USA > Missouri > Nodaway County > Past and present of Nodaway County, Missouri Volume I > Part 29
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PIONEER SETTLERS.
The One Hundred and Two river and White Cloud creek were the first stopping places of white men when seeking homes in what is now Polk town- ship. The earliest of these frontiersmen was Thomas Adams. He came from some one of the southern counties in Missouri in 1840, and claimed land in what is now the south part of the city of Maryville. There he erected him a cabin in the grove long since styled "Adams' Grove." Originally. this belt of timber contained about one thousand acres, it being largely of the burr oak variety. Here pioneer Adams cleared up a patch of twenty acres. Nine years later, he sold and went to Texas.
Noah Garren made his advent here in 1840, locating in a grove on the ridge four miles southeast of Maryville and a mile to the east of One Hun- dred and Two river. He resided there until 1849, when he moved to the northeast part of the county.
In 1840, John Mozingo and his two sons, Allen and Silas, took claims four miles southeast of Maryville. They emigrated from Culpeper county, Tennessee, and took an interest there until others came in and settled about them; they were true pioneer characters. The father built a cabin and im- proved his land. Allen died in 1878. Both sons were hunters and kept many hounds for the chase.
John Trosper came from Tennessee in 1840, and claimed land three miles southeast of present Maryville, on the east side of the river. He built
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a cabin fourteen feet square, and the end was cut out for chimney purposes. The whole was daubed with mud, within and without. The chimney had mud backs and jams and two square rocks were used for andirons. A few seedling apple trees were raised and some were still standing in the late eighties, pos- sibly now. These trees had grown to be as large as barrels at their base and some years bore twenty bushels of fruit each. Several cherry trees planted by the hand of this man attained one foot in diameter and bore won- derful crops of luscious fruit. They still bore cherries in 1885. Mr. Trosper was a hunter and was counted a very remarkable man for his genuine hospi- tality. He went to Kansas in 1860 and died there.
The Lanham brothers came in 1841, and settled on One Hundred and Two river, four miles east and a trifle north of present Maryville. Subse- quently, they went to Texas.
William Saunders, a brother of James Saunders, came to this township in 1846, trading for land in the north part of town. He was murdered and robbed in Maryville in 1879.
In 1843 came John Jackson from Ohio and settled on a claim two miles north of Maryville. He was treasurer of Nodaway county from 1845 to 1849. He was an excellent farmer and an exemplary citizen. He died in 1873. One year the receipts of the entire county was not over three hundred dollars and the treasurer received one dollar and twenty-five cents for his services. Mr. Jackson kept his office at his home.
Another early settler was A. Terhune, who emigrated from Indiana, ar- riving in Andrew county, Missouri, in the spring of 1841. He located six miles north of the present city of Savannah, at Bennett's Lane. This was the first place in that section where enough settlements were contiguous when fenced as to form a road. Bennett's Lane was known throughout Andrew and Nodaway counties. This lane ran north and south about three miles. On the east side of the lane were located the farms of Elisha, John, Isaiah and William Bennett and also the farms of a Mr. Hayes and John Wilson. On the west side were settled Jacob Bohart. John Ferrins, David Terhune, David Brock, Lyman Ashley and A. Terhune. A. Terhune lived there until 1848, when he moved to Nodaway county, settling a mile north of Skidmore and there built the fourth mill in the county. In 1841, when he came to Andrew county, there was only a corn cracker, called Davis & Stanberry's mill, on One Hundred and Two river. This was three miles east of Savannah. Hollister's mill, on the Nodaway, two miles west of the present town of Filmore, was the next mill in Andrew county, built in 1842. The next mill
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in Andrew county was erected in 1843, on Lincoln creek, four or five miles to the west of present Savannah. White Hall was a very small place and had only a few goods for sale.
Settlers went to Liberty, Clay county, to secure anything of importance in the line of supplies for the farm and household. Some of the pioneers would volunteer and go to Liberty for a wagon load of groceries, which would be divided among the neighbors. It took about eight days to make the round trip to Liberty and two or three yoke of oxen were usually at- tached to the wagon. Often two neighbors would go together, sleeping in the wagon, and killing game and cooking the same for their meals.
The fourth mill in Nodaway county was built by A. Terhune and Erastus Downing. It was a small frame, located on the Nodaway river, near the present site of Skidmore. It required two years to build and complete this mill and then it only had one run of stones. The irons and machinery were hauled from St. Louis. Downing, being a blacksmith, forged out the bar iron used in the mill.
Mr. Terhune sold his interest in the mill in 1851 to E. Downing and went to a point on the river, where present Quitman stands, and bought a mill site of Hiram Lee, who had been there several years and who had built the third mill in the county. He had put a log across the stream about eighty feet long, in sections, then put in a brush dam. The flume where the water was let into the mill was made of split puncheons. The millhouse was made of round logs from the bed rock up. In that mill was a pair of "nigger heads" or bowlders. The wheel was a wooden tub-wheel. The capacity of the mill was fifteen bushels of corn per day. For toll, the miller took one- eighth. The mill made good meal. With the high water of the spring of 1852 the mill was entirely washed away. Immediately following this, Mr. Terhune put up a frame mill for grinding both wheat and corn. In the autumn of 1852 the saw mill was in operation, then there came a freeze, much ice drifted down the Nodaway and lodged above the dam, the river rose on account of the gorge. and washed out eighty feet around the end of the dam, the water running in the new channel eight feet deep. Mr. Terhune worked all winter and stopped the wash around the dam so that the mill ran again and was in excellent order. He sold out his mill in 1853 to Rankin Russell, who became the founder of the town of Quitman.
Mr. Terhune then moved to Andrew county and went onto his large farm, remained three years, and then moved to Maryville, purchasing a farm of eighty acres, formerly owned by James Ray, for one thousand two hun-
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dred dollars. In 1860 he bought five hundred acres adjoining Maryville on the southeast : this he sold in 1878. When he came to Nodaway county he had a steam saw mill two and a half miles east of Maryville. Later he kept tavern, run a store and dealt in live stock.
Having thus outlined the comings and goings of many of the pioneers of this county, who located in what is now Polk township, we will make a list of settlers. the greater part of whom settled from half a mile to three miles in one direction or the other from Maryville, and all these effected their settlement prior to 1850: Jesse Harris, James Ingles, John Mozingo, James Vaughn. William Ingles, Green McCafferty, Daniel Swearingen. John Scott. C. S. Burns, Henry Swearingen. Sr., John Scott, C. S. Burns, L. M. Jester. A. T. Jenkins, Amos Graham, John Saunders, L. B. Torrance, Andrew Jordan, William Bowen, James Saunders, William Saunders, Benjamin Tor- rance, Benjamin F. Simms, John Belew, John Trosper. Peter Trosper, Isaac Cox. John Collett. Jacob Shepherd, James Ray. John Jackson. Wilhite, Isaac Lannan. Foster. - Copple. Andrew Shep- herd, William Ray. Thomas Ray. Leroy Snoderly, John McKnight, James Ray, Jr., William McKnight. John A. Alexander. Joseph E. Alexander.
CITIES AND TOWNS OF POLK TOWNSHIP.
There are three town plats within this township. Maryville. Bedison and a part of Wilcox. All three are situated along the line of the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific railroad.
Wilcox is located six and three-tenths miles by rail and eight miles by wagon road northwest of Maryville. It was named for B. F. Wilcox, who . was the owner of two hundred acres of land where now stands the town. His home was in Hamden Junction, Ohio. The Western Improvement Com- pany of Missouri, composed of W. H. Blodgett. N. F. Grover and J. G. Anderson, laid out the town in the fall of 1879. They bought of Mr. Wilcox eighty acres of land at ten dollars an acre. They platted about twenty-five acres into lots. The place is located on the southeast quarter of section 32. township 65. range 36, and the south quarter of the northwest quarter of section 33. township 65. range 36. The depot, the first structure in the place. was completed in December. 1879.
The second building was a blacksmith shop by Bickett & Stanhope, com- pleted in February, 1880. Kirkpatrick & Son then added a small grocery to the place and R. A. Burge soon erected a store building.
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A good school house was completed in October, 1881, and Miss Minnie Ulrich taught the school, at which fifty-five were in attendance. Religious services were soon held by both branches of the Methodist Episcopal church in the school house.
The first marriage in the town was French Carter and Celine Hefflin, in September, 1881. The first birth in Wilcox was a son to Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Cain, during the month of September. 1880. The first death was that of Mrs. Henry Shell. November 1, 1881.
In 1882 this hamlet had a population of about sixty ; its present enumera- tion is about double this number. The business at first was in the hands of Boothe & Glaze, druggists; J. T. Glaze, physician ; Mr. Nienhause, general merchandise ; J. S. Phillips, postmaster ; Michael Ryan, boarding house; N. J. Stratton, grain dealer : A. D. White, hotel, and A. L. Bickett blacksmith.
Today there is a good general store. shops, postoffice and other places usually found in such small hamlets.
BEDISON.
Bedison is a small hamlet with a plat of four blocks, situated on the northwest quarter of section 6, township 63. range 35. in the extreme south- eastern corner of Polk township. It is a new station point on the line of the Wabash system and is about eight miles southeast of Maryville. It is simply a station and shipping point.
The history of the City of Maryville will form a chapter by itself else- where in this volume.
CHAPTER XXXI.
UNION TOWNSHIP.
Union township, which is in the northern and eastern portion of Noda- way county, was formed in May, 1856, and contains forty-eight square miles. It is bounded on the north by Atchison, Hopkins and Independence townships, on the east by Independence township, on the south by Nodaway, Polk and Jackson townships and on the west by Atchison and Nodaway town- ships.
The county court order relating to its organization, dated May, 1856, reads as follows :
"Ordered that all the territory in Polk township that lies north of the dividing line of townships 65 and 66 be and the same is erected into a new township to be called and known by the name of Union township."
On June 15. 1866, changes in the boundary of this territory were made by the court so as to include what is now Hopkins township, but now the terri- tory lying between the following corners (the same being five miles wide from north to south and ten miles from east to west) constitutes the town- ship of Union.
These corners are: The northeast corner of section 28, township 66, range 34. west : the northwest corner of section 30. township 66, range 36, west: the southwest corner of section 14. township 65, range 36, and the southeast corner of section 17. township 65, range 34. This constitutes the present bounds of Union township, and has been confined to such territory since Hopkins was created in 1871.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The water courses and drainage of this part of the county are excellent. One Hundred and Two river runs nearly through the central part from north to south. Mozingo creek runs through the extreme southern portion of the township and about one-third the distance from east to west. Mowery branch flows nearly through the township in a southwesterly direction and
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forms junction with the One Hundred and Two river. On the west side, Gray's creek and several lesser streams flow into the river. In the extreme western portion of the township are the headwaters of Clear creek, which flows some distance in a southwesterly direction. Originally, the eastern and central portions of the township had considerable timber land, with groves skirting other parts along the streams. Stone is found along the larger streams. Poor land has never been a part of Union township. In 1880 it was said that one-eighth of the domain in this township was timbered. By every fairminded person, this township had always been called one of the very best agricultural sections in Nodaway county. The lands can be cultivated almost to the water's edge of the streams that course its surface. The soil is a deep rich loam. Cereals grow in abundance and tame grasses flourish everywhere. In brief. this, in many ways, is a "banner" township in all Missouri's fair, productive domain.
PIONEER SETTLEMENTS.
The first settlers in Union township, as now known, were William and James Ingels, who arrived in this "green glad solitude" in 1841, settling at White Oak Grove, about two miles below where old Xenia afterwards stood. The groves offered them ample protection from the winds and storms of a new country, and the fine timber gave an abundance of fuel and fencing ma- terial. The next settler was Abraham Fletcher, who settled next to the gentle- men already named. finding it handy and congenial to have such near neigh- bors. His son-in-law, Mr. Surley, was next to come in and open a farm on the south. Mr. Martin and James Gray came next in order, and they had the hardihood and wisdom to locate on the rich prairie, two miles west of White Oak Grove, opening farms near enough to the groves to avail them- selves of all the necessary timber. The next to locate here was a Mr. Crom- well, in the grove to the north of the others named above; later he sold to Thomas Pistole. John Walden was another who came about this date and settled at the grove. The White Oak Grove settlement thus takes precedence over all others in Union township.
The next settlement was effected by Dr. Josiah Coleman, who entered the land where now stands the sprightly town of Pickering. Here the land is beautiful, rolling back as it does from the valley of the One Hundred and Two river. Here the good doctor practiced medicine and attended to the opening up of a good farm. Subsequently, he sold his farm and removed to Kansas, Judge Andrew Royal purchasing his place.
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Then came those who settled about Lower White Oak Grove, including John Ray. Alvin Sturgill, David Cooper, Edward Ray. Valentine Ray, Mar- tin Van Buren, Martin Fakes and others.
Prior to 1859 came these (all from Indiana) : Jacob Taylor, Peter Storms, Washington Storms, Harden Carmichael, P. Sayers, William Denny, William Pettigo, Henderson Lafon, Wesley Curtis, John and William Work- man, William Weaver, Jonathan Walker. Samuel Weaver, John McLadden, William Lamar. James Carpenter, George Flora, William Marr; 1860, Star- ling Carmichael. Augustus Carmichael, William Olifant. Archibald Car- michael, father and son.
LIST OF EARLY SETTLERS IN THE TOWNSHIP.
William Ingels. 1841 ; Abraham Fletcher, 1841; Mr Shurley, 1841 ; John Gray, 1842: Jacob Miller, 1842: William Nash. 1842: Martin Gray, 1842: Samuel Nash, 1843: Thomas Pistole, 1843: George Pistole. 1843; Samuel C. Nash, 1843: George Nash, 1843: Andrew Pistole, 1843; William Pistole, 1843: Stephen Pistole, 1843; Timothy Nash, 1843: Thomas Wash- burn, 1850: Mr. Murphy, 1850; James F. Williams, 1850: Stephen Girard, 1853; William R. Johnston, Edward Godsey, 1855.
The history of the schools and religious societies will appear under the proper headings in other chapters in this volume.
In 1900 the population of Union township was, according to the United States census return, one thousand six hundred and forty-five, but is now more than this figure.
TOWN OF PICKERING.
Pickering is located in a beautiful section of this township, on the south- east quarter of section 9. township 65. range 35. It is about midway between Maryville and Hopkins, on the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs railroad line. It dates its history as a town from August 12, 1871, when it was platted. Dr. Josiah Coleman made the original survey of the place and named it in honor of Pickering Clark, one of the railroad officials. There is a tradition that it was not named until the first train of cars reached the plat, when it was christened. Judge Andrew Royal bought out the interests held by Doctor Coleman. Royal re-surveyed the town and laid it out the second time in 1871.
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This is a delightful place in midsummer when the waving crops cast their shadow back against the dark green background of native timber to be seen above the place, and the trees half hiding the waters of the stream that flows peacefully by at no great distance.
The first business house was erected by D. N. Garton and brother in 1871 and opened up a stock of mixed merchandise. Dr. William M. Wallis and Judge Royal built the second business house in 1871, in which they car- ried a stock of drugs. The pioneer blacksmith was set in operation the same year by A. Woods. In 1873 Peter Behm erected a business house and put in a stock of general merchandise, and Milton Anderson started a harness shop. The Pickering House was built by Royal & Garton in 1873, a wagon shop opening in the same season.
In 1874. putting on "city airs." Pickering engaged in manufacturing . by the establishing of a factory in which farm implements were made. This was styled the Pickering Manufacturing Company, which erected a building and made various farm implements and wagons. Two years later this con- cern sold and the business was continued six years longer by B. W. Kenny. The same year a cheese factory was erected by Shoemaker Brothers, of New York, who operated two years. An egg preserving plant was put in the same year and continued several years. It may here be stated that the first hotel was by the use of Doctor Coleman's residence, which chanced to be within the plat when the town was surveyed out. It was kept by J. W. Harman.
Of the first important events within the new town, it may be recorded that the first death was that of Mrs. David Van Zant, in the autumn of 1871. The first child born in the incorporation was born to Mr. and Mrs. David Van Zant. The first marriage was that uniting L. L. Holbrook, of Maryville, to Lou D. Harman. Dr. William M. Wallis was the first practicing physician in the new town. In 1875 the Methodists built the first church edifice. The town was incorporated February 4. 1879.
PRESENT BUSINESS INTERESTS.
In 1910 the following business factors operated in Pickering :
Bank-The Bank of Pickering, organized about 1898-see Banking chapter.
General Dealers-C. G. McMillen, Wolfers Mercantile Company.
Grocer-William Alexander.
Hardware-Wray Brothers, who also carry furniture and implements
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Hotel-Hotel Terrell ; two more, but not operated.
Harness Shop-A. J. Nash. Blacksmiths-Ira Neal and J. J. Van Buren-also do wood work. Physicians-Drs. W. B. Hereford and E. L. Crowsan.
Livery Stable-William Burk.
Lumber-Pickering Lumber Company.
Grain Dealers-Charles Lunty and P. C. Wolfers.
Millinery-Mrs. Minerva Neal.
Meat Market-James Hutchison.
Drug Store-J. C. Shuff.
Lodges-Masonic fraternity, who own their own hall; the Odd Fellow's and Rebekah lodges, owning their own hall; Modern Woodmen and Yeomen lodges, of the fraternal insurance orders.
Churches-The Methodist Episcopal, who own a brick edifice, and the Christian denomination, who have their own edifice.
Schools-The town is provided with a first-class pressed brick school building having four rooms. It was erected in fall of 1902 at a cost of four thousand dollars.
The postoffice was established when the railroad went through and the following have served as postmasters: F. M. Wallis, C. A. Wolfers, J. F. Gray, C. G. McMillen and C. R. Harman. It is a fourth-class office and from it goes forth two rural free deliveries, each route having a twenty-five- mile run. These routes were established October 15. 1903.
Doctor Wallis, who moved to Maryville in 1902, has practiced in the county more years than any other physician. J. J. Van Buren, the Pickering blacksmith, is the oldest blacksmith in point of years at the forge of any man in Nodaway county. P. C. Wolfers, who has been engaged in merchandis- ing thirty-six years, is the oldest in trade in the county in point of years in business. In February, 1910, it was said that Pickering had thirty-two widows and seventeen bachelors within its incorporate limits. The present population of Pickering is not far from five hundred.
CHAPTER XXXII.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
Washington township is bounded on the north by Jefferson township, on the east by Gentry county, on the south by Andrew county, and on the west by White Cloud township. This is the southeastern township in Nod- away county and contains about forty-seven square miles. It is about six miles and one-fourth from north to south and seven and one-half from east to west. This township was first organized in 1845. by order of the court and was one of the original subdivisions of the county. It was a large territory at first and was defined and bounded as follows :
"Beginning on One Hundred and Two creek, on the line dividing Nod- away and Andrew counties ; thence north up said stream till it intersects White Cloud township; thence east and north with said township line to the line dividing townships 63 and 64; thence east with said boundary to the eastern boundary of Nodaway county; thence south with said county line to Andrew county; thence west to place of beginning."
On June 14, 1866, among other changes in townships. Washington was cut down to a smaller territory and still later, March, 1871, Jefferson and Grant townships were formed out of a part of Washington township, leaving it in the shape and size as it is today.
NATURAL FEATURES.
Through the extreme western part of the township flows the Platte river, in a southerly direction. It runs across the southwest part of the town- ship. Turkey creek and Island branch water the eastern portion of its terri- tory, uniting the county line and flows into Grand river. The western part of the township consists of high upland prairie land, more broken and rolling as one approaches the river, the valley being about one mile in width and of a very rich alluvial soil. Originally the streams were fringed with good tim- ber and large groves, amounting in all to one-tenth of the entire township. Springs gushed forth to greet the pioneer and attract him to its. situation. The soil is very well suited for horticulture and general agriculture. Grasses grow in luxuriance and stock raising has been for years very profitable in this portion of the county.
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EARLY SETTLERS.
It seems quite probable that the earliest settlement in this township was made in 1840 and was effected by Thomas Gray, who took a claim in the southeast part of White Oak Grove, two miles north of the present town of Guilford.
Next came Silas Groves, from Indiana, and located two miles north- west of Guilford, between the river and White Oak Grove. The farm was, in after years, owned by Hugh Todd. Then came Jesse Jones, who emigrated from Pennsylvania, settling a mile to the south of present Guilford. Thomas Blakely came from Cooper county, Missouri, locating near the others men- tioned. James Irwin was among the next to come into the township. He took a claim a half-mile southwest of Guilford. Silas Best settled three miles north, on the east side of White Oak Grove. John S. Aldridge emi- grated from Indiana and settled on the east side of the grove. Guilford Richards came from Virginia and took a claim on the south side of the Grove."
John Groves came in 1842, when St. Joseph was only a collection of less than a half-dozen houses. His team hauled the first logs that went towards building the first log house in Savannah. Upon his arrival there were not to exceed a dozen families within Washington township. Very soon there- after, however, came in Christopher Weatherman. Allen Gentry and Wiley Brittain. The nearest trading point was Savannah and Whitesville was the nearest postoffice. The first crops raised were wheat, corn and hemp; the settlers all dressed in home-spun and were very seldom ill, except in cases of ague, which frequently troubled them.
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