Montgomery County, MOGenWeb The USGenWeb Project

COX, Sirenus Cox, of New York, settled in Montgomery county in 1820. He married a daughter of COL. ISAAC VANBIBBER, and raised a large family. His wife died, and he afterward married the widow of GEORGE BAST, and moved to St. Joseph, Mo., where they now reside.

CLEMENTS, Benjamin A. Clements was a soldier of the revolution. He married his cousin, SUSAN CLEMENTS, and they had nine children - six sons and three daughters. Two of his sons, Robert and David, settled in Missouri. Robert wa born in Fluvanna co., Va., Jan 19, 1783, and is still living in Montgomery co., Mo., in his 94th year, being the oldest man in the county. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and settled in Montgomery county in 1842. He married ELIZABETH THOMAS in 1809, and they had eleven children, six sons and five daughters.

CRAIG, Victor Craig, of England, came to America in 1760 and settled in Maryland. He had four sons, William, James, Robert and Samuel. William and James lived in Albemarle co., Va. Samuel was drowned in the Susquehanna river. Robert was a soldier of the revolutionary war. He was married first to SUSAN CARTER, of Virginia, who was afterward killed by the Indians. She lived nine days after having been scalped. Mr. Craig was married the second time to SARAH ELLINGTON, of New Jersey, by whom he had John, David, Victor, Jonathan, Jacob, Cynthia, Nancy and Sally. Mr. Craig settled in Montgomery county in 1829, and died the following year. His eldest son, John, married NANCY COBB, and settled in Montgomery county in 1826. He was a blacksmith by trade, and the first one at Danville. In 1831 he built the Dryden horse-mill, on the Booneslick road below Danville. The mill was run by a cog wheel, and it required three or four hours to grind a bushel of grain. The hermit, BAUGHMAN, whose history is given elsewhere, carried the stones of this mill to his cave, many years after the mill ceased running, and arranged them so he could do his own grinding, by hand. He still uses the same stones. Col. David Craig, brother of John, settled in Montgomery county in 1817, and is still living, in his 87th year. He lived two years when he first came to Missouri, with MAJOR ISAAC VANBIBBER, at Loutre Lick. The colonel remembers many amusing and interesting incidents of early days in Montgomery county, and takes great pleasure in relating them to his friends. When he came to Missouri he brought two black cloth suits with him, and one Sunday morning, while staying at Major VanBibber's, he dressed up in them and went down to breakfast. The clothes made quite a sensation, and VanBibber and all his family crowded around to look at them, having never seen anything of the kind before. One of the girls came close up to Craig, and touched his coat with one of her fingers and then sprang back with the exclamation, "Oh, ain't he nice!" But her father, who did not relish so much style replied, "Nice, H-ll he looks like a black-snake that has just shed its old skin". Soon after his arrival in Missouri the Colonel paid MRS. ROBERT GRAHAM a dollar in silver, and made 300 rails for her husband, for one pair of wool socks. ALECK GRAHAM, who was a little boy then, remembers the splitting of the rails, for Col. Craig agreed to give him a picayune (6 1/4 cents) for keeping the flies of of him while he slept on the logs at noon; but for his life he cannot remember whether he ever paid the picayune or not. The colonel served in the war of 1812, and was in Gen. McCarthy's division at the battle of Brownsville. He also served with Nathan Boone in the Black Hawk war, and was elected Colonel of militia in 1834. He was married in 1819, to SARAH WEBSTER, and they had eleven children, Narcissa, Cynthia A., Mary A., Susan T., David, George R., Green, Martha, William A., Francis, and James W. Victor Craig settled in St. Francois county. Jonathan and Cynthia lived in Ky. Jacob died in Ohio. Nancy married GREENBERRY GRIFFITH, of Pettis co., Mo.

CARTER, Peter Carter, of Ky., had twelve children. Larkin G., one of his sons, married JUDITH JONES, and settled in Montgomery co., Mo. in 1819. He was a soldier in the war of 1812, under General Harrison, and acted as colonel of militia in Montgomery co. for several years. He died in 1847, having raised thirteen children.

CRANE, George W. Crane was born in 1792, in Kind and Queen county, Va., was married in 1818 to NANCY GRESHAM, of Franklin co., Ky., and settled in Montgomery co., Mo., in 1824. He was Assessor of Montgomery co., Mo., four years, and sheriff eight years. He was a member of the Baptist church and the first clerk of New Providence church on Loutre. His children were C. C., Thomas J., Joseph G., George W., C. D., Mildred A., Martha E., and Mary.

CLARK, Henry Clark, of Scotland, emigrated to America, and settled in Ky., where he married SARAH JONES. They had Benjamin, Isaac, John, Henry, Susan, Mary A., and Sally. Benjamin died in Ky., and his widow moved to Boone co., Mo. Isaac Clark was a man of superior talents, and represented his county in the legislature for several terms; he was also assessor four years. He brought with him from Ky. a set of china ware, the first that was ever in Montgomery co., and used it on a puncheon table. He was married first to a MISS CAMPBELL, of Va., and settled in Montgomery co. in 1819. They had three children, Harold, Cynthia and Jane. Harold died single. Cynthia married ENOCH FRUITE, who settled in Callaway co., in 1819. Jane married JOHN FRENCH, of Callaway co. Mr. Clark was married the second time to MARY FRENCH, and they had Henry, William, Isaac, Benjamin F., Sally, Susan, Polly A., Elizabeth M., and Mary H. Henry was married first to SUSAN A. TALBOTT, and they had two children. after her death he married CATHARINE JACOBS, and they had one son, Henry. William Clark married ELIZABETH SNETHEN, and they had eleven children. Isaac died at 18 years of age. Benjamin F. married PRUDENCE N. SNETHEN, and they had six children. Mr. Clark is an influential citizen, and an ex-judge of the county court. Sally Clark married WILLIAM KNOX. Susan A. married DAVID TALBOTT. Polly died in childhood, and Elizabeth died at the age of twenty-two. John Clark, a brother of Isaac, was clerk of the county court of Christian co., Ky., for many years. He was married first to LUCY ELLIOT, and settled in Callaway co., Mo., in 1820. His children by his first wife were Edward, Narcissa, Nancy, Susan, Sally, Jane, Lucy A., James and John. He was married the second time to the WIDOW SAMUELS, by whom he had one child, Melvina. He was married the third time to the widow of ALEXANDER READ, whose maiden name was ELIZABETH CHICK, by whom he had Logan, Isaac, Shelby, Elizabeth J., Samuel, Fanny and Benton. Mr. Clark was a good business man, a kind husband and father, an excellent neighbor, and was held in high esteem by all who knew him.

CARSON, Lindsay Carson came from Ky. to Mo. in 1810, with COL. HALE TALBOTT, who had partly raised and educated him. He settled on Loutre Island, but the following year he sold out to Colonel Talbott, and moved to the Boone's Lick country, where he was killed in 1819, by the falling of a limb from a burning tree that he was cutting down. Mr. Carson was married twice. by his first wife he had William, Anderson, Moses B., and a daughter who remained in Ky. By his second wife he had Robert, Hamilton, Christopher and four daughters. Christopher Carson, called "Kit", became famous as an Indian fighter, scout and army officer. He was named for Colonel Hale Talbott's eldest son.

CLARE. There were six brothers and two sisters named Clare, who came from Germany with their parents and settled on James river in Va. The names of the brothers were Thomas, allen, George, Jacob, Daniel and Frank.

COPE, James Cope, of East Tennessee, settled in Montgomery co., in 1837. He married a MISS HUTTON, of Tennessee, whose father was a soldier of the war of 1812. On one occasion the portion of the army with which he was acting met with some reverses, by which it was cut off from its base of supplies, and the soldiers were reduced to the verge of starvation. As a last resort, Mr. Hutton cut off a portion of his horse's tail, and ate it, and thus saved his life. The horse seemed to experience very little inconvenience from the loss of his caudal appendage, and Hutton rode him during the rest of the war. The children of James Cope were Malinda, Hannah, Isabella, Samuel W., and Susan, all of whom settled in Montgomery county in 1837. Malinda was married in Tennessee in 1835 to JOHN KIZER, a blacksmith, who came to Mo. and settled in Troy, Lincoln co., the same year. He remained there two years, working at his trade, as a journeyman for $30 per month. He also worked nearly every night, for which he received extra wages, and at the end of two years had saved a small sum of money. He then came to Montgomery and with his own money and $50 that he borrowed from the County Treasurer, he bought a tract of land, on which he opened a farm, and resided there until his death, which occurred in 1869. He hunted a great deal during the first part of his residence in Montgomery co., and on one occasion killed forty-five deer in a single day. At another time he killed three deer at one shot. He had nine children, eight daughters and one son, and his widow and children, six of whom are married, still reside in Montgomery county. Hannah Cope married her cousin, JAMES COPE. Isabella also married her cousin, JOHN COPE. Samuel W., who became a Methodist minister, and is now a presiding elder in his church, was married twice; first to LOUISA STEWART, and after her death, to JANE SCOTT. He lives, at present, in Chillicothe, Mo. Susan Cope married DAVID GLOVER, of New Florence, Montgomery county.

CRUTCHER, Samuel Crutcher and his wife, ELIZABETH LEE, were natives of Patrick co., Va. Their children were Elizabeth, Cornelia, Frank, Charles, and Samuel. The latter married NANCY JAMES, of Virginia, and settled in Lincoln co., Mo., in 1810, from whence he removed to Montgomery county in 1830. Their children were William, John, Sophia, Lucella and Samuel, Jr. John was married first to CLEMENCY WHITE, and after her death, to MARY J. WILLIAMS. Sophia married SANDY JONES, who settled in Montgomery co. in 1831. Samuel, Jr., was married three times; first to ELIZA HOLLADAY; second to a widow named HOLLOWAY; and third to the WIDOW RANDOLPH, whose maiden name was JANE WINTER. Lucella married JOHN DARBY, who settled in Randolph co., Mo. Samuel and John Crutcher settled near Middletown, and the first goods sold in the northern part of Montgomery county were sold in one end of Samuel's house, in 1836, by MATTHEW WILLBURGER and SAMUEL KING. The latter sold out to Samuel Crutcher, and Willburger & Crutcher moved their stock of goods to the present site of Middletown, into a little log cabin, which was burnt soon after, and they were both ruined. Willburger surveyed and laid out Middletown in 1836, and JOHN DUGAN built the first house there. STEWART SLAVENS owned a part of the land on which the town was built.

CAMP, Hardin Camp, of South Carolina, was of English parentage. He served his country in two of its principal wars - the revolution and the war of 1812. He married SARAH HAWKINS, and settled in Warren Co., Ky. Their children were Josiah, Thomas, Hawkins, Joseph, Sarah and Elizabeth. Thomas married SARAH MIDDLETON, of Ky., and settled in Mo. in 1842. He died soon after, leaving a widow and nine children. Joseph married NANCY SHACKELFORD, of Madison co., Ky., and settled in Warren co., Mo., in 1836. His children were Hiram H., Josiah, Mahala, Angeline, Sarah, Elizabeth, Martha, Judith A., and Mary. Mr. Camp had intended to settled in Howard co., Mo., but when he reached Jones' farm, where Jonesburg now stands, his wagon mired down, and he concluded to stop there. So he bought land in the vicinity, and settled upon it. He was Judge of the county court of Warren co., Ky., before he left that state.

COBB, Samuel Cobb, of Ky., married MAGDALENE PEVERLEY, and settled in Montgomery co., Mo., in 1823. They had 6 children, Philip, Samuel, Jr., Adam, Easter, Nancy and Sally. All are dead except Samuel, Jr., who is still living in the 86th year of his age. He was married first to SALLY SAYLER, of Ky., by whom he had ten children. He was married the second time to LENORA TAYLOR, and they had three children. Mr. Cobb belongs to the old-fashioned style of men, and does not believe in many of our modern inventions and innovations. His brother, Adam, was a soldier in the war of 1812. He married DELILAH BODKIN, and settled in Montgomery co., in 1823. They had ten children. Adam was the great Fourth of July orator of his day, and had a glowing speech about George Washington, of whom he was an ardent admirer, that he delivered with great oratorical effect whenever called upon. We have obtained a copy of this speech, and present it elsewhere.

CUNDIFF, William Cundiff, of Va., settled in Montgomery co. at a very early date. His children were Joseph, John, William, Jane, Uraney, Elizabeth A., and Polly. Joseph married SALLY McFARLAND, of Ky. John married POLLY SNETHEN. William died a bachelor. Jane married WILLIAM GROOM, a son of JACOB GROOM. Polly married JOSEPH McFARLAND. Elizabeth A. married NELSON HUNTER.

CHAPMAN, Stephen Chapman, of England, came to America when he was only fifteen years of age. When the revolution began, he joined the American army under Washington, and fought throughout the whole war. After the close of the war, he married ELIZA FLOYD, of Va., by whom he had Frank, George, William, James, John, Andrew, Isiah, Benjamin, Rachel & Peggy. Frank was a soldier in the war of 1812. He married NANCY CHESTER, of Va., whose father, DR. STEPHEN CHESTER, was a surgeon in the American army during the revolution. Their children were Sally, Polly A., John W., James B., and Wesley. James B. married SUSAN FIPPS, of Va., and settled in Montgomery co., Mo., in 1838. Mr. Chapman was a cabinet maker by trade and before he left his home in Va., he made the coffins for the parents of General JOSEPH E. JOHNSTON, who became so celebrated during the late war between the North and South. After he came to Mo., Mr. Chapman took up the carpenter's trade, and became one of the most rapid workmen in his part of the country. He possessed great powers of endurance, and on one occasion, while building a house for GEORGE BRITT, he worked sixty hours without stopping, for which he received $25 in gold. When he first came to Montgomery co., there were no roads through the prairies, and the grass was nearly as high as his horse's back. When he traveled anywhere he would tie a small log to his horse's tail, and drag it through the grass, so it would make a trail he could follow back home. He raised his first apple orchard by cutting off small pieces of the branches of apple trees, and sticking them in Irish potatoes, which he planted, and the branches grew to be bearing trees.

CLANTON, Drury & Henry Clanton, of Tennessee, settled on a branch called "Pinch", * about five miles south of Danville, in 1818. Drury Clanton was Methodist preacher, and it was at his house that the first Methodist church in Montgomery county was organized, by REV. ROBERT BAKER and himself, about the year 1819. A Sunday school was also organized at the same time and place, and the first camp meeting in Montgomery co. was held there, on what was called the Loutre campground. Drury Clanton married a MISS JAMES of Tennessee, and their children were John, James, Thomas, William, Eliza, Nancy, Angeline, Rebecca and Patsey. Henry Clanton was married twice, and his children were Wesley, Alonzo, Sally, Martha & Mary. Martha and a negro woman were burned to death on the prairie in Montgomery co.

*Captain John Baker gave the name to this branch, because the people who lived upon it were always "in a pinch" for something to live on.

COLE, Mark Cole, of Tennessee, came to Mo. in 1817, and settled in Montgomery co. He married DORCAS HALL, a daughter of WILLIAM HALL, who settled on Dry Fork of Loutre in 1817. Mr. Cole was a hatter by trade, and the first that settled in Montgomery co. He made "Boss" Logan's famous hat, which he wore twenty years. It was composed of twenty ounces of muskrat fur, mixed with thirteen ounces of raccoon fur, and would hold an even half-bushel. The crown was eighteen inches high, and the brim six inches wide. Mr. Cole died in 1854, but his widow is still living. Their children were Stephen H., William C., John W., Henry W., David D., James A., Robert T., Marcus L., Jerusha A., Mary M., Elizabeth S., Sarah A., and Nancy J., all of whom are still living except James A. and Nancy J.

CUNDIFF, Richard Cundiff, the grandfather of the Cundiff family of Montgomery co. was killed at the battle of Point Pleasant, in 1774. His sons, Louis and William, settled in Mo., the former in 1818, and the latter in 1819. Louis married ELIZABETH TOWERS, by whom he had Polly, Elizabeth, Richmond, James, Louis, Sally & Levisa. William married SALLY MADDOX, by whom he had Joseph, James, John, William, Polly, Jane, Sally, Maria and Elizabeth A.

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Last updated 3 August 2000.