Daughter of Jane Shobe & Enoch Matson, wife of Walter McFarland

Acknowledgement to the Ralls County Historical Society for the following:

MRS. HARRIETT A. McFARLAND; NO 7 "RALLS COUNTY TIMES" JUNE 8 1900

The subject of this sketch is the daughter of Enoch and Jane Matson. Her father was born in Bourbon county Kentucky and is supposed to be the first white child born in that historic county of the Blue Grass State. Her grandfather James Matson was a native Virginian of Scotch ancestry and had three sons in the war of 1812.
In the fall of 1816, Enoch Matson came to Missouri and for a short while lived where Clarksville now stands. Later he settled on a farm near Frankford in Pike County. Here in company with his brother, Richard Matson, he built a saw and gristmill, this being the first mill in Pike County. These bothers no only aided in development of the surrounding county by furnishing the sturdy settlers with building material from the primeval forest about them, but also made salt and their salt works at Saverton were the salt "chance" for miles around. On the north side of Salt River he built a large brick house in which he lived for forty-one years and is today the comfortable home of Mrs. McFarland's youngest brother, Arch M. Matson. In those days the early settlers coming west in search of a new home was not so anxious about the quality of the soil or timber as he was about the water supply close to where he put his house, hence close by all our old settlers homes you will find the never failing spring/ This was the case with Enoch Matson. Near by the house his hands built, painted and plastered was a grand old spring coming from a large two-roomed cave. This cave and spring furnished cooling place for milk and cold storage for the game and venison brought down by the long old fashioned, trusty rifle in the father's hand. Enoch Matson died in 1862.
November 15, 1819, this good old mother in Israel was born in Pike county Missouri, the same year, but six months later than the birthday of Queen Victoria. This was the same year that the first steamship the "Savannah" crossed the Atlantic. Her girlhood days were about the old brick house, cave and spring mentioned above. Her mother was a native of Virginia, married in Kentucky and with her husband came to Missouri in 1816. She comes from a family of thirteen children ten of whom grew to maturity, five are still living namely: Dr. James T. Matson of Pike county, Abraham, Archibald, Enoch G., who resides west of this city and our subject. While a girl she attended school in New London and here acquired a good common school education. But in those days a girl's chances for extensive education were slim indeed. Domestic duties claimed much of the and attention of the farmer daughters. The lessons learned made them hardy, well-developed women possessing few of the extra but many of the essentials for good housekeeping.
The first wagon she ever saw was on the old Pike county farm drawn by oxen and having the wheels made form the cross section of a large tough log. She rode on the first stern-wheeler that ascended the river as far as Hannibal, it was known as the "William Wallace." She relates the use of small grape vines for ladies hoops in the days of her girlhood and how troublesome these skirt extension devises were to the fair wearers when on horseback. In her fathers house there was wont to gather the youth and beauty of the surrounding country and while some old darkey played a home made fiddle, these young people would gracefully trip o'er the smooth oaken floors. No cards were ever or seen or used in that home but plenty of innocent and entertaining was always there and enjoyed.
She was married November 21, 1830, by Rev. Vandeventer, a well-known circuit rider of those days, to Walter McFarland. In a few days after she moved to the old double long house or the McFarland homestead north of New London. In 1848 the log cabin was replaced by a large brick one, the present home of herself and sons, Abraham and Walter. To this marriage there were born ten children, one of whom died in infancy. Those who lived to be grown were Mrs. Mary Harrison Glascock, for two terms sheriff of Audrain county, Harvey M. McFarland, of Paris, MO., Mrs. Jane Priest, wife of Henry J. Priest, presiding judge of our county court, Mrs. Dick Kellner, of Cedar Rapids IA., Dr. Abraham McFarland, of Clay township, Mrs. Lucy Dalton the second wife of Hon. Richard Dalton of this county. She died in 1895, twenty-three years to the day, month and almost hour, after the death of her father. Enoch McFarland of St. Louis, Mrs. Mollie C. Flowerree, wife of Paul W. Flowerree and the first only lady elected two terms as Treasurer of a county in the state and Walter McFarland. The father of this large family was a pious Christian gentleman, a life-long member of the Cumberland Presbyterian church and after a long and useful career of sixty years, died in 1871. He was a great lover of hunting and killed many a deer on his farm; never wore a shoe until he was fifteen years old and then but the plainest and most substantial kind that old William Reed could make. In 1848 Mrs. McFarland joined the M. E. Church at a large camp meeting conduced by Rev. Mr. Green and others at Union Hill or the site where the old abandoned church now stands on the hill between the McFarland and Flowerree homes north of New London. Of the number who publicly professed religion at this meeting all but her are gone to their reward beyond the skies. The McFarland homestead was well and favorably known on those days by all the men prominent in the affairs of church and state and Mrs. McFarland became well acquainted with all of them. About her early home the wild man of the forest built his wigwam and lived in peace. He was honest and sober in those days and dealt with the pale-faced brother as man should deal with man. In the cellar of the McFarland home three large looms, presided over by the mother and daughters as proudly as ever a queen sat on a throne, turned out the carpets and all the clothing of the entire family. The flax, hemp and cotton were grown on the farm and every operation between the planting and ready garment was performed by the household. Well cared groves of maple furnished all the sugar and syrup needed. In fact every want, but those were few, were supplied in fullness from the industry, fields and forests about them. Little concern had these old pioneers for question of tariff, imports, capital and labor. The busied mind, soul and body about matters more important to the development of a hardy, peaceful and Christian condition in their homes and about them.
Since the days the elder Walter McFarland brought his young wife to his father's house, she has never known another home. All these 61 years she has lived on the farm and most of the time in the same house her hands arranged the first days of her wedded life and where she expects to die. About her gather her children, all worthy citizens and a source of great comfort now and since the death of her loving husband, Though nearly eighty-one years of age, she can still go about and visit her neighbors and children, attend church, has a good word and pleasant smile for all