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 69
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 69
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Three wine cellars.
Two depots.
One express company.
Telephonic and telegraphic facili- One gas works. ties.
It will be seen that Boonville contains nearly 200 different kinds of business interests, representing about all the industries and profes- sions of this part of Missouri.
Two undertakers.
CHAPTER V.
BLACKWATER, CLARK'S FORK AND CLEAR CREEK TOWNSHIPS.
Blackwater Township - Boundary - Physical Features - Early Settlers -Clark's Fork Township -Boundary - Physical Features - Early Settlers - Clear Creek Township - Boundary - Physical Features - Early Settlers.
BLACKWATER - BOUNDARY.
This township is a peninsula, being almost entirely surrounded by the Lamine and Blackwater rivers. It is bounded on the north by Lamine township, from which it is separated by the Blackwater river ; on the east and south by Pilot Grove and Clear Creek townships, from which it is separated by the Lamine river, and on the west by Saline and Pettis counties.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
Besides the two streams mentioned (Lamine and Blackwater ), there are a number of smaller water courses among which is Heath's creek, all of which water the township in many different localities.
The soil is rich and exceedingly productive. The bottom land is low and swampy, and the ridge land fertile and susceptible of early cultivation. In the bottom, corn and timothy are grown in large quantities ; on the ridge land, corn, wheat, oats, tobacco, potatoes and all kinds of garden vegetables are produced in great abundance. The different kinds of wood are ash, beach, black oak, black walnut, cherry, cottonwood, elm, maple, hickory, redbud, sugar tree, white oak and white walnut.
The minerals which are found in this township are iron, which appears in large deposits, and lead, which crops out on every hillside.
There are, in this township, six salt and a great number of fresh water springs. Salt was successfully manufactured at these springs as early as 1808, and from that time till 1836 the manufacture of it was carried on pretty extensively by Heath, Bailey, Christie, Allisou and others.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
EARLY SETTLERS.
William Christie and John G. Heath temporarily settled in this township in 1808, but only remained long enough to manufacture a small quantity of salt, when they returned down the river. James Broch, the first permanent settler, arrived in 1816 ; Enoch Hambrich came in 1817 ; David Shelleraw, in 1818, and planted an acre of cot- ton which yielded very well. George Chapman, the father of Mrs. Caleb Jones, came in 1818; Nathaniel T. Allison, Sr., in 1831; Fleming Marshall and Robert Clark, in 1832; Nathaniel Bridgewater, in 1835, and Edmund M. Cobb and Larkin T. Dix, in 1838.
CLARK'S FORK TOWNSHIP - BOUNDARY.
Bounded on the north by Boonville township; on the east by Prairie Home and Saline ; on the south by Moniteau and Kelly, and on the west by Palestine township.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The township is watered by Clark's Fork, with its tributaries, and the tributaries of the Petite Saline creek. There is possibly more prairie in this township, than in any other township in the county.
EARLY SETTLERS.
From the best information that can be obtained, John Glover was the first settler of this township, he having located there in the year 1813. He built a log cabin on the south bank of the Petite Saline creek, and cleared a few acres of ground near where Rankin's mill now stands, but nothing is known of his history.
The next settlers were Zepheniah Bell and John C. Rochester. The last named gentleman was a grandson of the founder of the city of Rochester, New York, who, having lost a princely fortune by hav- ing to pay a large security debt, sought seclusion by emigrating to this country and the society of the people who required nothing save honesty and industry to admit a person into their social circles. He married Miss Sallie Kelly, a beautiful and accomplished lady, the daughter of James Kelly, who was an honored soldier of the revolu- tion. He was well educated considering the times, and his occupa- tion was that of a farmer. He died in the township many years ago. Mr. Bell was also a farmer, a good citizen and an honest man. He has been dead many years.
Some of the other old citizens were Joshua H. Berry, William Read, William and Reuben George, Clayton Hurt, Samuel Carpenter,
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
Edward, Andrew and Charles Robertson, James, Robert and Joh Johnston, Samuel, Robert and William Drinkwater, Gabriel Tits- worth, William Shipley, Acrey Hurt, Peter Carpenter, George Craw- ford, George W. Weight and Martin Jennings.
George Crawford was the first assessor of Cooper county, which office he filled for many years. He was also a member of the legis- lature from this county. Judge George W. Weight was born in Dutchess county, New York, on the 22d day of February, 1784. When quite young, having been, by the death of his parents, left alone in the world, he emigrated to West Virginia, and from thence to Ross county, Ohio, where he married Miss Elizabeth Williams. In 1820 he, with his family, moved to Howard county, Missouri. In
1822 he settled in Clark's Fork township, Cooper county, and lived there until his death, which occurred on the 29th day of January, 1857. He taught school in West Virginia, Ohio and Cooper county. He was a good violinist, and in his early days taught dancing school. He was judge of the county court and county surveyor of Cooper county for many years. He also represented the county in the state legislature.
It will be observed that some of the old settlers mentioned above really lived in that part of Clark's Fork township which was lately annexed to Boonville township. The Petite Saline creek was formerly the dividing line between the townships above mentioned, and but little information as to the location of the old settlers in respect to this dividing line could be obtained.
It may be safely stated that the average farming land within this township is equally as productive as that of any other in the county. There is a little poor land in the township, but the farmers are gen- erally prosperous. There is no town located within its limits.
CLEAR CREEK TOWNSHIP - BOUNDARY.
Clear Creek township is bounded on the north by the Lamine river or Blackwater township ; on the east by Pilot Grove and Palestine townships, and on the south by Lebanon and Otterville townships.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The surface of this township is exceedingly rough in the northern and western portions of the same, but in the southern and eastern portions there are some fine farms, embracing some of the richest lands in the county. The township is still well timbered, and is pene- trated by the Lamine river and numerous smaller streams.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
. EARLY SETTLEMENT.
Among the early settlers of this township was James Taylor, who had three sons, William, John and James. He emigrated from the state of Georgia to New Madrid, Missouri, where he witnessed the long series of earthquakes which occurred in 1811 ; from thence he moved to Cooper county in the year 1817. He had a large plantation, raised and always had on hand large quantities of corn, upon which, when cribbed, he placed a certain price, and would not dispose of it until he could get for it what he asked. He was a very eccentric, plain, matter of fact kind of man, and was charitable to such as would work, but he had no patience with a lazy, trifling or profligate person. He was also a good judge of human nature.
At one time when corn was very scarce throughout the county, and very little conld be had for love or money, two men came to Mr. Tay- lor's house asking to purchase some corn, of which he had a large quantity, on credit, as neither of them had any money with which to pay. One was very poorly dressed, with his pants torn off below his knees, and what there was remaining of them patched all over. The other was almost elegantly dressed. Mr. Taylor sold the poorly dressed man, on credit, all the corn he wished. He told the other one that " he could get no corn there, unless he paid the money for it, and that if he had saved the money which he had squandered for his fine clothes he would have had sufficient to pay cash for the corn."
He had a large number of negroes, and required them during the day to perform a great deal of work. Shovel plows were mostly used in his day, and the wooden mole board just coming into use. It is related that the shovels of Mr. Taylor's plows had, at one time, worn off very blunt, and he was averse to buying new ones, so that one negro man plowed once around a field before he discovered that he had lost the dull shovel to his plow, the plow running just as well withont as with it. He was a leader in the Baptist church, and was a devoted member, a kind neighbor and a strictly honest man.
Jordan O'Bryan, a son-in-law of James Taylor, was also one of the early settlers of this township. He was born in North Carolina, moved to Kentucky when young, and to Cooper county in 1817. As will be seen, he was elected to the state legislature in 1822, 1826, 1834 and 1840, eight years in all ; in 1844 he was elected state senator for four years. He was a fluent speaker, a man of no ordinary talents, and an uncompromising whig. In about 1830 he removed to Saline township, where he remained until his death.
45
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
Charles R. Berry, the father of Finis E. Berry, Isaac Ellis and Hugh and Alexander Brown, are among the oldest citizens ; others of a later date were Herman Bailey, William Ellis, Samuel Walker, A. S. Walker, H. R. Walker, Finis E. Berry, James and Samuel Mahan, the Rubeys, Jeremiah, William G. and Martin G. Phillips, Samuel Forbes, Ragan Berry, Hiram Dial, Samuel and Rice Hughes and Willis Ellis.
Lamine river, the bottom lands of which are very fertile, forms the boundary line between this and Blackwater townships. The greater part of the population are Germans, who have proved themselves to be a very industrious and thrifty people. They have mostly settled on the hills which the Americans thought too poor to cultivate, and have made them " bud and blossom as the rose." They have succeeded in raising good crops, made good livings and have been generally pros- perous and happy. In the hills they cultivate the grape very success- fully, and a large amount of wine is manufactured here every year. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad runs about five miles through this township, furnishing the inhabitants transportation for their sur- plus productions.
CHAPTER VI.
KELLY TOWNSHIP.
Boundary - Physical Features -Early Settlers - Churches - Schools - Mills - The Township Democratic - Bunceton -Its History - Secret Orders.
BOUNDARY.
This township is bounded on the north by Palestine and Clark's Fork townships, on the east by Moniteau township, on the south by Moniteau county and on the west by Lebanon township.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The surface of the township, as compared to Lamine, Blackwater, Otterville and Lebanon townships, is quite regular and consists, in the main, of prairie, diversified with timbered portions of small area. Moniteau creek with its many tributaries, extends through two-thirds of the township from east to west, and Petite Saline creek, waters a portion of the western part of the same. The township was named in honor of John Kelly, one of its old and most respected pioneers.
EARLY SETTLERS.
This township, from the best information which can be obtained, was settled early in the spring of 1818. The first settlers were John Kelly, William Stephens, James D. Campbell, James Kelly, William J. Kelly, Capertou Kelly, William Jennings, General Charles Woods, Philip E. Davis, Rice Challis, Hugh Morris, Jesse White, Hartley White, Jeptha Billingsley, Joshua Dellis and William Swearingen.
James Kelly, who was one of the first settlers in this township, and the father of the other Kellys mentioned above, was a revolution- ary soldier, and died in 1840, at an advanced age. John Kelly, Charles Woods and James D. Campbell, served as soldiers in the war of 1812. The Kellys came from Tennessee, and James D. Campbell from Kentucky.
William Jennings, who was the first preacher in the township, emigrated from Georgia to Cooper county in 1819. He had a large
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
number of slaves, owned a large tract of land and was quite wealthy. He was for many years pastor of "Old Nebo " church, and was an honest man in his dealings with his neighbors.
James D. Campbell was an early justice of the county court and acted in the capacity of justice of the peace for many years. He was a prominent politician, always voting the democratic ticket.
General Charles Woods was for many years the leading democrat in his neighborhood. He was a man of no ordinary ability, of pleas- ing address, and a liberal, high-toned gentleman. He died in 1874, at the advanced age of seventy-eight years.
Joseph Reavis settled in this township in the year 1823. He, together with his sons, Lewis, William T., Jackson and Johnston, for many years carried on the business of manufacturing wagons. They turned out excellent work, and their trade extended for many miles around, their wagons even being purchased by the Santa Fe traders. James L. Collins, who fitted out ten wagons in 1834, for Santa Fe, bought his wagons of Joseph Reavis.
Of the persons mentioned above, all are now numbered with the dead, except Johnston and William T. Reavis, and they were quite young when their father settled in this township.
There was no church within the limits of this township for many years, and the settlers attended the services at Pisgah and " Old Nebo."
The first school within this township of which there is any knowl- edge, was taught by Joseph S. Anderson, who came here about 1824. He was a young man with more than ordinary education, whose only earthly possessions were a horse, saddle and bridle, and a moderately good suit of clothes. A good school teacher being very much needed, he soon succeeded in making up a large school, and taught with great success until 1828, when he was elected sheriff of Cooper county. In 1830 he was re-elected sheriff, and in 1832, he was elected to the legislature from Cooper county. Previous to his death, he became a large land holder and quite a wealthy man. His residence was on the hill north of Bunceton. The place at which he taught school was near the ground on which Hopewell church is located.
For many years afterwards a school was taught at the same place, by Mr. William Robertson, who was a most successful teacher. He has been for many years a very zealous minister of the Baptist church.
The first mill in this township was built by Robert McCulloch, the father of Judge Robert A. McCulloch.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
Rice Challis was a prominent whig, and in respect to his politics stood almost alone in his neighborhood. He was a carpenter by trade, and resided near the present residence of Joseph Reavis. He died a few years ago.
The soil of this township is very productive, and the farmers are generally in good condition, many of them being wealthy. The Pacific railroad is a short distance south of the township, and the Osage Valley and Southern Kansas railroad runs eight miles directly through its centre, affording the inhabitants easy facilities for the shipping of their products.
Corn, grasses and oats, are the principal productions, the farmers being generally engaged in raising stock, which affords them lucrative profits. It has, within its limits, several good public schools, which are taught from four to ten months in each year.
Kelly township always was and is now strongly democratic, never having voted any other ticket from the time that party was headed by General Jackson to the present day. This township was formed from Moniteau and Palestine townships in 1848.
BUNCETON.
Bunceton is situated on sections 4 and 5, township 46, range 17, and on the east side of the Missouri Pacific railroad.
It was laid out in 1868, by Harvey Bunce, Esq., one of the di- rectors (at present ) of the Central National bank of Boonville. He laid ont ten acres of land lying in Kelly township, and the first build- ing was erected by E. B. Bunce. In 1869, Mr. Thomas J. Parrish added ten acres from Palestine township, making twenty acres in the town site. Lots sold rapidly, and soon after the depot of the Mis- souri Pacific railroad was located here, with E. B. Bunce as agent. In 1871, the county court set all of the town in Kelly township. The first business house was erected by J. E. Stephens and E. B. Bunce. Sheriff Rogers and J. M. Stephens soon afterwards built several stores, and in 1869 a handsome and commodious depot was erected by the railroad company.
The Bunceton mill (flouring ) was built in 1874, by Miller, Rog- ers & Co., at a cost of $15,000. It is now in successful operation, having a capacity of about 200 barrels every twenty-four hours.
The town has a population of about 250 persons, and is sur- rounded by excellent farming lands, and favored with a class of people noted for their wealth and general intelligence.
The business of the town is as follows: Two drug stores, two general stores, four groceries, one millinery store, two blacksmith
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
shops, two physiciaus, one lumber yard, one livery stable, one car- penter's shop, one public school, and one flouring mill.
The first postmaster was Henry Withers ; the present postmaster is G. L. Stephens. There are two churches and two secret orders.
Wallace lodge No. 456, A. F. and A. M., was organized October, 1872, with the following charter members : Wesley J. Wyan, W. M. ; William V. Van Ostern, S. W. ; J. W. Rankin, J. W. ; Joshua E. Stephens, secretary, and Thomas J. Wallace, treasurer.
Present officers-R. F. Wyan, W. M .; C. P. Tutt, S. W .; Peter Keyser, J. W .; W. B. Kerns, S. D .; O. F. Ewing, J. D .; Thomas J. Wallace, treasurer ; N. Phillips, secretary.
The Eastern Star lodge was organized in July, 1875 (Olive Chapter No. 107), by H. G. Reynolds. The officers were : S. H. Stephens, W. P. ; A. D. Nelson, W. M .; M. S. Wallace, A. M .; M. E. Stephens, A. C .; Wyan Nelson, treasurer ; J. A. Ramsey, secre- tary. This organization has at this time (1883) no existence.
CHAPTER VII. LAMINE AND MONITEAU TOWNSHIPS.
Boundary - Physical Features - Early Settlers - Churches - Schools - Mills.
LAMINE TOWNSHIP - BOUNDARY.
This township is situated in the northeastern part of Cooper county, and is separated from Howard county by the Missouri river. It is bounded on the north by the Missouri river, on the east by Boon- ville township, on the south by Pilot Grove and Blackwater town- ships and on the west by Saline county.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The surface of the township is rolling and originally covered with a heavy growth of timber. The soil is comparatively rich, and in some localities is very productive. The most substantial farmers are found in the eastern and southern portions. Three sides of the town- ship are surrounded by water.
EARLY SETTLERS.
The township was settled first in 1812, by a few pioneers. The very first settlers were David Jones, a revolutionary soldier, Thomas and James McMahan, Stephen, Samnel and Jesse Turley, Saunders Townsend and some others, who came soon afterwards.
Those who arrived later were John Cramer, Bradford Lawless, John M., David and William Reid, Hezekiah Harris, Elijah Taylor, John, Peter, Samuel and Joseph Fisher, William and Jesse Moon, Rudolph Haupe, Isaac Hedrick, John Smelser, William McDaniel, Wyant Parm, Harmon Smelser, Samuel Larnd, Pethnel Foster, Julius Burton, Ezekiel Williams, and some others at present unknown.
In the year 1812 or 1813 there was a fort, called " Fort Mc- Mahan," built somewhere in this township, but the exact location could not be ascertained.
The township is noted for being one of the most wealthy town- ships in the county. It is noted also for voting always almost unani- mously one way ; it was anti-democratic until 1864, since which time it has been almost as strongly democratic as it was whig in days gone by.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
Lead has been found and worked in paying quantities in this township. It has an abundance of timber of the very best quality, and a large quantity of lumber and cord-wood is shipped every year by means of the Blackwater and Lamine rivers. These streams abound with fish of very fine quality, and the Boonville market is principally supplied by them.
LAMINE.
The first business house was erected in the village of Lamine in 1869, by Samuel Walton ; the next house was built by A. J. Fisher. The present store was opened in November, 1871, by Redd & Gib- son. J. J. Simms, is the blacksmith, and Dr. E. Davidson operates the drug store. Redd & Gibson's store was broken into in February, 1881, the safe blown open and about $700 in money taken. The town contains a Christian and Baptist church. Mr. Redd is the pres- ent postmaster.
MONITEAU TOWNSHIP. - BOUNDARY.
Moniteau township lies in the eastern part of the county, and is bounded as follows : On the north, by Clark's Fork and Prairie Home townships, on the east and south by Moniteau county, and on the west by Kelly township. This township first embraced what is now Prairie Home township, and assumed its present form in 1872.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The surface is divided into three portions, viz. : A comparatively level portion in the north, being widest at the western side ; a tim- bered, rough country in the centre, and a level district in the south, being the widest at the eastern side. Monitean creek, from which the township derived its name, passes through the central portion of the same from east to west.
EARLY SETTLERS.
About the first settler was one Mr. Shelton, a blacksmith, who settled in 1818, where the town of Pisgah now stands. He could re- pair guns, as well as do the heavier work demanded of him, and though his tools were rude in structure and few in number, his work is highly spoken of, and drew to his shop a custom which extended far and near, as he was the only blacksmith in the county, outside of Boon- ville. Among other early settlers were Thomas B. Smiley, Seth Joseph, Waid and Stephen Howard, William Coal, James Stinson, Hawking Burress, David Burress, Charles Hickox, Samuel McFarland,
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
Carrol George, James Snodgrass, Martin George, Mathew Burress, Jesse Martin, Alexander Woods, William Landers, Jesse Bowles, James Donelson, William A. Stillson, Samuel Snodgrass, James W. Maxey, Job Martin, James Jones, David Jones, Augustus K. Longan, Patrick Mahan, Valentine Martin, John Jones and John B. Longan,
Thomas B. Smiley was elected to the legislature from Cooper county in 1820, with Thomas Rogers and William Lillard. He was a man of considerable information, a good historian, and possessed with more than ordinary education. He raised a large family of chil- dren, and died about the year 1836. He was honest and industrious, a strong friend to education, and an uncompromising democrat.
David Jones settled at Pisgah at an early date, but the precise time is not known. Yet it was previous to the year 1820, as his vote was recorded in that year. Ile, with Archibald Kavanaugh, was elected to the state legislature in 1828. He was re-elected representa- tive in 1830, 1832 and 1834 ; in 1836 he was elected state senator for four years. He was defeated for this office by Reuben A. Ewing in 1840 ; but in 1848 he was again elected to the state senate, this making him a member of the general assembly during a period of sixteen years. He was a Democrat, a prominent member of the Baptist church, a good citizen, and noted for his hospitality. He died about the year 1859, loved and respected by all who knew him.
Pisgah and Mount Pleasant churches were built by the Baptists at an early day, and were presided over by John B. Longan and Kemp Scott, who were both able preachers.
Augustus K. Longan moved to Cooper county in the year 1818, and was elected to the state legislature in 1822. He was re-elected in 1844 and 1852, and served in that capacity for six years. He was the father of George Longan, the talented and distinguished minister of the Christian church.
The first school in this township, as far as can be ascertained, was taught by James Donelson. He only professed to teach arithme- tic as far as the " double rule of three."
The first mill was erected by a man named Howard, at what was afterwards known as " Old Round hill." Judge C. H. Smith and an Englishman named Summers also kept a store at that place.
At a later day, Patrick Mahan built a tread-mill, which was a great improvement on the old style " horse mill." Mr. Richard D. Bonsfield kept a store at Pisgah at an early date. He first engaged in mercantile pursuits at Old Franklin, then at Boonville, and finally at Pisgah. He was still living at an advanced age a few years ago.
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