. He was a member of Havre De Grace Commandery. His wife helped to organize the Order of the Eastern Star and was its first treasurer. Mr. Pendleton died in May, 1906 and his wife in December 1928. Their daughter Effie taught in the public schools of Marceline later marrying Joseph Batra, who owned the Batta Hardware Store for a number of years before moving to Chillicothe. Their son John never married and their son Walter resided in and near Marceline until his death in 1953. He had begun life as an apprentice to the printing trade in the office of the Marceline Journal. He worked at this until 1897 when he started farming. On March 10, 1897 Walter married Miss Louisa Alice Wyant and they were the parents of three children. Mrs. Raymond Jones (Irene) who is the only one residing in Marceline. They had five grandchildren and two great, great grandchildren. Mrs. Pendleton is now 90 years old and resides at the Braley Rest Home. She is the last of the Wyant family. They were all members of the Methodist Church.

A.L. Dawkins

A. L. and Samintha Coffey Dawkins came to Marceline from a farm in North Missouri, Schuyler County in 1889 with their three children, William, Bertha (Mrs. Ed. F. Hayden), and Jewell (Mrs. Charles Willis, Kansas City, Kansas). Mr. Dawkins bought a half interest in a furniture store, which was called Finnell and Dawkins. The store later burned down and Mr. and Mrs. Dawkins bought a farm south of Marceline and resided there until a few years before they died in Marceline. Mr. Dawkins died at the age of 92 in 1941 and Mrs. Dawkins at the age of 87 in 1941.

C. G. Bigger

In 1844 Harrison Bigger and wife Lucinda Crews Bigger arrived in Linn County from Marion County, Kentucky. There were five children born to this union, one of which was Clellan Guy. He was county surveyor for several terms as well as holding other county offices. While in office as county surveyor he assisted in platting Marceline as a town. In 1912 Mr. Bigger was the Marceline City engineer. His first venture in public life was teaching school. After this he studied medicine under Dr. John Fred Powers. He met and married Dr. Powers’ daughter, Leah Jean. They moved to the farm presently owned by V. R. Preston. In 1881 they moved to the farm which is now owned by a grandson, Fred Bigger. Mr. and Mrs. C. G. Bigger were the parents of nine children, all of whom are deceased. Guy and Ray were merchants in the early days of Marceline. Edwin married Nelle Moore a school teacher in Marceline and moved on the homeplace in 1912. C. G. Bigger moved to Marceline to make his home. Mable lived in Bucklin, Eva and Locelle went to Chicago, Charlie was a cabinet maker in Kansas City, Kansas, and Harry was contractor in Texas. Ida remained in the home. The children all attended Carpenter School of which was reorganized in 1952 to the Public school of Marceline R5. Edwin’s children Lois and Fred attended eight years at Carpenter and went to High School in Marceline. Fred’s daughter Maurice attended Carpenter three years, making three generations in the same schools. The Carpenter schoolhouse was bought by the neighborhood for a Community Center.

W. A. Campbell Family

W. A. Campbell, one of the original settlers of Marceline, came here when the town was started in 1888. He moved his family, wife and one son, from Green City to Marceline to make his home. Later three more children were born, two girls and a boy. Of the four children only one W. P. Campbell of Tulsa, Oklahoma is living. Mr. Campbell was working at the blacksmith business in Green City but moved his business here and continued in that capacity for years then adding a garage to his business after the advent of cars. In 1922 he sold the shop and garage and moved to a farm but only lived there two years after which he moved back to Marceline, and entered a grocery store which he continued to manage until his death in 1936. Of his direct decedents, there are only five: George Campbell, W. A. Campbell, and Adah Campbell, children of the older son Clarence. Only one granddaughter Ruth, living in Chicago, daughter of W. P. and Maurguerite, daughter of Meda living in Louisiana.