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

l houses and JallS anu na|o Nv Sti"y -Pon
at all. Quite Il commentary on tn
: change in public morals: .
| The Circuit court followed close l
, the wake of the County court. for O
l March II, 1928, the first term was hel
| at the house of DIR. Buck in Lexington
r This house, said to be the first built i
v Lexington, is yet standing; it is on tn
north side of Main street i'll Old Town
4 and the first house east of the alley run
ming through the block Just north of tn
i "Lafayettc House." In Il log room ad
g Joining, used us Il temporary Jail, wa
confined at one time the notorious Johl
A. Murrell. Courts were also he'll
in Elisha Green's Tavern, whic
$ occupied the site now occupied b.
: the ssLafayette House," but il
1S24-5. Col. Henry Renick erected tn
: first court house in the public square il
y Old Town, and cur courts We're takel
: from the more pleasing haunts of tav
! erns and way-places, and firmly install
, ed in the rigid domains of justice.
Fl Lexington in the meanwhile wa
: growing slowly; in 1922, John Aull
brother of Robt. Aull of st. Louis ant
: Mrs. f. NJ. Pomeroy, came here, ant
shortly afterward Jacob Nottingham,
!, blacksmith, and George Foster, DAME
Mcdowell and others located in the new
county-seat. Mr.. Aull was the pioneel
in the commission and trading business
! and at an early day built himself a store
and warehouse on the river banks. Abe
Owens then lived where Wiley Jenning':
house now stands, getting his water
from the big spring that supplies Pome
roy's Pond. George HouX moved to this
county permanently in 1924, but livet
IN tho country until 1928 or go, when ht
established himself in the saddlery bust.
ness in Lexington.
The production of hemp necessitateC
its manufacture, and in 1888 or 1889
VIM. p. Moore, who died in this county
about W years ago, and John Buchan
an established a rope-walk in Lexington
on a small scale, which they continued
to operate for several years; but the
business finally fell into the hands O
the McGrew brothers, and in later years
their factory was destroyed by fire. The
same fate followed these enterprisine
gentlemen when in after years they es
tablished their very extensive hemr
works on the river levee. Twice on the
levee they were burnt out, and finally
abandoned the business, and the half
ruined building on Water street still,
bearing the McGrcw sign, is the only re.
manning monument of The industry anC
perseverance of this family in one O.
our greatest ante-bellum enterprises.
The first church building erected in
Lexington proper, was a frame building
constructed in the block Just west of the
public square in Old town, in 1927 OF
| 1928, jointly by the Presbyterians and
the Cumberland Presbyterians. This
has long since been o away and no
trace now remains of it.
The year 1880 brought to Lexington,
among others, Gen. A. w. Doniphan,
then a young lawyer, though strong and
vigorous, mentally as well as physically.
Gen. d., lived several years in Lexing.
ton, and here commenced the founda-
ton OF the well-known character OF
%jurist, soldier, and statesman which he
yet lives to enjoy. He finally removed
to Clay county, where he married, and
| since the time has remained north of the
river, removing finally to Richmond,
where he now resides.
We get a partial business directory
of Lexington in 1880, from Gen. Jas. II.
Graham, who came here in that year.
John Aull kept the only well-stOcked
general store; Ed. Ryland had the only
other store but was closing out his bus
mess; George HouX furnished the sad
dlery and harness; Jacob Nottingham
continued the undisputed possessor OF
the ''village smithy - John Gooch was
the gunsmith; Elisha Green still fur
nished entertainment for man and
beast" while Gen. Graham opened out
in his w trade as a halter. There was
plenty of deer in the country then, and
Indians camped every year on the Black
water during the hunting season and re-
Flnn;sh.-1 L~rae- anu wardrobe from tho
herds of these animals yet remaining.
Wolves were very plentiful, however,
and did great damage to the tiocks of
the pioneers. They have gradually dis
appeared, though M or two wolves
have been killed in this county within
the last two years it is thought, how
ever, that they had accidentally strayed
in here, as was believed of the last deer
heard of in this county, which was shot
on Brush creek, in the year 1862. The
winter of 1S30-3l was characterized by
its frequent deep SHOWS, which, falling
in constant succession, kept the ground
covered throughout the winter in such a
manner us to greatly impede and some
times to prevent travel. The snow was
frequently knee deep, and would scarce
lly be diminished in depth by thawing,
before another snow would renew it.
The Renick Court House was poorly
constructed, its walls cracked, and the
building threatened to fall, and on May
2, 1881, the county court condemned it
and ordered it sold. This was done and
the 4th day of July, 1881, was celebrated
by tearing down its walls and blowing
up the foundations. In these hilarious
proceedings, Gen. Graham, Benedict
Thomas and other young ''bucks'' of the
day participated. The new building
which succeeded was built between the
years 1929, 4 Mr.. Rollins constructing
the masonry and Charles Thomas the
carpenter work. This was an ample
three-story building, which did service
as Cour House until the new town of
Lexington was built and the present
Court House erected, at which time the
Rollins building was sold to the Baptists
and by them used for many years as a
female seminary. During the war, in
1861, it was used as 4 hospital, and
during that and succeeding years was
hopelessly injured and dismantled. The
lot and building were sold BY the Bap-
lists to private parties and within the
last few years the building was sold as
old brick and removed.
The year 1881 brought about a change
in the judicial districts, and the sixth
judicial district was formed, by which
Lafayette county was taken from Judge
Todd and added to the new district.
This brought to our county as the judge
OF our circuit court, and a resident of our
city, Judge John F. Ryland, already
well and tavorably known in our county,
he having been Il circuit practitioner in
our circuit court since the year 1925. |
Judge Ryland came to Missouri and
located at old Franklin in 1919; was our
Circuit Judge tor Is years, and one of
our Supreme Judges for the IL years
following. After his retirement from
the bench, the judge continued in and
enjoyed an extensive practice of the law
until within a few days of his death,
which occurred September 10. 1873. He
died at the advanced age of 76 years.
full OF years and honors. Judge Rvland
was a ripe, classical scholar, Il mar of
f!ne literary culture and taste, a pro-
found thinker, a logical reasoner, al
thorough and earnest lawyer and adyo-
cate, a distinguished jurist. retaining to
the last his bright mental powers and
faculties.
|