Jackson County, Missouri - Chapter 4: Location and Early Settlement, 1920

Andrew Jackson was born in North Carolina March 5, 1767, and died near Nashville, Tenn., June 8, 1845. The distinguishing features and prominent events in this great man's life are too well known by all to need further reference here, but it is no wonder the future greatness of this county was presaged by our fathers with his great name.

Jackson County is located on the extreme western border of Missouri, 160 miles from the south line, and 112 miles from the north line of the State. It is bounded on the north by Clay and Ray counties, separated by the Missouri River, on the east by Lafayette and Johnson, on the south by Cass County and west by Johnson County, Kansas. The area is exactly 385,404 acres or 602 1-5 square miles. Its boundaries are more exactly defined in the following: Beginning at the confluence of the Kaw (Kan¬ sas) and Missouri rivers and running due south on the line dividing the - states of Missouri and Kansas to a point 18.86 miles from the starting point the southwest corner of the county is reached ; then.ce due east on the line dividing the counties of Jackson and Cass to southeast corner of sec¬ tion thirty-three (33), township forty-seven (47) north of the Base Line, and range twenty-nine (29) west of the Fifth Principal Meridian, a dis- tance of 26.27 miles the southeast corner of the county is established; thence north" on the line dividing Jackson from Johnson and Lafayette to the Missouri River a distance of 21.57 miles, thence in a westerly course following the meanderings of the river a distance of 40 miles to the point of starting.

The south and east lines were run by the land surveyors who surveyed most of the country in this vicinity, at a magnetic variation of from 7° 30' to 9°, and the west line of the county was established by the com¬ mission appointed to locate the western boundary of Missouri, Sept. 23, 1823, at the true variation of 11° 8'. The latitude of the mouth of the Kaw (Kansas) River, is exactly 39° 4', that of Kansas City and Inde¬ pendence being the same. The longitude of Kansas City is 94° 30' west.

Beginning at the southeast corner of Jackson County, for a distance of six miles Johnson County forms its eastern boundary, the remaining 15.57 miles to the Missouri River is the dividing line between Lafayette and Jackson. Beginning with the northeast corner of Jackson County, the Missouri forms the boundary line between Ray and Jackson for a distance of nine or ten miles, and for the remainder of the distance it separates Jackson and Clay counties. The center of Jackson County is 270 miles a little north of west of St. Louis by the shortest railroad line. By the Missouri Pacific Railroad, Kansas City is 282 miles from St. Louis, 157 miles from Jefferson City. By the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Rail¬ road, Kansas City is 530 miles from Chicago. By the Chicago and Alton Railroad, the distance is 489 miles. At Kansas City, the northwest corner of the county, the Missouri River makes a great bend from the south to the east, and from thence pursues an easterly course till it unites its waters with the Mississippi. No other county in the State is so favorably located as Jackson. It is in the heart of the best agricultural region in the Missouri Valley, and enjoys the center of traffic for western Missouri and eastern Kansas. Situated as it is in the exact geographical center of the Republic, north and south, and only a few miles east of the geographical center east and west, and possessing natural and developing resources superior to all other sections of the country, the future greatness of Jackson County is almost beyond our comprehension.

It is evident from all sources that the first settlement in Jackson County was at Fort Osage, on the Missouri River, afterward called Sibley. The government had established this for the purpose of frontier defense, and also to trade with the Indians. It is understood that Lewis and Clark made their discoveries along this county's northern border in the year

1804, and Fort Osage was established four years later. For nearly twenty years there were no important permanent settlements within the limits of the county, but just as soon as the Indian title was extinct the county was settled and organized. At Fort Osage there was a ferry across the Mis¬ souri River, and all along to the present time it has been more or less used for crossing. Settlements were afterward made in the neighborhood at Blue Mills, and what was known as the "Hudspeth Settlement." This was eight or ten miles a little north of east, of Independence, on the road to Sibley. William Hudspeth, William Franklin, Christopher, Joel and Rich¬ ard Childs, Thomas Potts, Sr., and Jr., David Bittle, Lynchburg Adams, Lewis Franklin, Jesse Morrow, William Huntsucker, John Hambright, ichael Rice and many others, were among early and prominent settlers of that vicinity. A mill was built and operated on the east side of Little Blue by Michael Rice. At an early day a school was taught in the neigh¬ borhood by George S. Parks. In this vicinity was built the first church in thii county, called the "Six Mile Baptist Church " ettlements were next made at Independence, then at Westport, then Lone Jack, then Blue Springs, then Kansas City, and many other points such as New Santa Fe, Hickman's Mills, Stony Point, Wayne City, Oak xrove. Pink Hill, Greenwood, Lees Summit, Raytown Buckner, and others.

Ihe early settlements were all in or near the timber or some spring of water, the settlers thinking the prairie land not only difficult to be sub¬ dued, but actually worthless as far as agricultural purposes were concerned. When they first commenced breaking the prairie they used the barshear plow, to which they attached from four to eight yoke of oxen Independence was located for the seat of justice in March, 1827, and from a^t time it became the most important point in the county, both in size an business. Soon the Santa Fe trade, of which more particular mention will hereafter be made, sprang up, and soon rendered Independence a grow¬ ing city of extensive commerce on the prairie. Among some of the early settlers were John O. Agnew, Solomon Flournoy, Robert Rickman, William Lawrence, Leonard H. Renick, Henry Baker, Samuel C. Owens, John R Sweargengen, Russell Hicks, John W. Moodie, Reuben Wallace, Joseph h' Reynolds, Samuel Weston, Robert Weston, John Lewis, Richard McCarty

Wi ham McCoy, Alexander Todd, Henry Ruby, Reuben Ruby, and others After a correct enumeration in the fall of 1834, it was found that the town of Independence contained just 250 inhabitants.

pendence and vicinity ; and after the Santa Fe trade had found its chief starting point at Independence, for several years it gradually transferred a portion of it to Westport. J. C. McCoy, who now resides in Johnson County, Kansas, laid out the town, and was one of its principal settlers for some time, Robert Johnson was another early settler there; James McGee and sons, John Harris, Jacob Ragan, William Matney, Johnston Lykens, and many more, were among the early settlers in the vicinity of Westport. Before Kansas City became of any commercial importance Westport was a flourishing town, with a large Santa Fe trade.

Perhaps the next settlement was made at Lone Jack, where families had clustered in the vicinity, and became very much attached to the place. Lone Jack was thus named from a large jack oak tree, which stood alone there in the prairie. It has since been a post-village of considerable im¬ portance, Among the early settlers in the vicinity we mention the names of Warham Easley, Galen Cabe, John Snow, Stephen Easley and John Daniel. This was the principal settlement in the southeastern portion of the county, and here their township elections were held.

Kansas City was not settled for a long time after Sibley, Independ¬ ence and Westport. As late as 1839 wild deer, wolves and wild turkeys inhabited those bluffs and valleys, where Kansas City now stands, undis¬ turbed by man ; there were large trees and thick underbrush, which made it most emphatically a wilderness. In the month of December, 1839, Mr. H, G. Rees, who later lived at Independence, crossed the river from Kan¬ sas City to Harlem, at a point just below the present great railroad bridge, and when about to step upon the ferry boat a large flock of wild turkeys came from the opposite shore, sailing over his head, and alighted only a few yards distant. When the turkeys saw the men they ran up the bluff into the unsettled wilderness, where the business portion of Kansas City is now located. Mr, Rees had remained over night in an old log hut among the trees, on the south side of the river, in which Thomas Smart then lived. Blankets were nailed upon the inside of the cabin, to break the wind from those endeavoring to keep warm within ; the chinks between the logs had not been plastered with mud, and it was difficult to keep warm.

New Santa Fe was also an early but not very important settlement. It was on the direct route of travel for those starting from Independence engaged in the Santa Fe trade, situated near the southwest corner of the county on the Kansas State line. Most of the early settlers in this section went to Independence and Westport for supplies. They usually lived in the timber and ate hominy and potatoes, frequently having no bread. At or near Stony Point, near the south boundary of Sniabar township, there were several early settlers. Near the present site of the village of Blue Springs was the early home of the Smiths, Clarks, Burrises, Dailies, Judge R. D. Stanley, and other. The first prairie broken in Jackson