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 69
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Mr. Thomas J. Caldwell, one of the best citizens in the township, is among the honest' tillers of the soil. He has a nice residence in the heart of the fine, arable lands of the township. His farm lies in sections 5 and 8, township 44, range 25. The soil is from six to thirty inches in depth and is underlaid with marl of lime and magnesia, which would
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bear subsoiling. Mr. Caldwell states for 1881, that his wheat averaged from twelve to thirty-five bushels per acre. Corn has averaged as high as sixty bushels per acre. . Castor beans pay well. Flax does equally well. Very fine melons are produced here. Apples, peaches and many small fruits grow in abundance and yield fine crops. Plenty of living water is found here, at a depth of eight to forty feet. This township pro- duces more corn than any other one township in the county. In 1880 its crop was estimated at 75,000 bushels; in excess, or one-third greater than that of an of its sister townships. Besides corn, wheat and oats, all kinds of grain and vegetables make a sure and large yield. Indeed, this town- ship has some of the best fruit farms to be found in the county. Many of the leading citizens are engaged in rearing fine stock. Quite a number feed stock every year for the St. Louis markets. James M. Ward is dealing extensively in blooded stock and mules. W. H. Burford is a large cattle feeder. Mr. Milliner is dealing in thoroughbred stock. Some of the prominent farmers and stockraisers of Post Oak are: F. Tracy, S. Stone, Samuel Wherry, David Cecil, Dr. J. M. Ward, B. F. Wall, J. R. Grinstead, T. J. Caldwell, Samuel Wasson, David Mann, D. Snod- grass, F. J. Johnson and Samuel E. Wall. The last named keeps thorough- bred cattle. Those who fell on the side of the south we mention: Isaac Runner, Michael Runner, George Herrington, Berry Greer and Gideon Jones; Wm. Wiley and Wm. Buckston fell in behalf of the union.
CHAPTER IX .- JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP.
Name-Location-Physical Features-Population-Statistics-Pioneer Settlers-Officers -Harrodsburg-Postoffice -- Eldorado -- Roads -- Churches -- First Preachers-Old High Point Church -- Pleasant Grove -- Cemeteries-Educational -Schools-Civic Societies-Agricultural Interests-Stock Raising-Incidents.
Since the day in which this township was christened in honor of the patriot and statesman, Thomas Jefferson, time has been at work. The wheels of progress have turned westward, and by skill and industry the intelligent sons of toil have developed the natural resources which the lib- eral hand of the Omnipotent has so freely distributed among them.
Situate under a genial sky, in a latitude where sanitary laws are mocked, where liberty, honesty of purpose and high regard for the welfare of the community held full sway, lived some of the best and noblest pioneers .of Johnson county. May not their children, with relevancy and due respect, honor the names of their illustrious sires? A few biographical sketches of to-day may appear meaningless and out of place but perhaps ere the sands of time have worn through a century hence, these pages have been vener- ated and baptized in tears from sympathizing friends, whose hearts almost
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melted in love and admiration, mixed with sadness, for those who have retired to the city of the dead.
Many of those who were born and reared here can reflectingly call to memory, " The house where I was born," the rural home, where the log cabin in its primitive grotesqueness stood by the little woods that skirted the stream. Soon after this followed the little log school house by the road side and the well remembered schoolmaster, who with rod in hand ruled his little school.
Progress and enterprise had brought wealth and affluence to many of the early settlers prior to 1861. Before this time bad, designing men, worthless, without principle or means came here as the offshoot from the slop-pail of other states, and through envy coveted the property of honest citizens. The circumstances of the war developed what was in the hearts, of these men, and by the time the civil strife closed in the spring of 1865, the old settlers had been robbed of about all their personal property. Since that time those who are entitled to enjoy happy domestic homes have again became prominent, while those who held the "ill-got" gains have drifted into vileness and poverty, with shame written on their brows. They have made no retribution, neither is there rest for their souls.
Name .- It is quite common to notice the importance attached to a name. Individuals, objects and places alike become thus conspicuous. The name of a township, after years of familiarity, becomes a common house- hold word. We care not where the individual may roam, he will still, tendenly recall the name of his home township.
Jefferson township is one of the four original townships of the county, formed by an order of court, May, 4, 1835. It then embraced almost one fourth of the county, but by the formation of the other townships around it, it has been reduced in size until it now embraces about sixty square miles in the extreme southeastern portion of Johnson county. The town- ship took its name in honor of the " father of Democracy," Thomas Jef- ferson, the third president of the United States.
Jefferson township is bounded on the north by Washington township, on the east by Pettis county, on the south by Henry county, and on the west by Post Oak township, and contains about sixty square miles. Its southeast corner is about twenty-five miles from the county seat, War- rensburg. The inhabitants of the southern half do most of their trading in the town of Windsor, Henry county, a distance of about five to ten miles, while those living in the northern portion go to Knob Noster, a town on the Missouri Pacific railroad, near the centre of Washington town- ship.
Physical Features .- The surface is diversified. High Point is the great- est eminence in the township, and perhaps, as high as any elevation of the county. On the elevations the soil is a sandy loam, mixed with clay, and
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is quite productive when well cultivated. In the northwest part of the township the land surface has hill and dale, and contains some excellent timber. Here the soil varies from sand loam mixed with clay to black lime stone land in the valleys. Some of this is hlack-jack land on the upland and resin-weed land in the lowlands. In northern and eastern parts the surface is slightly rolling and undulating. Although the soil is not deep, yet it is underlaid with a fine bed of marl which makes it very valuable for subsoiling. Blue grass grows very luxuriant here and makes fine pastures.
In the southeastern portions the land is quite rolling and often uneven, but fine agricultural lands. Most of the soil is a deep limestone, from mulatto to black soils. There is some timber here, but no dense and extensive forests. In the southwestern part of the township we have the head waters of Tebo. Here the land is often termed " High Point Tebo." The land is sandy and quite rolling on the elevations, while in the low- lands and creek bottoms the soil is somewhat mixed, nevertheless, quite productive.
Fine beds of coal exist in many parts of the township. The head waters of Tebo creek are in section 30. The creek banks are low, and the chan- nel is filled with beds of gravel in many places. Plenty of coal is found on this creek, besides some of the best timber of the county. The bottoms are quite fertile and produce the very best hay, besides all sorts of grains. Whenever the prairie grass is killed out the blue grass at once springs into existence and produces a beautiful velvety green sward most of the year. Mr. J. M. Wall owns considerable of this fine land, both timber and pasture. Here is plenty of living water in never failing springs. These pasture lands produce the finest grasses of the county to perfec- tion. Mr. L. C. Littlefield owns a fine pasture of 240 acres. The great elevation of township called " High Point" is in section 21 on a divide separating the waters of Tebo from those of the township running north and east. It is a beautiful out-look.
It is said that here are found veins of ochre, choice clays, and a stratum of plumbago and black oxyde of manganese, which is susceptible of a fine polish and makes a clear black mark. The limestone here embraces sev- eral varieties, some of which contain numerous fossils. Several speci- mens of petrification, principally of wood, have been found in many places of the township.
Iu an early day this entire township was annually wrapped in flames. No doubt the luxuriant vegetation produced here fed the yearly fires that swept over this surface for centuries before the white man kindled his camp fires beside the purling brooks of Jefferson township. The land of this section is the finest in the county. Here a country home would have
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the real rustic tinge. The only draw back is the great distance from the county seat.
The following are the creeks of the township: Brushy, Muddy, Cop- peras, Plum, Clear Fork, East and West Tebo. Brushy has its source in section 28, and flows northeast and empties into Muddy in the northeast quarter of section 26. This little stream is shallow and does not afford abundance of water all the year, however, several holes contain stock water much of the time. On account of the abundance of brush on this stream it gets its name. Muddy rises in the southern central part and flows pretty regularly in a northeast direction to the northeast corner of the township. This is the largest stream of the interior of the township. It has plenty of stock water. The channel is not deep, but in some places is at times very muddy, whence its name. On the borders of this stream is found good timber. Elm, walnut, hackberry, oak, and hickory grow in abundance. Only about two miles of Clear Fork pass through the northwestern corner of the township. This the largest stream in the
northwest. Its name come from the clearness of the water. Plum Branch has its source in section 29, and flows northwest through section 19, uni- ting with Clear Fork about one-quarter of a mile in Washington town- ship. From the abundance of fine wild plums at an early day it took its name. Copperas creek rises in the western centrel part of the township in section 5, and flows northwest, through sections 32, 31, 30, 25, and 24, uniting with Plum creek at the township line. This stream has some timber, but is noted for its mineral specimens. In a few places copperas water breaks from the adjacent ground, hence the name. West Tebo creek has its source in the southern part of the township,a nd flows into Henry county. Here is some excellent timber, and the bottoms are very fertile. The creek is formed from the numerous brooks which run off from the uplands about " High Point." This is a beautiful, picturesque locality, and is the home of the Fewells, Walls, and Garretts, old and res- pected families, who have attractive and substantial improvements on some of the choice agricultural lands of the township. East Tebo creek cuts across the corner of the county through some very rich land. Also, on the southern border, near the Henry county line, we find numerous little streams, some well timbered, that drain some of the best farms of the county. Here the soil is deep and of a black limestone loam nature, in some places, underlaid with marl which is very valuable to farmers, espe- cially if they ever expect to subsoil. The soil of the whole township, in general, is of a varying quality. In parts of the township it is of a reddish color, while in other parts it is of a rich black loam. There is no part of the county that will compare with this section in point of beauty and . grandeur of scenery. In most places the land is quite productive and the farms and buildings are handsome and attractive. No better class of hos-
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pitable and kind-hearted people can be found anywhere else. Here is enterprise and industry. The people, in general are in good circumstan- ces and happy in their domestic affairs.
The population and statistics of the township for its size and age will favorably compare with any other township in the county. The tenth U. S. census was taken by N. T. Gray during the summer of 1880, and gave a population of 1,403.
The following population and statistical table is given for the year, 1877: voters, 258; population, whites 1114; colored, 68; horses, 775; mules, 356; cattle, 1977; sheep, 1129; swine, 2521; bushels of wheet, 419; corn, 283,- 905; oats, 6310; barley, 300; rye, 150; pounds of tobacco, 17480; pounds of wool, 2943; tons of hay, 1475; gallons of wine, 7; gallons of sorghum mo- lasses, 3108. The following assessments were made on personal property for the year 1881: 943 horses, valued at $30,130; 12 asses, $225; 359 mules, $14,765; 2741 cattle, $30,839; 2,076 sheep, $4,032; 3786 hogs, $5,- 239; money, notes, bonds, and other securities, $31,999; all other personal property, $32,742; total, $148,015.
The Early Settlers .- Those who have come before and prepared the way for these settlements we call the brave pioneers. Well may the old settlers say with Longfellow:
The course of my long life hath reached at last, In fragile bark o'er a tempestuous sea, The common harbor, where must rendered be Account of all the actions of the past."
Very soon all those living who have seen this country change from the wild nature to the high state of domestic beauty and enlightenment, will have past away. The old settlers who settled here, were of that better class, who were neither too fond of romance, nor did they settle down to common place ideas.
Their natures chose the "golden mean " in respect to aesthetic culture. Most of their time, for the first few years, was spent in opening up homes, and hence they did not pay that regard to education due from noble ancestry. They kept sacred their family blood, and so great was their vigilance in this respect, that often relatives were affianced. Let it be a transgression of the laws, or otherwise, these noble families were too proud of their stock and ancestry to see their posterity become connected with inferior families. In many cases, perhaps, they erred, but, nevertheless, no better families ever lived, than those of Jefferson township.
Prominent among the old settlers we mention the following: Mr. S. C. Gray came here in 1848, from Boone county. He was born November 15, 1820, and is now living in Sec. 30, T. 44, R. 24, in moderate health. J. W. Fickas is now living on the old Jack Daniels' place. Col. B. F. Williams is one of the worthy old pioneers. He came here several years
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
ago, and has educated and brought up a large and excellent family of children. He and his wife are dutiful members of the M. E. Church (south). At one time the Colonel served as justice of the peace. During the war of 1861 he cast his fortunes with the south, and served faithfully as a soldier on that side till the angel of peace spread his wings over the land, then Mr. Williams returned to his wretched and patiently waiting family. In politics he is a democrat.
The following persons came here from Kentucky in 1832: John Draper, Wm. Davenport, Benj. Snelling. They are all dead.
David Cooper came here in the year 1833, and is dead. A. J. Cooper came here in 1835, and is living in the township, seventy-four years of age. Thomas Smith came here in 1832 from Tennessee, and is residing in Henry county, and is eighty-nine years of age. He cultivated fifteen acres of corn in 1879, and split 125 rails the day he was seventy-five years of age. Anthony Owsley came here in 1833 from Kentucky, and has passed beyond the Jordan of death. Early Tucker came here in 1832 from Kentucky, and is now among the dead. Isaac McDonald came here in 1833, and is among the unknown. Wm. Reynolds came here in 1832, and is dead. He had nineteen children by one wife. He settled at the high point of Tebo. Perhaps some of the old pioneers who yet are living can recount many incidents in which this family acted an important part.
David Cooper brought up seventeen children to be grown, five of whom are living. All were married but three. Feldin Woolf first set his tent stakes here in 1833. His father fought under Gen. George Washington in the revolutionary war.
Benjamin Kinzey came here in 1831 or 1832 and is now dead. Samuel Moore came here from Kentucky in the year 1834 and is dead. Dr. Wm. Huff came about 1834 or 1836 from Kentucky. He once had an exten- sive practice. He died at about seventy five years old.
Owen Cooper came from Kentucky in 1836 and is living here. He is about seventy-five years of age. Robert Craig came from Tennessee in 1836 or 1837, and is living here at the age of seventy-four. Thomas J. Davis arrived here from Virginia in 1837 and has moved to Oregon. Harvey Dyer came the same year from that State and is now num- bered with the dead. He sold goods at Harrodsburg, once a thriving vil- lage of this township. James Patrick came to Missouri in 1834 from Kentucky, reared a large family, and gathered a good property; a reverse of fortune came and he lost all, and is now in his seventy-fifth year, a poor man .. He resides in Clinton, Henry county. Other old and respected settlers are: Randall Hazelwood, Jesse Enlow, Robert Douglas, Wm. Jennings, Edmond Grismon, and Thomas Neal.
Those who came previous to 1850 are regarded as old settlers, and we
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
give a few additional names: Kit Wingfield, Elbert, Henry, and Frank Cooper, John Owsley, John Draper and his sons, William, Addison, and Mosely; Robert Douglas and his sons, Willis, Alfred, John, and Allen; Benjamin Wall, Benjamin Farwell, Richard B. Fewell, Washington Gar- ret, B. A. Holmes and his sons Robert H., John W., James R., and Benja- min F .; David White, John, Elisha, William, and Addison Grison; Lar- kin Pettus, Wm. Birch, and Dr. Owsley. No doubt there are others, but it is not at present in our power to give them.
The early settlers found plenty of game at an early day and they spent many a happy hour in the chase. At first it is said that game was so plentiful that they almost forsook domestic affairs for the chase. The pio- neers in this section are quite cavaliers who admired the high-minded nature and were always at home in the saddle. Many of these hospitable and liberal settlers came here quite poor, but during their stay became quite wealthy, whose labors and wealth their children now enjoy. God has spared a few who we hope will take an interest in the details that we record upon these pages of their noble and daring chivalric lives before they enter the phantom bark and are born across the dark river of death.
The history of the township system of Jefferson is quite brief. The people were enraptured with this new style of government, and are yet earnest advocates of the system. It is said that schools, roads, and all enterprises of the township prospered; in brief, they like this system of township government, and would vote for it to a man. At the close of the war there were not enough loyal men to hold office. In order to get officers, Jefferson was attached to Post Oak.
The following justices of the peace have served: T. B. Sloan, Randall Hazelwood, D. P. Caldwell, B. F. Williamson, D. G. Southerland. The following is the list of township officers: J. M. Wall, trustee; J. M. Wall, supervisor; J. W. Gallaher, clerk; E. C. Arnold, assessor; J. P. Maddox, E. W. Blewett, constables.
Many of the citizens who desire prosperity, will long cling to the habits of fathers and mothers.
Henry Divers made the first entry in 1833. A very few farms had been opened prior to this date. This township, at present, has no town or village. Harrodsburg, once a little village of some future prosperity, has long been forgotten. It is now no more. It was once the name of a town on the Warrensburg & Warsaw road, which at one time promised to rival the former. At one time it contained two or three stores, a post- office and blacksmith shop.
Fate'was against it however, and the Harrodsburg of yore is now a desolate waste, where the owl chants his doleful requiem the long night through. No vestige of the village remains. It has gone like the recol- lections of a dream, and the very name is suggestive of the tomb. Eldo-
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rado, is the name applied to a point on the line of Johnson and Pettis counties. A store, post-office, church, and school-house, constitute the village. There are only two post-offices of this township. One is called Owsley, in memory of an old and respected pioneer, Moses Owsley. Miss Sallie Wood is postmistress. Henrietta is the name of a post-office in the northern part of the township. The office is kept at the residence of Hon. Wm. P. Greenlee, who is postmaster.
The roads of the township are generally quite good. Although they are not worked as much as in other places, yet the land and soil is of such a nature as to keep the roads from wearing away. There are roads lead- ing to Knob Noster, Windsor, Sedalia, and Warrensburg. There are no large bridges of the township; a few wooden ones span the small streams of the different parts of this township. Of wet seasons some of the roads become quite miry.
The pioneers of this township have done well in church work. For a long time preaching was held in the old log school-houses, prior to any church buildings. Feeldin Woolf is said to have preached the first ser- mon in the township, which was in 1833, at his own residence.
Elder B. F. Goodwin, one of the faithful old pioneers of the township, to whom we are indebted for valuable information, came to this state from Kentucky in the year 1845, and married the 13th of March of the same year. He is now sixty years old. He has two children living and two dead. He states that he has married one hundred and thirty-seven coup- les, and received about $500 for the same.
The Old High Point Baptist Church was twelve miles south of Knob Noster, on the main road leading from that town to Calhoun. It was organized in 1833 by Elders Simpson and Ricketts and the old building was put up in 1855, by R. B. Craig and John Eperson, and cost $800. The first sermon was preached here by Rev. B. F. Goodwin. The fol- lowing is a list of the pastors: Elders Simpson, Ricketts, W. P. C. Caldwell, B. F. Goodwin, A Horn, H. M. Cockrell, and T. J. Nevelle. The names of the original members are: Benj. Snelling and wife, Vin- cent Snelling and wife, John Draper and wife, Anthony Owsley and wife, Ann White, and John T. Rickets and wife. The church book was con- sumed by fire with the residence of A. Draper in 1863. The membership here was about twohundred prior to sending out new branches. Old High Point church has been like a hive of bees, when it became numerous it sent out new colonies. About fifty memberships were taken out to organize Harmony Baptist Church in Post Oak township, six miles west. Providence and Elk Fork churches are off-shoots of this old scion.
New High Point Baptist Church is in secs. 7 and 8, tp. 44, r. 24. Five acres of land at $30 per acre, were purchased of Enoch Callicotte. The house, 40x60, was erected in the fall of 1881, and cost $2,000. The
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building committee were Rev. B. F. Goodwin, J. M. Wall, E. C. Arnold and Sidney Jarvis. The church deacons are S. P. Kinzey and Hon. Wm. P. Greenlee. W. F. P. Pool is the church clerk.
Pleasant Grove M. E. Church South, is just across the line in Wash- ington township. Here is also a congregation of Cumberland Presbyte- rians. The building is a union house of worship. Rev. L. H. Davis, a devoted and warm-hearted man, is serving as preacher in charge for the Methodists.
The cause of religion has not developed in the way of churches in this township as might be expected. One church building, perhaps, is all that we learned anything about within the township. The township has occasionally organized a Sunday school, but, so far, none have proved evergreen. It is true that the people are high-minded and have exalted spiritual ideas and great reverence for heavenly things, but from some cause, not a great many of the citizens are very enthusiastic in the Sun- day school work, nor the enterprise of church buildings. Perhaps the reason for only one church is the great number of adherents to the Bap- tist faith, since the Baptists are quite respectfully represented here. There are a few Presbyterians, Christians, Methodists, and Cumberland Presbyterians in various neighborhoods, none of which are sufficiently strong and able to support an independent congregation.
The first burials were made on the little farms opened by the first set- tlers, and those who followed claimed a right to lay their dead the first. In some of these old graves slumber the hunter, the woodsman, and the aged sires, who, like. Moses, only could view the promised land, which has since been occupied by their children. In these different old ceme- teries sleep the unconscious dead of every degree of society.
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