Biographical Sketch of James T. McKibben, Greene County, Missouri, Center Township >From "History of Greene County, Missouri," St. Louis: Western Historical Company, 1883. ********************************************************************** Mr. McKibben was born in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, in December, 1824. His father, Joseph McKibben, moved with his wife and child in 1824, settling in Richland County, Ohio, where he "cleared" a new farm in a newly and sparsely settled district. With willing hands the "new comers" (other families besides his own being so styled by first com- ers) made fences, built houses, opened shops, and organized schools and churches. In this new and active community, Mr. McKibben grew up, re- ceiving his education in the home circle, on the farm and in the public school. There were eight other children in the family, all girls and all younger than J. T. His help was needed on the farm, and he cheer- fully gave it till he went to attend school at Oberlin, in 1847. From an article written by Mr. E. M. Leonard, it appears that Mr. McKibben spent two years at Oberlin the first time, then taught two years, and then, in 1851, made a fourteen months' tour in the West. Returning to his father's farm, he assisted him till the spring of 1854, when he re- turned to Oberlin, took the course and graduated from the commercial college, in the meantime studying law. In the fall he went back to assist his father, but returned to Overlin the following spring, and continued his study of law. In the fall of 1855, he married Nancy M., daughter of Stephen and Lydia Potter, of Courtland County, N. Y. They remained in New York till 1863, when they came to his father's, in Ohio and spent the winter with him on the farm, the last that he (the father) spent on the farm. His father has since died in Ohio. In 1864 Mr. Mc- Kibben took a flock of sheep to Iowa for another man, and in 1865 took out a flock, part of which were his own. He wintered in Iowa, and in 1866 came to Missouri, stopping at Osceola till the fall of 1867, when he drove his sheep to Greene county and let them out "on shares" to S. F. Gibson. He then improved a farm on a tract of railroad land on Grand Prairie, on which he still continues to reside. He joined the Presbyterian Church in Springfield, and also the Patrons of Husbandry and Brothers of Freedom. He has held the most important offices in his subordidate grange and also in the county grange. His health failing in early life caused him to become a "vegetarian" and diets himself accordingly on the hygenic system. He neither drinks, uses tobacco, nor takes medicine. Mr. McKibben has no use for Pharisaical religion, but believes in the religion of right doing vs. wrong doing, because it is right..believes in a religion of action, not merely of profession. In politics he is independent, and opposed on principle to monopolies in general and government favors to pet corporations. In appearance Mr. McKibben is a man of medium build, height and weight, of the blonde type, and is some older looking now than the portrait we publish would indicate. The following is quoted from a delineation given by Prof. Sanford in 1849: "J. T. McKibben has a predominance of the mental motive temperament, with the vital moderately indicated. His constitu- tion is naturally strong with more than ordinary powers of endurance. He has a fondness for the grand, the sublime and the ideal in nature and art. He has a taste for the equisite and the embellished, and is fond of painting, drawing and the fine arts. He is original, and with application, might almost excel as an inventor and mechanic. He is disposed to examine, search out, and investigate. Is fond of order, system and refinement, and compares and analyzes to advantage. He is benevolent, humane, kind in disposition, and wishes to benefit those around him." ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. This file was contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by: Joe Miller Penny Harrell ====================================================================