USA > Missouri > Linn County > The history of Linn county, Missouri. An encyclopedia of useful information > Part 80
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We have thus given a brief outline of one of the oldest and most prom- inent citizens of Linn county.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
WILLIAM ROGERS,
son of John and Anna Rogers, was born in Ripley county, Indiana, April 30, 1827. The father was an early settler of Indiana, as was the son of Mis- souri, he having located there in 1820. Mr. Rogers started west when nineteen years of age, first settling in Van Buren county, Iowa. In the spring of 1852 he went to Oregon and stopped two years in the Williamette Valley. From Oregon he went to California and for some time worked in the mines. In 1855 he traded a claim in Oregon for a quarter section of land in Sullivan county, Missouri, whither he removed with his family the same year. Here he erected a saw-mill which he operated for five years, and in 1865 sold the farm and removed to Laclede where he engaged in mercantile business. After several years in business, removed to a farm where he lived four years. He then returned to Laclede where he engaged in manufacturing. After some time he sold out his interest in the manu- facturing business at Laclede, and engaged in the business of manufacturing farm wagons at his present location. He was married in Van Buren county, Iowa, to Miss Nancy Simmons, in the year 1847. Was again mar- ried in 1864 to Miss Margaret Schrock. There have been born to Mr. Rogers three children by first marriage and seven by the second marriage.
BENJAMIN F. STONE.
Mr. Stone was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, September 22, 1822. His parents were Aaron and Priscilla Stone, both of whom were na- tives of Pennsylvania. Benjamin lived in his native State till 1858, when he moved to Missouri and located in Benton township, Linn county, on the place where he still resides. While living back East, he was engaged in buying and selling stock, but on coming to this county gave his attention wholly to farming. When the civil war began, Mr. Stone entered the Union service in Company F, of the First Missouri State Militia. His first fight was with General Porter, over on "Painter" (Panther) Creek, in Ma- con county. He was in the Marshall, Saline county, fight, against General Shelby, and was also at the defense of Jefferson City, during Price's last raid. He was in a "bush" fight with Quantrell, after that famous guerrilla had sacked Lawrence. He was never wounded or captured. Just before the war Mr. Stone was elected justice of the peace, and after the war served by appointment as registration officer, and was subsequently elected super- viso1. Mr. Stone claims to have brought the finest horse-a "Black-Hawk Morgan"-that ever came to Linn county. He now has on hand a lot of very fine cattle, alinost thorough-breds. He has a good farm of one hun- dred and seventy acres, which he knows well how to cultivate. He was married in his native county, October 6, 1847, to Miss Mary Boughner. They have had seven children, four of whom still survive. Mr. Stone is
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not a member of any church, nor secret order, though he was formerly an Odd Fellow.
BENJAMIN C. SOUTHERN.
This gentleman has had a strange and somewhat adventurous career, and did space allow, a detail could be here given that would prove very inter- esting.
Mr. Southern was born in Kurachee, Bengal Presidency, East India, September 25, 1853. His parents were Thomas and Elizabeth Southern, the father having been a native of London, England, and the mother of Madrid, Spain. His father was a railroad manager and director, and was engaged with the first railroad ever operated in the country where Benja- min C. was born. At eleven years old, the subject of this sketch returned to England, where his mother still resides (his father having died in 1863), and entered the Duke of York School, and remained three years. He and his mother then made a trip to the United States, but returned to England and spent six or seven years at his mother's country residence. He then returned alone to the United States, and located at Detroit, Michigan, where he remained three years. After another extensive tour, in which he visited Spain and many other places on the Mediterranean coast, having spent some time with his mother at Madrid, he returned to this country, and made a temporary stop at Paterson, New Jersey, and from there back
again to Detroit. He had learned telegraphy when in America on the former occasion, and began as an operator. He was a while train dispatcher in Chicago for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. His next engage- ment was at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, and while there he married a daughter of Wellington and Mary Leach, who is a member of the Methodist Church. Mr. Southern is a Master Mason, and member of St. Johns Lodge. Though he has but recently accepted his present situation in the railroad office at Browning, Mr. Southern has built him a neat residence, and is fast improving his place into a comfortable home.
His father was at one time a man of great wealth-perhaps a quarter of a million-but lost heavily before his death in railroad speculations. Was a director of the London & Brighton Railroad when he died.
WILLIAM THOMAS STEPHENSON.
He is the son and eldest child of Dr. David I. Stephenson, of Linneus, whose biography appears elsewhere in this volume. When William (or as he was familiarly known among the boys, Billy) was about six years of age, his father moved to Linn county, and settled near Enterprise, upon a farm which he had purchased, where he continued in the practice of liis profes- sion until 1863. when he removed to Linneus, where he now resides. In the schools of our county seat, the literary training of the subject of our
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sketch was mainly received. His professional education was received at the well-known McDowell College of his native city.
He commenced the practice of his profession in August, 1873, at Enter- prise, in the vicinity of where his father had, some years before, been ac- tively engaged in the same pursuit. Indeed, we might say that so promi- nently, for years past, have father and son been identified in this section with the above mentioned calling, that the name has become linked with the profession in the minds of the people of the northern part of the county. After practicing for about two years at Enterprise, thinking that the young and growing town of Browning afforded a better field of operation, he, in June, 1875, removed thither, notwithstanding that four other physi- cians were already established therein. But the result has fully proven the wisdom of his choice.
The Doctor was married November 3, 1878, to Miss Anna Lee Clark, daughter of R. J. and M. A. Clark. They have one child, a fine chubby boy, born in 1879. Dr. Stephenson is a Mason, Odd Fellow, and one of the charter members of the A. O. U. W. lodge of Browning.
Since his marriage (it could not have been expected before), he has made some rapid strides in a financial point of view, and promises ere many years have lapsed to wield an influence in this direction, as well as in that of his profession.
We were pleased to notice, upon the shelves of his library, a number of standard works of the latest eminent authors of the profession, showing that he was determined to avoid the ruts of old fogyismn, and keep pace with the advancing views and theories of the present.
Considering his youthfulness and the success which he has already achieved, may we not, with safety, predict for him a career of great useful- ness in the future?
FRANCIS ELIAS STONE
was born in Greensborough, Greene county, Pennsylvania, on the thirteenth day of March, 1816. He is the son of Aaron and Priscalla Stone, both of whom were natives of Greene county, Pennsylvania. Mr. Stone lived in the county of his birth until he was twenty-four years of age. Thinking there were better opportunities afforded out in the distant west for men of nerve and energy who had the hardihood to risk their lives and fortunes among savage Indians of the forest, he left the home of his boyhood and with wagons and teams slowly wended his way, and at last landed in Linn county on the sixth day of October, 1840. He located on section seven, township sixty, range twenty, and either upon or very near this section he has ever since lived. Like the majority of old settlers farming has been his principal oc- cupation since he has been in the State. He has also a portion of the time been engaged in merchandizing and in the milling business; and for a while
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ran a carding machine. Many incidents of early days he calls to memory and loves to relate how they used to weigh down the tax collector with wolf scalps, bear and deer skins instead of greenbacks or something of a more solid nature. On the twenty-seventh day of October, 1837, he was married to Miss Elvira Lantz, a sister of Mr. Lot Lantz, another old settler, who came to this county with Uncle Frank but is now a resident of Sullivan county. Mrs. Stone is also a native of Greene county, Pennsylvania. They have had in all nine children, three of whom are dead. They have had abont thirty grandchildren, a few of whom are dead. They have a few great-grand- children. Uncle Frank has held the office of constable, justice of the peace, and is the present mayor of Browning, the duties of which position he has so satisfactorily performed that the people ran him without opposition the second time for the office. At the present writing his second term is unex- pired. He was among the foremost to go into the late war and was en- rolled on the twenty-ninth day of January, 1862, in the First Regiment Cav- alry, Missouri State Militia, under Captain Henry Wilkinson. He was dis- charged the second day of December, 1862, at Sedalia. While in the army he proved a valuable accession to his company in the capacity of veterinary surgeon, the duties of which position he performed very efficiently and to the great delight and satisfaction of all his comrades.
After he had lived here a number of years Uncle Frank took a trip back to the land of his younger days and was surprised to find on his way the many wonderful changes-the woods converted into houses for the homes of men, and long lanes well fenced on either side, in places where on his former trip were expanded and unobstructed prairies. The old landmarks of the camping grounds of his previous experience were effaced by the on- ward progress of civilization.
So far as politics are concerned Uncle Frank is a Republican. Notwith- standing his advancing years, there are few who display more vim and en- ergy than he, and we might perhaps include his wife under the same de- scription. Even now he could take his favorite weapon, the rifle, go into the woods, and in pursuit of game fairly lay most young men in the shade. He is a man of his word, honorable in his dealings with his fellow men, and any one who has Uncle Frank on his side in a centroversy feels assured that his side must be in the right. We sincerely hope that he may be blessed with life, strength and prosperity for many years yet to come.
J. A. STURGES, M. D.,
was born in Washington county, Iowa, December 20, 1849, and is the son of David P. and Maria Sturges. His father was a native of New England. His mother was born in New York City, was of German descent, and her name, prior to her marriage, was Scrouder. His father, who was a carpen- ter by trade, moved from the country, in January, 1850, to Washington, the
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
county seat of Washington county, where the doctor remained with him till he was twenty-two years of age. While there he availed himself of the ed- ucational facilities which the town afforded. He then went to Iowa Col- lege at Grinnell, Iowa, where he received the rest of his literary training. His course at Grinnell was interrupted by several months of hard work in the printing office at Washington, in which he was engaged both before and af- ter leaving college, making altogether several years. In the fall of 1870 he began reading medicine at home in the office of Doctors Rousseau and Clapp, with whom he remained a year. In the fall of 1871 he attended lec- tures at Iowa City, in the Medical Department of the Iowa State Univers- ity. The following summer he was occupied in the study of his profession, and the succeeding winter in teaching school. He attended the Chicago Medical College during the terms of 1873-74 and 1874-75, and graduated in March, 1875, taking the degree of M. D. In 1875-76 he attended lec- tures at the Rush Medical College, where he also graduated in the spring of 1876, taking the degree of M. D. While attending lectures in Chicago he- spent the summers of 1874, 1875 and 1876 at Mercy Hospital. But he was not only diligent enough to thus advantageously employ the intervals be- tween the terms of lectures, but during the winter was actively engaged through the day in storing up knowledge for his future career in his pro- fession, and at night busily employed in the office of the Chicago Times, earning the means with which to obtain the instruction he was so eagerly seeking. He moved to Browning in the spring of 1877 and commenced the practice of his profession. On the thirtieth day of May, 1879, he was mar- ried at his old home in Iowa, to Miss Abbie L. Geach, a young lady originally from Ohio. They have had two children, a boy living and a little girl dead.
The Doctor's father died since he came to Browning, and his mother in the spring of 1870.
JOHN W. SLEEPER
is a son of Moses and Lydia Sleeper, and was born in New Hampshire, July 10, 1828. His parents also were natives of the same State, and John lived there till June, 1843. The family then moved to Dundee, Kane county, Illinois, where they lived over a year. From there John W. came to Linn county, Missouri. This was in 1844, and he has been here ever since, ex- cept temporary absence. He went to Texas in the fall of 1852, and win- tered at Austin. He went out with teams and returned by steamer. Most of the time he has been farming and working at the carpenter's trade. Mr. Sleeper was married at Scottsville, in Sullivan county, May 14, 1854, to. Miss Nancy Keller, daughter of Isaac and Elizabeth Keller, natives of Ten- nessee. Eleven children have been born of this union, seven of whom still survive. Mr. Sleeper was not in the war, except being enrolled in the Pro- visional service, Company L, under Capt. H. D. Johnson.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
CLAY TOWNSHIP.
Description -- Location-Area and Valuation for 1881-Population-Productions- Early Set- tlement-Breaking Prairie-First Birth, Marriage, and Death-Schools and Churches- Hunting-Early Times-War Scenes-Cyclone and Death-Incidents and Accidents- Eversonville, its Rise and Progress, Local Officers and Business Interests-Biographies.
DESCRIPTION.
Clay township is the central one on the western border of the county, and was organized by taking three miles of territory off of the south part of Jackson township and four miles off of the north part of Parsons Creek township. This gives a municipal division seven miles square. For some time Locust Creek was its eastern boundary line, but this was changed in 1881, and the section line was made the township line. Clay lies in both congressional townships fifty-eight and fifty-nine, having four miles of the former and three of the latter within its territory, and is also divided by range lines, having half of range twenty-two, townships fifty-eight and fif- ty-nine, and the remainder in range twenty-one. In quality of its soil, the beauty of its landscape, its wooded streams, and forest dells, it is consid- ered the garden spot of Linn county.
It is bounded on the north by Jackson, on the east by Locust Creek, on the south by Parsons Creek township, and on the west by the Livingston county line. Its south line is within eight miles of the southern border of Linn county, and its north boundary seven and a half miles south of the south line of Sullivan county, and is in all respects a magnificent agricultu- ral township, having but one small village within its border, Eversonville, on the Livingston county line, part of plat of the village lying within that county. The principal population, however, is in Linn county, and Clay township. While Locust Creek lies on its eastern border, and numerous branches extend into the township, Parsons Creek and its main branch, West Parsons Creek, water the central, southern, and western portions of the township. It has every element to make it one of the finest grazing, stock-raising and cereal producing townships in Linn county, but take the township together it is doubtful if a better body of land, combining all the essentials necessary for successful farm life, can be found in north Missouri, or for that matter anywhere else.
In 1881, Clay township had an area of 31,360 acres of land, an assessed valuation of $295,666, and it may be said in farms and their products. Its population by the census of 1880 was 1,432, it being the seventh in popula- tion of the municipal divisions composing Linn county. Undoubtedly stock-
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
raising, fruit-growing, and corn and hay will be the chief articles raised in this township. For this it is specially adapted. It has plenty of timber as well as being well watered. Building stone is found in abundance, and brick clay enough to make a brick wall to fence in the township, but this latter is not desired. In fact Clay township would like to invite about 1,000 farmers to settle upon its soil, bring their families and come to stay, and the immigrant can travel much farther and fare a good deal worse by pass- ing Clay township.
IN SETTLING,
the new comers seemed to have had no particular choice, outside, perhaps, of getting upon the banks of a stream. Its first settlement, therefore, was along the banks of Parsons Creek, and a few would be found on Locust Creek. John Neal came from Howard county in 1836, and he, at that time, was the most northern settler in the county, west of Locust Creek. Seth Botts came in 1835, but whether he should not be credited to Par- sons Creek is a matter of choice, as that was his first home. The Ogans were about the earliest settlers in Clay township. Irvin came from Boone county, in 1835, and settled on section twenty-five, of township fifty-eight, range twenty-two, which is in Parsons Creek township, but moved soon .. after to section thirteen, township fifty-eight, range twenty-two, settling on the northeast quarter in the spring of 1836. Willis Parks also came in 1835, but, like Ogan, got on the Parsons Creek side of the line. Elijah Harvey came a few years later; he was from Kentucky. All these were in the south part of the township, except Neal, who was on its northern bor- der, in fact, settled the place or farm now occupied by one of the Bowyer family. Quite a number of settlers came in, mostly from Kentucky and Tennessee, or from Howard and Boone counties, though originally mostly from the above named States. They were a primitive people, simple in their habits, but had great energy and endurance. They enjoyed good health, for the climate was and is all man can wish for, and temperance in all things was a cardinal principle. They had come to the wild West to make a home for themselves, their children, and their children's children, and although they were deprived of most of the pleasures of social life, for they lived far apart, no schools nor churches, yet there was no complain- ing. When neighbors could see neighbors it was done, but their domestic lives were of peace and love, and the old settlers and their families lived for each other. And with this hardy crew of pioneers, Clay township grew and thrived, and she stands in wealth as in population, the seventh in the list of townships.
As the whole north country to the Iowa State line was at that day a wil- derness, gaine was in abundance, and the crack of the pioneer's rifle spoke of a venison steak or a roast turkey. While hunting was followed as a
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
pastime, the corn had to be planted, the lots fenced in, and a general clear- ing of the underbrush, for active work. After awhile, the Bowyer or Botts' mill was started, and, although a horse-mill, it ground their corn, and was a great saving of time in going to Keytesville, or of labor in trying to crush it with a hand-mill, or a pestle with a burnt hole in a log for a mortar. Mr. Neal married a Miss Browning, in the year 1839, and his cabin was of- ten the headquarters for hunting parties, who would take a few day's tramp in the northern wilds for their winter supply of meat.
It is said that the first prairie broken in Clay township was by Jesse Bowyer in 1838, about twelve acres, and said also to have been the first between Grand River and the Iowa line, but this is probably a mistake. The field was on section twenty, township fifty-nine, range twenty-one, not far from Parsons Creek, main branch. The plow was one of those old- fashioned mould board plows, with an iron point, and some six yoke of cat- tle were hitched to it. Bob Crews was at the helm or handles, and Bowyer put on the ox gad, and some vigorous talking, well understood by the cat- tle, between blows. The job was accomplished in good style, and so far as brawn and nerve were concerned, and vigorous English, the job has not had a superior in later days, but the plow has been wonderfully improved.
SUNDRIES.
The first wedding recorded was the marriage of John Ryan to Miss Susan Botts, in the year 1837. It was a quiet affair, and the couple failed to make the accustomed wedding tour, but when they left for their cabin home to carve out a fortune the traditional old shoe was thrown after them for good luck.
The first male child remembered to have been born in Clay township was John Botts, son of Seth and Maria L. Botts, born September 22, 1839, while the first child born in the township was a daughter of the same couple, named Elizabeth Frances Botts, born August 30, 1837. The infant child of William McCallister died some time in 1839, and was buried at the cemetery located on section eighteen, of township fifty-eight, range twenty-one. This child is the first death of record in the township. There was no regular physician living in the township, but the sick were waited upon by the doctors from Linneus. Drs. Relph, Long and Wilcox, of Linneus, were often sent for, and they divided the practice of the town- ship between them for years, Dr. Relph being one of the first physicians who settled in Linn county.
Among the preachers of that day who held service in the township was the Rev. Wilhite, from Boone county. Rev. Jesse Goins occasionally held service, and the Rev. Makerson, an Englishman, who is said to have preached the first sermon in the township in 1839. He represented him- self as a Methodist, but was found out to be a fraud, having two wives, wearing the cloak of religion to serve the devil in.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
SCHOOLS.
The settlement soon got large enough to warrant trying to raise a school. The nearest neighbors were able to turn out about twenty pupils if a cen- tral location was decided upon. Therefore, Irvin Ogan, - Prather, Thomas Howell and Auberrys, in 1840, got together and decided to put up a log school-house for their children to attend, the coming winter. The above named settlers united and built themselves a good log house with hoop-poles weighted down, a fire-place in one end, a door at the other, or rather an opening for one, and also another for a window. This, the first school-house in the township, was located on section thirteen, township fifty- eight, range twenty-two. That winter they hired the services of a Mr. Ma- loy, who taught three months, and had the honor of teaching the first pub- lic school in Clay township. The next year another school was taught, and in 1843 still another, this last being taught by John Hickley, of Howard county, in the winter of 1842 and 1843. He went to California a few years later, during the gold excitement. He had fifteen pupils, the children of Jesse Bowyer, F. K. Neal, Benjamin Austin, Beverly Littlepage, William Wright, Alexander Nixon, John Newton and others, at $2 each for a three months' session. The house was a log one and had been a dwelling.
The first frame school-house in Clay township was not built till 1851, a building twenty-six by thirty-eight, and was located in what is now known as district number six, on Strawberry Branch, and has been since known as Strawberry school-house. It was at this school-house that, when Clay town- ship became a voting precinct, the voting was done. The builder was O. Dail. This is the list of the early public schools.
The very first school ever taught in Clay township, then Parsons Creek, was a private one taught by Mrs. Maria L. Botts, at her home. She was the wife of Major L. Botts. She had eight pupils and received $12 per month, raised by subscription. From this beginning, the present flourish- ing school system of Clay township takes its rise.
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