Johnson County, Missouri - Chapter 4: - Kingsville Township, 1881

Chapter 4: - Kingsville Township

Kingsville Township is apparently a small area in the county; has a his¬ tory interesting and worth recording for all those living within its bounds, which in after years will be held in sacred memory by generations yet to fill the places of their fathers, and to read and think as they have done. It is said:

Without entering into controversies concerning the origin, cause, and bias of the various factions and difficulties pertaining to the people and this locality, we proceed to give facts, dates of prominent events, as gath¬ ered from reliable sources, precluding from our narrative anything tinged with political or religious bias, or family preference.

History is the narration of events as they have occurred. It is the grand master key that unlocks the store-houses of past ages, and presents to our view, Rome, in all her glory; Greece, in her magnificence and refinement; Phanecia, in her commercial enterprise; and the inspired hand of Moses has left for us sacred history that no age can efface. Hence, so dear to us is the history of our country and ourselves, that we should claim it as a birthright, to be vigilantly guarded, lest through carelessness we forget our ancestors, our institutions and ourselves.

This township was originally part of Madison township, until 1870. It is bounded on the north by J ackson township, on the east by Madison township, on the south by Rose Hill township, and on the west by Cass county. It is seven miles in length from north to south, and five miles in width from east to west, and contains an area of thirty-five square miles. This is the smallest township in the county, being less than a congressional township. The surface of this township is quite varied in character. That part which is situated north of the railroad is diversified with hills, timber and brush land, ravines, creeks, and rolling dales of prairie. It is highest in the western part, where Devil's Ridge begins. On the west of this ridge it is a gradual trend of high land for two miles, where it joins Cass county on the west. On the east of this ridge numerous branches have their source, and flow, making many turns, into South Blackwater. On either side of these branches there are many erosions, and sometimes cliffs of limestone. In this part, timber is plentiful. Old settlers state that large quantities of timber have been used, and that at present the forest contains a finer and more luxuriant growth of timber than when, about fifty years ago they cast their lot in the "western wilds." No doubt, the keeping fires from the forests is a great saving of timber. This township south of the railroad is unlike the northern part. It consists almost entirely of rolling prairie. Lost Creek and its branches are the only little streams that diversify the monotony of the prairie, by containing some timber and brush along their serpentine wendings. However, this land is well drained, and is in a high state of cultivation.

The occupation of the people is principally farming and stock-raising. Agriculture will, no doubt, continue to be the leading industry for many years to come. Farming land rents for three dollars per acre. The price of land ranges from fifteen to thirty dollars per acre. Corn and wheat are the principal productions. Rye, oats, flax, buckwheat and sorghum are sometimes raised. Clover and timothy does well. In some parts blue grass presents the year round a beautiful carpet of evergreen. Bees are kept by only a few farmers, and have done well till within a few years past. Sheep do well here, and much of the northern part is adapted to the raising of sheep. Large numbers of hogs are raised and annually shipped to eastern markets. In the early settlement, in about 1830, hogs lived wild in the woods, and when an old settler wanted pork, he threw his gun on his shoulder and called his cur by his side, and stalked off to the woods, and soon returned with a fat hog. Every man that had set swine at liberty in the woods to gather the mast, was entitled to search for porkers, and the best one he met was his meat.

This township ranks as one of the foremost in the county for its size, in the value of live stock, and the corn and wheat will favorably compare with any other township of the county. In 18TT it contained 179 voters out of a population of 903. Only nine of this population were negroes. In the same year the following statistics have been gathered: Horses, 407 ; mules, 202; cattle, 958; sheep, 820; hogs, 2076; wheat, 29,053 bushels; corn, 184,240 bushels; oats, 2,016 bushels; barley, 87 bushels; rye, 1,011 bushels; tobacco, 9,916 pounds; wool, 1,897 pounds; hay, 881 tons; wine, 6 gallons; sorghum molasses, 1971 gallons. In 1880 the population had increased to 1,073.

This township derived its name (Kingville) from the station on the Mis¬ souri, Pacific railroad, which bears the same name. Very few settlers were here previous to 1840, as the situation was uninviting to frontier men, owing greatly to the scarcity of timber, except upon the head¬ waters of the few creeks, which have . their source in this township. Many older and stronger settlements forming around this township hindered its progress in many ways, until a rather late day. No church organizations were effected prior to 1860, in Kingsville, when the Baptists organized. It is true, that long before this time, the people occasionally had preaching at their own rude log cabin dwellings, by itinerant or trav¬ eling ministers, and now and then, in his uncouth way, a pioneer farmer would address his neighbors upon Sundays. At that day it was not uncommon for whole families to go to religious meetings, seven or eight miles in a rough ox wagon, and return the same day. The United Pres¬ byterian and Christian churches were not organized till after the war, and are treated under the head of churches.

A Presbyterian church that is now defunct, existed in Kingsville. A neat Presbyterian church building was erected in the village during the year 1870, at a cost of about $1,200. The money used, in part, belonged to the building fund of that church in the east. The congregation, after a trial of a few years, failed to become self-sustaining, and in 1875, the building was sold and moved to Raymore, Cass county, and the money returned to its legitimate place. The few members of that denomination are scattered, and at present this township has no Presbyterian organiza¬ tion.

A few members of the Methodist Episcopal church, south, reside here, but have no organization within the township since the " late unpleasant¬ ness. " Prior to this war, this was the leading denomination.

The following are the names of some of the early ministers: A. H. Stout, L. C. Dunham, Geo. W. Lougan, and David Nation, of the Chris¬ tian church, Rev. Mr. Minton of the Baptist, and David Hogan, B. F. Thomas, and the Morrow Brothers of the Cumberland Presbyterian church.

Schools were early taught at Lost Creek and Bluff Spring. The school buildings were rudely constructed log huts, with dirt or puncheon floors, slab seats, and fire-place in one end. Chimney's were often built in part of mud and sticks above the mantle piece. Chinks were pulled from the cracks for windows. Houses were generally covered with clap¬ boards and wait-poles held them on. Nails were not much used by the pioneers, for the first few years. Doors were even made without a nail, and hung fipon a wooden latch.

In these early schools the teacher taught from " early morn " till almost sunset, received about twenty dollars a month, and paid seventy-five cents a week for board, or took his board out in " visiting around among the scholars. "

An incident is related in one of the pioneer schools, that is yet fresh in the memory of those about Bluff Spring, who are classed among old set¬ tlers. In a rude old school house, a class of boys and girls were taking a writing exercise. They were seated before a broad plank, used as a writ¬ ing table, fastened to the wall, and each one in order to keep steady, placed his feet in a large crack opened for the purpose; now, at this time it was a common custom for the boys and girls to go barefooted, until near twenty years of age. But few thought, perhaps, on occount of their simple dress and diet, of affiancing until eighteen or twenty years of age, and, therefore, their unassuming ways were entirely discreet to them¬ selves. In this school house crack, more than a dozen dozen toes pro¬ truded to the outside , where they were visible, and amused a boy who had laid his book aside and left the room and was meandering in the syl¬ van surroundings of this rural school. A thought struck him, what a fine joke it would be to fasten a cord around a gay maiden's great toe, and then bend a flexible sapling to the ground, and fasten the other end of the cord, and dash away as quick as light. The joke was played to per¬ fection, and the youth who was hero of the tragedy, was by this time in the room looking apparently amazed on the scene, as if he were aston¬ ished, and anxious to learn who was so naughty as to play such a prank on the young lady, who, by this time had her foot drawn by the force of the flexible sapling, as far as it would go through the crack. The teacher and scholars after diligent inquiry could find no one guilty, and since no one was hurt, no further remarks were made.

Hackney school-house, an old log cabin, which has perished long ago, stood near Bluff Spring, was undoubtedly the oldest school-house in the township; and the next was the Hornsb}^ school-house which stood in the southwestern part of the township. These structures have long since per¬ ished, and have left no visible monuments to tell where they stood except the few old settlers who received some rudimentary knowledge within their walls.

Some of the early teachers who taught in these log school-houses, were, Alfred Haw'ker, James Allen, Wm. W. Sparks, Joseph Y. Alexander, J. N. Furguson, A. J. Longacre, Hugh Wallace, Ben. Howrell, and R. G. Stokeley; the last named was killed at Grand Gulf in 1863.

In the early days but little sickness prevailed in the township except malarial diseases. Small-pox broke out here in 1848, but was confined to the family where it originated.

This township contains five school districts besides the Kingsville dis¬ trict, No. 12T, which is under the supervision of a town board of six directors. These schools are known and located as follows; Ralston school, 115, is a neat little frame building, and was erected in 1869, at an expense of $750. It is close to the railroad and also on the public high- way in section 35, town 46, and range 29. Wm. Ralston was the first director. In 1871 the law required three directors. D. R. Hobbs and R. T. Fryer were added. The directors now in office are, James Douglas, R. T. Fryer and W. C. Ruff; James Douglas, president andR. T. Fryer, clerk. Teachers employed since that time are Wm. T. Johnston, Thos. McKee, Miss Maggie Duncan, J. K. P. How, R. T. Fryer, P. L. Hyer, Stanley T. Rogers, James A. Wright, T. A. Reavis, Maggie A. Totten, Dora Donthit, C. H. Hartzell, T. N. Haynes, F. E. Meigs, Wm. L. Nel¬ son. Average monthly wages paid teachers, $39.75. Average number of months taught in the year since 1870, eight. Liberty school, 112, was put up in 1868, consumed by fire in 1880; is not rebuilt. It was section 15, town 45, range 29. Lost Creek school, 111, was built in 1870. It is section 11, town 45, range 29; near Pleasant Run. It is a small frame building. Jordan school, No. 94, was erected in 1870, and is in section 17, town 45, range 28, near what was formerly called the Osage Division, Missouri, Kansas and Texas railroad, but now the Santa Fe branch of the Missouri Pacific railroad. The last teachers were Henry Williams, Laura Blackburg. Everett school, No. 101, was erected in 1871, and is in sec¬ tion 29, town 46, range 28, about one mile from South Blackwater.

Kingsville public school will be treated under the head of Kingsville town. Many of these school buildings are greatly damaged by ill-use. They are all frame buildings, and have been more or less used for preach¬ ing, Sunday-school, and every sort of amusement, besides school teaching, the one purpose for which they were erected. At present the Everett district has a well organized Sunday-school, with W. C. Donalson, super¬ intendent, the only one held at any school-house.

The first settlement on Pleasant Run now commonly called Duncan's Branch, was made in 1839, when no other person lived within a circle of ten miles. Judge Anderson Smith, son of Wm. Smith, formerly sheriff of this county, was the oldest settler and built the first house at Bluff Spring. He sold to Benj. Longacre in the year 1826, who soon put up a tan yard, which furnished the early settlers with dressed skins and hair, for a circumference of fiftv miles. Henry Colbern, then the first saddler of Warrensburg, which was then a village in its infancy, father of Geo. Colbern, present banker in Warrensburg, frequently came to this early tan vard for his supplies. It is said that he was often seen on his way home, riding a pony, with a roll of dressed deer skins in front and a bag of hair behind his saddle. The distance he traveled wras about twenty miles, making a round trip of forty miles. At an early day a public road was laid out between these two points, and was the only public highway leading to Warrensburg. About 1856 the road was discontinued and now there is but little trace of it. Benj. Longacre built the first grist mill of the township in 1827. Prior to this time the old pioneers beat their corn in a mortar, burnt out of a block of wood, with a wooden pestle, using the finer portion of the meal for corn cake and the coarser for hominy.

Joseph D. Longacre, son of "Uncle Ben," above mentioned was born in 1820, in Tennessee, and moved to this township in 1829 and settled near his father, where he resided till the spring of 1881 when he moved to Madison township. He is now quite feeble, having served in the Mexican war from the opening till the close in 1848, during that time his health was greatly impaired. For his services, so far, he has only received a land warrant from the government. He served in late war from 1861 to 1865, under Gen. Joe Shelby.

When Bluff Spring settlement was made, the nearest postoffice con¬ tinued to be Columbus, the oldest and strongest settlement in the county, till 1827, when a postal route between Clinton and Lexington was estab¬ lished and Bluff Spring made the first postoffice in the township, with Benjamin Longacre first postmaster. Then came Samuel Bolejack in as postmaster. This office was discontinued in 1856, and the office moved to the village of Kingsville, which was just laid out. Sam'l Bolejack moving to the new town and was continued in office till the war of 1861.

Nearly all the southern half of the township consists of rich prairie lands, but the greater part of the northern half originally was covered with scrubby timber and brush, only varied here and there by small spots of tall prairie grass, called broom sage by the settlers, who often used it in lieu of broom corn for sweeping. Once the prairies are said to have been covered with a natural growth of grass, with scarcely any weeds inter¬ mingled, ranging from six to eight feet in height, so that when a man rode on horseback, only his head and shoulders were visible. So extensive was this dense growth of grass that the early settlers were misled to believe that the land was marshy and would never do for cultivation. It was only when the ground was putting forth the early spring crop of grass, or in the fall after an ocean of flame had consumed the grass that large herds of deer could be seen on the prairies. The supposed cause of these high lands appearing to the pioneers as too wet to ever be utilized, was the softening of the ground by the early spring rains and the rapid and luxuriant growth of vegetation which so covered the ground that the sun's rays could not penetrate sufficiently to cause the dampness to evapo¬ rate from the surface of the soil. Hence, the general belief that prairie land was unfit for cultivation. Other reasons why it was not sooner opened was the lack of prairie plows sufficiently strong to break the turf, therefore, the early settlers for the want of proper implements were obliged to confine their settlements in the woods or along the creeks until they became able to subdue the wild prairie land for agricultural purposes.

In those early days the habits of the people were strictly moderate and simple. In dress, simplicity was closely observed, and principles of domestic economy were practical.

Joe Howard and Joseph Longacre were the noted wolf hunters of this section. An anecdote is related that the two met once and the following conversation ensued: "Joe Howard, I saw a wolf jest down the path, can we git 'im." "Now, Josie, now be keerful, an we'll take im in. The result of their chase was that they did " take him in."

The honor belongs to Rufus King for introducing and using the first prairie plow, and erecting the first dwelling in the open prairie. This gentleman is of Irish ancestry, born in Alabama, in 1829, and moved to this section in 1850, in company with George Lemon and family, and is now living on his farm in unusual good health. In the breaking out of the war in 1861, he entered the regular service, under Gen. Sterling Price and served as a soldier in the confederate army, till 1863, when he was detailed to run cotton and grist mills in the south. He was in the follow¬ ing battles: Wilson Creek, Newtonia, Pea Ridge, Dry wood, Missouri; and Dripping Spring, Arkansas, besides many skirmishes.

The highest land of this township is a dividing ridge, known as Devil's Ridge, extending no farther south than section 25, township 46, range 29. On this ridge of a clear and favorable day, Warrensburg and Butler are visible. This ridge extends north and south. It divides the water sys¬ tems of the Missouri and the Osage. The streams running east from it, find their way through the Blackwater, and the La Mine to the Missouri river. The streams that flow westward find their way through Big creek and South Grand river to the Osage at Warsaw. On this divide the rainfall is said to be about twenty inches. Statistics show that this is a healthy part of the county, even holding pre-eminence in this respect. Here the soil is deep and light in most parts, but in limestone regions it is often heavy and hard to manage, yet very productive. There is no poor land here. No swamps or lakes. The land is well drained. The cultivation of grapes does well in the northern part, where it is said that the early settlers found, growing wild, summer grapes of an enormous size, comparing favorably with many of those found at present in the vineyards.

The soil is said to be composed of lime and magnesia. Its foundation is a bed of fine silicious marl, which will cause the land to improve, rather than deteriorate by cultivation. Except the rocky ridges this township has but little sterile land. In general, it is supposed that this land contains but little mineral qualities. Coal exists only in detached, shallow beds, near the surface of drift land, and a few wells have been bored through

Devil's Ridge received its name in 1863, from the gangs of rough char¬ acters who skulked in the thickets and made their dens in the bluffs where they could dash out and commit depredations and return to their favorite haunts without fear of molestation. Few men would risk their lives to penetrate these bluff thickets during the trying ordeal of the war.

The largest tributary of south Blackwater is little Brushy and flows through sections 31 and 29, entering Madison township, and soon empty¬ ing in the main channel of south Blackwater, all in congressional town¬ ship number 46, range 28.

Centre Knob, one mile east of the village of Kingsville, received its name from the Shawnee Indians, who h ad a trail on the southern base that they followed as late as 1850. Many Indian relics are found about it. As early as 1827 it was generally known for hundreds of miles around as a noted land mark. A good spring flows from the base a greater por¬ tion of the year, it has, since civilization took hold, been sunk eigh feet and now affords never failing water. Nearly four score years ago, the Mexican' trading caravans made this a stopping place over night as the)' were on their way to and from St. Louis to purchase and bear away goods to Santa Fe, New Mexico. In those days gold dust, from the far west, was more of a circulating medium than coin.

An incident is related, that in 1820, while a large train of Mexicans were stopping here on their way to St. Louis to buy goods, they feared an attack that night from the Indians who were in the habit of concealing themselves in the tall grass until dusk, then with a whoop they would dash down upon the train, capture their property, burn their wagons and scalp the teamsters. Being forewarned of approaching danger, they seized their gold, which was sewed in raw hides, "two double" with sinew thread, and buried the whole amount, consisting of several thousand dollars, and, to this day it is supposed that there is gold burried in Center Knob.

In 1851, Dr. Wm. G. King took possession here and soon became the owner of about 5,000 acres of the rich land surrounding this knob. Dr. Wm. G. King was born in Alabama, Sept. 20, 1824; and died, March 3d, 1859. His wife was Miss Mary Ann Delaney; she was born in the state of South Carolina, Feb. 22, 1825. After the death of Dr. King she mar¬ ried B. A. Crain, April, 9, 1867. Mr. Crain was born in N. Y., April, 3, 1823; and both are still living in the town of Kingsville. Center Knob is no doubt surrounded by the most favored spot in Johnson county, and for all time to come will stand out as an interesting landmark.

this township and Jackson. It is a beautiful plateau on the summit, where Indians, more than fifty years ago, made this a favorite lookout. In the soil and on the surface they have left their "footprints" behind in flint arrow-heads, and various other stone implements.

Bluff' Spring Knob is an abrupt eminence from which Bluff Spring flows, which was the earliest known Spring in this section. Often to this spring came the early hunter with his dog to quench their thirst from the long and tiresome chase. Sometimes it would happen that the " red man of the forest " would there accidentally meet his "pale-faced brother" on the same mission, and with fraternal feeling they would part from the spot, both, perhaps, feeling that the one was intruding on the other, and yet, may be the good within the heart of each swelled up and subdued their hostile feelings, with the murmur that they were brothers destined for the future " happy hunting grounds." This fact shows that no human being, however wild he may be, but has some spark of good in his heart that may, by proper influence, be kindled to a flame of bitter revenge, or a holy fire of love that may consume the evil or brighten the good within the hearts of men. Near this spring cluster the fondest remembrances of the township. It was here that the first pioneer preacher, Rev. Mr. Lee, of the M. E. Church, long before its division into "north and south branches," preached the first sermon at the residence of Ben. Longacre, in 1826, to the pure minded people who highly appreciated the services of this divine, as one sent from God to direct their religious life, and lighten their burdens by the soothing influence of the gospel, set forth upon the Sabbath day.

Soon after the advent of the gospel here a Methodist organization was effected, the first in the county, and continued, down until the breaking out of the war. However, in the year 1814 when the church called for a division as "north and south branches," one of the most talented pioneer ministers of that time, Rev. Daniel K. Pell, was in charge of the circuit, and put the vote to a class of serious thinking brethren, and when the vote was returned in the negative, i. e., opposed to a division, the able minister was not surprised, since he argued that it was natural for a people to cling to their old affiliations. It was no easy task, he said, for our forefathers to relinquish their love and high regard for the oppressive crown of England during the bitter trials of 1775-6, but when it did come, they stood boldly in the field of battle with their brave hearted leaders; Washington, Gage, Putnam, and others, proud and not ashamed to be called rebels, and during the trying scenes about the revered spot of Valley Forge in 1776-8, these soldiers of the frontiersmen's world stood bravely at their post undaunted, though in the white driven snow the crimson blood from their bruised and frozen feet were seen, their bodies shivering for clothing and food to nourish their vitality and at the same time the wolf starvation was stalking around their own firesides in their rude log cabins, where they had left wife and children, the dearest solace of earth, to take up arms and to give their fortunes, and lives if necessary, for independence and liberty. After the minister, further argued that they had voted wrong, he claimed that by voting against a division they had voted to make one since they were all southern people, and in order to harmonize, they should unanimously favor division and stand by their southern brerhren. The vote was again taken, this time unanimously in favor of the affirma¬ tive. The division was made, and the church was named Bluff Spring M. E., South. The ministers after the division, were Revs. Robt. Foster and Warren M. Pitts, the latter is still living a short distance in Jackson township. No church building was ever erected here.

The following are some of the preachers in charge of this circuit up to 1844: Revs. Mr. Lee, Martin Paul, W. Ferrell, Mr. McKinney, Thos. Wallace, B. F. Love, Geo. W. Love, Maj. Jonathan Fine, Samuel Colbern, Mr. Spratt, Geo, W. Bewley, Daniel Leaper, Mr. Ashby and Dan¬ iel K. Pell. Rev. Jesse Greene, was the first presiding elder of this cir¬ cuit and district.

Cemeteries. - There are six cemeteries within the limits of this town¬ ship, besides many private graves that are only in tradition. In the early settlement of the township few diseases prevailed, except the common ague, prevalent in all newly settled countries, or malarial districts. Acci¬ dents, of course, happened here as well as elsewhere. However, but few found their way to the grave until the sands of time were wasted. It was with burning anguish and great reluctance that the people could accede to the separation, and on the funeral obseques friends and neighbors would assemble, for miles around, to catch the last glimpse of one, who, like themselves, had come to make a home in the far west, and had mutually shared the hardships and pleasures of a pioneer life. In these early days no pom pus funeral array or hearse conveyed the corpse to the tomb; but wrapped in plain white muslin shrouds, or in the last wearing garb, it was laid in a wooden box and conveyed to the burying ground in an ox wagon, where a grave lay open, but ere the "dust had been mingled with dust," and the demised covered with the clods of the valley, a hoary-headed pio¬ neer opened his hymn book and started a suitable hymn in which all the people joined with a fullness of heart and love lor the happy world beyond the dark scenes of the grave, after which, while the people stood almost breathless, while a portion of the Holy scriptures was read, and all bowed in solemn reverence on the ground in prayer to Him in whose hands their departed associate was committed. Very often, a short sermon, or appro¬ priate remarks were made consoling the friends and relatives of the deceased, as a warning to those living, to prepare for the day of judgment. In many cases the interment took place with but little religious ceremony.

or solemn feeling under cases of great emergency. Often at that time no slabs or stones were set up to mark the last resting place of the departed. However, in some old graves we find sand-stones from which the savage monster Time has almost erased the name. Whose these graves are, the oldest settlers cannot tell, nor will we know till the resurrection.

Hopper Cemetery, in section three, township forty-five, range twentynine, is beyond a doubt the oldest burying place in the western part of the township. It was the family graveyard of William Hopper, Houston Helms, and Thos. Savage, who resided here about 1836. A blind man by the name of Welch, who. lost his life by falling into a ditch, is sup¬ posed to be the first man buried here. This is in what is called the " Old Hopper farm." The graves were visible in 1840, but during the forty years since a great change has taken place. The late war, perhaps scat¬ tered the friends and relatives who could have looked after this spot, and others coming in and taking possession, as owners of the soil, and know¬ ing nothing of the bones that have long ago perished under their ground, now run their plows over the once sacred spots to some fond parent or relative, which in harvest yields a luxuriant growth over the uncon¬ scious dead. At present there is no trace of this cemetery except this little bit of history, and what is still lingering in the memory of those who once looked upon these little mounds.

Majors' Cemetery is quite old, and was a public burying-place in 1840. It is supposed to have been laid out in 183T ; and it supposed that one of the Majors family was the first buried there. eIt is in the woods on Lewis or East Fork of Lost Creek, in section thirteen, same township and range as the above named cemetery. No tombstones mark the graveyard: The little hillocks or mounds are partly grown over with saplings, underbrush and briers, and ere many years this spot will be for¬ gotten and utilized as pasture, farm or garden, unless taken in charge and made monumental.

Bluff Springs Cemetery is probably the oldest burying-place in the northwest part of the township. It was laid out as a public place of interment in 183T, by Benj. Longacre, Sr. It contains a large number of graves, and a few are marked by tombstones with epitaphs. A wooden fence surrounds this ground, and it is still used as a burying-place. It is in section twenty-five, township forty-six, range twenty-nine, upon the divide of the waters of the Osage and Missouri rivers.

Duncan Cemetery is in section fourteen, near Pleasant Run, a small branch of Lost Creek, in township forty five, range twenty-nine, not far from the Lost Creek school house. One of the first buried here in 1840, when the ground was first set apart for burial purposes, was Gideon Cun¬ ningham. In 1841 the corpse of a man named Savage, was brought here on horseback for interment. The land is deeded as a public ceme-

Hornsby Cemetery is in section fifteen, township and range as above. It is a family graveyard. It is now deeded by the court to trustees. The first person buried here was Mrs. Esther Hornsby, aunt of J. N. Fergu¬ son, present county surveyor, in 1845. Since then several recriiits have been added to the army of the dead.

The first mills in this section were hailed with pleasure. Benj. Longacre had the first in 1827, till he sold to Samuel Bolejack, at Bluff Creek Spring. In 1850 John Hackney had a wind-mill at Centre Knob, where he owned forty acres of land. He sold in the same year for three dollars per acre. The land is now worth twenty dollars per acre. The mill owned by Samuel Bolejack ground all the grists for many miles distant. It was an old tramp-mill, and when the grist was taken to mill, old settlers say it took a day to get it ground. If the owner of the grist did not bring sufficient treading force, he was then obliged to go to the prairie and drive in as many horses or cattle as would tramp the wheel around. Ko one objected if his horses or cattle were driven on the wheel. At that day farmers had unflinching integrity and believed their stock secure when in the care of their neighbors. It is said of this old tread-mill that, it would crack two grains of corn at a turn, so slow was its motion. It is said that the miller was a corpulent, clever old man, and managed to get around about as fast as his mill. The common expression from the dis¬ tant mill-boy when he arrived at the mill, was to cry out to the miller, " Is your stone spoilt?" to which he would leasurely reply, "not very." This mill was superseded by a steam-mill just prior to the war.

Since the termination of the war considerable changes have been made. The plain Missourian, in a great measure, has changed his style of living for other habits that time forced upon the west as the country settled up. The great flow of immigration to this section from all parts of the Union since 1865 has almost made a revolution in everything pertaining to the old customs. In diet, dress, furniture, and even the government of the household, there is a marked change. Instead of the narrow strips cultivated along the streams, the whole prairie has been put into cultiva¬ tion. The large land holders have been obliged to cut up their land in small farms and sell in order to meet their liabilities. Where there was one farm before the war now there is a dozen. On account of the scarcity of timber the osage orange hedge is generally used for fencing. The old log houses have given way to the more commodious farm cot¬ tages, all of which in the township are frame buildings, more for util¬ ity than ornament. From the wooden moldboard plow, which went out of use in 1855, has followed numerous improved agricultural implements; and now one hand has as much ease in cultivating fifty acres of land as two had in cultivating twenty-five prior to 1860. In the early days of this set¬ tlement Lexington was the favorite market town. Corn meal was sold there, after traveling thirty miles, at twenty cents a bushel. Corn was sold at home by the barrel, the price ranging from fifty cents to one dollrr. The price of many things has doubled. Farm hands labored in the harvest fields with the scythe or cradle at seventy-five cents and one dol¬ lar a day. Porter Duncan and Joseph Longacre each are said to have cradled three and four acres of wheat in a day. The spinning-wheel and loom are no longer in use. No longer do we see the youthful maidens singing with their milk pails or gayly riding after stock upon the prairies. Their place is now filled quite often by consumptives who sit indoors, pre¬ pare some delicate pastry, sew a little, gossip more, and now and then thump upon a Chickering or Steinway. The simple walking and riding habits have given way to the complete dress that robs them of their once enjoyed freedom. The feet that were wont to be , free from corns and cramps and coldness at nights are now encased in "pride's prison cells." The simple beauty and rustic health of the pioneer's daughter is now in the past.

Fruits are now no longer gathered in the forest. The wild plum, crabapple, grapes, etc., are not sought after as they were twenty years ago. The domestic fruits are extensively cultured, and found on most farms. To. illustrate the change in the price of land: Dr. H. W. King purchased a tract of land at an early day for $300, sold it to C. C. King for $600, bought it back for $6,000, and now rents it for three dollars per acre. Not many families owned slaves here; perhaps fifty negroes would be the complement. It never paid the farmers to own them here, and much of the time they were idle or half a dozen did the work that one stout buck negro was capable of doing. The price of a negro was always in advance of his worth. In order to show the value of these human beings as slaves: Wm. G. King purchased a fine buck negro, paying $1,300 for him, and one Sunday while he was on Big Creek, fishing, he got into a pugilistic combat with other "darkies," who had resorted thither for the same pur¬ pose. Clubs were used, and a fatal stroke from his antagonist, brought the $1,300 "darkey" to the ground a ghastly corpse. The colored peo¬ ple, although slaves, had an easy time, far better than many of that race to-day. They were clothed and fed as their masters, and in many ways labored much the same. It is true that they had their separate dwellings, and took their meals aloof in their own quiet cabins or around the kitchen stove. The evenings were generally their own, in which they made bas¬ kets, brooms, etc., etc.; or learned to read and write. When it did hap¬ pen that the husband and wife were owned by separate families, the male was allowed the afternoon of Saturdays, and occasionally a night or two during the week to visit his dusky paramour, and "pickaninies," as the chil¬ dren were called. The Fourth of July, camp-meeting days, and election days, Christmas, New Years, and Saturday afternoons were their holi¬ days. On Saturdays they cultivated their melon and tobacco patches, which, with their ginger bread and hard cider, they found ready sale for on election days, that then came in August. Some few darkeys raised broom corn, and manufactured a hardy little broom which they were allowed to dispose of in connection with their baskets, on Sundays and other days that they were at liberty. A few saved money. Some learned to read and write. The whites never objected to their slaves attending meeting with them or learning to read, as some may imagine. Those that know in regard to the treatment, state that few masters ever acted indecent or cruel towards their servants. It was not to their interest to act in any other way than that presented by the law of kindness, towards one's own animals as property. These human beings were so many dol¬ lars and cents. To abuse one, inflict wounds, neglect physician's care, or not give them proper clothing, would not be to the interest of the owner, and all who have prejudice in any other channel should study the law of common sense and ownership. At present, the colored population will not number a dozen in the township. They have no schools nor church, but spend their leisure time in drunkenness and revelling. Almo&t every¬ thing has been made better but the unfortunate sons of Africa.

The whites have swelled the number of their schools to six with about seven months of school per year, costing about $1,500 annually. The churches now number three organizations, and Sunday-schools. No Sun¬ day-school was organized here prior to 1867 ; since several rural Sundayschools have existed, but died out during the winter, and so far none have proved to be "wintergreen" except the U. P. Sunday-school, of Kings¬ ville.

When the early settlers came here they found many wild animals, such as the deer, wolf, wild cat, fox, badger, panther, gopher, mink, muskrat, opossum, raccoon, skunk, weasel, rabbit, ground squirrel, fox and gray squirrels, and mole; these abounded in their native haunts. The streams being so small, but few fish ventured in the waters only to spawn. The turkey, prairie chicken, quail, partridge, sometimes called here the pheas¬ ant, and the lark were also here when the first settlements were made, The common reptiles were the rattlesnake, bullsnake, garter, racer, black, glass, water and terrapin, lizard and many smaller ones.

The following are the principal trees and shrubs growing here: white and red elm, hackberry, bass, box-elder, sycamore, honey locust, soft maple, mulberry, several varieties of oak, wild cherry, cottonwood, hick¬ ory family, blue ash, black walnut, four varieties of willow. The follow¬ ing is a list of the wild shrubs: Virginia creeper, sumach family, thorn bushes, chinquapin oak, pawpaw, persimmon, plum, crabapple, prickly ash, dogwood, elder, burning bush, hazel, blackhaw, hops, button bush, buckeye, blackberry, dew berry, gooseberry, raspberry, buck bush, red haw, bitter sweet, burdock, witch hazel, sarsaparilla, polk, Solomon's seal, and green brier.

There being but few flowing springs here, the early settlers used water for drinking, and even all purposes, from what they called "prairie holes." Water was often hauled for miles in barrels during the dry season. But few wells were dug until about 1856. Now almost every farm has one or two wells. The water here is invariably hard. At present but few farmers have cisterns.

The early farming was indeed experimental, for many of the citizens came from states where the cultivation was entirely different. Much of this land produced second and third crops of corn with but one plowing a year, yielding upwards of seventy bushels to the acre.

P. W. Paul, one of the very oldest settlers of this section, arrived here from Tennessee in the fall of 1835. He is still living here and enjoying moderate health, and from him we get the following particulars, in which he states that he has seen one hundred deer at a time. When he settled here, all lands were wild except a few bushy patches which the early set¬ tlers cleared out along the creeks. Then plenty of friendly Indians were here who would camp and hunt for weeks and tiade baskets for meal. They were the Osages. Wolves and catamounts were often seen. Few panthers were killed. There were wild turkey, pheasants, prairie chick¬ ens and quails, a*nd millions of gophers and prairie squirrels. At that time the nearest trading point was Lexington, where the settlers hauled meal and sold it at twenty cents a bushel; wheat, twenty-five cents; corn, twelve cents a bushel, and other things in proportion. The best horses sold for eighteen dollars. Mr. Paul purchased land in section twenty-six during the year 1847, at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. In 1848, good cows sold for from five to seven dollars apiece. At fii st, because of no mills, a tree was sawed, a mortar burned out and coin beaten with a wooden pestle, and the finer mash being used for corn cake, sometimes baked on a board before the fire, and the coarser mash was made into hominy. The first grist mill was built by Benjamin Longacre, then Samuel Bolejack took it about 1844. At first it was pulled by two horses. The next mill was a tread mill, by Joe Howard, that highly elated the people over their new enterprise. First post-office was Bluff Spring, and Benjamin Longacre the first postmaster. The next post¬ master was Samuel Bolejack. The post-office was changed to Kingsville in 1856. It was somewhere in 1850 odd that the settlers commenced to break prairie. It took from four to eight yoke of cattle to draw the plow.

Prominent among the citizens of integrity in this township is Mr. Benj. F. Lewis, who came here in 1853. His birth place is Independence, Jackson county, Missouri. He was born December 28, 1831. In the year 1853, he married Miss Esther Alder, Rev. J. H. Houx, now living in Warrensburg, was the officiating clergyman. He has reared a family of six healthy and dutiful daughters; three of the number were married. Mr. Lewis, to avoid the troubles of the civil war, spent from the spring of 1863, till the close of the war in Cooper county. He is the owner of a handsome farm about two miles south of Kingsville. In 1855, he became a member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, and has remained a faithful and consistent member ever since. He was appointed president of the Sunday-schools of his township in the spring of 1880, and for faithful work was reappointed till the county meeting, which convenes in Holden, in April, 1882.

Lost Creek is so named because it is lost in the flat bottom land near Big Creek, where it is supposed that the waters either spread over the bottom, or are lost in the marly soil. The creek has its two tributaries, which rise near Kingsville, skirted with scrubby timber and brush. This stream is discontinued in section thirty-six, town forty-five, range twentyeight, Rose Hill municipal township.

The township system went into effect in 1872, and was met with no little opposition. The first meeting of the board of officers convened in Kingsville, April 16, 1873. Under this system the people had a uniform taxation. The funds were kept in the hands of a trustee, and only paid out bv order of the board. It was a great convenience to the people who resided here where the distance was about twenty miles to the county seat. At present, many of the people wish for a return of the " township system."

1872. - James Morrow, justice of the paace; Samuel F. Duncan, clerk; John B. Chapman, justice of the peace; James Johnston, assessor; Andrew J. Buchanan, constable; D. B. Reavis, supervisor; James Morrow, road overseer.

1873. - Henry J. Douthit, clerk, after William P. Hunt resigned; Thomas Ruff, justice of the peace; James Johnston, assessor; A. J. Buchanan, constable, in lieu of Albert S. Ellas, resigned; D. B. Reavis, supervisor; John L. Jones, justice of the peace; George L. Nolan, col¬ lector, in lieu of J. E. Hickman, resigned; William P. Gibson, road over¬ seer; John L. Jones, trustee.

James Morrow, and Samuel E. Hawthorn were road overseers of the four districts; William C. Duncan, justice of the peace; Albert S. Ellas, appointed constable in the place of A. J. Buchanan; John E. Hickman, collector; James Johnston, assessor; J. B. Chapman, justice of the peace; George G. Valentine, clerk.

1875. - John L. Jones, trustee; W. F. Hesler, constable, in place of- A. S. Ellas, resigned; Andrew D. Johnston, W. C. Rufi, Samuel S. Howe, and Peter Duncan, road overseers; James Johnston, assessor; George G. Valentine, clerk; Alexander Sankey, appointed collector; J. B. Chapman and John White, justices of the peace.

1876. - George G. Valentine, clerk; J. F. Newland, trustee; W. F. Hesler, constable; Thomas Conrad and C. W. Moss, justices of the peace; Thomas Longacre, collector; W. C. Ruff, assessor; John C. Fuller, Wm. Meredith, A. H. Warden, and George Gloyd were road overseers.

1877. - George G. Valentine, clerk: J. F. Newland, trustee; Thomas J. Longacre, collector; William C. Ruff, assessor; the road overseers were, William Meredith, John C. Fuller; C. W. Moss, and John B. Chapman, justices of the peace.

After the officers for 1877, under the "township system," were elected the state legislature repealed the law before the officers were installed. The system, at first, was experimental, and when it was repealed it was just beginning to be liked by the people. It takes time to make custom. This system was meeting with the highest favor when it was discarded. It was found to be both practical and effective in roads, taxes, and educa¬ tional matters, for none so immediately comes from and reaches to the people. All the officers met and constituted a board, for the transaction of business, and, no doubt, when the people have elected wise legislators to represent them in the state general assembly, this system will again be inaugurated. It is the people's safe-guard in a large county like John¬ son.

The following were the justices of the peace, before and after the organization of the "township system," in this municipal township. In 1870 to 1872, George Monroe and James Morrow; 1878 to 1881, C. W. Moss, Thomas Conrad, and John L. Jones, with Thomas J. Bennett as constable. Since the township system was repealed, C. W. Moss, J. B. Chapman, Thomas Conrad, and J. L. Jones have served as justices of the peace.

Prominent personages of the township: Hon. W. F. Rolston was elected in 1870, and served the people of the county as their member in the state legislature, during 1871 - 2. He was well liked. He was an extensive farmer and stock-raiser. He left here in 1875, for the state of Oregon, where he now resides. He still owns a good farm two miles

Hon. R. T. Fryer is a prominent farmer and stock-raiser. He keeps the fine blooded Durham cattle, also good horses and mules, and is a gen¬ tleman of culture and taste, a reader of the current literature of the day, and is the only subscriber of the Phrenological 'Journal, and has the best collection of books of any man in the township. He represented the county in the state legislature in 1875-6, during the time he made many friends, and received the hearty support of his constituents. Although he is not a member of any church, he attends the Christian Church with his family, where his wife teaches a class in the Sunday school, and contrib¬ utes liberally of his means. He is the owner of a well-improved farmf about one mile north of Kingsville, and lives in easy circumstances, highly respected by all around him.

Josiah Smith, an excellent farmer, has resided southeast of town about two miles considerable of his time. He served as justice of the peace in

John R. French resides near Kingsville, in affluent circumstances. He purchased a large tract of land and moved here in 1880. He is a gentle¬ man of dignity and enterprise.

The country, especially the rural country homes of the better classes, is developing into beauty which only a few years ago was a wild prairie. The pretty shrubs of evergreens, trailing around, and perennial plants, besides the house plants, are extensively cultivated. Beautiful wild ver¬ benas grow in many parts of the township, and are now being transplanted in yards. The mocking bird, the king of singers, came here about 1867, and raises large numbers of birdies in the hedges and groves about the handsome cottages. The lark, once so common on the prairies, is becom¬ ing scarce.

The first grasshoppers known as the Kansas grass hoppers, made their advent here in the fall of 1866. They came from the southwest, about the middle of October. In many places they were so thick in the air that they darkened the sunlight. They did considerable damage to wheat and ripe apples, and deposited millions of eggs in the ground, but the severity of the winter prevented much of a crop from hatching out in the spring, and therefore there was not much damage done by them in the spring of

The next time the grasshopper came, it being earlier in the season, he continued his way across the entire county, where the cold weather drove him into winter quarters. This was in the spring of 1874, and in the spring of 1875, owing partly from a dry winter, millions of little hoppers hatched from the eggs deposited in the ground the previous fall, and by the middle of June they had consumed almost every living plant, leaving meadows and fields as bare as the ground in December; but about the time they made their exit, and on account of the heavy rains, the farmers, being thus encouraged, planted and raised a moderate crop of corn and turnips, besides late garden vegetables. It is said that by the first of April of this year that everything was swarming with myriads of these hateful grasshoppers. They seized everything green, stripping many trees of both leaves and buds, and by June had left the verdant pastures stripped of every leaf and plant.

In 1860 Dr. W. H. Carpenter erected a distillery and carding machine, which was not in use more than one year. It was destroyed by fire in 1868, and never rebuilt. Hornsby branch, in the western part of the town¬ ship, took its name from Brinkly Hornsby, who settled here in the spring of 1843. At an early day the green horse flies were so bad that farmers were obliged to plow at nights, or when their horses were in the stables build a fire so that the smoke would keep away the flies. In 1866, Sept. 15th, there was a light fall of snow. Late crops were injured. Until 1870 thousands of acres of the best prairie grass was cut for hay. There were no chintz bugs here to do much damage till 1857. The dryest year known was 1860, and the following year, 1861, was very wet.

In the spring of 1867 an earthquake shock was felt. So severe was the shock that the china ware jostled in the shelves, and some even rolled out. This shock was more severe further west.

The village of Kingsville was laid out in 1856 by Gen. Wm. King, whose name the village now honors. Gen. King built the first house, in 1853; Samuel Bolejack followed. Rufus King had built a dwelling, at that time, on the prairie, some distance away, in 1851. The village is located in four sections and four different congressional townships - sec¬ tions 6,13,1 and 36; townships, 45, 46; ranges 28,29. The Missouri Pacific Railroad passes through the northern part, in a northwest direc¬ tion. It is situated on a high, rolling prairie, forming the summit of the divide between the tributaries of Blackwater and Big Creek. The houses, which number about fifty, including some farm dwellings, jutting close to the village, are all frame buildings, and they are built upon the cheap plan for utility. The better residences are those of John R. French, R. King, Geo. Johnston, G. W. King and D, W. H. Carpenter. At pres¬ ent there are three stores, two blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, one carpenter shop, drug store, one grain elevator, shoe shop and a lumber yard.

Postojfice. - A postoffice was established here in 1856, and Samuel Bolejack was the first postmaster, till after the war broke out, in 1861. It is said that when the mail would arrive that the postmaster would pour the 34 ^ contents of the mail bags in the middle of the floor, and if any were present they could pick out their mail matter. His wife couldn't read, and when her husband was absent, and anyone called for mail, she would say, '-Look over this package, an' see ef you got anything." Perhaps not a dozen letters would arrive at the office a week, and only two or three families read newspapers. The postoffice, Kingsville, was named in honor of a distinguished family of Kings who settled here prior to the war. On account of the strict southern principles of this family the loy¬ alists determined in 1865 to wrestle the name from this little borough. The bitter feeling was at one time -so great that the name of the postoffice was changed from Kingsville to Ramey, and Gen. King burned in effigy. The name Ramey was in honor of a man by that name, who made many dashing and scouting expeditions in Missouri as a militia captain. Practi¬ cally the name was never adopted, and just as soon as democrats had influence in congress the name was changed back to Kingsville. The postoffice, for a time, was discontinued during the civil war, and when the office was resuscitated the Pacific railroad brought a daily mail about the 1st of July. 1865. The following postmasters have served since the war: W. Wilkcenson, A. J. Buchanan, W. Monroe and Geo. Moore. The last named is serving at present, and from him we get the following bit of information concerning the office: The office is open every day except Sundays. The following periodicals are received, published in the county: Journal- Democrat, fifty copies taken; Sedalia Evening Call, thirty copies taken; Holden Enterprise , fifty-four copies taken; Standard , twenty copies taken. Papers published out of the county: ' Chicago Inter- Ocean, twentv-three; Missouri Republican , fifty; Christian , twenty-five; Globe- Democrat , twenty; Western Raral , six; Cumberland Presbyterian, five; United Presbyterian, fifteen ; and about one hundred promiscuous papers. The average number of letters that arrive each day is about thirty, and the office pays about $20 per month.

Physicians - In the early settlement of the township Dr. Jas. M. Ful¬ kerson did much of the practice in this section, riding horseback fifteen miles. Dr. H. W. King practiced here prior to the war; Dr. W. G. King, till his death; Dr. B. King, who now resides in Holden; Dr. W. H. Carpenter has the leading practice; Dr. T. A. Reed graduated at a Kan¬ sas City medical school, and located here in 1880; Dr. J. A. Houston resides in the country; Dr. H. J. Douthit practiced here after the close of the war till he went to Texas; Dr. W. D. Pinkston, now of Warrensburg, resided here a few years ago.

Depot. - The Missouri Railroad was finished to this point about July 1, 1865, and the depot built in 1866. At one time this was a good shipping point, but through the lack of enterprise on the part of a few land-holders the little sister town of Holden robbed this village of her pristine glory, and became a mammoth shipping point instead. Town lots were at one time so dear that there were but little inducements to locate here, and so, little by little, the town has grown less, until now it will only number about two hundred souls. About one dozen of this population are negroes. The following are the railroad agents as they served: Messrs. Holonbeak, Jones, Rolston, Jackson, Hunt, Horner, Wheeler, King and Phillips.

The town has at present two neat frame church buildings - the Chris¬ tian and United Presbyterian churches. The Baptist organization talk of building. Pastors of each: Elder J. H. Vance, Christian; Rev. Wm. Stevenson, United Presbyterian; Rev. J. H. Carmichael, Baptist. Geo. G. Valentine, superintendent Christian Sunday school; Jas. Ruff, superin¬ tendent United Presbyterian Sunday school.

Baptist Church of Kingsville. - Prominent among the early churches of Kingsville, is the Baptist church. The church at Kingsville wras organ¬ ized, Saturday, March 10, 1860, with the following original members, holding letters from the United Baptist church; Geo. Minton, Gross Gesterson, F. G. George, Andrew Worth, Sarah Worth, Rufus Wise, John Wooton, Marinda Wooton, Lucretia Wooton, Rosanah M. Johnson, J. Hunt, Martha Hunt, and Mary Byrslv.

Andrew Worth and Rufus Wise were the first deacons. At a meet¬ ing in the following July, the congregation asked to be admitted into the Blue River Association, as the " United Baptist Church of Kingsville." The first delegates to the Blue River Association were A. Worth, L. Rush, and F. G. George.

The first pastor was Rev. George Minton, who took charge in the fol¬ lowing September, for one year. The church began to prosper, but its members were few, and after the regular meeting in July 1861, they were suddenly scattered abroad hy the ravages of civil war, and did not con¬ vene an\ more during the five years of devastating war. In August, 1866, the church was reorganized, with Andrew Worth, moderator and F. E. Johnston, clerk. Soon after the church began to prosper again. In May 1872, the church sent J. M. Dorman to the state Sunday-school conven¬ tion, which convened that year in Warrensburg, as their delegate in the Sunday-school cause of the state, and since then, this church has heartily supported the Baptist Sunday-school cause in the state, although they have not maintained any regular Sunday-school in their own congrega¬ tion.

At a meeting in Oct. 1874, delegates were chosen to meet in convention at Mound Prairie church, Lafayette county, for the purpose of organizing a new association, composed of the counties of Johnson aud Lafayette. The convention was held the 29th of October, and the new association was effected. Since that time the church has been abundantly blessed in prosperity and faithful membership, and although not owning any house of worship, they have never failed to meet regularly every month. At present, steps are being taken to build a handsome church edifice. The present pastor, Rev. J. L. Carmichael, has entered upon his work with earnestness and zeal, and will surely succeed in extending and building up the church in Kingsville.

United Presbyterian Church at Kingsville. - Prominent among the churches of Johnson county is the U. P. church at Kingsville. The church was organized November 8, 1867, with the following original members: M. A. Andrews, N. Andrews, Hannah Andrews, Alex. Dripps, James Dripps, Eliza Dripps, Mariah Dripps, Sallie Dripps, Wm. Rinehart, Mar¬ garet Rinehart, Henry Skiles, Arnet Skiles, Jane Skiles, Mattie Skiles, Elmer A. Skiles, John P. Thompson, M. T. Thompson, Lulie F. Thomp¬ son, Mary E. Thompson, and Sarah M. Thompson.

Although the church cannot be counted among the oldest religious societies of the county, yet, since its organization, there are but few churches that have kept pace with it. It has a good and worthy member¬ ship of ninety members, and it may be said, it is the foremost church of this denomination in the county. There are only two other churches of this denomination in the county, at Warrensburg and Centerview.

The church building is a handsome frame edifice 26x60, built in 1870, and cost SL400. It is neatly seated, aisles carpeted, and presents an impos¬ ing and welcome place for the weary-worn, of the heavenward sojourn¬ ers, on Sabbath days. But two pastors have filled the pulpit here. Rev. J. F. Graham was pastor from September 7, till October 15, 1873, when, on account of his ill health, he resigned. Rev. Wm. Stevenson took charge in August 1878 and still continues in the pastoral charge.

This church was organized by Rev. R. G. Thompson, who moved into the bounds of Kingsville with his family from Ohio, June 1, 1866; at that time there was no organization of the U. P. church in the state, except one in St. Louis. Rev. Thompson began preaching in an old school house north of Kingsville, one and a half miles, and preached regularly during the fall and winter of 1866-7. He was appointed by the church in the summer of 1867 to labor here and in Holden for the year, with the prom- ise of $200 and a small subscription from the citizens as support. Being encouraged by the prospects of building up a congregation, an organiza¬ tion was effected at the house of Rev. Thompson, November 8, 1867. The Sabbath-school was organized in the summer of 1867, and has con¬ tinued ever since, and now has a scholarship, with an average member¬ ship of eighty, the whole year. James Ruff is superintendent and Rosa O. Martin, secretary. The church and Sunday-school are both entering a prosperous growth, and will, no doubt, last a long time.

Christian Church of Kingsville, - The Christian Church of Kingsville is prominent among the churches of western Johnson county. It was organized in March, 1868, by Eld. Geo. W. Langan with the following original members: Alice Fryer, Rilda Douglas, Laura Lea, Mary J. Harner, Emma Huff, Elizabeth Douthit, Dora Douthit, Elizabeth Reavis, Mary Smith, Margaret Fryer, Alice Reavis, Mary Henry, Alice Rolston, Thos. Douthit, Geo. C. Douthit, T. Henry, John R. Reavis, Sam'l McCulock, Joseph Venable, and Ashley York. The first pastor was Eld. T. J. Crenshaw, who commenced his labors in the following July, visiting the congregation monthly. John R. Reavis and T. Henry were the first elders, and Wm. F. Rolston and Geo. G. Douthit the first deacons. In January, 1879, W. C. Duncan and Wm. F. Rolston were set apart as elders. On the 11th day of August, 1871, Dr. W. D. Pinkston united with the church. At an officers' election in May, 1872, Wm. F. Rolston and W. C. Duncan were re-elected elders, and John Greaves and Owen Souther were elected and ordained deacons. In the beginning of 1874 when the church was in a prosperous condition a faction arose which terminated in the Fisk-Jarrott case, in 1876, when W. C. Duncan no longer officiated as elder. The church was soon healed of these troubles and at once entered an era of progress. On February 3, 1877, a com¬ mittee was appointed to report on church history and statistics, in which the members felt a deep interest. March the 16th, 'of the same year, "The Johnson county Missionary meeting" was held with this church. The following are the present officers of the church: Owen Souther, and John R. White, elders; John Greaves and D. K. Hobbs, deacons, and W. H. Mayo, clerk.

The present neat frame church was erected in the fall of 1880, at the cost of $1,100. It is about 30x46 in size, and contains plain but neat furni¬ ture, a platform and a communion set. The present membership is about 84. The Sunday-school has Geo. G. Valentine for superintendent, with an average of fifty scholars. In the past the school has not been kept up all the year, but with the efficient work of the present snperintendent it is expected that the school will continue both winter and summer. The following ministers have labored with the church: T. J. Crenshaw, M. H. Burnett, John R. Reavis, W. R. Cunningham, John Elliott, James

Randall, B. C. Stephens, and J. H. Vance. The following ministers have conducted successful revivals: C. A. Hedrick, W. B. Fisk, J. L. Thornberry, and Geo. W. Longan. None of these religious awakenings have been very marked. In 1872 and 1873, the church received large additions. In 1874 J. L. Thornberry conducted a meeting which resulted in eighteen additions to the church. The church is now in good con¬ dition. About twenty copies of the Christian , the church paper of St Louis, are taken by the church. Eld. J. H. Vance is the present pastor and the church no doubt, will continue to stand exerting a great influence for good among the religious bodies of the county.

In connection with the township and village we give a brief notice of the extensive orchard planted by J. L. Jones. This gentleman was born in that part of Missouri now called Cooper county, Juue 1, 1820, of Welsh- Irish parentage. At present he is in moderate health and is serving as justice of the peace. This immense orchard was planted in the spring of 1868. It originally consisted of 200 acres, but now has only 170 acres. The drought in 1874 and the grasshoppers in the following year destroyed a large number of the young trees. It is well hedged in by Osage orange, then it has a "wind-brake" of cedar surrounding the orchard within the hedge. The orchard contains upwards of 8,000 trees. The following are some of the varieties of apples: Ben Davis, geniton, minkler, bellflower, winesap, witerwine, autumn and winter swaar, early harvest, red june, willow-twig, jonathan, white winter Pearmain, Huntsman and many others. About 600 pear trees of several varieties are in the orchard. Several varieties of plums were planted but none do well except the wild goose plum. Mr. Jones shipped last year 950 barrels of apples from this orchard. When the trees are older, no doubt but the yield will be fine. At present this orchard has passed into the hands of A. G. French, sonin-law of Mr. Jones: Mr. French is an enterprising farmer and merchant and has one of the handsomest country residences, close to Kingsville.

The Kingsville Star , a neat little newspaper made its debut in 1867, and was successfully edited b>y Andrew R. French. It continued one year " semi-occasionally " in its publication. D. B. Reavis and A. R. French were merchants at this time.

In the winter of 1869 a brutal murder occurred on the farm of Samuel Dryden, a man about sixty years of age. It appears that a tenant family, by the name of Cox (man and wife only), were living here and were down sick, when some malicious fiend came upon them and chopped them to pieces with an ax. So far, no one has ever found out, more than rumor, who did the deed. During this time the "vigilance committee " was organized in this section, and an armed band of eight unknown men dis¬ patched Drvden's life, supposed to be on account of the Cox murder. The whole tragedy is a mystery to be revealed in the day of judgment.

Massacre . - Early in the late war, around this place, was a scene of con¬ siderable strife and hostile action by both parties. At first the people were principally on the side of the south, and B. Hornsby was the only leader of'the abolition party. In June, 1861, the first seces¬ sion flags were raised in the village. The unionists attempted to raise their flags on the same day, but failed for want of numbers, and the south¬ ern women took axes and cut the unionists? flag-poles to pieces. In Octo¬ ber of the same year, Gen. "Jim " Lane, of Kansas notoriety, dashed into the town and sacked all the stores. During the following winter (1862), Maj. Herrick, under Col. Gennison, dashed down upon the place and drove out all the southerners, and burned their dwellings. Near the village they took nine men prisoners, and on the following morning killed eight, and the ninth one they cut a swallow-fork in his right ear, saying: " We'll know you when you are caught again," then set him at liberty. About this time, the .Kansas clan of robbers set on fire great number of the dwellings of the county. A person that was a witness says: "I counted one evening, while standing on Brushy Knob, one hundred and sixty houses on fire." Slaves were ravished by these desperadoes in the pres¬ ence of their master's family, and women and children were driven from their homes without a morsel of bread in the world, or money to buy food. On account of southern feeling, Mrs. Nancy Longacre and her daughter were taken prisoners and sent to St. Louis. Gen. Wm. King, the father of the King family, went south and did not return till the close of the war. To heap fuel upon the already kindled flames of the war, the unionists burned him, on the public streets, in effigy. When peace and quiet was being restored throughout the length and breadth of the land, and no one was dreaming of trouble, at the early dawn on May 7, 1865, about two hundred bushwhackers under the daring leaders, Arch Clemments, Dave Pool and Bill Anderson, swept down upon the quiet lit¬ tle village and commenced fire on the citizens that were just emerging from their night's repose. The citizens rallied for their lives with Capt. Leroy C. Duncan as their leader, but were so outnumbered that they could not withstand the assault of the raiders, who soon had possession of the town, which they left in ashes after robbing the families of their money and clothing. On the evening previous to the massacre these vile murder¬ ers camped on Lause Run, a few miles away, in Cass county, and before they started for Kingsville, disposed of a prisoner by cutting his throat from ear to ear and leaving him on the spot. The following is a partial list of the dead and wounded: James Paul, Abner Ryan, Walton Burris, W. H. Duncan, L. C. Duncan, S. F. Duncan, Wm. Johnson.

B. A. Crain, Wm. Dock, and Hiram Rose were taked prisoners, but released. After this, soldiers were sent here by the governor for the pro¬ tection of the citizens, but the war caused no further trouble.

The Cemetery , consists of about five acres, on Chair Knob, close by the village. It was laid out by Gen. King, in 1856. It is divided into three separate parts. On the southern part of the summit, it is the family grave yard of the King's, inclosed by a stone wall and crab apple shrubs planted within the walls.

Here stands a beautiful monument about ten feet high, at the grave of Gen. Wm. M. King and his wife, inscribed thus: " Wm. M. King, born, November 14, 1800, died, July 26, 1870; Frances M. King, born, May 27, 1804, died, March 2, 1876. "

The peoples' public graveyard occupies about two acres on the north¬ ern part of the Knob. It is a beautiful lookout. No trees or shrubbery except a cedar now and then, a willow and rose near the monument of Angeline Fryer.

The Catholic burying ground occupies the western slope of this Knob. It was purchased and deeded to Father James Phelan, in the spring of 1881, and now contains already about one dozen graves. It is inclosed by a plank fence, and is destined to be handsomely improved.

The Public School. This was erected in 1868, at a cost of upwards of $3,000. It consists of a two story and a half building. The upper story is owned by the masons. There is two school rooms, and generally two teachers employed. The size of the rooms are twenty-six by forty. About $3,000 worth of bonds were issued for the indebtedness. It is not all paid at present, although a compromise was made. The interest on the debt at present is less than $100. The first board of directors were: A. G. French, Jacob Glasse, James Robinson, A. J. Buchanan, John Hickman, and J. S. Jones. At first the building was fenced and out houses built, the rooms furnished with school apparatus, good seats, globes, cubical blocks, etc., but through carelessness and the disposition of the people to destroy public property, at this time there is no fence about the building, and stock are wont to stand about or come on the approaches of the door. Instead of the beautiful white walls, in many places are spots of dry mud or the superscription of some boy or girl associated as sweethearts. The once beautiful walnut desks are well defaced and rudely marked by the initials of former pupils. The school apparatus is all gone, such as maps, charts, globes, etc. The upper room has 160 square feet of good liquid slate boards, while the lower board is as rough as a sandstone. There is a wood stove in each room. The house is very open and hard to warm, on account of the plastering falling off. In order to keep roughs out, the windows are kept nailed down with spikes. The

Prior to the war a subscription school was taught in any sort of a building that could be procured. Among the old teachers are Mr. Bel¬ mont and lady, who taught in old dwellings. J. N. Ferguson taught during the winter of 1859 - 60, in an old stone building. Miss Martha Givens taught in an old building formerly used as a smoke-house. W. H. Duncan taught one term. For a time during the war there was no school.

The following is a partial list of the teachers: W. P. Baker, Henry Harmon, J. Cline, J. Johnson, Rev. Isaac N. Newman, Maggie M. McCarty, Abigail Whitson, Rev. R. G. Thompson, Wm. P. Hunt, G. G. Valentine, Dora Douthit, A. C. Jones, Mollie Johnson, Maggie Duncan, Lizzie Hamshaw, Carrie Maynard, Mrs. Mattie George, Addie Johnson, Laura A. Glasse, Geo. B. Longan, Mrs. Emma Longan, F. E. Meigs, John Moran, Sallie King, J. D. King Miss Adelia S. Boswell, and A. J. Sparks, the present efficient teacher.

The school building has been let, prior to the last term, to preaching, Sunday schools, and various public amusements, hence the bad condition of the building. The following is an exhibit of the last term report: Term taught by A. J. Sparks, commencing April 11, 1881, and ending July 1, 1881. Number of days taught, 60; No. of males enrolled, 26; females 37; total 63. Whole number of days attended by all pupils, 1928; average daily attendance, 32 2-15. Average number of days attended by each pupil, 30 38-63. The cost per day of each pupil is upwards of three cents, sixty-five per month, and about two dol¬ lars per term. At present the school-room needs repairs, a deeper inter¬ est on the part of parents, so that the incorrigible roughs who have injured the school may be brought to justice. This school averages seven months in the year.

Masonic - The Masons own a hall over the public school building. February 6, 1869, District-Deputy Grand Master I. W. McDonald organ¬ ized and set to work Kingsville Lodge, A. F. & A. M., under dispensa¬ tion. Officers appointed: R. T. Fryer, W. M. ; N. G. Cooley, S. W.; Horatio Cox, J. W.; C. C. King, treasurer; Samuel H. Hammonds, sec¬ retary; W. P. Gibson, S. D.; Moses Ferguson, J. D.; John Sheton, tyler. December 18, 1869, Rt. W. D. D. Grand Master, Dr. Geo. R. Hunt organized and set to work Kingsville Lodge, 313, A. F. & A. M. under charter granted by the Grand Lodge of Missouri, October 12, 1869. Officers: R.T. Fryer, W. M. ; N. G. Cooley, S. W.; Horatio Cox, J. W.; D. B. Reavis, treasurer; Wm. P. Hunt, secretary; B. F. Miller,

Business Directory

Blackburn, Elisha, blacksmith; Blackburn, Fannie, teacher; Carpenter, W. H., physician; Douthit, Dora, teacher; Douthit, Molly, teacher ; Dunn, L. H., engineer; French, A. G. & Bro., general merchandise and drug¬ gists; Gloyd, Ira, proprietor Ellas House; Greave & Ruff, proprietors flour mill; Glasse, Jacob, carpenter and builder; Glasse, Laura, teacher; Jones, John L., justice of the peace; King, Edgar, general merchandise; McKnight & Lampkin, grain dealers; Monroe & Son, groceries and hardware; Monroe, G., postmaster; Mayo, W. H., wagon maker; Mills,

S. W., blacksmith; Miller, B. F., carpenter and builder; Miller, Mrs. Fannie, proprietor Miller House; Phillips, H. E., railroad agent; Reed,

T. A., physician; Starkey & Christian, lumber dealers; Ligfried, John H., shoe and boot maker; Stevenson, Wm., U. P. minister; Valentine, G. G., book-keeper; West, F. M., Baptist minister; Woods Bros., car¬ penters; Wilson, Jas. M., miller; Wilson, M. H., organist; Wilson, Mrs. Rebecca, music teacher.