GEORGE W. PHILLIPS.
This gentleman, one of the old settlers of Linn county, was born in Mercer county, Kentucky, December 20, 1813. His parents were George M. and Margaret Phillips, the latter a daughter of Stephen Johnson, of Virginia. Mr. Phillips grew up in his native county, and received a common school education. His father was a farmer, and he himself was reared to that calling, and has been engaged in it all his life. In 1841 he came to Missouri, and first settled in Howard county, where he farmed for seven years. In 1848 he moved to this county and bought a place three and one- half miles southeast of Linneus, on which he resided for five years. He made several removals subsequent to this, and lived ten years of the time in Jackson township. Finally, in 1865, he made a permanent location on the place where he now resides in Clay township. It contains one hundred acres, and is situated in the north part of the township, five and one-half miles northwest of Linneus. At the time of his first coming to Linn, settlements were so sparse that Mr. Phillips could have named nearly every man in the county, at least those who were permanently located. He was married in October, 1837, to Miss Lucy Connelly, daughter of Rice Connelly, of Kentucky, deceased. His wife died in 1864, after leaving him twelve children, ten of whom lived to be grown, and eight of whom still survive. In politics, Mr. Phillips was formerly a Whig, but became a Democrat on the death of Whiggery, and has continued to act with them ever since. He was defeated in 1854, for assessor, he running on the Whig ticket, and his successful opponent, J. E. Quick, on the Democratic ticket. In 1880 he was elected to the office of county assessor, on the Democratic ticket, but was prevented from filling the office by the adoption of the township organization, He has served two terms as township assessor. Though he enjoyed but limited school privileges in youth, Mr. Phillips has ever been a man of close observation, and a great reader. His contact with men has developed his analytic powers, and given a maturity of judgment that better educated men might well envy.
Source: The History of Linn County, Encyclopedia of Useful Information, and a Compendium of Actual Facts, published by Birdsall & Dean, 1882; Pgs. 794-795
