History of Johnson County, Missouri, Part 62

Author: Cockrell, Ewing
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Topeka, Kan. : Historical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1234

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In 1867, J. J. Lee came to Johnson county, Missouri, and purchased eighty acres of land in Post Oak township and engaged in farming and stock raising. At the time of the purchase, this farm was entirely virgin sod and driving a yoke of oxen, Mr. Lee was employed for months breaking the sod. He planted forty acres of the place in wheat and raised twenty bushels of grain to the acre, which he sold for two dollars a bushel. With the proceeds from his wheat crop, Mr. Lee pur-

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chased calves and thus entered the stock business, soon owning a large herd of fine cattle.

J. J. Lee and Bella J. Wylie, born March 9, 1842, in Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, daughter of Joseph Wylie, of Pennsylvania, were united in marriage June 14, 1869. To Mr. and Mrs. Lee have been born four children: Mrs. Vinnie Meyer, Lexington, Missouri; Charles A., Greeley, Colorado; W. H., Sedalia, Missouri; and Mrs. Stella L. Race, Denver, Colorado. Mr. and Mrs. Lee have twelve grandchildren. Both Mr. and Mrs. Lee are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, of which Mr. Lee has been a trustee for many years. The Lee home is a handsome, modern residence, an imposing structure of eight rooms, which was built in 1905 in Leeton, according to plans and specifications drawn by Mr. Lee. The rooms are all large and airy and well lighted and there is both a front and a back stairway in the house. Every- thing about the home is nicely and conveniently arranged. The Lee residence is one of the beautiful homes in Johnson county. Mr. Lee has just completed a cyclone cellar, which is well constructed of concrete.

In 1895, J. J. Lee, J. Ransom Grinstead, and H. E. Fewel laid out the town of Leeton. The original plat of the present flourishing little city included eighty acres of land, but within a short time, sixty acres more were added. Mr. Lee conducted a general store for many years at Burnett Station and later, a store located one-half mile west of the above mentioned establishment. He and his sons were associated in business at this store until 1906, when they sold the place of business and Mr. Lee has made his home in Leeton ever since. In addition to his resi- dence in Leeton, Mr. Lee is the owner of one hundred twenty acres of land adjacent to the city, and a cotton plantation in Oklahoma, which comprises one hundred sixty acres of land. Mr. and Mrs. Lee are highly esteemed in Johnson county and they are numbered among the county's best and most valuable citizens.

A. B. Harris, the efficient and highly esteemed postmaster of Leeton, Missouri, is a representative of a prominent and historic pioneer family of Henry county, Missouri. He was born in 1877 in Henry county, the son of J. M. and Laura Harris. J. M. Harris is the son of Aurelius B. Harris, who was born and reared in Kentucky. Aurelius B. Harris left Kentucky in early manhood and came to Missouri, where he settled in Henry county and engaged in farming, becoming one of the most influential and prosperous citizens of Missouri, in his day. In Henry

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county his son, J. M., the father of the subject of this review, was born. reared, educated, and married. J. M. Harris was united in marriage with Laura Parks, the daughter of Judge James Parks, a leading citizen of Clinton, Missouri. J. M. Harris died in 1912 and Laura (Parks) Harris is now living in Idaho.

The early education of A. B. Harris was received in the public schools of Clinton, Missouri. He later completed his school work at the Clinton Academy. He was born and reared on the farm and all his life has been interested in agricultural pursuits. He was engaged in farming and stock raising in Henry county prior to his coming to John- son county. Mr. Harris is the owner, at the time of this writing, of forty acres of land in Henry county.

In November, 1904, A. B. Harris was united in marriage with Bertha M. Venable, the daughter of A. B. and Martha (Des Combes) Venable. To A. B. and Bertha M. (Venable) Harris has been born one child, a son, A. B. Harris. Jr.

In October, 1914. A. B. Harris was appointed postmaster at Leeton, Missouri. Since his assumption of the duties of postmaster. considerable new equipment has been added in the Leeton postoffice and it has been raised to a third-class office. Mr. Harris is filling his position with much credit to himself and to the entire satisfaction of the city. He is a quiet, unassuming man, who nnostentatiously attends to his affairs. carefully and conscientiously paying heed to the multitudinous details of his business. In his own modest way, he is making a splendid suc- cess in life, but it is no more than one expects of the person bearing the name of Harris-a name that has meant much in the historic annals of this country.

Few people of this generation appreciate the advantages and con- veniences of the United States postal system. If the mails are un- avoidably delayed for a few hours, there is always all over the country much grumbling and complaint. But there was a time, within the recol- lection of many men and women now living in Johnson county, when it was considered a great thing to get mail once a week. Letters were brought to the county by men on horseback. They carried little horns, which they blew loudly as they came into town and all the settlers would flock out of their cabins to meet them. The mail carriers often had to swim all the streams in their way and often were many days behind time, on account of the high water. The postmaster, in those days,

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frequently had to spread the mail out in the sun to dry. It would be placed in a large box and each person would look through all the letters and take those which were his. The children of the early pioneers have become so accustomed to the present splendid postal arrangements that scarcely a thought is given them, except when some unforseen calamity temporarily upsets the ordinarily efficient system.

Thomas S. Robbins, proprietor of "Maplewood Stock Farm" in Hazel Hill township, is a member of a well-known and influential pio- neer family of Missouri . He was born in 1847 in Russell county, Vir- ginia, the son of William and Susan (McGraw) Robbins, both of whom were natives of Virginia, the former, of English and the latter, of Irish lineage. In 1857, the Robbins family moved from Russell county, Vir- ginia, to Missouri and located in Macon county, where the father's death occurred within a short time after coming West. The mother brought her six children to live on a farm in Hazel Hill township, a place owned by Judge Harrison and in 1859 her death occurred. She left six young children orphans, four boys and two girls, one child having died in Vir- ginia, and of the family, Thomas S. Robbins is now the sole survivor. The children of William and Susan Robbins were as follow: Mrs. Sallie Vinson, deceased; Mrs. Eliza Short, deceased; Isaiah, who died in Vir- ginia; John, deceased, his death occurring in Cedar county, Missouri; Henry Claybourne, deceased; Joseph, who died in Oklahoma; and Thomas S., the subject of this review.

T. S. Robbins attended the common schools of Virginia and of Missouri. Before he was fifteen years of age, he enlisted in the Second Missouri Cavalry, serving first under "Fighting Joe" Shelby and later, under Colonel Frank Gordon. Young Robbins was captured in Henry county, Missouri, in 1863. He, with two comrades, was sentenced to be executed, but on account of his youth was not, and was sent to prison. (Thaddeus Dunn, a brother of Mrs. Robbins, was shot at this time.) He was tried at Sedalia and at Jefferson City, but no crime could be proven ; also tried at St. Louis and was sentenced to prison at Alton, Illinois. He escaped with others at Alton, charged the guards, had his thumb shot off, and was recaptured and sent to prison at Sedalia, afterward transferred to Jefferson City and then later to St. Louis, Missouri, where he was a captive for fifteen months. He escaped once, but was recap- tured and held prisoner then until nearly the close of the war. In the spring of 1866, T. S. Robbins returned to Johnson county.

MR. AND MRS. THOMAS S. ROBBINS.

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August 17, 1867, T. S. Robbins and Anne Dunn were united in marriage. Mrs. Robbins is the daughter of Edmund and Zilpha A. (Oats) Dunn. Edmund Dunn was born in 1802 in Virginia and when a child of two years of age, his parents moved to Kentucky, where he was reared and married. He was born in 1802 and Zilpha A. (Oats) Dunn was born in Kentucky in 1811. They were united in marriage February 18, 1834, and to them were born seven children: Josephine Vitula, born March 28, 1837; Thaddeus Theodore, born August 24, 1839, was captured and shot by Union soldiers in August, 1863; Isa- phene Rowena, born November 30, 1842; Tobias L., born September 10, 1844; Columbus K., born January 5, 1847; Anne V., the wife of T. S. Robbins, of this review, born February 7, 1851; and Don Carlos, born August 4, 1853. Columbus K. Dunn, of Warrensburg, and Mrs. Robbins are the only survivors of the Dunn family. The other five children are now deceased and the father died in 1880, the mother in 1887. In the early forties, the Dunns came to Missouri and located first in Newton county, then in Lafayette county, and thence to Johnson county, where they settled on the farm in Hazel Hill township in 1853, on the place now owned by Mr. Robbins. Mrs. Robbins recalls how her father used to "go to mill," on Blackwater at Valley City, taking her with him oftentimes, and the trip was considered a great treat. The old Kirkpatrick Mill at Valley City was the rendezvous for all the early settlers of this vicinity. It was the only building there when Mrs. Rob- bins was a girl and it stood on the banks of Blackwater near the present bridge. Mrs. Robbins has in her possession the old family Bible, which originally belonged to Lewis Dunn's father, the great-grandfather of Mrs. Robbins.

Mr. and Mrs. T. S. Robbins are the parents of five children, two of whom are now living: Edmund D., who was born in 1869. and now resides on a ranch near Drummond, Montana, and he married Laura Hibbs, of Leeton, Missouri, and has four children ( Noravel, aged eight- een years ; Glen Delos ; Florence and Ross Edmund) John E., who was born November 15, 1871, was married to Flora E. Neighbors, of Fay- etteville, Missouri, and now resides at Belloit, Iowa, and has seven chil- dren (Clell I., farming grandfather's place ; Auburn Drummond, Mon- tana; Howard D .; Kenneth L .; Luther; Flemon; Don) Mrs. Lola M. Coates, who was born in 1874 and is now deceased, left one child, Wil- lard; Mrs. Amma P. Artz, who was born in 1876 and is now deceased;

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and Mrs. Eula D. Brown, who was born in 1881 and is now deceased, leaving four children (Paul M .; Evan F .; Nina Irene and Thomas W., reared by Mr. and Mrs. Robbins).

In 1888, Mr. Robbins purchased his present home, a farm which formerly belonged to Alex Marr, a son-in-law of Joel Walker, from whom it was obtained by Edmund Dunn, father of Mrs. Robbins, who sold it to Mr. Robbins. This place embraces one hundred eighty-two and a half acres of the original Dunn farm and is widely known as "Maplewood Stock Farm." Eighty-two and a half acres lie in Simpson township and the remaining one hundred in Hazel Hill township. This is an excellent stock farm, conveniently located eight miles north of Warrensburg and well watered. Until recently, Mr. Robbins raised much stock and he still feeds many head of cattle and mules. The improve- ments are all in splendid repair and the residence a house of two stories built in 1895, is a neatly-kept and comfortable home.

Mr. and Mrs. Robbins are numbered among the best families and most valued citizens of Johnson county. They have countless friends in this section of Missouri as was well shown when they celebrated their golden wedding anniversary, August 17, 1917, at their beautiful country place.

Pulaski N. Douglass, of Leeton, Missouri, is a son of a brave, hon- ored pioneer family, who settled in Missouri long before it became a state. He was born in Johnson county in 1848, son of William J. and Mary (Thompson) Douglass, who were one of the first families of John- son county, coming to the county in a very early day, when William J. Douglass entered one hundred sixty acres of land five miles west of Leeton. William J. Douglass was a son of James Douglass, who came to Missouri territory in the early part of the nineteenth century and set- tled in that section of the territory which is now Fayette county. Mary (Thompson) Douglass was the daughter of Wallace Thompson, an early settler of Missouri. The father died in 1859 and the mother remained on the farm with their children. Her death occurred in 1900.

When P. N. Donglass was a lad, educational advantages in Missouri were very few. There were no public schools as now. The "subscrip- tion school" was the only educational institution in the county and it was not possible for the older boys and girls to attend school regularly in those days, for there was much work to be done in the pioneer

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homes. P. N. Douglass was but a child of eleven years, when his father died and as he was the oldest of the family, his mother depended much upon his assistance with the work of the farm. Pioneer life at its best is by no means a round of pleasures but add to the privations and hardships, one would naturally expect in life in a new country, the hard times incidental to war and a fairly clear conception of the conditions under which P. N. Douglass was reared to maturity can be obtained. He remembers the time when he could go southwest from his home and for fifteen miles not see a settlement. There were no roads or bridges then and travel was very difficult and dangerous. Where there were no trails, the settlers traveled by direction. Wild game was plentiful and no one wanted for meat, although there were countless times when bread was scarce. As a boy. Mr. Douglass was obliged to watch their wheat fields in order to frighten away the wild geese, that would in a short time make quick despatch of the grain, once they found admittance to the field. He has seen thousands of prairie chickens and hundreds of deer and has many times eaten dried venison with his corn bread. Mr. Douglass attended church in the olden days at Shiloh, where he has heard Reverend D. F. Thomas, "Uncle Johnny" Marr. and "Uncle Jack" Whitsett and seen the old-fashioned revival meetings, which were great events in the lives of the pioneers, the young and old coming from long distances to attend. Everyone went to church in those days. The mail day, which came twice a week, was another exciting event. when the carriers, blowing horns, on horseback, came into the little settle- ments. The Douglass family went to Cornelia to obtain their letters.

At the age of twenty-one years, P. N. Douglass was employed as a "hired hand" by F. M. Mayes, receiving twenty dollars a month. He was in the employ of Mr. Mayes four years and during that time saved enough from his wages to purchase a fine team of mules and sufficient farming implements, with which to begin farming on his own account. He rented a small farm of forty acres of land in Johnson county and raised a splendid crop the very first year. After four years, he had saved enough to be able to purchase a little farm of his own and he bought forty acres, paying for the place five hundred dollars. Two years after pur- chasing this farm, he sold it for twelve hundred dollars, which Mr. Douglass used to purchase sixty-five acres of good farm land in Jefferson township, on which place he resided until 1911, when he sold the farm and moved to Leeton, where he purchased six building lots and built a pretty,

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comfortable home of six rooms, at a cost of fourteen hundred fifty dol- lars. He had received six thousand dollars for his farm.

In 1887, P. N. Douglass and Laura L. Stuart were united in mar- riage. Mrs. Douglass is the daughter of Eli B. Stuart, a Kentuckian, who came to Missouri prior to the Civil War. Mr. Douglass is a mem- ber of the Presbyterian church. Mr. Douglass has been in the service of the West Lawn Telephone Company for many years. He is quietly spending his days in Leeton, working in his excellent garden and with his large flock of fine chickens. He and Mrs. Douglass are numbered among Johnson county's most respected citizens.

J. W. Marr, a prosperous and highly respected farmer and stock- man of Post Oak township, is a member of one of the first families of Johnson county, Missouri. He was born in Johnson county in 1852, son of David and Catherine Marr. David Marr was a son of John Marr, who in an early day came to Missouri from Tennessee. The Marr family lived in a rude, unfinished log cabin, when they settled in Johnson county, and in this primitive home J. W. Marr was born.

Mr. Marr received his education in the old-fashioned "subscription school," which was taught by Mr. Winfrey and later, by "Jim" Towns- ley. He recalls the open condition of the prairie, when he was a youth, and how he would go miles across the prairie to drive the cattle home, for they had unlimited grazing territory. The preacher, who moved amid the scenes of pioneer life, and whom Mr. Marr often heard expound the truths of Christianity, was "Uncle Johnny" Morrow.

In 1873, J. W. Marr was united in marriage with Elvira Stephens, the daughter of Dan Stephens, and a sister of Judge Stephens. To J. W. and Elvira (Stephens) Marr were born four children, who are now living: Oliver, who resides in Kansas; Clarence, who resides in Okla- homa; Estel, whose home is in Post Oak township; and Mrs. Stella Sitton, Weiser, Idaho. Mrs. Marr died in 1888. In 1890, Mr. Marr was married to Altevena Ault, the daughter of Mrs. Elizabeth Keeney. To J. W. and Altevena (Ault) Marr have been born three children: Luther. Kansas City, Missouri; Mrs. Georgia Howard, at home with her father; and John, Post Oak township. Mrs. Altevena Marr died May 25, 1898. Mrs. Georgia Howard resides with Mr. Marr, as does Mrs. Keeney, his mother-in-law, who is his housekeeper. Mrs. Marr was a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. Mr. Marr has succeeded well in his chosen vocation of farming and stock raising and,

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like his father before him, is the owner of several hundred acres of land in Johnson county. The Marr farm comprises three hundred fifty-five acres of splendid farm land, two hundred acres of which are in grass and pasture. Mr. Marr will have fifty tons of hay this year and at the time of this writing, in 1917, he has fifty acres of his place in corn, promising a fine crop. The farm is well watered, and from an everflowing spring, conveniently located. the stock are supplied with an abundance of excellent water. Mr. Marr is a worthy and highly valued member of the Presbyterian church.

T. S. Baldwin, a noble and respected pioneer of Johnson county, Missouri, is one of the prosperous, widely-known, and progressive farm- ers and stockmen of Grover township. He was born in 1850, son of Sylvester and Eliza ( Marshall ) Baldwin, in Pettis county, Missouri. Mrs. Baldwin was a daughter of Thomas Marshall, an honored pioneer of Missouri. The Baldwin family located in Pettis county about 1848 and in 1853 settled in Johnson county.

When a child three years of age. T. S. Baldwin came to Jolinson county with his parents. He was reared to maturity in this county and well recalls the open condition of the prairie and how he assisted, when a youth, in breaking sod. while driving a yoke of oxen. T. S. Baldwin attended school where the Peace and Harmony school house is now located. The second teacher to teach the school was Jesse Hargrave. There was no more school then until 1868. The little log school house was burned to the ground during the Civil War. After the war, George Couch taught the school for several years. The chil- dren followed the trail to the school, as there were no roads in the county in those days. If the settlers were obliged to go any great distance, they traveled by direction. There were no bridges and trave! in the early days was exceedingly dangerous. All who were able at- tended church, however. and many of the settlers came many miles on horseback or in wagons, drawn by oxen, while a large number walked the entire distance of several miles across the open prairie. Rev. C. A. Headrick and Rev. Stanford Ing were two of the earliest preachers. In spite of the difficulty in traveling. people in those days enjoyed going to church. Mr. Baldwin has countless times gone to church with his parents in the ox-wagon.

Oxen were used in place of horses in the work of breaking sod and plowing corn by T. S. Baldwin on his father's farm. Mr. Baldwin

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relates in his interesting manner how hay used to be cut and shocked. There was but one steel pitchfork in all the country, a two-tined one, all the others being forked sticks of wood. All the men in the settlement would assist in putting up hay in the field of any one of their number and they would work from field to field until all the work was done.

In early manhood, Mr. Baldwin learned the blacksmith's trade and he has fashioned countless plows of the old-fashioned type. He tells how very mysterious the first wheat drill was to him. The advent of this invention marked an epoch in the history of wheat growing. Mr. Baldwin is a naturally gifted mechanician and it is time exceedingly well spent to hear him relate the development of farm machinery, described in an entertaining way the old farm implements and explain- ing the changes which have been made in the course of the past half century.

For many years T. S. Baldwin lived in a log cabin. He remembers the halcyon days of the hunter and has himself killed hundreds of prairie chickens. Wild geese in flocks of thousands haunted Blackwater. Meat was always plentiful and no one needed to be without dried venison. Other supplies were not so easily obtained. Once a year they were hauled from Lexington, Missouri. Prairie fires were constantly feared and dreaded, as they were very destructive. Barns were then made of stakes and dried grass and were easily burned.

In 1875, T. S. Baldwin was united in marriage with Sarah Camp- bell, daughter of Jasper Campbell, who came to Missouri from Tennes- see, among the first settlers of Johnson county. To T. S. and Sarah (Campbell) Baldwin have been born three children, all of whom are now living: Mrs. Nannie Cox, Knob Noster, Missouri, R. F. D. 10; Otto, Knob Noster, Missouri; and Mrs. Mary Heilman, Lincoln, Ne- braska. Mr. and Mrs. Baldwin began life together with but little worldly goods, but with plenty of courage, determination, and perse- verance. They were obliged to use a dry goods box for a dining table for several years, for their little farm of forty acres, which Mr. Baldwin purchased in 1866, did not yield them great wealth. They suffered all the privations, hardships, and afflictions of pioneer life, but Mr. Baldwin hopefully kept up the fight in spite of countless discourage- ments and in the course of time began to prosper . It would be a valuable lesson, sadly needed by the youth of today, to hear Mr. Baldwin relate how he saved his money to build his present beautiful home, a dream

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of years. It was built in 1883. He is now the owner of two hundred sixty acres of land, one hundred thirty acres of which are in grass and pasture. Mr. Baldwin devotes much attention to stock raising, handling spotted Poland China hogs and red roan cattle. He has recently been giving special time and attention to the raising of mules and has been very successful. In addition to his stock interests, Mr. Baldwin plants from forty to sixty acres of his place in wheat. annually reaping a good crop. In 1908, he received his first staggering blow. when Mrs. Baldwin died. She had been his faithful partner and ever willing helper for thirty-three years.

Charles S. Eppright, a prosperous and progressive farmer and stockman of Centerview township, was born in 1876 in Johnson county. He is the older of two sons born to his parents. George and Mary Jane (Stone) Eppright, his brother being G. W. Eppright. who is farming and stock raising on the old home place in Chilhowee township. The father is now deceased and the mother makes her home with her son, Charles S. A more complete history of the Eppright family will be found in the sketches of Mrs. Mary Jane (Stone) Eppright and of G. W. Eppright, which appear elsewhere in this volume.

Thomas Taylor was teaching the school held at Pleasant Green school house, when Charles S. Eppright started to school at that place. "Billy" Bridges, Miss Carrie Powell. "Bill" Saunders, and Frank McClel- land were at different times in authority there, when young Charles S. was a student. He recalls among the early-day preachers, whom he personally knew. the following: Reverends Whitsett, J. H. Houx. Finis King, and Frank Russell. The young people rode on horseback or walked to church and all the pioneers attended. many coming long distances. Much fun and frolic were had at all the social gatherings.

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History of Johnson County, Missouri, Part 62

Author: Cockrell, Ewing Publication date: 1918 Publisher: Topeka, Kan. : Historical Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1234

Author: Cockrell, Ewing
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Topeka, Kan. : Historical Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1234