Hickory County, Missouri - The whole text, 1909 (part 2 of 4)

This county was always managed so that it never had a bonded debt. All of our neighbor counties, except Camden, became involved in fraudulent railroad bonded debts in the 70's through the actions of their County Courts, and nearly all the leading men in and about Hermitage and Wheatland w^ere over anxious at the time for our County Court to involve our county in the same way. But at that time we had as two members of the county court John Lawrence and John A. Pare, both of Green township. Judge Lawrence was absolutely immovable in the direction of issueing bonds, and Judge Pare, while he would perhaps under the strong pressure of sentiment, have consented to the issue, was not favorable to it. Judge Lawrence was nicknamed and abused for what was said to be his stubbornness, but was afterwards re-elected because of the stand he took on this bond question. The ravages and devastation of the country by the Civil War, building a new jail, and repairs on the court house, with perhaps some unnoticed extravagance, had gotten the county into a county warrant debt by 1875, that amounted to about eight or nine thousand dollars. At the time of the adoption of the present Constitution of the state, (November 30, 1875,) it was provided that all such back indebtedness should be provided for by a levy of taxes at the the May term 1876, sufficient to pay it off and cancel all old outstanding county warrants, A levy was made at the May term 1876 by the county court, and again in 1878 and 1879, but because of a desire not to raise a hue and cry about higher taxes, enough was never levied to pay off the old warrant debt, and about $2,000 of it is not out of the way yet. County warrants were continuously at a discount from 1864 to 1903. In 1889 they were discouted at the Hickory County Bank, then doing business in Hermitage, 15 cents on the dollar. In 1885, the Prosecuting Attorney, in view of the condition of the county finances and a decision of the Supreme court rendered by Judge Thomas A. Sherwood in a Douglas county case involving the payment of fees, advised the county court to make an extra levy of 20 cents on the $100 valuation of the property in the county, over and above the 50 cent, maximum rate fixed by the Constitution of the state. The levy was made at the May term of the county court 1885, amounting to about $3,4.50 and as no county warrants were issued against it about $3,250 of it was collected and outstanding county warrants paid with it. Had the levy been continued for three years all outstanding county warrants would have been paid and thousands of dollars in interest and discount on county warrants saved to the people. But the people raised a storm about higher taxation, for political effect, the Sherwood decision was overruled, and our county court made no more such levies and the people continued to be taxed to the fullest extent allowed by the Constitution of the State to pay current expenses and interest on outstanding warrants, and speculators had a pic-nic discounting warrants until 1903. It would take several days to ascertain the amount of interest that has been paid on county warrants, but it will probably reach $10,000. In 1903, the Hermatage Bank, with Joseph S. Hartman as President and WillUam L. Pitts, Cashier, decided that that institution would carry all county warrants brought to the bank, at par, and since that time all warrants have been worth one hundred cents on the dollar, and speculators in warrants who received 6 per cent interest on them, and discounted them when they bought them from 5 to 15 per cent have gone out of fashion.

Permanent School Funds

These funds were derived from the sale* of 16th Section lands, Swamp lands, and fines and forfeitures. By the Act of Congress admitting the state into the Union every 16th Section in the state was given for school purposes. The proceeds of the sales of these lands are the Township school funds. At a later date Congress gave the state for school purposes all lands in the state where more than half of a forty acres was swampy or frequently overflowed, for school purposes, and these lands were patented by the state to the counties in 1869, and they were sold and the proceeds became a part of the county school fund. Prior to the selection of these lands as Swamp lands many persons had been allowed to enter such lands at the Government Land Offices, and they appeared to be lost to the counties, but in 1882, the county court of this county through George S. Selvidge and WilUam McCracken procured an adjustment of this matter with the Government and the county school fund received $2,327 and about 640 acres in Land Scrip which was located on some of the best tracts of then vacant Government land in this county in 1884, by Patrick Chancellor and F. Marion Wilson, and the lands have now all been sold and the proceeds are now a part of the county school fund. The criminal laws of the state have been fairly well enforced in the county since its organization, and numerous fines have been collected, and with a few collections made on forfeited recognizances all has been turned into the county school fund principal. These funds have all of the time been loaned out to the citizens of the county, for a great many years at 10 per cent interest, but of late years at 8 per cent, that being the highest rate of interest allowed by the law. The interest collected on these funds is distributed annually among the school districts of the county, together with moneys received from the state arising from an appropriation of one-third of the state revenue and interest collected from the state on a loan of the state school fund to the state, and the levies in the several school districts for teachers fund, and all these can only be used in paying teachers in the district schools. The moneys needed for building or incidental purposes must be raised by levies on the taxable property of the several school districts. The county school fund and township school funds in this county now (1907) amount to about $32,000, although quite a large amount has been lost on bad loans, especially as a result of the war of 1861-65 and the burning of Bonds and Mortgages in the Court House that were evidence of loans. The amount apportioned to each child within school age for the year 1906, from all of these sources was on an average among the districts of about $2.10, some school Townships having a Uttle larger Township fund than others. There are sixty-five school districts in the county two of which, Wheatland and Weaubleau, are special, separate districts. These have six directors and a Treasurer, independent of the County Treasurer, who receives and pays out their moneys. Nearly all of these districts have at least six months school in each year, and several of them have seven or eight months. These schools employ over seventy teachers. Of the Christian College at Weaubleau we shall speak when giving a history of that town. We have had no such officer as County Superintendent of PubUc Schools since 1874, and no institution can progress as well without a head-man as with him. But County School Commissioners we have had since 1874, have all been active and enthusiastic school men, and although, only receiving very small pay for their services have been of great benefit to the schools. Since 1874, the law has permitted this or any other county in the state to have a county Superintendent of Schools, if a majority would vote in favor of such a proposition, but a lack of interest and a penny-wise and a pound-fooUsh sentiment have kept the schools in their present situation on that matter.

And Road And Canal Fund

These funds were both donated to the counties by the general government through the state government. The Internal Improvement Fund was derived from the sale of 500,000 acres of public lands, donated by the general government, the proceeds to be used for making internal improvements in the counties, such as canals, ditches, roads etc., but not including county buildings. The Road and Canal Fund was derived from three percent of all sales or entries of government land in the state and the same Act of congress is still in force. That is, if the general government receives $50. for 40 acres of land $1.50 goes into the Road and Canal Fund. As soon as Hickory County was organized it began to draw from these two funds annually, and drew the same amount as any other county in the state. The first draw made by the county from the Road and Canal Fund was November 4, 1845, $189.78 and the first received from the Internal Improvement Fund was March 29, 1847, when $181.95 was received. Our County Treasurer continued to receive money from the Internal Improvement Fund until August 10, 1860, when $8,444.12 had been received. Money continued to be received from the Road and Canal Fund until November 17, 1859 when it appears that the county then had on hands $2,195.30. No more appears to have been drawn from the Internal Improvement Fund after August 10, 1860, although some of that 500,000 acres of land given by the general government was not sold by the state until 1866. The next drawn from the Road and Canal Fund was in August 1872, when $271.66 was drawn. The Road and Canal Fund money has been drawn by the county regularly since 1872, and probably will continue to be drawn as long as there is vacant government land in the state to be taken by cash entry. There is evidently due the county some balance from the Internal Improvement and the Road and Canal Funds from 1860 to August 1872. We have already stated that the balance of the money belonging to these funds in 1890 has been invested in bridges.

Religious Denominations

An attempt to give an early history of the church organizations and church buildings of the county would be a failure, but all the leading Christian denominations were represented long before the organization of the county. The first organization that we have any record of was the "Old Baptist" organization Northwest of Cross Timbers, that has already been mentioned. The earliest organization of the Christian church in the county was in the neighborhood of Antioch church Southwest of Pittsburg, where those people have recently erected a commodious and handsome building, and the church organization is in prosperous condition. A church was first organized there in 1843, a rather early date for that church in the West, for it had only been about eleven years, since Rev. Alexander Campbell had disagreed with the Missionary Baptist churches in Virginia, and organized this separate organization of Christians in that state. There is perhaps, but one organization of the "Old Baptists" now in the county, and that is in the Dooley Bend neighborhood, about five miles Southwest of Hermitage. The Missionary Baptist people are much more numerous than any other Christians, At an early date they had a strong organization near Elkton, their church standing Northwest from where the town now is, and at this time they have a strong organization at their church in the town. The Missionary Baptist church at Macedonia, four miles North of where Wheatland now is, probably the strongest church organization in the county. It was organized in 1874, by Elder Landrine J. Tatum assisted by Elder George M. Alexander, and has a roomy and convenient church building. Half a mile North of Pittsburg, is a church building belonging to these people. About 1871 a church was built, but was replaced about 1889, by a larger and better one. The church organization was had there October, 9, 1869, by the following members:-Wm. Samples, Geo. R. King, A. L. Kirkpatrick, James Kirkpatrick. John Kirkpatrick, Edward N. Taylor, WiUiam Kirkpatrick, Elizabeth Kirkpatrick, Syntha Kirkpatrick, Phebe Samples, Rinda Duncan, S. B. King. Rev. G W. Kelly was Moderator, and Geo. R. King Clerk. These people have a church building about a mile Southwest of Almon, and numerous members, an account of which is given in connection with the history of Almon.

The people who came here from Sweden in the early 70's who were Baptists erected a church building about 1877, about six miles East of Cross Timbers, and have built a new and better church since that time near the same place. These people about 1882, also built a church building about four -miles Southeast of Hermitage, and both organizations grew and prospered. Another good church building stands on a ridge about three-fourths of a mile Northeast from Galmey, in Dooley Bend, where the Baptist church has a strong following, led by Elder Landrine J. Tatum, an enterprising, able and devout old christian gentleman. The Christian church people also have a church building at this place, and have quite a goodly number of members in this neighborhood. The Baptists also have a good, roomy church building at Nemo and a strong congregation. We have elsewhere mentioned numerous churches in the towns. The Presbyterians are not very numerous in the county, but up to the Civil War they had a church and numerous following in the neighborhood of what is now the town of Cross Timbers. The church building was known as the Halbert church, and stood at the edge of the woods, about a mile and a half North and a few degrees West of the town of Cross Timbers. Before the division of the Methodist Episcopal church in 1845, it appears that there were quite a number of Methodist people here, but the division of the church and later the Civil War very much retarded the progress of the church. The preachers and members had very decided opinions on the question of slavery, and the issues of the war. But both churches had congregations when the war came on, but the members ot the M. E. church, South were most numerous. Since the war neither of these churches have built up fast, but the M. E. church, South is now stronger than the M. E. church. The latter church having only one country church building in the country, that being Prospect church in the Southeast corner of the county. A church building for the M. E. church. South was erected in 1883, about two and a half miles South of Hermitage. As we mention elsewhere both of these churches have church buildings in the towns. There are organizations of the Christian church at Quincy and Preston but they have no church buildings. The Menonites, a very devout people, have three church buildings on the Wheatland prairie, and hold regular services in their churches, and have quite a following among our German-American citizens.

Elders representing the "Latter Day Saints," came into tjie county about ten years ago and preached to the people and organized a church consisting of quite a number of members, among whom are some of our best citizens. These people ^bout five years ago erected a substantial house of worship about four miles North of Wheatland.

Attorneys Who Have Been

Burr H. Emerson, who was afterwards Judge of the Circuit Court and died at Bohvar, Missouri, several years ago, James D. Perkins, who was killed by guerrillas at Warsaw Missouri, in 1864, Henry H. McKee, who moved to Joplin Missouri, and lived there a few years ago, Charles Kroff, who resides at Brownington, Missouri, and is practicing law, J. Edgar Kenton, who, when last heard of was in some of the Southern counties of Missouri below Springfield, Sidney Wilson, who left here in 1875 and died in Arkansas, William R. Hudson, who is President of the Bank of Humansville, Humansville Missouri, Amos S. Smith, who came here from Maryland in 1868, died in Wheatland Missouri in July 1890 and is hurried in Hermitage Cemetery, Ernest P. Baldwin, who came here from Baltimore Maryland about 1869, was State Senator from this District, appointed First Auditor of the National Treasury by President Cleveland and died in 1897 at Atlantic City New, Jersey, as a result of an operation for appendicitis, F. Marion Wilson, who lives in Hermitage Missouri and is practicing law, Russell G. Pendleton, who lives at Aztec New Mexico and practices law, Thomas M. Nesmith, last heard of in Iowa, Alexander W. Brownlee, who died in Hermitage in 1889, L. F. Nafftziger, who is now in the banking business in Kansas, Charles E. Robson, who was a wanderer, William L. Pitts, retired banker, now living in Hermitage, Charles S. Essex, who is now Judge of the Circuit Court in Colorado, John H. Davidson, now at Eldorado Springs, Mo., engaged in the practice of law, Willis G. Robertson, now at Muskogee Okla., engaged in the practice of law, George S. Selvidge, sometimes at Meade Kan., and at other times at his farm near Wheatland Mo., has accumulated considerable property and is taking care of it, Robert A. Vance, who lives at Cross Timbers Mo., Ralph W. Emerson, son of late Burr H. Emerson is somewhere in Kansas, J. Houston Childers, who resides at Muskogee Okla., and is engaged in the practice of law, Lewis F. Hart, somewhere in the West, S. Harrison White, resides at Pueblo Colo., and is engaged in the practice of law, David M. McKinney, died in the state of Arkansas, Austin J. Pickett, died near Weaubleau Mo., a fevy years ago, William D. Harryman, resides at Wheatland Mo., practices law, engaged in the Milling Business and is Post Master, William

N. Carpenter, resides in DeWitt Ark., and is engaged in the practice of law, William M. Holland, resides in Dade County Mo., and is Ptobate Judge of that county, James J. Ramsey, resides at Elbert Colo., and is engaged in the practice of law, John B. Triplett-we have lost, Don J. Irwin, resides at Buffalo Mo., and is engaged in the practice of law, John D. Irvine, is at present City Attorney of some Kansas town, John A. Woodford, is Principal of the school at Cabool Mo., John W. Robertson and Hazen Green, are residents of Eufalla Okla., and are engaged in the practice of law, Luther J. Slavens, resides at Aztec New Mexico, Lillard E. Brown, resides near Cross Timbers Mo., on his farm, practices law and deals in cattle, Charles N. Simmons resides on a farm Northeast of Cross Timbers Mo., Lycurgus F. lindsey, retired from a four year term as Judge of the Probate Court of Dallas County Mo., and is now at his mother's home about four miles Northwest of Urbana Mo., William A. DoUarhide, resides in Hermitage and is engaged in the practice of law, Theodore Pruett, resides at Anadarko Okla., and is engaged in the practice of law, R. M. livesay, resides in Morgan County Mo., Abner Jones, now a resident of Unionville Mo., Robert F. Tyree, residence unknown, John W. Montgomery, Prosecuting Attorney of the county.

Since 1867

As late as the year 1867, the lands out in the open prairies of the county contained, comparatively few settlements. The farms of William Bradshaw, James M. Wright, Charles Huffman, George W. Woods, John C. Brown, Wm. S. Pickett, James M. Mitchell, Henry G. Bliss, George A. Bliss, J. N. Hickman, the Edward B. Huffman farm, the farm once belonging to WilUamH. Scott, the William M. Jenkins, farm and others on North Prairie, in the neighborhood of Cross Timbers, were all coated with prairie grass as late as 1867, and a large amount of this land five or six years later. All the land in the town of Cross Timbers, East of the Public Square was covered with prairie grass as late at 1871. The farms on Fifteen Mile Prairie, in the neighborhood of Preston, belonging to Thomas Hartnett, Jacob M. Green, Pleasant Wilson, Asa B. Wilson, the greater part of the farms of Nathan Edde, Wash F. Reser, J. C. Edde, (Shisler,) Samuel B. Selby, John J. Lindsey, Calvin H. Franklin, Nathan K. Pope, Lizzie Edde, Charles Bandel, George W. Wilson, Pleasant E. Robbins, Joseph Riddle, and the farms of William Whillock, Leopold and August Bandel, William J. Edde, Alletha Edde, Amos F. Hayes, Rufus B. Green, Alfred L. Green, the Ben F. Simmons old place, the James A. Robertson farm, the farms of John Morgan, Achilles Morgan, Hulett Shumate, Joe T. Edde, and perhaps others on that prairie were made since 1867, by fencing, and turning the prairie sod.

Most of the soil on which Cross Timbers, Wheatland and Weaubleau, now stand had a coat of prairie grass as late as 1870. Only a few farms had been opened up out in the Twenty-five mile Prairie, West, Southwest and Northwest of Wheatland. The Thompson Blair farm, and Stout B. Davidson, William Parks place, and the Kirkpatrick place. The splendid, beautiful, and broad farms out in that prairie have nearly all been made since 1870. Thomas and Joseph Whitaker, Uriah Proctor, and a few others ventured out into Yv^eaubleau Prairie, but settlers in the open prairie were not numerous. As we have suggested elsewhere, the early settlers preferred timbered lands rather than prairie, because most of them came from timbered countries, but these old people probably, soon discovered another good reason why they did not want prairie lands. Farming prairie lands fifty years ago was not a success. Rfty years ago the prairie lands of this county would scarcely produce crops of any kind like they produce now, to the extent of being worth the work of farming, and those who settled the timbered lands made no mistake at the time in their selection of lands to till. But from causes which we do not understand the prairie lands, not extensively manured, have gradually improved in fertility until they now produce perhaps more valuable crops than the same number of acres of timbered lands. We do not attempt an explanation, but farmers who have noticed prairie crops in this qounty for the last forty years know that it is a fact that prairie farms produce much better crops than they did forty years ago.

There is an abundance of lead and zinc, and perhaps other metals in this county. In the pioneer days men who wanted lead bullets to hunt with, did not need to buy pig or bar lead if they would take time and heat a furnace hot enough to melt lead ore. Lead has probably been found in a hundred places in the county. Tons of it have been taken from the ground in Sections 17, 18, and 19, in Township 38, Range 21, Northwest of the town of Cross Timbers, and within a radius of two miles of Hermitage it is found most anywhere, but most plentiful in the hills of Crane creek, South and Southeast of town. Up in and about Dooley Bend five miles Southwest of Hermitage both lead and zinc are in sight in many places. In and about Pittsburg, ten miles Southeast, mining has been in progress at intervals for ten years, and car loads of cleaned zinc have been hauled from there to the railroad about fifteen miles away and shipped to market. Car loads of zinc have been dug, cleaned, hauled and shipped from the mines in Section 18, Township 36, Range 22, Northeast of Elkton, about two miles, and in Section 13, Township 36, Range 23, North of Elkton a good body of lead has been discovered. Down in the neighborhood of Quincy most anywhere in the Northwest part of the county lead and zinc are found, and there are strong evidences of oil being easily accessible, but the value of the minerals of the county will never be fully known and realized until railroad facilities are such that it will not take two car loads of mineral to dig, clean and ship two loads. Men now fifty years of age will, perhaps, never know the immense amount of wealth that lies hidden under the surface of the hills and valleys of the county. Treat this as a dream, as you may, but the mineral is here and will be brought to the surface, whenever there are railroads near enough to it to haul it away. No section of the country with mineral sticking out at every pore, ever failed to produce great wealth when it was developed. The mining regions of Jasper county contained no more evidences of their hidden millions of underground wealth fifty years ago than do the hills and valleys of our county.

Almon.'

This village is not laid out and platted as a town. It is in the North East quarter of Section 14 Township 37 Range 20, on Little Niangua creek. The land on which it is situated was entered August 9, 1853. The first men who sold goods there were George C. Dunn and George W. Mabary, about 1870. Afterwards Daniel J. Parks, Alexander Gregory, Dock Burris, Sherman Vaughn, Samuel P. Gregory, George Cook, Allen Hall, George W. McDowell & Co., and G. W. Pennell. The present merchants are Henry R. McCain & Sons, James K. Parks, and Martha Pennell. A water mill was built about 1854, by either William or Amos Paxton. It passed into the hands of Asa Johnson and was repaired or rebuilt about 1856. Has been operated by Daniel J. Parks, Ceborn Bennett, and <ieorge C. Dunn, John D. Young and Herbert K. Porter, N. M. and Daniel R. Jones, and Peter Gillispie, and is owned at the present time by Wilham Mitchell and Marshall Green. A Post Office was established in 1868, with Daniel J. Parks as Postmaster and the name given to it was "Goose Neck." Postmasters there have been since then: Alexander Gregory, Dock Burris, Sherman Vaughn, Samuel P. Gregory, George Cook, and Charles Green. The present Postmaster is Henry R. McCain. The Missionary Baptist church has a strong following in the neighborhood. A church organization was effected in 1858, or earlier, called "Little Niangua Baptist Church." Some of the leaders were Alexander Mc Huffman and George P. Epley. They first built a church about 1870. Previous to this they had held meetings at private residences and in green groves. In 1888, a more commodious church building was built about a mile Southwest of the business part of the village.

Avery

This village is situated on the Une between the counties of Hickory and Benton in Section 9, Township 38, Range 22. The first stock of goods brought there was brought by Wright & Rash, February 10, 1890. This store was opened in one room of George W. Wright's residence, about one mile East of the present site of the village. Sometime in the summer of 1889, a Post Office at the residence of John M. Breshears, was established and he was the first Postmaster. This was on the Benton county side of the county line. It was kept there about a year, when George W. Wright was appointed Postmaster, and the office was moved over into Hickory county to Mr. Wright's store. John A. Breshears was later appointed Postmaster, and moved the office over into Benton county. About 1897, William A. Byrum built the first store building on the present site, and was appointed Postmaster, and the Post Office was again moved into Hickory county. A little later Thomas S. Heath, then doing business at Cross Timbers, built a store house a little over in Benton. He put in a stock of goods with John A. Jones as manager, which later was burned. One store is all there has ever been on this site on the Hickory county side. Five or six years ago Andrew Breshears put in a store on the Benton county side of the line, and has since built a roomy building and has done a good business. There is another store there now owned by Josiah Ketchum, and he is doing a prosperous business. A. B. Butler has a blacksmith shop there and is doing a great deal of work.

Cross Timbers

The original survey of this town was made in 1871 by Isaac R. Clark on the South West fourth of the South West quarter ot Section 22 Township 38 Range 21. The forty acres was entered by James D. Donnell July 29, 1853, but in 1871 it with other lands adjoining belonged to EUsha Kir by. As early as 1865, Mr. Kirby owned this forty acres and the farm now owned by Virgil S. WiUiams, and sold goods in the two story frame building just North of the town survey now the Williams Hotel. The store of Kirby was kept in the room which is now the dining room in this hotel. The other rooms in the building had not been ceiled or floored. Mr. Kirby and his family Uved in the log houses about fifty feet further West until about 1867. About the time Mr. Kirby had the town surveyed and platted he sold the farm and lands about town to Virgil S. Williams and built a residence on the town survey near where the residence of Mrs. W. H. Scruggs now stands. Mr. Kirby sold out and moved to the state of Texas about 1874. The plat of the survey of the town was recorded but the record was burned in the Court House January 6, 1881, and it has not been re-recorded, which makes it difficult to trace title to lots in the old survey or additions. The first store in the town was owned by John C. Brown and William S. Pickett, both of whom now live in the town. Later the firm was John C. Brown and John Winfrey, the store building was built by John C. Brown^ and stood about eighty feet West of where the new building now stands, recently built by the Bank of Cross Timbers. Dr. Campbell, of Warsaw, and a firm by the name of Brickey^ sold goods in a building built by Mr. Kirby just within the town survey South of Mr. Williams' barn lot, near the Northwest corner of Block 6. James Johnson and Mathias C. Jenkins in 1873, built a steam mill down North of town where the Warsaw and Buffalo road crosses Turkey creek, at or about where the mill of Charles H. Scruggs and Alanson H. Doak now stands. Thomas S. Heath's father, Callaway Heath, was also in the mercantile business at the Campbell-Brickey place about 1872-3. Perhaps it was Mr. Heath who brought the Campbell-Brickey store there. Thomas S. Heath who in past years did- an extensive mercantile business at Cross Timbers, Avery,. and Weaubleau, clerked in one or more of thoseold stores at the Campbell-Brickey stand. About 1874, Elisha T. Condley and Asa Johnson engaged in the mercantile business in a building now standing on the Northwest corner of the South halfof Block 5. They were followed by Mr. Condley and William Y. Bennett. Later came R. G. Mitchell, James Whillock, Heath-Noland & Co., Heath-Noland & Doak, Heath & Barnett. Heath & Spickart, Halbert & Manuel, Burris & Crudginton, George W. Crudginton, Condley & Halbert, John Spickert and others no doubt, forgotten by the author of this sketch. Mr. V. S. Williams has kept hotel at his present place since about 1872, and at one time had a very large trade, but of late years has about quit the business. Burdette L. Daniel kept hotel in a building that was rolled away from the place where the Grave's hotel now stands. . Mr. Francisco was also at one time in the hotel business at that place. The first blacksmith shop, . except one run by Mr. Kirby, was perhaps that of William Jenkins, an Indiana man, who came there about 1871. He had a shop on the Northwest corner of Block 5, about eighty feet West of J. M. Crawford's store building, just South of this in 1872-3, WllUam L. Duvall had a saloon. Up to about 1874 thechildren in and about town had to go to school in an old church known as the "Halbert," old church that stood at the edge of the timber near a. mile and a half North and West of town..

Amos F, Cossairt

About 1876 a reasonably good two story frame school house was built in the Southeast part of town near where the Christian church now stands. In 1905-6 the school district (mainly the town) built a magnificent two-story brick school house-the best in the county, on a piece of land purchased from Virgil S. Williams a short distance North of the Northwest corner of the town survey, the main rooms being 24x56 feet, and it fronts to the South, with a space cut off down stairs for cloak room, stairway etc., 28x14 feet. There are two entrances; the main entrance on the South, and one from the East. Two of the rooms in the building are large enough to make four school rooms if they be needed. The town had no church, until 1885, when the M. E. church. South, people procured an acre of land from Virgil S. WiUiams on the East side of the North West fourth of the South West quarter of Section 22, within less than a fourth of a mile of the town survey, and on this acre built a very handsome church, which later was moved up into town and now stands across the street near the Northeast corner of the pubUc square. More recently the members of the Christian church and others have erected a convenient and modern house of worship in the Southeast part of town. In 1895-6, William W. Graves built on the South side of the public square his well furnished three-story frame, 42 room hotel, much the best hotel in the county. The Bank of Cross Timbers was organized May 2, 1893, by George W. Crudginton, Joseph S. Hartman, William Bradshaw, WilUam McCracken, Hickory County Bank, then of Hermitage, John Crudginton, and J. Houston Childers. It was incorporated for 50 years with a capital stock of $10,000 three-fourths paid up, it grew and prospered, and in 1906 George W. Crudginton, President of the Bank, built a new building for the bank, where the old bank building stood across the street from the Southwest corner of the public square. The building is 42x66 feet, two stories, built of cement building blocks on the "Walton" system of hollow wall construction, which forms a continuous air space throughout the entire wall, making the wall fire-proof, frost-proof and moisture-proof. The main banking lobby is 20x36 feet, fitted with a modern fire-proof vault, 8x10 feet, and a "Mosler Patent Screw Door Bank Safe," with tripple time lock. The bank fixtures are made of quarter-sawed oak. The building fronts to the East, and the Presidents office is in the rear. The North room is occupied by Mitchell Bros., General store. The North half of the second story will be used as a Lodge room, and over the banking rooms will be cut into offices. There are about 130,000 pounds of cement in this building. The lower floors and walks around the building are laid on beds of pounded flint boulders covered heavily with cement. The Farmers and Merchants Bank was organized August 26, 1905, by John Spickart, Asa B. Wilson, Jacob E. Harvey, George A. Bliss, Fritz MuUer, L H. Davis, Henry G. BUss, Granville C. Smith. Eh S. Williams, Elijah Crawford, John C.Brown, C. T. Davis, W .H. Gallaher. Emory E. Lacey, W. S. Davis, Hoyt

E. Brown, William W. Graves, J. E. Scruggs, Herman Ritter, Herman Pfitzner and John Sally. It is incorporated for a term of 50 years with a capital stock of $10,000 half paid up. This is a safe, reliable and growing institution, and is located in a substantial frame building on the South side of the public square.

Grand Army of the Republic, Post No. 437, was organized under Charter of May 21, 1889, with the following as charter members: George N. Adams. Thomas A. Burton, T. H. Carlton, Norvel M. Dickerson, Samuel W. Davis, John H. Edwards, Edward B. Huffman, William Krudway, John C. Brown, Robert

F. Doak, James W. Dickerson, Burdette L. Daniel, Edmund Guier, John B. Godfrey, William J. Mawhinney, Thomas J. Mitchner, Thomas B. Malloy, Stephen A. Nix, James Palmer, Henry ShuU, George A. Smith, John H. Teague, David C. Moore, William H. Moore, Thomas Moore, William Prine, E. D. Pinkston. Paul Shreck, Francis M. Southard, and Joseph H. Nease. Capt. R. A. Vance the present Commander has served as Post Commander 16 years, and at the same time held other important Department offices. He was twice Aid-e-Camp to Department Commander, and Chief Mustering Officer of Department of Missouri. The present officers of the Post are: R. A. Vance, Commander, Wm. C. Hickman, Sr. V. C, Daniel Taylor, Jr. V. C. George W. McClure, Chaplain and Instructor, Alfred B. Cothren, Adjutant, Jesse F. D. Moore, Officer of the day, E. C. Farris, 0. G., Jesse Quick, Q. M., Charles Spencer, Sergt. Maj., George H. Roney, Bugler.

The Merchants of the town at this time are: Gregory & Thomas, General store, Joel B. Halbert, General store, Mitchell Bros., General store, James M. Crawford, General store, John T. Ihrig, Hardware and Farm Implements, J. E. Harvey, Groceries and Confectionery, T. H. Jenkins, Groceries and Restaurant, J. W. Newton, Furniture, A. C. Curl, Drugs, who is an eminent Physician and was one of the first to locate in the town.

Some of the resident Physicians have been: Alfred E. Ruby. A. C. Curl, George W. Griffin, M. G. Witter. George N. White, Johnson Williams, J. M. Havely, John W. Mowell, J. B. Harris, and H. C. McHaffiie.

Mr. Graves owned the first ^gstore in the town, built the first two-story after the town was surveyed, built his three-story hotel, and has since built the bank building in which the Farmers and Merchants' Bank of Cross Timbers is now doing business.

The lands on which this village stands have never been surveyed and platted as a town. The store building of Kelley & Williams is near the Northeast corner of the Northeast fourth of the Northeast quarter of Section 26, Township 36, Range 23, and all of the buildings on the West side of the road and South of that are on this forty acres. It was entered December 30, 1839, with the Northwest fourth of the Northwest quarter of Section 25, which lies East of it, by Samuel H. Arbuckles. There are a number of buildings on the East side of the road, all on the Northwest fourth of the Northwest quarter of Section

25. There are also buildings on the Southwest corner of the Southwest fourth of the Southwest quarter Section 24, which was entered by Archibald Blue, June 15, 1840, and on the Southeast corner of the Southeast fourth of the Southeast quarter of Section 23, which was entered by Edward S. Whitehead, March 28, 1839. James Brown a long time ago kept store something like a quarter of a mile North of the business part of the town on the West side of the pubUc road and afterwards moved up to near where the Kelley & Williams store building now is and sold goods there. The date when the first store building was built on the Northeast corner of Section

26, where the Kelley & Williams building now stands is not certainly known, but it was as early as 1865. Mr. Grimes had a store down further North as early as 1865. It probably stood where the Brown old store building stood. The first house on the town site was probably built by Dr. Archibald Blue. Alexander McFarland was there in business as early as 1854, and sold out to a man named Glazebrook who did business there. Joshua Hartzell was there in business in 1869-70, and James K. Estes in 1872-73, and he was succeeded by Frank V. B.

Thomas, who was succeeded by Judge William L. McCaslin in 1875, and he and Charles Czarlinsky, now a merchant at Wheatland, sold goods there in 1875-76. Mr. Czarlinsky drove over the country and bought furs. James Vaughn was there in business in the early 80's and as late as 1886. His brother, Sherman, followed him in business and remained there for quite a while, moving to Almon, and in these years Marion C. Rule and Marcellus B. McCracken were there in business. Mr. Rule bought the farm Northeast and North of town, improved the farm, and built a handsome residence North of town. Mr. Rule was followed by William C. Kelley and Samuel L. Williams, and that firm has been in business there since, except that the widow of Mr. Williams succeeded him, at his death, about four years ago. Lincoln Hackleman crme there from Cedar county in the 80's and did a Drug and Notion business and was succeeded by Dr. Charles V. and Andrew J. Steward, who are yet there in business. The village now has a good, roomy, frame school house, a Baptist church built in 1888, and good business firms and people, among whom are WilUam C. Kelly and his daughter Annis A. Williams, with a large stock oi General Merchandise, the Steward Bros., with a stock of Hardware and Farm Implements, and an up to date stock of Drugs, Cigars and Notions, J. Henry Bass, also has a full General Store and is doing a prosperous business. W. P. Blackwell, deals in Produce and Leonard McCracken has a nice stock of Groceries. WiUiam Walters and A. F. Hastain are the village blacksmiths. Mr. Hastain has been at and about Elkton for Isss than a hundred years. Samuel Emery keeps hotel for the accommodation of the traveUng pubUc.

Galmey is a trading point, not surveyed as a town, situated near the Northeast corner of the Northwest fourth of the Northwest quarter of Section 9, Township 36, Range 22. The first business there was a blacksmith shop run by William T. Bennett, who now has a shop in Hermitage. James A. Hooper, who now Uves near Pittsburg, put in a stock of goods there about nine years ago. Erasmus J. Kelly succeeded Mr. Hooper in the Mercantile business, and Elijah Parkhurst succeeded Mr.

Kelley. William W. Cowen is now selling goods there. H. Schoof succeeded Mr. Bennett, in the blacksmith business, and is there now. A Post Office was established there in 1888 and Erasmus J. Kelley was the first Postmaster. A concrete church building was built in 1901, and is a great convenience to the community for church services, or any other kind of respectable gatherings.

Hermitage

Hermitage, the county seat, was surveyed and platted in 1847, included the Northwest fourth of the Southeast quarter of Section 23, Township 37, Range 22, and is within sixty rods of the center of the county. Williamson E. Dorman, (Buck,) moved his groceries and liquors, and the log house in which he had kept his store at Pittsburg to what is now Hermitage, before it was surveyed as a town, and it is not certain as to the time Aaron Trippett came, but he and William Waldo were in business here shortly after the town was surveyed. The exact date when the town was surveyed is not known, as the certificate made by the Surveyor, who surveyed it is not dated. The land on which it was located was entered by Thomas Davis, but was not entered until January 30, 1847. Thomas Davis, probably, settled the Southeast fourth of the Southeast quarter of Section 23, Township 37, Range 22, which corners with the town forty at the Southeast corner in 1843, or, early in 1844, and built and lived in the log houses now standing there, as early as 1844. One room of that house is now at least 64 years old, and in it Mr. Davis kept the first hotel and gave room for the courts. The second hotel or boarding place was opened by Williamson E. Dorman at what is now the Ephraim F. Halbert property which was then outside of the survey of the town. Mr. Dorman was a single man, and managed to run his hotel for three years before he married. In 1860-61, he built a new hotel where the Morgan hotel now stands on Lot 4, Block 8. In 1847, William Waldo built a business house on the North end of Lot 4, Block 2, near where the barber shop now is. John Lawrence, who was a brotherin-law of Mr. Dorman, built on the Northwest corner of Block 1, where Mrs. Nancy F. Blair's residence now stands. Oliver Edwards built where John H. McCaslin's residence now stands on Lot 1, Block 3, and it was his daughter. Mary E. Edwards, who became the wife of Williamson E. Dorman. Mr. Dorman put up his second saloon building on Lot 3, Block 2, and dug a cellar under it, some of the rubbish that was in this cellar, being found when Charles Manuel and Slavens Coon & Co., dug the trenches for the foundations of their buildings 50 years later. Jno. C. Dollarhide kept a saloon in town at the same place in 1859-60, and sold out to Alexander Hall. The Donnell boys, Thomas, and another one, built the first business house on the Southeast corner of Lot 1, Block 4, and George W. Blackwell, Sr., and Charles M. Whelchel were keeping store there in 1865, it stands there yet. Mr. Dorman built a store house where the first Court House stood, after it was burned. The house where C. M. Bentley lives was built by George B. Alexander, two or three years before the Civil War. WilUam M. Dorman, the father of Williamson E. Dorman, bought the lot and built a log house where Mrs. Minnie McCaslin now lives, about 1848, on Block 1, and that log house is now a part of the residence that stands there. Along in those years mills were scarce and Mr. Dorman built a mill run by oxen tramping a tread-wheel, and could grind about 80 bushels of grain in a day. It stood about 40 feet South of where Albert Pitts^now hves. Later he and others built a steam mill near the South ford of Pomme de Terre about a quarter of a mile from the Public Square. This mill did a good business, but was about worn out at the close of the Civil War, but continued to be run until about 1874. About 1883, Mr. Dorman and his son, OUiver L. Dorman, and Joseph S. Hartman built a new steam mill on Block 13, in the North part of town, this continued to be run until it was superceeded in 1902 by a new mill built by Eugene Belknap, of Urbana, Missouri, which was burned June 28, 1906. Two weeks after the burning (July 12, 1906) the stone store building and warehouse of Slavens Coon & Co., situated on Lot 3, Block 3 was destroyed by fire. The store and warehouse probably contained $15,000 worth of goods, of which about $2,000 worth was saved. They had insurance to the amount of $8,000 most of which was paid to them. The main store building was 28x100 feet, and the frame warehouse South of it was 28x42 feet. The town has had many disastrious fires. In 1881 the people in and about the town and Hermitage Lodge No. 288, A. F. & A. M. built a substantial brick church with second story for Masonic Hall on . Lot 2, Block 4, and it is now used as a Union Church and Masonic Lodge Hall.

uary 1, 1865, was largely given by Company "C" 60th Regiment Enrolled Missouri Militia, commanded by Capt. William H. Liggett, many of whom live in this county at this time, although their ranks have been greatly thinned out by death. They used the Court House for quarters.

In 1887,the School District, (mainly the town,) built a new two-story brick school house which cost $2,400 which is yet in fairly good shape.

In 1899 the Missionary Baptist people built a substantial frame church building on the West side of the street running to the South bridge and near the river bluff

The first newspaper in the town was edited and run by James R. Wilson and James W. Ritchey. Its publication was commenced in 1869 and it was named "Hermitage Enterprise." It went into the hands of Henry H. McKee, and in a short time went out of business. In 1875, John D. Pitts, then County Collector, bought the plant of the Hickory County Mirror, which was being run at Wheatland, and moved it to Hermitage. This plant was bought by F. Marion Wilson, late in 1876, and with it Wilson and Ernest P. Baldwin published the "New Era" until sometime in 1880, when Wilson sold the plant to Courtney M. Wilson and it was taken to Stockton, Cedar County, Missouri. In 1882, Alexander Humble, an IlUnois man, came with a new plant and started the "Hickory County Herald," which he continued to pubUsh until after the November election in 1886. In July, 1885, WilUam McCracken and F. Marion Wilson bought a plant from Charles L. Cu-itis, at Buffalo, Mo., and in that month commenced the publication of the Index. In December, 1885, McCracken sold his interest to Al. R. Miller, and Wilson sold his interest to Alanson M. Halbert; Miller in 1887 or 1888 sold his interest to Charles M. Bentley, and later Bentley bought the interest of Halbert, and became sole owner, but soon sold an interest to Alanson H. Dent, who remained only a short time, when he sold his interest to Bentley, who continued to publish the paper until he sold out to Luther J. Slavens, who had in June, 1895, commenced the publication of the "Hermitage Gazzette," and afterwards purchased a Prouty Power Press. This consolidated the two papers under the name of the "Index- Gazette," which Slavens sold to William U. Morton, who had been formerly interested in the Index, in 1903 when the name was changed to the "Index" and in 1906 he sold the plant to Paul Murphy and he has published it since that time.

Early in 1898, John W. Armstrong bought a newspaper plant and established the "Hickory County Democrat," run it about three years and sold it to Wilson & Creed, who changed the name of the paper to the "Hickory County Republican," run it something over two years and sold it to Hazen Green, who sold it early in 1906, to Newton H. FranWin, who moved the office to Urbana, Dallas County, Mo., and has since been using the plant in publishing the "Dallas County Republican."

The Hickory County Bank was organized here January 26, 1889, by WilUam H. Liggett, of Wheatland, James Vaughn, of Hermitage, Andrew J. Tillery and Will' am Q. Paxton, of Humansville, and continued to do business here until it was removed to Wheatland, about April 1, 1894. It had a capital stock of $5,000 paid up, and was not incorporated.

In June, 1894, Joseph S. Hartman, William L. Pitts, Arthur L. and Sarah A. Fisher, organized the Hermitage Bank and commenced business Jutie 30, 1894, with a capital stock of $5,000 paid up. It was not incorporated. In continued to do business, and prospered until deposits reached more than $100,000 and in October. 1906, William L. Pitts, who had become sole owner, sold to the Citizens Bank of Hermitage.

The Citizens Bank was organized August 7, 1906, by John H. McCaslin and Leroy F. Mansfield, of Wheatland, Wilham J. Edde, of Preston, William F. Coon and John W. Montgomery, of Hermitage, with a capital stock of $5,000 all paid up. It is not incorporated. The bank is mainly under the management of John H. McCaslin, Cashier, and is doing a prosperous business.

In the early 90 s Joseph S. Hartman and J. Houston Childers bought from George S. Selvidge a set of Abstract Books, and commenced an Abstract and Loan business, which has been continued through all the years since it was established, by Messrs Childers & Hartman, Childers & Bentley, and C. M. Bentley, who have run it very successfully. The Abstract Books and Abstract business are now owned and run by Dr. Alva Fisher, a very careful and painstaking business man. During Mr. Bentley's connection with the Abstract and Loan business he was also Postmaster for about eight years, but voluntarily retired from the position in 1906, and was succeeded by Roscoe C. Coon.

The mercantile business of the town consists of the General stores of Edgar H. Bandel and Albert Pitts, the Grocery, Clothing and Notion store of Ira Dooly, the Harness shop of

Fred Tillery, of Flemington, Mo., the Drug store of Bandel Sc Richards, the feed store of Ira Dooly. John H. Morgan owns and runs the hotel on the East side of the Public Square, and James K. Moore owns and runs the livery and feed stable South of the hotel. The town at this time has about 200 inhabitants.

Hermitage Lodge A. F. & A. M. No. 288, commenced work under charter dated October 15; 1866. The charter members and officers were: John W. Snyder, W. M., Ephraim Dent, Sr. W., William J. Snyder, Jr. W., Samuel Miller, Treas., L. J. Tatum, Secy., Perry J. Snyder, Sr. D., and John A. Morton, Jr. D. The present elective officers are: William L. Pitts, W. M., David E. Hitson, Sr. W., J. T. Amlin, Jr. W., Henry F. Blair, Treas., and Thomas J. Taylor, Secy.

Hermitage Lodge I. 0. 0. F. No. 670, was organized under charter dated May 19, 1904, granted to F. Marion Wilson, Joseph Hartman, Moses N. Neihardt, Josiah H. Childers, and Henry F. Blair. The first elective officers were: Moses N. Neihardt, N. G., Austin F. Pack, V. G., F. Marion Wilson, Secy., and Henry C. Brookshire, Treas. The present elective officers are: Austin F. Pack, N. G., Thomas M. Sanders, V. G.. E. D. Blair. Secy., and Henry C. Brookshire, Treas.

Hermitage Camp M. W. of A. No. 3544, was organized May 19, 1898, with officers as follows: J. H. Childers, V. C, J. E. Morton, W. A., W. F. Coon, E. B., Ray R. Creed, Clerk, R. H. Green, Escort, U. E. Wilson, Watchman, E. D. Blair, Sentry, B. F. Cox, Physician. The present officers are U. E. Wilson, V. C, W. F. Coon, W. A.. W. A. Dollarhide, E. B., George E. Wilson, Clerk, Ross C. Coon, Escort, John 0. Johnson, Watchman, Marvin Sanders, Sentry, and H. C. Brookshire, Physiciam.

Physicians who have been residents of the town were: Benj amine F. Barnes, Samuel L. Coble, Madison Maxwell, William Moore, William J. Snyder, James R. Pack, Henry C. Brookshire, R. G. Scroggs, Zenis L. Slavens, George W. Pack, B. F. Cox, Henry S. Keliey, and John Oakes.

Jordan

This is a trading point started in 1904 by the building of a steam flouring mill. The main promoter being George W. Jordan, of Drakeville, Iowa, who was assisted by George T. Pulliam and W. P. Clifford, of Appanoose County, Iowa. Mr. Jordan came here in 1904 and he with his associates in Iowa, formed a joint stock company with $5,000 or 50 shares of $100 each. The members of the joint stock company who subscribed and lived in the neighborhood of the projected mill were: James C. Stark, Thomas L. Stark, Alfred Stark, James M. Stark, Obediah Driskill, Thomas Driskill, Marion Driskill, Clement S. Ashley, Henry Ashley, Charles Ashley, William Owsley, Elijah Owsley, David M. Gates, Charles Astrom, Claus Nelson, Ole Oleson, John Johnson, Thomas S. Hall, and Fritz Muller. It is situate near Stark creek near the Southeast corner of Section 20, and the Southwest corner of Section 21, Township 38, Range 20, about five miles directly East of Cross Timbers. At this time the mill is owned and operated by James M. Stark and George W. Huffman, and they manufacture flour, meal and chops, buy corn and wheat, cattle, hogs and horses and are doing a prosperous business.

There are two General stores, one kept by J. J. Bradbury and the other by WiUiam H. Ashley, and both are doing a nice and profitable business.

This is a trading point and Post Office, seven miles Southeast of Hermitage on the Hermitage and Buffalo road, at the crossing of the Warsaw and BoUvar raod. A good district school house was built near the cross roads in 1888, and a good roomy church building was built by the Baptist people in 1892. A blacksmith shop was built there several years ago, but we have been unable to get the date. The first store was run by Thomas Bridges in 1896. He sold goods for quite a while and sold out to Charles Parker, who in turn sold to James A. Bush. Mr. Bush gave place to Allen M. Huckaby, the present County Treasurer, and was followed by J. W. Hooper and G. M. Dryer. Mr. Dryer sold his interest to Mr. Hooper, and last year Mr. Hooper sold to John T. Ferguson, a former County Treasurer of this county who is now in business.

This place was no doubt named Pittsburg because a number of the Pitts family settled near it before the county was organized. It is situated on the corners of four forty acre tracts of land, to-wit: Southeast corner of Southeast fourth of the Southeast quarter of Section 25, and Northeast corner Northeast fourth of the Northeast quarter Section 36, Town- ship 36, Range 22, and on the Southwest corner of the South half Lot 2, of Southwest quarter of Section 30, (S. W. 1-4 S. W. qr.) and on the Northwest corner of the North half of Lot 2, Northwest quarter of Section 31, (N. W. 1-4 N. W. qr.) Township 36, Range 21.

The first man who sold goods there was Charles F. Friend, and he kept his store in a small log house that he built near where the East end of the Creed hotel now stands. He was there until after 1846, for he was appointed Justice of the Peace of that Township in 1846. A more substantial store building was built by John L. Hall a short distance North of where Friend's building stood, probably as early as 1844. John L. Hall was afterwards elected Judge of the County Court of this county and was later a wholesale merchant in Sedalia, Mo. Andrew J. Pitts came to the cieighborhood in 1845, with the family of his father, Burrell Pitts, from the state of Mississippi, near Vicksburg. Dillard Pitts and Young Mims Pitts, sons of Jack Pitts had been there four or five years. Lewis Edwards then lived on the high hill South of Pittsburg and Charles lived in the log house mentioned and sold goods in one room of it. William M. Dorman had made settlement and lived near a spring on what is now the Joseph Davis farm a little Northwest of town. A man by the name of Beavers lived about a quarter of a mile West of where the business part of the town now is. The first school house in the neighborhood was South of the road at the John Jump old place about a mile South of where the town now is. Isaac Goodson was there in business in the 40's. Jonas Brown lived about two miles North of where the town is and had at that time the following children: William Brown, Preston Brown, James Milton Brown, Josiah Brown, Columbus (Muns) Brown, Sarrah Ann Brown, who married a man named Foster, and went to Wet Glaize in Camden County, Mo., and Jane Brown, who was the first wife of Michael W. Dorman. Williamson E. Dorman had a small log building there in which he kept what was then called a "Grocery," the principal goods kept being sugar, coffee, spice and pepper, and white whiskey. When the excitement arose about the county seat going to be located at Hermitage in 1846, Mr. Dorman hauled his house, store and all to Hermitage, and after clearing away the post oak brush where the residence of Mrs. Nannie F. Blair now stands in Hermitage, rebuilt his house and run his Grocery store. The store building built by Mr. Hall was repaired and added to and used perhaps as late as 1880. Ben L. Mallonee, now the leading merchant of the town, and his brother, Leonard G. Mallonee, now of St. Louis, Mo., sold goods in the Hall old building, in 1867-68, Ben L. Mallonee continued this business later. Edward J. Kendall was in business in the house at that place in the early 70's. John T. Ferguson, now a merchant at Nemo, was there in business in 1878. William H. Houser did business there later. Judge Ben L. Mallonee erected a new store building North and West of where the Hall building stood about 1889, and again went into the mercantile business; has since built a new and better building and is still in business.

In 1866 and later Abel Benson run a blacksmith shop on the East side of the road North of the business part of the town about where the public road now crosses a little branch and bridge. He lived in that neighborhood as early as 1852. The largest and most convenient building to strike in 1870, and for several years thereafter, when a man was hungry, was a three or four room building, one story, situated about where the building stood where Charles Friend kept the first store near where the Creed hotel now stands.

The zinc mining business in the town and around it which sprung up in 1894 gave the town a boom, but owing to the (fistance that mineral must be hauled over rough roads with no bridges between there and the nearest point on the railroad work has almost been entirely abandoned. A hotel building was built a number of years ago, but was destroyed by fire in 1901. A new hotel was built by John Lightfoot in 1900, and is now kept by Herschel Creed. A steam flouring mill was built in 1894 by J. M. Gourley and William H. Houser and has been repaired and improved and is now owned and operated by John Hobson. The public school house is near a quarter of a mile away to the Northwest of town and was built about 1881. In 1894 several of the good citizens of the town and vicinity formed a stock company and built a nice, large, two story frame building in the East part of the town to be used for religious and other meetings, and society meetings. The first story now belongs to the M. E. church. South and the second story to the M. W. of A.

Pittsburg Camp M. W. of A. No. 4635, was organized June 7, 1898, with 18 charter members and officers as follows: Joseph W. Jones, V. C, William A. Lightfoot, W. A., Len G. Mallonee, E. B., Darius S. Coon, Clerk, Wesley Q. Freman, Escort, Judge F.

J. E. Harvey'S Business Building Len G. Mallonee

Samples, Watchman, William A. Ellison, Sentry, Dr. B. F. Cox, Physician. The present officers are: E. D. Simmons, V. C, R. F. Condley, W. A.. S. K. King, E. B., J. L. Bastion, Clerk, Lonnie J. King. Escort, Len G. Mallonee, C. F., J. M. Martin, Watchman, James Floyd Sentry.

Some of the resident Physicians have been: B. F. Barnes, William C. Gentry, Jasper MiUikan, George W. Pack, B. F. Cox, S. W. Igou, and Thomas D. Wrinkle.

The town survey of this town is situated on the Southeast fourth of the Northeast quarter of Section 22, and the Southwest fourth of the Northwest quarter of Section 23, Township 37, Range 21, it is about 18 feet over five miles and one eighth of a mile East of Hermitage, the South line being with the North line of the town of Hermitage. The main street in the town running North is on the line between Section 22 and 23. The east side was entered by Richard I. Robertson, February 20, 1855, and on the West side of the street by Joshua Owen, December 7, 1849, but Silas C. Howard was the owner in 1857. On the 8th of December 1857, Silas C. Howard and Richard I. Robertson caused the town to be surveyed and platted by Daniel E. Davis, Deputy County Surveyor, under Benjamin H. Massey. It was laid out into eight blocks, block eight being designated church lot, and block 7, was not divided into lots. Blocks 7 and 8 are 211 1-3 feet square. The deed to the public for streets etc., was made January 21, 1858, and was acknowledged before Amasa Curtis J. P. Silas C. Howard was the first man to put in a store, and he and Richard I. Robertson were in business there before the town was surveyed and afterwards up to the Civil War. Robertson & Staten did business together and Trentham also did business there. In 1860 William R. Rains who was afterwards Second Lieut, in Co., "B" 8th Mo. S. M., had a wood shop there. By 1861, the town had grown to be an important business point, but at the commencement of the Civil War nearly all of its inhabitants sympathized with the Confederacy and went South, so that the town was almost deserted in 1862. Early in 1861, the people of the town and that section of the county became greatly excited about the issues of the Civil War. John Mabary, an Ex- Sheriff and Collector, and a highly respected citizen, with the assistance of others, enlisted a Company of State Guards, at the instance of Claiborne F. Jackson, then. Governor of the State, and in a very short time Union men became so stirred up that Lycurgus Lindsey, Thomas S. Morgan, Aaron Darby, William H. Liggett, then a young school teacher, and others raised Company "D" Osage Regiment Missouri Home Guards, under an order of General Nathaniel Lyon, who was then in command of the Federal troops in the state, and, who was killed in the battle of Wilson Creek, August 10, 186L Lycurgus Lindsey was Captain of Company "D" and Aaron Darby was a Lieutenant. After serving six months most of these men v/ent into the service of the United States for three years. Captain Mabary died in 1863. Some of his men went South and were in General Sterling Price's army; some of them quit the service after a short time, and came home, or went elsewhere; some, even, went into the Federal army later. Richard I. Robertson lived North of town about where Wash F. Reser's residence now stands. His residence and all the business houses and other buildings in town were burned during the war, except a little frame building that stood near where Thomas W. Stewart's residence now stands; a small log building on Block 7, and the double log buildings that were burned a few years ago where Alfred Lindsey's hotel now stands. In 1865, Benjamin A. Reeder, who had been Captain of Company "I" 8th M. S. M.. sold goods in the double log buildings, and in 1866, Alfred Lindsey and his brother, Anthony W. Lindsey, brought their store there from Buffalo, and continued in business in these log buildings until Anthony W. Lindsey bought the farm where Theodore Lindsey now lives East and Northeast of the Fisher cemetery and moved to it, and Alfred Lindsey built the present Post Office building and continued in business until about 1896. Since that time Joseph Edde, Wash F. Reser, Samuel P. Inks, William J. Edde, Sr., A. H. Crouch, T. H. Camp, Edde & Lewis, George W. Inks, Hulett Shumate, William J. Edde, Jr., James R. Marsh, S. P. Gregory, and others have done business there. The leading business men of the town are: George W. Inks, Winer D. Reser, Thomas Reser, Anthony W. Bowcher, and A. E. Tiderman, blacksmith shop, woo'd work shop and flouring mill. The blacksmiths have been: Newberry Hobbs, Joel Hobbs, Martin Hobbs, Theodore C. Piper, John B. Cross, Thomas Humphrey, Calvin Cook, George G. Cook, D. W. Hartnett, and A. E. Tiderman. In 1866-67, an old hewn log school house stood about 200 yards above the mill, but was probably never used after 1866. A frame school house was erected on the present school house ground, probably about 1877. The bond given by T. C. Piper for deed for the lot to the school district was dated in 1876, but no title to the lot was had until it was decreed by the Circuit court in 1883. The old school house was removed and the present school house built, probably in 1895. The church on Block 8, was built in 1873, for a Union church, but those of the Baptist persuasion, perhaps, took more interest in the building of it than any other denomination. Members of the Masonic order built the second story, but the order never got title to the property. The Methodist Protestant church, East of town, was built in 1899, for the use of the Methodist Protestant church by members of that church; many others not members of that church contributed liberally. That division of Methodism has a large following in the town and neighborhood.

The steam flouring mill, about 80 rods South of the town, was built by James A. Blakebill about 1891, and, although it has changed hands several times it has always done a good tusiness. It now belongs to A. E. Tiderman, who hammered out enough money to buy it in his blacksmith shop in town, and the chief miller is James A. Brakebill, a son of Judge James A. Brakebill, who built the mill.

In 1881, Preston Lodge No. 432, A. F. & A. M. was organized in the hall in the second story of the old church, with the following officers: T. C. Piper, W. M., Achilles Morgan, Sr. W., George W. Lindsey, Jr. W., R. G. Pendleton, Secretary, and John B. Cross, Treasurer. Some of the other members were: William J. Mabary, Rufus B. Green, and George W. Rains. Sometime after 1889, the organization was broken up and the members went to other lodges.

Preston Lodge No. 131, 1. 0. 0. F. was organized about July 1, 1888, with George W. Pack, N. G., H. M. Holt, V. G., A. H. Crouch, Secretary and Conductor, Thomas W. Stewart, Treasurer, George G. Cook, Warden. The present elective officers are: Ellery Walker, N. G., Waiter Robertson, V. G., Winer D. Reser, F. Sec, W. S. Woodford, R. Sec, Thomas W. Stewart, Treasurer. Some of the P. G's., are: WiUiam L. Wilson, H. M. Holt, Walter R. Brewster, Byron Ferguson, Thomas Stephenson, James H. Holt, and D. W. Hartnett.

September 1901, with the following officers: L. E. Giffin, V. C, Asa B. Wilson, W. A., James H. Holt, E. B., D. W. Hartnett. Escort, Ernest P. Stewart, Clerk, Byron Ferguson, Physician. The present officers are: Ernest P. Stewart, V. C, George W. Wilson, W. A., Theodore Lindsey, E. B., James H. Holt, Escort, James M. Robertson, Clerk, W. S. W^oodford, Physician.

The following Physicians have been residents of the town: Richard I. Robertson, Justice F. Powers, Alfred E. Ruby, A. H, Crouch, George W. Pack, George S. Millikan, Byron Ferguson, Thomas Reser, and William S. Woodford.

The land on which this town is situated was entered by Isaac M. Cruce, October 11, 1843, but the place was settled ten years or more before that time. William Kirkpatrick entered the West half of the Northwest quarter of Section 32, Township 38, Range 23. January 6, 1843, which Ues less than a quarter of a mile West of the town. Gladis Nowell and Ephraim Jamison entered tracts North and Northwest of town in Sections 19, 29, and 30, as early as May 1842. James Atkisson and Ira E. Tillford entered land Northeast of town in Section 15, December 30, 1843. The place before it was surveyed and platted went by the name of "Judy's Gap," because Samuel Judy had set up a blacksmith shop there, and operated it for several years and there was a gap or opening near this point between Hogle's creek prairie and twenty-five mile prairie. Mortimore Payne succeeded Judy, and about that time Aaron Ripetoe put up a country store and secured the appointment as Postmaster. He was, no doubt, the first Postmaster within what is now Hickory county. He kept his store and Post Office for several years, and in 1843 John Hunter succeeded him in business and did quite a prosperous business until some time after 1852. He was there in 1852, and received a deed from Isaac M. Cruce dated May 8, 1852, conveying Lots 7 and 8, in Block 1, to him as Trustee for the School district for school house and church purposes. There was a man in partnership with Hunter or in business there alone by the name of Armstrong. The town was evidently surveyed and platted at the instance of Isaac M. Cruce, in 1848, as he owned the land at that time. The deed to the first lot sold was made by Isaac M. Gruce and wife to Murry, dated February 3, 1849.

The date of the survey of the town cannot be given, because the Deed Record containing the plat and Surveyor's certificate was burned in the Court House fire January 6, 1881. Mr. Hunter sold out his business to Whitlow & Miller, who carried on a successful business until 1861. In the meantime William Eastwood run a stage line on the "Old Military" road. Charles Madden and George McGowan run a saloon, and Wm. Bird had a stock of drugs and groceries, and old man Raymond put up the first mill; an old fashioned tread wheel mill. John McDowell also had a carding machine run on the same plan. Then that destructive Civil War came up, and put a stop to business, and most of the citizens of the town and surrounding country, went into the Union army or went South, and the town was almost vacated. About 1863, James H. Raymond was discharged from the army to take charge of the Post Office, and he came home and run a little store, and it was robbed when Captain Rafter, a guerilla officer, was killed here, and John T. Thomas killed and William B. Charlton and Thomas Wilson seriously wounded* Until the war was over a number of persons run "dives" and small business here. After the close of the war William Thomas and Dr. William S. Swicegood, set up and run a general store, and Bennett Wellman and a Mr. StJohn run stores for a while. After this William Flesher run a general store here. A steam saw and grist mill was built on the creek half a mile West of town, but was sold out and moved to the East side of the county, and the machinery finally bought and moved back again about 1874. A log school house stood about half a mile North of town in which there was a school from four to six months in the year. In 1866 or 1867, there was a Woolen mill built in the Southwest part of town, that carded, spun and wove some of the coarser cloths and exchanged cloth for wool. Somewhere about 1874, Marmaduke E. Ferguson, Jame B. Brent and Lyman W. Stiltz built a steam saw and grist mill in Quincy, and soon after it was erected a very good school house in which a public school is kept up from seven to nine months in the year. The town now has a steam roller process flouring mifl operated by J. E. Dicus, a general store and Post Office run by Bert E. Lord, a general store and^harness business by Hally B. Amrine, blacksmiths L. W. Baldwin and William Stiltz, a grocery store by Samuel Estes, dry goods, clothing etc., by R. C. F. Cagle, Millinery stores by Miss Rena Stiltz and Mrs. E. E. Cagle, a drug store by Lyman W. Stiltz,

The A. F. & A. M. own a fairly good hall in the town in which Hogle's Creek Lodge held meetings for years, but the organization has been removed to Wheatland.

The town has no church building but services are held in the lower room of the Masonic building, by Methodist, Baptist, and Christians. The members of the Christian church are most numerous.

This town is situated on lands in Section 11, Township 36, Range 24, entered by William Hawkins October 23, 1840. It was the earliest land entry in the Township, except two, the East half of the Northeast quarter of Section 1, and the other a part of the N. M. Durnell old farm Southeast of town. These entries were made in 1838 and 1839. The first town survey was made at the instance of Rev. Emerson Barber, by Patrick Chancellor, County Surveyor, December 3, 1880. on the Northeast fourth of the Northeast fourth of the Southwest quarter Section 11, and the name given to it was "Haren." The first addition to the town was caused to be surveyed by A. A. John, August 20, 1883, by Patrick Chancellor. This survey was an addition to *'Haren," and was not described as being on any forty acres, but was said to be South of ."Haren." The next addition was made by Robert Dey, who caused lots to be surveyed on the Southwest fourth of the Southeast of the Northwest quarter of Section 11, May 29, 1886, by Patrick Chancellor. This was also named as an addition to "Haren," and on the same date William D. Harryman and Calvin Hartley caused to be surveyed 22 lots on the Southwest fourth of the Southeast fourth of the Northwest quarter of Section 11, lying South o! Dey's addition, and described as the South half of blocks 5 and 8, of Dey's addition, and known as the town of Weaubleau. The college addition was surveyed and platted on the Southeast fourth of the Northwest quarter of Section 11, July 28-29, 1893. Gentry's addition was surveyed and platted June 10, 1898, by P. M. Burns, Surveyor of Polk county, and is described as being part of the Northwest fourth of the Southeast quarter and part of the Southwest fourth of the Northeast quarter of Section 11. Upton & Leonard's addition, made by Joseph B. Upton and Ben F. Leonard, was surveyed by Patrick Chancellor. March 8-11, 1898, and is located on the South two-thirds of the North half of the Southeast quarter of Section 11. Broadway Heights addition was made by Ben F. Leonard and B. T. Perriman, and was surveyed by Rev. Green M. Botts, County Surveyor of Polk county, June 2, 1904, and is located on the Northwest fourth of the Southwestquarterof Section 12, Township 36, Range 24.

The first man who sold goods in Weaubleau, or what is now Weaubleau, was Jeff Sharp. He had a little store building and store there as early as 1871. It stood West or Northwest of the Institute building. About that time the first brick College building was erected in the tall grass where it now stands, and is used for a Christian church and other purposes. The principal contributors to this College building were: John Whitaker, Joseph Whitaker, Thomas Whitaker, Sr., William Swink, Francis Yoast, Dr. A. C. Marquis, Hon. Samuel S. Burr, dette, Thomas J. Tucker, C. M. Largent, George W.Durnell,^ Sr., and Monroe Durnell. After the walls of the building were, up a wind storm blew the second story down, and that made quite a hitch about getting it rebuilt and ready for school. The Principals of the school in the old Institute building were: Prof.

Rev. Joel Meyers. In 1880 or 1881, Thomas Phipps and Daniel Rogers, built a saw mill at the old mill place, on the Southwest fourth of the Northwest quarter of Section 11, and a little later Mr. Phipps and Joseph J. Conn and his son put up a steam flouring mill. This mill passed into the hands of Wil- Uam D. Harryman and Calvin Hartley, and was moved to Col- Uns, St. Clair county, about 1889. A. A. John built a store building where the town now is near where Dr. WiUiam C. Gentry built the two-story building where the store of James

A. Hawkins now is. Mr. John continued in business until 1894. L. D. John built and went into business in 1886 at or near where he is now doing business. There were built about 1881 or 1882, two buildings near the old mill place, perhaps on the Southeast corner of the Southeast fourth of the Northeast quarter of Section 10, and in one of them William D. Harryman and Calvin Hartley sold goods, and in the other a hotel was kept by an old man by the name of Hardy, father-in-law og William E. Crouch. Harryman & Hartley quit business there about 1885, and built a business house with I. 0. 0. F. hall in the second story about a quarter of a mile East of there. An I. 0. 0. F. Lodge was organized in 1883, but it was organized in the second story of the College building. The first public school building stood North and near where the old College building stands, and a larger and better school building was built in 1884, in the Northwest part of town. Perhaps Charles G. McMahan first kept hotel in the town, but John Baynham was there in a hotel where Mr. Pruett now runs the Commercial hotel about 1882. Robert Orr and John 0. James were also there in the hotel business, and not far from that time, before, perhaps, William E. Crouch kept hotel East of the old mill place. August W. Doerman, came there about 1884, and went into business and continued in business until about the first of the year 1887. Along about these years Thomas H. Bird, Patric Chancellor, and James J. Ramsey, were in the mercantile business there. Had not A. A. John, L. D. John and Weaubleau Christian Institute been there after the flouring mill was removed and other men whom we have named went out of business, the town would have been almost abandoned. The conditions were very discourageing for the school for some time. There were not a great many such prosperous farmers, and large well cultivated farms in the neighborhood of the town in those years, and not a railroad nearer than Appleton City, and Clinton. But this was not allowed to be continued. In 1892, enterprising citizens of the town and neighborhood laid plans and determined, to awaken an interest in the high school, and put new life into the town. This was carried out in 1893, by the laying out of the College addition to the town into lots, streets and alleys on July 28-29, 1893. and the building of the present commodious, and convenient College building at the North end of town, away from the business center. The association that represented the builders was incorporated by the Circuit Court of Hickory County, November 23, 1893, with William E. Crouch, Robert Dey, Thomas J. Tucker, C. M. Largent, and Thomas H. Houser as Trustees. Before the completion of the new College building the town began to grow, new residences and new business houses were built, and the town put on a great amount of new life, but only gradually, until the Kansas City, Osceola, and Southern Railroad, now Frisco, came in August 13, 1898. This put entirely new hfe and many new people in the town. Prior to the coming of the Railroad the Baptist people had erected a commodious church building in the West part of town. The residences and business houses built in anticipation of the coming of the railroad, and immediately after the arrival of its trains are too numerous to mention. August 13, 1898, was a boom day for Weaubleau. In the spring or early summer of 1898, the T. A. Miller Lumber Co., put in a lumber yard and in the fall ot 1898, B. F. Tucker, an enterprising, and wealthy young man, who was born, raised and educated there, put in a lumber yard and is there in busi^ ness now, he having purchased the stock of the T. A. Miller Cd. In 1904-5, Mrs. Margaret J. Forshe, who had been in the hotel business almost from girlhood, erected a handsome, roomy hotel on the North side of the main street leading from the main business part of town to the depot, which she sold to Thomas J. McCracken in 1906. Also in the years 1904-5, William H. Nichols, with the assistance of others, erected near the Frisco depot, a fine, large, steam, full roller process, flouring mill which has done a large business since its erection. It has now passed into the hands of John P. Monroe & Son, the large stock feeders of Weaubleau Township. A large, convenient brick public school building was built in 1902, and the Methodist Episcopal church people, and people of the Christian church (sometimes called Cahipbellites) have nice, commodious church buildings, while the other Christian church, (sometimes called New Lights) keep in repair and use the lower story of the old Institute building as a place of worship.

July 25, 1899, the Bank of Weaubleau was organized, by Joseph Whitaker, Laura 0. Whitaker, Thomas H. Whitaker, Della^^Whitaker, Ida Whitaker, and George Clinton Hardy. It has a capital stock of $5,000 all paid up, and is a substantial, convenient and safe institution. In 1906, Thomas H. Whitaker, Cashier of the Bank of Weaubleau, and Prof. John Whitaker, who has represented this county two terms in the lower house of the State Legislature built a large, magnificent brick building of two stories with two rooms below suitable for any sort of store rooms, one of which is now occupied by Mason & Robbinett, Druggists, and the other is occupied by WiUiam U. Morton, General Merchandise.

The business and business men of the town are as follows: L. D. John, General Store, Ben F. Tucker, Assignee for T. S. Heath & Son, General Store, William U. Morton, General Store, William S. Goans, Dry Goods and Groceries, L. L. Roberts, Groceries and Meat Market, Allee & Son, Harness, Famous Clothing House, Clothing and Gents Furnishings, Weaubleau Pharmacy, Drugs, Charles D. Tharp, Dentist, W. B. McCord, Dentist, W. C. Gentry, Physician, W. J. Mason, Physician, Marlow Bros., Second Hand and Racket Store, T. A. Griffin, Produce, J. C. Lowe, Produce, Hartley & Davis, Barbers, Knight & Son, Hardware and Implements, E. D. Brown, Groceries and Restaurant, R. G. Kittel, Photographer and Jeweler, N. E. Estes, Books and Stationery, Thomas J. McCracken, Hotel, W. E. Pruett, Hotel, Owens Bros., Livery, Feed and Sale Stable, T. S. Durnell, Livery, Feed and Sale Stable, W. W. Tharp, Marble and Granite Works, J. J. Ashinhurst, Blacksmith, Howard Buckalew, Blacksmith, Chas. Fields, Wagon Maker, Mrs. L. D. John, Millinery, Mrs. W. J. Mason, Millinery, T. J. Tucker, Daryman and Ice Dealer, B. F. Tucker, Lumber, John P. Monroe & Son, Flouring Mills, Bank of Weaubleau, C. C Brookshire, Real Estate, Weaubleau Telephone Co.

Some of the resident Physicians have been: Emerson Barber, A. L. Fisher, Zachariah Barnes, George B. Viles, E. L. Burks, L. B. Selvidge. William C. Gentry, H. C. Brookshire, Wm. J. Mason, and Byron Ferguson.

Hickory Camp, W. 0. W. No. 505, was organized April 25, 1906, with the following officers: J. A. Jamison, C. Com., J. McNabb, A. Lt., J. D. Sims, Banker, Guy Robinett, Clerk, W. A. Leach, Escort, D. Whitson, Watchman, H. Nelson, Sentry. Present officers are: J. A. Jamison, P. C. C, Guy Robinett, C. C., J. W. Thompson, A. Lt., J. D. Sims, Banker, W. A. Leach, Watchman, W. J. Fitzhugh, Sentry, T. J. McCracken. Escort, and G. M. Priest, Clerk.

Wheatland

In December, 1869, Fredrick Kern and Joseph S. Naffziger, caused to be surveyed and laid off into a town, with streets, alleys, and a public square the greater part of the Northeast fourth of the Southeast quarter of Section 24, Township 37, Range 23, exactly four and one-half miles West of Hermitage. Fred Kern built a dwelling in 1866, where the Wilson hotel now stands. Melville H. Cooper, perhaps, was about the first to build a business house, but not far from the same time Wm. M. Dickson, Perry G. Snyder, Newman & Mendenhall, and John Sutter, built business houses. Removing the prairie grass and sod went on in a hurry, and it is difficult after a lapse of thirtyseven years to remember who was first or third. A steam flouring mill was built about a quarter of a mile North of town in 1870 by Joseph S. Naffziger, and after being several times repaired, stands there now, and is doing a fairly good business. It was not long after the town was laid out until there were almost complete blocks of frame business buildings on the East and South sides of the square, and the town has the best public well in the county, in the street at the Southeast corner of the public square. In 1871, a plain, comfortable school building was built, but was succeeded by a new two-story frame building in 1884 or 1885, and in it some of the most noted teachers of the county have taught school. The town had no church building until 1888, when a comfortable, roomy Union church building was built in the Southwest part of town, and since that time, the Methodist Episcopal deople h^ve built a fine, well furnished church building, in the South center part of town; the Methodist Episcopal Church, South people have built a new and handsome building in the Northwest part of town, and the people of the Christian church have purchased the large stone building on the East side of the public square, the second story of which is used for church purposes. The town has a number of splendid residence buildings and everyone has a well of nice, clear, pure water.

The first newspaper in the town was published by Dr. Moore in 1869, it was the "Hickory County Mirror." Dr. Moore run it for a few years, and transferred it to his son, Henry Almont Moore, who run it until about December 1875, and sold the outfit to John D. Pitts. F. Marion Wilson soon became the owner of it, and it was with that he and Ernest P. Baldwin published the "New Era," at Hermitage. In 1876, a company was formed and bought an office and published the "Wheatland Enquirer," managed by Walker, Woodburry and John H. Davidson, in succession. Its name was changed to "Wheatland Star" about 1882, and Henry A. Morre run it for a while and moved it to Humansville. Early in 1886 Alexander Humble moved the plant of his 'Hickory County Herald" to Wheatland, and leased it to some parties, who established and run the "Hickory County Democrat" about a year. Mr. Humble then took the office and run the "Harpoon" a while, and in 1888, moved it to Collins, Mo., but returned that year or early in 1889, and established the "Wheatland Headlight," with Abraham Lincoln Smith. The light soon went out in the "Headlight" and Humble moved away.

Hogle's Creek Lodge No 279, A. F. & A. M. was organized at Quincy, Mo., in October 1868, with Lyman W. Stiltz, W. M.. James B. Brent, Secretary, John Ragner, Albert A. Crouch, James A. Scrivener. Peter J. Stoll, Jacob P. StoU, James R. Wilson, Hugh B. Combs, and William D. Harryman, as members. The present officers are: C. P. Scrivener, W. M. William H. Roman, Sr. W., John B. Taylor, Jr. W., Charles Czarlinsky, Treasurer, Don Harryman, Secretary, Olliver J. Watkins, S. D. William Crates, J. D., Roy Mansfield, S. S., H. P. Liggett, J. S., N. F. Meador, Tyler.

Buzzard, V. C, Wm. H. Kern, W. A., W. H. Bailey, E. B., Harry Kinney, Escort, C. V. Gist, Watchman, H. P. Uggett, Clerk. The present officers are: C. P. Scrivener, V. C, George C. Bartshe, W. A., Wm. Miller, E. B., A. B. Heard, Watchman. W. F. Crates. Sentry, Charles A. Gist, Escort, John. W. Powell, Clerk.

About April 1, 1894, the Hickory County Bank was moved from Hermitage, and filed banking contract April 9, 1894, and commenced business in a splendid, new two-story brick building, which stood East of the public square, where the stone store building now stands. In about a year after the removal the bank building and all the furniture were burned, but the bank vault and safe saved the bank records, papers and funds from destruction. In a short time WilUam H. Liggett, President of the bank, built the brick building now used by the bank, and the business was moved there, where it remains. The bank now has a capital stock of $10,000 and its present officers are: H. P. Liggett, Pres., Mrs. M. L. Jackson, V. P.. and J. B. Crowley. Cashier.

Present business: General Stores of Williamson & Garrett, Charles CzarUnsky. and John W. Powell. Hardware and Implements. Leroy F. Mansfield, Drug Stores, Wm. L. Powell, and W. F. Crates, Grocery Stores, Wilson & Heard, and Joseph Dent, Barber Shop, Clyde Stover, Hotels are kept by J. S. Wilson, and Mrs. Margaret J. Forshe, Blacksmiths, William Miller, and John Harryman, Resident Dentist. C. P. Scrivener. W. D. Harryman, Proprietor of Wheatland Roller Mills, Furniture Store, S. E. Marston, Millinery Store, Miss Maggie Marston.

Some of the resident Physicians have been: John H. Newman, Ira N. Mendenhall, John Messick, Zachariah Barnes, Sylvester Redfield, William Moore. William J. Snyder, L. B. Selvidge, John W. Clayton, Henry C. Brookshire, George N. White, Arthur L. Fisher, Albert S. Johnston, and Alva Fisher.

Civil War

In the spring of 1861, when this war came on there was probably not more than 700 able bodied men between the ages of 18 and 45 years in the county, and these were divided between the Union and Confederate armies. From what is now remembered by those who went into the contending armies it is believed that not more than one-third went to the Confederate army. Even some slaveholders such as Joel B. H albert and Barney Pitts were on the side of the old Union. It was not so much the Slavery question that divided the people of this county, but fear of the effects of dissolving the old Union, and the old doctrine of "State Rights," and resentment against the election of Mr. Lincoln to the Presidency.