CAPTAIN JOHN T. JACOBS

(From the History of Callaway County Missouri, 1884, page 566-567)
Transcribed by Kris Breid, 31 May 2005

CAPTAIN JOHN T. JACOBS, farmer and stock raiser. Among the many excellent Virginia families that settled in this State in the early days of the country, there were none more worthy than that of Dr. George R. Jacobs, who was the father of the subject of the present sketch. Dr. Jacobs, besides being a man of fine culture, both in literature and in medicine, came of a prominent and worthy family, and himself had abundant means. He was a graduate of the Jefferson Medical College of Philadelphia, and came out here to practice his profession. He was born in Virginia in 1802, and was married there to Miss Louisa Parsons in 1835. Soon afterwards he came to Missouri and located in the vicinity of Loutre Island, where he practiced medicine until the great overflow of 1844. He then went to the State of Louisiana, but returned in 1853 and settled in Boone county, where he lived until his death, which occurred on the 25th of February, 1864. His wife still survives in widowhood, and resides at Normandy, in St. Louis county. She is a member of the Episcopal church, as her husband was for many years. He purchased large bodies of land in Montgomery, Callaway, Boone and other counties, and left a large estate. Dr. Jacobs and wife reared nine children: William H., now of Boone, county, Missouri; Charles A., also of that county; John T., of Callaway county; James, of Boone county; George R., also of that county; Edwin, a resident of the same county; Anna, now Mrs. Woods, of Kansas City, and David A., of Boone county. The father, himself a man of advanced education, was almost an enthusiast for mental culture, and gave his children good educational advantages.

John T., his third son, and the subject of this sketch, who was born in Montgomery county, July 18, 1840 and was educated at the State University of Missouri and at the Virginia Military Institute of Lexington, Virginia. The war, however, breaking out a short time before he would have graduated, he left college in 1861 and joined the Southern army under general Thomas Harris. He soon enlisted a company of volunteers, of which he was made captain, and was under the immediate command of Major John S. Robinson. At the expiration of the term for which his company was enlisted it disbanded in 1862 at Springfield, after which he re-enlisted, and was sent out on a recruiting expedition. While in this commission he was captured in Montgomery county, Missouri, on the 11th of November, 1862, and was held a prisoner for about two years. He was paroled about the close of the war.

Since the war Captain Jacobs has been engaged principally in farming and stock raising. On the 11th of March, 1862, he was married to Miss Laura Houston, a daughter of John M. and Permelia Houston, of Callaway county. She died on the 8th of August, 1872, leaving him five children: Alice J., born May 12, 1865; Kate, born March 22, 1867; Emmett H., born May 12, 1868; George H., born November 17, 1870, and Laura, born March 4, 1872. On the 25th of May, 1880, Captain Jacobs was married to Miss Susie C. Chick, daughter of John G. and Frances Chick, of Boone county. The Captain has two children by his present wife, May and Dot, twin sisters, born April 6, 1883. Captain Jacobs is one of the largest farmers and stock raisers in the county. His place contains about 1,100 acres, and he raises over 350 acres of grain annually. His farm is especially adapted to stock raising, being well watered and supplied with an abundance of pasturage. He is preparing to engage in stock raising on a large scale. Having recently moved on his place, he has not yet arranged it for the stock business as satisfactorily and completely as he expects to do in the immediate future. Captain Jacobs is a man of culture, enterprise and advanced ideas with regard to agriculture, and he occupies a prominent place among the foremost farmers of the county.

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

Township Transcriptions | Biography Transcriptions | Crimes and Criminals | Old Settlers | Official Records | Wars