Dr. William Jewell

Dr. William Jewell spent a few brief years in Shepherdsville before moving to Missouri. At his death, the following obituary was printed in the Columbia (Missouri) Herald-Statesman, on August 20, 1852, page 2.

Dr. Jewell had a "medicine shop" in a brick house on Lot 28 on Second Street in Shepherdsville that he sold to men who were forming a bank.

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This distinguished citizen of our town, as announced very briefly last week, died in Liberty, Mo., on Saturday, the 7th inst., and was buried at the Jewell Cemetery near this place, on Thursday, the 12th. He was buried with civic funeral honors, a distinction he well merited, and the last tribute of respect our bereaved community can show the lamented dead. See the proceedings of the citizen's meeting in another column.

Dr. Jewell was born in Loudon Count, Va., on the 1st of January, 1789. He was therefore in his sixty-third year at the time of his death. At the age of eight or nine he emigrated with his father to what was then Gallatin County, Ky. In 1806, he being at that time in his seventeenth year, he commenced the study of medicine in Bloomfield, Nelson County, Ky., with the well-known Dr. John Bemiss. After several years of arduous study, and graduating at Transylvania, he entered upon the practice of his profession in Bullitt County. During his residence there he was elected to the General Assembly of Kentucky and represented his county with ability and public acceptance. Also, while a resident of Bullitt, he married Miss Boyle, daughter of Chief Justice Boyle. In 1818 his wife died. In the spring of 1820 he married a second time -- married Miss Compton, and in the autumn of the same year emigrated to what is now known as Old Franklin, Howard County, Mo. Here he resided two years, doing a large and successful practice. In 1822 he moved from Franklin to Columbia, at which place, during the first month of his residence, he was called to mourn the death of his second wife.

For upwards of twenty years, in this county, Dr. Jewell enjoyed a very extensive and lucrative practice in his profession, performning in the meantime, and skillfully, a number of most critical surgical operations, and in which department of medical science, if he had turned his attention to it, and had been place on a more favorable theatre, would have attained a high distinction.

In politics, Dr. Jewell was a Whig, in the broad and patriotic sense of the term. In such matters he formed his opinions along with reference to their ultimate influence in promoting the good of the country. Although not congenial with his nature, he repeatedly served his fellow-citizens of the county in the General Assembly of the State -- both the Senate and House of Representatives. He was a conscientious, laborious and practical legislator, and always occupied a high position in that body of which he was a member. The death perhaps of no other citizen would have been more sensibly felt by this immediate community than that of Dr. Jewell. To his persevering and steady efforts is Columbia largely indebted for her present enviable position amongst the villages of upper Missouri. In every enterprise, whether looking to the immediate improvement of the town itself, or in promoting some great interest connected with the moral, social, educational or religious advancement of our community, he always acted a noble and conspicuous part.

He was attached to the inhabitant of the county of Boone. He entered warmly into the contest, twelve years ago, to secure the location of the State University at Columbia. Besides his personal exertions, he contributed largely of his means to secure that object; he continued one of its truest and best friends, and his name may be justly placed upon the list of its founders and benefactors.

It is, perhaps, also well known in Missouri at least that whilst he was thus endeavoring to build up the great cause of education at this point, he was at the same time cooperating with a religious denomination (the Baptist, of which church he was one of the main pillars) in advancing the same glorious cause in other sections of the State. To his princely munificence chiefly are the people of Missouri, but more especially the people of the north-west portion of our state indebted for that literary institution which bears his name, which has opened so auspiciously, and which we trust in the future, will make the hope of its departed founder whilst living, in pursuing a most honorable and useful career. He regarded "William Jewell College" as the very child of his old age, and there was no sacrifice of time or a means which he was not willing to make to promote its success and well-being. It was whilst he was superintending the erection of the college buildings that he was taken sick, and to the exposure which he met with in so arduous an undertaking, for one of his age and delicacy of constitution, may doubtless be attributed, in some degree, the bringing on of the disease which finally produced death.

We but express the united voice of all here, that Dr. Jewell wsa no ordinary man, and that in his death society mourns the loss of an honorable, useful, conscientious and practical citizen. May he rest in peace!

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