USA > Missouri > Pettis County > History of Pettis County, Missouri > Part 8
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The first school taught in Blackwater township was taught by sub- scription. The site of the school house was near the old Blackwater Chapel and the master was a man by the name of Jones. The first public
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HISTORY OF PETTIS COUNTY
school was taught in a building near the Joseph C. Higgins farm. The old building was destroyed by a storm in 1875, and later rebuilt near its old site.
This township has more schools than any other in the county, except Green Ridge. Sunny Dell has an attendance of fifteen, and Ruth Yates is the teacher. Stokeley has an attendance of eighteen, and Mrs. Arthur Bradley is the teacher. Bleak Mound's attendance is twenty-seven, and Elizabeth May is the teacher. Eden Valley has an attendance of twenty- three, and Arthur Bradley is the teacher. Dunksburg has an attendance of twenty-seven, and Esther Westbrook is the teacher. Brookside's at- tendance is sixteen, and Myra Kemper is the teacher. Elder Ridge has an attendance of thirty-five, and Bonnie Lynn is the teacher. Oak Grove's attendance is eleven, and Ada Lewis is the teacher. These are all public schools, operated under that system, are splendidly attended and capably taught. Seven public schools, in all, in the township. Buildings are well built and well kept.
In the early days, in this township, people would gather together in the home of some neighbor and attend church there. This was before churches were built in this section of the county. The first preaching in the township was at Mr. Prigmore's, by Duke Young, from near Tebo. He was of the Christian denomination. The first church was organized at James Roberts' and was of the Old Iron Side Baptists, and was organ- ized by Martellus Embry. This was on South Fork. They built a small log house of worship, with hewed benches, and in this they continued to worship for a number of years.
The next organization was that of the M. E. denomination. This class was organized by John Rice. They built a place of worship on section 5, township 47, range 23, and called it "Blackwater Chapel." South Fork Baptist Church, three miles south of Sweet Springs, then called Browns- ville, was organized in 1855 and a church built the following year. Salem Presbyterian Church was organized in the fall of 1880, and a church build- ing erected the same year five miles north and west of LaMonte. T. H. Maddox was the builder. T. H. Allen was its first pastor.
Wake Forest Baptist Church was organized in November, 1866, by Rev. A. P. Williams and Rev. W. M. Bell, three miles south of Houstonia, and a church was built there in 1870. Absalom Williams, Ben F. Pitts, Rodney Fisher and Phoebe Pitts, were the original members of this con- gregation. Blackwater Chapel is a Methodist Church, and is one of the
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older church organizations in the county. The present church building is a frame in good condition. The church is furnished with good com- fortable pews and has an organ. The church cemetery, "Blackwater," adjoins the church. Membership is fifty-three and they have a Sunday school attendance of thirty.
County Line is a Baptist Church, and is situated in the southwestern part of the township. It was established in 1844. The church has a mem- bership of forty-four and a Sunday school with an attendance of forty- four. The building is a frame, well furnished, and the church property is valued at $2,000. Hickory Grove is in this township. There is a build- ing, but it is closed and services discontinued.
Farming and stock raising is the principal industry in this township. The land is rich and grows everything most that can be grown in Missouri. Every farmer is a stock raiser. He has learned to drive his crops from the farm rather than haul them off. Cattle, hogs, sheep and goats are raised in great numbers.
The Lexington branch of the Missouri Pacific railway touches section 24 in the extreme northeast corner of this township.
CHAPTER XIV.
BOWLING GREEN TOWNSHIP
NAME-BOUNDARIES-ORGANIZATION -DRAINAGE - EARLY SETTLERS - EARLY TEACHERS AND PREACHERS-SCHOOLS-EARLY AND PRESENT DAY CHURCHES.
George W. Smiley came to this township in 1825, from Kentucky, and gave it the name "Bowling Green." He loved his native State and particularly the beautiful town of Bowling Green, and with these in view he suggested the name which was adopted. The Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad runs east through the central part of the township.
The township was laid out when Pettis County was organized, in the winter of 1832 or 1833. At that time Mr. Charles Cravens was the mem- ber of the Legislature from Saline County, and to his efforts is due the fact of the separation of the counties of Saline and Pettis, and the giving of voting places, convenient for the voters. It formerly embraced the townships of Smithton, Heath's Creek, and part of Longwood, but was separated near the time the Missouri Pacific railroad came through, and each township was given separate voting places. In the organization of the county into municipal townships, this has retained the name of Bowl- ing Green, while the others took their present names. Its northern boundary is Heath's Creek township, east Cooper and Morgan counties, south Smithton township and west Sedalia and Cedar townships. Its position is nearly in the center of the county from north to south, and lies on the eastern edge of the county. The township contains 23,040 acres.
The land is mostly gently rolling prairie, although in some places it is flat and along the creeks timber abounds. The township is well watered by the Muddy Creek, and its tributary, Shavetail Creek. Many fine rock quarries produce limestone and a kind of stone called cottonwood rock,
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HISTORY OF PETTIS COUNTY
which on exposure to the air wears away, but for foundations, and where it is well covered from the action of the air and rains, it will last as long as any other stone. It is extensively used for road building.
The system of drainage is very complete, and in no place is it necessary to use artificial piping to carry off the surface water, but everywhere the ground is rolling enough to give good drainage. The soil is deep, dark and rich, and productive. It is noted for the quality of its staple produc- tion, its fine fields of wheat, its elegant blue grass pastures and its large area of corn. Mules, cattle, hogs and sheep are raised in great numbers.
The early history of this township is so interwoven with that of Smithiton, which, at this early day, was a part of Bowling Green, that the early settlers of the one are the early settlers of the other. Among the earliest, and perhaps the earliest settler of the township, was Joseph Scott, who came in 1815, from Kentucky. Thus with him the opening wedge entered the virgin territory, and from the States of Kentucky, Virginia, Alabama and Tennessee came the heroes of the rough and sturdy material which was to rise into the beautiful and substantial structures of the western empire. Joseph Roberts and wife came in 1820, also from Kentucky; N. Steele came the same year from the same State. John Potter came in 1825 from the same State, and Robert Ross came two years later from the "blue grass" regions. George Small came to the township in 1825, from Kentucky, and also the same year and from the same state came George W. Smiley. Mr. Smiley was a man of great energy, a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. On his land the first school house built in the township was erected. Daniel Wright came to the township in 1831, from Alabama. Andrew M. Wright came from the same state, and in the same year. Clinton Young came to the township in 1830, from Tennessee, and Clayborne Young four years later from the same state. Judge J. W. Beeman is another of the pioneers of the township. He came from Alabama here in 1832, and lived on the same homestead for fifty years.
Little is written by former historians of the early schools of this county. The first schools, however, were taught on a kind of subscription plan, the public school system in the early days not having been inaugu- rated. The first school taught in this township was by James Chalmers.
The first churches were the homes of the settlers, where neighbors would gather for worship. Salem Church, Methodist Episcopal, was situ- ated in the southern part of the township, about seven miles north of
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HISTORY OF PETTIS COUNTY
Sedalia. The first class was organized at Smiley's school house and the church organized twenty years later. Before the building of this church, all denominations met and held services at Smiley's school house and at the old "Provident Baptist Church." Revivals flourished at both of these places under the leadership of Revs. Springer, James Mitchell, Thomas Wallace and J. W. Jameson.
Prior to 1859, there were organized two churchies of the Disciple. One in the northern part of the county was called Union; this was a very strong and flourishing organization, made up of the most influential, in- telligent citizens of that part of the county. Among the members of that time were: Amos Fristoe, Abner Clopton, Doctor Rothwell, John S. Jones, Doctor Cartwright, Col. Thomas F. Houston, George Anderson, Ben Major, Charles Jones, and many others of influence. Amos Fristoe and Ben Major were the leading workers of the church. Fristoe was elder, and also a man by the name of Hartison. Elder Allen Wright was their pastor, later Rev. L. B. Wilks taking up the work. This faith had a strong church at Georgetown in these days. It was organized by Elders Allen Wright and John DeJarnette. This church was still there in 1860, but when the county seat moved to Sedalia the congregation moved with it. Rev. William Ferguson was one of the leading ministers of the county and preached in this township in these days.
Splendidly conducted public schools are found in this township at the present time. There are four in the township. Arator has an enroll- ment of eighteen pupils, and P. V. Scotten is the teacher. Lovelace has eighteen pupils, and Adelia Wallace is the teacher. Olive Branch has seventy-two pupils, and Mrs. M. B. Wood and Myrtle Draffin are the teachers. Salem enrolled seventy-three this year, and Willie Rothrock is the teacher. The school buildings in this township are well built and well kept.
The present day churches are well attended. Different denomina- tions now have their own churches. The Providence Baptist, the oldest church in Pettis County, is eight miles northeast of Sedalia. It was organ- ized at its present location in 1842. Its ministers since 1882 have been Revs. O. L. Wood, Charles White, M. S. Humphrey, R. L. Payne, Jeffries, John Harbaugh, Louis Verts, and others. Church is substantial frame building, nicely furnished and has library and piano. Building valued at $2,300. A cemetery is in connection and is near the church. Membership
LAMONTE MILLING AND GRAIN COMPANY, LAMONTE, MO.
RAYBURN'S GRAIN ELEVATOR, GREEN RIDGE, MO.
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HISTORY OF PETTIS COUNTY
is twenty-seven, with Sunday school attendance in summer months of twenty-three.
Olive Branch Baptist Church is located a little north of the center of the township. It was organized in 1872. It has a membership of 201, with an average attendance of seventy. The church building is a substantial one and is well equipped. The value of the church property is approximately $1,500.
Salem, a Southern Methodist Episcopal Church, six and a half miles northeast of Sedalia, is one of the older churches of the county. The present building is a substantial brick, twenty-eight by forty feet. It was rebuilt in 1880, much material being used from the old church which was erected in 1858. The membership of the church is fifty, with Sun- day school attendance of forty-five. Charles S. Danforth is the Sunday school superintendent. Present minister is Rev. Samuel P. Cayton.
Salem cemetery adjoins the church yard on the south.
The Beaman Christian Church was built about twenty-five years ago. J. R. Stewart, A. J. Lane, John Kellerman, Judge Willis Franklin, and John D. Franklin were the builders of the church. The present build- ing is a substantial frame thirty by forty-four feet, seated with chairs and has a good organ. Church has no services at present, the building being used by Beaman Chapter of the Red Cross.
CHAPTER XV.
CEDAR TOWNSHIP
NAME-ORGANIZATION-PHYSICAL FEATURES-EARLY SETTLERS-FIRST LAND ENTRIES-DRAINAGE-EARLY AND PRESENT DAY CHURCHES-SCHOOLS- STOCK RAISING-WOOD DALE FARM-BOTHWELL LODGE.
The name Cedar was applied to this township in the summer of 1877, probably, on account of the cedar shrubs which grew abundantly on Cedar Bluff, near the junction of Cedar Creek and Muddy. The township perpetuates the shrubs that once grew abundantly on the hillsides. The Lexington branch of the Missouri Pacific railroad runs north through the western part of this township.
Cedar township contains 19,200 acres and lies in township 46, range 21, and is bounded on the north by Longwood and Hughesville, on the east by Bowling Green, on the south by Sedalia, and on the west by Dres- den. Prior to 1872 this was included in Mt. Sterling township.
The Legislature of Missouri, at its adjourned session, 1872, passed a law which was approved March 18, 1872, allowing counties the right to adopt township organizations, giving the County Court power to divide the counties into townships.
By an order of court at the February term, 1873, "Township No. 7," Cedar, was created.
After the township law was repealed, in 1877, the County Court ordered that the municipal townships remain as they were, and that they be named instead of numbered, and on the seventeenth day of July, 1877, this township was named Cedar, and bears the name to the present time. The voting precinct is at Georgetown.
The land is somewhat rolling, but along the creeks it is very hilly and undulating, and some of its hillsides contain an abundance of lime-
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HISTORY OF PETTIS COUNTY
stone. The soil is of a red and black loam, and is productive of good crops of fruit, corn and wheat.
The largest stream is the Muddy, which rises in the southwest part of the township, making many turns in its course as it flows in a north- easterly direction. Smelser flows from the northwest and unites with the Muddy in the northern part of section 4. This creek bears the name of one of the pioneer settlers, whose daughters cleared a small farm in the woods. Brushy is the name of a small stream in the southwestern part of the township, which takes its name from the abundance of brush along its course. Big Cedar is in the southeastern part of the township, and flows northwest until it reaches a point north of the old village of Georgetown, where it flows north until it unites with the Muddy. The little stream is quite shallow and contains some beautiful shoals. Little Cedar rises near the northern limits of Sedalia and flows north, uniting with Big Cedar just north of Georgetown. Reed's Branch rises near the eastern part of the township and flows northwest and unites with the Muddy in the southern part of section four.
The land of the township is naturally well drained. The little creeks all flow in a northerly direction.
The greater part of the township was at an early day brush and tim- ber. Wheat and corn yields annually a good crop on this soil. The prairie land lies principally in the southern and eastern parts. The soil is generally of a black mulatto loam and much heavier than the timbered soil. Blue grass grows abundantly on both soils, and large flocks of sheep graze on this grass the greater part of the year without any additional food.
John Anderson settled here about 1823. He came from North Caro- lina. Married Amanda Proctor, and improved a small place on the Muddy.
The following is a list of the early settlers who were here prior to the organization of the county: Richard Hurt, W. W. Cross, George McClure, Henry Rector, Capt. O. Kidd, Amos Fristoe, Col. Chas. Cravens, Hiram Scott, John Ellis, Richard Bird, Bethel Allen, Thomas Ferguson, J. W. Beaman, Thomas Beaman, Wm. O'Brien, James Anderson, John O'Ban- non, Martin Sitton, Thomas Wasson, James Ramey, W. K. Ramey, Thomas Martin, Henry Rains and Reuben E. Gentry. The last named gentleman came to this neighborhood prior to the formation of Missouri as a State. The early settlers held the first courts and transacted all their legal business at a place on Muddy, called "Pin Hook." It was first called by
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HISTORY OF PETTIS COUNTY
this name by an early adventurer from Tennessee, who said it resembled a hard place in his native state by that name. Pin Hook was the center of the first settlement of the county and was for a time the county seat. Here the first courts were held in an old building joined to a log cabin which was used for a store. The first store was kept here by Messrs. Marmaduke and Sappington, after which Clifton and Watson Woods kept the store in the same house until they moved their goods to the village of Georgetown. In those days there was but little demand for doctors. The first person who dared to practice the healing art was a pretender by the name of Doctor Bidstrap, a Dane.
The first marriage of this old settlement was in the winter of 1821, Miss Malinda Ramey to Thomas Brock. The first death was that of Thomas Brock in 1822.
Some of the first physicians of the township were Doctors Wilkins Watkins, Thomas Steeples, William J. Westefield, Montgomery, Bell and Carter.
Some of the first lawyers: George Heard, John F. Philips, Geo. G. Vest, Abijah Hughes, John Heard.
G. Heard was the first teacher in the township. Milton Thomson taught the second school, in the house of Reuben E. Gentry. After this he taught several terms in a log cabin. Mr. Thomson was educated at West Point. For several years good select schools were supported by the citizens at Georgetown. There were several public schools supported in the township. This first county fair was held in Maj. Wm. Gentry's pas- ture in 1857; Col. Thomas Houston, president, and John F. Philips, sec- retary. This was the initiation of county fairs.
Many of the early settlers may be known by their early land entries. The following is a partial list of the original entries. Reuben E. Gentry entered the northeast quarter of section 11, George R. Smith entered the northeast quarter of section 10, Warren Reavis entered the northeast quarter of section 5, David Thomson entered the southwest quarter of section 7, James Ramey entered the northeast quarter of section 20, Mentor Thomson entered the west half of the southeast quarter of section 29, William Gentry entered the east half of the southeast quarter of sec- tion 29, Milton Thomson entered the northwest quarter of section 26, James Brown entered the northeast quarter of section 14, Solomon Reed entered the east half of the southwest quarter of section 10, Zadok Powell entered the east half of the northwest quarter of section 19, George Heard entered the west half of the southwest quarter of section 20,
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HISTORY OF PETTIS COUNTY
James S. English entered the southeast quarter of section 28, Fielding Wolf entered the southwest quarter of section 14.
Here the first churches of the county were organized. These primi- tive Christian people were plain in their worship, meeting often in dwell- ings or in the groves.
The first church organization effected was Calvinistic Baptist in faith. Elders Jacob Chism and Wm. Jennings were the pioneer ministers who organized this church.
Solomon Reed sold an acre of ground to church people for six dollars. They built a log cabin on the land and called it West Liberty Church. This building was free for all denominations. Revs. Finis Ewing, Rook- ing and McCorkle held revival services successfully in this old log cabin church. Elder Allen Wright taught the reformation introduced by Alex- ander Campbell. It was through the efforts of this man that the Chris- tian Church was organized at Georgetown. This organization was the first of its faith in Pettis County and from this church sprang the others in the county.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Georgetown was organized by Rev. Oeschsli in 1866. He and Revs. S. Alexander, A. P. Salloway and Hanson were the early ministers.
The churches of the present day in Cedar township are as follows: Bethany Baptist, in Georgetown. It was organized in February, 1887, in a school house. Rev. J. D. Bryant is the present minister. The build- ing is a frame, fifty by thirty feet, and is worth about $1,000. Present membership is fifteen. This congregation has a Sunday school with an attendance of twenty-five.
The Georgetown Methodist Church is located on Boonville and Spring Street. This is one of the old churches of the county, the church organ- ized in an old brick building built by Absolam McVey, who burned the brick and lime himself. This building was erected in 1852 and was used for lodge and school purposes also. Building was built by subscription, one of which was ten pounds of beeswax. Church has a good member- ship and Sunday school has six classes and six teachers, an enrollment of sixty with average attendance of forty.
Mount Harrison, a Union Church, situated five miles north of Se- dalia, has a fair attendance. Rev. Dinwiddie, is serving, at present, as pastor. Building is a good frame, with a seating capacity of about 200. Sunday school is regularly attended with membership of about thirty.
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Mt. Harriman, a beautiful cemetery, is in connection with the church.
Cedar has one German Lutheran Church, located on the north end of the township. The building is a substantial frame, well built, equipped and cared for. The membership is 100 with Sunday school attendance of 120.
This township has two colored churches, well attended, located in Georgetown. They are Methodist.
Cedar has kept pace with other townships in the county in her public schools. The buildings are well built and cared for, the children are well disciplined and thoroughly taught. There are five public schools in the township. Sunny Side has an enrollment of eighteen and Beulah Luther is the teacher. Tangle Nook enrolled twenty-four pupils this year and Ruth Burford is teaching the school. Georgetown has an en- rollment of fifty-four and Leota Alexander is the teacher. Smelser en- rolled, this September, twenty-three, and Naomi Walch is the teacher. Bothwell enrolled twenty-three and Mary L. Witt is the teacher. This is the latest school house built in the township and bears the name of one of our distinguished citizens, a lawyer, John H. Bothwell. There is a residence on the school grounds, in addition to the school house, for the teacher.
Cedar is hardly an average agricultural township. Its lands are more broken than the other townships of the county, are hilly and rocky. The bottom lands, however, are the rich lands of the county. Wheat, corn and other small grain is successfully raised. It is a good stock-raising district. All of the farmers raise sheep, cattle and hogs.
This township has one of the leading stock farms in Missouri and one which compares favorably with any other in the United States. It is a 520-acre tract of land, the home of N. H. Gentry, known as "Wood Dale Farm." Mr. Gentry raises nothing but thoroughbred stock. He is the originator of the Berkshire hog in Missouri. When a mere boy he read of this wonderful hog and told his mother he was going back to Kentucky and buy the best stock he could find. He did so and began breeding this hog in Pettis County on Wood Dale Farm. His success has been remarkable. The swine from this herd, exhibited at the World's Columbian Exposition in 1893, were awarded more prizes and more money than those of any other herd of any other breed. Mr. Gentry has had equal success with thoroughbred Shorthorn cattle and Merino sheep.
Bothwell Lodge-Its Development and Beauties .- Although there was
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HISTORY OF PETTIS COUNTY
much beautiful natural scenery in Pettis County it was not appreciated and preserved for use and enjoyment by the pioneer settlers or by the later inhabitants, and generally, the fine groves and woods were cut away and the cliffs of rock quarries for the stone used for bridges, roads and foundations.
A notable exception is found in the bold, picturesque bluffs and beautiful woods at the Bothwell Lodge on Stonyridge Farm, six miles directly north of Sedalia.
This property, in a wild condition, was acquired by John H. Bothwell, a prominent lawyer and business man, who has had much to do with Sedalia's development for the past fifty years. He soon began to improve the property, but with constant and thoughtful attention to the preserva- tion and the growth of vines, trees, undergrowth and wild flowers and to the protection of the rocky cliffs, caves and other unusual picturesque features of the place. During the year of 1897 a frame cottage, for a tenant or care taker, was erected, and a barn with stables was built and the stone walls for the first two-story building of the Lodge were constructed and in 1898 the building was completed.
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