Hurricane Township

Hurricane Township

Hurricane embraces thirty full and six fractional sections of land, and is one of the northern tier of towmships of Carroll county. The character of the country is rolling prairie, as fertile as fertile can be, and settled by a vigorous, industrious, honest community. The first settler was W. W. Compton, from Tazewell county, Virginia, who came in 1835, and located on section 11. Col. Compton in after years represented Carroll county in the lower house of the Missouri legislature. Next came Josiah Grey of Indiana, and located on section 23. He was followed by Ruben Burrow of Tennessee, in 1841 or '42, locating on section 26. In 1845 came Dan. Sharp, locating on section 22, and Flanders Calloway, who settled on section 27. Following came Wm. P. Dulaney, from Howard county, Mis* souri, in 1836, and located on section 11, Jacob Taylor, on section 17,Jas. A. Hancock, R. C. Harding, on section 22, N. Hubbard, on section 26, in 1846, and Samuel B. Hurd, the same year on section 9.

W. P. Dulaney taught the first school on section 23. He had 28 pupils and received one dollar per month for each scholar. The first school house was built on section 23, about 1852, by Elijah Jeffreys and W. P. Dulaney, being erected by voluntary contribution by the neighbors in work.

Mr. Dulaney relates that in those early times, that all the men in the locality went hunting, taking the flints with them. His mother wanted a fire, but there was no " lucifer, locofoco, or parlor matches " to be had. Taking her son, who was then but a little shaver, and mounting old "Blaze" if that was the name of the old family horse, they rode four miles to a neighbors, and by means of a lighted piece of hemp which the boy carried, they returned and kindled a fire.

The name Hurricane was given this Township fronl the fact that at some time long anterior to its settlement by the whites, a severe and damaging hurricane swept over a portion of territory contigious to Grand River, and leaving traces of its destruction that was plainly to be seen for years after settlements had been made by the early pioneers.

Mrs. Carson says: when her father came to the county the settlers were so far apart and so scarce, the men plowed furrows from house to house to enable the women and children to find their wa}' back and forth.

1875, with D. B. Walt and Mrs. Bottsford as two of the original members. This church building is a fine frame, located on section 20, and cost

Hurricane Missionary Baptist. The date of the or^inization of this Church has not been furnished us, nor has the date of the building, location, cost or dedication of their Church house, if they have one.

All we have learned in connection with the church is, that Thos. Ballew, G. W. Hubbard and wife, Eliza Creel, Mrs. Mansom, Mary C. Owens, Green and Elizabeth Shermate organized the society in the Township.

The names of the pastors are Thomas Graves, Samuel Huff, F. M. Wadley and W. W. Walden, the present Minister. The congregation at this time numbers one hundred and thirty members.

Elizabeth Southern Methodist. This organization was consummated November 16th 1873, by the following original members: Jas. L. Vaughn, Geo. R. Vaughn, Elizabeth Lucas, Mary A. Lucas, Mary Duvall, Linnie Duvall and James T. Duvall.

A fine frame building was put up in the fall of 1876 at a cost of $1,500, and is located in the N. W. Cor. Sec. 25. For a number of years the only member of this church was Mrs. Elizabeth JL,ucas.

Battsville, the metropolis of Hurricane Township, is located in the extreme south east part of the Township, surrounded by thousands of rich acres of the finest prairie land. It is named in honor of Harvey Batts, the first merchant in the village, and contains one church, two stores, school house and Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges.

Mr. Batts has a small herd of Antelope on his farm close by. On the night of the 16th of June 1881, the herd was augmented by the birth of two Antelope; the first no doubt born in the county since its settlement and organization.

Harvey Batts

iDorn February 8, ] 835,. in Mobile, Alabama. In 1849 he moved with his father to California, and remained until 1865, when he returned to Missouri, locating in Howard county; he lived in Howard and Saline county for several years, and in 1867 settled permanently in Carroll county, and in the mercantile business in Battsville, a town which derived its name from him. He commenced farming in 1880 and finds it a pleasant profitable and suitable avocation for him; he owns eight hundred acres of land in the northeast part of the county; his place is elegantly improved, and arranged for feeding stock. Mr. Batts has 'an antelope and deer park on his place, of which mention is made in the county history; he also has on the premises a fish pond, covering three or four acres; a fine flower garden, and every adornment that a farm should have. Mr. Batts is a member of the Christian Church and of the Masonic Fraternity and I. O. O. F.

Sanford A. Crouch

was born in 1838, in Owen county, Ky.;son ot Reuben and Mary Crouch. He moved with his parents to Cooper county, Mo., in 1842, and in the following year came to Carroll county, where he remained until 1848, when he went to Brunswick, Chariton county; here he received his education, and taught school for five or six years; he was married in 1859 to Miss Mary A. Yeager, daughter of Henry and Elizabeth Yeager, and in the following year returned to Carroll county and located permanently. They have seven children: Elenora, Mary, Emma, Willie, Minnie, Owen L. and Sterling Price. Mr. Crouch has a well improved farm and has taken great care in raising and educating his children. Two of his Mary and Elenora, are at present teaching school in Carroll -county. Mr. Crouch is a true democrat, and has held the office of justice born in Carroll county, Ohio. He is a son of John Herrington, and a grandson of John Herrington who served under Gen. Greene in the revolutionary war. Dr. Herrington was educated at Mt.Union, Ohio. He is a graduate,, also, of the Keokuk Medical College. He' completed his course in 1858, and has since been engaged with the duties of his profession. Dr. Herrington enlisted in the Union army in August, 1862, under Gen. Sherman, 80th Ohio, company K, of the Ohio volunteer infantry. He was at the battle of Corinth, and was a surgeon in the hospital at Vicksburg and Memphis, Tennessee. He was discharged May 29, 1865, at Washington, D. C. Dr. Herrington was married in 1858 to Miss Angie Yeager, of Van Buren county, Iowa. They are the parents of one child, living: Julia May.

Elias A. Jeffries

born January 8, 1851, in Carroll county, Missouri. He is a son of William Jeflries. Mr. Jeffries has lived four years inTexa.s, and traveled through Kansas, Iowa and Illinois in search of a good farming locality, and finallyconcluded to settle in Carroll county. His farm is in the northeastern part of Hurricane township. He was married in 1872 to Miss Minerva King.. They are the parents of four children: Norman D., MaryJ,, Stella A. and Henry Moses. Mr. Jeffries is a member of the Christian church.

born January 28, 1848, in Frederick county, Maryland. He was raised on a farm in the county of his birth. When seventeen years old he moved to Wabash county, Indiana, and in the following year settled in Tazewell county, Illinois, and made it his home for nine years. Upon leaving Illinois he moved to Missouri, remaining in Livingston and Chariton counties for several years, and finally settled down in Carroll county. Since leav' ing his old home in Maryland, Mr. Eyler has been engaged in the mercantile business. While living in Tazewell county, Illinois, he was married to Miss Helen Emmons. They are the parents of three children, living: Robert, Harry and Blanch. Mr. Eyler is a member of the M. E. church, south.

John Bucher

Mr. Bucher is a native of Ohio, where he lived until he was twenty-three years of age, when he moved to DeKalb county, Indiana. In 1870 he moved to Carroll county. Mo., and is located in Hurricane township. He owns 100 acres of land, all of which is in a good state of cultivation. Mr. Bucher married Miss Harriet Rosenburg. They are the parents of seven children living, Sarah E., Mary M., Hannah Ann, John Calvin, Joseph Reuben, William H. and Simon G. Mr. Bucher has a wonderful memory and is a natural mathematician. He can repeat almost any passage of the scripture from the bible and takes great delight, in solving problems working puzzles. He is a member of the Christian church.

Bradley A. Wilmot

born in May, 1843, in Knox county. 111. He was raised and educated in the county of his birth. He enlisted in Company K, of the Ninth Illinois cavalry and remained in the service until November 4, 1865. He was engaged in the battle of Hurricane Creek, Franklin, Nashville and others. Mr. Wilmot enlisted as private and was promoted to sergeant. In October 1866 he was married to Miss Alzada Batsford, of Knox county, Illinois. They are the parents of four children - Franklin E., Fred.J., Mabelle and Amos. Mr. Wilmot was township collector for four years and is still filling that office. He is a member of the Congregational church. His farm is located in section 17 of Ridge township.

Thomas H. Ballew

was born February 16, 1831, in Madison county, Kentucky. He left Kentucky when six years old and moved to Boone county, Missouri. In 1859 he moved to Carroll county, and located in section 23 of Ridge township, where he has since resided. He was raised on a farm and received but a common school education. He was married April 25, 1861, to Miss Josephine Owen. To this union were born three children: William L., Mary E. and John T. His first wife died February 16, 1872, and Mr. Ballew subsequently married Mrs. Huldah E. Hubbard, who was formerly a Miss Morgan, whose ancestry is traced back and found to be related to Daniel Boone. Mr. Ballew served one term as township assessor, in 1872. In 1878 he was elected on^the greenback ticket, to represent Carroll county in the legislature. At the expiration of his term of office he was again offered the nomination but declined. He is a member of the Baptist church.

William Cleary

is a son of Thomas Cleary of Tipperary county, Ireland, and was born in 1832. At the age of eighteen years he sailed for America, landing at N ew York, and went to New Hampshire where he remained about three years. In 1857 he came to Illinois, and for fourteen years was overseer on the <luincy & Chicago railroad. In 1871, he came to Carroll county, and engaged in farming, where he still remains. He married Miss Julia Herrick, of Ireland, by whom there was eight children : Thomas, Bridget, Kathleen, Julia, Mary, Marguerette, William, and Theresa; six of whom are living.

William S. Grider

is a son of John H. Grider, who was born January 31, 1S06. His father and mother died within one week of spinal meningetis, in 1873. The parents of the subject of this sketch left six children; William S., whose name heads this notice, Thomas C., Lilinore, Lida, Mattie, and John R., all of whom are residing in this county.

Henry Giger

is the son of Benjamin Giger, who was born in Tennessee, in the year 1805. Henry, the subject of this notice, was born in Sangammon county, Illinois» in 1840, and has made farming his occupation since he has resided in this county. His father was a natural mechanic, who died while on his way to Washington City, to secure patents on a corn planter, reaper and thresher combined, and a hitching machine. His corn planter is supposed to be the first ever made, being as early' as 1850. In 1863 Henry married Miss Mary J. Kirk, of Kentucky, by whom there are two children: Albert O. and Laura Belle. They are both members of the M. E. church, and Mr. Giger is a 'master mason.

was born in Rappahannock county, Va., in 1838, and came to this state in 1852, locating in Lafayette county, at which place he remained until 1872, when he came to this county, locating in Cherry Valley Township, where he still resides. In 1860, he returned to Virginia, to visit friends, remaining until April, 1861, when he enlisted in Co. C. 7th Regiment, Regular Virginia Infantry, Capt. J. C. Porter, and was at the battles of

Manassas, Williamsburg, and Seven Pines. He was transfered to the 49th Virginia Infantry, just before the seven days fight at Richmond, and was in all the engagements in Virginia and Maryland, and was atSharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Wilderness, Gettysburg, etc. Was transfered to the Mississipi Dept., and surrended at Shreveport, La., under Gen. Shelby, in 1865. He returned to Missouri, and as before stated, in 1872, came to this county, and for two years was engaged in the grain business. He opened a store in Miles Point, where he still resides engaged in the mercantile business. He was married on the 16th of Oct. 1877, to Miss Pernicia, daughter of James Cole of Bates county, by whom there is two children, James S., and Millie B. Mr. McQueen has served several times as Trustee of his township, and in 1880, was elected County Judge of the western district of the county. He is a gentleman of excellent practical judgement, of the sternest integrity, and throughly conversant with the affairs of the county.

George W. Craig

was bom in Nicholas county, Kentucky, in 1833, where he resided until 1843, when he moved to Arkansas, remaining three years, and then coming to Lexington, Mo., remaining several years, and became a resident of this county, in 1865, where he still resides. In 1868, he married Miss Mary L,, a daughter of David Vanrensaellear, of New York, by whom there are four children : Ollie, Clara E., Augustus C., and Clarence E. Mr. Craig served a short time in 1861, in the army, and suffered some hardships during the fight at Lexington, Mo. Mr. and Mrs. Craig are both members of the M. E. Church South.

H. E Jones

was born in Jackson county, Missouri, in 1847, and is a son of Samuel Jones of Virginia, who came to Missouri in an, early day, being one of the earliest settlers of Jackson county. The subject of this brief sketch resided in the county of his nativity until he was sixteen' years of age, when he came to this county, where he now resides. He was married in 1866, to Miss Harriet, a daughter of Mrs. Amanda Hill, by whom there are three children: Thomas W., Samuel E. and Robert. Mr. Jones had the misfortune of having one of his arms severed from his body by a mowing machine in the month of July, 1863. He is a gentleman of enterprise and integrity, and well liked in his locality.

Alphonso Fuller

is a son of Sylvester Fuller of Virginia, but of English descent. At the age of twelve years he commenced running an engine, which vocation he followed three years; for two years after he was engineer on several river boats, and came to this county in 1852; during this year he married Miss Harriet, a daughter of, Mike McGuire, by whom he received one hundred and sixty acres of fine land in Sugar Tree township, In 1861 he married again, Miss Morris being the lady, by whom there are five children, namely: James H., Alphonso Theodore, Volney, Minnie D. and Ida May. He enlisted in 1861; was engaged at Lexington, Carthage, etc.; and during his term of service, from 1861 to 1865, was wounded eight times. He went to Mexico at the close of the war and returned to settle down to permanent peace and quiet.

son of William Harrison of Tennessee, was bom in that state, where he resided until he was eighteen y^ars of age, when he started west, locating in this county in 1858. In 1861 he married a daughter of Warren McDaniel of this county, by whom there are five children, namely: Martha E., Mary E., Cas L., Robert E., and Thomas E. He owns one hundred acres of fine bottom land, and follows the vocation of farming. He was in the service for some time during the war, but in few warm engagements.