Rev. James Leonard Sullens

Rev. James Leonard Sullens, D.G.M. (1860-1908)* = Methodist Minister. Born on a farm near Brazito, Cole County, MO. to Peter Washington Green and Sarah Ann (Johnston) Sullens.

In 1881, he married Miss Laura (Tipton), the daughter of a prosperous farmer of Jamestown, MO., where he was at that time employed. To this union, eleven children were born. The oldest, Rev. William Earnest Sullens, filled the pulpit at the Jasper M.E. Church at Jasper, MO.; the second son, Roy A. Sullens, aged twenty-four, studied medicine at Kansas City, MO., and Clarence Sullens, the third son, of Webb City, MO., was engaged in the mercantile business at the time of their father's death.

In September 1889, James joined the Southwest Missouri Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, being ordained a minister at Marshall, MO, and was appointed to Prairie Home Circuit. He was ordained an elder by Bishop Haygood at Boonville in 1893. He served pastorates at Onaville, Siloh, Slater Station, Clinton Station and Monett, before going to Webb City in 1901, where he stayed four years. He came to Springfield from Morrisville in June 1907, to accept the call from the Campbell Street Methodist Episcopal Church. During the time he filled the charge at Slater, Dr. C.H. Briggs, pastor of St. Paul Church, Springfield (f. 1832), was presiding elder of the district.
Dr. Briggs said Rev. Sullens was one of the most earnest and energetic pastors he has ever met in his long years in the ministry, and he was deeply affected when informed of his shocking death. Rev. Sullens was shot while hunting near Glidewell (a village eight miles northwest of Springfield) by the accidental discharge of a shotgun in the hands of J.T. Jared, of Jared Bros. of 212 West Commercial St. on December 16, 1908.

More to Read:

1. "Springfield Leader" newspaper obituary, Springfield, Greene County.

2. Peter Sullens and Mary Carson and Two Hundred Years of Descendants. By Maude Sullens Hoffman. 1971.
3. See the "Leaf" labeled biographies for more information.
4. Findagrave #41910150

Fr. Jacques Marquette, S.J.

Père (Father or Fr.) Jacques Marquette, S.J. (1637-1675) = Jesuit Priest. Missionary. Explorer. Along with French Canadian fur trader, Louis Joliet (1645-1700), Marquette is best known as the discoverer of the mouth of the Missouri River. Marquette was born in Laon, France on June 1, 1637, to Nicolas & Rose de la Salle Marquette. His father, a lawyer, provided a good life for his large family.

When Jacques turned nine, he went to study at the Jesuit school in Reims, France. The Society of Jesus or the Jesuits were a religious order for men within the Roman Catholic Church founded by St. Ignatius of Loyola*. Marquette dreamed of becoming a missionary, one who brings the message of Christ to others. When he turned 29, he was ordained a priest, given the title Father and wore the black robe of the order.

King Louis XIV of France was eager to expand French territory in the New World and sponsored an overseas mission in which Marquette was chosen to go. When he reached New France, present-day Canada, he lived near several missions, gaining the trust of the native peoples and learning their languages.

Marquette met Louis Joliet, a fur trader and map maker and prepared an expedition to explore a great river nearby. They departed on May (some books say June) 17, 1673. When they reached the Mississippi River which forms the eastern border of the present-day state of Missouri, they sailed down it as far as the mouth of the Arkansas River, where they turned around because of their fear of the Spanish army.

After Marquette fell ill on the return trip, his health was never quite the same afterwards. He passed away in 1675.

More to Read:

1. Collection of Travels (Recueil de Voyages). Marquette's Journal. Paris; 1681.

2. Famous Explorers Five Part Series Video: Marquette & Joliet. Produced by Film Ideas, Inc. Wheeling, IL. 2002.

3. Jacques Marquette and Louis Jolliet. By Jeff Donaldson-Forbes. 2002.

4. Marquette & Jolliet: Quest for the Mississippi. By Alexander Zelenyj. 2007.

5. The Explorations of Pere Marquette. By Jim Kjelgaard. Random House, 1951.

6. The Life and Times of Father Jacques Marquette. By Susan Sales & William H. Harkins. 2009.

7. Webster's Biographical Dictionary. G & C. Merriam, 1956.

8. Dictionary of Christianity in America. Editors: Daniel G. Reid, Robert D. Linder, Bruce L.Shelley, &  Harry S. Stout, Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1990.
9. Findagrave #671 

Places to Visit in MO.

The Mississippi River

The Missouri River

Historical Trivia:

The great Mississippi river was known by Native Americans of the region as Missi Sepe, meaning "Father of Waters". The Missouri River was called the Pekitanoui or "Muddy Water."

Quote:

Teach Us to Serve Thee, Lord

By St. Ignatius of Loyola, (1491-1556)

Teach us, good Lord, to serve Thee as Thou deservest:

To give and not to count the cost;

To fight and not to heed the wounds;

To toil and not to seek for rest;

To labor and not ask for any reward

Save that of knowing that we do Thy will. Amen.

Biography written by Dolores J. Rush. Updated: 10/31/2022. 

Eugene Field

Eugene Field (1850-1895) = Children's Poet Laureate. Eccentric Journalist. Toy & book collector. Best known for his sentimental poetry for children. Eugene was born on the third of September to Roswell Martin & Francis Reed Field in St. Louis, MO. His Irish nanny was Temperance Moon. When he was six years old, his mother died of cholera and he and his brother, Roswell, Jr. were sent to live with Cousin Mary Field French in Amherst, Massachusetts.

Eugene was a fun-loving boy. He loved playing with the neighborhood boys or pulling pranks or messing about with his menagerie of pets including Dooley the dog. This dog inspired Gene to write his first bit of verse when he was about eleven years old.

When Eugene learned to read, he discovered fairy tales and would often read them instead of studying. He didn't much like school, but on Sundays, Miss Mary held a strict Puritan Sabbath, going to church in the mornings and making the boys study the Bible in the afternoons after dinner. Eugene declared that the Bible study he did in those days was of the greatest benefit to him in his writing later.

Gene and Julia Sutherland Comstock, daughter of Alexander Comstock, had an October wedding at the Christ Episcopal Church in St. Joseph, MO. in 1873. To this union eight children were born.

He began his writing career as a reporter. He was employed by the St. Louis Journal (1873-1875); the St. Joseph Gazette (1875-1876); St. Louis Times-Journal (1876-1880); the Kansas City Times (1880-1881) and other papers outside of Missouri.

At the early age of 45; Gene's funeral services were held in the Fourth Presbyterian Church at RUSH & Superior streets in downtown Chicago, Illinois. Reverend F.M. Bristol gave the eulogy address.

In the Firelight.
By Eugene Field.

The fire upon the hearth is low,
And there is stillness everywhere,
And, like wing'd spirits, here and there
The firelight shadows round me creep,
A childish treble breaks the gloom,
And softly from a further room
Comes: "Now I lay me down to sleep."

And, somehow, with that little pray'r
And that sweet treble in my ears,
My thought goes back to distant years,
And lingers with a dear one there;
And as I hear my child's amen,
My mother's faith comes back to me –
Crouched at her side I seem to be,
And mother holds my hands again.

Oh, for an hour in that dear place –
Oh, for the peace of that dear time –
Oh, for that childish trust sublime –
Oh, for a glimpse of mother's face!
Yet, as the shadows round me creep,
I do not seem to be alone –
Sweet magic of that treble tone
And "Now I lay me down to sleep!"

More to Read:

1. Bufton's Universal Cyclopaedia. Ed. By Alexander, Bailey, Bufton, Clintock, Colledge, Crampton, Higgins, Jeffrey, Neergaard, & RUSH. Mutual Pub; Kansas City, 1925.

2. Eugene Field: The Children's Poet. Carol Greene. 1994.

3. Field Days: The Life, Times & Reputation of Eugene Field. By Robert Conrow. 1974. ( * not recommended reading for children)

4. Missouri Legends: Famous People from the Show-Me State. John W. Brown. 2008

5. One Hundred and One Famous Poems. Edited by Roy C. Cook. 1928.

6. Poems of Childhood: Eugene Field. Illustrated by Maxfield Parrish.

7. The Gingham Dog and the Calico Cat. By Eugene Field. Illustrated by Janet Street. 1990.

8. Webster's Biographical Dictionary. G & C. Merriam, 1956.

9. The World Book Encyclopedia. Field Enterprises Educational Corp; Chicago; 1967.

10. “A Condensed History of the Kansas City Area: Its Mayors and Some V.I.P.s 1850-1950 ” Assembled by George Fuller Green. City Historian. The Lowell Press; Kansas City, MO. 1968.
11. St. Louis Courthouse Postcard by Raphael & Tuck.

12. Missouri: Day by Day. By Floyd C. Shoemaker, Editor. Mo State Historical Society, 1942.
13. Findagrave #4706

Eugene Field's books: The Tribune Primer (1882); A Little Book of Western Verse (1889); A Little Book of Profitable Tales (1889-90); With Trumpet and Drum (1892); Second Book of Verse (1892); Echoes from the Sabine Farm (1892).

 Places to Visit in MO.:

1. Eugene Field House & St. Louis Toy Museum. Home of poet and toy collector

2. Eugene Field and Dred Scott Case lawyer, Roswell Field, 634 South Broadway, St. Louis. 

3. Old Courthouse. 11 N. Fourth St. St. Louis. Place of Dred & Harriet Scott's Trial.

4. Dred Scott is buried at Calvary Cemetery, 5239 West Florissant Avenue, St. Louis,

5. Marker c, 1875, 211 Capitol Ave, Jefferson City, MO.

6. Little Boy Blue Statue, Public Library, St. Joseph

7. Lovers Lane, NW Parkway and Lover's Lane, St. Joseph

Quote:

"Gene, during his college days, was a round peg in a square hole." ~ Dr. Hopkins, President of Williams College.

 Holiday:

1897 = November 4. Eugene Field Day. Schools throughout Missouri, on the recommendation of the State Superintendent of Public Schools, annually observed the date of Field's death with recitation programs.

James Cash Penny

James Cash Penny

James Cash Penny (1875- 1971) = Farmer. Retail Entrepreneur. Author. Lecturer. Philanthropist. Best known for his retail department stores called J.C. Penny. Jim was born on September 16, 1875, the seventh child of twelve to Fannie and James Cash Penny. His father, a Baptist preacher and farmer in rural Caldwell County near Hamilton, MO., died during Jim's high school years and he helped his family financially by clerking at a small retail store nearby.

James moved when he was about twenty-two years from Missouri to Out West. He clerked for a frontier town dry-goods store called the "Golden Rule Store" which was run by Guy Johnson and T.M. Callahan. He, as a one-third partner, eventually bought the other's shares of the business to form what became known as the J.C. Penny Company, a cash and carry store. Due to the strict upbringing he had, Penny had high ethical standards, a strong work ethic, valued excellent service and rewarded his employees accordingly. His company motto was "HCSC"-- Honor, Confidence, Service, and Cooperation

James was married three times and had five children. His first wife, Berta Hess, died of pneumonia in 1910, his second, Mary Kimball, died suddenly in 1923, and his third marriage to Caroline Autenrieth lasted forty-five years until his death.

After a time of personal financial difficulty and during an illness, he heard people praying and softly singing hymns he recognized from his youth in the hospital chapel. A compassionate woman welcomed him, saying "Brother, come join us and know peace." Consequently, he prayed and an enormous weight lifted off his shoulders. He found peace and began to recover.

A t the age of ninety-five, James Cash Penny passed away on February 12, 1971. Rev. Norman Vincent Peale spoke during his funeral services at Manhattan, NY. St. James' Church.

More to Read:

1.) Celebration of Fools; An Inside Look at the Rise and Fall of JC Penney. By Bill Hare. 2004.

2.) Creating an American Institution: The Merchandising Genius of J.C. Penny. By Mary Elizabeth Curry, 1993.

3.)  Missouri Legends: Famous People from the Show-Me State. By John W. Brown.
4.) Papers of James Cash Penny (1941-1970) at the State Historical Society of Missouri.
5.) Findagrave # 803

Places to Visit in MO.:

1.)  J.C. Penny Museum and Boyhood Home. 312 N. Davis St., Hamilton, MO.

2.)  Local J.C. Penny department stores.

Rev. Charles Monroe Sheldon

Rev. Charles Monroe Sheldon (1857 - 1946) = Congregational Minister. Author. Magazine Editor. Best known for his book titled "In His Steps," published in 1897. Charles, a P.K. (pastor's kid), was born in Wellsville, New York; one of five children, to Reverend Stewart Sheldon who ministered on the South Dakota prairie.

Charles was educated at the Phillips Academy (graduated 1879), Brown University (BA, 1883) and the Andover Theological Seminary (BD, 1886). He began his ministry in Waterbury, Vermont (1886-1888), then accepted a call to the Central Congregational Church in Topeka, Kansas, arriving in 1889.

Sheldon wrote "In His Steps" to create interest in the Sunday night services at Central. It was written, out-of-doors, on the porch of the Author's house, in the month of July, 1896. The story, when finished, was read one chapter at a time instead of a sermon, leaving his audience hanging in suspense when he broke off his narrative for the night. Rev. Sheldon then submitted it to the Advance, a denominational weekly paper printed in Chicago, where it was published as a serial, then in paperback book form. Since then, it has become a Christian classic and sparked the W.W.J.D. (What Would Jesus Do?) Christian marketing fervor a few years ago. A sequel to the book called "Jesus Is Here!" was published in 1913.

During the latter part of his life, he was the editor-in-chief for the Christian Herald (1920-1946), then a contributing editor (1925-1946). He wrote some fifty books and hundreds of articles in religious and secular periodicals as well as poems, hymns, and plays.

As a social gospel reformer, he worked for improvement in many areas: religious reform, basic rights of minorities, better living and working conditions, prohibition and world peace.

More to Read:

1. Dictionary of Christianity in America. Edited by: Reid, Linder, Shelly, & Stout. Intervarsity Press, 1990.

2. A Century of Congregationalism in Kansas; 1854 - 1954. By Charles M. Correll. The McCormick-Armstrong Co, Wichita, KS., 1953

3. Webster’s Biographical Dictionary. Merriam-Webster, Springfield, MA; 1956. 
4. Kansapedia article on Charles Sheldon

5. Findagrave #6532535

Other books written by Charles M. Sheldon: Richard Bruce (1891), The Crucifixion of Philip Strong (1894); Robert Hardy's Seven Days (1899); In His Steps Today (1896; 1921); The Narrow Gate (1902); All the World (1918).  and his autobiography: Charles M Sheldon, His Life Story (1925).

Happy Missouri Day!

“The third Wednesday of October of each year is known and designated as “Missouri Day” and is set apart as a day commemorative of Missouri history to be observed by the teachers and pupils of schools with the appropriate exercises. The people of the state of Missouri, and the educational, commercial, political, civic, religious and fraternal organizations of the state of Missouri are requested to devote some part of the day to the methodical consideration of the products of the mines, fields, and forests of the state and to the consideration of the achievements of the sons and daughters of Missouri in commerce, literature, statesmanship, science and art, and in other departments of activity in which the state has rendered service to mankind.” ~ Section 9.040, RSMO.

Actual Statehood Day: August 10, 1821. Statehood , the 24th state. Capital of Missouri then was St. Charles. Present day capital is Jefferson City.

Robert Sallee James

Rev. Robert Sallee James (1818-1850) = Circuit Rider. Hemp Farmer. Born to John M. and Mary G. (Poor) James in Logan County, Kentucky. Robert's brother, Drury Woodson James, would later pass on his middle name to one of Robert's sons.

Robert met Zeralda E. Cole (1825- 1911) while he was a ministerial student. They married in 1842 and moved to Clay County, MO. where her mother lived. Being a Baptist minister during those times was a true calling, because it was a unpaid position.  Robert purchased a 245-acre farm to support his family and was blessed with help from a friend. 

To this union were born five children; Alexander Franklin (1843- 1915), Robert B.(died in infancy), Jesse Woodson (1847-1882); Susan Lavenia (b.1849); and Mary, who also died in infancy.

Shortly after their son, Frank, was born, he began to shepherd the New Hope Baptist Church (f. 1828), a log cabin church of about fifteen members near Centerville (present-day Kearney). A new brick building was built towards the end of 1845 as the congregation soon outgrew the log cabin.

He also organized another neighborhood congregation, known as the Providence Baptist Church. James organized his growing following along his circuit into the North Liberty Baptist Association in 1844. Several years later, starting on the third Saturday of July through the end of August, 1849, James, as well as local Methodist and Presbyterian ministers joined together in a campmeeting. Forty people joined New Hope before the revival was half over. The following year, William Jewell College was established by Dr. William Jewell (1789-1852) and Robert James served as one of its trustees.

Robert wanted to preach to the Gold Rush miners, traveling to Hangtown (now Placerville, east of Sacramento), California. After arriving, he contracted cholera, died, and was buried there

More to Read:

1. Jesse James: Last Rebel of the Civil War. By T.J. Stiles. 2002.

2. Legends of the Wild West: Jesse James. By Adam Woog. 2010.

3. Missouri Baptist Heritage Series: William Jewell. By Mark D. Buhlig. Missouri Baptist Historical Commission at the Wm. F. Partee Center for Baptist Historical Studies, William Jewell College, Liberty, MO 64068.

4. The Rise and Fall of Jesse James. By Robertus Love. University of Nebraska Press, 1990.

5. The Heritage League of Greater Kansas City Directory of Historical Sites and Organizations History Map brochure. PO Box 10366, Kansas City, www.heritageleaguekc.org

6. US Federal 1850 Census for Platte, Clay County, MO.
7. Stray Leaves. by Eric James. 
8. Findagrave #127676458

Historical Note: Rev. James baptized Walt Watkins of Watkins Woolen Mill at Tryst Falls.

Places to See in MO.

1. Jesse James Birthplace & Museum, 21216 Jesse James Farm Rd, 2 miles east of Kearney on Hwy 52, Clay County, MO

2. Wm. F. Partee Center for Baptist Historical Studies. William Jewell College, 500 College Hill, Liberty, MO 64068.

3. Watkins Woolen Mill State Park, Located 6.5 miles north of Excelsior Springs & on Hwy 92, 7 miles east of Kearney, Mo.

4. Tryst Falls Park, on Hwy 92, five miles east of Kearney


Homeschool Educator Helps:
1. Discuss Saying: "Going to church doesn't make you a Christian anymore than going to a drive-in makes you a hamburger."
2. Vintage Photographs  (please preview as to appropriate views for your children) 

Samuel John Butcher

Samuel John Butcher (b. 1939)= Artist. Best known for his Precious Moments artwork. He was born in Jackson, Michigan, the third child of five. As a young child, his grandmother would tell him Bible stories and he would sketch Bible scenes under the dining room table. His talent was recognized; encouraged by his mother and school teachers. He studied hard and won awards. For example, he won a scholarship to the College of Arts & Crafts in Berkeley and married his college sweetheart to boot! But that was not enough to fill the emptiness he felt in his heart. One night, in a country church, Sam heard about Jesus, the Savior and he asked Him to come into his heart.

Early on, Sam illustrated for the TV program the "Tree House Club" and was on staff for Child Evangelism Fellowship. Ultimately, Sam desired to share the message of God's love with his art and in 1975, Precious Moments was introduced to the public. He and a friend at CEF, Bill Biel, started a small company to produce his inspirational art on cards and posters, calling their company Jonathan & David. The line became so popular that Enesco Corporation wanted to produce a 3D figurine "Love One Another" in 1978 with others to follow.* Other gift products have been produced as well.

Sam Butcher is a family man, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. His best legacy will be his desire to honor the Lord with his life and art. Sam's prayer is, by sharing his faith through the murals that bring beloved stories from the Bible to life in his Precious Moments Chapel, that all may be touched by the Spirit of God and be inspired to reach for the free gift of salvation in Christ Jesus.

* My wedding cake ornament was a porcelain Precious Moment bride & groom figurine.

More to Read:

1. Nursery Rhymes. Sam Butcher. Baker Books, 1999.

2. The Precious Moments Chapel Keepsake Memory Book. Sam Butcher. 1994.
3. Roadside America's Precious Moments Chapel story
4. Video of the inside of the Chapel. 

5. Wikipedia

Places to Visit in MO.

1. Precious Moments Park and Chapel. 4321 Chapel Road, Carthage, MO. 800-543-7975, ext. 2983

Harold Bell Wright

Harold Bell Wright (1872–1944) = Painter, Itinerant Minister, & Author. Born in Rome, NY on May 4, 1872 to William A. and Alma Watson Wright. The year he was eleven was momentous to the young lad; he quit school to help out at home, his mother died, his family broke up and he was farmed out as hired help.

He had a hard life as a young man. He wandered around, working at all sorts of odd jobs, chopping wood, washing dishes, selling magazine subscriptions, and once clerked for a bookstore owner where he was able to read books in his off hours. Wanting to better himself, he apprenticed himself to a painter. An evangelist hired him to paint signs for a revival. He attended the revival which changed the direction of his life

He attended two years of Hiram College, working and studying until the physical strain of his exhausting schedule caught up with him. He was put into a dark room for several months to rest his eyes. He said his faith carried him through those dark days.

Harold traveled to Missouri to visit his Uncle Ben. He stayed there awhile, visiting the Ozark region, painting scenery, until a hillbilly came to him, asking him to preach when an evangelist failed to show up for a revival meeting. Harold preached in various churches in Missouri and Kansas. He wrote a story to read to his congregation, in Pittsburgh, KS., in installments. That was his first book, "That Printer of Udell." Because of failing health, he left the ministry, moving to Arizona, and began to write other novels, clean ones with Christian principles. His second book was published in 1907, called "The Shepherd of the Hills," based in Mutton Hollow (Branson, MO.)

More to Read:

1. Harold Bell Wright; The Miracle of the Ozarks. Written by his son, Norman Wright & Harold is played by his grandson, Michael. A Wright Family Video, Burbank, CA.; 1987. www.wrightconcept.com

2. Harold Bell Wright: Storyteller to America. By Lawrence V. Tagg. 1986

3. "Harold Bell Wright" by Henry G. Tinsley. Sunset Magazine. 1918.

4. The History: Those Who Walked with Wright. Characters, Towns, and Landmarks of “The Shepherd of the Hills.” By Jerry S. Madsen. 1985. 

5. Webster's Biographical Dictionary. G & C. Merriam, 1956.
6.  Historical Marker
7.  Findagrave #11360

Books by Harold Bell Wright = That Printer of Udells; The Shepherd of the Hills; The Calling of Dan Matthews; The Uncrowned King; The Winning of Barbara Worth; Their Yesterdays; The Eyes of the World; When a Man's a Man; The Re-Creation of Brian Kent; Helen of the Old House; The Mine with an Iron Door; A Son of His Father; God and the Grocery-man; Long Ago Told; Exit; Ma Cinderella; The Man Who Went Away; and To My Sons.

Note: In 1941, John Wayne played in the film version of "The Shepherd of the Hills." However, if you don't have access to the film, you can listen to an approximately 8-hour and 7-minute podcast audio version of the book here. 

Places to Visit:

1. Harold Bell Wright Museum, 404 N. Walnut St., Pierce City, MO.

2. Shepherd of the Hills cemetery, 5586 W. Route 76, Branson, MO.

3. Shepherd of the Hills Outdoor Drama, 5586 W. Route 76, Branson, MO.

4. Shepherd of the Hills Park. Branson, MO. 

A Quote by Harold Bell Wright:

"If I were to write a story without regard for its effect upon the mental and spiritual health of my readers, I would be committing a crime for which our laws provide no adequate punishment. I view pencil and paper as the most deadly weapons ever placed in the hands of a reckless soul. The real social enemies of our day are those who in story, play, or picture make vice fascinating and present thugs and murderers in heroic guise for the worship of young children too young to detect the lie."

Carry A. Nation

Carry A. Nation (1846 – 1911) = Best known for her hatchet as a temperance crusader. Carry Amelia Moore was born at home in Garrard County, Kentucky, November 25, to George and Mary Campbell Moore. She was a sensitive and strong-willed child.

Her father held Sunday services in his home for his family and slaves in Kentucky. When Carrie was old enough, she took over the Bible reading. Often bored in the meetings, later in life she said she was grateful for her knowledge of the Word.

Carrie moved with her family to a farm near Belton, Missouri when she was nearly nine. It was located in the northwest corner of Cass County close to the Kansas border and south of Kansas City.

Her father became a member of the local Disciples of Christ Christian Church. He persuaded Carry when she was ten to go with him to a revival being held at the Hickman Mills Christian Church across the line in Jackson County. She went to the altar, knowing she was a sinner, knelt, and felt purified at her conversion experience. The next day, she was baptized in a stream with winter ice in it.

Carry married two men. Dr. Charles Gloyd in 1867 who died of alcohol poisoning and Rev. David Nation, an ordained minister and lawyer who pastored a church in Medicine Lodge, Kansas.

Carry believed God had a special mission for her to do in life and was often at odds with the established clergy and law. It was while they lived in Medicine Lodge that her crusade against the evils of liquor began. She called herself the Home Defender and her motto was "Prohibition." She smashed bars with a hatchet in hand.

She died June 2, 1911 and was buried in the Belton, MO. cemetery.

More to Read:

1. The Use and Need of the Life of Carry A. Nation. Steves and Sons, Topeka, 1908.

2. Webster's Biographical Dictionary. G and C. Merriam, 1956.

3. Jackson County Pioneers. By Pearl Wilcox. 1975

4. “The Joint Smasher: Carry Nation” By Ellen Miller. Midwest Genealogy Center News Bytes. June 2011.

5. Dictionary of Christianity in America. Editors: Daniel G. Reid, Robert D. Linder, Bruce L.Shelley, & Harry S. Stout, Intervarsity Press, Downers Grove, IL, 1990.

6. The History of Johnson County, Missouri Including a Reliable History of the Townships, Cities and Towns. Kansas City, MO, Kansas City Historical Company; 1881. Reprinted 1970. P. 511.
7. Introduction to Carry A. Nation
8. Carry A. Nation's Diary and Scrapbook

9. Carry Amelia Nation's Papers
10. Kansas Carry A. Nation Trading Card!
11. Vintage Photographs
12. Findagrave #756

Places to Visit in MO. and KS.:
1. Belton Museum, 512 Main, Belton, Mo.

2. Belton, MO. cemetery

3. Carry Nation Marker, K-8, south edge of Kiowa, Barber County, KS. 37.007829, -98.489842
4. Carry A. Nation's Home Museum, 211 West Fowler, Hwy 160, Medicine Lodge, Barber County, Ks.

Victor Paul Meador (1920-2010)

I just received the sad news of the passing of Victor Paul Meador, a photographer, genealogist and the Jackson County authority on pioneer cemeteries. He has compiled and published his own family history as well as several volumes of Jackson County records. Mr. Meador helped me identify an old cemetery dating from the Santa Fe Trail era near the neighborhood I grew up in. His obituary was published in the Kansas City Star on March 4, 2010.

Findagrave # 49063889

Dr. George T. Ashley

Dr. George T. Ashley (1864 – aft. 1941). Schoolteacher and Methodist Circuit Rider. George T. Ashley was born and brought up in a Primitive Baptist church in Mississippi. He professed "conversion," joined the church and was baptized by immersion at a revival meeting held during the summer when he was 15 years of age. He was intensely interested in the salvation of his schoolmates and felt the call of God upon his life. His pastor and neighbor provided the means for him to go to a Baptist College for two years. He later attended a Normal course to teach. As for the rest of his education, George said he obtained it, as Ralph Parlett once put it, in the great "University of Hard Knocks."

He was a licensed Baptist preacher and a schoolteacher, but was expulsed from membership because of his views on open communion.

George married his beloved wife, Marion Amanda Knight (d. 1940) and they remained married for more than fifty-six years. They had two children, a boy and a girl named Mary Fletcher.

He joined the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in Louisiana thereafter. His first annual conference met at Shreveport in January 1888 and the Presiding Elder sent him to the Trinity Circuit on the Black River and later to a circuit near Colfax where they served until they moved to Liberal, Missouri (Barton County) to take up a circuit for the Methodist Episcopal, North church in May of 1890.

Two years later, he was appointed to go to Rolla, Missouri (Phelps County). Blind John Boone played a concert there during Ashley's tenure. After retiring, at the age of seventy-seven, he wrote a little book about his years as a circuit rider called "Reminiscences of a Circuit Rider" which was published in Los Angeles, CA in 1941.

A Bit of Trivia:
1844 = May 1. Great Division of the Methodist church into the Methodist Episcopal North and South. New York.
1939 = Uniting of the North and South Methodist Episcopal churches into the United Methodist church. Kansas City.

More to Read:
Primitive Baptist Library, Carthage, IL

Places to visit in Mo.
JW "Blind" Boone, Columbia

Alexander Majors

Alexander Majors ( 1814 - 1900). Best known for his shipping firm and for the Pony Express. Alexander emigrated with his parents, Ben & Lauraina, to Missouri territory in 1819 from Kentucky. They settled in the future Jackson County. Elder Ben Majors, Alexander's father, was ordained previous to Concord Cumberland Presbyterian's organization along with Ezra Gregg in April of 1826. Within ten years Concord divided; one group moving to Independence and the other to Westport. After Alexander grew up, he became a ruling elder in the Westport Cumberland Presbyterian church and served for many years.

Alexander married his sweetheart, Katherine, who had migrated with her parents, James and Rebecca Stalcup from Tennessee. At first, they were farmers, but after seven children (five daughters & two sons), he began to carry freight to Santa Fe in 1848. Alexander decided each man he hired for his freight company and Pony Express had to agree to a code of conduct during employment: (oath paraphrased)

Before the great and living God, I hereby do agree to conduct myself as a gentleman while in the employment of Russell, Majors, and Waddell. I will uphold the principles of the Bible and in every respect I will be honest, faithful to my duties, and act so as to win the confidence of my employers. I will under no circumstances use profane language, nor drink any intoxicating liquors, nor quarrel or fight with any other employee of the firm. Should I fail to follow the standards of the company, they have the right to terminate my employment without due payment; so help me God.

Alexander also did not believe in working on Sundays.

The residence Alexander built for his family in 1856 is the third-oldest structure in Kansas City. In the day when closets were taxed as rooms, he had several built into his home as well as glass windows.

NOTE: I wish to thank Nancy Ehrlich, a Heartland Presbyterian Historian for graciously sharing information with me on the Presbyterian church in Missouri. I would be remiss without her help.

More to Read:

1. Alexander Majors: The Man Behind the Opening of the West Tourist Brochure.

2. Kansas City Directory Alexander Majors’ Great Transportation Line to Pike’s Peak Tourist Brochure.

3. Seventy Years on The Frontier. By Alexander Majors. 1873 (or 1892).

4. Jackson County Pioneers. By Pearl Wilcox. 1975.

5. Tramping Through Western Missouri. By Martin Rice. 1893; reprinted 1994.

6. Frontier Freighter: Alexander Majors. By J. L. Wilkerson. Acorn Books, 2000.

7. The Pony Express: A Photographic History. By Bill & Jan Moeller. Mountain Press, 2002

8. Pony Express: A Hands-on-History Look at the Pony Express. By Mary Tucker. Teaching & Learning Company, 2004.

9. Here Lies Kansas City. Wilda Sandy. 1984.

10. National Historic Trails Auto Tour Route Interpretive Guide: Western Missouri Through Northeastern Kansas, National Park Service, US Dept. of the Interior, Sept. 2005.

11. National Pony Express Association

12. Following the Santa Fe Trail: A Guide for Modern Travelers. Marc Simmons, 1986.

13. Findagrave #7097
14. Wm. Bradford Waddell Findagave #7098

Listen to this Story about Buffalo Bill Cody who rode for Alexander Majors on this Old Time Radio Broadcast on the Internet Archive. It originally aired in the 1930s! 

Historical Note: Territory v. Benjamin Cochran, Jan. 1, 1856

Places to Visit in MO. & KS.

1. Alexander Majors Historic House and Park, 8201 State Line Rd., Kansas City.

2. Russell, Majors & Waddell Park, Ward Parkway & 83rd Street, KCMO

3. Lexington Museum, Library Building, 112 South 13th St., Lexington, MO. (a replica of a Pony Express saddle, print of Russell, Majors, & Waddell & other Santa Fe Trail memorabilia)

4. Hollenberg Pony Express Station, on State Route 243 two miles northeast of Hanover, KS.

5. Pioneer Park, Westport Road & Broadway, Kansas City, MO 

6. 1963 Westport Historical Society Marker Dedicated to the Memory of the Pioneers Who Settled the Town at the Westport Shopping Center, 1002 Westport Road, Kansas City, MO.

7. Patee House (Pony Express Business Office), 12th & Penn Street, St. Joseph, MO.

8. Pony Express Museum, 914 Penn, St. Joseph, MO.

9. Original Pony Express Home Station NO. 1 Museum, 106 S. 8th St., Marysville, KS.

10. National Frontier Trails Center, 318 W. Pacific Ave, Independence,

11. The Santa Fe Trail

12. Both Red Bridges (old & new), spans the Blue River, connecting the two ends of Red Bridge Road between Blue River Parkway and Holmes Road, Kansas City, MO. Park at Minor Park and walk both, taking note of the historic people posted on the new along with their biographies. But be careful! Traffic will be heavy during rush hour. (Note: There are a couple of other historical spots in the general area -- east side, abt. a quarter of a mile south of the bridge, on the bluff above the river, near the first picnic shelter, is a marker for the Pottawatomi Trail of Death and on the east, up on the hill are Santa Fe Trail swales, marked by a DAR marker).  (Renew the Blue River) 
13. Westport Historical Society, 4000 Baltimore, Kansas City

14. Westport Presbyterian, 201 Westport Road, Kansas City (burned 12/29/2011)

15. Union Cemetery, 227 E. 28th Terr, Kansas City, MO 64108-3277

Our Field Trip:
My husband and I visited the Pony Express Museum in St. Joseph, MO. during its 150th anniversary celebration. I took a photo of the Pony Express Motel sign while there. (click on photo to enlarge)

Written by Dolores J. Rush. Updated: 10/25/2020. 

A Digital Hand Message

A while back hand messages were all the rage on the internet. Of course, I had to make one with a very important message that Jesus died for you and me! To make it, I drew the short message on my hand with a sharpie marker, then scanned it. I had been making digital art postoids during this time frame, so it's only natural that my hand message was also made it into one and yes, that's my crooked little pinkie!