Annals of Platte County, Missouri - Paxton
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1842, DEC. -30 STATE LAND OFFICE. William E. Black, after Working on the bridge over the Platte, became a merchant, and then a physician. He returned to Virginia. John Ritner located near Smithville, and, being an excellent millwriglit. became a partner with Jas. B. Martin in the Platte City Mills. James Davis. a large, genial, and agreeable gentleman, and an excellent clerk, wrote in the circuit clerks ofce, read law, formed a. partnership with John W. Forbis, and disappeared very mysteriously; but was heard from again in one of the Northwest- ern States. Archibald Woods and James M. Estill came from Kentucky with money, bought a large body of land, and built the Union .Iills. They became also merchants in Weston. Their business was immense, and their creditors suffered. Estill went to Cali- fornia, took some large contracts. and speculated unsuccessfully. E. S. Wilkinson removed the Eagle to Weston, but the Winter caught him Without paper. He went on horseback to Boonville, but got but little paper. The Eagle therefore was issued only as a handbill, until the river opened in the spring. THE STATE LAND OFFICE. September 4, 1841, Congress granted the Western States public lands Within their borders. Five hundred thousand acres were granted to Missouri. The gift Was accepted. and commis- sioners were appointed to select the lands. They Were located chiey in the Platte Purchase. S. L. Leonard and Dr. A. M. Robin- son were commissioners. The Federal law required loca.tions to be in bodies of not less than 320 acres. To induce the settlers to give in their lands to the State, a liberal preemption law was passed. giving time for payment. and sanctioning sales by the settler. after the rst payment. These lands appear on the official plat as Internal Improvement Lands. About oneeighth of the county of Platte was selectedas State lands. The land office was located at Savannah. 1843. OFFICERS Governor, Thomas Reynolds; Senator, And. Johnson; Congressman, J. M. Hughes; Circuit Clerk, Jesse Morin; Treasurer, F. Marshall; Representatives, B. Allen and J. A. White; Circuit Attorney, P. H. Burnett; Circuit Judge, D. R. Atchison; County Clerk, J. H. Johnston; Sheriff, Jones H. Owen; Assesor, W. C. Remington; County Justice, James Kuykendall, D. P. Lewis, and M. M. Hughes.