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 16
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 16
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
lin, in the same township, was located on section 5, township 48, range 16, in 1816, on the river bank and opposite to Boonville, in Cooper county. It was selected in 1817 as the county seat of How- ard county, by Benjamin Estill, David Jones, David Kincaid, William Head and Stephen Cole, who were appointed commissioners for that purpose by the general assembly of Missouri. Hannah Cole's fort remained the county seat, however, until the second Monlay in No- vember, 1817, when the circuit court met at Franklin the first time. (See Chapter III, this book. ) The original town site occupied 100 acres of land and was purchased for Howard county by the commis- sioners who selected the county seat from James II. Benson. William V. Rector, John W. Seudder, James C. Ludlow, and Joseph Wig- gins, for $200. About two years after the town was laid out, an ad- dition was added, called "East Franklin." The town contained a public square which embraces two acres of ground. The square was levelled and grounds put in order by Andrew Smith and James Snoddy. The streets were generally eighty-seven feet wide. The first house built in Franklin ( upon the authority of Mrs. Mary Jones, of whom we have spoken in the preceding pages ), was erected by Amos Barnes. It was constructed of rough logs and stood near the river bank. The land office was located there, soon after it was founded, and it being the most western settlement, of any importance, in the state, and the starting point for the Santa Fe country, it increased rapidly in popu- lation and influence. Some of the best blood of Kentucky, Virginia, Tennessee and other states, flowed in the veins of many of the citizens of Franklin. The town was noted for the intelligence, hospitality and enterprise of its people, a number of whom tilled honorable po- sitions in the legislature, executive and judicial departments of the state, and not a few attained a national reputation as gallant soldiers and trusted statesmen. Among her illustrious citizens, whose names sparkle upon the historie page with a fadeless lustre, were : - Lil- burn W. Boggs, John Miller, Hamilton R. Gamble (each of whom were afterwards governor of the state), John F. Ryland, Abiel Leonard (afterwards judges ot the supreme court of the state), General Robert P. Clark and Cyrus Edwards ( the two latter distin- guished lawyers ), Dr. HI. Lane, Dr. J. H. Benson, Peter Ferguson, Dr. Charles Kavanaugh, Col. William Boone, Dr. J. J. Lowery, Grey Bynum, Dr. David Woods, Bennett Clark, General John B. Clark, Sr., S. C. MeNees, John Ray, J. S. Finley, John Walker. Charles Woods, Thomas Hardeman, G. C. Sibley, John S. Briekey, Andrew S. Me- Girk (afterwards judge ), Priee M. Prewitt, J. C. Ludlow, W. Moss,
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
.James Hickman, Judge David Todd, Stephen Donohoe, John Lamb, James D. Campbell. F. S. Grundy ( nephew of Felix Grundy, of Ten- nessee), L. Switzler, H. V. Bingham ( the great artist, whose accom- plished pencil has perpetuated many of the seenes and incidents re- sulting from the enforcement of Order No. 11), Alphonso Wetmore (author of first Gazetteer of Missouri), Heury and Charles Carroll, Judge David Drake, Giles Samnel, Joshua and David Barton, J. B. Howard, William V. Rector, Natt Ford, James Callaway and Zacha- riah Benson. Although this list does not include the names of all who are entitled to a niche in the temple of fame, yet these are sutli- eiently numerous and distinguished to challenge the admiration of the reader, and to light a glow of pride upon the cheek and in the eye of every Iloward county man and woman, as they scan them over.
We doubt whether any town containing no greater population than Franklin had, and reaching no greater age, can be found any- where in the United States, that can boast of so many eminent men. Its early achievements m commerce during the palmy days of the Santa Fe trade, were simply immense for that day and time. The fol- lowing, copied from the Fayette Intelligencer of May 2, 1828, will give the reader some idea of the importance of this trade : -
The town of Franklin, as also our own village, presents to the eye of the beholder, a busy, bustling and commercial scene. in buying, selling and packing goods, practising mules, etc., ete,, all preparatory to the starting of the great spring caravan to Santa Fe. A great number of our fellow citizens are getting ready to start, and will be off in the course of a week on a trading expedition. We have not the mean- of knowing how many persons will start in the first company, but think it probable the number will exceed 150. principally from this and the adjoining counties. They generally purchase their outfit - from the merchants here at from 20 to 30 per cent advance on the Philadel- phia prices, and calculate to make from 40 to 100 per cent upon their purchases. They will generally return in the fall. We suppose the amount which will be taken from this part of the country this spring will not perhaps fall much short of $100,000 at the invoice prices.
We wish them a safe and profitable trip, a speedy return to their families and homes in health, and they may long live to enjoy the profits of their long and fatiguing journey of nearly one thousand miles, through prairies inhabited only by savages and wild beasts.
Among the pioneer merchants and business men of Franklin, were Hickman and Lamb from Kentucky. These gentlemen, owned and operated a large store, purchasing their goods ( as the merchants of the town generally did ) in Philadelphia. Claiborne F. Jackson, after-
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
wards governor of the state, was a clerk in this store in 1826. Joseph Simpson was also a merchant ; he was an Englishman, and came to Franklin about the year 1822; he died in Franklin in 1828. Smith & Knox were merchants; Smith was receiver in the land office. Gilog Samuels was a business man. Alexander MeCansland was also a merchant. Blois, a Canadian Frenchman, was a merchant. Moss Prewitt was a hatter. and afterwards became a banker in Columbia. There were as many as four manufacturers of hats in 1826, in the town.
Barnes was probably the first blacksmith in the place.
Mordecai owned the first livery stable. Jas. R. Abernathy assisted him in attending to it. Dr. H. T. Glenn, who moved to Cal- ifornia and became the largest farmer in that state, married a daughter of Abernathy.
Henry V. Bingham, father of George Bingham, the well known artist and portrait painter, kept a hotel : so did Mrs. Peebles. The town had two or three grist mills from 1820 to 1828. John Harde- man operated a grist mill with carding machine attached. Shadrach Barnes ran a grist mill. The ferry was originally owned by Hannah Cole, who operated it as early as 1816 from the fort to Franklin. It was afterwards run by Rogers, of Boonville, Isaac Gearhardt and others.
The bar of Franklin was ably represented in the persons of Judge George Tompkins, Charles French, Amos Reece ( who afterwards resided in Plattsburg, Clinton county, Mo., and then moved to Leav- enworth, Kansas ), F. S. Grundy, Andrew MeGirk, John F. Ryland. Robert MeGavick, Cyrus Edwards, and a number of others who were noted for their skill and ability as lawyers. ( See chapter on bench and bar. )
The Missouri Intelligencer, the first newspaper established west of St. Louis, was started here in 1819. (See Chap. entitled " The Press." )
The Baptists organized a church in the town in 1819, the Method- ists one year later. No house of worship, however, was ever erected in the town by any denomination. The Old School Presbyterians organized a church in April, 1821. ( See chapter on ecclesiastical his- tory. )
Travel between Franklin and St. Louis was done on horseback until 1820, when four-horse stages were put on the line. Soon after that, travel upon steamboats came gradually into use ; the fare being about the same by either mode - $10.50 for each passenger.
Franklin continued to be the county seat of Howard county, until
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
1823, when it (the county seat ) was located at Fayette, the latter town, being about the geographical centre of the county, after Cooper and Boone counties had been taken from its territory. Many of the citizens of Franklin, including the attorneys, soon came to Fayette to live. The great majority, however, continued to stand by the for- tunes of the old town, where they remained until the spring of 1828, when they were compelled to abandon their homes, because of the sudden caving in of a large portion of the town site. It is estimated that Franklin, during her palmiest days - from 1823 to 1826 -- contained between 1,500 and 1,700 people. In 1828, on account of the overflow and the washing away of the town site, Franklin was almost entirely abandoned, her citizens going elsewhere to live ; a number of these founded the town of New Franklin, within two miles of Old Franklin and in the same township.
A Masonie lodge was organized at Old Franklin, in 1820. It was afterwards moved to New Franklin, where it was reorganized in 1852, and is now known as Howard Lodge No. 4. It was the fourth lodge of Freemasons, instituted in Missouri. Nothing now remains to mark the spot where once stood the proud, pretentious little city of Franklin, but a two-story brick,* now known as the . Franklin House," located inmediately west of the depot. Two or three busi- ness houses, of modern architecture, occupy a portion of the old town-site -the extreme lower portion - but the town, itself, except- ing the house above mentioned, is a thing of the past.
A LETTER.
The following letter, written more than three-score years ago, by Mr. A. Fuller, who had been living in the Boone's Lick country about six months at the time he wrote, will be read, doubtless, with much interest by the citizens of the county to-day :
FRANKLIN, Mo., Dec., 1819.
Dear Tom : -
You need not scold ; I have had too much to do to write to you fel- lows that live in eivilized society. Here Iam, on the extreme frontier of the settlements of our country, but would not exchange places with you for all your boasted luxuries. I ean, within a mile or so, kill
* This was, at the time it was erected, the only brick building in the Boone's Lick country. It was built for a school and was incorporated by the legislature in the winter of 1520, with Gen. Thos. A. Smith, Nathaniel Hutchinson, Jno. J. Lowery, George Tompkins, James C. Ludlow, Taylor Berry and Jonathan S. Findlay, as trustees. It is now the property of Broadus Smith, who operates it as a hotel.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
as many prairie chickens as I choose, and all other game of the season.
The settlers of the country moved out of the forts last spring, and are about as happy a set as you can find on the earth to think that the Indians are to let them alone hereafter. I have become acquainted with most of the citizens of the town. The Hon. Judge Todd and family arrived here last summer. one of the most agreeable men and families that I have ever met. He is too liberal and kind for his own good ; also Dr. Hutchinson, Dr. Lowery, and General Smith. I do not think you can understand the nobleness of such minds, as it is only here in the extreme west, where all have been accustomed to facing dangers every day, that they can be appreciated. We have three stores in this thriving place : an old gentleman. Mr. Gaw; Stanley & Ludlow, and Sanganette & Bright, all doing a fair business. We had two arrivals of steamboats during the summer, one a government boat, Western Engineer, on an exploring expedition. In place of a bowsprit, she has carved a great serpent, and as the steam escapes out of its month, it runs ont a long tongue, to the perfect horror of all Indians that see her. They say, " White man bad man, keep a great spirit chained and build fire under it to make it work a boat !" The other was a boat loaded with government supplies, for the troops in the forts above here, also two hundred thousand dollars in specie. A large portion of her cargo was Monongahela whiskey. It looks like a dispensation of Providence that she should be sunk soon after leaving. The officers and visitors were descerating the Sabbath day by card playing and drinking. She left here and ran up to the head of the first island above when she struck a snag and sank immedi- ately, without the crew being able to save anything out of her. There she lies with all her silver and freight on her. There are in the neigh- borhood several forts, that were used by the people during the Indian difficulties. Fort Hempstead, about three miles back from the river : Cooper's Fort, ten miles above here where were many of the hair- breadth escapes of the wild west. At one time, when it was besieged by a large body of Indians, and they needed to communicate with the fort here, not having any men to spare. a daughter* of Colonel Cooper vol- unteered to run the gauntlet, and mounting a fleet horse dashed through the Indians, reached the fort here, got the assistance needed, and was back in time to relieve her friends. Is there one of your city belles could do a similar feat? I guess not. I tell you, Tom, there is an independence and nobleness in the bearing of the young folks here, dressed in their home-made clothing .- the case of gait and carriage .- that puts affectation and fine dresses in the shade. I am not carried
* The Miss Cooper here spoken of, was the mother of the wife of the present Solon Shepherd, who resides near Fayette. This romantic and attractive little story was given much credence, even at that early day, among certain persons; the author heard of Miss Cooper's act of heroism soon after his arrival in Howard county, but after carefully inves- tigating the matter, he finds that the story had no foundation in fact, and exists in imagina- tion only as a beautiful fiction.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
away entirely by the nobleness of the wild frontier people, but there is a frank generosity with them that you in the east know nothing of, there- fore you cannot appreciate it. There is also a fort across the river trom here called Cole's fort, that had its share of trouble ; also one above the La Mine river. One of the men, Mr. McMahan, from there, was coming down to Cole's fort on business ; when about two mile- above here he was fired upon and killed by the Indians. One of the young Coles and one of the Roups were cutting a bee-tree in the woods near the path, and it is thought the Indians were crawling on them, when Mr. MeMahan, passing, was fired on and killed. The men, Cole and Roup, hurried back to their fort for aid, and went to see what mischief
the red-skins had been doing. Mr. MeMahan was shot through the body. Ile ran his horse toward the river for about a quarter of a mile when he fell dead. The Indians, it is thought, saw the two men running for the fort and thought it safest to leave, which they did without following the flying men. I believe I could have set till this time, hearing of the hair-breadth escapes of the carly settlers. They bave laid out a town opposite here on the river. called Boonville, which they expect to eclipse this place, but the traders think Franklin will eclipse any town out west. I think likely it will if the river will let it alone. I went over the river last summer to attend the first sale of lots, intending to purchase some to build on, but they were run up to a fabulous price, away beyond my reach. There were some of the voters who appeared to be affected by patriotism acquired at the only ( what was termed ) tavern in the place, kept by a hard looking old ยท fellow named Reames, who bowed politely to all who came in and asked for something to drink, and I was told the whiskey bad actually not bad time to cool before it was dealt out to customers, having been brought all the way from a Mr. Houxe's where is a horse mill and distillery ; so the people of Boonville, cannot only have liquor, but can have their corn ground ready for sifting. The mill and distillery are about a mile from the town. Adieu.
POSTMASTERS.
A statement showing the date of the establishment of the post-office at Oll Franklin, together with the names of all the postmasters at the said office in the order of their appointment, and the date of appoint- ment of each.
Established April 20, 1821.
April 20, 1821, Augustus Stores. October 20, 1828, Taylor Berry. December 13, 1824, Giles MI. Samuel. August, 3, 1831, J. W. Redman. September 16, 1839, Wi. Harley. October 23, 1839. J. S. Lawson.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
May 18, 1841, Geo. Chapman.
October 6, 1813, Isaac N. Bernard.
January 9, 1845, C. W Bartholomew.
July 24, 1846, J. G. MeCauley.
December 14, 1848, Win. Neilson. September 17, 1850, Robert Colman.
May 17, 1855, J. W. Chilton.
June 22, 1865, J. G. MeCauley.
October 5, 1865, Return L. Bradley.
April 2, 1866, G. R. Turner.
December 1, 1868, James W. Chilton.
September 7, 1874, Chs. E. Rainey.
May 22, 1877, James M. Settle.
January 26, 1882, J. J. MeCauley.
April 26, 1882, J. II. Sturdevant.
NEW FRANKLIN.
As already intimated, New Franklin owes its existence to the fall and final obliteration of Old Franklin, and was laid out in 1828, on he west half of section 28, township 49, range 16, which was then owned by James Alcorn.
Many of the buildings of the old town were moved to the new. Among the earliest business men of that place, were James Alcorn, who built the first business house ; Willis Roberson, the first black- smith ; M. Switzler, the first hotel-keeper. Among the early enter- prises, was a tanyard by Lewis Scott, a carding machine by Wm. Bowen and a rope factory by Bernard. The first and only lottery ever chartered by the state of Missouri, was started at this point, the purpose of which was to raise $15,000 in order to enable the town to build a railroad to the river. The charter was afterwards modified, so as to permit the construction of a plank road, and still later to embrace a macadamized public highway instead. This lottery fran- chise was finally disposed of by the town to a company in St. Louis, for five hundred dollars per year, and New Franklin has since em- ployed its receipts from this source, in completing a safe and enduring highway to the river. The town was incorporated February ith, 1833. The original trustees were : Abiel Leonard, David Workman, Nathaniel Hutchison, Joshua Hobbs, Alphonzo Wetmore, Lewis Switzler, and Lindsay P. Marshall.
The population at present numbers about two hundred and fifty
-
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
persons. The town contains one dry good store, two drug stores, oue grocery, one harness shop, one mill, oue black-mith, one carpenter, one barber, three physicians, one hotel. two churches, one large, elegant brick school house, and three secret orders, the oldest of which is the
A. O. t. W.
New Franklin lodge No. 194, was organized July 17, 1880. The charter members were, George C. Edwards. Theo. H. Toda, A. S. Blankenbaker, Lemuel Frizell, Strother H. Todd, J. B. Ainsworth, Augustus Turner. E. T. Smith, W. T. Wayland, G. S. Herndon, .I. G. Whitton. Wm. M. Strongs. Joshua F. Crews, Levi Fuller, F. G. Canole, V. Q. Bonham, James Randall, Wallace Estill, Jolin MI. Boggs. Jas. L. Gordon, Thomas J. Jordan, E. E. Dunaway, James D. Choru and W. W. Smith.
Present officers- G. S. Herndon, M. W. ; W. W. Gray, Fore- man; J. F. Crews, Overseer; E. E. Danaway, Recorder ; B. M. Chancellor, Receiver; Augustus Turner. Financier ; J. J. Whitton. Guide : S. H. Took. I. W. : Wm. B. Webb, O. W. : F. G. Canole, P. M. W.
HOWARD LODGE NO. 4. A. F. AND A. M.
Organized May 6, 1852, with the following members, Adam Lowry, James M. Chorn. S. T. Hamm. H. Kingsbury. C. E. Wil- voxon, J. D. Thompson, A. H. Lee, W. M. Biles.
First officers - Adam Lowry, W. M. ; James M. Chorn. S. W. : S. T. Hamm. J. W. ; II. Kingsbury, Treasurer; C. E. Wilcoxon, Secretary.
Present officers -- R. T. Kingsbury, W. M. ; W. E. MeKinney, S. W .; W. O. Cox. J. W .; W. W. Smith, Treasurer; Geo. C. Edwards, Secretary ; number of members fifty-one.
BOONE'S LICK LODGE NO. 57, I. O. O. F.
was organized May 5th, 1852, with J. W. Chilton. N. G. Elliott, S. T. Hamm. E. H. Devins, and James S. White. as charter members.
The names of the first officer, and present officers failed to reach the writer.
ESTILL STATION
is located on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas? railroad, near the rentre of the town-hip, on the northeast of southwest quarter. stetion 13
.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
17, T. 48, R. 16, and was named in honor of Col. JJames R. E-till, a large landed proprietor and stock raiser, through whose land the rail- road passes. The town contains one store and blacksmith shop.
The country surrounding Estill, is well improved, and is one of the most beautiful portions of Howard county. The farm houses are generally large and handsomely constructed ; many of them being briek, and of modern style, while the yards and lawns in front of them are not only set in blue grass, bat planted with shrubs, flowers. fruit and shade trees.
INCIDENTS OF THE HIGH WATER OF 1844.
The overflow of the Missouri river in 1844 is remembered by the old settler of to-day, as the highest water known within his recollec- tion. By actual measurement, the water was then six feet higher than it has been at any time since. The entire Missouri river bottom or low lands were submerged, many farms being covered to the depth of fifteen foot. The suffering among the people who occupied the overflowed districts was very great, many of them not only losing their houses, their stock and their crops, but losing their lives in their efforts to escape the mighty flood, which remained upon the land for nearly three weeks.
A farmer who lived in the bottom, south of New Franklin about a mile, by the name of Lloyd, waited, during the rise, thinking every day the river would reach its highest point, and did not leave his cabin until he was compelled one morning to hastily make his exit through the roof. While getting out some of his household plunder, he spilt some corn meal on the roof of his eabin. The third day after leaving, Lloyd returned in his boat and found to his surprise that the roof of his cabin had been transformed into a menagerie of birds and animals. Among these was a cat, a dog, a coon, a fox, a rat, two chickens and a turkey. He observed that the meal was all gone, and was greatly surprised to find these animals living together in perfect harmony. A common misfortune had created among them a sym- pathetie feeling. The presence of the great flood had seemingly over-awed and overpowered their antagonistic natures, and like the "lion and the lamb" of prophetie history, they were dwelling together in peace.
Another farmer, who resided in the bottom, lost a very valuable horse. The day he left his cabin this horse was driven with other horses and stock to the hills for safe keeping. Some days afterward-
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
the horse was mis-ing, and was not found until the waters had receded when he was discovered (at least such portions of him as were left ), Hanging by one of his hind feet in some grapevines fully fifteen feet above the ground, having on the same halter that he wore when he left.
CHAPTER VIII.
RICHMOND TOWNSHIP.
Boundary -- Physical Features - Early Settlements -Churches -- Richmond - Fay- ette - Its Early History - Business Men - Business -- Incorporated - First and Present Officials - Banks and Bankers -Court House and Public Square - Fact- and Incidents - Cholera in 1832 or 1833 - Cholera in 1849 - Cholera in 1:55 and in 1873 - Meteoric Phenomenon - Secret Societies -Central and Howard Col- leges - Their History -Fire - Postmasters -Business Houses of Fayette - Public School.
BOUNDARY.
This is the central portion of the county, and contains seventy-two square miles. It remains as first formed in 1821, excepting scetions 19, 20, 21, which were attached to Burton township in 1880. It is bounded on the north by Prairie and Burton townships, on the east by Bonne Femme and Monitean, on the south by Moniteau and Franklin, and on the west by Boone's Lick and Chariton townships.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
This township is admirably drained, the principal streams being Bonne Femme, Adam's fork, Leonard's branch, Salt creek, Doc creek and Dry creek. These are well distributed in the various sections of the township. The timber is in great abundance, and of an excellent quality -- no prairie. The land is rolling and underlaid with a fine stratum of coal, and is well adapted to agricultural pur- poses.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS,
The pioneer settler of Richmond township seems to have been, from the most authentic sources, one Hiram Fugate, who was one of the original settlers of Franklin township - a private in Capt. Sar- shall Cooper's company and connected with Fort Kincaid, where he remained during the Indian hostilities of 1812. Elis cabin stood near the present site of Central college ; the northen part of Fayette was located on the south part of his land, and the southern part of the town on a portion of the elaim owned by Hickerson Burnham, who settled in the township in 1819.
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