Kimberling, William W.

The following data is extracted from Reminiscent History Of The Ozark Region, pub. Goodspeed Brothers, Publishers, Chicago 1894.

WILLIAM W. KIMBERLING. It is owing to the enterprise and push of such men as Mr. Kimberling that Stone County, Missouri, owes much of its prosperity, for he has been one of its thrifty, industrious and intelligent agriculturists for many years, and is at the present time the proprietor of a fine and well-improved farm of IIO acres on the south side of White River. He was born in Franklin County, Arkansas, April 16, 1840, a son of Nathaniel and Nancy (Birchfield) Kimberling, native Tennesseeans. The father became a resident of Stone County a few years after the disposal of the land by the Indians, and here made his home.the greater part of the time, although he resided for about a year in Texas and Arkansas. His death occurred in the Lone Star State in 1862, at the age of sixty years. He was of German descent, a Republican in politics, a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church and, through-out life, he followed the honorable occupation of farming, at which he obtained a comfortable competency. He was truly one of the pioneers of Stone County, and as he was a skillful marksman and fond of hunting, had numer-ous opportunities of gratifying this taste, and many a bear fell a victim to his unerring aim. He was married in Stone County to a daughter of John Birchfield, who was an early settler and the owner of a good farm on the James River. He died many years ago. Mrs. Kimberling died in 1865, having become the mother of fourteen children, only four of whom are living: Caroline, wife of James Mayes, of Moniteau County, Missouri; Benjamin, who is a resident of Stone County; California A., married, and a resident of Moniteau County, and Eliza, who is living in Christian County, the wife of Jesse Gardner. Those deceased are Peter, John P., Rebecca, James J., Melissa, Sophia, and several infants. Four of the sons were soldiers in the Civil War: James J., Benjamin, Peter, and William W. The latter was reared in the county of his birth, and as schools were few and far between, he received but a limited education. When the great conflict between the North and South opened, he first joined the Home Guards, but in 1862 enlisted in Company F, Fourteenth Missouri State Militia, afterward becoming a member of the Eighth Missouri Militia, and took part in the engagement at Springfield, and was also engaged in fighting bushwhackers and in following up Price through the State. He received an honorable discharge in April, 1865, and for one year there-after resided in Colorado, after which he returned to Missouri and located in the upper part of Stone County on a farm. In 1870 he located on his present farm on the White River, where he also conducts a ferry, known as the May-berry Ferry on the Wilderness road. Mr. Kimberling has always affiliated with the Republican party, and, for one term, held the position of postmaster of Radical. In a business way he has been reasonably successful, and is now the owner of a comfortable and pleasant home. At the close of the war he married Miss Phoebe A. Cox, a daughter of John Cox and a sister of Judge Cox of Stone County, and to them the following children have been given: John; Nancy, wife of Thomas F. Biles; Susan, wife of William Biles; William W., Lula A, James H., Charles B., Frederick, Nettie, Bessie, Myra, and two who are dead-Columbus and Mirtie May. Mr. and Mrs. Kimberling are members of the Baptist Church, and he belongs to the G. A. R. post at Galena. GEORGE A. and C. M. PEASE, owners of the Enterprise Roller Mills, of West Plains, Howell County, Missouri, are conducting one of the largest concerns of the kind in south Missouri. The mill was built in 1889, at a cost of $1O,OOO, by Dr. Pitts and George H. Carter (who is now of the Howell County Bank), and was operated by the above-mentioned gentlemen from July until October, 1889. G. A. and C. M. Pease then bought the mill and since that time have successfully operated it. In 1893 the present owners increased the capacity from 75 to 125 barrels, and changed the bolting system to that of plansifter, and probably adopted the first full plansifter mill used in the United States. The mill has six sets of rollers, and has all the equipments to do first class work. Work is done both day and night with two sets of hands, and a first-class grade of flour is turned out. The mill is located on the Gulf Railroad tract, west of the depot, and consists of the mill proper, 32x60 feet, two stories and basement. It is operated by a 75-horse power Corliss engine. The elevator stands fifty feet from the mill, and has a capacity of 12,000 bushels. The grain used is raised in the section, and the brands of flour are Plansifter Patent, Fancy Patent andHarvest Queen,and are equal to any brands made in the State. The mill turns out about 38,000 barrels per year, and for the past four or five years has been run almost constantly. Ten hands are employed. The Pease brothers, G. A. and C. M., are the sons of Miles and Susan (Metcalf) Pease. The grandfather, Christopher Pease, was a native of Vermont, and the family is of old Puritan stock, the ancestors coming from England and settling in the East. The father of our subjects was born in Vermont, and all his life was engaged in the milling business, superintending a mill in Lowell, Mass., and another in Burlington, Vt. He emigrated to the West in 1854 and located in Winona County, Minn., where he made his home for four years. He was a pioneer of that State, and hauled the first printing press ever taken to St. Paul up the Mississippi River from La Crosse. He came to Franklin County, Missouri, in 1859, and located near St. Clair, where he engaged in the manufacture of woolen goods. There he remained until 1861, when he moved to Gasconade County, and engaged in the grist mill business, using steam power, until 1865, when he moved to Rolla and embarked in the hotel business. Two years later he went to Arlington, the same county, and engaged in the same business for a short time. The same year he moved to Douglas County, engaged in saw milling and also conducted a grist mill on the north fork of White River. This was one of the first mills built after the war in that section of country, and it was patronized for a distance of forty and fifty miles. There he made his home until his death in September, 1879, but he had sold his business the year previous to his death. In politics he was a Republican, socially a Mason, and in religion a Methodist. He was a man of energy and led a life of great activity. His wife was a native of New Hampshire, and a daughter of Moses Metcalf, who was also a native of that State. Her mother was a Williams, and Grandfather Williams was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. Mrs. Pease is still living in Howell County, and finds a comfortable home with her children. Her children were named as follows: Clarence, farmer and a miller, resides at Dora, Ozark County; G. A., one of our subjects; Ida Wilson, resides in Douglas County; Clinton M., another subject; Myron M., a member of the mill firm at Dora, Ozark County, and also a prominent saw mill man, resides in West Plains; Alando M. resides at Salome Springs, and is also in the milling business; Ella L. married a Mr. Stephenson, of Texas; Minerva, now Mrs. King, resides in Texas. George A. Pease was born in Ver-mont May 30, 1849, and is mainly self-educated, having attended school only about nine months. He started in the milling business with his father, and was engaged in the same mill, after his father had sold out, until January 1, 1880, at which time he went to the State of Michigan in the interest of a patent right, but after six months of unprofitable effort returned to Ozark County, Missouri, and associated himself with C. M. They embarked in the saw mill business without any other capital than willing hands and a reputation that enabled them to buy machinery and equipments, with only money enough to pay freight from the factory to Springfield, Missouri From there they hauled them seventy-five miles with ox teams. For four years, in different localities in Ozark and Douglas Counties, they engaged in the saw mill business and made a few thousand dollars. Tiring of the surroundings of a pine woods life, in 1884, they went to Pottersville, Howell County, and built a custom grist mill, and engaged in a prosperous mercantile business. In 1887 they formed a partnership with M. M.and A. M. Pease (brothers) in a saw mill venture, in which they lost between $4,000 and $5,000 by the failure of the parties to whom they sold. This so crippled them financially that they could not meet their obligations, and their creditors took charge of their mill business. After a few months, however, they resumed in their own names, and soon paid 100 cents on the dollar. Some time after they came to West Plains, and with very little capital started in business. They were careful and economical, and met with unusual success. Later they invested a large amount in the present mill, and success has rewarded their efforts. G. A. is an Odd Fellow, A. O. U. W., and a local minister in the Methodist Episcopal Church. In poli-tics he is a Republican. Aside from their mill they own good houses in West Plains which are presided over by their wives. George A. was married, May 27, 1893, to Miss Susan J. Carson, daughter of James Carson, one of the first families of Virginia. Seven children were given them: Kingsley E., George F., Ida M., and William A. Three died in infancy. Mrs. Pease was born in Jacksonville, Illinois Her Grandfather Carson built the first house in Jacksonville, Illinois, a log house, and it is still intact a few blocks from the square of the city. She is a worthy member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Clinton M. Pease was born in R. H. September 26, 1852, but received his education in Missouri. He was married the first time in Douglas County to Miss Sophronia E. Rice, a native of Missouri, and daughter of Thomas Rice. To this union were born five children: Clinton M., deceased; Fredrick E., Ada B., Ida and Moses. Mrs. Pease died in 1886, and his second union was with Ina Root, a native of Ohio, and daughter of G. W. Root. She lived but two months aftermarriage, and his third union was with Miss Sidney Moore, a native of West Plains, and the daughter of Henry Moore. Two children have been given them: Victoria and Helen. Mrs. Pease is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, as is also her husband. He belongs to the A. F. & A. M., the I. O. 0. F. and the A. O. U. W. In politics he is a Republican.

Source: Reminiscent History Of The Ozark Region, pub. Goodspeed Brothers, Publishers, Chicago 1894

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