My Genealogy Hound

JOHN HANLEY PILKINGTON, ex-County Recorder, is a prominent real-estate man of Sedalia. In 1885 he was elected on the Democratic ticket as City Collector, serving for one year, and upon being re-elected in 1886, filled the office for the two years following. In 1888 he was returned to the office, serving until the spring of 1890. In the fall of that year he was elected to the responsible office of Recorder of Pettis County, and capably discharged the duties pertaining thereto for four years, from January, 1891, to January, 1895. Since that time he has been a member of the real-estate firm of Pilkington & Rosse. He is also a member of and stock-holder in the Commonwealth Land and Development Company.

The paternal grandfather, Samuel Pilkington, was born in England, but later went to Ireland. From there he emigrated to America, and for a few years lived in Pennsylvania. Afterward he settled in Lexington, Ky., where he was a merchant, and where his death occurred. Religiously, he was a member of the Episcopal Church. Our subject’s father, Joseph M., who was born in Jessamine County, Ky., was also a merchant in Lexington, and in 1858 came to Missouri and bought a farm near Georgetown. Then for several years he was engaged in commercial pursuits in Sedalia, making a specialty of selling agricultural implements. Disposing of his business, he traveled as a salesman for an eastern concern some fifteen years, and upon retiring made his home with our subject until his death, at the age of sixty-eight years. Both himself and wife were members of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church. The latter, Mary E., a native of Jessamine County, Ky., was a daughter of Maj. John Hanley, who was born in Ireland. He located on a farm near Camp Nelson, and, with one other exception, was the only man in the county who voted for Andrew Jackson. He lived to attain the extreme old age of ninety-nine years, dying in Kentucky. Of the eleven children born to Joseph M. and Mary Pilkington, only seven are now living. For a year their father was a member of a Missouri militia company, and served in the Quartermaster’s department at Warrensburg until the close of the war, and subsequently was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic.

J. H. Pilkington was born in the same county as were his parents, November 7, 1856, and in his youth attended the public and high schools of Sedalia, and for some time was a student in the Christian Brothers’ College in St. Louis. When but seventeen years of age he obtained a position as fireman on the Missouri Pacific Railroad, serving on both divisions, and in three years was promoted to be engineer. During the next seven years he had charge of the engines on the Missouri Pacific and the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroads, after which he commenced serving in a public capacity, as previously related.

The marriage of our subject and Carrie Littlefield was celebrated in Auburn, Ind., in 1884, the lady being a native of that place. They are members of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church of this city, and have many warm friends in this community. Mr. Pilkington is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is also a Knight of Pythias. He is Secretary of Sedalia Division No. 178, B. of L. E., and was Chairman of the State Legislative Board.