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 7
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 7
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58
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
called for volunteers to join the "Army of the West," an expedition to Sante Fe - under command of General Stephen W. Kearney.
Fort Leavenworth was the appointed rendezvous for the volunteers. By the 18th of June, the full complement of companies to compose the first regiment had arrived from Jackson, Lafayette, Clay, Sa- line, Franklin, Cole, Howard and Callaway counties. Of this regi- ment, A. W. Doniphan was made Colonel ; C. F. Ruff, Lieutenant- Colonel, and Wm. Gilpin, Major. The battalion of light artillery from St. Louis was commanded by Captains R. A. Weightman and A. W. Fischer, with Major M. L. Clark as field officer ; battalions of infantry from Platte and Cole counties commanded by Captains . Murphy and W. Z. Augney respectively, and the " Laclede Rangers," from St. Louis, by Captain Thomas B. Hudson, aggregating all told, from Missouri, 1,658 men. In the summer of 1846 Hon. Sterling Price resigned his seat in Congress and raised one mounted regiment, one mounted extra battalion, and one extra battalion of Mormon in- fantry to reinforce the "Army of the West." Mr. Price was made Colonel, and D. D. Mitchell Lieutenant-Colonel.
In August, 1847, Governor Edwards made another requisition for one thousand men, to consist of infantry. The regiment was raised at once. John Dougherty, of Clay county, was chosen Colonel, but before the regiment marched the President countermanded the order.
A company of mounted volunteers was raised in Ralls county, com- manded by Captain Wm. T. Lafland. Conspicuous among the en- gagements in which the Missouri volunteers participated in Mexico were the battles of Bracito, Sacramento, Cañada, El Embudo, Taos and Santa Cruz de Rosales. The forces from Missouri were mustered out in 1848, and will ever be remembered in the history of the Mexi- can war, for
"A thousand glorious actions that might claim Triumphant laurels and immortal fame.
.
59
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
CHAPTER X.
AGRICULTURE AND MATERIAL WEALTH.
Missouri as an Agricultural State-The Different Crops- Live Stock - Horses - Mules -Milch Cows-Oxen and other Cattle -Sheep - Hogs-Comparisons - Missouri adapted to Live Stock -Cotton - Broom-Corn and other Products - Fruits - Berries -Grapes - Railroads -First Neigh of the " Iron Horse " in Mis- souri - Names of Railroads - Manufactures - Great Bridge at St. Louis.
Agriculture is the greatest among all the arts of man, as it is the first in supplying his necessities. It favors and strengthens popula- tion ; it creates and maintains manufactures ; gives employment to navigation and furnishes materials to commerce. It animates every species of industry, and opens to nations the safest channels of wealth. It is the strongest bond of well regulated society, the surest basis of internal peace, and the natural associate of correct morals. Among all the occupations and professions of life, there is none more honorable, none more independent, and none more conducive to health and happiness.
" In ancient times the sacred plow employ'd The kings, and awful fathers of mankind; And some, with whom compared your insect tribes Are but the beings of a summer's day. Have held the scale of empire, ruled the storm Of mighty war with unwearied hand, Disdaining little delicacies, seized The plow and greatly independent lived."
As an agricultural regiòn, Missouri is not surpassed by any State in the Union. It is indeed the farmer's kingdom, where he always reaps an abundant harvest. The soil, in many portions of the State, has an open, flexible structure, quickly absorbs the most excessive rains, and retains moisture with great tenacity. This being the case, it is not so easily affected by drouth. The prairies are covered with sweet, luxuriant grass, equally good for grazing and hay ; grass not sur- passed by the Kentucky blue grass - the best of clover and timothy in growing and fattening cattle. This grass is now as full of life-giv- ing nutriment as it was when cropped by the buffalo, the elk, the an- telope, and the deer, and costs the herdsman nothing.
60
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
No State or territory has a more complete and rapid system of nat- ural drainage, or a more abundant supply of pure, fresh water than Missouri. Both man and beast may slake their thirst from a thousand perennial fountains, which gush in limpid streams from the hill-sides, and wend their way through verdant valleys and along smiling prai- ries, varying in size, as they onward flow, from the diminutive brooklet to the giant river.
Here, nature has generously bestowed her attractions of climate, soil and scenery to please and gratify man while earning his bread iu the sweat of his brow. Being thus munificently endowed, Missouri offers superior inducements to the farmer, and bids him enter her broad domain and avail himself of her varied resources.
We present here a table showing the product of each principal crop in Missouri for 1878 : -
Indian Corn.
93,062,000 bushels.
Wheat.
20,196,000
Rye
732,000
Oats
19,584,000
Buckwheat
46,400
Potatoes.
5,415,000
Tobacco
23,023,000 pounds.
Hay
1,620,000 tons.
There were 3,552,000 acres in corn; wheat, 1,836,000; rye, 48,800; 'oats, 640,000; buckwheat, 2,900; potatoes, 72,200; to- bacco, 29,900 ; hay, 850,000. Value of each crop : corn, $24,196,- 224; wheat, $13,531,320; rye, $300,120; oats, $3,325,120; buck- wheat, $24,128 ; potatoes, $2,057,700; tobacco, $1,151,150 ; hay, $10,416,600.
Average cash value of crops per acre, $7.69 ; average yield of corn per acre, 26 bushels ; wheat, 11 bushels.
Next in importance to the corn crop in value is live stock. The fol- lowing table shows the number of horses, mules, and milch cows in the different States for 1879 : -
61
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
States.
Horses.
Mules.
Milch Cows.
Maine ...
81,700
196,100
New Hampshire.
57.100
98,100
Vermont ..
77,400
217,800
Massachusetts.
131,000
160,700
Rhode Island.
16,200
22,000
Connecticut
53,500
116,500
New York.
898,900
11,800
1,446,200
New Jersey
114,500
14,400
152,200
Pennsylvania
614,500
24,900
828,400
Delaware.
19,900
4,000
23,200
Maryland ..
108,600
11,300
100,500
Virginia ...
208,700
30,600
236,200
North Carolina
144,200
74,000
232,300
South Carolina
59,600
51,500
131,300
Georgia
119,200
97,200
273,100
Florida
22,400
11,900
70,000
Alabama.
112,800
111,700
215,200
Mississippi.
97,200
100,000
188,000
Louisiana.
79,300
80,700
110,900
Texas
618,000
180,200
544,500
Arkansas.
180,500
89,300
187,700
Tennessee.
323,700
99,700
245,700
West Virginia.
122,200
2,400
130,500
Kentucky.
386,900
117,800
257,200
Ohio ..
772,700
26,700
714,100
Michigan
333,800
4,300
416,900
Indiana.
688,800
61,200
439,200
Illinois.
1,100,000
138,000
702,400
Wisconsin.
384,400
8,700
477,300
Minnesota.
247,300
7,000
278,900
Iowa ..
770,700
43,400
676,200
MISSOURI.
627,300
191,900
516,200
Kansas.
275,000
50,000
321,900
Nebraska
157,200
13,600
127,600
California
273,000
25,700
495,600
Oregon ...
109,700
3,500
112,400
Nevada, Colorado, and Territories.
250,000
25,700
423,600
It will be seen from the above table, that Missouri is the fifth State in the number of horses ; fifth in number of milch cows, and the leading State in number of mules, having 11,700 more than Texas, which produces the next largest number. Of oxen and other cattle, Missouri produced in 1879, 1,632,000, which was more than any other State produced excepting Texas, which had 4,800,00. In 1879 Mis- souri raised 2,817,600 hogs, which was more than any other State produced, excepting Iowa. The number of sheep was 1,296,400. The number of hogs packed in 1879, by the different States, is as follows : -
States.
No.
States.
No.
Ohio
932,878
MISSOURI ..
965,839
Indiana.
622,321
Wisconsin.
472,108
Illinois
3,214,896
Kentucky.
212,412
Iowa.
569,763
62
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
AVERAGE WEIGHT PER HEAD FOR EACH STATE.
States.
Pounds.
States.
Pounds.
Ohio.
210.47
MISSOURI.
211.32
Indiana
193.80
Wisconsin
220.81
Illinois
225.71
Kentucky ..
210.11
Iowa ..
211.98
From the above it will be seen that Missouri annually packs more hogs than any other State excepting Illinois, and that she ranks third in the average weight.
We see no reason why Missouri should not be the foremost stock- raising State of the Union. In addition to the enormous yield of corn and oats upon which the stock is largely dependent, the climate is well adapted to their growth and health. Water is not only inex- haustible, but everywhere convenient. The ranges of stock are boundless, affording for nine months of the year, excellent pasturage of nutritious wild grasses, which grow in great luxuriance upon the thousand prairies.
Cotton is grown successfully in many counties of the southeastern portions of the State, especially in Stoddard, Scott, Pemiscot, Butler, New Madrid, Lawrence and Mississippi.
Sweet potatoes are produced in abundance and are not only sure but profitable.
Broom corn, sorghum, castor beans, white beans, peas, hops, thrive well, and all kinds of garden vegetables, are produced in great abun- dance and are found in the markets during all seasons of the year. Fruits of every variety, including the apple, pear, peach, cherries, apricots and nectarines, are cultivated with great success, as are also, the strawberry, gooseberry, currant, raspberry and blackberry.
The grape has not been produced with that success that was at first anticipated, yet the yield of wine for the year 1879, was nearly half a million gallons. Grapes do well in Kansas, and we sce no reason why they should not be as surely and profitably grown in a similar climate and soil in Missouri, and particularly in many of the counties north and cast of the Missouri River.
RAILROADS.
Twenty-nine years ago, the neigh of the " iron horse " was heard for the first time, within the broad domain of Missouri. His coming presaged the dawn of a brighter and grander era in the history of the
68
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
State. Her fertile prairies, and more prolific valleys would soon be of easy access to the oncoming tide of immigration, and the ores and minerals of her hills and mountains would be developed, and utilized in her manufacturing and industrial enterprises.
Additional facilities would be opened to the marts of trade and commerce ; transportation from the interior of the State would be se- cured ; a fresh impetus would be given to the growth of her towns and cities, and new hopes and inspirations would be imparted to all her people.
Since 1852, the initial period of railroad building in Missouri, be- tween four and five thousand miles of track have been laid ; addi- tional roads are now being constructed, and many others in contem- plation. The State is already well supplied with railroads which thread her surface in all directions, bringing her remotest districts into close connection with St. Louis, that great center of western railroads and inland commerce. These roads have a capital stock ag- gregating more than one hundred millions of dollars, and a funded debt of about the same amount.
The lines of roads which are operated iu the State are the follow- ing : -
Missouri Pacific - chartered May 10th, 1850 ; The St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad, which is a consolidation of the Arkan- sas Branch ; The Cairo, Arkansas & Texas Railroad ; The Cairo & Fulton Railroad ; The Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway ; St. Louis & San Francisco Railway ; The Chicago, Alton & St. Louis Railroad ; The Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad ; The Missouri, Kan- sas º Texas Railroad ; The Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs Railroad ; The Keokuk & Kansas City Railway Company ; The St. Louis, Salem & Little Rock Railroad Company ; The Missouri & Western ; The St. Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern Railroad ; The St. Louis, Hannibal & Keokuk Railroad ; The Missouri, Iowa & Nebraska Railway ; The Quincy, Missouri & Pacific Railroad ; The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway ; The Burlington & Southwestern Railroad.
MANUFACTURES.
The natural resources of Missouri especially fit her for a great man- ufacturing State. She is rich in soil ; rich in all the elements which supply the furnace, the machine shop and the planing mill ; rich in the multitude and variety of her gigantic forests ; rich in her marble, stone and granite quarries ; rich in her mines of iron, coal, lead and
64
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
zine ; rich in strong arms and willing hands to apply the force ; rich in water power and river navigation ; and rich in her numerous and well-built railroads, whose numberless engines thunder along their multiplied track-ways.
Missouri contains over fourteen thousand manufacturing establish- ments, 1,965 of which are using steam and give employment to 80,000 hands. The capital employed is about $100,000,000, the material annually used and worked up, amounts to over $150,000,- 000, and the value of the products put upon the markets $250,000,000, while the wages paid are more than $40,000,000.
The leading manufacturing counties of the State, are St. Lonis, Jackson, Buchanan, St. Charles, Marion, Franklin, Greene, Lafay -. ette, Platte, Cape Girardeau, and Boone. Three-fourths, however, of the manufacturing is done in St. Louis, which is now about the second manufacturing city in the Union. Flouring mills produce annually about $38,194,000; carpentering $18,763,000; meat-packing $16,- 769,000 ; tobacco $12,496,000 ; iron and castings $12,000,000 ; liquors $11,245,000; clothing $10,022,000; lumber $8,652,000; bagging and bags $6,914,000, and many other smaller industries in propor- tion.
REAT BRIDGE AT ST. LOUIS.
Of the many public improvements which do honor to the State and reflect great credit upon the genius of their projectors, we have space only, to mention the great bridge at St. Louis.
This truly wonderful construction is built of tubular steel, total length of which, with its approaches, is 6,277 feet, at a cost of nearly $8,000,000. The bridge spans the Mississippi from the Illinois to the Missouri shore, and has separate railroad tracks, roadways, and foot paths. In durability, architectural beauty and practical utility, there is, perhaps, no similar piece of work manship that approximates it.
The structure of Darius upon the Bosphorus ; of Xerxes upon the Hellespont ; of Cæsar upon the Rhine ; and Trajan upon the Danube, famous in ancient history, were built for military purposes, that over them might pass invading armies with their munitions of war, to de- stroy commerce, to lay in waste the provinces, and to slaughter the people.
But the erection of this was for a higher and nobler purpose. Over it are coming the trade and merchandise of the opulent East, and thence are passing the untold riches of the West. Over it are crowd-
65
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
ing legions of men, armed not with the weapons of war, but with the implements of peace and industry ; men who are skilled in all the arts of agriculture, of manufacture and of mining ; men who will hasten the day when St. Louis shall rank in population and importance, sec- ond to no city on the continent, and when Missouri shall proudly fill the measure of greatness, to which she is naturally so justly entitled.
CHAPTER XI.
EDUCATION.
Public School System - Public School System of Missouri - Lincoln Institute - Off- cers of Public School System - Certificates of Teachers - University of Missouri- Schools -Colleges - Institutions of Learning - Location - Libraries - Newspa- pers and Periodicals - No. of School Children - Amount expended - Value of Grounds and Buildings - " The Press."
The first constitution of Missouri provided that "one school or more shall be established in cach township, as soon as practicable and neces- sary, where the poor shall be taught gratis."
It will be seen that even at that early day (1820) the framers of the constitution made provision for at least a primary education for the poorest and the humblest, taking it for granted that those who were able would avail themselves of educational advantages which were not gratuitous.
The establishment of the public-school system, in its essential fea- tures, was not perfected until 1839, during the administration of Gov- ernor Boggs, and since that period the system has slowly grown into favor, not only in Missouri, but throughout the United States. The idea of a free or public school for all classes was not at first a popular one, especially among those who had the means to patronize private institutions of learning. In upholding and maintaining public schools the opponents of the system felt that they were not only compromis- ing their own standing among their more wealthy neighbors, but that they were, to some extent, bringing opprobrium upon their children. Entertaining such prejudices, they naturally thought that the training received at public schools could not be otherwise than defective ; hence many years of probation passed before the popular mind was prepared
5
66
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
to appreciate the benefits and blessings which spring from these insti- tutions.
Every year only adds to their popularity, and commends them the more earnestly to the fostering care of our State and National Legis- latures, and to the esteem and favor of all classes of our people.
We can hardly conceive of two grander or more potent promoters of civilization than the free school and free press. They would indeed seem to constitute all that was necessary to the attainment of the hap- piness and intellectual growth of the Republic, and all that was neces- sary to broaden, to liberalize and instruct.
" Tis education forms the common mind; * .
For noble youth there is nothing so meet As learning is, to know the good from ill; To know the tongues, and perfectly indite, And of the laws to have a perfect skill, Things to reform as right and justice will; For honor is ordained for no cause But to see right maintained by the laws."
All the States of the Union have in practical operation the public- school system, governed in the main by similar laws, and not differing materially in the manner and methods by which they are taught ; but none have a wiser, a more liberal and comprehensive machinery of instruction than Missouri. Her school laws, since 1839, have under- gone many changes, and always for the better, keeping pace with the most enlightened and advanced theories of the most experienced edu- cators in the land. But not until 1875, when the new constitution was adopted, did her present admirable system of public instruction go into effect.
Provisions were made not only for white, but for children of African descent, and are a part of the organic law, not subject to the caprices of unfriendly legislatures, or the whims of political parties. The Lin- coln Institute, located at Jefferson City, for the education of col- ored teachers, receives an annual appropriation from the General Assembly.
For the support of the public schools, in addition to the annual income derived from the public school fund, which is set apart by law, not less than twenty-five per cent. of the State revenue, exclusive of the interest and sinking fund, is annually applied to this purpose.
The officers having in charge the public school interests are the State " Board of Education," the State Superintendent, County Commission-
-
NORMAL SCHOOL AT CAPE GIRARDEAU.
(67)
68
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
ers, County Clerk and Treasurer, Board of Directors, City and Town School Board, and Teacher. The State Board of Education is composed of the State Superintendent, the Governor, Secretary of State, and the Attorney-General, the executive officer of this Board being the State Su- perintendent, who is chosen by the people every four years. His duties are numerous. He renders decisions concerning the local application of school law ; keeps a record of the school funds and annually distributes the same to the counties ; supervises the work of county school officers ; delivers lectures ; visits schools ; distributes educational information ; grants certificates of higher qualifications, and makes an annual report to the General Assembly of the condition of the schools.
The County Commissioners are also elected by the people for two years. Their work is to examine teachers, to distribute blanks, and make reports. County clerks receive estimates from the local direct- ors and extend them upon the tax-books. In addition to this, they keep the general records of the county and township school funds, and return an annual report of the financial condition of the schools of their county to the State Superintendent. School taxes are gathered with other taxes by the county collector. The custodian of the school funds belonging to the schools of the counties is the county treasurer, except in counties adopting the township organization, in which case the township trustee discharges these duties.
Districts organized under the special law for cities and towns are governed by a board of six directors, two of whom are selected annu- ally, on the second Saturday in September, and hold their office for three years.
One director is elected to serve for three years in each school dis- trict, at the annual meeting. These directors may levy a tax not exceeding forty cents on the one hundred dollars' valuation, pro- vided such annual rates for school purposes may be increased in dis- tricts formed of cities and towns, to an amount not exceeding one dollar on the hundred dollars' valuation, and in other districts to an amount not to exceed sixty-five cents on the one hundred dollars' val- uation, on the condition that a majority of the voters who are tax-pay- ers, voting at an election held to decide the question, vote for said increase. For the purpose of erecting public buildings in school dis- tricts, the rates of taxation thus limited may be increased when the rate of such increase and the purpose for which it is intended shall have been submitted to a vote of the people, and two-thirds of the
69
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
qualified voters of such school district voting at such election shall vote therefor.
Local directors may direct the management of the school in respect to the choice of teachers and other details, but in the discharge of all important business, such as the erection of a school house or the extension of a term of school beyond the constitutional period, they simply execute the will of the people. The clerk of this board may be a director. He keeps a record of the names of all the children and youth in the district between the ages of five and twenty-one ; records all business proceedings of the district, and reports to the annual meeting, to the County Clerk and County Commissioners.
Teachers must hold a certificate from the State Superintendent or County Commissioner of the county where they teach. State certifi- cates are granted upon personal written examination in the common branches, together with the natural sciences and higher mathematics. The holder of such certificate may teach in any public school of the State without further examination. Certificates granted by County Commissioners are of two classes, with two grades in each class. Those issued for a longer term than one year, belong to the first class and are susceptible of two grades, differing both as to length of time and attain- ments. Those issued for one year may represent two grades, marked by qualification alone. The township school fund arises from a grant of land by the General Government, consisting of section sixteen in each congressional township. The annual income of the township fund is ap- propriated to the various townships, according to their respective proprietary claims. The support from the permanent funds is supple- mented by direct taxation laid upon the taxable property of each dis- trict. The greatest limit of taxation for the current expenses is one per cent ; the tax permitted for school house building cannot exceed the same amount.
Among the institutions of learning and ranking, perhaps, the first in importance, is the State University located at Columbia, Boone County. When the State was admitted into the Union, Congress granted to it one entire township of land (46,080 acres) for the sup- port of "A Seminary of Learning." The lands secured for this pur- pose are among the best and most valuable in the State. These lands were put into the market in 1832 and brought $75,000, which amount was invested in the stock of the old bank of the State of Mis- souri, where it remained and increased by accumulation to the sum of $100,000. In 1839, by an act of the General Assembly, five commis-
70
HISTORY OF MISSOURI.
sioners were appointed to select a site for the State University, the site to contain at least fifty acres of land in a compact form, within two miles of the county seat of Cole, Cooper, Howard, Boone, Calla- way or Saline. Bids were let among the counties named, and the county of Boone having subscribed the sum of $117,921, some $18,000 more than any other county, the State University was located in that county, and on the 4th of July, 1840, the corner-stone was laid with imposing ceremonies.
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