USA > Missouri > Pettis County > Sedalia > The History of Pettis County, Missouri, History of Sedalia > Part 1
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Gc 977.801 P45h 1271404
MLI
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01094 8401
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2018
https://archive.org/details/historyofpettisc00demu_0
History of
Pettis County, Missouri
History of
Sedalia, Missouri
01
by
=
I. MacDonald Demuth
1882
4
PREFACE.
with great care and accuracy by those specially adapted to that laborious task, and although it is not assumed to be in all cases absolutely free from errors, it can be relied upon as substantially correct in facts, names and dates.
The biographical department is an important feature, and remarkably free from errors, when taking into consideration the numberless mistakes and incorrect statements often given by the subject of the sketch. Until comparatively of recent date only persons of national or world-wide renown were thought worthy a biographical notice, while the humblest walks furnish not a name for the pages of enduring history. These sketches will be of value not only to the family and friends but also to the community at large.
Many difficulties were encountered in the early part of the undertaking. Not the least was the prejudice of the people against book and map enterprises of every description, partly occasioned by the fault of people themselves, and partly by the swarms of canvassers, seeking to inveigle the citizens into some worthless project, and take away their money without rendering any equivalent or fulfilling their promises. Thus it was some stood aloof, remained inaccessible, not lending their aid and encour- agement. The cost in time and money has been much greater than those unaccustomed to such work are apt at first to realize, but the publishers, perceiving the growing favor with which county histories are received all over the country, confidently expect to meet with the anticipated amount of sales.
Among the many worthy advocates of progress and enterprises in Pettis County, the publishers desire to express their grateful acklowledg- ments to F. A. Sampson, Esq., for the chapter on Natural History and correcting the proof-sheets of Sedalia history; to I. Mac D. Demuth for much of Sedalia's history; to Rev. Dr. John Montgomery for the his- tory of the Presbyterian Church; to Rev. John Letts for the history of the Baptist Church; to Rev. A. H. Stevens for the history of the Cum- berland Presbyterian Church; to Elder J. H. Duncan for the history of the Christian Church; to Rev. J. B. Fuller, Rev. G. A. Beattie, Rev. H. R. Miller, Rev. R. A. Johns and others for church history; Mr. C. A. Leach for the chapter on Courts and Bar, also the chapter on Pettis County Live Stock; to Col. A. D. Jaynes, Col. Thomas F. Houston, Maj. William Gentry, R. W. Gentry, Dr. J. W. Trader, O. A. Crandall, the custodians of the county records, to the editors of the several newspa- pers and to many others, by whose liberal support and material aid the work has been carried foward to a successful completion, to all and singu- lar much credit is due, and many thanks are tendered by
THE PUBLISHERS.
F. A. NORTH, Manager.
CONTENTS.
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI.
PAGE
PAGE
Historical and Political- 9
Geology and Minerals
66
Prehistoric Missouri . 10
Geological Chart 67
The White Race in Missouri. 15
Missouri as a State. . 25
Summary of Events and Dates .. . 25
Geography of Missouri ..
78
Rivers and Water Courses. 81
Notable Springs. 82
Soils and their Products. 83
Wild Game.
85
Climate ..
87
United States Senators. 31
Healthfulness of the State.
89
Members of Congress. 32
Agriculture 90
Staple Crops.
91
Horticulture.
93
Exemption of Personal Property 42
Rights of Married Women .. 43
The Lewis and Clark Expedition. 100
First Steamboats in Missouri. 101
. The Barge System 103
Railroads in Missouri. 104
Federal Affairs in the State. 46
Missouri's Distinguished Men-
Daniel Boone. 47
Thomas H. Benton 47
James B. Eads 48
Carl Schurz.
49
Prof. Charles V. Riley. 49
Missouri in the Civil War 50
Names of the States of the Union and their significance. 202
HISTORY OF PETTIS COUNTY.
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION AND NAME .- Object of the Work; Task of the Historian; By Whom Collected and Compiled ; Criticisms; The Name; Hon. Spencer Pettis. 205, 210 CHAPTER II. EARLY SETTLEMENTS AND PIONEERS .- Habits and Characteristics of the Pioneers; Pin Hook; Flat Creek; Georgetown; Names of Early Settlers .. ..... 210, 221 CHAPTER III. NATURAL HISTORY .- Geological Formations; Paleontology ; Conchol- ogy; Botany, etc., with partial lists of distribution of Species. 221, 240
CHAPTER IV. ORGANIZATION .- County Organizations in general; Act incorporating Pettis County; Names of Commissioners locating the County Seat; Organization of Townships. : . 240, 254
CHAPTER V. POLITICAL HISTORY .- Whigs and Democrats; Parties in 1860; Test Oath of 1865; Incidents of the War; Official Election Returns; Official Directory. ... 254, 267 CHAPTER VI. FINANCES .- First Records; Exhibit of County Revenue; Treasurer's Report for 1850; Railroad Bonds; Assessment of 1881 and 1882. .267, 275 CHAPTER VII. THE COURTS AND BAR .- Origin and Authority of Law; Seat of Justice of Pettis County; Early Courts; List of Judges; Roll of Attorneys from organiza- tion to the present time; Personal mention .275, 298
CHAPTER VIII. RELIGIOUS HISTORY .- Baptists of Pettis County ; Presbyterians; The M. E. Church South; The Christian Church; The Cumberland Presbyterian Church . 298, 319
CHAPTER IX. EDUCATIONAL HISTORY .- Early Schools; Georgetown Schools; Com- missioners and Superintendents ; Teachers' Institutes. 319, 331 CHAPTER X. THE MEDICAL PROFESSION 331, 342
Counties and population 26
Census Report, 1880. 27
State Finances 29
Presidential Vote, 1820 to 1880. 30
Governors From 1820 to 1880. 31
Public School System 34
Protectional Laws. 40
Homestead Exemption 40
The Grasshopper Plague. 96
Navigation and Commerce. 99
Taxation
43
Public Debt Limitation. 44 Comparative Tax Rate. 45
Manufacturing in Missouri. 107 Principal Cities in Missouri. 108 Constitution of the United States. 113
Constitution of Missouri .. 124
Abstract of State Laws and Forms .. 166 Practical Rules for Every Day Use. .. 196
Mineral Resources. 72 Earth, Clays, Ochre, etc. 77
1
6
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER XI. AGRICULTURE 342, 350
CHAPTER XII. HORTICULTURE .350, 355
CHAPTER XIII. PETTIS COUNTY LIVE STOCK .- History of Stock Raising in Pettis
County ; Men engaged in Stock Raising; Natural Advantages of Pettis County, 355, 369 CHAPTER XIV. RAILROAD HISTORY. .369, 375
CHAPTER XV. MARTIAL HISTORY .- Roster of Officers and Soldiers, enlisted in the .375, 390 Civil War, and many other important facts connected therewith.
CHAPTER XVI. NEWSPAPERS OF PETTIS COUNTY 390, 396
HISTORY OF CITIES, TOWNS AND TOWNSHIPS.
HISTORY OF SEDALIA, 399-757.
CHAPTER I. INTRODUCTION, AND FOUNDATION OF THE CITY. .399, 405
CHAPTER II. FROM 1860 TO 1865 .405, 434
CHAPTER III. CAPTURE OF SEDALIA BY THE CONFEDERATES. . 434, 458
CHAPTER IV. SEDALIA AFTER THE WAR.
.458, 496 CHAPTER V. THE CITY GOVERNMENT. .496, 504
CHAPTER VI. PUBLIC ENTERPRISES. .504, 511
CHAPTER VII. COMMERCIAL AND BUSINESS INTERESTS .511. 540
CHAPTER VIII. CHURCHES .540, 572
CHAPTER IX. EDUCATIONAL. .572, 592
CHAPTER X. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT. .. .592, 602
CHAPTER XI. THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE. 602, 604
HISTORY OF TOWNSHIPS.
CHAPTER XII. HOUSTONIA TOWNSHIP 757, 801
CHAPTER XIII. BLACKWATER TOWNSHIP .801, 835
CHAPTER XIV. LONGWOOD TOWNSHIP. .835, 856
CHAPTER XV. HEATH'S CREEK TOWNSHIP.
CHAPTER XVI. LAMONTE TOWNSHIP. .856, 880
.880, 907
CHAPTER XVII. DRESDEN TOWNSHIP .907, 925
CHAPTER XVIII. CEDAR TOWNSHIP.
.925, 946
CHAPTER XIX. BOWLING GREEN TOWNSHIP.
946, 963
CHAPTER XX. ELK FORK TOWNSHIP
963, 984
CHAPTER XXI. PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP
984, 1001
CHAPTER XXII. SMITHTON TOWNSHIP. 1001, 1036
CHAPTER XXIII. GREEN RIDGE TOWNSHIP. 1036, 1063
CHAPTER XXIV. WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP 1063, 1078
CHAPTER XXV. FLAT CREEK TOWNSHIP .. 1078, 1097
CHAPT XXVI. LAKE CREEK TOWNSHIP. 1097, 1108
ILLUSTRATIONS.
Map of Pettis County 7
Post-Office, Kansas City 204
Baking Johnny Cake. 215
School of Mines and Metallurgy 235
State University
325
Sedalia Business College. 588
United States Coat of Arms. 341
State Agricultural College. 347
Printing Press.
396
Missouri Coat of Arms
398
J. M. Offield's Block. 423
J. M. Clute's Business House. 431
Jay Gould Hotel.
431
Residence of J. R. Barrett. 447
Residence of S. T. Lupe . 459
Residence of Cyrus Newkirk. 475
Residence of Thos. B. Price. 491
J. W. Truxel's Music House. 495
Residence of Wm. Gentry 507
W. J. Bagby's Grocery Store. 523
D. I. Holcomb's China Store 533
Baptist Church, East Sedalia. 561
Residence of R. W. Gentry 575
Story's Block. 579
Residence of John Montgomery, Jr. 581
Bazoo Printing House. 590
Democrat Office .. 591
Portrait-Thos. H. Benton. 604
Kruse & Frederick's Block .. opposite 604 H. W. Wood's Block. . opposite 604
First Baptist Church ..
.opposite 605
Residence of J. D. Crawford. 635
Residence of J. N. Dalby 639
Residence of J. C. Thompson 743
Residence of J. C. Higgins. 819
Residence of J. G. Senior 826
Residence of Samuel Shanks. 828
Residence of J. L. Cartwright.
867
Residence of Joshua Gentry .
909
SALINE COUNTY
bater
Heathis Cro
LONG WOOD
Fork of Black water
HOUSTONIZ
BLACKWATER
LONG WOOD
south
Hit
HOUSTONIA
HUGHSVILLE.
Proposed Sedalia and Marshall . R.R.
Muddy Creek
BOWLING GREEN.
Missouri
Paci
RIR
DRESDEN
BEAMAN
LAMONTE
DRESDEN
GEORGE TOWN
2 creek
SED
ALTA
Misk
ELK
FORK
MAIRIE
SEDALIA.
SMITHTON
.
SMITHTON
Flat
Creek
CREEN
RIDGE
WASHINGTON
Lake Greek.
-
BENTON COUNTY
BENTON COUNTY
MORGAN COUNTY
GREENE TAGE
Missouri
-
Flat Creek
FLAT CREEK
TAKE CREEK
MAP OF PETTIS COUNTY, MISSOURI.
"COOPER COUNTY.
HEATH'S CREEK
LAMONTE
M. K. and T. R.R.
Kansas & Texas R.R.
fahre to ina, . not!
& ReSmith
History of the State of Missouri.
PART I .- HISTORICAL AND POLITICAL.
INTRODUCTORY.
When a book is written, it is presumed that the writer had some object in view and some end to achieve by his labor in collecting the material and writing the book; and it is right that he should put himself on good terms with his readers at the outset by making a brief, but frank and honest statement of his object, plan and purpose in the book which he offers to public patronage. The writer of this History of Missouri has aimed to embody in a brief space the greatest amount of solid and reliable information about things which directly hinge and center upon or within the territory of this State-this international commonwealth, which holds by right divine the royal prerogative of a destiny imperial and grand, if she can acquire or develop human brain and muscle adequate to utilize wisely, honorably and energetically her magnificent natural resources, both of commercial position and of agricultural and mineral wealth. The writer's desire and effort has been to present nothing which would not be read with deep interest by every intelligent citizen of Missouri at the present time; and also stand as a permanent body of information, at once useful and reliable for future reference. Discussion of theories, problems or doubtful matters has been avoided; solid facts have been diligently sought after; and the narrative has been made to embody as many facts and events as possible without falling into the dry-bones method of mere statistical tables. In fact, the limit of space allotted him has compelled the writer to condense, epitomize, shorten up-and therefore continually to repress his desire to embellish the narrative with the graces of rhetoric and the glow of an exuberant and fervid enthusiasm. This, however, secures to the reader more facts within the same space.
In preparing this work more than a hundred volumes have been con- sulted, to collate incidents and authenticate dates and facts, besides much matter gathered from original sources and not before embraced in any
1
10
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI.
book. It is not presumed that there are no mistakes or errors of state- ment herein made; but it is believed that there are fewer of such lapses than commonly occur with the same amount of data in similar works. The classification of topics is an attempt to give them a consecutive and consistent relative place and order in the book, for convenience of inci- dental reference or of selective reading.
PRE-HISTORIC MISSOURI.
THE MOUND-BUILDERS, ETC.
Every State has a pre-historic history-that is, remains and relics are found which show that the land was inhabited by a race or races of men long before its discovery and occupation by a race sufficiently advanced in the arts of civilization to preserve a written record of their own observations and doings. It is now well established that every portion of the United States was inhabited by a race of men grouped under the general name of "Mound-builders," who preceded the modern hunter tribes called "Indians." It further appears, from all the evidence accumu- lated, that the Mound-builders were a race that made permanent settle- ments, and built earthworks of considerable extent for defense against enemies, both man and beast; also for sepulture, for religious rites, and for memorial art; it is also evident that they cultivated the soil to some extent, made rude textile fabrics and clay pottery, and wrought imple- ments of domestic use, ornaments, charms, toys, pipes, etc., and weapons of war and of the chase, from flint, porphyry, jasper, hornstone, granite, slate, and other varieties of rocks; also from horn, bone, shells, and other animal products; and from native copper. But they had no knowledge of iron, nor any art of smelting copper; they merely took small pieces of the native ore and hammered it cold with their stone tools until it took some rude shape of utility, and then they scoured and polished it to its utmost brilliancy; and it is altogether probable that these articles were only possessed by the chieftains or ruling families. Plates of mica are also found among their remains, with holes for suspension on cords around the neck or body; and lumps of galena or lead ore sometimes occur, but these must have been valued merely as trinkets or charms, because of their lustre. Remains of this people are found frequently both on the bluffs and bottom lands of the Mississippi and Missouri rivers, and, in many States, far inland, also.
The first mention of such remains in Missouri is made by a U. S.
.
11
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI.
exploring expedition under Major S. H. Long, in 1819. This expedition went in the first steamboat that ever puffed and paddled its way against the swift, muddy current of the Missouri river; * the boat was named " Western Engineer," but it had a double stern-wheel, or two wheels, one of them named in large letters, "James Monroe," and the other "John C. Calhoun," in honor of the then President and Secretary of War. This steamer had to stop at St. Louis for some repairs; and two members of the expedition, Messrs. Thomas Say and T. R. Peale, improved the time by surveying a group of twenty-seven ancient mounds which occu- pied ground that is now all covered over by the modern city of St. Louis. This occurred in Tune, 1819; Mr. Say prepared a map of the mounds and a brief account of them, and this appears to be the first authentic record of such ancient works within the territory now constituting the State of Missouri; his notes on these mounds were published in 1823, in the report of Major Long's expedition, but his map of them was never published until 1862, when it appeared on page 387 of the " Smithsonian Report" for the year 1861. In his account Mr. Say says:
" Tumuli and other remains of the labors of nations of Indians (?) that inhabited this region many ages since are remarkably numerous about St. Louis. Those tumuli immediately northward of the town and within a short distance of it, are twenty-seven in number, of various forms and magnitudes, arranged nearly in a line from north to south. The common form is an oblong square, and they all stand on the second bank of the river. It seems probable these piles of earth were raised as cemeteries, or they may have supported altars for religious cer- emonies."
It was from these mounds that St. Louis derived her pseudonym of the " Mound City"; but this name is now almost entirely obsolete, since the city has risen up to claim the prouder title of "Inter-Metropolis of North America". When the largest one of the mounds was leveled some skeletons were found, and some thick discs with holes through them; they had probably served as beads, and were wrought from shells of a spe- cies of fresh water clam or mussel. Numerous specimens of wrought flints were found between St. Louis and Carondelet, in 1860; and in 1861 an ancient flint shovel was dug up while building military earthworks.
In Mississippi county, in the southeastern corner of the State, there is a group of mounds covering ten acres, in section 6, t. 24, r. 17, varying from ten to thirty feet in height. About 1855 these mounds were explored by two gentlemen from Chicago, and they found some pottery, with men represented upon its sides; one figure appeared to be a priest or some official personage, as shown by his head-dress, and the other
* Campbell's History of Howard County says: "May 28th, 1819, the first steamboat- the ' Independence,' Capt. Nelson, time from St. Louis, including all stops, twelve days- landed at Franklin on her way up the [Missouri] river." Thus it seems that Major Long's boat was really the second one to go up, although in most histories it is mentioned as the first-and it was the first that went up any great distance.
12
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI.
represented a captive bound with thongs. Both figures showed the peculiar contour of head and features which marks the mound-builder race.
In December, 1868, some laborers engaged in grading Sixth street, in East St. Louis, dug up a nest of unused flint hoes or shovels, and another deposit of shells with string-holes worked in them, and another deposit of boulders of flint and greenstone, ready to make more tools or weapons from. These deposits were on high ground, and about half-way between two ancient mounds.
In 1876 or 1877 some ancient mounds were discovered on the banks of the Missouri river near Kansas City. They were in groups of three and five together, at different points for five miles up and down the river. Some were built entirely of earth, and some had a rude stone chamber or vault inside, but covered with earth so that all looked alike outside. They were of an irregular oval shape, from four to six feet high, and had heavy growths of timber on top. Mr. W. H. R. Lykins, of Kansas City, noticed a burr-oak tree five feet in diameter, growing on top of one of them, and the decayed stump of a black walnut of about the same size, on another. In describing the exploration of some of these mounds Mr. Lykins gives some points that will be of interest to every one. He says:
" We did not notice any very marked peculiarity as to these bones except their great size and thickness, and the great prominence of the supraciliary ridges. The teeth were worn down to a smooth and even surface. The next one we opened was a stone mound. On clearing off the top of this we came upon a stone wall inclosing an area about eight feet square, with a narrow opening for a doorway or entrance on the south side. The wall of this inclosure was about two feet thick; the inside was as smooth and compactly built and the corners as correctly squared as if constructed by a practical workman. No mortar had been used. At a depth of about two feet from the top of the wall we found a layer of five skeletons lying with their feet toward the south." *
None of the other walls examined were so skilfully laid as this one. The bones were crumbly, and only a few fragments were preserved by coating them well with varnish as quickly as possible after they were exposed to the air. One stone enclosure was found full of ashes, char- coal and burnt human bones, and the stones and earth of which the mound was composed all showed the effects of fire. Hence it is pre- sumed that this was either a cremation furnace or else an altar for human sacrifices-most probably the latter. Some fragments of pottery were found in the vicinity.
L. C. Beck in 1823+ reported some remains in the territory now con- stituting Crawford county, Missouri, which he thought showed that there
* Smithsonian Report, 1877, p. 252.
+ Gazetteer of Illinois and Missouri, published by L. C. Beck, in 1822-23.
13
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI.
was in old time a town there, with streets, squares, and houses built with stone foundations and mud walls. He also mentions the ruins of an ancient stone building described to him by Gen. Ashley, as situated on a high cliff on the west side of the Gasconade river. And another one said to be in Pike county, is thus described: "It presents the dilapidated remains of a building constructed of rough, unhewn stones, fifty-six feet long and twenty-two broad, embracing several divisions and chambers. The walls are from two to five feet high. Eighty rods eastward of this structure is found a smaller one of similar construction. The narrow apartments are said to be arched with stone, one course overlapping the other, after the manner of the edifices of Central America."
I. Dille, Esq., of Newark, Ohio, reported that he had examined some of these pre-historic town ruins, in the vicinity of Mine-la-Motte and Fredericktown, in Madison county, Missouri. He speaks of them as groups of small tumuli, and says: "I have concluded they are the remains of mud houses. They are always arranged in straight lines, with broad streets intervening between them, crossing each other at right angles. The distance apart varies in different groups, but it is always uniform in the same group. I have counted upwards of two hundred of these mounds in a single group. Arrow heads of jasper and agate, and axes of sienite and porphyry have been found in their vicinity." *
Mounds or other pre-historic structures have been found on Spencer's creek in Ralls county; on Cedar creek in Boone county; on Crow's Fork and other places in Callaway county; near Berger Station in Franklin county; near Miami in Saline county; on Blackwater river in John- son county; on Salt river in Pike county; on Prairie Fork in Mont- gomery county; near New Madrid; and in many other parts of the State.
The class of ancient ruins, partly built of stone, said to exist in Clay, Crawford, Pike and Gasconade counties, Missouri, are not found further north, but are frequent enough further south, and are supposed to indicate a transitional period in the development of architectural knowledge and skill, from the grotesque earth-mounds of Wisconsin to the well-finished adobe structures of New Mexico, and the grander stone ruins of Yucatan. But, no matter what theory we adopt with regard to these pre-historic relics, the present citizens of Missouri can rest assured that a different race of human beings lived and flourished all over this region of country, hundreds-yes, thousands of years ago, and that they were markedly different in their modes of life from our modern Indians.
* Many large and costly works have been published by scientists, devoted to the general subject of Pre-Historic Man; but of cheap and popular works for the general reader, the best are Foster's "Pre-Historic Races of the United States"; and Baldwin's "Ancient America".
14
HISTORY OF THE STATE OF MISSOURI.
And there are at least two discoveries known which show that these people were here before the extinction of the mastodon, or great American elephant. In the "Transactions of the St. Louis Academy of Sciences," 1857, Dr. Kock reports that in the year 1839 he dug up in Gasconade county [as that county then was] the bones of a mastodon, near the Bourbeuse river. The skeleton of this gigantic creature was buried in such a position as to show that it had got its hind legs down in a bog so deeply that it could not climb out, although its fore feet were on dry ground. The natives had attacked it with their flint arrows and spears, most of which were found in a broken condition; but they had finally managed to build a big fire so close to its head as to burn it to death, the head-bones and tusks being found all burnt to coals. The account of this discovery was first printed in the Philadelphia Presbyterian, Jan. 12, 1839, and copied into the " American Journal of Science " the same year. The authenticity of the incident has been disputed, on the assumed ground that man did not exist as long ago as when the mastodon roamed over these pre-historic plains; but science now has indisputable evidence that man existed even in the Tertiary age of the geological scale, ( see note to chart in chapter on Geology ) long before the glacial epoch; hence that objection has no force at present.
Dr. Koch further reports that about a year after unearthing the Gas- conade county monster, he again found in the bottom land of the Pom- me-de-Terre river, in Benton county, a nearly complete skeleton of the great extinct beast called Missourium, with arrow-heads under it in such a way as to show beyond question that they were made and used while the animal was alive. This skeleton is now in the British Museum. *.
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