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History |
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Stone County |
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In the south-western part of the State, is bounded north by Christian County, east by Christian and Taney, south by Arkansas, and west by Barry and Lawrence counties, and contains 339,200 acres. Population in 1860, 2,400; in 1870, 3,253; of whom 3,233 were white, and 20 colored; 1,632 male, and 1,621 female; 3,243 native (1,830 born in Missouri) and 10 foreign. History – Prior to its settlement by the whites, this portion of country was occupied by the Delaware Indians, who seem to have been kindly disposed toward the settlers, and traces of their towns and encampments exist still, in the upper part of the county. The first white settler was one, Yocum, of French extraction, who made a home, as early as 1790, at the confluence of the James and White Rivers, and gave name – White River Trace – to the old trail, leading from Cape Girardeau to south-west Missouri. This family was followed by some others from Lorraine, and about the year 1833 emigrants from Kentucky and Tennessee made settlements in this vicinity. Indians, French and Americans lived amicably, carrying on a traffic by keel boats. Up to the late war, all the trading of the people was carried on in a very primitive manner; the numerous streams of the country afforded ample facilities for boating, and freighted flatboats might often by seen drifting quietly down the river, the grain piled high in the centre of the broad bottomed craft, one or two attending to the boiling kettle, where some savory mess was in course of preparation, while others sat on the edge of the barge, whiling away the hour with a game of “Seven-Up.” Stone County suffered little during the late Civil War on account of its topography, which put a formidable barrier in the way of marauding parties. Physical Features – The surface of the county is very broken and hilly, almost mountainous, and well timbered with hickory, oak, cherry, dogwood, elm, soft and hard maple, red-bud, hackberry, box-elder, sycamore, birch, ect.; on the uplands, in addition to these, elm, ash, and large pines are abundant. The tillable land is nearly equally divided, between bottom and upland. The county is well supplied with springs and streams. White River flows in a tortuous course across the southern part of the county, from west to east; its principal tributaries being Mill, Big Indian, Little Indian, Upper Cow, Lower Cow, Brush, Long and Stone Creeks from the south; and Big Fisher, Schooner, Poppin, and Indian Creeks from the north, while the county is traversed from north and south by the James Fork of White river, whose tributaries on the west are Piney, Woolley’s and East Creeks; and on the east, Four Mile, Wilson, Rawley’s, and Carpenter’s Creeks. Government engineers have declared both the White River and the James navigable for steam boats. On some of these streams a fall of 10 or 12 feet can be obtained with level rock beds and good banks. The soil of the uplands is well adapted to grazing and the growth of small fruits, while the bottoms are very fertile. There are many caves in this county, some of wonderful beauty; at least 25 have been explored, and many more discovered. One mile from Galena is an extensive cave from which the early settlers procured saltpeter in large quantities. About 2 ½ miles above this is a smaller on of exquisite beauty. From the ceiling depend glittering stalactites, while the floor sparkles with fragments of gen-like luster. A pearly wall, of about half an inch in thickness and 15 inches high, encloses a miniature lake, through whose pellucid waters the wavy stalagmite bottom of this natural basin can be plainly seen. This fairy-like bath tub, fit for Venus to lave in, hidden away in the secret recesses of the earth, surprises and gains admiration from all beholders, and the sacred stillness of the vaulted chamber renders its name, “The Baptismal Font,” a peculiarly fitting one. It is difficult to single out, one or two of these wonderful works of nature, where all are so beautiful, but there is another, which for its magnitude, as well as its unusual beauty, may be mentioned since it rivals in these particulars, the far-famed Mammoth Cave of Kentucky. It is 12 miles from Galena, and is becoming well-known among curiosity-seekers in the adjacent country. The entrance chamber is a large dome-shaped room, whose ceiling is very high; a glittering mound of stalagmites rises in the center of the room, nearly one-third the height of the ceiling, stretching out at right angles from this are long shining halls leading to other grandly arched chambers, gorgeous enough for the revels of the Gnome King, and all the genii of the subterranean world. One cannot but think of the nether world, as wandering down a labyrinthian passage, he reaches the verge of an abyss, striking perpendicularly to unknown and echoless depths. The name, “Bottomless Pit,” is well bestowed on this yawning gulf. The Agricultural Productions are corn, wheat, oats, hungarian grass, hemp, tobacco, sugar-cane, timothy, cotton, and fruits. Stock-raising in the most profitable pursuit of the farmer, as he has here an unlimited extent of fine range and abundant supply of water. Sheep-raising claims considerable attention. The Atlantic & Pacific R. R. Co., have about 140,000 acres of land for sale in this county at prices ranging from $1 to $5 per acre.* The Mineral Resources – There are indications of iron, copper, and lead, though as yet, entirely undeveloped. Specimens of red and brown hematite, copper, zink, and lead ores lie scattered in many places over the surface, inviting capitalists to develop and invest. Near Galena is a rich deposit of pumice stone of excellent quality. Wealth – Valuation of the county per census of 1879, $500,000.** The Exports are corn, wheat and live stock. The Educational Advantages are greatly improved since the war; nearly every sub-district having a public school. Blue Eye, a post office 27 miles s. of Galena. Curran, a p. o. 7 miles s. of Logan Station, on the A. & P. R. R. Galena, the county seat, situated on the right bank of James River, 20 miles s. e. from Logan, was laid out in 1852 and called James Town, but changed to Galena a few years after. It contains 2 stores, 1 wagon, and 1 carpenter shop. It is surrounded by a well timbered country, rich minerals, and possesses excellent water power. Goff’s Creek, a post-office 9 miles n. e. of Galena. High Camp, a post-office 7 miles s. e. of Galena. Long’s Mills, 10 miles n. n. w. of galena, has 1 store and 1 girst mill. Mabry’s Ferry, 16 miles s. s. e. of Galena, contains 2 stores. Robertson’s Mills, a post-office 15 miles n. n. e. of Galena. *The Railroad Company requires 10 per cent of purchase money at time of sale, the balance to be paid with interest on deferred payments, in seven years; and offer free transportation from St. Louis to the lands. Special inducements to colonists. For full particulars see Appendix- **Assessed valuation for 1873, $232,806. Taxation $1.30 per $100. Floating dept, $2,500. Transcribed by: Carrie Tuck {cvt1977@yahoo.com} |