J. F. Long, farmer and apiarist of Jefferson Township, Cole Co., Mo., was born in St. Louis in 1847, being next to the youngest of six children born to John F. and Fannie E. (Pipkin) Long, who were born in Missouri, the father's family being from Virginia. The paternal great-grandfather was a Revolutionary soldier, and at the time of his death was drawing a pension for services rendered. The grandfather came from Kentucky, and settled on a large tract of land near St. Louis, which he afterward named "White Haven." His wife, a Miss Lappington, belonged to the family of Gov. Marmaduke. J. P. Long attended the public schools of St. Louis County in his youth, and was six months in Arcadia College. About 1865 he began learning the carpenter's trade, and later studied architecture under Thomas Walch, and later held the office of weigher and inspector of imported goods in the office of collector of customs for the port of St. Louis for four years, and was then transferred to the construction of the new custom house, where he was weigher and inspector also for four years. Later he was local superintendent of the construction of the Four Courts building. In 1878, on account of ill health, he removed to Cole County, where he bought a farm of ninety acres, about nine miles west of Jefferson City, on which he has made many improvements in the way of opening up new land and fencing. In 1888 he built a fine cottage, and expects soon to set out an orchard of 500 choice fruit trees. He makes a specialty of bee raising, and now has about fifty colonies, which business affords him much pleasure as well as profit. He has been quite an extensive traveler throughout the United States, searching for a healthy location in which to settle, but decided that the State of Missouri was as good a place as he could find in his travels. He has always been active in politics, and casts his vote with the Democratic party. He belongs to the Agricultural Wheel, and since locating in Cole County has proved himself one of its valuable citizens.

Transcribed from:
History of Cole, Moniteau, Morgan, Benton, Miller, Maries, and Osage Counties, Missouri, Goodspeed Publishing Company (1889).