Grundy County, Missouri - Trentois' Township, 1881

Trentois' Township

Trenton township is the banner township of the county in population and wealth, and, like Lincoln, is a central township, well watered, well timbered, rich in soil, fruitful yield, and has within its borders the only coal mine in the county. It has also a stone-quarry about two and a half miles from the county seat where an extra quality of line bnilding stone is procured. It is heavily wooded on the ban ks of the Grand River and other streams which traverse its territory, and its bluffs along the river banks are of a broken and rocky nature. Next to Jackson, it is the best watered township in the county. Grand River runs through its entire western border north and south. Muddy Creek and Honey Creek each also pass through it north and south, the former west and the latter to the east of the center of the township, while No Creek touches its southeastern border, crossing into Marion township about three miles from its southern line.

Its Boundary

It is bounded on the west by Madison, and a ccrner of Harrison townships; nortli by Lincoln: east by Marion, and south by Jackson. It has an extreme width of eight miles east and west, and six miles north and south, with forty-eight sections of land, in all 29,760 acres.

The first settlers were Levi and Rachel Moore and quite a large family. Mr. Moore was also accompanied, as stated, by his sons-in-law. They settled on what is now a part of the city of Trenton. The most of th6 early history of Trenton and also of the city of Trenton is part and parcel of the county history in its early day. Its development and growth are blended so intimately with that of the count}^ that a history of one is the record of the other. The first death, Mrs. Devaul; the first birth, Minerva Thrailkill; the first cabin and first store; the group of early se'^tlers, Moores, Thrailkill, McAfee, Cochran, Benson, and others, all represent not only Trenton township, but the early history of the county and the first settlement of the city itself. The first corn planted in Trenton township was on the bottoms now occupied by the railroad machine-shops, and was nearly destroyed by pigeons, there being a pigeon roost a short distance away. There were literally millions of them, and the limbs of the trees broke down with their weight, and the noise of their wings while flying or fluttering could be heard a great distance.

The dress of the early period was coon-skin cap, deer-skin pants, and moccasins. The living, corn bread, and for meat, wild game; and for months there was nothing to disturb the monotony ofWaily lilie. The ring of the woodman's ax or the crack of his rifle was all that was heard. However, all that was to be found of progressive civilization was right here in this settlement. They had hand corn-mills, saws, broad-axes and such implements of advanced progress. The first hand corn-mill ever taken to Lincoln township, was purchased of Daniel Devaul by Jesse Bain, and taken to the Bain-Kelso settlement, some six miles northeast of Lomax Store. It was the point in the county which it was conceded that all business would radiate from, and although a strong fight was made a few years later, on the location of the county seat, nature had given to Lomax Store and Trenton township the appointed spot.

The first election in Trenton township, and one of the first two held in Orundy county, was at the house of Daniel Devaul, on the 27th day of May, 1837. On the same day, at the house of Wm. Peery, in the Thompson settlement, on the west side of the river, was another election, and these two were the first ever held on the soil of Grundy county. The judges in the township were Daniel Devaul, John Thrailkill and Wm. Cochran. James R. Devaul, son of Daniel, was clerk. This township was then known ^as Muddy Creek township, the name having been given it on the 7th of

April, 1837, and its territory comprised all the land east of (-Jrand River, and the East Fork, afterwards known as Weldon Fork, to the Iowa State line.

A New Deal

The next election was lield in May, 1838, and this election was of more local importance, being for the election of justices of the peace for Muddy Creek township. Three of these necessary adjuncts to civilization were placed upon a ticket and elected. Their names were John Thrailkill, Samuel Benson and Wm. Cochran. In 1839, General or Dr. Wm. P. Thompson, of Sugar Creek township, and D. II. Dunkerson, of Jefferson township (but a part of that township included congressional township iifty-nine, range twenty-five), were elected county judges of Livingston county, and among the first acts of that Livingston County Court, of which Dr. Thompson was the presiding judge the next two years, was to cut up these two townships, whose limits extended to the Iowa State line, into several smaller ones, of which the names and metes and bounds will be found in the general history of Grundy county. Yet this part of the township was still known as Muddy Creek township, so far as the records are concerned, nntil the organization of the county, January 29, 1841. The first school land ordered sold in Grundy county, was in August, 1838, and the land was the sixteenth section in Trenton, township sixty-one, range twenty-four. The first road laid out in Grundy county was from Chillicothe, in Livingston county, through the present township of Trenton, to the south line of section thirtyfive, of congressional|^ownship sixty-one, of range twenty-four. The petition to view said road was granted August 20, 1838, and the reviewers appointed were James Conner, William Evans and Francis Preston. Geo. Tetherow presented the petition, and right where that road stopped was where the said Geo. Tetherow, three years later, made his gallant fight for the location of the county seat. It looks as if Mr. Tetherow had a pretty lonff head, and made his calculations sometime before it was necessarv to carry them out. James S. Lomax got his license for selling goods and liquor at retail in 1838, and from the month of June, that year, the city of Trenton was first named, though for several years after it was known as Lomax Store, and was so quoted in all legal documents. It was also called Bluft" Grove, but no legal documents liave been found with that name on them. The first school section organized in Grundy county was in Trenton township, in June, 18-10. James P. Merrill was appointed school-commissioner, and Martin Winn and Samuel Benson were appointed school-inspectors. They were to meet at Lomax Store, at the house of James S. Lomax. It is thus seen that Trenton township, or what is now known as Trenton, was the initial starting jjoint of nearly every important step in the onward progress of the county. All this, of conrse, was in a measure the result of its central location, and the fact that the business of the county seemed to drift naturally to this point. The township settled faster and improved more rapidly than any other part of the county, and where Trenton township is spoken of at that time in its history, the greater part of the present township of Lincoln was included.

Steady Progress

The organization of the county and the permanent location of the county seat which was decided in the December term of the Circuit Court in 1841, the case of Tetherow having been at that term thrown out of court, gave stability to the town of Trenton which then began to grow, and from that time on there was but little to record in the history of the township. New settlers arrived, and when the Mexican War broke out this township led in the number of recruits and the first companj^ was organized in this township. Not all were from here, but a majority over any other single township in the county. And here again we find much of record that, while a part of the township history, is, perhaps, more correctly placed in that of the county where it will be found. The wild rush for the golden-shore in 1849 and 1860, found many from this township added to the throng who made their way to the land of promise, and many who left found homes in the new State on the wild Pacific shore. Jas. S. Lomax, whose name is familiar to all in the early history of the county, and who stood prominent and foremost in pushing forward the interest of Trenton township and town, is still a resident of that far oif clime. Daniel Devaul, whose name is also identified prominently with Trenton's early history, remained in that country, and was buried in 1871 in the land of his adoption. Other names might be added until the list would number a score or more of familiar names.

In September, 1850, the township line of Trenton was extended to the center of the ridge or divide between Honey and No creeks, but as the early record was destroyed, just how much was added to her territory is not known, though her eastern boundary may have been the range line between 24 and 23. There were elections every year for justices, etc., but still there was little of moment transpired in the township for several years. The court-house was built, and a public well was dug on the northeast corner of the square in 1855.

The Coming Storm

Of course the mutterings of the coming storm which made our land a house of mourning began to be heard. The few years of peace and prosperity were rapidly drawing to a close and the land so happy and fruitful was to drink deep, and of the bitter dregs of a fratricidal strife. These were dark days, full of bitterness, of crime and of woe. This section was not

SO heavily cursed as wlien the footprints of armed men met in unhallowed strife, but mistrust and unnatural feeling were paramount until long after the white-robed angel of peace had closed her wings over all this broad land. Wliat Grund}^ county did in the cause of the LTuion is a record of the several townships, and in the county history will be given all that can be gathered of the part the county took in the civil w^ar.

The board of education of Trenton township seem to have been in want of funds when the war closed, and borrowed of the school fund $1,350, November, 1866. It was this year that the first inception of an agricultural and mechanical association found expression. Before the present fair grounds were purchased they held two fairs on the high ground where Prospect Street is, and northwest of it west of Elm Street. These were the first fairs held in the county. Trenton township's farmers were largely represented in its inauguration, they having taken the initiatory steps to give it a corporate existence. The success of this agricultural institution will be found fully recorded in the history of the county. It has been of no small benefit to Trenton township.

Railroad

The railroad fever continued until the securing of a road was effected, when there was a rest preparatory to making another trial. This soon came along when the Quincy, Missouri & Pacific Railroad started west to grow up with the country. Numerous propositions were voted on and carried, and had the company been able to come west a few years sooner they would have secured several thousand more dollars than they received. The progressive spirit which had all along governed the people of this township- was exhibited toward this last road as toward the first. That spirit has been one of liberality, and has made Trenton township the most populous and wealthy in the county. Railroads sometimes kill a town, commercially speaking, but they always build a county, and Trenton township can thank the railroads and the press for her wealth and prosperity, more than any other two combinations of business within her borders. Railroads and the press are the pioneers of true civilization. A cDuuty that has neither may grow, but in comparison with a county which has these great engines of civilization, that growth would seem like decay. Trenton township started forward in the race for wealth rapidly after she had secured railroad communication, and she showed her faith by her works for she subscribed largely.

Quincy, Missouri & Pacific Railroad

Perhaps we can not to better advantage show to the people of future generations the spirit which actuated the people of Grundy county in her material progress and her determined enterprise, than to coj»y into this history an article from the Trenton Hepuhlican on the raising of $40,000^ for the Quiiicy, Missouri & Pacific Railroad. The company had demanded the above sum and the right of way, and it had to be raised by private subscription, and the new constitution prevented a heavier taxation tlian a certain per cent for any purpose. We give article, headlines and all. It was published August r2th, 188<». It is as follows:

" It u liaised - Hip, Hi]), Hurrah ! ! ! - The Future of Trenton Secured - The Tovm of North Missouri - %}fi ,000 in Good Notes Secured - Firing of Cannon - W<(ving of Flags - Torchlight Procession, Speeches, Music, Singing, etc., etc.

"The past three weeks have been one continual excitement over the raising of the necessary money to secure the Quincy, Missouri & Pacific Railroad, but nothing in Trenton has ever compared .with the effort for the past three days. Last Saturday night when the notes were all footed up, there were not quite twenty thousand dollars. When the people assembled at the courthouse, Judge Moberly's subscription for five hundred dollars was announced and then the work commenced. Xat Shanklin doubled from five hundred to a thousand in addition to the five hundred of Mr. Austin's already subscribed. Dr. Kerfoot, J. B. Carnes, W. H. Hubbell, Fitterer & Hoffman, Wm. Holt and many others commenced raising one, two and three hundred, so that when the meeting adjourned it was in the neighborhood of twentyeight thousand. Resolutions were passed requesting all business houses to keep closed Monday and Tuesday until two o'clock each da}', and then open only two liours, so that everybody could work for the railroad. The order was carried, out with one or two exceptions. An executive committee was appointed to have charge of the management of the work. Men were sent every direction into the country to work Monda}' and Tuesday. Farmers quit their work and joined the canvassers and when Tuesday night came only a few thousand were lacking. Tuesdaj^ night the most enthusiastic meeting of all was held and the amount swelled up to $39,060, when on motion of Col. Shanklin the meeting adjourned until next morning at eight o'clock, to push the work until the last dollar was raised, which was not done until late last night. Mr. Rowland, secretary of the company, came Monday morning and telegraphed Mr. Green to be here Tuesday night. He <iame, but not in time to see the excitement, until Wednesday morning.

"A grand work has been done. One of the best roads in the west has been secured. Direct route to Quincy, St. Louis, Chicago, Toledo and all points east.

"The ])eople have worked hard and nearly all contributed libei-ally. We would love to mention some of the names of those who have worked hard from the start, but it would not do to discriminate. Would love to mention some of the liberal subscribers, not those who have given the most, but mpst according to their means, but we must not even do that. jSTearly all have given liberally and they will not be forgotten by a generous public. The town has done well, but equal credit is due to the country, considering the circumstances. It will not be out of place to mention the subscription of Mr. W. Wild, of Mercer count}^, who gave fifty dollars just on account of the good feeling he had for the town and county. He has no property in the county although he was reared here. Another gentleman from Cincinnati, Ohio, gave twenty-five dollars. We only mention these two cases to show the interest that was worked up. Mr. Green assured our people that the road would be located immediately. It is the understanding that a proposition will be made to Lindley to make that town a point, and the imiversal feeling of the people of Trenton is that they hope Lindley will succeed.

"There is now no question but that it will come to Trenton. The depot grounds and the right of way are yet to be secured, but there will probably be but very few cases where that will cost any money, except to pay some man to fix up the papers. There ought to be a few thousand dollars for that purpose. The people of Trenton are happy and the railroad men went back feeling well pleased.

"Grandmother Collier, aged mother of the Collier family, gave one hundred dollars to secure the railroad. She said it was the best thing she could do with it."

We close up the railroad matter by copying an article which was kept in the Trenton and Chillicothe papers as standing matter to be used semi-occasionally. It has been standing ten years and is still found to be of use and when it will be finally distributed is yet unknown to those interested, but seems to be in the far distant future. It reads:

"The railroad connecting Trenton and Chillicothe is now almost a certainty." Then is added, after a few weeks of hope deferred: "And in this year of our Lord, 1881, it is as yet a d -d barren ideality."

One of the institntions connected with the railroad repair and machineshops is the reservoir, which is situated on the highest point of land belonging to the railroads and is full fifty feet in diameter and twelve feet deep,, six of which are below the surface of the ground. It holds 171,000 gallons and is filled from the river just one mile distant by pipes and is j^umped in by steam engines.

The schools of Trenton township, outside of Trenton City, are seven in number, good frame buildings, with all the necessary school apparatus and

Trenton township offers every inducement for settlement. There is still abundance of land in its primitive state that can be purchased from eight to twelve dollars per acre, and improved farms from twenty to thirty-five. Every facility for a near market, cheap transportation and good prices are at command. The city of Trenton is in the western part of the township, and the county seat, where there is no branch of mercantile business but what has its representation. In reading the history of the city this fact will be patent to the reader, and it is therefore above all a most valuable and pleasant section for a home. No farmer can find better land, or a healthier climate than here, and all are invited to come.