My Genealogy Hound

A. F. GORE, hardware dealer, was born in Boston, Mass., May 15, 1832. His parents, Stephen and Mary (Hyde) Gore, were also natives of the Bay State. In 1837 our subject was taken to St. Louis, Mo., his father having preceded the family two years, and engaged in the wholesale grocery business. There he remained until fifteen years of age, attending the city schools, and during the last two years engaged as clerk with Shapleigh, Day & Co., wholesale hardware merchants. On April 12, 1850, he left St. Louis on horseback for California; reached Salt Lake City June 29th of that year, and five days later left for Hangtown, El Dorado county, Cal.; reached that point Aug. 4th, and shortly afterward engaged in mining with Switzler & Co., now of Boone county, this state, and continued with them for several weeks, receiving ample remuneration. He then went to White Rock Canyon and engaged in mining for himself, and subsequently he mined at various places, with a considerable degree of success. In the spring of 1855 he went to Shaw’s Flat, and from that point sailed via Panama to New York City, arriving at the last named place in July of that year. He came west directly to St. Louis, and engaged with Rogers, Anderson & Co. as clerk in the hardware business. He continued with them one and a half years, and then moved to Bunker Hill, Ill., and commenced buying and shipping grain. Two years later he returned to St. Louis, and in the spring of 1858 re-crossed the plains, going overland to Pike’s Peak. There he mined with varied success for about three years, and returned to the states in the fall of 1861, traveling on foot all the way from Denver, Col., to Atchison, Kansas. The journey, so fatiguing and perilous, was almost miraculously performed, as the West at that time swarmed with hostile redskins, eager for every possible victim. The subject proceeded from Atchison to St. Joseph, and there he enlisted in Company A, Twenty-third Missouri Infantry Volunteers, and went to St. Louis, where the company soon afterward disbanded. He then enlisted in Company C, Second Iowa Infantry Volunteers, Colonel Tuttle commanding, and served until the close of the war. He participated in the battles of Fort Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Missionary Ridge, Buzzard’s Roost, Snake Creek Gap, and others of importance, and was wounded at Fort Donelson and again at Shiloh. At the former place he was made a corporal, and at the latter a sergeant. Subsequently he was promoted to a lieutenancy, and detailed by General Corse as aid-de-camp. He was at the grand review of the armies at Washington in June, 1865. He was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa, in the summer following, and after visiting various Eastern cities, returned to St. Louis. Shortly afterward he engaged with Cheerer, Burchard & Co., in the hardware business, and remained with them four years. He then went to Neosho, Newton county, and continued in same business for a half decade, and then came to Joplin in April, 1876, and established his present business. Mr. G. was married in Tipton, Mo., Nov. 7, 1867, to Miss Anna, daughter of James and Maria Maclay, of Pittsburgh, Pa. Mrs. Gore was born in the Keystone State. They are members of the Presbyterian Church, in which Mr. G. has been an elder for many years, and he is also a member of the Masonic fraternity.