The History of Jackson county, Missouri, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Jackson county in the late warhistory of Missouri, map of Jackson county, Part 12

Author: Union Historical Company
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Kansas City, Mo. : Union historical company
Number of Pages: 1068

USA > Missouri > Jackson County > The History of Jackson county, Missouri, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Jackson county in the late warhistory of Missouri, map of Jackson county > Part 12

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MR. JEWETT,

who resides about two miles east of Independence. He is a man who believes in a good home, good farm and stock, and, therefore, he has all of them. He is a careful, discreet breeder and feeder, is successful in the business, and believes this is one of the finest stock countries in the world. He is a model farmer and a born gentleman of rare good sense, courteous, conservative temper, exception- ally good habits, fine sense of honor, well disciplined mind, is practical, enter- prising and liberal, and is held in high esteem throughout the county for his manly qualities. His farm is one of the best in the county, and his stock of the finest and purest breeds. His attention has been more directly turned toward the breed- ing of fine wool growers than anything else, and his flocks to-day are the best in the State.

There are several other stock men whose names should appear, but owing to their own carelessness, or fear of notoriety, or loss of a few dimes, failed to give the desired information. Men are known by their enterprise and pluck, and when soft heads decline giving information for " fear you are not posted in regard to stock," they need expect nothing. It is supposed that a practical newspaper man understands his business, and one who does not had better shut shop. Of all the men in this world, a newspaper man should be, if he is not, the most gifted and best posted man, though there are any number of men who are capable of holding wealth, though incapable of making it.

CLIMATE.

Missouri is situated in the southern half of the north temperate zone, conse- quently the winters are not long and rigorous, neither are the summers excessively hot and depressing.

Jackson county though subject to the sudden changes which visit all parts of the country has a great advantage both in locality and elevation over other counties of this state and also Kansas. At one time it was asserted that the climate of the Missouri Valley was colder in winter and warmer in summer than the Atlantic States in the same latitude, but this idea has long since been exploded by observations which have been made in both regions. The mean temperature during the summer is 75°, and the annual average rainfall is forty inches, no other section of the State having a greater supply of rains.

From Blodgett's Climatology of the United States we learn that the " early distinctions between the Atlantic States and the Mississippi Valley have been quite dropped, as the progress of observation has shown them to be practically the same, or to differ only in unimportant particulars. It is difficult to designate any important fact entitling them to any separate classification ; they are both alike subject to great extremes; they both have strongly marked continental features at some seasons and decided tropical features at others, and these influ- ence the whole district similarly, without showing any line of separation. At a distance from the Gulf of Mexico to remove the local effect, the same peculiar- ities appear which belong to Fort Snelling ; Montreal as well as to Albany, Balti- more and Richmond."

HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

As this county is nearly on the same parallel as Maryland it is fair to pre- sume that the climate is nearly identical, provided the above be true, yet observa- tion shows that there is a perceptible tendency to extremes as we go further west, owing to the lakes and prairies, probably, and shows that the spring and summer are decidedly warmer, and the winters colder here than in Maryland. From the open country, the great sweep of the winds and the force of the sun, the malaria arising from the rich alluvial soil is counteracted and dispelled, so that the cliamte here is as healthy as in any portion of the known world.

In his observations on the climatology of Missouri, Dr. Engelmann states that the principal elements of the climate of a country are its temperature and moisture. They influence and condition the existence and prosperity of organic life and the well-being of the human family. But these elements are to be con- sidered not only in their average but even more so in their extremes; for the extremes more than the means establish the capability for and the geographical limits of many productions. The climate of Missouri is on the whole a dry one with strong evaporation, and an atmosphere but rarely overloaded with moisture. The average amount of vapor, or rather dissolved water in the atmosphere, the relative humidity, in only 66°, 72° in winter and 59° in spring, 66° in summer and 68° in autumn. Thus spring proves to have the driest atmosphere, and April more than any other month, which by the way is perfectly comfortable with the considerable fall of rain which we often notice in spring. We enjoy in this country an unusual amount of fair weather. Our autumnal season is celebrated for it and also in the other parts of the year fair weather and bright sunshine prevail to the great benefit of organized life and the well-being of the human family. Thunder storms are frequent in spring, on an average fourteen, in sum- mer twenty, principally from May to July, they occur rarer in autumn seven, and in winter only two. In the warmer seasons they are sometimes accompanied by short but violent tornadoes, which invariably like most thunderstorms come from the southwest, and sometimes do considerable damage. Violent hail storms have prevailed in some seasons and some localities, while others have been free from their injurious visitation.

The following occurred in this county the first week in June, 1879:

THE CYCLONE.

The cyclone struck Jackson county about two miles south of Lee's Summit. For about a half hour it had been raining and hailing from the northwest when another cloud came up from the south bearing a deep, dark color. At once the wind changed and blew furiously from the south, and when the two clouds came together it formed a figure in appearance to that of an inverted funnel, the upper end of the funnel-shaped cloud reached far up in the heavens, while the lower or larger end rested on the ground, and as it advanced seemed to drive the other clouds right and left as a steamboat ploughs through the water. The cyclone was now organized and took a northeasterly course in the direction of Dr. Dun- nington's residence. At that time the family were in the basement at supper, the cyclone seized the house as with the grasp of a giant and scattered it, furniture, clothing, etc., in fragments all over the surrounding fields, but none of the family were hurt. When it passed the Missouri Pacific Railroad, it twisted off the telegraph poles at the surface of the ground as if they had been pipe stems, and scattered them in fragments over the plain as it had done the house of Dr. Dunnington. Pro- ceeding on its way it mowed its course through erops, fences, hedges, etc., on a line about half way between the residences of Mr. Goodman and Mr. Reeder, drawing the house of the latter off its foundation about ten feet, but leaving it whole and not injuring a single member of the family, of whom there were sev- eral, but seriously frightening them. Just opposite to Reeder's and a half mile away, it destroyed Mr. Goodman's barn, but doing no further damage. Its next

HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

pranks were concerned with Mr. Watson's nursery buildings which it damaged somewhat, moving one of the buildings twenty feet in its course without other- wise damaging it. Passing along three or four hundred yards further, it entered the orchard of Mr. John C. Howard, and ploughing its way through it at about two hundred yards in width, uprooted and tore off at the surface large numbers of trees, destroying at least two-thirds of the orchard ; thence it proceeded carry- ing away fences, pulling posts out of the ground, transferring them and the rails and planks to various distances from one hundred yards to a half mile. When it reached the residence of Mr. Cushenbary on the farm of John R. Blackell, it did its work more completely even than before, whirling the house around, tearing it literally to pieces, carrying most of it for several hundred yards. The family, con- sisting of Mr. Cushenbary, his wife and two children, were taken with the house into the air and borne along in the wind. When they fell to the ground they were more dead than alive, having been dropped down from the clouds head foremost, for their hair was all matted with mud and their clothing was torn in shreds. Mrs C. and one of the children were thought to be fatally injured, but Mr. C. and the other child were uninjured. It seemed a miracle that any being could live through such an experience. Everywhere were scattered pieces of lumber, fences, furni- ture and debris covering the ground. Here more damage was done to the crops than anywhere else on the route of the storm, even the young corn being torn to tatters. On it went reaching and unroofing the house of J. A. Scruggs and the family escaping unhurt except Mrs. Scruggs whose collar bone was broken, just how no one could tell. Next the residence of Mr. T. Constable was demolished and everything it contained, the family escaping with nothing left but their lives. Then the district school house yielded to the unceremonious visitor and was numbered with the things that are past. The fine two-story residence of Mr. John Hutchings was next swept away, hardly leaving a vestige to tell the tale of distruction, but all the family, part above and part on the ground floor, escaped un- hurt. It was by Divine intervention that their lives were preserved. The residence of Mr. Thaddeus Warden, built of large, heavy logs, was taken to pieces in an instant and scattered, the family of six or seven were hurt, but none fatally. Thence the destroyer tore Mr. Black's residence to pieces and proceeded on its way to Blue Springs.

The little boy Frank Harris who was present and saw the terrible catastrophe says that the first Mr. Harris and family knew of the approach of the cyclone was when it reached the railroad about three hundred yards south of the house. Believing it was coming directly toward the house, Mr. Harris seized the babe and bade the others to follow and with his wife started west and went thirty or forty yards from the house, then saying to his wife " It is coming right here," they reversed their course and ran back to the house, and twenty-five yards east to the straw stable. Here they were overtaken by the cyclone at about its center, the western part sweeping away the house but not extending as far west as the parties had gone on their first attempt to escape. The boy who was a bright lit- tle fellow of nine years of course knew nothing of what occurred after the cyclone struck the family, but was himself thrown into the straw rick and covered over with straw and was there quite a while before he could get out. He was not seriously hurt only bruised or burned about the face. When Mr. Mallory Smith who was the first on the ground arrived, the boy had in his arms the babe which he had picked up from the ground where it had been thrown literally stripped of its clothing. The boy stated that when he got out of the stack and saw first his mother that she ran toward him, which with her wild and strange appearance frightened him and he ran from her, but she soon fell to the ground. When Mr. Smith reached the place she was still prone on the ground but conscious. She spoke to Mr. Smith telling him she was killed. Leaving her, Mr. Smith went in search of the others. He passed along the course of the cyclone and in about

HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

thirty or forty yards found the little eight-year-old girl dead, and going still farther at about three hundred yards in the corn field, he discovered Mr. Harris strug- gling to rise and when he reached him he found him unable to rise and though trying to talk was unable to do so by reason of the mud in his mouth. He assisted him as best he could and amongst the first things said by Mr. H. was that he was killed. His clothing was literally torn into tatters and rolled in the mud, his leg broken and his ribs and other parts of his body seemed to be crush- ed. Other help coming up the entire family dead and alive were taken to Mr. Smith's, the wife dying on the way and Mr. H. dying about 12 o'clock that night. The tornado after leaving the Harris place kept on in the same general direction, but did no damage of consequence until it reached the residence of Mr. Under- wood, half a mile away, which it also completely demolished. The family saw the storm coming and saved themselves by running out of the house lying flat on the ground and clinging to the shrubbery. The next place the storm struck was the residence of Martin Gore, one mile farther on. The gable ends of his dwel- ling were torn out leaving the sides standing and the roof on. After this the storm did no further damage of consequence and after pursuing its course for three miles further it seemed to scatter and was seen by ex-County Judge A. G. Williams to rise directly in front of his residence and disappear into the clouds with a loud noise like the roar of artillery. Mr. Williams and family were pre- paring to vacate their dwelling when the storm disappeared.

All along the whole path of the tornado trees were uprooted and the leaves were scorched and blackened as if a fire had burned them. The general appear- ance of the storm was very much like that of the cyclone which passed over Richmond, Ray county one year before. As above stated this cloud from which the wind and rain seemed to come was in the shape of an immense inverted fun- nel of a dark bluish cast and seemed to be continually whirling and grinding within itself. The funnel seemed to float along with the bowl part close to the ground but frequently bounding up and almost disappearing in the air for a space of several seconds when it would again drop to the earth. The storm was accom- panied by a heavy storm of rain, and in the vicinity of Blue Springs the rainfall was accompanied by a large shower of black sulphureous mud.

The storm was plainly visible at Independence, Buckner and other adjacent points, but no effects of it were felt. It was upon the whole the most terrific, as well as most disastrous storm that has ever visited Jackson county and one which will long be remembered and talked of. The damage to life and property was very great.

Mr. Cushenbary was in bed sick and by his side lay a little babe. He was carried one hundred and fifty yards from the house and was found sitting in the corn field holding the babe in his arms. At the same time a dog was blown about same distance and found near Mr. C. in a hole scooped out apparently for him. On the line of the storm at one place a mule was caught and carried off. At intervals he would reach the earth and plant his feet in it, ploughing it up with the vain endeavor to hold his own-failing he would sail on with the storm, and then stop again in the same way, but there was no use Mr. Mule had to yield up his own preference and obey the exigencies of the master that had him. The same facts are predicted of the horses belonging to Mr. Scruggs, but only two of which were as unfortunate as the mule. A rock two and a half by six feet was pulled out of its bed, turned over and whirled about like a plaything.

At Mr. Samuel Constable's house a bedstead was taken from under a bed on which two ladies were resting and carried a half mile, and the house scattered in all directions, the occupants of the bed being left intact on the bed on the ground beneath where the floor had been. Several persons report having seen a ball of fire, some say as large as a bushel measure, others like a barrel in size, moving in front of the storm, and leading it whithersoever it went.

HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

Mr. Harris's little son mentioned above was lifted up, deposited in a straw stack near by, and covered over entirely, thus escaping without much injury. Persons carried up compare their sensations to what would be felt in sinking into a snow bank, or in some yielding substance thicker than water. All speak of a sulphureous odor. The storm dispersed when it struck the elevation in the neigh- borhood of Judge Williams' farm, thus leading many to the conclusion that high localities protect against the cyclones.

CLIMATE, HEALTH AND DISEASE.

We shall use as the basis of this article on pathology the notes and experiences of Dr. Leo Twyman, who was for many years a successful practitioner in Jackson county. Dr. Twyman was born in Scott county, Kentucky, January 23, 1799, and was educated at Bardstown in the same State. He married Julia Ann Payne, a native of Woodford county, Kentucky. He removed to Illinois, and there for a short time followed his profession, and in 1827 came to Missouri and settled at St. Charles, where he lived till 1844. In addition to the medical practice, Dr. Leo Twyman carried on a large mercantile business at St. Charles, and when the St. Charles College was established, under the auspices of the M. E. Church, he erected a large boarding house in connection with the institution, which, however, proved a financial failure. In 1844 he removed to Jackson county, where he died April 22, 1872. He practiced in this county for more than a quarter of a century, and showed himself a superior man in his profession. He was a good student, and did much to advance the science of medicine in Jackson county and the country adjoining. During his later years he kept hotel in Independence, and was an exceedingly popular landlord. At one time he belonged to the Metho- dist Episcopal Church, but some years before his death united with the Catholic Church, the sect in whose care he was brought up and educated, having in youth graduated at the Saint Joseph's Catholic College in Bardstown, Kentucky. At his funeral great respect was show his memory in the vast concourse that assem- bled to do him honor. The funeral obsequies were conducted by Father Donnelly, who died recently in Kansas City.

The following resolutions of respect were presented at a

MEETING OF THE MEDICAL SOCIETY OF INDEPENDENCE, MO.

At the summons of the President, Dr. Asa Farrar, the Medical Society of this city met to pay the last tribute of respect to the venerable Dr. Leo Twyman, who died at his residence Monday night, the 22d inst., at 10 o'clock.

On motion, a committee of three members, Drs. J. T. Brown, J. P. Henry and John Bryant, Jr., were appointed to report resolutions expressive of regret and sympathy for his friends. The Chairman of the committee reported the following :

Resolved, That it is with sorrow we meet to commemorate the demise of our learned and venerable associate in the Medical Profession, DR. LEO TWYMAN.

Resolved, That this society and the profession at large, have lost a member of exemplary distinction.

Resolved, That we follow his remains to their last resting place.

Resolved, That we tender our sympathies to his family and friends, and that a copy of these proceedings be presented to the family of the deceased.

Resolved, That a copy of the proceedings be furnished the city papers for publication.

A. M. FARRAR, M. D., President.

J. H. McMURRAY, M. D., Secretary.

Independence, Mo., April 22d, 1872.

HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

Dr. Twyman gave considerable attention to the relation of meteorology to hygiene. He studied the typography and climate and the origin of the principal diseases. It is quite important for settlers and immigrants to know what sections of the county are most healthful. Some have asked if this is a healthy county ? The answer without any hesitation will be given in the affirmative, that it is as much so as any in the State. In all the counties there are somethings that are calculated to produce disease-some localities are more healthy than others, and to enable strangers coming into the county to select the one and avoid the other is our object. Jackson county in its general aspect is an elevated, undulating plain intersected by numerous small streams running generally from the southwest to the northeast, and emptying into the Missouri River which forms the north- ern boundary of the county. The principal of these streams are the Big Blue, the Little Blue, Rock Creek, Sni-a-bar Creek, Fire Prairie Creek, Sugar Creek and Mill Creek and their tributaries. Adjacent to all these streams are bottom lands, more or less extensive, nearly along their whole course on one side, and bluffs or hills on the other. These bottoms are but little subject to overflow for the reason that their beds are very deep and capable of containing and carrying off a large amount of water, and the great number of them when compared with other sections. As may be supposed the country is well supplied with springs of good water ; as an evidence of this let us mention that the city of Indepen dence is situated on one of the highest points of the dividing ridge between the Little Blue on the one side, and Rock Creek and Big Blue on the other. Within the limits of the city are numerous springs which are the sources of considerable creeks, some of which will be noticed. On the southeastern portion of the town is one of the heads of Sanders Creek, emptying into the Little Blue at a distance of five and a half miles. On the east there are five springs which are the sources of Lick Fork Creek, emptying also into the Little Blue at a distance of six miles. On the north there are seven which unite with various others to form Mill Creek, emptying into the Missouri River eight miles distant. On the west is one of the head springs of Sugar Creek, running into the Missouri River about four miles from its source. In the southwest are three of the sources of Rock Creek, which after running southwest about two miles, turns nearly north and empties into the Missouri River between Sugar Creek and Big Blue. Some idea may be thus formed of the abundance of water, and the perfect manner in which the land is drained.

The bottoms above mentioned extend up the several branches to near the summit of the dividing ridge, and many of the springs rise within fifty yards of the summit. In the larger bottoms are a number of small ponds or lakes, and spots of marshy ground which are filled with water the greater part of the year, and in rainy seasons become quite extensive, which evaporate and dry up in the hot, dry seasons usually following in the months of July, August and September, and thus generate the poisonous exhalation about which so little is known, and called by physicians " miasm " or "malaria " which produces fevers of various types and grades. This exhalation follows along the different ravines, even to the summit of the highlands, and is carried a greater or less distance in proportion to the current of air or wind.

But they do not seem to extend very far up the sides of the ravines unless carried by a strong breeze ; care should, therefore, be taken to avoid locating resi- dences near the heads of ravines, and more particularly where they terminate on the ridges, which is a frequent error. A man finding a good spring near the sum- mit of a hill, builds his house so as to be near the water, on the hill or ridge, and immediately in the course of the ravine, and as a consequence receives the con- centrated "miasm" arising from it. Now at a distance of fifty or at least a hundred yards a point may generrally be selected very nearly if not entirely free from it, The existence of this malarious air in the ravines is very clearly proven

HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.

to any man of observation; in walking or riding across them in the night, in descending a hill as he approaches the base he will be sensible of cold damp atmosphere which will disappear at the same elevation in ascending the opposite slope. This fact is often observed in Missouri and Illinois. It is generally be- lieved that the bottoms are much more sickly than the hills, or uplands, which is to some extent true. The cases of fever are perhaps more frequent in the bottom lands, but less malignant, and all experience goes to show that persons living on the bare slopes or summits of hills near the bottoms, suffer most, and those living near the banks of rivers, or creeks of running water in the bottoms, are more healthy. The reason is that the exhalations rise and are carried by the winds over the dwellings in lowlands and are wafted to the tops of the highest hills. Several precautions are necessary in selecting sites for dwellings on hills near bot- toms. First, build if possible, on the opposite side of the hill from the bottom, so that the "miasm" after reaching the summit may pass above you ; second, avoid the heads of ravines; third, have a grove of timber between you and the bottom -this will have the effect of protecting you from the "miasm," and moreover, the trees absorb a large portion of it. Again, hills having bottoms to windward of them will be more sickly than those that the wind blows from them to the bottom. The prevailing winds here in the months of June, July and August, are from the south and southwest, but in the latter part of August they begin to blow from the north and continue mostly during September and October in that direction. Thus it will be seen that persons living north and south of the bottoms will, in a sickly season, suffer first, say in July and August, but the fevers would be milder than later in the season, when the "miasm" has become more concentrated and virulent when the winds are from the north, that is during the latter part of August, and the whole of September and October, then those living south of the bottoms will suffer most, and, for the reasons given above, the fevers will be of more malignant type. Hills east and west of the bottoms are most healthy because the winds in the hot months seldom blow in these directions.

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The History of Jackson county, Missouri, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens, Jackson county in the late warhistory of Missouri, map of Jackson county, Part 12

Author: Union Historical Company Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Kansas City, Mo. : Union historical company Number of Pages: 1068

Author: Union Historical Company
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Kansas City, Mo. : Union historical company
Number of Pages: 1068