My Genealogy Hound

J. M. James, farmer, was born in Moniteau County., Mo., January 28, 1832, and is the son of James James, who was a native of Kentucky, and who came to Moniteau County in about 1820. He located near California and was one of the first settlers of that county. This was when Cole and Moniteau Counties were one county. He entered land, improved it and remained there until his death, which occurred in 1870. At the time of his first settlement in this county all was wild and a comparative wilderness. He used often to go eight and ten miles to a house-raising or a corn-husking, etc., and all trading was done at Jefferson City. Mr. James was a great hunter and his cabin was always supplied with choice wild meat. His first building was a little one-room cabin with clapboard roof weighed down with poles, and the doors were of clapboard. The clothes were all home-made and when they had a new jeans suit to put on, then they were dressed up. For common they wore buckskin trowsers, which the fathers made out of deer hides. The mother died quite early, and the father afterward married again. He was the father of nine children by his first wife, four now living—Abraham, Allen, Henry and James M., who is the youngest living. He was reared in Moniteau County, and owing to very poor school advantages, received but a meager education. He remained on the farm until 1886, when he came to Miller County, Mo., and bought a farm consisting of 187 acres of land, with about 130 under cultivation. He deals quite extensively in stock and always has a good supply of cattle on hand. He is one of the enterprising stock men of Miller County, and although a new-comer, has one of the best farms in the county. He and wife are members of the Christian Church. He was married in 1852 to Miss Mary A. Hays, a native of Kentucky, who bore him nine children— William, George, Emma, Charles, Andrew, Alexander, Jasper, John and one deceased. Mr. James was married the second time to Miss Margaret Carroll, who bore him six children—Elmer, Bertie, Lillie, Rosa, Laura and Joseph.