USA > Missouri > Cass County > History of Cass County, Missouri > Part 8
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This volume is a chronicle of events and persons, as we have gath- ered from the best sources obtainable and from personal knowledge. The writer was born in the confines of the county and has lived his sixty-five years upon her soil. These years reach back to a date over- lapping the lives of others who were of the very earliest settlers and from recollections of what these pioneers have said much of this story is made.
However, before we tell the story of those who settled first and their hardships, privations and joys, let us in some systematic way tell the story embodying the greatness of the county from wealth and accom- plishments. For, if we are nothing now, little does it matter from whence we came, or who we are. Our industries are worthy of men- tion, the agriculture, horticulture, mines, stock and dairy business, com- mercial enterprises, transportation, geology, natural resources, churches, schools, professions, press, banks, fraternal orders, and other matters affecting the growth and development of the county, deserve and will receive attention, as best we can gather.
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Statistics, the rise and disappearance of towns, early explorers, traders, trappers and hunters, and Indian lore we desire to incorporate herein. None, we know, will be perfect. May others by reading these pages be stimulated to do better.
Look at any State map and see we are located near the center of the western border of Missouri State, practically forty miles south of the mouth of the Kaw-south of Kansas City, near the center of the United States. There is Kansas on our west line, north line of town- ship forty-six making our north line, while Grand River part of the way and the south line of township forty-three is our south line, and our east border adjoins Henry and Johnson Counties. Jogging along sections in east part of range twenty-nine, all west of the fifth prin- cipal meridian and particularly bounded in our prefatory. The county contains in round figures seven hundred and twelve square miles and four hundred and sixty thousand acres. The county is at present divided into eighteen municipal townships with the significant names of Polk, suggestive of President Polk; Pleasant Hill, after the beautiful emi- nence and city at the north part; Big Creek, after a stream crossing it; Raymore, after two men, Ray and Moore; Mt. Pleasant, from a high promontory around which it nestles; Union, suggestive class of early settlers; Peculiar and West Peculiar, both from the origin of the first postoffice therein; Dolan and West Dolan, from an old settler by that name; Grand River, a stream by that name; Camp Branch, a stream by the same name; Index, some early inhabitant's imagination; Sherman, after an Ohio statesman and general; Dayton, an early statesman of the Union; Austin, after an early settler of that locality; Everett, reminds us of a candidate for vice-president and perhaps some admirer has per- petuated the name; and Coldwater, after its clear, fine, gushing springs of cold water.
At present there are towns, namely, Dayton, Main City, Austin and Everett, all off from any railroad; then there is Harrisonville, the county seat, Pleasant Hill, Belton, Drexel, Garden City, Peculiar, Creigh- ton, East Lynne, Strasburg, Freeman, West Line, Cleveland, Raymore, Archie, Lone Tree, Coleman, Jaudon, Daugherty, Gunn City, Lisle, Win- gate and Hadsell are towns on some of our seven railroads crossing the county. There are other railroad stops as follows: Ord, Kimpton, Bar- ton, Prettyman, Harrelson, Jaudon and West Belton. Former towns
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now extinct: Index, Grant, Wadesburg, Lickskillet, Brosley, Jonesburg, Morristown and West Union.
The streams are Crawford Branch, Lick Branch, North, South, Middle and Main Grand River, Big Creek, Camp Branch, Sugar Creek, Black's Creek, Eight Mile, Tennessee, Town Creek, Muddy, and per- haps other small rivulets only known to be named by close neighbors.
CHAPTER XVII.
TOWNS AND CITIES.
BELTON.
(By D. C. Idol.)
FOUNDED IN 1570-INCORPORATED-FIRST BUSINESS MEN-EARLY SETTLERS- SCHOOLS-CHURCHES-CITY GOVERNMENT-BENEFICENT INSTITUTIONS- NEWSPAPERS-BANKS-BUSINESS HOUSES.
Belton was founded by George W. Scott, who still lives in the town. During the construction of the old Pleasant Hill & Lawrence railway in 1870, a town called Rankin had been projected a mile west of Belton. Rankin was the highest point in the state, west of the Ozarks. Nothing was erected there except a boxhouse which served as a base of supplies for the construction gang. Mr. Scott then lived at Lee's Summit. He had owned a farm here before the war and was familiar with the coun- try surrounding. He learned about the enterprise at Rankin and decided that the present location of Belton was topographically a better place for a town. Lacking capital to promote the project, he interested W. H. Colbern, a Lee's Summit banker, in the enterprise and they bought the land on which Belton was built. A railway blacksmith named Belt had a forge with a shelter over it near the northwest corner of the town. As this shelter was the first semblance of a building on the ground the town was named Belton.
Belton was platted in 1871, and in nine years was incorporated as a city of the fourth class with 1,000 inhabitants. Several parties have claimed construction of the first building. Keith and Thompson built the first business house, which was soon purchased and enlarged by J. V. Robinson & Son, who still own the property which for forty-six
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years has been known as "Robinson's Corner." The first dwelling was moved here from High Blue by Frank Dresser, long since dead. The old house remained on the corner of Main and Walnut streets until 1884, when it was sold to D. C. Idol, who moved it to the east side, where it is now occupied by J. R. Campbell as a residence. On the lot from which this building was removed the Bank of Belton was established in 1884.
Among the early settlers of the town still living are George W. Scott, J. V. Robinson and wife, J. E. Mullen, J. H. Young, H. H. Grimes, Isaac J. Holloway, Mrs. L. P. Muir, John Thomas Keeney, J. M. Aker and others.
Schools .- The first school board was organized in 1875. Two of the members of that board are still living: George W. Scott and J. V. Robinson. The school district has been enlarged by the addition of ter- ritory on the north. The school grounds include six acres now in a forest of trees planted in the prairie twenty-seven years ago. One of the best public schools in America is being maintained and plans are under way for a larger and better school building.
Churches-The Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist and Christian Churches all have good houses of worship and large and growing con- gregations. The spirit of brotherhood among the ministers and laymen of the different churches has advanced a long way toward unity within the last thirty years.
City Government .- James R. Parrish was the first mayor of Belton. He died twenty-eight years ago. The present mayor, W. P. Houston, is serving his fourth term. During his administration many miles of con- crete sidewalks have been laid and more than two miles of macadam streets have been made. The city is well lighted by electricity, and the general morals of the town in cleanliness and orderliness have been im- proved. The city calaboose has been entirely free of prisoners for two years. During the administration of W. J. Bradford as mayor, in 1905, a beautiful town hall was erected at an expenditure of ten thousand dollars, and the cost of all these improvements has been paid.
Beneficient Institutions .- In addition to schools and churches, Bel- ton has also a number of flourishing societies which are effective in the promotion of good citizenship. At the head of these means of com- munity training in betterment and solidarity stands the Masonic Fra- ternity. Belton Lodge No. 450 was organized May 21, 1872, and George W. Scott was the first worshipful master. Other officials of the charter
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membership were B. T. Muir, S. W .; S. B. Rider, J. D .; W. B. Crabtree, treasurer; W. C. Miner, secretary; S. D. Muir, tyler; G. L. Love, S. D .; Clayton Bane, J. D .; Hamilton Willis and G. W. Case, stewards. All are dead except Mr. George W. Scott.
Newspapers .- L. D. Connely began the publication of a four-col- umn, four-page paper in 1878. The paper was printed at Lee's Summit, but was mailed in Belton. It ran a few months and was discontinued. In 1880 John H. Tritt, formerly of Ohio, came here and established a weekly newspaper which he named the Belton Mirror. Tritt was a Republican, but he published an independent newspaper. In 1882 he sold the paper to C. M. Williams, a young lawyer then, who came here from Harrisonville. Mr. Williams changed the name of the paper to the Cass County Leader and made it red-hot Democratically. He sold the paper to R. J. McNutt within a few months. In 1886 McNutt trans- ferred a half interest in the Leader to W. A. Hail, then a boy who had been trained to newspaper work in the office. In 1890 Mr. McNutt sold his interest to D. C. Idol. In 1893 Mr. McNutt returned to Belton and founded the Belton Herald, which he published for a year and sold to Mr. Idol. Soon afterward the Leader suspended publication and the Herald became the only paper. In the fall of 1904 the Herald plant was burned and for several months the paper was printed in the Democrat office at Harrisonville. In the spring of 1905 J. R. Devoy of Seneca, Kansas, bought the Herald and put in a good plant. Two years after- ward he sold to L. B. Harris, who in 1911 again transferred the paper to D. C. Idol. Mr. Tritt is now in the printing business in Kansas City. Mr. McNutt has been in the internal revenue department of the govern- ment at Kansas City ever since he quit the newspaper business. Mr. Hail is dead. Mr. Devoy is at Republic, publishing a newspaper. Mr. Harris passed away December 21, 1916. C. M. Williams, third in this list of journalistic prodigy, is a prominent lawyer at Hutchinson, Kan- sas, has been a judge on the bench, and rides by Belton occasionally in an eight-cylinder touring car.
Banks .- J. N. Hargis and his son, B. F. Hargis established the first bank in Belton and they built the first brick building, which is still standing and in good repair. They sold to Scott & March, who asso- ciated W. H. Colbern with them in the business. The Bank of Belton was organized in 1884, and a few years thereafter bought the Scott & March bank. Originally the Bank of Belton was capitalized at twenty
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
thousand dollars. Now the capitalization is fifty thousand dollars and a surplus fund of twenty-five thousand dollars has been added. The last financial statement set the value of assets and liabilities at $400,000. Frank Huber is president, J. F. Blair is cashier. The Citizens' Bank of Belton is only twelve years old but is building rapidly. The stock sold at par now has a book value of two dollars for one and none in the market. The twenty thousand shares have been widely and wisely distributed. J. M. Shouse is president and Alonzo L. Burch is cashier.
Belton has six grocery stores, two dry goods stores, two hardware stores, two drug stores, three restaurants, two garages, two millineries, two real estate offices, one lumber yard, one tin shop, two furniture stores, one variety store, one harness shop, one blacksmith shop, one carpenter shop and one livery stable. All of this varied service is at harmony with its patronage in one of the most fertile agricultural sec- tions in the world.
CHAPTER XVIII.
TOWNS AND CITIES, CONTINUED.
CREIGHTON.
(By R. H. Ross.)
FOUNDED-LOCATION-EARLY BUSINESS MEN-FIRST STORE-FIRST HOTEL- LATER MERCHANTS-FIRST NEWSPAPER-BANK ORGANIZED-CHURCHES- TOWN INCORPORATED-BUSINESS BLOCKS AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS- OBSTACLES TO DEVELOPMENT-NOW ON A FIRM BASIS-EXCELLENT SCHOOLS.
With the laying of the track of the Kansas City, Clinton & Spring- field railway in the spring of 1885 there sprang into existence along its line a number of prosperous little towns, among others Creighton. The town was named in honor of John B. Creighton, an early settler in Cass County and a schoolmate of the late George H. Nettleton, then president of the above named railway company.
The fact that the town was located in one of the most productive farming and stock raising belts in western Missouri, with its inexhaust- ible bed of shale of a quality well suited to the manufacture of brick, tile and sewer pipe, within one-fourth mile of the railway depot, in a terri- tory underlaid with rich deposits of bituminous coal, and at a point mid- way between Clinton and Harrisonville, and almost on the dividing line between Holden and Butler, made it certain that the new town afforded good opportunities for the wide awake business man. Nor were the business men of the towns which had hitherto profited from the trade incident to the territory tributary to the newly laid out town unmindful of the natural advantages possessed by it.
The well known hardware firm of Stearns and Little of Holden, Missouri, were among the first to make substantial investment. Within one year from the time the depot was located, this firm had completed a substantial two-story brick building and began business with a line of
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hardware that would have been a credit to a town of one thousand inhabitants. The R. J. Hurley Lumber Company, then of Butler, Mis- souri, lost no time in establishing a lumber yard and sent Oscar Jenkins of Holden as their manager. The Duback Lumber Company also estab- lished a lumber yard and sent G. A. Talbert of Clinton to take charge of their interests. The town of Grant, three miles north of Creighton, moved en masse to the new town. Dayton sent A. L. Metzler to establish a drug store. Metzler built the first brick store building, put in a nice line of drugs and continued the business for many years. He was a good drug- gist, a public spirited citizen, a man of liberal education, sterling integ- rity and up to the time of his death in 1910 was a recognized factor in the business and educational interests of his community. Austin con- tributed three of her most active and public spirited business men to help found the new town.
The railway track was laid as far as Creighton in the month of May, 1885, and in July of the same year, T. P. Shadowens, one of the men who had done more perhaps than any other person to give Austin the enviable reputation as a moral, educational and business center, so justly held by it, had cast his lot with the new community and had a large mercantile establishment under full headway. Along with him came J. H. Schooley, now holding a good position with the Department of Interior in Washington, D. C., and a little later J. H. Hubble, one of the most efficient druggists in Cass County. Mick Miller moved his store building from Mayesburg, Bates County and engaged in the gro- cery business; during the summer of 1885 Peter V. McCool with his estimable family came from Johnstown, Bates County, built a building and engaged in the hotel business. He built the McCool House, just opposite the railway depot and for many years conducted a hotel that enjoyed a liberal patronage and attained the reputation of being one of the best conducted hotels along the Clinton line.
It was here that W. P. McCool, who seems to have a life tenure as agent at Harrisonville for the Kansas City, Clinton and Springfield Rail- way Company, learned telegraphy under H. L. Peck. For a few years McCool served as agent at Creighton, and it was during this time that L. M. Jones, a boy without either money or influence and with no other educational advantages than those afforded by the country public school district of which Creighton now forms part, came into the office with young McCool and began to learn telegraphy. Completing his study (8)
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
under MeCool, Jones went direct to the general offices of the Santa Fe Railway Company, where he began work in a capacity little better than office boy. Just twenty years from the time he entered the general offices he was made superintendent of telegraph of the entire Santa Fe railway system, a position which he still holds. The McCool family seemed to cast their lot with the railway. There were two girls, one, Alice, is the wife of Harry L. Peck, agent for the "Leaky Roof" at Clin- ton ; the other, Druca, married H. H. Edmondson, well known in railway circles and who during his lifetime always held a good position with the Frisco system.
The first store in Creighton was a little grocery owned and con- ducted by Charles Gregg, son of George W. Gregg, who then owned a good farm about three and one-half miles northwest of Creighton. John V. Pettigrew built the first hotel. Jerry Goodwin of Independence, Mis- souri, was early on the ground and built a little house just across the street west of what is now the Morlan Block. This building was for a time used as a boarding house and later became the first postoffice site. Tom Brooks was among the first to get into the game with a stock of groceries, and J. D. Brooks built the Union Hotel in the summer of 1886. W. T. Worley of Butler, Missouri erected a frame store building, during the first year of the town's existence, and put in a line of dry goods. In the fall of 1885 Dr. Johnson, from the old town of Grant, built a substantial brick building on the corner, afterwards occupied by George C. Carter, and where during a period of fifteen years, more goods were sold for less money than in any establishment in Cass County. It was in this building that Sarepta Johnson, wife of Dr. Johnson, conducted the first millinery store. E. W. Morlan and brother, who had long enjoyed a good business at the old town of Grant, were early on the ground with a good line of general merchandise, contesting with the newcomers from a more distant field for a goodly share of the patronage to be accorded to the new town. J. P. Sublett erected the first two-story business building and put in a nice line of groceries. Of all the men who invested in the new town, for the amount invested, than any other.
The first newspaper published in Creighton was The Creighton "Clipper," published by Samuel McElheny. J. T. Carter and son, George G., came to Creighton in the early nineties and engaged in the grain business. Later the firm engaged in the mercantile business. The senior member of the firm died in 1896, and George C. Carter became
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
owner of the business and for a number of years was an important factor in the business interests of the town.
The Farmers and Merchants Bank was organized in the summer of 1885, with a capital stock of fifteen thousand dollars. Its first board of directors were J. N. McDonald, George Caldwell, W. A. Wade, Chris Goodson, James H. Creighton and Daniel Stearns. W. A. Wade was the first president and J. N. McDonald the first cashier. A few years later W. A. Wade sold his interest to Samuel A. Sloan and organized the Farmers Deposit Bank, with a capital stock of ten thousand dollars. A short time after the organization of the Farmers and Merchants Bank J. N. McDonald sold his interest and D. S. Wallis became cashier. The first school taught in Creighton was made up from private sub- scription, but early in the year of 1886 a school district was organized and a two story brick building was erected. Two teachers were employed. George M. Summers, now a Pleasant Hill lawyer, was the first principal, and Miss Breaker of St. Louis, was his assistant. Dr. D. R. Griffith was the first to engage in the active practice of medicine. Dr. S. S. Hughes preceded him, but gave his attention in the main to the drug business. ,
In religious matters the Presbyterians were the first in the new field. The denomination, previous to the founding of the new town, had maintained an organization at Grant and had a house of worship at that place. This they moved to Creighton in spring of 1886. Two years later the Baptist and Christian denominations each built a house of worship. The next denomination to erect a church building was the Seventh Day Advents, who completed their building in 1908. Since that time the Methodist Episcopal church has erected a nice brick edifice. The German-Lutherans were the latest to establish an organization here and are now probably the most prosperous of all the religious denomi- nations represented. They maintain a private school and church com- bined where the German and English languages are taught along with the regular eighth grade course, the minister being the teacher.
The town of Creighton was incorporated as a village in October, 1885. Samuel P. Harper, Elisha W. Norlan, Christopher C. Cliser, I. D. Wallis and James P. Sublett were the first board of trustees. In December, 1895, the town having attained a population of five hundred inhabitants, by proclamation made in accordance with the Missouri statutes, became a city of the fourth class. W. H. Cochran, a skilled mechanic and for many years one of the most unique characters to be found in the com- munity, was the first mayor.
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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY
The length of this article will permit of little more than a mention of the names of some of the men who have left their imprint which the lapse of time has failed to erase. V. E. Halcomb's name will ever be associated with the history of our public school. It is doubtful if Cass County ever produced a greater teacher and the four years of his life devoted to the cause of education in Creighton left an impress in the mental and moral makeup of those who came under his instruction which will be to them a heritage of untold value. Leaving Creighton, Halcomb went to Liberty, Missouri, where for a period of eleven years he directed the course of the public schools of that city. While at Liberty he was elected as superintendent of the schools at Carrollton which position he filled for two years and after completing his work at this point he returned to Liberty and retired from the profession.
Dr. S. S. Hughes, elder in the Presbyterian church, was a factor in the moral and religious history of the early life of Creighton. A man of small financial means and frail in body, he was devoutly reli- gious and took a firm stand for right and good morals wherever ques- tions effecting the public welfare came before the people. He could not be called a leader, but few men have lived in Creighton who exerted a greater moral force.
E. W. Morlan, W. W. Morlan and Chris Goodson built the stately brick building on the corner one block north from the railway depot. S. E. Ball is responsible for the existence of the Ball Block, now occu- pied by John Bundberg and Son. Victor Swanson tore up the old wooden sidewalks and caused them to be replaced with granitoid, and to his energy and perseverance can be traced the origin of our electric light plant. The plaintive strains of music seem to still echo from J. D. Mason's violin and the lovers of music will not forget that J. D. once. lived in our town, running the mill during the week and playing the violin in the church choir on Sunday. Of the men who commenced busi- ness here when the town was organized T. P. Shadowens is the only one now actively engaged in business. Christ Drefahl is probably our most representative German citizen, a man of extensive property interests, a fine gentleman and a leader among the German people who are fast making this community a thriving German settlement.
I have cited briefly the history of the town of Creighton, omit- ting names of many who have had as much to do with its development as some I have mentioned and omitting events and enterprizes that have in a way effected the community, but let the foregoing suffice. I now
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undertake to state briefly some of the reasons why Creighton has not measured up to the standard expected to be attained by it in the beginning.
During the first ten years of its existence the town had prospered to a degree, but not to the extent to which it was entitled for reasons that I shall recite later, but with all the mistakes that had been made at the end of the first ten years, it was the best town between Clinton and Harrisonville. Opportunity had certainly knocked, but factional strife and selfish greed had closed the door and the master of human destinies had passed unheeded. We hope Ingals was wrong when he said "Opportunity never knocks but once." How often has a false step in early childhood ruined a life that had ever promise of becoming of great moment to the community and sometimes to State and nation; likewise towns which are after all naught but aggregations of individuals from like mistakes suffer similar disaster. Scarcely had the stake been driven designating the location of the railway depot when two factions sprang into existence, and each faction wanted to dictate the line of pro- cedure which the new community should adopt.
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