The first old settlers' meeting ever held in the county, was called at
the court-house in the afternoon on Monday, September--. 1883. The circuit
court room was used, and quite a respectable number of old citizens gathered
in, nearly every section of the county being represented. The meeting
was called to order, and J. B. Harris was elected president, and J. I.
Nichols secretary.
A motion was made that a residence of fifty years in Callaway or an adjoining
county be necessary to membership. Amendments were made, making the time
forty and thirty years, but after some discussion it was decided that
the organized body of old settlers be men who have resided in Callaway
or an adjoining county for forty years.
A motion was made and carried that the secretary
enroll the names of members, with age, nativity and time of settlement
in the county. The following were immediately enrolled:--
D. L. Whaley, aged 74, nativity, Virginia, settled April, 1835;
Thos. Davis, 74, Kentucky, October, 1819;
Sam. Blount, 78, Maryland, May, 1830;
Ed. G. Berry, 76, Kentucky, August, 1823;
Nathan Truitt, 63, Kentucky, September, 1828;
J. P. Sallee, 63, Kentucky, October, 1829;
W. N. Pledge, 73, Virginia, October, 1831;
T. B. Harris, 68, Kentucky, November, 1816;
T. B. Nesbit, 61, Kentucky, September, 1824;
Frank Doyle, 55, Missouri, native;
Thos. J. Doyle, 58, Missouri, native;
S. W. Phillips, Missouri, native;
A. McPheeters, 53, Kentucky, 1834;
I. W. Boulware, 54, Missouri, native;
J. F. Coons, 60, Kentucky, 1834;
W. A. B. Craghead, 68, Virginia, 1829;
J. T. Bryan, 83, Kentucky, 1830;
W. A. Robinson, 54, Missouri, native;
T. W. Fisher, 51, Missouri, native;
S. B. Collier, 54, Missouri, native;
M. W. Robinson, 46, Missouri, native;
C. A. Bailey, 68, Kentucky, 1828;
J. I. Nichols, 48, Missouri, native;
Thos. J. Ferguson, 74, Kentucky, 1817;
Daniel Nolley, 87, Kentucky, 1829;
W. W. Robertson, 76, Kentucky, 1841;
Isaac Tate, 76, Kentucky, 1829;
D. R. Lawrence, 61, Kentucky, 1831;
Daniel Vanbibber, 66, Missouri, 1817;
Thos. Glendy, 77, Virginia, 1829;
I. H. Dunham, 53, Missouri, native;
T. B. Dyer, 69, Virginia, 1823;
W. H. Davis, 48, Missouri, native;
Wm. Harrison, 58, Missouri, native;
Samuel Grant, 59, Missouri, native;
B. P. Jones, 66, Kentucky, 1825;
I. O. Craghead, 57, Virginia, 1821;
U. T. Miller, 57, Missouri, native;
G. W. Smith, 50, Missouri, native;
J. S. Henderson, 73, Virginia, 1823;
H. C. Cheatham, 75, Kentucky, 1831;
G. T. Kemp, 62, Virginia, 1831;
M. Gibson, 60, Missouri, native;
S. A. Trimble, 53, Missouri, native;
J. T. Henderson, 67, Kentucky, 1834;
J. B. Harris, 63, Missouri, native.
T. B. Harris, I. W. Boulware and C. A. Bailey were appointed a committee
to secure speakers, to address the next meeting.
Motion made and carried to adjourn until Saturday, November 10, 1883.
J. B. HARRIS, Chairman.
J. I. NICHOLS, Secretary.
We take the following from the Gazette:--
The second old settlers’ meeting convened in the court-house Saturday
afternoon, November 10, 1883. J. B. Harris called the meeting to order
by a few appropriate remarks, and the following new members were enrolled:--
Gibbs H. Berrey, age 82, nativity Virginia, settled 1837;
Jerry Muir, 53, Missouri, native;
John J. Wells, --, Virginia, 1832;
R. T. Nichols, 50, Missouri, native;
W. W. Bartley, 53, Missouri, native;
W. R. McIntyre, --, Kentucky, 1838;
W. L. Martin, 48, Missouri, native;
J. C. Reynolds, 49, Missouri, native;
Justinian Cave, 55, Missouri, native;
Press. Wilkerson, --, Kentucky, 1834;
Monroe Sampson, --, Kentucky, 1837;
J. W. Pratt, 43, Missouri, native;
W. H. McKamey, --, Kentucky, 1829;
John Carrington, 66, Kentucky, 1826;
W. J. Jackson, 65, Kentucky, 1831;
H. T. Hunter, 74, Virginia, 1834;
T. G. Pledge, 65, Virginia, 1831;
P. D. Brooks, 71, Virginia, 1834;
S. C. Bagby, 75, Virginia, 1836;
J. T. Atkinson, 57, Missouri, native;
E. B. Corley, 64, Virginia, 1831;
D. H. McIntyre, 50, Missouri, native;
LeGrand Ratekin, 60, Kentucky, 1823;
C. G. Anderson, 66, Kentucky, 1829;
R. P. Craghead, 55, Missouri, 1828;
W. N. Moore, 51, Missouri, native;
C. Glover, 54, Kentucky, 1832;
Edward Dobyns, 82, Kentucky, 1825.
Motion was made and carried that Attorney-General McIntyre, who had
been invited by the committee to address the meeting, be heard. The general
took the stand and highly entertained the audience by a happy recital
of many incidents in the early settlement of the county and State, as
well as an eloquent description of the noble traits of character possessed
by many of the pioneers, the hardships and trials they passed through,
etc. Few men are better posted in the early history of the kingdom and
State than he.
Thomas J. Ferguson, of Cote Sans Dessein, and John S. Henderson, Sr.,
of McCredie, who could not be present, sent in letters which were read
to the meeting and are reported with the proceedings.
G. G. Bartley, C. A. Bailey and J. I. Nichols were appointed a committee
to fix time, obtain speakers and make all necessary arrangements for the
next meeting.
LETTER FROM T.
J. FERGUSON.
To the Old Settler’s Meeting:--
The undersigned not being in a situation to attend your meeting on the
10th inst., submits a few items that may be of some little interest to
the people now living.
The old village of Cote Sans Dessein (pronounced by the old French Cote
Sans Dusaw) was settled by the French about the year 1812. I first saw
it in September, 1817. I remember there were then bearing apple and peach
trees in several gardens. The village at that time contained 300 or 400
inhabitants. There were two small dry goods stores, one grocery or dram
shop, one tavern and one blacksmith shop. This point was selected by Baptiste
Roy and his brothers as a very suitable place for trapping and hunting.
The Osage river valley was only three miles above and was at that time
an excellent place for beaver, deer and bear. In the year 1808 Baptiste
Roy purchased of Pierre Chouteau 610 arpents of land, on which he settled
a number of persons, the most of whom were hunters and trappers and in
his employ. The names of the principal persons there in 1817 were Baptiste,
Joe, Louis and Francis Roy, four brothers; James Teabo, Revards, Vinciens,
Donoya (called Pecars), Graziers, (called Captain) four; Feye, Laplant,
(or Labran), Urnoe, Tyro (or Tyo), Peachu, Shalifaux, Rails and others.
The only Americans there then were Daniel, Bob and Harvey Colgan, Major
Evans, grandfather of the late William, Jesse and John King, Mr. Harvey
Hubbard, also grandfather of the late John, Jesse E. and Joseph Farmer,
William Dunnica, Asa Williams, the father of Henry, Asa L., W. G. Williams,
now living; also Mrs. E. Foy and Sallie Jennings, Jonathan Hollaway, grandfather
of J. L. and N. B. Ferguson; also Mrs. C. W. Samuels and Sallie Miller,
in the fall of 1817; Joshua, John S. and William Ferguson, Dennis Askrew,
Thomas Duley, William B. Scott, father of Mrs. Colonel John Boyce, and
also of Mrs. William M. Ramsey, now living; General Jonathan Ramsey, a
member of the first convention that formed the first constitution of Missouri;
Josiah Ramsey, the great hunter; Lampkins, Rounsaville, Joe and James
Gordon, William Lenox and three sons and probably others.
My father, John S. Ferguson, being a millwright by trade, built the first
horse mill in the county, early in the spring of 1818, which did the grinding
for a distance of twenty miles up and down the river, the materials for
which he brought with him from Kentucky on a small bateau (or keel boat).
The most of our meat we had the first year was obtained from the woods.
Deer, turkeys (and occasionally a bear) were plenty and good. Cattle and
horses wintered on rushes and wild pea vines.
The first school taught in our neighborhood was in the winter of 1818-19,
by Joseph James, four miles above Cote Sans Dessein. In the fall of 1818
John Scrips, a Methodist preacher, made his first visit to the county
and preached the first night at William Nash’s, and the next night
at my father’s, John S. Ferguson, and continued to preach at my
father’s house one year. For more than twenty years afterwards my
father’s house was the preaching place for the neighborhood. My
mother, Mary Ferguson, Hannah Ramsey, Josiah Ramsey, and old Tom Nash
(colored) constituted the first Methodist class formed in this neighborhood,
probably in the county. Old Josiah Ramsey was appointed class leader,
and, being a pious old man, held a prayer meeting every Sabbath at some
place in the neighborhood.
The Methodist preacher of that day had to encounter many hardships, and
often suffered with cold and hunger in traveling through the wilderness
from one appointment to another, some twenty miles or more apart. They
were compelled to be dependent on the few members of the church for clothing,
etc., but they were more than welcome by the hardy pioneer, and were furnished
with everything necessary for their comfort as far as could be.
While John Scrips was on this circuit, which embraced a part of Boone
county, he became in want of a hat. A Mr. Hatton, of Boone county, a hatter
by trade, told him if he would bring him some coon-skins he would make
him a hat, which he (Scrips) at once promised to do. In his rounds on
the circuit he would make known to the people of each preaching place
the offer of Mr. Hatton. The colored people were only too glad to give
him one, two or three coon-skins at each place, which he rolled up and
tied to the hind part of his saddle, and on to his next appointment. So
that by the time he got back to Hatton’s he had skins enough to
make his hat. On his next round to Hatton’s his hat was ready for
him (a low crown, broad brim hat). I suppose a Methodist or any other
preacher that would carry a bundle of coon-skins on his horse behind him
at this day would be laughed at, even by the colored people.
There are but few persons now living that I knew in 1818. I give their
names as follows: Nancy Nash, now Holman, aged seventy-six; Nancy Askroens,
now Mrs. Gordon, aged about seventy; Josiah R. Lampkin, Cole county, nearly
seventy-four; Mary Scott, now Mrs. Boyd, suppose seventy-two; Elizabeth
Dunnica, formerly Ferguson, seventy-six; old Jim Ramsey (colored), eighty-two;
Thomas J. Ferguson, nearly seventy-four. These are the only names of persons
now living that I can remember that were here in this vicinity at that
time.
Very respectfully,
T. J. FERGUSON.
LETTER FROM
JNO. S. HENDERSON, SR.
Messrs T. B. Harris, C. A. Bailey and I. W. Boulware.
GENTLEMEN: I received your complimentary invitation to be present and
participate in a meeting of the old settlers on the 10th instant. Regretting
that I cannot attend on the day designated I will, however, gave [sic]
a short sketch of my recollections of early times in Callaway. It will
not be necessary to give a detailed account of the early settlement of
Callaway county or Fulton, as they have been incorporated in the recent
histories of Whetmore, Campbell and Rose. I will, therefore, mention such
minor incidents as have been overlooked or not thought worthy of notice.
A generation of frontier lives have [sic] accumulated stores of narrative
which, like the small but beautiful tributaries of great rivers, are forgotten
in the broad sweep of the large current of history. It will be well enough
for us to preserve the most important events and incidents for future
reference.
As I came to Callaway county in 1823, I claim to be familiar with the
hardships incident to a frontier life, also with the habits and customs
of our pioneer settlers. It has been one of the fondly cherished enjoyments
of my life to mingle with these border communities until I have become
familiar with their occupations, instincts and aspirations on to the manor
born, learning thereby to respect their unsophisticated manhood and appreciate
their simple virtues; and it has sometimes appeared to me that there was
a beauty and grace in the unbroken forest and in the untilled prairies,
nowhere else to be found in the lawns and gardens of civilization, and
it is doubtful whether, with all our present material advantages, the
advance in wealth, science and the arts have substantially increased the
happiness or elevated the morals of the individual man. We have seen health
and cheerfulness, plenty without overwork, and in the absence of law or
gospel, social order well maintained by patriarchal authority, neighborly
kindness, simplicity of manners and absence of temptation. How much more
than this does the world promise? How much less does it not really give
us? In a former communication to the Telegraph I gave a brief biographical
sketch of one of the pioneer citizens of Fulton, in which I mentioned
incidentally something about the location and building up of the town.
I will now give some additional facts and incidents in connection with
the location. In these reminiscences of over half a century there may
be some mistakes in detail, but the main facts are correct. The commissioners
appointed to locate the county seat were Moss and McClelland, of Boone,
and Talbott, of Montgomery. They met pursuant to agreement at the house
of Mr. Ezra Sitton, near where the railroad bridge now crosses the town
creek. This place was favorably spoken of as an eligible site, but as
the commissioners were required to make the location as nearly central
as practicable, they examined another place a mile or more east of this,
near the southeast corner of the sixteenth section, said by David Sturigere,
our first county surveyor, to be the centre of the county. But not satisfied
with this place they made the location where it now is. They accepted
the proposition of Mr. George Nicols,[sic] who had made a conditional
donation of fifty acres of land. This action on the part of the commissioners
gave general satisfaction. It was doubtless the best location within an
area of several miles in the central part of the county. The long southern
slope and gently undulating surface, the absence of malarial swamps or
stagnant ponds, has made Fulton what it has always had the reputation
of being, one of the healthiest towns in Missouri. After the commissioners
made the location they had some difficulty in finding a proper name. Several
names were proposed and rejected, when Dr. Moss proposed the name of Volney,
which was acquiesced in by the other commissioners. A few persons only
manifested opposition to the name. Mr. Robert Dunlap, however, took an
active part in opposition, and it was through his influence mainly that
the change was made. His uniform kindness to the early settlers and his
many good traits of character had endeared him to a large circle of friends
and entitled him to something like patriarchal authority, hence he had
but little trouble making the change from Volney to Fulton. In a conversation
with the writer, he said he objected to the name because Volney was a
deist and also a subject of a monarchial form of government, his sympathies
being with his own and in opposition to our form of government. He remarked
that if the name was intended to honor the memory or aid in perpetuating
the fame of any one, we had men in our own country eminently entitled
to be thus honored, and mentioned the name of Fulton, who, by his successful
application of steam to machinery, had done more than any one else in
advancing the agricultural, mechanical and commercial interests of our
country.
The first time I passed through where Fulton was afterward located, it
was an unbroken forest covered with a heavy growth of timber and thick
undergrowth, a covert for the wild animals of the forest. Subsequently
in 1825 there were two dwellings within the now incorporated limits of
the city, one occupied by Mr. George Nichols, the other a log cabin surrounded
by a potato patch a short distance south of the court-house, occupied
by a man by the name of Harper, who held the fee simple title of a squatter;
and after the town lots were sold found his title domain in the possession
of two or three different owners. He was one of that class properly termed
pioneers, who, like Ham and Crow and Dudley Simmon and others whose names
I could mention, opened up the wilderness to civilization and Christianity.
They came as hunters and trappers, and when game became scarce they moved
further toward the setting sun. I have not time or space to give the character
of these early pioneer hunters and trappers. The character of the early
pioneer hunters as well as those who came for permanent settlement, is
rapidly becoming mythical. Railroads have destroyed the romance of frontier
life. There is nothing now in common with sixty years ago when we packed
our salt from Boone’s Lick and procured our dry goods and groceries
in Old Franklin and St. Charles. The class of immigrants that came to
Missouri differed from the multifarious throng that settled on the Pacific
coast in this: They were not attracted by the glitter of gold; they were
mostly young and middle-aged men with families, who came here for the
purpose of procuring homes and settling their families around on cheap
government land. We have here an exemplification of the fact that early
immigrants to Missouri as well as the other Western States, kept closely
to parallel lines of latitude; hence we find that north central Missouri
was settled mostly by Virginians and Kentuckians, while the southern portion
of the State was settled mainly by Tennesseans and Carolinians.
In concluding this imperfect sketch, which I have not time to revise and
put in proper shape, I will mention something in relation to a grand barbeque
and celebration of the 4th of July, held within the now incorporated limits
of the city of Fulton on July 4, 1825. At a meeting of the citizens of
the neighborhood sometime during the preceding month of June, a committee
was appointed for the purpose of making the necessary arrangements, erecting
an arbor, soliciting subscriptions, etc. John Jameson, Jr., R. May and
J. Dunlap were chosen as said committee. They wrote a short circular address,
copies of which were sent to the different neighborhoods, of which the
following is very nearly a verbatim copy: “Knowing it to be our
privilege an[d] believing it to be our duty to celebrate the 4th of July,
the anniversary day of American Independence, we, therefore, the undersigned
committee, appointed to make all necessary arrangements, respectfully
request contributions of bread, meat and vegetables, said articles to
be delivered on the ground selected for said barbecue early on the morning
of the 4th of July, proximo.” As this was the first barbecue and
celebration of any importance held in the county, there was a very liberal
contribution and general turnout of citizens. There were several present
from the adjoining counties of Boone and Montgomery. This barbecue was
ostensibly for the purpose of celebrating the 4th of July, but there was
also an ulterior object of local importance only, which drew together
many who probably would not have attended the mere celebration of the
4th. The object was to meet together for mutual greeting and congratulations
on the recent location of the county seat. There was an ample supply of
meat, enough for double the number in attendance. It was supposed that
there were over 400 persons present. Enoch Smith, Fulton's old time butcher,
had charge of the culinary department and served up a well prepared dinner.
The arbor was of large dimensions, sufficient to accommodate two sets
of dancers, and the votaries of Terpsichore were busily engaged from an
early hour in the morning until late in the evening. The Declaration of
Independence was read by George McFarlane. The address was delivered by
John Jameson, Jr., afterwards Captain Jameson. Mr. Jameson was at that
time quite a young man and had not commenced the practice of law. He made
an excellent address, presaging his future eminence as a public speaker.
He was warmly congratulated by his friends on this his first and successful
effort before a promiscuous assembly. After the table was cleared off,
Major W. W. Snell gave notice publicly at the arbor for all to repair
to and take their places around the table while toasts were drank. There
were thirteen regular and many volunteer toasts. The following was one
of the regular toasts: "The President of the United States, John
Quincy Adams, elevated to the highest office in the gift of the people,
but not by the voice of the people, his acts as the chief executive officer
of the government will be watched, approved if right, condemned if wrong."
This toast met with a very hearty response, not because any one present
was favorable to Mr. Adams, as the vote of Missouri was cast for Mr. Clay
and Gen. Jackson, but inasmuch as Mr. Adams obtained the office in a regular
way, there was a disposition to give his administration a fair trial.
And as the sequel proved, he made an exemplary officer.
I will now mention by way of episode that the Presidential canvass of
1824 presented the anomaly of four aspirants to the Presidency, all of
the same political party and supporters of Mr. Monroe's administration.
There was the erudite scholar and statesman, J. Q. Adams, the genial and
gifted Crawford, the eloquent Clay and the rough and ready Andrew Jackson.
As is well known general Jackson had a large plurality, but not a majority,
of the electoral vote; hence the election came before the House. The name
of Mr. Clay as the lowest on the list being dropped, Mr. Clay saw proper,
contrary to the will of his State, to give his influence and support to
Mr. Adams. Mr. Adams, being elected, made Mr. Clay Secretary of State.
Hence the charge of bargain and sale, corruption and intrigue, which followed
Mr. Clay to his grave and was one among other causes that prevented him
from reaching his long coveted desire, the Presidential chair. Although
Mr. Clay and his friends repeatedly denied this charge, it was as repeatedly
made and reiterated by every stump speaker from Maine to Louisiana, and
it was not until after Mr. Clay's death that the charge was denied by
his opponents. Colonel Benton, in a speech delivered in the old court-house
in Fulton shortly after the death of Mr. Clay, although a long political
enemy, paid a just tribute of respect to his memory in denying in his
emphatic manner the charge of collusion and bribery, verifying the adage,
"better late than never." It was too late to benefit Mr. Clay
or the demoralized party of which he had long been the acknowledged leader,
but his friends were satisfied to know that the charge was buried, never
to be resurrected again.
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