Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/137

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 77 son road, the Byrd settlement on Byrd's creek, the Rodney settlement near Gordon- ville, the Randol settlement on Randol creek, Gordonville on Hubble creek, a settlement near the headwaters of Cape La Crux creek, one on the river north of Cape Girardeau, the Daugherty settlement south of Jackson, and the settlement on Whitewater, now called Burt'ordville, but long known as Bollinger's Mill. An account of these various settlements is here given. One of the earliest settlers outside the town was Andrew Ramsay who in 1795 settled land near Mt. Tabor and immediately ad.ioin- ing Lorimier's grant. Ramsay was a Vir- ginian, coming to Cape Girardeau from the neighborhood of Harper's Ferry. He was re- lated by marriage to Daniel Morgan of Vir- ginia. He had been a soldier, was among the Virginia troops at the time of Braddock's defeat, and it is quite probable that he was a soldier in the Revolution. He was induced to settle in the Cape Girardeau district by his acquaintance with Cousin whose scholarly ability and friendliness attracted him. Ram- say was followed by members of his family and friends. William Daugherty and Samuel Tipton were sons-in-law of Ramsay. They came to the district soon after him. Daugherty set- tled near his father-in-law and Tipton near Jackson. Among the fi-iends of Ramsay who settled near him were Nicholas Seavers, Jeremiah Simpson, Alexander Giboney and Dr. Blevins Haydeu. These settlers were very naturally followed by their friends and by the year 1804 their settlements reached from the Big Swamp south of the town around to the Jack- son road. Stoddard, who visited the district in that year said that it was the richest set- tlement in Upper Louisiana. Ramsay was a leader among these settlers and his place became the headquarters for all persons who came to the district. They made their way first of all to Ramsay's farm. He assisted many of them to secure good loea-- tions in the near-by country. In fact, it seems to have been a custom for the American settlers to gather at Ramsay's place, espe- cially "on Sunday, where the day was spent in the amusements that the country afforded. Ramsay became rich, owning the largest tract of land in the settlement and having also many slaves. He was interested in education and was influential in establishing the first English sciiool west of the Mississippi river. This school was founded in 1799 at Mt. Tabor. Ramsay's family was a large one. Besides the two married daughters who came with their families soon after his location, he had three other daughters and five sons. Mar- garet Ramsay married Stephen Jones and moved to Arkansas; Mary became the wife of Peter Craig who was afterward killed at the battle of the Sink Hole ; Rachael married John Rodney. Ramsay's sons were John, who married Hannah Lorimier; Andrew and James, who married two sisters, Pattie and Rebecca Worthington ; AVilliam, who married Eliza- beth Dunn and Ellen. The first three sons here mentioned subsequently removed to Mis- sissippi county. Among the settlers the Giboney famil.y was prominent and numerous. They came to the district prior to 1797. The head of the fam- ily Avas Alexander Giboney. He was a Vir- ginian and a man of great ability and influ- ence. He died, however, shortly after his removal to the district, and the care of the famil.y fell upon his widow Rebecca (Ramsay') Giboney. Mrs. Giboney was a remarkable woman, possessing a high degree of intelli-