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Abel James Van Meter
A J Van Meter, one of the wealthiest and most
popular farmers of Saline County, is the subject of this sketch. He was
born in Virginia in 1834, and was the son of Abraham and Elizabeth (Parsons)
Vanmeter. The mother was born in Hampshire County, Va., and died at her
home in the year 1863. The father of our subject was born in Hardy County,
Va., in 1785. Grandfather Joseph Van Meter was a soldier under Washington,
and with his son, the father of our subject, served through he War of
1812. The name of the grandmother was Hannah Inskip.
The father of our subject came to Saline County in 1835, and
located in the southern part, where he rented a small tract of land. He
remained on this but a short time, and then removed to Miami Township, where he
remained up to the time of his death. After coming to this State, he was
obliged to make a home in a dugout until he could build a log cabin. He
was a successful farmer and accumulated a large amount of land. In
religious belief, he was a devoted member of the Methodist Episcopal Church
South, which he joined in Virginia. In his political faith, he was a
strong supporter of Democracy. His death occurred in 1866.
Our subject is one of a family of five children, but only two
of these are now living. Davis P. was born in Hardy County, Va., married
Miss M. F. Nye, and resided in Saline County until the time of his death, which occurred
in 1884; he had been a successful farmer. Mary C., who was born in
Hampshire County, Va., married J. P. Henning, and resided in Missouri until
1850, when she and her husband removed to California, where he engaged in the
fruit business. Rebecca A., a native of the Old Dominion, married Joseph
D. Proper, and they resided in Saline County until the time of his death in
1865.
At Lexington University, our subject carried on his literary
studies for a time, and since leaving school has by close observation and
reading attained an extended knowledge and broad culture. At the end of sixteen
years, he commenced farming, his first efforts being upon eighty acres of land
obtained from the Government. This was located in Miami Township, which
was at that time in a wild condition. In 1874, Mr. Vanmeter married Miss
Christina A. Nye, a native of Ohio and a daughter of George Nye. She died
in 1883, and in 1886 our subject married Miss Anna M., daughter of Charles
Pittman.
Working hard, our subject soon saw the results in his
cultivated land, fenced and planted with trees, and in the neat buildings which
soon arose on the prairie. Before long he was able to add to his farm one
hundred and sixty acres on section 33, for which he paid $10 per acre, and he
has continued to add to this until he has now a fine farm of twenty-six hundred
acres, which is valued at about $20 per acre. The home of Mr. Vanmeter is
a modern two-story house of eleven rooms, which cost him $1,600, and his fine
outbuildings, almost all built by himself, cost $5,000. The gross receipts
from his farm amount to $6,000 per year. The crops which he finds most
profitable are wheat and corn.
Nr. Vanmeter has made a success of breeding fine cattle, particularly
Durhams. He also has some fine horses, among them an "Almont"
stallion worth $500, and also a sorrel five-year-old, which he values at
$500. Politically, Mr. Vanmeter is a Democrat and has always been very
actively interested in the affairs of his party, although he has never aspired
to any official position. He is one of the wealthiest men in Saline
County, has hosts of friends and is universally esteemed.
From: Portrait and
Biographical Record of Lafayette and Saline Counties, Missouri,; Published by
Chapman Publishing Co., Chicago, IL, 1893, 648 pages.
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