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Chapter 34: Butler County Place Names |
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As we study the rich connotations of our place names, we recall a poem by Stephen Vincent Benet. "American Names," in which the author writes lovingly and reverently of Medicine Hat, Lost Mule Flat, Skunktown Plain and Lundy's Lane. Butler County has Brannum's Mill, Vinegar Hill, Military Road, Indian Ford, Bear Wallow, Dead Man's Hollow and a host of others which Benet says are "The sharp names that never get flat." As we can gather authentic information we hope to write the stories of many of our Butler County names.
Cane Creek. This creek heads in Carter County near Ellsinore and after entering Butler County flows general southward, joining Black River a few miles south of the Missouri-Arkansas line. Near Harviell the channel of the creek has been diverted into a drainage ditch, a part of the drainage ditch system of Southeast Missouri.
The creek derived its name from the cane found growing along the banks and in the low ground up and down the valley. This cane is the "Giant Cane," Arundinaria gigantean, but in ordinary speaking reference the "giant" is usually omitted, leaving only "cane." The plant is a member of the bamboo family of grasses and is the only member of this family native to Missouri. The cane was an important pasture grass for the cattle and horses of the pioneer settlers. Before the coming of the settlers it was forage for the dear, elk and buffalo native to this part of Missouri. A thicket of cane is a canebrake. Miss Pottenger states the cane were sometimes twenty-five or more feet tall.
G. W. Featherstonhaugh, who came through this area in 1834, mentions the cane plant: "Having made about fourteen miles we stopped to feed our horses at a Mr. Eppes' who had a plantation on a very fertile bottom, and here we saw the first appearance of a canebreak; this plant is always indicative of good soil." To show the use of cane as a pasture grass we quote Featherstonhaugh. "Mr. Eppes related to me that two or three days ago he and his son had entered the Big Swamp to hunt up some young horses they had turned into it in the spring to thrive upon the leaves of the cane." (We think Mr. Eppes was Daniel Eppes who had settled on the west side of Ten Miles Creek on the Military Road).
Bear Wallow. Miss Pottenger states this was a large pond on high ground near the Eureka School. Bears came there in hot weather to wallow in the mud and water.
Dead Man's Hollow. Many years ago a man from Chicago was found dead in a hollow near Mud Creek in Northeast Butler County. Apparently he had been murdered. No clues to the case were ever found. (Recorded by Miss Pottenger).
Vinegar Hill. This is truly one of the place names, which Stephen Vincent Benet says, "never get fat." Originally it probably referred to a dusty hillside slope near the crossing of highway 53 and Eleventh Street. The name struck the fancy of people and as the population increased the use of the name was extended to include an area of indefinite boundaries between the Missouri Pacific tracks on the east, the present Highway 67 on the west, with South Eleventh Street about in the center. The traveler through the place could not find out where he entered it or where he left it.
Miss Pottenger states that about 1880 only a few people lived in the area. Within the area a Mr. Horace Horton had a plant for the commercial manufacturing of vinegar. One day Mr. Horton was moving a load of molasses when, going up a hill, the end gate came out of the wagon bed, liberally strewing vinegar and molasses along the road. In good humor people referred to the hillside as "Vinegar Hill" or "Molasses Run." The name, Molasses Run, soon died out but Vinegar Hill lived. Later a two-room school was built in the community with an official name Eugene Field, but nearly all the citizens referred to it as the Vinegar Hill School.
The tornado of 1927 did considerable damage in the area, but the people were stouthearted and soon rebuilt the damaged buildings. This quick recovery from disaster led to a movement to call the area, "Victory Hill." This name made some progress.
Today the school on the hill has been closed. The community is a part of the City of Poplar Bluff, but one still hears the name, Vinegar Hill. Perhaps the passing of the years will slowly erase the name from common usage, but for a long time there will still be people to whom the name, Vinegar Hill, will bring a fond homesickness of a community with a vigorous name born out of a humorous incident.
Hilliard. We have additional information on Hilliard and George W. Hill for whom it was named. Hill's Yard was east of the present Missouri Pacific Railroad tracks and north of Highway W. George Washington Hill was born in Washington County, Arkansas, December 14, 1838, and came to Butler County in 1854 with his mother and stepfather, Mr. And Mrs. John W. Robbins. In July 1861, he enlisted in the Union army, Company H. Sixth Missouri Volunteer Infantry and saw much active service including the battles of Shiloh, Corinth, Vicksburg, Chattanooga and Missionary Ridge. In 1886 he returned to Butler County, purchased land and went into the timber business. His "wood yard" became the Hilliard.
Notes: The day before Mr. Featherstonhaugh stopped at Mr. Eppes' house he had been in Greenville and had spent the night at the home of a Mr. Stevenson on the east side of Black River and noted that he misjudged the strength of the current and almost upset his wagon.
We welcome personal information on Horace Horton, maker of Vinegar.
For additional information on G. W. Hill we are indebted to Mr. Gart Hill, Williamsville, Missouri, a grandson of G. W. Hill and to Goodspeed's " History of Southeast Missouri."
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