USA > Missouri > Benton County > A sketch of the history of Benton County, Missouri > Part 2
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6
Among the settlers in 1832 was Judge George Alexander, who settled and remained for about three years on the place now owned by Mrs. Thurman, on the waters of Turkey Creek. He was engaged in barter with the Indians on the west of Pomme do Terre, which was then the line between the whites and Indians. About 1835, when the country west of Pomme de Terre was opened to the whites, he bought an Indian village and clearing at the farm now owned by his son, John H. Alexander, paying the Indians $60.00. He was elected County Judge at the first election, in 1836, and continued in the position till 1844. He was a supporter of the Joneses, to whom he was related by marriage. He continued a prominent citizen of the county until his death, in 1875, His sons were well known citizens. Mat. was Lieutenant in Captain Holloway's company in the Mexican war. Tom was captured, in the war of 1861, and taken out at Osceola and shot. Frank was badly wounded early in the war by the militia. He lingered, helpless and in great suffering, till 1868. John still lives on his father's old farm, a respected citizen.
Capt. John Holloway also settled in the county in April, 1832. He left Kentucky when a boy, and served in Northern Illinois and Wisconsin in the Black Hawk war. After quitting the army he spent a year in Illinois, and then hitched up his team and started 3
18
west. He crossed the Osage at Bledsoe's Ferry, moved up the river, around the Shawnee Bend, till he reached the bluffs above the old John B. Wright place, from which he had a magnificent view of the beautiful prairie bottom, now known as Heath's Bend. His fancy was so captivated that he at once made up his mind that there should be his future home, and in spite of the prudent advice of his wife to go over and examine the place first, he at once went to work and made a raft to transfer his effects over the river. He settled on the farm now occupied by his son-in-law, C. G. Heath. He became one of the most important men in our early history. He was the first Treasurer of the County. His military experience, his gallantry, and his popularity, made him the military leader, the Miles Standish of the early settlers. He was the chief man on the field of militia musters. He com- manded the militia in the Slicker war. At one time, when about one hundred armed Turk men were in Warsaw, some of them accused him of mistreating a woman or child on one of his expe- / ditions in the south part of the County. He instantly boiled over with rage, and mounting a work bench in their midst, heaped on them the most bitter abuse and defiance. The spectators con- fidently expected a bloody fight, but the Turks contented them- selves with promising to settle with him afterwards. When the Mexican war broke out, he raised a company, in the summer of 1846, and marched across the plains under command of Col. Sterling Price, to New Mexico. He was among the first to catch the California gold fever, and went across to that territory with one of the earliest trains. He returned to Missouri, and started back to California with a drove of cattle in 1853. On the route he was drowned in crossing Green River, near Salt Lake.
In 1832, the first settlements were made on Little Tebo. Milton Kincaid, John Graham, Sr., and George Blanton, with their families, came up from the Auglaise, where they had stopped for a year or two. Kincaid bought out an Indian clearing and wig- wams, on the farm now owned by his son, Albert Kincaid. He gave the Indian $9.00. Graham settled on the farm near Spring Grove Church, now owned by Mr. Slinker, and George Blanton on the place now owned by Mr. James W. Wright, higher up the creek. About the same time John H. Howard and Lewis Johnson settled on the Osage below Warsaw, near where Mr. P. W. Duck- worth now lives.
19
The above names comprise all the settlers prior to 1833, con- cerning whom I have been able to get any certain information. They might be called the pioneers of Benton County. From this time the immigration seems to have been steady and considerable. About 1833 a great tide of emigration westward began to flow all along the western border. The veto by General Jackson of the bill to re-charter the United States Bank, in 1832, led to the estab- lishment of innumerable State banks all over the country. These were generally founded on insufficient capital, and were anxious to get their bills as far away from home as possible, so they would not be sent in for redemption. They offered every possible encouragement to borrowers, and the ease with which money could be obtained to pay for land at the Western offices, caused vast sums to be invested in this way. The wildest excitement in land speculation ever known in the history of the country sprang up, and raged till President Jackson issued his famous specie circular in 1836, requiring lands to be paid for in coin. Then the bills of the "wild cat" banks were sent in for redemption, the banks went down, and the crash of 1837 came, precipitating a financial ruin and depression from which the country did not recover for a number of years.
It seems to have been during this fever of land speculation that the first great tide of immigration settled in Missouri. The particulars of the settlement of Benton County during this time, from 1833 to 1836, when the first census was taken, I have been unable to obtain, and if I had them, their narration would be too lengthy for this sketch. I can only make some general allusions to the settlement of localities not before mentioned. Before any white settlers came on to this creek, three free negroes settled on it near Fairfield ; one, called Edmond, in the bottom, now in Albert Crabtree's field, and two others, called Lige and Manuel, at the " Free Nigger Spring," above Fairfield. On the Pomme de Terre, among the first settlers were Albert Crabtree's father, Peter and Nathan Huff, who settled on the E. K. Bailey place ; Alex Breshears and Sampson Norton, on Breshears' Prairie; above them the Joneses and Brookshires, famous in the Slicker war. In the same vicinity were Samuel Weaver and Samuel Daniels. On the prairie hollow were Isaac Saulsbury and Edward P. Bell. Beyond Pomme de Terre, in what is now the northwest corner of Hickory County, were Judge Joseph C. Montgomery, on the
20
Samuel Walker place, Samuel Judy at Quiney, and John Graham near the same place. On Hogle's Creek, after the post at Hogle's store, among the first settlers was James M. Wisdom, father of Andrew J. and Hardin P. Wisdom, and other children, still residents of the County. So thinly settled was the County at that time, that Mr. Wisdom had to go to Niangua, from whence he had moved, to get hands to help raise his house. On Turkey Creek, among the first were Samuel Weaver, on the Wainwright place ; Duvald Beck, on tho Leo Phegly farm; Walter McFarland and W. II. Barnott, on the places they now own ; B. H. Williams, Joseph Hooper, David Kidwell, Jacob Dawson, on the W. W. Gal- bricth place, John Scaggs, on the Wm. P. Kays place, and Mr. Hudson, on the Walthal place. Mr. Wm. Kays, father of Wmn. P. Kays, had one of the first mills in the County, on the Osage, a short distance above the mouth of Turkey Creek. On Deer Creck, the first, and a very carly settler, was Elmore, who lived about two and a half miles above the mouth of the creek. Other carly settlers on this creek were Elijah Doty, on the Wm. Gunn place, Jonas Dawson and George Richardson. On the Osage, below Warsaw, among the carly settlers were John M. Williams and Wm. Denton, on the bottom below Duroc, on the land known as the Donton land. About the Duckworth place was Isaac Nichol- son, besides Howard and Johnson before mentioned. Higher up was William Jeans, on the Ramsey place, and the Donaghes in the same neighborhood. Above Warsaw were the Stewarts and John B. and Montgomery Wright, in the Shawnee Bend; James and John Roberts on the Balliett place ; Isaac Wickliff on his old farm; James Browder, just above; John and William Dean, at the Dean Island; Emanuel Case, on the Henry Cunningham place. On Grand River, the first settlement was made at the Bettio Foster Ford, by one of the Fosters; others of tho Fosters, and Anglins were among the first on Grand River. Adamson Cornwall, on the Joshua Graham place, and Cabel Crews, on the old Claycomb farm, were among the first on Big Tebo. On Little Tebo, among the first after those already named, were Elias Hughes, on the placo now owned by Wm. O. Hughes ; Judge John W. Lindsay, in tho bottom between the junction of Sterrett's Creek and Little Tebo; one of the Linns in the samo vicinity; Henry Davis, on the Gregory place ; Andy Bryant, on the place owned by William II. Davidson ; Judge Wm. White, on tho Radford place; Davis Redd,
1
1
21
on the Osborn place; and Adam Neas where his son Samuel Neas now lives. On Cole Camp, besides those already named, among the early settlers were John Tyree, Jacob Carpenter, George Cathey, Travis Cox, Wesley Holland, father of Dr. W. S. Holland, Albert Nichols, John W. Eastwood, Samuel Fowler, and Champion Helvey, who settled V. G. Kemper's place. On Indian Creek, where Claus Stilges now lives, John Shipton, at a very carly day, had a mill, quite noted in its time. The plat of a town at that placo may still be found in the Clerk's Office; but the town, like many other hopeful schemes, came to nothing.
The first house in Cole Camp town was built by Hosea Powers. Previous to 1839, in what year I have not determined, he was moving west, without any plan as to where he should locate. Walking ahead of his teams, ho came to the spot where Cole Camp now stands, and being pleased with the location, he at once determined to settle on it. Ile stopped his wagons, and, being a surveyor, marked out his claim. He had been educated asa lawyer. In 1844 ho was elected to the State Senate, to fill a vacancy occa- sioned by the death of Benj. P. Majors, defeating Benj. F. Robin- son, of Versailles.
In 1846, V. G. Kemper, under the advice and aid of James Atkisson, set up a small storc near Powers' house. Soon after Septimus Martin opened another store. He was followed by the Blakey Brothers in a short time. A post-offico had been located at an carly day at Ezekiel Williams', and called Cole Camp, from the creek near by. When the stores were opened at Powers', tho post-office was moved there, its original name being continued, and giving name to the town. Ihave heard different reports as to how the creek came by its name. Some say that some travelers, or hunters, camped on the old road at the crossing of the creek, on a very cold night, and from this circumstance the creek took its name. But from the best information I have, and the probability of the case, I am of the opinion that the creek gets its name from the circumstance of the Coles, of Cooper County, having campod for some time on the creek for hunting, exploring, or wintering their stock on the bottom grass. A numerous family of the Coles were among the carliest settlers of Cooper County. From Capt. Stephen Cole, one of this family, Cole County, and Cole Township in Benton County, were named.
On Lake Creek, the first settlers were James Q. Carrico, Joseph Lebow, Allen Morgan and C. C. James. They were probably as
22
carly settlers as there were in the County. Other early settlers on that creek were John and Gesche Boschen, Henry Holtzen, John Eifert, John Goetz, N. D. Jack and Jacob Timpkin.
On Haw Creek the first settlements were made near Boschen's store, by Richard Williams, Solomon Crabtree, Joseph Thouvenel, James Allard, Samuel McCulloh, John Brown and James D. Murry. Tho land owned by these men soon fell in the hands of James Godwin and the Harrisons, who long kept noted houses of enter- tainment on the road. They are now chiefly owned by Herman Boschen and John H. Mahnkin, Thess. Meyers' widow and F. Dieckman.
The first settlements on Barker's Creek were made by Dick Barker and Wm. Collins, near its mouth in Henry County, the creek taking its name from the former. They probably came about 1832 or 1833. In 1833 or 1834, Major Garth settled the old Handy farm, and Samuel Woodson adjoining it on the Harri- son Ellis farm.
On the head of Brush Creek, Jeremiah Bess, on the old James Q. Priestly place; a little higher up the creek, Carter, his brother- in-law, and one or two others, whose names I have been unable to obtain, were the first settlers. In 1835 or 1836, a colony from Bourbon County, Ky., came into this neighborhood and bought out most of the first settlers, paying what now seems extravagant prices for claims. Some paid a's high as $600, and even $1,200. In this colony were Roland McDaniel and his sons, Enos, George, Benjamin and William. The father bought of Samuel Woodson, and settled on the Harrison Ellis place, west of Fort Lyon. Enos sottled at the old orchard, near Oliver Little's, Goorge at the old clearing in the woods west of Joshua Lloyd's, Ben on the Keller place, and William where he now lives. In the same colony were IIenry Y. Elbert and his sons, Roland, Henry and John. Honry Y., who was County Judge in 1842, bought of Major Garth the Handy place, and his sons as they grew up settled in the same neighborhood. In connection with this colony came also Thomas C. Warren, who settled on the Brame farm, Jno. Cleaveland, who settled on the League place, Wm. Peak, who settled the Jno. F. Garland farm, buying it from Mr. Pettus, Roland Cleaveland, who settled on Brush Creek, west of Pony Miller's, and Robert Leach, who settled on the branch below Perry Wetzel's present farm. Most of these persons came together, and the track made
23
across the prairie by their train is said to have remained visible for five years. It is noticeable that nearly all of this colony, hav- ing the whole of this beautiful neighborhood to choose from, selected at first homes on the broken, poor soils, close to the creeks. Among the first settlers on Brush Creek were also Chas- tain Cock, on the Wm. B. (Pony) Miller' place, and Zach. Fewel on the place where his widow now lives.
Among the first on Clear Creek were Jacob Chastain, Richard Glover, Levi M. Rizley, William Simpson, Samuel Rippin, Wash- ington Dorrell, who was on the Harden Osborn place, and Samuel B. May, on the Amon English place.
Nearly all the settlers so far mentioned, and, in fact, nearly all those who came prior to 1840, located along the creeks in the tim- ber. The immigrants were generally from Virginia, Kentucky and Tennessee, and knew nothing of prairie farming. They were generally poor, and the timber offered more immediato facilities for building and living than the prairie. Perhaps, too, the animal life of the woods, the murmuring of the streams, and the rustling of the forests, were company for the lonely pioneers. The cabins were at first generally built in the bottoms near springs, and little clearings opened as soon as possible to raise bread. Meat was obtained chiefly by the chase. The overflows, especially those of 1837, 1844 and 1845, flooded and washed away many of the cabins, and caused the houses to be moved to higher ground. There is hardly an old farm where the remains of an old chimney may not be found, the house having been washed away, or removed to higher ground from fear of the flood. I think many farms were entirely abandoned on account of the overflows. About 1840 the settlers began to locate in the prairies, always, however, having their farms near the timber. The opinion generally prevailed that the wide prairies were not productive ; land that would not pro- duce trees would not produce crops. Tom Benton had declared that sixty miles west of St. Louis the country was a desert. The government surveyors had pronounced the rich prairies of the western Counties unfit for cultivation. So it was only by degrees that the farmers ventured out on the prairies.
Among the first settlers on the prairies were George W. Rives, Stephen HI. Donglass, R. S. Cates, Hiram P. Casey and Stephen H. Davis, on North Prairie ; Samuel Orr, James and Wiley Vinson, near Lincoln ; James H. Lay, C. L. Perry, Lindsay Bowman and
24
Johnson Shobe on Little Tobo; Alexander Davidson, Markham Fistoo and Samuel Parks on Clear Creek. I believe that no farms were opened any distance from the timber till 1855 or 1856, when the excitement in land speculation began to spring up, and not until about 1868-9 did the advancing settlements from the waters of the Osago meet those from Flatt Creck, on the high prairie dividing the waters of the Missouri and the Osage.
The manners of living and habits of the early settlers were so much like those of all the western pioneers, and so well known, as to require no more than a passing notice. The pioneers were gen- crally poor men, who came west to get cheap land and better their fortunes. As illustrating their condition, and way of living, I quote the following from a letter written me by the son of one of the old settlers, whose father died some years ago, leaving a good estate:
"We traveled in truck wagons, with wheels made from logs, and drawn by oxen. Our plows were bull tongues, fastened to forks cut from young trees, and a kind of diamond with wooden mold board. Our grain was tramped out with horses on the ground and winnowed. Our houses were log cabins, daubed with mud, with stick and mud chimneys, and clap-board doors. No schools, no churches, no courts, no voting. Both women and men wore home-made clothing, with not much cotton in it. The nearest mill was 27 miles, to which we went on horseback. Game was plenty. My father has killed three dee before sunrise. There were deer, elks, bears, panthers, wildcats, catamounts, wolves, turkeys and Indians. I have seen seven elks together within gun shot of the door. I have seen wolves run the chickens into the yard in the day time, and snap at them as they ran through the fence. Green head flies would kill a horse in an hour on the prai- ries. When I was seven or eight years old, I had no breeches or shoes, and the snow was on the ground sometimes when I went to my traps. I would get three clap-boards, warm them well before the fire, run one-third the way, drop one and stand on it until my feet got warm, then run another third of the distance and warm my feet on another board, and use the last at the traps. I would make the same stops going back, picking up my boards. My father borrowed a wagon to move here from Cooper County. It had no bed, and he put on a large wheat gum, and put mother and the children in it. My father's circumstances were about as good as anybody's at that time."
25
The families of John Holloway, Milton Kincaid, and I presume many others, gathered the tall nettles in the rich bottoms, and rotted and worked them like flax, and made clothes of the lint. ·The wardrobe of the little fellows was considered complete, in the summer, when they got a long shirt of this nettle cloth. After the shoes which the settlers brought with them were worn out, moccasins were used to a considerable extent. What few articles they bought at Boonville or Hogle's trading post, were paid for in peltry and game. These particulars, of course, apply only to the first settlers.
Bledsoe's Ferry, from the first settlement of the County, became a prominent point. All the travel from the Upper Missis- sippi and Missouri Rivers passed this point, and droves of stock were driven along this route at an early day. This travel caused Mark Fristoe to start a rival ferry about a mile and a half below Bledsoe's, where Powers' Ferry now runs, at Warsaw. He opened a road diverging from the old road, and running across the ridge, just above Warsaw, which was the nearest road to the site of Warsaw until 1838.
As soon as the settlement became considerable, the organiza- tion of a new County, with the County Seat near these ferries, was contemplated, and small business houses were started under Bledsoe's auspices at Mr. Dice's, and under Fristoe's at his house, about a mile north of Warsaw. These villages became the rendezvous for all the surrounding country until Warsaw was located, and were remarkable more for hard drinking and fighting than for business.
While the early settlers were generally steady, hard-working men, my conversations with old settlers lead me to believe that there was also a large sprinkling of rough characters, who had fled from difficulties in the East, as our friends who get into trouble now, fly to Texas. At any rate the state of society was very rough for a number of years after the country was settled. As stated elsewhere, the groceries exceeded in number all other business houses, and a crowd seldom met at one of them without getting into a row. It was a common thing for parties who had a misunderstanding, to meet at a public place and fight it out with their fists, in the presence of their friends, who could seldom deny themselves the luxury of participating. One of the first experiences of Mr. E. W. Ramsey, early in 1836, was to sit on a 4
26
box at Ringo and Jopling's store, at Fristoe's town, and witness a general row growing out of a fight that had been arranged between Newson and Johnson. When Mr. James J. Donald first came from Boonville, in 1839, to make a bid for building the Court House, he was so discouraged by the rough manners and violent demonstrations in Warsaw, that he mounted his horse and went back post haste. It would be impossible even to allude to all the famous fights that took place in Warsaw on court and election days, in those early times. But the advantages of the town, as a business point, caused it to grow, notwithstanding the turbulent state of society. It is notable that the heaviest busi- noss men of Warsaw came here in the midst of the " Slicker war."
In the fall of 1834 the population became so considerable as to require a new county. I can only approximate the number of people at that time, The first census, taken in 1836, showed 1,572 people. This was nearly two years after the County was organ- ized, and the County was about half as large again as it is now, Deducting the people of the territory since detached, and the immigration of 1835 and 1836, I think we might estimate the population in the present limits of Benton County, when it was organized, Jan. 3, 1835, at between 400 and 600 people, including slaves. Mr. John Graham, Sr., took the census of 1836, and was paid $32.00 for his services.
V.
GETTING HOMES.
At the time the State was admitted into the Union, in 1820, the Government surveys extended into only one township in this County, viz: Tp. 43, R. 20, in the northeast corner of the County. The surveys were pushed out from the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers as the settlement of the country required.
I have not been able to ascertain when the township and range lines were run. Tp. 43, R. 20, was sectionized in 1822, and Tps. 40, 41 and 42, R. 20, in 1823. The lands in these town- ships were then in the Franklin-Howard, County Districts, the office being removed to Fayette in 1822. They were probably in market soon after they were sectionized, but the first entry was not made till February 26, 1836. It was made by Richard Williams of a part of the land now owned by John H. Mahnkin, near Boschen's store. S. L. Bowles entered a tract near Buffalo Mills, March 24, 1836. On the 27th of March, 1836, Joseph Thou- venel entered a part of the land belonging to the Boschen store tract. The fourth entry was made in April, 1836, by James Q. Carrico, of land close to Judge Peter E. Holtzen's store. In the summer of 1836, John M. Williams, Jno. H. Howard and Isaac Nicholson entered land on the Osage, in Tp. 40, R. 20. These were the only lands in the market up to 1838. Range 20 seems to have been the western limit, and Township 40 the southern limit of the surveys for several years. In the latter part of 1837, a party under George Lewis, Deputy U. S. Surveyor, began sectionizing the lands west of Range 20, and north of Township 39. The survey was completed in June, 1838. Of the party, Howell Lewis, now of Lewis Station, in Henry County, was forward chainman, John S. Lingle, rear chainman, Iradel Davis, brother of Joseph Davis, formerly of Clinton, was marker, Mr. Bush was flagman, and another Mr. Bush was cook and camp keeper. Soon after this survey was completed, to wit: on the 19th of Nov., 1838, Tp. 43, Rs. 21, 22 and 23 were offered for sale,
28
and a few entries were made in the extreme northwest part of the county ; and on Oct. 21, 1839, Tps. 42 and 41, Ranges 21, 22 and 23, came into market. All these lands were in the Fayette District. The remainder, to wit: Tp. 40, Rs. 21, 22 and 23, must have been offered for sale at the Springfield office, in July, 1839, for I find the first entries made in that month. I presume, how- ever, that entries made in July, August, September and October 1839, were pre-emptions proved up. I think the first public sales were made at Springfield about Nov. 15, 1839. During this month a large number of farms along the Osage were entered. The lands south of Tp. 40 seem never to have come into market till 1846, and possibly were not sectionized till about that time. I find that such old settlers as James M. Wisdom, George Alexan- der, N. Campbell, John H. Howard, and others on Pomme de Terre, did not enter their farms till 1846.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.