John M. Popp is a native of Jefferson City, Mo., born in 1857, and is the third of six children born to George and Maggie Popp, who were native Germans, and came to the United States at an early day and settled in Jefferson City, where he was engaged in carpentering for about ten years, then purchased a good farm of 440 acres, upon which he has since made his home. In his native city and on this farm John M. Popp was reared, but after attaining his twentieth year he began learning the blacksmith's trade at Brazito, but at the end of three years was obliged to discontinue this work on account of ill health. He then resumed tilling the soil, working on his father's farm, and, by industry and good management, accumulated enough means to enable him to purchase his present farm of 172 acres, the greater part of which he has under cultivation. The average yield of his land is twenty bushels of wheat and fifty bushels of corn to the acre. He does general farming, but gives especial attention to grain. He is a patron of education, but as far as politics is concerned he is not a strict partisan, but usually votes the Republican ticket. In 1880 he was married to Miss Maggie Miller, a native of St. Louis, and a daughter of Andy and Katie Miller, who are residents of Cole County, and by her has an interesting family of four children: Katie, Willie, Charles and Herman.

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