History of Clay and Platte 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 Clay and Platte Counties --their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens., Part 106

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1156

USA > Missouri > Platte County > History of Clay and Platte 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 Clay and Platte Counties --their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens. > Part 106
USA > Missouri > Clay County > History of Clay and Platte 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 Clay and Platte Counties --their pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens. > Part 106

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).

GEORGE W. SPEARS (Farmer, Section 11, Post-office, Platte City).

The military careers of those who enlisted in the late civil strife were of course very similar in the main, though differing very materially in different individuals. From the effect of his severe service in that struggle, Mr. Spears has not entirely recovered. In December, 1861, he enlisted in Clay Carr's company of the Home Guard, and the fol- lowing January in the regular Confederate army. Soon after the battle of Elkhorn he was taken sick with typhoid pneumonia, and in 1862 was brought home, where, under the careful and tender nursing of his mother, he regained his health sufficiently to re-enlist under Thorn- ton's command. Failing to cross the line, they were forced to disband. In August, 1864, Mr. Spears was captured and taken to the military prison at St. Joseph, from which he was discharged the following December. The conditions upon which his freedom were based, were taking the oath of allegiance and leaving the State ; he was reprieved from the latter sentence through the influence of Gen. Ben. F. Loan,

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

after which he returned home. The next spring he was engaged in freighting across the plains, but in August, 1865, settled permanently upon the place which he has since occupied. Mr. Spears' parents were S. F. and Elizabeth Spears, née Keller, prominent residents of Kentucky in an early day. They removed to Clay county, Mo., in 1840, and in 1842 to Platte county, purchasing a fine farm of a quar- ter section of land which his son now occupies. Here he remained until his death, August 31, 1879. His widow is now living with George W., a lady of remarkable vigor and tenacity of life. . Three of the six children born to them are now living: Annie, wife of Richard Loan ; Dora Crawford and George W. The latter, the second in the family, was born June 8, 1849, on the homestead which he now owns, there being reared as a farmer and enjoying common school advant- ages. He remained here until about 14 years old, when he entered the Confederate service. January 19, 1871, Mr. Spears was married to Miss Mary E. Hord, daughter of Mason Hord, of Plattsburg. They have four children : Mason, Beulah, George and Mabel.

T. P. STARKS

(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Section 4, Post-office, Weston).

From the year 1857 until his death in August, 1884, no man in Platte county was better respected or more highly appreciated for his many sterling good qualities, as a friend, citizen and neighbor, than Price Starks, the father of the subject of the present sketch. And the memory of him who bore this name is as reverently cherished as he himself was widely and well known. A prominent representa- tive and worthy son of this man is T. P. Starks, who was born in Scotland county, Mo., March 15, 1849. Price Starks was a Ken- tuckian by birth, who came to this State in 1836, locating in Scotland county, from which he removed to Clay in 1856 and to Platte in 1874. Young Starks grew to manhood in this county, and though compara- tively young in years he has well sustained the reputation acquired by his illustrious father. He is regarded as a man of high character and is quite influential in agricultural and other affairs throughout the county, especially when we consider his age. He has a good farm, where he resides, of 181 acres of choice land, and in a good state of cultivation. December 11, 1884, Mr. S. was married, Miss Sallie Pope becoming his wife. She was the daughter of A. Pope, an early settler of this county, where she was born.

PROBASCO THOMAS

(Manager of Phoenix Mill and Elevator Company, Tracy).

The subject of this sketch was born and raised near Connersville, Ind. Is descended on his father's side from an old and respected New York family, and on his mother's side from the Harluns, who came from Kentucky to where Connersville now stands when that valley was an unbroken wilderness. When the war broke out, being then

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HISTORY OF CLAY COUNTY.

in the vigor of young manhood, young Thomas shouldered a musket and entered the Federal service as a private soldier in the Forty-first regiment Indiana volunteers: He gradually rose from the ranks, and at the end of three years' hard service came home in command of his company and mustered them out. After settling up the affairs of his old company, Capt. Thomas returned to the army again as a private soldier in the Eighth regiment, First veteran army corps, army of the Potomac. He was again immediately promoted, and the end of the war found him chief clerk of and in charge of the books of head- quarters of the garrison of Washington, D. C. In 1865 Mr. Thomas was married to Miss Mary A. Summitt, of Bloomington, Ind., and the young couple came West and settled on their farm, near Platte City, Mo. Mr. Thomas was now surrounded by men who had been either citizens or soldiers of the late Confederacy, and, on account of his outspoken attachment to the cause of the Union, encountered to some extent their displeasure. His ability, however, to attend to his own business, his well tilled fields, the unobstrusive life of himself and his noble wife, soon gained them many friends. In 1868 Mr. Thomas became the choice of his party for county treasurer, but was beaten. Later on he consented to run on his party's ticket as candi- date for the State Legislature, and received a large complimentary vote from the Democratic party. In 1880 he assisted in the organi- zation of the Phoenix Milling and Elevator Company, and at once be- came its treasurer and business manager. They have a large merchant mill, and one of the largest and finest elevators in Western Missouri. Their business extends to all parts of Central Missouri, Iowa and Illinois, and is constantly growing.

KIMBLE THOMAS

(Farmer, Section 15, Post-office, Platte City).

Mr. Thomas is one of the most successful fruit growers in Platte county, and though still comparatively a young man, he has risen to a position and a reputation among the citizens of this county which might well be envied by one older in years and experience. He has devoted the most of his life to fruit culture and upon his tract of 80 acres of excellent land he has 21,000 apple trees, besides an abun- dance of cherries, plums, etc. It is his desire and intention to have a nursery second to none in this part of the county, and every indica- tion points to a fulfillment of this wish. Mr. Thomas was brought up in Ohio, having been born there June 19, 1856. His father, William Thomas, and his mother, formerly Elizabeth Guire, were both natives of Pennsylvania, though the former was originally of Welsh extraction. He and his wife went to California in 1849, where he died in 1869, but his widow still makes her home in that State. Kimble Thomas was married March 2, 1882, to Miss Rosa Packer. They have one child, an interesting little daughter, named Laura. Mrs. Thomas is a daughter of I. C. and Sarah A. (Rosenberry ) Packer, the former of whom was one of the most respected residents of Platte county,

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

and a man well known throughout this community. Coming here in 1868, he purchased a mill in partnership with R. M. Harrington and Mr. P.'s two sons. From that time until his death, January 16, 1884, he was prominently and actively interested in milling. Out of the original Johnson Mill, on Big creek, came what has since been known as Packer's Mill. Besides the flouring department there is an excel- lent steam saw mill in connection. Mrs. T. is one of five children.

B. F. WHITELEY

(Stock-raiser and Dealer, Post-office, Platte City).

Every one who knows anything about the mercantile interests of New York City, especially that part relating to its financial affairs, or who has kept posted from time to time in various inventions as they have been introduced, will recognize at a glance the father of Mr. Whiteley, or " Frank," as he is more familiarly called. A. White- ley was a native of Ohio and was a man possessed of a great amount of ingenuity. Disposing of his most valuable invention, the Champion Reaper and Mower, he moved to New York City, where he established a bank and soon became widely known among the influential moneyed men of the country. In 1865 he removed westward, locating for a time in this county, but subsequently he went to California, where he at present resides. One daughter is also living in that State. Frank Whiteley, a worthy representative of such a father, was born in Clark county, O., April 23, 1860. He accompanied his parents to this county upon their removal here and has since continued to make it his home. In his younger days he enjoyed excellent educational ad- vantages, supplementing his primary course by attending Denison University at Grandville, O. October 20, 1880, when in his twenty- first year, Mr. Whiteley was married, Miss Mary A. Miller, a most estimable young lady, becoming his wife. She was only spared to him, however, a little over three years, her death occurring January 6, 1884. Her loss was keenly felt by a large circle of friends and ac- quaintances. Mr. Whiteley has become quite an adept in the stock business and makes a specialty of raising Poland-China hogs. He takes great interest in importing stock from Ohio, Illinois and Indiana, and has stock from the latter State recorded in the Central Poland- China Record of Indiana. He owns 110 acres of land, known as the Todd farm, one of the finest fruit farms in the county, included in which are to be found varieties of the Japanese persimmons, spice woods, etc.

W. A. WILLHOITE (Farmer, Section 2, Post-office, Weston).

For about two years Mr. Willhoite has been residing upon his present place, having purchased it in 1883. Here he has a good farm of 160 acres, which he is cultivating in an excellent manner. Of German and Scotch ancestry, he was born in Oldham county, Ky., September 5, 1843, and in 1855 accompanied his father to Platte county, Mo.,

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

where he has since been actively and successfully engaged in follow- ing the occupation to which he was brought up. We should except, however, the period during which he served in the war. September 3, 1861, he enlisted in Co. B, Weston's regiment of the State Guard, and in 1862 entered the regular Confederate service, becoming a member of Col. Stein's regiment. He served faithfully and with dis- tinction in the battles of Pea Ridge, Jenkin's Ferry, Pleasant Hill, and others, being mustered out at Shreveport. In 1865 he returned home and resumed his farming operations. On the 31st of March, 1875, Mr. Willhoite was united in marriage to Miss Rebecca Lamar, a native of this county, whose ancestors were originally from Tennes- see. It should have been stated before that the ancestors of Mr. Willhoite were early settlers in Virginia, and especially were they pioneers in Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Willhoite have two children : Fredda and Elmer T.

G. A. WOODBRIDGE

(Station Agent of the K. C., St. Jo. & C. B. and the C., R. I. & P. Railroads, at Beverly . Station) .

In the work of sketching the lives of the citizens of Platte county there is of course much similarity in the facts given, but occasionally one is met with whose life varies not a little from those of the gener- ality of men around him. Here is a case of that kind. Mr. Wood- bridge's father was a native of Massachusetts, and was possessed of rare intellectual endowments. He was a graduate of Yale College. George's mother, whose maiden name was Jane McConnell, was born in Ohio, though her parents were of Scotch ancestry. The birth of G. A. occurred January 18, 1856, at Crown Point, Ind., at which place he continued to reside until he was about 20 years of age. Going to Joliet, Ill., he was in the employ of J. E. Shaw, Esq., in the brick business, also giving his attention to other matters. In January, 1879, he entered the employ of the railroad company at Weston as night (telegraph) operator, remaining here for about one year. He was then stationed at different points as operator until ac- cepting the agency of the office at Sugar Lake, from whence in about a year ill health compelled him to leave. After operating at various places until May, 1882, he was given his present position, which he has since continued to fill with great satisfaction to the company and to the people of this place. Courteous and affable in his demeanor, and of an obliging disposition, his popularity should not be wondered at. Mr. Woodbridge was married June 28, 1883, to Miss Lizzie Ellinger, a most estimable young lady and an accomplished musician. She is a native of Missouri, being born and raised in Weston. Her birth occurred April 17, 1857.

CHAPTER XXVI.

GREEN TOWNSHIP.

Boundary and Area -Nature of the Soil -Its Adaptability for Agricultural Pur poses - Timber - Stock-raising Industry - Early Settlers -New Market - When and by Whom Laid Out - Originally Called Jacksonville - Buena Vista - Camden Point - Location, Etc. - Atchison Junction - Dearborn - Sketch of Singleton Woods - Biographical. .

Green township is bounded on the north by Buchanan county, on the east by Preston township, on the south by Fair township, and on the west by Weston and Marshall townships. It is one of the largest municipal townships of the county, and is ten miles from east to west and seven and a quarter miles from north to south. The soil of this township ranks with the best in the county, and is remarkable for its uniformity and its adaptibility to agricultural and grazing purposes. There is very little waste land in the whole township, and scarcely an acre can be found that is not valuable for growing grain or grass. The soil is principally a loam of great fertility, and sufficiently undul- ating to avert disaster to the crops in extremely wet seasons, and yet sufficiently retentive of moisture to preserve them from total failure in extreme droughts. The natural arrangements afforded the early settlers ample scope for selecting their lands with a proper division of timber and prairie, and this has resulted in the establishment of some of the best organized farms for mixed husbandry in the county. The timber is principally white oak, black oak, elm, hickory and walnut. The township is well watered by the Platte river ( which flows from north to south on its east boundary ), Bee creek and other smaller streams, and unfailing, living water is of easy access in well distributed localities throughout the entire township. So well is this township adapted to general, mixed and varied farming, that the entire territory is fenced, and either under the plow, in blue grass pasture or meadow.

In population this township ranks second of the 10 townships, the census of 1880 giving it 2,425. Its inhabitants are engaged almost exclusively in farming and stock-raising. Within the past few years great attention has been given to thoroughbred stock, both short horn and Hereford cattle, and the interest taken in this industry, and the

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

well improved condition of the farms, indicate their general pros- perity.

EARLY SETTLERS.

Among the early settlers of Green township were Isaac Dean, Edward Ohlhausen, Warren Harris, Richard Waters, John Jack, the Duncan family, Henry Brooks, Neal Burgess, Wm. Kincaid, Jas. Burnes & sons, Lance Woodward, John Eldridge, Willis Cartwright, Archibald Perrin, John C. Bywaters, Henry James, Wm. Fincher, Robert Mitchell, Joshua Tofflemeyer, the Holland family, and others.

NEW MARKET.

The second town in the county was Jacksonville, laid off by Jacob Adam son, who came to Platte from Ray county. Being a Tennee- seean and a devoted admirer of Gen. Jackson, he insisted that Jack- sonville must be the name of his town, but when a post-office was about to be established it was found that some other admirer of the hero of the Hermitage had his Jacksonville, and Adamson was com- pelled, very reluctantly, to change the name of his town, and he called it New Market, a name it has ever since borne.

It is situated on Bee creek, 12 miles north of Platte City, and 10 miles northeast of Weston, and three miles south of the line dividing the counties of Platte and Buchanan. It is in the midst of a country unsurpassed in fertility of soil.

The community is moral and intelligent, and the churches of all the religious denominations are well attended and liberally supported, and schools of a good class are maintained. Her population is about 150.

The business of the town has been injured, to some extent, by the laying off of the town of Dearborn, two miles northeast, on the Atchi- son Branch of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad.

BUENA VISTA.

In 1841 James Burnes founded the town of Buena Vista, a short distance north of Camden Point. A post-office was established and D. D. Burnes made postmaster. Several stores, a blacksmith shop, etc., were in operation, and the town prospered for eight or ten years, and then went down, the business of the town removing to Camden Point.

CAMDEN POINT.

Camden Point, seven miles northeast of Platte City, and ten miles from Weston, was constituted a town by William Kincaid about the

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

year 1848. The original intention of the founder was to make the place one for educational purposes, and to which end he and other prominent citizens directed their energies. Their efforts were suc- cessful, and in the summer of 1851 they erected a most excellent building at a cost of about $75,000. A full history of the school is given in another part of this work.

Cam den Point is located in the midst of an unsurpassed population morally, socially, religiously, and in all the qualities constituting a good society. It is a place of considerable business, and is situated one-half mile from the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, from which point a large shipping business is done. Her churches are good and her public schools liberally sustained.

ATCHISON JUNCTION.

In the eastern central part of the township is Atchison Junction. It has one store, depot, etc.

DEARBORN.

Dearborn, five miles from Atchison Junction, and two miles northeast of New Market, on the Atchison branch of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad, is quite a shipping point, and contains two or three general stores, lumber yard, blacksmith shop, post-office and depot building. Its population is about 50.

We copy from the St. Joseph Gazette the following in reference to an eccentric character of Green township : -

THE ANCHORET OF SINGLETON WOODS.

A short distance south of New Market, Platte county, Mo., and near the spot where the old log school-house stood in which the Hon. James N. Burnes attended school when a boy, there lives an old man who has a history of more than ordinary interest.

This man is none other than Thomas Cannon, or " Uncle Tommy," as the people in that locality have called him for the past thirty-five or forty years.

Yes, he lives, and that is almost as much as can be said, for it is by the merest thread that life now hangs to his poor feeble body, which has passed through eighty-eight troubled years.

Uncle Tommy lives entirely alone, and for the last few years has sel- dom been seen away from his hermitage. He was born almost a cen- tury ago on the Isle of Man, an island in the Irish Sea on the coast of England, and lived there until a man of middle age, when he deter- mined to come to America, accompanied by a nephew who he per- suaded to accompany him, and whose mother opposed it.

On his arrival in this country he resided for a short time in Cleveland,

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HISTORY OF PLATTE COUNTY.

O., in company with his young nephew, to whom he became very closely attached; in fact he speaks of him now with as much fond- ness as a mother would of her babe, but Uncle Tommy was destined to have trouble, for the young lad became sick and died, leaving him a friendless wanderer in a strange land.

Uncle Tommy then wrote his sister of the death of her boy, also informing her of his intention of going farther West.

She desired him to return home, but he could never face his sister after persuading her only boy to leave her, though he did it with good intentions. He has never heard from her since, and she thinks him dead long ago.

Early in life, like most young men, Uncle Tommy had his little love affair, which changed his life entirely. He fell in love with a beautiful, blue-eyed, light haired girl, whose winning manner and lovely dispositon made such an impression upon him that he never recovered from its effects.

They were engaged, and everything looked bright and cheerful for the future. But alas ! it was not to be. Just a few days before the wedding was to take place his affianced was taken seriously ill, and on the morning of the day set for the wedding death robbed Uncle Tommy of his fondest hope in life, and he never smiled again.

After burying his nephew in Cleveland he came to Platte county and worked at his trade, that of a stone mason, until the commence- ment of the Civil War when, as old as he was, he got his tool sack, put in his tools, and started South, and under pretense of hunting work he reached the Southern army unmolested, and fought for the Confederate cause until the close of the war, when he returned to Platte county. For the first few years after his return he worked at his trade, and built in the neighborhood six or seven miles of stone wall, without assistance from any one.

As has been said before, he lives alone, and if he only lived on an · island and had a cat and parrot he would make a first-rate Robinson Crusoe. His house is built of stone and is about 6x10 feet inside, with a fireplace in one end, and little smoked windows about eighteen inches square, in the north and south sides. The furniture consists of one chair and a stool, one cot and three cracker boxes ; he also has an iron pot, a couple of tin pans and a tin cup. His diet consists of tea and crackers only ; he has not tasted pure water for years. He has always been a great reader, and in his more prosperous days sub- scribed to half a dozen or more weekly newspapers, including the Gazette, all of which poverty has compelled him to discontinue. He now reads only his Bible, and days come and go and bring forth no change.

The nearest neighbor supplies him with wood, and occasionally breaks the silence of his desolate home, which is surrounded by a high, thick hedge, by giving him a call. Once this winter he found Uncle Tommy just in time to prolong his life for a time. He had been lying on his back for ten days suffering with rheumatism, and could barely manage to reach his tea and crackers.

It would prob-

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ably have been better for the old man if he had not been discovered, for it will only be a repetition of the same sufferings when he will leave this world of which he has seen so little pleasure.

May the sufferings of the good old hermit be as slight as possible the remainder of his days, is the ardent wish of the writer, who, until ten days ago, had not seen him for fifteen years, and in all probability will never see him again.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

HON. JAMES W. ANDERSON

(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Section 4, Post-office, Camden Point).

In any worthy history of Platte county the name that heads this sketch must always be given a place as that of one of the prominent, representative citizens of the county. Mr. Anderson was a son of Capt. Peyton Anderson, a native of Virginia, who, in the early days of that State, was a muster captain. His wife was Miss Sarah S. Jones, originally of the same State as himself. Capt. Anderson lived to be about 70 years of age, dying in Virginia in 1854. He had be- come a well known and highly respected citizen of the vicinity in which he made his home. Of the union here mentioned, James W. Anderson was born, in Rappahannock county, of the Old Dominion, May 28, 1827. He reached manhood at his birthplace, after which he remained in Virginia about two years, then removing to Missouri and settling first in Lafayette county in 1850. The following fall he came to Platte county and has continued to make his home within its boundaries since that time. He was then located at New Market, and having, while in his native State, followed the occupation of teaching, he very naturally resumed it upon settling here. The reputation which he gained as an instructor at that time has not forsaken him in later years. Mr. Anderson was married in the county February 2, 1854, to Miss Lucy E. Bywaters, daughter of John C. Bywaters, formerly from Virginia, and one of the early settlers of Platte county. Mrs. A. was born in Callaway county, removing here at the age of two years. After his marriage Mr. Anderson engaged in the pursuit of farming, to which he had been brought up, also teaching during the winter months for a number of years, or until about 1876. Years ago he became well known as one of the public-spirited citizens of this part of the county, and in 1880, when it became necessary to elect a man to represent the county in the State Legislature, he was very fitly chosen to fill the position, which he did, proving himself a sound, conservative and faithful representative of the people. A man of strong natural ability and good sober judgment, he was well qualified

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Author: Publication date: 1885 Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1156

Author:
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1156