1895 - Interesting Facts and Stories About Our Earlier Cousins
Thanks to the “now” online availability of many historical newspapers, we can learn interesting facts and stories about some of our Haston relatives, especially the ones who lived in communities where there were newspapers that have been digitized and become accessible through the Internet.
I focus only on the Hastons known or suspected to be members of the Daniel Haston FAMILY. That includes the Hastains, who changed the spelling of the family name in Missouri and surrounding areas. Unfortunately, I am unable to include those who adopted the English Hasting and Hastings spellings, because only a tiny percentage of the people with those spellings are Daniel’s descendants.
J.P. (James Preston) Hastain, the son of Daniel McComisky Haston/Hastain, and his business partner, ran this newspaper ad throughout the year 1895. Appleton, MO was in St. Clair County.
When James Preston Hastain was born in 1831, in Tennessee, United States, his father, Daniel McComisky Hastain, was 23 and his mother, Anna N. Greene, was 16. He married Octavia Hinckle on 21 March 1867, in Henry, Missouri, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 4 daughters. He lived in Monegaw Springs, St. Clair, Missouri, United States in 1880 and Appleton City, St. Clair, Missouri, United States in 1900. He died in 1913, in Missouri, United States, at the age of 82, and was buried in Appleton City, St. Clair, Missouri, United States. FamilySearch.org
1895, January 26
Dave Hastin
The Clinton (MO) Eye: Dave Hastin, who was once a “bloody bushwhacker” in Cedar County, MO returned to his home county after being away for 20 years. He was a Confederate soldier in the Civil War and moved to Texas, then Arkansas, after the war, probably to escape revenge from some of his Union neighbors. He was a grandson of Isaac Haston, who moved to California before the war. Apparently, his war activities were remembered 20 years later.
1895, January 31
Miss Anna A. Hastain
The Clinton (MO) Daily Democrat: The marriage of Anna A. Hastain, daughter of W.A. Hastain, to Bendix Holst was announced. W.A. Hastain was the son of Daniel McComisky Haston/Hastain.
1895, February 4
Mayor P.D. Hastain
St. Louis Globe-Democrat: In the previous months, Cheyenne County, Kansas, had suffered because of a drought and grasshopper invasion. Mayor Pleasant Dawson Hastain, led in a relief effort to provide assistance to the county.
Mayor Hastain also organized efforts to assist other counties that had suffered from the same fate.
1895, February 7
George Haston
Buffalo (MO) Reflex: This was probably George W. Haston (born 1866), son of Jeremiah McKinley Haston II and Nancy E.N. Cooper (Haston). According to family records, he married Martha Priscilla White on January 13, 1889.
Box (or pie) suppers used to be money-raising events, where girls made pies and cakes, etc., and boys bid on them, which came with the opportunity to eat with the girl. Sometimes the pie, cake, or whatever was hidden inside a box, thus the term “box” supper. I’ve been there, done that! George Haston was voted the “Ugliest Man,” which doesn’t mean he was actually the ugliest. It was good entertainment, especially in the years before TV and internet.
1895, February 18
Bertha Hastain
The Clinton (MO) Daily Democrat: Bertha May Hastain (born 1875) was the daughter of Woodson Asbury Hastain and Sarah Jane Walker Hastain, and granddaughter of Daniel McComisky Hastain and Anna N. Greene Hastain. She married Joseph Shelby McCuan in 1895. She apparently was a leader in the Epworh League, a Methodist young adult association fo rpeople aged 1835.
1895, February 21
Mrs. J.W.B. Haston, Sr.
Buffalo (MO) Reflex: The wife of John W. Brownlow Haston was honored with a birthday dinner. According to family records, she was Mary Adeline Holmes (Haston), born December 5, 1867. If she were born on December 5th, why would she have a birthday dinner in mid-February? John W. Brownlow was the son of John Wesley Haston and Mary Caroline Forester Haston. Was he given the Brownlow part of his name because of “Parson” (William Gannaway) Brownlow the prominent Tennessee politician and Methodist minister who remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War, later to become Governor of Tennessee (1865-1869)? Brownlow became Tennessee’s governor the year J.W.B. Haston was born.
1895, February 22
Mayor P.D. Hastain
Rocheport (MO) Commercial: Mayor P.D. Hastain led an effort to move the capital of Missouri to Sedalia from Jefferson City. Mayor Hastain and his associates were mocked for this attempt, which failed by a margin of 65% to 35%. Jefferson City was established as the state capital in 1821, but Sedalia experienced rapid growth after the Civil War due to its railroad connections and the surrounding area developing as an agricultural region.
In March of 1895, Mayor P.D. Hastain entertained members of Missouri’s General Assembly. “Not less than 10,000 persons turned out to welcome the General Assembly, officials, and clerks of the House and Senate.” Major Hastain and the town of Sedalia were trying to showcase the town in an effort to win the 1896 vote to make Sedalia the capital of Missouri.
1895, March 29
Mayor Hastain
The Standard Herald: Apparently, Mayor P.D. Hastain of Sedalia, MO wanted a local paper that was supportive of his Republican agenda, especially at the time he was working to move the Missouri capital from Jefferson City, MO to Sedalia, where he was the mayor.
1895, April 12
John Haston
Chariton (MO) Courier: The county seat of Buchanan County, MO, was St. Joseph, MO. At this time, I do not know who this John Haston was.
1895, April 24
Mr. (P.D.) Mayor Hastain
The Sedalia (MO) Democrat: Mayor P.D. Hastain was a controversial man, especially as a politician and mayor. Apparently, you either hated him or respected him. I doubt that many loved or liked him as a person. It appears that he made decisions that drew the ire of people in Sedalia, MO.
1895, May 23
ED Hastain
The Butler (MO) Weekly Times: Ed Hastain, the stenographer of the Circuit Court of Butler, MO, was married to Miss Mary Crawford in Appleton City, MO. Edwin Hastain was the son of James Preston Hastain and Octavia Hinckle Hastain of Henry County, MO. The Wedding
1895, May 23
Haston Cemetery in Dallas County, MO
Buffalo (MO) Reflex: As happened in May 1891, the Haston Cemetery was mentioned and Sanford Creek was appointed to clean and decorate it. This annual event indicates that there was at least one Civil War veteran buried in the cemetery. As of now (8-4-2025), the location of Haston Cemetery is unknown to the Dallas County Historical Society. I have evidence that suggests it was on the property of Jeremiah Haston or one of his children, north of Charity, MO in the Jackson Township.
1895, June 21
T.J. Hastain
The Sedalia (MO) Democrat: Mayor P.D. Hastain’s brother, Thomas Jefferson Hastain, said that his brother (the mayor) is the stray sheep (politically) of the family.
1895, July 12
Mrs. Jesse Haston, Jr.
After only barely five years of marriage, the wife (Ida McMelan) of Jesse Haston, Jr. (grandson of Daniel Haston), passed away. She left behind three daughters and a baby boy.
1895, July 18
Mayor P.D. Hastin
The Milan (MO) Republican: Mayor P.D. Hastin and some of the Sedalia, MO councilmen were arrested for violating a Judge’s restraining order.
1895, August 1
J.H. Hastin
The Springfield News-Leader: J.H. Hastin and Son was a firm doing business at Cave Springs in Greene County, MO (the community where Isaac settled in the late 1830s. Apparently, they were in debt and their deeds were collateral for the debt.
1895, August 30
Peggy Hestand
The Paducah Sun: This lady’s husband would have been a descendant of Abraham Hiestand/Hestand, Daniel Haston’s older brother. The family lived in Monroe County, KY, south-central KY. What would she have done to have caused someone to poison her entire family?
1895, September 29
Mayor Hastain
The Sedalia (MO) Democrat: Even the local Democrat newspaper seemed to agree that Republican Mayor P.D. Hastain was the handsomest mayor of Missouri’s 30 largest cities.
1895, October 17
Bertha Mae Hastain
The Clinton (MO) Daily Democrat: Bertha Mae Hastain, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W.A. Hastain, was married on this date. This article gives a very detailed description of the wedding. It was a big event!
1895, October 17
W.R. Haston
Buffalo (MO) Reflex: William Riley Haston and a friend were arrested for burglary in December of 1893. Nearly two years later, W.R. was declared “not guilty.”
1895, October 31
Jerry (Jeremiah III) Haston
Buffalo (MO) Reflex: Jerry Haston, apparently, was moving away from Dallas County, MO, to Christian County, which was south of Greene County, MO. Here is his lineage back to Daniel Haston: Daniel>Jeremiah, Sr.>Jeremiah MC (McKinley; “Mac”)>Jeremiah III (“Jerry”)
1895, November 22
Haston Broaddus
Chariton (MO) Courier: The daughter of Jesse Haston, Sr., Elizabeth (Bettie) V. Haston, married John A. Broaddus (Sr.) in Glasgow, MO on September 22, 1859. John died in 1897, and Elizabeth went to southeastern Montana to live on a ranch with her son John, Jr. Haston Broaddus was one of John and Bettie’s sons. There were twelve children in all. The oldest son was Oscar. The town of Broaddus, MT was named for her sons.
1895, December 20
Son of Rev. & Mrs. J.B. Haston
Weekly Graphic (Kirksville, MO): Rev. Jesse Bascom Haston and his wife, Coramantha Baldwin Haston, experienced the death of their (approximately) one-year-old daughter, Helen Washington Haston, in April of 1893. Now, they had a baby boy!
