USA > Missouri > Cass County > History of Cass County, Missouri > Part 18
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"Among the earliest settlements made in the southern portion of the county was that of Andrew Peck and Thomas Holloway, the latter of whom is with you today-that of Thomas Holloway, in 1835, on the farm now known as the James Thompson farm where he lived until some time during the war. He thus describes his settlement there:
"'When I came to what is now Cass County, the land in that part of the county where I settled had not been surveyed. When I got there I built a log house of one room. When I got ready to raise it I had to go twelve miles to get four men to help me raise it. When I got it raised and covered, I sawed out two doors and made doors by taking two sticks and nailing clapboards to them. I then killed a hog for the family and went to Independence to mill (Overton's water mill) to get corn ground, and was gone a week.'
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"Little did he think that he would ever become a grocery merchant at the capital of the best county in the State. Being from Tennessee, and not accustomed to prairie country, he settled in the timber and went to work and cleared off six or eight acres of timbered land for cultivation when there were hundreds of thousands of acres of such fertile prairie land at his disposal. He, in common with others, shared in the idea that the prairies were comparatively worthless except for pasture-that they never would be cultivated, but would afford those who should settle along the streams everlasting range for their stock. He had not been in the county long before he was appointed to office. The records show that on the eighth day of March, 1836, Thomas Holloway was appointed con- stable of Elk Fork Township, vice John Adams, declined. He gave bond, with William T. McClellan as security. It has been stated by some ac- counts published several years ago that Van Buren County, at its first organization, included all of Bates and part of Vernon counties; but the south boundary line of the county, as given in the statutes of 1835, is the line between townships 39 and 40. The county was named Van Buren in honor of Martin Van Buren, then vice-president of the United States, and continued to bear the name until 1848-9, when he became the Free Soil candidate for President against General Cass, Democrat, and Gen- eral Taylor, Whig. This, which doubtless defeated General Cass, so of- fended his friends that at the session of the Legislature in 1848-9 the name of the county was changed from Van Buren to Cass.
The first county officers of Van Buren County were appointed to hold until the general election in 1836. The first county judges thus ap- pointed who served were James W. Mclellan and William Savage. If another was appointed I have been unable to learn the fact. If appointed, he declined to serve (which was more common than now), as the court was composed of two justices until after the election in 1836. William Lyon was appointed first clerk. He was both circuit and county clerk, and held until his successor was elected. An election for clerk was or- dered by the county court, to be held May 21, 1836. At that election the candidates were William Lyon and Thomas B. Arnett. The latter, who was a prominent citizen of the county in those days, and whose life is intimately blended with the early history of the county, was elected clerk. John Jackson was the first appointed sheriff of the county, but being a minister of the gospel, he declined to serve, and the duties of the office were performed by the coroner, who, I think was William Butler.
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"The first meeting of the county court was held at the residence of James W. MeLellan, about four miles northwest of Harrisonville, Sep- tember 14, 1835. At that meeting the court divided the county into four townships, viz .: Big Creek, Grand River, Elk Fork and Harmony. The following constables were appointed: James Williams, of Big Creek ; William Y. Cook, of Grand River; John Adams, of Elk Fork, and a Mr. Fuller, of Harmony. At that meeting, on the petition of David G. But- terfield and others, the court appointed William N. Butler, Hezekiah War- den and James Lawrence commissioners to view a way for a road on that part of the Harmony Mission road running through this county from the Jackson County line to Crooked Branch.
" 'The court then took into consideration the poor of the county, and ordered that William Butler take Purdy Owen, that now lives at Thomas Burgins', and what property belongs to her, and that he keep her three months, and furnish her with suitable clothing, for which the court agrees to give him thirty dollars.' Thus it will be seen that the saying of the Savior: 'For ye have the poor always with you,' has applied to Cass County as well as to His followers of the olden time.
"At this term of court merchants' licenses were issued to M. Jerne and to Ferrell & Duncan. This firm, I am informed, was composed of Rev. William Ferrel, father of Rev. Thomas J. Ferrel, and Major William H. Duncan, who died in 1878 at Pleasant Hill.
"The first general election in the county after its organization was held in 1836. Although the county was very large, there were but three voting precincts. One was at the house of Joshua Adams, known as 'Old Red Adams,' who lived at what is now the Big Creek bridge, south of Pleasant Hill; another was west of Harrisonville, and the other at Harmony Mission. At that election only about one hundred and fifty votes were polled. Lilburn W. Boggs, of Independence, was elected Gov- ernor of the State; Albert G. Harrison (for whom Harrisonville was named), and John Miller were elected members of Congress. The entire vote of the State was less than fifteen thousand. At that election Andrew Wilson and George Hudson were candidates for the Legislature-Wilson was elected. John McCarty was elected sheriff over John Lyon and James Parsons. David G. Butterfield, who had been previously appointed by the county court, was elected assessor and Martin Rice was elected surveyer. Jamison D. Dickey, James W. Mclellan and Henry Burris, cousin of Martin Burris, were elected county court justices.
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"The Legislature, at its session which convened November 21, 1836, passed an act in relation to the location of the county seat of Van Buren County. Welcome Scott and Enoch Rice, father of Martin Rice, were appointed commissioners to select the site for the location of the seat of justice. They met with Martin Rice, the county surveyor, at the house of John Cook, on Monday, the 3rd day of April, 1837, and after spending several days viewing and comparing the different places recommended by interested parties, finally located the new town on the farm, or pre- emption claim, of James Lackey, who had built a small cabin and en- closed a small field near where Judge Daniel now lives. The site se- lected, including about one hundred and sixty acres, was given to the county by the general government by an act of Congress. The town was afterward surveyed and laid out into lots and blocks, with but four streets, two running east and west and two running north and south, in the whole town, and they a little less than forty feet wide. The blocks were separated by alleys, fifteen feet wide. It has been frequently remarked since that land must have been scarce then as very little of it was used for streets. It is more than likely that the idea then was that the popu- lation of the town would never be so large as to require more than four streets. These lots and blocks were sold by Fleming Harris, commis- sioner of the seat of justice, appointed by the county court, and the pro- ceeds of the sale of them went into the county treasury. The first mer- chant in Harrisonville was Henry F. Baker, who moved from near Ten- nessee Branch, and kept where Sam Simon's store now is.
"The first merchant in Pleasant Hill was a Frenchman named Blois. He was there before Pleasant Hill has been thought of as a town. After he left, in 1834, Major Duncan and his brother-in-law, W. H. Taylor, put up a store and sold goods at the same place. Taylor sold out to Rev. William Ferrel, and afterward Duncan sold out to Ferrel, and he to W. W. Wright and N. E. Harrelson. Mr. Harrelson soon sold out to Wright, who continued the business, and who was successful. He laid out the old town of Pleasant Hill.
"Cass County may well congratulate itself today on its educational advantages. It is well supplied with school houses, has a good school fund, and its teachers rank among the first in the state. Our county may be said to be a land of schools; the schoolmaster is not abroad, but is at home among us, and is well sustained. What is true of today has been true of the entire history of the county. There have not always been
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as many school houses, nor did they possess the same conveniences and comforts, nor were the schoolmasters always so well paid; but in propor- tion to the population and the ability of the people to sustain schools, they have been kept up. They have always recognized the importance of educating the young. Not until 1842 were any benefits derived from the public school fund. Prior to that the schools were what were called subscription schools.
"As early as 1833 school houses were built and school kept-not such . houses as you now see in every part of the county, but of the smaller and ruder sort, and they were few and far between. At that date there were three in all of the county. One where the Union School now stands, three miles west of Pleasant Hill, on what is known as the Phillips farm, and one near the northeast corner of the county. A description of one of these houses describes all of them. It was 14x16 feet, built of scaley barked hickory logs, split so as to make two logs out of one, six feet high and covered with clapboards secured with weight poles. A door place cut out on one side and the house was finished. No floor, no windows, except the space between the logs, no fireplace, stove or chimney. The furniture consisted solely of benches made of flat logs and the school master's rod. The first school teacher who taught in the house near the northeast corner of the county, in the summer of 1833, was a Mormon preacher named Peterson, one of the first five Mormon missionaries sent out by Joe Smith to spy out the land and select the site for the New Jerusalem of the West. He was succeeded as a school teacher by Martin Rice, who commenced a school there in the fall of 1834, but had to quit when cold weather came. He taught with seventeen scholars at two dol- lars per quarter, per scholar, and boarded himself. He taught the first public school ever taught in the county, 1842, in a log house, where the Blevens school house now stands, at fifteen dollars per month and boarded himself. James Williams, father of Luke Williams, was the first teacher in the house on the Phillips farm. He was one of the most prominent citizens of that part of the county. He afterward represented the county in the Legislature, and aided in making the first free school law ever enacted in Missouri, which was enacted in 1838-9. There may have been other school houses in other parts of the county, but I have been unable to get their history. In a very early day, prior to 1836, a school house was built in the neighborhood of where R. A. Brown now lives, but I am unable to give the name of its first teacher. As the county improved
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and was settled up, it improved the school privileges until it reached in- telligence and learning, what it is today. The people of Cass County have always believed that taxes paid for the education of the youth has been money well expended and the school tax has always been cheerfully paid.
"This may also now be said to be a land of churches and church privileges, where men worship God according to the dictates of their own consciences. In the very early times there were no church houses in the county, though there were church congregations and societies organized. The prevailing denominations were Methodist and Baptist, with a few of the Christian denomination. The first church house in the county was built in 1838, where the old Union Church house now stands, or did stand a few years ago, west of Pleasant Hill. Notwithstanding the church houses were few, the people were a worshipping, church-going people. The preaching was not that of the most learned or profound theologian -there were no doctors of divinity-or graduates of theological sem- inaries; but it was well adapted to the demands of the age. It was ear- nest, honest, and withal accompanied with good common sense. The clerical dress was then very different from now. There were no black cloth coats with double breasts, no white cravats or standing collars, or silk hats; but the pioneer preacher, at least in some instances, proclaimed the truth of the gospel in simplicity and with power, clad in buckskin pants and hunting shirt-regardless of whether he had a coat of any kind.
"Among the earliest Methodist preachers were William Ferrel and a Mr. Mckinney, who were local preachers in 1834-35-36. The first among the Baptist preachers were James Savage, John Jackson and Joab Powell. In 1837, Jeremiah Farmer came to the county. He did not begin preaching until 1838, but has been in the ministry ever since- forty-one years. His father, John Farmer, who was also a Baptist min- ister, came in 1839, and was prominent in the denomination, and died in 1845. Other members of the family were ministers and it may be truly said that no other family in all the history of the county has con- tributed more to the morality and religious sentiment of the people of the county than the Farmer family. Of all the pioneer preachers the only surviving one that is still a citizen of the county, or that is living, is Jeremiah Farmer. He has kept pace with the advancement of the age, and has adapted himself to the wants of the people in the various con- ditions of life as they have progressed from a rude beginning to their present condition. He would not now be taken for a pioneer preacher.
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"While our early pioneers were friends of education and worshippers of the holy shrine, they were also defenders of their rights and liberties -peaceably if they could, but forcibly if they must. I am unable to give a detailed account of the part taken by the early settlers of the county in the Indian and Mormon wars, which would, if it could be correctly given, form an interesting chapter in the history of the county. All have heard something of the expulsion of the Mormons from Jack- son County in the fall of 1833. Cass County then formed a part of Jackson, and its citizens shared the dangers and glories of that conflict. It is not known that any of her citizens were actually engaged in the fights at Westport and Independence, in November, 1833, but in the fol- lowing spring the Mormons, then in Clay County, having been reinforced from New York and Ohio, threatened to return into Jackson and regain the promised land. Our people were then called to arms. A war meet- ing was held at the residence of Hezekiah Wardine, three miles east of where Pleasant Hill now stands. Volunteers were then called for, to hold themselves in readiness at a minute's warning to resist the expected invasion. It was responded to by nearly everybody. A company of about fifty men was organized. Rev. James Savage, who had seen service in the War of 1812 and in the Indian wars under Colonel Cooper, was elected captain; William English, lieutenant, and Andy Wilson, ensign.
"In June, 1834, the company received marching orders, and at three o'clock of the evening of June 21, set out for Independence. Arriving there late at night they found everybody sound asleep. After consid- erable effort they succeeded in awaking L. W. Boggs, afterward Gov- ernor, who informed them that the army was at the river guarding the ferry, but that the commander-in-chief, General Samuel C. Owens, was at his home in Independence. The officers repaired to his residence for orders, but were only ordered not to disturb his slumbers, as he was wearied and sleepy. It is said there was some profanity among those veterans. The next day the commander-in-chief apologized to these troops for his treatment, and gave them the post of honor, by having them guard the city, the New Jerusalem. In the afternoon of that day, however, the army stationed at the ferry returned and proclaimed that a treaty of peace had been made with the Mormons, and the war was over. The bloodless victory was celebrated by the much firing of a four- pound cannon, brought up to the public square for that purpose. The soldiers were discharged and returned to their homes, to again engage
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in the avocations of peace. My informant suggests that not one of these battle scarred veterans have ever received a land warrant or pension. If those who survive could have their names enrolled under the late back pension law, they would strike a bonanza. Of those who engaged in that memorable march, but two remain citizens of the county, viz .: Jere- miah X. and Alfred Sloan.
"In the fall of 1838, an independent military horse company, com- manded by Captain William Farmer, of which Jeremiah Farmer was a member, was ordered by Governor Boggs into the Mormon War, and had the honor of bringing the Smiths, Rigdon and others to the Inde- pendence jail. In the same fall they were ordered to Bates County to remove the Osage Indians from the State, which they accomplished by strategy. They caught one burly Indian and gave him a severe whipping on his bare back, and threatened others, which so frightened them that they unceremoniously fled the country, leaving our heroes in sole pos- session of the land.
"Leaving our war history unfinished for other writers, I now invite your attention for a short time to that portion of our county's history that is derived principally from its records. While our public records are open to the inspection of the public, yet very few ever think of ex- amining them only on business. I have found it exceedingly interesting to read over the records of the first court ever held in the county, and I have no doubt but a few extracts from them will be of interest to you who were closely identified with the events there recorded.
"I have already given you a synopsis of the first term of court ever held in the county. The next term was held at the same place on Decem- ber 14, 1835. On the application of Thomas B. Arnett, a new township, called Mount Pleasant, was formed out of the townships of Grand River and Big Creek. Washington Turner was appointed constable, but de- clined the honor, and James Lynch was appointed. It is difficult to locate the boundary lines between the townships as they were then formed. The boundary line was generally given as the ridge between two certain streams. As, for instance, the boundary line between Grand River and Big Creek townships was the ridge between those streams. This an- swered every purpose in those days, as all the inhabitants lived on those streams and the voter could easily tell in which township he resided; but that would not answer now, as these 'ridges' are densely populated prairies.
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"At this term of court a grocer's license was granted to James Lawrence.
"The keeping of Purdy Owen, the pauper, was ordered to be let to the lowest bidder, and William Butler was appointed to attend to the letting.
"The first county treasurer of the county was Jamison D. Dickey, who was appointed at this session of the court.
"At the next session of the court, which was held March 7, 1836, David G. Butterfield was appointed assessor of the county.
"Andrew J. Peck was appointed collector, and gave bond with George W. Hudspeth, Jamison D. Dickey and John Holloway as securities. The penalty of the bond is not given.
"A grocer's license was granted to Thomas B. Arnett and James McCarty.
"Mr. Arnett thus early began to show signs of the successful pol- itician. At the former term he had had a new township formed, and now he has a grocer's license. No wonder he was elected clerk in less than three months afterward, defeating, as he did, the present incum- bent, a man much better qualified for the office than he.
"The first record of administration upon any estate in the county was March 7, 1836, when the bond of William Rider as administrator of Henry Hendrix was approved. On the same day David G. Butterfield was appointed administrator of Hiram Shearer, deceased.
"March 8 the following order was made: 'Ordered that the clerk of this county procure, at the expense of the county, a seal for said county, upon as cheap a plan as possible, with whatever "enitials" as said clerk may think proper.'
"April 16, 1836, there was a special session to order an election to fill the vacancy in the office of county clerk, which was ordered to be held May 21.
"Heretofore the records had been kept in a modest, unpretentious way, not as well, perhaps, as they are now kept by Clerk Shepard, but as well as might be expected in that time. After the election, and in the beginning of Mr. Arnett's administration as clerk, a wonderful change took place in the manner of keeping them. They were now kept in a bold, dashing hand, without any reference to the rules of orthography, . etymology, syntax or prosody. The clerk's signature appears with a scroll attached and a heavy ink line above and below it, to every sepa-
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rate and distinct entry made. Here is a sample: ‘September 5, 1836- Regular term of the county court. The Honorable James W. Mclellan, chief justice, appeared, and the Honorable William Savage and opened court pursuant to adjournment. Thos. B. Arnett, c. clk.' 'W. H. Taylor was appointed public administrator of the estate of Jas. Tuggle, dec'd. Thos. B. Arnett, Co. Clerk.' His entry of the order for the levying of taxes for the year 1836 was in the following words: 'On motion it was ordered by the co. court that one hundred per centum be leved of the county tax be lived on the part of the State tax for the county tax. Thos. B. Arnett, Co. Clerk. June 22, 1836.'
"That may be clear, but I think it would puzzle our present efficient county clerk, or any of his predecessors, except the one who drew it, to tell just what tax was levied, from that order, or to make out the tax books from it. February 6, 1837, the newly elected county court justices take their seats and Judge Dickey is elected president. The sheriff was allowed $35 for 'survices' in taken the 'sencis' of this and Bates County. The next term of the court, though a special one, was an important one. It was held at John Cook's, April 8, 1837.
"At this session the return of what the clerk was pleased to call the 'locative' commissioners, appointed to locate the county seat of Van Buren County, was received and the county seat located-though the numbers of the land upon which it was located as given in the record are wrong. The commissioners were each allowed six dollars for their services.
"At a special session an order was made for the building of the first court house. The order itself will always remain a curiosity. I have endeavored to copy it just as it appears of record. It is found in book H, pages 29 and 30 of the county records and is as follows :
"'On motion it is ordered that the building of a court house shall be let out to the lowest bidder, on the first day of the next regular session of the co. court, to be held at the hous of James Blakeleys, on the 1st Monday in May next. Said hous to be built on the following scale : 1 room 18 foot square, the other room 14 foot by 18, with one paticion ran up, to be made of good timber, well hued down to 6 in. thick and to face one foot across the center of each logg. Wall to be compleately raised 1 story and half high. Corners to Be sawd down a good plank or puncheon Floor in each room well laid so that it will not rock nor shake nor rattle. A good chimney in each end Compleately Run out with Stick and good lime Mortar well put in and the fier places well and compleate
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fixed with Stoan or Brick So as to Secure the safety of fier. The roof put on with good 3 foor boards well shavd lapt and nailed on ends well weatherboarded up-the wall well filled in the cracks with good lime mortar well put in. 1 outside door in each room. Also 1 entry door all compleately faced and cased with good metearals. Shutters to be hung with good Hinges latches &c with good locks and kees To each door allso 1 window in each room containing of 12 lights each well faced and casd-and fild with the largest caind of glass-each to have a good out- side shutter with good boalts and bars to each window. Each room to have a plank or clapboard loft closeley laid and all the work done on said Building is to be done in a good workmanlike manner and out of good materials. Said building is to be compleated on or before the first Mon- day in October next.
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