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The Encyclopedia of the History of Missouri was edited by Howard L. Conard and published by the Southern History Company, of New York, Louisville, and St. Louis, in 1901.
The University of Missouri Library has made avilable the entire contents of the 6 volume set on its website as part of the Virtually Missouri project. The books are in a section called Missouri: Its History, Geology and Culture.
The following items have been taken from the book:
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American hunters traversed Henry County in 1828. The first permanent settlements were made inn what is now Windsor Township, in the extreme northeast part of the county. Thomas Arbuckle and Thomas Kimsey are regarded as the pioneers; Arbuckle is said to have built the first cabin in 1830, about four miles west of the present town of Windsor; some contend that he was preceded in 1829 by Kimsey, who came from Johnson County, where others of his family had previous located. He made his home two miles south of Arbuckle. Matthew and James Arbuckle and Isom Burnett also came in 18309. In 1831 came David McWilliams, and his sons James and Jesse, Jesse Hill, William Simpson, Fielding A. Pinnell, and Mason Fewell. Thomas Anderson, who located in this neighborhood, was the first blacksmith in he county. Here also occurred what was probably the first death in the county, that of Joseph Bogarth, who was killed by lighting while returning home from Pettis County. Thomas Collins located about 1830 in the northwest part of the county; he was a justice of the peace for Davis Township under the Lafayette County organization. Tebo Township, adjoining that of Windsor on the west, is historic. Among the earliest settlers was Henry Avery, who came in 1831, having visited the place and staked a claim the previous year., He was a man of strong character, and lived a most useful life. Others who came to the neighborhood were Colby S. Stevenson, who taught a school in 1833; Richard Wade, the first physician, and Addison Young, a Cumberland Presbyterian minister, who is said to have delivered the first sermon, followed soon afterward by Abraham Millice, a Methodist circuit rider, and Thomas Kenney, a Baptist preacher. In 1835 a log schoolhouse was built and a school was taught by Benjamin L. Durrett. The same year Thomas and Charles Waters opened a store not far from Avery's house. The first births in the county occurred in Tebo Township, the first was a colored girl, whose mother belonged to Mr. Avery; the second was Susan, afterward Mrs. Henry Roberts, daughter of Mr. Avery. A few miles west of the Tebo settlement, in the central north of the present county, Ezekiel Blevins located in 1831, and there was born his son Preston, the first male while child in the county. William Goff located in the northeast part of the county, about one and one-half miles south of Calhoun. The present Field's Creek Township, adjoining Clinton, the county seat, on the northwest was settled in 1831-32 by Joseph Fields, first sheriff, and others. The southern portions of the county were not settled until 1835 and later. Nearly all the settlers were from Kentucky and Tennessee, with a few from Virginia and North Carolina. Beginning in 1835, a number of country stores and horse gristmills were established. In 1840 Henry County(which then included St. Clair County) had a population of 4,090, including four negroes; it is estimated that 2,220 belonged to henry County proper. June 18, 1843 occurred the death of William Baylis, who had severed as lieutenant in a Kentucky regiment during the Revolutionary War. About 100 men from Henry County took part in the war with Mexico, and nearly the same number went to California in 1849. The opening of the Civil War found the people almost unanimously Southern in sympathy. The county afforded about 500 men to the Confederate Army, while it is estimated that less than one-tenth this number took up arms for the Union. The county suffered little material damage during the struggle, but industry and trade practically ceased. At one time General "Jim" Lane entered Clinton and threatened to destroy the county records, but was dissuaded from doing so; another alarm led to the records being taken by Judge J. G. Dorman to Sedalia for safe keeping. On the restoration of peace the people devoted themselves earnestly to the improvement of their fortunes. Coal was found a various points, and mines were opened up. Beginning in 1869, numerous fairs were held, and a Farmers" Club proved a stimulus to effort. During the same years schools and churches were founded in all the various townships, or those of an earlier date were resuscitated. In 1870 the first railway into the county was completed and the population began to increase rapidly.
Until 1834 Henry County was included in the territory belonging to the county of Lillard, afterwards known as Lafayette, and was then constructively a portion of Lexington Township, which extended southward to the Osage River. In 1830 it was included in Davis Township, and in 1832 in Tebo Township, which included all of the present counties of Johnson and Henry, and all that portion of St. Clair County lying north of the Osage River. James McWilliams was the first constable in Tebo Township, whose home was then within the present county of Henry. December 13, 1834, Rives County was created, named in honor of William C. Rives, of Virginia. To it was attached St. Clair County, then unorganized, for civil and military purposes, which was designated as a township, March 21, 1835, and was separated as a county, February 15, 1841. William C. Rives, for whom Rives County was named, having become a Whig, the General Assembly, by act of October 15, 1841, changed the name to Henry County, in honor of Patrick Henry, the great patriot orator. The first county court sat May 4, 1835, at the house of Henry Avery. The justices appointed by Governor Dunklin were Thomas Arbuckle and William Goff, who appointed Jonathan T,. Berry as clerk. The next session was held at the home of William Goff, then Joseph Montgomery presented his commission as an associate county justice, and sat with those previously named. Joseph Fields was appointed sheriff; he died soon afterward, and Robert Allen succeeded him. In 1836 Berry resigned his clerkship, and was succeeded by Fielding A. Pinnell, who served for several years. In November, 1836, Peyton Parks, commissioner appointed to locate a permanent county seat, reported the site of Clinton, and the necessary land was preempted from the government. The sale of lots amounted to $2,500. The county court appropriated $2,500 for building a courthouse, and a two-story brick edifice was erected under the superintendence of John E. Sharp and Thomas R. Wallace. The bricks were burned upon the public square, and were noted as darkly tinctured with iron existing in the clay. Pending the completion of the building, court sessions were held at the house of James B. Sears, and afterward in a building rented from Littlebury Kinsey. The present courthouse was occupied in 1893; for a few years previous rented rooms were used for court purposes. In 1856 a jail building was erected at a cost of $3,844. In 1879 this was replaced with a larger structure built a at cost of nearly $10,000. In 1871 an attempt was made to create a new county by detachment of portions of Pettis, Johnson, Henry, and Benton Counties, under the name of Meadow County, of which Windsor was to be the county seat. The bill was favorably reported in the General Assembly, but was defeated, mainly through the influence exerted by residents of Clinton. Another attempt was made in the session of 1872-73, but this too was futile. March 30, 1900, the bonded debt of the county was $32,000 on account of the courthouse, and $498,000 on railroad indebtedness, the latter being a compromise issue on a basis of 75 per cent upon the original principal and defaulted interest. Henry County was, in 1900, in the Sixth Congressional District, the Sixteenth Senatorial District, and the Twenty-Ninth Judicial, Circuit.
The first general election was held in 1836. George B. Woodson was elected Representative, and succeeded himself twice. Joseph Montgomery was the first senator. The bench and bar of Henry County Judicial Circuit has been distinguished for ability. The first term of circuit count was held at the house of William Goff, September 23, 1835, Judge Charles H. Allen, presiding. His successors were: John F. Ryland, 1837; Foster P. Wright, 1845; W. P. Johnson, 1851; DeWitt C. Ballou, 1854; Foster P. Wright, 1859; Burr H., Emerson, 1862; David McGaugher, 1868; Foster P. Wright, 1873; James B. Gantt, 1880; D. A. DeArmond, 1886. Judge De Armond was elected to Congress in 1890, and succeeded by J. H. Lay, who completed the unexpired period and was elected in 1892 for a full term. W. W. Graves was elected in 1898. Among the earlier lawyers were DeWitt C. McNutt and William McCord, who were admitted to practice in 1838, Foster P Wright, who soon took a seat upon the bench; James L. England, Samuel L. Sawyer, Robert L. Stewart, Hamilton Carmichael and Waldo P. Johnson in 1839, Others who followed later were William Steele, Thomas Raffin, Mark. L. Means, Henderson Young, Robert G. Smart, R. L. Burge, and DeWitt C. Ballou. Among the resident members of the Henry County bar have been Asa C. Marvin, Paul F. Thornton, Robert Allen, Joshua Ladue, A. D. Ladue, J. B. Gantt, James Parks, Fred E. Savage, Robert C. McBeth, Banton G. Boone, Matthew A. Fyke, Samuel B. Orem, Charles T. Collins, Clement C. Dickinson, Hannibal H. Armstrong, Samuel E. Price, Charles A. Calvird, Alvin Haynie, Robert E. Lewis, Julius C. Jennings, Thomas M. Casey, P. M. Kistler, Theodore Thompson, E. C. Munson, James Wilson, E. A. Gracey, Henry F. Pogue, M. C. Campbell, C. I. Davis, Walter Owen, William Jeffries, J. H. Kyle, George S. Holliday, John I. Hinkle, P. A. Parks, Sterling P. Dorman, and Britts Gorman Boone, the latter succeeding his lamented father. Many of these have attained marked distinction, and are mentioned more fully elsewhere in this work.
Church edifices are spacious, and in most instances are of modern and handsome design; these are the Baptist, Catholic, Christian, German Evangelical, Methodist Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal South, Presbyterian, Cumberland Presbyterian, and Protestant Episcopal denominations. Churches are also maintained by the colored Baptists and Methodists.
The public schools were organized soon after the Civil War, with Rev. L. C. Marvin, Dr. G. Y. Salmon, and Judge J. G. Dorman as directors. The first superintendent was Aaron T. Bush, and he was assisted by Mrs. Richard Wooderson, Miss Irene Rogers (Mrs. B. G. Boone) and Miss Almira Parks (Mrs. A. M. Fulkerson). The first school building was a four-room, two-story frame structure, located about half a block west from the southwest corner of the square. The Franklin School, of six rooms, was built in 1870 at the northwest corner of Franklin and Third Streets, and the frame school building was moved to North Clinton and named "Lincoln School." This was occupied by the colored school until 1894, when it was destroyed by fire, and a four-room, two-story brick structure took its place. In 1881 six rooms were added to the west side of the Franklin building, and an east wing, consisting of six rooms, was built in 1883. Eight years later a six-room brick edifice was erected at the corner of Franklin Street and Orchard Avenue for the benefit of the children in the western part of the town. This school was named "Jefferson Park." The crowded conditions of the rooms necessitated still another schoolhouse and in 1893 Washington School, on the corner of Ohio and Sixth Streets, was built. Although there are eight rooms in that building at the present time (1900), only seven have been used. About four miles southeast from Clinton is Reid School, which, although it is in many respects but a rural school, yet is in the Clinton district and under the supervision of the city school. There have been fourteen superintendents since the war: Aaron T. Bush, 1865-66; Jack Townsend, 1866-67; J. A. De La Vergue, 1867-68; Mrs. Maggie Salisbury, 1868-69; C. L. Wells, 1869-70; L. M. Johnson, 1870-73; F. Rowe, 1873-74; J. N. Cook, 1874-76; E. W. Stowell, 1876-78; C. J. Harris, 1878-79; E. P. Lamkin, 1879-81; C. B. Reynolds, 1881-97; G. M. Holliday 1897-99; F. B. Owen, 1899. Since 1875 there have been 258 graduates from the high school. In 1897 the course was lengthened from three to four years, two courses - Latin scientific and English scientific - were offered, and the high school was placed on the list of approved schools of the State University. The preparatory work is divided into eight grades - four years primary and four years grammar. Upon the completion of the work in the grammar school certificates of admission into the high school are given. The school board is strictly non-partisan, each of the two political parties making one nomination each year. Growth of the schools may be shown by the following: Teachers employed in 1886, 18; 1891, 22; 1893, 27; 1895, 30; 1897, 32; 1898, 36; 1900, 37. Value of buildings and grounds, 1886, $40,000; 1891, $51,000; 1893, $65,000; 1897, $79,000. It is said that Judge J. G. Dorman, one of the prominent citizens of Clinton to-day, at one time knew the name of every child in the district, and that he was one of two who took the enumeration in about an hour's time. The report of the State superintendent for 1899 shows the following: Total enumeration, 2,131; total enrollment, 1,617; number of days school is maintained, 180; number of pupils that may be seated, 1,861; volumes in library, 1,125; value of library, $1,000; assessed value of taxable property, $1,452,680; levy for school purposes, $1 on $100.
Fraternal societies include a Masonic lodge, a chapter, a commandery, and a chapter of the Eastern Star; two lodges and an encampment of Odd Fellows; and lodges of the Knights of Pythias, United Workmen, Modern Woodmen, Woodmen of the World, the Maccabees, the Ancient Order of the Aegis, the Home Roofers, and the True Samaritan; the later order has its principal office here. In 1896 was organized Company F, Second Regiment Infantry, National Guard of Missouri, under command of Captain John W. White; it served with its Regiment during the Spanish-American War under Captain A. C. Landon, and under him resumed its place in the State military establishment after being mustered out of the service of the United States. The newspapers are the "Democrat," daily and weekly, Democratic, founded in 1868 by Joshua Ladue, and now conducted by Charles H. Whittaker & Son; the "Tribune," weekly, Democratic, founded in 1895 by Hutchison, Stark & McBridge; and purchased in 1897 by the present proprietors, E. R. and W. P. Lingle; the "Eye," weekly, democratic, founded in 1885 by its present proprietor, T. O. Smith; and the "Republican," the only Republican newspaper in the county, conducted by Harry H. and T. E. Mitchell; it is successor to the "Clinton Advocate," founded in 1845 by W. H. Lawrence, and purchased in 1891 by Harry H. Mitchell, who changed its name.
The oldest banking house is that of Salmon & Salmon, one of the pioneer financial institutions of southwest Missouri. It was founded December 1, 1866 by George Y. and Harve W. Salmon, and De Witt C. Stone; Stone retired in 1873, the Salmons buying his interest, and yet continuing in management. The capital is $50,000, the deposits are $600,000, and the loans are $500,000. The Citizens' Bank of Clinton was founded in 1872, as the First National Bank of Clinton; in 1894 it surrendered its charter and became a private bank under its present title; March 20, 1900, its capital was $25,000, its deposits were $115,000, and its loans were $90,000. The Brinkerhoff-Faris Trust and Savings Company, capital $150,000, was established in 1867 and incorporated in 1887.
The industries comprise two large roller process flour mills, a custom mill, a found and machine shop, an ice factory, and two pottery works, one operated by steam. Large shipments are made of live stock, grain, flax seed, broom corn, flour, pottery ware, coal, leather, and cigars. One and one-half miles southwest of Clinton, at the terminus of a horse-car line, are the beautiful grounds of the Artesian Park, containing a spacious lake, with hotel of three stories, basement, and attic, equipped with all modern conveniences, including dancing hall, billiard rooms and bowling alley, a pavilion, and boat and bath houses. The artesian well on the grounds discharges a palatable water, possessing known medicinal qualities, containing the chlorides of potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium,, the carbonates of magnesium and calcium,, sulphate of calcium, and sulhydric gas. The park is a favorite resort, and attracts visitors from considerable distances. Adjacent to this property, and owned by the same company, are the fair grounds of eighty acres, which afford annual exhibits of farm and garden products and are the scene of spirited contests in the speed ring. One and one-half miles east of Clinton is Englewood Cemetery, owned by the city, upon rolling and well shaded grounds, containing many artistic productions from the chisel of the sculptor.
Clinton was made the county seat of Rives County (see "Henry County") in November, 1836,, and the first sale of lots took place in February following. The first building erected on the site was a weather-boarded log house, built by Thomas B. and Benjamin F. Wallace, who opened a store, removing to it a stock of goods from their old location a mile northward. Others who soon put up buildings were John M. Reid, Asaph W. Bates and John Nave, the latter named opening the first tavern. In 1837, when the population of the town did not exceed fifty, the building of the courthouse was begun and a post office was established. The office was known as "Rives Court House" and retained this name for some time; Benjamin F. Wallace was the first postmaster and was succeeded by Frank Fields about 1841. In the latter year came Dr. Hobb, the first physician, and Preston Wise opened a dramshop. In 1843-44 the United State land office had been removed from Lexington and Daniel was receiver and John L. Yantis was register. Gold and silver were required in payment for public lands, and large quantities of specie were conveyed by wagon to St. Louis, guarded by armed men. One Turner was keeping a school in a frame building on what is now Franklin Street, near the public square; among his pupils were Dr. J. H. Britts, afterward a man of prominence; Mrs. B. L. Owen, and her sister, Mrs. Garth, and others. The population was then not much more than 100.
Religious meetings were held in the courthouse. The first preachers were itinerants, among who are remembered Frank Mitchell, a Methodist; Reece, a Cumberland Presbyterian; Longan, a Christian; and Marvin, a Universalist. The first church building was of frame, built in 1858 on the south side of the public square, on Main Street, by William Schroeder, a Methodist preacher; the building was occupied by preaches of various denominations as they made their visits. In 1858 the first newspaper appeared, the "Clinton Journal," Isaac E. Olney, publisher. It suspended publication in 1861. The town suffered no material damage during the Civil War, but industry and development were paralyzed. Progress was slow for some years after the restoration of peace. The first church building erected after the war, and next after the Schroeder church, was that of the Cumberland Presbyterians. It was a two-story brick structure; the lower floor was used for religious purposes; the upper story was used as a Masonic lodge room, and was occupied by the resuscitated Tebo Lodge No. 68, chartered in 1844 and suspended during the Civil war. Numerous churches organized in 1866, and began the erection of houses of worship. Among these were the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. the fruit of a revival held by Hugh R. Smith and J. H. Houx; the latter named had been invited to Clinton after his arrest under the provisions of the drake Constitution test oath, while conducting a revival at the Bear Creek camp ground in the south part of the county. In 1866 Salmon & Salmon opened a bank, and G. Sellers began the publication of the "Advocate" newspaper. Its first issued claimed for the town a population of 250. August 26, 1870, the first railway, the Tebo & Neosho, reached the town, and that dates the beginning of substantial development and prosperity of the place. Clinton was incorporated February 6, 1858; it became a city of the fourth class April 2, 1878, and a city of the third class February 24, 1886. Population inn 1900, 5,061.
Note 1: Misprint, actually founded in 1866.
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