Pierce Township

Pierce Township

The township of Pierce was established in March. 1853, and named for the then newly-inaugurated President of the United States. It is one of the two townships in the county that is embraced in the exact boundary of a congressional township, containing thirty-six square miles. Of this area one-third was originally upland prairie: the remainder is rolling with some level land along the creeks. Beginning on the east side, a little north of the middle of the township, is the dividing ridge between the waters of the Blue rivers - the Muddy fork on the south, the Middle fork on the north. This ridge runs nearly due west until it is lost in the level land on the west side of the township. As one travels west on this divide he sees first upon his right Farabee creek, and Brown branch, while on the left is Goss creek. Section 1 1 is the highest point in the township. Here is found the waters of three creeks starting on their journey within a stone's throw of each other, Brown on the north, Monical on the south and Baker on the southwest. Baker creek is the largest stream that runs wholly in the township.

.Still farther west are found numerous small branches flowing right and left until section 16 is reached, where begin the "Barrens," a section of country with no surface drainage, full of basins and sinkholes and upon which at an early day there was no timber. Early settlers here secured a water su]>ply by .means of sinking wells and making ponds. In some instances wooden cisterns were made. The sinks carry off all surplus water from this land and form underground streams, many n{ which come to the surface farther down the country. .\ very fine, large sjiring bursts forth in the north part of section 31 and gives the name to the church near by. "B>ig Spring" is well known in the county.

Knob sandstone is the pre\ailing rock in the eastern part nf the township, with the exception of the di\iding ridge, extending west to Monical creek, when it disap]H'ars bene;itli the linic-time lunler the hill on the west side of the creek. On the north side of the towuvbip, along the river; knob sandstone can be traced w-e'^t to section 5, where it disappears beneath the limestone. The bottom lands in the knob sandstone formation is what is generally known as "craw-fish" land, but in many places the washings from hillsides have found lodgment in bottoms and formed rich alluvial soils. Next in order comes the gray and blue limestone soil, found along the dividing ridge and reaching back from Monical creek until the drift formation is reached, composed of clay, gravel, and boulders. Baker creek has cut down to the limestone and has exposed the boulders, gravel and flint "nuggets'" of the drift. This drift was mostly barren land and is underlaid by the cavernous limestone. By the action of water below, the earth would cave in here and there forming basins and sink holes. When these holes closed up again poncls were formed. A favorite plan to start a pond was to close up the sink hole with rocks and clay and then feed the hogs in the ijasin for a few months.

Early Settlers

The very first settlers were mostly squatters, who, after remaining a few }ears picked up and went farther west. They never owned land or paid any taxes, so there are no records that bear their names, and many who did claim lands did not enter the same until they had been here many years. When a man came in and laid claim to a piece of land it was not considered honorable to slip away to the land office and enter the piece so long as the one in possession desired to own it. AJk^ith two exceptions the first land entered in the county was in this township and the exceptions have the precedence by only a few months. No one could enter less than a quarter section at that time.

The first tract entered was by Michael Smith, 1809, the southwest quarter of section 3_'. Henry \\ yman. Jacob Motsinger and Henry Ratts made entries in 181 1. Jacob Miller, 1812. Jacob Motsinger, Chris Mars and Elijah Wright, 1813. Mat Coffin, Amos Wright, Philip Wright and William Hitchcock, 1814. James S. Wilson, John Fouler, William Wright, Richard Gilstrap, John Moore, John Duval and John Coffman, 181 5. David Motsinger, John Newland, Jesse Lucas, George Gloss, Samuel Baker, John Strong and George Casely, 1816. Benjamin Bush, Adam Hoover, Samuel Garathney and l'liili]> ?Iighnnte, 1817. Chris Monical, J. Marris, John Peugh, Rhodes Mead, Robert ILvans, Patrick McGarvin, William Watts, Lewis Martin, William Green and Charles Schultz, 1818. John Monical, J. Hennis, A. Shuts, Vard Fletcher, George Wagoner, Arch Hamilton, William Brown, John Bush, J. Sheppard, James Cunningham, Fred Bass and E. Weyman, 18 19.

The last entry was made in 1849, James Hamilton taking up part of the northeast quarter, section 22, and Jacob Click part of the southwest quarter, section 18. John Moore, it is said, claimed to have squatted on section 13 in 1806. but thi; is denied by several old settlers, the date of his coming being fixed at 1808. Then followed Samuel Baker, Valentine Baker, William Green, Jacob and Michael Hedrick, Patrick and Dennis McGanin, Robert Evans, John Crouch, Thomas Alexander, William Watts, Jacob Miller. Adam Feskey, Valentine Crotts, Reuben and Joseph Wells. John Cord, Robert Brock, John Stewart, Thomas Knott, Richard and Jesse Lucas, William Williams, John Wilson, Arch Scott and John Mozier. Up to 181 5 most of the settlers were from \'irginia, then they began to come in from the Carolinas. After 1820 nearly all were from North Carolina.

The earlv settlers found three-fourths of the town^hip covered with a fine growth of forest trees. Poplar, oak. walnut, ash. hickory and cherry were the more valuable kinds. Many of these trees measured twenty feet around at the ground. The choicest timber was cut down for rails, and when land was cleared everything that was not needed for rails went into the log heap. A favorite way of clearing land was to go through and deaden the trees, and in about two years time stick fire into it. This left the land in the very best possible shape for growing crops and gave origin to the trite saying, "as rich as an old deadening." Game of all kinds was plentiful. John Bush, one of the early settlers, finding that deer were getting scarce, split rails and built a fence twelve feet high around a fiveacre field in which he kept a lot of deer as long as he lived. He would not sell his venison, but when a deer was killed always sent a choice piece around to neighbors and friends. Rattlesnakes were numerous and of very large size. Joel Lane killed one in 1812 that was eleven feet long. Quite a number were killed measuring eight and nine feet in length. None have been seen in this part of the country for half a century. The only poisonous snakes left are the spreading adder and copperhead and these are becoming quite scarce.

Indian Relics

Xo trace of the mound-builders has ever lieen discovered in the township, but early pioneers found a few places where there had been Indian villages. On and about section 23 a great numl)er ('if tUiit arrows and spear heads of various sizes have been i)ickcd up and >everal stone axes.

There is some gO(-)d building stone along the hill slojies in se\ er.al parts of the town^hip and everywhere good clay for brick making. Many kilns have been burned from the earliest settlement up to the present time. In section 22, about twenty-five feet below the surface, a fair quality of fire clay has been found and a red sand resembling moulder's earth very closely. In early days two potteries flourished in the township, making jugs, crocks, and jars and it is said they made some excellent ware, but were discontinued for lack of home patronage and there was no way to transport the products cheaply to other markets.

About 1820 Henry Wyman struck a large vein of salt water while digging a well on section 34 and with the assistance of John Dover salt works were established, but with the rude appliances of that day - huge kettles set in an open furnace and the price of salt only a "bit" per bushel at that time - the enterprise did not pay and was soon abandoned. The brine is found in a strata of the knob sandstone and is reached at from thirty to seventy feet anvwhere on the Muddy fork east of section 28.

In 1824 John Dover undertook the dif^cult task of rearing silk worms and manufacturing silk. The worms were procured and put to work on the native mulberry leaves, which were quite numerous all through the woods, but the enterprise did not prove to be a success and in a couple of seasons it was abandoned. The Dovers were from England and brought with them the first piano in the county. They lived on section 23.

The first blacksmith was John Mosier, who opened a shop on section 2^^. John I'eugh started a battery in 181 5 and for several years followed the business of making hats, mostly from furs, using what wool he could get. But wool was very scarce, owing to the fact that there was great demand for it in every home to manufacture jeans and linsey and it was difficult to keep sheep owing to the prevalence and ferocity of wolves. Henrv Ratts also operated a hat shop on section 6. Nearly all the early settlers grew a patch of cotton from seed lirought from the South and on new land this crop did well. Valentine Baker operated a cotton gin for a time to meet the demand, the only one ever operated in the county, in all probal)ilit\-. In several instances in this township nettles were gathered and allo\ve<l t(i rot and when broken and worked it is said that it made a very ri"^]>e(tahk' cloth. Tohn .\lev operated an early tannery and possibly the oiil\- (ine in the township.

In common with nianv other localities. Pierce township had its lead and Liold liunters and a number of holes were dug in search of precious nietaK. I'lCnjamin Daxi-^ si)ciit almost a lifetime in fruitless search for some secret (le]'o^it '>t the \ellow metal and died firmly believing that in some hidden cave nearby it was deposited in inexhaustible quantity. The only trace of any sort of mineral deposit to be found is iron in the red clay and "niggerheads'' in the west side of the township.

There was one "pestle and mortar" mill operated by water power at a verv early day. Next then was the "stump mill" of which there were quite a number. Then came the large "horse mills." These were of two kinds, the tread power, or a huge wheel twenty or thirty feet across, set at an angle so it would turn when horse or oxen were put on and started up the incline; the other was made by constructing a huge cog-wheel on a shaft standing perpendicular, the wheel being at the top. Below the wheel a sweep was mortised mto the shaft to which a horse or horses were hitched. The large cog-wheel worked in a pinion to which the grinding buhr was attached overhead. One of these horse mills would crack fifteen or twenty bushels of corn a day if kept running. The first horse mill built in the township was owned by \'alentine Baker. Richard Smith and a man named Readus also h^d horse mills.

The first water mill was built by Hoggatt in 1S14. Thi> changed hands a number of times and was operated for half a century. Then Reuben Wells and Philip Basson built mills on Muddy fork, both saw and grist. Robert Strain built one on Baker creek and Daniel Baker one on Monical creek, and in section 5, on the Middle fork, John Forsey, in 1818, put up a carding machine, said to be the first in the state. These mills have long ceased to exist. The failure of water power caused by the drying up of creeks and rivers was probably the main cause. The ingenuity ot the age brought the steam engine to a great degree of perfection and adapted it so completely to every desirable location that the necessit}- for water power diminished with the supply of water.

There were a great many distilleries to be found in early times, one in almost every neighborhood. Curn was the article usually distilled. On account of the scarcity of fruit \ery little brandy was made. Jonathan .Spainhour made brandy out nf pawpaws, which was the first liquor of that kind e\-er heard of in the county.

.\mong the very first school liouses erected in the c<ninty were those in Pierce township. The first one built was on section i_4,__near where the Motsinger schoolhouse now stands, in t8i6. The first teacher was .\rcb Scott. Schools were taught in private houses in several instances about this time. Luke Filbert, Joseph Green and others taught in private homes whenever sufficient number of "scholars" could be found and a room secured. Valentine Baker was one of the earliest school officers and friends of education in the county. Being entirely self-taught, he could rightly appreciate the advantages of and difficulties in the way of acquiring knowledge. He spent freely of his time and means to promote the welfare of the youth of his township. He was one of the very first Sabbath-school workers. Among other friends of education were E. D. Turner, Robert Strain, George Waltz, C. D. Green, Jacob Wiseman and William Shanks.

The first preacher in this part of the county was a man named Alberson, a Regular Baptist. He began making regular trips through the county in 181 1. In the fall of 1816 John Wilson came and began to preach. About the same time a man by the name of Townsen, located and was the first Methodist minister. The first church society was formed by him at the home of John Peugh and besides Peugh, consisted of Robert Brooks and wife and X'alentine Crotts and wife, Christopher Monicle also did some preaciiing in an early day. John Cord was the first traveling minister sent by the Methodist conference. The first church house was built in 1817, near where the first society was organized and where Mt. Pleasant church now stands. The church was built of hewn logs and served the purpose of both meeting and school house for many years. It was dedicated and named by John Stuart. Valentine Crotts, the last surviving member of the original organization, died in 1874, ninety-two years old.

The next church house built in the township was on section 34 and known as the "Dutch" meeting house. There were a number of Germans in this settlement. About 1820 the residence of William Green was used to worship in by the_ United Brethren, as were many other private houses by different denominations. The first camp-meetings were held in the years 1825-26-27 in the fiat between the two hollows a short distance west of Mt. Pleasant church, section 23.

At present the Church of Christ has good congregations at New Pekin ami College Hill. The Methodist churches at Pekin and Mt. Pleasant are in a prosperous condition, and the Missionary Bapti.sts hold regular services at Blue River.

The early settlers had little need of stores as they had few wants that were not sujiplied by their own skill and labor. They did their own tanning, raised and worked up their own flax and cotton into clothing and produced from the soil what they ate. Tea was seldom kept in the house and coffee was used on Sunday mornings or extraordinary occasions. The forest supplied them with sugar and molasses, while each and every family was selfsustaining to a large degree. Christian Bixler started the first store in the township, then Green & H'atts, then Watts alone. John and Jacob Peugh, and John Dover operated small stores.

The following prices of various commodities are taken from actual bills of sale dated in 1818: Horses, $50: cows, $6; stock hogs. Si per Iiundred pounds: pork, $2: beef, $1,50; wheat, 40 cents per bushel delivered at. the Ohio Falls; corn, 40 cents; whiskv, 2s, cents. In 181 5 salt rose to $2.50 per bushel and wheat dropped to iji/, cents. A set of knives and forks cost $5 ; nails, 20 cents per pound ; calico, 50 cents per yard. People made their own shoes and moccasins and clothing. Each settlement made its own powder and as hunting was one of the chief occupations of the settlers there was a great deal used. They made their own furniture, or perhaps there was some man in each neighborhood that made it for all the rest.

Public Men

I'ierce township has given birth to (|uite a number of men who have achieved prominence in county, state and nation. \'alentine Baker served two terms in the Legislature; William Shanks, two terms; Robert Strain, one term; James T. Campbell, one term; E. W. Shanks, one term. James A. Cravens served two terms in Congress. Harry Cravens served se\eral terms in the Missouri Legislature. David Shanks was twice sheriff of ^Vashington county. B. C. Shanks was county recorder one term. E. H. VV'right was surveyor one term. William M. Ah'is was treasurer two terms. S. B. \'oyles was ]>rosecutor. state senator and judge. \Mlliam Xewlin was county comniissi<3ner ; William 1'. Green was county treasurer, and [irobabl}- others.

One uni\ersal peculiaritx' was itosse-^sed b_\- almost all earl\- settlers - which was restlessness. They couM remain content a few year^ only in anv one locality. Few of the first settler^ remained here .-ifter the to\\nslii|) became prett}- thickly settled. \ut\ I'aruN that hr-^t owners cleared and tilled for a few years were ^old for a nien- -on^'. being considered \\orn out. I'ut in ihie course of time a ne old fields were grulibe.l off. imiin.ve were adopted, until now these ^auie .a and pro(lucti\-e to be found ;iny\\lieri bear into a cave iu section J3. Here guards with dogs and guns kept it caged for three days, but no one would venture in far enough to get a shot. Finally John and George Beck were sent for, they having had considerable experience hunting and trapping bear. They entered the cave with Fogleman following, each bearing a gun and torch. While they were groping cautiously forward, Fogleman slipped and fell into a hole about six feet deep so suddenly that he thought himself in the bear's clutches, for he yelled lustily, frightening those on the outside and causing them to believe that those within were having a hand-to-hand conflict with the bear. While Fogleman beat a hasty retreat the Becks went ahead till the bear and her two cubs were seen, when one of the Becks killed her at the first shot. The report of the rifle was like a small cannon. The cubs were soon dispatched, when all were dragged out and divided among those present.

In 1872 James Campbell, near Pekin, had a large spring on his farm, and conceived the idea that he could become rich by raising fish. He built some large concrete tanks or pools in which he placed his trout, and over these pools he erected a very large house or hotel. His idea was to keep summer boarders and provide sport for them at small cost. They could sit on the porches of his commodious resort and angle to their hearts' content. He could see, in his imagination, sportsmen flocking out to his place from the Falls Cities, enjoying themselves immensely while he would be coining money. His plant was completed and a supply of mountain trout duly established. The fish multiplied nicely and grew fast. Some were marketed at a good figure, but his summer boarders did not materialize as he had expected them to, and floods damaged his ponds and a long drought caused his spring to run low, thereby failing to furnish sufficient water to keep the fish in a flourishing condition and many of them died. For a time a great many people visited the place and were charged twenty-five cents to be shown through the plant, but for the lack of water and boarders the enterprise was a failure and Campbell is said to have lost fifteen thousand dollars worth of fish in one season when the temperature of the water in his ponds rose above sixty-eight degrees. ?Ie abandoned the plant and removed to Salisbury, Harrison county, where he found a large spring just to his liking, with cold water the year round in greatest abundance.

Town Of New Pekin

built the station was esta1>lishcd about a mile northwest of Old Pekin, and just acr(_)ss the township line in Pierce township. The new town grew slowly at first. Init there was much good farming land adjacent to the jjlace, and an immense amount of fine timber, and these have contributed to its growth in late years, which has been of a very substantial character. C. D. Green built a fine brick building at the station in 1852, and besides using it as a depot and postoffice, opened an extensive store and for se\'eral years did a very prosperous business. Peter Alartin was his successor in the ownership of the stock of goods, and Messrs. Collins, afterwards attorneys in Salem, in the ownership of the building. During the late fall of 1867, the building took fire and was Inirned to the ground, scarcely a single article being sa\ed. Another building was erected, and was occupied for several years by Pi\erley S: b^lrod, who operated a general store. The first post- 'master of the new town was Thomas Collins, after which William Graves served for several years.

Halfway between the oM and new towns, on the ri\er. a saw- and grist-mill was built by a Air. Butterfield, about i860. From his hands it passed to Bowman & Uppinghuse, James Burns and Andrew Cauble. O. L. Cauble is now proprietor. For several years the business men of the town, and farmers round about, ran a successful fair under the name of the Washington and Clark Count}- Fair Association, which was (Organized in Alarch, 1884, and ended with the expiration of the lease with W. A. Gra\'es in 1894. The ele\en fairs held by this association were \'er\- successful and did much to encourage the production of better farm, garden and household products. The first president was Alanson W. Shanks, and the first secretar_\- was Charles F. Johnson. j\mong the later officers, Patrick H. Gill was president, and Dr. T. B. Baker, secretary. There is at present a nio\enient to organize another fair association.

For eighty-four years the h'ourth of July has been celebrated in Pekin or the near vicinity, and in all that time there has never been a serious accident at these cclebratiMns, which ha\e been attended by ihous.-inds of ])eople annually, in later years the attendance lieing estimated at ten to fifteen thousand. Anxing the first men to conduct these annual celebration> were James T. Campbell and Nelson Johnson, and later Patrick FT. Gill has been the leader for thirt\-fi\e \enrs. ;md each year the interest in the commemoration of this "Xatal r^ay" increases.

leads out to all points of the adjoining fertile country. A large business is done in the handling of fruit, grain, stock and dairy products by the freight and express offices, and the Monon railway is preparing to build a large and commodious depot. Harold Littell is the present Monon agent.

The Citizens Bank is a prosperous institution, with a capital stock of $25,000, and deposits of over $100,000. It was ojjened on January 7, 1907, with Thomas S. Bellows president, and George Halmhuber cashier. F. M. Tash is now president, and J. W. Heistand cashier. Modern hotels are kept at Pekin by James Orr, A. Curtis and Grover Short.

D. H. Ewings" Sons, of Louisville, ICentucky, operated a creamery since 1901, ai d have recently erected a large two-story brick building to accommodate their increasing business. Henry W. Weber is manager. Dennie Gore has recently started a large creamery that promises to be a success. O. L. Cauble operates a flour-mill of large capacity and is also a dealer in fertilizers and building material. The Pekin Hardwood Lumber Company, of which William J. Johnson is superintendent, has a daily capacity of twenty thousand feet of lumber, and gives employment to many men. A large canning factory has done an imnien.se business for a number of years, under the management of Aquilla Curtis.

The Pekin Advance, now in its fourth year, is a bright, newsy, sixcolumn folio, issued regularly every week b}' A. Curtis. It has a good subscription list and enjoys a liberal advertising patronage. General stores are oi)erateiI l>y Harve}- C. Sullivan, Robert E. Elrod, J. A. Zink & Son, C. B. Elrod and William H. Purlee. G. AI. Johnson & Son conduct a first-class hardware store: .S. D. Alarkland is a druggist; Charles Wyman & Son ha\e a garage and reiiriir shoji ; Preston Criswell conducts a repair shop and wagun works; Albert Hall is a master mechanic; John C. Weir is a blacksmith and li\e Mock dealer; A. Curtis has a clothing store; and W. L. Green is a practicing jihysician. The law firm known as Gill Brothers, consists of Patrick H., James \\'. and John W. Gill, and they give excellent counsel to their clients.

The I'ekin Juvenile liand is one of the leading attractions of this section and is composed of twenty-six members of ages ranging from seven to se\enteen \ears. It was organized \)y Robert E. Elrod in January, 1914, and has made ra])id jirogress imder the leadershij) of Prof. W. Meadors, a talented musicirm.

The I'eldn lii<^h -cliool was organized in the fall of 1906. by Prof. S. C. Rickard. wl'o lias lieen the efficient principal each year since, except one. The school began with twelve pupils and has steadily increased until the attendance during the term of 1914-15 was seventy-five. In 1910 an extensive library with physical and botanical apparatus, was added by individual subscription, a.id the same year the school was commissioned as a certified high school. A contract is now let to enlarge the building and to install modern appliances for the teaching of manual training and domestic science. Three teachers are now employed. Grace Morley and John Marshall were the first graduates, and of the twenty-nine who graduated from 19 10 to 191 4. all but one ha\-e liecome teachers.

The Twin Trees

Two trees, standing about eight feet apart, on the place known by old settlers as the Jacob Purlee homestead, about one hundred yards south of the point where the Corydon road crosses Blue river, are joined together at a height of eighteen or twenty feet from the ground by a limb growing from one trunk into the other. In 1844, when Polk and Dallas were the Democratic candidates for President and \'ice-President, Josiah Emery and his brother, Ed, with O. P. Neal, a neighl)or b<:iy, climbed this tree and from this limb "skinned a cat," as the sport is known to boys, and wrote the names of Polk and Dallas, with polk juice, and suspended it from this limb. These twin trees are still standing and a i)hf)tograph has been taken lately.

In the fall oi 1840, Josiah Emery went in his first school close to Halo, tci John Sloan, the veteran teachtr, win 1 - afterwards liecame a miller at Martinsburg, and. in the f.ill of loi 4. just se\enty-four years after Josiah started to his lir-^t srhunl iiere. h\< grandson, Joe Hahn. l)egan teaching his first 'iclio. )1 (in the ^ainc gnuind-, and used water from the same s])ring