Biographical Sketch of William L. Hyer, Johnson County, Missouri, Warrensburg. >From "History of Johnson County, Missouri," by Ewing Cockrell, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, Cleveland, 1918. ********************************************************************** William L. Hyer, engineer of the Roseland Farm & Manufacturing Company of Warrensburg, Missouri, was born May 10, 1862 in Ross county, Ohio. He is the son of Levi and Sidney (Welscheimer) Hyer, both of whom were natives of Ross county, Ohio. They were the parents of the following children: Mrs. Jane H. Collins, who resides in Warrensburg; Mrs. Mary C. Keating, who resides in Montezuma, Iowa; Anna, who resides in Warrensburg; Philip Lawson, who was engaged in teaching school for several years in Johnson county and was in his senior year at Columbia University and would have completed the course in the medical depart- ment within a few weeks when his death occurred at the university; Mrs. Mahalia Norris, whose death occurred at Belleville, Kansas; and William L., the subject of this review. When William L. Hyer was a child four years of age, his father moved with his family from Ohio to Missouri and located on the Theodore Hyatt place, which is the present site of the Johnson County Home, purchasing the farming in October, 1866 from the well known pioneer, the father of the clerk of Johnson county, the present incumbent in 1917. On this farm the Hyer family resided until 1871, when they moved from the farm to Warrensburg and for several years Levi Hyer lived retired from active business. When William L. had attained maturity, he and his father were associated in the owner- ship of the Eureka Mills in Warrensburg. The father's death occurred in 1892 and two years later he was joined in death by his wife. Both parents were laid to rest in the cemetery at Warrensburg. William L. Hyer spent his first night in Warrensburg on the floor of the old Robert's Hotel. The house was too crowded in those days for all patrons to have beds. He recalls that in his boyhood days an ordinary rain would form a really large creek on the site of the present depot, the water extending to the location of Blazell's Bookstore and the boys had great sport sailing rafts up and down the street. Warrensburg has been an American Venice in its time. South of the present railroad tracks there were practically no houses then. In the city schools of Warrensburg, William L. Hyer received his early education. He later attended the Warrensburg State Normal School and he is a graduate of that institution in the class of 1888. After completing school, Mr. Hyer served as apprentice with the jeweler, Walter Sams, for one year, finishing the period of apprenticeship with L. D. Everhalt, who is now located in Hillsboro, Texas. On account of the condition of his health William L. Hyer abandoned the jewelry business, which is very confining and associated with his father when he acquired the ownership of Eureka Mills in Warrensburg in 1884, which they operated until the death of the father in 1892. William L. Hyer and his brother-in-law, Almont Collins, were then associated in operating the mill for many years. It was recently sold to the Roseland Farm & Manufacturing Company, a history of which appears elsewhere in this volume. Mr. Hyer has from the beginning of the company in the new place of business at the Eureka Mills building owned an interest in the factory and had been chief engineer of the company, a position, which he still holds. February 3, 1913, William L. Hyer and Nellie Stone were united in marriage. Nellie (Stone) Hyer is the daughter of John W. Stone, the pioneer liveryman of Warrensburg, Missouri and Civil War veteran. Mr. Stone came to Warren- sburg in the early sixties and is still actively engaged in business. He is one of the few brave and honored ones left of those who entered in business in Warrensburg just after the Civil War. Mr. and Mrs. Hyer reside in Warrensburg, Missouri in their home at 402 South Holden street, a home that was built in the late sixties. The Hyers purchased the residence in 1874. It was originally a brick structure, but in late years a frame addition has been built, changing greatly the former appearance of the home. The location of the Hyer's home is ideal. ==================================================================== 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 (Eisenbarger) Harrell ====================================================================