OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION

A meeting was held September 10, 1875, attended by quite a number of the early settlers of Appanoose county. J. F. Stratton was chosen as president of the Old Settlers' Association, which organized at the time, and his associate officials were: W. S. Manson, vice president; James S. Wakefield, secretary; W. S. Main, Dr. Nathan Udell, J. H. Gaugh, Daniel McDonald and L. Dean, executive committee.

From the time of the organization of the Old Settlers' Association, annual meetings have been held. At the beginning, a twenty years' residence in the county was required for eligibility to the society; but the period of residence has necessarily been lengthened. Annual reunions have been held near Unionville for many years past, and at these gatherings members and invited speakers have declaimed to large audiences, relating their experiences of the days when Appanoose was but a wilderness and their trials and triumphs in making new homes for themselves and their children.

In 1912 the president of the association was William Bray, of Udell township, and the secretary, F. A. Wilson, of Unionville. In the minute book now in the hands of the secretary, is a list, not complete, of men and women who were members of the society. They came in the '40s and '50s and their names are worthy of preservation. This list does not show, by any means, all the builders of Appanoose county, but broken as it is, the names placed before the reader are recorded and the pity is that all the names of the brave and industrious men and women of the early days cannot be given. The records shows the following:

1843-Levi Davis, Elizabeth Wright, J. W. Clancy, deceased; Nancy Holman, deceased; William Crow, deceased; Malinda Crow, deceased; Elizabeth Bishop, Eliza Creech, John A. Crow; 1844-J. N. Riggs, deceased; 1845-O. A. Hiatt, John T. Close, Mrs. J. C. Hopkins, Rachel Hiatt, H. H. Nash, C. L. Smith; 1846-W. J. Phillips, Margaret Cox, G. W. Taylor, William Swank, deceased; Elizabeth Swank, deceased; C. W. Morrison, deceased; George W. Dean, deceased; M. A. Dean, deceased; 1847—J. L. Thomasson, John C. Cox, A. W. Hiatt, Mrs. M. J. McCauley, deceased; I. A. Morrison, J. R. Wright, deceased; Samuel Benge, deceased; 1848-B. G. Miller, deceased; C. R. Mills, W. C. Miller, Dr. Nathan Udell, deceased; Dr. C. N. Udell, John L. Hiatt, U. B. Denny, J. A. Miller, J. M. Zimmerman, Mrs. M. E. Chrisman, W. T. Houser, Oliver Morris, Maggie Dean; 1849-R. B. Vermilyea, Cyrus Swank, Thomas E. Hopkins, G. W. Taylor, deceased; A. P. Berry, deceased; Jane Snyder, deceased; J. A. White, William Caylor, A. T. Bishop, L. L. Taylor, Mrs. Lidy Hiatt, W. J. Taylor, deceased; Mrs. T. J. Gladfelder, James Caylor, J. H. McConnell; 1850 -A. Hicks, R. W. Dodd, deceased; F. M. Swank, J. C. Hopkins, J. F. Hicks, M. L. Taylor, Robert White, C. A. Stanton, G. W. Arnold, Lucinda Gunter, deceased; Nancy Caylor, Elijah Hiatt, Mrs. N. J. Hiatt, Frank Dodd; 1851-S. T. Elam, J. T. Etheridge, deceased; J. D. McKim, deceased; Martha McCready, G. W. Jones; 1852—Mrs. F. M. Swank, Levi Swain, Samuel Crow; 1853—Mrs. W. T. Houser, A. W. Hunt, deceased; Lydia Hunt, James H. McAdam, deceased; Ward Taylor, Mrs. Mary E. Skinner, Joseph Gladfelder, Mrs. M. E. Davis, Mrs. Eugenia Miller; 1854-W. H. Boggs, deceased; William Bradley,

deceased; William Bray, D. L. Strickler, deceased; Joseph Zook, deceased; John C. Skinner; 1855-Jack Luse, E. A. Buckmaster, S. Peterson, Ed. Streepy, J. McCready, deceased; Joseph Goss, George S. Beaver; 1856-A. H. Gray, Jacob Cox, deceased; Henry Hardy, deceased; 1857-—C. C. Baker, R. M. Hicks, J. M. Creech, deceased; 1859-Governor F. M. Drake, deceased; 1860-James Hamilton, L. F. Darnell, H. T. Phillips, deceased.

CHAPTER XI

THE MISSOURI WAR-DISPUTES OVER THE BOUNDARY LINE BETWEEN IOWA AND MISSOURI CLASHES BETWEEN THE AUTHORITIES-MISSOURIANS ARREST SHERIFF OF DAVIS COUNTY—A MISSOURI SHERIFF ARRESTED BY AN IOWA SHERIFF

THE "MISSOURI WAR"

Joint resolution No. 7, passed in February, 1844, recites that in the fall and winter of 1839, an unjust claim was made by the governor of Missouri to a portion of territory lying within the limits of Iowa; that the marshal of Iowa, acting by national as well as territorial authority, had called for an armed posse to preserve peace and to resist the encroachment of Missouri authority within the well known limits of Iowa; that several hundred patriotic citizens had obeyed the marshal's summons late in 1839, marching in an inclement season; that an account of the expenses had been taken by a United States official, but had not then been liquidated. These things having been recited, Hon. A. C. Dodge, then territorial delegate in congress, was called upon, not only to secure pay for the volunteers, but for the marshal's services as well, "in preserving the peace and protecting the southern boundary of Iowa."

Chapter 23, Laws of 1846, approved January 17, recites the fact of the arrest of the sheriff of Davis county by the authorities of Missouri, and the probability of litigation arising from the dispute between Iowa and Missouri. The governor was accordingly authorized to draw upon the territorial treasurer for $1,500 to defray counsel fees in cases where either the territory or its citizens might be a party against Missouri.

Chapter 3, Laws of the First General Assembly, approved January 16, 1847, authorizes the governor to agree with the state of Missouri for the commencement and speedy termination of a suit in the supreme court of the United States to determine the true location of the boundary line between the two states. The sum of $1,000 was appropriated to defray the expenses of the same.

This dispute arose in consequence of two surveys having been made of the northern boundary of Missouri, the first begun at the head of the rapids in the river Des Moines, and the second at the foot of the Des Moines Rapids, in the Mississippi. The difference between the initial points was nearly nine miles. Missouri having elected to assume the northern line as her boundary, and Iowa the southern line as hers, there was of course a conflict of jurisdiction over a strip of country nearly nine miles in width, it being claimed by both Iowa and Missouri. The line claimed by Missouri passed very nearly through the railway junction at Centerville.

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The above peculiar condition of the southern part of the county enabled the persons we have mentioned to remain by claiming to be within the limits of Missouri, and consequently outside of the Indian boundary. The soldiers of course would not exceed their orders and these settlers were allowed to remain. As long as the boundary question remained unadjusted, people did not care to invest much money in "Chaldea," or Centerville, for, if Missouri's claim should be established, Appanoose county would certainly remove its seat of justice further north. But the pacific disposition of Iowa having been reciprocated by Missouri, people had no fear of the result of the litigation, and were willing to invest in Centerville. Hence the growth of this town may be said to have begun with the termination of the boundary dispute.

The vexed question was not settled till 1850, when the boundary was established by commissioners, who had the line carefully surveyed. Posts were erected a mile apart, every tenth post being of iron. One of these, the onehundredth, stands in the eastern part of section 22, Caldwell.

Accounts do not agree as to the actual amount of war waged in 1839. One writer asserts that a martial spirit pervaded Van Buren county. Troops were organized and history records no war more bloodless than the one which ensued, in which Van Buren took a conspicuous part, some of her citizens acquiring great distinction as officers. After a manifestation of the most undoubted pluck and heroism on the part of the Iowa troops, and the exhaustion of the supply of liquors on both sides, an armistice was declared and it was agreed to submit to the arbitrament of the supreme court.

Dr. Sturdivant's father served as a volunteer in this campaign, and the doctor says the above is not a fair account of the matter; that the Iowa men were orderly and strictly obedient to discipline, being well aware of the possible results that might follow from a collision between the two armed forces. The Iowa men were anxious for peace, if possible; but no less determined to maintain the boundary as they understood it.

Dr. J. H. Worthington, of Caldwell, was one of the Missouri heroes and says the cause of the assembling of forces was owing to the arrest of the Clark county (Missouri) sheriff by the sheriff of Van Buren county. The two officers met on the disputed strip while collecting taxes, and the Van Buren man bagged the other, who was sent to jail at Iowa City. The Clark county citizens wanted their sheriffs back, and Dr. Worthington says the two forces marched near enough so that chance rifle shots could be heard from the opposing lines. But the Clark county court did not wish to precipitate a bloody struggle among neighbors, and appointed a commission, composed of Colonel Mitchell, Judge Wagner and Colonel Rutherford, to treat with the Iowa legislature, then in session at Burlington, for a release of their sheriff and also to secure peace, if possible. The basis of agreement, as remembered by the doctor, was that the sheriff should be released, and that Missouri should continue to collect the taxes on the disputed strip until the matter should be adjusted, when, if Missouri lost the case, the money so collected should be refunded to Iowa. The commission succeeded in their delicate negotiations, and the internecine strife was over.