History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 97

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

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and seated with plain oaken seats without backs. The land (two acres ) was donated by William Douglass and William Scott, one acre each, for a church-yard and cemetery. This was in 1829 or '30, and the burying ground is also called Locust Grove cemetery. As nearly as can be ascertained, the first subject buried there was Warren Leonard. There are now about 400 graves, whose little hillocks dot the ground, but no record has ever been kept. The prime movers in building the brick chapel were Rev. John Bennett, A. M. Ellington, Stephen G. Evans, and Peter McLain. The old church was in time found to be too small to accommodate the increased and still growing congrega- · tion. Accordingly, in 1870, it was torn down and the present edifice, a new and commodious frame structure, was built near the old site, the dimensions being 52x40x14 feet in length, breadth and height. It is neatly and comfortably furnished, and was dedicated in 1871 by Rev. John D. Vincil, then of Columbia. The pastor in charge was David Root, and the membership numbered about 80, and still con- tinues about the same. The old records are unfortunately lost, and much of the information herein given had to be collected from private and unofficial sources. The oldest preacher remembered was Rev. Bankston, who served the congregation after the organization, though he was not the first.

MOUNT NEBO CHURCH.

The history of this congregation of Southern Methodists was fur- nished the historian by Mr. Joseph Williamson. Rev. Moses U. Payne, who was the leading spirit in the organization of this church, was its first pastor in about 1840, he giving it the name it now bears. The first chapel was a log building of the primitive pattern, built on the land of Joseph Williamson, who now uses the house for a stable. The original members were Mary Williamson, Joseph Williamson and wife, Mrs. Burrilla Pettis, Wilson Dennis and wife, Cynthia Bledsoe,

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Lizzie Bledsoe, Joseph Bledsoe and wife, Margaret Melloway and Samuel Wood and wife. Mary Williamson (mother of Joseph Wil- liamson ), whose name heads the list, was the first Methodist in the neighborhood of Mount Nebo. The establishment of the church at the time was largely due to her zeal in the cause. Though she is long since dead, and the old log structure in which she worshipped has long ago been put to baser uses, and given way to a more becom- ing house of meeting, still her influence and the church's influence for good still glide down the path of time and produce fruit in the Master's vineyard. All honor to Mount Nebo for the good it has done, and all hope and prayer for her future career.

Mount Nebo Cemetery contains about two acres, which, together with the church site, were donated to the Baptist church for church and burial purposes in 1860 by James W. Thomas. The first inter- ment was that of Alexander R. Williamson, in February, 1861. He was a son of Joseph Williamson, and died at the age of seventeen.

THE TOWN OF ROCHEPORT.

EARLY HISTORY.

The land comprising the present site of the town of Rocheport was patented by the United States to David Gray, November 13, 1822. Gray sold it to Wm. Kincheloe ; he sold to John Gray. March 2, 1825, John Gray (and Sally, his wife, ) sold to Abraham Barnes, John Ward and Lemon Parker, who, with Wm. Gaw, composed the first town company, and were the projectors of the town itself. Rocheport was laid out December 15, 1832, by Parker, Barnes, Ward and Gaw. The latter sold to Parker a portion of the town site. Wm. Shields was the surveyor. Subsequent additions were surveyed by James H. Bennett. In the various transfers of the land on which the town stands it (the land) is uniformly described as " a part of section 1, township 48, range 15."

As early as 1820 there was a warehouse on the present town site, called "Arnold's warehouse," which was managed by Robert Hood, and was an establishment of some note. The locality was also widely known as " the mouth of the Moniteau," and was a favorite landing place for the settlers of eastern Howard and western Boone. The Moniteau creek (or " creek of the Great Spirit ") was famed for the fish in its waters and the game along its banks. John Gray settled in

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the neighborhood in 1819 and established a ferry across the river, which he operated for some years prior to the laying out of the town. Many flat-boats and keel-boats were built and loaded at " the mouth of the Moniteau " in an early day.

In June, 1804, the Lewis and Clark expedition landed at the mouth of the Moniteau and explored the country along the river and for some distance inland. The " painted rocks " were particularly noted and mentioned in the published journal of the expedition,1 as being " very remarkable. They are covered with strange and uncouth hieroglyph- ics and representations. We were prevented from making a careful inspection by reason of the presence of so many ferocious rattlesnakes, which are very venomous at this season of the year, and which were crawling among the rocks in great numbers."

The name of the place was first intended to be Rockport, but it was changed to Rocheport, at the instance, it is said, of a French mission- ary who was in the neighborhood. The name signifies a rocky port, or port of rocks, and the town ought always to have been known by the name first given it.

The first merchant in Rocheport was one Barlow, who established himself in 1830 in a log store-house on Moniteau street, north of where the Star mills are now located, and occupied the grounds whereon stands Wm. Hulett's residence.2 As before stated, the locality was a sort of shipping port. Boats were built, loaded and set sail for New Orleans and the other lower Mississippi markets from this point, and the boatmen landed here on their return. Barlow did a fair business for the time and under the circumstances. Other venturesome mer- chants, attracted by his success, located here from time to time, and soon quite a number of houses, chiefly built of logs, were standing in the place. Cary Peebles, Lark. Bennett and others came next after Barlow, and all did business in log houses. The first merchants kept only staple articles, such as were needed by the people at that day - cotton goods, sugar, coffee and whisky, the latter article being as much of a necessity in early days as either of the former.

The first hotel or tavern was the log house, also used as a store building, kept by Barlow. This house was built by John Gray, per- haps in 1819. It was not kept as a regular hotel, with bar-room,

1 See Lewis and Clark's Expedition, Vols. I. and II., pp. 11-13 and p. 432. Philadel- phia : Bradford & Inskeep, 1814.

2 Another account says Barlow's store first stood at the foot of Main street, on ground since washed away by the river.

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office, etc., but was merely a combination of store-room, dwelling house and tavern. The first regular tavern or hotel was built and kept by Jesse B. Dale in 1833, and stood on Moniteau street.

The post-office at Rocheport was established in 1832. It was the successor to Lexington, upon Thrall's prairie, and to Booneton, kept by Wm. Lientz. Lexington was removed to Booneton in 1828, and Booneton was removed to Rocheport in 1832. The first postmaster in Rocheport was Cary Peebles.

Probably the first steamboat to land on the present site of Roche- port was the R. M. Johnson, of Major Long's expedition, which came up the river in 1819, and landed at the mouth of the Moniteau for wood. In 1821 a steamer owned by James Johnson, a brother of vice-President Johnson, for whom the first boat to land was named, tied up at Arnold's warehouse, and it is said took on some freight. Between 1820 and 1825 a boat made regular trips between Old Frank- lin and St. Louis, stopping at all the principal landings, Arnold's warehouse among the number. All these landings were made before the town was laid out.

In the early days of Rocheport society was not the best regulated. Whisky was used as a common beverage throughout the country. If one neighbor visited another he expected to be " treated," of course, and if he was not, and no apology or excuse was given, the visitor considered that he had received a personal affront. Fights and fisti- cuffs were common in Rocheport. No other weapons than Nature's were used, however, as a rule, and after the fight a speedy and lasting reconciliation was effected. The bottle was passed, everybody drank and all was soon forgotten. Much of the whisky drank in early days was made at the stills in the neighborhood, was untaxed by govern- ment, unstamped by inspector, and uninspected by gauger, and, the word of an old settler for it, would make a man fight his grandfather. People exchanged their corn and rye for the juice thereof.

At first coffee was fifty cents a pound at Barlow's store. It was seldom used by the people except on Sunday morning. Tea was rarely used at all. Most people used maple sugar for " sweetening," made by themselves, and fit food for the gods. Sassafras tea was a common table drink ; while the children drank good, rich, nourishing cow's milk.

For a few years after the town was laid out it grew rather rapidly, and in 1835 it was a place of considerable size and importance, rival- ing Columbia. Rocheport contained eight stores, two tailor shops,

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two carding machines, a steam saw mill, five brickyards, two tan- yards, two rope walks, two blacksmith shops, a tavern, and a tobacco. manufactory. The next year, or in 1836, thirty new buildings were erected.

In the exciting presidential contest of 1840 the Whigs held a mon- ster mass meeting at Rocheport. The meeting was on a hill east of the town in a dense grove of sugar trees, where three speakers' stands were erected, and where for three days and nights the friends of " Tip- pecanoe and Tyler too" held ' high carnival. During the meeting speeches were made by Chilton Allen, of Kentucky, Fletcher Webster, son of Daniel Webster, Gen. A. W. Doniphan,' James H. Birch, Abiel Leonard, James S. Rollins, Col. John O'Fallon, James Winston,. George C. Bingham and others.

In the year 1847 Rocheport had five dry goods stores and several. saddler, tailor and blacksmith shops, together with a large number of mechanics and persons in other branches of industry, and had a popu- lation of 450. The next year, 1848, the census showed the popula- tion to be 476. In 1849 the number of inhabitants had increased to nearly 600. Some of the business men of the place in 1849 were A. L. Robinson, T. H. Ready, John W. Harris, Moses U. Payne, George Knox, Jas. H. Parker, Thomas Walker, - Ballentine and Out- calt. In the year 1850 Mr. H. S. Chalmers had a flourishing school in the place. During the year 1849, about fifty steamboats were making regular trips up the Missouri as high as Rocheport, and fifty- seven boats made 500 landings in that year, and a great deal of busi- ness was transacted at this point. Many tons of hemp, corn, wheat, tobacco and other produce were shipped weekly, and large quantities. of merchandise were put off, some for towns in Boone and Howard. counties, but the most for localities far north in the interior.

CHOLERA IN ROCHEPORT.

In 1833, Asiatic cholera first visited Rocheport and carried off a prominent citizen, Mr. Parker by name.

In 1849 cholera again visited Rocheport. Several cases occurred. Alexander Graver,1 the driver of the stage from Rocheport to Colum- bia, came near being buried alive. He was attacked with cholera and to all appearances died. His coffin had been prepared and full prep-

'1 The name is also remembered as O'Connell, who afterwards married a Miss- January.

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arations made for his burial, when a Dr. Buster discovered signs of life, and by dint of fresh blisters, vigorous rubbing, etc., restored the alleged " corpse " to full animation.

In July, 1852, the scourge again visited the place and there were many deaths. Among them were Miss Jane Morrison, Mary Litch- lyter, Mrs. Shanks, Thos. A. Taylor, John Harris, John A. Hadwin, two of Taylor's negroes, a negro belonging to Taylor & Jackman, and some children. Through fear and in consequence of the intense ex- citement, the dead and dying were frequently abandoned by their nearest relatives and friends. As is reported, in twenty-one days, during the prevalence of the dread contagion, Henry Tumy, R. G. Lyell, and four or five others buried twenty-three victims of cholera and of the measles, which latter disease was also in the place at the same time.

From 1850 to 1860 the town did a good business and flourished very fairly. It had become known far and near for years and at- tracted to it many individuals. The building of the North Missouri railroad affected the prosperity of the place no little. Goods began to be shipped into the county by rail instead of by river, and the commercial interests of the town sustained material injury thereby. The iron horse has always been the mortal enemy of the steamboat, and in most cases the victor in every contest. The river towns have suffered of late years and the railroad towns have flourished.

DURING THE CIVIL WAR.

The population of Rocheport at the beginning of the civil war was largely in sympathy with the Southern or Confederate cause, and so far as can be known did not change its sentiments. It furnished a considerable number of men for the Confederate army and some for the Federal service. Of the latter, Robt. G. Lyell was adjutant of the 61st Enrolled Missouri Militia, and Major on the staff of Gen. J. B. Douglass.

The first Federal troops in Rocheport were a portion of Gen. Lyon's command, who landed, when on their way to Boonville, the day be- fore the battle at that place, June 17, 1861.

The Federals occupied the town from time to time with a garrison. In 1863-4, the bushwhackers made frequent visits to the place. Bill Anderson's guerillas came so often that that they called Rocheport " our capital." The people were between hawk and buzzard. The Federals plundered them and the bushwhackers robbed them. On

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one occasion, Anderson's men had barely left the town when the Federals entered.

Early in October, 1864, when Lt. Col. Matthews of the 3d Cavalry, M. S. M., was in command at Rocheport, Maj. Leonard's command, of the 9th M. S. M., entered the town. A boat loaded with Fisk's men was also lying at the wharf. A fire broke out on Main Street and destroyed one of the principal blocks and a part of another. As soon as the fire was discovered Col. Matthews ordered out a strong pro- vost guard and sent every other soldier to his quarters, and then en- deavored to check the flames. There was no pillaging and all disorder was repressed, and Col. Matthews won golden opinions from the peo- ple for his exemplary conduct. The fire was probably set out by some of the Federal soldiers, but just by whom cannot be learned.

Not long afterwards some of the bushwhackers came into town and set fire to the fine public school building, and it was burned to the ground. The building was valued at $6,000 or $7,000, and was a fine structure. One statement is to the effect that but one man was con- cerned in the burning of the school-house, a member of Anderson's company, who crossed the river and applied the torch one night.

BUSHWHACKER RAIDS.

The first " bushwhacker raid " as it was called, of any note, was made about the first of October, 1863, when twenty-five or thirty bushwhackers, the leading characters among whom it is said were - - Pulliam, John Brown, Russ. Palmer, and -Turner, came into town and shook it up considerably. Several stores were robbed. Messrs. Clayton & Wilcox, Harris & Hubbard, A. & M. Barth, and H. Tumy were the principal losers.

In the spring or early summer of 1864, Anderson's guerillas made their appearance in Rocheport, and until late in the following fall con- tinued to visit the town quite frequently. Indeed they soon estab- lished friendly, if not confidential, relations with many of the citizens, and were on fair terms with nearly everybody. They took a great deal of property in one way or another from the people, and caused some of them to pay $3,500, but so long as nobody was killed, the citizens considered that they had escaped very well.

THE "BUFFINGTON " AFFAIR.

On Tuesday night, August 30, 1864, the steamer Buffington, a boat employed in transporting supplies to the State Penitentiary, and com-

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manded by Capt. Thos. Waterman, came up to Rocheport and landing just above town was captured by Bill Anderson and his band of bush- whackers. Capt. Waterman was killed and an employe of the boat badly wounded. By orders of Anderson the boat steamed up and/ crossed over to the Cooper county side, when the guerillas landed, went into the interior and robbed many of the farmers of money, provisions and horses. When they returned they compelled the boat to recross them to the north bank of the river, and then retired into. the Howard county timber.

The citizens of Rocheport were wholly irresponsible for the capture of the boat and the killing of Capt. Waterman, but from representa- tions made to Gen. Rosecrans, then in command of this department, that officer could not see it in that light, and issued the following order : -

SPECIAL ORDER NO. 159.

HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE MISSOURI, 2 ST. LOUIS, Mo., September 1, 1864.

The general commanding, satisfied that the citizens of the town of Rocheport, Boone. county, Missouri, have countenanced, tolerated, and fed, if not encouraged, gangs of bush- whackers and other outlaws for the last six weeks, and being apprised that a gang of these- villains, in open daylight, shot and murdered Thomas Waterman, the only support of a widowed mother and two sisters, on the steamer Buffington, at the landing of said town,. orders that the sum of ten thousand dollars be collected from the disloyal citizens of Roche- port, and paid to the chief quartermaster of the department for the use of the widow and sisters of said Waterman. The district commander is charged with the execution of this or- der. By command of MAJOR GENERAL ROSECRANS.

O. D. Greene, Asst. Adj. Gen. and Chief of Staff.

It was a hard tax, this $10,000, upon the " disloyal " citizens of Rocheport at this time, but the amount was afterwards reduced one- half by Gen. Rosecrans, and the remaining $5,000 assessed to the dis- loyal citizens of Moniteau township, Howard county. Only about $3,500 was ever collected, the remainder being remitted by the com- mander-in-chief upon representations of the loyalty of those assessed. If culpability in the affair had been the test of the assessment, and the proportion of guilt the measure of each citizen,s share, perhaps not fifteen cents would have been demanded from the people of the town- ship. They were no more responsible for the firing on the steamer than the people of any other part of the county or State. But war sometimes places its burdens very unequally.

A guerrilla named Tuck Hill, of Johnson county, is said to have been the one that killed Capt. Waterman, at least he robbed the body.

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ATTACK ON THE STEAMER " YELLOWSTONE."

On Monday, September 5, 1864, the steamer Yellowstone was fired into at Rocheport, while passing down, by Anderson's band. The guer- rillas followed the boat some distance down the river, keeping up an ineffectual fire on it, with their revolvers. At last the Yellowstone stopped in the channel, and appearances indicated that she had sur- rendered. Two of Anderson's men, Harvey Rucker and Jim Ander- son, were sent to the boat to bring it into shore. A citizen, James Lewis, was pressed in to row the skiff. As the party reached the boat Rucker attempted to climb aboard when some of the crew fired on him, striking him in the arm and thigh. He fell back into the skiff, which was hastily rowed ashore, and the boat went on to Jefferson City. Anderson was greatly enraged at the failure to capture the boat, and the wounding of one of his best men. Rucker's arm was so badly shattered that it had to be amputated.

After Rucker had been brought ashore, a young lad named James W. Lyons, now a merchant in Columbia, who had been pressed into the service of the guerrillas as a guide, by Jim Carter and some other bushwhackers, attempted to return to his home in Missouri township. It is proper to let Mr. Lyons himself tell the story of what followed. He says : -

I had permission from Carter, on arriving at Rocheport, to return home, but was not al- lowed to pass outside of the picket lines, and had made up my mind to remain in town until Anderson should leave. As I was passing Smith's Hotel, near the river, one of his men (who was a personal enemy of mine) standing near, told Anderson that I was going home, and also represented that I was deserting them. Anderson then asked me where I was going. I told him I was going home, and attempted to explain why, informing him that I had not joined his command or signified any such intention, and could substantiate the fact by Capt. James Carter. Whereupon, without any provocation whatever, he seized a chair that was near by and struck at me. I caught the chair and held it. He then drew his revolver and struck at me, which blow I managed also to ward off. Just at this junction Uncle Benj. Mead, who knew me, and knew the circumstances under which'I was at Rocheport, seized Anderson and told me to run, but I was told by one of Anderson's men (whom I never saw before or since) that if I ran he would kill me. At this moment Capt. Emery came to my rescue, and caught the party who ordered me to remain, and Emery also told me to run. I ran through the hall of the hotel into the back yard, and, having lost my hat in the encoun- ter, ran through Henry Smith's house, snatched up an old hat of his, and made directly for the river bank, which I knew would conceal me from any one in town, and in this way made my escape.

SINCE THE WAR.

The close of the civil war found Rocheport scarred and blackened, and considerably prostrated in every. It " picked up " slowly for a considerable length of time, but gradually became quiescent, in which

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condition it has remained for some years. It is still, and bids fair long to be, the chief river town in the county, and during the warm months heavier shipments of grain and stock are made from here on steamboats than from all other ports in the county. The town is con- nected by telegraph with the outward world, and a stage runs daily to Columbia. The population in 1870 was 823; in 1880 it was 728. The present population is estimated at about seven hundred, of which about two hundred and fifty are colored.

Until quite recently Rocheport has been an extensive shipping point for leaf tobacco. In 1870 Col. R. A Caskil established himself in the tobacco trade, and for some years shipped annually from two hundred to one thousand hogsheads of leaf tobacco to Liverpool and Bristol, England, and to Glasgow, Scotland. The shipments were increased or diminished as the crops were large or moderate. Mr. Caskil has a factory capable of handling 1,500,000 pounds of tobacco annually.

THE RIOT OF APRIL 1, 1882.

On the evening of the 1st of April, 1882, Jim Mitchell, a drunken negro, assaulted Mr. Marion Wyatt, of near Rocheport, and was promptly knocked down. " Gen." Wilhite, another negro with a notoriously bad reputation, together with some other colored loafers, came to Mitchell's assistance and attacked Mr. Wyatt, who drew his revolver, and, without firing, drove his assailants across the street. The negroes, to the number of about twenty-five of the most aban- doned class, gathered near the post-office and acted in a very turbu- lent and threatening manner. The marshal, Thos. J. White, calling to his aid some other white men, notified them to disperse or they would be arrested and imprisoned. All left but two or three, among whom was Bill Barber, who, more daring (or drunker ), remained. When again warned to disperse, Barber attempted to strike the mar- shal with a stone. The latter drew his pistol and fired at the negro, but in the darkness missed. All of the negroes now left.

Quite a crowd of white citizens gathered in front of Chambers Bros. & Co 's store, and, believing that the negroes had been effectually quieted, and wholly unsuspicious of any danger, were quietly dis- cussing the episode that had passed. The front of the store was of glass, and the interior of the building, being brilliantly lighted, the sidewalk was as bright and light as day. Suddenly, from a dark alley on the opposite side of the street, came a volley from pistols and shot-guns, and several citizens were severely and one seriously.

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wounded. The windows of the store were riddled with shot, and it was remarkable that no one was killed and that no more were wounded. As soon as possible the whites procured arms, and, organ- izing, fired at the place where they supposed the negroes to be, but, owing to the darkness and the fact that most of the rioters had dis- persed, none of them were hit.

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History of Boone County, Missouri., Part 97

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