History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 95

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

USA > Missouri > Boone County > History of Boone County, Missouri. > Part 95

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

About five feet below the most of the figures runs a narrow ledge, on which the artist or artists must have stood when the pictures were made. The ledge is reached from points east and west, but it re- quires a person of some nerve to climb to it. Some of the figures, however, are fifteen feet above the ledge, and could not have been made without the aid of a ladder of some sort. The drawings seem to have been made of a paint composed of ground " keel " mixed with water or grease, and applied with the fingers or a rude brush. Not all of the pictures can now be seen, as a great portion of the face of the cliff is covered with ivy:

Who the artists were that sketched these pictures, and what (if anything) they represent, cannot now but be conjectured. They have

62 .

978

HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

existed since the first white men told of this country. The first printed mention of them is made by Lewis and Clark, who saw them in 1804. Doubtless they are the work of the mound builders, or of some other race akin to them.

Coal. - One and a half miles northeast of Rocheport, on the lands. now owned by David Mead and Mrs. Woods, is a fine bed of coal. The vein varies from twenty-six inches to four feet in thickness, and lies at a depth of from eight to thirty feet from the surface. Near the bank, and on the same lands, is a fine mineral spring.

Caves. - On the bank of the Missouri river, three miles southeast of Rocheport, is the " Sinking Creek Cave." / It has been penetrated and explored for nearly a mile. It contains many remarkable and interesting features. It abounds in beautiful stalactites and stalag- mites, and other natural features delightful to contemplate. The cave is divided into rooms or chambers, some of which are fifteen feet square. At the entrance the inner roof of the cave is about eight feet. high, but farther in the interior it ranges from ten to fifteen feet.

BOROUGHS'S CAVE.

One mile east of Midway, on the old Reuben Hatton place, is a re- markable spring, the most singular, perhaps, in the county. It breaks out from under a perpendicular cliff of limestone, some twelve or fifteen feet high, and flows south across a small valley hemmed in on all sides by a natural wall of limestone. At the distance of about one hundred yards it enters the earth again, running for one-fourth of a mile under a high ridge of table land bedded upon ledges of cavern- ous limestone. The second time it bursts forth into light of day it flows into a large branch, a tributary of Boroughs's fork of Calla- ham, which heads a few miles northwest of Midway. About one mile from where this stream enters the Callaham, is Boroughs's cave, which, next to Connor's, is the greatest natural curiosity in that sec- tion of the country. A short distance from the mouth it forks, one prong being destitute of water, while a large stream flows through the other. This cave, in the early settling of the country, was a great resort for bear, and the pioneer hunters used to lie in wait at the en- trance and shoot them as they passed in and out. Some, still more daring, would light a torch and boldly enter the cave. When the light flashed upon the astonished animal, Bruin would rise upon his haunches and gaze bewilderedly at the venturesome hunter, who seized

979

HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

the precious moment to his own advantage, and either shot the bear or plunged a bowie-knife, tied to the end of a pole, through the ani- mal's heart.

EARLY SETTLERS AND SETTLEMENTS.

The first settlement of Boone county in earnest began in Missouri township, in the year 1816. True, prior to this date, some of the Howard county hunters had established temporary camps here, but they could not with propriety be called settlers. Wm. Pipes lived in the township in 1812. It was from Head's Fort, in Howard county, about two and a half miles northwest of Rocheport, whence the settlements in Boone county were formed.

From Stephens' sketch it is learned that in the spring of the year 1816 a number of the inhabitants of Head's Fort located near Roche- port, settling on what was afterwards known as Thrall's Prairie,1 ~ north of the present site of Rocheport. This settlement was made by Anderson Woods, in company with the following other persons, viz. : Robert Barclay, John Barnes, Wm. Pipes, Absalom Hicks, John Stephenson, Jefferson Fulcher, Jesse Richardson, a family of Bartons, and several others. The settlement grew rapidly, and soon composed some among the best citizens of the county and State.

Among the pioneers settlers may be mentioned Augustus Thrall, Oliver Parker, Anderson Woods, Dr. G. B. Wilcox, Clayton Herne, Tyre Harris, Overton Harris, the Wilhites (Sampson, William, and Stephen ), Henry Lightfoot, James Ketchum, William Gosline, John Slack, Wilford Stephens, Jonathan Barton, James Cochran, Reuben Hatton, and Charles Laughlin. The names of others ought to be given, but cannot now be learned.

For the most part the first settlers located on New Madrid claims, or, as they were sometimes called, "Madrid locations." These claims were granted to the settlers in the New Madrid country in lieu of the lands occupied by them which had been destroyed or damaged by the great earthquakes of 1811. The most of this land in Missouri township had been entered by Taylor Berry and George Tennille, who had purchased a number of certificates from the New Madrid sufferers.

Up to 1820 the following, among others, had settled near Roche- port and Thrall's Prairie : John Gray, Gaven Head, John Berry, David and Andrew McQuitty, Samuel Beatty, Robert Dale, John

1 So named for Col. Augustus Thrall.

980

HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

Copher, Solomon and Zachariah Barnett, Wm. Baxter, James Boggs, David and James Pipes, John Copeland, David Kincaid, Wm. Lientz, John G. Phillips, Michael Woods, J. R. Abernathy, Robert D. Walkup, Tyre Harris.

East and southeast of Rocheport, in what is known as " Terrapin Neck," there lived Granville Bledsoe, Daniel Lewis, James Lewis, Wm. Lewis, Patterson Y. Russell, Jesse Lewis, Wm. Burch, John Graves, Ichabod C. Hensley, Thomas Williams and Richard Ful- kerson.

East of Rocheport and in the north central portion of the township, in the region around about where Midway post-office now stands, the pioneer settlers were John Henderson, Jonathan Freeman, Benjamin Mothershead, Chas. Laughlin, W. T. Hatton, George Crump, Wm. and James Y. Jones, John Ogan, Wm. Douglass, John M. Robinson, Wyatt McGee, George Hersch, Reuben and John M. Robinson.

George Hersch, " the honest man," was a German, and a remark- able character, a cabinet maker, who lived about two miles north of Midway, on a small stream known as Barclay's Fork of the Callaham. . He was something of a poet himself, and, although a German, was a great admirer of Burns and Scotch poetry, which he was fond of quoting on every occasion. Hersch had the weakness of his favorite poet's noted character, Tam O'Shanter, and would get "unco' fu'" quite frequently. On one occasion of this sort some wags waylaid him after night and sought to make him believe that Old Nick was upon him. Nothing frightened, Hersch drew himself up, and, im- provising a rhyme appropriate to the occasion, exclaimed : -

" Here stands George Hersch, an honest man .! Take him, Devil, if you can!"

George Hersch died many years ago, respected and mourned by all who knew him.

John Caruthers, an old soldier of the war of 1812, was for many years a resident of this township, coming here in 1832. He was a native of Virginia, born in 1793. By reading an account of the surveys and explorations of Col. Fremont he became interested in the study of geology, and read everything he could procure upon or pertaining to that subject. He became well versed in chemistry, botany, mineralogy, philosophy, engineering, and his knowledge of geology was very elaborate and thorough. Mr. Caruthers died in 1879.

Among the first settlers of this township were members of the

981

HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

Wilhite family. Sampson Wilhite and his three sons, William, Ste- phen and Fielding Wilhite, came from Kentucky to this township (then Howard county ) as early as the year 1818. They located in the neighborhood of Rocheport, where many of their descendants yet live. They were all farmers. Stephen Wilhite was a blacksmith as well as a farmer ; Fielding Wilhite was a farmer and a Baptist min- ister. All of them lived reputable lives and died full of years and honors. Probably the first loom was brought into the township by Mrs. Sampson Wilhite in 1818. The greater part of the clothing for families was carded, spun and woven by the female members, and was usually made up of wool and flax; the latter being among the first crops raised. . The first brick house in the township was built by Sampson Wilhite in the year 1822. It is still standing and is the house now occupied by J. E. Hart, four miles from Rocheport, on the Sturgeon road.

Reuben Hatton settled on a farm about one mile east of Midway, about the year' 1818. He came to Missouri in 1816, spending over one year in St. Louis county. He was a local preacher of the Meth- odist church, and was mainly instrumental in building up " Brick ' Chapel," now known as Locust Grove church. He was a native of Virginia and served seven years in the revolutionary army. He raised ten sons and three daughters, of whom two sons and one daughter are now living. Reuben Hatton died about the year 1840. Several of his sons and their families are well known in Boone county. Gen. S. B. Hatton, Col. William Hatton, R. M., Fleming and Wesley B. Hatton all raised families in Boone county. The wife of Reuben Hat- ton was Joan Beleau, who was of French-Huguenot origin. The Beleaus, in the second generation after their banishment, changed the spelling to " Bellew." They were married in South Carolina where their first children were born. They moved to Madison county, Ken- tucky, and from there to Missouri.

THE "FIRSTS."

Dr. George B. Wilcox, from Tennessee, is said to have been not only the first practicing physician in Missouri township, but the first in Boone county. He came to the township as early as 1816, when white men were very few in the territory now comprised in Boone county. Dr. Wilcox died in Rocheport about the year 1860.

Rev. Thos. Campbell, a Baptist, it is alleged, preached the first ' sermon and conducted the first religious exercises in the township at .

982

HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

the house of Sampson Wilhite, in the fall of the year 1818. Field- ing Wilhite was cotemporary with Campbell.

In the early settlement of Missouri township the leading religious denominations were the Baptists, Presbyterians and Methodists. Morality was the general rule. The young people were rather strictly reared. The majority of the first settlers opposed dancing, and the amusements of the young folks were of the simplest character, con- sisting chiefly of innocent games and plays.

The first post-office in the township (and probably the first in the county ) was established at Thrall's prairie in 1819,1 and named Lex- ington. Probably Oliver Parker was the first postmaster, although this distinction is claimed by Mr. Lientz for Dr. Geo. B. Wilcox. Others assert that Parker was the first and Wilcox the second. In 1828 this post-office was removed to the house of Wmn. Lientz. The name was changed by Col. Thos. H. Benton from Lexington to Boone- ton. Mr. Lientz was appointed postmaster. In 1832 the office was removed to Rocheport. When first established the mail was brought to Lexington from St. Charles on horseback. Mr. Lientz lived on the old Columbia and Franklin road.

The first store in the township was established by Oliver Parker, at Thrall's Prairie, in 1818 or 1819. His stock in trade was small, to be sure, but it was none the less valuable, at that day. He kept lead, powder, sugar, coffee, cloths and a few other articles. Small as was his beginning, and unfavorable as his surroundings were, Mr. Parker's business grew and flourished until he eventually amassed a fortune.

An incident showing Mr. Parker's gallantry and bravery will bear relating in this connection. On one occasion Mr. Parker started for St. Louis to replenish his stock of goods. He had his money in gold and silver in his saddle-bags, as he travelled on horseback. The ferry boat at St. Charles at that day was a small affair, capable of carrying over one wagon at a time, and propelled by oars. On the trip when Mr. Parker was a passenger the boat struck a snag and began to sink. He seized his saddle-bags and prepared to save himself, but, seeing a lady who was on board in great distress and peril, he threw away his treasure - every cent - and devoted his energies to saving her, fortunately with success.

In 1823 Mr. Parker built a residence in Columbia, afterward the nucleus of Stephens Female College. He became one of the leading

1 One account says in 1818.

983

HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

citizens of Columbia and of the county, and was a resident of Colum- bia at the time of his death.

When Parker's store was first opened he handled but little money. The settlers were wont to exchange produce for such " store goods " as they were compelled to purchase. Bacon, corn, beeswax, hides and pelts, were the chief articles of barter used by the settlers. About all the money required was enough to pay taxes ; everything else could be traded for. Prices of everything the people had to sell were very low. A good cow brought only $5 ; dressed hogs sold for $1.50 and $2 per cwt. ; a day's labor could be had for 25 cents, etc., etc.

Upon. the first settlement of the township the settlers made their own salt. In the fall months they would visit the numerous salt springs in different parts of the township and spend some days in boiling down the saline waters into a very fair article of salt. It was coarse, to be sure, but it was strong, and answered every purpose very well.

The first school-house was located at the Big Spring. It was built by the settlers sometime after the year 1820 and prior to 1825. The house was a very simple structure. It was composed. of round logs, with clapboard roof and puncheon floor. The cracks were chinked and daubed with mud ; the chimney was of mud and sticks, and alto- gether the structure much resembled a settler's dwelling-house. Who taught the first term of school in this house cannot with certainty be learned, but Asa Brown is remembered as a teacher who taught at an early day.

The first mill in the township was a horse mill, put up by John Cope- land in 1819. The flour was bolted or sieved by hand. The mill was so well patronized that customers often had to wait days for their turn. The first grist mill that ran by water power was built by William Stapleton in 1835.

The first road through the township was the old St. Charles road, running from St. Charles to Old Franklin, in Howard county. It was known for years as the St. Charles and Franklin road. The road was much travelled at an early day, it being the principal thorough- fare leading from St. Louis and St. Charles to the Upper Missouri country. In 18301 the first public conveyances, a line of stage coaches, were put upon this road, it is said, by George Sexton, Esq. The line ran from St. Louis to Old Franklin. Mr. Sexton also estab-

1 Another date is given, 1825.

984

HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

lished the first stage line from Rocheport to Fayette. Prior to the establishment of Sexton's stage line the mails were carried on horse- back. In August, 1821, the county court established a road " to run from Columbia to intersect the St. Charles road at or near Augustus Thrall's field." John Gray was appointed the commissioner to lay out this road.

The first murder by a white man of a white man in the neighbor- hood occurred just over the Howard line, as is believed, since no mention of the case can be found in the records of this county. The case was the killing of David Copher by Bird Lawless, in 1831. The affair grew out of a cattle trade between the two men, resulting in a dispute, then a quarrel, then a killing. Lawless was tried at Fayette, before Judge David Todd, found guilty of manslaughter, and sen- tenced to six months' imprisonment in the county jail and to pay a fine of $500.

THE INDIANS.

In the early settlement of the township roving bands of Indians from the north, principally from the Sacs (or Saukees ), Foxes, Iowas and Pottawattamies, visited this locality from time to time. After the war of 1812 these Indians were uniformly friendly, though very troublesome on account of their begging and thievisb propensities. Many incidents might be narrated of the peculiar conduct of the savages. when in the Missouri township settlements, and the adventures of the settlers with them, but are omitted for want of space.

As early as 1818, upon the first permanent settlement, there were no resident Indians, they having all left some years prior to that date. Sometimes when they came into the locality and made a camp they evinced a disposition to remain permanently, but the whites would in- variably give them to understand that on no account would they be permitted to stay for all time, and then would command them to " puck-a-chee; " -i.e., to move on at once.

KILLING OF TODD AND SMITH BY THE INDIANS IN 1813.

One of the tragic incidents connected with the early settlement and history of the Boone's Lick country was the killing by the Indians of Jon- athan Todd and Thomas Smith, two settlers from Fort Hempstead, in Howard county, in the year 1813. Todd and Smith had gone out from the fort to hunt for some horses, which, they thought, had strayed away. The country was infested with Iowa Indians, also Sacs and Foxes, very hostile and very crafty. The settlers wandered away in

985

HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

search of their animals (which had really been stolen by the Indians) until they were beyond the reach of aid from their comrades in the fort. One account says that they were decoyed away by the Indians. When the settlers had reached a point in this township on section 27, township 49, range 14, now on the farm of Sampson S. Wilhite, Esq., they were fired on by the Indians, and after a hard fight both were killed. After they were killed the Indians cut off their heads and cut out their hearts and stuck them up on poles. Todd and Smith were the first whites killed in the Boone's Lick country.

One account of this affair, furnished by an old citizen of Missouri township, is to the effect that when Todd and Smith were attacked a desperate combat ensued, ending in their being overpowered and mur- dered within two miles of Head's Fort, to which place they were fight- ing their way. They were killed half a mile apart. When found Todd's head was placed by the body of Smith, seemingly to let the whites know that both had been killed. The bodies, it is said, were buried on the farm of Mr. Wilhite, where their graves may yet be seen.

Capt. Joseph Cooper, of Howard county, son of Sarshall Cooper and an inmate of Cooper's Fort at the time, in a letter, written in January, 1874, published in Campbell's Gazetteer (p. 244) makes the following statement : -

COL. NEWTON G. ELLIOTT : Dear Sir - The letter of my early and tried friend, Capt. Joseph Cooper, in relation to the early settlement of the Boone's Lickcountry, has been read to me and I heartily endorse as true all he said. My eyesight is so dim that I am unable to- read it myself, being 86 years old. I came to the Boone's Lick country in 1810, and was'a participant in very many of the incidents mentioned in Capt. Cooper's letter. Harrison Jameson (my brother-in-law) and myself were making saltpeter in a cave just below the mouth of Moniteau Creek the morning that Jonathan Todd and Thomas Smith were killed .. We had been informed by the Indian agent that the Indians were coming to kill us, and that morning we threw all our saltpeter into a canoe and started for Fort Kincaid, arriving there in time to go out with the command. to get the dead bodies of. Todd and Smith and chastise the Indians, if found ; for after the murder they had set fire to the woods to destroy their trail. * * * * A great many other incidents of the early history of the county might be given, but I, like others who participated, am getting too old to furnish a minute- history. Respectfully, JAMES BARNES.

PERSINGER'S ACCOUNT. - BATTLE ON THE BONNE FEMME.

In a little pamphlet, published in 1861, by Joseph Persinger, en- titled, " The Life of Jacob Persinger, " appears the following on page 20, et seq .. :

* Not long after this treaty was made, some hunters went down on the Bonne Femme Creek to find some game, and, in traveling down an Indian path in pursuit of game,. they discovered the head of a white man sticking upon a pole. They became alarmed, im-

986

HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

mediately went back and reported what they had seen. The whites collected together as quick as possible, made arrangements to catch the murderers, and started off to where the head was found. On arriving at the spot they found two men had been killed, which exas- perated them very much. They then entered into a compact that they would hunt from · day to day until they found the murderers, and seek revenge by taking the lives of those who committed the atrocious deed. They started and traveled over a considerable scope of country, and at length saw an Indian alone. They took him prisoner and interrogated him in regard to the murder of the two men, but he stoutly denied having any knowledge of the murder at all. They then asked him if he knew of any Indians; he replied that he did, and that they were then stationed on the point between the creek and the Missouri river.

The white men immediately set out to march against the Indians. They proceeded to get as close as possible unobserved, and they succeeded. They crossed over the creek as noise- lessly as possible and formed a line that extended from the creek to the river. When they came upon the Indians they found them playing " bandy. " They made a rush and got be- tween them and their guns. The Indians knew now their only chance for safety would be either to to swim Bonne Femme creek or the Missouri river; but the whites were too fast for them. They (the whites) made a charge and killed off all the Indians, forty-nine in number, except one, who escaped with a broken arm. After the battle was over the whites took the Indian prisoner upon the bottom or low ground on the Missouri river, and told him that if he wished to save his life, he could do so by out-running any one man in the company. The Indian readily accepted to this proposition, and started off at full speed; but a man named Fugate started after him, caught him immediately and led him back to the company. The whites then told him that they would give him another chance : that he might commence running, and after he got a certain distance from them they were to commence firing, and if none of the balls struck he should go unharmed. The Indian started at full speed again. After he got to the required distance he ran in an angular direction ; but the poor creature did not get far until he fell dead, with seven bullet holes in him. This defeat of the Indians settled the war with them for some time.

From Persinger's description of the ground, it is evident that the fight with the Indians narrated in the foregoing, took place near the mouth of Bonne Femme creek, in what is now Cedar township. It is worthy of note, that no corroborative statements or accounts concern- ing the killing of the forty-nine Indians can be obtained at present, and yet this remark is not intended as a denial that any such affair ever came off.

A BEAR HUNT.

In the year 1823 a large black bear came into the neighborhood where Andrew McQuitty lived. The alarm was given and a hunting party was soon formed to give chase to the monster. Among those composing this party, were Andrew McQuitty, Bird Lawless, Joshua F. White, and some negro men. Bruin was soon found, and chased into a sink-hole. Here the dogs were set upon him, but he soon and very easily disposed of them, and they at last refused to come to time.

Mr. McQuitty and his fellow-hunters had taken a drink or two of pioneer whisky before setting out, and were somewhat under its

987

HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY.

influence. Brave at all times, they were now reckless. One of the negroes was a slave named Jeff, who belonged to McQuitty. Jeff's master called out to him : ---

" Dim you, Jeff, jump onto him with an ax."

" Good Lawd, massa !" replied Jeff; " see how he sarves de dogs ! What would he do to me?"

" Never mind that," said McQuitty : " you black rascal, jump onto that bear, dim you." .

" Golly ! massa, he'll kill me sure, an' den yon'll lose more dan de ole bar is wuff. Better jump on him yourself, massa!"

" Give me the ax then, dim you," and, seizing the weapon, Mr. McQuitty walked out upon a log that lay partly across the sink-hole, and luckily enough struck the savage animal with the blade of the ax a blow in the neck which severed its jugular, and it fell a quiver- ing carcass.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 95

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