The same year we have the following from Boon township: "We certify that Abraham McClelland got ten votes, Richard Johnson none, S. V. Nolan six, Lewis Jones none, for representative; Jacob Gregg four, John Swearingen seven, James Brown four, G. Hensley none, for Sheriff; J. B. Floury ten, for Coroner. "Given under our hands this 2d day of August, in the year of our Lord one thousand, eight hundred and thirty. D. G. BUTTERFIELD, The following will show the vote of the entire county in 1836: Judges." "We, Samuel C. Owens, Clerk of the County Court, and Richard R. Rees and John Smith, two acting Justices of the Peace within and for the county aforesaid, do certify that we have carefully examined the poll books of general election held on the first Monday in August, 1836, in the different townships of said county, and find on inspection thereof that FOR CONSTABLE OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP. Anson McCracken received. . II votes 40 29 66 5 21 votes 32 votes SAMUEL C. OWENS, Clerk. JOHN R. SWEARENGEN, Justices of the Peace." The following ancient document was handed us by Mr. R. Wallace, which we publish without comment, further than to state that Mr. Jacob Gregg, of Snia-bar township, is the only man now living whose name is mentioned in the document referred to. Here it is: "COUNTY OF JACKSON, TO-WIT : "The State of Missouri, to the sheriff of Jackson County, greeting:-You are hereby commanded to cause to be empannelled and come before the judge of our circuit court of our said county of Jackson, on the first day of our next November term, at the court house, in the town of Independence, a grand jury of good and lawful men, not less than sixteen nor more than twenty-three, housekeepers of said county, who are then and there upon their oaths, to enquire into and present all such offences as may have been committed within the body of said county, and that you make due return of the names of said jury and this writ: Witness: Samuel C. Owens, clerk of our said court, at office, Seal. this 15th day of September, A. D. 1828, with my private seal, (there being no seal of office provided). SAM'L C. OWENS, Clerk." { "Following is the grand jury summoned in accordance with the above order: "I, Joseph R. Walker, sheriff of Jackson County, do certify that the foregoing named persons were summoned as grand jurors for November term, 1828. J. R. WALKER, Sheriff." JACOB GREGG, Deputy Sheriff." Westport was the next place to become settled after the town of Independence and vicinity; and after the Santa Fe trade had found its chief starting point at Independence, for several years it gradually transferred a portion of it to Westport. J. C. McCoy, who now resides in Johnson county, Kansas, laid out the town, and was one of its principal settlers for some time. Robert Johnson was another early settler there; James McGee and sons, John Harris, Jacob Ragan, William Matney, Johnston Lykens, and many more, were among the early settlers in the vicinity of Westport. Before Kansas City became of any commercial importance Westport was a flourishing town, with a large Santa Fe trade. Perhaps the next settlement was made at Lone Jack, where families had clustered in the vicinity, and became very much attached to the place. Lone Jack was thus named from a large jack oak tree, which stood alone there in the prairie. It has since been a post-village of considerable importance. Among the early settlers in the vicinity we mention the names of Warham Easley, Galen Cabe, John Snow, Stephen Easley and John Daniel. This was the principal settlement in the southeastern portion of the county, and here their township elections were held. Kansas City was not settled for a long time after Sibley, Independence and Westport. As late as 1839 wild deer, wolves and wild turkeys inhabited those bluffs and valleys, where Kansas City now stands, undisturbed by man; there were large trees and thick underbrush, which made it most emphatically a wilderness. In the month of December, 1839, Mr. H. G. Rees, who now lives at Independence, crossed the river from Kansas City to Harlem, at a point just below the present great railroad bridge, and when about to step upon the ferry boat a large flock of wild turkeys came from the opposite shore, sailing over his head, and alighted only a few yards distant. When the turkeys saw the men they ran up the bluff into the unsettled wilderness, where the business portion of Kansas City is now located. Mr. Rees had remained over night in an old log hut among the trees, on the south side of the river, in which Thomas Smart then lived. Blankets were nailed upon the inside of the cabin, to break the wind from those endeavoring to keep warm within; the chinks between the logs had not been plastered with mud, and it was difficult to keep warm. It was New Santa Fe was also an early but not very important settlement. on the direct route of travel for those starting from Independence engaged in the Santa Fe trade, situated near the southwest corner of the county on the Kansas State line. There were only a few houses here and at the present time scarcely more, but some of the early inhabitants in that locality were John Bartleson, William Gray, John Whitsett, Edward Gray, Richard Kirby, John Fitzhugh, George Fitzhugh, John B. Lucas, John Self, Linzey Lewis. Most of the early settlers in this section went to Independence and Westport for supplies. They usually lived in the timber and ate hominy and potatoes, frequently having no bread. At or near Stony Point, near the south boundary of Sni a-bar Township, there were several early settlers. Near the present site of the little village of Blue Springs was the early home of the Smiths, Clarks, Burrises, Dailies, Judge R. D. Stanley and others. The first prairie broken in Jackson county was done here by David Dailey near the East Fork of the Little Blue. The work was accomplished with a "barshear plow," which consisted of a beam to which was fastened the coulter or "shear," as it was called, to cut the tough sod, with wooden mouldboard. When Mr. Daily undertook to cultivate or cross plow his field the tough sod collected in a huge pile in front of the plow, necessitating an abandonment of the work till the turf became dead and decayed. When it became apparent that he could not mellow the sod he took his ax and cut holes in tl e obdurate turf, dropped therein his corn and with another stroke of the ax covered the seed. In this way he planted and raised a good crop the first year. At that time there were no weeds and grasses, such as the fox-tail and other species, which at the present time so obstinately resist the labors of the husbandman. When they plowed the prairie they attached to the plow six or eight yoke of oxen and opened a much larger and deeper furrow than at the present time. Mr. Dailey lived here a long time and finally sold out to a wealthy Virginian by the name of Frank Coward, Dailey moving further southeast in Van Buren. When Mr. Dailey first came to this State he landed at St. Louis and obtained hats for his dozen boys. We have never heard of a man who by one and the same wife had so large a family as Mr. Dailey afterward reared. They had twentyseven children. The anecdote told of him on landing at St. Louis is this: "When he applied for a dozen hats for his boys the merchant was surprised and told him if he would bring twelve of his own boys into the store he would give each a hat. Mr. Dailey, delighted with the promise as his money was very scarce at that time, went down to the river landing and took his boys back to the merchant who provided each with a good new hat." David Dailey was a very industrious man and possessed an iron constitution. No neighbors lived near and wild turkeys came to the house and ate feed with the hogs in the trough; wolves howled about and often destroyed the pigs and sheep of early settlers. He built a grist-mill and ground for customers who came from long distances. The mill was run by horses on a tread wheel, corn and wheat being the principal grain. He also had a distillery to manufacture whisky, and it may be well to note in this connection that it found a ready market in the immediate neighborhood. The old man died about five years ago at the advanced age of ninety. It may be interesting to read a few entries found in the account book of Henry Chiles: Sept. 20, 1833. George Rider, Dr., to writing two bonds. Amos Ridley, Dr., to hog about 100 pounds. Wm. I. Cayton, Dr., to writing mortgage to Shepherd. Same Cr. by order to Moreland... $ 1.00 Jan. 10, 1834. 3.00 Jan. 24, 1834. 1.00 Feb. 6, 1834. 4.79 4.79 Feb. 6, 1834. J. H. Flournoy, Dr., to taking depositions, three days in 15.00 Sept. 28, 1834. Wm. I. Baugh, Dr., to deed from Franklin to Gregg . July 22, 1835. John Parker, Dr., to oxen and wagon part of one day. 1.00 .50 .75 CHAPTER V. ORGANIZATION OF THE COUNTY. St. Louis County included what is now the eastern part of Jackson in 1813-Then Howard County -Then Cooper-Then Lillard-Then Lafayette-And then Jackson-Jackson County organized December 15, 1826, and included what is now Cass and Bates counties-First County Court-County and Township system-Government Surveys-Organization of townships-Three townships at first, Blue, Ft. Osage and Kaw-Location of roads-Harmony Township-Boone Township-Sni-a-bar Township-Washington Township -Van Buren Township-Prairie Township--Westport Township-Brooking Township. The territory which now bears the name of Jackson county, Missouri, was first embraced in the county of St. Louis except the western part which belonged to the Osage Indians. The eastern boundary of the Osages at that time commenced at a point on the Missouri River near the mouth of the Little Blue and thence ran directly south. The boundaries of St. Louis county fixed by an act of the Territorial Legislature of Missouri, December 31, 1813, included a strip of land lying south of the Missouri River and containing about twenty-five counties as at present organized. The boundaries as fixed by the aforesaid act were as follows: "All that portion of the territory bounded north by the south line of the county of St. Charles, east by the main channel of the river Mississippi, south by a line to commence in the main channel of the Mississippi immediately opposite to the upper line of a tract of land owned by Augustus Chouteau which is about half way between the mouths of the Plattin and Joachim rivers; thence running in a direct line to a point on the dividing ridge between those waters where Wright's road fails into the road leading from the town of Herculaneum to the Mine a Burton; thence along said road to a point thereon immediately opposite a noted spring called the " Dripping Spring," which spring is situated about two hundred yards south of said road; thence on a direct course to the mouth of Mineral Fork of Grand River, thence such a course as shall leave all the persons now settled in that settlement, usually known by the name of the Richwood settlement to the south of said course or line in the county of Washington, thence southwest to the western boundary line of the Osage purchase; thence northwardly on said line to the river Missouri, thence down said river Missouri in the main channel of the same to the southwest corner of the county of St. Charles shall compose one county and shall be called and known by the county of St. Louis." This territory remained as St. Louis county till the act of January 23, 1816, which constituted Howard county as follows: "All that part of the county of St. Louis and all that part of the county of St. Charles and bounded as follows, to wit: Beginning at the mouth of the Great Osage River, thence up said river and in the middle of the main channel thereof unto the Osage boundary line thence north with said boundary line to the river Missouri, thence up the river Missouri and in the middle of the main channel thereof to a point opposite the mouth of the Kansas River, thence with the Indian boundary line (as described in a proclamation of the governor issued on the ninth day of March, 1815) northwardly one hundred and forty miles, thence eastward with said line to the main dividing ridge of high ground between the rivers Mississippi and Missouri, thence with said ridge of high ground to the main fork of the river Cedar, thence down said river to the Missouri, thence down the river Missouri and in the middle of the main channel thereof to the mouth of the |