MANN BIOGRAPHIES, Henry County, Missouri ==================================================================== MANN, James D. - b: 1858 Neosho, WI source: 1919 History of Henry Co MO, Uel W. Lamkin, Historical Publishing Co - page: 488 residence: Deepwater Twp James D. Mann. A man outstanding in his community is naturally measured by his accomplishments in a material and civic sense. If he be but a mere money grabber and cares for nothing aside from the amassing of dollars, his importance is limited by the power of his money. If, on the other hand, he is broad gauged enough to combine the highest duties of citizenship with the accumulation of wealth his position in the community is assured; his place in history is marked; and he is deserving of more than ordinary mention. Such a man was the late James D. Mann of Montrose, Missouri. He was a man of intellect, education, and decided business ability, an executive and organizer of a high order who had the highest conception of the duties of a good citizen and who was always found in the forefront of the advocates of civic betterment. James D. Mann was born September 23, 1858, and departed this life September 20, 1915. He was born at Neosho, Wisconsin, the son of John L. Mann, whose wife bore the maiden name of Parsons. They were natives of New England. The Mann family originated in the Isle of Mann and the history of American branch of this family dates back to Colonial times, they being among the oldest of the American families of English origin. John L. Mann was a pioneer in the State of Wisconsin, where he cleared a farm from the forest in the early forties. James D. Mann was reared and educated in his native county in Wisconsin and was a farmer until his removal to Missouri in 1892. Opportunity beckoned to him and he sold his Wisconsin farm and located in the thriving city of Montrose, where for two years he was in the employ of Sol Kahn, the veteran merchant of Montrose. In 1894, he established the grain business which bears his name. He successfully conducted this business until his death. In addition to his grain business he was interested in agricultural pursuits and owned 240 acres of land located one mile north of Montrose. While a resident of Wisconsin he was married in 1880 to Miss Le Moine Wilson, who was born in the city of Neosho, Wisconsin, a daughter of De Wayne Wilson, a well-known citizen of Neosho. Mrs. Le Moine Mann was born in 1863, and departed this life on October 1, 1913. The children of the family are: Arthur J.; Howard H., born November 15, 1898, in Montrose, Missouri, enlisted at Kansas City, on April 5, 1917, in the Third Missouri Regiment, now the 140th Infantry Regiment of the National Army, and is serving as a private in machine gun company, and prior to his departure to the fighting front in France, he was in training at Camp Doniphan. Arthur J. Mann, who is now managing the Mann Grain Company and the family business interests, was born October 26, 1881, at, Neosho, Wisconsin, and received his education in the public schools of Neosho and Montrose. After graduation from the local high school he studied for one year at the Missouri Valley College, Marshall, Missouri, and then pursued a business course at the Central Business College of Sedalia, Missouri. After graduation from business college he entered the grain business with his father at Montrose and now is in complete charge of the business as proprietor and manager. He completed a business course in 1902 and in the spring of 1904 went to Kansas City, Missouri, where he was employed as bookkeeper and traveling salesman for different grain firms having headquarters in the city for a period of ten years. The training which he received during those ten years has proven invaluable to him in conducting the Mann Grain Business. On October 29, 1902, A. J. Mann and Miss Flora De Bold of Montrose were united in marriage. Mrs. Flora Mann is a daughter of Joseph De Bold, a former merchant of Montrose, now located in Clinton, Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Mann have one son, Russell Mann, born August 25, 1903. A. J. Mann is a Democrat in politics, has held the office of city alderman, and is a member of the local board of education. He is a director of the Montrose Savings Bank. Fraternally he is affiliated with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons of Kansas City Blue Lodge No. 299, the Orient Chapter, Oriental Commandery, and the Ararat Shrine of Kansas City. The late James D. Mann was a Democrat and during his residence in Montrose he held practically every city office, serving several terms as mayor of the city. He was one of the organizers and president of the Henry County Boosters Club. He assisted in organizing the Missouri Grain Dealers Association and served two terms as president of this organization, being elected unanimously to this position. He was active in church work and was a ruling elder of the Montrose Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He was fraternally associated with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of Clinton, Missouri. The Mann Grain Company was established at Montrose, Missouri, in 1894, by the late James D. Mann under the firm name of Mann and Marsh. It was conducted as a partnership undertaking until the death of Mr. Marsh in 1903. Mr. Mann then became sole owner. After Mr. Mann's death on September 20, 1915, the business passed under the management of his son, A. J. Mann. The buildings of the Mann Grain Company cover considerable ground space. The elevator building is 300 feet by 40 feet in extent and has a capacity of 15,000 bushels of grain. The warehouse and office are 125x30 feet. The concern handles over 150 carloads of grain yearly as well as shipping twenty-five carloads of broom corn aggregating 250 tons each year. The firm also retails mill feed and seeds and two men are employed to attend to the extensive business. ==================================================================== 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. ====================================================================