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Dr. Wallace L. Sappington, practicing physician and surgeon, residing
one and one-fourth miles north of Maxville, on the Gravel road, was 
born at Sappington, St. Louis County, Mo., in 1861.  He is the son of
Thomas J. and Helen (Leffingwell) Sappington.  The father was also 
born at Sappington, where he has lived, all his life, and is now about
fifty-six years old.  He is one of the practical and enterprising 
farmers and stock raisers of St. Louis County, is one of its prominent
citizens and active politicians, a life-long Democrat, and an ardent
advocate of low tariff.  He was a stanch Union man during the late war
in which he served in the Enrolled Missouri Militia.  He received a 
good common school education, and graduated from the high school of
St. Charles.  He is a great reader of history and all works of general
interest, and has, by his own efforts, obtained considerable knowledge
of the outside world.  His fine farm consists of 600 acres, and is 
well improved and well cultivated.  He has been twice married; his
second wife, Julia Leffingwell, ousin of his first wife, is still 
living.  John Sappington, grandfather of Wallace L., came to Missouri
when St. Louis was a mere French trading post, and the surrounding 
country a vast wilderness full of Indians and wild animals.  He established 

a tannery where Sappington now stands, and followed the business for many 

years years, the town being named in his honor.  He owned a vast tract of 

land in the neighborhood, which was left to his two sons and three daughters.  

He was a man of considerable influence and ability, and was one of the 

county's first settlers.  The Doctor's mother was born in Pennsylvania, 

and when a girl came to Missouri with her brother, Hon. Hiram Leffingwell, 

who served as United States marshall for the Eastern District of Missouri, 

under Gen. Grant's administration. She died when the subject of this sketch 

was about ten years old.  The Doctor was reared at home and educated at 

Kirkwood High School.  He began his medical studies with Dr. Henry F. 

Steinhauer, for three years, and was also three years at the St. Louis 

Medical College, from which institution he graduated in 1881.  He then 

began his practice in the vicinity of Maxville, where he has an extended 

and successful practice, and where he is considered one of the promising 

young physicians of Jefferson County.  He was married in 1882 to Miss 

Anna, daughter of John L. and Margaret Sutton, and a native of St. Louis 

County, where her grandfather was one of the pioneer settlers.  Her parents 

are still living at Sutton, a place named in honor of the grandfather, 

James Sutton.  The Doctor has one child, Sadie.  He is a Democrat in 

his political views, and cast his first presidential vote for Grover 

Cleveland in 1884.  He was formerly medical examiner of the A. O. U. W. 

of Sappington Lodge.