USA > Missouri > A History of Northeast Missouri, Volume I > Part 66
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Among the incidents of early life in which the settlers had trying experiences with the Indians, probably none elicited greater bravery
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than that manifested by John Snethen, who located in Montgomery county in 1808. During the bitter war with Great Britain from 1810 to 1815, Mr. Snethen and his family lived on a small creek in the southern part of the county. For many months they had not been disturbed by the red man. One evening about dusk a neighbor came walking into the home as Mr. Snethen was placing away his stock for the night. The expression upon this neighbor's face was one of despair and when ques- tioned by Snethen, replied with one word, "Injuns." Without further ado Mr. Snethen and family began to barricade their home against an attack of the anticipated "Injun." In the stillness of the night a tramp, tramp, tramp, was heard on the roof of the cabin which startled the occupants within. A slight flame from the fireplace was quickly ex- tinguished by a dash of water. The neighbor made ready to defend the door entrance. The smoke and steam rising up the chimney caused to fall sprawling upon the floor a big burly Indian. At the same time a much stronger one, with his deadly tomahawk in hand, bolted through the door. Mr. Snethen grappled with his adversary from the chimney while the neighbor crushed to the floor the giant of the aborigines at the door. Mrs. Snethen, standing in the center of the room, holding in her hands a heavy pole axe that never missed its place each night, looked upon the scene and wondered as to which one to help. Suddenly her eyes discovered a large puncheon rising from the floor. These large timbers were never fastened but kept their place by means of their weight. Mrs. Snethen instantly divined the cause and significance of the moving and from one great blow of her axe with a dead thud the timber settled back to its place and moved no more. By this time Mr. Snethen had made away with the adversary, the neighbor had conquered his foe and for a few seconds all was still. Mrs. Snethen told of her experience, the neighbor raised the puncheon floor and pulled therefrom a dead Indian which he lay alongside the one killed by himself, as well as that one by Mr. Snethen. The neighbor crawled through the opening in the floor and after an anxious wait of some two hours returned and informed Mr. Snethen that it was time to go. By sunrise the next morning a cart filled with the wife and children, proceeded and followed by a man carrying a long rifle, moved steadily toward Fort Clemson on Loutre island for protection.
Another incident in the life of Mr. Snethen occurred while living at the fort on Loutre island. A band of Indians had attacked a colored boy hauling wood and caused him to race for his life to safety. Volun- teers were called for to ascertain the strength of the attacking enemy. John Snethen was placed in charge and after traveling a few miles along Loutre river overtook the fleeing party. They were about of equal num- ber and seemed to occupy formidable positions on opposite sides of the river. Each man faced his respective foe and kept a close watch. So great was the distance and so uncertain the aim, that members of both parties became unusually venturesome, exposing themselves even care- lessly. Snethen took shelter under a large white oak tree and was determined to get a shot at a brave Indian on the other side of the creek. At length he exposed a greater part of his body in order to get a better view of his enemy which drew the Indian's fire. The ball the Indian had fired struck the tree several feet above Snethen's head, so drawing his ramrod he motioned to the Indian with it and then pointed to the spot where the ball had struck. The Indian evidently understood the ridicule and quickly fired before Snethen could take refuge behind the tree. This time the ball cut a slit through his hat crown, after which he wasted no more time before retiring to shelter. In his old age, Snethen often related this story to groups of his friends as the most adventure-
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some one of his life and usually wound up with the expression, "and by gum, boys, that was the last time that I ever showed an Indian where he was shootin'."
THE KILLING OF CAPTAIN CALLAWAY
The early settlers of the county were of that progressive nature and disposition that caused them to face any hardship or fight any battle whereby they might attain the things they most desired. During its early life Montgomery county was the scene of many tragic incidents in which human lives were sacrificed in order that the daring spirit of progressiveness might prevail. Probably the tragic death of Captain James Callaway on March 7, 1815, is of greatest renown. The Sacs and Fox Indians continually stole horses from the Loutre island neigh- borhood. Captain Callaway, with a company, started in pursuit of these marauders, overtaking them at the head of Loutre creek. Captain Callaway retook the horses and proceeded on his return to Loutre island. Things went pleasantly until just before reaching Prairie Fork. Captain Callaway put his lieutenant, Jonathan Riggs, in charge of the company, the Captain undertaking to swim the horses across the creek. A body of Indians numbering from eighty to one hundred, who had lain in ambush, suddenly attacked Captain Callaway and party. Captain Callaway was mortally wounded and died soon after reaching the southern bank of Prairie Fork. Several of his comrades were also slain. The friends of the captain buried the body on the hill just south of the creek and the grave is to this day marked by a huge pile of stones. Captain Callaway was the nephew of Daniel Boone and for him Callaway county was named. A monument stands in the courthouse yard at Fulton to his memory.
PIONEER FAMILIES
Jefferson Benson, a son of Thomas Benson of Maryland, settled in Montgomery in 1832, locating in the southern part thereof. He married Sarah Hayes, to which union were born nine children, and these chil- dren have been instrumental in the success of Montgomery county. The name of Benson is a household word. .
The name of See is familiar throughout Montgomery county. The early history finds two brothers, Jacob and Noah, playing prominent parts in the civilization of the county. Jacob See settled in the county in 1837, and represented the county in the state legislature in its early days. He was a great stock raiser and in 1871 raised 18 hogs that aver- aged from 700 to 1,000 pounds each. He took them to St. Louis and had them made into bacon and sent the hams to Memphis, Tennessee. The merchant at Memphis shipped them back with this statement, "We are not buying horse hams." Mr. See also raised the largest ox in the world and exhibited it in the Centennial at Philadelphia in 1876. This ox weighed 4,400 pounds. Samuel See, a retired farmer now living at New Florence, Missouri, is a son of Jacob See. Noah See, a brother of Jacob See, settled in Montgomery county in 1839. He was an influential and wealthy citizen. His children, M. F. See, George W. See, S. C. See, Robert W. See and Mrs. Anna Weeks still reside in the county.
The name Bush is another familiar county name. Ambrose Bush in 1818 settled on Dry Fork. He was a shrewd business man and made quite a fortune. Mr. Bush served as sheriff and assessor of the county, as well as a member of the state legislature. Several members of this family are yet living in the county. W. D. Bush of Fulton is a member of the family.
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In the early part of 1818 Richard Fitzhugh of North Carolina located on Loutre. This is one of the old families in the county, a number of descendants of whom yet reside in its borders. E. H. Fitzhugh, now president of the Central Vermont Railroad, with headquarters at Montreal, was a member of this family, born at Danville and reared in the county.
George Bast settled in Montgomery county in 1819 near Loutre island. His son, Dr. George Y. Bast, located in after years near New Florence. His sons, William and Charles have been prominent men in the affairs of the county. William died some years ago and Charles now resides at Mexico.
David Knox settled in the county in 1818. He was one of the men to locate the county seat when moved to Danville. He reared a large fam- ily of boys, one of whom is now living, a retired merchant of Portland, Missouri, D. R. Knox. The grandchildren of David H. Knox, William H. and John U., are now prominent farmers in Montgomery county engaged in stock raising. John U. occupies the old Davault home of stage coach days one mile south of New Florence.
MILLS
St. Charles and St. Louis were the principal trading points of this section during the earlier days the people often went to St. Louis to mill. Pretty soon, however, horse mills sprang up in different places and the Patton horse mill on Loutre island at Fort Clemson in 1814 was the wonder of the natives. The Dryden mill just east of Danville was the first in that section of the county and the burrs used in that mill are now used by Hon. Alf Davault as an ornament to his yard. In 1820 Capt. John Baker built a water mill on Loutre at the mouth of Dry Fork. the first of its kind in the county.
ISAAC VAN BIBBER
Isaac Van Bibber was a son of Isaac Van Bibber of Holland. who came to America and settled in Virginia previous to the Revolutionary
THE VAN BIBBER TAVERN BUILT IN 1821
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war. His father was killed when he was only 21/2 years old. He was adopted and raised by Col. Daniel Boone and at the early age of 13 acted as a scout against the Indians in Virginia. In 1800 he came to Missouri with Nathan Boone and settled in St. Charles county, moving in 1815 to Loutre Lick of Montgomery county. Major Van Bibber was one of the interesting characters of bygone days. His tavern was a much sought after place for weary travelers. The major believed in evolution and not only believed it but preached it. Two travelers, after spending the night with him, discussed the theory in its fullness. Upon attempting to depart in the morning, they appeared to be a little short of funds. Asking Major Van Bibber to credit them, said, "that they would pay him when they returned 1,000 years hence." The major, with his quick thought, exclaimed, "You are the same rascals that visited me 1,000 years ago. . You did not pay me then and you are not going to get away now."
THE MONTGOMERY COUNTY HERMIT
The strangest of strange characters that have ever resided in the county was George Baughman, a hermit, 'who for 30 years lived a solitary life in a cave south of Danville. During all that time he was searching for gold, which he claimed was hidden in the surrounding hills. Baughman, being struck with the gold fever, started for the West in 1852. Camping at Loutre Lick for a few days, one of his oxen died and the other strayed away. In search of the stray animal, he found the cave which afterwards became his permanent dwelling place. Baugh- man died in Danville after having been removed there by order of the court that he might be better cared for. His remains were buried near the cave in which he had so long lived. The deep wells surrounding the cave will long remain as a monument to this noted character.
ANDERSON'S RAID
Perhaps the most terrible event in the history of the county during the Civil war took place in October, 1864, when Bill Anderson's band of guerillas made its entry into the county and left behind destruction, death and sorrow. In Danville, the county seat, the guerillas charged the citizens, firing and riding upon them and killing every living thing in view. Building after building was fired and the town almost com- pletely destroyed. The courthouse was burned and the records of the county from 1818 lost. After the destruction of Danville, Anderson pro- ceeded to New Florence where the depot was burned, stores were robbed and boxes in the depot were robbed of their contents. The postoffice was robbed. The guerillas, in the light of the burning depot, deliberately opened and took therefrom the contents of all letter mail. Anderson next proceeded to High Hill where the depot was burned, stores ransacked and citizens mistreated. Emil Rosenberger, a saddler at that time, was robbed of all his harness and saddles and horsewhipped with the whips from his own store. Mr. Rosenberger, now 82 years old, still lives in Montgom- ery City. On each recurring day in October Mr. Rosenberger celebrates this day by firing his pistol many times.
Another sad event of the Civil war occurred near New Florence, when F. M. Ellis, John Marlow and Ira Tatum, reputable citizens, were ordered by Capt. Kendrick to haul rations from New Florence to the Rhineland militia. They did so and returning Ellis induced Marlow and Tatum to haul back corn for him. Upon their return and when Vol. 1-32
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within two miles of New Florence, they were met by the Bill Anderson guerillas and taken captive. Just about this time, the Wellsville militia, which had been in pursuit of Anderson during the two days intervening his entry into the county, came upon the party. Anderson and his men made their escape and the Wellsville militia continued firing upon these peaceable citizens until Marlow and Tatum were killed, together with John Anderson and Mr. H. Patton who had joined them on their return. Ellis and a young Whiteside made their escape. The militia alleged that they were mistaken in attacking this party and supposed them to be bushwhackers.
THE SOIL OF THE COUNTY
The soil of Montgomery county shows fully sixty per cent in har- mony with that which is found in the Northeast Missouri level prairie. It is a mulatto loam from one to four feet deep. Blue grass is of spon- taneous growth. The southern portion of the county is red limestone clay moderately flinty and indicating mineral deposits. The lands along the Missouri river sell from $100 to $150 an acre. The lands in
NORTHEAST MISSOURI APIARY
the central and northern section sell for the same price, while lands in the section intervening sell from $10 to $40 an acre.
The soil of Montgomery county produced in the early days things that it seems to be unable to produce now. Cotton was raised success- fully on Loutre island in 1818. Olly Williams, the founder of Danville, built a cotton gin just east of the town in 1822 at a point now on the cross-state highway.
THE COUNTY'S RESOURCES
The products of the county are varied, agriculture being the principal occupation. Corn, wheat, oats, rye, barley, timothy, are raised in all parts of the county, some alfalfa in the southern portion. Stock raising is followed very largely and very profitably. Large herds of thorough- bred Shorthorn, Black Polled and Hereford cattle are found in various portions of the county. The farmers have quite a competition among themselves in cattle raising.
The watershed between the Missouri and the Mississippi rivers runs angling across the county from the southeast to the northwest. Along this watershed lay the tracks of the Wabash Railroad Company. The
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water falling on the north side courses its way to the Mississippi. The water falling on the south side finds its exit through the Missouri.
The county contains 327,129 acres. From north to south its extreme length is nearly thirty-two miles, from east to west twenty miles. As to the topography of the county, nearly seventy-five per cent of it is beautiful rolling prairie interspersed now and then by clear running streams, along whose banks are many varieties of timber. The southern part of the county is broken and slopes gradually toward the Missouri river bottoms. Along the Missouri river are lands so rich as to do credit to the Valley of the Nile. The broken section of the county extends from its eastern to its western borders in a strip some four or five miles wide, and affords some of the rarest sceneries and landscapes even beyond the reflection of the finest painter's brush. The soil of this section, while of not that deep nature, is very productive and today is producing apples, peaches, pears, strawberries, plums, currents and other small fruit of the finest quality.
PRODUCTS AND PURSUITS
While the citizenship depends entirely upon agricultural pursuits for its livelihood, flour is manufactured in all of the larger towns: Mineola, Wellsville, New Florence, High Hill and Jonesburg, have large and up-to-date flour mills. These mills ship their products to various parts of the state, as well as into other states.
Some mining is carried on in the county. While maps indicate an underlying strata of coal, it is only mined in the northern section near Wellsville. Fire clay is mined extensively at Jonesburg and High Hill. At Jonesburg an electric line conveys the coal from the mines to the railroad. Many clay beds remain untouched south of the Wabash Rail- road and will some day prove a very valuable asset to the county.
The county is drained on the northern side by the Cuivre river, on the southern by Loutre river. These streams have been navigated by small boats.
In the early days of the county tobacco was a profitable article to raise and many farmers living in the timber section produced it, creat- ing a demand for a tobacco factory which was established in Montgom- ery City in the spring of 1880 by Messrs. J. H. Lacy and Paul Brown. The company began operation January 1, 1881, under the name of Lacy & Brown Tobacco Company. This factory was the foundation for the Brown Tobacco Company of St. Louis. Mr. Brown, after a few years, moved the plant from Montgomery City to St. Louis and later sold it to the American Tobacco Company.
COUNTY SEATS AND COURTHOUSES
At the organization of the county in 1818 the county seat was located at Pinckney near the Missouri river, a point long since swept away by the river. The first terms of the county and circuit courts were held some three miles west of Pinckney in a log cabin owned by Maj. Ben Sharp, the first clerk of these courts. Pinckney being the southeast corner of the county was inaccessible to the few settlers in the central and western parts. In 1826, by a vote of the few people, the seat of justice was moved to Lewiston, a point just north of the timber line and on the old Boonslick road, now the National Old Trails road, the official cross-state highway of Missouri. The county seat remained at Lewis- ton until 1834, when Olly Williams laid out and platted the town of
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Danville and to which the seat of justice was moved. Danville became the most thriving town in this section of the state, its population in- creased and it soon numbered about five hundred people. With the build- ing of the North Missouri Railroad, Danville was left to the south some six miles and her glory began to fade. While still the county seat, it is now one of the smallest hamlets within the county with more history connected therewith than any other town. With the coming of the railroad new towns began to spring up, new territory was opened and the broad prairies heretofore unoccupied were soon seized by the settlers and Montgomery county began to grow in all of its parts.
During the Anderson raid in October, 1864, the courthouse was de- stroyed, together with all the records of the county from its organiza- tion. After the close of the war the county court proceeded to rebuild the county courthouse and did so at a cost of $27,700, the contract hav- ing been let to James Getty of St. Louis. At that time it was fair to presume that the location of the county seat was permanently settled, but since several attempts have been made to remove it to either New Florence or Mongomery City, but the people have never seen fit to grant the necessary two-thirds vote. The records and county offices have frequently been moved from Danville to Montgomery City on techni- calities, but as readily returned under orders of the supreme court. In 1889, by an act of the legislature, terms of circuit, probate and county courts were established at Montgomery City. The citizens of Mont- gomery City donated to the county a courthouse. Courts are still held at Danville, but a majority of the county's business is done at Mont- gomery City.
The night of April 12, 1901, fire broke out in the dome of the court- house of Danville and the building with many of its valuable records which had accumulated since the previous fire of 1864, was destroyed. This fire caused much trouble in the land titles of the county and to as- sist in correcting many errors, the legislature by a special act legalized the Gupton Abstract Books as correct transfers. The courts and county officers at Danville are located in a small frame building near the site of the burned courthouse.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES
The educational part of the county is well up, and well maintained district schools are found in all sections. Montgomery county has eighty public school districts. These are superintended by a county officer, devoting his entire time to their success, visiting each of these schools two or three times a year, enabling the teachers to raise the standards higher. No county in Northeast Missouri has a better school system, and becoming better each year. Montgomery City, Wellsville, Middle- town, Bellflower, New Florence and Jonesburg have graded school sys- tems. Montgomery City and Wellsville schools are doing improved work and a diploma therefrom admits to the State University.
The first public schools in the Big Spring settlement and the second in the county was organized in 1824.
A female college was established in Danville in 1844. This school. during its first three years, was in charge of Mrs. Monroe, the wife of Andrew Monroe, the noted preacher. This became a college of much note. In 1847 Prof. James H. Robinson took charge and the college afterwards bore his name. Its attendance reached three hundred and here the young girls and women of this and adjoining counties received their higher education. This college flourished until the Anderson raid
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in October, 1864. The experiences of the boarding students during this raid is still fresh in the memory of many living today with all of its horrifying effects. A short time after the close of the Civil war this college closed and the building today is used for private residences.
The dates of the organizaton of the various churches in Mont- gomery county seem to have been lost. The first Baptist church of which we have record was organized April 16, 1824, at the house of John Snethen on Dry Fork. A small log church was erected the following July. In this church on January 4, 1825, were ordained the first min- isters from Montgomery county, Alexander Snethen and Jabez Ham. That the churches were not conducted then as now is proven by the fact that only $1.75 was taken up in collections during its first four years existence.
Another church organized in Montgomery county was located on Bear creek in the year 1834. It was of the Baptist denomination and located near a pond and, because of the continuous music of the frogs, it received the nickname "Frog Pond Church." This church was after- wards moved to Jonesburg and the congregation is still in existence.
The first Methodist church congregation to be organized in Mont- gomery county was formed in 1819 by the Rev. Drury Clanton and the Rev. Robert Baker. A Sunday school was also organized at the same time and place. This congregation met some five miles south of Dan- ville on what is now known as "Pinch."
The most prominent Methodist preachers who preached in Mont- gomery county in early days were Jeff Green, Andrew Monroe, Richard Bond, William Tatton, William W. Redman and Bishop Marvin. The most prominent Methodist preachers born and reared in Montgomery county are D. R. Shackelford and his brother Willis Shackelford, and S. W. Cope. William W. Redman was born in Indiana in 1799, received on trial in Missouri conference in 1820, was secretary of Missouri con- ference for fourteen years, was presiding elder for thirteen years, elected three times as a delegate to general conference, a member of the famous general conference of 1844, when the church divided, and died at Dan- ville. October 31, 1849, where he had lived for sometime. His grave has been suitably marked by Methodists. Dr. Richard Bond was born in Maryland in 1800 and was accidentally shot by a gun in his own hand at Danville, Missouri, March 7, 1823. He was transferred to Missouri conference in 1841 and was appointed presiding elder of St. Charles district at once. He made his home in Danville from 1841 until his death. He was a graduate in medicine from Columbia College, Washing- ton, D. C. Two prominent preachers, who for some years made their home in Montgomery county, were George Smith of Jonesburg, and B. H. Spencer. The first Methodist meeting house at Danville was built in 1836 or 1837.
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