Beginning at the northeast corner of section 1, township 40, range 29; thence west, six miles, to the northwest corner of section 6; thence south, six miles, to the northwest corner of section 31; thence east, six miles, to the southeast corner of section 36; thence north, six miles to the place of beginning.

The prairie lands are generally rolling, and much of the timbered land is hilly. There is perhaps in this township a larger area of what is called " bottom land," than can be found in any township in the county. The water courses in the township are very numerous, and we may truthfully say, there is scarcely a half section of land whose surface is not veined by one or more streams.

Deepwater Creek rises in Summit Township, and flows centrally through Deepwater Township, in an easterly direction, its affluents reaching out upon the north and south, and permeating almost every nook and corner of the township. Timber still stands in large quantities upon the banks and adjacent low lands of all the streams. Like Bates County generally, the township is plentifully supplied with coal and building stone. There is no district in the county that is better adapted to the successful cultivation and growth of corn than Deepwater. It may be called the Egypt of Bates County, so far as corn is concerned, for twice, during the past twenty years, have the citizens elsewhere throughout the county, gone thither, like the sons of Jacob to buy corn.

Deepwater Creek is in the east part of Bates County and runs eastwardly, bordered on either side by a belt of timber of excellent quality and the adjoining prairie being fertile, it early attracted the attention of settlers. Just when the first settler located there or who he was, we are unable to say at this time. Among the early settlers was Uncle Hiram Snodgrass, who died the 22d day of October, 1881. His son Isaac, who was thirteen years old at the time the family settled in Bates County, is still living, and only a quarter of a mile from where they first settled. An interview with him, put us in possession of the following facts:

Hiram Snodgrass, of English descent, was born in Cocke County, Tennessee, August 24, 1803. Was married to Alice Manning at a date unknown. Removed to Cooper County, Missouri, in 1832, and remained one year, then moved to Pettis County, Missouri, and lived six years. In the spring of 1839 came to Bates County and settled in section 24, township 40, range 29, on the south side of Deepwater Creek near the Henry County line. The land had just been sectionized and he entered 300 acres. Mr Snodgrass remembers the names of the following list of settlers living in 1839 in what is now Deepwater Township. C. Schmedting lived in section 13; two Morrises, sections 13 and 14; Bradley in section 14; Means in section 16, on what is known as the old Price place; Arbuckle on the old Radford place; Scott on the Sol. Slayback place. On the south side of the creek a man named Moore, in the timber where Quick now lives; Ballou on the James Newberry place; a family whose name is unknown on the Stepp place; a family named Beaty on what is known as the Wash Ludwick farm, completes the list.

The Snodgrass family employed themselves in opening and improving a farm and did some mechanical work in the way of stocking prairie plows for their neighbors, the iron work being done by William Tyree, whose shop was just over the Henry County line. The plows were made with a large wooden mold-board with a bar and shire below, turning a furrow from sixteen to twenty inches. There was no sawed lumber to be had except that sawed with a whip saw. The logs were elevated so that one man could stand below and one above, and thus by a considerable expenditure of muscle a little lumber was obtained. Mr. Snodgrass thinks that formerly the seasons were more equable and better than now, and the necessaries of life more easily obtained. They raised flax and made linen every year. Also kept sheep to supply material for winter clothing, but they had to be carefully looked after to preserve them from wolves. They also raised some cotton. Went to a mill on Grand River and also to one at Balltown owned by Austin, of the Harmony Mission. A good many Indians were about them every winter, but they did no harm, except a little stealing. Game was plenty, but Mr. S. thought he had no experience as a hunter that was worth relating. He told a story of a negro who was sleeping by a log and was awakened by an attack of a panther, but in the fight that ensued the negro came out best, the panther being killed. This occurred in the neighborhood of Papinville. Mrs. Snodgrass died in 1852, and her husband remained a widower till his death.

When the border troubles came on the old gentleman remained neutral, but Isaac was threatened with violence for taking ground against interfering with elections in Kansas, but escaped without injury. When the civil war came on the old gentleman's sympathies were with the south, and all his boys except Isaac went into the southern army. Isaac always supported the government and was in the militia company commanded by Captain Newberry.

Isaac, born in 1826 in Cocke County, Tennessee, is now living in section 24, Deepwater Township; was married in 1853 to Susan E., daughter of Judge John D. Myers. They have six children. Mary married Samuel Colwell; died in 1859 or 1860. J. R. is now living in Texas. William G. lives in Henry County, Missouri. Nancy married John White, now living in Rich Hill. James V., living in Deepwater Township. Philena married J. M. Jennings, now living at the old homestead. Frank died at the age of twenty-four years. The above constituted Mr. Snodgrass's family.

Samuel Scott was born in Tennessee in 1802, lived near the Kentucky line and married Abigail Smith, of Kentucky. He emigrated to what is now Deepwater, Bates County, Missouri, and settled on the north side of the creek, taking land in sections 17 and 20. He was the first settler in that neighborhood. The year is not positively known, but not later than 1834. Those who remember the dates given in these sketches will know that very few permanent settlers were before him in this county.

Considering the prairie land not good for cultivation, he cleared up apiece of timber land the first year, Mrs. Scott and her oldest daughter piling the brush. Tradition has it that while at that work he killed a bear with a butcher knife, but his youngest daughter says she never heard of it. They improved their farm and lived after the usual manner of the pioneers.

Mr. Scott was appointed as sheriff of the new county of Vernon, established February 17, 1852. As the constitutionality of the act establishing said county was disputed, suit was brought against him for pretending to perform the duties of sheriff in a county that did not exist. It was decided that no such county legally existed, and he was fined one cent.

In 1854 he moved to Linn County, Kansas, was elected by the proslavery party to the territorial legislature, and was killed by a band of guerrillas in 1859. His neighbors in Bates County represent him to have been a quiet, peaceable and good citizen, and say that he was killed for no other offense than favoring slavery. The family favored the South but chose to keep out of the war.

There were ten children that grew up: James C. died in 1856, Samuel died in 1857, Julian E. lives in Linn County, Kansas, Lydia (Mrs. James Harney) died in 1879, Jasper died a prisoner in St. Louis in 1862, Thomas M. lives in West Point Township, Bates County, Jane is Mrs. Carroll Hough, of Vernon County, Martin V. died in Arkansas of yellow fever in 1864, Martha A. is Mrs. H. P. Wells, of Kansas, and Abigail V. is Mrs. Theodore Green, of West Point.

Oliver Drake came to the township in the fall of 1844, from Licking County, Ohio, and located on section 22. He died in February 1854. He held the position of postmaster on section 22, the office being called Spruce Post office. This position he held for about five years. G. W. Ludwick succeeded Drake as postmaster. The office was discontinued during the war, re-established after the war, and finally discontinued entirely in 1866.

George Drake, also from Licking County, Ohio, located in Deepwater Township, on section 13. He died in 1873.

James Cummins came from Ohio, near the city of Zanesville, and settled on section 12, about the year 1841. He went to California in 1849.

Peyton Gutridge located on section 2.

Milton Morris, a preacher, came early and settled on section 14. Dead.

James Morris settled on section 13. Dead.

Samuel Arbuckle and Mat. Arbuckle were Virginians, and were among the earliest pioneers of the township. They opened a farm in section 17. The are both dead.

Daniel Beaty came before 1842.

Davis.

Means.

Washington Ludwick, from Ohio. Dead.

Ballou settled on section 28.

Mrs. Elizabeth McCowen settled on section 26.

Jacob Lutsenhiser settled on section 23.

William Lutsenhiser settled on section 23.

The parties above named came to the township between the years 1834 and 1845.

The following persons came between 1850 and 1860:

Captain John B. Newberry came from Broome County, New York, in 1853, and located in the old town of Papinsville, where he was engaged in blacksmithing. He remained there until the spring of 1857, when he moved to Deepwater Township, to his present residence. When he located at Papinsville there were only seven families living there. F. F. Eddy, F. H. Eddins, Samuel H. Loring, James McCool, George L. Duke, D. B. McDonald, were among the seven. He was a captain in the Missouri State Militia, and continued in the service about two years. He was elected sheriff and collector in 1864, and again in 1870. He waselected to the senate in 1874. Captain Newberry is one of the most prominent and influential citizens of the county, and has done much, since the war to advance its material prosperity. He is a fair illustration of what may be accomplished by energy and economy. Rising from one of the humblest vocations in life, he has achieved, like Elihu Barrett, an honorable distinction, and like Roger Sherman, has graced a seat in the halls of legislation. David Cliser, Samuel Jackson, J. L. Ludwick, William Odeneal, W. B. Price, Peter Gutridge, Major R. W. Cummins, James M. Simpson, his son-in-law, W. L. Radford, J. C. M. Young, E. W. Coleman, N. B. Coleman, Perry Coleman, Lafayette Coleman, Samuel Coleman, Isaac Snodgrass, O. P. Lutsenhiser, John Young, Hiram Henderson, John Hicks, Thomas Cumpton, Jasper Scott, George Ludwick, Joseph Beaty, Daniel Smith, Martin V. White, and others.

The first church on Deepwater was a Methodist organized by a man named Love, about 1840 or '41. The meetings were held at private houses and the school houses. The preachers were mostly men not highly educated but zealous and faithful laborers in the cause, and received but little salary. Mr. Snodgrass especially remembers one earnest and forcible preacher by the name of Green.

The Cumberland Presbyterians erected a church edifice in 1872, on section 9; a frame building.

H. W. B. Wear and wife, J. L. Ludwick and wife, William Ludwick and wife, Strather Eads and wife, W. J. Crabtree, Wm. Kinney and wife, and David Gilbert and wife were among the early members. Rev. J. L. Riley was the first minister to officiate in the pulpit. A. M. Thompson is the present minister.

The Christian denomination erected a church building in the township in 1881, on section 19, a frame house. Z. Smith and wife, and others, were among the original members.

The M. E. Church, M. E. Church, South, Missionary Baptist, Old School Baptists, Old School Presbyterians, all have organizations in the township, but no houses of worship. The Second Adventists have also, an organization in the township.

One of the first school teachers in the township was a man called Master Lindsey, who taught in a log house in section 23, in 1845.

Jacob Lutsenhiser was the pioneer miller of the township, his mill stood on Straight Branch and ground only corn. This was a water mill and was erected about the year 1841. Oliver Drake began to build a mill on the same site in 1854, but dying before it was completed, it was never operated. The mill was located in the southeast of northeast of section 22.

Bates County Missouri MOGenWeb