Biographical Sketch of James H. Ringo, St. Joseph, Buchanan County, MO

>From "History of Buchanan County, Missouri, Published 1881, St. Joseph
Steam Printing Company, Printers, Binders, Etc., St. Joseph, Missouri.
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James H. Ringo, was born in Fleming County, Kentucky, September 25,
1834.  He came to Platte County, Missouri with his father, David P.
Ringo, in November, 1844, and to Buchanan County in the fall of 1845, 
where he has resided all the time since.  By hard work, and under ad-
verse circumstances, he received a liberal education, and at twenty
years of age began teaching school, receiving his first certificate
as a teacher from Judge William C. Toole, who was then Superintendent
of Public Schools in Buchanan County.  He was regarded as a very succ-
essful teacher, and can point to a number of young men in the county
who have arrived at distinction among whom are R. H. Thomas, present
Sheriff of Buchanan County; Stephen C. Woods, a prominent lawyer of
Platte County; Dr. J. R. Woodson, now a successful practitioner at
Agency, Missouri; Benjamin Woodson, a member of the Missouri Legisla-
ture in 1880 and 1881, and O. M. Spencer, Jr., now prosecuting attor-
ney for Buchanan County.  In the capacity of teacher he was really an
educator, a maker of men, as his labors in the school successfully show.
On June 24, 1858, he was married to Miss Sara C. Spencer, daughter of
O. M. Spencer, Sr., then residing in the lower part of Buchanan County.
In 1857, he began reading law, as he could spare the time from other
duties, and in 1862, he removed with his family to St. Joseph, and
completed his law studies with Judge Samuel Ensworth, and began the 
practice of law in St. Joseph, where he continued until July, 1878,
when he began the publication of an evening newspaper, called the
Evening Post, which was afterwards changed to the Evening Chronicle.
As an editorial writer he is clear, plain, forcible and fearless.
After running his paper a few months, he sold it to other parties, and
took a position on the editorial staff of the St. Joseph Daily Gazette,
where he continued until April, 1880, when he was elected to the office
of City Register, for the City of St. Joseph, for the term of two years
which he now holds.  While engaged in the practice of law he was very
successful, very seldom losing a case, and won many important cases in
the Supreme Court of the State.  To show his energy and determination
in the interest of his clients, he fought one single case for seven
years, reversing it three times in the Supreme Court, on account of
incorrect instructions given by the Circuit Judge.  Out of the number
of cases he tried in the Supreme Court, the records show that he lost
one.  In 1874, he was selected by the Democratic Congressional Conven-
tion as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Committee, for the
Ninth Congressional District, and was successful in electing Hon. David
Rea to Congress from that district, the first Democratic congressman
the district had elected in fourteen years.  He was prominently spoken
of as a candidate for Congress from his district, but gave no encour-
agement to it, upon the ground that he could do the party more good as
Chairman of the Congressional Committee than as a candidate for Con-
gress.  Under his administration as Chairman of the Committe, Hon. David
Rea was elected to the second term by a largely increased majority over
his first vote.  Mr. and Mrs. Ringo have seven children: Martin D.,
Allie L., Enzie O., Samuel E., Oliver N., Lina C. and Leona B.

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