The Ferguson Families of Greene County, Missouri

JOHN R. FERGUSON.

Mr. Ferguson is the son of John S. and Elizabeth (Allison) Ferguson and was born February 10, 1842, in Pike county, Missouri. He received his education at the country schools of his neighborhood and worked upon his father's farm until he was seventeen years of age, when he took a clerkship in the patent medicine house of Coyle & Potter, in St. Louis, in 1860. He remained with the firm until the war began in 1861. He returned home and enlisted in the Federal service under Colonel T. J. C. Fagg for six months. He was mustered out and then re-enlisted in the Third, afterwards the Tenth M. S. M., for three years' service. He enlisted as a private, but was after a short time promoted to 2d sergeant. Upon the lath of April, 1865, he was mustered out at Macon City, Missouri. He was then appointed by Governor Fletcher to a clerkship in the office of Paymaster General "William J. Dougherty, of Gov. Fletcher's staff. He served in that capacity for two years, and then went to Ironton, Missouri, and engaged in the drug business with Dr. J. R. McCormack, who subsequently represented that district for two terms in Congress. Mr. Ferguson married in Jefferson City, Missouri May 8, 1867, Miss Virginia C, daughter of Hon. Jared E. and Sarah Roberta (Mask) Smith. Mr. Smith was at that time state register of lands. They have been best with eight children, four boys and four girls. The oldest, a girl, died in infancy. Mr. Ferguson followed the drug business until 1868, when he was appointed docket clerk of the State Senate by Hon. G. A. Moser, secretary of that body. In the spring of 1869, he and his father-in-law, Hon. Jared E. Smith came to Springfield and bought out the drug store of W. G. Gray & Co., and carried on the business until 1876, when he sold his interest to W. A. Hall,, and engaged in farming and stock rearing. This proved unprofitable, and in the fall of 1878 he was elected upon the Republican ticket to the office of circuit court clerk. He was renominated in 1882, and re-elected. He has been a member of the city council once, and city treasurer two terms. He is a member of the Knights Templar, and Royal Arch Chapter, and of the A. O. U. W. Himself and wife are members of the Christain church. His father was a Virginian and his mother a native of Franklin county, Kentucky. They were among the early settlers of Pike county, Missouri.

As printed in the source¹. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

ERNEST X. FERGUSON.

Step by step along the path of orderly progression Ernest X. Ferguson proceeded until he reached a prominent position as a representative of the industrial interest of Springfield, becoming cashier of the Holland Banking Company and president of the State Savings Trust Company. The initial step toward these ends was made when he was but a boy when he began careful preparation for a business career, and he has left no stone unturned anywhere along the highway of life whereby he might legitimately advance himself. 11 is influence has always been mi the side of progress, improvement and advancement He is a dependable man under any condition and in any emergency. His quietude of department, his easy dignity, his frankness and cordiality of address, with the total absence of anything minister or anything to conceal, foretoken a man who is ready to meet any obligation of life with the confidence and courage that come of conscious personal ability, right conception of things and an habitual regard for what is best in the exercise of human activities.

Springfield is his native city, his birth having occurred June 23, 1870. His parents are John R. and Virginia C. (Smith) Ferguson. The former, a native of Missouri, was born in February, 1842. and soon after the Civil war settled in Springfield, where he still makes his home. He engaged in the drug business for a number of years, afterward filled the office of circuit clerk for eight years and was recorder of deeds for four years, during which period his son, Ernest, acted as his deputy. He made an excellent record in official circles, his course being characterized by the utmost fidelity to duty and capability in meeting the demands of the business connected with the office. For three years he served his country as a soldier in the Union army and has at all times been actuated by a public-spirited devotion to the general good. He enlisted at Louisiana, Pike count) Missouri, March 29. 1862. and was mustered into service as a private of Company E, Third Regiment of Cavalry, Missouri State Militia, for three years, on the 8th of April, 1862. The following year he was promoted to the rank of corporal and in 1864 became sergeant. He continued with his command until mustered out, April [4, 1865, at Macon City, Missouri, on the expiration of his term of enlistment. While the Third Regiment was not sent to the front, it did arduous and dangerous duty in Missouri and northern Arkansas. Mr. Ferguson was almost constantly in a saddle from the spring of 1862 until the winter of 1864-5, pursuing and fighting the bushwhackers, guerrillas and outlaws who infested the territory in large numbers, especially in the central, southwestern and southeastern portion of this state, using every opportunity to ambush and bushwhack the Third Regiment, ignoring all rules of civilized warfare. In the summer and autumn of 1864 no prisoners were taken by either side. Mr. Ferguson participated in the engagements at Kirksville, Missouri, in August, 1862, and in the fight near Patterson, Missouri, in the spring of 1863. He was also in the severe engagement in September. 1864, at Goslings Lane, Boone county, Missouri, where he was in command of the advanced guard, which was formed of a detachment from his regiment for protecting a wagon train of army supplies. The attack was made on the wagon train and guard by the notorious guerrilla band of three hundred of the most desperate and cruel guerrillas, commanded by the equally desperate Bill Anderson, a noted guerrilla chief, who burned the wagon train and killed without mercy the teamsters and soldiers who were unable to escape. As Mr. Ferguson says, service at the front under the rules of civilized warfare was a much less dangerous and arduous service than that which he experienced. He has been equally true and loyal to his country in times of peace and is regarded as one of the most public-spirited men of Greene county. His wife is a daughter of Captain Jared E. Smith, a native of Tennessee.

In the public schools of Springfield Ernest N. Ferguson pursued his early education and afterward attended a business college there. On leaving school he entered the office of the circuit clerk and subsequently was in the recorder's office, being so employed for about five years. His identification with financial interests dates from the 19th of May, 1890, when he entered upon a position in the Springfield Savings Bank, becoming bookkeeper. There he remained until February, 1906, when he became secretary and treasurer of the Springfield Trust Company, with which he was thus associated for eighteen months. He next became vice-president of the National Exchange Bank and after ten months went to the State Savings Bank as cashier. Eventually he was elected its president and continued as such until September, 1913, when the bank was consolidated with the Holland Banking Company, of which Mr. Ferguson is now cashier. During his administration of the affairs of the State Savings Bank the deposits were increased from sixty thousand dollars to more than a million and a quarter and when, with his assistance, the consolidation with the Holland Banking Company took place, the new institution became the strongest in this part of the state. His long and varied experience in different clerical and official positions has given him intimate and comprehensive knowledge of the banking business in all of its phases and enables him to speak with authority upon many of the complex problems of banking. The spirit of enterprise actuates him in all that he undertakes and he has the ability to unity seemingly diverse elements and coordinate forces into a harmonious and resultant whole. One of the older bankers of Springfield, who years ago employed.Mr. Ferguson in a humble position said of him: "He always had the faculty of making and holding friends and still never allowed friendship to affect his judgment in business transactions. He is looked upon as one of the county's leading men. but has not nearly reached his place he eventually will take in financial circles." He is very forceful, displays keen sagacity and almost immediately makes up his mind when any proposition is brought before him.

On the 24th of April. 1894, at Springfield, Mr. Ferguson was united in marriage to.Miss Margaret B. Pinkerton, a.laughter of Rev. T. P. Pinkerton, and their children are James P., Katherine, Ernest X. and Margaret B. Mr. Ferguson has been a member of Company F, Second Regiment Missouri National Guard, with which he served for two years, holding the rank of second lieutenant. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party and be is identified with several fraternal and social organizations. He is a Royal Arch Mason, a Knight of Pythias, a Red Man, Royal Arcanum and Modern Woodmen. He also belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, is identified with the Springfield Club, the Young Men's Business Club, the Country Club and the James River Club — associations which indicate much of the nature of his interests and of his recreation. In manner he is modest and unassuming, but he has friends among all classes of people. He is a member of the South Street Christian church and has been its treasurer since 1894. Through his energy and personal assistance the affairs of the church have been put on a sound financial basis and he deserves great credit for his efforts in that direction. He is also a trustee of Drury College and is the local treasurer of the Pythian Home. His activities outside of business are perhaps most pronounced in the church and in its teachings are found the motive springs of his life in all of his relations with his fellowmen. His ideals are high and he grass eagerly every opportunity for raising himself to their level.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.

GEORGE W. FERGUSON.

The art of photography has shown wonderful development during the past decade or two, more perhaps than during all previous times since it first became known as an art. It would seem that it has attained the zenith of perfection and that the "last word* has been said regarding photography, tint the future is not within the horoscope of mortals, and who knows hut that the coming years will reveal still greater wonders in this branch of science, (inly a cursor) glance at the modern and tastily kept studios of George W. Ferguson on South street, Springfield, Missouri, is required to show that he has kept fully abreast of the times in his vocation and that he deserves to rank in the forefront of his profession.

.Mr. Ferguson was born in Indianapolis, Indiana. April 4, 1856, lie is a sop, of Uaac and Alary E. (Harrison) Ferguson, natives of Kentucky and Indiana, respectively. After spending several years in Indianapolis the) removed to Louisville, Kentucky, and finally, in [882, the) came to Greene county, Missouri, located on a farm three miles east of Springfield, and there became well established through their industry. The mother is still living and making her home with subject. The father died about twelve years ago. They were popular with their neighbors as a result of their honesty and hospitality. They were the parents of the following children: Subject being the eldest: Sarah, who married Charles E. Lodge, of Greene county, both now deceased; Jennie, who married David Repass of Denver, Colorado; James H., deceased; John, of Fayette, Missouri, who is in the photography business; Charles, deceased; Ella (Mrs. Ross Askins), in Springfield; Dora, now Mrs. Louis Funk, of Grand Junction, Colorado.

George W. Ferguson was a small boy when he removed with his parents from Indianapolis to Louisville, and he received his education in the schools of the latter city, including a course in the Spencerian Business College, from which he was graduated in 1876. After leaving school he engaged in the grocery business for three years, and although he was making a success as a merchant, this field seemed somewhat prosaic to one of his imagination and esthetic tastes, and he abandoned it and took up the study of photography in one of the best known photograph galleries of Louisville, where he made rapid progress and soon gave evidence of becoming exceptionally skilled in the work. Leaving the Blue Grass state in 1882, he came to Springfield and opened a gallery here. For many years his studio was on Boonville street, but later he moved in the arcade southeast of the Public Square, and finally to his present location on South street. He has thus been in the business in Springfield over thirty years, his success growing with advancing years until be has long since become known over the Ozark region, his splendid work being pronounced by those well capable to judge the same to lie inferior to none in the country, and many of his customers come from remote cities for sittings, for he has become celebrated throughout southwest Missouri for securing to bitters before the camera a natural, life-like and graceful pose, and the master hand ami thoroughly expert artist is readily seen in all his work.

Mr. Ferguson was married in [884 at Rising Sun, Indiana, to Mary Bedgood. Her death occurred in 1885 in Springfield, Missouri, leaving one son, Clarence, who is now in St. Louis, with the Frisco railroad, in the engineering department. Mr. Ferguson's second marriage was celebrated in 1888 to Louise Leetsch, of Helena, Arkansas, and to this union a son was born, Gussie, who is now at home in Springfield.

Politically, Mr. Ferguson is a Democrat and has been more or less active in party affairs. Soon after coming to Springfield he became a member of the city fire department, and his work was so well done that he was elected to every position in the company. In 1892 he was elected chief of department No. 1, and held the same for some time, taking an abiding interest in the affairs of the department and not infrequently manifesting unusual courage and presence of mind in emergencies. He was recognized as an expert fireman and had complete control of his men, whom he kept well trained; in fact, he did as much as any one ever did to give Springfield an up-to-date and efficient fire department.

Fraternally, Mr. Ferguson is a member of Royal Arcanum Lodge No. 418, the Knights of Pythias Lodge No. 213, and the Uniform Rank No. 21, and Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He and his family are members of the Christian church.

As printed in the source². Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.