SPORE  BIOGRAPHIES, Henry County, Missouri
====================================================================

SPORE, James S.
source: 1919 History of Henry Co MO, Uel W. Lamkin, Historical Publishing Co - 
page: 318
residence: Clinton, Henry Co, MO

James S. Spore, proprietor of the Spore & Son, furniture and undertaking 
business, Clinton, Missouri, is the most extensive furniture dealer in Henry 
County. Mr. Spore was born at Odessa, Missouri, November 12, 1886, and is a son 
of Elmer E. Spore and Emma (Summer) Spore. Elmer E. Spore was born near 
Edenburg, Illinois, June 1, 1860, and came to Missouri with his parents when a 
child. His father was a physician, and later in life was engaged in contracting and 
building at Odessa, Missouri. Elmer E. Spore was a graduate pharmacist. He came 
to Henry County and located at Blairstown, where he organized the firm of Spore 
& Sweatman, hardware and implement dealers. He disposed of his interests in 
this business in 1896 and bought a farm east of Clinton. In 1904 he sold his farm 
and engaged in the furniture business in Clinton. He died February 12, 1917, and 
his son James S., who was a partner in the business at the time of his father's 
death, has continued the business under the same firm name of Spore & Son. 
Emma (Summer) Spore was born in Quincy, Illinois, and is a daughter of James 
Summer, a native of Kentucky, who was one of the first pioneer settlers in the 
vicinity of Quincy, Illinois. He pre-empted Government land near Quincy, where 
Mrs. Spore, the mother of James S., now resides. Elmer E. Spore was strictly a 
business man. He did not aspire to hold political office, although he took a deep 
interest in public affairs and for civic betterment from the standpoint of the 
citizen rather than from the desire to hold public office. He was active in the 
betterment and upbuilding of Blairstown, building his residence there and took 
the same deep interest and civic pride in the advancement of the city of Clinton, 
after that city became the scene of his business activity. He was a member of 
the Masonic Lodge, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Woodsmen of the 
World and the Christian Church. James S. Spore was educated in the public 
schools and the Gem City Business College, Quincy, Illinois, graduating from that 
institution in 1905. He was then employed in Hannibal, Missouri, for about a year, 
when he returned to Clinton and engaged in the furniture business with his 
father, and has been continually associated with this business ever since that 
time. He and his father conducted the business from 1908 until the time of the 
father's death and since then James. S. has continued the business under the same 
firm name. Before the senior Mr. Spore bought this business, it was known as the 
Clinton Furniture Company, and had been so conducted for a number of years. The 
Spore & Son furniture house is located on the south side of the public square and 
has a frontage of fifty-five feet, and is two hundred feet deep, with two large 
balconies which practically amount to a second floor. The most complete line of 
furniture, including rugs, linoleum and wall paper, in the county, are to be found 
here. They also carry talking machines and have the best equipped undertaking 
establishment in the city. Mr. Spore is a licensed embalmer. June 25, 1914, 
James S. Spore was united in marriage with Miss Lula Ann Griffith, a native of 
St. Clair County, Missouri, and a daughter of Wesley and Sarah E. Griffith. To this 
union has been born one child, James D. Mr. Spore is a Mason and past master of 
the Clinton Lodge, and belongs to the Christian church. He is one of the 
progressive young business men of 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. 

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.
====================================================================