One of the driving forces behind the organization which was to become
the North Central Missouri Fair Association was the prominent farmer
of southern Grundy Councy, Charles Skinner. According to the
Birdsell and Dean, 1881, History of Grundy County, Charles was one of
the original stockholders and first president of the Grundy County
Agricultural and Mechanical Association, formed in 1859, which was
later to become the fair association, of which he was president of
the Board of Directors for many years.
Charles Skinner was born, the 8th of 12 children, in Loudon Co.
Virginia on 25 Mar. 1813, the son of Peter and Sarah Roberts
Skinner. While a young man he came West to live for a time with his
uncle John Skinner in Kentucky. Later he moved to eastern Missouri
where he met and married Amanda Melvina Herndon.
Amanda, the daughter of John Chapman and Alice Nutt Herndon, was born
in Fauquier County, Va. on 8 Feb. 1817, 9th of a family of 20
children. Her father, John C. and 4 of her brothers were ministers
ordained in the Long Branch Baptist Church in Fauquier Co. Va. In
1838, John and Alice decided to move West with the younger members of
their family. While stopping over with relatives in Anderson Co.
Ky., Alice died on 12 Sept. 1838. John continued on to Missouri
where he stopped in the St. Louis area. It was there, in St. Louis
County, that Charles Skinner met and married Amanda on 18 Feb. 1841.
The Skinners stayed in eastern Missouri in the Lincoln/St. Charles
county area until after 9 of their 12 children were born. Then in
1857 they came to Grundy County, Mo. where they remained, leaving an
imprint on the county. During the last quarter of the 19th century
Charles was influential in agricultural circles and recognized as a
leading citizen of the county. One of the first churches in Jackson
township was the Skinner Union Church and for many years there was a
Skinner School. The Skinner Cemetery, though in a sad state of
neglect, remains on the land which was once the Skinner home place.
Charles and Amanda acquired enough land (there were approximately 600
acres in 1881) that they were able to give acreages to each of their
children. The land given to their daughter, Annie Laurie, still
remains in the hands of her descendant. Amanda died on 26 Mar. 1887
and Charles on 6 Sept. 1888. They are both buried in the Skinner
Cemetery. The children of Charles and Amanda Herndon Skinner were:
Return to the Grundy County homepage