Do you have photocopies from county histories in your files? Have you tried to locate a digitized version of any of those county histories? If you found a digitized version, did you find more information about your family that what you had photocopied?

While I’ve used lotsof county histories over the years, I have more handwritten notes than photocopies. Even when I have photocopies, it is highly likely that I didn’t get everything about my family line copied, especially when considering extended family members. Thus I really appreciate the digital copies of the county histories.

One of the photocopies that I have is from the book, Annals of Platte County, Missouri. While my BURKE ancestors are not in this book, it does contain some information about two of Elizabeth Bland Burke’s siblings: Martin M. Bland and Mahala P. Bland

page 663
The Blands

Martin M. Bland

Martin M. Bland died two miles above Weston. He was a son of Eli Bland and Sarah Anderson, and was born in Kentucky, December 5, 1816; married July 25, 1845, Mary Turner, daughter of Esq. William Turner, and born in Mayslick, Ky., July 7, 1825.
Children:
I. Mary Bland, b. May 24, 1848; m’d in 1867, Jas. Baker; 4 children
II. Annie Bland m’d Jacob Benner (see)
III. John Bland b. Oct 13, 1854; m’d Nov. 27, 1887, Sophronia Bozarth; children
IV. Tillie Bland, b. Nov. 13, 1858; m’d June 1, 1882, William Brown.
Ch
1. Bonifant C. Brown, b. May 11, 1885
2. Annie E. Brown, b. Sept 6, 1887
V. Ellen J. Bland, b. July 10, 1861; m’d in 1882 Jeff D. Turner, son of Lewis, and grandson of William
VI. Robert L. Bland, b. June 1, 1870

Mahala P. Bland
Was a sister of Martin M. Bland, and was born June 17, 1821; married August 19, 1839, in Tennessee, A. Kirkpatrick, born January 24, 1817, son of Samuel Kirkpatrick and Jane Steele. They came in 1841 and settled near Bean’s Lake. Mr. Kirkpatrick is a man of energy and business qualifications. though now nearly fourscore, he is still vigorous and active, and deeply concerned with the affiars of life. Ch.:
I. James Kirkpatrick, was killed in the war
II. Wm. H. Kirkpatric, m’d Mary Rambo.
Ch:
1. Ora (a boy)
2. Dora Kirkpatrick
3. Mahala
III. Manitia Ellen Kirkpatrick, m’d Wm. M. Butler; no children
IV Mary E. Kirpatrick, m’d Louis Nep. Stephens (See)
Children:
1. Alf. stephens
2. Cora
3. Nee (boy)
4. Harvey
5. Lucy
V. Lou Kirkpatrick, m’d WIlliam Manley
Ch:
1. Martha
2. Rose
3. Gee (Boy)
4. Minnie
VI. Ada L. Kirkpatrick, m’d Robert Kirkpatrick, son of Wallace
Ch:
1. Clara
2. Maude
3. Ettie
4. Hattie
5. Wallace
VII Margaret (Minie) m’d A. M. Anderson, of DeKalb COunty
Ch:
1. Emmet Anderson
2. Elmer (boy)
VIII John D. Kirkpatrick

While I only had a photocopy of the BLAND pages, I was able to locate the Benner and Stephens information in the digital version of the book.

page 64
The Benners
In 1844, Nicholas Benner, a German and his wife, Martha settled at Weston, and still live there. Their children are highly connected, and are as follows:

page 65

1. Jacob Benner b. in Weston November 28, 1846; m’d March 1870, Annie Bland, b. Jan. 8, 1850 Ch:
   1. John
   2. Louise
   3. Allie
   4. Wm
      II J. W. Benner
      III Dan’l Benner
      IV Eliz. Benner m’d Jona Bonnell
      V Emma Benner m’d Oct. 11, 1877, Oscar B. Mitchell
      VI Chas Benner m’d Jan. 27, 1885, Annie Rumpel, dr. of William
      VII. Mary Benner m’d Oct. 24, 1865, Sam’l Risk, son of Elkanah. He served a year in the Southern army.
      Ch:
   5. Wm E. Risk
   6. B.F. Risk
   7. Emma M
   8. Mary E
      VIII. Henry Benner
      IX Lydia A. Benner m’d Jan. 27, 1880 J. W> Layton
      Ch.
   9. Estill
   10. Claude
   11. Elvir
   12. Chas C.
   13. Chris C.
       Layton

page 937

Margaret Sutton … married first, Benjamin Hedges
Ch:
I. Wesley Hedges
II. Benjamin
III William
IV. Martha J., m’d a Harmon
V. Mary Virginia Hedges, m’d 1st, a Morgan. After his death, sh m’d 2d, Dec. 28, 1880 William Lewis Stephens, b. near Frankfort, Ky., Sept 12, 1822 … Mr. Stephens first wife was Lucinda Hawkins … We will first give Mr. Stephens children by his first wife:
1. Louis Napoleon Stephens, b. July 24, 1849; m’d July 5, 1871, Mary Kirkpatrick.
Ch:
(a) William Alfred
(b) Cora
(c) D. Emmet Stephens
(d) Harvey
(e) Lucy M.
(f) a boy

page 294 – Alva Graves

Alva Graves
April 5 — Alva Graves having died, N. I. Alexander administered. Bond, $2,000 He was a cousin of James L. Graves. His sister, Elizabeth Graves married Andrew Lawson, and was mother of Nep. Lawson. After Lawson’s death, his widow married Wash. Dyer (see), and still lives in Marshall Township. Alva Graves married in Tennessee, Elizabeth __, who survived him. Their children:
I. Mississippi Graves m’d Thos. Lipscomb
II. Parozetta Graves m’d a Lipscomb
III Adelaide Graves

p. 1063 – The Hornbuckle Family

Hardin B. Hornbuckle came from Mason County, KY in 1839, and settled three miles west of Platte City. He died in February, 1845. His ch.
I. James Hornbuckle (see)
II. John Hornbuckle (see)
III. Gilbert C. Hornbuckle of Weston