Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/369

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 309 From his business as a carriage builder young Langdon turned his attention to con- tracting and together with his father they built the first court house in the county, in 1846. One year later he secured the contract for building the levee across Buffalo creek on the main road south of Kennett. With the proceeds of this contract he opened a store at Cotton Plant and from this time until his death he conducted this business. "While he was always interested in mercantile pursuits. Judge Langdon did not confine his attention to this form of business. He tried to develop water transportation and built one of the first flat boats on Little river at Hornersville. It was his intention also to encourage the raising of cotton and to do this he erected one of the first cotton gins in the county. He also be- came convinced of the value of land about Cotton Plant and invested largely in these lands. The town in which he lived was built entirely on his proj^erty. He refused to dis- pose of any of it largely because he wished to be able to prevent the sale of whiskey in the town. For many years he was the postmaster at Cotton Plant and at one time was presid- ing judge of the county court for a period of six j'ears. Judge Langdon was interested in all matters looking to the improvement of the commimity and the county, building roads, establishing the cause of churches and other public matters received encouragement from him. At the time of his death he was the owner of large tracts of valuable land. The children of this family were William H. Lang- don, who lives in Texas, C. V. Langdon of Cotton Plant, and A. J. Langdon of Horners- ville, and one daughter, Hettie D. In 1838 Judge Given Owen, then twenty years of age, came to Bloomfield from Hick- man, Kentucky, and began the practice of medicine. A few j'ears later he made his h.ome on a farm in what was then the south part of Stoddard county. He was elected a member of the county court in Stoddard comity, but in a short time that part of Stod- dard county in which he lived was transferred to Dunklin county. After becoming a citizen of Dunklin county he was elected to various offices, being judge of the common pleas court at Clarkton and of the county probate court and also of the county court. During all his life in the county he continued the practice of medicine and was regarded as an able physi- cian and a most highly respected and intel- ligent citizen of the county. He was the son of Ruben Owen, a native of Georgia. His second wife was Louisiana Bozark, who sur- vived her husband a number of years and was perhaps as well acquainted with the early his- tory of the county as any person living in it. In 1859 David Young Pankey, a native of Virginia, came to Dunklin county and made liis home near Clarkton. He had formerly lived for a short time in Tennessee, just across from New Madrid. He engaged in farming in Diniklin county and was successful and was popular with his friends and neighbors. On the breaking out of the war he became first lieutenant in a company organized by Captain Piekard ; this company was made part of a regiment of which Mr. Pankey was made lieu- tenant colonel, seeing service with a regiment which was a part of the IMissouri state guards. On the expiration of the term of the state guards. Colonel Pankey enlisted in the con- federate service and took part in the engage- ment at Fort Pillow and was with General Price in several skirmishes and battles, win- ning credit and distinction for himself in all of them. At one time Colonel Pankey was collector of Dunklin comity and during all his life was a respected and influential citizen. His son David Ballard Pankey is cashier of