USA > Missouri > Clinton County > The History of Clinton County, Missouri : containing a history of the County, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Clinton County in the late war, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men etc > Part 16
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1834.
The first business house was that of Edward M. and George W. Samuels, who began business as early as July, 1834, a few doors east of where the Plattsburg Bank now stands-general merchandise. The Samuel brothers were from Kentucky, but came from Clay County to this place. They had business houses at that time at several other points in Clay, and afterwards in Platte, Buchanan and Andrew coun- ties, of this state. George W. resides in St. Joseph. Edward M. was at one time Receiver in the United States Land Office, in Plattsburg.
1835.
The next business firm (general merchandise) was J. & J. Long, who came in 1835, from Woodford County, Kentucky, and opened their store in June. James Long now resides in Missouri City, Missouri.
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Anthony Miller located here in July, 1835, and operated a grocery store.
Shadrack B. Taylor, came also in 1835, and opened a grocery store. Mr. Taylor was afterwards sheriff of the county.
1836.
In 1836, E. P. Howell located here, and commenced business. He was from Clay County, and remained in Plattsburg till 1849, when he went, with others, to California, where he now resides.
.Solomon Kinsey began business in 1836. He was for some years a prominent man. Besides being a merchant, he was a minister of the Gospel, and was one of the first sheriffs of the county. He left the county many years ago.
In 1836, W. J. Moss & Co., from Liberty, Missouri, opened a store, which was operated by Nathan M. Vance, who afterwards became the sole owner. Mr. Vance was from Garrett County, Kentucky.
James Smith, the first blacksmith, came during this year, also Anthony Miller, who was the first tailor. His shop stood on the corner. where the Plattsburg Bank now stands.
The first hotel in the town, was opened and operated in 1836, by Joseph Hunter, a Kentuckian. It occupied the corner where the Laclede Hotel now stands, and was a log building.
Willis Long, brother of James Long, came in 1835, and died in California. During the same year, Hiram Smith, and A. S. Gunter, 'began business.
1837.
In 1837, there were nine licenses issued to business men. How many of these were issued to men who had been in the mercantile business in the preceding year, we cannot tell. It is a fact, however, that among these, was a peddler's license, granted to Alvin L. Howell, who was the first peddler in the county.
George Funkhouser came in 1837, from Virginia, and soon began merchandising. He is still in the same business.
Doctor Henry Essig settled here in 1837, coming from Center County, Pennsylvania. He immediately began the practice of his pro- fession, to which he devoted himself exclusively until 1866, when he retired from practice. He still lives in Plattsburg, at the age of seventy- three years.
Reuben Randolph and his son, William, located here in 1837. They were the first carpenters in the town, and constructed some of the earliest .residences. They were from Clay County.
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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
Doctor Noah F. Essig came, in 1837, from Center County, Pennsyl- vania. He was the father of Doctor Henry Essig, above mentioned. The doctor was one of the first treasurers in the county, which office he filled for many years. He died here in 1859.
1838 TO 1840.
During the summer and fall of 1838, Thomas McMichael, from Ohio, became a settler in Plattsburg. Shortly after coming, he engaged in the mercantile business, and continued therein at different intervals until 1863, when he retired from business, and still lives in the town, at the advanced age of seventy-one years. In 1838, Judge Charles Young, from Bath County, Kentucky, located here, but is now a resident of Con- cord Township, where he follows the pursuit of a farmer. . Judge Young built the first house in Kansas City, Missouri. Nelson O. Hopkins, David R. Gallaway, and William Hughes came in 1838. The latter was a merchant, died several years ago, and was the first man buried in the Plattsburg cemetery.
W. P. Gibson, a tailor, located here in 1839; John Patton and Joseph Young, both shoemakers, about the same year, Young preceding Patton. Hervey Whittington came from Woodford County, Kentucky, 1840, and was the pioneer saddler and harness maker of Plattsburg. He followed this business for some years, and then engaged in other pursuits. He still resides in the town, eagaged in selling groceries.
Winslow Turner came in 1840, from Liberty, Clay County. He was formerly from Massachusetts, and came to Clay County from Fort Leav- enworth.
Colonel Turner was, for many years, circuit and county court clerk. During his terms of office, the records were most admirably kept by him, and are even now, models of neatness and excellent penmanship. He afterwards practiced law, and died in Plattsburg in 1874.
John Steel came in 1840, and began work with Hervey Whittington as a saddler. He was from Pennsylvania, and made the first saddle that was manufactured in Clinton County. He still resides here and follows his old trade.
The above named parties, who settled in Plattsburg between 1833 and 1840, were among the very earliest pioneers of the town.
Soon after the year 1840, came Judge James H. Birch, a Virginian by birth and education, who moved to Missouri in 1826, and located in Plattsburg, Clinton County, in 1841. Judge Birch was for many years register of the land office in Plattsburg. In 1848, he was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of the state, and in 1866, began the publi- cation of the Clinton County Register, a weekly newspaper, which is still in existence. The Judge was a leading politician in this portion of the state, and was one of the best informed men of his day.
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IIISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
General James W. Denver, was also an old citizen, and resided here several years, engaged in teaching school and the practice of law. He went to California from Plattsburg, and was afterwards appointed Gov- ernor of Kansas; was a representative in Congress, and filled other important positions both civil and military. The city of Denver, Colorado, was named after him, which is now (1881) the place of his residence.
Thomas E. Birch, brother of Judge Birch, came after 1840, and was appointed register in the land office here, under General Taylor's administration.
Among other prominent men who resided here at an early day, were General Bela M. Hughes, who now lives in Denver, Colorado, practicing law, and Allen McLane, register of the land office. Then came B. O. Bean, from New Hampshire; Dr. William Evans, from Ohio; Joel Funk- houser, from Virginia; Charles W. Porter, from Vermont ; Joseph B. Biggerstaff, from Kentucky; Moses Shoemaker, from Pennsylvania ; Isaac N. Hockaday, Benjamin Craig and James M. Clay, from Kentucky ; Charles Ingles and W. W. Scutt, from New York, and Andrew Meinin- ger, from Germany. At a later day came Judge T. D. Phillips (present postmaster), W. P. Hooper (present mayor), J. H. Bennett, A. Doniphan, E. M. Lyons, W. H. Conner, James Stonum, D. H. Lindsay (present circuit clerk), A. W. Stearns, H. S. Force, Jack Bowlby, John Vallandig- ham, William L. Ferguson, Captain E. C. Thomas, Virgil R. Porter (present probate judge), J. M. Lowe (present county attorney), and others, who came at a still later period.
SCHOOLS-PRIVATE AND PUBLIC.
The first school taught was by that old pioneer, Richard R. Reese, who was the first county court and circuit clerk and the first lawyer in Plattsburg. The building in which he taught was a small cabin that stood south of and in the neighborhood of R. W. Hockaday's present hardware store. This was as early as 1834, and at a period when there were but a few inhabitants. Mr. Reese left here about the year 1840. We have referred to him elsewhere in this work.
The next regular school kept (by subscription) in the town of Platts- burg, was in 1841, in a log house, located east of the public square, on the bluff. The teacher was Dr. Cyrus Hubbard, a graduate of the Uni- versity of Maine, and a brother of Governor Hubbard, of that state. The Doctor was not only a thoroughbred physician, but a man of fine classical and literary attainments, and notwithstanding his many eccentricities, which were said to have characterized him, he was eminently successful as a teacher. After teaching a term of five months, the Doctor married a Miss Ward, and thereafter devoted himself exclusively to the practice
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of medicine for several years, when he moved away. Among his pupils were: Charles C. Birch, James H. Birch, Jr., C. C. Jones, Brazelton A. Jones, William Quinn, Anthony Palmer, C. C. Palmer, Jane Palmer, Delia Randolph, Virginia Funkhouser, McDonald boys and E. S. Randolph.
The third teacher was, probably, Moses H. Simonds, from Ohio, a graduate of the Ohio University, and a man of excellent scholarship. He taught for some time after his arrival, and until the breaking out of the Mexican war, when he went to Gentry County, Missouri, in 1846, where he raised a company of volunteers for the service. Mr. George Davis, an old and respected citizen of Clinton County, informs us, that he saw Mr. Simonds just before his departure for Mexico, and when they were about to bid each other farewell, having been friends for a number of years, Mr. Simonds suggested that they should exchange pocket-books, as souvenirs, which was accordingly done. Mr. Davis still has the pocket-book given him by Simonds, who died on his way to Mexico.
Then came John Cavenaugh, who was a graduate of the University of Oxford, England, and at one time a fellow of one of its colleges. He taught a short time, in Plattsburg, and also joined a company of volunteers, for the Mexican war, and finally lost his life at Chapultepec.
The next teacher was William H. Pritchard, who was a graduate of the University of Virginia. After teaching one or two years, he returned to Virginia, and died there.
After Pritchard, William E. Emory, a graduate of the Ohio Uni- versity, was employed as a teacher for several years. He returned, finally, to Ohio.
George W. Osborn, then taught several terms, was county surveyor for several years, and died near Cameron, Clinton County.
Thomas D. W. Yonley, taught a number of years, and was afterward Attorney General of Arkansas. He is now in Denver, Colorado, prac- ticing law.
J. M. DeFrance also taught a private school in Plattsburg. He is now an attorney, and resides in Kirksville, Missouri.
Lavinus Transu and Moses Shoemaker may be classed with the early teachers. Mr. Shoemaker was, at one time, clerk of the county and circuit courts. He still resides in Plattsburg.
Among the female teachers were Miss Anna Patton (now wife of Colonel Vance), Miss Cynthia Harris and Miss Frances Davis.
Among the last to open a private school in the town were Miss Aletha A. and Lucy Pepper, from Kentucky. They were highly edu- cated, and taught with great success. After remaining here some length of time, they left for San Francisco, California, where they resumed teaching.
Having had to rely solely upon the memory of different persons for the above information concerning the early schools of Plattsburg,
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we have, of course, mentioned them without any reference to chronolog: ical arrangement. There were other teachers, whose names we could not obtain.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The public school was organized in 1856, after considerable opposi- tion experienced upon the part of those who had been laboring for some time for its establishment.
The directors, who then had the matter in charge, were William L. Ferguson, William Wilkerson and Colonel John Steel. These gentlemen, aided by others, were unremitting in their efforts in behalf of the free school system, and knowing that it had been successfully tested in other states and in other communities, they were satisfied that the same sys- tem, introduced here, would prove to be of incalculable benefit to the masses, and afford the means of furnishing at least a primary education to those who were unable to patronize other schools.
At that period, the public school system, south of Mason and Dix- on's line was not a popular institution, in fact, it was then in its incipi- ency in many of the Northern States. To-day (1881), however, its immeasurable utility is being recognized and felt all over the entire Union, and in no state have free schools made more rapid advance- ment during the past decade than in Missouri.
The first public school in Plattsburg opened its doors twenty-five years ago, under comparatively favorable auspices. The building then occupied was located where the banking house of Clay & Funkhouser now stands. Although the material of which the building was made was wood-a frame building-it was a rude and primitive structure, and contained but one room, which was imperfectly lighted and ventilated.
The first teacher employed in the public schools was A. K. Porter, from Kentucky, who now resides in the town of Plattsburg. Mr. Porter was paid a salary of forty-five dollars per month, and taught at intervals for several years. He opened the school with fifty pupils, the number steadily increasing as the town grew in population, and the prejudices which had existed against free schools abated.
He was succeeded by Sidney P. Cunningham, T. H. B. Turner, of Clay County, William H. Woodson, - Kellum, Miss Jennie Steel, A. J. Everly, and others. Not being able to get the early records, we cannot give the names of all the teachers and the dates at which they taught. Since 1874, however, we have the names of the principals of the public schools, and the names of each succeeding board, which we here give:
1874. - James A. Lanius, principal. Directors : James H. Birch, Jr., M. M. McPhetridge, James M. Riley.
11
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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
1875 .- John S. Stepp, principal. Directors C. M. Hooper, M. M. McPhetridge, James M. Riley.
1876 .- D. H. Lindsay, principal. Directors : J. M. Riley, C. M. Hooper, N. L. Ford.
1877 .- D. H. Lindsay, principal. Directors: J. M. Riley, C. M. Hooper, N. L. Ford.
1878 to 1881 .- L. E. Wolf, principal. Directors : J. M. Riley, N. L. Ford, E. S. Randolph.
1879 .- J. M. Riley, E. S. Randolph, M. M. McPhetridge.
1880 .- E. S. Randolph, Michael Guyer, Reuben Smarr.
Professor Wolf is a native Kentuckian, and has all the qualifica- tions of a successful teacher. His assistants are Miss Louise Porterfield, Miss Delia Sprague, Curtis Randolph, James Brawner.
Professor N. J. Berry is the teacher in the colored school.
There are altogether enrolled, this year (1881), 280 pupils, forty of whom are colored. The building now occupied by the public schools is a brick, two stories, 32 feet by 40 feet in depth, containing four rooms 20 by 28 feet each, and well supplied with all the modern appliances necessary to facilitate instruction. The high school is under the imme- diate charge of Professor Wolf.
PLATTSBURG COLLEGE.
The stranger, coming to Plattsburg, when going from the railroad depot to the business portion of the city, sees upon the left, and north of the Wabash Railroad, a large, two-story brick building, handsomely located upon the northern boundary of what was originally a four-acre lot. The ground is set in blue grass and shrubbery, and the building itself stands amidst luxuriant shade trees, which extend in parallel rows, forming an avenue southward to the entrance of the ground, the entire area being enclosed with a neatly trimmed hedge of osage orange. The building, though somewhat ancient in its appearance and style of archi- tecture, is in good repair, and presents, with its surrounding, an entic- ing aspect. This is the Plattsburg College. As early as 1855, by order of the Methodist Conference, the building was erected, being called, at the date of its establishment, "The Plattsburg High School." It cost at the time about $17,000, and was recognized as one of the finest struc- tures of the kind in this portion of the state.
Being founded by the Methodist Conference, it was for many years under the auspices of that denomination.
The Rev. L. M. Lewis took charge of the college in 1856, continuing his connection with the institution until 1859. The number of pupils during the years that he was in control, averaged about one hundred and fifty, from Clinton and adjoining counties. Mr. Lewis was a man of rare
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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
culture, being not only a classical scholar, but possessing fine literary attainments. After severing his connection with the school, he finally entered the southern army as a colonel, and was afterwards promoted to brigadier general. He is now at the head of some institution of learning in one of the southern states.
He was succeeded by Rev. Jesse Bird, who remained in charge for two years. Mr. Bird was subsequently arrested and imprisoned by the Federal authorities, during the civil war, for preaching the gospel without taking the oath prescribed in the new constitution of Missouri. He is an able and useful minister, having for many years been a member of the Missouri Annual Conference of the M. E. Church South. Few men have stood higher in the estimation of his brethren of the ministry or in the communities where he has labored than the Rev. Jesse Bird. Benjamin Bird, son of Jesse Bird, then became the principal of the school. He, however, remained but a short time, as the building was, while under his control, occupied by militia. While in the possession of the soldiery, the house and grounds were greatly impaired and despoiled of much of their beauty by neglect and rough treatment.
During the war, Professor Scott taught the school, and was suc- ceeded by J. H. Thomas, then Captain E. C. Thomas, Williamson and Brown, Mrs. Lizzie Foster, Linn and Riley, Rev. C. W. Price, and others. The institution has had a checkered history, passing through many different hands, and operated with varying fortunes, till the present owner came in possession, in 1880. Through debt, the property fell into the hands of a corporation, known as the St. Joseph Building Company, and was sold by that company, in 1879, Mr. Thomas J. Porter, James M. Riley, E. W. Turner, N. F. Essig, John M. McMichael, and George R. Riley, of Plattsburg, becoming the purchasers, at the nominal sum of twenty-three hundred dollars. In 1880, Professor J. W. Ellis, of Ken- tucky, bought the building and grounds, and through his efforts, the school has lately been re-opened, and now bids fair to be one of the best, and most popular of its kind, in Northwest Missouri.
The college is now complete in all departments, being supplied with all the necessary apparatus pertaining to a first class institution. The government of the school is good, the curriculum is high, and the facilities afforded the pupil in his efforts to obtain a liberal education are excellent.
M. E. CHURCH, SOUTII.
The M. E. Church, South, was organized at Plattsburg, in 1841, by Rev. Thompson Pecra, at the residence of Thomas Palmer, with four lady members, viz: Mrs. Hannah McMichael, Mrs. Israel Johns, Mrs. Isabelle Palmer and Mrs. Barbara Palmer. Public worship was con- ducted sometimes at Mr. Palmer's residence, and often at the court
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house, until a small log church was built, in 1846, by Thomas McMichael, which now stands on Main Street, and is occupied by the Doctors Essig as an office, the building having since that time been weather boarded, and fitted up for its present purposes.
The first preacher in charge was Thompson Peera, who was suc- ceeded by Rev. --- Clanton. Next in order were William M. Rush, Joseph Devlin, --- Best, E. Robinson, John W. Ellis, Thomas Hurst, Lilburn Rush, -- - Bryant, M. R. Jones, Robert H. Jourdan and William Bradford. In 1858 and 1860, Joseph Devlin was returned, and was suc- ceeded by William Perkins, in 1860-61. Then in order, W. A. Tarwater, Daniel Penny, William M. Rush, Jesse Bird, in 1866-68 ; D. R. Shackel- ford, C. Babcock. Joseph Devlin, J. C. C. Davis, J. A. Wyder, A. V. Bailey, William N. Lewis, Jesse Bird, W. A. Hannah and B. M. Chap- man, who is the present minister.
The church now occupied by this denomination was built in 1868, and dedicated in 1870, by Bishop Cavanaugh, of Kentucky. It is a neat frame, 36 by 56, located on the corner of Second and Osage Streets, and cost about $3,500. Membership, one hundred and eighty.
M. E. CHURCH.
Rev. T. H. Haggerty, of St. Joseph, Missouri, a representative of the M. E. Church, preached the first sermon in Plattsburg in November, 1863. On the 20th day of February, 1865, he organized the first society of that church in the town after the division of 1844. Between the date of his first sermon, and the organization of the society, he and Rev. E. Brookman held occasional services, but no regular services were main- tained until after the conference of 1865. The names of the first persons organized into a class were J. Y. McAdams, L. P .; Mrs. McAdams, N. L. Osborn, C. L .; Mrs. Osborn, George R. Shepherd, Letitia Shepherd, Samuel Shepherd, E. Shepherd, F. D. Phillips, Mary E. Phillips, Joe Funkhouser, ·Barbara Funkhouser, Harrison Funkhouser, Kate Funk- houser and Ann Funkhouser.
At the conference of 1865, the Rev. Calvin Allen was sent to the Plattsburg circuit, which embraced Plattsburg, Stewartsville, Cameron, Mount Moriah and Pleasant Grove. Rev. Calvin Allen remained for two years, and was succeeded in 1867 by Revs. T. B. Bratton and H. L. Beardsley, who were appointed to the circuit.
In 1868, Rev. W. W. Roberts took charge of the church, but during the same year he sought another field of labor in Illinois, and Rev. H. L. Beardsley occupied the remainder of his time. In 1869, the M. E. Church building in Plattsburg was sold for $3,995, the trustees of the church being the purchasers.
In 1869-'70 Rev. A. H. Powell served the congregation, and was succeeded by Rev. J. G. Thompson, presiding elder, who served for six
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months, when Rev. S. Huffman was appointed. In 1871, Rev. W. H. Turner succeeded him, and in 1872 the Rev. O. Williams was appointed, he in turn being succeeded by Rev's Robert Devlin, J. H. Hopkins, J. Il. Cox, C. S. Cooper, and W. F. Clayton, who is now in charge.
Present membership of the church is about fifty. The church building is brick, handsomely situated on the north side of Maple Street, on a large lot of ground, nicely set with blue grass and ornamented with shade trees. Its seating capacity is larger than that of any other church edifice in the town. It was erected in 1859, and is the oldest building now used as a church in the town. It was the subject of litiga- tion between the two wings of the church in 1866, when it was finally decided by the courts to be the joint property of both, hence the order of sale in 1869, already referrred to above.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
was organized on the 4th day of December, 1854, at the old Methodist Church building, now occupied by the Doctors Essig as an office.
The original members were Samuel H. Smith, Henrietta Smith, Wil- liam L. Ferguson, Frances A. Ferguson, James E. Young, Louisiana Young, Thomas J. Patton and Edith Patton.
In those days, the organization had no house of its own wherein to worship, and held their meetings at different places-in other churches and private residences, and often at the old court house, until after the war, when the subject of building a church edifice was discussed. This was determined upon in 1868, when the present brick building was com- menced and finished, in 1869, at a cost of $3,000, including the lot, which is nicely located on the south side of Broadway.
The house has a seating capacity for about three hundred persons ; its windows are of stained glass, and the interior design of the building is plain, neat and comfortable.
The house was dedicated, in June, 1869, by Rev. W. C. Barrett, assisted by Dr. Raumba, and Rev. T. W. Barrett.
The first pastor of the church organization was Rev. W. C. Batchelor, who served two years.
The second pastor was Rev. I. T. Williams, who remained in charge five or six years.
During the late war, the church was without a pastor until June, 1855, when the Rev. W. C. Barrett was called, to fill that position. He continued his pastoral relations with the church until 1873, when he resigned, and located at Richmond, Ray County, Missouri.
Mr. Barrett is a native of West Virginia, where he was born in July, 1810. He is the son of William, his mother's maiden name being Baylis. His grandfather, Samuel Barrett, was of English extraction, and served
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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.
three and a half years in the war of the Revolution, being under the command of General George Washington, and was on duty at Yorktown, Virginia, at the surrender of Lord Cornwallis. Rev. W. C. Barrett had the advantages of only a limited education, but by close application and hard study, he succeeded in obtaining a vast fund of useful and practical information. He was married in August, 1830, to Miss King, and entered life as a farmer and school teacher. In 1835, he united with the Baptist Church, and in 'August, 1844, he was ordained a minister of that denom- ination. He moved to Missouri in 1856, settling in Clay County, and took charge of the church in Plattsburg in 1865. Since his ordination Mr. Barrett has been a consistent and faithful minister of the gospel, and has assisted in the organization and building of many churches. He now resides in Plattsburg, enjoying the esteem and confidence of the entire community.
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