Saint Francois County, Missouri - History

History

The first settlement in St. Francois County was made in the spring of 1796 at what is now known as Big River Mills by Andrew Baker, John Ally, Francis Starnater and John Andrews. They each located claims in 1794 but did not bring their families until 1796. Andrew Baker was the only one who had a house; the rest lived in camps. Baker, who built a large home along the north bank of Big River, established a community there. At one time he reportedly owned 200 slaves and was one of the wealthiest men in the area. Eventually all his children married and left the farm which consisted of 740 acres (3.0 km2). The farm was sold for taxes and later sold for $30 per acre. Several families settled that same year on Big River; among them were Elisha Baker, his son Elijah and Joseph Reed from Bois Brule Bottom. In 1798, Solomon George became the first to settle on Little St. Francois River.

A memorable circumstance occurred around March 1, 1797. Henry Fry and Rebecca Baker having concluded to be married, started, in company with Catharine Miller, Mary and Abraham Baker (two sisters and the brother of the intended bride,) and William Patterson, for Ste. Genevieve, the nearest point where anyone authorized to perform the service could be found. When they were eight or 10 miles (16 km) from home near the crossing of the Terre Bleu, they were met by the Native Americans and all, save Rebecca and Abraham Baker, were stripped of their clothing and left to find their way home in this plight; the wagon loaded with venison, intended for the wedding feast, was also robbed. This unfortunate adventure caused the postponement of the marriage for one year.

That same year, other immigrants began coming to this new country. Among these was the Reverend William Murphy, a native of Ireland and a pioneer Baptist minister from the Holston River area in East Tennessee who procured a land grant. He and his three sons Joseph, William and David, along with a friend, Silas George, arrived by boat that fall in Ste. Genevieve. None in that community could speak English, so a Mr. Madden, living three miles (5 km) distant, was sent for. He invited them to his home, and the following day sent a Native American with them to show where good claims could be secured. David Murphy located his claim in the north side of the selected site, where Washington School now stands. Reverend Murphy selected as his claim an area to the south that was later known as Carter Spring, now McIlvane Street, and Joseph Murphy located on a plot to the northwest, later known as the Swink farm situated on old Highway 67, all just south of the present site of Farmington in 1798. After securing their claims, these men returned to Tennessee for their families. But sickness overtook them, and both the Reverend Murphy and Silas George died before reaching home. In 1801, David Murphy, a son of Reverend Murphy, cut the first tree that was felled in what was long known as Murphy Settlement. The next year Joseph, William and Richard, brothers of David Murphy, arrived and began permanent settlements on grants made by the Spanish Government.

Early in the spring of 1800, William, Joseph and David Murphy returned to Missouri with their families. They were accompanied by a younger brother, Richard, who came to establish a home for their widowed mother, Sarah Barton Murphy. Soon Mrs. Murphy and three other sons—Isaac, Jesse and Dubart—her only daughter, Sarah, a grandson William Evans; a hired hand and African American woman and boy followed. The journey was made by flat boat down the Holston River into Ohio; thence to the Mississippi River and up to Ste. Genevieve, a distance of more than 1,000 miles (1,600 km). Many places infested with hostile Native Americans, they managed to pass in the night while keeping concealed along the banks during the day. When the party arrived at Ste. Genevieve, the inhabitants gave them a rousing welcome. About the same year, Michael Hart and his son Charles settled in the same vicinity.

At the time of this settlement the area was under Spanish rule. On October 7, 1800, Spain ceded the whole of upper and lower Louisiana to France. It was not until our own Louisiana Purchase on April 30, 1803 that this area became a part of the United States. Settlers came in large numbers after the Murphy Settlement was established, and at the close of 1803 it had grown to a sizable community. Most of the settlers had enjoyed freedom of worship in their previous homes but found here they were restricted in worshipping God according to their Protestant tradition. Mrs. Murphy frequently invited friends to her home where secret prayer meetings were held while sentinels kept guard to warn of approaching danger. The religious restriction imposed by the Spanish officials gave way when the United States came into full possession. When the settlement learned that control of the land had passed to the United States, Mrs. Murphy was given the honor of the first Protestant prayer in public west of the Mississippi.

There was never a lack of law and order in the Murphy settlement. Differences among people were generally referred to Sarah Barton Murphy and her decisions were accepted as final. There soon came an itinerant Methodist minister to the community who preached at Mrs. Murphy's home. Although most of the settlers were then Baptists, it was decided to organize a church at once. Mrs. Murphy donated 1-acre (4,000 m2) of ground, in what is now the Masonic Cemetery, for the erection of that church. The first Protestant house of worship in Farmington was a log structure about 22 by 30 feet (9.1 m). In 1805 Sarah Murphy organized and taught what is believed to have been the first Sunday school west of the Mississippi River. This great lady who exerted strong social, moral and religious influence over the entire community, died in 1817. A monument now stands to her memory on the site where that first church was erected.

The daily arrival of new immigrants continued the growth of the community. Families, whose names are still prevalent today, moved in and were instrumental in developing not only the area but the entire state of Missouri. Nathaniel Cook, one of Missouri's earliest and most prominent lawmakers, located his claim in the southeastern part of the county in 1800, now one of the most educated and affluent portions of St. Francois County. Following soon thereafter were such notables as: John Caldwell, William Holmes, Jesse Blackwell, Elliott Jackson and James Davis. From 1805 to 1810 settlements developed along such streams as St. Francois River, Doe Run Creek, and Flat River which are familiar to locals today; by such personages as Squire Eleazer Clay, John Robinson, Isaac and John Burnham, Lemuel Halsted, Samuel Rhoades, Solomon Jones and Mark Dent, many of whose descendants still reside in the county.

The constant influx of settlers to the area brought about a demand for a permanent seat of government. Appointed as commissioners to locate the county seat were Henry Poston, William Alexander and James Holbert. A generous donor was found in the persons of David Murphy and his wife Rachel, who by deed dated September 2, 1822 ".....gave as a donation to the County of St. Francois, upon which to fix the county seat, fifty two acres of land...”

The new county was made from parts of three counties already established, Ste. Genevieve, Jefferson and Washington, and comprised 410 square miles (1,100 km2). An article written by Sallie Burks Keith furnishes this interesting insight as to the method by which boundaries of the new county were established: "Mr. Carol Williams and three other men met at a point (supposedly the present Court House Square) and were to ride until six by the clock; one north, one south, one east and the other west. Where each stopped was to be the boundary line. Thus the irregular line."

At that time the first Governor of Missouri, Alexander McNair, appointed James Austin as Presiding Judge and George McGahan and James W Smith as judges for the first St. Francois County Court. They held their first meeting on February 25, 1822, in the home of Jesse Murphy, on a site now believed to be the home of John F Whitworth on McIlvane Street.

The county was officially organized December 19, 1821, from parts of Ste. Genevieve, Washington, and Jefferson counties. James Austin, George McGahan and James W. Smith were appointed by the Governor as a county court, and their first meeting, held February 25, 1822, was at the house of Jesse Murphy, where they appointed John D. Peers as county clerk. The first circuit court was held at the same place, and on April 1, 1822, the Honorable N. B. Tucker was named judge and John D. Peers served as clerk. Henry Poston, John Andrews, William Alexander and James Holbert were appointed commissioners to locate the county seat, and on September 22, 1822, D. Murphy donated 53 acres (210,000 m2) of land for that purpose which the county court accepted on February 27, 1823. In 1824, a stray-pen and a log jail, made double, and a brick court-house were built. At various times churches and schoolhouses were built in convenient localities; new settlers joined the pioneers, and peace and prosperity reigned. The following are some of the early citizens elected to represent St. Francois County in the Missouri House of Representatives: Henry Poston (1826); David Murphy (1828); Corbin Alexander (1830, 1832).

Around 1845, the manufacture of pig-iron was begun at Iron Mountain and Pilot Knob, and the hauling of the iron to Ste. Genevieve, the nearest landing on the Mississippi River, gave remunerative employment to a great number of teams, and the colliers, smelters and others furnished a home market for the surplus farm products. In 1851, the old log jail was set on fire by an inmate, who came near perishing in the flames. It was soon replaced by a substantial stone building. In 1850, the old courthouse was removed, and a larger and more commodious one was erected in its stead. In 1851-1852, a plank road was built from Iron Mountain to Ste. Genevieve via Farmington, which gave a new impetus to trade. In 1854, Prewitt and Patterson erected some bloom furnaces three miles (5 km) east of Farmington on the plank road where it crossed Wolf Creek, which gave employment to a great number of men and teams. The ore was hauled from Iron Mountain and the iron to Ste. Genevieve for shipment. In 1858, this furnace, known as Valley Forge, became the property of Chouteau, Harrison and Vallé, Charles A. Pilley, superintendent, and was profitably worked until 1863 when the machinery was removed and the buildings and lands sold.

At the beginning of the late American Civil War, St. Francois County, like most others in Missouri, was divided politically, and many took refuge from the enrollment act in the ranks under M. Jeff. Thompson, whose force at one time destroyed the Iron Mountain Bridge over Big River.

One notable character during the Civil War was Sam Hildebrand, who some believe was a despicable killer. You can read the Autobiography of Sam Hildebrand and make up your own mind.