The History of Pettis County, Missouri, including an authentic history of Sedalia, other towns and townships, together with biographical sketches, Part 101

Author: Demuth, I. MacDonald
Publication date: 1882]
Publisher: [n.p.
Number of Pages: 1154

USA > Missouri > Pettis County > The History of Pettis County, Missouri, including an authentic history of Sedalia, other towns and townships, together with biographical sketches > Part 101

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JOHN E. RECTOR.

The gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch is a mer- chant of Georgetown, and was born in Pettis County, Mo., Dec. 5, 1838, and educated in the common schools of the county. In April, 1872, he was married to Miss Mary B. Edwards, whose father was a merchant. Four children were born, three of whom are living. Mr. John E. Rector is a leading member of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He com- menced merchandising about 1868, in Georgetown, where he continues the business. His father is one of the early pioneer settlers of George- town. Henry Rector, the father of John E., was born. Nov. 18, 1809, in the State of Kentucky, and was the son of Enoch Rector, a native of Virginia. Henry Rector came to Missouri in 1819, and settled in Howard County, but finally moved to the spot, near where Georgetown now stands, in 1833, before the town was laid off, and it was then called Saline County. He was married to Miss Lee Ann Allen, in 1824, and seven children were the fruits of this union, viz: Chas J., Nimrod, William, Bethel E., Harriet A., Elizabeth and John. His first wife died March 15,

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HISTORY OF CEDAR TOWNSHIP.

1851, and he married the second time Miss Mary A. Reany, Nov. 11, 1851. She was born Sept, 29, 1823. The following children are the offspring of the latter marriage: Martha J., Sarah M., George H., Ruth, Jaily, Emma, William M. and Millard J. In religion, Mr. Henry Rector is a member of the M. E. Church, South.

G. W. ROTHWELL, M. D.

Dr. Rothwell stands prominent among the pioneer disciples of Escula- pius. He was born in Albemarle County, Va., May 17, 1812. His great- grandfather came from England with the colonists. John Rothwell, his father, was a Captian in the war of 1812, under Gen. Cook. Claibourne Rothwell, grandfather of the Doctor, served in the Revolution with his father. The Doctor was one of nine children, four boys and five girls. He was united in holy wedlock, in the State of Virginia, in 1839, with Miss Ann Leonora Brown, daughter of John and Martha Brown, and soon afterwards came to Saline County, Mo. The Doctor was educated at the University of Virginia, and there received the degree of M. D. and also graduated at the Medical College of Philadelphia. His father's farm adjoined " Monticello, " the residence of President Jefferson. The Doctor commenced practice at Jonesburg, Saline County, Mo., in 1839, where he remained ten years, and in 1850 he settled on Heaths Creek, Pettis County, and improved " Prairie Pond, " his excellent farm, near the old Mexican trail. In 1862 when the clouds of war arose, he went to St. Louis and remained till 1865, at St. Louis, Boonville and Philadelphia, when he returned to " Prairie Pond," which he found considerably damaged, and much of his fine collection of books carried from his library. He only remained here four years, then located at "Edge Hill," his present home, two miles north of Sedalia. Here he has a beautiful little home with some attractive improvements. He has upwards of 700 young apple trees of choice varieties. The Doctor has been engaged in practice for forty-two years, traveling mostly on horseback. His record of travel shows that he has traveled in round numbers 72,000 miles, a distance of nearly three times around the globe. Much of his early practice was in a radius of fifteen to thirty miles. The Doctor is a classical scholar and a man of fine intel- lectual reasoning. One of his tutors while at college was John P. Emmet, nephew of Robert Emmet, the Irish patriot. In politics, the Doctor is a Democrat, and in religion he is a Methodist. As a man he is sociable, kind, yet dignified.

MRS. SARAH E. SMITH.

Mrs. Smith is a resident of Georgetown. She was born in the State of Indiana, May 2, 1833, daughter of Ellis Rinehart, a farmer of Virginian nativity. Her mother's maiden name was Mariah Hollenback. John Z.

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HISTORY OF CEDAR TOWNSHIP.

Smith, her late husband, was a native of Ohio, born February 21, 1828, and came to Missouri in 1865, and departed this life July 4, 1880. Miss Sarah E. Rinehart was married to John Z. Smith November 3, 1854. Twelve children were born, six of whom are living, viz: Ellis, Anna Belle, Byron, Carrietta, Amy D., Ella M., John, George, Monroe, Minnie M., Myrtie P, and Manlove. In faith Mrs. Smith is a Baptist. She owns a handsome little home and an excellent vineyard and orchard.

W. K. TAYLOR.

Among the enterprising florists of Missouri is the subject of this sketch, who resides in Georgetown. He was born September 1, 1849, in Rich- mond, Va., and is the son of A. W. Taylor, who is a descendant of pure English stock. The subject of this sketch is a graduate of Hamden Syd- ney College, of Prince Edward Co., Va. His father was a large tobacco- nist, in Richmond. W. K. Taylor was the only child of the family. W. K. Taylor entered the Confederate army under Stonewall Jackson, and afterward under Wade Hampton. Was in the battles of Bull Run, Manassas, Chancellorsville, Fredericksburg, Seven Days' fight around Richmond, Gettysburg, and Appomattox Court House. Mr. W. K. Taylor was united in marriage, Sept. 4, 1873, to Miss Virginia E. Francis, of St. Louis, daughter of James Francis, a merchant of that city. Three children are the result of this union: Beulah M., Walter R., and Hugh F. Mr. Taylor is a Mason, K. P., I. O. R. M. He is a practical florist and horticulturist, and has been engaged in the business for several years past. He is a gentleman of good habits and pleasant colloquial powers.

JOHN WELSH.

The subject of this sketch, whose post-office is Sedalia, was born in Ire- land, in the year 1829, and was the son of Patrick Welsh. John's father died when the former was about six years of age. John came to America in 1848 when nineteen years of age. In 1852 he married Miss Margaret Lanen, daughter of Micheal Lanen, a native of Ireland. Nine children were born, five boys and four girls: Bridget, Thomas, Michael, Mary, Jane, John, William, Margaret and Elizabeth. Bridget married Joseph Kennedy, who died Dec. 19, 1881, leaving three children: Daniel, John and Joseph.

JOHN S. WOODS.

John S. Woods, a distinguished fine wool-grower, residing a few miles north of Sedalia, was born in Cumberland County, Penn., July 1st, 1819. His father, Joseph Woods, was also a native of the "Keystone State." His grandfather was William Woods. His grandfather on his mother's side was J. Crossen, an Irishman by birth, and a commissioned officer in the Revolutionary War. The subject of this. sketch married Miss Sarah

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HISTORY OF BOWLING GREEN TOWNSHIP.

A. Bolls, daughter of Nathaniel Bolls, a blacksmith and machinist, April 23, 1844. Mr. Bolls was born Aug. 19, 1794, and served as a soldier in the War of 1812. The following children constitute the family of John S. Woods: Porter B., Hanford D., Harriet E., Sarah A., Caroline A., Maria, Martha E., John M. and Fred W. Five are married, viz .: Porter B., to Miss Lizzie McKeller; Sarah, to Geo. H. Gaskill; Harriet, to Wil- liam Griggs; Maria, to C. Duncan; Ella, to N. Norton. Porter B. was a Union soldier during the late war, and is now engaged in a dairy, which he has conducted successfully for seven years past. Mrs. Woods was born Aug. 12, 1826; her maiden name was Rachel M. Forster, a native of Pennsylvania. Mr. Woods may be counted among the enterprising far- mers and fine wool-growers of Pettis County. He is taking some inter- est in horticulture, having at the present a good vineyard and upward of 175 choice apple trees. He keeps constantly on hand pure blooded Merino sheep for sale. So great has been the demand for his stock in the past that he has sold upward of 3,000 sheep in the past three years. He settled in Mansfield, Ohio, in May, 1828. The subject of this sketch was the oldest of five children, two boys and three girls: Joseph P., Mary A., Eliza H. and Sarah J. In Ohio he owned an excellent house and handsome place. April 22, 1865, Mr. Woods landed at Dubuque, Iowa, where he invested $16,000 in farming lands with A. H. Gale, of Sandusky City, Ohio, and subsequently moved to Missouri, near Sedalia, Nov. 28, 1867, bringing 800 fine-wooled sheep with him. He has been engaged in buying and breeding fine sheep for more than thirty years, and is now regarded as one of the best judges of fine sheep in the west. He now keeps some very fine bucks for sale. Mr. Woods is a very social, enter- prising farmer.

CHAPTER XIX -BOWLING GREEN TOWNSHIP.

Name-Location-Organization-Configuration-Early Settlers-Churches-First Minis- ters-Early Teachers-Educational-Incidents and Reminiscences-Biographical.

NAME .- Bowling Greens are quite numerous and popular names in the country, and perhaps the most prominent is the one in Warren County, Kentucky. Bowling Green is the county seat, and the county of Warren is situated in the southwestern part of the State. There is also a Bowling Green in Pike County, Mo., a station of some importance on the Chicago & Alton Railroad. There are numerous other townships and counties of the same name in the country. This township is supposed to have been named by Mr. George W. Smiley, who came to the township in 1825 from Kentucky, and it is supposed that his love for his native State and the beautiful town of Bowling Green in particular caused him to

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HISTORY OF BOWLING GREEN TOWNSHIP.

give or suggest the name. However this may be, it is a beautiful name and a beautiful township that owns the name.

ORGANIZATION .- The township was laid out when Pettis County was organized, in the winter of 1832 or 1833. At that time Mr. Charles Cra- vens was the member of the Legislature from Saline County, and to his efforts is due the fact of the separation of the counties of Saline and Pettis, and the giving of voting places, convenient for the voters. It for- merly embraced the townships of Smithton, Heaths' Creek, and part of Longwood, but was separated near the time the Missouri Pacific Railroad came through, and each township was given separate voting places. In the organization of the county into municipal townships, this has retained the name of Bowling Green, while the others took their pres- ent names. The township contains thirty-six square miles, or is exactly a congressional township. Its northern boundary is Heath's Creek Town- . ship, east Cooper and Morgan Counties, south Smithton Township and west Sedalia and Cedar Townships. Its position is nearly in the center of the county from north to south, and lies on the eastern edge of the county.

CONFIGURATION .- The physical features that characterize this town- ship are much the same as those of the other townships. The land is mostly gently rolling prairie, although in some places it is flat and along the creeks timber abounds. The township is well watered by the Muddy Creek, and its tributaries, the Elk Horn and Shavetail Creeks. Along these branches is found an excellent growth of timber, and many fine rock quarries produce limestone and a kind of stone called cottonwood rock, which on exposure to the air wears away, but for foundations, and where it is well covered from the action of the air and rains, it will last as long as any other stone.

The system of drainage is very complete, and in no place is it necessary to use artificial piping to carry off the surface water, but everywhere the ground is rolling enough to give good drainage. The soil is as the balance of Pettis County, deep, dark and rich, and its productiveness is unsur- passed. The quality of its staple productions, its fine fields of wheat, its elegant blue grass pastures, and its large area of corn, producing from fifty to seventy-five bushels per acre, all speak volumes for the quality of the land on which those who are residents of the township reside.

EARLY SETTLERS .- The early history of this township is so interwoven with that of Smithton, which, at this early day, was a part of Bowling Green, that the early settlers of the one are the early settlers of the other. Honored and respected as they were, it is just that, without becoming tiresome, we should give these brave men all the credit due them in open-

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HISTORY OF BOWLING GREEN TOWNSHIP.

ing up this new country, even if it is necessary to mention them three or four times. They are worthy of all the praise the humble historian of the present day can bestow upon them. Among the earliest, and perhaps the earliest settler of the township was Joseph Scott, who came in 1815, from Kentucky. Thus with him the opening wedge entered the virgin territory, and from the States of Kentucky, Virginia, Alabama and Ten- nessee came the heroes of the rough and sturdy material which was to rise into the beautiful and substantial structures of the western empire. Joseph Roberts and wife came in 1820, also from Kentucky; N. Steele came the same year from the same State. John Potter came in 1825 from the same State, and Robert Ross came two years later from the "blue grass " regions. George Small came to the township in 1825, from Ken- tucky, and also the same year and from the same State came George W. Smiley, whom we have previously given the honor of naming the town- ship. All these have years ago passed away. Mr. Smiley was a man of great energy, a consistent member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and his house was always open to the preaching of the gospel, no matter of what denomination the minister might be. On his land the first school house built in the township was erected, and the ancient chimney still stands as a mark of his enterprise in the days when the country was little more than a wilderness. Daniel Wright came to the township in 1831, from Alabama, and is now numbered with those who have passed to a bet- ter world. Andrew M. Wright came from the same State, and in the same year, and still resides in the township. A complete biographical sketch is given of him elsewhere, and to say he has had much to do with bringing the township up to its present standpoint would be but a slight tribute to one who has resided fifty-one years in the same section of coun- try, watched it grow from infancy to youth, and from youth to manhood, and now enjoying the fullness of the blessings the Creator has so bounti- fully showered upon it. Clinton Young came to the township in 1830, from Tennessee, and Clayborne Young four years later from the same State. Both are now dead. Judge J. W. Beeman is another of the pio- neers of the township, who is now living. He came from Alabama here in 1832, and has lived on the same homestead for fifty years; is one of the few men who came in those early times determined to carve their way to a competency, who yet remain to tell the story of their struggles and tri- umphs.

CHURCHES.

I love to steal awhile away From every cumbering care, And spend the hour of setting day In humble, grateful prayer.

There are four churches in the township, viz : Salem M. E., Provi- dence Baptist, Beeman Chapel and the Church of the Disciples.

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HISTORY OF BOWLING GREEN TOWNSHIP.

The M. E. Church, of Bowling Green Township, is known by the name of Salem, and is situated in the southern part of the township, seven miles east of Sedalia. The first class was organized at Smiley's school house in 1840, and the present organization of Salem Church was made in 1860 by B. J. Porter, John Pollard, E. K. Porter, J. C. Porter and B. C. Porter. The building was erected in 1859, at a cost of $5,000, by B. J. Porter, W. B. Porter, E. M. Hausburger and J. N. Porter. It is a brick building 40x50 feet, and was dedicated in 1859 by Dr. Parsons, of Louis- ville, Ky. The pastors have been the Revs. Josiah Godby, W. C. Godby, Joseph McCasey, J. Woodspringer, Wassen Wharton, J. P. Smith, R. E. Allen and J. T. Anthony. The original members were B. C. Por- ter, B. J. Porter, J. W. Pollard, Mrs. F. R. Porter, S. W. Porter, P. Pol- lard, Mr. and Mrs. H. Z. Elbert, E. M. Housberger and wife and E. K. Porter and family. The present membership is forty-five, and the Sun- day School has an average attendance of fifty. T. E. Porter is Superin- tendent, and the Secretary is A. M. Mitchene. Before the organization of Salem Church the different denominations met at Smiley's school house and old Providence Baptist Church, where they would have great revi- vals under the preaching of Revs. Springer, James Mitchell, Thomas Wallace and J. W. Jamesen.

From the Sedalia Democrat we clip the following in regard to the churches :

What is known as Salem Church, of the Southern Methodist denomi- nation, four and a half miles east of town, two miles south of Beaman, and in the Porter neighborhood, has been rebuilt. The old church was 40x50 feet, and the new one is 28x40 feet, and is really a handsome little church, yet plenty large enough for all purposes. The old materials-such as the brick, shingles, planking and furniture, were used in the new building. The amount expended in the work was $800, which was raised by sub- scription, a good deal of which was subscribed in Sedalia. The Rev. J. M. Anthony is the pastor. The new church was dedicated last New Year's day, by the Rev. E. R. Hendricks, President of the Central Col- lege at Fayette. The membership is sixty, and altogether the church is in a flourishing condition.

The following account of the Church of the Disciples is written by Mr. Bird P. Smith :

In 1859 when I removed to Missouri, there were two churches of Dis- ciples in Pettis County. One in the northern part of the county called Union; this was a very strong and flourishing organization at that time; made up of the most influential, intelligent citizens of that part of the county. Among the members of that time were, Amos Fristoe, Abner Clopton, Dr. Rothwell, John S. Jones. Dr. Cartwright, Col. Thos. F. Houston, George Anderson, Ben. Major, Charles Jones, and many others of influence. Amos Fristoe and Ben Major were the leading workers of the church, always zealous and energetic in the cause of Christ. Amos Fristoe was Elder, and I think Bro. Harrison. Elder Allen Wright

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HISTORY OF BOWLING GREEN TOWNSHIP.

preached for them, and he and Bro. L. B. Wilks held a very successful protracted meeting for the church at Union, in 1858, and had over one hundred additions; among them Col. T. F. Houston and wife. The church at Union, so strong twenty years ago, is now the weakest in the county. Georgetown was the county seat in 1860. There was a good congregation of Disciples there, organized by Elder Allen Wright and Elder John Dejarnett. The leading workers in this church were John Dejarnett, P. Woolridge and Mr. Hunt. After the county seat was removed to Sedalia, the congregation removed there also. I cannot close this sketch without alluding to the work and life of Elder John Dejarnett. He had a good English education, was an excellent business man, made no great pretentions as a preacher, but at the same time was what I con- sider a good preacher. His reasoning was strictly logical. Few men could analyze a passage of scripture more clearly than he; alway under- stood his subject well, and no one could fail to understand him, and the reason he was not a popular speaker, his voice was sharp and bad. Never too busy to work for the church (and he had a large business), always ready to work for Christ. To his energy and zeal, the church in Sedalia is indebted for the house the congregation now worship in. He raised the money and superintended the building under many adverse circumstances during the war. The brick had to be brought from Jeffer- son City. Elder Dejarnett has been dead for a number of years, and I am not aware that his brethren have ever paid a proper tribute of love and respect to the memory of so good and faithful a worker in the cause of Christ.

Speaking of early times, Rev. Wm. Ferguson says: "It was thinly settled, but plenty of wild deer and prairie chickens, and wolves were on the prairie where Sedalia now stands. No railroads, no telegraph wires thought of then, no fine churches, no fine school houses; had to send our children to school in little houses, sixteen by eighteen feet, made of logs and seats without backs to them. Had to preach in those little houses, or in private family homes, or in the groves in warm weather. But now we have fine school houses, and fine churches, well seated, all over the county; and where the wolves and wild deer, and the prairie chickens were, Sedalia now stands in her splendor, with many railroads and telegraph wires. Many large, fine farms well improved, and in the place of the old fashioned scythes and cradle to cut our grass and other small grain, we have plenty of good machinery that goes by horse-power to cut our grasses, wheat and oats, and the thresher to thresh the same."

The first justice of the peace was Larkin Erwin, and the first school was taught by James Chalmers. V. T. Chilton, Edward Clark, Wm. Joplin, F. M. Butler and Mrs. Bryan, cousin of Maj. Wm. Gentry, were also early teachers. The township officers of 1873 were B. F. Taylor and W. C. Steelman, justices, and G. S. Erwin, assessor; T. P. Potter, collec- tor; and Willis Franklin, clerk. The county schools are in a flourishing condition.

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HISTORY OF BOWLING GREEN TOWNSHIP.

In the early days of land entry, frequently large tracts were entered at 123 cents per acre. Richard Gentry made a large entry of a tract now occupied of Wm. Gentry as a sheep farm. Just as he came down from the land office steps, Judge Beeman started up to enter the same tract.

The post office of the township is at the little station of Beaman on the . Missouri, Kansas & Texas railroad.

JUDGE J. W. BEEMAN.

Farmer. The subject of this sketch is one of the pioneers and one of the two oldest persons now living in the township, and is a native of North Carolina. He was born in Rowan County on May 5, 1813, and when he was about sixteen years of age he moved to Albany, where he remained until 1832, then he moved to Pettis County, Missouri, and located where he now lives. He entered forty acres in July, 1834, on which place his house now stands. He has the honor of having the town of Beeman named after him. He was married July 10, 1834, to Miss Elizabeth Smiley, who is a native of Kentucky, and daughter of James Smiley. This union has blessed them with three children. His wife was called to her long home in March 30, 1878; she was a faithful member of the Methodist Church, and died in that faith. Mr. Beeman is a man that has taken a warm interest in the wellfare of the county court, and as his reward he was appointed Judge of the county in 1865, and when his term expired he was re-elected for the term of four years, and during this time he did his duty and filled the office to the letter of the law and satisfaction of the people. He is a leading member of the Methodist Church. He has seen many changes come and go to Pettis County, but has always kept pace with its progress. He has improved a fine farm of 360 acres, and is now num- bered among the successful pioneers of the county. He was married Jan. 31, 1882, to Mrs. Armilda Igo, whose maiden name was Moore. Mr. Beeman has a good home one-half mile west of Beeman station. Mr. Beeman has been a citizen of this county more than fifty years, having settled here in April, 1832, before Pettis County was organized, and has always shown himself worthy and exemplary.

H. E. McCOY.

Post-office, Beaman. Owns a grist-mill and saw-mill combined on Sec- tion fourteen, township forty-six, range twenty. This enterprising citizen is a native of Cooper County, Mo., and was born in 1840, and from the time he was seven years of age he has been in a mill. He thoroughly understands milling and is now doing a large business and with much satisfaction to the people. He has been engaged in milling in Morgan County, and during the war he was in the employ of the Missouri

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HISTORY OF BOWLING GREEN TOWNSHIP.

Pacific Railroad for about three years. He then went to Nebraska, where he remained about two years. He then returned to Missouri, and in 1872 moved to his present place, since which time he has improved the mill, and its capacity is now about 200 barrels per day. He was married Jan. 2, 1867, to Miss A. J. Yancey, who is a native of Cooper County, Mo. This union has blessed them with four children, viz: William E., Katie, Henry A. and Lee.

JUDGE V. T. CHILTON.

The subject of this sketch was born in Fauquier County, Va., on the first day of April, 1817, and moved with his father's family to Kanawha County, now West Virginia, in the fall of 1834, where he attended the common schools and worked on the farm. In 1837 he entered Bacon Col- lege in Georgetown, Ky., and graduated in civil and topographical engi- neering in August, 1839. He then came to Missouri in October, 1835, and taught school; then surveyed government lands and dealt in live stock until 1852. He was married in March, 1853, in Alabama, to Susan E. Hampton, a relative of the warrior and statesman, and in April of the same year settled on the farm where he now lives, four miles north of Smithton, Pettis County. In August, 1875, he was appointed by Gov. Hardin, as Justice at large, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of John M. Sneed, which position he continued to fill until the summer of 1878, at which time, having received the nomination of the Democratic party for the legislature, he resigned the position to which he had been twice appointed and twice elected, and at the general election in 1878 he was chosen to represent Pettis County in the Thirtieth General Assembly of the · State of Missouri.

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The History of Pettis County, Missouri, including an authentic history of Sedalia, other towns and townships, together with biographical sketches, Part 101

Author: Demuth, I. MacDonald Publication date: 1882] Publisher: [n.p. Number of Pages: 1154

Author: Demuth, I. MacDonald
Publication date: 1882]
Publisher: [n.p.
Number of Pages: 1154