A History of Northeast Missouri, Volume I, Part 82

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864-1935, editor
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 731

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In the year 1870, however, when the construction of the Missouri. Iowa & Nebraska Railroad was being agitated in this section of the state, a large petition was presented to the county court asking that body to subscribe $200,000 to the capital stock of said company. This also was conditioned on the construction and operation of the road through Memphis, the county seat, and thence to a point six miles west thereof. This stock was to be payable in county bonds due twenty-five years from date, with interest at the rate of eight per cent per annum. This petition was headed by Charles Mety, H. H. Downing, H. A. Montgomery, David Guinn, R. P. Wayland, et al-1365 in all-and a remonstrance almost as large as the petition was headed by Levi J. Wagner. Prior to the delivery of the bonds, which had been ordered by the court. an injunction suit was instituted by Levi J. Wagner, et al, against Charles Mety and other officers of the county to restrain them and prevent the delivery of the bonds. The case was not brought to an issue, however, nor a decision reached until long after the bonds had been delivered.

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The cause was continued from time to time and finally taken to Shelby county on change of venue, and was tried before Judge John T. Redd, who decided in favor of plaintiffs, that the bonds were illegal and void and ordered them returned to and destroyed by the Scotland county court. Attorneys for the railroad company got the case taken to the federal court and there secured the reversal of the decision of Judge Redd. John D. Smoot, the prosecuting attorney of Scotland county, filed a motion praying the court to set aside certain orders pertaining to the bonds. This litigation continued for several years. The seeming conflict between the statutes of Missouri and the federal laws could not be settled. Meantime, in the year 1881, the members of the county court, acting under the state law, were taken up by the federal author- ities for contempt of court. These judges were the late Judge Ben F. Bourn, E. E. Sparks and Judge Riley Gale. Judge Treat of the federal court, caused them to be arrested and placed in the jail at St. Louis for a term of three months. Finally a compromise was agreed upon. Mean- while the costs of the litigation and accumulated interest on the bonds had grown to be nearly as large as the face of the bonds. But since that compromise was reached, a sixty cent levy has been made each year, by the county court, and at this time (July, 1912) a debt of nearly $400,000 has been reduced to about $145,000. Each year a large part of the interest fund is transferred to the sinking fund and paid on the original bonds. It is estimated that at the present rate of reduction in seven or eight years the railroad bonds will all be paid.

SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES

The proper training of the children has long since been considered a duty characteristic of the people of Scotland county. As in other counties the sale of government lands set apart for school purposes, es- tablished a nucleus of a fund from which the early settlers derived some funds to carry on the country schools in a crude way. It is claimed that Judge John C. Collins, father of George T. Collins, taught the first school in the county. This school was held in the vicinity of what was later called Edinburg. William G. Downing, once a prominent citizen of Memphis, who afterwards held the state office of railroad and warehouse commissioner, was among the earliest teachers of Scotland county. In 1841 he taught school in the Smoot neighborhood eight miles west of Memphis, the place being styled "Pulltight" district.

Although the public school system was only crudely developed in those early times, they managed, by the use of the small public fund in addition to paying a small tuition, to pay the teachers from fifteen to twenty dollars per month, which was considered fair remuneration, in view of the scarcity of money.

But with the increase in population came improved methods of se- curing a fund as well as improved methods of teaching the "young idea how to shoot." Township and district organizations were formed and annual elections were held for the purpose of making a levy sufficiently large to maintain better schools for a longer period of time, and at the same time pay large enough salaries to justify teachers to adequately prepare themselves.

Under the new law of Missouri requiring counties to have a super- intendent whose time is all taken with the work of visiting the schools and making suggestions for their improvement. the schools of Scotland county have made great advancement. County Superintendent I. M. Horn has taken hold of this work in a manner that is showing results: The rural schools are being graded up under his supervision, so that all

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the schools pursue the same course up to the eighth grade during each school term of six to eight months. Annual examinations are held at all of the approved schools, and the pupils passing the eighth grade requirement are entitled to enter any high school in the state as fresh- men. This forms a correlation of the country schools with the city high schools, just as these city high schools correlate with the State University. Superintendent Horn is industriously engaged in bringing about the best results from this model arrangement. In May, 1912, of the number of rural pupils taking the examination in the eighth grade, eighty-seven earned satisfactory grades and were promoted to the high school. For such pupils, commencement exercises are held annually at the county seat, when the superintendent gives them their certificates.

There are seventy-two rural school districts in Scotland county, besides the independent district of Memphis.

While there is no college in the county at this time, the high schools maintain such high standards that any ambitious pupil completing a high school course has become so enthused with the possibilities of an education that he is not satisfied without going up higher, if such a thing is possible for him. Much stress is placed on music in Scotland county, and there are not a few boys and girls who develop to a high degree their talents in this line of learning.

Along with the development of the educational interests, the religious nature of citizens of Scotland county has in no wise been neglected. Within the boundaries of the county many church organizations are maintained, and most of them hold regular stated services. Rev. Mr. Smith, an early Methodist preacher, is said to have started the Methodist organization in the county. Rev. James M. Lillard, of Lewis county, organized the Baptist church at Edinburg on the 12th of May, 1838, Jesse Stice, who settled near Bible Grove in 1834, wrote before his death of the organization of a Christian church in 1836 under the preaching of Elder J. White, of Howard county. The Presbyterian church at Mem- phis was organized in 1844 by Rev. Joseph Anderson, the father of Judge John C. Anderson, former circuit judge of this circuit. The Cumberland Presbyterian church in this county was organized in 1840 by Rev. Mr. Briggs and others. The Methodist, Christian, Baptist, Cumberland Presbyterian, Southern Presbyterian, United Brethren, Catholic, Holiness and other churches are well represented all over Scotland county. The Catholic and Holiness churches are the weakest in point of numerical strength.

THE CIVIL WAR

From 1861 to 1865, the period of the Civil war, Scotland county was a place from which many recruits were gotten, both for the Confederacy and for the Union. In those troublous times animosities were engen- dered that continued for a long time after the end of hostilities. The most troublous event, however, in that period was in 1862. The Federals had some men imprisoned at Memphis who were known to have been in sympathy with the Confederate cause. On the second day of July, 1862, Colonel Joseph C. Porter and his regiment entered Memphis, and caused the Confederates held here to be released. He also took several prison- ers from here that were affiliated on the opposite side. From here he proceeded to Henry H. Downing's residence eight miles west of Mem- phis. Here the execution of Dr. Aylward took place, he being hanged to a tree. Some of Porter's men, who were great admirers of the gallant leader, claim that the Colonel never knew of this execution. After rest- ing there for the night, Porter's command proceeded to Pearce's Mill.

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Crossing the bridge near the mill they marched up on the hill on the south side of the creek and entrenched themselves just over the brow of the hill, safe from the view of the road. Colonel Porter had information that a regiment far superior to his own in point of numbers and equip- ment was in pursuit. The Union regiment was known as Merrill's Horse. While Porter's men were thus entrenched, he sent Lucien Dur- kee and another man back toward the bridge to decoy the enemy into the trap. They soon came along and wounded Durkee slightly, but he ran into the brush and escaped. When Merrill's Horse ascended Vassar Hill they knew not the fate that was in wait for them. But when they advanced within easy range, Porter's men opened fire, mowing the front rank down as with a giant scythe. Colonel Clopper, the Union com- mander, ordered a retreat; but after resting they renewed the charge. Seven times they charged on Porter and his men, but were repulsed with heavy losses every time. The Federal losses were eighty-five killed and a large number wounded. Porter lost two men killed and about a half dozen wounded. This battle, which was the only important engagement in Scotland county during the Civil war, is described in detail in a book written by Dr. Joseph A. Mudd, now of Hyattsville, Maryland, who was an officer in Porter's command. The book is entitled, "With Porter in North Missouri," and it seems to be a fair and impartial account of the military activities of that time.

Major Shacklett, who it is believed succeeded at one time in capturing General Grant, but released him on his word of honor, was also a resident of Scotland county, Missouri.

AGRICULTURE

It has been intimated before that Scotland county is pre-eminently an agricultural community. The rich, black soil, of the broad prairies is highly productive of corn, oats, wheat, timothy and clover. The prairies and wooded fringe along the several small streams alike, produce as tall blue grass as grows anywhere on the face of the earth. The bot- tom lands along the Wyaconda, North Fabius, Tobin creek and other smaller streams are especially fertile. Corn on these bottoms has been known to yield as much as seventy-five to one hundred bushels to the acre.

While the land is thus productive, there is very little surplus grain and hay shipped out of the county. Our farmers prefer to raise stock, and good stock at that, and ship the products out on the hoof. Conse- quently most of the corn, hay and oats are fed right here in the county.

In the early history of the county, farming and stock raising was carried on in rather a crude manner. Almost any kind of an animal suited the average farmer thirty years ago. But now this is not so. Farmers are buying the best pedigreed stock and thus improving their herds. Among the breeders who are keeping pedigreed stock of super- ior quality are the following : Joseph Miller & Sons, F. L. Davis. T. R. Sanders, J. L. Sanders, M. Billups, J. M. Lockhart, William McClellan, Evan Jones, A. C. Cowell, Harvey T. Drake, D. W. Burns. John Wolf, fine cattle ; John R. Hudson, shetland ponies; J. E. Gray. William Hart- man, A. D. Walker, Moore Brothers, James Harker, Matt Moffett, horses; C. B. Walker, J. L. Tennant, Rice & Leslie and others, sheep; G. E. Leslie, Newell Cone, B. F. Moore, Arthur Dawson and many others, breeders of fine hogs.

At a public stock sale held by Joseph Miller & Sons, two miles north of Granger the 7th of June, 1912, one short horn bull sold for $365.

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Forty head put up in the sale, many of which were only calves, averaged $136 per head.

G. E. Leslie, of Memphis, has a herd of Poland-China hogs as fine as can be found anywhere.

OLD SETTLERS

A history of Scotland county would be very incomplete indeed if it failed to make mention of some of the oldest settlers. Some of these came here when the county was Benton township, comprising the present limits of Scotland and six miles of the north part of Knox county.

Willis Hicks and his father, James Hicks, settled in March, 1834, in the southeast part of Sand Hill township, and near where the town of Rutledge now stands. Robert T. Smith, formerly a citizen of Tennessee, came to this county in May, 1834, at which time he and his family located about one-half a mile east of the village of Sand Hill. Among the earliest settlers of the county were Jesse Stice, Moses Stice and Tyra March, whose homes were in the vicinity of Bible Grove, in the southwest part of the county. George Forrester came here from Ran- dolph county, Missouri, in 1835, and settled in the vicinity of Pleasant

SCOTLAND COUNTY POULTRY

Retreat, which is located about eight miles south of Memphis. Many of the descendants of Forrester still reside in the county. Others who came here about the same time were Elijah Whitten, from Boone county, who settled two miles northwest of Edinburg; Thompson and Cornelius Holliday who settled at Edinburg; Elijah Mock who settled in Tobin township; Joseph Price settled near Sand Hill; William Myers located two miles south of Pleasant Retreat; Burton Tompkins settled at Mem- phis; Jonathan Riggs settled on the farm now owned by J. J. and J. L. Sanders, in the suburbs of Memphis; Branch Miller settled in the forks of the Fabius, a few miles northwest of the site of Memphis: Mr. Niseley settled about ten miles west of Memphis.

In 1836, or a year or two later came John C. Collins, George Buskirk. Rev. Sanford Myers, from Kentucky ; Jacob Maggard, Phillip Purvis. Joseph Johnson, Michael Spillman, Sylvester Allen, Allen Tate. Samuel Wilfley and others, who were among the first settlers of the county.

THE SCOTLAND COUNTY FAIR

One of the oldest fairs in Missouri is the Scotland County Agricul- tural and Mechanical Association that is located just south of the Mem- phis corporation line. At the August term of the county court, in the

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year 1856, a petition was presented to the county court asking that this fair association be incorporated. A number of the signers of the peti- tion were as follows: Thomas S. Richardson, Samuel Arnold, James L. Jones. Josiah Smoot, Henry Ferryman, E. McIntyre, Curtis Cody, T. H. Richardson, William G. Downing, J. M. Rowan, I. I. Reyburn, Levi J. Wagner, James Proctor Knott, Alfred S. Myers, Thomas Gunn, Ed M. Beckwith, L. W. Knott, H. M. Gorin, John M. T. Smith, W. D. Smith, H. D. Clapper, John A. Childress, R. T. Nesbit, Chas. Mety, Chas. Martin, E. G. Richardson, Charles Hughes, James S. Best, John Sanders and E. W. Roberts.

The first officers of the fair were : Isaac M. Rowan, president; Charles Mety, treasurer; Sterling McDonald, secretary; H. (. Baker, chief mar- shal. The fair was held annually, except that the exhibitions were greatly interfered with during the Civil war. But since that time there have been annual exhibits.

THE TALLEST WOMAN

Scotland county boasted of the tallest woman in the world. If any as tall has ever been discovered the fact has never yet been made known. Miss Ella Ewing, who was born in Harrison township, near where the town of Gorin now stands, was eight feet and four inches tall. She was a quiet, modest woman, intelligent, and possessed of many accom- plishments. She had seen much of the world and in her travels had taken advantage of the education that comes to a close observer who has seen the ways of many people. Miss Ewing, when she was a young girl, was quite sensitive about her unusual size. When she went to public gatherings in company with other girls she would cry because the curious people would follow her and make remarks. She was the principal attraction in Ringling's circus several years and had also been em- ployed at different times by other companies. She had made some money that way and built a house with high doors, constructed for her special use. Her bedstead was made to order and other furniture about the house was fashioned for Miss Ella's convenience.

Miss Ewing died at her late home in this county January 10, 1913, after being in ill health for a period of more than a year. She had in her lifetime an aversion to being buried as other persons are buried after death; fearing that showmen would rob the grave for the skeleton or scientists take the body away for other purposes, and because of this belief made the request that her body be cremated after death Her request was not complied with by her father, who could not bear the idea. but instead he had the body placed in a metallic casket and sealed and this imbedded in a concrete vault. The woman was universally liked and her funeral was one of the most largely attended of any funeral in that community in years.

COUNTY OFFICERS

The present county officials of Scotland county are : Representative, Wesley M. McMurry ; presiding judge of county court, John H. Barker; judge, eastern district, Thomas P. Smith; judge of the western district, Anslum Corwin; sheriff, J. O. Myers; collector, Alfred Vaught; treas- urer, S A. Hammond: circuit clerk and' recorder, R. W. Campbell ; county clerk. Walter B. Scott; surveyor, William H. Davis; assessor, W Frank Barker; probate judge, William T. Reddish ; coroner, John P. Davis.

CHAPTER XXXI SHELBY COUNTY By W. O. L. Jewett, Shelbina LOCATION

Bounded on the east by Marion, on the north by Knox, on the west by Macon, and on the south by Monroe, Shelby county is the second west of the Mississippi and the third south of the Iowa line.

The county is small in territory, being twenty-four miles east and west by only twenty miles north and south, except at the southwest corner where it juts south four miles by six miles east and west, making the west line twenty-four miles long. The area of Shelby is 504 square miles, one of the small counties of the state. It is in ranges 9, 10, 11 and 12, and in townships 57, 58 and 59 and the north part of 56.

IN PIONEER DAYS

When first visited by white men about half of this territory was covered by timber and the remainder was prairie. Some land which was prairie then grew up to young timber before it was brought under cultivation. This was doubtless caused by partial protection from fires. There was more prairie in the western than in the eastern part. The highest and most nearly level land was generally in the centers of the prairies; nearer the water-courses the ground was more rolling, in some places quite broken. The timber consisted mainly of oak of various kinds, hickory and elm, but along the streams there were also walnut, ash, soft maple, and sometimes hard maple, birch, sycamore, and other timber growth. On the bottom lands the soil is often quite dark, elsewhere in the tree land it is a yellowish clay loam, and on the prairies generally of a gray cast; all of it is very fertile, producing abundant crops when properly tilled. It is, however, pre-eminently a grass country. It is said that blue grass had to be introduced by the early settlers, but now it seems to be indigenous, springing up everywhere. Forty years ago the prairies were covered with wild grass much of it being called blue- joint, growing from six to ten feet high. As soon, however, as this was pastured short, bluegrass took the place of the wild growth. A piece of ground sown to timothy or other cultivated grass and pastured, will, in a few years, produce nothing but blue-grass and white clover. Prof. G. C. Broadhead, now eighty-five years of age and living at Columbia, Missouri, is quoted in the Missouri Historical Review as saying that in 1840 blue grass was found only where it had been sown, chiefly in yards, in Missouri; that before 1850 blue-grass was not found in pastures in this state; but by 1870 it was in most pastures and along the roadways; and that by 1880 it was common in north Missouri.

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Shelby is a well-watered county, abounding in streams. The north fork of Salt river is the largest of these. It enters the county near its northwest corner and meanders in a southeasterly direction to near the southeast corner where it crosses the south line. North river flows for some twenty miles through the northern part of the county; the Fabius crosses the northeast corner; and Tiger Fork of North river runs for some considerable distance through the northeast part of the county ; while Black creek flows from near the northwest corner north of Salt river to near the southeast corner where it empties into the last-named stream. Then there are Crooked, Clear, and Otter creeks, and some other named and many unnamed branches.

This county was named in honor of General and Ex-Governor Isaac Shelby of Kentucky; and originally, as organized by act of the legis- lature in 1835, was only eighteen miles north and south, the south line being the north line of township 56 in ranges 9, 10, 11 and 12; but in 1843, the legislature, at the instance of William J. Howell, who repre- sented Monroe county, cut off sixty square miles in townships numbered 56 from the latter county and added them to Shelby. This is said to have been done to insure keeping the county seat of Monroe county at Paris.

EARLY SETTLERS

The first white persons known to have visited the territory now in- cluded in this county, were Edward Whaley, Aaron Forman, and a few other Kentucky hunters, who came across from the Boon's Lick country seeking the head waters of the Salt, then called Auhaha, or Oahaha, on their way to the Mississippi. It is probable, however, that hunters and trappers had visited this territory at earlier dates. In the spring of 1831 a man named Norton came from Monroe county and built a cabin on the banks of Black creek near where it joins Salt river. He brought some hogs there but he did not remain to become a permanent settler. It is probable that Maj. Obadiah Dickerson, who in October, 1831, built a log house on the north side of Salt river, three and one-half miles north of where Shelbina now stands, was the first permanent set- tler. It is said that Major Dickerson was the founder of Palmyra, the county seat of Marion, and it is certain he was the first postmaster there. Some interesting stories illustrating how things were done in those early days are told of this postmaster. It is said he kept his office in his hat, which was a large, bell-crowned head-gear and the letters were tucked behind the lining. He often went out on business or hunts and carried the office with him. He said he delivered more mail to parties he met in the country than to parties who came to Palmyra. He thus became the first rural mail-carrier. A man from the frontier came to Palmyra to find the postoffice, but keeper and office were away. Going in pursuit, he found the Major, who fished out of his hat half a dozen letters for this man and his neighbors, and handed out three more, say- ing: "Take these along with you and see if they belong to anyone in your settlement. They have been here two weeks; I do not know any such names and do not want to be bothered with them longer " Major Dickerson was an honored citizen of Shelby, represented the county in the legislature and held other important offices. His son, John Dickerson, was three times chosen sheriff and collector of the county, and several of his grandchildren and great-grandchildren are good citi- zens of Shelbina now.

Of the early settlers more came from Kentucky than from any other state, and this continued to be the case up to the Civil war. Virginia furnished the next largest number; a few came from Maryland, Dela-

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ware and Tennessee, and a sprinkling from the north, the latter being more numerous during the '40s and the '50s and much more so since the Civil war. From 1865 to 1870 many came from Illinois, Michigan, Ohio and New York. Quite a number of these became dissatisfied and returned, but many became permanent and valuable citizens and their number has been added to every year since, and numerously during the past ten years. Nearly every state, south, north and east, has contributed substantially to the population of this county and the people from these various sections have intermarried and the citizenship is becoming homogenous.

Ever since the earliest recorded history the race has migrated west- ward, mainly directly toward the setting sun; but often deflected some- what toward the north or south. It was so with Abraham when he left Mesopotamia and went to Canaan; but the journey of Israel from Egypt under the leadership of Moses was an exception to the rule. We have been taught that the race had its first abode in central Asia, and that from there it migrated to the western part of that continent, then into eastern Europe and so on westward. On this continent the movements have been principally westward. Missouri being a central state has received settlers from all sections of the Union; but the northern portion attracted more from the northern states than did the southern.

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A History of Northeast Missouri, Volume I, Part 82

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864-1935, editor Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 731

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864-1935, editor
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 731