USA > Missouri > Johnson County > The history of Johnson County, Missouri : including a reliable history of the townships, cities, and towns, together with a map of the county; a condensed history of Missouri; the state constitution; an abstract of the most important laws etc > Part 61
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Lost Creek is so named because it is lost in the flat bottom land near Big Creek, where it is supposed that the waters either spread over the bottom, or are lost in the marly soil. The creek has its two tributaries, which rise near Kingsville, skirted with scrubby timber and brush. This stream is discontinued in section thirty-six, town forty-five, range twenty- eight, Rose Hill municipal township.
The township system went into effect in 1872, and was met with no little opposition. The first meeting of the board of officers convened in Kingsville, April 16, 1873. Under this system the people had a uniform taxation. The funds were kept in the hands of a trustee, and only paid out by order of the board. It was a great convenience to the people who resided here where the distance was about twenty miles to the county seat. At present, many of the people wish for a return of the " township system."
As gathered from the records, the following synopsis shows the officers that served under the township system during the years prefixed:
1872 .- James Morrow, justice of the paace; Samuel F. Duncan, clerk; John B. Chapman, justice of the peace; James Johnston, assessor ; Andrew J. Buchanan, constable; D. B. Reavis, supervisor; James Morrow, road overseer.
1873 .- Henry J. Douthit, clerk, after William P. Hunt resigned; Thomas Ruff, justice of the peace; James Johnston, assessor; A. J. Buchanan, constable, in lieu of Albert S. Ellas, resigned; D. B. Reavis, supervisor; John L. Jones, justice of the peace; George L. Nolan, col- lector, in lieu of J. E. Hickman, resigned; William P. Gibson, road over- seer; John L. Jones, trustee.
1874 .- John L. Jones, trustee; William C. Ruff, Samuel S. Howe,
1
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
James Morrow, and Samuel E. Hawthorn were road overseers of the four districts; William C. Duncan, justice of the peace; Albert S. Ellas, appointed constable in the place of A. J. Buchanan; John E. Hickman, collector; James Johnston, assessor; J. B. Chapman, justice of the peace; George G. Valentine, clerk.
1875 .- John L. Jones, trustee; W. F. Hesler, constable, in place of. A. S. Ellas, resigned; Andrew D. Johnston, W. C. Rufi, Samuel S. Howe, and Peter Duncan, road overseers; James Johnston, assessor; George G. Valentine, clerk; Alexander Sankey, appointed collector; J. B. Chapman and John White, justices of the peace.
1876 .- George G. Valentine, clerk; J. F. Newland, trustee; W. F. Hesler, constable; Thomas Conrad and C. W. Moss, justices of the peace; Thomas Longacre, collector; W. C. Ruff, assessor; John C. Fuller, Wm. Meredith, A. H. Warden, and George Gloyd were road overseers.
1877 .- George G. Valentine, clerk; J. F. Newland, trustee; Thomas J. Longacre, collector; William C. Ruff, assessor; the road overseers were, William Meredith, John C. Fuller; C. W. Moss, and John B. Chapman, justices of the peace.
After the officers for 1877, under the "township system," were elected the state legislature repealed the law before the officers were installed. The system, at first, was experimental, and when it was repealed it was just beginning to be liked by the people. It takes time to make custom. This system was meeting with the highest favor when it was discarded. It was found to be both practical and effective in roads, taxes, and educa- tional matters, for none so immediately comes from and reaches to the people. All the officers met and constituted a board, for the transaction of business, and, no doubt, when the people have elected wise legislators to represent them in the state general assembly, this system will again be inaugurated. It is the people's safe-guard in a large county like John- son.
The following were the justices of the peace, before and after the organization of the "township system," in this municipal township. In 1870 to 1872, George Monroe and James Morrow; 1878 to 1881, C. W. Moss, Thomas Conrad, and John L. Jones, with Thomas J. Bennett as constable. Since the township system was repealed, C. W. Moss, J. B. Chapman, Thomas Conrad, and J. L. Jones have served as justices of the peace.
Prominent personages of the township: Hon. W. F. Rolston was elected in 1870, and served the people of the county as their member in the state legislature, during 1871-2. He was well liked. He was an extensive farmer and stock-raiser. He left here in 1875, for the state of Oregon, where he now resides. He still owns a good farm two miles
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
from Kingsville. He was a consistent member of the Christian Church, and elder in the same, and is greatly missed from the community.
Hon. R. T. Fryer is a prominent farmer and stock-raiser. He keeps the fine blooded Durham cattle, also good horses and mules, and is a gen- . tleman of culture and taste, a reader of the current literature of the day, and is the only subscriber of the Phrenological fournal, and has the best collection of books of any man in the township. He represented the county in the state legislature in 1875-6, during the time he made many friends, and received the hearty support of his constituents. Although he is not a member of any church, he attends the Christian Church with his family, where his wife teaches a class in the Sunday school, and contrib- utes liberally of his means. He is the owner of a well-improved farm, about one mile north of Kingsville, and lives in easy circumstances, highly respected by all around him.
Josiah Smith, an excellent farmer, has resided southeast of town about two miles considerable of his time. He served as justice of the peace in 1866. He is a man of liberal views and an excellent citizen.
John R. French resides near Kingsville, in affluent circumstances. He purchased a large tract of land and moved here in 1880. He is a gentle- man of dignity and enterprise.
The country, especially the rural country homes of the better classes, is developing into beauty which only a few years ago was a wild prairie. The pretty shrubs of evergreens, trailing around, and perennial plants, besides the house plants, are extensively cultivated. Beautiful wild ver- benas grow in many parts of the township, and are now being transplanted in yards. The mocking bird, the king of singers, came here about 1867, and raises large numbers of birdies in the hedges and groves about the handsome cottages. The lark, once so common on the prairies, is becom- ing scarce.
The first grasshoppers known as the Kansas grass hoppers, made their advent here in the fall of 1866. They came from the southwest, about the middle of October. In many places they were so thick in the air that they darkened the sunlight. They did considerable damage to wheat and ripe apples, and deposited millions of eggs in the ground, but the severity of the winter prevented much of a crop from hatching out in the spring, and therefore there was not much damage done by them in the spring of 1867. This township did not suffer as much from these pests as Cass county, since they did not get much farther east than here.
The next time the grasshopper came, it being earlier in the season, he continued his way across the entire county, where the cold weather drove him into winter quarters. This was in the spring of 1874, and in the spring of 1875, owing partly from a dry winter, millions of little hoppers hatched from the eggs deposited in the ground the previous fall, and by
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
the middle of June they had consumed almost every living plant, leaving meadows and fields as bare as the ground in December; but about the time they made their exit, and on account of the heavy rains, the farmers, being thus encouraged, planted and raised a moderate crop of corn and turnips, besides late garden vegetables. It is said that by the first of April of this year that everything was swarming with myriads of these hateful grasshoppers. They seized everything green, stripping many trees of both leaves and buds, and by June had left the verdant pastures stripped of every leaf and plant.
In 1860 Dr. W. H. Carpenter erected a distillery and carding machine, which was not in use more than one year. It was destroyed by fire in 1868, and never rebuilt. Hornsby branch, in the western part of the town- ship, took its name from Brinkly Hornsby, who settled here in the spring of 1843. At an early day the green horse flies were so bad that farmers were obliged to plow at nights, or when their horses were in the stables build a fire so that the smoke would keep away the flies. In 1866, Sept. 15th, there was a light fall of snow. Late crops were injured. Until 1870 thousands of acres of the best prairie grass was cut for hay. There were no chintz bugs here to do much damage till 1857. The dryest year known was 1860, and the following year, 1861, was very wet.
In the spring of 1867 an earthquake shock was felt. So severe was the shock that the china ware jostled in the shelves, and some even rolled. out. This shock was more severe further west.
KINGSVILLE.
The village of Kingsville was laid out in 1856 by Gen. Wm. King, whose name the village now honors. Gen. King built the first house, in 1853; Samuel Bolejack followed.' Rufus King had built a dwelling, at that time, on the prairie, some distance away, in 1851. The village is located in four sections and four different congressional townships-sec- tions 6, 13, 1 and 36; townships, 45, 46; ranges 28, 29. The Missouri Pacific Railroad passes through the northern part, in a northwest direc- tion. It is situated on a high, rolling prairie, forming the summit of the divide between the tributaries of Blackwater and. Big Creek. The houses, which number about fifty, including some farm dwellings, jutting close to the village, are all frame buildings, and they are built upon the cheap plan for utility. The better residences are those of John R. French, R. King, Geo. Johnston, G. W. King and D. W. H. Carpenter. At pres- ent there are three stores, two blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, one carpenter shop, drug store, one grain elevator, shoe shop and a lumber yard.
Postoffice .- A postoffice was established here in 1856, and Samuel Bole- jack was the first postmaster, till after the war broke out, in 1861. It is said that when the mail would arrive that the postmaster would pour the 34
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
contents of the mail bags in the middle of the floor, and if any were present they could pick out their mail matter. His wife couldn't read, and when her husband was absent, and anyone called for mail, she would say, "Look over this package, an' see ef you got anything." Perhaps not a dozen letters would arrive at the office a week, and only two or three families read newspapers. The postoffice, Kingsville, was named in honor of a distinguished family of Kings who settled here prior to the war. On account of the strict southern principles of this family the loy- alists determined in 1865 to wrestle the name from this little borough. The bitter feeling was at one time so great that the name of the postoffice was changed from Kingsville to Ramey, and Gen. King burned in effigy. The name Ramey was in honor of a man by that name, who made many dashing and scouting expeditions in Missouri as a militia captain. Practi- cally the name was never adopted, and just as soon as democrats had influence in congress the name was changed back to Kingsville. The postoffice, for a time, was discontinued during the civil war, and when the office was resuscitated the Pacific railroad brought a daily mail about the 1st of July, 1865. The following postmasters have served since the war: W. Wilkeenson, A. J. Buchanan, W. Monroe and Geo. Moore. The last named is serving at present, and from him we get the following bit of information concerning the office: The office is open every day except Sundays. The following periodicals are received, published in the county: Fournal-Democrat, fifty copies taken; Sedalia Evening Call, thirty copies taken; Holden Enterprise, fifty-four copies taken; Standard, twenty copies taken. Papers published out of the county: : Chicago Inter-Ocean, twenty-three; Missouri Republican, fifty; Christian, twenty-five; Globe- Democrat, twenty; Western Raral, six; Cumberland Presbyterian, five; United Presbyterian, fifteen; and about one hundred promiscuous papers. The average number of letters that arrive each day is about thirty, and the office pays about $20 per month.
Physicians-In the early settlement of the township Dr. Jas. M. Ful- kerson did much of the practice in this section, riding horseback fifteen miles. Dr. H. W. King practiced here prior to the war; Dr. W. G. King, till his death; Dr. B. King, who now resides in Holden; Dr. W. H. Carpenter has the leading practice; Dr. T. A. Reed graduated at a Kan- sas City medical school, and located here in 1880; Dr. J. A. Houston resides in the country; Dr. H. J. Douthit practiced here after the close of the war till he went to Texas; Dr. W. D. Pinkston, now of Warrensburg, resided here a few years ago.
Depot .- The Missouri Railroad was finished to this point about July 1, 1865, and the depot built in 1866. At one time this was a good shipping point, but through the lack of enterprise on the part of a few land-holders the little sister town of Holden robbed this village of her pristine glory,
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
and became a mammoth shipping point instead. Town lots were at one time so dear that there were but little inducements to locate here, and so, little by little, the town has grown less, until now it will only number about two hundred souls. About one dozen of this population are negroes. The following are the railroad agents as they served: Messrs. Holonbeak, Jones, Rolston, Jackson, Hunt, Horner, Wheeler, King and Phillips.
CHURCHES.
The town has at present two neat frame church buildings-the Chris- tian and United Presbyterian churches. The Baptist organization talk of building. Pastors of each: Elder J. H. Vance, Christian; Rev. Wm. Stevenson, United Presbyterian; Rev. J. H. Carmichael, Baptist. Geo. G. Valentine, superintendent Christian Sunday school; Jas. Ruff, superin- tendent United Presbyterian Sunday school.
We give the following brief sketches of the three churches of the town- ship:
Baptist Church of Kingsville .- Prominent among the early churches of Kingsville, is the Baptist church. The church at Kingsville was organ- ized, Saturday, March 10, 1860, with the following original members, holding letters from the United Baptist church; Geo. Minton, Gross Ges- terson, F. G. George, Andrew Worth, Sarah Worth, Rufus Wise, John Wooton, Marinda Wooton, Lucretia Wooton, Rosanah M. Johnson, J. Hunt, Martha Hunt, and Mary Byrsly.
Andrew Worth and Rufus Wise were the first deacons. At a meet- ing in the following July, the congregation asked to be admitted into the Blue River Association, as the "United Baptist Church of Kingsville." The first delegates to the Blue River Association were A. Worth, L. Rush, and F. G. George.
The first pastor was Rev. George Minton, who took charge in the fol- lowing September, for one year. The church began to prosper, but its members were few, and after the regular meeting in July 1861, they were suddenly scattered abroad hy the ravages of civil war, and did not con- vene any more during the five years of devastating war. In August, 1866, the church was reorganized, with Andrew Worth, moderator and F. E. Johnston, clerk. Soon after the church began to prosper again. In May 1872, the church sent J. M. Dorman to the state Sunday-school conven- tion, which convened that year in Warrensburg, as their delegate in the Sunday-school cause of the state, and since then, this church has heartily supported the Baptist Sunday-school cause in the state, although they have not maintained any regular Sunday-school in their own congrega- tion.
Pastors have occupied the pulpit as follows: Revs. Geo. Minton, M.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY
Brown, Jas. Gabriel, N. M. Longfellow, J. G. Maver, J. W. Williams, I. N. Newman, and J. L. Carmichael. Two noted revivals were held, (Sept. 1874 and Aug. 1876,) which resulted in several additions to the church, and an increased degree of piety.
At a meeting in Oct. 1874, delegates were chosen to meet in convention at Mound Prairie church, Lafayette county, for the purpose of organizing a new association, composed of the counties of Johnson aud Lafayette. The convention was held the 29th of October, and the new association was effected. Since that time the church has been abundantly blessed in prosperity and faithful membership, and although not owning any house of worship, they have never failed to meet regularly every month. At present, steps are being taken to build a handsome church edifice. The present pastor, Rev. J. L. Carmichael, has entered upon his work with earnestness and zeal, and will surely succeed in extending and building up the church in Kingsville.
United Presbyterian Church at Kingsville .- Prominent among the churches of Johnson county is the U. P. church at Kingsville. The church was organized November 8, 1867, with the following original members: M. A. Andrews, N. Andrews, Hannah Andrews, Alex. Dripps, James Dripps, Eliza Dripps, Mariah Dripps, Sallie Dripps, Wm. Rinehart, Mar- garet Rinehart, Henry Skiles, Arnet Skiles, Jane Skiles, Mattie Skiles, Elmer A. Skiles, John P. Thompson, M. T. Thompson, Lulie F. Thomp- son, Mary E. Thompson, and Sarah M. Thompson.
Although the church cannot be counted among the oldest religious societies of the county, yet, since its organization, there are but few churches that have kept pace with it. It has a good and worthy member- ship of ninety members, and it may be said, it is the foremost church of this denomination in the county. There are only two other churches of this denomination in the county, at Warrensburg and Centerview.
The church building is a handsome frame edifice 26x60, built in 1870, and cost $1,400. It is neatly seated, aisles carpeted, and presents an impos- ing and welcome place for the weary-worn, of the heavenward sojourn- ers, on Sabbath days. But two pastors have filled the pulpit here. Rev. J. F. Graham was pastor from September 7, till October 15, 1873, when, on account of his ill health, he resigned. Rev. Wm. Stevenson took charge in August 1878 and still continues in the pastoral charge.
This church was organized by Rev. R. G. Thompson, who moved into the bounds of Kingsville with his family from Ohio, June 1, 1866; at that time there was no organization of the U. P. church in the state, except one in St. Louis. Rev. Thompson began preaching in an old school house north of Kingsville, one and a half miles, and preached regularly during the fall and winter of 1866-7. He was appointed by the church in the summer of 1867 to labor here and in Holden for the year, with the prom-
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
ise of $200 and a small subscription from the citizens as support. Being encouraged by the prospects of building up a congregation, an organiza- tion was effected at the house of Rev. Thompson, November 8, 1867. The Sabbath-school was organized in the summer of 1867, and has con- tinued ever since, and now has a scholarship, with an average member- ship of eighty, the whole year. James Ruff is superintendent and Rosa O. Martin, secretary. The church and Sunday-school are both entering a prosperous growth, and will, no doubt, last a long time.
Christian Church of Kingsville,-The Christian Church of Kingsville is prominent among the churches of western Johnson county. It was organized in March, 1868, by Eld. Geo. W. Langan with the following original members: Alice Fryer, Rilda . Douglas, Laura Lea, Mary J. Harner, Emma Huff, Elizabeth Douthit, Dora Douthit, Elizabeth Reavis, Mary Smith, Margaret Fryer, Alice Reavis, Mary Henry, Alice Rolston, Thos. Douthit, Geo. C. Douthit, T. Henry, John R. Reavis, Sam'l McCulock, Joseph Venable, and Ashley York. The first pastor was Eld. T. J. Crenshaw, who commenced his labors in the following July, visiting the congregation monthly. John R. Reavis and T. Henry were the first elders, and Wm. F. Rolston and Geo. G. Douthit the first deacons. In January, 1879, W. C. Duncan and Wm. F. Rolston were set apart as elders. On the 11th day of August, 1871, Dr. W. D. Pinkston united with the church. At an officers' election in May, 1872, Wm. F. Rolston and W. C. Duncan were re-elected elders, and John Greaves and Owen Souther were elected and ordained deacons. In the beginning of 1874 when the church was in a prosperous condition a faction arose which terminated in the Fisk-Jarrott case, in 1876, when W. C. Duncan no longer officiated as elder. The church was soon healed of these troubles and at once entered an era of progress. On February 3, 1877, a com- mittee was appointed to report on church history and statistics, in which the members felt a deep interest. March the 16th, of the same year, "The Johnson county Missionary meeting " was held with this church. The following are the present officers of the church: Owen Souther, and John R. White, elders; John Greaves and D. K. Hobbs, deacons, and W. H. Mayo, clerk.
The present neat frame church was erected in the fall of 1880, at the cost of $1,100. It is about 30x46 in size, and contains plain but neat furni- ture, a platform and a communion set. The present membership is about 84. The Sunday-school has Geo. G. Valentine for superintendent, with an average of fifty scholars. In the past the school has not been kept up all the year, but with the efficient work of the present superintendent it is expected that the school will continue both winter and summer. The following ministers have labored with the church: T. J. Crenshaw, M. H. Burnett, John R. Reavis, W. R. Cunningham, John Elliott, James
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
Randall, B. C. Stephens, and J. H. Vance. The following ministers have conducted successful revivals: C. A. Hedrick, W. B. Fisk, J. L. Thorn- berry, and Geo. W. Longan. None of these religious awakenings have been very marked. In 1872 and 1873, the church received large additions. In 1874 J. L. Thornberry conducted a meeting which resulted in eighteen additions to the church. The church is now in good con- dition. About twenty copies of the Christian, the church paper of St Louis, are taken by the church. Eld. J. H. Vance is the present pastor and the church no doubt, will continue to stand exerting a great influence for good among the religious bodies of the county.
In connection with the township and village we give a brief notice of the extensive orchard planted by J. L. Jones. This gentleman was born in that part of Missouri now called Cooper county, Juue 1, 1820, of Welsh- Irish parentage. At present he is in moderate health and is serving as justice of the peace. This immense orchard was planted in the spring of 1868. It. originally consisted of 200 acres, but now has only 170 acres. The drought in 1874 and the grasshoppers in the following year destroyed a large number of the young trees. It is well hedged in by Osage orange, then it has a " wind-brake" of cedar surrounding the orchard within the hedge. The orchard contains upwards of 8,000 trees. The following are some of the varieties of apples: Ben Davis, geniton, minkler, bellflower, winesap, witerwine, autumn and winter swaar, early harvest, red june, willow-twig, jonathan, white winter Pearmain, Huntsman and many others. About 600 pear trees of several varieties are in the orchard. Several varieties of plums were planted but none do well except the wild goose plum. Mr. Jones shipped last year 950 barrels of apples from this orchard. When the trees are older, no doubt but the yield will be fine. At present this orchard has passed into the hands of A. G. French, son- in-law of Mr. Jones: Mr. French is an enterprising farmer and merchant and has one of the handsomest country residences, close to Kingsville.
The Kingsville Star, a neat little newspaper made its debut in 1867, and was successfully edited by Andrew R. French. It continued one year " semi-occasionally " in its publication. D. B. Reavis and A. R. French were merchants at this time.
In the winter of 1869 a brutal murder occurred on the farm of Samuel Dryden, a man about sixty years of age. It appears that a tenant family, by the name of Cox (man and wife only), were living here and were down sick, when some malicious fiend came upon them and chopped them to pieces with an ax. So far, no one has ever found out, more than rumor, who did the deed. During this time the "vigilance committee " was organized in this section, and an armed band of eight unknown men dis- patched Dryden's life, supposed to be on account of the Cox murder. The whole tragedy is a mystery to be revealed in the day of judgment.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
Massacre .- Early in the late war, around this place, was a scene of con- siderable strife and hostile action by both parties. At first the people were principally on the side of the south, and B. Hornsby was the only leader of the abolition party. In June, 1861, the first seces- sion flags were raised in the village. The unionists attempted to raise their flags on the same day, but failed for want of numbers, and the south- ern women took axes and cut the unionists& flag-poles to pieces. In Octo- ber of the same year, Gen. "Jim " Lane, of Kansas notoriety, dashed into the town and sacked all the stores. During the following winter (1862), Maj. Herrick, under Col. Gennison, dashed down upon the place and drove out all the southerners, and burned their dwellings. Near the village they took nine men prisoners, and on the following morning killed eight, and the ninth one they cut a swallow-fork in his right ear, saying: "We'll About
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