Clay County, Missouri - Chapter with an unread heading (no. 13 of those read), 1885

Chapter with an unread heading (no. 13 of those read)

Position and Description - Early Settlers - Liberty Landing - Country Churches - City of Liberty - First Incorporation - Liberty in 1846 - Churches of Liberty - Secret Societies - Biographical.

Position And Description

Liberty is the south-central municipal township of Clay county and its present boundaries are as follows : Beginning at the northeast corner, at the northeast corner of section 1.5, township 52, range 31 ; thence south to the Missouri river ; thence up the river to the mouth of Big Shoal creek ; thence up and along Big Shoal creek, on the eastern bank, to the southwest corner of section 22, township 51, range 32 ; thence due north to the northwest corner of section 3, township 52, range 31 ; thence east to the northeast corner of section 1, same township and range ; thence south one mile to the southeast corner of said section 1 ; thence east one mile to the northeast corner of section 7-52-31 ; thence south one mile to the southeast corner of said section 7 ; thence east three miles to the beginning.

Although the country is naturally l)roken and hilly throughout the greater part of the township, some of the best farms in Missouri are here to be found. Without the least exaggeration some of the manor lands in Liberty are equal in_ point of development and improvement to many of the best estates in the famed blue grass region of Kentucky, or the much lauded farms of Central Ohio. To be sure many of the Liberty township farms have been cultivated for sixty years, but their ))ossessors have not been slothful or unenterprising.

Water Supply

The tributaries of Fishing river, Rush creek. Big Shoal and all of Little Shoal creek, furnish abundant water supply and adapt the township to stock raising, and this natural advantage is thoroughly well improved upon. The bottom lands along the Missouri are of course of the highest fertility, but difficult and hazardous of improvement, owing to the liability of overflow.

Early Settlers

As to the first settlers in what is now Liberty township, it is probable that they were Richard Hill, Robert Gilmore, James Gilmore, Samuel Gilmore and Elijah Smith, who settled on Rush creek, in the southeastern part of the township, in 1820. The two first-named Gilmores, Hill and Smith came first in the spring and built cabins and put out small crops, leaving their families down in the Petite Osag'e bottom (commonly called Tete Saw) in Saline county. In the fall of the year they I'eturned with their families.

Richard Hill settled on section 9, nearly two miles east of Liberty; the others were lower down the creek. All of these families were related.' Samuel Gilmore was the father of Robert and James, and the flxthef-in-law of Hill and Smith. Mrs. Mary Poteet, a widow ladv, who was the sister of Elijah Smith, and the mother-in-law of James and Robert Gilmore, came with the party and made her home with her brother. She raised Mary Crawford, an orphan, who became the wife of Cornelius Gilliam, and was the first white woman married iu Clay county. (See Fishing River township.)^

Other settlers came in quite numerously and located in the southern portion of the township in 1821, and in 1822, when the county was organized and Liberty laid out and made the county seat, there were still other additions made to the settlements in what is now the Libert}' municipal township - then about equally divided between Gallatin and Fishing River, the two original townships of the county. Anthony Harsell says that in 1821 there was but one house north of Liberty - that of James Hiatt, who lived a little more than a mile from town, due north (section 31-52-31), now known as the Baker farm.

Liberty Landing

Liberty Landing, on the Missouri, three and a half miles south of the city of Liberty, was established many years ago. The site was for many years a place of importance. All merchandise for Liberty and other interior towns north was put off the steamboats here for many years. From 1858 to 1862 a large hemp factory, owned and operated by Arthur, Burris & Co., was conducted at this point. The

1 Three weeks after the Gilmores came to their new homes permanently, David Mc- Elwee settled in Fishin;^ River township, and from his daughter, Mrs. Margaret Howdeshell, the information concerning the early settlement of the township has been obtained.

machinery in this establisliment cost about $30,000, and the firm handled thousands of tons of hemp. The business was broken up bv the war and the machinery sold to McGrewBros., of Lexington. At present there is a railroad station on the Wabash road at the Landing.

Country Churches

Little Shoal Creek, Old School Baptist. - This church has the distinction of being the first church organization in Clay county. It was constituted May 28, 1823, by the well known pioneer minister, Elder William Thorp. The constituent members were : William Monroe, A. Monroe, Enos Vaughn, Patsy Vaughn, A. Groom, Daniel Stout, Ailsey Hall, Patsey Stout, Elisha Hall, Elizabeth Monroe, Sally Stephens and Jane Groom. The first church building was a log house, erected in the year 1824. In 1881-82 the congregation built a good substantial brick house, costing about $2,300. The first pastor was Elder William Thorp, who served the church for 28 years. After him came Elder D. Baiubridge for six years ; Eider Henry Hill, three years ; Polder James Duval, 21 years ; Elder Lucius Wright, two years. Elder James Bradley is the present pastor. Since the organization of the church it has received 317 members in all, but tiie most of them have backslid, leaving the membership of the church at the present time only 34.

Providence Missionary Baptist Church. - April 29, 1848, at the house of Peyton T. Townsend, this church was organized by Revs. Robert James and Franklin Graves, P. N. Edwards being the first clerk. The organization commenced with a membership of 44 persons, but has increased until at present writing there are 190. The first church building was erected in 1850, and was destroyed by fire in February, 1880, but was rebuilt the same year at a cost of $2,000. The pastors have l)een Revs. Rol^ert James, John Major, I. T. Williams, A. N. Bird, W. A. Curd, G. L. Black and A. J. Emerson. The church is a brick building, and is situated in Liberty township, on the southeast quarter of section 15. The Sabbath-school has 25 scholars, the superintendent l)eing J. P. Marr.

The City Of Liberty

Upon the organization of Clay county, in January, 1822, the land on which the city of Liberty now stands was owned by John Owens and Charles McGee. Owens had built a house on what is now the norLliwest corner of Water and Mill streets some time the previous year, and kept a sort of tavern, or house of entertainment. His house was

:i rather large aud roomy affair, and, as elsewhere stated, was used to hold the first courts iu, aud for other public purposes. McGee and Owens donated 25 acres to the county for county-seat purposes, which donation was accepted, and soon after the town was laid out.

The legislative act creating the county appointed John Hutchins, Henry Estes, Enos Vaiighan, Wyatt Aclkins and John Poage commissioners to select a " permanent seat of government " for the county, and provided that, until such selection, courts should be held at the house of John Owens. William Powe was afterward appointed on the commission. In their report to the circuit court July 1, 1882, as a reason for their selection, the commissioners say : "That, in pursuance of the object of their appointment, they assembled together on the 20th of March last, to examine the different donations offered the count}', aud continued in session three da3's examining the sites for a town ; that after mature delil)eration and minute investigation the tract of land owned by John Owens and Charles McGee was thought best adapted for the object for which it was designed, as being more central for the population, surrounded with good and perujanent springs, lying sufficiently elevated to drain off all superfluous waters, in a healthy and populous part of the county, and entirely beyond the influence of lakes, ponds, or stagnant waters of any kind; they, therefore, unanimously agreed to accept of the proposition of Mr. Owens and Mr. McGee of a donation of 25 acres each for the use of the county."

As soon as the town was laid out, which was in the early summer of 1822, improvements began to be made. The first sale of lots was on the 4th of July, and at that time nearly all of those fronting 9U the public square were disposed of. But up to about 182(5 there were not more than a dozen houses iu the place, aud these, with perhaps one exception, were log cabins.

Early hotel-keepers were Leonard Searcy, who had a licensed tavern in the fall of 1826, and continued in the business for six or seven years ; Laban Garrett, who opened a licensed tavern in December, 1827, and John Chauncey, who began iu about 1832. These hotels, or " taverns," as they were universally called, were simple art'airs, but were comfortable enough, furnished plenty of good, wholesome food, and were adequate to the demands of that day.

Probably the first store in Lii)erty was kept by Wm. L. Smith, the county clerk, who brought up a few goods with him from Bluffton in 1822, and sold them in his dwellinii-house.

First Incorporation

Liberty was first incorporated as a town t)y the county court May 4, 1829, on the petition of " more than two-thirds of the citizens," under the name and style of "The Inhabitants of the Town of Liberty." Tiie following were declared to be the metes and bounds : -

Boginniii*^ at the southeast corner of the nortiieust quarter of section 7, in the line of the New Madrid claim ; thence due west along said Madiid line to the southwest corner of said quarter section ; thence due north along the line of said quarter section to the northwest corner thereof; thence due east along said quarter section line to the northeast corner thereof ; tliencc due north along the. line dividing sections 7 and 8, to tlie beginning corner at the mouth of the lane betweeen Andrew Hixon, Sr., and said town tract.

This incorporation really included 160 acres of land, l>eing the northeast quarter of section 7, township 51, range 31. The first board of trustees was composei] of Lewis Scott, John 11. Peters, Eli Casey, Samuel Ringo and John Baxter.

The public square in Liberty then had two houses on the south side, one on the west, two on the north, and two or three on the east. Hixon's, Wilson's, Bird's and Curtis' addition to the town were then in old Mr. Hixon's corn field. There was one tavern (the same now [1840] occupied hy Judge Ilendley) kept by Leonard Searcy. Parties and balls were frequent, and often times attended by ladies and gentlemen from Fort Leavenworth, Richmond, Lexington and Independence. Preaching was unconmion - at least I never heard much of it. There was no cliurch in town, but I think the Baptists had two or three in the country ; perhaps at Big Shoal, Little Slioal and Rush Creek.

There was but little use for doctors at that time, as the chills and fever were unknown, except in the Missouri bottoms, where but few persons had then settled. I recollect thiit the fii-st case of chills and fever that occurred in the ui)lands excited great alarm and astonishment. It occurred, I think, in Platte townshi)). Lil)erty was always healthy. Not a death took place for several years .after I came to it, except one or two persons who came to it laboring imder consumj)- tion. Once a physician. Dr. Conway, was sent for to see a sick man at the Council Bluffs. It was regarded as a most hazardous undertaking, being in the winter season, and the doctor received a fee of about $2.50. There was no other physician nearer at that time; now there are perhaps a hundred, and a trip to Council Bluffs is as little regarded as it formerly was to the falls of the Platte. These changes would surprise an individual who had j^one to sleep for the period of 17 years, l)ut in those who had witnessed them they excited but little.

Tiie first settlers of Liberty were as clever, as sociable, and as good people as ever walked the earth. Many of tbem have gone to " that bourne from whence no traveler ever returns," andmany of them are now still living. * * * There was a kind of brotherhood existing among the people of Liberty and Clay county when I first came among them ; nothing like envy or jealously existed. They are perhaps more united yet than any other people in the State. This arose from the fact that tiie first settlers were almost entirely from Kentucky, and either knew each other, or else each other's friends before they came here.

Litierty, one of the well watered tracts of land with which Clay county abounds, was selected for th« seat of justice, and is al)out four miles from the river. This location was made with a view to health, and the jieople are not disappointed. The springs at Liberty are a fair sample of the advantages enjoyed in this respect in various portions of the county, where the milk and butter part of good living are made perfect in well built spring-houses. There is but one objection that can be made to this town as a desirable place of abode, and that is contained in a single sentence once uttered by a matron who was emigrating thither - " It is so far oif." But when emigrants shall begin to i)ass through Liberty, on their way to the Mandan villages, and to the forks of Missouri, tRat objection will vanish, and Liberty will be an interior, fashionable city, like that where the enthusiastic visions of a Kentuckian now rest - Lexington, the Athens of Kentucky.

There are 14 stores and groceries in Liberty. The court-house is a large, well finished brick building. The newspaper published at Libert3s with the very ai)propriate name of Far West, is a well conducted journal.

Liberty In 184G

Liberty now contains 3 taverns, a printing office, 3 blacksmiths, 8 stores, 3 groceries, 2 drug stores, 1 hatter's shop, 1 tinner's shop, 4 tailors, 3 saddlers, 3 shoemakers, 1 carriagemaker, 2 wagonmakers, 1 tanyard, 1 bagging and rope factor3^ 5 physicians, G lawyers, 3 cabinetmakers, 2 milliners, 1 oil mill, 1 carding factory, a Methodist Church, a Reformer's Church, with neat lirick buildings, and a Catholic Church under way; also a Baptist Church of stone ; one school, kept by a Mr. Harrel, and a male and female school, under the superintendence of Mr. and Mrs. Cunningham. Our schools are equal to those of any town in the State in the ability of the teachers. Good houses to teach in are all that are lacking. The Missionary Baptists are making efforts to erect a church, and I doubt not will be successful. Eff'orts are also making to erect a large college, and judging from what has already been accomplished in the way of procuring subscriptions, it will go up on a scale commensurate with the wants of the surrounding country.

If there is a healthy spot in Missouri, it is in Liberty. It is finely watered, society is good, and in point of morals it is equal to any other place, and rapidly improving in that respect. There is stone enough in the streets to pave the whole town, and then enough left to macadamize the road to the Landing. These things will l)e done in due time. We have a " Union " Sunday-school, numbering 80 scholars, and quite a respectable library attached to it. The day will come, if good colleges are erected speedily, when Liberty will be to Western Missouri what Lexington is to Kentucky - the focus of intelligence and literature. When once improved as it should and will be, no place will be more handsome.

Two or three good coopers and a chair-maker would do well to settle in Liberty. The want of such mechanics is seriously felt by merchants' families and farmers.

March 28, 18fil, the Legislature ve-incorporated the town as " the City of Liberty," describing its site as " all that district of country contained within one mile square, of which the court-house in Clay county is the center, the sides of said square being respectively parallel to the corresponding sides of said court-house." The city is still governed under this charter and certain amendments.

At the outbreak of the Civil War, Liberty was a flourishing town, with numerous well filled stores, a good woolen mill, rope-walks, hemp factories, etc., and was well known throughout the country. Its schools gave it something of favorable notoriety, as well as its commercial advantages. A branch of the Farmers' Bank of Lexington had been located here.

The Liberty Insurance Company, with E. M. Samuel, Michael Arthur and Gen. Doniphan as its leading spirits, existed for some years after 1850.

The Civil War left the town much the worse for its experience, but during the four years of strife and demoralization business was kept up and the ordinary municipal aff'airs received proper attention. The building of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad was an epoch of importance, giving an outlet by rail to the marts of the world and swift comnmnication by mail and express with important commercial centers. Yet it is maintained by manv that in another sense the building of the railroad injured Liberty more than it benefited it, as it gave facilities for going away from the town to trade, and caused sundry small towns to be built, thus diverting business away from the county seat, and affecting its material prosperity considerably.

Christian Church. - The origin of the Christian Church of Liberty was two small organizations formed in 1837. One of these organizations was called the " Church of God," and was composed of the following persons: Thos. T. Swetnam, Caroline Swetnam, Mason and Maria Summers, Howard, James, Anderson and PoU}^ Everett, Johnny and Sally W. Reid, Martitia Young, James and Nancy Hedges, Walter Huffaker, Wm. F. Grisby, Thos. M. Chevis, Frank McCarty, John Thompson, Sally Thompson, A. H. F. and Mary Payne, Nancy Turner, and others, 35 in all. The first officers of this organization were chosen on December 24, 1837, and were as follows: Bishops, T. T. Swetnam and Mason Summers ; Deacons, John Thompson, Thos. M. Chevis and James Hodges. The names of the members of the other organization have not been obtained. In May, 1839, these two organizations united and formed the Christian Church of Liberty. August 13, 1837, according to the minutes of the " Church of God," the " Church selected Liberty for the purpose of building a meeting-house, and chose the following persons to act as trustees : Thos. M. Chevis, Jonathan Reed, Joseph Reed and James Hedges." This building, the first church, is a brick and still stands at the foot of College hill, in the northeastern part of the town, having been remodeled, and used as a dwelling. It was completed about 1839. The present church building, also a fine brick, was completed in the fall of 1851, jat a cost of about $4,000. In 1884 it was improved, the changes costing nearly $5,000, or more than the original cost. The pastors of this church have been Revs. A. H. F. Payne, who served from the organization up to 1850 ; Moses E. Lard, W. J. Pettigrew, A. B. Jones, Josiah Waller, R. C. Morton, Wm. H. Blanks, F. R. Palmer, A. B. Jones and J. A. Deai'born. Alexander Campbell visited the church at Liberty and preached in the years 1845, 1852 and 1859. The present membership is about 200.

Second Baptist Church. - Nothing more lias been learned of the history of this church than that it was organized l)y the eminent divine. Rev. A. P. Williams, D. D., May 19, 1^843, with thirteen members, who had been dismissed from Rush Creek and Mt. Pleasant Churches - Old School - because of their views in regard to missions, etc. The Old School already had an organization at Liberty called the First Baptist Church of Liberty, and for this reason Rev. Williams called his church the Second. Elder Williams was first pastor, and in eight years increased the membership from 13 to 194. Eder B. G. Tutt, a most popular and efficient minister, is the present pastor. The church building, a fine structure, the best house of worship in the city, was completed in 1884.

St. James Roman Catholic Church. - In the year 1847 this church was organized, the following being some of the original members : G. L. Hughes, Cyrus Curtis, Philip Clark, Patrick Hughes, Maj. Leonard Mahoney, Thomas Morrison, Philip Fraher, James Fraher, Michael Fraher, HughMcGowan, Owen Shearin, Patrick Barry, Joseph Morton and James Burns. The church building is a brick, and was erected in 1847 at a cost of $2,500. It was consecrated by Archbishop Kenrick, of St. Louis, in 1848. The pastors who had served this church have been Revs. Bernard Donnelly, P. A. Ward, Jas. Murphy, Matthew Dillon, John J. Cafl:rey, Daniel Healy, Dennis Kennedy, Z. Ledwith, W. Lambert, James Foley, Wm. F. Drohan, Fintan Mindwiller, Peter McMahan, Thomas Hanley, Michael Milay, Dennis J. Kiley, Joseph Beil and Peter J. Cullen, the present pastor. The present membership, including the small missions through the county, is about 214. Attached to the church are a pastoral residence and schoolhouse, both being two story brick buildings. The school building is at present rented to a company who use it for a non-denominational select school, known as Hawthorne Institute.

Liberty Lodge, No. 31, A. F. & A. M. - At Liberty, has been in existence for 45 years. The dispensation was issued June 26, 1840, on petition of A. Lightburne, E. M. Spence, Josiah C. Parker, Lewis Scott, John M. McLain, Thos. M. Bacon, Henry Coleman and Henry C. Melone. The first master, under the dispensation, was Josiah C.

Parker, who was installed July 18, 1840, b}' three past masters, Thos. C. Case, Henry C. Melone and E. M. Spence, and resigned August 29th following because of certain " unmasonic conduct." A. Lightburue was made senior warden August 15, 1840. The charter was not issued until October 9, 1840, the first principal officers being Josiah C. Parker, master, and A. Lightburneand H. C. Melone, wardens. The officers under the dispensation were Josiah C. Parker, master; A. Lightburne and H. C. Melone, wardens; Thos. M. Bacon, secretary; Henry Coleman, treasurer ; Andrew McLain and Edward M. Spence, deacons ; and John Gordon, tyler. The lodge meets in a hall built in 1875, at a cost of about $2,000. The present membership is 67.

Liberty Chapter, JVo. 3, R. A. M. - Was first organized under a dispensation, issued April 18, 1842 ; the charter was not issued until September 13, 1844. Some of the first members were : Alviu Lightburne, Frederick Gorlich and J. M. Hughes. The chapter meets in the Masonic Hall. There are at present 26 members.

Knights Temjilar. - Liberty Comniandery, No. 6, K. T., was instituted by Geo. "W. Belt, R. E. P. Gr. Com. of Mo., under a dispensation issued October 16, 1865, to Samuel Hardwicke, Rev. Ed. G. Owen, John S. Brasfield,. Dan Carpenter, AV. G. Noble, S. H. Masterson, L. W. Eingo, G. L. Moad and Thomas Beaumont. Of the first officers Samuel Hardwicke was commander, Ed. G. Owen, generalissimo, and John S. Brasfield, captain-general. (These were appointed by the State grand commander.) Under the charter, which bears date May 21, 1866, the first officers were: Samuel Hardwicke, commander; E. G. Owen, generalissimo; J. E. Brasfield, captaingeuenj ; A. Lightburne and W. W. Dougherty, wardens ; Dan Carpenter, prelate; Peter B. Grant, recorder; W. A. Hall, standard bearer; D. C. Allen, sword bearer ; W. W. Dougherty, warder. The present number of members is 15.

Odd Fellows

The charter members of Liberty Lodge No. 49, L O. O. F., were Madison Miller, who was also one of the first members of Baltimore Lodge, No. 1, the first lodge in the United States, Larkin Bradford, T. K. Bradley, Geo. W. Morris, T. Leonard, O. C. Stewart, Wm. Lamborn and J. W. Wetzel. The charter bears date March 5, 1851. The first officers were : Madison Miller, noble grand ; Geo. W. Morris, vice-grand; T. K. Bradley, secretary; John Neal, permanent secretary ; Larkin Bradford, treasurer. The present officers are L. W. Newman, noble grand ; Canliy Wilmot, vice-grand ; Charles Patrick, secretary; W. H. Corbin, treasurer; B. B. Corbin, permanent secretary. L. W. Burris, of this lodge, is district deputy grand master. Tlae membership is about 30. The lodge is in good financial condition, having some thousands of dollars loaned at interest. It is in the best condition, for the number of members, of any lodge in the State. The lodge hall is a brick, and was bought in 1878-79. Its furniture and all appointments are first class.