My Genealogy Hound

ENOCH P. SEARLE was born in Portage county, Ohio, February 6, 1835. His father, Warren Searle, was a native of Vermont, now residing here at the advanced age of eighty years. His mother Mary (Cochran) Searle was a native of Ohio, but died in Carthage, Missouri, in 1881, aged seventy-three years. Enoch P. was educated at Knox College, Galesburg, Illinois, and at the age of twenty entered the engineer corps of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad. Soon being promoted he directed the laying of the track between Tennessee and Macomb, Illinois. In 1857 he went to Nebraska, where he taught school, opened a new farm, served on the school board of trustees at Fontenelle, and was a member of the town council. In 1859 he went to Pike’s Peak, thence to California, where he was alternately farmer, miner, and teacher. He spent about two years of this time in the silver mines of Nevada, where at one time he was offered $25,000 for his interests, but subsequently realized nothing for the same. He moved to Jasper county in 1867, where he has since resided. Mr. Searle was married to Miss Lizzie A. Gaylord, of Plymouth, Illinois, April 20, 1868, after an engagement of thirteeen years. They have had seven children, four of whom are still living: Orin P., Sallie P., John W., and Joseph H.; three died while very small. Mr. Searle has made frequent and valuable contributions to the Board of Immigration and State Board of Agriculture, and is recognized as authority on the history and description of southwest Missouri, at present carrying on an immense correspondence with parties in all parts of the country desiring information. He has been notary public for fourteen years in succession, besides holding important positions of official trust. He has contributed a number of poems and articles to the literature of the West, and has been an often quoted correspondent of several leading newspapers, among them the Stockton Journal and Alta of San Francisco, he is the composer of music for the Musical Gazette of New York city. His compositions: “The Schools of Jasper County;” “Gentle Sister,” words and music devoted to the memory of a departed sister; “President Garfield,” words arranged and sung July 4, 1881; and other productions are highly appreciated. He is now a member of the firm of Tower & Searle, real estate and loan agents, probably the oldest in south west Missouri. Mr. Searle is a member of the Congregational Church, in which he was a deacon from 1870 to 1881. He is a prominent sabbath-school worker; he organized and has been most of the time since 1870 president of the Jasper County Sabbath-school Association, where he has done and is doing very effective missionary Christian work. He has been twice elected and now holds the office of president of the Eleventh District Sabbath-school Association of the State of Missouri, composed of five counties, Jasper, Lawrence, Newton, Barry and McDonald. He has always been a prominent temperance worker, and is the president of the prohibition alliance of Jasper county, and may be said to be a successful business man.