USA > Missouri > Scotland County > History of Lewis, Clark, Knox, and Scotland counties, Missouri. From the earliest time to the present, together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and mumerous family records > Part 3
USA > Missouri > Lewis County > History of Lewis, Clark, Knox, and Scotland counties, Missouri. From the earliest time to the present, together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and mumerous family records > Part 3
USA > Missouri > Clark County > History of Lewis, Clark, Knox, and Scotland counties, Missouri. From the earliest time to the present, together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and mumerous family records > Part 3
USA > Missouri > Knox County > History of Lewis, Clark, Knox, and Scotland counties, Missouri. From the earliest time to the present, together with sundry personal, business and professional sketches and mumerous family records > Part 3
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Perhaps in 1816, but certainly soon after the close of the war of 1812, a Frenchman named Le Seur came up from St. Louis, and built a cabin on the Mississippi, at the present site of La Grange. Here he remained for some years engaged in trading with the Indians. It is said that Le Seur remained here only during the warm seasons; in the winter he returned to St. Louis. There is a suspicion or surmise that Le Seur and the Frenchman mentioned by Pike were identical, but the fact can not be posi- tively asserted. If it be a fact, however, it is certain that the Frenchman had changed his location, for in Pike's time he was living seven miles below the mouth of the Fabius.
2
26
HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
Although trappers, traders, and explorers, together with sol- diers and officers, passed up and down the river from 1795 for more than twenty years, it can not be positively stated that there were any permanent white settlements made within the present limits of Lewis County until in the year of 1819, save that of Le Seur, and of this but little is known. In the year 1818 the first settlements were made in Marion County, by the Palmer and Gash families, who located on South River.
In the spring of 1819, John Bozarth came out from Grayson County, Ky., and opened a small farm in the Mississippi bottom, below La Grange. (Southeast quarter Section 11-60-6. ) His son-in-law, John Finley, and his eldest son, Squire Bozarth, accompanied him. Mr. Bozarth built a log cabin here, and planted twenty acres of corn. In the ensuing fall he returned to Ken- tucky, and in the latter part of the month of November he brought his own family, another son-in-law, Jacob. Weaver, and his slaves, eighteen persons in all, to his new home in the then "far West." The party crossed the Mississippi above Alton, landing in St. Charles County on the 19th of November .. From St. Charles the. journey was made by land on the Missouri side.
In 1874 Mr. Reason Bozarth, a son of John Bozarth, and who was fourteen years old when his father came to this county, gave the following account for publication of his father's settle- ment:
We came to this county, then a part of Marion [Ralls], in the fall of 1819; and put up a log cabin, which, having no chimney, but merely a hearth in the middle of the room, required an open roof for the escape of the smoke. When the day's work was over we laid down to sleep around the family hearthstone,. the entire family of eighteen occupying the only room. Our food was boiled corn and honey, the latter procured from bee trees, which we made a business of hunting, and when found we carried off the spoils in a sassafras log, which. we had dug out like a canoe; hitching our horse to this awkward contrivance, we drew our honey home. Our bread was made from meal obtained by pound- ing corn in a mortar, and our clothes were of buckskin, which we tanned our- selves. On Sunday we donned our best suits, and went to call on our nearest neighbors, who lived twenty miles away, a comfortable distance for visiting in those days. I remember that we all had chills, but nobody died until a doctor- came to the country .*
SETTLEMENT OF THE BOZARTHS AND OTHERS.
When old John Bozarth came to his location in the south-
Campbell's " Gazetteer of Missouri," edition 1874, article, Lewis County.
27
STATE OF MISSOURI.
eastern part of the county, a little more than two miles south of La Grange, he was the advance courier of civilization in North- east Missouri. Probably there was no other American settler - between him and the north pole. The denizens of Fort Edwards, the Des Moines rapids, Dubuque's settlement and at Prairie du Chien were not settlers. Standing on the bluff, with the magnifi- cent Mississippi bottoms spread out before him, he was monarch of all he surveyed. The country was trackless and virgin. The primeval forests, the unbroken prairies, the expansive valleys, . were untenanted by humanity. Where the bottom sweeps west -.. ward, pushing back the bluffs a mile, in the form of a horseshoe,. Mr. Bozarth decided to locate his claim. He built his cabin near the northern toe of the horseshoe, and his land was included within the arc. Had he spent months of time in making his selection of a farm he could not have found a site more fertile or more pleasing in prospect. The land is still in cultivation, and there is no apparent depreciation of its primal richness and fer- tility. It must be borne in mind that Mr. Bozarth himself had visited the country the spring previous to his removal with his family, built a cabin, planted a patch of corn, and made some other improvements. He entered his land at Bowling Green,- Pike County, April 20, 1819. Jacob Weaver, Bozarth's son-in -. law, who married Elizabeth Bozarth, in Kentucky, December 4,. 1816, and who, as elsewhere stated, came to the country with his- father-in-law, settled near the river, near the present large pond,. but the overflows soon drove him out. Some years later, in about 1829, he removed to Clark County. John Finley, who married Mary Bozarth, September 14, 1809, and who accompanied Mr. Bozarth on his first trip, located near his father-in-law .*
After the Bozarth settlement was established, consisting of the families of John Bozarth, Sr., and his sons-in-law, Weaver and Finley, the next settlers in the county were John Taylor, Lewellen Brown, Robert M. Easton, Isaac Norris, Edward White, Robert Jones and William. Pritchard. All of these lived in Union Township, except Pritchard, who was on the river, just below Canton. It can not now be stated when these men came,
*The original family name of the B ›zarths was Bosworth, which is sometimes pronounced . Bosorth, whence comes Bozarth. The name is now often called Bosier, and it may thus be written in time.
·
28
HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
but with one exception all entered their land in April, 1819, the date of Bozarth's entry. It is reasonably certain, however, that all were living in the county before the close of the year 1820, and doubtless some of them were here in 1819.
When the first settlers came, the old cabins of Le Seur's trading post, at the mouth of the Wyaconda, were standing, but in a dilapidated condition. Le Seur himself had abandoned the country. The Bozarths often related that some of the buildings seemed to have been built twenty years or more, as their roofs of bark and clapboards, had rotted and fallen in. The old settlers believed that there had been a considerable number of dwellings and inhabitants here at one time, but this is not probable. It may be true, however, that the first cabins were built by the French or Spanish traders prior to the year 1800.
In about 1822 John McKinney (or Kinney as he was often called) built a mill on the Wyaconda, near the mouth. Soon after a town was laid out near by and called "Waconda." Of this town Beck's "Gazetteer," written in 1822, and published in 1823, says:
Waconda [is] a town recently laid out at the confluence of Waconda Creek with the Mississippi. The site is a regular unbroken eminence, with a substratum of limestone, forming on the margin of the river natural piers or wharves for the accommodation of river craft. It possesses many local advantages, and is prob- ably destined to become a considerable commercial town. The Mississippi is navigable more than half the year to the Falls of. St. Anthony, 1,000 miles above, and the water communication with the lakes is always open in the spring through the Green Bay, Fox and Ouisconsin Rivers. The surrounding country is fertile, and is handsomely interspersed with prairie and woodland. A saw and grist mill are already in operation here, and other improvements are progressing. Waconda is 120 miles in a right line north of St. Louis, and 190 by the meanders of the river, and about 100 from [ old] Franklin, on the Missouri.
Notwithstanding its advantages of situation, as truthfully stated by Dr. Beck, the town of " Waconda " did not realize the measure of his prediction, and never became a "considerable commercial town," or a town of any sort. If it ever contained more than three houses, including Mckinney's mill and dwell- ing, the fact can not be stated. The mill was soon washed away by backwater and never rebuilt, and in 1832 the town of La Grange, just below, was established.
29
STATE OF MISSOURI.
LATER SETTLEMENTS.
Settlers came in slowly. In 1824 and 1825 a few families came among whom were those of Churchill Blakey, Lockwood Claflin, Thomas Hanan, and Elijah Rice, who located on or near the present site of Canton. Every year thereafter there were a few accessions-in 1826 a few, in 1827, a few, in 1828, a few.
In 1829 there was a considerable immigration into the coun- try, more than in the previous five years. By the close of the year cabins were plentifully sprinkled along the bottom as far north as six miles above Canton, and through the timber, chiefly along the Fabius, six miles west of the river. One party, that came this year into what is now Union Township, was composed of John G. Nunn, Grandfather John Wash (a Revolutionary sol- dier), his son, John Wash, Jr., Thomas Creacy, John A. Gerhart and his father, Peter Gerhart, and Elisha Whitlow, and their families; a Mr. Williams stopped in Marion. All were from Cumberland County, Ky. The party reached Lewis County in the month of October. As they crossed the South Fabius, a lit- tle northwest of Maywood, they came upon a recently abandoned encampment of the Sac Indians. The fires were still smoking, and near by was a fresh grave, which it was learned was that of a squaw. The low mound was covered by a canopy, or shed, made of strips of bark resting upon four posts or forks.
Mr. Nunn, happily still living, with a mind fresh and vigor- ous, states that when he came to the county there were then here, among others, the Bozarths, Chauncey Durkee, Gregg McDaniel, Thomas Threlkeld, James Thomas, John S. Marlow, the last named at La Grange, and the others below; Edward White, Col. John Bullock, William Bowen, Robert Jones, and the Fraziers, above La Grange. At and near Canton were Capt. William Pritchard, Robert Sinclair, Elias Sinclair, Robert M. Easton, Jacob Myers, Gregory F. Hawkins.
In 1830 there was another considerable immigration into the county. The new comers pushed out into the interior, and the eastern portion of Highland, the central and southern portions of Dickerson, and the extreme northern part of Canton were settled. Perhaps, in all, fifty families came this year. Some of the set- tlers on the bottoms, too, found their locations malarious and
30
HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
unhealthful, and removed to the interior, where there was high ground, pure air, and good water.
FIRST LAND ENTRIES.
It is believed that the following list comprises all of the entries of land that were made in Lewis County up to and including the year 1830, by persons who were, or who became, actual resi- dents. The dates will give approximately at least, the times at which the parties settled in the county. In some instances, how- ever, the land was settled on for some time before it was entered. Old settlers now living, confirm the assertion that the names given are those of actual residents:
In Congressional Township 60, Range 6-now the lower part of Union Township.
James Thomas, se ¿ sec. 1, May 25, 1825.
Joseph Loudermilk, w } nw } sec. 2 and e } ne } sec. 3, April 16, 1829.
Charles O. McRoberts, se } sec. 3, October 6, 1830.
Thomas La Fon, nw ¿ sec. 3, August, 1830.
John McAllister, w ¿ nw } sec. 8, November 20, 1830.
John Norris, sw } and w } se ¿ sec. 8, November 19, 1830.
Chauncey Durkee, w } sw } sec. 11, July 23, 1829.
Edward White, e { sw ≥ and w } ne } sec. 11, June 30, 1829.
John Bozarth, Sr., se 4 sec. 11, April 20, 1819.
Abner Bozarth, w } nw } and w } sw 4 sec. 12, March 8, 1828.
John Bozarth, Jr., e } se ± sec. 14, June 25, 1825.
John S. Marlow, e } sw 4 sec. 12, February 26, 1829.
Eli Merrill,* ne } sec. 14, June 25, 1825.
Lucian Durkee, e { se 4 sec. 15, Nov. 29, 1830. Gregg McDaniel, w + sw ≥ sec. 18, November 15, 1826. Joseph B. Buckley, w } nw } sec. 19, December 3, 1830.
John G. Nunn, e { nw ¿ and e } sw } sec. 19, January 4, 1830.
John Thompson, e } ne 4 and se } sec. 19, August 6, 1825.
John Wash, Jr., sw 4 and nw 4 se } sec. 20, January 4, 1830.
Steward Matthews, w ¿ nw 4 sec. 22, June 24, 1830.
John Taylor, ne ± sec. 22, April 20, 1819.
John Bozarth, e { nw 4 sec. 23, April 18, 1828.
Edmund Rutter, w } ne 4 sec. 23, May 27, 1825.
William Bourne, e { sw 4 sec. 23, November 29, 1825.
Dabney Bowles, e } sw 4 sec. 24, November 29, 1825.
Lewellyn Brown, se ¿ sec. 26, June 2, 1819.
Jeremiah Taylor, nw 4 sec. 26, May 26, 1825.
Jeremiah Taylor, w ¿ sw ł sec. 26, and sw 4 sec. 27, October 12, 1825.
Samuel K. Taylor, w } se } sec. 27, December 20, 1830.
Peter Gerhart, e { nw 4 sec. 30, May 17, 1830.
* Rev. Eli Merrill lived near the southeast corner of this county, but just across the line, in Marion.
31
STATE OF MISSOURI.
William Anderson, e ¿ nw 4 sec. 31, November 3, 1828. Gabriel Long, w } sw ¿ sec. 32, August 11, 1828. Jacob Jones, e } sw ≥ and e ¿ se ¿ sec. 32, October 3, 1829. Hazard Wilcox, w { nw ¿ sec. 35, June 16, 1826. Samuel King, e { ne ¿ sec. 34, November 23, 1830. Elijah Smith, e { nw ¿ sec. 35, June 1, 1825. Lucian Durkee, w } ne ¿ sec. 35, August 15, 1826. John L. Frazier, e ¿ ne ¿ sec. 35, October 26,[1830. Thomas Reynolds, w } ne ¿_ sec. 2, October 7, 1830. George Vaughn, sw ¿ sec. 6 and nw } sec. 7, July 21, 1830.
H. H. Brown and Edmond Weber, 400 acres in sec. 8, October 5, 1830. Robert M. Easton, e 3 nw ¿ and w } ne ¿ sec. 12, April 20, 1819. William Ewing, ne ¿ and e ¿ nw ¿ sec. 21, December 22, 1829. John Ewing, se ¿ sec. 21, and e } ne ¿ sec, 28, April 16, 1829. Elijah C. Kellogg, w { nw } sec. 23, February 17, 1830.
Clement C. White, se ¿ sec. 25, and e } ne } sec. 26, July 28, 1826.
Isaac Norris, sw ≥ sec. 28, and e } sec. 29, and ne ¿ sec. 32, April 20, 1819.
Township 61, Range 5-upper part of Union.
Edward White, w } nw ¿ sec. 19, April 21, 1819. Robert Jones, w } sw } sec. 31, April 24, 1819.
Lower part of Congressional Township 61, Range 6-now upper. part of Union.
Newbold Cannon, e ¿ se ¿ sec. 14, March 31, 1830.
Thomas Francis, e { sw ≥ sec. 18 and e { nw.t sec. 19, June 15, 1830. :
William Hogan, w.z sw } sec. 18, October 8, 1830.
Morton Bourne, ne ¿ sec. 19, June 15, 1830.
Thomas La Fon, e } ne ± sec. 20, November 22, 1830.
Thomas La Fon, w } nw } sw } and w ¿ se } sec. 21, November 22, 1830.
Edward White, e } ne ¿ sec. 24, April 21, 1819.
Stephen Cooper, e ¿ se ¿ sec. 26, September 17, 1829.
Stephen Cooper, w } se ¿ sec. 26, June 22, 1830.
Samuel Brown, ne ¿ sec. 27, June 15, 1830.
Abel Cottrell, w ¿'sw ¿ sec. 27 and e } se } sec. 28, June 26, 1830.
Abel Cottrell, e ¿ se ł, w ¿ se ł, w ¿ ne }, and w } nw } sec. 28, September 23, 1830.
John La Fon, w } nw ¿ sec. 28, November 22, 1830.
William N. Daviess, w ¿ nw ¿ sec. 31, October 18, 1830.
Daniel May, w ₺ ne ¿ and e } se } sec. 35, November 2, 1829. Larkin T. Field, e { ne ¿ sec. 35, May 20, 1829.
Larkin T. Field, w } sw ≥ sec. 36, May 20, 1829.
Robert Jones, se ¿ sec. 36, April 24, 1819.
In Congressional Township 61, Range 6-now the lower two miles of Canton Township.
William Pritchard, nw ¿ sec. 1, April 21, 1819.
Aaron T. Crane, se ¿ sec. 2, April 24, 1819. Isaac Bland, w ¿ ne ¿ sec. 3, October 15, 1829. Nathaniel Brown, ne ¿ and e { nw ± sec. 4, November 7, 1829.
32
HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
In Congressional Township 62, Range 6-middle portion of Canton Township.
John Billings, e } ne } and e { se } sec. 2, July 8, 1829.
Christopher Rhoads, w ¿ ne } sec. 2, August 13, 1829.
Rezin R. Offutt, w ¿ se ł sec. 2, December 2, 1830. Jacob Myers, w ¿ se ¿ sec. 23, November 20, 1827.
Jacob Myers, w ¿ ne } sec. 14, May 20, 1829. Jacob Myers w { nw } and w } sw } sec. 25, March 26,'1829.
James Gardner, w } se ¿ sec. 14, February 7, 1825. James Armstrong, sw ≥ nw } and w } sw } sec. 23, July 23, 1829.
Elijah Rice, w } nw } sec. 26, January 31, 1825. Henry Cannon, e ¿ se } sec. 28, December 22, 1829. Nathaniel Brown, w } se } sec. 31, June 15, 1830. Nathaniel Brown w } sw ≥ sec. 32, June 25, 1830.
William Duncan, e ¿ nw ¿ and e { se ¿ sec. 23, July 8, 1829.
Elias Sinclair, w } ne } and w } sw ≥ sec. 26, November 20, 1828.
Thomas Hanan, w ₺ se } and e { sw ≥ sec. 26, June 13, 1825.
Gregory F. Hawkins, e } ne ± sec. 33, March 13, 1829.
Thomas Buckner, w } sw ≥ and e } nw } sec. 34, November 22, 1830. Thomas Buckner, e } se ¿ sec. 33, November 22, 1830.
John Crooks, e } sw ≥ and w } se ł sec. 34, March 10, 1829.
Samuel Bland, e ¿ se ¿ sec. 34, October 12, 1829.
Churchill Blakey, w } ne } sec. 35, November 11, 1824. Lockwood Claflin, se ¿ sec. 35, April 16, 1824.
Isaac Bland, e } of w } of w } sec 36, January 14, 1830.
Samuel Morton, e } sw } sec. 26, January 9, 1830.
Thomas Reynolds, e { sw ¿ and w } se ¿ sec. 32, October 12, 1830.
Edward White, e } ne ¿ sec. 35, June 5, 1827.
In Congressional Township 63, Range 6-extreme north- ern part of Canton Township.
John N. Floyd, w } ne } sec. 22, November 1, 1830.
Mays Johnston, e ¿ nw ¿ sec. 26, December 27, 1830.
Henry Floyd, w ¿ se } sec. 35, August 1, 1829.
Leroy Jackson, w ¿ ne } sec. 35, September 22, 1829.
In Congressional Township 60, Range 7-now eastern part of Highland Township.
George Vaughn, se ¿ sec. 1, and ne ¿ sec. 12, July 21, 1830.
Whitfield Button, e { nw } sec. 2, November 25, 1830.
Thomas N. Pace, w } sw ≥ sec 2, November 25, 1930.
James F. Jenkins, se ł and w } nw } sec. 3, November 18, 1830. William Johnson, nw ¿ sec. 3 and ne ¿ sec. 4, April 19, 1830.
Stephen E. Lay, e } ne } sec. 11 and nw ¿ sec. 12, December 13, 1830. Joseph B. Buckley, 320 acres in secs. 23 and 24, December 3, 1830. Thomas Creacy, e { ne } sec. 25, August 16, 1830.
William G. McPheeters, se ¿ sec. 25, September 22, 1830. William Anderson, w ¿ ne ¿ sec. 36, November 3, 1828.
William Anderson, e { ne ¿ sec. 36, June 21, 1830.
33.
STATE OF MISSOURI.
Washington Young, w } se ¿ sec. 36, July 8, 1826.
Benjamin Jones, e } se ¿ sec. 36, November 6, 1828.
In Congressional Township 61, Range 7-part of north one mile of Highland.
James Rankin, sw ≥ sec. 32, April 19, 1830.
John S. Rankin w } ne ¿ sec. 32, November 3, 1830.
William James, e { nw } sec. 33, November 20, 1830.
John Hayden, w ¿ nw ¿ sec. 33, November 15, 1830.
Joseph Johnson, se ¿ sec. 33, April 19, 1830.
William Johnson, w ¿ se ¿ sec. 34, April 19, 1830.
Camillus C. Daviess, e ¿ ne { sec. 35 and w } nw ± sec. 36, October 21, 1830.
William N. Daviess, 320 acres in sec. 36, October 21, 1830.
In Congressional Township 61, Range 7-now southwest. part of Dickerson Township.
Note-All entries in this congressional township were made in the year 1830.
William McReynolds, w ± nw } sec. 6, October 30.
William Hogan, se ł and w } ne } sec. 13, October 8.
Nathaniel Richardson, w ¿ nw } sec. 18, October 18.
Albert G. Johnson, w } sw ≥ sec. 18, April 19.
Benjamin Williams, e } ne ¿ sec. 19, October 18.
Peter T. Johnson, e { nw ¿ sec. 19, April 19.
John C. Johnson, e { se ¿ sec. 19 and w } sw ≥ 20, April 19.
Martin Nall, e { sw { e } se ¿ and ne ¿ sec. 20, March 16.
Silas Reddish, e } sw ≥ sec. 21, March 6.
Silas Reddish, w ₺ nw } sec. 28, March 6.
Washington Young, e { nw ¿ sec. 21, December 6.
George Railey, e { se ¿ sec. 29, November 20.
Randolph Railey, sw ≥ sec. 29, May 20.
William H. Edwards, nw ¿ sec. 29, and e } ne } sec. 30, December 9.
Benjamin Williams, nw ¿ sec. 30, October 18.
In Congressional Township 61, Range 8-west and southwest. part of Dickerson.
William McReynolds, se { and e } sw ≥ sec. 1, August 23, 1830.
Nathan White, e ¿ nw ¿ sec. 11, October 28, 1830.
William H. Edwards, e } ne } sec. 1, August 23, 1831.
No entries were made, and probably no settlements, in Salem, La Belle, Reddish, or Lyon Townships prior to 1830.
EARLY POLITICAL HISTORY.
Upon the acquisition by the United States, in 1803, of the Territory of Louisiana, including what is now the State of Mis- souri, the area now embraced within the metes and bounds of Lewis County formed a part of the district of St. Charles, of which Charles Dehault Delassus was the governor. October.
34
HISTORY OF LEWIS COUNTY.
1, 1812, St. Charles County was organized by proclamation of Gov. William Clark, extending from the Missouri River northward to the northern boundary. On December 14, 1818, upon the or- ganization of Pike, what is now Lewis, was a part of that county. On November 16, 1820, when Ralls County was created, it was included in that county.
The first step taken by the Legislature to form the county of Marion was on February 16, 1825, when an act defining the boundaries of the several counties of the State was passed. Sec- tion 29 of this act was as follows:
Beit further Enacted, That a new county hereafter to be established north of Ralls County, shall be bounded as follows: Beginning at a point in the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi River, where the township line between townships 59 and 60 extended east will intersect the same; thence west with said township line to the range line between ranges 8 and 9 west of the fifth princi- pal meridian; thence south with said range line to the southern boundary of Ralls County; thence east with said boundary line to the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi River; thence up said river, in the middle of the main channel, to the beginning-which county, when established, shall be called and known by the name of Marion.
"But," said the act, "until the said county is organized and established by law, the territory included within the boundaries aforesaid, and all other territory lying north of the northern boundary of the county of Ralls, and east of the county of Char- iton [including what is now Lewis, Clark, Knox, Scotland and others ], shall be attached to and form part of the county of Ralls, for all purposes, civil and military."
Upon the next session of the Legislature, the demand for the complete organization of the county, with all the powers and privileges of the several counties, became so imperative that the following act was passed on December 23, 1826, from which periodo Marion dates its existence proper as a county.
1. Be it enacted etc. The county of Marion, heretofore attached by law to the county of Ralls, for all civil and military purposes, be, and the same is hereby declared to be, erected into a separate and distinct county; and that all rights and privileges guaranteed by law to separate and distinct counties be, and the same are hereby, extended to the said county of Marion.
2. The line heretofore established between the counties of Ralls and Marion be so altered as to commence in the middle of the main channel of the Mississippi River, at a point due east of the termination of the township line between townships 56 and 57; thence west with said township line to the west- ern boundary of said county of Marion, as was heretofore established by law. *
35
STATE OF MISSOURI.
Section 8 of this act provided: 1142789
8. All that part of the territory lying west and north of the county of Marion, formerly included in the county of Ralls, shall be, and the same is hereby, attached to the said county of Marion for all military, civil and judicial purposes.
So that the county of Lewis was never really an integral part of Marion, but the territory was only attached thereto for certain purposes. In effect, however, it was practically a part of that county.
The first session of the Marion County Court was held at Palmyra, beginning March 26, 1827. There must have been a considerable settlement in this county at the time, for the records show that one of the first acts of the court was the establish- ment of a road beginning at a point in the road then running through the Wyaconda prairie, " nearly opposite the northeast corner of John Bozarth's field, to the Wyaconda Creek, at the Sugar Camp ford," and thence to the foot of the bluff in the Mississippi bottom, and " along the foot of the bluff to the north boundary of Township 61," the termination being a little north of the present corporation line of the city of Canton, and all of the road was in Lewis County. The road running through the Wyaconda prairie was probably established by the Ralls County Court. Marion was at first divided into three townships, called Liberty, Mason and Fabius. The northern boundary of the latter was fixed at the present northern boundary of Marion, but the township was declared to include " all that portion of territory lying north which by law remains attached to Marion County." By the latter clause Fabius Township practically ex- tended to the north boundary of the State, including the counties of Lewis and Clark, and portions of Knox and Scotland.
Lewis remained a part of Fabius Township, Marion County, until 1830. In May of this year Canton Township was formed. Its boundaries were declared to be a line beginning at the mouth of the Fabius River in the Mississippi; thence up the Fabius to the junction of the North and South forks; up the South fork to Township 60; thence west to range line between nine and ten; thence north to the northern boundary of the State; thence east to the middle of the Mississippi, and then down to the beginning.
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