CHAPTER XXVII (Part 46)
BIOGRAPHICAL
John J. Herst - Over a half century has elapsed since John J. Herst came to his homestead of 120 acres in Bethlehem township, Henry County, and he has grown old with Henry County and improved with time. He is one of the real pioneers of this section of Missouri.
John J. Herst was born in Kentucky August 31, 1838, the son of Campbell and Sallie (Sharp) Herst, both natives of Kentucky. Mr. Herst's ancestors on his father's side were of Swedish origin. His ancestry on his mother's side were Irish. The Herst family came to Missouri in 1857 and settled in Bethlehem township, one mile east and a little south of where John J. Herst resides. Campbell Herst bought an improved farm which boasted a good house and a growing orchard and he lived there until the end of his days. Five children were reared out of six born to Campbell and Sallie Herst, as follow; Mrs. Sallie Ann Geston, Clinton, Missouri; John J.,; Jobe S., died in the Confederate service during the Civil War; Mrs. Jennie Jane Cheatham, Clinton; Sylvester Clay, living on the old family homestead.
In August of 1862, John J. Herst enlisted in the Confederate Army in Captain Bowen's company and joined the main command of the division assigned to him at Fayetteville, Arkansas. Company K was reorganized under Captain Bunolt, and assigned to the 16th (Jackson's) Regiment of Missouri Infantry in which Mr. Herst served until the close of the war. He participated in the battles of Lone Jack, Prairie Grove, Little Rock, Arkansas, Mansfield, Pleasant Hill and Helena, Arkansas.
At Helena he was shot through the left thigh near the groin by a grape shot and was laid up for some time. After his recovery from this wound he again entered the service and surrendered with the Confederate forces at Shreveport, Louisiana, and returned home to resume the peaceful pursuits of agriculture.
Getting hold of a little money, Mr. Herst bought calves and ranged them over the open prairies for some years, building up herds of cattle each year until he had obtained enough good, honest money to buy his farm. Besides his home place he is owner of seventy-three acres located ten miles south on Grand River.
Mr. Herst was married in 1861 to Miss Narcissa Lee, who was born in Howard County, Missouri, December 15, 1838, and has borne him children as follows: James, lives in Colorado; Mrs. Sallie Ann De Ceyson, Clinton, Missouri; Naomi Lee McGinness, Leesville township; Mrs. Mary Lucinda Tanner, living near Humansville, Polk County, Missouri; Mrs. Edna Margaret Johnson, lives in Nebraska.
A Democrat in politics, Mr. Herst has consistently voted this ticket since attaining his majority. He and Mrs. Herst worship according to the Baptist faith and are among the oldest and best respected residents of this section of Henry County. During his younger days Mr. Herst shot many wild turkeys and had several exciting wolf hunts. He recalls that he winged three wild turkeys in less than an hour's shooting, long ago.
John F. Shoemaker, chairman of the Bethlehem Township Division of the Henry County Council of Defense and leader in the activities in his township toward furthering the cause of America in the great World War for the safety of the cause of democracy throughout the world, is a progressive and successful agriculturist whose beautiful home and well kept and highly productive farm gives every evidence of thrift, industry and prosperity. The Shoemaker farm in Bethlehem township consists of 140 acres, fifty acres of which produced a total of 1,000 bushels of wheat during the past season. Mr. Shoemaker is renting 125 acres additional land, making 265 acres in all, which he is farming.
John F. Shoemaker was born in Indiana June 5, 1869, son of Edward and Miriam (Stannard) Shoemaker. The former was a native of New Jersey and the latter of Ohio.
Edward Shoemaker came to Henry County, Missouri, in 1883 and settled on a farm located one mile north of his son's present place and resided on his Missouri farm until his death in 1907 at the age of sixty-eight years. Mrs. Miriam Shoemaker died in 1885. Edward and Miriam Shoemaker were parents of five children: Viola, deceased; one child died in infancy; Zella, deceased; John F., of this review; Mrs. Belle Logan, Leesville township.
John F. Shoemaker bought his first farm in 1894. This farm was a small one consisting of but thirty-five acres. He resided on that farm until he purchased seventy-seven and one-half acres of his present farm in 1906. To this tract he added sixty acres in 1908. Since taking possession of this farm, he has been constantly improving it and making it more productive until the Shoemaker farm is one of the best in Henry County.
In 1894, John F. Shoemaker was united in marriage with Mary Brown, the daughter of Harry P. Brown, one of the oldest settlers of Bethlehem township. Two children have been born to this marriage: Owen L., born July 23, 1898, and the second child died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Shoemaker have an adopted daughter, Maude, aged thirteen years. Mr. Shoemaker has long been active and influential in public affairs in his township and county. He has served as road overseer and trustee of Bethlehem township and is one of the leaders of the Democratic party in Henry County. He is a member of the board of trustees which have charge of the upkeep and improvement of the State Inter-County Seat Highway and is an enthusiastic advocate of a permanent good road system for Henry County. He is active in home war work and is chairman of the Bethlehem division of the Henry County Council of Defense. It will thus be seen that he is a very busy citizen, engrossed as he is with much public work of an honorary and useful character and the cultivation of his farm.
Francis Marion Calvird - The Calvird family is one of the oldest, most influential and prominent families of Henry County, and Francis Marion Calvird, pioneer settler of Davis township, proprietor of 337 acres of rich farm land, is a worthy representative of this old family. Mr. Calvird has resided in Missouri since 1850 with the exception of a few years and has grown old and prospered with the county.
F. M. Calvird was born January 8, 1848, in Kentucky, the son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Peters) Calvird, the former a native of Kentucky and the latter of Virginia. The Calvirds came to Franklin County, Missouri, in 1850, but conditions not being exactly to the liking of Thomas Calvird, they removed to St. Clair County, Missouri, and resided in that county until death called them. Thomas Calvird died in 1858 and Mrs. Calvird departed this life in 1875. They were parents of the following children: W. B., of Newton County, Missouri; Henry T., died in St. Clair County; Mrs. May Severs, a widow living at Clinton, Missouri; Charles, judge of the District Court at Clinton, Missouri; Julia, wife of Miles Price, died in Henry County.
Francis M. Calvird left St. Clair County in 1869 and roamed all over the southland, visiting nearly every State in the South while engaged in railroading. He began his railroad career in the employ of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railway Company, and worked as a railroad man for four years. In 1873, he returned to Henry County and began raising cattle. Even at this time there were large areas of free range over which cattle were allowed to graze unhindered by fencing or other barriers.
Mr. Calvird took advantage of this condition and made his first money by herding his own cattle. As the country became more settled, the free ranges were cut up into farms, he decided to abandon the ranging of cattle and get a farm of his own. He bought his first land in 1883, when he traded a bunch of cattle for forty acres in the northern part of Davis township. He erected his first home on this tract, but later bought his present farm on the State highway, west of Clinton in Davis township, consisting of 160 acres. This farm is well improved with a well built residence and other buildings situated upon a high point of ground from which the land gently slopes to the northward. The soil is very fertile, the Calvird farm of 337 acres being one of the most valuable in Henry County, and is noted for the big crops raised thereon from year to year.
In 1876, Francis M. Calvird was united in marriage with Miss Anna Boyd, who was born in Warren County, Missouri, the daughter of Judge Joseph and Elizabeth (Adkins) Boyd, old pioneers and prominent people of Henry County. Six children were born to this union: Nettie, wife of Riley Hibler, Clinton, Missouri, mother of two children, Enid and Locke Hibler; Samuel Joseph, a rancher in the Panhandle country of Texas, married Kate Shye and has three children, Helen, Bernice and an infant child; Lucy, wife of Thomas Rogers, Kansas City, Missouri, has two children, Calvird and Thomas William Rogers; Frank Lee, farmer, Davis township, married Pauline Heney and has two children, Anna and Boyd Calvird; Sallie V.; Charles B., at home, married Nannie Gillilan.
Mr. Calvird is a Democrat. Although he was reared in the teachings of the Methodist Episcopal Church, he is a member of the Mt. Carmel Presbyterian Church. He is one of the best respected and widely known citizens of Henry County who has accomplished more than the average citizen in this county.
