History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 20

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: St. Louis, Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1220

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Under the influence of their missionaries, who were canvassing all the Eastern States and many parts of Europe, the young city of Far West promised much. Converts settled all over the county, and especially along the streams and belts of timber. Farm houses sprang up as if by magic, and the wilderness was in a few months transformed

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into an industrious and promising community. Their settlements ex- tended into Livingston, Daviess and Clinton Counties, but Far West, their only town, was their commercial centre, and became their county seat. In 1837, the Mormons began work on what was intended to be one of the most magnificent temples in the United States.

The town was laid out in blocks 396 feet square, and the streets were on a grand scale. The four principal avenues were each 132 feet wide, and all the others 821 feet wide. These diverged at right angles from a public square in the centre, designed as the site of a grand temple, which, however, was never built. In 1837, the cellar under the prospective temple was dug. The excavation, 120 by 80 feet in area, and 4 or 5 feet deep, was accomplished in about one-half of a day, more than 500 men being employed in the work, with no other means of removing the earth than hand-barrows. It is generally believed that on the 4th of July following, which was duly observed as a national holiday, the corner-stone of the temple was laid. This, however, is a mistake.

The prosperity of the Mormon settlement had drawn thither many good and industrious men, and also many desperadoes and thieves, who soon obtained full sway in their councils. They boldly declared that " the Lord had given the earth and the fulness thereof to His people," and that they were " His people," and consequently had the right to take whatsoever they pleased from the Gentiles. In pursu- ance of this declaration, bands of the more lawless of them strolled about the country, taking what they pleased. As they largely out- numbered the Gentiles, and as the county officers were mostly Mor- mons, they were enabled to act with impunity, until their lawless course excited the indignation of the other settlers, who, not being able to obtain justice in a lawful manner, also resorted to mob vio · lence and retaliation in kind, until many a dark and bloody deed was perpetrated on both sides.

In 1838 the discord became so great, and the clamor for the expul- sion of the Mormons from the State so imperative, that Governor Boggs issued a proclamation, ordering Major-General David R. Atchison to call out the militia of his division to, put down the insur- gents and enforce the laws. He called out a part of the 1st brigade of the Missouri State Militia, under command of General Alexander W. Doniphan, who proceeded at once to the seat of war. The militia were placed under the command of General John B. Clark of Howard County. The Mormon forces numbering about 1,000 men, were led

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

1 by G. W. Hinkle. The first skirmish took place at Crooked River, in the Southwestern part of the county, where David Patten - " Cap- tain Fear-not," as he called himself - the leader of the Danite Band or United Brothers of Gideon, was killed. But the principal engage- ment was fought at Haughn's Mills, five miles south of the present site of Breckenridge. The Mormons of the eastern portion of the county had concentrated there and intrenched themselves in the mill and in the blacksmith shop, where the militia numbering about 125 men, at- tacked and captured them. One militiaman was wounded and 18 of the Mormons killed,-some of them after their surrender, - and their bodies were thrown into a neighboring well on a farm owned at that time by Haughn. This land is now the property of James C. McCrary, Esq., of Kingston, to whom it was sold for a St. Louis party, by Nathan Cope, Esq., of Kingston. It was about fifteen and a half miles east of Far West. This bloody and sepulchral well was filled up by Charles Ross, Esq., now a resident of Kings- ton, who arrived on the spot just ten days after the tragic occur- rence.

Two regiments of volunteers were raised in Boone for the Mormon War, but strange to record, both of them were destined to " snuff the battle from afar." The first was commanded by Col. Thomas D. Grant ; Lieut .- Col. Joel Hern ; Maj. Stewart B. Hatton. Captains : John Ellis, James Brown, - Colvin. This regiment was ordered to " the seat of war."

Afterwards another regiment was raised with John Ellis as Colonel, Joel Hern, Lieut .- Colonel, and Stewart B. Hatton, Major.

When the militia under Gen. Clark appeared at Far West, Octo- ber. 1838, where the principal Mormon forces were gathered, Joe Smith surrendered, agreeing to Gen. Doniphan's conditions, viz. : That they should deliver up their arms, surrender their prominent leaders for trial, and the remainder of the Mormons should, with their families, leave the State.

The leaders were taken before a court of inquiry at Richmond, Judge Austin A. King presiding. He remanded them to Daviess County to await the action of the grand jury on a charge of treason against the State, and murder. The Daviess County jail being poor, they were confined at Liberty. Indictments for various offences,- treason, murder, robbery, receiving stolen goods, arson, resisting legal process, etc., - were found against Joe Smith, Hiram Smith (Joe Smith's brother), Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, G. W,

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

Hinkle, Caleb Baldwin, Parley P. Pratt,1 Luman Gibbs, Maurice P. Phelps, King Follett, Wm. Osborn, Arthur Morrison, Elias Higbee, J. Worthington, W. Voorhees, Jacob Gates and others. Sidney Rigdon was released on a writ of habeas corpus. The others requested a change of venue and Judge King sent their cases to Boone County. On their way to Columbia, under a military guard, Joe Smith es- caped, by bribing the guard, as was generally believed.

During the progress of a Fourth of July celebration in Columbia, in 1839, which was attended by most of the citizens, P. P. Pratt knocked down John M. Kelly, the jailor, when he opened the door to serve them with dinner, and in company with Morris Phelps and King Fol- let, escaped. Luman Gibbs chose to remain, although he, too, might easily have gone with the rest. Follet was re-captured, and together with Gibbs, was afterwards tried before David Todd, circuit judge, and acquitted. Hon. J. S. Rollins, of Boone, and Gen. A. W. Doni- phan, of Clay, defended them. The indictments were dismissed against all the others, by Circuit Attorney James M. Gordon, at the August term of the court, 1840.

Joe Smith and his brother Hiram, were shot and killed by a mob at the Carthage, Illinois, jail, in which they were confined on a charge of treason, on June 27, 1844.

Orson Hyde died at Salt Lake City in December, 1878.

Orson Pratt, one of the first members of the Mormon church, and the oldest "Apostle," died in Salt Lake, October 3, 1881, aged seventy years. He was the best educated theologian among the Mormons.

Gov. Lilburn W. Boggs, during whose administration the Mormon war occurred, died on his farm in Napa Valley, California, of dropsy of the heart, on March 14, 1860, in the sixty-third year of his age.

1 Pratt was an Elder and a man of education. In 1856 he met a tragic death near Fort Gibson, for full account of which see "Switzler's History of Missouri," page 250.

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

CHAPTER IV.

OUR EARLY COLLEGES AND ACADEMIES.

Bonne Femme Academy - Started in 1829 - First School for Young Ladies established in Columbia by Mrs. Peerce, in 1830 - School Books then in Use -Prof. Guernsey's English and Classical Academy - Bear Creek Academy, by J. Coleman Boggs - Columbia College, the seed from which grew the State University - Columbia Fe- male Academy - Opened in 1834, under Miss Lucy Ann Wales, and closed in 1856.

BONNE FEMME ACADEMY.

One of the most distinguished and reputable institutions of learning in early times in Central Missouri was Bonne Femme Academy. It was situated in a very prosperous and fertile agricultural region, about six miles south of Columbia, on the north bank of the Bonne Femme Creek, from which the Academy derived its name. It was an academy for males, and was first opened for the reception of students on the third Monday of May, 1829, with Warren Woodson as teacher, among whose pupils was Capt. Silas Bent, now a distinguished citizen of St. Louis.

On 25th of April, of that year, the trustees, namely : Mason Moss, William Shields, Robert S. Barr, Anderson McPheters and Sinclair Kirtley, gave notice in the Fayette Intelligencer - for Columbia then had no newspaper - that they wished to employ an instructor to take charge of the institution, on the day above named, " competent to teach reading, writing, arithmetick, grammar, geography, the mathe- maticks, and some of the more ordinary branches of belle lettres." The school house they described as " a very commodious brick building, with two rooms of twenty-two feet square, situated in a healthy, highly moral and very respected neighborhood ; possessing, perhaps, as many advantages for such an institution, and offering as many in- ducements to boarders from a distance, as any in the country. Terms of tuition per year, to consist of two sessions of five and a-half months each : $8 for reading, writing and arithmetick; $12 for grammar, geography, mathematicks, &c., and $18 for the Latin language."

The trustees secured the services of Rev. Robert S. Thomas as principal instructor, and to the course of studies was added rhetoric, logic, composition, declamation, natural and moral philosophy, chem-

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

istry, astronomy and Greek. The trustees announced in an advertis- ment that boarding could be had in respectable families near the academy for $25 per session of five and a half months, " washing, fuel, and candles included," that is, about $1.133/4 per week. Among the pupils of Mr. Thomas were Gen. Bela M. Hughes, now a distin- guished lawyer and politician of Denver, Col., and Mrs. James S. Rollins and Mrs. George C. Pratt, of Columbia.

Mr. Thomas retiring from the charge of the control, the trustees placed it in charge of Prof. Edward Summerfield, an accomplished scholar and apparently a cultured gentleman, but before the end of the collegiate year a cloud obscured his fair name and he left for Texas. He was supposed to be an impostor, whose real name was William Pinkney Hill.

He was succeeded by Prof. Joseph Bowers, of Paris, Mo.

The trustees, William Shields, David M. Hickman, Theodorick Jenkins and John H. Field announced that the October session, 1837, would open in charge of Prof. Oliver Cunningham, a graduate of Western University, Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and that they expected soon to receive a large and well selected library, donated by the late Lucian L. Wilson, formerly of Kentucky.

By an act of the Legislature approved December 27, 1838, the college was incorporated, with Wm. Shields, Overton Harris, Theodorick Jenkins, John H. Field, John Jacobs, Gilpin S. Tuttle and Waller L. Woolfolk as trustees, with power to perpetuate their own body, to purchase lands for its use, and to confer the usual literary degrees.

The fall session for 1839 was opened with Prof. Cunningham still in charge. Trustees : William Shields, Gilpin S. Tuttle, Overton Harris, Th. Jenkins, J. H. Field, D. M. Hickman, W. L. Wool- folk, and Thos. C. Maupin.

The session for the next year, commencing the first Tuesday in November, 1840, opened with Prof. Cunningham, with the addition of Prof. John Roche, of Transylvania University, filling the chair of Greek, Latin and French. Austin Bradford succeeds W. L. Woolfolk on the Board of Trustees.

David S. Lamme appears as one of the trustees in the fall session for 1841, which was opened under Profs. Roche and Cunningham.

Disagreements arising between Profs. Roche and Cunningham and a portion of the trustees, on account of Prof. Roche's intemperate habits, Prof. Roche withdrew from the institution, and resolved to establish an independent school on the Two-mile Prairie, in the neigh-

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

borhood of Capt. Peter Wright and William Robards, to be called the " Classical Institute." This enterprise did not succeed.

Prof. George C. Pratt, who is now (1882) one of the Railroad Commissioners of the State, was elected to fill the chair in Bonne Femme College made vacant by the retirement of Prof. Roche, and continued to occupy it until 1843, when he resigned to accept the chair of Ancient Languages in the State University. Mr. Lynn had charge of the preparatory department.

During the period Profs. Cunningham, Roche and Pratt were in- structors in the college there were, among other pupils, the following : Eld. Winthrop H. Hopson, now a distinguished minister of the Christian Church ; John T. Hughes, author of " Doniphan's Expedi- tion," and who was killed at the battle at Independence, August 11, 1862 ; Frank Hughes, his brother ; Dr. Abner Gore, of Paris ; Joseph S. Hughes, of Richmond; George Parker, of St. Louis; the late Prof. Wm. C. Shields and Miss Mary Barr Jenkins, now the wife of ex-Gov. C. H. Hardin.

In the Columbia Patriot of October 16, 1841, " Visitor" gives an account of the examination and exhibition at the college, from which we make this extract : -

Mr. Win. H. Robinson read a poem on American Independence of a very creditable character, and one that showed that by practice he can write excellent poetry, for the native vein is there. Mr. John T. Hughes spoke a Latin address that gave out much of the Ciceronian tone, and did great credit to the writer.

The beautiful Seine flows not with more majestic fulness and ease by the refined ·capital of the French than Telemachus, Charles XII. and Barbaroux's History of the United States were read by Miss Laura Shields, Mr. James White, of Fayette, Mr. John Chappell and Mr. Jno. T. Hughes.

The Greek language, which unfortunately is not rendered as prominent in most of our Western colleges as its intrinsic merits deserve, was on this occasion splendidly sustained by Mr. J. J. Harvey, of Saline, and Miss Mary B. Jenkins. Mr. Harvey read portions of the Greek Reader selected by a young gentleman, a student of the Univer- sity of Missouri, and analyzed the same in a masterly manner.

Miss Jenkins read parts of the Greek Testament, named at haphazard by a gentle- man in the audience, and went through the labyrinth of the Greek verb, not as by the aid of a borrowed clue, but as if nature had formed her another Ariadne. I was also forcibly struck with the extraordinary ease, the lucid diction, and the inimitable taste with which Miss Jenkins read Cicero.

Most of the compositions of the young gentlemen had to be omitted for want of time. Among those read, that of Mr. Franklin Hughes stood prominent in all the qualities of fine writing. In truth, there are few men of any age, perhaps, in the Union can do more justice with the pen to any subject he handles than this young gentle- man.

I cannot close these hasty remarks without referring to the young ladies' composi-

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

tions. Those of Misses C. Jenkins, M. F. Harris and M. J. Tuttle were, considering the age of the writers, uncommonly fine.

Miss Laura Shields's, " On Imagination " was a piece of exquisite poetry in prose, dressed in "Orient pearls " not "at random flung," but worked by some superior power into a brilliant and dazzling specimen of intellectual mosaic.

Miss Mary B. Jenkins's, " On the Evidences of the Christian Religion " was, as usual with her, incomparable in reasoning, taste and style. To compliment any of her pro- ductions looks like "gilding refined gold, or painting the lily."

FIRST SCHOOL FOR YOUNG LADIES.

Columbia now boasts, and for many years has been proud, of two large colleges for young ladies, the buildings and appliances of either of which no doubt cost more money than every school house in Boone county was worth at the time of the establishment, in the fall of 1830, of the first school for young ladies in Columbia. Mrs. H. T. Peerce established the first female school in the county of Boone, and in an advertisement she issued, March 5, 1831, gave notice of a re- opening of her school, about the 20th of that month, in which she pro- posed to teach " Spelling, Reading, Writing, English Grammar, and Geography, together with plain and ornamental needle work, paint- ing water colors, body colors, and oil." Where was located this humble beginning of the magnificent results which others among us have since achieved in this direction, we do not know ; most probably in one of the rooms of her own residence, which yet stands, a two- story log house, weather boarded, facing north, on the lot occupied by Mr. Loeb's residence.

TEXT-BOOKS IN USE IN COLUMBIA SCHOOL.

Torrey's Primer, Torrey's Pleasing Companion for Little Girls and Boys. Torrey's Moral Instructor and Guide to Virtue. Smiley's Geography, Smiley's Arithmetic, Smiley's United States Speaker. Grimshaw's History of the United States.

COLUMBIA ENGLISH AND CLASSICAL ACADEMY.

Among the early educational institutions of Columbia was one with the above name, established in 1832 by Lyman Guernsey, A. M. : Superintendent, W. M. Kern, assistant. Mr. Guernsey was a man of education and a Christian gentleman, who was highly esteemed by all who knew him, Nevertheless his academy was not a permanent insti- tution. What became of him we are not informed.

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

"BEAR CREEK ACADEMY."

In 1834 J. Coleman Boggs, brother of Lilburn W. Boggs, estab- lished at Bear Creek Church, one mile north of Columbia, a school, which he called " Bear Creek Academy," and in which were taught the usual English branches and book-keeping and surveying. Among his scholars in grammar and geography were Alonzo Richardson, Cornelius and Samuel Maupin, John B. and Younger J. Williams. Trustees of the Academy, Alex. Persinger, Riley Slocum, Andrew Spencer, William Rowland, Wm. Maupin, and Jacob Hover.

COLUMBIA COLLEGE - THE SEED FROM WHICH GREW THE STATE UNIVERSITY.

It can be demonstrated as a historical truth that the seed which finally produced the State University, was planted in Columbia by a public meeting at the Court House, held on Tuesday evening, August 9, 1831, "for the purpose of adopting a plan for the purchasing of a site for a seminary in the town of Columbia, and for the purpose of adopt- ing some measures to have the same improved, by building an academy thereon." Robert S. Barr was chairman, and Austin A. King sec- retary of this meeting, which appointed Robert S. Barr, Oliver Parker and James B. Nichols, a committee to draft a plan and select a site for said building, and to ascertain the probable cost thereof; and to make report to an adjourned meeting to be held on the 19th of August. John B. Gordon, Esq., was announced to speak at the meet- ing on the subject of education.

What this meeting did, if held, we have no means of knowing, for in those days there were not, as now, newspaper editors and reporters on every corner with note-books in hand ready to catch the shadow of everything before the substance flies. The proceedings were not published, but a communication in the Intelligencer of August 27, an- nounces, " with feelings of sincere gratulations and conscious pride," " the liberality manifested by our citizens toward this noble object ; " also the large portion of the sum required to erect the building for " The College " had been subscribed and that the balance would be obtained in a few days. Forecasting the future with the truth of pro- phesy this correspondent maintained that " this institution will be productive of more and greater direct, positive advantages to the town and county generally than any other public institution that could be established here with the same amount of money and labor. In

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a pecuniary point of view, it will be advantageous by enhancing the value of other property and by affording to parents all the facilities for giving their children as good an education at home as can be obtained by sending them abroad, and at a cost greatly diminished."

Continuing he says : " In reference to the collateral, remote and contingent beneficial consequences that may result from this institu -. tion to this county, this State, the United States, and to the world at large, in this and throughout all future ages, I have but little to say. The character and degree of influence that may be exercised by it on human society can not be calculated or easily conjectured."

Those who will take the trouble to note the progress of events and to mark the consequences which have resulted to the people of this county from the establishment of this institution of learning will be curious to know the name of "A Friend to Education " who thus early in the history of our institutions of learning gave evidence of such truly prophetic philosophy.

In a subsequent number of the Intelligencer (Sept. 10, 1831), " Philomathia " presented, among others, the pecuniary advan- tages of " The College " to the people of Boone county, and for the first time reminded them of the fact that the day was not distant when subject of the establishment of "a State college" (as he calls it) would be agitating the Legislature ; and that he had every reason to believe it would be located in that village, centrally located, " where the solicitude and anxiety has been manifested in the cause of litera- ture." He also exhorted our people to use " every honorable exer- tion to fix the location of the State College in Columbia, which would not only add to our peace and pleasure at home, but to our dignity and respectability abroad." " Philomathiæ " is another prophet.

To show that the pecuniary advantages of the location or establish- ment of a literary institution in Columbia would be immense, he main- tains that it would be safe to say " there are in Boone County thirty parents who will give at least one son each a liberal education," which it would take five years to acquire. Estimating that each student would spend, for tuition, board, etc., three hundred dollars, makes the aggregate of the thirty-nine thousand per year. This sum, he maintains, would be saved yearly by the college at home. He also maintains that such an institution would be patronized by at least seventy young men from a distance, who would annually expend in our midst three hundred dollars each, or twenty-one thousand dollars in the aggregate.

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

Such arguments evidently had their influence upon the public mind, for on the 17th March, 1832, a building committee, composed of War- ren Woodson, James H. Bennett, Oliver Parker, James B. Nichols and Sinclair Kirtley, gave notice to mechanics that separate written propositions to do the stone, brick, and carpenter's work of the col- lege building, to be erected at this place, would be received until the 24th of that month.

The erection of the building was let pursuant to this notice - to whom we are not informed - and completed as speedily as possible. It was of brick, sixty feet front, twenty-six feet deep, two stories high, and divided into suitable rooms for a college. It occupied a most beautiful and elevated site in the southwestern suburbs of the town, and is the same building now occupied as a residence by Rev. R. F. Babb. Columbia College was chartered by the General Assembly

-, 1833, and the following gentlemen named in the act as trus- tees thereof : Robert S. Barr, A. W. Rollins, Richard Gentry, Warren Woodson, Thos. W. Conyers, Wm. P. Cochran, James W. Moss, Wm. Cornelius, Oliver Parker, David S. Lamme, John B.Gordon, David Todd, and Sinclair Kirtley, who held their first meeting in Capt. Samuel Wall's tavern, on the first Monday of May, 1833. At this meeting Dr. Anthony W. Rollins was elected President of the Board, and committees were appointed to receive reports in relation to the college building, and to secure a deed of conveyance to the property. There being a want of funds necessary to pay off a small deficit that had accrued to finish the building, the President announced that one thousand dollars would effect this object, " and place the present beautiful edifice in a situa- tion for the reception of professors and the accommodation of from one hundred and fifty to two hundred pupils." With a view of rais- ing this deficit, a public meeting was called at the court-house on the fourth Monday in June, and John B. Gordon and Sinclair Kertley were requested to address the meeting.

The grounds were bought and paid for and the building completed, and on the first Monday in November, 1834, the first regular session of the institution was opened, under the immediate superintendence of Thomas Miller, a graduate of Indiana College, and who had recently had charge of the Preparatory Department in Transylvania University. The collegiate year consisted of two sessions of five months each. Tuition, $15.00 per session, contingencies included. Applications to be made to Dr. Wm. Jewell, Sinclair Kirtley and Wm. Cornelius. Dr. Jas. W. Moss, who had been elected chairman of the Board of

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History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 20

Author: Publication date: 1882 Publisher: St. Louis, Western Historical Company Number of Pages: 1220

Author:
Publication date: 1882
Publisher: St. Louis, Western Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1220