My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in the book, The History of Knox 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.

* * * *

Reuben Long, a substantial farmer, of Knox County, was born March 8, 1832, in Mason County, Va. (now W. Va.), and is the fifth of eleven children (five of whom are dead) born to Alexander and Catherine (Yeager) Long, natives of Virginia and Pennsylvania, respectively. They were married in the former State, where the mother went with her parents when a small girl, and soon after marriage settled on a farm in Mason County, where they remained until their respective deaths in 1880 and 1886. The father was a farmer, and engaged in agricultural pursuits his entire life. Our subject received a limited education at the common schools of his neighborhood, and lived with his parents until he became twenty-seven years of age, when he came to Knox County, Mo., in the fall of 1858, and in the spring of 1859 was married to Almira Lair, who was born in Missouri in 1843. He then moved to the farm where he now resides, and his wife died in 1876, seven children having been born to their union, of whom four are living. In 1880 our subject married Ada Russell, by whom he had two children. This wife died in 1882, and the third wife of our subject was Ruth Smith, widow of Thomas S. Smith and daughter of Hugh F. and Leah (McReynolds) Henry. This lady was born January 24, 1847, in Knox County, Mo., and was married to Mr. Smith in 1868, and after his death, which occurred in 1879, married our subject in 1883. By her first marriage Mrs. Long had four children, and, by the last, two. Her children are Lizzie, wife of subject’s eldest son, Alexander; John William, Frank, and Nancy Ellen. The living children of Mr. Long are Alexander, James Morgan, Jackson and Margaret Alta, by the first marriage; Joseph and Jesse by the second, and George and Emma by the third. Mr. Long is an active, energetic and industrious business man, and now owns over 1,300 acres of land, nearly all cleared or prairie land, well improved and under a good state of cultivation, all of which is the result of his own labor. In connection with his farming he deals quite extensively in stock, having at present all of 100 head of cattle, 250 head of sheep, fourteen horses and a number of hogs. He is a well-respected and honored citizen, and one of Knox County’s representative men. In politics he is a Democrat, and cast his first presidential vote for James Buchanan, in 1856. Although he takes an active interest in politics, he does not aspire to office, and has refused all proffers of that character. He belongs to Paulville Lodge, No. 319, F. & A. M. He, his eldest daughter and son, James M., are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 204 biographies included in the Knox 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: Knox County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

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

Use the links at the top right of this page to search or browse thousands of other family biographies.