USA > Missouri > Shelby County > General history of Shelby County, Missouri > Part 6
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Dickerson, George Anderson, Peter Roff, Samuel C. Smith.
TOWNSHIP 58, RANGE 10.
Albert G. Smith, Samnel Beal, Elijah Pepper, James Swartz, Mrs. Elizabeth Creel, Lewis H. Gillaspy, Alexander Gil- laspy, Abraham Vandiver, Montillion H. Smith, Joseph West, Major H. Jones, John Easton, Ezekiel Kennedy, James C. Hawkins, Dr. Hawkins, Elijah Owens, E. L. Holliday, Mrs. Nancy Holliday, John Lemley, Josiah Bethard, Thomas Davis.
TOWNSHIP 59, RANGE 10.
James Ford, John Ralls, Samnel Cochi- rane, James G. Glenn, Robert MeKitchen, Peter Looney, Joseph Moss, James Tur- ner, Ferdinand Carter, John Moss, Peter Stice, John Serat, Lewis Kincaid, Elijah HIall, Hiram Rookwood, Sanford Pickett, James S. Pickett, William S. Chinn, Nathan Baker.
TOWNSHIP 57, RANGE 11.
David D. Walker, David Wood, Mal- cohn Wood, William Wood, James Ca- rothers, William Coard, Nicholas Wat- kins, Perry B. Moore, Isaac W. Moore, Mrs. Mary Wailes, Pettyman Blizzard, James R. Barr, Lacy Morris, Stanford Drain, James Carroll, Barclay Carroll, John B. Lewis, James Parker, George Parker, Capt. B. Melson, Major Taylor, Robert Brewington, Henry Brewington.
TOWNSHIP 58, RANGE 11.
John Thomas, John Dunn, Elijah Pol- lard, Philip Upton, John T. Victor. William Victor, Aaron B. Glasscock, Martyn Baker, Michael See.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
THE FIRST BRIDGE.
Not until 1839 did the first bridge span a stream in Shelby county. It was across Black ereek west of Shelbyville. A peti- tion written by Elijah G. Pollard was presented to the County court. It read :
We, the undersigned petitioners, are subject to many inconveniences for the want of a bridge aeross Black creek at or near the ford on the road leading from Shelbyville to Holman's cabins on Salt river. We pray the County court to take into consideration the necessity of building a bridge at the above named place, for the benefit of the settlers living west of Shelbyville. We, the under- signed, are willing to pay one-half the amount the bridge may cost, as follows:
Elijah G. Pollard $10.00
John Dunn. 15.00
A. B. Glasgow 10.00
Madison J. Priest 10.00
Thomas J. MeAfee 10.00
John McAfee. 10.00
Robert MeAfee. 10.00
Major H. Jones 5.00
William Gooch
1.00
So far as statistics and memory go, it is thought the county turned them down, but the settlers went right ahead and built that bridge. Two long logs were thrown across the stream for stringers, on which strong slabs were laid and pinned. On the ends of the stringers the dirt was thrown and they were seenrely stayed. The middle of the bridge dipped down until the water stood several feet over it, but the
stringers held it firm for many years, and it was a source of pleasure to the settlers of that locality.
THE FIRST HOMICIDE.
The first homicide that ever occurred in the county was in the year 1839. John Bishop was shot and killed by John L. Faber in the briek tavern on the south- west corner of the public square in Shelbyville, which site of recent years has been used for a hotel. The victim of a mistaken idea, for so it proved, died against the east wall of the tavern.
Faber was a bachelor and a trader of Knox county. It was said of him he would buy everything offered him that he could not trade for, and his home was a museum of rifles, shot ponehes, and what not. He bought a horse of Thomas J. MeAfee, in this county, which Faber elaimed MeAfee warranted to work, and when hitched up it would not pull a pound; whereupon Faber said MeAfee might just as well steal the money he received for the horse, and was no less thief than if he had done so. MeAfee had married a stepdaughter of Maj. Obadiah Diekerson, and the major took his stepson-in-law to task, telling him in a most emphatie manner, "If you do not properly resent this charge and these insults of Faber's, I will disown you, sir, forever." The first time they again met it was in the above tavern, and MeAfee assaulted Faber, catching him around the body. The above named Bishop was MeAfee's friend and ran in and, eatelling MeAfee around the body, tried to separate the combatants. Faber finding him in MeAfee's strong grasp, drew his pistol, passed it around his
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
antagonist, felt the muzzle come in con- tact with a body which he supposed was McAfee's, and drew the trigger. The muzzle was against Bishop's body and
killed him in place of McAfee. Faber surrendered and was released on pre- liminary examination. He was never indicted.
CHAPTER IV.
CROPS IN EARLY FORTIES-CHINCH BUG YEAR-THE SIXTEENTH SECTION-GERMAN SETTLEMENT-CHANGE OF COUNTY LINE-MAIL FACILITIES IMPROVED-A FEW THINGS THAT INTERESTED THE SETTLERS-CIVILIZATION'S SURE ADVANCE- SECOND HOMICIDE IN THE COUNTY-THE FIRST COUNTY CONVICTION-JEFFERSON SHELTON-JONATHAN MICHAEL-GEORGE LIGGETT-MISS ALCINA UPTON-STOCK RAISING AND SHIPPING-FIRST JAIL-CALIFORNIA EMIGRANTS-ELECTIONS-1840 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION -- AUGUST ELECTION, 1841-AUGUST ELECTION, 1844.
HISTORY OF THE COUNTY, 1840 TO 1850- CROPS IN EARLY FORTIES.
In 1840 the population of the county enumerated 3,056. After the organiza- tion of the county and the building of publie buildings advanced, a general in- flux resulted. The immigrants eame not only from Kentucky and other states east and south, but many came from other counties which had been unfor- tunate in settling or thought Shelby county offered more promising induce- ments, and crept on over the line. Crops had been good, the soil seemed promising and inviting to those who were willing to toil.
CHINCH BUG YEAR.
Old settlers long referred to 1842 as chinch bug year. The spring was a late and cold one and much cold rainfall held back the crops. Then came on a scourge of chinch bugs, which drove the people to despair. The wheat and oats crop was a total failure, and the corn was so completely covered with the pest that the rows resembled long black stripes across the fields, and the year
-
was later referred to by some as the black corn year.
The years 1842-43 were "hard times" for the settlers. Many of them had but recently settled and had not become es- tablished. Money was scarce and little in circulation; produce scare and ridicu- lously low ; and wages on the wane. The market sheet in the fall of 1842 quotes flour, best, per barrel, on St. Louis mar- ket, $2.50 gold and $3 in "city money." Wheat was 45 cents per bushel, and de- clined to 35 cents. Potatoes and corn were quoted at 18 cents per bushel. Nice, well - cured hams brought 5 cents per pound. (Think of it !) Tobacco, "firsts," brought only $3.10 per hundred. Gro- ceries were proportionately cheap. Coffee, 101/2 cents per pound ; best sugar, 7 cents; molasses, 25 cents per gallon ; whisky, 18 cents per gallon by the barrel, or single gallon 25 cents, or 5 cents per pint. To be sure, ont of the city market prices were even lower, and in Shelby, a new county, there was little call for pro- duce, making a lower market. Shelby- ville quotations were: Pork, $1.50 per hundred; beef, $1 per hundred; corn,
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
621/2 cents per barrel or 121/2 cents per bushel; bacon, 2 cents per pound. A good five-year-old steer brought a bar- gain to bring in $8. Cows sold from $6 to $8. There was no market at all for land, except the very best improved. The government had a monopoly on land, re- ceiving $1.25 per acre for all land entered under the pre-emption law.
THE SIXTEENTH SECTION.
After the year of 1840 the sixteenth sections in the congressional townships came into demand, showing the develop- ment of the county, and the other sec- tions were invariably taken up first, unless this section was of superior value.
Section 16 was a donation made by congress in every congressional district, for the encouragement and support of the common school. Whenever a major- ity of the citizens of any such township deemed it best they petitioned the County court to sell that seetion; the court would make an order to that effect, the land was advertised for sale and sold to the highest bidder. The pur- chaser was held for bond for the security for the principal and interest.
So long as the interest was paid up he could hold the principal. In keeping with the law, the land could not be dis- posed of for less than $1.25 per acre. The interest was paid into a treasury for the support of the schools of the town- ship wherein the district lay, while the principal was retained for a perpetual school fund.
The government also gave to the state, and the state to the county, all the swamp or overflow land in such conn- ties, for school purposes. The County court sold all such holdings belonging to
this county for from $1.25 to $10 per acre. The sum aggregating from the sale of swamp land and the sixteenth sections was $45,663.
GERMAN SETTLEMENT.
In 1845 a colony of Germans from Pennsylvania and Ohio arrived in our county and purchased lands north of Shelbyville. Previous to this settlement some few Germans had settled here and there throughout the county, but at this time the colony had planned for a settle- ment to themselves, and so laid out and established the town of Bethel, which we take up later in the history of Bethel. These progressive people also entered a considerable government land.
CHANGE OF COUNTY LINES.
The legislature of 1842-43 altered the . boundaries of Shelby county to their present lines, adding twenty-four sec- tions of township 56, range 12. which were taken from Monroe and from a four-mile projection in the southwest portion of the county. The county in- eludes all of townships 59, 58, 57 and the two northern tiers of sections in town- ship 56, lying in ranges 9, 10 and 11 and all of townships 59, 58, 57 and 56 in range 12.
MAIL FACILITIES IMPROVED.
In 1844 the mail facilities were im- proved to a high degree of efficiency. Mail was daily carried in hacks and stages from Hannibal through Palmyra, Shelbyville, Bloomington and on through the county seats westward to St. Joe, when not detained by high water. A daily mail and hack much improved mat-
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
ters, and they thought they had reached a high degree of perfection.
Rates of postage varied. From the beginning of the postal system in the country to the year 1845 there was a variance of from 6 cents to 25 cents on a half ounce, or less, according to the distance of its destination. For each addition of a half ounce, postage was added. From July 1, 1845, to July 1, 1851, the rates were 5 cents for a half ounce or less if carried less than 300 miles, and 10 cents if carried over that distance. From July, 1851, to October 1, 1883, the rate was uniformly 3 cents for any distance within the United States and less than 3,000 miles.
At an early day a letter to the Pacific coast was charged double postage; while today we send letters to any part of the United States, Cuba, Porto Rica, Guam, the Philippine islands, or republic of Mexico, 2 cents for each ounce or frac- tion thereof.
A FEW THINGS THAT INTERESTED THE SETTLERS.
In the spring of 1844 the heavy rains sent North river out of its banks. Set- tlers of the day told of its swollen con- dition, such as had never occurred before and neither has it happened since. All the water beds overflowed and the prin- cipal passage fords could not be crossed for several days. In the year 1844 the Mississippi and Missouri overflowed and great damage was done along the bot- toms. All the streams of this county were also above bed at that date, and helped to feed the larger streams. In the year of 1844 Daniel Taylor located a tannery on Clear creek, cast of Shelby- ville (section 18-58-9), below the point
where Miller's mill was later located. This was a good thing for the settlers, making a convenient place to dispose of their hides ; but in a few years good tan- bark became scarce and hard to obtain, and Mr. Taylor had to throw up the business and the tannery went to de- struction. It was a well-chosen spot, with plenty of water, and, had the tan bark held ont, would have been a pros- perons business for some years, or until the wild animals became scarce.
It was probably the winter of 1844 Mrs. Vannoy, a widow who lived on Salt river, above Walkersville, lost three daughters by drowning in the river. One of them was playing on the ice which broke, letting her down in deep water. The other two danghters ran to her as- sistance and were drawn from the ice and all three were drowned.
CIVILIZATION'S SURE ADVANCE.
During the 40's the county made a forward march in the line of civilization. As settlers came in more numerously than before and the county became more thickly populated, the settlers yearned for a higher stage of development and commenced to take interest in the out- side world and in a measure to keep up with the march of civilization. Schools became numerous by 1848, and a public interest was manifested in their behalf. Lodges were organized. In the year of 1847 an Odd Fellows Lodge was organ- ized in Shelbyville and a Masonic Lodge was organized in the same town in 1848. Indeed at this time Shelbyville was the only real town in the county, and she was indeed a prosperous little place, with a good life and vim and was trying to
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
push forward with all the energy of a are wide awake and public institutions modern western town.
In 1849 the county court ordered a fence built about the public square, with Thomas J. Bonnds as contractor, and during that year Mr. William H. Van- nort planted the square with locust trees and some rose bushes decorated its lawn, which very much improved the seat of justice and added a touch of the esthetic to its former primitive wild appearance.
The farms about the county began to take on a better air. They were under a better state of cultivation and improve- ment, and the log cabins commenced to fall to the background and comfortable homes were carefully planned and built of lumber and brick. With the appear- ance of frame and brick homes came the onward march of more careful farming, better barns and granaries and better stock. Up to about this time the stock was comparatively wild, but easterners brought with them eastern modernism and improvements and it was a contin- nal, gradual rise from a stage wholly or quite uncivilized to that of higher civili- zation as fast as the settlers, with their primitive conveniences and unfortunate trials, which meet everyone who faces the storms of a frontier life, could bring it about.
The experiments of these first men who broke the soil have been succeeded by the permanent and tasteful improve- ments of their descendants. Upon the spots where they dwelt, toiled, dared and died, are now seen the comfortable home, the thriving village, the school house and the coming of the gospel, and indeed all the appliances of a higher civilization are profusely strewn over the smiling acres of the new county. Organizations
are bursting into new life everywhere over the fair land.
"Culture's hand
Has scattered verdure o'er the land ; And smiles and fragrance rule serene, Where barren wild usurped the scene."
SECOND HOMICIDE IN THE COUNTY.
In 1842, on Christmas day, occurred the second homicide of the county, the killing of one Daniel Thomas by Phillip Upton. The killing occurred in Taylor township, about five miles northwest of Hager's Grove, where Mr. Upton lived at that time, and his field was the scene of the tragedy. The quarrel grew out of the following circumstances: Mr. Upton was a man of about fifty-five years of age, with a large family, three or four members of which were adult daughters. It seems that Thomas had talked in a damaging manner of one of the danghi- ters, pronouncing her nnehaste, with three or four paramours. Peter Greer went to Upton with the story, where- upon a bitter quarrel arose, but finally the chasm was seemingly bridged over and the families agreed to be friends. Thomas, however, had threatened Upton with personal vio- lence. He was a young man, unmar- ried, and on this Christmas day. armed himself with a pint of whiskey and a pistol, which time and again he loaded with paper wads and fired it off. seemingly for his own entertainment or to celebrate the day. About 9 o'clock he came to the home of Jonathan Mi- chael, where another young man, Jeff Shelton, worked. Michael instructed Shelton to go over to Upton's for a gun
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
Upton had to repair for him. Shelton invited Thomas to go with him, and the two went over to Upton's house. Both were told that Upton was out husking shocked corn.
On their way to the field they met two of Upton's daughters, who had been down to the field with their father. A dog accompanied them, which barked furiously at the young men, and to frighten the animal Shelton shot at it with Thomas's pistol. Upton saw the young men coming and started out to meet them. He had his rifle with him, for he never left home without it. Pick- ing up his riffe from a shock of fodder, he leveled it at Thomas and cried out, "Now d-n you, where's your pistol?" and fired. Thomas fell to the ground, shot through the body, and died within two hours in a pile of snow which half covered the body.
Upton surrendered to officials and upon examination before a magistrate was released npon the testimony of his daughters, who swore that when their father shot Thomas, Thomas had first leveled his pistol at their father, but was slow to draw the trigger, which gave Up- ton, who was a practical expert, the bet- ter chance of killing. In a few months Upton removed to Adair county.
THE FIRST COUNTY CONVICTION.
The September term of 1843 Shelby County Circuit court, he was indicted and later arrested. This trial came off at a special term of court, which convened July 12, 1844, at Shelbyville, with Judge McBride to try him. The jury of the case was composed of Anthony Gooch, John Gullett, Albert G. Smith, James A. Sherry, Jonathan Rogers, Charles Dun-
can, Samuel Blackburn, James E. Utz, Robert K. Mayes, Thomas B. Maves and James Davis. The prisoner was ably defended by Hon. Samuel T. Glover and Hon. J. R. Abernathy; the circuit attor- ney was the prosecutor. The trial lasted two days, and on the second day the jury returned a verdict of "Guilty of man- slaughter of the second degree." The jury could not agree on his sentence and the judge fixed it at three years' impris- onment. They proceeded to appeal the case to the Supreme Court, but it never came to a head. He was pardoned by Governor Edwards after serving two- thirds of his term.
In the meantime the family had moved to Putnam county, to which place the old man went. In a short time, however, he became involved with his son-in-law, a man by the name of Cain. Later on, one day when Upton was working in the wood, chopping out a trough from the huge trunk of a tree, while his wife and daughter were washing on the river brink, Upton was bushwhacked by Cain, who stole stealthily through the brush upon him and fatally shot him with his rifle. He was shot in the same part of the body as he had shot Thomas and lived about the same length of time be- fore death ensued. Cain fled for Cali- fornia, but at St. Joseph he and a des- perado quarreled and Cain was killed. Then a mob arose and slew the des- perado, and so "the wily man shall fall as by his own hand." Some of the most important abstracts from the trial of Up- ton follow :
JEFFERSON SHELTON.
Was hired to work at Jonathan Michael's. On Christmas morning he
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
came to said Michael's house; witness had to water the horses that morning; said Thomas also had to water his own horse. Michael asked witness to go to Philip Upton's for a gun which Upton had to fix; told witness to ask Upton if the gun was fixed, if not to bring it away. Witness and Thomas went and watered the horses. Thomas told wit- ness to hasten back from Upton's and they would go together to Mr. Fore- man's ; witness asked Thomas to go with him to Upton's; Thomas went with him. When they got there witness asked Mrs. Upton about the gun loek; she said that Mr. Upton was in the field, to go and see him; we walked ont of the house and witness proposed to Thomas to go straight back to Michael's; bnt Thomas opposed it by saying they should go and see abont the gun lock; witness said it was not worth while and they ought to go and take the horses back; Thomas then said if witness would go to the field where Upton was he, Thomas, would go back with witness and help drive the horses up; witness agreed to go with Thomas to the field where Upton was; as they went along from the house they met two Miss Uptons, daughters of the prisoner, riding on horseback, coming out of the field ; "a dog that was with the girls kept barking at us"; Thomas had a pistol, with which he had been shoot- ing paper wads, and witness took the weapon and shot at the dog to scare him; "also shook my coat tail at the dog. We went on to near where Upton was; the pistol was loaded with paper and powder; I saw it loaded; as we went up Thomas says, 'I think Mr. Upton has a horse hitched there.' Upton came from
where he was in the fields toward us, and when he was about ten or fifteen feet from us, he stooped down and picked up a gun that was lying on the ground, and then said to Thomas, 'Now, damn you, where is your pistol?' and fired"; Thomas fell and witness picked him up; Upton came near with his gun and wit- ness thought he would strike him with it; witness put Thomas's cap under his head and went for help. Upton stepped before witness with his gun drawn; wit- ness changed his course and Upton again got before him; witness than ran off to the fence. "The place where Upton shot Thomas was about half way between the place we first saw him and the fence"; witness looked back after he got over the fence and saw Upton with his gun down as if reloading it. On the Sunday pre- vious to the shooting witness was at Up- ton's and Thomas was there; Thomas and Upton talked; witness had never heard of any difference and thought they were friendly. Thomas was shot on Christmas, died of the wound in abont three-quarters of an hour; the ball en- tered the left side.
Cross-examined, witness said it was between 10 and 11 o'clock in the morning that they went to water the horses; that nothing was said about Thomas's going to Upton's with him until after the horses were watered ; witness did not re- member of Thomas saying, just as they were leaving Upton's house, "Let's go up to the field and fix the d-d old ras- cal"; that he never heard Thomas threaten nor abuse Upton; that Thomas once told him that Upton had forbidden him (Thomas) to go on his (Upton's) place ; that Thomas prevailed on him to
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY
go up to where Upton was in the field; by telling him he would go back with him and help him to drive the horses up; that the road by which they left Upton's house forked after going a little dis- tance, one fork leading to Michael's, the other leading up in the field where Upton was; that he said to Thomas, "Hello, Thomas, where are you going?" to which Thomas said, "O, I have took the wrong road"; that Thomas then came across to the road witness was in; that they looked across the field and saw the girls they had met running up the patch to where Upton was; that they had a little talk together and coneluded to go back where Upton was; that nothing was said in the conversation about Upton; that Thomas wanted to go up there and they coneluded to go; that witness did not strike nor strike at Upton; that he did not see Thomas in the act of drawing a pistol when Upton shot him; that he was not looking at Thomas at the time, but was looking at, Upton; that, as far as he saw, Thomas gave Upton no provocation whatever; that when witness came back to the field with help the pistol was found in Thomas's breast coat pocket ; that he did not know whether Thomas had the pistol in his hand when shot or not ; that Thomas turned and walked five or six steps before he fell. (The witness also swore that soon after the killing he left the county and went over into Monroe; but that his leaving was not for fear of Upton, but to go to school. Afterward, however, in private conversation, he ad- mitted that the principal reason why he did leave was that he feared Upton would kill him, as he was the principal witness against him.)
JONATHAN MICHAEL.
On Christmas morning, 1842, Daniel Thomas and Jefferson Shelton were at his house; the latter was hired for the year, with the privilege to quit at the end of any month on notice; witness asked Shelton to go to Upton's and "get my gun." Shelton asked Thomas to go with him; they were at the house before they went to water the horses; the next wit- ness saw of Thomas he was lying nearly dead in Upton's field; Thomas lived an hour or an hour and a half after witness saw him. Upton did not go off after shooting Thomas, but remained from three to four months in the county, then moved with his family to Macon (Adair), where he resided until arrested.
Cross-examined : Immediately after Thomas's death Shelton became dejected and depressed in mind and seemed ex- ceedingly unhappy ; he said that he was afraid if he stayed about there Upton would kill him, as he was the only wit- ness against him.
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