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The History of Jackson county, Missouri
The history of Jackson County has been written, in many respects, under trying circumstances. There has been no lack of material, but the work of collecting and compiling the same into one homogeneous record has been attended by many obstacles and perplexities.
While it has been an interesting occupation to gather from the oldest citizens their reminiscences of events occurring in the first settlement of Jackson County, her metropolis, towns and villages, it has also been one of arduous labor and delicate responsibility, necessitating the careful perusal of many old volumes, and newspaper files, those daily records of by-gone years. Many of the founders of our great cities and towns may still be found where they first settled and like sea shell found where the ocean once surged, tell of a tide of life of which little is known by the present generation. The old pioneer has often been able to narrate with clearness many important events, but utterly unable to give the date, which is so essential in a historical work. The records of the county and the files of the oldest newspapers have furnished much matter of inestimable value.
In the absence of written record, it has often occurred that different individuals, honest and sincere in their statements, have given conflicting versions of the same events, and it has been a matter of much care and delicacy to bring harmony out of these conflicting statements. It has been our aim to record only such facts as are based upon the most reliable and trustworthy authority, and to this end we have exhausted every available source of creditable information. How well the task has been performed, the intelligent reader must judge.
It would be strange indeed, if, in the multiplicity of names, dates and events, no errors or omissions should be detected. To say that it is perfect would be presumption. No mortals were ever perfect except Enoch and Elijah, who were translated, and it is written that even the latter committed errors. The few typographical errors are such as are liable to be found in all publications, and the intelligent reader will find them no obstacle to a clear and easy understanding of the subject before him. Unwearied care and studious and constant watchfulness has been exercised in the hope of making a standard work of reference, as well as a work of interest to the reader. Through the kindness of many, the courtesy of all, we have been enabled to present a very complete volume. To those who have thus assisted in collecting and arranging the historical record, our sincere thanks are due.
Table of Contents
HISTORY OF MISSOURI
CHAPTER I.
Louisiana Purchase 9
CHAPTER II.
Descriptive and Geographical 13
CHAPTER III.
Geology of Missouri 18
CHAPTER IV.
Title and Early Settlements 23
CHAPTER V.
Territorial Organization 28
CHAPTER VI.
Application of Missouri to be Admitted into the Union — Agitation of the Slavery Question — "Missouri Compromise" — Constitutional Convention of 1820 — Constitution Presented to Congress — Further Resistance to Admission — Mr. Clay and his Committee make Report — Second Compromise — Missouri Admitted 31
CHAPTER VII.
Missouri as a State 35
CHAPTER VIII.
Civil War in Missouri 39
CHAPTER IX.
Early Military Record 47
CHAPTER X.
Agriculture and Material Wealth 50
CHAPTER XI.
Education 55
CHAPTER XII.
Religious Denominations 62
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
CHAPTER I.
Name and Location 66
CHAPTER II.
Physical Features 71
CHAPTER III.
Geology, Botany and Climate 74
CHAPTER IV.
Early Settlements 101
CHAPTER V.
Organization of the County 115
CHAPTER VI.
Old Settlers of Jackson County 131
CHAPTER VII.
The Santa Fe Trade 170
CHAPTER VIII.
County Officials 178
CHAPTER IX.
Railroads 191
CHAPTER X.
Finances 212
CHAPTER XI.
Agriculture 229
CHAPTER XII.
Educational 230
CHAPTER XIII.
Mormons in Jackson County 250
CHAPTER XIV.
Incidents of the War 270
CHAPTER XIV.
Jackson County During the War 277
CHAPTER XV.
Blue Township 296
CHAPTER XVI.
Fort Osage Township 306
CHAPTER XVII.
Sni-a-bar Township 312
CHAPTER XVIII.
Van Buren Township 325
CHAPTER XIX.
Praire Township 341
CHAPTER XX.
Westport Township 350
CHAPTER XXI.
Washington Township 357
CHAPTER XXII.
Brooking Township 367
CHAPTER XXIII.
Kaw Township 370
HISTORY OF CITIES AND TOWNS
CHAPTER I.
Introductory 374
CHAPTER II.
Early Expeditions and Settlements 376
CHAPTER III.
The Great Indian Trade 385
CHAPTER IV.
The Santa Fe Trade 389
CHAPTER V.
The Founding of Kansas City 395
CHAPTER VI.
Kansas City Redivivus 408
CHAPTER VII.
The Settlement of Kansas 421
CHAPTER VIII.
The Growth of Kansas City Prior to the War 431
CHAPTER IX.
The Inception of our Railroads 443
CHAPTER X.
Kansas City in the War 466
CHAPTER XI.
A Great Bra in Kansas City 478
CHAPTER XII.
The Progress From 1870 to 1872 494
CHAPTER XIII.
The Progress of 1873 to 1876 512
CHAPTER XIV.
The Markets and Packing Houses 532
CHAPTER XV.
The Progress of Three Years 544
CHAPTER XVI.
The Events of 1880 to 1881 557
CHAPTER XVII.
Social Development of Kansas City 573
CHAPTER XVIII.
Kansas City — "Why She is" and "What She is" 612
HISTORY OF INDEPENDENCE 633
HISTORY OF WYANDOTT, KANSAS 668
ADDITIONAL HISTORY OP LEE'S SUMMIT 947
BIOGRAPHICAL
LITHOGRAPHIC PORTRAITS
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The purchase of the vast territory, west of the Mississippi River, by the United States, extending through Oregon to the Pacific coast and south to the Dominions of Mexico, constitutes the most important event that ever occurred in the history of the nation.
It gave to our Republic, additional room for that expansion and stupendous growth, to which it has since attained, in all that makes it strong and enduring, and forms the seat of an empire, from which will radiate an influence for good unequaled in the annals of time. In 1763, one hundred and eighteen years ago, the immense region of country, known at that time as Louisiana, was ceded to Spain by France. By a secret article, in the treaty of St. Ildefonso, concluded in 1800, Spain ceded it back to France. Napoleon, at that time, coveted the island of St. Domingo, not only because of the value of its products, but more especially because its location in the Gulf of Mexico would, in a military point of view, afford him a fine field, whence he could the more effectively guard his newly acquired possessions. Hence he desired this cession by Spain should be kept a profound secret until he succeeded in reducing St. Domingo to submission. In this undertaking, however, his hopes were blasted, and so great was his disappointment, that he apparently became indifferent to the advantages to be derived to France from his purchase of Louisiana.
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