# Amos Graham

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{{short description|American politician}}'''Amos Graham''' (March 14, 1816&nbsp;&ndash; September 14, 1865) was the first [Nodaway County, Missouri](/source/Nodaway_County%2C_Missouri), clerk. Graham is immortalized in the town of [Graham, Missouri](/source/Graham%2C_Missouri), as it is named after him.<ref>{{cite book | url=https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ | title=How Missouri Counties, Towns and Streams Were Named | publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri | author=Eaton, David Wolfe | year=1917 | pages=[https://archive.org/details/bub_gb_RfAuAAAAYAAJ/page/n107 336]}}</ref> The town of [Maryville, Missouri](/source/Maryville%2C_Missouri), is named after his wife, Mary.<ref>{{cite web | url =http://shsmo.org/manuscripts/ramsay/ramsay_nodaway.html | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160624070319/http://shsmo.org/manuscripts/ramsay/ramsay_nodaway.html | archivedate = June 24, 2016 | url-status = live| title=Nodaway County Place Names, 1928–1945 | publisher=The State Historical Society of Missouri| accessdate= November 24, 2016}}</ref>

{{Infobox officeholder
| name                = Amos Graham
| birth_date          = 14 March 1816
| death_date          = 14 September 1865
| image               = File:Graham, Amos.jpg
| office              = 1st [Nodaway County](/source/Nodaway_County), [Missouri](/source/Missouri), clerk
}}
thumb|Home of Mary Graham at 422 South Buchanan in Maryville.  Mary moved here after her husband Amos died.  She died in 1903.Graham was born and raised in [Washington County, Kentucky](/source/Washington_County%2C_Kentucky). He studied [English](/source/English_studies) and became a [schoolteacher](/source/Teacher), moving to [Hancock County, Illinois](/source/Hancock_County%2C_Illinois), in 1836 to teach. He returned to Washington County, Kentucky, and in 1839 or 1840 ran an unsuccessful campaign for state representative in the [Kentucky General Assembly](/source/Kentucky_General_Assembly).<ref>{{Cite book|title=The History of Nodaway County, Missouri: Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, Etc., Biographical Sketches of Its Citizens, Nodaway County in the Late War...history of Missouri, Map of Nodaway County, Etc. Etc|last=|first=|date=1882|publisher=National Historical Company|isbn=|location=|pages=|language=en}}</ref> He married Mary Jane House on January 9, 1842, and moved to [Savannah, Missouri](/source/Savannah%2C_Missouri), during the early settlement days of the [Platte Purchase](/source/Platte_Purchase) territory, where he continued his teaching career. Graham became one of the original settlers of Nodaway County. He was appointed county clerk when Nodaway County organized on February 14, 1845, and served until 1858 and was said to be the first [postmaster](/source/postmaster) in the newly created town of Maryville. Amos Graham held several political offices in Nodaway County: [Commissioner](/source/County_commission), [Circuit Clerk](/source/Court_clerk), County Clerk, Postmaster, and [County Recorder](/source/Recorder_of_deeds). During the [Mexican-American War](/source/Mexican%E2%80%93American_War), he held the rank of [colonel](/source/colonel) in the [Missouri Militia](/source/Missouri_Militia), but his unit was never deployed to [Mexico](/source/Mexico) nor saw military action.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=myZEAQAAMAAJ&q=%22amos+graham%22&pg=PA140|title=The History of Nodaway County, Missouri: Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, Etc., Biographical Sketches of Its Citizens, Nodaway County in the Late War...history of Missouri, Map of Nodaway County, Etc. Etc|date=1882|publisher=National Historical Company|language=en}}</ref>

He represented Nodaway County in the [Missouri General Assembly](/source/Missouri_General_Assembly) in1860-1861 at the outbreak of the [American Civil War](/source/American_Civil_War).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sos.mo.gov/archives/history/historicallistings/molegg|title=Missouri Legislators G|website=www.sos.mo.gov|access-date=2019-02-23}}</ref> Although a plurality of county voters supported [Stephen A. Douglas](/source/Stephen_A._Douglas) in the [1860 United States Presidential Election](/source/1860_United_States_presidential_election_in_Missouri), Graham was elected [state representative](/source/State_legislature_(United_States)) on the [Breckinridge](/source/John_C._Breckinridge) [States' Rights Democratic](/source/Southern_Democrats) ticket when he convinced supporters of [Abraham Lincoln](/source/Abraham_Lincoln) to vote in his favor. [Missouri](/source/Missouri) held a [Constitutional Convention in 1861](/source/Missouri_Constitutional_Convention_of_1861%E2%80%931863) following the [attack on Fort Sumter, South Carolina](/source/Battle_of_Fort_Sumter), to consider [seceding from the Union](/source/Secession_in_the_United_States). Graham was a southern sympathizer and voted for Missouri's secession from the Union. However, the motion was defeated and Missouri officially remained in the Union. Graham left the [Missouri House of Representatives](/source/Missouri_House_of_Representatives) after his single term and did not run for office again.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=myZEAQAAMAAJ&q=%22amos+graham%22&pg=PA140|title=The History of Nodaway County, Missouri: Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, Etc., Biographical Sketches of Its Citizens, Nodaway County in the Late War...history of Missouri, Map of Nodaway County, Etc. Etc|date=1882|publisher=National Historical Company|language=en}}</ref>

He died on September 14, 1865, of [typhoid fever](/source/typhoid_fever).<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=myZEAQAAMAAJ&q=%22amos+graham%22&pg=PA140|title=The History of Nodaway County, Missouri: Containing a History of the County, Its Cities, Towns, Etc., Biographical Sketches of Its Citizens, Nodaway County in the Late War...history of Missouri, Map of Nodaway County, Etc. Etc|date=1882|publisher=National Historical Company|language=en}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[https://archive.today/20070704053416/http://www.rootsweb.com/~monodawa/countyhist/1882/pages/pp713.htm Rootsweb biography]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Graham, Amos}}
Category:1816 births
Category:1865 deaths

Category:Schoolteachers from Missouri
Category:Founders of populated places in Missouri
Category:County clerks in Missouri
Category:People from Nodaway County, Missouri
Category:People from Savannah, Missouri
Category:People from Maryville, Missouri
Category:19th-century members of the Missouri General Assembly

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Amos Graham](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos_Graham) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos_Graham?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.