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"Down Memory's Lane by Dr. Donald D. Parker" - - (excerpted from longer article) - - "“Slavery Days in Parkville and Vicinity” - - H. A. Trexler who wrote a valuable book ‘’Slavery in Missouri, 1804-1865” and from whom much that is in here given was taken, quotes Col. R. P. C. Wilson of Platte City as stating that no free labor, black or white, was to be found in Platte County. This being the case, slaves were considered a necessity for the large landowner. The raising of hemp after 1843 on an ever-increasing scale fastened the institution of slavery more firmly than ever upon the people of Platte and neighboring counties. Negroes were in great demand and more stout men sold in this county for $1,200 and more. A slave was required to break 100 pounds of hemp a day, or he received the lash. If he broke more, he often received 1 cent a pound for everything over a 100 pounds. Ambitious slaves sometimes broke as much as 200 or 300 pounds and thus made extra money which they were credited with. At Christmas time they received this amount, an account of which the Negroes kept on notched sticks. Eph Sanders of Platte City claimed he could break 200 pounds a day. Missouri law forbade a master to work his slaves on Sunday except in regular household work. As there were few great plantations, the brutal overseer of so many Southern slave tales was not often seen in Missouri. Widows, however, sometimes employed white managers to oversee their land and slaves. Widows were unable to alienate their slaves if there were other heirs. Frequently, therefore, they hired them out as did others who had excess slaves. Such a hired slave in western Missouri usually received two pairs of trousers, two shirts, and a hat the first summer; a coat and a pair of trousers in the winter, and two pair of trousers the second summer. He was always clever enough to go to his new employer in his worst rags in order to get his full quota of clothing. Age, sex, strength, and character determined the yearly hiring price. When hired as hemp hands, the usual price was from $150 to $250 a year, $200 being the common price in Platte County for a good hemp-breaking Negro. In the case of the men the rate was between 1/7th and 1/8th of the valuation, or about 14%. The hire of women averaged only about 7% of their valuation. Insurance of slave property was entirely unknown. The hirer was subject to criminal prosecution as well as responsible to the owner for the full value of the slave if he caused the latter’s death by his cruelty. There was a gradual rise in the value of slaves after 1830 and up to the Civil War. Up to 1840 female slaves sold for $300 to $350 while men sold for $500 to $600. Children from 2 to 5 years of age sold for from $100 to $200. Values increased until in the late 1850’s prime male slaves sold for about $1300 and Negro women for about $1000. Children were proportionately high. A simple half sheet of blue paper, eight by five inches, is one of the oldest records possessed by a Parkville resident. It reads: “Know all men by these presents that I have this day sold to T. C. S. Ashby a negro child named Laura mulatto color aged 3 or 4 years for and in con sideration of $350 dollars the Receipt of which is hereby acknowledged. And I do hereby warrant the said negro to be sound in mind and body and a slave for life. Lucien McDonnell, Parkville, July 6th, 1857Date(s) of Creation
12/31/1943