My Genealogy Hound

John Emery Watson. Prominent among the enterprising farmers and stock raisers of Short Bend Township stands the name of the above mentioned gentleman, who was born in Prince George County, Md., in 1825. His parents were William C. and Mary (Gibbons) Watson, both probably natives of Prince George County, Md. The father was born in 1794, was married there, and there the mother died when her son, John Emery, was but a small boy. The family afterward removed to Fauquier County, Va., and in about 1835 or 1837 they moved to Dent County, Mo., on Meramec, where they improved a good farm. Mr. Watson died soon after the war. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was a member of the Methodist Church. His father, Leonard B. Watson, was probably born in Maryland, was of English origin, and was a soldier in the War of 1812. He came to Missouri with his son, and died in Crawford County, where William C. lived for the first two years as a renter. John Emery Watson is the third of five children, and is the only one now living. He received a limited education, which he improved later in life by observation, study and reading. At the age of seventeen he began for himself by farming, and in 1847 and 1848 he married Miss Mary Ann, daughter of William and Mary Ann (Halbert) Blackwell, natives of Virginia and South Carolina, respectively. To Mr. Watson and wife were born twenty children, fifteen sons and five daughters, seven sons and two daughters now living: John Thomas, James A., Mary A., wife of William Harkey, of Texas; Lorenzo Dow, G. T. Beauregard, Rhoda R., Prince Albert, Orin P. and Samuel J. Tilden. With the exception of about four years spent in Salem to educate his children, Mr. Watson has lived in Short Bend Township, and on his present farm since before the war. He has over 700 acres in all, and has property in Salem, also owning a park stocked with deer. There are three caves on his farm, and in one is a fine spring and small lake. One of the caves has been explored one-fourth of a mile, and has also fine prospects for iron of superior quality, also some lead and some silver and copper ore. Mr. Watson has given his large family of children a good education, and some of them are numbered among the best teachers of Dent County. In 1865 he served four months in the Union army, in the troops stationed at Salem, and enlisted for one year, but at that time the war closed and he was discharged. He was formerly a Whig in politics, but is now a Democrat, casting his first presidential vote for Gen. Taylor. Mr. Watson is a member of the Masonic fraternity, a member of the Agricultural Wheel, and Mrs. Watson and two daughters are members of the Methodist Church. One son is a member of the Baptist Church. While in Salem Mr. Watson was interested in wagon-making; was also engaged in the butchering business, and for a short time was occupied in merchandising. Mrs. Watson was born in Crawford County, and her father was born in Virginia, and when about three years old came with his father, Jesse Blackwell, to St. Francois County, where he married Miss Mary Halbert. In about 1832 or 1833 he removed to Crawford County, Mo., and a few years afterward removed to Dent County, in Norman Valley, where he died shortly before the war. He was a soldier in the Black Hawk War; was very wealthy, and before the war built a large brick house. His wife is still living, and is ninety-four or ninety-five years of age. Her father, Rev. James Halbert, was a South Carolina Primitive Baptist minister, and was for many years in Southeast Missouri. He was an early settler of St. Francois County, and died near Steelville.