The Burnes Family

Campbell Burness was born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1718, and his son Peter Burness was born in Kincardineshire in 1752. Peter migrated to America in 1771, settling near Norfolk, Virginia. In 777 he married Charlotte Hayden and signed his name "Burnes.' moved to Spottsylvania County, Virginia, near Fredericksburg and there his son, James Burnes, was born in 1779. When he was twenty-four, in 1803, James left home and went to Chillicothe, Ohio, but he returned to Virginia in 1805 to marry Mary Thompson of Culpepper County. They had seven sons and three daughters. In 1824 ames moved to Morgantown, Indiana, and later to Vermillion County of that state. He was a merchant, and he laid out the town of Springfield.

In 1836 Lewis Burnes, the oldest son of James Burnes, at the age of twenty-six went by horseback to the newly opened Platte Purchase territory of northwest Missouri and brought back such a favorable report that the entire James Burnes family moved out. They acquired land near the future site of Weston, Missouri. After a few years, Lewis and his younger brother, Daniel Dearborn Burnes, born 1822, started a mercantile business at Weston. Their father encouraged his sons to unite in their business affairs so that they would be of mutual support. This union of forces was very successful and brought the family to a leading place in business and politics in northwest Missouri.

In 1850 Daniel D. Burnes was elected to Congress and in 1851 he married Miss Virginia Winn, daughter of George Winn who had come to Weston from Tennessee. Younger brothers of D. D. Burnes were James Nelson Burnes (1827-1889) and Calvin F. Burnes (18301896). Both were born on a farm in Morgan County, Indiana. J. N. Burnes graduated from the Platte County High School in 1846. The next year he married Miss Mary A. Skinner, daughter of Phineas Skinner, a Platte County landowner who had come from Kentucky. J.N. then attended Harvard University Law School, graduating in 1852. C.F. graduated from the University of Missouri in 1850, and from Harvard University Law School in 1853. Both J.N. and C.F. then returned to Weston, were admitted to the Bar, and practiced law in partnership. Along with their older brother, D.D., they were active in business in Missouri and Kansas, trading in hemp and real estate. The brothers were instrumental in organizing the Town Company of Atchison, Kansas, in establishing the town of Tracy, Missouri, in building the Weston & Atchison Railroad, the Southwestern Division of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, and the Leavenworth and Atchison bridges across the Missouri River. In 1859 C.F. married Miss Kate Hughes, whose father was a member of Congress.

The brothers prospered. In 1855, J.N. was elected circuit attorney for his judicial district and was chosen as presidential elector, casting his vote for Buchanan and Breckenridge. In the same year C.F. moved to St. Louis and became counsel for the Bank of the State of Missouri. After the state divided into two federal court districts, C.F. was appointed United States attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. He was very active in St. Louis, his legal services being in  demand by large corporations and mercantile houses, his speciality being the adjudication of imperfect land titles. In 1869 J.N. was elected judge of the Court of Common Pleas in Platte County, a position he held until 1872.

In April 1866 Mrs. D. D. Burnes died, leaving six children: four daughter and two sons, James N. Burnes, Jr. (1851-1913), and Lewis C. Burnes (1860-1916). D.D. Burnes made a compact with his two younger brothers, J.N. and C.F., whereby in the the event of his death, they would adopt his six children, raising them as their own, and in return he would leave all his property to them. In the next year--April 13, 1867--he died.

In 1873 J.N. and C.F. moved their own and D.D.’s families to St. Joseph Waterworks. They built a beautiful country estate south of the city, called “Ayr Lawn.” There the three families lived as one: J.N., his wife, and two sons; C.F., his wife, and one daughter; and the six children of D.D. In 1876 the Bank of St. Joseph purchased the German Savings Bank and moved into that building at Third and Felix.

The Farmers Mutual Bank of Platte City, the Weston is Bank, the Mastin Bank of Kansas City, and the National savings rank of the State of Missouri in St. Louis all failed, involving over $1,000,000 of the funds of the Missouri state treasurer. The Bank of Joseph was in sound condition but it had a $500,000 deposit in the sed St. Louis Bank. Also J. N. Burnes was the principal bondsman or the Missouri state treasurer who had deposited state funds in the closed banks. In this crisis the two Burnes brothers acted as one and ere able to emerge unscathed. They purchased the assets of the St. Louis bank and the Kansas City bank for $336,497. They paid off the deficiency of the state treasurer, and came out owning valuable real estate in downtown St. Louis and a controlling interest in the Granby Mining and Smelting Company in southwest Missouri, one of the largest lead-producing companies in the United States. Over a period of years, these assets increased substantially in value. The reputation of the Burnes brothers was enhanced and newspapers stated: J. N. Burnes is the most brilliant financier the State of Missouri has ever produced.

During the next decade the brothers were very active in business not only in Missouri and Kansas, but even extending into Nebraska, Iowa, and Ohio. The Bank was nationalized in 1883 as the National Bank of St. Joseph and C.F. remained its president. In 1882 J.N. was elected to Congress and re-elected several times until in 1889 he suffered a fatal stroke while speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives. After his death, C.F. organized "The Burnes Estate to which all the property of the various families was transferred. The property in St. Louis grew in value to such an extent that much of C.F.'s time was occupied in its management. He died in 1896.

Management of the Burnes Estate then came to the older son of J.N.-C. C. Burnes. He died in 1893 leaving a daughter, Marjorie--a noted beauty. Next in line in management of the Estate was the second son of J.N.-D. D. Burnes. He died in 1899, leaving a son, Kennett. The management of the property then came to the two sons of the original D. D. Burnes who had died in Weston in 1867, and who had been adopted by their uncles J.N. and C.F. They were James N. Burnes, Jr. (1852-1913), and Lewis C. Burnes (1860-1916). In 1902 the National Bank of St. Joseph built the imposing stone bank building on the southwest corner of Fourth and Felix Streets. In 1904 it was decided to split up the Burnes Estate. As a result, the Bank's assets were sold to the First National Bank and the Consolidated institution commenced operations in November 1905.

The Burnes Estate was liquidated and the public records showed a remarkable record of profitable operations. It was estimated that the original D. D. Burnes of Weston had started the family business in the 1850s with about $20,000. The value when J. N. Burnes died in 1889 was $600,000; when C. C. Burnes, his son, died in 1893, 81,000,000; when C. F. Burnes died in 1896, $1,400,000; in 1900, $2,000,000; and at the time of division in 1904, $3,250,000.

Lewis C. Burnes had been president and James N. Burnes, Jr., vice-president of the National Bank of St. Joseph and they did not wish to leave the banking business even though the dissolution of the Burnes Estate had brought the end of their family bank. Accordingly, in 1905.James N. Burnes, Jr., organized the Empire Trust Company and Lewis C. Burnes organized the Burnes National Bank.