The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1889-04-02
Descendants of Revolutionary
SireS i'm Central Mis-
souri,.
Another Grandmother i'm Israel
Briefly Sketched i'm These
Columns.
The "BaZoO" Call for Old Timers
rs Meeting With a Most Sat-
isfactory Response.


Correspondents of the BAzoo will
please observe the following rules: l.
Write on one side of the paper. 2.
Write plainly. EDrToR.)
The BAzoo this week presents
sketches of the following pioneers of
central Missouri:
HENRY c. LEvENs.
Ed. BAzoo:-Henry c. LeveDs
vas horn IN Cooper county, Missouri
Territory, on the 9th day of Mar ch
1921, IS years ago. Missouri has
been hi5 home ever since, His faith
er. DIR, Basoleel Levens, native of
Pennsylvania, and his mother, Rhoda
Cole stephens, native OF Kentucky,
and daughter of Joseph and Rhoda
=. Stephens, wee married in said
county, Feb. 18th 1919. His Grand
mother Stephens was sister of Col.
Stephen Cole, the first settler of Coop
er county in 1910. His Grandfather
Henry Levens and bis grandmother
Elizabeth Doddridge Levens. were
born IL Maryland. His Grandfather
LeYens was a soldier of the kevolu-
ton during the whole was. His
Grandfather and Grandmother Steph-
ems we're born in Virginia. When the
subject Of this sketch was born, this
country was sparsely settled, mostly
wilderness. Cooper county is bound
ed on the north by the Missouri river,
on the east and south by the Usage
river, and on the west by the then,
territorial line. At the time of its
organization, Dec, II, 1915, it includ-
ed the territory now embraced in the
whole of the counties of Cooper, Saline,
Lafayette, jackson, Cas-, Henry,
johnson. Pettis. Morgan, Moniteau
and Cole, and part of the counties
of Bates, st. Clair, Benton, Camden
and Miller, eleven whole counties aud
q part OF five others. He worked on
his fathers farm until nearly of age,
and then mostly engaged in teaching
school until January 1854, when he
9ook charge OF the Office of clerk of
the county court Of Cooper county,
and continued in said Office until Jan
nary 1875, y years. He has since
held other minor municipal Offices in
the cities Of Boonville, Holden and
SSedalia. He obtained license to prsc-
tice law in March, 1s4S, but while
engaged in other pursuits, practiced
law but little. In the
spring Of 1915 he went
10 Oregon City, and taught school
during the following winter, and in
the spring OF 1879, be went to Cali
fornla travelled all the way to both
countries with the same OK team, they
subsisting without any other food thsn
wild grass. The whole Journey was
about 3, 500 miles. La the year 1875
he went to and returned from Cali
foInia by rail in FIVE days each way
much quicker and more pleasant
travelling, as he was several
months on his way to Oregon. He
returned from California the first
time by water in the spring Of 1851
on sail vessel with Major 4. J.
Elliott and the John Kelley boys.
They came very near perishing on the
sea for the want o. food and water
When he left the Missouri line on
MS trip TO Oregon there were no set
Elements or civilization until within a
few miles Of Oregon City, which was
then the principal city Of Oregon ter
ritory. Portland was then a very
small village. He passed through
and saw numersrs tribes of Indians
on the route to Oregon ard Cali
fornia, who were mostly friendly. He
married in Cooper county III March,
1896. to Miss Margaret J. Lawton,
the daughter Of DIR. Edward Lawton.
Three children were the result CT the
union. VIZ Mary Z Lewis aud Ed
ward u. Leyens. Their daughter died
at Holden, Mo-, in 1879.
GRANDMA PORTER.
81, BEAMA,N No., March Goth, 1889.
EDITOR BAzoo In answer TO re-
peated calls announced through the
BAzoo for old timers to be heard from,
| deem it my duty to say what little l
can of my grand-ma's earlier life and
history. Her maiden name was Lou
lisa Jopling. She was married in
Bedford Co., Va, in 1924 to BelIfeld
J. Porter. They came to Madison
Co., Mo, in 1888 and lived there one
year, and from there they moved to
Pettis Co., and entered land and built
. L.. lo.,.o Thn.. Hrnt nnllnr ann