History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 67

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

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It is worthy of note that, in 1854. Mr. Westbrook spent a few

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months in Mexico, and that in 1856 he made an overland trip to Cali- fornia, where he was engaged in farming and teaching until in Decem- ber, 1859.

Mr. Westbrook has served as a justice of the peace in his township. He is a Democrat in politics and has been a member of the Demo- cratic county committee since 1876. He is a member of the Ashland Baptist church, and belongs to the Ancient Order United Work- men and the Good Templars.

DR. HENRY W. WHIPPLE.

Dr. Henry W. Whipple is a native of Illinois, having been born in Alton, April 12th, 1842. He is the son of P. B. and Elizabeth (Williams) Whipple. Was educated at Sedgwick Institute, Great Barrington, Berkshire county, Massachusetts. Graduated in the scientific department of that institution in 1862. Came back to Alton, and, in August following, joined company G Ninety-seventh Illi- nois volunteers. Was at Chickasaw Bluffs, Fort Hindman, Port Gib- son, Raymond, Champion Hills, Black River Bridge, Vicksburg and Jackson. Afterwards was in the hospital department, where he re- mained most of the time until the close of the war. Returning to Ill- inois, he settled on a farm which his father had given him at Mont- gomery. Went to farming and practicing in that vicinity, but having been wounded during the war by a piece of shell, which struck his knee, he was compelled to give up farming, as the labors incident to farm life aggravated the wound and gave him much pain. During his stay at Montgomery, he was elected a justice of the peace. He at- tended a course of lectures at St. Louis Medical College, but did not graduate. Moved from Illinois to Bates county, Missouri, where he went into the drug business. His brother was with him in the busi- ness and practiced medicine during the four years spent in that county. The subject of this sketch also practiced, but not steadily. Dr. Whipple next went to Madison county, Arkansas, where he prac- ticed his profession for a few months, and from there he came to Boone, settling at Burlington, where he has remained ever since. Was married, April 12th, 1866, to Margaret L., daughter of C. F. and Catharine]Powers, of Michigan. Have one son, Henry F. The doctor is a member of the Methodist church, also of the United Workmen. The Whipples trace their origin back into the remote past. One of the family signed the Declaration of Independence. The doctor has a good practice and is doing well.

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

ISAAC MILTON WILCOX.

The grandfather of Isaac M. Wilcox was born in Kentucky, but. was one among the earliest settlers of Boone county, Missouri. His son David, father of the subject of this sketch, was born and raised in Boone. He moved to Holt county, Missouri, in 1852, but returned in 1861, and remained a citizen of this county until his death, which occurred at his home, near Claysville. Isaac M. Wilcox was born in Boone county, December 7th, 1849. His mother, Martha (Blythe) Wilcox, was born in Kentucky. . The subject of this sketch was raised on the farmn. In early life he learned the trade of tobacco-rolling, but did not follow it long. Married March 29th, 1870, Elizabeth, daugh- ter of Shelton A. and Martha Carter. They have three children : Arthur Tarleton, Mittie Dewel and Verdia Alice. Mr. Wilcox's early education was limited, and his patrimony was even more so. All his possessions have been earned by his own exertions since commencing life on his own account. In 1873 he was engaged as a guard in the penitentiary, at Jefferson City, but had to give up the position on ac- count of sickness. For about two years he was engaged in the mer- cantile business at Claysville, with P. H. McKenna. They sold out in the spring of 1882, to Wooley & Loux, who are, at this writing, conducting the business at the old stand. Mr. and Mrs. Wilcox are members of the Baptist church.

JAMES L. WILCOX.

James Libern Wilcox is the son of Isaac N. and S. A. Wilcox. His father was a prominent Kentucky farmer, and his mother was the daughter of John Clinkenbeard, of Bourbon county, in that State. J. L. Wilcox was born in Holt county, Missouri, December 15, 1855. He was the fourth child of a family of three boys and two girls, all of whom are now living. When he was three years of age his father died, and six years later he removed with his mother to Nebraska City, then a live trading and outfitting town of 3,000 inhabitants. Here he lived until 1875, having attended school three months in the meanwhile and served an apprenticeship in the printing office of the Nebraska City Daily and Weekly Chronicle, working from 1868 to 1871. He then worked about a year on the Daily Press. In 1873, in company with five other printers, he reestablished the old Daily and Weekly Chronicle, which had an existence of about six months. In the fall of '73 he went to Omaha, and soon afterwards to Lincoln,

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where he and four others organized a company and published a daily paper, in the interest of the temperance crusade, called the Capital News, which ran a short but brilliant career of three weeks, the " fighting editor" (subject of this sketch) being three times called into requisition during that brief period. He then worked for the State Journal Company for six months, after which he visited his old home, Nebraska City, and did job work for the different offices of that city till April, 1875. Going thence to Hamburg, Iowa, he as- sisted W. A. Fulmer in the publication of the Hamburg Democrat, and during the campaign of 1876, was able to do some good work for the Democracy. His next editorial venture was in Boone county, Mis- souri, in January, 1877, he, on the invitation of the business men of Ashland, accepting editorial control of a Democratic paper called the Ashland Bugle, publishing it as a weekly paper. He succeeded in securing it a. good subscription list, and started the paper on a sub- stantial basis, issuing the first number on April 13, 1877. The paper is still published by him, and enjoys an increasing patronage and in- fluence.

Mr. Wilcox married in Ashland, September 14, 1881, his wife be- ing Mary R., daughter of Samuel Nichols an old resident of Boone.

He became a member of the Baptist church at Nebraska City, and of the I. O. O. F. in Hamburg, and is a charter member of Ashland Lodge, K. of P.

JUDGE HAIL T. WRIGHT.

Hail Talbot Wright is the son of Fletcher Wright, a native of Ten- nessee, but a resident of Boone county from 1818 up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1851. His mother, Sophia Talbot, was a native of Kentucky. Hail was born in the northeast part of Boone county, September 19th, 1831, and came with his parents to this place, where he now lives, in 1836. He is the oldest of a family of two sons and two daughters, of whom the Judge alone survives. He was edu- .cated at the common schools of the county, and commenced business -for himself as a farmer in 1851, his father having died when he was but thirteen years old, and his mother about four years later. Mr. Wright was married June 13th, 1855, to Miss Mary Elizabeth, daughter of L L. Lindsey, of Boone county. They have one son and three daughters, all of whom are alive at this writing.

Judge Wright was elected to the office of county justice, and served the people in that capacity for four years. He is now actively en- gaged in agricultural pursuits and in stock raising. He is a member

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

of the Ashland Lodge of A. F. and A. M .; also a member of the Ashland Lodge of A. O. U. W.

A. C. YOUNG.

Ambrose Crockett Young is the son of Edward and Frances ( Gray ) Young, both natives of Virginia. They emigrated in early life to Kentucky, where they were married, removing from that State to Missouri in 1831, settling on a farm near Ashland, in Boone county, where he died in 1864, at the advanced age of ninety-two years and six months. His wife died in 1852. Ambrose was born on his father's farm, in Clark county, Kentucky, February 1st, 1825. He was the youngest of a family of five sons and seven daughters, of whom two sons and three daughters are now living, all but one in Boone county. He came with his parents to this county in 1831, and settled on the farm where he now resides. Was educated at the Bonne Femme Academy and the University of Missouri. He has al- ways resided on the old home place, a farm of 500 acres of excellent land finely improved. It is situated on the Jefferson City and Co- lumbia gravel road, four and one-half miles north of Ashland and nine miles south of Columbia.

CHAPTER XVII.

CENTRALIA TOWNSHIP.

Position and Description - Early Settlements - Organization - Miscellaneous - Union Church-The Town of Centralia - Early History - The "Eldorado Hotel " - The "Firsts " - The Fire of 1860- A Chase for a Bonnet - War -The First Federal Troops - Bill Anderson's Visit - Burning of Sneed's Store and Hotel by Federal Militia - Capt. Bryson's Capture of the Train at the Water Tank - When the Cruel War was Over - Incorporation - The Fires of 1868 and 1872 - Building of the C. & A. Railroad - Town Officers - Public School - Newspapers - Killing of Jo. Collier - Secret Orders - Churches - Biographies of Old Settlers and Prominent Citizens of Centralia Township.

POSITION AND DESCRIPTION.

This is the latest formed and the smallest township in area in Boone county, yet it is by no means the most insignificant in every partic- ular, containing, as it does, the second town and some of the best territory in the county. The northern part of the township is com-

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

posed chiefly of prairie ; the southern part of timber. Silvers' Fork of the Perche rises in this township, in the south central part, flowing westwardly, and Young's Creek skirts the eastern border. There are some very fine farms in the township, notably those of J. D. Garrard,1 W. J. Booth, J. M. Angell, S. Bryson and W. R. McBride. The township contains but 30 entire sections of land, in Congressional township 51, range 11 west. The eastern row of sections, viz., 1, 12, 13, 24, 25 and 36, being in Audrain county.

EARLY SETTLEMENTS.

The first settlements in what is now Centralia township, were made by "Rudy " (Rudolph) March, Wm. Sexton, Peter Stice and Thomas Sexton, who moved in from Howard county and settled in the southwestern part of the township, along a small branch of Silvers' Fork, about the year 1822. All of them were originally from Madison county, Kentucky. In the spring of 1825, Daniel Hunter purchased he farm of Rudy March (sec. 31-51-11), where G. H. Chance now lives, and removed thereto with his family. This was the extreme northern settlement in the county at that time. Mr. Hunter put up the first horse mill in 1836.

Probably the first male child born in the township was Blueford Stice, son of Peter and Elizabeth Stice, whose birth is set down as occurring in 1824. Jane Sexton, daughter of Wm. and Edith Sexton, was born in 1827, being the first female child born within the present boundaries of the township. The first death remembered was that of Thos. Sexton, who was buried at Red Top Church.

It is said that no regular physican located in this township until about the time Centralia town was founded. Dr. A. F. Sneed was probably the first located physician. The name of the first minister to hold religious services cannot now be ascertained, but the first religious organization formed of which there is definite knowledge, was that of Union Church in 1854. (See history. ) The date of the first school, the name of the teacher, etc., have not been learned.

The information concerning the early settlement of Centralia has been obtained from Mrs. Mary Pool, now the oldest living inhabitant of the township. Her first husband was Daniel Hunter, who settled

1 It was on the farm of Mr. Garrard where the battle of Centralia was fought. A gun- barrel, ramrod and some bayonets plowed up in the field in the spring of 1882, and supposed to have belonged to the Federals, were presented to the writer by Mr G., and are now in possession of the Missouri Historical Society at St. Louis.

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on section 31 in 1825. To this venerable " mother in Israel " the publishers desire to return grateful acknowledgments.

The first school in the township was taught by Rice Jones, in a private house, in the year 1842. The first school house was built in 1845 by Lewis Roberts, and stood about two and a half miles south of Centralia. It was a log house, and cost about $100.

ORGANIZATION.

Until in 1874, the territory now comprising Centralia township was embraced in Bourbon township. Upon the 'laying out of Centralia, that town was made a voting precinct, and so continued for many years. Ineffectual efforts were made to form a new township from time to time, some of the people wishing to defer the matter until it was settled whether or not "Rollins County " would be formed, in order that it might be settled what territory should comprise the township.

At last, on June 20, 1874, the county court made and entered of record the following order : -

In the matter of the division of Bourbon municipal township, in Boone county, and the establishment of Centralia municipal township: Now, on this day, a large number of the legal voters resident within Bourbon township came by their attorneys and filed their petition, praying the court to divide Bourbon township and establish Centralia municipal township; and upon a full hearing of the case, the application and the proofs, the court doth order and adjudge - A municipal township, to be known as Centralia township, is hereby created and established. with the metes and bounds as follows, to wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of section 31, in township 51, range 11; running thence north on the range line to the north boundary of Bourbon township; thence along the north boundary aforesaid to the northeast corner of section 2, township 51, range 11; thence south with the division line between Boone and Audrain counties to the southeast corner of section 35, township 51, range 11; thence west to the place of beginning. (Record "S," page 475 Co. Ct. Recs.)

Since that period the people of the township have gone smoothly along in their ways, secure in their autonomy and proud of the privilege of self-government.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The war history of Centralia township may be summarized : The majority of the people were Confederates; a number, however, sided with the Union and fought for it. The Confederates recruited pretty extensively ; the Union troops made numerous raids after them. The Federal militia " made it hot" for the secessionists, and both sides fed off and, in some instances, maltreated the citizens. The remarkable Centralia massacre, and the bloody affair between Todd's

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

guerrillas and Johnson's Federals occurred in this township, a full account of which may be found elsewhere.

There are some excellent schools in the township, and as a rule the people are intelligent and educated. Quite a number of families from Illinois and other Northern States have come in since the war, and aided very materially in the development of the country.

UNION (CHRISTIAN ) CHURCH

Was organized in 1854, and James Bruton was the first elder. Among the early members were James Jennings, Jesse Roberts, James Williams and C. C. Bush.

The first building used by the congregation as a place of worship was an old log school house. They erected a large frame in 1868, in which they have regular monthly meetings. They have a Sunday school, and their membership is large, and both church and Sabbath school is in fine working order.

THE TOWN OF CENTRALIA.

The town of Centralia was laid out in February, 1857, by a company of which Hon. J. S. Rollins, Col. M. G. Singleton, Thos. January, and others were members .. It was designed as a railroad station, and only founded upon the certainty of the completion of the North Mis- souri Railroad to the locality. The town was named by the proprie- tors from its central position on the old North Missouri line of railway. from St. Louis to Ottumwa, Iowa. The plat was recorded in May, 1857, by Col. Middleton G. Singleton, and showed that the town was located on the south half of the north half of the southwest quarter and the south half of the southwest quarter of section 10, and the north half of the northwest quarter of section 15, township 51, range 11.

The first public sale of lots was in May, 1857. Prices ranged from twenty, to one hundred dollars per lot. No immediate improvements were made, however, and for months things went on as they were wont to go. The grass grew, the flowers bloomed, and the rank vege- tation was untrod where now is the busy, bustling town. Not until. the following winter was the first house in the place erected - a large, two-story frame, 20x60 feet, built by Tinsley, Elston & Co., and oc- cupied by them as a dry goods and grocery store. It stood on lot 1, block 23. At the time of the completion of this building the railroad

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had not been completed to that point, and the stock of goods was hauled from Mexico. The next building was the Eldorado Hotel, a single-story structure of four rooms, still standing with this inscription, much faded and nearly obliterated, on its front : " Eldorado Hotel, by J. J. Collier." As an inducement to build this structure, Col. Single- ton gave Mr. Collier two lots, and " Uncle Jo," for a long time there- after was known far and near as the "mine host" of the Collier House, as many of its patrons named the hostelry. Other houses gradually went up, and in 1859 there were twenty-five dwelling houses, two stores and a saloon. The North Missouri Railroad was now finished to the place and Centralia became, not an experiment, but an estab- lished fact, owing its existence to the existence of the railroad. An additional store house and another saloon went up. The former was managed by R. S. and G. W. Tinsley ; the latter was " run " by W. D. Collier. In the meantime the first store had been closed out and M. V. Singleton became the purchaser of the building, which was af- terward occupied by T. S. Sneed and M. G. Singleton with a stock of general merchandise. The latter afterward sold his interest.

In the spring of 1860 the first fire occurred. Both stores and the saloon, with the larger portion of the contents were destroyed. The principal losers were Dr. A. F. Sneed and W. A. Clark, who had bought out Sneed & Singleton a short time previously, and R. S. & G. W. Tinsley, and W. D. Collier. Another hotel, the " Boone House," went up in 1860 and was run by V. A. Bedford. It was af- terwards kept by T. S. Sneed, and this was the building burned in 1864 by the German militia from St. Charles.

The second building was put up in the winter of 1858-9, by Wmn. H. Wade, a blacksmith. In April, 1859, T. S. Sneed built a dwelling and moved to town. He is still a resident and the oldest in the place. Next L. C. Singleton built a dwelling and moved in with his family. This house was afterward a hotel, the " Boone House." In January, 1860, Dr. A. F. Sneed came to town and became the first practicing , physician. He is still a resident and has furnished much infor- mation incorporated in this chapter. These were all of the families in Centralia remembered in 1860.

THE FIRSTS.

The first house built in Centralia was by Tinsley, Elston & Co., a firm composed of R. S. Tinsley, A. M. Elston, M. V. Singleton, and Bruce Ball. It was a store building and occupied as such.

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The first birth was that of a male child of Dr. A. F. and Lavinia Sneed, which was born January 7, 1860. It died 24 hours after birth. Its death was the first in the place.

The first marriage was that of Pleasant M. Pool and Miss Cynthia L. Gorham, May 1, 1864. The ceremony was performed by Rev. James Berry.

The first school house was built in 1860. It was a small frame and cost about $250. It stood on block 23. Miss Minnie Conger taught the first school therein, the same year. She had about twenty schol- ars and received $20 per month for her services. The name of the first minister who officiated and the date when the first religious ser- vices were held are not remembered.

The original cemetery is the one now in use, in the northeast part of town. It was donated by the town company in 1857.

For three years after the railroad station was established there was no depot. In 1861 the first one, a small affair, was built by Thos. S. Sneed. Not long afterward, probably in 1862, the railroad company built another and larger one. This was destroyed by Bill Anderson and his guerillas the time of his raid, and then the present one was built. Thos. S. Sneed was the first agent. T. W. Gantt was the agent at the time of the raid, but was not in town. His assistant, William Rowland, a very popular young man, was killed by the gueril- las the day of the massacre. The particulars will be found on another page.

The railroad was completed to the town in the spring of 1858, and Centralia was for a time nothing but a flag station. There were only three or four houses in the place for a year or two. In 1858 the post- office was established, and Richard S. Tinsley was the first postmaster. The first practicing physician was Dr. A. F. Sneed, originally from Frankfort, Ky., now a resident and active practitioner of the place.

The first mayor was J. H. Fields.

DESTRUCTIVE FIRE IN CENTRALIA.

About 2 o'clock P. M. on Friday, May 11, 1860, the store room of Sneed & Clark, in Centralia, on the North Missouri Railroad, in Boone County, was discovered to be on fire. The fire was in an upper back room, and, from the great scarcity of water in the town, progressed with almost unchecked rapidity until the entire. building and all ad- joining were consumed. Therefore, the store-room and warehouse of Sneed & Clark ; the store-room and warehouse of Tinsley & Elston,

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and the grocery of William Collier were destroyed. These consti- tuted all the business houses in the place. A considerable amount of the merchandise of Sneed & Clark and Tinsley and Elston was saved, but much of it lost - how much has not been learned. The store- room and warehouse of Sneed & Clark were owned by Singleton & Ball, and were insured in the Boone County Home Mutual for $1,200. That company also had $2,500 on the goods. of Sneed & Clark, and $1,400 on the goods of Tinsley & Elston's predecessors, R. S. & G. W. Tinsley. T. & E. had $6,600 in the Home Insurance Com- pany, New York, J. S. Dorsey, Columbia, agent. No insurance on the grocery. The post-office was kept by Tinsley & Elston, and was also burned, with all its contents, including all the copies of the Statesman of the previous week for the east and west.

The impression is pretty general that the fire was the work of an incendiary.

BONNET CHASE ON THE PRAIRIE.

In August, 1860, an amusing incident came off at Centralia, which it is proper should be recorded for the benefit of present and future generations. A correspondent of one of the county papers gave the following account at the time : -

A citizen of Boone, accompanied by his wife, came to Centralia for the purpose of mak- ing purchases at one of the stores in that place. Among other articles, a large straw bon- net struck the fancy of our hero; and, although scoop-shaped and of the balloon order, and therefore rather out of time, buy it he would and buy it he did. Leaving the store for home, bonnet in hand, he encountered a lively prairie wind (for Centralia is in the midst of a prairie), which snatched the bonnet from his grasp and blew it rapidly from him. He started in pursuit, leaping over boxes, piles of lumber and the railroad track. But the bonnet flew upon the wings of the wind, while our hero only flew upon a pair of short legs and heavy brogans. On they went across the prairie, the bonnet careering over the parched grass, our hero making it crack under his feet. Up, over, down-first in mid-air and then on the ground - rapidly sailed the bonnet, while its pursuer bounded like a two-legged antelope, or a boy after a butterfly. At four o'clock in the evening the bonnet and pursuer passed Skull Lick in Audrain county, two or three miles from Centralia, the bonnet ahead and our hero still after it, with his tongue out.

WAR TIMES.

Up to the breaking out of the civil war, the progress of the place was very slow ; afterwards, still slower. When the war began there were about a dozen houses, and not more than two or three structures of any sort went up until after the incident under the Appomattox apple tree. The neighborhood was Southern in sentiment and the. majority of the people were disposed to act on the aggressive against the Federals almost from the start.

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Col. M. G. Singleton had a battalion in the Missouri State Guards, in which his brother-in-law, Capt. F. B. Fullenwider, had a company. These gentlemen were from near Centralia, and many of their men were from the vicinity. Capt. G. W. Bryson, also of the neighbor- hood, had a company of Confederates. A few men from what is now Centralia township took service under the United States ..

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History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 67

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