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 54

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 54

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PURCHASE OF THE PRUDHOMME ESTATE.

The Prudhomme estate, upon which existed this natural landing, is de- scribed as the south fractional half of section thirty, township fifty, and includes the land lying between Broadway and Troost avenue, from the river back to the township line, which runs along Independence avenue.

On the 30th of October, 1837, Prosper Mercier and wife, his wife being a daughter of Gabriel Prudhomme, and one of the heirs of the estate, petitioned the Circuit Court of Jackson county for an allotment of dower to Prudhomme's widow, and a division of the land among the heirs. On the 9th of December, the court made an order appointing Wm. M. Chick, Peter Booth and Samuel Johnson commissioners to make such allotment of dower and division of the land among the heirs. On the 3d of April, 1838, these commissioners reported to the court that after viewing the land they were satisfied that such allotment of dower and division of land could not be made without great injustice to the parties. On the next day, 'April 4th, the court made an order for the sale of the land, and releasing from the commission Messrs. Chick and Johnson at their request, appointed James P. Davenport and Elliott Johnson in their stead. These com- missioners were instructed by the court to advertise the sale of the land for six weeks prior to day of sale by notice in a paper in Liberty, Clay county, and one in St. Louis, and by hand bills, and to make the sale on twelve months' credit. They made the sale July 7th, 1838, and reported it to the court on the roth of August. At this sale James H. McGee, who, on the 21st of August, 1837, had been appointed guardian of the minor heirs, acted as crier. In fact, it appears that he had conducted the whole business, and that the advertising had been in- adequately done. At the sale there were present only Mr. McGee, Abraham Fonda and a Mr. Clark, who came with him; and William Gillis and Michael Auther besides, perhaps, some few others who had dropped in merely as specta- tors. Fonda was bidding and offering such low prices that Gillis and Auther asked for time to consult, with a view to bidding. They retired for this purpose,

397

HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.

and while absent the sale was made to Fonda for $1,800. A remonstrance against this sale was filed with the court on the 8th of August, two days before the filing of the report of the sale. It was set up that McGee, Fonda and Clark were interested together in the purchase of the land, and that the sale had been conducted fraudulently in not allowing time for bidders (Gillis and Auther) to make bids. A new sale was asked for, and on the 11th of October, the court made an order setting aside the sale and directing that another be made, the ad- vertising to be as before, and the sheriff of Jackson county, to act as crier. This sale was made November 14, 1838, for $4, 220.

At the time these events were transpiring, there was much discussion among certain men, who had observed the tendency of the Santa Fe and Indian trade to effect transfers at this point, concerning the feasibility of building a town here. In fact, it was supposed that McGee, Clark and Fonda were interested together, and had that in view in the first sale. Wm. L. Sublett, of St. Louis, who had become well acquainted with the place during the operations with the Rocky Mountain Fur Company regarded it as a feasible enterprise, and wanted to take an interest in such a movement. This idea took shape pending the advertising for the several sales, and a company was formed for the purpose.

This company consisted of Wm. L. Sublett, Moses G. Wilson John C. Mc- Coy, Wm. Gillis, Fry P. McGee, Abrahanı Fonda, Wm. M. Chick, Oliver Cald- well, Geo. W. Tate, Jacob Ragan, Wm. Collins, James Smart, Samuel C. Owens, and Russell Hicks. The last two gentlemen lived in Independence, the first being the leading merchant, and the other the leading lawyer of the county. Independence and Westport were jealous of the enterprise, foreseeing the danger of its absorbing the trade of the Indians from the one, and the Santa Fe trade from the other. Hence, Hicks and Owens were taken into the company with a view of placating the jealousy of Independence. Messrs. McCoy and Chick were of Westport, and were prominent there, but they went into the enterprise on its merits. The addition of the two Independence gentlemen was no advan- tage to the company, but rather the reverse.

The sale was set for November 14, 1838, at which time it occurred, the sum realized at this time being four thousand two hundred and twenty dollars, and the company bought it, and proceeded at once to lay out the town, which they called Kansas.

THE SURVEY AND SALE OF 1839.

Mr. McCoy was the surveyor of the party, but being engaged at that time in government surveys, he could not attend to laying off the town. According- ly, he drew up a plat for about fifteen acres of it, and employed W. S. Donahue to make the survey: This survey included that part of the city bounded by Wyandotte street and Grand avenue, and extending from the river back to Sec- ond street. From the old records of the company, now in the hands of John Campbell, Esq., of this city, it is learned that a sale of lots was had in May, 1837, at which lots were sold as follows :

Lot r, to W. B. Evans $155 00

Lot 3, to J. H. McGee . 70 00

Lot 5, to F. Kleber. . 82 00

Lot 10, to J. C. McCoy 200 00 Lot 12, to J. Ragan 151 00

·Lot 26, to J. Ragan. 32 00

Lot 8r, to J. Ragan . 62 00

Lot 24, to J. C. McCoy 30 00

Lot 48, to W. B. Evans 144 80

$926 80

398

HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.

These sales were made on one year's time, at ten per cent. interest; and the company, anxious to give the town a start, built a log warehouse for the accom- modation of the Santa Fe and Indian trade, which was kept by W. B Evans.

TROUBLES OF THE COMPANY RETARDED THE TOWN.

But just at this point the company met with difficulties which checked this enterprise and held it in statu quo for eight years. The first of these was that the law required that every member of the company should sign and acknowl- ed the plat, and that it should be filed for record with the county clerk before the company could give a title to lots. It had been arranged that this should be done at a meeting to be held on the morning of the sale of lots, but it so happened that less than a majority of the company attended the meeting ; hence, after the sale titles could not be given, but the company got over this difficulty by giving title bonds to purchasers. It was then observed also that two of the commissioners ap- pointed to sell the estate, Peter Booth and Elliott Johnson, had died before the sale of the land, leaving a minority of the commissioners to do the business. The legality of this sale was called into question on this account, and this question was not settled until in 1846. The method employed by the company to procure a set- tlement of the question was unique. It was a question for judicial decision, and to get it into the courts for that purpose required that a case should be made up, To do this was the trouble, but the company finally decided to dispute the legality of the sale thus made by one of the commissioners, refuse to pay him the purchase money, and compelled him to sue for it. This they did ; the suit was brought and the members of the company appeared as defendents in a case they really much desired to have decided against them. The decision was finally made in 1846, the legality of the action of the commissioners was confirmed and executions were made against the members of the company for the purchase money. It is needless to say that these executions were cheerfully paid. In the situation in which it was placed pending the litigation, the company could not, of course, sell lots nor make titles to those already sold nor even collect from the purchasers. However those who had bought lots made some improvements on them and a few trading houses were opened. Among these early trading houses Messrs. Cohn & Block appear to have been the first to offer a stock of general merchandise. This was in 1839, and about the same time A. B. Canville, Anthony Richter and Thos. A. Smart, opened houses. The latter being what was then called a grocery.

WHAT WAS THOUGHT OF THE TOWN.

There were many different opinions about the prospects for the new town prior to the difficulties just mentioned. Independence and Westport nick-named it " Westport Landing " in derision, and, owing to its non-development, for so many years, it came to be generally known by this name. However, there were others who regarded it differently. Senator Benton, than whom none better knew the controlling facts of trade, while visiting Randolph, nearly opposite three miles below the city at this time, pointed to it and remarked that it was destined to become the greatest commercial center west of St Louis. Senator Benton after- ward repeated this prophecy in Kansas City.

EARLY TRADE.

Some trade immediately sprung up at the trading houses, and concerning its character, Spalding's Annals contains the following :

" The great portion of this early trade of the city was a trade similar to that of all new towns, and was what our Yankee neighbors would consider, in their vernacular, as a "truck and dicker trade," mainly done with the neighboring Indians, and employees of the mountain traders and freighters, and Mackinaw boatmen, etc., etc. Ponies, pelts, furs, trinkets and annuity moneys, were receiv-

399

HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.

ed by early traders in exchange for powder , lead, tobacco, sugar, coffee, candies, beads, and as there was at that time no temperance orders among these buyers and sellers, a little bad whisky was also sold by ' the large and small.' We are happy to announce, however, that in this border ruffian era, a reform has taken place in the sale and use of this 'large and small' commodity, In 1839 and 1840, the Indian tribes trading at Kansas City were the Delawares, Munsas, Stock- bridges, Shawnees, Kansas (or Kaws), Kickapoos, Osages, Pottawatomies, Weas, Peorias. In addition to articles already enumerated, these Indians bought of our traders, calicoes, blankets, very many saddles, bridles and ribbons; and rings, costing ten cents in St. Louis were frequently sold to them for five and six dol- lars; and large profits were made on every thing. As a general thing, the Indians paid cash for goods ; and when they had no money they would freely pledge any- thing in their possession, such as ponies, silver arm-bands, ear ornaments, etc. Bacon was sold to them as high as from thirty to forty cents per pound; and salt for fifteen and twenty cents per tin cup full. As early as 1840 it was not uncom- mon, on the arrival of Mackinaw boats, to see as many as three or four hundred men on the levee at one time, and all of them buying, more or less from our traders "

A DESCRIPTION OF EARLY KANSAS CITY.

In a paper read before the Old Settlers' Association in January, 1872, John C. McCoy thus describes the appearance of the place at that time :

" A clearing, or old field, of a few acres, lying on the high ridge between Main and Wyandotte and Second and Fifth streets, made and abandoned by a mountain trapper, a few old girdled dead trees standing in the field, surrounded by a dilapidated rail fence; all around on all sides a dense forest, the ground covered with impenetrable underbrush and fallen timber, and deep, impassable gorges; a narrow, crooked roadway winding from Twelfth and Walnut streets along down on the west side of the deep ravine toward the river, across the public square, to the river at the foot of Grand avenue; a narrow, difficult path, barely wide enough for a single horseman, running up and down the river under the bluffs, winding its crooked way around fallen timber and deep ravines ; an old log house on the river bank, occupied by a lank, cadaverous specimen of humanity named Ellis, with one blind eye and the other on a sharp lookout for stray horses, straggling Indians and squatters with whom to swap a tin cup of whisky for a coon skin; another old dilapidated log cabin on the point below the Pacific de- pot; two or three small dwelings and cabins in the Kaw bottom, now called West Kansas, which were houses of French mountain trappers, engaged principally in raising young half breeds. The rest of the surroundings were the still solitude of the native forest, broken only by the snort of the startled deer, the bark of the squirrel, the howl of the wolf, the settler's cow bell, and mayhap the distant bay- ing of the hunter's dog or the sharp report of his rifle."

The man Ellis mentioned in the above description of Kansas City; by Mr. McCoy, was, at the time he speaks of, living in the house built originally by Louis Uneau, at the foot of Main street, and was the first Justice of the Peace ever officiating at Kansas City.

The difficulties surrounding the Kansas Town Company prevented town de- velopment and retarded the tendency of trade to concentrate here. Still, however, the Indian trade continued to flourish at both Westport and Kansas City, and the Santa Fe trade at Independence until 1843, when it was temporarily suppressed by order of General Santa Anna.

EFFECT TO DIVERT THE MEXICAN TRADE FROM MISSOURI.

Two efforts were made to divert this trade from the Missouri frontier, but without success, because of the superior advantages afforded by this point. In 1839, Dr. Josiah Gregg, after nine years' experience with this route, and a pretty

400

HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.

thorough acquaintance with the plains and with Northern Mexico, undertook to open a river route from Van Buren on the Arkansas River. Finding that a good point for steamboats to ascend to, considerably nearer Santa Fe, and with a sea- son nearly a month earlier in spring and a month later in the fall, he thought it much more desirable, and undertook to conduct an expedition from that point and open a new route. He was successful in getting through with less hardships than the early explorers had experienced on the route from Missouri, but he found that the old route had some advantages that the new one could not equal, and no further attempt was made. The trade from the Missouri border had been ex- tended to Chihuahua, and so large a part of the imports of that place had come to be received from that source via Santa Fe, that in 1840 the Mexican govern- ment undertook to open a new and shorter route from that country to the United States. Some point on Red River, at the American border, was selected, and the party, with a concession of special advantages, as to imposts, duties, etc., started from Chihuahua April 3, 1839. It succeeded in getting through to Red River that year, and the next year, 1840, took back a large amount of goods. This expedition, however, failed to discover any advantage in the new route, though much nearer for Chihuahua than the old route from Missouri, and no fur- ther effort was ever made to develop it. These two attempts to divert the trade from the Missouri border were of importance in this connection, as showing the superior command of the country, even to Chihuahua, held by the locality of Kansas City.

ITS SUPPRESSION IN 1843.

On the 7th of August, 1843, Santa Anna, then President of Mexico, issued a decree closing the ports of Taos, in New Mexico, and Paso del Norte and Presido del Norte, in Chihuahua. As these were the only ports at which goods were passed through the custom-house into northern Mexico, it nearly suppressed the trade. This was done in consequence of the sympathy and co-operation of Americans with the people of Texas, who, although they had previously, in 1838, achieved their independence, were still subject to the hostilities of Mexico, and were practically in a state of war. Prior to this decree, the hostile attitude of Texas and Mexico toward each other had made the trade peculiarly hazardous. Two expeditions had been fitted out in Texas to raid it, the Texans not regarding the fact that a large part of those engaged in it were citizens of the United States -a friendly power. Santa Anna's decree was issued with equal injustice to the large number of his own subjects who were engaged in it, and with no less injus- tice to the large sections of his country which were accommodated by it. This decree so far caused the abandonment of the trade that, although another decree was issued March 11, 1844, raising the embargo, not over ninety wagons, with not over two hundred men and $200,000 worth of goods crossed the plains to Santa Fe in 1844. The Mexican war coming on soon afterward further em- barrassed and restricted it until the close of that struggle.

We are indebted to Dr. Gregg's admirable " History of the Commerce of the Prairies," for the following statistics of the trade prior to its suppression in 1843 :*

Years.

Amount Merchandise.

No. Wagons.

No. Men.

No. Proprs.

Taken to Chihuahua.

1838

90,000

100

40,000

1839

250,000

130

250

100,000

1840

50,000

10,000

1841

150,000

80,000

1842

160,000

I20

90,000

1843

450,000

230

350

300,000

* Although this table is given by Dr. Gregg as representing the entire trade, we are inclined to think it is far short of the actual aggregates. The year 1840, for instance, appears to include only the Chihuahua ex- pedition from Red River.

401

HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.

THE SITUATION IN 1843.

At the time the Mexican trade was temporarily suppressed by order of Gen. Santa Anna in 1843, Blue Mills was the principal landing point for Independence, the effort to divert it to Wayne City having proved ineffectual. Independence enjoyed a monopoly of the outfitting business. Westport had attained much im- portance as an Indian trading post and was rapidly becoming the headquarters for the Mexican traders, who stopped there to graze their teams on the prairies, and await the arrival of their goods at Blue Mills; Liberty had grown to be quite a town; a town had been established at Randolph Bluffs, and at this time contained one or more quite respectable mercantile houses, and a number of residences, and had macadamized one short street. The town of Barry, which came into exis- tence prior to the opening of the Platte purchase to settlement, had became quite an important place, as had the town of Weston. A town had been started at Parkville, an Indian trading post, and was doing a large trade with the new settlers in the adjacent country and with the Indians across the river. Parkville then contained several trading houses. At this time Kansas City was much smaller than any of these places, and was not perceptibly growing, owing to the inability of the Town Company to make titles to ground. Kansas City then con- tained three warehouses, those of the Town Company, Francis Chouteau, or rather the American Fur Company, and that of W. G. and G. W. Ewing, of Westport, two or three small trading houses and a few log cabins, mostly occupied by Frenchmen. It was then known only as Westport Landing, but as a landing place for Westport was beginning to attract some attention from Mexican traders, who saw the advantage of receiving their goods at this place rather than at Blue Mills. Still, however, it continued the headquarters of the fur and Indian traders established by the old St. Louis guild of French traders, and conducted by the American Company or their successors. This trade was then, as it had been from the first, distributive, and though it made much less local show, and was probably less in volume than the Indian trade done at Westport, it covered a much greater area of country.

In 1840 W. G. and G. W. Ewing, already referred to as having become prominent Indian traders, at Westport, in about 1836, determined to build them- selves a warehouse at Kansas City. They had received goods at Blue Mills, and at Chouteau's Warehouse just below Kansas City, but their trade had become so large that they desired to avoid this warehouse tax and so built a warehouse as above stated.

In June, 1842, Gen. John C. Fremont came to Kansas City on his first ex- pedition across the plains. At this time he made his headquarters at Cyprian Chouteau's house, six miles west, but outfitted here at Kansas City. In his subse- quent expeditions he made his headquarters with Wm. M. Chick, at Kansas City, while outfitting.

During the year of 1843, Wm. M. Chick, father of Jos. S. Chick, now President of the Bank of Kansas City, who was then living at Westport, saw the tendency of trade to concentrate at Kansas City, and removed to this place and built a warehouse here.

FROM 1843 TO 1846.

The suppression of the Mexican trade in 1843 was a severe blow to Inde- pendence and damaged Westport somewhat. The former was thrown back upon its resources of local trade with the adjacent country, and the latter was left de- pendent mainly upon its Indian trade Aside from the loss by the warehousemen of the few cargoes they had been receiving, on account of this trade, Kansas City was not affected.

JOURNA

BANTA -GO-ENG. K.C.

KANSAS CITY JOURNAL BUILDING.

HISTORY OF KANSAS CITY.

THE GREAT FLOODS.

In 1843-4 events transpired here which have furnished material for many a fireside story among the old settlers. These were the great floods and attendant adventures of these two years. That of 1843 was not so great as that of 1844, which was the greatest ever known in these rivers.

During the past Spring of 1881, the United States Engineer, having charge of the river improvements at this point, J. W. Nier, Esq., informed the press that he had information of great snows and large accumulations of water in the Upper Missouri and its tributaries, which rendered a recurrence of these floods not im- probable. This called forth from John C. McCoy, Esq., the following graphic historical sketch of the great flood, which will be interesting in this connection :

" The subject of floods in the Missouri and Kansas River in the past, and the probabilities of their recurrence in the future, is neither a pleasant or popular theme to talk or write about just now, and those who indulge in speculations or predictions of danger are looked upon as croakers and birds of evil omen, espe- cially by those whose interests would be in jeopardy in the event of their fulfillment. This is very plainly shown by the way many persons interested in West Kansas City and the bottom lands of the river have received warnings and statements of the United States engineer as to the probable danger of a devastating flood in the Missouri River, and which appeared in the Journal a few days ago. His state- ments have, I think, provoked a good deal of unjust and unnecessary criticism and comment. He is a stranger to me, but holding the position of trust and re- sponsibility he does in the engineer service of the Government, we may safely conclude that he is at least theoretically competent, and certainly possesses the most correct information obtainable to enable him to form a proper estimate of the danger to be apprehended. Not only this, but it is his special business to study the situation. He is in possession of all the facts and facilities requisite to form a correct conclusion in the premises.

"Now, granting that it is his deliberate judgment, formed from these sources, that the dire calamity of a devastating flood was likely to sweep over the West Kansas City bottoms, causing the loss of millions of dollars value in property. and perhaps many lives, his failure to give timely warning, would, under the circum- stances, be looked upon as little short of murder; and then, if his predictions fail and the elements over which he has no control are propitious, why then he sub- jects himself to ungenerous flings and jeers. His situation in the premises is one of great responsibility and certainly by no means to be envied. Having some knowledge of facts connected with floods in the Missouri River, I will venture, disagreeable as the subject may be to many, to briefly state them. Physic, albeit nauseating, is sometimes very beneficial to general health. We may sincerely hope the general health in this case is in no danger at present. The records of the past tell us of only three floods that may be regarded as devasting, viz: In 1782, 1826 and 1844. (One other in 1843 only partially so, and many others where the overflows caused little or no damage.) According to my recollection, the overflow of 1843 occurring the last of May and the first of June, reached a height about six feet lower than that of the succeeding year of June, 1844, and the damage was correspondingly less. The winter of 1842-3 was a long, hard one with much snow toward the mountains. In January there was a general thaw and break up with fine wetaher lasting nearly three weeks and the steamer "Ione" ascended the river to Kansas City. On the day of her arrival it turned suddenly cold, the river froze up again and so remained until near the ist of May, during which time the boat remained near the foot of Grand avenue.

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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 54

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