David Allen Gelvin, born August 4, 1850 in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, came to Holt county, Missouri at the age of twenty. Like his father, James Gelvin, the major portion of his business enterprise was the buying and feeding of cattle. An article by S.O. Dunn in a July 9, 1899, Sunday edition of the St. Louis Globe Democrat had this to say about his activities; "Perhaps the greatest force in the cattle business of Northwest Missouri is David Gelvin, who is without a doubt the greatest buyer and shipper in America..his annual shipments average shipments average 25,000 head annually." That was at the turn of the century. Mr. Gelvin increased his original 80 acres of land bought near Oregon to an estate that at its peak comprised of 5,000 acres of farming land in Holt and Nodaway counties, and his cattle business advanced proportionately in scope through the years.
He was married Nov. 19, 1874 to Miss Lizzie Hershner and to this union were born the following children: Burton Homer, deceased; David Earl, deceased; Elsie D. (Mrs. George Curfman, Denver, Colo.; Emma Louella (Mrs. Joseph Myers) deceased; Cora Mae (Mrs. George Stevenson), Tarkio, Mo.; Leslie, deceased; M. Katherine (Mrs. Walter Rankin), Tarkio, Mo.; Ernest A., St. Joseph, MO.; Ora R. (Mrs. W.G. Machetanz), Exeter, Calif.
When Mr. Gelvin fist came to Maitland, he entered into a partnership store venture with E.F. Weller, but later sold out and became a partner of William Maurer for a while, in the cattle shipping business.
His first wife died and in 1895, he married Mary e. Myers of Newville, Pennsylvania. Two children were born; Frances V. (Mrs. Frances Spencer), St. Joseph, Mo.; Sherwood McElroy, deceased.
Mr. Gelvin is almost as well known for his bluegrass production as for his cattle business. It was he who designed and rigged the first strippers to harvest the bluegrass seed from his thousand-acre pasture used for grazing purposes. This field was thought to be the largest of its kind in the world, and from it profits as high as $20,000.00 a years were taken. Many of the fine gold courses in the nation were seeded from it.
He also served as president of the People's Bank from its organization.
A staunch Republican in politics and a member of the Presbyterian Church of Maitland, he managed his own business until the year of his death, 1936, at the age of 86."
Source: Maitland, Missouri-1880-1955, Blue Grass Mecca I, Page 122.
David Allen Gelvin, born August 4, 1850 in Franklin county, Pennsylvania, came to Holt county, Missouri at the age of twenty. Like his father, James Gelvin, the major portion of his business enterprise was the buying and feeding of cattle. An article by S.O. Dunn in a July 9, 1899, Sunday edition of the St. Louis Globe Democrat had this to say about his activities; "Perhaps the greatest force in the cattle business of Northwest Missouri is David Gelvin, who is without a doubt the greatest buyer and shipper in America..his annual shipments average shipments average 25,000 head annually." That was at the turn of the century. Mr. Gelvin increased his original 80 acres of land bought near Oregon to an estate that at its peak comprised of 5,000 acres of farming land in Holt and Nodaway counties, and his cattle business advanced proportionately in scope through the years.
He was married Nov. 19, 1874 to Miss Lizzie Hershner and to this union were born the following children: Burton Homer, deceased; David Earl, deceased; Elsie D. (Mrs. George Curfman, Denver, Colo.; Emma Louella (Mrs. Joseph Myers) deceased; Cora Mae (Mrs. George Stevenson), Tarkio, Mo.; Leslie, deceased; M. Katherine (Mrs. Walter Rankin), Tarkio, Mo.; Ernest A., St. Joseph, MO.; Ora R. (Mrs. W.G. Machetanz), Exeter, Calif.
When Mr. Gelvin fist came to Maitland, he entered into a partnership store venture with E.F. Weller, but later sold out and became a partner of William Maurer for a while, in the cattle shipping business.
His first wife died and in 1895, he married Mary e. Myers of Newville, Pennsylvania. Two children were born; Frances V. (Mrs. Frances Spencer), St. Joseph, Mo.; Sherwood McElroy, deceased.
Mr. Gelvin is almost as well known for his bluegrass production as for his cattle business. It was he who designed and rigged the first strippers to harvest the bluegrass seed from his thousand-acre pasture used for grazing purposes. This field was thought to be the largest of its kind in the world, and from it profits as high as $20,000.00 a years were taken. Many of the fine gold courses in the nation were seeded from it.
He also served as president of the People's Bank from its organization.
A staunch Republican in politics and a member of the Presbyterian Church of Maitland, he managed his own business until the year of his death, 1936, at the age of 86."
Source: Maitland, Missouri-1880-1955, Blue Grass Mecca I, Page 122.
Family Members
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Burton H. Gelvin
1876–1877
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Elsie Druscilla Gelvin Curfman
1877–1972
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Emma Luella Gelvin Myers
1878–1937
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Cora Mae Gelvin Stevenson
1880–1961
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David Earl Gelvin
1882–1884
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Leslie Allen Gelvin
1884–1911
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Katharine Gelvin Rankin
1888–1970
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Ernest A Gelvin
1890–1967
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Ora Ruth Gelvin Machetanz
1894–1994
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Frances Gelvin Spencer
1898–1992
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Sherwood McElory Gelvin
1901–1902
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