During
the years 1829-30 emigration carne in rapidly. The inconvenience of being
so remote from the county seat, New London, and the hope of more rapid
settlement, induced the pioneers during, the latter part of the year 1830
to take steps to secure the organization of a new county. The
subject was laid before the General Assembly of the State, was favorably
considered, and on January 6, 1831, the following act was passed creating
a new county: "All that portion of the territory within the
county of Ralls lying, within the following boundaries, to wit :
Beginning, on the township line between townships 52 and 53 at the first
sectional line east of the range line between ranges 7 and 8, thence with
said sectional line on a parallel -with said range north, to the southern
boundary of the county of Marion thence west along, the Marion County line
with the township line between townships 56 and 57, to the range line
between 12 and 13, it being, the eastern boundary line of Randolph county,
thence south with said range line to the township line between townships
52 and 53, thence east with said township line to the place of beginning,
be and the same is hereby declared to be a separate and. distinct county,
to be known and called by the name of "Monroe county "
(Laws of Missouri). These boundaries have not been materially
changed.
The same act appointed Hancock
S. Jackson, of Randolph - Stephen Glascock, of Ralls, and Joseph Holliday
of Pike, commissioners to select the seat of justice for the county.
These were men possessing integrity and purity of character. Joseph Holliday
afterwards removed to the county, where he lived and died, respected by
all who knew him. Hancock S. Jackson was afterward elected
Lieutenant Governor of the State, and was one of the most highly respected
men in the State.
The first entries of land were made by the following persons: Township
53, range 8, George Markham, in 1819 ; township 54, range 8, Bennet
Goldsberry in 1818; township 54, range 8, John Hicklin, in 1819; township
54, range 8, Joseph Holliday, in 1818 township 54, range 8, Benton R.
Gillett, in 1819; township 54, range 8, Andrew Rogers, in 1819 ; township
55, range 8, Daniel McCoy, in 1819 ; township 54, range 9, Joseph R. Pool,
in 1819 ; township 55, range 9, James Adams, in 1819.
THE NAME
A great dramatist intimates that
there is nothing in a name ; but a name sometimes means a great deal.
In many instances, it indicates, in a measure, the character of the people
who settle the country and have given to it its distinctive
characteristics. Names are sometimes given to towns and countries by
accident; sometimes they originate in the childish caprice of some
individual, whose dictate by reason of some real or imaginary superiority
is law. Whether the policy of naming counties after statesmen and
generals be good or bad, the Missouri Legislature has followed the
practice to such all extent, that fully three-fourths of the counties
composing the State bear the names of men who are more or less
distinguished in the history of the country.
THE NAMES OF PIONEERS
When we consider that more -
than half a century has passed since the men whose names we append below,
pitched their tents within the present limits of the county, it will be
readily understood how difficult has been the task of collecting them.
ID placing, these names upon record we have doubtless made mistakes
arid omissions, but feel confident that the errors will be overlooked,
when it is remembered that we have spared no little effort to be accurate
and perfect.
They who in the early dawn of Western civilization first 11 bearded the
lion in his den, " opened a path through the wilderness, drove out
the wild beasts and tamed the savage Indian, are entitled to one of the
brightest pages in all the record of the past.
The old pioneers of Monroe county-the advance guard of civilization -
have nearly all passed away ; those remaining may be counted on the
fingers of one hand. A few more years of waiting and watching-, and
they, too, will have joined- - -
"The innumerable
caravan, that moves
To the pale realms of shade, where each shall take
His chamber in the silent halls of death."
Fresh hillocks in the cemetery
will soon be all the marks that will be left of a race of giants who
grappled nature in her fastness and made a triumphant conquest in the face
of the greatest privations, disease and difficulty. The shadows that
fall upon their tombs as time recedes are like the smoky haze that
enveloped the prairies in the early days, saddening the memory arid giving
to dim distance only a faint and phantom outline, to which the future will
often look back arid wonder at the hearts that lie hidden under the
peaceful canopy.
These are the names of the old settlers:
HenryAsberaft, J. R. Abernathy, R. D. Austin, Ovid Adams, Otho Adams,
William Atterbury, James Alfred, George Abbott, Chris. C. Acuff,
Jerrv Burton, Dr. John Bybee, Reuben Burton, Elijah Burton, John Burton,
Benjamin Blubaugh, Lawrence Boggs, Thomas Brashears, Thomas Bell, Benjamin
Bradley, James Bell, Isam. Belcher, Elijah Bozarth, Ezekial
Billington, Ephraim Brink, Shadrack Burnes, Abraham Bush, Elijah Creed
Samuel Crow, Augustin Creed, James Cox, Jeremiah Crigler, John G. Collison,
Samuel Creed, A. B. Combs, Charles Clay, Triposa Clay, Samuel
Curtright, John R. Currv. John Colvin, Richard Cave, Green V.
Caldwell, Isaac Coppedge, Simon Duckworth, John Dale, James Dickson, James
Dale, Ramev Dye, Phanty Dye, George Dry, William Donaldson, Robert
Donaldson, Thomas Davis, Van. Davis, Reese Davis, William Delaney, Johu
Delaney, Fount Leroy Dve, Edward Damrell, Joseph Donaldson, Cornelius
Edwards, Urban East, Daniel East, Charles Eales, Enoch Fruit, Ezra Fox, J.
C. Fox, Pleasant Ford, Jacob Ford, Sr., DaIiiel Ford, John Foreman, Joseph
Foreman, Hasting, Fike, Thomas M. Glendv, Thomas Gundy, Angyle Gillespie,
Robert George, John Gee, Martin B. Gay, Robert Greening, Edward Goodnight,
Robert Gwyn, David Gough, Spencer Grogin, F. Gillett, Jonathan Gore,
Leonard Green, Clem. Green, James Gilmore, William Goforth, Stephen
Glascock, Georce Glenn, William B. Grant, Bartholomew Groginl, Joseph
Holliday, Hackuey T. Hightower, John Hocker, Hugh. A. Hickman, John
B. Hatton, Amon. Hicks, Salmon Humphrey, Edward M. Holden, John Howe,
Ezra Hunt, Paul Hereford, Henry Howard, Esom Hannon, Robert Harris, James
Herndon, Dr. SvIvester Hagan, Joseph Hagan, Sarnuel Harper, Robert
Hanna, Asaph. E. Hubbard, William Horn, John Ivie, William Jett, Col.
Gabriel Jones, James Jackson, Daniel H. Johnson, John Johnson, Jeremiah
Jackson, George Kipper, Henry Kinote, Thomas Kelley, William Kipper,
Abraham Kirkland, John Kipper, Lewvis Kincaid, Samuel Kipper, Dr. Keenan,
David Kirby, Marshall Kelley, Thomas Kilgore, John McGee, James McGee,
John S. 'McGee, William McGee, John Mc Kamey, D. E. McKamev, Joseph H.
McKamey, E. W. McBride, Charles McGrew, Hiram Manama, Boaz Maxey,
John C. Milligan, Travis S. Moore, William McSwain, R. C. Mansfield,
James Mappin, Matthew Mappin, Henry Miller, Robert Martin, Payton Maghan,
Benjamin Mothershead, Samuel Nesbit, M. Newland, James Noel, Joel Noel,
Garnet Noel, Elijah Owens, Mrs. Ownbv, John Porter, Jesse Pavey, Maj.
James Poaoge, James Powers, Richard D. Powers, Thomas G. Poage, Minor
Perry, Samuel Pool, William N. Penn, Ezekiel Phelps, William H. Proctor,
Aniel Rogers, Achilles Rogers, Andrew Rogers, Joseph Rigsby, Archibald
Rice, Nathaniel Rice, William Runkle, John Rigsby, George Rouse, Jones
Reavis, Nathaniel Rice, Daniel Rhodes, Edward Shropshire, Harrison Sparks,
Harvey Swinney, Robert Swinney, Austin Swimiev, Joseph, Stephens, David F.
Sloan, Joseph J. Sumner, Samuel G. Sutton, William Smith, Joseph
Smith, Sr., Alex. W. Smith, Joseph Smith, Jr., Samuel H. Smith, John B.
Smith, Robert Simpson, John Simpson, John Shoots, Peter Stice, Joseph
Sproul, William P. Stephenson, Stephen Scobee, Robert Scobee, Cavil
Shearer, Davis Scott, Robert Snider, Wilson S. Spotswood, George Smizer,
George Saling, Ephraim Smith, Larken Stamper, Milton Smizer, Rumsey Saling,
Robert Smithey, Richmond Saling, James Stewart, George Stubblefield,
Bostick Talliaferro, Thomas Thompson, Michael. Trombo, Alexander Thompson,
Hiram, Thompson, Jacob Trumbo, Peter B. Thomas, Thomas Threldkeld, William
K. Van Arsdell, James Vaughn, Andrew Whittenburg, Daniel Whittenburg,
Joseph Weldon, James Weldon, John Willingham, John Wright, William
Wilcoxson, Caleb Wood, Thomas Wood, Fielder Wood, Milton Wilkerson, Hiram
Williams, S. J. Williams, Huron Williams, David Weatherford, M. C. Warren,
Joseph White, William Wilkerson, John Witt, James Woods, Giles H. Welch,
George W. White, Jacob Young, Benjamin Young, John Yates, Vincent Yates. |