Annals of Platte County, Missouri - Paxton
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1860, JULY 299 THE KUYKENDALLS July 12 - The financial panic is increasing. New York exchange is 1 per cent premium. Financiers are assoi-ting .Iisso11ri money. and presenting it for payment in gold. No coin in cir- culation. "Shin-plasters" are used for small change. July 20 - Eliza Todd. born May 15. 1813. wife of Prof. H. B. Todd. died at Platte City. Prof. Todd was in the South. solicit- ing: aid for his school. He returned. a11d made a feeble effort to sustain himself and the .cadem.: but executions were levied on his personal property. and he was sold out. Prof. A. B. Jones succeeded him as principal of the .cade1nV. July 23 - J. H. Wilhite reports four more miles of the Weston and Platte City Turnpike complete. July 24 - James Kuykendall died at his home near Platte City. THE KUYKENDALLS Came from Holland. Richmond Kuykendall settled in York County. S. C. He was born in 1768. and was a soil of tlie emigrant who died of a wound received at Kings Mountain. while fighting for his adopted country. Tl1e Tories burned his widows home and property, and she died of a broken heart. The orphan, Richmond. was adopted in a family that brought him with Boone to Kentucky. They settled in Barren County. Ky. Here Rich- mond married. and here James Kuykendall was born December 25. 1795. and married September 5. 1820. Celia. Thompson. born De- cember 6. 1803; (lied Marcli 9. 1869. After residing for some years in Garrard County. K31. James Kuykendall and family came. in ]83:3. to (lay (ount. Mo.. and were among the earliest to cross over into Platte. In .Xugust. 1840. he was elected a county court justice. April 17. 1846. he purchased 160 acres of land near lraey. at $5 per acre. In 1844 he was elected sheri. In 1849 he was count) treasurer. a11d at the election in August. 1849. he was chosen our first probate judge. At the end of his term. in 1854. the family removed to Kansas. and settled near Topeka. He was a member of the second Legislative .Xssen1blvof Kansas. chairman of the board of commissioners for Jackson (,ount. and a member of the first Constitutional Convention. that passed what was known as the Lecompton Constitution. Judge Kuykendall pos- sessed an iron will. decision of character. moral courage. and self-reliance. He had no counsellor. but depended on his own sound jud,e;me11t. He belonged to no society. never used attery or fawning. and yet he was one of the most popular men of his day. lall. brawn). and angular i11 his features. he commanded respect rather than love. He was no orator. and was blunt and arbitrar. His education was limited. but be derived his power from native common sense. (h: I. ELIZA ANN KUYKENDALL, b. Feb. 25, 1821; d. March 9, 1849; married Isaac G. Hyatt. She left two children that subsequently died. Mr. Hyatt married 2nd, Sept. 11, 1850, Eliza J. Tipton.