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ALBERT SIDNEY McLINN. Diversified farming is essential to profitable production and maintenance of soil fertility, but it is necessary to specialize on something to secure a superior standard of excellence. A well-diversified farm will have the customary crops that are grown in the locality, together with the usual farm animals, and some one crop or some one kind of animals should be singled out as a specialty, or the farmer should give his close attention to some phase of endeavor more than others. Albert Sidney McLinn, one of the most progressive general farmers of Murray township, Greene county, has succeeded in a general way, but has made a specialty of dealing in livestock, for some time feeding, buying and shipping, and is one of the best-known stock men in the northern part of the county.
Mr. McLinn was born in Washington county, Tennessee, March 31, 1862. He is a son of Robert Alexander McLinn and Margaret Caroline (Seehorn) McLinn, and a grandson of William Richard McLinn, who was a native of Tennessee, and whose father was a native of Ireland, from which country he immigrated to the United States in old Colonial days, and from him descended the present numerous McLinn family. Robert A. McLinn, father of our subject, was born in Washington county, Tennessee, in 1827, and he spent his life within one-fourth of a mile of the old homestead there. He was a farmer and stock trader, bought and shipped mules, cattle and hogs. He was a man, of prominence in his community and was a leader in Democratic politics. He served one term as judge of the county court. He was a member of the Presbyterian church, in which he was an elder for a number of years, and he took a very active part in church work. His wife was also a native of Washington county, Tennessee, was a member of the same church and was active in church and Sunday school work. His death occurred on October 18, 1895, she having preceded him to the grave on August 16, 1880. They were the parents of nine children, namely: William Richard, deceased; Mrs. Mary Ida Sellers lives on the old homestead in Tennessee; Mrs. Anna Cordelia Robinson lives in Lockney, Texas; Albert S., of this review; Luella McLinn died in Ft. Worth, Texas; James Alexander also lives in Ft. Worth, Texas; Charles Seehorn lives in Galveston, Texas, and was in the great flood there in September, 1901; Mrs. Ada Jane Moore lives in Telford, Tennessee; and Benjamin Franklin is deceased.
It is worthy of note that Washington College, in Washington county, Tennessee, was founded by James McLinn and was long supported and managed by the McLinns, who were near relatives of our subject's father.
Albert S. McLinn grew to manhood on the home farm in Tennessee, and there assisted with the work when a boy, and received a good education in the home schools. He remained in his native county until May 10, 1881, when he left his native state and crossed the Cumberland mountains alone, carrying his clothes in a pillow-case. He was employed by a man named Day at Jackson, Breathitt county, Kentucky, and helped surveya railroad in the Cumberland mountains under Captain Kelton, who surveyed and built the Frisco railroad through Willard, Greene county, the road being known as the Bolivar branch, terminating at the county-seat of Polk county, until it was built on north many years later to connect the Blair line at Osceola. He also attended school at Hazelgreen, that state, for three years, the town being at that time about one hundred miles from a railroad. Coming to Missouri, in 1884, he worked under Captain Kelton at St. Louis. Mr. McLinn located in the vicinity of Cave Spring, Greene county, on rented land, bought a team and began general farming, and has lived in this locality ever since. In 1896 he purchased eighty acres, in Murray township, on which he resided until 1900, then sold out and rented the Spencer Watson farm of forty acres and the Wesley Wadlow farm of one -hundred and fifty-three acres together and lived there until 1903, when he moved to the old homestead residence of Wesley Wadlow, whose widow still lived on the place, and after her death Mr. McLinn purchased the interests of the other heirs, in 1909, and here he still resides, now owning one hundred and ninety-seven acres of good land, on which he has made many important improvements, and carries on general farming and stock raising, handling large numbers of mules, cattle and hogs annually. During the winter months he buys, trades and ships live stock, and usually feeds a large herd of cattle and hogs. He has erected on his place a modern barn and silo and other substantial buildings, and his place, which is known as the "Side View Farm," is one of the best appearing and valuable in the township. Twenty-five acres of his land has been set to apples, principally the Ben Davis variety, and he devotes considerable attention to the same, and in favorable years this nets him a neat income. The, farm is well located; public roads run past three sides of his farm and one passes through the place.
Mr. McLinn was married, first, on October 21, 1886, to Rachel Wilson, a native of Greene county, who died in 1900, leaving three children, namely: John Herman, who married Barbara Lee Kime, of Willard, lives on a farm in Murray township; Jessie Leona, who married Clarence Gorsuch, lives in Lamar, Missouri; Gladys Lucile lives at home.
On May 2,1903, our subject married Lillie D. Wadlow, and two children have been born to this union, namely: Robert Wesley and Mary Margaret. Mrs. McLinn was born and reared near Willard, this county, and was educated in the local schools. She is a daughter of John Wesley Wadlow, who was born in Washington county, Virginia, now a part of West Virginia,, December 17, 1797, and there he spent his early boyhood, immigrating from Tennessee to Greene county, Missouri, about 1835, and settling twelve miles northwest of Springfield. On July 24, 1837, he married Mary Hastings, and to them seven children were born, namely: Alzirah Jane, deceased; Mary Louisa, living; Sarah Ann, Margaret Elizabeth, Martha Agnes, Matilda Caroline and John W. are all deceased. Mary Hastings was born on January 27, 1820, and her death occurred on December 12, 1854. On November 29, 1858, John W. Wadlow married Mary Ann Lethco, a native of Greene county, and seven children were also born to this union, namely: Joanna, Susan Arbell, Charles F., George W. and Dora Emma were twins; Laura May is deceased; and Lillie Daisy, wife of our subject, is the. youngest of the family. The death of the mother of these children occurred on March 13, 1909. Cyrus Cunningham, grandfather of the wife of our subject was a soldier in the Revolutionary war.
John W. Wadlow was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, and he gave a tract of land on which was built the Wesley chapel, of this township, and he also donated ground for a cemetery, and in this he was finally laid to rest at. the advanced age of ninety-two years, after a long, useful and honest life, replete with kindness, good deeds and blessings to others. In his early days he taught school, and was justice of the peace in Greene county for many years. He was a typical pioneer. He entered land from the government in Virginia, and from that state moved to Tennessee with his parents, John Wesley Wadlow and Marv (Kenold) Wadlow, and received his education. He was a Democrat, was a well read and influential man and was a hard-working, successful farmer, and by his thrift and good management accumulated a comfortable competence. He remained vigorous in his old age and was able to do a great deal of work up to the last. His wife, Mary Ann Lethco, was born on March 28, 1829, in Richland county, North Carolina, and when twelve years of age she made the long overland journey from that remote section of Dixie land to Greene county, Missouri, the family locating near Ebenezer, in Robberson township. Her death occurred at the age of seventy-nine years. She was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, at Wesley chapel and Willard, holding membership in this denomination over sixty years.
Mr. McLinn, our subject, made a trip to Tennessee with his family in 1905 and attended a reunion of the McLinns, a large number of whom still reside in Washington county. He has many valuable heirlooms, such as old gold and silver pocket-pieces, bed-spreads, table-cloths of fine linen, and many other things, all of which he highly prizes.
Politically, Mr. McLinn is a Democrat, but has never cared for an active public life. He is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, South, at Willard, to which his wife also belongs, and they both take an active interest in church and Sunday school work, the missionary society and the young people's meetings. They are advocates of all good things for their community, and the general welfare of the township and county, being broad-minded, well-read and neighborly.
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