USA > Missouri > Livingston County > Past and present of Livingston County, Missouri : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 2
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Of several thin coal beds in the southeastern corner of the county, only the Bedford and the Tebo are of workable thick- ness. Neither appears to be suitable for mining on a large scale, though the Tebo lies too low to outcrop nearly every- where and may prove more attractive in undiscovered fields where it can be found only with the drill.
Coal was formerly mined by drifts at several places in the vicinity of Wheeling and reported to be of good quality. There is some question as to its correlation with the Mulberry, as the limestone at the top of the Henrietta formation and part of the shale below it were eroded away before the deposition of the coal. Farther northeast (W. 1/2 S. W. 1/4 Sec. 29), the dip brings up the Summit coal, which, however, is only a few inches thick.
Folding, apparently accompanied by faulting, has taken place in the vicinity of Slagle's mill. Just south of the bridge in the western part of Sec. 24, T. 58 N., R. 23 W., a section similar to that at Collier's mill is exposed on the west side of the creek. To the north, in the N. W. 1/4 of Sec. 24, the Lex-
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
ington horizon is exposed a few feet above water level, and about six feet north of this the Mulberry coal outcrops at the same level. Up the branch through the middle of Sec. 23, the limestones at the base of the Missouri group dip strongly to the northeast and are not more than twenty-five or thirty feet above the flood plain of Medicine creek, indicating a vertical dis- placement of one hundred feet or more. From the northwest corner of Sec. 24 along the west side of Medicine creek to the S. E. 14 of Sec. 14, there are a number of drifts and shafts working the Mulberry seam.
The most important of these is the shaft of E. S. Inman on the land of Inman Bros. This is forty-eight feet in depth and the coal is reported to be eighteen inches thick. Where Medi- cine creek crosses the north county line, the Summit horizon is exposed near water level and is barren of coal.
No coal has been mined very near Chillicothe. Just north- west of town in the southeast corner of Sec. 23, T. 58 N., R. 24 W., feeble attempts have been made to mine what is prob- ably the Mulberry seam. Drillings for wells in the vicinity of Chillicothe report as much as four and one-half feet of coal, including, probably, much black shale. The most reliable data are the records of a drilling and shaft reported by Broad- head and Winslow. The record given by Broadhead shows six inches of coal (Summit?) at one hundred and fifty-five feet, twenty inches of "black smut" at one hundred and seventy-five feet and twenty-four inches of "black smut" at one hundred and ninety-seven feet, the latter probably at the Bedford horizon.
Coal is reported to have been formerly stripped five miles east of Chillicothe (Sec. 34, T. 58 N., R. 23 W.), and as found in a shaft was about twenty inches thick. This is thought to be the Mulberry seam.
The Mulberry coal has been mined at several localities in the north-central part of the county and is exposed in a number of places but in most of them is too thin to be of importance. Near Graham's mill, on the east side of Grand river, the coal was shafted and is reported twelve to fourteen inches thick. It was not being worked when visited. About five miles north
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
of Chillicothe (Sec. 2, T. 58 N., R. 24 W.) are the Cox mines. A number of drifts and shafts have been operated in the vicinity for over forty years.
The Mulberry coal at these mines, as at other places in the county, seems to be rather irregular both in distribution and thickness, varying between fourteen and twenty-four inches. The roof is a shale containing remains of plants. Mining is done on a modified longwall method. The floor is in places a limestone, but in others as much as four feet of shaly clay lies between the bottom-rock and the coal. At the J. B. Cox mine (N. E. 14 S. E. 1/4 Sec. 11) like conditions prevail. The coal is hoisted by horse-power and consumed locally and at Chillicothe. A short distance north of the Cox mines the only rock exposed is sandstone.
Coal has been mined at a number of places on the south bluffs of Grand river near Utica. Near the old mill site, the limestone at the top of the Henrietta formation outcrops about fifteen feet above water. About one hundred and fifty feet west it dips and disappears below water.
This coal is stratigraphically higher than the Mulberry, and has been used at the brick yard, being stripped with the shale. Up the river the rocks again rise, and the Mulberry coal was formerly mined on the land of John Stone for a quar- ter of a mile or more along it. According to Broadhead the coal was only nine inches thick.
About 1870 a shaft was sunk at Utica to a depth of one hun- dred and ninety feet and the following is reported : at twenty- five feet from surface twelve inches of coal, at eighty feet fifteen to sixteen inches, and at one hundred and ninety feet twenty-six to thirty inches. The latter seam was worked. Two miles north of Utica (S. E. 14 N. E. 14 Sec. 8, T. 57 N., R. 25 W.) is the shaft of Wm. Fullwood, on the land of G. T. Walters. The coal lies at a depth of fifty-one feet, and is reported to vary from eight to twenty inches, with an aver- age of fifteen inches. The shaft starts about the level of the top of Bethany Falls limestone and probably operates the Ovid seam. It is overlain by shale, underlain by clay, and worked longwall. Many small drift slopes and shafts have
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
been operated in this vicinity for many years and the product consumed mainly at Mooresville.
CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA
This section, referring to the climatological conditions of Livingston county, embraces practically all that portion of north Missouri north of the Missouri river. Physiographic- ally it is divided into two divisions, which are known as the northeastern plain and northwestern plain or plateau; the di- viding line begins in Lafayette county, whence it runs north- ward through Ray, Livingston, Sullivan and Putnam counties.
This region embraces an area of about twenty-three thou- sand four hundred square miles, and the population is some- thing over one million.
The general topography is of the gently undulating prairie type and rolling hills, the former predominating in the eastern part, while the western part is more rugged and hilly. The elevations range from four hundred and fifty feet in the east- ern part to over one thousand two hundred feet in the west- ern part of the state. The rise is not uniform, but takes place in a series of steps which are successively higher to the west- ward. This region, like the southern half of the state, has numerous valleys cut by the rivers that drain it. Except for belts of country a few miles wide along the edges of the steps, the valleys are not deep or narrow. In fact, nowhere in this region are the valleys so narrow and deep as those in the Ozark region. The valleys of the larger streams are often several miles wide, with flat meadow-like bottoms.
This region is drained by many streams. There are a num- ber of small but swiftly flowing streams, namely, the Fox, Wyaconda, Fabius and Salt, with their numerous smaller trib- utaries, that have a southeasterly course and empty into the Mississippi river. The Chariton and Grand rivers are larger streams, having numerous tributaries, and draining most of northern Missouri. The Chariton river rises in Iowa, flows southerly through Missouri by way of Putnam, Adair, Macon and Chariton counties, and enters the Missouri about one hun-
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
dred and seventy-five miles above its mouth. The Grand river also has its beginning in Iowa, but enters Missouri farther west, by way of Worth county, whence it flows southeasterly, emptying into Missouri only about twenty miles above the Chariton's mouth. The streams of this region may become serviceable for numerous mill sites in the future. In time of flood they carry off from their respective watersheds great vol- umes of water and empty it into the Mississippi and Missouri, thereby becoming, during periods of heavy rainfall, no small factors in causing those mighty streams to become raging, damaging torrents. The soil along these tributaries is a rich alluvial-deposits from overflows which occur, on an average, semi-annually, and while the lands are enriched, there is at times serious damage to property.
Along most of these streams forests of different varieties of oak, elm, maple and walnut abound. Under the ground bituminous coal of fine quality, and in almost inexhaustible quantities, exists ; coal mining has already become a large in- dustry in many counties. The soils of the entire region are fertile, and it is a profitable farming district.
It has been said that the blue grass of this region has made northern Missouri as famous as Kentucky. Stock raising and the creamery business are carried on extensively, while fruit raising is not the least of this region's immense possibilities.
The annual mean temperature for the eastern division is about 53.6 degrees, while for the western division it is 51.6 degrees. The summer means are practically the same, being 75.5 degrees for the former and 74.7 degrees for the latter ; during the winter the western part is apparently 2.5 degrees colder than the eastern half, or what is called the northeastern plain. What has already been said in the preceding two sec- tions relative to maximum and minimum temperature applies also to this section, that is, summer maxima usually ranges be- tween 90 degrees and 95 degrees, while the winter minima may be expected to reach zero or 20 degrees or more below zero yearly.
The average date of the last killing frost in spring over the northeastern plain is April 21, and the first in autumn is
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
October 14, or an open season of one hundred and seventy-six days; for the northwestern plain, the dates are April 23, and October II, respectively, or an open season of one hundred and seventy-one days.
The average rainfall for the entire section, covering a period of twenty years, is 38.50 inches; the precipitation is about two inches greater in the eastern than in the western part. The annual snowfall ranges from twenty-five to thirty inches.
The average mean monthly precipitation for the past decade, taken for Chillicothe, is as follows: January, 2.13; February, 2.25; March, 2.81 ; April, 4.26; May, 5.77; June, 6.39; July, 4.63; August, 4.17; September, 5.62; October, 3.46; November, 2.09; December, 1.67. Total 45.25.
The average date of the last killing frost in the spring and the first in autumn, including the Grand river valley for a period of from twelve to eighteen years, is here given as re- corded : Chillicothe, April 22 and October 12; Trenton, April 20 and October 9; Gallatin, April 17 and October 19; Bethany, April 26 and October 8; Grant City, April 26 and October 13; Princeton, April 24 and October 9. The latest spring killing frost in the territory named, occurred in Livingston and Grundy counties on May 9, while the earliest in the fall occurred at Trenton, Bethany and Princeton in Septem- ber. This average is taken from the years 1892 to 1912.
The highest average temperature for the past decade in Livingston county for January was 31 ; February, 66; March, 89; April, 90; May, 90; June, 103; July, III; August, 103; September, 99; October, 98; November, 78; December, 67. Total average, III.
The lowest average temperatures were January, 18; Feb- ruary, 27; March, o; April, 10; May, 22; June, 40; July, 50; August, 48; September, 29; October, 23; November, o; De- cember, 21. Total average, 27.
The seasonal distribution of precipitation is especially favorable for the agriculturist, being heaviest in spring and summer and lightest in autumn; this is also true of all of Mis- souri.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
The average dates of the last killing frost in spring and the first in autumn for the past decade are April 18 and October respectively, and for the lowlands or prairie April 20, and October 12 for the plateau.
The summer maximum temperatures for the same period usually rose to 95 degrees and occasionally exceed 100 de- grees. Zero temperatures are quite common in winter, al- though there are occasional winters where the temperature scarely reaches zero.
The warmest summer in the past fifty years or more was that of 1901, which was also one of the most severe droughts. During that summer the maximum temperatures ranged from 100 degrees to III degrees for a period of thirty days or more. The coldest winters were perhaps those of 1899 and 1905, when minimum temperatures from 20 degrees to 30 degrees below zero were experienced.
THE RED MEN
Several tribes of Indians, some from Iowa, and other rov- ing bands of red men, including Chippewas, Sacs, Foxes, and a few Pottawattomies, occupied camps adjacent to the water courses of the county about the time of the coming of the first pioneers and for an indefinite period prior to that time. These several tribes, as uncertain history reveals, were preceded by a tribe known as the Missouris. Their homes or camps were located along the several streams of the county where wild game was found in abundance, but their habita- tions were temporary, their more permanent homes being in Iowa, Wisconsin, and Minnesota.
Many indications of their camps and homes are still to be found in some localities in the county, but these old land- marks are rapidly disappearing under the advance of civili- zation and ambitious relic hunters. Numerous indications of their abodes may be found a short distance southeast of Chillicothe; twelve miles north of Chillicothe on Grand river; also a short distance east and south of Springhill; also near the site of Collier's old mill on Medicine creek, and
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STREET SCENE, LOOKING NORTH FROM THE NEW YORK STORE, CHILLICOTHE
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
again on the west side of Locust creek south of the railroad right-of-way about ten miles east of Chillicothe, a large mound containing forty to sixty acres of land has been visited by many relic hunters who have been well rewarded for their search by unearthing numerous trinkets of Indian workman- ship. This particular home of the red man of the forest was finally vacated by them in the year 1836.
Another large Indian mound in which many relics have been discovered by excavations from time to time, is situated three-fourths of a mile north and west of the Utica depot of the Burlington railroad. At the present time, however, only an occasional "find" is made, although it is the opinion of pioneer residents that deeper excavations might reveal relics of much value to present and future historians.
An old Indian cemetery, believed to have been the first burial place of the "good Indian" in Livingston county is also found northwest of Springhill, some three miles distant. Of this last resting-place of the red man many weird stories have been related by James Leeper, and other early pioneers of the county.
Going back to the beginning of the eighteenth century when the early French trappers were forging their way into a country unexplored by white man, we glean from history that as early as 1724 a party of Frenchmen ascended the Missouri to the mouth of Grand river and established a fort four years later on a point of land six miles below. One of these early explorers, Dubois by name, was placed in charge of the crude garrison and while holding this position, met and wooed an Indian maiden of the tribe of the Missouris. Opposite this fort, on the bank of the stream a camp of the Missouris had previously been established. Pocahontas-like the red-skinned, dark haired bride of Sergeant Dubois, proved to be the peace- mascot between the warriors of her tribe and the pale faces of the garrison and quite reigned until a northern tribe known as the Huns, attacked the village of the Missouris and the fort and almost annihilated both fort and village. The French trappers who had ascended into the forests of the Grand river valley, in all probability, suffered a similar fate to those vol. 1-2
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
mentioned and not again until the year 1770 did the French trappers venture into this section of the West. The country west of the Mississippi belonged to France until it was ceded to the United States in 1802. The French had only a small garrison in what is now South St. Louis and with the excep- tion of a few Spaniards the bulk of the trading and trapping was done by these people.
Early historical sketches make the claim that a few years prior to 1800 Daniel Boone, while on a trapping and explor- ing expedition, reached a point on Grand river about twenty- five miles from its mouth. As related in unauthenticated his- tory, this noted pioneer had come up from the village of St. Charles and after a brief sojourn on the Osage, he crossed over and with his "dugout" paddled up the Missouri to the mouth of Grand river and thence to the point mentioned. Here he constructed a somewhat formidable hut or cabin and began trapping for beaver and other fur-bearing animals, which he found in great numbers.
Daniel Boone was a pioneer and explorer. On one of his trips up the river he discovered unmistakable signs of In- dians. Snow covered the ground and realizing that the wily red man, with his natural instinct to track the paleface to his lair was as keen as the scent of the bloodhound, he cautiously retraced his steps to the little cabin where he remained in fear and seclusion for a fortnight, the snow falling meantime to a great depth. Boone feared to build a fire in the daytime, so he cooked his venison in the small hours of the morning. During his stay in the cabin the weather was very cold, but he managed to keep warm by wrapping himself in the furs which he had taken before reaching this locality. At the end of almost three weeks there came a January thaw, the ice in the river was broken up and one night he stealthily loaded his canoe with the furs he had trapped and silently made his way down the river to St. Charles.
This unauthenticated story of Daniel Boone's adventure is positively contradicted by the late Col. W. F. Switzler, a well known historian of Missouri and who was for many years editor of the "Chillicothe Daily Constitution." Colonel
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
Switzler also states that his denial of the alleged facts about Daniel Boone's Grand river adventure, is fully supported by the late Hon. Phil. E. Chappell, once treasurer of Missouri and a gentleman well informed as to the early history of this state.
Additional reference to the Indians of Livingston and ad- joining counties is found in "Boyd's Atlas," a sketch of which says: In 1828 a French trading post was established at the mouth of Locust creek, a tributary of Grand river, empty- ing into the latter in the extreme southeast part of the county, but that the occupants were so annoyed by roving bands of the Iowa, Sac, Fox, and Kickapoo Indians, that the post was abandoned. This state of affairs has also been denied on the theory that the Indians and French traders got along amica- bly. As early as 1809 Joseph Robidoux had charge of trad- ing posts at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and Blacksnake Hills for many years and all of his dealings with the Indians were sat- isfactory and peaceable.
In the isolated sections of the country and especially at the headwaters of the streams that flow through Livingston county, which include southern Iowa and northern Missouri, the white settlers were more or less annoyed by roving bands of Indians and many pioneers along the border of the two states were driven from their homes, their cabins burned and stock driven off.
The upper Chariton river country including Kirksville in Adair county, at which point some half dozen white fami- lies had established a settlement in 1829 was attacked by a band of some half hundred or more Indians of the Iowa tribe, whose chief was known as "Big Neck." The women were grossly insulted, abused and threatened, while sundry depredations were committed, the men cruelly beaten and their lives for a time placed in jeopardy. The chief was will- ing that the white settlers should remain but they must first purchase the land from him. "Big Neck" claimed the treaty ceding the lands to white settlers was a fraud and that he would enforce his claim by bloodshed unless his demands were complied with.
By shrewd strategy the settlers succeeded in keeping the
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
Indians from committing further depredations while a mes- senger sent to the counties of Howard, Chariton, and Ran- dolph for assistance brought three companies of pioneers. The first arrivals who were from the latter county and com- manded by Captain Trammel, reached the scene of the be- leagured settlers on the second day's march and thus released them from their perilous and dangerous position. This set- tlement was known as "The Cabins."
This hardy pioneer company to whom we owe much for their bravery and for the hardships they endured in blazing a path to civilization and prosperity, were not content to leave the little band subject to the future attacks by "Big Neck" and his warriors. Accordingly they concluded to have a fight with the Indians before returning home. Fitting themselves for the fray they marched out to a spot ten miles distant, where the Indians were camped and attacked them. Being greatly outnumbered by the red skins the frontiersmen were defeated, after a hard fought battle. They sustained a loss of their captain and three men after which they retreated to "The Cabins" where they secured the women and children and escorted them to the Howard county settlement. Some- time later, however, a force of militia under Gen. John B. Clark, was sent against "Big Neck" and his band of warriors and drove them from the state.
A further reconnoissance by the militia of Chariton county was subsequently made for the purpose of ridding this terri- tory of these depredating bands of Indians. The company, which was composed of seventy-five or eighty hardy pioneers was under the command of Capt. Daniel Ashby with Lieut. James Herriford and Ensign Abner Finnell, marched to the lower Iowa village on Grand river and thence to the Chari- ton where it was joined to Colonel Owens' command, to which it belonged. During this march many Indians were found on the lower Grand river, but these were peaceable. In fact no hostiles were encountered. It will be noticed here that some of the members of Captain Ashby's company were sub- sequently residents of Livingston county and to-day the names
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
of Ashby, Herriford, and Finnell are well known to the pres- ent generation.
This move on the part of the pioneers and militia had the effect of driving the more adventurous settlers on the frontier back to the older settlements along the Missouri river. Dur- ing this "Big Neck" trouble there was general alarm and the abandonment of many homes and much property. In most instances the danger was imaginary but there was a sense of peril which could not be overcome and a large majority of the settlers sought places of refuge and safety from "Big Neck" and his braves. History records the fact that while the white people were hurrying away to the more thickly settled part of the country for protection, the Indians' fear and dread that they would be annihilated by the militia drove them deeper and deeper into the forest and beyond the reach of the pale faces.
The settlements along the Missouri and Grand rivers had another bad scare in 1832, at the breaking out of the Black Hawk war. Like the "Big Neck" trouble, advance settlers deserted their cabin homes and as fast as the alarm was sounded from one family to another that the Indians were coming, homes and often property of value was left behind and all went hurrying and scurrying to the nearest general settlements. Not until the news had reached the villages and towns in which the settlers had taken refuge that Black Hawk himself was a prisoner and his band of tribesmen helpless, did the frightened whites return to the homes from which they had so suddenly taken their departure. The red men, most to be feared in this section of Missouri were first the Iowas, then the Pottawattomies and the little bands of Kicka- poos and Shawnees in the order named.
GRAND RIVER VALLEY
The section known as the Grand river valley embraces a territory extending from Brunswick in Chariton county to a point fifty miles north of the Iowa state line. The two branches of the stream familiarly called the "forks," unite
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
about two and one-half miles west of Chillicothe, the west fork and its small tributaries draining the table lands and adjacent territory along the western part of Livingston and all of Daviess, Gentry, Harrison and Worth in Missouri and the counties of Ringgold and Taylor in Iowa. The east fork and its tributaries carry off the surplus rainfall and melting snows from north Livingston, Grundy and Mercer counties in Missouri and Decatur and Wayne counties in Iowa. This territory includes some ninety or one hundred miles in extent along the bordering counties of Iowa, varying in width as the snake-like course of the stream meanders to its mouth, near the city of Brunswick, where it empties into the Missouri river. The length of the two forks and the main body of the river from their head to the mouth can only be approxi- mated. As the bird flies the two forks and main river are about two hundred and forty-nine miles in length but if one was to follow its winding way from head to mouth one would become leg-weary when he had finished a journey of not less than eight hundred or nine hundred miles.
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