USA > Missouri > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, Missouri > Part 16
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W. P. Robinson, 1879-1890.
C. T. Bridges, 1916-
County Treasurers.
Henry Fuller, 1845. David Buck, 1845-1848.
C. M. Scott, 1856.
M. P. Wills, 1856-1860. B. T. Whedbee, 1860-1862.
J. S. Allen, 1848.
W. J. Nally, 1890-1898.
C. A. Tull, 1899-1901.
J. M. Kinkade, 1902-1906.
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James Price, 1862-1866.
Veazey Price, 1866-1868.
G. W. Myers, 1868-1872. Ezra T. Baldwin, 1872.
Alfred N. Cave, 1876-1880.
Simon P. King, 1880-1884. O. C. Macey, 1884-1888. A. M. Morgan, 1888-1892.
W. L. Hoffman, 1892-1896.
J. P. Selby, 1896-1900.
A. N. Cave, 1900-1904. W. W. Myers, 1904-1908. J. H. Carpenter, 1908-1912. 1912-1916.
Joe McClure, 1916.
Sheriffs.
John W. Brown, 1845-1846. Henry Fuller, 1846-1848.
W. R. Allen, 1848-1852.
M. K. Howell, 1852-1856.
J. P. Devers, 1856-1860. Thomas Monson, 1860-1862.
T. J. Barker, 1878-1882.
M. S. Gillidett, 1882-1886.
W. H. H. Gillespie, 1886-1890.
J. M. Nevill, 1890-1894.
J. A. Walker, 1894-1898.
J. W. Severe, 1898-1902. A. H. Flint, 1902-1906.
W. H. Hillman, 1862-1866.
W. R. Simms, 1866-1870. J. C. Baker, 1870-1872. George S. Graham, 1872-1876.
J. B. Manifold, 1906-1912.
A. C. Flint, 1912-1916.
R. B. Tedlock, 1916-1920.
T. J. Garrison, 1876-1878. Fred Tucker, 1920-
Prosecuting Attorneys.
From the organization of the county in 1845 until 1872 the Circuit At- torney prosecuted the cases for the state. According to the record, D. S. Alvord was the first Prosecuting Attorney elected in Harrison County.
D. S. Alvord, 1872-1876. T. D. Neal, 1876-1881. J. H. Phillebaum, 1881-1882. J. C. Wilson, 1882-1884. Oscar Butler, 1884-1886. W. H. Skinner, 1886-1888. George W. Barlow, 1888-1892. S. C. Price, 1892-1894. E. H. Frisby, 1894-1898.
Warren D. Walton, 1898-1902. S. P. Davisson, 1902-1906. W. H. Leazenby, 1906-1908. S. P. Davisson, 1908-1910. Forest D. Lawhead, 1910-1912. Garland Wilson, 1912-1914. Gilbert Barlow, 1914-1918. F. M. Frisby, 1918-1920. Charles A. Miller, 1920-
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HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
Judges of the County Court.
Samuel Edmiston, Aseph M. Butler and Lewis Charlton were elected at the organization of the county and served until November, 1846.
Second board composed of Thomas Dunkerson, S. C. Allen and Elkanah Glover was elected in 1846.
John W. Casebolt, Thomas M. Geer and E. L. Ellis elected in November, 1850.
In 1854 Thomas M. Geer, J. M. Edmiston and J. H. Piburn.
In 1856 J. M. Edmiston, J. M. Nevill and E. L. Ellis.
In 1858 J. E. Roberts, A. W. Allen and E. L. Ellis.
In 1860 J. W. Brown, A. W. Allen and E. L. Ellis.
In 1862 E. L. Ellis, A. W. Allen and J. A. Brown.
In 1863 E. L. Ellis, U. R. Allen and William Canaday.
In 1865 S. S. Vandivert, A. Carpenter, William Canaday.
In 1866 A. Carpenter, W. C. Chapman, J. C. Frisby, William Officer.
In 1869 A. Carpenter, J. C. Frisby, W. C. Chapman.
Since 1869 various changes have taken place in the County Court and it is almost impossible to name the officers in the order of their suc- cession. The following is as nearly correct as could be learned :
A. Carpenter, W. C. Chapman, D. D. Boyce, William Chandler, J. F. Bryant, Milton Burris, F. R. Guigley, J. B. Brower, J. R. Bailey, W. L. Ma- gee, George Burris, G. W. Young, J. A. Gutridge, G. B. Jeffries, J. W. Moore, George Reid, Arthur Graham, J. H. Baker, Albert Reeves, Jerry Hefner, B. H. Parnell, J. A. Delong, J. F. Selby, Samuel Seymour, John Barber, David Goucher, I. M. Curry, J. C. Howe, W. H. Springer, C. C. Miller, O. F. Weed, D. B. Alley, J. M. Kelley, U. G. Tucker, J. B. Bryant, Wesley Bowman, Olin Kies, J. W. Maple, W. C. Baldwin, John Ballard.
CHAPTER XXX
REMINISCENCES.
MRS. EMALINE ALLEN TEMPLEMAN-TRIP TO HARRISON COUNTY IN 1841-EX- PERIENCES EN ROUTE-SEVERAL FAMILIES IN CARAVAN-HARRISON COUNTY FINALLY REACHED-WELCOMED BY FRIENDS-LAND SECURED- THE CABIN-PRAIRIE WOLVES-EARLY SCHOOLS-HOSPITALITY-FIRST COUNTY COURT-FIRST CHURCH ORGANIZED-A PET FAWN-PRAIRIE FIRE -POSTOFFICE-SPINNING WHEEL-DRAM SHOP-INDIANS-CIVIL WAR- MARRIAGE.
Among the reminiscences of pioneer citizens is found the following published by the Elizabeth Harrison Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution, Bethany, Missouri :
Emaline Allen Templeman was born March 22, 1837, near Blooming- ton, Illinois, where her parents made their home for a few years in Wood- ward County. She was the daughter of John Seehorn Allen, of Overton County, Tennessee, and his wife, Nancy Childress Allen, of Adair County, Kentucky. Her father was a young farmer of strong mind and high ambitions and hearing of the great opportunities offered for advancement in the West, he decided to seek his fortune in Missouri.
He joined an overland caravan and with his wife and the little five- year-old Emaline journeyed to the new and distant land in the year 1841. Mrs. Templeman distinctly rembers the long eventful journey west, and often relates many incidents to both children and grandchildren. How they were often taken for Mormons and the farmers along the way would sell them no corn for the long train of horses and cattle. How they crossed the Mississippi River at Quincy, Illinois, on a ferry boat and most of the cattle jumped overboard. How the cattle wandered far away one night and while the men hunted for them the next morning, the women washed the clothes of the sturdy emigrants and took occasion to gather a mess of greens for dinner. How they had a mock trial of Levi Reeves, who stole a horse and buggy one night from camp and hid it in the brush
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not far away. The next morning a court was organized, officers elected and the young man was prosecuted. The joke was carried out with all the formalities of a real court and many of the men made their first public speeches. That bit of burlesque was the first preparation some of the men had for the public duties they would have thrust upon them in their future home. Most of those men afterward held county offices and served their county in many ways and all proved worthy of the trust reposed in them.
Several families composed the emigrant train. John S. Allen and family of four; Thomas Tucker and family of seven; Robinson Allen and family of three; John W. Brown and family of seven; Ephraim Stewart and family of three; Thomas Brown and family of five; Colonel Lawson Jennings and wife; Mrs. Fleenor and son; Levi Reeves and Willis Allen. There were over 100 head of cattle and some fine horses in the train, which were driven by the young men and women of the party, who were sometimes on foot and sometimes on horseback.
The long emigrant train of many wagons moved slowly but steadily westward until it reached that territory of Daviess County which is now Harrison County, where they met friends who had preceded them in the fall of 1840.
After four weeks of tedious travel, the weary wanderers reached their longed for goal and were gladly welcomed by old friends. John Poynter, grandfather of our fellow townsman, Dee Poynter, and Beverley Travis, father of our good citizen, McGinnis Travis, gladly extended hospitality to the travelers and welcomed them to their cabins until they were able to provide homes of their own. The good housewives of these old pioneers had green vegetables in their gardens and provided a feast of green beans, new potatoes, bacon and corn bread the day of their arrival. No banquet served a king was ever more gladly and liberally partaken of than was that dinner served for those who had traveled and camped a long weary month.
Mrs. Templeman's father was fortunate in securing a tract of land from Hiram Tinney a few days after his locating. This land was situated about one and one-half miles southeast of where Bethany now stands and is owned by William T. Buck. There was a small one-room cabin on the claim with clap-board roof, dirt-floor and wooden windows, which sheltered the family for a time. Some of the land was in cultivation; there was a field
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of five acres of growing corn. It was a wild, lonely home, typical of pioneer life, but soon made cozy and comfortable by the fastidious mother.
Many nights the prairie wolves howled around the little cabin, making it dismal and sad for the settlers. The cry of the wolf so much ressembled the human voice that they often thought it a woman calling for assistance. The chickens, lambs and geese had to be carefully locked in safety every night and often a burning brand from the fire was waved in the air to scare the wolves back to the timber.
The next year, in 1842, her father built a new house of hewed logs consisting of two rooms with large hall between. It had a nice door, a real glass window and board floor, of which the family was justly proud,
Mrs. Templeman lived on that farm about twelve years when her parents moved to Bethany and located on the exact spot where she now resides. In the meantime she attended school taught by John W. Brown, in a cabin situated about four miles northeast of Bethany, boarding with Willis Allen and wife. About 1845, Mr. Clark began a school in a cabin that stood on the north bank of Buck's branch, near the present residence of George Dodd. He only stayed in the west three weeks so Mrs. Templeman's father finished the school, as it was too late to obtain another teacher. Then school was held in the new frame county court building which stood where M. Cornelius' grocery is today and Villa Ann Covington and Miss Catherine Feurt were the teachers.
The citizens decided that the population had increased sufficiently to demand a school building; so a log house was erected in what is now the east part of Bethany, to be used for school and church purposes. A good citizen, David Buck, donated the ground, which was to be used as a cemetery. Among the teachers in that building were Allston Allen, Judge William Lewis, Judge Edward Ellis, Frank Goodpasture and others.
The early history of Harrison County was forming and her father was prominent in all public affairs. Her home was one of the social centers of the country, always open to strangers and hospitality generously ex- tended to all. Judges, lawyers and ministers as well as lonely travelers and weary passersby, were all alike welcomed.
The first County Court was held under a big tree on the bank of Big Creek at Harris' Mill. The old mill around which many historical events clustered was located on land now owned by Frank Slaughter (for many years known as the Copeland farm). The first protracted meeting was
(13)
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held in the same grove at the old mill, conducted by Elders Flint, Allen and Inyard. Her father, Elder Allen, organized the first church in Harrison County, of which she was a charter member.
One day as Mr. Oram was coming from his farm down south, he captured a beautiful young fawn. He offered to sell it for fifty cents and Mrs. Allen bought it for the children's pet. They tied a bell around its neck and it was very gentle and domestic and they loved it dearly. It was their constant companion and dearest possession for many months, but it finally grew up and had to be killed as they could not build a fence high enough to confine it.
Mrs. Templeman often relates the incidents of a prairie fire that al- most had a tragic ending. One dry October day in 1846 her parents smelled the prairie burning. The mother was in bed with an infant by her side and the father was near death's door with typhoid fever. On looking out they saw the fire coming from the south in a great rush accompanied by a high wind and leaving destruction in its wake. Terror seized the hearts of the parents as they realized their perilous condition. Two men were visible on a high ridge to the north trying to fire against the onrushing flames. The lives of the family depended on the heroic efforts of the little Ema- line and though so small and inexperienced, she ran for her life to the near- by men and gave the alarm. In an incredibly short time help was nigh ; the flames were fired against the burning prairie and the dear ones saved by the fraction of an hour. The fields were blackened and the fences charred, but there was great rejoicing in the little home that day. John W. Brown and Dr. Oatman were the heroes of the hour and when they entered the house fatigued and black with smoke, they found Mr. Allen in a severe collapse from the excitement and danger.
The nearest postoffice was at Cravensville, Daviess County, and one man would go for the mail and bring it for the whole community. 'Twas a great advancement in the history of the settlement when a postoffice was established in 1845. David Buck was the genial postmaster and mail was received once a week.
The principal trading point was at Liberty, eighty miles away, and it was an exciting event when the settlers started to market, or when they returned with the necessaries they could not make or raise for themselves.
The spinning wheel, loom and dye-pot 'were found in every home as most every pioneer woman spun wool, cotton and flax, dyed her own thread
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HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
and wove her own cloth. When about ten years old, Emaline learned to spin wool and in two years could spin four hanks of yarn a day. When sixteen she could weave three yards of cloth a day in stripe or plaid effect, and help do all the family sewing by hand.
In those early days there was a dram shop in Bethany, said to be the only saloon ever in the town. It was conducted by George Young, who thought he had found a quick road to wealth. Dr. Temmis, a young physi- cian from the East, had located in the community to practice his profes- sion. One night he visited the saloon and he and the proprietor got into a dispute which terminated in a fight and the death of the young doctor. When Young realized what he had done he left for parts unknown and the tragedy caused great excitement in the village. The doctor's young wife was prostrated by the news and after her husband's funeral she re- turned to her relatives in the East.
When about nine years of age Mrs. Templeman saw a wonderful sight which left a lasting impression on her mind. The United States govern- ment sent some soldiers to move the Pottawatomie Indians to a western reservation. Five hundred of these passed her father's farm in a body and nine of the men stopped at her home; one of them lingered longer than the others and asked for something to eat. Her mother gave him a large loaf of sweet corn bread and as he thrust it under his blanket he said: "For papoose, for little papoose." That after 200 more Indians passed on their journey to the same reservation, presumably from Fort Des Moines.
During war times many tragedies were brought to her knowledge, chief among them being the death of a cousin, Robinson Allen, a grand, good man, who immigrated to this state with her parents. He was burned to death in his residence. His home was supposed to have been set on fire by unknown persons and in trying to save his family and his money he lost his life. In the still and lonely hours of the night the cries and screams of his family were heard floating over the hills and valleys of the town and every citizen hastened to the scene of the disaster. His body was re- covered the next day when the whole populace turned out to mourn and sympathize with his sorrowing family.
In 1855 Emaline Allen married W. A. Templeman, a Virginian, who located in Bethany in 1854. He and his father were in the mercantile business for many years. The wedding was at the home of her parents, John S. Allen and wife, at the place where Mrs. Templeman now resides.
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Three of her daughters were married in the same room and stood in the same spot when the ceremony was performed. The bride wore a beauti- ful white Swiss dress, hand-made, every stitch of her own making. Judge William Lewis performed the ceremony and a wedding supper was served by the mother of the bride. Mrs. C. J. Blackburn was mistress of cere- monies and wrote the invitations in her beautiful, well-remembered hand. The guests were T. H. Templeman, wife and daughter, Dee; Judge Lewis, wife and daughter, Clara; Joseph Collier and wife, John W. Brooks, wife and daughters, Mary, Jane, Frances and Nancy ; Dr. C. J. Blackburn, wife and daughters, Belle and Kate; the brothers and sisters of the bride and William Collier of Trenton, Missouri.
Mrs. Templeman has six children living, all near her except one son, John, of Austin, Texas, and two daughters have preceded her to the better land. She has eight grand children and one great grandson, Temple Allen.
Her home has always been in Bethany and she loves every foot of ground in the vicinity and never wanted to leave it. She watched the town grow from a wooded brushy spot to a modern little city with electric lights, waterworks, paved streets, beautiful churches and splendid schools.
CHAPTER XXXI
REMINISCENCES-CONTINUED.
JOHN R. MAIZE-ENTERED LAND-NEIGHBORS IN THE '40s-SPLITTING RAILS AND HARVESTING-HOUSE RAISING-TAXES-MARKET PRICES-MARRIED IN 1849-FIRST SCHOOL HOUSE-HARVE TAYLOR-FIRST COURT-GRIST MILLS- FIRST CHURCH-FIRST CEMETERY-A NEW HOUSE.
The following reminiscence by John R. Maize, a highly respected and honored citizen of Cypress Township is hereby given as illustrative of the early settler and the life of such.
"I was born in Jackson County, Alabama, in 1821; emigrated to Ken- tucky when I was six years of age; afterwards moved to Indiana where my father died, then to Illinois where my mother died. I came to Missouri in 1840 with Aseph Butler.
"I entered the land on which I now live. I agreed to work for Aseph Butler for four years if he would enter my eighty acres for me where I raised my cabin, the land being worth $1.25 per acre. You can see what iny four years of work amounted to. When Mr. Butler went to Plattsburg to enter land, the land agent refused to allow him to enter my land because I had been living on it. I had to make the trip myself, which I did, entering my eighty and another forty which I afterwards deeded to Asep Butler. My land patent bears the name of Millard Fillmore. Nine years was the length of my services to Asep Butler.
"Our nearest neighbors in the early forties were John Music, who entered the George Joyce farm, Evan Low, who entered the W. O. Dunham farm and John Fields, who entered the Mary Allen farm. Jo Hunt, Ed Hunt and Little Jo Hunt had already settled near the Hatten ford and ran a mill when we came here.
"If I do say it myself, I sure could work in those days. I would make 200 ten foot rails in one day and I got fifty cents per hundred. I could cradle eight acres of oats in a day. Mr. Butler made the cradles with
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HISTORY OF HARRISON COUNTY
which we cut the wheat and oats. There was a contest between the 'turkey wing' and the 'grape-vine' cradles. On one occasion Vic Corbin came over to show us how to cradle wheat. About four o'clock Vic gave out, but 1 worked on till quitting time.
"Everybody for miles around always went when there was a house raising. They always put me on a corner. I have gone six or eight miles many a time to a house raising. I helped raise Sanford Tilley's house and it took two days to raise it for Sanford was mighty particular.
"There was a still down the creek near a spring on the Ed Aten farm. The still was run by Elkanah Glover. I helped raise the building for the still. At elections whisky was carried in buckets.
"The sheriff was the tax collector in those days. He called on me to pay my tax which was $1.50. I didn't have a cent in the world and didn't know when I would have. But the sheriff made out my receipt and gave it to me and told me to pay if I ever had anything to pay with. The tax collector is not so easy nowadays.
"I remember when prices were what we called 'mighty pore.' There was no market to sell produce and it cost so much to haul merchandise from Liberty and other river towns that we did without everything except bare necessities. People used to go to Robidoux's landing for goods-now they go to St. Joseph. I once took eggs to Little Hubbard's store in Adams Township. Little Hubbard told me he would give me two cents a dozen for what I had but not bring anymore. Chickens could not be sold at all. The same year I bought a barrel of salt of Fred Westpheling, who kept a store south of the Hubbard farm. I paid $9.00 for that barrel of salt. The salt came up the Missouri River on a steamboat to Liberty, then was hauled out by ox team to this county. This made freight charges very high.
"One summer I hauled salt from Robidoux's Landing to Elk Creek, Iowa, and was paid in corn at twenty-five cents per bushel. Once on my way through Eagleville I sold a sack of salt to Mr. Young, the merchant there. "This is the cheapest salt you will ever have brought to your door,' I prophesied. 'I'll take it,' said he, convinced. But I proved a false prohet.
"I once traded a yoke of three-year-old oxen, well-broken, for a Seth Thomas clock, second hand. It was a good clock. Little Hubbard was the clock peddler in those days. Ed Low, Asep Butler and John Music bought clocks for $40 to be in wheat which was to be hauled to Liberty. When the time came for payment they did not have the wheat and had to
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pay the money. Once I sold a cow to Sam Vandivert for $8.00. While I was living at Asep Butler's I had two pigs that I had fattened. I had raised the corn myself, but when the pigs were fat I did not know what to do with them. I had no use for them and nobody else seemed to need them. Finally Ed Low and John Music agreed to help me butcher and they would take a hog apiece and give me $1.50 per hundred.
"In June, 1849, I married Rachel Flint, a sister of Larkin and Thomas Flint. When we married my wife had a feather bed and I had one horse. It took sick and died the next spring. Many times I did without things that we needed but we never went in debt. We have traded a good many years in Bethany but I have never owned a Bethany merchant five dollars in my life. We never got anything till we could pay for it.
"The first school house in our part of the country stood less than fifty yards from the present Maize school house. Ed Low, Asep Butler, John Arnold and I cut the logs, rived the clapboards for the roof and puncheons for the floor. There was a huge fire place and greased paper windows. Hugh Ross, from Ohio, was the first teacher. He afterward went to Mar- tinsville and married a lady named Carter. Mr. Ross was paid by sub- scription by the settlers. The big spring near the school house is still there but all the white oak timber was cut off some years ago for railroad ties.
"East of the school house, by the gate that goes into my pasture, there stood a big tree Harve Taylor, one of a gang of systematic horse thieves was tied to that tree and whipped until he fainted, for horse steal- ing. When released he was told to leave the country or they would kill him. He left, but came back later. The settlers caught him near Harris' Mill and whipped him again. He left the country and settled near Rich- mond, Missouri, bought a farm and raised a respectable family. The lint- ing made a man of him as he afterwards said.
"The meeting of the first court was held under a big elm tree at Harris' Mill on the west side of Big Creek near the ford in 1845. I was there. It took all the residents in 1845 to make a crowd and then it wasn't a very large one. I helped clear off the brush from the court house square in Bethany. I was there when the first lots were sold and remember that Harve Young bought one lot.
"We had most of our corn ground at Harris' Mill. . No difference when I came to this mill, I never had to wait for my grist. Sometimes when the creek was low or frozen, we had to go over to Pole Cat Creek where
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Birdine Taylor had a mill. We drove oxen and had to hitch them to the sweep and grind out the grist.
"I have never been a hunter or a fisherman. I have lived on the bank of the creek most of my life, but no man ever caught me on the creek bank fishing, and I had rather split rails any day than go hunting.
"The first church organized that I know anything about was the Christian Church at Bethany. The next was Baptist, two and one-half miles from my house, under the leadership of Absolom Hardin. He also preached at Hickory Creek. He could preach like everything. The meet- ing was held at the log houses, and in fine weather in the woods. Almost everybody went to meeting whenever a preacher came along. There were so few places to go. I think their going to meeting was more for sociability than for religion.
"The first graveyard I know of was the Hatton Graveyard, near Hank Joyce's farm. Ed Low's oldest boy, Alvin Low, bought corn from Mort Lantis, who hauled it and put it in the trought just as the cattle would eat it, for twelve and a half cents per bushel.
"After we had lived in the log house a long time we decided to have a frame house like some of the neighbors. I hauled the lumber from Saint Joseph. When I had the frame up I was overcome with fear. It looked dreadfully big to me. John Music stopped one day when I was at work. "I don't believe I can finish it," says I. "Go ahead," says Music, "and I'll help you pay out if you need the money." The frame house was finally finished and my old log smokehouse still stands. John Music was sure my friend if ever anyone was.
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