The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1874-07-03
ANDREW COUNTY
It's Organization and. History,
.ctth "reminiscences, Incidents,
DC, 0fMe Olden Time.
BY AN OLD CITIZEN.

Missouri. the rich and fertile district
known as the "Plattc Purchase was
added TO the already rich, varied and
productive soil OF that great State,
which then had a superficial area of
72,207.63 square ras2es; AID, to use the
language of another, the "plattc Pur-
chase" was an unproductive waste;
throughout its extent the arts bad
not erected n monument. Its ONLY
inhabitants We're nonadic tribes of
semi-barbarcus Indians, destitute of
commerce and political connections.
The axe and the plowsharc were Hn-
known. The soil which had been
gathering fertility from the reposc of
centuries. was larishins its strength
in magnificent bat useless vegetation.
The domain was really n solitude.
Joseph RobidouX. ST., the founder of
the city of st. Joseph. was the first
white settler in this district. In 1903,
and but a short tin, after its cession
by France to the United States, he
settled on the present site of st. DO
seph. and there established a post to
trade with the Indians. 1t has
since been converted into the Eden of
America. In soil, climate and health
unsurpassed, emigration poured in.
and II was but u short time before the
State Legislature commenced Organ-
sizing counties in the district-Plattc.
Buchanan. Andrew, Holt, Nodaway,
and Atchison. Platte and Ncdawav
were named after rivers of those
Names running thorough the p~urchascs
Buchanan. in honor Of James Buchan~
an. then a United State Senator in
Congress: Holt, in honor of Repre-
sentative Holt. from Platte county,
who died i'll Jefferson City during the
session of the Legislature. of which
he was a member; Atchison, in honor
vi David II. Atchison, Circuit Judge.
and afterwards United States Scna-
tor. Andrew. the last. but not least.
ri which we desire more particularly
10 speak. was named under prculiar
circumstances. l. was proposed to
sail it Andrew Tin honor of Andrew
Jackson Davis, who had been. but
was not then, 4 citizen of Missouri.
The proposed nalnc met with much
opposition. There is nothing in a
name. but another name would have
been preferable to many of the then
citizens.
After q waste of much breath and
acrimonious feelings. the organic act
passed into Il law. as follows: shall
be known by the name of the county
of Andrew in honor of Andrew
Jackson DAYS., late of St. Louis"
Why this honor was conferred, his
81 1,,.,- =, Stlnpt ,ox- ,nya 1a., an
account of the previously acquired
n%Otoricty, as the author of Jack
Downing letters, published during
til: regime of President Martin Van
Buren,. Mr.. Andrew Jackson Davis
is now Il leader and a great apostle of
sp~iritualisn. and is still honored in
CARRYING the name of the best county
in platte Purchase At this early
date the county had several thousand
inhabitant>. and. politically, was de-
cidedly Democratic. At the first
election held i'll the county. but eight
Wing votes were pollcd. out of sew
cral hundred. Some of those casting
Wing votes. and who are vet citizens.
are l.. \. Carson. John higgins, W.
a. Price. Benz. II. Holt. and Joseph
Brock. The Democratic side was led
by Joseph Walker and others. These
good aid worthy citizens, at the de-
mise of the old Wing party, except
ing ". \. Price, attached themselves
10 Il new Democracy, to do battle
against the present Republican party.
Price Joined the Republicans. The
county was organized January %. 1871,
with the following boundary: Begin
ming at the northeast. corner of
Buchanan county. and running north
along The former western boundary
line of the State to the line dividing
townships siXtv-onc and siXty-two 4:
thence west to the main channel of
the Nodaway river; thence down the
middle of the main channel thereof
TO the most southern crossing Of said
river, TO the range line dividing the
ranges thiTty-six and thirty-sevcn !:
thence south with said range line to
the middle of the main channel of
;he Missouri river: thence down said
river. in the middle of the main chan-
mel thereof. to the northwestern cor
ner of buchanan county: thence east
with the north line of Buchanan
: county to the place of beginning.
Bv an act of the General ASSEMBLY,
approved February II. 1871. all the
territory lying east of the Nodaway
river. south of the northern boundary
line of the State, west Of the old
western State boundary. and north
of the township line which divides
township sixty-one and sixty-two,
was attached to Andrew county for
civil and military purposes. This
area of country conposes the present
limits of Nodawav county. The or
gaaic law directed that the Circuit
and County Courts should be held at
The clearinghouse of Gallant Rains
nntis si4e permanent seat of justice