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 76

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 76
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 76
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 76

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).

TRAGIC DEATH OF JOHN HENCHEL.

On the evening of March 14, 1879, John Henchel shot himself with a pistol at his house in High Hill'. He was at the time of the shoot- ing preparing for a trip to California. Mr. Henchel was a very quiet, industrious gentleman, and there was no apparent motive for suicide.

HIGH HILL PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

This congregation being somewhat small, worship in a frame build- ing built by the Methodists and Presbyterians in 1855, at a cost of $1,500, the former denomination also occupying the house. The organ-

719

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

ization was formed in 1856, with Joshua Sharp and wife, H. H. Dry- den and wife and others. Thomas Smith is their present pastor. Mr. A. S. McCarty is superintendent of a Sabbath-school of 35 members.

JONESBURG.

The land on which the town of Jonesburg now stands was first set- tled by James Jones in 1829, and the house he built the following year (still standing, on the eastern border of town) was the first in the vicinity. For many years here was a " stage stand " on the old route from St. Charles to the Boone's Lick, in Howard county. Here also a post-office called High Hill was established about 1838, at least after Wetmore's Gazetteer of 1837 was published, for it makes no mention of High Hill.

No effort to found a town here was made until after the North Mis- souri Railroad was built.

In 1858, Mr. Jones sold 20 acres of land embracing the town site to W. L. Saulsbury and A. C. Stewart, who at once proceeded to lay out the town which they called Jonesburg, after James Jones. The High Hill post-office had long before been removed to the westward.

The first building of any kind put up in Jonesburg was a small one-story house, built in 1857, used as a saloon by James Duckworth, and the first dwelling house was also his ; this now forms a part of Mrs. Finney's hotel.

A storehouse built by Webb Baker was next and is still standing, north of the depot. Soon after Moritz Lens, a German, put up the second store. Henry Godfrey, whose father resided south of town, came in the fall of 1857, and put up a blacksmith shop in the eastern part of town. A part of this structure, which has been converted into a livery stable, is still standing.

The depot building was put up in 1858, after the citizens had agreed to pay the railroad company a considerable subscription to defray all expenses of the building, the side-track, etc. The first depot agent was James Jones, and he was also the first postmaster ; the post-office was established in 1858.

At the outbreak of the war Jonesburg did not have more than 200 inhabitants. Only three or four stores were in the place and they stood along Front street, north of the railroad track.

In the middle of July, 1861, when the first Federal troops ( Morgan L. Smith's Eighth Missouri ) came up the railroad, it was three-fourths of a mile west of Jonesburg where they were bushwhacked by Joe Sublett, as mentioned elsewhere.

720

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Then in the early fall of 1861 came Capt. Robt. Bailey's company of Krekel's regiment of St. Charles German militia. They robbed Copp's and Webb Baker's stores of what pleased them and plundered the people of the neighborhood indiscriminately. They arrested Wright, Smith and Job Price, and it was feared for a time they would kill them, so fierce and brutal was their demeanor.

In the fall of 1864 Miles Price, the Confederate raider, with per- haps a dozen men, captured the town one night and foraged upon it, levying upon the stores and shops for certain articles of merchan- dise.

SHOOTING OF EDWARD M'CULLOM.

In July, 1863, Edward McCullom, a farmer, living four miles north of town, was shot and killed by Thomas H. Hess, in Henry Godfrey's blacksmith shop, in Jonesburg. Some days before the shooting Mc- Cullom's house had been robbed, and he had stated to some persons that he believed Hess was one of the robbers. McCullom came in town armed, and Hess demanded a retraction, which McCullom refused to make. McCullom had a pistol in his hand, and intimated to Hess when first accosted that he would use it. The two talked angrily, and McCullom was backing into the shop when Hess shot him. He fell and died in a few moments.

A coroner's jury exonerated Hess, and a military investigation by the provost-marshal at Troy resulted in his discharge.1 He is now the village postmaster.

SINCE 1865.

At the close of the Civil War Jonesburg was still a hamlet of but a few houses. John Stubbs and H. H. Camp formed a partneship in 1865 and 1866 and built 15 or 20 houses in various portions of town, for sale and rent. This gave the town a start in the right direction and it has lost nothing since. The academy building was erected in

1 The following certificate from the provost marshal is appended, in justice to Mr. Hess : -

This is to certify that in the year 1863, while on duty as assistant provost marshal of the Fourth Sub-District of Missouri, on duty at Troy, Lincoln county, Missouri, and acting under orders of and by authority of the provost marshal general of the State of Missouri, one Thos. H. Hess, of Montgomery county, Mo., was forwarded to me, under arrest and for the alleged shooting of one McCullom, at or near Jones- burg, Mo., with instructions to me to try the case and determine the guilt or inno- cence of the aforesaid Thos. H. Hess. That upon a full and thorough investigation of the circumstances connected with the same, the said Hess was fully and honorably discharged by me from custody and exonerated from liability in the matter, having acted in self-defense in the cause wherein complaint had been made.

A. C. MARSH, Ex-Pro. Mar. 4th Sub .- Dist. Mo.

721

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

1866, and Rev. William Lewis, now of the M. E. Church South, was the first principal.

Dr. Hail Pittman, son of Irvine Pittman, first sheriff of the county, lived near Jonesburg before it was laid out, and practiced among the first families of the village, but a Dr. Anderson, of Lincoln county, was the first resident doctor ; he came before the war.

Although a place of some hundreds of inhabitants Jonesburg has never been incorporated. It has a number of excellent stores and shops, two good hotels, etc. The public school has three teachers, · with an enrollment of 108 scholars -48 males and 60 females. There is also a colored school with one teacher.

NEWSPAPERS.

The first newspaper in Jonesburg was the Montgomery county Leader, established in 1872, by R. W. Harris. It was Democratic in politics. In size it was a seven-column folio, all printed at home. In a year or so the Leader was removed to Mexico.

The Jonesburg Free Press was established by a joint stock com- pany in February, 1879. Its editor was Robert Rose, author of " Pioneer Families of Missouri." Mr. Rose ran the Free Press but 13 weeks.

Using the material of the Free Press, William Dyer established the Jonesburg Journal in the fall of 1879, issuing the first number November 13, At first it was a five-column folio, then a six-column, and was Democratic in politics. Mr. Dyer was editor. January 1, 1882, the paper was issued for the first time under the ownership and management of Mrs. Sue J. Rittenhouse, still the editor, or edi- tress, and publisher. In May following she enlarged the paper to a seven-column folio, its present size. The paper, as Mrs. R. expresses it, is " strongly Democratic." Mrs. Rittenhouse has exclusive edi- torial charge, writing her own editorials and assisting in the type- setting. She has added $200 worth of material to the office, has a good job printing outfit, and makes a success of her enterprise in every way. Her son, Harry S. Rittenhouse, does the greater portion of the mechanical work.

CHURCHES OF JONESBURG.

M. E. Church South .- This church was organized in 1855, the names of the original members being George Godfrey, Sr., Julia A. Dearin, Thomas Jones and wife, D. R. Owens and wife, Dr. Pilman and wife, George Smith and wife, Henry Godfrey and wife, L. B.

722

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

Wells and others. The present membership numbers 79. Those who have filled the pulpit here at different times are John R. Taylor, John O'Brien, J. Y. Blake, R. Craig, Thomas Dines and John Hol- land. The frame church building, costing $3,200, was completed in 1868. Mr. Sultz conducts a flourishing Sabbath school of 50 members.

Christian Church .- This is one of the finest churches in the country, having been constituted an organization November 2, 1867, with W. J. Skinner, William Finney, Francis Skinner, Duncan Mc- Coy, Jacob Stout, Thomas L. Cartwright, George Brooks, Thomas Kimball, Taylor Purl, H. H. Camp, Sr., H. H. Camp, Jr., Mahala Jones and A. Thomas and others as first members. Now the roll contains 30 names. J. T. Brooks, Jacob Coons, Joel Harding, Thomas Marlow, James Thomas, W. B. Gal- laher, W. J. Skinner, and possibly one other minister, have preached to this congregation. Their church building is a brick structure, built in 1869, and costing $3,000. Mr. W. J. Skinner is superin- tendent of a Sabbath-school of 40 members.

Baptist Church .- The building of this body is a frame, built for $1,800 in 1882, located at Jonesburg. The membership is rather small, numbering 15, and at the organization in 1880 the members were W. E. Scott and wife, W. J. Rixey and wife, Miss Vinson, Mollie James, Dr. C. B. Faulkner and wife, Miss Mary Johnson, Allie Ferguson and R. H. Sheets. Rev. S. M. Bibb occupies the pulpit as pastor. Mr. W. J. Rixey superintends a Sabbath-school of 70 scholars.

Church of the Sacred Heart ( Catholic) - Was organized in 1868, those comprising the communicants at that time being A. A. Hess and family, James Moriarty and family, Thomas Cahey and family, Patrick Fuller and family, Stephen Stanton and family, and Michael McMahan and his family. The congregation now num- bers thirty persons. Fathers O'Neil, Michael McCabe, John David, J. J. Head and Father Howe have been in charge here. Their church building, a frame structure, was constructed in 1868 at a cost of $1,200.

PRICE'S BRANCH.

This little hamlet, on the south-west corner of section 2 and south-east corner of section 3, township 48, range 4, was first known as Woollam's mill; but on the establishment of the post- office in 1854 the name was changed to Price's Branch. It has been quite a trading point for some years. Has nearly always had

723

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

one or two stores, shops, etc., and an excellent saw and grist mill. It contains perhaps ten houses. According to Col. Thompson's hand-book, it had in 1879 " one store, a saw and grist mill, a card- ing machine and one church edifice."

BIOGRAPHICAL.

JOHN ADAMS

(Farmer, Post-office, Montgomery City).

Mr. Adams, a highly respected old gentleman, who recently set- tled in Montgomery county, but who bought the land where he now resides in 1854, came originally from Philadelphia, where he was born September 12, 1817, but at the age of 22 he came to St. Louis county, where he resided for nearly 40 years, or until his removal to Mont- gomery county in 1877. His father was William Adams, of Pennsyl- vania, a soldier in the War of 1812, and who died in 1835. His mother was a Miss Lydia A. Towns; she died in 1825. The subject of this sketch has been singularly unfortunate in his married life, until his present wife, a most excellent and estimable lady, came to brighten his home. He was twice previously married, and twice death entered his home and robbed him of his beloved companion. Then the inexorable angel took from him each of his happy, joy- ous children, those given to him by his first wife and those by his second. But a man of a warm domestic nature, a lover of his kind, and especially fond of children, he has adopted several and has done, or is doing by them, the full part of a generous, tender, affectionate parent. His first wife was a Miss Sarah Patton, a daughter of James Patton, formerly of Virginia. She bore him two children, both of whom were called to abide with her in heaven. His second wife was a Miss Louisa Patton, a sister to his first wife, who was spared to him only a very short time. Her little infant is buried by her side. To his present wife he was married in 1855. She was a Miss Nancy Harris, a daugh- ter of Simpson Harris, an early settler of St. Louis county. One of their adopted children, J. Wm. Adams, is now a young man. The other, Frank W. Walker, is a bright and promising youth, and both are as greatly loved by their foster-parents as if they were their na- tural children. Mr. Adams' farm contains 240 acres, and is a com- fortable homestead. He and wife are members of the M. E. Church South.

724

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

JAMES R. B. AYDELOTT (Farmer, Post-office, Truxton).

Mr. Aydelott, an industrious farmer and respected citizen of Bear Creek township, is a native of Missouri, born in Warren county, April 21, 1844. His parents, William R. A. and Nancy ( Hailip ) Aydelott, settled in that county many years before the war. His father was originally from Delaware, but his mother from Virginia. They are still living in Warren county, and have reared six children, namely : James R. B., the subject of this sketch ; George H., of Warren county ; William T., a merchant of Lincoln; George B., of this county ; Samuel T., of Warren county; and Tabitha J., wife of Harrod Aston, of Warren county. James R. B. Aydelott was born on his father's farm in Warren county, April 21, 1844, and although only 17 years of age when the war broke out, he promptly enlisted in the Union service, entering the command of Gen. Canby, and served until the close of the war. Returning to Warren county after the war, he was married there in 1869 to Miss Missouri E. Han- cock, a daughter of Thornton Hancock, formerly of Virginia. He followed farming in Warren county until 1870, when he moved to Montgomery county and settled on the farm where he now resides. He has a place of 150 acres, well improved. Mr. and Mrs. Aydelott have had three children : Ethel E., who died in 1871; Elpha, who died at the age of four years, in 1876 ; and Milton E., now a lad seven years of age. Mr. A. is a member of the A. F. and A. M., and he and wife are members of the M. E. Church.

HAMPTON BALL

(Farmer, Contractor and Miller, Post-office, Mineola).

Mr. Ball was a lad four years of age when his parents Augustus and Elizabeth Ball, came to Missouri from Fauquier county, Va., where Hampton was born, March 4, 1830. On coming to this State they settled, first, in St. Louis county. Five years later the family re- moved to Montgomery county, and the same year of their removal to this county the father died, in 1841. Meanwhile the mother had also died, and the father had married a second wife, a lady whose maiden name was Susan Richardson. By the first wife there were nine chil- dren, and by the second, three. At the age of eleven years, there- fore, Hampton Ball was left an orphan, with his own way to make in the world as best he could ; but by industry he managed to provide himself with the necessities of life. He grew up and developed into hardy young manhood and learned the occupation of farming. Later along he also learned milling. December 16, 1851, he was married to Miss Margaret Culpp, a daughter of Daniel Culpp, of this county. She lived to brighten his home for about fifteen years, but at last, in the summer of 1866, departed this life, leaving six children : Daniel

725

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

A., Alexander A., William, Caleb C., Elizabeth N. and Thomas W. Meanwhile Mr. Ball had become interested in contracting, a business he has followed for a number of years. He now has a railway con- tract for the supply of a large number of ties to the Wabash road. Mr. B.'s second wife survived only a short time after her marriage. She was a Miss Susan Powell, and their only child is also deceased. He subsequently married Miss Martha E. Wilson, of this county. This union was blessed with three children, but one of whom is living, Walter L. She, too, was taken away by death in 1882. To his present wife Mr. Ball was married about a year ago. She was a Miss Arabella Ball, a daughter of Benjamin Ball, of this county. Mr. B. is a member of the M. E. Church South, and his wife of the Pres- byterian Church. Mr. Ball is one of the substantial citizens and leading land-holders of the county, and has nearly 3,000 acres of fine land. He also has a valuable residence property in Jonesburg.

GEORGE V. BOHRER

(Farmer, Post-office, Montgomery City) .

Mr. Bohrer is a native of Germany, born in Bavaria near the Rhine, May 15, 1819. His parents were George and Katherine (Rifflemarcher ) Bohrer, and when he was about six years of age, the family immigrated to America and settled in Ohio. The mother died in Illinois in 1877, and the father in 1880. George Bohrer, Jr., was raised in Ohio, where he married, and when a young man came on further west, to Illinois, with his wife, Miss Nancy Moore, who was also originally of Ohio, a daughter of Samuel G. Moore. Mr. Bohrer resided in Illinois for over twenty years after his marriage, and then in 1865 removed to Missouri, settling in Montgomery county, on the land where he has lived continuously for over nineteen years. His homestead contains over 160 acres, and is substantially and com- fortably improved. Besides this he has 180 acres in another tract, which is also improved. His wife died in 1873, having borne him eight children, namely : Catherine, Mary E., wife of Liman Hall, Nancy E., Emily, wife of John Rhodecker ; Lena D., wife of Wal- ter Black ; Henrietta, and Charles. Ella died in Montgomery county Mo., in her twenty-first year.

HENRY BOLTON

(Farmer and Carpenter, Post-office, Jonesburg).

Mr. Bolton is from the old Keystone State, born in Lebanon county November 14, 1839. He was raised in that county and learnd the carpenter's trade as he grew up. He also worked on the farm in youth. He continued to reside in Pennsylvania until 1878, when he came to Missouri and located in Montgomery county. He has since resided in this county and been engaged in work at his trade and in farming. In 1862 he was married in Pennsylvania, to Miss Fannie Stock, also of Lebanon county. They have had twelve children, ten

726

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

of whom are living: Gideon, William, Edward, Harney, Mary, Sarah, Amelia, Clara, Anna and John. He and wife are members of the Lutheran Church. Mr. Bolton's farm contains 120 acres lo- cated in section 8, near Jonesburg, and is well improved. His father and mother are both deceased. The former died in Pennsylvania in 1875. His mother, who was a Miss Mary Simmons before her mar- riage, died about six years ago. Both were members of the Lutheran Church.

WILLIAM A. CARTER

(Stock Farmer and Stock Dealer,'Post-office, Jonesburg).

Mr. Carter is by name and descent a representative of the old and distinguished Carter family of Virginia, one of the older representa- tives of which in Virginia was Robert Carter, President of the Council of Virginia in 1726, and the owner of 1,100 slaves and 300,000 acres of land. Another one, Robert Carter, Jr., a grandson of Robert Car- ter, Sr., just mentioned, is noted in history for his voluntary and philanthropic emancipation of nearly 1,000 slaves. Among other leading families that married into the Carter family, including the Jeffersons, were the Harrisons, the same family of which President Harrison was a representative, and of which Senator Ben. Harrison, of Indiana, and Carter Harrison, late the Democratic candidate for Governor of Illinois, are also representatives. Mr. Carter, the sub- ject of this sketch, was born in Pittsylvania county, Va., August 10, 1856. His father was Edward Carter, and his mother, before her marriage, was a Miss Amelia Morton. The family in Pittsylvania county rank among the best people of that county, and are univer- sally esteemed. In easy circumstances before the war, the devasta- tions of that unhappy strife greatly reduced their fortune. One of its most serious results was to prevent the younger members of the family from securing advanced educations at college. At the early age of 17, William A., the subject of this sketch, started in the world to make his own way in life and went to California, where he was engaged in mining for two years. He then returned East as far as St. Charles county, Mo., where he stopped for a short time. Following this he entered the State University, at Columbia, where he took a course of one year, matriculating from that institution into Washington University, at St. Louis. Subsequently he was a mem- ber of a large boot and shoe house in St. Louis where he remained for about two years, obtaining a practical knowledge of the details of mercantile business. In 1879 he went to New Mexico, engaged in stock trading, and followed it with success for about two years. Re- turning then to Missouri, he located in Montgomery county, where he owns a fine stock farm of 400 acres, near Jonesburg. Here he has since continued the stock business with good success. Some years ago, however, he decided to devote himself to the legal profession, and he is now taking a regular course of study with that object in view. Mr. Carter is a young man of good education and almost rest-

727

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

less energy, and he can hardly fail to distinguish himself at the bar and perhaps in public life.

THOMAS CASEY

(Farmer, and Railroad Section Foreman, Post-office, Jonesburg).

Mr. Casey is a native of county Limerick, Ireland, born on the 31st of July, 1841. His parents were Patrick and Bridget Casey, both of whose ancestors were long settled in the Emerald Isle beyond the Sea. They had a family of 10 children, all of whom are living and all members of the Catholic Church. Thomas Casey was reared in his native county in Ireland and at the age of 22 came to America, and pushed on out to the town of Seven Walnuts, in Kansas. After a residence there of some two and a half years, he came to Montgom- ery county, and located at Jonesburg. Here he became section fore- man on the Wabash Railroad and has ever since discharged the duties of his position efficiently and faithfully, and greatly to the satisfac- tion of the railway company. Mr. Casey is a man of industry, and with an intelligent regard for economy, so that he has been able to accumulate some property. He has invested his spare means in a good farm, which he now owns, containing 75 acres, well improved. In 1876 he was married to Miss Johanna Moriarty, also formerly of Ireland. They have four children : James, Mary, Thomas and Taresa. Mr. and Mrs. Casey are members of the Catholic Church.

WALDEN G. CLARE,

(Farmer, Stock-raiser and Stock-dealer, Post-office, Montgomery City).

Among the largest landholders of Montgomery county, though never a resident of the county, was Daniel Clare, originally of Virginia, the father of the subject of this sketch. He was of German descent, but his ancestors had long been settled in the Old Dominion. He came to Missouri by way of Kentucky, in 1829; and bought land in Lincoln county, an old Spanish grant from the Chouteaus. He had been a sol- dier in the War of 1812 and received a government land grant in rec- ognition of his services, which he " laid" on a tract of land in Montgomery county. He also entered and bought large tracts in this county, and at one time owned nearly 2,000 acres. He died on his homestead in Lincoln county, in 1843. He was twice married. His first wife was a Miss Jane Hansford, a daughter of the Rev. Thomas Hans- ford, a pioneer Baptist minister of Kentucky, and a friend and compan- ion of Daniel Boone, uniting also the qualities of an Indian fighter with those of minister. She died in 1834, and Mrs. Fannie Cox, a widow lady, whose maiden name was McClure, became Mr. Clare's second wife. She survived until 1880. He had a family by both his first and second wives, and Walden G. was born of the first union, in Lincoln county, January 23, 1828. He was reared on the farm in Lincoln county, and in 1849 was married to Miss Nancy Gililland, a daughter of the old pioneer settler of that county, John Gililland, a sketch of whose

728

HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.

life is given on pp. 602-606 of the " History of Audrain County " re- cently issued by the publishers of this work. After his marriage Mr. Clare removed to Montgomery county, and settled on the land which he now owns-a farm of 250 acres, well improved, and here he is engaged in raising stock. He also feeds cattle and hogs for the wholesale markets. He and his good wife have seven children, namely : Francis, who died in 1865, at the age of 16 years ; William, Alice, the wife of Alexander Jefferson ; Sallie, the wife of Dr. Muns ; Frank D., Maggie, the wife of Frank Hensley ; Cynthia, and an infant, deceased. Mr. and Mrs. C. are members of the Christian Church.

ABRAHAM DAVAULT

(Dealer in General Hardware, Farm Implements, etc., Jonesburg).

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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 76

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