Page:History of Southeast Missouri 1912 Volume 1.djvu/375

 HISTORY OP SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 315 rison Hough. The court met at the house of Jonathan Scott. There was no court house erected for some years, the first being a small frame building which was put up in 1854. Sanford Jackson was the second clerk of the court, and he built, in the yard near his house, a clerk's office. It was a rail pen, sealed inside and out with cypress bark, and was covered with elm boards. It was used as an office until the court house was erected. The first court house, ei-ected in 1854, was a small frame building and was vised until 1873. By that time it became inadequate for the purpose and was moved away and plans made for the erection of a new court building. This was destroyed by fire in 1882 and the legislature of the state appropriated the sum of $4,000 for the construction of another court house in Gayoso. This was used until the county seat was removed from Gayoso to Caruthersvile. The present building was then erected under the supervision of Charles B. Paris. Two jails were built in Gayoso and the present jail was constructed about the same time of the court house at Caruthersville. Prom 1862 to 1865 there were no meetings of the county court, and in April of the for- mer year the records of the county were removed to Memphis by Major Carleton, who was clerk of the court, and held there for safe keeping; they were returned to the county in August, 1865. Owing to the fact that it was not possible to hold meetings of the county court in Pem- sicot county during the war, a bill was passed by the legislature, through the efforts of T. J. 0. Morrison, extending the jurisdiction of the courts of New Madrid county over Pemsicot county. This arrangement was continued un- til the close of the war. The circuit courts were discontinued for an even longer period, no meetings of the court being held from 1860 to 1868. An attempt was made to hold circuit court in 1866 by Judge Albert Jackson, but Judge Jackson was not at all in sympathy with the people in Pemsicot county and very evidently hunted for some excuse to adjourn the court. He found that the seal used by the county had been broken and a new one put in its place. He declared that all instruments executed and attested by the use of the new seal were void and then adjourned court. The present townships are Little Prairie, Pemsicot, Cooter, Virginia, Hayti, Bragga- docio, Little River, Gayoso, Godair, Holland, Pascola and Butler. Prominent Citizens One of the earlier settlers and most promi- nent men in Pemiscot county was John Harde- man Walker. He came to the county about 1810 and made his home on Little Prairie. He was one of the few men who did not leave the section after the New Madrid earthquake. Colonel Walker remained and carried on his farming enterprises during all this period until the time of his death. He was sheriff of New Madrid county in 1821 and 1822 and was afterward a judge of the county court. One of his sistei's married Dr. Robert D. Daw- son of New Madrid, and another, John Martin of Point Pleasant. One of the conspicuous settlers of Pemiscot county was Major George W. Carleton. He was born in Saratoga county, New York, April 19, 1830. He was educated in the public schools and high school and fitted himself for the position of civil engineer. He came to New Madrid October 10, 1852, and was at the time almost penniless. In the following spring he taught school for a time in New Madrid and was shortly afterward married to