USA > Missouri > A History of Northeast Missouri, Volume I > Part 49
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Green put out picket guards, patrolled the town and floated from a staff on the courthouse a flag new and strange to eyes only familiar with the Star Spangled Banner. That flag contained fifteen stars and three stripes. Green established a camp on the Fabius at Milltown, now a part of Edina. Green's occupation of Edina occurred July 30, 1861.
A few days before this, the first Knox county victim of the Civil war fell. This was Jackson Grant, one of the Home Guards, who was shot by William Everman.
On August 3, Colonel Green took charge of a force that was march- ing against Colonel Moore at Athens. He left a force at Edina under Capt. Frisby Mccullough and Lieut. Col. Joe Porter. The camp re- mained at Milltown. Nearly all the battalion were Mccullough's men, as the greater part of Porter's men were with Green. On August 5th occurred the battle of Athens in Clark county between the Union forces under Col. David Moore and the Confederates under Col. Martin Green. It was a complete victory for the Union forces and meant the occupancy of this part of Missouri by the Union people, although at no time free from molestation and trouble.
When the fugitives from Athens informed Mccullough and Porter of the defeat at Athens of the Confederate forces, they evacuated the camp at Milltown and taking a circuitous route, again made camp in Knox county at Phelps' bridge on Salt river.
A few days before the battle of Athens word was sent to General Pope at Mexico of the condition of affairs at Edina. Colonel Worthington at Keokuk was ordered to organize a campaign looking to the occupation of Edina by Federal troops. Soon after this order was issued, Green was defeated at Athens and with all his force made his way toward Lexing- ton. Hence this order was not carried out.
In August another company of Home Guards was organized at Good- land under Capt. Valentine Cupp. This company took part in an en- gagement at Blue Mills Landing, where Captain Cupp was killed. This company became Company F in the Third Missouri Cavalry.
In the latter part of March William Ewing led a band of "bush- whackers" in the north part of the county. A part of the Home Guards were sent out to rout them out. They were said to be working in con- junction with Bill Dunn, another guerrilla leader. Accordingly Capt. Joe Cell was put in command of a scouting party to reconnoiter. When they approached Ewing's house they were fired upon and two of their number killed, Thompson Botts and William Spiers. The squad of mili- tia returned to Edina with their dead comrades and next day a squad of some twenty-five or thirty soldiers took them to the neighborhood cemetery near- Novelty for burial. As the burial party was returning it was ambushed at Allred's Hill, about two miles south of Edina, in the dusk of the evening. Two men, Sergeant Norcross and William Troutman, were killed and a number of others wounded.
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On April 6 Glover returned with five companies of militia and orders from Schofield and Halleck of great severity. The country was scoured and some were killed. The deplorable condition was quieted and a bet- ter atmosphere was restored until the Porter campaign opened. In the latter part of June a skirmish occurred between Colonel Lipscomb and Colonel Porter at Cherry Grove in Scotland county. He followed Porter through Knox county but did not overtake him.
At five o'clock in the evening of August 1st Porter's men attacked the Union men at Newark, about eighty in number, Companies K and L of the Eleventh Missouri State Militia. They returned the fire and fled to the town, where they took refuge in the Presbyterian church, Bragg's store and the Masonic hall over the store. Here they defended themselves as best they could until two loads of hay were backed up preparatory to burning them out. A flag of truce was sent demanding a surrender. The terms were they to be released on parole and give up their arms, tents, etc. Colonel Porter was a resident of the vicinity, and the Federal soldiers were his neighbors. When the mother of Jack Downing said to him beside the dead body of her son, "Colonel Porter, here is my son and your brother" (both were Presbyterians), he replied, "Madam, such are the vicissitudes of war." The Federal loss was four killed, six wounded and seventy-two prisoners. The killed were Lieutenant Lair and Sergeant Hancock of Palmyra, Company K, and Jack Downing and James Berry of Newark, Company L. The father of the writer, Joel Sever, was beside Downing at a window of the Masonic hall when he was shot. At that moment, Steve Middleton, a private of Company K, rose and, lifting both arms, uttered a touching prayer. The prayer was not the result of fear, but the expression of dependence upon God in the hour of peril. To Colonel Porter's credit be it said the conditions of the surrender were carried out with the exception of the clause respect- ing private property, but we must remember that the needs of the captors were very great. Of Porter's men eight were killed and some twenty- odd wounded. On the morning of August 2d Porter, realizing that McNeil was in close pursuit, hied himself northward to effect a junction with Colonels Franklin and Mccullough. Porter had now perhaps two thousand two hundred men. On August 5th they set out toward Kirks- ville, closely pursued.
On August 6th occurred the crushing defeat of Colonel Porter at Kirksville. After this there was no more bushwhacking in this part of Missouri. True, there were some skirmishes, notably the one at Cunningham's on the Middle Fabius, but this was a fight in the open in which Captain Ewing of the Confederates and young Bob Cunningham of the militia were killed and others mortally wounded.
The total number of men who were regularly enlisted from Knox county in the Federal army was six hundred and fifty. About six hun- dred more served in the enrolled militia. It is estimated that about one hundred and fifty Knox county citizens were regularly enlisted in the Confederate service.
PUBLIC HIGHWAYS AND RAILROADS
In the fifties Edina was a growing town with a number of drygoods stores and business enterprises. Among the stores were those of John Winterbottom, James Daugherty, James Cody and Bryant & Connelly. They carried fairly good stocks of goods, which were hauled from Quincy by wagon. This required a man with a good team some three days' time when the weather was fair. Many men followed teaming "to the river." A good pair of horses was required, fifty cents per hundred
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was paid. Two thousand pounds of pork were generally taken down, the hauling of which realized to the teamster about $10. About that weight of goods was brought back. In fair weather the teamster usually camped out. When it was bad weather a hospitable roof was readily found with bountiful board for man and beast. The isolated people were glad to hear local news of the world that could be brought to them by the teamsters.
About 1859 the question of a railroad through the country was agi- tated. Mass meetings were held and a petition was prepared to present to the county court asking for an appropriation for a survey of a road from Alexandria to Bloomington, which latter was, at that time, the county seat of Macon county, and also for a subscription of $100,000 in its aid. A corporation called the Alexandria & Bloomington Railroad Company had been duly chartered to build this road. On November 8th the county court accordingly made an order for $300 to be appropri- ated for the survey, and for an election to be held at the various pre- cincts on the first Monday in January, 1860, to determine the will of the voters as to $100,000 subscription being raised. This order was subject to the conditions that the $300 appropriated for survey and $100,000 subscription, if voted, should be expended in Knox county and that the order for appropriation for survey should not take effect until the rail- road company should prove that they had sufficient funds to complete the survey through the entire route; also that the subscription, if voted, should not take effect until the said railroad company could show to the satisfaction of the court that sufficient funds, including the said $100,000, had been subscribed to prepare said roadbed for the iron. The judges were Henry T. Howerton, John Ross and William Beal.
The election resulted in 757 votes for the subscription, and 333 votes against it. It was therefore ordered that said subscription be made in accordance with the order of November 8, 1859.
The line of the Alexandria & Bloomington road was surveyed but no other work was ever done on this road under the name of the Alexandria & Bloomington Railroad, as the Civil war stopped all business.
The legislature of 1865 granted a number of charters to different companies, among which was the Missouri & Mississippi Company. The company was chartered February 20, 1865, with a capital stock of $4,000,000. This stock was divided into shares of $100 each. Its first board of directors were Abner L. Gilstrap, Thomas A. Eagle and Thomas Moody of Macon county ; Erastus Sacket, James McCrane and H. Cox of Clark county, and E. V. Wilson, S. M. Wirt and William Plumer of Knox county. Under the charter this board was given full power to survey, mark out, locate and construct a railroad from the town of Macon in the county of Macon, state of Missouri, through the town of Edina in Knox county and thence to or near the northeast corner of said state in the direction of Keokuk in Iowa or Alexandria in Missouri.
Before this time the county seat of Macon county had been removed from Bloomington to the town of Macon. It will thus be seen that Macon was one terminal of the M. & M. Railroad, instead of Bloomington, as in the Bloomington & Alexandria road.
The route of the proposed Missouri & Mississippi Railroad was much the same as the one that had been surveyed by the A. & B. R. R. Co. five years before this time. It will be seen that the Missouri & Mississippi Railroad Company was a local company, as the first board of directors was composed of well-known residents of the counties through which the road was to be built. It thus appears that the people of these counties had the intention of building and operating their own railroad.
The agitation continued and finally on March 5, 1867, the county
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court made an order for another special election in order to learn the feel- ing of the voters upon the question of subscription to the Missouri & Mis- sissippi equal to that made to the old Alexandria & Bloomington Railroad. The election resulted 510 to 98 in favor of the bonds.
In accordance with this vote bonds were issued from time to time until the whole amount ($30,000) was consumed.
On May 2, 1870, under same authority as above, 550 shares of stock were subscribed and bonds issued from time to time, but not quite to the full amount. On April 6, 1869, on a proposition by an eastern company, presented by S. M. Wirt, to take and complete the road, furnishing the iron and equipments, the court agreed if this was done in eighteen months or some other reasonable time to subscribe an additional one thousand shares. In June, on motion of James A. Reid, it was ordered that the one thousand shares be taken in the stock of the Missouri & Mississippi road, to be paid in Knox county bonds at par, running twenty years at seven per cent. By a subsequent order fifty thousand dollars was made payable upon the completion of the roadbed ready for the iron, and fifty thousand dollars made payable when the cars were running from Clark City in Clark county to Edina.
P. B. Linville was made trustee to receive and hold the bonds on con- dition that they were to be paid out only on completion of the road within a prescribed time, viz. : July 4, 1872, afterward extended to January 1, '1873. Mr. Linville gave bond for $200,000 for the faithful performance of this trust. On February 4, 1873, he made his report and the road not being completed the bonds were cancelled and were burned in the pres- ence of the court.
It will be seen that the contract ending by the burning of these bonds was definite. Had the public servants of the county exercised the same care in other issuance of bonds, the county might have been spared need- less humiliation and loss; but the conditions for a completed railroad within a certain time did not appear. The total amount of bonded indebtedness amounted to an immense sum. After tedions litigation and much expense, the debt was paid and the bonds burned September 26, 1899.
In 1870 the Quincy, Missouri & Pacific Railroad was discussed. The townships through which it was to pass were authorized to hold elections and have bonds issued upon themselves Fabius, Jeddo, Center, Lyon and Salt River-Jeddo voting $20,000, Center $50,000, and Lyon $5.000; totaling $75,000. The road was completed to Edina April 25, 1872. Until 1882 the road was controlled and operated under the name of. Quincy, Missouri & Pacific Railway Company, headquarters at Quincy. Later it was operated and managed by the Wabash Railroad Company. From 1890 to 1895 it was operated individually as Quincy. Omaha & Kansas City Railway Company, headquarters at Omaha, E. E. Soule, superintendent, J. H. Best, traffic manager. From 1895 to 1898 it was operated as part of Kansas City Southern Railway Company and known as the Port Arthur Route. From 1898 to 1902 this road was operated individually as Omaha, Kansas City & Eastern with general offices at Kansas City. W. G. Brimson, general manager and W. J. Stonebruner, superintendent. From 1903 to the present time it has been known as the Quincy, Omaha & Kansas City Railroad Company.
In the early spring of 1887 the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company began that division of its road between Kansas City and Chi- cago which passed through Knox county. The survey missed Edina by a few miles, but our citizens hoped that the line might be deflected so as to pass through our city. Very little attention was paid to the propo- sition of donating to the company the old M. & M. grade upon which
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months of labor and thousands of dollars had been expended. Then, to induce the company to bring the survey through Edina, a subscription was proposed, but to no purpose. The line was completed the following year.
BRIDGES
The first bridge built in the county after its organization was over South Fabius, west of Edina, and cost $150. It was ordered in 1845. In 1846 Medley Shelton was appointed to build a bridge over Salt river, near the farm of Kindred S. Feltz. The county appropriated $100, the remainder to be contributed by citizens. This was the "Double Cabin Bridge," noted during the Civil war. In 1846 $92 was appropriated to build a bridge across the north fork of South Fabius, one-half mile north of Edina. Thus from time to time bridges were built as the public treasury could supply the funds. In February, 1847, a bridge was built over the Fabius at Howerton's mill. When the funds fell short, work, money and material were contributed. In June, 1846, a bridge was com- pleted across South Fabius and it was expressly stated that William and James Fresh were to pay one-half the cost of the bridge in material.
THE COUNTY COURTS
Courts composed of three judges were held from 1845 to 1870. At that time county organization was effected in July, 1872, and from that time until the following May the county affairs were conducted by a board of supervisors composed of. one member from each township.
In May, 1873, the county was divided into four districts and the court consisted of a judge at large and a judge from each district. This . method obtained until 1878, when a judge at large and one from the eastern and one from the western district made up the court. This system has continued until the present day.
The county court is now composed of Judge Reuben Rhoads, judge at large; Judge Frank Luckett, judge of the eastern district, and Judge John F. Botts, judge of the western district. Ralph Hazelwood is clerk of the court and gives courteous and able service. The business of the county is conducted in an economical and impartial manner. Beside the above named the present officers are Emmett Bradshaw, circuit clerk, D. A. Rouner, probate judge, David Delaney, county collector, C. M. Smith, prosecuting attorney, Chas. Shumate, sheriff, J. W. Ennis, public administrator, Wm. Cook, assessor, C. F. Jarvies, coroner.
THE PROBATE COURT
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A probate court was established in this county in 1849. William Everman was the first probate judge. He had served but two years when the law was abolished. Probate business was transacted in other courts until 1873, when William Clancy was elected probate judge. He served until 1878. E. D. Brown served from 1878 to 1884. C. R. Fowler was appointed upon the resignation of E. D. Brown in 1884 and continued in the office until the year 1907, when F. A. Wilson was elected. He resigned and M. G. Biggerstaff was appointed to serve the unexpired term. At the ensuing election he was defeated by D. A. Rouner, who now fills the office.
THE CIRCUIT COURT
Circuit court convened in Knox county for the first time at Edina, on October 1, 1845. Sheriff John H. Fresh opened court with Addison Reese on the bench. Jesse John was clerk.
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The records show the first grand jury to have been John Fulton, foreman; Benjamin T. Hatfield, William N. Shotten, Mason Palmer, John C. Allred, Samuel Shannon, E. A. Bryant, H. B. Musgrove, Will- iam Kibbee, Melker Baker, Thomas Fox, Willis Anderson, John H. Tay- lor, Benjamin G. Riney and Armstead Hamilton.
On the second day of October, the grand jury returned three in- dictments; one against William H. Holmes for stealing the negroes whom he held under mortgage (the case was never tried). The other two indictments were against William M. King for selling liquor without license and for selling goods without merchants' license; the first was dismissed, the other returned, and the following October tried and found "not guilty."
Of more importance to present day Knox county people was the ordering of the Seal of Knox Circuit Court, which words were to be engraved between two circles, the outer circle to be one-sixteenth of an inch in width, the inner circle to be one-eighth of an inch inside the first circle; a pair of palm branches to be within the inner circle, all to be engraved so as to present the words and devices on the right side of the paper on which the impression desired is to be made.
The circuit judges who have presided at the bar at Edina are: Addi- son Reese, John Anderson, E. V. Wilson, Ben E. Turner, Ed R. McKee and Chas. D. Stewart, the present judge.
A bar association has been organized but is not active. Those prac- ticing here at this time are: L. F. Cottey, O. D. Jones, C. R. Fowler, D. A. Rouner, Geo. R. Balthrope, James C. Dorian, John W. Ennis, W. C. Hollister, F. H. Mccullough, F: E. Robinson, R. J. Raleigh, P. K. Gibbons, Claude M. Smith.
A number of Knox county's sons have entered the legal profession and have distinguished themselves in other fields. Among these are: Charles Wilson of Sedalia, John Brown of Chicago, Orville Barnett of Sedalia, E. O. Beal of Kirksville, F. A. Wilson of Quincy and John G. Brown of Helena, Montana.
THE MEDICAL FRATERNITY
A sketch of early life in Knox county would be very incomplete with- out a tribute to those noble men who spent their lives in prolonging the lives of others. Among them the name of Dr. J. H. Campbell stands out. He began the practice of medicine in Knox county in 1847, having studied under Dr. Wm. Armington in Decatur county, Indiana. He afterward attended the State University Medical School in St. Louis and received his diploma in 1849. He died May 27, 1905, at the age of nearly eighty-one years. He is succeeded by his son, Dr. T. A. Campbell, of Edina. Dr. Alfred White was an early physician of Edina, much esteemed for his skill, and had a wide practice. Doctor Barnett practiced at Greensburg over a wide scope of territory. He was born in Kentucky in 1835 and died in Edina May 25, 1884, at the untimely age of forty- eight years. Doctor Lee practiced with Doctor Campbell. Doctor McKim practiced at Newark, Doctor Morris at Goodland and Doctor Magee in the south part of the county.
A medical association is in existence in Edina. Dr. L. S. Brown was its first president, a man much revered not only for his skill as a physi- cian, but also for his character as a man. Doctor Brown was born in Fauquier county, Virginia, March 3, 1836. He began the practice of medicine in Knox county, Missouri, in 1851. He died in Edina April 17, 1911.
The prominent physicians of Knox county are Drs. George S. Brown,
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T. A. Campbell, Henry Jurgens, William Morris, H. H. St. John, Hum- phrey, Northcutt, McReynolds, Arnett, O'Connor, Luman, and Dr. Annie Brownlee, osteopath.
The Knox County Medical Association has been in existence for about ten years. Dr. Henry Jurgens is president and Doctor Luman, secretary.
DENTISTS
The dental profession in Knox county is represented by Drs. Ed S. Brown, Charles A. Brown, Charles Mckay, Humphrey and O'Connor. Knox county young men engaged in this profession elsewhere are Drs. Alex Van Arsdel and D. A. Rouner of Kansas City, Nickel Brown of Chicago, Emery Green of Kirksville, T. C. Brown of Clarence, Maurice Fowler of Brashear, Bruce Linville of LaJunta, Colorado, and Andrew McBride of Carthage, Missouri.
NEWSPAPERS
The first newspaper in Knox county was the Edina Eagle. This six- column folio was established at Edina, in 1857, by Albert Demaree. It was Democratic in politics. It ran for about a year and was suspended. It was succeeded by the Edina Democrat in 1858, owned by Robert R. Vanlandingham and edited by John M. Robinson.
In 1859 the Knox County Argus was founded by Warner Pratt and edited by William S. Bennington, school teacher, county superintendent of schools and poet. It died soon after the defeat of its party and was succeeded by the Herald, edited by Frank Daulton and Chas. Newman. They were Democratic, finally enlisted in the Confederate army and let the Herald suspend.
During the war Tom Reid and Dick Wirt got out, at irregular intervals, a sheet called the Rebel and Copperhead Ventilator. It was sometimes printed on brown wrapping paper and was in no sense a news- paper.
In 1865 John B. Poage and S. M. Wirt, having purchased the press and material, began the publication of the Knox County Gazette. This paper was Republican in politics. It ran less than a year. Its office equipment was bought by Alfred Cooney and Rev. Father D. S. Phelan, who founded the Missouri Watchman. In January, 1869, this publica- tion was removed to St. Louis and is today known as the Western Watch- man. It has always been Democratic in politics and Catholic in religion.
The Knox County Democrat was established in 1871 by William Clancy and Theodore Coony, the first issue being published on March 4 of that year. In September, 1874, Judge Clancy disposed of his interest to his partner, who later leased the plant to Griffin Frost, who purchased it after having charge of it for a year. Mr. Frost remained as editor and proprietor until August 17, 1905, when it was purchased by Mulinex & Son. On that date the name was changed from the Knox County Democrat to the Edina Democrat. It still holds that name. C. W. Mulinex, who was the senior member of the firm, is editor and publisher of the La Belle Star, at La Belle, Missouri, a newspaper founded by him on April 14. 1883, and has never changed hands. Clio H. Mulinex, the junior member of the firm, had charge of the Edina Democrat. During the present year the paper was sold to William Batchelor, from Fayette- ville, Indiana, who is now editor and proprietor.
In 1878, a Greenback paper, the Edina National, was published by R. W. McNeil. The Greenback campaign was on, and was materially assisted by this paper. After a year or two, the patronage not meeting
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Mr. McNeil's expectations, he became the editor of a Republican paper in Minnesota. He died several years ago.
The Knox City Independent was established in Knox City by J. R. Horn, January 1, 1885. On May 1, 1886, he removed his press to Edina and changed the name of the paper to the Knox County Independent. This paper was afterward edited by Frank Sullivan, and subsequently to this by Frank O'Reilly, who sold the equipment to the two other city papers and removed to St. Louis.
The Knox City Bee, edited by Frank Yeager, is a neat little paper published weekly. It is loyal to the interests of the town, boosting earn- estly for its fair and other enterprises.
The Baring Messenger, edited by G. W. Barnes, is a creditable paper. The Hurdland Grit enjoyed a short period of existence.
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