The first male child born in Orrick was William, son of Zachariah and Nelly Campbell, born May 14, 1872.

The first death occurred April 1, 1870; it was that of Melvina Warner, whose remains were buried at South Point cemetery.

R. S. Kestler, M. D., from Macon county, Illinois, now a citizen of Tiblow, Wyandotte county, Kansas, was the first practicing physician in the town of Orrick.

There is no cemetery yet established in the town; but South Point cemetery, laid out by the Christian congregation at that place, is one mile away, and is used by the people of Orrick as a place to inter their dead.

The present (1881) officers of Orrick are as follows: B. A. Miller, mayor; Louis H. Wood, Marion Leakey, D. B. Shepard, W. A. Wells, councilmen; George Brown, marshal; G. W. Mitchell, treasurer; M. S. Bissell, city attorney; George Dale, clerk.

The population of Orrick, per tenth U. S. census, is one hundred and ninety-three.

Mrs. Mary Gordon has lived longer in the town than any other person.

LAWSON.

Lawson, a bright and attractive little village of two hundred and twenty-three inhabitants, is situated on the St. Joseph branch of the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific railway, twenty miles northwest of Richmond, in Polk township, near the Clay county line.

Lawson of the

It was laid out in June, 1870, named in honor of New York banking house of Donnell, Lawson & Co., and incorporated November, 7, 1871.

George Young, of the firm of Young, Brown & Co., built the first house erected in Lawson, and also owned the first store.

There is a very pretty school house in the place, built in 1870, at a cost of five hundred dollars. Miss Lutie Palmer, with twenty pupils, and for twenty-five dollars per month, taught the first school. It was a public

school.

Lawson is a growing town, very important as a shipping point, and is situated in the midst of a fine farming area of rich and beautiful gently undulating prairie land.

Dr. C. N. Palmer, from Liberty, Clay county, Missouri, who is still a citizen of Lawson, was the first regular practicing physician.

The church building in Lawson, owned by the Methodists and Presbyterians, is a neat and substantial structure.

Perhaps no town in this part of Missouri is more pleasantly located than Lawson.

Following are the names of the present officers of the town: Councilmen, P. H. Cates, chairman; J. H. Titus, M. O. Robinett, W. H. Hatfield and J. W. Asbury; W. M. Allison, treasurer; R. M. Miller, marshal;

G. W. Robinett, street commissioner; G. W. Montgomery, assessor and collector.

VIBBARD.

Vibbard is on the St. Joseph branch of the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway, fourteen miles northwest of Richmond, sections twenty-two and twenty-seven, township fifty-three, of range twenty-nine, and is the center of another very rich and beautiful rolling prairie district. Vibbard is, also, quite an important shipping point. Cattle, horses, mules, hogs, grain, and general produce are shipped from here in large number and quantity every year.

The town has eight business houses, one church, used by several denominations, a school house and a hotel. We are unable to give the exact population of the place, as the census enumerator failed to report the town separately. It has, however, a population of about one hundred and seventy-five.

ALBANY.

Albany, formery called Ashton, was founded by Judge Eli Carter. The town was incorporated in 1871. Daniel Turner was the first mayor. In 1854, a post office was established at Albany, and Judge Eli Carter appointed postmaster.

A Dr. Scroggins was the first practicing physician in Albany.

The first religious services were held by members of the M. E. Church South, at Judge Carter's tobacco factory in Albany. Rev. E. M. Dorkra was the preacher.

Albany is in southwest corner of section thirteen, township fifty-one, range twenty-nine, three-fourths of a mile northeast of Orrick. It is a brisk little village, surrounded, as are all the towns mentioned, by an excellent farming country, and has seven business houses, one school house, one church building, property of M. E. Church South, and Baptists. The Albany flouring mill, located at this place, was built in 1853, by Eli Carter & Co. It has two pairs of burrs; one to grind wheat, the other for corn. It grinds from eighty to one hundred bushels of wheat per day, and from fifteen to twenty bushels of corn in the same time. The mill is now owned by Brasher & Taylor; is in good repair and does very good work.

The town was not reported separately by the census enumerator, but it has a population of about one hundred and fifty.

HALLER STATION-RAYVILLE POST OFFICE.

This small village is on the St. Joseph branch of the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific railway, about eight miles northwest of Richmond, in Richmond township. It was laid out in 1871, and the same year a postoffice was established there, with J. O. Davis as postmaster. Thomas Hankins built the first house and owned the first store.

In 1880, the district public school building was moved near the town, and is now used by the town and neighborhood.

The first religious services in Haller station, were held at the railroad house by the Catholics. Father O'Riley, a Catholic priest, was the first minister.

The only official in Haller station, at present-April, 1881-is Henry Clark, postmaster and justice of the peace.

ELK HORN-CRAB ORCHARD POST OFFICE.

Elk Horn is a postoffice, nine miles northwest of Richmond, in section thirteen, of township fifty-two, range twenty-nine-Fishing River.

NORTH LEXINGTON.

North Lexington is the terminus of the St. Joseph branch of the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific railway, on the left bank of the Missouri river, opposite Lexington.

SWANWICK.

Swanwick is a railway station and postoffice, five miles nosthwest of Richmond, on the St. Joseph branch of the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific railway.

RICHMOND AND LEXINGTON JUNCTION-HENRY POST OFFICE.

Henry postoffice is situated in the north part of section sixteen, township fifty-one, range twenty-seven, at the crossing of the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific railway, and the St. Joseph branch of that road.

It is a thriving little village and a shipping point for an extensive and productive agricultural country. It contains five business houses; three hotels, one railroad eating house, large depot buildings, a grain elevator, a school house and a church. Population about one hundred and fifty.

HULL'S POINT.

Hull's Point, about four miles northwest of Orrick, is a station on the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific railway.

LISBONVILLE.

Lisbonville is a post office in the extreme northern part of section three, township fifty-four, range twenty-nine. It is just within Ray county, being at the line between Ray and Caldwell counties.

FREDERICKSBURG-NEW GARDEN P. O.

Fredericksburg is a post office in Fishing River township, or, section eight, congressional township fifty-two, range twenty-nine.

RUSSELLVILLE-FOX P. O.

Fox post office is situated in section sixteen, township fifty-three, range twenty-six, Grape Grove.

WILMOT.

Wilmot is a post office one mile and a half north of Fox post office.

GEORGEVILLE.

Georgeville is a post office in the north part of section fifteen, township fifty-four, range twenty-seven, Grape Grove.

TINNEY'S GROVE P. O-MT. PLEASANT.

Tinney's Grove is a small business place and postoffice, situated in section ten, township fifty-four, range twenty-six-Grape Grove. It is surrounded by a good farming country.

PLEASANT VIEW.

As a town, Pleasant View exists no longer. It was once a lovely little village

"Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid,

And parting summer's lingering blooms delayed."

But a railroad was built, and Pleasant View ignored; other towns springing up in the vicinity, on the line of the railroad, drew its patronage, and this gone, Pleasant View was forced to die.

The town was situated on a beautiful tract of high, rolling prairie land, and at one time before the war, had an extensive trade. It was laid out about the year 1857, by a German, named Isaac Berry, who opened the first store in the place, and sold a large amount of goods, dealing in country produce, general merchandise and farming implements.

One Joel J. Goddard kept a grocery store, and also sold liquors.

A man named Jacob Wybrow kept a furniture store and had an extensive trade.

Pleasant View was a flourishing village during the war, and for several years thereafter; but at last, like "Sweet Auburn," fell a victim to "unwieldy wealth," in other hands.

The Christian Church and a few "mouldering walls," are all that remain to mark the spot, in the west part of section twenty-seven, township fifty-four, range twenty-nine, where once stood Pleasant View village.

THE SOLE SURVIVING WITNESS OF THE AUTHENTICITY OF THE BOOK OF MORMON.

The year 1838 is a memorable one in the history of northwest Missouri. In that year a large body of Mormons, under the leadership of Joseph Smith, their high priest and prophet, and founder of the Mormon church, established a settlement at Far West, in Caldwell county, which but two years before had been formed out of the northern part of Ray county.

The Mormons had previously settled in Jackson county, having moved thither from Kirtland, Ohio. From these settlements the people had learned something of the character of the Mormons, and their rapid immigration into the country caused great excitement and considera

ble alarm. The people regarded their religion as inimical to society, civilization, and christianity; their habits were the opposite of decency, and their depredations unbearable. Public meetings were held, speeches made, and resolutions passed, denouncing the Mormons, and resolving to expel them from the country. War ensued an account of which is given elsewhere in this volume. But, as a considerable number of worthy citizens are yet living in Ray county, who, while condemning polygamy, and repudiating the degenerate branch of so-called “Latter Day Saints," established at Salt Lake, Utah, or elsewhere, honestly believe in the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, without rejecting the Bible; and as the only surviving witness to the golden plates, from the characters engraven on which was translated the Book of Mormon, and who claims to have received the manifestation from God concerning the record — is now living, and has lived for many years in Richmond, this county, it is deemed proper to insert a brief account of the man, what he believes, what he saw, and what he testifies to:

DAVID WHITMER,

the only living witness to the authenticity of the Book of Mormon, and one of the three witnesses who testified to "all nations, kindreds, tongues and people," that they had seen the golden plates upon which were engraven the hieroglyphics, that were translated into the Book of Mormon, has been interviewed by a reporter of the Chicago Times, and the result is given in four columns of that paper on August 7th. We reproduce the subjoined from the published interview: David Whitmer was born near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and when he was but four years old, his parents removed to New York, settling at a point midway between the northern extremities of lakes Cayuga and Seneca, two miles from Waterloo, two miles from Seneca River, four miles from Seneca Falls, seven miles from Geneva, and twenty-two miles from Palmyra. He is now seventy years of age, but as hale and hearty as most men at fifty. In person he is above the medium height, stoutly built though not corpulent, his shoulders inclining to stoop, as if from so long supporting his massive head, rather than from the weight of years, his frank, manly and benevolent face closely shaven, and his whole exterior betokening him to be one of nature's gentlemen. The rudiments of education he learned in school, and a life-time of thought and research have served to expand and store his mind with vast funds of information. The Times reporter found him at his pleasant two-story white frame residence, near the centre of the town of Richmond, Missouri, and in company with Hon. J. T. Child, editor of the Conservator, was admitted, introduced, and received a cordial greeting. When the object of the call was made known, Mr. Whitmer smilingly and meditatively remarked that it was true he had in his possession the original records, and was conversant with the history of the Church of Christ from the beginning, but was under obligations to hold both history and records sacred until such time as the interests of truth and true religion might demand their aid to combat error. Presently he became quite animated, rose to his feet, and, with great earnestness and good