Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1911-02-23
EARLY COUNTY HISTORY.
Jesse Gililland, The Joker-The
First Wedding-The First
Postoffices.

Along IN the early ~ JeSSe
X. Gililland settled on Middle
Lick Creek, north of Iaddonia.
lie farmed little and conducted
blacksmith shop. Jesse was ii
great joker, and to get a laugh
on you was as good as he wanted.
He lived at Louisiana. Mo, before
moving to Audrain county. He
told of good one he worked ON a
Know Nothing lecturer in
Louisiana. The KnownothingS
were a wonder to the outsiders
and uninitiated. This lecturer
came TO the town and announced
that he would expose the secrets.
There was to be no admission to
the lecture but a collection would
be taken to pay the expenses.
Jesse was appointed to pass the hat,
From the way the metal ratified
into the hat it sounded like he was
getting a pile of coin. He took the
hat to the table. emptied it and
announced there was one quartz,
in the pile which he would claim
for his trouble. Jesse before the
meeting had gone to tin shop
and cut about 100 pieces of tin and
distributed it among his Know
nothing brothers.
"Uncle Jesse, " as he was
familiarly known later, lived to a
ripe old age, dying but few years
ago. A daughter, Mrs. Ada Gill
land Mccoy, now resides in Lad
donia.
Here is one on Frank G.. Wicks
remembered by the early settlers
of Audrain all over the county
Wicks ran mill on Middle Licl
Creek, three miles south of Perry
for a time. Later he became tn,
owner of what is now known a
the Moomaw tract of land, abou
three miles northeast o
Worcester. Still later tried mill
ing near Santa Fe. When tn,
Civil War broke out he moved +
Paris, Monroe county. There h
Joined a military squad of tn
State Militia, who with no bette
way to distinguish themselve
wore white hat bands. Wick
was outside the lines one day IN
buggy driving with his wife ant
asquad of Guerrillas stopped then
Mrs. Wicks was ordered from tn
vehicle and told to foot it Oh
Wicks was held and was aske'
, why he was wearing that piece o
! his shirt tail on his hat. He trie
to explain. They gave him hi
| choice to either eat the hat ban
, and be released or be shot. 1t wa
= hard pill but you better believ
t he swallowed that rag in hurr,
Wicks died a few years ago i
t st. Louis.
The first couple married in tn
township now a part of Prairt
: township, was Hoosier Smith an
4 Miss Sallie Patrick. HOosier
/, avoirdupois was about l40 pounc
= but Miss Sallie tipped the beam I
2l0. The ceremony was perform
( ed by Jonah B. IIatton at the lo
I hat home of Bob Puryis. \
e license was required for ma
: riage in those days. d. c. Hattol
J. now living near Laddonia, is
| son of the late Jonah B. Hatton.
y 1t was a goodly distance to
y pOstoflice until the G. & A. raj
/ road was put thru: Perry, SAINT
Fe, in Monroe county, and Me,
= leo. The neighbOrs took turn
going to the office; somebOd
t took a trip once a week. John
Branch, south of LaddOnia, W.
established later. Then Fa
Oaks, on what is now known
, the Dudgeon farm, This latte
, office was kept for a time by JO
3 Quaintance and lastly by "Unc
. Billy" Clendenin. A son of IL
former, John Quaintance, now +
sides at LaddOnia. He marie
: Miss Susie Corner, IA daughter {
\. {. Corner. Uncle Billy Clel
q denim was the progenitor Of II
4 Clendenin family so well remer
bered in Mexico.