Cass County, Missouri - Chapter 28: Commercial Enterprises, 1917

COMMERCE THE MAINSPRING OF SOC1 ET Y - CASS COUNTY AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL ASSOCIATION AMONG THE FIRST - FIRST MILL - LATER MILLS - BLOIS THE FIRST MERCHANT - HENRY F. BAKER. THE PIONEER MER¬ CHANT OF HARRISONVILLE - MODERN COMMERCE.

Commerce is the life blood of civilization. If those who control and project the commercial affairs are crooked, so will your social and political life be corrupt. If such affairs are directed by persons desir¬ ing not only their personal profit but the general welfare, then will such projects redown to the general good. It is this high character of the citizenship of the county which have brought profit to themselves and blessings to all in the many enterprises projected among our people. Among the first, if not the first, enterprises, entitled to the such name, was the "Cass County Agricultural and Mechanical Association," located at Pleasant Hill. It was incorporated March 5, 1855 (see acts of 1855, page 216). The first directors were James A. Fisher, John M. Arm¬ strong, Larkin Madox, Thomas Thomas, John B. Fleming, Thomas F. Freeman, James Hamilton, R. H. Nelson, William Bronaugh, J. C. Chris¬ topher, L. S. Boyd, James C. Copeland, J. B. Skilman, Thomas W. Hurst and E. McClanahan. They were among the very earliest settlers of the county and men of the highest character. This institution proved to be a most successful enterprise of the day. It is to be regretted that these men have passed away, and we know so little of them.

Other enterprises in different parts of the county, worthy of mention, more on account of the unequalness of the affairs than otherwise. In 1832, among the first settlements of the county, William Savage built the first mill in Cass County on Big Creek, about two miles west of the present site of Pleasant Hill. It was a grist and saw mill combined, the burrs were set on the saw frame. At first it only ground com, which had to be sifted after it was ground. There was only one run of burrs, which as well as the mill irons, were brought from St. Louis. The mill cost about $50. The mill had no gearing, the burrs being located over the wheel, and running with the same velocity as the wheel. People came from far and near, attracted by the reports of the completion of the mill. For days before the mill was ready for work people came with their grists. The Big Creek bottom was filled with people waiting their turn at the mill. This hardship of camping out and waiting was not luxury but simply a necessity, in order to secure for the families of the waiters the simplest necessaries of life. This mill was moved in 1837 by James Reynolds and Joel Riddle further east.

In 1837 or 1838 some of the farmers erected a horse mill, a grist mill, at a point a few miles west of the present Pleasant Hill. This was run by horse power and was of short life. A short time after this mill was erected Solomon Teague started a horse mill on Camp Branch. Frederick Bouse improved on these ancient structures by building a small water mill on Camp Branch and did a flourishing business in time of high water. As early as 1843 Harrison Davis and William Blackburn built a bill on Sugar Creek in the southeast part of the county. John Houston soon purchased this and moved it further east in the county. In 1843 a Mr. Crenshaw erected and operated a water mill on the middle fork of Grand River. Not long after a Mr. John Fine built a horse mill on a part of what is now the Stark farm west of Freeman.

These little mills were kept busy day and night, the old settlers usually waiting sometimes for days to get their grists ground. Early in 1848 Joseph Flood and E. Peyton built a saw and grist mill on south fork of Grand River in the present West Dolan. Farmer and Gardner, in 1846, built a water mill, grist mill, just below the bridge, now known as Clark's bridge in Everett Township, on the south fork of Grand River. This mill went the way of all the earth in some big freshet of the river. In 1849 Nicholas C. Payne built a water saw and grist mill in Sherman Township on Grand River near what is known as Settles Ford. This was washed away by high waters during the war. James Thornburg built another mill on this old foundation a short time after the close of the war. It too was taken by high water. These are practically the early commercial enterprises of the county. After this such matters as mills grew up in about all the towns of the county and became thriving busi¬ ness concerns and a blessing to the country.

Probably the first merchant to open a store in the county was a Frenchman by the name of Blois, who in 1833 opened a store on sec¬ tion 12, township 46, range 30, on what was known in early days as the "old Mordecai Phillips" farm, three miles east of Pleasant Hill in the edge of the present Polk Township. The store building was quite a primitive structure and was built of poles. It was short of life for in the same year, it is said, was moved to what is now known as "Old Town, Pleasant Hill."

In 1837, Henry F. Baker became the pioneer merchant at Harrisonville. His store was in a log house, located at the southwest corner of the public square, where Briles' business block is now located. Soon after this Wilson & Brooks opened a general store in about the middle of the west side of the square, in a log house. A short time thereafter Price & Keller opened a store where Will Clemments now has his hardstore, on the south lot of the west side of the square.

From primitive startings have arose throughout the county a great business in merchandising. Where then only a few thousand dollars worth of goods were sold in a year, it now counts up into the many millions. Commercial enterprises of late years are as well and honestly managed with all respect to the public's rights, along with the individuals' private gain. Transportation is dealt with. We have the late estab¬ lishment of the large creamery farm on the old "Billie Ryan" farm; the oil line and reservoirs ; the foundaries both at Harrisonville and Pleasant Hill; the creameries at Harrisonville and Garden City; ice plants at Pleasant Hill and Harrisonville; the drainage projects for making use¬ ful and reclaiming the bottom lands of Big Creek and Grand River; the telephone and telegraph lines throughout the county. What wonders are wrought since those primeval days of our pioneer ancestors!