354 Stella M. Drumm Louis. This concession was confirmed in 1812 to the legal representatives of John Day. 25 Day endeavored to cultivate this land from time to time until he joined the Hunt party. When he was away trapping, and not occupying his little cabin, he had it rented out. In 1802 he had a good sized corn field, but the following year the whole settlement around Point La- baddie was broken up by the invasion of hostile Indians. In 1804 Day engaged Asa Musick to cultivate the land and allowed him the use of his cabin. Musick planted peach trees, erected a new house and improved the place generally, making thus the first permanent improvements beyond the Bon Homme settlement. 26 This land is now included in Franklin County, the next county southwest of St. Louis County. The next year Day sold, or mortgaged, part of his plantation to Asa Musick, and started off to the Boone's Lick Country. From 1806 until he joined the Hunt expedition at the Nodaway, he was probably hunting and trapping on the Missouri and working his mines. In 1809 he formed a partnership with Benjamin Cooper and John Farrel to work the saltpeter mines he had discovered. In April, 1809, Day was in St. Louis, and for the small sum of $15.00 assigned to John Withinton "all my right, title, claim and interest in and to a tract of land that I hold or may hold, the same being and lying on Point Labaddie Creek and the improvements on the north side of the Creek and near the big slew that runs in the bottom." This instrument, for some reason or other, was not filed for record until April 28, 1840. 27 According to Irving, "John Day was a hunter from the backwoods of Virginia, who had been for several years on the Missouri in the service of Crooks and other 25 Amer. State Papers, Public Lands, vol. 3, p. 326. 26 Bates Minutes. 27 Franklin County Deed Records.
