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 89

Author: Pease, Ora Merle Hawk, 1890-
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: St. Louis, National Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1260

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 89
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 89

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

On motion of Col. Peniston, it was resolved that a committee consisting of one member from each county represented in the convention be appointed for the purpose of reporting upon what sub- jects this convention shall act. The president appointed Robert Wil- son, L. Archer, A. Karnes, G. Smith, F. L. Willard, Dr. Livingston, W. B. Woodruff, Geo. Shortridge and Z. G. Draper.

On motion, it was resolved that a committee, consisting of one member from each county here represented, be appointed to report a basis upon which to vote in this convention. The president ap- pointed A. L. Gilstrap, B. F. Loan, Wm. P. Peniston, Thomas Butts, Thomas R. Bryan, Dr. Livingston, W. Halliburton and James Waugh.

George Smith, of Caldwell, presented the following propositions for the consideration of the convention, and moved to lay the same upon the table, which was done : -

WHEREAS, The people of Northern Missouri are in favor of the project of a railroad from Hannibal to St. Joseph ; therefore,

Resolved, By the delegates (their representatives ) that we recom- mend the following as the best method to procure the means for the construction of the same : -

First. A liberal subscription by the citizens of the State to the capital stock of said company.

Second. That Congress be petitioned for a grant of alternate sec- tions and all parts of sections of vacant lands ten miles on each side of said road, when located.

Third. That the company procure a subscription to the stock by Eastern capitalists, and, should the foregoing means prove inade- quate, we then recommend that the Legislature pass an act author- izing the company to issue bonds, to be indorsed by the Governor or Secretary of State, for the residue ; the company to give a mort- gage on the whole work to the State, for the liquidation of said bonds.

846

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

The convention then adjourned till afternoon.

At the opening of the afternoon session, it was resolved that the rules for the government of the House of. Representatives of Mis- souri, be adopted for the government of this convention.

A report was adopted, by which the basis of voting in the con- vention was fixed as follows: that each county represented in the convention be entitled to one vote for every 100 votes therein, by which rule the county of Marion was allowed 15 votes; Shelby, 7; Macon, 9; Linn, 7; Livingston, 8; Grundy, 6; Daviess, 9; Cald- well, 4; Ray, 15 ; DeKalb, 3, and Buchanan, 22.

The committee to whom was referred the duty of submitting subjects for action of this convention reported: -

1. To appoint a committee of three members to draft an address in the name of this convention to the people of Western Missouri, setting forth the advantages to be derived from the contemplated railroad from St. Joseph to Hannibal.

2. To appoint a committee of three, whose duty it shall be to petition the Legislature of Missouri for such aid in the undertaking as can be afforded consistently with the rights of other sections of the State.

3. To appoint a committee of three to petition Congress for a dona- tion of alternate sections of lands within six miles on each side of said road when located.

4. To appoint a committee whose duty it shall be to superintend the publication and distribution of the proceedings of this convention, together with the charter of the road, and the address to the people of Missouri.

5. Said committee to be appointed by the president and the men- bers of each committee as nearly contiguous as practicable.

The convention then adjourned till the following morning, when, on reassembling, the five above-mentioned resolutions were unani- mously adopted, with the exception of the fifth, which was adopted with an amendment striking out all after the word " president."

Among the resolutions offered at this session of the convention, the following by Judge King, of Ray, was unanimously adopted by way of amendment to a similar one offered by Dr. Grundy, of Liv- ingston : -

Resolved, That, whereas, this convention has adopted a resolution authorizing a memorial to Congress for donation of alternate sec- tions of land to aid in the construction of the contemplated railroad ; also, authorizing a memorial to the Legislature for such aid in the undertaking as can be afforded consistently with the rights of other portions of the State ; therefore, we, the delegates, pledge ourselves

847

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

to support no man for Congress who will not pledge himself to the support of the proposition aforesaid, nor will we support any man for Governor, Lieutenant-Governor, or member of the Legislature, who will not pledge himself to give such aid in the construction of the said railroad consistent with the rights of other portions of the State, as contemplated by the resolution aforesaid.

Mr. George Smith, of Caldwell, offered the following resolution, which was read and adopted : -

Resolved, That the committee appointed to petition the Legislature be instructed to ask for an amendment to the fourth section of the act incorporating the Louisiana and Columbia Railroad Company (being the law by which the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad Company are to be governed), so as to give the power to the president and directors of the last named company to call in an amount not exceeding 10 per cent every 60 days, and change the notice from 60 to 30 days.

The following resolution by Mr. Sharp, of Macon, was adopted : -

WHEREAS, It is not only extremely important to the agricultural and commercial interests of the immediate country that a good wagon road be opened from St. Joseph to Hannibal, but the United States mail stages can not be put in motion on said route until said road shall be opened. And

WHEREAS, It is of the utmost importance, as well to the whole intermediate country as to the two extremes, that mail facilities be speedily obtained in stages through said counties. Therefore,

Resolved, by this convention, That it be recommended to each county through which said road may pass, immediately to open, bridge, and put in good repair the said road, in order that mail stages may be immediately started, according to the act of Congress establishing said road.

Mr. Tarr, of Livingston, moved to reconsider the vote adopting third proposition reported by the committee on business, which was agreed to.

He then offered the following amendment to said third propo- sition : -

Adding to third proposition by the committee on business, as fol- lows : " Also to petition Congress that should any of the alternate sections on the road, or within six miles on either side thereof to be sold at any time subsequent to the 16th day of February, 1847, and before the action of Congress in relation to these lands, that other lands be granted as nearly contiguous as possible in lien thereof." This was agreed to, and the third proposition as amended was then adopted.

848

IIISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

Dr. Livingston, of Grundy, offered the following resolution, which was adopted : -

Resolved, That the proceedings of this convention be signed by the president, vice-presidents and secretaries, and that the president be requested to transmit a copy thereof to each of our representatives in Congress, requesting them to use their utmost endeavors to ob- tain from Congress the grant of land contemplated by the proceed- ings of this convention.

The president then announced the following committees: -

1. To address the people of Northern Missouri - Archer, Bragg and La Cossitt.

2. To petition Congress in accordance with the resolution of the convention - Cravens, Halliburton and Shortridge.

3. To petition the Legislature - Tarr, George Smith, of Caldwell, and Dr. Livingston.

On motion, it was resolved that the thanks of the delegates and constituents are due to the officers of this convention for the able manner in which they have discharged their duties in this convention.

The convention then adjourned sine die.

For a year or two thereafter interest in the enterprise flagged, and there was a time when some of its friends thought best to abandon it. But in 1850 real and earnest efforts were renewed to secure subscrip- tions to the capital stock of the company. Such of the directors as were lukewarm gave way to those who were more zealous and enthu- siastic. Each county through which the road was expected to pass was recanvassed. The measure was made popular, and candidates were elected to the Legislature, and even to Congress, because they pledged themselves to favor it whenever the opportunity should offer.

In February, 1851, the Missouri Legislature granted the credit of the State to the road to the extent of $1,500,000 in bonds, on condi- tion that the company expend a like amount, in installments of $50,000 each. In 1851 Marion county subscribed $100,000, and Hannibal $50,000. Other counties and localities subscribed, but not so largely.

The first subscription of Livingston was August 15, 1848, when the county court ordered John Graves, as agent of the county, to subscribe " to an amount not exceeding the amount already paid over, and to be paid, of the fund arising from the sale of the 500,000 acres of land donated by the United States to this State, and by this State

849

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

divided among the counties thereof by an act of the Legislature approved March 27, 1845." (Record A, p. 507.) To this order Judge John Stone entered his protest.

Other action by the county court may thus be summarized : At the August term, 1851, a majority of the voters of the county having assented thereto, it was ordered that stock to the amount of $25,000 be taken. September 13 following, the following order was made : -

Robt. M. Stewart, as the agent of the Hannibal and St. Joseph's Railroad Company, appeared in court and moved the court to sub- scribe, on behalf of the county of Livingston, for 250 shares of the stock of said railroad. Which motion the court assents to, and accordingly subscribes to the books of said company, in behalf of said county, for 250 shares of said stock įof $100 per share], the installments of which, as called for by said company, are to be paid by the county's assigning the notes of said county, payable in twenty years, or sooner, at the discretion of the county court of said county, and to bear six per cent per annum from date, to be paid annually, and which are to be delivered to said company - to which terms and conditions the said Stewart, as the agent of said railroad company, assents to. (Record B, p. 30.)

October 18, 1852, the county court, in response to two distinct calls of the president of the road, issued the county's note for $2,640, due 20 years after date, and bearing six per cent interest. .

In April, 1853, Thomas R. Bryan was ordered to subscribe on the books of the company the sum of $25,000, " in lieu of former sub- scription."

November 7, 1853, $1,400 was subscribed " in lieu of the said sum subscribed by a former court." What sum is meant by " said " sum is not clear. If it means the sum of $1,400, no record of any former subscription of that amount can be found. If it means the total amount of the county's subscription, $25,000, the meaning is certainly not well expressed.

October 14, 1854, the county's note for $5,000 was given to pay two assessments (Rec. B., p. 92), but in February, 1855, this note was returned and cancelled. (B, p. 98.)

To the compiler hereof the authorities of the road have written on the subject of the county's subscription : -

We have gone through the records as far as it is possible, and find that Livingston county subscribed $5,280 in bonds in aid of the road, but on September 30, 1856, these bonds were returned to the county without any pay. Therefore, as a matter of fact, the county paid no money towards the construction of the road. Some money was sub-

850

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

scribed by citizens, but it is impossible now to find out how much. It is only clear that the county has not paid anything towards the construction of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad.

The board of directors, as reorganized for the years 1851-52-53, was composed of R. M. Stewart, John Corby, Robert S. Boyd, -- Tolbert, Z. G. Draper, J. D. Dowling, Thomas E. Thompson, R. F. Lakenan and E. M. Moffitt. The officers were : R. M. Stewart, president ; Washington Jones, secretary ; E. M. Moffitt, treasurer; R. F. Lakenan, attorney.

In the fall of 1851 occurred at Hannibal the formal ceremony of " breaking ground " for the new railroad. November 3 was the day appointed and the occasion called forth a large crowd, and many distinguished persons from all parts of the State were pres- ent. A considerable delegation came from St. Louis. The day was opened by the firing of cannons, the ringing of bells and great rejoicing. A meeting was regularly organized. Col. R. F. Rich- mond, of Hannibal, was president; L. L. Hawkins, of Palmyra, secretary. Hon. Joseph B. Crockett, of St. Louis, was the orator of the day, and delivered a most eloquent address, which was pub- lished and circulated.

A large procession was formed, headed by Hon. A. W. Lamb as chief niarshal, and marched out to Draper's meadow, selected as the site for the breaking of ground, and the serving of a bountiful dinner. Amid the close attention of the large concourse, a few shovelfuls of dirt were thrown up by Col. R. M. Stewart, Hon. James H. Lucas, of St. Louis, and Hon. L. M. Kennett. Then there was great cheer- ing. Among the many prominent men of the State present on the occasion were Lient .- Gov. Thomas L. Price, Hon. James B. Bowlin, Hon. Carty Wells, Gen. John B. Clark, Sr., Hon. Claiborne F. Jackson, Hon. James S. Green and Hon. Willard P. Hall. At this ceremony Livingston county was represented by W. C. Samuel, who was sent down by the county court, expressly as the county's representative.

Work, however, on the new road progressed slowly. The route was not definitely located, and the subsidies not all secured. Besides, not as much was known about railroad building in those days as is known now. The board of directors, in 1851, memorialized Congress for a large grant of the public lands to aid in building the road, and made earnest efforts to secure this result. The president, Hon. R. M. Stewart, and attorney, Mr. R. F. Lakenan, in 1852, visited Wash- ington to aid in securing the favorable action of Congress. No better

851

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

agents than Bob Stewart and Mr. Lakenan could have been selected for this purpose.

A bill was introduced in Congress for this purpose, and came up for action in May, 1852. Hon. Willard P. Hall, of Buchanan county, then chairman of the Committte on Territories in the House of Rep- resentatives, had charge of this bill, and very well did he manage it. The scene on the passage of the bill was very exciting. There were strong opponents to the measure, and they were working hard to defeat it. It came near being lost by an amendment being offered by Hon. W. A. Richardson, of Quincy, who desired that the eastern terminus of the road should be at his town, and sought to have the officers of the road agree that it should run to Quincy eventually, at any rate. His amendment was to grant a like quantity of land to a proposed railroad in Illinois. Congress had already granted an im- mense domain of valuable land to the Illinois Central Railroad, and Richardson's amendment excited strong opposition to the Hannibal and St. Joseph grant.

Stewart promised Mr. Richardson that if he would withdraw his amendment a new company should be formed to build a branch from Palmyra to Quincy. Hon. Stephen A. Douglas had left his seat in the Senate to urge his friends in the House to support the measure, and he kindly interfered and induced Richardson to withdraw the amend- ment, the latter saying he did not design to injure the measure. The bill then passed the House by a vote of 103 to 76, and in the Senate it had but little opposition. The provisions of the act of Congress gave alternate sections of land to the State of Missouri in trust for the benefit of a railroad from Hannibal to St. Joseph, and the State turned these lands over to the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad Company.

The grant of 600,000 acres of fine agricultural land settled the fact that the road would eventually be built ; the people knew it was a mere question of time. In August, 1852, a contract was made with Duff & Leamon, of New York, to build the entire line. This contemplated the " Northern route " through Bloomington, then the county seat of Macon county. Afterward, at a meeting of the directors at Glasgow, March 10, 1853, the " Southern route " - on the present line - was chosen, and the contract relet to John Duff & Co., of New York, at $23,000 per mile.

The road was located by Maj. James M. Bucklin, chief engineer, a very superior engineer, but addicted to drink, and who, in two or three years, became a confirmed drunkard, and was discharged. He lay

852

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

around the old Virginia Hotel, on the levee, in Hannibal, John Ton- cray, proprietor, drinking at Toncray's saloon, until he became a wreck. The town of Bucklin, Linn County, was named for him. The preliminary survey had been made by Simeon Kemper and Col. M. F. Tiernan, who were accompanied by Col. R. M. Stewart. The latter gentleman's indefatigable efforts in behalf of the interests of the road contributed more than those of any other man to their ultimate ac- complishment. His services in behalf of the road also made him Governor of the State in 1857, when he was elected on the Demo- cratie ticket over Hon. James S. Rollins, Whig, of Boone. Stewart's majority was only 334, which it is said was accomplished by Whig votes from the strong Whig counties of Marion, Monroe and Macon, and other counties along the line of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, which votes were cast for him out of friendly considerations for what he had done in aid of the new enterprise.

Early in the year 1857 work was begun at the St. Joseph end. In March of that year the track extended east from St. Joseph seven miles. The first fire under the first engine that started out was kindled by M. Jeff. Thompson, afterward the Missouri Confederate brigadier.

The Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad was completed February 13, 1859. The next day the first through passenger train ran out of St. Joseph. Of this train E. Sleppy was engineer, and Benjamin H. Colt, conductor. The first engineer to run a train into St. Joseph was George Thompson, who ran first a construction train, then a freight train. The final work on the road was not done by Duff & Co., but by J. M. Ford and others.

On the 22d of February, 1859, occurred at St. Joseph, the celebra- tion of the completion of the road. Not less than 600 invited guests were feasted at a grand banquet given in the spacious apartments of the Odd Fellows' Hall, on the corner of Fifth and Felix streets.

The road was completed through this county in February, the month of its final completion. .

The road did a big business the first two years. It had no com- petition, charged five cents a mile for passengers, and sometimes more, and had all the business it could well do.

During the war it suffered severely. Its officers were all loyal, and early in the day the entire management was known to be on the side of the Government. The principal stock was held in Boston, and nearly all the various superintendents and other officers were North- ern meu.

853

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

The secessionists of the State, therefore, attacked it, and injured it no little. September 3, 1861, the bridge across Platte river was destroyed by them, and a train containing men, women and children ran into the chasm, and some were killed. In December following, the Chariton bridge was burned. It became necessary to station de- tachments of troops at every bridge and trestle work. The bush- whackers tore up the track, ditched the trains, burned cars and stations, from time to time, and the road came out of the war, like other property in the State, much the worse for the conflict.

In the early fall of 1861 the military authorities compelled the union of the tracks of the Hannibal and St. Joseph and the Quincy and Palmyra, at the latter city, and Quincy became the terminus, practically, although Hannibal was and yet is the nominal and legal terminus, according to the charter. March 2, 1867, the Quincy and Palmyra passed into the hands of the Hannibal and St. Joseph. This was done under authority of the act of the Legislature of that date, all the stock of the Quincy and Palmyra (having been pre- viously acquired ) being merged into that of the Hannibal and St. Joseph, under the charter of the latter corporation.

In 1867-68 was built a " feeder " of the road from Kansas City to Cameron. The road was chartered before the war, and was originally called the Kansas City, Galveston and Lake Superior. Afterward the name was changed to the Kansas City and Cameron. February 14, 1870, this road was merged into the Hannibal and St. Joseph, and is still part of the same. The first train over the rail- road bridge across the Missouri at Kansas City passed July 4, 1869.

In the summer of 1872, the Hannibal and St. Joseph Company commenced the building of a branch or extension of the road from St. Joseph to Atchison, Kan., a distance of 21 miles. This branch was completed in October of the same year.

In the summer of 1881 began the legal controversy between the State and the railroad company (see p. 80). In this controversy it must be admitted the railroad bore a most honorable part, and suffered very severely, financially, for its efforts to discharge its obligations to the State. It was understood by the railroad company that when it should pay over the $3,000,000 to the State, the payment should operate as a discharge of the debt, but after receiving the money the State would only receipt for it " on account," and would neither surrender the obligations of the road nor give back the money.

It may be said of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, that its

854

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

sobriquet of the " Old Reliable " is well deserved. It boasts, and the boast is verified, that its trains are always on time, arriving and departing at the advertised hour. Nothing but the most extraordi- nary circumstance occasions a deviation from this rule. Its policy towards the traveling and general public is most liberal. It resists no claim or demand for damages, save when fully justified by the facts and circumstances of the case. Its officers are men of ability and integrity, who, while guarding well the interests of the road, carefully respect the rights of the people.

SKETCH OF THE WABASH, ST. LOUIS AND PACIFIC RAILROAD.

The North Missouri Railroad was chartered by the Legislature March 1, 1851. The company was authorized to build, equip, and operate a road from St. Louis, by way of St. Charles, thence on the dividing ridge between the Missouri and Mississippi rivers through the State to the Iowa line, and in the direction of Des Moines. The road was completed to St. Charles in August, 1855, to Moberly in November, 1858, and to Macon in February, 1859.

The Missouri River Valley Railroad Company was incorporated May 5, 1860, with " full power to survey, locate, construct, and operate a railroad from any point on the North Missouri Railroad in Randolph county, by way of Brunswick, in Chariton county, thence through Carroll, Ray and Clay counties to any point on the Missouri river in Platt county." The Chariton and Randolph Railroad Company was organized November 20, 1858. With the latter company Gen. Sterling Price was prominently connected. Both the Missouri River Valley and the Randolph and Chariton companies were organized and intended for the same purpose -to build a railroad from the North Missouri through Brunswick and up the Missouri river, the former to build the road between the North Missouri and Brunswick, and the latter to continue it on up the river.

In 1864, by an act of the Legislature, both companies were con- solidated with the North Missouri, and the latter completed the entire line to Kansas City during the year 1869 ; to Brunswick the road was completed December 15, 1867.

The Chillicothe and Brunswick Railroad Company was incorporated by an act of the Legislature approved January 26, 1864, and em- powered to construct and operate a road between the two points named. The first board of directors was composed of J. B. Leeper, J. B. Bell, Benj. Berry, D. G. Saunders, S. K. Alexander, Thos. T. Eagles, W. A. Love, W. S. Davis, S. B. Deland and John Smith, of

855

HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY.

Livingston county ; W. H. Plunkett, Thos. Anderson, John H. Blue, Adamantine Johnson, W. E. Moberly, John Ballentine, John H. Davis, James McFarren and David Loud, of Chariton county ; W. R. Creel and W. A. Delany, of Carroll county.

On the 15th of May, 1866, Livingston county voted on the ques- tion of taking $200,000 stock in the Chillicothe and Brunswick Rail- road, and the proposition was defeated by the following vote : For taking stock, 451 ; against, 536. But April 25, 1867, another elec- tion was held to decide whether or not the county should take stock in the road to the amount of $150,000, and the proposition carried by the following vote: For, 1,064 ; against, 678. The county court made the subscription May 7 following, agreeing to issue 8 per cent bonds of the county as follows : When the first ten miles of track shall be completed, $25,000; and $25,000 for every additional five miles of track. The bonds were dated August, 1, 1868, and not signed or issued till that time. The last of these bonds was paid by the county in the year 1885.

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

Author: Pease, Ora Merle Hawk, 1890- Publication date: 1886 Publisher: St. Louis, National Historical Company Number of Pages: 1260

Author: Pease, Ora Merle Hawk, 1890-
Publication date: 1886
Publisher: St. Louis, National Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1260