Cooper County, Missouri - Chapter 6, 1876

First County Court held in Cooper County, and the Proceedings of same. - First and Second Court Houses Built. - Three Attempts to Remove the County Seat from Boonville, and the Causes. - First Church Built in County. - First Baptism in County, and Involuntary Immersion of Jake Simons. - First Schools Taught in County. - Celebration on July 4th, 1820. - The whole Revenue of the County not Sufficient to Support John Y, Sharp, a Pauper, &c.

The first County Court within the county of Cooper, was held on the eighth day of January, 1821, at the house of Robert P. Clark, on the lot where Adam Eckhard now resides, on High street, in the City of Boonville. This court exercised the powers, and performed the duties of the present County and Probate Courts, which had, previous to this time, been under the jurisdiction of the Circuit Court. The County Court continued to perform the duties of both County and Probate Courts, until the year 1847, when, by act of the Legislature, the Probate Court was separated from the County Court, and continues separate to the present time.

James Bruffee, James Miller and Archibald Kavanaugh were the justices of this court, appointed by James McNair, the then Governor of the Territory of Missouri. Robert P. Clark was appointed by the court as its Clerk, and Wm. Curtis, Sheriff.

And on the 9th day of April, 1821, Robert P. Clark produced his commission from the Governor as Clerk of the County Court, during life or good behavior. George Craw-

On the same day, the will of Thomas McMahan, deceased, was probated, it being the first will proven before this court and in this county. Also constables were appointed for the different townships in the county, as follows : Boonville township, John Potter ; Lamine township, Bryant T. Nolan ; Moniteau township, Martin Jennings, and Clear Creek township, James C Berry.

George C. Hart was appointed commissioner to run dividing line between Cooper and Saline counties ; and B. W. Levens, to run dividing line between Cooper and Cole counties.

The first court house was completed at Boonville, in the year 1823. Previous to that time, the court had either been held at the house of the clerk or at one of the boarding houses. But w'hen Messrs. Morgan and Lucus laid out the town, they donated fifty acres to the county, on condition that the commissioners would locate the county seat at Boonville. As soon as the county seat had been located at Boonville, and part of this land sold b}^ the county, the county court commenced the building of a court house, which was located on the land donated to the county, and in which they could hold court, and also have the offices of the different clerks. It was a small two story brick building, pretty m.uch the style of the present one, although much smaller. It was torn down at the time the present one was built, and some of the brick w^as used in the construction of the new house.

The present court house, which is situated ©n the same spot on which the old one was located, was completed in the year 1840. It is a large and commodious two story brick building, situated on a high piece of ground overlooking the river, from the cupalo of which an excellent vie\t can

The first attempt was made in 1832, the second in 1838, and the third in 1842. The first two attempts were caused by some of the citizens wishing to remove the county seat to a more central portion of the county. But they have, it is unnecessary to relate, been unsuccessful, only resulting in creating an ill-feeling between the different portions of the county, which it took years to remove. The third was caused by the excitement resulting from the light between the militia and an organization of the settlers, known as the "Fantastic Company," which will be more fully described hereafter.

Previous to the year 181 7, there were no regular churches in Cooper County, but services were held, from time to time, either in the houses of the settlers, or w^henever convenient, in some school house. But in that year the first church in the county was built. It was called "Concord Church," and was located about six miles south of the City of Boonville, near the present residence of John Crawford. Its denomination w^as Baptist. The first minister who preached there, was Luke Williams, who was also the first regular preacher located in Cooper county.

It has always been stated and believed by many to be tVie fact, that Concord church was the first church built in Missouri, outside of St. Louis and St. Genevieve, but of the truth of this the authors are not informed, therefore they cannot vouch for same. But is certain, that there could have been but few churches then built in the State, and it is probable that they w'ere all in those two cities, as no

"Old Nebo Church," located about one-half of a mile north of the present site of Bunceton, near the residence of the late Judge L. C Stephens, at the place where the Dublin school house now stands, was built in 1820. It w^as built by subscriptions from the settlers ; and as there was very little money in circulation in the country, each one contributed his share either in work or materials furnished. William Stevens and Joseph Stevens, Sr., now living near Bunceton, in this county, sawed all the planks for this church ; others furnished the shingles and logs ; and others still, assisted in putting up the house and other work about it. Its denomination was Baptist. The ministers, who, during the next few years, preached at this church, were Peter Woods, William Jennings, Jacob Chism, Luke Williams and John B. Longan.

This church was very prosperous until about 1826, when there arose a division in it, on account of the difference of sentiment on the question of paying ministers and sending missionaries among the heathen nations. After considerable excitement, and several stormy meetings, the two factions separated. John B. Longan, who was leader of the faction who favored paying the ministers and sending abroad missionaries, drew off a 1-arge majority of the members ot the congregation, and built a church at Henry Woolery's mill, which was called "New Nebo Church." The opposing faction continued in possession of "Old Nebo Church," and held service regularly in it.

The next churches built, were "Mount Pleasant" and Pisgah, in the south-eastern part of the county, and "New Nebo," at Henry Wooler3''s mill, the particulars of the building of which, is described above. New Nebo church \vas afterwards moved about one mile west on to the prairie, and it has always been in a prosperous condition. About this time there was also built a "Cumberland Presbyterian" church, at Lebanon township, of which Finis Ewing was pastor.

The first baptism by immersion took place at "Old Nebo," in the year 1820. At this baptism there happened the following laughable incident: As this was the first thing of the kind that had happened in this part of the country, great crowds of people came from every section of the country, as notice had been given some time before. The banks of the river in which the baptism was to take place, were thronged with people, and many men climbed trees in order to get a good view of the proceedings. One man, by the name of Jake Simons, climbed up a small sappling which stood on the edge of the creek, and which bent over the water with his weight. Another gentleman, by the name of John H. Hutchison, thinking this would be a fine opportunity to have some fun, took out a large pocket knife and commenced cutting away on the tree where it was bent by Simon's weight. Lower and lower bent the tree, weakened by the cutting of the knife, but the victim and those standing near were so engaged in watching the baptism, which, by that time had commenced, that they did not notice this. At last, with one strong blow, the tree was severed, and Simons dropped, with a loud splash, into the water. The crowd shouted and haloed so longr and so loud at this, that the minister was almost forced to dismiss the crowd without concluding the exercises. As it was, it took a long time to subdue the confusion which this joke had caused. As soon as Simons, who w^as a fighter, swam to the shore, he hurled off his coat, and threatened to w^hip the man who had caused this involuntary ducking. But he did not find out for years who that person was. As soon as the excitement had subdued sufficiently to permit it, the baptism was proceeded with, until all the applicants had been immersed. But the remembrance of this incident remains, to this day, fresh in the minds of all of the old settlers, who tell it again and again to their children, as illustrating the fun-loving disposition of the first inhabitants of this country.

The first schools in Cooper county were taught by Wm. Anderson, in 1817, near Concord church; by Andrew^ Reavis, in 1818, about one and three-quarters of a mile east of Boonville, and three-quarters of a mile east of the present residence of Wm. Gibson ; by James Donaldson, in the south-eastern part of the county ; by Judge L. C. Stephens at *'01d Nebo" church ; by Dr. William Moore in Palestine township, near the present residence of Jenus White, and by Rollins, near Big Lick, in Saline township.

These schools were all held in log school-houses, some without any floor but the earth, the remainder with puncheon floors, and no window-sash in the windows. The windows were made by cutting pieces out of the logs, which openings were closed with a plank at night, not so much as a protection against thieves, as to keep out the wild animals which prowled through the forest. Teachers, in those days, seemed to have learned well the maxim, that to spare the rod, was to spoil the child, for the most trivial oflence against the iron rule of the "pedagogue," w^as visited with a severe thrashing, large and small scholars, alike, coming in for their share of the "dressings." So that the sound of the switch was often heard, as the teacher urged some tardy loiterer along the flowery path of knowledge. The teachers had many difficulties in teaching the scholars, for, from the very first of his life, the youthful settler was taught that self-reliance and independence, which works well, when taught to those of mature years, but which is liable to make the young rebel against any restraint, and which, at that

On the fourth day of July, 1820, the first celebration within the county of Cooper, of the anniversary of the Declaration of the National Indedependence, took place at Boonville, which then consisted of but a few houses. For some time notice had been circulated among the settlers, all over this portion of the State, and, on the morning of that day, great crowds gathered "from near and from far," to take part in this, to them, great day of thanksgiving, for, at that time in the nation's history, the Declaration of Independence and individual right meant something besides empty words.

The feast, of which all were specially invited to partake, w^as spread on the grass and ground north and northeast of the court house. Such was the crowd present, that the table spread for them, reached from the vacant lot north of the court house, to the large mound still standing in the front yard of Mr. Jesse Homan. James Bruffee, a blacksmith, then living in Boonville, made a large wrought iron cannon, w^ith which they fired the salutes in honor of the day.

The festivities continued through the day arfd the following night. After the speaking and the reading of the Declaration of Independence had been concluded, the people separated into groups, the young ones to dance and to play difterent games, and the old ones to watch the pleasant sports of the children, and to talk over the current gossip of the day, for it was very seldom that they ever met in a large crowd. This day is still remembered with pleasure by the old settlers, for many of them, on that day, met for

During the year 182 1, John V^. Sharp, a soldier who had served in the Revolutionary war, and who was living in Cooper county, became paralyzed and as helpless as a child. He soon, not having any means of his own, became a charge upon the county. The cost to the County Court was t^o dollars per day for his board and attention to him, besides bills for medical attention.

After having endeavored in vain to raise sufficient funds to take care of him, the County Court, in the ^ear 1822, petitioned the General Assembly of this State to defray the expenses of his support, stating, in the petition, that the whole rcvemie of the county was not sufficient for his maintainance. This may sound strange to persons living in a cou'nty in which thousands of dollars are levied to defray its expense. But the whole revenue of the county for 1822, as shown by the settlement of the collector, was only $718, and the support of Mr. Sharp, at two dollars per day, cost $730 per year, besides the cost for medical attention, which left the county, at the end of the year 1822, in debt, without counting in any of the other expenses of the county.

The petition not having been granted by the General x\ssembly, the court levied, for his support, during all the years from 1823 to 1828, a special tax of fifty per cent, of the State revenue tax, being an amount equal to the whole of the general county tax; and in 1828, ten per cent, of the State revenue tax was levied for the same purpose. He must have died sometime during that year, as no farther levy for his support appears upon the records of the county, thus relieving the county of a burdensome tax. If these facts were not matters of record, thev would seem too incredible to be believed.