Biographical Sketch of George W. Houx, Johnson County, Missouri,
Centerview Township

>From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell,
Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918.

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George W. Houx, a prosperous citizen of Centerview township, a retired
farmer and stockman, is a member of one of the first pioneer families
of Johnson county.  Mr. Houx was born in a log cabin on his father's
farm in Johnson county in 1839, a son of Philip and Margaret Houx, who
had settled in the county in 1837.  Philip Houx was a son of Jacob Houx
who had come to Missouri among the first settlers and had located in
Cooper county, where he became a very successful and wealthy farmer and
stockman.  The son, Philip, left Cooper county to make his permanent
home in Johnson county and he too, became a wealthy landowner.  AT one
time, Philip Houx was the owner of 2,000 acres of valuable land in 
Johnson and adjoining counties.  He was a leading stockman of his day
and was extensively interested in raising mules and cattle, although he
devouted much time to general farming.  Mr. Houx was prominent as a man
of public affairs and he served the county four years as sheriff.  He
always took an enthusiastic part in politics and was a valued member of
the Democratic party.  Philip Houx departed this life in 1856.  Mrs.
Houx died in 1884.  To Philip and Margaret Houx were born eight child-
ren.  Public schools were not established in Johnson county until after
the Civil War and George W. Houx obtained his education in the old 
fashioned "subscription schools."  He attended school at Hill school
house, where at different times the following men and women taught:
Samuel Chamberlain, Miss Scott, and Mr. Thaxton.  Mr. Houx has a vivid
recollection of the early institutions in Johnson county.  With the
pioneer of the early forties, the church was considered the most impor-
tant.  Of course, there were no church buildings at first and when 
George W. Houx was a lad such a thing as Sunday school was unheard of,
but religious services were held at irregular intervals, most frequent-
ly in some settler's log cabin or out under the trees.  Traveling pio-
neer preachers would visit a community and the people would come for
miles and miles to hear him preach.  It was no simple task for him to 
go from settlement to settlement, through thick forests and muddy
swamps, yet he was always brave and cheerful, a welcome visitor in
every cabin home.  Reverends Robert and John Morrow, Henry Renick, and 
the Weir brothers were early day preachers, who often were welcomed in
the Houx home.  Traveling was mostly done on horseback in the early day
or in wagons drawn by oxen.  The settlers never went from home merely
for the pleasure of going from place to place sightseeing, for travel
was difficult and dangerous.  There were no roads, merely trails across
the open prairie, and one followed directions then.  Mr. Houx remembers
when there was not one house on the trail from his father's place to
Warrensburg.  When the Houx family settled in Johnson county, the 
father built a log cabin on his vast tract of land.  This house had but
one room and when the entire family of ten members gathered around the
open fire in the winter time, it sometimes seemed uncomfortably cozy.
The ingenious manner in which the brave, patient mother managed to rear
her large family, eight lively and sturdy boys and girls to eat and
sleep, in one small room is something for the spoiled children of fash-
ion of today to ponder upon and deeply consider.  The experiences of
his youth, George W. Houx will never forget.  He and his brothers often
drove yokes of oxen, which were used when breaking virgin sod, and they
assisted their father countless times in fighting the dreaded and de-
structive prairie fires.  Mr. Houx has, in they years gone by, cradled
grain in the old way, the only known way then.  He recalls the time
when deer, wild turkeys, ducks, geese, and prairie chickens were here
in abundance.  He remembers the howling of the wolves at night time 
and relates that the moans of a young calf, which had been caught by a
wolf at night, guided his father and brothers to its rescue and it
afterward became a very useful work-ox.  The young people of Mr. Houx's
day had many happy times.  Life was not all monotonous toil, for there
were parties, dances, "singing schools," quilting bees, house raisings,
and "husking bees," which were largely attended and greatly enjoyed.
For three years, George W. Houx served in the Civil War with the Con-
federates.  His brother, Jacob, fought under General Cockrell and was
killed during the war.  After the conflict had ended, Mr. Houx returned
to the farm in Johnson county.  He has always lived on a farm and until
his mother's death made his home with her.  He owns a tract of land in
this county, a place comprising 458 acres, which he now rents.  Former-
ly, Mr. Houx raised large herds of stock, specializing in Berkshire and
Poland China hogs.  In 1898, George W. Houx and Mrs. Anna K. Fulkerson,
widow of W. P. Fulkerson, were united in marriage.  To this union has
been born one child, a daughter, Georgia M., who is now attending sch-
ool in Warrensburg.  Mrs. Houx is the mother of five children, of her
first marriage; Mrs. Edna R. Hart, Warrensburg, Mo.; P. P., Centerview,
Mo.; Mrs. Hattie L. Goings, Minden, Nebraska; Mrs. Elizabeth Lee, Col-
umbus, Mo.; and W. D., Centerview, Mo.  Mr. and Mrs. Houx reside on the
Fulkerson place and the two sons, P. P. and W. D., live with them and 
manage the farm.  The Fulkerson brothers in addition own a farm of 
their own, which they also manage, making 700 acres in all.  They are
industrious and intelligent, young agriculturists and this past season
harvested 75 tons of hay, 1,940 bushels of wheat, and had planted 80
acres of their land in corn.  They are devoting most of their attention
however, to stock raising.  There are 297 acres in their farm.  Mr.
Houx is a worthy member and active worker of the Presbyterian church.
His long and useful career in Johnson county has now spanned more than
three quarters of a century and he is just as interested in the growth
and progress of the county today as he was fifty years ago.  Mr. Houx
has always contributed his support and encouragement to all enterprises
which had the good of the community as their object.  He is a noble and 
honored pioneer, who has bravely and cheerfully "done his bit."

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