History of Cooper County, Missouri, Part 20

Author: Johnson, William Foreman, b. 1861
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Topeka : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1464

USA > Missouri > Cooper County > History of Cooper County, Missouri > Part 20

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Those were trying days to church people. The drastic deliverance of the General Assembly were gradually modified or withdrawn. Now the question of organic union of these two great branches of one great church, is being urgently advocated and growing in favor, both in the North and South. It is most unfortunate that political differences should ever enter into any church discussion or action. The Boonville Presbyterian Church has been free from this error. Christian fellowship and co-operation should ever be the ruling spirit.

CHAPTER XV.

TOWNSHIPS

BOONVILLE TOWNSHIP-BOONVILLE AS IT IS TODAY-BLACKWATER TOWNSHIP- CLEAR CREEK TOWNSHIP-PILOT GROVE TOWNSHIP-KELLY TOWNSHIP- LAMINE TOWNSHIP-NORTH AND SOUTH MONITEAU TOWNSHIPS-PALESTINE TOWNSHIP-PRAIRIE HOME TOWNSHIP-CLARKS FORK TOWNSHIP-SALINE TOWNSHIP-LEBANON TOWNSHIP-OTTERVILLE TOWNSHIP.

Boonville Township evidently took its name from Boonville, and Boon- ville was thus named in honor of the great hunter, pioneer and Indian- fighter, Daniel Boone. When it acquired this name is not known, but it has been so-called from "time whereof the memory of man runneth not to the contrary." Boone was intimate with the Coles, and visited at Ste- phen Cole's Fort and at Hannah Cole's Fort, and being a man of much repute and fame among the early settlers they honored him by calling this settlement Boonville.

The history of Boonville and Boonville township is the earliest history of Cooper County, much of which has heretofore been given in this volume. Hannah Cole, who was mentioned in the preceding chapter, located and took a preemption claim in 1810, which included what is now Boonville and afterward sold the same Jan. 25, 1819, for a mere trifle to Bird Lock- hart and Henry Carroll.

Aside from the Coles, if indeed they were located in the limits of old Boonville, was Gilliard Rupe, who built his cabin near the corner of Spring and Third streets, and on the south side of Spring street near where was located the old cement factory. Rupe next erected a building as a ferry house at the mouth of the branch which today bears his name. Mrs. Hannah Cole operated the first ferry. Soon thereafter several log cabins were built on the bottom land below this branch, extending south as far

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as the corner of Morgan and Second streets before the town was laid off.

The pioneer business house was kept by a Frenchman by the name of A. Robideux. This was located in the flat of the Rupe branch. Robideux came from St. Louis, and was doubtless an Indian trader before settling in Boonville. Soon after Rodideux commenced business, a man named Nolin opened a grocery near the mouth of Rupe branch. It is said his store in trade consisted mostly of whisky and tobacco. Their houses were log and pole cabins and were erected along about 1816 and 1817. During the sanie period, Mrs. Reavis and William Bartlett kept boarding houses in the same locality and Thomas Rogers built a cabin at the corner of High and Second streets, and used it as a residence, hotel and store.

Mrs. Margaret Stephens, who was the wife of Judge Lawrence Ste- phens, and the daughter of William Moore, was one of the early pioneers of Cooper County. In the fall of 1816, after her father had settled in this county she went to Boonville with her uncle, Mr. McFarland, and after looking around she asked where Boonville was. She thought she was com- ing to something of a town. Her uncle pointed to Robideux's store, a round log cabin with bark on the logs, and said, "there is Boonville." They then dismouunted, and after making some purchases, returned home.

Boonville was laid out by Asa Morgan and Charles Lucas, and plat filed on Aug. 1, 1817. It was surveyed by William Ross. The first lot sold was before the filing of this plat. The deed was made on the 16th day of July, 1817, by Asa Morgan of the county of Howard and Charles Lucas of the town of St. Louis, both in the territory of Missouri, conveying to Rob- ert Austin of the county of Howard in said territory for and in considera- tion of $75, one lot or parcel of ground in the town of Boonville, containing 90 feet front on Water street and 150 feet more or less in depth. being lot number 43, on the plat of said town of Boonville.

The first lot sales were held in 1819. A donation of 50 acres was made by Morgan and Lucas to Cooper County for a permanent county seat. The first donation lots were sold in 1821.

The first houses built after the town was laid off were two brick structures on Morgan street, one east of the jail and the other east of and near the Central National Bank, both built by Asa Morgan, after whom Morgan street was named.

From the history of Howard and Cooper Counties, written in 1883, we take the folloiwng:

"Some old houses now standing are Doctor Trigg's on Morgan street and a log house on the north side of High street on the corner of Seventh,

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now occupied by a colored woman by the name of Carter. Also a brick house on High street northeast of the court house built by Hon. R. P. Clark, and owned by Joseph and William Williams."

The next merchants after Robideux and Nolin were Jocab and Wyan and Archie Kavanaugh. Their store and residence was located north of the court house square. Other early merchants were Mckenzie, Bousfield, Colonel Thornton, Mrs. Dobbins, Thomas M. Campbell and Judge C. H. Smith.

Justinian Williams built the next hotel, and afterward sold it to John Dade, a part of which is still standing and is used as a hotel known as the Santa Fe Inn. This building of course has been added to, and greatly miodi- ged. There was also a hotel on the lot north of the jail, once occupied as the residence of Judge C. W. Sombart, and is now a portion of the yard of the present residence of C. A. Sombart, son of the judge.

Boonville up to 1826 was but a hamlet of straggling log cabins and its growth had been slow. However, in the summer and fall of 1826 it entered an era of prosperity never known before in its brief history. This was the year in which the angry waters of the Missouri sapped the foun- dations and forever put an end to the future prosperity of the thriving town of Franklin on the north side of the river, reference to which has heretofore been made. From this time Boonville began to assume import- ance and in a few years the wholesale and supply center for the great southwest territory. Many merchants from Franklin moved to Boonville as also did business men from other sections of the country.

The first macadamized street was Main street, laid in 1840. During the year 1843, Moseley and Stanley operated a brewery. Between the years 1840-1850 real estate in Boonville commanded a better price than it ever had before or has since, except within the last few years.

Luke Williams is celebrated as being the first preached in Cooper County, having located in Boonville several years before the county was organized. He was a farmer and a Baptist.

Justinian Williams deserves special mention in the history of Cooper County. He was born in Virginia, and while young, emigrated to Ken- tucky, and there married. He then moved to Howard County, Mo., and from there to Cooper County, and settled in Boonville in 1818. In this year he located the first Methodist Church in Cooper County. He was a cabinet maker by trade, and followed that business for several years and organizing churches at intervals. He was also the local preacher at

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Boonville for several years. In 1834, he built a steamboat called "The Far West," about two miles above the mouth of Bonne Femme Creek in How- ard County, and was the commander of the same for some time. During that year he emigrated to Tennessee, where he died. He was a unique and forceful character in the time in which he lived.

We have been unable to trace the local records of Boonville further back than Feb. 3, 1836. On that day there was an organization of the trustees of the town of Boonville, of which body, C. P. Powell was chair- man, and Charles G. Lewis, Alexander Hanna, David Andrews, and John Rea, were trustees. Washington Adams, who afterwards became one of the prominent lawyers of the State, was secretary.

At the succeeding town election, Edward Lawton was elected chair- man, and Richard B. Holeman, secretary.

The city was incorporated by an act of the General Assembly approved Feb. 8, 1839, and the first organization thereunder was affected May 3, 1839. The following officers were elected by the people, under the charter, to-wit: Marcus Williams, Jr., mayor; J. Rice, president of the board; Wil- liam Shields, J. L. Collins, Jacob Wyan, David Andrews, Charles Smith, J. S. McFarland, and J. H. Malone, councilmen.

Marcus Williams, the first mayor of Boonville, was a brother of Jus- tinian Williams, both of whom were uncles of the late lamented Judge William M. Williams. Marcus Williams was a brick mason, and manu- factured the first bricks ever made in Cooper County. He opened a lime kiln in the western part of Boonville. At the Vollrath place, in 1840, he made the first stoneware ever manufactured in western Missouri. He emi- grated to California at the time of the gold excitement in 1849, and settled in San Jose, and died about the year 1860. It is related that just before he left Boonville, he had an altercation with one of the prominent citizens of Boonville. This altercation resulted in an assault upon his part. He was arrested, and a small fine placed upon him. It seems that he had · had some trouble about a mortgage this citizen held upon some of his property. He felt that he had been badly treated, and determined to shake the dust from his feet, and leave the town. Having loaded all his remain- ing possessions in a wagon, with his team he drove down Main street, and stopped. Then called together a crowd of citizens and from his wagon, made them a speech, in which he told them that he had cast his lot among them, endeavoring to build up their town and country, but that he had not been appreciated, but instead had been mistreated. He told the as-

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sembled crowd that he proposed to shake the dust from his feet, and raising one foot, he literally shook the dust from it, then lashed his horses with his reins, and started on his trip to California.

The year 1840 was distinguished as being the time when the first steamboat built and successfully launched at Boonville. It was constructed under the superintendence of Captain McCourtney, and was intended for the Osage. It was called the "Warsaw."

As a port of entry at this time, Boonville excelled any other town on the river except St. Louis. As many as five or six steamboats would often land during the day and night, for the purpose of taking on and discharg- ing freight.

During the year 1850, the whole number of deaths that had occurred in Boonville was 45, as shown by the sextons report. Thirty-eight of these were white persons, and seven were negroes. Eleven of these were strang- ers who had just arrived in the city, or who were passing through. The population of the city at that time was estimated at about 2,800.

During the decade between 1850 and 1860, several newspapers were established and discontinued. Notably among these were the "Central Mis- sourian," and the "Boonville Missourian."

The Missouri State Agricultural Society held the first fairs at the Fair Grounds near Boonville in 1853 and 1854. In 1855 the foundations were laid for Thespian Hall, which was begun during that year. At the time of its construction, it was considered one of the largest and most magnificent buildings to be found west of St. Louis. It was erected by a number of stockholders and occupies the northeast corner of Fifth and Church street, now called Vine street. The building is constructed of brick, 50x100 feet, with 10 feet open space in front, supported by four brick colums, 4x4 feet square. The Thespian Hall is four feet above the ground, and 20 feet high in the clear. The second story was divided into three apartments, two halls originally for use of Masonic and Odd Fellows' Associations, fronting on Fifth street, 231%x43 feet, a town hall fronting Vine street, 35x47 feet. The basement story was designed for reading rooms. This building has since been remodeled, the basement room and first story being converted into an opera house. The second story is used entirely by the Masonic Fraternity.

The first bank established in Boonville was the William H. Trigg, in 1847, particular reference to which will be found in the chapter on banking.

In May, 1883, the Boonville Water Company was organized with the following stockholders: John Elliott, John Cosgrove, Speed Stephens, Lon

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HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

Stephens, Henry McCourtney, W. Whitlow, T. B. Perkins, W. C. Culwey- house and J. H. Johnson. Perkins was the promoter, and took the contract for building the system. The plan pursued in the construction of this im- portant enterprise was known as the Perkins system.

July 1, 1905, the city of Boonville, after negotiations covering a period of two years, acquired all the property, rights and franchises of the Boon- ville Water Company. The price paid for the property totaled $52,500, and was based upon a valuation made by engineers employed by the city in 1903, to which was added the investment by the company up to the time the purchase was consummated.

The property consisted of some 31,000 feet of distribution mains, about 20 acres of land, and some buildings and reservoirs, pumping station and equipment, and a brick tower with wooden tanks. Of the original prop- erty, only the distribution system and land are still in service. All build- ings have been added to and improved since the purchase. This applies similarly to reservoirs which have been enlarged. The purchase was made possible by the authorization and issue of a bonded debt of $75,000 bearing interest at the rate of four per cent per annum.

By Dec. 31, 1918, all the $4,000 of this issue had been returned. The city has acquired and operated a property which represents a gross invest- ment of $121,000 in 14 years, and paid therefor with a net tax assessment of about 17 cents per $1,000 valuation in excess of that, which would have been necessary to pay for fire hydrant service under private ownership.

The first board of public works which had charge of this system were appointed in March, 19-, as follows: W. F. Johnson, president; M. E. Schmidt, secretary ; S. H. Stephens and W. A. Sombart. The present board is Jeff L. Davis, president ; Fred Dauwalter, secretary ; George A. Weyland, Clarence Shears.

At our request, Mayor C. W. Journey has prepared a short article on Boonville as it is today, which we herewith give:

Boonville as It is Today .- The present population of the city of Boon- ville is about 6,000; the assessed valuation of property in the city for the year 1918 was $2,300,000. The city revenue for the same year from all sources was about $26,500; and the city indebtedness is only $29,000.

The tax rate for 1918 was $1.10. The rate for this year of 1919 will be reduced from that of 1918.

The city has, since 1905, in fourteen years, purchased and paid for the water works plant, together with 27.82 acres of land acquired by the original purchase, all representing a gross investment of $121,000 (this

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does not include advanced value of real estate) ; has set aside $33,000 for depreciation, has accumulated $6,000 surplus, made all necessary additions and betterments, and today, the plant is in first class working order, giving us as good and pure water as is to be found anywhere. Of the $75,000 bonded indebtedness 14 years ago in the matter of the purchase of the water plant, on July 1, 1919, only $3,000 of the same will remain unpaid.

Boonville now has three banks, and another practically organized and ready for business. Boonville now has, among other things, the following:

A large public school building, the high school building (a magnificent and beautiful structure), Kemper Military School, a large and splendid in- stitution, and with a larger attendance this year than ever before in its history, the new Sumner school for colored people, the Missouri Reforma- tory, and Dunkle's Business School, nine churches, one large flouring mill, a beautiful new court house, a pipe factory employing 150 or more people, a large shoe factory now in course of construction, its estimated cost when completed is $110,000, and will employ 300 workers, a large ice plant and laundry employing 30 persons the year round, the Armour packing plant, employing 30 to 40 persons, a large brick plant, sand-works and a lime kiln.

There are now fifteen grocery stores ; three large and up-to-date cloth- ing stores ; four dry goods stores, not counting combination dry goods and grocery stores ; four millinery and three drug stores; one large tin, glass- ware and notion store; one dealer in books; one fruit store, and two com- bination fruit and stationery stores; two furniture stores; two hardware stores; two exclusive boot and shoe stores; one second hand store; two restaurants, and numerous eating booths; three ice cream parlors, and numerous tailor, blacksmith and tin shops; two large wholesale houses, both under the same management. Boonville also has eight garages.

The paved streets in the city are as follows: Main (or Fifth) street, from High to the top of Trigg Hill in the southern limits of the city ; High, from Second to Eighth streets; Morgan, from First to Tenth ; Spring, from Main to Tenth, and from First to the Boonville and Sedalia road; Sixth, from Locust to the Boonville and Jefferson City road; Chestnut, from Sixth to Third; Third, from High to Pine street; Court, from Fifth to Sixth ; Locust, from Main East to the Catholic Cemetery, thence south to the southeast corner of the Cooper County Infirmary Farm, being practically to the city limits; Shamrock Heights, from the north part of Shamrock Heights to what is known as the "New-Cut Road"; Eighth, from High to Morgan; Second street, from Spring to Water street, and there is now

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RESIDENCE STREET, BUNCETON, MO.

HIGH SCHOOL, BUNCETON, MO.

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under construction the paving of Walnut street from Sixth street, west- wardly to Shamrock Heights.

At this writing, the city council has made arrangements to call a spe- cial election to decide on the proposition of issuing bonds for $35,000 for the purpose of laying a new water main from the water works to the city. This is not only to guard against serious damage by fire and great public inconvenience in case the single line now existing should break, but to give water service to new territory, and improve and extend the water service gnerally ; and to issue bonds in the sum of $12,000 for constructing an addi- tional sewer main, and serve the new addition in the western part of the city, now an assured fact; and to issue bonds for $10,000 for the purpose of improving the City Park.

Walnut Grove Cemetery, one of the most beautiful in the State, had its inception in 1852. In that year Charles F. Aehle, Robert D. Perry, Dr. A. Keuckelhan and others purchased a piece of ground containing two acres from William S. Myers to be used as a cemetery. Upon this ground was a beautiful grove of walnut trees, hence the name Walnut Grove Cemetery. This tract has been added to from time to time. The first body interred in the cemetery was that of Mrs. Sarah Ann Quarles, who died Aug. 24, 1852. Others buried about the same time were Mrs. H. A. Massie, James McDearmon, and Ida Aehle. Also the remains of David Barton, first United States Senator of Missouri, was removed from the City Cemetery and buried here, where now stands an appropriate monument erected by the State. Up to 1880 this cemetery was under the care of Mr. Aehle, in which year the cemetery was made public under certain rules and restrictions by the purchase of the same from Mr. Aahle by and through a corporation organized for that purpose. The charter, however, was not issued until June 7, 1881.

The people of Boonville and Cooper County are justly proud of this beautiful cemetery where rest the remains of their loved and lost. It has grown from year to year and its management has been such as to add to its beauty with years. While not all but much of the credit due to the superb management of this cemetery is credited to Dr. William Mittlebach, who for years has been superintendent and secretary of the same. The present board of dirctors are T. A. Johnson, president; W. W. Trigg, vice-presi- dent; R. W. Whitlow, treasurer; William Mittlebach, superintendent and secretary ; Hilliard Brewster, Fred G. Lohse, Starke Koontz, and Charles Doerrie. The executive committee consists of William Mittelbach, W. W.

(15)

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Trigg, and Fred G. Lohse. Lawrence Geiger, Sr., is the present sexton.

Blackwater Township .- Blackwater is bounded on the north by Lamine township; on the east by Pilot Grove and Clear Creek township, and on the west by Saline and Pettis Counties. It is practically surrounded by water, the Blackwater River on the north and the Lamine on the east and south.

The soil is rich and very productive. It has much bottom land which is especially adapted to the growing of corn, wheat and alfalfa.

Lead and iron ore are found in abundance. Springs are very numer- ous, some of which are salt. Salt was manufactured in this township as early as 1808 and from that time until 1836 it was manufactured pretty extensively by Heath, Bailey, Christie, Allison and others.

William Christie and John D. Heath settled here in 1808 temporarily. James Broch was the first permanent settler, arriving in 1816. Enoch Hambrich came in 1817, David Shellcraw in 1818, George Chapman, the father of Mrs. Caleb Jones, came in 1818; Nathaniel T. Allison in 1831, Cleming Marshall and Robert Clark in 1832, Nathaniel Bridgewater in 1835.

The village of Blackwater is the metropolis of Blackwater township and is surrounded by fertile and enterprising country and thrifty farmers. The town has a population of about 500 and the mercantile business repre- sents practically every line of business found in a village of that size. It has one newspaper, two banks, and an electric light plant. The merchants are prosperous and enjoy a good trade. Blackwater is one of the oldest trading points in Cooper County. It takes its name from the stream Blackwater, from which also the township takes its name.

Clear Creek Township .- Clear Creek is bounded on the north by the Lamine River; on the east by Pilot Grove and Palestine townships ; on the south by Lebanon and Otterville townships, and on the west by Pettis County.

Some rough land is found in this township in the north and west part but in the east and south are found some of the best farms in Cooper County. James Taylor and sons, William, John, and James were the first settlers. They came from Georgia by the way of New Madrid and settled here in 1817. The farmed a large tract of land and were the early corn kings of Cooper County.

At one time when corn was very scarce throughout the county, and very little could be had for love or money, two men came to Mr. Taylor's house asking to purchase some corn, of which he had a large quantity, on credit, as neither of them had any money with which to pay. One was very poorly dressed, with his pants torn off below his knees, and what

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there was remaining of them patched all over. The other was almost elegantly dressed. Mr. Taylor sold the poorly dressed man, on credit, all the corn he wished. He told the other one that he could get no corn there, unless he paid the money for it, and that if he had saved the money which he had squandered for his fine clothes he would have had sufficient to pay cash for the corn.

He had a large number of negroes, and required them during the day to perform a great deal of work. Shovel plows were mostly used in his day, and the wooden mole board just coming into use. It is related that the shovels of Mr. Taylor's plows had, at one time, worn off very blunt, and he was averse to buying new ones, so that one negro man plowed once around a field before he discovered that he had lost the dull shovel to his plow. the plow running just as well without as with it. He was a leader in the Baptist Church, and was a devoted member, a kind neighbor and a strictly honest man.

Jordan O'Bryan, son-in-law of James Taylor, settled here in 1817. He represented the county in the State Legislature in 1822, 1826, 1834 and 1840 and in the State Senate 1844 to 1848. He was an orator, a man of great ability and an uncompromising Whig.

Charles R. Berry, the father of Finis E. Berry, Isaac Ellis and Hugh and Alexander Brown, are among the oldest citizens ; others of a later date were Herman Bailey, William Ellis, Samuel Walker, A. S. Walker, H. R. Walker, Finis E. Berry, James and Samuel Mahan, the Rubeys, Jeremiah, William G. and Martin G. Phillips, Samuel Forbes, Ragan Berry, Hiram Dial, Samuel and Rice Hughes and Willis Ellis.

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History of Cooper County, Missouri, Part 20

Author: Johnson, William Foreman, b. 1861 Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Topeka : Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1464

Author: Johnson, William Foreman, b. 1861
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Topeka : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1464