My Genealogy Hound

OLIVER H. PICHER, president of the S. W. L. & Z. Co., also the Picher L. & Z. Co., was born in Madison, Jefferson county, Ind., April 18, 1845. His father, Oliver S. Picher, was a native of the Bay State; his mother was a native of Maryland. When our subject was about ten years of age he came with his parents to Galesburg, Ill., where his father engaged in the practice of his profession, the law. Young Picher entered the preparatory department of Knox College, Galesburg, in the fall of 1856, and continued until June, 1864, when he graduated from the college proper, having completed a thorough classical course. In April, 1864, he enlisted in Company C, One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Illinois Volunteer Infantry, Gen. John Wood commanding, and served six months. He was at Memphis at the time of Forrest’s raid. He was first lieutenant of Company C, and was mustered out at Camp Butler, Ill., in Dec, 1864. He returned to Galesburg and accepted a position as tutor of the Greek and Latin languages and algebra in his Alma Mater, and continued in that position until April, 1866. He then came to Springfield, Mo., and shortly after commenced the study of law, and was admitted to the bar in that city in the spring of 1867, and shortly after came to Carthage and engaged in the practice of his profession with M. G. McGregor, now circuit judge of Jasper county. In April, 1869, our subject was appointed judge of the court of common pleas, the position having been created by act of the legislature, and in the fall of 1870 was elected to that position. He resigned the judgeship in Feb., 1874, and went to Chicago, Ill., where he entered into partnership, the firm being Wilson, McDaid & Picher. He returned to Carthage in the following fall, and Jan. 1, 1875, went to Joplin where he engaged with his brother, Wm. H. Picher, in mining and smelting, under the firm name of Picher Bros. On Jan. 1, 1876, the firm name was changed to Picher L. & Z. Co. Judge Picher was married at Springfield, Mo., May 7, 1874, to Miss Mary, daughter of Henry Sheppard, of that city. They had one child, Oliver S., born June 30, 1875. Mrs. P. died Sept 5, 1875. Our subject was again married in Joplin, Oct. 27, 1880, to Miss Harriet Grace, daughter of the Rev. Henry W. and Harriet Woods, then of this city. From this union there is one child, Harriet W., born Aug. 27, 1881. Mrs. Picher is a member of the Presbyterian Church. Judge Picher takes great interest in affairs educational and political, and especially in matters of public improvement. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, also a Knight Templar.