Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1851-05-29
THE TIMES
From the Republican.
HISTORICAL SKETCHES.
DY ]. NJ. PECK.
The EsOOnssiCk Settlement.

A stranger in passing over the rich
and highly cultivated district, compris.
ed in the counties of Howard, Cooper
and Boone, can hardly imagine that in
the short period of single generation
this tract Of country was the farthcst
end of the Far West, and the Ulti.
ma Thule ofmigratory enterprise. And
yet, many are now living who saw this
region in all the wildness Of uncultiva-
ted nature. On our first visit TO what
was then the western border OF the
Missouri Territory, only scattered log
cabins, with wide tracts Of broken will.
derness between sediments in which
the bear, elk, deer and other wild ami
mails furnished large supply of the
meats of subsistence 10 the settlers, cx-
isted
On the western borders Of Galloway
county, is a small stream called Cedar,
which in the early Territorial history
of Missouri, was designated as the
western boundary Of the District Of ST.
Charles. The wild regions west were
beyond the pale of government and
law. Even after the war of 1912 com
menced, the commanding officer hesia.
ted about affording protection to the
settlement, until orders came from the
Department at Washington.
For many Of the facts 10 be narrated,
including biographical sketches of some
Of the pioneers TO this region, am in.
dcbted to the Hon. David Tood, of
Columbia, and Gray ByLum, Esq of
Howard county. Some of the Incl.
dents were furnished Judge Todd by
Mr.. Bynum, year since, intended for
the "Annals Of the West" but reached
me too late for insertion in that work.
The settlements and district Of coun.
try above Cedar were called Blooms
lick"
In the present bounds of Howard
county were several salincs or dicks"
one of which was some twelve miles
above the site of Old Franklin, near
which the old pioneer Daniel Boone,
had his hunting camp for few weeks,
in the olden time; but the name was
given to this particular spot, in consc-
qucnce Of Nathan Boone, his youngest
son, making salt here in 1906 or 1907.
At least, such was the tradition was re
ccivcd in 1918.
Prominent amongst the pioneers to
this region, in 1909, was Colonel Ben
amin Cooper, with two brothers, Sar>
shall and Braxton Cooper. Col. Ben.
jamin Cooper, with his family, came
from Madison county, KY, TO Missouri,
in 1906 and settled in Hancock's Bot
tom, on the Missouri. He was among
the pioneers of Kentucky, and possess,
cd those traits of character, that dcsig,
nate the leader to the observation OF
frontier settlers. He raised the first
crop in 1907. In the spring of 1908 he
was joined by his brothers, already
mentioned, and the Coopcrs, with Sc
veral other families, commenced a set
Element, and raised crop on Loutre
Bottom, near the head Of the Island
The Colonel was the pioneer of the
Boonslck settlements, for he removed
his family in the spring Of 1909 to
Coopers Bottom, in the present coun
~ of Howard, and about two miles
from the Boonslick, and planted croT
Of corn. In the summer the Indians
killed some French boatmen, on the
Missouri river, near his residence, anc
the veteran pioneer who was as saga
cious as he was brave, rctrcated will
his family to the settlement on the
Loutre.
In the spring Of 1910, the spirit q
migration westward seized the mind!
of The people in Hancock's Bottom anc
Lou,re, and general move was made
to Booneslick. A large proportion o
these emigrants came from Madison
county, KY, but few came from Ten
nessee. Among the emigrants were
Col. Cooper and his brothers, Barnes
Carson, McLaen, "a Baptist preacher
f Kincaid, Bynum, and many others
l At the same period, Major James Nor
rison, late of ST. Charles, with his bro
lher, manufactured salt at The Lick,
, and continued the business until lh,
Indian war of 1912.
The same year QSI0 about twelv'
families settled on the south side o
the Missouri, in what is now Cooper
county, near and below Il c present sit
of Boonvillc. These came from Lou
tre: the men in the spring to rear cab
' ins and make crop-the families il
autumn. Among these were familie
by tho name Of Brown, Cole, Renford
Savage and jolly. Some of the fami
. lies were Baptisls, and had been uni
ted in church relation in the Louir
settlement, and were recognized il
/, tho new settlement TO which they ha
removed. This was The first religion
society formed west of Cedar an
. nnnun .i.nrn for nnIIinu In IAnI