USA > Missouri > Linn County > The history of Linn county, Missouri. An encyclopedia of useful information > Part 65
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91
The settlers did their trading at first at Keytesville, and their milling at the Brush mill on Mussel Fork, and also at Hammock's mill on the Chari- ton river.
Settlement in the Dr. Powers neighborhood-Dr. John F. Powers came to section ten, township fifty-eight, range eighteen on the first of April, 1841. He was from Youngstown, Ohio. When the doctor came there was then living in the community: Pulliam, on section fourteen; John Lewel- len, on twenty-one; the Watsons, on twenty-one. Prior to this in 1840, Bruce Brownlee had come to the county from Ohio, and bought five hun- dred acres of land in section twenty-two, township fifty-eight, range eighteen. He built a cabin on lris land, where he lived for about a year, when he re- turned to Ohio.
While Brownlee was liere John Lewellen was acting justice of the peace. Lewellen was a man of but medium scholastic attainments, but had few su- periors as a woodman. He was famed for his skill in making rails, split- ting clapboards, and work of that sort. Brownlee, on the contrary, knew little of rail-making, or any sort of carpentry, but was something of a scholar and a skillful penman. On one occasion Lewellen bad an important case before lrim. A man was up for trial, charged with hog-stealing. The case necessitated a great deal of writing, which the backwoods' magistrate was
640
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
not competent to do. He was somewhat embarrassed, and in his perplexity went to Brownlee and accosted him:
" Bruce, I want to swap work with you. I've got that ornery cuss of a hog-thief to try, and there's a big lot o' papers to git out, an' lots o' writin" all mixed up with it, an' I'm no hand to write, an' never wuz. Now, you've been foolin' round tryin' to build that cabin, but you don't know how to make a clapboard. Now jist suppose you take my place as 'squire, an' I'll take your place and make all the clapboards an' puncheons you need."
Brownlee had a little trouble to convince Lewellen that a magistrate could not delegate his judicial powers to a common citizen, but at last agreed to act as clerk, and " do all the writin'," provided old John would agree to. split enough clapboards and puncheons for his cabin, to which the " squire " readily assented. And thus the records of the hog-thief's case were prop- erly kept, and Brownlee's cabin properly roofed and floored, and the beau- ties of a system of reciprocity of labor fully demonstrated.
The first school-house in Dr. Power's neighborhood stood in the center of section fifteen, township fifty-eight, range eighteen, and was built in the year 1847. It was of logs, and nearly all of one end was taken by a huge fire place. Josiah Watson, Jr., taught the first school in this building, soon after its erection. It was afterward moved a short distance and used as a shop. It was still standing at the latest advices.
The first religious services held in township fifty-eight, range eighteen were conducted by the Rev. William Elston, an Old School Baptist, at the residence of Dr. John F. Powers, in the year 1843. The whole community turned out-Jew and Gentile, Baptists and Anabaptists-and listened with great interest to a very powerful sermon, and then many of them shouldered their rifles, and ineandered off into the forest to meditate on what they had heard, and kill a squirrel or two or a turkey for a Sunday pot-pie.
Other early settlers-In November, 1837, Isaac Lights removed to section five, township fifty-seven, range eighteen. J. J. Lights came the spring before to section four. Before this Willis Skelton had settled on section eleven or twelve, township fifty-eight, range eighteen. A German named Simon Epperly lived farther north, in the neighborhood of where is now New Boston, Baker township. John Lambert was an early settler, and like Lewellen was a justice of the peace without much experience in legal matters, or knowledge of his duties. The first case he had before him greatly confused him. The parties to the suit, the attorneys, the witnesses, the spectators had all been present for- some time, and wondering why court did not open and the legal mill begin to grind. At last some one asked Lambert why he did not open court. The magistrate replied, " Why, darn it, nobody hain't ordered me to." It re- quired considerable explanation to convince him that he required no orders to open court and begin the trial of the cause.
641
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
MISCELLANEOUS EARLY HISTORICAL ITEMS.
Among the incidents of early days to be remembered, is the death of Mrs. Rebecca Lane, who died very suddenly April 8, 1853. A Mrs. Thomas, a sister of Mordecai Lane, was burned to death in the house of Alfred Mc- Daniel in the year 1851.
The first Methodist preacher in the township, it is said, was Rev. Joseph Develin, who came in from Michigan in 1840. He remained in the town- ship but a short time, when he moved down into the edge of Chariton, and came up into the settlement and preached once a month for some time. His first sermon was preached in the house of Isaac Lights. When Mr. Develin first made his appearance in the township, he drove an ox team attached to a wagon in which were all his earthly possessions. The weather had been rainy and the roads were muddy. The wagon stuck in the mud and the oxen were unable to draw it out. Two of Isaac Lights's boys went to the luckless emigrant's assistance, and, after much difficulty, involving a splicing of teams, extricated himn. When the wagon reached firm earth the boys addressed Mr. Develin :
" Say, Mister, ain't you a preacher ? "
" Well, I presumed I am; at least I try to preach, occasionally," mod- estly returned Mr. Develin.
" We knowed it," replied the boys.
"How did you know it? What made you think so?" queried the minis. ter.
" Well, any man that can go through what you did with them cattle, and that wagon, and all that mud, without ever swearin' once, has jist got to be a preacher, and a bully good one at that ! "
Mr. Lights's family were very friendly disposed toward ministers, and took in and cared for Mr. Develin, sending out word that a minister was their guest and would preach for them at a certain time."
A SPECIMEN DEER-HUNT.
David Ramsey vouches for the truth of the following deer story: On one occasion, in early days, Stephen McCollum came by and invited Ramsey to. go deer-hunting with him. Ramsey replied that he could not go that day, but banteringly added that he would go down to the camp next morning with his team and wagon and haul McCollum's deer home for him. The next morning he did go down with his wagon, and when he got to the camp McCollum really had killed as many deer as they could get on the wagon, and they were actually compelled to throw off part of their load in order to ascend a hill near Yellow Creek. On their way home McCollum killed four more fine fat deer!
Sampson Wyett and David Ramsey were called, by their neighbors,
642
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
" deer-slayers " and " path-finders." Ramsey says he took the first load of produce to Brunswick that was ever sold at that point-so the merchants informed him at the time.
AN EARLY SUICIDE.
In the year 1843 or 1844 a Mr. Cornett committed suicide by hanging himself on a tree that stood in the woods near the forks of Yellow Creek. Mr. Cornett's home was on Locust Creek, but he wandered away and had been missing for two weeks. When found his body had been very much mutilated by wolves.
THE FIRST STEAM WHISTLE.
When the steam mill was just put up near St. Catharine, it was the first steam mill in Linn county. It is stated that when it first blew the whistle, one evening, about dusk, the settlers on upper Yellow Creek concluded that the noise was the scream of a panther. They gathered together and many of them hunted for the monster all the next day. One of the settlers de- clared that it must be a panther, as it had killed several of his hogs the previous night. There was great alarm in the community, especially when the " animal " could not be found. The people concluded that if it was not a panther, it was at least a " varmint " with " powerful" lungs! When the truth came out, it was a standing joke for many years. The mill was. first built about three miles north of St. Catharine, and in a few years it was removed.
The last elk seen in the eastern part of Linn county was killed by Stephen McCollum, on the Elk Horn prairie, at the head of Locust Branch. As late as the winter of 1881-82, Thomas Hardin and James Purse assert that they saw two large gray wolves in this township, as large as any they ever saw.
BUILDING OF THE HANNIBAL & ST. JOSEPH RAILROAD.
For many years after the first settlement of the township the country de- veloped slowly and without any very important events until in 1858, when the building of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad was begun. In July of this year three large gangs of graders were at work in what is now Bucklin township.
A "RUMPUS."
At the August election, 1858, there was a riot at the polls at the Wyan- dotte precinct in this portion of what was then Yellow Creek township. The trouble was between two rival and hostile gangs of railroaders. The men were Irishmen, divided into two factions, the "Corkonians" and the "Far Downs." Murphy's force was composed of the former, and Tooey's and Mulholland's were "Far Downs." At Wyandotte, on election day,
643
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
whisky was plenty-fighting whisky, at that. Murphy's men were pres- ent and so were some of Tooey's. A battle resulted, and Mr. Pat Tooey had his skull fractured by the belligerent "Corkonians." Victory, for a time, perched on the banners of Murphy's men, as it were. The next day, however, the tide of battle turned. Mulholland's and some of Tooey's men, near two hundred strong, marched up the track to Murphy's camp, bent on vengeance. The Corkonian pickets gave the alarm, and the men from "swate ould Cork" took to the woods. On came the "Far Downers " and took undisputed possession of the camps, which they immediately proceeded to destroy. The shanties, the carts, and everything inflammable were given to the flames. In one of the houses were some kegs of blasting powder, and in the conflagration these were ignited and terrific explosions followed, heard miles away. The roar of the flames, the thunder of the bursting powder- kegs, and the wild shouts and cheers of the victorious men of Mulholland, made a fearful din. After the destruction of the Murphy Camp, the Mul- holland men marched on up to Tooey's main camp, where there was general fraternization, much congratulation, and a wild time altogether. Some of the Corkonians made their way to Linneus and the authorities were informed. The sheriff, together with Hon. Jacob Smith and other prominent citizens, came down and after much negotiation, stratagem, and planning, and some adroit diplomacy, peace was restored, and order again reigned in Warsaw. Several of the rioters were arrested, tried, and fined for "breach of the peace !" Occasionally after this there were affrays among the railroad men. In one of these a man was pushed into "Jack's Cut," east of Bucklin, several feet deep, and his leg was broken by the fall. Nobody was ever killed, however, or at least no particular information concerning such an event has been obtained.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR.
At the breaking out of the civil war a large number, if not a majority, of the citizens of this township were sympathizers with the Confederate cause, and not a few took service under the flag of the stars and bars. Probably the latter numbered in all twenty-five, and of these five or six went with Captain Mart Hamilton, about September 1,1861. Others started out, and enlisted in various Confederate Missouri organizations from time to time. Very many of the people, however, were for the Union-believed in it, and were willing to fight for it. Some enlisted in the first company of Union men raised in north Missouri-Crandall's. Others went into McFerran's First Missouri State Militia; a few into the Twelfth Missouri Cavalry Volun- teers; a few enlisted in the Twenty-thrid Missouri Infantry, and even two or three in Peabody's Twenty-fifth Missouri Infantry. Captain Lacy Sipple commanded a Company " G" in the Sixty-second Regiment of Enrolled Militia.
1
644
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
The first Federal troops were those of a company of the Sixteenth Illi- nois Infantry, stationed at Bucklin in June, 1861. On the fourth of July a large United States flag was raised at Bucklin, and a large crowd of citizens and soldiers turned out and indulged in a grand celebration.
The bushwhackers made two or three raids into the township during the war. Captain Clifton Holtzclaw had a company of bushwhackers whose rendezvous was on Mussel Fork, near Westville, in Chariton county. This company raided Bucklin and plundered the stores and robbed many of the citizens. One of these incursions was made in November, 1864. Holtz- claw never killed anyone in Bucklin township. The people were indisposed to provoke him, and he robbed their stables and pocketbooks and generously spared their lives.
OFFICIAL HISTORY.
For many years the territory now included within the limits of Bucklin township comprised a part of Yellow Creek. At the June session of the County Court, 1866, Yellow Creek township was divided into two precincts, St. Catharine and Bucklin. Prior to this, September 7, 1863, Bucklin was first made an election precinct in Yellow Creek township, the voting place being removed from Wyandotte.
Bucklin township was first organized as a municipal township at the term of the Linn County Court held in October, 1870. It was named for the town of Bucklin. It was duly organized under the township organization law in 1872, and continued under that form for about five years, as the other townships of the county. Its last organization was in April, 1881, pursuant to the expressed wish of the people at the fall election of 1880.
The first board under the present system was composed of S. F. Perry, B. F. Lights and J. M. Cash. The first clerk was John A. Penny. The first assessor was B. F. Lights.
The present officers are: J. A. Howe, clerk and assessor; S. F. Perry and V. B. Bowers, justices of the peace; Daniel Blodgett, constable.
SWITZER CHAPEL-METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH SOUTH.
The original congregation of this church organization was formed at Golden Chapel; from there it was transferred to Hackler's school-house; in 1868 Switzer Chapel was built, and then the organization, numbering about forty members, was removed thither. Switzer Chapel is situated on the northwest quarter of section five, township fifty-eight, range eighteen. The work of its erection was begun in 1868 and finished in 1869. The house is a frame, twenty-eight by thirty-six feet in size, and cost about $1,800. It was dedicated in the summer of 1869 by Rev. D. C. Blackwell. The pastors who have preached regularly for the Methodist Episcopal Church South congregation are: Joseph Metcalf, D. C. Blackwell, Manoah Rich-
645
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
ardson, J. J. Givens, A. J. Worley, H. C. Bolin. William Warren, S. H. Milan, C. W. Herley, S. B. Tabor, and the present minister, Rev. A. S. Doak. The number of members is about one hundred and twenty-five.
ALEXANDER CHAPEL-METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH SOUTH.
This church is located just across the line in Yellow Creek township, but many of its members live in this township. This was the first church organized in what was known as " the Yellow Creek country."
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH SOUTH CLASS-CASH SCHOOL-HOUSE.
A class of the Methodist Episcopal Church Southi was organized at the Cash school-house in the spring of 1874. The members were: J. H. Wyett and Vienna Wyett, his wife; J. M. Cash and Elizabeth Cash, his wife; Jacob and Susan Cook, William and Elizabeth Stith, E. J. Cloud and wife, W. K., R. T., Fannie P., and Elizabeth Stith, and Abner Cloud. The present membership is twenty-three. The class has received since its organization more than fifty accessions. It has had for pastors Revs. A. J. Worley, H. C. Bolin, William Warren, C. W. Hurley, -Tabor, and A. S. Doak. The congregation meets in the Cash school-house, having no house of worship. J. M. Cash is the steward.
LOCUST RIDGE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
This church was organized in 1869. Among the first members were A. P. Swan and wife, T. B. L. Hardin and wife, and Cephas Kathan. The church has received since its organization about thirty members, and its present membership is now fifteen. There have preached for the congrega- tion Revs. Hamilton, Van Evrie, Pate, Butler, McCann, and the present pastor, Kelsoe. E. Taylor is the class-leader, and D. B. Burch and A. P. Swan are stewards. The church uses as a house of worship the Locust Ridge school-house. ,
WEST UNION CHURCH-O. S. BAPTIST.
This church was organized December 19, 1844. Some of the original mem- bers were Sampson Wyett, William Elston, L. B. Witt, George Tooley, Rhoda Watson, Rhoda Elston, Evelina Elston, and Eliza Tooley. The first organization was effected in Macon county, a portion of the members resid- ing in Linn county. In 1860 many of its members removed to other loca- tions, and the distracting circumstances attending the civil war, which soon followed, made it impossible to keep up regular church meetings, and for a considerable period they were abandoned. In 1868, the members who lived in the vicinity of Bucklin began again to hold regular meetings, having the services of a former pastor, Rev. C. M. Colyer. Elder Martin Morgan was the first pastor. He was succeeded by Elder William Elston, who was or- dained in August, 1845, and continued in charge until 1852. Elders C. M.
40
646
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
Colyer and William R. Mitchell were the pastors from 1852 to 1872. EI- der Wilson Thompson was pastor from 1872 to 1880. Elder Walter Cash is the present pastor. The present membership is thirty-four.
WARREN SCHOOL-HOUSE CONGREGATION-CHRISTAIN.
The Warren School-house Congregation of the Christain Church was or- ganized in 1869, by Elder Joseph Lineberry, with eighteen members. The congregation now numbers one hundred and forty. The pastors have been Joseph Lineberry, William R. Jones and Thomas Wood, the latter the pres- ent pastor. The congregation has no church building proper, but worship. in the Warren school-house.
LUTHERAN CHURCH.
The Evangelical Lutherans have a neat house of worship, in which they hold services, which is situated on the northwest quarter of section one, township fifty-eight, range eighteen. The house was built in 1879, and cost about $600. It is intended and is free for the use of all other religious de- nominations.
SCHOOL-HOUSES IN BUCKLIN TOWNSHIP.
There are parts of two congressional townships -fifty-seven and fifty- eight-in Bucklin. In township fifty-seven, range eighteen, there are six school-houses, as follows: No. 1 is the Bucklin school-building, a two- story brick with four rooms, costing near $7,000. Three teachers are em ployed. There is also a colored school in Bucklin, but no school-house, a rented building being used.
District No. 2, Carpenter's school-house, is situated on the southeast corner of the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section eight.
No. 3, Cash's school-house, is on the northwest corner of the south- west quarter of section fifteen.
No. 4, Hardin's school-house, is on the northwest corner of the north- east quarter of the northwest quarter of section thirty-five. This house was burned down in the fall of 1881.
No. 5, Hayden's school-hcuse, is on the northwest corner of the north- east quarter of the northwest quarter of section twenty-nine.
No. 6, Howser's school-house, is on the southeast corner of the north- west quarter of the southwest quarter of section thirteen. All of these houses are frame except the one in Bucklin.
In township fifty-eight, range eighteen, there are five school-houses; viz., No. 1, Nagle's, is a log school-house and stands on the northeast of the southeast of section twenty-six.
No. 2, " Prairie Nook," is a frame and on the southwest corner of the the northwest quarter of northwest quarter of section eleven.
647
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
No. 3, the Warren school-house, is on the southwest corner of the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section eight.
No. 4, " Tick Ridge," is on the southeast corner of the northeast quar- ter of the northwest quarter of section twenty. Since destroyed by fire.
No. 5, the Sights school-house, is on the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of section thirty-two.
All of the houses except that in No. 1, are of frame and very well built structures.
CEMETERIES.
The following cemeteries are in the township: The Brownlee cemetery, on the northwest quarter of section twenty-two, township fifty-eight, range eighteen. The Coulson cemetery, on the south half of the northwest quar- ter of section fifteen, township fifty-eight, range eighteen. There are two cemeteries in section thirty-five, one of which is known as the Masonic graveyard. The cemetery on section five, township fifty-eight, range eigh- teen, belongs to Switzer Chapel. The Wyandotte burying-ground is situ- ated on the former town site, on section twenty-nine, township fifty-eight, range eighteen. The Catholic cemetery is in section five, township fifty- seven, range eighteen.
On the old McCollum homestead, (southwest quarter of the northeast quarter, section seven, township fifty-eight, range eighteen,) is a fam- ily burying-ground laid out by Stephen McCollum about 1840. The first interment therein was. that of the body of Sarah Jane McCollum, No- vember 17, 1840. It is still used by the family as a burying-ground.
MURDER OF HARRISON KEADY.
In the month of July, 1866, Harrison Keady was shot and killed by Charles Adkins on the road to St. Catharine, about one mile and a half from Bucklin. Keady was a farmer, who had not lived long in the town- ship, and Charles Adkins had been in his employ. Adkins was a mere boy, only sixteen years of age. At the time of the murder Keady was driving an ox wagon, from which he was shot and instantly killed. No one wit- nessed the affair, but the following account was given by Adkins:
I had been working for Mr. Keady, and he discharged me for a very small fault. That day I got a bottle of whisky and went hunting. I was coming home drunk, when I met Mr. Keady, and I saw he was drunk, too. He said, " hello, Charley! what are you doing now?" I told him I was do- ing better than when I worked for him. He said, " Well, you had better come back and take your place again." I told him I would not work for him again to save his life, and at that we got to quarreling, and he threat- ened to whip me, and I up and shot him.
As some money, part of which was in gold, had been taken from Keady's
648
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
body, there were those who did not believe Adkin's story, but that murder was committed for a two-fold purpose, revenge and robbery. Young Ad- kins was tried at the October term of the Circuit Court, 1866, convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary for life. July 4, 1877, he was pardoned out by Lieutenant-Governor Brockmeyer, acting governor at the time, "for extreme good conduct while in prison, and that, under all the circumstances, he has already been sufficiently punished." The people of the township, as a rule, did not approve Governor Brockmeyer's action.
THE CAHOON MURDER.
On the morning of the second of June, 1879, Mr. Stephen Cahoon, an old man of probably sixty-five years, and his son William, aged about thirty-five, were on their way to Linneus to attend court, having left their homes in the northern part of the township, on section two, township fifty- eight, range eighteen, early for that purpose. They were riding in a com- mon farm wagon. When about a mile from home they were both fired upon by some parties in ambuscade and both instantly killed. They fell backwards off the seat-board into the bottom of the wagon, and were so ly- ing when found. The weapons used seem to have been double-barreled shot guns loaded with buckshot and slugs. The place where, apparently, the shooting was done, was on the public road which runs east and west along the township line, dividing this and Baker township, and east of the residence of J. G. Brown, Esq. The team containing the bodies went on to Mr. Brown's and stopped, and the crime was soon discovered. The time of the murder was about eight o'clock.
There had been trouble between the Cahoons and certain other parties, and it was believed by the authorities that the perpetrators could be discov- ered. The murdered men, when alive, were not regarded as very peacable citizens. Indeed they were considered dangerous by many, when their pas- sions were aroused. There were others who had been heard to declare that they wished the Cahoons dead, and there were a few circumstances deemed suspicious, which, under ordinary circumstances would not have been so regarded.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.