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Belle. Both Mr. and Mrs. Vantrump are members of the German Baptist Church. He is a valuable citizen, and an enterprising and prosperous farmer.

W. T. WILSON.

This gentleman was born in Fleming county, Kentucky, on the 10th day of July, 1822. There he was educated, and lived upon a farm until he was twenty years old. In 1842 he came to Ray county, Missouri, and settled on a farm about two miles south of Richmond. He was living there during the flood of 1844, and sustained great damage from the overflow of the river. In the month of March, 1855, he moved to his present farm, section thirty-four, township fifty-three, range twenty-six, and has continued to live there ever since. He owns one hundred and fifty-seven acres of good land, well fenced and improved. It is watered by the Wakanda. He has a large orchard of some seven hundred bearing trees. This orchard yields an immense and valuable crop. Mr. Wilson was married July 4, 1844, to Miss Nancy E. Pritchard, a native of the state of Tennessee, but came to Missouri early in life. They became the parents of seven children: Sarah J., Robert (died in 1872, aged twentyfive years), Virginia F., the wife of George W. Temple; Mary E. (died in May, 1878), Ida, Lee, and Oleita. Both Mr. Wilson and his wife are leading members of the Christian Church, and he is also lecturer of Prairie Grange, No. 1084, P. of H. Mr. Wilson's farm is particularly well adapted to raising tobacco and hemp. He has produced some as large crops of these commodities as have ever been grown in the county. Mr. Wilson is a leading, prosperous farmer, and an influential and valuable citizen of Grape Grove township.

HENRY RENFRO.

Henry Renfro is a native of Ray county, Missouri. He was born on the 5th day of February, 1835. His father, Mr. John Renfro, came from Kentucky in 1833, and settled on a farm about four miles north of Millville. When our subject was fifteen years old, his father sold this place, and removed upon the one he now owns, a mile or two east of the former place. Here Henry attended school in his youth, and worked on the farm until he was twenty-two years old, and then went to Chillicothe, Missouri, where he spent a year. Returning home, he took entire management of his father's place, and conducted the farm for two years. He then went to Colorado, and, after spending six months, mining for gold there, he returned home in the autumn of 1859. The following winter he was married, at the age of twenty-five years, to Miss Martha McCuistion. After his marriage he was engaged in farming until the beginning of the civil war. Leaving his young wife and infant daughter in the care

of his father-in-law, Mr. Renfro joined his fortunes with the cause of the south, and enlisted for three years in the Confederate army, company C, Colonel Reeves' 3d Missouri volunteers. Before the expiration of the time for which he had entered the army he enlisted for the whole war. His experiences were interesting and varied, but the scope of this work will not admit of following him through them all. At the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, he received a wound, which necessitated the amputation of his left leg below the knee. After the surrender he was paroled, June 26, 1865, and returned home to Ray county, arriving July 19, 1865. His wife had managed to save about five hundred dollars from the wreck of his property by the war, and on this amount he again began the life of a peaceful, law-abiding citizen. During the first three years after his return from the war he farmed, and then, going to Millville, entered the drug trade with Doctor W. M. Quarles. In 1873 he bought Doctor Quarles' interest in the business and has ever since conducted the business very successfully alone. Mr. and Mrs. Renfro are the parents of nine children, seven girls and two boys, all living at home with their parents. Mr. Renfro is a worthy member of the Christian Church, at Millville.

JAMES B. NOEL.

This gentleman is a native of Monroe county, Missouri. He was born on the 1st day of March, 1840, and spent the first twenty years of his life in that county, at home with his parents, in the manner usual with the sons of farmers. In 1861 he enlisted, at Governor Jackson's first call, in the army of the Confederacy, joining the company of Captain James Johnson, who had been a soldier in the war with Mexico. After the battle of Springfield, Missouri, the term of service for which he had enlisted having expired, Mr. Noel returned to his home, but was compelled to flee the same night of his arrival at home, to escape being killed by bitter partisans of the other side. He went to Arkansas and enlisted in the state guards. He subsequently left Arkansas, and during the remainder of the war, lived a "life on the wing," going from point to point in the states of Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska. He was compelled to live in this migratory manner to avoid entering the Union service. After the war was over he kept a feed and sale stable one year at Nebraska City. He has been engaged, at different times in life, in a variety of employments. The most profitable of these was freighting goods between Canon City and Leadville, Colorado, soon after the opening of the latter place. Mr. Noel had previously (1862) made his home in Ray county, and he returned here in the autumn of 1879, and has since that time been engaged here in farming, trading and freighting. He was first married in the spring of 1863, in Ray county, to Miss Alice Davis, daughter of Mr. Van. Davis. Three children were born of this marriage, but only one, Hiram Tucker, is now

living. Mrs. Noel died in April, 1870, and Mr. Noel was married again in September, 1872, to Miss Sarah Risley, of Ray county. The issue of this union was three children, two boys and a girl, all now living. Mr. Noel is now (April, 1881,) proprietor of the only hotel at Millville.

RICHARD C. CRAVEN.

Richard C. Craven was born in Ray county, on the 21st day of August, 1843. His father, Solomon Craven, was an early settler of that county, having come from Tennessee here in 1829, and settled upon a farm near Knoxville, where our subject was born, and where he lived until twentytwo years of age. He attended the district schools of his father's neighborhood during the winter season, and assisted with the farm work in summer. In 1865 he went to Colorado, and was there occupied in mining for about three years in the locality of Central City. He then removed to a ranch, in the southern part of Colorado, and lived there for one year. After spending the succeeding summer in the Indian Territory, he returned to Ray county, Missouri, and engaged in farming for three years. He then, in 1873, began merchandising at Millville, in partnership with Mr. Graham Fletcher. They continued in the business together, until the month of May, 1880, when Mr. Fletcher sold his interest to W. R. Craven, and the brothers have since conducted the business together, under the title of R. C. & W. R. Craven. Mr. Craven was married on the 9th day of January, 1870, to Miss Emma Wood, daughter of Robert A. Wood, who resides near Millville. They became the parents of seven children, two of whom died in infancy. The others are now living Mr. Craven became a member of the M. E. Church South, in 1871, and is also a member of the Masonic order. He was, for six years prior to 1880, master of lodge No. 338, at Millville. He joined the I. O. G. T. lodge when it was organized in 1879. He is a prosperous business man and a good citizen.

J. F. CRAMER.

Is a native of Ray county, Missouri. He was born on the 4th day of March, 1856. He worked on his father's farm in summer, and attended school in the winter, until he had completed the course usually taught in the common schools. He then entered Central College at Fayette, Missouri, and remained a student in that excellent institution for two years. After returning home from college, he began merchandising, in 1878, with his brother-in-law, Mr. John P. Grimes, under the firm name of Grimes & Cramer, at Millville, Ray county, Missouri. In this business, Mr. Cramer is, at present engaged. He was enumerator, in his locality, of the tenth United States census. He is a gentleman of steady business habits, and a member of the Good Templar lodge at Millville. Grimes & Cramer are very popular, and they are doing a lively and prosperous business.

JOHN P. GRIMES.

Was born in Campbell county, East Tennessee, June 3, 1838. His father, Henry C. Grimes, was a farmer, and raised a family of seven children, of whom our subject was the third in order of birth, and the first son. His father first came to Ray county, Missouri, in 1836, but remaining only one year, went back to Tennessee and remained there five years longer. He came back to Missouri, and settled in Ray county, in the year 1851. John was then in his fourteenth year, and he spent the succeeding eleven years on the farm, with his father, about ten miles from Richmond. The principal part of his education he obtained in Tennessee, though he attended school after coming to this county until he was grown. In the spring of 1864, he bought a farm about seven miles northwest of Knoxville, and lived there four years. He then sold this farm and began merchandising at Knoxville, and continued the business until February, 1870, when he traded his stock of goods for a farm near Millville, and lived there, until the following August, raising one crop. He then bought the store of Carter & Davis, at Millville, and removed thither with his family. In August, 1878, J. F. Cramer became a partner in the business, and the firm is styled Grimes & Cramer. They continue to do a thriving business at Millville. Mr. Grimes was married in the month of October, 1860, to Miss Mary E. Cramer, daughter of Judge David Cramer, of Ray county. Seven children have been born of this union, all now living at home with their parents. Mr. Grimes is a member of the Masonic lodge at Millville, and has several times served his lodge in an official capacity. He is also a Good Templar, having been a charter member of the lodge where he lives. He has belonged to the Methodist Episcopal Church South since 1868. He has frequently represented his church as a delegate to conference, etc.

J. M. CARTER.

The subject of this sketch was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, January 3, 1830. His father, Mr. Ira Carter, was a farmer and stock-raiser of that county, and the possessor of considerable property. Ira Carter removed with his family to the state of Illinois, and there our subject was educated. His father died when James was sixteen years of age, and the next year he came to Richmond, Ray county, Missouri, and began clerking in the general merchandise store of Carter & McGhee. The senior partner of this firm was his half-brother. After remaining in this position for about eighteen months, he went, at the heat of the gold excitement in 1849, to California, where he spent a year at mining, and then went to Oregon, and engaged in the lumber business. This enterprise was very successful, and in 1852 Mr. Carter returned to Missouri.

He located at Albany, Ray county, and engaged in merchandising and milling with his brother, Mr. Eli Carter. He continued the business until 1859, when J. M. Carter sold his interest to his brother and others, and bought, in partnership with Mr. W. R. Shotwell, the mill located at the town of Millville. They operated this mill together until Mr. Carter went to Colorado, in 1860. In Colorado, Mr. Carter operated a saw-mill for another party, for about one year, and then came for his family, and took them to Colorado with him, leaving Mr. Shotwell again in charge of the mill they owned in partnership. During the time he was in the state of Colorado Mr. Carter engaged in farming and stock-raising, and by his industry and enterprise made the business very successful. He returned to Millville, Ray county, Missouri, in the autumn of 1865. Mr. Carter was married on the 4th day of May, 1854, to Miss Susan R. Harrison. They became the parents of seven children, two sons and five daughters, all now living. One daughter, Ida B., is the wife of Mr. John A. Fletcher. The others are at home with their parents. Mr. Carter resides at Millville, where he owns and operates a large flouring-mill. He is a leading member of the M. E. Church South, and belongs to the Masonic lodge at Millville. His business is very prosperous, and he has a handsome home, surrounded by modern conveniences and comforts. As a man and a citizen he is highly esteemed and respected by all who know him.

W. M. QUARLES, M. D.

William M. Quarles was born in Wilson county, Tennessee, on the 19th day of September, 1840, and lived there until he was eleven years of age. He then came with his father in March, 1851, to Ray county, Missouri, and has lived here ever since. His father received the appointment of postmaster at Richmond, and lived there until the outbreak of the civil war, conducting a small farm half a mile from town, in connection with the postoffice. Our subject worked on this farm during summer, and attended Richmond College in winter. He received the greater part of his education at this school. In the year 1856, he began clerking in the dry goods store of Hughes, Wasson & Stewart, at Richmond, and continued with them for two years. Becoming imbued with the determination to fit himself for the practice of medicine, he entered the drug store of Dr. Mosby, and remaining with him two years, devoted the time to studying his chosen profession. At the beginning of the civil war he espoused the cause of the south, and responded promptly to Governor Jackson's call for volunteers by enlisting in the 1st Missouri cavalry. At the expiration of the time, six months, for which he had enlisted in the state guards, he entered the regular Confederate service for three years, in Colonel Reeves' 3d Missouri regiment of volunteers. In the spring of

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