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MOSES BUSBEE
From the 1887 History
of Vernon County, Missouri, p.
460
Moses Busbee
(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Section 26, Post-office, Eldorado Springs).
To attempt to write a historical sketch of this portion of Vernon county
without mention of the life of this esteemed and popular man would be
almost impossible, for while a large landholder and well known in
material affairs, by his conduct as an intelligent, upright and true
Christian citizen he has gained a host of acquaintances whose friendship
for him is of the highest and most commendable type. Moses Busbee was
born July 27, 1837, in Ripley county, Ind., his parents having been born
in North Carolina, where they were married. Ezekiel Busbee was born
about 1800, and his wife, formerly Judah Jones, in 1808. In 1834 they
moved to Ripley county, Ind., and about 1845 to Randolph county, Ark.,
where their remaining days were passed, they dying in the triumphant
faith of the Baptist Church, which they had joined in early life. Four
of their six children were born in North Carolina and the two younger in
Ripley county. Their names and date of birth were, Barney, 1827;
Charity, 1829; Daniel, 1831; George, 1833; James 1835; and Moses already
referred to. The latter was a lad some eight years old when the family
arrived in Arkansas, and there he remained three or four years, going
thence with a brother to join an older brother in Missouri. After
stopping a short time near Springfield, they came to Bates (now Vernon)
county in 1848 and stayed until 1853. Young Moses, still in his teens,
then fell a victim to the gold fever and soon started overland for
California, which he reached October 3, 1853. After spending a few
months on the San Joaquin river, he went near San Jose, St. Clair
county, farmed a year or two and then engaged in mining with excellent
success, his earnings reaching upwards of $500 weekly. Failing health
finally compelled him to seek other fields, and so in the summer of 1857
he started home, taking passage on the ill-fated steamer, Illinois,
which was wrecked off the coast of Cuba. With others, Mr. Busbee was
taken off by a Spanish man-of-war to Havana, Cuba, and remained under
the protection of the American Consul until securing ship to New York,
from whence he started home. At Jefferson City he purchased a horse and
then proceeded towards Vernon county, where he finally arrived, settling
on sections 25 and 26, where he still resides, owning 220 acres of
finely located, rich, productive soil, unexcelled for general farming
and stock purposes. All of section 13 also belongs to him. March 4,
1858, Mr. Busbee was married to Miss Ester E. Drinnen, of Tennessee
nativity, born March 31, 1831, the daughter of Lawrence and Betsey
(McDaniel) Drinnen, the former born in 1801 and the latter in 1808. Mr.
B. and wife have five children: William A., born January 8, 1860; Sarah
F., born July 14, 1861; Martha, born July 12, 1864; Charles B., born
December 18, 1866; and Rhoda, born August 26, 1869. This family is one
of the most intelligent and among the best educated within the entire
county, Mr. Busbee having spared no pains of expense in order to avail
his children of the best opportunities for acquiring learning. For
several years he resided at Bolivar, Polk county, Mo., for the express
purpose of allowing them to receive every advantage to be secured from
the Southwestern Baptist College at that place, an institution of
recognized merit; and it is but the truth to say that none of those
opportunities have been improved. For over thirty years Mr. and Mrs.
Busbee have been warm consistent members of the Baptist Church, striving
always to promote the growth and spirituality of the
denomination. Politically he is a Republican.
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