The Howell County Gazette

Thursday, April 16, 1903

Married 50 Years

Golden Wedding of Colonel Monks and Wife

Both are among the Oldest Residents of this Part of South Missouri

Colonel and Mrs. Wm. Monks, two of the oldest settlers of Howell County, celebrated the 50^th anniversary of their marriage at their home in the western part of this city on Friday, April 10^th. The event brought together quite a number of the oldest settlers of the county, besides numerous friends of the couple who have known them for several years.

The history of Colonel Monks would fill a large sized volume, for he has had an eventful career. Coming to South Missouri in the early days, when the country was sparsely settled, he soon became a conspicuous figure. He erected the first house in West Plains after the war and has served in numerous official capacities. No man was better known here during the Civil war than Colonel Monks.

The grandfather of Colonel Monks came to the United States from Ireland and located in South Carolina. He fought in the Revolutionary war, and died while yet a young man, leaving a wife and five children. His wife moved to Lincoln county, Tenn., a short time after the death of Grandfather Monks and lived to a ripe old age, being 90 years old at the time of her death.

James Monks, the father of Colonel Monks, was born in South Carolina. He was married to Miss Nancy Graham at Blue Spring Cove, Jackson county, Ala., while a young man. He located on the north side of the Tennessee river, one mile from Gunter’s Landing, near the town of Huntsville, Alabama. James Monks enlisted in the government service and fought in the Seminole Indian war. His land warrant for service in the war was laid on what is known as the Laster place, near West Plains, the college being located on a part of the land. James Monks died in Ozark county. Miss Nancy Graham, his wife, was a Virginian by birth, of Scotch and Welch decent.

William Monks was born in Jackson county, Alabama, Feb. 5, 1830. He moved with his father from Huntsville to Massac county, Illinois, when a small boy and in 1844 came through this county and located with his father on Bennett’s Bayou, in Fulton county, Arkansas. Mr. Monks was only 14 years old at that time, but he still remembers the journey from Illinois to Arkansas. At that time Thomasville, in Oregon county, was the metropolis of this section. All travel to the Southwest went through there while the country around what afterwards became West Plains was barren, and elk bear and deer roamed at will over the mountains. An Indian trail ran from Thomasville through the valley where the railroad is now located.

In 1842 the father of William Monks moved with his family to Ozark county, and there William was married April 10, 1853, to Miss Martha Rice. They moved to Howell county in 1859, and settled on a farm ten miles south of West Plains. The following year William Monks was elected constable of Benton township, this being the first office he ever held.

When the war broke out William Monks, though raised in the South, took sides with the Union. On July 8, 1861, he was taken prisoner by General McBride’s command and carried westward over 150 miles. One dark, rainy night he made his escape, reaching Springfield ten days before the Battle of Wilson’s Creek. After the battle he went to Rolla in Sigel’s retreat, being joined later by his family.

In the spring of 1862, William Monks was employed as a guide in Curtis’ command. On reaching West Plains, which was then quite a village, he was appointed assistant to the provost marshal. On his return to Rolla a short time later he was sent as a member of a delegation to Washington, D.C., to get permission from the president to organize and put a number of ---- into active service in – the required permission was secured and William Monks assisted in organizing a regiment of state troops. He was commissioned second lieutenant of Co. M, and ordered into active service. In the fall of 1862 he was transferred to the division of scouts and the following spring appointed chief of scouts under command of Colonel Livingston at Batesville, Ark. He aided in organizing the 16^th regiment U.S. Cavalry in 1864 and was made captain of Company K. Afterwards he was placed in command of a post at Licking, Mo. At the expiration of the war Colonel Monks was discharged at Springfield.

In the fall of 1865 Colonel Monks and a party came to West Plains from Rolla. There was not a house left standing in the town, as the Confederates had burned every building here. The first house erected was a frame building, which is now part of the West Plains House. It was a large two-story structure, and is the best build structure in South Missouri. Colonel Monks assisted in reorganizing Howell county and the following year moved his family here from Rolla. He was elected representative from this county that year and served two terms in the legislature.

It was in 1868 that Colonel Monks gained a national reputation by challenging the speaker of the house of representatives to fight a duel. It was while the bill for the sale of the railroads of this state was under consideration that the trouble ensued. Colonel Monks repeatedly tried to get the attention of Speaker Harlin in order to debate the question. He failed to do this after several attempts and then wrote a note to that official calling him a rascal and challenging him to a duel. The note was sent to the speaker by a page.

Speaker Harlin preferred charges against Colonel Monks and when the vote was taken to expel the member from Howell county it failed to carry. Speaker Harlin the presented his resignation, which the house refused to accept. The trouble ended by the speaker making an apology, which was accepted by the member from Howell.

Colonel Monks was commissioned lieutenant-colonel during the famous Ku Klux reign in 1868 and placed in command of the port at Osceola, Ark. Returning to Howell county he was appointed postmaster at West Plains. A number of years later he was again appointed to fill the place. He was also elected prosecuting attorney of the county.

After the war Colonel monks became allied with the Republican party. Later he voted for Horace Greeley and since that time has been identified with the reform parties. In 1896 he voted for Wm. J,. Bryant for president and also voted for him in 1900. Colonel Monks says he is done with the Republican party, which has become the parent of the trusts.

Mrs. Wm. Monks is a descendent of the Virginia family of Rices, there being two distinct Rice families. She is of Irish and English descent. Her father was born in Virgina and her grandfather was in the was of 1812. Mrs. Monks was born in Wayne county, Ky., September 26, 1836. To the union of William Monks and Martha Rice there were born five children, three boys and two girls, and of this number two are living.