Biographical Sketch of James E. Rankin, Johnson County, Missouri
Columbus Township
>From "The History of Johnson County, Missouri," 
Kansas City Historical Co. 1881

JAMES E. RANKIN,

stock dealer and farmer, was born near Lexington, Missouri, in the year
1827.  He came with his parents to Johnson county, on the 14th of July,
1831.  His father, Robert W.  Rankin was the ninth settler, and the
first and only doctor for many years in this part of the county.  Dr.
J.M.  Fulkerson studied medicine with him for some time. He was also one
of first judges of the county court.  The subject of this sketch is an
extensive stock dealer and farmer, turning his energies to buying and
feeding stock for the St. Louis market.  He has handled cattle for
twenty-eight winters, and is as well and favorably known in St. Louis as
in Johnson county, being a good judge of stock.  He was chosen to buy
cattle in Texas for the confederate army.  He was married to Miss Mary
Jane Reavis, near Bowling Green, Kentucky, in the year 1854.  They have
seven children, five of whom are living.  He served three years in the
confederate army, and lost considerable property during the war. After
the war closed he was sued under the confiscation act, and lost a great
deal of time and money defending the suit.  Notwithstanding his
difficulties, losses and trials during his sojourn in Johnson county, he
still maintains the confidence and respect of the whole community, and
owns at present one of the largest farms in the county, which contains
about 800 acres of fine prairie and timber land.  He still takes an
active part in the public enterprises of the county, and was one of the
committee who wrote out the early history of Johnson county, at the
Centennial picnic, held in a grove on the eighty acres of land on which
the original town of Columbus was laid out.

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