USA > Missouri > Grundy County > The History of Grundy County, Missouri : an encyclopedia of useful information, and a compendium of actual facts > Part 31
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STEADY PROGRESS.
There has been steady progress in the schools of the county, and they have continued to increase in number and efficiency. The yearly apportionment has been more regularly called for and the result has proven very satisfactory. Some few districts in the county need to elect more thorough men to their boards of trustees. No man should accept the position who would not only take an interest in education but work for the success of the school.
LETTER FROM THE STATE SUPERINTENDENT.
The year 1874 opened well for the schools of Grundy county, and not- withstanding there are many older counties in the State, very few, if any, stand higher in the educational department of the State than this county. Exceptionally good teachers, combined with earnest work, have given Grundy county a proud prominence in educational matters. Her ad- advanced progress brought her into notice, and the state superintendent of schools, the Hon. John Monteith, paid Prof. Norton, who was then county superintendent of Grundy county schools, the following high compliment in the year above mentioned. Referring to the change in the county super- intendent's office, he says:
The main defects in the new law are, the assessment of teachers to defray the expense of examination for certificates, and the curtailment of the duties and pay of the county school officer. The first named defect will perhaps be offset by a very material reduction in the contingent expenses of the district, such as the amount thereto paid for blanks and for commis- sions to township treasurers, a fact which will create a strong tendency in the direction of higher wages. The second named defect is the striking off the visitation of schools from the duties of the county school officer.
This is an unfortunate restriction, and if our citizens are desirous of knowing why it was made, let them ask their late representatives. Nearly every member and every senator, without distinction of party or section, advocated or supported this change. This defect is partially, but forcibly offset by a few considerations and facts.
Experience proves that the most effective influence exerted by the county officer upon the schools of his county is the character and quality of the teachers he selects, examines and approves.
289
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
Take, for example, the condition of the schools in the county of Grundy, which will compare favorably with the educational conditions of any other county in the State. The superintendent (now commis- sioner) of that county has held the office for nine years, and yet, during all that time, has drawn almost as small an amount for visitation as has been received for this purpose by any superintendent in the State. The secret of success in this county lies in the fact that Prof. Norton has worked up his schools through his teachers. A thorough, practical teacher at the head of such an educational force, without visitation, will effect more than can possibly be accomplished by an officer selected for political and not educa- tional qualifications with visitation.
The new school law will have a tendency to retain just such men as Prof. Norton at the head of the schools in each county, far more effectually than did the old law. Under the present regulations the county officer is to be elected at the annual school-district meetings, when the people are gathered together for purely educational purposes.
SCHOOL FUND BY TOWNSHIPS.
The schools for 1875 continued in a flourishing condition, and the total number was 84, not counting Grand River College. The school fund for 1875 and 1876 was apportioned among the several townships as follows:
TOWNSHIPS.
No. Schools in T'p.
School Fund.
1875.
1 1876.
1875. 1
1876.
Wilson.
8
8
$
379.86|$
392.04
Marion
10
10
460.80
442.03
Liberty
6
7
284.16
288.09
Myres
6
6
194.88|
220.77
Franklin
8
8
360.00
383.13
Lincoln.
7
7
516.48
478.17
Trenton.
7
7
374.40
408.87
City of Trenton
1 5
5
231.36
217.80
Jefferson
7
7
392.64
377.19
Madison.
7
7
352.32
353.43
Harrison
3
5
173.68
286.11
Taylor.
4
4
147.84
148.50
Washington
5
5
192.00
201.96
Totals
84
87
$4,809.30|$4,963.86
The school population of the county was, in 1875, 6,154. Of this num- ber there was an attendance of 5,008; not attending, 1,046. The above we find upon the county records, but in the state superintendent's report it is given at 4,714, and an attendance of 3,842. Just who is to blame for this difference is not mentioned, and doubtless until this book was published the discrepancy was not known to exist. However, this year 1875 was a new school law, and the changes and errors are probably due to the new or- der of things. While we have given the public school fund for 1876 by
1
746.88
765.27
Jackson
290
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
townships, making a gross sum of $4,963.86, the state superintendent makes $3,319.92. The value of the school property in the county in 1876 was placed at $54,750, and the unexpended balance of school money at the close of the year, $3,522.13. The year 1878 had increased the number of school-houses to seventy-eight. There had been some ten thousand dollars added in new buildings and repairs, and about two thousand more for the necessary apparatus in the different schools. This had been expended from 1876 to 1878, inclusive. This brought up the value of the school property of the county to $86,579. The public school fund for 1877 and 1878 amounted to $7,110.43, and there were on hand at the close of the school year $5,522.60 of school funds. One hundred and sixteen teachers had been employed during the year, and the amount paid them was $15,504.55, the average salaries of male teachers being $33.02, and of females $23.87 per month. There were thirty-eight colored children attended school.
SCHOOLS IN 1880.
There was no halt in the educational department for 1879-80. The schools increased in number and more teachers were needed to impart in- struction, and every effort was to still further advance the popular desire and wishes of the people on the part of those who had the schools under their charge. The following will show the principal features of the schools for the year ending July 1, 1880:
Number white children between six and twenty years of age .. 5,149
colored children between six and twenty years of age 58
Total 5,207
Number attending school, white. 4,872
attending school, colored 23
Total 4,895
Number teachers employed 122
66 of school-houses . 83
of school-houses rented 1
of schools taught 84
Amount paid teachers. $16,314.00
Amount township fund . $14,369.38
Co. fund, including $1,235.48, for fines, etc. 24,812.24
Total $39,181.62
Amount total receipts for the year $27,177.10
total expenditures of the year 22,519.15
Amount of balance carried to next school year $ 4,657.95
291
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
1881.
There is but little to be observed that shows a change for the school year ending July 1, 1881, over that of the same date of 1880. The number of school children gives a small increase, being a total of 5,393, of which 5,155 attended school. There were ninety-six white schools and one colored school in operation during the school year, and $18,071 were paid for teachers' wages, an increase of $1,754 over the year previous. The eighty-three school-houses are paid for, and two houses had to be rented for school pur- poses for the year. Other school-houses will be erected soon, as it is not the intention to pay rent longer than to get a sufficiency of scholars to war- rant the erection of a permanent school-building. The cost of fuel for the year amounted to $814.25, and there were paid for repairs and rent $1,235.50. Besides the regular school funds (State, county and township), there were raised by taxation for the school year just closed, $12,087.77, the school tax for the year being forty-two cents on the dollar valuation. The value of the school property of Grundy county is $87,231. The average of the counties throughout the State is $64,503.52. This shows that Grundy county far exceeds this, her excess being $22,727.48, an excess that is over one-third the general average. This is a showing that any. people may be proud of, and of which few counties can boast.
THE MEN WHO HAVE GUIDED
the schools of Grundy county to their present ennobling and prosperous condition since Messrs. DeBolt and Hubbell closed their duties as school- commissioners have each and all been trained, educated gentlemen, who took pride in their work, and who by energetic labor and faith in the cause of progressive education and a higher order of scholarship have reared a monu- ment to their memory that time will not crumble or decay.
The first who was elected county superintendent after the late war was Prof. R. C. Norton, in 1866, and his successors were:
Prof. John E. Vertrees, elected in . 1868
Prof. Geo. P. Beard, elected in 1870
Prof. R. C. Norton, elected in 1872
Prof. R. C. Norton, reëlected in 1874
Prof. B. F. Thomas, elected in. 1876
Prof. T. B. Pratt, elected in. 1878
Prof. Pratt was reëlected in 1880 and is now superintendent, serving in his second term and giving untiring attention to his duties. The interest ·in the schools of Grundy county is still unflagging, and the desire is to in- crease their usefulness by constant endeavor and securing every faculty for their progress. And, in closing, would say that the entire educational in- terests of Grandy county are grounded upon popular sentiment, enlight- ened law and liberal and comprehensive management.
292
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
CHAPTER X.
MISCELLANY.
County Map-Cyclone, 1880-Political-Population and its Increase-Census of 1880-Com- parison-Official Vote of Grundy County, 1880-Tenth District for 1880-Valuation of Property- Assessment by Townships, 1874-Assessment, 1879-Valuation, 1881-Immi- gration-Grundy County's Advantages.
COUNTY MAP.
The first attempt at a map of Grundy county was one giving the route of the proposed Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad, which was sometime in the year 1858, and several lines had been run, but not then located. In 1875 Messrs. John C. Moore & Co., of Quincy, Illinois, proposed to publish a map of Grundy county complete, but they failed to perform their self-al- lotted task. On their failure Mr. B. F. Thomas took the work in hand and finished the same, giving, with the exception of a slight error in Madison township, a very complete and correct map of Grundy county, giving dis- tricts, townships and town lines, and locating the farms and residences of the county as occupied at that time.
CYCLONE.
" What at first was called a ' gust,' the same Hath now a storm's, anon, a tempest's name."
Saturday, April 24, 1880, will be a day somewhat memorable in the his- tory of Grundy county. It was a day of sunshine and storm, of gladness, of fear and trembling. The storm king had risen in his wrath and swept the earth with vengeful hand and a giant's strength. The gnarled and rugged oak of centuries bowed before his majesty, the lightning shed its baleful ray and lighted up his pathway, and the thunder rolled in unison, making hearts leap with terror.
The morning had been clear and bright, but along about ten o'clock the wind began to rise and its moaning voice gave token of an approaching . storm. The dark clouds began to gather in the southwestern sky, and as they arose they grew dark, and black, and more dense. All at once the wind died away, the air was stifling in its closeness, the lightning grew more vivid and appalling in its intensity and brilliancy, the deep tone of the distant thunder came nearer and nearer, seeming to shake the very earth in its onward way. Then again arose that moaning sound-the storm king was coming, and death and destruction marked his pathway. The clouds suddenly became agitated, then began to assume a rotary motion and a funnel shape, and the awe-stricken citizens saw that ominous cloud move swiftly
293
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
forward, gathering within its folds, by its whirling motion, all things in its destructive patlı. It was mid-day, but the darkness began to gather, the gloom to deepen, and the people of Trenton stood spell-bound. The city was directly in the course of the cyclone and nothing but a merciful prov- idence saved a large portion of the town from instant destruction. The faces of the people assumed a ghastly whiteness, and they stood in a stupor as the whirling clouds came rapidly toward the doomed city. They saw no way of escape. Thus standing awe-stricken, the people gazed at the won- derful sight as though fascinated. They could not turn their gaze away, and they seemed powerless to move. All at once the circular mass careened and broke, that part nearest the earth rising as if being drawn to the larger and blacker clouds above, and passed over the northeast corner of the city, deluging it with a heavy fall of rain. The city escaped, but the clouds again united, taking a northeasterly course, and destruction marked its pathway wherever in its ricochetting motion it touched the earth.
It first struck the farm of John B. Gass, who lived about four miles northeast of town, and he became the first victim of its terrible power. His orchard was nearly destroyed, the trees, being either torn up by the roots or twisted off, went flying through the air. Two of his children and a farm hand were caught and wounded by flying missles before they could reach a place of safety. The outbuildings were blown away and his residence lifted from its foundation and turned partly around, but fortunately without being broken. It was a narrow escape for the family. His brother, Lycurgus, had his house partially unroofed and met with some other damage, but nothing very serious.
The storm-cloud again arose and was heard of at other places. It struck near .Edinburg, destroying orchards and fences, carrying away farm imple- ments and wagons, nobody knew where, making a pathway bare of every semblance of living things, No lives were lost, but the escapes were some- times marvelous.
There was a feeling of relief, and a prayer of thankfulness went up from all hearts when the storm swept by and the bright noonday sun appeared, and was welcomed with joy. Some damage was done at Jamesport, Daviess county, just over the county line. Quite a number of buildings were blown down, the fair grounds seriously damaged, and one man severely wounded. This closes the record of the only cyclone which ever visited Grundy county. Other wind-storms have come and gone, have done some damage, but the storm of April 24, 1880, will be known as the only original cyclone ever seen and felt in this section of country, and there is a unanimous hope that it may be the last.
294
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
POLITICAL.
There is but little to be said of the politics of Grundy county. Previous to the war it was very close as between Whigs and Democrats. The Whigs claimed a very small majority, but popular Democrats like Geo. H. Hubbell and John C. Griffin were generally elected. The first election which was of general interest was in 1860, and in that memorable triangular contest the divided Democracy and the Whigs generally avoided the Republican can- didate, Lincoln, and voted for Douglas, Breckenridge and Bell. Lincoln re- ceived but eighteen votes in the county. This all changed in the presiden- tial election of 1864. November of that year began to show serious signs of the downfall of the Confederate States, and the votes of that year were as decidedly in favor of President Lincoln's second term as they had solidly opposed his first. The vote stood as follows: For Lincoln, 817, for McClellan, seventeen.
From that day until the present, Grundy county, according to her popula- tion, has been the banner Republican county of the State. Now and then a Democrat would succeed in getting some unimportant county office, but it wasn't often enough to cause any material change in the general result.
Sometimes this great majority would be cut down in congressional elec- tions. When a citizen of Grundy county got the nomination, local pride had something of a force in the vote.
The elections for 1876 and 1880 tell of a Republican majority which may be said to stand. The excitement and animosities of the civil war had, in a great measure, subsided, and thus is shown its true political proclivities. The vote of 1876 was 1,810 for Hayes and 1,113 for Tilden. In 1880, for Garfield 1,917, and for Hancock 1,102.
From this vote it is clear that Grundy county is likely, for several years at least, to remain a strong Republican county, or whatever name the party may take. There are but few counties in the State which have been so steadfast in their political faith as Grundy, and the outlook is that that faith will abide with her people during the present generation.
INCREASING POPULATION.
The county of Grundy having been organized in 1841, the census of 1850 gives the first record of her population as a county. This was put down at 3,006. During the next decade the gain in population became more rapid, and in 1860 footed up 7,887, a gain of over 150 per cent. This had proven satisfactory, but the dark cloud of civil war now began to spread over the country, and chaos reigned supreme. Grundy county, like all others, had met with demoralization among her people and stagnation in business. At the end of the war, in the spring of 1865, the county could hardly boast of the population of the census of five years before, that of 1860. Peace had,
295
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
however, thrown the mantle of her wing over the country. Grundy county took new life, and the car of progress moved more rapidly within her bor- ders. The winter of 1865-66 brought quite a large influx of new settlers, and the remaining four years of the decade, ending 1870, were years of prosperity, and the increase of population over 1860 proved to have been 2,680-the census of 1870 being 10,567. This increase had nearly all been received within the four years mentioned. The following are the census returns of 1870, by townships:
Washington .1,014
Trenton ..
2,934
Franklin
.1,029
Jefferson.
874
Liberty .
.1,036
Madison.
1,396
Marion Total
2,284
10,567
Trenton (town) had a population in 1870 of 920. It was not until the November term of the County Court of 1872 that the county was re-districted into thirteen municipal districts in place of the seven above named. The law known as the township organization law had been passed at the ad- journed session of the Twenty-sixth General Assembly of the State of Mis- souri, adopted by the people at the following general election, held Novem- ber 5, 1872. By order of the County Court at the February term of 1876, the township assessors were required to take the population of their several townships in addition to their duties as assessors. They did so, and in March, 1876, returned to the County Court the following:
POPULATION OF GRUNDY COUNTY BY TOWNSHIPS.
Washington
487
Jefferson .
1,022
Franklin.
1,025
Madison .
769
Myres
671
Harrison
581
Liberty .
866
Taylor.
382
Marion.
1,139
Lincoln
1,158
Wilson
900
Trenton
3,442
Jackson.
596
7,424
5,684
Total population of the county .
13,108
From the census returns of 1880 the population of Grundy county, towns and townships, has been returned to the United States Census Bureau at Washington, and the following received is the official report of the United States census for 1880:
GRUNDY COUNTY, TOWNS AND TOWNSHIPS.
Franklin township including Spickardsville
1,261
Spickardsville. 330
557
Harrison township.
Jackson township. 540
296
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
Jefferson township 1,189
Liberty township 907
Lincoln township 1,170
Myres township .. 750
1,091
Edinburg.
174
Taylor township
Marion township, including the town of Lindley 1,307
Lindley 269
4,493
Trenton township, including the town of Trenton Trenton. 3,326
Washington township. 518
Wilson township, including the town of Alpha. 941
128
Total
15,201
COMPARISON.
Increase of the population of the State as compared with Grundy county from 1850 to 1880, by decades:
The population of the State of Missouri in 1850 was. 682,044
In 1860 1,182,612
Increase 73 per cent.
Grundy county, 1850.
3,006
Grundy county, 1860. 7,887
Increase 160 per cent.
County over State for the decade ending 1860, 87 per cent.
State of Missouri, 1860.
1,182,012
State of Missouri, 1870 1,721,295
Increase nearly 46 per cent.
Grundy county, 1860 ..
7,887
Grundy county 1870 .. 1,567
Increase 34 per cent.
STATE OF MISSOURI FOR 1880.
The official figures give nearly forty-six per cent as the gain the past decade; Grundy county, thirty-four per cent. Taking the gain then for the last thirty years, and Grundy county has far more than kept np her average in comparison with the State. Or, in other words the State has gained in population in the past thirty years over the population of 1850 about 318 per cent. Grundy county for the same time has increased her population 506 per cent.
Madison township including the town of Edinburg.
479
Alpha.
297
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
The true population of the United States in 1870 was. 38,925,598 The population of Missouri .. . 1,721,295
The population of the United States in 1880. 50,152,866
The population of Missouri in 1880 2,168,804
Missouri is the fifth State in the Union as regards population, only being exceeded by New York, Pennsylvania, Olio and Illinois. In 1850 Missouri was the thirteenth, and in 1860 the eighth. In 1870 the fifth, and she still retains her position of fifth in 1880.
OFFICIAL VOTE OF GRUNDY COUNTY-1880.
The number of ballots cast in Grundy county at the November election, 1880, taking the vote for governor, showed a total of 3,147; to-wit, Crit- tenden, Democrat, 1,108; Dyer, Republican, 1,915; Brown, Greenbacker, 124. At the same election the following gentlemen were elected to the offices named: Wesley A. Jacobs, State senator; Thos. J. Taylor, represent- ative; Gavan D. Burgess, circuit judge; Wm. H. Wilson, sheriff; county attorney, Melvin Bingham; John E. Carter, treasurer; Isaiah Brainerd, Freeman Dunlap, Isaac Washburn, county judges.
The vote for Congress was between Mansur, Democrat, and Burrows, Greenbacker. The Republicans declined to make a nomination, giving their support solid for Burrows. The vote was as follows:
TENTH DISTRICT.
Chas. H. Mansur.
Burrows.
Scatter- ing.
Randolph
2,963
1,662
. . . .
Chariton
2,945
2,077
. . . .
Linn
2,040
2,126
Sullivan.
1,737
1,775
1
Mercer
999
1,055
...
Grundy
1,096
1,975
. .. .
Livington
1,878
2,354
. . . .
Daviess
1,997
2,064
1
Harrison
1,564
2,196
4
Total
17,219 17,284
6
Majority over Mansur, 65.
REAL ESTATE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY-ITS VALUATION.
At the close of the civil strife all values were deranged, and it was not until 1867 that the State Board of Equalization accomplished the work of securing, as far as was practical, a uniform system of valuation. Grundy county was growing quite rapidly, the influx of settlers in the fall, and the winter of 1866 and 1867, was the greatest of any one year. There was evi- dence that peace would continue and that the development of the rich soil, and the wealth of the coal and mining interests of Missouri would occupy
Jos. H.
298
HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
the people for years at least. The State was in debt, and there was need of money to pay the interest of the bonded debt, the redemption of the float- ing debt, and such uniformities in value of real and personal property of the State as would in a measure assure to the State a certain sum to meet accrued and accrning debts. This was effec ted in 1867, and the rate of taxa- tion for the State and State interest tax arranged.
IN GRUNDY COUNTY.
The assessed valuation of real estate and personal property in Grundy county for the year 1867, was as follows:
Real estate.
$ 1,601,984
Horses
174,680
Cattle
108,120
Hogs. 39,982
Sheep ..
21,079
Total.
$ 1,945,845
The assessment of 1870 shows a very fair, and we might almost say a rapid increase for the three preceding years, the total being for real and personal property $2,396,127, an increase of $450,282. In 1872 the assess- ment of real estate was $1,737,960, and of personal property $844,536; total $2,582,496.
The assessment so far had been uniform, the railroad property forming no inconsiderable part of the amount. From January 1, 1871, to May 1, 1873, the railroad tax had amounted to $46,800. The railroad company paid during the same time a tax of $2,545.04. Total railroad tax collected $49,345.04; of which, after paying accrued interest and warrants, there were left in the treasury to the credit of the railroad fund $5,345.04.
The valuation of real and personal property in 1874, the only year that the assessment was made by municipal townships, as returned, is given below so that the assessed wealth of each township may be known. The assessment was returned on the 23d of April, and entered of record.
1874.
Real and personal property, Trenton township $600,183
Real and personal property, Lincoln township 255,777
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