Rev. W.L. Breckenridge was one of the many early settlers who came to the Raymore area following the civil war. An “eminent divine”, Rev. Breckenridge was a member of the distinguished Breckenridge family from Kentucky. Prior to forming the Raymore Presbyterian Church, Rev. Breckenridge helped to form the first Peculiar Presbyterian Church. Rev. Breckenridge lived on a farm ~ 4 miles north of Peculiar in Raymore Township. He passed away around 1877.
Mrs. Nancy Jane Barron was the wife of William H. Barron. A native of Pennsylvania, Nancy and William were married in Iowa in 1859. Moving to Cass County in 1869, they purchased 106 acres of land in Big Spring Township. Mr. Barron was active in local politics, serving as the democratically elected Justice of the Peace for the township.
Mr. Albert Kalb was a hardware merchant in Raymore. Born in 1847 in Ohio, Mr. Kalb moved to Cass County in 1870, farming land for 10 years before moving into Raymore. A veteran of the civil war, Mr. Kalb was married to Miss Anna Stevenson in 1874. They had two children, Ethel and Theresa. Albert was elected constable for Raymore Township and was the post commander for the G.A.R.
Mrs. Annie Lucas Kanaga (sometimes spelled Kennagy) came to Cass county 1871. She was married to F. C. Kanaga in 1851, and was the mother of four children. The Kanaga’s owned a considerable amount of land in Raymore Township, including the block of land which she donated to the Raymore Presbyterian Church for its current location. She is buried in the Raymore cemetery.
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Lightcap. Thomas Lightcap was a farmer and stock dealer. Born in 1832, he moved to the Raymore area in 1872 with his wife Margaret. The Lightcap's had 6 children and farmed a considerable amount of land south and east of Raymore.
Mr. and Mrs. William Lightcap. William was also a farmer in the Raymore area. A veteran of the civil war, William and his wife Lizzie moved to the area in 1871 purchasing 80 acres of land. They had 4 children.
Mr. and Mrs. Elias Wanamaker. Elias and his wife Susan were married in 1856 and moved to Missouri in 1870, then to Raymore in 1872. The Wanamaker’s had three children and were very prominent members of the Raymore community. Mr. Wanamaker was a highly successful grain dealer in the county, being in partnership with William Lasley. Together they owned and operated the Wanamaker and Lasley grain elevator in town.
John G. Williamson came to Missouri with his family in 1859. Following his service in the Civil war, he married the former Mattie Copeland of Cass County in 1870 and moved to a 120 acre farm in the county. Following Mattie’s death in 1874, they had one child; John remarried Miss E. J. Campbell of Lafayette, Missouri and continued to make their home in Cass County. The Williamson’s continued as members of the Raymore Presbyterian Church.
Little information is known about several other founding members of the church. These are:
Miss Fannie Breckenridge, Miss Carrie Browder, Miss Ella Brown and Mr. Theodore Wood.
