MACHIR T. JANUARY

From the 1887 History of Vernon County, Missouri, p. 650-651:

M. T. January

(Of Kimball & January, Attorneys at Law).

  Mr. January is a worthy representative of one of the most esteemed men that ever lived in St. Louis county, Mo.  Thomas Thruston January, his father, born May 31, 1809, in Maysville, Ky., was a son of Thomas January, a Virginian by birth, whose wife, formerly Mary B. Thruston, also came originally from the same State.  The Thrustons were active participants in the Revolutionary War on the side of the patriots.  Young Thomas T. January received a liberal education in growing up and graduated at the Transylvania University.  In 1828 he embarked in general merchandising as clerk in a store at Cynthiana, Ky., removed in 1832 to Jacksonville, Ill., resided there as a merchant for six years, and in 1837-38 he built the first railroad ever in the State of Illinois -- the Meredosia and Springfield Railroad.  Locating at St. Louis in 1840, he carried on a wholesale grocery business two years, after which he settled upon a fine farm in St. Louis county, where he resided engaged in agriculture and the breeding of blooded stock until his death in March, 1886.  He was the first treasurer of St. Louis county under the separate organization, appointed in 1877, and also filled other positions of honor and trust.  In 1834 he married Miss Maria Machir, of Mason county, Ky., and to them 10 children were born of whom M. T., the subject of this sketch, was the seventh.  Thomas T. January occupied a high position for energy, integrity and business rectitude and his death was sincerely mourned.  M. T. January was reared in the county of St. Louis and obtained his education at Racine College, Racine, Wis.  Following this he attended the St. Louis Law School and during the summer of 1880 he was admitted to the bar immediately after which he came to this county and located in practice at Nevada.  For the first two years he was associated with A. J. Smith, but since then he has prosecuted his professional practice in connection with Mr. E. E. Kimball under the firm name of Kimball & January.  Though not yet 30 years of age, having been born March 5, 1857, in St. Louis county, Mr. January has already reached a position of creditable prominence among other professional men.  Unassuming in his demeanor, he has attended closely to the chosen channels of his calling, and in all his business relations has met with good success.  March 15, 1883, he married Miss Jeannie Thornburgh, of St. Louis, whose father, Josiah Thornburgh, a native of Virginia, was for many years and until his death clerk of the Supreme Court at St. Louis.  Mr. and  Mrs. January have two children, Joe T. and George Baird.

[Transcribed by Marty Patton]

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