My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in The History of Texas 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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James P. Bates is a son of P. Quinton and Mary (Waymon) Bates, natives, respectively, of Kentucky and Pennsylvania. Both parents removed to Phelps County, Mo., with their parents when young, and were there reared to maturity and married, coming shortly after to Texas County, but only resided here a short time, when they returned to Phelps County, where the mother died in the full bloom of womanhood. In 1849 Mr. Bates went to the Black Hills to dig gold, and there died. He was a Democrat, and a successful and enterprising business man. James P. Bates is the oldest of three surviving members of a family of five children, and was born in Texas County, Mo., February 28, 1837, and was reared to the saw-mill business, receiving his education in the old subscription schools of early days. When about fifteen years of age he began the battle of life for himself, and was first engaged in driving oxen for $10 per month, and was then occupied in rafting, making twenty-five trips down the rivers to St. Louis. Since 1863 he has been engaged in operating a saw-mill, and in connection with this manages his large farm of 640 acres, the most of which is exceptionally good land. He has always been a Democrat in politics, and is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and is considered one of the successful business men of the county, having made all his property by his own exertions. In 1860 he was married to Elizabeth Harper, nee Reardon, a native of Ireland, born June 28, 1839. She was reared in London, England, but came to America when about sixteen years of age, and is now the mother of one child, Mary F.

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This family biography is one of 110 biographies included in The History of Texas County, Missouri published in 1889.  For the complete description, click here: Texas County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

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

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