bio-Fore

BIOGRAPHIES: surnamed FORE

CHARLES A. FORE (DECEASED). Linneus and Lotus Creek Township

The thirteenth bone fide settler in Linn county was the gentleman above named, who came to the county in the year 1839 with his brother Silas, and located in Lotus Creek township. Charles Anderson Fore was born in Prince Edward county, Virginia, September 9, 1814. In 1831 he came to Chariton county and eight years later, as before stated, removed to Linn. By the provisions of the act of the legislature organizing this county the first term of the County Court was held at Silas Fore’s and met in M.F.’s blacksmith shop. Charles A. Fore took a prominent part in the early settlement of the county as was well known throughout its borders till the day of his death. When he first came he was twenty-five years of age, and an admirable specimen of strong and vigorous manhood. The country was full of game and he was a great hunter.

Mr. Fore’s adventures as a hunter and a pioneer would fill a volume. Two of his adventures are given as samples of his experiences. On one occasion he and his brother Silas went bee hunting over on Turkey Creek. Mr. Fore had with him a bull-dog, a savage animal, but one that obeyed him implicitly. On the flat along Turkey Creek the dog started a large panther. The animal ran past Mr. Fore and a few yards away sprang up a tree some feet from the ground. The dog pursued the panther and caught it by one of hits hams, preventing it from ascending the tree any higher. Mr. Fore caught up a heavy walnut club and, running up, dealt it a few powerful blows, felling the ferocious animal to the ground and killed it. Fearful that the panther’s mate was in the vicinity, and not caring to risk another encounter he called his brother to come with his gun. The latter came but no other panther, and the bee hunt was soon resumed. The panther measured nine feet in length.

At another time Mr. Fore was hunting down on Elk Branch in the vicinity of where the city of Brookfield now stands. He sighted a large bull elk. Hiding in the tall grass he leveled his rifle at the huge monster and fired. The ball hit is mark but did not fatally wound the animal, which retreated, keeping hid in the grass, loading his gun as he ran, and gained a position behind a gopher hill. He again fired and hit the animal. Again the elk charged and again Mr. Fore retreated, gained another cover and fired. After repeating this operation two or three times he at last had the satisfaction of seeing his game stagger and fall to the earth dead. Only the high grass and his coolness and courage saved Mr. Fore’s life, for had the elk caught him it would either have impaled him with its formidable antlers or crushed him to death under its powerful hoofs.

Mr. Fore took part in an expedition to the north part of the county to rescue Holland’s daughter from the Indians (as was supposed). This incident is given elsewhere in this volume, and narrates how the young lady was terrified at the sight of some friendly Indians sharpening their hunting knives on her father’s grindstone. She fled to the woods to save her life, as she thought, was found by the Indians, who took her to their camp and restored her safe and sound to her friend.

September 18, 1839, Mr. Fore married Miss Mary Lane; she died December 8, 1859. He married Mrs. Minerva Baker, May 3, 1860. By his first marriage Mr. Fore became the father of five children; viz., Mary Catharine, now the wife of William Ashbrook; David William; James Henry; Susan Jane, and Ann Eliza. Susan Jane died April 23, 1854. No children were born of the second marriage.

Mr. Fore did a great deal of business for the public during his lifetime. For about twenty years he officiated as a magistrate; was deputy sheriff for a number of years and filled various other positions, all with credit to himself and to the general satisfaction of the people. He was a man universally esteemed--- genial, warm-hearted, hospitable, and public spirited. He was of fine imposing appearance, and of commanding presence, of dignified demeanor in his latter days, and always a choice specimen of noble manhood.

On the ninth of August, 1881, Charles A. Fore departed this life full of years and not afraid to die. His remains were laid away in the Fore burying-ground where they rest well. He was a consistent member of the Baptist Church and belonged to the order of Odd Fellows. The latter organization passed appropriate and highly eulogist resolutions as a tribute to his memory, and the entire community deplored his loss, although he had live out nearly the allotted time to good men.

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CHARLES JAMES FORE Clay Township

was born in Cumberland county, Virginia, September 16, 1823. His father’s name was Silas Fore, and his mother’s name Sarah C. (Morse) Fore, the name and ancestry being of French origin. When Charles was one year old, his parents moved to Prince Edward county, and there continued till 1834, when the family numbering seven white members and three slaves, came to this State, and stopped in Chariton county, till the elder Fore had found a permanent location. The latter entered a tract of land two and a half miles north of the present site of Linneus, to which he moved his family in the fall of 1834. There Charles grew up and received such an education as those primitive days afforded. On starting in life for himself he became a farmer, and has followed that calling the greater part of his life. He was also possessed of considerable mechanical ability, and sometimes worked at the carpenter and wheelwright trades. In 1867 he moved on a farm he had bought in Clay township, and lived there till June, 1881, when he moved to Eversonville, having formed a mercantile partnership with Mr. Brinkley. Mr. Fore was married October 13, 1848m ti Nuss Abb Elizabeth Willis, daughter of Richard Wills, of Kentucky. They have had twelve children, nine of whom survive at this writing. Mr. Fore and wife belong to the Christain Church. Politically he was formerly a Whig, but is now an ardent Greenbacker. He is one of the oldest settlers still living in Linn, having spent nearly half a century in this county.

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PETER T. FORE Grantsville Township

The subject of this sketch was born in Virginia on the fourteenth of June, 1837. He is the fourth son and fifth child of P. M. and Sarah (Galoway) Fore, both natives of Virginia, who were married in that State and had a family of eight children. The mother was born in 1806, and died December 25, 1871. The father was born October 11, 1796, and is still living in his declining years in Grantsville township, Linn county. Peter was still an infant when his parents emigrated to Missouri and settled in this county, in the township above mentioned. He acquired his education in Linn county, working on the farm in summer, and attending school in winter, and remained with his parents till he was about sixteen years old. In the spring of 1853, Mr. Fore made a trip to California, where he spent about nine years, during which time he was engaged in stock-herding, mining and running a butcher’s stand. Returning to his Missouri home in 1859, he gave his attention to farming and stock-raising.

Mr. Fore was united in marriage, by Rev. A. Martin, December 11, 1862, with Miss Mildred E. Brown, a native of Linn county, and a daughter of Thirza Brown.

Mrs. Fore’s father was born in Howard county, this State, September 25, 1821, and settled in Grantsville township, Linn county, in February, 1842. He was married to Thirza Jones on the eighteenth of February, 1841. The latter was born in Sangamon county, Illinois, August 24, 1881.

After his marriage, Mr. Fore devoted himself to farming and the stock business, and in the year 1864, made a trip to Utah with a drove of cattle. Mr. and Mrs. Fore are the parents of eleven children, eight of whom still survive. Their names here given in order of birth: Florence, Anna, Olive, Cella R., Littleton, Thomas P., Thirza, Henry, Alla, James, and Mabel. The first three of these children are dead.

Mr. Fore owns a good farm of two hundred and forty acres of fine land in Grantsville township. He is industrious, energetic, and persevering, and few men manage their farms more successfully than Peter T. Fore.

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