The Livingston Family of Overton County

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Biography of Thomas Livingston

(Source: A Reminiscent History of the Ozark Region: comprising a condensed general history, a brief descriptive history of each county, and numerous biographical sketches of prominent citizens of such counties. Chicago: Goodspeed Brothers Publishers. 1894. Click here to view original transcription at Access Genealogy.)

THOMAS LIVINGSTON, one of the prominent pioneers of southwest Missouri, is now a resident of Falling Spring, Douglas County, Missouri, where he has won the respect and esteem of all by his upright, honorable career.

He is a son of the Hoosier State, but his parents, Peter and Martha (Cravens) Livingston, are natives of Virginia and North Carolina, respectively. His paternal grand-parents, Henry and Susan (Carmack) Livingston, were natives of Virginia, and she was taken prisoner by the Indians, although soon afterward recaptured. Henry Livingston was a soldier in the Revolutionary War. The Livingston family moved to Overton County, Tennessee, at an early day, and the father of our subject moved from there to Indiana, where Thomas was born April 2, 1831. Later the father moved back to Tennessee, and there our subject grew to manhood. In 1867 the father came to Missouri and located in Howell County, where he remained a short time. He followed farming until his death, which occurred in Benton County, Arkansas, in 1878. His wife was a native of North Carolina, as before stated, and the daughter of Joseph and Mary Cravens, who died in Tennessee. Her death occurred in Douglas County, Missouri, in 1887. To this worthy couple were born nine children: Sarah, Susan, Matilda, Thomas, Mary J., Martha, Nancy, James and Angeline. Of these children only Thomas, Martha and Sarah are now living. Martha is the wife of David Smith, and Sarah is single. The mother of these children was a devout member of the Baptist Church.

Thomas Livingston came to Missouri in 1855, and located in Hutton Valley, Howell County, where he took up a farm five miles south of Willow Springs. There he resided until 1861, when he went to Indiana and remained there until after the war. He then returned to Howell County, remained there until 1871, and then came to Douglas County, locating on Fox Creek where he bought a farm one mile south of where he now lives. Mr. Livingston was married in Howell County to Miss Susan J. Alsup, a native of Greene County, Missouri, born November 13, 1838, and the daughter of Benjamin and Nancy (Thomas) Alsup, both natives of Tennessee. About 1835 Mr. and Mrs. Alsup came to Greene County, Missouri, but later moved to Howell County and thence to Douglas County in 1871, locating on Fox Creek. Mrs. Alsup died in Greene County in 1862, and her husband in Benton County, Arkansas, in 1879. In 1862 Mr. Alsup was taken prisoner by the Confederates and held for three years, three months and twenty days, in Southern prisons. He was not in service, and was taken prisoner at his home in Howell County. To his marriage were born the following children: John William, Zachariah, Susan, Sarah, Elsie and Thomas, all deceased except Zachariah, Susan and Sarah. Mr. Alsup held to the principles of the Republican party. He was county judge of Howell County for two terms, and also represented both Howell and Douglas Counties in the Legislature. He was a man of education, and was prominent in all public enterprises.

To our subject and wife were born ten children, viz.: Sarah died young; James, single, died in 1889, Z. T., married and resides on the old home farm; John, single and a carpenter, resides in the State of Washington; Nancy is the wife of William M. Greene of Douglas County; Martha is the wife of Monroe Elmore of this county; Cynthia died when fifteen years of age; William, single, is at home; Henry C., at home; and Alice, who died when nineteen months old. Mr. and Mrs. Livingston are living on the old home place of Benjamin Alsup. Aside from farming Mr. Livingston is also engaged in stockraising. He is a Republican in politics, and has ever been an active worker for his party. He is post-master at Falling Springs, and is one of the representative men of the county. His farm is on Fox Creek, and is one of the best in his section.