The Ford Family of Lafayette County, Missouri

JOHN R. FORD, was born at Danville, Ky., May 8, 1801. He is the son of Charles and Elizabeth Ford, natives of Virginia. His father died when he was but 11 years old. He was raised by his mother, who never again married, receiving his education at Danville. He remained there until 18 years old. He then went to Natchez and engaged in raising cotton. He lived there until 1835, being married Dec. 1, 1831, to Caroline, daughter of Col. Jas. Foster, who died in 1833. They had nine children, six sons and three daughters, all living at this time except one son, who was killed during the war. His name was John R., Jr., being 23 years old at the time he enlisted. He received a gun-shot wound near Corinth, from which he died. There were two other sons in the confederate army, one of whom, James Foster, was severely wounded at Gettysburg, from which he recovered. Charles W., the youngest, enlisted in '63, being at the time only 16 years old, serving under Gen. Shelby. On leaving Natchez, Mr. Ford returned to Danville, and engaged in farming until 1858. He then moved to Pettis county, Mo., and there settled. He was living there at the time the war broke out. Before the close of the war Mr. Ford removed to Lexington, and remained three years with his son-in-law, the Rev. L. G. Barbour, who was president of the Elizabeth AuU college, and now of Central university, of Richmond, Ky. In '65 Mr. Ford bought the homestead of Gen. Shields. They have one married daughter still residing in Lexington — Carrie, wife of Xenophon Ryland; also one in St. Louis, wife of E. L. Breding. Mr. Ford and wife are both members of the Presbyterian church, and have lived together in married state for over half a century. Politically Mr. Ford is a life-long democrat of Andrew Jackson school, and cast his first presidential vote for that old battle-scarred hero.

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

CAPT. CORNELIUS Y. FORD.

The career of Capt. Cornelius Y. Ford has been varied and interesting, and the history of Lafayette county will be more interesting if a record of his activities and achievements are given prominence, and a tribute to his worth and high character as a business man, a public-spirited and enterprising, broad-minded citizen, and the representative of one of the best families of the country, whose ancestors did so much in the pioneer days in whatever community they lived to prepare the western frontier for the enjoyment and prosperity of succeeding generations; but for many reasons is Captain Ford entitled to proper mention in this work along with other leading citizens of the county.

Captain Ford was born at Danville, Kentucky, April 12, 1843, and was the son of John R. Ford, who was born at that place in 180L He became a large planter and moved to Mississippi, in which state he remained twenty-seven years. He married Caroline Foster, a native of Natchez, Mississippi. Leaving that state, he returned with his family to Kentucky, and remained there until 1858, when they moved to Pettis county, Missouri, where they lived until the breaking out of the Civil war, when they returned to Kentucky, remaining there until hostilities ceased. Then he came back to Missouri and located on a farm near Lexington, where occurred the death of the father in 1894, the mother also dying near Lexington in the eighty-seventh year of her age. They were the parents of nine children, named as follows: Elizabeth is the widow of Dr. L. G. Bashfour; James, who died near Lexington, was a soldier in the Confederate army, serving in the Army of Northern Virginia and at the battle of Gettysburg he was twice wounded and taken prisoner and was soon afterwards released, rejoicing his company and regiment; he was also slightly wounded at Petersburg, Virginia. After the war he returned to Texas, his old home, and lived there several years, then came to Lafayette county, Missouri, where he lived until his death. John R. Ford died at Boonville, Mississippi, of wounds received in the army; Carrie was the wife of Rev. Xenophon Ryland, and she died in Lexington, Missouri, about 1900; Cornelius Y., of this review; William D. is a farmer near Lexington, this county; Charles W. was a soldier in the Confederate army and is now residing in Texas; Walter is farming near Lexington; Stella is the widow of Lackland Deeding, who was a merchant in St. Louis, Missouri.

Capt. Cornelius Y. Ford came to Missouri with his parents in 1858. When the war began he enlisted in the Confederate army in Company G, Second Missouri Cavalry, in which he served with distinction throughout the war, taking part in many trying campaigns and hard-fought engagements, having been promoted to captain for meritorious service.

After his army career in the army. Captain Ford returned home and soon took up his permanent residence in Lafayette county, Missouri, and engaged in farming near Lexington in a very successful manner until 1871. In 1872 he settled on the farm where he now lives in Clay township. He is the owner of three hundred and fifty-two acres of well improved and highly productive land. He has a large and beautifully located dwelling and such outbuildings as his needs require, and he always keeps an excellent grade of livestock, of which he is a good judge, especially admiring fine horses. All in all he has one of the choicest farms of the township.

Captain Ford was married in this county, on October 4, 1870, to Sallie Beattey, who was born in Mason county, Kentucky, September 5, 1848, and is the daughter of Rochester and Ann (Boyce) Beattey. They were natives of Kentucky, the father dying in Mason county. The mother came to Lafayette county, Missouri, in 1849 and settled in Clay township, where her death occurred at the age of seventy-four years.

Captain Ford has long taken quite an active part in political affairs, being loyal in his support of the Democratic party, and he and his wife are members of the Christian church.

The Captain has been a director in the bank at Odessa, this county, for many years, also vice-president of that institution, performing his duties in a faithful and able manner that has increased the prestige of that popular and sound institution and in a manner that has reflected credit upon himself and given satisfaction to all concerned. Personally, he is a very pleasant gentleman, is well informed on current issues of the day and is regarded as one of the leading citizens of this part of the county.

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

WALTER P. FORD.

In order to succeed well in any one line of endeavor, close application or right principles and persistency are necessary. Realizing this early in life, Walter P. Ford, farmer and stock man of Lexington township, Lafayette county, has always sought to carry them out, and that he has been rewarded with a large measure of success goes without saying. He was born in Danville, Kentucky, August 14, 1849, the son of John R. and Caroline (Foster) Ford; the former was the son of John Ford, who spent his entire life in the Blue Grass state. Caroline Foster was born at Natchez, Mississippi, and was the daughter of James Foster, the first postmaster of that city. John R. Ford, father of Walter P. of this review, came to Missouri in 1858 and located near Sedalia, where he lived until 1861, when he moved to Lexington and remained here four years, then bought a farm three miles south of Lexington. Selling out in 1873, he bought the farm where Walter P. of this review lives at the present time. There the elder Ford lived and prospered until he was called from his earthly labors by death in August, 1894. He was followed to the "narrow house" by his wife on July 8, 1901. John R. Ford was an influential man in his neighborhood, and was an elder in the Presbyterian church for a period of fifty years. Politically he was a Democrat, and he cast his first vote for Andrew Jackson.

Nine children were born to Mr. and Mrs. John R. Ford, namely: Elizabeth married Dr. L. G. Barber, who was first principal of the Aull Seminary at Lexington; he is now deceased and she is Hving in Louisville, Kentucky; their family consisted of four children, living; Carrie Ford married Xenophon Ryland, who lives in Higginsville, this county; her death occurred in February, 1898; their family consisted of seven children; Stella married E. L. Heeding and resides in St. Louis; C. Y. lives near Odessa, Missouri, Charles W. is farming in Texas; Walter P., of this review; William Hved with Walter P.; James died while living at the home of Walter P.; John R., who served in the Confederate army under General Forrest, was killed in Mississippi during the war; his brother, C. Y., mentioned above, also served in Forrest's cavalry for three years.

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