The Myers Families of Jasper County, Missouri

NOAH MYERS, farmer, section 16, post-office Carthage, is a native of the Hoosier State, born in Washington county, July 24, 1827, where he was reared and acquired a good education for those days, which in after years he continued to improve upon adopting the study and practice of land surveying; also made the study of law the subject of many of his leisure moments. Having always lived in a new country these accomplishments were of inestimable value to his neighbors, but not of great profit to himself, as his services were generally of a gratuitous nature. He was married in his native state April 1, 1849, to Miss Mary A. Early, a native of Indiana, an own niece of Gen. Jubal Early, of Confederate fame. Immigrated to Iowa in 1851, settled in Tama county, and erected the third settler's cabin in that now wealthy county. Built a saw and grist-mill there in 1854, which was the first piece of machinery in the county. Was appointed commissioner of the school fund in 1853, and the following year was elected to that office, which he filled until 1856. He then became a resident of Missouri, settling in what is now Worth county, but was then Gentry county. Engaged at farming, land speculation, and surveying. Was very successful, and at the breaking out of the civil war owned 810 acres of good land. Went west to the mountains of Colorado in 1861, and engaged at mining two years. Moved his family to Nemaha county, Neb., in December, 1862. Remained there until 1866, when he became a resident of Jasper county. Mo., much reduced in circumstances by events which occurred during previous years. Purchased the farm where he now lives, and has been quite prosperous. His children are Jonas, Margaret A., wife of T. W. Maxwell; Thomas J., Walter S., Dora, wife of James Gabriel; John O., Eliza J., Hattie and Hettie (twins); and Cora L. Mr. Myers was elected civil magistrate. He is a man of superior intelligence and ability, and has always reckoned his friends by legions, which in former years has proved more to his detriment than advantage, as some of his so-called friends have taken advantage of his unsuspecting nature. He is quite an enthusiastic member of the Masonic fraternity, and was prominent in the organization of Avilla Lodge. He was Worshipful Master under the dispensation, and for three years under the charter.

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

WILLIAM MYERS. The subject of this sketch, proprietor of the Spring Mills, was born September 13, 1821, in Greene county. New York. His father, Jacob Myers, and his mother, whose maiden name was Caroline Becker, were both natives of New York. William Myers was reared in New York State, and in 1844 went to Pennsylvania, where he was extensively engaged in the manufacturing business until 1853, when he removed to Alton, Illinois, where he entered a railroad shop. Here he was master-mechanic in the works of the railroad. In 1861 he was appointed mastermechanic of the West, succeeding to the command of the lamented General McBherson, serving nearly four years, when he was granted a furlough until called to duty. He has never been mustered out of service. After the war he engaged in the commission business for some years. In 1867 he engaged in the woolen mill business at Litchfield, Illinois. In 1870 he came to Carthage, Missouri, where he built the Carthage Woolen Mills, which was the first woolen mill west of St. Louis, and which was successfully operated by Mr. Myers for nine years. In 1879 he sold out and bought the Carthage Spring Mills, which he has rebuilt and extended until it is now one of the finest mills in the country, and its work equals any of the mills in the state. This mill is run entirely by steam, the water being drawn from the famous spring of which he is the owner, and which is the pride of Carthage. Mr. Myers, by his industry and enterprise, has done many things for the public good of Carthage and Jasper county in general. He was married June 6, 1842, to Eliza H. Satterly, of the State of New York. They have four sons living. Mr. Myers has always taken a prominent part in the public affairs of Jasper county, and deserves great credit for his untiring zeal in making the public institutions of Carthage what they should be, as well as building up the business interests of the Queen City.

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

EDWARD MYERS, clothier. The subject of this sketch is a native of England, born in Lemington, Warwickshire county, Dec. 25, 1882. He was born in the castle of the Earl of Warwick, one of the peers of England. He is the fourth of a family of thirteen children, whose parents were Jacob and Rosa Myers, both natives of Holland, but married in England in 1802. Jacob Myers's parents were Meyer and Prescilla Myers, both natives of Holland. Edward was educated in England and remained in that country until twenty-three years of age, when he came to this CDuntry, landing in New York City June 27, 1847, where he secured a position with Aaron Jacobs, on Chatham Street, as salesman. After a few months in this house he went into business for himself on Packe Slip, remaining about a year; then he engaged as traveling salesman, which occupation he followed several years. Stopping in St. Louis he remained a year with Raphael Keiler, clothier, as salesman. He then went to California, crossing the plains with a wagon train, which took the company over five months to accomplish, and reached Sacramento City Oct. 3, 1852. The party he started with divided at the mouth of the Platte, one going the north trail, the other the south. They reached Sacramento the same day and almost the same hour and stopped at the same hotel. Mr. Myers remained in California until 1865, most of the time in the hotel business, which be made very successful. He had the misfortune to lose considerable by fire, but always rebuilt his houses. He was in business a while in San Francisco as clothier. From there he went to another part of California, and for eight years carried on business. He then moved to Stockton and took charge of the New York Hotel and Peoples' Clothing House, which he managed for two years. He then traveled over parts of Oregon and Vancouver's Island and returned to San Francisco where he remained a short time; then went north again and remained a year; he then returned to San Francisco and fitted out his theatrical business, and made his debut at Luekery Hall, in that city, and was known as Professor Myers, the "American magician." With this business he traveled all over the West, giving his last exhibition at Ft. Leavenworth, Lang's Hall, before Generals W. S. Hancock, Hoffman, and St. Clair. He then retired from the stage, returned to St. Louis, and engaged in business for several years, and then came to Joplin where he carried on a very large auction business, having branch stores in several towns.

He met with business reverses, however, and lost heavily In 1882 he came to Webb City and engaged in the clothing and saloon business, which he now carries on very successfully. He has invented during his leisure time a safety attachment for cars, which renders it almost impossible for them to leave the track; and also a patent switch, which dispensed with the "frog." These are pronounced by experts to be very valuable inventions. Mr. Myers has been twice married; the second time in St. Louis, to Miss Sarah Jacobs. They have had three children, only one of whom is living, Evadney, wife of Dr. W. M. Whitely. In his travels he has been a close observer and has an inexhaustible share of information.

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

JOSEPH H. MYERS.

Among the prominent mine superintendents of Jasper county, Misscftiri. is Joseph H. Myers, of the A No. 1 Mining Ccjmpany on the Roaring Springs land, which he has managed for the past three years. Work was started here in 1899 and now four shafts are in use, the deepest one being one hundred and lily feet. The ore mill has' a one-hundred-ton capacity.

The birth of Mr. Myers was in Wernon county, Missouri, and he was a son of William and Lucinda (Harrison) Myers, the former of whom was born in Germany, but came to Missouri from Tennessee and located in Vernon county, where he was one of the pioneers. He was a farmer all his life and continued in the work until his death, in 187J, at the age of forty-five years. The mother of our subject, Lucinda (Harrison) Myers, was born, reared and married in Tennessee.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

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

James Myers, who is superintendent and part owner of the Paxton mine, which is located within the city limits of Joplin, has for a number of years devoted his energies to mining pursuits in southwestern Missouri. He is a native of Ohio county, Indiana, and ''s of German lineage, his great-grandfather having been the founder of the family in the new world. He spent his youth in the state of his nativity, and is indebted to its public-school system for the educational privileges which he enjoyed. At the time of the Civil war he responded to his country's call for troops, offering his services to the government as a defender of the Union and donning the blue as a member of the Fourth Indiana Cavalry, with which he served for three years. He was with 'Jie Arm_\- of the Cumberland and participated in a number of battles under General McCook. He was a brave and fearless soldier, and on picket duty and on the firing line he was equally faithful to the cause he espoused.

Since 1887 Mr. Myers has been engaged in mining in Jasper county.

[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]

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