Monroe County Article written by Thomas V. Bodine, Paris

These townships lie along the western edge of the county and next to Jackson and Jefferson are of most interest historically.

Among the early settlers of Marion township were the Farrels, Overfelts, Swindels, Davises and Embrees.

Madison was laid out by James B. Abbernathey in 1837, and the ninety lots brought him $1,100, The first house was put up by Henry Harris, who came from ~.[Madison county, Ky., and was used as a tavern. ,James Eubank came out from Tennessee in 1838, and started the first store, Dr. Nicholas Ray being the first physician. Among it~ first citizens were Joel Ned, James Ownby, Ezra Fox and other Kentuckians.

Madison Masonic lodge was organized in 1844 and the Madison Christian church in 1838, by Elder Henry Thomas and Martin Vivion.

Holliday, the second town of this township, both being on the Missouri, Kansas & Texas Railroad, was organized in 1876 and was laid out by W. B. Holliday and Brother, sons of that Holliday who was among the commissioners appointed to organize the county over forty years before. No man of the name, save a former negro slave, remains in the county at this time.

Union township was the home of tile Fox and settlement. referred to elsewhere, and was settled largely by Virginians, Middle Grove being one of the points of real historic interest in the county. It took its name from two facts—first, because it was a half way point between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers on a route much traveled in those days, and second, that it was the most central point on the first mail route established between New London and Fayette. It was located in a belt of timber bordering on the Grand Prairie, from which came the Grove part of the name and was famous as a stopping point for the early travelers en route from river to river, the old Glasgow and Hannibal road, it is presumed, being one with the Fayette and London road, known earlier as the London trace.’’ The town was properly laid off in lots by John C. Milligan in 1840, and soon became a thriving village and one of the best trading points in Northeast Missouri. It is notable in Paris, the county seat, that nearly all of its established families came originally from Middle Grove or Florida. Most of the county ‘s moneyed men of the older generation laid the foundation of their fortunes at Middle Grove and its place in local history and tradition is fixed. Milligan, who was a Virginian by birth, was its first postmaster and first hotel keeper and John Myers was the first mail carrier over the London-Fayette route, going as far as old Franklin on the Missouri river. Edward Tucker was the town’s first tailor and Henry Lutz the first carpenter. The first school in the township was established in 1830 and its teacher was William Maupin from Howard county. The Christian congregation built the first church as early as 1825 and William Reid was the officiating minister. At Middle Grove also was opened the first store in the county. its owners being Glenn & Parsons.

Among the famous early homes of the township was that of Ashby Snell. called “Hunter’s Rest ‘‘ and noted for its hospitality. Here gathered the wit and beauty. the culture and courage, of an early day and mine host was never so happy as when his house was filled. A. famous hunter himself, many pleasing traditions yet exist regarding the quality of his venison and the fame of his pack. Owner of a hundred slaves and the father of six handsome daughters, his home was a retreat for travelers and the resort for the socially elect living between the two rivers. Mrs. Snell was in her maidenhood Susan Woods, eldest daughter of that Anderson Woods who was among the most noted of the county’s pioneer citizens. It was to ‘‘Hunter’s Rest’’ Colonel Lebius Prindle, of fame in Price’s army, came to get his bride—Miss Nora Snell—and the romance of the wooing of the young Virginia soldier is still one of the pleasing legends of the county.

Union township, in an early day, was the scene of one of the most revolting and for a time mysterious crimes in the county’s history—the murder of Mrs. Amanda Davis by a negro slave who had become infatuated with her. Mrs. Davis was a daughter of that Joel Stephens who had been seven times elected to the legislature from Monroe county, and in some manner offended the slave, who was overseer on the farm and one of her husband’s most valuable men. He slew her with an axe, beheading her completely, and when the husband returned, being absent from home at the time. he found her body lying across the well top. The negro disappeared and a week’s hunt with blood hounds failed to locate him. It was believed he had escaped to free territory, hut years afterwards his skeleton was found in a grove adjacent to the house, where he had shot himself.

It was in Union township near Middle Grove also that Alexander Jester is supposed to have murdered Gilbert Gates, younger son of Asa Gates and brother of the late John W. Gates, of Steel Trust fame. Jester was an old man—an itinerant preacher—who fell in with young Gates in southwestern Kansas in the fall of 1871, both being on their way hack home. one to Indiana and the other to Illinois. Young Gates had a span of good horses and a buffalo calf which he was exhibiting. and the two traveled together as far as Middle Grove, where the boy mysteriously disappeared. His father took up the trail and finally ran Jester down, finding him in possession of his son’s clothing. The accused man was placed in 5ail in Paris, took a change of venue to Audrain county, and in 1871 escaped from jail at Mexico. Nothing was heard of him until the summer of 1899, when he was betrayed to the authorities by his sister, Mrs. Street, the couple then living together in Oklahoma. How the trail from Kansas to Indiana was picked up by the Pinkertons after thirty years, and the money spent by the older brother, then a multi-millionaire, in his effort to convict the aged murderer, need not he retold. Jester was tried at New London the following summer and acquitted, dying a few years later in Nebraska without throwing any light on the grim mystery.

An instance of primitive justice in Monroe county is embodied in the story of John Burton, one of the pioneer justices of the peace in Union township. His brother, Reuben Burton, had lost a hog and finding it in possession of one Rious, a free negro, brought suit before his brother John to recover it. Plaintiff was present with his lawyer, J. C. Fox, but defendant had no attorney. After all the evidence had been heard Justice Burton arose and asking Pleasant Ford, another prominent citizen, to swear him, gave testimony on his own account, declaring himself in possession of evidence that had not been brought to the court’s attention. He had hunted with the negro, he testified, knew the hog to be his, and re-ascending to the seat of justice decided the case against his brother. There was something Roman in the act and modern judges stumbling over the obstacle of ‘‘judicial knowledge” might well copy his example.