USA > Missouri > A History of Northeast Missouri, Volume I > Part 32
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The first brick residence built in Columbia was built by Charles Hardin, and may be seen on the south side of Locust, between Fourth and Fifth streets; it is said on good authority that this was the first brick dwelling built in Missouri, west of St. Charles. Charles Hardin, and his wife, Mrs. Hannah Hardin, occupied this house many years; they were the parents of Governor Charles H. Hardin, Missouri's twenty- third governor. Charles Hardin was the first postmaster in Columbia.
From the little village that Columbia was for many years, she has grown till today there are ten thousand people living in Columbia, twenty miles of paved streets and sixty-eight miles of granitoid side- walks. Located in Columbia are the following: University of Missouri, Agricultural College, Christian College, Stephens College, Missouri Bible College, University Military Academy, five ward and two high schools, Catholic school, Stephens Publishing House, Hamilton-Brown shoe factory, flouring mills, ice and packing house, brick plant, laundries, three planing mills, five banks and one trust company, one monthly, three daily and three weekly papers, the government model road, State Historical Society, Wabash and Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroads, municipal water and light plant, Parker Memorial Hospital, and Bap- tist, Catholic, Christian, Christian Science, Episcopal, Holiness, Metho- dist and Presbyterian churches.
ROCHEPORT
On September 2, 1825, a notice appeared in the Missouri Intelligencer advertising the lots in Rocheport for sale. Among other things, it was stated that the roads leading in all directions would be good, with only a little work on them, and that the views from the town were more beautiful than anywhere on the river between its mouth and Fort Osage. Rocheport soon became an important shipping point. All of the goods for Columbia and western Boone county were shipped through Roche- port for many years. Then, as now, Rocheport drew considerable busi- ness from Howard, Cooper and Moniteau counties. It was incorporated in 1843, and its corporate limits extended by act of the legislature in 1853.
Rocheport was one of the towns in the central part of the state that wanted the state capitol when it was removed from St. Charles in 1826. It is said that had Rocheport had the support of the representa- tives from Boone county, the capitol would have been located in Roche-' port. The Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad was built through Roche-
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port in 1892-93, and Rocheport has lost that distinctive river transporta- tion feature which she once had; but Rocheport's merchants, banks, newspapers and traders have kept up the business record of this well- known hamlet.
The Columbia and Rocheport turnpike, fifteen miles in length, con- . nects Rocheport with Columbia, and passes through one of the best parts of Boone county. For many years after steamboating was aban- doned, the Rocheport hack, driven by William Ridgway, was Rocheport's principal method of transportation. This turnpike now forms a part of the Old Trails Road, Missouri's first cross-state highway.
A number of distinguished men have come from Rocheport, Col. Jno. F. Philips, afterward judge of United States court, Dr. A. W. McAlester, dean of medical department of university, Judge E. W. Hinton, dean of law department of university, Capt. F. F. C. Triplett and J. de W. Robinson, two well-known Boone county lawyers, and Dr. Wm. S. Woods, of Kansas City, S. C. Hunt, of Columbia, and Jno. T. Mitchell, of Cen- tralia, well-known bankers of those cities.
STONESPORT
In 1836, the town of Stonesport was laid out by Josiah Ramsey and Washington Ramsey, and named for Asa Stone, an extensive land owner in that neighborhood; the town was located on the Missouri river, one and a half miles west of Claysville. Stonesport was quite a shipping point, and continued to be a town till the high water of 1844, when a sand bar was formed in front of it, and boats were unable to land there. The next year it was abandoned and a convenient landing nearby was selected; and, at that time, Henry Clay was the idol of Boone countians, most of whom were Whigs, so the new town was named Claysville.
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There are few graves of Revolutionary soldiers in Boone county ; but in the old cemetery at Stonesport, Captain William Ramsey, an officer in Washington's army, is buried. Captain Ramsey was the father of the founders of Stonesport, to-wit: Josiah Ramsey and George Wash- ington . Ramsey. H. H. Rice, now a citizen of Hartsburg, says that he knew Captain Ramsey very well, and often talked with him about Gen- eral Washington.
PERSIA
On April 1, 1820, the Missouri Intelligencer contained an advertise- ment, signed by O. Babbitt, J. Teffts, E. Stanley and N. Patten, Jr., offering the lots of Persia for sale on July 4, 1820. Persia was described as being on the main road leading from Franklin to St. Charles, about twenty-eight miles from Franklin close to Roche Perche creek, and near the center of the contemplated county. It was stated that the waters of that creek were sufficient to supply mills of any description, and that there were plenty of springs nearby. It was also stated that it was the intention of the proprietors soon to erect saw and grist mills near the town, and a wagon bridge across the creek, and that a brewery, distillery and carding machine would soon be constructed there. But Persia never became the rival of Columbia that it was expected she would be; and now not a vestige of it remains.
NASHVILLE
In 1819, Ira P. Nash laid out a town on the bank of the Missouri river, two miles below the present town of Providence, near the mouth of Little Bonne Femme creek, which town he named for himself. Nash
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was a surveyor and was employed by the Spanish government to locate certain claims, one of which he located in Boone county, and Nashville was laid out on said claim. A notice appeared in the Missouri Intelli- gencer of December 18, 1819, advertising the sale of the lots of Nash- ville, on Saturday, January 1, 1820, by which it appears that Peter Bass, J. M. White and others were interested with Nash. In 1825, Nash brought suit in the Boone circuit court for the partition of the remain- ing lots in Nashville, and the division of the proceeds of the sales. Nashville continued to be a town of some importance till 1844, the year of the high water, when all of it was washed into the Missouri river, except two or three houses which stood till 1865, when they were washed away.
PETERSBURG
In 1836, Petersburg was laid out in Bourbon township, near Silver's Fork, five miles south of Sturgeon; but all evidence of that town has long since passed away. It contained at least one noted person, Miss Mary Cunningham, who married Gen. John A. Logan, United States senator from Illinois, and Republican nominee for vice-president in 1884. Mrs. Logan has always been loyal to Boone county, and to her numerous relatives, the Fountains and Tuckers many of whom still reside here. She wrote an interesting letter, which was read on July 4, 1890, the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the laying of the corner stone of the university.
BURLINGTON
In 1856, Col. Thad Hickman laid out Burlington, which was located on the Missouri river, two miles to the west of the present town of Hartsburg, or Hart City. Burlington soon had one hundred people and proved to be a great shipping point, especially for tobacco, which then was one of the main products of the southern part of Cedar township. But in 1887 it was washed away by the Missouri river, and now the site of the town is in the middle part of that treacherous stream. For some reason, no plat of either Burlington or Petersburg was ever filed or recorded.
BOONSBOROUGH
Like other counties in the central portion of our state, Boone county had a town named for Daniel Boone. It was platted and laid out in Jan- uary, 1836. The record says that "Mr. John Wood is both resident and proprietor of this town." It was also stated that the town was located on the road leading from Columbia to St. Charles, at the crossing of Cedar creek. Boonsborough, though popularly named, long ago ceased to exist.
SUMMERVILLE
In January, 1848, Eusibus Hubbard and David Jacob platted a town on the east side of the Range line road, half way between the present towns of Deer Park and Englewood, which they called Summerville. But this was only a town on paper.
BOURBONTON
In March, 1849, the town of Bourbonton was laid out by Wm. H. Harris and Wm. F. Cartwill. This town was situated two miles west of the present city of Sturgeon, and was popularly called Buena Vista.
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But Bourbonton was abandoned and its houses were moved to Sturgeon after the building of the North Missouri Railroad.
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LATER TOWNS
In comparatively recent years, the other towns of Boone county were founded. Perhaps one reason no town was built in the northern portion of the county in early times was that the prairie land was not considered valuable; and very little of it was entered prior to 1850.
ASHLAND
The history of the town of Ashland dates back to 1853. The Nichols, the Martins, the Christians and the Burnams were among its promoters, but the town was not incorporated till 1877. Two banks, three churches, one hotel, a ward and high school, several stores, two livery stables and a number of modern dwellings are now located in Ashland. The Ash- land mill is one of the oldest and best known flouring mills in this part of the state; and the Ashland Bugle exerts a great influence, politi- cally and otherwise, in Boone county. The Columbia and Ashland gravel road, fifteen miles long, furnishes fine travel for the hack and automobile lines to Columbia, and also for the transportation of . the large amount of farm produce, live stock and poultry from that part of the county. Another hack line connects Ashland with the M., K. & T. Railroad at Hartsburg. Ashland has a population of four hun- dred, and is the largest town in Cedar township.
CENTRALIA
The "Queen City of the Prairies," so called, was laid out in 1857 by Col. Middletown G. Singleton and James S. Rollins, both of whom owned a great deal of what was then called the "Grand prairie." In 1859, the North Missouri Railroad was constructed along the northern border of Boone county, and Centralia came into permanent existence. It derived its name from the fact that it was centrally located near the center of a vast prairie between Mexico and Huntsville, and between Columbia and Paris. The Columbia branch of the Wabash connects Centralia with Columbia, and has had much to do with cementing the business relations between these two towns. Centralia now has a popula- tion of 2,100, seven churches, good schools, four banks, numerous stores, two garages, a city hall, livery stables and shops, two hotels, several large poultry houses, and is one of the greatest mule and corn markets in the state. The Centralia fair is a great annual event, and attracts people from many parts of the state. Two weekly newspapers are printed here, the Fireside Guard and the Courier; and Centralia boasts of some of the best business houses and most beautiful homes in the county.
STURGEON
This city was laid out in 1856 on the line of the North Missouri Railroad, and was named for Isaac H. Sturgeon, of St. Louis, an official of that road. The plat made by the town company, composed of J. D. Patton, J. E. Hicks and Arch Wayne, and on file in the recorder's office of this county, shows that it was the intention to make Sturgeon the county seat of the new county which it was desired to form and which they intended to call Rollins county. In 1860, the Sturgeon court of common pleas was established in this town and it was given jurisdiction
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in civil cases over parts of four counties, viz. : Boone, Audrain, Howard and Randolph. A suitable courthouse was erected for said court, and the same serves Sturgeon as a town hall. The present population of the city is eight hundred; three banks, one good hotel, various lodges, public schools, five churches, may be found here. The Sturgeon Leader is a leader in everything that goes to help this little city, as well as Bour- bon township, of which it is so important a part. Sturgeon also has a good fair association, which gives liberal premiums and furnishes good exhibits, and a first class brass band, which gives frequent concerts in the band stand, which is situated on the main street.
OTHER TOWNS
Owing to the brevity of space, mention can only be made of Harts- burg, named for Luther D. Hart; Huntsdale, named for W. B. Hunt; Hallsville, named for John W. Hall; Harrisburg, named for John W. Harris; McBaine, named for Turner McBaine; Spencer, or Wilton, named for Gilpin Spencer; and Midway, which is said to be midway between the east and west boundaries of Missouri.
WHERE THEY CAME FROM
Most of the early inhabitants of this county came from Kentucky, and many of them came from Virginia. Captain William Madden and John Yount, of Cedar township, came from Tennessee; as did Mont- gomery P. Lientz, of Missouri township, and Dr. George B. Wilcox, of Rocheport, who was Boone county's first physician. William D. Hen- derson, of the Midway neighborhood, was born in Illinois in 1817, while his parents, John Henderson and wife, were traveling from Kentucky to Boone county. The Rev. Berryman Wren, Boone county's first Baptist preacher, came from North Carolina in 1816; and Walter R. Lenoir (father of Dr. Walter T., Dr. Wm. B. and Slater E. Lenoir, all of Colum- bia township), came from the same state. Stephen Bedford and B. F. Robinson, both of Missouri township, and John Corlew, of Perche town- ship, came from South Carolina in 1817. Mrs. Louis Hume, of Cedar township, came from Maryland in 1819; and Gilpin Spencer and Wil- liam Douglass (father of Gen. Joseph B. Douglass) came from the same state in the early times. John Slack, a justice of the peace of Perche township, and John Coonce, an extensive farmer of Cedar township, came from Pennsylvania in 1818. Captain Ugenus Baldwin, of the "Tar- repin" neighborhood, came from Indiana in 1833. Oliver Parker, one of Columbia's early merchants and the grandfather of James H. and Moss P. Parker, came from Vermont in 1819. The Sapp brothers came from Delaware, and Commodore P. Hultz came from New York, as did Robert G. Lyell, of Missouri township, in 1819.
TAVERNS
The hotels of early times were known as "taverns," and they were the center of attraction, both social and political. The early taverns of Columbia were kept by Ira Wall, James McKnight and Richard Gentry, and afterwards by Mrs. Richard Gentry. On top of each tavern was a bell, about one-third the size of an ordinary church bell, which was always rung at meal time. What would now be called the hotel office was then termed the "bar room" and liquor was then served to guests. In the bar room was a large fireplace and around that open fire every evening would be gathered the landlord, his family and guests. The light
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from the flame of the Yule log was sufficient to illumine the bar room and perhaps other rooms, but when any additional light was needed a tallow candle, or tallow dip, was used. Here the old lawyers, who "rode the circuit," would tell their interesting stories of court proceedings in other counties, here the politicians would meet their friends and plan politi- cal campaigns and here the pioneer preachers would call together the members of their respective churches, and plan for the erection of a house of worship, as well as a war against the sins of that day. But, as most of the early inhabitants of this county were from Kentucky, perhaps the "lodger at the tavern" who attracted the most attention was the owner of a premium race horse. In language that no one else may imitate, he told of how his "little bay mare fairly flew" at a neighboring race track, and distanced all her opponents; and, as she came in on the last quarter, how she ran faster and faster, as the people cheered, tossed their hats into the air, etc., etc., until the persons in the bar room thought they had seen the race and heard the jubilant multitude.
As all of the travel was then on horseback or in wagons, a large stable was conducted in connection with each tavern. This was not a livery stable, but it was simply kept for the accommodation of travelers' horses. An advertisement of a tavern in those days was not considered complete without mentioning the fact that a good stable could be found close by, where horses would be well cared for.
The bar room was usually adjoining the dining room and the two could easily be thrown together. On frequent occasions this was the social center of the community, for here our good people danced the min- uet and Virginia reel, and afterwards were disciplined for it in their respective religious denominations. The music on such occasions of frivolity was furnished by two negroes, experts in the use of the fiddle and banjo, who needed no bandmaster to wield the baton, for they marked time as they called the figures with a footfall heavy enough to give an emphatic accent. In many of the kitchens in those days could be found one or two darkey musicians, who expected to be called on whenever the "white folks" felt like dancing. The dances at the tavern often lasted till the "small hours" and doubtless such gatherings as these inspired some native poet to write :
The boys delight To dance all night, Till broad daylight, And go home with the gals in the morning.
Col. W. B. Royall was one of the early tavern keepers of Columbia. His tavern was situated on the north side of Broadway, between Sixth and Seventh streets. Coming from Virginia and being a Latin scholar. he deemed it appropriate to advertise his tavern in that language, so had painted on a sign-board and placed over his front door the words, "Sem- per peratus." Buck Lampton, who was the auctioneer of Columbia and the town wit, said that those words were appropriate for an eating house, as they meant "Sweet milk and potatoes."
FIRST FUNERAL
We are indebted to R. B. Price, one of the best posted men on Boone county history, for the following, which he said was told him by William Keith, who lived on a farm on the Sexton road near Perche creek, which farm is now owned by Tilford H. Murray. A young man had moved with his parents to Boone county and died shortly after reaching here. His parents lived on the Keith farm. This was before the days of saw mills
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in this county and before any undertakers had moved here. So Mr. Keith and Joel McQuitty cut down a walnut tree and split the log half in two. Then with their axes they made a sort of trough out of each half log. The body of the young man was placed in one trough and the other was placed over the top of him .- The two were then fastened together and the young man buried on the Keith farm, where his grave may still be seen. This was the first funeral and burial in Boone county.
FIRST COURTS
Fortunately nearly all of our county records have been preserved, although they were kept for many years in buildings that were not fire- proof. The early records were all written with a goose quill and each scribe usually trimmed his own quill. Most of these records are free from blots and were written in a remarkably good hand, although all of them are on unlined paper. The first term of the courts of record was held at Smithton.
At the first term of the circuit court David Todd produced a com- mission from Alexander McNair, Missouri's first governor, which appointed him judge of the first judicial district of Missouri. He had previously served as territorial judge, having been appointed by Presi- dent James Monroe, in 1817. Judge Todd's circuit was the largest in Missouri and consisted of the counties of Howard, Boone, Cole, Cooper, Saline. Chariton, Clay, Ray and Lillard (now Lafayette). These coun- ties then embraced all that part of Missouri west of the present east line of Boone county and north from the Osage river to the Iowa line, not including the Platte purchase. As provided by statute, the Boone cir- cuit court was opened on the first Monday in April (April 2) 1821, and, there being no courthouse in Smithton and no building large enough in which to hold court, court was held under the spreading boughs of a sugar tree. Hamilton R. Gamble (afterwards judge of the supreme court and later governor of Missouri) produced his commission as circuit attorney and Overton Harris produced his commission as sheriff. And here, in this primitive style, justice had an honored birth in Boone county.
The first term of county court antedated that of the first term of circuit court, and was held on Monday, February 19, 1821, at Smithton. Lazarus Wilcox, Anderson Woods and Peter Wright were the first judges of that court, and on that day the first official act of that court was to appoint Warren Woodson county clerk, which office he held continuously till 1860; and he afterwards was county clerk in 1867 and 1868.
As clerk of the county court, Warren Woodson was also probate judge, and discharged the duties pertaining to that office for many years. The first probate matter attended to was the granting of letters of admin- istration to James Turley, as administrator of the estate of Daniel Tur- ley, deceased, on May 21, 1821. In 1872, the general assembly separated the probate business from the county clerk and county court, and created the office of judge of probate court. Judge James A. Henderson was first appointed probate judge by the governor, and served till the next election, when John Hinton was elected probate judge, and served for nineteen years. He was succeeded by Judges W. W. Garth, Lewis M. Switzler and John F. Murry.
As far as our records show, the first civil case ever tried before a jus- tice of the peace in this county was the case of Henry Elliott & Son against Robert Hinkson, which was a suit for $31.50 on a judgment ren- dered by a justice of the peace of Ste. Genevieve county. This suit was filed on January 22, 1821, and John Slack (the grandfather of Miss
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Pearle Mitchell) was the justice. Mr. Slack then lived on a farm about three miles southwest of the present postoffice of Hinton, and on a stream known as "Slack's branch." The Slack cemetery is located on the old Slack farm. The summons commanded the constable to notify the defendant to appear before the justice at the dwelling house of said jus- tice in Smithton township. It might be added just here that Smithton township consisted of the present township known as Columbia, and two miles off of the east part of the present township of Missouri, and four sec- tions in the southeast corner of the present township of Perche. The words of "Roche Persia township" were first written in this summons, and then a line was drawn through them, and the words "Smithton township" added. In this summons, the words "Territory of Missouri" were first written, and then the word "Territory" erased, and the word "State" was interlined. The justice also forgot that Boone county was no longer a part of Howard, for he wrote "County of Howard," and then scratched Howard and wrote Boone. Robert Hinkson was the man for whom Hinkson creek was named. He lived on a farm east of Columbia, near that stream. At the trial of this case before the magistrate, Hink- son lost; but he was successful on appeal to the circuit court.
EARLY STAGE DRIVERS
Few persons are now living who can remember the primitive meth- ods of carrying Uncle Sam's mail in Boone county, and especially dur- ing the thirty years that Mrs. Ann Gentry was postmistress in Columbia. Columbia was on the state road, which extended from St. Louis, through St. Charles and on to Independence, crossing the Missouri river at Arfow Rock, which was said to be the narrowest point on the river. At intervals along said road, there were "stage stands," which were places where a new driver and fresh horses could be obtained, when needed, and hotel accommodations furnished a few people. About half a mile west of Perche creek, on the present Columbia and Rocheport gravel road, was the home of Ishmael Vanhorn. His place was a stage stand. A similar place was located on the farm of Dr. Geo. R. Jacobs, eight miles east of Columbia, on the St. Charles state road. This state road, which was hardly worthy of being called a road, was traveled at irregular intervals by the old-fashioned stage coach, which was sometimes drawn by four horses but usually drawn by six. The mail and a few passengers accom- panied the driver on his long, lonely and ofttimes dangerous journey. Frequently the wheels of the stage would get so deep in the mud that driver and passengers must needs work long and patiently. The under- standing with all passengers was that they must assist the driver when- ever called on. The stage driver was a great man in his day-great in his own estimation and great in the estimation of the small boys, both white and black. Even the grown-up boys admired the stage driver so much that they had difficulty in trying to decide whether they wanted their boys to become preachers or stage drivers. Ordinarily, Columbia had mail twice a week, unless the swollen streams or bad roads delayed the travel. It several times happened that three weeks or more passed with- out any mail coming to Columbia and then two or three wagon loads would arrive at once, and sometimes at the inconvenient hour of eleven o'clock at night.
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