History of Howard and Cooper counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages : together with a condensed history of Missouri, a reliable and detailed history of Howard and Cooper counties-- its pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens, general and local statistics of great value, incidents and reminiscences, Part 13

Author: National Historical Company
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1198

USA > Missouri > Cooper County > History of Howard and Cooper counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages : together with a condensed history of Missouri, a reliable and detailed history of Howard and Cooper counties-- its pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens, general and local statistics of great value, incidents and reminiscences > Part 13
USA > Missouri > Howard County > History of Howard and Cooper counties, Missouri : written and compiled from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of its townships, towns, and villages : together with a condensed history of Missouri, a reliable and detailed history of Howard and Cooper counties-- its pioneer record, resources, biographical sketches of prominent citizens, general and local statistics of great value, incidents and reminiscences > Part 13

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In giving the bill of fare above we should have added meat, for of this they had plenty. Deer would be seen daily trooping over the prairie in droves of from twelve to twenty, and sometimes as many as fifty would be seen grazing together. Elk were also found, and wild turkeys and prairie chickens without number. Bears were not nn- known. Music of the natural order was not wanting, and every night the pioneers were Inlled to rest by the screeching of panthers and the howling of wolves. When the dogs ventured too far out from the cabins at night, they would be driven back by the wolves chasing

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them up to the very cabin doors. Trapping wolves became a very profitable business after the state began to pay a bounty for wolf scalps.

All the streams of water also abounded in fish, and a good supply of these could be procured by the expense of a little time and labor. Those who years ago improved the fishing advantages of the country never tire telling of the dainty meals which the streams afforded. Sometimes large parties would get together, and, having been provided with cooking utensils and facilities for camping out, would go off some distance and spend weeks together. No danger then of being ordered off a man's premises or arrested for trespass. Que of the peculiar circumstances that surrounded the early life of the pioneers was a strange loneliness. The solitude seemed almost to oppress them. Months would pass during which they would scarcely see a human face outside their own families.

On occasions of special interest, such as election, holiday celebra- tions, or camp-meetings, it was nothing unusual for a few settlers who lived in the immediate neighborhood of the meeting to entertain scores of those who had come from a distance.

Rough and rude though the surroundings may have been, the pioneers were none the less honest, sincere, hospitable and kind in their relations. It is true, as a rule, and of universal application, that there is a greater degree of real humanity among the pioneers of any country than there is when the country becomes old and rich. If there is an absence of refinement, that absence is more than compen- sated in the presence of generous hearts and truthful lives. They are bold, industrious and enterprising. Generally speaking, they are earnest thinkers, and possessed of a diversified fund of useful, practical information. As a rule they do not arrive at a conclusion by meaus of a course of rational reasoning, but, nevertheless, have a queer way of getting at the facts. They hate cowards and shams of every kind, and above all things, falsehoods and deception, and cultivate an integrity which seldom permits them to prostitute themselves to a narrow policy of imposture. Such were the characteristics of the men and women who pioneered the way to the country of the Sacs, Foxes, Kickapoos and Pottawatomie Indians. A few of them yet remain, and although some of their descendants are among the wealthy and most substantial of the people of the county, they have not forgotten their old time hospitality and free and easy ways. In contrasting the present social affairs with pioneer times, one has well said : -

" Then, if a house was to be raised, every man ' turned out,' and

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often the women, too, and while the meu piled up the logs that fash- ioned the primitive dwelling-place, the women prepared the dinner. Sometimes it was cooked by big log fires near the site where the cabin was building ; in other cases it was prepared at the nearest cabin, and at the proper hour was carried to where the men were at work. If one man in the neighborhood killed a beef, a pig or a deer, every other family in the neighborhood was sure to receive a piece. " We were all on an equality. Aristocratic feelings were unknown and would not have been tolerated. What one had we all had, and that was the happiest period of my life. But to-day, if you lean against a neighbor's shade tree, he will charge you for it. If you are poor and fall sick, you may lie and suffer almost unnoticed and unattended, and probably go to the poor-house ; and just as like as not the man who would report you to the authorities as a subject of county care would charge the county for making the report."

Of the old settlers, some are still living in the county, in the enjoyment of the fortunes they founded in early times, " having reaped an hundred fold." Nearly all, however, have passed away. A few of them have gone to the far west, and are still playing the part of pioneers. But wherever they may be, whatever fate may betide them, it is but truth to say that they were excellent men, as a class, and have left a deep and enduring impression upon the county and the state. " They builded better than they knew." They were, of course, men of activity and energy, or they would never have decided to face the trials of pioneer life. The great majority of them were poor, but the lessons taught them in the early days were of such a character that few of them have remained so. They made their mistakes in business pursuits like other men. Scarcely one of them but allowed golden opportunities, for pecuniary profit, at least, to pass by unheeded. What are now some of the choicest farms in Howard county were not taken up by the pioneers, who preferred land of very much less value. They have seen many of their prophesies fulfilled, and others come to naught. Whether they have attained the success they desired, their own hearts can tell.

To one looking over the situation then, from the standpoint now, it certainly does not seem very cheering, and yet, from the testimony of some old pioneers, it was a most enjoyable time, and we of the present live in degenerate days.

At that time it certainly would have been much more difficult for those old settlers to understand how it could be possible that sixty- five years hence, the citizens at the present age of the county's pro-

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gress would be complaining of hard times and destitution, and that they themselves, perhaps, would be among that number, than it is now for us to appreciate how they could feel so cheerful and contented with their meagre means and humble lot of hardships and depriva- tions during those early pioneer days.

The secret was, doubtless, that they lived within their means, however limited, not coveting more of luxury and comfort than their income would afford, and the natural result was prosperity and con- tentment, with always room for one more stranger at the fireside, and a cordial welcome to a place at their table for even the most hungry gnest.

Humanity, with all its ills, is, nevertheless, fortunately charac- terized with remarkable flexibility, which enables it to accommodate itself to circumstances. After all, the secret of happiness lies in one's ability to accommodate himself to his surroundings.

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 out " 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 almost total lack of such conveniences in early days. A brief

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description of the accommodations possessed by the tillers of the soil will now be given.

Let the children of such illustrions 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 been 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 cultivate 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- ergetic 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 days, when there were no roads, no bridges, no ferry boats, and scarcely 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

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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 streams, 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 public 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 canse 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 was 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

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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 flour 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 frolics. 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, ducks, 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 ‹leer, 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

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the Missouri river, and in fact, on all the important streams in the county. Many of the early settlers, during the late summer, would 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 have generally 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

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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 incessant 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- nations 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 ou 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.

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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 states adopting it, much local business was transacted by the commissioners in each county, who constituted a county court, with quarterly ses- sions.

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 legal enactment concerning the system, provided that, whereas, " particular townships have many things which concern ouly 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 appurtenances 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,

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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- owed 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 each 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.

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Author: National Historical Company Publication date: 1883 Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co. Number of Pages: 1198

Author: National Historical Company
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: St. Louis : National Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 1198