Contents:

Chapter 1.  PIONEER SETTLERS AND SETTLEMENTS AND EARLY HISTORY.  The first Cabins, Norton’s Hog Keeper’s, Maj. Dickerson’s, and Others – The Settlers of 1833 – Surveying – Cholera – First Death in the County – First Store and Post Office – First Election – Sketch of Maj. Dickerson – Miscellaneous Historic Incidents up to 1839 – The Indians – Game and Wild Animals – Early Marriages – Pioneer Preaching and Preachers – Pioneer Life Generally

Chapter 2.  EARLY OFFICIAL HISTORY.  When Shelby belonged to Marion County – First Division of the Territory into Townships by the Marion County Court – Organization of the County – The Organizing Act – First Sessions of the County Court – The First Roads – Miscellaneous Proceedings – First Circuit Courts – First Grand Jury and First Indictments – A Fight Between Lawyers – Miscellaneous Items – The First Elections.

Chapter 3.  HISTORY OF THE COUNTY FROM 1835 TO 1840.  The Settlers of 1835 – When the County was Organized – Naming the Streams – Fatal Accidents – Got Lost – “New York” – The “Pottawatomie War” – Building the Courthouse – Pioneer Mills – The “Bee Trails” – List of the Settlers in 1837 – The Mormon War – The “Iowa War” – The First Bridge – The First Homicide, Killing of John Bishop by John L. Faber.

Chapter 4.  HISTORY OF THE COUNTY FROM 1840 TO 1850.  Miscellaneous Matters – Killing of Daniel Thomas by Philip Upton – The Sixteenth Sections – Stock Raising and Shipping – Crops – Hard Times – The First Jail and Its Inmates – During the Mexican War – The Gold Fever and the Argonauts of 1849 – Elections.

Chapter 5.  HISTORY OF THE COUNTY FROM 1850 TO 1861.  Miscellaneous – The election of 1858 – Slavery Days – The Presidential Campaign of 1860 – After the Presidential Election – The War Cloud on the Horizon.

Chapter 6.  HISTORY OF THE COUNTY DURING 1861.  The Legislature of 1861 – Election of Delegates to the State Convention – The work of the Convention – The Winter of 1861 – After Fort Sumpter – Public Meetings – The First Federal Troops – First Union Military Company – Burning of the Salt River Bridge – The Campaign against Mart Green – The Fight at Shelbina – Fremont’s “Annihilation” of Green’s Rebels – Miscellaneous Military Matters – Capt. Foreman’s Company Visits Shelbyville – Arrest of Hon. John McAfee – Tom. Stacy’s Company – Gen. Grant’s First Military Services in the Civil War are Performed in Shelby County – Bushwhacking – Missouri Secession – The Gamble Government and Its Oath – Turning Out the “Disloyal” Officers.

Chapter 7.  MISCELLANEOUS HISTORY DURING 1862.  Organization of the Missouri State Militia – Co’s A and H, of the 11th M.S.M. – Bushwhacking in the Spring of 1862 – The Murderous Affair at Walkersville – Two Soldiers and One Citizen Killed – Pursuit of the Bushwhackers, and Killing of Two of Their Number – Execution of Frank Drake and Ed. Riggs – Capture of Capt. Tom Sidener – Burning “Rebel Houses” – The November Election.

Chapter 8.  COL. JOE PORTER’S RAID.  Who Joe Porter was – His First Appearance in Northeast Missouri in the Summer of 1862 – Passes through the Country in Schuyler and is defeated at Cherry Grove – Retreats South – Raids Newark and Monticello – Is Pursued by the Federals under John McNeil – The Fight at Pierce’s Mill – Death of Tom Stacy – Porter Retreats to the South, Crosses the Railroad and goes into Monroe County – The Fights at Bott’s Bluff and at Moore’s Mill – Back to Northeast Missouri – Effect of the Enrolling Order – Recruits 2,000 Men – The Fight at Newark and Capture of 75 Prisoners under Capt. Lair – McNeil and Benjamin pursue – Total Defeat of Porter at Kirksville – He Retreats and Fights his Way to the Log Cabin Bridge, in Shelby County, where he Disbands – McNeil shoots 16 Prisoners – Porter in Monroe with Another Force – Back into Marion County – Captures Palmyra – McNeil Pursues – The Rout of Whaley’s Mill – Porter Disbands Finally at Bragg’s School House – Two Shelby County Men executed, etc., etc.

Chapter 9.  DURING 1863 AND 1864.  The Military Occupation of 1863 – 1864 – Miscellaneous – Bill Anderson’s Raid – Capture and Plunder of Shelbina – Burning of the Salt River Bridge – The Centralia Massacre – A Shelby County Company Almost Annihilated – Names of the Slaughtered – The Presidential Election

Chapter 10.  LEADING INCIDENTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY FROM 1865 TO 1884.  The War Over – Adoption of the Drake Constitution – The “Ousting Ordinance” – Indicting the “Rebel” Preachers – Registration of Voters – Miscellaneous – Robbery of the County Treasury – The Political Campaign of 1870 – Universal Amnesty and Impartial Suffrage – The Floods of 1876 – The Benjamin Will Case – The Robber Johnson – Murders and Homicides

Chapter 11.  LEADING INSTITUTIONS OF SHELBY COUNTY.  Sketch of the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad – Fair Associations – “The Agricultural Society of Shelby County” – The Shelby County Agricultural and Mechanical Association – The Shelbina Fair Association – Newspapers – The “Shelbyville Spectator” – The “Shelby County Weekly” – The “Shelbina Gazette” – The “Shelby County Herald” – The “Shelbina Democrat” – The “Clarence Tribune” – The “Clarence Courier” = The “Shelbina Index” – The “Shelby County Times.”

Chapter 12.  THE CHURCHES OF SHELBY COUNTY.  Baptist Churches: Mount Zion Church – Shiloh Church – North River Church – Prairie Church – Oak Ridge Church – Looney’s Creek Old School Baptist Church.  M.E. Church South: Shelbyville Church – Shelbina Church – Bacon Chapel – Clarence Church – Bethany Church.  Methodist Episcopal Church:  Berea Church, Shelbyville – Clarence Church – Evans Chapel.  Presbyterians:  Presbyterian Church of Shelbyville – Pleasant Prairie Church – Clarence Presbyterian Church – Cumberland Presbyterian Church.  Christian Churches:  Shelbyville Church – Antioch Church – Concord Church.  Catholic Churches:  St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church at Clarence.

Chapter 13.  CIVIC ORDERS AND TEMPERANCE ORGANIZATIONS.  Masonic Lodges: St. Andrew’s Lodge, Shelbyville – Shelbina Lodge – Hunnewell Lodge – Shelbina Royal Arch Chapter.  Odd Fellows: Shelby Lodge – Hunnewell Lodge.  United Workmen: Shelbina Lodge – Select Knights – Charity Lodge – Clarence Lodge – Hunnewell Lodge.  Grand Army of the Republic: Shelbyville Post – “Paddy” Sheilds’ Post.  Order of Chosen Friends:  Progress Council – Echo Council.  Temperance Organizations:  The Old Shelbyville Temperance Society – Sons of Temperance – Brief Mention of Temperance Work in the County – The Good Templars.

Chapter 14.  CITIES AND TOWNS OF SHELBY COUNTY.  Shelbyville: Early History – The Commissioner’s Report – “The Firsts” – Digging for Water – General History – Burglar Shot – Schools – Incorporations.  Shelbina:  Early History – The War – War Prices – Peace – Official History.  Clarence:  Early History – “The Firsts” – War Times – Murder of Mr. Switzer – Fires – Homicides – Incorporations.  Hunnewell:  Early History – During the War – Tragedies – Since the War – School Interests – Incorporations.  Bethel:  General History.

Chapter 15.  THE MUNICIPAL TOWNSHIPS OF SHELBY COUNTY.  Township Boundaries – Jackson Township – Salt River – Jefferson – Clay – Taylor – Bethel – Black Creek – Tiger Fork – Historical Sketches, Description, Etc.