Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/322

 262 HISTORY OF SOUTHEAST MISSOURI one of the best towns of Missouri. It lies about eleven or twelve miles northwest of the old town of Cape Girardeau on the Missis- sippi, and is surroiuided by hilly and fertile tracts of country, at this time rapidly increas- ing in wealth and population. Jackson is what is called a thriving village and contains at present more than fifty houses which, though built of logs, seem to a.spire to a de- gree of importance unknown to the humble dwellings of the scattered and solitary settlers assumed an appearance of superiority similar to that we immediately distinguished in the appearance and manners of the people." First Institutions and Persons The ^rst store was that of Eckhardt, who came to Jackson from Virginia. He sold his store later to Clifton and Mothershead. An- other of the earl,y merchants was Samuel Cupples. a son-in-law of Judge Thomas. Jos- eph Frizzell was another of these merchants. He was a son-in-law of Col. George F. Bol- linger and opened his store about 1817. David Armour and John Juden were partners in a business conducted on the opposite corner from Frizzell. It is related of them that they sent Robert Jlorrison with a wagon and team to Baltimore and that he returned with a load of goods in abovit three months. Other mer- chants were George H. Scripps, Nathan Van- horn, and Doctor Thomas Neal. Neal's store was at the corner of Main street and the pub- lic square. Col. William McGuire, who was one of the prominent citizens in the town, and afterward a member of the state legislature, came to Jackson in 1818. He operated a tan yard. A still house was conducted by Caleb B. Fullenwider; he was also a prominent citi- zen, being elected judge of the county court and afterward clerk of the court. A mechanic «hop was conducted by John Delap. Taverns and houses of entertainment were kept by James Edwards, Thomas Stewart, "William Sheppard, and John Armstrong. Some other residents of the town at this early date were Louis Painter, who was a saddler, two black- smiths named John Glascock and Samuel Jlitchell ; Edward Criddle, "William Surrell, "William Hand, C. G. Houts and E. D'Lash- nutt ; the last named were merchants. Peter R. Garrett was clerk of the court and after- ward clerk of the county court. "We have already mentioned some of the prominent lawyers, and T. E. Strange who published the first paper, the Missouri Herald. The first physicians in the town were Dr. Zenas Priest and Dr. Thomas Neale. The former came from New York and was for years one of the leading pliysieians of the county. Dr. Neale was from Virginia, but had formerly lived in New Madrid. Dr. Can- non was another early physician. He was a native of North Carolina and nuxrried a daughter of Governor Dunklin. He took great interest in politics and was elected lieutenant governor of the .state in 1836. During this period (1820-1860), Jackson, which had been made the county seat of Cape Girardeau coimty, continued to grow quite rapidly. Among the merchants prominent in the town during this period were : "William F. Graham, who began business about 1822 and sold his stock to Ralph Gill about 1826; Charles "Welling, H. L. Sloan, John W. Gayle, A. H. Brevard, Jacob Kneibert, George M. Beattie, John Albert and brother, J. J. Turn- baugh and J. S. McGuire. Charles "Welling began business in Jackson in 18.31, and for a period of fifty-seven years carried it on at practicality the same site on Main street. The first bank in Jackson was opened in 1841. It was a branch of the state bank. Its