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 96
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 96
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 96
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For Col. Thompson the road to celebrity was not smooth all the way. Nor has his long and active career in the public service been a source of financial gain. And although he has been in positions which a man of other opinions of right and wrong might have utilized to his own enrichment, such was not the case with Col. Thompson. He has always been regarded an honest and incorruptible man. No charge or insinuation was ever made against bim.
As an editorial writer he is concise, incisive and bold ; as a re- porter of passing events he is thorough and reliable, and his reports are accepted authority. In debate he is plain, fair, searching and fearless.
EDEN L. UPDIKE
(Farmer, Post-office, Wellsville).
Mr. Updike is a native of Virginia, born in Loudoun county, on the 26th of February, 1826, and was the fifth in a family of nine children of Samuel and Eura Updike, both also natives of that State. In 1847 the family removed to Ohio and settled in Morgan county, and Eden L. located in that county with them. The father died in 1864, and the mother five years afterwards. Eden L. remained with the family
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
until 1848, when, being 22 years of age, he started out for himself. He had been reared on a farm, and having no means to begin farming for himself, he went out to farm labor, working for monthly wages. In 1850 he was married to Miss Jane Williams, a daughter of 'Squire Thomas and Mary Williams, of Morgan county, that State. About the time of his marriage, Mr. Updike rented land and engaged in farming for himself and continued to farm in Ohio until 1884, when he came to Missouri and settled in Montgomery county, purchasing the farm where he now resides. Mr. Updike has a place of 160 acres, all under fence and improved. For seven years prior to his coming to Missouri he had charge of the poor farm of Morgan county, Ohio, and managed its affairs with excellent success and to the satisfaction of the court and the public generally. Mr. Updike's first wife died in 1858, leaving him three children : Charles, Mary J. and Nancy B. She was an exemplary member of the Christian Church. Several years afterwards Mr. Updike was married to his present wife, who was Rebecca Porter, of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. U. have four children : Mag- gie P., Howard M., Bessie B. and Laura M. Nancy, who married Townsend Parsons, died in February, 1883, leaving two children : Estella and Nellie. Charles married Miss Anna Dunaway and Mary J. married Frederick T. Kent - all the above farmers of Ohio. Mr. and Mrs. U. are members of the Christian Church. Mr. Updike had three brothers in the Union service during the war.
CHARLES VANDAVEER
(Farmer, Post-office, Montgomery City).
Like many of the early settlers of Montgomery county, Mr. Van- daveer is a native of Kentucky. He was born May 15, 1818, and was a son of Thomas and Jane ( Fair) Vandaveer. When he was yet quite young his parents removed to Indiana, and thence to Illinois, where his father died in 1847. His mother died in 1875. In 1846 Charles Vandaveer, who had grown up in the meantime, and, indeed, was 28 years of age, came to Missouri and located in Montgomery county, where he entered land. The same year he was married in this county to Miss Savana E. Rice, a daughter of William G. Rice, one of the first settlers of the county. Mr. Vandaveer at once went to work im- proving a farm and made himself a comfortable home. He and his son have a fine farm of 420 acres, all under fence and well improved. Mr. and Mrs. Vandaveer have but two children, and one only is living, Thomas, the other having died in infancy. In 1875 his son was mar- ried to Miss Mary J. Kelley, a daughter of Edward Kelley, of this county, formerly of Germany. Thomas Vandaveer and wife have four children : Stella S., Edward C., Carrie and Linnie.
J. B. VARNUM
(Dealer in General Merchandise, Montgomery City).
Until recently Mr. Varnum has been engaged in business with Mr. J. T. Cushman, that partnership having been formed in the spring of
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
1884. A short time ago Mr. V. bought Mr. Cushman's interest. He has had a most encouraging trade, and carries a stock of about $3,000, and numbers among his regular customers some of the best fam- ilies of Montgomery City and in the surrounding tributary country. His goods are selected with special care and with an eye single to the demand of trade at this place, for he keeps in stock only such goods as the people require, which he buys mainly for cash and with good judgment as to the condition of the market at the time he makes their purchases, so that he is enabled to sell at prices which secure him against all harm from competition. His business has every promise of a continued successful future, and with commendable enterprise he is steadily increasing his stock both in quantity and variety with the in- crease of his trade. Mr. Varnum comes of one of the oldest settled .
families of North-east Massachusetts. His grandparents were Jacob Bradley Varnum and Miss Catherine ( nee) Donnymead. They had 12 children, among whom was Dr. Geo. W. Varnum, father of the subject of this sketch, and who has until his recent removal to Cali- fornia, been a resident of this county. He was born at Washington, D. C., but principally reared at Petersburg, Va. During the war and after service in a marine hospital he located at Sulphur Springs, Jef- ferson county, Mo., in August, 1864 ( after having resided in Wisconsin some time previous ), and in 1869 came to this place, where he was en- gaged in practicing medicine until 1874, then retiring. Recently he has removed to California to reside permanently. He was married December 15, 1868, to Miss Anna L. Busby, and she is the Doctor's second wife. His first wife was Miss Martha A. Evans, whom he mar- ried in 1855. James B., a son by his father's first marriage, was born at Warren, Wis., August 15, 1860. His father removing to Mont- gomery City, however, when James B. was quite young, Mr. Varnum was therefore reared at this place. He received a good general edu- cation in the Montgomery City College, and early in 1880 began to learn the photograph business, which he soon mastered and which he followed with measurable success for four years. He then engaged in his present business.
FRED VERNETTE, M. D.
(Of Vernette & Darnell, Physicians and Surgeons, Montgomery City).
Dr. Vernette is a native of the "Ever Faithful Isle," Cuba, born at Havana, April 23, 1842. His father was Jacques Vernette, born and reared in the vicinity of Paris, France, and by education a phy- sician, a graduate of one of the eminent medical institutions of the French metropolis. But preferring a life on the sea, he was offered a commission as captain of a French merchant vessel, and he continued a life on the ocean wave until his death. In the course of a long sea life he visited nearly every country on the globe and became a man of. · wide and varied information, as well as a linguist of diversified attain- ments. When a young man while at anchor in the vicinity of New York, he met Miss Emeline Richards, of that city, between whom an attach-
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
ment sprang up, resulting in their marriage. They afterwards made their home at Havana, where Dr. Vernette was born. Subsequently they returned to New York, in which city Capt. Vernette's family permanently located, he continuing on the sea and visiting them from his different voyages. Both parents are now deceased. Dr. Vernette was educated at New York City and read medicine there under Dr. Cummings. In 1863 he entered the United States Medical College, at New York City, in which he took a regular course, graduating in 1865. In 1866 he came to Missouri and
located in Miller county, where he practiced for 10 years. He then came to Montgomery City. The firm of Vernette & Darnell was formed in the fall of 1882. They do a general practice, but Dr. Vernette makes a specialty of chronic diseases, in which he has had eminent success. He visits different points in this department of the practice, and now has nearly a thousand cases under treatment. In 1870 Dr. Vernette was married to Miss Paradine Keeth, of Miller county, a daughter of John Keeth, a re- spected citizen of this county. They have two children, Emma and Ella. Dr. V., besides being a graduate of the United States Medical College of New York City, graduated in the spring of 1874 at the Curtiss College of Physicians and Surgeons, of Cincinnati. The Doctor is a member of the I. O. O. F., and his wife is a member of the Christian Church.
JOHN VOGT,
(Dealer in Lumber, Shingles, Lath, Lime, Doors, Sash, Blinds, Etc., Montgomery City).
Mr. Vogt was born and principally reared in Switzerland, but came over to America in 1858, and, after spending something over two years in New York and St. Louis, but principally at the latter, he came to Montgomery City. In 1861 he enlisted in the Union army under Col. Foster, of Gen. Quinby's division. He served for three years and seven months, or until the close of the war, doing his duty faithfully and bravely as a soldier of his adopted country. Among other engagements, he was in those of Iuka, Miss., Corinth, Miss., Port Gibson, Raymond, Jackson, Miss., Champion's Hill, Vicksburg, Chattanooga and Resaca, Ga. He was wounded in both legs at Jack- son, Miss., and at Resaca he was taken prisoner and afterwards con- fined at Andersonville for seven months. After his honorable discharge from the service, he returned to Montgomery City. Here he formed a partnership with W. Overstreet in the contracting and building bus- iness, a partnership which lasted for two years. That firm was then dissolved and the firm of Vogt & Standthart was formed and went in the lumber business. They carried on the lime business for about seven years, after which Mr. Vogt bought out Mr. Standthart's inter- est, since which he has continued the business alone. He has also added a stock of lumber and other building materials in the lines mentioned above. In the year 1867 Mr. Vogt was married to Miss Beulah Rodgers, a daughter of Dreleg Rodgers, of Montgomery
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
City. They have five children : Emma, Maggie, Albert, Mattie and John. Mrs. V. is a member of the Baptist Church and Mr. Vogt is a mem- ber of the Masonic order at this place. Mr. Vogt was born in Switz- erland, November 12, 1838. He was the eldest of a family of five children, four of whom are living, of Joseph and Agnes ( Estlein ) Vogt, who were of old families in Switzerland. In 1855 the family came to America and settled in Montgomery county. Here the father followed farming until a few years ago when he retired from all active labor. Mr. Vogt is a man of superior education and busi- ness qualifications, and is justly well esteemed in this community.
ALBERT VOGT
(Jeweler, and Dealer in Watches, Clocks, Musical Instruments, Etc., Montgomery City).
Mr. Vogt, who has the leading house in his line in Montgomery county, was the pioneer jeweler of the county, or, rather, the first one to establish a regular jewelry shop and business house in this line in the county. He came to Montgomery City 21 years ago, a young man with scarcely a dollar and with only his industry and in- telligence to rely upon for a successful career. Energy, patience and perseverance, united with fair dealing, good management and an up- right life, has given him success beyond his most sanguine expectations. His business is large and thoroughly established, and he is one of the solid business men and well-to-do property-holders of the place. He is a younger brother to John Vogt, whose sketch precedes this, and was born in Switzerland, January 21, 1843. He was 20 years of age before coming to America, and was educated and learned his trade in Switzerland. Up to the age of 13 he attended school, and then be- came an apprentice at Waldenberg, Switzerland, to the jeweler's trade, where he worked for four years. He then went to Prussia and worked there three years, coming thence to America in 1863. The same year he located at Montgomery City. On the 1st of May, 1870, Mr. Vogt was married to Miss Margaret Willi, a daughter of John J. Willi, of Hermann, but formerly of Switzer- land. Mr. and Mrs. Vogt have had eight children, seven of whom are living : Julia, George, Rudolph, Lotta, Blanche, Corrinna and Leo. Otto, the second to the youngest, died in 1882, in his second year. Mrs. V. is a member of the Lutheran Church, and Mr. Vogt is a mem- ber of the Masonic Chapter at Montgomery City.
THOMAS F. WALSH
(Of Hart & Walsh, Dealers in Hardware and Farm Machinery, Montgomery City).
Thomas F. Walsh was born in Warren county, just across the line from Montgomery, December 12, 1851. His parents, Henry Walsh and wife, nee Phobe Riley, came from New York to St. Louis county in 1839 and thence to Warren county two years later, where the father lived until his death in 1878, aged seventy years. He was for many years a worthy member of the M. E. Church and in business
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
affairs and in farming accumulated a comfortable property ; his wife, Thomas F.'s mother, is still living. They reared three children, two daughters and a son, one daughter now the wife of James Downing of Warren county, and the other now the wife or widow of a Mr. Halley, of St. Louis county. Thomas F. was reared on the farm in Warren county, and at the age of 19, December 25, 1870, was married to Miss Nettie Ball a daughter of Capt. John Ball. After his marriage Mr. Walsh established a blacksmith shop at Truxton, in Lincoln county, which he ran with hired help until he himself learned the trade. Subsequently he removed back to the farm where he built a shop and carried on blacksmithing for about three years in connection with the farm or until 1880. He then established a shop at New Florence and two years later removed to Montgomery City where he worked at his trades until 1883. A year ago Mr. Walsh bought an interest in the hardware and agricultural implement house with which he is now connected. Mr. and Mrs. Walsh have five chil- dren : Tillie F., Daisy D., Alexander H., William J. and Wright W. Mrs. W. is a niece of Col. D. P. Dyer, of St. Louis. Mr. Walsh is a member of the I. O. O. F.
JUDGE WILLIAM WHITE
(Farmer and Stock-raiser, Post-office, Montgomery City).
Judge White, one of the leading farmers and stock-raisers of Mont- gomery county, is a native of Maryland, but was reared in this county, and has made his home within its borders from childhood, for nearly half a century. His parents were William White Sr., and Anna (Fletchell) White, both of whom are now deceased. The mother died in 1866 and the father in 1857. He was a soldier in the War of 1812, born in Maryland April 5, 1795, and located a land warrant in this county which he had received under general act of Congress on account of his services in the army. Judge White had only the limited opportunities for an education afforded by the occa- sional neighborhood schools where he was reared. But improving his advantages with diligence, he succeeded in acquiring a sufficient. knowledge of books for all the practical purposes of ordinary affairs. Reared a farmer, that naturally became his permanent occupation, and he has followed it continuously not without good success. In 1859 Judge White was married to Miss Julia A. Hampton, a daugh- ter of Samuel H. Hampton, deceased, formerly of Virginia. Four children are the fruits of their married life : Mary J., William S., Richard and Dorcas A., the last of whom, however, died in infancy. In 1880 Judge White was nominated and elected to the office of county judge, a position he filled with efficiency and impartiality and to the general satisfaction of the public for a period of two years. Judge White's landed estate aggregates nearly 1,000 acres. His farm is one of the well improved homesteads of the country. He makes something of a specialty in stock-raising, and feeds stock for the wholesale markets.
CHAPTER XVII.
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UPPER LOUTRE TOWNSHIP.
Position and Description - Early History - Wellsville - In War Times - After the War -- Incorporation - Public Schools -- Newspapers - Churches - Secret Orders - Biographical.
Upper Loutre township comprises the north-western portion of the county, and is the smallest municipal township in area. Loútre creek has practically its source in the western portion, where is considerable timber. In the eastern part the country is mostly prairie. There is some coal in this township, and a few good banks have been opened near Wellsville.
Upper Loutre formerly comprised a considerable extent of terri- tory. Montgomery City was in this township until in January, 1872, when Montgomery was formed. The township now comprises 62 sec- tions.
EARLY HISTORY.
Perphaps James and Isaac Olfrey, who came in 1825 to the south- ern portion of this township, or the northern portion of what is now Montgomery, and settled on Little Loutre, were the first settlers in this township. The Olfreys lived near the Cobb settlement, or " Cobb- town."
David W. Bunch, a Kentuckian, moved over from Callaway and settled on Little Loutre in 1827. The Olfreys were here when he came, so his son John, now in Wellsville, states. In 1828 there came James Hays and his sons John and James, Jr., and his nephew, " Big Sam Hays," with their families, and all settled along Little Loutre.
The first settlers here bought their first goods at the store at Loutre Lick or at St. Charles. When Dan Robinson opened his store at Loutre Lick, in 1830, it was considered that they had a store right at their doors.
Rev. Jabez Ham was the first preacher listened to, and New Provi- dence, down the Loutre seven or eight miles, was the first church to which the people resorted. The first school that Mr. Bunch remem- bers was taught in 1830, by a teacher named Hayden, in a house three miles south of Wellsville, near where two families lived named Petty
(906)
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
and Mahoney. Dr. Newland was the first practicing physician in the settlement.
WELLSVILLE.
The town of Wellsville was laid out by Hon. Carty Wells in the spring or summer of 1856. Judge Wells was the original owner of the site, and, having deeded to the railroad company five acres of land for depot and other purposes, the town was located thereon. The town was named for the founder.
The first buildings were put up in the summer or early fall of 1856. Jesse C. Clarkson built the first dwelling, which stood on lot 8, block 2, and a part of this is yet standing. Prior to this, however, John Bunch lived in a house a little north of the original town site. Clark- son had previously lived east of town and in the neighborhood for some years, and came to Missouri in 1831. The next building was a blacksmith's shop, built by John D. Maupin on lot 1, block 4, on corner of Hudson and Second streets, where afterwards the public school buildings stood. The next was a business house built by Capt. Benj. Sharp, and completed in December, 1856. It is still standing on lot 1, block 5. Sharp put in a stock of general merchandise, and had the first store in the place. Probably the next merchants were the Kempinsky Bros. - Benjamin and Abraham.
The first public sale of lots was not until April, 1857. The same year the first hotel was built on lot 7, block 5, by Thomas Via. In a year or so Via sold to Dan Cox. This building was burned some years since. Also in this year several houses went up and many fami- lies came in and Wellsville assumed the proportions of a thriving vil- lage. In the spring or summer of 1857 the first post-office was established, the first postmaster being Mr. Ben Sharp, who kept the office in his store.
The cars came in the spring of 1861, and soon after the first depot was built, on the sight of the present one. The first station agent was one Bunberry, after him - Woodruff, and the next was Ben Sharp, who was in charge when the station was burnt by Myers and Cobb, in the winter of 1861. There was no telegraph office here until 1861, when it was put up by the military authorities, and a young man named York was the first operator.
The first child born in Wellsville as nearly as can now be ascer- tained was a daughter of Jesse C. and Mary A. Clarkson, some time in 1857. It lived only about a year and was unnamed.
The first death was that of Mrs. John D. Maupin, in 1857; she is buried in the public cemetery.
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
The first doctors who practiced in the town of Wellsville were Drs. Thos. Percy and A. F. Barnett, who lived in the country. The first resident physician was Dr. S. T. Buck, who came in October, 1868. The first resident lawyer was Dick Wells, son of Carty Wells, who came soon after the town was established.
IN WAR TIMES.
When the civil war broke out Wellsville had a population of about 300, two or three stores, a hotel, saloon, blacksmith shops, etc. A majority of the citizens were of unconditional Union proclivities. Early in 1861 some secessionists raised a " Lone Star flag."
Later in the summer of 1861, when Gov. Jackson made his call for 50,000 of the Missouri State Guard, bodies of secession troops crossed the railroad here from Lincoln and Pike, on their way to Price's army. On one occasion, about September 10, a considerable body of troops, some hundreds in number, from Pike, Lincoln and St. Charles, under command of Lieut .- Col. Hull, of Pike, crossed here on their way to Lexington. Some time before the Unionists of the place had raised a large U. S. flag, and this Hull's men tore down and bore away in triumph.
On the night of December 20-21, when a general raid was made on the North Missouri Railroad by the secessionists, a body of about 80 men, under Capt. William Myers and Alvin Cobb, visited Wellsville, and, as elsewhere noted, burned the depot and robbed a store.
Not many outrages were committed. The Kempinsky's store was visited and robbed. Some household goods were taken from Bran- stetter's hotel. The railroad track was torn up on both sides of Wellsville, and then the party, Myers at the head, went on to Mont- gomery City. Myers and Cobb were both seen and talked with by citizens of the place.
Before this, in the last of October, the preliminary negotiations between Gen. John B. Henderson, of the Union militia, and Col. Jeff Jones, the agent of the secession forces of Callaway county, looking to the surrender of the latter, were held in the depot at Wellsville. Here Gen. Henderson received the two bearers of the flag of truce sent by Col. Jones. Henderson's, Fagg's and Krekel's militia were stationed here during that winter at intervals.
From this time forward until the close of the war the town was more or less a military post for the Federals. It was headquarters for the militia of Col. Canfield's Sixty-seventh E. M. M., and was the base of operations for raids against Confederate bands in
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HISTORY OF MONTGOMERY COUNTY.
Callaway county and elsewhere. A block-house was built south of the railroad and a little east of the depot, for the protection chiefly of the latter named building. Surrounding the block-house proper was a strong palisade. The whole was constructed under the super- vision of Col. J. G. Lane, and the work was chiefly performed by Confederate prisoners and Southern sympathizers from Callaway county, pressed into service for the occasion.
Among the Federal troops here in the early part of the war was a detachment of the Third Iowa infantry, under Maj. Stone, who was afterward Governor of Iowa for four years.
AFTER THE WAR.
In a year or two after the close of the war the town took a start and has improved slowly ever since. In about 1868 houses began to be built up on the back streets, away from the railroad, and the town " spread out " generally.
In the summer of 1867, Wellsville tried hard to secure the Louisiana and Missouri River Railroad ( now substantially the Chicago and Alton ) and had the co-operation of Middletown, but failed, as Mexico bore off the prize. At one railroad meeting here, a resolution was adopted by acclamation and with enthusiasm, that the route of this railroad by way of Wellsville, was the shortest, cheapest, best and most prac- ticable route, that it passed through the best and richest country through which to build a railroad, and that it opened up to market the best coal mines in the world, in Callaway county, between Fulton and Jefferson City.
INCORPORATION.
Wellsville was incorporated as a town by the county court, March 22, 1870, " on petition of Wm. Bacon and others, constituting two- thirds of the taxable inhabitants." The first board of trustees was composed of A. E. Shipherd, Wm. R. Wakeley, Danl. Lehnen, John H. Reed, Thos. H. Musick. The first meeting of the board was held March 24, when J. H. Reed was chosen president pro tem., and S. M. Barker, secretary.
The first election for town officers came off April 19, 1870, when the following were chosen : Trustees, A. E. Shipherd, Jacob Miller, Thos. H. Musick, D. L. Heath and James McIntyre (elected chair- man ) ; clerk, John M. Barker ; assessor, S. M. Barker ; marshal and collector, F. R. Barefoot ; treasurer, J. H. Reed.
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