A History of Northeast Missouri, Volume I, Part 35

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864-1935, editor
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 731

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In November, 1865, the president's house on the university campus was burned. The fire probably was the result of a defective flue. The legislature, after much hesitation, appropriated ten thousand dollars to rebuild this house-the first money the state ever appropriated for the university. After the fire, President Lathrop and family moved to the frame building which stood near the north line of the campus, known as the Model School, and afterwards as the School of English. Here Presi- dent Lathrop lived until his death.

AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE

In February, 1870, the general assembly passed an act establishing the Missouri Agricultural College, and locating it in Columbia, in con- nection with the university. Much of the credit for this legislation is due to the active work of James S. Rollins, then state senator, and Col. F. T. Russell, then representative from Boone county. The act was passed, on condition that Boone county would purchase and pay for a Voi. 11-17

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suitable farm for the college. Accordingly, meetings of citizens were held, and Boone county appropriated eighty thousand dollars, and Columbia appropriated ten thousand dollars, which money was used to purchase a farm of 640 acres situated south and southeast of Columbia. President Wm. W. Hudson having begun the erection of a large dwell- ing on a piece of land on the east side of the Columbia and Ashland gravel road, and died before finishing it, that property was purchased by the state, and the building completed and called the "Hudson Mansion." This building was destroyed by fire several years ago, and a handsome stone farmhouse has been erected in its place, and is now used by the dean of the college.

SWITZLER HALL

Pictures of Governor McClurg and all the members of the general assembly that established the Agricultural College were procured, framed and placed in the university library.

CORNER STONE OF SCIENTIFIC BUILDING

The building known as the Scientific building was for many years devoted to the chemistry department on the first floor, the agricul- tural and geological departments on the second floor, and the mathe- matical department on the third floor. It was afterwards called the Agricultural building, and is now used by the School of Journalism, and called Switzler Hall, in honor of Colonel Switzler, the life-long friend of the university and an active journalist for so many years.

The corner stone. of this building was laid on commencement day,

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June 28, 1871, the ceremonies being in charge of the Masons of Colum- bia. Governor B. Gratz Brown and Mayor Barrett, of St. Louis, made the speeches of the occasion, and the usual amount of bunting and flags were in evidence. Governor Brown spoke of the value of a school of agriculture to the farmers of Missouri, and predicted that some day its value would be felt and appreciated. As was customary, the ladies of Columbia served dinner on the campus, and each lady tried to outdo her neighbor in the number of cakes, pies and other good things furnished.

DEDICATION OF UNIVERSITY ADDITIONS

June, 1885, was a great month in the history of the Missouri Univer- sity, as the new wings, or additions to the main building, were dedicated, Dr. S. S. Laws presiding. Dr. W. Pope Yeaman, Missouri's greatest pulpit orator, delivered the baccalaureate address; Judge A. W. Terrill, of Texas, a graduate of the class of 1846, delivered the address to the literary societies; Stephen B. Elkins, afterwards secretary of war and United States senator from West Virginia, delivered the address to the alumni; and Senator Geo. G. Vest delivered an address on commence- ment day, on Thomas Jefferson, at which time the marble tablet from the Jefferson monument was unveiled. Secretary of State Thos. F. Bay- ard and Commissioner of Agriculture Norman J. Colman accompanied Senator Vest to Columbia, and also spoke in the new chapel. Among the distinguished guests present on that day were Governor John S. Marma- duke, Mayor David R. Francis, and Congressmen Wm. J. Stone and John T. Heard. The keys of the building were delivered by Governor Marmaduke to Major Jas. S. Rollins, president of the board of curators, and by him accepted in a most eloquent speech, perhaps the last public address delivered by him. During that commencement, a bronze bust of Major Rollins was presented by Col. John F. Williams, in behalf of the alumni, and placed in the new library, where it remained till the university fire of 1892. Among the academic graduates of that year were Wm. A. Rothwell, of Moberly, Thomas L. Rubey, of Lebanon, and Prof. W. S. Dearmont, of Cape Girardeau. The Missouri Press Associa- tion held its annual session in Columbia at that time, and many of the leading newspaper men of our state were in attendance. The Columbia Herald, always an enterprising journal, printed a mammoth edition the week following, giving full accounts of the occasion, which was a credit to the editor of that paper, E. W. Stephens, and to every one connected with it.

CELEBRATION OF FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY

On July 4, 1890, the semi-centennial of the laying of the corner stone of the university was celebrated in Columbia. It was the intention to have Maj. Nathaniel W. Wilson, Gen. John Ellis and Jacob S. Johnston, who acted as marshals on July 4, 1840, to act as honorary marshals; but the death of Major Wilson the week before, prevented carrying out of the original plan. The other gentlemen named were present, and occu- pied seats on the rostrum. The ceremonies were of the most interesting and imposing character. The town and university were profusely deco- rated with bunting and other appropriate insignia; a long procession of citizens on horseback, headed by the governor, secretary of state, treas- urer and attorney-general, and the surviving donors of 1839, paraded our streets and marched over to the university campus, amid the firing of cannons and the playing of three brass bands. To some extent, the procession resembled the one that marched in Columbia just fifty years

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before. A magnificent barbecued dinner was served on the campus by the ladies of Columbia to the many friends of the university from Boone county and from a distance; and that night the sky was made luminous by an elaborate display of fireworks.

Robert L. Todd, a member of the first graduating class, the class of 1843, acted as chairman of the day, Jas. C. Gillespy was grand marshal; and Gov. David R. Francis, acting president M. M. Fisher, Col. Wm. F. Switzler, Leonidas M. Lawson, Gardiner Lathrop, Judge B. M. Dilley and Judge John Hinton, the last three being members of the board of curators, entertained the crowd with speeches fitting for the occasion. Gen. Odon Guitar delivered the eulogy upon the men who subscribed to the raising of $117,900 in 1839; and he performed that duty, as usual, in a handsome manner. All of the subscribers to that fund who were still alive were given seats of honor on the platform, and many inter- esting incidents were told by them. Levi James, who was a drummer in the procession of 1840, was present at this celebration and rode in a carriage. Edward D. Henry exhibited at that time a trowel, which he

LATHROP HALL, DINING CLUB FOR STUDENTS, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

used in doing the brick work on the building in 1840; and Dr. Wm. H. Duncan, a pioneer Columbia physician, presented the university a large pocketbook, which had contained, at different times, every dollar that was used to pay for the first university building, he being treasurer of the university for some years after its organization.

The annual meet of the League of American Wheelmen was held in Columbia on this day, and was attended by a number of men, and they entertained the large crowd at the Columbia fair grounds in the after- noon.

BURNING OF THE UNIVERSITY

Saturday, January 9, 1892 (just four years after the death of Major Jas. S. Rollins) will be an occasion that will never be forgotten by the people of Boone county, as the main building of the State University was burned that night. At about 7:30 preparations were being made for the annual exhibition of the Athenaean society in the university chapel, and as usual on such occasions, many people were on their way to the chapel. Some few had assembled in the chapel, including Prof. F. Pannell and

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the members of the university brass band. The falling of the large chandelier on the rostrum, the flashing of the electric lights and the dark- ness following was the first intimation of danger. It was soon discov- ered that the electric wires, that had been laid in 1885 between the floor of the library and the ceiling of the chapel, had set fire to the building near the northeast corner. A strong wind from the northeast swept the flames through the building, which was anything but fireproof; and soon all hope of extinguishing the fire was abandoned. Much of the class room and laboratory apparatus, all of contents of the library and many valuable books, pictures, documents and relics of the university were destroyed. The students, members of the faculty and citizens of Colum- bia worked heroically, trying to save the building, but their efforts were in vain.

At once, there was talk of the students leaving for home, but Dr. R. H. Jesse, who was president from 1891 till 1908, the right man in the right place, called a meeting of students and citizens for Sunday morn- ing at 9:30 at the Haden opera house. All churches and Sunday schools

ACADEMIC HALL, UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI

gave up their services to this meeting, which lasted till noon. After stir- ring talks from Dr. Jesse and other members of the faculty, citizens and students, a vote was taken and every student agreed to remain. Invita- tions were received from the various religious denominations of Colum- bia, offering the use of their churches, from the county court, offering the use of the courthouse, and from the owners of some vacant store rooms. The teachers and classes had rooms and hours assigned to them, and on Monday morning every class was conducted the same as if nothing had happened.

It is a fact worthy of mention that the first entertainment ever held in the university chapel at night was an exhibition of the Athenaean society, and the old building burned on the night of an exhibition of the same society.

A special session of the Missouri General Assembly created consider- able uneasiness in Boone county, as an effort was made by Sedalia, Clinton and other enterprising towns to have the university removed. But with the aid of Governor Francis and other friends of the univer-

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sity and especially after Boone county raised fifty thousand dollars and gave to the state, the university was re-located in Columbia. The legis- lature made appropriation at that session for re-building the university, and, as has often been expressed, "the new university rose phoenix-like from the ruins." So the burning of the university building, which so many feared would be the destruction of the university itself, proved to be a blessing in disguise. The old columns, which stood in front of the portico of the old building, are now appropriately called "The con- necting link between the old and the new university."

MANUAL TRAINING BUILDING BURNED

There have been three fires on the university campus-only three in seventy-three years. In March, 1911, the Manual Training Building caught fire at midnight, from some cause unknown, and was almost destroyed. The valuable machinery, drawings and material in it were burned. A part of the building has been repaired and is now used.

THE UNIVERSITY OF TODAY

Under the admirable administrations of former President R. H. Jesse and President A. Ross Hill, the university has grown to an enrollment of more than three thousand students, and every department is well equipped.

IRA P. NASH

One of the most eccentric men in Boone county was Ira P. Nash. who was living here in 1819, but who came here as early as 1804. Nash, when his deposition was taken in Columbia in February, 1844, in a suit involving the title to certain lands near Nashville, tells us of the services he rendered A. Soulard, surveyor general of Spain, and how he located certain land claims in 1804, in Boone county, near what he termed "River Petit Bon Femme." In speaking of the country near the mouth of that stream, Nash says, "Thinking I could not find a more beautiful spot of land in all creation, I determined to locate one claim there." Nash was raised in Virginia, moved to Tennessee and thence to Missouri. He was well educated, a graduate of the University of Virginia, was a surveyor and a physician, but did not possess the good will of his neighbors. He planted the first apple orchard in Boone county, was a farmer, a live stock dealer, the owner of a fine stallion and also inter- ested in a steamboat. In his will, which is of record in Boone county and is a quaint document, he tells us that he was born in Fauquier county, Virginia. His will begins as follows: "That it is appointed for all men once to die is a maxim well established, and can be brought home to the breast of every thinking human, not only with mere convic- tion, but with the most powerful demonstration, to prove which you men of say sixty-five or seventy years look around, enquire, enquire largely for the men of your present age at your earliest recollection, nay those that were just quitting the muster roll, or if you chose those in the prime of life, say thirty years, where are they, gone, irrecoverably gone, dead nearly ninety-nine in a hundred of them, and will soon all be dead, for it is appointed for all men once to die. Socrates could not hear of a place where men did not die. When a man has arrived to mature age and by his industry, care and frugality has accumulated enough of this world's goods to be worth distribution, that he has an inalienable right to dispose of it as may best suit his desire is a doctrine which I have ever supported and which right I hold most sacred. I shall therefore proceed

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to declare in what manner I desire my little property to be distributed amongst those who may think they have some legal right to it or a share of it, though they never aided in the collecting of it and when I have no more use for it and may possibly leave them behind me. It is my desire that John McDow, having married my eldest daughter Alpha Morgan, shall have sixteen gallons and one-half of good proof whiskey."

In another place in his will, Nash made a bequest to one son named Man L., and then a bequest to his other son named L. Man. Later on, Nash gave 240 acres of land in Morgan county, Missouri, to the county court of that county for the erection of a seminary of learning and its support. This land he says he entered from the United States govern- ment, under the name of "H. Sanari," which is Ira Nash spelled back- wards. The records of the land office at Washington, D. C., show that this land described in Nash's will was entered under the name of H. Sanari, in February, 1837, and October, 1836.

Nash had considerable trouble with his first wife, Nancy, and she committed suicide in 1829, by hanging herself in the kitchen, probably the first suicide in the county. He also had trouble with his second wife who sued him for divorce but the case was dismissed.

One of the indignities which the second Mrs. Nash charged her hus- band with was that he took a slave belonging to her, a negro named Sam, and hired him to a man in Mississippi, and then reported to her that Sam ran off to Canada, whereas Sam had been sold and Nash had col- lected the money. One of the indignities that Nash charged his wife with was that she sold cider belonging to him, collected the money and failed to account to him for the same. The suit of Nash vs. Nash was one of the first divorce suits in Boone county, and it was a complicated one. Nash acting as his own attorney in this case, took a change of venue from Boone county, on account of the prejudice of the people against him. Then an agreement was entered into between him and his wife and the divorce suit dismissed; but another divorce suit was soon brought by the wife in Boone county.

Harrison Acton, Green B. Acton and Jno. L. Ballenger, all of whom lived near Nashville, told this story of Dr. Nash, and many others have vouched for its truth; in fact, it was universally believed by the older citizens of Cedar township. Nash was in his orchard one day, shoot- ing at a bird in his cherry tree, when one of the shot from his gun struck a small boy in the face. The boy was helping himself to cherries in one of Nash's trees, and it was believed that Nash, who was then an old man, did not see him. The boy was barely hurt, but the neighbors, who were ready to get after Nash for other reasons, became greatly incensed against him, and organized a small band for the purpose of killing him when night came on. Nash heard of it and made all necessary arrangements for entertaining his uninvited visitors. He got a sack of wool, placed it in his bed, put a long handle in his hatchet, blew out the light and climbed into the loft of his house, where he waited till the crowd came. Each man that came in made a cut at the sack of wool, which he supposed was the slumbering form of Nash, and the next morning, Harrison Acton said that he counted eleven stabs in that sack. Meanwhile Nash was in the loft, swinging his hatchet back and forth, cutting and bruising the faces and heads of his would-be assailants. The men who composed the mob, all of whom were partly under the influence of liquor, decided that they were fighting themselves, and finally did get to fighting each other. As each man came to the conclusion that he had been whipped, he left the house and sought refuge at the near-by grocery, where he told his experience to his companions. As they were all convinced that Nash was dead, they agreed with each other that they would dress their

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wounds, patch up their bruised heads and come out of their houses the next morning as usual. They agreed to tell the same tale when the sheriff and coroner would come the next day, and bound themselves with a solemn oath to stand by each other. Instead of said county officials coming to the house the next day, Ira P. Nash came out of the house, and he was the only man in the neighborhood whose head was not wounded. Dr. Nash filed complaint before Warren Woodson, J. P., and had four men arrested on the charge of breaking into his dwelling with intent to beat, wound and kill him; but the case was dismissed. Then one of the men, Henry Peninger, brought suit against Nash for damages, on account of malicious prosecution, but that case was afterwards dismissed. In the petition, the date of the breaking into Nash's house is given as August 6, 1842. It is said that Nash never spent a night in his house after that, and never sat down during meal time after that, but always remained standing, expecting further trouble from the same neighbors who com- posed the mob. Nash was a small man physically, had long hair and wore ear rings.

Three of the men who entered Nash's house were not satisfied with the result of their night's work, so they made another effort to get him. They knew that Nash would walk along a certain road, or path, from his house one night, so they armed themselves with guns just after dark, and climbed a tree near by. Nash heard of their intentions, as he heard of nearly everything going on, and went to work to check-mate them. He had a bull dog that had been trained to pull a little wagon, and he fas- tened a bucket in that wagon, filled the bucket with tar, and set fire to the tar. The bull dog had already discovered the presence of strangers in the front pasture, and was barking and tugging at his chain. So when Nash hitched his dog to the wagon and turned him loose, the dog ran straight to the tree in which the three men had climbed; and the burn- ing tar soon set fire to the tree. It is hardly necessary to say that the three sentinels, like Zacheus of old, made haste and came down. Nash was close by with his gun, and the burning tar and burning tree fur- nished light where the three men were, and Nash had no trouble in seeing them, while he was safe in the darkness. He fired twice at the men, wounding one of them, though not seriously.

Warren A. Smith says that he remembers Dr. Nash, as he took dinner with Capt. William Smith, father of Warren A. and Fielding W. Smith, about one year before the death of Nash. In 1844, Mr. Smith says, his father was a candidate for representative, and attended a barbecue near Nashville. Dr. Nash saw him and called him out into the woods and said, "You are going to get nearly every vote in this neighborhood, and I hope you will be elected. But don't tell anybody that I am for you, for if these grand rascals find that out, they will all vote against you."

Mr. Smith further said that Nash disliked Jack Parker, a neighbor, and waited for an opportunity to "get even." One winter day, he saw some negro men cutting ice on the creek and asked them if they were cut- ting it for Mr. Parker. When he learned that the wagon and team be- longed to Parker, Nash borrowed the ax and broke all of the spokes out of the wagon wheels. The negroes reported to their master what Nash had done, and Parker sued for damages. When the trial came off, Parker learned that his witnesses were all slaves, and could not testify ; hence he was compelled to dismiss his suit.

At the February term 1831, the grand jury of Boone county indicted Dr. Nash for sending a letter, challenging Gilpin S. Tuttle to fight a duel. The wording of the letter was very adroit, but the intention of the writer was clear. The indictment was signed by R. W. Wells, attorney general, certified by Mason Moss, foreman of the grand jury, and the trial oc-

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curred before Judge David Todd, in Columbia. It resulted in the con- viction of Nash and his being fined one hundred dollars, the only man ever convicted of that offense in this county. The letter is as follows:

SIR :

I have always been fond of the chase, and of gunning. I have experienced great satisfaction in the chase, in the countries of West Florida and New Mexico, and in the states of Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, Illinois, Louisiana, North Carolina, S. Caro- lina, Missouri and Tennessee,-in the extreme eastern part of the latter, I took my first chase when quite a boy. Now, Sir, the object of this communication is to let you know that there is not anything could be more greatful to my feelings than to take a short hunt with you, in some place not exposed to Indians depredations, and . as my first chase was in the East of Tennessee, I propose to take this (perhaps my last) chase in the extream West of that state, say in the Mississippi bottom opposite New Madrid. I propose the hunting camp to be located some where near the Mis- sissippi river (nigh to where the eye of Leonard flashed on Major Berry) and then and there the preliminary arrangements will be made for the hunt, by + say our camp keepers and they will, no doubt, give you liberty to execute your threat of 12th of June last, on me-and if you stick close to the chase, I insure that we will have something of better colar, if not so strong scented, as that with which you plastered my letter 10th of last June.

To Capt. Gilpin S. Tuttle, Yours &c.,

Nashville, Mo.

I. P. NASH.

P. S. Sir-I most seriously invite you to this hunt-you may object to the season, but 'tis the best time to save meat and skins, and the climate is more mild at New Madrid than here. I have frequently observed that men by being camp- mates (each doing his duty) would become great friends, and agreeable associates. Therefore this measure is absolutely necessary three days after this is delivered, I shall call at Nashville for an answer for this invintation, believing most confidently that you will perfectly understand this prelude at the first glance. There is an em- bargo (and something worse) on those who execute certain instruments of writing in Missouri, which criminal words I have, and will avoid. But there is no law (that I know of) which prohibits hunting parties.

Yours, I. P. NASH.

The will of Nash, above referred to, is dated September 28, 1844, and it was admitted to probate on November 11, 1844, so the death of Nash must have occurred between those two dates. Nash requested that he be buried on the highest bluff on the Missouri river, so that he could look down on his former neighbors, whom he hated intensely, and he also requested that he be buried in a standing position. The last part of his request was not complied with, but his grave, constructed like an Indian mound, ten or twelve feet high, surrounded by cedar trees which Nash planted himself, may be seen on top of one of the highest bluffs in this county, near the site of the town that bore his name. Persons who take the trouble to climb to the top of that bluff and see the muddy waters of the Missouri, the beautiful valleys and picturesque hills of that part of Boone county will agree with Dr. Nash when he said that that was one of the most beautiful spots in all creation.

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A History of Northeast Missouri, Volume I, Part 35

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864-1935, editor Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Publishing Company Number of Pages: 731

Author: Williams, Walter, 1864-1935, editor
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago, New York, The Lewis Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 731