Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1876-07-08

were SCaLlOlcu Ill -. oSdSC,
where Sibley now stands, but a6ou
the year 1925. this station was n
ed and the troops removed to Councl
Bluffs, and upon Laclede Liguest's ma
of Missouri made in 1920, TT. Usage an
Mount Vernon are the only Biographies
points noted in Lillard county. Rive
transportation was then accomplished b
means of the old-fashioned keel boats
and it was many years before stear
finally pushed aside this primitive mod
of trade and intercourse. The Missoul
then ran close along the bluffs abov
Lexington. and about the first steam
boats of which any memory is now left
that passed up the river, were the ewes
tern Engineer" and two others, name
now forgotten, which in 1920 or '21. as
cended the Missouri river to Counci
Bluffs. Then boats were all small stern
wheelers, and the .Western Engineer
had its PROV carved in the representa-
ton of a gigantic serpent's head. througi
which the 'scape pipe from the engin
discharged itself, to the great terror O
the a%borigines. and the delight and as
constituent of the scattered white men
1t is impossible to find out who found
ed our first county seat, Mount Vernon
1t wa situated within the present limit
OF Lafayette county being located on tn
New Madrid grant No. 2793 OF Alexi
Picard, and upon the Southeast quartz
of Sec. %, township 81, range &c. l
was, however, from all accounts 4 col
lection of a few houses, then accounted
a sprightly place, but which at this da,
would be considered but a small village
and "a upon the Missouri river bluff!
between the present site of Berlin ant
tire 1nuuth- of -Tabo vr-oh.- Ite- sits
was a spot where the Blackfeet, Mo
haws and Pawnees me for council ano
trading purposes, and from this
| state of affairs buildings were erected
and the town founded. The first
county court of Lillard county met in
the house of Samuel Weston, in the town
of Mt. Vernon, January %, 1921. The
court was composed of Judges John
Stapp, John Whitsett and James Lillard,
whose commissions were signed by
Alex. McNair, Governor and Joshua
Barton, Secretary of State of Missouri
To these judges the oath of office was
administered by Henry Renick, j. p.
and their deliberations were duly record
ed by Young Ewing, clerk. Markham
Fristoe was appointed county collector,
and as men were scarcer than offices, he
vas likewise appointed constable. Jno.
Dustin, n of the original commission
ers to select the county seat, and who
was an Englishman, living near the
present Saline county line. and kept a
house of public entertainment, wa ap-
pointed the first county surveyor. 1t
appears likewise that Mount Vernon
boosted of a tavern in those days, for in
July, 1921, one Adam Lightner was duly
licensed by the county court to keep a
tavern in that town. 1t likewise boosted
of a w~ell-stocked store kept by Messrs.
Curtis & Ely; a small mandatory of
excellent pottery, specimens of which
still existed here thirty years ago, and
of which probably some family may vet
have a relic; a blacksmith shop; a shoe
maker and perhaps other representa-
tives of the industrial arts.
A short time after this, the first term
of the Lillard Circuit court was held, for
on the 18th day of February, 1921, Judge
David Todd with Hamilton r. Gamble,
Circuit attorney. Young Ewing, clerk,
and VIM. r. Cole Sheriff, opened court
at the house of Adam Lightner, in Mount
Vernon. Upon Markham Fristoe, al
ready burdened with the office of Collec-
tor and constable, were then placed the
additional duties of deputy sheriff. Three
offices to one man! What a glorious era
that would have been for some of our
modern office-loving politicians. Be-
sides Circuit attorney Gamble, Messrs.
Peyton r. Hayden and John P. Mckin-
ney, attorneys, attended this term of
court, but eve this small number was
sadly in disproportion to the amount OF
business transacted. From the grand
jury at this term we get the names of
additional pioneers, it being composed
of Mossrs-Nilli and john Lill"-I.
John j. Heard, VIM. F. Sermons, Thos.
and James Linwell, David Jennings,
Jesse Cox, James Bounds, Jr., Isaac
Clark, VIM. Wallace, Chris. Mulkey,
jacob Catron, John Bowman, George
Parkinson, Thomas Hopper. John Rob-
inson, Thomas Fristoe and William and
Samuel Fox. Owing to the limited
amount of room at the command of the
Court, it is said that this jury, with
many others, subsequently,, both grand
and petit, held its sessions in the hazel
brush, until later times furnished better
accommodations. This strong array of
''good men and true" inaugurated their
labors and II criminal law history, by
emerging from the mystic recesses in
the hazel, burthened with seed-ticks and
the important duties of their office, and
to the court ga true bill" against
John Salady for ''trespass, assault
and battery" 1t may be interesting to
know that Salady at the next term of
court plead guilty to the charge, threw
himself upon the mercy of the court and
was finedS5 and costs, which is within 81
of the more modern termination of such
One member of this grand jury
esquire" John j. Heard, deserves es-
pccial mention. He was a fat, jolly but
eccentric old gentleman, who lived about
half way between where Dover and Wa
verify now stand. Washington Irving,
in 1919 enjoyed his hospitality for two
during his tour through the west
and has rewarded the "~'Squires" kind
ness as well as paid a tribute to his odd
genius and honest worth, by making
of this visit in the well-known
book "sAstOria."
Col. John Dennis Thomas in 1926, set
tied where Waverly now stands, and
was the founder of St. Thomas, the name
borne by the older portion of the pres
ent town of Waverly. Motley Thomas
brother of Col. Thomas and who has
been before mentioned, raised the first
crop of hemp ever raised in this region,
about the years 1880, took the same
to Old Franklin, where a rope walk was
established and sold his crop at the rate
of 81 per hundred. This was the begin
ming of the development of the great
which formed Lafayette county's
principal crop until the war between the
States brought about Il change of crops,
and substituted wheat and corn, and the
of stock.
The cold Town'of Lexington was laid
out in lots, and sold April -. 1872, by
James Bounds, John Dustin and James |
Lillard. commissioners. These gentle
men hesitated between the site as finally |
adopted and another site just south Of
VIM. Erskine's farm, but finally agreed
to the location us above stated. There |
quite 4 settlement in the neighbour
hood of Lexington ut that time, and a
church, built of logs stood about
miles southwest of Lexington, and
hear where Mr.. Wright's lime kiln now
is. The nearest corn mill then, was in
Big Bottom in Saline county, 60 miles
distant, and the nearest Touring mill
was at Old Franklin. in consequence of
which Il great deal of the meal was beat
or pounded ut home in extemporized
mills, made of followed logs and stones.