Vernon County, Missouri - The whole text, 1911 (part 2 of 14)

The township's first sehoolhouse was built in 1850 at what was later Avola, and, curiously enough, the pine lumber from which it was constructed was hauled from Arkansas - from Van Winkle's sawmill - a mill in northern Arkansas, well known to southwest Missourians of the early days, and the nearest point at which sawn lumber could be obtained. The old sehoolhouse stood for many years, its exterior blackened and charred by prairie fires which many times threatened its destruction and, in fact, it was only by heroic effort of volunteer fire fighters on several occasions that it escaped. The prairie grass in Drywood 's early days and, indeed, up to the middle eighties grew not as we know it now, but as a luxuriant, tangled mat, tall as a high horse's withers, of coarse, rank, succulent growth and in which a well-developed prairie fire meant a serious matter.

This first school was taught by C. Correll, who forty-six years later was chosen to represent this county in the Missouri legis¬ lature and was one of the township's foremost citizens. In this house Mr. Correll frequently conducted religious services on Sun¬ day afternoons, as the township in the fifties was without church facilities.

The first postoffice in the township was called Drywood and was established in the fifties at the home of Peter Teel in the extreme northwestern corner of the township, with Mr. Teel as postmaster, and it is needless to say that his duties were neither exacting nor arduous. Avola was platted in 1869 and the Drywood postoffice, which had been discontinued during the Civil War, was re-established there with James Hy der as postmaster. Mr. Hyder soon tired of the duties of postmaster and resigned in favor of his brother, W. B. Hyder, who had arrived the pre¬ vious year from Tennessee, and who served as postmaster through successive administrations. The Avola, as well as the discon¬ tinued Drywood office, were served by a star route, the mail being carried from Nevada to Lamar by a carrier who made the trip occasionally on horseback.

The Avola school district at that time was composed of what later made the Sheldon, Avola and Correll districts. When the Avola district was separated from the others, a sclioolhouse of hewn hickory logs was put up in what later became the Correll or Prairie View district. Some time later, about 1871, some pub¬ lic benefactor conceived the idea of making a passageway through the prairie grass to the schoolhouse for those children who lived in the southeastern corner of the district, and with this end in view a team was hitched to a small log and this was dragged through the five-foot prairie grass from a point southeast of where Sheldon now stands to the log schoolhouse. This trail crossed what is now Main street in Sheldon at the intersection of Second street, where the Farmers' Bank building now stands and from there on a direct line northwest by west. This path was greatly appreciated not only by the few school children for whose use it was made, but, lacking roads, it became a thor- oughfare for all who had occasion to travel in that general direc¬ tion; the herds of cattle which fed at pleasure on the prairies used it for their passage and it became so definitely marked that it was not until the plow of the farmer succeeded the herd of the cattleman that it was obliterated. Sheldon district separated from the Correll district in 1875 and the first school in the former

The evidences of civilization and the improvements which had began to manifest themselves in the early fifties were largely destroyed during the stirring time of 1861-64, and it was not until the establishment of peace that the real and permanent growth of the township began. A house, which until recent years stood southeast of Avola, was during the War of the Re¬ bellion the scene of a sharp engagement between a small body of Federal troops from Kansas, who had taken possession of the building and were attacked by a detachment of Confederates. The house, which was known as the " Riggs' place," bore many bullet holes which gave mute evidence of the warmth of the engagement.

Avola, which until the establishment of Sheldon and the building of the Missouri Pacific railroad through the county, was the township's principal trading point, at that time rapidly lost prestige and population and now nothing but a name and a memory remains of what was once the stopping point of prac¬ tically every traveler who journeyed north and south through Vernon and Barton counties.

The village of Avola was situated in the southwestern part of this township on the lower half of the section line between sections 19 and 20, mainly on the southwest quarter of the latter section. James Hyder settled a quarter of a mile north of the site some vears before the war, and a schoolhouse w as built m 1859 or I860. It is said that the lumber out of which this house is built was hauled with ox teams from Arkansas. During the war the soldiers set out a prairie fire which charred the weather boarding a little, but the building itself passed through the war all right, and furnished shelter for many a houseless, homeless from Ohio, bought a tract of land which included the schoolhouse, built a little storehouse, and opened a stock of goods. Mr. James Hyder laid out the village, but the plat was never recorded.

The town of Sheldon is in the southeastern part of Drywood township, on the northeast quarter of section 35, half a mile from the Barton county line. It was laid out by Hon. Sheldon A. Wight, of Nevada, who gave the place his Christian name. Mr. Wight was a large landholder in this quarter and founded the town on the completion of the railroad. The plat was regularly surveyed May 6 and 7, 1881 ; S. T. Emerson was the surveyor.

The first building was a storehouse, put up by William Hycler on Main street (lots 1 and 2 in block 12) and occupied for a time by his family, which was the first in the place. Probably the next store building was erected by Frank P. Anderson. C. P. Barnes was an early comer, as was Samuel Weld, the hotel pro¬ prietor, and Nicholas Wells. Adjoining the town lived John Croy, a farmer, who kept hotel when the town was first laid out and wyas Mr. Wight's agent for the sale of lots. Jerry McGrew and James Baker were among the first merchants. Dr. Pope was probably the first resident physician. The "Enterprise" news¬ paper was established in 1884; Harry Swan was the first editor and manager. R. G-. Campbell was his successor.

In 1896 Mr. ITowmrd C. Storrs purchased the "Enterprise" and has since conducted a bright and newsy newspaper in the interests of Sheldon and the southern part of Vernon county.

Nestling in the midst of a man-made forest, where but thirty years ago was wonderfully fertile but barren prairie, is Sheldon, the metropolis of south Vernon, and the county's third city. Those who budded Sheldon budded wiselv, well, and for the future. The town is located but a short distance from the Vcrnon-Barton line, on land of sufficient undulation to afford natural and ample drainage, but flat enough to present to the eye a practically unbroken plane. The streets are of unusual width and are lined in the residence districts with shade trees, many of which have assumed mammoth proportions. So many are the trees - shapely maples and stately elms predominating - that when approaching the city from any direction no cluster of ugly roofs and square-topped structures greet the eye, the mass of foliage which is seen giving the appearance of a virgin forest with but. a glimpse of well-turned cornice or church steeple to notify the traveler that he is approaching the "City of Trees."

Sheldon was founded in 1881, immediately following - or, rather, coincident with - the building of the Missouri Pacific railway through Vernon county, and so closely allied were the establishment of these two advance agents of civilization and prosperity that when material for the first house was unloaded here it was necessary for the prospective builder, "Col." W. B. Iiyder, to handle the material himself, as there was no depot, agent, nor even a side track, and the switching facilities con¬ sisted of a car standing on the main line only between trips of a frequently moving construction train. In its early life Main street resembled in many respects the typical frontier town and, indeed, Sheldon was frontier at that time. The business houses consisted of one-story frame shacks, and the early residences were put up on much the same plan, tents frequently housing an enthusiastic citizen's family until material could be secured for the erection of a more permanent abode. Seemingly dis¬ astrous, but in the final results, wholly beneficial conflagrations swept Main street from First to the Missouri Pacific right-o '-way at frequent intervals of the town's early history, and in their wake came more commodious structures of brick, of improved appearance and of greater permanency.

While Sheldon never presented the lawlessness of the wild and woolly West, yet in her early day saloons were the scenes of frequent brawls, and upon more than one occasion the town was "shot up" by some bibulous and hilarious celebrant. Even at first this condition was frowned upon by the better class of citi¬ zens, many of whom were attracted here by the obvious advan¬ tages which Sheldon offered the homeseeker, and with the pass¬ ing of a few years a better state of affairs was established and Sheldon's growth along all lines which tend to good citizenship - religion, education, morality and sobriety - has been hand in hand with her development on a commercial footing.

Sheldon, it might be mentioned, has long been known as the "dryest" spot in Vernon county, and it was here that the move originated in 1907 which put Vernon in the ranks of the "dry" counties of the state by means of a local option election. The story is yet told of the enthusiastic dry advocate who, during the closing days of the strenuous campaign just previous to this election, arose in a temperance meeting in response to the speak¬ er's statement that he would be pleased to answer any question which any one in the audience might wish to ask, and said: "I would like to ask what the Bible says about temperance and drinking/' "Well," responded the speaker, who was a wellknown Nevada clergyman, "for one thing Habakuk says, 'Woe unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken, also.' " "I don't car a pica¬ yune what Habakuk says; I want to know what the Bible says," was the dry man's quick and earnest response.

Sheldon's pre-eminence in commercial life may in part be attributed to the good roads which center there from all direc¬ tions. Good roads have been a hobby with more than one of Sheldon's leading citizens in years past and the reward has been reaped in the gratifying business growth of the city. Upon no other call is the average business man of the city so willing to loosen his purse strings as for good roads, and much money has been spent for this purpose. The story is yet told of a Sheldon merchant, long since gone to his reward, who was always so willing to help the cause of good roads that it was only neces¬ sary to mention the subject to start him toward his cash drawer. To test his readiness to give to any good roads project two friends decided one day to play a joke upon him, and the plan they pursued was something like this: The two went into the mer¬ chant's place of business and extending a paper to him, one of the practical jokers said: "Here's a subscription paper to raise funds to do some work on the road out at the Willhite hills, and wrn'd like to have you head the list." "All right, boys," he replied, "I'll sign my name. Put me down for any amount you think proper," and for weeks after the jokers exhibited to ap¬ preciative friends a paper which read something like this: "In¬ asmuch as I realize that I am a general nuisance, and a detriment to the community, I respectfully request my friends to make away with me in any manner which seems fitting and proper, and for this purpose I contribute the amount set opposite my name," and here followed the victim's signature.

Viewed from the standpoint of educational facilities, religious life, and secret society organizations, Sheldon stands well in the front rank of cities of much larger population. The Baptist,

Methodist, M. E. church, South, and Christian churches have each live, enthusiastic organizations, and have ample and com¬ modious houses of worship. Congregations listen each Sunday to discourses in Sheldon's churches which are well worthy the listener's attention. Sheldon's schools are known for their thor¬ ough, conscientious work over a large contiguous territory, and many non-resident pupils attend each year for the benefit of the better educational facilities offered here. The various secret fraternities have large and growing memberships. The A. F. & A. M., the I. 0. 0. F., the M. W. A., the W. 0. W. lodges and their auxiliaries are represented by flourishing lodges, and of those named, the Odd Fellows own a commodious and wellconstructed lodge building, erected in 1910.

Particularly fortunate is Sheldon from the fact that only a block from the business section, and on the north side of Main street, the city's principal thoroughfare, is the beautiful Sheldon park. The park consists of about five acres and is surrounded by a double row of massive trees, affording ample shade and com¬ fort. The land composing the park was purchased in 1905 by a sextette of public spirited citizens, and has since been open to the public. Here is a base ball diamond, where many hard fought battles have been decided, and where the Sheldon Invincibles have year after year demonstrated that ball players are one crop which south Drvwood township grows to perfection. Here are tennis courts for the use of the devotees of that game, and here, also, is held annually Sheldon's old settlers' picnic - an affair which ranks high in the annals of such gatherings - really one of the biggest affairs of the kind in southwest Missouri, a picnic where the attendance is numbered by the thousands, and who come not only from this and adjoining counties, but many from far distant states, the picnic being in the nature of a home-coming for Sheldon folk who have wandered far. Here have been heard speeches by some of the brightest minds of the state, oratory being one of the leading features of the annual old settlers' picnic.

Sheldon has been called, and not unjustly, the "City of Side¬ walks." Miles of 'well-constructed concrete walks reach out through the residence districts and add not only to the value of the property but immeasurably to the comfort of the citizen¬ ship. A progressive city administration - and their names are worthy of record as public benefactors: Mayor W. G. Jones and Aldermen F. G. McCutchen, G. B. Beeny, S. M. Hickman and WT. C. Shoemaker - along about 1904 started a reign of civic im¬ provement that has given Sheldon a much wider than local creditable reputation. In addition to the miles of concrete walks and street crossings by the score, this administration purchased for Sheldon a well-equipped chemical fire fighting apparatus, the like of which is perhaps not possessed by any town of Sheldon's population in the state.

Sheldon has behind it a well-spent past and before it looms a brilliant future. For her sturdy upbuilding thanks are due to many - a large number of those who contributed to the city's moral and commercial uplift have gone to their reward. Credit to all to whom credit is due would fill many pages of this work ; an acknowledgment to a part only would be a manifest in¬ justice; so suffice it to say that the reward of those who budded well in Sheldon's early development is the knowledge that her sturdy sons and comely daughters of the present generations are traveling a smoother path than did their forefathers.

Sheldon Business Houses

The various businesses of Sheldon are of a prosperous and widely diversified nature, befitting, though, as is to be expected, a wholly agriculture district. With a trade radius extending far in every direction, Sheldon's commercial life is, naturally, a healthy one, and, generally speaking, her business men are thor¬ oughly awake, well qualified, keen and liberal.

G. B. Beeny. Heading the list of local business men comes fittingly the name of G. B. Beeny, Sheldon's foremost business man. Mr. Beeny identified himself with Sheldon's business life at an early stage of her existence, coming here in the early eighties. His first business venture was a small grist mill, and from this comparatively modest beginning has grown what is one of Vernon county's chief industries. Mr. Beeny transacts a yearly business well in excess of $100,000, and his pay roll adds much to the circulating medium in Sheldon. Mr. Beeny is an ex¬ tensive farmer, usually caring for from 1,200 to 1,500 acres of hay land each year, and putting in from 200 to 300 acres of corn annually, to mention none of the minor crops which he harvests.

He adopts all of the latest labor saving machinery in his farm¬ ing operations, using traction engines and gang plows, duplex and automatic hay presses, and, in fact, every piece of machinery the use of which is calculated to cut down the cost of produc¬ tion or improve the output. His various business plants such as his harness shop, carriage and woodworking shop, blacksmith shop, grist and feed mill, and other of his enterprises are equipped with power and with the latest labor saving devices.

During the busy season when his haying operations are in full blast, Mr. Beeny employs something like sixty men and thirty teams, and his weekly pay roll runs close to $1,000. Personally, Mr. Beeny is progressive, clean in his business life, and scrupu- * lously upright. He has served several terms as mayor of Sheldon, a like number as alderman, and is usually a valued member of the school board.

Campbell & Sons - the firm being composed of J. S. Campbell and his two sons. Robert and Clarence - conduct a general mer¬ chandise house widely known over south Vernon and north Bar¬ ton counties, and their yearly volume of business is usually large for an establishment in a town of similar conditions. The firm occupies two adjoining store buildings on Main street, and the lines which they carry are extensive and varied. The establish¬ ment is one of Sheldon's oldest business houses and the senior member of the firm has been connected with it since its founding in the early eighties.

C. T. Gathright conducts a drug store which has a large clientage of customers, many of whom have patronized it for more than a quarter century. But few men in south Vernon have a wider circle of friends and acquaintances than genial " Charley" Gathright. Mr. Gathright has seen Sheldon grow from a little country village, and his store and business has kept pace with the growing country.

"Hickman's" is one of Sheldon's newer business houses, but the stock carried is an excellent one of general merchandise, and the constantly growing trade of the establishment is proof that the policy of the house is a good one. S. M. Hickman is proprie¬ tor of the business.

The Farmers' Bank, of Sheldon, is one of Vernon county's solidest financial institutions - old, conservative and well estab¬ lished - and it has a clientage of customers of which any banking house might well he proud. W. A. McCormick is the institution's president, and C. J. Donaldson has been for many years its ef¬ ficient cashier, and under his careful management the bank has prospered exceeding^.

The Sheldon State Bank is a new financial institution which opened its doors for the transaction of business on August 7, 1911. J. E. Couch is president of the bank, and Harold Pettibon its cashier.

In 1911 McCutcheon & Correll succeeded F. C. McCutcheon in the hardware and furniture business here, and since that date the new firm, composed of J. F. McCutcheon and George Correll, has enjoyed an excellent and flattering trade. The business of which they took charge was one of Sheldon's oldest establish¬ ments, having been located here since the early eighties, and the house was a well known and well liked one. They have cus¬ tomers who have dealt with the house for more than a score of years, and who would feel at a loss trading elsewhere.

The Sheldon Opera House is owned by W. G. Jones, M. A. Hatch and H. C. Storrs, and is a well-equipped and comfortable play house, of which M. A. Hatch is manager.

The Burgner-Bowman Lumber Company carries a stock of building material second to none in the county, and managed for many years by W. C. Shoemaker, the yard annually disposes of an immense amount of lumber and kindred building material.

The Charley Jones Drug* Company (and Charley Jones is the Charley Jones Drug Company) is an unusually neat and tasty appearing establishment, and while it is a comparatively new business house, being established here about 1905, it has built up an excellent trade. The Jones "Red Line" products put out by this firm, consisting of proprietary medicines, flavoring ex¬ tracts, and kindred articles, enjoy an excellent sale throughout southwest Missouri.

The Sheldon Roller Mills, which has been in the hands of its present owner since about 1897, is of the thoroughly up-to-date flouring mills of this part of the state. The machinery used in the mill is constantly kept abreast of the times, and no effort or expense is spared to turn out the best possible product. The mill's brands of flours of all grades are well known, and the demand for Sheldon Roller Mills flour is considerable. The mill, of course, turns out not only an excellent grade of meal, but all the customary by-products. In 1910 a complete line of farming implements and machinery was added, and the mill now handles these in addition to its customary lines.

Sheldon has two telephone systems. The Home phone is owmed and controlled by M. A. Hatch, who put in the system in 1903. This and the Mutual company, which installed its board in 1909, cares not only for the local systems, but SAvitch the large number of farmers ' mutual and country lines AAdiieh center here.

The Sheldon Enterprise" is Sheldon s oldest business estab¬ lishment and- since its founding in 1881, coincident with the birth of the town, it has, Avith never the failure of a single issue, told the story of the town in Aveekly installments. Many persons AA-hose birth it recorded are noAAr themselves parents, and "The Enterprise" is read with equal pleasure by the grandchildren of those Avho knew it in its early days. From the time of its founding in 1881 by Robert Campbell it lUed a precarious life for many years, and numerous names appeared in its subhead as OAAmers and editors. The present proprietor, H. C. Storrs, came into possession in 1895, and the publication since that date has prospered and groAvn. The paper is relied upon and beloved in a majority of the homes in South Vernon and North Barton for its strict adherence to the right, and it is always to be found behind any mo\'e or plan for the good of the community.

"The Record" is a neAver Aveekly publication, established in July, 1911, by B. F. Lusk, and as its motto it announces that it proposes to be "For Sheldon and vicinity all the time."

W. D. Hughes conducts one of Sheldon 's older business estab¬ lishments, carrying a stock of general merchandise. J. W. Stouffer & Son is a younger house here, dealing in the same lines, as is John King, aaJio succeeded H. B. Gordon in August, 1911. M. A. Hatch has an excellently well-stocked grocery store and in connection with it a meat market.

J. W. Harbert has a large double building filled to its utmost capacity with a stock of general merchandise and drugs. W. J. Taylor has a racket store and C. B. Masters a grocery and feed store. B. F. Hanes, the undertaker, deals in furniture as well as undertaking goods.

In addition to these lines mentioned Sheldon has her usual quota of insurance men, real estate and loan agents of the legiti¬ mate as Avell as the curbstone variety, restaurants and barber

Early Churches

Sheldon M. E. Church South. A class belonging to this church was organized in 1881, with about twenty members. The church was built in 1882 at a cost of some $1,600. Rev. Sevier was pas¬ tor and Rev. Joseph King presiding elder. The church has since had the following pastors and presiding elders : 1883-4, Rev. H.

M. E. Church, Sheldon. This class was organized in 1882, some of the original members being R. K. Holland and wife, B. F. St. John and wife, G. M. Shanton and wife, J. P. Jones and wife.

Sheldon Baptist church was organized in 1883 with the follow¬ ing constituent members: J. E. Anderson and wife, Charles Seaver and wife, Jerry McGrew and wife, Jeptha Rathbun and wife, Amos Brown and wife, F. F. Sears and wife, J. T. Suelson and wife and James McClanahan.

1871, when the following named persons, perhaps with others, formed themselves into a religions body of Baptists, meeting at Raftown schoolhonse in Moundville township : A. Meadows and wife, Isaac Franks and wife, Jesse Stiff and wife, Levi Stiff and wife, George Ray, Ambrose and James Ray. The deacons were A. Meadows and Jesse Stiff.

Avola Baptist Church. In October, 1879, the organization of this church was effected with E. King and wife and Martha Davis, with others, as original members. The first pastor was G. M. Lankin.

M. E. Church South, Avola. There was a class organized in this vicinity before the Avar and after the Avar it Avas reorganized. Among the original members Avere the family of IV. F. Hoppenbrock and Samuel Simpson and Avife and A. W. Baker and wife. In 1884 a neat frame church Avas built at a cost of about $1,500.

United Presbyterian Church at Milo. In 1884, largely through the efforts of Rev. J. W. McNarv, this organization was started at Milo,, with GaATin Bickett and AATife, James M. BroAvn and fam¬ ily, Alexander Bickett and AAdfe, W. C. Taylor and AA-ife, John Coonrod and AA'ife and W. B. Taylor, AATife and daughter, as con¬ stituent members.

Milo M. E. Church. In 1883 a class under the direction of the M. E. church Avas started at Milo by ReAT. Smith, AATith Allen Shouse and Avife, J. M. Chandler and AATife and Mr. and Mrs. LafeATre some of the first members. ReA\ DaAnd Keeton is pastor for 1911.

Milo Baptist Church was organized December 5, 1885. Many of the original members had been connected with West Fork Baptist church. Among them were J. H. Sheets, Rufus W. Sheets, Mrs. Frances Sheets, W. B. Sheets, Ella M. Thornton, Ella J. Thornton, Susan Slow, Addie Baskett, 0. G. B. Cline, Melissa Cline, Mary E. Cline, Bettie Guthrie, John T. Hill, Mary E. Hill, Martha A. Deeper, Matt Webb, Adela Webb, Edith Webb, Mary Webb, John and Martha Fields. The folloAving were additional constituent members of Milo church: J. H. Lloyd and Avife, R. J. Dale and Avife, Mary BroAvnwell, John W. Curtis, Dr. John Ford and Avife, Joseph Ford, Thomas J. Shouse. Mary F. Shouse, Fmma Shouse, Mary Smith, William Northcroft and Avife and Emma Northcroft. Present pastor, 1911, Rev. S. B. Moon.

were deacons. This organization worshiped for three years in the old Avola schoolhouse, which was built before the war. Dur¬ ing this period the organization increased so rapidly that they found it necessary to erect a church and dedicated it in June, 1887. Here they continued to worship. The pastors of this church through all these years were Revs. Stark, George, De Jarnette, Sterling, Adcock, Price, Crank, Carpenter, Wait and W7illis. The present officers are Hover, Misner and Bare, elders; Williams, Holland, Gilkey, deacons.

Sheldon High School

The Sheldon school district was organized as a village school district in the year 1895, and consists of eight sections of land in the southeast corner of Dry wood township, in Vernon county, Missouri, including the city of Sheldon. The first board of edu¬ cation was C. T. Seaver, J. W. Sharp, W. G. Wilson, J. I. Clark, P. M. Dejarnett and J. A. Roberts. C. T. Seaver was president of the board and J. G. Campbell secretary. Since its organization the school has been presided over by the following principals: Professors Brandon, Hale, Leedy, Keeling, Brown, Marquis and Martin. Four teachers are employed. At present the principal receives $75 per month and the other teachers $45 per month each. The enumeration list at present is something over 200, while the school enrollment is about 165. The high school has a two-year course, covering the subjects as outlined by the state superintendent of schools. Since its organization over 100 grad¬ uates have completed this course. A large portion of these graduates are engaged in teaching and the rest in other useful avocations. W7hile Sheldon High School has served a good pur¬ pose, there is yet in store for it better and greater things. The district is out of debt and has a valuation of some $200,000, from which it derives its revenue to meet its various expenses. The patrons of Sheldon public school have always stood loyally by the board of education in providing ways and means for the good of the school. Two vital questions are now before us - a new school building and a four-year high school course.

Milo

The village of Milo is situated in the northeastern part of Drywood township on lot 8 of the northwest quarter of section 2, and is a station on the Lexington and Southern railroad, divi¬ sion of the Missouri Pacific. It was laid out October 14, 1881, by J. L. Samples and Mary M. Samples.

Milo at this time, 1911, is one of the brightest and cleanest little towns to be found in the state; surrounded by a ricti and productive country, inhabited by a prosperous and progressive people. The town has a population of 200 or more people and the graded school has eighty-five pupils enrolled. J. W. Higgins is the principal, assisted by Elve Colsen. The school board is composed of the following named citizens : A. J. Earl, chairman ; J. G. Hatfield, W. G. Dale, clerk; W. A. McGoveny, T. E. Thomas and E. R. McKay, treasurer.

' ' Milo Chronicle" is the title of the local newspaper, which is ably edited by J. C. Hodson. Dr. J. L. Truex and Dr. C. L. Keithly are the local physicians and surgeons.

Milo is the proud possessor of a manufacturing plant, which for its up-to-date construction and value of output will compare favorably with plants in cities many times the size of Milo. The Dale Saddlery Company, whose goods are well and favorably known in the "West and Southwest, was incorporated July 25, 1910. They occupy a modern brick structure fitted with every convenience for carrying on their large and growing business. The business was first established by C. B. Dale and C. B. Cham¬ bers in March, 1907. The present officers are C. B. Dale, president - and treasurer; J. F. McKay, vice-president and secretarj^; C. B. Chambers, J. F. McKay, J. R. Rector, R. E. McAlister and C. B. Dale, directors.

The Modern Woodmen of America have a large and flourish¬ ing camp, No. 6680. The Milo hotel is conducted by A. J. Earl. McKay Bros, have a large and well-stocked lumber yard. The grain and. live stock business is looked after by Samuel McGovenv. There are three general stores conducted by Dr. C. L. Truex, A. H. Davis and J. B. Hatfield & Sons. D. C. Compton operates a feed mill and blacksmith shop. E. S. Levaugh has a blacksmith and general repair shop. 0. D. Carrio runs the livery stable, Joe "Wilson the restaurant, J. J. Cox the meat market and W. P. Rich the barber shop. Stanton & Herrick are contractors and builders and McGoveny & Counseller are general concrete contractors.

Milo School

The Milo school first opened in 1881, in a private house one and one-half miles northeast of Milo, which is now owned by Mrs. Jones, but which was then owned by T. J. Lacy. In the fall of 1882 we built a school house twenty feet square where the present school house now stands. This was soon insufficient to accommodate the scholars, and an addition of twenty feet more was built and two teachers employed. This only lasted some fifteen years when the building was sold and the present building was erected.

Many of the pupils in this school who were poor boys and girls at the time, now have comfortable homes, some have taken up professions, J. A. Wilson is superintendent of the Montrose school, and many others have followed the teachers' profession; Wyat Smith is practicing law at Springfield, Mo. ; Willie Schooiy, who became rich in Alaska, is now a pharmacist at Seattle, Wash.; Ode Nichols is an officer in the United States Army in the Philip¬ pines; R. B. Goodell is preparing to teach and will graduate at the Springfield Normal in regent's course this winter.

The school now has two years of high school, with Mr. Hig¬ gins, a graduate of the Springfield State Normal school, as prin¬ cipal. The school was made a village school December 23, 1905.

Harrison township is composed of congressional township 34, range 33, and is the southwestern municipal township of the county. As it is one of the 'dong townships," it is eight miles from north to south, and about six and three-fourths miles from east to west.

Perhaps Harrison township is naturally the most fertile and productive township in Vernon county. For general excellence it surpasses Henry to a certain extent, and nearly its entire sur¬ face, away from the Drywood bottoms, is of deep black soil, quite as valuable and productive as that of the corn lands of south¬ western Iowa and northwestern Missouri, or of the Teche country in Louisiana. There are few mounds and but little sandy soil. Coal exists throughout the township.

The first white settler in Harrison township was John Kinchin Gammons, who settled about one mile south of the mouth of Moore's branch in the spring of 1838. Smith Profitt came with Gammons, but settled to the northwest in what is now Coal township. Gammons had removed from Greene county, Ten¬ nessee, to Lexington, Mo., where he lived a year, then went to

Johnson county, where he remained a short time and came on to Vernon. He had a family of six children; the three oldest were named John, Elizabeth and Phebe. Gammons built a cabin, made one or two small crops and then moved about four miles south to the east side of Drywood, on section 16. In this neigh¬ borhood he died about the year 1870.

Thomas Duncan came directly from Polk county, about the year 1840, and settled on the northern part of section 8, north of the west fork of Drywood. Here he died about the year 1850 and was buried in the Reynolds graveyard, on the same section. His daughter, Winifred, married David Claypool in January, 1844, and this was doubtless the first wedding in the southwest¬ ern part of Vernon county. Duncan was originally from Ten¬ nessee.

In 1842 Abram "Wilcox and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Celia Apperson, came from Cooper county to the southern part of sec¬ tion 4, near Drvwood creek. Wilcox went to California in 1856.

Henry Crowley came to the southern part of section 4, south of Wilcox, in the year 1843, and made a settlement near the well-known site of the Crowley school house. Mr. Crowley was from Knox county, Illinois, where he died while on a visit.

John AVagner came from Arkansas in 1843 to sections 8 and 9, east of Thomas Duncan. He died after the Civil "War and was buried in the Reynolds graveyard. Noah Jernigan (or "Johnigan, " as the name was pronounced), and his sons, Louis and John, were living on the east side of section 7 as early as 1844, when David Claypool came to the country.

John Wentworth settled on the Missouri side of the Kansas line near the Drywood (west side of section 18) in about 1842. The farm was afterward purchased by Gen. Joseph Bailey. Wentworth was from Illinois. South of the west fork of Drywood and southeast of Wentworth, on the west side of section 19, there lived Benjamin Hunter, a Tennessean, in 1844. He died after the war.

David Claypool came early in the year 1844 from Polk county, married Winnie Duncan, daughter of Thomas Duncan, and set¬ tled on section 8, a little west of his father-in-law.

In the fall of 1856 John Reynolds came from Maryland and purchased Thomas Duncan's old farm on section 8. He was killed in the fall of 1864 by some of General Price's raiders. A man

John Failor located on section 7, west of Duncan and north of the west fork of Drvwood in about 1856. In that year came Martin Cox, and purchased and settled on the "Wilcox farm, in the southern part of section 4, near the Drywood timber. Here he lived until he was murdered by the Confederate guerrillas during the Civil War.

1857, to the western part of the township, where he purchased 500 acres of land in sections 6 and 7 from Col. Aaron Bruce, a Saline county speculator. In the Mexican A\Tar served in Col. Sterling Price's Missouri regiment as a lieutenant, in the Ray county company.

George Rosenbaum came from Kentucky with Huffman and purchased from him a farm on which he lived till his death. He and Huffman were among the first prairie farmers of the county. Old John Brown, who lived on the east side of Drywood, took a contract for breaking a large part of their land, using five and six yoke of oxen and a huge machine plow purchased in Kansas.

The settlements previously described were all made on the west side of Big Drywood. Those made on the east side were made contemporaneously with those on the west, except in the

In the year 1844, when David Claypool came to the county the following were the settlers in this township living east of Drywood. It is difficult to determine when they made their settle¬ ments.

John Brown and Peter Brown, brothers, were on the north side of section 2, in the edge of the Drywood timber ; their father lived at Deerfield ; this was the same John Brown who was the first sheriff of the county after the war.

John Connor was on the west side of section 3, near the Drywood, at the Soapstone ford. He had been a soldier in the regu¬ lar army, served five years, and was discharged at Ft. Scott. Upon being mustered out he determined to make for himself a home in the rich Drywood bottoms, and so he did. Here he was killed by Jim James and party soon after the close of the war.

wood. Kinchin Gammons and his son John lived on section 16, a mile south of Griffey, having crossed over from the west side, as previously stated. David Gammons, a son of Kinchin, lived on section 21, and near him and a mile south of where his father lived, Ohastine Corker had settled.

Nicholas Ganther was living near the site of McKill 's chapel - section 27 - whether he had come the previous year from up in Richland township. Ganther sold his claim on section 34 to old Judge James McKill, Sr., in 1846. Judge McKill gave his name to the well-known branch in the southern part of the town¬ ship, and also to the Methodist church building, in the same quarter. The Judge died January 25, 1859.

Robert McSpadden lived south of McKill's branch (nw. ne. sec. 33) and was a justice of the peace, while this was Bates county. About 1850 he ran away with the pretty wife of John WTagner, going, it is said, into northeastern Arkansas or south¬ eastern Missouri, near the Mississippi river. The couple were not pursued. McSpadden left a wife, whose relatives came from north Missouri and took her away.

Further down Dry wood, below the forks, near John Con¬ nor's, William Bass settled in 1847, and in the same neighbor¬ hood, about a year previously, Mr. Kendall, father of John D. Kendall, had settled.

It is claimed that in 1842 the entire western half of what is now Vernon county was organized into a civil township by the county court of Bates county and called Harrison. The voting place was at the house of Judge William Profitt, who was one of the county judges, and who named the township in honor of ex-President Harrison. Upon the organization) of Vernon, the name was continued and given to the southwestern county, or to "all the territory lying south of Deerfield and west of Drywood township." After Vernon was organized the first election was held at Chastine Corker's.

The first settlers traded at Bug & Wilson's store, at Fort Scott. Afterwards, Mr. Wilson became sole proprietor. Mr. Hiram H. Wilson, or "Grab" Wilson, as he was called, was a prominent character in early days.

At one time there was a horse mill at Judge Profitt's, but for the most part milling was done at Balltown and down on Spring river. There was but little wheat raised ; the chief article relied on for bread was that most healthful of all breadstuffs, good corn meal.

Such crops as were planted produced abundantly. There were actually no seasons of failures. Droutliy seasons enough there were, but the rich black soil stood them. Somehow, too, the weather was milder and better for fruit ; plenty of peaches wTere grown with but little trouble.

The grass on the prairies grew so high in some places that it was with difficulty cattle could be seen when grazing in it. It actually grew ten and twelve feet high, and would conceal a man on horseback. In the fall of the year, when fires broke out, The damage was often serious. Such a mass of herbage when ignited and fanned by a brisk breeze produced a great fire, which swept everything in its path. The people w^ere forced to plow and burn against it, but it often leaped bare strips thirty feet wide and burned fences, corn shocks, etc.

There was a great deal of hunting. Old Thomas Duncan and his son-in-law, David Clavpool, had a pack of twelve hounds, and with them had many a chase over the prairie after deer and wolves. Up and down the Drywood they chased and shouted in great sport after their game and were nearly always so for¬ tunate as to secure it.

Nearly every year up to about 1855, the Indians came in from Kansas and spent the winter, or a portion at least, in camp in the Drywood timber. They engaged in hunting up and down the streams of the country, often going across to Clear creek and returning after two or three days' absence. A private camp¬ ing ground was near Kinchin Gammons' house, a mile below the mouth of Moore's branch. The Pottawattamies, the Osages, and the Delawares were the most frequent visitors. The Pot¬ tawattamies are remembered as the best of the lot. They were, as a rule, tall, well-formed people of agreeable presence and deportment, and cleanly and inoffensive in their habits and deportment. The Osages were dirty and filthy, and immoral to a disgusting degree. All the Indians were peaceable, but many were beggars and annoyed the people no little by their impor¬ tunate requests for something to eat, no matter what.

The first school house in the township was a log structure built after the year 1850, and was called the Crowley school house. It stood near Henry Crowley's, on section 4, about one mile west of Drywood and a mile and a half north of the West Fork. The McKil] school house, in the southeastern part of the township, was built in 1856 or 1857. The first teacher was a man named Keister, of New York City; after him was a Mr. Rosebaum.

The first church building was McKill's Chapel (sw. nw. sec. 27), erected as a Southern Methodist Church in 1860. Before this, religious meetings were held in the Crowley school house. The first Methodist preachers were Revs. Powell, John Hale and D. A. Leeper.

The first wedding in the township was that of George Ken¬ dall and Phebe Gammons, who were married at the residence of the bride's father, John K. Gammons, in October, 1841. The ceremony was performed by Esq. Robert McSpadden. In 1855 Mrs. Kendall married Joab Shankels, who, in company with David Gammons, her brother, was killed by the Second Ohio Cavalry and some Kansas troops down on Center creek, south of Carthage, in the spring of 1863.

Harrison township had a thrilling and perilous experience during the Civil "War. At the outbreak the few unconditional Union men were set upon by the Secessionists and treated with great harshness. Some of them were driven out of the country, and two or three who remained were finally murdered.

jayhawkers began their predatory incursions. With Jennison at their head, about 150 men came over and beat up the whole * country thoroughly for good horses, taking those of Joab Shankels, James and Robert McKill and others. From time to time they came, and at last, in their zeal to subdue the rebellion, seized upon and carried away bedding, tableware and ladies' underclothing.

Martin Cox was a staunch Union man and lived in the edge of the Drywood bottom. One night in the summer of 1862 a band of bushwhackers, said to be the Mayfield boys and their comrades, went to his house to take him. He was ready for them, and fought them stubbornly and defiantly for some time, and refused to surrender until they assured him he should not be harmed if he would. Then he came out and gave himself up, when they instantly shot him dead. Then they took his best horse and rode away satisfied. Martin Cox was not a soldier and had never been, but he fought like one, and like a good one, too. He wounded at least one of his antagonists, shooting him through the wrist.

John Reynolds, another grav-haired old Union man, was murdered at his home, a little north of the West Fork (section 8), on the 27th of October, 1864, during General Price's raid. Three rebel raiders rode up to his door, called him out and mercilessly shot him to death in the presence of his family. Rey¬ nolds was past 60, and had never been in the militia service. He was a Marylander and a staunch Unionist. It was believed that he was killed by former citizens of the county.

It was in the early spring of 1864 when Taylor and his men came upon the Ury residence and the time was at dawn. Josiah Ury and his father were made prisoners, and while the entire party were in front of the house the three troopers of the Third Wisconsin rode up and fired on the Confederates. Dur¬ ing the confusion that resulted Jo Ury escaped by springing suddenly away and gaining the cover of a cornfield, and the old man was shot.

Jo Ury obtained great notoriety during the war. The Con¬ federate population of this county detested him and learned to fear him more than they did a full company of armed Fed¬ eral troops. It is claimed that in the beginning of the troubles the Ury family, being strong Unionists, were persecuted by the Secessionists, and the male members chased into Kansas. There¬ upon Jo Ury went upon the warpath, and a bloody path he made of it. He was engaged as a scout and spy by the Federal mili¬ tary authorities, and performed a great deal of service for them. He, however, engaged in many an enterprise and adventure on his own account, and had some thrilling experiences, daring ad¬ ventures and hair-breadth escapes. Doubtless exaggerated ac¬ counts are given of some of his exploits, but the fact remains that his services were of a remarkable and extraordinary character.

On the Confederate side Joseph McCullough, an old man, living south of Moore's branch, a ' 'sympathizer," was taken prisoner by Jo Ury and two or three companions one night and an attempt made to murder him, which came well nigh succeeding. Ury and his party took some of the old man's horses and with their owner were proceeding to Fort Scott. A mile from McCullough's house he was shot and left for dead. The bullet from a dragoon revolver passed through his neck, be¬ tween the windpipe and the gullet or oesophagus, and did not" inflict a fatal wound. To a citizen of the township Jo Ury ad¬ mitted that he shot McCullough "because he didn't walk faster." Mr. McCullough, originally a Tennesseean, came to this town¬ ship from Greene county in about 1853. He died in Arkansas since the war.

In the winter of 1865 John Connor was killed by Jim James. Connor was an old soldier in the regular army, and on being mustered out at Fort Scott settled in this township on Dry wood at an early day. At the outbreak of the war he joined the Se¬ cession forces and was prominent in warning the Union men to leave the country. After the battle of Wilson's creek he re¬ turned home, and announced himself a non-combatant, saying the fight he saw at Wilson's creek, while it resulted in favor of the Secessionists, satisfied him that the Confederates would ulti¬ mately be defeated, and that the Union cause would finally tri¬ umph. In 1864 he became a nominal member of the Fourteenth Kansas, but never did much service.

A short time before the war broke out Connor sold Jim James some hay, which the latter did not pay for at the time, and before it could be removed a fire set out by Connor destroyed it. James then refused entirely to pay for it, claim¬ ing that it had been destroyed through Connor's negligence. James was a Union man and the war coming up he was forced to leave and went to Fort Scott, where he entered the Federal service. He sought to send his family North, and at last his wife set out with her little children and household goods in a wagon drawn by a yoke of oxen. Near Balltown she was over¬ taken by Connor, who took the oxen from her to pay the debt he claimed her husband owed, and the woman was left in an

Upon being mustered out of service James came to Fort Scott, and on one occasion, with his two brothers and a man named Hall, came over into this township, and encountering Connor the old grudge was settled by the shooting of Connor by the hand of Jim James. The latter claimed, however, that the meeting was accidental, and that Connor fired first; but the general belief was that James came over with a premeditated purpose to kill Connor out of revenge for the treatment of his wife. The James brothers were arrested and confined in Stockton jail, from which Jim James escaped and has never since been heard of; the others were finally released.

In the fall of 1862, Alex. Morgan was killed on the prairie east of Dry wood and east of the Gammons place by Joe Ury and some of his companions. Morgan was a young unmarried man, and had never been in the Confederate army, although of strong Southern proclivities. But Joe Ury thought he was a spy for the rebels, and was searching for him. On the day in question young Morgan was riding across the prairie with his sister, on the way across Little Drywood, when she missed a shawl or veil, and her brother rode back to search for it. A few hours afterward his dead body, full of bullet holes, was found in a ditch where it had been thrown by his executioners.

An old-time feud that prevailed in this section and resulted in the death of three men is often referred to by the old settlers. In the year 1860, two brothers-in-law, Alfred Woods and Thomas Profit!, were engaged in an animated and somewhat heated re¬ ligious discussion, when AYoods seized a chair and struck Profitt a deadly blow. Woods was arrested and placed in confinement at Nevada, in a room, under guard. In the same room with him was a demented man named Hughes, who was a brother-in-law of Profitt, the man whom AYoods had killed, and who was being sent to an asylum. Hughes seized a pistol and shot Woods dead. A year or two later, after the war had begun, Hughes was on his way home, and by some means was wearing a Federal uni¬ form. AYhile crossing the prairie not far from home he was shot and killed by his brother-in-law, Nathan Godfrey, who was at that time in the Confederate service and was preparing to go South.

The township has been settled with an enterprising class of citizens, and is a well developed section of the county, peopled by a thrifty community. Some of the best farms and some of the most intelligent and prosperous farmers live here, and it is now considered one of the banner townships of western Missouri.

The Kansas City Southern railroad was built across the county in 1890, and it extends across the township north and south, giving the people a direct shipping route to Kansas City and points in the South. Swart is the name of the town found on the railroad in Harrison township.

Henry township is composed of congressional township 37, range 33, and the two lower rows of sections in township 38-33. It is the northwestern corner township of Vernon county, bounded on the north by Bates county and west by the state of Kansas. The greater portion of the township is fine, fertile prairie. Along the Little Osage, which runs through the south central portion of the township, from west to east, and on Duncan's creek, which flows from the north, through the northwestern portions of the township, into the Osage, are some tracts of fairly good timber.

The mounds in some portions of the township are conspicuous objects and are full of good stone. In the northern part not only stone, but coal, is exposed at the surface in some depressions. There is a great abundance of water, easily obtained.

The farming lands - those on the prairies, both north and south of the Osage - are simply magnificent and produce bountifully. In the growing seasons the prospect is a delightful one. The crops grow luxuriantly and there lies spread out before the be¬ holder a scene of green fields, pleasant pastures, undulating vales and rising mounds, interspersed here and there with tasteful residences, sclioolhouses and churches, with all the other con¬ comitants of a community of peace and plenty.

Oil and gas are no doubt to be found in abundant quantities, as J. M. Thurley in section 34, township 37, range 33, Henry township, Vernon county, struck gas at 170 feet and lias piped his house and has been burning gas for fuel and lighting for the past two years. This well when first struck had a thirtv-fivepound rock pressure, and this has been increased to a forty-six-

Peter Duncan was probably the first settler in what is now Henry township. In the year 1839 he located nearly two miles north of the Osage, on the east side of the creek which bears his name (southeast quarter section 5), where was afterward Duncan Creek postoffice. Here he resided for many years, at last selling the land to James Lawrence. During the Civil War he was a Confederate soldier, and at the battle of Prairie Grove, Ark., was badly wounded by a saber stroke; from the effects of this wound he never entirely recovered.

William Bartlett came from White county, Tennessee, in the spring of 1842 to the central part of section 15; X.- E. Marchbanks came from Overton county, Tennesse, to the same section May 9, 1841. Mr. Bartlett died in 1864. Mr. Marchbanks died in Lawrence county, Missouri, in 1872, aged sixty-eight years.

William Barnes came from Jackson county in about 1839 and settled on Duncan's creek, in section 8, south of Peter Duncan's claim. Barnes was the contractor that constructed the LTnited States military road from Fort Leavenworth to Fort Scott. While executing his contract he visited this country on a hunting expedi¬ tion and was so delighted with it that he determined to make it his home. He died in Kansas many years ago. Daniel Smith settled half a mile southwest of Barnes and west of Duncan's creek in 1839 and died there.

Henry Jent settled on Duncan's creek in southwest quarter section 32-38-33, in 1844. the year of the high waters. Joseph P. Avery came to the northeast part of section 8, a little south of Duncan's, in 1850. There were very few settlers in the town¬ ship besides those named until after the year 1850. when a few others came in. During the Kansas troubles this section was in a constant state of excitement and alarm and settlement and im¬ migration were as effectually checked as they were a few years later by the Civil War.

A man named William B. Fail established a store on the Kan¬ sas line, just in the edge of the Osage bottom, in about 1856. It was a huge log building - a fortress as well as a storehouse. Fail's customers were from both sides. Kansas jayhawkers and Mis- souri border ruffians met here on neutral ground and bought their supplies, all in a friendly way, without collision and without collu¬ sion, either. Fail died in 1859, and Captain Staples' Vernon county company was stationed here during the famous southwest expedition from November, 1860, to May, 1861.

David Cruise, after leaving Metz township, settled in this township, south of the Osage, on section 21, northeast of Hoover, and it was here that he was killed by John Brown's liberators in 1858.

Many a time and oft did the jayhawker chiefs - Lane. Mont¬ gomery, Jennison and Weer - ride through this township, going on or returning from a Missouri raid. In the fall of 1863 the Confederate guerrillas, under Quantrill and Anderson, passed through the western part of this township on their way to winter quarters in Texas. A few days later the Baxter Springs massacre, or slaughter, came off.

In the summer of 1861, a band of twenty-five jayhawkers came to the field where Esq. N. R. Marehbanks was harvesting, in com¬ pany with Joseph Jones. The jayhawkers gave the farmers a severe tongue lashing, cut off a piece of Jones' ear and then robbed Air. Marehbanks of everything they fancied, including all of his serviceable horses and some of his household goods. The ensuing fall or early winter another squad came over and butch¬ ered and carried away all the fat hogs of Esq. Marehbanks and Wm. Bartlett. During the year 1862 the same squad of jayhawk¬ ers took all the horses these gentlemen then had, and drove away seventy-five head of their sheep. In 1863 Air. Alarchbanks re¬ moved to Nebraska to avoid the harassments to which he was subject, and remained there till the war was well over. He was the father of Capt. Wm. Alarchbanks and the bushwhacker "Bob" Alarchbanks, and the Kansas men disliked him especially.

On the Kansas City Southern Railroad, is a thriving little vil¬ lage of 200 or more inhabitants, and is surrounded by a rich farming country. Owing to its close proximity to Kansas City, and having a direct railroad line north and south, makes this a favored shipping point. The people are progressive, and fully alive to their opportunities.

20, in 1883, by Jacob Rumbaugh and Richard Kaufman. But after the building of the K. C., P. & G. Railroad, now known as the Kansas City Southern, the town site was abandoned and the new town of Stotesbury absorbed it.

Lake township comprises congressional township 36, range 32. Marmaton river flows eastwardly through a portion of the south¬ ern part of the township, but away from its bottoms the entire six miles square was originally prairie. The timber in the bot¬ toms is generally very heavy, and in early times there grew here many valuable trees, chiefly black walnut and oak. The prin¬ cipal varieties now are oak, hickory, hackberry, elm, and syca¬ more. with many pecans and other smaller trees. The oaks pro¬ duce huge acorns, large as hen eggs, sweet, and nutritious; and the shag-bark hickories bear large and excellent nuts.

Back from the Marmaton bottoms, where there are many swampy and marshy tracts, the prairie lands are uniformly high and dry. The soil is sometimes excellent and often indifferent. There is some ashy, thin, and unfertile land, but the general character of the soil is good.

In the extreme southern part of this township, on the north side of the Marmaton. is a considerable lake or pond, called Tuck¬ er s or Stutts lake, from Greenup Tucker, a former principal owner of the land. It is of irregular form, and including all of the u su ally covers, comprises several hundred acres. Quite fre¬ quently it is filled by the overflow of the Marmaton, from which stream it is distant in one place but a few hundred yards. It contains plenty of fish and in the seasons numerous flocks of water fowl resort here. The locality is very popular with hunters and sportsmen generally.

What is now Lake township was in the early days a noted hunting ground. The prairies abounded in deer and occasionally wolves and other game, while the reedy marshes and fens of the Marmaton could always be relied on to furnish ducks, geese, and other wild fowl in the proper season.

After the war the lower part of the township settled up with reasonable rapidity, but the northern part remained untenanted until a few years since. In 1876 there were but three school houses, all in the southern part. Excellent educational facilities are now to be found in the township, while houses of worship are located at convenient points.

Ellis Cumberland Presbyterian Church. AVas organized No¬ vember 9, 1877, by Rev. R. L. A^annice, the following being the first elders : Samuel Porter, Jacob Barracks, and Hiram Gardiner. There were forty-four original members at the organization, among whom may be mentioned D. K. Short and wife, John Bar¬ racks and wife, Samuel Porter, Grace and Belle Porter, Aliss Kate Short, Elizabeth Ethridge, Hannah Howell, Maria AVard, Frank Porter, George Short, Robert Atterbury, Airs. E. J. Rockhole, Lizzie Alosby, Alary Fuller, Emma Alulkey, Hiram Gardiner and wife, George Samples, Charles Samples, Clark Fuge, John Ethridge, AAnlliam Berry, Ida Samples, Frank Fuller, Alice AVarden, Alark Beebee, Oscar Howell, Airs. Jennie Samples, Daniel Hope, and John Spendiff and wife. The frame church building in which services are held was erected at a cost of $1,400, in 1882.

Aletz township is composed of all congressional township 37, range 32, and that part of township 38-32 which lies in Vernon county. It is eight miles long by nearly six miles in width, the western line of sections not being quite full.

The Little Osage runs through the lower half of the township, and there flow into it Summers' and Townsend's branches from the south, and Pryor's creek and Reed's branch from the north. The timber in the township is to be found along these streams and is not at all extensive. The belt through which the Osage runs will not average more than a mile in width. Alore than three-fourths of the township is prairie land. The soil is gen¬ erally very fertile, and is in a high state of cultivation.

David Cruise located on section 20, about two miles west of Allen Summers, in the year 1833. He married as his first wife Miss Fannie Summers, daughter of Moses Summers, and his wedding, at which Rev. Amasa Jones was the officiating minister, was the first in Vernon county. In 1843 Mr. Cruise removed to Henry township, south of Osage, where, in December, 1858, he was murdered by John Brown's "liberators."

West of Allen Summers the Charles families came at an early day and made claims. Simon Charles came in June, 1844, and settled on the Little Osage, four miles west of Balltown ; he died in November, 1863. His wife, Margaret Jane (Yokum), died September 15, 1886, aged 67 years and 10 months; she was the mother of thirteen children and at the time of her death was the grandmother of forty grandchildren and three great-grandchil¬ dren. Benjamin Charles, a cousin of Simon, came in 1849, and his (Ben's) brother, Joseph, came in 1852. The Charles families were from Hunter's Valley, Perry county, Pennsylvania, of which locality Peter Weyand and Isaac Yokum were also natives.

On the north side of the Osage the first settlers were Mr. Pryor, who settled on section 17, three-fourths of a mile from the mouth of Pryor's creek, in 1834, and his cousin, Ezekiel Rhea, who the same year located a mile north. Both Pryor and Rhea were originally from White county, Tennessee, but came directly from Warren county, in this state, to Vernon. William Pryor owned about 3,000 acres of land in this township. Joseph Pryor came from White county, Tennessee, to the head of Pryor's creek, a mile south of the Bates county line, in the fall of 1840.

Esq. Hoyle settled near the mouth of Reed's branch (then called Hoyle's branch), before the year 1840, Solomon and Samuel Reed and their father located on this stream in 1842 and gave their name to it. The northern part of the township did not begin to settle until after the war to any important extent.

In September, 1847, Thomas Welch and his family - one of the members of which was his son Levi - settled on Pryor's creek. The previous year he had removed from middle Tennessee to Platte county, Missouri, from whence he came to Vernon. At this time there were living on the creek Joseph Pryor and his sons, Nathan and William; Jonathan Pryor, William Pryor, Sr.,

John Robinson, an old Scotchman named William Renick, some¬ times called "Pap" Renick, who was a miller by trade, and Charles Nugent and his five sons - William, Linsford, Cyrus, Hugh, and Rice - and his two daughters, Mary and Martha.

The Indians were so numerous in early days, and their inter¬ course with the whites so frequent, that the first settlers learned to speak the Osage and other dialects very fluently. Sometimes the Sacs and Foxes and the Miamis came in, but the Osages and the Pottawattamies were the most frequent visitors. They were always friendly, at least after the one difficulty on the Marais de Cygne, and always desirous of trading or trafficking. A favorite article of barter with them was rawhide, usually rolled or twisted into ropes and cords. The settlers found it an easy matter to convert these into harness or "gears" for their horses, and very readily traded for them.

The first settlers in this quarter lived easily and simply. They did not work hard, did not accumulate property suddenly and largely, and did not improve the advantages they possessed as they might have done. But they secured enough to live on. They did but little agricultural work, planting small patches of corn and wheat and a few vegetables, and from the Osage they took fish, and in the timber and on the prairies they procured an abundance of wild meat, and contrived to live comfortably. There was an abundance of luxuriant range on the Osage bot¬ toms, and the cattle and horses didn't require feeding until late in December; indeed, instances are remembered where the grass in the bottom kept green through the entire winter.

After a time the cattle and hogs had increased until there was a surplus, which was disposed of usually to foreign dealers, and the proceeds used in the purchase of family supplies. The first trading points were the Harmony Mission and Papinsville, until Balltown was established. Occasionally, however, the store of Dan and Jim Johnson, a mile below Balltown, and Waldo's store, still below, were visited. Before the establishment of these last named institutions, on a few occasions the settlers drove to Inde¬ pendence and Lexington for their supplies, taking with them a load of wheat and bacon, a few head of cattle, etc.

Tlie first school in this township was taught at the house of Jesse Summers, in Pleasant Valley, near Metz, by Miss Mary Choate, afterward the wife of Dr. Leonard Dodge. The first school house, a small log building, was built at the Summers graveyard, some time after the year 1840. Mrs. Eliza Summers was one of the first teachers, but not the first. Peter Weyand was another early teacher.

During the Civil War the people in this quarter were divided in sentiment. A majority were of Confederate sympathizers, but there were some Union men. All, however, were friendly per¬ sonally. Perhaps twenty men from this township belonged to Colonel Hunter's Confederate regiment, while Elijah Bhea, Wash Charles and John Daniels enlisted at Fort Scott in the Union service as members of the Fourteenth Kansas. From time to time a few of the citizens were in the employ of the Government as teamsters, engaged in hauling military stores from Fort Leaven¬ worth to Fort Scott.

While a detachment of the Third Wisconsin cavalry was sta¬ tioned at Balltown a soldier named Bobert Kelly, of Baraboo, Wis., rode out into the country on one occasion and on his return was bushwhacked and killed near the Whitefield school house. This was the only Federal soldier killed in the neighborhood during the war. Lane's and Montgomery's Kansans passed through the township on different occasions, and did their accus¬ tomed amount of jayhawking, but their depredations were not serious.

After the war the township settled slowdy but substantially. In 1873 the municipal organization was effected and the township named Metz, for the town of that name. At present, it is well inhabited.

The town of Metz, on Beed's branch, north of the Osage (sw. se. sec. 11-37-32) in this township, was established in the fall of 1870, during the Franco-Prussian war, and was named soon after General Bazaine's capitulation at Metz, and for that city. The locality was formerly known as Pleasant Valley. A fine steam planing mill gave the village some notoriety and attracted much custom.

How Our Town Happened Onto Its Name

A stranger who bears the name "Metz" may get the idea that the town's population came direct from the city of Berlin, the banks of the Rhine or some other point in Emperor William's domain. True it is a German name, but if there is a thorough¬ bred Deitscherman living within five miles of Metz he is unknown to the writer.

A settlement on Reed's creek, about one and one-half miles east of where Metz is now located, had been called Pleasant Valley for several years. Finally a general merchandise store was opened. In the fall of 1870 the government was asked to establish a postoffice at the place. D. P. Swearingen, whom many knew as "Uncle Dave," was the merchant and he was chosen postmaster. "Pleasant Valley" was sent to the postal authorities as the name for the office. In course of time a letter was received stating that there was an office of that name in the state and it would be necessary to select another. "Uncle Dave" appointed three leading men of the village to do the christening. A meeting was held as per agreement, and though loath to give up Pleasant Valley, they decided to leave it to the postmaster's good judgment. "Uncle Dave" favored a short name. He had been reading the "Weekly Missouri Republican" (now the St. Louis "Republic") about the Franco-Prussian War and General Bazine's capitulation at Metz, one of the large cities of Germany.

Then the merchant-postmaster pulled a jug from under the counter and passed it around, after which the dogs were called and all joined in a 'coon hunt in the Osage bottoms.

In May, 1890, the Missouri Pacific railroad was completed. It missed Metz about a mile. The inhabitants of the village found themselves isolated, within earshot of the shrieks of the locomotive, but too far away for practical purposes. Dr. G. W. Petty was the first to break away from the old town. He moved his store building and contents to the present site and soon the new town of Metz was laid out. Others followed, and in a short time Pleasant Valley, as many still called it, , was only a reminiscence.

Town Officials

W. G. Morrison, C. 0. Wilson, Harry Reed, G. P. Wolfe, and Rawley Ramsey compose the board of trustees of the town of Metz. G. P. Wolfe is chairman of the board, or mayor. - The other officials are : P. I. Rucker, clerk ; G. Morrison, treasurer ; W. H. Catherwood, marshal; John Kleet, collector, and J. P. Allen, street commissioner. Regular meetings are held the first Tuesday night each month.

Assessed Valuation

Following is the assessed valuation of real estate and personal property of Metz township and the town of Metz, as furnished by Township Assessor M. A. Shecldrick:

Metz Ships More Eggs Than Any Town Of Its Size In The State

Missouri's surplus poultry products amount to $44,000,000 annually. And Metz certainly gets her part of it. More eggs are shipped from Metz than any town of its size in the state. This is no idle talk for we can furnish proof. Carpenter & Shafer, the wholesale produce dealers of Butler, buy eggs at every town between Butler and Iola, Kan., and their figures provethat Metz merchants receive more eggs than towns three times the size.

When the egg season was at its best last spring the largest shipment in one week was 126 cases, or 3,780 dozen. The average for three months was 96 cases, or 2,880 dozen per week. Or a total of 34,560 dozen for the three months.

The first American settlement in Vernon county was made in Metz township by the Summers brothers in the year 1829. Jesse, Moses and Allen Summers, natives of Wayne county, Kentucky, located on the Osage.

In June, 1844, Simon Charles came and located south of the Osage. Benjamin Charles, a cousin of Simon, came five years later, and Joseph Charles came in 1852. The Charles families were from Perry county, Pennsylvania.

Other settlers on the north side of the Osage were Mr. Pryor, who settled north of the mouth of Pryor creek in 1834. And his cousin, Ezekiel Rhea, who located a mile north the same year. They were from Tennessee.

Mr. Hoyle settled near the mouth of Reeds creek (then called Hoyle's branch) before the year 1840. Solomon and Samuel Reed and their father located on this stream in 1842, and it was for them it was called Reed's creek.

The first trading points for the early settlers were Harmony Mission and Pappinsville, until Balltown was established. Be¬ fore the establishment of these places the settlers drove to Inde¬ pendence and Lexington for their supplies.

Jesse Summers by Miss Mary Choate. The first school house, a small log building, was built at the Summers graveyard some time after the vear 1840.

Men Who Came To This Locality At An Early Day

Among our oldest settlers can be mentioned Uncle Billie Yeates, who came here from Kentucky in 1867. He has resided on the place where he now lives for more than twenty years.

W. F. Long came from Kentucky to this locality in 1870. He recalls many of the early-day incidents, and especially the grass¬ hoppers in 1874.

Uncle Jim Hedden, another native of Kentucky, came here in 1868. He located on his place north of town and continued to live here until about two years ago, when he went to Nevada to live with a daughter. He returns occasionally to visit rela¬ tives and manv friends.

Dr. W. Melic-k came to this localitv from Pennsvlvania in 1857. He can give manv details in regard to the earlv davs, when he practiced medicine. The doctor does little practice nowadays and is content to spend most of his time at his pretty home.

What Metz Has

The Metz Times. published by J. D. AYilliams; one bank, two mills, two hotels, one garage, no saloons, an ice man, one railroad, a newspaper, a brass band, one drug store, three painters, a harness shop, three churches, an opera house, four carpenters, good sidewalks, one undertaker, six secret orders, one lumber yard, one barber shop, three physicians, one butcher shop, no booze-fighters, a good town well, four stock buyers, good mail service, hospitable people, night mail service, one machine shop, two livery stables, a commercial club, no de¬ pendent poor, two grocery stores, two paper-hangers, two pho¬ tographers, three general stores, well improved streets, good roads diverging, one express company, two blacksmith shops, three Sunday schools, one implement dealer, three hardware stores, an active W. C. T. U. a good baseball team, one waterfilter factory, three insurance agents, almost 500 population, best farming community, three real estate dealers, one first-class res¬ taurant, three grain and hay dealers, one exclusive millinery store, three contractors and builders, two church ladies' aid so¬ cieties, one job printing office - the "Times," no empty business or resident houses, no debts, money in town treasury, beauti¬ ful modern and comfortable homes, Christian Endeavor Society and Epworth League, one telephone company with a list of 250 subscribers, a good school building with an addition to be built soon, no more gentlemanly nor accommodating merchants anywhere.

A Short History Of Our Houses Of Worship

"The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, was built at Old Metz in the summer of 1887. The size of the building was 26x36 feet. It was enclosed and then seated with slabs and loose lum¬ ber. The year following - 1888 - the building was finishel and seated. Henry Pond made the seats and T. J. Pond made the pulpit and gave same to the church. Rev. A. B. Donaldson was the pastor in charge and Rev. Joseph King presiding elder. In 1890 the town of Metz was laid out and the town committee gave the church lot No. 1, block 2. In 1891 the church was moved from Old Metz to Metz, and the following September J. F. Robb was assigned as pastor by conference. In 1893 T. J. Pond made a stand table of walnut and gave same to the church. In 1899 an addition to the church was built on the south side, size 20x36 ; Rev. J. C. Diggs, pastor. The first bell was hung May 31, 1902, and was rung for the first time for services June 1, 1902, at 9 :30 a. m.

The church has a membership of 163. W. B. Bull is the pastor, and preaching services are held on the second and fourth Sundays of each month. The Sunday school has an average at¬ tendance of about eighty-five. J. J. Stark is the superintendent. The Epworth League, with a membership of about fifty, holds meetings every Sunday evening.

members were: Mrs. Emma King, T. J. Pond, Mrs. L. P. Pettit, Mrs. AY. AY. Penrod, Dr. J. T. Hornback and wife, J. AY. AIc- Kibben and wife and daughters Blanche and Nellie, Prank Ben¬ nett and wife, Airs. Al. J. Plew, Airs. Lee Scrutehfield, Airs. Elijah Stout, Airs. Eosa Usrey, Airs. Alary E. AYillis, Airs. Alary Baze, Lillie Baze, AY. S. Earhart, Elmer Charles and wife, Airs. Belle Cline, Airs. Syrenus Cline, Airs. Delieu Blake, Ella Berry and Alarion Bouse and wife. Elder E. E. Coffee wTas the first pastor.

The Christian Sunday school has had an average attendance of almost one hundred during the past three months. G. LL Summers is the superintendent.

The YMung People's Society of Christian Endeavor meets at the Christian Church every Sunday evening. The society has a membership of about fifty-five.

Metz Baptist Church. The Aletz Baptist Church wras or¬ ganized January 22 of this year by Kev. G. AY. AlcClanahan, missionary and colporter of the Nevada Baptist Association. It now has a membership of about twenty. The church building known as the Alethodist Protestant Church was purchased a few weeks later. Services are held the third Sunday of each month, with Eev. G. AY. AlcClanahan as pastor.

Osage Valley Baptist Church. The Osage Valley Baptist Church, one and one-half miles west of Aletz, was organized in the spring of 1869. The original members were Alfred R., Cor¬ nelia A., G. AY., Nannie A., Jacob F. and Eliza Norman and Rob¬ ert T. Ellis ; James Morgan was soon after admitted. The first pastor was Jesse Johnson, and the first deacons wTere R. T. Ellis, Benjamin AVickham and S. J. Conner. In 1872 a frame house of worship was erected at a cost of $1,000.

The church had a large membership for many years, but re¬ movals and other matters caused a decrease in the number, and about two years ago the congregation disbanded.

Rinehart Christian Church. Rinehart Christian Church was organized »in 1872. The first members were J. R. Rinehart, M. AI. Summers, E. B. AYeyand, John Daniels, James Wilkins, Allen Summers, W. A. Flesher, M. A. Rinehart, J. J. Townsend, S. J. Baze, J. H. More, Joseph Rynard and wife, Mrs. Leah Town¬ send and Mrs. L. Price. The church building was erected in 1882 at a cost of $1,200.

The Fraternal And Beneficial Societies Of Metz

Odd Fellows. Metz Lodge, No. 694, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was instituted March 27, 1905. The five charter members were C. II. Compton, IT. D. Carmichael, J. D. William, Paschal Henshaw and John Campbell. Meetings are held every Monday night. The lodge has a membership of seventy-one. E. P. Mullen is N. G., and G. II. Summers, secretary.

Modern Woodmen. Metz Camp, No. 3387, Modern AA7oodmen of America, was established in December, 1895, with the follow¬ ing charter members: E. D. Allen, N. Conner, C. E. TIandly, W. E. Hudson, James Hawkins, C. R. Harris, L. W. King, John AY. Arontgomery, John T. McCoy, Henry Pond, Henry C. Roberts, William R. Rowan, A. Sartorius, John AA7. Swan, AVilliam H. Shannon, John R. Snoddy, M. A. Theis and E. AY. Watts. The camp had a membership of 138 at the clerk's last report. Meet¬ ings are held the second and fourth Friday nights of each month. Elmer Charles is A7. C. and F. I. Rucker clerk.

Modern Brotherhood. Smith Lodge, No. 903, Modern Brother¬ hood of America, was instituted in October, 1905. Meetings are held the first and third Friday nights of each month. The lodge has a membership of eighty-six. G. IT. Summers is the president and F. I. Rucker, secretary.

Royal Neighbors. Friendship Camp, No. 2762, Royal Neigh¬ bors of America, was instituted October 29, 1901, with forty-six charter members. Meetings are held the second and fourth Sat-

Daughters of Rebekah. The members of Metz Lodge, Daugh¬ ters of Rebekah, have not had a meeting for several months, but still retain their charter.

Grand Army of the Republic. Mt. McGregor Post, No. 252, Grand Army of the Republic, was organized at Sprague, Novem¬ ber 28, 1885, with thirty-one members. The Post was moved to Metz in October, 1895. Meetings are held occasionally at the homes of the members.

The present members of the Post are James Bradburn, John Stack, G. W. Charles, A. Cox, R. C. Elder, Thomas Foreman, M. E. Frazier, Thomas Irvin, T. Bogan, J. W. Carlisle, V7. F. Gault, and Leroy Taylor. M. E. Frazier is commander and John Stack, quartermaster and adjutant.

Our Neighboring Villages

Horton, our neighboring village, is located six miles south¬ east of Metz, on the Kansas City- Joplin branch of the Missouri Pacific. C. F. True is the postmaster, and he also conducts a general merchandise store. The town has a good school and the M. E. South congregation has a handsome church building. Among the town's leading citizens are A. L. and Gus Hanly, R. B. Vest, D. G. Greenlee, Forest Wilmouth, Mr. Anthony, H. Kimrey, and J. V7. Welch.

Arthur, located five miles northeast of Metz, can boast of a good school, with T. W. Armstrong as teacher. The Baptists have a good church building here and a growing membership. G. V7. McClanahan is the pastor. Arthur is also located on the Missouri Pacific railway. H. H. Gist is the postmaster and he also conducts a general merchandise store.

Rinehart postoffice, located five miles southeast of Metz, is a trading and shipping point. J. H. Miller is the postmaster and merchant, and he also looks after the railroad business. Consid¬ erable grain and hay is shipped from Rinehart.

Fairview neighborhood, about six miles north of Metz, includes among its citizens some of our oldest settlers. Bethel Baptist Church, located here, is one of the oldest in this part of the state and has a large membership. G. W. McClanahan is the pastor.

Montevallo township is composed of congressional township 34, range 29, and is the southeastern township of Vernon county, adjoining Cedar on the east and Barton on the south. It is a "long township,' ' eight miles in length from north to south, and about five miles in width.

-Nearly two-thirds of the township is, or was originally, timber land. The prairie runs in a strip, varying in width from the northeast to the southwest, with an arm two miles wide extend¬ ing from Montevallo town to the county line. The timber lands are generally rough, broken, and covered with black-jack jungles. The sandstone is very abundant and found on the surface in many places. Along McCarty's creek, in the western part, and Horse creek, in the southeastern, the timber is dense.

McCarty's branch, which takes its rise in Barton county and flows northward through the western tier of sections in this township and empties into Clear creek, and Horse creek, which cuts across the southeast corner, are the leading streams in Montevallo. Mulberry branch, Pea branch, and Mill branch are in the northwest, and McDougal's branch (or "Little Cynthia") is in the southeast, emptying into Horse creek, near the Cedar county line.

There are a few living springs in the township, and no scarcity of water. Coal exists in considerable quantities, but has been opened or developed more extensively in the southern part. The best fields known are in the southwestern portion of the town¬ ship, on McCarty's creek. Over on Horse creek parties claim to have found specimens of iron ore. which is not improbable, con¬ sidering the ferruginous (or ironish) character of the general formation of the county. The dark yellow sandstone, the red clay, and the dark water of the township are all colored with iron in one form or another.

G16 History Of Verhoh County

Polk county to "Little Cynthia" creek, in the southern part of the township (center of section 22), now part of the old McDougal farm. ("Little Cynthia" was named for Cynthia Brown.) Dunnagan left in a year and a half, and moved three miles to the westward, over on McCarty's creek (section 19). His house was in the little valley, almost on the bank of the creek. But the location was very sickly, and one night in the rainy season of 1814 the branch overflowed its banks, flooded the valley, down which it poured a volume of water that would float a steamboat, and "drowned out" Dunnagan and his family. He then took refuge in the grove which still bears his name, where he died in the year 1867. He was a prominent citizen in early days, and his grove was a well known locality. While this was a part of Bates county Mr. Dunnagan was a justice of the peace of what then was Clear Creek township.

McCarty, who gave his name to the little creek, settled on the stream about two miles from the Barton county line (north part of section 30). He came in 1838, or not later than 1839. In about ten years he sold his claim to one McSwain, who in turn sold to Samuel Dunnagan.

Sometime about 1845 a man, named Kitchen, located a mile north of McCarty's claim (on section 18), but when the California gold fever broke out, in 1849, he contracted it and it carried him on to the Pacific coast. McSwain, too, went to the diggings and never returned. Capt. Elijah Smith located on McCarty's branch in the southwest part of the township (s. % se. sec. 30), on Smith's branch.

In the northern part of the township Joseph Martin settled on the site of Old Montevallo about the year 1840. He and his sons were famous grindstone makers in early clays. They used the Clear creek sandstone and hauled their wares to Independence and Lexington sometimes, where they readily exchanged them for merchandise of various sorts. Martin died at Old Montevallo,

James Ray, a Tennesseean, settled on Mill branch, in the northern part of the township (lot 9, nw. % sec. 4), in the year 1842. His daughter, Mrs. J. P. Grace, was born here the follow¬ ing year. Ray was a blacksmith, and although he owned a farm he worked chiefly at his trade. He afterward lived near Monte¬ vallo and died in this neighborhood. He had four sons killed on the Southern side during the Civil War; two, George W. and John II., were killed at Wilson's ereek. The place on which Ray first lived was first settled and improved about 1840, by a man named Piper, from whom Kay purchased the claim.

The first religious services by the people in the southern part of the township, were held at Samuel Dunnagin's, in Dunnagin's Grove, in 1846. Rev. Joseph Dunnagin, a brother of Esq. Dunnagin, was t he preacher. lie, too, was from Polk county. If Rev. Thomas W. German was not the first preacher in the north¬ ern part of the township, he was certainly among the first.

The first school in the southern part was taught at Esq. Dun¬ nagin 's by a man named McKinney. Some of the scholars in the northern part, along Mulberry, attended Callison's and Reed's schools, over in Virgil. Robert Jordan was an early teacher in this section of country. After a time, when the Montevallo Academy was established, it was generally resorted to by those desiring a good education.

Like their neighbors in other portions of the country, the first settlers in Montevallo township enjoyed a sort of from-handto-mouth existence. Few cultivated more than twenty acres of land: a forty-acre tract was a "big farm." Stock was generally raised, but there were no large herds or flocks, and not much pains taken or expense incurred with either hogs or cattle. Hogs ran in the timber, and were uniformly mast-fattened. Some¬ times, a week or two before slaughtering time, they were shut up and fed on corn to "harden" the fat; for the fat portions of mast-fed pork "drip" badly - that is, the lard oozes out, except in extreme cold weather, and keeps the meat in bad condition.

There was a great deal of game. In the Horse creek timber and in the McCarty creek timber, and in all the timbered tracts, in fact, deer were very abundant. One of Esq. Dunnagin's boys, a lad only twelve years of age, killed 175 deer in one winter, at as late a period as after the year 1850.

Raccoon skins and deer hides were common articles of barter. The woods were full of bee trees, and often they were cut more for the beeswax they yielded than for the honey.

Municipal History

Montevallo was one of the original townships of the county. It then comprised all the territory east of Center and Drywood townships and south of Clear Creek and Center townships, to the county lines on the east and south. The first justices of the peace were B. T. Morgan, John E. Rogers, Lucas Woodward, and Joseph Stepp. The first election was at Withers' store, in Monte¬ vallo town; the judges were James Ray, James Wilson, and Isham Hatfield. In 1856 the township was divided into two voting pre¬ cincts; one called "Butler" was at Jonathan Butler's, and the judges were B. H. Brashear, William M. Brim, and Henry Prewitt; the other was at Old Montevallo ; judges, Z. German, Jacob Sigler, and Z. Williams.

After the Civil War, in November, 1866, the township was reorganized and an election held for township officers. Only seventeen votes were cast, R. T. Parks and J. H. Mitchell were elected justices of the peace ; W. T. Mitchell, constable.

In The Civil War

Nearly every acre of ground in Montevallo township was the scene of some incident worthy of record during the Civil War. Every crossroad was the locality of a skirmish ; every patch of timber through which a road ran was the scene of an ambuscade; every school house and prairie field was a mustering place or a drill ground; while many a glen and dale and bit of roadway witnessed a silent sickening tragedy, none the less horrible for its privacy and the swiftness of its execution. Some one kept count and at the close of the war it was reported that no fewer than thirty-six men had been killed in the vicinty of Old Montevallo, in this county; of these eight only were Federals or their sym¬ pathizers, while of the twenty-eight Southerners, eight had never taken up arms.

Montevallo was Confederate in her sympathies from the first. Among the people there wTere few who were not ready and eager to fight for their faith. Led by Lion. J. M. Gatewood, a citizen of the township, the able-bodied men formed themselves into a company before Mr. Lincoln was inaugurated, and this company was one of the very first to spring to arms in all Missouri upon the call of Governor Jackson. And in the desperate battle of Wilson's Creek more than one-half of this company was killed or wounded.

Montevallo furnished two other companies to the Confederate service, and from first to last more men from this township fol¬ lowed the bright but ill-starred banner of Secession than then* were voters in the fall of 1860.