that issued from a cavern near the present juncture of Charlotte and Thirtyeighth streets. Situated by the side of the road between Westport and Independence, the spring was the camping place for many travelers. Enough water flowed from Cave spring in the early days to form a rivulet. Joseph Smith, the Mormon leader, established a school one hundred yards northeast of the cave's mouth two years before Westport was platted. The school was abandoned when the Mormons left the county in 1833. Westport's first tavern, owned by Daniel Yocum, was situated near the juncture of Westport avenue and Mill street. The hostelry was a gathering place for trappers, hunters, traders, Indians and soldiers. The second tavern was established by A. B. H. McGee at Westport avenue and Penn street. In 1847 McGee was succeeded by John Harris who conducted the "Harris house" there until 1864. James H. Hunter was at first a saddler and afterwards a successful merchant. Robert Johnson operated a tannery and was the owner of the first brick house west of the Blue river. Mrs. James Halloway was a tailoress and made wedding garments for the young men. The leading physicians were Dr. H. F. Hereford, Dr. Joel B. Morris, Dr. Parker and Dr. A. B. Earle, also postmaster. Park Lee was an early attorney. The bread-making business was profitable in early Westport. A. M. Eisele's bakery at the northeast corner of the present Westport avenue and Mill street made him a small fortune and he built one of the best two-story residences in town. A party of about fifteen rough appearing men, under the leadership of John McDaniels, went to Yocum's tavern one day in April, 1843. The strangers said they were on the way to the Texas border to fight the Mexicans. A few days after they left, going westward over the Santa Fe trail, word was received in Westport that Antonio Chavez, a wealthy Mexican merchant who was on the way there from Santa Fe to purchase supplies, had been murdered and robbed of about $12,000. Then Daniel Yocum realized that he had sheltered robbers at his inn. After committing the crime the thieves started on the return journey to Westport. They were met near Council Grove, Kansas, by a company of men from Jackson county, among whom was Sheriff George Buchanon. Ten of the outlaws were captured and part of the stolen money recovered. The robbery having been committed on Indian territory, outside the jurisdiction of Missouri, the prisoners were taken charge by the United States authorities and tried in St. Louis. Three of the outlaws were hanged and others received prison sentences. The government established a postoffice near the site of Westport in 1832, giving it the name of Shawnee. The name in two years was changed to Westport. The first postmaster was Dr. Johnston Lykins, and the second John C. McCoy. Mail from Independence was carried to Westport once a week on horseback. A road was built across the state from St. Louis to Westport in 1839 and mail was brought by stage twice a week. The principal treadmill was operated by William Parish at the location. of Thirty-third street and Cleveland avenue. Another mill was situated on Brush creek at the crossing of Westport and Wornall roads, and one on Indian creek near the state line. James H. McGee owned a corn cracker where Penn street crosses O. K. creek. A larger water mill, owned by John and Robert Aull, was situated on the Little Blue river. William Parish and J. H. McGee operated a small distillery in the present Roanoke addition. One of the first large shipments of goods sent to Westport was for the firm of Meservey and Webb in Santa Fe. Boone & Bernard of Westport, acting as agents, received the goods at the landing and engaged wagons and teams for the overland transportation. The caravan required to haul this one consignment of goods consisted of sixty-three wagons, each carrying about 6,000 pounds and drawn by six yoke of oxen. The outfitting business in Westport had an impetus in 1849 when Jose Chavez, a Mexican merchant, the brother of Antonio Chavez who had been murdered and robbed, came to town one day with 103,000 Mexican silver dollars, two wagon loads. The money was in raw hide bags, $4,000 to $5,000 in a package. Westport had an extensive trade with Santa Fe in 1849 when the Californian immigration began, greatly increasing the business. It is estimated that 40,000 immigrants bought outfits in Westport in 1849 and 1850. Companies of persons from all parts of the country came to Westport to organize caravans for journeys across the plains. The town was headquarters for all classes of traders, hunters and Indians. Almost every type of man in the West could be seen on the streets of Westport. Early Westport was a market for cattle, mules, horses, wagons, harness, tents, saddles and all other equipment needed for travel. Several firms were wholly engaged in making ox yokes. The demand for guns and ammunition was very great. Strychnine was sold in large quantities to hunters who killed wolves for their hides. In the town's early days Westport avenue was lined with various outfitting establishments from a point east of Broadway to Mill street. Similar business houses were situated on Penn street between Fortieth and Forty-second streets. The outfitting business was conducted on a cash basis and money was plentiful. When the immigrant trade was at its height the prairies south and east of Westport were dotted with tents and wagons and had the appearance of the camp of a great army. These are the names of some of the successful business men and firms of Westport: Kearney & Bernard, A. G. Boone, J. M. and J. Hunter, Baker & Street, William Dillon, S. P. and W. H. Keller, S. C. Roby, J. G. Hamilton, F. Gallup, Frederick Eslinger, Edward Price, Henry Sager, Francis Booth, J. Bucher, Antoney Richter, A. B. H. McGee, Louis Vogle, P. D. Elkins, father of Senator Stephen B. Elkins of West Virginia, F. G. Ewing, William M. Chick, Calvin Smith and Alfred Warfield. The firm of Kearney & Bernard of Westport outfitted 11,823 wagons for the western trade between 1853 and 1861. In 1858 Westport factories made two hundred and forty new wagons, 2,000 ox yokes, 3,000 tarpaulins and $25,000 worth of harness. Between 1855 and 1858 Westport reached the zenith of its prosperity with a population estimated at 5,000. Westport was incorporated February 12, 1857. The first mayor was T. J. Goforth. Westport at that time had thirteen merchandise stores, five wagon shops, several schools and churches, three hotels, one slaughter house and several saloons. The Civil war drove the trade from Westport to St. Joseph, Missouri, and Leavenworth, Kansas, where better military protection was offered, and when peace returned business centered in Kansas City. The educational facilities of early Westport naturally were limited. The village had two schools, one near the Blue river and the other in the edge of town near Cave spring. The school houses had no clocks; the children watched the sunlight on the floor and when it reached a certain mark they knew that it was recess time. The town at first had no churches, but religious services were held regularly at private homes. The Rev. James Porter was an active Methodist minister. The Rev. Isaac McCoy and Dr. Johnston Lykins were interested in missionary work among the Indians west of the state line. Shawnee mission in Kansas, three miles southwest of Westport, was closely identified with the early history of the town. The Rev. Thomas Johnson, founder of the mission, was intimately associated with Isaac McCoy, Dr. Lykins and other residents of Westport. Thomas Johnson established the first mission school for the Shawnee Indians in 1829 in the town of Shawnee, in John county, Kansas. The school had twenty-seven pupils in 1835, and the church had a membership of seventy-four Shawnee Indians. The mission was removed to the location three miles from Westport in 1839 where the government had given a grant of 2,240 acres. Large buildings were erected on the new site and a manual training school established that continued in operation until 1862. O. K. creek in the early days of Westport was known as McGee creek. Preston Hamilton, owner of a store and feed yard at one of the principal crossings, is responsible for the change of name. On the entrance to the wagon yard Hamilton displayed this sign, O. K., Drive In. From this legend the freighters called the stream O. K. creek. Francis Parkman, the historian, came to Jackson county in May, 1846, |