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 39
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 39
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 39
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 39
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OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.
Officers for the ensuing year were then elected as follows: Theophilus Williams, president; John C. Collins, vice-president; A. P. Patterson, treasurer, and S. A. Allen, secretary. Judges John C. Collins and J. C. Anderson then related some of the inci- dents of pioneer life. The latter told an amusing story about
* In this list the places from which the old settlers formerly came are named, while in some instances, where previous mention has been made of them, the places from which they latterly came have been given. This explains the seeming contradiction.
.
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
certain parties of this county, taking a race horse known as " Cooper Settlement " to Monticello, and putting it against a fine racer known as " Dry Bones," and owned by Gen. Durkee. How the Scotland County "plug " distanced " the fine-bred, fleet- footed nag of Lewis County," about forty years ago.
The second meeting of this association was held on the court- house square in Memphis on the 16th of October, 1886. The. meeting, which was large and enthusiastic, was called to order by President Williams, prayer was offered by Rev. Kittle, and speeches were made by Hon. Ed. R. McKee, Hon. George T. Collins, Meshack Sigler, Hiram Hostadt and others. Good music also composed a part of the entertainment. The third meeting of this association was held in the courtyard at Mem- phis on the 27th of August, 1887. It was called to order at 11 o'clock A. M., for the transaction of business, after which it adjourned for dinner. Re-assembling at 1:30 P. M. prayer was offered by Rev. W. A. Pulliam, and then Maj. H. C. McArthur made a short speech, recounting the trials, hardships and pleas- ures of pioneer life. The old song of "Auld Lang Syne" was then rendered with effect, after which Hon. Samuel Clark of Keokuk, Iowa, orator of the day, addressed the assembly with a long and able speech. - The meeting was the largest ever held by the old settlers of the county. The present officers of the associ- ation are Theophilus Williams, president; A. P. Patterson, treas- urer, and J. P. Craig, secretary.
SLAVERY.
Robert T. Smith brought the first slaves (only two or three) to the county when he came in 1834. Port Wayland and the Downings brought a few from Virginia, when they came. Judge Joseph Davis, Maj. Stephens and others also brought slaves with them. In 1850 there were 157 slaves or colored people in the county, and in 1860 the number was reduced to 131. These of course all became free when slavery was abolished, and since that time the colored population has neither increased nor deceased, but as shown by the census of 1880 it had remained the same. A few of the early settlers, who brought slaves with them found that on account of the nearness to the free States, the insti-
432
HISTORY OF SCOTLAND COUNTY.
tution could not well flourish and be profitable, here and conse- quently moved back to the interior counties of the State. Many of the settlers also came from free States, and they were not in favor of "involuntary servitude," and consequently no great effort was ever made to develop the resources of the county with slave labor.
THE SCOTLAND COUNTY AGRICULTURAL . AND MECHANICAL ASSOCIATION.
At the August term, 1856, of the county court, Thomas S. Richardson, Samuel Arnold, James L. Jones, Josiah Smoot, Henry Ferryman, E. McIntyre, Curtis Cody, T. H. Richardson, William G. Downing, J. M. Rowan, I. I. Reyburn, L. I. Wagner, James Proctor Knott, Alfred S. Myers, Thomas Gunn, Ed. M. Beckwith, L. W. Knott, H. M. Gorin, John M. T. Smith, William D. Smith, H. D. Clapper, John A. Childers, R. T. Nes- bit, Charles Mety, Charles Martin, E. G. Richardson, Charles Hughes, James S. Best, John Sanders, E. W. Roberts, Nathan Bounds, N. Bull, William H. Combs, Alex. Turner, S. Sullivan, David Bibb, A. Quisenberry, J. W. Morris, John F. Gough, S. McGary, J. T. Crow, William R. Calloway, W. P. Ellis, Joe R. Foreman, H. H. Sprague, S. Taylor, Morgan Tucker, Robert Pauget, I. V. Headen, N. Davis, Charles Fryrear, Jesse Stice, H. H. Daggs, George Buskirk, William Circle and A. I. Daggs, freeholders of Scotland County, presented a petition praying to be incorporated "for the purpose of promoting improvements in agriculture, manufactures, and the raising of stock." And the court, after the examination of the matter, made the following order: "Itis therefore ordered that the petitioners aforesaid be, and they are hereby declared, incorporated for the purpose of promot- ing improvements in agriculture, manufactures, and the raising of stock, and that henceforth they be and are a body politic and corporate known and styled by the name of 'The Scotland County Agricultural and Mechanical Association,' and by that name they and their successors shall be known in law."
The incorporators then met and adopted a constitution and by-laws for the government of the society, and elected their offi- cers, after which they purchased from Joseph Foreman a tract of
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
land, and fitted it up, about one mile north of the courthouse, for the purpose of holding the annual exhibitions or fairs. The fairs were held on this ground until after the close of the civil war. At a meeting of the association, held in the courthouse October 14, 1865, the name thereof was changed to that of "The Northeast Missouri Agricultural and Mechanical Association," and the following persons were elected as directors for the ensuing year, viz .: Charles Mety, Carlos S. Baker, L. Gwynn, John W. McIntyre, Isaac M. Rowan, James S. Fullerton, D. H. Miller, D. B. Fowler, S. W. Birch and Sterling McDonald. The following officers were then elected: Isaac M. Rowan, president; Charles Mety, treasurer; Sterling McDonald, secretary; H. C. Baker, chief marshal. Soon after the close of the civil war, the old fair ground was disposed of, and the present one, consisting of forty acres (it being the south half of Lot 1, in the northwest quarter of Section 18, Township 65 north, Range 11 west), and lying one mile south of Memphis, was purchased and fitted up for the holding of the exhibitions of the association. The title for the land, however, was not obtained until October 14, 1876, when it was deeded to the association by Levi J. Wagner and Mary C., his wife, for a consideration of $800. In December, 1870, the directors of the association, consisting of Charles Mety, Levi J. Wagner, - Baker, John McPherson, Robert S. McCand- les, Jacob Clapper, John W. McIntyre, Samuel R. Peters, W. F. Harle, S. W. Richmond, W. Hudson, James S. Busey and C. S. Baker, authorized the issuing of $2,500 in stock to be divided into 100 shares of $25 each, and to be under the control of said directors. In February of the following year a meeting of the stockholders was held, and a tax of $12.50 assessed on each share of stock for the purpose of paying the indebtedness of the association, which then amounted to about $1,000. Cer- tificates of stock were then issued to each stockholder, upon the . payment of his assessments for an amount equal thereto.
At a meeting of the association, held in January, 1874, the name thereof was again changed to that of "The Scot- land County Agricultural and Mechanical Association," which name it still retains. The receipts of the association for the year 1886 amounted to $2,286, all of which was expended in
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HISTORY OF SCOTLAND COUNTY.
defraying expenses, paying premiums and the interest of the debt of the association, which amounts to about $1,300, and which the officers expect to be able to cancel after holding the annual fair for the present year. This fair, which is the twenty-ninth annual fair of the association, will be held Sep- tember 6, 7, 8 and 9, 1887. The present officers and direct- ors are as follows: J. M. Gordon, president; J. L. Holly, vice-president; J. G. Best, recording secretary; L. D. Buttles, corresponding secretary ; B. F. Bourn, treasurer; H. H. Saling, marshal; H. C. Baker, L. D. Buttles, C. G. Mety, W. A. Cox, N. M. Pettingill, R. D. Cramer, W. Hudson and A. H. Pitkin. The association has always paid liberal premiums, and its finances have been well managed. True, it has an indebtedness of about $1,300, which is small in comparison with its assets.
The fair ground, consisting of forty acres, lies at the east- ern margin of the North Fabius River. The race track, which is one-half mile in length, lies mostly on the level open prai- rie, on the western part of the grounds. The eastern part of the grounds lies on the slope of the eastern bluff of the valley, and consequently faces to the west. This part of the fair ground is especially picturesque, and is covered with a natural forest of oak and hickory; it rises at its eastern margin to an elevation of over 100 feet above the valley, and from the high- est points, looking westward, excellent views of the landscape beyond are obtained. East of the race track, and in the center of the grounds, is a large amphitheatre facing westward, and sufficiently elevated to afford a good view of the races. The amphitheatre will comfortably seat 1,200 persons. The other buildings, all of which are situated east of the race course, consist of a large agricultural and floral hall, a large eating house, the secretary's office, music stand, sheds for agricultural implements, a horse barn, and sheds and stalls for stock. There is also a small dwelling-house for the keeper of the grounds. The water is obtained from wells, which furnish a never-failing supply.
AGRICULTURE.
Scotland has always been almost exclusively an agricultural
435
STATE OF MISSOURI.
county. When first settled, it was, like all the surrounding country, covered with tall wild prairie grass, and being mostly open prairie it was comparatively easy to change it from its wild condition, and turn it into an agricultural district, and, as fast as the soil was cultivated, the native prairie grass disap- peared, and gave way to the blue-grass and white clover, which. has eventually covered the whole surface of the county. The soil is well adapted to the growing of grain and vegetables, but. perhaps more especially adapted to the production of the tame grasses-timothy being the variety mostly cultivated. To give the reader an idea of the development of agriculture, the follow- ing table, showing the number of farms in 1850 and in 1880, and the number of acres of improved lands at the close of the several decades given, the value of the farms and farm productions, as shown by the United States census, is here inserted.
1850.
1870.
1880.
Number of farms.
1,994 206,274
Number of acres improved.
Value of farms.
334 23,461 $402,315
109,447 $ 3,556,785 $996,945
$ 3,720,437 $ 1,072,604
Amount of farm productions.
*
The year 1850 closed the decade in which the county was organized, and the table shows that the settlement and improve- ment of the county was not rapidly made. It also shows that, from 1870 to 1880, the number of acres of improved lands was nearly doubled, while the farms only increased in value to the amount of $163,652, and the farm productions to the amount of $75,659. This apparent slight increase was undoubtedly due to a great extent, to an overestimate of values when the census of 1870 was taken.
The following table, compiled also from the United States census, shows the amount of the cereal and other productions of the county for the year preceding the one in which the census was taken:
*Not given in census reports.
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HISTORY OF SCOTLAND COUNTY.
COMMODITY.
1850
1870.
1880.
No. bushels Indian corn.
236,370
736,703
1,788,675
66
wheat.
14,461
95,862
69,725
rye. .
oats ..
*41,870
350,516
481,000
61
buckwheat.
534
not given.
5,999
Irish potatoes.
+4,782
44,635
35,852
66
sweet potatoes.
611
1,484
tons of hay
778
not given.
21,835
pounds of tobacco.
7,400
10,972
15,284
By reference to the foregoing it will be seen that Indian corn has always been the staple production of the farmers of the county, and oats comes next in importance. Wheat has never been considered a sure crop, consequently a large acreage of it has never been sown. The decade between 1879 and 1880 shows a decline in its production, but since 1880 there has been a great increase in its production, and the prospects are that it will be extensively cultivated in the near future. The yield per acre for the present year (1887) is very large. Many fields have pro- duced from thirty to forty bushels per acre, and some have exceeded even the latter number. This is equal to the largest yield in the best wheat producing districts. The farmers find that the raising of clover prepares the soil for the production of wheat, and this will induce them to engage more extensively in the cultivation of both of these commodities. The yield of
wheat in the county for the present year far exceeds that of any former year. Rye, buckwheat, sweet potatoes and tobacco are cultivated to only a limited extent. Clover has been grown to some extent, but for the last two years it has not suceeded well. Timothy is the leading grass for hay, and it is very extensively grown, and an enormous quantity of the best quality of hay is annually produced.
LIVE STOCK.
Scotland County is noted for the amount of fine live stock raised therein, and to exhibit the amount and productions thereof the following table is given:
*Including rye. +Including sweet potatoes.
30,035
15,366
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STATE OF MISSOURI,
1850.
1870.
1880.
Number of horses.
*1,782
5,898
7,576
mules and asses.
919
851
working oxen
137
2
$6
other cattle.
+5,517
14,710
sheep.
5,869
29,957
21,868
swine.
19,615
24,849
49,842
pounds of wool ..
14,669
110,698
113,153
-
butter
67,770
327,960
315,046
cheese
2,546
-
milch cows.
5,326
7,148
In the number of horses, mules and asses (very few of the latter) Scotland is, in proportion to its population, one of the richest counties in the United States. If the reader doubts this assertion, let him turn to the last United States census reports, and find a county, if he can, in any State, where the number of these animals is so large according to its population. This assertion is true also in regard to cattle, sheep and hogs, in short to live stock in general. From 1870 to 1880 the decrease in the number of sheep, was 8,089-a great falling off, the cause of which the writer will not attempt to account for. It will be seen, however, that the production of wool in 1880, from a much smaller number of sheep, exceeded that of 1870. This can only be accounted for upon the theory, that the sheep owned by the farmers in 1880 were of a better wool producing quality than those owned by them in 1870.
ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY.
The county of Scotland was organized in accordance with an act of the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, entitled " An act to organize counties therein named, and define the boundaries thereof." Approved January 29, 1841. That part of the act providing for the organization of Scotland County reads as follows:
SEC. 32. That all that portion of territory included within the following limits, viz .: Beginning at the township line, dividing townships 59 and 60, in the middle of range 13, thence north in the middle of said range to the northern boundary of the state; thence east on said boundary to a point where the range line dividing ranges 9 and 10, when produced, would intersect the same; thence south on said range line to the township line dividing townships 59 and 60; thence
*Includes mules and asses. +Includes oxen and milch cows.
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HISTORY OF SCOTLAND COUNTY.
west on said township line to the place of beginning, is hereby created a separate and distinct county, to be called and known by the name of the county of Scot- * * land. * *
SEC. 33. That the circuit and county courts for said county shall be holden at the dwelling house of Abraham B. Cummings until the permanent seat of justice is established, or the county court shall otherwise direct. * *
SEC. 48. That the Governor is hereby authorized and required to appoint and commission, in each of said counties, three persons as justices of the county court, and one person as sheriff. And the persons appointed and commissioned as aforesaid, shall hold their offices until the next general election, and until their successors are duly elected and qualified.
SEC. 49. That the circuit and county courts of said counties, or the judge or judges thereof in vacation, shall appoint their respective clerks, who shall hold their offices until the next general election for clerks, and until their successors are elected and qualified.
According to the foregoing provisions of law, the county of Scotland, at its organization, contained and included all the terri- tory now belonging to both Scotland and Knox Counties, and in compliance with Section 48 of said act the Governor ap- pointed and commissioned Hugh Henry, Joseph Davis and Willis Anderson as justices of the county court, and James L. Jones as sheriff. These officers, being thus authorized, met, as provided in said act, at the house of Abraham B. Cummings, at the place now called Millport, in Knox County, on the first Mon- day in April, 1841, and organized the first county court of Scot- land County. Hugh Henry was made president of the court, and Allen Tate was appointed by the court, as the first clerk thereof. This completed the organization of Scotland County and its first court. The records of this court, from its organization up to February, 1842, have not been preserved, and consequently some items of historic interest have been lost. At the close of the first term the county court adjourned to meet at Sand Hill; and from that time forward, and until the county was divided, and the per- manent county seat established at Memphis, the courts of the county were held in a hewed-log house at Sand Hill which stood on the ground now occupied by the store building of Wilsey & Westcott.
TOWNSHIPS.
Upon the organization of Scotland County, the territory be- longing to it as it is now composed, was comprised in Benton and Mount Pleasant Townships, then of Lewis County. £ Benton
439
STATE OF MISSOURI.
Township lay on the east, and embraced a little over one-half of the present area of the county, and Mount Pleasant adjoined it on the west, and embraced the balance of the territory. Soon after the organization the county court subdivided the county (including the territory of Knox) into the following named townships: Ben- ton, Mount Pleasant, Johnson, Miller, Maidenkirk and Ayreshire. The record of the creation of these townships being lost, their boundaries (which remained permanent for only a short period) can not now be given with accuracy, and are therefore omitted. A general election, for the election of county officers, was ordered to be held in the townships thus organized, at the usual time in August, 1842. The election for Benton Township was to be held in Sand Hill, and James Hicks, Bazil Brewer and Aquilla Barnes were appointed judges thereof. The election for Mount Pleasant Township was to be held in Edinburg, and Charles Stover, Sam- uel Wilfley and Jacob Fetters were appointed judges thereof. The election for Johnson Township was to be held at the house of David S. Farnsworth, and H. M. Gorin, E. M. Beckwith and Thomas Cave were appointed judges thereof. The election for Miller Township was to be held at the house of Jacob Crow, and James Breckenridge, James Mudd and Jacob Crow were appoint- ed judges thereof. At the election for Maidenkirk Township, Francis Lowens, Charles H. Baldwin and Robert Nelson were appointed judges thereof. The election for Ayreshire Township was to be held at the house of Hezekiah G. Lyons, and John Fielding, Levi Lanesbury and John I. Taylor were appointed judges thereof.
The elections were accordingly held at the several places men- tioned, and the following county officers were elected: Henry M. Gorin, Charles French and John Fulton, county court justices ; James L. Jones, sheriff, and Reuben S. Grout, clerk. At the February term, 1842, of the county court, Henry C. Asbury was appointed collector of revenue for that year, and in March, follow- ing, James L. Jones, the sheriff, was allowed $5 to expend for the benefit of a Mrs. Cave, the first dependent poor person of which the county records make mention. At the April term, 1842, it was "ordered that the following device be adopted for the seal of this court, to wit: An eagle surmounted by twenty-
440
HISTORY OF SCOTLAND COUNTY.
six stars, bearing in his beak a scroll containing the words ' E pluribus unum,' and in his talons, arrows and an olive branch -below the eagle a sheaf of grain, plow and a sickle-the whole surrounded by the words 'Scotland County Court Seal, Mis- souri.' " The seal with this device was procured, and used until the year 1858, and at the May term of that year it was so changed as to require only fifteen stars surmounting the eagle instead of twenty-six as in the original. The reader will observe that the number of stars on the original seal corresponded with the num- ber of States in the Federal Union, and that after it was changed, the number of stars thereon corresponded with the number of slave States only.
At the August term, 1842, of the county court, Andrew Will- iams was allowed $8 for rent of room for clerk's office for the first four months of that year, and Hugh Henry was allowed $18 for nine days' services as county court justice, and Willis Anderson was allowed $30 for fifteen days' services as county court justice; Robert T. Smith, who had been appointed the first county treasurer, was allowed $20 in full for his services as such treasurer up to date. At the June term, 1842, of said court, E. M. Beckworth was allowed $28.50 for making a map of Scot- land County, and Joseph Davis was allowed $20 for his serv- ices as county court justice up to date. The county court at the November term, 1842, was composed of the officers elected at the August election of that year. At the December term, 1842, of said court, justices of the peace were appointed in the several townships as follows: Johnson, William Foreman; Miller, John Fifer; Mount Pleasant, John C. Collins; Benton, Hiram Beach ; Center, James W. Baker; Ayreshire, William Saling; Maiden- kirk, Virgil Pratt.
The following is an act of the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, entitled " An act to define the bounds of Scotland County, and for other purposes."
SECTION 1. All that part of the county of Scotland south of the township line dividing Townships 63 and 64 is hereby constituted and established a sepa- 1 rate and distinct county, to be called and known by the name of Knox County.
SEC. 2. All that part of the county of Scotland lying north of the town- ship line dividing Townships sixty-three and sixty-four shall constitute the county of Scotland proper.
J. E. BILLUPS. SCOTLAND COUNTY.
1
441
STATE OF MISSOURI.
SEC. 3. Obadiah Dickerson, of Shelby County; John Lear, of Marion County, and Matthew Givens, of Lewis County, are hereby constituted a board of commissioners to fix and establish the permanent seat of justice in and for Scotland County, whose duty it shall be to meet on the third Monday in May next, or as soon thereafter as may be convenient, in the town of Sand Hill in Scotland County, and proceed to locate and fix the permanent seat of . justice for said county, which selection or location shall not be more than four miles from the geographical center of said county, due regard being had to the convenience of a majority of the citizens of said county.
SEC. 4. Should any vacancy occur in the aforesaid board of commis- sioners, from any cause whatever, that the remaining commissioner or commis- sioners shall have power to fill all vacancies; and further, that said commis- sioners shall receive for their services the sum of two dollars per day, for each day necessarily employed in discharge of said duties, to be paid by Scotland County, proper.
SEC. 5. Knox County shall be attached to Scotland County for civil and military purposes, until such time as said county of Knox shall become fully organized. All moneys and dividends of moneys, accruing or falling to Scotland County, shall be equally divided between said counties; nor shall the citizens of Knox County be taxed, or moneys collected from them, for the pur- pose of erecting public buildings in the county of Scotland.
SEC. 6. The circuit and county courts of Scotland County shall be held at Sand Hill, until such location is made, unless otherwise ordered by the county court.
This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
Approved January 6, 1843.
THE COUNTY SEAT.
In obedience to the foregoing act, Obadiah Dickerson, John Lear and Matthew Givens, commissioners appointed to select a site for the permanent seat of justice, met at the town of Sand Hill on the 15th day of May, 1843, and, after taking an oath to faithfully perform their duties, they proceeded and made diligent and careful examination of all the sites offered within four miles of the geographical center of the county; and after mature deliberation they selected the site for the permanent seat of jus- tice at a "town called Memphis," which is about one mile north- west from such geographical center. They also received from Samuel Cecil a donation of fifty acres of land, including the town of Memphis, and procured title thereto by a deed which was subsequently executed by said Cecil and his wife, Lilly, on the 19th day of September, 1843. A report of their proceedings was made to the judge of the circuit court, at the September term in that year, and by him approved. As soon as the site for
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