Oliver Thorpe and Lewis Thorpe - Goodspeed
Rankin Family History Project
Goodspeed's History of Southeast Missouri

Oliver Thorpe and Lewis Thorpe


Oliver Thorpe and Lewis Thorpe, brothers, who reside on a nice farm in Bois Brule Township, Perry County, Missouri, are sons of Lewis and Elvretta (Phillips) Thorpe.  Their grandfather, Joel Thorpe, a native of England and a member of an old and aristocratic family, came to America about 1790, and located in Connecticut, where he married. He served in the US Army during the War of 1812, and was later killed by the Indians.

His children were Basil [Bezaleel], Lewis, Dayton, Warren, Phares, Julia and Diantha. Basil served in the US Army during the Mexican War, in which he was wounded. After the war, and healing of his wound, he became a resident of Ohio, and was located on the shore of Lake Erie.

For a number of years prior to his marriage, Lewis was a sailor on Lake Erie, and after coming West was engaged in carrying produce on a flat-boat down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. He came to Missouri about 1818, and 3 years later married to Anna Preston, who died having borne several children, none of whom are now living. Mr. Thorpe afterward married Elvetta Phillips, who is yet living, aged 65 years; to them were born the following children: Sarah (Mrs. William E. Rhodes), Joel (who married Margaret Manning), Martha (Mrs. James B. Davis, Caroline (Mrs. James Bradham), Oliver (single), Henry L. (married Columbia A. Pearson).

The family first lived below Allens Landing on which land Mr. Thorpe entered and improved, and upon which his first wife and her children died.

Oliver was born after the family removed to the highland and now resides on the homestead, one of the best known bachelors in the county.

The death of Louis Thorpe occurred on 01 May 1859, and his widow later became the wife of James A. Burns, who died in 1873. By this marriage she was the mother of two daughters, Rebecca A. (wife of Henry Richard Killian, and Victoria (wife of George Killian).

Mrs. Thorpe was the widow of Joseph Sadler when she became the wife of Louis Thorpe and was the mother of the following children: Elizabeth (wid Frederick Layton), James J. (who was a soldier in the late war).

Besides fanning interests the Thorpe bros. own and operate a saw mill located on their farm. They are men of enterprise & integrity, who are respected by all who know them.

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The Goodspeed Publishing Company compiled a series of histories of various counties in the U.S. in the late 19th century. The information in the History of Southeast Missouri, published in 1888, was provided by the contemporary residents of Perry County and her neighboring counties. The biographies are a valuable source of genealogical information, despite a few minor inaccuracies. We are glad to present the transcribed biographies here for anyone researching Perry County's history.

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