USA > Missouri > Buchanan County > St Joseph > The Daily news' history of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, Mo. From the time of the Platte purchase to the end of the year 1898. Preceded by a short history of Missouri. Supplemented by biographical sketches of noted citizens, living and dead > Part 7
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51
Wallace, on the Atchison branch of the Rock Island railroad, is the most important business point in Crawford Township. It was platted in 1872, and the last census gives the population at 300. There are two general stores, churches, school, blacksmith shop, hotel and livery.
Faucett was platted when the Chicago Great Western railroad extended its line, in 1890, from St. Joseph to Kansas City, and named in honor of Robert Faucett, the miller. There is a population of about 200, a school, depot, two general stores, a church, school and a large grain elevator.
BLOOMINGTON TOWNSHIP .- Among the first settlers of what is now Bloomington Township was Hiram Roberts, who came in 1836, and who escaped the military raiders. Bloomington is the second township of the southern tier west of the river. The popula- tion is about 1,500. Other early settlers were Cornelius Roberts, 1837; Isom Gardner, Amos Horn, John Underwood, Holland Jones, Thomas Hickman, William Hickman, William Ballow, Matt Geer, Hardin Hamilton, Mrs. Sally Davis, F. D. Davis, Thomas Hill, Major Francis Drake Bowen, Stephen Field, James Hamilton and Isaac Van Hoozier, 1837; Zachariah, Uriah, John, William and Lewis Garten 1838; Michael Gabbard, 1838; Benjamin Yocum, Kentucky, 1839; Richard Murphy, 1839; Robert M. Stewart, New York, afterwards governor of Missouri, 1839; Joel Hedgepeth, 1839; James Ellison Wm. Moore, David Brown, William Clasby, Benjamin Sampson Abraham and William Womack, J. P. Pettigrew, Fountain and Rice McCubbin and James G. Finch, 1839.
DeKalb, the postoffice, trading point and voting precinct, is a prosperous town, nicely located on the Atchison branch of the Rock Island railroad, and well equipped with schools, churches, etc. The
70
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH.
town was platted by James G. Finch in 1839, and is the oldest in the county, Sparta not having been platted until 1840 and St. Joseph not until 1843. Finch had an idea that the county seat would be located there, and so he laid off his town around a contemplated court house square. When Sparta was chosen as the seat of justice Finch left in disgust. The quarter section containing the town site was afterwards entered by Oliver Norman, who deeded to each settler the lot he oc- cupied.
DeKalb was always a good trading point, and is so to-day. The town is not incorporated, though there is a population of about 600. There is a newspaper (the Record), a bank, two general stores, hotel, an extensive hardware and implement house, drug store, blacksmiths, harnessmakers, barbers, etc.
RUSH TOWNSHIP .- This is the extreme southwestern town- ship in the county, and its western boundary is the Missouri River. William Allison, John Allison and James Canter located in 1837; John Seips, Eli Seips, Mitchell Owen, John Utt, Colonel Wells, Henry Hayes, Sylvester Hays, Morris Baker, James Carpenter, Anthony Graves, John Flannery, 1839.
There are two postoffices and voting precincts in the township- Rushville and Winthrop-and the population of the township is given in the last census at 1,653.
Rushville was platted in 1847 by Perman Hudson and James Leachman upon a quarter section that had been entered in 1839 by John Flannery. Five railroads pass through the town-the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe, Hannibal & St. Joseph, Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs and Missouri Pacific. There is a population of about 500 and the town is incor- porated. There are three general stores, an implement house, drug store, hotel, blacksmith, etc .; also schools and churches.
Winthrop was once a prosperous place, but the ravages of the river and the departure of the industries that once flourished have reduced it to a comparatively insignificant point. The quarter sec- tion upon which Winthrop is located was entered by George Million in 1839. Million operated a ferry across the river to the point where Atchison is now located. The town company was formed in 1857, and Senator Pomeroy of Kansas was one of the incorporators. The place was named in honor of Governor Winthrop of Massachusetts colony. There were at one time two extensive pork packing plants in operation. The larger one was erected by Fowler Brothers ir
7I
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH.
1879, at a cost of $150,000, and the smaller one by Smith, Farlow & Co., of Quincy. The Fowlers moved their plant to Kansas City after operating for something over a year. There were several causes for this; one that the bridge rates were exorbitant, another the flings of an Atchison newspaper at the peculiarities of the resident Fowler, whose manners were European, and a third that Kansas City offered high inducements. Perhaps all three reasons are entitled to weight, but the last was doubtless the prime cause of the removal. Kansas City was making a special offer for packing houses. The Fowlers were offered ground and buildings, and the offer was ac- cepted. The Winthrop house was dismantled and afterward de- stroyed by the elements. As the Fowlers killed about 3,000 hogs daily, the loss by their departure was great, not only to Winthrop, but to Atchison as well.
The packing house of Smith, Farlow & Co. was built in 1880 at a cost of $60,000, and had a capacity of about 1,000 hogs daily. It was operated for about four years by the builders, and at different times subsequently by other parties. The plant is idle now.
There were stock yards, freight depots, lumber yards, saloons and numerous business houses in those days, and there was quite a speculation in Winthrop town lots in 1879 and 1880.
Prior to the construction of the Atchison bridge, which was opened in September of 1874, there was a steam ferry, the Ida, owned by Dr. Challiss of Atchison, and also a railroad transport boat, the Wm. M. Osborn.
In 1884, the northern portion of Winthrop went into the river, and the ravages of the flood were so great as to necessitate the abandonment of a railroad station between Winthrop and Rushville, called "Paw-Paw." For over three years trains were run to Sugar Lake, where Armour station was erected, and thence to Atchison. Last year, however, the Rock Island and Santa Fe companies built tracks along the old route and their trains no longer go to Armour.
The census of 1890 shows a population of 490 for Winthrop, but there are not that number now by half. The postoffice is called East Atchison. There are two general stores, blacksmiths, saloon and drug store.
LAKE TOWNSHIP .- This is the smallest township in the county. It lies north of Rush and west of Wayne, and has the Mis- souri River for its western boundary. The earliest settlers were from Bartholomew County, Indiana, and the following came in 1841 : Wil-
72
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH.
liam McHammer, Henry Siebert, Nathaniel Wilson, James McKin- ney, John, James and Thomas McGalliard, James Wilson and Eli Gabbert.
The population of Lake Township is about 300. The voting pre- cinct is at Wilson's school house, and the postoffice at Hall's, in Wayne Township.
WAYNE TOWNSHIP .- Peter Price was among the first set- tlers, coming in 1837, and Isaac Lower of Tennessee came at about the same time. Samuel Hawley and Jesse Hawley of Indiana came in 1839; William Dunning, North Carolina, 1839; Daniel Devorss, Ohio, 1839.
Wayne Township is bounded on the west by Lake Township and the river, on the south by Bloomington, on the east by Center and on the north by Washington. There are three voting precincts- Hall's, Lake Station and Yeakley's school house. The population of the township is about 1,200.
Hall's, the principal trading point in the township, is about mid- way between St. Joseph and Atchison. There are two railroad depots, two general stores, postoffice, church, blacksmith, etc. The place was formerly called Eveline. The population is about 100.
Kenmoor is a small point of the Rock Island road, two miles northeast of Hall's. It was founded by Warren Samuel of St. Joseph. There is a depot and general store.
Lake Station, about four miles south of St. Joseph, was formerly a flourishing trading point, but since the extension of business to St. George there is little doing at the Station.
CENTER TOWNSHIP .- This was at one time the most prom. ising township in the county, for within its confines were located the first seat of justice and court house. Among the early settlers were Richard Hill, Jesse Reames, Zachariah Waller, Elijah W. Smith, Thomas More, Lucas Dawson and John Martin, who located in 1837. Robert Duncan, William Hunter, Andrew J. Hunter, John Ritchie, James Donovan, John, Samuel and Joseph Hill came in 1839; Wil- liam C. Connett, Kentucky, 1839; William Farris, Indiana, 1840; Samuel McCauley, Pennsylvania, 1840; H. G. Gordon, James Wood- ward, Evan Jordan, Ransom Ridge, Robert W. Donnell, James Woodward, Martin Hirsch, Samuel and Elbert Gann, John Copeland, 1842.
73
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH.
Center Township is bounded by Wayne, Washington, Agency and Crawford, and has a population of about 1,200. The voting pre- cinct and postoffice, called Adams, is about eight miles southeast of St. Joseph.
Sparta, which was the name of the first county seat, exists on the map only, the ground being now a part of the McCauley farm. Sparta had a brief existence of six years. It was platted in 1840 and its streets were named Hazel, Prune, Olive, Vine, Market, Chestnut, Cedar, Cherry, Walnut, Main and Harrison. There was the log court house, a tavern, kept by Robert Duncan, several general stores, a saloon and wagon and blacksmith shops. It was only a small town when at the height of its prosperity. During the struggle between Sparta and St. Joseph over the county seat, a newspaper called The Rooster, was published at Sparta. When the county seat was moved to St. Joseph Sparta faded out of existence.
Bee Creek is a point about nine miles southeast of St. Joseph, where the Santa Fe and Chicago Great Western railroads join, both using the same track from St. Joseph to this point.
Willow Brook is a station on the Chicago Great Western about twelve miles from St. Joseph. A general store and postoffice existed there for some time prior to the coming of the railroad.
AGENCY TOWNSHIP .- The population of this township is about 1,000. It is bounded by Washington, Center, Jackson and Tremont, the latter being divided by Platte River. James and Rob- ert Gilmore, Samuel Poteet and Wm. McDowell settled in 1837; James J. Reynolds, 1838; Jacob Reese, North Carolina, 1838; Ben- jamin Moore, Virginia, 1838; Littleberry Estes and Bright Martin, 1838; John Lamb, Robert Gilmore and Richard Fulton, 1839.
In the early days there was a road from Clay County to the Blacksnake Hills which crossed the Platte River where the town of Agency now stands. The river was shallow here and could be forded by teams. The agency of the Sac and Fox Indians was located on the west side of the Platte, about where the town now stands, and the point became known as Agency Ford. In 1839, Robert Gilmore es- tablished a ferry, which was afterwards operated by William B. Smith, and continued until the county built a wagon bridge, in 1868.
The town of Agency was platted in 1865 by William B. Smith, and the building of the railroad from St. Joseph to Lexington, now a part of the Santa Fe system, gave an impetus to business. Agency is now incorporated, and is in a flourishing condition, the population
74
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH.
being about 400. There is a bank, two mills, six general stores, school, churches, etc.
TREMONT TOWNSHIP .- One of the first settlers of Tremont Township was Ishmael Davis, father of the late R. T. Davis, who located in the spring of 1837 at the edge of Rock House Prairie. The late R. T. Davis is said to have been the first white child born in the county. The following are mentioned as having located prior to 1840: Ambrose McDaniel, George Jeffers, Harold Miller, Robert Irwin, Samuel D. Gilmore, Stephen Bedford, Daniel McCreary, Jacob Schultz, Henry Jones, Creed Herring, M. D. Finch and William P. Mudgett, who was the first postmaster in the township.
The Rock House Prairie, in the southern part of this township, was so named from the following circumstances: While the Indians still occupied the county, the route traveled between Clay County and the Indian agency, near Agency Ford, after crossing the Platte River, led over the prairie. On a rocky point of ground, near the resi- dence of Ransom Ridge, the Indians had erected a huge pile of stones, shaped as much as possible in the form of a house. This was known as the Rock House. It stood directly on the road traveled from Agency Ford to Liberty, Clay County, and attracted the atten- tion of every white man who traversed that region, and from this fact, at an early date, the prairie came to be called the Rock House Prairie.
Tremont is the extreme eastern of the center tier of townships, and is bounded by Platte, Agency and Marion. Its population is about 1,300. There are two voting precincts-Garretsburg and Frazer-both of which have postoffices. Garretsburg is on a wagon rcad from St. Joseph, and there is a general store. Frazer is a station on the Lexington branch of tlie Santa Fe railroad, and also has a gen- eral store.
MARION TOWNSHIP .- This township forms the northeast- ern portion of the county. It is separated from Washington Town- ship by the Platte River and bounded on the south by Tremont.
Calvin James, of barbecue fame, was one of the first settlers of Marion, locating near the present town of Easton in 1837. Benja- min Cornelius, Peter Boyer, James Blakely, Thomas McGowan, Jesse Clark and Barnes Clark came in 1837 and 1838; Caleb Hasenmeyer and the Markers came in 1838; Nicholas Roberts, James Roberts, James McCorkle, 1838; Jacob Kessler, Jacob Wiedmayer, John Wunderlich, Wolfgang Beck, John Slaybaugh, David Davis, Dr. John
75
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH.
Minor, John Davis, Isaac Gibson, William P. Shortridge, Augustus and James Wiley, 1840 and 1844.
Marion Township has a population of about 2,000. There are two voting precincts-Easton and San Antonio.
Easton, which is one of the three incorporated towns of the county, is located about twelve miles from St. Joseph on the Hannibal & St. Joseph railroad. The town was platted in 1854 by E. Don Mc- Crary, who owned four hundred acres of land and who had for some time been operating a general store. The present population is about 400, and there is a mill, several general stores, drug store, Catholic and Protestant churches, school and other conveniences.
San Antonio is an old trading point near the central portion of the township. There is a general store and church, and there was formerly a postoffice.
New Hurlingen is the trading point of a thriving German com- munity, located in the northeastern portion of the township. There is a general store, postoffice and Catholic church.
Platte River bridge and Stockbridge are points on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railroad, the latter being a postoffice. Clair is at the Platte River crossing of the St. Joseph & Des Moines rail- road, there being a general store and siding.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. - Some of the early farms in Washington Township now form a part of the city of St. Joseph. The following persons are mentioned in history as having settled prior to 1840 : John H. Whitehead, Wm. Whitehead, Henry W. Han- son, James Cochran, Frederick Waymire, William Pugh, Clayborne F. Palmer, A. C. Hyde, Thomas, John and Elisha Sollars, Stephen Parker, Isaac and Michael Miller, James G. Karnes, Alexander Fudge, Leroy Kauffman, Benjamin Williams, Jacob Groschon, Logan Jones, Edward Maxwell, John H. Cox, David Ewing, Wm. Sallee, Joseph Davis, George Coughern, Michael Rogers, F. B. Ker- cheval, Simeon Kemper, Frederick W. Smith, Dr. Daniel Keedy, Bela M. Hughes, Robert I. Boyd, Wm. T. Harris, Joseph Gladden, Samuel C. Hall, John B. Hundley, Richard Gilmore, William P. Richardson and Isadore Poulin ..
Washington Township has three justices of the peace and one constable, who are stationed at St. Joseph. There are three post- offices besides St. Joseph-Vories (South Park), St. George and Saxton.
76
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH.
When the stock yards were opened the St. George town property was placed upon the market. There are a number of stores, hotels, and a good school. The town is not incorporated and the peace is preserved by deputy constables and sheriffs. The county court ap- pointed Wm. R. Hoffman as justice of the peace in December of 1897.
Saxton is located six miles east of St. Joseph on the Hannibal & St. Joseph railroad. It was named after the late Albe M. Saxton, who donated the ground for a railroad station. A depot, general store and postoffice, church and school are the equipments.
There are seven voting precincts in the township: Felling, near the mouth of Roy's Branch; New Ulm school house, Woodbine school house, east of the asylum; Oak Hill school house, Saxton station, St. George and Parnell.
CHAPTER VI.
EARLY HISTORY OF ST. JOSEPH .- THE FUR COM- PANIES .- ROBIDOUX AT ROY'S BRANCH AND BLACKSNAKE HILLS. - FIRST SETTLERS. - THE TOWN PLATTED AND LOTS SOLD .- FIRST BUSINESS HOUSES, HOTELS, CHURCHES, NEWSPAPERS, ETC .- FIRST MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, AND ORDI- NANCES OF THE TOWN BOARD .- POPULATION AT VARIOUS PERIODS .- THE TRADING POST, THE SET- TLEMENT, THE VILLAGE AND THE TOWN UP TO 1849.
The French were the earliest and most successful Indian traders. They settled Canada and the northwestern part of the United States, and also the country about the mouth of the Mississippi. Pierre La- clede Liguest, who is better known in history simply as Pierre Laclede, held by charter from the French government, the exclusive right to trade with the Indians in all the country as far north as St. Peter's River. In 1764 he established a colony, out of which grew the present city of St. Louis. His followers consisted of daring frontiersmen, who made trading and trapping incursions to the wilder- ness before them, establishing posts at interior points, where peltries were collected and shipped to headquarters.
In 1808 the Chouteaus of St. Louis, and others, organized the Missouri Fur Company. In 1813 the Missouri company was merged into the American Fur Company, and the Chouteaus became con- nected with the latter.
A vigorous effort was at once made by this company to drive out the independent traders, and Francis Chouteau was sent forth to establish a chain of posts. Among the first posts thus established by Chouteau was one on the Kaw River, about twenty miles from its mouth, and known as the "Four Houses;" also one at the "Bluffs," the present site of Council Bluffs.
Joseph Robidoux, of French parentage, born at St. Louis, was a rival trader at the "Bluffs," but in 1822 sold out to the company and agreed to remain away for three years. At the end of that period he
78
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH.
announced his intention of again going into business at the old stand, but the Fur Company proposed to establish him at the mouth of what is now called Roy's Branch, just above the "Blacksnake Hills," upon a salary of $1,800 per year, provided he would not interfere with the trade at the "Bluffs." This proposition he accepted, and, with a stock of goods, he landed his keel boats at the mouth of the branch in fall of 1826.
Robidoux soon recognized the superiority of a location at the mouth of Blacksnake Creek, and, in the following spring, moved to this point, where he continued to work for the Fur Company until 1830, when he became the sole proprietor of the trading post which formed the nucleus of the present city of St. Joseph.
For many years the solitary log house of Joseph Robidoux was the only evidence of civilized man within a radius of fifty miles. Robi- doux's first house stood near the mouth of Blacksnake. His second, and more pretentious one, occupied the spot where the Occidental Hotel now stands, at the northeast corner of Main and Jule streets. It faced the south, was one and one-half stories high, contained nine rooms, six on the first floor and three on the second, and a covered porch extended along the entire front. Besides, there was a shed on the north side, divided into three rooms, in one of which Robidoux slept. The entire structure was of logs, chinked with mud, and was substantially and correctly built, insuring comfort in all seasons, and being sufficiently formidable to withstand an attack of hostile In- dians, should one be made.
Robidoux, however, was a man of peace, and, so far as known, never had difficulties with the red man. He had in his employ about twenty Frenchmen, who made regular trips with mules to the Grand River country and across the Missouri River into what is now Kan- sas and Southern Nebraska, taking with them beads, mirrors, bril- liant cloth and other flummery dear to the heart of the savage, and bringing home peltries and buffalo hides. These were stored and packed, and were shipped to St. Louis in keel boats before the days of the steamboat.
In time travelers came and saw the beauties of this section, and, as the tidings went abroad, others came to see and locate. In 1834 several families from Franklin County, consisting of Thomas and Henry Sollars, Elisha Gladden, Mrs. Jane Purget and others, settled near the post. Elisha Gladden, who is still a resident of the city, was at once employed by Robidoux and remained in his service for many years.
79
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH.
For the convenience of those in his employ and the Indians Robi- doux operated a small ferry, consisting of a flat boat. The landing at this side was about where Francis street originally struck the river, and the road led from there southeast to the Agency Ford of the Platte River, where it forked, one branch leading to Liberty, Clay County, and the other to the Grand River country.
There were few, if any, additions to the population of the "Black- snake Hills," as Robidoux's post was called, until the completion of the Platte purchase in 1837. When the country was opened for settlement there was a rush of immigration, and the trading post was naturally the objective point. Robidoux secured two quarter sections, embracing what is now designated on the map as Original Town and the various Robidoux additions.
Rival trading points sprang up all over the new country between 1837 and 1840. Of Savannah, Amazonia, Bontown, Elizabethtown, Boston and Jimtown, all in Andrew County, the two former alone remain. However, Blacksnake Hills continued to prosper and the population steadily increased.
In the fall of 1839 Robidoux agreed to sell the site of Blacksnake Hills to Warren Samuel and two other parties from Independence, Mo., for sixteen hundred dollars in silver. They went home and returned in due time with the money, and also with a plat of the future town. They were Robidoux's guests. During the evening a dispute arose over a trivial matter, which caused Robidoux to decline further negotiations. He had doubtless regretted his part of the bargain and gladly availed himself of this opportunity to cancel the deal at the critical time.
However, Robidoux gave or leased ground in small parcels to all who desired to locate, and so there developed quite a settlement. Robidoux engaged in general merchandise and built a flouring mill near the mouth of Blacksnake Creek. Dr. Daniel Keedy, who was the first physician, built a sawmill south of the settlement.
In June of 1840 a postoffice was established here and called Blacksnake Hills, with Jules C. Robidoux, a son of Joseph, as post- master.
Among those who came prior to 1840 were Frederick W. Smith. a surveyor, whose name is prominently identified with the subsequent history of the city ; Dr. Daniel Keedy, Joseph Gladden, Polly Dehard, Samuel Hull, John Freeman, John Patchen, James B. O'Toole, Will- iam C. Toole, Edwin Toole, and others. Of these Judge William C. Toole still lives in the city, and Edwin Toole lives in Montana. The others are dead.
80
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH.
Among those who came prior to 1843 were William P. Richard- son, Simeon Kemper, Dr. D. Benton, John Corby, Joseph C. Hull, Elias Perry, Charles and A. M. Saxton, Rev. T. S. Reeves, Isadore Poulin, James W. Whitehead, Lawrence Archer, Benjamin C. Powell, John D. Richardson, Jonathan Levy, Isaac and John Curd, William H. Edgar, Robert G. Boyd, Thomas Mills, Joseph Davis, Joseph Fisher, Michael Miller, J. G. Kearns, James Highly, Christopher Carbry, Robert W. Donnell and David J. Heaton.
Josiah Beattie kept a tavern, where the gospel was also preached by Reverend Reeves. Louis Picard is mentioned as the first car- penter, William Langston as the first plasterer, two brothers named Belcher as the first brickmakers, and Jacob Mitchell as the first blacksmith, though Robidoux had a blacksmith regularly employed for many years previous to this time.
Though the population was small, Blacksnake Hills was the best trading point in this region, and farmers came long distances to the mills and stores. Sparta was the county seat, but the people were never attracted there, always preferring this point. When the county court appropriated $6,000 for the second court house, in November of 1842, the enterprising people of the Hills at once began to agitate the county seat question, urging that it be moved here.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.