CHAPTER XXVII (Part 77)
BIOGRAPHICAL
T. B. R. Hackney, a well known and progressive real estate and loan man of Urich, is a native of Henry County and a descendant of a pioneer family of this section. Mr. Hackney was born in White Oak township January 28, 1871, a son of George H. and Joseph E. (Riggins) Hackney, both natives of Cole County, Missouri. George H. Hackney served in the Union Army during the Civil War, being a member of Company E, 10th Regiment Missouri Cavalry, serving four years. He died in 1906 and his wife departed this life in 1914. George H. Hackney was prominent in the affairs of Henry County and for a number of years was one of its best known citizens. He served as a justice of the peace for many years and was county judge from the north district at one time. He served as a member of the Legislature in the Forty-third General Assembly. He was a man of unusual ability, capable, conscientious and won the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens.
George H. Hackney and wife were the parents of the following children: Emmett Z., died at the age of sixteen; Jennie C., died at the age of two years; T. B. R., the subject of this sketch; Nannie C, died at the age of twenty-one years; and William L., died at the" age of twenty-seven years; Dr. George B., of Magdalena, New Mexico, is now a member of the Medical Reserve Corps, United States Army; Berthner B., manager of the Kauns Department Store, Urich, Missouri; and Grace B., died at the age of twenty-two years. T. B. R. Hackney received his education in the common schools of Henry County and later attended the University of Missouri at Columbia. He then returned to Henry County and was engaged in farming and stock raising for fifteen years. In 1909, he engaged in the real estate and loan business at Urich and is one of the successful men in his line of endeavor in Henry County. During the course of his real estate and loan business, he has handled many important transactions. Mr. Hackney was united in marriage in 1895 with Miss Mary B. Harness, daughter of William and Mary (Mullen) Harness of Walker township, Henry County. They were among the early pioneers of this county.
To Mr. and Mrs. Hackney have been born three children, Nannie May, Marie A., now the wife of S. R. Taylor, Magdalena, New Mexico; and Jessie G., who resides at home.
Mr. Hackney is one of the substantial business men of Henry County and the Hackney family are well known and highly respected in the community.
H. B. Ingham, a Union veteran of the Civil War and an interesting pioneer of Henry County, is a native of Ohio. He was born at Chillicothe, Ohio, September 22, 1842, the son of Jonathan and Mary (Miskimims) Ingham, both natives of Ohio. The Ingham family moved to Indiana about 1848 and in 1868, came to Missouri, locating in Henry County in White Oak township. They were the parents of the following children: Mrs. Nancy J. McClure, died in Topeka, Kansas, in 1915; H. B., the subject of this sketch; William, deceased; Oliver Perry, deceased; Rachel M., now living in Urich, Missouri; Mary C, Urich, Missouri; Clara, married Doctor Hodsell, Clinton, Missouri; and J. C, Urich, Missouri.
H. B. Ingham received his early education in the public schools of Indiana, and about the time he reached maturity, the great Civil War broke out, and he enlisted in September, 1861, with the warring legions of the North, serving in all four years, lacking two months, in Company B, 46th Indiana Infantry Regiment. His regiment was attached to the army of the Cumberland and he participated in many important engagements, including Island No. 10, Fort Pillow and Memphis. He was in the campaign against Vicksburg, Mississippi; Lexington, and numerous other engagements and skirmishes. He was at the battle of Champion Hills.
Mr. Ingham was wounded in the left leg by a rifle bullet and lay in the camp hospital for a week, and thence to hospital at Millikin's bend, a few miles north of Vicksburg, recuperating there until Vicksburg surrendered. At the close of the war, he was mustered out of service and honorably discharged at Indianapolis, Indiana, in July, 1865. He then went to Ohio, where he remained about two years and in 1868, came to Henry County, Missouri. He settled on a farm in White Oak township and for over a half century, this was his home. In 1914, he removed to Urich and since that time, has acted in the capacity of superintendent of the City Park. However, he retains his farm and is interested in farming and stock raising.
Mr. Ingham takes a special pride in keeping the standard of the Urich Park up, which has a far-famed reputation for the excellency of the landscape and its general beauty. This park has a special historic interest in Henry County from the fact that the annual reunion of the "Blue and the Gray" is held here, and here, once a year, is recounted from the lips of those who know the various trials incident to laying the foundation of Henry County - the banner county of Missouri. In this park have met in friendly reunion, the old soldiers on the third Tuesday in August each year for the past twenty years. Those who wore the blue and those who wore the gray - no braver men on either side ever fought for a principle or principles which they believed to be right than these battle-scarred veterans of a great national misunderstanding. No doubt it was all worth while. Many of these things are beyond our understanding, and no doubt was beyond theirs. At any rate, these brave men of the sixties did their duty as they saw it, and today, it would be difficult to find an instance in which they did not commend each other for their valor.
Mr. Ingham is unmarried and his sister, Mary C. Ingham, and he reside together in Urich. Mr. Ingham is one of the substantial citizens of Henry County. He was one of the instigators and promoters of the "Blue and the Gray" reunions, and for several years, served as the adjutant. For the past eight years, he has been commander of the association.
W. C. Norris, a prosperous and progressive farmer and stockman of Honey Creek township, comes from a family of Missouri pioneers on both his maternal and paternal sides. Mr. Norris is a native son of Henry County, and was born in Honey Creek township November 3, 1862. He is a son of W. A. and Nancy V. (Beck) Norris.
W. A. Norris, the father, was born in Cumberland County, Kentucky, in 1831. His parents removed to Warren County, Kentucky, at an early day and here he was reared to manhood and educated. In 1860, he went to Cooper County, Missouri, and in 1861, came to Henry County, and located in Honey Creek township. He was a Democrat and during the Civil War, served in the Home Guards. He was a prosperous farmer and stock raiser and at the time of his death, owned about 400 acres of land. He died November 24, 1907, and his remains rest in the Norris Cemetery.
He was a member of the Masonic Lodge and a man of broad acquaintance and prominent in the county. He married Nancy Virginia Beck, October 6, 1853, and his widow now resides on the old home place at the ripe old age of eighty-three, and is one of the noble pioneer women of Henry County.
The Norris family experienced all the hardships and privations common to the lot of the early pioneers of Henry County. When they settled here, trading points and grist mills were inexcessible and they frequently went as far as Holden to mill. They were among the very first to settle in that section of Henry County.
To W. A. and Nancy V. Norris were born the following children: Perlina F., married S. O. Lotspiech, Yelton, Oklahoma; Nancy, married Noah Redford, Urich, Missouri; J. N. C, Urich, Missouri; W. C, the subject of this sketch; Anna, married J. W. Hendricks, Big Creek township, Henry County; Lucy, married L. C. Redford, Bates County, Missouri; S. C., Honey Creek township, Henry County, Missouri; Cora, now Mrs. C. A. Hendricks, Big Creek township; Effie, married George A. Moore, who resides on the home place.
W. C. Norris spent his boyhood days on the home place with his parents and received his education in the district schools. When he reached the age of twenty-five years, he located on the place where he now resides, which he bought from his father. At first, he had forty acres. This he has increased from time to time until he now owns 165 acres. His place is located three and one-fourth miles east of Urich, and is one of the best improved places in that vicinity, which bespeaks the thrift, industry and prosperity of its owner. The place is well equipped with a good, modern residence, splendid barns and an up to date silo, and the general layout of the farm in so far as natural advantages are concerned makes of it an ideal stock farm. Mr. Norris is extensively engaged in raising cattle and hogs and has some registered stock. He is an up to date stockman and recognized as one of the leaders in his section of the county.
Mr. Norris has been twice married, his first wife being Goldena Redford, of Bogart township, to whom he was married in 1887. She died in 1891. He was married to Miss Olive Ayers February 21, 1906. She is a daughter of H. S. and Martha J. (Keener) Ayers of Hartwell, Missouri.
The following children have been born to this union: H.S.; Martha J. (Keener) Ayers; Olive, wife of W. C. Norris; Elmer E., deceased; Herschel L.; Clara Myrtle, deceased; Pearl, deceased; Lucy, deceased; W. G., Garden City, and Ruth, Hartwell.
Mrs. Norris comes from a pioneer family. Her grandfather, Israel Keener, was a pioneer of Bourbon County, Kansas, and located in that section of the Territory of Kansas on Mill Creek, near what is now the Crawford County line, long before the Civil War. He died in 1895. His wife bore the maiden name of Hannah Decker, and she died at Mineral, Cherokee County, Kansas, in January, 1918.
W. C. Norris and wife have one son, William Glen. Mr. Norris is one of the substantial citizens of Henry County and he and Mrs. Norris have an extensive acquaintance and many friends in this section of the State.
