Christian County Ancestors' Photos

JOHN JEFFERSON CLARKE BREAZEALE Photo courtesy of Sharon (Cave) Rogers

The photo above was sent to Sharon (Cave) Rogers by the wife of a Breazeale descendant. According to information obtained by Sharon, John Jefferson Clarke Breazeale was born December 4, 1833, and fought in the Civil War for the north, mainly as a spy, spent a lot of time hiding out in Smallin Cave, near Ozark and in a hole in his back yard (or so the story goes). He was born in England. He and his family may have been run out of Ireland by the English & Scotch during a war. He came to America as a bound servant and was liberated-------???[Copy of Forbes.FBK.FBK]

John Jefferson Clark Breazeale formed the Bank of Ozark and served two terms as a sheriff of Christian County. He refused a third term to accept a position in the Missouri State Legislature in 1872. A Republican, he was a member the Committee on Immigration. He is said to have become one of the wealthiest men of the county. When his eight children married, he gave them each a 40-acre farm and a horse and a cow. He and his three wives were buried together at Mt. Zion Cemetery in Christian County.

He built the three-story building on the north side of the Ozark square. The first floor was the Bank of Ozark, the second was the Bronson Light Company and the Christian County Telephone. The third was for Friend Lodge and Eastern Star. His last son, George T. was a banker, businessman and politician in Ozark. He purchased the Finley Light Company from S. E.
Bronson and served as mayor when the city water system was installed.

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