History of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, Mo. : from the time of the Platte purchase to the end of the year 1915 biographical sketches of noted citizens, living and dead, Part 3

Author: McDonald, Elwood L., 1869- , comp; King, W. J., comp
Publication date: 1915
Publisher: St. Joseph, Mo : Midland Printing Co.
Number of Pages: 604


USA > Missouri > Buchanan County > St Joseph > History of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, Mo. : from the time of the Platte purchase to the end of the year 1915 biographical sketches of noted citizens, living and dead > Part 3


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Mr. Barton was a native of Tennessee and a soldier of the wa of 1812. He was quite a popular public man in the state whe elected, but during his last term lost prestige because of his prefe ence of John Quincy Adams over General Jackson for the pres dency, General Jackson being a great favorite with the Missour ans. He was stricken with insanity and died at Boonville in 183


Senator Benton was not elected without opposition, because a difficulty he had had with Andrew Jackson, who attempted horsewhip Benton in the streets of Nashville, and was shot in th arm by Benton's brother. Benton afterwards killed Charles Luca at that time United States attorney for Missouri, in a duel, an was regarded by many as a murderer. He served thirty years, an became unpopular because of his domineering disposition. He re resented St. Louis one term in Congress in 1852-54, and was d- feated for re-election by Luther M. Kennett, a Know-Nothing. H then made an independent effort to become governor, and was als defeated. He was a man of strong character; in fact, one of th remarkable men of the nation.


Senator Barton was succeeded by Alexander Buckner of Cap Girardeau, who served 1830-33, and died of cholera. Governo Dunklin appointed Dr. Lewis F. Linn of Ste. Genevieve to th vacancy, who served until 1843, and died in office. Dr. Linn was most useful man to Missouri, and it was largely through his effort that the Platte purchase was made. Upon his death Governor Rey nolds appointed Judge David R. Atchison of Platte County, wh was at that time judge of the Twelfth Judicial Circuit and wh


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held court regularly in Robidoux's store and at the house of Rich- ard Hill, in Buchanan County.


Senator Benton was succeeded in 1851 by Henry S. Geyer of St. Louis. Senator Geyer was a Marylander, who came to Missouri in 1815, and who was speaker of the House for the first five years after the admission of Missouri into the Union. He was a famous Slawyer and did much to systematize the Missouri code. He was Ithe only avowed Whig ever elected to the United States senate from IMissouri. He died in 1859.


In 1855 the legislature ballotted in vain for a successor to Senator Atchison, and the election went over to the next session. Lin 1857 there were successors to both Senators Atchison and Geyer to choose. Governor Trusten Polk and James S. Green of Lewis County were elected.


Governor Polk was a native of Delaware and a graduate of Yale College. In 1862 he was expelled for disloyalty, and died in St. Louis in 1876. James S. Green was a Virginian, and a strong state's rights man. He was a powerful debater and had few peers. He, like Polk, was expelled in 1861 for secession utterances.


Waldo P. Johnson of Osceola, St. Clair County, was elected to ucceed Senator Green. He cast his lot with the South and resigned Lis seat soon after taking it.


Lieutenant-Governor Hall of St. Joseph, who was acting for Governor Gamble, appointed J. B. Henderson of Pike County and Robert Wilson of Andrew to fill the vacancies. In November of 863 the legislature elected Mr. Henderson to serve until March 4, 869, and elected B. Gratz Brown for a term expiring March 4, 867. Senator Brown was elected governor in 1870 and served two rears. In 1872 he was a candidate for Vice-President with Horace freeley.


Charles D. Drake, the author of the Drake constitution, was lected to succeed Senator Brown. He served until 1871, when he esigned to become judge of the court of claims at Washington, and vas succeeded by Daniel F. Jewett of St. Louis, who served one ear, and who was in turn succeeded by General Frank P. Blair, who served out the remainder of the term, until 1873.


Carl Schurz was elected to succeed Senator Henderson for a erm of six years, 1869-75. He was succeeded by Francis M. Cock- ell of Johnson County, who has succeeded himself continuously ntil 1905, when he was succeeded by William A. Warner. James 1. Reed followed Warner in 1911 and is still serving.


Lewis V. Bogy of St. Louis was elected to succeed Senator Blair and served 1873-77, dying in office. Governor Phelps ap- ointed David H. Armstrong of St. Louis to serve until the legisla- are met. . The legislature elected General James Shields of Carroll ounty for the unexpired term, and George Graham Vest of War- ensburg for the full term. Vest was succeeded in 1903 by Wil- am J. Stone.


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Up to 1845 the congressmen from Missouri were elected at


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large. The last member from this section under the old systen was James M. Hughes of Clay County, a nephew of General Andrev S. Hughes and the father of Mrs. Calvin F. Burnes of St. Joseph


The first man to be elected when the state was divided int districts was Willard P. Hall. This was then, as now, the Fourth Congressional district, though it has undergone several transforma tions since the first organization.


General Hall was the regular Democratic nominee in 1846, and against him was pitted James H. Birch of Clinton County, a bril liant man, but one who vacillated politically. Judge Birch was th independent candidate. General Hall, who was plain Willard il those days, left the campaign to take care of itself and went with General Doniphan's expedition to Mexico. The people liked hi ยท spirit and patriotism, and elected him in his absence.


After serving two terms, General Hall was succeeded by Mor decai Oliver, a Whig, who was then living at Richmond. Judg Oliver was afterward secretary of state, and in 1884-6 served a police judge in St. Joseph.


In the Thirty-fifth and Thirty-sixth Congresses (1857-61) th Fourth District was represented by General James Craig, Demo crat, of St. Joseph. Judge Elijah H. Norton of Platte County Democrat, succeeded General Craig and served one term.


The state had meanwhile been redistricted and St. Joseph wa in the Seventh Congressional District. General Ben F. Loan o St. Joseph, Republican, represented the district in the Thirty eighth, Thirty-ninth and Fortieth Congresses (1863-69) .


In the Forty-first Congress (1869-71) the district was repre sented by Hon. Joel F. Asper, Republican, of Livingston County.


Judge Isaac C. Parker, Republican, of St. Joseph represented the district in the Forty-second and Forty-third Congresse (1871-75). During the last term of Congressman Parker the stat was again redistricted and Buchanan County fell into the Ninth Congressional District.


Judge Parker was succeeded by Judge David Rea, Democrat of Andrew County, who served two terms (1875-79). Hon. Nich olas Ford, Greenback, of Andrew County, succeeded Judge Rea defeating General Craig, and served two terms (1879-83) .


In 1881 the state was again redistricted and the entire Platt Purchase-Platte, Buchanan, Andrew, Holt, Nodaway and Atchi son counties-formed into the Fourth Congressional District. The first man to represent the new district was the late James N Burnes, Democrat, who defeated Morris A. Reed of St. Joseph Republican, and Nathaniel Sisson of Maryville, Greenback-Labor in November of 1882, by a majority of 569. In 1884 Colonel Burner defeated Judge Henry S. Kelly, Republican, then of Andrev County, by 2,176 votes. In 1886 Colonel Burnes defeated Byron A. Dunn of Maryville, Republican, by 3,087 votes. In 1888 Colone Burnes defeated H. R. W. Hartwig of St. Joseph, Republican, by 3,177 votes.


Colonel Burnes died January 24, 1889, at Washington. He


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had yet to serve his unexpired term in the Fiftieth Congress. Gov- ernor Francis ordered a special election to be held February 21, 1889, to fill the vacancy in the Fiftieth Congress and also for the election of a successor to Colonel Burnes in the Fifty-first Congress. The Republicans nominated Francis M. Posegate of St. Joseph for both places. The Democrats nominated Charles F. Booher of Savannah for the short term and Robert P. C. Wilson of Platte County for the long term. Captain Posegate was defeated by 618 votes. Mr. Booher served only about two weeks.


In 1890 Mr. Wilson defeated Nicholas Ford, Republican, of Andrew County, and W. H. Whipple, Populist, of Buchanan County, receiving a majority of 1,118. In 1892 Daniel D. Burnes, Democrat, defeated George C. Crowther, Republican, of St. Joseph, and J. B. Wilcox, Populist, of Andrew County, receiving a majority of 1,259. In 1894 Mr. Crowther defeated William C. Ellison of Maryville, Democrat, and William S. Missemer of St. Joseph, Populist, his majority being 1,661. In 1896 Charles F. Cochran of St. Joseph, Democrat, defeated Mr. Crowther, his plurality being 3,829. Frank B. Fulkerson, of St. Joseph, was elected in 1904, and Charles F. Booher, of Savannah, the present incumbent, in 1906.


The act authorizing the creation of Buchanan County attached it to the Twelfth State Senatorial District, which was represented at that time by Cornelius Gillam and James T. V. Thompson. Sub- sequently Buchanan County was a part of the Tenth District, which, in 1842, was represented by Cornelius Gillam, and in 1844 by Jesse B. Thompson. In 1846 it was part of the Seventh District and was represented by Robert M. Stewart, who served until 1858 and was succeeded by John Scott. Buchanan County was then in the Twelfth District. Senator Scott was succeeded in 1862 by Colonel John Severance, who in 1864 was succeeded by J. N. Young. Colonel Thomas Harbine succeeded Senator Young, the county having meanwhile become part of the Second District. Senator Harbine served until 1871, and was succeeded by Daniel Ransom, who served one term, and was succeeded in 1875 by Waller Young, who also served one term. Ahira Manring of DeKalb County suc- ceeded Senator Young and served two terms. In 1882 Randolph T. Davis was elected and resigned, his unexpired term being filled by Waller Young, who was succeeded in 1886 by Michael G. Moran. Senator Moran was succeeded in 1890 by Charles F. Cochran, who served four years and was succeeded by Arthur W. Brewster in 1894. William H. Haynes was elected in 1898, Lawrence A. Vories in 1902, Charles H. Mayer in 1906, Thomas J. Lysaght in 1910, James A. Campbell in 1914. During Senator Cochran's term the state was redistricted and Buchanan County now constitutes the Twelfth District alone. The senatorial term is four years.


The first man to represent Buchanan County in the house was Jesse B. Thompson, who served 1840-44. The second was Richard


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Roberts, who served 1844-46. Then came James B. Gardenhire. who served two years, and was followed by John Bretz, who served until 1850.


Buchanan County was now entitled to two representatives, and Henry S. Tutt and Sinclair K. Miller were elected. In 1852 A. J. Vaughan and E. F. Dixon were the representatives, each serving one term. Then came Wellington A. Cunningham and W. J. Everett, who served in the session of 1854. In the session of 1856 Buchanan County was represented by John Bretz and Alexander Davis, and in the session of 1858 and the special session of 1859 by Cornelius Day and Alexander Davis. In the session of 1860 J. C. Roberts and J. H. Ashbaugh were representatives; in 1862 J. L. Bittinger and Robert Brierly. In 1864 Buchanan County was represented byl Robert Brierly and Joseph Thompson.


Three years elapsed between the Twenty-third and Twenty- fourth general assemblies, and when the latter met in 1867 Bu- chanan County was represented by Charles B. Wilkinson and Wash- ington Bennett, who were succeeded in the session of 1867 by Sam- uel Hays and Oscar Kirkham. In the session of 1871 our represent- atives were J. L. Bittinger and William Randall, and in the follow -, ing two sessions, in 1873 and 1875, they were J. L. Bittinger and W. S. Wells of Rushville.


For the Twenty-ninth general assembly, which met in 1877, Buchanan County elected three representatives-W. S. Wells, George W. Sutherland and Dr. E. A. Donelan. In the session of 1879 our representatives were Thomas Crowther, John T. Riley and John Saunders. The session of 1881 found Dr. Donelan, John T. Riley and Benjamin J. Woodson representing Buchanan County, and the following session, 1883, Alex D. Vories, Michael G. Moran and A. A. Whittington. In the session of 1885 our representatives were William H. Haynes, Dr. Donelan and William S. Wells; in the session of 1887, William H. Haynes, Dr. Donelan and G. W. Johnson ; in 1889, Waller Young, Abraham Davis and B. F. Stuart ; in 1891, Abraham Davis, Dr. E. A. Donelan and B. F. Stuart; in 1893, Abraham Davis, Granville G. Adkins and B. F. Stuart; in 1895, John L. Bittinger, James Moran and Oliver P. Smith ; in 1897, John L. Bittinger, Joseph A. Piner and James Shewmaker ; in 1899, W. K. Amick, Joseph A. Piner and James P. Shewmaker; in 1901, R. M. Abercrombie, W. S. Connor, Albert B. Duncan. Beginning with the session of 1903, Buchanan County had four representa- tives: Charles S. Shepherd, John G. Parkinson, Albert B. Duncan, W. S. Connor; 1905, Joseph Albus John L. Bittinger, Charles H. Watts, W. S. Connor; 1907, E. L. Hart, Richard D. Garvey, W. S. Connor, W. H. Sherman ; 1909, E. L. Hart, Dr. U. G. Crandall, H. C. Yates, W. H. Sherman; 1911, W. S. Willard, John E. Webster, H. C. Yates, George T. Claiborne ; 1913, Phillip McCollum, E. N. Pet- erson, Jacob L. Bretz, George T. Claiborne; 1915, Phillip McCol- lum, Frank J. Staedtler, Jacob L. Bretz, Jack D. Robinson.


CHAPTER VII.


THE STATE CAPITAL-SOME FIRST THINGS IN MISSOURI -LEWIS AND CLARK-NEW MDRID EARTHQUAKE- DANIEL BOONE - CHOLERA - IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT-GASCONADE BRIDGE DISASTER-RAILROAD BONDS AND STATE AID-IOWA BOUNDARY LINE- "IMPERIAL MISSOURI."


The first seat of government of the State of Missouri was at St. Louis. In 1821 the capital was changed to St. Charles, but this was not satisfactory, for immigration was pushing to the broad prairies of the west. By a revision of the constitution it was pro- vided that the capital be located on the Missouri River, within forty miles of the mouth of the Osage. A commission was appointed and after examining many localities, they decided upon the spot where Jefferson City now stands. The town was named after Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States. The capitol was located upon four sections of land donated by the United States government. It was large enough to meet the needs of the state at the time, and stood until 1837, when it was destroyed by fire. The legislature met in the new state building in 1826. The oldest portion of the second capitol was erected after the destruc- tion of the original building. This structure was destroyed by fire February 5, 1911. A new state capitol to cost $3,500,000 is now being built.


The following are some of the first things that occurred in Mis- souri : The first marriage took place April 20, 1766, at St. Louis. The first baptism was performed in May, 1776, at St. Louis. The first house of worship (Catholic) was erected in 1775 at St. Louis. The first ferry was established in 1805 on the Mississippi River at St. Louis. The first newspaper was established in 1808. This was the Missouri Gazette, and the St. Louis Republic represents the perpetuation of this pioneer in journalism. The first postoffice was established at St. Louis in 1804, with Rufus Easton as postmaster. The first Protestant church (Baptist) was erected at Ste. Genevieve in 1806. The first bank was established at St. Louis in 1814. It was called the Bank of St. Louis. The first college was built at St. Louis in 1814. The first market house was opened at St. Louis in 1811. The first steamboat on the Upper Mississippi River was the General Pike, which landed at St. Louis in 1817. The first steam- boat that came up the Missouri River was the Independence, which touched at Franklin in 1819. The first court house was erected at


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St. Louis in 1823. The first line of telegraph reached St. Louis December 20, 1847.


Lewis and Clark, the explorers, began their ascent of the Mis- souri River in May of 1804. Captain Meriwether Lewis and Wil- lilam Clark were accompanied by forty-three men and a servant. The party stopped off frequently and explored the surrounding country, collected information concerning the Indians, the soil, the tributaries to the rivers, etc.


The earthquake that destroyed New Madrid occurred after midnight of December 16, 1811. By this terrific convulsion vast tracts of land were plunged into the Mississippi River, large lakes were made in an instant, trees split in the middle, great fissures were formed where the earth had burst, and hundreds of them remained for years afterward. After the earthquake the country about New Madrid exhibited a melancholy aspect. Congress enacted laws permitting the earthquake sufferers to locate the same amount of lands in other parts of the territory, but owing to their ignor- ance of the ways of the world many of them were cheated out of their claims by unscrupulous speculators.


Daniel Boone, the famous pioneer, came to Missouri in 1794 and settled forty-five miles north of St. Louis in what is now War- ren County. He spent most of his latter days with his son, Major Nathan Boone, in St. Charles County. He died September 26, 1820, aged eighty-eight years. In 1845 both his body and that of his wife, were disinterred and taken to Frankfort, Ky. Boone had two sons, Nathan and Daniel M., who, like their father, were noted for their courage and enterprise. They were among the first to manufacture salt, building furnaces at what was afterward called Boone's Lick, in what is now Howard County. Wonderful salt springs existed there, and the Boones brought kettles in which the water was evap- orated and the salt retained. The country about Boone's Lick was settled rapidly when the fame of the salt spring and the beauty of the locality became known.


Asiatic cholera appeared at St. Louis in 1832, and for a time the death rate averaged thirty-two per day. When it finally disap- peared a reckoning showed that one out of every twelve of the popu- lation had fallen a victim. In the spring of 1849 it appeared again, and between April and August 4,060 persons died. In 1850 and 1851, and again in 1867, there was cholera at various points along the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers. St. Joseph had but little of it, while Weston and other points farther down suffered more severely. Those who were crossing the plains and Indians along the trails fell victims in large numbers.


Imprisonment for debt was permissible under the statutes of


Bird's Eye View of St. Joseph


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Missouri until 1843. The enforcement of this worked great hard- ships and created much dissatisfaction. There were but few things that the sheriff could not sell for debt, and if there was not enough to satisfy the avaricious creditor, he could have the unfortunate debtor cast into prison. The act abolishing the law was written by Governor Reynolds. It contained but six words: "Imprison- ment for debt is hereby abolished." Yet those few words brought great joy to all but the unscrupulous creditor.


On November 1, 1855, there occurred the first railroad wreck in the history of Missouri. The completion of the Missouri Pacific railroad from St. Louis to Jefferson City was being celebrated and an excursion train of nine cars crowded with notables was speeding to the capital. The bridge spanning the Gasconade River was not completed and a temporary scaffolding had been erected. A furious storm was raging while the train was crossing this bridge, and, amid the fiercest lightning and thunder, the timbers of the tem- porary structure parted and several cars went down. Forty-three lives were lost and many persons were injured.


The Drake constitution permitted counties to subscribe any sum of money to aid in building railroads, and county courts were authorized to issue bonds binding the county for the payment of these subscriptions wherever two-thirds of the qualified voters should assent thereto. These courts, in some cases, were character- less or ignorant men, and the "qualified" voters were not the people who owned property and who had to shoulder the burden. Bonds to the amount of over $15,000,000 were issued by various counties. In some instances the roads were not built, only a few miles being graded. But the bonds were marketed in New York and passed into the hands of the "innocent purchaser" as soon as possible. The county courts of Lafayette, Cass, Knox and St. Clair Counties refused to pay such bonds at maturity, but the United States court held that they were legally issued and must be paid. The people of Cass and St. Clair Counties were particularly stubborn in their opposition, and are to this day. County judges are firm upon this issue and cheerfully go to jail rather than levy taxes for the pay- ment of these bonds.


At different times prior to the war the state had granted aid to various railroad companies by issuing bonds to the amount of $23,701,000. For this aid the companies agreed to pay interest. During and soon after the war the Missouri Pacific, the Iron Moun- tain, the North Missouri, and what was then the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs road, now the Burlington system, from St. Joseph to Weston, were sold for non-payment of interest on these bonds. The entire debt at the time of the sale was over $31,000,- 000, and the state realized from the various sales only about $8,000,000, thus leaving a deficit of $23,000,000, which the state had to pay, besides several millions in interest.


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The contest over the boundary line between Iowa and Missouri, which was settled by the supreme court of the United States in 1845, was due to a mistake on the part of John Sullivan, the United States surveyor, who ran the lines. Missouri claimed that the northern border should be a parallell of the latitude which passed through the rapids of the Des Moines River, and Iowa claimed it should be a line which passed through the rapids of the Mississippi River, some twenty miles south. Unfriendly and revengeful feel- ings grew out of the dispute between the people who resided on the borders. Sullivan, the surveyor, began on a meridian one hundred miles north of Kansas City, and, instead of running due east, varied to the north, having varied four miles when he reached the Des Moines River. The United States had recognized Sullivan's survey in a number of Indian treaties, and now held that it should be for- ever the dividing line, and Missouri lost a strip of territory ten miles wide from the northern line.


X


Having briefly sketched the history of Missouri from its begin- ning, it will be appropriate to quote from the 1915 Report of Labor Commissioner Fitzpatrick as to the present condition of the state: "The resources and advantages which nature has so freely scattered about in Missouri with practically half the large area. south of the Missouri River still to be closely settled and devel- oped, makes it the leading state of the Union for opportunities open to manufacturers, capitalists, farmers, dairymen, miners, horticul- turists, live stock and poultry raisers and timbermen.


"With two-fifths of the state still open for development and Missouri already ranking first among all states for its annual poultry production, third in corn, seventh in wheat, first for both lead and zinc, ninth for building stone, first in manufactured plug tobacco, first in cadmiun, first for red gum cooperage, first for tripoli, first for barytes, first in corn-cob pipes, fourth in mineral paints, fifth in the manufacture of lime, seventh in clay products, seventh in portland cement, seventh in sand and gravel, and second for mules, there is no limit to the future prosperity of the com- monwealth and its inhabitants.


"Among the other commodities Missouri holds high rank for in annual production are: Shoes and boots, walnut timber, water- melons, strawberries, tomatoes, big red apples, Elberta peaches, flour, feed, meal, cooperage, packing house products, malt liquor (beer), street and railway cars, small fruit, brick and tiling, canned goods, livestock, frogs, fresh water fish, nursery products, syca- more lumber, railroad ties, sand and gravel, glass, natural mineral waters, mushrooms, red gum and maple lumber, honey and bees- wax, granite and other building stone, pearl buttons, printing and publishing, furs, clothing, drugs, chemicals and bakery products.


"Located between the 36th and 41st parallels of north latitude and between the 89th and 96th meridians of west longitude, Mis- souri is a part of the temperate zone in which the work of the world is done. Its climate conduces to health and physical strength.


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The Bureau of Ethnology of the federal government has pointed out that the native Missourians are stronger and taller than the native citizens of any other state. The average mean temperature of Missouri, 54 degrees, is higher than the average mean tempera- ture in any other state of the same latitude eastward.


"Health in Missouri is promoted by the pure air and bright sunshine and by the good water with which the state is abundantly supplied. Vital statistics taken from the federal census make plain that the claim for the health feature of Missouri is not an idle boast. The annual death rate in the United States per thousand popula- tion, is 16.3, while in Missouri the annual death rate is only 12.2. To express it differently, one-third more deaths occur annually in the other states of the Union, in proportion to the population, than in Missouri. While the annual birth rate in the United States exceeds the annual death rate 11 per cent, the excess in Missouri is 13.8 per cent. Missourians are born more numerously and die less rapidly than the citizens of the other states."




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