My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in The History of Crawford County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1888.  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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James L. Griffith was born at the Meramec Iron Works in 1853. His parents were Thomas J. and Rachel (McCalister) Griffith, natives, respectively, of Ohio and Virginia, and of Welsh and Irish descent. Soon after their marriage the parents located at the Meramec Iron Works in Missouri, where the father labored about twenty-two years in different capacities; he was yardmaster for many years, and for a time acted as storekeeper. He is now residing on a farm in Crawford County, and of his eight children, four are living. James L., the eldest of the living children, was educated in the public schools, with the exception of a few months spent in the Rolla School of Mines. At the age of twenty he began work in the Meramec Iron Works, breaking pig iron, driving a team, etc., at last being promoted to the position of a clerk in their store, where he later acted as book-keeper. In 1883 he became assistant book-keeper for the Midland Blast Furnace Company, and in November of the same year was given full charge of the books, in which capacity he has since been employed. In 1882 he married Lucy Haug, a native of Bunker Hill, Ill. Mr. and Mrs. Griffith have two children: Ada L. and Charles H. Mr. Griffith is a Republican and a member of the I. O. O. F.

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This family biography is one of 117 biographies included in The History of Crawford County, Missouri published in 1888.  For the complete description, click here: Crawford County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

To view additional Crawford County, Missouri family biographies, click here

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