Pierce City was named after Andrew Pierce of Boston, MA, president of the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway Company in 1870 [2].
It is plausible John and the 'Missouri Cornelius' were related.
Here is my transcription of John’s marriage record:
Now I have the name of a church: St. John’s in Pierce City – and it is
plausible Cornelius Scanlon and his family attended there.
I also have the maiden name of John's wife: Joyce. Catherine Joyce.
Notes:
[1] “Missouri,
County Marriage Records, 1819-1969,” Lawrence County, Marriage records
1876-1881, Vol. C, page 106, FamilySearch.org (https://familysearch.org :
accessed 19 September 2013).
[2] The Library, local
history, Frisco depots (http://thelibrary.org : accessed
19 September 2013), Springfield-Greene
County Library District, Springfield, Missouri.
