Second half of Landrum’s History of Lawrence County Missouri; pages 4-5 in Lawrence County Historical Atlas, 1879, Edwards Brothers, Philadelphia, PA.

TREASURERS.

COLLECTORS.

SURVEYORS.

CORONERS.

SCHOOL COMMISSIONERS.

COUNTY ATTORNEYS.

POPULATION

The population of the county in 1850, the first census taken after its organization, was 4,869; in 1860, 8,846; in 1870, 13,060.

The population at this time is estimated at about 17,500. Since the close of the war the immigration from the eastern and northern states has been rapid. The class of immigrants that have and are coming in to the county will compare favorably, in point of intellect, sociability and industry, to any county in the state. The time is not far distant when those beautiful prairies of the county, now answering the purpose in spring and summer for pasture to quite a number of cattle, sheep and horse raisers, will be fenced and cultivated by those toiling immigrants that continue to come. Already every prairie in the county is being dotted from side to side and end to end with beautiful, cosy dwelling-houses and broad fields of grain. The contrast now and thirty years ago is very great. The pioneer settlers never imagined the reverse that has come about. The unimproved lands that then served for the wild beasts of the forest to feed and roam upon, are now beautifully decorated with towns, farms, farm-houses, church and school-houses. In these early times the people had no public, and but very few private, school-houses; no church houses. They had preaching by the different denominations at the dwelling-houses of those who happened to have room enough. With these reflections and incidents of the past and present hastily sketched from records, my own memory and from the memory of some of the pioneer settlers, and also from a history of the county written by Capt. Wyatt Harris, formerly of this county, now a resident of Oakland, California, and the manuscript of the county written by myself for Campbell’s Gazetteer, of Missouri, I will now attempt a short description of the may interests of the county at the present time. In said description I will also repeat some things heretofore written by Capt. Wyatt Harris and myself.

The county is bounded on the north by Dade, on the south by Barry, on the east by Greene, Christian and Stone, on the west by Newton and Jasper counties. Its physical features are characteristic of a country noted for the good health of its inhabitants. The county lies at an elevation of 1,300 feet above the level of the sea, on the table lands of the Ozark mountains. There are many fine springs, some of great size and beauty. Among them are the “Big spring,” about five miles west of Mt. Vernon, near John Moore’s (a pioneer settler) residence; the Paris (Chalybeate) springs, fourteen miles northeast of Mt. Vernon, noted for its healing qualities; the Grand springs, eight miles east of Mt. Vernon; Polk springs, twelve miles southeast of Mt. Vernon; the spring in the southern part of the county, the fountain head of Spring river; the big spring in the western part of the county, near Rev. Thomas Cunningham’s (an old settler) residence. Some of those springs and many of the streams furnish excellent water-power. There are many beautiful streams in the county, all noted for their clear and pure water. These in the northeastern part of the county find their way to the Missouri river, those in the central and southern portion run in a northwesterly direction, and flow into the Grand, and the Grand into the Arkansas. Follow their courses for a while, and into the Mississippi at the mouth of the Arkansas we trace them coming together. None of these streams in the county are bridged. Bridges are never needed only in times of high water. The streams are shallow, and the fords solid. The county is about equally divided between timber and prairie. In ordinary seasons the land is all productive except a few stony hills. The creek bottoms never fail to yield a reasonable quantity of produce. I have been an observer of this fact for about twenty-eight years, and have never known them to fail.

The agricultural productions are wheat, corn, oats, rye, barley, peas, beans, flax, tobacco, potatoes (sweet and Irish), sorghum, grapes and vegetables of almost every variety grown in the Union. The soil varies in quality as does soil everywhere, but it all is valuable. The rough, uneven soil is valuable for peach, pear and apple orchards, and also for vineyards. Timothy, blue grass, hungarian, millet, red top and red clover all grow well.

The manufacturing interests of the county are machine shops, flouring mills, saw-mills, wagon factories, &c, &c. The people of this county are looking forward to the day, not far distant, when they will manufacture the principal part of their own goods, and thereby save the immense cost of transportation. We have all the facilities necessary to establish manufactories of all kinds, as much so as any state in the Union.

RAILROADS.

The St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad has twenty-two and two-thirds miles passing through from east to west on the south side of the county, except a few miles where it runs into Barry. The Missouri and Western Railroad has three miles of track in the southwestern part of the county.

CHURCHES.

There are twenty-five church buildings in the county. I think all of them were built by subscription by the different denominations, and the good citizens who are not church members, except perhaps the Catholic, at Pierce City, and the Lutheran, on Spring River Prairie, were built by their own organizations; as to this I am not informed. In addition to these, almost every school-house in the county is used for a meeting-house. The Presbyterian, Baptist, Methodist, Episcopal, Congregationalist, Christian, Lutheran and Catholic are all represented and established. A great interest is taken by the people of Lawrence county in Sunday-schools, and Sunday-schools are held in almost every school district in the county; they are mostly conducted on the Union plan.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

I will here copy an article written in November last, by Prof. W. F. King, County School Commissioner, for “The Immigrants’ Guide,” a newspaper edited and published monthly at Peirce City, by Thomas Carlin, which article contains facts and figures more fully than I am able to give.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF LAWRENCE COUNTY.

There are in the county eighty-one school-houses well seated, and eighty-five school districts. Every one, I believe, of the houses are frame buildings of the most approved style, well ventilated, and provided with good black-boards, and many of them with maps, charts, globes and all the modern school aids.

According to my report to the State Superintendent for the year ending on the first day of April, 1878, the school-houses and appurtenances belonging thereto, are valued at $46,430.00. From the same document I also extract the following tabulated statement showing the financial condition of the county:

Average rate per cent, levied for school purposes in the county, 61 1-2 on the $100.

Number of children that may be seated in the various school-houses in the county, 5,383; number of children of school age in the county, 5,945; number of children attending the public schools during the year, 4,518; number of teachers employed, male, 71, female, 38; average teacher’s wages per month, male, $37.71, female, $26.17.

It can readily be seen from the above that an unusual large per cent of the children of school age in the county, attended the schools during last year, and at a very low rate per cent. of taxation we are able to maintain from four to seven and eight months school in every district in the county. And under the law of this State that all the proceeds arising from the sale of strays, all fines, &c., go to augment the permanent school fund of the county, and in a few years the public fund will be sufficient of itself to maintain ten months school a year in eery district, if judiciously managed.

There is not a neighborhood in the county that does not have at least four months school every year.

The districts are nearly all out of debt, and have good houses, well seated, so that with our large school fund, and with a proper supervision, the public schools of Lawrence county will be second to none in the State.

First-class teachers can be secured for every district in the county, and with a little change in our laws, which I feel confident will be made during the sitting of the next general assembly, and the facilities for a common school education can not be excelled in the Union.

Yours truly,

W. F. King, Co. Com.

In addition to the public schools there is a college at Marionville, under the control of the Methodist denomination, and another at Mt. Vernon, conducted and controlled by the Christian denomination. The Mt. Vernon College has no building yet, but money is being raised in Lawrence and adjoining counties for that purpose.

FINANCE.

Our county is in a health financial condition. I could not set it forth any better nor so well as the same paper, Immigrants’ Guide does, and will here repeat what it says:

In the matter of finances, Lawrence county stands ahead of all others in Southwest Missouri; her warrants are at par and the county levy of taxes is much less than any other county in the State. The assessed valuation of real estate the last season, not including railroad property, but the property of citizens alone, was $1,552,069.00. Personal property was assessed at $978,130.00, making a total assessment of $2,630,199. The tax in the county for State purposes is the same as in all other counties of the State--forty cents on each one hundred dollars assessed valuation. The county levy is as follows: For county revenue and road tax, seventeen and one half cents; poor tax, five cents; for jail bond tax, two and one half; making the total levy for all county purposes only the small sum of twenty-five cents on each one hundred dollars of assessed property, and for the total county and state tax, sixty-five cents. This does not include the local school tax which is fixed by the directors of the respective school districts unless the qualified voters at their annual meetings shall vote to increase the levy; and then the constitution of the State prohibits the rural districts voting a tax to exceed sixty-five cents on the hundred dollars, for school purposes. In towns and cities the limit is $1 on the $100. The facts are that we have a good and substantial three story building for holding courts and for offices of public servants; we have a new and substantial jail of the most approve design and structure, built mainly of as fine sandstone as is found in any county, which was quarried in this county. A poor farm is owned by the county, where the old, decrepid, lame and infirm are cared for on an insignificant sum. With all these properties, and none other needed, and with an average of from $8,000 to $10,000 in the treasury makes a showing which cannot be paralleled by any other county in the State, and but few if any, in the United States.

This is accounted for from the fact that Lawrence county has a well-to-do and energetic class of people who never shrink from their duty in promptly paying their taxes for the support of the State and County Government. And also from the further fact that the county, from its organization, has had good and efficient officers to control the county affairs. There is another fact worthy of note, that no public officer of the county has ever been a defaulter.

MT. VERNON,

11 miles north of the S. L. & S. F. railroad, is situated on an elevation so that it is seen from a distance of 7 or 8 miles from the west. A large spring of water gushes out in the northwestern part of the town, giving the town excellent pure water. It has five church organizations and five church houses, Methodist, Cumberland Presbyterian, Christian, Baptist and Methodist colored. All have meetings regularly once or twice a month and are well attended.

VERONA,

On the S. L. & S. F. railroad, 278 miles southwest of St. Louis, was located in 1868 on sec. 17, Tp. 26, R. 26, has a population of about 400. Two churches, Cumberland Presbyterian, costing about $4,000, and Lutheran, cost not known by the writer; one good school-house, several stores, good flouring mill, machine and blacksmith shops, and is the usual railroad station for Mt. Vernon.

MARIONVILLE,

Located on sec. 31, Tp. 27, R.25, about 14 miles southeast of Mt. Vernon, and was laid out in 1854 by James M. Moore. It has a population of about 500, and is an important business point surrounded by a beautiful country.

LOGAN,

Near the eastern line of the county and on the S. L. & S. F. railroad; a railroad station was laid out by William Logan and the railroad company about eight years ago. It has some business houses and several shops; is about one and one half miles east of Marionville, and is the railroad station for that point.

AURORA,

On the same railroad, 5 miles northeast of Verona, was laid out in 1870; it is situated on a beautiful prairie, has two or three stores, one school-house, and two churches, Christian and Cumberland Presbyterian. Population about 150.

BOWERS’ MILLS (LYON),

Is located 14 miles northwest of Mt. Vernon, on sec. 12, Tp. 28, R. 29, near Spring River; was laid off in 1869, has two dry goods stores, one drug store, blacksmith shop, an excellent flouring mill, church and school building.

LAWRENCEBURG,

This pleasant little village is located on sec. 3, Tp. 29, R. 25, about sixteen miles northeast of Mt. Vernon, was laid off in 1868, has two dry goods stores, one drug store, church and school-house.

HEATON,

A small village situated 6 miles north of Mt. Vernon, on Ozark Prairie, has a drug and dry goods store.

ROUND GROVE,

Is a small village about 14 miles northwest of Mt. Vernon, was laid off in 1872, has two stores, church and school-house, and is pleasantly located on the prairie south of the Grove.

PEIRCE CITY,

Last but not least, is situated on section 28, Tp. 26, R. 28, was located in 1871 on the St. Louis and San Francisco railroad, at the junction with the Missouri & Western railroad, and is to-day, by far, the largest town in the county, having a population of 1200 or 1500, has a bank, about twenty stores, mill, wagon and soap factories, lumber yards, brick yard, elevator, and the finest lime kiln in Southwest Missouri. It has four churches, and a very fine school building costing over $15,000.

POST OFFICES,

There are post offices at all the towns that I have mentioned, and in addition, there are five others, to wit; Chesapeake, eight miles east; Spencer, six miles northeast; Red Oak, seventeen miles northwest; Phelps, ten miles northwest, and Forest Home, ten miles west, of Mt. Vernon.

I must not close this short and imperfect history without mentioning the German settlement on Spring River Prairie, about seven miles southwest of Mt. Vernon and also the Swede settlement in the south part of the county. In the last five years the first Germans settled there, and now there are about fifty families within a limit of four miles; when they first began to settle, there were but few acres of land in cultivation, now section are fenced and in a high state of cultivation, and the prairie is dotted with beautiful cottages and other buildings. They have erected a beautiful church at a cost of about $1800, (Lutheran denomination), also an excellent public school-house in their school district. The Swedes in the south part of the county are pushing forward with the same zeal and energy. There are no people within the limits of the county, that are more industrious and energetic than these. We welcome them within our borders.

In addition to the list of names of the first settlers of Lawrence county, already given in this history, we give the following names: Col. John M. Filler, who has served eight years in the State Senate. Thomas Allen, Sr., now about eighty-seven years of age. Alfred Moore, Joseph W. Ellis, one of the pioneer teachers of the county, who, since I began this history, has had to surrender to that relentless foe of all animate nature, death. He died at the age of 63 years, one month and twenty-eight days, after an illness of about twenty-four hours. To many in the county his place will be hard to supply. Thus another of the pioneers of Lawrence county has passed away. Peter M. Swatszel, Henry Moore, Isaac Moody, W. C. Paxton, James H. Kirby, R. J. D. Stephens, Geo. W. Rippeto, Alfred Myers and John Patton. In conclusion I have only to say that Lawrence county is one among the best counties in Southwest Missouri, and to those who desire to settle in the Southwest, we can say there is still room for all classes of industry.

January 1st, 1879.