USA > Missouri > Livingston County > History of Caldwell and Livingston counties, Missouri, written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri; a reliable and detailed history of Caldwell and Livingston counties--their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens; general and local statistics of great value; incidents and reminiscences > Part 110
USA > Missouri > Caldwell County > History of Caldwell and Livingston counties, Missouri, written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri; a reliable and detailed history of Caldwell and Livingston counties--their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens; general and local statistics of great value; incidents and reminiscences > Part 110
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JAMES M. SNEED
(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Section 26, Post-office, Sampsel).
By reason of his being a native-born citizen of the county no less than because of his excellent reputation as a progressive and enter- prising agriculturist, Mr. Sneed enjoys an extensive acquaintance in this community. His birth occurred here September 26, 1849. His grandfather, John Sneed, had a son Silas, and the latter after reach- ing manhood married Miss Catherine Boucher, daughter of Elisha and Sarah Boucher, the former a Kentuckian by birth, and the latter of Tennessee nativity. Silas Sneed also came originally from Kentucky and his wife was born in this State. Their son James M., was reared in this county on a farm, and he has continued to give his attention to this calling during life. His place now numbers 40 acres, and while not as large as many in the county, is cultivated in such a su-
1040
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
perior manner that splendid yields are produced. He takes special interest in stock raising and trading, and in this occupation has met with substantial results. Mr. Sneed is deserving of great credit for his rise in the material affairs of life, for his efforts have been made unaided by outside help or influence. June 12, 1879, Mr. Sneed was married in Ray county, Mo., Miss Sarah Hickman becoming his wife. She was born and reared in East Tennessee and in 1870 came to Mis- souri with her parents, S. and Elizabeth Hickman. In the family of the latter couple were nine children. Mr. and Mrs. Sneed have been blessed with two children : Addie, born February 24, 1879, and Moses, born April 30, 1885. Besides these four died in infancy. Personally Mr. Sneed is held in high esteem.
JOHN ULRICK
(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Section 15, Post-office, Sampsel).
Clark county, O., has furnished to this county a number of rep- resentative men and among them might be mentioned John Ulrick, who was born there August 27, 1840. He is of German origin, his paternal grandfather, Adam Ulriek, having come to this country in an early day and made his home in Lancaster county, Pa., on the site of the present cities of Lancaster and Reading, and he is remembered as having been the founders of those cities. John's parents, Adam and Eliza S. (Swartz) Ulrick, were born, reared and married in Pennsyl- vania and early went to Ohio, where Mr. U resided until his death in 1843. Himself and wife were consistent members of the United Brethren Church and were largely instrumental in the establishment of churches of that faith in Clark county, O. Their remains are now interred in the cemetery connected with the Stublehill Church. The father was occupied in farming during life and met with good success. He had six children : Angeline, wife of Joseph Wood, of Clark county, O. ; Adam, died in September, 1883; Edward, a resident of Shelby county, O. ; Henry S., of Chariton county, Mo. (all of whom were born in Pennsylvania ), and Eliza S., now deceased, who died when young. With this exception the children all reached mature years. Left orphans when young by the death of their parents, their careers in life have been worked out by individual efforts. John's school privileges were rather limited and from the very first he has been en- gaged in tilling the soil. In 1862 he enlisted in the Union army under Capt. William Mayse, Co. H, 86th Ohio volunteers, and served for four months, then being honorably discharged at Camp Delaware, O. Returning home, he remained there until coming to Missouri in April, 1865, since which time he has closely applied himself to his adopted calling. Mr. Ulrick was married October 14, 1869, by Rev. J. Y. Blakey, pastor of the M. E. Church, to Miss Martha J., only surviving daughter of Absalom and Rosannah Brown ( now deceased ). The parents of the latter were William and Martha McClure. Mrs. U. was born in Missouri, December 10, 1848. They have seven chil- dren: Ginevra A., born December 14, 1871 ; Sarah L., born Sep-
1041
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
tember 24, 1873 ; Henry A., born September 2, 1876 ; Edgar A. P., born August 12, 1884, now living, and three deceased : Lettie E., born October 22, 1870, died November 17, 1870; Brown, born June 22, 1872, now deceased, and Martha A., born August 14, 1876, died March 28, 1881. Mr. and Mrs. U. are members of the Methodist Church.
MILTON G. WADDLE (Farmer, Post-office, Sampsel).
This enterprising young agriculturist is also numbered among those of Missouri birth and natives of this county, who are now residing here, and his long residence in this community and thorough familiarity with agricultural pursuits have placed him prominently towards the front among the farmers of this township. His birth occurred January 13, 1849, his parents being Alba J. and Jane Waddle, Virginians by birth, who came to this State in 1846. They remained here until 1862 and then went to Kansas, residing there until the death of Mr. W. in 1863. Their children were named Elizabeth, Mary, James, Lucretia, Eliza, John, Louis, Margaret, William, Montgomery and Ellen. Milton's mother afterwards married a noted wit and humorist, Samuel Thompson, June 13,1865. The subject of this sketch was reared to a farm experience and reaching the age when it became necessary for him to select some calling in life, he wisely chose farming, and has since continued it with substantial success. His present place includes 80 acres, improved in
a worthy manner. October 30, 1871, Mr. Waddle was married to Miss Brunett B. Frith, daughter of John and Elmira Frith, the parents of John being Henry and Amerlia Frith, nee Campbell. Five of the eight children born to Mr. and Mrs. Waddle are living : Thomas B., born October 24, 1875; Mary C., born February 6, 1877 ; Annie, born July 4, 1882, and Edna E. and Charles L., twins, born January 8, 1884. Those deceased are, Leora, born December 4, 1872, died February 14, 1876 ; Chloe E., born September 10, 1874, died Septem- ber 6, 1875, and John D., born January 24, 1880, died May 18, 1880. Mr. and Mrs. W. are members of the Methodist Church.
CHAPTER XX.
CHILLICOTHE TOWNSHIP.
Position and Description - Coal -Early Settlements -Sketch of Jamestown - In the Civil War-Capt. Spickard's Encounter with Joe Kirk - Pleasant Grove Church - City of Chillicothe - Laying Out of the Town -First and Second Sales of Lots - Appointed the County Seat - Incorporations - John Graves, The Founder of Chillicothe - First Newspaper in the County - Directory of 1855-The " Thes- pians " - Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad - Seminary - During the Civil War - Condition of Chillicothe Since the War -The Sisters' Academy - Churches - Lodges - Biographical.
Chillicothe township is very irregular in form, comprising portions of three Congressional townships in two ranges, and in shape is some- thing like the letter L. It is composed of the parts of township 57, range 23, and township 57, range 24, which lie north of Grand river, and of that part of township 58, range 24, lying east of the East fork of Grand river. The latter stream, or Grand river proper, forms its western and southern boundary, and in its windings and meanderings flows for about 30 miles around the township.
All kinds of land are to be found in the township. Along Grand river are bottom and swampy tracts, the haunts of bull frogs and turtles, and the resort of waterfowl. On the uplands are fine farms and magnificent manor lands, the abodes of comfort and even luxury.
COAL.
In the northern part of the township (sec. 12-58-24), on the lands of Abel and Isom Cox, the vein of coal underlying this township has been opened, and is worked to some extent. It is of most excellent quality, containing no sulphuret of iron, or any other deleterious sub- stances. The blacksmiths and iron workers of Chillicothe use this coal, and prefer it for their purposes to any other they can procure.
In 1870 J. T. Johnson & Co. sunk a shaft, 298 feet in depth, a little south and east of Chillicothe in a search for coal. At a depth of 155 feet from the surface a six-inch vein was passed, but this was the only stratum found. With the location of the St. Paul Railroad projects are broached to make search for coal in other parts of the township. There is but little room for doubting that it will be found in paying quantities at a reasonable depth from the surface. It is quite proba-
(1042)
1043
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
ble that the Caldwell county formation will be struck at no great depth, or the Linn county beds reached lower down.
EARLY HISTORY.
Joseph Cox was the first settler in what is now Chillicothe town- ship, on section 12-58-24, in 1833. As noted elsewhere, it was at his house where the first courts were held in the county. Wm. Linville came in 1834 to section 11. Brannock Wilkerson and Caleb A. Gib- bons were very early settlers in this quarter. Elisha Hereford settled on Grand river, South of Chillicothe, near the site of Hereford's ferry in 1834 ; the previous year he had located on Medicine creek, eight miles east of Chillicothe. Brannock Wilkerson put up a horse mill, which Mr. Boyd's Atlas sketch says was the first in the county, but this is a mistake; Saml. E. Todd's was the first horse mill, antedat- ing Wilkerson's by a year or two.
The land in the northern part of Chillicothe township was not opened to entry until 1839 ; that in the lower part, in ranges 23 and 24, township 57, was put in market in 1835. Consequently the first settlers, who lived in the northern portion, entered their lands two or three years after later comers, who selected claims in the southern portion.
Herewith is given a record of the first entries in the township, made prior to the year 1840, by persons who were actual residents of the county and in most instances actual residents on the tracts which they entered : -
IN TOWNSHIP 57, RANGE 23.
Name.
Description.
Geo. Shriver, Sr.
e. ¿ sw. sec. 1 and nw. ¿ sec. 2 .
Date. Nov. 14, 1839
J. B. Shriver
w. ¿ sw. sec. 3, and e. ¿ se. sec. 4 .
Oct. 26, 1839
Wm. Moberly
w. ¿ sw. and ne. sw. sec. 4
June 27, 1837
Elizabeth Munro
w. ¿ ne. sec. 5
Oct. 22, 1838
Joseph Wolfskill .
e. ¿ se. sec. 5, April 2, 1836; se. sw. sec. 4
May 17, 1838
Drury Moberly.
w. ¿ sw. sec. 5.
June 1, 1839
James Moberly.
e. ¿ ne. sec. 6 .
July 18, 1837
Wm. Yancey
nw. 4 sec. 7.
Oct. 25, 1836
Isaac N. Ryan
w. ¿ sw. sec. 8, ne. se. and sw. se. sec. 7, Sept. 5, 1836; e. ¿ sw. sec. 7 Aug. 8, 1837
John Ryan
nw. se. sec. 7
Feb. 17, 1836
Bartlett Collins
e. ¿ ne. sec. 7
Sept. 5, 1836
David Curtis
ne. nw. sec. 8
Sept. 17, 1836
David Carlyle .
ne. sw. sec. 12 .
June 3, 1839
Elisha Hereford
e. ¿ se. sec. 17, July 14, 1835; e. ¿ ne. and w. ¿ se. sec. 17, Sept. 5, 1836; nw. ¿ sec. 21, Aug. 14, 1835; ne. sec. 12 Aug. 16, 1837 March 27, 1837
John Graves
w. ¿ se. and e. ¿ sw. sec. 25
1044
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
IN TOWNSHIP 57, RANGE 24.
Description. Date.
Name.
John Ryan
e. ¿ se. sec. 1, Sept. 5, 1836; e. } ne. sec. 12, Aug. 10, 1836; w. ¿ se. sec. 1 March 7, 1837
Jno. Graves and Caleb S. Stone (the latter of Boone county),
nw. ¿ sec. 1, e. ¿ ne. sec. 2 July 17, 1837
Asel F. Ball .
ne. se. sec. 2
May 12, 1838
Matson and Van Zandt.
e. ¿ se. sec. 9
Oct. 6, 1836
IN TOWNSHIP 58, RANGE 24.
Brannock Wilkerson.
s. ¿ nw. and w. { sw. sec. 1 . Sept. 10, 1839
Jesse Newlan
ne. 4 sec. 2 .
Nov. 27, 1839
Wm. Linville
se. à sec. 11. Nov. 23, 1839
Joseph Cox .
w. ¿ ne. and w. ¿ se. sec. 12
Sept. 10, 1839
Caleb A. Gibbons.
w. ¿ ne. sec. 24
Nov. 23, 1839
JAMESTOWN.
On the 12th of August, 1836, three speculators, David S. Lamme, Caleb S. Stone and David M. Hickman, residents of Boone county, entered 160 acres of land on the north side of Grand river (sw. 1/4 sec. 21-57-23), about four miles southeast of Chillicothe. On the 24th of November following they laid out a town on about 25 acres of this tract, which they called Jamestown, but which was afterward well known as " Jimtown." This was before the organization of Livingston, and the plat is on file in the recorder's office of Carroll county.
The founders of " Jimtown" contemplated that upon the organi- zation of the county their town would be selected as the county seat. It was centrally located, was a river town and had every convenience for shipping when steamboat navigation should begin. Its advant- ages were of some importance ; but John Graves was an antagonist difficult to cope with when he was considerably interested, and in the end the county seat was placed where he wanted it.
A few lots were sold in Jamestown, and a store-house built at an early day. But with the upbuilding of Chillicothe its prospects were blasted. From time to time, however, even until the present, or recently, there have been brief seasons when it seemed that the town was performing that feat which is commonly described as " taking a start," when a few houses would be built and occupied, a ferry estab- lished, or some other improvement effected ; but in time " Jimtown " settled back to something like its normal or primitive condition. It will always nevertheless possess the distinction of the first regularly laid out town in what is now Livingston county, but what was then northern Carroll county.
1045
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
ORGANIZATION.
Chillicothe township was originally called Medicine Creek, and bore the latter name until in February, 1839. When first organized, and for many years, it comprised all the territory within the present boundaries of the county lying east of Grand river above the mouth of Parson's creek. Cream Ridge, Wheeling, Medicine and Rich Hill townships have all been formed out of the territory which originally composed Chillicothe.
IN THE CIVIL WAR.
In the fall of 1861 a number of Confederate partisans from Jack- son township, led by Lewis Best, John Blackburn and Jim Rider, gathered near Graham's mill for the purpose of attacking and captur- ing Chillicothe, then held by a small Federal detachment, which was posted in a house surrounded by a breastwork in the southern part of town. A courier had brought the news of the defenseless condition of the place to Spring Hill, and a spy was sent back to thoroughly examine the situation. At the mill he returned with the information that the place could be captured, but that in doing so somebody would be killed ; and that the Federal fortification could not be taken with- out the loss of a dozen men. The enterprise was abandoned instanter.
CAPT. SPICKARD'S ENCOUNTER WITH JOE KIRK.
On another page (see Chapter VII. ) an account is given of the dispersion of a force of rebels under Joe Kirk by Col. Shanklin's militia. As there are some errors in this account it is deemed proper to correct them here ; for since the account referred to has been put in type statements have been received from Capt. George Spickard, who commanded the militia, and from other parties conversant with the facts.
Capt. Spickard says that while in camp at Chillicothe, August 22, 1862, he received orders from Col. Shanklin to parade all the mounted men of his company he could find and report at his headquarters, the Ballew House. The other companies were absent on scouting expedi- tions. "I soon met the Colonel," says Capt. Spickard, " and he said he had been informed that there was a party of bushwhackers up the Trenton road two or three miles, and he ordered me to go in pur- suit at once. I started off at a gallop, but when out of town halted and ordered my men to take the bayonets off their muskets ; here I
1046
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
found that half of my company had been taken back by the Colonel to town. I then went on to the place designated."
Of the subsequent details of the incident Capt. Spickard says: -
Halting and putting out pickets we soon discovered men off to our left in the bush, crossing back and forth over a dim road. Going to this point we found where they had been feeding their horses. We struck their trail, but they soon commenced scattering ; this bothered us a little, but we pursued at a double-quick, and just as we struck the bottom prairie we came in sight of them; they struck angling up the bottom some two miles and into the river timber ; we fired a few shots at them at long range.
We soon struck the river where they went down the bank and found they had turned down the river about 200 yards. I swung my men around to the left and came up to the river in a thick bunch of willows opposite where they were crossing. There was a hole of water there fully ten feet deep. The first to cross got up the west bank very well, but the track soon got wet and slippery with the water that fell from the dripping horses, and the horses of those that followed would slip and slide back into the water. I saw some men slip over their horses' heads and climb the bank and then take to their heels.
Here we got some property. My book shows that we captured among other articles seven head of horses ( some belonging to Union men ), three saddles, a pair of holster pistols and a government coat. In the pockets of the latter was a list of names of men belonging to Kirk's company. The next day another party went out with an expert diver and got a number of guns and pistols and some clothing, quilts and shawls. One dead horse with the saddle still on was found hanging to a snag in under water. It was reported that one or two men were either killed by my men or drowned, and I believe this is true. I think one body was taken out of the river and identified. Five of the rebels crossed lower down, and these had Conklin's gun : my book shows that this gun was recaptured by Gen. Blunt's forces, at Cane Hill, Ark., in January, 1863. It was a six-shooter rifle.
After the " scrimmage" was over, it was about sundown. I started for the camp, and when I got out on the prairie bottom I drew my men up in line and counted them; they numbered exactly 32, all belonging to Co. C, 30th E. M. M., except one man from Co. B, same regiment. Kirk's roll that we found showed that he had 36, but they were badly scattered, and were not all at the crossing where we were. I did not have a man hurt by the rebels. One man was accidentally scratched by the bayonet of a comrade - a small scalp wound.
PLEASANT GROVE CHURCH, M. E. SOUTH.
This church is located four miles southeast of Chillicothe and was built in 1870; it is a frame. The cost of the building was $1,200. The church
1047
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
was organized the same year. Joseph Wolfskill, B. Mumpower, Lucius Gilbert, David Mumpower, John W. Carr, John Cleveland, W. Keisler, M. L. Lyon, N. Thompson and Elmore Carlyle were among the first members. Rev. Carney was the first minister to the church. Rev. Gregory has since been pastor. The church has a membership of 100. B. Mumpower is superintendent of the Sabbath- school. The membership of the school is 50.
CHILLICOTHE.
On the 7th of August, 1837, the county court, then in session at Joseph Cox's, took the first steps toward laying out and estab- lishing the town of Chillicothe. On this day John Graves was appointed to " lay off into lots the county seat, where the com- missioners appointed by the State Legislature shall locate it." It was also ordered that the county seat " shall be denominated and known by the name of Chilicothe." In the order the name was spelled with one 1, but Mr. Pearl, the deputy county clerk who wrote the records, was not an expert at spelling. The town was named for Chillicothe, O., the county seat of Ross county.
Chillicothe, O. - or as it was originally spelled Chil-li-co-a-thee - was laid out in 1796, and named for an old Shawnee Indian town in the vicinity. . The name is Shawnee, and signifies the big town where we live, or our big home. It seems that the Shawnees, or some of them, had a little town and a big town, and the latter was called Chillicoathee. This town existed as early as 1774.1
John Graves was appointed trustee for the county to lay off and sell the lots in the new town, which was ordered to be surveyed into 20 blocks before September 4, 1837; but on that day Graves resigned, and Nathan H. Gregory was appointed commissioner and trustee in his stead, giving a bond of $5,000. The work of survey- ing and platting was done by Mr. Gregory himself, as he was a prac- tical surveyor.
The first sale of lots came off October 16 and 17, 1837. Previous notice had been given by posting five written notices in different por- tions of the country and by advertisements inserted three times in the Missouri Repubican, of St. Louis, and the Boone's Lick Democrat, of Franklin, Howard county.2 Every third lot in each block was sold,
1 For this information the writer is indebted to Col. William E. Gilmore, of Chilli- cothe, O., who for a few years after the war resided at Springfield, Greene county, in this State.
2 The Republican's bill for the advertising was $16.50; the Democrat's $17.
61
1048
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
except in the block reserved for the public square. The amount of all the sales was $1,082.621/2, on six, twelve and eighteen months' credit.
The second sale of lots came off May 4 and 5, 1838, when the aggregate sales amounted to $1,807. The expenses of the town up to this time, exclusive of advertising, had been $41.25, as follows : -
N. H. Gregory, to 4 days' work in surveying town, at $3
$12 00
N. H. Gregory, to drawing plat of town
3 00
Caleb Gibson, to delivering 620 stakes 5 00
Caleb Gibson, to 8 days' labor, at $1.25
10 00
Wm. E. Pearl, to 4 days' labor, at $1.25
5 00
Martin Wilkinson, to 3 days' labor, at $1.25
3 75
Abel Cox, to 2 days' labor, at $1.25
2 50
Total
$41 25
Commissioner Gregory was at this time ordered to enter the land, the quarter section, on which the town was situated, but did not do so ; and notwithstanding lots were sold and titles made by the county from October, 1837, the town site belonged to the United States and was not entered until August, 1839, when it was entered by Wm. E. Pearl, county seat commissioner.
In June, 1838, the county ordered a public well dug within ten feet of the southwest corner of the public square. Austin B. Prouty did the digging and Walter Wilson superintended the job. Plenty of water was struck at a depth of ninety feet.
Not until July 15, 1839, was Chillicothe selected and designated as the county seat of Livingston county, although it had been virtually the county's capital for some time. On the day named, however, the commissioners, who were E. W. Warren, Samuel Williams and Geo. W. Folger, all of Carroll county, selected the southwest quarter of section 36, township 58, range 24, as the county seat, as being " the most eligible location for said county seat," and its site according with the provisions of the organizing act, in lying " within three miles of the center of said county."
INCORPORATIONS.
Chillicothe was first incorporated by the county court August 13, 1851, on petition of two-thirds of the inhabitants. The corporation comprised the southwest quarter of section 36 (58-24), which, says the record, in Mr. Pearl's orthography, " is heareby Declaired a boddy Polatic and corporate." It must be presumed that the incor- poration was as a town, although the record is silent on this point.
1049
HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.
The first board of trustees was composed of W. Y. Slack, John H. T. Green, John Graves, J. H. B. Manning and W. C. Samuel.
The next incorporation was by act of the Legislature, approved March 1, 1855, which made the town a city.
The last incorporation was by the Legislature, February 26, 1869, declaring the original charter and all subsequent amendatory acts thereto amended. The town was constituted a corporation by the name and style of " the City of Chillicothe." The municipal gov- ernment is vested in a mayor, one councilman at large and one coun- cilman from each ward in the city. The metes and bounds of the city were declared to be as follows : -
All that district of country in Livingston county and State of Mis- souri contained in the following limits, to wit : Beginning 872 feet north of the southeast corner of the southeast one-fourth of the northeast one-fourth of section 36, township 58, range 24, in the range line dividing ranges 23 and 24; thence south along said range line to the southeast corner of the northeast quarter of section 1, township 57, range 24; thence west along the quarter section line to the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 2, township 57, range 24 ; thence north to a point 872 feet north of the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of the north- east quarter of section 35, township 58, range 24; thence east to the place of beginning.
Unti+ 1851 the town was not incorporated. It was merely a part of Chillicothe township, and did not differ materially from a thick settle- ment. There was no municipal government, no authority to compel the care of streets, the building of sidewalks and street crossings, the enforcement of sanitary measures, etc. ; and so there were but few, if any, sidewalks, save in front of some of the stores on the public square ; people waded to and fro in the mud, threw filth and slops into the street, and lived a life of liberty, if not of comfort.
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