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 33
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 33
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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
PUBLIC ADMINISTRATORS.
1841. Samuel C. Majors. 1854. Samuel C. Majors.
1850. John W. Henry.
1853. Thomas M. Perkins.
1880. Thomas Owings.
COMMISSIONER OF SCHOOLS.
1841. Owen Rawlings. 1866. W. H. Watts, appointed in 1856. Jolm F. Williams. August.
1856. E. K. Atterbury, resigned. 1870. John B. Hairston.
1857. W'm. T. Lueky, appointed. 1872. Thomas G. Deatherage.
1860. James R. Saltonstall. 1874. J. B. Hairston.
1861. Thomas G. Deatherage. 1876. Thomas Owings.
1866. C. W. Pritchett, appointed 1881. A. F. Willis. in July.
PROBATE JUDGES.
1824. Robert Wilson, appointed by the governor, and served until 1827, when the duties of that office were transferred to the county court, which tribunal continued to have jurisdiction of pro- bate matters until 1878, when the probate office was again created.
1879. J. T. Smith. Present incumbent.
COUNTY ATTORNEYS.
The office of county attorney was created in 1872. Prior to that time the business of that office was done by the circuit attorneys.
1873. James H. Robertson. 1881. Robert C. Clark.
1875. R. B. Caples. 1882. Robert C. Clark.
1879. James H. Robertson.
The following in reference to the history of Boonsboro, Boone's Lick township should have been placed on page 156; but owing to the fact that it was handed us too late for insertion in its proper place, we insert it here.
BOONSBORO,
named, also, in honor of Daniel Boone, was laid out in 1840 by Col. N. G. Elliott, Joseph Cooper, Achilles Callaway and Lindsay P. Marshall, on seetion four, township forty-nine, range seventeen, and twelve miles southeast of Fayette, the county seat.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
The first house in the place was erected by Achilles Callaway, soon after the laying out of the town. It was built of logs, and in it Callaway opened a small stock of goods, consisting principally of tobacco and whiskey. He was a native of Howard county, but his parents were from Kentucky. He died in Boone's Lick township, since the late war. He left a widow and several children.
The first dry goods and general stock of merchandise was kept by R. H. Turner ; Turner was also the first mail contractor. The first mail facilities enjoyed by the town was during the year 1853, when the people supplied their own mail by the way of New Franklin. The first post-office was established there in 1856, John A. Fisher post- master. The first church edifice was erected about the year 1850, but was not completed until 1853. This was built as a union chapel by the Methodists, the Christians, the Cumberland Presbyterians and the Baptists. Wm. K. Woods was the Baptist minister, - Morrow was the Presbyterian, James Penn the Methodist, and Wm. M. Bur- ton was among the early Christian ministers. About the year 1868, the building was taken down and a new one erected in its place by the Christian denomination principally, but with the understanding that it was to be free to all religious bodies. This is all the church building in the town.
Hamp. Carson was the first blacksmith. W. J. and F. M. Baugh were two of the first merchants. Stephen Bynum sold goods there soon after the war of 1861. The town contains a population of one hundred and fifty souls. It contains, beside the house of worship above mentioned, a school house, two general stores, two drug stores, one blacksmith shop, one wagon and carriage shop, two saloons and a post-office. The postmaster at present is Henry A. Deistelhorst.
INCIDENT.
Many years ago - before the late war - a young married man by the name of Cassius Nelson, was riding along very fast, horseback, into Boonsboro, and after reaching the town his horse in making a short turn in the road threw him against a stump, killing him ahn ost instantly.
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ADDENDUM.
It has been nearly impossible to obtain a history of the churches of the M. E. denomination in this county, in consequence of the early records having been lost. What we here present was handed ns too late to place in its proper order in the ecclesiastical history of Howard county. For this reason, we insert it here.
M. E. CHURCH SOUTH, FAYETTE, MIO.
[Prepared by Rev. J. H. Ledbetter. ]
" The world is my parish," has ever been the motto of Metho- ism. Since 1770, Methodist circuit riders have been pushing on west- ward with the sure rolling tide of emigration. The Methodist itiner- ant is everywhere. During the year 1806, one of these modern apostles on horseback, with saddle-bags containing his Bible and hymn book, crossed the Mississippi river at or near New Madrid. This was John Travis. a member of what was then called the western confer- ence. The whole territory of Missouri was his cireuit. In the year 1815, a new cirenit was formed north of the Missouri river, embrac- ing the counties of Boone, Howard and Chariton. It was called Boone's Lick circuit, and was the seventh eircuit organized in Missouri. Rev. Joseph Piggott was the first regularly appointed pastor of the Methodist church in Howard county. Others may have made preaching tours to the several small settlements in the county prior . to this ; but Piggott came as the regular preacher, and organized the church. Rev. Samuel Thompson was presiding elder of the Missouri district. The next year Rev. Jesse Walker was presiding elder, and Joseph Piggott cireuit preacher. From 1817 to the fall of 1824, the following Methodist preachers were at times employed in Howard county : Jesse Walker, John Scripps, Alexander MeAlister, Jesse Haile, James Keyte, David Sharp, Wm. R. Redman, Uriel Ham, and Shadrack Casteel. Missouri had, in the year 1824, been consti- tnted an annual conference, with three districts. About this time, or probably a little latter, a church was organized in or near the present town of Fayette. The preaching, and the customary elass meetings, were held in the house of William Reynolds, commonly called " Billie
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Reynolds." His house was situated about a half mile east of Fay- ette, on the spot where General J. B. Clark, Jr., lived when elected to Congress, in 1872. It is not known certainly who organized this church, or who composed the membership.
During the great civil war, the church records were taken out of the store of Mr. John Ewen by a body of United States soldiers and burned. It was done, no doubt, because the word " south " was on them, it being a part of the name of the Methodist church at Fayette. By this vandal act, very important historical matter was destroyed. with no possibility of ever having it reproduced, so the meagre state- ments contained herein have been gathered after much trouble and delav.
It appears from all that can be gathered from the memories of the "oldest inhabitants," that the Methodist church was organized some- time between 1824 and 1827. Mr. Stephen Garner, now living in Prairie township, Howard county, eame to the county in 1820, and he says that he attended class meeting and preaching at the residence of " Billie Reynolds," in 1827, and that a few years before that. he knows the class had been organized. It is not certainly known who the minister was under whom the organization was etlected. We know this, in the year 1824, Rev. Wm. W. Redman was preacher in charge of Boone's Lick circuit, which included all of the county, and more. It is very probable that he preached at Fayette, for we find his name associated in the minds of the old people, with the earliest meetings held by the Methodists in this part of the county. In the year 1825, Rev. Uriel Ilam, and Rev. Shadrack Casteel were the preachers. In 1826, Ham and Redman were the preachers. Now, we think that it was during this period that Fayette became a regular preaching place, and other new points were evidently added, as the circuit had two regular preachers. In the years 1826 and 1827, Rev. Andrew Mon- roe was presiding elder, and James Bankson was the circuit preacher. He was a young man of fine natural gifts, but of limited education, vet, by application, he became an able minister. The house of " Billie Reynolds" was still the preaching place for the Fayette church, and in the country, the house of Mr. Bennett Clark was another preach- ing place.
Early Members of Fayette Church. - We are very sorry that we cannot give a full list of the original members of the Fayette Metho- dist church ; but so it is. We give below the names that we have been able to obtain, as belonging prior to 1840. The first six or seven were doubtless charter members. Billie Reynolds and wife, Mrs.
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Mary Green, Bennett Clark, Joseph Sears, Esq., Hampton Boone, Mr. Ball, David JJohnson, Heury W. Kringe, Mrs. Leverage, James Miller, Mrs. James Miller, and James Hicks.
It might be well for me to give a few lines of personal reference to some of these pioneers of the Fayette Methodism.
Mr. Bennett Clark was a Virginian, and came to Howard county in 1818. He was a true man and an earnest Christian of the Methodist type of that day. His house was a preaching place, a home for the saddle-bag circuit rider. The old gentleman was very large. He was as tall as his son, General J. B. Clark, Jr., and weighed about 400 pounds. He was faithful in holding family prayers, but could not kneel down, so he sat up and read his Bible and prayed.
Joseph Sears was a farmer, and for several years justice of the peace. While in this office he officiated at the marriage of Abiel Leonard. He was a devoted Methodist, and as a man and Christian was much beloved by all classes of society.
Mrs. Mary Green, the wife of Doctor J. Green, was one of the eleet ladies. What would the church do without its holy women ? She was one of the ebarter members of the Methodist church in Fayette. She was the mother of the noble Christian wife of Colonel Joseph Davis. The old Boone's Lick circuit was noted for its holy, devout women.
Of the members who were conspicuous after 1844 we may mention Mr. and Mrs. Adam Hendrix, Mr. and Mrs. William Nipper, Doetor and Mrs. J. J. Watts, Mr. and Mrs. A. Mitchell, Mr. Henderson, Mrs. Colonel Davis, Mrs. Kringe, Mr. John Ewen, Mr. John Marma- duke, ete. From these families there are three Methodist preachers now at work in Missouri : Doctor E. R. Hendrix, president of Cen- tral College : Rev. Charles W. Watts, preacher in charge at Weston, and Rev. James J. Watts, of St. Louis.
Of the early preachers mention should be made of Jesse Green, who took charge of the Fayette church in October, 1827. He was a preacher of mark in his day. His fort was doctrinal preaching, and he distinguished himself in the doctrinal debates of those early times. He gave special attention to the Calvinists and to the Disciples. He was a regular sledge hammer, the doctrinal preacher of his conference.
In the fall of 1828 Rev. William Shores took charge of the church. He was afterward a citizen of Howard. He was a man of deep piety. He has several worthy children still living in the county, and one son, Rev. J. W. Shores, is a member of the Missouri conference at this time. In the fall of 1829 Joseph Edmondson became the preacher. He was a strong man, and was afterward stationed in St. Lonis. In
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September, 1809, Rev. Robert Jordan, who had just been ordained a deacon by Bishop Roberts, became preacher in charge. He was as good a man as ever was sent out - a true apostolic preacher. Then for ten years, up to 1840, the following preachers had charge at vari- ous times : William Kreton, John K. Lacy, A. W. Arnington, R. IL. Jordan, Thomas Wallace, G. W. Bewley and David Fisher. Not having a copy of the general minutes at hand, I am unable to say who were the preachers from 1840 to 1857. During that time, however, Rev. Tyson Dines, one of Missouri's greatest preachers, was in charge of the church. From 1858 to 1865 the following were the pastors : S. W. Cope, B. F. Johnson, Andrew Monroe, W. M. Sutton and E. Robinson.
Heretofore the Fayette church had formed part of the circuit ; but in 1869 it was made a station. Professors Forster and Miller supplied the pulpit after the death of Dr. William A. Smith. Professor W. G. Miller acted as pastor from September, 1870, until the fall of 1871. At that time Rev. J. H. Ledbetter was appointed to the sta- tion. In September, 1872, Rev. William M. Newland became pastor. In September, 1873, Rev. William Penn ; September, 1874, Rev. HI. P. Bond ; October, 1875, Rev. E. M. Mann ; September, 1876, Rev. W. W. Jones, and the church was again connected with the circuit. In September, 1877, Rev. J. R. A. Vaughn became pastor, and re- mained four years; in September, 1881, Rev. William Penn; in September, 1882, Rev. J. H. Ledbetter, who is still pastor.
On the 12th of October, 1828, the thirteenth session of the Missouri annual conference convened with the Fayette church. In order to accommodate the preachers and people, and get the greater amount of religious good out of the occasion, they held the conference in con- neetion with the camp meeting, on the old Fayette camp ground, two and a half miles north of town. Bishop Joshua Soule presided. Some of the oldl people still remember the bishop. They were then children, and were struck by his dress. His eoat was made with a stiff upright collar ; it was straight breasted, and shad-belly. His pants came just below the knees, and his high top boots buttoned over them.
In October, 1839, the Missouri conference once again met with the Fayette church ; but this time in the town. Bishop Morris presided ; William W. Redman, secretary. In September, 1881, for the third time, the conference convened in Fayette. Bishop Capers presided ; W. M. Rush, secretary.
The first preaching place, as I have already stated, was the resi- dence of Billie Reynolds. In the year 1826 the first court-house was
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erected, and the Methodists secured the privilege of preaching in it. which they continued to do until they succeeded in building a church. This first Methodist church ever built in Fayette was completed and occupied in 1838. It was only used by the Methodists about two years ; it then passed into the possession of the Reformers, or Disciples, as they were then called --- " Christian church " now. They still use it. It is a small frame building on Second Main street. It seems that this church was never deeded to the Methodists. Mr. Hampton Boone, a well-to-do merchant, at that time a member and a local preacher of the Methodist church, advanced most of the money used in erecting the building. Ile found it difficult to get his pay, at least it came in slowly. In 1840 he asked and obtained of the quarterly conference authority to sell the property and get his money out of it. When he had obtained this permission he withdrew from the Methodist church, and shortly afterward united with the Disciples and turned the church over to them. This, I have no doubt, is a true history in brief of a matter that occasioned much talk at the time and since. After the Methodists had thus lost their church they worshipped in a small brick school house that stood within the present campus of Central College ; but on great occasions they used the chapel of the high school building. This they continued to do until the year 1855, when they succeeded in building a frame church, at a cost of $2,500. It is still standing, and is now the property of the colored Methodists. This church was dedicated by Bishop G. F. Pierce, in 1856. This building was used until 1870, when, under the direction of Doctor William A. Smith, president of Central Nollege, the congregation moved into the college chapel, where they still hold all of their services. They are soon to have more elegant quarters than ever, as the magnificent new chapel, ". Centenary," is being erected at a cost of $24,000. God grant that their wanderings may be over !
When the Methodist church was divided in the United States into two branches, in 1844, on account of the great trial of Bishop Andrews, growing out of the agitation of the slavery question, there was a division in Howard county. All of the Methodist churches in the county adhered to the southern branch of the church. There has always been unity and harmony in the Fayette church. Even the great civil war did not disrupt them, though there were people of both sides in the church. For nearly sixty years Methodist preachers have been laboring in Fayette. The church has had a variety of ex- periences. It has passed through many dark and stormy days. It has been houseless and almost friendless at times, but better times have come to her. The handful has become a strong congregation.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND CHARITON COUNTIES.
The future grows rosey with promise. Her gospel is the same, her mission the same, her pirit the same -- may her courage and fidelity be the same ! The present membership is 227. The following is the official board : A. F. Davis, Lewis S. Prosser, O. HI. P. Corprew. T. G. Mumpower, J. B. Bell. There are two foreign missionary societies among the ladies and girls of the church, and one among the young men. The whole church contributes for missions about $400 per annum.
Washington church, M. E. south, located on section 11, township 51, range 16, was organized about the year 1850. Among its original members were : Wm. Shores, wife and family, D. K. Spotts and wife, Reuben and Levy Alverson, John Green. Martin Green and wife, Mar- tin A. Finnell, Wesley Green, and others. William Shores was the founder of the church. The building, a frame structure, was erected in 1866, at a cost of about $1,000, and during that year was dedicated by Dr. W. G. Miller. The present pastor in charge is William Was- sen. Its membership numbers 100. After the organization was first effected a church was built upon the site of the present one, but was burned at the beginning of the war.
Oak Grove M. E. church south, is located on section 18, township 52, range 16, and was organized May 22, 1856. Its original members were : Mrs. Permelia Wallace, Mr. and Mrs. James Dodd, Mrs. Nar- eissa Snoddy, Stephen T. Garner and wife, Mrs. Elizabeth Yancy, ( wife of Robert Yancy ). Miss Emeline Dodd, Mrs. Ann McCully. Robert Yaney, Miss Mary A. Snoddy, Mary Switzer, and three col- ored people, slaves. The building was constructed in 1874, and is of frame, having cost $1,600. It was dedicated in June, 1875, by Dr. . E. K. Millet. Among the pastors who have served the church, as such, are : James Penn, F. W. Cope, Andrew Monroe (J. Smith. assistant ), William F. Bell, Dr. Johnson, D. H. Root, William M. Rust, George Penn, Geo. W. Rich, Rev. Rooker, William Warren, and others, at intervals. The present membership is twenty-four. Rev. James Penn organized the church at the Old Liberty church site. one mile south of the present location, and services were held there until the winter of 1861, when the building was burned. Then services were conducted during the war at the house of Stephen T. Garner, and from 1866 until the new church was erected they occu- pied a school-house on the old Snoddy farm.
Lebanon church was built in 1880 by members of Washington, and other churches. It is of frame and cost about $900, and was ded- icated (in 1880) by Dr. W. G. Miller. There is no regular pastor.
Armstrong society, located in Armstrong, was organized in June,
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188-, with the following. as constituting the original membership : John J. Walkup and wife, Mrs. Narcissus Harvey, Mrs. Fugate, Mat- thew Markland, Belle Krouse, William MeCully and wife, Miss Ida MeCully, Mrs. Bettie Walker, Mrs. Cynthia Hannah, Mrs. Lucy Mor- ris, S. B. Weir, M. D. Alverson and wife, Mrs. Francis, Jane Domy - seventeen in all. The church, a frame building, erected in 1881, cost $1,800, and is a union church, owned by the Christian, Baptist, Pres- byterian and M. E. South denominations. June 2, 1881, it was ded- icated by Rev. J. H. Pritchett. The pastors have been : Rev. W. F. Bell, Rev. W. Warren. Its membership is twenty-nine.
Sharon church was organized in 1876. They worship in a build- ing owned by the M. E. south, Presbyterian and Baptist. The church building cost about $1,500.
Besides these, there are churches known as Roanoke, Franklin, Clark Capel, Cooper Chapel, Ebenezer Church, and Smith's Chapel.
The Methodist Episcopal church was organized at Glasgow, De- cember 28, 1844. The preaching places were Glasgow and Soul's chapel. Thomas Johnson was the first preacher in charge, and William Patton was the presiding elder. The trustees for the church at Glasgow were William D. Swinney, John Bull, William N. Smith, William F. Dunvica, K. L. Barton, Benjamin W. Lewis and Jesse Arnot. Of these, three are now living. K. L. Barton and William F. Dunnica are living in Glasgow, and Jesse Arnot in St. Louis. James S. Thomson was elected first Sabbath school superintendent. At a quarterly meeting hekl April 5, 1845, the question of the division of the church was brought up, and it was unanimously decided to con- cur with the annual conference in the division of the church, and from this time the church was called the Methodist Episcopal Church South. The names of the first members were as follows: B. W. · Lewis, James Y. Williams, J. S. Thomson, John F. Nicholas, J. M. Sexton, George Humphreys, W. G. Brown, Elias R. Barton, R. P. Hanenkamp, Mrs. Carter, L. Wilson, Thomas Mead, T. N. Cockerill, Mrs. Elizabeth Barton, Mrs. Lacy, Jesse Arnot, Noah Swacher, G. B. Dameron, W. F. Dunnica, Charles Gilliam, James B. Lewis, Mrs. William Barton, T. Emmerson. Present pastor is Rev. A. Mizell.
M. E. Church ( North ), at Glasgow, was organized in the fall of 1865, with the following members : B. W. Lewis, James W. Lewis, Jennie Lewis and Noah Swacher and wife. The name of the first pastor was D. A. MeCrady. Its membership now numbers forty-four. This church is now the only organization of that branch of the M. E. Church (North ) in the county. Another organization was started at Gillie's chapel, below Glasgow, but it has not now any existence.
HISTORY OF CHARITON COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
Introduction-Importance of Early Beginnings-First Settlements-Earliest Perma- ment Settler - Where the Settlements Were Made -Thomas Stanley - General Duff Green and Colonel Cooper - Indians Frightened at a Steamboat -The First Mill - What Major Daniel Ashby Says About It-The First Steam Mill.
INTRODUCTION.
Sixty-three years have passed since Chariton, one of the oldest and fairest daughters of Howard County came into existence. Most wonderful have been the changes, and mighty have been the events and revolutions, the discoveries and inventions that have occurred within this time.
Perhaps since " God formed the earth and the world," and tossed them from the hollow of his hand into space, so many great things have not been accomplished iu any sixty-three years. Reflection can- not fail to arouse wonder, and awaken thankfulness that God has appointed us the place we occupy in the eternal chain of events. Tennyson and Browning, Bryant and Whittier, Lowell and Longfel- low have sung. The matchless Webster, the ornate Sumner, the elo- quent Clay, the metaphysical Calhoun and Seward, have since reached the culmination of their powers, and passed into the grave. Macau- ley, Thiers, Gizot and Froude have written in noble strains the his- tory of their lands ; and Bancroft and Prescott and Hildreth and Motley have won high rank among the historians of the earth ; Spur- geon and Punshon, and Beecher and Moody have enforced with most persuasive eloquence the duties of morality and religion.
Carlyle and Emerson, and Stuart Mill and Spencer have given the
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results of their speculations in high philosophy to the world. Mexico has been conquered ; Alaska has been purchased ; the centre of popula- tion has travelled more than two hundred and fifty miles along the thirty- ninth parallel, and a majority of the States composing the American Union have been added to the glorious constellation on the blue field of our flag. Great cities have been founded and populous countries developed : and the stream of emigration is still tending westward. Gold has been discovered in the far West, and the great civil war - the bloodiest in all the annals of time - has been fought. The tele- graph, the telephone and railroad have been added to the list of the most important inventions. In fact, during this time, our country has increased in population from a few millions of people to fifty millions .. From a weak, obscure nation it has become strong in all the elements of power and influence, and is to-day the most marvellous country for its age that ever existed.
IMPORTANCE OF EARLY BEGINNINGS.
Every nation does not possess an authentic account of its origin. Neither do all communities have the correct data whereby it is possi- ble to accurately predicate the condition of their first beginnings. Nevertheless, to be inten-ely interested in such things is characteris- tic of the race, and it is particularly the province of the historian to deal with first causes. Should these facts be lost in the mythical tradition of the past, as is often the case, the chronicler invades the realm of the ideal and compels his imagination to paint the missing picture. The patriotic Roman was not content until he had found the " first settlers," and then he was satisfied, although they were found in the very undesirable company of a wolf, and located on a drift, which the receding waters of the Tiber had permitted them to pre-empt.
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