xt747d2q7x4d https://exploreuk.uky.edu/dips/xt747d2q7x4d/data/mets.xml Missouri Missouri Historical Records Survey United States. Work Projects Administration. Division of Community Service Programs 1941 142 p.: ill., maps, pl.; 28 cm. UK holds archival copy for ASERL Collaborative Federal Depository Program libraries. Call Numer FW 4.14:M 69o/no.19 books English St. Louis, Mo.: the Survey This digital resource may be freely searched and displayed in accordance with U. S. copyright laws. Missouri Works Progress Administration Publications Archives -- Missouri -- Cass County -- Catalogs Cass County (Mo.) -- History -- Sources ;Cass County (Mo.) -- Genealogy Inventory of the County Archives of Missouri. No. 19. Cass County (Harrisonville) text Inventory of the County Archives of Missouri. No. 19. Cass County (Harrisonville) 1941 1941 2019 true xt747d2q7x4d section xt747d2q7x4d ;‘6 , IhVEnTORY  *
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INVENTORY OF THE COUNTY ARCHIVES
' OF MISSOURI -
. No. 19. CASS COUNTYIGIARRISONVILIE) i.
\ 'K 2 Prepared by
_ - I The Missouri Historical Records Survey
/ _ Division of Community Service Programs
, i Work Projects Administration

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,‘-‘:::;}:fv:‘,v.v fit; 1: a: u. * a:
h ‘ St._Louis, Missouri
g The Missouri Historical Records Survey
I 7 _ 1‘5 April 1 94 1
5.,_':::A,J:'-~J.sf 7 i

 V HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVEY PROJECTS . 2‘
' Sargent.B. Child. Director ,'

\ , A. Loyd Collins, State Supervisor
In, .
{57> 3:” ti; '1} {I '
so: at a: ’ .. - i.“
5;] «37 "‘3’? ”cf/J mi», ‘ ’ ‘
, 47/

:5, DIVISION OF

COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS

Florence Kerr,'Assistant Commissiouer -

7 ~ Mrs. Mary G. Moon, Chief Regional Supervisor

.if Lena B. Small, state Director ' ,
~ g. * * .
WORK PROJECTS ADMINISTRATION

Howard 0. Hunter, Commissioner .
George H. Field, RegionalDirector

B. M. Casteel, State Administrator

; #5:“? .t; 3 :5

2, i'Hr'z-‘z * * * I

2 : t ,.: ~; ~ 9.3.3“.

SPONSOR

Eff: Dwight H. Brown. Secretary of State

(lo-SPONSOR

" Cass County Court

 - i
1
: - '1
g ' ‘ FOREWORD ;
The Inventory of the County Archives of Missouri is one of a ‘;
numbeF'Ef—bibliographi§§_of historical materials preEnred throughout 3
4 the United States by workers on.the Historical Records Survey Program
" of the work Projects Administration. The publication herewith pre— _, ,
’ sented, an inventory of the archives of Cass County, is number 19 of i
, ‘I‘ the Missouri series. ' E
' The Historical Records Survey Program was undertaken in the winter é
‘ a of 1935u56 for the purpose of providing uSeful employment to needy :
unemployed historians, lawyers, teachers, and research and clerical g
i ' workers. In carrying out this objective, the project was organized '
to compile inventories of historical materials, particularly the
r‘ . ~ unpublished government documents and records which are basic in the
' , administration of local government, and which provide invaluable data
for students of political, economic, and social histOry. The archival '
' . guide herewith presented is intended to meet the requirements of day- ;
y ‘ to-day administration by the officials of the county, and also the
‘ needs of lawyers, business men, and other citizens who require facts
from the public records for the proper conduct of their affairs. The
p ‘ volume is so designed that it can be used by the historian in his ’
‘ research in unprinted sources in the same way he uses the library card ,
». catalog for printed sources.
\ The inventories produced by the Historical Records Survey Program
- attempt to do more than give merely a list of record - they attempt
' further to sketch the historical background of the county or other -
unit of government, and to describe precisely and in detail the organ- )
ization and functions of the government agencies whose records they ;
’ list. The county, town, and other local inventories for the entire -
. 1 country will, when completed, constitute an encyclopedia of local
government as well as a bibliOgraphy of local archives.
, The successful conclusion of the work of the Historical Records
Survey Program, even in a single county, would not be possible without ‘
V , the support of public officials, historical and legal specialists, and
many other groups in the community. Their cooperation is gratefully
acknowledged.
The Survey Program was organized by luther H. Evans, who served
. as Director until his appointment as Director of the Legislative ‘
Reference Service of the Library of Congress. He was succeeded on ‘
a ‘ March 1, 1940 by Sargent B. Child, who had served in the capacity of
Field Supervisor since the inauguration of the Survey. The Survey
Program operates as a Nationfiwide series of locally sponsored projects
in the Division of Professional and Service Projects, under the
_ administration of Mrs. Florence Kerr, Assistant Commissioner.
‘ HOWARD O. HUNTER
‘ Commissioner
W W“

 I PREFACE

35 The Historical Records Survey Program was initiated as a Nation-

? wide undertaking in'January 1936, as a part of the Federal writers'

i< Project of the Works Progress Administration, which was operating in

3? the State at that time. The Survey in Missouri became a separate unit

! of Federal Project No. 1 on October 15, 1936, and continued to operate

3 as a part of the Nationdwide project. By act of Congress Federal

{ Project No. 1 was abolished August 51, 1959, and the Missouri Project

g was converted into a Statedwide locally sponsored project under the

i administrative authority of Colonel B. M. Casteel, State Administrator,
E and the Director of the Professional and Service Division, Work Projects
i Administration. ‘

E The purpose of the Survey in Missouri is twofold: First, to list

é“ public records in county offices in a reference volume for the use of

§ county officials and the general public; second, to locate, classify,

d and catalog all extant county records so as to make them more easily

é) accessible to county officials, historians, and research workers. In
“I the official documents of Cass County is continued the story of civi-

% lization as it pushed westward from the Mississippi River. A compila-

3 tion of this valuable information is found within the pages of this

i Inventory of the Archives of Cass County. Preparation of complete in-
m '5? an ”oth'e‘r 'c'Suiti‘es‘in't'ht” "state, the larger cities , and

? other local government units is anticipated.

i The arrangement of agencies in Part B of the inventory classifies

5 them according to governmental function: Administration, registration '
i of property titles, administration of justice, law enforcement, finance,
E, elections, education, health, and miscellaneous. A short history of

$1 the agency is found in a section preceding the inventory of the records
§~ of each agency. Records'are classified, in general, according to the

g, agencies which make them, unless other disposition of the records is

g directed by law. Records have been classified under each agency, so

3 far as possible, according to the subjects with which they deal.

§ Records are described in entries whose style is formalized to give
i the following information: Title of record, date for which available,
g quantity, labeling of volumes or containers, variant titles, descrip-

g tion of record contents, manner of arrangement, indexing, nature of

g recording, size of volumes or containers, and location.

i The Survey is now engaged in preparing a comprehensive statement ‘
g of the general law regulating county government, to be entitled County
a Government in Missouri. It is expected that this book will serve—35*”
31 a HandBcoE'Bfi'thE'BFEEnization, structure, and evolution of county gov- '
{3 ernment and records in Missouri, and will make it unnecessary to repeat
a in each inventory information applicable to all counties in the State.

5 The inventory of the records of Cass County was prepared under the
: direction of Mr. A. Loyd Collins, District Supervisor. The field per-

; sonnel censisted of Frank Reading and Mary Crutcher. The survey was

f started on October 10, 1958 and completed August 15, 1939. The

E;

 .- v -
additional WOrk of abstracting the County Court Record, the preparation
of floor plans of the courthouse, and the writing of minor historical
essays has been done since that time by Frank M. Reading, Robert Pedigo
and Laura B. Jones. A complete recheck of the inventory was begun on
November 24, 1940 and completed on December 8, 1940 by Ruth west, Dis—
trict Supervisor. This recheck resulted in the final verification of
the record entries that are found in this volume.

The inventory was prepared for publication by the editorial staff
of the Survey in St. Louis under the direction of William H. Michell,
Assistant Supervisor. The historical sketch was written by O. H.
Gerard; the legal essays Were written by George Schlueter and Elmer
Dolphus. The record entries were prepared by Fred Eggersman, A. S.
Whyland, and E. R. Williams; and the index was furnished by thrie
Carroll. Credit is also given to the other workers of the staff who
assisted in the fields of legal and historical research and to those
who helped in the preparation of the book for mimoographing. The Mis-
souri staff has profited in all phases of its work by the constructive
advice and criticism of the thhington staff. This inventory in final
manuscript form was edited in the National office by Louise Boynton,
Assistant Editor, and further reviewed by Mabel S. Brodie, editor in
charge of public records inventories.

The Cass County Court has co-3ponsored this book and aided in

procuring certain materials necessary in mimeographing the volume.
The active cooperation of all the officials in Cass County has been '
an invaluable aid in due preparation of this inventory and I wish to
express appreciation for the assistance rendered by each of them. For
a list of county officials, see the following page. I also wish to
express appreciation for the cooperation rendered by Hon. Allen Glenn;
Oscar Dunn, ex sheriff; A. Ives Reid, ex treaSurer; prert G. Fulton,
ex clerk of the county court, deceased; and Mr. Frank Tuttle, editor,
Cass County Democrat, and the officials of the Missouri Historical
Society, the Missouri work Projects Administration, the St. Louis Law
Library Association, and the St. Iouis Public Library.

The various units of the Inventorv 3£_thg County.Archives 23
Missouri are being issued in mimeographed form for free distribution
to state and local officials and public libraries in Missouri, and to
a limited number of libraries and governmental units in other states.

, For publication of the Missouri Historical Records Survey, See the last
page of this inventory. Inquiries concerning particular units of the
inventory may be addressed to Colonel B. M. Casteel, State Administra-

. tor, work Projects Administration, 417 Bolivar Street, Jefferson City,

A. LOYD C LINS, State Supervisor
St. Louis, Missouri Historical Records Survey
March 1941.

 l E
E
E
' E
E LIST OF CASS COUNTY OFFICIALS
E - 1941 - ~
I E
, J
E HON. GEORGE w. JOHNSON .
E E Presiding Judge, County Court
‘ E
.' E HON. P. J. YENNIE
- E Associate Judge, Northern District
E . HON. R. HUGH BROWN
fiyE Associate Judge, Southern District ‘.
3| E
1E E HON. G. J. SMITH
f E Presiding Judge, Probate Court
”E FORREST OTT - .
j Clerk of Circuit Court
. DON LAND
V_; Clerk of County Court
R. c. KIMBERLIN
3.; , Recorder of Deeds
f GEORGE CHAMBERLIN
3 E Prosecuting Attorney
f; , CLAUDE YANCEY
g ; ‘ Sheriff
FRANK MICKELSON . . «
g 2 Treasurer .
DR. J. E. WENSLEY
; E ' ' Coroner _
.
1 MRS. EVA JONES '
1; Public Administrator
i w. H. RUSSELL
5, County Surveyor and Highway Engineer
‘j 1 ’ MISS MARY BOWLIN
j; Superinfiendontiof Public Schools
Ei ’

 ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MISSOURI HISTORICAL RECORDS SURVEY " {
Dr. John F. Herget, President, William Jewell * ' .
College and Missouri Baptist Historical Society.

‘ u a***$ " ’ I I '
John G. Putz, President, Cape Girardeau County 4
Historical Society. . w

*¥***
Henry C. Chiles, President, Lexington Historical ‘ .
Society. ‘ -
***** , 7 E '7
Prof. R. F. Weed, Associate Professor of History, ’
Central Missouri State Teacher's College; President,
Johnson County Historical Society. ‘
***$* ‘ ' v '
. Dr. Ralph P. Bieber, Professor of History, ' ‘
washington University. ' _ . . , r
_ ***** - ;
Dr. Uel W. Lamkin,. President, Northwest Missouri '- .
State Teacher's College. ,
I ****s. 4 ,.
George thlman, President, Macon County Historical
Society. , ,
***** ‘
Charles H. Whitaker, Sr., Editor, The Clinton Daily
Democrat. ’ '
. ***** I , ' '
Dr. C. H. McClure, Head of Division of Social Science,*
Northeast Missouri State Teacher's College.» ‘ ,;.
" ***** f _ _'_y
Dr. Jenas Viles, Professor or History, University'_o£
‘ Missouri. ' M " . _ -
. o, . ****:* . , . , . :
Dr,.E. A. Collins, state Teacher'S-College,' _ h” ‘7'
Cape Girardeau, Missouri., . . :’, .,r ,

 ' s
3 - 1 - '
E 1 TABLE or CONTENTS I
s a

ir' H A. Cass County and its Records System

‘LE County Map Of Missouri 0 o o o . o o I 3

I” H Cass County Map . . . . . . . . 4

f H

1- Historical Sketch n I o o o o c o 5
. E Physical Description. Early Settlers. Establishment
f E of County: creation and boundaries; townships; early

.g t officials; county seat and courthouses. Transportation:

g: E roads; railroads. Agriculture. Industry and Commerce.

i ,i Finances. Population. Education. Religion. Public

73 fl Welfare. Newspapers.

l M

g H 2. Governmental Organization‘ . . . . .. . 28

gig; General administration; township organization; taxation

3% H and revenue; budgets; expenditures; audits; elections;

%E M education; administration of justice; law enforcement;

fig ‘ recording; public works; public health; public welfare;

1:71 public buildings; agriculture. V ,

3’EE Chart of Government of Cass County . . . . 42

i E; 3. Housing, Care, and Accessibility of Records . . 43
i E1 Depository Charts . . . . . . . 44-48
E EE Courthouse Floor Plans . . . . . . 49-52
if EE - 4. Abbreviations, Symbols, and Explanatory Notes . . 53
2 EE B.’ County Offices and their Records
i EE 1. County Court . . ' . . -.‘ . . . . 55
g }E Proceedings. Bonds, Commissions, and Contracts.. Bond
fi 3E Issues. Schools: loans; property sales; plats and ‘
g E1 boundaries. Roads and Bridges. Fiscal Reports and
E ; Accounts: general; county and township settlements.
E f Fees. Licenses and Permits. Taxation: abatements;
g l judgments and executions. Public Welfare. Management
: g of County Property.
:1: E II» County Clerk 0 o o o I :\ u o a o 63
g M Elections. Schools: estimates, applications, and »
E E! npportionments; reports; land sales. Fiscal Reports
E [E and Accounts: fees; settlements. Taxation. Licenses,
E ii Certificates, and Affidavits: commercial; professional;
3} game and fish. Warrants. Vital Statistics. Military.
f H Agriculture. .
EEEE III. Recorder of Deeds . '.'I . . . . . . 73
E H Entry Book and Indexes. Real Property: deeds; mortgages ,
CSEE and deeds of trust; releases; wills; decrees, executions,
jEEE and attachments; maps and plats. Personal Property:
QEEE chattel mortgages. Candidatos‘ Statements. Fees. ,
IE3 marriages. Military. Miscellaneous.
E1
E IV. Circuit Court 0 o o o ‘A o o o o 80
,?§ Proceedings: index; case papers; minutes; dockets;
:E juvenile. Naturalization. Judgments and Executions.
1E5 Penalty Bonds. Miscellaneous.

 - 2 -
I
Table of Contents_ Page
- < i
v. Circuit Clork:. .‘ , -. a :5 . . a t 85
Judgments. Liens.r Qaths‘snd\Apvointments. Licenses
and Permits: professional; iirearmsi Fees and Costs: \
clerk's accounts; Civil; or minal; witnesses; jurors.
Orders and reports; probate. warrants. Miscellaneous.
VI. Court Of COImnOIl P199...) 3 a c o o o o 91
VII. Probate Court 9 o o o e o I c o 98
Proceedings: case papers; minutes; docket; claims
and demands. Estate Representatives: bonds and letters;
inventory and appraisals; settlements; notices; wills.
‘ Inheritance Tax. Fees and Costs. Receipts for Papers.
VIII. Public Administrator . . . . . . . 98
IX. Coroner . . . . ‘ . . . . . 99
X. Sheriff 0 o o o n o o O o 100
Office Records. writs, Executions, and Processes.
Fees and Costs. Marks and Brands. .
* XI. Prosecuting Attorney . . . . . . . 105
XII. Board of Equalization . . . . . . . 104
XIII. Treasurer and Ex Officio Collector . . . . 105
Accounts: general; settlements; warrants; fees.
’ Collectors Accounts: real estate and personal property;
' delinquents; back taxes; receipts.
‘ XIV. Superintendent of Public Schools . . . . . 109
Reports. Examinations. Miscellaneous.
XV. Deputy State Commissioner of Health . . . . 112
XVI. Social Security Commission . . . . . . 114
; XVII c Surveyor a o o a o o o o o 115
XVIII. Highway Commission . . . . . . . . 117
Km. Highway Engineer 0 o o o o o o o 117
XX. Farm Bureau 0 o o o o I c o o 118
' Bibliography . . . . . . . . . 119
Primary Sources: organic laws and statutes; court
reports; official reports; census reports; directories;
maps; newspapers. Secondary Sources.
C
Publications of the Missouri Historical Records Survey. 122
>
Index o o e o o o u o I 125

 HE E i
E '
55 I _ COUNTY MAP
:| OF
E MISSOURI
3: ‘EE , Showing Location Of Cass County
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MAPOF .
CASS COUNTY, MISSOURI
' .
I
: Jackson County :
2, 5LT ! y : 9
i-é 1. @314 F“ ! a !
.,, $2 ‘ a . 52%.! a
33, 253$ ' x ' g 3‘ E
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l Bates .
: 413W
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LEGEND
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Township Lines_._......__.
Highways Wm- /
Railroads ¢.~
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Scale: 1" = 6 Miles ’

 i ii? i
:1 a; E
E 3i, ~ 5 - 1'
,i W. (First entry, p. 55)

w ,‘4
L 1. HISTORICAL SKETCH *
. EEE Cass County is situated on tht western border of Nissouri, midway
ii between the northern and southern boundaries, and is bordered on the
u=‘H north by Jackson County, on the east by Johnson and Henry Counties, on
fl the south by Bates County, and on the west by Miami and Johnson Counties

: t of the State of Kansas. The South Grand River forms the eastexn half

p. {1 of the southern boundary line.

E E1 ~ Physical Description

3: 1"

:_, 1‘

s it The county is wholly within the division of the Osage Drainage

é EH Basin known as the South Grand, with the exception of a small portion
£13” in the extreme northWest corner,'which is in the Eissouri Drainage

SE d, Basin. The western half and the southeast quarter are drained by the
gfyt South Grand River and its principal tributaries known as South, East,

jȤ% Sugar, and Knob Greeks, and East and Joslin Branches. Big Creek and
fitEE. its affluents known as Prairie, Crawford, and Panther Creeks drain the
%.l}‘ northeast quarter.l

_. '21‘ ‘

i EL The climate of the county is temperate with long periods of mild,

;‘ t3 pleasant weather in the fall, and short mild winters. Zero Weather is

4 [3‘ rare before the month of January, and extremely cold Weather seldom

a}?i continues for more than 5 days at a time. The heat of summer is usu-

f f; ally tempered by southwest breezes.2 The average temperature, over a

g E! 53-year period, has been 53.50 and has varied from a low average of 27.30
E Ed: in Jhnuary to a high average of 77.70 in July. The highest temperature

% {HE recorded in the county up to 1950 was 112° above zero and the lowest was
a it? 28° below zero. Precipitation is well distributed throughout the year

5 it; but is greatest during the spring and summer months. The average annual
2.EG precipitation prior to 1950 was 57.77 inches, the lowest month being

g E“ January with an average of 1.55 inches and the highest month June with

E SE an average of 4.63 inches.5

5 E1.

5 3%. The highest point of elevation is in the northwest corner of the

E county where it is slightly over 1,100 feet above sea level. From this

g 311 point it slopes gently to 857 feet at the northeast corner, to 999 feet

E £31 in the southwest corner, and to 775 feet in the southeast corner.4 The

g ENE county covers an area of 712 square miles or 455,680 acres. The surface
g ‘h, configuration is dominantly undulatirg with occasional ridges and hills,
g [H: usually not more than 50 to 75 feet in elevation, and with broad flat

g id; bottoms along the larger streams. The features of the region clearly

: it: indicate the geological structure and relative resistance to erosion

f H}; of the interbedded shales, limestones, and sandstones composing the basal
E131} rocks of the region. Except for or occasional limestone knoll or low
giwii ridge, the extensive shale horizons are characterized by level or

2 WWW“
g§w31 1. Missouri Bureau of Geology and Mines, Drainage E§p_g£ Missouri.

gvét: 2. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Eigld_gpg£gtign§ 2:.EQ1 Bureau

E 1:} 3: Soils, 1912, Fourteenth Report, p. 1667, hereinafter cited as

E H U. S. Department of Agriculture, Field Qperations.

E h ‘ 3. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Clinatic Summary 3£_thg United

g H} States, sec. 54, pp. 10 and 19.

1 H 4. Missouri Bureau of Geology and Mines, Base EEE 3: Missouri.

El ‘
if EEE ;

‘."t - ;.

“ \ . i

 _ 6 -
r Historical Sketch - Early Settlers (First entry, p. 55)
Y
undulating tepography, which gives way to a more rolling relief where
:es the underlying limestone has been exposed. Only along the streams in
the limestone region is the surface broken and rough.

About 60 percent of the soil is Summit silt loam which occupies
the nearly flat to gently rolling country, and 17 percent is Crawford
silt loam which has a more uneven surface. Another 13 percent is '
Osage silt loam and is found along nearly all the streams and in the
valley bottoms. The remaining 10 percent is made up of Bates silt loam,
Osage clay, Crawford stony clay loam, Oswego silt loam, Summit stony
clay loam, and Eates loam.2 The forested areas of the county have always
been confined to the immediate vicinity of the streams or to small
areas of hill land in the southwestern part of the county. Along the

F streams, in the bottoms, and in more rugged areas, as well as where
' dampness prevailed, the area was forested with a variety of trees, of
which the principal species were black oak, elm, hickory, walnut, red
oak, white oak, ash, and cherry.5 ~ *
I
s L A Earlv Settlers
‘ The first settlement in the area that is now Cass County was
7 30 located in the northern part of the county very close to the Jackson
ré County line and was known as the Big Creek settlement. All authorities
was agree that David G. Eutterfield came to that region in 1827, but is is
r generally believed that he settled north of the Jackson County line
ual and that David Creek, who moved from Jackson County in 1828 and settled
' just south of the line, was the first white settler of the county.4
1h The appointment of Butterficld as assessor of Cass County in 1836
indicates that he may have been a resident of Cass County but the fact
has never been definitely cstablished.5 During the latter half of 1828
, Charles mycrs, William Johnson, Joel Walker, and the Lynch, Hanshaw,
': Farmer, and Hooper families came to the Big Creek settlement. The next
[‘3 settlement seenm to have been made near the present site of Harrison-
:et ville about 1830 by Jmmis Lackey, John Blythe, Humphrey Hunt, Dr.
;he Joseph Hodspeth, and a few others whose names were not recorded.
ice About this some tine James walker MCClellan, Sidney Adams, John Jack-
: S’ » son, and Hugh Horton formed the Horton settlement. v
r A settlement was founded in the extreme northeast corner of the
1 county in what is now Polk Township about the winter of 1830 or the
La” spring of 1831 by William Waran and his sons William Jr. and Hezekiah;
___________________._._.l._.___l______l_______a__._____.._______.__.___
-———- 1. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Field Operations, pp. 1663 f. -
2. Ibid., pp. 1676, 1677, 1681, and 16.-874: "“M ,
3. U. S. Department of Agriculture, Field Operations, p. 1665.
4. History of Cass and Fates Counties, Missouri, p. 117.
5. County CEErE Re03?d}_?517 A, p.57: see entry 2.
6. HiStory.2£ Cass 35E Bates Counties,‘fifihsouri, pp. 117 f.

 1 :
1 — 7 -
1 M ,
| Historical Sketch - Early Settlers (First entry, p. 55)
‘y William Butler and his sons William Jr., Jesse, and John, and the Riddle
W family.1 The Big Creek settlement was augmented during 1855 and 1834
“‘ii by the arrival of Jeremiah Z. Sloan, Andy Wilson, Joshua Adams, and
I“ “filliam Savage.2 Martin Rice and Henry Burris, who later were very
‘ f active in county affairs, settled in this vicinity in 1836 and 1857.3
, [2. Mastin Burris settled close to the present site of Harrisonville in
' 3 ‘ 1834 and was followed a year later by Fleming Harris.4 John Persons
1 [3 located in the extrenw southwest corner of the county in the present
' L ; Goldwater Township in 1831 and was joined 4 years later by Thomas
“ fl; Foster.5
“ifl‘l Among the other pioneers who settled in Cass County in the 1830's
ad 3; and early 1840's were such well known persons as: David and Isham Majors,
Li W James H. Williams, Leonard Bradbury, Joshua Flinn, William C. Burford,
$14 1 Alfred Bybee, Jesse Ragan, Wilson Davenport, Hugh G. Glenn, William
itji; Adams, Robert A. Brown, Themus Holloway, Lawson Ground, John Coughenour,
§,3|| E. L. Tuggle, J. F. Frocks, A. Logley, Peter France, Isaao‘Woolard,
* 1| 3 'W. Payne and J. S. Wheelem.6 , ‘
“ 1
‘ i"i Most of these pioneers came from Virginia, Kentucky, or Tennessee.
’ 3|? They were inured to hardships and were resourceful in utilizing all
' ;12 available materials. Their first buildings were a cross between heap
j 1 cabins and Indian bark huts. These were replaced by log cabins when
J 3?? enough men could be gotten together for a "cabin raising." The usual
; 1|} log cabin of the early pioneer was built of round logs notched together
a fi‘i at the corners, ribbed with poles, and covered with clapboards. A
E W ‘ puncheon floor was then laid down and a stick chimney erected. The house
i d‘= was then "chinked and daubed with mud.“ A clapboard door was hung on
i d;\ heme—made wooden hinges and fastened with an old-fashioned wooden latch.
3 i ‘ Windows were generally more openings in the walls. Greased paper,
} l i sometimes used to cover the openings, admitted a little light, but a
l § 2 window with a sash anl glass was a rarity and was evidence of wealth and
331 aristocracy.7
i d3?
3 3:} The securing of sufficient food to endure the rigors of frontier
} fifi life afforded the early settler additional Opportunities to demonstrate
i d;§ his resourcefulness. before mills were established he crushed hiatcorn
E 31} in a “hominy block," which was made of a section of tree and resembled a
{ 3| ; druggist's mortar. Flour made of wheat was "tramped out" on the ground
” [3“ by horses, cleaned with a sheet, and powdered by hand. Deer, wild
L W 1 turkey, and prairie chickens were plentiful, as also were fish in the
;,M1 ; many streams. Fresh meat was obtained thrOugh the cooperation of
n153 ; _____,_,__W_____~__________________,_________1‘_.._m__-__________n________
: } i 1. History of Cass and Bates Counties, Missouri, p. 256.
1 2. Ib‘i‘d“.“,"p‘.’2'2‘e“.‘“’ ““" _.__..._. W ““7““ .. -
f1 1;. ‘ 3. T533” pp..129 and 225.
i ‘l K 40 17013., pp. 167 f.
;; g 5. ism” pp. 151.
W 6. Tblaop pp. 4:39“7030
, f : 7. ibid., p. 128.
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Historical Sketch - Establishment (First entry, p. 55)
of County
neighbors. Whenever a beef, pig, or deer was killed, every family in
the neighborhood received some of the meat. The bounty paid by the
State for wolf scalps encouraged the trapping of wolves and provided
some of the money needed for those necessities that could not be pro-
duced locally.l
‘ Establishment of County
_Cr__e_a§____ion 222 Baavn__i
Cass County, originally named van Buren County, was tentatively
established on January 16, 1833 and was attached to Jackson County for
civil and military purposes.2 The actual organization occurred on
march 5, 1835 when the Missouri Legislature passed an act defining
the boundaries as folIOWS: "Beginning at a point on the middle of the
range twenty-nine, where the same intersects the township line between
townships forty-six and forty—seven, thence west with said township
line, to the state boundary; thence south with said state boundary to
a point where the township line, between townships thirtynnine and forty,
intersects the same; thence with said township line east, to the range
line betWeen ranges twenty-eight and twanty-nine; thence north along
said range line, to a point three miles east of the southwest corner
of Johnson county; thence west to the southwest corner of Johnson
county; thence north along the middle of range twenty-nine, or Johnson
county line, to the point of beginning."3
Bates County, which had been tentatively established by the same
act that established Van Buren County and had also been attached to
Jackson County, was now attached to Van Buren County for civil and
military purposes,4 but was detached on January 29, 1841 when the
legislature gave Bates County the full status of a county.5
_ On February 2, 1841, a strip of land 6 miles wide was detached
from the southern part of Van Enron and added to Bates County. The
southern boundary of van Buren County was then defined as follows:
"Beginning on the range line between ranges twenty-eight and twenty- “
nine, west, where the line between townships forty and forty-one,
north,