The Young Families of Lafayette County, Missouri

The venerable and highly esteemed gentleman whose name appears above belongs to that class of men who may be designated as the world's real benefactors. His long, useful and strenuous life has been spent in an epoch of home building and development in general — an epoch of progress, the like of which will probably never be witnessed on earth again, consequently the opportunity came to him to play a part in this intensely interesting drama of civilization, and that he played that part conscientiously and well is attested by all who have known him and by the record contained in the following paragraphs.

Rufus Young, one of Lexington township's leading agriculturists and one of Lafayette county's best citizens, was born in Hawkins county, Tennessee, July 2, 1825, and was the son of Major A. G. and Elizabeth S. (Mc- Chesney) Young, the latter a native of Virginia and the former of Tennessee and the son of John Young. The paternal line is of English descent, while the mother's side of the house was of Scotch-Irish descent, she being the daughter of Thomas McChesney and wife, who lived and died in Virginia. Mrs. Young was born October 14, 1804.

Major Young came to Missouri in the fall of 1830. After living in Cooper county for a year and a half he moved to Johnson county, and in March, 1833, located in Lafayette county, where he bought two hundred arid forty acres from one of the first settlers here, and he entered other land until he became the owner of seven hundred and thirty acres in all, mostly wild land. He purchased the two-hundred-and-forty-acre tract referred to from a Mr. Chastine, whose wife was not of age when the deed was made, consequently the deed was invalid. Mr. Chastine had died and Mr. Young was compelled to go to Iowa, whither Mrs. Chastine had moved, and get her to make a new deed to the land.

Major Young was a noted hunter, and during his early residence in this county game of all kinds was plentiful. He was regarded as an excellent farmer in those days and, clearing much of his land, he developed a fine farm and became very comfortably established, living on his place the rest of his life, his death occurring on February 3, 1890, at the advanced age of ninety-five years. His first wife preceded him to the grave by upwards of a half century, her death having occurred on December 30, 1845. Major Young subsequently married Sarah A. Hogan, who was born October 22. 1808, and whose death occurred on October 21, 1894. Major Young's family consisted of ten children, the four oldest having been born in Tennessee, the others in Lafayette county, Missouri; they were: Rufus, of this review; Thomas M., who was born November 1, 1826, died April 12, 1851; Rev. John N., born June 3, 1828; Sarah, born November 24, 1829, died June 2, 1847; Alfred A., born December 12, 1831; Fred A., born April 22, 1834; the seventh child died in infancy; Caroline F., born August 22, 1837, died

May 15, 1883; Arthur G., Jr., born January 3, 1840, died February 26, 1848; Felix G., born January 20, 1842, died March 1, 1877; Laura F., born January 21, 1844, died November 30, 1845.

The parents of Rufus Young were members of the Presbyterian church. The Young family have always been Democrats.

Rufus Young grew to maturity on the home place and received his education in the early schools of his community. He was married on Februarys 12, 1846, to Parmelia A. Lankford, daughter of Daniel and Hulda C. (Young) Lankford, natives of Tennessee, from which state they came to Missouri in the twenties. To Rufus Young and wife six children were born, namely: Sarah E., born July 2, 1847, married Jackson Bradley, whose sketch appears herein; James B., born November 30, 1848, lives in Colorado; Martha C., born March 27, 1854, married David Ralston, deceased, and Mrs. Ralston now makes her home with her father, the subject; Arthur P., born January 15, 1857, is farming; George R., born November 16, 1858, lives with his father; Henry A., born August 8, 1868, is a Presbyterian minister and lives in Rockingham county, Virginia.

Rufus Young and family are members of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Young has been very successful in his chosen life work, that of general farming. He has one of the best improved places in the township, which consists of two hundred and eighty-five acres. He has greatly improved this place since coming into possession of the same and it is one of the most desirable farms from every standpoint in the community. He has a large, substantial and well-located dwelling and outbuildings, and everything roundabout indicates good management. He is a man whom everybody highly respects, for his life has been one of honor and adherence to right principles.

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

ALFRED A. YOUNG.

One of the most painstaking farmers and highly respected citizens of Lexington township, Lafayette county, is Alfred A. Young, a man who has devoted his life to general agricultural pursuits in this locality, and while he has been successful in a material way he has also won a name for uprightness and fidelity to duty. He is the representative of one of the excellent pioneer families of this locality. His birth occurred in Paris county, Missouri, on Shave Tater creek, December 12, 1831, and he is the son of Major A. G. and Elizabeth Young, the father a native of Tennessee and the mother of Virginia, the father of English and the mother of Irish descent. They came to Missouri in the fall of 1830, and after spending a short time in Cooper and Johnson counties, located in Lafayette county, where the Major became the owner of a large farm and was an influential man among the early settlers. He was the first Presbyterian to come to Lexington, and he took a great deal of interest in church and school work.

Alfred A. Young moved onto his present place on November 3, 1857, it being a part of the old homestead. He has from time to time added many excellent improvements and now has one of the choice farms of the vicinity, which, although an old place, has been so carefully tilled that the soil has not lost any of its original strength. His farm consists of one hundred and sixteen acres and he carries on general farming in a very successful manner. He has a picturesque old home.

Mr. Young was married on June 25, 1857, to Caroline Battie, a daughter of William and Rohada Battie, natives of Virginia, who came to Missouri in pioneer days and located on a farm, becoming successful farmers in Lafayette county.

Mrs. Young was called to her rest on April 7, 1906. Their family consisted of nine children, namely: Charles B. lives in Oklahoma; Mary married Rev. John E. Whiting, a Methodist minister, and they reside in Santiago, California; Antonette married Alfonso Hawk, and they live in Chicago; Ella is deceased; Carrie married A. L. Maxwell, a banker of Denver, Colorado; Rhoda B., who remained a member of the home circle, died in 1908; Arthur G. is living at home; Susan, the fifth child in order of birth, died in 1882 when seventeen years of age.

Mr. and Mrs. Young are members of the Presbyterian church, and politically Mr. Young is a Democrat.

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

FRED A. YOUNG.

A man who is deserving of the success he has achieved and the honor he has won is Fred A. Young, a farmer of Lexington township, Lafayette county, who, through a long life of toil and endeavor, of victory and defeat, has performed well his every duty as he has seen and understood it. He has lived to see this locality develop from primitive conditions, from the picturesque old stage-coach and Santa Fe trail to the present, with its modern conveniences of every sort, and it is interesting to hear him tell of the early days and the gradual growth of the county in which he has played well his part in every relation of life. He was born in the vicinity where he now Hves on April 22, 1834, and nearly all of his life has been spent here. He is the son of May. A. G. and Elizabeth Young, the father a native of Tennessee and the mother a native of Virginia, the former of English and the latter of Irish descent. Major Young came to Missouri in the fall of 1830, locating in Cooper county, then lived a short time in Johnson county, and in 1833 located in Lafayette county and became extensively identified with farming interests and was well known among the pioneers.

Fred A. Young of this review grew to maturity on the home farm and he has made farming his life work. When the Civil war came on he sympathized with the South, and enlisted in Rufner's Battery, Clark's brigade, Price's army, and served through the war in a manner that stamped him as a valiant soldier. After the war he returned home and took charge of the farm, and in June, 1866, he married Sally Carter, daughter of N. J. and Carrie Carter, the father a native of Virginia and the mother of Tennessee. They were early settlers in Lafayette county, Missouri.

Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Young, namely: Thomas Carter is a lawyer at Farmington, Missouri. He was first graduated from the academy at Lexington, then from Lee's College, in Virginia. He is a very successful attorney and a man of much natural ability. Leila is living at home; Elizabeth married Oscar Bowman and lives in Kansas City; they have one child, Frederick Benjamin.

Mr. Young has an excellent farm of one hundred and thirty-five acres, and is carrying on general farming in a manner that stamps him as fully abreast of the times. A large part of his income is derived from his coal mine, which is a very valuable one, opened in 1892. He supplies all his neighbors with coal and sells to a large and increasing number of customers. It is an excellent grade and is a twenty-four-inch vein.

Mr. and Mrs. Young are members of the Presbyterian church, and politically he is a Democrat.

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

R. C. YOUNG, M. D.

Sacrifice of some sort is involved in most professions. But the doctor, and especially the country doctor, bears more than his proportionate share. He has no time he can call his own; he must be ready to go at a patient's call at all times and to all places; he cannot always stop for needed rest, social convenience, or for the most serious business demands; when life is at state, his personal affairs, of however great importance to himself, must pass from view. Not only does he sacrifice time, but also health. He undergoes all exposure, goes freely into the presence of all diseases, including the most contagious, and even though he uses the best of protective measures and all sanitary care, he often falls a victim to disease, induced by caring for the ailments of others, a martyr to his profession.

R. C. Young, M. D., was born in McDonald county, Missouri, March 1, 1848, the son of Arthur and Rebecca (Gibson) Young. His father was born in Tennessee. When R. C. was two years old, his parents moved to this county. In 1850 his father started as a gold-seeker to California, but died en route. He was a farmer, owned six hundred acres of land near Lexington, and was a man of great activity and prominence in local affairs. He was a Democrat, and all the Youngs are Presbyterians.

R. C. Young was one of four children. He attended the schools in this county and was a student at the old Masonic College at Lexington during the last term of its existence. He then attended the Lexington schools as a boy and young man, and in 1867 entered Jefferson Medical College at Philadelphia, was graduated there in 1871, and began his professional career by practicing for two years with Doctor Webb of this township. Next he practiced for while at the place where he now lives, then one year in Wright county, Missouri; after that for ten years in Dallas county, Missouri. He then returned to the farm in Dover township, and about 1896 gave up the practice of medicine, from which time he has given his attention to general farming on his one hundred and seventy-acre farm, in which he has been as successful as he was in medical practice, and has prospered greatly.

Doctor Young was first married in 1874 to Mary Downing, who bore to him two children, Grinstead deceased, and Mary E. Mrs. Young died in September, 1881, and in 1885 the Doctor married Ollie M. Murrah. Doctor Young has always been a Democrat, but never cared for office. He is a believe in the Christian religion. He is a sociable man, and is living a very pleasant life on his comfortable farm, where he still finds much time for reading and study. His character is such as to gain and keep many friends. He can always be counted on to do all in his power for the advancement of common interests. His experience shows how valuable education may be to the farmer, for his education has enabled him to gain much more pleasure and profit from farming, after quitting his profession.

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

GEORGE W. YOUNG, M. D.

Robert Young, the father of George W., was born in Hockins county, Tenn., and was the eldest of 12 children. The subject of this sketch is a native of the same state and county; born June 4th, 1821. In 1834, his parents and family moved to Missouri, and located on a farm in Lafayette county, situated five miles south of Lexington, where George W. grew to manhood. Being in somewhat straitened circumstances and also desirous of obtaining an education, at the age of 20 he joined a corps of government surveyors, for the two-fold purpose of learning practical surveying and to obtain money for the prosecution of his studies. He remained with this corps for one year and afterwards alternately taught and attended-school until 1848, when he commenced the study of medicine by attending a course of lectures at the Missouri Medical College at St. Louis. He afterwards entered the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, one of the most noted medical schools of the United States, from which he graduated with high honor in the spring of 1851. Returned to Lafayette county and immediately began the practice of his profession in Lexington, where, by his ability and steady application he has rapidly advanced to the front rank in the profession. At the breaking out of the war he. had the leading practice of the city. Although losing considerable property during the progress of the war, the Dr. has succeeded in accumulating considerable wealth by devoting himself to his practice. During the last three years he has given considerable attention to bee culture, having 135 stands of the Italian species. In 1852 he was united in marriage to Miss Martha A. Barnett, of this county, a daughter of Joseph Barnett, of Madison county, Ky., and a double niece of Judge John F. Ryland, deceased. Nine children were born to them, six of whom are living, viz.: Mary L., Elizabeth, Rose W., Albert G., JuHet and Joseph B.

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

GROVE YOUNG, merchant, P. O. Higginsville, is a native of this state and county, born August 26, 1843; was raised and educated here. In 1870 he was united in marriage to Miss Ella* L. Greer, of Johnson county, Mo. They have one child, Alexander J., now in his ninth year. In 1874 he engaged in the mercantile business at AuUville, where he remained until 1879, when he moved a portion of his stock to Higginsville, where he now resides, engaged in the sale of dry goods and notions. Mr. Young is a thorough business man, fully alive to the interests of his native county, the development of which he has watched with much pleasure and satisfaction.

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