PENLAND BIOGRAPHIES, Henry County, Missouri ==================================================================== PENLAND, J. W. - b: 1845 Cocke Co, TN source: 1883 History of Henry Missouri , National Historical Co. - page: 739 residence: Davis Twp J. W. Penland, farmer and stock grower, was born on the Holstein River, in Cocke County, Tennessee, August 23, 1845. His parents, Aaron and Catharine (Philips) Penland, were married in Tennessee, and were the parents of six children, three boys and three girls, all of whom are living. When seven years of age John W. was taken to Kentucky, but after living there only one year the family came on West to Illinois, settling in Washington County, where he lived with his father until the age of eighteen. Then he began to work by the month, which he continued for five or six years, and in 1869 he came with his father to Henry County, and for nearly two years had charge of the water tank at Grand River. His father, a brother and himself secured an interest in the Grand River toll road, and repairing the road they retained it until the expiration of the charter when it reverted to the county. Mr. Penland was then given charge of the Deepwater tank and ran that until August, 1880. In 1877 he secured his farm which consists of 280 acres. He has a fine stock and grain farm and usually handles about fifty head each of cattle and hogs. April 1, 1872, he married Mrs. Annie Vanscoyk, who was born in Vermillion County, Indiana, September 29, 1847. She was the widow of Allen Vanscoyk, who died January 7, 1870. They were married in Indiana in 1864, and soon after came to Missouri. She has one girl, Gracie A., aged fifteen years, and she also lost a boy of twelve years, Jesse A., who died October 26, 1879. ==================================================================== PENLAND, John W. - b: 1843 Cox Co, TN source: 1919 History of Henry Co MO, Uel W. Lamkin, Historical Publishing Co - page: 296 residence: Clinton, Clinton Twp J. W. Penland, one of Henry County's most successful men and a member of a pioneer family of this section of Missouri, is a native of Tennessee. He was born in Cox County, Tennessee, August 23, 1843, a son of Aaron and Catherine (Phillips) Penland, the former a native of Tennessee and. the latter of South Carolina. Aaron Penland came to Missouri with his family in 1871, and settled in Henry County on the Grand River, west of Clinton. Here he followed farming during the remainder of his life. He died in 1885, and his wife departed this life in 1893. They were the parents of six children, as follow: S. K., Clinton, Missouri; J. W. the subject of this sketch; Jane, now Mrs. Bryant, Galena, Kansas; Edna Langley, now deceased; Mrs. Maggie Stephens, Galena, Kansas, and A. G., deceased. In early life J. W. Penland worked by the month as a farm laborer. When he came to Henry County he had saved about $1,000, and he deposited $600 of that in a bank which failed a short time afterward. He then went to work on the construction of the Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroad and when the road began to be operated he took charge of the Grand River pumping station, which furnished water to the tank there to supply the locomotives with water. At first the water was pumped by hand, which task Mr. Penland performed with the assistance of another man. Later improved machinery was installed, which consisted of horse power. This continued to be the method of pumping until the water tank was removed to Deepwater, where a steam pump was installed. Mr. Penland was in the employ of the railroad company eleven years in all. Early in life Mr. Penland realized the earning power of money and while in the employ of the railroad company he not only purchased two hundred acres of land, but loaned considerable money, and during his entire business career in Henry County has loaned large sums of money. He was engaged in farming for ten years and in 1894 came to Clinton, where he has since made his home, and during that time has carried on an extensive loan business. During his time he has owned a great deal of land in Henry County and has bought and sold several hundred acres in the course of his various transactions. He is one of Henry County's substantial citizens and has accumulated a comfortable fortune. He has invested $14,000 in Liberty Bonds. Mr. Penland was united in marriage in 1881 to Miss Anna Potter, a native of Indiana. She departed this life January 12, 1912. No children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Penland. Mr. Penland has been a life long Democrat and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He has seen much of the development of Henry County and in its upbuilding has contributed his part. He is public spirited and has ever co-operated with any movement for the betterment of Clinton and Henry County. ==================================================================== 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. 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