First Settlers, Webster County, Missouri >From "History of Laclede, Camden, Dallas, Webster, Wright, Texas, Pulaski, Phelps and Dent Counties, Missouri" The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1889. ********************************************************************** William Mooney, a settler of the White River country, visited this part of Missouri early in the thirties, and located for a short time in the present Washington Township. Some short time after the Flanagan family located within the boundaries of what is now the town of Marshfield, on the road to the mineral springs, near the sand quarries. Equi-distant from the court house square, to the southwest, the Bowers settled, and about three miles west John Starness made a clearing. John Foster thinks that Spencer, James, William and Arch Marlin settled on the Marlin Prairie with their father, Thomas Marlin about 1833-34. For years after new settlers would come in, locate by sight, their farms as near the section lines as possible, and make mutual agreement that in purchasing from the United States the same lines should be observed as in the first location. The McMahans, Marlins, Fosters, Alcorns and nearly all the old families had experiences of this class, and in every case the verbal agreement was faithfully carried out. Lazarus Nichols settled three miles west of Marshfield, on Pleasant Prairie, in 1837 or 1838, buying a claim from John Starnes, who had about three acres of wheat sown that year, and a little log cabin erected. Starnes had five or six children then. Two or three years ago he moved to Kansas, since which time nothing has been heard of him. The Allens, Lettermans, Griers, Silvys, Puryears, Haggards, Blunts, Bails, Peter Jump, the Rhodes family, Thom B. Neaves (afterward a representative of Greene county in the Legislature), the Kaymes, Kellers, the Jones family, L.S. Cass (of Greene County), Nathan T. Smith, the Bodenhamers, Pattersons, John L. Prior, Joiner Gentry, the Cardwells, Peter F. Hailey, the Bufords, Cantrells, Martins, Abram Hargus, the Hartleys, Hoovers, the Davis family, and others named in the list of original lad buyers, were all in the county. Mr. Nichols died in 1876. He was born in North Carolina in 1808; moved with his parents to Kentucky in 1812, where in 1828, he married Eliza Morris, who died in Webster county in 1855. He settled in Missouri in 1829. James M. Allen, who died in October, 1888 settled near Marshfield in 1836, but in 1864 removed to Wright county, near its western line. Mrs. Elizabeth Turner came here with her hus- band in 1839, surviving until November, 1880. Adaline Allen, who came from Tennessee when two years old, died here December 12, 1888. L. L. Hamilton, born in Tennessee in 1836, came a few years later to Webster county with his parents, where, in 1857, he married Mary A. Smith. He died in January, 1885. William H. Smith, born in Webster county in 1826, died January 11, 1880. His father, David D. Smith, and father- in-law, Jesse Bruton, were among the earliest pioneers of Webster. Wright Holland, who came from Tennessee in 1843, died April 16, 1879. He was instrumental in having the county seat located at Marshfield, and was commissioner for its survey. In 1863 he was appointed sheriff by Gov. Gamble, and later was elected sheriff and collector. Robert B. Day came from Kentucky in 1836, and located his home in Washington Township; three years after the McMahans arrived. Valentine Garner, John Smith (who died in September, 1880), Peter Jump, W. L. Buford, William Shook, the McMahans, Vincent and Caleb Haymes were among the pioneers with the childress family, Jacob Good, the McCormachs, Brashears, Vittatoes, Letchworths, Callaways and the Dennys. It was related by Peter Jump that in building his first cabin he had to go north of St. Luke for help. J. Watts, who came to Missouri in 1838, and to what is now Webster county in 1840, when he settled in the southwest corner, visited Marshfield for the first time in December, 1878. The list might be continued indefinitely, but as the greater number of representative families are referred to in the pages devoted to personal history and reminiscences, mention here is unnecessary. James Smith, one of the oldest inhabitants of the county in 1887, died near Niangua, December 28, aged ninety-two years. Gov. McClurg came early in the forties, and in 1846 established his trading house where Hazelwood, of latter day fame, stood. Dr. Clay, who is still here, was the physician of the mountain settlement at this time. ==================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. 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