Springfield Township (part 2 of 3)

' ' My father was six feet two inches in height, fair, with light brown hair that curled, and eyes that were keen and piercing when he was aroused, but usually open and mirthful. He and his brother William were sweet singers, with that remarkable timbre heard rarely even in the Cumberland and Ozark mountains, but nowhere else on earth. To hear it once even is a joy forever. I have heard them sing - heard the music of their voices drifting over the moonlit prairies - have stood between them with my arms about each as they sang, breathless with ecstacy. My Uncle

Of Old Settlers 45

''John Polk Campbell was married August 28, 1827, near Spring Hill, Maury County, Tennessee, to Louisa Terrell Cheairs, the daughter of a French Huguenot. ' '

Joseph Rountree I knew well. A kindly, sturdy old man, whose sons and daughters were a credit to the country. He was Judge of our County Court and there was no talk of "graft or loot."

I also knew Joel H. Hayden. He organized the Christian Church in the city, preached at first in the Court House in the center of the Public Square. Was over 6 feet high, portly, but not obese, and was one of the finest specimens of manhood I have ever seen.

He was a candidate for Governor once, but was beaten by a "scratch." He was one of the officers of the land office, but never again offered for public office. He was a splendid "speaker" and a "born orator."

The first child boril in Springfield was Mary Frances Campbell, January 29, 1831, daughter of Col. John Campbell, sister of Mrs. Rush Owen, and the first male child born in the present city was Harvey Fulbright, son of John Fulbright, and father of Dr. Fulbright, now living here.

"Uncle Billy" Fulbright made the first crop in 1829 on his claim south of College and west of Market streets, and had the corn, oats and wheat to support the newcomers. My informant says he was "big bodied, big brained and big hearted," a tireless worker and ALL who stayed around had to work. He raised a big family of sons, eight, I think, all good citizens.

The fight for the county seat was at first a three-cornered one between Col. Campbell, Maj. D, D. Berry and Finley Danforth, who wanted it at the Danforth Springs, six miles east ; Maj. Berry wanted it at the Gum Springs, two miles southeast, and Col. Campbell where it is. Maj. Berry feared that Danforth would win in a three-cornered fight so joined forces with Col. Campbell and Col. Campbell won.

tent on the south side of the Public Square, where the west room of the MeDaniel Bank now is. Everybody in the country was invited in to vote their choice of a name for the county seat.

Wilson (after whom the present Wilson Creek is named) haa a jug of white whiskey, and as fast as the people came in he took them over to his tent and said: "I am going to live here and I was born and raised in a beautiful town in Massachusetts named Springfield, and it would gratify me very much if you would go over and vote to name this county seat after my native town." Then he produced the jug and told the voter to help himself, which he did, and of course went and voted to name the town Springfield. My informant, Capt. Lucius A. Rountree, told me this story many years ago, and three years ago he told it to me again, always closing by saying, "I was 17 years old and was 'much of a man' ", and all of you know he was. There is no doubt that this story is true.

Mr. Brown has given the population of the town in June, 1853, as 316. In June, 1856, a census was taken for a private purpose and there were all told 723 people in the town.

When the "Overland Mail" to California was known to be a certainty, a gentleman conceived the idea of a telegraph line to follow the route of the stage. When he came to Springfield, to get help to build it, he made the point that Springfield would be in the newspapers every day to record the passage, one way or the other, of the "Overland Stage." I saw the point and took one hundred dollars' worth of stock in the enterprise. We did get on the map, and few things were done to advertise the city more than it did. The line was practically destroyed at the beginning of the war, and a year or so after the war had been going on I met the man in St. Louis who had taken my subscription and money and he asked me if I still had my stock. I told him, "Yes." He asked if I wanted to sell it. I was amazed because I had never expected to get anything for it, and now that the line was torn down, I concluded he was sarcastic and said, "Yes, of course, but the wire is all gone and many of the poles and 'want' is all I would get."

He looked at me a little bit and said: "Hubble, you were the first subscriber I got in Springfield and I see I could buy that stock for a song, but remembering how good I felt when I got

Of Old Settlers 47

Telephone line (I forget its name). I told him I had and he went on to tell me how it was destroyed and the Government was going to build a line for its own use to Springfield, but that they were going to wind up the old company and that he understood that because I was the first in Springfield I was guaranteed against loss and he would give me my money back if I would transfer the stock to him, and he talked largely about the loss the war had caused the company.

I litsened and when he stopped I told him it was not much and I would keep the stock to show my children that I had been a progressive citizen in Springfield. To cut the story short - he offered me and I accepted so much money for that stock that I don't care to tell the amount. What the new company that was formed wanted or done with my stock, I don't know. So I write this as a curious reminiscence of old days in our beloved city.

Told At The Dinner Of 1908

Among the prominent settlers of the early 30s, that we did not mention at our last dinner, none were more prominent than D. Bird Miller (after whom the Miller Spring, which is west of Grant street and south of Scott street, was named), who came here with Col. Campbell, and his brother, Joseph Miller, who was one of the kindliest old gentlemen and best raconteurs I have ever known, both Tennesseeans, big of bone, body and mind.

William Anderson was one of the first settlers and was our first nurseryman. He had a large family of sons and daughters and, like him, they were the "salt of the earth." He lived south of the city five miles.

Hon. Marcus Boyd, several times a representative in the Legislature, settled three miles east of town and raised a large family of children. He was Grand Master of Masons for the State and colonel of the Eighty-third Missouri regiment, and a man of sterling character and a big brain. One of his sons, Col. S. H. Boyd, was colonel of the Twenty-fourth Missouri Volunteers and member of Congress from this district and minister to Siam. Another was Secretary of State for many years and member of Congress from Alabama, and another, Dr. Erastus, I think, was the most eloquent orator I ever heard. His youngest daughter, Lula, married Col. Dan C. Kennedy, founder of the "Springfield Leader," and Robert Kennedy, one of the present editors, is son and grandson.

Hon. William C. Price and John H, Price settled on James River, east of town, and William C. was Judge of our Circuit Court and Treasurer of the United States under Buchanan's administration. He lived to be an old man, dying in Chicago two years ago. John H. was a colonel in the Confederate service.

Among the most active and forceful of our early settlers was Judge James H. Blakey, who settled what is now known as the McDaniel farm. He was from Kentucky and raised a large family of boys.

Dr. Sanders settled at what is now known as the Berry Spring. I don't know where he went when he left here. Judge Henry Fulbright married his daughter.

Solomon H. Owen settled four miles north of the city. He had a large family, one of whom intermarried with Capt. A. M. Julian, one of the kindest hearted old men I ever knew.

Judge James Dollison came with ** Uncle" Neddy Thompson in 1831. They were brothers-in-law. He was County Judge for years and when I knew him lived four miles south of town on the old "wire road." He used to tell a story on a doctor who stood high and had a large practice, and was noted for his fondness for "roasting ears." The story was that the doctor rode up to the judge's house at noon and said: "Give my horse fifteen roasting ears and me sixteen."

Benjamin and Chesley Cannefax were brothers and settled about four miles southwest of town. Chesley Cannefax was our first sheriff, a mighty good man. They were from Kentucky. Ralph Ott, the artist, is his grandson.

Dr. Edwin T, Robberson was raised on the Robberson Prairie, ten miles north of town, where his father had settled in the early 30s. After graduating from a medical college, he began practice in Springfield and was a determined and decided Union man at the outbreak of the Civil War, and was one of the three men who went to Rolla to urge the advance of the Union troops to Springfield from that place. He was assistant surgeon during the war. He was always active and his death was sincerely regretted by all the old settlers, among whom he had hosts of friends, because of his many actions of kindness. He left a large family which still stands high with all who know them.

William Townsend settled about three miles southwest of town and raised a large family. He was the very best kind of a citizen and many of his descendants still live here and keep up the good name.

Horace Snow settled about four miles northeast and was an enterprising citizen, raised a large family, and died regretted by all who knew him.

Joseph and Resin P. Haden were early settlers. R. P. settled and entered the "Hooper" farm, two miles east of town, about which the courts are now "wrestling."

Gen. Nicholas R. Smith, was an early settler, about three miles north of town. He entered land and made a home. Afterward he moved to town and kept a hotel at the northeast corner of Boonville street and the square. Board was $1.50 per week in 1856. He raised a large family of sons and daughters. The most prominent and forceful of then was Hon. Oscar Benton Smith, who, with Col. Marcus Boyd, represented this county in the Lower House in 1859 and 1860, and was afterwards a soldier in the Confederate Army and Jydge of our County Court for many years.

Anderson Hampton came in the early 30s and settled on Wilson Creek about six miles southwest. He was a good citizen and left many descendants, all good citizens.

Maj. Joseph Weaver came to Greene County in the early 30s from North Carolina. He settled one and a half miles west of the city and sold to Mr. Shook and settled four miles northwest, where he died of the cholera. He was our first Senator. He left a large family of sons and daughters, only two of whom are now living, Mrs. J, L. Carson and Mrs. D. L. Fulbright of Double Springs, Arkansas. I never knew Maj. Weaver, but did know all of his children, and I will never forget what an old friend told

Judge Charles S. Yancey, who succeeded Foster P. Wright, who succeeded Charles H. Allen (Horse Allen) on our Circuit Bench, came in the early '30s. The family were of Virginia origin. He settled out in the country narth of town (near the corner of Broad and Commercial streets) and died there, previous to 1860. He was tall and dark and a gentleman of the old school. There were few appeals from his decisions on the bench.

One of the most forceful men I have ever known was Lewis Allen Dickon Crenshaw, who came in the late '30s, and settled on the Kickapoo Prairie, four miles south of town. He came from Nashville, Tennessee, but was of the old Virginia stock of Crenshaws and Dickons. He was "small and wiry," seemed to never tire if he could get to sleep from 2 till 8, but was fresh and good natured all the balance of the twenty-four hours, and was the best husband I have ever known. He was one of the three who started to St. Louis to get troops after the "Goose Pond Rally" and met Sigel and the Third Missouri and part of the Fifth at Rolla, coming out. Intensely loyal, although a large slaveholder, he never faltered while the Confederacy was in arms, but the day they laid down their arms he began to do just as earnestly his utmost to "heal the wounds" the awful strife had made. He was one of the three men I have known who did not understand personal fear, and yet he was gentle as a child to the injured and innocent. All of you knew him and I know you will join with me today in hoping and believing that our Heavenly Father, not forgetting the frailties of man, has taken him from the grave of transgression to the land of the just, made perfect to shine as the stars forever and ever.

Capt. James Massey came to Greene County in the early 30s and settled four miles east of town. He was born in Ireland, landed in South Carolina, moved to Tennessee, where he served in the war of 1812, and from there to this county. He raised a large family of sons and daughters and died at the close of the war. He was intensely Union, although a slaveholder. So were all of his descendants except one, who lost a leg in the Confeder-

Of Old Settlers 51

Gen. Joseph Powell was born in North Carolina, married Jane Massey in Tennessee and came to Missouri with Capt. Massey. He died in 1846, leaving four children. He was in command of the troops at the expected uprising of the Sac and Fox Indians. The first frame dwelling in Greene County was built for him by Garland Shackelford (who died one year ago at the age of 97), two and one-half miles east of the Public Square. The lumber was sawed by two negro men belonging to Capt. Massey with a whip saw. A part of the old house is still standing and one of the windows of 8x10 glass, 12 panes to each half, is still in the house. I suppose the oldest part of a house now identified, without doubt, in the country.

Jonathan Carthel came to Greene County in 1833, I think. He was born in Alabama. His father was Josiah Carthel of Snow Hill, Maryland. He was of Scotch ancestry. His great-grandmother was Keren Happuck Turner, the only woman of the Revolutionary War to whom a monument has been erected. It is at Guilford Court House, North Carolina, and in commemoration of her great services as a nurse after the battle of Guilford Court House. She had a son and grandson wounded in that battle, and rode horseback from Snow Hill, Maryland, to Guilford to nurse her sons, and while doing so nursed and directed others how to nurse the other wounded. In the National Cemetery at Guilford Court House the monument may be seen. Mr. Carthel was 6 feet 6 inches high, a born orator and a minister of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. He had several children, all of whom except Mrs. Sophronia Denton are now dead. He settled six miles southeast of the city.

Bennett Robberson, Hosea Mullings and Joseph Evans settled in the Robberson Prairie, ten miles north of town. They were splendid citizens and each raised a large family. Many of their descendants are living in the county now and are first class citizens. Gen. Hosea G. Mullings, son of Hosea, Sr., has repre-

Dr. Thomas J. Bailey came in the late 30s and opened a farm, the southeast corner of Center and Jefferson streets. He was a Kentuckian, a large slaveholder and a wealthy man. He was intensely Union at the breaking out of the late war and subscribed liberally to all funds for the Union side. The splendid monument to Lyon in the National Cemetery was erected by his administrator, Hon. J. W. D. L. F. Mack, under the terms of his will. He was witty and loved a good joke. Being my wife's guardian, I had to ask him for her, and he sighed, spit and looked so serious I tought he was going to refuse, and I like to had a fit, until he said "I could have her if I would make all the children vote the Whig ticket," and after the ceremony he wished us a long life and happiness and many children who would vote the Whig ticket.

One of our earliest merchants was John D. DeBruin. His store was on the lot at the corner of College street and the square where the Court House now stands. He was a splendid business man and made a comfortable fortune for those days and moved to St. Louis. He lived in a log house, one and one-half stories high, on Walnut street just east of the seed store.

Dr. William Shackelford was born in Kentucky and came in the 30s and lived at the corner of Campbell and Walnut streets. He was a fine gentleman and physician. He was father of Mrs. J. M. Wood, Mrs. Rountree and Mrs. Lack.

Samuel S. Vinton was born in the city of Baltimore. He was a nephew of Maj. D. D. Berry and came here at an early date and was a clerk in the store of ]\Iaj. Berry and finally became a partner. He married a daughter of E. M. Campbell of Polk County and entered business for himself. He was a splendid business man and very energetic and left sons and daughters who are among the best citizens of our present day. His brother, Robert A. Vinton, came afterwards and lost his life on the plains some time in the latter 50s.

John S. Waddill came here from Tennessee in 1836. He was born in 1805, and died in 1880, He married Sarah Kellogg, one of the best women that ever lived, who died in 1907. He settled the present home of the family just east of the Government building. He was one of our most prominent lawyers for years, also Judge of the Circuit Court. He was one of the few who always wore a silk hat and walked with a gold-headed cane. The "Mary S. Boyd" School is named for his oldest daughter. The oldest son, John B., was a good soldier, and rose to the rank of major and adjutant general, young as he was. His second son, James R. Waddill, represented his district in Congress and is now practicing law in New Mexico. The youngest son is now in business on Boonville street.

One of the most active and useful men who lived in the county was Charles Anthony Haden, son of Joel Haden, about whom we talked at our last dinner. He was born in Kentucky in 1812 and died in 1905. He came to Springfield in 1836, when the land office was opened, and was the first clerk. He married a daughter of Maj. Joseph Weaver, who bore him eight children. She died in 1859 and although Mr. Haden lived forty-six years he never thought of marrying again. He was a strong, vigorous man up to within three years of his death, riding horseback from the farm he settled on when he first married, six miles south of town. He was one of the firm of Haden, Hancock & Co. and Haden, Jones & Co., large stock dealers, also was one of the largest stockholders and organizers of the large tobacco factory operated here prior to 1860 under the name of Caynor, Henslee & Co. His oldest daughter married Judge John Yount Fulbright and they are today the oldest living couple who were born and married in Greene County and now living here.

The man who did more than any other to give prominence was Hon. John Smith Phelps. He was born and raised in Connecticut and I think came to Springfield in 1835. He was a lawyer, but settled south of town where he acquired by purchase and entry 1,100 acres of the beautiful Kickapoo Prairie. He represented this county in the Legislature and Congress for twenty years and the last ten years he was as influential as any member of the body. To him we owe the "Overland Stage" and the Frisco railroad. He was colonel of a Missouri regiment of U. S. volunteers and was wounded at the battle of Pea Ridge, was appointed Military Governor of Arkansas and afterwards was elected Governor of Missouri. He only lacked one vote of being nominated for Vice-President in 1864. He was over 6 feet high and straight as an arrow. He had a wonderful capacity for work and was a good lawyer. He is buried in Hazelwood Cemetery.

Written By Maj. D. Dorsey Berry, Jr

My father, Maj. Daniel D. Berry, was born in Baltimore, Maryland, in July, 1805, and was brought up and educated there. When he was about 21 years old he, having the spirit of the pioneer in his make-up, "came west," and first stopped at Bolivar, West Tennessee, where he spent five or six years, and while there married my mother, who was ]Miss Olivia M. Polk. He then moved further west and came to Greene County and settled where the Country Club now is. This was in 1832. In 1836 a county seat was to be selected and three places were contesting for the site, each offering to donate land for the location. One was at the Danforth Spring, six miles east of here, on ground owned by Finley Danforth ; another two miles southeast and owned by Daniel D. Berry, and the other on the present site on ground owned by John P. Campbell. My father and J. P. Campbell, fearing a divided interest so near each other would result in the selection of the Danforth place, concluded to unite their forces and agreed on the present site, which was carried. My father then moved to the new county seat and went into merchandising where Holland's Bank is now. He afterwards formed a partnership with his nephew, Benjamin Snyder, and afterwards with a Mr. Sterling Allen, and then with S. S. Vinton, and after this with J. S. Moss, which continued up to the "war."

My father was never a politician, but was in 1833, as shown by old records, a justice of the peace, and some years after this was county treasurer and was the first treasurer to make an itemized settlement with the County Court. It may seem that I am giving a biography of my father instead of writing a history of Greene Countj^ but the history of one is almost the history of the other, as he was so prominently connected with the early history that it would be difficult to disassociate them. He died in Memphis, Tennessee, in October, 1862, and is now buried in Hazelwood Cemetery. He was the father of twelve children, ten of whom arrived at maturity and survived him.

Of Old Settlers 55

It was mainly through his efforts the branch of the State Bank was established here and he was its first president, and because it gave the settlers a chance to get the money to enter their land and energetic men to borrow money to trade, it was a great factor in putting Springfield to the front.

Written By His Grandson, Capt. Harry Durst

Capt. Alfred H. Julian was born August 7, 1813, in Knox County, Tennessee, and was the son of John and Lucretia Julian, who were natives of North Carolina and England respectively. The Julian family is of French origin and settled in America during the seventeenth century in South Carolina. John Julian, father of the subject, was a representative man of his county in North Carolina, and took a prominent part in all matter of moment. The mother was of Scotch descent and her ancestors came to America at a date antedating the Revolutionary War and some of them took a prominent part in that struggle. The Julian family resided for many years in North Carolina and Virginia, but finally came to Tennessee, where the subject of this sketch was born, and where his parents passed the closing scenes of their lives.

The early life of Capt. Julian was spent in Tennessee, the earlier part of which he spent in farming, after which he learned the trade of machinist when but. a boy. After following this till 1836, he served for two years in the Florida-Seminole War in Company Thirteen as orderly sargeant, his captain being Jacob Peek. He was mustered out in 1838 at Fort Cass. He immediately started for Springfield, Missouri, and arrived here during that year. For a short time afterwards he engaged in a little wool carding business on Boonville street near the Jordan. He had a very limited education, but was a great reader and studied and procured every book of worth that he was able to, always thoroughly mastering one before beginning upon another. In this way he gave himself a general education, after which he studied law and was admitted to the Springfield bar in the very early days. He married Susan Owen, daughter of Solomon H. Owen, who was a very prominent citizen, living just north of Springfield.

Capt. Julian, while not a member of any church, assisted with his money and influence in building every old church in the city of Springfield. His religion was honesty and charity. He was also commissioner captain in 1846 of the First Regiment Infantry, Missouri Volunteers, in the war with Mexico. While a very staunch Democrat, he was also a strong Union man, and during the Civil War was connected with the Union army, and being very familiar with this part of the country, he was of great value as a guide. Died July 26, 1899.

There are many more that came in the early 30s about whom I don't know enough to write, except that they were good citizens, none bettter. Thomas McCoin, the Whitlocks, Dysarts, Cotners, Edmonson and many others.

I have not mentioned any names that I think came here after 1840. About that time the county ])egan to increase in population, much faster than it had. The "restless ones" went further west and the solid citizens had been here long enough to know the natural advantages of the county and they wrote back home to friends and "friends" began to move in and settle up the country wherever there was a spring. At our next meeting we will have personal anecdotes, reminiscences, etc., of the old times, so their successors may know something of the social life of their predecessors.

Told At The Dinner Of 1909

Gentlemen : I think that this is a good time to go back to "life's morning march," "when our bosoms were young," and pay a tribute to the men who made it possible for Springfield to be the beautiful and progressive city it is.

We have already recited at a former meeting who founded and named the city. Let us today put on record the man who built the first house within the present city limits, but which was then outside of the limits prescribed by the deed of gift by CoL John P. Campbell. His name was William Fulbright. He built a log cabin at a spring, known as the "Fulbright Spring," a little way west of the present Gulf shops, or near where Fulbright street crosses the railroad tracks. This is absolutely correct. Mr. Fulbright moved here from Gasconade River, and had been told of the beautiful country by Col. John P. Campbell as he returned to Tennessee after having seen this country and he got here before Col. Campbell could go to Tennessee and return.

John Lair, the "village blacksmith," who shod the mules and horses and made the plows and wagons used by our "fathers" was a kindly, far-sighted man. I have seen as many as six fires going at one time in his shop, northwest corner St. Louis and Jefferson streets. This is a good time to tell the story he told me, of how Jefferson street came to bend to the east south of Walnut street. He said the surveyor was at the corner of Walnut and Jefferson streets and the man with the flag went on out in the prairie on the high ground and yelled back to know where to stick his flag, and knowing he was outside of the land deeded to the city, the surveyor said: "Stick it down anywhere. There will never be a street there anyhow." After the war Mr. Lair moved to Boone County, Arkansas. He was a firstclass empire builder.

They had able coadjutors in Gen. C. B. Holland, Col. Henry Sheppard, Dr. G. P. Shackelford, Maj. Joseph Weaver, Dr. T. J. Bailey, Gen. N. R. Smith, Judge John S. Waddell, Mr. DeBruin, Judge Charles H. Yancey, William Mc Adams, Maj. R. J. Mc- Elhaney, John S. Kimbrough, Wilson Hackney, W. B. Logan, Judge Littleberry Hendricks, Capt. John S, Bigbee, William C. Price (once treasurer of the United States), James R. Danforth, the brothers John and Henry Chenowith, Capt. A. M. Julian, Charles Carleton and others whose names do not occur to me as "I call the roll."

These men all believed that in time we would have a large city here, and planned accordingly. Our Mr. Wilson told at a former meeting how we got the "Overland Mail." It was as big a thing for a thousand people as the "New Shops" and "Pythian Home" is today for forty thousand. To get it we had to bring

It looked to me when I first came here that everybody in the county came to town on Saturday and the two and three-foot boards, shingles, siding, dimensions lumber, leather, beeswax and cedar posts that were "bartered" that day was to me as good as a circus. Everybody that wanted it got credit and all accounts were settled January 1st after purchase, and so far as I know only one man ran off without paying his debts prior to January, 1860. What a record ! I bought the acre of ground on a part of which we sit for $125.00, but was not to have possession until the owner gathered his corn. There was no writing to bind either of us. I could not do that now, but David L. Fulbright is dead. If he were here I would do it again.

We had some boisterous characters here, but they fought with their fists and the "best man" won. A story told me long ago always brings a smile when I think of it. I will not put the real names in print, but tell you if you don't know. A man we will call Jemima said publicly that no man could be sheriff of Greene County, Missouri, unless he was a "better man" than he (Jemima) was, so when he came to town one Friday for a two days' good time he was told that (we will call him colonel) was a candidate. Now the colonel was a quiet, orderly man, but mighty handy with his fists and everybody knew it, so the teasing Jemima got was rather annoying. But he got worked up by Saturday morning and started out to the colonel's home to lick him. He met the colonel on the way to town and told what he was going to do to him. The colonel tried to avoid a fight, but it was no use. Jemima grabbed his leg and was going to put him off of his horse, so the colonel told him to wait and he would get down. They hitched their horses, pulled off their coats and went at it, and the colonel gave Jemima an awful mauling before he would holler "'nuff." After the fight they walked to the branch, washed and put on their coats and came to town, the best of friends. Needless to say the colonel was elected as he was afterwards to the Legislature. Manly sports, such as three jumps,

Of Old Settlers 59

Hon. and Capt. Lucius A. Rountree, familiarly known as "Old Red" (most all of the old settlers had nicknames), Judge Yancey was "Muck," Ben Cannefax "Old Dusty," Capt. Rountree "Old Red," etc., was mentioned at a former dinner, but I think this story of him will amuse you, especially after I have mentioned our sports. When the troops were assembled here under Gen. Joseph Powell for the Sac and Fox war, as it was known, the first day's march was to the "Little Sac," six miles north of town, where camp was made and athletics were in order. The Laclede County company challenged the Greene County company for a wrestle, "side holt." It was accepted and "Old Red" was chosen as the Greene County champion. The ground was selected, judges chosen and after a tough bout "Old Red" threw his man. He at once jumped up, cracked his heels together three times and shouted: "There's the only man I ever threw down in my life." My, but the Laclede County men were angry.

Thomas Jessup was of Scotch ancestry. He was born in Tennessee and came to Springfield in the early 30s. He died here about 1852 (not certain of the date).

He started the first tanyard in the valley of the Jordan, west of the southwest corner of Boonville and Mill streets. He had one son and three daughters.

His son Eli found the buffalo horn which is the centerpiece on today's table and which was kindly loaned for the occasion by Thomas Jessup, the grandson of Thomas the first, who is now a farmer south of the city and keeps up the good name of the family.

You will see by the inscription that it was found in 1831 somewhere near the city. There is a story connected with the horn which we will relate in next year's stories and anecdotes of the early settlers.

Told At The Dinner Of 1910

Mr. Hubble: Four of them stopped at Hartville, and the rest came on to town here and stopped at Dr. Shackelford's. The doctor was a Tennesseean and he undertook to show them the courtesies that men showed then. They went into Sheppard's store and did a little trading, then started out the "wire road" and went out to the Adams spring, six or seven miles southwest of here. They had a dog that kept camp for them, and the dog was missing, and the major came back to town after him and Mr. Sheppard told him the dog ran around all the time and they could not do anything with him, so finally the major left, but came back the next morning after "Bulger," the dog. It pretty nearly broke them up to lose that dog, but he could not find him. Some weeks later they got a letter from the old home that the dog had come back. He told his brother to get him and take care of him, but the dog would not stay and went back to the old home place and died there. He had to cross both the Mississippi and Ohio rivers to get there.

Mr. Woods: That reminds me of a man my father used to tell about who asked if there was any way in the world to get to Missouri without crossing the Mississippi River. "Yes," my father says, "there is - by going far enough north; but it is a good ways around."

Mr. Wilson: Talking about that dog going back reminds me of another that belonged to one of the early settlers here that was missing. After he had been gone two or three weeks they got a letter from the old home that the dog had gone back home, having crossed the Tennessee, Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. I cannot recall the old man's name who owned the dog, but he was a justice of the peace and kept a drug store there.

Of Old Settlers 61

Mr. John Y. Fulbright : At the request and solicitation of our friends, I desire to make a few remarks. As the children of the pioneers of this country, and as friends and companions of years, we have met under your hospitable roof from year to year to renew friendships and to recall and perpetuate while we still live the early history of our country. How well we may succeed, those who read after us must judge, yet we have the consolation of knowing that we have given a true and correct history as far as we were able and as far as we have gone. At this time, being the anniversary of the birth as a citizen of Springfield of our honored friend and companion, and to mark one more epoch that will make our history a pleasure to review, and as an evidence of our appreciation for the many acts of kindness shown to those present and others, I now present you (addressing Mr. Hubble) with this cane. Although it may not be of great intrinsic value, yet it is rich in love and good wishes from those who give it ; and in the years that may follow we all wish you and your family health, happiness and prosperity ; and, knowing well that the physical man as he walks the hill downward toward the setting sun of this life must grow weaker, we all hope that this token of esteem will make the path easier, and will support and strengthen you to the end. (Presentation of cane.) I will read the inscription: "Presented to M. J. Hubble by his friends at dinner, March 31, 1910."

Mr. Hubble : I think everyone of you know how much I appreciate this. As a general thing, I can always say something; but now all I can say is that I never was any more surprised - I could not be - than I am at this gift; and that I hope everyone of you will be here next year, and for many years after, and if you do, you will find your gift at the head of the table.

Col. Murray : I was going to say to Mrs. Hubble that where there are a lot of good ladies around the house and not one word has been said in their favor, and a lot of men sitting around throwing taffy at one another, is fairly disgusting to me.

Col. Murray: I learned to like the ladies, young and old, before I was graduated around here at the school house. I have carried that idea in my mind ever since that wherever I could pledge them, I would be glad to do so ; and I desire you to understand and know that, while I may have faded, so many years have passed behind me, my love and friendship for them are the same and not on the wane. On this particular occasion, I have in mind to present to Mrs. Hubble, the individual who has really had charge of this household for at least half a century, who has always been pleasant to her friends and associates, and, but for her, the house might not be what it is today. Few houses or few homes amount to much without a good woman. I desire, Mrs. Hubble, to present to you this umbrella, inscribed: "Mrs. M, J. Hubble, from the guests of March 31, 1910."

Mrs. Hubble: It is no use to say I am surprised, for I did not feel that I was a representative at this dinner, except to welcome all these dear friends, and I enjoy them very much indeed. I will always remember this day as a pleasant day, though I, like my husband, have not prepared a speech for the occasion; but you will always be welcome, one and all, as long as I am hostess at this home. [Applause.]

Mr. Hubble : John Yount Fulbright has a good character in this county, and yet he is a deceiver. I don't know whether I ever Avill trust him again or not. I have been after him to talk here today. I want him to tell some stories of the old times. He said he would come to the office and see me, and he tramped all the way to the office and said he could not do it. I insisted that he should tell something, so he told me two or three stories up there and I tell him right now he has got to tell them. I let him off at first, he was so earnestly opposed, but he has to talk. He is an old fraud. He said : "I will talk a little after things have gone on a little while." I did not think the old boy was so deceptive.

Of Old Settlers 63

about "Old Red," which was the nickname of Mr. Lucius Rountree, for all the boys wore nicknames then, the one about following the Indians to take them out of the country, and the other about Henry and "Old Red" following the elk. Now that is something the children do not know about.

Mr. Fulbright : So far as the Indian story is concerned, the Governor. ordered Col. Yancy and others to go down on the North Fork and get the Indians out of the country. Now my grandfather was a very large man, and the Indians considered him a special friend. They would not do anything without him. So they went down and were camped on the river, the Indians on one side and the boys on the other, and they had a powwow, but the Indians would not go. So they made it up that at a certain time they would charge the Indians, not hurt them, of course; and they would have to charge across that river. Now the boys were not putting bullets in the guns, but were shooting to make a noise, but still the Indians would not come to time. So they made a charge, and Capt. Rountree said he never saw such a lot of water flying in the world as when those seventy-five men charged and struck the river. When the Indians saw that water splashing it brought them to time immediately, and that charge is what did it.

The other story came about this way: There used to be a man down in this country, that I heard tell that when he came here there were a great many buffalo here. I know as far as 1 knew the old settlers never saw any buffalo here, and we were talking about this. But there were a few elk, and on one occasion there were fifteen went through town and they followed them down into Arkansas, but never overtook them. They were seen, but the hunting party never overtook them. The elk were very poor and were probably the last elk in this country. I only got the elk story by asking these people about the buffalo and none of them, Rountree or my uncle, ever saw any buffalo in this county. They had been here, though, at an earlier time.

Mr. Fulbright: Yes, there were bears after the war. Bill Hickock was here at the time and I went along with him looking for the last bear I ever heard of.

Mr, Wilson: In 1884 I saw a bear down near Cedar Gap where they were building the railroad. I was loading ties and the bear crossed the track right in front of me. If I had had a gun I could have shot it.

Mr. Shockley : A lady who lived out near and adjoining the old Frazier place was milking a cow and a bear came up and wanted the milk and liked to have scared her to death. It had a chain on its neck. She ran over to the nearest neighbor, the Boyd's, and they came with guns and a pack of dogs. The bear broke for the pond near and got in the water, and just knocked the dogs winding as they came, so finally my father he shined his eyes - it was a very dark night, just could see his eyes - and shot several shots, but never touched the bear until finally he got its eye and finished it and they brought it to the house and next morning found it was Maj. Berry's pet bear, so they sent word if he would come he could help them eat it and have bear meat.

Mr. Hubble: I don't believe any country on the face of the earth ever was settled up by a better class of people than the men who settled Springfield and its vicinity. Now I say that, after my experience all over the world with the people I have met. I have seen the educated people - I have seen all classes of people, but I don't believe I ever saw any set of people actuated by what was just and fair to his neighbor more than were they. They meant to do that which was right and they did, and the other fellow expected them to do right and, just as Judge Fulbright said here a good while ago, if he did not do right he got a quiet little hint that the best thing to do was to move, and he moved, and it did not take more than a hint to move him because the right man gave the hint. And if a man abused his family he had to move, too.

Col. Murray : It brings to mind one thought. I believe all you have said about these good men before us and that it comes on down to these men here. They are the salt of the earth, and have been for fifty years of this county ; and no better men, perhaps, ever lived in any community so far as their morals are concerned and their honesty and integrity and all that goes to build up a country strong and good - that element must be among them. But did you ever stop to think? Suppose every man in this town was like those men were you are talking about ; if the County of Greene, State of Missouri, if you like, was all composed of men like these, we, the people, what would we amount to in this day and time of rapid financing, railroad building, gas companies, insurance companies, everything grasping by the millions of dollars ? Do you know that Judge Page, of the Criminal Court down here, would have to close its doors tomorrow morning? No criminals would have to be tried ; there would be no crime. The other Judge Page, the police judge who fines men for a dram too much, about $6.50 fine, and then puts them in jail ; and $1 goes to the city and some $5.50 in the pockets of others, and Mr. Loveless and his police would disband tomorrow morning. There would be nobody to arrest; no one breaking criminal laws. The judges of all the courts, and the clerks and the $350,000 to $400,- 000 Missouri pays annually for her criminal courts would all be banished, don't you see? Now I am not belittling our side of the question, you understand, but I am trying to show you how they run things nowadays ; that they are not looking for this kind of men to represent them in the council or the State. They are seeking men who are rapid runners and can transfer money from one account to another quickly.

Col. Murray: There would be no murders committed. But if it were so many people would say it was too slow. We must run over people with fast trains and tell the section men to pick up the fragments, but all means to get to the next town without stopping, and the faster the better; get out of the way. The question is: is this necessary now to make this a good country, better, stronger, more enterprising country? While we are not all teetotalers, yet one saloon an hour a day could sell all we would want. So that would all be done away with, and there would no longer be crime committed around dark alleys. To us trained along with this lot, we think our lines the best. But the other is the larger element now in the community, and we are the mere fragments of what the community once was when it all existed throughout the neighborhood composed of these men you talk about. They were in the large majority. You can tell by the stories that if one of the wrong sort hapened to get in, he was notified to move on. It was a glorious country.

At the same time, as I said, with all this rapid transit business from congressman to constable, the moral side of the question has been dropped out of existence almost, don't you see? After awhile everybody, I mean this older class of people we were talking about, will have passed away, except for now and then a boy who follows in his father's steps, and then these rapid runners will have taken charge of everything. I don't know where they are going to run it to - the other place, or not. Sometimes I think they will run against a snag and burst the thing up, but I hope I am mistaken as to that idea. But there is one thing that may happen, that has already happened continuously from the foundation or settlement of the country until now, one thing for which we are glad - that their sentiments and their views have permeated the young people to an extent that will make good citizens out of them, even though they may not be as entirely free from crime in this generation as the older ones were - that they will have some manhood, some ambition to be somebody morally as well as financially. Nowadays, I am sorry to say that the standard of a man's power and influence in a community depends somewhat upon the amount of dollars he can stack up, and so long as that idea controls and outweighs the moral side of the question, then we are in danger of a landslide to the wrong side.

Of Old Settlers 67

Father Lilly: I am very well pleased, indeed, to meet you all and be of your company. It has been a source of deep thought to me as to what I should say in regard to the subject we have before us. Many of you may think that language would be simple in regard to recording the early facts of pioneer life. Remember that truth is simplicity itself, and the more simple the manner the better in which you state those facts and views of your youthful days, of the burdens, trials and troubles of that life, the defeats and the victories of other days and the growing up of the families, and the few laws of those days, when you come to think of it in the gathering of these facts of your county and city to be laid up and placed aside for the historian. When he comes to delve into the real truth of the matter he has it to hand and we fathers can say to ourselves: we had a good hand in giving what was proper and right to the history of the county. Your work and your labor on your land here and there, now what was that in reality? It was preparing for the future. Those who have come after you have divided and subdivided ; they have inherited the riches you have accumulated in a certain way. They are now the citizens of the land. So when you look back to those times, it is with gratitude, kindness and love. You remember those gone before, the fair love of those around about you. Then your lifetime work is not yet over. You are now gathering together all these items, not for yourself but for the future generations that they may read and understand and then place your names all the higher and more noble in their own minds and say that as pioneers you did well your work and labor, bodily and mentally, to give them the real truths and facts of the early history of this county and of the city. I think, therefore, that as we have a member who is known so well as an insurance agent, that he can certainly insure the truth and the facts of these matters if he will go to work and gather them right in. As an insurance man, he ought to insure us each twelve months amply of all the facts gathered of this county and city and that, giving him this advantage, it will prompt him to be all the more energetic and all the more thorough in his work so that at each annual celebration he will bring in a large amount of the facts recalled of your early days. I thank you all very kindly for the privilege of being present among you. Not only do I feel highly honored by the invitation extended me, but, knowing that our days are few and our eternity before us, while in life, we should show that good will and friendship to one another so that, God speeding us homeward, we may be friends now and, I hope, friends in eternity.

I arrived in Springfield on the last day of March, 1856. It was a beautiful day, and the town was full of people from the country, large numbers of which were preparing to go to California, and each of them had on a red belt with a single-barrel pistol sticking into it, and a good many of them with knives in the belts. It was a nice warm day, and most of them having on woolen shirts had pulled off their coats, and I didn't understand what it meant. I got here from Columbia, Tennessee, where the men who carried pistols kept them hid, and I just supposed that there would be bloodshed here directly.

The highest point around the Square was at the southeast corner of the Square and South street in front of Sheppard & Kimbrough's store, so I went there to see what was going to happen. There was a circus in town that day. I stood around for some time, and I saw nothing of a bellicose nature, and so I asked a gentleman why there were so many people in town armed, and he explained to me that they were getting ready to go to California, a trip across the plains, and that they always went armed to protect themselves against the Indians, so I hunted up my kinsman, and he told me that my uncle, Jonathan Carthell, had, on the request of my grandfather back in Tennesssee, secured me a position to clerk in the store of Sheppard & Kimbrough. I went to the circus that day as the guest of Dr. Shackelford, and went to Uncle Jonathan Carthell 's that afternoon, and came back to town Monday morning, and went into Sheppard & Kimbrough's store as a clerk.

I can see the old Public Square exactly as it was the day I got here. The first house that I went in was at the corner of College street and the Public Square, in which was the drug store of Burden & Stephens, and also the postoffice. The next door to that south was the clothing store of John L. Holland ; next to that was McAdams' saddlery store; next was the store of Charles Sheppard and J. B. Kimbrough; then there was a little one-story house between that and the southwest corner of the Square, which set back a few feet from the Square; the next house was on the south side of the Square, and was ^he store of W^B Farmer; next to that on the corner of South street and the Public Sauare was a log house used as a saloon, and on the southeast corner of South street and the Public Square was the two-s ory store of Sheppard & Kimbrough, running back to Pickwick alley. The south part of the store, however, was only one story high; next east of that was a small house 16 by 20 used as a law ofdce ; next east of that was McElhany & Jaggard's store; next east ot that was C. B. Holland's store; next east of that on the corner was -Judge" Andrew's saloon, and fronting on the Square was a long one-story building occupied by W. H. and H. T. Hunt as a shoe shop; next to that north was Dr. Mitchell's drug store, and next north was a tailor shop occupied by a Frenchman by he name of Gounart; next on the corner of St. Louis street and the Square was the store of J. S. Moss & Co., the company being Mao^ D D Berry; across the street on the corner of the Square and St Louis street stood the Temperance Hall ; next to that was Jacob Painter's gun shop; next to that a livery stable. On the northeast corner of Boonville street and the Public Square was a hotel, fronting on the square. East was a small frame house unoccupied On the northwest corner of Boonville street and the Public Square was the State Bank; between that and the northwest corner of the Square there was a little frame house perhaps twenty feet square; next to the northwest corner of the Public Square and fronting on the Square was a two-story building owned by Allen Fielding; next to that on the corner where the Court House stands was a store occupied by McGmty & Co. These were all the buildings there were on the Public Square.

The brick houses were as follows: First, the Court House m the center of the Square; second, the Bank building, northwest corner of Boonville street and the Square; "Temperance Hall on the northeast corner of St. Louis street and the Square; the school house in the grove near what is now Washington avenue and Water street; the residence of Gen. Holland on Jefferson street and one room on the Hayden place on Olive street, and that moves me to say right here that Olive street was named for Col. i\Iordica Oliver, who had been a member of Congress from North jMissouri, and bought a residence on that street. He was a fine lawyer and a great orator, and was Secretary of State by appointment of Governor Gamble after the Civil War had begun.

I had come from a cit}^ of three thousand people with four large schools, one male and three female, situated in one of the richest counties on the face of the earth, and I had been a clerk in a store there, and I was utterly surprised at the amount of goods sold in this little town. Our trade came from one hundred miles all around, and the merchants bought v^ool, cotton, bacon, cedar posts, plank and shingles, two and three-foot boards, feathers, ginseng and many other things that I had never seen bought by merchants. I think that more than half of the people paid cash for everything they bought ; the other half settled up once a year, and what was more they paid. There were four of us in the Sheppard & Kimbrough store, and we were all active, and all good salesmen, and we would keep busy from ten to fifteen hours a day because we didn't try to keep the goods in shipshape during business hours, but always had them fixed up before we went to bed.

In 1867, I think, the United States bought from Russia the Territory of Alaska. Of course, everybody knows now that it was a splendid purchase so far as dollars and cents are concerned, but there were very few who knew why it was purchased, and all the balance of us "howled" about "Seward buying an iceberg." I was in the office of Governor John S. Phelps shortly after people knew about it. He had been a member of Congress from this district for eighteen years, and he stood high with the big men who were governing the country, and I said something about how foolish it was in Mr. Seward to buy the iceberg, and he looked over his spectacles and said : "If you knew wdiy you Avould not say that. I will tell you why, but it must not be talked about now." So I never told the reason of the purchase until after I saw it published some two or three years ago, and one of these days it will become part of the history of the United States.

It seems that Louis Napoleon and Earl Salsbury, backed by Mr. Gladstone, were determined to recognize the Southern Confederacy as a belligerent nation. Their reason for it was that that would be enabled to obtain cotton from the South, and their need of cotton had stopped the running of many mills in England, and created great hardship among the laboring people. Louis Napoleon's reason for it, as was afterwards asserted, was that he wanted to conquer Mexico. Charles Frances Adams was at that time our minister to England, and he warned Mr. Seward and Mr. Lincoln of the danger, and before England and France could act, the entire fleet of the Russian navy showed up in the harbor of New York one morning. It will be remembered that there was no cable then, and no wireless telegraph, and consequently news could go no faster than a ship took it, so the first news that England and France had of the concentration of the Russian fleet in the New York harbor was either just before it got there or when it did get there. The wise men understood that there must be some agreement between the United State and Russia, or else that fleet would not have been there, and the assembling of that fleet destroyed the last hope the Confederacy had of recognition by foreign nations. Of course, it cost a lot of money to take that fleet to New York and back, and neither nation could afford to have the Chancelries of Europe know that there was a secret agreement between the Government of the United States and Russia, so after the war was over in hunting for some way to pay Russia, somebody suggested that Russia sell the United States Alaska. Russia had no use for Alaska, neither did the United States, so the United States paid Rusia seven millions of dollars for Alaska, and that wiped out the expense of the fleet, although that was never mentioned in the transaction.

One of the queerest criminal trials that I have ever known of occurred in this county. I tell the story as it was told to me by Judge Littleberry Hendricks, who was the greatest lawyer in Southwest Missouri up to the beginning of the war.

A man living down on Sac River was shot while sitting on his porch by some man who stood behind a tree. His wife had gone to the spring for a bucket of water, and she was coming back when the shot was fired that killed her husband. She saw a bob-tailed brindle dog running away from the house. Now that dog was owned by an early settler who lived in the bottom of Sac just below where the man lived who was assassinated, and he was a true frontiersman, who had four or five acres, on which he raised corn, and lie spent the balance of his time hunting, trapping and fishing. He was a quiet, peaceable man without an enemy so far as anybody knew, but during the investigation of the killing the patching around the bullet that killed the victim was found, and when they went to the house of of this old trapper and hunter, and looked into his shot-pouch they found the piece of cloth out of which the patching had been cut ; it fitted the hole in the cloth, and was the same kind of material, and the brindle dog was known to belong to him. They went back to where the assassin had stood, and found the tracks of a man who wore moccasins, and they followed that track to the house.

Upon this evidence he was suspicioned, and as he had been out fishing that day by himself it was impossible for him to prove an alibi, and the patching and the dog and the moccasin tracks (he being the only man in the neighborhood who wore moccasins) seemed to be conclusive proof that he was guilty of the crime. He was arrested, brought to town and put in jail ; was top poor to employ a lawyer, but Judge Hendricks' sympathy was aroused for the man, and he went to see him, and became his attorney. The man could not understand how the patching, the moccasin tracks or the dog came to be there.

In due time the trial began, and the proof made by the State was as above stated, and Judge Hendricks had no evidence to offer in favor of his client except his previous good character, and the jury was out but a little while until it returned a verdict of guilty, fixing the penalty at hanging.

The next morning the Clerk read the proceedings, and the Judge signed the record. Judge Hendricks had read the record before it was signed, and after it was signed he filed a motion to have his client discharged because the records did not show that the defendant was present at the trial, and of course, everyone knows that you cannot legally try a man for his life unless he is present; neither could he be put in jeopardy of his life the second time.

Hendricks filed a motion for the Judge to dismiss his client, and let him "go hence Vv'ithout day." He quietly handed the motion to the presiding Judge, who read it with consternation, and asked the Clerk to show him the records, which he did. Of course, Hendricks was in the right, and a hasty consultation of the lawyers and Judge was held. It was agreed that the motion should lay over and not be read, and that night the jailer would quietly turn the man loose, which was done, and Judge Hendricks never heard of him any more.

Now for the sequel. At that time when a man settled on a piece of land no one attempted to enter it. He might live on it four or five years because he was not able to enter it, but no one attempted to enter another man's claim. The fall after these proceedings a man thought to be one of the best citizens in the country took a drove of mules down to Louisiana. While there he took desperately sick, and sent for his brother, and he told him that he thought he was going to die, and that he wanted to clear the name of this man v/ho had been found guilty of the assassination, and that he had committed the crime himself because this man had entered his claim, and that the way he did it was, he went to this oid trapper's house and found that he was gone; pulled off his shoes, and put on the trapper's moccasins, took his gun and shot pouch, and went there and got behind the tree and killed him, and that he didn't regret it; that the dog followed him because he had the gun and shot pouch; that he went back to the old trapper's house, pulled off his moccasins, put on his shoes, hung the gun on the rack, and the shot pouch on the luick horn, and went home.

N. B. - The defendant had been tried at a former session of the court. Abraham Woody "hung the jury. " I asked him why, and he said the evidence was all circumstantial against the defendant and, judging from the habits of defendant, circumstances favored the theory that he did not commit the crime.

Told At The Dinner Of March 31, 1911

I think it well at this meeting that we should talk some about the old timers that we knew who lived in the county in its bygone days. The very finest citizens that ever settled in any country in the world were these, and though they have all gone

John Woods, Avith his two sons, James and John, and his two daughters, Mrs. Williams and Miss Martha, came to this country in 1862 or 1853 from Lawrence County, Tennessee, and settled northwest of town about five miles. John Woods, Sr., was one of the finest mechanics that ever lived in this country. He had formerly owned a large cotton mill in his old home in Tennessee, and when he came here he bought a fine piece of land which made a fine farm. There were no better citizens than he and his sons and daughters.

William Boxley was from Kentucky and lived in the same neighborhood. He was a jolly, good-natured old gentleman, kind hearted and generous, and one of the best of neighbors.

Uncle Jaky Bodenhammer lived about six miles east of town, and he used to say that a chimney fell down on his children and killed them all but nineteen. He was of German descent and I think came here from North Carolina. He and his children were all fine citizens.

I didn't know Mr. Kersehner, the father of Capt. AVilliam and Lieut. Thomas Kersehner, but I knew both of them, and I always heard that the senior Kersehner was one of our best citizens. They lived six miles southeast of town.

Maj. Roswell K. Hart came here, I think, in 1852 ; was an enterprising, clear-headed business man; owned a fine farm, and was major in the Federal army during the Civil AVar, and under orders from Gen. Holland burned a good many houses in the south part of the city the 8th day of January, 1863, at the time Marmaduke attacked the city.

William B. Farmer lived a little west and south of where the pencil factory now is. He was a merchant and a farmer and a fine business man, and although a slaveholder voted for Mr, Lincoln and was made Receiver of the Land Office. He was also Judge of the County Court for years, and made a splendid record.

Dr. Gabriel P. Shackleford owned a farm, the west line of which is the Boulevard, and St. Louis treet runs now near his residence. He was a Kentuckian, kind hearted and generous, and a merchant as well as a farmer.

Of Old Settlers 75

Uncle Presley Beal was our cabinet maker. He made our bureaus, chairs, tables and other household furniture. His shop was at the northwest corner of College street and Patton alley. He was a Tennesseean and one of the kindliest old gentlemen I ever knew.

There were four Danforth brothers, who settled six miles east of town, at what is still known as the Danforth Spring. They were Finley James R., John W, and Erskine. Finley was the most enterprising and energetic of the family, and he gave Col. Campbell and Maj. Berry a "run for their money" in the location of Springfield. He wanted it at the Danforth Spring. He died before I came here, but I knew James R., who was for years cashier of the branch of the State Bank located at Springfield, and a devoted member of the Methodist Church, a jolly^ fine looking old gentleman, whose kindly manner and open countenance won the friendship of everybody at the first meeting. John W. Danforth, in early days, was considered the best dressed man in Greene County. When I knew him he had retired from business and owned a fine farm northeast of the city, and he rode into town in his broadcloth clothes and silver spurs and tall hat, clean shaven, and was elegance personified. He was in the wholesale business at Forsyth during the days of the Ben Lee steamboat, and made a handsome fortune there, upon which he retired. Erskine Danforth was a farmer; lived east of town, and I think one of the best men I ever knew ; quiet, kind hearted and loved by everyone who knew him.

John Lair owned a farm, the northwest corner of which was the southeast corner of Jefferson and Walnut streets. I think the 160 acres that he owned was entered by Judge James Dollison. Lair had a blacksmith shop at the northwest corner of Jefferson and Walnut streets, where he had, as I recollect it, six forges. He rigged up stocks and belts so that he could shoe the forefeet of 100 mules in one day. He was uneducated but not ignorant by a long shot, and a kind hearted, pushing, money-making man. There was never any enterprise for the benefit of Springfield that John Lair did not do his share.

Littleberry Hendricks I have always regarded as the greatest lawyer I have known intimately, unless it was Willard P. Hall. He was a bricklayer and didn't study law until he was about forty years old. He had three sons, one of them a doctor and one was Judge of the Circuit Court of the Lawrence County district for many years. The other one never had good health. He told me that he had never been reversed by the Supreme Court in but on case. He was the foremost lawyer in this circuit, a quiet, kindly old man, with morals unassailable. He was Judge of our Circuit Court.

William McAdams was an Irishman, born in Cork, but came to the United States when a child, and came here from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and opened a saddlery and harness shop. He was a fine business man, kind hearted and always ready to help the town.

Bryant Nowlin lived southeast of town and was a fine citizen, and the first time I ever saw him he told me I could pinch him if I wanted to, and 1 didn't know at the time, but I learned afterwards that his flesh was so hard it could not be pinched, and as I was a stranger he thought he would have some fun out of me. He was a fine citizen and lived to a ripe old age.

Capt. John S. Bigbee came here from Tennessee and settled two and a half miles northeast of town. He was a fine citizen; kept a hotel when I came here, and was our public auctioneer for many years.

Gen. Colly B. Holland came here from Tennessee in 18-11; was always a prominent citizen, and always foremost in all things for the good of the town. He rose to the rank of brigadier general in the Federal army, and when Gen. Brown was wounded on the 8th day of January, 1863, when Marmaduke attacked Springfield, Gen. Holland took command and drove Marmaduke away. Capt. John L. Plolland, his brother, came here with him, and is now living at the age of ninety-two or three on Walnut street, and is the only one of the first generation of the men who made Springfield now living.

Robert J. McElhany came here from Tennessee ; was successful as a merchant and banker, foremost in everything to build up the town, and had many friends and no enemies that I know of.

Hon. John W. Hancock lived five miles east of town. He was prominent in politics; was a large farmer, and with his brother-in-law, J. T. Morton, came here in an early day from

Heretofore we have spoken of Solomon H. Owen. Capt. Charles Baker Owen, one of his sons, lived on the James southwest of the city. He was a stalwart Democrat and was a captain in the Twenty-fourth Missouri Volunteers during the Civil War. He made many races for the Democratic party, and there was never any doubt about his Democracy seven days m the weer., and he thoroughly believed with Jackson that "to the victor belonged the spoils." He left a large family and they are all doing

Thomas B. Neaves, once sheriff of this county and member of the Legislature, lived southeast of the city-and that makes me think of a good story of how Christian County was named, it was told me years ago by one who knew. If you will notice the map of Christian County you will observe it has a queer shape and its northern boundary is within six miles of Springfield, and its northeast township was absolutely necessary m order to get the territory to form the county. Mr. Neaves lived m that township, and it was impossible to get the people of that township to agree to being cut off from Greene County without they could get the influence of Mr. Neaves. James Gideon, an uncle of Judge James Gideon of today, and a Dr. Davis were the men who were engineering the formation of the county, and finally m desperation they went to Mrs. Neaves, knowing that whatever Mrs Neaves wanted her husband to do he was pretty apt to do, and used every argument they could think of to get her to use her influence with Col. Neaves to get him to favor the formation of the new county, but she said she never interfered with the colonel's political affairs and she didn't want to do it. But they stuck to it and she finally said that there was but one thing that would induce her to speak to her husband about the matter, and that was if they would name the new county "Christian,' after the county that they were born, raised and married in in Kentucky, she might say something to him about it. They told her that they were just bound to call it Christian; that they were just "honing" to call it Christian, and that if Col. Neaves would agree to it and help them to get the necessary territory that they would call it Christian. Mrs. Neaves spoke to the colonel and he agreed to it and the county was formed and named Christian. I publish it so that the people in Christian County may know how their county got its name, for there is no doubt but this is the fact.

Hon. William H. McFarland lived east of town on a farm ; was a very energetic man, and took a prominent part in politics. He represented this county in the Legislature and died regretted by all who knew him,

Hon. Frank T. Frazier was Representative and Senator from this county and lived near Ash Grove. He was an energetic, busy citizen and loved to dabble in politics about as well as any man I ever knew; was a good neighbor, and there never was any back taxes against him.

The youngest son of Daniel Boone, Nathan, once lived near Ash Grove, in this county. It is needless to speak of his character. He had belonged to the regular army and left many descendants who are good citizens to this day.

Dr. Monroe M. Parrish came here in an early day from Kentucky. He was one of the finest surveyors we ever had in this country, as well as a fine physician. His widow still lives in the city.

There were three of the Sims, all good citizens - Leonard H., Zachariah and Briggs. Leonard H. and John S. Phelps were both members of Congress at the same time from this county. I don't explain why we had two members from Greene County in order to make the curious hunt up the reason.

We had two prominent citizens by the name of Hackney. One of them named Wilson Hackney lived at the northwest corner of Walnut and South streets. He was a Kentuckian and a hatter by trade, and when I came here more than half the people were wearing his hats. A few days after I got here I witnessed a curious scene in Sheppard & Kimbrough's store. Old Uncle Billy Gray was a great big six-footer, living southwest of the city, and came into Sheppard & Kimbrough's store, took a seat and was talking to Mr. Sheppard when Mr. Hackney came in. Uncle Billy said to Mr. Hackney, "I want you to make me a new hat," and he took off the one he had on his head and says, "I am tired of this one." Mr. Hackney said, "Uncle Billy, I can't make you any better hat than that," and Uncle Billy replied, "I don't suppose you can, but I have had this hat twelve years and I am tired of it and I want a new one," and I have no doubt in the world but that it was true. Old Uncle Hugh Hackney lived out on the Sac and had a mill, and the meal and flour that came from Hackney's mill sold like dollars, for there wasn't any doubt about its purity. During the war he was accused of being a rebel, but he always declared stoutly that he was not, but there was a man by the name of Jim Ryan that always testified against him and he was disfranchised every election until, I think, in 1866. At that time Capt. Charles B. Owen and I were candidates on the Democratic ticket and we went with the registering offtcers. In going from Cave Spring to Ebenezer we had to ride after night, and we got down on Sac and Capt. Owen told me to ride slowly and he would overtake me. When he came up he didn't volunteer to tell me why he had turned off the road and I didn't ask him, but Mr. Ryan never appeared against Mr. Hackney, and Uncle Hugh came and registered and was left on the roll as a voter, and I kept studying about it, and the first time I saw Ryan in town I asked him why he didn't appear against Uncle Hugh, and he said: ''Because Bake Owen came to my house the night before the registration and told me that if I appeared against Uncle Hugh at the registration that he would beat me until I would have to be hauled home in a wagon every time he found me in town, and don't you know he would a done it?"

Joseph Evens lived north of town on the Boonville road, owned a fine farm and was one of the best citizens we ever had. He had three sons - John, Alexander and Mac. Alexander and Mac are living. Mrs. E. E. McDonald, the widow of W. J. Mc- Daniel, was one of his daughters, and Dr. Cox married one of his daughters. The McDaniels are grandsons of Uncle Evans.

Capt. Thomas B. Reed lived near Ebenezer. He owned a fin farm and had a peculiarity I have never seen in anyone else "When excited perspiration would break out on one side of hi face and not on the other. He was a captain in the Twentj fourth Missouri Volunteers, Federal army, sheriff of the count; two terms, and the father of Judge Reed of the present Count; Court, and also of George Reed, one of our very best citizens o the present day.

And now, in closing this series of talks by you gentlemer and my own reminiscences, I have tried to keep out of the limt light as much as it was possible and do the subject justice. I wi] close by telling how near Springfield came to having a candidat for Vice-President. The coming campaign makes it appropriat for me to tell the story.

In 1864 the delegates from this Congressional district to th Chicago Democratic convention were Hon. John S. Phelps an^ Judge Sample Orr, and I one of the alternates. "When we arrive^ in Chicago we found the Southern States in that convention wer at loggerheads, and Missouri having a solid delegation, the mar agers of the convention called the Missouri delegation togethei and said as we had a harmonious delegation from Missouri, an as it was the custom of the Democratic party to take the candi date for President from the North and the candidate for Vict President from the South, or vice versa, that if we would agre upon a candidate for Vice-President that the convention wouL nominate him, as it was well known that Gen. McClellan wouL be the nominee for President. Governor Phelps came to me an told me he would be a candidate before the Missouri delegatio for Vice-President, and of course could not act as one of the dele gates, and for me as his alternate to take his place, which I did.

After the delegation got together there were eulogist! speeches made in favor of Governor Phelps as the nominee, as h had been a member of Congress from Missouri for eighteen j'-earj and I took it for granted he would be nominated without ques tion, as no one said anything against his nomination. But to m; surprise when we voted there were only four votes for him wit' four against him, and Missouri then had only nine delegates i: the convention and Col. David H. Armstrong hadn't voted, so felt sure that Phelps would be nominated because he had mad

Of Old Settlers 81

Armstrong postmaster in St. Louis, but to my utter surprise CoL Armstrong stuck his thumbs in the armhoies of his vest and swore that "no man who ever wore the shoulder straps of a Federal colonel should ever be nominated for Vice-President by his vote," and he voted for Pendleton and the delegation reported Pendleton as its choice, and he was accordingly nominated for Vice-President.

Greene County once had two members of Congress at the same time ; it furnished two Secretaries of State ; one Register of Land, and two men who have been Governors of the State and formerly lived in Springfield; also one minister to a foreign land.

I want to return to you, gentleman, my sincere thanks for the pleasure your company has given me at our annual dinners, and the aid you have given me in writing this short history of our good old town. Some time or other it will be valuable to our descendants because they will turn to its pages and find that their ancestors "made good" in the building up of the city and county.

The Race For Governor Of Missouri In 1860

Early in the year the Democratic party met and nominated as their candidate for Governor Claiborn F. Jackson, of Saline County. He had been prominent for years in Missouri politics, and while a member of the Legislature from Saline County had introduced and passed the famous Jackson resolution censuring Senator Thomas H. Benton for his political course in the United States Senate, from which the Senator took his famous appeal to the people.

Jackson was a fine canvasser, and a character above reproach, but all the people who were opposed to the idea of secession recognized that it would be dangerous to elect him Governor of the State of Missouri, because they were certain that he would favor secession, and with his thorough knowledge of Missouri politics he would wield a great influence against the preservation of the Union. Those who were opposed to secession named Hon. Robert Wilson, who was a fine canvasser and a notable stump speaker. Jackson published his list of appointments for a Statewide canvass. Wilson, after a short period, withdrew from the canvass, deeming it utterly hopeless to try to defeat Jackson. Jackson pursued the even tenor of his way without an opponent until he got to Springfield. At that time I was a merchant, and Judge Sample Orr lived four miles west of the city. He was Judge of our Probate Court, and while he owned a good farm it was about all that he had. He was a customer of mine, and the morning of the day that Jackson was to speak in Springfield he came into the store and called me into the back room and told me that he was going to run for Governor. I don't think that I ever got a greater surprise in my life. For while we who lived in Southwest Missouri knew him as one of the most effective stump speakers in the world, we had no idea that he would think of running for Governor of the State. I was a young man, and did not feel competent to advise him how foolish it was for him to make the race for Governor. I knew that he had but little money, and I knew that his acquaintance throughout the State was very limited, so as soon as I got a chance I went out and hunted up some of the influential men of the county, including Col. Marcus Boyd, Joseph Moss, Kindred Rose, Dr. T. J. Bailey and L. A. D. Crenshaw. These men were undoubtedly Union men, although they were slaveholders, and I told them what Orr \ad told me, and that they had better come over to the store and talk to him and persuade him out of his quixotic purpose. They all went to the store and I went out and found Judge Orr, and told him that these gentlemen were in my back room and wanted to see him. When we were all in the room I told them what Judge Orr had said, and the gentlemen one after the other endeavored to dissuade him because he would lose his time and his money and would be beaten very badly. He replied that the people of the State of Missouri were opposed to secession, and that that was the question uppermost in the minds of all; that everybody was trying to smother it, but that everybody knew that that was the question now before the people, and, therefore, if the people of the State of Missouri knew they had a chance to vote for a man who would oppose secession in any form, and under all circumstances they would elect him, and that he had no more doubt of his election as Governor of Missouri than he had of his present existence. That was the point of the speech that he made to that audience. I can't remember all that he said, but I do remember at the close of his speech that I felt that he would be elected Governor.

Col. Boyd had been a member of the Legislature with Claiborn F. Jackson and knew him well, and Judge Orr asked him to introduce him to Jackson so that he might ask for a division of time, and Col. Boyd and he started to the hotel at the corner of Boonville street and the Square, leaving the audience in my counting room. It was some time before anything was said. Mr. Crenshaw said: "Have you seen Jackson?" Nobody in the audience had seen him that morning. Mr. Crenshaw said: "Well, he is dressed elegantly, and he has a fine equipment for traveling, and I cannot stand it for Springfield to send out a candidate less equally equipped, so I propose to furnish him the finest span of mules in this country, and my double-seated buggy and Tom (who was a negro man that he owned) to drive it, and it shall not cost him a cent." Dr. Bailey then spoke up and said he has got to have some money and some clothes, and I said, "I will furnish the clothes," and Dr. Bailey, Uncle Joe Moss, Uncle Kin Rose, Elijah Gray and the others chipped in $300.00, and I was to give him the clothes and the money when he came back from his introduction to Governor Jackson.

By and by Judge Orr came back, and I laid out a good suit of clothes for him and handed him the money, and told him Mr. Crenshaw had sent for his mules and buggy, and that we didn't want him to travel in less style than Governor Jackson; that he must remember that he represented the great County of Greene and the city of Springfield. He stood there with the money in his hands for a little bit, and he handed it back, and threw the clothes that I had laid out for him on another table, and he said: "The people will elect me. You give this money back to the men who gave it to you, and you keep your clothes. I have a good horse, and I am going to ride him during this canvass, and I will be elected Governor of the State of Missouri when I get back." Orr was about five feet nine inches high, sandy complexion, red hair that stood straight up. In fact he looked like a smaller production of Andrew Jackson.

Col. Boyd was one of the greatest practical jokers in the world, and of this fact Jackson was well aware. Boyd said that when he introduced Orr to Jackson, and told him that he was going to run for Governor, and wanted fifteen minutes of time to announce himself at the speaking that day that Jackson treated him very courteously, but after Orr went out he said to Boyd, "Boyd, will you never get done with your practical jokes?" never dreaming that Orr was to be a candidate. Boyd said he told him that before the canvass was over Orr would drive him off of the stump, and he said, "Claib, you will think this is the greatest practical joke that I ever played."

Orr had on a 25-cent straw hat, a blue and white marseilles coat and vest, tow linen trousers, woolen socks and a pair of heavy shoes. He had extra clothing in his saddle bags. I didn't see them, but suppose they were the same kind, just enough for a change.