Early Days in Greene County, Missouri
by Ed Stout
Prior to 1812 this portion of Missouri was occupied by the Osage Indians. After the War of 1812 a band of Kickapoos Indians lived in a settlement where is now the city of Springfield. The first white men to enter the area were some of the early French explorers, and from about 1818 onward there were a few early settlers in the area. The first permanent settlements were made by John P. Pettijohn, his sons and their families, together with Joseph Price and Augustine Friend, on the James River south of the present city. Others soon to appear were Jeremiah Pearson, Nathan Burrill, Issac Prosser, Alexander and Thomas Patterson. William Fulbright, along with Henry Schoolcraft, explored the area in 1819 and returned to their homes in the east.
In late 1822 the Delaware Indians came to the area, claiming the southwest part of the State as a reservation given them by the Federal government. This caused some serious problems for the early settlers, most of whom left the area, with the notable exception of William Friend who rented his farm land back from the Indians and remained in possession. Accompanying the Indians were a few white men who were conveniently "sort of" married to Indian women, such as James Wilson who eventually settled at the mouth of the creek now bearing his name, and also some traders such as Joseph Phillabert and William Gilliss. In 1827 or 1829 John Polk Campbell, and his uncle, explored the area befriending some of the Indians. Possibly planning to return, John Campbell marked with his initials an ash tree near a natural well.
The Delawares remained until about 1830 when the Federal government, having been successful in finding a less desirable haven for them, decided to move their reservation further to the west. At this time most of the early white settlers who had not made agreements with the Indians returned to their earlier homes. There they found neighbors who had arrived in the meantime, and who had made rental agreements with the Indians, such as John and Edward Mooney. The Fulbrights had arrived in February of 1830 and they were joined by the Campbells some three weeks later. Soon a rapid influx of newcomers commenced joining the few white families already living in the area.
Early in 1830 both the Fulbright and Campbell groups began their moves from Tennessee. The Campbells, Millers and some other families, arriving on March 4, claimed a site at the natural well which was located just south of the present Springfield public square. The Campbell s arrival was marked by the completion of the A.J. Burnett family's cabin at the same location! After Campbell pointed out the marked tree, Burnett gave up his claim to the already constructed, 12x15 foot, cabin with a splendid dirt floor, and John Polk Campbell and his family claimed it as their own. They, and the Millers, moved into the cabin and the Burnett's laid another claim and constructed a cabin about five miles away. Burnett was a brother-in-law of William Fulbright.
William Fulbright's first cabin, the first built in the present city of Springfield, was located near what is now College Street and Fort Avenue, the street previously being known as Fulbright Street. William's brother, John Fulbright and his family, settled at another nearby spring, probably Jones Spring, and there built their cabin. The little settlement soon became known as "Campbell and Fulbright Springs" and was later renamed to Springfield after the town of that name in Tennessee, the area from which many of the new inhabitants had come.
John Polk Campbell was wise enough to later plot the townsite and peddle lots, while the Fulbright family farmed and had children, both families prospering greatly in the process. Both were active in the business and political life of the colony as it grew and thrived. There are several monuments around Springfield celebrating the Fulbright family's accomplishments and those of the Campbells are equally well known.
During 1831 Joseph Roundtree, Sidney Ingram, Chesley, Benjamin and Radford Cannefax, and Kindred Rose arrived with their families and located in the area. Finis Shannon arrived, and soon died, thereby attaining fame simply by becoming the first white person buried in the neighborhood. Many more pioneers, too numerous to mention, came in 1831 and the village was on its way to becoming the booming metropolis of the present time.
By 1833 William Stout had arrived in the area! In that same year Greene County was established and the first session of court held in the home of John Campbell. The county judges took their oaths of office before Esq. A. J. Barnett who was an acting justice of the peace. He was nominated tax collector but declined, then was appointed to the task of laying out roads in the newly formed township. By late that year the first pauper in the county was granted a magnificent allowance of $30.00 per year and welfare was off and running! In December John Fulbright resigned as county treasurer at year's end the total costs of running the county were $363.32 while receipts were but $299.31; deficit spending had been discovered!
In 1834 the sheriff elect, Ben Goodrich, died almost before the election was over. Governor Daniel Dunklin then appointed Chesley Cannefax sheriff of the new county for a two year term, at the end of which he was re-elected for another two years. Taxes were increased and, as is the custom yet today, the deficit was deplored. By fall a post-office was established. John Williams, the county assessor was paid $126.00 for 84 days of work, at the rate of $1.50 per day, in assessing the county; there were more than 500 families to be visited. Growth was rampant!
The year of 1835 opened as an extremely cold year, with deep snow and many deprivations for the pioneers. In June cholera supposedly was imported from St. Louis in a shipment of goods to the recently opened business of Henry Fulbright. Two of John Campbell's negroes died in one night, fortunately the scourge lasted but a short time. The city was platted, a plan offered by John Campbell being approved. A land office was opened bringing many people in to enter their land in the Springfield district. John Campbell was elected County Clerk and the renowned peacemaker, the Honorable Charles S. Yancey, was appointed County Judge by the Governor, and was chosen as Presiding Justice the following year.
In 1836 the town was platted, lots sold and public buildings constructed with the funds received. A courthouse for the county was erected, a fine two story brick building to cost $3,250.00. The first prisoner to occupy the state penitentiary was sent there from Greene County, the sole occupant for over two months. John Roberts was arrested by Sheriff Cannefax and during a court session before Judge Yancey, where Campbell was present, a quarrel arose between him and Roberts, eventually involving the Judge who fined Roberts; for which he was later harassed continuously. Then, in the fall of '37, the two happened to meet on the Springfield public square. Roberts threatened the Judge with a knife. The Judge shot him dead for which he later stood trial for manslaughter and was acquitted.
That winter the Osage War was won by a trio consisting of Lt. Col. Chesley Cannefax and Capt. Henry Fulbright who accompanied Col. Yancey, all in uniform, to the fray. Encountering the enemy they raised a company of about 100 men, pursued and caught the Indians, disarmed them and sent them back to their reservation; not a single shot was fired in the whole campaign. By year end the county deficit had grown alarmingly, to total $360.03, deploring the deficiency hadn't helped a great deal!
In 1837 Henry, Ephraim and Daniel Fulbright, their Uncle Ev Hollingsworth, Chesley Cannefax, John Campbell and Judge Yancey all took a trip to Texas with the intention of possibly migrating although none did so. During the trip a quarrel between Campbell and Henry Fulbright nearly degraded into a shooting affair before peace was restored by Judge Yancey. This is the third known event indicating friction developing between the Campbells and Fulbrights.
Another Indian war, the Sarcoxie War, came and went, and again no human blood was spilled. The deplorable deficit was reduced to $274.00 which outstanding event finally, and regrettably, brings us to the close of this all too brief peek into some of the events occurring during the early days of Greene County.