A history of Northwest Missouri will best fulfill its purposes which preserves in enduring record the largest number of careers of those men who, as pioneers, as men of strong bodies and courageous spirits, laid the foundations of the solid prosperity and affluence which this country has in recent years enjoyed as a harvest of early toil and hardship. Perhaps no family in Northwest Missouri has a better place in this record, not only through the pioneer labors of an earlier generation, but through the continued work and influence of succeeding generations, than that of PRICE. The above named is a living representative of the family, prominent as a business man at Albany, in which section of the state his family was established nearly seventy years ago.

In order to give a connected account of this important family, it will be appropriate to begin with the earliest generation. The head of this generation was Peter PRICE, who was a German, and the German language was always spoken in his home. He was born in Rockingham County, Virginia, and was a farmer by occupation. About the opening of the nineteenth century he moved his family into the Miami Valley of Ohio. During his residence there an incident occurred which will always be of interest to his posterity. One day he was hunting in the wilderness where the only living creatures were wild game and Indians. Two Indians met him, accosted him and tried to bargain for his gun. Divining their purpose he declined to part with his rifle, but finally agreed to accompany the Indians to their wigwam. The red men tried to persuade their white companion to lead the way, but he was too wary to be caught in such a trap, and told them that as they knew the path and he did not it was his part to follow. Thus in single file, the Indians preceding, they moved along for some distance, and Price keeping a close watch upon every movement of the Indians. When the Indians took their guns from their shoulders he did likewise. Suddenly the Indians came to an abrupt turn in the path, and the one in the rear quickly wheeled and aimed at Mr. PRICE. He had seen his enemy's first movement of hostility and the bullet from his rifle crashed through the hostile's head, and hardly had the treacherous red man fallen when PRICE jumped across his body and struck his companion with the barrel of his gun, disabled him, and then retreated rapidly to his camp, gathered the family and household goods together, and returned to the block house, which had been built for the protection of the frontiersmen in that neighborhood.

Some time later Peter PRICE moved from Ohio into Kentucky and later came up the valley of the Wabash into Vigo County, Indiana, and later to Morgan County, Illinois, where it is believed he died. His wife preceded him in death many years. Her name was Mary WILLIAMS, and she was also of German stock. Some mention of their family of children is as follows: Mary, who married Robert MILLER, and Sarah, who married Aaron HATFIELD, both spent their lives in Illinois, in Coles and Tazewell counties; Michael went west and settled in Iowa; Henry died in Indiana; Peter, Jr., died in Gentry County; and David and John both died near Russellville, Illinois.

It was Peter RICE, Jr., son of the Ohio pioneer above sketched, who founded the PRICE name and fortunes in Northwest Missouri in Gentry County. Peter PRICE, Jr., had an even more interesting and remarkable career than his father. He was born April 2, 1794, probably in Virginia, grew up in Ohio and Kentucky and also lived several years near Terre Haute, Indiana, in Vigo County, where, about 1810 he married Nancy RECTOR, who was born in Powell's Valley, Claiborne County, Tennessee, a daughter of George RECTOR, who was one of the pioneers near Terre Haute, Indiana. From Vigo County Peter PRICE and wife moved to Morgan County, Illinois. About the time of the opening of the Platte Purchase in Northwest Missouri in 1837, Peter PRICE started for the new country, and after a journey which was without special incident arrived in Buchanan County, where he found Joseph ROBIDOUX, whose trading post was the only conspicuous habitation along the Missouri River, and the nucleus of what has since become the City of St. Joseph, named in honor of Joseph ROBIDOUX. Peter PRICE located about six miles southeast of the St. Joseph Union Station on a farm which is now owned by the BEARDSLEY heirs. His home was a busy place where the arts necessary to carry on the business of his plantation were followed, and all his work was done with free labor. During his residence in Buchanan County he served in the office of justice of the peace.

In 1846 Peter PRICE moved from Buchanan County to Gentry County, establishing a home just southeast of Evona. There he entered some land, purchased more, and during the rest of his life was busy raising grain and stock and was an interested participant in the gradual development following the settlement of a new country. Peter PRICE was nearly seventy-nine years of age when he passed away in 1872. His wife died just eleven days before him, and she was two years his junior. During the late '50s Peter PRICE served as county judge of Gentry County, and was on the bench when the two murderers, Milligan and Kessler, were hanged by a mob. His political affiliation was with the democratic party until the war, and its event made him a republican. He was an active member of the Christian Church, and in every direction his life was spent vigorously and influentially. When a young man he had served as a volunteer in the army of General HARRISON during the War of 1812, and for this service was granted a land warrant which, was laid in Gentry County.

The children of Peter PRICE and wife were: David, who died in Buchanan County, is buried in the South St. Joseph Cemetery; John, who died in Sonoma County, California, crossed the plains in 1850, was a miner and then a farmer and lived in the West until his death; George W., who spent his active career as a farmer in Gentry County, was a soldier during the Mexican war and a member of a militia company during the Civil war; Michael is the subject of the following paragraph; Phoebe married Benjamin SAMPSON, and died near Albany, leaving a family; Deborah became the wife of Andrew J. GALLOWAY, and died in Sonoma County, California; James M., who died near Wallace, Missouri, in 1912, also crossed the plains in the early days to California, was a gold digger and timber man in the Napa Valley, returning to the states in 1853; Sarah A. married Robert A. MILLER and died in Sonoma County, California; Nancy, who died in Albany, married William QUIGLEY, a veteran of the Civil war; Henry C., who is now a retired farmer, went out to California in 1859, was a stock herder and later engaged in "packing" from Sonoma County into Idaho, and returned to Missouri in 1865 by way of the Isthmus of Panama.

Michael PRICE, whose name stands at the head of the next generation, and who was the father of Aseph Butler PRICE, was born while his parents lived in Vigo County, Indiana, was a boy of thirteen or fourteen when his father moved out to Missouri, and was in his young man hood when the family settled in Gentry County. Not long afterwards he enlisted for service in the Mexican war, went with a regiment of Missourians to New Mexico and was one of the principal participants in the trouble with the Mexicans at Taos, where he was selected as an arbiter to settle the difficulties peaceably, but the Mexicans rose in arms anct then ensued the battle in which they were defeated at Taos. Not long after the Mexican war Michael PRICE became one of the California forty-niners, following the Platte River and thence across the Rocky Mountains to California, and engaged in mining in the Truckee River Valley, and remained on the west coast until February, 1853. His return to the states was made by way of Panama, thence to New York, by railroad to Cincinnati, and by boat down the Ohio and up the Mississippi and Missouri to St. Joseph. He landed at Weston, and made his way to Gentry County by stage. During the Civil war he also saw service in the closing years of that struggle, and after that conflict was settled he returned to his farm and lived five miles southeast of Albany, which place was his homestead from 1854 until his death in 1894 at the age of seventy. Though a republican voter, he was never active in politics, belonged to no church, and by the quiet and efficient discharge of his private responsibilities was a more than ordinary factor in his community. He was married to Clarinda BUTLER, daughter of Aseph BUTLER. She was born near Blackhawk, Illinois, and died at Albany in 1911 at the age of seventy-eight. Their children were: Bolivar and Clemence, both deceased; Aseph Butler; Mrs. Florence ROURKE, of Lamar, Colorado; Rector, a farmer in Gentry County; Mrs. J. B. FOSTER and Miss Ella PRICE, both of whom live in Albany; and Roscoe C., of Chicago.

Aseph Butler PRICE was born in Gentry County, Missouri, August 7, 1862, grew up on the home farm near Albany, had his education in the country schools, and after reaching his majority left the farm, but still claims to be a farmer, although some twenty years have been spent in merchandising at Albany. He first established himself in business as a meat dealer, enlarged his line to include groceries, and finally developed the principal Albany store in the handling of dry goods, clothing and ready-to-wear garments. Mr. PRICE has been active in local affairs, served as a member of the Albany school board, is treasurer of Palmer College and president of the Carnegie library board. In practical politics he takes little interest, and votes the republican ticket in national affairs.

Mr. PRICE was married February 7, 1884, in Gentry County to Miss Emma C. DUNCAN. Her father, J. W. DUNCAN, was one of the pioneers of Gentry County and came from Kentucky, marrying Mary Anne WOOD, of Platte County, Missouri. Mr. DUNCAN saw service during the Mexican war and was also a veteran of the Civil war. Mrs. PRICE was one of ten children. The children of Mr. and Mrs. PRICE are: Hershel D., a clothing merchant at Mount Ayr, Iowa; Garvin B., a clothing merchant at Leon, Iowa, and who married Blondina DALBEY; Loren Wood, who is associated with his father in business; Mary Clarinda; and James Michael.

SOURCE: WILLIAMS, Walter. A History of Northwest Missouri Vol. II. Pp. 1207-10. Lewis Publ. Co. Chicago. 1918.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, June of 2009