<Histo[r]y of > When I made the purchse of White & There was were 1 stone house 3 frame houes & two block houes which constitu[te]d the wholee city of . Betwe[e]n And Mr s there was 1 stone hous & 3 Log houses, including the one I live in, & those were all the houses in this vicinity.— & the place was literally a wilderness. The land was mostly cover[e]d with trees & bushes, & much of it so wet that it was with the utmost difficulty a footman could get through & totally impassible for teams. was so unhea[l]thy very few could live there but believing that it might beome a heathy place, by the blessing of heaven to the & no more eligible place presenti[n]g itself I consider[e]d it wisdom to make an attempt to build up a city.
<14> Friday 14[th] Continu[e]d writing history. This even[in]g there was a great excetiment [excitement] abo[u]t the Jail in at Columbia Mo. Several indiv[i]duals went & called for the Jailer but he was abs[e]nt. The next call[e]d for the Jailers wife & offer[e]d her money to let the prison[er]s go.— which she delind [declined], & becoming alarmed raised a cry & <which> brought the whole village togethr armd with bowie knives, guns, pistols &c— but finding no one there, they soon retund [returned] home execept a few to guard the prison. I This row brought diffirt [different] individuals to see the prison[e]rs, & by acquintace [acquaintance], their feelings were softened toward the .—
<Josep[h]. visits > <15.> Satuday 15[th] <I started with my family to visit .> I spent abroad visiting. with my family, visitig about 4 miles west of we met on the Prairie, about 4 mi W of , found him in good spirits, & went with him to his house in , found his family well, staid [stayed] over night & had a very satisfacto[r]y visit.