Barton County, Missouri Biographies-P. R. GRAY

History Of Hickory, Polk, Cedar, Dade And Barton Counties, 
Missouri, 1889.  Published by Goodspeed. Pages 894, 895

P. R. Gray.  In giving a brief sketch of this gentleman, it is but the
truth to say that he is one of the prominent men of the county, and has
been quite successful in his enterprises.  He was born in Switzerland
County, Ind., October 7, 1836, and is the youngest of a family of eight
children, six now living, born to Truman and Lorina (Bradford) Gray,
who were born near Middlebury, Vt., and Massachusetts, respectively, 
the former's birth occurring in 1795.  When a boy he moved with his
parents to New York State, and was a resident of Lawrence County, where
he was married when about twenty-five years of age.  They afterward
located in Switzerland County, Ind., where the father was successfully
engaged in tilling the soil.  He was a soldier in the War of 1812, 
participating in the battle of Plattsburg, and was a Whig in his
political views until 1879, when he became a Republican, and as such
remained until his death in 1879.  The mother of our subject was a
daughter of Joel and Tryphena (Smith) Bradford, natives of Massachusetts.
Joel was a son of Simeon and Phoebe (Whiting) Bradford; Simeon was
the son of Ephraim and Elizabeth (Bartlett) Bradford; Ephraim, a son
of Major William and his third wife Mary (Holmes) Bradford; Major 
William was a son of Gov. William and Alice (Southwart) Bradford, Gov.
William Bradford being one of the Puritans who came to this country in
that famous old ship, the "Mayflower."  Truman Gray was a deacon in the 
Presbyterian Church, his wife being a member of the Methodist Church.
Their children are as follows: Joel, a retired farmer of Washington,
Iowa, is a stockholder in the First National Bank of that place; Robert,
a farmer of Barton County, Mo.; Lucinda, widow of William Waite, now
residing in Reynolds, Ill.; and P. R. Gray, whose name heads this sketch
The latter was educated in Switzerland County, Ind., principally, and
when fifteen years of age went to Iowa, and farmed with an older
brother for four years, after which he went to Rock Island, Ill., from
there to the State of Mississippi, then back to Indiana and Illinois,
and in 1866 came to Barton County, Mo.  While a resident of Rock Island
he was engaged in the hotel business, but after coming to Barton County
he turned his attention to farming and stock-raising, and has been 
quite successful, owning at the present time 450 acres of as good land
as there is in the county.  On the 8th of June, 1863, he was married
to Mary Walsh, a daughter of Daniel and Matilda Walsh, who were born
in County Antrim, Ireland, and Pennsylvania, respectively.  She was
born in Indiana County, Penn., December 12, 1840; and her union with
Mr. Gray has resulted in the birth of ten children: Norman C., Celina,
Freeman W., Olive, Fred J., Mark Lee and Cora A., living: and Scott P.,
Eva, and Frank W., who died in childhood.  Mr. Gray is a stanch
Republican, a strict temperance man, and he and wife are members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church.

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