USA > Missouri > Randolph County > History of Randolph County, Missouri > Part 14
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Aldermen: G. P. Dameron, N. D. Minor, William T. Haley, H. L. Rutherford, Jr .; S. M. Corbin, D. C. Griffiths, William E. Mitchell, Van G. Sutliff.
Huntsville has a public library second to none in a town of its size. The building is attractive and is a substantial structure. The library is well supplied with books and is well managed.
The present library board is as follows: President, J. L. Hammett; secretary, I. B. Jackson; treasurer, W. L. Dameron; W. C. Smith, W. J. Day, Roy Sutliff, J. G. Dulaney, Dr. D. A. Barnhart, W. A. Brooking, Dr. R. E. Kiernan.
The contract for building the first court house was let on the 13th of June, 1831, and the building was completed some time in the fall of the next year. It was a brick structure, two stories high, built in a square form, one room below used as the court room and three above used as jury rooms. One of those small rooms was for a number of years used as a Masonic hall and it was there that the first Masonic meeting in Huntsville was held. This building cost $2,400 and it was condemned and torn down in the winter of '58 or the spring of '59.
The second court house was completed in 1860 by Henry Austin, who was the contractor. The building was a two-story brick and cost $15,000. It was burned August 12, 1882. Steps were immediately taken to build another and a third court house was commenced during the fall of 1883 and finished in April, 1884. J. M. Hammett, W. T. Rutherford, E. P. Kerby, John N. Taylor, G. W. Taylor and R. E. Lewis were the con- tractors and James McGrath of St. Louis was the architect. The build- ing is a two-story brick, contains eleven rooms and cost about $35,000.
CHAPTER XVIII
MEDICAL PROFESSION.
DR. WILLIAM FORT, FIRST DOCTOR - EARLY CONDITIONS -- EARLY DOCTORS - PHYSICIANS FROM 1865 TO 1890-DOCTOR TERRILL-DOCTOR VASSE-EARLY DOCTORS AT HIGBEE, RENICK, CLIFTON HILL, CAIRO AND OTHER LOCALI- TIES-EARLY DOCTORS AT MOBERLY-PRESENT PHYSICIANS OF THE COUNTY.
The first doctor to locate within the boundaries of the present county of Randolph was Dr. Wm. Fort, who settled on lands a few miles west of Huntsville in the year 1820.
At that early period there was not a town nor village in Randolph County. Huntsville was laid out and made the county seat of Randolph County in 1831. The early villages, if they can be called such, in the beginning were a store, a blacksmith shop, probably a wagon shop and a shoemaker and little else. About a half a dozen families in all, these villages such as Roanoke, on the line between Howard and Randolph, Mt. Airry, Middle Grove, just over the line in Monroe County and Milton in the southeast part of the county were such.
The pioneer doctor as a rule settled on farming lands and became a land owner and combined the vocations of farmer and doctor. Other pioneer doctors of Randolph County, as near as we can now ascertain, were Dr. Waller Head, who settled on lands adjoining Huntsville, Dr. Joseph Rutherford, who settled in the same vicinity and probably a little later Dr. J. J. Watts, who located in Huntsville, also Dr. Stephen Rich- mond, who located in the northwest part of the county.
Among the very early doctors were Dr. C. F. Burckhartt, who located in the northern part of the county near where the town of Jacksonville now stands. In the neighborhood of Milton, the first was probably Dr.
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James A. Burton, who purchased a farm almost adjoining the village of Milton and nearly the same time Dr. Robert R. Hall, who likewise became a land owner in the same vicinity, where he died a number of years ago at an advanced age. Dr. Burton about the beginning of the Civil War moved to Lafayette County and there died.
In Prairie township in the southeast part of the county the pioneer doctors were Dr. Wm. B. McLean, probably the first to come and Dr. Presley T. Oliver.
At Roanoke on the county line, we find no record of the pioneer doc- tors. Dr. William Harvey and Doctor Bagby were practicing physicians, however, past middle life when the Civil War closed and no doubt had been practicing for a number of years prior to that time. Dr. William Walker was probably one of the pioneer doctors of the southern part of the county. He settled in what is now Moniteau township and after- ward removed to Howard County where he died some years ago.
Between 1865 and 1890 the physicians in active practice at Hunts- ville and that section of the county were Dr. John C. Oliver, Dr. Alex. L. Bibb, Dr. R. E. Kiernan, Dr. Wm. H. Taylor, Dr. Warren M. Dameron and Dr. John T. Fort. All of the above named doctors were superior men, skilful physicians and excellent citizens. All are now dead.
In the neighborhood of Darksville in the northwest part of the county was Dr. Robert A. Terrill, who was married to a sister of Judge Wm. A. Hall. Dr. Terrill in the early seventies was well advanced in years and had been practicing in that vicinity for a long period of time. He was a good physician and an excellent man, who attended the rich and poor alike. If Doctor Terrill could have collected all the fees earned by him in treat- ing the poor he would have died a richer man by several thousand dol- lars. And what we say in this respect of Dr. Terrill is true with refer- ence to all the pioneer doctors of the county.
We also find Dr. W. W. Vasse located on a farm near Thomas Hill. He was likewise a man of fine character and a capable physician. During the same period of time Dr. Paul Yates was located at Jacksonville and practiced his profession successfully in that vicinity until he removed to the southern part of the state some years later.
In or near Higbee during this same period Dr. Wm. P. Dysart re- sided on a farm about two miles northwest of Higbee. Dr. Lascellus Dysart and Dr. L. J. Miller residing in Higbee, practiced in that vicinity during these same years.
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At Renick we find Dr. Thomas Hamilton and Dr. Thomas Christian, and somewhat later Dr. S. M. Forrest who served this part of the county as medical practitioners.
In the neighborhood of Clifton Hill, Dr. J. J. Watts from Huntsville and probably other Huntsville physicians met the needs of that com- munity until the North Missouri Railroad was extended west to Kansas City and Clifton Hill was organized as a village. Thereafter Dr. E. F. Wilson and Dr. J. G. Baker located and practiced medicine in and around Clifton Hill.
In the vicinity of Cairo, Doctor Boucher, Dr. J. G. Wilson, and Doc- tor Ridings were located and there practiced from and after the close of the Civil War. Dr. Boucher probably before.
During this same period the following named doctors located and practiced their profession in the city of Moberly and vicinity: Dr. J. C. Tedford, Dr. J. C. Hickerson, Dr. Wm. A. Rothwell, Dr. John T. Cox, Dr. J. R. L. Clarkson, Dr. G. W. Weems, Dr. N. M. Baskett and Dr. Thos. Irwin.
All of the above named except Dr. Baskett are dead. They were men of high attainment in the medical profession at that time and excellent citizens without exception.
The active practicing physicians of Randolph County as shown by the record of the roster furnished us by the Secretary of the Medical Association of Randolph County are as follows: Moberly .- Dr. C. B. Clapp, Dr. C. K. Dutton, Dr. William D. Halliburton, Dr. E. R. Hickerson, Dr. S. T. Kelly, Dr. Frank L. McCormick, Dr. T. D. Mangus, Dr. W. K. Megee, Dr. O. K. Megee, Dr. Wm. H. Selby, Dr. E. W. Shrader, Dr. S. P. Towles, Dr. R. A. Mitchell, Dr. L. A. Bazan, Dr. Chas. H. Dixon, Dr. M. R. Noland, Dr. C. L. Dodson, Dr. G. G. Levick, Dr. Langdon, Dr. J. S. Paey, Dr. Thos. A. Cottingham, Dr. I. F. Harlan, Dr. O. O. Ash, Dr. G. O. Cuppaidge, Dr. S. T. Ragan, Dr. L. O. Nichels, Lensley.
Clark: Dr. R. A. Woods, Dr. N. K. Pope.
Higbee: Dr. Chas. F. Burkhalter, Dr. T. H. Dinwiddie, Dr. G. M. Nichols, Dr. J. W. Winn.
Darksville: Dr. Hatton.
Cairo: Dr. J. P. Allen.
Jacksonville: Dr. Davis.
Clifton Hill: Dr. W. C. Alexander, Dr. A. J. Bradsher, Dr. J. A. Lowry.
Huntsville: Dr. D. A. Barnhart, Dr. R. G. Epperly, Dr. J. D. Ham- mett, Dr. J. W. Taylor, Dr. W. P. Terrill, Dr. G. G. Bragg.
CHAPTER XIX
BENCH AND BAR OF RANDOLPH COUNTY.
SECOND JUDICIAL DISTRICT ESTABLISHED-JJUDGE TODD PRESIDED OVER FIRST CIRCUIT COURT-FIRST LAWYERS IN ATTENDANCE-JUDGES THOMAS REY - NOLDS. JOHN D. LELAND, WILLIAM A. HALL, GEORGE H. BURCKHARTT, JOHN A. HOCKADAY, ALEXANDER H. WALLER AND ALLAN W. WALKER-EARLY LAWYERS-LATER MEMBERS OF THE BAR-PRESENT-DAY LAWYERS.
The second judicial circuit in Missouri was established in 1821, im- mediately after this state was admitted into the Union. Judge David Todd, prior to that time Territorial Judge, was appointed judge of this circuit by Gov. McGirk and served from 1821 until 1837. This circuit endured until 1882 as the second circuit, when the General Assembly of the state renumbered the circuits and the second circuit became the ninth circuit. Judge Todd presided over the first circuit court that was held in Randolph County in 1829. He was a Kentuckian born in Fayette County in 1790. He came to Missouri about the year 1818 as Territorial Judge and located first at Old Franklin in Howard County. Afterward he made Columbia in Boone County his home, where he died in 1859. Judge Todd was regarded as an able lawyer and a just judge, impartial and conscientious.
John F. Ryland, Joseph Davis, Robert Wilson, John B. Clark and Robert W. Wells were among the lawyers that attended this first term of court. Judge Ryland was an eminent lawyer who was first appointed Judge of the sixth judicial circuit and afterward one of the judges of the Supreme Court. He died in 1873.
Joseph Davis was born in Christian County, Kentucky, in January, 1804. He came to Howard County with his parents in 1818. He prac-
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ticed law in Fayette for several years and was an eminent lawyer in his day. He served in the Legislature and died at Fayette.
Robert Wilson was born in November, 1796, in August County, Vir- ginia. In the spring of 1820 he located at Old Franklin in Howard County and afterward practiced law in Fayette. He served in the Mis- souri Legislature in 1845 and afterward in the State Senate. In 1862 he served an unexpired term in the United States Senate. He died in St. Joseph, Missouri.
General John B. Clark was born in Madison County, Kentucky, in 1802, and came with his father's family to Howard County in 1818. He served as an officer in the Black Hawk War in 1832. In 1854 he was elected to Congress and served for three successive terms. In the War of 1861 he served as a brigadier general in the Southern army and was wounded at the battle of Wilson Creek. He was afterward a member of the Confederate Congress. General Clark was a lawyer of marked ability and a fluent speaker.
Mr. Wells was the first attorney general to appear and represent the state in the Randolph Circuit Court. He was born at Winchester, Vir- ginia, in 1795. He was also a lawyer of marked ability. Mr. Wells was the first circuit attorney and in 1826 was appointed attorney general of the state in which capacity he served for a period of ten years. After- wards he was appointed United States District Judge for the District of Missouri and held this office until his death, April 2, 1863, at Bowling Green, Kentucky.
Judge Todd, on retiring from the circuit bench in 1837, was succeeded by Judge Thomas Reynolds, who resided at Fayette, Howard County. Judge Reynolds was born March 12, 1796, in Bracken County, Kentucky. He moved to Missouri in 1829 and located at Fayette. He was regarded as a just judge and bore a high reputation as a jurist. In 1840 Judge Reynolds resigned from the bench and was elected governor of this state and died in office.
Judge John D. Leland was appointed judge of the second circuit in 1840 to fill the unexpired term of Judge Reynolds. He served until 1847 and acquitted himself on the bench with credit and was considered a just judge.
In 1847, Judge William A. Hall of Randolph County was elected judge of the second judicial circuit. Judge Hall was a man of great ability and a stern but just judge. He served until 1862 when he resigned to become a member of Congress.
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Judge George H. Burckhartt of Randolph County was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Judge Hall in 1862, and was afterwards elected and reelected from time to time until his death in 1890. Judge Burck- hartt was a natural born judge. As a judge of evidence he was unsur- passed. He possessed a profound knowledge of human nature and of men and was seldom deceived by a witness on the stand. Judge Burckhartt was one of the kindest of men and at the same time a firm and just judge. As a personal friend he was steadfast and true. Judge Burckhartt's popularity in the counties that then constituted the second circuit, Ran- dolph, Howard, Boone and Callaway, was unbounded and he was elected and reelected and served altogether as judge twenty-eight years. Judge Burckhartt died in the spring of 1890. He was succeeded by Judge John A. Hockaday of Fulton, Callaway County. Judge Hockaday served as judge for thirteen years until his death. He was a man of exalted char- acter, a fine lawyer, a careful and just judge, painstaking and impartial. Among his close friends he was one of the most congenial of men. Upon the bench he hewed to the line and was seemingly austere, and at all times dignified. Judge Hockaday died in the latter part of November, 1903. He was succeeded by Alexander H. Waller of Moberly, Randolph County, who served for a period of thirteen years and retired from the bench January 1, 1917.
Judge Waller was succeded on the bench by Judge Allan W. Walker of Fayette, Howard County, an able lawyer, patient and conscientious. Judge Walker is the present incumbent and has given universal satis- faction.
In the early days it was the custom of members of the bar to travel with the judge from court to court over the circuit. Hence the lawyers in attendance at each term of court were composed largely of lawyers of other counties in the circuit and of adjoining circuits.
Among the leading lawyers of Randolph County in early days were Judge Wm. A. Hall, Judge George H. Burckhartt, and Abe Mckinney, and at a somewhat later date H. M. Porter, Col. A. F. Denny, Capt. Thomas B. Reed, Robert Brooking, Isaac Bibb, Judge John R. Hull and probably others.
After the close of the Civil War in addition to the several above named, Judge A. P. Terril, G. F. Rothwell, W. A. Martin, John R. Chris- tian, W. T. McCanne, W. N. Rutherford and Thomas B. Kimbrought were added to the list of active attorneys, all of whom made good as able and
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HISTORY OF RANDOLPH COUNTY
successful practitioners. In 1878 Mr. Rothwell was elected a member of Congress and served one term. Judge A. P. Terrill was an exception- ally able lawyer and a safe counsellor.
Between 1873 and 1877, Henry S. Priest, Franklin P. Wiley, Uriel S. Hall, John N. Hamilton, Ben T. Hardin and A. H. Waller, all young men, were admitted to the bar of Randolph County.
Waller was elected prosecuting attorney of the county in 1878, and served three terms. Wiley was elected to the legislature at the same time and was reelected in 1880 and afterward served two terms as prose- cuting attorney from 1892 to 1896. Mr. Wiley was an able lawyer and probably the most resourceful and skillful trial lawyer the county ever had. He was a high class man in every respect, well educated, fearless, a ready and forceful speaker, and a true friend. Mr. Wiley was born in Illinois in 1853, and died at his home in Moberly at the age of forty-five years, in December, 1898.
Henry S. Priest in 1881 removed to the city of St. Louis and there served first as attorney for the Missouri-Pacific Railroad Company, next as attorney for the Wabash Railroad Company and again for the Mis- souri Pacific, as general counsel. While serving in this capacity in 1895 he was appointed U. S. District Judge for the eastern district of Missouri. Judge Priest served in this capacity for about two years then resigned and the firm of Boyle, Priest and Lehmann was organized. All of the three lawyers who constituted this firm were exceptionally able lawyers and this firm became one of, if not the leading, law firm of St. Louis. Judge Priest is now living in the city of St. Louis and is yet practicing law with one or more of his sons.
Ben T. Hardin succeeded A. H. Waller as prosecuting attorney and served in that capacity from January, 1885, until January, 1889. Shortly thereafter he removed to Kansas City and has since practiced law in that city, successfully and profitably, and is yet one of the leading trial lawyers at that bar.
Judge Waller was elected mayor of the city of Moberly in April, 1899, in which capacity he served a term of two years and was there- after appointed circuit judge, as we have already seen.
Uriel S. Hall, one of the five above named, was endowed with great energy and strength, both physical and mental. He practiced law in Randolph County successfully until the beginning of the year 1882, when he removed to Kansas City, where he practiced law about two years,
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when he retired from the law and took charge of the large fertile farm belonging to his father, consisting of about 700 acres, situated in the northwest part of Randolph County, which he operated energetically and successfully until he was elected to Congress in 1892. He was re- elected in 1894 and served altogether four years. Mr. Hall was a sound money Democrat as was President Cleveland, and was not again a candi- date for Congress. Since, Mr. Hall has been an educator and the head of several colleges and schools and has proved himself to be equally efficient as an educator as well as in other vocations.
After 1882 Willard P. Cave, Will A. Rothwell, Forrest G. Ferries and William Palmer were successively within the next decade added to the list of lawyers of Randolph County.
Mr. Cave is still practicing law in the city of Moberly and is regarded as one of the county's ablest lawyers and has a large and lucrative prac- tice.
Mr. Ferries practiced law in Moberly for a number of years. He was studious and unassuming, but his worth and ability finally became manifest and he was appointed assistant to the attorney-general by At- torney-General Hadley. Later he was appointed assistant circuit attor- ney of the city of St. Louis, and afterwards became a member of the firm of Ferries and Rosskopf, which firm is now doing a lucrative busi- ness in the city of St. Louis.
Will A. Rothwell was admitted to the bar in 1885 and began the active practice of law in 1891, when he was elected city attorney of Moberly. He was a highly educated and brilliant man and rapidly grew into an able and successful lawyer. He was elected a member of the Missouri legislature in 1894 and served one term. In 1896 he was elected prosecuting attorney of Randolph County and served two terms. He proved himself to be an able and successful prosecutor. In 1892 he was made chairman of the Democratic state committee of the state of Missouri and successfully managed the Democrat campaign that year. In 1894 he was appointed member of the national Democratic committee and served in that capacity until his death in October, 1908, aged 46 years.
Mr. Palmer was born and reared in Randolph County and rapidly developed into a good lawyer after his admission to the bar. He was elected prosecuting attorney of the county and served four years. Within a short time after the termination of his services as prosecut-
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ing attorney he died at his home in Moberly, still a young man. Will Palmer had many friends and his untimely death was a cause of gen- eral regret throughout the county.
John N. Hamilton is the senior member of the bar of Huntsville, having been admitted to the bar in the late seventies, and since that time has been a worthy member. He is an able lawyer, a progressive citizen, and has held several county offices, recorder of deeds being one of the several offices that he has filled with credit.
The bar of Randolph County will rank with any bar of equal num- bers in this state, not only as capable lawyers, but as progressive citi- zens and men of high character. In the court room they contest their cases vigorously and efficiently, but courteously. A half a century ago personal strife and biting personalities were not uncommon in courts of record and jealousy and personal enmity among members of the bar was a rule, rather than the exception. Thirty years ago the bar of Ran- dolph County composed as it then was of right minded men as well as able lawyers reversed this order of things, and enmity and strife among the members of the bar became a thing of the past in this county. The bar of Randolph is now organized into a bar association and live together in peace each one respecting the other as he deserves, and are following the footsteps of the predecessors of the last generation in this respect.
The following is a list of active members of the bar of Moberly, Ran- dolph County : William P. Cave, J. W. Wight, Jr., A. H. Waller, Major Lilly, E. O. Doyle, Aubrey R. Hammett, E. J. Howard, Thos. Tydings, A. C. Gladney, Warwick McCanne, S. O. Hunter, Arthur Chamier, Jerry M. Jeffries, Frank Lofty, O. R. O'Brien, W. B. Stone, Edmund Burk, J. A. Walden, Wm. Morrissey, David E. Janes.
The following members of the bar are not in active practice: J. Mor- ris Graves, special court reporter; Jerome Reigel, office practice only ; J. F. Rothwell, retired; James R. Lowell, post master and editor of Moberly "Democrat."
Active members of the bar at Huntsville are: Norman Johnson, John N. Hamilton, Madison Stringer.
CHAPTER XX
EARLY CHURCHES.
FIRST CHURCH ORGANIZED IN 1819-OTHER EARLY ORGANIZATIONS-PRIMITIVE AND MISSIONARY BAPTISTS-MT. PLEASANT COLLEGE BUILT-PROVIDENCE METHODIST CHURCH-ANTIOCH CHRISTIAN CHURCH-SALEM CHRISTIAN CHURCH-SUGAR CREEK CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH-MT. HOPE CUMBERLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The first church was organized in Randolph County on the third Saturday in August, 1819, by the Primitive Baptists under the name of "Happy Zion," afterwards changed to Silver Creek. In the following month this church united with the Mount Pleasant Association organized at Mount Pleasant, Howard County. Thereafter churches were organ- ized at Mount Harmon, Mount Ararat, Pleasant Grove, Dover and Little Union, located one mile north of Huntsville, organized in 1828. These churches were likewise Primitive Baptist churches and all except Silver Creek church are not extinct.
About 1835 the Baptist church split and organized separate congre- gations known as the Regular or Primitive Baptists and Missionary Bap- tists.
Mount Pleasant College was erected and the building completed be- tween 1855 and 1857. A school of 150 pupils was established, the chapel of the college was used by the Missionary Baptists at Huntsville from and after that time until the building was burned in 1882.
In 1858 the Mount Vernon church, Missionary Baptist, was organ- ized. Prior to 1868 Dark's Prairie church was organized and held its meetings one mile north of Clifton Hill until 1868, when the congregation moved into a new church structure in the village of Clifton Hill.
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In 1871, Good Hope, Missionary Baptist church, was organized and, no doubt, there were other Missionary Baptist churches in the county prior to the Civil War, but we have no data as to when these churches were organized.
In 1834, Providence church, Methodist, was organized at the resi- dence of S. J. Johnson. In 1836 this congregation held its services at the Johnson school house and in 1846 they erected Old Providence church and called it the "Twelve Corners." In 1878 a new church build- ing was erected.
Antioch Christian church was organized the first Sunday in June, 1837.
After the town of Higbee was established the church was moved to that place where a new church building was erected in 1880.
Salem Christian church was organized in the summer of 1873.
Antioch Christian church was apparently the pioneer Christian church of Randolph County. This church is noted in that it sent into the ministry several preachers of conspicuous ability, namely: Henry H. Haley, Thos. Haley, E. J. Lampton and Alexander Proctor. The two last named were eminent preachers. Neither the one nor the other were narrow or sectarian, but were eminently liberal with respect to members of other churches. Alexander Proctor, in the opinion of the writer of this article, was one of the great if not the greatest religious teacher that Missouri has ever sent forth. He was too broad and charit- able to question the christianity of any other church member or its efficacy. For thirty-six years he was pastor in the Christian church at Independence, Missouri, and died there recently.
The Sugar Creek Cumberland Presbyterian church building was erected by the congregation already organized in 1840. This church stands about two miles north of Moberly and was there standing when the tall prairie grass waved over the site of the present city. The church was organized in 1834 by the Rev. Samuel C. Davis.
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