USA > Illinois > Massac County > History of Massac County, Illinois > Part 9
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12
159
THE ECONOMY
1937. A strike in Joppa in 1941 lasted more than a month. The so-called Massac County Workers or- ganized in January 1935. Very few and brief strikes has been the record. According to Floyd Cougill, Business Agent of Local 1320, most workers are now well organized in the respective crafts. Labor is strong and the outlook is good for its continued strength. The plague of strikes at the AEC project -claimed to have been 143 in 26 months-should
not scare any manufacturing company. Neither local industry nor construction has been plagued with strikes or unreasonable demands. Outsiders will find the native workers, if not docile, at least amenable to reason and just in their demands. The strikes have been widely publicized by Colliers (June 20, 1953) and The Saturday Evening Post (December 26, 1953), and the press, and have done great harm and injustice to the native reputation. The labor on the three projects is not a manufactur- ing type in the strict sense of the word. Skilled labor and many other outside workers have had to be imported for construction. Because, too, of a new situation in a heretofore relatively unorganized area, jurisdictional strikes unavoidably have occurred. Let this set the local record straight, clearly and fairly.
TRANSPORTATION-Transportation, communi- cation, and public utilities used 383 of the 4565 persons employed in 1950 (9)
160
HISTORY OF MASSAC COUNTY
Essentially a river town, Metropolis was scarcely ever out of sight of steamboats in the earlier period. Those days have become recollections. Few will ever have the opportunity of taking a steamboat ride now. The first wharfboat was built in 1866; the second in 1880. Six to eight thousand barrels of flour might once be seen on the wharfboat. Ferry boats have run from earliest years. Wilcox op- erated a hand ferry in the 1830's and later a horse ferry. McBane ran a ferry from the 1840's to 1873. From 1855 to 1907 the Owens ran a ferry. In 1874 McBane built a steam ferry. Tow and freight boats also plied the river, some owned locally. (10) There is no ferry service at present.
A half dozen packet lines passed the city. Freight and passengers easily made connections for large cities. The Paducah-Cairo packet passed every night. The Gus Fowler (1886), Dick Fowler (1890's), Lovella Brown (1890's), Hudson (1883), Cumber- land (1868), Desmet (1877), Silver Cloud (1886), and the showboats Cotton Blossom and Water Queen were household words in Metropolis. The George Cowling was the last. It ran for 27 years, until about 1920. River traffic has been marked by rise and fall. The palmy days of the 1870's were followed by decadence between 1890 and 1910. (60) General economic conditions, river ice, and railroads and automobiles were some reasons. Two World Wars and the system of locks and dams has in- creased barge tonnage as never before. Dam 52 at
161
THE ECONOMY
Brookport was completed in 1928. Tonnage in 1952 was 55,957,367 tons. Massac has several waterway terminal facilities, the Joppa facilities being the most important in Egypt. As the river is the basic point for rate changes, it is expected that other terminals and other industries will locate on both sides of the river. Freight rates are good.
There are three great railroad systems in the county : the Illinois Central (1889), the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy (1910), and the Chicago and Eastern Illinois (1900). The IC Edgewood-Fulton cutoff was completed in 1928. Until 1952, when the C & EI put on The Meadowbrook, passenger service had all but ceased by 1941. The river is spanned by the Burlington Bridge, the largest simple truss type bridge (720 feet span) in the world. It was com- pleted in 1917 at a cost of $5,000,000. The county has 52.8 miles of main railroads.
Several truck lines operate between markets, the largest being Bonifield Brothers Truck Lines. With main offices and terminal in Metropolis they have 119 power units and 111 trailers. Local employees number 85. There is adequate Greyhound bus service.
Gas was turned on in Metropolis in 1931, but it was not until 1950 that natural gas was assured. The Trunkline Gas Company completed its Joppa booster station in 1951 and a pipeline of 8.4 miles was laid to Metropolis the next year.
A characteristic of our age is the mobility of its
162
HISTORY OF MASSAC COUNTY
people. Good roads and automobiles are both a cause and an effect. It is a far cry from the old Worthen Trail of 1821, the toll gate of the Metrop- olis and Vienna Turnpike and Plank Road Company of the 1855's, to our modern U. S. Route 45 and Illinois Route 145. . Because of plenty of gravel Massac County for years had the best road system in the State. (58) Hardroads came in the early 1920's under Governor Len Small. The Irvin Cobb bridge across the Ohio was dedicated May 8, 1929. In the first two days 7000 automobiles crossed. It is now toll-free. Road District consolidation was approved in March 1952. According to Clyde Tay- lor, Superintendent of Highways, U. S. 45 and Ill. 145 are 35 miles in length and all types of roads total 413 miles, of which more than 300 miles are well- kept county unit roads. The proposed Egyptian Trails Bridge now seems assured.
The date for the first automobile is not known. C. C. Leonard, Bill West, C. C. Roberts, Dr. Jacobs, and William Walsh were early owners. Roberts had one in 1906. In 1936 there were 1637. In April 1954 there were 6,379 motor vehicles, of which 5,128 were passenger cars. (11)
The week of May 17, 1914, Tony Janus was to start making regular trips in his airship between Metropolis, Brookport, and Paducah. In transpor- tation it was another far cry to the modern Munici- pal Airport of Metropolis. A dedication and air show was held October 12, 1947, with an attendance
163
THE ECONOMY
of 3000. Although the nearest scheduled air carrier is at Paducah, L. Vance Moyers and James Boyd are always ready to make chartered flights.
COMMUNICATION-One hundred years after the Fort Massac post office was established Rural Free Delivery came in 1904. In 1916 free city delivery was inaugurated in Metropolis. Post office receipts showed a steady increase until in 1945 it became first class. Stamps and stock sales went to an all- time high in 1952 of $64,604.40. Service has been extended to the many new residents of the new sub- divisions. Four numbered routes and one Star route radiate from Metropolis.
The public utilities-water, gas, electricity, and telephones-are on a par with those of any other modern community. The first two telephones locally were those of Cummins and Curtiss in 1887. By 1902 it had become the Curtiss Telephone Company. Franchises were granted to three companies in 1899- 1900. (10) The ancestor of the present General Telephone Company in Metropolis was William Smith (1893). He sold out to the Murphysboro Telephone Company which merged with the Illinois Southern Telephone Company, a subsidiary of the present company. Metropolis alone serves 2774 stations. Total employees number 39 with L. D. Goss as exchange manager. Dial phones were in- stalled in May 1952. (11)
Electric power has been supplied from various
164
HISTORY OF MASSAC COUNTY
sources. One is the interconnected network of high voltage transmission lines operated by the Central Illinois Public Service Company and the Illinois Power Company. The county is also traversed by Kentucky Utilities, starting from Paducah. Metrop- olis has municipal ownership of its own plant. An- other source is the Rural Electrification Administra- tion (REA). The first 20 miles were energized in 1940. Additional lines have made light and power available to most rural people.
Radio station WMOK, Metropolis, began opera- tions in February 1951.
BUSINESS-In the 1850's there was one "Wild Cat" bank each in Metropolis and Brooklyn. They opened offices but never operated. The Mayfield Bank (1869-1883) operated under the name of Brown and Bruner from 1883 to 1895. Upon its failure a new State Bank was organized in 1895 and merged into the National State Bank the next year. McKee, Quante and Company opened a bank in 1881. It became the First National Bank in 1884. (6) The City National Bank was organized in 1907. The Brookport National Bank began in 1903. The Joppa State Bank opened in 1920 but closed in 1931. The four banks now operating-First National, City National, National State, and Brookport National- have shown a phenomenal increase in assets the last fifteen years. In 1939 assets were under $3,000,000. In 1946 they were almost $9,000,000. In 1954 they surpassed $13,000,000.
165
THE ECONOMY
Population estimates of Massac County are made as high as 25,000 currently. Metropolis itself has a large trade area extending outside the county. Sev- eral of the firms have been established for many years, which testifies to their solidity. Willis and Company, coal dealers, began in 1866 and survived past 1937. Elliot Brothers Furniture is perhaps the oldest existing business. It began in 1872. Simmons Clothing dates from 1888 and Hummas Drugs from 1891.
The total labor force in the retail and wholesale trade numbers 789. Miscellaneous services employ another 570. The trade outlets and professional services number well over 200 and cover every es- sential line. Eating and drinking places alone num- bered 41 in 1948 with $604,000 in sales. (9) During the first quarter of 1952 an average of 3963 em- ployees (all labor classes) were paid $3,641,712 in wages by 72 establishments. (11) Retail sales back in 1948 totaled more than seven million dollars. (9) In March 1953 there was $701 on deposit in county banks for every person in the county. The total effective buying income is well over ten million dollars. Per capita income rose from $600 in 1946 to $918 in 1953. The median income in 1949 was $3000 to $3500. (3) The State Sales Tax also helps to tell the story of the increased business activity. It has almost quadrupled since 1950. It indicates that present retail sales are near sixteen millions of
166
HISTORY OF MASSAC COUNTY
dollars. Even the parking meters help to show the substantial gains made over other Egyptian cities.
The total assessed valuation of the county rose from $15,304,755 in 1947 to $26,783,285 in 1953. The tax extension in November 1951 was $529,633. The rate, which includes eight funds, is 71.4 cents per $100 valuation. Before school and road consolida- tion there were 62 taxing units. Schools received 30 per cent of the taxes. The urban tax was $2.74 and the rural rate $2.40. (4) The Illinois Central Railroad alone, in a sample year (1939), paid $80,000 in taxes.
CHAPTER XVI
NATURAL DISASTERS
In some respects the year 1811-12 was a most memorable one. The comet of 1811 was visible for 17 months; the first steamboat on the Ohio River, the New Orleans, made its maiden trip; the War of 1812 began; a volcanic eruption occurred in the West Indies; and much sickness prevailed in the Midwest. Venezuela was having its own War of Independence. Closer home, Johnson County was established. But perhaps the most remarkable event was the New Madrid series of earthquakes. Eighteen hundred distinct shocks were felt and famous Reel- foot Lake was formed in Tennessee. Some of the lakes in Massac County may have been thus formed, because Cairo and the surrounding area was one of sinkholes. Perhaps not until October 5, 1895, did Massac feel a shock as severe as those of the 1811-12 series.
In 1860 (some say '61 or '66) a cyclone struck the lower end of the county. An eye witness said it was made up of three funnels, one of which struck and did great damage. It is alleged that Aunt Eliza
168
HISTORY OF MASSAC COUNTY
State was carried in her feather bed from near Boaz into Pope County-and arrived safely! The name of Grinnel School was changed to "Hurricane" after the storm.
Robert L. Dollar, in a recent reminiscent article, recounts the cyclone of March 27, 1890. The original story appeared in The Democrat of April 3, 1890, and was reprinted in The Republican Herald of March 28, 1930. In Metropolis Mrs. T. J. Sheppard and a colored woman, a Mrs. Lamb, were killed. It blew away the Kingston Chapel and left the Bible on the pulpit. Other cyclones were in 1909, 1913,
1917, and 1924. Six were killed and numbers in- jured on May 9, 1927, when a tornado swept through Hillerman, Mermet, and New Columbia. On March 25, 1935, Metropolis was hit by a most destructive tornado. The story was headlined in the St. Louis Globe-Democrat. Sam Abell was killed and prop- erty damage was estimated at $250,000. A severe storm April 30, 1940, caused property damage of $50,000 but no lives were lost. On Armistice Day the same year another severe storm struck four miles northeast of Metropolis. Miss Loraine Buldtman suffered broken bones. (11)
Floods have come intermittently to the Ohio Valley. Those of 1884, 1913, and 1937 have been the greatest. The river reached a 50-foot stage on Feb- ruary 25, 1883. On April 25, 1884, it stood at 54.2 feet. On March 24, 1897, it stood at 50.9 feet. A peak of 54.3 feet was recorded April 8, 1913. The
169
NATURAL DISASTERS
water stood halfway between 2nd and 3rd Streets. In April of both 1927 and 1936 water crept over the IC tracks. A rather high stage was reached on January 19, 1950. (10)
The Great Flood of 1937 was the greatest disaster in the history of Massac County. Heavy precipita- tion of sleet, snow, and rain and the succeeding thaw, caused the flood. Mild temperatures and general precipitation which prevailed through Janu- ary and February brought the flood earlier than usual. Following in the wake of the most destruc- tive ice storm since 1902, came the swollen waters of the Ohio. On January 24 the stage was 57 feet which broke all records. Still, many people delayed evacuation. Added to the belief that the water would go no higher was the difficulty in moving. Sleet and snow prevented trucks from running freely. Boats were not plentiful. The flood reached its crest on February 2 at an official mark of 60.7 feet, exceeding the 1913 mark by six and one-half feet.
There was great suffering and anxiety among those who were forced to flee. Friends and kinsmen became separated. Many suffered exposure. No lives were lost in Massac County. Farm animals were taken out in barges and some were moved to barn lofts, but many were drowned. Refugees were sent to Metropolis and other points, where they were quartered in box cars, schools, and churches. Brook- port, entirely covered by water, was evacuated by
170
HISTORY OF MASSAC COUNTY
January 25, most of it going to Carbondale. The churches of Metropolis served many thousands of meals. Three hospital units were operated under able nurses. Boy Scouts and PWA workers ren- dered invaluable service. The Red Cross was on the job early. There were many other good Samaritans. Company F of the 130th Illinois Infantry remained some time to assist where needed.
CHRISTIAN CHURCH, METROPOLIS- 1937 FLOOD
Property damage over the flood area was high. While for a time Metropolis and Massac County were almost islands, yet much of the county was untouched. Not more than 50 per cent of Metrop- olis was covered by water. The post office was 18 feet above the crest; Upper Market Street was 25 feet above ; and at Girard and 9th Streets it was 31.7
171
NATURAL DISASTERS
feet above the water. About 25 plants and businesses suspended operations. Through heroic effort, the water and light plant was saved. Boat transporta- tion was established northward, the railroads being covered in several places. Over the Big Bay and Cache Basins the water swept down on a three-mile front. The water was eleven miles wide over U. S. 45 and had a strong current.
As the waters receded, the work of rehabilitation began. The Red Cross was in charge of relief work. By April, 1816 families had registered for relief. The total expenditure was $148,063.05. The towns slowly fought for recovery.
Many heroic stories came out of the flood. Some incidents were comic, some serious. Many lost practically everything they had. But most were like Frank Watson, a farmer near Mermet, who said : "We do not want charity. Let us have feed and seed and we can do the rest."
Visions of another flood were mixed with thoughts of what could be done about it. A Flood Control Bill allotted $87,770 for Metropolis and $88,250 for Brookport. At a referendum April 28, 1938, Metropolis voters turned down the offer. Brookport completed its flood wall the next year.
During the "dry year" of 1854 no rain fell after June 14 until late in the fall. (6) Another dry year was 1872. On August 14, 1881, a long drouth came to an end. An old citizen says he gathered one load of corn from 38 acres. The hot dry summer was in
172
HISTORY OF MASSAC COUNTY
1930, when temperatures as high as 114 degrees were recorded. Farmers begged Springfield to rush building as a source of employment. In July 1936 there was another heat wave. Dust storms in the West produced copper skies locally during these years. The year 1953 will go down as the driest year in many years. Massac did not suffer as much as some other Illinois counties. (10) (11)
Other types of freak weather have struck the county. The ice storm of 1902 has been mentioned. Between January 5 and 7, 1937, thousands of dollars damage was done to the county by a severe ice storm. Metropolis was blacked-out by a similar storm January 8 and 9, 1952. Storm and ice gorges destroyed river craft in 1918. Captain Cutting had to go to Cairo to look for his ferryboat Alfred on January 31, 1918. It had broken loose. The river froze over again in January 1940. (10) (11)
The Winter of the Deep Snow was in 1830-31. Nature gave a repeat performance in 1917-18. It began to snow about December 8, and did so at in- tervals for several weeks. A hard crust was formed over the top, which held up man and beast. The ground was not visible for two months. The Ohio River was frozen over and several people walked across it. The heaviest snow since 1917-18 fell in February 1929, and another heavy snow fell Feb- ruary 1, 1936. (10)
Fire is not usually classed as a natural phenom- enon. Nevertheless, for the curious, it may be said
173
NATURAL DISASTERS
that perhaps the two most expensive fires which the county has experienced was the one at Artman's Mill on October 1, 1928, and the American Laundry fire on January 9, 1953. The first suffered a loss of $125,000; the second, a loss of $200,000. (10) (11)
CHAPTER XVII
ORIGIN OF SOME COMMON PLACE NAMES
New Columbia was first settled by Sylvester Smith in the early 1840's. J. P. Choat came in 1861 with a store. A flour mill was built but was burned down, as well as the succeeding one. Page says : "In 1862 the town was almost destroyed by fire. The place was once large enough to incorporate. The name is derived from a common plant (the Colum- bine) and 'new' was prefixed to distinguish the post office from another Columbia [Monroe County] in the State." (6) It is said that at one time New Columbia had the largest collection of buildings in the county.
Samoth is derived from "Thomas" in honor of Congressman John R. Thomas. Samoth was the post office name; Walnut Ridge, the village name. (6) The post office (now discontinued) was estab- lished April 9, 1880, with William T. Cagle as post- master.
Hillerman was a village in 1835. It was named after L. D. Hillerman, a river man, who purchased
175
ORIGIN OF SOME COMMON PLACE NAMES
it from William Parker, who went to New Orleans. (6) At one time Hillerman was quite a town. It was then situated on the river. It had several stores, a flour mill, and a hat factory. Later, the village was moved about one mile north. The original cemetery is washing away.
Choat got its name from Isaac Choat, who owned a small store near Liberty Ridge Church. The store was later moved to the present site. Before the rail- road came, it was called Morgantown, Crossroads, or Forktown. At one time Choat was a post office, it being cared for by William Morgan, who also had a store there.
Among the railroad men of the C. B. & Q. were a number of Catholics, who named the station "Mer- met" after the early French Missionary priest, Father Jean Mermet. (10) It was established as a post office on July 10, 1916, with Shelby S. Morris as postmaster.
Boaz obtained its name from Lynn Boaz, a farmer, who had a park and picnic ground called Boaz's Park. Some say that the place was named after an older settlement in Kentucky. Old resi- dents, however, adhere to the first origin. The rail- road station was placed near the park and called Boaz. The park is now a field.
Big Bay was named from Big Bay Creek or River. In French it is Gros Baie. The post office, McNoel, was established on January 28, 1889, with Charles M. Powell as postmaster.
176
HISTORY OF MASSAC COUNTY
Round Knob was named for Round Knob Hill. The post office was established the next day after McNoel's.
No data was found as to the origin of Union- ville, but the post office was begun May 31, 1889, with Jesse A. Woods as postmaster. Several of the small post offices have been discontinued, due to the lengthening of rural routes, which was made possible by the automobile.
Tradition says that George's Creek was named for an Indian Chief, George, who, it is thought, lived along its banks long before the white settler came. (32)
Cache River received its name in no well-defined way. Wild rice and oats grew along its banks and was used for food by the Indians. The grain may have been stored along the stream for later use. Such methods of storing or "caching" were common with the Indians. The French, or later the English, may have applied the French word "cacher" (to hide) or "cache" to it. On the other hand the mouth of Cache River in early days was hard to espy, and Juchereau's Frenchmen may have called it Cache or "hidden creek". (61)
The word "Ohio" has been derived from one or more of several Indian names. It was called by them the "Deep Shining River", "Very White Stream", "Very Deep White River", "White Shining River", and "Deep Broken Shining River"; which according to translators, came from varied Indian
177
ORIGIN OF SOME COMMON PLACE NAMES
names : "Ohiopechen", "Ohiophanne", and "Ohio- peckhanne". The translation "Deep Broken Shining River" gives the key to the meaning. Clark says : "It was evidently suggested by the windcapped un- dulations in the long river-reaches, particularly, near the mouth." (62)
For the three theories as to the origin of the name "Massac", the reader is referred to Chapters II and III. Metropolis, Brookport, and Joppa are taken up in the following two chapters.
178
HISTORY OF MASSAC COUNTY
AERIAL VIEW OF METROPOLIS Courtesy Dr. Robert Korte, Metropolis Pilot, Vance Moyers
CHAPTER XVIII
METROPOLIS AND LATER FORT MASSAC
Metropolis means literally "mother" or "largest city", and such did the founders wish it to become.
O. J. Page may well be quoted at this point. "In the name of Metropolis", he says, "is wrapped the dream of its founder, William A. McBane, Sr., who was attracted by the inviting and beautiful location for a modern city, considered by experienced boat- men as the most beautiful on the Ohio River and the Lower Mississippi. Mr. McBane was also a practical engineer and a New Orleans and Pitts- burgh merchant, whose business necessitated trips on the river. He reasoned that a railroad bridge must span the Ohio, connecting the North and the South ; and that this was the most natural available crossing. Upon landing from a flat-boat of mer- chandise, he found J. H. G. Wilcox the owner and occupant of perhaps one thousand acres of the land which struck his fancy, and he immediately pur- chased with his stock of goods a half interest in the virgin soil. On April 18, 1839, McBane and Wilcox laid out what the former dreamed would become a
180
HISTORY OF MASSAC COUNTY
mighty city, and named it without a duplicate in all the world, 'Metropolis' (largest city).
J. H. G. WILCOX
WILLIAM A. McBANE
"City lots were sold in 1840. Washington and Franklin Parks, the court house square, and a lot to the Christian Church, were their benefactions to the public. James Hendricks Gaines Wilcox owned and occupied the only residence. Immediately after the birth and christening of the city, Mr. Wilcox erected a splendid brick residence on Front Street."
The acknowledgment to the plot of the City of Metropolis under the name of "Metropolis City" was recorded in the office of the Recorder of Deeds
181
METROPOLIS AND LATER FORT MASSAC
of Johnson County, Illinois, in Deed Book A at page 268 and also in Deed Book B, page 21. The date of acknowledgment was May 4, 1839. (10)
The Wilcox House-located east of the old Quante Mill-later served as a store and as a hotel. The "Thrift House" and the "Parker House" were the later hotel names. In this house the wife of General John A. Logan lived several years as a young girl. Tradition has it that Charles Dickens occupied an apartment of the hotel one night in 1842. It is thought that Dickens referred to Metropolis as "New Thermopylae" in his book Martin Chuzzlewit. He described the structure as a "barn-like hotel upon the hill and the attendant wooden buildings and sheds."
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.