Biographical Sketch of John Larkin Callahan, Dent County, Missouri

>From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas,
 Pulaski, Phelps & Dent Counties, Missouri, Published 1889, Goodspeed
 Publishing Company.

Transcribed by: Penny Harrell (Incog3678@aol.com)

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John Larkin Callahan, farmer and stock raiser of Watkins Township, and
one of the pioneers of Dent County, MO., was born in North Carolina in
1814, the son of Robert and Mary (Welch) Callahan, both natives of
North Carolina, where they lived until their son John L. was three 
years of age.  They then moved to Illinois and when John L. was about
nine years of age they moved to Middle Tennessee.  In 1836 they came
to what is now Dent County, where the father died in 1856 or 1857, at
the age of sixty-eight.  The mother died in 1884, at the age of eighty-
eight years.  The father was a soldier in the War of 1812, and was with
Jackson at New Orleans.  He was justice of the peace for many years,
and was a class leader in the Methodist Episcopal Church.  He was one
of five sons, three of whom were Methodist Episcopal preachers.  His
father, James Callahan, was a lieutenant in the Revolutionary War with
General Marion.  He died in North Carolina.  John Larkin Callahan was
the eldest of five sons and four daughters.  He only attended school
for three months, but learned considerable in the Sunday-schools at
home, and mostly by his own efforts.  In 1834 he married, in Weakley
County, Tenn., to Miss Mary Welch, daughter of John and Elizabeth Welch,
who were formerly from North Carolina, but who moved to Illinois, where
Mrs. Callahan was born.  She died April 26, 1879, and was the mother of
thirteen children, three sons and two daughters now living: John Robert,
Larkin A., Thomas A., Sarah (widow of Michael McCluster) and Eliza J.
(wife of W.G. Edmondson).  In 1879 Mr. Callahan took for his second
wife Mrs. Martha Welch, nee Hayes, who was born in Overton County, TN.,
and came to Dent County with her brother when small.  After his first
marriage Mr. Callahan came to Dent County, MO., being among the first
settlers.  In this county he has since lived, and is one of its prom-
inent citizens and successful farmers.  Since 1850 he has lived on his
present farm, and at one time owned about 1,200 acres, but now has 640
acres, after giving his children farms.  He filled the office of Justice
of the Peace for many years, and is an honest, upright citizen.  He has 
been a life long Democrat in his political views, casting his first
presidential vote for Martin Van Buren in 1836, and for every Democratic
candidate since.  He has been Master of the Grange since its organiza-
tion, and is a member of the Wheel.  He has been a member of the 
Methodist Episcopal Church for twenty years, and his first wife was
also a member of that church.  His present wife belongs to the Baptist
Church.  Mr. Callahan has accumulated the most of his property by his
own efforts.  His brother, W.C. Callahan, one of the pioneer and most
efficient Baptist ministers of Dent County, died in 1887, after many
years of earnest and successful ministerial work.  Another brother,
Capt. James Callahan, commanded a company for one year in the Federal
army, and died at Salem while on duty.  Another brother was a Federal
soldier on duty at Rolla, where he was taken sick and discharged.

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