Biographical Sketch of A. D. Cooper, Johnson County, Missouri, Jefferson township >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** A. D. Cooper, an honored and highly esteemed pioneer of Johnson county and a member of one of the first families of Missouri, is a prosperous and influential farmer and stockman of Jefferson township. He was born in 1850 in Johnson county, Missouri, in a log house, consisting of four rooms two below and two above, which is still standing on the farm now owned by Mr. Cooper. He is a son of A. J. and Eliza J. (McDonald) Cooper. A. J. Cooper was a son of David Cooper, who came to Missouri from Kentucky in 1832 and entered a vast tract of land from the govern- ment. Purchasing the "right" to the land from Joshua Gillam. A. J. Cooper, the father of the subject of this review, settled on a farm in Johnson county, which place he entered from the government. He was a native Kentuckian and was especially interested in stock, devoting much time and attention to stock raising in addition to farming. He pros- pered and became widely known as a successful and leading citizen of the county, being considered on of the wealthy men of his day. He was at one time owner of 600 acres of land in Johnson county. His death occurred in 1888. Eliza Jane (McDonald) Cooper was born in 1820 in Howard county, Missouri. She was the daughter of Isaac McDonald, who moved with his family to Johnson county about 1830. Mrs. Cooper foll- owed her husband in death in 1893. Educational opportunities were very limited in Missouri when A. D. Cooper was a lad. There were no public schools before the Civil War and the "subscription schools" lasted but a few months in the year and even when the school was open big boys and girls could not always go for there was much work to be done at home. Early in life, he began working for himself on the farm of 100 acres given him by his father. In 1870, A. D. Cooper and Mary Frances Peak, the daughter of G. W. Peak, were united in marriage. G. W. Peak went to California in 1849, at the time the entire country was wild with excitement over the discovery of gold in Captain Sutter's millrace in that state. More fortunate than the thousands of emigrants, who died on the way, he reached California and for some time remained there, returning to Johnson county within a few years. His death occurred in 1880. To A. D. and Mary Frances (Peak) Cooper were born three children: George F., Windsor, Missouri and Eliza J., who is the wife of Mr. Stil- es, of Windsor, Missouri; and one died in infancy. The death of Mary F. (Peak) Cooper occurred in 1875. In 1892, Mr. Cooper was married to Parthena Drace, who died in 1904. He was again married in 1911, his wife being Ella R. (Craig) Cooper, the daughter of J. and Louisa Craig, natives of North Carolina, who came to Missouri in a very early day from Tennessee. Mr. Cooper is the owner of 200 acres of land in John- son county, most of his place being in pasture. He devotes his time and attention to stock raising, in which he has been successful to a remarkable degree. Many times in the early days, Mr. Cooper broke sod in Johnson county, driving three and four yoke of oxen. There was much open land, which was covered with a heavy growth of blue-stem prairie grass that grew to a great height. Wild game was in abundance and thousands of times Mr. Cooper has eaten dried venison. He has seen prairie chickens, in trees, as thick as blackbirds. Prairie fires were always feared aned fire guards were kept burning around the farms of the early settlers. Supplies were secured at Boonville and Warsaw and hauled from there. Mr. Cooper recalls the pathetic and tragic accident which occurred in his youth, when an old colored man, Nathan, was sent to Blackwater with a wagon drawn by oxen. He was to bring home provi- sions and while on the way drove into what appeared to be but a small pool, but which was really a very deep hole filled with water, because the oxen smelled water and made for the pool, jumped off a bank, and the yokes held their heads under water. Both driver and team were drowned. No one in Johnson county is better informed than A. D. Cooper as to the pioneers of Johnson county. Having lived in this county all his life and possessing a remarkable memory, he can remember many of the county's first families and the leading men and women, who moved amid the scenes of the life long past and have gone on before. It is a service to humanity of inestimable value to wrest their names from oblivion. Among the pioneer preachers, whom he recalls, were: Reverend Adams, "Uncle Billy" Caldwell, Frank Goodwin, all of whom were Baptist minister; and Reverends George Langdon and Allen Wright, who were Christian ministers. Several of the early day teachers were: Edward C. Kearn; Fabius Butler, who had a stock story about peeling trees, which he told on every occasion, until he finale wore it and everyone out; Damos Stiles, Marsh Foster, "Rube" Sharp and Ham Smith. The following were some of the first families, who resided in Johnson county: Stiles, Owsley, Phillips, Clark, Woodard, Gibson, Goodwin, Farris, Gray, Wing- field, Neil Draper and Peak families. Mr. Cooper has experienced all the hardships and privations of pioneer life and as he nears the 70th milestone the recollection of all the hard, bitter days fades and in its place is a pleasant rememberance of countless bright, happy ones of long ago. When he was a young man, there was no dirth of amusements in Johnson county. The young people enjoyed themselves immensely at house raisings, dancing and corn husking parties, and social gatherings for spinning, apple paring, quilting and singing. There were "spelling bees," and "singing schools," and the young men and women rode miles across the prairie on horseback to attend church. On all the social occasions there was always much genuine fun. Mr. and Mrs. Cooper are numbered among Johnson county's most respected citizens. We are par- ticularly fortunate in having such a man as Mr. Cooper still with us, to aid in recording the past history of this beautiful county, the countless advantages of which could never exist were it not that hardy, brave men and women, such as he, lived and worked here long ago. ==================================================================== 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: <> Penny Harrell ====================================================================