Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/239

 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 179 or three families. One of these was at Gayoso and another on Little river, and one not a great way from Big lake. In Scott county the first settlement seems to have been made near Sikeston by Edward Robertson and his son-in-law, Moses Hurley. Robertson was a merchant and land speculator and became wealthy through his various oper- ations. He probably came to the coimty about 1790. In 1796 Captain Charles Friend from Virginia settled near Benton. He brought with him a large family of sons. In 1811 John Ramsay came from Cape Girardeau and settled on what is now the county poor farm. Joseph Hunter, who in 1805 located in New Madrid, removed about a year later to Big f rairie and located near Sikeston. Hunter was a Scotchman and was a very influential man in the territory. He acquired consider- able wealth by trading and land speculation, and was appointed by President Madison as a member of the council of the territory. Thomas W. Waters from South Carolina was the first settler on the site of Commerce. About 1803 he established a trading post and store there in partnership with Robert Hall ; the firm also operated a ferry across the Miss- issippi. Tiwappity bottom, between Com- merce and Bird's Point, was early settled. Some of the men who came were James Brady, James Curran, Charles Findlay, Edmund Hogan, Thomas, John and James Welbourn. The first settlement in Mississippi county was made in 1800 by one John Johnson, who secured a grant of land and located on it near Bird's Point. In 1801 a settlement on what is now called ilatthews' Pi-airie was made. This prairie was first called St. Charles but was changed in name in honor of Edward jNIatthews, who made the first settlement there. Others who came here within a few years were Charles Gray, Joseph Smith. John Wea- ver, George Becker and Absalom McElmurry. Abraham Bird bought the land which was first granted to Johnson, about 1805; Bird's Point was named for him. He remained there until 1815, when he sold the homestead to his son, John, and moved to Louisiana. A settlement was made between Norfolk and Wolf Island in 1812 by Newman Beckwith of Virginia. In 1813 William Rash settled on Rush's Ridge. In 1802 James Lucas settled at the place afterwards called Lucas' Bend. The settlement at Norfolk was made in 1800 by John, Andrew and James Ramsay from Cape Girardeau. The first settlers on Wolf Island were John Gray, Drakeford Gray and Thomas Phillips, while William D. Bush was a pioneer in Long Prairie. In 1819 the first settlement was made in Butler coimty. This was on Cane creek. The settlement was located by Solomon Kittrel, who was a Kentuckian, and took up a large tract of land and also operated a store, a dis- tillery and a tan yard. Kittrel lived to be very old, dying in 1872. Other settlers on Cane creek were Thomas Scott and JIalachi Hudspeth. Some of the other pioneers in the county were Daniel Epps, Martin Sandlin, Samuel Hillis, the Whittingtons, Samuel Poke, James Bramum and the Applebys and Vandovers. The first .settlement in Washington coimty was made at Potosi. This was near Mine a Breton. The settlers were attracted on ac- count of the mines and the mine itself was opened in 1787. There were other settlements in the county but nearly all of them were grouped around the mines. When Wa.shington county was separated from Ste. Genevieve in 1816. Potosi was made the seat of government for the county. The fir.st settlement in Reynolds coimty was made in 1812 by Henry Fry, who came from