History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties,
Missouri, published by Goodspeed, 1889--Pages 752, 753

     Elisha Liston, nurseryman and fruit-grower, established 
his business in 1869, and has nearly eighty acres in standard
orchard, largely young trees, and a full and complete stock of
home-grown nursery trees.  He also makes a specialty of raising
bees and honey.  He has the most extensive nursery in the county,
and raises 1,000 to 2,500 bushels of apples per annum.  He is 
also engaged in farming.  Mr. Liston was born in Preston County,
W. Va., in October, 1835, and is the son of Abraham and Elizabeth
(Smith) Liston, natives of Preston County, W. Va., where they 
have spent all their lives.  Mr. Liston died eighteen or nineteen
years ago, but Mrs. Liston is still living.  He was a farmer by
occupation, and was captain of the militia in the days of muster.
His father, John Liston, was a native of Delaware, and an early
settler of Virginia.  John Smith, the maternal grandfather of 
Elisha Liston, spent the latter part of his life in Indiana.  
Elisha Liston is the eldest of three sons and six daughters.  
He was educated in the common subscription schools, worked on 
the farm, and, in 1858, was united in marriage to Miss Martha 
Matheny, a native of Preston County, w. Va., and the daughter 
of Isaiah Matheny.  She died in 1875, leaving five children: 
Dr. E. B.; Thankful Lurretta, wife of Rev. J. M. Galbraith, 
a Methodist minister; Prof. George M., a graduate of Warrensburg
Normal School, and school commissioner and teacher of Cedar County;
Emma A., and E. Herman.  Mr. Liston's second marriage was in 1878,
to Miss Nettie Fittsjarrell, daughter of Levi Fittsjarrell, of 
Illinois.  Her parents came to Cedar County, Mo., in 1874, and
here her father now resides.  The mother died in Illinois.  Mr. 
Liston was a lieutenant in the militia in 1859 and 1860, and served
about fifteen months in the Union Army, Company A, Seventh West 
Virginia Volunteer Infantry, as corporal, enlisting in 1861, 
but was discharged on account of disability.  In 1856 and 1857 
he was discharged on account of disability.  In 1856 and 1857 
he was with his uncle in the mercantile business in Indiana, 
and followed it by himself from 1864 and 1869, when he came to 
Cedar County to engage in fruit growing and stock raising, but, 
not being able to obtain the kind of trees he desired, he at once 
began to grow his own, and has been in the nursery business ever 
since, meeting with considerable success.  He is one of the most
active educational workers in the county, and has spared no pains 
to give his children good education.  He is a Democrat in politics,
having affiliated with that party almost all his life, and his 
first presidential vote was for Douglas, in 1860.  He has been
an active Prohibitionist for some years.  He and Mrs. Liston and
three children are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.  
They are temperance and Sunday-school workers.  He has been and 
active officer in the church since his membership.  He has real 
estate of 240 acres near Virgil City, with about 125 acres under
cultivation, all the result of hard labor and good management.
He was postmaster at willow Branch Post office, Hancock County,
Ind., for five years, from 1864 to 1869.

History of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade and Barton Counties,
Missouri, published by Goodspeed, 1889--Pages 752, 753

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