Biographical Sketch of William H. Ferguson, Crawford County, Missouri

>From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and 
Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing 
Company, 1888.

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William H. Ferguson, well known as a farmer of Crawford County, was 
born in Allen County, KY., in 1827, and is the eldest in the family of
ten children, three now living, of Obadiah and Lucinda (Collins) Fer-
guson.  Obadiah Ferguson was born in Albemarle County, VA., in 1800,
and when ten years of age was taken to Allen County, KY., in which
county Mrs. Ferguson was born in 1806.  About 1830 they moved to Wash-
ington County, MO., and in 1837 located in Crawford County.  When a
young man Obadiah Ferguson learned the trade of a bricklayer, at which
he worked more or less all his life.  He manufactured the first brick
in Crawford County and built the first brick courthouse.  Both parents
were members of the Baptist Church, and the father died in 1868, his
widow surviving him until 1871.  William H. was educated in the old
subscription schools of the county, and after reaching manhood attended
the Steelville Academy.  In early life he learned his father's trade,
and helped him build the Willard Frizzell Building, near Frumet, and
Eli Wiley's residence, both in Jefferson County, and the Bolduc build-
ing, in Old Mines, Washington County, MO.  His father, Obadiah Ferguson
assisted in building the first Catholic Church and parsonage in Old 
Mines, also the first Catholic and Presbyterian Churches in Potosi, 
Washington County, MO.  Mr. Ferguson has been principally engaged in
farming and has served in many official positions of his county.  He
was county surveyor twelve or fourteen years, sheriff and collector for
eight years, assessor one year, and notary public a number of years,
which latter position he still fills.  He also does an extensive pro-
bate business, having charge of more estates than any other man in the
county.  In 1860 Mr. Ferguson married Martha O. Johnson, of Washington
County, MO., who died in 1871, and two years later he married Mrs.
Amanda A. Millsaps, a native of Crawford County.  The last union has 
been blessed with four children, three now living.  Mrs. Ferguson is a
member of the Methodist Church.  Mr. Ferguson is a Democrat, political-
ly, and a member of the I. O. O. F.

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