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Among institutions which are of foremost importance to the commercial development of a city there are none more significant than the banks, as they facilitate business transactions and by extending credit at the right time promote growth and business expansion. The First National Bank of Chillicothe is a bank of this kind and occupies a foremost position in the commercial life of the community. It is ably directed by Truman Cross Beasley, its president, who by his conservative policy in regard to investments and his progressive spirit in helping along commerce and industry has made it what it is today.

Mr. Beasley was born on September 16, 1855, in Jasper county, Missouri. He is a son of Andrew Jackson Beasley, also a native Missourian, who was born in Pike county, May 25, 1826, and was reared there. He followed agricultural pursuits and was successful as a stock-raiser in the county of his birth and in 1861 came to Chillicothe, where he passed away July 6, 1911. His political affiliations were with the democratic party and his religious belief that of the Christian church. On January 4, 1853, he married in Jasper county, Missouri, Miss Eudora Perry, who was born in Cleveland, Tennessee, January 4, 1837. She came with her family to Missouri when fourteen years old, in 1851, and still resides in Chillicothe. The paternal grandfather of our subject was Ephraim Beasley, a native of Kentucky, where he was reared to agricultural pursuits, which he followed during his life. He was a democrat and also an adherent of the Christian church. The paternal grandmother in her maidenhood was Rebecca Ruddel, a native of Scott county, Kentucky, where she passed her girlhood days. In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Ephraim Beasley were ten children: Andrew Jackson, the father of our subject; Rebecca; Stephen R.; Amanda; Francis Marion; Sarah Jane; William Henry; America Virginia Josephine: James W.; and Catharine A. The maternal grandfather was Alexander Perry, a native of Tennessee, in which state he was brought up and where he engaged in agricultural pursuits. He was of the Methodist faith, a democrat in politics and was one of the patriots who served in the War of 1812. He was murdered in Arkansas in 1862. His marriage to Elizabeth Woodlea took place in Tennessee, where she was born and reared. Mr. and Mrs. Alexander Perry had eight children: Eudora, the mother of our subject; John; Malinda; George; Greer; Mary; Margaret; and Lucretia. Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Jackson Beasley had four children: William Herschel, who was born December 13, 1853, and died March 31, 1902; Truman Cross, the subject of this sketch; Ida Ella, who was born September 11, 1860, and passed away at the age of about five years, August 28, 1865; and Lula, born September 30, 1870, who died November 19, 1876.

Truman Cross Beasley attended the public schools in Chillicothe, Missouri, where he was reared. He decided upon a commercial career and subsequently became well known as a merchant in Pattonsburg, Missouri, and also engaged in the banking business. Giving more largely his attention to the latter occupation, he in time built up an extensive business in this line and served as president of the Daviess County Bank at Pattonsburg. In 1906 he came to Chillicothe as president of the First National Bank of Chillicothe. There has hardly been a man connected with the bank who has exerted a greater influence in its growth and development and in this important position he has done much valuable work in the promotion and expansion of trade and commerce in the city which he makes his home. Under his guidance the resources of the bank have rapidly increased and the institution has among its depositors many of the most prominent people of the town and does business with most of the larger commercial institutions in the city, while it receives a large share of trade from the surrounding farming community. The interests of Mr. Beasley, however, are not confined to this institution only, for he also serves as president of the Pattonsburg Mercantile Company of Pattonsburg, Missouri, which company does an extensive trade in that city.

On May 30, 1888, Mr. Beasley was married at Pattonsburg, Missouri, to Miss Mattie Ewing, who was born near Bedford, Trimble county, Kentucky, September14, 1866. Her father is George Douglas Ewing, who was born January 2, 1842, at Ewingford, Trimble county, Kentucky, where he was reared and made his home until 1885, when he removed to the state of Missouri, locating at Pattonsburg. He has made his permanent residence there since that year and has become identified with the fire insurance business, building up a large and profitable clientage. His political views incline him toward the democratic party and he affiliates with the Methodist church, South. He served with distinction in the Confederate army, attaining the rank of orderly sergeant, and was a member of Colonel Giltner's staff of the First Brigade of General John B. Morgan's cavalry division. He also attained distinction along political lines, representing Trimble and Oldman counties, Kentucky, in the lower house in 1879 and 1880. He has followed his business successfully in Pattonsburg, Daviess county, Missouri, ever since locating here. On July 13, 1865, he married in Trimble county, Kentucky, Miss Artimecia Bain, a native of that county, where she was born October 27, 1842, and reared. She came with her husband to Pattonsburg in 1885. They were the parents of four children; Mattie. the wife of our subject; Charles Bain, born August 10, 1870; and Iva Watkins and Ira Scott, twins, who were born June 4, 1875, the former of whom died October 6, 1881, and the latter September 5, 1877. The paternal grandfather of Mrs. Beasley was Fulton Ewing, who was born November 4, 1809, near Eminence, Henry county, Kentucky. He was reared in that county, where he later engaged in agriculture and stock-raising. He was a democrat in politics and of the South Methodist faith. He lived to the age of eighty years, passing away July 18, 1889, at Ewingford, Trimble county, Kentucky. His wife before her marriage was Miss Rachel Watkins Robbins, who was born in the same county and state as her husband, near Mount Olivet, and there was reared. Her marriage to Fulton Ewing took place March 14, 1833, in Henry county, Kentucky, and they had ten children: James, born May 18, 1834, who died on June 16th of the same year: Mary F. Ewing Morgan, born May. 31, 1835, of La Grange, Kentucky, Robina. born May 17, 1836, who died July 16th of the same year; William Pryor, born August 29, 1837, of Milton, Kentucky; Augustus M., born November 25, 1839, who died at Taos, New Mexico, September 24, 1904; George Douglas, the father of Mrs. Beasley; Tharisa Holmes Ewing, who was born September 12, 1843, and died October 19th of the same year; Abel Robbins, born August 31, 1844, of Mitchell, Indiana; Bettie E. Ewing Spilliman, born May 21, 1847, of Ewingford, Kentucky; and Christopher C., who was born February 20, 1849, and died on December 13th of the same year. The maternal grandfather of Mrs. Beasley was Charles Bain, born October 2, 1795, in the state of Virginia. He removed with his parents to Kentucky, where he grew to manhood and became an agriculturist. In politics he was a democrat and his faith was that of the South Methodist church. On June 16, 1831, he married in Trimble county, Kentucky, Miss Nancy Trout, who was born December 14, i8og, in Switzerland county, Indiana, and was reared in Trimble county, Kentucky. Charles Bain passed away in that county on February 14, 1879 Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bain lied eleven children: Margaret Elizabeth, who was born January 3, 1833, and (lied May 4, 1839; Sarah Jane Bain Force, who was born April 28, 1834, and died August 7, 1900; Salome, born January 24, 1836, who died September 9, 1857; Levi Lewis, who was born December 11, 1837, and died May 7, 1847; Elvina Bain Dunn, who was born July 27, 1839, and died October 20,1896; Mary Bain Martin, who was born January 8, 1841, of Pattonsburg, Missouri; Artimecia Bain Ewing, the mother of Mrs. Beasley, of Pattonsburg, Missouri; William Alexander, born September 4, 1844, of Welch, Kentucky; Eli;a Trout Bain Hisle, born January 18, 1847, who makes her home in old Mexico; Matilda Bain Jordan, who was born March 20, 1849, and died February 25, 1884; and Jeremiah Trout, who was born March 22, 1857. The paternal great-grandparents of Mrs. Beasley were James Ewing and Robina (Scott) Ewing, who were born, educated and married in Edinburgh, Scotland. Soon after their marriage in 1799 they sailed for America. On account of contrary winds, shipwreck and other delays their voyage was fraught with hardships and dangers, taking six months. Their first child was born at sea and he was christened Douglas in honor of the Douglas clan of Scotland, of which the great-grandmother was a descendant. Mrs. Robina (Scott) Ewing was one of the leaders in a movement for the higher education of girls and established the first girls' high school in the state of Kentucky at Frankfort. Mrs. Mattie Beasley, the wife of our subject, received her education in the common schools of Kentucky and later attended high school at Pattonsburg, Missouri. She is a lady of refined tastes and rare attainments and popular in the social circles of Chillicothe.

Mr. Beasley is a democrat in his political views and although he is public-spirited and has by his activities along mercantile and banking lines greatly contributed to the growth and development of the city which he calls his home, he has never aspired to public office. He holds membership in the Christian church in which organization he is interested. He has attained high rank in the Masonic order, being a member of the lodge, the chapter, the commandery and the shrine. He also holds membership in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. His industry and energy have found substantial reward, resulting in most gratifying prosperity. He has made a creditable record in business, his course having been marked by steady progress gained through utilization of every opportunity that has presented itself. He is a man strongly marked by character and has come to be recognized as a forceful element in the community, his sterling traits having won him the high regard and confidence of all with whom he has come in contact, and his activities have been truly constructive in the development of his city and the surrounding country.

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