Biographical Sketch of George M. Boyd, Johnson County, Missouri, Warrensburg Township >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** George M. Boyd, foreman of the Boyd Coal Company of Warrensburg, has been connected with the coal business in Johnson county since 1878 or 1879. He is the son of Thomas H. Boyd, who was engaged in the mining business in Johnson county for many years. George M. Boyd is the old- est child born to his parents, Thomas H. and Jennie (McIntosh) Boyd. The others were as follow: Margaret, wife of L. M. Hare, of Pittsburg, Kansas; Thomas Jr., died in 1889 at Knob Noster, Mo.; Susie, wife of Tell Zuber, of Knob Noster, Mo.; John, died at Knob Noster, Mo., in September, 1896; and Nettie, the wife of Frank Booth, of Kansas City, Missouri. The mother was born in Scotland in 1844 and with her husband came to America about 1865. Her death occurred January 1, 1880. Thomas H. Boyd was again married, his second wife being Mary E. Clifford, of Wisconsin. To them were born six children: Timothy, the superintendent of the brick company at Ginger, Texas; Mrs. Rufus Brindle, Knob Noster, Mo.; Mrs. William Connor, Denver, Colorado; William, who resides in Ginger, Texas; Mrs. Arthur Heider, Terbell, California; and Archie, now deceased. Before Thomas H. Boyd came to Missouri, John A. Gallaher was the superintendent of the mines at Montserrat and had been mining coal there for five years prior to Mr. Boyd's coming. In the spring of 1880, Thomas H. Boyd opened a coal mine at Clearfork and the two mines, the one at Montserrat and the other at Clearfork, employed at the time be- tween six and eight hundred miners. In the spring of 1882, 500 convicts from the State penitentiary were imported for use in the mines by Gall- aher, under a four year contract. A fight was made on the convict laborers by the local miners and the men were returned to the peniten- tiary in the spring of 1884. During the time the convicts were employed at the mines, the stockade was burned down by a fire started when one of the criminals threw a lighted lamp at the warden. While the stock- ade was being rebuilt, the convicts were kept down in the mines, which was from seven to nine days. After they were permanently removed, the Clearfork Coal Company assumed control of the mines and operated the Clearfork mine until 1887. Since that time, nothing much in the line of mining has been done there. The vein of coal in the Montserrat mine was from four to six feet in depth. Thomas H. Boyd went from the Clear- fork mine to one which he opened at Knob Noster, where the vein was four or four and a half feet in depth, and which he operated for five years. His death occurred in 1905 at Knob Noster and his remains were interred at that place. George M. Boyd received his education in the public schools of Johnson county, attending school at Montserrat. At the age of fourteen years, he left school and began working with his father in the mines. He has been engaged in the coal and brick busi- ness practically ever since he was a lad. Mr. Boyd has literally grown up with the coal business in Johnson county and there is no more cap- able miner in Missouri. For 24 years he conducted the brick plant at Knob Noster, associated with his father in the ownership of the plant, the firm being known as Boyd & Son. In 1912 the plant was incorporated and the ensuing year Mr. Boyd accepted the position of foreman of the Boyd Coal Company of Warrensburg. In April, 1883, George M. Boyd and Louisa Clifford were united in marriage. Louisa (Clifford) Boyd is the daughter of Timothy and Mary Clifford, of Green Bay, Wisconsin. Both parents of Mrs. Boyd are now deceased. To George M. and Louisa Boyd have been born the following children: Thomas W., married Mrs. Louisa Riggs, Knob Noster, Mo.; John, who married Sadie Brindle, Warrensburg; George E., married Ursa Vickery, Warrensburg; Robert, married Buena Ragner, Knob Noster, Mo.; Timothy, married Ruth Gardner, Knob Noster, Mo.; Frances, a graduate of the Warrensburg High School and resides at home with her parents; and William Tell, who is a lad in the grade school of Warrensburg. Mr. and Mrs. Boyd reside at 210 East Gay street in Warrensburg. ==================================================================== 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. 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