Greene County, Missouri - Campbell Township, 1883

Campbell Township

Position and Description - Early Settlers and Settlements - Miscellaneous Historical Items - The "Firsts" - Early Mills - Other Items - A Mysterious Murder - A Tragedy of the Civil War - Washington Forest Church - Union Congregational Church - Antioch Church and Cemetery - Hazel Dell Sunday School - Biographies of Old Settlers and Prominent Citizens of Campbell Township.

Position And Description

Campbell township is composed of all of congressional township 29, included in ranges 21 and 22. It comprises the most valuable portion of Greene, and is the best naturally and artificially. It was one of the first portions of the county settled and always took the lead in the matter of substantial inprovement.

Early Settlements

Campbell township embraces the settlements of the Campbells, the Roantrees, the Fulbrights, and other pioneers in the neighborhood of Springfield. William Fulbright, who came to the county in the year 1829, and settled where Fort No. 2 now is, west of Springfield, had previously been through what is now Greene county in 1819, but at that time settled in Crawford county. He returned to Tennessee in 1822, and lived in that State till 1829, and then came back to Missouri and settled in the immediate vicinity of Springfield, as we have stated. Kindred Rose came to the county in 1831, settled on section

28, of township 29, range 22, and hiis been living there from that date to the present. Alexander McKenzie, from Pulaski county, Kentucky, came 1829 or 1830, and located three miles south of Springfield. Having disposed of his place to William Townsend about 1833, he moved out to Spring river.

Joseph Rountree settled on section 28 - 29 - 22, in 1831. John P. Campbell and Madison Campbell, Joseph Miller, and others settled about Springfield as is fully detailed elsewhere.

John Robertson arrived from Tennessee in the fall of 1835, and settled immediately west of Springfield on the farm afterwards owned and occupied by Judge William B. Farmer. Judge Farmer reached Springfield in July, 1840, and after an active business life in Springfield moved to his farm in 1852. Martin Ingram was one of the old settlers of east Campbell township. Coming to Springfield in 1834 he lived one year in the town, and in 1835 moved to a farm in section two. He did a large amount of mechanical work in the days of the early history of the county, and built several mills. Judge Morton settled in the same part of the township in 1836, and the succeeding year brought on his family from Marshall county, Tennessee. William Purselly settled in 1838 on section 25, of township 29, range 21. Marcus Boyd, in 1840, came from Maury county, Tennessee, and settled two miles and a half east of Springfield, Samuel M. McCorkle, father of N. A. McCorkle, settled on the Ferguson place southeast of Springfield in 1839. He was from Tennessee.

Other early settlers and settlements in Campbell township are noted in other parts of this history - notably, the first chapter and in the History of Springfield.

Joseph Weaver came from Lincoln county, Tennessee (originally from Georgia), and settled on section 27 in the spring of 1830. The same spring Finis W. Shannon came from Williamson county, Tennessee, and settled on section 21. Peter Epperson settled on section 27 in 1830. The same year Isaac Wood located on section 8, township 29, range 21. Jesse Blackwell came to section 26 from Washington county (originally from Virginia), in 1831.

The first marriage in Campbell township, is said to have been the first marriage of white persons in Southwest Missouri. It was that of Junius M. Rountree and Martha J. Miller, and the marriage occurred August 7, 1831, at the house of the bride's father, Joseph H.

Miller, in section 22, township 29, range 22. The cermony was performed by Rev. Richard Kizee, a Baptist minister. The groom was a son of old Joseph Rountree, and the bride a daughter of old Joe Miller. The parties had been acquainted in Tennessee, the Rountree and Miller families being from the same neighborhood.

Lawson Fulbright married Elizabeth Roper, a daughter of David Roper, who lived in the north part of the township, some time in 1831, and a claim is made that this was the first in the township, but it is not probable that it antedated Rountree' s marriage.

Probably the first physician was Dr. Edward Rodgers, of Tennessee, who came in 1831, and, after several years' residence here, went to Texas and died there. Dr. Cornelius D. Terrell, who married old Jim Wilson's widow, and was the second county clerk, was another very early physician.

Rev. James H. Slavens, the well-known pioneer Methodist, it is believed was the first minister, and held the first religious services at John P. Campbell's. Rev. Alderson was another primitive Methodist minister, and labored for the good of souls in this part of the vineyard.

The first school-house was built on the southeast quarter of section 22, range 22, in 1833. It was of logs, and built by the donated labor and material furnished by the settlers. It had a puncheon floor, a clapboard roof, and square holes in the sides for windows. Old Joseph Rountree taught the first school here, in the fall of 1833. He had about tAventy pupils, and for his services his patrons paid him one dollar per scholar per month.

Early Mills

Disputing the distinction claimed for old Jerry Pearson's mill, in the eastern part of the county, it is claimed that the first mill erected within the present borders of Greene county was built by Wm. Fulbright, in section 3, township 29, range 22, on the Fulbright farm, now (1882) occupied by his grandson, W. D. Fulbright. It was a " tub mill," and ground for customers living fifty miles away. Fulbright afterwards built another mill - or, rather, a millwright named Randolph did for him - but it would not work, and was " no good." Afterward, in 1844, his son, John L. Fulbright, put mill machinery in the same building, that turned two run of buhrs, until 1859, when he tore down the old mill, put ujd a new one, and added a carding machine, but had only one run of buhrs. The mill is still running, and is on the head waters of Sac. The building is 44 by 18 feet in size, and is a two-story frame.

Of Fulbright's old mill, old Wm. Jenkins used to say that when the water was low the mill-wheel would mutter out, * ' F-u-1-b-r-i-g-h-t a-n-d L-a-s-1-e-y, F-u-1-b-r-i-g-h-t a-n-d L-a-s-1-e-y," over and over, signifying that it would grind only for Fulbright and his neighbor Lasley ; but when the water was high, the wheel would rattle away merrily, ' ' everybody - everybody - everybody ! ' '

In 1832 or 1833, Augustine Friend built a corn-cracker mill at what is now known as Jones' spring, on section 27, range 21, or four miles east of Springfield. This mill was pretty well patronized.

Other Items

At the time of the first settlement of this township in 1831, the nearest post-oflice was at Little Piney, in Crawford county, distant one hundred miles. The nearest mills of any real value were at Massey's Iron Works, in Phelps county, 125 miles away.

The lumber of which the old bank in Springfield was built Avas principally sawed by hand. Abner Dabbs, a carpenter, sawed even the joists with a whip saw.

Wilson's creek, named for James Wilson, the old " squaw man " that lived at the mouth of the stream, has a singular feature. On the farm of Russell Baker, in section 31, range 22, it sinks under ground and becomes a subterranean stream for a considerable distance.

A Mysterious Murder

About ten years since the dead body of a man was found in the western part of this township, in the timber. A dog belonging to a colored man brought to his master's residence a portion of a human leg. This ghastly circumstance led to an investigation, when the remaining portions of the body were discovered. From all the indications the body had been hauled in a wagon to where it was found and then dumped. Portions of the red paint of the wagon were found on the brush over which it had passed. The skull was crushed in, and it was clear case of murder, but what the circumstances were has never been learned.

A Tragedy Of The Civil War

Among the many tragedies of the civil war the following may be mentioned in connection with the history of this township. In September, 1862, a young man 21 years of age, named George N. Johnston, a son of John B. Johnston, left this township, with two or three companions, for the Confederate army in Arkansas. Across the line in Christian county they were captured by some Union Home Guards or Federal militia and young Johnston and another man named Hughes were killed. Another of the party named Ream, was captured, brought to Springfield, put to work on the fortifications for a time and afterwards discharged.

Churches. Washington Forest Baptist Church

This church meets once a month at school house No. 5, section 28, township 29. It was organized on the 18th of August, 1877. The original members were G. F. Trustee, J. H. Bird, G. W. Greene, J. M. Cannefax, E. Woodard, J. M. Sanford, Nancy Cannefax, Jane Bird and Amy Bird. The pastors have been Rev. D. T. Baucum, R. K. Maiden and W. M. Julian is the present pastor. The present membership is 15.

Union Congregational Church

This church has as yet no place of worship of its own, but meets in Hazel Dell school house, situated on section 20, township 29, range 22. It was organized September 5th, 1882. The original members were J. E. Winfield, Mrs. Martha J. Winfield, Walter S. Winfield, Minerva J. Winfield, Samuel J. Gott, Mrs. Nancy E. Gott and Mrs. Nancy Campbell. Rev. J. R. Flint is the present pastor. The present membership is 7. Owing to its brief existence the congregation has but little history of interest, but it has plenty of room to grow, and who can say what it may become?

Was organized in 1854 on section 5, township 29, range 22. Names of the original members were John Wood, Elizabeth Wood, James G. Wood, John M. Wood, William White, Margaret White, E. White, Weloy Roper, Minerva Roper, John Robinson, Susan Robinson and E. White. The first church was erected in 1859, a brick building costing $200. It was dedicated in the autumn of 1859 by

Elder Charles Carlton. The number of present members is 114. The pastors that served the church were Elder Joel Hardin, Charles Carlton, J. T. Roberts and Kirk Baxter (present pastor).

The cemetery in connection with this church is an important one. The site of church and cemetery comprises 20 acres. The first interments in the cemetery were made inl860, when the bodies of Mrs. William White, Margaret Fry and a child of Elisha White were reburied here, having first been given sepulture on the White farm, some years before. The bodies named and that of Russell Roper, a boy; twelve years old, were buried here in the fall of 1860. The present cemetery comprises about four acres.

Hazel Dell Sunday School

At the Hazel Dell school house, in section 3, range 22, a flourishing Sunday school has been in existence for five years. The average attendance is from 40 to 50, and the school is run winter and summer. J. H. Patton is the present superintendent.