My Genealogy Hound

JOHN M. LOGAN was honored by being elected Assessor of Pettis County in the fall of 1890, on the Democratic ticket, his popularity being shown by the fact that he received a majority of about four hundred and forty-five votes. In 1892 he was re-elected, and his term will not expire until June, 1895, which will make him an incumbent of the office just four years. In 1885 he served as City Assessor for one term, and was also appointed Census Enumerator for Sedalia, where he is one of the land-marks, as he has resided here for the past thirty years.

Our subject is of Scotch-Irish descent, and is the son of Hon. Benjamin H. Logan, who was born in Virginia. The father was a millwright by trade, and constructed a number of mills on the Big Kentucky River, and also was engaged in operating mills for many years. Later he was elected Justice of the Peace, and for one term served as Sheriff of Trimble County, whither he had removed. In 1857 he settled in Windsor, Ill., where he held the offices of Justice of the Peace and Police Magistrate up to the time of his death, which occurred when he was over seventy-four years of age. He was a very prominent Democrat, and in 1848 was elected from Trimble County to serve as a member of the Kentucky Legislature. His wife, who before her marriage was Catherine Caplinger, was born in Pennsylvania, and died in 1846. Of her nine children, only four are now living. One son, Benjamin Harrison, was a member of the Black Horse Regiment of Kentucky, a part of the Union army.

J. M. Logan was born in Shelby County, Ky., November 24, 1828, and from the time he was nine years old was reared in Trimble County. He attended the old log schoolhouse of the period, which was conducted on the subscription plan. With his father he learned the millwright’s trade, and continued to dwell under the parental roof until 1854, when he started on a prospecting tour, traveling through Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee. Finally he concluded to locate in central Illinois, and for six or seven years dwelt in Windsor, Shelby County, where he was employed in carpentering and building. In 1865 he came to Sedalia, and for a quarter of a century was steadily employed as a contractor and builder. During the last five years, however, he has found it necessary to devote much of his time to his public duties. While in Illinois he was an officer in the Odd Fellows’ lodge, and was identified with the lodge at Sedalia for some time, but is now non-affiliated.

October 25, 1855, Mr. Logan was married, in Illinois, to Mary J. Taylor, who was born in Callaway County, Mo., and who is a daughter of B. B. Taylor, a farmer by occupation. Three sons and a daughter graced the union of our subject and wife. The eldest-born, Joseph B., who was employed with the Travelers’ Insurance Company, died in Denver, Colo., in 1888, aged twenty-four. James A. is in the general office of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad at Parsons, Kan. Mary F., a graduate of the Sedalia High School, resides at home and is engaged in teaching. William F. is manager of the postal telegraph office of this city. For the past ten years Mr. Logan has been a Deacon of the Christian Church, with which he and his family have been identified as members for a great many years. He is a man whose life has been upright and honorable in every respect, and to his children he will leave the blessing of an unblemished name and record.