Among the early marriages, were John Sidden to Martha Maupin, in 1832; Austin Harlow to Susan Harlow, March 26, 1840, by James Tuggle, justice of the peace; and John McBee to Sarah Matheney, in 1846.

Among the early deaths: Mrs. William Tinney, who died in 1832; Ellen Boyd, who died in 1839, and was buried at Tinney's Grove, and John Motherhead, who died in 1840.

The physicians who practiced in Grape Grove township at an early day, were Dr. George Kelly, who, after some years practice in Grape Grove, went to California; Dr. Roland Ralph, now-1881-a citizen of Albany, in this county; Dr. McFadden, from Kentucky, now in Kentucky; Dr. Nathaniel Davis, from Knox county, Tennessee, a graduate of Jefferson medical college, Philadelphia, and who is now-1881-an honored citizen of Richmond, Ray county, Missouri; and Dr. Roberts, from Kentucky, who was killed at Millville in 1879 by one James Keyes.

Among the early ministers, who conducted religious worship in Grape Grove township, were Rev. Daniel Patton, of the Cumberland Presbyterian church. Services were held in a meeting house, constructed of logs, situated in township fifty-three of range twenty-seven. The house was torn down years ago; Andrew Jordan, also a Cumberland Presbyterian, preached in the same house; Rev. Hatton, and Rev. Samuel Grove, of the M. E. Church, held services at Tinney's Grove, alternating between the residences of John Brown and Levi McBee, as places of divine worship.

A man named Barton, taught, perhaps, the first school at Tinney's Grove. He had but five or six pupils, and as he proved inefficient as a teacher, received nothing for his services, they being rendered, doubtless, to the detriment, rather than to the advancement of the children entrusted to his training.

Captain W. D. Fortune, now living in the vicinity of Tinney's Grove, was among the early teachers of Grape Grove township. He was a competent teacher, and is a worthy citizen.

corn.

The following is a description of a building in which school was taught at Tinney's Grove, at an early day: The house was quite small, built of logs, and had been used by its owner as a place in which to garner his The corn was, of course, removed previous to the commencement of school; but why the flooring was also taken out, the writer was not informed, and can not imagine. The stick chimney had been torn down, and the aperture left open, to answer the purpose of a door. A multitude of cracks obviated the necessity of windows. Seats were prepared by placing narrow planks across the sleepers-and

"There in his noisy mansion, skilled to rule,
The village master taught his little school."

Mrs. Winnegham and Mrs. Tinney were among the weavers of cloth and carpets; the settlers did their own domestic and industrial labor, and drew supplies, in the matter of groceries, principally from Lexington and Richmond.

Such is the early history of Grape Grove township. It has ever been the abode of a refined and moral community, and is now, 1881, in point of population, the third township in the county.

CAMDEN TOWNSHIP.

Camden township was established July 5, 1841. Its boundaries are as follows: Beginning at a point in the middle of the main channel of the Missouri river, on range line, between ranges twenty-six and twenty-seven; thence north with said line to northeast corner of section thirteen, township fifty-one, range twenty seven; thence with a tier of sections west to Clay county line; thence south, with said line to middle of main channel of Missouri river; thence with said river in middle of the main channel thereof, to the beginning.

The first election was held in Camden township, August 2, 1841. At its May term, May 2, 1842, the county court, on petition of a large number of the inhabitants of Fishing River township, praying for a change in said township, made the following order:

Ordered, That a part of Fishing River township be stricken off and attached to Camden township, and that the line between said townships, hereafter be as follows: Beginning on the range line between sections twenty-nine and thirty, at the township line between townships fifty-one and fifty-two; thence east to the northeast corner of section four, on said township line; thence south to southeast corner of section nine; thence west to range line aforesaid.

In 1847 sections fifteen and twenty-two, in range twenty-seven, of Camden township, were attached to Richmond township.

Camden, Albany, Orrick and Henry postoffices are in this township. It contained, June 1, 1880, 3,353 inhabitants.

That part of Camden township, east of range twenty-nine, was originally in Bluffton township, and subsequently in Richmond township; that west of range twenty-eight was formerly a part of Fishing River township, hence, as already stated, the territory embraced in this township was settled at a very early date-as early as 1818.

Among the first settlers we mention the following, nearly all of whom were from Tennessee: Jeremiah, Samuel and John Crowley, Thomas English, Richard and Aaron Linville, Branick Wilkinson, William and Henry Morgan, John C. Cates, Sen., Joseph E. Brockman, John Elliott,

Frank Jackson, Ballard Hudgins and others. In the days of the first settlers a physician's practice was co-extensive with the county. The same is true of a minister's preaching; hence, many of the physicians, mentioned at different places in this work, practiced medicine in Camden township, and the same is true of the ministers with respect to their preaching.

KNOXVILLE TOWNSHIP.

It comprises all of con

Knoxville township was established in 1841. gressional township fifty-four, range twenty-eight; twelve sections in township fifty-four, range twenty-seven; eight sections in township fiftythree, same range, and twenty-four sections in township fifty-three, range twenty-eight.

The sections, eight in all, are, of course, contiguous, and form an area of 51,200 acres.

The number of inhabitants of the township, as shown by tenth census, including Knoxville and Taitsville, with a population of eighty-eight and one hundred and eight respectively, is 2,301.

Knoxville township was settled about 1833. In that year a man named Barnes (who became a useful and respected citizen), from Tennessee, settled on section seven, congressional township fifty-four, range twentyeight; and Vincent Silkwood, the same year, settled in the township, as also did a family of Thompsons, from Kentucky.

A settlement was made on the present sight of Knoxville, originally called "Buncombe," in the spring of 1834; the Hatfields, Stolins and others from Tennessee and Kentucky forming the settlement.

Among the early practicing physicians of Knoxville township, were the following:

Drs. Kelly and Davis, mentioned in connection with the history of Grape Grove township, and Dr. John C. Tiffin, from Ohio. Dr. Tiffin, a graduate of the Ohio medical college, of Cincinnati, is now retired from active practice, and is living at Knoxville. He has had a large and successful practice, and is an honored member of the community in which he lives.

In addition to those already mentioned, John A. Stone, a Baptist, and Moses Rainwater, Methodist, preached in this township at an early day.

POLK TOWNSHIP.

By order of the county court, Polk township was formed out of the northern part of Fishing River township, July 29th, 1845.

It coincides with congressional township fifty-four, range twenty-nine,

and includes, besides, eighteen contiguous sections in the congressional townships immediately south.

The township contains 34,560 acres, and a population, (including the town of Lawson, 223) of 1,534.

Polk, though the smallest in both area and population, is one of the finest agricultural townships in the county.

This township was settled as early as 1825-probably somewhat earlier. The statements as to who were the first settlers and when, and exactly where the settlement was made, are conflicting.

It is certain, however, that in 1825 John Fields, from Kentucky, settled on section eleven, township fifty-four, of range twenty-nine. He was followed in 1830 by Samuel K. McGee, from Tennessee, and in 1834 by John Taylor, from Virginia. Taylor settled on section three of the last mentioned township.

The following persons were among the very early settlers of the township, viz:

J. Allen, Archibald Moss, W. H. Moss and Randolph McDonald, from Kentucky; Milton Piercey, Robert G. Murray, John Halstead, Josiah Patton, Henry S. Patton, Solomon Wilson, (a wine-maker and great hunter), James Rippey, Joshua Albright, (gun-smith), John A. Cooper, Henry Wilson and Whidby Wilson, from North Carolina; William Cox, John Cox, Jesse Mann, John Connard and A. B. Arnote, from Tennessee; J. Whitsett, Benjamin McClain, (Guilford county, North Carolina); D. G. Stockwell, Stephen Goddard, William Stockard, William Sharpe and A. W. Boon.

Drs. John C. Tiffin, Randolph McDonald and John Watson, the latter from Kentucky, practiced their profession in Polk township many years ago.

The first school was taught in section two, township fifty-four, range twenty-nine, by one Henry Davis. The school was composed of fifteen pupils, and the teacher's salary was fifteen dollars per month. Mr. Davis is not now among the living; he died at Kingston, Missouri.

The first school house was the one in which Davis taught the first school, and was built by Randolph McDonald, John Taylor and Archibald Moss, at no greater cost than their labor.

Another school was taught about the same time on section eighteen, township fifty-four, range twenty-nine, by a widow, named Beckworth, now living in Clinton county.

"Aunt Hulda Allen did the first weaving. coverlets, carpets, and wearing apparel.

She was wont to weave

The first settlers in Polk township entered their land with money obtained from the sale of beeswax, made of wild honey. Salt was obtained at Goose creek salt works, about one hundred miles south; and

other necessary supplies, which could not be manufactered at home, were drawn from distant markets.

COUNTY OFFICERS.

A list of the county officers of Ray county, from the meeting of the first circuit court, February 19, 1821, to the present-April 1, 1881:

JUSTICES OF THE COUNTY COURT.

Isaac Martin, Jno. Thornton, Elisha Cameron, from April, 1821, to March, 1822.

Isaac Martin, James Snowden, from May, 1822, to August, 1822.

Isaac Martin, Wm. B. Martin, James Snowden, from August, 1822, to February, 1823.

James Snowden, Jno. McGaugh, Sam'l Cleavenger, from February, 1823, to February, 1825.

Wm. P. Thompson, Henry Brown, Sam'l Cleavenger, from February, 1825, to September, 1825.

Isaac Martin, William Black, Malachi Lile, James Stanley, from February, 1825, to Febuary, 1826.

Wm. B. Martin, John McGaugh, Sebourn J. Miller, from September, 1825, to February, 1826.

Wm. Black, Wm. B. Martin, Henry Brown, Sebourn J. Miller, Joseph Porter, from February, 1826, to Febuary, 1827.

James Taylor, Sr., Jno. Cleavenger, from February, 1827, to April, 1827. Sebourn J. Miller, Isaac Allen, Wm. P. Thompson, from February, 1827, to February, 1828.

Wm. P. Thompson, S. J. Miller, Isaac Allen, from February, 1828, to February, 1829.

Wm. P. Thompson, Sebourn J. Miller, Isaac Allen, from February, 1829, to August, 1830.

Isaac Allen, Henry Jacobs, Sebourn J. Miller, from August, 1830, to August, 1831.

Henry Jacobs, Wm. Thornton, Daniel Parker, from August, 1831, to August, 1834.

James Dickie, Thomas Hamilton, Wm. B. Martin, from August, 1834, to August, 1836.

Wm. B. Martin, Jabez Shotwell, Daniel Branstetter, from August, 1836, to August, 1838.

Wm. B. Martin, Jabez Shotwell, Daniel Branstetter, from August, 1838, to August, 1842.

Levi Starkey, James Tuggle, from August, 1842, to August, 1844. Sam'l T. Burgess, from August 1842, to June, 1844.