CHAPTER XX

SPRUCE TOWNSHIP -- JOHNSTOWN -- BALLARD POSTOFFICE -- DEEPWATER TOWNSHIP -- SPRUCE VILLAGE -- SUMMIT TOWNSHIP -- MT. PLEASANT TOWNSHIP -- BUTLER -- CHARLOTTE TOWNSHIP -- VIRGINIA POSTOFFICE -- HOMER TOWNSHIP -- MULBERRY -- AMORET -- WALNUT TOWNSHIP -- MARVEL -- LOUISVILLE -- WALNUT POSTOFFICE -- WORLAND -- FOSTER

Spruce lies east of Shawnee, and its eastern line is the county line between Bates and Henry. The lands are rolling, but it is one of the richest corn-producing townships in the county. There is abundant timber. It is drained by Peter and Cove creeks, flowing north, and Stewart's creek, flowing southeast, and its tributaries.

James Stewart was the first settler in 1832. He located where Johnstown now is, and Stewart's creek took its name from him. He was a blacksmith, came from Lafayette county, remained a few years and then went to Johnson county. John Pyle came from Kentucky in 1834. He bought the Stewart claim, had the usual pioneer experiences, remained eight years, and died in 1842. while his neighbors were still few and far between. Samuel Pyle, a brother, came to Spruce on his bridal tour in a one-horse wagon in 1836. He was a Union man and lived in Butler the forepart of the war and was the last to leave in obedience to Order No. 11, and looking back, he could see the smoke of their burning home when five miles away. James McCool and wife came from Ohio, had sickness on the road in Illinois, they sold their team and came to Boonville by water, thence to Bates county in a hired wagon. They settled one mile north of Johnstown. This was in 1840. When the war came on he and his sons, except Peter V., adhered to the Union. The family moved over into Henry county under Order No. 11 and Mr. McCool died there in 1865. Mrs. McCool and her children returned to Spruce township and they lived in and around Johnstown many years.

The first store in Johnstown was established by Jim and Dan Johnson in 1845. They were followed by Dick McClure and John Harbert & Son. John Hull was the first blacksmith. Harmony Mission, West Point, Harrisonville and Clinton were the nearest towns. The first post office was in 1848 or 1849. Prior to that time the Spruce settlers got their mail in Deepwater, Henry county. Johnstown was an important business center before the war, and had five stores, two saloons, three blacksmith shops, a good mill, a cabinet shop, shoe and harness shops. It is said to have enjoyed a larger volume of business than any other town in this section prior to the Civil War. Among those who dwelt in Johnstown and in that vicinity before that date may be mentioned William B. and Nicholas Page, who came in 1842; then George Cooper, Nicholas Payne, R. L., B. J., and D. B. Pettus, and George Ludwick, but the date of their settlement is not known, except that George Ludwick, wife and two of her brothers, Henry and Jacob Lutsenhizer, arrived overland from Boonville, after a river trip from Licking county, Ohio, in October 1839, at the home of William Lutsenhizer, who had arrived some time before and settled on the farm now owned and occupied by Hon. John B. Newberry. John E. Morgan and A. M. Odneal were among the pioneers. In obedience to Order No. 11, all the people left Bates county, and most of those in and near Johnstown went to Henry or Pettis county. It does not appear that any great depredations occurred in their absence in that vicinity and after the war they generally returned to their homes and business; but Johnstown never regained its thrift and importance; and it is now a small inland town, a scattering village, with little to indicate its former greatness.

Ballard Postoffice is located in the northwest corner of section 16, and is a community center for that part of the township. It has one or two stores.

Deepwater township is much broken by Deepwater creek and its tributaries, and hence it has considerable rough, timbered land; but the soil is generally good, and corn, grass and the cereals flourish.

It is not known, at least it is not written, when the first settler made his home in this township, but Hiram Snodgrass came into and settled in Deepwater township, south side of Deepwater creek, near Henry county line, in section 24, in 1839. He died there in 1881. The land had just been sectionized and he entered 300 acres. Others who lived there as early as 1839 were C. Schmedting, two Morrisses, Means, Arbuckle, Moore, Ballow, and Beatty. Isaac, a son of Hiram Snodgrass, married Susan B. Myers, a daughter of Judge John D. Myers, in 1853.

Samuel Scott settled on the north side of Deepwater creek in 1834, and was appointed sheriff of the new county of Vernon when it was established in 1852, but the organization of Vernon county being afterward declared invalid, he lost his office. He went to Linn county, Kansas, in 1854, was elected by the pro-slavery party to the Territorial Legislature, and was killed by a band of guerrillas in 1859. Others who came between 1834 and 1845 may be mentioned: Oliver and George Drake, James Cummins, Peyton Gutridge, Rev. Milton Morris, James Morris, Sam and Matt Arbuckle, and Mrs. Elizabeth McGowen.

The list of those who came and settled prior to the war is too long for the purpose of this chapter, but it includes such distinguished citizens as Ex-State Senator John B. Newberry, and Ex-Sheriff and Recorder James M. Simpson, many of whom will be adequately mentioned elsewhere in this book.

Jacob Lutsenhizer was the pioneer miller and erected his mill which ground corn only, on Straight branch in 1841. There is no record of how it was operated or how long it existed, except a statement that Oliver Drake began the erection of a mill on the same spot in 1854, but died without completing it.

The village of Spruce is located near the center of the township on section 16, has two stores, a blacksmith shop, two church edifices and an Odd Fellows' hall, and two rural mail routes. It is the business center of the township, and a prosperous village.

This township is well watered by Mound branch and Deepwater creek and their tributaries. The land is rolling, dark and fertile -- one of the best corn townships in the county.

Reuben Herrell settled in Summit in 1842. On his arrival he had only two neighbors in the township, John McClain and Major Glass, who settled there in 1840. Nathan Horn settled in the western part in an early day. Arthur and Madison Canady and their father came in 1861. John Walker was an early settler. He was a member of the Missouri General Assembly. Abram P. Wilson, A. Brixner, G. W. Cassity, James L. Kirtley, C. T. Hokanson and A. Black may fairly be classed as pioneer settlers of Summit but the dates of their settlement have not been recorded by history. There is no village in this township.

Mt. Pleasant is the center township of the county and is bounded on the north by Mound, on the west by Charlotte, on the south by Lone Oak and New Home, and on the east by Summit -- it is township 40, range 31 west. It is largely prairie, broken more or less by the Miami and Mound branches and their tributaries. Some rock and timber. The soil is good mulatto prairie, with rich bottoms along the larger streams. Generally speaking it is a beautiful undulating prairie country.

We gather from an old history of Bates county that all the following were early settlers and made their settlements prior to 1861: George W. and Alexander Patterson, William Hurt in 1858, George W. Pierce, Alfred Miller, Jacob D. and Joel B. Wright, Henry Mills, Lewis Dixon, in 1861, several families of the Robinsons, Ham Case, Nathaniel and D. Porter, Reverend Phoenix of the Christian church, John Morris, in 1843, Dr. Giles B. Davis in 1843, Thomas and William McCord sometime prior to 1843, Wilds, a Mormon, settled on section 19 in 1838.

Butler is the county seat, and is about the center of the township, and near the center of the county. Its location is sightly and well drained, and sanitary conditions by nature are good. Mound branch, a short distance east, is the only considerable stream near it.

For further data about Butler, her people and business, see chapter on Butler.

Charlotte is a rolling prairie land, fertile and productive. It is watered and drained principally by the Miami and Pecan branches of the Marais des Cygnes river, which for a short distance in the southeast corner of the township, form the township line.

Samuel Dobbins settled in northeast Charlotte prior to 1843. James Ramey settled on section 24, in 1840. James Browning settled near Ramey about the same date. James McCool settled in the northeast portion at the time he was one of the county seat commissioners for Bates county. He moved to Texas in 1861. Clark Vermillion settled on section 10 before the war. William Conley, Oliver Elswick, Samuel Martin, J. C. Toothman, J. B. Moody, Samuel Park, Hamilton Case, Joseph Caze, and M. A. Morris were all early settlers some time prior to the Civil War, but the dates of their settlement have not been handed down.

Virginia became a trading point upon the establishment of a post office there in 1871, and hence it has always been known as the Virginia Postoffice. Thomas Steaver was the first postmaster, and his office was a half mile east of the present village store or center. James Orear built and started the first store in 1874, and was postmaster. In 1875, S. P. Nestlerode purchased the stock and became postmaster. In 1877, Arbogart & Armstrong became the merchants and in 1879 H. H. Fleisher opened a drug store. About the same date Roberts & Presley bought out Arbogart & Armstrong and soon moved the stock of goods away. Fleisher became postmaster. James S. Pierce was his partner at this time. In February 1882, Pierce sold out to W. N. Hardinger. February 1879, J. W. Manahan opened a stock of furniture and in 1880 sold out to B. F. Jenkins, who added hardware. He sold in 1881 to Drysdale & Son; and the same year Fleisher & Pierce sold their drug stock to Williams & Drysdale. For a number of years Judge John McFadden ran the only general store, and the days of its business and mercantile importance, at this time, seem to have departed. It is a community center and the center of a fine rural district. Good roads and automobiles have ruined it as a natural trading point. A number of the early settlers in and about the village were Virginians and hence its name.

Homer is bounded on the west by the state of Kansas. It is an undulating prairie country, of fair upland, and rich bottoms, along Mulberry creek and the Marais des Cygnes river. It is well watered and has abundant timber and coal.

Among the pioneers of Homer in the antebellum days may be mentioned Jeremiah and Thomas Jackson, and another Thomas Jackson, called "Yankee Jackson" to distinguish him, H. B. Frances, Thomas Francis, William Braden, Pierce Hackett, J. M. Rogers, Bluford Merchant, Chesley Hart, and D. R. Braden. The Francis brothers were from Illinois, the Bradens from Ohio and Hackett from England. Among others who came near the close of the war, and who helped shape the progress of the township were, Robert Leech, Judge Lyman Hall, James W. and J. T. Whinnery, R. M. Brown, Dr. J. M. and Hugh Gailey, Jeremiah Rankin, William and Judge D. V. Brown, James Pilgrim, William Rodgers, David Braden, and Judge John A. Lefker, who erected a saw mill on the Marais des Cygnes river in 1870, at what is now known as Hawkins' Ferry, and in 1875 he made it a grist-mill as well.

About the year 1867 the government established a post office at Mulberry, on Mulberry creek, at the home of Robert Leech, and soon became and continued for some years to be quite a trading post, store, blacksmith shop, school, etc., but as to the village it may now be said to have taken its place among other promising villages and towns of the early days, which are now extinct.

Amoret is situate on the Kansas City, Ft. Scott & Gulf railroad, and was laid out in 1890 by the Missouri Coal & Construction Company. It has a bank, several stores, other shops, an elevator and warehouses. It is just one mile from the state line in the south-central part of the township. The great Darby orchard of 800 acres comes right up to the city limits and the fruit industry affords employment for many laborers. It ranks among the best business towns on what is called the Kansas City Southern railroad in this county.

Walnut is a border township, with Kansas on its west. Homer and Charlotte townships on the north, New Home on the east and Howard on the south.

With the Marais des Cygnes river forming the division line most of the distance between it and the two townships to the north. Walnut has much valuable timber and large rich bottom lands. The land not timbered is rolling prairie and splendid agricultural land. Mine creek comes out of Kansas and waters the extreme northwest part, and Walnut creek enters the township in the southwestern corner and flows in a northeasterly direction entirely through the township and enters the Marais des Cygnes river in the northwest part of New Home; with its tributary streams it waters and drains almost the whole township. The township and creek derive their names from the enormous black walnut trees that grew in the bottoms and valleys. In 1880, before there was any railroad in Bates county, except the Missouri, Kansas & Texas at Rockville, D. W. Laughlin, an old citizen of Walnut township, sold six great walnut trees for fifty dollars each to be cut and floated down Walnut creek, thence down the river to the Osage, thence to the Missouri river. Our informant says he counted 384 annular rings on one of the stumps, which would make the tree sprout in A.D. 1496, or just after Columbus discovered America. A Mr. Cox, on Walnut creek, made a record in the early days by splitting 1,250 ten-foot rails out of the big walnut trees. There were numerous fords across the river: the government ford and ferry in section 33; Gritton ford, north of where Foster now is; Whitewash ford across Walnut in the center of section 11. The Government road from Lexington. Missouri, crossed here on its way to Ft. Smith, Arkansas. Goods were brought up the Missouri river to Lexington and then freighted along this road to supply the country which could not be reached from the White river in Arkansas. Marvel bridge was the first bridge built across the river, in 1879, in section 1. Since then a number of substantial bridges have been built across the main streams and the river in the township. Abundant coal exists in this township, and coal mining is one of the chief industries.

One of the earliest settlers was Hon. John McHenry. He was a Kentuckian and a Democrat. He came to Missouri in 1840, and was elected the first representative to the General Assembly in 1842. A year later, November 15, 1841, his son, James McHenry, came to Walnut township. James Goodrich, a nephew of the elder McHenry, came about the same date, but went to California in 1844. William Cooper came from Pettis county in 1840. One of the pioneers of the county was Lewis Gilliland, who settled in Walnut some time prior to 1840. He went, with others, to California in 1850. Mark West, the father of Gentry, was an early settler, and died in 1851. Thomas Woodfin and his sons came from North Carolina to Johnson county, Missouri, and thence to Bates in 1839 and 1840. Shelton and Gilliland were the only settlers who preceded the Woodfins. Cooper, McCall and Hedges came soon afterward. Judge Edward Bartlett came to Walnut township in 1844. Under Order No. 11, Bartlett went to Kansas but returned in 1866.

Marvel was first located on the Marais des Cygnes river in section 1, but was moved to section 2, and later abandoned or discontinued. The first postmaster was in 1846. A small stock of goods was opened at Marvel in 1868 at the residence of James Campbell by Kincaid & Park. The first store in the township was established in section 1, by a Mr. Jewell before the Civil War. James McDaniel also sold goods before the war at a little place called Louisville in section 5, near the mouth of Mine creek. Both Marvel and Louisville belong in the extinct village class.

Walnut Postoffice, located on section 16, came into existence in 1872. Berry kept a drug store there in 1879. Lee Peak sold dry goods in 1878. A. H. Lloyd and John Craig were the blacksmiths and Dr. Splawn the physician. When Foster, or Walnut, grew up in a night, just two miles away, Walnut Postoffice went out and took its place in the extinct class.

Worland was laid out September 4, 1888, by Arch L. Sims and James M. Tucker, and took its name from Harry Worland, a druggist, who did a flourishing business there. It has at this time, about 100 population, and is situate about a mile from the Kansas-Missouri state line in section 7, on the St. Louis & Eastern railroad, often called the Madison branch of the Missouri Pacific railway and near the crossing of the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf railroad.

Foster was born in 1884. It was a typical western boom town, and within a few months had a population of 2,000 people, and was a hustling driving place. It went up like a rocket and came down like a stick. We cannot go into its wonderful history at this place, designed for mere mention of the upstanding facts of each township. The Walnut Land & Coal Company, with a million dollars capital, was indirectly behind the boom, and the town was first called Walnut, but when the people asked for a post office they had to change the name, as there was already a post office of Walnut about two miles away. In due time, the town -- it was really a small city by this time -- was re-christened Foster, after Governor Foster, then everywhere known as "Calico Charley" of Ohio who was secretary of the Walnut Land & Coal Company. Two years after it was founded what is now known as the Inter-State, or Madison branch of the Missouri Pacific railroad, was builded to and through the town. After a sensational and precarious career it soon settled down into the village class and its glory departed. At this time it has a population of about 400, has a bank, lumber yard, depot, express office, two blacksmith shops, and seven stores, and does a healthy country business, the surrounding territory being a fine grain and stock growing country. Much coal has been mined all about the town, and the vast coal deposits yet await the call of labor and capital. The town of Walnut (Foster) was laid out by E. A. Henry as trustee for Thomas M. Nichols, Phil L. Spooner, Jr., Charles Foster, Amos Townsend, J. Warren Kiefer, Warner Miller, B. J. Waters, J. L. Pace, and John Scullin, on July 3, 1883.