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 44
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 44
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 44
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 44
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very rare in a man so young in a legislative body. He was also chosen a member of the convention to revise the constitution of
1 this State, and was one of the committee of three appointed by the Senate to revise the statutes in 1856. He also served a term of four years in the State Senate. At a special election in 1859 he was elected judge of the Fourth Judicial Circuit by about 1,000 majority over James Ellison, who was also a Democrat. In this capacity he served until his death. Although Judge Richardson was a zealous politician he disappointed the expecta- tions of even his friends, who entertained fears lest his long polit- ical career might be prejudicial to him in his position upon the bench. But he showed himself to be fully competent to perform the duties of his office, and seemed entirely at home in his new field of action. Even his political enemies were constrained to admit that he made as good a judge if not the best that ever sat upon the bench of this circuit.
" Judge Richardson was a Kentuckian, a pro-slavery Dem- ocrat, and as a necessary consequence took a strong interest in the success of the Southern cause at the commencement of the Rebellion. He was a Secessionist, but not a rebel. He was strongly opposed to the war, and after hostilities had commenced he used every effort in his power to induce Col. Martin Green to take his troops from this part of the State. He was even threat- ened with arrest by some of the Confederate officers in Green's Camp while he was there for that purpose. The writer, after a careful examination, can not find a single instance where Richard- son ever gave material aid or assistance to those in armed rebell- ion against the Federal Government, although he strongly sym- pathized with the cause of the South. He was in favor of peac- able secession. When Memphis was occupied by home guards, under the command of Col. David Moore, he was arrested, but not deprived of his liberty. After the Twenty-first Regiment of Mis- souri Volunteers was organized, and returned to Memphis in the month of November, Richardson was again put under arrest, and confined in the courthouse, although no definite charge was made against him. On the night of November 1861, while he was engaged in reading a newspaper to the prisoners confined with him in the center room of the courthouse on the west side
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of the building, he was assassinated by a shot from a carbine or musket, killing him instantly." The shot, which caused his death, was fired through the window from the outside, by some unknown fiend, who has never been apprehended.
James Proctor Knott is a Kentuckian by birth and education, but coming to Scotland County he was admitted to the bar at Memphis in the spring of 1851. By his industry and persever- ance he soon exhibited great ability as a lawyer, and afterward entered the political arena. In 1858 he was elected to represent Scotland County in the State Legislature, and in the impeach- ment of Judge Jackson, he, as chairman of the judiciary com- mittee, was very active in bringing that officer to trial. When Jackson was brought to trial before the Senate, Knott was selected to conduct the prosecution in behalf of the State. The legal ability displayed on that occasion caused him to be appointed attorney-general of the State, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of his predecessor, Hon. Ephraim B. Ewing, who vacated the office to accept a position on the supreme bench of the State. Knott was appointed to that office by Gov. Stewart, and, in the Democratic convention that met at Jefferson City in 1860, he was nominated for attorney-general, with C. F. Jackson for governor, and was elected on the general ticket. In the con- vention, which met at St. Louis in March, 1861, he represented Cole County, where the State capitol is located, and where he then resided, and, although a sympathizer with the Southern cause, he counseled moderation, and opposed extreme secession measures. He continued to reside at Jefferson City until about the middle of the war period, and then removed to Kentucky, where he has ever since resided. Since going to Kentucky he has served twelve years as a representative in Congress, and four years as governor of that State, having been inaugurated into the latter office on the 4th of September, 1883. He resides at Lebanon, Ky.
Levi J. Wagner was a brother of Judge David Wagner, of Lewis County. He began the practice of law at Memphis, at the time or soon after the courts were established there. As a lawyer he was an excellent collector, but never rose to distinction as an advocate. He owned a large tract of land, lived about
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HISTORY OF SCOTLAND COUNTY.
a mile northeast of Memphis, and divided his time and attention between farming and his professional duties. He retired from the bar during the war, and gave his whole attention to farming, stock raising, etc., and being an able financier he amassed con- siderable property. Politically he was a Democrat, twice represented his county in the State Legislature, served a. term as county treasurer, and was a member of the convention held at Jefferson City to form the present constitution of the State. He was always known as a Union man, was highly re- spected, and enjoyed the confidence of all who knew him. He died September 4, 1882, at the advanced age of seventy-two years, and the finest monument in the Memphis Cemetery marks his resting place. At the time of his death he was president of the Citizens' Bank of Memphis. .
The resident members of the Scotland County bar are as fol- lows: John D. Smoot and M. M. Pettingill, of the firm of Smoot & Pettingill; W. T. Kays, died October 23, 1887; R. D. Cramer; Ed R. McKee and John M. Jayne, of the firm of McKee & Jayne; A. H. Smith; John B. Mudd and Thomas H. Wagner, of the firm of Mudd & Wagner; George Collins and Ed. M. Allen, of the firm of Collins & Allen; Elias Schofield, Lewis Myers, John C. Moore, E. R. Bartlett and Thomas A. Rees. None who practiced before the late war are now remaining in the bar. All of the present members of the bar have joined it since the war period, and some of them very recently. . Comparatively speaking, the bar is young and vigorous, but rather large in comparison to the amount of business submitted for their transaction. [For further personal mention of the members of the bar see bio- graphical department ].
TOWNS OF THE COUNTY.
Sand Hill, situated in the southern part of Scotland County, about twelve miles from Memphis, was the first village estab- lished therein, and James L. Jones, who was afterward the first sheriff of the county, opened the first store there about the year 1835. It was then the headquarters of what was known as the Cooper settlement, and being chosen as the place for the seat of justice of Scotland County, while it embraced the territory of
Yours truly - Jill Sifort
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
what is now Knox County, it drew a considerable amount of bus- iness, which it continued to hold for a number of years. After the seat of justice was removed therefrom it ceased to grow, and has ever since been only a post village with a very few places of business. In October, 1857, it was surveyed, and laid out as a town containing twenty-five blocks of twelve lots each, excepting Blocks 2 and 23, which have but six lots each, the other half of these lots being reserved for a public square. This was done by Chancey Durkee, agent for the proprietors, who reserved the right "to take the water from the springs on the streets and alleys in any direction they might think proper." At the present writing the village contains two general stores, kept respectively by the firms of Wilsey & Westcott and Rule & Smith, one drug and grocery store by Chaney Brothers, one Methodist Episcopal Church, a hotel kept by Daniel Chaney, and a postoffice, also one profes- sional man-Dr. Mason. The presidential election for Benton Township in 1840 was held at Charles Bealer's grocery in Sand Hill, and Van Buren and Johnson received fifty votes, and Har- rison and Tyler sixty-eight. James R. Abernathy, the candidate for prosecuting attorney of the judicial circuit, received seventy- two votes, there being no opposing candidate.
Edinburg, situated in the southeastern part of Mount Pleasant Township, was established in 1836, and Eskridge and Holliday, "two old bachelors," who came from Shelby County, Mo., opened a grocery there that year, their principal business . consisting of the sale of spirits, as claimed by some old settlers. The presidential election for Mount Pleasant in 1840 was held at Edinburg, and Van Buren and Johnson received 109 votes, and Harrison and Tyler forty-seven. Abernathy, for prosecuting attorney, received thirty-seven votes, there being no opposition to the latter. Edinburg was named by S. W. B. Carnegy, a Scotch- man, who named it after the metropolis of his native country. The name of the county was suggested also by the same gentle- man. The business of Edinburg ceased many years ago, and there is nothing there now but a church and a schoolhouse.
Pleasant Retreat consists of a postoffice and one general store, the latter being kept by William Wells, and is situated in Mount Pleasant Township, about eight miles south of Memphis.
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HISTORY OF SCOTLAND COUNTY.
The postoffice was established there in 1849, and Judge John C. Collins was the postmaster from that date continuously until 1883-thirty-four years in all.
Bible Grove, situated in Section 12, Township 64 north, Range 13 west, being in Mount Pleasant Township, was established soon after the settlement of the county began, and was named as a postoffice. The first store at Bible Grove was kept by James L. Lancaster, and he was succeeded by F. M. Johnson. The village now consists of two stores, kept respectively by William Breed- love and Thomas Barker. There is also a blacksmith shop and the Christian Church building.
Rainbow, on the North Fabius, near the southern line of the county, was established in 1880. It contains a general store and a drug store; the former kept by Oscar Cope, and the latter by Edward Fordny. It also contains a saw mill and blacksmith shop. A postoffice was established there in the spring of 1881. The postmasters have been Marion Spurgeon, S. H. Phillips and the present incumbent, D. Hustead. Dr. William Noblett is the village physician.
Gorin, on the line of the Santa Fe Railroad, in Section 9, Township 64 north, Range 10 west, was established in the spring of 1887. Baker & Webber opened the first stock of goods in March, 1887, and have since been succeeded by Dr. Neal. Mr. Harkness opened a grocery in May, 1887, and Hamilton & Co. opened a general store in June of the same year. Tim Boyer opened a boarding house in march, and a postoffice was estab- lished in June, same year. W. G. Miller is the postmaster. This place is surrounded by a vast agricultural country, and is destined to become a large shipping point as soon as the railroad is com- pleted, as the nearest town to it of any considerable size is Mem- phis, which is sixteen miles distant; and for the further reason that it will be on the most direct route between Chicago and Kansas City. The line of the Santa Fe Railroad enters the county about five miles north of the southeast corner of the county, and leaves it about seven miles west of the same point, thus making the length of its live within the county about nine miles.
Etna, which is situated on parts of Sections 23 and 26, in
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
Township 65 north, Range 10 west, was laid out and surveyed into lots numbering thirty-three in all, by Andrew Hunt, in April, 1855. In 1857 the place contained, a store, kept by a Mr. Hunt; a hotel, kept by his brother; another store, kept by Stevenson & Leach, and a schoolhouse. It contains at the present writing one general store, kept by W. J. Keller; one hotel, kept by Joel H. Keller, and the German Methodist Episcopal Church. The public school is taught in the first story of the Masonic building, which was erected soon after the late war. The Masonic Lodge, No. 41, meets in the second story of the same building.
Granger is situated on the Keokuk & Western Railroad, about one and a half miles west from the eastern line of the county. It was surveyed and laid out in September, 1874, by Henry Hill the proprietor. Shacklett's addition to Granger, which lies east of and adjoining the original plat, was laid out April 4, 1882, by Benjamin W. Shacklett, Solomon B. Allen and S. A. Lynn. The town is located in the center of Section 2, Township 65 north, Range 10 west. The first business house in Granger was built in 1874 by F. J. Miller. It was a two-story building, 22x40 feet in size, and has since had a large addition built thereto. In this house Mr. Miller opened the first store in the town, in November, of that year, and embarked as a general merchant and lumber dealer. In 1875 Henry Strickler built the hotel which is now owned and managed by Frazee. The next mer- chant was Job Ballard, who continued in business about one and a half years, and then died. His stock was purchasd by Dowell & Thompson, who were succeeded by Dowell. The town has grown quite rapidly, so that it contains at the present writing two general stores kept respectively by Messrs. Matlick & Wilsey, and F. J. Miller; one grocery, by L. Lewis; one drug store, by I. L. Davis; a drug and grocery store, by Dr. R. E. Glover; a harness and saddle shop, by Rash & Hummell; a wagon and black- smith shop, by Guyton & Whaley; a hardware, lumber and fur- niture store, by Thompson Bros. & Co .; two hotels-the Frazee House, by W. F. Frazee, and the Pryor House, by Mrs. Pryor; a milliner store, by Miss Jessie McElroy ; a livery stable, by Rob- ert W. McElroy; a Presbyterian Church, a public schoolhouse, with upper and lower rooms; a railroad depot and warehouse;
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an Odd Fellows hall, and a lodge of that order organized in 1881. The latter has about thirty members. The town has also a public library, which was organized and kept up by the citi- zens. The population of Granger is about 175. The ship- ments from this place for the year ending August 31, 1887, given in car loads, were as follows: hogs, 40; cattle, 12; sheep, 1; wheat, 1; oats, 36. The wheat was the first car load ever shipped from Granger. The shipments of cattle fell short on account of the failure of the corn crop in 1886.
Arbela .- The original survey of this town, then called North Perryville, was made March 24, 1858, by Thomas Rus- sell. Afterward, the town of Arbela lying south of and including the southern part of North Perryville, was surveyed and laid out, but when and by whom the record does not state. The original town used to be called Burnt Church. Arbela is situated in Section 10, Township 65 north, Range 10 west, and is on the Keokuk & Western Railroad, about eight miles east of Memphis on a direct line. The new sur- vey was made, and the name Arbela adopted about the time of the completion of the Keokuk & Western Railway. The town contains two general stores, three groceries, one hard- ware store, one milliner store, one church, railroad depot, and a public schoolhouse.
Uniontown, containing seventy-two lots in all, and situated on Section 15, Township 66 north, Range 13 west, being in Miller Township, was surveyed and laid out on the 7th of March, 1857, by R. H. Morris, James Saunders, J. P. Saunders and B. A. Mclaughlin. In 1860 this village consisted of the saw and grist-mill of Saunders & Bro., two general stores, one grocery, two blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, one tailor shop, and a doctor. In 1874 Kilwinning Lodge, No. 378, A. F. & A. M., completed a two-story building, 21x40 feet in size, for a hall and schoolhouse. The upper story was finished off for the hall, and the lower story for a high school. The cost of the build- ing was $850. Kilwinning Lodge continues to meet in the hall, but the schoolroom has ceased to be used for school purposes. At present the town consists of a postoffice, general store and blacksmith shop, and the Methodist Episcopal Church.
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
South Upton, containing ten blocks of different sizes, was sur- veyed and laid out on part of Lot 1 of the southwest fractional quarter of Section 20, Town 67 north, Range 10 west, on the 22d of November, 1855, by William T. Phares. The original town of Upton lies on the Iowa side. There is at present noth- ing on the Missouri side except a schoolhouse.
Fabius or Crawford's Station, on the K. & W. Railway, five miles west of Memphis, was laid out by Robert Smiley on the 8th of April, 1876. It now contains the railroad depot, post- office, three stores, a blacksmith shop and a saw and corn mill.
Memphis. [For the origin of the town of Memphis see account noted elsewhere.] Since the original town was surveyed there have been twelve additions made to it as follows, in the order of their dates: Cecil's addition, containing four blocks of twelvelots each and one block of four lots, was surveyed March 5, 1844. It lies directly west of the original plat of Memphis, being between Clay and Cecil Streets. The Presbyterian, Baptist and Meth- odist Episcopal Churches are in this addition. Jones' addition, containing four blocks of twelve lots each, was surveyed and laid out March 18, 1844. It adjoins the original plat on the south, but does not extend farther west than Main Street, which runs north and south along the west side of the public square. North addition, which contains five blocks, and which lies directly north of and adjoining the original plat, was laid out by J. F. Foreman in January, 1848. Cecil's second addition, containing Blocks 6, 7 and 8, and which lies directly west of his first addition, was laid out August 21, 1856, by Samuel S. Cecil. Cecil's third ad- dition contains two blocks lying directly west of Blocks 7 and 8 in his second addition, and was laid out July 3, 1857.
Richardson's addition, containing two blocks of fourteen lots each, lies east of and adjoining Block 10, in the original plat. It was laid out by Judge Thomas S. Richardson, on the 25th of August, 1857. Mety's addition, containing three blocks of sixteen lots each, and one block of four lots, lies north of North Street, and directly west of Mr. Mety's residence. It was laid out by the proprietor, Charles Mety, on the 20th of April, 1858. Oak Ridge addition, containing twenty-five large residence lots, including the railroad depot grounds, was laid
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HISTORY OF SCOTLAND COUNTY.
out by Charles Mety on the 17th of March, 1866. And Mackey's subdivision of Lots 4 and 9, of Oak Ridge addition, containing twenty-one lots, lying southeast of the railroad depot, was laid out by John T. Mackey on the 18th of May, 1875. Mety's second addition, containing twelve lots, and lying east of his residence lot, was laid out by Charles Mety on the 12th of December, 1877. Eastern addition, containing four blocks, was laid out on the 10th of February, 1881, by Sanders, Pitkin, Richardson and others. Mety's third addition, contain- ing three blocks of fourteen lots each, lies directly north of his first addition, and was laid out in May, 1881.
Before the town of Memphis was established a burying ground had been selected in the western part of the present site thereof by the early settlers of the vicinity. This burying ground continued to be used by the citizens of Memphis and vicinity until the year 1858. On the 8th of August, 1858, Austin Quisenbury conveyed, by warranty deed, to Memphis Lodge, No. 16, F. & A. M., a tract of land in the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 8 in Town 65 north, Range 11 west, consisting of five acres, for a cemetery. The lodge caused this tract to be surveyed into 164 lots, each twenty feet square, and had a plat thereof made and recorded, under the name of " Masonic Cemetery Grounds." The grounds were then fitted up, and have ever since, and still continue to be controlled by the aforesaid lodge. As soon as this cemetery was ready for use the old one was abandoned, and most of the dead moved therefrom to the new one. This cemetery lies on the western slope of an elevated tract of land, and is about one mile east of the city.
The first house erected within the present limits of Memphis, was a log cabin, erected a short distance southwest of the present railroad depot, in the fall of 1835, by Burton Tompkins, and the next was also a log cabin, which stood on the lot where Dr. Murphy's residence now stands. It was built about the year 1836, and occupied as a residence by Reuben Riggs. Another cabin was erected soon thereafter, on the same lot, by Harrison H. Parks. This, however, was a long time before Memphis was chosen for the county seat, and surveyed and platted as a town.
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These, and perhaps other log cabins, stood upon the town site before it became the county seat. The first brick building in the town was the courthouse, of which mention has been made under the head of " public buildings." Maj. H. M. Gorin put up the first frame dwelling house in Memphis, in the year 1844. It stood on the west side of the street, due west of the courthouse, on the present " burnt district. " It was afterward removed, and now stands on Lot 10, in Block 18 of the original plat, and is still occupied as a residence. The small frame dwelling house which now stands on the east side of the public square, and near the northeast corner thereof, was moved from Sand Hill, by Hon. Levi J. Wagner, immediately after the county seat was moved. It was moved on rollers, and was drawn by oxen. Fences were not in the way then, and it was brought by the best route, mostly through the open prairie. It is the same building in which the first county offices were held at Sand Hill, and, after bringing it to Memphis, Mr. Wagner, had his law office in it as long as he kept one in the town. Prior to this, and early in the year 1844, Mety and Gorin erected a small building on the north side of the public square, and due north of the present courthouse, and tendered it to the county for the use of the county officers. It was accepted, and the first term of the county court was held therein, in May, 1844.
The frame building now occupied by Ballow's restaurant was moved from Sand Hill, by Dr. W. L. Felix, about the year 1845 or 1846, and set on the Pitkin corner, at the southeast corner of the public square. The first store in Memphis was opened in 1843 or 1844, by Charles Mety and Dr. W. L. Felix, in a log building which stood on the lot now occupied by the large brick residence of Mr. Myers, formerly known as the Downing property. The original stock of goods came from the store of Dr. Felix, at Sand Hill, from which place he moved and formed the partnership with Mety. Mety & Felix then sold goods a year or more, when the former bought a store building in Waterloo, in Clark County, and took it down, moved the material and rebuilt it on the corner, where Cole & Mety's store is now located, at the northwest corner of the public square. Then Mety bought the interest of his partner, Felix, moved the store into this new building,
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HISTORY OF SCOTLAND COUNTY.
and took in Austin Quisenbury as a partner. Soon after this Mety sold his interest to Quisenbury, and the latter then took in W. P. Ellis as a partner, and they continued in business at the same place. Mety, Reese & Agin then opened a store in a building which stood on the corner directly north of the former, where the Wabash Hotel afterward stood. Reese & Agin were merchants at Canton, where they lived, and Mr. Mety managed the store in Memphis. About this time Dr. W. L. Felix opened a store on the Pitkin corner in the building which he moved from Sand Hill. Also about this time, or perhaps later, a Mr. Skinner, of La Grange, in Lewis County, sent up a stock of goods, which was opened and sold by Martin Connell, on the north side of the public square, in a little building which stood west of and near the ground now covered by the Pitkin block, at the northeast corner of the said square.
The first hotel in Memphis was erected soon after the county seat was established thereat, by Harry Baker. It is still stand- ing where it was built, on the east side of the street leading from the public square to the railroad depot, and near the Baker resi- dence. The next hotel was put up and kept by Andrew Lovell. It is the old frame building on the corner west of Townsend's wagon factory. It was continued as a hotel for many years, and finally converted into a boarding house. The first blacksmith in Memphis was Ralph Lowe, who purchased the lot north of and adjoining the jail lot (it being Lot 7, Block 18, old plat), and erected a shop thereon, in which he worked about one year, then left, and has never since been heard of. The first brick house in Memphis was the courthouse, and the next was a small tailor's shop, erected on the east side of the square by a Mr. Summers. It was afterward torn down. At the outbreak of the late war the only brick buildings on the public square were the aforesaid tailor's shop, the Pitkin block at the southeast corner, and the brick part of the building now known as the Central Hotel. All the other brick business houses have been erected since the close of the war. The John O'Conner block, north of the Star House; the Methodist Episcopal and Christian Churches; the J. W. Cody dwelling house, on the southeast corner of Block 4 in Jones' addition; the large residence on the Downing
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