My Genealogy Hound

John Clabaugh Ferguson was born September 15, 1815, in Knox County, Tenn., and is a son of Cumberland and Mary E. Ferguson. The former was born in Frederick County, Md., in 1771. Mary E. was born in the same county and State in 1772. Robert Ferguson was the father of Cumberland, and a native of Ireland. John Ferguson was born in Bucks County, Pa., and afterward removed to Frederick County, Md., and was also of Irish descent, and second cousin of Robert Ferguson. About the year 1800 Cumberland and Mary E. went to Sevier County, Tenn., thence to Knox County, and in 1817 removed to Warren County, where they resided until 1841. They then moved to Madison County, Ill., coming in 1844 to Osage County, Mo., and here he died in 1850; the death of his widow occurred in 1859. She was the mother of seven children, six girls and one son, our subject, John C., the youngest child and the only son, being now the only survivor. He was reared and grew to manhood on a farm, and in January, 1841, married Sarah Ann Vaughan, who was born in Culpeper County, Va., in 1818. Immediately after marriage the young couple immigrated with his father to Madison County, Ill., where they lived four years, then again accompanied his father to Osage County, Mo., in 1844, and locating three miles northwest of Linn, the site of Osage County, where they purchased 526 acres of land. Mrs. Ferguson died in 1852, leaving five children: James, Edmund, Rachel, Belle and Sarah Ann. Rachel was married to Hugh B. Laughlin; Belle married F. J. Laughlin; the youngest, Sarah Ann, died in 1859. The two sons are married, and live on the old homestead. Mr. Ferguson is a stanch Republican in politics. He served as deputy sheriff of Osage County from 1848 till 1852; was elected assessor in 1860, and held that office five years. He was road commissioner four years, and in 1870 was elected treasurer, to which office he was re-elected in 1872, filling the same with much credit during the four years. He is a man of high standing in the community and highly esteemed by all who know him.