Family Lines From New Madrid County
Goodspeed's History of
SouthEast
Missouri-1887
Section 3:1799 +
(Settlements, Counties & People)
Transcribed by Tara R Barrett,
1999
Section 3:1799 + (Settlements,
Counties & People)
Page #1
Col. De Lassus remained New Madrid until the spring of 1799,
when he was promoted to the position of lieutenant-
governor of Upper Louisianna. He was a prudent and
conscientious commandant, and during his term the population
of the district was considerably increased. He was succeeded by
Don Henri Peyroux, who had perviously been in command
at Ste. Genevieve. Peyroux arrived in New Madrid, in August,
1799, and remained four years. He then resigned, and, leaving
his wife at New Madrid, went to France, where he had large
possessions. Being old and infirm, he did not wish to venture
on a return voyage, and entered into an agreement with his wife
for a seperation, relinquishing to her all his title to their
property in America.
After the resignation of Peyroux, the post was under the command
of John Levallee until after the transfer of Louisianna to the
United States,
in March 1804. At that time the population of the district,
including Arkansas and Little Prairie, numbered 1,350, about
one-third being French
and the remainder Anglo-Americans.
The settlement at La Petite Prairie (Little Prairie) was begun
in 1794, by Francois Lesieur, at a point a short distance below
the present town
of Caruthersville, in Pemiscot County. A town covering some two
hundred arpents of land was laid out, and divided into lots of
an arpent each.
A fact, called Fort St. Fernando,was constructed on the bank of
the river. Among the residents of the town and vicinity,
besides its founder, were Jean Baptiste Barsaloux,
George and John Ruddell, Joseph Payne, Louis St. Aubin, Charles
Guilbealt, Charles Loignon, Francois Langlois and Peter
Noblesse. In 1799 the population numbered 78, and in 1803
it had increased to 103. The village continued to prosper until
the earthquakes of 1811-1812, which almost entirely destroyed
it. Its site was long since
carried away by the waters of the Mississippi. Other
settlements were made in what is now Pemiscot County, one in the
vicinity of Gayoso, one north of Big Lake,
another on Little River and a forth on Portage Bay. The
earthquakes drove most of the inhabitants away, and it was not
until thirty years later that any considerable number
of immigrants came in. One conspicuous figure remained in this
section after the others had fled. Col. John H. Walker,
familiarly known as Hardeman Walker, located on Little
Prairie about 1810, and continued to reside there until his
death. He was sheriff of New Madrid County in 1821-1822, and
subsequently was a judge of the county court. One of
his sisters married Dr. Robert D. Dawson of New Madrid, and
another married John Martin, of Pleasant Point.
During the year of 1789, a road known as the King's road was
marked out from Ste. Genevieve to New Madrid, and it was along
this road that the settlements were the most numberous in
New Madrid District and what is now Scott County. One of the
earliest settlers was Edward Robertson, who, with his
son-in-law, Moses Hurley, located near where Sikeston now is.
The former
in character and business methods was like Richard J. Waters.
He was an extensive land speculator, and also kept a store and
trading post. He was entirely uneducated, and could not write
his name, but he was a shrewd business man, and succeeded in
keeping most of the other settlers in his debt.
In 1796 or 1797 Capt. Charles Friend, with his family, came from
Monongalia County, Va., and received a concession of land near
the present town of Benton. He had been a captain in the
Revolutionary War, and was at this time about seventy-five years
of age. He had a family of nine sons: Aaron, Israel, Teene,
Charles, Jonas, Jacob, John, Alexander and David, and two
daughters. Some
of the sons were married in Virginia. Aaron and Teene were
dissatisfied, and returned to their native State. Jonas, John
and Jacob each received the customary concession of 800 arpents
of land. Two of the
brothers subsequently removed to Texas. About 1811 John Ramsey
removed to Cape Girardeau, and located on what is now the county
"poor farm," where he remained until his death in 1837. He had
a family
of one son and eight daughters. Three of the daughters,
Elizabeth, Ann and Mary, married, respectively, John, James and
Robert Ravenscroft; and daughter, Harriet B., became the wife of
Lewis Painter, and is still living;
Rebecca married John Hall in Virginia, but came to the Territory
with her father's family. Hall became a man of some prominence
in political circles. He was a presidential elector on the
Adams ticket, in 1828, and served
one or more terms in the Legislature.
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