Annals of Platte County, Missouri, from its exploration down to June 1, 1897; with genealogies of its noted families, and sketches of its pioneers and distinguished people, Part 2

Author: Paxton, W. M. (William McClung), 1819-
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Kansas City, Mo., Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1204

USA > Missouri > Platte County > Annals of Platte County, Missouri, from its exploration down to June 1, 1897; with genealogies of its noted families, and sketches of its pioneers and distinguished people > 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).

ZADOCK MARTIN.

he shouldered his rifle, called his dogs, and went game-hunting. His negroes had cabins scattered around on his lands and were ready at all hours to do him feudal service.

POST-OFFICE.

May 29, 1828 -- A post-office was established at Fort Leaven- worth, and Philip P. Rand was the first postmaster. Previously, the officers and men received their mails at Liberty.

STATEMENTS OF WOODS AND BERRY.

Adam C. Woods and James H. Berry were citizens of Clay in 1828, and frequently visited the Fort. They saw the soldiers constructing their quarters of hewed logs, and their stables of round cottonwood trees. The Cantonment afforded a market for the surplus produce of the west half of Clay. There were no Indians in Platte. A few Iowas were at Blacksnake Hills, and at Agency, in Buchanan. The best-known officers at the Fort were Maj. Riley and Cols. Sumner, Harvey, and Kearney.

THE FALLS OF PLATTE.

Mr. Geo. B. Duncan says: "I travelled the new road from Barry to Fort Leavenworth, by way of the Falls, in the autumn of 1828. The road in the timber was very rough. We crossed the Platte between the upper and the lower falls, which were about 2 perpendicular feet each, and about 200 feet apart. The interim was a gently inclined plane, formed of large flat rocks, divided into parallelograms by seams, 4 to 6 inches wide. They extended from shore to shore, and when the river was full, a sheet of water. with flume-like rapidity, descended over them. When low. the surface of the rocks was bare, and the noisy water rippled through the seams. The natural fall, before the dam was built, was about 6 feet."

1829.

FORT LEAVENWORTH, PRICES, GAME, ETC.

Mr. Duncan continues: "In the fall of 1829, Rice Davenport and my father, James Duncan, sold a lot of bacon to the quarter- master at the Fort for 12 cents per pound. I drove the team. We crossed the Missouri in a flat-boat. constructed at Liberty. and brought up the river by a steam-boat. Two yoke of oxen were first taken over, and then the wagon. Net pork, in 1829. sold for 75 cents per hundred ; horses brought $15 to $20, oxen per voke $30, and large steers $10. A purchaser of horses took a lot to Ohio. I made two trips to Ohio as a drover. After selling our horses, I returned on foot. We often visited the Platte territory. hunting deer and bees. Both were abundant. Ben Cornelis was the champion bee-hunter. He often camped on Bee Creek, and gave it its name. One fall I killed one hundred and twenty deer. There were no buffaloes on this side of the Missouri. I never saw but one elk, and that was after it was killed. Beeswax was a

BARRY.

staple. It sold for 25 cents per pound. John and William Liv- ingston had a large quantity of honey, and pressed it for the wax, throwing away the honey. They sold the wax to John Aull, of Lexington, and with the proceeds entered 80 acres of land. We had a sugar camp, but our neighbors sweetened their coffee with honey, which was called "sweetening." It sold for 10 cents per pound. Bear's meat was not sold; but when one was killed, the meat was divided among the neighbors. The first winter after our arrival in Clay we found a bear's hole, near the house. When, by strategem, we had killed it, it weighed 310 pounds. Wolves were abundant, and would have annoyed us, had we not kept dogs."

September 24, 1829-By treaty, the Delaware tribe of Indians were granted a body of land extending from the Kaw River to the Leavenworth Reserve.

BARRY.

March 9, 1829-A town and post-office are established at Barry. They were so named in honor of W. F. Barry, Postmaster- General. The enterprise of Peter H. Burnett made it a point of importance. He afterwards became the first territorial governor of California, and lately died in San Francisco.

1830. STEAMBOATS.

Prior to 1830, only an occasional steamer ventured up the dangerous Missouri. The first regular boat was the Otoe, Captain J. B. Hill. She was succeeded by the Hancock. The Globe, Cap- tain Wineland, made a trip for the Government in 1830. Boats came in the spring and summer, but never stayed over winter.

SURVEYS.

In the fall of 1830, John C. McCoy, who died at Kansas City September 2, 1889, surveyed the north line of the Delaware lands, and laid off the Reserve, on the east side of the Missouri. The south and east line of the Reserve was the old bed of Bee Creek. The original limits of the Reserve, east of the Missouri, embraced 6.000 acres-but it has been reduced to less than 1,000 acres. On the west side of the Missouri. 5,904 acres were re- served. The south line is four miles long.

INDIAN COUNCIL.

September 24, 1830-Maj. John Dougherty. agent for the Pawnees, held a council with his tribe at Fort Leavenworth.

1831.

The mails from Liberty to the Fort, at first carried weekly by horse, are now conveyed tri-weekly by hack. Robert Cain is al-

BEE CREEK.

lowed to settle at Todd's Creek, for change of horses. Subse- quently change of horses was made at the house of Wm. Fox, of Longpoint-so called because a long point of timber there ex- tended out into the prairie.

BEE CREEK.

Several crossings of Bee Creek were constructed by the soldiers, between 1828 and 1839. In the latter year a high frame bridge was built at the point where Bee Creek enters the Missouri bottom. It was erected at the joint expense of the county and the Government. This was, for many years after the settlement of the county, the approach to Weston. It was much later that the direct route from Platte City to Weston was opened.

1832.

The Mormons come to Jackson County.

Liberty Arsenal is erected this year. David Bivens did the carpenter's work, and Riley and Dykes the brick-work. The Arsenel and Robert Aull's house were the first brick buildings erected in Clay.

About 1832 the main channel of the Missouri changed from the west to the east side of Weston Island.

1833.

The Mormons, robbed and threatened by the people of Jack- son County, pass over into Clay, and thence move on to Caldwell County.

1835.

This spring Thos. Johnson and Sashel Brown, of Clay, crossed the State line into Platte and raised corn, which they sold at Fort Leavenworth.

ANNEXATION OF THE PLATTE COUNTRY.

At this time the western boundary of the State of Missouri was a north-and-south line running through the mouth of the Kansas River. The territory lying west of the State line and east of the Missouri, and traversed by the Little Platte, was known as the "Platte Country." The Iowas and the Saes and Foxes set claim to this land. Gen. Andrew Hughes was agent for these tribes, holding his headquarters at Agency, in what is now Buchanan County. By the treaty made with these tribes July 15. 1830, the Government was granted the privilege of locating other tribes temporarily on this territory. In 1832, it was offered to the Delawares, and refused by them, because there were no buffalo upon it. In 1833, the Iowas and Saes and Foxes expressed a de- sire to sell their territorial rights, on account of the encroach- ments of the whites. In 1834, by the treaty of Chicago, a part of the Pottawatomie tribe was located, temporarily, in Platte County. This called forth from Senator Linn, of Missouri, the following letter to H. Ellsworth:

SENATOR LINN'S LETTER.

"Washington, January 23, 1835.

"Sir,-It has long been desired by the people of Missouri to have annexed to the State that portion of territory lying between the western boundary of the great river Missouri, for the pur- pose of preventing the location upon it of an annoying Indian population; and for the purpose of having points to receive their supplies, and to ship their produce, within a moderate distance from their homes, upon the frontier. The location of the Potta- watomies, by the treaty of Chicago, on this territory, interposes a barrier to the attainment of these objects so important to the welfare and tranquillity of the inhabitants of the western coun- ties. Will you be so good as to furnish me your opinion of the propriety of ratifying that treaty, and the dangers of a collision between the two races, from placing the Indians between the white population and the Missouri River?

"Very respectfully, "L. F. Linn."

Mr. Ellsworth, January 27, 1835, replied favorably to Senator Linn's suggestions, and advised the rejection of the Chicago treaty, and thus prevent the occupancy of the Platte Country by the Indians. Other correspondence on this topic will be found in Gatewood's "History of Platte," pages 545-9.

GEN. HUGHES AND ANNEXATION.

In the summer of 1835, at a militia muster on Weekly Dale's farm, three miles north of Liberty, Gen. Andrew Hughes, agent of the Iowas, presented the matter of annexation to those present, and a committee consisting of D. R. Atchison, A. W. Doniphan, W. T. Wood, Peter H. Burnett, and Ed. M. Samuel, was appointed to prepare a memorial to Congress, in favor of extending the limits of the State to the Missouri, so as to embrace the Platte Country. The memorial was written by Judge Wood, and was numerously signed.

But action had already been commenced by our Legislature. In 1834 and 1835, Article 2 of the State Constitution was so amended as to embrace the Platte Country, with a proviso that it should not take effect until the assent of Congress is given. This assent was given by act of Congress, approved June 7, 1836, con- ditioned upon the extinguishment of the Indian title, and the acceptance of the terms by the State. This acceptance was given by the Legislature December 16, 1836.

FIRST SETTLERS.

In 1835 and 1836. many of the people of Clay crossed the line and made improvements in Platte. Though Senator Linn esti- mates their number at three hundred. I have been able to get only the following names: Robert and William Asher, Felix Beau- champ. Nat Boydston. William Brown, Ar. and Rob't Chance,

1835

THE POTTAWATOMIES.

Chas. Cook, Ben Cornelis, Sol Eades, Leander Jones, Jos. Porter, Eph. Gilliam, David and Jas. Rupe, H. Vance, and William Woods. An officer and posse were sent from the Fort, and with kindness they were required to leave. Several of their cabins were burned. Nat Boydston and others returned in 1836, and no notice was taken of them. But, for the convenience and safety of travelers, Rob't Cain was allowed to remain at Todd's Creek, and Joseph Todd between Fort Leavenworth and the Falls of Platte. Zadock Martin, with his servants, family, and hands, kept the two ferries; but in 1837, Rob't Cain took charge of the ferry at the Fort. Wil- liam Brown and Wilson Williams lived at the Issue House after the arrival, in 1835, of the Pottawatomies.

THE POTTAWATOMIES.

In the summer of 1835, two parties of this tribe, of several hundred each, were located, temporarily, in Platte. One party was placed in what has since been called the Pottawatomie Prairie, and the other in the bottom and hills opposite Fort Leavenworth. Rations of beef, flour, bacon, etc., were issued to them. An issue house was built some sixty yards north of the present house of B. F. Whitely, of round logs, floored with puncheons, and covered with clapboards. Thompson, Wallis & Co. had the contract to furnish the Indians with beef. John Boulware was their superintendent. I remember attending Esquire Chas. Wells' court, in this old landmark, in 1839. Jus- tice's courts, at that day, were attended by hundreds of men, and a jury was easily summoned. The Indians were here only two years. They were removed to western Iowa in the summer of 1837.

PERSONAL NOTES-JOS. TODD (iii).

Mr. Todd having been driven from the claim he selected in 1835 on Todd's Creek, which took its name from him, he applied for permission to settle on the Military Road, three miles west of the Falls. This license was granted him, and the rich body of hackberry lands is still called the Todd Settlement. His neigh- bors were Martin, at the Falls, and Boulware, Brown, and Wil- liams, at the Issue House. The Pottawatomies were around him, and the old chief, called Col. Caldwell by the whites, and known by his warriors as Socanois, pitched his wigwam in Mr. Todd's yard. He took pleasure in reciting his adventures in broken En- glish. He claimed that he was with Tecumseh at the battle of the Thames. With assumed dignity, he would say: "Before the battle, Tecumseh gave me the order: 'You go to the left, and I will go to the right. But farewell; you will never see me again.' " Socanois was straight, and about 6 feet 3 inches high. He was kind and genial, and a great favorite with Mr. Todd's family. He had some education, and read newspapers with difficulty. He was much interested in the Florida War, and did not conceal his sympathy for the Indians. Mr. Todd's post-office was at the Fort,

1835

FOX AND LEWIS.

he traded at Liberty, and did his milling at Smithville. He said that squirrels were rarely seen, but became abundant after the country was settled. There were no quails. Paroquets, with green and yellow plumage, went in flocks, screaming as they passed. Bald eagles were common, and wolves and owls made night hideous. Before removing to the west of the Falls, Mr. Todd had a sugar camp at the mouth of Todd's Creek.

LONGPOINT, BILLY FOX AND BILLY LEWIS.

Billy Fox settled half way between the Falls and Liberty. The stage there changed horses. He was a genial and compan- ionable host. William Lewis, who lived with him, was a curiosity. He was called "Laughing Billy" Lewis. His stentorian laugh would shake the hills. He would come to town, and, when merry, would commence his performance. Everything was the subject of ridicule. In a few minutes the whole town would be out. He proved the old saving true, that laughing is catching. After his loudest and merriest cachinnation, all present would join in chorus, until one would think Bedlam had been turned loose. I have heard him tell how he outwitted a steamboat captain. He had but one dollar, and had not paid his passage. The captain tapped the bell, and Lewis begged him to let him tap it again. He did so, and then burst into one of his loudest laughs. The passen- gers came forth, and were merry. The captain tried to stop the sport, but the passengers enjoyed it. Finally, Lewis offered his dollar if he would let him go on tapping the bell. The captain ac- cepted it, thinking that Lewis would soon get tired. But he was mistaken. He grew more and more hilarious, until the captain gave him back his dollar, and agreed to charge no fare for his passage.

ROBERT CAIN

Possessed all the kindness, hospitality and good nature of the typical pioneer. No kindness was ever asked of him in vain. He had nothing too good for a guest. He was true and generous to a fault. He was rich in lands and stock ; but he could not cope with the arts and frauds of civilization, and he left but little for his children.

JOHN BOULWARE

Took charge of the Issue House in 1835. It was located on his claim. He sold goods to the Indians and early settlers. He led a battalion to the Mormon War, and for years was a leader in civil and military affairs.

J. BRADLEY COX

Still lives on the old Military Road, three miles from Barry. He selected land in 1835, while living in Clay. He often visited the Fort with marketing. from the first year of its location in 1827. He was born in Virginia January 6. 1806. When he was a child

1836

THE TREATY.

his parents removed to Anderson County, Kentucky. In 1827, they came to Clay. In 1837, he settled where he yet lives. He m'd Angeline Arnold, dr. of Younger Arnold. She died in 1895. Their ch:

I. BENJ. COX, I. single. II. Mary, i'd Newt. Grooves. Ch: 1. Henry.

III. JAMES M. COX, b. Aug. 18, 1841, served as assistant as- sessor seven years, m'd December 17, 1865, Bettie Downs. dr. of John Downs of Barry. Ch:

1. Laura, m'd November 29, 1888, Jos. Couch. 2. Clay. 3. Pink.

IV. VIRGINIA COX, m'd Calvin Samuel, live in Ky.

V. HENRIETTA COX, i'd Stephen B. Williams. Ch:

1. Alice. 2. Kelsey. 3. Bradley. 4. Annie. 5. Addic.

VI. MATTIE, m'd Wm Woods, son of Adam. Ch:

1. Cooper. 2. Jesse. 3. Clifford.

VII. IRENE, m'd 1st, Wm. Wilhite, d. Ch: 1. Frank. 2. Bertie.

Irene m'd 2d, Lute Barnes. No ch.

1836. THE TREATY

For the extinguishment of the titles of the Iowas and the Sacs and Foxes was made at Fort Leavenworth September 17, 1836. It consisted of four articles :

Art. I. The tribes relinquish to the United States their rights of every nature, to all the land lying between the State line and the Missouri River, for the consideration of $7,500.

Art. II. The United States assigns to the tribes, as a reserva- tion, a strip of about 400 square miles, on the south side of the Missouri River, between the Kickapoo northern boundary and the Grand Nemaha River.

Art. III. The United States are to remove the Indians to their reservation, and to build temporary lodges, and to supply agricultural implements and stock.

Art. IV. The treaty is to take effect when ratified by the Government.

It is signed by William Clark, Superintendent of Indian Affairs ; by White Cloud and eleven Iowas, in behalf of the Iowas: and by Red Fox and fourteen others, for the Sacs and Foxes. Among the witnesses are John Dougherty, Andrew S. Hughes. and H. Roubidoux, Jr. The full text of the treaty may be found in Gatewood's "History of Platte," page 550.

PLATTE ATTACHED TO CLAY.

December 6, 1836-In advance of the settlement of the lands, Platte County, by an act of the Legislature, was attached to Clay for civil and military purposes. The law was to take effect on the ratification of the treaty. All the territory between Clay

1837

TREATY RATIFIED

and the Missouri River was attached to Clay; and all north of a line running to the Missouri from the northwest corner of Clay was attached to Clinton County. This left to Platte less than the constitutional limit of 400 miles; and hence, on the survey of Platte, the north line was extended several miles further north.

1837.

TREATY RATIFIED AND LAND SETTLED.

February 15, 1837-The Indian treaty was ratified, and im- mediately the horde of "sooners" gathered in Clay and Clinton dashed into the new territory. Jackson, Lafayette, Boone, and Howard counties sent contingents, but Virginia, Kentucky, and Tennessee sent thousands of their sturdy, intelligent, and enter- prising citizens-constituting a population equal morally and superior physically to any other people on earth. Choice claims were selected, cabins erected, clearings opened, fences built, and corn planted. The roads were crowded with emigrants. They dashed north until stopped by the Iowa line. They sought the lands densely covered with timber of the most superior quality, and at once commenced to destroy it. The lovely prairies, ready for the plow, were neglected. In the summer of 1839 I first passed through the lovely undulating meadows between Barry and the Falls, and not a house was found, except that of John Bryant; and as late as the fall of 1840 the beautiful prairies between Second Creek and Todd's Creek were in Nature's loveliness and without a tenant. But the rocky hills along the wooded streams were taken up. In 1841 I built the first house on the open prairie east of Todd's Creek. I bought a claim in what was then called the White Oak Woods, on Smith's Fork, for rail timber. At that time the forest was unbroken-the white oaks were crowded, were about twenty inches in diameter, and as straight as southern pines. I hauled to the prairie ten thousand rails. and they are there now after nearly sixty years.

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE APPOINTED.

There is very little found in the records of Clay in relation to Platte. But the county court appointed justices of the peace. as follows: William Banta, Jacob Adamson, P. S. Benton, J. R. Bonds, Michael Byrd, Henry Brooks. J. C. Bywaters, And. Camp. bell. Daniel Clary, J. B. Collier, Peter Crockett, Jas. Flannery, W'm. A. Fox. Jas. Fulkerson, J. W. Gibson, Josiah Higgins, Arch. Hill, Jas. H. Hord, Hugh McCaffrey. Matthias Masten, H. D. Oden, Robert Patton, J. B. Rogers, Jacob Smelser, J. P. Smith, John Stokes. Robert Stone, Jer. H. Spratt, S. B. Thorp, Chas. Wells.

These justices were farmers, of native intellect, and, with scarcely an exception. of unimpeachable integrity. I venture to say that we have never since had a board of justices to equal them.

1837

MARTINSVILLE.

Zadock Martin, who for nine years had had undisputed sway, set up claim to all the lands adjacent to the Falls. But the de- mand for business property, and the liberal prices offered for lots, induced him to issue permits to build houses on the hill-side, near where the African M. E. church now stands. He gave no written conveyances. In the fall of 1837 there were some 35 houses and 200 inhabitants in the town of Martinsville. I became a citizen of Martinsville in 1839, and I remember the following: Adkins, Jos .; Bonnell. W. D. (carpenter); Branham, C. C. (merchant); Brown, Milt .; Burnett Bros. (merchants) ; Cannon, Alex. E. (lawyer); Compton & Morin (merchants); Dorriss, G. P. (merchant); Faylor (hotel); Gibson, Dr. J. W .; Hope & Irwin (saddlers); Johnston, Jas. H. (postmaster and merchant); Johnston, Stephen (mer- chant); Marshall, Dr. F .; Martin, Z. and family; Martin, Ander- son; Mulligan, John and Joe (saloon); Owen, Riley (deputy sheriff); Paxton, Wm. M. (lawyer); Samuel, G. W. (merchant); Sherwood, A. B .; Spratt, W. H. (saloon); Thomas, Jas. S. (lawyer). Martinsville was a busy little town, but drinking and gam- bling were the chief employments.

PLATTE CITY MILLS.

In 1837 Martin and his sons built a substantial dam, a few yards above the falls, tore up the large flat rocks on the west side of the river, and constructed a mill with one turbine water-wheel. A pair of good stones were cut from "lost rock," found on the east of Platte, three miles northeast of Platte City. On these stones only corn was ground. But in the spring of 1838 a larger building was constructed, a pair of French buhr millstones were brought up the Missouri, bolts were put in, and a good article of flour was made. It was a better mill than that of Yankee Smith at Smith- ville; and the abundant water-power never failed. Running night and day, accommodation was afforded not only to Platte. but to numbers from Clay, Clinton, and Buchanan. Wagons from a distance would remain for a week, to secure their turns. Some brought provisions for man and team ; but parched corn was the staple. Some two to three hundred hogs were fed. In 1838 a saw-mill was added, and thenceforth good farm-houses were erected.

Zadock Martin had little use for horses. His hauling and plowing were done by oxen. His teams seldom got an ear of corn. They worked by day and grazed on native grasses and rushes by night. His cattle were of primitive breeds. Among them was a buffalo steer. He had caught it when a calf, and reared it with his cattle. His hogs were of the "wind-splitter" breed. Their fat yielded oil, and not lard.

GAME AND FOWL.

Game was never so abundant on the east of the Missouri as on the west. Buffalo and antelope were unknown; and the elk

1837

SNAKES.

was seldom seen. Until cereals were cultivated by man, no quails, and but few squirrels, turkeys, and prairie-fowl, were seen. Rabbits at an early day were scarce, because the wolves destroyed them. Bears were seldom seen. I never saw a wild bear, and have no personal evidence that there was a wild bear in Platte. Wolves seldom raised their young on this side of the Missouri. They came over in vast numbers whenever the Mis- souri was frozen. They lived on rabbits. They did little harm; but their dismal howling made the night hideous. Though their presence was unknown to the sleeping family, the morning dis- closed their tracks at their very door. Gophers cast up their little hills in all the wet prairies. Deer had been abundant; but. after the country was settled, they were seldom seen. In the prairies west of the Clay line there were what were called "deer- licks." They were bare places in the prairie, visited by deer to lick the soil for salt. The hunter erected three poles, twenty feet high, and on the top laid a platform. Here the huntsman lay awaiting his victim, and assassinated the unwary animal. But the invasion of man was followed by the exodus of the deer. In winter the prairie-fowl were too abundant, and did damage to the standing corn. An occasional prairie-hen remained over summer and reared her young. I have found their nests. Otters, minks, beavers, and musk-rats were found in the Platte and are not yet extinct. Paroquets were here still in 1839. A beautiful flock made their home at the Falls. They were not disturbed, but in circles they flew, like pigeons, screaming in their course.

SNAKES.

The rattlesnake was found in timber and prairie. Cattle and horses sometimes suffered from their bites; but I have never known a man fatally poisoned by them. Blacksnakes were more domestic. Pardon me if I relate

AN ADVENTURE WITH BLACKSNAKES.

In October, 1839, I bought the claim owned now by Jesse Collins, one mile southwest of Martinsville, and, to secure a pre- emption, made the cabin thereon my home. The cabin was of round logs, pointed on the outside with mud, and the cracks covered within with clapboards. My bed was four poles on tres- sels, covered with hazel brush. This I placed against the wall, blew out my candle, and went to bed. But I could not sleep, be- cause of a noise of something rubbing behind the clapboards at my side. Expecting to dislodge rats, I re-lit my candle, and, with a pole, prized off a board. Two large blacksnakes, wrapped in close embrace, fell into my bed. These I dispatched with the pole, crushed their heads, and cast out of the cabin. I then pro- vided myself with an axe., and prized off another board. Two other large blacksnakes fell, which I cut in pieces, and cast out. I then removed my cot into the middle of the puncheon floor, and slept until morning. But the two snakes whose heads I had

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Annals of Platte County, Missouri, from its exploration down to June 1, 1897; with genealogies of its noted families, and sketches of its pioneers and distinguished people, Part 2

Author: Paxton, W. M. (William McClung), 1819- Publication date: 1897 Publisher: Kansas City, Mo., Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1204

Author: Paxton, W. M. (William McClung), 1819-
Publication date: 1897
Publisher: Kansas City, Mo., Hudson-Kimberly Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1204