JOHN F. EVANS

(From the History of Callaway County Missouri, 1884, page 563)
Transcribed by Kris Breid, 25 May 2005

JOHN F. EVANS, farmer and justice of the peace. ‘Squire Evans is a native of Boone county, born on his father’s farm, near Rocheport, January 13, 1841. His father, Green Evans, came out from Madison county, Kentucky, where he was born and reared, to Boone county when a young man, and was soon afterwards married to Miss Mary Westlake, originally of Greenbrier county, Virginia. They reared a family of three sons, James H., now of Mount Airy, Randolph county, Frank D., of Columbia, and John F., the subject of this sketch. However, the father died on his farm in Boone county in 1844, and afterwards the sons conducted the place together up to 1860. From that time up to 1868 the other brothers started out from home in business for themselves. John F. had exclusive control of the farm, and managed it with excellent success. He then removed to Callaway county and located on his present farm in this township, his mother coming with him. She is still surviving, in her seventy-second year, and has been a widow for forty years.

On October 1, 1879, ‘Squire Evans was married at Jamesport, in Daviess county, to Miss Jennie Root, a daughter of Rev. D. H. Root, of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. The ‘Squire and Mrs. Evans have one child, Nellie Gray. Mrs. Evans is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church South. ‘Squire Evans is a man of good education, extensive general information, and far above the average of men for intelligence. The result is that he is always looked to for something like leadership by those around him. Perfectly upright and honorable, and with a clear judgment of the right, in 1876 he was called upon to accept the office of justice of the peace, which he did not decline, and such was the ability and impartiality of his administration of the office that four years afterwards, on the expiration of his first term, he was again elected by a large majority; his present term expires in 1884. A number of important cases have been before him for hearing, and in almost every instance where cases have been appealed from his court his judgments have been affirmed by the higher tribunals, a compliment to his judgment of no ordinary kind. His opinions have great weight and influence in this section of the county.

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