History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 77

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

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ALEXANDER F. STEPHENS.

The subject of this sketch is the son of John L. and Mary (Sams) Stephens, and was born August 5th, 1828, in Garrard county, Ken- tucky. His father and mother were married in Virginia, in 1806, and emigrated to Kentucky some years after. In 1838 they again turned their faces to the Great West, and settled in Boone county, Missouri, and in 1839 they removed to the place upon which Alexander F. now lives, just one mile south of the place they first settled. John L. died February 3d, 1863, at the age of 83, and his wife died August 2d, 1877. They are buried at Cedar Church, Callaway county, Missouri. They had eleven children, seven boys and four girls. Rice, Elizabeth, James, Nancy, Sarah W., Eliza G., John L., Wm. P., Lucy A., Alexander F. and James H., only three of whom are living ; Eliza G., is living in Jasper County, Missouri, James H., at Centralia, this county, and our subject, Alexander. Mr. Stephens was educated at Boonesboro, and at Cedar Hill Academy. In 1849 he went to California, and returned to Boone county in 1851. He has a fine farm of four hundred and eleven acres. Cedar creek forms his eastern boundary line, being also the county line between Boone and Callaway counties. In 1862 Mr. Stephens had twenty- five acres of corn which made twenty-four barrels per acre. Mr. Stephens relates that when he was thirteen or fourteen years of age he saw his father have twenty-six half dollars in silver. He asked his father to let him have them, saying, after his father had placed the money in his hands, " If this was mine I would never need any more money

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

as long as I live." To him it seemed a fortune. His ideas of wealth have changed very materially since then, forty years ago, for he now pays taxes to the amount of one hundred and ninety dollars each year. Mr. Stephens lives just nine miles due east of Columbia.

CHARLES Y. TRICE, JR.

The subject of this sketch has not been a citizen of Boone county but a few years, yet, notwithstanding this fact, he is already more thoroughly identified with the business interests of the county than many of the oldest citizens. Possessing remarkable energy, good judgment, and affable manners, he has succeeded in building up a business, and in much less time than it usually takes to accomplish such important results. Mr. Trice was born in DeKalb county, Missouri, October 28th, 1853, and came to Boone county in 1877. He first located in Rocheport, where he remained for three years. From Rocheport he removed to his present home on the grounds of his nursery, three-fourths of a mile north of town. He was married November 19th, 1878, to a daughter of Alfred R. Steele. He is manager and senior proprietor of the nursery farm of Trice Brothers & Co., also general agent for all sorts of nursery stock. They have forty acres in nursery, surrounded by a beautiful hedge of osage orange. In addition to young stock, they have 3,000 apple trees just beginning to bear. This orchard covers twenty acres. They have a plum orchard of seventy-five trees and a pear orchard of 150. The nursery grounds have a natural slope in all directions, affording natural drainage, which adds greatly to the fertility of the soil as well as to the beauty of the place. They have a general as- sortment of nursery stock, including shrubbery, evergreens, roses, etc. Mr. Trice also owns a cattle ranche in Butler county, Kansas.

CHARLES R. TURNER.

The subject of this sketch was born upon the farm where he now lives, on the 11th day of July, 1853. His father, Wm. Turner, was born June 6th, 1829, and died in Santa Fe, New Mexico, May 26th, 1880. A. W. Turner, the father of William, and grandfather of Charles R., moved from Madison county, Kentucky, to Columbia, Boone county, Missouri, about 1832, when William was three or four years old. He practiced law in Columbia for some time and then bought a farm on Bear creek, where he spent the rest of his days. He and his wife are buried upon the old Turner homestead in the

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family burying-ground. Wm. Turner was married March 25th, 1852, to Miss C. F. McLean, whose father was the first Baptist preacher in Missouri. She was born and reared in Boone county, Missouri. Her parents were natives of Kentucky. By their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Turner had two children, Charles R. and Matilda, who died May 18th, 1875, and is buried beside her father in the family graveyard. Wm. Turner was a member of the Christian church, and a member of the Masonic lodge at Hickory Grove. He went out to New Mexico to restore his failing health. The trip failed to benefit him. He died at Santa Fe, New Mexico, on the 26th of May, 1880. Charles R., the only surviving child, is living upon the old homestead. He at- tended the State University two years after receiving a good common school education. He was reared upon the farm, and when he reached manhood chose farming as his occupation. He handles stock, princi- pally cattle, and his chief crop is corn. He has a magnificent farm of seven hundred and twenty acres in a high state of cultivation. His house is near the center of section 29, township 49, and range 11. He was married December 14, 1881, to Miss Belle Rogers, daughter of James and Lizzie (Philips) Rogers, of this county. He is a member of the Odd Fellows lodge at Columbia, and withal is an affable, enterpris- ing young gentleman.

I. C. VIVION.

Irvin C. Vivion was born in Boone county, Missouri, on the farm settled by his parents, nine miles southeast of Columbia, on the Colum- bia and Cedar Creek gravel road. He was educated partly in Boone county, finishing his studies at Westminster College, Fulton, Missouri. After completing his studies he returned to his farm in Boone county. He was married January 24th, 1865, to Mollie, daughter of Robert and Nancy B. Wallace, of Bourbon county, Kentucky. Seven chil- dren were born to them, three sons and four daughters. Two sons are dead. Mr. Vivion is a practical farmer and a dealer in cattle. He owns 540 acres of excellent land, well situated and in a high state of cultivation. Mr. Vivion's parents, John G. and Rebecca Robnett Vivion, emigrated to Boone county in the fall of 1825.

WILLIAM LITTLETON VICTOR.

William L. Victor was born in Nicholson county, Kentucky, August 19th, 1818. He is the son of William and Eleanor Victor, and was educated in his native State. Coming to Boone county, Missouri, in the fall of 1845, he settled on a farm five miles northeast of Columbia.

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

Mr. Victor was married February 20th, 1845, to Miss Frances, daughter of Cumberland and Elizabeth Snell, of Paris, Monroe county, Mis- souri. By this union they were blessed with eight children, six daughters and two sons, four of whom are living. Mary F. died No- vember 18th, 1860 ; William W., August 26th, 1869 ; Lee, January 22d, 1872; Elizabeth E., May 22d, 1873. Julia A., Amanda G., Eugenie and Samuel E. are alive at this writing. In 1841 Mr. Victor accepted a situation in the dry goods store of James G. Fox, at Paris, Missouri, with whom he remained two years. He then went to Han- nibal, Missouri, where he assisted in a wholesale and commission store, remaining in that business about one year. Leaving Hannibal, he re- turned to Kentucky. In 1845 - as before stated - he came to Boone county, Missouri, and settled on a farm owned by his wife. Mr. Vic- tor was deputy county collector, under Sheriff Hickman, in 1849-50, returning a delinquent list of but a fraction over $500. He has also officiated as assessor for his district. Was a member of the Masonic order before the dissolution of his lodge years ago, and is also a mem- ber of the Columbia Grange. Is an elder of the Christian church at Antioch. He has held this position since the organization of the church. Mr. Victor owns a fine farm of 570 acres, well watered and well improved. Mr. Victor has resided on this place since 1845. He is largely interested in agriculture. His farm is well calculated for stock raising, being well adapted to the growth of bluegrass. Mrs. Victor died January 25th, 1874, from a hurt received a few days. previous, she having been thrown from a horse while going to church. Mrs. Victor was forty-nine years old at the time of her death.

MAJ. NATHANIEL W. WILSON.

Maj. Wilson is a native of Kentucky, and was born in Mason county, December 29th, 1811. His parents were Augustus N. C, and Caroline R. W. Wilson. Mrs. Wilson was a native of Virginia. She was born in Goochland county in 1792, and removed to Mason county, Kentucky, in 1807. In 1810 she married Dr. Augustus N. C. Wilson, of Maysville, Kentucky. Five years after the death of her husband, which occurred in 1820, she came to Missouri, settling six miles east of Columbia, on the farm of her brother, James W. Wilson. After remaining at this place about three years, she moved to Columbia, where she built a log cabin in what was then the eastern portion of the town, but now the center of the city. Mrs. Wilson was a zealous Presbyterian, a member of the first organization of that name and

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faith in the town of Columbia. She was loved and honored for her hospitality and many Christian virtues. Maj. Wilson came to Missouri with his widowed mother in 1825. His education, which had been commenced in Kentucky, was finished at Bonne Femme Academy, under the instructions of Rev. Robert S. Thomas. Before completing his studies, however, he went to Old Franklin, then a flourishing town in Howard county, Missouri, opposite Boonville, in Cooper county, where he assisted Mr. David S. Lamb in the mercan- tile business. Returning to Boone county after a brief absence, he resumed his studies under Mr. Thomas, remaining at the academy about two years. Having completed his education, he returned to his former place in the store. In 1828 one of the firm removed to Columbia, and Mr. Williamson came with him. In 1829 Mr. Wilson and his brother, Josiah W. Wilson, formed a partnership with Robert S. Barr, for the purpose of engaging in the general mercantile business. In 1832 he sold out his interest in the business, and enlisted for the Blackhawk war, under Capt. Sinclair Kirtley. After serving two months he was honorably discharged, and returned to his home in Boone county. His next business venture was a partnership with his brother-in-law, Caleb S. Stone, father of the present sheriff of Boone county. They engaged in the mercantile business at Columbia. The firm remained intact till 1852, when Mr. Wilson sold his interest to John H. Field. On quitting the store, Mr. Wilson removed to the farm where he now resides, two and a half miles southwest of Columbia. Previous to the war, and for some time after the struggle commenced, Maj. Wilson was a Union man, and might have remained such but for persecutions of the Federal soldiers. He lost heavily by the war, being largely interested in slave property. At the close of the struggle he had nothing but his farm. He did not fold his arms in despair, however, but went bravely to work to retrieve his shattered fortunes. His fine farm of 320 acres has been made to blossom like the rose. He has one of the largest orchards in the county, numbering nearly one thousand fruit trees. His mansion is centrally located, overlooking his farm. Surrounding his residence are many beautiful evergreens and forest trees, presenting to the eye a scene of rare beauty. Maj. Wilson has always taken an active part in all public enterprises, especially such as were calculated to promote the educational interests of the people of his own county. He was at one time treasurer and trustee of the Columbia college, which formed the nucleus of the State University.

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

He also assisted in building up the Columbia Female Academy. He has always taken an active part in the management of the Boone County Agricultural and Mechanical Association. He was seventy years old on the 29th of December, 1881. Maj. Wilson was first married in 1837 to Miss Mary J., daughter of James and Catherine Stone, of Richmond, Kentucky. Mrs. Wilson lived but one year and a half after her marriage. In 184- he was again married. His second wife was Mary Ann Burnam, of Richmond, Kentucky, sister of John F. Burnam, formerly of Columbia, now of Raton, New Mexico, also Eld. E. H. Burnam, of St. Louis, and Maj. C. F. Burnam, of Richmond, Kentucky, a distinguished lawyer and former assistant-secretary of the United States Treasury.

JOHN FREDERICK WILKINSON.

This gentleman, one of the leading agriculturists of the county, was born in Charlotte county, Virginia, December 9th, 1834. His parents were Samuel and Martha (Cook) Wilkinson, who moved from Virginia to the neighborhood of Jefferson City, Missouri. From there John Frederick went to Franklin county, this State, where he lived till he was 21 years old. He then moved to Morgan county, and after remaining three years, went to Warren county, where he continued seven years. Returning to Franklin county, he came from there to Boone county in 1868. His education was received chiefly in Washington, Franklin county, and he was married September 1st, 1868, to Miss Sarah C., daughter of Anderson and Elizabeth Burges. Four sons and three daughters have been born of this union : John W., Anderson B., Martha E., Arthur E., Alice M., Carrie A., and Hugh. Mr. Wilkinson has been a farmer all his life. He owns a very excellent farm of 226 acres, with fine improvements, and a good supply of timber and water, situated five miles east of Columbia, on the St. Charles road. His place is indeed a model farm, and there are few better appointed places anywhere. He also owns 160 acres one and a half miles south of his homestead, and a fine farm of 252 acres in Henry county, this State. All the improvements on his place have been made within the last fourteen years. Mr Wilkinson is a self- made man in every sense of the term, and had the pluck and energy to acquire the nucleus of his present fortune by chopping and selling cordwood to the Missouri river steamers. Mr. Wilkinson and his son, John W., belong to the Methodist church, in which the former is steward. Mrs. Wilkinson also belongs to the same church.

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

BENJAMIN S. WILSON.

The subject of this sketch is a son of William S. and Matilda ( Hearn) Wilson, and was born in Woodford county, Kentucky, May 24th, 1857. His father was a native of Kentucky, born in 1831, and died in 1861. His mother was born in 1832, and died in 1868, in Adams county, Illinois, to which State she, and her only child, Ben- jamin, had removed in 1866. They were members of the Episcopal Church. Benjamin S. came to Boone county, Missouri, in April, 1874, and bought a farm of 170 acres, ten miles northeast of Columbia, and five miles east of Brown's Station. He received his education in Illinois. He was married January 24th, 1876, to Miss Etta Lee, daughter of W. H. and Elizabeth (Skinner) Winn, of this county. Both himself and wife are members of the Missionary Baptist Church at Grandview. Mr. Wilson is a worthy member of the Masonic Lodge No. 81, of Hickory Grove. He is one of the most enterprising young men of Boone county, taking an active part in the politics of his county. In 1882 he entered the race for the assessorship, but was compelled to withdraw in the middle of the campaign by reason of a severe illness, which prevented his continuing. the canvass. Such men as he are the country's life-blood and hope in the years to come.

L. E. WRIGHT.

This gentleman was born in Boone county, Missouri, in 1838. He is the son of James K. and Myra Wright. His father was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, May 28, 1809. He came to Boone county in the fall of 1826, and settled upon the Two-mile prairie. He was married in Columbia in 1836, to Miss Mira J., daughter of Peter and Jeannette E. Wright. Mrs. Wright was born March 17, 1815. They had six children, four boys and two girls, only two of whom are now living, L. E., and Paul M., both in Boone county. The Wrights were among the earliest settlers of the county, when the Indians were yet lurking in the forests, and were ready to toma- hawk their unwary foes. L. E. Wright was married, November 30, 1865 to Miss Kate E. Turner, daughter of Barney and Mary Turner of Boone county. She was born in Kentucky, but came with her parents to Missouri some years before. They are blessed with three children. Peter, Myra and Mary. Mr. and Mrs. Wright are members of the Christian church at Oakland, and he is a worthy member of the Odd Fellows lodge. His residence is five and one-half miles northeast of

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Columbia. Mr. Wright has quite a curiosity in an old atlas published in 1809 by Matthew Carey. It was bought by his grandfather, William Wright, the price paid being ten dollars. He has also quite a collec- tion of very old letters. One was written by his grandfather from St. Charles, he being a member of the legislature there at that time. It was to his wife and was directed to " Mrs. Jane Wright, Two-Mile Prairie, Boone County, Missouri, to be left at Maj. Estill's house between Fayette and Boonville." This will give the readers of this sketch an idea of the mail facilities in Boone in those early days. In the letter was a profile of the writer himself, cut out of a piece of white paper, and a piece of black satin placed behind it. Mr. Wright is a farmer and an extensive dealer in stock. His father James K. Wright was engaged in the mercantile business all his life.

GEORGE M. WRIGHT.

The subject of this sketch was born in Boone county, Missouri, April 3d, 1839. He was the son of Wesley and Polly (Potts ) Wright and was born upon the farm where he is now living. His father, Wesley Wright was born within five miles of Nashville, Tennessee, and came with his parents to Boone county, Missouri, in 1819, where he lived until 1850, when he went to California. He died on his way home and was buried at Cape Girardeau, Mo., in 1852. Mrs. Wright, the mother of George M., was born in West Tennessee, in 1808, and came to Boone county, Missouri, when she was eight years of age. She died in 1879, and is buried at Hickory Grove church. George M. Wright was thrown upon his own resources when quite a child, and right manfully did he fight the battle of life. He went to school dur- ing the winter months, and in summer he worked to earn money for the next winter's schooling. He afterwards went two terms of nine months each, to Professors Hurt and M. G. Duncan, of Mexico, Audrain county, Mo., taking a very liberal course, but declining health prevented his graduating as he had intended. He lived with and took care of his mother, more especially after the negroes were freed. When the war broke out he espoused the cause of the Con- federacy and joined Capt. Nimrod Norton's company, Clark's brigade. He was in the battles of Boonville, " Fulton Races," Lone Jack, Pea Ridge, Drywood, Cane Hill, Helena, Independence and many skir- mishes. Under Gen. Joe Shelby, he was in several days continued fight- ing near Little Rock, Arkansas, fighting Gen. Steele's division U. S. troops. Mr. Wright was commissioned an officer to rank as Colonel,

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to raise a regiment in Missouri during Shelby's last raid, but the sur- render of Lee in the following spring put an end to the war, and Col. Wright was mustered out and surrendered to Capt. Cook. He re- turned home without a dollar and went to work upon the old place. He was married September 16th, 1868, to Miss Minerva, daughter of Garland Sims, Esq. By this union they have six children, Garland Sims, Lena, Elizabeth, Wesley, George Walter and Ancil. The year he was married he moved to Audrain county, and lived there until the spring of 1879, when he moved back upon the old place. His house is on the north-east quarter of section 16, township 49, range 11, and his farm contains two hundred and seventy acres. Mr. Wright is an energetic, active business man, enjoying the confidence of all who know him.

ANDREW D. WRIGHT.

Andrew D. Wright was born in Botetourt county, Virginia, Novem- ber 24th, 1823. He is the son of Peter and Sallie ( Persinger ) Wright who emigrated to Boone county, Missouri, in the fall of 1825. They settled on the farm now owned and occupied by the subject of this sketch, five miles north of Columbia. Mr. Wright was brought up on the farm and educated at the public schools in the neighborhood of his home. He was married January 2d, 1853. He is the father of six children, one son and five daughters : Ella L. (deceased), Mary A., Alexander P., Varina D., Anna V. and Sallie L. (deceased). Mr. Wright has followed farming all his life, and has lived on the farm he now occupies for fifty-seven years. When he came to Boone county it was almost a wilderness. There were but ten or fifteen acres of cleared land on the farm now owned and cultivated by Mr. Wright. They were two months on the road in moving from Virginia. The first mill ever established in 'his neighborhood was erected by John Shock and was run by horsepower. The first water-mill on the Hink- son was erected by a man named Hannah. Old Bear Creek church was the first house of worship he ever attended in Boone county. The elder Wright died about the year 1835 and is buried on the old Gray farm. His mother died during the war and was buried by the side of her husband. Mr. Wright was twice married. He had seven children by his first wife and nine by his second. All the children by his first marriage are dead. The sons of the second marriage are all dead, except the subject of this sketch - the daughters are still living. Mr. Wright and his family are all members of the Christian church.

HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

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CHAPTER XIX.

THE CITY OF COLUMBIA.

Early History - General Notes - War Notes -Confederate Raids - Broadway Block House - The Terrible "Tigers " -Business During the War-Death of Warren Woodson - Price's Addition -Stephens College - Christian College - A Walking Statesman - Business Interests - Newspapers - History of the "Herald " - The Pub- lic Schools - Churches - Secret Orders - Biographies of Old Settlers and Prominent Citizens.

EARLY HISTORY.

So much of the early and general history of the city of Columbia is given in other chapters of this volume, that but little is left to be said here. A few additional facts remain to be here stated. The complete history of the city would alone make a large volume, and no attempt will here be made to present it in extenso. Certain matters of importance will be put on record, and many things of interest must perforce be omitted.

FIRST DEEDS.

The land on which the first town plat of Columbia was located was patented by the United States to Anderson Woods in the spring or summer of 1817. November 14, 1818, Anderson Woods and others conveyed the land (the southeast quarter of section 12, township 48, range 13) to Thos. Duly, Gerard Robinson, Taylor Berry, David Todd and Richard Gentry. April 6, 1821, Duly, Robinson, Todd and Gentry, a majority of the board of trustees, con- veyed to Lawrence Bass, David Jackson, John Gray, Jefferson Ful- cher, " commissioners to fix upon and locate a permanent seat of jus- tice in the county of Boone," fifty acres of land, " and other public lots, commons and streets." June 26, 1828, Wm. Jewell, George Sta- pleton, Gerard Robinson and Thomas Story, for a consideration of $615.25, conveyed another portion of the town site to John Grey, Jefferson Fulcher, Lawrence Bass and David Jackson, the commis- sioners of Boone county. This deed of conveyance is still in exist- ence, in the possession of Thomas L. Bass.

In 1822 there were but a few houses in town, mostly one-story log buildings. Among the business men were Chas. Hardin, who kept a tan yard down on Flat Branch ; Sam W. Scott, who had a blacksmith shop on Broadway ; John H. Van Horn, a cabinet maker, and Daniel

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Wilcox, a physician and surgeon. Doubtless there were others whose names cannot now be learned.

In 1823-the number of inhabitants in Columbia was 130 - fourteen more than there were in Boonville at that time. By 1824 Columbia had grown to be a village of considerable size and enterprise. In addition to those heretofore published, stores had been established by Oliver Parker and Robert Hood on the northwest corner of Broadway and Seventh streets, by Robert S. Barr, James I. Tilton and Joseph B. Howard, on the northeast corner of Broadway and Eighth streets, and the first brick store had been built by Richard Estes, on the southeast corner of Broadway and Seventh streets. The only lawyers known to have resided here at that time were A. B. Lane, Samuel Wheeler and Jesse T. Wood, and the only physicians, Doctors William Jewell and Daniel P. Wilcox.

Stephens's sketch says that the first church built in Columbia was the Presbyterian, which was situated on the southwest corner of Sixth and Walnut, and was erected in 1830. Its first pastor was Rev. Wm. P. Cochran. At the same time, however, Methodist and Baptist organizations were in existence and held regular services. The Bap- tist minister was the Rev. Allen McGuire ; the pastor of the Metho- dist church was Rev. John Greenlagh. The first presbytery held in Columbia convened October 4, 1829, Rev. John S. Beel, mod- erator.

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History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 77

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