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James Thomas Cross, of
the J. T. Cross Lumber Company, is the
present mayor of the city
of Moberly and a representative progressive
business man of Randolph
County. He is a native of Randolph County
and a descendant of a
pioneer family of this state. Mr. Cross was born
on a farm adjoining the
town site of Clark, Mo., Aug. 6, 1856, and is a
son of William B. and
Mary (Shores) Cross, both natives of Howard
County, Mo, William B.
Cross was a son of John Cross, a Kentuckian,
who came to Missouri and
settled in Howard County at a very early
day and spent the
remainder of his life there. His remains are buried
in a private cemetery on
the old Cross homestead near Armstrong, Mo.
William B. Cross grew to
manhood in Howard County, and after his mar-
riage, settled on a farm in
Randolph County near Clark, and he and
his wife spent the
remainder of their lives in this county and their
remains are buried in
Chapel Grove Cemetery.
William B. and Mary
(Shores) Cross were the parents of the follow-
ing children: J. N.,
Modesto, Calif.; Mrs, Susan Martin, died at Clark,
Mo.; James Thomas, the
subject of this sketch; Anna, died at age of 7
years; Clay, resides at
Clark, Mo.; Mrs. Cornelia Trailkill, Clark, Mo.;
Mollie, married Dr. R. A.
Wood, Clark, Mo.; Samuel, Clark, Mo.; Marvin,
Clark, Mo.; and Charles,
died at the age of 16 years.
James T. Cross attended
the public schools of his neighborhood and
then entered the Missouri
University at Columbia, where he was grad-
uated in the class of 1881.
He devoted a number of years to teaching
in early life and was
recognized as one of the successful educators in
central Missouri. During
this course of his career as teacher, he was
principal of the public
schools at Renick, Sturgeon and Brunswick, Mo.
He then accepted the
position as manager for the Flagg Lumber Com-
pany at Clark and New
Franklin and was thus engaged until 1907. He
then came to Moberly and
purchased the Eberhardt Lumber Yard, which
was located on North
William street. Shortly afterwards, he bought
property on North Clark
street and organized the J. T. Cross Lumber Com-
pany in partnership with
R. L. Kingsbury, and they have conducted
the business to the present
time and have met with unqualified success.
The J. T. Cross Lumber
Company is one of the substantial business insti-
tutions of Randolph
County and does an extensive business. Their offices
and lumber yard are
located at 311 to 323 North Clark street. They
carry a large stock of
lumber and various building materials, including
almost everything
ordinarily required in the building trades.
May 28, 1893, James T.
Cross was united in marriage with Miss
Cora Woods of Boone
County, Mo. She is a 'daughter of Robert and
Elizabeth Woods, the
former of whom is now deceased and the mother
resides at Sturgeon, .Mo.
To Mr. and Mrs. Cross were born two children,
Harold and Hildah, twins,
who died at the age of six months.
Mr. Cross has ever taken a
commendable interest in public affairs
and while a resident of
New Franklin he served as president of the school
board; also president of
the building and loan association. In 1919, he
was elected mayor of
Moberly, He is giving Moberly a good, clean busi-
ness administration�a
business administration by a business man�
which is a refreshing
condition in this age of a multitude of untried
theories and isms in
municipal government.
Mr. Cross has a wide
acquaintance in this section of the state and
ranks high. He is a
member of the Masonic Lodge. |