USA > Missouri > St Charles County > History of St. Charles, Montgomery, and Warren counties, Missouri, written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri > Part 21
USA > Missouri > Montgomery County > History of St. Charles, Montgomery, and Warren counties, Missouri, written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri > Part 21
USA > Missouri > Warren County > History of St. Charles, Montgomery, and Warren counties, Missouri, written and comp. from the most authentic official and private sources, including a history of their townships, towns and villages, together with a condensed history of Missouri > Part 21
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After the period of Judge Bates' active participation in politics in this county, the leading public men of the county on the Whig side were : Maj. Wilson, L. Overall, Col. Ludwell E. Powell, Hon. John D. Coalter, Hon. William M. Campbell and Maj. William M. D. Allen. On the Democratic side the contemporaries of these were : Hon. James R. McDearmon, Judge Carty Wells, Col. Pines H. Shel- ton, and Judge Arnold Krekel. Dr. William G. McElhiney, and Joseph Wells, a brother to Judge Wells, were also active and influential Democrats.
The questions discussed, as before indicated, were the tariff, the United States Bank Act, and internal improvements by the general government. The Whigs favored all of these measures as conducive to the best interests of the country and consistent with the genius of our institutions, and the ideas and purposes of the founders of the gov- ernment. The Democrats opposed them on the ground that they
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were not authorized by the constitution, were contrary to every principle of local government, subversive of the reserved rights of the States, unwise and injudicious in themselves, and tended to centralize in the general government all powers, regardless of the States, and strip them of their necessary and constitutional functions as members of the Federal system'and of their constitutional prerogatives as local sovereignties. These questions and others of less importance were discussed before the people with more or less spirit, and with ability on both sides, from the rise of the Whig party until its dissolution following the defeat of Gen. Scott in 1852. The Democrats were almost invariably successful in the election of their Presidential candi- dates, and in the State elections of this State they succeeded without exception. . The United States banking system was wiped out of ex- istence, and the country repudiated the policy of protection in the tariff system. The doctrine of internal improvements by the general government, in its broader application as supported by the Whigs, was also generally renounced.
Probably the ablest speaker in the county, among those mentioned previously on the Whig side, was Hon. William M. Campbell -at least he was the favorite by far as a popular orator. He was a fine lawyer and a man of marked natural ability. Though quite animated as an orator, and something of an actor, as the best of speakers invariably are, he was at the same time logical and studied in his arguments, and in- variably carried the reason of his hearers along with him, as he did their feelings. In the every-day walks of life he was somewhat eccentric, and rather a man of moods. He was very untidy of dress and careless of his personal appearance ; and while at times he was a great talker, seemingly delighted with conversation, at other times he was remark- ably taciturn and reserved, refusing even to speak to or notice any one, whatever the occasion might be. Though a good-hearted man, and never desiring to give offense to any of his friends, he was often ex- tremely disregardful of the finer amenities of life. Still he was very popular ; and although an ardent Whig in a strong Democratic county, he invariably carried the county when he was a candidate before the people. He was a man of large physique and light complexion, but by no means handsome ; yet, when he chose to present a good ap- pearance, he was of prepossessing presence.
Col. Ludwell E. Powell was perhaps the best political organizer ever in the county. He was no speaker, but relied for success on his ability and skill in planning and executing a political movement, and on culti- vating the friendship of every one - Whig and Democrat, old and
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young. He was a remarkably handsome man, large and of fine ap- pearance, and courtly and cordial in manners and conversation. He was unquestionably a man of superior mental force, and of a good heart ; and in his day by far the most popular man in the county. Whig as he was, he rarely had any opposition as a candidate, and was invariably elected.
Hon. John D. Coalter was a man of finer mental culture than his Whig friend and coadjutor, Campbell, and was a very incisive, logical and effective speaker. Indeed, he had something of the genius of the orator, and his speeches were models of diction and literary eloquence. But while they read better than those of Campbell, they by no means had the electrifying effect that Campbell's speeches invariably pro- duced. Both were men of temperate habits and strictly honorable, upright lives. Neither was ever defeated when before the people for office. Campbell distinguished himself as a member of the State Senate, and Coalter was recognized as the leader of the House.
Maj. Overall was a wealthy farmer of the county, a man of high character and good intelligence. He took little or no part in discus- sions on the stump, but was an earnest Whig and well posted in the history of parties and in current politics.
Mr. Allen, who is still living, a resident of Wentzville, of which he was the founder, was a prominent man in the politics of the county 30 or 40 years ago. He represented the county in the House of Repre- sentatives and in the State Senate for a number of years, and in con- junction with State Senator Reed, of Callaway county, was mainly instrumental in obtaining the charter of the old North Missouri Rail- road. Senator Reed was the author of the bill, although others have claimed the credit of drawing and introducing it. Maj. Allen was his main coadjutor in carrying it forward to a successful passage.
Mr. Allen was first elected to the Legislature in about 1846, though he had previously been quite active and prominent in county politics. Four years later he was elected to the State Senate, and while a mem- ber of that body was one of the principal leaders of the supporters of Hon. Henry S. Geyer for the United States Senate. The Whigs were in a minority in the Legislature, but the Democrats were divided into two factions - the anti-Bentons and Bentons, or the " Hards " and " Softs," as they were called. Here the Whigs saw their opportunity, for the two factions in the Democratic party were so bitter against each other that each would vote for any one else in preference to one of its opponents, and neither the anti-Bentons, Bentons nor Whigs could elect without help from one of the other parties. Balloting was kept
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up for several days, until the fortieth ballot was reached when, the Whigs still holding out for Geyer, and the Anti-Bentons fearing the success of Benton, whom they were determined to defeat, finally voted largely with the Whigs for Geyer and elected him. Thus ended one of the most remarkable senatorial contests ever witnessed in the ·country .
Such was the high estimate placed upon Mr. Allen's services by Senator Geyer that he personally, and afterwards by letter, warmly thanked him for the fidelity and ability he had shown as a leader of the Geyer forces. In this letter Senator Geyer outlined his intended course of political action in the Senate, and his reasons therefor, and it was regarded by those who saw it as one of the ablest enunciations of the principles of the Whig party which ever emanated from the pen of that distinguished man.
Mr. Allen, now retired, was a farmer by occupation, and a man in easy circumstances. He was an early settler here and a large slave- holder and land-holder. A representative of an old and well known Virginia family, he succeeded in obtaining a good education in early life, and has always shown a marked taste for mental culture. An industrious and extensive reader, he early became a man of large information, and on account of his character and ability was soon accorded a position among the leaders of his party in this county. He was an active canvasser in his political life, and although a representa- tive of the minority party in the county, he had the happy faculty of putting the questions at 'issue before the people in such a light as to win for his views and opinions their hearty indorsement. One illus- tration of this will suffice : the Democrats were unanimously opposed to internal improvements by the general government. But Congress had passed an act making an appropriation for, and authorizing the building of a national turnpike from the Atlantic seaboard westward through the different State capitals along the general route of the road. As this would have to come to Jefferson City, it could not fail to pass through St. Charles county, and of course the great advantages that would thus accrue to the county could be dwelt upon with great fervor and effect. Democrats though the majority of the people were, the advocacy of this particular road was a winning card, and Maj. Allen had the tact to see this and the address to use it for all it was worth. But a man of most excellent worth of character, the high esteem in which personally he has always been held also contributed very mate- rially to his success.
On the Democratic side Judge Carty Wells was unquestionably the
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ablest speaker in the county. Judge Wells was a son of Col. John Wells, who settled in this county from Kentucky in an early day, and was one of its most prominent and wealthy farmers. The Wells family, though somewhat aristocratic in their tastes and manner of life, were highly esteemed by all classes. Judge Wells, naturally gifted with a fine mind, had the further advantage of a thorough and advanced education. He was a man of great refinement and delicacy of feeling, scholarly and always gentlemanly and polite. A speaker of great polish, he yet had the faculty of reaching the popular heart and arousing his hearers to a high degree of enthusiasm. As a polit- ical leader and as a man he was eminently worthy to represent his party in the county against the ablest and best men on the Whig side. His brother, Joseph Wells, also a prominent and successful lawyer, was a fine speaker, one of the best, in fact, who ever went before the people of the county.
Of Hon. James R. McDearmon it may, with truth, be said that he was one of the most conscientious public men and upright citizens in the county. In early life he was a school teacher, and, later along, a farmer. He was originally from Virginia, where he received a colle- giate education. Frequently in this county he was the recipient of important public trusts ; and, finally in 18 -, he was chosen to the office of State Auditor, which he filled with ability and great accepta- bility to the people until his death at Jefferson City in 1848. The fact of his appointment to that office by Gov. Edwards, then Gover- nor of the State, shows that he was regarded not only as a Democrat of more than local prominence, but as a man of the highest integrity of character. No man was ever more universally esteemed among his neighbors and acquaintances for his many excellent qualities than he. He always took an active part as a speaker in the political cam- paigns of the times, and was an able and popular speaker. He was also a man of fine business qualifications. His sons, John K. and Theodrick McDearmon, are prominent and well known citizens of this county.
Col. Pines H. Shelton was considered in the preceding generation one of the strong Democratic war-horses of the county. He was a . wealthy farmer with a penchant for politics, a fine large mouth, a cir- cular talker, and, withal, a vigorous, good speaker. When he went on the hustings it was like shelling the woods, for the people could not avoid harkening unto his voice. He was a man, however, of good strong native ability, and one who read a great deal when no one was around to talk to ; so that, being gifted with a good memory, he be-
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
came well posted in politics and the current events of the times. Neither he was not a man, by any means, without ideas, and, withal, he was serious and in dead earnest in everything he went about. He was a man of good impulses, and with an honest desire to do what he believed to be best for the public interests and the cause of morality and good government. His greatest fault was that he was too zealous and earnest in whatever he undertook and carried it to an extreme. An illustration of this is seen in his advocacy of the cause of temper- ance. Honestly and justly opposed to intemperance, he would carry temperance to the extreme of putting it beyond the power of any one to obtain a stimulant, under any circumstances, which could possibly be made to intoxicate. That is, of course, all nonsense and fanatical. He was a popular man, however, and highly esteemed in the county, and represented it in the State Legislature and this district in the State Senate. He subsequently removed to Texas, and there served in the House and State Senate. Now, we believe, he is the leading temperance advocate of Henry county, Missouri.
Dr. McElhiney was for many years previous to, and until the out- break of the war, an active and influential Democrat. He was a del- egate to the Baltimore convention that nominated Breckinridge and Blaine in 1860, and was one of the committee who notified Franklin Pierce of his election to the Presidency. Previously, he had served with distinction in the Legislature, having defeated Wilson L. Overall, the Whig candidate, and one of the most popular men in the county. Dr. McElhiney was for a number of years curator of the State Uni- versity at Columbia, and was one of the commissioners appointed by the Governor to locate the State Insane Asylum. He was a native of Maryland, born in Baltimore, November 15, 1798. He graduated in medicine at the University of Maryland, and was afterwards appointed brigade-surgeon by the Governor of that State. In 1857 he removed to St. Charles from his farm on the Boone's Lick road, in this county, where he still resides, now in his eighty-sixth year. He retains to a remarkable degree his early mental and physical vigor.
Judge Arnold Krekel, who was among the last of the Democratic leaders in this county previous to the war, first began to take a promi- nent part in politics along in the later years of the "forties." He came over from Prussia with his parents, who settled in St. Charles county in 1832, when he was about seventeen years of age. Subse- quently, he took a course of three years in the St. Charles College and studied surveying. Following this he was elected county sur- veyor and also held the office of United States deputy surveyor. He then
8
.
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
studied law and began the practice in 1844. Later along he held the offices of city attorney of St. Charles and county attorney, and in 1850 he established the St. Charles Democrat, which he edited for a num- ber of years. In 1852 he was elected a member of the Legislature, and was quite active in railroad legislation. Though a Democrat, he was an ardent advocate of internal improvements, particularly by the State. Just preceding the war he was unquestionably one of the fore- most Democrats, if not in fact the Democratic leader, of this county. But when it came to the question of breaking up the Union and destroying the government, he left the Democratic party and identi- fied himself with the loyal element of the State. Indeed, he had never had any sympathy with the pro-slavery tendencies and ante- cedents of his party, and on that account would undoubtedly have left it, if for no other cause. During the early years of the war he was one of the most prominent and valuable supporters of the Union in North-east Missouri. In St. Charles county alone he was instrumental in enlisting between 1,200 or 1,500 men for the Union service. His prompt action and activity saved all this region of the State north of the Missouri to the Union. In 1865 he was a member of the State constitutional convention, of which he was made President ; and he signed the ordinance for the emancipation of the negroes. While a member of the convention he was appointed United States District Judge by President Lincoln. He then removed to Jefferson City, and he and Maj. Foster, now of St. Louis, founded Lincoln Institute. Afterwards for ten years he delivered lectures at the Institute on Civil Government and Political Economy, free of charge, lecturing on an average more than a hundred times each year. He is an enthusiast in the cause of education. Since the division of the district he has resided at Kansas City.
During the war politics were silent, amid the clash of arms, and little interest was taken in the elections. Since the restoration of peace the two leading parties in this county have been the Democrats and Republicans. However, up to a few years ago, party nominations were rarely made by either party. This is attributed to the fact that parties were so evenly balanced here that candidates preferred to run unhampered by party nominations, and alone on their personal merits and popularity. In the meantime, the Germans, in 1860, almost in a body joined the Republican party and have continued to vote and act with that party ever since. This has made the county very close. In presidential years, sometimes one party carries the election and again the other. Tilden carried the county in 1876 by a safe majority, but
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
Garfield received a majority in 1880 and Blaine several hundred major- ity the present year. Since the war the leading Democrats, from time to time, have been Hon. A. H. Buckner, Judge Andrew King, State Senator A. H. Edwards, Hon. Theodrick McDearmon, and his brother, Col. John K. McDearmon, Hon. H. C. Lackland, Maj. C. W. Wilson, Maj. James Edwards and a number of others.
Judge King was elected to Congress from this district in 1870, but for a number of years past has resided in St. Louis. Judge Buckner succeeded him in Congress, in which he served for twelve years con- tinuously, but he, too, has not been a resident of the county for a number of years, having made his home at Mexico, in Audrain county.
Hon. A. H. Edwards has been a member of the Legislature, con- tinuously, since 1870, and for the last ten years of that time he has represented this district in the State Senate. He is conceded to be one of the most prudent, experienced and upright legislators in the State.
Hon. Theodrick McDearmon has not been conspicuous in politics, having given his time almost exclusively to the law, but, nevertheless, has been a consistent Democrat and given the party the benefit of his counsel and personal work when thought to be necessary. Such was his high standing as a lawyer and citizen that in 1884 he was nomi- nated for Judge of the Court of Appeals, but the district being largely Republican he was defeated by Judge Rombauer, a former circuit judge of St. Louis and a man of fine reputation as a lawyer and jurist. His brother, Col. John K. McDearmon, has held the office of county clerk for some eighteen years, six years prior to the war and afterward, since 1872, continuously.
Hon. H. C. Lackland was a member of the constitutional conven- tion of 1875, and in 1878 was elected to the State Legislature and became chairman of the judiciary committee. The other gentlemen mentioned, Maj. James Edwards and Maj. C. W. Wilson, are promi- nent and active workers in the Democratic party. Maj. Edwards was chairman of the congressional district committee and for some years was an assistant door-keeper in the United States Senate. He was a brave and dashing officer in the Confederate army during the war and greatly distinguished himself by his courage and intrepidity.
On the Republican side the principal political leaders are Hon. The- odore Bruere, Capt. Charles Daudt, Hon. - Grabenhorst, Capt. Gustave Bruere, Col. Benjamin Emmons, and a number of others.
Hon. Theodore Bruere, one of the leading lawyers of the circuit, was for a number of years a member of the State Senate, and occu-
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
pied a position of marked prominence in that body. He is a man or culture and ability, and of high character and courtly, cordial bearing. He is, in every best sense of the word, one of the prominent repre- sentative citizens of the county.
Capt. Daudt is an active politician, for a number of years chairman of the Republican county committee, and a man of large influence in the county.
Hon. Mr. Grabenhorst has been a member of the Legislature from this county since 1880, and is generally conceded to be one of the men whom nobody can beat. Some of the best men in the county have tried him and all have come out of their campaigns wondering how it was that he beat them so badly. He is a fine electioneerer, a good man and popular with everybody. He has made a capable and faithful representative, and the people are very well satisfied to keep him in that body.
Col. Benjamin Emmons is a lawyer by profession, and was for a number of years a member of the firm of Wagner, Dyer & Emmons, of St. Louis, one of the leading law firms of the State. He was a son of Maj. Emmons, mentioned at the beginning of this chapter, and was reared in St. Charles county. He returned here after the disso- lution of the law firm of which he was a member, and in 1883 ac- cepted the office of circuit clerk. He had previously held the office, prior to 1865, for some seventeen years. He is one of those quiet, unassuming men, of great personal worth and no pretense whatever, with a large heart and a kind disposition, always ready to favor any- one deserving it, and thinking less of his own interests and advance- ment than of helping others. He is a man of sound, sober judgment, strong, native ability, and is said to be the best statute lawyer in the State. Of course he is popular with both parties, hardly less so with Democrats than with Republicans ; and as long as he will consent to hold his present office he can retain it, it matters not who carries the country, Blaine or Cleveland, the ghost of old John Brown or the living Jefferson Davis.
Capt. Gustave Bruere was county clerk for six years, from 1866 to 1872. He made a capable and efficient officer. He is a man of the most accommodating disposition and will always do one a favor at the cost of his own inconvenience and time. Sociable and cordial with his friends and acquaintances, he is a man of recognized popularity and marked influence in the county.
Since 1880 the two parties have generally made regular party nom- inations at the biennial elections, but the old feeling of voting for
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
candidates on their personal merits, rather than on their political views, has so far prevailed that the stronger men in personal popu- larity on either ticket have generally been elected.
The following is a list of the different public officers, as far as we have been able to obtain them, with their terms of service : -
Circuit Judges. - David Barton, from 18- to 1818; N. B. Tucker, from 1818 to 1820; Alexander Gray, from 1820 to 1821; Rufus Pettibone, from 1821 to 1823; N. B. Tucker, from 1823 to 1830 ; P. H. McBride, from 1830 to 1835; Luke E. Lawless, from 1835 to 1837; Ezra Hunt, from 1837 to 1849; Carty Wells, from 1849 to 1857; A. H. Buckner, from 1857 to 1859; Andrew King, from 1859 to 1864; William W. Edwards from 1864 to present time (1884), and term expires in 1886.
Sheriffs. - Uriah J. Devore from 1816 to 1818 ; Anthony C. Par- mer, from 1818 to 1820 ; Hiram H. Baber, from 1820 to 1824 ; Henry L. Mills, from 1824 to 1826 ; William N. Fulkerson, from 1826 to 1832 ; William M. Christy, from 1832 to 1838 ; David McCausland, from 1838 to 1840 ; John Orrick, from 1840 to 1844 ; Edward C. Cun- ningham, from 1844 to 1848 ; James S. M. Gray, from 1848 to 1852 ; John A. Richey, from 1852 to 1856; Elias C. Stewart, from 1856 to 1860 ; Charles B. Branham, from 1860 to 1862 ; Edward C. Cunning- ham, from 1862 to 1864; Fred. W. Gatzweiler, from 1864 to 1866; Henry E. Machens, from 1866 to 1870 ; John F. Dierker, from 1870 to 1874 ; August Friedrich, from 1874 to 1878 ; Joseph W. Ruenzi, from 1878 to 1882 ; E. C. Rice, from 1882 to 1884.
Circuit Court Clerks. - William Christy, Jr., from 1815 to 1836 ; Ludwell E. Powell, from 1836 to 1848; Benjamin Emmons, from 1848 to 1865 ; Joseph Maher, from 1865 to 1883 ; Benjamin Emmons, from 1883 to the present time.
County Court Clerks. - William Christy, Jr., from 1821 to 1836 ; Ludwell E. Powell, from 1836 to 1848; Benjamin Emmons, from 1848 to 1854 ; John K. McDearmon, from 1854 to 1866; Gustave Bruere, from 1866 to 1872 ; John K. McDearmon, from 1872 to the present time (1884).
County Court Judges. - Biel Farnsworth, Robert Spencer, John B. Callaway, 1821 to 1825 ; William G. Pelters, James H. Audrain, Alexander Murdock, Daniel Griffith, 1825 to 1826; Samuel Wells, John Smith, Ruluff Peck, Moses Bigelow, John Taylor, 1826 to 1827 ; Micajah McClenny, William G. Pettus, Daniel Griffith, 1827 to 1832 ; Robert Spencer, Daniel Griffith, M. McClenny, 1832 to 1836 ; Daniel Griffith, Hugh H. Wardlaw, William N. Fulkerson, 1836 to 1838 ;
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