My Genealogy Hound

S. J. Blair, postmaster at Fair Play, Polk County, Mo., was born in Mercer County, Ill., in 1857, and is the son of Solomon and Mahala (Baily) Blair, and grandson of James Blair, who was born in Indiana, was of Irish descent, and became a pioneer of Clay County, Ill., where he passed the remainder of his life. He was a veteran in the Revolutionary War. The maternal grandfather, James Baily, was a pioneer of Clay County, Ill., and died before the subject of this sketch was born. Solomon Blair was born in Indiana in 1825, and attained his majority in Clay County, Ill. He was a farmer by occupation. He was married in the last named county, and afterward went to Schuyler County, Ill., where he remained for twenty-two years, and then removed to Audrain County, Mo., in 1877. He is still one of the respected citizens of that place. His wife was born in Clay County, Ill., in 1828, and is still alive. They were the parents of seven children, five sons and two daughters, of whom S. J. Blair was third in order of birth. He was reared in Schuyler County, Ill., received a good common school education, and worked on the farm until twenty-two years of age, when he entered a general merchandise store as clerk, and there remained for three years, when he became a partner in the firm for which he had previously clerked. He was proprietor of the general merchandise store of Blair & Co. for four years, after which he sold out his interest and went to Polk County, Mo. He followed various pursuits until September, 1888, when he was appointed postmaster at Fair Play, it being a fourth-class office. He was married in 1882 to Miss Josephine Elzea, a native of Audrain County, Mo., born in June, 1859. They have one child, Ray E. Mr. Blair is in the employ of the Ewart & Train Char coal Company, is the owner of a house and some land in Fair Play, and aside from this is the owner of considerable other property. He is a Democrat in politics; is a member of the Baptist Church, and is a member of the I. O. O. F., being Noble Grand of Lodge No. 55. Mrs. Blair is a lady of good business capacity, and has full charge of the post office.