USA > Missouri > Grundy County > The History of Grundy County, Missouri : an encyclopedia of useful information, and a compendium of actual facts > Part 58
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WILLIAM B. SCOTT
Was born in Morgan county, Ohio, August 5, 1835. His father, William Scott, was a native of Pennsylvania, and his mother, Catharine Scott, of Virginia. He was educated in the common schools of his native county, and learned the carpenter's trade, which has been his occupation most of his life. He was united in matrimony April 1, 1858, to Miss Rebecca Connelly. She was born in Washington county, Pennsylvania, March 1, 1840, and died March 2, 1871. The issue of this marriage was three children: Ella, born February 22, 1859; Martha J., born July 10, 1865; and Augusta, November 11, 1867. October 31, 1872, Miss Emma Shirley became his second wife. She was born in Morgan county, Ohio, January 5, 1844. This marriage was blessed with three children; namely, Carlos, born Jan- uary 13, 1874; Layton, born July 27, 1875; and Cordia, born December 1, 1877; Mr. S. came to Grundy county in 1860, and has worked at his trade,
T'~ NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOR TILDER FOUNDATIONS
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
except during the war. He enlisted August 26, 1861, in company B, Twenty-third regiment Missouri volunteer infantry, for three years, and served his time out; was taken prisoner at the battle of Shiloh, April 6, 1862, and taken first to Corinth, then to Memphis, Tennessee, thence to Jackson, Mississippi, Mobile, Alabama, and shipped from there to Mont- gomery, and thenee to Macon, Georgia, where he was held for five months; then he was taken to Richmond, Virginia, and was two days in Libby Prison, and paroled after being a prisoner six months and thirteen days; was in the hospital two months; then joined his company again, and was with Sherman until that ever memorable period in the history of our country, the fall of Atlanta. Mr. S. still has some beautiful bone jewelry that he made while in prison.
WILLIAM C. SMITH
Was born in Guernsey county, Ohio, March 3, 1823, and was reared and educated in the same county. He was united in matrimony, March 2, 1842, to Miss Laura Gillett, who was born December 10, 1823, in Jefferson county, Ohio. Their family consists of six children; viz., James H., born January 19, 1845, died September 4, 1847; George W., born August 8, 1847; Mary C., born January 8, 1852; Charles E., born July 12, 1860; was educated in the common schools of this county and at the State Normal school at Kirksville, Missouri, and has been teaching three years; Horace G. and Emma, twins, born June 9, 1864. Mr. S. came to this county in 1865, and has given his attention to farm pursuits. He is a descendant of a Scottish family; his grandparents came from Scotland.
JOSEPHI WRIGHT.
Mrs. Martha Wright, the widow of Joseph Wright, deceased, lives at Rural Dale, in Marion township. He was born November 11, 1810, in Highland county, Ohio. His father was a native of New Jersey. He learned the blacksmith trade when young, which he followed for a short time, then learned the wheelwright business, which was his calling most of his life. Mr. Wright came to this county in 1856, and settled where his widow now lives. Was married April 10, 1851. He married Miss Martha Gilmore. She was a native of Highland county, Ohio, born November 6, 1813. They had five children, three of whom are living: Boston and McCazy, twins, born May 11, 1852; and William H., January 23, 1856. He was killed-being shot by some unknown party November, 1863. The shot was fired from the top of his shop, only a few rods distant from where he was standing, near the fence in front of his house. His wife was milk- ing near by. One of his little boys was holding to his hand when the fatal shot was fired, and the other two boys were standing on the doorstep a few paces to one side. Being a strong Union man is supposed to be the only reason for the deed.
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXI. MADISON TOWNSHIP.
Metes aud Bounds-Acres of Land-When Settled-The First Birth in the County-Old Settlers -- The Fright-Sared Their Scalps-The First School-The First Wedding- Mills-Edinburg-Grand River College-When First Started-A Complete History- Business-Petition for Incorporation-Incorporated-1881-Biographies.
MADISON TOWNSHIP.
Madison Township is one of the thirteen municipalities comprising Grundy county, and is six miles square, or a congressional township, with the exception of the small portion that lies in the northeast corner, north and east of Thompson River, which contains six hundred and twenty and three- fourths acres of land and is a part of Harrison township.
BOUNDS.
Madison is on the west side of the county, is bounded on the north by Taylor and Harrison townships; on the east by Thompson River and Tren- ton township; on the south by Jefferson, and on the west by the Daviess county line. Her sonthern line is five miles north of the southern boundary of the county. Madison township has twenty-two thousand four hundred and nine- teen and one-fourth acres of land, very nearly equally divided between timber and prairie. That portion lying on the border of Thompson River is somewhat rough and broken, but plenty of good building stone will be found there. This is, however, but a small, very small, portion of the township. The land, like all of Grundy county is rich and fertile, and while not considered the richest in soil in the county, there is nothing to complain of.
POPULATION AND WEALTH.
When Grundy county was first organized or the time when Mercer county was made separate from the jurisdiction of Grundy, Madison was one of the original seven townships, a plat of which will be found in this work. Origi- nally, the first township name the territory of Madison had was "Sugar Creek," and was given her April 7, 1837, and it remained as Sugar Creek township until February 1839, when it was changed to Madison, in honor of ex-president James Madison. Madison, at that time, included the present township of Taylor within her boundary, and this continued until the new township organization law passed and was accepted by the vote of a major- ity of the people of the county. In 1870, while it constituted one of the seven divisions, Madison was the third township in population. In 1875, after the division, and with the township of Taylor taken from her territory
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IIISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
she became the eighth in population and the fifth in wealth. In 1880 she had gained two points and was the sixth in population and in wealth. The assessed valuation of the township in 1874 was $213,271.
STREAMS.
Thompson River in the northeast is the principal one, but it runs but a short distance on her border. Hickory Creek waters the southwest and Coon Creek the northwestern portion of the township, while Wolf Creek comes in at the southeastern corner, and, with its branches, rises in the vicin- ity of Edinburg.
OLD SETTLERS.
In the settlement of Grundy county, both the east and west sides were settled closely together. Dr. Wm. P. Thompson was the first white settler in Grundy county, west of the Grand River, and he settled in Madison township near Thompson's River in 1834. John Scott came with him, also Harvey Meeks. Milton V. Thompson, now living in Edinburg, and part of the time on some one of his farms in Taylor township, is the son of the late Dr. Wm. P. Thompson, and was some seven years old when he came to this county with his father. At present Milton V. Thompson is the oldest living white settler in Grundy county as well as Madison and Taylor townships, both of which he calls his home. Dr. Wm. P. Thompson was the first judge of the Livingston county court, elected from what is now Grundy county. He was elected from Sugar Creek township, now Madison, and was presiding justice of Livingston County Court from February, 1839, until and inelnding the February term of 1841, when a new court was elected in Livingston to take the place of those outside of the county. The doetor was the first justice of the peace for the township and the first doctor in the township and in the county, the only brigadier-general who ever called Grundy county his home, and probably had more square miles in- eluded within his practice as a physician than any doctor who ever lived in the State of Missouri. Then there was Burt Masters who supposed he was a resident of Grundy county and used to be occasionally around the Thomp- son settlement, a good farmer who, on the county line being run, found him- self in Livingston county less than a half-mile from the line.
The rush of 1835 was a fair one for Madison township. That year came George Peery, with his wife and three children, two of whom are living, Dr. Archibald Peery and Mrs. Louisa Moore, and Humphrey Best. Then came Evans Peery and his son Wm. N. Peery, Robert Peery, Thos. Carnes, Elder McCammon, Isaac J. Harvey, Wm. Metcalf, Philip Wild, George Bunch, John M. Graham and sons, Wm. Renfro and R. F. Keith, all came in 1835-36-37, also, Thomas Hamilton and the Slingers on Hickory Creek, besides others whose names were not remembered. Not only the first set- tler on the soil of Grundy is placed to the credit of Madison township, but it has also the credit of the first white child born on its soil. Emory Wild,
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
son of Philip and Sallie Wild was born one and one-half miles northeast of Edinburg, July 12, 1836. Daniel, Philip and Win. Ashbrook settled in the southwest part of the township, while John Shaw, Lewis Phillips, Elisha Inman, Wm. C. Harvey, Absalom Harvey, James and Minor Wynn and James Applegate and sons, were all settlers on or before the year 1840, be- sides many others who arrived in the last named year. Beli Gentry's name was overlooked, he was a good farm worker and one who was noted for using vigorous English a little oftener and easier than any man in the township, with Wmn. Cox, John, William and Matthew Gibson, the Longs, all came in 1839. Matthew Gibson was a justice of the peace. These were the men who started the work of making the wilderness a home of peace and plenty for future generations and well did they fulfill their self-imposed task.
This township also turned out liberally to induce the Mormons to leave the country, just over their border, and who had proved very unwelcome neighbors. They had, also, rallied to the call of General Thompson when the Heatherly gang made their false alarm of an outbreak of an Indian war, and so these settlers had their patriotism tried.
SAVED THEIR SCALPS.
And right here we will mention a little incident of how the prospect that tomahawks and scalping-knives might be doing their bloody work, was felt by at least one family. There is no question that the settlers felt a cold chill pass up and down their spinal columns at the first news, and just here is where it caught Mr. George Bunch. George had been attending mill and looking after a farm, and wasn't at all anxious to become a second Daniel Boone. The night following the news was an anxious one among the settlers, of which George Bunch, wife and several children were one or more. Quite a storm came up that night, and the wind broke off a limb of a tree near his cabin, and it broke with a sharp snap that sounded for all the world like the crack of a rifle. George heard it and with a bound was out of bed and on his feet, and with blankets wrapped around them the family were hurried ont into the open prairie and hid in the grass. The rain came down and the grass seemed damp, but it was so much better than being sealped that George was happy. Just as he thought that he was safe, however, the baby, not used to the sudden change, set up a yell that nearly took the hair all off of Bunch's head in its rise and his sudden terror. "For God's sake," said Bunch, "wife, stop that erying or we will all be sealped!" The poor wife and mother was frightened and tried her best to stop the child, and as she could not, she spoke, "O George, I can't!" George whispered back in awful desperation to "choke it," but it stopped before the mother had to resort to extreme measures .. It is hardly neces- sary to say that George and his family saved their scalps, but it leaked out about the choking business, and it was a good many years before George Bunch was done with being greeted, "Choke it, George!"
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
ADVANCING.
The march of civilization goes on step by step, and the first advance made in that line was in 1837, when the citizens began to put aside their mud and stick chimneys and make them of stone. Mr. Humphrey Best started this innovation, and had a stone chimney put in his house. Mr. Ira Norris was the architect and builder, and Humphrey helped carry the stone. The neighbors all around came and looked at it, and it was generally con- ceded that it was real nice, a great improvement, and that Mr. Best was a rising man.
INCIDENTS.
The first death in Madison township, if not, as has been heretofore stated, an old lady who died at Dr. Wm. P. Thompson's, was a Mrs. Martin Wynn, who died early in the year 1837, and was buried at Trenton, or rather, in those days, Lomax Store.
The first cloth wove was by Mrs. Nancy Harris. The second justice of the peace was Mr. Evans Peery, Dr. Thompson being first. The first three doctors were Dr. Wm. P. Thompson, Dr. Jos. Cooper and Dr. Archibald Peery. The very first sermon preached in Madison township, and supposed to have been really the first in the county, was at the house of George Peery, early in 1835, and was by the Rev. Thos. T. Ashby.
THE FIRST MARRIAGE.
The first wedding in Madison township, and this, also, is believed to have been the first in Grundy county, was that of Milton L. Moore to Miss Louisa Peery, daughter of George Peery, all of Madison township. This event occurred April 6, 1837. At the time of the wedding the young couple took a short wedding tour, which was a common occurrence in those days. This tour, however, was cut short by the fact that the young husband's farm was only two miles from the old home, but they went on horseback, all the same. The outfit was regal for those days. To. be sure the cabin was only partly floored, and the window-sash and glass hadn't arrived, nor had the Charter Oak cook stove come to hand, but such little inconveniences were not thought worth while to worry over, for the skillet was there, and, we are sorry to record, was cracked, and the bake-pan and some tinware, such as cups and plates, and they went right to housekeep- ing. Their parlor, bed-room, sitting-room and kitchen was arranged so that they could be thrown all into one room, making their cabin a large and commodious building, inside, and as they generally in the start united all these rooms into one, it was mighty convenient, besides it looked more sociable, and there weren't so many rooms to sweep up, either. And this was the way the belle of Madison township went to housekeeping, and such, we
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HISTORY OF GRUNDY COUNTY.
are assured was her housekeeping outfit. The lady is alive and well to-day, a noble specimen of the woman-pioneer, and an honor to the county. May she live long in the land with family and friends around her.
SCIIOOLS.
The first school taught in Madison township was by Miss Louisa Peery, in the winter of 1835-36, the lady above spoken of. She had been well educated and taught successfully. . This school is thought to have been the first one in Grundy county. It was a log building about one mile north- east of Edinburg, on what was known as Philip Wild's farm. It was 14x14 and built by Wild, Peery, Scott and Thompson.
The second school taught was by Robt. Moss, since removed to Livingston county, in 1838, in a little log affair, about one-fourth mile north of Wm. N. Peery's present place of residence, a little over two miles west of north of Edinburg.
ELECTIONS.
The first election held upon the soil of Madison, was in May, 1837, and it was held at the house of Wmn. Peery, and, as the order for the election read, " in and for Sugar Creek township." The judges at this election were Wm. P. Thompson, George Bunch and Philip Wild. The elections were the next year held at the house of Philip Wild, it being designated as the voting precinct for said Sugar Creek township.
CHURCHES.
The first organized church in the township was the Coon Creek Baptist Church. It was the usual log building, with puncheon seats and the win- dows open to the weather. This church was organized in December, 1844, and Elder Wm. McCammon was its first preacher and its last, that is the elder is still in charge of this church, and has been its steady pastor for seven and thirty years; yet in all that time his work has been more one of love .thian of emoluments. In fact, a ten dollar bill would more than cover his cash receipts for that thirty-seven years of faithfully performing God's holy work. How it would improve, and what a glorious world this would be if there were more Wm. McCammons? The Southern Methodist located in Edinburg was the second church in the township.
MISCELLANEOUS.
There are several flouring-mills in Madison township, also in Taylor, and a fine mill at Jamesport, in Daviess county, and why these are all men- tioned here is because they were all built by one man and his sons, James A. Graham. Mr. Graham is still alive, and a resident in the southwest part of the township, about one half mile from the Daviess county line, but
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he is one of the oldest settlers of Madison township. Of these old settlers all were more or less identified with the official affairs of the township. Wn. N. Peery has been a justice of the peace and on the school board for years; his father, Evans, was a justice of the peace. Wm. and Dr. Archibald have held trusts, and the latter is still living. Jno. P. Winters came in 1840, and he held the assessorship; Wild, Bunch, Dunkerson. Gibson, and Harvey, all held office, while the rest of the old settlers have all been prominent men, and those still living stand among the foremost of the present day. In regard to the Mexican War, the company commanded by Maj. J. C. Griffin, got a goodly number from Madison township. The California excitement was really intense in that township, and a large number left. Many re- turned fairly provided with the wealth of the golden land. Others re- mained there being satisfied with the country. The unfortunate civil war fonnd Madison township pretty equally divided as to sentiment. Whatever may have been thought of the final result of that fearful struggle, by the peo- ple of Madison township, the predominant feeling now is, that there is no time for bitterness, the present requiring their nndivided attention. And thus the war is little talked about, the desire being to pass it by and dwell in the present and future of our country, not in its past turmoil and strife.
Mrs. Absalom Harvey, another of the pioneers of Madison, is still living at the age of eighty-five, but at present is not in good health and unable to give the incidents of her early life, which was full of interest. Isaac J. Harvey, her son, who built the first store in Edinburg, is now a resident of California. Milton L. Moore, whose marriage is recorded in these pages, went to California in 1850 and remained three years, and died on his way home. Thos. Carnes is living now; an honored citizen of Trenton. Many of the old settlers, and in fact nearly all, have passed the portals of the pearly gates, and but few are left. Madison township has thins kept pace with her sisters in nearly every department of progress. Her schools and churches have grown with her growth. Her farmers are nearly all in good circumstances, her soil is still rich and fruitful, and there are yet some thou- sands of acres that should receive the care of the husbandman. It is a good township to settle in-land ranges from ten to twenty dollars per acre, according to location and improvements. Stock raising is demanding more attention of late; the people are liberal and progressive. From 1870 her people have voted time after time in favor of taking $25,000 stock in a rail- road. Up to this time she has failed to get her " heart's desire," but the day is near at hand when her hopes will be realized. The Quincy, Mis- souri & Pacific Railroad, now at Trenton, will pass through this township from east to west near its center. This will give her all the railroads she will need, as no part of the township can be possibly over four or five miles from a station. The settlements the past five years show no particularly favored spot, all parts of the township seem to have progressed alike. The
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late Jesse Miller, of this township, was once county judge, his wife is now living, and has given some very interesting accounts of the early times.
MINERAL SPRINGS.
Missouri is prolific in her mineral waters whose life and health-giving properties are having a wide reputation. Many springs have been discovered the past year, a chemical analysis of which has shown them to possess won- derful curative properties. Those in Saline and Platte counties have had their virtues tried and are found to have all those qualities which have such remedial effect npon all sorts of chronic diseases. During the present month a mineral spring of undoubted health-giving qualities has been found on the farm of Dr. U. T. Green within half a mile of Edinburg, and some five miles west of Trenton. They are pleasantly situated on the edge of a woodland with a beautiful undulating prairie reaching out for miles around. The springs are capable of being handsomely improved. The waters are said to have great curative qualities, and of a sufficient quantity to make them a pleasant resort for many invalids, while those who are in health will find them of great benefit. These springs are to be utilized and another year a hotel and other accommodations will be found by those who wish to partake of their healing waters.
EDINBURG.
There are four small towns in Grundy county, of which Edinburg is the oldest and is third in size, her present population being about 200. The cen- sus gave her a population in 1880 of 174. In this record of population there is nothing to suggest a metropolitan city or people, in fact Edinburg is a small village with the usual village attractions, but with a cultured and re- fined people, some very pretty residences and grounds and a handsome lo- cation. Edinburg is situated on the edge of a beautiful and undulating prairie, is surrounded by a rich farming community, and is itself something farm like in its features and make up. Quite a number of its residences have back yards that cover a good many acres of ground, and grow prosper- ous fields of cereal crops. It is about four and a half miles west of Trenton, the county seat, and has two roads leading to that town. The town was first located in 1838, and Isaac J. Harvey may be considered its founder. He built both the first store and house on the present site of the town, and on the spot where now stands the more modern structure of Woodruff & Shafer. Harvey ran his store a number of years. As a large portion of the settlers were farmers there was nothing to give Edinburg any great start as a town, and the one store was about all it could afford for many years. What is known as the Thompson settlement, the Peery's and the Witten's gave about all that was of note to Edinburg in its early days. There was really nothing of moment here until 1850 when "Edina," the poetical name given to its Scottish namesake, made a forward march in the estab-
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lishment of Grand River College, and from their determined efforts in the cause of education did this beautiful country village take its name.
"Edina! Scotia's darling seat! All hail thy palaces and towers, Where once beneath a monarch's feet, Sat legislation's sovereign power."
There is nothing in the history of Grundy county that can be more proudly referred to than the inception and progress of this grand institution of learning, the fame of which has spread over many States, and more es- pecially can the people of Madison take pride, for it is to them and their per- sonal effort which has given to the county and this small village of Edin- burg a name for culture and refinement, and a lavish expenditure of money in the cause of education, which is the foundation and at the same time the citadel of American freedom, the education of the people. The history of Grand River College will be among the brightest and best of the many marvels which gives to Grundy county the high station among the most enlightened of her sisters. It was early in the year 1850 that serious talk began to be heard of a more extended means of education than was then vouchsafed to the people of Madison. Still their facilities were equal to any of the neighboring townships. At that time there was no school fund and the education of the children was all by private schools. Those who could afford their children schooling did so. Still there was a yearning for something besides "arithmetic, reading and writing," and that with for a higher and more thorough course of educational training took shape and form in the inauguration of Grand River College.
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