USA > Missouri > DeKalb County > History of Andrew and De Kalb counties, Missouri : from earliest time to the present; together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and family records. besides a condensed history of the state of Missouri, etc > Part 45
USA > Missouri > Andrew County > History of Andrew and De Kalb counties, Missouri : from earliest time to the present; together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and family records. besides a condensed history of the state of Missouri, etc > Part 45
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Another settler of 1838 was Evan Evans, who settled the Hi- ram Hardesty farm, near the western boundary of Washington Township, where, in addition to clearing and developing a farm, he started the first distillery in De Kalb County. He was an active and intelligent citizen, and in an early day was chosen justice of the peace of his municipal township, the duties of which he is said to have discharged with all the dignity of a supreme judge. Mr. Evans, like many of the early comers to De Kalb, sold out a number of years ago and moved farther west.
Isaac Agee and James Torrey, about the year 1839, settled in the western part of Washington Township, as did also John De- Shazer and Robert Pennington, the last two locating homes in the northwestern and southwestern parts, respectively.
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Conspicuous among the arrivals of the year last named was Elder Jesse Todd, a minister of the Baptist Church, who settled the place now owned by Mr. Gregory, in the southwest corner of the township. Elder Todd was a native of Kentucky, but moved here from Howard County, Mo., having been one of the early pioneers of that part of the State. He was a man of much more than ordinary powers of mind, and did much toward improving the moral as well as physical condition of the community in which he was for many years a prominent factor. He was the first resident minister of the county, and although unlearned in the subtleties of scholastic divinity, preached with a fervor that influ- enced many of the early pioneers to abandon the careless life so prevalent upon the frontier, and identify themselves with the church, which he was instrumental in founding in the wilds of Washington Township. Elder Todd succeeded in accumulating a comfortable competence in this world's goods, and bore a conspic- uous part in the growth and development of the county, from the time of his arrival until his death in the year 1865. His sons, Joab, David, Franklin and William Todd, came to the county the same time, and can be appropriately classed with the representa- tive citizens of De Kalb County.
William Thornton, a brother-in-law of Todd, moved to the same neighborhood in 1840, accompanied by his sons, Luke, Jeremiah, Jeptha, John and Thomas R. Thornton, all of whom became prominent citizens of the county, the first named being at this time a leading farmer and business man of Clarksdale. Another son, William Thornton, Jr., preceded the family to the new country, moving to the township in 1839, and locating in the western part, not far from the Andrew County line. William Thornton, Sr., was a native of Kentucky, and a prosper- ous farmer, having been a large property and slave holder in ante bellum days. His descendants are among the leading citi- zens of the county at the present time.
Among others who came in 1840 was Hon. John F. Doherty; one of the strongly marked characteristic pioneers of the Platte country, throughout which he was widely and favorably known during the early years of its history. He was a native of East Tennessee, born in Claiborne County in the year 1807. Unlike
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many of the early settlers he was a man of fine literary tastes, having been well educated in his native State, which he left in 1828, immigrating to Clay County, Mo. He was a lawyer and editor, and at the organization of De Kalb County, in 1845, was chosen county clerk, aside from which he filled various official positions, having at different times been called to represent the people in the State Legislature. He was admitted to the De Kalb bar in 1846, from which time, until his death, he practiced his profession in connection with his official duties, looking after his farming interests in the meantime. He settled about ten miles northeast of Stewartsville, locating the farm where his widow and son, William T. Doherty, now live, which was his home until his death in 1848. In many respects Mr. Doherty was a remarkable man; and as a lawyer, legislator, business man and clerk of the court, will always be honorably remembered by the citizens of the county.
William Doherty, brother of the preceding, entered land two miles east of Stewartsville in 1840, but did not move to it until 1852. He became a resident the latter year, and is still living, being one of the oldest residents in the southern part of the county at this time.
Samuel Holmes became a citizen of Washington Township as early as 1840, settling about three miles east of Stewartsville.
Aaron Clouse the same year settled a couple of miles northeast of the town, locating on the place where his son still lives.
The year 1841 witnessed the arrival of quite a number of sturdy pioneers to Washington Township, among whom were John Fuqua, in the northern part; John T. Baker and sons, Moses, Robert, James M. and Richard Baker, near the western boundary; Samuel Gilmore, a short distance south of Stewarts- ville; Mary Venable and sons, George and John, three miles northeast of the city, and John McKinney in the same neighbor- hood. The following year Samuel P. Clark, Robert Clark and Adam Kerns were living in the township, and a little later came Kerns, Hutson J. Bivens, Dr. C. H. Allen, and Dr. Abra- ham Kerns, the latter a son of Adam Kerns. Drs. Allen and Kerns were among the earliest physicians in De Kalb County, both having acquired a large and lucrative practice during the period of their residence in Washington Township.
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An early settler deserving special mention was G. B. Atter- bury, who moved from Howard County in 1844, and improved a farm in the northwest part of the township, now owned by his son, G. B. Atterbury, Jr. Mr. Atterbury was a native of Ken- tucky, and is remembered as one of the citizens of De Kalb whose word was as good as his bond. He did much, in a quiet way, to advance the material prosperity of the county, accumulated a handsome competence, and departed this life in 1882. His son, Hon. G. B. Atterbury, ex-representative, is one of the leading business men of Maysville.
Additional to the foregoing list, the following came in from time to time, and can be appropriately mentioned as early settlers of Washington Township, to wit: Ephraim Porter, Richmond Dalton, William Stone, E. McClain, Shelton Atterbury, Andrew Means, R. G. Swails, Gideon Chenoweth, Dr. H. B. Cox, Jacob Shuffett, James White, Willis Coffey, Robert S. McWilliams, John Johnson, James C. Wallace, John Wills, E. Wills, Thomas K. Hannah, Robert Logan, Thomas L. King, R. H. Smith, John W. Breckinridge, Jarvis Smith and others.
SETTLEMENT OF SHERMAN TOWNSHIP.
To this part of the county came principally emigrants from Kentucky, Tennessee, and the older' settled counties of Missouri. They were a brave and generous class of people, well worthy to become the progenitors of so intelligent and hardy a race as the present population of ; Western De Kalb. Among the first to seek a home within the present limits of Sherman was John Means, who came to the county early in the forties, and settled where he is still living, near the western boundary of the township. Na- than Morgan came as early as 1842, moving from Clay County, to which part of the State he emigrated from Tennessee, a great many years ago. He settled in the western part of the township as did also his sons, Smith, William, Randall, Green, Simeon and John, all of whom took an active part in the growth and develop- ment of the country. William Means, brother of John Means, settled not far from the Andrew County line in 1841, and the following year Greenup Gibson, a Tennesseean, moved from the latter county, and improved a farm in the western part
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of the township. Mr. Gibson became a very prosperous farmer, and his descendants are among the substantial citizens of the country at this time, one of his sons being the present efficient sheriff of De Kalb County.
It will be impossible at this late day to give a complete list of the first settlers of Sherman County, many of the earliest fam- ilies having moved to other parts, while others, who came when the country was new, have long since left the scene of their early trials, and joined the ranks of the " silent majority." A few are still left, however, to tell the simple annals of pioneer life, and from such were learned the names of the following settlers, who came in from time to time, and bore an active part in transform- ing the wilderness of Sherman Township into its present ad- vanced state of civilization: William Hayter, James Wallace, James McCorkle, Thomas Poteet, Henry Howk, John Carroll and sons-" Nattie," Jackson, Frank, and two others, names forgotten; Edward Hall, Lewis Hall, John Brown, Isaac Sharp, and sons -John, Joshua and Isaac Sharp, Jr .; Hezekiah Wilson, John Bell, John DuQuoin, William DuQuoin, William and George Bell, James Youngblood, Daniel Ellis, Frederick Baker, Roland Stark, Daniel H. Chappell, Nicholas Milburn, William Glenn, Solomon Vance, Herman Tourner, Henry Robinson, Thomas McDonald, George McGaughey, Joseph Pyburn, William Bays, William Crawford, John Fuquay, D. Chappell, William Sneethers, John White, Asa Mann, John Mann, James Gleeves, Thomas Moodi, Nathan Reid, Thomas Williams, William Morgan, Capt. Stephen Varner, Alexander Johnson, Amos Wright, Elijah Cordrey, Thomas Allen, Henry Kernes, Riley Oldacre, Michael Cost, David Anderson, John McCormick, Peter Hotspeller, Gaston Farrington, Mr. Hague, Robert Hossman and John Coleman.
EARLY SETTLERS OF ADAMS TOWNSHIP.
Simultaneous with the settlement of Washington and Sher- man, pioneers made their appearance in what is now Adams Township, attracted hither no doubt by the abundance of timber, water and game, as well as by the fertility of the soil. The set- tlement dates back to almost the year 1840, at which time several families were living along Grindstone Creek, as well as in other
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HISTORY OF DE KALB COUNTY.
parts of the township. The following list embraces the names of the majority of early settlers of Adams Township, during the first twelve or fifteen years of its history: William Hudson, John W. Dice, Nathaniel Redman, Wiley Cope, Daniel Sham- baugh, Jonas Heimbaugh, W. W. Riggs, Abraham H. Riggs, Levi Cope, William Meek, Richard Meek, Jeremiah Pryor, Will- iam Pryor, Thomas Brooks, Robert Asher, Gill Cook, Andrew Sherard, Anthony Scammerhorn, Daniel Shambaugh, Mc W. Thomas, James Sloan, John A. Dean, Benjamin Taylor, William Cope, Jacob Taylor, Daniel Coil, Elias Parrott, Mr. Deffern, Hugh R. Hodge, David Thompson, Bailey Hudson, Jacob Bradford, Daniel Bradford, Jacob Harper, H. West, Fountain Hargis, Hugh Caldwell, William Stout, Mace Williams, Vincent Brown, Thomas Lashby, I. Whittaker, Dr. A. Downing, Elijah Price, Jesse Bacon, William Orr, Sr., W. H. Ward, William Lucas, George Meek, Lemuel Clemmons, Thomas Cooper, John Case- bolt, Townsend Estes, Thomas Mode, John Whitchurch, John J. Bradford, Daniel Heimbaugh, Samuel Rogers, Joseph Leeper, John R. Armstrong, G. W. Chism, Samuel Dean, John W. Riggs, Samuel Haptonstall, Samuel H. Duncan, James Sham- baugh, Levi Woods, David Thompson, William M. Thomas.
DALLAS AND GRANT TOWNSHIPS.
The settlement of Dallas and Grant Townships dates so far back into the past that it is somewhat difficult to obtain reliable information relative to the early pioneers. Among the first comers, however, is remembered one James Green, who moved his family to the northern part of the county as early as 1839, set- tling on Lost Creek, where his death occured nine years later. Mason Cope settled what is known as the Merritt farm on Lost Creek about the same year, and in 1840 James Sherard located on a farm two miles south of the present site of Fairport. Mr. Sherard was a native of Vermont, but moved here from Indiana. He was accompanied by his sons, Andrew, John, William, James and Jesse, all of whom became widely and favorably known throughout the county. The elder Sherard died in 1843, his death being one of the first in what is now Grant Township.
As early as 1841, Levi Thatcher, a transient settler, was liv-
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ing on the Cope place, and some time the same year Andrew Wood, and son, Samuel, moved to the country, and opened a farm about two and a half miles southeast of Fairport. James Davis, in 1842, settled near the present site of Fairport village, and a year later witnessed the arrival of several pioneers, among whom is remembered George Ward, who improved a farm near the Davis settlement. Prominent among the arrivals of 1844 was Joseph Williams, who moved hither from Andrew County, where he had settled in 1837. His sons, George W., Joseph and Marion Will- iams, are still living in the county, and are justly classed among its representative citizens.
Other settlers who came in an early day, and located in differ- ent parts of the two townships, were Jordan Groomer, Green Mat- thews, James England, James Rountree, Jonas Rountree, James Warren, Frederick Jenkins, Benjamin Jenkins, Leander Perry, John Burton, Alexander Duerson, Sherard W. Burton, David Groomer, W. W. Crume, John J. Savage, Moses Roberts, John R. Smith, Harriet Mills, Benjamin Denney, Thomas Denney, William Huntsucker, Zachariah Provolt, A. L. Tucker, Milton Randolph, James Green, Joshua Roberts, Thomas Smith, Robert Smith, Abraham Chaney, Robert Poteet, Isaac Henry, Absalom Henry, Gideon R. Thompson, William Wilson, Rev. William Garrett, Richard Chaney, Timothy Titcomb, Stephen B. Merritt, Thomas Benton, Thomas England, John Rutherford, Andrew Phelps, Robert Dallas, Capt. Joseph Truex, John R. Lampe, George R. Smith, Mr. Culver, Mr. Hoskins, John Renner, Lit- tleton Matthews, Harvey Riardon, - Bashaw, William Valen- tine and others whose names were not given the writer.
CAMDEN TOWNSHIP.
This part of the county, although opened for settlement the same time as the townships already named, can boast of nothing erected by civilized man which the world would call old. Thriv- ing settlements had been made in the northern, southern and western parts of the county several years before any permanent home seekers ventured into the wilderness of Camden; and it was not until about 1844-45 that the first pioneers began to make their appearance. Prominent among the first to arrive
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was James M. Arrington, who settled on a tract of land adjoin- ing the present town plat of Maysville, as early as 1844. He was a native of Tennessee, and a master spirit among the early settlers, who were wont to look to him as a counselor and adviser in their business affairs. He was early chosen county clerk, took an active part in the early county legislation, and his reputation for candor and honesty, coupled with a clear sense of justice, won for him a name and fame untarnished by a single unworthy act. He resided in the county until 1850, at which time, in company . with a number of others, he immigrated to Oregon.
Ephraim Porter moved to the township in 1845, and settled several miles east of Maysville. Others of 1845-46 were James Sloan, northeast of the county seat; William Coen, one half mile north, where his widow still resides; William McClain, a tran- sient settler, who lived in different parts of the township; John McCall, a noted hunter and backwoodsman, a short distance north of Maysville; George Ireland, adjoining the town site on the north; Tomkins Jones, hunter and trapper, about three miles south of Maysville; James M. Skidmore, four miles west of Maysville; Thomas and James Davis, a short distance west of the city, and John Fletcher in the same locality. .
George W. McPherson came in 1844 or 1845, locating about half a mile north of Maysville. He was appointed commissioner of the seat of justice, and did as much, if not more, than any other man for the material prosperity of Maysville. Hugh L. McPherson, brother of the preceding, came the same time, and settled in the eastern part of Camden Township. He subse- quently moved to Maysville, and opened a hotel, one of the first places for the accommodation of the traveling public ever started in the city.
Samuel Holpain came about the year 1847, during which and the following year the population of Camden was increased by numerous additions. The following settlers were among the early representative pioneers of this part of the county: Jesse Carpenter, James Grant, C. C. Bacon, Lemuel Harvey, John Buckingham, Andrew Bunton, Elias Parrott, R. A. Hewitt, Sr. ; N. J. Harvey, Robert Ray, Thomas T. Iden, J. Riley, William Riley, Jonathan Riley, Jr., John F. M. Sharp, William Bowers,
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James Smith, William Peacock, Mason W. Frazier, John Smith, William Dyson, Robert Forbes, William Ransom, Daniel Ran- som, Bird Estes, Andrew Hamer, Adam Probst, Joseph Anniser, Alpheus Stucker, Joseph Shannon, Edwin Austin, Fountain Strong, Andrew Austin, Abram B. Barger, Parsley Ross, Dr. John Black, Mr. Whitely and Samuel Turner.
GRAND RIVER TOWNSHIP.
The first recorded settlement within the present limits of Grand River Township was made about 1839, during which year several sturdy pioneers moved to the county, and located in different parts of the township. One of the earliest of these set- tlers was Edward Smith, a native of Tennessee, who located the Fales' farm, a short distance west of the Clinton County line. William Hunter settled in the northeast corner of the township as early as 1839, and is remembered as the pioneer mill builder of the neighborhood, having constructed a small horse mill a short time after his arrival. In addition to his farming and milling interests Mr. Hunter carried on a distillery in an early day, and earned the reputation of manufacturing a superior quality of the " ardent." Albert H. Owens, an extensive farmer and stock raiser, became a resident of the township in 1839 or 1840, as did also Samuel McCorkle, the latter a wealthy slave hold- er, who settled in the southeast corner, near the city of Cameron. John Wright, about the same time, settled the McBath farm, near the central part of the township, and as early as 1841 James Shaw and Michael Moore are reputed to have been living not far from the eastern boundary of the county. The latter sold out in a short time to Dr. A. T. Downing, one of the first physi- cians to practice his profession in De Kalb. Daniel Parks was quite an early settler near the Adams Township line, and an early comer to the northern part of the township was David Whittaker who erected a small saw and grist mill on Grindstone Creek, which was highly prized by the pioneers of that section. About the year 1840 Simon Hixson, a Tennessean, settled where Mr. O. Laughlin lives, in the southern part of the township. He was a skillful hunter, and found his greatest pleasure in pursuing game or locating bee trees, in both of which his knowledge
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was almost instinctive. He subsequently made valuable im- provements, and became one of the leading citizens of the com- munity. Simon Holmes, a son-in-law of Hixson, moved from Clay County in 1846, and settled where Samuel Evans now lives. He subsequently moved to his present farm, and for a period of over forty years has been one of the representative citizens of Grand River. Additional to the foregoing were the following, who came in an early day, and participated in the hardships incident to backwoods life: Vincent Crawford, Riley A. Holmes, Anderson Smith, Thompson Smith, William F. Reed, John Jones, Benjamin Gilmore, John Smart, William H. Walker, Joseph Walker, C. Y. Tice, Edward Trotter, Clark Stevens, John Bacy and Nathan- iel Powell.
POLK TOWNSHIP.
Among the first permanent settlers in Polk Township was Samuel Livingston, who moved from near St. Louis in 1843, and settled on the farm where his daughter-in-law, the widow Living- ston, now lives, having located the land the year previous. He was a Tennesseean by birth, and came to this county accom- panied by his son, Young C. Livingston, who is still an honored resident of the township.
James Robinson and sons, Edward and Thomas, settled in the southern part of the township about the same time, and the fol- lowing year a third son, Joseph Robinson, moved from Indiana, and became a permanent resident of the county. David Moore settled where he still lives in 1843, and as early as 1844 Marshall McQuinn and James McMahan were living in the northern part of the township. Ellis, William, Harvey and Washington McMahan, sons of James McMahan, accompanied their father to his new home, and are remembered as substantial citizens of Polk. Joel Taylor came from Virginia early in the forties, and settled near the central part of the township, and about the same time C. E. Vaughn moved to the northern part, in the vicinity of Union Star, where he still resides.
The site of Union Star was first settled by David Miller, who came to the township about the year 1844, and improved the land upon which the town was subsequently built. Other early pioneers were Thomas McGaughey, Robert Fitchew, Joseph
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McCulloch, James Autrey, Simeon Herndon, James Shaw, Wyatt Kincaid, Mr. Ogle, Moses Wilburn, Robert Stewart, Carroll Means, Lewis Gilson, the widow Henry, James McKowen, Samuel Bray, Eli Bray, Mr. Trotter, Shelbina Trotter, Taylor Trotter, Brenton Trotter, John Ott, William S. Trotter, James Trotter, Isbon Cowen, Lewis Harmon, Christopher Pitzenberger, John Bray, Samuel Bray, - Lowe, G. M. Lowe, W. D. Lowe, Fletcher Cowen and James Cowen. There are doubtless others entitled to mention in the foregoing list, but the omission of their names should not be construed as intentional.
The lapse of nearly half a century has not only swept from the theater of life most of those heroes of the olden times, but has dimmed the memories of those who yet remain, so that some of them have forgotten the exact time when many events apper- taining to our history transpired, as well as the names of many of those who figured in the early settlement and development of the country.
COLFAX TOWNSHIP.
Colfax Township was not settled as early as other portions of the county, owing to the fact that the pioneers did not under- stand the nature of the soil, which is largely prairie. The earliest settlers are said to have been Thompson Smith, Neville Stevens, Rev. Elijah Moore, Andrew Potter, Littleton Roberts, William Stevens, Jonathan Roberts, - Roberts, Ellis Coen, Mrs. Kibby, Dr. Smith and Thomas Eadie. After it was dem- onstrated that the prairie could be cultivated, the land of the township was eagerly sought after, and shortly after the war a colony of emigrants from New York settled in Clinton and De Kalb Counties, buying up a large tract of land in Colfax. Still later a Swiss emigration reached the township, a large por- tion of which is still owned by them and their descendants, who are among the most substantial and thrifty citizens of the county.
MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF PIONEER TIMES.
It is natural when age begins to dim the vision, and the twi- light is seen in the distance, for man to turn back in memory and find his pleasures of life in the contemplation of those sunshiny spots of youth, of bounding joy and pure, passionate love, when
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the world was new, and life gleeful and gladsome. Time when it was
Sweet to hear the honest watch dog's bark,
Bay deep-mouthed welcome as we drew near home,
and to linger here, and to contrast then and now. This is inev- itable to all old age, as it is sure to draw the picture always with the same result-the sweet then, the bitter now. True, the times and manners have changed, but age forgets that it has changed too. The changes in manners are generally a necessity, and for the better, while the change in age is inevitable and should be, but is not always for the better. To shake the head and say, "it was not so when I was a child," is the blessed priv- ilege of age. This has passed along with every period and gen- eration for thousands of years, and it will continue, no doubt, indefinitely.
It is as harmless as any other fiction, except to those who permit themselves to dwell too long upon the dark side of the picture, until they become almost convinced that mankind is rap- idly degenerating and civilization is passing away. But in any light, or from any point of view, the fleeting years, the blessed long ago, "the good dames handling the spindle and flax," is the sweet picture of life that deserves the richest setting, the best light in the favorite room, and the first place in the hearts of all mankind.
Yes, good dame and venerable sire, all is for the best. You are looking upon the same struggle that was present to your grandfathers of a hundred years ago-the mighty struggle be- tween conservatism and progress. In this contest there can be but one result-progress will prevail. This is the order of na- ture; this is destiny. It is not, therefore, best to mourn too much over customs, manners and times that have been and are not, but to remember that in their day they were good, perhaps the best, and to send back the sweet recollections, like radiant sunbeams of joy, when will come like music over waters, the echo to the poet's aspiration,
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