Biographical Sketch of William R. Penick, St. Joseph, Buchanan County, MO

>From "History of Buchanan County, Missouri, Published 1881, St. Joseph
Steam Printing Company, Printers, Binders, Etc., St. Joseph, Missouri.
**********************************************************************

William Ridgeway Penick was born near Columbia, Boone County, Missouri
on May 20, 1829, and is now fifty two years of age.  Joel J. Penick,
his father, was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia, but removed to
Kentucky when a child, and grew up amid the rough, stern experiences
of border life.  He emigrated to Central Missouri when quite young,
and married Sophia B. Ridgeway, daughter of William Ridgeway, who was
born in or near Kincaid's Fort, in Howard County, Missouri.  The 
parties married when quite young, and when the father was twenty one
and the mother sixteen years old, the subject of this sketch was born.
He was about eight years old, when his parents removed to what was
called the "Platte Purchase", then a wilderness, and located about
fourteen miles south of where the City of St. Joseph has since been
built.  The county being new and sparsely settled, the opportunities
to procure an education were very limited, but, by the care and 
thoughtfulness of his parents, and his own indomitable energy, he 
managed to secure sufficient education to transact business, and 
grapple with life successfully.  From the age of eight to eighteen,
he labored on a farm, occasionally going to school two or three months
in the winter.  He procured books, such as were accessible, and spent
the long winter evenings reading by firelight, and, during the day,
when resting from labor, he generally had a book with him, and spent
the hour for rest in study.  A teacher was finally employed in the
district school, who was capable of teaching English grammar and arith-
matic, beyond the "Rule of Three", the first teacher ever employed 
there possessing such superior qualifications.  He was then about
seventeen years old, and three months instruction by the new teacher
gave him such a start in those studies as to enable him to master them
quite successfully, by his own firelight at home.  In the following
summer his parents removed to St. Joseph, and young Penick was per-
mitted to resume his attendance at the country school; but, in a few
weeks after, the teacher died, and he was entrusted with the charge
of the school.  After teaching three months, devoting every spare
moment to study, and making excellent progress, he spent a few months
at a high school, in St. Joseph, and was employed for a brief period
as book keeper for William Ray.  Achieving success in his studies, he
again took charge of the district school in his old neighborhood, for
six months.  He then determined to study medicine, gave up the school,
and spent the winter in the study of pharmacy, chemistry and anatomy,
paying his board, in the meantime, by giving instruction to a few
children.  In the following spring, he engaged in the drug store of
Haycraft & Howard, in St. Joseph, with a view of promoting his know-
ledge of medicine, and enabling himself to take a course of medical
lectures.  In three months, his employers found him so conversant with
the details of the business, and so popular with the customers, that
they engaged him permanently, but he did not give up the idea of be-
coming a doctor, for many years, and continued his studies with a view
of taking a course of lectures as soon as it was convenient.  As his
salary was small, he was permitted to deal in school books and station-
ery, in a small way, on his own account.  He had, when he went into
the drug store, fourteen dollars in money.  With this money he bought
the stock of a book peddler, who had become tired of the business, 
which he soon sold out, and was ready to purchase more.  His employers
recommended him to dealers in St. Louis and Louisville, as worthy of
credit, where he purchased, partly for cash and partly on time, and he
continued the business for three years, being very careful, in the 
meantime, not to neglect his duty to his employers.  On January 11, 
1852, he was married to Miss Amanda D. Grigg, and on the 20th of May
following, the day he was twenty three years old, he became a partner
of Dr. Robert L. Wood in drug and book store, in St. Joseph.  In the
three years of his clerkship, and his small dealings in books, he had
saved money enough to commence house keeping and invest $1,500 in the
store as a partner.  His numerous friends at the old establishment,
where he was a clerk, followed him to the new one, and the business
was successful.  At the end of thirteen months he purchased the inter-
est of his partner, and is yet engaged in the same business he commen-
ced as a clerk more than thirty two years ago.  He has never been a
politician.  He was coroner of Buchanan County four years, and served
one year as a member of the City Council of St. Joseph, and two years
as Mayor of the city.  By his labors and influence a fire department
was organized, which is now the pride of the city.  Other public and
benevolent enterprises were brought into life by his active energies,
which have proved to be blessings to the community.  He seems to have
the rare gift of imparting vitality to every enterprise he engages in,
and by a peculiar magnetic power of winning for it friends and popular-
ity.  A portion of the time he was Mayor, he was President of the St.
Joseph and Denver City Railroad Company, now St. Joseph & Western.  It
was through his energy and influence, and that of his City Council, 
that work was recommended on the road in 1866, which resulted in its 
completion.  The road was commenced several years before, but the work
was suspended on account of the war.  For many years of his life he has
been an active Free Mason.  He has taken all the degrees conferred in
the United States, up to and including the Thirty second Degree of the
Scottish Rite.  He has been Master of the Lodge, High Priest of the
Chapter, Commander of the Commandery, Master of the Lodge of Perfection,
and Master of the Council of Royal and Select Masters.  He has also
been honored by nearly all of the Masonic Grand Bodies of Missouri with
the highest office they could confer.  He was Grand Master of the Grand
Lodge, Grand High Priest of the Grand Chapter, Deputy Grand Commander 
of the Grand Commandery of Knights Templar, and Grand Master of the 
Grand Council of Royal and Select Masters.  Three of these grand offices
he held at the same time, which was a triple honor rarely enjoyed by any
person.  During his official connection with the Grand Lodge, he took
an active interest in the affairs of the Masonic College, which had been
organized in Missouri, and exerted all his influence to secure its pro-
sperity, and preserve it to the craft.  He was with Foster and Carnegy,
and others, the party of progress, and the party ready and willing to
make sacrifices to sustain the college, as well as the honor and dig-
nity of the craft.  During the late war, he was an active supporter of
the Government, and gave a large portion of his time in assisting in
enterprises to strengthen the cause of the Union and suppress the re-
bellion.  He organized a secret association of Union men, called the 
Unconditional Union Club of Missouri, which consisted of about one
hundred different clubs.  They contributed much towards keeping Union
men united in the Northwest portion of Missouri.  While the war was in
progress he held five military commissions.  He was first a Major, on
staff of Brigadier General Ben. Loan.  He was next commissioned Lieu-
tenant Colonel, and afterwards Colonel of the Fifth Cavlary, Missouri
State Militia, a regiment he raised for the service of the United 
States.  Afterwards, he was commissioned Colonel of a regiment in the
service of the state, and a Brigadier General of the Militia in North-
west Missouri.  Most of the active military service he performed was 
in Platte, Clay, Cass and Jackson Counties, contending with guerrillas,
commanded by Todd, Quantrell and other desperate commanders, of the
same kind.  It will be seen that his life has been one of activity.
Whatever he undertook, he did well.  In business, in civil office, in
the craft, in the army, in whatever he engaged, he threw into it all
the energy of body and mind, and rarely failed of success.  He is a 
large man, erect, muscular, and of a commanding presence.  In his in-
tercourse with men he is courteous and gentlemanly.  Being hospitable,
kind and charitable, he is greatly beloved by his acquaintances.

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