FARIS BIOGRAPHIES, Henry County, Missouri ==================================================================== FARIS, Herman P. - b: 1858 near Belfontaine, OH source: 1919 History of Henry Co MO, Uel W. Lamkin, Historical Publishing Co - page: 516 residence: Clinton, Clinton Twp Herman P. Faris, the subject of this sketch, first saw the light of day December 25, 1858, on a farm just out of Belfontaine, Ohio, being the seventh child of Samuel Davies and Sarah (Plumer) Faris. In the fail of 1859 the family removed to a farm near Lawrence, Kansas, where through an unfortunate investment the small patrimony was lost and from that time until Herman reached his maturity, it was a struggle with the family to keep the wolf from the door. Also as a further handicap, the entire second year of the young life was spent in serious illness, more than once the doctor thinking life was extinct. Also the country being new, the main product seemed to be that of malaria, or as it was commonly called "chills and fever," from which ailment Herman suffered regularly each spring and fall until past nineteen years of age. He first entered school at seven years in Lecompton, the former capitol of the State. One of his very early vivid recollections was seeing the smoke from the fire created by Quantrell and his band when they sacked the "Yankee" town of Lawrence. In 1867 the family removed to Clinton, Missouri, "trekking" the entire distance in the old fashioned prairie schooners from Lecompton, Kansas. In the new home. Herman attended school spasmodically as his health would permit, until January, 1872, when he entered a printing office as "devil" In January, 1873, the paper for which he was working ran against financial shoals and was closed out under mortgage. This left him free to again enter school for the remaining three months of that winter's term. In July 1873, he entered the real estate, loan and abstract office of Brinkerhoff & Smith, being in the same office until April, 1878, when he was offered a better position, so resigned. The latter end of the year he went to Colorado, where in a few months' time he obtained a degree of health to which he had all his life been a stranger, and from that day to the present time, has had a remarkably healthy career, doing work that few physical natures could have stood up under. After a year's absence from the office, Mr. Brinkerhoff, the then proprietor, induced the young man to return, which he did in April, 1879, and accepted the position of chief clerk. In 1882, Mr. Brinkerhoff removed to Carthage and Herman purchased an interest in the business and became a partner in the firm of Brinkerhoff and Faris. In 1887 the business was incorporated under the name of the Brinkerhoff-Faris Trust & Savings Company, and Mr. Faris was elected to the position of Secretary-Treasurer, and became practically the manager of the business. In 1889 Mr. Brinkerhoff desiring to retire, Mr. John H. Lucas, the renowned lawyer of Osceola and Kansas City, Missouri, in connection with Mr. Faris, purchased the Brinkerhoff stock and Mr. Lucas was elected president. Mr. Faris therefore has continued in the active management of the business of that institution ever since, it being now over forty-five years since he first entered the office. Mr. Faris has not permitted the business to absorb all of his time and energies, but he has devoted much of both, to the advancement of the Prohibition cause, of which he is justly regarded as the "nestor" in the State of Missouri. He had also a national reputation, and has for many years been treasurer of the Prohibition National Committee. Has twice been the nominee of the Prohibition party as Governor of his State and is very happy at this time over the result of his labors and those of his comrades. In April, 1889, he was married at Trinidad, Colorado, to Miss Adda Winters, the only daughter of Rev. Jacob R. Winters and wife. To this union were born five children, three girls who grew to maturity, and are still living. Two sons having died in infancy. After nearly thirty years of happy married life, such as few people are blessed with, Mrs. Faris went home in June, 1909. In February, 1911, Mr. Faris was again married to Mrs. Sallie A. Lewis, of Dallas, Texas. Mr. Faris has been identified with all the business, religious and philanthropic movements of his home town and State, since early manhood and no event of moment looking toward the betterment of the town has been put over without his active support. He has been actively connected with all the recent war drives, as one of the "four minute men," "campaign manager," etc., etc. Although now past sixty years of age, he is an active and full of "pep" as the average forty-year old. ==================================================================== FARRIS, Herman P. - b: 1858 Logan Co, OH source: 1883 History of Henry Missouri , National Historical Co. - page: 513 residence: Clinton, Clinton Twp Herman P. Farris of the firm of Brinkerhoff & Farris, real estate dealers, abstract of title and loan agents, owes his nativity to Logan County, Ohio, where he was born December 25th, 1858. When nine months old he was taken by the family to Douglass County, Kansas, where they resided till 1867, then coming to Henry County, Missouri. Herman was here reared and educated. In 1872 he began learning the printing trade in the office of the Northwestern Enterprise, and after working one year there at the case he entered the land office of Brinkerhoff & Smith. He was employed as clerk in that office till April, 1878, and then for about one year he was occupied in various branches of business in Colorado and southwest Kansas. Returning here in 1879 he resumed his old position and continued there till May, 1882, when he became associated with Mr. Brinkerhoff, and now has the entire management of their office at Clinton. Mr. Farris was married April 26th, 1880, to Miss Adda Winters, a daughter of Hon. J. R. Winters, formerly of Hannibal, Missouri. They have one child, Sarah O. Mr. and Mrs. F. are members of the Presbyterian Church. ==================================================================== 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 the Henry County MOGenWeb http://www.rootsweb.com/~mohenry/henryco.html Contact the Henry County Coordinator for comments or corrections. ====================================================================