In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1895) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
From History of St. Charles, Montgomery, and Warren counties, Missouri, written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, t (1885), Portrait and biographical record of St. Charles, Lincoln, and Warren counties, Missouri (1895)
RICHARD C. MATSON
(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Post-office, Augusta).
Mr. Matson’s father, Abraham S. Matson, came to this county in an early day, when a youth. He was from Bourbon county, Ivy., and after leaving his native State was a resident of Pike county, Mo., for 20 years before coming to St. Charles county; and after leaving St. Charles county he engaged in the live stock commission business in St. Louis, where he now resides. He was married here November 15, 1839, to Miss Phoebe A. Coshow, of an old and respected family of this county. Four children were the fruits of their married life, including the subject of this sketch, but only two are living. The father was a soldier in the Black Hawk War, and one of the substantial farmers and highly respected citizens of the county. Richard C. Matson was born on the family homestead, in this county, September 17, 1849, and was reared to a farm life, including the handling of stock. To complete his education he was sent to Pardee College, at Louisiana, and subsequently he took a course at Stratton & Bryant’s Commercial College, in St. Louis. After this he returned home and resumed farming, but soon began to turn his attention especially to raising and handling stock. He has continued both farming and the stock business up to the present time and has had good success. Mr. Matson has a place of 455 acres, most of which is wTell improved. It is known as the old Daniel Boone place, having been first settled by that old pioneer. Mr. Matson, among his deeds in the chain of title to the place, has one from Daniel Boone, bearing the autograph sig nature of tho old pioneer. In 1874 Mr. Matson was married to Miss Mary A. Murdoch, a daughter of George and Caroline Murdoch, of this county. Her parents were early settlers here.
As printed in History of St. Charles, Montgomery, and Warren counties, Missouri, written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, t (1885). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
RICHARD C. MATSON was born on the same farm where he now resides, this being located on section Sli, township 45, range 2, St. Charles County. His residence stands in the yard where the cabin of Daniel Boone was located in years gone by, and in the possession of our subject is a warranty deed given and signed by the famous and sturdy Kentucky pioneer. He is a man of progressive and enterprising ideas, and in the future anticipates running his farm with the latest and best improved machinery in the market. In addition to general farming he raises grain and stock to a large extent. Ills residence and other farm buildings are constructed on modern lines of architecture, and are onlyhalf a mile distant from Matson, a small village on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad.
A sketch of the parents of our subject, Abraham S. and Phoebe A. Matson, will be found elsewhere in this volume. Richard C. was born Se)teinber 17, 1849, and is the third in order of birth in his father's family. He attended the local schools in his lioyhood, and later went to Ashley and to Louisiana, Mo., in order to obtain better educational advantages. Subsequently he went to St. Louis, where he attended school, but during the term he was attacked with typhoid fever, and after his recovery it was not found advisable for him to engage in severe study.
When eighteen years of age Mr. Matson turned his attention to farming, and has ever since made his own livelihood. How well he has succeeded in the ackiuisition of property can be shown by the fact that he now owns four hundred and fifty-three acres of rich and arable land, well improved and under a high state of cultivation.
In March, 1874, Mr. Matson married Miss Mary A. Murdoch, who is a daughter of George Murdoch, a prominent farmer of this county. Mrs. Matson was born in Femme Osage Township, St. Charles County, and there grew to womanhood. She is one of five children, two of whom are deceased, the others being named as follows: Emily J., James L., Mary A. and Virginia Lee. A strict adherent of the doctrines taught by Thomas Jefferson, Mr. Matson has been a Democrat since arriving at his majority. He has never found time to seek public preferment, as his large estate and varied business interests command his entire attention. Among his many friends and neighbors he is known as a man of most exemplary life and honorable principles.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
Mr. Kunze was born in St. Charles County, this state, December 13, 1840, and is the fourth in order of birth of the household of John and Caroline (Forage) Kunze, natives of Gei-many, although the mother was of English extraction. The parents spent their earlier years in the Fatherland, and in 1836 decided to come to America. After landing in this country they made their wajto St. Louis, where they stopped for a time, and then, coming to St. Charles County, passed the remainder of their lives engaged in cultivating the soil. The father was a carpenter by trade, but did not follow tills business much after coming to the New World. He was always ready to perform his part in upbuilding the section in which he lived, and at the time of his death, in 1866, the county lost one of its best citizens. His good wife preceded him to the better land, dying in 1852.
William Kunze had very little opportunity for carrying into effect his great desire for obtaining an education, as his studies were confined for a short time each j'ear to a private school taught in the vicinity of his home. He was busily engaged in farm work at the time of the outbreak of the late war, and for three months served in the state service under Colonel Krekel; then, responding to the call for more volunteers, he enlisted as a member of Company G. Thirty-first Missouri Infantry, and was mustered in at Carondelet under Colonel Fletcher, becoming part of the Fifteenth Army Corps, which was commanded by Gen. John A. Logan, whom all the boys in blue learned to respect and love. Young Kunze was in active service for a period of three years, with the exception of a short time when he was confined in the hospital on account of wounds received in the battle of Atlanta. He participated in all of the many engagements in which his regiment was engaged, and with his comrades was honorably discharged.June 30, 1865.
On returning home from the war our subject became a clerk in a mercantile establishment in Hopewell Academy, and in 1867 he bought an interest in the Lipstadt Mills. In 1871, however, we find him in partnership with his brother-in-law, H. Holstein, and together they built the mills at Holstein, which they successfully operated for a period of ten years. At the expiration of that time, in 1882, our subject was elected Constable of Charrette Township for a term of one year. In 1883 he became the proprietor of a good tract of land near Holstein, which he farmer for four years very profitably. He then engaged in general merchandising at Hopewell Academy, which village has been his place of residence since. He is a live, progressive citizen, and by fair and honest dealing commands a good trade and the respect and good wishes of all who know him.
In the year 1867 William Kunze and Miss Caroline Rechers were united in marriage. To them have been born three daughters and four sons, as follows: Henry E., who represents a large nursery at Washington, Mo.; and Paulina, Adelia, Annie, Louis, Charles and Benjamin. Although not a member of any church organization, our subject rather inclines toward the Evangelical faith. He is a Republican in politics, but in local elections cases his vote for the raan whom he considers will best fill the office.
[This passage is too damaged in the scanned book to reproduce. See the original book.]
As printed in Portrait and biographical record of St. Charles, Lincoln, and Warren counties, Missouri (1895). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: George Murdoch (b. 1813)
The printed record stops around 1885. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.