My Genealogy Hound

Below is a family biography included in The History of McDonald County, Missouri published by Goodspeed Publishing Company in 1888.  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.

* * * *

J. P. Lamance, one of the prominent citizens and pioneer settlers of McDonald County, Mo., was born at the Indian Tavern, Morgan County, Tenn., on August 1, 1819. His father, Jacob Lamance, was a native of Greenville District, South Carolina, and moved to Murray County, Ga., in 1834. There James P. Lamance was married on March 9, 1842, to Cynthia H. Caldwell, a daughter of Adam Caldwell, deceased. The following fall Mr. Lamance came west with his young wife, to Missouri, settling on the west side of Cowskin Prairie, near the present site of South West City, then called Honey Creek Post-office. At that time this section was very sparsely settled, and wild game abounded in abundance; scarcely was out of sight of some wild animals. When he purchased the building, now the Pineville Hotel, Mr. Jones stated he had 300 pair saddle venison hams to haul off to market. For twenty-one years the subject of this sketch served as postmaster of Pineville. The post-office at Pineville has been (and is at present) in the family for thirty years, during which time he was engaged in merchandising, running hotel and livery stable. He hauled his goods at first from Boonville, Mo., afterward shipped to Sedalia, distance 225 miles, and traded largely in furs, robes, venison hams, brown jeans, feathers, beeswax, etc., up to the war. In 1861 he was commissioned provost marshal, stationed at Pineville. It was here that he gave the citizens, while acting as “provo,” the right to choose for themselves, either go North, or South; there was no middle ground. Those that went North, as long as he held the post, he protected their families, and left and went into the regular Confederate army, under Gen. Stand Watie, commanding the Second Cherokee Regiment, remaining until the close. To Mr. and Mrs. Lamance have been born eight children, of whom Marcus N., George, Jennie and Edward are living. One daughter, Cynthia A., reached womanhood and married James W. Brunk. She died leaving one child, Virgil A. Brunk. Marcus N. married and lives at Pineville. George married Augusta Testerman, and have five children and live in California. Jennie married M. R. DeGroff. Edward resides in California. Mr. Lamance owns 100 acres, river farm, seventy-five in cultivation. He also owns the Crystal Springs, noted for its medicinal virtues. He is a Mason, and a member of the Farmers’ Alliance, and county statistician for the department at Washington and the State of Missouri. The family are communicants of the Methodist Episcopal Church South.

* * * *

This family biography is one of 82 biographies included in The History of McDonald County, Missouri published in 1888.  For the complete description, click here: McDonald County, Missouri History, Genealogy, and Maps

To view additional McDonald County, Missouri family biographies, click here

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