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 72

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 72
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 72

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CHAPTER XI.

PILOT GROVE TOWNSHIP.

Boundary -Physical Features -Early Settlers -Camp-meetings - Schools and Mills -Pilot Grove - Bill Anderson - First Business Houses of Pilot Grove - Newspaper- Secret Orders-Pilot Grove Collegiate Institute - Shipments for 1882- Incidents of the War.

BOUNDARY,

Pilot Grove township is bounded on the north by Lamine town- ship, on the east by Boonville and Palestine townships, on the south by Palestine and Clear Creek townships, and on the west by Clear Creek and Blackwater townships.

PHYSICAL FEATURES.

This is a very irregular township in shape. In the northwestern and southeastern parts the land is rough, yet admitting of cultivation. The eastern and southwestern portions are comparatively free from roughness and admit of the highest cultivation. The township de- rived its name from the following fact : When travellers were passing on the route from Boonville to Independence, or in the neighborhood of this route, as it led through the township, they were enabled at once to determine their position by the small grove of trees which was plainly visible for miles around. Very little of the present tim- ber was in existence except as low brush, so that the group of trees standing prominently above all the rest proved a pilot to the traveller in his journey across the then extensive prairie. Hence the name " Pilot Grove."

EARLY SETTLERS.

The township was settled about 1820, though the exact time is not known. Among the early settlers we may mention the names of John McCutchen, John Houx, Jacob Houx, L. A. Summers, James McElroy, Samuel Roe, Sr., Samnel Woolridge, Enoch Mass, Absalom Meredith, Azariah Bone, who was a Methodist minister ; John Rice, a blacksmith ; a Mr. Magee, after whom " Magee Grove" was named, and Samuel Gilbert, whose success in after life as a cancer doctor was

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

a surprise to all and a familiar theme of conversation among the old settlers. There were also William and James Taylor, Jr., who were among the pioneers,

CAMP-MEETINGS.

This township in early times was celebrated for its camp-meetings, there being two camp grounds within its limits ; one held by the Pres- byterians and the other by the Methodists. These camp-meetings, which were held by each denomination once a year, were largely at- tended, many persons coming from great distances. Many camped on the grounds, entertaining " without money and without price" the people who attended, and were particularly hospitable to strangers from abroad. Among the early ministers who attended the meetings at this camp ground were Jesse Green, Azariah Bone, and Samuel Gilbert. The latter afterwards became noted as a cancer doctor, and opened an infirmary in Memphis, Tennessee, and at one time resided in New York.

SCHOOLS AND MILLS,

Among the earliest school teachers to exercise his calling in Pilot Grove township was Thomas P. Cropper, who taught in the township in 1828-29, and, being quite an original genius, his name should be preserved.

" The people all declared how much he knew; 'Twas certain he could write and cipher, too. Lands he could measure, lerms and tides presage, And even the story ran that he could gauge."

The first mill was erected by a man named Hughes. It was a horse mill, and stood on one of the branches of the Petite Saline.

PILOT GROVE.

Pilot Grove is located on the northeast quarter of section 5, town- ship 47, range 18, in Pilot Grove township, and is surrounded by a beautiful and most excellent farming country. The farmers are gener- ally thrifty and are year by year bettering their condition and availing themselves of the latest inventions in farming implements and ma- chinery. The town was laid off in 1873 by Sand Roe, and is situated on the Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad, twelve miles southwest of Boonville. As early as 1836, the government located a post-office about one mile from the present town site and called it Pilot Grove, appointing John MeCutchen postmaster. He continued to hold the office at his home for many years and was finally succeeded by Samuel Roe, Sr., who now lives in Pilot Grove. Mr. Roe held the office

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

until after the war of 1861, and was succeeded by Mr. E. H. Harris. The present postmaster is Dr. A. H. Thornton.

Pilot Grove, as a post-office and place of rendezvous for the sur- rounding inhabitants, is one of the oldest in the county, and takes its name from an ancient grove of hickory trees, located upon the high prairie in the immediate vicinity.

BILL ANDERSON.

'Twas while Mr. Roe was acting as postmaster at his residence, where the neighbors had gathered upon a bright afternoon in the spring of 1864, awaiting the arrival of the mail, that the dreaded " Bill Anderson " suddenly appeared with his guerrillas, and forming the trembling citizens into line, proceeded to divest them of their personal valuables.

Mr. William Mayo, one of the citizens, refused to deliver up his elegant gold watch, and started to flee ; passing the house he was joined by Mr. Thomas Brownfield, who had kept himself concealed. The guerrillas, of course, gave pursuit, and overtaking Mr. Mayo, who had become separated from Mr. Brownfield, they killed him by a pistol shot in the face.

One guerrilla had pursued Mr. Brownfield, who was endeavoring to reach a thicket of brush some rods distant. The guerrilla fired repeatedly upon Mr. Brownfield, wounding him in the hand, when, upon a near approach, Brownfield, who was armed, and a man of nerve, suddenly turned, and covering him with his revolver, compelled the guerrilla to retreat. This act doubtless saved his life, since it en- abled him to reach the coveted thicket, from which concealment he defied his foes, who dared not penetrate his retreat, and who, after surrounding the thicket, and being several times fired upon by the desperate man within, sought less dangerous fields of conquest.

The first business house in the town was moved to Pilot Grove from Dr. W. P. Harriman's mill, about the year 186 -. It is the building now occupied by Mr. Ellis, merchant. The first dwelling- house was erected by a Mr. Hayner, who was a harness maker and saddler. Dr. J. W. H. Ross was the first physician in the place. Peter Beach was the first shoemaker. The town is now improving, not only rapidly but substantially. It contains four general stores, one drug store, one hardware store, two tin shops, one furniture store, one saddle and harness shop, two restaurants, two millinery stores, one lumber yard, three blacksmith and wagon shops, two hotels, one barber shop, one shoemaker shop and two livery stables. In the edge

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

of the town there is a good public school, while near the centre of the town is located the Pilot Grove Collegiate Institute, a popular and flourishing school. There are also two secret orders, two churches and a printing office, from which is issued a weekly paper, called the Pilot Grove Bee. The paper was established the first week in Sep- tember, 1882, by James Barton. It is a seven column folio, and democratic in politics. There is also a commodious depot and two or three grain warehouses.

During the coming fall (1883) it is expected upon the part of the merchants and business men of the town, that a bank will be opened by parties who have the matter under consideration.

Pilot Grove Lodge No. 334, I. O. O. F. Charter members - W. B. Jernijan, Preston Phillips, Joseph Murphy, J. W. Nixon, T. D. Smith. The lodge was organized April 9, 1875.

Present officers-I. W. Martin, N. G. ; E. C. Moore, V. G ; W. R. Annan, secretary ; N. W. Williams, treasurer. The lodge has forty-five members.

Charter members of William D. Muir Lodge No. 277 A. F. and A. M .- C. C. Woods, W. M. ; R. W. Masten, S. W. ; A. J. Harrison, J. W. ; George B. Judy, treasurer ; N. T. Allison, secretary ; H. Arm- strong, S. D. ; Charles Long, J. D .; J. H. Younger, tyler, and G. T. Paxton.

Present officers - H. W. Harris, W. M .; J. L. Judd, S. W .; George Judy, J. W. ; N. R. Harris, treasurer ; W. F. Johnson, secre- tary ; M. Rust, S. D. ; J. I. Burges, J. D. ; Charles Long, tyler.

PILOT GROVE COLLEGIATE INSTITUTE

was founded in 1878, and chartered in 1881. It was under control of N. C. Johnson, who was educated at Fulton, Annapolis naval aca- demy and Chicago college of music. At his death the school fell into the hands of C. B. and W. T. Johnson, the former educated at St. Mary's college and Kentucky military institute (both in Kentcky), the latter educated under tuition of C. B. and C. N. Johnson, and at the Brandenburg seminary, Kentucky, and Shelbina college, Mo.

Growth - 1878-79, 68 pupils ; from a distance, 15. 1879-89, 90 pupils ; from a distance, 23. 1880-81, 101 pupils ; from a dis- tance, 35. 1881-82, 107 pupils ; from a distance, 36, 1882-83, 123 pupils ; from a distance, 58.

Building consists of seven rooms ; three large study halls - one for ladies, one for gentlemen, and one for primary pupils ; a library well furnished and fitted for reading room, in which are over one

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

thousand books - open every Saturday night for pupils ; three other good-sized rooms, two of which are furnished with beautiful upright grand pianos, metronomes, charts, musical blackboards, etc.

All the rooms throughout the building are furnished to suit pur- poses for which they are intended.

Geological and zoological cabinets, philosophical apparatus, etc., necessary to illustrate the physical sciences, are supplied to the school.

FACULTY FOR 1883-84.

C. B. Johnson and W. F. Johnson, principals ; Mrs. B. Johnson, preceptress ; Miss Lizzie Pendleton, directress of conservatory of music ; principal of primary, to be supplied ; voice culture, to be sup- plied. Chartered in six courses.

SHIPMENTS FOR 1882.

The shipments made from this point for 1882, by the railroad, will be found below :

Wheat -

317 car loads.

Hogs

66 66

Cord wood

Oats

Sheep Cattle

Logs

Mixed stock -

Potatoes

Emigrant outfits

The above shows an increase of about 125 cars over the preceding year.

INCIDENTS OF THE WAR. [Furnished by W. G. Pendleton.]

The following narration of the killing, during the late war, of citizens of our community, by lawless bands, upon either side, is doubt- less correct in the main, yet in view of the considerable lapse of time since the occurrence of these events, the falibility of the human memory, and many other circumstances which would have their effect, it would not be strange should error exist in some of the more minute details.

Considering in the order of time in which it occurred, I mention first the killing of Joseph Sifers, two miles north of Pilot Grove, which took place about the beginning of the war. He was a Union man, whose house was surrounded at night by unknown men, who demanded of him his fire-arms. Purporting to have them hidden up-

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

on the outside of his dwelling, he went out intending to discover who they were ; when, doubtless, under the belief that his life was in dan- ger, he ran, endeavoring to reach a cornfield adjacent, but in the at- tempt was shot down by a sentinel of the party. It was never known who perpetrated this outrage.

In the summer of 1864, during a revival meeting in the southern Methodist Episcopal church at Pilot Grove, Capt. Todd, one day dur- ing the hour of service, surrounded the building with a company of about sixty savage looking bushwhackers, who rudely entered the sacred house, stopped the services, and uncermoniously ejected the worshippers. After refreshing themselves with the eatables prepared for the occasion, and selecting such horses as they desired, from the many secured to the trees near by, they departed, taking with them two citizens, Peter Mitzell and Otho Zeller as hostages, as they called them, whose safety would depend on the good conduct of the citizens, in not pursuing, intercepting or informing on them, there being, at that time, state militia stationed at various places around.

These two unfortunate men were that night barbarously butch- ered some miles east of here, near Lone Elm Pairie, and their bodies found a day or two later. Zeller had belonged to the state militia, which fact, to those who knew the character of the guerrillas, accounts for the reason of his being killed. Mitzell was loyal, though a very quiet and inoffensive man ; he had, a short time previous, met a squad of guerrillas, and mistaking them for militia, had, doubtless, indis- cretely expressed his sentiments, for which offence, in a time when men were killed for opinion's sake, he paid the forfeit with his life.

The same party of bushwhackers, returning a day or two later, passed through the German settlement three miles west of here, and killed two citizens, John Diehl and - Vollmer, who, it seems, un- fortunately fell into the same error as Mitzell, of mistaking them for Federal troops, a number of them being dressed in blue.

A Mr. Nichols was killed near Bell Air, in this county, during the same summer of 1864. This act was committed by a band of Hall's state militia. Mr. Nichols was a Kentuckian, a conservative Union man, and very quiet and peaceable. The provocation of this crime, if any, was never known.

Thomas Cooper, of this vicinity, was arrested in the fall of 1864, in James Thompson's store, in Boonville, by militia, taken to a se- cluded spot near the fair grounds, and brutally murdered and his body mutilated. Cooper was a southern man, and known to his neighbors as quiet, tolerant and inoffensive.

CHAPTER XII.

PRAIRIE HOME TOWNSHIP.

Boundary - Physical Features - Early Settlements - Prairie Home - Prairie Home Lodge A. F. and A. M., No. 503 - Prairie Home Institute - Its History.

BOUNDARY.

Prairie Home township is bounded on the north by Saline town- ship, on the cast by Monitean county, on the south by Monitean township and on the west by Clark's Fork township. Prairie Home township was taken from the territories of Clark's Fork, Saline and Moniteau townships, and was organized a few years ago - in 1872.

PHYSICAL FEATURES.

This township is generally level and undulating, being mostly prairie. The soil is good and produces well. The northern portions of the township are settled by Germans who are thrifty.

EARLY SETTLERS.

The oldest settlers, according to the best information that can be obtained, were James McClain, Lacy McClanahan, Adam McClanahan, Jacob Carpenter, Absalom McClanahan, Michael Hornbeck, Samuel Carpenter, William N. McClanahan, William G. Mcclanahan, and Jeremiah Smith.

It appears that these men were located in this township previous to 1820, as their votes were recorded in that year. Some of them may not be confined to the limits of the township, but they were not far distant from the line.

The history of this township is so closely connected with that of the three townships mentioned above, from which it was taken, that it will not be repeated at this place. For its history the reader is refer- red to that of the three named townships above.

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

PRAIRIE HOME.

This little village is located on section 20, township 47, range 15. The first store was erected by James Boswell. John Zimmerman began business in 1874. The first blacksmith was William Dorder- man. The present business firms are U. E. & D. L. Davis, hardware merchants ; William Stemmons and A. H. Workman, blacksmiths ; W. S. Gibson, dentist ; A. J. Lacy, S. M. Teel, and J. W. Poin- dexter, physicians. James W. Jones is the present postmaster, and J. L. Sholl is the proprietor of a drug store and grocery combined.

PRAIRIE HOME LODGE NO. 503, A. F. AND A. M.

Organized July 30, 1881. Number of original members eleven. C. R. Scott, first and present W. M. Hall erected over Prairie Home M. E. church in 1881, and cost $1,500. Number of present member- ship twenty-three.

PRAIRIE HOME INSTITUTE.

This institution is located about fourteen miles south of Boon- ville, in Cooper county, on a high, rolling prairie, beautifully varie- gated and interlined with groves of original timber. It is situated in township No. 47, range No. 15, section No. 20, and is in the centre of almost a circle, the radii of which is fourteen miles from Boonville, Rocheport, Providence, Sandy Hook, California and Bunceton. The enterprise was projected in 1865 by Rev. A. H. Misseldine, and success- fully conducted for several years. In 1869 Dr. W. H. Trigg, of Boonville, purchased the institution under mortgage. A few days thereafter it was sold to Wash. A. Johnston, and in the fall of 1869, sold by him to the public school district. Under this manage- ment the school was conducted by Professor Edgar Dunnaway and wife ; then by Miss Margaret McPhatridge, now Mrs. William H. Ellis, Jr. In May, 1871, in convention, the district empowered Mr. G. G. Wilson to dispose of the buiding to a teacher who would con- duct a boarding school for the education of both sexes. Through Mr. Wilson and the township board, the house was sold to A. Slaughter, then president of the Texas prairie high school, Lafayette county, Missouri.

The institute having been thoroughly repaired and remodeled by Professor Slaughter during the summer of 1871, he formally opened the institute on the 11th of September with the following corps of

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

teachers : Miss Mary Jane Lauderdale, Miss Laura A. Slaughter, Mr. Joel H. Abbott. There was a large attendance of pupils in the various departments, which continued with a constant increase until October 3, 1874, when the institute with its contents was destroyed by fire, without insurance. The loss was quite severe on the principal and his family, but this was partly alleviated by citizens who promptly and liberally contributed in money, and otherwise, to the wants of the family. Dr. William H. Ellis, Dr. J. W. Porter, Wash. A. John- ston, C. M. Carey, Mike Wells, Henry Wells, W. C. P. Taylor, Colonel Robert McCulloch, Captain A. Hornbeck, C. R. Scott, Ben- ton Brosius, Robert Brosius, Mrs. Reavis, Mrs. Daniel Hunt, Kelly Ragland, Colonel William Pope, Rev. William M. Tipton, William M. McClanahan, T. J. Ellis, Captain F. A. Rodgers, Mike Keilly and brother, William Kirchman, T. Jenkins, Mason Smith, Rev. G. B. Tutt, Willie L. Stephens, J. E. Taliaferro, James Brosius and Robert Bruce, promptly rallied around the principal in a liberal en- couragement and support of a new and superior edifice, while the smoke was still ascending from the old.

A committee, consisting of Wash. A. Johnston and Professor Slaughter, was appointed to make a contract for rebuilding, which was let the 31st of October, 1874.

Notwithstanding the extreme severity of the winter, the building was completed April 1, 1875. Professor Slaughter opened with a good school on the 26th of April, which continued with increasing in- terest to the commencement exercises, on the 14th of June, 1876, which was witnessed by over two thousand persons. The sixth annual session opened with increasing patronage on the 4th of September, 1876. The institution was regularly chartered under the following regency : Dr. J. W. Porter, president ; Wash. A. John- ston, treasurer and secretary ; W. C. P. Taylor, Captain A. Horn- beck and Mike Wells. The building was then presented to Professor A. Slaughter, under the condition that he or his family shall main- tain a boarding school for the education of both sexes in the sciences, during a period of ten years, after which it shall be theirs in fee.

The discipline is that of a well regulated family. Both sexes are boarded and taught in the institution. It is not under the control of any denomination, and all regularly ordained ministers are invited to preach in the " chapel " when not otherwise occupied, provided abuse of faith on tenets of other denominations are not practised. It will be seen the location renders the pupils free from all the temptations,

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

which they have to encounter in the large cities and towns, which is at once apparent to the thoughtful mind.

The session of 1875-76 opened with the following corps of instruc- tors : Professor A. Slaughter, principal ; Professor E. R. Taylor, Mrs. Louisa F. Wiatt, Miss Annie R. Pettibone, Mrs. Laura W. Slaughter, matron. Since 1876, Professor A. Slaughter has had charge of the institute a portion of the time - up to June, 1880. In 1881 there was no school, but in 1882, and the present year, 1883, Professor W. H. Rea has been the principal, and has managed the school ably and successfuly.

The building is capable of accommodating seventy-five pupils as boarders. We can but admire the energy and enterprise which char- acterized the efforts of all connected with the [institution in the past ; and with the same application hereafter upon the part of its friends and patrons, the school will have a bright and prosperous future.

CHAPTER XIII.

SALINE TOWNSHIP.

Boundary - Physical Features - Early Settlers - Church - School - Washington - Houstonville - Men Who were Killed During the War.

BOUNDARY.

Saline township lies in the northeastern part of Cooper county, bounded on the north by the Missouri river, on the east by Moniteau county, on the south by Prairie Home township, and on the west by Clark's Fork and Boonville townships.

PHYSICAL FEATURES.

Lying as it does in close proximity to the Missouri river it is naturally hilly, save where the bottom lands of the Missouri river and Petite Saline creek lie.

EARLY SETTLERS.

Saline township was settled as early as 1812, by Joseph Jolly, who had only two children, John and William. He settled in the up- per part of what has ever since been known as "Jolly's bottom," which received its name from him. He remained in this township until 1826, when he removed to the " Stephen's " neighborhood, in Pales- tine township. He there set ont the first apple orchard in that part of the country, and erected a horse mill which would grind a bushel of corn an hour, and this was considered by the people of that day as a great achievement. He peddled apples, cider and ginger cakes at all the musters and elections.

William Jolly was a gunsmith, a wheelwright, a blacksmith, a cooper, a miller, a distiller, a preacher, a doctor and a farmer. John Jolly kept a ferry across the Lamine river, on the lower ferry road, which is still known as "Jolly's ferry." The next settlers of this township were William Lamm, James and John Turner, Joseph Purs- ley, Levin Cropper, Henry Levins, B. W. Levins (the grandfather, and father of Henry C. Levens, of Boonville ), Josiah Dickson, Charles Force, John Farris, Thomas Farris, Jesse Wood, David Fine, Joshua

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HISTORY OF HOWARD AND COOPER COUNTIES.

and Lacy McClanahan, George Dickson, Frederick and James F. Con- nor, John Calvert, Adam and Absalom McClanahan, Elverton Cald- well, Noding Caldwell, Joseph Westbrook, Alexander Woods, Robert Givens, Leonard Calvert, August McFall, Alexander R. Dickson, William Calvert, Jr., James Farris and Robert Dickson.

At what time these men settled here is not known to the present generation, but they certainly arrived between 1816 and 1820, for they all voted at Boonville at the Angust election in the latter year.

William Lamm settled in the bottom in 1816, and Henry and B. W. Levens and Levin Cropper came here in 1817 or 1818, as they voted in 1819, and the law required that a person should reside in the county one year before he could vote.

Henry Levens was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1774, married at Hagerstown, Maryland, and emigrated to Washington county, Pennsylvania, where all his children were born. He after- wards emigrated to Randolph county, Illinois, and lived there about fifteen years. His wife being dead and all his children of age, he emigrated, with his son, to Cooper county. He died at his old home in Illinois, in 1838. He was a soldier during the whole of the Revolu- tion, and received a pension for same till his death.

Big Lick church, belonging to the Baptist denomination, was built at a very early time, and is now, and has been for many years in a flourishing condition. John B. Longdon was the first pastor of this church.

The first school in the township was taught by John M. Stillman, an eastern man, at a place now occupied by the Highland school house, about 1820.

One of the first schools in this township, was taught by a man named Rollins. He was a very fair scholar for the times, and pleased his patrons with the advancement which was made by his pupils.

Just before Christmas, in the year 1828, the boys of this school had determined to " turn the teacher out," and force him to treat the pupils, by taking him to the creek and ducking him. This proceed- ing, though showing little respect for the dignity of the teacher, generally had the desired effect. The fear of it in this case, had the desired effect, for the teacher, hearing of the plans of the pupils vol- untarily gave them a week's holiday, and on New Year's day treated them to a keg of whiskey. This, no doubt, will sound strange to most of our citizens at this day, but it is nevertheless true.

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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