Biographical Sketch of Dr. Herndon H. Lea, Webster County, Missouri

>From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, 
Pulaski, Phelps and Dent Counties, Missouri" The Goodspeed Publishing
Company, 1889.
**********************************************************************

Dr. Herndon H. Lea, one of the first physicians of Webster county, Mo.,
was born in Cocke county, Tenn., October 1, 1816, and is one of the
representative citizens of the county.  His parents, Eppey H. and Mary
Lea, were natives of North Carolina and Jefferson county, Tennessee,
respectively.  The father was born January 8, 1791 and died in Knox-
ville, while on a business visit, October 5, 1883, although at the time
of his death his home was in Anderson county, Tenn.  The mother was 
born in 1792, and died in Jefferson county, Tenn., in 1838.  They were
married on a farm in the last named county in 1811, and afterward moved
to Cocke county, Tenn., then to Jefferson county, and still later to
Anderson county of the same state.  Mr. Lea was a soldier in the War of
1812, was a farmer, and both he and wife are members of the Methodist
church.  To their union were born eleven children, ten of whom lived to 
be grown, and six of whom are now living: Dr. H. H.; Martha, wife of
Spencer Hand, of Roane county, Tenn.; Elizabeth, widow of Joseph Binns;
Nancy, widow of Charleton Fairless; Gideon B. R.; and Frances, wife of
William Taylor.  After the death of the mother of these children Eppey
H. Lea married Miss Eaton, who bore him one son, William.  Dr. Herndon
H. Lea studied medicine at home and under Dr. Tate, of Clinton, Ander-
son county, Tenn.  In 1845 he left home for a two weeks' business trip
down Clinch River, but came to Missouri, locating at Hartville, Wright
county, Mo., where he resided until 1863, when he went to Clyde Station
in Illinois, and remained there until 1869, when he moved to the farm
where he now lives, and where he owns 180 acres of some of the best 
land in Webster county.  He continued to practice medicine until he was
elected clerk of the Wright County Circuit Court, which position he 
held until 1855.  In January of the year previous he sold goods at
Hartville, and was engaged in buying and selling all kinds of stock.
Since coming to Missouri he has been engaged in farming and stock
raising.  While in Anderson county, Tenn., he was colonel of the 
militia for four years.  In the last election, without his knowledge,
he was elected justice of the peace.  On May 5, 1846, he married Miss
Martha Love, daughter of Col. Thomas B. Love, and a native of Haywood
county, N. C.  She died in 1848, at the age of twenty-six years, and 
is the mother of one daughter, who is now the wife of Leonard A. 
Morphis, an artist, residing near Dr. H. H. Lea.  January 9, 1853, Dr.
Lea married Miss Nancy H. Officer, a native of McMinn county, Tenn.,
born November 11, 1828, and the daughter of Jefferson B. Officer.  No
children were born to the first union.  Mrs. Lea is a member of the
Methodist Episcopal church; the doctor is a member of the Masonic frat-
ernity, is a Democrat in politics, and is one of the most enterprising
citizens of this section of the state of Missouri.  In 1850 he was
assistant United States Marshal, and took the census of Wright county.
From 1854 to 1861 he and John M. Gorman built, by themselves, the 
school house at Hartville, and he has been a liberal contributor to the
building of many churches.

====================================================================
     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: Joe Miller <mio@netins.net>
		      Penny (Eisenbarger) Harrell <Incog3678@aol.com>

====================================================================