Caldwell County MO Archives History .....McCLELLAND FAMILY IN DAVIESS CO. 1859 AND CALDWELL COUNTY 1863 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mo/mofiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Karen Walker khw4@yahoo.com September 3, 2008, 6:42 pm THE McCLELLAND FAMILY IN DAVIESS CO. 1859 AND CALDWELL COUNTY 1863 Narrator: Andrew McClelland, 84, of Long Beach California Mr. McClelland is the son of James McClelland who in 1835 came from Smith County Va. to Grundy County Missouri; but there was no chance for the childrens education there, so in 1859 he moved to Daviess County where Andrew attended the Singleton School north of Hamilton. (It was in the Singleton School at a church session that John Singleton announced in Andrew's hearing that Lincoln was shot). Andrew recalls many incidents of his boyhood in Daviess County. He used to go horseback to the Lenhart Mill with his father. They put one of their own horses to the sweep and ground the meal. (Customers customerly used their own horses.) The old millstone at the Hamilton Library grounds is the grist stone from the Jeremiah Lenhart Mill, which has come from an older mill - the Hardin Stone Mill. The two stones at mills always were different color: one red one gray. Lenhart was a preacher, miller, farmer, and wheel wright. He also recalls the log rollings. People would cut good walnut logs half a foot in diameter to clear off the land. At night they would roll them together in a big bonfire and have a good time. Sunday Schools came into his experience in the late 50's in Grundy County. They used testaments. Sunday School was held in homes or the School House. There the Baptists, Campbellites, and Methodists were strong, but any preacher was welcome. Everyone turned out to hear any kind of a sermon because they were treats. He attended school first in Grundy County when he had puncheon seats and desks (split logs) around the room resting on logs. At Singleton School in Daviess County he had split log seats. When he came to Hamilton 1863 to live. Wm. Goodman's sister was teaching the first public school on the site of John Morton's tin shop. Then he went on in school here in Hamilton; his last teacher was Prof. Helm in 1867-8. James McClelland having moved his family to Hamilton opened a harness shop in 1863 in the second floor of Davy Buster's saloon-grocery on the Broadway right of way. James had been in the Union Army although he was over the age limit. Two of his sons had already been in the war and spent some time at home as paroled prisoners. During the war Young Andrew 13 or 14 years old spent much of his time at the Union Camp at Hamilton placed about where the City Park now stands. It usually had about 200 men. He longed to enlist as a drummer boy but he was the oldest boy at home. He, his mother, and sisters tended to the crops. When the McClelland first came here the father bought a house on the southwest corner of what is now the North School Building. There Andrew planted four trees which still stand. A few years later, the father bought the present Emma Doll place (Mrs. Alice Doll her mother-in-law was a sister of Andrew). Andrew with the help of Henry and William Atherton built the house. Andrew was a carpenter at 18. He worked in a bunch of John Courter plaster, Lee Cosgrove painter, Andrew lather, Martin Bros. (Clark and Sam) carpenters. This bunch built the first Methodist Church. In the old McClelland house (Doll home) the sills resting on stone foundations are made of oak spleced together with wood pegs. He carried 9 saplings at once on his back from Marrowbone to plant in the yard in April 1869. One still stands. In 1869 he decided to teach school. First he went to Mr. Bostaff, County Superintendent of Schools at Gallatin. Bostaph asked him questions for forty minutes and gave him a second grade certificate. Then he visited the trustees of different schools and finally got a school. He slept in a kitchen of a home where he boarded. Next year he got a better job and a better room. He drew from $35 to 150 for ? months a year and paid $6 for board, and room and washing provided he chopped the wood for his own fire. In the summer of 1869 he taught a summer school here at Hamilton of 3 months at 35 dollars a month. The winter term had been 5 months with another teacher. Dot Morrow had the primary, Mr. Mc. the intermediate, and both were in the building east of the M.E. Church. Prof. Leander Theodore Hill was the head of the school. Some of Mr. McClelland's pupils were the Richardson children, Mrs. Allee (Miss Whitt), Lottie Reed. Little attention was paid to courses; Algebra, Geography, History, Grammer, were some of the higher branches. In 1863 there were few stores in Hamilton and most of these were north of the depot. There was the John Burroughs general store in the present picture show corner with Judge Richardson as clerk and postmaster, then a space kept by Chine Manuel, then a gunsmith Goodwin, and the McAdoo drugstore. Claypool Hotel stood north of the present Martin Grocery. The Davy Buster Saloon on Broadway on the right of way; above which was James McClelland harness maker. The lumber yard in 1863 was where it is now on the north side. Main street had not begun to be a business street and farm houses were standing where town streets now run. In 1863 the church condition in Hamilton was very poor. Some early services had been held at the depot without an instrument and few attended. Some groups were holding ocassional meetings in homes or the schoolhouse as the Methodists. He recalled a debate here between a Campbellite preacher (hand) and an Adventist over a Bible verse. People became greatly excited when talking over religious questions. Interviewed June 1934. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mo/caldwell/history/other/mcclella151gms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mofiles/ File size: 6.2 Kb