History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 78

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

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The first temperance society was organized in the spring of 1830. Its officers were Rev. John Greenlagh, president ; James Callaway, treasurer ; Andrew Hannah, auditor ; Rev. Wm. P. Cochran, secre- tary. The organization was auxiliary to the American Temperance Society. At that time the organization found the field white for the harvest. Whisky was a common beverage, and sold under scarcely any restrictions of law. Drunkenness and ruffianism were rife, and there were frequent scenes of disorder and violence. The temper- ance society did much good in the way of reforming divers and sundry drinking men and making good citizens of them.

In 1830 the population of Columbia was about 600. The principal business men were Dr. Alex. M. Robinson, Dr. Jas. H. Benson, James C. Boggs, druggists, and Oliver Parker, Wm. Barr, Joseph B. Howard, A. J. Williams, Moses W. Miller, Jacob Payne, Wm. Cor- nelius and Samuel Stone, proprietors of dry goods, grocery and gen- eral stores. The ministers were Reverends John Greenlagh, Wm. P. Cochran, Christopher Gentry and Allen McGuire, The attorneys

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were W. K. Van Arsdall, B. F. Robinson, Sinclair Kirtley, John B. Gordon, Jesse T. Wood. The physicians were Wm. Jewell, A. M. Robinson, J. H. Bennett and Daniel P. Wilcox. Taverns were kept by E. McClelland, Edward Camplin and Samuel Wall. During this year Gen. Richard Gentry succeeded Chas. Hardin as postmaster. Upon Gen. Gentry's death, in 1837, his wife, Mrs. Ann Gentry, through the personal exertions of Senator Thos. H. Benton, was appointed postmistress, and held the office for many years.

In 1831, in addition to those in business in Columbia in the previous year, there were the following: Attorneys, Calvin L. Perry, Austin A. King (afterward Governor), E. P. Mills and Washington Jenkins ; merchants, Wm. H. White (associated with Win. Cornelius), John Garnett, and Wm. Provines ; saddlers, John Bostick and George Harrison ; jewelers, Shelton Jones and Thomas L. Barrett ; shoe- makers, J. & J. Martin.

In 1839 the State University was located at Columbia, full particu- lars of which event are given in other chapters of this history. From 1835 to the present date no event of historic importance occurred in Columbia, not already noted. Meanwhile the town grew slowly and surely. Those who came to the place, as a rule, were wealthy, cul- tured and refined people, attracted by its educational and kindred advantages, and in consequence Columbia society came to be known as being of the very highest order, and this reputation it has never lost.

During the period from 1847 to 1850 the following were some of the principal citizens of the place : Ministers, Isaac Jones, Robert S. Thomas, Thos. M. Allen, S. S. Church, D. P. Henderson and Paxson ; teachers, John H. Lathrop, W. M. Hudson, Prof. Leffing- well, Geo. C. Pratt, J. D. Perryman, Dr. Litton, Geo. H. Matthews ; attorneys, James S. Rollins, John B. Gordon, Saml. A. Young, A. W. Turner, H. F. Garey, L. W. Robinson; physicians, Wm. H. Duncan, T. R. H. Smith, Wm. Provines, Wm. H. Lee, N. B. Spots- wood, Wm. Jewell, James H. Bennett, H. M. Clarkson, J. W. Goodin, W. P. Thomas. The leading merchants were W. W. Wilson, J. Kirkbride, J. B. Howard, G. G. Schoolfield, R. S. Barr, Moss Prew- itt, John Field, Parsons & Moult, James L. Stephens, R. C. & M. Branham, J. C. Kuykendall, Wm. W. Stone, Townshend Stewart, J. R. Boyce, Alexander Douglass, Wm. H. Bast, S. A. Maupin, Thos. J. Hardin ; tavern-keepers, James Richardson, Mrs. Ann Gentry and Thomas Selby.

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SOME NOTES OF WAR TIMES.

In April, 1861, about three men's hats covered the unconditional Union men of Columbia who had the nerve to proclaim their principles at all times and under all circumstances. Gen. Odon Guitar was the possessor of one of these hats. He avowed himself to be, at all haz- ards, on the side of the Federal Government, against which he de- clared it would be treason to fight. A petition was presented to the county court to appropriate $10,000 to arm the militia of the county to defend the sacred soil of old Boone from Federal invasion. Guitar was county attorney at the time. The court-room was crowded with the friends of the petition, whose attorney made a strong speech, urging the court to make the appropriation. Guitar denounced the scheme as treasonable in the highest degree, mincing no words and polishing no phrases. His speech is declared to have been a most bold and eloquent effort, and one that tended to make many a half-way Union man fully confirmed in his faith. The court refused to make the appropriation.

The merchants of the city kept their powder in a magazine near the court-house. The secessionists concluded to capture it. The major- ity of the merchants were quite willing that their powder should be captured by the friends of the Confederacy, but one or two Union men were opposed to this. Odon Guitar and a few others interviewed one merchant and obtained his permission to guard his powder in the magazine. They posted themselves, well armed, one night, resolved to fire upon any squad that might approach the magazine. Guitar was called up town at one time, being about half-an-hour away. While he was gone the Secessionists came up to the magazine, opened it, and bore away some dozen kegs of the powder, in triumph and in safety. The Union men had their guns trained on the Secessionists, but would not fire without orders from Guitar, who was absent. It was lucky that no collision did take place. Had one Secessionist been killed the fight would have opened between fellow-citizens, and, dread- ful as the war turned out to be, in such an event it would have been still more dreadful.

When the Confederates raided the town in 1862, one Southern lady hung out a Confederate flag and stood in her door-way and waved a handkerchief. In a few minutes the Confederates had retreated, and Merrill's cavalry were in the town. Then the lady's husband hauled in the rebel flag and ran out the stars and stripes. This was not the only Columbia family equal to every emergency during the war.

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Very many of the Confederate sympathizers were forced by Col. Merrill and Col. Shaffer to feed rebel prisoners and sick confined in the University and the hospital at Columbia. The unfortunate "rebels " were thus sure of a good meal, and the Federals obeyed the injunction of the Duke of Wellington, to " forage off of the enemy in every way you can."

The upper rooms of the University were used as prisons for the confinement of Confederate prisoners. On one occasion they sought to break out. The attempt was a failure. Two or three made their way into the garret, where they were discovered and assaulted by their guards, and desperately wounded.

The Federals used the cupola of the court-house as a look-out. Here two or three sentinels were kept on the watch continually, as the point commanded a view of all the roads leading into the town. The cupola of the University was also used as a watch-tower.

Just after the invasion of the county by Todd's and Anderson's guerrillas, and the massacre and battle of Centralia, Columbia was placed under martial law. The able-bodied male citizens, irrespect- ive of party or political sympathy, formed a company to defend the town against an expected and much-dreaded raid of the bushwhack- ers. A block house was built in the middle of the street, at the cor- ner of Eighth and Broadway, to be used as a tower of refuge and of strength in the day of battle and of raid. The military company was called by the terror-inspiring name of " Tigers," the cognomen being supposed to indicate the fierce and desperate nature of the members, and giving fair warning to all bushwhackers to keep away from their lair and to beware of their cruel fangs, as it were. Really, however, the company might with propriety have been called the " Snow- White Lambs," so harmless were they, and so gentle, and withal with such an aversion to the smell of " villainous saltpetre." They could hardly be called " tigers," having in view the fitness of terms.

The " Tigers " had barrels of fun all the same. It was such jolly sport to shirk duty, such as standing picket, patroling the streets, or mounting guard. The penalties for any infractions of duty were not very severe. Capt. Rollins was of a kindly nature, and when such fierce warriors as J. S. Dorsey, J. Th. Fyfer, John Samuel and George W. Trimble, were brought before him for breaches of military discipline, it may be imagined that the severity of his sentences was not very extraordinary.

Throughout the entire civil war, even in the most perilous times,

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business was kept up and transacted in Columbia with almost usual regularity. The town was often under military occupation, with Fed- eral pickets out on every road, but citizens were permitted to pass in and out freely for the purposes of trade and commerce. Goods ad- vanced rapidly in price as the war progressed and greenbacks depre- ciated, and all of the merchants made money.

On the first of January, 1860, after a continued service of nearly thirty-nine years as county clerk, Warren Woodson retired from that office, giving place to Joseph B. Douglass, his worthy successor, and delivered to the court a most appropriate valedictory which was spread upon the records and ordered to be published.

In April, 1860, Prof. Sterling Price, Jr., projected an enterprise of no small moment to Columbia, namely, the purchase of William Y. Hitt of 165 acres of land adjoining the town and lying immediately southeast of it, and laying it off into streets, avenues and town lots. It was known as " Price's addition."

After the close of the war, the town began to build up very sub- stantially. Broadway and other streets were macadamized and put in first-class order, and from year to year new and substantial brick business houses were built along Broadway and other streets, until now, as previously stated, there is not a handsomer town in Missouri than Columbia. There is a good system of sewerage and the town is lighted with gas.

Its three colleges, all of the highest order, attract hundreds of people to the place from year to year and cause it to be well and fav- orably known abroad. Students attend these institutions from States and Territories hundreds of miles away. Recently there have been graduated from the female colleges, Indian maidens, whose standing in their classes was high, and whose orations merited and received the heartiest applause. The college commencements uniformly at- tract many visitors from different parts of the country. In this con- nection, historical sketches of the two female colleges of Columbia, the Christian and the Stephens, will be given. The University has its history, full and elaborate to exhaustion, in other chapters of this volume.

STEPHENS COLLEGE.

This school, like all similar institutions of modern learning, has had a growth and development from one of smaller pretensions, to its present status of importance among the colleges of the State. The nucleus of Stephens College, was the old "Columbia Female

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

Academy," which was organized in 1833, and was the outgrowth of the first demands of the times for a school of more extended culture than Columbia and vicinity had yet had. Miss Lucy Wales first had charge of the academy after its organization, and she was succeeded in turn by Prof. Eleazar . [not Edward] Root, Oliver Cunningham, D. Perryman and Tyre C. Harris. While the school was thus in oper- ation, some denominational differences sprang up, which resulted in changing the academy from a non-sectarian to a Baptist school, under the name of the " Baptist Female College." The same course gave rise to the establishment of " Christian College," a history of which is given in this work. The academy passed out of existence in 1853, and was succeeded by the denominational school above named, which was organized in 1856, and chartered in 1857. Several thousand dol- lars was subscribed towards purchasing buildings, etc., and several thousand more was donated to pay off an old mortgage debt on the property and to improve the buildings and grounds. Among the more liberal contributors of the early days of the school were James L. Stephens, Noah Flood, J. M. Robinson, Warren Woodson, John Moss, David Hickman, William Hickman, Thomas Hickman, Judge . James Harris, Moss Prewitt, Robt. T. Prewitt, Eli Bass, and others. The first board of curators were David H. Hickman, Warren Wood- son, James Harris, Eli E. Bass, William T. Hickman, R. C. Branham and Moss Prewitt. D. H. Hickman was president of the board, and Warren Woodson secretary. Rev. W. R. Rothwell was the first president of the Baptist Female College, but retired in 1857, and was succeeded by Rev. X. X. Buckner, who presided till 1859. Rev. Mr. Pendleton, of Illinois, was president from 1859 till 1860, and Rev. J. T. Williams from 1860 to 1866, who was succeeded by Rev. J. H. * Hollis, who held the position till his death, in 1869, when he was suc- ceeded by E. S. Dulin, who presided during the transition period be- low mentioned.

In 1870, the school was changed from one local in its nature to a college, under control of the Baptist General Association of Missouri. The history of the adoption by the association is as follows : - " At a meeting of the Baptist General Association of Missouri, in 1869, the necessity of establishing a denominational school for the higher educa- tion of our daughters was made the subject of earnest consideration. A committee was appointed to report upon this subject at the next meet- ing of the General Association. In 1870 this committee reported in favor of establishing such a college, and it was decided by the dele-

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gates then in session to take immediate steps toward accomplishing this end. At this juncture the curators of the Baptist Female College at Columbia, Mo., offered their buildings and grounds, valued at $35,-

STEPHENS FEMALE COLLEGE, COLUMBIA, MO.

000, to the association for this purpose. In addition to this offer, and with the provision that the Baptist College was accepted as the State school, Brother James L. Stephens, of Columbia, munificently

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

offered to start an endowment fund by giving $20,000 to the college. The offers were accepted, and the Female College became the property of the General Association." The name was changed in October, 1870, to that of " Stephens Female College," in honor of the liberal. gentleman, James L. Stephens, who gave it its largest endowment. Rev. Dulin was succeeded, in 1879, by Prof. R. P. Rider, who con- tinues to preside at the present writing. The college is beautifully located in the suburbs of Columbia on East Broadway, and with its wide lawn and majestic forest trees, is in itself an educating medium. The buildings are spacious and convenient, lighted throughout with gas, and sufficiently commodious to furnish ample room for a hundred boarders. The "Home Department " is under supervision of the president and his wife, and so conducted as to render it truly a home to those consigned to its care.

The following departments into which the school is organized, show it to be an institution meeting all the requirements of modern culture : 1st, School of English, leading to degree of Baccalaurea Literarum ; 2d, School of History and Literature, leading to the same degrec ; 3d, School of Natural Science, leading to degree of Baccalaurea Sci- entarum; 4th, School of Mathematics, degree B. S .; 5th, School of Languages, degree B. L; 6th, School of Philosophy, degree B. L. ; 7th, School of Biblical History, degree B. L. ; 8th, School of General Culture, degree Baccalaurea Artium. In addition to these is the Post-Graduate School, for a course still in advance of the college course, and School of Didactics, for special benefit of those desirous of becoming teachers. The schools of music, art and elocution, are up to the standard of any of the rival institutions of the State. The- daughters of ministers who have died in the service of the Baptist church, and of those living ministers who devote their entire time to ministerial labors, are here permitted to enjoy special advantages, and are educated at a nominal cost. All things considered, this col- lege takes rank with the best institutions of general culture in the West ; and few schools, if any, can offer better advantages to those desiring a thorough education and Christian training for their daughters.

CHRISTIAN FEMALE COLLEGE.

On the resignation, in 1849, of the presidency of the State University . by John H. Lathrop, the board of curators elected to that position James Shannon, LL. D., of Bacon College, Harrodsburg, Kentucky. In November of the same year Samuel Hatch and H. H. White of

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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

Harrodsburg, who, with President Shannon, were members of the Christian church, proposed on certain conditions to establish in Colum- bia a "Female College Institute " of the highest grade, and Dr. Hatch visited Columbia with a view of inaugurating the enterprise. Much general public interest was awakened on the subject, and sev- eral meetings of our citizens of all parties and denominations were held to consider the proposition. Irreconcilable differences as to details were disclosed, especially among members of the several churches, and the result was that the enterprise, on the conditions proposed by Hatch and White, was abandoned.

It is due the truth of history, however, to say that out of these

CHRISTIAN FEMALE COLLEGE, COLUMBIA, MO.

differences arose, on the part of the members of the Christian Church, a commendable determination to establish a female college under the special patronage of that church, and a like determination on the part of members of other churches to resuscitate and reorganize the old Columbia Female Academy.

Rev. Tyre C. Harris, a Baptist minister, was called to the presi- dency of the latter institution, and out of it grew the Baptist College, called afterwards, and now, Stephens Female College.

Out of the other enterprise grew Christian Female College ; so that, in truth, the proposition of Hatch and White to establish a

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" Female Collegiate Institute " finally resulted in the establishment of two female colleges in the town.

Christian College was chartered by the Legislature, January 18, 1851, with the following corporators : James . Shannon, T. N. H. Smith, Thomas M. Allen, D. P. Henderson, W. W. Hudson, Robt. S. Barr, Thomas D. Grant, Levi T. Smith, Dr. William McClure, Flavil Vivion, John Jamison, Weston F. Birch, J. J. Allen, J. C. Fox, Lewis Bryan, Elijah Patterson, John S. Phelps, Wayman Crow, S. S. Church and Moses E. Lard, all of whom are dead except four.

The first meeting of the corporators or trustees was held in Colum- bia, February 3d, 1851. T. M. Allen was elected president, and D. P. Henderson, secretary, and T. R. H. Smith treasurer of the board. John Augustus Williams, of Harrodsburg, Kentucky, was elected pres- ident, and Miss Rebecca Jane Galbraith, of Jacksonville, Ill., prin- cipal of the department of mathematics and natural science.

The college having no buildings in which to open instructions, the two-story frame, which was then a very unpretentious structure, and now occupied as a residence by Dr. W. T. Maupin, was improvised for the occasion. In August, 1851, the board purchased the then incom- pleted residence belonging to the estate of the late Dr. Jas. H. Ben- nett and the grounds thereto attached, estimated at thirty acres, for $5,500 on twelve months' credit without interest; and proceeded through the agency of L. B. Wilkes and H. H. Ready to raise funds by voluntary subscription to pay the debt and to finish and enlarge the buildings. By the fall session of the college, which opened on September 15th, 1851, the buildings were in such condition as to be occupied ; and on that day the first regular session of Christian Col- lege commenced.

The institution grew rapidly upon the public favor from its very foundation and during its whole history, except a few years, while the civil war was raging, was very prosperous. Liberal contributions of money have again and again been made by its friends, which en- abled the board of trustees not only to extinguish the original debt, but very largely to add to the improvements and to the ornamentation of the grounds.

President Williams resigned in 1856 and was succeeded by Elder L. B. Wilkes, who, resigning in 1858, was succeeded by the late la- mented Elder J. K. Rogers. President Rogers retained the presidency until 1877 when, on account of failing health, he 'resigned. Dur- ing his administration of the college, embracing a period of nearly

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twenty years, he was remarkably successful in commending the institu- tion to public favor and patronage ; and his name will live as a pleas- ant memory in the minds of hundreds. of the most accomplished and cultivated women of our state.

[See biography of S. K. Rogers. ]

On the retirement of President Rogers in 1877, the board unani- mously elected Geo. S. Bryant to fill the vacancy, since which period to the present time he has most ably and successfully conducted the institution, which is now regarded as one of the most reputable for the education of young women in the Mississippi Valley.

The college edifice is a large two-story brick, lighted with gas, and is most beautifully located in an elm and maple grove just within the northern limits of Columbia. A more lovely or eligible site for a female college could not have been selected. It was originally de- signed by the late Dr. Bennett as a residence for himself and family. Before it was completed, however, he went to California, like thou- sands of others, in search of gold, and in 1850, died at Placerville,. in that State.

A WALKING STATESMAN.

At the election of 1878, Capt. J. W. Kneisley was elected to the legislature from this county. During the canvass he promised the people that if elected he would walk to Jefferson City to attend the session of the legislature. Being elected by an ovewhelming majority, he left his home in Columbia at 10 A. M. January 2, 1879. The day chanced to be the coldest of the season. Capt. Kneisley reached Ashland at 3 p. M., having made the distance, 15 miles, in five hours. Here he remained over night, leaving the next morning at 10 and arriving at Claysville at noon. Here he was given a reception and made a speech, after which he continued his tramp, reaching Cedar City, opposite Jefferson, at sunset. He crossed the river on the ice and reached the capital in safety. Capt. K. was 54 years of age at the time.

LEADING BUSINESS INTERESTS OF COLUMBIA.

MILLS.

The Columbia Milling Company was incorporated February 6, 1882, with a cash capital of $60,000. Its members are Gen. O. Guitar, president ; G. W. Henderson, vice-president and superintendent ; F. Pannell, secretary ; J. M. Baker, treasurer, and W. T. Anderson.

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The company owns the Columbia flouring mills, which have a capacity of 150 barrels daily ; the Columbia wheat elevator, with a capacity of 100,000 bushels, and the Centralia corn elevator, with a capacity of · 50,000 bushels. The Columbia flouring mills have five stones, one pair of rolls, 22 hovels, and run night and day. The engine is of 80 horse power.

The Farmers' Mills are 'situated on a one and a half acre lot in the northwestern part of the city. The main building is 24x40 feet, with a wing 12x20. The flouring mill contains three run of burrs, and uses the Morse elevating bolt. The machinery is driven by an engine of forty-horse power. The mill has a capacity of 40 barrels of flour in ten hours, and 150 bushels of corn meal. The saw mill cuts 6,000 feet of lumber per day. Ten men are employed in the mill. The mill building is entirely new, completed in the summer of 1882. It is three and one-half stories high including the basement. Maupin, Smith & Co., proprietors. Superintendent, R. H. Smith, a practical miller of 35 years experience.

NEWSPAPERS. - THE "STATESMAN."

[For a history of the Missouri Statesman, the reader is referred to the first chapter of the general history. For history of the Sentinel see biographical sketch of Wallace J. Davis, Esq.]

HISTORY OF THE "HERALD."

On February 5, 1869, C. P. Anderson & Sons, who had recently removed from California, Missouri, issued in Columbia the first num- ber of the Boone County Journal, an eight column Democratic paper. Dr. E. W. Herndon was the editor, but had no pecuniary interest in the paper. The Journal grew rapidly in circulation. On April 13, 1870, Edwin W. Stephens of Columbia purchased a half interest in the Journal newspaper and job office and succeeded Dr. E. W. Herndon as editor. He also made a number of important changes in the typographical arrangement and appearance of the paper and enlarged and improved its news departments. On January 1, 1871, the name was changed to the Columbia, Missouri, Herald and has so continued since. The circulation of the Journal doubled during the first six months after Mr. Stephens became editor and the Herald, its suc- cessor, has maintained constantly during its whole history a circulation probably unsurpassed by any country paper in the State. In Decem- ber, 1872, Mr. Stephens purchased the interest of his partner, Mr. C.

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History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 78

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