USA > Missouri > Nodaway County > The history of Nodaway county, Missouri, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., biographical sketches of its citizens > Part 23
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 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104
THE READING COLONY.
In the year 1856, in the State of Pennsylvania, three gentlemen of Irish descent, by the names of Felix, McLaughlan and O'Reilly, con- ceived the plan of forming a colony of their countrymen with the object in view of seeking suitable lands in the distant West upon which to settle said colony. They were induced to this measure by the scarcity of work, hard times and small wages, which prevailed in Pennsylvania at that time. When the colony was formed, Anthony Felix, O. O'Reilly and Rev. James Powers came West for the purpose of entering lands. Arriving at St. Joseph, they fell in with Jeff Thompson, who gave them a plat of the then vacant lands on which the colony is now located, and advised them to go to the land office at Plattsburg, in Clinton County, and make an entry of said lands. When they went there the Commis- sioner of the office represented to them that the office was closed and as a consequence no entry of lands could be made. Messrs. Felix, O'Reilly and Powers then went to the General Land Office at Washington City, and upon application to Hon. Thomas A. Hendricks, who was then the Commissioner of said office, they succeeded in effecting an entry of said lands, and the necessary documents were sent to the Commissioner at Plattsburg, with the instruction to him that he should make a record of the entry upon his books. While Felix, O'Reilly and Powers were at Washington City, or immediately after the documents were received at Plattsburg, the land office at the latter place, which it seems had never been closed in fact, was opened as was claimed by the Commissioner, and these same lands were entered by other parties. This complicated condition with regard to the entry of said lands caused considerable difficulty and created a vexed question. Each party claimed that they had entered the land. The case was finally taken up before the Committee of Public Lands in the United States Senate, in the year 1858 or 1859. during Buchanan's administration. Said committee decided the case in favor of Felix, O'Reilly and Powers, and against the parties who claimed to have entered the land through the Plattsburg office. The lands that
227
HISTORY OF NODAWAY COUNTY.
were thus in dispute embraced about 20,000 acres, all of which, with the exception of one and a half sections, which are in Gentry County, lie in Nodaway County, and in Jefferson Township. The decision of the case turned principally upon the fact as to whether the office at Plattsburg had been closed, and partly upon the fact as to whether the documents forwarded from Washington were not received at the office at Platts- burg before the other parties made their pretended entry.
The names of the first settlers of the Reading Colony were as fol- lows : John M. Carty, William Brady, Michael Fagan, Jeremiah Sul- livan, Thomas Reilley, Edward Reilley and Patrick Growney.
During the time of our civil war, immigration almost ceased, but soon after the war ended, a large number of immigrants came into Jef- ferson Township.
There are now heavy settlements both east and west of the Platte River. The farms generally throughout the township are in a fine state of cultivation. There is a great deal of hedge fence. Many very elegant dwelling houses have been built during the last few years, and that por- tion of the county is rapidly becoming one of the most wealthy and best improved parts of the county. Several who are now quite comfort- ably situated came there a few years ago with but little means. They, however, had brave hearts, clear heads and strong arms, and went reso- lutely to work, and as a result they have transformed the vast, unculti- vated waste of prairie, which could be seen there a few years ago, into a well improved and richly productive country. They have gained in wealth, and have done so by their own hard work and individual and collective industry.
The following are the township officers elected on the 4th of April, 1876 : Trustee, William Farnan ; Clerk, James Merrigan ; Assessor, L. J. Growney ; Collector, A. J. Enis ; Constable, John Motch; Justices of the Peace, A. T. Bleyley and Anderson Smith.
CONCEPTION.
This town is located about eleven miles southeast of Maryville, near the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad. The town was named in honor of the Immaculate Virgin.
Father James Powers came from Reading, Pennsylvania, in the year 1856, and entered the land where the town of Conception is now located, in behalf of a company of which he was a member. The com- pany was composed of Father Powers, Owen Reilly, and Anthony Felix, as above mentioned. They selected 20,000 acres of land in Nod- away and Gentry Counties. Father Powers and William Brady laid out the town of Conception in 1860. On June 9, 1860, the colony house and chapel were finished and dedicated. There were forty acres laid out
228
HISTORY OF NODAWAY COUNTY.
and platted as a town site, described as the southwest quarter of section 24, township 63, range 34. The first lot was sold to Mr. Saul for $1.00, who put up a store for general merchandise, the second building in the town. A blacksmith shop was erected by Joseph Heffner, who also built a dwelling. Mr. A. Blyley put up the next house for a dwelling, and moved into it, and he also erected another building for a dwelling. Soon afterward, Frank Enos built a blacksmith shop and a dwelling, and Father Tuerk erected a house for a dwelling. In the year 1870, Ignatius Richlin put up a dwelling and moved into it. In 1871, he put on an addition to Mr. Saul's store building and opened a stock of general merchandise. In 1871, Henry McIntire erected a dwelling, and Augus- tus Enos put up a dwelling the same year. A store and a dwelling were soon afterward built by Joseph Wonderly. He moved into the dwelling and commenced keeping store, opening a general stock of merchandise. About this time a dwelling was erected by Gerhard Arens, and another one by John B. Krotch. Dwelling houses were also erected by the Sisters, Mr. Terriso Ikleman, Mrs. Elizabeth Koons, Mrs. Elizabeth Myers, Mrs. Margeret Smith, Mr. Barnard Nathan, and Dr. James Bickett. Joseph Sholze erected a dwelling and drug store combined. Dwellings were also erected by Joseph Wonderly and Anthony Match. Nicholas Burns put up a saloon, and Christian Voelker erected a dwelling and shoe shop.
The first church was built by the Catholics in 1867, and dedicated December 8, 1867. Its dimensions were 25x40 feet, and it was enlarged in 1874 to 34x90 feet.
In the year 1880, a Monastery was erected in Conception, but dur- ing the present year it has been elevated to the dignity of an Abbey, and called Benedictine Abbey New Englberg. The portion completed is 33x140 feet with ell 40x60 feet, four stories high with stone basement and attic. There are 46 rooms and 5 halls. On the north end of the present building the new church will be built, and will be 80x208, 66 feet in height. It will run east and west and will be one of the most magnificent structures of the kind in the United States. It will be sur- mounted by three grand towers reaching some 140 feet in the air from the ground. At the southeast corner of the church another wing simi- lar to the one now completed will be built and extended to the south- east corner of the present building, making the total building in size 208 x208 feet square, covering over one acre of ground. It is to be built of cut stone and pressed brick. The material for the buildings is mostly obtained on their farm. The whole structure will be built in pure Roman style with court in the center, and will cost some $250,000. It will require upwards of 3,000,000 brick to complete the building.
In the Abbey there is now a theological school and a high school for boys, with four teachers. Two libraries have been established, one
229
HISTORY OF NODAWAY COUNTY.
for the Abbey, and one for the people. The library for the Abbey con- tains about 3,000 volumes, some books being very old and rare. We noticed several books printed in the ancient black letter. One com- mentary printed in Basil dates back to 1523, and a book on Canon Law was printed as early as 1500.
The congregation connected with the Abbey is increasing, and num- bers now 200 families. In the community of the Abbey there are now twenty-five members.
There is a Sisters Convent about one mile and a half northeast of the Abbey. It is a four story building 44x100 feet. The new house for the Sisters Convent will be finished in the spring of 1882.
The first death in the town of Conception was that of Mr. Hewey McIntyre, in the year 1874. The first child baptized in the congrega- tion was christened Ellen, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sullivan. Father Powers, who baptized her, gave her forty acres of land because she was the first child baptized in the parish. The first marriage was that of Elisha Richlin and Miss Julia Protzman, in the year 1870.
The Sisters have charge of the public school. There is a good school house. The population of Conception is about 150.
Conception is located in one of the best portions of the Platte Val- ley, and is very desirable as a place of residence. The educational advantages will continue to attract many who desire facilities for the higher education.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
Bickett, Dr. James, justice of the peace and physician.
Blyley, A. T., notary public.
Blenkner, Theodore, physician.
Buehler, John, carpenter shop.
Enos, Augustus, assessor.
Enos, Francis, blacksmith.
Hogan, J. B., attorney at law.
Jenewein, Peter, saloon. Sholze, Mrs. Mary, milliner.
Sholze, Joseph, general merchandise and postmaster.
Voelker, Christian, shoe shop.
NEW CONCEPTION.
This town is located on the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railroad, about two miles northeast of Conception, and eleven miles southeast of Maryville. The post office is called Clyde, which name originated in the following manner ; At a public meeting in July, 1880, composed of some forty citizens, it was thought desirable to give a name to the new post
230
HISTORY OF NODAWAY COUNTY.
office. Mr. Frank Bellows had recently been in Canada, and had brought back some Clydesdale horses. Some one in the meeting thought of this, and proposed that the new post office should be called Clyde. The proposition was accepted and the name adopted by the meeting, and subsequently by the Post Office Department at Washington.
In 1869, Matthias Jerman bought the land on which New Conception is located. He sold the land in 1873, to Matthias Rogers, and the latter in 1879, sold it to the Western Improvement Company, who during the same year platted and laid out the town. The first lots, numbers 27 and 28, block I, were sold to E. W. Cone at $100 each. He erected a build- ing and opened a saloon. C. Weaver erected the next building for a dwelling. At this time several buildings were commenced. Gasper Kaiser erected a hardware store and went into business. J. A. Won- derly moved a building from Conception, and opened a stock of general merchandise. In 1880, B. Toller put up a hardware store and entered into trade. E. J. Clark about that time put up a store room and a dwell- ing. A carpenter shop was erected by Kroetsch Bros. A dwelling was erected by Mrs. Catharine Smith, and one by E. W. Cone. A lumber yard was established by Ambrose, Brown & Co., whose business was transacted by A. C. Robison.
In 1879, an elevator was erected by Frank Bellows and Fayette Smith.
The next house was built by C. Weaver for a restaurant, and soon afterward Allen Mercer erected a dwelling.
In 1881, a dwelling was put by Mrs. Eliza Smith, and one by George Waugh, who also built a harness shop.
Mr. A. C. Robison, about this time, erected a hotel and opened it. Dwellings were erected soon after by M. G. Chapin, by Simon Webber, and by J. Spates. Patrick Kenney very soon put up a boarding house. Two dwellings were afterward erected by Dr. G. W. Hobbs and J. F. Wonderly. A store building for general merchandise was erected about this time by Ruprechet & Hellman, who commenced business, opening a stock of general merchandise. Soon afterward J. J. McManus erected a hardware and furniture store, and F. A. Bellisle put up a building for shoemaking and a confectionery store. At this time a drug store was built by C. P. Smith, and also a dwelling. E. W. Cone soon put up a building which was occupied by H. H. Ross, who commenced in the drug business. A saloon was now built by Fitzpatrick & McCarty.
The depot building was erected in the year 1879.
The post office was established in August, 1880, and the first post- master was John F. Wonderly.
The people of New Conception are building a good school house, which will be completed in a short time.
The following named persons are members of the school board : James Fitzpatrick, Lewis J. Mann and J. A. Wonderly.
231
HISTORY OF NODAWAY COUNTY.
The first marriage in New Conception was that of Fred. Karætsch and Miss Julia Match. It occurred in the spring of 1881.
The first death was that of a daughter of J. F. Wonderly. It occurred July 16, 1880.
The first birth in New Conception was that of a daughter to Mr. and Mrs. C. Weaver, in the year 1879.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY ..
Bellisle, F. A., confectionery.
Clark, E. G., general merchandise.
Craig, W. P., constable. Durham, M. F., railroad agent.
Fitzpatrick & McCarty, saloon.
Hobbs, Dr. G. W., physician.
Kaiser, Casper, hardware.
Keller & Jones, meat market.
Kerns, Andrew, saloon.
Kinney, P., boarding house.
Lee, John, saloon.
McManus, J. J., hardware and furniture.
Moore, Mrs. Catherine, boarding house.
Robison, A. C., hotel.
Ross, H., druggist.
Ruprecht & Hellman, general merchandise.
Schaffer, Tonney, blacksmith.
Smith, C. P, druggist.
Toeller, B., blacksmith.
Weaver, C., livery. Wolf, Mrs. Sarah. E., millinery.
Wonderly, J. F. & Bros., general merchandise.
Wonderly, John F., postmaster.
CHAPTER XVII.
LINCOLN TOWNSHIP.
ITS BOUNDARY-PHYSICAL FEATURES-EARLY SETTLERS -DAWSON-SCHOOLS-BUSINESS DIRECTORY -- CHURCHES-ELMO-BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
LINCOLN TOWNSHIP.
Lincoln Township is bounded on the north by Iowa, on the east by Atchison and Nodaway Townships, on the south by Atchison, Nodaway and Green Townships and Atchison County, and on the west by Atchi- son County, Missouri.
The organization of this township was proposed in 1865, by the division of Atchison Township, as appears from the record of the County Court, made at its November term of that year. The entry of record is in words and figures as follows :
A majority of the legal voters of Atchison Township present a peti- tion to the county court to have Atchison Township divided into two townships, to be known as Atchison and Lincoln Townships, said town- ships commencing at the Iowa line, and in the center of said Nodaway River, and run with the center of the river to the section line between 8 and 17, in township (65), of range (37), and run with said line to the county line west, thence with the county line to the state line, thence to the place of beginning, and to call the name of said township Lincoln Township, in said county.
On the 14th day of June, 1866, the township was established with its present boundaries, by order of the County Court of that date. The order is as follows :
* * "Commencing at the state line near the northeast corner of section 31, township 67, range 37 ; thence west on the state line to the northwest corner of the county, near the northwest corner of sec- tion 34, township 67, range 38 ; thence south on the county line between sections 33 and 34, township 67, range 38, and 3 and 4, 9 and 10, 15 and 16, 21 and 22, 27 and 28, 33 and 34, township 66, range 38 ; thence east on township line between townships 65 and 66, to the northwest corner of section 5, township 65, range 38 ; thence south on county line between sections 4 and 5, 9 and 10, 15 and 16, to the southwest corner of section 15, township 65, range 38, and sections 18 and 19, 17 and 20, to the
233
HISTORY OF NODAWAY COUNTY.
Nodaway River; thence north with the meandering of the said Noda- way River to the place of beginning."
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
The eastern portion of the township is timbered land, with one or two groves toward the central and western part, the remainder being prairie. Mill Creek crosses the northern border of the township about three miles east of the northwest corner, and runs southeast, joining the Nodaway River near the southeast corner. Several other small streams tributary to Mill Creek run through different portions of the township, furnishing every locality with an abundance of water.
But little waste land can be found in the township. The quality of its soil compares favorably with its sister townships. The land, except in the western portion of the township, is very rolling, and some of it considerably broken. About one-half of the township is timbered. There is an abundance of stone for building purposes, and some indica- tions of coal.
FIRST SETTLEMENTS.
Joseph Hutson was not only the first settler in Lincoln Township, but the first settler in Nodaway County west of the Nodaway River. He came from Clay County, Kentucky, and bought a section of land- section 32, township 66, range 37. This land lies nearly two miles west of the present town of Dawson. He erected his cabin in the grove east of Mill Creek about one-fourth of a mile. He arrived October 29, 1840, and that night snow fell to the depth of four inches. The prospect was not very encouraging for the pioneer, but the snow disappeared almost entirely the next day, and there was no more cold weather until Christ- mas, the grass remaining green until that time, and that proved to be the mildest and finest winter ever experienced in Missouri. During that winter Mr. Hutson lived in his cabin and cleared six acres of land. He had been accustomed to timbered land in Kentucky, and thought at that time that the prairie was not as rich as the timber land. Garden spots could also be made sooner in the groves where there was no prairie sod to rot, which took considerable time. They used plows with wooden moldboards, the moldboards being from five to seven feet long. These Barshear plows were made about five miles north of Savannah, at Bennett's Lane, by Bennett & Son, who sold them at $27.50 apiece. Bennett worked for years at plow-making and realized a fortune. The prairie sod could not be broken by these plows with less than five yoke of oxen, and sometimes seven.
The six acres of ground which Joseph Hutson cleared the first win- ter he planted in corn in the spring. He also broke twelve acres of
234
HISTORY OF NODAWAY COUNTY.
prairie and planted it in corn. He raised that year fifty bushels of corn to the acre.
THE HUNTER'S PARADISE.
Game of all varieties was very abundant. There were elk, deer, some bears, turkeys, coons, wildcats, catamounts, mountain wolves, a large wolf of two varieties, black and gray, small prairie wolves, of a yellowish brown color, beaver, otters, minks and muskrats, with other small game. The Indians killed three elk within half a mile of his cabin, one within a hundred yards. The horns of this elk were so long that when reversed and set on the ground, an ordinary man could pass. under them. He killed an abundance of deer close to his house, and turkeys from his very door. The buffalo at that time were found about ten miles north of him, on the east side of the Missouri River. The buffalo were numerous on the west side of the river, a person often seeing five hundred in a herd. Turkeys were thicker than prairie chickens are now. The first morning after he came, he went out to kill a turkey and shot five, as many as he could carry home. He says he also shot at several others, but the sun shone so brightly on the snow, he could not see the sights well enough to draw a fine bead. That morning he saw at least five hundred turkeys. They were on every tree top where trees had fallen down, and the trees were full of them. Every head of a hol- low, where the snow first melted, was scratched up for mast. That same evening he shot at a mark, or white spot on a tree, to try his gun. When he went to see where the ball struck, he found it was a bee tree, and cut it down and took out the honey. A man found in the grove ten bee trees one day. Deer were so thick he counted sixty-six in one herd. He says he killed sixty-two one fall, and says he was not much of a hunter at that. One of his sons killed 123 deer the same fall. He knew a man named Henry Owens, who killed 130 deer one fall and winter, and another man named Daniel Sears killed 126. When the lake was frozen over, just enough to bear a man, hunters would chase the muskrats out of their houses and where the water was shallow and the ice very thin, the muskrats would run under the ice, when the hunters would pursue and spear them through the ice. He has known a man to spear 100 muskrats in this manner in a day.
There were many Indians in those days. Eleven hundred camped in the bottoms on the Nodaway and wintered a mile and a half from him. Three hundred camped and spent the winter in the grove within half a mile of him north of his cabin.
Joseph Hutson lives on the same farm where he located, with his children settled around him. Only two of the thirteen neighbors who came together are living now. One lives in Iowa. The writer spent a night under Mr. Hutson's hospitable roof and found him enjoying the
235
HISTORY OF NODAWAY COUNTY.
fruits of his early privations, and spending the evening of his days in quietude with his children and a host of friends gathered around him.
B. F. Hutson, John Bagley, Silas Davidson and James Sunseford settled east of him within two miles and a half. They opened farms in the timber of the Nodaway River. These all came in the year 1841. Thomas Heddy and Elisha Heddy, his brother, and Wiley Crowder, all located in the year 1841, about one mile and a half east and a little north of him in the Nodaway timber.
Dr. Benjamin Parker located on an adjoining farm and went to farming, there not being enough people there to sustain him in the practice of medicine alone.
John Smith located north of Lamar's claim on the Nodaway Bluffs, a mile from the river, on the west side. Geo. Oster settled one mile and a half west of the present site of Dawson, in the grove. John, his son, married Miss Melvina Potter, in 1843, of Caldwell County, and located near him. Abijah Hampton married Nancy Oster, Geo. Oster's daugh- ter, and took a claim a little north of him.
William Taylor married another daughter, Julia Oster, and settled on an adjoining claim. Wm. Berget located four miles west of Dawson. Edmond Chestnut took a claim near Berget and William Wiet settled in the same neighborhood. James Colvin bought the claim of Wiet, and Ambrose Colvin bought the claim of Abijah Hampton. Mansel Graves settled near where Elmo now stands, about one mile and a half west. Alfred and his brother, Aaron Graves, located on Tarkio Ridge.
The Hutson colony of thirteen went in company to mill. Two men went at a time with two wagons, and took from forty to eighty bushels of grain. Then, before their supply of flour was exhausted, two more would go. When the men returned from mill, all the neighbors would come together, and divide the flour, each one having his own sacks. They generally went with cattle, three or four yoke to a wagon, but sometimes with two-horse wagons. In those pioneer times they went to Hughes' Mill, fifty miles distant. The mill was located five miles east of Savannah. In going to mill, they would be absent five or six days.
Pioneers were accustomed to grate corn on a grater, especially during the first winter.
When they first went to mill, they laid in all their groceries at White Hall, three miles north of Savannah. After about three years, Savannah was laid out, and they began to trade there with Geo. Smith and Robert Donald.
They first obtained their mail at White Hall, and then at Savannah. Postage on a letter at that time was twenty-five cents.
Those going to mill would take their guns and kill game along the way, and camping in the timber, they would cook it.
236
HISTORY OF NODAWAY COUNTY.
Joseph Hutson's first neighbor was near Quitman ; the second was at Graham ; the third at Bennett's Lane, where all their blacksmithing was done for two or three years, until Mr. Hutson built a blacksmith shop in 1842. He made the first set of mill irons for a mill on Hutson's Creek, now called Mill Creek. He would weld three bars, four inches wide and an inch thick, with two strikers for the spindles and gudgeons of the mill corn cracker.
Mrs. Haney Lamar was the first person who died on the west side of the Nodaway River. She died August 23, 1842. The second person who died was Rufus Lamar, her oldest son. They were both buried in ground selected for the purpose on a little ridge near the Nodaway River. As there were no saw mills then in all that section, Mr. Joseph Hutson sawed boards for their coffins out of a black walnut log with a whip-saw. In those pioneer days there was not as much display as in later times, but such sad scenes, in all their simplicity in those early days, did not lose anything, perhaps, in tender affection.
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.