Biographical Sketch of Luther W. Dawson, Johnson County, Missouri, Warrensburg. >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** Luther W. Dawson, a member of a prominent pioneer family, was born in 1884 in Johnson county, Missouri, in a house built by his grandfather, C. W. Dawson, before the Civil War. C. W. Dawson came to Missouri from Kentucky in 1846 and purchased a farm in Johnson county, a place com- prising 273 acres, for which he paid one dollar and twenty-five cents an acre. C. W. Dawson was a native of Lexington, Kentucky. At the time the farm in Johnson county was purchased, a log house was standing on the place and this was the Dawson home for many years. There the father of the subject of this review was born and J. T. Dawson's bro- ther and two sisters. John Dawson, Mrs. Susie Crutchfield, and Mrs. Kittie Wolfe. C. W. Dawson was the owner at one time of 953 acres of land in Johnson county and was considered one of the wealthiest men in the county in his day. He was a born leader and when just a mere child was dictator of his crowd of playmates and later, while still a very young boy, he became captain of the home militia in Lexington, Kentucky. He was exceedingly fond of outdoor life and spent much time on long hunting and fishing trips. The death of C. W. Dawson occurred in John- son county in 1889. J. T. Dawson, the father of the subject of this review, is the son of C. W. and Martha Dawson. His mother died in 1893, four years after the death of her husband. J. T. Dawson was reared on his father's farm in Johnson county and early in life began working for himself. He was married in 1881 to Lillian V. Smith, the daughter of John Smith, a native of Ohio. To J. T. and Lillian V. (Smith) Dawson were born the following children: Leslie, who is a prominent attorney of Bryant, Washington; Luther W., Warrensburg, Missouri; Orland, Lone Elm, Kansas; Flossie, who resides in Kingsville, Missouri; and Milton, who resides in Bryant, Washington. J. T. Dawson lives on a farm south- west of Holden. Luther W. Dawson received his education in the dis- trict school, near his home, in Johnson county, where he was one of the best students, receiving six different prizes, and later, in Hill's Business College, Sedalia, Missouri and the Warrensburg State Normal School. After leaving college, Mr. Dawson became interested in agri- cultural pursuits and in 1916 purchased a farm from his father. This place comprises 313 acres of splendid farm land, which placed at the lowest possible figure is worth one hundred dollars an acre. Mr. Daw- son has 153 acres in bluegrass, 80 acres in meadow, 40 acres in oats, 36 acres in corn, and four acres in garden produce. The farm is well improved, with numerous barns, a good tenant house, and a fine farm residence, a large structure of ten rooms, which presents an imposing appearance. This residence is weather-boarded entirely with black walnut lumber. A new garage was recently added to the improvements, which is a well constructed building 26 x 32 feet in dimensions. The Dawson place is well watered by two large ponds. Mr. Dawson has built a cistern 550 feet from the residence, where the land is slightly ele- vated, from which the water supply for the house and barns is pumped by windmill and then piped in a complete modern water system. He has had splendid success as a farmer and has grown thirty bushels of wheat to the acre, but he gives most of his attention to the raising of stock. He has registered Short-horn cattle, Poland china hogs, and eight of the best mules in the state. Mr. Dawson fattens a large number of hogs each year for the market and at the time of this writing has still on hand 300 bushels of corn two years old and 100 bushels of corn raised in 1916. The income from coal mines on his farm, when in operation, averages about two and a half dollars a day. In 1911, Luther W. Dawson was united in marriage with Stella Marye; the daughter of J. H. Marye, of Cooper county, Missouri. To Luther and Stella (Marye) Dawson have been born two daughters: Thelma and Hazel. Mrs. Dawson has complete charge of the poultry industry on the Dawson place and she has had splendid success raising turkeys for the market. Last year, the year of 1916, Mrs. Dawson received ninety-seven dollars and twenty-five cents for the turkeys she sold. Mr. Dawson takes a keen interest in all movements which have for their object the improvement of farm con- ditions and he is a member of the Farmers' Productive Club, which is one of the progressive, wideawake organizations of Johnson county that are accomplishing a great amount of good in this section of Missouri. He is secretary of this club. Mr. Dawson possesses a remarkable skill as a mechanic and in his own shop on the farm is able to make or repair any machinery, which is not too complicated, that he needs. Both he and his wife are valued members of the Baptist church and are numbered among the county's most esteemed and respected young citizens. ==================================================================== 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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