My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in the book, The History of Clark County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  These biographies are valuable for genealogy research in discovering missing ancestors or filling in the details of a family tree. Family biographies often include far more information than can be found in a census record or obituary.  Details will vary with each biography but will often include the date and place of birth, parent names including mothers' maiden name, name of wife including maiden name, her parents' names, name of children (including spouses if married), former places of residence, occupation details, military service, church and social organization affiliations, and more.  There are often ancestry details included that cannot be found in any other type of genealogical record.

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John W. Riley was born in Pennsylvania in 1833, and is the son of James Riley, a native of Maryland, who came to Clark County, Mo., in 1848, and settled in the wild prairie land of Missouri, where he lived until his death in 1861. Harriet Wilson, a native of Pennsylvania, was married to James Riley in the same State, and accompanied him to Clark County, Mo., where she remained until her death in 1863. The subject resided with his father and mother in Clark County, Mo., until 1854, and then departed for the wild West, where he spent twelve years and a half of his life in explorations and adventures. He mined in California for about four years, and then went to British Columbia, crossing the Cascade Mountains, near the line between British America and the United States. He remained in this unsettled country about one year, and then went back to San Francisco. In a short time he went to Nevada, but was compelled to return to California on account of sickness. After his recovery he went to Idaho Territory by way of Portland, Oreg., up through the Cascade Mountains into Washington Territory, passing through that country on pack animals into Idaho Territory. While in that Territory he spent five months in the Rocky Mountains, and there assisted with others in the organization of the Territory. He finally returned to California, landing there in 1863, After that he visited Nevada, where he engaged in mining and trading with the Indians, and finally directed his course homeward, passing through Salt Lake City, Montana, and St. Joe, Mo., and landed in Clark County, Mo., in 1866. Soon after his return he was married to Harriet C. Lewis (April 18, 1867), the daughter of Isaac N. and Lucy A. Lewis, and born in Iowa in 1842. Five sons and one daughter have been the result of this union, as follows: Oscar L., Lucy, Isaac N., Murton A., John W. and J. Benning. Our subject is now in possession of a splendid farm of 300 acres, upon which is a fine residence, and is engaged chiefly in stock raising. He is a Democrat, and a member of the Masonic order. His wife is a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church.

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This family biography is one of 232 biographies included in the Clark County, Missouri portion of the book,  The History of Lewis, Clark, Knox and Scotland Counties, Missouri published in 1887.  For the complete description, click here: Clark County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

View additional Clark County, Missouri family biographies here: Clark County, Missouri Biographies

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