DEEPWATER TOWNSHIP

 

When Settled

      This township was settled in 1835 and the first settler was a man by the name of Morris. He settled on Deepwater Creek on section 7. Another by the name of Shelton settled about two miles down the Creek on section 5. These were the first two.

      The Graggs came in 1837, so also did William McCown. John C, Stone came in 1839, but late in the year William Tyree, the oldest man in Henry County, now living at the age of ninety-two years, settled on section 18. Henry Walbert and his sister, Elizabeth, settled on Section 4. John Schmedding lived with the Walbert's, and in the next year, 1840, married Elizabeth Walbert. The marriage ceremony was at the residence of the bride's brother and was performed by the Rev. Amasa Jones. This was the first wedding in the township.

      The township was then called Grand River, but an influx of Settlers in 1839 and 1840 caused a new township to be formed, called "Deepwater."

      The township is noted for its beautiful prairies, high and rolling, its wooded streams, rich soil and its productive capacity. It lies in the extreme southwest corner of the county, and fully one-half of the township is tributary in the way of trade to Appleton City and the other half to Montrose. A branch of Deepwater rises, with numerous heads fed by springs, in the west and southern central part of the township, and, running east, leaves the township near the center on the east side.

      Main Deepwater enters the township from Bates County a little over three miles from its southern border, and passes through to the northwestern part of the township, and with its branches, gives an abundance of water for all farm purposes. The stretch of prairie which covers two-thirds of the township in a body running from the northeast to the southwest, sloping from the divide, both east and west, is as pretty a piece of tillable land as this or any other county can boast of, and is free from the hard pan which underlies so much of the prairie land in the southeast portion of Bates County.

      The township is now six miles square, being a congressional township, but when taken from Grand River Township, or as originally organized, it was composed of all of the present townships of Deepwater, Walker, a part of White Oak, all of Bear Creek, and a portion of Davis, Clinton and Fairview. A month later the line was changed, leaving out Clinton and Fairview. It was a pretty good sized township and remained so for years. Here is its first organization:

 

Deepwater

      The township was organized in July 1840, and its metes and bounds were defined with the following order: "Ordered that an additional township be taken off of Grand River Township to be called "Deepwater," as follows: Beginning at the county line of Van Buren County, (now Cass) on the divide between Grand River and Deepwater; thence down said divide in a northeasterly direction to the range line between 25 and 26 (in August following it was changed to range line between 26 and 27); thence south to the county line; thence west to the southwest corner of Rives County; thence to the beginning."

      The first election was at the regular annual election in August. The judges were John C. Stone, Alexander Gragg and William McCown, and the election precinct was the house of Alexander Gragg. Who was elected or to what offices was not of record. Mr. Alexander Gragg, however, was appointed a justice of the peace for the township on the following June, 1841.

 

Arrivals

      In 1842 quite a number of settlers had moved to the township. At that time Deepwater was the principal point of settlement all along its banks, and much of which is now Walker Township, was located with claims, the new comers following the stream, sometimes going a half a mile or more from it, but keeping water and timber in close companionship. In 1857 Dr. Stewart built the first house at Germantown, and Jacob Goldsmith had the first store there the same year. This store was in a little frame building Dr. Stewart put up for his office and Mr. Goldsmith moved into it. The doctor then put up a larger building into which Goldsmith moved. The town was built on Mark Stewart's land. The doctor's residence was some 200 yards from the place where this new store was located, and Mr. Goldsmith boarded with the doctor.

      A person by the name of McClenhan also moved there, and it became quite a settlement and eventually a town. John H. Austin bought a lot something like a half acre in 1857 and paid $38 for it.

      Deepwater Post Office was first opened at John C. Stone's, in 1850. His cabin was some three miles east of Germantown, on section 1. He held the office for some five years, when John H. Austin took it to his cabin, on section 34, now Walker Township, until 1860, when James Gates, from Kentucky, took it and located it at his cabin on section 22, two miles north of Austin. It remained there two years, and it was returned to Mrs. Austin's, a widow, where it remained late in 1864. The office was removed to Germantown, with Edwin Taylor as the first postmaster. He was at the time a mail contractor on a "star route," but that was a good many years ago, before "Brady and Dorsey" had achieved greatness and notoriety. The post office was still called Deepwater, and its name was really never changed. The office was, however, discontinued. Germantown is now dead, but it had once a living history. What was death to Germantown was life to Montrose, and this life and death was caused by the location of the then Tebo & Neosho Railroad, now the Missouri, Kansas and Texas Division of the Missouri Pacific.

      William Tyree was the first man to settle on the open prairie, and it took six yoke of oxen to break them. The Indians roamed through the country for several years after the white settlers made it their home, but they were never troublesome.

      The first church was a Catholic Church, built on Mr. Schmedding's land, about one and a half miles from where Germantown was afterwards located.

      Deepwater Township settled up steadily. There was no rush of immigrants, but as the years passed by, it attracted the attention of prospectors, who invariably made it their home when farming was their desire.

 

Village of Germantown

      When the village of Germantown started in 1857 the Catholics removed their church there. The southwestern portion of the township did not settle up until several years later.

      Germantown, however, became quite a village, and it was the business point of quite an extensive scope of country. The settlers on the eastern side of Bates County done most of their trading there, and it probably suffered less than most villages during the civil war. There was not much - only a store or two and a half dozen families - to tempt the cupidity of either the Jayhawkers or the Bushwhackers. Until 1870 Germantown seemed to have a bright future, but the location of the railroad three miles away gave it its death blow.

      At that time, 1870, the village had three general stores, one furniture store, two grocery stores, one drug store, two blacksmith shops and one saloon.

      When Montrose was located the town moved bodily over to the station and only one grocery store of all the business houses remained, and that was the last of this old settler.

      The Catholic Church, the old stone church, still remains there, and has since been enlarged and improved. The history of this church was promised the writer, but for some reason has never come to hand, although twice sought. This may also be said of the Methodist Church North, Catholic and Baptist Churches of Montrose. The "Stone Chapel" was organized by the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in 1866 at Germantown. In 1869 the name was changed to "Camp Branch," and in April, 1871, to the Montrose Cumberland Presbyterian Church. The building at Germantown was purchased by the Catholic congregation at that place, and this is the church which was added to and otherwise improved.

 

How It Grew

      Deepwater under its old boundary of three or four of the present sized townships, improved about as rapidly as any section of the county. It was the second township in point of population in the county in 1870. It then had a population of 2,055. At the census of 1880 it contained 1,652 inhabitants, after a territory equal to three congressional townships had been taken from it. It is now fourth on the list, being led first by Clinton, then Windsor and Tebo, the latter having but seventy-three greater population. In 1872 it was divided into two voting precincts. In 1871 Montrose was founded, and in 1872 it had its first fire, on the night of September 14th, burning Chamberlain & Co.'s agricultural warerooms - loss $4,000; Boyd & Bro.'s dry goods - loss $5,000; the city scales and two stacks of hay. The fire was supposed to have been the work of an incendiary, who first robbed and then set fire to Boyd's store. Their money drawer was found during the following day in Kerr's lumber yard, minus its contents. In 1873, under the new township organization law, its metes bounds were thus given:

 

NO. 16 - Deepwater

      Composed of all of congressional township No. 40, of range No. 28 The first election under the new law and within its present bounds, resulted as follows:

 

Supervisor - M. A. Stewart

Clerk - W. F. Carter

Assessor - Van Brown

Collector - Joseph Patton

Constable - William E. Bundy

Justices of the Peace - E. Z. Davis, George W. Dunn

 

      The township is settling quite fast and its capital city, Montrose, is considered one of the growing cities of the county, and a shipping point of considerable importance. Its history is here appended.

 

Town of Montrose

      is located on a part of sections 13 and 14, on lands of Joseph Patton and D. C. Cross. Mr. Brad Robinson built the first house and also was the first merchant in the place, but was soon followed by the greater part of the business houses of Germantown. The town started out with quite a population, receiving most of the inhabitants of Germantown, as above stated, and the business concentrated at that point. It fairly started in 1871 and in 1872 was well under way as a thriving town. It continued to grow until the night of March 24,1875, when what is known as the "big fire" took place which swept Kansas Avenue from Fourth Street to the railroad, the main business block of the city, destroying eleven business houses and their contents, aggregating nearly $75,000. It seemed like a death blow, but the business men met their fate like veterans and at once went to work to rebuild their waste places, and regain their fallen fortune. Just one year before the town had been incorporated and the records of the year were burned. The Cumberland Presbyterian Church records were destroyed, and the post office lay amidst the burning ruins. But never say die while heart and brain and willing hands were left and Montrose arose from her ashes.

 

Incorporation of Montrose

      The petition for the incorporation of the "Town of Montrose," was presented to the court for action July 23, 1874, and the court granted the prayer of the petitioners the same day, in words following:

      "Now at this day comes Joseph Capehart, attorney for petitioners, and presents to the court here a petition signed by more than two-thirds of the taxable inhabitants of the town of Montrose, in said Henry County, Missouri, setting forth the metes and bounds of their town and commons, and praying that they may be incorporated, and a police established for their local government, and for the preservation and regulation of any commons, appertaining to such town. And the same coming on to be heard by the court, and the same being heard and fully understood, and the court being satisfied that two-thirds of the taxable inhabitants of said town of Montrose, within the metes and bounds sought to be incorporated, have signed the petition here for, and that the prayer of said petitioners is reasonable. It is therefore ordered adjudged and decreed, and the court doth declare that the town of Montrose, in the county of Henry and state of Missouri, and the territory in the following metes and bounds, to wit:

      Commencing at the southwest corner of section 13; (township and range not stated); thence due east 48 1/3 yards to Mr. Patton's land; thence north 96 2/3 yards; thence east 101 2/3 thence north 100 yards; thence east 290 yards to the quarter section line; thence north on said line 660 yards to the half mile line; thence west on said line, crossing into section number 14, 880 yards; thence south 880 yards to section 23; thence south on said line of section 23, 220 yards; thence east 440 yards to section line dividing sections 23 and 22; thence on said line 220 yards to place of beginning, be and the same is hereby duly incorporated under the name and style of the Inhabitants of the Town of Montrose, and the court doth further appoint and designate J. G. Thornton, J. D. Cox, W. W. Childs, W. H. Merrick and J. B. McKay, inhabitants and householders of said town, as a board of trustees of the inhabitants of the town of Montrose, to continue in office as such trustees until their successors are elected and qualified."

      From that day the town grew and prospered, and after the fire again took a start, which it has kept up, and it still maintains itself as the third business station on the road in the county. They have a fire about once a year, but the one of 1872, and that of 1875, are the only ones specially remembered.

 

After The Fire

      The board of trustees met March 30, 1875, and took into consideration the general situation. They caused a Synopsis of the records of the preceding year to be written up from memory so far as possible, to remedy the loss by fire.

      A jail was built for $87 by John Culbertson, and a public well was dug by the city and a force pump purchased by the business men and property holders. The pump was guaranteed against frost and $30 was paid for it, but it froze solid, and this somewhat disgusted the purchasers and showed them how far a pump man would go to effect a sale and a sell.

      The town trustees also investigated the origin of the "big fire," and summed up their verdict as follows:

      "That the fire originated in the post office through the use of a defective stove."

      The citizens' verdict was, the stove was attended by a "defective man," and the two together may be said to have been the real cause of the fire. Like almost all similar cases, the "two defectives" lost a good deal less than anybody else.

 

Finances

      The board of trustees also examined their financial standing after the fire, and their statement is given below:

 

J. Culbertson, calaboose	$87.00
W. H. Davis, printing	23.00
Trustee's salary	61.00
Trustee and clerk (both one	20.00
Total debt, April 5, 1875	$191.00

 

      The old board of trustees were re-elected, except J. D. Cox, who was succeeded by William F. Carter, but there were a dozen changes or so during the year, both among the trustees and the appointments of the board. A sort of a chronic fit of resignation possessed them.

      They collected a tax of $96, and the old board of trustees who held longest deducted $10 each from their account, and two others who had only earned some $2 and $3 each contributed this sum to the general fund and bankruptcy was driven off. There were some few changes and resignations in 1876, but not so bad as the previous year.

      The most serious trouble was with the town marshal. This official got a salary the first year of $10, and having commenced to build a fine residence befitting his station, he found himself short, and, cormorant like, wanted his salary raised. He did not plead in vain, and he got $1.50 per month that year, that of 1877.

      The town election was held in April, 1877, and the following constituted the board:

 

Joseph Lennartz, Chairman

William Drummond, Trustee

T. A. Murray, Treasurer

E. Z. Davis, Collector

Robert Mesic, Clerk

E. B. Suggs, Marshal

William M. Kerr, Assessor

 

1878

E. Z. Davis, Chairman

J. B. Alspach, Trustee

Thomas A. Murray, Clerk

Dr. Charles H. Watkins, Treasurer

William J. Strawn, Assessor and Collector

 

1879

Elisha Blew, Chairman

Dr. Charles H. Watkins, Treasurer

0. F. Johnson, Clerk

J. B. Alspach, Trustee

L. P. Klutts, Trustee

John Howard, Marshal

 

      In 1878 the town marshal again came to the front and got an increase of salary. This time about $30 per year, but in 1879 the board of trustees were satisfied that he was accumulating too much wealth, and promptly reduced his salary to $2 per month, allowing him the privilege of paying his own board and washing, as usual. Mr. John Howard was the marshal, and he stuck it out that year, but in 1880 he closed down on the board, and demanded $50 per annum or no marshal. He got it.

 

1880

Elisha Blew, Chairman

John Key, Treasurer

Henry Walbert, Collector

O. F. Johnson, Clerk

J. J. Knowlton, Trustee

John Howard, Marshal

 

      The meetings of the board that year were about half the time signed, 0. F. Johnson & Co., clerk, getting his clerkship slightly mixed.

      The year 1881 opened with some real progress. Many good buildings were erected, and the fire of six years before, if not forgotten, at least was not thought of, only in connection with a little more prudence and caution. The finances of the town began to improve, the marshal's salary was raised to $10 per month, in lieu of $10 per annum, the salary of its first year. The new board was: James Lennartz, chairman; Leonard Bell, J. W. Dawson, Vincent Gwynn, and George W. Dunn, the latter being also clerk. This was another year of resignations and changes.

 

FINANCIAL

Taxes received for the year ending April 5, 1882	$446.70
On hand, April 1881	99.40
Total	546.10
Paid out	496.37
Balance	$49.73

 

1882

James H. Vicars, Chairman

J. J. Knowlton, Trustee

J. B. Alspach, Trustee

W. I. Strawn, Trustee

J. H. Vicars, Trustee

George W. Dunn, Trustee

G. W. Dunn, Clerk

J. J. Knowlton, Treasurer

W. I. Strawn, Collector, and elected Marshal at $16 per month

 

      A petition was presented to the board of trustees at their June meeting, 1882, to submit to the citizens the proposition to form a city of the fourth class. It was favorably acted upon, and the town, July 24th, divided into two wards. The election came off September 4th, 1882, and carried pretty unanimously. A ticket for mayor and councilmen was put forth, and elected at the same time. The ticket which gave the first offices of the city government was as follows:

 

1882 City Officers Elected

George W. Dunn, Mayor

J. W. Murfield, Alderman

J. B. Alspach, Alderman

A. E. Daswell, Alderman

Joseph Lennartz, Alderman

A. E. Daswell, President

T. C. Linn, Clerk

H. S. Marvin, Treasurer

W. C. McDonnell, Marshal and Street Commissioner

 

Salary mayor	$50
Each alderman	25
Clerk	50
Marshal	300

 

      The first meeting of the city council was September 12th, 1882.

 

Churches

      The first church erected in Montrose was the Baptist Church, it being removed from Germantown almost bodily in 1871. This same church was blown down in 1882, when a heavy wind storm passed over the city. It has been again rebuilt, and a very neat place of worship is furnished the congregation. There is a Catholic Church, put up a few years since. This is not a large, but pleasantly located church.

      The Methodist Church has no church edifice of its own, but is in a flourishing condition with strong hopes of being able to erect a church before many months have passed. The promises of a more extended history of these churches have failed to reach the writer.

 

First Presbyterian Church

      was established in 1871, the Rev. Benjamin F. Powelson being its first pastor. He was followed by Rev. William Newton in 1873; Rev. R. Dodd, in 1874; Rev. James Watkins, in 1879, and the present pastor is the Rev. James Allen. The church has a membership of forty-five and has a handsome church building erected at a cost of $1,400.

 

Cumberland Presbyterian Church

      was erected in 1872 at the cost of $1,500. The church has been steadily growing since its organization. At the "big fire " in March, 1875, the church papers and records in the possession of Mr. J. G. Thornton, clerk of the session, were burned with his store and contents. The membership of the church at the time was sixty-one, and the board of elders were James Patten, J. G. Thornton, Adam Shamberger and James Gilbert.

      Board of Deacons - Robert Mesic, Isaac Langley, and E. Z. Davis.

      The church was dedicated July 11, 1876, and the dedication sermon

was by the Rev. Moad, of Clinton.

 

January 1883

Deacons - Isaac Langley, Hugh Patton.

Elders - J. V. Ingles, Joseph Patton, James Gilbert and J. G. Thornton

Its membership now numbers 105.

 

M. E. Church, South

      The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, numbers a membership of thirty, with a large attendance. The denomination are now erecting a handsome and substantial place of worship, which is expected to be fully completed first of April. Finished the cost will be $2,000, and when furnished something over that sum. The church was organized in 1876, and its first pastor was the Rev. R. H. Shafer, and followed in the order named by the Rev. Bathurts, T. D. Payree, and S. P. Sicloll. The present pastor is the Rev. Mr. Briggs.

 

Educational Interests

      The first school taught under the auspices of the Montrose School Board was in 1870 in an old house in the woods, one mile south of the town. A Mr. Black was the teacher.

      In 1871, Mr. Ching taught in a house. which stood near the present site of the depot. He also taught a term in the Baptist Church. The building was destroyed by the cyclone in April 1882. In the winter of 1872, a Mr. Wheeler and Miss Ada Taylor taught in a warehouse, near the English House. Mr. Wheeler was discharged on account of intemperance. The Presbyterian Church was the next building used as a school room, Mr. Powelson and Mattie Parks being employed as teachers In 1873, the present building was erected by Mr. Culbertson, of Illinois. Mr. Hanna was the first teacher, and he was succeeded by Mr. Powelson again, assisted by Miss Effie May. He was employed again, but taught but a short time, there being some dissatisfaction. Mr. Parks finished the term and continued in the school for three years. In 1879. Mr. Head was employed with Miss Mary Gathright as assistant, but the former only a short time, Mr. Milton completing the term. The latter was followed by W. H. Smith, who succeeded in grading the school and secured the adoption of the rules and course of study. He was succeeded by J. M. Thompson, and in 1882 Mr. J. Meyers, with M. T. Lynn, and Miss O. M. Gorham were employed. Mr. Meyers was discharged at the end of three months, he being the fifth teacher discharged from the Montrose schools in a space of ten years. The school is at present under the management of G. K. Madison.

      The district was extended in 1878, to include some contiguous territory.

      The enumeration for the last three years has been in 1880, 192

scholars, in 1881, 200, and in 1882, 216.

      The school building is a large two story frame building, two rooms above and two below, with a vestibule. It is not yet quite finished, but to this time, $1,800 have been expended. To complete it as it is intended, will require nearly, if not quite, $500 more. It is situated on a handsome lot, and convenient, being centrally located in the city.

      In addition to the graded school there are five other public schools in the township, all in a progressive condition.

 

A. O. U. W.

      Beacon Lodge, No. 148, was organized in Montrose, August 11, 1879, With the following charter members:

E. W. Berry

J. J. Knowlton

W. R. Smoot

James Bennett

H. W. Fennimore

Al. Booher

D. C. Cross

G. W. Dunn

O. D. Allison

William Drummond

E. Daswell

Andrew Wall

Charles H. Watkins

William Johnson

William Clagan

Seth Caldwell

Sol. Kahn

Mathias Hagman

Matthew Mitchell

Louis Hutchinson

William Vance

Peter Niggly

G. W. Kountz

J. O. Clark

L. P. Slaughter

 

Officers

E. W. Berry, M. W.

J. J. Knowlton, P. M. W.

W. R. Smoot, G.

H. W. Fennimore, F. S.

Andrew Wall, Receiver

A. E. Daswell, Recorder

James Bennett, Foreman

D. C. Cross, Overseer

William Drummond, I. W.

Al. Booher, 0. W.

Charles H. Walkins, E. P.

 

      The Beacon Lodge united, or amalgamated, on August 11, 1882, with St. Clair Lodge, No. 104, of Appleton City. The membership at Montrose is eighteen. Election for officers of the order took place at Appleton City, January 3, 1883. A further report of the order will be found in the history of Appleton City, in another part of this work.

      In 1880 a paper was started, called the Montrose Village News but it was published, but some three or four months and then suspended. Doubtless the town would support a Weekly paper, giving good evidence of ability to publish local news. It would prove of great value to the town.

 

Its Shipping Interests

      The following shows the shipments from Montrose from September 1881 to September 1882, just one year. It is a handsome showing and taken by A. E. Daswell from the books:

 

	No. Cars
Cattle	223
Hogs	145
Horses	2
Sheep	4
Flax seed	71
Wheat	25
Oats	16
Corn	5
Broom corn	19
Iron	2
Household goods	5
Machinery	1
Total	518

 

Station receipts from freight and tickets $36,000 per year.

 

Montrose Business Houses

J. K. Whitehead & Son, hardware, implements and furniture

J. G. Thornton, druggist

Dr. Schilling, M. D. and surgeon

G. W. Dunn, lawyer, real estate and insurance agent

W. A. Campbell & Bro., shoe shop

Wright & Coles, dry goods and clothing

O. F. Johnson, hardware and furniture

W. E. Ford, barber

R. A. Guynn, druggist

T. M. Miller, butcher

L. P. Klutts, harness shop

Dorman & Son, dry goods

R. D. Coleman, confectioner

P. Applenalp, saddlery

Mrs. W. Balderson, millinery

T. M. Miller, groceries

Misses Feland, dressmakers

Mrs. A. Gardner, milliner and dressmaker

F. M. Curtis, groceries

H. S. Marvin, banker

J. H. Vickars, real estate agent

George Coleman, notion house

J. B. Mackay, druggist

William Kloer, blacksmith

V. Moseman, wagon maker

Dr. E. S. Moad, physician and surgeon

Dr. C. H. Watkins, physician and surgeon

D. B. Watts, photographer

D. M. Giltner, barber

J. W. Murfield, confectioner

J. Emert, watchmaker

Misses Sparks & Tucker, milliners

Baum Bros., dry goods and clothing

G. A. Van Hall, saloon

Sol. Kahn, dry goods and clothing

O. F. Johnson, grain dealer

J. D. Erhart, restaurant and baker

S. Paxton, grain dealer and elevator

S. Pettit, hotel

Ed. Taylor, liveryman

W. Y. English, hotel

S. Paxton, miller

J. J. Knowlton, miller

J. J. Knowlton, lumber yard

Blew Bros., lumber yard

W. A. Best, wagon maker

W. H. Balderson, blacksmith

 

Banking House of H. S. Marvin & Co.

      The following is a statement of the financial condition of the bank at the close of business on the 15th day of December 1882:

 

Resources

Loans undoubtedly good on personal or collateral security	3,471.65
Due from other banks good on sight draft	5,323.02
Furniture and fixtures	584.25
Checks and other cash items	101.00
Bills of national banks and legal tender United States notes	2,374.00
Gold coin	25.00
Silver coin	605.93
Total	12,484.85

 

Liabilities

Capital stock paid in	5,000.00
Undivided profits	27.33
Deposits subject to draft, at sight	7,257.52
Deposits subject to draft, at given dates	200.00
Total	12,484.85

 

      It is mentioned previously that the Baptist Church was destroyed by a wind storm in 1882. This storm also destroyed the Campbellite Church, the business house of Mr. Gragg and two residences, one of which was completely destroyed, no portion being found. This was the most violent storm ever experienced by the city.

      In closing the history of Deepwater, we cannot do better than to give a short biographical sketch of Mr. William Tyree, one of its earliest settlers and the oldest man now living in Henry County, who will reach the age of ninety-two years on June 10, next. Not only this but he is a remarkable man, and his health and strength is wonderful for one of his years. The article is taken from the Henry County Democrat of August, 1882.

      William Tyree was born in Amherst County, Virginia, June 10, 1791. He was taken to Tennessee while yet an infant, grew up there, and about 1820 was married to Anna Manning. His family was one of the three families who moved to Cooper County, Missouri, in 1829. In those days emigrants often carried all their effects on horseback and moved that way. Mr. Tyree once saw a woman leading a cow on which were packed her bed and two children. But this party of emigrants had quite an aristocratic outfit. They made up a four-horse team, attached it to a large wagon to haul the goods and feeble ones of the party. They numbered twenty-one persons in all. Mr. Tyree had $2 left when he reached Missouri.

      After two years' residence in Cooper County Mr. Tyree moved to Johnson County and lived there until 1839, when he moved to the southwest part of Henry County and settled on the south side of Deepwater in what is now section 18, township 40, range 28. He set up a blacksmith shop, it being the only one for an unknown distance southwest to Clinton. The houses of those days were, of course, without windows, as glass was very scarce. They were log cabins with puncheon floors and roofed with shakes.

      Provisions were plenty, as deer, turkeys, wild honey and wild fruit were abundant. Stock lived the greater part of the year on the range, and what grain was needed was easily raised. Hogs would multiply and grow fat on the mast alone. They kept sheep, raised flax and cotton and manufactured all their wearing apparel. To be sure, their market was not very good, but that mattered little, as they raised all they needed, and taxes were low. The greed for the almighty dollar was not so universal as now. People were all Sociable, and a friendly spirit existed among the pioneers.

      Mr. Tyree divided his time between farming, blacksmithing and hunting. He has killed and brought home five deer in a day. One fall he killed five bucks before he missed a shot. People came great distances to his shop to get plows made and sharpened. He made a plow for a man named Gilbert that turned a furrow two feet wide, and as he was plowing with it on the south side of Osage River, three miles below Papinville, he brought to light a ton of iron that had been buried by a mission party, who had there met with Indian troubles some years before Harmony Mission was established. Mr. Tyree bought considerable of the iron at five cents per pound. There were some guns with it ruined by rust, but the iron was of excellent quality.

      Schmedding at Germantown, two miles away, was the nearest neighbor in Henry County. Hiram Snodgrass, over in Bates, was only a quarter of a mile away. There were only fifteen or twenty houses in Clinton.

      On account of so much sickness in the family, Mr. Tyree in a few years moved away from the creek to the high prairie, near where he now lives, three miles southwest of Montrose, and that immediate neighborhood has ever since been his home. Plenty of Indians were about, but they gave the settlers no trouble.

      When the civil war came on Mr. Tyree favored the south, but the family were not unanimous, as one son, William, went into the Confederate army, and one, Levi, into the home guards. Being seventy years old at the outbreak of the war, he did no military duty.

      He yet retains his faculties to a remarkable degree, shoots his rifle with the same unerring aim as of old and does not use glasses to aid his sight. Three years since he got a ten dollar prize at the fair at Appleton City for presenting the scalps of ninety rabbits killed by himself. A few weeks since he walked four miles to the timber, cut and split eighty-eight rails, and walked back, reaching home at four o'clock. He remarked to the reporter that he could easily have made out the 100, but for the walk that tired him. He challenges any man living who is over seventy years old to compete with him in shooting, walking, and rail making. As he was ninety-one June 10, 1882, this is offering heavy odds. Mrs. Tyree died March 3, 1875. They raised six children.

      The first, Elizabeth, is now Mrs. Stewart, who lives in north Missouri. The second, Levi, lives near his father. The third, William, was killed in the southern army. The fourth, Joseph, lives with his father. Jerry and Francis were both killed by lightning.

 

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