Clay Township (part 2 of 2)

William Thomas

P. O. Napoleon, Mo. A native Missourian, was born in this county ir 1830, where he was raised, educated, and has spent his life, except aboui seven years spent in California and Oregon. His parents, W. W. anc Hannah Thomas, came from Tennessee to this county in 1829, and continued to live here until they died. In August, 1859, he was married tc Miss Cerelia Chapman, of this county - by whom he has nine children all living - John W., Flora E., James W., Joseph S., Estella G., Arthur C. Henry H., Franklin L. and Clara L. He has a fine farm of 200 acres or Texas Prairie and has been farming all his life.

Thomas T. Cobbs

P. O. Napoleon, Mo. Was born in Bedford county, Tenn., in 1829. The year after his birth, 1830, his parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Cobbs, moved to Missouri, and settled in this county, living in Lexington five years. They then moved to Clay township, on the Big Sni, where they lived and died - his father dying Dec. 10, 1817, and his mother in May, 1858. His father built the first jail in this' county - the first two bridges in the county, and also the first mill of any note. Thos. Cobbs, Jr., was raised and educated in this county, and has lived here all his life. He was married to Miss Catherine Harper, of Kentucky, Feb. 24, 1859 - by whom he has had seven children, five of whom are living - William S., Katie G., Thomas H., Sarah W. and Ethel B. His family belong to the Cumberland Presbyterian church, of which he is an elder. In 1861 he joined the Confederate army under Gen. Price. Was in the battles of Westport, Big Blue, Newtonia, &c, and surrendered at Shreveport, 1865. His parents were natives of Virginia, and both died members of the C. P. church.

Source changes here: from Young's History of Lafayette County, Missouri, by Young, William, published 1910; 4,042 words in this source stream.

Clay Township

Clay township, named in honor of the great Whig leader, Henry Clay, of Kentucky, was organized November 7, 1825, its name being suggested by W. Y. C. Ewing. Notwithstanding the instrument recorded concerning the formation of this township had eight full pages of description, yet the name of the county does not appear in the same once. The description of the township was as follows :

"Beginning in the middle of the Missouri river, opposite the mouth of little Sny-e-bairre, thence up said creek to where it intersects the range line between ranges 27 and 28 ; thence with said range line to the southern boundary of the county; thence west with said county line to the middle of the main channel of the Missouri ; thence along down the middle of said river to the beginning."

So far as any county record is concerned these lines have never been changed, although there has been a legal question about a portion of the boundary lines within recent years, which some time the courts will have trouble in adjusting.

When Lafayette county received its present boundaries in 1834 the above described west line of Clay township became the west line of the county, with Jackson county to its west.

An election was ordered held in Clay township at the house of Robert Renick, with Henry Renick, W. Y. C. Ewing and John Whitsett as the judges. Bryant Sanders was elected the first constable, and he was sworn into office February 14, 1826. It was ordered that "Bryant Sanders, as captain, Edward F. Hix and James Hicklin be appointed patrols in Clay township for one year."

It has been claimed by many persons, and there appears to be some foundation therefor, that originally Clay township extended from the range line between ranges 27 and 28, west to the county line, and from the township line between townships 48 and 49 north, to the Missouri river, the present boundaries commencing on the said river at the mouth of the Little Sniabar creek and running thence up said creek to the line between ranges 27 and 28; thence south with said line to the township line between townships 48 and 49 ; thence west to the county line ; thence north to the Missouri river ; thence down said river to the place of beginning, having been thus established for the accommodation of the voters of the east part of Clay township to enable them to vote in Lexington after the burning of the bridge over the Little Sniabar creek by General Blunt near the close of the Civil war. This, however, is not certain.

The principal streams are the Big Sniabar and Little Sniabar creeks, so named from the fact that they both empty into the Sni, or that part of the Missouri river flowing on the south side of Wolf's Island, just below Wellington, and not into the main body of that stream. The name "a-bar" takes its origin from that of a Frenchman named A. Barrie, who tradition says was found camping at the mouth of the larger creek when Messrs. Lewis and Clark made their trip up the river in 1808, and to which stream they gave the name of Elegant Water Fire Prairie creek, so named from the fact that it flows through a scope of country in Jackson county known as Fire Prairie Bottom, also passing through the northwest part of the township and emptying into the Missouri river a short distance below the northeast corner of Jackson county.

Early Settlement

It seems that the first settlement in Clay township was in the year 1819, and at some place near the present site of the city of Wellington. It was effected by Ruth Renick, Samuel Renick, William Renick, Young Ewing and Col. Henry Renick, who came with their families from Barren county, Kentucky, but their coining was certainly but little if any in advance of Richard Edmonds, William Edmonds, Redin Crisp, Jonathan Hicklin and his sons, Jonathan and James, of Tennessee; also Thomas Hopper, Kelem and John Young, of Indiana. Jonathan Hicklin entered the northwest quarter and Richard Edmonds the northeast quarter, all in section 22, township 50, range 28, located immediately south of and partly within the present corporate limits of Wellington, in the year 1821, and this little settlement was styled (no one now knows why) Tyro. Others who came in at about that date were Gen. William McRay, Col. William C. Ewing, John Wallace, Baker Martin, Abner Martin, William Young and three sons, William, James and John, all of whom had families, and who located in the north part of what is now Clay township. Baker Martin entered the southeast fractional quarter of section 16, township 50, range 28, January 29 and February 10, 1821. John

Wallace entered the southwest quarter of the same section. In January, 1825, the southeast quarter, and, in March, the southwest quarter of fractional section 15 was entered (now a part of Wellington) by Abner Martin and Hugh McAfferty, respectively, from the United States government. Mc- Afferty established a tanyard on the branch immediately south of Wellington, and since known as Tanyard branch, while in 1832 Peter and Jacob Wolfe cleared off a small piece of land on the river bank just east of the northern terminus of Cherry street, and commenced the sale of cordwood to passing steamers, and soon began to add other articles to their stock in trade to supply the wants of the settlers in the neighborhood. Subsequently they moved up town and carried on an extensive business for several years. These were not, however, the first merchants, for it is certain that David Bumgartner had opened a store previous to that of the Wolfes.

In the meantime other parts of Clay township were being settled by others, including Lina Helms, who located and erected a water mill on the south bank of the lake, since bearing his name, and near the present site of Waterloo, in 1822.

Previous to 1835 came in for settlement Anselm Harner, Elias Barker, William and Allen Jennings, of Tennessee; Joseph Green, Isaac Gann and Joseph White, and a few more also came by the last named year. The Rev. Robert Sloan was among the first school teachers in Cass county, and also taught an early school in a log house at the site of present Greenton.

June 1. 1840, William Early gave the site, furnished the material and did the work or paid others to perform it, to erect the old Union church building, to be used by any denomination. This stood at or near the corner of lot No. 35 of the Suburban addition to the city of Wellington. The first sermon was delivered by Rev. Jacob Gillespie, in the autumn of that year.

The various places for burying the dead in Clay township have been as follows : The first was the Renick graveyard, the Worder graveyard, the Thomas Hopper graveyard, Martin graveyard, Arnold graveyard, the Greenton cemetery, the Strapp graveyard. Mount Olivet cemetery, Fishback burying ground, in section 12, township 49, range 29; Pleasant Prairie graveyard, Bates City graveyard, Methodist churchyard at Napoleon, the Anderson graveyard; also a burying place on section 16, township 49, range 28; one on the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 21, township 49, range 28 ; one known as the German Evangelical cemetery at Wellington, and another burial place on the northeast quarter of section 12, township 49, range 29. Within these silent cities repose the remains of many of the pioneer band that first settled this township. Some have been well cared for, while others have been greatly neglected.

Lina Helms built the first water mill in Clay township, near his residence at the foot of the hill, a short distance east of Waterloo, in 1822, this being followed in 1857 by a steam-mill on the west bank of Helm's lake, about a half-mile west of the mill already mentioned. James Martin was the proprietor of this saw mill.

In 1852 a saw and grist-mill was erected by Turner Williamson, a millwright, for Messrs. Richard Carr, Beal and Joseph Tidball. This stood on the Missouri river on what is now called lot No. 34 of the Suburban addition to Wellington.

In 1857 Gideon Mayne and John C. Hum built and operated a steam saw-mill two hundred yards down stream from the Carr mill, and in 1867 they added flouring mill machinery, or rather it was added by James T. Dorton.

Thomas Cobb built a water mill that in later years was known as the Moot mill, on the Big Sniabar creek, on section 12, township 49, range 49. Soon after the Civil war this property passed into the hands of Messrs. Moot and Putney, who added steam power, and when water was too low sLeam was used.

In section 32, township 50, range 28, there still remain traces of the old mill-race dug by David Folks, constructed between two sharp bends in the Big Sniabar creek.

The first portable engine used in Clay township was employed by a Mr. Sourwine, and the same was used in sawing lumber and threshing wheat in different parts of the township.

In the summer of 1875 Preston B. Roberts, of Independence, Missouri, and C. F. Eames, of Kansas City, who owned a controlling interest in the Wyandott, Kansas City & Northwestern, a narrow gauge road then in operation between the two places just named, contracted with John McCarty, of

Leavenworth, Kansas, for the construction of the roadbed already located and surveyed out by George W. Vaughn to a point twenty-six miles east of Independence and one mile east of Wellington. The work of construction being almost all completed during the fall and winter of that year, the graders reached the Lafayette county line, in the northwest corner of Clay township, during the latter part of the month of February, 1876, and passed eastward in April. The first train of construction material came to Wellington at two P. M., April 27, the twenty-six-mile contract being finished some two weeks later, when a "Y" was constructed east of the Big Snia creek, near where now stands the house of Mrs. Sarah Bryant. The road was finished to Lexington late in the fall of that year. The name was changed to the Kansas City & Eastern and was thus operated until the middle of October, 1878, when it was purchased by Jay Gould and operated as an independent line and feeder until October 26, 1879, when it was made a part of the Missouri Pacific system, but continued a narrow gauge road until Sunday, August 13 (possibly the 20th), 1882, when it was changed to a standard gauge road, all in one day's time. It then became a part of the Lexington branch of the Missouri Pacific. In 1901 it was reconstructed and became a part of the River division of the same system, and has since been thus operated. It has very low grades, hence is said to be a very profitable branch of this great system.

Towns And Villages

In the year 1837, on May 8th, Jacob Wolfe and Isaac Bledsoe presented their petition to the county court of Lafayette county, setting forth and detailing the wants, needs and necessities therefor and making prayer and appeal that a charter be ordered and granted to them and other citizens residing in the territory for the creation, marking out, defining the metes and bounds thereof, and the establishment and maintenance of a town and village within the scope of country and settlement then commonly known as Tyro neighborhood, which prayer was at once granted and said charter duly issued to them, locating the town site on a part of the southwest and a part of the southeast quarter of section 15, township 50, range 28, and suggested by Clinton Bledsoe, to be named and known as Wellington. On August 23d of that year the plat of the new town of Wellington was acknowledged before and filed with William Spratt, county clerk, by the said Jacob Wolfe and Isaac Bledsoe, and on August 26th the same was in like manner acknowledged by Peter Wolfe, Micajah Littleton and Catharine Littleton, and on September 4th was duly recorded in the office of the recorder of deeds in Book E, at page 388. There were at this time several business enterprises already in operation. Among others, David Baumgarner, Littleton, Wolfe & Company, and Frame & Richardson were all doing a general merchandise business ; Peter and Jacob Wolfe were conducting a wood yard on the river front; John Adkins was conducting a hand-made chair factory; Hough McAfferty and James Renick were running their tanyard (established first in 1830) in full blast on the branch of that name immediately south of town, and Baker Martin was conducting a still house on the same branch almost directly south of where now stands the German Evangelical church.

On May 12, 1839, Jubal CundifT and family arrived from Virginia and at once began the work of putting in a rope-walk from the south side of the limits of the town southward along what is now the west side of Hinkle's addition to Wellington. Pharas Ferrell also came from Harper's Ferry, Virginia, and engaged in the tailoring business on lot 8, he having the distinction of being Wellington's first postmaster.

The oldest house now (1910) standing in town was erected by Isaac Bledsoe for a dwelling in the year 1838, at the southwest corner of Fourth and Pine streets. The first native-born citizen was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John Adkins, born May 20, 1838, while the first death was that of David Bumgardner, September 10, 1839, the funeral being conducted by a minister of the gospel, John Emmons.

The first sermon preached in Wellington was by old "Uncle Ike," a slave belonging to Col. James Lauderdale, in the upper room of the log building known as "Morality Hall," standing at the northwest corner of Walnut and Fifth streets, on Sunday, June 9, 1839.

The first marriage in town was that of Dr. William M. Bowring and Harriette Ann, daughter of Jubal and Nancy H. Cundiff, occurring January 10, 1 841, Jacob Gallispie, minister of the gospel, officiating.

Doctor Bowring was the first doctor of the neighborhood. He came from York, Pennsylvania, in 1832, served in the Black Hawk war, then came to this county and commenced the practice of medicine in Greenton late in the fall of that year. Two years later he came to Wellington, where he remained until his death, April 30, i860.

Incorporation

Wellington was first incorporated as a village in 1855 I reincorporated in 1859, and so continued until i860 or 1861. The war came on and no municipal form of local government was maintained until October 7, 1885, when

Its mayors have been (under city government) : Thomas E. Chinn, H. E. Duebbert, John F. Larkin, William J. Carpenter, S. C. Archer, John A Mann, J. F. Bryant, Alexander Denton.

Postoffice History

Just the date of opening the first postoffice in Wellington is not now known, but the following have served as postmasters in the order in which they are here given : Phares Farrell, Richard Lomax, Davis K. Ducks, Katherine Ducks, John F. Larkin, 1887; Ff. E. Wille, 1892; Josiah Mann, 1893; Hugo Duebert, 1897; Robert Linss, H. G. Larberg, commencing 1902 and still holding the office. In 1903 two rural free delivery routes were established, one being about twenty-five miles and the other twenty-three miles in length.

Wellington has now a Methodist Episcopal, German Evangelical and two colored Methbdist churches. Its only lodges are the Odd Fellows, Red Men of America, United Mine Workers and Woodmen of the World.

Milling At Wellington

From an early date Wellington has been a good milling point for both saw and flouring mills. The Carr mill was erected in 1854 and burned in 1896, along with its grain warehouse. It was rebuilt and is now owned by the Sweet Springs Milling Company. It is a modern steam roller milling plant. In 1893 its boiler exploded and caused the death of two men, Frank Albin and J. R. Johnson. But for the fact that the helper was a mute and could not be understood, the accident could have been averted. It occurred August 16, 1893, blowing the boiler two hundred and sixty-eight feet up the hillside.

Great Fires

Wellington has been frequently visited by the fire fiend. The most destructive of these conflagrations have been these: March 4, 1872, Louis Ff. Day's (old Russell) warehouse was destroyed, with five thousand bushels

December 9, 1873, eight business houses and the Odd Fellows building, on the north side of the public square, were burned. They were superseded by large livery barns, and these were destroyed by fire in 1893. Two livery barns now occupy part of the ground where these business houses once stood.

In 187 1 J. D. Houston's drug store, Louis H. Day's tobacco factory and the dwelling of J. E. Meyer, on the south side of the square, were burned.

April 8, 1 86 1, a store building and the postoffice were burned. Yet. strange to relate, no effort has ever taken shape by which the city might be protected, in some measure, against the great losses it has sustained. No waterworks or home fire company has been organized to respond to the alarm of fire.

Business Interests Of I9Io Village Of Greenton

This place, situated on section 14, township 49, range 28, was founded by Joseph Green, from whom it derived its name, in about 1835. A postoffice was established that year, with Mr. Green as its postmaster. Finis Ewing opened and operated the first store of the hamlet. In 1858 a school house was erected, costing about one thousand, two hundred dollars. The first physician to practice here was Dr. William Bowring, who later moved to Wellington, where he practiced until his death. In 1859 a cemetery was located on the same section as the village of Greenton and is still used. With the building of the various lines of railroad, this place quit growing and nothing of importance remains there at this date.

Many years ago Mrs. Catherine B. Roberts, who was born in Kentucky in 1820 and moved here at the age of four years, wrote the following concerning the pioneer settlement in Greenton valley : "The original settlers in this valley were James, Moses, Joshua and Henry Campbell, John and tucky. These all appeared in 1820 and located on section 22, township 49, range 28. Isam Manion and Athaliah Finch were the first to be united in marriage, Rev. Finch performing the ceremony. Rowland Hughes was the first male child born, in 1826. Martha Hughes, the daughter of James M. Hughes, was born the same year. John Hughes, who died in 1826, was the first person to die in the settlement. Doctor Buck was the first physician. Rev John Warder, of the old-school Baptist denomination, was the first preacher here. The first school was taught by a Mr. Bowman in 1828, on section 22. The first cloth Woven was by Mrs. Henry Campbell. Indians were numerous then, but quite harmless. For the history of the churches, see chapter on churches in Lafayette county.

Napoleon

Napoleon is situated in the extreme part of Lafayette county, twelve miles west from Lexington, on the Missouri river, and on the line of the old narrow gauge, but now the standard gauge Missouri Pacific railroad.

Its original platting was executed in 1836 by William Ish, Nathaniel Tucker and others. Originally it was styled "Poston's Landing." Samuels & Ish started the first business in the hamlet and John A. Poston opened a dry goods store. During the panic of 1837 the town was virtually abandoned. In 1854 Dr. James Belt went to the place, which he found deserted as a business point, except one log house and a log store building. He at once began to improve the place and called his town "Lisbon," but the postoffice never changed its name. In the early eighties, owing to the fine landing facilities, Napoleon shipped more grain, stock and merchandise than other points between Lexington and Independence. In 1881 there were the following business interests : One dry goods and grocery, two blacksmith shops, one general store, two physicians, two shoemakers, one undertaker, two hominy mills, one dry goods and shoe store. The town was replatted in 1856 by Dr. Belt. The postoffice was suspended from about 1840 to 1858, when D. K. Murphy was serving as postmaster. The first school house was built in 1858 at the cost of two hundred and fifty dollars. Dr. D. K. Murphy (the postmaster) was the first to practice medicine in the new town. He came from North Carolina and later removed to Greenton. A mill was established at Napoleon in 1868 by John F. Roberts. In 1876 a stave and heading factory was built at Napoleon. It was thirty-five by seventy feet in size and its machinery was propelled by an eighty-horse-power steam engine. The total plant cost fourteen thousand dollars. Twenty hands were employed and the twenty thousand-dollar per year output was sold at Kansas City.

With the passing of the years, the change in surroundings, etc., Napoleon is still but a small hamlet, with little business interests, aside from its shipment of stock and grain and the ordinary local retail business conducted.

Bates City

Bates City, in the southwestern part of Clay township, was platted in 1878 on the line of the Alton railroad, and the next year a postoffice was established, J. F. Eneberg being the first postmaster. The first house was built by L. B. Kelley, while Mr. Eneberg started the first store. An eight-hundreddollar school house was erected in 1881 and the first teacher received twentyfive dollars per month. The first regular physician was Dr. M. W. Flournoy. (See church chapter for religious items on this village.)

Bates City today consists of the following interests : The ordinary shops and smaller places of business, with two good-sized general merchandise stores. It is situated on the electric trolley line being constructed from Kansas City to St. Louis.

Waterloo

The town of Waterloo, in this township, is midway between Wellington and Napoleon, on the railroad and on the Missouri river. Its founder once remarked, "Napoleon and Wellington are both dead, but Waterloo still flourishes," he having reference to the three great military names, Waterloo, Wellington and Napoleon, intimating that the towns of Wellington and Napoleon, like the great military characters, were dead, while his town was much alive ; but time has proven his mistake, in the main. Waterloo was platted on section 18, township 50, range 28, October, 1905, by Joseph A. Edmonds, Sr.

Dark Deeds

Among the incidents worthy of here being recorded are the following: During the Civil war days James Johnson, who lived at Bates City, was killed by a band of "Kansas Jayhawkers," supposed to have been at the instigation of a negro, whom he had once whipped while acting as constable in his township. The act was forced upon him by law, but the dire spirit of revenge upon the part of the black man caused him to call upon these troops, who took Mr. Johnson to a barn and there hung him until he was dead. Such were the horrors brought about by war.

In 1858 occurred another crime against civilization and humanity, the whipping of a white man for the offense of hiding a slave - a runaway negro - under some sheaves of oats. The man was tried by a jury of twelve men, and a sentence of "forty lashes, save one," was the decision of the jury. Robert Stowall, the man whose office it was to execute this sentence, was killed in 1863 - five years later - under the following circumstances: A troop of Kansas soldiers came through the town, and one of their number recognized a citizen of the town, saying, "How are you, John?" Then the troop went to Stowall's house and called him out and shot him. Although no one recognized any of the soldiers, it is supposed that the killing was at the instigation of the man who secreted the negro in the oats.