CHINN, Joseph Lafayette Co, MO Biography Lafayette County, MO - Biography of Joseph G. Chinn, Born 1823 ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net *********************************************************************** Joseph G. Chinn Bio from Young’s 1910 Lafayette County, MO History Pages 667-668 Copied by Marilyn Ainsworth - and submitted for use in the USGenWeb Archives One of the honorable and venerable citizens of Lafayette county, who has stamped the impress of his strong individuality upon the minds of all classes in a manner as to render him one of the conspicuous characters of this locality, is Joseph G. Chinn, a man who has played well his part in the progress of this locality, having come to this state some sixty-five years ago. It is indeed interesting to listen to his reminiscences of the early days, when much of the country was wild and the red man made his home in the dense forests. From such conditions to the opulent present he has been a close observer, and aided in the general development whenever possible. A man of patriotic impulses, he was quick to respond to his country’s call during the war with Mexico—in fact, he has ever proven himself a true and worthy American in the broadest sense of the term. Mr. Chinn, who has long lived in retirement in his cozy Lexington home, is a native of the Blue Grass state, having been born in Lexington, Kentucky, May 4, 1823, and there he grew to maturity. He accompanied his parents, Joseph G. and Barbara (Graves) Chinn, to Missouri in 1845, and here the mother died, the father returning to Kentucky ten or twelve years later. He was a physician and practiced in Lexington, Missouri, also in Lexington, Kentucky, remaining in the later city until his death, at the advanced age of ninety-two years. He was a grand old man, who did a great deal of good and whom everybody respected. Twelve children were born to Doctor Chinn and wife, and were reared in Lafayette county. They are all now deceased with the exception of Joseph G. of this review. The brothers were William, a merchant; Benjamin, a farmer; David, a printer; Claude, a clerk. When a lad Joseph G. Chinn went into the drug business, and upon coming to Lexington he and Dave Silver opened a drug store, which Mr. Chinn left in 1846 to enlist for service in the Mexican war, under Colonel Doniphan, who took his regiment overland to Mexico. He was under Captain Walton and he performed his services faithfully and returned with his company and regiment from Mexico in august, 1847, receiving and honorable discharge. Although a large number of volunteers went from this locality, Mr. Chinn is the only one now living in Lexington, and there are only twenty others living now in Lafayette county. Soon after his return from the army Mr. Chinn married Nancy Shelby, daughter of Joseph Shelby, he a cousin of the father of Gen. Joe Shelby of Civil war fame. Mr. Chinn devoted his attention to farming until the commencement of the war between the states, having developed a good farm in the Dover township, also sold goods at Dover. He and his father-in-law joined Joe Shelby on one of his raids and remained with that intrepid leader until he went to Texas, he being in charge of some negroes, who returned to Missouri with him. At the close of the war he acted as keeper of the jail at Lexington for Sheriff George Mountjoy, his sister’s son-in-law, remaining as jailer for three years, and he continued for four years under Sheriffs Ben Elliott and Joseph Bowman four years, making twelve years as jailer, and he never lost a prisoner during that time. He also served two years as city marshal and two years as city collector. In the meantime he had purchased his present home on Main street, which is one of the picturesque old homes of Lexington. Mr. Chinn served very acceptably and with much credit to himself as police judge of this city. He has been a member of the Christian church for a period of forty years. Mr. And Mrs. Joseph G. Chinn became the parents of the following children: Buford, a commercial salesman, who, since losing his wife, has made his home with his father; he married Willie Donaldson, daughter of Colonel Donaldson, and they became parents of three daughters, all reared by his father, one of whom is still living with him; Pinkie McGrew Chinn; William Chinn died on the farm in early life; John died in boyhood; Orra married Griffin Buford, who died in 1910; she died at the age of thirty-five, leaving two children, both reared by Joseph G. Chinn, of this review; one of these, Coleman Buford, is a physician in Chicago; the other, a daughter Florence, is the wife of Doctor Eckle, a dentist in Lexington.