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James River Basin - History When settlers first came to the James River Basin, the land was rich with oak and hickory forests. Trees were quickly cut down to build homes and community buildings and to make ties for the railroads. Tall-grass prairies were also prominent in the area, but were soon plowed to plant shorter grass for cattle grazing. Native Americans | Early Settlers | Explorers | Stage Coaches, Railroads and Route 66 Before European settlement, there were many Native Americans living in the James River Basin, primarily from the Delaware and Kickapoo nations. Osage Indians came south to hunt. In 1818, the Delaware Indians in Indiana signed the St. Mary’s Treaty. They gave up their land in Indiana and agreed to move west of the Mississippi River The Delaware Indians established settlements along the James River from 1820-1822. They established a town about 10 miles southwest of the present day Springfield, along the banks of the James River. Their homes, built of logs, sometimes had wood floors and two or three rooms. By 1820, the Delaware Indians had a village where the Finley River runs into the James River. This is near present day Ozark. The pioneer John Polk Campbell had a trading post at this location. Kickapoo Indians arrived in this area from Illinois and After the War of 1812, they signed a treaty forcing them to leave their land and move west. They established a settlement near today’s Phelps Grove Park in Springfield, MO, and built over 100 homes. The Osage Indians hunted in this area and did not approve of the new Delaware settlement. They fought with the In 1832, the Kickapoo were pushed further west and moved to a reserve in Kansas. James Yocum - In 1790, a French man named James Yocum settled in the James River Basin. He lived where the James River and the White River met near present day Table Rock Lake. When Yocum settled in this area, there were animals here that we do not see today. These included bears, buffalo, and the elk. In those days, people acquired the necessities for survival by trading supplies with one another. Food, bullets, clothes, and tools were primary items traded. One form of money used in trade was the silver Yocum dollar, named after James Yocum. The Yocum dollar resembled the American silver dollar used throughout the remainder of the country. Early Settlers of Springfield - In 1822, John P. Pettijohn moved with his family from Ohio to northern Arkansas. They came north to hunt and saw the James River. Shortly thereafter, they moved to the area because of their love of the James River. The Pettijohns built a cabin about 8 miles from where Springfield is today. Another early pioneer was Joseph Rountree. He moved to this area with his family in 1831. Settlers move from Kentucky and Tennessee to the Ozarks - In 1880, settlers coming to the Ozarks were mostly Scotch-Irish immigrants from the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky and Tennessee. Their ancestors came from Scotland, Wales, England, and Northern Ireland. These settlers brought a lot of their traditions to the Ozarks. The mountainous Ozarks appealed to them because it reminded them of their old homes in the Appalachian Mountains. Henry Rowe Schoolcraft - Henry Rowe Schoolcraft (at 25 yrs of age) explored Soutwest Missouri from 1818-1819, recording his experience in the book, “Journal of a Tour into the Interior of Missouri and Arkansas…in the Years 1818 and 1819”. Part of Highway 65 is named after Schoolcraft. Schoolcraft wrote about the James River. He wrote, “On traveling two miles this morning we entered a rich and extensive valley, and found ourselves unexpectedly on the banks of James' River, the stream we were in search of. It is the principal northwestern fork of White River, and a large, clear, and beautiful stream. It originates in highlands, a little south of the Gasconade River, which falls into the Missouri above St. Charles, and running in an opposite direction for two hundred and fifty miles, forms a junction with the south fork of White River, one hundred miles below. Along its banks are found extensive bodies of the choicest land, covered by a large growth of forest trees and cane, and interspersed with prairies. Oak, maple, white and black walnut, elm, mulberry, hackberry, and sycamore, are the common trees, and attain a very large size. On the west commences a prairie of unexplored extent, stretching off towards the Osage River, and covered with tall rank grass. Towards its mouth, it is said to be bordered with high rocky bluffs. We forded the river on horseback, and pursuing up its western bank about four miles, encamped near the shore, in the vicinity of a lead mine.” For additional information about Greene County and surrounding areas in Southwest Missouri please visit the following links:
http://history.smsu.edu/FTMiller/LocalHistory/Essays/earlysettlers.htm
Stage Coaches, Railroads and Route 66 In 1857, a mail route called the Butterfield Stage Coach route ran from St. Louis through Springfield and ran all the way to San Francisco, California. Stagecoaches traveled along this road, delivering important packages and letters to people who were settling in the west. In 1870, the South Pacific Railroad was built from St. Louis to Springfield along the old Butterfield Stage Coach route. The railway passed through present day Commercial Street in Springfield. Railroads also connected Springfield to Kansas City and Memphis, TN. In 1901, the Frisco Railway Company built a station in downtown Springfield. These new railroads brought many people through Springfield, and enabled people and merchandise to travel much more quickly. Shops sprung up in Springfield to serve the visitors and the railway station was bustling with activity. The James River was important to the railroad, providing water to fill up the steam-driven engine. In the 1920’s, a highway was built that followed this old railroad. The name of the highway was Route 66. Upon its completion in 1938, it ran all the way from the Great Lakes to the Pacific Coast and was America’s first paved highway across the continent. Today, many people travel along historic Route 66. http://www.national66.com/ |
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Elk River | James River | Sac River | Spring River | North Fork Salt River |
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Missouri Watershed Information Network (MoWIN) |
Page last updated August 26, 2008 |
