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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Capt. Morgan Mason was born in Washington County, Penn., July 8, 1808, the son of Robert and Sarah (Meek) Mason, natives of Virginia and Pennsylvania, respectively. The father was a pioneer of Pennsylvania, and died there in October, 1854, in his seventy-sixth year. Our subject was reared in his native State, and worked with his father in farming and grist milling. He began boating in 1840 on the Monongahela and Ohio Rivers, and the same year came to St. Louis as a steamboat clerk. He was a clerk on the first steamboat “Consul” that made a trip from Cincinnati to Brownsville, Penn., after the improvement of the Monongahela River in 1843. He quit steam-boating in 1854, and came to Clark County, and bought a farm. He made that his home for twenty-five years, engaged in farming and stock-raising, so that at one time he owned about 400 acres, and still owns the original homestead of 220 acres. About twelve years ago he removed to Alexandria, and in 1879 engaged in a grocery and produce business, in which he has been very successful. Of his six brothers and four sisters the following are now living: Isaac M., Harrison and Horace G. These live in Brownsville, Penn.. and John lives near Memphis. Capt. Mason was married on April 11, 1830, to Permelia Stevenson, of Green County, Penn. She died in 1856. They had four sons and two daughters: Presly S. (deceased), William W. (deceased), Morgan (deceased), Isaac M., Sarah A. (the wife of the late F. Johnson, of Indianapolis), and Priscilla S. (the wife of C. D. Eberhart). His second wife was Hannah (Laning) Gregg. She died January 22, 1883. The children, by her former marriage are Cephas, Mary (the wife of N. C. Tolman), and Susan K. (the wife of A. T. Sullivan). Our subject is a Republican, and a warm admirer of J. G. Blaine, who was born near his native place. He was a supporter of the Union cause, but treated both sides courteously. He has been a member of the Baptist Church for over forty years, and is one of Alexandria’s respected pioneers.

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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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