USA > Missouri > Howard County > History of Howard and Chariton Counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most official authentic and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri > Part 13
USA > Missouri > Chariton County > History of Howard and Chariton Counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most official authentic and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri > Part 13
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54
It is sometimes remarked that there were no places for public en- tertainment till later years. The fact is, there were many such places ; in fact, every cabin was a place of entertainment, and these hotels were sometimes crowded to their utmost capacity. On such occasions, when bedtime came, the first family would take the back part of the cabin, and so continue filling up by families until the limit was reached. The young men slept in the wagon outside. In the morn- ing, those nearest the door arose first and went outside to dress. Meals were served on the end of a wagon, and consisted of corn bread, buttermilk and fat pork, and occasionally coffee, to take away the morning chill. On Sundays, for a change, they had bread made of wheat " tramped ont " on the ground by horses, cleaned with a sheet and pounded by hand. This was the best, the most fastidious they could obtain, and this only one day in seven. Not a moment of time was lost. It was necessary that they should raise enough sod corn to take them through the coming winter, and also get as much breaking done as possible. They brought with them enough corn to give the horses an occasional feed, in order to keep them able for hard work, but in the main they had to live on prairie grass. The cattle got nothing else than grass.
AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENTS.
An interesting comparison might be drawn between the conven- iences which now make the life of a farmer a comparatively easy one, and the alnost total lack of such conveniences in early days. A brief
135
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
description of the accommodations possessed by the tillers of the soil will now be given.
Let the children of such illustrious sires draw their own compar- isons, and may the results of these comparisons silence the voice of complaint which so often is heard in the land.
The only plows they had at first were what they styled " bull plows. " The mould-boards were generally of wood, but in some cases they were half wood and half iron. The man who had one of the latter description was looked upon as something of an aristocrat. But these old " bull plows" did good service, and they must be awarded the honor of first stirring the soil of Howard county, as well as that of all the oldest counties of this state.
The amount of money which some farmers annually invest in agricultural implements would have kept the pioneer farmer in farm- ing utensils during a whole lifetime. The pioneer farmer invested little money in such things, because he had little money to spare, and then again because the expensive machinery now used would not have heen at all adapted to the requirements of pioneer farming. The " bull plow " was probably better adapted to the fields abounding in stumps and roots than would the modern sulky plow have been, and the old-fashioned wheat cradle did better execution than would a modern harvester under like circumstances. The prairies were seldom settled till after the pioneer period, and that portion of the country which was the hardest to put under cultivation, and the most difficult to eultivate after it was improved, first was cultivated ; it was well for the country that such was the case, for the present generation, famil- iarized as it is with farming machinery of such complicated pattern, would scarcely undertake the clearing off of dense forests and culti- vating the ground with the kind of implements their fathers used, and which they would have to use for some kinds of work.
MILLS AND TRADING POINTS.
Notwithstanding the fact that some of the early settlers were en- ergetie millwrights, who employed all their energy, and what means they possessed, in erecting mills at a few of the many favorite mill- sites which abound in the county ; yet going to mill in those day-, when there were no roads, no bridges, no ferry boats, and searcely any conveniences for travelling, was no small task, where so many riv- ers and treacherous streams were to be crossed, and such a trip was often attended with great danger to the traveller when these streams
136
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
were swollen beyond their banks. But even under these circumstances. some of the more adventurous and ingenious ones, in case of emergency, found the ways and means by which to cross the swollen streamis, and succeed in making the trip. At other times again, all attempts failed them, and they were compelled to remain at home un- til the waters subsided, and depend on the generosity of their fortun- ate neighbors.
Some stories are related with regard to the danger, perils and hardships of forced travels to mills, and for provisions, which remind one of forced marches in military campaigns, and when we hear of the heroic and daring conduct of the hardy pioneers in procuring bread for their loved ones, we think that here were heroes more val- iant than any of the renowned soldiers of ancient or modern times.
During the first two years, and perhaps not until some time af- terward, there was not a publie highway established and worked on which they could travel ; and as the settlers were generally far apart. and mills and trading points were at great distances, going from place to place was not only very tedious, but attended sometimes with great danger. Not a railroad had yet entered the state, and there was scarcely a thought in the minds of the people here of such a thing ever reaching the wild west ; and, if thought of, people had no con- ception of what a revolution a railroad and telegraph line through the county would cause in its progress. Then there was no railroad in the United States ; not a mile of track on the continent, while now there are over 100,000 miles of railroad extending their trunks and branches in every direction over our land.
Supplies in those days were obtained at St. Charles and St. Louis. Mail was carried by horses and wagon transportation, and telegraph dispatches were transmitted by the memory and lips of emigrants coming in, or strangers passing through.
The first mills were built in the forts. These were small affairs. The first grist and saw mill combined was erected at Old Franklin, in 1819, by Shadrack Barnes, and the buhrs were set on the saw-frame. At first the mill only ground corn which had to be sifted after it wa- ground, as there were no bolts in the mill. There was only one run of buhrs which, as well as the mill irons, were brought from St. Louis. They were shipped up the Missouri river. The mill cost about $50. The mill had no gearing, the buhrs being located over the wheel, and running with the same velocity as the wheel. It was a frame mill. one story high, and had a capacity of fifty bushels a day. People came from far and near, attracted by the reports of the completion of the
-
137
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
mill, with their grists, so that, for days before it was ready for work, the river bottom was dotted over with hungry and patient men, wait- ing until it was ready to do their work, so that they might return with their meal and four to supply their families and those of their neighbors, thus enduring the hardships of camp life in those early days in order that they might be able to secure the simple necessaries of life, devoid of all luxuries.
HUNTING AND TRAPPING.
The sports and means of recreation were not so numerous and varied among the early settlers as at present, but they were more enjoyable and invigorating than now.
Hunters now-a-days would be only too glad to be able to find and enjoy their favorable opportunity for hunting and fishing, and even travel many miles, counting it rare pleasure to spend a few weeks on the water courses and wild prairies, in hunt and chase and fishing frolies. There were a good many excellent hunters here at an early day, who enjoyed the sport as well as any can at the present time.
Wild animals of almost every species known in the wilds of the west were found in great abundance. The prairies, and woods, and streams, and various bodies of water, were all thickly inhabited be- fore the white man came and for some time afterward. Although the Indians slew many of them, yet the natural law prevailed here as well as elsewhere - " wild man and wild beast thrive together."
Serpents were to be found in such large numbers, and of such immense size that some stories told by the early settlers would be incredible were it not for the large array of concurrent testimony, which is to be had from the most authentic sources. Deer, turkeys, dueks, geese, squirrels, and various other kinds of choice game were plentiful and to be had at the expense of killing only. The fur animals were abundant ; such as the otter, beaver, mink, muskrat. raccoon, panther, fox, wolf, wild-cat and bear.
An old resident of the county told us, that in 1809, while he was travelling a distance of six miles, he saw as many as seventy-three deer, in herds of from six to ten.
HUNTING BEE TREES.
Another source of profitable recreation among the old settlers was that of hunting bees. The forests along the water courses were es- pecially prolific of bee trees. They were found in great numbers on
138
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
the Missouri river, and in fact, on all the important stream, in the county. Many of the early settlers, during the late summer, woukd go into camp for days at a time, for the purpose of hunting and securing the honey of the wild bees, which was not only extremely rich, and found in great abundance, but always commanded a good price in the home market.
The Indians have ever regarded the honey bee as the forerunner of the white man, while it is a conceded fact that the quail always follows the footprints of civilization.
The following passage is found in the " Report of the Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, in the year 1842, by Captain John C. Fremont." page 69.
" Here on the summit, where the stillness was absolute; un- broken by any sound, and the solitude complete, we thought ourselves beyond the regions of animated life : but while we were sitting on the rocks, a solitary bee came winging his flight from the eastern valley, and lit on the knee of one of the men. We pleased ourselves with the idea that he was the first of his species to cross the mountain barrier, a solitary pioneer to foretell the advance of civilization."
Gregg. in his " Commerce of the Prairies," page 178, vol. I., says : " The honey bee appears to have emigrated exclusively from the east, as its march has been observed westward. The bee, among western pioneers, is the proverbial precursor of the Anglo-American population. In fact, the aborigines of the frontier havergenerally cor- roborated this statement, for they used to say that they knew the white man was not far behind when the bees appeared among them."
There were other recreations, such as shooting matches and quilt- ing parties, which obtained in those days, and which were enjoyed to the fullest extent. The quilting parties were especially pleasant and agreeable to those who attended. The established rule in those days at these parties was to pay either one dollar in money or split one hundred rails during the course of the day. The men would generally split the rails and the women would remain in the house and do the quilting. After the day's work was done the night would be passed in dancing.
All the swains that there abide, With jigs and rural dance resort.
When daylight came the music and dancing would cease, and the gal- lant young men would escort the fair ladies to their respective homes.
WOLVES. .
One of the oldest pioneers tells us that for several years after he
139
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
came to what is now known as Howard county the wolves were very numerous, and that he paid his taxes for many years in wolf scalps. His cabin was in the edge of the timber, that skirted Sulphur creek, and at night the howls of these animals were so loud and ineessant that to sleep, at times, was almost impossible.
Often, at midnight, all
At once there rose so wild a yell, Within that dark and narrow dell, As all the fiends from heaven that fell Had pealed the banner-cry of hell.
At such times the whole air seemed to be filled with the vibra- tions of their most infernal and diabolical music. The wolf was not only a midnight prowler here, but was seen in the daytime, singly or in packs, warily skulking upon the outskirts of a thicket, or sallying cautiously along the open path, with a sneaking look of mingled cow- ardice and cruelty.
CHAPTER V.
County and Township Systems - Government Surveys- Organization of Townships.
Before proceeding any further, we deem it proper, since we are about to enter upon the history of the townships, to give some expla- uations of the county and township systems, and government surveys, as much depends in business and civil transactions, upon county limits and county organizations.
COUNTY AND TOWNSHIP SYSTEMS.
With regard to the origin of dividing individual states into county and township organizations, which, in an important measure, should have the power and opportunity of transacting their own business and governing themselves, under the approval of, and subject to, the state and general government, of which they both form a part, we quote from Elijah M. Haines, who is considered good authority on the subject.
In his " Laws of Illinois, Relative to Township Organizations," he says : --
The county system originated with Virginia, whose early set- tlers soon became large landed proprietors, aristocratic in feeling, living apart in almost baronial magnificence, on their own estates, and own- ing the laboring part of the population. Thus the materials for a town were not at hand ; the voters being thinly distributed over a great area.
The county organization, where a few influential men managed the wholesale business of a community, retaining their places almost at their pleasure, scarcely responsible at all, except in name, and per- mitted to conduct the county concerns as their ideas or wishes might direct, was moreover consonant with their recollections or traditions of the judicial and social dignities of the landed aristocracy of England, in descent from whom, the Virginia gentleman felt so much pride. In 1834, eight counties were organized in Virginia, and the system extending throughout the state, spread into all the southern states, and some of the northern states ; unless we except the nearly similar division into "districts," in South Carolina, and that into " parishes " in Louisiana, from the French laws.
141
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
Illinois, which, with its vast additional territory, became a county of Virginia, on its conquest by General George Rogers Clark, retained the county organization, which was formerly extended over the state by the constitution of 1818, and continued in exclusive use, until the constitution of 1848. Under this system, as in other state- adopting it, much local business was transacted by the commissioners in each county, who constituted a county court, with quarterly ses- -ions.
During the period ending with the constitution of 1847, a large portion of the state had become filled up with a population of New England birth or character, daily growing more and more compact and dissatisfied with the comparatively arbitrary and inefficient county system. It was maintained by the people that the heavy populated districts would always control the election of the commissioners to the disadvantage of the more thinly populated sections -- in short, that under that system " equal and exact justice " to all parts of the county could not be secured.
The township system had its origin in Massachusetts, and dates back to 1635.
The first logal enaetment concerning the system, provided that, whereas, " particular townships have many things which concern only themselves and the ordering of their own affairs, and disposing of business in their own town." therefore, the " freemen of every town- ship, or a majority part of them, shall only have power to dispose of their own lands and woods, with all the appartenances of said town, to grant lots, and to make such orders as may concern the well ordering of their own towns not repugnant to the laws and orders established by the general court."
They might also ( says Mr. Haines ) impose fines of not more than twenty shilings, and " choose their own particular officers, as consta- bles, surveyors for the highway and the like."
Evidently this enactment relieved the general court of a mass of municipal details, without any danger to the power of that body in controlling general measures of public policy.
Probably, also, a demand from the freemen of the towns was felt for the control of their own home concerns.
The New England colonies were first governed by a general court or legislature, composed of a governor and a small council, which court consisted of the most influential inhabitants and possessed and exercised both legislative and judicial powers, which were limited only by the wisdom of the holders.
They made laws, ordered their execution by officers, tried and decided civil and criminal causes, enacted all manner of municipal regulations, and, in fact, did all the public business of the colony.
Similar provisions for the incorporation of towns were made in the first constitution of Connecticut, adopted in 1639. and the plan of township organization, as experience proved its remarkable economy,
11
142
ITSTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
efficiency and adaption to the requirements of a free and intelligent people, became universal throughout New England, and went west- ward with the immigrants from New England into New York. Ohio, and other western states.
Thus we find that the valuable system of county, township and town organizations had been thoroughly tried and proven long before there was need of adopting it in Missouri or any of the broad region west of the Mississippi river. But as the new country began to be opened, and as eastern people began to move westward across the mighty river, and form thick settlements along its western bank, the territory and state, and county and township organizations soon fol- fowed in quick succession, and those different systems became more or less improved, according as deemed necessary by the experience and judgment and demands of the people, until they have arrived at the present stage of advancement and efficiency. In the settlement of the territory of Missouri, the legislature began by organizing counties on the Mississippi river. As cach new county was formed. it was made to include under legal jurisdiction all the country bordering west of it, and required to grant to the actual settlers electoral privileges and an equal share of the county government, with those who properly lived in the geographical limits of the county.
The counties first organized along the eastern borders of the state were given for a short time jurisdiction over the lands and settlements adjoining each on the west, until these localities became sufficiently settled to support organizations of their own.
GOVERNMENT SURVEYS.
No person can intelligently understand the history of a country without at the same time knowing its geography, and in order that a clear and correct idea of the geography of Howard county may be obtained from the language already used in defining different localities and pieces of land, we insert herewith the plan of government surveys as given in Mr. E. A. Hickman's property map of Jackson county, Missouri : --
Previous to the formation of our present government, the east- ern portion of North America consisted of a number of British colonies, the territory of which was granted in large traets to British noblemen. By treaty of 1783, these grants were acknowledged as valid by the colonies. After the revolutionary war, when these colonies were acknowledged independent states, all public domain within their boundaries was acknowledged to be the property of the colony within the bounds of which said domain was situated.
143
1
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
Virginia claimed all the northwestern territory, including what is now known as Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana and Illinois. After a meeting of the representatives of the various states to form a nion. Virginia ceded the northwest territory to the United States government. This took place in 1784; then all this north- west territory became government land. It comprised all south of the lakes and cast of the Mississippi river and north and west of the states having definite boundary lines. This territory had been known as New France, and bad been ceded by France to England in 1768. In the year 1803, Napoleon Bonaparte sold to the United States all territory west of the Mississippi river and north of Mexico, extending to the Rocky Mountains.
While the public domain was the property of the colonies, it was disposed of as follows : Each individual caused the traet he desired to purchase to be surveyed and platted. A copy of the survey was then tiled with the register of lands, when, by paying into the state or col- onial treasury an agreed price, the purchaser received a patent for the land. This method of disposing of public lands made lawsuits nummer- ons, owing to different surveys often including the same ground. To avoid these difficulties and effect a general measurement of the terri- tories, the United States adopted the present mode or system of land surveys, a dscription of which we give, as follows :
In an unsurveyed region, a point of marked and changeless topo- graphical features is selected as an initial point. The exact latitude and longitude of this point is ascertained by astronomical observation, and a suitable monument of iron or stone to perpetuate the position. Through this point a true north and south line is run, which is called a principal meridian. This principal meridian may be extended north and south any desired distance. Along this line are placed, at dis- tances of one-half mile from each other, posts of wood or stone, or mounds of earth. These posts are said to establish the line, and are called section and quarter-section posts. Principal meridians are numbered in the order in which they are established. Through the same initial point from which the principal meridian was surveyed, an- other line is now run and established by mile and half-mile post-, as before, in a true east and west direction. This line is called the bose liac, and like the principal meridian, may be extended indefinitely in either direction. These lines form the basis of the survey of the country into townships and ranges. Township lines extend cast and west, parallel with the base line, at distances of six miles from the base line and from each other, dividing the country into strips six miles wide, which strips are called townships. Range lines run north and south parallel to the principal meridian, dividing the country into strips six miles wide, which strips are called ranges. Township strips are numbered from the base line and range strips are numbered from the principal meridian. Townships lying north of the base line are " townships north ;" those on the south are " townships south." The strip lying next the base line is township one, the next one to
111
HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
that township treo, and so on. The range strips are numbered in the same manner, counting from the principal meridian cast or west, as the case may be.
The township and range lines thus divide the country into six-mile squares. Each of these squares is called a congressional township. All north and south lines north of the equator approach cach other as they extend north, finally meeting at the north pole; therefore north and south lines are not literally parallel. The east and west boun- dary lines of any range being six miles apart in the latitude of Mis- souri or Kansas, would, in thirty miles, approach eack other at 2.9 chains, or 190 feet. If, therefore, the width of the range when started from the base line is made exactly six miles, it would be 2.9 chains too narrow at the distance of thirty miles, or five townships north. To correct the width of ranges and keep them to the proper width, the range lines are not surveyed in a continuous straight line, like the principal meridian, entirely across the state, but only across a limited number of townships, usnally five, where the width of the range is corrected by beginning a new line on the side of the range most distant. from the principal meridian, at such a point as will make the range its correct width. All range lines are corrected in the same manner. The east and west township line on which these corrections are made are called correction lines, or standard parallels. The surveys of the state of Missouri were made from the fifth principal meridian, which runs through the state, and its ranges are numbered from it. The State of Kansas is surveyed and numbered from the sixth. Congressional townships are divided into thirty-six square miles, called sections, and are known by numbers, according to their posi- tion. The following diagram shows the order of numbers and the sec- tions in congressional township.
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.