MoFed
01-27-2008, 03:29 PM
Founded in 1844, by the early 1850’s Athens was a small but thriving community and area trade center. The Thome Mill was a valuable asset to Athens and the region. “The roads leading into Athens were often lined with wagons of people coming for miles around brining their grist (primarily corn and wheat) to be ground and often the customer would have to wait a day or two for his flour or meal.” (Kahoka Gazette-Herald, Oct. 24, 1930). Thome’s mill was not only a grist mill, but also a flour mill and saw mill; the upper story was a woolen mill.
While waiting their turn at the mill, the settlers could fish, visit, or buy supplies at George Gray’s General Store. George Gray not only sold the “necessities” at his store, but some of the “frills” in life as well. He also served as a postmaster and sold stamps. He purchased hogs, butter, and made cash loans. Some items from the ledger for sale in 1852 are as follows:
Isaac Galland, Coat - $6.00
Israel Duty, 3 yds. Ky. Jeans at .45/yd. - $1.35
John Duty, Coarse boots - $2.00
I.N. Lewis, 5 hogs 770 lbs. At 4 cents - $30.80
A.W. Harlan, Bonnet - $4.50
Jas. Riley, Curry comb - .25
Thos. Caldwell, Bed cord - .30
Thos. Vanfossen, Violin string - .10
Arthur W. Peake, Smith’s Arithmetic - .35
Silvester Parsons, 1 pr. Suspenders - .30
Joseph Benning, 2 pr. Trace chains - $1.50
John Dumas, 81 1/4 lbs. Plow mold iron 5 cents - $4.06
Lewis Dumas, 1 fishline and hooks - .20
Mrs. Sloan, buy 4 1/4 lbs. Butter @ 15 cents - .64
Arthur Thome, of Farmington, per Paul, 1 ox whip - .25
Harry Slaughter, of Farmington, 1 fur cap - $6.00
John Anthony, of Iowa, ½ side upper leather - $1.25
Jonathan Fifer, 1 cloth coat for son - $7.50
Wm. Clark, 1 gal. S.H. molasses - .50
Jas. Cameron, on Fox river, 34 lbs. Cowhides - $2.04
G.W. Christy, 2 tuck combs @ .12 ½ - .25
Jas. Christy, ½ quire letter paper .10, 1 doz. Quills, .5 - .15
Jos. Christy, 1 violin .50, 5 strings .10, .30? - .80
Wm. Christy, 1 horse collar - $1.40
Thos. Calvert, 1 bonnet $1.50, 1 bandbox .20 - $1.70
I.N. Stewart, 1 shawl $2.25, 1 linen coat $2.00 - $4.25
Chas. Harr, (per wife) 2 ½ yds ribbon @ .10 - .25
Wm. Herman, 2 pr. Gloves @ .18 ½ - .37
Allen Stewart, by cash lent Troxwell - $1.20
David Hewit, (near Chambersburg) 1 fur hat - $2.25
Geo. Swazy, 1 pr. Fine shoes - $1.75
John Biedman, postage on letter - .05
Wyatt Mayfield, 3 straw hats @ .15 - .45
John Roseberry, 1 Atlas and Geography - .75
Jas. Graham, 1 sperm candle .5, 1 bar soap .10 - .15
Jos. Peckham, 4 lbs. Coffee .12 ½ - .50
Robt. Gammon, 1 gal. Molasses - .50
Crown (of Iowa) 2 bars lead .10, ¾ lb powder - .25
Mrs. Shaffer, 2 bonnets @ $3.00 - $6.00
Stewart Brannum, of Iowa, 1 overcoat - $6.50
Thos. Johnson, 19 lbs. Bacon .10 - $1.90
Benj. Johnson, 1 pocket knife - .60
Geo. Johnson, 1 vest - $3.50
Woodruff Becket, 1 congress hat - $1.25
Washington Smith, of Iowa, ½ lb. tea @ $1.00 - .50
Tallerand Frost, to cash, $3.00; 1 pr. Fine boots $3.75; 1 coat, $3.75; 1 black silk vest, $3.50; ½ plug tobacco @ .25 - .12; credit by loading and boating 3 days at Alexandria, $3.00; by bringing up boat, 4 days - $4.00
Case and Doud, by making wood work of wagon and painting same, $29; making wagon box, ironing and painting same, $12
Gideon Hottle, 1 keg nails, 100 lbs. At .04 - $4.00; buy 13 doz. Eggs @ .05 - .65
Daniel Shuler, by hauling 1 load of iron from Alexandria - $4.00
Riley Bedell, by hauling goods from Alexandria - $4.00
Bradley Barrows, by 3 days work boating, $3.00
Tuttle (of Farmington) to use of boat from Wed. to Tues. 6 days at $1.50/day, $9
Samuel Bedell, by 2 days hauling goods from Alexandria, $4.00; expenses on same, .90 by cutting pork ½ day .50; by stove pipe and elbow .50
Perry Colerton, by 1 ¾ days work boating, $1.75
Thomas Dean, by hauling 1 load from Alexandria, $3
Joseph Benning to cash paid Mr. Coon for dressing deer skins, $3.75
By 1852, houses and buildings were beginning to be built of frame and brick. The Aunt Jane Gray house (now known as the Widow Gray home), a frame structure was constructed in 1852 or 1853 at the east corner of the Isaac Gray log home. By 1852, George Gray was selling weatherboarding at .02 ¾ per foot and clear pine lumber at the same price. Black and white walnut lumber was selling for .02 ½ per foot. Bricks were sold at .40 per hundred. Case and Doud seem to have been the principal carpenters/wagonmakers that traded at George Gray’s general store. The bought a considerable amount of lumber and bricks as well as ingredients to mix paints. They are listed as purchasing Chinese vermillion, Paris green, Chromo green, Lamp black, and linseed oil. Case & Doud were operating a wagon shop and were renting a log house to conduct their business from Issac Gray. David McKee was apparently operating a blacksmith shop. Henderson Brown was making wagons or at least working on them.
Athens was doing a considerable trade via the Des Moines River as well as overland as the fees paid to Bedell, Colerton, Dean and Shuler attest.
In 1852, the highest wage seems to be $1/day. Board rates were $1/week. Food was inexpensive by our standards:
Flour, $4.50/barrel
Best bacon & ham, .10/lb.
Pork, .04/lb.
Bone meal, 02/lb.
Butter, .12 ½ - .15 /lb.
Eggs, .06 - .08 /doz.
Sugar, .08 1/3 per lb.
Coffee, .12 ½ per lb.
Tea, $1 /lb.
Maple sugar, .12 ½ per lb.
Rice, .06 ¼ per lb.
Dried peaches, $3/ bushel
Dried apples, $2.50/ bushel
White beans, $2 / bushel
Vinegar, .25/gallon
Mackeral, 6 for .25
Codfish, .07 / lb.
Peppersauce, .25/ bottle
Tobacco, .15 - .25 / plug
Smoking tobacco and liquor are listed infrequently. It is likely that tobacco was grown for smoking and whiskey made locally.
The maple sugar sold at Gray’s store was likely a product of local manufacture. Aunt Jane Gray was a well known producer of maple sugar and maple syrup. Other settlers would have made use of the maple trees in the area, but “Aunt Jane” was the most well known. The famous “sugar tree” grove of early Athens was reported as located behind her house.
George Gray’s store was located on Water Street, along the Des Moines River bank. Numerous other buildings were also located there. In addition to his store, George Gray has a woodyard and meat packing house along Water Street. The mill, ferry and boat landing were also located there. A large brick hall is also reported along Water Street where public meetings and dances were held, as is a brick hotel operated by a Mr. Jackson. A slaughter house was located upstream from the mill, across a stone bridge that spanned Stallion Branch. Of the many boats and steamers that serviced Athens in the early 1840’s-50’s, only the name of the “Lucy Bertram” is recorded. However, other steamboats, the “Die Vernon” and “Sucker State” are recorded at Churchville and likely serviced Athens as well.
In 1852, Athens had four physicians: Dr. Thomas H. Harlan, Dr. J.B. Augustus, Dr. M.D. Scott and Dr. J.M. DeBall. George Gray’s ledger reveals that Dr. DeBall purchased a quantity of drugs, including opium and arsenic for $29.43. Dr. Scott, obviously successful, purchased “one fine coat, $11; one fine vest, $3.50; one pair black cassimere pants, $6; one pair calf boots, $3.75; one pair kid gloves, .75; and one silk handkerchief, .75. (Kahoka Gazette-Herald, Nov. 14, 1930).
Five churches were located in pre-Civil War Athens. The churches represented were one Baptist, one Presbyterian, one Christian, and two Methodist. It is not recorded if each church had a separate place of worship or if they were representative congregations that met at private homes or public buildings. Other businesses and organizations present in the 1850’s were: Masonic Lodge, Express Office, and an Academy under the charge of Slaughter and Burah. The population was about 500. The Keokuk, Fort Des Moines and Minnesota Railroad Company had a station agent named Armstrong in Athens. It is likely that they anticipated the railroad reaching Athens, but construction was interrupted by the Civil War and the line was never completed.
The following is a list of businesses and organizations c. 1853-1860:
Wm. B. Armstrong, general store
W. Armstrong, agent K. Ft. D. and M. Railroad
? Armstrong, beef and pork packer
? Baker & Co., general store
?J. and W.B. Barwett, coopers
David Bedell, carpenter and builder
J.S. Bedell, Justice of the Peace
John Bobbitt, carpenter and builder
Mr. Buschler, stoves and sheet iron ware (Note: Most of the surviving buildings in Athens appear to have been designed to use stoves and do not have fireplaces.)
W. Burhage, painter
E.T. Colton, flour and grist mill
A.W. Calvert, cabinetmaker and carpenter
T. Colton, woolen manufacturer
Wm. Deck, blacksmith
Isaac, grocer
Henry Fehlhaber, wagon maker
R.P. Gray, coal dealer
B. Gray, livery stable
Isaac P. Gray, grocer
George Gray, general store
G. Gray, brick yard
George Gray, beef and pork packer
George Gray, postmaster
T.H. Hallan, physician and surgeon
T.H. & J.R. Hallan, druggists
P.F. Hamilton, cooper
J.M. Hiller, general store
George Hiller, blacksmith
David Kennedy, general store
Miss Kelly, Milliner and dressmaker
J.T. McKnight, baker
David McKee, assessor
McGown and Boler, blacksmith
J.T. McNiglet, tailor
Rev. D. Mason, Methodist Episcopal
J.D. Nash, boot and shoe dealer
G. Neuse, lumberyard
Henry Ostrander, blacksmith
James Perkins, Justice of the Peace
W. Perkins, Justice of the Peace
B. Robinson, ambrotype artist
G. Slaughter, constable
C.W. Stone, butcher
St. Louis Hotel, R. Jackson, Proprietor
M. Scott, cabinetmaker
John Stafford, general store
A. Starr, cooper
D.M. Scott, physician
R.P. Slaughter, meat market
Peter Turner, brickyard
Rev. Umpston, Presbyterian
Henry Warner, boots and shoes
Rev. Samuel Wood, Christian minister
According to the 1860 census, Clark County had a white population of 11,216; black population of 468. There were a total of 129 slaveholders, the largest being Col. Thomas C. Rutherford with 21 slaves.
The Circuit Judge from 1860-62 was Thomas S. Richardson.
The results of the 1860 National election in Clark County were as follows:
John Bell, 752
Stephen Douglas, 542
John Breckenridge, 497
Abraham Lincoln, 277
The foregoing information was taken, with permission, from the Athens Site Study researched and prepared by Roger Boyd, site administrator, Battle of Athens SHS and the History of Lewis, Clark, Knox and Scotland Counties, Missouri, 1887, (reprinted by Walsworth Publishing for the Knox County Historical Society 1981).
Charles D. Hoskins
Holmes Brigade USV, Inc.
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