A^^' ^' 'P, <^j. c^ o^^ ;*». ,; •^. ,.\ '^i- ^ .0] .c> ^- ^-^.,^^ .i^'^ % ,0o \> .-""^ .^ ^ ^/-. 0^ ^ M x^- V ,i:% .^:^^■^^ ,\-'' ^0 ' -^A V , ■ '/ <=' ^.. .V^^- . ..s^ % . ^^v ^' '' y ''''^%5^' ^ '. -0" ■ ■<^^ (.■ ''^' V = 0^ ^^ ■% v-^^ A-^ -''t >.>- -'.s^^ ■xV \\ \ \ t. V~ ^,# ,-0' -> '■ \'-' COMPENDIUM OF History and Biography OF LINN COUNTY MISSOURI ILLUSTRATED A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ances- tors, Avill never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote generations. — Macaulay. CHICAGO HENRY TAYLOR & CO. Publishers, Engravers and Book Manufacturers HENRY TAYLOR, Jr. WM. H. BINGHAM Copyright 1912 BY HENRY TAYLOE & CO. FOREWORD Every age, every race and every part of every new country inscribes itself witli greater or less distinctness on History's dial. Linn county, Missouri, has written and is writing its record on the immortal page; and while this is neither a loud-sounding nor a sentimental inscription, it is one engraved in large and enduring phrase, creditable to the people who have made and are making it, and altogether inter- esting and valuable in the chronicles of our common country. Tragedy has shown its dark and heavy hand in this story. Poetry has sparkled, heroism has glowed, stern endurance has presented an invulnerable front to hardships and the golden thread of sentiment has run brightly through the woof in its pages. The many-handed arm of industry has been at work among the people here for more than half a century. Eude, rugged labor has poured out its sweat like rain in their liehalf. The bounties of nature have been taken at the price she put on them— ingenuity, hard work, a study of conditions and the means to meet their requirements — and a large part of the wealth she had stored up in this region has been developed and put into the prooer channels for the service of mankind. It is the purpose of this volume to preserve, in some measure, the record of what the first settlers did in this region in sowing the seeds of civilization when they came hither from their former homes, and what their followers have done to care for and reap the harvest for which the pioneers prepared the way. The book is made up largely of personal biographies, and there has been no attempt to give undue tone or a spectacular trend to the course of events in it. Essential history insists on writing itself, and will not be anticipated, controlled or turned from its destined way. What the men and women of Linn county have done and are doing for its advancement and development embodies the real essence of the county's growth and progress, and points out, with unmistakable significance, the ends at which the people of the county aim and toward which they are moving. Tn their arduous task of preparing this history, its publishers and promoters have had valuable assistance from Maj. A. W. Mullins, of Linneus; Col. George W. Martin, of Brookfielcl, and Judge C. H. Bigger, of Marceline, in reviewing the general history of the county, as to which they have made many valuable suggestions. Aid has also been given the publishers in a substantial and appreciated form by Charles W. Green, of Brookfield, in his admirable account of the history of that city since 1882; by Clarence M. Kendrick in his lucid and interesting chapter on Marceline ; by Senator E, B. Fields in what he has written about Browning; by Oscar F. Libby in his narrative of the course of events at Laclede ; by George L. Joyce in matter furnished ])y him and otherwise unattainable about Bucklin ; by D. B. Ormiston in his valued chapter on Linneus, and by many other persons who have been very helpful in making up the book. Without their aid the measure of success attained in the effort to present to the public a succinct and continuous story of what has occurred in Linn county from the dawn of civilization on its soil to its present high state of development, influence and importance, would have been impossible. The obligation of the publishers to these gentlemen, and all who have helped in compiling the work is considerable, and is hereby cordially and gratefully acknowledged. Finally, to the residents of the county, whose patronage has made the book possible, and whose life stories constitute the largest part of its contents, the publishers freely acknowledge their indebtedness with the hope that the volume will be an ample and satisfactory recompense. CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER I Grasses General Description of Linn ^ounty-Cl^ate and CJa^cte^^i^ Soil^ and Vegetables-Tobacco Raismg-Once an Exten.n^^ Liverpool County 's Resources — Good Roads CHAPTER II Senator Lewis F. Linn. Creek CouBliy"-The First S£tl™'"'V'Sn«l 'Jack •' Holland, the roumler A Papoose for a White Boy-Why tb";. ^ea FaUe 1- J»«^,^.^°'!!?,'^„„i,ation of ?fi,^'°C:r„a7y"-?"rs't ^ T S^ " cS^sl"* ^Y^'he Plo„eer?_The Pirst ^ Wedding— Early Ministers and Physicians CHAPTER III Hannibal-The Branny S*''?,"' ^"^•"-il'oTii^,',' of the "Bif '-Lax Methods of '^S^rS^^l B^S:iS:efHa„?s';§.?'Ge°„ts Each-The Pioneer's Wife. . 21 CHAPTER IV The Era of Prosperi.y^Developnrent of |chool^ ;r\h^'Mexi7a?'' w\r-CalTTr Linn- .Presidential Election of 1S44— Shadow ol «« »"■ , ,j^ Campaign in I°lfo7lfnrcory'-\^e°.:rat '^ ^S't^ 1^'^^t the Gohf Lands- ^^ More Wealth in Missouri than was Found m Calitornia CHAPTER V The ■ ' ' Biggest Thing ' ' About the ' ' Rat Law CHAPTER VI First Linn County Fair-List of Ofilee^ Article jo^ T^^t ^^^SS^ Meteor-The Killing ?f^^}^-";^p^ f.^on-A Viooous Condemnation of Drinking Governor Crittenden s Reply to Petition A vi ui -Ro,,snm Price Deed'^ to County Seat. 41 vi CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER VII How Liuneus Was Named — First Sale of Town Lots — Original Court House — A Smoky ('abiu an<] a Scrap — "Where's the Fight?" — Jesse Bowyer 's Ferry — Sale of Slave Property — "Highland Couutj^" — Division of Townships — Appropriation for New Court House — Built Inside Amount Appropriated — First Talk of Railroads — Jail Building to be "Proof Against Breaking Out" — Colonel Robert M. Stewart — Sketch of His Career — His Work for the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad — A Hot Campaign for Governor 51 CHAPTER VIII The Nations Wars — The Men of 1S12 — The Last Reunion in 1871 — Presidential Election of 1860 — Civil Strife — Linn County 's Prompt and Loyal Action — Early Organization and Movements — Capture of Two Confederate Cannon — Recruiting by Confederates of Linn and Sullivan Counties — Attempts to Capture Them by Federal Forces — Why They Failed — The Missouri Guerrilla — -Raid on Linneus — Killing of Judge Jacob Smith— A Woman Spy — Laclede Raided by Bush- whackers — Bounty Jumpers — When the Draft Came — Record of Engagements by Linn County Military Organizations — The Spanish American War — The Soldiers ' Monument at Brookfield 66 CHAPTER IX Railroads of Linn County— The First Campaign Inspired by Exorbitant Steamboat Rates — Railroad Convention at Chillicothe in 1847 — Linn County's Delegates — First Great Disaster on Hannibal and St. .loe Road — The Bushwhacker — General Grant as a Protector of the Road — W. C. Brown — S. E. Crance — J. W. Mulhern— Tom Beeler, Pioneer Operator — P. H. Houlahau — I. N. Wilber on War-Time Railroading — How the Engines Were Named — The Burlington and Southwestern — .John McCartney — 30 Years an Engineer — When Thayer was the Division Town — Bishop Hogan— George H. Davis — The Pony Express — First Officials of the "Joe"— First Run of the "Eli "— Marceline and the Santa Fe — First Double Track in Missouri — General Notes 99 CHAPTER X The Brunswick, Linneus and Milan Plank Road — First Publication of Receipts and Expenditures— County Court Decides War Tax Levy Unconstitutional — The Town of Thayer Vacated — Some New Townships — New County Jail — Linn County Agricultural and Mechanical Society — Common Pleas Court — Fight Over C<."nty Printing — Awarded to Paper That Paid One Dollar for It — Attempt to Remov-^ County Seat Defeated i2fi CHAPTER XI Assessed Valuation of Linn County in 1881- — Some Comparative Statistics — Last Census Bulletin Values Linn Countv Farm Land at .$.54. 80 per Acre — Thirteen Farms of 1,000 Acres and Over — Rapid Rise in Missouri Land Values — Linn County's Total Taxable Wealth, $10,217.242.0.5— Report on Live Stock— Some Important Figures on Missouri — Corn Crop of State Valued at .$107,.347,000 — Wheat Crop, $29,926,000 — Tenant Farmers Thrive — General Farming Conditions Satisfactory 134 CHAPTER XII Educational— The Ci^^l War Depression — Peace Brings Advancement — Better Pro- visions for Schools — State Normals and Colleges — The Boy and Farm Life — New Methods of Rural Schools — Early Missouri School History — Origin of Public Schools System in 1839 — Law as Applied to Schools — Boards and Their Powers — Taxation — Length of Terms — School Funds and Appropriations — First Appropriation for Linn County — School Statistics of the County — Review of Some of the Town and City Schools — County Spelling Match at Laclede — ".lack" Rummell, the Champion Speller — Wins Two Good Suits of Clothes — Ruth Benson, Second 140 CONTEXTS vii CHAPTEE XTII The Press of Linn Coimty— Tn 1875 There Were But Two Papers— In 1912 There Are Eleven — High Character of Publications — H. J. Wiggiuton on "Journalism" — Bishop Marvin's Terse Description of a Friend — Faults of Some Newspaper Men — Sketch of Linn County's First Publisher — A Pioneer Editor and Printer — Worked Alongside of "Mark Twain "—Went on a "Frolic" That Lasted Four Years — Original Country Correspondent Lives in Linn County — Reported Sen- sational Murder Case — The Brookfield Gazette — The Linneus Bulletin — The Linn County News — The Linn County Budget — The Brookfield Argus — Marceline Papers [See History of Marceline] 155 CHAPTEE XIV Human Interest Chapter— A Red-Hot "Hoss" Race — Mr. Alexander's Game Ride — A "Hair Finish" — Famous Statesmen — Benton and Linn — Mrs. Linn's Presenti- ment Saves Husband's Life — Sketch of Benton — His A'isit to Linneus — He Answers a Question — "Give the Boys a Chance!" — The Duel With Lucas — Thirty Years in Congress — Humor of the Court — A Wise Janitor — Argued With a Juryman — First Execution in Linn County — End of "Tennessee Tom" — A Haunted Locality— The Howell Case— The" Taylor Case [See History of Browning] 172 CHAPTER XV An Official Chapter — The County Representatives — Line of Circuit Judges — Intrepidity of Judge Smith at a Perilous Time — Senatorial and Congressional — Democratic Congressional Committee — Republican Congressional Committee — Democratic County Committee — Republican County Committee — Linn County's Population by Townships — Vote on State Officers — Incorporated Town and Villages — Post- offices — Linn County Newspapers 182 CHAPTER XVI Brookfield, By Charles Willis Green — Marceline, By Clarence M. Kendrick — Bucklin, By George L. Joyce — Linneus, Since 1882, By D. B. Ormiston — Browning, By Senator E. B. Fields— Laclede, By Oscar F. Libby— Purdin, St. Catharine, Meadville and Other Towns of the County 195 CHAPTER XVII Locust Creek Drainage System — Enterprise to Reclaim 25,000 Acres — Estimated Rise in Land Values — An Interesting Landmark — The Woodland Mills — Indian Mounds — Descendant of a Noted Warrior- — Boy Lost in the Wilderness — Sheltere