Johnson County, Missouri - Chapter 4: - Early Settlements and Pioneers, 1881

Introduction - Habits and Characteristics of Pioneers - First Houses - Bedsteads - Manner of Cooking - Hominy Blocks - Early Mills - Farming - Hospitality and Traits--Columbus Settlement - G-allaher Mill - Dunksburg - Mulkey settlement - Hazel Hill - Rose Hill - Bluff Spring - Cornelia - Huff Settlement - Owsley and Wall Settlement.

Since the period that the early settlements were made within the limits of what is now called Johnson county, time, the great monarch of all things perishable, has made changes. The slow and unobserved " old man with his sickle " has visited every dwelling, and his wiry blade has been thrust in, regardless of nationality, home, or honor, and numbers of the old pioneers sleep and are mingled with the soil that they once tilled. The writer is touched with the sad thought that he remembers many of the plain and hospitable men of the west, whose unsullied hearts and inter¬ minable energy of purpose, gave to this county its birthright, and its wholesome outlook in the dark days of hardship, who now rest from their labors. As long as the sands of time unceasingly roll, may the historian's pen incessantly recount the matchless worth of these pioneers.

It may be possible that we may fail to give a full detail of the early settlements and pioneers of the county, after spending considerable time in gathering materials. Every nation does not possess an authentic account of its origin, neither do all communities have the correct data, whereby it is possible to accurately predicate the condition of their first beginnings. The old Latins said, " Forsan et haec olim memimisse javabit ." Nevertheless, to be intensely interested in such things is characteristic of the race, and it is particularly the province of the historian to deal with the first causes. Should these facts, as is often the case, be lost in the mythical tradition of the past, the Chronicler invades the realm of the ideal world, and compels his imagination to paint the missing picture. It is said that the patriotic Roman was not content till he had famed the "First

Settlers," and then he was satisfied, although the story of their spurious origin and company was not so tasteful to peruse as those of to-day, or that of their children, the cultured Patricians of Rome.

One of the advantages of a residence in a new country, and the one usually least appreciated, is to be able to go back to the beginning. By this means we can trace results to their causes, and grasp the facts and scraps of history which have contributed largely to form and mould events and characters. When we observe that a county has attained a certain position in contrast with other counties, we begin to cast about for the reasons of this condition in its early settlements and surroundings, and especially to notice the class of people by whom the county was settled, and the many circumstances and changes whichjhave wrought the results recorded of their acts.

In the history of Johnson county, we may trace, in some instances, the early settlers to their old homes in the eastern states and in the countries of the old world. We may follow the course of the " Buckeye," " Sucker," " Hoosier," " Knickerbocker," and " Green-Mountain " and "Nutmeg Boys," in contrast with the " Corncrackers," " Tuckyhoes," " Tarheels," " Whelp," and "Texas Rangers," as we arrange the annals of the pioneers for compilation. For more than a century the provincial¬ isms of the different sections of the union have been marked by a deep contrast. The sturdy sons of New England " guess it is rearing and edu¬ cation," while the Dixie boys " reckon it is raising."

In this county and the west generally, little by. little, the people from every section have been losing the tinge of their sectional bias, so at this day it is difficult to tell the difference. The feelings that once prompted different localities to be antagonistic have died away. The customs, dress, language, diet and sundry things are peculiarly western, but quite differ¬ ent from the days of the pioneers of Johnson county.

Often the adventurer came to the west to "grow up with the country," trusting only to his right arm and willing heart to work his way on in the wilderness, and by his ambition secure a home for himself and loving wife, and a maintenance for his children. Here, fifty years ago, the pioneer hunter chased the deer, elk and bear, where now are broad and cultivated fertile fields possessed by their descendants. Here we may see the path worn by the Missourian in his experience in a land, which to him was a land of progress, far in advance of that southern and eastern soil, upon which he had his temporary home, ere his effort to adapt himself to new conditions. We may see here the growth which came with knowl edge, and the progress which grew upon him with advancement around him, and how his better side developed. The vanishing pride of Kentucky blood, or the vain glory of other sections, brought here in an earlv dav, have been modified since the advent in the crucible of democracy, when servitude was eliminated from the solution. Others have been animated with the impulse to move on, after making themselves a part of the community, and have sought the extreme west, where the subduing hand of civilization had not penetrated. Some have become wealthy and returned to make a home in Johnson county, while a few are led back by the scrawny hand of poverty to till the native soil. In this county, there were but few, however, of the distinctive New England men and women or yankees, a class which have poured into western and southern states since the war, by thousands, and have swelled the population and wealth of those portions far in excess of any previous flow of emigration. This class brought with them a proclivity, inherent, submissive and courteous, which has constantly tended to smooth the angles of western society and deaden the execrable feeling that had so long drawn the lines of sec¬ tional division. The agile New Englander will soon be a perfect Missou¬ rian and his offspring will tell the story of the adventure, and bless the progenitor that they have a cheerful home in the favored spot of Missouri - Johnson county. In our county we shall find, also, many an industrious and economical German, besides other nationalities - all of whom have contributed to modify types of men alread}T existing here.

Those who have noted the career of the descendants of those brave, strong men in subduing the wilds, overcoming the obstacles and with¬ standing the hardships of this county in early times, can but admit that they are worthy sons of illustrious sires.

During the decade which comprehends the first ten years after 1834, the history of the county was made up of the earliest stage of pioneer life. All that can be known of this period must be drawn chiefly from tradition. In those days the people took but little care to preserve his¬ tory; they were too busily engaged in making it. Historically speak¬ ing, those were the most important years of the xounty, for it was then the foundation and corner-stone of all the county's history and prosperity was laid. Yet, this period was not remarkable for its stirring events. It was, however, a time of self-reliance and brave, persevering toil; and of privations, patiently endured through faith in the good time coming. The experiences of one settler were very much the same as those of all others. They were, quite all, invariably poor, faced the same hardships and gen¬ erally stood on the same footing.

All the experience of the early pioneer of this county goes far to con¬ firm the theory that, after all, happiness is pretty evenly balanced in the world. They had their privations and hardships, but they had, also, their own peculiar joys. If they were poor, they were free from the burden of pride and vanity unless inherent in their nature; and exempt.

also, from the anxiety and care that always attend the possession of wealth. Other peoples' eyes cost them nothing. If they had few neigh¬ bors, they were on the best terms with those they had. Envy, jeal¬ ousy, had not crept in. A common interest and a mutual sympathy bound them together with the closest ties.- They were a little world to them¬ selves, and the good feeling that prevailed was all the stronger, because they were so far removed from the dense populated cities of the east.

Among these hospitable pioneers there was realized a community of feeling, arising from a social state of welfare. There were no castes, no aristocracy, except an aristocracy of kind hearts and benevolence. They were bound together with a bond of sympathy begotten by the con¬ sciousness of common hardships which made them practical communists.

Neighbors did not even wait for an invitation or request to help one. another. Was a settler's cabin burned or blown down, no sooner was the fact known throughout the neighborhood, than the settlers assembled to assist the unfortunate one to rebuild the domicile. They came with as little hesitation and as much alacrity, as though they were all members of the same family, and bound together by ties of consanguinity. What was one man's interest was the interest of the whole community. Now, this general state of feeling among the pioneers was, by no means, peculiar to this county, although it was strongly illustrated here. It prevailed gener¬ ally throughout the west during the time of the early settlement. The very nature of things taught the settlers the necessity of dwelling together in this spirit. It was their only protection. They had come, many of them, far away from the well established reign of law, and entered a new country, where the civil authority was still feeble, and totally unable to afford protection and redress grievances. Here, in Johnson county, some of the settlers lived for quite a while before there was a single officer of the law in the county. Each man's protection was in the good will and friendship of those about him, and the one thing that any might well dread was the ill-will of the community; for it was far more terrible than the law. The law has its squabbles and delays, but no squabbling or delaying at the court of public sentiment. It was no uncommon thing, in early times, for hardened men, who had no fear of jails, to stand greatly in awe of the indignant community. Such were some of the characteristics of the first settlers of Johnson county; nevertheless, they were generally peacea¬ ble, quiet and law-abiding citizens, and for several years these pioneers bad but few law suits and cared very little about anything except domes¬ tic affairs. They had no time to fall out with neighbors. Their charita¬ ble hand was ever open to welcome the stranger to cast his lot with them and share mutually what was in reserve.

succeeded them. The latter required some help and considerable labor to build. The first buildings constructed were a cross between " hoop cabins" and Indian bark huts. Many pioneers lived in these round pole cabins the first few years. As soon as enough men could be gotten for a "raising," log houses were in style. Many a pioneer can remember the happiest time in his life as that when he lived in one ol these homely but comfortable old houses.

In the pioneer's house a window with sash and glass was a rarity, and an evidence of wealth and aristocracy which but few could support. These houses were tenements suited to the times. They were often made with greased paper put over the window, which admitted a little light, but more often there was nothing whatever over it, or the cracks between the logs, without chinking or daubing, were the dependence for light and air. The doors were fastened with old-fashioned wooden latches, and swung on wooden hinges. For friend, neighbor or traveler the latch-string always hung out. These pioneers were hospitable, and entertained visit¬ ors, even strangers, to the best of their ability, and never once thought of charging a cent.

It is quite noticeable with what affection and attachment the pioneers speak of their old log cabins. It may be doubted whether palaces ever sheltered happier hearts than those rudely constructed, homely log cabins. The following is a vivid description of these old landmarks, few of which now remain:

"These cabins were of round logs and poles, notched together at the corners, ribbed with poles, and covered with boards split from a tree. A puncheon floor was then laid down, a hole cut in the end, and a stick and mud chimney run up. Cupboard is made, sometimes a window opened by cutting out a hole in the side or end about two feet square, and it is finished, without glass or transparency. The house is then * chinked ' with blocks of wood and ' daubed ' with mud made of the top soil.

" The log hut is now ready to go into. The household and kitchen furniture is now adjusted, and life on the frontier is begun in earnest. The one-legged bedstead - now a piece of furniture of the past - was made by cutting a stick the proper length, boring holes at one end one and a half inches in diameter, at right angles, and the same-sized hole corresponding with these in the logs of the cabin the length and breadth desired for the bed, in which are inserted poles. Upon these poles clapboards are laid, or hickory bark is woven consecutively from pole to pole. Upon this primitive structure the bed is made."

The convenience of a cook stove was not thought of then, but instead the cooking was done by the faithful housewife in pots, kettles, ovens and skillets, on and about the big fire-place, and very frequently over and around the pedal extremities of the man, one of the so-called " lords of creation " and the legal sovereigns of the household, while he was indulg¬ ing in his nicotine and poisonous luxuries of a cob-pipe, and now and then chewing and squirting the juice of the "natural leaf," and discoursing the monotonous issues of a late election, or contemplating the probable result of a proposed hunting excursion.

These log cabins were really not so bad, after all. The people of to-day, familiar with cooking stoves and culinary utensils, would not be at home were they compelled to prepare a meal with no other conveniences than such as were found in the pioneer's log cabin. Rude fire-places were constructed of mud and sticks, sometimes rough stones were laid for a hearth, jambs and back, the mud and stones to keep the sticks from catching fire, and the sticks to keep the mud from* falling down.

These fire-places served for heating and cooking purposes, also for ven¬ tilation. Around the cheerful blaze of these early fires the meals were prepared, and around the fire-side too the board was spread, and after the decanter passed around the table, and all had a dram, the edibles were relished with a piquancy that the envoy of Spain might envy. These viands, as elsewhere stated, were not such as would tempt the epicure, but such as afforded the most wholesome nourishment for a class of peo¬ ple who were driven to exposure and hardships by their lot. Among them were but few dyspeptics.

Before there were mills of easy access, and even in some instances after¬ wards, hominy blocks were used. These now exist only in the memory of the oldest settlers, relics long since perished. The following is a description of the hominy block:

A tree of suitable size, from eighteen to twenty-eight inches in diameter* was selected in the forest and felled to the ground. If a cross-cut saw was convenient, the tree was " butted," i. e ., the kerf or rough part, made by the ax, was sawed off, so that it would stand steady when ready for use. If there were no saw in the neighborhood, strong arms and sharp axes were ready to do the work. The proper length of. this block was from four to five feet. When the block was sawed or cut off at both ends, square, then it was raised on one end and the work of cutting out a hol¬ low in the upper end commenced. This was done with an ax. When the cavity was sufficiently large, a fire was kindled in it and carefully guarded till the rough edges were burned out. When completed the block resembled a druggist's mortar. The pestle was made of a suitable piece of timber and was used to pound the corn. Sometimes one hominy block accommodated an entire neighborhood, and was the means of stay¬ ing the hunger of many mouths.

travel, or swollen streams intervened between the settler's home and the mill, a grist mill was extemporized from the coffee mill, whereby suffi¬ cient corn was ground to furnish meal for the family. At other times a grater was made by pricking holes in an old piece of tin, and after the corn was softened somewhat .by boiling in the ear, meal was grated. Numerous instances might be given to show how families and even whole neighborhoods subsisted in this way for days and even weeks. Instances of this kind were very numerous during the winter of the great snow of 1829.

Blackwater and Clear Fork were the only streams that had suitable mill sites.. At quite an early day, Jerome Greer had a saw mill on Blackwater, in what is now called Grover township, also, a few miles above that place, and near the bridge, at Kirkparick's mill, a grist mill, on the same stream, was erected and did a good business prior to 1840. William Cheek built a water mill on Clear Fork in 1831, which passed into the hands of James A. Gallaher in 1834. In the western part of the county a water mill run at an early day, on Big creek, near the bridge, west of Rose Hill; also a little wind mill at Centre Knob, and a horse mill at Bluff nished plenty of water to turn the mills a greater part of the year. It is supposed that since civilization came westward and utilized the soils and drained the bottom lands, that there is not so much rain as formerly. It is said by reliable pioneers that for days and weeks many of the creeks could not be forded. Then there were no roads, bridges, ferry-boats and bet few canoes, and scarcely any convenience of travel. Then it was no small undertaking to travel where so many treacherous streams had to be crossed. Then scarcely a week passed without some rain, and the streams were often swollen beyond the capacity of their banks, and would swim a horse where now we see fertile corn fields.

Some interesting stories are afloat among the pioneers about " going to mill," as they term it. These travels to mills, and for provisions by the early settlers, can but remind the historian of marches in military cam¬ paigns; and when we hear of the heroic and daring conduct of the hardy pioneer in procuring bread for his loved ones, we are led to reflect that here were heroes more valiant than any of the soldiers who followed either a Napoleon or a Hannibal. In the early days of the settlement of the county, there were men in the peaceful walks of life, scatted over the surface of the county who endured as great hardships as did our patriotic fathers under Washington, during the seven years in which our ancestors gave up all that was dear, to fight and die if necessary for liberty.

An interesting comparison might be drawn between the conveniences which now make the life of a farmer a comparatively easy one, and the rude farming of those days. A brief description of the accommodations possessed by the first tillers of the soil will not be amiss. Let the children of such illustrious sires draw their own comparisons, and may they silence forever the voice of complaint which so often is heard by the grumbling farmer.

The only plows owned by the first settlers were the bull tongue colter, single shovel, and wooden mold-board plows. If a man owned a wooden mold-board plow, he was quite an aristocrat. With these simple imple¬ ments the plowman open up his " patches." These rude plows did good service, and they must be awarded the honor of first stirring the soil of Johnson county, as well as all the other counties of the state.

The amount of money which some farmers annually spend for agricul¬ tural implements wrould have kept the pioneer farmer in farming utensils during a whole life time. The pioneer invested but little money in such things, because he had little money to spare. The machinery of to-day would not have been adapted to pioneer farming. The bull plow was probably better adapted to the fields abounding in stumps and roots, than the modern sulky plow. The sickle and the old-fashioned wheat cradle did better execution than a modern harvester would under like circumstances. The prairies were not settled till after the pioneer period, and that portion of the county which was the hardest to put under cultivation, and the most difficult to till after it was improved, appears to have been first cultivated. Perhaps it is well for the county that such was the case, for the present generation, familiar with farming machinery of such complicated patern, would scarcely undertake the clearing off of dense forests, and the culti¬ vating of the ground with the kind of implements their fathers used. The young farmer knows but little about work, compared with his fath¬ er's endurance, in opening up and cultivating the first fields of the county. Further description of pioneer farming will be treated by townships.

Some have lived to see the rough and crooked paths of pioneer life change to that of ease and comfort, with grandchildren around them, enjoying a thousand fold of the luxuries which have resulted from the arduous toils of their progenitors.

The simple fare of the inhabitants was alike conducive to health as well as economical. When boarding-houses were first established, ten to fifteen cents was the bill for a meal. If the average family had corn-bread the boarders were satisfied. Flour was very scarce, and in many families an unknown commodity. But few of the young people of to-day know any¬ thing about making the delicious and digestible corn cake, the pride of our grandmother's days.

One of the peculiar circumstances of pioneer life was a strange loneliness. At first, it is said, that the solitude seemed oppressive. Months would pass often without seeing a face, outside of the family circle. The isola¬ tion of those days has wrought such reticence upon some families of these old settlers, that it will be generations before it passes away. Some of them say that they lived in such a lonely way, when they first came here, that afterward, when the county began to fill up, they always found them¬ selves bashful and constrained in the presence of strangers. It seems sin¬ gular to note bashfulness as one of the characteristics of the strong, stal¬ wart settlers; however, it is a prominent trait among pioneers. The writer has seen children, grown to maturity, both girls and boys, who would screen themselves behind doors, or any place convenient, and when induced to come to view, they wanted to apoligize for a home-spun dress, or that they were "not fit to see company." Frequently, the girls that grew up in the common homes were prudes, and would blush, if a stranger spoke to them, as if they had a hectic stroke. These girls would gener¬ ally marry the first chance, to those of similar characteristics, and. they made good, congenial, devoted wives. While this may be true in some families, the better classes brought up their children with great vigilance, and trained them in home etiquette, domestic economy, and the love of religion.

When the rights of these pioneer settlers were threatened or invaded, their 'timidity or bashful nature vanished like a mist in a summer's sun, and their "muscles of iron and hearts of flint" were ready for any emergency. If any emergency arose they were always ready for the occasion, as the Indian and Mormon wars, which they passed through. The hospitality of these people was unbounded. During the camp-meet¬ ing seasons, neighbors, for miles around, would entertain those from a distance.

Rough and rude though the surroundings may have been, the pioneers were none the less honest, sincere, hospitable and kind in their relations. It is true, as a rule, and of universal application, that there is a greater degree of real humanity among the pioneers of any country than there is when the country becomes older and richer. Here existed a high regard of the sexes, and moral courage was one of the noble qualities of the women, whose chastity was never disputed. If there is any absence of refinement, that absence was more than compensated in the presence of generous hearts and truthful lives. They were bold, courageous, indus¬ trious, enterprising and energetic. These men were themselves. They have an eternal hate for cowards and shams of every kind, and above all falsehood and deception, and cultivate a straightforward line of policy and integrity, which seldom permits them to be imposed upon, or lead a life of treachery themselves.

Searching among old, musty documents, and conversing with some of the oldest inhabitants, we have collected some interesting facts concerning the early settlement of the county.

The territory now comprising Johnson county was organized in the winter of 1834 - 5, and named in honor of Richard M. Johnson, of Ken¬ tucky. The first settlement was made where the village of Columbus now stands. This territory was then called Lafayette county, and was settled by Pleasant Rice in the year 1827.

The original town of Warrensburg, which is now called "Old Town," or "West End," was selected as the site for the county seat in 1836, and is, therefore, forty-five years old. It was named in honor of Martin Warren, a revolutionary soldier, who was the only settler where the town now stands. J. D. Warren, his son, was the first county clerk.

The first courts were held in Warrensburg in 1837. The first lawyerswho located permanently were, Maj. N. B. Holden and Thomas B. Wyatt. The first physicians were Drs. Parks and Calhoun. John Evans and Harvey Dyer were the first merchants.

The churches organized in the early settlement of the town were the Methodist, Cumberland Presbyterian and Christian. Religious services were at first held in the old court house, which has long been vacated. This court house was begun in 1838 and completed in 1843. The first church building was erected in 1856, by the Methodists. No school build¬ ing was erected in Warrensburg till 1867.

Dolan, George Gillilan, James Carmichael, William Cheek, Livingston Wilkerson, William Smith, Benjamin Gilbert, Caswell C. Davis, Z. T. Davis, James A. Gallaher, George Tebbs, John Windsor, William Wil¬ liams, Robert H. Reed, Joseph Robinson, Jehu Robinson, Alex. Greer, Robert B. Johnson, William Perry, Richard D. Bradley, George W. Walker, John W. McFarlin, Joe Dixon, Samuel B. Ramsey, James DeMasters, Zacheus Mulky, William Tombs, S. Wilson, Robert D. McSpadden, Lewis D. Jackson, Young E. W. Berry, Charles D. Cobb, John Potts, H. C. Davis, J. B. Norris, Jonathan Hunt, James Simpson, Charles P. Collins, Leroy Barton, Richard Huntsman, Steven Blevins, . William Pluff, Smith N. McCormack, D. S. Proffett, John C. Ferguson, James Welch, James Brown, L. Hocker, Edward Corder, John Mayes, Joseph Harrison, Joseph Hobson, William T. Conway, John Kelly, John H. Townsend and William Stogdon. Old settlements are now to be consided. Columbus settlement is the oldest of the county. Pleasant Rice came here in 1827, and raised the first corn crop in the county, and was followed, in the fall of the same year, by Nicholas Houx. In this settle¬ ment grew up a spirit for culture, religion and domestic happiness, which is rarely enjoyed in pioneer settlements. Within a few years this settle¬ ment was known all over the state, and soon a large number of emigrants sought here a home. Here the first county courts were held, and, in fact, this settlement was the hub around which the interests of the old settlers centered. To this settlement men came from far and near, until the peo¬ ple of old Columbus settlement had a name to be envied. To this settle¬ ment men came for advice, law, wives, produce, seeds, stock, and had the wants of a pioneer supplied. Here were the first schools and churches planted. Long may the children of these pioneers of Columbus settle¬ ment revert with pleasure to the settlement.

Gallaher Mills settlement was made by Wm. Cheek, in the year 1831, when he erected a water-mill and sawed lumber on Clear Fork near the line of Grover and Washington townships. He sold 10 James A. Galla¬ her in 1834. Among the early settlers here we mention Isaac Coy, Fred. Houx, Richard Combs, John Mayes, Samuel Graham, Robert Gregg and Wm. Gregg. Mr. James Ray was the first justice of the peace. In 1833, Joseph Robinson, with his son Jehu, settled here. Joseph Robinson was born January 28, 1766, and died December 13, 1841. This was one. of the early prominent settlements of the county. Here Bethel Church, C. P., was organized in Col. Jehu Robinson's cabin, Nov. 1842, by Revs. John B. and Robert D. Morrow. Rufus Hornbuckle, of Hazel Hill neighborhood, was present. The elders were George Gallaher, Capt. Andy Thompson, John Mayes, and Col. Jehu Robinson.

ing are some of the settlers: Samuel Senors, Thomas Goins, Sylvester Hall, Benjamin Prigmore, John Fisher, Anthony Fisher, Sr., Peter Fisher and John Leeper. Soon Dr. B. F. Dunkley followed and became a prom¬ inent physician.

Mulkey settlement was in what is now known as Simpson township. James Mulkey settled on Flagstaff, a small stream which took its name from the abundance of flag growing along the ponds and small lakes on either side of the creek. Dr. Hamilton C. Davis settled and had an exten¬ sive practice about what is now called Kirkpatrick's Mills. A mill was owned by Jerome Greer, who with his brother, had a little store on Blackwater.

Hazel Hill settlement was made about 1830. Judge Harvey Harrison came here March 21, 1831, and settled on the head of Walnut creek. The place is now owned by Mr. Powers; the old brick building is still standing, and was the second in the county. N. Houx, of Columbus settlement, put up the first. Judge Harrison was one of the leading men of his neigh¬ borhood. He was born March 7, 1806, in Tennessee, of Dutch-Irish ancestry. He emigrated to Alabama, near Huntsville, before the town was laid out. There he married Zilpha Bell, of Irish-Scotch extraction, November 28, 1824, and came to Missouri. He was justice of the peace in his settlement twelve years, and served four years as county judge. Among the old settlers worthy of notice are, Wm. McMahan, George McMahan, Richard Huntsman, Joshua Adams, James M. Smith, Joel Walker, Greenell Brown, James Borthick, George Hoffman, Thomas Bradford, Wm. Trapp, Joseph Harrison, Robert Graham and William Stockton.

Rose Hill settlement was made cotemporary with surrounding settle¬ ments. Sometimes this was known as the " Scott neighborhood;" Rich¬ ard Scott was one of the prominent settlers. Others: James Bones, George Gilliland, Abram Stout, Henry F. Baker, Enoch Fedit, Welcome Scott and Garrett J. Wood. At an early day a waterpower grist-mill was erected by Welcome Scott on Big creek, and was noted tar and near.

Bluff S'pring settlement, including Basin Knob, was among the first, and was a rival with Columbus settlement. This settlement is part now within the limits of Kingsville and Jackson townships, and is extensively noticed elsewhere.

Cornelia settlement includes a portion of Post Oak, Chilhowee and Centerview townships. Samuel Brown, one of the first jurymen of the county, settled within these bounds in 1834; besides him we notice T. J. Culley, W. R. Culley, Noah Tesson, Samuel Evans, T. Irwin, James Hackler and Joseph Stuart.

Ridge." Dr. Wm. Huff had a fine practice here. The people of this locality had a rough section of the county to develop; their mistakes, and rough ways with their inequalities, has won for them a native air of orig¬ inal localism, which is not to be despised. Sampson Adams is the leading living pioneer of this section.

Owsley and Wall settlement included all of Jefferson and part of Post Oak townships. John Owsley, Mr. Draper, B. F. Wall, Col. B. F. Will¬ iamson and Rev. Wm. P. C. Caldwell, were among the leading settlers. For a long time these settlements were principally confined to the limits of the brush and little streams. A more elaborate notice of these settle¬ ments will be given under the heads of the several townships to which they belong. The various settlements, it must be remembered, were not widely different in date of settlement, characteristics, or habits of the people.