Annals of Platte County, Missouri - Paxton
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1838 24 PRE-EMPTION. had to be quiet or leave. Weston, under General Hughes whole- some management, became a. safe and prosperous town. A man named Ferguson made a deadly attack upon Hughes With a knife. but the latter eluded the stroke and with his st felled the assassin. Ferguson, when Well, thought it prudent to enlist in the army. James Moore, a brother of Joseph, had to be brought to terms, and a man named Durbin was ordered to leave. Other jumpers were chastized until peace and prosperity reigned. Though the town site was not entered under the Federal law until 1844, nor the plat led until September 19. 1844, yet in the mean- time the town grew in numbers and in the enterprise of its inhabitants. After the plat was led and the town chartered, the board of trustees gave deeds for lots at nomina.l prices. There were no public sales of lots. Except Platte City and eston. no towns succeeded until after the land sales. J[ arch 27. 1837Geo. W. Smith and Sallie Gentry were mar- ried. This is the rst entry of a marriage in Platte in the records Of C-13V. J uh; 20. 183/Ben Jacks born. He is supposed to have been the t-st child born in Platte. R. N. Harrington. late of the Dearborn Democrat. was born July 24. 1837. 1838. The season of 1838 was propitious. The most interesting event was the passage of a general preemption law. granting 160 acres. ea.ch. to settlers. This law gave preemptions to all who were then. at the passage of the law, actual settlers on public lands. A sale or abandonment of the claim worked a forfeiture. But in 1841 the present prospective preemption law was passed. and such as bought claims and took possession at once acquired title which he could enforce at law. The law of 1838 quieted titles. improvements progressed. population increased. churches were organized. schoolhouses built. orchards planted. and pros- perity ruled. APRIL. lpril 7.X Methodist church was organized in the vicinity of ston. The original members were: Wn1. Adkinson. Joel A]- lnright. 1n. Bailey. Henry Barker. W111. Flay. Thos. Edwards. Tlms. Farmer. Phil. 8. Gill. Jesse Green. B. Holland. H. Hopeland. lhu.. I{tlll()ll. Frank .ewman. P. P. .i-hols. and Wm. Toole. A l.TGTSl. l uy/. plhe ((lllli -mirt of (Iav. having divided Platte into 1uIl.lIl]n. appoint:-tl jlistices and constables. and designated ]vi:l-(5 for ()l ing. the regular election was held. The county was then. as now. lUlHllLlllY Democratic. and the officers elected were of lllw .aim- pnlitit-al faith. No r-minty ofcer was elected. as the appnintino-tits made were until the general election of 1840. llattu- was 1-c-g:mlel as part of Way. The State senators elected