My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in the book, The History of Clark County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1887.  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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J. W. Dunbar, postmaster and general merchant, was born on the original site of Winchester, May 25, 1844. He is the eldest of three children of W. and Jane (Lockhart) Dunbar, natives of Kentucky, and born in 1815 and 1809, respectively. The mother came to Missouri with her first husband, and the father came when he was a young man. Her first husband, Mr. Thomas, was “the father of Winchester.” After a residence there for some time his death occurred, and in 1843 his widow married our subject’s father. They died in 1867 and 1885, respectively. The father had been a distiller in Kentucky, but followed agriculture in his western home, where he owned considerable property in and about Winchester. He was a prominent man in his community, and was honored with positions of trust up to his death. Our subject was educated at Bloomington High School, and at the age of twenty years began his career as a teacher, which extended over a period of ten years. He was also a collector during the war, and had many amusing experiences. He was collecting in Macon, Chariton and Randolph Counties during the time when Price made his raid up through Missouri, when in a day’s ride you would not see a man on either side (blue or gray) unless he was disabled or too old to go into the army. He remained about three years in that vicinity, visited Kansas a few times, and then spent about two years in Trenton as an advertising agent. He returned to his native place in 1867, located on his father’s estate, and followed farming and teaching for about seven years, since which time he has been a merchant at Winchester. He was commissioned postmaster November 21, 1885. His wife Ella (Vertrees), to whom he was married February 5, 1871, is a lady of French origin, and was born July 7, 1853. Their children are Mary, Minnie and Susie; two others are deceased. Our subject now owns a fine home, a store building, a good stock of goods, besides other town property, and is one of the leading men of Winchester. He is a Democrat; in religion his wife holds to the faith of the Christian Church.

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This family biography is one of 232 biographies included in the Clark County, Missouri portion of the book,  The History of Lewis, Clark, Knox and Scotland Counties, Missouri published in 1887.  For the complete description, click here: Clark County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

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

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