Judge COLLISON
Judge COLLISON, member of the Holt Co. court, has displayed
his superior judgement and business capacity to advantage. He
was born in London, England on Aug. 15, 1831 and was raised in
that city. His parents died when he was very young and he lived
with an uncle. At age 15 he became an apprentice to the boot and
shoe business. These circumstances gave him little opportunity
to attend school; his education was acquired mostly at night schools
and similar agencies in London while he was serving as an apprentice.
After learning the trade, he opened his own boot and shoe store
in London which he operated until 1855. In 1854, he was married
in London to Mary Ann RAWLINGS.
He emigrated to America in 1856 and came directly to the West
from New York City with the intent of finding a suitable location
to begin farming. After traveling over Nebraska, he established
a boot and shoe business at Forest City, Holt Co., Mo. where he
resided until 1864. In that year, he moved to a farm in Whig Valley
(some two miles southwest of the present town of Maitland) and
has since lived in that part of the county.
In London, Judge COLLISON was a member of the old Chartist
organization, a society for the dissemination of Republican doctrines
among the English people. His sympathies were strongly in favor
of a republic, and this formed one of the reasons for his emigration
to America. He has become a member of the Republican party. He
was first elected a member of the Holt Co. court in 1870 and was
re-elected in 1876. Since 1874, he has been presiding judge and
has greatly contributed to the successful administration of County
affairs.