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 57
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 57
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 57
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JOHN A. TALLEY, M. D. (Physician and Surgeon, Wentzville).
Among the old and well known families of Central Virginia is that of which the subject of the present sketch is a representative. The Talleys came to Virginia from the south of Scotland prior to the Revolution, and since then branches of the family have become dis- persed throughout nearly all the States, particularly of the South and West. Dr. Talley was a son of William P. and Francis (Daniel ) Talley, of Cumberland, Va., and was born in that county July 5, 1813. There were eight other children in the family, but only three of the others are now living. The father was a substantial farmer and respected citizen of Cumberland county, and served he people in the office of justice of the peace for a number of years. Dr. Tal- ley spent his early youth on his father's farm, and afterwards entered Randolph-Macon College, where he concluded his general education. He then began the study of medicine under his brother, Dr. Zach. Talley, and in due time entered the medical department of the Uni- versity of Virginia, where he graduated with honor in 1840. Two
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
years later he came to Missouri and located in St. Charles county, where he at once engaged in the active practice of his profession. Dr. Talley has been engaged in the practice in this county almost con- tinuously since that time, or for a period of over 40 years. He has long held the position of one of the old and well established phy- sicians of the county, and has been quite successful in his practice. In 1853 he was nominated for and elected to the Legislature, where he served the people with marked ability and public fidelity. He was one of the active men of the county in forwarding the building of the North Missouri Railroad, and was one of the prominent directors of the company. In 1845 Dr. Talley was married to Miss Paulina C. Preston, a daughter of William R. and Elizabeth ( Cabel) Preston, of this county, but formerly of Bottetourt county, Va. The Doctor and wife have been blessed with five children, but only two of them are now living : William P. and Edwin P. The Doctor is located at Wentzville, where he has valuable town property. He is a prominent member of the Masonic order.
WILLIAM P. TALLEY, M.D. (Physician and Surgeon, Post-office, St. Charles).
Dr. Talley is a son of Dr. John A. Talley, whose sketch appears on a former page, and was born in this county December 3, 1846. He early displayed a taste for studies of a medical character, and while yet a youth decided to devote himself to the profession of medicine. He was educated with that object in view, and took a course at St. Charles College. Immediately after completing his college course he began the regular study of medicine under his father, and later ma- triculated at the medical department of the State University of Vir- ginia. After a regular course of lectures at that institution he graduated with honor in the class of '68. Subsequently he took a post-graduate course at the St. Louis Medical College, in which he also received a diploma of graduation. In the fall of 1869 Dr. Talley commenced the regular practice of his profession in this county. Having a marked natural aptitude for the practice and being a phy- sician of thorough qualifications, he soon established himself in the confidence of the public and acquired a good practice. His career in the medical profession has been one of steady and uninterrupted suc- cess. In 1874 Dr. Talley was married in Marshall county, Miss., to Miss Lucy P. Talley, a distant relative of his, born and reared in that State. She was the daughter of Joseph H. and Josephene Talley. The Doctor and Mrs. Talley have two children : Josephene H. and Pauline. Two others are deceased, who died at tender ages.
CHARLES J. WALKER
(Attorney-at-Law, Wentzville).
Mr. Walker's parents, Warren and Mary B. (Mays) Walker, were early settlers of St. Charles county. They were from Rockingham
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
county, N. C., and came to this county in 1831. His father became a successful farmer of the county, and one of its highly respected citizens. There were seven in the family of children besides Charles J., but only three of the others are living. Charles J. Walker, the subject of this sketch, was born on his father's homestead in this county June 30, 1846. His earlier years were spent on the farm, and in boyhood he attended the neighborhood schools. Subsequently young Walker took a course at Central College, in Fayette, Mo., and also attended for two terms at Pritchett Institute, of Glasgow, in Howard county, this State. In 1868 he entered Dartmouth College, N. H., where he took a regular course and graduated with honor in 1870. Meanwhile he had decided to devote himself to the profession of the law, and he now entered upon his studies with that object in view. But receiving about this time a flattering offer of a professor- ship in Pritchett Institute, at Glasgow, Mo., he accepted it, and for four years afterwards was engaged in teaching in that institution. During this time his leisure was occupied with the study of law, and on quit- ting teaching in 1874 he was prepared to enter upon the practice of his profession. Accordingly he made application for license to practice law, and was duly admitted to the bar. Since then he has been located at Wentzville continuously, and has been engaged in the practice of his profession at this place and in the courts of St. Charles and neigh- boring counties. Mr. Walker is a prominent landholder of the county, and to some extent his time and attention are occupied with his real estate interests. He is a man of thorough general education and well grounded in the law, and has already proved himself to be an attorney of marked ability. A man of irreproachable habits and of cultured, pleasant manners, he is, as would be expected, highly esteemed in the county, and wields a marked influence on those around him. Decem- ber 29, 1880, Mr. Walker was married to Miss Hattie Shore, of Tren- ton, Ill., a daughter of Benjamin Shore, deceased, formerly of St. Charles county. Mrs. Walker is a lady of superior culture and refine- ment, and presides with rare grace and dignity over her refined and elegant home at Wentzville. Mr. and Mrs. Walker have an attractive home at this place, and a comfortable and tastily built residence, neatly furnished and set off with a handsome yard and pleasant surroundings. They have two children : Mary S. and Charles J.
WARREN W. WALKER
(Farmer and School-teacher, Wentzville).
An outline of the history of the Walker family in this county has been given briefly in a sketch of Charles J. Walker, which precedes this. It is therefore unnecessary to occupy space here with the record of the different removals of the family, and their final settlement in this county. Warren W. Walker, an elder brother to Charles J., was born on the old family homestead in this county July 4, 1838. He was brought up to the occupation of a farmer and in youth availed him- self to the full benefit to be had in the occasional schools kept in the
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
neighborhood. Having a marked natural taste for study and mental culture, he succeeded in acquiring more than an average education in the general English branches. Later along he became a school-teacher and has followed that occupation more or less continuously up to the present time. Mr. Walker has also been interested in farming all this time, and has shown himself to be a good manager of the affairs of the faim. He has an excellent place of about 300 acres, not all of which, however, is in cultivation. Mr. Walker was married in 1863 to Miss Mary M. Allen, a daughter of Hon. William M. Allen, whose sketch appears on a former page of the present volume. Five children are the fruits of this union, namely : Warren A., Eddie S., Lizzie, Min- nie and Charles H. He and his wife are members of the M. E. Church. Excepting two years spent in Howard county, including 1881, Mr. W. has been a continuous resident of St. Charles county from his birth.
HENRY W. WILLIAMS
(Druggist and Proprietor of the Commercial Hotel, Foristell).
Mr. Williams, born and reared in St. Charles county, had good advantages for mental culture and received more than an average general education. After taking a course in the district school he attended the Wentzville Academy, and from there matriculated at the State Normal school in Kirksville, where he familiarized himself with the higher branches. Following this he returned to his native county and engaged in teaching, carrying on farming also at the same time. He continued to teach during the school months of each year until 1879, when he withdrew from that occupation and on the 1st of July engaged in the drug business at Foristell, also opening his present hotel on the 1st of March, 1881. He is still interested in farming, and has a place of 80 acres of well improved land adjacent to town. In the drug line he carries a good stock of about $800 value and has an annual trade of over $2,000. His experience in the drug business has been one satisfactory to himself, and his trade has steadily increased from the first. The Commercial House, the hotel of which he is the proprietor, and which he conducts, is liberally patronized, especially by commercial travelers who have given it the name of being one of the best houses in a small town on the line of the Wabash Railroad. Mr. Williams was born in this county, May 25, 1850, at Millerville. His father was Samuel W. Williams, a native of Virginia, born in Amelia county, on the 29th of June, 1818. His mother was a Miss Martha L. Johnson before her marriage; was born in that county December 2, 1821. They were married there August 28, 1839, and removed to Missouri the same year. . They settled in St. Charles county, where they made their permanent home. The father died here August 26, 1854. The mother is still living and is now a resident of Foristell. The father was a farmer and tobacco dealer, and became comfortably situated. He was one of the well known and well respected citizens of the county. Henry W. was the sixth in the family of eight children, all of whom are
1
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
living and are now themselves the heads of families. They are : Napoleon E., John P., Mary L., Samuel R., Marshall W., Sarah A., Martha W., and the subject of this sketch. Henry W. Williams was married October 23, 1881, to Miss Margaret E. Gilkey, a daughter of Richard E. and Caroline (Dyer) Gilkey, of St. Charles county. They have one child, Martha E., born August 10, 1882, Mr. W. is a member of the Christian Church, and his wife of the M. E. Church South.
DUDLEY C. WRAY
(Railway Station Agent, Gilmore).
Young Wray is well known as one of the efficient and popular station agents in the employ of the Wabash. He was born and reared in this county, and has therefore been known to the people in this part of the county from childhood. In boyhood he was studious and received a good average education in the ordinary English branches. At an early age he evinced a predilection for business life, not desiring to make a farmer of himself. A good penman, quick at figures, and apt and active in attending to business matters, he soon became well qualified for business work after obtaining an opportunity to learn it. He has been the regular agent at this place since the spring of 1882, but had previously had valuable experience in railroad matters. October 25, 1882, he was married to Miss Lula P. Savage, a daughter of J. W. and Ruth K. Savage. They have one child, Heether S. Mr. W. is a son of J. W. and Mary S. ( Bond ) Wray, his father originally from North Carolina, but his mother from Virginia. His father came here in 1829, where he was afterwards married. Both parents are still living, and are residents of this county. His father is a success- ful and retired farmer. Both are old and exemplary members of the M. E. Church South. They reared five children, all of whom are living. Dudley C., the eldest of the five now living, was born June 25, 1859.
ALEXANDER YOUNG
(Dealer in Agricultural Implements, Wagon Maker and General Blacksmithing, Foristell) .
Mr. Young came to Foristell in 1879 and established a blacksmith shop at this place. Since then, although absent a year shortly after- wards, he has succeeded in building up what may be fairly termed a large business, considering the size of Foristell and the trade of the surrounding country. He has added a full line of agricultural imple- ments to his business, and manufactures wagons and other vehicles as well as doing general blacksmithing and repairing. He employs three men, and has an annual business of over $6,000. Mr. Young is a native of Ireland, but is of Scotch origin on his father's side. He was born in the county Down, July 16, 1853. His father, James Young, was a farmer of that county, and came there when a young man, from Scotland. His mother, formerly a Miss Mary Clint, was born and
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HISTORY OF ST. CHARLES COUNTY.
reared in the county Down. Both are still living, residents of that county. They are Protestants and members of the M. E. Church. Alexander was the fifth of nine children. While yet in boyhood he was sent across into Cumberland, England, where he had some rela- tives, and was there brought up to the blacksmith's trade. Subse- quently, after growing up and starting out for himself, he engaged in the stationery business at Claytonmr 'e, England. However, he soon resumed his trade, and until 1879 worked at it in different parts of England, Ireland and Scotland. He then came to America and es- tablished himself at Foristell. July 14, 1881, he was married at St. Louis to Miss Sarah J. Ferguson, a daughter of Alexander and Mary A. Ferguson, formerly of Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Young have two children : Minnie and James A. He and wife are members of the M. E. Church.
HISTORY
OF
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MISSOURI.
CHAPTER I.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION AND EARLY HISTORY.
General Description - Topography -Soil - Streams - Agriculture -Horticulture - Tobacco - Economic Geology -Dr. Maughs on the Mineral Resources in 1837 - Railroads - Early History - The First Europeans - Advent of the French - The Mysterious Stone House on the Loutre -The First Americans - Under American Domination - Settlements and Settlers on Loutre Island.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION.
The county of Montgomery is bounded on the north by the counties of Audrain and Pike, east by Lincoln and Warren, south by Warren and the Missouri river ( which stream separates it from Gasconade ), and west by Callaway and Audrain. The county contains 327,129 acres. From north to south its extreme length is nearly 32 miles, following the range line between ranges 5 and 6. From east to west its extreme width is 20 miles.
According to one of its best informed citizens, Col. L. A. Thomp- son, editor of the Ray, at Montgomery City, Montgomery county is part of the high lands in the fork of the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, with an eastern boundary 68 miles west of St. Louis and 30 miles from the Mississippi river, and the entire southern boundary is washed by the Missouri river. The watershed between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers runs through the county from south-east to north- west. It is so sharply defined at Montgomery City that the rain water falling on the northern side of the railroad track flows into the
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
Mississippi, while that falling on the south side makes its way into the Missouri.
As to the topography of the county, Col. Thompson says that more than two-thirds of the territory, including the northern and central portions, is beautiful rolling prairie, well interspersed by clear running streams, along the banks of which are rich bottoms, choice up- lands and thrifty growing timber. The southern portion slopes grad- ually to the Missouri bottom. The country is rarely diversified by fine landscapes, beautiful valleys and great bottoms, and is abundantly watered by living springs, spring branches and large creeks. The lands that have not been reduced to cultivation are covered by vast forests of various kinds of timber, including oak, hickory, ash, elm, birch, sycamore, persimmon, cherry, mulberry, pawpaw, cottonwood, basswood, white maple, sugar maple and walnut. Thousands of wal- nut logs have been taken from these forests to Eastern markets.
Regarding the adaptability of Montgomery soil for general agricul- tural purposes, Dr. Mordecai M. Maughs wrote as follows in Wetmore's Gazetteer (p. 124) in 1837 : -
Although the soil of Montgomery may lack some constituent princi- ple necessary to the production of heavy crops of corn, tobacco of a superior quality is here produced, and such as might be mistaken by an experienced inspector for the James river leaf. Hemp, wheat and grasses are cultivated with uniform success in Montgomery. The farmers of this county find stock-raising a profitable pursuit, and in this operation horses, horned cattle and hogs are produced for a for- eign market.
The western part of the county is well watered and drained by the Loutre river, its largest tributaries, Prairie fork and Clear fork and the smaller streams of Quick and Murdock creeks and Dry fork flowing easterly, and Whip-poor-will and South Bear creeks flowing south- erly into Loutre river. The high prairies in the northern and north- eastern parts of the county are well watered and drained by Coal creek, which flows southerly into Clear fork of Loutre, in the western edge of the county, White Oak, Walker, Elk Horn and Brush creeks in the north-east, and North Bear and Price's creeks in the eastern part.
The soil now is generally productive, and, taking the county over, yields all grains, grasses, fruits, vegetables, vines, plants and herbs peculiar to the Mississippi valley. The grain and grass yield is so large that stock growing is easy and remunerative. Many large herds of cattle, sheep and hogs are annually brought into this county
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
and fatted for market. Wool growing is a fruitful business, even with the ordinary care given to sheep.
The dairy business is very profitable. Many farmers realize large incomes annually, by shipping milk to St. Louis. Others, with apparently less labor, have found cheese-making equally profitable. The New Florence creamery utilizes a large proportion of the milk in that section, and other establishments of the same sort are in con- templation at other points in the county.
Skillful and industrious men have been amply rewarded by the culture of large fruits, such as apples, peaches, pears, plums and quinces, and invariably more than quadrupled the value of their small farms. Montgomery county is famous for its abundance of fine apples, thousands of bushels being annually shipped from the county. Yet but few apple growers pay particular attention to their orchards. If they bear abundantly, well and good ; if not, "it's all right."
Grape culture has been a source of wealth to many farmers in this county, especially among the German residents of the southern part of the county. Many premiums have been awarded grapes grown and wine pressed in this county, and some of these premiums have been given by the agricultural and horticultural societies at Hermann, the headquarters of the grape-growers and vintners of Missouri. But of late years the phylloxera has gotten its deadly work in on the grapes in this county, and elsewhere in this section, and the pursuit of wine growing does not pay as it once did. Indeed, some vine- keepers are quite in despair over the ill success they have with their vineyards. 1
Some horticulturists have been trebly rewarded for growing the smaller fruits, such as strawberries, raspberries, gooseberries and cur- rants, for local and remote markets.
Tobacco grows well and its culture has ever been profitable to small producers. Much of it is prized and manufactured or made into cigars, for local consumption and foreign markets. The western portion of the county, especially Danville and the northern portion of Loutre township, produces large quantities of good tobacco. The white burley is a favorite variety. The establishment of the tobacco manufactory at Montgomery City has been of great advantage to the tobacco growers of the county in giving them a home market.
The economic geology of the county is important. As to stone there is such an abundance as to make it a disadvantage to many por- tions of the county. The whole country is underlaid with it, and in the southern and western and in many other portions of the county
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
it is exposed in convenient and readily accessible positions. And yet, as Col. Thompson says, " the unlimited quantities of the various grades of limestone remain untouched and almost unnoticed, and the beautiful cotton rock is rarely made use of, nor is the value of the snow white [saccharoidal] and cream colored [ferruginous ] sandstone scarcely admitted."
What is called the Danville marble, a species of limestone, is sus- ceptible of fine polish, but has not been sufficiently developed to be brought into practical use.
Vast coal banks have been discovered, some of which have been opened and are being made valuable to the owners and useful to con- sumers.
Fire clays in large quantities, and, by competent judges, declared equal in variety and quality to anything of the kind yet found on this continent, have been discovered and are being shipped to manufactur- ing cities for use.
Mineral paint, much similar to Venetian red, is abundant and has been practically tested. As to quality it is said to bear favorable comparison with the celebrated Vermont mineral paint. Some of it has been shipped abroad and has given full satisfaction.
As to medicinal springs, without which no county in Missouri seems, in these days, to be of much importance, the Mineola, or Loutre Lick Springs are, beyond reasonable doubt, among the best mineral springs in the world. Many learned persons, who have used the waters of the most distinguished mineral springs in the United States and in Europe, prefer the waters of Loutre Lick Springs to all others that they have tested. The use of these springs is free to all.
Earlier writers on Montgomery county attached much importance to its mineral resources. But their seeming expectations that the future would show the existence of lead and iron here in considerable quantities have not been realized. Speaking of the economic geology of the county, in 1837, Dr. M. M. Maughs wrote ( Wetmore's Gazetteer, page 123) as follows : -
The mineral resources of this county have not been developed, but the sub-stratum of the whole country appears to be strongly impreg- nated with iron. Some very rich lumps of ore have been found on the surface of several hundred pounds weight, small specimens of genuine galena have been picked up in the broken grounds of the county, and abundance of miners' tiff, of almost diamond luster and hardness, has been discovered in this county. The rivulets abound
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
in ochreous pebbles, with every variety and shade of silicious stones, and slaty soapstone.
Loutre Lick is situated in this county, where salt was made by some of the early settlers ; but the water, as it flows from the earth here, mixed with fresh veins, is too weak to be worked profitably. The bituminous coal that has been found in Montgomery has been used in furnaces of the blacksmiths, with and without coking. Sev- eral varieties of limestone and sandstone exist in this county, and the rock called millstone grit, or the " lost rock," is found in detached masses, apparently rounded by attrition, of foreign aspect, and half imbedded in the earth.
The Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway traverses the territory for a distance of 30 miles and furnishes transportation for the most of the county. People in the southern or river district travel and ship by the Missouri river and the Missouri Pacific Railroad, which is on the southern bank of the river. The citizens of the northern part of the county have the privilege of the Chicago and Alton Railroad, which is within a few miles of the northern boundary, and curves around west via Mexico, intercepting the Missouri Pacific Railroad at Jefferson City. Besides these is the St. Louis and Keokuk Railroad, within a reasonable distance, which connects the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad with the Chicago and Alton ; so that, in addition to being traversed by one of the best railroads in the State, and bounded on one side by the great Missouri river, Montgomery county is virtually encompassed by connecting lines of railroads.
EARLY HISTORY - THE FIRST EUROPEANS.
At least the greater portion of Montgomery county was well known to the first Europeans that ventured up the Missouri. In the year 1705 the French ascended the Missouri as high as the mouth of the Kansas river (now Kansas City). As the object of all expeditions undertaken in those days in Missouri was the discovery of gold and silver, it is reasonable to conclude that the explorers did not fail to examine the rocky " knobs" and hills on both sides of the river, and of course did not pass by those of this county unnoticed and unin- spected. The fur trade, too, was another inducement to the French occupation and ultimate settlement of Missouri, and as the Otter island and Otter river (Loutre) have been so called from time im- memorial, it is but fair to infer that this island and this stream were examined by the very first trappers who came up the river and who caught otters along their banks.
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