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 16

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 16
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 16

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Mrs. Jones says the first birth in the county (and in Franklin township, occurred in the family of Elder David McLain.

The first persons to die from disease were Daniel Monroe's wife and infant child.

Thomas Smith was the first shoemaker in all the Boone's Lick country, and his wife, Sarah, was an adept in the art of making moc- casins. Dr. Tighe was the pioneer physician of the township, and made his home for a short time at Andrew Smith's.

While Mrs. Jones was stopping at the house of Daniel Boone, in St. Charles county, she saw the old hunter eating raw-meat quite often. He seemed to be especially fond of raw venison and preferred it to the most delicately cooked and highly seasoned viands. His early life was such -living almost constantly in the woods - that he was at times compelled to eat raw meat, and becoming habituated to the use of it, he learned to like it.

Mrs. Jones, is now in the eighty-second year of her age, and is in the enjoyment of good health and an excellent, vivid memory. She resides with her son, James Snoddy, who was a child by a former marriage. She is active and industrious, and voluntarily does her part of the household work - preferring a life of industry, even at her advanced age, to a life of indolence and ease.

When asked whether she would like to live over again the years of her pioneer life, she answered with much earnestness: "If I knew where there was such a country as this was seventy years ago, I would go to it, as old as I am." We hope that the brittle thread of life may be lengthened out to this octogenarian many spans, and that by and by it may be said of her : -

Of no distemper, of no blast she died,

But fell like autumn fruit that mellow'd long; Even wondered at, because she dropt no sooner. Fate seemed to wind her up for four-score years ; Yet freshly ran she on ten winters more ;

Till like a clock worn out with eating time, The wheels of weary life at last stood still.

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

Matthew Mullins and sister, who .now reside in Franklin township, were also in one of the forts ( Hempstead), in 1815, but being small children, respectively two and four years of age, they now have no recollection of any of the early events that transpired during that memorable era in the history of the county.

Mrs. Polly Jones, Matthew Mullins and sister are the only persons now living in Howard county, who lived in the forts. Ephraim MeLain, of Saline county, and Samuel Cole and Thos. McMahan, and his brother Jackson, of Cooper county, also resided in the forts during the war of 1812, where they remained for several years. These are all the survivors of that early day that the author could hear of, now living in Howard and adjacent counties. There are doubtless a few others in California and elswhere throughout the country, but they are few in number, and are "Waiting by the river."

KIT CARSON.

Among the men who once lived in Franklin township, who afterwards achieved a notoriety in western annals, was the great scont, Kit Carson. He was born in Madison county, Kentucky, on the 24th day of December, 1809, and his father, Lindsay Carson, emigrated to Howard county in 1810, bringing his family with him. After their arrival, they built a cabin and raised two small crops and then with other old settlers in that portion of the county, went into Fort Kincaid. After the war, his father appren- ticed him to David Workman, who then resided at Franklin, to learn the saddler's trade. He remained with Workman two years ; his labors becoming irksome, he left, and in 1826, he joined a party destined for the Rocky mountains. Crossing the plains at that day was a dangerous undertaking. There were then no guides and charts, and nothing indicating springs and camp-grounds. These onses of the American Sahara, had not at that time been pressed by the feet of the white man. They had been trodden only by the buffalo, the wild horse and the savage Indian. The man, therefore, who crossed the plains to Santa Fe, was in every sense of the word, a hero. Kit went into Santa Fe, New Mexico, which country thereafter became the field of his remarkable and daring exploits. He remained in that country, until his death, which occurred in 1869. Quite a number of his relations now reside in Howard county. Among these, are Ham- ilton Carson, his brother, and George H., James T., Frank, George W., and Dudley Carson, his nephews.

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

HARDEMAN'S GARDEN.

In the history of Franklin township, we should not forget to mention " Hardeman's garden," which was located about five miles above Old Franklin, nearly opposite to the mouth of the La Mine creek. It was a vine-clad, rose-covered bower, the prototype of the renowned " Tulip grove " of that public benefactor, Henry Shaw, of St. Louis. The founder of this celebrated garden, Mr. John Harde- man, was of German extraction, a gentleman of fortune, and pos- sessed remarkably fine taste iu horticulture. He was ambitions to ex- cel in this inviting field, and to gratify his inclinations, laid off' ten acres in an exact square for a botanic garden, sparing neither expense nor labor in adorning it with fruits, flowers and shrubs, indigenous and exotic. Serpentine walks, paved with shells, conducted the ad- miring visitor through this charming court of Flora, where, amid zephyrs of the richest perfume, flowers of the most beautiful hue greeted the eye, and fruits of the most delicious flavor tempted the palate. It was a place-

Where opening roses breathing sweets diffuse, And soft carnations shower their balmy dews ; Where lilies smile in virgin robes of white, The thin undress of superficial light; And varied tulips show so dazzling gay, Blushing in bright diversities of day.

This beautiful garden was finally engulfed in the Missouri river, the first encroachment of that treacherous stream occurring in 1826, when a large portion of it was swallowed up. Mr. Hardeman, how- ever, continued the cultivation of such portions of the garden as were left, until about the time of his death, which took place in 1829. A sweet honeysuckle still grows in the yard where Mary S. Hanna now lives, in Fayette, that was taken from the Hardeman garden in 1829. At the date mentioned, Mrs. Louise Boone, wife of Hampton L. Boone, and Miss Malinda Owen, daughter of General Ignatius P Owen, of Fayette, made a visit to the garden and, when leaving, Mr. Harde- man gave them the honeysuckle, then a small vine. This is the only relic of that once far-famed and lovely garden that exists in this part of the country.

FRANKLIN.

This town ( named after Benjamin Franklin, the philosopher), afterwards called " Old Franklin," in contradistinction to New Frank-

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER 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 Monday 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 H. Benson, William V. Rector, John W. Scudder, 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 filled 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 historic 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 of the supreme court of the state), General Robert P. Clark and Cyrus Edwards (the two latter distin- gnished lawyers ), Dr. H. 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. Brickey, Andrew S. Mc- Girk (afterwards judge ), Price M. Prewitt, J. C. Ludlow, W. Moss,

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER 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, HI. V. Bingham ( the great artist, whose accom- plished pencil has perpetuated many of the scenes and incidents re- sulting from the enforcement of Order No. 11), Alphonso Wetmore (author of first Gazetteer of Missouri ), Henry and Charles Carroll, Judge David Drake, Giles Samuel, 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 suffi- ciently numerons 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 Howard county man and woman, as they sean 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 seene, in buying, selling and packing goods, practising mules, etc., etc,, 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 means 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 outfits 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 COOPER 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. Giles Samuels was a business man. Alexander McCausland 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 McGirk, John F. Ryland, Robert MeGavick, Cyrns 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 continned to be the county seat of Howard county, until

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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 Masonic 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 immediately west of the depot. Two or three bnsi- 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 abont 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 civilized society. Here I am, on the extreme frontier of the settlements of our country, but would not exchange places with you for all your boasted luxuries. I can, 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 legislalure in the winter of 1820, 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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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 earved a great serpent, and as the steam eseapes ont of its mouth, it runs out 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 deseerating 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 ont 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 eseapes 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 ease 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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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 from here called Cole's fort, that had its share of trouble ; also one above the La Mine river. One of the men, Mr. MeMahan, from there, was coming down to Cole's fort on business ; when about two miles 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. McMahan, 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. McMahan was shot through the body. He 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 early settlers. They have 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 fellow named Reames, who bowed politely to all who came in and asked for something to drink, and I was told the whiskey had actually not had time to cool before it was dealt out to customers, having been brought all the way from a Mr. Ilouxe'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 Old 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, 1823, Taylor Berry. December 13, 1824, Giles M. Samuel. August, 5, 1831, J. W. Redman. September 16, 1839, Wmn. Harley. October 23, 1839, J. S. Lawson.

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

May 18, 1841, Geo. Chapman.

October 6, 1843, Isaae N. Bernard.

January 9, 1845, C W Bartholomew.

July 24, 1846, J. G. McCauley. December 14, 1848, Wm. Neilson.

September 17, 1850, Robert Colman.

May 17, 1855, J. W. Chilton.

June 22, 1865, J. G. McCauley.

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. H. 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 the n 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 7th, 1833. The original trustees were : Abiel Leonard, David Workman, Nathaniel Hutchison, Joshua Hobbs, Alphonzo Wetmore, Lewis Switzler, and Lindsay P. Marshall.

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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