USA > Missouri > Livingston County > Past and present of Livingston County, Missouri : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 21
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On a sultry day in July, 1854, the year of the drouth throughout North Missouri, two young ladies on horseback
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
accompanied by a young man drew up at Dr. Keith's front gate one mile west of Springhill and asked if they could get a drink of water. They were told that both the cistern and the vein well were dry, but if they could drink spring water they were welcome to help themselves at the barrel on the wagon standing under a shade tree in the front yard. The young man hitched his horse and proceeded to get a pitcher of water for his companions from the barrel. When the pitcher was about half filled, the girls put whips to their horses and went west in a gallop, going in the direction of their homes. A man who was sitting in the shade reading, seeing the perform- ance, leaped to his feet, clapped his hands and yelled, "Go it, girls. Go it, girls. Go it while you are young," and laughed loud enough to be heard blocks away. The young man with the pitcher in his hands was so confused by the sudden change in the girls, and the unexpected performance that he dropped the pitcher and without taking time to stop the flow of water from the barrel, ran to his horse, leaped into his saddle and started after the girls. But the loud laugh of some men at work nearby who shouted, "Shame on you, shame on you;" he, too, suddenly changed his mind and whirled his horse in the opposite course and went eastward as fast as his spurs could urge his horse down the lane and up the hill, with his coat tail flying out behind him. The man in the yard, still laughing, yelling and clapping his hands, shouted at the top of his voice, "Go it boots, go it boots. Go it, Gail. You'll meet her in China." The next time one of the young ladies passed that house she stopped and asked pardon for acting so rudely on that occasion. The doctor's wife said, "The next time, Ruthie Jane, that you want to 'shake' Gail you'd better give him a tin bucket that he can't break, as he did the pitcher." "Oh, there'll be no next time. He will never try to go with me again." "Pity," said Mrs. Keith, "that he is so stupid." "Oh, he is bright enough to know better than to try to ride with girls who don't appreciate his company. But he is at home now with his father and out in the field plowing corn, and I've come to invite you and the Doctor to my wed- ding next month and bring your little boy with you. I am
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
to be married to Dr. - - of Trenton, Missouri." "Very well; I'm coming to your wedding," said Mother Keith, and she went and the little boy, now Dr. Clayton Keith of Louis- iana, Missouri, rode behind his mother on the old family horse. As Shakespeare says, "All's well that ends well."
In the month of November, 1860, there was organized in the city of Chillicothe, chiefly through the efforts of two of the sons of ex-Governor Austin A. King, a mock legislature. Walter King and his brother, Edward L., of Clay county, . had but recently moved to Chillicothe for the purpose of practicing law. Walter, the elder by several years, had rep- resented Clay county in 1854 in the Missouri General Assem- bly, where he was associated with some very able men, among the ablest of the state. It was a memorable session with such men as Henry T. Blow, Frank P. Blair, B. Gratz Brown, Albert Todd, Samuel Breckinridge and George W. Goode from St. Louis; James A. Rollins and Odon Guitar from Boone; Charles H. Hardin from Callaway; Joe Davis from Howard; James H. Britton from Lincoln; Alex. W. Done- phan from Jackson ; Thos. J. C. Fagg and E. C. Murray from Pike; and Walter King from Clay. About twenty names were enrolled, and at a meeting called for the purpose of or- ganizing, Walter King spoke of the benefits that would result; that it would be the means of arousing and developing latent talent. That it would be a change from the "eternal wrangle" of party politics-and give us something of more local im- portance if not of so general interest. The following names were then enrolled and each man drew his county by lot: Walter King, Edward L. King, Isaac Bibb, Charles H. Man- sur, W. J. Rackliffe, Smith Turner, Alex. M. Woolfolk, Samuel Anderson, Jordan Graves, Cyrus Graves, Dr. Mar- shall, Dr. May, John Ure, Wm. M. Watson, Levi Lingo, Dr. Wm. Keith, Baldwin B. Gill, John Slack, George W. Warder, and Clayton Keith. Walter King was elected speaker by acclamation and his brother E. L. King, clerk. A janitor was employed and a supply of wood for the winter laid in. Friday nights during the winter were the evenings for meeting. It continued until the first Friday night in April, 1861. Before
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
the next Friday night came, Fort Sumter was fired on and the legislature adjourned sine die. During these sessions many important bills were presented and discussed and voted on. Many measures of local interest were considered, and alto- gether, every one who participated in the proceedings was benefited. One of the most heated discussions during the ses- sion was soon after Mr. Lincoln's inauguration. The resolu- tion was as follows: "Resolved That the Inaugural of Presi- dent Lincoln Means War." Such men as A. M. Woolfolk and Walter King denied, while Smith Turner and I. P. Bibb affirmed. The house was not evenly divided. Dr. Clayton Keith said he was happy that he could see nothing warlike in the inaugural. And in closing his speech quoted Mr. Lin- coln's own words: "So far as it is possible, the people every- where shall have that sense of perfect security which is most favorable to calm thought and reflection; and with the view and hope of a peaceful solution of the national troubles and the restoration of fraternal sympathy and affection. I need address no word to those who really love the Union." What a grand and noble sentiment!
"About the time the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad was being completed, I was stationed at Chillicothe," said the late Bishop Hogan of Kansas City, a few years ago. "It was my custom to visit Linneus and Jamesport and Princeton once a month, going and coming in a two-horse buggy. On one occasion in crossing Medicine creek on my way to Linneus, in March, when the creek was high from recent rains, I missed my bearing and drove into deep water and as a consequence got thoroughly wet to the skin. My horses lunged forward and reached the bank in safety. I drove at once to the nearest house and asked the lady for permission to change my clothes in a room by a fire. She informed me that her husband was not at home and that she could not grant my request. In answer to my question, where is your husband? she said; he is at Linneus on the jury and will not be back until ten o'clock tonight. Well, Madam, said I, I am truly sorry to hear it. I am a minister of the Gospel and teach others to be good and have all my life tried to be a good man and lead a pure
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
life. If you will vacate one of your rooms, where I can make a fire and dry my clothes, you will never have cause to regret it, indeed you will have the heartfelt gratitude of a man who may sometime befriend you and your family. She gave me a searching look from head to foot, and then said, if you are a good man, you are welcome to make a fire in that room, pointing to it, and dry out, but if you are not I tell you now you had better move on. I was very willing to let it go at that and going to my buggy brought in my valise and proceeded to build a fire in the open fireplace. When I entered the room, I was surprised to find a suit of flannel underwear belonging to her husband. She had hunted up the clothing and placed it there for my comfort while drying my own. In two or three hours I was ready to start. When about ready to leave, I rapped at her door which was securely locked and offered to pay for the privilege of the room. She refused to accept a cent and wished me better luck next time. I have had a higher estimation of women ever since that day. Had she positively refused to permit me to enter the house, I would have been compelled to drive about two miles to the next house. This exposure in wet clothes on a chilly day in March would have given me pneumonia and perhaps cost me my life. As it was I drove into Linneus and held service that night and felt none the worse for my swim in Medicine creek."
TOWNSHIPS AND SECTIONS
Townships are the largest subdivisions of land run out by the United States Surveyors. In the governmental surveys township lines are the first to be run and a township corner is established every six miles and marked. This is called "Town- shipping." After the township corners have been carefully located the section corners are established. Each township is six miles square and contains 23,040 acres or 36 square miles, as near as it is possible to make them. This, however, is frequently made impossible, first by the presence of lakes and large streams; second by state boundaries not falling on township lines ; third by the convergence of meridians or curv- ature of the earth's surface; and fourth by inaccurate surveys.
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
Each township, unless it is one of the exceptional class referred to, is divided into 36 squares, which are called sec- tions. These sections are intended to be one mile, or 320 rods square and contain 640 acres of land. Sections are numbered consecutively from 1 to 36. Beginning with I in the north- east corner, they run west to 6, then east to 12, then west to 18, and so on, back and forth, until they end with section 36 in the southeast corner.
Additional subdivisions may be made in like manner as indicated on the diagram. All sections, except fractional sections, are supposed to be 320 rods or one mile square and therefore contain 640 acres, a number easily divisible. Sec- tions are subdivided into fractional parts to suit the convenience of the owners of the land. A half-section contains 320 acres ; a quarter section, 160 acres; half of a quarter contains 80 acres ; and a quarter of a quarter contains 40 acres, and so on. Each piece of land is described according to the portion of the section which it embraces, as the northeast quarter of sec- tion 10; or the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 10. The diagram shows how many of these subdivi- sions are platted, and also shows the plan of designating and describing them by initial letters, as each parcel of land on the diagram is marked with its description.
After establishing township corners, section lines are next to be run, and section corners established. When these are carefully located the quarter posts are located at points as nearly equidistant between section corners as possible. These corners, when once established by government surveyors can- not be changed, even though it is conclusively shown that mistakes have been made, thus causing sections or subdivisions thereof to be either larger or smaller than others. Local surveyors are guided by local laws, however, in dividing sec- tions into smaller parcels. For instance, in dividing a quar- ' ter section into two pieces, the distance between the govern- ment corners is carefully measured and the new post is lo- cated at a point equidistant between them. This plan is fol- lowed in running out eighties, forties and twenties. In this way if the government division overruns or falls short, each
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
portion gains or loses its proportion. This is not the case, however, with fractional sections along the north or west sides of a township, or adjoining a lake or large stream of water. Many of the readers of this history, no doubt, have noticed in land deals, where the purchaser preferred to have a local surveyor employed to survey and make a true estimate of the number of acres embraced in the purchase whether it was a twenty, forty, eighty, or 160, that instances of a "short" or "long" acreage were found.
TO SUBDIVIDE A SECTION OF LAND
N. E. 14.
Quarter Post.
A
W. 1/2 320 Acres.
160 A.
1k
N. 1% of S. E. 1/4.
80 A.
N. 1/2 of S. W. 1/4 of S. E. 1/4.
S. E. 1/4 of S. E. 1/4
S. 1/2 of S. W. 1/4 of S. E. 1/4.
40 A.
0
Chillicothe township is somewhat like the Second Con- ' gressional District in form, being shaped like a boot. Grand river forms its boundary, a distance of some thirty miles. The township is composed of parts of township 57, range 23 and township 57, range 24, lying north of the river and part of
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
township 58, range 24, lying east of the east fork of that tor- tuous stream. The township abounds in a variety of lands. The uplands are rich and highly productive and the river bottom lands that are being reclaimed by drainage and other- wise, are equally if not more productive than the former. The first settler in Chillicothe township was Joseph Cox, who erected a cabin on 12-58-24, in the year 1833. Section eleven was first occupied by William Linville in 1834. Caleb A. Gibbons and Brannock Wilkerson also located in the Cox neighborhood, while south of the present city of Chillicothe, Elisha Hereford and Daniel E. Todd located in 1834. Land opened for entry in this section in 1835, but not until 1839 could entries be made in the north part of the township. Among the early entries were those by J. B. and George Shriver, Wm. Moberly, Elizabeth Munro, Joseph Wolf- skill, William Yancey, David Curtis, Isaac N. Ryan, John Graves, David Carlyle, John Ryan, Jesse Newlin and others. On the 12th of August, 1836, three speculators, David S. Lamme, Caleb S. Stone and David M. Hickman, residents of Boone county, entered 160 acres of land on the north side of Grand river, section 21-57-23, about four miles southeast of Chillicothe. On the 24th of November following they laid out a town on about twenty-five acres of this tract, which they called Jamestown, but which was afterward well known as "Jimtown." This was before the organization of Livings- ton, and the plat is on file in the recorder's office in Carroll county. A few lots were sold in Jamestown, and a store-house built, but with the upbuilding of Chillicothe its prospects were blasted. Not until February, 1839, was Chillicothe township known, it having originally been called Medicine township. Cream Ridge, Wheeling, Medicine and Rich Hill townships were embraced in Chillicothe township.
BLUE MOUND TOWNSHIP
Congressional township 56-24, south of Shoal creek and an irregular tract of land of some six hundred acres, lying in the angle between Shoal creek and Clear creek, constitutes what is familiarly called Mound township. The greater por-
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
tion of this township is the finest and most productive agri- cultural land in the county, while the Shoal creek bottoms afford luxuriant pasturage and thousands of tons of wild grass are cured and marketed annually. A majority of the resi- dents of this township are Welsh or of Welsh descent. They are thrifty, prosperous people. In addition to Shoal creek, which forms part of the northern boundary of the township, Brush creek and Clear creek are the other principal streams. The first settlers located in this township in 1835, although the land was not subject to entry until the year following. Among those who made entries were William Mann, Nathan McCarthy, Alfred Reeves, Henry Walker, Jacob Stauffer, Josiah Whitney, B. F. Baker, Jesse Reeves, Joseph Knox, Orland H. Clifford, Elijah Preston and others. As referred to elsewhere William Mann was captain of a militia com- pany and was engaged in the Mormon war at Haun's Mill and at other points in this section of Missouri. A very de- structive storm visited this township on the night of June 20, 1883, in which four persons were killed, Edward D. James, Mrs. John Glick, and Jack Wilson and wife, while John Glick and child, a child of Jack Wilson, Wm. Barret, wife and three children, Mrs. J. B. Dusenberry, Jack and Susan Dusen- berry, Wm. Pugh, John E. Hughes, wife and child, Wm. J. Hughes and wife, Mrs. Cunningham, Bert Snyder, Rev. Rob- ert Evans, a son of Morris Davis, Mrs. Morgan Hughes and M. J. Williams of Utica were injured. Thirty-seven houses were wrecked and many partially destroyed ; also one hundred and forty-one head of stock killed. The damage was esti- mated at about sixty-five thousand dollars. The town of Dawn in this township was laid out in 1853, although the location of Josiah Whitney's mill on the bank of Shoal creek was built in 1837 and as early as 1840 a small store was doing busi- ness there. The town was platted by Wm. Hixon.
WELSH CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
This church was organized February 14, 1868, at the Dawn schoolhouse, by the Rev. Thomas Pugh. Daniel Wil-
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
liams and wife, L. D. Jones and wife, Joshua Williams, D. P. Williams and wife, Thomas Pugh and wife, Sophia Davis, John W. Thomas, Robert R. Roberts, John J. Davis, John H. Davis, David D. Owens, Thomas H. Lewis and David Lewis were the first members.
THE WELSH CALVINISTIC METHODIST CHURCH
is located two miles southeast of Dawn, and was organized March 8, 1881. The first members were: William Griffiths and wife, Joshua Williams, David D. Owens, Daniel J. Daves, Elizabeth Daves, Thomas J. Powell, Jane Powell, David P. Williams, Mrs. J. Williams, Thomas Griffiths, Isaac Jones, Samuel Jones, Mrs. Jones, J. D. Evans, Catherine Evans, David Hughes, Catherine Hughes and D. O. Hughes.
SAMPSELL TOWNSHIP
No land was open for entry in Sampsell township until 1846. Many settlements, however, were made, some as early as 1834. The records of the government surveyor, a Mr. Henderson, are not in existence as Mr. Henderson died be- fore making his report, and after his death the plat and notes of the survey were lost. Like Jackson township, this section of the county is between the west and east branches of Grand river which is in 58-25. The early settlement of this township was in every way similar to the settlement of Jackson town- ship, of which it was, at an early day, a part. A majority of the pioneers were Kentuckians, hospitable, honest and big- hearted. A character, whose home was in "the forks" was Sam Thompson, who migrated to this county from Indiana. He was a joker and splendid story-teller, a man who could entertain his friends from morning till night. Although Sam Thompson has passed over the Great Divide his character as a humorist and practical joker will go down in history. The township was organized out of Jackson township on the 22d day of July, 1874, by petition signed by Joseph Clark and others. The township includes the southwest portion of
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
Jackson in 58-25 and the northeast corner of 57-25. It was named after the town of Sampsell, a village six miles west and north of Chillicothe on the line of the Wabash Railroad. The town was platted in July, 1871, on land owned by John and Elizabeth Whitaker, William and Emily J. Whitaker, and Jas. H. Britton. The names of many of the early settlers appear elsewhere in this volume.
MOUNT PLEASANT CHURCH
The Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Sampsell town- ship was one of the first, if not the first Baptist church or- ganized in Livingston county. The organization was effected in the Frith schoolhouse, one and one-half miles west of the present church edifice, in July, 1852, Elders Kemper Scott and James Turner officiating. Saturday before the first Sun- day in each month was fixed upon for holding religious serv- ice and to this day there has been no change in the time of holding meetings.
The charter members of the church were Henry Frith, Elisha Boucher, John Hargrave, J. H. Street, John Walker, Francis Frith, James McHollister, James A. Allnutt, John Weaver, Joshua Hobbs, Silas Sneed, Benjamin Hargrave, Adam Cornelius, James Jennings, Eliza Hargrave, Jane Har- grave, Susannah McHollister, Sarah Cornelius, Chloa Ster- ling, Matilda Allnutt, Alinda Jennings, Priscilla Allnutt, Narcissa Frith, Hulda Street, Phoebe Hargrave, Sarah Boucher, Elizabeth Brezell, Caroline Jennings, Susannah Stephens, Arnold Brassfield, Martha Brookshire, Margaret C. Jennings, Sallie A. Frith, Jane Stephens, Mahala Frith, Nancy Pepper and Polly A. Cooper.
The first pastor was Rev. James Turner, while the present pastor is Rev. Jesse B. Harris. The first clerk of the church was J. H. Street and the present one is James M. Wilson. The first deacons were J. H. Street and James Jennings, while the present ones are W. H. Boon, Richard Hargrave and James M. Wilson.
The several pastors of the church since its organization
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
and length of their pastorates were Rev. James Turner, twenty-five years and ten months; Rev. P. G. Booth, eleven months; Rev. N. M. Allen, one year and seven months; Rev. A. Phister, one year and five months; Rev. John Harmon, ten months; Rev. F. P. Bane, four years; Rev. W. W. Gil- lispie, one year and six months; Rev. J. S. Shirley, two years and two months; Rev. Joseph Harvey, one year and four months; Rev. J. T. Puckett, four years ; Rev. W. L. Merritt, seven months; Rev. B. D. Weeks, three years; Rev. Jesse B, Harris, the present pastor, sixteen years and seven months, who also has been a missionary in Livingston county for ten years.
The Mount Pleasant church has always been considered one of the most prosperous Baptist organizations in the county.
MONROE TOWNSHIP
Monroe township comprises all of Congressional town- ship 56, range 25, except a part of section 24, and lies in the southwest corner of the county. Shoal creek and its tributa- ries, Rattlesnake and Muddy, furnish plenty of water, and good soil and fine grass lands to combine to make it an excel- lent stock growing township. "The Low Gap Country," as it is now called, can not be excelled for general excellence in this part of the state.
Monroe township was one of the first settled in the county. On the night of the 12th of November, 1833, memorable as the date of the great meteoric shower, or as "the time when the stars fell," John Austin, James Austin, Abraham Bland, Zachariah Bland, Purmort Bland, Zachariah Lee and Isaac McCoskrie camped on Shoal creek, and afterward entered land in this township. Thos. Bryan came about this time, as did Spencer H. Gregory.
The country along Shoal creek greatly pleased the pion- eers. Game was abundant, the soil was rich, the water plenty and pure, and the woods were full of bee trees.
As soon as land came in market in 1835, it began to be entered, and the following made entries up to the year 1840:
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
Spencer H. Gregory, Wiatt Ogle, Wm. Fryer, Thos. R Bryan, James Austin, John Austin, Abraham Bland, Purmort Bland, Isaac McCoskrie, Roberson Bryan, Hopkins Work, James Earl, James Hamilton, Oliver Walker, Henderson McFar- land, Zachariah Lee, Henry Hoagland, L. A. Brady, David Fulmer, Zachariah Bland, W. P. Frazier, John Lewis, Mann, Whitney & Baker, Jesse Coats, James Huntsman, W. P. and Emily Frazer, John T. Gudgell, John Bland and Wm. Taylor.
Upon the organization of the county and the first meeting of the county court in February, 1837, the territory now in- cluded in Blue Mound, Greene, Mooresville and Monroe townships, was called Shoal creek township ; but in February, 1839, the name was changed to Monroe. In May following the township was divided, and the northern part called Greene. In 1833 Blue Mound was organized, and the creation of these townships cut down Monroe to about its present size.
Monroe township was developed about the year 1860. A few years prior to that time a number of northern people came in, and by their industry and enterprise did much for the gen- eral welfare. When the war came on a majority of the peo- ple were Unionists and early entered the Federal service.
A young man of Confederate sympathies named Crockett Austin was killed in this township by some of the militia in 1862. The Federals called at the house one night, and when he came out of doors he stumbled and fell, and it is said before he could rise that he was shot. Some of the militia reported that Austin came out armed and threatened to shoot, and this was why he himself was shot.
After the war, in common with other parts of the country, Monroe township improved rapidly and grew thrifty. The houses were rebuilt and made larger and better, and the farms were generally improved. With the building of the St. Paul Railroad, which runs diagonally through the township, from northeast to southwest, the prosperity of the township was assured.
Of the churches in Monroe township, Rev. John Boon is pastor of the Methodist church in the village of Ludlow; Rev. Cornelius, pastor of the Baptist church, with J. A. Hare,
PUBLIC SCHOOL, LUDLOW
-
-
M
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. LUDLOW
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HISTORY OF LIVINGSTON COUNTY
W. C. Hunt and Byrd Jones, deacons. The Christian church, of Ludlow, has no regular pastor. The deacons are Wiley Miller, W. F. Holchett and George Lenhart. The Bethany Baptist church, the Union Baptist church and the Bethel M. E. church, South, all in Monroe township, have no regular pastors.
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