USA > Missouri > Lincoln County > History of Lincoln County, Missouri, from the earliest time to the present > Part 30
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SURVEYORS.
Joseph Cottle, 1819; William Herbert, 1828-30; James Fin- ley, 1830-38; James Reid, 1838-40; Nixon Palmer, 1840-46; J. J. Pritchett, 1846-51; James Reid, 1851-55; A. R. Finley, 1855-57; G. G. Wilson -; John C. Downing, 1867-72; John F. Wilson, 1872-88.
RECORDERS.
The office of recorder, in Lincoln County, was never sep- arated from that of the circuit court clerk until 1886, when J. H. Alexander, the present incumbent, was elected recorder. He assumed the duties of his office January 1, 1887.
The following is a list of the judges of the circuit court and also of the justices and judges of the county court. Of the latter the time that each individual officer actually served, as shown by the records, is given, and may not in all cases cover the whole
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
time during which they held office. The county court was some- times composed of several officers, only two or three of whom met to hold the sessions. The list has been obtained by an actual and careful search of the records of the proceedings of the court.
CIRCUIT COURT JUDGES.
David Todd, 1819-21; Rufus Pettibone, 1821-23; Nathaniel Beverly Tucker, 1823-30; Priestly H. McBride, 1830-36; Ezra Hunt, 1836-49; Carty Wells, 1849-57; Aylett H. Buckner, 1857-62; Thomas J. C. Fagg, 1862-67; Gilchrist Porter, 1867- 72; W. W. Edwards, 1872-81; Elijah Robinson, 1881-87; Elli- ott M. Hughes, present incumbent, elected in 1886, and assumed the duties of his office in 1887.
COUNTY COURT JUSTICES.
Ira Cottle, 1821-24; Jonathan Riggs, 1821-22; John Geiger, 1821-23; Benjamin Cottle, 1822-25; James Duncan, 1823-25; John Lindsey, 1825-28; Thompson Blanton, Philip Sitton, Dan- iel Draper, Benajah English, William Hammock, Barnabas Thornhill and Jonathan Cottle, 1825-26; Samuel Smiley, 1825- 27; Gabriel P. Nash, 1826-28; William W. Woodbridge, John Love and Ira Cottle, 1826-27; Caleb McFarland, 1827-46; James Duncan, 1827-31; Joseph H. Allen and Henry Watts, 1828-30; Charles Wheeler, 1830-31; John S. Besser, 1831-34; George W. Zimmerman, 1831-35; William Young, 1834-39; Price W. Hammock, 1835-54; Lewis Castleman, 1839-42; Solomon R. Moxley, 1842-44; Thomas W. Hutt, 1844-46; Charles Ferry and Solomon R. Moxley, 1846-50; M. A. Shelton, 1850-54; James Wilson, 1850-58; Horatio N. Baskett and Charles W. Martin, 1854-58; Solomon R. Moxley, 1858-64; John South, 1858-60; Milton L. Lovell, 1858-70; William W. Shaw, 1860- 61; Samuel T. Ingram, 1862-73; James Wilson, 1864-67; Solo- mon R. Moxley and James K. Cannon, 1867-69; Norman Por- ter, 1867-70; Alexander K. Wilson, 1869-75; John C. Downing, 1869-70; Levi Bickel, 1870-71; Charles W. Martin, 1870-77; Henry T. Mudd and N. H. Baskett, 1875-79; Nathan D. Pres- cott, 1877-79. District No. 1 .- Gion G. Wilson, 1879-83; Jerome B. Sitton, 1883-84; John T. Gilmore, 1884-86; Wilson
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
W. Reid, 1886-88. District No. 2 .- B. B. Harvey, 1879-80; Lawrence B. Sitton, 1880-83; A. Y. Brown, 1883-88. Presid- ing justices-Charles U. Porter, 1879-83; G. G. Wilson, 1883-88.
PROBATE JUDGES.
In 1825 Gabriel P. Nash was appointed for four years by the Governor. Before the organization of the county court in 1821, the circuit court exercised probate jurisdiction, and from that time forward, excepting the administration of Judge Nash, the county court exercised probate jurisdiction until 1870, when the probate court, as it now exists, was created by law. Since then the judges have been Solomon R. Moxley, 1870-74; E. N. Bon- fils, 1874-78; Benjamin W. Wheeler, 1878; re-elected in 1882, and again in 1886-present incumbent.
PROSECUTING ATTORNEYS.
Benjamin W. Wheeler, 1872-74; Josiah Creech, 1874-76; George T. Dunn, 1876-78; Robert Walton, 1878-82; Jeptha Wells, 1882-84; Howard S. Parker, 1884, to his death January 3, 1886; Nat. C. Dryden, 1886-present incumbent.
BRIEF SKETCHES OF COUNTY OFFICERS.
Following are brief biographical sketches of many of the county officers, as given by Dr. Mudd in the county atlas, together with necessary changes and additions to make them complete at this time:
Increase Adams came from Maine. He conducted a mercan- tile business several years in Louisville, and left this county in 1860, to reside in Mexico, Audrian County, where he died June 5, 1874, aged about sixty-five years.
Joseph Benson Allen was born in Truxton, this county, De- cember 12, 1841; commenced the practice of law in 1860; served in the Eighth Illinois Volunteers during the war. Now resides in Troy and is president of the Temperance Benevolent Associa- tion.
Thomas Armstrong was a pioneer settler and preacher. He went to Texas many years ago.
Joel Blanks was born in Pittsylvania County, Va., February
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
27, 1800. Married Miss Nancy Compton, January 4, 1827, came to this county in 1831, and settled on Big Creek. He died in Monroe Township at the residence of his daughter, Mrs. Wit- cher, February 25, 1875.
Eugene N. Bonfils was born in Tuscaloosa, Ala., October 13, 1820; moved to St. Louis, July, 1842; to Lexington, Ky., in 1846; graduated at Transylvania University, July, 1849; came the following month to St. Louis County, where he taught school ; came to Troy in May, 1852, and commenced the practice of law. Besides offices named above, was probate clerk for four years pre- ceding his election as judge, and held other positions of trust.
James H. Britton was born in Page County, Va., July 11, 1817. His early training was in the mercantile business. He married in 1838, came to Troy in 1840, and commenced busi- ness. Besides the offices named he was for a time postmaster of Troy; in 1848 he was secretary of the State Senate, and during the session of 1856-57 was chief clerk of the House of Repre- sentatives. In 1857 he was appointed cashier of the Southern Bank of St. Louis, and moved to that city; in 1864 he was elected its president. He held several other positions of trust, among them the office of president of the Life Association of America, and that of treasurer of the Illinois & St. Louis Bridge Company.
Warner Edward Brown was born in Union County, Ark., Feb- ruary 6, 1847; came to Wentzville in 1856; served in the Con- federate army the latter part of the war. He graduated in med- icine at Washington University, Baltimore, February 22, 1870, and located at Chain of Rocks. He abandoned the practice of medicine years ago and engaged in farming. He was commis- sioner of the Chain of Rocks bridge, and the principal originator of the project.
Francis C. Cake was born in Deerfield, Cumberland County, N. J., November 9, 1820, came to Troy October 16, 1840, and engaged in mercantile business until 1849. April 12 of that year he started to California by way of the plains, prospected from Nelson Creek in the northern mines to Sonora in the southern: was in Sacramento before there was a frame house erected in the city. He returned to Troy by way of Panama and New York. In 1857 he was appointed on the staff of Gov. Rob-
339
HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
ert M. Stewart, with the rank of colonel. He is now deceased.
Thomas Miller Carter. [See biography elsewhere in this work. ]
Elijah Collard, one of the early pioneers, came from Ken- tucky. He was a ranger in the War of 1812. He went to Texas many years ago.
Enoch Emerson was a native of Maryland. He was a mer- chant, and went to California in 1849 or 1850.
Andrew R. Finley came from Kentucky, and from here he went to California about the year 1870.
James Finley also came from Kentucky, and died years ago in this county.
Richard Gladney was a native of South Carolina, and came to this county with his parents when quite young. He went to California in 1870, and shortly afterward died.
George Webb Huston was born April 18, 1810, in New Mar- ket, Shenandoah County, Va. He came to Troy in 1834, was elected State registrar of lands in 1856, and held the office for four years. He died in April, 1862.
Thomas G. Hutt was born in Westmoreland County, Va., May 21, 1817, came to this county in 1837, and has ever since resided here.
Thomas W. Hutt was born in Westmoreland County, Va., September, 1798, and came to this county in the fall of 1832.
John R. Knox was born in this county September 16, 1836, was admitted to the practice of law in 1859. He traveled for his health about three years prior to his death, which occurred in Austin, Tex., May 3, 1876.
Charles William Martin was born in Campbell County, Va., September 29, 1810. He came to this county in 1838. He died at his home, near Troy, July 14, 1888, in his seventy-eighth year.
Nixon Palmer came from Garrard County, Ky. He died in 1845.
Francis Parker was born in Windsor, Vt., April 27, 1797. His grandfather, William Parker, came from the county of Lon- donderry, Ireland, about the year 1750, settled at Londonderry, N. H., and served throughout the entire war of the Revolution.
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
His maternal grandfather, Tyler Spafford, of English descent, also served throughout the war. His father, Henry Parker, died in 1814; and in 1817 he came to Jonesboro, Union County, Ill., where he held several important county offices, and where he married, in 1819, Miss Catharine Clapp, by whom he had eight children. He came to this county in 1821, and married his sec- ond wife, Miss Sarah Cochran, of this county, in 1833. By ref- erence to the list of county officers it will be seen that he was county clerk for thirty-two years, and circuit clerk for twenty- six years. He died September 4, 1868. He was greatly es- teemed as an honest, industrious and capable officer, and a sincere and earnest Christian.
John Parkinson was a native of England. He left this county many years ago, and died at Galena, Ill.
Edward J. Peers came from Kentucky; he was a graduate of West Point and a major of militia. He died in Troy, September 9,1862.
Valentine J. Peers was a brother of the preceding; he mar- ried a daughter of Maj. Christopher Clark, and died some years ago in St. Louis.
J. J. Pritchett was a native of Pennsylvania; he left this county about 1856 or 1857.
Alexander Reid came from Kentucky; he died at Jefferson City while in office, as stated elsewhere.
James Reid was a native of Kentucky, and long a resident of this county, where he was widely known and greatly respected; he died in 1870.
Jonathan Riggs was a native of Campbell County, Ky., and the son of Rev. Bethuel Riggs, the first Baptist preacher of this county. He came to this county in 1812, and made an honorable record during the war. He married Miss Jane Shaw, by whom he had eleven children. After the war he settled north of the Cuivre, on the Troy and Auburn road, where he died in 1834. He was a brigadier-general of militia.
James David Shelton was born in Pittsylvania County, Va., June 11, 1816; came to this county in November, 1829.
Philip Sitton was born in North Carolina about the year 1772, and came with his father, Joseph Sitton, and several of his broth-
341
HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
ers, to this county in 1818. He was very prominent in public affairs, and died in this county in 1862 or 1863.
Jehu L. Sitton, a brother of the preceding, came to this county at the same time. He died about 1868, in Pike County, Ill.
William Sitton, a brother of the preceding, was born April 26, 1778. He was a captain in the army during the War of 1812, and was at the battle of New Orleans. He died in 1865. The last vote he cast was for John C. Breckinridge, for president.
Joseph Winston Sitton, son of the preceding, was born in 1806, in Tennessee.
Hans Smith was a native of Pennsylvania, and came to this county in the summer of 1828, just two years before he was elected to the Legislature. He was a brilliant orator and a very popular man. He went to Arkansas in 1846 or 1847, and was shortly afterward elected to the State Senate. He finally went to Texas, engaged in mercantile business in Austin, and was drugged, robbed and murdered.
John Snethen was born in Estill County, Ky., and came with his father to Montgomery County in 1808. During the War of 1812 he was in the forts in Howard County, and went to school with Kit Carson. He married Miss Euphemia Wells, sister of Judge Carty Wells, by whom he had six children. He was a merchant of Troy for thirty-seven years.
David Stewart was born in Montgomery County, Ky., Janu- ary 24, 1798; came to this State and settled near Palmyra in 1829, and came to this county the following year. He was a brigadier-general of the militia. He and his wife were both killed by a runaway horse attached to a buggy, while on their way to church at Louisville, on Sunday, June 11, 1871. He was a prosperous farmer, and enjoyed, to the day of his death, the confidence and esteem of all who knew him; he was a sincere Christian gentleman.
Robert Stewart came from North Carolina, and was an early settler; he accumulated considerable property and died in this county. Henry Watts was born in Kentucky, and at an early age came to this county. He was colonel of militia, and was under marching orders with his regiment in Gen. Jonathan Riggs' brigade for the Black Hawk War, in 1832. He died in 1840.
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
Charles Wheeler was born in Hanover County, N. H., April 1, 1794; moved to New Castle, Henry Co., Ky., in 1820; had charge of New Castle Academy nine months; went next year to Bedford County, and taught school. He came to Alexandria, in this county, in 1825; went to Jefferson County, Ky., in 1828, taught school one year, and returned in 1829 to Troy, where he lived until his death, January 21, 1873. He was brother of Capt. Otis Wheeler. He held the office of justice of the peace from July 31, 1829, to within a week of his death, when he resigned it-a period of forty-four years. He was a graduate of Dart- mouth College, both in law and literature, in the class of 1818. John Wilson was born in Muirkirk, Prince George's Co., Md., and came with his parents to this county about 1856. He served in the Confederate army during the late war, and lost an arm in battle. He was a brother of Maj. James Wilson, of the Federal army, who was killed at Pilot Knob. He died in June, 1877, of consumption.
Richard Wommack was born in Halifax County, Va., Jan- uary 10, 1804, and departed this life at his residence in Lincoln County, March 25, 1880. He moved with his parents to Tennes- see, where his father died, and from there moved with his mother to this county in October, 1823. He was married three times; first to Miss Cynthia Smiley ; in 1831 to Mrs. Harriet Gil- more, and in 1873 to Mrs. Mary Morris; had ten children. He held prominent positions in public affairs; was a liberal and public-spirited citizen, and lived an exemplary life. He held the office of assessor two terms, that of sheriff four terms, and that of representative in the Legislature four terms. Of him it can truthfully be said to all the world, with all that the language can imply, "This was a man."
William Anderson Woodson was born in Monroe Township, in this county. For years he followed merchandising in Troy, where he now resides.
Richard Henry Woolfolk was born in Jefferson County, Ky., in October, 1803; studied medicine in his native State, and came to Troy in 1825; established and maintained a good practice in this and St. Charles Counties for about twenty-five years. In May, 1828, he married Miss Helen B. Wells, sister to Judge Carty Wells. He died in this county.
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
Morgan Wright was born in Bourbon County, Ky., and came at an early day to this county; he was a brother to the late Edward Thomas J. Wright; he married a daughter of Judge James Duncan, of this county, and died at his home in Clark Township about the year 1852.
For information concerning other prominent county officials the reader is referred to "bench and bar," and the biographical department of this work.
CHAPTER IX
ELECTIONS, JUDICIARY, ETC.
The first election held in Lincoln County was in 1819. The places for holding the elections, and the judges to conduct them, have been mentioned in connection with the county organization.
For the election in 1820, Prospect K. Robbins, Ira Cottle and Joseph Oldham were appointed judges in Monroe Township, and the election was ordered to be held "at the place for holding courts " in Old Monroe. Elijah Collard, James Duncan and Benjamin Blanton were appointed judges in Bedford Township, and the election was ordered to be held at the house of Benjamin Cottle. Robert Jameson, Philip Sitton and Samuel Gibson were appointed judges for Union Township, and the election was ordered to be held at the house of the latter. Benjamin Allen, Jesse Sitton and David Diggs were appointed judges for Hurri- cane Township, and the election was ordered to be held at the house of James Barnes. Afterward, from time to time, with the change of the municipal townships, new election precincts were established, and new places appointed for the holding of the elec- tions.
In August, 1875, the county court appointed the following named places and judges for the holding of the special election to be held on Saturday, October 30, following, on the adoption or rejection of the new constitution of the State: Chain of Rocks, John K. Lindsey, William Eggering and Lawrence B.
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
Sitton; Chantilla, Alfred Y. Brown, William Lindsey and Robert Ricks; Drydensville, in Snow Hill, Andrew Cunningham, John J. Alexander and Christopher W. Ricks; Burr Oak Valley, Charles L. Alloway, Thomas R. Reid and Frank D. Hardesty; New Hope, William W. Reid, William F. Wilson and J. Winston Sitton ; Hickory Grove schoolhouse in Clark Township, James A. Miller, Casper Extine and Royal J. Williams; Troy, James Wells, Jordon R. Witt and Charles U. Porter; Auburn, Alex. K. Wilson, Andrew F. Downing and John M. Reeds; Millwood, William W. Haynes, Francis B. Clare and Thomas Jackman; Truxton, Robert B. Allen, Williamson C. Giles and Henry Dewell; Nineveh, James C. Elmore, William W. Shaw and James Porter; Louisville, John T. Kimler, J. S. R. Gregory and Samuel C. Motley, Sr. The elections were held accordingly, and on the 12th day of November the returns were canvassed, and out of 1,239 votes cast, it was found that 1,209 were for the adoption of the new constitution, and 30 against it.
PRESIDENTIAL VOTE OF 1884.
The vote for President in . 1884, at the several voting places in Lincoln County, was as follows:
PLACE.
Cleveland.
Blaine, Butler and Fusion.
Troy
281
227
Richardson's Mill.
24
32
Hubbard's Schoolhouse.
152
72
Linn's Mill.
63
87
Truxton
57
98
Olney.
109
68
Louisville.
148
89
Millwood.
149
60
Whiteside
126
35
Auburn.
96
69
New Hope
173
36
Elsberry
215
125
Smith's Schoolhouse
48
9
Snow Hill
112
32
Burr Oak
119
95
Winfield.
114
75
Chain of Rocks
136
54
Chantilla
91
58
Total
2243
1321
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
St. John received one vote at each of the following places: Whiteside, Elsberry and Smith's schoolhouse.
For the political phase of Lincoln County from 1836 to 1884, the reader is referred to the table showing the votes by counties at the presidental elections, found in the State history in this volume. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln, Republican, received only three votes.
AN ANECDOTE.
For the amusement of the reader the following joke on candidates, as reported in the Troy Free Press, in May, 1882, is here inserted:
"One day last week a lady from below Troy was engaged in shopping here, and having occasion to make some purchases at C. M. Hamilton's, was waited upon in the most polite and accomplished manner by our venerable friend Mr. P. G. Shelton, who, we may observe parenthetically, is a candidate for collector. Mr. Shelton, with the grace of a Parisian, assisted the lady upon her horse, and by his actions and delightful conversation so captivated her that on her way home she stated to a friend that she would certainly see that her husband cast a solid vote of the whole family for Mr. Shelton. This news immediately reached Troy, and now observe the effects. On Thursday last, another very sprightly and charming lady, who lives about four miles south of Troy, and who we will call Mrs. J., for short-came to Troy on a shopping expedition, and the first persons she met were Prince Birkhead and Capt. Colbert. The former, in behalf of the livery stable, tried to outdo Mr. Shelton in politeness, in the way of assisting the lady to alight and in taking charge of her horse, the Captain, in the meantime, standing still and scratching his head in a bewildered manner, looking for an opportunity to show off in the same way.
" Mrs. J. intimated to him that he ought not to be outdone by Messrs. Shelton and Birkhead- that Mr. Shelton had made one vote by assisting a lady last week, and that he (the Captain) might do as well this week by following the same plan. The Captain acknowledged it, excused himself for not being as quick as his young friend, mentioned the infirmities of age, etc., and promised that he would get her horse and assist her when she
22
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
got ready to start home. After the lady had finished shopping, she looked around, but could not see the Captain, and concluded to send him a note by a convenient colored boy, who hap- pened to be on hand, notifying him that she was ready to start. The boy carried the note to the courthouse, and in a minute the Captain was seen coming down the street, bareheaded and on a full run-but, alas ! he was too late, as seventeen candidates had already gotton the horse, assisted the lady in the saddle, and she was going down the street toward home in a canter. It is hardly necessary to observe that the Captain was greeted with the cheers of the lucky seventeen."
SUPREME AND CIRCUIT COURTS.
When the county of Lincoln was organized, in 1819, under the Territorial laws, it belonged to what was then designated as the Northwestern Circuit, including, probably, all the settlements in Missouri Territory north of the Missouri River. Under the State organization the county was made a part of the Second Judicial Circuit, and under this head the first term of the court was held in February, 1821. In 1825 the Legislature passed an act estab- lishing judicial districts and circuits, and prescribing the times and places for holding courts. The act was approved February 5, and by its provisions the State was divided into four judicial districts-the counties of Callaway, Montgomery, St. Charles, Lincoln, Pike and Ralls composing the Second. In each of the four districts the Supreme Court of the State was to be held alter- nately-the sessions to be held in the Second District, at St. Charles, beginning on the fourth Mondays of April and October in each year.
Judicial Circuits .- The act also provided that the counties composing each judicial district should constitute a judicial cir- cuit, and the time for holding the circuit court in Lincoln Coun- ty was fixed on the first Mondays of February, June and October. Thus the districts and circuits remained, with additions of new counties, until 1835, when, by an act of the Legislature, approved March 17, the judicial districts and circuits were reorganized. The Second District was composed of the counties of Montgom- ery, Warren, Lincoln, Pike, Ralls, Marion, Lewis and Shelby.
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
The sessions of the supreme court for this district were to be held at Bowling Green, in Pike County, commencing on the third Mondays of April and August in each year. The Second Judicial Circuit was composed of the counties of Montgomery, Warren, Lincoln, Ralls, Marion, Lewis and Shelby. The time for holding the circuit court in Lincoln County was fixed to com- mence on the first Mondays of March, July and November. Another reorganization of the judicial districts and circuits took place in accordance with an act of the General Assembly, passed in February, 1837, and in February, 1843, an act was passed to concentrate the supreme court. It provided that after that date the sessions of the supreme court should be held at Jefferson City only-to be held twice a year, commencing on the second Mon- day of January, and the first Monday of July in each year. The judicial districts for supreme court purposes were then abolished.
An act of the Legislature, approved March 27, 1845, provid- ed that two sessions of the supreme court should be held annual- ly, at the capitol of the State, commencing on the second Monday of January and the first Monday of July; and that two sessions should be held annually, commencing on the third Mondays of March and October, to hear causes from the Eighth Judicial Circuit, it being composed of the county of St. Louis only. This virtually divided the State into two supreme court districts-the one being composed of the county of St. Louis, and the other of all the other counties. The same act divided the State into four- teen judicial circuits, and made the third one consist of the coun- ties of Marion, Ralls, Pike, Lincoln, St. Charles, Warren and Montgomery, and fixed the time for the holding of the sessions in Lincoln County on the fourth Mondays of April and Septem- ber, of each year.
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