Biographical Sketch of John S. Graham, Johnson County, Missouri, Centerview Township >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** John S. Graham, well known proprietor of "Brier Valley Farm," is one of the leading and most respected of the successful stockmen of Centerview township. He was born on the farm in Centerview township, which he now owns and which is known as "Brier Valley Farm," located one and a half miles southwest of Centerview, the date of his birth being June 6, 1864. He is the youngest of twelve children born to his parents, John G. and Nancy E. (Hobson) Graham, who were united in marriage in 1838 in Hazel Hill township and moved immediately to the farm in Centerview township, which Mr. Graham entered from the government. All their children were born at the Graham homestead in Centerview township. The children of John G. and Nancy E. (Hobson) Graham were, as follow: Mary, deceased; Joseph C., deceased; Robert B., deceased; James H., deceased; William L., deceased; Helen A., deceased; Susan, who is the wife of John M. Barnett, of Odessa, Missouri; Mrs. Catherine Huggins, who resides at Morgan, Utah; Virginia, deceased; Alice, who is the wife of N. P. Houx, of Centerview, Missouri; one child died in infancy; and John S., the subject of this review. John G. Graham, the father of the subject of this review, was a son of Robert and Catherine (Crockett) Graham, both of whom were natives of Virginia, and in that state the son, John G., was born. The Graham family moved from Virginia to Missouri about 1830 and settled in Hazel Hill township, where Robert Graham entered land from the government. Catherine (Crockett) Graham was a cousin of the famous "Davy" Crockett. The death of Robert Graham occurred in Hazel Hill township and his wife died within a few years afterward in Center- view township. Their son, John G., was reared to maturity in Hazel Hill township and about 1837 entered the tract of land in Centerview township, where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1878, at the age of sixty-eight years. He was at that time the own- er of nearly 800 acres of land in Johnson county. Mrs. Graham survived her husband several years, when her death occurred in 1908, at the age of eighty-six years. John S. Graham was educated in the public schools of Centerview township. He always resided with his parents, or they with him, as long as they lived. He recalls that in the early days his father used to dress hogs for the market and haul the meat to Lexington, where it was sold for two and a half dollars per hundred weight. All the clothing was made in their pioneer home, and as a lad he often watched the preparation of wool for carding and spinning and weaving, which were all done by his mother. Mr. Graham owns the homestead, where he and all his brothers and sisters were born, reared and married and where both his father and mother died. "Brier Valley Farm" compri- ses 267 acres of land and Mr. Graham is engaged in raising cattle and hogs. He is also extensively engaged in feeding stock, annually ship- ping four carloads of stock. All the improvements upon the place, John S. Graham has himself placed there, including a residence of six rooms, a barn, 60 x 66 feet, used for cattle and hay, a bar 40 x 46 feet, and a hoghouse, 30 x 20 feet, which has the unusual feature of having the south side of the building of glass. A large windmill pumps the water to the stockbarns from a drilled well, four hundred feet in depth. On March 11, 1897, John S. Graham was united in marriage with Cora Day, daughter of Joseph and Jane (Buxton) Day, of Post Oak township. Joseph M. Day is one of the noble and honored pioneers of Johnson county, com- ing to this section of Missouri among the very first settlers of the early thirties. Mr. and Mrs. Day settled on a farm in Post Oak town- ship, where their daughter, Cora (Day) Graham was born and reared. Mrs. Graham's parents are both living, at the time of this writing in 1917, at Edmond, Oklahoma, both at the advanced age of eighty-two years. Cora (Day) Graham comes from a family noted for great longevity, one grandmother, Eve Stone, living to the age of one hundred one years. She died in Post Oak township and was laid to rest in the cemetery at old Shiloh, a cemetery established in the thirties. To John S. and Cora Graham have been born two daughters: Helen, who is a graduate of the Warrensburg High School and now a student in the Warrensburg State Nor- mal School; and Katherine, who is a student in the Warrensburg High School. Mr. and Mrs. Graham reside in Warrensburg at 119 West South street. ==================================================================== 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 ====================================================================