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 75

Author: National Historical Company (St. Louis, Mo.)
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: St. Louis, National Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1166

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 75
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 75
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 75

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

his last wife Morgan B. White, Sr., was married in 1858. She was a widow lady, relict of Elisha Hughes, late of Montgomery county, and her maiden name was Susan McMurtry. She was a lady of great personal worth, a motherly-hearted, good woman, and a devoted wife. She filled the place of mother to her husband's children, of those of them who had not grown up and gone out for themselves, with rare gentleness and goodjudgment, so that her memory occupies a place in their affection only next to that of their own parents. Morgan B. White, Sr., survived to a ripe and honored old age. After his first wife's death he made his home across in Callaway county, some miles from the Montgomery county line. There he passed peacefully away March 26, 1883, in his eighty-fourth year. Summing up his life, from first to last, there is as little found in it for a good man to regret as seldom falls to the lot of men. He believed that the treasures of the mind were to be prized far more than material wealth, and that the father who left his children provided with good educations and integrity of character transmitted to them a richer inheritance than he who leaves broad acres and large possessions, without that mental culture which is the best guarantee of useful and honorable citizenship. Like his first wife, he died, as he had lived for many years, an exemplary member of the Christian Church. He may be said to have almost known the Scriptures by heart, and in a discussion of any Bible question he was never at loss to quote the different passages bearing on the point under consideration. By his last marriage there were no children. The children by his first wife who lived to reach mature years were William S., a farmer by occupation and for some years past a resident of Lincoln county ; Leonard M., also a farmer and a resident of Pike county ; Catherine Y., of Washington, D. C., widow of William Ellis ; Archibald H., ex-sheriff of Montgomery county and a resident of Danville ; Morgan B., the subject of this sketch ; Rose M., a resident of Mexico, Audrain county, and the widow of the late John Herron ; Richard C., a farmer and stock-raiser of Callaway county ; Fannie A., wife of Col. William L. Gatewood, of Montgom- ery City ; Samuel M. and Charles M., both of Colorado. The children were given good educational opportunities as they grew up, and the daughters, especially, had the best advantages the country afforded. All became lapies of superior culture and accomplishments, and Rose N. was for some years before her marriage a highly successful and popular teacher. Morgan B. White, Jr., whose name stands at the head of this sketch, was born on his father's homestead in Montgomery county, December 22, 1833. He was reared on a farm, and about the time of attaining his majority started out from home for himself, commencing to work with energy and resolution. Being a man of good education and sterling intelligence, he was not long in accumul- ating a nucleus of property about him. Farming, exclusively, was his first occupation. Later along, when he became able to, he also engaged in stock raising, and in recent years he has added fine short- horn cattle breeding to his other agricultural interests. However, he has been quite successful, and having become somewhat broken down

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in health in late years, has retired from active work himself. When the war came on he had just begun to get a neat start, but in a few years times became so unsettled that he was compelled to leave the country at a sacrifice of nearly everything he had made. Having married in the meantime, he went to St. Louis, where he resided with his family until after the close of the war. Mr. White returned to Montgomery county after the war and resumed farming, buying the place where he now resides. To this, however, he has made frequent additions, and from time to time has added valuable improvements. He now has one of the best stock farms in this part of the county and considerable other lands. His homestead contains 320 acres, and is handsomely improved. He is making a specialty of breeding and raising fine thoroughbred short-horn cattle, and has some of the best representatives of that class of stock to be found in the county. On December 22, 1858, Mr. White was married to Miss Eliza V. Layson, a daughter of Josiah Layson and granddaughter of Judge Benjamin Young, of Callaway county. Mr. White's married life has been one of contentment and happiness, and is blessed with a numerous family of children. Like his father, he has given his children good school advantages, and all of sufficient age are young people of culture and refinement. Two of his daughters have taught several successful schools, and are accomplished in music. His children are : William G., who is married and is engaged in farming for himself ; Effie, now the wife of Samuel Burger, a farmer of this county ; Mary A., a suc- cessful and popular school teacher; Lou E., also an accomplished teacher ; Morgan, Jr., Rose M., Katie V., Elizabeth W., Jessie W., and Everett M., all the latter, including Morgan, being still at home. Being a man of sterling character and intelligence, as well as an upright, honorable citizen, Mr. White is, of course, an unswerving supporter and advocate of the principles of the Democratic party, as his father was before him, and in all is a good man and useful citizen, faithful and loyal to his party, his family, his country, and his God. In religious convictions he is broad and liberal.

W. G. YOUNG

(Of Caley & Young, Dealers in Hardware, etc., and one of the Proprietors of the Middletown Pottery).

Mr. Young is a native of Ohio, born at Cincinnati, December 1, 1847. His father was George W. B. Young, one of the four men who founded the Cincinnati Commercial, then called the Commercial Bulletin, a paper the prompt and remarkable success of which was largely due to his ability as a business manager and his force and sagacity as a writer. He is well known among the older generation of newspaper men in Ohio as one of their ablest and most honorable representatives. Mr. Young's mother (W. G.'s) was a Miss Emma L. Le Count before her marriage, of English birth, but of Norman- French descent. But two children of their family, besides W. G., grew to mature years, Willis D., now deceased, and Emma L., now

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

the wife of C. L. Power, of Louisiana. W. G. Young was reared at Cincinnati and received an excellent general education as he grew up. When seventeen years of age, in the winter of 1864-65, he enlisted in Co. K, One hundred and Eighty-sixth Ohio volunteer infantry, and served until after the close of the war. He then traveled quite ex- tensively through the South and West for several years, and in 1879, January 15, was married at Hillsboro, O., to Miss Rachel A. Caley, a daughter of Rev. John Caley, of Highland county, O. A short time afterwards Mr. Young located at Middletown. Here he-formed a partnership with W. A. Caley, his brother-in-law, in the hardware business, which they have ever since conducted with success. He is now establishing a pottery at this place, which will shortly be put in operation. Mr. and Mrs. Young have had two children, Hope (de- ceased ) and Clyde. Mr. Young is a member of the G. A. R.

CHAPTER XIII.

BEAR CREEK TOWNSHIP.

Position and Description -Early Settlers and Settlements -- The Lynching of Wm. Looker - A Tragedy of the Civil War-Murder of Wm. Finney - Fatal Railroad Accident -- Country Churches - High Hill -- Early History -- Anderson's Raid - After the War - Tragedies - Killing of Thomas Miller and Joel Jones-Church -- Jonesburg - Early History - Founding of the Town -- The Civil War -- Shooting of Edward McCullom by Thos. Hess - Since 1865 - Newspapers, Churches, etc. -- Price's Branch.

This township, comprising the south-eastern portion of the county, includes those portions of congressional townships 47, 48 and 49, lying in ranges 3 and 4, within this county. It is quite well watered and timbered, and the soil is generally excellent. Near Jonesburg and High Hill a very superior quality of fire-clay, in inexhaustible quantity, has been found. This has been pronounced superior to any other fire-clay put upon the market.

EARLY SETTLERS.

Edward ( ?) Ford settled three miles west of Jonesburg on the Boone's Lick road about the year 1822. He was a Kentuckian.

George Bast, who first came to the county in 1819, lived one mile north of the present site of High Hill in about 1825. He married for his third wife Elizabeth Ford, daughter of the Ford above men- tioned. In February, 1829, Mr. Bast was killed by the falling of a tree. His widow afterward married Cyrenus Cox. Mr. Bast was the father of the Hon. George Y. Bast, and the ancestor of the numerous Bast family of this county.

North of the Bast farm one mile, there lived in 1829 a young mar- ried couple named Smith. The' father of the husband lived a mile or two east of High Hill, where the Sisk farm is. Nathaniel Dryden settled north of High Hill in 1828, coming from Virginia.1 He after- ward located on the Boone's Lick road, east of Danville, and built Dryden's noted horse mill.

James Jones came from Rockingham county, Va., in 1829. He rented for one year the widow Bast's farm, when he entered the land

1 According to Mrs. Julia A. Deering.

40 (711)

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

on which Jonesburg now is situated, and built the western portion of the old house on the eastern border of town, which is still standing. In about 1833 Jones began keeping a stage station at his house, which was here until the building of the railroad. In about 1838 the post- office called High Hill was established at Jones', and he was made postmaster. After many years the office was removed to Ferguson's, west of Jones', and thence on west, until it finally lodged at High Hill.

Berry Sublett was another old settler in this township, locating in 1825, some miles north of High Hill.

Lemuel Price, of North Canolina, settled near where the Boone's Lick road crosses Camp branch (in what is now Warren county ) in October, 1815, building the first cabin on the branch. His grandson, bearing the same name, now resides on Loutre Island. It is related that Lemuel Price's cabin was the first built on the prairie in what is now Montgomery county. Maj. Isaac Van Bibber, Patrick Ewing, Boone Hays and Lewis Jones assisted in raising the cabin.

Camp branch took its name from the circumstance of its being a popular camping ground for immigrants coming westward over the Boone's Lick road. . Price's branch was named for the family that settled upon it at an early date.

LYNCHING OF WILLIAM LOOKER.

In the spring of 1861 a young man named William Looker, whose family lived north of Jonesburg, or in the vicinity of Price's branch, was lynched by a party of " regulators," composed chiefly of citizens of this township. The young man was accused of poisoning some cattle belonging to a farmer of this vicinity. Nothing but a general statement can be made regarding this incident. Some of the men who composed the lynching party yet live in the township, but the compiler's efforts to learn the particulars were in vain.

Looker was seized by the regulators one night and carried off on horseback towards the Missouri river. It is currently believed that he was thrown into Loutre slough or into the Missouri river, - either that he was first hung from the bridge across Loutre slough and then the body was cut loose and let fall into the slough, or that he was taken to the river, bound hand and foot, and then by two strong men hurled into the tawny current of the Missouri.

That night Fred Dryden rode to the residence of the sheriff, T. J. Powell, near New Florence, to get him to interfere and stop the mur- der, but Powell was away from home, and could have done nothing

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

that night. The war came on soon after and the matter was never investigated.

A TRAGEDY OF THE CIVIL WAR.

During the Civil War only one murder was perpetrated. The vic- tim was a young man, named Wm. Henry Finney, aged 20 years and six months, and a son of William Finney, a farmer, living a mile and a half east of Jonesburg.

The brothers of young Finney were in the Confederate army at the time, but he had never taken up arms on either side, and had done no overt act that could possibly be construed into an act of hostility against the government. At the time of his death, September 13, 1862, he was enrolled as a student at the High Hill Academy.

A detachment of the newly enrolled militia from St. Charles, or Warren county, said to belong to Capt. J. E. Ball's company of the Thirty-seventh enrolled Missouri militia, were up through the country " scouting," and approached Mr. Finney's residence on a gallop, yelling and hooting and brandishing their guns. The family was of course frightened, and Mrs. Finney called to her son to hide himself. The boy ran out of the back door and was entering the apple orchard when he was overtaken by the militia and shot down at once and without mercy. Then his murderers rode away somewhat appeased by the sight of innocent blood.

KILLING OF FRED HENZE AND SON BY THE CARS.

On the 6th of October, 1874, a fatal railroad accident occurred near Jonesburg, by which Fred Henze and his son, a lad about six years of age, were killed. Mr. Henze was returning home from Jones- burg, with his little son, and in passing over the railroad at Holland's crossing, the wagon, a two horse vehicle, was struck by the engine of a passenger train running west, and both father and son were killed.

Mrs. Lena Henze, widow of Fred Henze and mother of the boy, brought suit against the railroad company for the killing of her hus- band and son, and upon a trial of the case in Audrain county she was awarded a verdict of $10,000. The railroad company appealed the case to the Supreme Court, and in April, 1880, the judgment was reversed and the case remanded.1 The case was finally com- promised.

I See 71 Mo., p. 636.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

COUNTRY CHURCHES.

New Providence M. E. Church South. - This church is in section 35, township 45, range 4, Bear Creek township. It was organized in the house where J. C. Cope now resides in 1837, with James and Samuel Cope, John Smith, James Owens, Presley Anderson, and their wives, Libbie Jones and Caroline and Jane Stewart, as the first members, and now the membership numbers 70. In 1857 their church edifice was erected at a cost of $1,200. A number of ministers have had charge of the congregation : Samuel Coleman, James Callaway, Rev. Thatcher, Jesse Sutton, Daniel Penny, A. Spencer, William Barnett, William Newland, A. Sears, George Smith, L. T. McKeily, S. W. Cope, R. G. Loving, J. R. Taylor, J. S. Allen, H. Craig, J. H. Ledbetter, J. T. Blakey, John O'Brien, R. P. Jones, J. Dines and John Holland.

Zion Baptist Church - Is in section 20, township 49, range 3. Its organization was effected March 15, 1841, the membership then con- sisting of John H. Dutton, Washington Graves, Jesse Watkins, Mary R. Dutton, Mildred Graves, Margaret Sharp and Mary Glover, which number has since been increased to 35. Several ministers have filled the pulpit here, among whom are Robert Gilmore, Milen Spiers, Louis Duncan, William H. Vandemor, David W. Noland, James E. Welch, James H. Thomas, D. W. Graves, T. T. Johnson, J. D. Robnett, R. S. Duncan, L. M. Bibb, H. E. Mitchell and J. H. Tudle. Twelve hundred dollars were expended in building their frame house of worship in 1859, its dimensions being 40x60 feet. H. A. Hen- dricks is superintendent of a Sabbath-school of 30 pupils.

Mount Pleasant Baptist Church .- About the year 1854 J. H. Tolbert, John Biggs, T. J. Johnson, Elizabeth J. Tolbert, Robert Badger, Margaret Sharp and Emily Dryden formed themselves into a church organization, now known by the above name. In 1858 a frame building was constructed two miles north of High Hill, on section 29, township 48, range 4, Bear Creek township, where it still remains. T. J. Jackson, D. W. Graves, W. D. Grant and J. T. Smith have ministered to the spiritual needs of a congregation now numbering 26 members. Twenty scholars are in the Sabbath-school, which is superintended by Mr. B. Harman.

HIGH HILL.

In 1851 John S. Rowe and John Diggs were the owners of the town site of the present village of High Hill, in the south-western part of

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Bear Creek township (sec. 32-48-4). The following year 1 Rowe sold his farm to Hance Miller, who came in the summer of 1852, and in connection with Wm. H. Hoss and Mr. Rowe began the erection of a steam saw and grist mill which is still standing. Miller was a native of Delaware, but came directly from Belleville, Ill.

In the spring of 1853, Benj. Sharp and F. H. Dryden built a store on the south side of the Boone's Lick road, the locality then seem- ing a desirable point for a store. The next store was built by Wm. Craig, and is still standing on the south side of the road. About this time Dr. Hugh Skinner acquired an interest in Sharp & Dryden's store.

In a year or two the High Hill post-office was brought to Sharp & Dryden's, and Robt. Dryden made postmaster. Thereafter the vil- lage was called High Hill. J. J. Hawkins had the first hotel, Hance Miller the first blacksmith shop, 2 and John S. Rowe the first carpen- ter shop. Mrs. Rhoda Tanner built the next house, east of the church, after Sharp & Dryden's store. It still stands.

The first child born in High Hill was Francis R. Hoss, on December 17, 1853. He was a son of Wm. H. and Sarah Hoss. The first death was that of Nancy Elizabeth Rowe, daughter of John S. Rowe ; the next was that of Charles Lovelace ; the next was Wm. H. Hoss, one of the mill owners. The first marriage was that of James Hogge and Mary Rowe, in about 1854 ; it is remembered that the ceremony was performed by Rev. Dr. Crockett, a Presbyterian minister.

Dr. Hugh Skinner did not practice, and the first resident physician is believed to have been Dr. Wm. Worthington. Probably the first school was taught by Mrs. Rider in the old Klise store building. Robert McElhany and wife also taught in this house before the acad- emy was built. In this same building, also, were the first religious services, and among the first preachers were Father Nichols, a Bap- tist, and Rev. Noel, Presbyterian, of Troy.

When the railroad was completed to High Hill, in the late fall of 1857, other houses were built. John Diggs was the first depot agent, but his son William attended to the business.

The church was built in 1858 by the Methodists and Presbyterians jointly, although the title is held by the Presbyterians. Rev. Wm. A. Taylor was probably the first Presbyterian minister to officiate in this church.

1 According to the widow of Hance Miller, yet living.

2 It is said also that Chas. Lovelace was the first blacksmith.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

The academy was built in 1860 by a sort of joint stock arrange- ment in which nearly every citizen was a shareholder. The first prin- cipal was Robt. A. McElhany, and his wife, nee Missouri Bond, assisted him.

IN WAR TIMES.

When the Civil War broke out a majority of the citizens of High Hill and vicinity were secessionists. August 19, 1861, Capt. John J. Skinner's company of 50 or 60 men, raised in and about High Hill, returned from an unsuccessful attempt to reach Price's army, having been dispersed near Williamsburg, Callaway county. Emil Rosen- berger, a Unionist, supposed to be a spy or an informer, narrowly escaped being hung by them, only being saved through the interfer- ence of Smith Pearl, a citizen of the vicinity.

Lycurgus James and his company passed through town in Decem- ber, 1861, after engaging in tearing up the railroad; but the company was badly scattered in the Mt. Zion fight, and many of them were soon at home again.

December 24, 1861, the Tenth Missouri infantry, Col. George R. Todd, and the Eighty-first Ohio, Col. Morton, marched across from Hermann and Loutre Island, arrived at High Hill, and the next day went on to Danville, and thence into Callaway and on to Mexico, as detailed elsewhere.

Soon after, in the last of February, 1862, probably, the Tenth Mis- souri, numbering then but eight companies, was stationed here. Here it remained until the first part of April, when it was sent South. The Tenth Missouri is well and agreeably remembered by the majority of the people of High Hill and vicinity. A number of its mem- bers died of pneumonia and other pulmonary diseases while here, and the bodies of four of them yet lie in the grave-yard north of town.

Todd's regiment left High Hill for the seat of war in April. Soon after Todd was dismissed from the service for alleged incompetency. He was from Alexandria, Clark county, and a lawyer by profes- sion.

September 12, 1864, at about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, Miles. Price, the Confederate raider, with 13 men, dashed into the village from the westward and held the town an hour or so, but not doing so very much damage. Then they rode on to Jonesburg, where they robbed Hess' store of $500 worth of goods. (See general his- tory.)

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

ANDERSON'S RAID.

A month later, or October 15, when Bill Anderson and his terrible band came in, the people were greatly frightened. Perhaps Emil Rosenberger, then a saddler, was the worst treated. Him the guer- rillas robbed of $130 in cash and nearly that amount of saddles, bridles, whips, etc., and whipped him unmercifully with his. own whips.

Jesse Diggs, who lived a little east of town and was well known as a " Southern sympathizer," was treated in a like manner. Thomas Hogge, another citizen east of town, was robbed of $25.

Other incidents of Anderson's raid on High Hill are narrated in the general history in another chapter in this volume.

AFTER THE WAR.

In the fall of the year 1866 the academy building was burned to the ground. The following year steps were taken to rebuild the institu- tion, and in the fall the new building, an exact duplicate of the old one and occupying the same site, was completed, and is now stand- ing.

Only a few houses have been added to High Hill since the war. In 1878 it contained three general stores, one hardware store, one drug store, one family grocery store, one hotel, two blacksmith and wagon shops, one saddle and harness shop, one steam mill, a millinery establishment and two practicing physicians. With but few alterations in the foregoing directory, the town is the same to-day.

In the year 1880 Emil Rosenberger, L. P. Miller and Wm. Clark built a public hall, which stood on the south side of the Boone's Lick road, opposite Clark's store, in the western part of town. The build- ing cost $1,600. It was dedicated September 16, 1880. At 10 o'clock Saturday morning, September 16, 1882, exactly two years after its dedication, this building suddenly burst out in flames and was totally consumed. The origin of the fire was a mystery.

TRAGEDIES.

Since the war High Hill has been the scene of three or four suicides, and two homicides. Of the latter the killing of Thomas Miller in August, 1865, by Wm. F. Wilson, was a notable affair. Wm. Wilson was the head of a family, and at the time was operating the mill.

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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Thos. Miller was a young man, single, aged about 22 or 23, and was tending bar in the village saloon. During the war he served in both the Federal and Confederate armies, and was looked upon as a dan- gerous enemy. Wilson accused Miller of having gone about the country robbing people. Thereupon Miller wrote Wilson some threatening letters, warning him that unless he left the country he would surely be killed.

Early one morning Miller, while feeding his horse, descended on the outside of the building from the hay loft, when he was fired on by Wilson who was lying in wait, and fell to the ground and expired almost instantly.

Wilson was arrested and committed to jail without bail. He was indicted and tried for murder in the first degree, but being defended by Hon. John B. Henderson and some of the best local lawyers, was acquitted on the ground of self-defense.

KILLING OF JOEL JAMES.

In January, 1871, Andrew Sisk killed Joel James in W. P. Diggs' drug store, in High Hill. Both men were middle-aged. On the evening of the tragedy James, while going down town from the depot in company with a friend, and passing the store, saw Sisk through the open door, as he was sitting there. He entered and was soon engaged in a scuffle with Sisk, during which Sisk either fell or was thrown to the floor. James raised up and started, as some say, for a weapon, and Sisk rose up from the floor on one knee and fired at him with a pistol. The ball struck James in the back of the head, killing him instantly.

Sisk was afterward indicted and tried for manslaughter in the second degree, but was acquitted, and is now a reputable citizen of the village.

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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 75

Author: National Historical Company (St. Louis, Mo.) Publication date: 1885 Publisher: St. Louis, National Historical Company Number of Pages: 1166

Author: National Historical Company (St. Louis, Mo.)
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: St. Louis, National Historical Company
Number of Pages: 1166