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The following excerpts pertain to Noah
Caton and are from the History of Vernon County, Missouri,
Brown & Co. 1887. If you have noted other mentions of Noah
Caton in the 1887 history, please email the page number so that
information can be added.
p. 170. [Chapter 5, Leading Historic Incidents from
1840 to 1850. Early Settlements and Life as it was Lived in Them.]
... Noah Caton was on the Marmaton, at the Caton ford, north of Nevada,
in 1839, and near him were J. B. Logan and Samuel Son in 1842. ...
The settlers lived easily and comfortably, even if they did not fare
sumptuously and surround themselves with luxuries. ... In forty-nine
cases out of fifty the land they lived on was not entered, and they paid
no taxes on it. ... In a vast majority of instances the land was not
entered until after the year 1850.
p. 196. [Chapter VI, Prominent Incidents from 1850 to
1860. This pertains to organization of Vernon County.] An
Act to Form a New County, to be Called Vernon. Be it enacted by
the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows: ... Section
4. The county and circuit court shall be held at the dwelling house of
Noah Caton, until a seat of justice shall be selected and a house
provided there. ... Section 6. The commissioners aforesaid shall be
allowed $2.50 a day for time spent touching said location of the seat of
justice, and a majority of said commissioners shall be sufficient to
make such location; and they shall meet within the time provided in
section 2 of this act at the dwelling house of Noah Caton; but should
one or more of the commissioners fail to act for any reason whatever, it
shall be lawful for the county court of the county in which such
delinquent commissioners reside to supply the place by appointment. ...
Approved February 27, 1855.
p. 197-200. [Chapter VI. First Sessions of the Vernon
County Court.] Following after the organization of the county the
next event in its political history was the first session of the county
court, which, pursuant to the organizing act, was held "at the dwelling
house of Noah Caton," which building is still standing about four miles
north of Nevada, in Washington township, south of the Marmaton. Mr.
Caton had been in the country about 16 years, was considered an old
settler, and moreover his large log house was rather roomy and its
location was very near the geographical center of the county and was
well-know.
The court convened July 9, 1855. There were present but two of the
justices, James Grace and Conrad G. Carr, who produced their commissions
from Gov. Price, and were sworn in by Dewitt C. Hunter, the clerk of the
circuit court. ...
Not much business, beyond organizing,
was transacted the first day ... the county courts of Cass, Bates, and
Jasper were requested to appoint suitable persons ... to discharge the
duties of said commissioners, and the new commissioners to meet at the
house of Noah Caton, Monday, October 1, 1855, to locate the county seat,
according to law.
At this session, which lasted three
days, the county was divided into civil townships ... and justices of
the peace appointed as follows:
Center Township -- ... Voting
place, at Noah Caton's ...
Drywood Township -- ...judges,
Wm. Caton, John Hale, and David Woods. ...
The following county officials were
appointed: ... Treasurer, Reuben H. Williams; sureties, Jas. H.
Moore, Joseph Moore, Noah Caton. ... Public Administrator, James H.
Moore; sureties, Joseph Moore, R. H. Williams, A. Journey, James Bryan,
Noah Caton, Jesse A. Lowe.
The sheriff was ordered to issue five merchant's licenses and the county
clerk was ordered to hold his office at Noah Caton's. ...
The second term of the county court
convened August 7, 1855. ...
p. 485. [Chapter XVIII. Washington Township. Early
Settlers and Settlements.] Noah Caton came in 1839 to section 20,
in the southwestern quarter of the township. It was at his house
where the first term of the Vernon county court was held. Mr.
Caton died in March, 1862. ...
p. 595. [Chapter XXIV. The City of Nevada.] The
commissioners appointed to select the permanent county seat of Vernon
county, Messrs. John W. Boyd, of Jasper; and Abram Cassell, of Cass,
proceeded on the 1st of October, 1855, to the discharge of their duties
... [land for a county seat was selected and purchased.]
The following day the commissioners made
report of their action to the county court, then in session at Noah
Caton's, and that body approved everything that had been done. ... [The
county seat of Vernon County, Nevada City, was laid out. D. C. Hunter built the first house
within the new town, and his house was used as the court house when court was
first held in Nevada in 1856. He built a smoke house in which he allowed
the grand jury to deliberate.]
p. 822 [Chapter XXIX. Drywood Township.
Biographical.] Hugh M. Caton. |
