DR. JOHN WADE GARDNER (1839 – 1909)
Missouri Biographical Dictionary:
J. Wade Gardner, M.D. – Osceola
In the latter part of the last century, the grandfather of our subject emigrated from Scotland to America, settling in Virginia, where he was a farmer until his death. His son, Robert F. Gardner, was born August 7, 1805 in Campbell County, Virginia; located in Marshall County, Tennessee in 1838, and in 1841 settled in St. Clair County, Missouri where he engaged in farming and stock raising until he was fifty-six years old, when he died October 1861.
J. Wade Gardner, the eldest of five children of Robert T. & Susan B. (Beck) Gardner, was born in Marshall County, Tennessee May 10, 1839 and when but two years old was brought by his parents to St. Clair County, where they gave him his early education in the schools of Osceola. In his eighteenth year he began the study of medicine under Dr. G.W. Dorrell, with whom he remained three years. In 1859 he located in Dallas, Texas but remaining only a short time, he returned to Missouri and entered upon the practice of medicine and connected with it the drug business in Wellsville, Dade County.
At the breaking out of the war in 1861, he removed to Neosho and remained in charge of a hospital under General Rains’ command until January 1862, when he went to Arkansas. The following June on his return to Pineville, McDonald County, Missouri he was taken prisoner but was released upon taking the oath of Allegiance to the United States Government and in July 1862 returned to Osceola. He remained on his father’s farm practicing medicine in the neighborhood, until the fall of 1864, when he moved to St. Louis, but only stayed there one year, when he returned to Osceola and was appointed a deputy clerk, which position he held until January 1, 1867. From that time until January 1, 1871 he engaged in the real estate agency and mercantile business and also practiced his profession. He was then reappointed deputy clerk and held the position six months, when he was obliged to resign, having on the first day of July 1871, established the Osage Valley, a Democratic paper, the duties of his new calling demanding all his time. But in a short time he disposed of his newspaper office and again turned his attention to the real estate business in connection with the practice of medicine, which he has continued to the present time. In 1876 he was the county physician. Dr. Gardner is a Democrat and has always taken an active part in politics. In 1860 he was appointed elector on the Bell and Everett presidential ticket, and in 1864 to the same position on the McClellan ticket. During Governor Brown’s administration he was elected clerk of the senate committee on apportionment or redistricting the state into representative senatorial, and congressional districts. He was a delegate to the Democratic state conventions of 1862, 1873 and 1874, and has also held various positions of importance in his county. The Doctor took a very active part in opposing the payment of County bonds issued for railroad purposes, in advance of the completion of the roads; he has also taken a leading part in the endeavor to compromise the county indebtedness for the encouragement of immigration.
He is liberal in his religious views, and is a member of the Horeb Royal Arch Chapter No. 47, of the Masonic fraternity.
September 7, 1859 Dr. Gardner was married to Miss Mary R. Devin, daughter of Judge William R. and Rebecca (Oliver) Devin of Polk County, Missouri but originally from Virginia. By her he has one child, Rosanna, born June 21, 1867.
From the book “Bitter Ground”, by Kathleen White Miles:
Dr. J. Wade Gardner, born in Tennessee in 1839, came to Osceola when only two years old. When war broke out in 1861 he moved to Neosho and was in charge of a hospital under General Rains command until January 1862 when he went to Arkansas. Taken prisoner when he returned to McDonald County in June, 1862. Was released after taking oath of allegiance and returned to Osceola. Remained on his father’s farm and practiced medicine until the fall of 1864, when he went to St. Louis for a year. He was an 1860 elector on the Bell and Everett presidential ticket and in 1864 was appointed to the same position on the McClellan ticket. A delegate to the Democratic State Convention in 1862, 1873, 1874.
MO State Archives, Soldiers Database:
Name: J. Wade Gardner
Conflict: Civil War
Side: Confederate
Record Group: Office of Adjutant General
Series Title: Index of Service Records, Confederate, 1861-1865
Box: 101
Reel: s731
Record: Name – Gardener, J. Wade (Osceola, Mo.) Date enlisted – 1861.
Confirmation of record – Was in charge of a hospital at Neosho under Gen. Rains command until Jan. 1862 when he went to Ark. Taken prisoner but released upon taking oath of Allegiance to U.S. Gov.
Page 1083 History of Henry & St. Clair Counties, Mo. (1883)
Also UDC Record, State Historical Society, Columbia, MO.
1860 Barton Co., MO Census – Lamar Township:
Page 44, Line 3, Lamar Post Office, 27 July
379/313 John W. Gardner, age 21, male, physician, $700 real estate, $500 personal estate, birthplace TN, married within the year
Mary R., age 23, female, birthplace MO, married within the year
1870 St. Clair Co., MO Census – Osceola Township, town of Osceola:
Page 5, Line 7, 9 July, Taberville Post Office
35/35 John W. Gardner, age 31, white male, Merchant, $3000 real estate, $1500 personal estate, birthplace TN, male citizen over age 21
Mary, age 33, white female, keeping house, birthplace MO
Virginia, age 2, white female, at home, birthplace MO
Jennie, age 8, black female, birthplace MO
Lucy B., age 21, white female, house work, $700 real estate, $300 personal estate, birthplace MO
1880 St. Clair Co., MO Census – Osceola Township, Village of Osceola:
Dist. 6, ED 232, Page 23, Line 16, 15 June
212/217 J. Wade Gardner, white male, age 41, married, M.D., birthplace TN, both parents born VA
Mary, white female, age 44, wife, married, keeping house, birthplace MO, father born VA, mother born TN
V.R., white female, age 12, daughter, single, at home, birthplace MO, father born TN, mother born MO
1900 St. Clair Co., MO Census – Osceola Township, Osceola City:
Dist. 6, ED 150, Sheet 4B, Line 68, 6 June
85/86 John W. Gardner, head, white male, born May 1839, age 61, married 40 years, birthplace TN, both parents born VA, Physician, can read & write, speaks English, owned house free
Mary R., wife, white female, born March 1836, age 64, married 40 years, 1 child, 1 living, birthplace MO, father born VA, mother born TN, can read & write, speaks English
Virginia B., daughter, white female, born July 1867, age 34, divorced, birthplace MO, father born TN, mother born MO, dressmaker, can read & write, speaks English
1910 St. Clair Co., MO Census – Osceola Township, Osceola City:
Dist. 6, ED 136, 1st Ward, Page 3B, Line 84, living on 5th Street
64/68 Virgie Gardner, head, white female, age 42, divorced, 0 children, 0 living, birthplace MO, father born TN, mother born MO, speaks English, Seamstress, Dressmaking, can read & write, owns mortgaged home
Mary R., mother, white female, age 74, widowed, 1 child, 1 living, birthplace MO, father born U.S., mother born TN, speaks English, no occupation
International Genealogical Index:
Batch M515621, Source Call No. 0944885
John Gardner – Mary Devin, married 7 September 1859, Polk Co., MO
Osceola Cemetery Records:
GARDNER, J. Wade, born 10 May 1839; died 27 Dec 1909
GARDNER, Mary R., born 5 Mar 1836; died 12 July 1910
St. Clair Co., MO Cemetery Records:
J. Wade Gardner, 10 May 1839 - 27 December 1909, Osceola Cemetery
Mary R. Gardner, 5 March 1836 – 12 July 1910, Osceola Cemetery
From Kansas City Public Library:
The United States Biographical Dictionary and Portrait Gallery of Eminent and Self Made Men
"Biographical Sketch of Dr. J. Wade Gardner, a physician born in Tennessee in 1839 and moving to Osceola, Missouri as a child, becoming a local government official as well as practicing medicine."
St. Clair County Remnants of The Past (SCC web site):
Listed among St. Clair County’s First Settlers are James Gardner, Robert Gardner and J. Wade Gardner.
