USA > Missouri > Linn County > Compendium of history and biography of Linn County, Missouri > Part 3
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From the time that Missouri was admitted to statehood dates its real development. The congested centers of the East began pouring their adventurous population into the new state. The men who first came were empire builders. They looked into the future and determined that their work should be a part of it.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
In the early part of the last century the section this side of the Mississippi was the far-west. It was almost undiscovered. Save for the tales of hardy hunters and trappers it was unknown.
When Missouri was admitted as a territory on June 14, 1812, Napoleon was still the great figure of the Eastern Hemisphere. Nine years later, on August 10, 1821, when it was admitted as a state, his sun had set to rise no more. Tranquility in Europe brought prosperity to American shores. The Atlantic seaboard developed rapidly and enter- prise pushed westward. The choice spirits of Virginia, Kentucky and other states came by thousands into the new state of the Great Missis- sippi Valley. These pioneers, writing home to their friends, told of the magnificent streams and forests surpassing anything in their native states. Thus others were induced to come and the tide of immigration steadily increased. At first the settlements were mostly along the streams, but new lands were constantly taken up and the population spread in all direction. After a decade of trial the settlers were satis- fied with their holdings. The land was good, the climate healthy and the friends they had made in the new state were as true and loyal as those they had left about the old homestead.
Of course they found many difficulties and dangers, but they reckoned with these when they left home and were prepared for them. There were Indians and wild animals in the forests; the streams had not been bridged and the crossings were hazardous. Men out hunting would sometimes be separated from their families for weeks, because of a sudden rise of the water.
In some parts of Missouri the Kentuckians made the land look homelike by importing blue grass seed from their native state. Before many years northern Missouri became as great a blue grass country as Kentucky ever was.
"The Locust Creek Country" was the name given to a broad and fertile stretch of land tributary to that stream. The settlers of Howard and Chariton counties frequented the Locust Creek Country to hunt and fish. James Pendleton and Joseph Newton, who lived near Fayette, were among the first white men to visit this region for that purpose. They were so charmed with it that they decided to pick out a location and remain here permanently. They came in the fall of 1831, erecting their log cabin and filing claim to Section 14, Township 58, Range 21, now the southwest corner of Locust Creek Township. Having properly established their location the two hunters went back to Howard county for their families and returned with them in the following spring. These were the first white settlers in Linn county.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
The family of William Bowyer was the next to come from Howard county. Mr. Bowyer and his brother Jesse were among the Howard county hunters who had visited the Locust Creek Country and liked it so well that they decided to make it their permanent home. That was in January, 1832, five years before the county was organized. The Bowyers made their first camp on Section 2, about a mile and a half west of Linneus. There was a good spring within easy reach, always an advantage of much value to the pioneer. A substantial log cabin was built and the Bowyers put their shoulders to the wheel of development of the country. William Bowyer's family consisted of his wife, Martha, two small children, a young slave girl, Ann, by name, and Mrs. Bow- yer's brother, Lewis Tyre. Jesse Bowyer, having assisted in getting William located in the Locust Creek Country, went back into Howard county after his own family. William accompanied him. It was in the winter time and while they were away there was a heavy snow fall. This snow melted rapidly and Locust Creek, along with all the other. streams of that country, were soon running bank full and overflowing. There were no bridges or ferry; the country was practically a wilder- ness, and the Bowyers were not able, because of the swollen streams, to reach the home of William for several weeks. Mrs. Martha Bowyer. with the characteristic intrepidity of the pioneer woman, encouraged her little flock and told them that all would be well. They were in a land remote, its terrors of field and forest entirely unknown, but this brave mother's spirit was equal to the emergency, and when her hus- band and his brother returned the family was found in good shape, but mighty anxious to see them. While the men were away the Indians were frequently about the Bowyer camp, but they were good Indians and molested no one.
Later on, however, a party of Indians came down from Iowa and when they visited the Bowyer settlement they saw the negro girl, Ann, who was as lively as she was black, and they became so much interested in her that they tried to make a deal with the Bowyers' to let them have her. Ann cut up high jinks when she found the warriors wanted her, and nearly raised the roof off the house by her lamentations. The Indians supposed that she would be tickled to death to become the bride of some noble warrior, and were much puzzled over her actions, but when they understood what was bothering Ann they ceased to impor- tune for her.
The frequent proximity of the Indians was occasioned by their visits to a village they had on a 40-acre mound a few miles southwest of Linneus. Here they held their pow-wows and went through their
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
dances, which would have been of great interest to the settlers had they been numerous enough to hold their own in the event of an uprising. But in those days the white families were very careful not to become too intimate with the Indians, or to observe their peculiar forms of wor- ship too closely, lest some little inadvertence might start trouble.
William and Jesse Bowyer at once set about constructing log cabins and clearing away the timber. Two of the cabins, built in a workman- like manner, of round logs, were finished and occupied March 1, 1832. Then the brothers devoted their time to preparing the land for farm- ing. They had at that time all out-doors to work in, and no likelihood of any controversies with neighbors over division fences and dividing lines.
In 1832 Silas and Peter Fore came to Section 29, Township 59, Range 20, some two miles northeast of Linneus, and located. The act of the legislature organizing Linn county honored Silas Fore by choos- ing his house for the seat of the county government. Among the other parties who soon settled in the neighborhood were Judge James A. Clark, Thomas Russell, John J. Flood, Dr. Nathaniel Dryden and David Curtis. A year later John Yount came from Cole county, Missouri, and located on Section 11, Township 58, Range 21. The above list com- prises the settlers in Linn county on February 24, 1833.
An incident something like that which occurred in William Bow- yer's family over the little negress, Ann, took place at James Pendle- ton's home shortly afterwards. The Pendletons had a little son, Will- iam D., of whom they were intensely fond. A troop of Indians came along one day, the chief carrying a female papoose which he offered to trade even for little William. Mr. Pendleton studied the matter a while and then shook his head; the Indian chief, as the red man's habit was in barter, then added a bundle of deer-skins to the papoose; still no trade being made, he had his bucks fetch out a lot of wild honey and some turkeys, and even went so far as to promise the boy's father that he would make William a great and illustrious chief, one who should reflect glory upon his father's name. Mr. Pendleton appeared to be very much struck by these honors, and the Indian chief looked eagerly for a consummation of the trade, but at last Mr. Pendleton, with appar- ent reluctance, declined the offer. The Indian didn't get mad over it; he just concluded that his pile hadn't been tall enough to reach Mr. Pendleton's price and he departed without further ado.
By the spring of 1834 the settlers in the Locust Creek Country had increased considerably. The Black Hawk War was over and the white men who had been serving in it returned to their claims.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
Then came Col. John ("Jack") Holland, the founder of Linneus, the county seat. Holland's cabin was built within the present city limits of Linneus. John Yount and David Curtis were the constructors. James F. Pendleton, George Cason, John Kemper and son, Enoch and Luke Patrick returned in the spring of 1835. William Pendleton started for the same section, but met with an accident resulting in his death. When near the crossing of Yellow Creek, close to the fork, where there is a good bridge now, one of the teams stalled and he took hold of the wheel in an effort to lift it out of the mire. With the application of his full strength came instant death. Apoplexy or heart disease was ascribed as the cause. His was the first death in Linn county.
It was during these days that the pioneer lived on the fat of the land. The finest game was plentiful, and to those hardy hunters who loved a little excitement plenty was furnished by the bears and panthers that were fairly numerous throughout the Locust Creek Country.
The wolves were troublesome. There were three varieties, the black, the gray and the coyote or prairie wolf. The latter was the same sort of animal that Mark Twain encountered on the western plains in the 60s, and which he described so entertainingly in his story of the west, "Roughing It." Sheep and hogs had to be carefully guarded, and even then many were lost through the rapacity of these long, cun- ning animals of the forest.
There were no trading points nearer than Brunswick-on-the-Mis- souri and Keytesville, the county seat of Chariton county. A mill was at Keytesville, a circumstance which gave that town much prestige. The settlers from a wide stretch of country patronized the mill there, and got their supplies. It frequently happened, in a busy season, that the mill would get far behind and the farmers would have to wait their turn for days and sometimes weeks. It was the business of the head miller to see to it that each man was accommodated in the order of his arrival, and his wagon or sacks were marked so as to indicate his turn. While waiting the settlers would fish, hunt, pitch horse-shoes and talk politics. When a newspaper or a publication of any kind was brought in it was a Godsend to the waiting patrons, and would be discussed eagerly. Sometimes information several months old was fresh news in the back- woods of Missouri.
In times of urgency the mill would run day and night to supply the demand.
The records show that Linneus was built on land that was a gift from Jack Holland and wife, the first settlers there, it being understood that the town was to be the permanent county seat.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
During the evnts above noted the Locust Creek Country was tribu- tary to Chariton county, but as it filled up rapidly the population soon became large enough to justify an organization of its own. So in the winter of 1836-37 a bill was passed by the legislature establishing Linn county, the boundary of which may be found further along in this sketch. This bill was approved by the governor, Daniel Dunklin, January 6, 1837. The act of organization included also the counties of Livingston, Macon and Taney.
From the date of the organization Linn county developed rapidly. People began coming in from other parts of Missouri and also from other states. The fame of the Locust Creek Country as a rich agricul- tural section, fine hunting ground and its delightful climate spread far and wide.
The first mechanical enterprise was a horse-mill put up by William and Jesse Bowyer, on the east side of Locust Creek. That mill did most of the work that had been going to Keytesville. It was erected three years before the organization of the county and it was operated success- fully for many years thereafter. The population had grown to such proportions that soon after the county was organized Botts' mill began grinding on Parson Creek, 59-22, and Maddox and Rooker put up a mill on Yellow Creek, 58-18. In 1840 Seth Botts and William Bowyer constructed a water mill on Locust Creek, 31% miles from Linneus. This old mill was not quite completed when Mr. Bowyer sold his interest to Thomas Botts, a brother of Seth. The Botts brothers completed the mill and operated it for many years. Linn county was thus equipped to do the grinding not only for its own people but for those of the adjoining settlements. There was not much money passed in those days, the miller being paid a certain percentage of the grain for his labor. The way he got his ready cash generally was by feeding corn thus paid him to hogs, and selling the hogs to buyers.
The water-mill, crude as its construction was, filled an important place in meeting the needs of the pioneer. It was a sort of community headquarters where the people met to exchange news and information. If the Indians were becoming troublesome in a certain locality upstate, there would be some patron at the mill who would apprise the pioneers there of the matter and thus enable them to make preparations. Then there was always somebody who had with him a fairly late paper, which he would read to the crowd. The first mills were used only in the grind- ing of the corn, but later on they were improved so as to make flour of a fairly good quality, and saws were attached to cut the lumber. Near the mill was generally a good blacksmith, a skillful man who did many
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
kinds of iron work. These two industries, milling and blacksmithing, were the forerunners of the great industrial development Missouri was destined to see.
Among the settlers who came in after Linn county was organized the following are noted : James A. Clark, 19-59-20; Augustus W. Flour- ney, Section 31; Jeremiah Phillips, Section 36-59-21 ; John J. Flood, Sec- tion 19-59-20; James Howell, Clay Township; Robert Warren, Jack- son Township; David Mullins, Rock Creek; Meredith Brown, Parson Creek; Abraham Benable, Benton Township; Irvin and John M. Ogan, Clay Township; the Ashbrooks, Grantville; Mordecai Lane, Yellow Creek. John Cherry, John Kemper and Chas. A. Fore and Robert C. Combs came to Linn county along about this time. Almost every day new people were coming in and the county soon became so thickly pop- ulated that the settlers were strong enough to resist any possible attack of the Indians. At that time the shadow of the red man had almost passed from Missouri. He left, however, many interesting evidences of his occupation. There were camps along the creeks and numerous mounds where the dead were buried and where oftentimes the archae- ologist can find most interesting specimens of Indian handicraft. These consist of battle-axes, pipes, arrow-heads and now and then pieces of pottery.
Professor Rover, who came from Howard county, taught the first school, in 1837, on 24-58-21. He had from 18 to 20 pupils, among whom were the following: James and Elizabeth Beckett, James and Robert Tisdale, James, Kenneth and Martha Newton, James M. Prailie, Re- becca Pendleton and the children of David Mullins. R. W. Foster con- ducted a school one winter northwest of Professor Rover's school. Mr. Foster afterwards became county surveyor and county agent for Linn county. Allen Gillispie taught the first school at Linneus.
The Rev. Mr. Wilhite, Baptist, was one of the early ministers to the settlers. There being no church buildings, he held meetings in groves in good weather and in the settlers' cabins when it was inclement. The Rev. John Baker was another of the early preachers operating in the Locust Creek Country. He was a Primitive Baptist.
The first recorded wedding was that of Henry Cherry, son of John Cherry, and Miss Susan Kemper, daughter of Enoch Kemper, which occurred in 1838. Mr. Kemper for a long time held the position of county clerk. His death occurred while occupying that office.
It will be noted that, a while back, the death of William Pendleton was spoken of as the first to have occurred in the county. The old records also speak of the demise of James Copeland as being the first.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
At any rate, both died in the same year, 1834. Copeland lived on Locust Creek, just west of Linneus. The next recorded death was that of Jubal Hurt. The administration of Hurt's estate, in 1838, is among the first recorded.
Mr. Webber, a widower, died in 1839, and his remains were buried at Linneus. In December of the same year John D. Grant, who sur- veyed Linneus and conducted the first sale of town-lots, died. Robert W. Foster, the school teacher referred to above, was appointed surveyor to fill Mr. Grant's place.
In 1834 a physician came all the way from Keytesville to see a brother of John Yount, who was here. Among the early physicians to move to Linn county were Drs. N. J. Dryden and Isaac Ralph. For many years they were the only resident physicians, and their practice required them to travel over a wide stretch of country, because phy- sicians were few and far between. Oftentimes the Linn county pioneer doctors would have calls that took them clear up to the Iowa line.
The Rev. Jesse Goins was a Baptist minister who quite lived up to his name. He traveled through Linn, Livingston, Grundy and Sullivan counties, preaching at the various settlements. He was always a most welcome guest at all of them. His home was in Linn county. Another early-day minister, also a Baptist, was the Rev. A. F. Martin, whose duty called him from settlement to settlement just as it did the Rev. Mr. Goins. Hard on the heels of the Baptist preachers came the Meth- odist circuit riders, who worked shoulder to shoulder in advancing the cause of the Master among the settlers.
Linn county, as has been indicated before, was settled largely by Kentuckians. Many had come from that state years before and settled first in Howard, Chariton and Boone counties, but later moved into the Locust Creek Country because of certain material advantages there. There was a strong settlement up on Parson Creek, Jackson Town- ship, in 1838. Benton, the territory now included within the boundary of Baker and Yellow Creek Townships, began to settle rapidly also about this time, and on up to 1840 and beyond. By 1840 Linn county had become well established. Its population, numbering 2,245, was dis- tributed in the various townships with fair regularity.
CHAPTER III
The Settlers' Markets-Story of a Famous State Highway-Route of the Gold Seekers-Troublous Times in High Water-Thrilling Rescue at a Mill Dam-Freighting to Hannibal-The Brawny Stage Driver-Low Prices for Country Produce-"Wild Cat" Currency -Curious Legal Tender-Origin of the "Bit"-Lax Methods of Banking-A Cattleman's Bible-Deer Hams, 25 Cents Each-The Pioneer's Wife.
In the 40s the principal markets were Brunswick, Keytesville, Boonville and Glasgow Landing. There were regular trails, well known to the settlers, leading to all these towns. In the course of a few years, however, regular state roads were established across the state from Hannibal to St. Joseph, and upstate from the Missouri river towns to points north. Right here Col. George W. Martin's description of one of these old state highways will be of interest:
"One of the oldest landmarks in this part of Missouri is the old Bloomington road, also known as the old state road. This road began in the eastern part of north Missouri, running west through Blooming- ton, at that time the county seat of Macon county, from which it received its name, entering Linn county about two miles north of Bucklin, con- tinuing west and passing north of Brookfield, near Linn Center school house.
"It didn't run on section lines as the roads now run, but ran as the crow flies. Passing through Linneus and a mile west of that place it forked, the right branch going through Trenton. The highway was the main thoroughfare through north Missouri long before and after the Hannibal and St. Joe railroad was built and has a history not well known to the younger generation or to those who have immigrated hither since the country has been fenced up and the roads put on the section lines.
"Over this old-time highway the early gold seekers traveled in ox wagons with their little earthly belongings, going to California and Oregon. They were called forty-niners, as that was the year of the great western immigration. Later, about 1858-59, the Pike's Peak gold hunters traveled this same route.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
"The road was vastly more important than Davy Crockett's turn- pike road, which former Senator Warner frequently mentioned by way of illustration in his speeches. He said: 'It began like other turnpike roads should and ran along until it merged into a wagon road and from a wagon road it dwindled into a bridle path, then into a squirrel track and up a tree.'
"But the Bloomington road was to the north Missourians what the Appian way was to the old Romans, and since the Appian way can still be traced after 2,000 years have intervened, the old Bloomington road is still visible here and there where it once passed through a farm or neighborhood. As many as 25 covered wagons have been counted in one day from a given point, all bound for California. It crossed the Missouri river at St. Joseph, where it divided into the old Santa Fe trail and other branches known as the California and Oregon trail.
"In the spring of 1858 the emigrants experienced many difficulties on account of the high water. Locust Creek was out of its banks more or less all summer. The bridges were gone and the movers had to be taken across the streams on rafts and in skiffs. This was at the old water mill due west of Linneus, belonging to J. P. Withrow at that time. One day, while there was a family crossing the creek, which was bank full, the raft broke loose from the rope which it was being pulled over by, floated down the swift stream with a boy on the raft and was near- ing the mill dam, over which it soon would have dashed the young man into the churning waters below. The man who was ferrying them over the swollen stream saw the young man's perilous condition, jumped into a skiff that was tied to the bank, cut the rope and rowed with all his might after the floating raft. When he got as close to the dam as he dared to go he told the boy to jump, which he did and landed safely in the skiff, but none too soon, as the raft went over the mill dam as he left it.
"The man who rescued the youth from the watery grave was Enoch Kemper, familiarly known as 'Dick' Kemper, a well known pioneer citizen of that neighborhood.
"The farmers used to drive their cattle and hogs over this road to Hannibal, which was a gateway to eastern markets. From Hannibal they were loaded on steamboats and shipped to Cincinnati, as that was the great pork market of that day. Chicago hadn't gained its great im- portance as a meat market then.
"There was but little road work done in those days, yet the road was always in good condition to travel until you came to a creek. Bridges were few and there was more or less hazard in crossing.
THE WITHROW MILL ON LOCUST CREEK
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
"Dry goods, together with a rather liberal supply of 'wet goods,' groceries, and all other kinds of merchandise, were transported from Hannibal to Bloomington, Linneus and other points further west and northwest with ox teams, the freighters camping by the wayside wher- ever night overtook them and where wood and water were in evidence.
"James A. Moore, of Brookfield, president of the Moore bank and one of the largest land holders in Linn connty, then quite a young man, was for a time engaged in the freighting business and says it took about three and one half days to drive with unloaded wagons from Linneus to Hannibal and about eight or nine days for the return journey.
"A regular stage service, the western terminus of which was St. Joseph, was conducted over this old road. It is one of the traditions told by old-time citizens of Linneus that many of the stage drivers were rather of the wild and woolly variety and that Robert Combs, father of the late Joseph Combs, who was a giant in strength, frequently found it necessary in the interests of peace and good order to give an occa- sional stage driver a downright good basting, which was usually con- sidered by the punished individual in the light of proper and necessary discipline-a part of the business of a stage driver-and never treas- ured up in the way of anger or of a vindictive spirit against Uncle Bob, as they and others called him.
"With the completion of the Hannibal and St. Joseph road the day of the big freight wagons and the patient ox teams and of the stage coach on the old Bloomington road passed away. Instead of the long blast of the horn from the stage box, awakening the people with its silvery notes, a slick young fellow now passes through the cars and yells something like 'Katzenjammerville !' By both methods the traveler understood he was getting somewhere."
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