USA > Missouri > A History of Northeast Missouri, Volume I > Part 31
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The inhabitants of Mexico in 1860 were about 1,500 or 2,000; in 1870, about 3.000; in 1880, 3,835; 1890, 4,789 ; 1900, 5,099, and in 1910, 5,939.
Of the first merchants in Mexico very little is known excepting that the first mercantile business was that established by Jennings & Fenton, prior to the location of the county seat. They were succeeded by James E. Fenton, who sold dry goods, groceries and intoxicants under a license. Then George W. Turley kept a tavern in which he had license to sell intoxicants. Then Lycurgus L. Ramsey, Robert C. Mansfield and James H. Smith established first what would now be known as a grocery store. Then came John B. Morris and W. H. White and George F. Muldrow. Thomas Stone was the first cabinet maker in the town. Reuben Pulis, Harry Norvell and David Cad were the first blacksmiths. James L. Stephens was one of the early merchants. The first gunsmiths were John and Did Welkins. Charles R. Ward in 1845 established a black- smith shop and auger factory here.
The county court reserved two lots, No. 6 and No. 7 in block No. 6 for a seminary, lot No. 8 in block No. 21 was reserved for a school house and the block in the northwest corner of the donated addition was reserved for a cemetery. The first grave was that of William Card- well, brother of the county judge.
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Numerous were the merchants of that time, but it would be uninter- esting to give an account of all those engaging in business.
The first bank established in the town was the private bank of A. R. Ringo, in 1861, J. E. Dearing was the cashier. Ringo's bank, as it was called, continued in business until about the year 1867, when a corporation was formed called the Mexico National Savings Bank, with a capital stock of $100,000, but the word national was soon stricken out and that bank has been known as the Mexico Savings Bank ever since. The first president was A. R. Ringo, J. E. Dearing was the first cashier, S. M. Locke, today cashier of that bank was assistant cashier. Dearing at his death was succeeded by John M. Marmaduke, who remained there something like thirty years. The first directors were A. R. Ringo, C. T. Quisenberry, R. W. Bourn, James E. Ross and William Stuart.
The Mexico Southern Bank was organized in 1867 by Charles H. Hardin, William M. Sims, William Harper, James Callaway, and Joseph W. Carson. Hardin was made president, and Carson cashier. In 1878 Carson resigned and was succeeded by Hiram A. Ricketts, cashier, and Redmond Callaway, assistant cashier. The capital stock of the original organization was $100,000. In 1888 the bank was reorganized, the capital stock being increased to $150,000.
In 1870 the Farmers and Traders Bank was organized with Henry Williams as president and R. R. Arnold as cashier. This bank was soon succeeded by another, The Mexico Exchange Bank, and in 1882, it was converted into a national bank with a capital stock of $50,000, . now the First National Bank of Mexico. R. W. Tureman was the first president and R. R. Arnold the first cashier. The board of directors, in addition to the president and cashier were Edward Rines, B. B. Tureman and Jos. M. Coons.
In 1903 North Missouri Trust Company was organized with a sub- scribed capital of $150,000, one half paid up. W. W. Pollock was made president and James C. Mundy, secretary. The first directors were Wm. Pollock, W. W. Pollock, D. H. McIntyre, S. P. Emmons, R. M. White, George Robertson, George A. Ross and R. J. Lawder.
Prior to the Civil war the schools of the town were mainly private schools. There is no record extant of the public schools back of 1870. Soon after the Civil war, the public school system of the town was developed and school after school added, a high school created, until the public school system of Mexico became equal to that of any town of its size in the state. In 1858 an effort was made to establish a school exclusively for girls on the grounds afterwards occupied by Hardin College. Five thousand dollars was donated by William Kirtley, John P. Beatty, J. M. Gordon, M. Y. Duncan, John P. Clark, C. P. Wade, S. W. Davis and R. W. Sinclair and a frame building was erected.
School was begun and conducted very successfully by Professors Skelton and William P. Hurt, until the Civil war closed its doors. This school laid the foundation for a girls' school in Mexico. In May, 1873, Gov. Charles H. Hardin purchased these grounds and with a dona- tion by him of $40,000 established Hardin College. The corner stone for Hardin College was laid July 23, 1874, with much ceremony in which participated all of the Masonic orders, the Odd Fellows and all other societies in Mexico. The first.faculty of the school was com. posed of W. A. Terrill, president, with the following: V. C. Vaughan, Mrs. Rebecca Terrill, Miss Viccie A. Sears, Miss Jeannie G. Morrison, Miss Eliza Marshall and Mrs. R. W. Harris. School opened in the fall of 1874 with ninety students. The first class graduated was in June, 1876, and was composed of the following: Ella Forrest, Ella Hitt, "di. 1-15
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Laura Clark, Ada Marshall, Mattie Craddock, all of Mexico; Nellie Boulware of Fulton, and Nannie Garrard of Centralia. From that day to this a little less than one thousand young ladies have gone forth from the different departments of Hardin College with their certificates of graduation.
In 1879 President Terrill was succeeded by Mrs. H. T. Baird, she by A. K. Yancy in 1885, and Yancy by the present president, J. W. Million, in 1897. Each adding to the work of the other has made Hardin College one of the best young ladies schools in the West.
In about 1873 Howard M. Hamill established a school for boys on Jackson street, in the brick house now the residence of R. R. Arnold. It continued three years and ranked high in its class. He was assisted by Howard A. Gass mentioned ante. Hamill was an ex-Confederate soldier from Alabama and now resides in Nashville, Tennessee, where he is engaged in church work.
In 1891 Colonel A. F. Fleet, from the Missouri University established the Missouri Military Academy, with an able corps of assistants. It became one of the leading military schools of the West. Unfortunately it was destroyed by fire in October, 1896, whereupon Colonel Fleet removed to Culver, Indiana, having charge of Culver Military Academy until his death.
In 1901, aided by the citizens of Mexico, A. K. Yancy and W. D. Fonville established a military school under the name of the first school of that kind at Mexico. It continued to flourish under these gentlemen until Mr. Yancy's death a few years ago, and being con- tinued under W. D. Fonville until 1911, when it was taken charge of by Col. W. A. Kohr, formerly of St. Charles Military Academy.
In 1879 William Pollock established the Mexico City Mills which have for a number of years been known as the William Pollock Milling & Elevator Company. It is one of the largest enterprises of this kind ever established in northern Missouri, and was the first mill to create a local market for grain in this section of the state.
Mexico and vicinity produces a fine quality of fire clay and several efforts have been made to establish fire brick works at this place, the most successful of which is the Mexico Brick & Fire Clay Company, employing a capital of more than $100,000, with a payroll of $2,000 a week and an annual output of something over $200,000 under the management of A. P. Green.
In 1906 Morris Brothers of St. Louis established at Mexico a shoe factory with a capital of $50,000. It has a weekly payroll of $2,000. It was lately transferred by them to the Freidman-Shelby Shoe Com- pany of St. Louis, and is conducted under the management of William Morris.
Another thing in which Mexico is famous is its saddle horse indus- try. As early as 1867 C. T. Quisenberry located at Mexico, introduced into the county from Kentucky, the horse known as Missouri Clay. A famous line of stallions since that time has been Royal Gold Dust, brought here by Joseph Stanhope, Black Squirrel by L. B. Morris, Artist by Robert Edmonston, Artist Rose by Joseph A. Potts and finally, Rex McDonald, a native of the county stands at the head of the list of saddle stallions of the world.
VANDALIA
One of the flourishing towns of Audrain county is Vandalia, located on the Chicago & Alton Railroad in the northeastern part of the county. Its business is contributed to largely by Ralls and Pike counties. The
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town was laid off in 1870 by Aaron McPike and Judge Harmon Cald- well, the plat being filed in the recorder's office the 2d of July, 1871. The first three houses erected in the town were by Aaron McPike and were constructed of lumber hauled from Louisiana, a distance of thirty- six miles. It is surrounded by a good agricultural country. The town grew rapidly and within ten years it had a steam flouring mill, two grain elevators, and soon had two newspapers, one of these, the Van- dalia Leader was established in 1875 by J. Linn Ladd. He was suc- ceeded in the control of it by R. W. Barrow, he by White & Simpson, they by White & Emmons, they by Emmons, he by Thomas R. Dodge & Son, then the paper went into the hands of Cullen Brothers, then transferred to W. W. Botts, by him to Frank N. Frost and upon Mr. Frost's death, he was succeeded by his widow, who has made it one of the brightest newspapers in the state. There was another paper there of short life called the Argus. For some time there has been another newspaper there, the Vandalia Mail, published by F. B. Wilson. The banking interests of a town always indicate its commercial activity. Soon after the founding of the town, Mayes & Burkhart established a private bank there with $10,000 capital and in Decem- ber, 1882, their banking interests were taken over by C. G. Daniel, who continued to operate a private bank there until 1889, when the Daniel's Bank was organized into the Vandalia Banking Association, by Mr. Daniel, Aaron McPike, J. C. Parrish, W. S. Boyd, J. H. Wright, M. R. K. Biggs and George W. Calvert, with a capital stock of $50,000. Mr. MePike was the first president and C. G. Daniel cashier. Mr. Daniel is at present the president of the bank and has been for a num- ber of years, and Will C. Daniel, his son, cashier. The Farmers & Mer- chants Bank of Vandalia was organized in 1897, by Fred Reid and Harvey Coons with a capital stock of $25,000. The first president was J. R. Bondurant; J. T. Williams, vice-president; W. L. Wright, sec- retary. The present officers are as follows: J. P. Alford, president; J. T. Williams, vice-president; Edward Lemon, cashier.
The third bank is the Commercial Bank of Vandalia, organized October 11, 1907, with a capital stock of $30,000. S. A. Waters at first and now president; C. E. Blaine, vice-president; F. B. DeTienne, cashier.
Besides being in the midst of a good agricultural country, there are two coal mines operated there, one tiling factory, the Missouri Glass Company of St. Louis, operates a factory there engaged in manu- facturing fire clay products.
The population of Vandalia in 1890 was 979; in 1900, 1,168; and in 1910, 1,595. Its high school is one of the best in the state.
MARTINSBURG
This town was laid off in June, 1857, under the name of Hudson City by Wm. R. Martin. The name was given it in honor of the presi- dent of the North Missouri Railroad. What is now Macon City was organized about the same time and given the same name. Mr. Martin yielded to the name taken by the latter town and by an act of the leg- islature passed in 1857, the name was changed to Martinsburg, in honor of its founder. It has always been an important shipping point for live stock on the railroad. The town cut considerable figure dur- ing the Civil war. When the war came on, the notorious Alvin Cobb living just south of town organized a company of bushwhackers with which he terrorized that whole part of the country. After the killing of Captain Jaeger and Mr. Sharp related in another part of this
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sketch, his house was burned to the ground by the Federal troops and he driven away from there. When General Scofield succeeded Gen- eral Pope in north Missouri, he for a short while had his headquarters there.
The town has had for several years a newspaper, the Martinsburg Enterprise.
April 1, 1893, The Martinsburg Bank was organized with a capi- tal stock of $10,000; Stephen Bertels, president; Edward P. French, vice president; and Robert L. Morris, cashier. The directors were Stephen Bertels, Edward P. French, Robert L. Morris, J. C. Blain, Joseph Fenneward, J. H. Scott and N. M. Friedman. H. P. French is now cashier. Mr. Bertels continues as president.
It has no manufacturing interests, but has a coal mine.
In 1890, the population was 276; in 1900, 345; and in 1910, 436. It is incorporated under the village act.
FARBER
Farber is on the Chicago & Alton Railroad five miles west of Van- dalia and was laid off in 1872 by Silas W. Farber. It has a coal mine. For a number of years there has been published there a newspaper called the Farber Forum, by C. A. Davault.
The Farber Bank was organized in 1891 with a capital stock of $10,000. The first officers were Lyman Osterhout, president; A. E. Jenkins, cashier; and the following directors: Lyman Osterhout, J. W. Smith, N. H. Sutton, J. W. Northcutt, G. B. Kelly, A. M. Hunt- ley, and George W. Chase. The president at this time is M. R. K. Biggs; J. D. Sutton, cashier.
The population of Farber in 1890 was 272; in 1900, 247; and in 1910, 305.
LADDONIA
Laddonia was laid off in 1871 by Amos Ladd and J. J. Haden and given its name in honor of one of its founders, Mr. Ladd.
Upon the building of the railroad through there, it became at once an important shipping point for live stock and grain. At the time of its location, it was surrounded by an unoccupied prairie and the first business established there was that of a lumber business by D. P. Moore and E. C. Kennen.
Soon thereafter William W. H. Jackson established the Laddonia Enterprise which lived two or three years. Then in 1884, the Lad- donia Herald was established by J. N. Cross and John Beal. Soon they were succeeded by John and Grant Beal and they were succeeded by Grant Beal and he by C. E. Mayhall, who is now its editor and publisher.
The town has two banks. David P. Moore and E. C. Kennen established a private bank there in March, 1884, with a capital stock of $10,000. This was sold in 1892 and The Bank of Laddonia was organized by B. L. Locke, E. R. Locke, S. M. Locke, C. A. Wilder, R. M. Pearson, and George E. Ferris. The first president was B. L. Locke and E. R. Locke, cashier.
In 1895 The Farmers Bank of Laddonia with a capital stock of $20,000 was organized by John W. Stephens, president; B. C. Tor- bert, vice president; W. H. Logan, cashier; with the following direc- tors: Dr. A. F. Brown, Adrian Hagaman, J. W. Ohearen, W. U. Coil and W. H. Logan. John W. Stephens has continued its president and
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W. H. Logan, cashier. The present capital stock is $15,000 with a surplus of $10,000.
The population in 1890 was 520; in 1900, 619; and in 1910, 614.
RUSH HILL
Rush Hill, a station on the Chicago & Alton Railroad, five miles west of Laddonia and ten miles east of Mexico, was laid off by Wil- liam Preston Hill and Gustav Reusch in 1881 and given the name of Rush Hill. In 1890 it had a population of 210; in 1900, 181; and in 1910, 168.
The Bank of Rush Hill with a capital stock of $10,000 was organized . February 6, 1905, with W. E. Cornett, president; Frank Erdel, vice president; Charles L. Stewart, secretary; J. W. Rogers, cashier; with the following additional directors: H. L. Smith, B. C. Torbert, and Gaither Berry. Charles L. Stewart is now president and E. A. Feutz, cashier.
BENTON CITY
Benton City is an incorporated village on the Wabash six miles east of Mexico. When the North Missouri Railroad was first built a station was located there under the name of Jefftown, in honor of Jefferson F. Jones, who lived a short distance south of there in Cal- laway county and who had been instrumental in the building of that railroad. A plat of the town was made by James S. Rollins in 1881. In 1890 there was a population of 109; in 1900, 116; and in 1910, 233. It is an important shipping point for both grain and live stock, and maintains an elevator.
Citizens' Bank was organized there the 3d of March, 1906, with a capital stock of $10,000, with J. J. F. Johnson, president; and C. A. James, cashier.
THOMPSON
Thompson is a station on the Chicago & Alton and Wabash Rail- roads, six miles west of Mexico. It has never been incorporated but about one hundred people are living there. It is an important ship- ping point for both live stock and grain and maintains one blacksmith shop and two general stores. It has a postoffice from which several rural routes emanate into the western part of the county.
Other villages are Worcester, fifteen miles northeast of Mexico on the Hannibal dirt road, and Molino, nine miles north of Mexico, the terminus of the Mexico, Santa Fe & Perry Traction Company Elec- tric line starting at Mexico.
THE COUNTY'S RESOURCES
Audrain county with the exception of some manufacturing inter- ests noted before, is almost purely devoted to farming and stock rais- ing, cattle, horses, mules, sheep and swine. The farms range in sizc from 3 acres to 1,000 acres and over. The largest number of farms range in acreage from 100 to 174 acres. The land area is approxi- mately 438,400 acres and of this 426,550 acres are devoted to farm- ing. 9776% of the total land of the county is farm land and the aver- age size of the farm is 156 acres. The average part of each farm actu- ally improved is 1437% acres.
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The value of the farm property in 1900 was $14,096,544.00 and in 1910, $33,575,009.00, showing an increase in ten years of 138,6%. The average value per acre in 1900 was $22.40 and in 1910, $55.93.
The total value of the cattle in 1910 was $1,059,586.00, of horses $1,705,915.00, and of mules $826,088.00, of swine $588,463, and of sheep $147,636.00, besides $74,000.00 worth of other live stock. The poultry in 1910 was of the value of $210,634.00, giving the county a total value in domestic animals of $4,401,633.00.
The total corn crop for the year 1909 in bushels was 4,441,194, oats 1,700,292, wheat 211,780, and in hay, timothy alone 21,507 tons.
The total of all surplus commodities of the county for the year 1909, including live stock, poultry, all farm products directly and indirectly, including coal, clay, stone and clay products were $5,297,126.00.
There are ninety-nine school districts, including the high schools of Mexico, Vandalia, Laddonia and Martinsburg, and the children of school age for the year 1912 were 5,829.
CHAPTER XI BOONE COUNTY By North Todd Gentry, Columbia ORGANIZATION OF COUNTY
No history of Boone county" would be considered authentic, unless in the opening paragraph it is stated that Boone county was named for Col. Daniel Boone (name usually spelled Boon), the famous Kentucky hunter and pioneer Missourian. While it is generally believed that Boone was never in the county that bears his name, still the early set- tlers of Missouri had the greatest admiration for him and for his deeds of bravery. It is a fact worth mentioning that the death of Daniel Boone occurred in St. Charles county, Missouri, on September 26, 1820, and the legislative enactment that subdivided Howard county (often called "the mother of counties") and created Boone county was passed by the ter- ritorial legislature in October, 1820, and approved by the governor on November 16, 1820, just a few weeks following the death of Daniel Boone. A son of Daniel Boone was then a member of the legislature from Mont- gomery county and all the members wore crape on their arms for the remainder of the session. It was natural, therefore, that this county should be named in honor of the man they loved and whose death they all regretted.
As far as known, the first house built in Boone county was built by John and William Berry. The land office records at Boonville and the United States government plat book in the recorder's office of Boone county show that the first land ever patented by anyone was near the present village of Woodlandville, formerly a part of the Model Farm but still earlier known as "Thrall's Prairie," named in honor of Au- gustus Thrall. But the certified copy of the government book of entries, now belonging to the Bayless Abstract Company, shows that the first land entered in this county was by Elijah Foster, July 2, 1818. This land is located one mile south of Rock Bridge. The patent to it was not issued till September 8, 1821. Durrett Hubbard was the patentee.
EARLY TOWNS
The early towns of Boone county were Smithton, Columbia, Stones- port, Rocheport, Persia and Nashville, all of which, except Columbia and Rocheport, have long ceased to exist.
* Much of the history of Northeast Missouri is common to several or all of the counties. Hence the sketches of Boone, St. Charles, Chariton and other older counties should be read for any apparent omissions in the several county histories. Duplication is thus prevented and a comprehensive history given of the entire section.
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SMITHTON
Smithton, named for Gen. Thomas A. Smith, register of the United States land office at Franklin, was the first county seat of Boone county. It was situated where Smithton addition to Columbia is now located- about one mile west and a little north of the present courthouse. Twenty families lived in Smithton, and the first terms of circuit court and county court were there held. Several stores did a flourishing business. In the Missouri Intelligencer, a newspaper published at Franklin, in Howard county, on file at the State Historical Society, the following notice appears.
SMITHTON.
The Trustees of Smithton wish immediately to contract for building a double hewed-log house, shingle roof and stone chimneys, one story and a half high, in that town. Timber and stone are very convenient.
They will also contract for digging and walling a well. The improvements to be finished by the first of November next, when payment will be made. Apply to the subscribers,
TAYLOR BERRY, RICHARD GENTRY, DAVID TODD, Trustees.
July 23, 1819.
But the inability to get water in that locality doomed Smithton, and caused the citizens to move the town to the east and build on the banks of Flat branch and the other streams flowing into it on the east side; this town they called Columbia. The transfer occurred in 1821.
COLUMBIA
The citizens of Columbia have ever been proud of the fact that it was named for America's discoverer; and some of her enthusiastic citizens still say that Columbus should be proud of his namesake. As soon as Boone county was organized, the legislature appointed five com- missioners to locate the seat of justice, receive donations and procure a site for a courthouse and jail. The report of said commissioners, as printed in the Missouri Intelligencer of April 14, 1821, is as follows:
COLUMBIA.
The commissioners of Boon county have located the permanent seat of justice in said county, near the centre upon the lands adjoining Smithton, and have laid off the above town. This town site is located in a neighborhood of first rate lands, and intersected by the most public roads in the state leading to St. Louis, and from the Upper Missouri to the expected seat of government, and in every respect is cal- culated to meet the expectation of the public and its friends.
The commissioners propose to sell lots therein on the third Monday in May, being county court day; and on the first Monday in August, being circuit court day, at the town of Smithton, and will adjourn to the town site, on which days they expect the sales will be entirely closed.
L. BASS, JOHN GRAY, DAVID JACKSON, ABSALOM HICKS, JEFFERSON FULCHER, Commissioners.
April 14, 1821.
The first trustees of Columbia, in an advertisement printed in the Intelligencer May 21, 1821, informed the public that persons who had purchased lots in Smithton could exchange the same for lots in Columbia, on the first Monday in August, 1821. The lots in the original town
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of Columbia were 1421/2 feet from north to south, and eighty feet from east and west; there were some eleven-acre lots, and some forty-acre lots. All the streets were sixty-six feet wide, except Broadway and Fourth street, which were laid out one hundred feet each, they being supposed to be the principal streets of the town. Market square was located one block west and one block south of the present Missouri, Kansas & Texas station, but it has since been divided into lots and is now occupied by residences.
After selling all the lots they could, it became necessary to divide the remaining lots among the trustees, who owned them; so a different num- ber was written on different pieces of paper, the pieces put in a hat, one man was blindfolded and a drawing was had. If number six, for example, was drawn for Mr. A., a deed was thereupon executed to him, conveying him lot six in the original town, also eleven-acre lot six in Columbia; and so on, till all of the lots were disposed of. Columbia has been the county seat ever since 1821; and there have been built in Columbia three courthouses, in 1824, in 1846, and in 1909.
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