In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1912) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1850, Howard County
From Encyclopedia of the history of Missouri, a compendium of history and biography for ready reference (1901), History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests (1912)
Tatxim, James F., merchant, was born January 5, 1850, in Howard County, Missouri, son of A. C. and Susan (Franklin) Tatum. His father was born and reared in Virginia, and came from there when a very young man to Howard County, Missouri. There he married his wife, who was a native of Kentucky, but who had been brought by her parents to Missouri in her early childhood. Purchasing a farm in Howard County, they continued to reside there, engaging successfully in agricultural pursuits. There James F. Tatum obtained his education in the public schools, and later followed farming until he was about thirty years of age. In 1883 he went to Dunklin County and began merchandising in the village of Kennett. His business methods commended him to the people of the surrounding country from the start, and, although he had not been trained to mercantile pursuits, he soon showed that he had a natural genius for that calling. Kennett, being remote from any large town, is the natural trade center of a large farming region, and as he had been reared on a farm, and was thoroughly familiar with the wants and needs of the farmer, Mr. Tatum was able to supply them with practically everything they needed to buy, and at the same time furnished them a market for almost everything they had to sell. As a consequence, his business has grown to large proportions, considering its rural location, and he has prospered as he well deserves to prosper in a financial way. Honest, upright and scrupulously exact in all his dealings, and at the same time liberal in advancing public interests, he is in all respects the ideal general merchant. Affiliating politically with the Democratic party, he has naturally wielded considerable influence in local political circles, but his efforts in this field have been put forth in behalf of his friends, and he has asked no favors for himself. His wife is a member of the Christian Church, and his religious leaning are toward that denomination. He is a member of the Masonic order, this being the only fraternal order with which he is identified. June 27, 1887, Mr. Tatum married Miss Lilly Bragg, daughter of Captain W. G. Bragg, deceased, who was a pioneer settler in Dunklin County. They are the parents of six children, and their home is one of the most attractive and beautiful in the village of Kennett.
Taussig, James, lawyer, was born in Prague, Austria, September 30, 1827. Being compromised and liable to political prosecution, he, like many other revolutionists of that period, left his native land in July, 1848, and, coming to this country, proceeded to St. Louis, to which place some members of his family had preceded him. Soon after his arrival he began the study of law with Charles S. Rannels and Spalding & Shepley. Until 1891 he enjoyed a lucrative practice, retiring in that year. He is a member of the St. Louis Bar Association, the Missouri Bar Association and the American Bar Association, and for two successive terms served as president of the association first named. From 1864 to 1868 he was counsel for the St. Louis School Board. He was tendered a nomination for Congress in a district in which nomination was equivalent to election, but declined in favor of Henry T. Blow, and was offered a seat on the bench of the State Supreme Court by Governor Fletcher, but declined. He has been an earnest Republican from the foundation of the party. Mr. Taussig was married, in 1852, at New York, to Magdalene Dormitzer, of Prague, Austria, and four sons and two daughters have been born of their marriage.
Tavern Cave. — A cave on the right bank of the Missouri River, one mile below the mouth of the Femme Osage. It is at the foot of a lift, and is one hundred feet in length, parallel with the river, forty feet in with and twenty feet high. Early voyagers gave it its name on account of the shelter it afforded them. Its walls contain many names and inscriptions placed there in early days, and rude pictures of birds and beasts, the work of Indians who occupied the country previous to the coming of white men.
As printed in Encyclopedia of the history of Missouri, a compendium of history and biography for ready reference (1901). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
James F. Tatum. We all of us look towards the future as having something greater in store for us than that we have already experienced, or at least if such is not the case Ave are to be pitied. Every man hopes for a future better than the present or the past. In the case of James F. Tatum, he has already realized the future, some two years ago; of that we know nothing, but we do liow what his past has been.
He was born January 5, 1850, in Howard county, Missouri. He was a son of the late A. C. Tatum, who moved from Virginia to Howard county, Missouri, soon after his marriage. There James received his education and after he left school he started into business, first working for a relative at St. Charles, traveling through the state as a tobacco salesman. His travels brought him to Dunklin county, where he saw the possibilities for a young man and he entered the mercantile Imsiness in Dunklin county, being one year at Maiden and then in Kennett until three years ago, when he retired and turned the business over to his two sons, Frank and
Ira, who removed the stock to Clarkton. There they are successfully following in the footsteps of their father.
Mr. Tatum was married in 1877, to Miss Lillie Bragg, daughter of the late Captain W. G. Bragg and a sister of Mrs. Sturgis and Mrs. Towson and of that wonderful family of nine splendid "Bragg girls," as they were known. W. G. Bragg of this city is a brother of Mrs. Tatum. Luther P. Tatum, the merchant and capitalist at Kennett, is a half brother of James F. Tatum, and Mrs. Nannie Newby is his cousin. Of the six children born to I\Ir. and Mrs. Tatum live survive him, as does their mother. John the fourth son, died about eleven years ago. Frank and Ira are in business at Clarkton, while Richard M. is in business here. Susie, the only daughter, is just blossoming into womanhood and is a student of William Woods College, Fulton. Bernie is at Central College at Fayette, Howard county, Missouri.
Mr. Tatum "died December 13, 1909, not having quite attained his three score years. He had been in failing health for two years, though he was up and able to attend to business. He was a member of the Masonic order, being a member of the Kennett lodge, No. 68, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. The funeral service was conducted by the Masons. Dr. Paul Baldwin being the presiding master. Mr. Tatum had for years been a member of the Christian church and religious services at the home were conducted by Elder Rolley Ney, pastor of the Christian church, assisted by the ministers of the Presbyterian, the Baptist and the Methodist Episcopal churches. The fact that these ministers of different denominations came to pay him their last tribute is significant of the liberal attitude Mr. Tatum lire towards all religious bodies. He believed in any organization which had for its aim the betterment of mankind and inasmuch as there are all kinds of men, it takes all kinds of religious creeds to reach them. At the time of his death IMr. Tatum was a member of the Kennett school board, having always taken the deepest interest in all educational matters. He was vice president of the Bank of Kennett and was interested in much Kennett property, for he was well off in this world's goods. He was thoughtful for others, as is evidenced by his having a fifteen thousand dollar life insurance policy. He was a man of deliberation and good judgment, was reliable and honorable and inasmuch as his past has been full of thoughts for others, full of kindly deeds, we can feel that the future which he is already experiencing must be in keeping ith his past, therefore we rejoice. Since he left us, time has to a certain extent mercifully softened the keenest first feelings of loss which his widow and children felt, yet they feel, as does the whole of Kennett and Dunklin county, that it is impossible to exactly fill his place, be his successor in the business and church spheres ever so good. He was a man who had the loftiest ideals and he came as near to attaining them as it is possible for any one to do.
As printed in History of southeast Missouri : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people and its principal interests (1912). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: Luther P. Tatum
Their biographies name James F. Tatum: William G. Bragg (b. 1852) Luther Fraxklix Tatum (b. 1880) James A. Smyth (b. 1827)
The printed record stops around 1901. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.