Randolph County, Missouri - Chapter 9: Pioneer Settlers of Randolph County, 1920

Early Settlers

SILVER CREEK TOWNSHIP SETTLED FIRST - WILLIAM HOLMAN FIRST SETTLERSETTLERS MOSTLY FROM THE SOUTH - DR. FORT FIRST PHYSICIAN - EARLY SETTLERS - ORIGINAL TO WNSHIPS - PIONEERS WERE OF HIGH TYPE - OTHER EARLY SETTLERS.

The Missouri River at Glasgow, flowing eastward to that point, turns abruptly to the south and flows south for approximately twenty miles; thence east to Rocheport. Howard County lies largely in this bend of the river, the northwest corner being about six miles north of Glasgow. In consequence, Randolph County, adjoining on the north, is nearer Glasgow than any other point on the river. As we have seen the first settlements were along the river and from thence grew inland. Silver Creek township in the southwest corner of Randolph County is from eight to fifteen miles from Glasgow, and it was in this part of the county the first settlement was made. It is conceded that William Holman was the first permanent settler in Randolph county. He located! near a spring in Silver Creek township in 1818. Following close on the heels of William Holman, came James Holman, a brother of William, and James Dysart, the same or following year.

FVom this beginning the settlement of Randolph County grew rapidly east and north. From and after the close of the war of 1812 and the treaty of peace with the Indians, the tide of immigration from the older states east of the Mississippi grew stronger year by year. Kentucky contributed by far the greater number of settlers and Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland each contributed large numbers. Missouri was admitted as a slave state' and while the free states farther

Within three years after the coming of William Holman the settlement thus begun had stretched east beyond Higbee and north beyond Huntsville, and probably an occasional settler had found his way to the neighborhood of Middle Grove and Milton and other parts of Randolph County.

In the year of 1820, Dr. William Fort, the first physician to locate in Randolph County, settled on land about three and a half miles west of the site of Huntsville^ and he and Tolman Gorham established and operated salt works at the Salt Spring, now known as Randolph Springs. These works they continued to operate for many years thereafter, furnishing salt for a wide stretch of surrounding territory.

It will be borne in mind that these early settlers arrived and located prior to the organization of Randolph County and when we refer to the townships in this connection by name we refer to the four original townships into which the county was subdivided after its organization. Primarily, Silver Greek and Salt Spring townships embraced the entirei western half of the county and Prairie and Sugar Creek townships the eastern portion of the county. Many others came before the organization of Randolph county, but the time of their arrival cannot be definitely fixed at this late date. These later arrivals, many of them, will receive mention in the history of the several townships as now organized.

In a recent history of Missouri written by a college professor these pioneer settlers are referred to by the learned author as rude, uncouth, roistering men and not over law abiding. Evidently the author of this work belongs to a younger generation and was not fortunate enough to have become personally acquainted with any great number of these pioneers. The writer of this article grew up from a boy ten years of age among the pioneer settlers of Clay County and in the early seventies made the acquaintance of many of these old settlers of Randolph County who were then advanced in years, some of them feeble with age, others yet sturdy oaks in their seventies, perhaps older. The early settlers of Clay County, like those of Randolph, were from the same states and like to the early settlers of Randolph County in every respect. As a rule they were not college bred, yet some of them had college diplomas. And on the other hand some were illiterate, but not all. Prior to 1840 Missouri was yet a young state and much of it was yet a wilderness, and the class of people who came were as a rule men of strong convictions and strong characters.

The very early settlers, those who took up their abode in Randolph County prior to its organization, were supermen. Before 1820 no steamboats plied the Missouri River and previous to that time and long afterward the emigrant from east of the Mississippi came with his family, if he had one, in a covered wagon or wagons. It was only the courageous, industrious, fearless man that come to the wilderness in those days. He may have been deficient in book learning, but he had learned much in the most thorough scht)ol of all - the school of experience. The man who sought an easy, restful life, free from cares and dangers, remained in the state of his birth. No drones crossed the Mississippi River into the wilderness in the early days.

It was my fortune to make the acquaintance of probably a dozen of the very early settlers who came to this county before the state was admitted into the Union and of many more before Randolph County was organized. They were not great scholars, many of them, but as a rule they were men, courageous, honest, energetic, home loving and hospitable, and many of them were consistent church men. So far as natural ability, industry, morality and right living was concerned they more than averaged with the men of Randolph County today. As a rule their word was as good as their bond. In the early days when they lived side by side, i. e., within a few miles of each other, facing: a common peril, and being largely dependent the one upon the other, it was no uncommon thing for a neighbor to loan a neighbor not only small sums of money, but sums amounting to several hundred dollars and decline to take a note because his neighbor's promise was good and his lender knew his word would be kept.

Nor were those early settlers rude or uncouth, especially in the company of ladies. They were possessed of native dignity, they placed women upon a pedestal and were gentlemen in their presence and true men at all other times. As a matter of course there were some, as there always are iri every neighborhood who didn't measure up to this standard, but there were as few of their class then as now. Men and women of today are better educated, it is true, but God makes men and women and endows them. The college may polish and to a degree enlighten and improve, but it can't make nor unmake God's handiwork.

It is not the purpose of the writer to unduly extol these early settlers, but to pay them a just tribute only. It was the writer's privilege in the early seventies to become personally acquainted with a number of these old settlers. Several of them had already passed their four score mile post. Others were a score or half a score of years younger and many of these younger ones became my personal friends. A number of the early settlers had moved west and south and of course many others had ended life's journey and were sleeping the last sleep in the church yards that dotted Randolph County.

The memory of men, however, such men as were George Burckhartt. Major Homer, William Holman and the older Taylors, Samuels, Burtons, McLeans and many other former leading citizens, does not die with them. There were hundreds yet living who bore testimony to the high character and worth of these early settlers. What I have written concerning them, the ones that I knew, I know to be just and true, and what I have written concerning those who had passed away is equally true because based upon the testimony of many credible men. The sons and daughters and later descendents of these pioneers may therefore take pride in the names and achievements of their pioneer forefathers, with few exceptions.