Livingston county history
ONE HUNDRED FIFTY YEARS OF SPRINGHILL
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ONE HUNDRED FIFTY YEARS OF SPRINGHILLIn 1831 Jesse Nave and his wife, Isabella, left Tennessee, to explore the wild lands of Missouri. They came up the Missouri River to the Grand River and then on the east fork they began clearing a spot to build a log cabin and to look for food. Three years later, Levi Goben and his wife Catherine were the first settlers to come to the Nave’s settlement. Hunters passing through, called it Nave town and soon other settlers came, built one room cabins, and hunted fur bearing animals. One day Jesse and others of a hunting party came across fresh, cool water bubbling out of the ground. They returned to Nave town on the river to tell the settlers about the springs. By 1840 most of Nave town had moved to the place of the springs. By 1837, traders and settlers had settled out and around the village. In 1840 the village officially became Springhill. Northwest of Springhill was an area of more hills and hollers, inhabited by every kind of wild life including panthers and rattlesnakes. The people who settled there came from Kentucky. They called their new location “Poosey” from the place they had lived in Kentucky. They learned that by the Homestead Act, the government would give forty acres if they lived there one year. Accordingly the hunters went back to Kentucky and brought their families into the wild country. Many families came to live in Poosey. The older generation died; the young live elsewhere; and now in the year 1980 Robert Daugherty, owner of that part of Poosey that lies within Jackson township, has sold it to the state. It is now Poosey State Park, set aside for the habitation of wild life. West of Springhill was Indian Creek whose bottom lands afforded rich soil, and south lay Grand River bottomlands. Into this area came German people, who had left Germany to find better living conditions in America. They were thrifty and industrious; they were not hunters and traders; they came to make homes and to till the soil. These people secured the land, had it surveyed and cleared. They brought their logs to the Springhill sawmills. By 1848 the village had become a town. The settlers began to feel the need for-a schoolhouse. One of the settlers, William F. Miller, had built a log house for himself and his family. The people thought that Mr. Miller had enough education to teach. They built a brick schoolhouse on the southeast corner of the Mass place. It became the first schoolhouse and William F. Miller was the first schoolteacher in Jackson township. Within the next ten years, places of business were established. John Stewart built a log house with one room for receiving furs, the other for general merchandise. He was the first merchant in Springhill to pay cash for furs and for products from the farm. Levi Bogin, realizing the needs of hunters passing through, built a hotel. By 1860 Main Street was busy with wagons coming and going, carrying supplies and making exchanges. Hunters brought their fur for cash or trade. Springhill had become a trade center. Even yet people bartered because money was scarce. The farm women traded butter and eggs for flour and sugar. Men would say, “I’ll trade you my horse for yours, if you’ll throw in two coon skins to boot.” John Simpson built a tanning yard across the brook southeast of Main Street. At the lower end of the town, John N. Sidner was running a mill, sawing lumber and grinding grain. Across from the mill, James Nave had “a rope works”, George Wingo kept a blacksmith shop, Robert Stewart was a stone mason, John T. Wilson ran a saloon, Sam Baxter had a shoe shop; Mr. Duncan manufactured wagons and ABD Martin had a packing house (slaughter house). By 1862 all of Jackson township was in a state of war. People took sides and families were divided, father against son, brother against brother. In 1863 Captain Barnes’ Company of Militia was stationed in Springhill. It was called Fort Lumpkin. Lieuts. Gibbs and Hargrave were in command. Lieutenant Hargarve was wounded in a skirmish, losing his right arm. John Stewart, the leading merchant and trader of Springhill, was shot and killed by a woman, Mrs. Barlow, who had been paid to kill him. Around Springhill were people who were in sympathy with the Confederates and they were called bushwhackers. They thought the Union soldiers were quartering in the church house, one night the church house burned. It was thought that the bushwhackers did it. They kept people who favored the union in constant fear because the bushwhackers hid in the bushes. When it was over, both sides tried “to bury the hatchet” and to live together in peace. Among the first things most necessary to rebuild, after the war ended, was a new bridge across the Thompson River. The first bridge had been burned by the Confederate Army to retard progress of the pursuing enemy. By the close of the year 1866, a new covered bridge had been built to connect the Springhill area to Chillicothe, the new trade center. In the same year John M. and James Graham erected a mill and had a dam built by the bridge. The bridge, ever since has been known as the Graham’s Mill bridge and was condemned to traffic in 1940. Three years after the Springhill church was burned by the bushwhackers, the members of the Methodist Church wanted a new house. The people, in and around Springhill, made donations of labor and material. Bill Moss, a non-member, had quarried rock for his new barn, but instead of using it for his barn, he gave the rock for laying the church foundation. Marion Hughes was the main carpenter. Uncle Johnny Simpson loaned the money to the trustees to buy lumber and other building materials. Dr. John D. Vincil was the first pastor and circuit rider. From 1872 to, 1892 the Springhill Methodist church belonged to the Chillicothe Conference. Its members were from Red Brush, Poosey, Owl Creek, and Indian Creek until those areas built churches of their own. Some of these churches were Zion, Bethel, Central Chapel, Mt. Pleasant, Mt. Olive, Pleasant Ridge and Lilly Grove. Some of the earliest pastors were: Reverend Dockery, father of Governor Dockery; Harry Graham of Chillicothe; Reverend Rice - 1891; Reverend Wade 1885; Ruby McLeod; D. R. Davis; G. G. Seforth; W. M. Rutherford; Olive Fay; J. W. Nelson; A. P. Mathas and F. S. Stonger. By the year 1966 the membership had dwindled away. The last pastor was George Borgeson. In the year 1980, grass grows where the church house once stood. The Masons of the Blue Lodge built a two story building in Springhill on Main Street in 1870. The Masonic Temple was and is the tallest building in Springhill. A stairway was built on the outside leading to a door at the top. The Masons and the Woodmen Lodge used the upstairs as their regular lodge hall. The downstairs was leased to persons who wanted to keep a store. Horace Rampsey and his brother kept a store there at the beginning of the 20th century. Penn and Annie Lewis and Vernon and Maggie Northnagel were the last. In the year 1899, the people of Springhill built a larger school building for their children. No longer need the buildings be built of logs, for there was plenty of native lumber being sawed right there by Springhill saw mills. This building had a hallway built in its front, black boards across the front wall, a wood stove in the corner, and a row of windows on the light side. The school house became a social center and the community looked forward to the annual school program and pie and box supper. Sometimes the most popular young lady’s box would bring as much as $40. The Wednesday night Literary Society was a well attended event. Local debaters would try their oratory. One question debated was, “Did man and monkey have a common ancestor?” Also, “Which is more important to the farmer, the horse or the tractor?” Usually the teacher would give an afternoon tea during the first of the school year for the mothers who could express their likes and dislikes about the school program. The climax for the school year would be a basket dinner followed by a closing program given by the teacher and her pupils. Teacher’s salaries then were $50 a month. Rural schools of the Springhill area were closed by 1954. By that time teachers salaries had become $124.00 monthly. The Springhill Fair Association was an annual event sponsored by John David (Red), Mike Cusick, Ben Young, Bill McCarthy and John Tout. The fair-grounds were a half mile west of Springhill on the Dan Williams farm. There was an entrance on both. the north and the south side. Red. Davis had his merry-go-round there which was a delight to all children. Col. William Mast showed his saddle horse and did stunts on and off his horse. Harry Young borrowed Frank Jordan’s horse and won first prize on horsemanship. The race of the big wagons made quite a noise and raised quite a dust. Mark White, the constable, rode a white horse. Hub Haynes was winner of the potato races. The contestant rode a horse, picked one potato at a time from a bushel basket and rode to the other end to deposit it in a basket there until all the first basket was empty. Prizes were given for quilts; there were booths for shooting galleries and tossing the balls into fruit jars at 100 a throw. The last fair was in 1912; after that the grounds were used for a ball diamond. The Royal Neighbor Camp No. 6611 received its charter in 1910. Springhill Camp 6611 has 38 adult members and 13 junior members. The camp first used Mast Hall to meet in and to practice their drills until the building was sold; then they moved to the upstairs of the Masonic Temple. The outside stairway had to be torn away and the upstairs sealed off. The floor of the downstairs had to be repaired, a new roof put on, some windows taken out, and the whole outside refinished so the members decided to buy the building and make the repairs. They borrowed the money from Ernie Sneden; the note was paid off by serving lunch at sales and by quilting quilts. A whole page should be dedicated to the memory of the old country doctor, Dr. W. L. White who served this area for more than three decades. He would come on call anytime of day or night, bad weather or fair. He would say to his wife, “Nance, get my bags ready, I must go.” He rode many miles on horse back; later he drove a top buggy pulled by one horse. He made his patients feel that he had a special interest in them which of course supplemented the medication prescribed. In the year 1912 Alva Mast and Charley Mast built a two story building with a stairway on the backside. It was not so tall as the Masonic Temple but quite a bit wider. There was a small shed like building between the two buildings that Charley Mast used as a grain mill. The upstairs of the Mast building was used for dances. The square dance was most popular; Bill Raulie with his fiddle and Bob Moss with his guitar furnished the music. In later years Faye Strait and Archie Crumpacher played for the dances; Lawrence B. Saale was one of their callers. The Writer of this used the, hall to give plays that she had written for her pupils. One was from the story book “Mrs. Wiggs of the Cabbage Patch.” Hazel Miller played the part of Mrs. Wiggs and Marie Grouse was her little girl. The entire school, had a part to play. The Royal Neighbors also gave plays in Mast Hall. Mrs. Mont Dowell, then in her early fifties, played the part of a sixteen year old girl. Other amateur actresses were Lena Mast, Eva Rench, Scottie Mast, Florence Williams, Ella Dowell, Ola Young. The downstairs was Mast’s store; it afforded a place for men to loaf and spin yarns. No newspaper could print as much gossip and no newspaper would have dared. Mast store closed its doors in 1937. The building was sold to a St. Joseph Construction Company who tore it down and hauled it away. In 1919 a brick building was built on Main Street for the bank to be established in Springhill. It was divided into two rooms, one for a bank, the other for a store. A burglar proof vault was built inside the bank room. Bill McCarthy was the first president and Fred Williams was the last president. The bank did well until 1930 when farmers were hurt by what was called “grasshopper year” along with chinch bugs and dry weather and political maneuvering which caused the year 1934 to become the worst in history; then the Springhill Bank closed it doors. A cooperative store occupied the other part of the bank building. Olin and Dorothy Stevens were the first managers employed for the new store. Other managers were: Jesse Lay, Rude Grouse, Francis and Fern Boyle. L. B. Saale bought the store from the Coops and appointed Joe Saale as manager. He later sold the building and store to Ray and Eilene Miller who closed the store. In 1980 Ernie Akers bought the building which is now being used by Springhill Enterprises. It is a storage place for insulation material. Orchards are a part of the history of Springhill. Marsh Moss had a large peach orchard on the northern hillside above the springs. It was noted for the fine flavor of the peaches. People came from a distance to buy peaches on the Moss place. A large apple orchard grew on what was the Griffith farm, to your right, as you entered Springhill; it covered twenty acres. To the southwest, three miles from Springhill, Old Uncle Jim Wilson had three orchards; apples, pears, peaches, plums, berries and vegetables of all kinds. In the fall of the year buyers would come and bid on the entire orchard. In 1974 Linnie Sneden deeded the vacant school house in Springhill to the Community. It is now the Springhill Community Hall. In 1946 the 4-H Club of Springhill was organized by Ola Young. She was 4-H community leader for five years. Gradually the club grew under several different leaders and now, after 34 years of progress, the 4-H has become a very strong organization. The Go Getters 4-H Club, The RNA Camp No. 6611, and Springhill Enterprises are all active organizations in Springhill. Now, in the year 1980, Lawrence B. Saale is living in a house built 100 years ago by Margin Van Buren Piper. Lloyd McCracken and family are living in the old Simpson house, built by the first generation of the well known Simpson family. The old home of Jimmy and Eva Stith has been made entirely modern by Opal and Johnny Zullig. Mari and Larry Joe Zullig have chosen to begin their young married life in the Marsh Moss beautiful home. Ralph, Roberta, Robyn, Randy and Daniel Summers have made a modern home of the old John Mathews’ place. Linnie Sneden, a widow, lives in a four room cottage near the old school house. Ray and Ilene Miller live in a small, completely modern house they built on the spot where Lena and Alva Mast lived. Max and Kathy Smith and two little daughters live in a house where Doctor White and his wife, Nanny, once lived. And just across the street another young couple, the Plowmans, have moved in. In 1917 the legislature allowed road funds to lift Missouri out of the mud. The Cooley gravel pit near Sampsel and the Fred McVey gravel pile, close by Springhill, supplied gravel for the most travelled roads in Jackson township. The Hannibal Railroad built in 1895 made transportation by rail easier and quicker. Better roads diverted traffic to larger markets, and that may have caused Springhill to lose its trade. Who knows? Let’s call it fate. By Ola Stewart Young Directory: History History -> Developed for the Ontario Curriculum History -> A chronology 1660-1832 The Restoration Settlement History -> History and Social Science Standards of Learning Enhanced Scope and Sequence History -> Evolution of the National Weather Service History -> Chronological documentation for the period through 1842 Copyright Bruce Seymour blio, Cadet Papers of Patrick Craigie History -> History of the 14 History -> History of the ports in Georgia History -> That Broad and Beckoning Highway: The Santa Fe Trail and the Rush for Gold in California and Colorado History -> Capitol Reef National Park List of Fruit and Nut Varieties, Including Heirlooms Prepared for the National Park Service through the Colorado Plateau Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit by Kanin Routson and Gary Paul Nabhan, Center for Sustainable Download 1.01 Mb. Share with your friends:
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