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Three Missouri Pioneers es pond to the “‘Bazoo” Roll Call This Week. Af8on of the Old North State With a Wagon Half a Century Old. A Sturdy Kentucky Veteran and Early Settler of Central Missouri. A Mother in Israel With Ten Children and Forty Grand Children. Sketch of the Man who Started the First Tin Shop in Sedalia. The Bazoo has the pleasure of pre senting in this issue, sketches of three of the most noted of the early settlers of Central Missouri, a perusal of which cannot fail to interest every one. ARCHIBALD LOVELACE. The subject of the sketch was born in Iredale county, North Carolina, on the 28th day of March 1806, and is consequently 83 years old at this time. Mr. Lovelace’s father was a gallant soldier in the revolutionary war, and Mr. Lovelace himself was nine years old when the battle of New Orleans was fought. He married Nancy Hol man on the 8th day of February, 1827 and removed to Pettisoounty, Mis souri in the fall of 1838, or over half a century ago. He moved from North Carolina in a four-horse wagon with his wife and five children, settling in the midst of the almost trackless prairies of Central Missouri, and still owns the identical wagon that bore his household goods from the Old North State. That Mr. Lovelace comes of sturdy stock is evi denced by the fact that he raised ten children and seldom ever called in a doctor. When he settled in Pettis county, the country was full of game, such as deer, turkeys, wolves, etc. Among the persons now living here when Mr.velace settled in the county are Granville Erwin, Mrs. Sal lie Thomas, Joel Thomas and Mrs Ann Wallace. Mr. Lovelace lives on his place four miles northeast of Bea man in Pettis county and is strong and hearty, enjoying the love and re spect of a host of descendants and friends. Of such metal was the state of Missouri builded. JESSE PREWITT. Beaman, Perris Co., Mo., April 11. Eorror Bazoo: I see that you are asking all the old pioneers of Missouri who have been here sixty years and upward to write a sketch for the Ba zoo. I was born in Clark county, Kentucky, August 29, 1621. When I was between two and three years of age, my father, John Prewitt moved to Cabwell county, Kentucky, and in the fall of 1827 he moved to Boone county, Missouri, and settled eight miles northeast of Columbia, where he resided until his death, which oc curred December 18, 1845. I was married to Miss Permelia Hardin, June 9, 1840, and lived in Boone and Audrain counties, until August 29, 1872, when my wife died. We raised six children, three boys and three girls, all of whom were living and married when my wife died, but one, my youngest daughter, who went to live with her sister, thus leaving me alone in the world. When we came to Missouri, there were very few settlers in this section, but plenty of Indians and game of all kinds. There were no schools of any account and but very few churches. I have been staying with one of my sons and John G. Fowler, a relative of mine, for about thirteen years, here in Pettis county. If you think this is worth printing in the Razoo, do so. ours truly, Jesse Prewarr. POLLY ANN TAYLOR. Polly Ann Duncan was born in Bourbon county Kentucky, March 13, 1816, which makes her 73 years old at the present time She was on the 23d day of July, 1835 to B. B. Taylor and leaving Kentucky on the 10th day of September following, with her hus band came to Missouri on horseback and settled in Calloway county. Mrs. Taylor and her husband, who was al s0 a native of Bourbon county, resid ed in Calloway county seventeen — when they moved from there to oultrie county, Illinois, in the fall of 1852. They left Illinois in the fall of 1865 and came to Pettis county and settled in Lamonte, where they have resided ever since. Mrs. Taylor's husband died August 7, 1887. She has borne ten children, six boys ,and four girls, all of whom are living and have husbands and wives living. Mrs. Taylor enjoys the proud dis tinction of having ten living children, forty living grand children, and three great grand children. Her children are Mrs. Mary Jane Logan, Sedalia ; John T. Taylor, Sedalia; Mrs. Aman da Johnson, Saline county; Mrs. Eliz abeth Hayden, Windsor; Geo. M. Taylor, Warrensburg ; James T. Tay lor, Lee’s Summit; Q. P. Taylor, La monte; H. M. Taylor, Warrensburg ; Mrs. Siddie A. Ingram, Georgetown, Colorado; and W. E. Taylor, La monte, . If any of the ‘‘old timers’’ can beat the above record, the Bazoo is anx ious to receive and publish the returns. DAVID ANDREWS. In addition to the above contribu tion to the Bazoo, the ‘‘Old Timer” editor is pleased to republish the fol lowing from the last issue of the Boon ville Advertiser, from the pen of one who is doubtless known to many of our readers: ‘ I see by your paper they are trying to get up an “Old Men’s Meeting.” If you think it suitable to put in your paper, you can do so; if you put it in the waste-basket, I will not complain of it. I have to go a good a ways from home to commence, but you know all can’t be born in Missouri. I was born in the city of Pittsburg, Pa., May 2, 1810; so you see if I live one month longer I will be in my eightieth year. I left my old home and came to St. Louis, Mo., in 1820. ‘Traveled on keel-boats, we came down the Ohio in good style, as they floated nearly all the way to the mouth; but the voy age up the Mississippi was a hard one, as the current was strong and the banks almost impassable. The boats were owned by T. and J. Lindle, of St. Louis. We were about six weeks making the trip. Some nights we would go back to where we stayed the night before to get fire, as there were no matches in those days. Our boat was manned by fifteen or seventeen men; that was a full crew. But very few know at this time what a keel boat is, or how it is propelled up a river. The mode of getting a keel-boat up-stream was by a corder or a‘*warp” Mr. Editor, as there are many of your readers who do not know what a“‘warp” is, I will explain . The hands will take a rope in a skiff and row up the river as far as they think the rope will reach, they willl then let the rope ‘‘play out” in the river till it reaches the boat, when the men on board secure the lineZ and pull the boat up to the siff. Sometimes they have to lay three or four ** warps” in going around a bluff. It was a slow way of traveling, but was the most rapid means of transit on the river at that time. All the freight they came from New Orleans or out of the Ohio was brought in keel-boats. We came in sight of St. Louis Sunday morning, but we did not get up to the city until after nightfall; we had to corder up the sandbar that was known afterwards as Hangman’s Island ; a huge pile of driftwood had lodged there—thousands of cords, perhaps— and a great many persons made their living selling this wood in the city. St. Louis was a small place at that time, and there was a great trouble among the keel-boatmen. Those of the Lower Mississippi and the Ohio were bitter enemies, and a parade, followed by free and fierce fight, would be the daily program as long as they remained in town. They were called the ‘‘Mikes” and the ‘Jakes ;” the ‘Mikes” were for Mike Fink. I stayed in St. Louis until the spring of 1824, and then came up to what is now called Old Franklin. That was a five place then ; nearly all the Santa Fe traders purchased their outfits there. We came up the Mis sour river to Franklin on a keel-boat owned by Mr. Towles, of St. Louis, and were three weeks on the way. I remained about one year; returned to St. Louis an finished my trade as tinner and coppersmith. I left St. Louis, about 1831, for what is now New Franklin, three miles north of Boonville. I remained there till about 1833, when I married a Mrs Margaret Beard in St. Louis. Re turned to Franklin, went to house keeping, stayed there about a year and moved over to Boonville, where I have been ever since. I have had a good many bad fires since I have been here. My last big fire got me down. It was in war times. I lost all my accounts, as we did a credit business then, the custom being to settle up every January. I had no money, no stock, no houses, the fire destroying all these. The morning of my fire a friend came and said: ‘Come neighbor, this will not do.” I told me I was done. He asked me what I would do if I had money? I told him I would go on with my shop. He laid his hand on me and said for me to go to St. Louis and get my stock and draw on him for $5,000. I told him I could not pay the interest. He said: “It is but little help to a man if he has to py interest, and when I want to help don’t take interest.” I drew on him for what I wanted, and after I got a little ahead, I paid the money all back. His kindness I could never repay. That was Joseph L. Stephens —my friend in need. There is but one person living that I knew as a boy in Franklin,—Mrs. Kelley, now ninety years old and, loved and respected by all. A ball was given at the courthouse in Boonville on the evening of De cember 24, 1840, in honor of General Harrison. I was one of the mana gers. They have not said anything to me serving at any ball to Ben Harrison, and I don’t think they will. The other managers at this ball were : T. J. Boggs, R. D. Perry, C. H. Smith, John Porter, James Quarles, Wash Adams, John Garnet, Wm. Childs, W. B. Johnson, A. L. Short ridge, Jas. Winston, C. W.Todd, A. C. Godwin, E. Gray, David Andress, M. D. Field, Jos. M. Edgar, J. L. Collins, J. J. Tilton, Ben. Tompkins, T-M. Campbell, E. Hart, N. C. Peters and ‘I. R. Miller, How things have changed! When I was in business in early days, my wares that I made went as far up in the state as Independence and Chari ton county. I sold a great deal of ware to a large firm in Glasgow; also a large bill in Springfield, Mo. At the time I was married in St. Louis I came up in one of Seaton’s stages. We had to get out of the stage at some of the hills and walk. This was on the north side of the Mis sour river. It was almost as bad as a keel-boat, but not quite as long. The trip from St. Louis to Franklin, by stage, occupied four days. I built the first tin and store shop in the city of Sedalia ; one of my sons was there with J. W. Houx. When the war broke out they sold out to Houx Co. That was a live place then and is so at this time. There are but very few men here now that were here about the time I came. I can’t think of any at this time but Dr. Trigg, he came about one year after I did. All have gone to where we old ones must go soon. Respectfully yours, David ANDREWS.
Newspaper Details
The Sedalia Weekly Bazoo
Sedalia, Missouri, US
Tue, Apr 16, 1889
Page 5
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 03 Feb 2026
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