USA > Missouri > Linn County > The history of Linn county, Missouri. An encyclopedia of useful information > Part 32
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The swamp lands of Missouri developed a fever of speculation, and in some instances of terrible fraud, greater perhaps in the aggregate than any other item in her history.
321
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
ACRES OF SWAMP LAND.
In the distribution of swamp land Linn county had her share, but failed to realize as much as she should have done for the benefit of the school fund. Why it was that nearly every county in the State frittered away thousands of dollars of the value of these lands, has never been satisfactorily explained. Linn county received from the State, 23,759.99 acres of swamp land. It was located in nearly every township and range in the county, and was found in very many instances to be the equal of any land in the county, yet it is found that the county school fund amounts to only $30,938.21, to January 1, 1881. The amount of the sales of swamp land ought to have been over that sum, the interest of course having been distributed. This swamp land was in the following townships:
Township 57, range 18.
923.08
66
58,
6:
18
662.09
66
60,
60 57,
19
2,380.66
60 58,
66
19.
2,631.54
59, 66
19
1,592.91
66
58, .
20
481.08
59,
20
362.00
66
57, 66
.21
1,029.54
66
58,
21
127.04
66
59, 66
21
2,004.14
66
60,
66
21
2,679.94
66
22
3,868.74
66 22 1,181.78
66
60,
22 160.00
Total number of acres . 23,759.99
This land was selected by Beverly Neece, and surveyed by James P. Witherow.
The cost of this was itemized as follows:
Beverly Neece, selecting
$ 208.58
James P. Witherow, surveying 155.50
Chairman . 15.00
Sheriff (selling) first sale ...
28.67
T. T. Easley, investigating Hannibal & St. Joseph Rail- road claim 82.00
Total
$ 489.75
59,
18
972.87
18 377.56
66
60,
19 1,080.00
60,
20.
1,244.25
57,
58,
66
1
322
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY ..
This last charge was that the railroad mentioned had taken some of this swamp land in the lands selected by them under their land grant, and in some cases disposed of it, and it was necessary that some understanding should be arrived at between the company and the county, and the eighty- two dollars' worth of compromise was entered into. This was in 1853. In 1854, the County Court, at its August term, again appointed Mr. Easley the county agent or commissioner to further investigate the railroad claim to this land. It was done, but what the result was is not altogether ex- plained. That it was not satisfactory to the county may be taken from the fact that the court some time later ordered suits for possession against all those who had purchased any of these lands from the Hannibal & St. Jo- seph Railroad Company.
In October, 1855, on the eighth of the month, the sale of the swamp land was ordered, and the sheriff, Beverly Neece, made his report of the sale May 6, 1856, but the compiler of this history has been unable to find the report. How many acres were sold, and at what price is not of record, out- side of that report, in a shape to be made available. The report was ap- proved and filed. In August, 1856, Peter Ford was elected sheriff, and he was ordered to close it out the following year. He made a sale of the resi- due of the swamp land on the seventeenth of June, 1857, to Thomas Mc- Mullin for the sum of $2,166.22, and the number of acres which Mr. Mc- Mullin purchased was 1,784.98, paying at the rate of a little less than $1.22 per acre for the entire lot. The sheriff, Peter Ford, made his report of this sale, which is now on file in the clerk's office. The securities of Mr. Mc- Mullin were William H. Brownlee, George W. Thompson, and Fleming R. Green. This is about all of the history of the swamp lands of Linn county that is of value to the present or future generations. The purchase-money, or what is left of it, is now the permanent school fund of Linn county, and in connection with the township fund, made by the sale of the sixteenth section, constitutes the school fund, and, with what the State distributed, and fines and penalties, goes to educate the children of the county.
COUNTY SEAT REMOVAL QUESTION.
The county seat removal question came up for decision by the wish of Brookfield, which, while it was the commercial emporium of the county, also wished to become the legal metropolis. The fact that it was not near the center of the county did not in the least abate its desire to have the court-house located within its bounds. In fact, a $75,000 court-house upon the rise back of the business portion of the town would add very much to the looks of what is already a pretty town; but good old Linneus was not altogether in her dotage, if her looks did show she was aged, and she kicked so vigorously against her " crown jewel" being taken from her, that her op- position was a success. But here is the order of the court, which gave to
323
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
the Brookfieldian aspirants for metropolitan fame the right to try conclu- sions with the " Old Lady" as to her right to hold the priceless gem of, in reality, her existence. It is of date of April 23, 1870. It reads:
"On petition of one-fourth of the voters of Linn county, for the removal of the seat of justice of said county to the town of Brookfield, in said county, it is ordered by the court that the proposition to remove such seat of justice to the town of Brookfield be submitted to the qualified voters of the county at the next general election to be held therein, and it is further ordered that public notice be given of such proposed removal by publica- tion thereof in the Linneus Missourian, and it is further ordered that the sheriff of said county put in handbill form printed copies of this order in not less than three of the most public places in said township, in said county, not less than thirty days before said election."
WAS IT A COUNTER MOVEMENT.
Other ambitious towns did not propose that Brookfield should be the only aspirant for metropolitan fame, and so gallant little Laclede put in a petition also for the right to have the people decide where the county seat should be located. It might have been that, and yet it may have been only a counter movement in favor of Linneus. The order was made, however, and is as follows; to wit,
"On petition of one-fourth of the voters of Linn county for the removal . of the seat of justice of said county to the town of Laclede, in said county, it is ordered by the court that the proposition to remove such seat of justice to the said town of Laclede, be submitted to the qualified voters of the county at the next general election to be held therein, and it is further ordered that public notice of such proposed removal be by publication thereof in the Linneus Missourian, and it is further ordered that the sher- iff of said county put in handbills form printed copies of this order, in not less than three of the most public places in each township in said county, and not less than thirty days before said election."
The election came off and resulted in a vote of 953 in favor of Brook- field, and 201 in favor of Laclede. The total vote cast was 2,426. The election of 1880 given in this chapter shows but a gain of fifty-four votes in 10 years, while the increase of the general vote is about 1,300. This does not look like progress.
HOW THEY VOTED.
The petition by the citizens of Brookfield that the removal of the county seat to that town be submitted to the people was agreed to, and the vote was taken at the general election in November, 1880.
324
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
TOWNSHIPS OPPOSED TO REMOVAL.
Opposed.
For.
North Salem
132
32
Enterprise .
108
19
Benton.
200
4
Jackson
355
5
Clay
320
3
Locust Creek
417
11
Grantsville
158
60
Baker
165
40
Jefferson
195
92
Parson Creék
175
96
Total
2,225
362
TOWNSHIPS IN FAVOR OF REMOVAL.
For removal.
Against.
Brookfield
557
11
Yellow Creek
199
67
Bucklin
251
76
Total
1,007
154
A majority against removal to Brookfield of .
1,010
Total vote
3,748.
COURT-HOUSE APPROPRIATION.
As the old court-house has been condemned since 1879, and while Brook- field thought it was a good time to agitate the removal of the county seat, Linneus concluded it would be a good way to stop the agitation which Brookfield was stirring up by getting an appropriation voted of $15,000 to build a new court-house. But while the latter city was not strong enough to take in the county seat, she was capable of defeating the appropriation proposition, and did, polling over one-fourth of the opposition votes. It is well she did, and instead of being a detriment to Linneus it is probably a very fortunate circumstance. The fact is, Linn county has at least $5,000,- 000 of taxable property, is rapidly gaining in wealth and in population, and in another decade a $15,000 or $20,000 court-house would simply be a disgrace to the county. As the county is, comparatively speaking, out of debt, and as the four townships now encumbered will be free without doubt in a few years, the people will be prepared to put up a county building that will be a credit to a young, vigorous, wealthy, and growing county like Linn. A fire-proof court-house costing at least $75,000 will be demanded
325
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
in the near future, to save the records of value now stored promiscuously over the county seat. The old court-house which has, at the late February term of the County Court, been ordered torn down and its best ma- terial preserved, was of no earthly value against fire, and the offices, as far as protection against fire is concerned are as well off as in the old court- house. Let the question rest a few years if necessary, and then let the peo- ple build a court-house not only for the safety of its records, but that at the same time will be an ornament to the county and not a disgrace. This can and doubtless will be done, and when Brookfield defeated the proposition for a $15,000 court-house she did right, and built wiser than she knew. Linneus will yet rise to the dignity of a county seat in something beside simply the name.
The following is the official vote on the court-house appropriation :
Locust Creek township
25
378
Benton
71
74
Clay
66
33
162
Brookfield
66
525
5
Jefferson
66
284
33
Parson Creek
192
56
Enterprise
66
70
31
Yellow Creek
182
7
Baker
131
12
Bucklin
66
229
53
North Salem
79
52
Grantsville
85
33
Total.
1,953 1,079
Majority against appropriation, 874. The total vote in the county on the appropriation is 3,032. The vote for President last November was 4,122. The vote on the court house-question, it will be seen, fell short 1,090.
POPULATION.
Linn county was not settled until after the census of 1830, and therefore that of 1840 is the first recorded evidence of her population. Her first set- tlement being in the fall of 1832, the year 1840 showed eight years' prog- ress. The population of the county that year was 2,245. This was about equal to the general progress of this section of the State among the new counties. At the next census, that of 1850, the population had risen to 4,058, not quite one hundred per cent for the decade. The formation of new townships and the changing of their boundary lines prevented any local statistics of the townships until the year 1860. In fact, the census of that year is only given in full as a county, not in detail, and the first real census taken by townships was in 1868, when the Linn County Court ordered
No.
Yes.
Jackson
47
183
326
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY ..
it taken, and the population was found to have been 12,249. The report by townships was given by congressional numbers and not by their municipal boundaries. The charge for taking this census was $437.47. It is rather unfortunate that Linn county failed to have the enumeration taken by townships, as it would have served to trace its local progress.
In 1860 the census showed the greatest progress of any decade since her existence, being a fraction less than 125 per cent, the population being 9,112.
The first population taken by municipal townships was that of 1870, and a singular fact of that census is that no town in the county was taken sepa- rately from the township excepting Brookfield. The population had in- creased in round numbers seventy-five per cent, and was put down at 15,900. The population by townships is given below:
Township.
Colored.
Total.
Baker
. .
1,269
Benton
5
696
Brookfield
92
2,321
Brookfield town
14
402
Clay
25
939
Enterprise
322
Jackson
15
948
Jefferson
176
1,810
Locust Creek.
204
2,398
North Salem
30
953
Parson Creek
81
1,118
Yellow Creek.
114
3,126
Total.
766
15,900
In giving the population of 1870 it is best to state the fact that the cen- sus of that decade was an astounding fraud, and that unless the aggregate may have been in the main correct, there was simply no truthful state- ments in it. ' Every county in the State seemed to have been wrong, and every State in the Union was made up of fraudulent returns. It would seem as if the census was made up by frauds and fools. Linn county, ac- cording to the census of 1870, had but one town in the county, Brookfield, and that had only a population of 402. Now the facts are that the follow- ing towns had both a local habitation and a name in Linn county, and also. the following population in the year 1868:
Towns.
Linnens.
White. 526
Colored. 137
Total. 663
Brookfield.
1,156
5
1,161
Laclede.
459
90
449
Bucklin.
329
11
340
Total
2,470
243
2,631
327
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
REMARKS.
This shows that Linneus had about half as much population as Brook- field that year, but the census failed to separate the town from the town- ship. That census makes it appear that Brookfield was the only town in the county at that time, while the census of 1880 shows no less than ten, nine of which must have sprung up miraculously in the last decade. In 1870 the municipal divisions were eleven; since that time two more townships have been carved out of the same territory, reducing the boundary lines of Yellow Creek and Locust Creek considerably. Bucklin was taken off of Yellow Creek in 1870, and Grantsville from Locust Creek and Baker in 1871.
What the population of Laclede, Bucklin, Meadville, etc., was is hard to tell, and can only be guessed at. In fact, the census of 1870 was proba- bly the worst attempt to get correct figures ever attempted in this or any other country. A majority of the canvassers were notoriously incompe- tent, while many added names to their lists that did not exist and many went so far as to guess at it and then render their bill for labor never per- formed. In all the statistics as well as in numbering the population, this fraud and incompetency existed. This matter was not carried to the coun- ties having a small population, and therefore they are comparatively cor- rect, though some showed less gain in population than was expected.
COUNTY CENSUS, 1876.
WHITE.
COLORED .
TOWNSHIPS.
Male.
Female.
Male.
Female.
TOTAL.
Baker
540
532
1,072
Benton
409
390
799
Brookfield
1,313 1,303
75
94
2,785
Bucklin
847
807
35
40
1,729
Clay.
625
612
16
14
1,268
Enterprise
314
290
1
1
980
North Salein
366
362
728
Jackson.
832
746
9
11
1,598
Jefferson
883
784
83
79
1,839
Locust Creek .
938
881
86
108
2,013
Parson Creek. .
681
632
33
31
1,377
Yellow Creek.
691
599
16
28
1,324
Total.
8,966 8,390
354
406
18,116
527
451
604
Grantsville
There were six deaf and dumb, four blind, and eleven insane persons in the county at that time.
328
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
The census of 1878 followed this, and if correct, showed an actual loss of six in the county in two years.
COUNTY CENSUS, 1878.
For some reason, the County Court concluded not to wait for the cen- sus of 1880 to find the population of Linn county, but in 1878 had the population counted. The figures below give the townships, the towns not having been kept separate.
1878.
Townships.
Numbers.
Townships.
Numbers.
North Salem.
728
Clay
1,270
Jefferson
1,836
Jackson
1,599
Locust Creek
2,007
Bucklin . . .
1,731
Benton
797
Yellow Creek.
1,324
Enterprise.
604
Brookfield
2,785
Grantsville
980
Parson Creek.
1,377
Baker
1,072
8,024
10,086
8,024
Total
18,110
This showed a pretty steady gain, but the next two years the population increased almost as much as the previous eight, if those who took the county census were correct in their report. The towns of Linn county made no great headway, with the exception of Brookfield, during the decade between 1870 and 1880. Of the smaller towns, since the last census, Meadville seems to take the lead. The attempt of Brookfield to secure the removal of the county seat, to be located within its own limits, is seriously imper- iling the prosperity of Linneus, and a pretty nice legal point might be raised by Linneus suing Brookfield for this damage to her present and fu- ture, for it is a very serious one, as few people will care to locate in the town if it is to be deprived of the local county government. The legal lights of these two towns are well matched, and when nothing else to do they could test the question of Brookfield's liability in trying to kill the town of' Linneus. The writer merely throws out this idea for digestion by those mostly interested. A large amount of true eloquence might be ex- pended by the Linneus bar over the great wrong which Brookfield is doing in trying to deprive her of life and shekels.
329
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
CENSUS OF 1880.
Townships.
Towns and villages.
North Salem
872
Brookfield
2,264
Baker
1,175
Linneus
860
Bucklin
1,802
Laclede
704
Yellow Creek
1,336
Meadville 446
Brookfield
3,133
Bucklin
430
Jefferson
2,040
*Browning
187
Parson Creek.
1,628
Everson ville. 91
Clay
1,432
Boston
75
Jackson
1,740
Enterprise
64
Benton
1,019
North Salem
24
Enterprise
644
Grantsville
1,040
Locust Creek.
2,155
This gives a farming population of 14,871; and living in towns and vil- lages, 5,145; total, 20,016. The colored population of county in 1880, 832.
This gives over one-fourth of the population to the towns, and would seem to prove that the farming population needs a greater gain than the town. A wealthy and populous farming population sustains in a great measure the towns, and there are more than enough of the latter to equal the former. Manufacturing towns, while large consumers, are also great producers, but the small towns and villages are sustained to a great extent by the farming community which surrounds them.
WHERE IT IS.
The central and northern portions of the county must be up and doing. The five southern townships which border on Chariton county have a population of 9,939, while the other eight have only 10,077, or one hundred and thirty- eight more than the former. How long will it be before that section will be in a position to remove the county seat if they are still inclined that way?
THE INCREASE.
In closing this article the growth of the county can be shown by the in- crease of population for each decade, and the per cent of gain. It is there- fore summarized below, giving the same, leaving out fractions:
Population in 1840, 2,245.
Population in 1850, 4,058; gain, eighty-one per cent.
Population in 1860, 9,112; gain, one hundred and twenty-five per cent. Population in 1870, 15,900; gain, seventy-five per cent.
Population in 1880, 20,016; gain, twenty-six per cent.
Here is shown an average gain of the four decades, from 1840 to 1880, of seventy-six and three-fourths per cent.
*One third of this town is in Sullivan county, the population across the line being ninety- seven in addition to the above.
330
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
CHAPTER XV.
WAR AND PEACE.
The Heroes of 1812-Their Names and Record-The First Deed of Record-A Second Deed-The First Will-The First Administrative Notice-A Record of Forty Years- Events as They Happened from Year to Year-A Chapter for Reference, and a Key to the Contents of the General History of the Work -- Distances, Etc.
SOLDIERS OF 1812.
There were quite a number of this band of heroes living in Linn county a few years since, but they are now gathered to their fathers. The following well-known old citizens and pioneers of Linn county were still living up to 1871. They are now gone, but the record is here of those who shed so much luster upon the American arms in their struggle against British oppression which proposed to rule the land aud the sea. The following is the list and record :
William Woodruff, aged eighty-three, first sergeant in Captain Daniel Cushing's company, Second Regiment United States Heavy Artillery, Gen- eral Winchester's division. Scene of operations, western frontier.
Peter Fore, aged seventy-two, private in Captain Josiah Pinnock's com- pany, Cox's brigade, Virginia. Engaged in the defense of Washington.
Seth Botts, aged eighty-four, Captain William Hamilton's company, Col- onel Lillard's regiment. Served on the Coosa River, Alabama.
Jethro Dodson, aged seventy-nine, Captain James Lanier's company, - regiment, eastern division.
James Moore, Captain Hay's company. Served on the western frontier; was at the siege of Fort Erie.
James Burnet, aged seventy-six, Captain Adam Vickery's company. Was at the battle of New Orleans.
George Crist, aged eighty, Captain James Hannah's company. Served at Norfolk, Virginia.
William H. Ballow, aged eighty-eight, second sergeant in Captain Robert Cameron's company. Was at Camp Washington, Mississippi.
Abijah Woods, aged seventy-five, Captain Caldwell's company. Served on the western frontier.
Jacob G. Bailey, aged seventy-nine, Captain Charles Harney's company, Colonel Rennick's Tenth Rifle Regiment. Was at the battle of the Thames, in Canada; witnessed the celebrated rifle duel between Tecumseh and Colonel Whitley; was so near as to see the flash of both of their rifles, which were fired almost simultaneously, each shot proving fatal. Was also present
Johan A Secoy.
333
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
when Colonel Johnson's horse was shot from under him, and assisted in ex- tricating him from under his horse. The next day Mr. Bailey assisted in burying the dead, and when they came to the body of Tecumseh, proposed to bury it in a separate grave.
David McCollum, aged ninety-one; was twelve years a commanding officer of the Kentucky militia, from 1808 to 1820; his memory was much im- paired at the time, and he could not give a well defined account of his ser- vices.
Milton Parmlee, aged seventy-eight, Captain Hawkins' company. Served on the northern frontier.
Ed P. Dodge, aged seventy-five, Captain Bean's company. Served at Fort Washington, New Hampshire.
Joseph Auberry, aged seventy-four, Captain Patterson's company.
Frederick Nester, aged seventy-six, Captain James Hoag's company, Vir- ginia militia. Served at Norfolk, Virginia.
Randolph Babbitt, aged seventy-five, Captain John Trimble's company of Virginia militia. Served at Norfolk, Virginia.
Hasten Shifflett, aged eighty, Captain Christopher Irvin's company of Kentuckians. Served on the northern frontier, and was at Colonel Dud- ley's defeat on the river Raisin, Michigan.
James Sportsman and William Sutherland were also known to be living in the county at the time, but no record was made of their services. Thomas Botts had also been a citizen of the county, but was then dead. He served in the same company with Seth Botts.
THE FIRST DEED OF RECORD.
"This deed made and concluded on this thirteenth day of February in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven, by and between Edward B. Cabal and Harriet F. Cabal, his wife, of the county of Chariton and State of Missouri of the first part, and Mendith Brown, of the county of Linn and State aforesaid of the other part, witnesseth: That the said party of the first part for and in consideration of the sum of fifty dol- lars to them in hand paid by the party of the second part, the receipt where- of is hereby acknowledged and the party of the second part from the further payment of the same is forever acquitted and discharged, hath transferred, set over and quitclaimed, and doth by these presents, transfer, quitclaim, and set over, unto him, the said party of the second part, his heirs, and as- signs the following described tract of land, situated, lying and being in the said county of Linn, and State of Missouri aforesaid; to-wit, The southwest quarter of section four (4), in township fifty-seven north, in range twenty- one west, containing one hundred and sixty acres. And the said party of the second part being informed by the party of the first part that this said tract of land is held by a tax right only agrees to take the same and not
21
334
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
hold the said party liable forany further title in any way, nor for any money should the same be lost by a better title and agrees to take the same at his own risque, to have and to hold the same free from the claim of them, the said party of the first part their heirs and assigns forever. In testimony whereof the party of the first part have hereunto set their hands and seals on the same day and year aforesaid.
EDWARD B. CABAL.
HARRIET F. CABAL.
[SEAL.] [SEAL.]
STATE OF MISSOURI, - COUNTY OF LINN. { ss.
Be it remembered that on this thirteenth day of February in the year of our Lord eighteen hundred and thirty-seven, before the undersigned presid- ing justice of the County Court within and for said county, came Edward B. Cabal and Harriet F. Cabal, both personally known to me to be the per- sons whose names are subscribed to the foregoing instrument of writing as having executed the same and severally acknowedged the same to be their act and deed for the property therein mentioned, she, the said Harriet F. Cabal, being by me first made acquainted with the contents thereof, and ex- amined separate from her said husband whether she executed the said deed and relinquishes her dower to said land and tenements therein mentioned, voluntary, freely, and without compulsion or undue influence of her said husband, acknowledged and declared that she executed the said deed and re- linquishes her dower in the said lands and tenements therein mentioned voluntary, freely, and without compulsion or undue influence of her said husband.
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