Henry C. Powell

As printed in 1910

HENRY C. POWELL.

One of the representative agriculturists and stock men of Lafayette county is Henry C. Powell, one of the honored citizens of the vicinity of Higginsville, having long been known as one of the alert, progressive men of his community In his labors he has not permitted himself to follow in a rut in a blind, apathetic way, but has studied and experimented and thus secured the maximum returns from his enterprising efforts, while he has so ordered his course at all times as to command the confidence and regard of the people of the community in which he lives, being a man of honorable business methods and advocating whatever tends to promote the public welfare in any Way. He is the schon of one of the best established and most prominent old families of this county, who are mentioned at considerable length on other pages of this work; especially "will the sketch of W. H. Powell, of Davis township, be of interest to the reader desirous of learning more of the parents of our subject.

Henry C. Powell was born on March 20, 1846, in Shelby county, Kentucky, and he is the son of Burr G. Powell, who came from the Blue Grass state to Lafayette county, Missouri, in 1844, making the trip overland before there were many pike roads or good bridges, but he was a strong, brave character, a typical pioneer and cared little for obstacles or inconveniences. He liked this favored spot in the land of the “big muddy water” so well that he entered nearly one thousand acres from the government and became a well-to-do and influential farmer here in the early days. He was born in Winchester, Virginia. He carried on farming on an extensive scale and at the time of the Civil war owned fifty negroes. He finally became a strong anti-slavery man and free them all, and voted for Lincoln. All his sons were in the Union army.

The subject's mother, whose maiden name was Eliza Polk, was a native of Delaware and was a cousin of Trusten Polk, at one time governor of Missouri and United States senator from this state.

Henry C. Powell grew to maturity on the paternal acres and when old enough was put to work in the fields and thus became acquainted with the various phases of agriculture when a young man, and he has preferred to make it his life work, and, owing to the fact that he has exercised sound judgment in his management and has been a persistent worker, his efforts have been crowned by a large measure of success. He is the owner of two hundred acres of excellent and well improved land. When a young man he went to Texas, where he spent seven years, returning to Lafayette county in 1885 and taking charge of the farm. No small part of his income is derived annually from sales of livestock, of which he is a good judge, and for some time he has bought and sold blooded stock. He has a neatly kept place in every respect and a good home and is well known as a stock man and enterprising citizen.

As printed in Young's history of Lafayette County, Missouri (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.