The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1915-12-09
EARLY DAYS IN BArns COUNTY
An Interesting Letter IRON q Former
Reataent ek the Ceanty.

Resident II the Comfy.
Ellensburg. WASH. Nov. p 1915.
Editor Tne Ilmes.
Butler, Mo-.
Dear Sir:
IN looking over The Times OF recent
date l see q local aoout Mr.. f. II. Hall
OF Pleasant Gap township, making
your office . cali and telling something
" early history IN good OLD Bates couh--
the early days In Bates county myself.
My father, Ephraim Turner, and fanny
and Robert 1. HuKel and family came
to Bates county in January 1855. My
father moved onto the Bently farm.
now owned by Mrs. Mary White ttnen
Mrs. Mary Carpenter, wlIe of James S,
Carpenter. who died some 10 years ago.
This farm is on Double Branches, two
then known as Stumptown. There was
not house in the place Of course, on. Y
a sign of house that Bruce Young
had built several years before the Civil
war.
At the time of our arrival and for
three or four years thereafter, aside
from the old state road from Pleasant
Hill to Fort Scott there were few
Of which were made by wild animals
across the country. l can remember
very distinctly OF seeing deer rowing
over the hills in groves like cattle.
wolves and wild hogs we're very plenti-
full, and when assaulted were ferocious.
remember that in February Of 1866
I went to what Is now the town of
Butler Butte There The was .o only one business
ed by an old man by the name of Ben
White. 1t was only log house about
IS feet by, 90 feet; the cracks checked
Of OF rough " Board "s Stuck s tnro sS tSe
cracks from the side of the hut. Mr..
White took all his goods off the shelves
every night and put them in boxes for
dred old chimneys standing Gin what
had once been the town of Butler) on
the town site.
The only doctor in the whole coun-
and near in his professionai duties.
After we came to Bates county and
during 1865 there were four men killed
in the county between Butler and
two hung on the old Hamilton Elliott
farm south of Butler I do not happen
to remember the names of any of those
that were killed. In the fall Of 1866.
and his family came to the county and
rented the old Martin farm. near Alph
Miller's former home. yes. l think Mr.
Miller and his family came In about
and am not sure but Mr.. Miller final
ly bought the Martin place.
Robert I. Hukel bought the old Ben
Crawford ranch, four miles east of
30 years, when he sold out and moved
into Butler, where he died several years
ago. He was an uncle Of mine. broth
err of my mother. and l was named for
Is still living in Butler. She is getting
we'll up In years. possibly in the nine
ties.
The whole of Double branches was a
wilderness. grass and weeds as high
as Il mans head when on horse and
1t was really dangerous to travel over
the country unless you was able to
keep your bearings put oys and 9 9be
rose and prosperity swept over the
country and soon hundreds of homes
were rebuilt and hundreds of new ones
sprang, into existence ,hsn n,. remem mas
father of e. r. and L. c. Hall, came to
the county. Henry Z. Bryant and FAM
lily accompanied them and they all
neighborhood. Neighborhoods We're
much larger than later on. l think 1t
was in 1869 that Bruce Young RETURNED
and opened small grocery in the place
time Mary Requa, mother of Cyrus and
William Requa. both of whom have
been dead several years. was made
postmistress of the new office. called
William Requa. half mile north Of
Stumptown. In 1870 or II, James Ryden
and John Murphy came in and built q
store building IN WnlCn tney caiTieu
a stock of dry goods and notions.
David Laskey later on bought them
out and opened up Il drug store and the
nostoffice. which Murphy had AIKEN
over from Mrs. ReQua and which he
had been conducting in his residence
across the street. was transferred over
to Mr.. Laskey who was in due course
of time made postmaster. I think Las
KEY remained postmaster up to the
time of his death, which was several
years after l left there. ! left Bates
county September. 1890. went To Fayett-
ville Arkansas. where l eNpec'e1 to To-
cate permanently. but circumstances
rrade it possible for me TO- come to this
state and I had for years desired to
ct and l have never regretted
the coming.
The pioneer preachers of our section
".nrn DR. ReQna. Il Presbyterian. John
Wilson and Joseph Beaver, and q little
II ter James S.. Huke,. all Church of
Christ preachers. Wilson and Beaver /,
won't to Tevas. where both died many |
years ago. Hukel. who was a brother !
Of my mother and of Robert I. Hukel.
also went to Texas, I think in 1885, and |
still lives there near HfcO.
This rambling sketch may be of some
service in refreshing the minds of OF Ter |
cid timers, VINO may be Ike myself. In
clined to teach the younger .neration
something about former times.
Re spectfully.
r. -. TURNER"
THEY SAVE MONEY BY CANNING