My Genealogy Hound

S. N. Griffith was born in Hamilton County, Ohio, in 1815, and was brought to Illinois when about six months old. He was reared in Edwards (now Wabash) County, and is the son of John B. and Eunice (Osgood) Griffith, both natives of New York State. The paternal grandfather was from Maryland, and was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. The maternal grandmother was from Vermont. A cousin of S. N. Griffith, subject of this sketch, has a silver spoon that some of his people carried through the battle of Bennington. His father was a tailor by trade, but at the time of his death was keeping tavern in Palmyra, Ill. He left his widow and two children, Dewey and S. N. There were two other children born, but both are deceased. Dewey is also now deceased. After the death of John B. Griffith, his widow married William Brown, of New York, and by him became the mother of four children, one now living—Nathaniel B. Brown, who is in Wabash County, Ill. The mother died in 1873, and S. N. remained at home but a short time after the death of his father, but went to live with one of his uncles, with whom he remained four years. He and his brother then engaged in general merchandise for a short time. November 6, 1836, he married Miss Phoebe Higgins, who was born in New York State in 1811. Seven children were the result of this marriage, six now living: Sarah E., John W., Harriet A., Mary A., George W., Elisha D. and Miles S., who died at the age of three years and eight months. The sons all live in Greene Township, and the daughters are all married, and two live in Kansas and one in Colorado. Shortly after his marriage Mr. Griffith moved on a farm, and followed agricultural pursuits more or less for a number of years. In connection with this he peddled and collected accounts, but made his home on the farm. In the fall of 1865 he moved from Illinois to Sedalia, Mo., and from there to Southwest Missouri, and on his present farm in February, 1866. This consists of 240 acres of land, with 125 under cultivation. Mr. Griffith is a Democrat in his political views, is a member of the Masonic fraternity, and he and wife are worthy and respected members of the Christian Church. Mr. Griffith is accounted a good man, and is one of the best citizens of the county.