My Genealogy Hound

D. P. BLAIR, merchant, was born in Otsego county, N. Y., Feb. 11, 1850. His father, Lester Blair, was also a native of New York, and born in Middletown, Otsego county, in Sept., 1818. His mother, Eliza (Clover) Blair, of the Empire State, was born in Springfield, Otsego county, in May, 1824. They are now living at Chautauqua, N. Y. During infancy our subject was taken by his parents to Chautauqua county where they located on a farm near the noted lake, from which the county derives its name. There he engaged in agricultural pursuits and attended the common schools. When about sixteen years of age he entered the Albany Commercial College, Albany, N. Y., graduating from that institution in the spring of 1867. He returned to Chautauqua and engaged in farming for a time, then in the mercantile business, and afterwards in teaching. He came west in 1870 to Brownville, Neb., and a little later located at Paola, Kan. He remained there one year, and then went to Prescott, Linn county, and soon after to Arkansas, He came to Joplin in April, 1873, and commenced mining. He embarked in his present business in October, 1880. Mr. Blair was married in Joplin, Mo., March 8, 1877, to Mrs. Nannie P., relict of A. W. Cook, and daughter of I. H. and Malinda E. (McKey) Patton, of this city. Mrs. Blair was born near Crawfordsville, Ind., Sept. 26, 1850. She had one child from her former husband and also one from this union, Berta Randolph, born March 5, 1878. Mr. and Mrs. Blair reside one and a half miles east of Joplin. They have 120 acres of land, well fenced, and forty acres in good cultivation, well watered, good orchard, and an abundance of small fruits. His place of business is on Main Street, between Fifth and Sixth. He carries a full line of furniture and second hand goods, Mr. B. is a man of good business qualification.