Emaline Allen Templeman

Emaline Allen Templeman was born March 22, 1837, near Bloomington, Illinois, where her parents made their home for a few years in Woodward County. She was the daughter of John Seehorn Allen, of Overton County, Tennessee, and his wife, Nancy Childress Allen, of Adair County, Kentucky. Her father was a young farmer of strong mind and high ambitions and hearing of the great opportunities offered for advancement in the West, he decided to seek his fortune in Missouri.

He joined an overland caravan and with his wife and the little five year-old Emaline journeyed to the new and distant land in the year 1841. Mrs. Templeman distinctly remembers the long eventful journey west, and often relates many incidents to both children and grandchildren. How they were often taken for Mormons and the farmers along the way would sell them no corn for the long train of horses and cattle. How they crossed the Mississippi River at Quincy, Illinois, on a ferry boat and most of the cattle jumped overboard. How the cattle wandered far away one night and while the men hunted for them the next morning, the women washed the clothes of the sturdy emigrants and took occasion to gather a mess of greens for dinner. How they had a mock trial of Levi Reeves, who stole a horse and buggy one night from camp and hid it in the brush not far away. The next morning a court was organized, officers elected and the young man was prosecuted. The joke was carried out with all the formalities of a real court and many of the men made their first public speeches. That bit of burlesque was the first preparation some of the men had for the public duties they would have thrust upon them in their future home. Most of those men afterward held county offices and served their county in many ways and all proved worthy of the trust reposed in them.

Several families composed the emigrant train

John S. Allen and family of four
Thomas Tucker and family of seven
Robinson Allen and family of three
John W. Brown and family of seven
Ephraim Stewart and family of three
Thomas Brown and family of five
Colonel Lawson Jennings and wife
Mrs. Fleenor and son
Levi Reeves and Willis Allen

There were over 100 head of cattle and some fine horses in the train, which were driven by the young men and women of the party, who were sometimes on foot and sometimes on horseback.

The long emigrant train of many wagons moved slowly but steadily westward until it reached that Territory of Daviess County which is now Harrison County, where they met friends who had preceded them in the fall of 1840. After four weeks of tedious travel, the weary wanderers reached their longed for goal and were gladly welcomed by old friends. John Poynter, grandfather of our fellow townsman. Dee Poynter, and Beverley Travis, father of our good citizen, McGinnis Travis, gladly extended hospitality to the travelers and welcomed them to their cabins until they were able to provide homes of their own. The good housewives of these old pioneers had green vegetables in their gardens and provided a feast of green beans, new potatoes, bacon and corn bread the day of their arrival. No banquet served a king was ever more gladly and liberally partaken of than was that dinner served for those who had traveled and camped a long weary month.

Mrs. Templeman's father was fortunate in securing a tract of land from Hiram Tinney a few days after his locating. This land was situated about one and one-half miles southeast of where Bethany now stands and is owned by William T. Buck. There was a small one-room cabin on the claim with clap-board roof, dirt-floor and wooden windows, which sheltered the family for a time. Some of the land was in cultivation; there was a field of five acres of growing corn. It was a wild, lonely home, typical of pioneer life, but soon made cozy and comfortable by the fastidious mother.

Many nights the prairie wolves howled around the little cabin, making it dismal and sad for the settlers. The cry of the wolf so much resembled the human voice that they often thought it a woman calling for assistance. The chickens, lambs and geese had to be carefully locked in safety every night and often a burning brand from the fire was waved in the air to scare the wolves back to the timber.

The next year, in 1842, her father built a new house of hewed logs consisting of two rooms with large hall between. It had a nice door, a real glass window and board floor, of which the family was justly proud, Mrs. Templeman lived on that farm about twelve years when her parents moved to Bethany and located on the exact spot where she now resides. In the meantime she attended school taught by John W. Brown, in a cabin situated about four miles northeast of Bethany, boarding with Willis Allen and wife. About 1845, Mr. Clark began a school in a cabin that stood on the north bank of Buck's branch, near the present residence of George Dodd. He only stayed in the west three weeks so Mrs. Templeman's father finished the school, as it was too late to obtain another teacher.

Then school was held in the new frame county court building which stood where M. Cornelius' grocery is today and Villa Ann Covington and Miss Catherine Feurt were the teachers.

The citizens decided that the population had increased sufficiently to demand a school building; so a log house was erected in what is now the east part of Bethany, to be used for school and church purposes. A good citizen, David Buck, donated the ground, which was to be used as a cemetery. Among the teachers in that building were Allston Allen, Judge William Lewis, Judge Edward Ellis, Frank Goodpasture and others.

The early history of Harrison County was forming and her father was prominent in all public affairs. Her home was one of the social centers of the country, always open to strangers and hospitality generously extended to all. Judges, lawyers and ministers as well as lonely travelers and weary passersby, were all alike welcomed.

The first County Court was held under a big tree on the bank of Big Creek at Harris' Mill. The old mill around which many historical events clustered was located on land now owned by Frank Slaughter (for many years known as the Copeland farm). The first protracted meeting was held in the same grove at the old mill, conducted by Elders Flint, Allen and Inyard. Her father, Elder Allen, organized the first church in Harrison County, of which she was a charter member.

One day as Mr. Oram was coming from his farm down south, he captured a beautiful young fawn. He offered to sell it for fifty cents and Mrs. Allen bought it for the children's pet. They tied a bell around its neck and it was very gentle and domestic and they loved it dearly. It was their constant companion and dearest possession for many months, but it finally grew up and had to be killed as they could not build a fence high enough to confine it.

Mrs. Templeman often relates the incidents of a prairie fire that almost had a tragic ending. One dry October day in 1846 her parents smelled the prairie burning. The mother was in bed with an infant by her side and the father was near death's door with typhoid fever. On looking out they saw the fire coming from the south in a great rush accompanied by a high wind and leaving destruction in its wake. Terror seized the hearts of the parents as they realized their perilous condition. Two men were visible on a high ridge to the north trying to fire against the onrushing flames. The lives of the family depended on the heroic efforts of the little Emaline and though so small and inexperienced, she ran for her life to the nearby men and gave the alarm. In an incredibly short time help was nigh; the flames were fired against the burning prairie and the dear ones saved by the fraction of an hour. The fields were blackened and the fences charred, but there was great rejoicing in the little home that day. John W. Brown and Dr. Oatman were the heroes of the hour and when they entered the house fatigued and black with smoke, they found Mr. Allen in a severe collapse from the excitement and danger.

The nearest post office was at Cravensville, Daviess County, and one man would go for the mail and bring it for the whole community. 'Twas a great advancement in the history of the settlement when a post office was established in 1845. David Buck was the genial postmaster and mail was received once a week.

The principal trading point was at Liberty, eighty miles away, and it was an exciting event when the settlers started to market, or when they returned with the necessaries they could not make or raise for themselves.

The spinning wheel, loom and dye-pot were found in every home as most every pioneer woman spun wool, cotton and flax, dyed her own thread and wove her own cloth. When about ten years old, Emaline learned to spin wool and in two years could spin four hanks of yarn a day. When sixteen she could weave three yards of cloth a day in stripe or plaid effect, and help do all the family sewing by hand.

In those early days there was a dram shop in Bethany, said to be the only saloon ever in the town. It was conducted by George Young, who thought he had found a quick road to wealth. Dr. Temmis, a young physician from the East, had located in the community to practice his profession. One night he visited the saloon and he and the proprietor got into a dispute which terminated in a fight and the death of the young doctor.

When Young realized what he had done he left for parts unknown and the tragedy caused great excitement in the village. The doctor's young wife was prostrated by the news and after her husband's funeral she returned to her relatives in the East.

When about nine years of age Mrs. Templeman saw a wonderful sight which left a lasting impression on her mind. The United States government sent some soldiers to move the Pottawatomie Indians to a western reservation. Five hundred of these passed her father's farm in a body and nine of the men stopped at her home; one of them lingered longer than the others and asked for something to eat. Her mother gave him a large loaf of sweet corn bread and as he thrust it under his blanket he said: "For papoose, for little papoose." That after 200 more Indians passed on their journey to the same reservation, presumably from Fort Des Moines.

During war times many tragedies were brought to her knowledge, chief among them being the death of a cousin, Robinson Allen, a grand, good man, who immigrated to this state with her parents. He was burned to death in his residence. His home was supposed to have been set on fire by unknown persons and in trying to save his family and his money he lost his life. In the still and lonely hours of the night the cries and screams of his family were heard floating over the hills and valleys of the town and every citizen hastened to the scene of the disaster. His body was recovered the next day when the whole populace turned out to mourn and sympathize with his sorrowing family.

In 1855 Emaline Allen married W. A. Templeman, a Virginian, who located in Bethany in 1854. He and his father were in the mercantile business for many years. The wedding was at the home of her parents, John S. Allen and wife, at the place where Mrs. Templeman now resides.

Three of her daughters were married in the same room and stood in the same spot when the ceremony was performed. The bride wore a beautiful white Swiss dress, hand-made, every stitch of her own making. Judge William Lewis performed the ceremony and a wedding supper was served by the mother of the bride. Mrs. C. J. Blackburn was mistress of ceremonies and wrote the invitations in her beautiful, well-remembered hand.

The guests were T. H. Templeman, wife and daughter. Dee ; Judge Lewis, wife and daughter, Clara; Joseph Collier and wife, John W. Brooks, wife and daughters, Mary, Jane, Frances and Nancy ; Dr. C. J. Blackburn, wife and daughters, Belle and Kate; the brothers and sisters of the bride and William Collier of Trenton, Missouri.

Mrs. Templeman has six children living, all near her except one son, John, of Austin, Texas, and two daughters have preceded her to the better land. She has eight grandchildren and one great grandson. Temple Allen. Her home has always been in Bethany and she loves every foot of ground in the vicinity and never wanted to leave it. She watched the town grow from a wooded brushy spot to a modern little city with electric lights, waterworks, paved streets, beautiful churches and splendid schools. 

 Harrison County| AHGP Missouri

Source: History of Harrison County, Missouri, by Geo. W. Wanamaker, Historical Publishing Company, Topeka, 1921