William P. Keith

As printed in 1910

WILLIAM P. KEITH.

From the far-away land of heath and Jieather, thistle and blue bell, the picturesque country of Bruce and Burns, Wallace and Scott, came William P. Keith, farmer and orchardist near Mayview, a man of excellent characteristics whose life has been led along conservative lines and who is justly entitled to the honor and respect which have always been accorded him. He was born March 28, 1838, in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, and was the son of Charles and Elizabeth (Wallace) Keith. The paternal grandfather, John Keith, was a ship captain and died of yellow fever in Jamaica. Charles Keith's only brother, John, was killed at the battle of Salamanca in the Spanish war with Napoleon I. Charles Keith was in the British army at the time of the battle of Waterloo, but his regiment took no part in the fight, being stationed elsewhere. He came to Canada in 1853 and farmer in Huron county, Ontario, until his death, in 1872. His family consisted of two sons and three daughters, two of whom are deceased.

William P. Keith spent his early life in his native country and was educated there. He emigrated to the United States in 1868 and lived in Leavenworth, Kansas, until 1870, when he came to Lexington, Missouri, and ran a flouring mill for Marshall & Easter until 1871, in which year he came to Mayview and started a mill with Ben Marshall. Buying Marshall out a few years later, he operated the mill successfully until 1882, then rented an interest in the plant which was subsequently burned. He was very successful in his milling operations, having thoroughly mastered every detail of this line of work. But after the destruction of the mill he turned his attention to farming and fruit growing and his efforts have been rewarded by a large measure of success. He is the owner of one of the choice farms of the community, consisting of seventy acres, mostly in orchard of a fine variety of trees. He is regarded as an authority on horticultural subjects and keeps well posted on everything that pertains to this interesting science. His well kept orchard is a source of much pleasure to the observer.

Mr. Keith was married on October 7, 1865, to Anna Gumming, a native of Murryshire, Scotland, and, like Mr. Keith, of an excellent old family. She was the daughter of William Gumming, a farmer near Elgin, Scotland. He came to Ganada in 1854 and launched in the lumber business. His death occurred in London, Ganada. To Mr. and Mrs. Keith four children have been born, three sons and one daughter, namely: William C, who is farming in Washington township, this county, married Jennie Golvert; John, who is also farming in Washington township, married Jennie White, and they have two daughters; Isabella married John Staley, a conductor on the Golorado Southern railroad, and resides at Trinidad, Golorado; they have two sons and one daughter living and two children dead; Gharles, who married Rosa Smith, lives at Lexington and has a family of two daughters.

Mr. Keith and family are members of the Gumberland Presbyterian church, and politically Mr. Keith is a Democrat and has always taken much interest in local affairs. He is the oldest school director in point of service in Lafayette county, having been secretary of the school board since 1872, and during the long years of faithful service he has done an incalculable amount of good for the cause of education in this part of the county. For his interest in the prosperity of this county and for his life of honesty and industry, he has won the respect of all who know him and he numbers his friends by the scores.

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.