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Below is a family biography included in The History of Morgan County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1889.  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 Freebairn, a prominent pioneer business man of Versailles, Mo., was born in Rutherglen, near Glasgow, Scotland, in 1834, his parents, who were John Freebairn and Leah Hamilton, being also born there. Owing to his father’s early death, he had to begin fighting the battle of life for himself at an early day, and learned the butcher’s trade, and also worked as a farm hand for three years. He then learned engineering, at which he worked five years, under his stepfather, Robert Hood, who was manager of the coal works at Rutherglen, and at the end of the five years, in August, 1858, he set sail for America, and after a very rough voyage of twenty-two days he landed at New York City. After remaining here two weeks he came westward to St. Louis, and a few weeks later came to Versailles, and worked at whatever he could find to do. After a short time he purchased sixty acres of land adjoining the town on the west, on which his elevator and the depot are now situated. In 1859 he opened the first meat-market in the place, which he conducted until the breaking out of the late Civil War, when he engaged in farming on his sixty acres. At the end of one year he opened a saloon, but discontinued it at the end of six months, and in 1862 established a general mercantile establishment, but in 1864 abandoned this business and started for Montana, where he was interested in mining for twelve years, being also occupied in lumbering, blacksmithing, gunsmithing, and various other occupations. He was fairly successful, and in 1876 returned to Versailles, and in the fall of the same year opened his present general mercantile establishment, which brings him in a handsome annual income. He now owns 920 acres of land, and an interest in 440 acres of mineral land, and all his business ventures are meeting with good success.

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This family biography is one of 120 biographies included in The History of Morgan County, Missouri published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Morgan County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

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

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