Genealogists will find several northeastern Miller County ancestors noted as born or died "in Locust Mound." Locust Mound and Spring Garden are two different places that have been frequently confused in published accounts of Miller County history. Special thanks to Art and Marilyn Jenkins and the Miller County Historical Society for helping to sort out the confusion.
William P. Dixon, born in 1812 in North Carolina, opened a storehouse in southwestern Cole County as the settlers began coming. The Osage Indians were giving up their hunting grounds in this area and leaving. Dixon patented land in Cole County in 1835. A few months later he patented 40 acres nearby along the Jefferson City to Tuscumbia Road in what would become Miller County. The St. Louis market was conveniently reached via the Osage River at Tuscumbia. Dixon’s Trading Post flourished, and his cousins, through marriage, Dr. William Bolton of Jefferson City, and Dr. George W. Lansdown, soon joined him in the enterprise. Dr. Lansdown practiced medicine in connection with the store and became one of Miller County's earliest physicians. Dixon's land was along a section of the Jefferson City to Tuscumbia Road, known today as Jenkins Road, in northeastern Miller County. A second road, no longer in existence, ran from this area to Pleasant Mount.
Map is courtesy of the Jenkins family
The Dixon partnership was dissolved in 1838 as Dixon headed to Tuscumbia to serve as Miller County Clerk until 1844, and again from 1848-1856. His father-in-law, Edmund Wilkes, was Miller County's first Representative to the State Legislature 1838-1840. On January 11, 1838, Dixon sold his Miller County property to Madison H. Belshe for $566. Not your average pioneer, the Belshe family came from Kentucky to Miller County with a wagon box of silver coin. Named for a grove of locust trees, Locust Mound included the trading post/general store and the "Belshe mansion and stables" built in 1839. Belshe also was the proprietor of a wagon and smith shop erected by his own hands.
In 1850, gold fever reached Miller County. Nuggets of gold were reported on and under the ground in the Sierras. Miller County men joined the rush over the plains to California. Madison H. Belshe, Boyd Miller, and William Greenup outfitted an expedition, and with others, left Locust Mound on May 2, 1850, for California going by way of Southwestern Missouri. Three years later the members of the expedition returned in an eventful and circuitous sea voyage, with the exception of Madison H. Belshe. He returned overland with considerable gold.
In 1855 Belshe was elected surveyor of Miller County and continued in that position for 17 years. Madison Belshe patented 240 acres bordering Locust Mound in January 1856. The Belshe family and the Locust Mound area continued to grow and prosper over the next five years.
In 1855 Belshe was elected surveyor of Miller County and continued in that position for 17 years. Madison Belshe patented 240 acres bordering Locust Mound in January 1856. The Belshe family and the Locust Mound area continued to grow and prosper over the next five years.
An eyewitness account, as a very small child, of the selling of a number of slaves at Locust Mound in the 1860’s. He remembered an immense crowd of people standing around a flat stump, three or four feet in height, and five or six feet in diameter. This was the auction block, located at the edge of a great grove of locust trees, where the slaves were sold. He remembered an elderly man, a middle-aged woman, two teen-aged girls, and a girl child of color, offered at public venue.
Madison Belshe's oldest son, John, enlisted in Captain Josiah Goodman's Company C of the 42nd Regiment Enrolled Missouri Militia. These units were "on call" as needed and served as protection in their local counties. Along with Captain Long's unit of the 47th EMM, Company C was involved in the Elsey Farm Fight in August 1862 near Iberia.
Madison's son, James, enlisted for the duration of the war in January 1862 at age 20 at Jefferson City in Company I, 4th Regiment Cavalry, Missouri State Militia. These units were full-time federal forces. He was discharged for disability in April 1863. The surgeon stated James had dislocated his right wrist prior to entering the service. The ulna had fractured and united with the radius, rendering his arm useless for Cavalry service.
His brother, Samuel, enlisted for the duration of the war in February 1862 at age 22 at Jefferson City in Captain Ward's Mounted Rifles, Company D, Fifth Regiment Cavalry, Missouri State Militia. He served guard duty in Dent County, was assigned to a government train, and served at Little Piney and Rolla. In January 1865 Samuel was sent to Stevenson's Mill on the Current River. In March rebels burned the Union stockade there, ordering the miller to grind enough meal to feed 250 rebels due the next day. Samuel was mustered out in April 1865.
Madison Belshe, a Radical Republican favoring abolition of slavery and supporting federal forces, filed a claim for items taken by Price's raiders in 1864. These items included a horse, saddle, money, and a double-barreled gun. His brother, Robert Belshe, filed a claim for the loss of four horses. Madison Belshe requested a replacement gun as "the bushwhackers were about his place the past night." He stated that the day after the raiders had taken his things, the Shumates and three others had come for him and he barely escaped. He described his situation as "exposed between the Fair Play bend on one side and a rebel neighborhood on the other." If he could get arms again he was "resolved to stay and fight it out." He requested a double-barreled shot gun in lieu of the one that was taken, and two good revolvers that he would pay for from funds in Jefferson City.
Madison's son, James, enlisted for the duration of the war in January 1862 at age 20 at Jefferson City in Company I, 4th Regiment Cavalry, Missouri State Militia. These units were full-time federal forces. He was discharged for disability in April 1863. The surgeon stated James had dislocated his right wrist prior to entering the service. The ulna had fractured and united with the radius, rendering his arm useless for Cavalry service.
His brother, Samuel, enlisted for the duration of the war in February 1862 at age 22 at Jefferson City in Captain Ward's Mounted Rifles, Company D, Fifth Regiment Cavalry, Missouri State Militia. He served guard duty in Dent County, was assigned to a government train, and served at Little Piney and Rolla. In January 1865 Samuel was sent to Stevenson's Mill on the Current River. In March rebels burned the Union stockade there, ordering the miller to grind enough meal to feed 250 rebels due the next day. Samuel was mustered out in April 1865.
Madison Belshe, a Radical Republican favoring abolition of slavery and supporting federal forces, filed a claim for items taken by Price's raiders in 1864. These items included a horse, saddle, money, and a double-barreled gun. His brother, Robert Belshe, filed a claim for the loss of four horses. Madison Belshe requested a replacement gun as "the bushwhackers were about his place the past night." He stated that the day after the raiders had taken his things, the Shumates and three others had come for him and he barely escaped. He described his situation as "exposed between the Fair Play bend on one side and a rebel neighborhood on the other." If he could get arms again he was "resolved to stay and fight it out." He requested a double-barreled shot gun in lieu of the one that was taken, and two good revolvers that he would pay for from funds in Jefferson City.
After the Civil War Madison Belshe was appointed as the first surveyor of Miller County. He and Eleanor Belshe sold a tract of land near the northeast corner of the section to their son Samuel Belshe and sold a tract of land near the northwest corner to their son James R. Belshe. Madison Belshe was appointed Postmaster of Locust Mound in 1867 and served in this office until his death in 1882.
A mile or two away, in 1868, Spring Garden Seminary was formed and Spring Garden began to grow in population and commerce. The next year Samuel and Sarah Sullens Belshe sold their tract of land to Robert Witten, his cousin. Witten was a wagon maker and owned this land for almost 25 years.
In July 1869, Madison Belshe wrote a letter to John Simpson in California and offered $1,400 for land in Miller County where lead had been discovered, and Simpson accepted. As Simpson's appointed local agent, Jasper N. Henley, made an agreement to sell the same land to John Clark. Madison Belshe saddled his fastest horse, and with silver in his saddle bags, rode to California again to pay Mr. Simpson for the land. He returned home with the deed in his pocket. In the meantime, John H. Clark was busy operating the mine under a lease agreement. The miners' nine month lease period ending on October 1, 1869, Mr. Belshe, Joseph Fox and C.D. French appeared on the premises, ordering the miners to leave or face the law for trespassing. The miners left and Belshe, French and Fox took possession of the mine. These diggings came to be called part of the Fox Mines.
In 1874 James Belshe sold part of his tract of land to his oldest brother John Belshe. This photo shows John and his wife, Frances Jenkins Belshe, in front of their home in Locust Mound.
Photo Courtesy of the Jenkins Family
After their spouses' deaths, Madison Belshe married Cornelia Lumpkin Spalding in July 1879. Cornelia operated the hotel/stagecoach stop. Three years later Madison Belshe died and the Post Office location was moved to Spring Garden. In December his widow married Washington Rosson, the local blacksmith, and continued to operate the hotel.
The location of the trading post can be seen from Jenkins Road. It is on private property near the junction of Old Highway 54 and Jenkins Road. According to the Farris family who own the property, the kitchen of their grandparents' abandoned house was the site of the trading post. The stump where they sold slaves was in their yard, and the blacksmith shop was down by the creek that runs through the property.
The location of the trading post can be seen from Jenkins Road. It is on private property near the junction of Old Highway 54 and Jenkins Road. According to the Farris family who own the property, the kitchen of their grandparents' abandoned house was the site of the trading post. The stump where they sold slaves was in their yard, and the blacksmith shop was down by the creek that runs through the property.
The following year, Madison's son, James, sold his tract of land to Henry A. Wright. For more on this family, visit millercountymuseum.org.
Henry built a water-powered grist mill near Locust Mound. I've been unable to locate a picture of Henry's mill. Below is a picture of his father and brother's mill on the Little Saline Creek that operated in the same time frame. "I can still see the old mill house, a 1 1/2 story rustic building standing there in the trees by the spring, and the spring sending forth a sluice of water down a trough to the big wheel that powered the machinery…" For more on that mill, visit http://www.millercountymuseum.org/commerce/milling.html
Henry built a water-powered grist mill near Locust Mound. I've been unable to locate a picture of Henry's mill. Below is a picture of his father and brother's mill on the Little Saline Creek that operated in the same time frame. "I can still see the old mill house, a 1 1/2 story rustic building standing there in the trees by the spring, and the spring sending forth a sluice of water down a trough to the big wheel that powered the machinery…" For more on that mill, visit http://www.millercountymuseum.org/commerce/milling.html
Henry's mill might have looked similar, but operated near a creek that ran down a waterfall. The burrs from this mill were later moved to Clyde Jenkins' yard in Tuscumbia.
In 1895 Henry and Minerva Melton Wright bought part of Robert Witten's land, then sold that land to their son, Joseph Lee Wright, who worked with his father at the grist mill. Joseph bought an adjoining section of land from the county, after Robert Witten was unable to repay a debt. Ten years later a flood, known locally as the pumpkin rise, damaged several water mills in Miller County. Henry and Joseph Wright turned to steam to power the mill.
Over the years Henry Wright's house went to their daughter, Katie Wright Spalding and her husband Thomas Jefferson Spalding, Jr., then to Raymond Sullens. This house still stands on Jenkins road.
Just down the road is the farm of Art and Marilyn Jenkins, purchased by John Henry Green Jenkins from John and Frances Jenkins Belshe in 1881.
Further information on this family can be found at:
http://www.millercountymuseum.org/archives/071119.html
Photo from Alan Terry Wright Collection
Just down the road is the farm of Art and Marilyn Jenkins, purchased by John Henry Green Jenkins from John and Frances Jenkins Belshe in 1881.
http://www.millercountymuseum.org/archives/071119.html
Joseph Wright's younger daughter was struck by lightning and died on her way home from Flint Rock Springs School in 1908 or 1909. Her sister, Maude Wright, was just a few years older. Maude said they had been holding hands just moments before it happened. A short autobiography written by Maude Wright can be found at http://www.millercountymuseum.org/archives/080630.html
Tragedy struck again in 1928 when Joseph was killed while he was working on the steam engine at the mill and the boiler exploded.
Joseph Wright's house was sold to Ed Spalding and became known as the Spalding Place to local residents. Behind some of the sheet rock in the house are log walls. From Maude Wright's autobiography: "The house on this land was a long log room with a large fireplace at the east end, and a 'lean to' was at the south for a kitchen. My pap built a bedroom to the west of this room later, and made other changes." The house still stands today, down a private lane on Tower Road.
Tragedy struck again in 1928 when Joseph was killed while he was working on the steam engine at the mill and the boiler exploded.
Photo from Alan Terry Wright Collection
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