History of Cooper County, Missouri, Part 28

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 28

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).

The Marshall silt loam, like the Knox silt loam, is of loessial origin, but it differs from the latter in color, topography, and character of the subsoil. On the other hand, it differs from the Oswego silt loam, which it resembles at the surface, in having a deeper surface soil and in lacking in places the stiff resistant clay layer found in the subsoil of the latter.

The surface soil of the Marshall silt loam is a very dark gray to black, smooth, friable silt loam, which extends to a depth of about 20 inches, the lower part of the section usually becoming somewhat lighter in color. The subsoil is a brown mottled silty clay grading at a depth of 24 to 30 inches into a yellowish and grayish mottled silty clay, some- what lighter in texture. In the more level areas a heavy, almost imper- vious layer of brown silty clay, six to 10 inches in thickness, forms the upper portion of the subsoil, but in the more rolling areas this heavy layer is almost or entirely wanting.

The Marshall silt loam is found in only a few small areas in Cooper County, the largest of these occupying the more level land in the extreme northwestern portion of the county. A few small bodies also occur south- west of the town of Blackwater, north of Lone Elm, and in the vicinity of Clarks Fork.

This soil is well supplied with humus and is a friable, easily culti- vated productive soil. Corn yields from 40 to 50 bushels and wheat from 13 to 18 bushels per acre.

To a depth of 10 inches the Oswego silt loam is a smooth, friable, black or very dark brown silt loam, often containing in the first few inches an appreciable quantity of very fine sand. Below 10 inches the

302

HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

dark-colored surface soil grades into a lighter colored gray silt. The soil also becomes slightly heavier in texture with increased depth, and at about 16 inches rests on a very heavy, tenacious, brown silty clay, which often contains numerous small iron concretions. The line of contact between the soil and this heavy subsoil is very sharp, but the thickness and tenacity of this heavy layer varies considerably in different parts of the area, being thicker and more resistant on the more level and poorly drained portions. At a depth of about 30 to 34 inches this heavy subsoil grades into a yellowish and gray mottled silty clay subsoil lighter in texture than the soil above and resembling closely the subsoil found in places under the loess soils. In the subsoil, usually in the lower portion of the heavy layer, small irregularly lime concretions are found, the quantity in places being relatively large.

The Oswego silt loam is one of the extensive soil types in the area and occupies the higher and more nearly level portions of the area covered by the upland glacial soils. The largest body of it occurs east of Bunce- ton and south of Lone Elm, but other large bodies occur in the vicinity of Prairie Home, between Moniteau Creek and Stephens Branch on the east and Petite Saline on the west, and between Petite Saline and the Lamine. Small areas also occur in the southeastern and in the south- western parts of the county.

Although the soils of these areas resemble each other to a sufficient extent to be classified under the same name, there is considerable varia- tion in appearance and in crop value, the soils west of a north and south line through Bunceton and especially those southwest of Vermont being dark-brown instead of black in color, having a somewhat shallower and more resistant subsoil, and as a whole being less able to withstand droughts. They are also not so well suited for deep rooted crops. There are also variations between the soils of areas which drain toward Moni- teau Creek and those farther north which drain into the Petite Calin-, the latter in most places being slightly deeper, darker colored. and re- sembling more closely the Marshall silt loam.

The Oswego silt loam is a corn, timothy, and pasture soil, although wheat and oats are grown on it to a considerable extent. Some farmers are using portions of it where the subsoil is not too heavy quite success- fully for clover. On the average the type yields 42 bushels of corn and 15 bushels of wheat per acre.

The Boone silt loam has not only the widest distribution, but also the greatest range in variation and crop value of any soil in the area. Typi-

303

HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

cally it consists of a yellowish-brown or grayish-brown silt loam of fairly uniform texture, with a depth of about 15 inches, at which depth it becomes slightly heavier in texture, grading into the same mottled yellow and gray silty clay subsoil found in the Oswego silt loam. This subsoil persists to a depth of three feet or more, or where thin rests upon the underlying stony material derived from the underlying rocks. This ma- terial has a granular structure much like that of the residual limestone soils, and where it occurs typically no heavy layer occurs between the soil and subsoil.

The Boone silt loam borders the Oswego silt loam, or prairie soils, on all sides, and may be considered a transitional type between the Os- wego silt loam and the lower lying residual soils. It is also always more or less mixed with both, the prairie soils being washed down and mixed with it and the underlying residual soils mixed with it through the move- ment of the soil particles down the slope, so that its boundaries are in places very indefinite. In origin it is like the Oswego silt loam, and is in reality a modified form of that soil, resulting from the removal of ma- terial from the surface. In areas where erosion has taken place the yel- lowish brown less productive soil is exposed at the surface. Boone silt loam where the black prairie soil formerly existed can be noted around the source and along the slopes of many small streams which head well back into the prairie.

At the foot of long slopes and especially along the heads of small streams the wash may accumulate, forming a deep, often dark-colored soil. Where such areas are of sufficient extent they have been mapped as alluvial soils, but where too small to be indicated on the soil map they have been included with the Boone silt loam.

Another phase of this soil is to be found along the tops of long, nar- row ridges which extend from the prairie out between the upper courses of small streams. The soil of these ridges ranges in color from an ashy gray to cream color and in texture from that of the loess to a loose flour- like silt, probably not loess, the loess areas being found in the northern part of the area covered by the type, and the whiter ridges principallly in the southern part of the county. The light soil of these ridges seems to be the result of thorough leaching, in which not only the color but also much of the fertility of the soil has been removed. In many places along the tops of the ridges a heavy brown clay layer has been developed at a depth of from 14 to 18 inches, the transition from the light silt to this layer being very abrupt. Below the brown clay occurs the mottled silty

304

HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

clay, found under the remainder of this soil. These ridges in the northern part of the area undoubtedly in many places bear a thin capping of loess and approach the loess in crop value, but those farther south are less productive.

A large part of the Boone silt loam was originally timbered by oak, post oak and bur oak being the principal growth on the ridges, which are locally called "post oak ridges" and have the heavy layer in the subsoil.

The Boone silt loam as a whole is not so productive a soil as the prairie soil on the one side nor the limestone soils on the other. It has been one of the worst used soils in the area, is deficient in organic matter. and does not hold moisture well, yet is a soil which can readily be built up and made to yield profitable crops.

The Bates silt loam is a dark-gray to grayish-brown silt loam with a yellowish tinge which becomes quite noticeable where the soil is eroded. At a depth of six to 10 inches this graduates into a yellowish-gray to yellowish-brown silt loam. The clay percentage increases downward until at 30 inches it becomes plastic and in places quite sticky. The lower 15 to 20 inches is usually mottled yellow and gray. Bands of brown to reddish-brown silt, in places faintly cemented, in others having the iron somewhat concentrated in nodules, occur rather abundantly from 24 inches downward. They lie horizontal. Layers of light ashy gray silt and silty clay occur also, showing an ashy gray color in the freshly plowed fields when it has been exposed.

This soil differs . from the Knox silt loam mainly in its more yellow color and its higher percentage of clay in the subsoil. Its color is also much less uniform than is that of the Knox. On plowed hillside fields its color varies with the erosion and the color of the particular layer out- cropping, while that of the Knox is uniform.

The timber growth is like that of the Knox, but contains a higher percentage of oaks, especially laurel, pin and post oak, and a lower per- centage of walnut and elm.

The Bates silt loam is derived from Coal Measure shales, clays, and argillaceous sandstones mixed more or less with the material of the Knox silt loam. It occurs in an east-west belt across the northern part of the county. Where the surface is flat the soil is essentially the same as the Oswego silt loam. It becomes the Boone silt loam only within the areas where the surface has been eroded. The belt of its occurrence lies along an east-west pre-Coal Measure valley which was filled with Coal Measure material during Coal Measure time. It lies deeper than the same rocks

VIEW OF PRAIRIE HOME FAIR

BLANK.

FROM OSCAR SPIELER'S PENS

305

HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

on the uplands to the north and south of it. They have disappeared from the latter areas, but still exist in this belt.

The soil of the Clarksville silt loam is a reddish or yellowish-brown silt loam having a somewhat granular structure, by which it can often be distinguished from the other silt loams of the area. Typically it ex- tends to a depth of about 15 inches, where it grades into a silty clay usually brighter, often a brick red, in color. This subsoil may persist to a depth of three feet or more, but often at a less depth rests upon the underlying bed of chert or limestone, that part of the subsoil immediately above the rocks usually being a very stiff red or yellow clay.

This soil is residual in origin, having been derived from the disinte- gration in place of beds of fossiliferous limestone, the principal formations being the Burlington and Choteau. These, especially the Burlington, con- tain much chert, the disintegration of which takes place much less rapidly than does that of the purer limestone, so that the soil is often quite shal- low, and fragments of chert are mingled with the soil and scattered over its surface. Where the soil is very shallow and the chert fragments are so thick as to interfere seriously with cultivation, the areas, if of sufficient size to be shown on the soil map, have been mapped as the Clarksville stony loam.

The Clarksville silt loam occurs along the lower slopes of all streams in the area, except those in the northern part of the area which are cov- ered by loess, the tributaries of Moniteau Creek and some of the tribu- taries of the upper Lamine. Where the crests of the ridges and hilltops carry no capping of glacial or loessial material the entire surface is cov- ered by this soil.

Originally the Clarksville silt loam was heavily timbered with black walnut, laurel oak, elm, hickory, and sassafras, and many splendid groves of black walnut are found on it at present in different parts of the area. Where of good depth, comparatively free from chert, and well handled, it is probably the best wheat soil of the area. Corn yields range from 35 to 40 bushels and wheat yields from 16 to 22 bushels per acre.

The Clarksville stony loam is agriculturally an unimportant type and consists of those areas in the Clarksville silt loam in which the percentage of rock at or near the surface is so large that they are of little or no value for farming. Some of the less stony portions might be cleared of stones and used for orchard and pasture, but in many cases the surface of the ground is almost or entirely covered with fragments of chert. In

(20)

306

HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

other places there is a surface covering of soil, but this is so thin that it can scarcely be cultivated. Areas in which limestone outcrops along the bluffs and hill slopes have been included with this soil as well as some of the stony areas found along Moniteau Creek and surrounded by Baxter silt loam.

The greater portion of the Clarksville stony loam is still timbered, usually with post and bur oak, and clumps of these trees in areas of Clarks- ville silt loam usually mark the stony areas. Many areas of this soil on account of their small size have not been separated from the silt loam.

The surface soil of the Baxter silt loam consists of a light yellowish brown silt loam which, at a depth of about 16 inches, grades into a silty granular clay. The subsoil becomes heavier in texture and redder in color to a depth of about two feet, where it is mottled in appearance, this mottling extending to a depth of three feet or more.

The Baxer silt loam, like the Clarksville silt loam, is residual in origin. It is derived from the disintegration of the less fossiliferous and, in this area, more cherty Magnesian limestone which outcrops in the southeastern and also in the southwestern part of the county. It differs but little in color or texture from the Clarksville silt loam, but on the whole is less productive. The timber growth consists principally of white, bur, and post oak, the walnut, elm, and other trees of the Clarksville soils being almost entirely wanting. Many of the ridges also have the whitish appearance of the post-oak ridges of the Boone silt loam.

This soil in places is three feet or more in depth, but is often underlain at a less depth by chert fragments or by limestone. Chert and fragments of the soft white "cotton rock" are often scattered over the surface and through the soil, making it unfit for cultivation.

The Wabash silt loam is an alluvial soil composed of material eroded from the other soils of the area, worked over by the streams, and rede- posited along their flood plains. In the northern part of the county, along the lower course of the Petite Saline and the small streams which flow into the Missouri, this soil has been derived very largely from the loess; but in other parts of the area it has come from areas occupied by the residual soils and the upland soils of glacial origin, the light-colored silt from the gray ridges being in many places quite noticeable.

Although varying considerably in color, texture. and structure the Wabash silt loam, as occurring in this area, may be described as a dark- gray or, when moist, a black, smooth-textured, friable, light silt loam, which becomes lighter in color at a depth of about 12 inches, but shows no change in texture to a depth of two feet or more. At this depth the ma-

307

HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

terial usually becomes darker and heavier, retaining these characteristics to a depth of several feet. In places, however, the subsoil is underlain by gravel, unconsolidated and residual material, or the solid rock. In many places a gray, flourlike silt covers the surface of small areas, and in others the gray layer below the surface soil is wanting, the dark, rather heavy silt loam extending from the surface to the depth of three feet or more. In still other places the surface soil is found to contain a relatively high content of very fine sand. Where the light-colored phase occurs it is, like the gray silt ridges from which it has been eroded, somewhat less pro- ductive than the darker soils. On the other hand, where the very dark, rather heavy silt loam extends through the entire soil section the type is often poorly drained and somewhat refractory under cultivation. Much of the Wabash silt loam is subject to annual or occasional overflow, and while this adds to the richness of the soil through the deposition of silt, especially when the material comes from the loess or the residual soils, these periods of high water usually occur at times when they do consid- erable damage to crops.

Where second bottoms occur they are in most cases above the reach of flood water. The soils are also comparatively uniform in texture, well drained, and among the most productive of the area. Along the steep slope which usually separates the lower bottom from these second bot- toms there is often exposed a narrow strip of red residual soil.

As a whole, the Wabash silt loam, although lacking uniformity, is among the best soils of the county. It is especially well adapted to alfalfa, owing in part to the position of ground water, which is near enough the surface for this deep-rooted plant to reach. Corn yields an average of 45 bushels and wheat between 14 and 20 bushels per acre.

The Wabash clay is an unimportant type in this area, only a few small bodies of it having been mapped, although many others too small to be shown on the soil map occur in the lower poorly drained portions of the Wabash silt loam. It is a heavy, sticky black clay, which dries and cracks at the surface, the soil breaking into small, irregular cubelike frag- ments. At a depth of about 16 inches this black soil grades into a stiff, waxy clay, somewhat lighter in color, which extends to a depth of three feet or more. The type is of alluvial origin, being the result of deposition of the finer soil particles from very quiet water. Its formation has also in most places been influenced by conditions of very poor drainage.

The largest area of this soil found in the county occurs along the Lamine River near its mouth, but other small areas are found farther up the Lamine Valley and along Blackwater and Petite Saline, much of that

308

HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

near the town of Blackwater being somewhat lighter and better suited for farming than the typical Wabash clay. This soil is commonly known as gumbo, and is cultivated with considerable difficulty, unless handled when in just the proper condition. When so handled it produces good crops of wheat and grass and is used to some extent for corn. It can, however, be greatly improved by thorough drainage and by cultivation. The yields of wheat and corn are somewhat lower than on the type just described.

The Sarpy silty clay is a yellowish dark brown to almost black silty clay, underlain at a depth of about 14 inches by a very fine sandy loam, light in color and extending to a depth of three feet or more. In places thin layers of silt or silty clay are encountered in the subsoil, and in other places the heavy surface soil extends to a depth of three feet or more, the subsoil being lighter in color than the surface material, but very plastic and puttylike. The light-textured subsoil, however, seems to pre- vail over the greater part of the type.

Only a small area of Sarpy silty clay occurs in Cooper County, this being near Wooldridge.

This soil is heavy and cracks and breaks into cubes when dry. It is therefore somewhat difficult to handle, but is a rich, productive soil and well suited to the principal crops of the area, which yield about as well as on the Wabash soils.

The Sarpy silt loam, like the Sarpy silty clay, is of alluvial origin, has a level surface, and is subject to occasional overflow. It consists of a yellowish-brown rather heavy silty soil, though lighter both in color and texture than the silty clay, which extends to a depth of about 16 inches, where it is underlain by a lighter-colored fine sandy loam similar to the materials found under the silty clay. In places, hoewver, the heavy sur- face soil extends to the depth of three feet or more. This soil is easily cultivated and very productive. It occurs in only one area located near Wooldridge.

The Sarpy fine sandy loam consists of a rather silty fine sandy loam with a depth of about 12 inches, resting on a fine sand. It is an unim- portant type in this area, a few small areas only having been outlined along the Missouri River. The principal cultivated area is on Terrapin Island.

CHAPTER XIX.

THE PRESS

FIRST NEWSPAPER-SECOND NEWSPAPER-"THE COON HUNTER"-OTHER PIO- NEER PAPERS-BOONVILLE ADVERTISER FOUNDED-BOONVILLE EAGLE- CENTRAL MISSOURIAN-TOPIC-WESTERN CHRISTIAN UNION-PILOT GROVE BEE-SHAVE TAIL COURIER-BLACKWATER NEWS-OTTERVILLE MAIL- CENTRAL MISSOURI REPUBLICAN-BUNCETON EAGLE.

The first newspaper in Cooper County was established at Boonville about the year 1834, and was called the "Boonville Herald." It was owned by James O. Middleton, and edited by Benjamin E. Ferry, who was after- wards county clerk of Cooper County. In the year 1838, Robert Brent bought one-half interest in the paper from James Middleton, and on the 8th of April, in that year, they changed the name of the paper to that of "The Western Emigrant." March 7, 1839, C. W. Todd purchased Brent's interest in the paper, and the paper was edited about one year by Messrs. Middleton and Todd. April 30, 1840, C. W. Todd purchased Middlton's interest in the paper, and changed the name to that of the "Boonville Observer." C. W. Todd continued as sole proprietor of the paper until Feb. 3, 1842, when he sold one-half interest in it to T. J. Boggs. March 29, 1843, F. M. Caldwell and J. S. Collins purchased the paper from Todd & Boggs. They continued to edit it in partnership only until June 7, 1843, when F. M. Caldwell purchased the interest of Collins, and became sole proprietor. Caldwell soon sold one-half interest in the paper to Allen Hammond, and it was edited under the firm name of Caldwell & Hammond until June 9, 1846, when. Caldwell sold out his interest to Allen Ham- mond. Hammond continued to edit it alone until Nov. 7, 1850, when F. M. Caldwell returned from Virginia, and again purchased a half interest in the paper. They continued to edit it in partnership for several years,

310

HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

when they sold the paper to Augustus W. Simpson, who remained pub- lisher of it until it ceased publication in 1861, on account of the excitement incident to the war. In politics the paper was Whig until the year 185.4, when the Whig party ceased to exist. It then became Democratic, and remained so until it ceased publication.

The next newspaper established was the "Missouri Register," pub- lished by William T. Yoeman. The first number of it appeared in July, 1839. It was the first Democratic paper published in western Missouri, and was established mainly to aid in the campaign of 1840. On April 22, 1841, Yoeman sold one-half interest in the paper to Edgar A. Robinson, and the paper continued to be published by Yoeman and Robinson until Aug. 9, 1843, when Ira Van Nortwick purchased it from them. It was afterwards successively owned by Quisenberry, Price, Ward & Chilton, the last named of whom continued to publish it until the great temperance excitement broke out in 1853. The paper had previous to this time been taken up almost exclusively by political discussions, but it was then pur- chased by a man named Benjamin F. Buie, who filled its columns exclu- sively with discussions in regard to the great question of temperance, which was then agitating the public mind. Buie soon sold out the paper to Allen Hammond, and soon after this the paper ceased publication for want of patronage.

During the heat of the campaign of 1840, the editors of the "Missouri Register," Messrs. Ward & Chilton, started a weekly campaign sheet, which advocated the claims of Van Buren for President. As soon as the campaign was over, and Van Buren defeated, the paper ceased publication. The name of this paper was the "Boonville Argus."

"The Coon Hunter" was published by Ward & Shelton, in 1840. The next paper was the "Democratic Union," established in the fall of 1844. and run by Blair and Chilton. Following this in succession in 1847, was a Whig paper, called the "Boonville Bulletin," published by Caldwell & Hammond. On Dec. 31, 1850, Messrs. Caldwell and Hammond, proprie- tors of the "Boonville Observer," commenced the publication of a sheet, called the "Tri-Weekly Observer," which was printed three times a week. It was continued unutil March 8, 1851. "The Iris," a college magazine, was published in 1851. In 1852, the "Central Missourian" was started, but was soon discontinued. It was succeeded by the "Boonville Missour- ian," in 1853, which occupied the same office. The paper was edited by A. C. Speer, who was a strong advocate of Whig principles, and also a staunch friend of the temperance cause. "The Ladies' Garland" was

311

HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

started in 1856. The next paper was the "Boonville Patriot," which was established by a man named John Gill, in the year 1856. It was after- wards sold to F. M. Caldwell, who continued to publish it until the year 1861, when the materials, presses, etc., belonging to the office were seized by General Worthington, in command of some Federal forces at Jefferson City, and taken by him to the latter place. Soon afterwards, Lewis H. Stahl went to Jefferson City, and with the assistance of some of the most influential Federals, succeeded in getting possession of the material be- longing to the office, which General Worthington had seized, and brought them back to Boonville. Immediately upon his return, Messrs. Caldwell and Stahl commenced the publication of the "Boonville Advertiser," the first number of which appeared June 15, 1862. After publishing it for some time, they sold out to Messrs. Drury and Selby, who published the paper for a year or two, when F. M. Caldwell & Company again got pos- session of it, and continued proprietors of it until April, 1878. The edi- tors of this paper, during this period, have been J. G. Pangborn, H. A. Hutchinson, George W. Frame, Charles E. Hasbrook, Judge Benjamin Tompkins and S. W. Ravenel.

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

History of Cooper County, Missouri, Part 28

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