Ridge Township

Ridge Township

Ridge Township embraces thirty six full sections of 640 acres each and is high rolling prairie, rich and fertile and every acre is susceptible to the highest state of cultivation. Big Creek runs through the south-west part of the township and Little Hurricane through the north east. They are streams of little importance however, and are the greater portion of the time dry.

Ridge was settled at a later period than many of the townships of the county, the first being made about the year 1835, by old Dan'l Hill, in the southern part of the township near Big Creek, the exact location not being known. Hill appears to have been the pioneer of the township and we have no information of any other settler until about 1839, when Jack l^hillips, who had located in Van Horn in 1834, came into the township and located at the ford of the Little Hurricane. Phillips having been J'cgarded as the greatest bee-hunter of the county, it is supposed that the

It is related of him that he became so expert in following the trail, that he frequently kept within sight of the bee, and arrived at its home as soon as the bee itself. This statement must however, be taken with a degree of allow'ance, but that he was the most celebrated of all the bee-hunters, cannot be gainsaid. Sometime during the year 1843 a settlement was made on Wolff Branch one of the tributaries of Big Creek, by Nodding Calvert and his brother, and 'made some improvements. Charles Mitchell, from Boone Co. Missouri, came to Carroll in the early spring of 1849, locating on section 19. His son Stephen is surveyor of the county. In the spring of 1848, Asa McClain of Cooper county, formerly from the state of Tennessee, located the farm where he still resides, in the north west of section 6. Jas. R. Boley, in 1840, located on the north half of the north west, of section five, on Wolff Branch. Mrs. Boley's maiden name is reported to have been Elizabeth Lynch, daughter of David Lynch who came to the county with Nathaniel Carey and party in 1818. She was a child of four years of age at the time, and says she was ten 3'ears old when she first saw a biscuit. Dr. Thos. Brown came to the township about 1853, and began the practice of his profession in which he is still engaged.

From 1853 up to the close of the war, there were but few accessions to the population of the township, comparatively speaking. But in 1866 the tide commenced to set in. Among the first this year was Robert Ord, who located on section 12, and put in a crop of seed wheat brought from Ohio. The people were averse to fencing up the land, desiring it for range for cattle, the excitement some times grew high and trouble was often feared from the matter. Better feeling gained the ascendency at length, and the people soon learned that every settler in their midst who became a land owner enhanced the value of their farms. The unsettled state of matters here from 1861 to the restoration of peace in 1865, was one of the great drawbacks to the settlement of the county, and Ridge, like most of townships, lost considerably by the result.

Since 1S67 a heavy influx of settlers has poured into the country and Ridge has received her portion. The fertile prairies are now dotted over with permanent improvements and fenced into splendid farms, all cultivated as good farmers know how to cultivate. Although later than others in settling up, it is not behind them in intelligence, wealth and thrift, and the character of the improvements are such as they can well be proud of

Snow Branch Dunkard - organized 1871 with jas. Morris, Dan '1 Love, Wtn. Kepper, Henry Kaylor, Samuel Kepper, Mrs. Love, Mrs. Powers and Mrs. Kepper as original members.

Big Creek Baptist Church was organized June 22, 1844, with Noding Calvert, William Hill, Norflet Newson, James Rippetoe, Nancy Hawk* ins, Jane Calvert and Mary Crouch as original members.

Their first house was built of logs in 1848, and was replaced in 1870 by a neat frame. The new house was dedicated the second Monday in January, 1870.

The pastors who have had charge are John Curl, Joseph Riffe, Keeny Scott, Geo. T. Kinnaird, R. Scott, E. Surgeon, Thos. Graves, W. S. HufT, M. Goodson, Geo. Crouch, C. Bullock and F. Menefee.

Miami township embraces seven full and nine fractional sections, the greater portion being bottom lands, rich and mellow, and capable of the highest state of cultivation. Its eastern and southern border is washed by the Missouri river, which sometimes makes heavy inroads, materially lessening the acreage of the township.

The Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific railroad traverses the township from northeast to southwest passing through sections four, eight, and emerging at the southwest corner of seven.

On the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section four is ocated the town of Miami Station, founded by W. Z. Darr, in June, 1869.

has been one of the best shipping points in that section, but of late years ^as lost. A heavy trade has been taken from Saline county, but on the completion of a line of railroad to eastern markets through Saline, and the obviating the crossing of the Missouri river at the town of Miami, trade fell oftj and diverged to a different route. The station has yet a good local trade, which will keep it up for the present, and so long as the line of railroad is not changed.

The point of great interest in Miami township is the celebrated "White Rock Quarries," located on the line of railroad, in the south half of the northwest quarter of section eight. The^^ were opened in 1840, and have been worked ever since. The quantity is almost inexhaustible, and the quality is very superior. Its color and adaptability for finishing purposes is becoming widely known, and it is being shipped to many of the cities in different states. It is used extensivel}^ for public buildings, bridges, etc., owing to its lough, close grained qualities, and i.'« easily dressed and polished. Heavy shipments are made to St. Louis, Chicago, Kansas City, and St. Joseph, and the new capitol building at Des Moines, Iowa, is drawing largely from it for the fine portion.^ of the work. From the singular formations often found embedded in the rock, forty and fifty feet from the surface, the geologist, by scientific investigation, would no doubt find food for deep research.

But little, if anything, is known of the earlier settlements of this township. Prior to 1831, Henry Philips and Thomas Booth appear to have been the only settlers. What part of the township they located in when they arrived, and what improvements, if any, were made, is not known. The simple fact that they were there previous to 1831, seems to be a limit to the knowledge of the oldest settler now there. In 1839 Benj Kendrick located eighty acres of land in section eight, embracing the quarries. Up to Mr. Kendrick's coming, no dates are given of the location of the earlier settlers. John Adkins opened a wood yard on the Missouri, Richard Thomas coming about the same time.

John Hailbert and Geo. Manning located somewhere above the station, and Wm. R. Hill settled at Yellow Rock, near the station. On section five John Simpson located, as did also Dudley Thomas.

The sluggish Wakanda winds through the Jownship ' Irom the southwest to the northeast aad approaches the Missouri river at several points very closely.

From Miami station due southeast to the Missouri river is two miles. The route is through a low bottom, often in wet weather being wholly impassible, the soil being a black, loam, rich and mellow as any in the county. This bottom is subject to overflow at every big rise in the river and is often covered to a depth of two or three feet. This fact interfering with the ready shipment of produce, stock, etc., has been the means of curtailing the trade from the south side of the river, and driving it to market by a further route.