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 71
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 71
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" At this moment, a horseman came galloping up in great trepi- dation, and informed the little family that the Indians were coming by the thousands, and that they were already this side of Flat creek. On receiving this intelligence, Mike, in great terror, said to his wife, ' My God ! Sallie, I can't wait for you any longer,' and suiting his actions to his words, he took to his scrapers in such hot haste that at the first frantic jump he made, he full fell at length, bleeding and trembling on the rocks. But the poor fellow did not take time to rise to his feet again. He scrambled off on 'all fours' into the brush like some wild animal, leaving his wife and children to take care of themselves as best they could. He evidently acted upon the princi- ple, that ' It is better to be a live coward, than a dead hero.'
" Reuben B. Harris was from Kentucky. He was a country lawyer ; had no education, but was a man of good natural ability. He settled the place where Montraville Ross now lives, on Flat creek. He settled here in 1827. He was also a great hunter.
" Hugh Morrison was a Kentuckian. In 1827, he settled the place where the widow of Henderson Finley now lives.
" John Gabriel was also from Kentucky, and settled at Richland, at a place two and a half miles east of Florence. He moved there at a very early period, in 1819 or 1820. He had a distillery, made whiskey and sold it to the Indians. He was a rough, miserly character, but honest in his dealings. He was murdered for his money in his horse lot, on his own plantation. He was killed by a negro man belonging to Renben B. Harris. The negro was condemned and hung at Boon- ville. Before his execution, this negro confessed that he had killed Gabriel, but declared that he had been employed to commit the mur- der by Gabriel's own son-in-law, a man named Abner Weaver. This villain escaped punishment for the reason that the negro's testimony
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was then, by the laws of the United States, excluded as inadmissible. Justice, however, overtook him at last. His crime did not stop at the instigation of Gabriel's murder. He was afterwards found in pos- session of four stolen borses somewhere in Texas. In endeavoring to make his escape, he was shot from one of these horses, and thus ended his villainy.
" The first church erected in this neighborhood was built by the Cumberland Presbyterians. It was of logs, and stood near the old graveyard. It was built about the year 1835. Here, for many years, this denomination annually held the old fashioned camp-meet- ings, at which large numbers of the old citizens were wont to congre- gate, and here many of them would sometimes remain for days, and even weeks, on the ground in camps and tents, engaged in earnest de- votion. But this order of things and this manner of worship have long since gone into disuse. Not a hawk's eye could now discern a single mouruer's track, and every vestige of the old church and camp have vanished like the mist before the morning sun, and the primitive religious customs have been entirely abandoned.
" In the foregoing sketches I have briefly glanced at the lives and characters of most, in fact, nearly all of the older citizens who figured in the history of New Lebanon settlement, which then com- prised our own township, and included the country between the La- mine and Flat creek. Most of them belonged to a class of men which have since passed away.
" It is not my purpose to make invidious comparisons between them and those of the present day. It is but justice, however, to say, that with few exceptions, they were men of great moral worth, true and tried patriotism, and scrupulous integrity."
OTTERVILLE.
"I come now to take a brief survey of matters connec- ted with a later date. The town of Otterville was first called Elkton. It was laid out by Gideon R. Thompson, in the year 1837. The first house built, stood where Judge Butler's house now stands. The public square occupied the space of ground now lying between Butler's and Geo. W. Smith's, extending east to a line running north and south, near the place where Frank Arni's house formerly stood. William G. Wear entered the forty acres on which Elkton was built, in the year 1836, and sold it to Thompson in 1837. About that time Thompson built the first house as before stated, and he and George Wear built a storehouse directly east of Thompson's dwelling, and little George Wear built a
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dwelling-house on the present site of Colburn's house. James Al- corn built on the north side of the square about the same time. ' Long' George Wear built the first house within the present limits of Otterville proper, where W. G. Wear's house now stands.
" The town of Otterville was regularly laid ont by W. G. Wear in 1854, though several houses had been built previous to that time within its present limits.
" There was no post-office at Otterville until about 1848. The mail for this neighborhood was supplied from Arator post-office, kept by General Hogan, where Van Tromp Chilton now lives. W. G. Wear was the first postmaster. He held the office until 1851, when the writer of these sketches was appointed, who held the office about ten years. The mail route was a special one from Arator, and was carried on horseback. W. R. Butler was the first contractor, and employed James H. Wear, son of W. G. Wear, to carry the mail twice a week. The mail carrier- then a small boy - now one of the leading merchants of St. Louis, made the trip twice a week, riding a small grey pony called . Tom,' which had been bought of Tom Milam, who was then a well known character of the neighborhood. About the time the town was first established, several houses were built on or near the public square.
" Among these were the Masonic hall ; the dwelling-house built by George W. Embree, north of the hall ; one by Samuel Wear, now occupied by John D. Strain ; one by Harrison Homan, in which he now lives ; and about this time Robert M. Taylor built an addition to the Taylor house. The brick store-house known as the Can- non & Zollinger store-house, was not built until about the year 1856.
" The Masonic lodge, called Pleasant Grove Lodge No. 142, A. F. and A. M., was established on the 15th day of July, A. D., 1854. A. L. 5854. The dispensation was granted by the M. W. G. M., of Missouri, L. S. Cornwell, on the 6th day of November, 1854. This dispensation was granted to the following named persons : Wm. E. Combs, Harrison Homan, S. H. Saunders, Wm. Devine, Tarleton T. Cox, Strawther O'Rourk, Moses B. Small, Aaron Hupp, Wm. A. Reed, Wm. R. Butler, Robt. M. Taylor and Geo. W. Embree. The charter was granted May 31, 1855, and signed by L. S. Cornwell, G. M .; Oscar F. Potter, D. G. M .; J. W. Chenoweth, D. G. W. ; Henry E. Van Odell, J. G. W. The first officers were as follows : S. H. Saunders, W. M .; Aaron Hupp, S. W. ; H. Homan, J. W .; R. M. Taylor, treasurer ; W. R. Butler, secretary ; George W. Em- bree, S. D. ; Strother O'Rourk, J. W., and R. J. Buchanan, tyler.
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" The Odd Fellows' lodge was established in October, 1856, un- der the name of Otterville Lodge No. 102, I. O: O. F.
The first officers were as follows : W. G. Wear, N. G. ; H. A. B. Johuston, V. G. ; Samuel M. Homan, secretary, and John S. John- ston, treasurer.
" The present Cumberland Presbyterian church was built by Milton Starke, in the year 1857.
" The old Presbyterian church was built by John D. Strain, in 1866, and is now owned by the Baptists.
" The Methodist and Christian churches were built about the same time, in the year 1872. The former was built by M. C. White, and the latter by T. C Cranmer and T. M. Travillian. They are both neat brick buildings, and an ornament to our village.
" The public school building was erected in 1869, costing $6,000.
" The Pacific railroad was completed to Otterville from St. Louis in 1860, and this place for a short time became the terminus. Whilst the road remained here, and in fact for a long time previous, Otter- ville commanded quite a brisk trade, presenting a very active and business-like appearance, and, indeed, for a time it flourished like a " green bay tree." But it was not destined to enjoy this prosperity long. The railroad company soon pulled up stakes and transferred the terminus to the then insignificant village of Sedalia, which, at that time, being in its infancy, had scarcely been christened ; but, though young, it soon rose like magic from the bosom of the beautiful prairie, and in a few years Sedalia has become the county seat of one of the richest counties in the State, and a great railroad centre, while truth compels me to say that Otterville has sunk back into its original ob- scurity.
" The town of Otterville was incorporated by an act of the Legis- lature of Missouri, on the sixteenth day of February, 1857.
" About the year 1860, for a short period, a considerable whole- sale business was done here. Among the wholesale establishments were the following : W. G. Wear & Son ; Cloney, Crawford & Co., from Jefferson City ; Clark & Reed ; Concannon ; the Robert Brothers ; Lohman & Co., etc., etc.
" About this time the Mansion house was built by a man named Pork, the Embree house by George W. Embree and Chris. Harlan. The latter was quite a large hotel near the depot, and was afterwards moved to Sedalia by George R. Smith, and about the same time several other houses were moved by different parties to that place. There was, after this time, a considerable business done in a
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retail way around the old public square. Among the most prominent merchants here were W. G. Wear & Son, and Cannon & Zollinger, who carried on a large and profitable trade for many years.
" But having already extended these notes far beyond what I had at first anticipated, I am admonished to close them rather abruptly, lest they become wearisome. They were prepared at a very short notice, and might have been made much more interesting, had suffic- ient time been given the writer to arrange them with some regard to order.
" I hope that due allowance will be made by an appreciative public for this defect in this hastly-written memorandum.
" In conclusion, I will take occasion to say, that one hundred years ago, where we meet now to rejoice together at the happy com- ing of our first centennial, this part of Cooper county, nay, even Coop- er county itself, was a howling wilderness. The hungry wolf and bear; the elk and the antelope; the wild deer and the buffalo roamed about undisturbed, save by the feeble arrows of the red man.
" To-day, through the little village of Otterville, within a very few yards of this spot, a double band of iron, stretching from the At- lantic to the Pacific, connects San Francisco with the city of New York. Over these lines of metal rails ponderous trains are almost continually passing to and fro, freighted with innumerable articles of the rich merchandise of the east ; the varied productions of the west ; the teas and silks of China ; the silver of Arizona, and the gold of California."
Otterville contains at this time about four hundred population. It has three general stores, one hardware and grocery store, two drug stores, one confectionery, one furniture store, two blacksmith shops, one saloon, two hotels, four churches, one school.
CHAPTER X.
PALESTINE TOWNSHIP.
Boundary - Physical Features- Early Settlers -Samuel Peters killed a Hog- Marriages - First Cistern - Education - Dancing School - Banner -School Exhibition - Excite- ment over Examinations.
BOUNDARY.
Palestine township is bounded on the north by Pilot Grove and Boonville townships, on the east by Clark's Fork township, on the south by Kelly and Lebanon townships, and on the west by Clear Creek and Pilot Grove townships.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The surface of the township is generally level, with the exception of a strip of rough land extending near the eastern side, and also an- other strip near the western side. The township is well supplied with timber and water ; much of the soil is of excellent quality. The re- gions of cultivation may be said to exist in a portion along the eastern side, extending north and south, a portion in the centre of the town- ship, and a tract in the southwestern part.
EARLY SETTLERS.
William Moore and Joseph Stevens were the first settlers of Pal- estine township. William Moore emigrated from North Carolina, and settled abont eight miles south of Boonville, in the timber close by a good spring, north of and adjoining the farm where Jenus White, Esq., now resides. His family consisted of George W., William H., James, Andrew, John, Thomas, Robert and Joseph H. Moore, and Margaret, Sallie and Mary Moore ; seven sons and three daughters. Margaret married Judge Lawrence C. Stephens, in 1818. Sallie mar- ried Colonel John H. Hutchison, and Mary married Harvey Bunce. Colonel Hutchison was sheriff of this county for four years, and rep- resentative for two years. Judge Stephens was representative for four years, and county judge for one term, and Harvey Bunce was sheriff for eight years, representative for two years, and a member of the state convention in 1865. There are only two of the Moore chil
(709)
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dren now living, viz. : Joseph H. Moore, and Margaret Stephens, widow of the late Judge L. C. Stephens.
Mrs. Margaret Stephens says that in the fall of 1816, after her father settled in this county, she went to Boonville with her uncle, a Mr. McFarland, and on their arrival she asked her uncle where Boonville was, thinking she was coming to something of a town. Her uncle pointed to Robidoux's store, a round log cabin, with the bark on the logs, and said : " There's Boonville." They then dismounted, and, after mak- ing some purchases, returned home. That store-house was the only building which she then saw at Boonville. It is also certain, from other good evidence, that the place on which Boonville now stands was called " Boonville " before any town was built or located here.
Mrs. Stephens also tells of the first church she attended in the neighborhood, which was held at the house of one of the settlers. Luke Williams, the preacher, was dressed in a complete suit of buck- skin, and a great many of his audience were dressed in the same style. She was so dissatisfied with the appearance of things in this county that she cried during the whole of the services, but soon became accustomed to the new order of things, and was well contented. At that meeting grease from the bear meat, stored in the loft above the congregation, drop- ped down and spoiled her nice Sunday shawl, which was a fine one, brought from North Carolina, and which could not be replaced in this backwoods country.
Joseph Stephens, Sr., was the next settler of what is now called Palestine township. He emigrated from Kentucky, and stopped a year and a half near Winchester, East Tennessee. In the fall of 1817 he, in company with several others, started for Cooper county, and landed at Boonville on the 15th day of November, 1817.
Before they arrived they had bought land in what is now Pales- tine township. They remained at the place called " Boonville," and were piloted to their new home by Major Stephen Cole. They crossed the Petite Saline creek at the McFarland ford, at the place where Rankin's mill is now situated. The only persons at that time living in that part of the county were William and Jacob McFarland on the north, and John Glover on the south side of the creek. After cross- ing the creek they soon entered the Lone Elm prairie, and on the evening of the same day they arrived at their new home, where they camped for the night.
A hunter by the name of Landers had made his camp in the bot- tom, near the present residence of Joseph Stephens, Jr., and had an
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acre of growing corn and fifteen hogs, which were purchased by Jo- seph Stephens, Sr. Mr. Landers then "pulled up stakes " and moved farther west. The next spring James D. Campbell settled on the hill south of Bunceton, Peter Stephens one-half of a mile north of Old Palestine, and William Stephens and John Kelly three and one-half miles southeast of Joseph Stephens, near the Moniteau creek. These men were the sons and sons-in-law of Joseph Stephens, Sr., and emigrated to Cooper county with him.
The next year ( 1818 ) Samuel Peters settled about two miles north of Joseph Stephens, at a place now called Petersburg, on the Osage Valley and Southern Kansas railroad. He also had a large family of boys and girls ; Samnel and Newton C. Peters were his sons. One of his daughters married Mr. McFarland ; one James Hill, who was sheriff of this county for eight years ; one Harvey Parker ; Katie Peters married Thomas Patrick, and afterwards Samuel Cole ; and Sallie, the younger, married James Gallagher.
When Samuel Peters raised his dwelling he invited his neighbors to come and help him, stating that he would, on that occasion, kill a hog and have it for dinner. As this was the first hog ever butchered in this part of the state, and as very few of the settlers had ever tasted pork, it was no little inducement to them to be present and as- sist in disposing of such rare and delicious food ; for the settlers, pre- vious to that time, had subsisted entirely upon wild game. Always, on such occasions, they had a little " fire-water " to give life to the occasion.
In the winter of 1818, Miss Rhoda, the daughter of Joseph Stephens, Sr., was married to Dr. B. W. Levens, the ceremony being performed by the Rev. Luke Williams. On the same evening Miss Elizabeth, the daughter of Samuel Peters, and James Hill were united in marriage by the same minister. The two last mentioned had been engaged for some time, yet did not expect to be married so soon. But Mr. Peters declared that if they intended to marry, they must do so that night or never. So the parson immediately went down to Mr. Peter's house, and in accordance with the statutes in such cases made and provided, pronounced them husband and wife.
Colonel Andrew and Judge John Briscoe settled in the same township in 1818. They were both very prominent men, and promi- nent leaders in their respective parties, Andrew being a whig, and John a democrat.
Some of the other early settlers were Henry, Hiram, Heli and Harden Corum, Mr. Tevis, the father of Captain Simeon Tevis,
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
Thomas Collins, Jacob Summers, Michael, James and William Son, Johnj and Joseph Cathey, James, David and John H. Hutchison, Nathaniel Leonard, John and Andrew Wallace, Henry Woolery, Hol- bert and Samuel Cole, James Bridges, James Simms, Russell Small- wood, Thomas Best, Greenberry Allison, Wm. C. Lowery, Anthony F. Read, and others. No better citizens than those mentioned above ever settled in any community.
Mr. Greenberry Allison dug the first cistern in the county, which proved to be a great success, and caused many of his neighbors to imitate his example, as they had, previous to that time, been com- pelled to depend for water upon springs and wells.
Palestine township, from the beginning, took the lead in educa- tion. The first schools were taught by Lawrence C. Stephens, Dr. William H. Moore, and a young man from Virginia by the name, also, of William H. Moore, who was considered the best scholar in his day in this part of the country. The teachers of a later day were Mr. Huff, Green White, Josiah Adams, now residing in California, Mis- souri, and Philip A. Tutt. The first grammar school was kept by a Mr. Rodgers, at the residence of John Wallace.
The first dancing school was opened in 1832, at the residence of B. W. Levens, about a quarter of a mile east of the present site of Bunceton, by a man named Gibson. He was a polished gentleman, and an excellent teacher, and was the first to introduce " cotillions," which were, until that time, noknown in this part of the country. Mr. Gibson at that time had two other schools ; one at Boonville, and the other at Arrow Rock, and he tanght, during the week, two days at each place.
The names of a few of the dancers who attended the school at B. W. Levens' residence, who are at present remembered, are as fol- lows : Newton C. Peters, David Hutchison, Andrew B. Moore, John M. Briscoe, Mr. Huff, Daniel Ogle, Thomas and Bonaparte Patrick, Thomas and Luther Smith, James Corum, Joseph S. Anderson, Green White, Andrew Collins and Tobe Briscoe. Misses Margaret and Elizabeth Hutchison, daughters of James Hutchison ; Elmina Ann and Sarah Ardell Hutchison, danghters of John H. Hutchison ; Zerilda and Emarine Levens, Mary and Patsy Briscoe, Katie and Sallie Peters, Susan and Rhoda Campbell, Parthena Kelly, Jaily Collins, Annie Best, and a Miss Ramsey.
Most of the persons mentioned above have been dead many years. Among the gentlemen, Mr. Huff was alive a few years ago, although he has not been heard from for some time. So far as is
CHARLES E. LEONARD PALESTINE TP. COOPER CO. Mo.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY.
4- 197 AND P. S.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
known none of the other gentlemen are alive. Of the ladies, Mar- garet, Elmina Ann and Sarah Ardell Hutchison, Margaret Stephens, Zerilda Levens, Patsy Briscoe, Katie and Sallie Peters, and Rhoda Campbell, were alive in 1876-the others are all dead.
On the first day of January, 1845, Henry C. Levens was em- ployed at Lone Elm, John D. Stevens in Palestine district, Joseph L. Stephens in the Harrison district, in the Bunceton neighborhood, and George H. Stephens in the Round Grove district, to teach the re- spective schools for three months. All these districts are now in school township 47, range 17. These teachers found that the people were not sufficiently aroused to the great importance of giving their children a good education, and for some time had been studying to discover some plan by which to bring the patrons of the school to a full knowledge of their responsibility.
They knew that the parents could not be forced to perceive the vast importance of education by merely telling them of its benefits ; but in order to produce this change inducements must be placed directly before both parents and pupils - something tangible and sufficiently inviting to awaken them from their lethargy. They thought that they must determine upon some plan to create and keep up an excitement, so as to induce the patrons to continue their schools for a longer period than three months, thereby benefiting both teachers and pupils.
They finally agreed upon the plan of offering a banner to the school, which, taking all the classes into consideration, had made the most progress at the close of the school. The examination for the awarding of the banner was to take place at Old Palestine. On the first day the classes in arithmetic, geography and grammar were to be examined, and on the second day the four schools were to have a joint exhibition, consisting of speeches and dialogues.
The above named teachers, in accordance with an agreement among themselves, on the opening day of their schools placed the whole subject before the pupils, and gave them until the next day to decide whether they were willing to enter the contest or not, and the members of each school unanimously voted in favor of their teacher's proposition.
This produced a greater excitement than was contemplated or wished for by the teachers - an excitement that was more difficult to control than to create. All classes of the people took a deep interest in the progress of the schools, and they received frequent visits from trustees, parents and others.
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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.
On the days of the examination at Old Palestine the pupils of the different schools marched in double file to the place of examina- tion, with music and banners, with appropriate mottoes in advance. The girls of each school were dressed in the same colored dresses, and the boys wore badges of the same color as the dresses of the girls of the school to which they belonged. On each day there was a very large attendance to witness the examination and exhibition.
The excitement became so great that the teachers instructed the judges not to make any award, particularly as the pupils of all four schools had acquitted themselves so well that it would have been al- most impossible to decide between them. After it became known that, because of the general excellence of the schools no award would be made, the excitement attending the contest soon quieted down. The examination and exhibition gave universal satisfaction, and al- though when the schools closed it was spring, and the busiest time of the year, all four of the teachers were offered schools again at the same places. After this schools were well attended and supported in Palestine township, and has continued so even to the present day.
Although the object of these teachers was partly selfish, in that they wished to procure constant employment, they conferred innumer- able blessings upon that and following generations, by creating among the settlers a desire to give their children every opportunity of ac- quiring a good education.
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