STAFFORD  BIOGRAPHIES, Henry County, Missouri
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STAFFORD, M. L. - b: 1834 Guilford Co, NC
source: 1883 History of Henry Missouri , National Historical Co. - page: 596
residence: Windsor Twp

M. L. Stafford was born in Guilford County, North Carolina, October 5, 1834, and 
was the son of Z. J. Stafford, a native of Stafford County, Virginia, whose father 
was Robertson Stafford. The wife of Z. J. Stafford, formerly Hannah Haines, was 
of a Quaker family, originally from Pennsylvania. She was born in North Carolina, 
and was a daughter of Isaac Haines, of Pennsylvania. Her uncles, Jacob, Joshua 
and Job, were early settlers of Dayton, Ohio. Young Stafford early exhibited a 
remarkable taste for books. When a boy he was once sent by his father to market, 
and there saw for the first time a book store. Delighted as he was he purchased a 
number of books, and while on the way home, 110 miles, devoured them by the 
light of pine knot camp fires. He completed his education at Trinity College, of 
North Carolina, and after leaving school entered the wholesale grocery and cotton 
house of A. W. Steele, at Fayetteville, that state, remaining there for four years. 
In the spring of 1856 he removed to Illinois, taught school for a time at Lima, 
and in 1857 came to Missouri, locating in Saline County. In 1863 he visited the 
mountains of Colorado, Montana and California, and spent the time until 1866 in 
mining. Returning to Pettis County, he opened a drug store in Dresden, and in 
1870 he came to Windsor and started a like establishment here, which he 
conducted for five years. He was the first man, in company with Capt. J. M. 
Burrus, to introduce the raising of flax in the county, and this industry has grown 
from a few hundred bushels shipped at first, to fifty car loads, shipped during 
the season of 1882. In 1879, he formed a partnership with W. J. Livingston in the 
grain trade, in which he is now engaged. Politically Mr. Stafford is a Democrat, 
and in 1878 he was asked for permission to lay his name before the county 
convention for representative, but declined. In 1882 he declined to become a 
candidate for county judge. He is a man well read and far better posted on 
politics, public men and the current literature of the day than the average person, 
and now his greatest pleasure is to be found in the quiet of his home with 
something new and instructive to read. He married Miss Elizabeth Patrick of 
Saline County in 1870. She was the daughter of Miles and Barshalic (Oliver) 
Patrick, the former of Kentucky. The latter was a sister of Mr. M. Oliver. They 
have two children: Florence and Fred. Mr. S. belongs to the Masonic fraternity. He 
is connected with the Peytons, an old and influential family of Virginia.

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