USA > Missouri > Shelby County > General history of Shelby County, Missouri > Part 2
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As far as statistics bear witness, there were no permanent settlements until or previous to the year 1830. In 1831, log cabin days opened up in this country. A Mr. Norton crossed over from Monroe county in the spring of that year and built a eabin on Black creek, right on the bluff (section 33-57-9). In com- pany with a hireling he brought a drove of hogs to feed on the wild mast, which thrived luxuriantly in that early day. He left the attendant to care for the
swine and he returned. His name can- not be learned, but it is probable that he had such a lovely time he forgot his name, if he ever had one. Close by his eabin he had a large hog-pen in which he had to shelter his stock at night to keep it from the wolves, which were in large numbers and very treacherous, sometimes attacking stock by day as well as night ; so the keeper also had to keep a close wateh by day. He remained a year, and his eabin was later used by David Smallwood.
In the fall of 1831, Maj. Obadiah Dickerson came over from Marion county and built a cabin on the north side of Salt river (about the center of seetion 17-57-10), near where the present road from Shelbina to Shelby- ville crosses that stream. The year following he returned and brought his family to his new home. It is a popular opinion of statistics as they can be gath- ered that Mr. Dickerson was the first bona fide white settler of Shelby county.
Jolin Thomas was another early settler of the county-the latter days of 1831 or the early spring of 1832, on a elaim on Clear creek, where afterwards Miller's mill was built (section 18-58-9). Old Jack Thomas, as he was familiarly known, used to say that he was the first settler of Shelby county "that far up," meaning north, and that his house was the pieket post of civilization when it was first built. A few hunters straggled along after Jack Thomas, but they prob- ably were not permanent settlers, as nothing definite can be learned of them. In the fall of 1832 a cabin was built by Russell Moss (seetion 28-57-9) three miles northwest of Hunnewell. He eame from Monroe county and moved his
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
family from that locality in 1833. The Mosses were Kentuckians, and Mr. Moss was well versed in pioneer history and was of assistance to history writers.
SETTLERS OF 1833.
ยท Henry Saunders came to Shelby in the early spring of 1833 and settled one-half mile northeast of Lakenan (on section 6-56-9), and to the south of him his brothers, Albert and Addison, settled.
Samuel Buckner came in early spring and settled a mile and one-half north of Lakenan, west of Salt river (section 31-57-9). Mr. Bnekner was a bachelor of a well-known Buckner family of Ken- tueky, and controlled a munber of slaves. He was a man of education and intel- lectnal qualifications, generons and hospitable, but morally dissolute.
Hon. William J. Holliday came to Shelby in May, 1833. He settled on Black creek, on the southwest (sec- tion 6-57-9). In the year 1876, Mr. Holliday wrote a series of interesting and valuable sketches of the early set- tlers which were published in the Shelby- ville Herald. The sketches were very valuable, and reliable information was gained therefrom for the history of Shelby county. The sketches only went up to the Civil war, but as Mr. Holliday was a gentleman of intellectual attain- ment, and his mind elear and memory keen, his work was considered authentic and invaluable. According to Mr. Holli- day there were, to the spring of 1833, only twenty-six families living within the present limits of Shelby county, and these for the most part were located in the neighborhood of Oak Dale, in the southeastern part of the county, in the present Jackson township.
Others settled as follows: Thomas Hohan lived on section 17, two miles south of Oak Dale; Russell W. Moss and Robert Duncan were still farther sonth, section 28; William B. Broughton was on section 5 and his home was called Oak Dale; George Parker was on the north- west quarter of section S, on Douglas's branch, and near by on the same section was Abraham Vandiver; Thomas T. Clements had built a cabin on the south part of section 21, near the present Hardy's school-house, four miles south- east of Oak Dale; Cyrus A. Saunders lived on section 9, nearly two miles southeast of Oak Dale; Levi Dyer lived on congress lands, west of Black creek, in this township and range.
Then west of Oak Dale and nearly sonth of Shelbyville lived the following, in congressional township 57, range 10: Angus MeDonald Holliday, located two miles west of Oak Dale, on Black ereek (section 1); Thomas H. Bounds built a cabin on the west bank of Salt river, at the month of a creek and near a fine spring (northeast corner cast one-half, section 23), about three and one-half miles northeast of the present site of Shelbina; and Samnel Balls lived near Angus MeDonald Holliday, five miles southeast of Shelbyville, in the northeast corner (section 1).
John Eaton and George Eaton located north of Salt river, east of the road from Shelbina to Shelbyville, on seetion 9. West of the Eatons a mile or two lived George and James Anderson, north of Salt river (section 8); on the north of Salt river, on the first farm north of "long bridge," on the Shelbina-Shelby- ville road (section 17), was Maj. Obadiah Dickerson's cabin home. A little farther
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
np the river on the same side, north of the present site of Walkersville, lived Peter Roff and Nicholas Watkins, on section 7. South of Watkins, nearer Walkersville, and on section 18 lived "King" Eaton (E. K. Eaton). South of Eaton lived James Blackford, on sec- tion 19. James Swartz lived about six miles northeast of Shelbyville, on North river, below where the road crosses the stream (section 12-58-10).
Elijah Pepper lived about five miles west of Shelbyville. John Thomas lived north of Oak Dale, on Clear creek (sec- tion 18). On this site Miller's mill was later built. Hon. William Holliday said in 1876 only six of these pioneer settlers were living: James Anderson, James Blackford, Nicholas Watkins, George Eaton, Cyrus H. Saunders, and W. H. Holliday.
CHOLERA EPIDEMICS.
Everyone who has heard of the pio- neer days of Shelby county connects the year of 1833 with the cholera epidemic which ravaged the country, and tlie early settlers were poorly provided to cope with so destructive a disease. It broke out June 3, 1833, at Palmyra, Mo., which was then a town of some six hundred inhabitants, and 105 persons died from the fatal malady. Palmyra was closely connected with Shelby at this time, and many fled to the rural districts for safety. Young William P. Matson, a stepson of Maj. Obadiah Dickerson, was in Palmyra when the cholera broke ont. He started for the country, and when he reached the home of Angus McDonald Holliday on Black creek he found the stream was so high he could not ford it,
and here he remained for the night, dur- ing which he was taken violently ill and died in great agony on the following morning. At his burial, his host, Mr. Holliday, was taken violently ill and died on the following morning. The country was in a restless condition for some weeks.
News of the fatalities of the infected districts was spread abroad, and fugi- tives from these districts songht refuge with their friends. There was no effort to quarantine against nor expel those in their midst.
Fortunately, there were no other deaths, and by the middle of July the dread disease had disappeared. But the death of William P. Matson, June, 1833, was the first death on record in Shelby county. The country was new and things were yet in a disorganized state, but there remains no authenticated record previous.
A SURVEYING PARTY.
R. T. Holliday, a United States deputy surveyor, began a survey for the govern- ment in August, 1833, of ranges 11, 12 and 13, the districts to the west of where the principal settlements had been made. It began at the southeast corner of sec- tion 36-59-11. They surveyed and sectionized the ranges northward abont sixty miles, to township 68, completing the work in the winter of 1834-35. Soon this new district commenced to fill up and improve. Addison Lair tells the story that it was during this survey, while they were at work on range 10, there occurred the famous "star shower" of November, 1833, and so frightened were they that all stopped work.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
THE FIRST ELECTION.
The first election ever held within what later was Shelby county was held in August, 1834. At this election Maj. Obadiah Dickerson and S. W. B. Carnegy were elected to the legislature, defeating the two Johns-John McAfee and John Anderson. In May of the same year Shelby county and some additional terri- tory was formed by the county court of Marion county into Black Creek town- ship, and it was, of course, a big com- pliment to have one of her citizens elected to this exalted position so soon after her creation. Major Dickerson was a well-informed man and a man of wide acquaintance in his day. He was the real founder of the city of Palmyra, Mo., and was the town's first postmaster and one of the county-seat commissioners. In regard to the major's career as postmaster of Palmyra, an early history of Marion county contains the following interesting story :
"The town (Palmyra) grew rather rapidly and in 1820 had 150 inhabitants. Those interested made efforts to increase the number of settlers, and in 1821 the first postoffice was established, the mail coming, when it did come, from St. Louis, on horseback, by way of New London.
" Maj. Obadiah Dickerson was the first postmaster. He kept the office in his hat a great portion of the time. Being fre- quently absent from home, in the woods hunting. or attending some publie gath- ering of the settlers, the few letters constituting 'the mail' were deposited under the lining of his huge bell-crown hat, often made a receptacle for papers, documents, handkerchiefs, etc., by gentle- men of the older times. Asked why he
carried the office about with him in this way, the old major replied: . So that if I meet a man who has a letter belonging to him I can give it to him, sir! I meet more men when I travel about than come to the office when I stay at home.'"
On one occasion a man from a frontier settlement came to Palmyra for the mail for himself and neighbors. Both post- office and postmaster were away from home. Going in pursuit, as it were, he found them over on North river. Major Dickerson looked over the contents of his office, selected half a dozen letters for the settler and his neighbors, and then, handing him two more, said: "Take these along with you and see if they belong to anyone out in your settlement. They have been here two weeks and no owner has called for them yet. I don't know any such men, and I don't want to be bothered with them any longer."
As the mail at the Palmyra postoffice increased, the major petitioned the de- partment for a new and larger hat. In 1829, on account of the accession of General Jackson to the presidency, Major Dickerson, who was an Adams inan, was removed, and Maj. Benjamin Means was appointed postmaster at Palmyra.
THE FIRST PERMANENT SETTLER.
It is claimed by some, and perhaps is true, that Maj. Obadiah Dickerson was the first permanent settler in the terri- tory afterwards organized into Shelby county. He settled in 1830 in sections 16 and 17, township 57, range 10, northeast of Walkersville, on the north side of Salt river. As stated before, he came from Palmyra, Marion county, which village he founded about ten years pre-
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
vious to his settlement in Shelby. He week, and on that day the settlers met originally came from Kentucky and ar- for social intercourse as well as busi- ness. The first store and the first post- office was a great step in their onward stride, in the life of these pioneer heroes, and many a long fifty-mile drive did it save them, so meager was their equip- ment for travel. rived in Missouri about 1816 or 1817, landing at Louisiana, Pike county, Mis- souri. He assisted in the organization of Pike county and also the city of Louisiana. In April, 1819, the first cir- cuit court ever held in Pike was held in the Major's residence. Mrs. Dickerson died here in 1820 and the Major moved on north and westward to Palmyra. Here he resided until 1830, at which time he moved over into the territory of Shelby. He was a member of the Missouri legislature in 1835 and assisted in the organization of the county.
A POSTOFFICE AND STORE INSTALLED.
It was during the cholera epidemic at Palmyra the supply and postoffice for the new dstrict were ent off, and out of this experience the settlers realized a need of conveniences nearer at hand. These settlers had to go to Pahnyra for gro- ceries, mail, and all the necessaries of life,-a distance of twenty-five miles and return. Breadstuffs were ground at Gatewood's and Massie's mills, a little north and west of Palmyra. During the winter of 1833-34, William B. Broughton brought on a small stock of general mer- chandise and opened a store in his house. His stock, though small, contained the necessaries of primitive life. That winter he secured a numerously signed petition asking for the establishment of a post- office. This petition was graciously re- ceived at Washington and an office estab- lished at Mr. Broughton's residence and called Oak Dale, the name that pioneer town bears to this day. This was the first postoffice in the county, and Mr. Broughton was the first postmaster. Mails came in from Palmyra once a
His everyday life in the wilds of the new country to which he had come to make himself rich was such a monoto- nous round from day to day that indeed he had little to communicate to his friends of the South and East. Postage was very high, and if the early settlers received or sent two or three letters per family in a year they were indeed to be congratulated. Their usnal way of send- ing or receiving tidings from their friends, and the news of the great world, from which they seemed almost entirely remote, was nsnally by the settler who journeyed back to his old home or by the mouth of the stranger coming in. His wants were few, and were, generally speaking, supplied by his rod and his gun, the latter being his indispensable weapon of defense.
SHELBY COUNTY FORMED AND ORGANIZED, AND SOME EVENTS WHICH FOLLOWED.
During 1833-34 immigration came on rapidly. The inconvenience of being so remote from the county seat, Palmyra, and a hope of inducing a more rapid settlement, prompted the pioneers to take steps necessary to organize their settlements into a new county, which was done in 1835 (see early history).
The year 1835 was as deeply impressed on the minds of the pioneer settlers as the "cold year" as for the year of county organization. The winter was a long one
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
and uncommonly severe. The new set- tlers were little prepared for extreme weather, and suffering was common throughout the newly settled districts. During February happened the day long designated as "cold Friday." The spring was late, cold and wet. Abont the 12th or 13th of May came a heavy freeze, freezing the ground to the depth of two feet. Buds on the fruit trees and bushes were swollen and all killed. Even some of the young forest trees were killed. Crops were resown and late.
The cold spring was followed later on by an early, cold fall. September 16th there was a heavy frost and freeze, damaging the late eorn, vegetables and fruits. Much sickness followed, and it seemed the life of the early settler was a continnous hardship.
The summer of 1835, cholera again broke ont in Palmyra. A panic ensued among its inhabitants, and many fled to this county for safety. Some of the fugitives built extemporaneous cabins along the streams or near the springs, and eamped until all danger had passed. Though the settlers were held continu- ously in dread of the dire disease, there were no eases in this county.
Except during the "off" year, erops were miraculous during pioneer days, thus inviting immigration. Mr. Holliday said wheat was certain and would some- times yield fifty bushels per aere. Corn and oats were good return, while hemp was a good and valuable erop. No grain inseet molested the country until after the year 1840, and then insects made their appearance by degrees. All kinds of stock flourished well, grazing in the open until June, when the overgrowth would cover up the young, fresh grass;
but the settlers would burn off a large tract and the stoek for miles around would congregate and feed on the fresh, tender blades, which made quick growth. It was the best way to keep the cattle corralled in the early days. Cattle died in large numbers from bloody murrain.
Mr. Holliday says in the early days there were no oats, clover nor bluegrass, and neither were there any pokeweed, pursley nor jimson weed. Neither were there any fruit trees except in the wild state, but every immigrant brought on his supply.
July 4, 1836, was a memorable date as the first glorious Fourth in our county. About two hundred persons met at the spring on Clear creek, five miles east and a little north of Shelbyville (see- tion 18-58-9), where Miller's mill was built and located a short distance west of M. Dimmitt's rabbit farm. A grand barbecue and free dinner was served, and a patriotie good time was the order of the day. The occasion was pronounced a success.
The following year, 1837, the Fourth was celebrated south of Shelbyville, on the banks of Salt river, at Carnegy's spring; and so the glorious Fourth became an established celebration in Shelby county. However, at this cele- bration some of the more hilarious visited some of Shelbyville's groceries, which at this early day had learned to sell "fiery water," and a general dis- turbance ensued.
In the autumn of 1838, Shelbyville held its first agrieultural fair, and the contest for premiums offered was a warm one. A good premimn was offered to the farmer raising the largest amount on an aere of land. The story goes that
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
Charles Smith, Judge William Gooch and Col. William Lewis each put in a sealed oath of ninety-five bushels per aere. Other farmers proved they had raised more than fifty bushels per aere. The fair continued only a few seasons.
In January, 1838, Mr. John Dunn in the lead asked the county court for the organization of a school district of con- gressional township 58, range 11, under the name of Van Buren. It was done and preparations were begun for the first public school.
INDIANS.
Very few Indians were ever seen in the county after its first settlement. Oe- casionally a hunting party, or stragglers, passed through. 1839 a band camped near Hager's Grove and caused some alarm.
The old-timers can make your hair stand on end as they begin to tell of the Pottawatomie war, but it all turns to a false alarm and a huge joke. It occurred at the time the government had ordered the Indians to "move on" from Iowa to the southwest. A party of about sixty friendly Pottawatomie redskins, consist- ing of men, women and children, passed through the western part of our county enroute, causing widespread alarm. Some of the Indians, as was their custom while traveling, had climbed into a corn- field and were helping themselves to corn and pumpkins. Nothing was known of their presence in the country until they were discovered helping themselves to what they wanted. Wonderful had been the tales that had gone forth of the sav- agery of the redskin, and the merciless tortures which they inflicted upon their prisoners.
Their cunning and craftiness and their shooting from ambush had reached the pioneers before they turned their faces toward the setting sun, and now came to their minds all the warnings they had received to steer clear of the murderous, torturing redskin, and the settlement was thrown into a wild panic. They pictured an Indian war at hand and were totally unprepared. Alarm messengers were sent throughout the country, bidding all to repair to a certain formidable log house for safety. Other messengers were hastened to Shelbyville and Pal- myra for re-enforcements and here and there for simple artillery and such weapons as the settlers possessed. And the story goes (and is vouched for) that the messenger reached Shelbyville with his eyes bulging, his hair like porcupine quills and his steed all afoam. The town was aronsed to the indignities the Potta- watomie were about to infliet upon his fellowman, and a company was organ- ized during the evening and arrange- ments made to await the volunteers from Palmyra, unless the cry of distress was heard in the meantime. Piekets were stationed out and the impromptu eom- pany was ready to start at the sound of trumpet. W. O. Peake was the messen- ger to give Palmyra the alarm and he played his part well. He reported the Indians ravaging the western part of Shelby county, that the inhabitants were fleeing from their homes, and unless they were squelchied at once a great amount of havoe would ensue and the country de- vastated and depopulated. A word was sufficient. A common sympathy per- meated the breast of every pioneer set- tler and Palmyra flew to arms. In an hour a goodly company was organized,
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
bearing sword and musket, and was on way to resene from the red savage those who had befriended those who fled to them during the dire cholera scourge. The company carried with them the dragoon swords and other arms General Benja- min Means had preserved from the Black Hawk war. Gen. David Willock gave the orders. John H. Curd was their captain. After marching all night the company volunteers reached Shelbyville at 8:30 the following morning. Here they found a goodly re-enforcement. So it goes that they ate and drank, then drank again until the companies called each other names, were first hot, then cold, till the drinks had lost effect and then they shook hands and made friends. Late in the day the companies started out to lick the Indians. That night they camped on Payton's branch and continued their march on the following morning. But they were soon apprised of the fact that the Indians had been gone some two days and were by that honr some fifty miles away. On investigation, they found the Indians had taken captive some "yaller" pumpkins, their ponies had "cabbaged" some "yaller" corn and they had killed a wild hog, but they had molested neither man, woman nor child, but in turn were bequeathing to white man their earthly possession, nature's forest, and all her beauty and freedom. The companies right about and homeward turned their faces. The Palmyra company parted with the other volunteers, with sad mem- ories of imaginary insults and abuses which occasioned black eyes, some bloody moses and a few "peeled" faces. The Shelby County Military Company dis- banded, but not without first voting their thanks to the Palmyra volunteers "for
the assistance they rendered us and the entertainment they furnished us." The Shelby settlers soon returned to their cabin homes, but many funny stories are still afloat which revert back to Shelby's Indian war.
One story which the second generation of the old-timers have never lost sight of is of old Uncle Malachi Wood. He placed his wife and child on one horse while he hurriedly mounted another and struck a "trot" for refuge. He was on the fastest steed and always kept in the lead of his loved ones. Mrs. Wood was not an adept at horsemanship, and in trying to come up to her husband lost her grasp on her darling. In an hysterical manner she cried out: "Oh, stop, Mal- achi, do stop! I have dropped my baby! Do stop, and help me save it!" Without curbing his speed or turning his head he shouted back, "Never mind the baby. Let's save the old folks. More babies can be had."
Another goes that John B. Lewis lived in a sparsely settled country down near the present site of Walkersville. Mr. Lewis was, for that day, a man of wealth. He brought with him when he came three thousand dollars in gold, which he kept hid about his possessions. A son of John Payton galloped along the high- way calling out: "Indians! Indians! fly for your lives." The Lewises were thoroughly aroused to the sense of ap- pending danger. He hurriedly set Mrs. Lewis and three little children on one horse and started them to the south to the Moore settlement. Mrs. Lewis bare- headed and the children clothed just as the alarm had found them. Mr. Lewis hurriedly buried his wealth and hurried to the south afoot. The Moores had a
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
good, strong house and it refuged three or four neighboring families for a couple of days. The home was long after known as Fort Moore.
The whites had misinterpreted the queer actions of the Indians, knowing little of their superstitions. It seems the Indians had lost one of their number and several more were sick. They be- lieved that an evil spirit had infested their band. To kill and banish the evil spirit the Indians had slain a dog, sus- pended it in the air and formed a circle with arrows stuck in ground, all point- ing inward toward the body. When the settlers saw this, and the raid on their eorn and pumpkin patch, they inferred it betokened death to them and posses- sion of their lands and property.
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