A. J. Roof Past and Present of Livingston County, Missouri

Annotation

Whilst the greatest effort has been made to ensure the quality of this text, due to the historical nature of this content, in some rare cases there may be minor issues with legibility. A great author once penned these words: Real lives are lived not written. To these words the author of this volume must take exceptions. Is it not true that the lives of many of the greatest men of this earth have passed into oblivion for the want of some historian to record their deeds? The written life will live forever, whether it be splendidly penned with glowing and thrilling rhetoric or lacking in the fire and spirit of the chronicler or annalist.<br><br>It is much to be regretted that the compiler of this volume could not have been given more time in the preparation of the work; nevertheless, it will be found worthy of perusal and preservation for present and future generations. To collect the necessary data from the various sections of the county, pioneer residents, old musty memorandas, shop-worn county records and old histories have been consulted, while not a few former residents, including the Hon. Luther T. Collier, now of Kansas City, Dr. Clayton Keith of Louisiana, Missouri, together with the historical, agricultural, horticultural, and in fact all societies of the state have been appealed to in supplying data. In the preparation of the work the author has become convinced of the fact that in the paternal relationship of township, county and state with the national government there is established a quasi-fatherly relation to the people, involving strict and intimate supervision of their business concerns upon the theory that they are incapable of managing their own affairs. This is paternalism as defined and outlined by the late Professor Porter of Yale University and makes us - the township, county and state - the offspring, or figuratively speaking, the State of Missouri the child, the counties within the state the grandchildren and the several townships the great grandchildren of our quasi-father, - the national government.