Biographical Sketch of Henry W. Douglass/ Douglass Jersey Cattle Company, Jefferson County, Missouri >From "History of Franklin, Jefferson, Washington, Crawford and Gasconade Counties", Biographical Appendix, Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1888. ********************************************************************** Douglass Jersey Cattle Company, exclusive breeders of registered A. J. C. C. jersey cattle, established their business in 1887, the firm con- sisting of W. R. Allen, president; H. W. Douglass, vice president and manager, and William Welker, secretary and treasurer. They have just erected a magnificent barn 84 x 124, two stories high, the lower story of stone, a wall two feet thick, 120 stalls for cattle, with several box stalls for calves, and with convenient alleys and driveways, etc. The upper story is one single room used for the storage and the prepar- ation of feed; cost about $12,000. They also have another fine barn 60 x 80 feet, and one 40 x 50. The whole is supplied with water through suitable pipes from one of the best springs in the county, which has a fine spring house and attachments that cost about $2,000. A beautiful residence is in process of erection, situated on a promi- nence overlooking Pevely and vicinity. They have 200 acres of as fine and productive land as is to be found in Jefferson County on "Sandy", which affords abundance of pasturage, and from which most of the rough feed is supplied. In every field and lot is an abundance of fresh, living water. They have about 140 head of fine thoroughbred Jerseys, the finest herd in the West. During every exhibit at the St. Louis County fairs they have taken four-fifths of the premiums and frequently competed with cattle from the East which had never before been excell- ed. Many of the cows are imported stock. This is an institution and an undertaking of which Jefferson County may well be proud, furnishing a means by which she can easily and readily improve her cattle as well as supply other States with the same. The milk and cream are shipped daily to the Southern Hotel, at St. Louis, they furnishing the entire supply for that hotel. Mr. W. R. Allen, the proprietor of the hotel, is president of the company. Henry W. Douglass, the vice president and manager of the company, was born in St. Louis, in 1855, and is the only son now living born to Daniel and Helen (Watkins) Douglass, natives of New York, where they were married, and in 1852 came to St. Louis, where Mr. Douglass was one of the leading produce and general merchants for many years, and where Mrs. Douglass died in 1876. Mr. Douglass then removed to Jefferson County and purchased the farm now owned by the Douglass Jersey Cattle Company, where he still lives. He was for many years a prominent merchant of New York State, and at one time was a man of great wealth. Henry Douglass was educated at Washington University, from which he graduated in civil engineering, at which art he has few equals. The architecture and supervision of the buildings on the Jerseydale farm were all the work of Mr. Douglass. He also assisted on the St. Louis bridge. In 1877 he married Miss Maggie Postal, daughter of Capt. William C. and Citia B. Postal, formerly of St. Louis, now of Chester, Ill., where Mr. Postal has charge of the coal company. He was for many years a successful and extensive Upper Mississippi River steamboat man; founded the "Anchor Line." Mrs. Douglass died in 1882, leaving three children: William P., Helen and Maggie. Mrs. Douglass was an accomplished and refined lady. Mr. Douglass is a Democrat in his political views. ==================================================================== 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: Joe Miller Penny Harrell ====================================================================