Annals of Platte County, Missouri - Paxton
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1837 18 TREATY RATIFIED and the Missouri River was attached to Clay; and all north of a v line running to the Missouri from the northwest corner of Clay was attached to Clinton County. This left to Platte less than the constitutional limit of 400 miles; and hence, on the survey of Platte, the north line was extended several miles further north. 1837. TREATY RATIFIED AND LAND SETTLED. February; 15, 1837The Indian treaty was ratied, and im- mediately the horde of sooners gathered in Clay and Clinton dashed into the new territory. Jackson, Lafayette, Boolne, ang Howard counties sent contingents, but Virginia, Kentuc y, an Tennessee sent thousands of their sturdy, intelligent, and enter- prising a population equal Cmorallyl and superior physically to any other people on earth. hoice c aims were selected, cabins erected, clearings opened, fences built, and corn planted. The roads were crowded with emigrants. They dashed north until stopped by the Iowa line. They sought the lands densely covered with timber of the most superior quality, fand at once commenccled toddesfroyl it. The loy;e1l%73grIairieJLs, ready or the plow, were neg ecte . n t e summer 0 . rs passe through the lovely undulating meadows between Barry a.nd the Falls. and not a house was found, except that of John Bryant; and as late as the fall of 1840 the beautiful prairies between Second Creek and Todds Creek were in Na.tures loveliness and without a tenant. But the rocky hills along the wooded streams were taken up. In 1841 I built the rst house on the open prairie east of Todds Creek. I bought a claim in what was then called the White Oak YVoods. on Sn1iths Fork, for rail timber. At that time the forest was unbrokenthe white oaks were crowded. were about twenty inches in diameter. and as straight as southern pines. I hauled to the prairie ten thousand rails. and they are there now after nearly sixty years. JUSTIC-ES OF THE PEACE APPOINTED. There is very little found in the records of Clay in relation to Platte. But the county court appointed justices of the peace. as follows: Yilliam Banta, Jacob Adamson. P. S. Benton. J. R. Bonds. Mir-hael Byrd. Henry Brooks. J. C. Bywaters. And. Ca1np- bell. Daniel Clary. J. B. Collier. Peter Crockett, Jas. Ilannery. \m. A. "Fox. Jas. Fnlkerson. J. W. Gibson. Josiah Higgins. Arch. llill. Jas. IT. Hm-l. Hugh lIcCatfrey. Matthias Masten. H. D. Oden. Robert Patton. J. B. Rogers, Jacob Smelser. J. P. Smith. John Stokr-s. Robert Stone, Jer. H. Spratt. S. B. Thorp. Chas. YVells. These justices were farmers. of na.tive intellect. and. with sr-arvr-ly an exception. of unimpeachable integrity. I venture to say that we ha ye never sine-e had a board of justices to equal them.