COSHOW.-- William Coshow, a native
of Wales, married MARY HUGHES, an Irish girl, and emigrating
to America, settled in N.C. He went with DANIEL BOONE on one
of his expeditions to KY., and was killed by the Indians at
the head of the KY river. He had but one child, a son, named
William. His widow married JONATHAN BRYAN, several years after
the death of her first husband, and they came to St. Charles
Co. in 1800. Her son was raised by his step-father, who loved
him as one of his own children. He served in the war against
the Indians, and afterward married ELIZABETH ZUMWALT, of St.
Charles Co. They had 3 children: Andrew J., Phoebe A., and John
B., all of whom are still living.
CAMPBELL.-- Dr. Samuel Campbell
and his wife, SALLY ALEXANDER, were natives of Rockbridge Co.,
VA. They had 10 children, of whom William M., the subject of
this sketch, was the 5th. He was born in Jan. 1805, and after
having received a fair education at home, was placed under the
instruction of REV. WM. GRAHAM, at what was then called the
"Log College," but which was subsequently named Washington University,
and is now known as Washington and Lee University, at Lexington,
VA. Here he qualified himself for the practice of law, and at
the age of 24, came to MO. with his brother-in-law, DR. ROBERT
MCCLUER, who settled in St. charles Co. Young Campbell remained
two years with his brother-in-law, hunting and amusing himself,
and then went to St. Charles and commenced the practice of law.
He remained in St. Charles until 1843, when he removed to St.
Louis, where he died, Jan. 2, 1850. Mr. Campbell wielded a large
influence in his adopted state, and served as a member of the
legislature during the greater portion of his residence here.
He was editor of the St. Charles Clarion, for some time, and
also of the St. louis New Era, by which means his influence
and reputation were greatly extended.
COTTLE. -- Warren Cottle, of Vermont,
was a soldier in the war of 1812. He had six children
-- Warren, Ira, Oliver, Stephen, Marshall, and Letitia.
Warren was a physician, and came with his father to Missouri
in 1799. He married his cousin, Salome Cottle, and they
had eight children -- Oliver, Alonzo, Fidelo, Alvora, Lorenzo,
Paulina, Ora, and O'Fallon. Ira also married his cousin,
Suby Cottle, and they had six children -- Levi, Harriet, Warner,
Ira, Joseph, and Mary J. Oliver married Charity Lowe,
and they raised thirteen children -- Royal, Leroy, Oliver, Mary,
Orville, Priscilla, Lethe, Juliet, John, Ira, Julius, Ellen,
and Cordelia. Stephen married, but died without issue.
Marshall died single. Letitia married and died childless.
Lorenzo Cottle, son of Dr. Warren Cottle, founded the town of
Cottleville, in St. Charles county, in 1840. [p. 138]
COALTER.-- The ancestors of the
Coalter family of St. Charles were members of the Presbyterian
colony that settled in Augusta Co., VA. at an early date. From
among them we have obtained the following names: David, John,
Polly, Jane, and Ann. John was married 4 times. His 3rd wife
was a MISS TUCKER, sister of JUDGE BEVERLY TUCKER, and half-sister
of JOHN RANDOLPH, of Roanoke. They had 2 children - St. George
and Elizabeth. The latter married JOHN RANDOLPH BRYANT, of Flovanna
Co., VA. David married ANN CARMICLE, of S. C. and the names
of their children were John D., Beverly T., Maria, Catharine,
Fanny, Caroline, and Julia. Polly married JUDGE BEVERLY TUCKER,
who became eminent as a jurist. They had no children. Jane married
JOHN NAYLOR, of PA. They settled in KY., but removed to MO.
in 1818. They had 7 children: James, John, William, Thomas,
Caroline, Sophronia and Ann. The boys all died about the time
they were grown. Ann married a MR. WARD, of KY. - Children of
David Coalter.) John D. married MARY MEANES, of S. C. and settled
in St. Charles Co., where he lived until 2 years prior to his
death, when he removed to St. Louis. He had but one child. Mr.
Coalter was a talented and influential attorney, and also a
leading member of the legislature of his state. Beverly T. was
a physician. He married ELIZABETH MCQUEEN, of Pike Co., where
he resided. They had 3 children, one son and 2 daughters. Dr.
Tucker was a gentleman of fine business qualifications. Maria
married HON. WILLIAM C. PRESTON, of S. C., and died, leaving
1 daughter, who died when she was about grown. Catharine married
JUDGE WILLIAM HARPER, of S. C., who removed to MO., and became
judge of the court of Chancery. They had several children, but
only one survives. Fannie married DR. DAVID H. MEANES, of S.
C. The doctor removed to MO and remained a short time, and then
returned to S. C., where his wife died. They had several children.
Caroline married HAMILTON R. GAMBLE, of St. Louis. They had
2 sons and 1 daughter. Julia married HON. EDWARD BATES, and
is now a widow, living in St. Louis. (Children of JANE NAYLOR
nee COALTER.) Caroline Naylor married DR. WILLIAM B. NATT. They
removed to Livingston, S. C., where Dr. N. died, leaving a widow
and 5 children. Sophronia married JAMES W. BOOTH of Pike Co.,
MO; who subsequently removed to St. Louis, and became a commission
merchant. Their children were: John N., Thomas, Edward B., and
George. Ann married a MR. MCPHEETERS, who died, leaving two
sons, James and Theophile, who removed to Mississippi, where
they married and raised large families.
CASTLIO.-- John Castlio, of Tennessee,
married a widow named Lowe, whose maiden name was Harrison.
They settled in St. Charles county in 1806. The names
of their children were -- Ruth, Lottie, Mahala, Sinai, John
H., Nancy, and Hiram. Lottie married William Keithley.
Ruth married Frank McDermid, who was killed at Callaway's defeat.
They had two children, Rhoda and Viletta. Mahala married
Benjamin Howell, and they had eleven children. Sinai married
Absalom Keithley, John H. married the widow of Capt. James Callaway,
whose maiden name was Nancy Howell. Nancy married Felix
Scott. Hiram died when he was about grown.
The names of John H. Castlio's children were -- John C., Fortunatus,
Jasper N., Othaniel C., Hiram B., and Zerelda E.
CAMPBELL.-- James Campbell,
of Scotland, settled in Essex county, Virginia, and married
a Miss Montague. They had only one child, James, Jr.,
when Mr. Campbell died, and his widow married a Mr. Stubbs,
of Richmond. James, Jr., married Lucinda S. Gautkins,
of Virginia, and they had ten children -- Mary M., Thacker,
Charles G., Nancy H., Catharine L., James E., Elijah F., John,
Caroline, and Lucy H. Mrs. Campbell died, and her husband
was married a second time to Catharine Heihm, of Lynchburg.
He was a soldier in the war of 1812, and died in 1872, in his
eighty-fifth year. His widow still lives (1875), in her
eightieth year, but is sorely afflicted, being both blind and
deaf. [p. 140]
CANNON.-- Joseph Cannon married
Nancy Sitton, of North Carolina, and settled first in Tennessee,
where he remained until 1811, when he removed to St. Charles
county, Missouri. During the Indian war he and his family lived
in Kennedy's Fort. Mr. Cannon was a great hunter and Indian
fighter, and had a great many adventures. He once tracked
a bear to a hollow log, and began to kindle a fire to smoke
it out; but as he was stooping down to blow the flames, the
bear sprang out of the log and threw him on his back, and then
ran away. He was so badly scared that he never saw the bear
any more. The names of Mr. Cannon's children were Phillip, Sarah,
Rachel, Keziah, and Nancy. Phillip married Elizabeth McCoy,
and they had ten children -- George, Julia A., Rachel, William
R., Nancy, Ellen, John, David M., Sarah, and Mathaneer.
Sarah married Jerry Beck; of Lincoln county, and is now a widow.
Rachel married Raphael Florthey, and lives in Iowa. Nancy
married John Creech, of Lincoln county. Keziah died single.
[p.140]
CARTER.-- Thomas Carter, of VA.,
married JUDITH MCCRAWDY, and their children were Jesse, Thomas,
Edward, Lawson, Christopher, and Dale. Thomas married NANCY
HUTCHINGS, of VA., and settled in St. Charles Co. in 1836. Christopher
married MARY SOIZES, whose father served 7 years in the revolutionary
war. They settled in St. charles Co. in 1830. The names of their
children were Frances, Rebecca, James, Jane, Christopher, Judy,
Thomas M., Mary, George and Rolla. Thomas M. is the present
sheriff of Lincoln County. (1875)
COLLINS.-- The father of William
Collins was an Englishman. At an early age, William was bound
out to learn the carpenter's trade, but becoming dissatisfied,
he ran away and got married, which suited him better. He married
JANE BLAKEY, of Warren Co., VA., and they had 6 children: George,
John, Reuben, Fanny, Elizabeth and William. John married FANNY
CURTLEY, and settled in Franklin Co., MO. George married JANE
EDDINGS, of Warren Co., VA., and settled in St. Charles Co.,
MO. in 1825. They had 17 children: Sarah, Elizabeth, Frances,
Smith, Eliza, Nancy, Clarissa, James, Elijah, Thomas, William,
Tandy, George, Sandy, Jane, Mary and Joseph. Sandy, Joseph and
Mary died before they were grown. Elizabeth, Eliza and Clarissa
married and remained in VA. Sarah and Nancy married and settled
in Warren Co., MO. Smith married EMILY WYATT, and moved to Oregon.
Thomas, William and Frances settled in Henry Co., MO. Elijah
settled in Arkansas, and George in Warren Co., MO.
COLLINS.-- Nicholas Collins,
of England, married MARGARET LONG, of VA., and they had 2 children,
John and Lucy. John married ELIZABETH YAGER, of VA., and settled
in St. Charles Co., MO. in 1831. His children were Sarah, Lucinda,
Mary, Ann, Elizabeth, William K., and John J., all of whom except
Sarah and John, settled in St. Charles county.
CARR.-- Elijah Carr was of Irish
descent. He settled first in Hagarstown, Maryland, and in 1798
removed to Shelby Co., KY., from whence, in 1829, he removed
to St. Charles Co., MO., where he died in 1832. He kept a distillery,
and was a keen, shrewd horse-trader. His children were Ruth,
James and John. Ruth married WILLIAM BOYD, of MO. James was
a zealous member of the old Baptist church, but joined the Missionary
baptists when the division took place. He married SUSAN JONES,
daughter of SILAS JONES of Shelby Co, KY, and they had 9 children:
Sally, Elizabeth, Hellen, Mary R., John, William, Susan L.,
James and Eliza J. Mrs. Carr died in 1834, and he died in 1836.
John Carr married MARY DORSEY, of KY., and they had 9 daughters.
They lived at Louisville, KY., where Mr. Carr died in 1865.
COLLIER.-- The father of John
and George Collier lived in the state of New Jersey, not far
from the city of Philadelphia. He died when they were quite
young, and their mother, being an energetic, industrious woman,
determined to do the best she could for herself and family.
She purchased two milk cows with the little money that her husband
had left her, and opened a small dairy. It was not long until
she owned and milked one hundred cows, and in a few years, had
accumulated a handsome fortune. Desiring to come west, she sold
her dairy and other property, and, in 1815, came to St. Charles,
with her two sons and $40,000 in cash. The two boys, being no
less energetic than their mother, supplied themselves with a
small stock of goods, and for several years followed the tiresome
and dangerous calling of country peddlers, carrying their goods
on their backs. They made money, and in a few years, opened
a store in St. Charles. here they rapidly augmented their means,
and desiring to extend their business, they established a branch
store at Troy, in Lincoln County, and shortly after, another
in St. Louis. Mrs. Collier bought a residence in St. Chales,
and kept several negro women busy making coarse shirts and various
and various other kinds of garments, which her sons sold in
their stores. She was a devoted Methodist, and as earnest and
zealous in her religion as in everything else. She always entertained
the Methodist ministers when they came to St. Charles, and kept
a room in her house exclusively for their benefit, no one else
being allowed to use it. In 1830 she had erected upon her own
grounds, the first Methodist house of worship in St. Charles,
which was occupied by her congregation for religious services,
free of rent. She also authorized the occupancy of the house
as a common school room reserving, by way of rent, the privilege
of sending four pupils of her own selection, at the then customary
tuition price of $1 per month, each. The school progressed so
satisfactorily that Mrs. Collier determined to appropriate $5,000
to the building of a school house for Protestant children in
the village; and after giving the subject mature deliberation,
she broached it to her son, George. He not only heartily commended
her plan, but desired to build the house himself - a larger
and better one than $5,000 would procure - and that his mother's
donation should constitute an endowment fund for the institution.
This was agreed upon, and in 1834, that building, which has
since been known as St. Charles College, was erected, at a cost,
including the grounds, of $10,000. BERIAH CLELAND, well known
to the older citizens of St. Charles, was the builder. The college
was opened in 1835, under the presidency of REV. JOHN F. FIELDING;
and for many years the President's salary was paid out of Mrs.
Collier's private purse. The college prospered beyond expectation
under the liberal patronage of its generous benefactor, who
gave in all, fully $50,000 to the institution. George Collier
did more for the cause of education in his adopted state, than
any other man, and has received but little credit for it. The
alumni of the college spread through Mississippi, Louisiana,
and the western part of this state, and opening schools and
other institutions of learning diffused the benefits of science
and knowledge throughout an immense extent of country. Many
of the leading men and educators of this state studied the science
under the roof of his parent institution. Mrs. collier died
in 1835, but made provision in her will for the carrying out
of her part of the philanthropic enterprise. By some mistake
the sum donated by her was lost, but it was promptly replaced
by her son, and at his death, in 1852, he left an endowment
of $10,000 for the college, on condition that the county court
of St. Charles county donate a similar amount for the same purpose.
The court complied with the requirements of the will, and the
college was promptly endowed with $20,000. George Collier married
FRIZE MORRISON, daughter of JAMES MORRISON, of St. Charles.
She was a Catholic, and according to the rules of her church,
could not be married by a protestant minister; but Mr. Collier,
refusing to be married by a priest, the ceremony was performed
by JUDGE BENJAMIN EMMONS. Mrs. Morrison wanted her daughter
to be re-married by a priest of her church, but Mr. Collier
objected, saying that he was married well enough to suit him,
and then added, good-humoredly, that if she wanted her daughter
back again, she could take her. But the old lady concluded to
let the matter drop, and said nothing more about the second
ceremony.
COLGIN.-- Daniel Colgin was a tailor
by trade, and settled in St. Charles Co. (where the poor house
now stands) in 1806. He made a deep cellar under his log cabin,
and placed a trap door in the floor, just inside of the door,
and every night when he went to bed, this trap door was unfastened,
so that if the Indians attacked the house and broke the door
open, they would fall into the cellar. He also kept an axe and
a sledge hammer near his bed, to use in tapping Indians on the
head; but his house was never attacked, and his ingenious contrivances
were never brought into use. In 1812 he removed to St. charles,
and opened a tailor's shop in that town. Here he dressed deer
skins and manufactured them into pants and hunting shirts, from
which he derived a comfortable income. In 1814 he was elected
Justice of the peace, and made a rather eccentric officer. His
dwelling house and shop were one and the same, and there was
but one window in the house, which contained only two panes
of glass. The old gentleman kept a pet bear chained in his yard,
and the boys of the town used to torment the poor beast until
it would become furious. One day while they were teasing the
bear, it broke the chain, and ran the boys all off the place.
After that, they let the bear alone. Colgin's wife was a native
of KY., and his daughters were said to be the prettiest girls
in St. Charles.
CRAIG.-- Rev. James Craig married
a daughter of COL. NATHAN BOONE. He was a hard-shell Baptist
preacher, and preached and taught school in St. Charles for
several years. He baptised by immersion, in the Missouri river,
the first person that ever received protestant baptism in St.
Charles. The candidate was a colored woman named SUSAN MORRISON.
DANIEL COLGIN assisted Mr. Craig to perform the ceremony by
wading out into the river and measuring the depth of the water
with his cane, singing as he went - "We are going down the river
Jordan, As our Saviour went before." Revs. JOHN M. PECK AND
TIMOTHY FLINT were present, and joined in the singing.
CHRISTY. -- William Christy, Sr.,
and William Christy, Jr., were cousins, and natives of Pittsburgh,
Pa. In 1800 the elder settled in St. Louis, where he opened
a hotel and made a fortune. The younger was quartermaster
for the troops at Bellefontaine during the war of 1812, and
after the return of peace, he settled in St. Charles, and went
into the mercantile business, which he followed two years.
He then went into politics, and was at different times clerk
of the County and Circuit Courts. He was also receiver
and County Treasurer, and Clerk of the Supreme Court.
He married Constance St. Cyr. of St. Charles, and they had nine
children -- William M., Ellen, Leville, Martha T., Israel R.,
Mary A., Eliza, Louisa, and Clarissa. Mrs. Christy was
well educated and did a great deal of writing for her husband.
They also kept boarders while the Legislature sat in St. Charles,
and had so much patronage that they were compelled to hire beds
from their country friends for the accommodation of their guests.
They paid 25 cents a week for the beds. Mr. Christy had
an apple tree in his yard that bore 40 bushels of apples one
summer, and his son, William M., who was a little fellow at
the time, sold them on the street, and to the members of the
Legislature, at 25 cents per dozen, thus reaping a handsome
income from the one apple tree. William M. Christy is
still living in St. Charles. He served as sheriff and
deputy sheriff of the county for sixteen years, and organized
the first express company in St. Charles. He acted as
express agent for ten years. [p. 144]
CHARLESWORTH.-- Walter Charlesworth,
of England, being captivated by the glowing tales of life in
the new world, ran away from his parents at the age of 18 years,
and came to America. He remained awhile at Wheeling, VA., and
then went to St. Charlesville in Ohio, where he engaged in shipping
pork to New Orleans and the west India islands. He married MARY
A. YOUNG, and in 1827 he came to St. Charles, MO. They had 2
children: Walter J. and Eliza. The latter died, but the former
is still living in St. Charles. Mrs. Charlesworth died sometime
after the removal to St. Charles, and her husband subsequently
married MARY ST. LOUIS, of Canada, who died, leaving no children.
Charles Charlesworth, a brother of Walter, came from England
with his wife in 1840, and settled in St. Charles. Here his
wife went blind, and subsequently, when he started on his return
to England, she died at New Orleans. They had 6 children: George,
Martha, Ann, Charles, Mary and Hannah.
CONOIER.-- Peter Conoier was a
Frenchman, and settled on Marais Croche Lake at an early date.
He was very fond of hunting wild hogs, which he lassoed, being
so expert in that art that he could throw the lariat over any
foot of the hog that he chose, while it was running at full
speed. He was married three times, and had several children.
One of his sons, named Joseph, while going to school, was chastised
by the teacher, for some misdemeanor, and the old gentleman
was greatly incensed thereat. He determined to whip the teacher
in turn and went to the school house next morning for that purpose.
Arriving at the school house, he drew his knife out and began
to whet it on his foot, whereupon the teacher drew his knife,
and invited him to "come on", if that were his game. But concluding
that discretion was the better part of valor, he put up his
knife, bade the teacher a polite good morning, and went home.
DARST.-- David Darst was born in
Shenandoah Co., VA., Dec. 17, 1757, and died in St. Charles
Co., MO. Dec. 2, 1826. He married ROSETTA HOLMAN, who was born
in Maryland, Jan. 13, 1763, and died in Callaway Co., MO., Nov.
13, 1848. She was buried in a shroud of homespun wool, which
she made with her own hands when she was about middle aged.
Mr. Darst removed from VA. to Woodford Co., KY. in 1784, and
in 1798 he left KY with his wife and 7 children, and settled
in (now) St. Charles Co., MO., on what has since been known
as Darst's Bottom. Some of the leading men of KY gave him a
very complimentary letter to the Spanish authorities in St.
Louis, which enabled him to obtain several grants of land for
himself and his children. The names of his children were Mary,
Elizabeth, Absalom, Isaac, Sarah, Jacob, Samuel, Nancy and David
H. Mary married THOMAS SMITH of Callaway Co., and died; he then
married her sister, ELIZABETH SMITH. Isaac married PHOEBE BRYAN,
daughter of JONATHAN BRYAN. Sarah and Samuel died before they
were grown. Jacob lived in Texas, and was killed at the side
of COL. DAVEY CROCKETT at the battle of the Alamo. Nancy married
COL. PATRICK EWING, of Callaway Co. David H. married MARY THOMPSON,
and lived and died in Darst's Bottom. They had 13 children:
Violet, Rosetta H., Margaret R., Elizabeth I., Nancy E., Harriet,
Mary T., David A., Lorena, Henry, Martha, William and Julia.
Mr. Darst was a very systematic man, and for many years, kept
a book in which he recorded every birth and death and all important
incidents that occurred in the community. This book would have
been very interesting, but it was destroyed by fire several
years ago.
DAY.-- Robert Day, of England, emigrated
to America and settled in Maryland, where he had 2 sons born:
Frank and Robert. The latter died while a boy. Frank moved to
Wythe Co., VA., where he married MARY FORBISH. They had 12 children:
Nancy, Polly, Aves, Peggy, Elizabeth, Rebecca, Jane, Frank,
Jr., Nathaniel, George, Nilen and James. Nancy was killed by
a horse. Polly married in KY., and settled in St. Louis in 1815.
Aves died single. Peggy married SOLOMON WHITTLES, of St. Charles
Co., MO. Jane married JOHN PROCTOR, and settled in Warren Co.,
MO. Frank, Nathaniel and George all died bachelors, in MO. Nilen
married SUSAN WILSON. James married EMILY ROCHESTER, of VA.,
and settled in St. Charles Co., MO., from whence he removed
to Lincoln Co., where he still resides. When quite a boy, he
and a young friend of his spent a night at AMOS BURDINE's, and
slept on a bed that had a buckskin tick. During the night they
felt something very hard and uncomfortable in the bed under
them, and determined to find out what it was. They had no knives
to cut the tick with, so they gnawed a hole in it with their
teeth, and drew out a buck's head with the horns attached, after
which they did not wonder that they had slept uncomfortably.
During the operation of drawing the horns out of the bed, the
boys broke out several of their front teeth. Mr. Robert Day
settled in Dog Prairie, St. Charles Co., in 1819, and spent
the rest of his life there.
DAVIDSON.-- Andrew Davidson,
of KY., came to MO. in 1811, but returned in 1813, and married
SARAH JOHNSON. In 1830 he came back to MO. and settled in St.
Charles Co. His children were Susan, Greenberry, William, Angeline,
Eliza J., Salome, and John. The old gentleman was a great friend
of the Indians, and in order to manifest his good feelings,
he kept a lot of tobacco with which he would fill their pouches
when they stopped at his house. One of his sons, a mischievous
lad, poured a pound of gunpowder into the tobacco, and several
of the Indians got their faces and noses burnt in attempting
to smoke it. This, of course, was taken as a mortal offense,
and it was with the greatest difficulty that Mr. Davidson kept
the Indians from killing himself and his family.
DRUMMOND.-- James Drummond, of
England, settled in Fauquier Co., Va., prior to the American
Revolution and served in the patriot army during the war. He
had 2 sons, James, Jr., and Milton, who came to MO. James married
MARTHA LUCAS of VA., and settled in St. Charles Co., MO. in
1834. He was a soldier in the war of 1812. He had 7 children:
Elias, Harrison, Mary, James, Catharine, William and Elizabeth.
Mary married WILLIAM E. JACKSON, and settled in St. Charles
Co. in 1835. Catharine married GEORGE M. RYAN, of VA., and is
now living in St. Charles Co. William and Elizabeth died in
VA. Elias lives in St. Louis. Harrison married ELIZABETH WILKINSON,
and settled in St. Charles county in 1834. James settled in
Mississippi.
DYER.-- John Dyer, of Greenbriar
Co., VA., married a MISS ROLEY, and they had 6 children: George,
James, John, Polly, Pauline and Marktina. George married MARGARET
HAYDEN, of KY., and settled in Pike Co., MO. in 1838; in 1840
he removed to St. Charles county. His children were Rosana,
Elvira, Mary J., William C., Eliza, Martin V., Lucy and Elizabeth.
Rosana married PLEASANT COLBERT, of Lincoln Co. Elvira married
DR. SIDNEY R. ENSAW, an Englishman, who settled in St. Charles
Co. in 1836. Eliza married JAMES MCNANONE, of St. Louis Co.,
who died, and she afterward married JOHN J. STHALLSMITH, of
St. Charles Co. Elizabeth married FREDERICK GRABENHORST, of
St. Charles Co. Martin V. is a Catholic priest, and lives in
New York.
DENNEY.-- Charles Denney, of Germany,
settled within the limits of the state of MO. while the country
belonged to Spain. He married RACHEL CLARK, and they had 8 children:
Christine, Magdalene, Mary, Adeline, Ann, Charles, John and
Raphael. Mr. Denney was an herb doctor, and treated the simpler
classes of diseases. He was also something of a dentist, and
pulled teeth for people when they came to him for that purpose.
He lived on Dardenne creek, where he built a water mill, which
supplied the people of the vicinity with meal and flour for
many years. He finally grew tired of milling, and erected a
distillery, but this did not pay so well, and he went back to
his former occupation. In the meantime, is wife had lost her
sight, but could still recognize her old acquaintances by their
voice. She could give the history of every person in the county,
and it was quite interesting to hear her converse about early
times in MO. Denney finally sold his mill, and removed to the
Fever River lead mines, where he was unfortunate, and lost all
his property. He then returned to Dardenne, and with the assistance
of his old neighbors, re-purchased his mill.
DAVIS.-- Lewis Davis, of Albemarle
Co., VA., had 7 children: Edward, Matthew, Rachel, William,
Rhoda, Martha and Virginia. Edward married MISS WALTON, of VA.,
and settled in St. charles Co., MO. in 1829. The names of his
children were: Mary A., Joel A., and Lucy M. Mary A. married
IRA SHANNON, of New York. Joel A. married FRANCES A GUTHRIE,
of VA. Lucy M. married PETER RANDOLPH, of Va. Edward Davis was
a blacksmith and had a shop on McCoy's creek. Like most of the
early settlers, he was fond of a good article of whisky, and
when his supply ran out he would take a sack of corn on his
horse, go to the distillery, and have it made into whisky, without
the fear of revenue officers before his eyes, for they had no
such encumbrances then.