Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-02-21
THE FIRST SETTLER OF LAFAYETTE
COUNTY.

tie this question, for the writer has not
been able to do so to his own satisfac-
ton. The purpose is simply to pre-
sent some evidence which has been
gathered from witnesses now living, in
order that it may be preserved.
Mr.. G. C. Broadhead, of Pleasant
Hill, one of the leading scientists OF the
state, published a few years since the
statement, that in the year "lSl5 Ga
briel Rupe settled near Lexington" :"
VIM. II. Chiles, Esq, in his Centennial
History of Lafayette County, 1876,
says: "Gilead Rupe was, from all &C
counts, the first settler within the
present bounds of Lafayette county,
he having located, according to
some accounts, as early as 1915, and
according to others, not until 1919"
The History of Lafayette county pre-
pared by the Missouri Historical Socie-
ty and published 1881 says: accord
ing to the statements of DR.. Sanford
Smith and others, the first settler who
appeared in this neighborhood was
Gilead Rupe, who located about two
and half mics southwest of where
Lexington now stands, in about 1915
As near as can be ascertained 1t ap-
pears that Mr.. Rupe was also the first
settler in the territory now known as
Lafayette county; Lis nearest neighhOr
@l.o< 81, l,aS l,o cof-
tied about the same time in the bottom
north of Arrow Ruck. 65 miles dis
tant." In the history published with
the Atlas Map of Lafayette county,
1877, it is said: '.Froin the most au-
thentic information that we can obtain
we are led to believe that the Coxes
were the first actual settlers within the
present limits of the county, locating
on the Lick fork of the Tabo as early as
1916. The next settlers were
David James and three grown sons. =
John Lovelady, W. r. Cole and
James Rounds settled soon after. Dur.
ing the year 1918 Gilead Rupe
came"
So far as I know this is all the pub
lished Information which we have Oh
the subject. Ihave satisfactory evidence
I think, to show that the statements
asserting that Gilead Rupe settled here
in 1915, are Incorrect.
William Houx, whom we know to BIZ
a man thoroughly reliable, once said tt
me: That he attended the marriage
of Gilead RUPEES daughter to VIM
Bowlin in RUPEES house on the Boon
vile side of RUPEES branch, within thu
present limits of Boonville, about tht
close of 1917, the first marriage il
Cooper county; that he (Houx) came
to Cooper county short time befor,
this, in tine fall of 1917; that Gileat
Rupe never lived on the north side o
the Missouri river after this, and wa
then the terryman at Boonville; tina
Rupe removed to Lafayette county a
the close Of 1878, or the beginning O
1919 - not later than 1919; tina
Rupe never returned to Boonville 0
Howard county after this; that ther
was no other Rupe except Gilead's sons
who moved west.
Jesse Cole, now living near Dover
the son of VIM. r. Cole, who was tn
first sheriff of Lafayette county, saids
me: That he came when he was 81
years old with his father to this count
in August, 1917, and settled nea
Dover: that John Lovelady came wit
them and married Mary Cox. daughte
, of Enoch Cox and sister Of Solomo
. Cox, the first marriage in the county
that Solomon and jesse Cox, Jane
Bounds, ST., and Jr., and Obadia
Bounds came in October, 1917; tha
Gilead Rupe and Christopher Catror
: Sr., came in the fall of 1878; that II
knows Rupe dit not come before thi
because Itupe came to his fathers (W
r. Cole's) house with others pursuin
some thieving Indians in the fall G
1878; and that he distinctly recollect
hearing him say to w. r. Cole that b
[Rupe) had just come to the county
that David Ward, Pink Hutson all
others came about the same time tha
Rupe did.
| Mrs. Mary LoveIady, now quite oil
, but still living near Dover, referred t
| in the statement of Jesse Cole as til
I first bride married in this county, sal
to me, that Solomon Cox came to tn
, county in the spring of 1917 and raise
a crop of corn here that season.
l have the original patent issued t
t Gilead Rupe for the very land, north
!, west quarter of section ,, township 81
, range u, OH which he is said to hav
T built. Ii was granted July 80, 1921,
: signed i'll autograph bv Pres. jaime
, Monroe, and gives the title tn "GiIeu
t Rupe, ot Howard county, Missouri.
i. Cooper county was detached frol
. Howard in 1918, and Lilard, or La
fayette county, Was sci off from Coop
t in 1920. This patent seems contra
t dictory of what MIR. VIM. iIoux sa,
1 about Gilead Rupe and is inconsistel
with his early settlement in the count,
| l believe Mr.. HouX's statements to b
correct, and that the patent itself
1 wrong. On the Lafayette county entr
G map this land is put down as entere
March 80, 1919.
n Dismissing Gilead Rupe, MIR. n.
: Buck, one of our most trustwortll
n citizens said to me: That Col. Jno. Del
s MS Thomas came to Lafayette count
h in the spring of 1917 and raised tn,
/ year a crop of corn near where Wave
Z lv is now; that Col. Thomas fathe
1 Anthony Thomas, came with the fam
It ~ i'll 1918; that he has heard his foil
- speak of this repeatedly.
u shall now give some facts which
have eaned from an inspection of ii
} map of entries of Lafayette count
h Crhere is a piece OF land recorded ,
il decided in 1910. 1t is New Madrid clai
n and is section 2i-5O-2S. now owne
by Asa L. kirtley located ,however,a ,att,
, lSlj.) According to the map the til
d land entered in Lafayette county W,
@ the northwest l9-5O-27, by David War
n January 18th, 1919, and is now ownt
by Barney Noever; the next, Mar,
> ofh, 1919, the southeast 25-jl %,
= Pink Hutson; the next, March 49,
p 1919, the northwest l+-5l24, by Jol
!. D. Thomas; the next, March 1871
1919, the northeast 34-5l-27, by w
u son Owen; southwest 9-50-27,
Il Thos. Tribble, and the southeast 29 5
II u by Julius Emmons; the mex
,s March 29th, 1919, the northeast H. )
r, u, 10y Alex. I.ilbraitii the next, Mar,
- 3Oth, 1919, the northwest 9-50-27,
le Iii cad Rupe, now owned by John
r. Wright; the next, April Sd, 1919, 8
)f 5l-27, by Abel Owen, Samuel Turtle
Benz. Gooch, Wilson Owen and Giles
, Rupe cOnJointly.
l. Subsequent TO the above and duril
T. the year 1919 the following perso
Of entered land in Lafayette count
,o Chris Catron, Wm. r. Cole. Soiom
Cox, Andrew Patterson, Jacob Cairo
Elizabeth Catron, James Bounds,
rs Campbell. + Fristoe, Thomas Fristc
lie WIN. Robinson, Joseph Bradley,
T. Bedweli, VIM. Dodson, David jon
Calvin Howell, Henry Hutson, Jan