Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/639

 HISTORY OP SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 571 R. H. Douglass, who died at Cariith iu 1904; William, who died as a young raau ; J. jl. aud A. W. of Seuath; Mrs. Hettie Satterfield of Helena, Arkansas; Mrs. Jennie Lawson of Cape Girardeau; Mrs. C. P. McDaniel and Mrs. Lucy Baird of Senath. Judge James M. Douglass, of Senath, Missouri, was born in Fulton county, Ken- tucky, October 27, 1847. He is the" son of Alexander T. and Elizabeth (Mott) Douglass He came with his parents to Dunklin county in the year 1850. The family set- tled on Grand Prairie, not far from the site of the present town of Caruth. DunkJiu county was only spai-sely settled at that time aud the life was. largely that of a frontier country. Schools were few then and opportunities for education wei'e very limited. Pioneer life is c.nderfull.y stimulating to both body and mind, however, and it is alwa.vs true that some education may be had under the most adverse circumstances. The boy who desires to learn finds some way opened to him. It was true in this case. He had always a desire for an education and a just appreciation of its importance. This led him to take advan- tage of such schools as were afforded and to pursue his studies at home. Thus, in spite of the limitations of early life, he was able to acquire a business ediication, being a life-long student, and is a well informed man. His principal occupation has been that of a farmer and stock raiser, although he has always been interested in other things as well. In 1879 he was elected countv asses- sor, and made a very careful study of prop- erty values. The assessment he made was ac- cordingly one of the fairest and best ever made in the county. A few years later he was elected a member of the county court, serving two terms of two years each. Here his well known good judgment and his knowl- edge of conditions in the county made his services especially valuable to the people. Since the expiration of his term of office he has never been a candidate for other official positions, but he has always maintained an intelligent interest in politics. He was one of the organizers of the Cotton Exchange Bank of Kennett and served as its president for five years. At the expiration of tliat time he assisted in the organization of the Citizens Bank of Senath, serving as its president until he was forced to spend some years away from the county on account of his health. He is now president of the Bank of Senath. His business operations have enabled him to accumulate a competency, and he owns several hundred acres of fertile farm land. Judge Douglass moved to Senath in 1881, before it was dignified by the name of "town." At that time the present site of the town of Senath was a dense forest, and many are the changes which he has seen worked in that place. He has been one of the foremost men of the town of Senath since its organiza- tion many years ago, and has contributed his full quota toward the growth and upbuilding of the town, much of the credit for the pres- ent standing of Senath as a thriving aud prosperous community of i-ight belonging to Judge Douglass. Ou Christmas day, 1881, he was married to Miss Belle Plielan, a daughter of William G. and Belle (Randol) Phelan. The father of Mrs. Douglass was a native of Irelaud. hav- ing been educated there for the Catholic priesthood, but became a lawyer instead of taking holy orders, and for many years prac- ticed law in southeast Missouri. The mother was a member of the Randol family of Scott county, one of the oldest aud best known fam- ilies in the state. Judge Douglass and his wife are the par- ents of five children : J. Mott, who is a mem- ber of the drug firm of Bradley & Dougla.ss at Senath ; Thomas G., who is superintendent of schools at Senath ; Miss Frances, a teacher in the Senath schools; Allen M., who is a consulting chemist, now located in Mid- land, ]Iichigan ; and Margaret, a student in the State Normal School at Cape Girardeau. The Judge is an aetiA^e member of the Bap- tist church, and fraternally is a Mason. Gilbert Owen Nations was born iu Perry county, Missouri, on August 18, 1866. His father, James W. Nations, fought under the stars and stripes in the Civil war as a pri- vate in Company F, Fiftieth ]Iissouri Vol- unteer Infantry, and after the close of the war he engaged in the milling business, taught school and did considerable survey- ing and civil engineering, having held the office of county surveyor of Ste. Genevieve county, IMissouri, for eight years. In 1861 James W. Nations was married to Miss Caro- line L. Hart, of Perry county, Missouri. Of this union seven children were born, five of whom, including the subject of this sketch, are living. Gilbert grew up amid the rugged hills of