More Missouri History

View of St. Louis. Lithograph by T. Moore's Lithography after E.W. Playter, ca. 1836.





The following is in relation to the Boone, Word, Prewitt, and Henry families.


The following history of Howard County is from The History of Howard and Cooper Counties, St. Louis: National Historical Company, 1883, pp. 88-99.

The French settled Canada and the northwestern part of the United States, as well as the country about the mouths of the Mississippi river. They came into the upper Mississippi and Missouri valleys in 1764, under the lead of Pierre Laclede Liguest, who held a charter from the French government, giving him the exclusive right of trade with the Indians in all the country as far north as St. Peter's river. Laclede established his colony in St. Louis in 1764, and from this point they immediately began their trading and trapping excursions into the unbroken wilderness. Their method of proceeding was to penetrate into the interior and establish small local posts for trading with the Indians, whence the trappers and hunters were outfitted and sent out into the adjacent woods. In this way, the country west and northwest of St. Louis was traversed and explored at a very early day, as far west as the Rocky mountains. But of the extent of their operations, but little has been recorded; hence, but little is known of the posts established by them.
That these daring Frenchmen had explored that portion of Howard county lying contiguous to the Missouri river, even prior to the year 1800, there can be no doubt; that there existed within the present limits of the county a trading post, for several years before its settlement proper, there can be no doubt. The names of the streams, such as Bonne Femme, Moniteau, etc., attest the fact that they were of French origin, and had been seen and named by the French pioneers.
Levens and Drake, in their condensed but carefully prepared history of Cooper county, say: "While Nash and his companions were in Howard county (1804), they visited Barclay's and Boone's Licks, also a trading post situated about two miles northwest of Old Franklin, kept by a white man by the name of Prewitt. The existence of this trading post, and the fact that 'Barclay's and Boone's Licks' had already received their names from the white persons who visited them, show conclusively that this portion of the country had been explored, even before this, by Americans. But no history mentions this trading post, nor does any give the name of Prewitt; hence, we are unable to determine when he came to the Boone's Lick country, how long he remained, and where he went; he evidently left before the year 1808, as Benjamin Cooper, who moved to Howard county in that year, said there was then no settlement in this part of the state." Boone's Lick, from which this region of country took its name, is situated about eight miles northwest of New Franklin, in Boone's Lick township, on section 4, T. 49, R. 17, on land owned by William N. Marshall. This place was visited by Daniel Boone at an early date, - the time not known. Here he found several salt springs, and as such places were frequented by deer and other game, he not only often hunted in the neighborhood, but, according to John M. Peck, who visited the old hunter at his home in St. Charles county, a few years prior to his death, pitched his camp there for one winter and put up a cabin. Mr. Peck does not give the date. The presumption is that he got his information from the lips of the old hunter himself, and he would further suppose that he camped there between the years 1795 and 1807.


Ok........keep in mind that Daniel Boone did not go to MO. until 1799. I suspect the Henry's, Word's, and the Prewitt's were right there with him. Later they migrated to Arkansas. The Federal Land Records show John Henry and John Word buying land in 1827, Hempstead County, believe it or not, only 10 days apart in the month of August.

It might be interesting to note that William M. Henry who married Martha Ann Word was a first cousin to Patrick Henry. Patrick Henry was the 4 time elected Governor of the independent Sate of Virginia. William M. Henry's Great Grandfather was Hugh Henry, and his brother John Henries Henry was the father of Patrick Henry. Patrick Henry first married Sarah Shelton and second married Dorothy Dandridge. Dorothy was a first cousin to Martha Washington. Between the two marriages, Patrick Henry had seventeen children. Patrick was named after his Uncle, Rev. Patrck Henry. He was outspoken in his opposition to British policy towards the colonies, particularly on the subject of the Stamp act(1765), and he made the first speech in the Continental Congress (1774). You can read his most famous speech "give me liberty or give me death" at this website.
http://libertyonline.hypermall.com/henry-liberty.html

Song of the Week
It was in 1966, my Dad would listen to Buck Owens. Here is his song
"Tiger By The Tail".

Have a Good Week
Daniel