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 41
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"I came to Missouri, Jasper county, in the year 1838, and after living there about five years, came in 1843, to Jackson county and settled on land now owned by H. M. Vaile. I bought the land of Nicholas Crenshaw to the amount of eighteen 80's or 1440 acres. I lived here many years and then removed to the Monroe farm which overlooks Wayne City. The farm is known as the Daniel Monroe place. August 5, 1863, the bush-whackers came and robbed my house, turned my family out, and burned the house to the ground. They came to me and told me if I would remain and watch my house while they burned a few of my neighbors' houses, they would not burn mine; but when they came back they burned mine also. They asked me if I was not a black Abolitionist, and when I told them : " I am a Union man, sir !" one of the bush-whackers struck me with his revolver and broke out two of my teeth.
" After the war I bought the Gov. Gilpin farm, where I now live. It is one and a half miles northwest of Independence, Sec. 27, Tp. 50, R. 32.
" I was married a second time to Mrs. Lydia Ann Dean, March 24, 1848. The names of the children are : Mary (died when two years of age), Frances Jane, William Franklin, Wilson B., Louisa L., Sallie R., James M., Alice B., and Lydia Anora. The youngest of my children will be only fifteen years old on the Ist of July, 1881.
" My health is good, and I expect to live a long time yet. I never took a dose of medicine in my life. I am a Republican, and have been a hard shell Baptist for eighty years. I have always been a hard working man, and put up as many
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as six cords four foot wood in one day. I have cut and split 500 rails in a day. I have voted for every President of the United States at every election since the time of Washington. I have voted for the man who was elected each time, ex- cept when Harrison was elected, and at one other time. I voted for President James A. Garfield at the election Nov. 2, 1880. I started to the polls on foot, but before I reached there Mr. Z. S. Ragan overtook me and persuaded me to ride to Independence. I shall always vote the Republican ticket for President if I live a hundred years longer. I drank some whiskey but never was intoxi- cated in my life. I never sat and played cards and bet on games in a saloon. I detest drunkards and gamblers. I have not much of an education, can spell all kinds of common words, but cannot read my letters. I was in the Black Hawk War and in the battle of the Big Woods. I was out on that campaign thirty days and received therefor thirty dollars in cash and one hundred and sixty acres of land. I was in the Home Guards during the Civil War of 1861-5.
" My father's family consisted of seven boys and six girls. My father was a native of New Jersey, and grandfather was a native of Germany.
" My height is just one quarter of an inch less than six feet and my average weight has been one hundred and sixty-five pounds, I have weighed one hundred and ninety, but now weigh one hundred and fifty pounds. I could hold my breath one minute and a half, and can yet. I use no spirits, but use tobacco. I could walk to Independence, and I think I could walk to Kansas City. I can do light work on the farm even now. I never had a decayed tooth, but have had some drawn by a dentist, though never had the toothache.
" When I went to Ohio it was a territory, and when I left, I went boating on the Ohio River. I enlisted in Jackson's War, but my father paid and would not let me go ; he paid $110 to another man to go in my place. I removed again to Kentucky and then again to Ohio."
It might be remarked that Mr. Mann is now a hearty, healthy, and intelli- gent man, possesses a complete command of his mental faculties, and can remem- ber all the important incidents of his long and eventful life. He talks readily and intelligently on all subjects. He has a full head of hair, walks with a firm and steady step, though his sight is imperfect in consequence of weak eyes. He appears as an ordinary man of about sixty or seventy years. He says that he wants his last days to be his best days.
The following items of interest were given by another early settler :
"The first grist mill in Jackson county was built in the southwest part of Blue township, in Sec. 29, Tp. 49, R. 32, about five miles from Independence. The mill was run for the purpose of accommodating the farmers in the vicinity. James Kimsey was the builder and owner of the mill for several years.
"The first school house in the county was erected in Sec. 29, Tp. 49, R. 32. This was a private enterprise built by subscription. Also the first school house erected under authority of the school law of the State was at the saine place. James Kimsey preached the first sermon in the county in the first school house above mentioned. The first distillery in this township, as also in Jackson county, was put up on Sec. 29, Tp. 49, R. 32.
" The first orchard planted in Jackson county was planted on Sec. 29, Tp. 49, R. 32, among which was one chestnut tree. This orchard was in full bearing in the year 1849, and contained four hundred large trees. At the present time there are a few of those old apple trees standing. The chestnut tree is now a large and flourishing tree. The above named trees were planted by James Kimsey."
In 1827 James Brock was married to Henrietta Pitcher in an old house then standing on Sec. 28, Tp. 49, R. 32. This is said to be the first marriage in Jack- son county."
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
WAYNE CITY.
The following is the record in reference to the plat of Wayne City :
" The above is a plat of a town called Wayne City, in the County of Jack- son, State of Missouri, lying on the bank of the Missouri River, on a tract of land belonging to the heirs of William Avert, deceased, bounded as follows, to·wit :
" Beginning at a rock on the bank of the river and running down the river bank north 3113°, east 56 poles; thence south 582/3º, east 22 poles; thence south 313/3°, west 56 poles; thence north 582/3º, west 22 poles, to the beginning. Con- taining 7100 1º acres. The bearings of the streets and alleys and lanes of the lots are parallel, or at right angle with the exterior lines. The lots are all of the same size, 55 feet by 127 feet.
GEO. W. RHOADES, SAMUEL D. LUCAS, Commissioners.
July, 3, 1847."
LIVINGSTON.
The town of Livingston was laid off in Tp. 50, R. 31, by Henry Chiles, and recorded April 29, 1837. It was laid off on the south bank of the Missouri river, but no town was built there.
NEW INDEPENDENCE.
The town of New Independence on the south bank of the Missouri, about six miles from the county seat in Blue township, was laid off by R. S. Mize, June 9, 1855. This town was never built up.
THE NEW SALEM BAPTIST CHURCH.
The following church history was handed us by Mr, David Allen, the clerk of the church :
This church was organized either in 1826 or 1827, the records of the church up to 1843 have been lost. The following facts were given by Bro. Stephen Ad- ams, who united with the church in the year 1828, and is now the only living member who belonged to the organization at that time. Pastors having served the church since the organization : Thomas Stayton, John Jackson, James Sav- age and William Ously. In 1843 the church record gives the names of pastors in the following order : Joab Powell, Lewis Franklin, Rev. Saunders, William White, Henry Farmer, Edward Wood, T. N. O'Brien, G. L. Black, Thomas Montgomery, J. L. Hampton, J. J. Robinson, E. H. Foster and H. B. Turner. The present pastor is John W. Sage. Book A of the church records commences with the organization in 1826-7, and continues to August, 1843, under the name of the "Salem Church." Book B commences with August, 1843, and ends with May, 1868. The names of the members of the church in 1845 were as follows: Absalom Powell, Elizabeth Powell, Rebecca Powell, Stephen Adams, Mary Ad- ams, Nelson Adams, Anna Adams, William Rice, Sarah Belcher, Thos. J. Bel- cher, Martha Powell, Elizabeth Williamson, C. C. Rice, Jane Rice, Johnson Lacy and Sarah Lacy.
On the 3Ist of March, 1845, the church was dedicated by Lewis Franklin, H. P. Thompson and A. P. Williams, and the name of the church was changed to "New Salem Church." The church membership was scattered during the war. The church building was burned in 1870 and a good commodious brick, 45x60 feet, erected in 1871.
At the present time the church membership is eighty-five. Rev. John W. Sage was called to the pastorate in January, 1881. This church is situated on the Lexington road, five miles north east of Independence. Among its early mem-
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bers were the names of some of the first settlers west of Little Blue. The ravages of the civil war of 1861-5, are now nearly obliterated from the county, and espe- cially from Blue township.
Railroads have been built, public and private structures erected, the minds and feelings of the people have been changed from the prejudices and animosities engendered by civil strife, to the kindly and generous feelings of neighbors and friends. Nor yet those exciting and bitter contentions which pervaded the poli- tics of the county for some years subsequent to the war; but it is admitted by all, that no time since the Border troubles of 1855, has there been in this locality such kindly feeling in the political parties, such fellowship between the churches and such a desire to forget the differences of the past, as at the present time. The inhabitants of Independence and Blue township have a bright future in store for them.
The historian must be true to his calling and represent things in their true light, and leave the facts of their consideration to the present and future genera- tions. The more important events of the civil war can be found in connection with subjects relating thereto, but the civil condition of affairs here can be gath- ered more correctly than otherwise from the following extracts :
By-laws of the Blue township Law and Order Association, July 14, 1866 :
I. Each member of the association shall subscribe his name to its Constitu- tion, and shall pledge himself faithfully to labor to promote its object, as therein expressed.
2. The president, or in the event of his absence, the vice-president, shall preside at the meetings of the association ; and if neither of these officers should be present, any member may be called to the chair as president pro tempore.
3. The President shall appoint all standing committees, shall preserve or - der, and shall perform such other duties as usually devolve upon the presiding of- ficers of deliberative bodies.
4. The captain may, at any time where he shall deem it necessary, call out a part or the whole of the members of this association, to aid the civil authorities in the discharge of their duties, or to render any other service that may be deem- ed essential to the maintenance of good order, or the attainment of any of the other objects of the organization.
5. The captain shall have exclusive control and command of the members of the association, when called out to aid the civil authorities in their efforts to execute the laws or enforce obedience thereto, to arrest offenders against the laws, or to perform any other official duty, in the performance of which they may require assistance. And on all occasions, where said authorities are present, he and the members of this association under him, shall hold themselves in subordi- nation, and shall act as auxiliary thereto. But if said authorities are absent, or cannot be consulted, the captain, or the officer in command, shall exercise discre- tionary power, and shall thereafter report his action to said authorities, and to the executive committee of the association.
6. In the absence of the captain, the first lieutenant, and, in his absence, the second lieutenant, shall take command, and exercise all the powers conferred upon the captain.
7. The secretary shall keep a record showing, as far as practicable, the pro- ceedings of the association, shall file. and preserve all reports of standing and special committees, and all other papers relating to or connected with the business or interests of the organization, shall under the direction of the President, corre- spond with other similar associations, at all times when such correspondence may be deemed necessary or advisable, shall receive and keep an account of all funds belonging to the association, and pay the same to the treasurer, taking his receipt therefor and charging him therewith, and shall furnish the captain with a list of
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the names of the members of the association, and from time to time with the names of such as shall be added thereto.
8. The treasurer shall receive from and receipt to the secretary for all funds that shall come into his hands, and shall pay out the same on the order of the president, countersigned by the secretary ; but no such order or warrant shall be drawn by the president except by order of the association, or by direction of its executive committee.
9. Connected with the association shall be the following standing commit- tees : An executive committee, a vigilance committee, a finance committee, and a committee on membership, the first two of which shall consist of five members each, and the latter of three each.
IO. The executive committee, together with the president of the associa- tion, shall, as often as occasion may require, consult and advise with the captain touching the service he may be required, or that he may deem it advisable to perform, and he, or the lieutenant in command, shall, as far as practicable, sub- mit to said committee such places, purposes and views as he may have or enter- tain, with reference to the objects and interests of the association. And said committee, together with the captain or other officer in command, shall have full authority to devise and execute such schemes and plans for the attainment of the ends of the organization, as they may deem advisable. And said committee shall, at the first meeting in each month, or oftener, should they consider it nec- essary, report to the association, giving an account of their labors, as far as may be deemed advisable. and shall make such recommendations relative to the work- ings of the organization, as they may consider important, or calculated to increase its efficiency and usefulness.
II. The vigilance committee shall use all appropriate means to ferret out offenders against the laws of the land, and discover their haunts and places of retreat ; and shall without delay, as often as they obtain information which they regard as reliable, and believe may prove serviceable, report the same to the executive committee, or to the captain or the president of the association. They shall also closely observe and watch the conduct and movements of suspicious characters who may at any time be found in this community, and do all in their power to detect and prevent the commission of crime; and shall make such reports and recommendations to the association, as they believe important, or of useful tending. And for the purpose of aiding them in the discharge of their duties, they may, should they see proper, employ other discreet members of this association, whose co-operation they may desire, and may delegate to them any of the powers they themselves possess by virtue of these by-laws.
12. The member or members of the vigilance committee, or other person or persons co-operating with them, who may be instrumental in detecting, and the member or members of the association who shall be actively employed in arresting any offender against the laws of the land, shall be entitled to receive all rewards offered by the State, county or municipal authorities, or by individuals, for the arrest of such offender ; and shall also receive such further rewards as may, by a vote of this association, be appropriated out of its funds.
13. After the organization shall have been perfected, all applications for membership, shall be submitted to the committee on membership; and they shall recommend the acceptance or rejection of the applicant; but said organization shall not be considered as perfected to this extent, until it shall have been so declared by resolution of the association, adopted and spread upon its records.
14. The committee on finance shall examine and report upon all claims presented against the association, except such as may be accredited by the execu- tive committee, and paid by their order. They shall also devise and recommend some plan for raising funds to defray the expenses of the association, and to pay
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a reasonable compensation to such of its members as may have to neglect their business and incur expenses in the discharge of their duties.
15. Each member of the association shall labor to increase its usefulness and efficiency ; to preserve its unity and harmony ; to maintain law, order and fraternal feeling in our midst, and to promote its objects as set forth in its constitution ; and the act of signing said constitution shall be considered as a solemn pledge, to that effect.
16. The regular meeting of the association shall be held on the second and fourth Tuesdays of each month; but the president may call special meetings as often as he may consider it necessary.
17. Any by-law may be temporarily suspended by a vote of three-fourths of the members present.
18. Twenty members shall constitute a quorum.
The following editorial appeared in the Independence Sentinel Angust 11th, 1866.
"PEACE IN JACKSON COUNTY-THE LAST OF WAR-GLORIOUS WORK OF THE LAW AND ORDER ASSOCIATION-BUSH-WHACKERS GIVE BOND-NO MORE DISCORD AND COMMOTION.
" It is known to most of our readers that some efforts have been recently made to allay the uneasiness which every one has felt in regard to the condition of affairs in our county.
"For some weeks back a growing anxiety existed lest by some misapprehen- sion of the desire and intent of the civil authorities, difficulties might arise that would again involve us in the wild and reckless confusion that prevailed during the war. It was thought that the Sheriff had indictments in his hands against many of the returned Confederate soldiers, upon which he was bound to procure their arrest, and they themselves being under the same impression, and fearing that in case of their arrest they might be taken for trial to the neighboring State of Kansas, or might not otherwise have an impartial examination, many of them had absented themselves from their homes, and might be induced to resist the necessary en- forcement of legal process. Such being the case, it was easy o perceive that a single collision would put the matter beyond remedy, and, hence, it was sought on the part of a few of our citizens to bring about a conference between these parties and the Sheriff (Major Williams) in the hope that the erroneous impression which they had as to the number of indictments against them might be corrected, and that they might be induced to repose confidence in the declarations of the Sheriff, that he did not desire to molest or interfere with them any further than his duty as an officer of the law required. A meeting was accordingly agreed upon to take place some miles east of town one day last week, it having been mutually understood that no arrests on the one hand nor violence on the other, would be attempted. The assemblage was not as full as was desirable for want of sufficient notice, and after a frank and candid explanation by Major Williams of his posi- tion and his great desire to avoid undue excitement and disturbance, he proposed to them to relieve him of the duty of arrest by voluntarily coming forward and giving bail for their appearance at Court, such of them as could do so, and then return to their homes, where he pledges himself they should remain undisturbed, unless under new infractions of the law.
These overtures were received in a spirit of confidence, and a definite reply promised at a succeeding meeting on the following Saturday, at which time a for- mal acceptance of the proposition was given and is now in process of being car- ried out in good faith. We think, in view of the results attained, our citizens may well congratulate themselves, and rejoice at the happy termination of those scenes of strife and bloodshed which have so lately seemed to be impending over us, and that each one should regard it his duty in the future to co-operate with
20
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the authorities in the maintenance of order and the cultivation of a kind and fraternal intercourse with each other.
The Sheriff has had a difficult task to perform between such contending ele- ments. We have no acquaintance with him and are in no wise governed by per- sonal reasons when we assert that much credit is due him, but we do so because we have watched his course at times that are best calculated to show men's char- acters.
"We hope that the people in the county will give their confidence to the Sheriff, because we believe he is earnest in the assertion that he makes, and we shall continue to do so until we see something to induce us to believe to the contrary. Upon the other hand we believe that the late agreements have been entered into by the bush-whackers with an equally good faith, and with a determination to be- come quiet and good citizens, who would protect Major Williams from insult or injury as quickly as any citizen in the county in the legal performance of his duty.
" Let every good citizen rejoice that the last cause of discord has been re- moved from our midst, that henceforth we are to have quiet and order, and let us hope that business and good will will revive among us.'
CHAPTER XVI.
FORT OSAGE TOWNSHIP.
Boundaries and General Features-The Oldest Township in the County-Pioneers of Ft. Osage Township-General Sibley-Fort Sibley-Town of Sibley Laid Out in 1836-First Lots Sold-The Town Burned-Great Flood-Present Business of Sibley-The Town Plat Being Vacated-Buckner-Ancient Bed of the River-Business Directory of Buckner-Levasy -- Lake City.
Fort Osage township is bounded north by the Missouri River, which separates it from Clay and Ray counties; east by Ray and Lafayette counties; south by Sni-a-bar township, and west by Blue township. This township is well watered, having the great Missouri on the north, the Little Blue on the west, and Fire Prairie Creek flowing through the center of the township, and discharging its waters into the Missouri, after coursing its way a short distance into Lafayette county. There is considerable timber in the north, along the Missouri River ; also, following the course of Little Blue. Elsewhere in the township there is little timber, the banks of Fire Prairie Creek being almost destitute of trees. The sur- . face is rolling, though along the course of Fire Prairie Creek the level bottom lands are very wide.
Fort Osage township was one of the three original townships into which the county was divided, and although these three-Fort Osage, Blue and Kaw-were defined on the same day, May 22, 1827, Fort Osage was the first defined on the- records, and hence can properly be called the first township in Jackson county. It will be seen from the following boundaries that Fort Osage township, at that time, included more territory than is now comprised within the limits of all of Jackson county, since at that early day and for several years thereafter Jackson county included what is now comprised in Cass and Bates counties. The order reads as follows :
" To commence eastwardly at the eastern line of this county, thence running with the Missouri River westwardly to Prine's Ferry on the Missouri, thence south-
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wardly by a direct line so as to strike Little Blue at Fristoe's Fish Trap, thence up the same creek to the mouth of Cedar Fork, thence due south to the southern boundary of the county, thence east to the southeast corner of the county, then north to the beginning-all of which territory lying within the limits of the above described boundary shall compose the township of Fort Osage."
The first Justices of the Peace and those recommended by the County Court and appointed by the Governor, were William J. Baugh, Jesse Lewis and Joel P. Walker. The first white family in the county lived in this township, at Old Fort Osage on the river.
Numerous hills dot the surface of the township, arising from the surrounding prairie to an elevation of from fifty to one hundred feet, and their formation ap- pears to be successive strata of fossiliferous limestone.
Among the old settlers were : John H. Sanders lived near the center of the township. He came from Kentucky and lived here till his death. He was a prominent man in the county and a farmer of considerable means. He bought and sold largely in mules.
Colonel James Chiles lived west of Sibley about four miles, and Frank Chiles, his brother, lived on an adjoining farm. Both were prominent men in the county, James especially, was a politician and held many important offices. James Chiles now lives in Texas, being a man of eighty-five years of age. He came from Kentucky when a young man and became one of the first settlers in Fort Osage township.
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