THE LIGGETT FAMILY

        William H, Liggett was an important early citizen of Hickory County. He was appointed clerk of the circuit court and ex-officio recorder on June 1, 1862, serving in this capacity until January 1, 1867. In 1867 the county's probate court was re-established by an Act of the legislature and on July 23, 1867, William H. Liggett was appointed judge of the court. He was elected to this office on November 3, 1868, and was re-elected several times, serving until January 1, 1879. William H. Liggett was one of the original organizers of the Hickory County Bank, which opened January 26, 1889 in Hermitage. It was moved to Wheatland and reopened in April 1894 in a "splendid, new two-story brick building, which stood East of the public square." This building burned, but a new one was soon built. The bank presidency was passed from William H. Liggett to his son, Henry Paxton Liggett, before 1907. [source: Wilson's History of Hickory County, 1907.]

In addition to the details above, Wilson's History includes the following detailed biography of William H. Liggett and his family:

    William H. Liggett was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, Mar. 14, 1831, and died in Hickory county, Mo., Dec. 20, 1901, and is buried in the cemetery near Hermitage, which was deeded by him for the benefit of the town and vicinity. Mr. Liggett's father, William Liggett, was born in Pennsylvania, Oct. 5, 1795, and died in Ohio, July 4, 1874. The mother, Nancy Vincent-Liggett, also was born in Pennsylvania, Feb. 9, 1797, and died in Sept. 1851, in Ohio. They married in their native state and became the parents of eight children. The Grandfather of William H. Liggett, Alexander Liggett, was born in Pennsylvania, Oct. 4, 1775, and died in his native state in 1866. The Grandmother, Isabella McCoy-Liggett, was born Sept. 19, 1771, and died in 1841, in her native state. They were married Jan. 5, 1795. Mr. Liggett was a teacher in the schools of Iowa and Missouri, up to the Civil War. In the spring of 1859, he was married in Benton County, Mo., to Miss Louera E. Heath, and moved to his farm in Section 17, Township 37, Range 29, about three-fourths of a mile North of the Thomas S. Morgan old farm. From that place he removed to Hermitage, where John H. McCaslin and wife now live, in June 1862. To the union of William H. Liggett and Louera E. Heath were born:

1. Alexander C., who died in Hermitage, at the age of seven years [A. Clark, 1/16/1860 - 9/23/1867, buried Hermitage Cemetery]

2. Minnie, wife of S. A. Jackson [1864 - 1955, Hermitage Cemetery]

3. Ida M., who died at the age of twenty years [10/14/1865 - 5/6/1887, buried Hermitage Cemetery]

4. Eva L., wife of J. B. Crowley, Cashier of the Hickory County Bank [1868-1923, buried Hermitage Cemetery]

5. Henry Paxton, President of the Hickory County Bank [4/9/1873 - 2/12/1931, buried Hermitage Cemetery]

6. Ernest Cuthbert, who now resides at Eldorado Springs, Mo.

    Louera E., the mother, died in Wheatland, Mo., Dec. 28, 1901, and was burried [sic] in the Hermitage cemetery. [3/17/1838 - 12/28/1900] [copied from page 138, with some reformatting]

Text like this inserted by Ginny Sharp from Cemetery Directory of Hickory County, Missouri, 1990.

Henry Paxton Liggett, son of Wm. H. Liggett Henry & Stella on their honeymoon at Niagara Falls, NY