James T. Hays

As printed in 1910

JAMES T. HAYS.

One of Nodaway county's substantial and highly honored farmers, now living in retirement in his pleasant Maryville home, enjoying the fruits of his former years of activity and well directed energy, is James T. Hays, a native of the Prairie state, having been born near Blandinsville, McDonough county. Illinois, April 4, 1838, the son of Thomas R. Hays, born in Washington county, Kentucky, February 14, 1801. His grandfather, Hillory Hays, a native of Virginia and a tanner by trade, came to Washington county, Kentucky, when a young man and there reared a large family, which is of Scotch-Irish stock.

In 1830 Thomas R. Hays and two brothers went to McDonough county, Illinois, and settled on a farm. There Thomas R. lived for twenty-nine years. In 1859 he and his family removed to Nodaway county, Missouri, locating on a farm four miles west of Skidmore, where he lived until his death, February 4, 1885, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. Mary McDonald, wife of Thomas R. Hays, was born in Washington county, Kentucky, where she was reared and where she married. Her death occurred in 1896. To this union thirteen children were born, named as follows: Elizabeth died when seventeen years old; Mrs. Clarissa Grigsby is deceased: Ann Maria is deceased; Isabella U. and Mary Frances (twins); the former lives on the home farm; the latter, now deceased, was the wife of John Hudson; William R. lives in Denver, Colorado; James T., of this review; Martha J. lives in Wray, Colorado; Joseph W. and John G. (twins) both live on the home farm; Marcus F. died when four years old and two others died in infancy.

The mother of James T. Hays was a twin and she and her twin sister each became the mother of two sets of twins.

James T. Hays was born in Illinois, where he received his education in the common schools and the local seminary. He began working on the farm when a mere boy, coming to Nodaway county with his parents in 1859. and on his twenty-first birthday he began life for himself on one hundred and sixty acres of land which his father gave him, having given an equal amount to all his children. Mr. Hays was active in farm work and very successful until sixteen years ago when he moved to Maryville. Then he and his son farmer forty acres near town for a short time. Mr. Hays then engaged in the milling business, operating the Banner Mill for seven months. He then took a special agency for the Page Woven Wire Fence Company. His success with the same soon resulted in his appointment to a “block” of counties where he continued to work in a manner that greatly increased the company's prestige, but, owing to illness, he gave up the work, although he still represents the company in Maryville. He is now engaged in real estate, and often gets colonization parties together.

Mr. Hays married, February 14, 1868, Laura A. Young, daughter of Milton and Mary J. (Richardson) Young. She was born near Hillsboro, Highland county, Ohio. Her parents came to Missouri in 1865 and to Nod away county in 1866, settling on a farm west of Skidmore where the family remained until Mr. Young’s death, in November, 1868. Mrs. Young then married Samuel Hull, and her death occurred on December 12, 1891. Mrs. Hays is one of a family of ten children, only two others living, viz: William M. Young lives in California, and Mrs. Kate Cheney, who lives in Osceola, St. Clair county, Missouri. Mrs. Hays’ father, Milton Young, was in Company I, Twenty-fourth Regiment Ohio Volunteer Infantry, and was a prisoner in Libby and Danville prisons and died from the effects of prison life.

Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Hays, namely: Nellie, wife of William A. Argo, of Burrow Grove, this county; Milton R., also of Burrow Grove; Eddie C. lives in Hooker county, Nebraska, on six hundred and sixty acres of land, which he owns; Pearl C. lives near Skidmore, this county; Elvira B. lives near DuQuoin, Illinois: Herminoe died when eighteen years of age: J. T. Hays lives in Hooker, Nebraska; Laura L. is at home; Willie and Samuel died in infancy.

James T. Hays, of this review, was one of Missouri’s Union soldiers, having been a member of Company I, Forty-eighth Regiment Missouri Volunteer Infantry, and he saw service during all but five months of the war. He was in many skirmishes where the bullets fell thick and fast, including the battle of Lexington and others. His service was mostly in Missouri where a strong guard was needed.

Mr. and Mrs. Hays are members of the First Methodist Episcopal church at Maryville. The former's parents were also Methodists, while the mother of Mrs. Hays was a member of the Baptist church. Mr. Hays belongs to the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic. He is a Republican in politics, having cast his first vote for Lincoln, the votes of his family and one other which they influenced being the only votes cast for Lincoln in Hughes township, Nodaway county.

Mr. Hays delights to tell of the pilgrimage of his father’s family from Illinois to Missouri in the early days, starting from their old home on March 8, 1859, arriving in Nodaway county on April 4, following, traveling over land, their caravan constituting two three-yoke ox teams, one four-horse team, one carriage, thirty head of stock, including cattle, etc. They were compelled to ford the Grand river twice and the Nodaway river near Burlington Junction once. There were no bridges over the Nodaway river at that time. He tells many interesting reminiscences of this journey which abounded in thrilling experiences.

As printed in Past and present of Nodaway County, Missouri (1910). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.