USA > Missouri > Jasper County > A history of Jasper County, Missouri, and its people, Vol. I > Part 25
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"It was because I got mad," said Mr. Ashcraft, "over some things about a deal in Oronogo, that I threw np a lease for $50 when, only a few weeks before, I had paid $1,500 for it. That was how it happened that I came to Webb City, and have remained here the rest of my life, instead of working in the original shaft of what afterwards became the Oronogo Circle inines."
Only a few of the older men of Webb City are still living to give their personal recollection of the beginning of the mines in Webb City. Benjamin F. Hatcher, who has been in Jasper county fifty-four years, is one of the few survivors, and he certainly had as good a chance of knowing as any of the pioneers of the early 70's, for he was the man who helped pull the water out of that first shaft from which "mineral" was hoisted, and thus assisted in the foundation work of the immense mining industry now so firmly established.
"When Grant Ashcraft came over from Oronogo and undertook to sink the shaft on Center creek, where there had been the first lead find in this dis- trict," says Mr. Hatcher, "I started with him to run the pump. My recollection is that it took a relay of seven horses, working each horse for two or three hours at a time, to keep the pump going, and all we had then was literally 'horse power.' It wasn't much of a shaft, as we should think now. It was something less than thirty feet deep, and some lead had been taken out, that was in the dump, but none had been sold. It looked very doubtful about getting any more, as the water was so strong it came out of the top of the hole within a few hours whenever the pump stopped. We kept at it until he got enough ont to make soveral sales of lead, but under great difficulty, and when there was high water there was nothing doing.
"People didn't know much about pumps in those days, not around here, anyway, and I remember that Thomas N. Davey, then and for a long time after in the foundry business at Carthage, devised a new kind of pump that he had hoped would prove adequate to the water proposition, as we should call it now, at Center creek. But it didn't work ; and for years there was little else but discouragement as to continuous work, for when the 'pump shaft' was down. none of the numerous prospectors were able to get in the ground. Among those Interested in working this shaft in the early days were Ben Webb and John C. Webb, on whose land the discovery was made; Thomas N. Davey, W. A. Daugherty. S. B. Corn, of Joplin, and a practical miner, named Mike Jones, who came here from Oronogo."
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HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
Being the first man to mine and ship lead ore from the locality that after- wards became Webb City was not Grant Ashcraft's only distinction. When he came there was nothing in sight but the log house of John C. Webb, for whom the town was named. By the time Webh City was incorporated in 1875, Mr. Ashcraft bad laid the foundation of his fortune to a sufficient extent to become the purchaser of the largest number of city lots, consisting of the greater part of the block bounded by Daugherty. John, Pennsylvania and Ball streets. At one corner of this tract of the original town site, he built the first frame house, adding others on the vacant lots later on, and living in one of them from those early days until within the last couple of years. He was, therefore, the first house-builder and lived on the site of his first choice nearly thirty-five years.
While Mr. Ashcraft was a native of Missouri, being born in that part of the original Bates county which afterward became the county of Cass, he spent his early manhood in California, on a ranch belonging to Granville Swift. As Swift lived on the next farm to that on which Mr. Ashcraft's parents resided at the time he was born, and it was for him he was named Granville, although 99 per cent of his friends knew him all through his life as "Grant."
It was a visit that his brother, Samuel P. Ashcraft, made by stage to Cali- fornia in 1864, that brought "Grant" back to Missouri. The trip, from start to return, occupied from January 19 until March 4, and no time was lost in the journey.
"It was while he was on Swift's ranch in California," says Sam Ashcraft, "that he acquired his love of horse flesh that became one of his characteristic hobbies all through life. 'Grant' knew a good horse as well as any man in Jas- per county, perhaps, and no end of stories could be told of his venturesome and daredevil exploits.
"One day in the early days of the old 'Red Plant,' a Frisco train was passing when he was on his way to Webb City. Ile made a bet with the man who was riding with him that he could beat the train to town. No doubt be did his best to win the bet. as was shown by the fact that in bis mad race he killed a cow on the roadway and had to pay the owner for the loss of the animal, besides getting unmercifully 'joshed' by his friends for years afterwards.
"One of my brother's characteristics was that he always backed his own judgment, rarely told any one what he intended to do in business matters and never asked advice of anybody. He was a hard man to persuade into any- thing. but when once he gave his word, everyone knew that he could be relied upon to do just what he said."
THE TOMS SMELTER
In 1876 Mr. William Toms built a lead furnace on Bens braneh be- tween Webb City and Carterville and this was operated until 1880, when it was destroyed by fire.
WEBB CITY'S FIRST ELECTION
Webb City had grown to sneh an extent that during the presidential campaign of 1876 the county court designated it as a voting preeinet and at its first eleetion went Democratic, the vote being as follows: Hayes, Republican, 142; Tilden, Demoeratie, 195; Cooper, Greenbacker, 4.
WEBB CITY AS A TOWN
In December, 1876, the citizens of Webb City petitioned the county court to incorporate that place as a town and accordingly on the 11th
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HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
day of December the court formally granted the petition and issued a decree to that effeet. W. A. Asheraft, O. Jacobs, James Smith, J. E. MeNair and R. A. Sterling were appointed the first board of trustees.
The same evening the board was sworn into offiee and organized by the eleetion of J. E. MeNair as president ; I. Brunnin, as elerk; W. A. Ash- eraft, as treasurer, D. H. Thomas, as collector; L. Mark, eity marshal, and R. L. Thomas as city attorney. The first ordinance of the city was drafted by Attorney Thomas.
J. E. MCNAIR
James E. MeNair, the first executive officer of Webb City, was a na- tive of North Carolina and of Seoteh deseent. He was born December 13, 1833. His father was a Revolutionary patriot, having served in the Continental army during the entire seven years of hostilities. Mr. Me- Nair's boyhood was spent in the south, having lived in Mississippi and Tennessee before the War between the States. In the spring of '52 he eanght the gold fever and started to eross the plains enroute for Cali- fornia. Arriving at Bates county, this state, he became ill and was obliged to leave the party of overland tourists, and remained in that county until 1854 when he had regained his health. Still determined to go to the gold fields, he hired to Henry Riggs as a cowboy and erossed the plains that summer, helping to drive a herd of eattle to Saeramento. He returned to Tennessee in 1859 and began the study of medieine.
Mr. MeNair had been brought up an Andrew Jackson Demoerat, but when Fort Sumter was fired upon he east his lot with the north and en- listed in the First West Tennessee U. S. Volunteers. On account of sickness he was discharged from the service in the fall of 1864 and the next year was elected a member of the legislature of Tennessee. In 1865 he was elected a delegate to the Southern Loyalists convention which met in Philadelphia, and there urged the extending of the right hand of fellowship to the defeated states. During the war he was married to Miss Patience Flippen, a charming Tennessee belle.
In 1869 he came to Missouri and worked for the St. Louis & San Francisco Railway in the capacity of a bridge earpenter, coming to Oro- nogo in that railway's employ in 1874. In 1875, when John C. Webb laid out the town of Webb City, Mr. MeNair came to the place which then was only represented by the surveyor's pegs in the ground, and built for Mr. Webb the first house. On January 13, 1877, after having served the city as mayor for one month and two days, Mr. MeNair was appointed postmaster of Webb City, which offiee had just been established, and re- signed his position as a member of the board of trustees. F. Ball was appointed trustee to fill the vacaney and (vice Chairman James Smith ) filled out the remainder of the term as president of the board. During the administration of Messrs. MeNair and Smith order was established and the preliminaries of the founding of a eity government gone through with.
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HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
SPRING ELECTIO 1877
In April, 1877, the first regular ( for trustees occurred and the following were chosen : George H. Sm HI. Vincent, John Pratt, M. J. Faubin and W. A. Ashcraft.
The new board organized by elecung George H. Smith, chairman ; D. H. Endrickson, city clerk ; Charles M.tcalf, treasurer; David Carant, marshal, and William H. Metheny, city attorney. Mr. Metheny re- signed before the expiration of his term and L. A. Thomas, the first at- torney, was appointed to fill out his unexpired term.
AS A FOURTHI-CLASS CITY
On the 28th day of February, 1878, the town voted on a proposition to incorporate as a city of the fourth class and the proposition carried by a majority of three votes. At the regular city election in April, 1878, the following officers were elected : Mayor, Ben C. Webb; aldermen, H. I. Shafer, J. M. Whitworth, A. J. Sinclair and A. F. Seott; marshal, David Currant.
The appointive officers were Charles Metcalf, treasurer; J. C. Col- umbia, collector; S. D. McPherson, attorney. Before the end of the year Mr. Metcalf resigned as city clerk and J. E. McNair, the first Elm board of trustees, was appointed. At the election in 1879 Mr. Webb was reelected mayor and the following gentlemen served as aldermen : Waller Tholborn, R. S. Gaston, D. J. Horn and M. Worden.
John W. Vermillion succeeded Mr. Currian as marshal. The ap- pointive officers were the same as in 1878, save the collector, J. W. Cald- well, who succeeded Mr. Columbia.
TAX LITIGATION
The early city administration did not have all smooth sailing in building up and beautifying the young city.
The first city council, or rather board of trustees, planned great things, among which were the thorough policing of the town and the improvement of the streets. On account of the many needed improve- ments, the young town levied a tax which was slightly in excess of the constitutional limit. The city taxes could not be levied and collected until the regular time of assessment, in the meantime anticipating returns from the tax levy, policemen were hired and they. with other help were paid in city warrants. When the time came for collecting the tax the levy was contested by some of the people and, at the trial, deelared by the court to be illegal. As a result the city government did not receive the anticipated revenue for 1877 and 1878. City warrants went down to fifty cents on the dollar and the wheels of government for a time were almost stopped. It was then that the proposition was submitted to organize as a corporation of the fourth class, which would allow the levy necessary to carry on the business of the eity. The proposition carried by three majority and in 1879, and the city collected its taxes for the first time.
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HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
FIRST C URCH. IN WEBB CITY
The first work for the M In Webb City was begun by a little
band of Presbyterians-W. . 'heatley, C. S. Manker and - Van
Pelt, who with their good w. organized a union Sunday school at Webb's Hall in the latter part of 1876. The school from the first day was a success, not only in point of number, but in the interest manifested. W. A. Wheatley was its superintendent.
The attendance grew so rapidly that it was necessary to secure a larger place of meeting and permission was given to use the new school- house that recently had been completed. And here the work was carried on during 1877-8. At the time the Sunday school moved to the school- house it numbered over two hundred regular attendants, the primary class, in charge of Mrs. W. A. Wheatley, containing forty-two little tots.
The matter of organizing a church was now agitated and from this union Sunday school grew later the First Presbyterian church of Webb City, which was organized March 27, 1877, with eight members. Messrs. Wheatley, Manker and Van Pelt, who had taken the initiative in the organization of the Sunday school, were elected the first session of the new church.
During the remaining 'seventies, the church did not have a regular pastor, but the Rev. D. K. Campbell, of Joplin, preached to the con- gregation, which grew slowly but surely, every Sunday afternoon, until after he closed his ministerial work in Joplin. In 1879 the society, which now had grown to twenty-six, purchased a building on Allen street which had been erected for a saloon, fitted it up for a church and there worshiped until the latter 'eighties.
During the pioneer days of Webb City the church exerted a great influence. Its choir-the famous Stevenson-Wheatley quartette, con- sisting of W. A. Wheatley and wife and Prof. J. M. Stevenson and wife -won great distinction, singing at all of the principal gatherings over the county. In April, 1879, the Ozark Presbyterians met in the Webb City church. One other little incident might be mentioned which shows the influence that the church exerted on the community.
During the winter of 1877-8 there was a great amount of sickness in Webb City, due partly to the inclemency of the weather and partly to the lack of proper shelter, and quite a number died of pneumonia. Mrs. Wheatley and Mrs. Hull, both active workers in the church, were min- istering angels who went out and helped care for the afflicted. Many a sick room was cheered by the kindly attentions of these two church workers. In those days there was no undertaker in Webb City, and when death entered the home of a friend they came and, with loving hands, helped prepare the body for burial. Thus, as they performed these kindly acts of love and tenderness, they reflected credit on the church, whose deaconesses they were.
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HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
ORGANIZATION OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
The Webb City School district was organized in 1876 and a sub- stantial four-room frame schoolhouse was built during the winter of 1876-7 on the site of the old Central High School building.
Prof. Dickey, late of the Carthage sehools, was the first principal, did a good work of organization and remained in charge of the school to the elose of the 'seventies.
THE BLUNT RAID
A few weeks after the city government of Webb City had been or- ganized the town experienced an excitement, which, for a day, resembled a western cowboy raid. On January 25, 1877, James Missiek of Car- terville came over to Webb City and, having imbibed too freely, became hilarious and was placed in jail hy Marshal Marks and his deputy. Hearing of his incarceration a party of his friends eame over to Webb City and attempted to take Missiek from jail, but did not succeed. Later, however, bail was procured and the party returned to Carterville. The next morning four of the friends of Missick came over to Webb City, bent on raiding the town, but nothing was done save to hang around the saloons and threaten the mayor and police. That afternoon the party returned, this time having been reinforced to seven, and galloped through the streets at full-speed, firing promiscuously at people on the thoroughfares. Uriah Fishburn, "Monkeywrench" Jones and several others were shot, but none of them were killed and a horse was shot from under one of the raiders by the marshal. The marshal then rode to Oronogo and telegraphed to Sheriff Beamer for help and in the evening the sheriff, with two haek-loads of special deputies, came to Webb City for the purpose of restoring order. Their presence was not needed, however, as the raiders had departed. A number of persons were arrested for complicity in the affair, but no convictions were ever made. Two of the raiders, who could not give bonds, were taken to Carthage and placed in the county jail and while they were confined there, at a time when all the deputies were away excepting the jailer, they overpowered him, escaped and were never retaken.
George Hudson, one of the gang, gave bonds for his appearance and was discharged for want of evidence. The strangeness of fate, which allowed him to go unpunished, was as follows. Uriah Fishburn had been shot by Hudson during the raid and he was the principal witness for the state. On the morning of the trial, before going to the court room, Mr. Fishburn went out to his mine to give directions for the day, and while showing one of the miners how to do a certain piece of work was canght in a large wheel in the machinery at the plant and in- stantly killed. When the trial came on, there was no witness for the state and the case was dismissed.
George Hudson was killed by a sheriff in Colorado while resisting an arrest.
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HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
CARTERVILLE
Webb City and Carterville are often spoken of as the Twin Cities and very properly so, for they both came into existence the same year ; both are sustained by the same great industry and, except to those who are familiar with the dividing line between the two towns, it is hard to tell just where Webb City ends and Carterville begins ; for Ben's branch, which is between the two towns, wends its way in its meanderings first one side and then the other of the imaginary line which divides the two municipalities.
The land on which the original town of Carterville was built belonged to a farmer named Carter, who was a neighbor of Mr. Jno. C. Webb and who, with him, tilled the soil during the early 'seventies.
The first business and mining activities in Carterville were com- menced by W. A. Daugherty, and to him, perhaps more than any other mnen, belongs the credit of developing the mines of the Carterville dis- trict during the early days of the town, where pluck and perseverance were required to make good.
As related in our Webb City story, the first discovery of lead in the Webb City-Carterville district was made by John C. Webb and in the valley which lies between the two towns.
The chunk of lead which Mr. Webb ploughed up was taken by him to W. A. Daugherty for inspection. That gentleman pronounced it lead and, at Mr. Webb's request, entered into a partnership with him to sink a shaft and develop the land.
The task of "beating the water" was the great problem. Frequently, on coming to work in the morning, they would find the shaft filled with water almost to the top, so near, in fact, that it could be dipped out with a bucket. After a pump was secured and the ground well drained, they began the work of cribbing the shaft. In sinking the shaft to a considerable depth they struck no lead, excepting to pass through a strata of the ore not more than an inch thick. Mr. Webb was somewhat discouraged and sold his interest to G. P. Ashcraft.
When Messrs. Daugherty and Webb were cribbing the shaft, at the place where they had passed through the strata of lead Mr. Daugherty took a hatchet and cut three crosses in the cribbing to mark the spot.
When Mr. Ashcraft bought Mr. Webb's interest he inquired of Mr. Daugherty what signs of mineral he had noticed other than the chunk which Mr. Webb had ploughed up, and, on being told of the small vein which they had passed through, asked Mr. Daugherty to lower him in the tub to the place where the crosses were cut.
Mr. Ashcraft, who was an experienced miner, took out a piece of the cribbing and, after first making a sort of a doorway in it drilled three or four holes in the side of the shaft and put in a charge of powder and a fuse. Before touching off the shot, however, a temporary platform was built just below the drill holes. The fuse was lighted and Mr. Ashcraft told Mr. Daugherty to "hist away." Scarcely had he reached
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HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
the top of the shaft when the charge exploded, throwing lead and rocks in all directions. When the smoke had eleared away Mr. Ashcraft de- seended the shaft and, finding the platform literally covered with great chunks of lead, called Mr. Daugherty to see the sight. This shot opened up an entrance to a cave-like pocket which was almost a solid mass of lead. This was the beginning of the mining activities; the miners who first came to work the ground, settled on the land just east of the mines, and naturally the place was called Carterville.
Mr. Daugherty secured land from Mr. Carter and platted a town, the field notes and plat being filed for record September 10, 1875. He also built the first store in Carterville. Two additions to the place were laid out in the spring of 1876, and by the close of the Centennial year the town numbered fully five hundred inhabitants.
CARTERVILLE'S FIRST CHURCH
In the spring of 1876 the Rev. Jasper A. Smith, a Methodist minister, came to Carterville and organized the first Methodist church. The church met in a rented hall until 1882, when a lot was secured on Dangherty street and a church home eommenced. On May 13, 1883, just as the building was nearing completion, it was demolished by a tornado. Three days later, however, the congregation met and laid plans for the rebuilding of the church, which was completed toward the close of the year.
TOWN OF CARTERVILLE ORGANIZED
In the spring of 1877 the citizens petitioned the county court to in- corporate the town of Carterville as a municipality. The first board of trustees comprised J. A. Wilson, W. A. Daugherty, Joseph Manlove, A. N. McReynolds and J. O. Rose. The board was organized April 17, 1877, with J. A. Wilson as chairman and J. R. Bailey, elerk. J. S. Wil- son was appointed marshal, E. S. Carries, treasurer, and Joseph Fount- ain, erty attorney.
After organizing the city government quite a mimber of people thought that the municipality was an unnecessary expense and the board of trustces did not meet again from September 6, 1877, until April, 1882, when the municipality was reorganized.
The history of Carterville will be taken up again in the chapter on the 'Eighties, when the town pushed rapidly to the front.
ORONOGO
Oronogo continued to grow during the 'seventies. On August 4, 1873, a single chunk of lead was uncovered only eight feet below the surface. It weighed 60,000 pounds, and sold for $5,000 making the two lucky miners rich in a day.
On November 13th of this same year Alfred T. Oran was lynched by a mob of masked men. He had attempted to rob the house of a man named Hunter and was suspected of having committed a number of law- less acts in and around Oronogo.
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HISTORY OF JASPER COUNTY
In 1876, the Centennial year, Oronogo was incorporated as a town, W. T. Duncan being the first chairman of its board of trustees.
During the same year the Masonic fraternity of Oronogo celebrated St. John's Day, June 24th, and a pienie and ceremonial was held in the grove. D. M. Whitworth, C. E. Elliott and J. W. Board were in charge of the exercises and every detail was carried out in a manner that re- flected great credit on the committee.
OTHER TOWNS
Beside the founding of Joplin, Webb City and Carterville, five other towns also sprang into existence-Midway, later called Jasper; Scot- land, Carl Junction, Waco and Alba.
Midway was so called because it was midway between Carthage and Lamar. Scotland, eight miles east of Joplin was named in honor of Rev. Scott, who lived on the land where lead was first struck. During the middle seventies Scotland had upwards of 500 people and three lead smelters were in operation.
Carl Junction and Waco came with the building of the Joplin and Girard Railway. Carl Junction was founded by Charles Carl and, being at the crossing of the 'Frisco and Joplin & Girard, was called Carl Junction.
Alba situated on Spring River four miles northeast of Orongo was a Quaker settlement and at first distinctively a farming community. A more extended mention of Carl Junction and Alba will be made in our later chapters, when these places came into greater prominence.
Decade of the Eighties
CENSUS OF 1880
Duval Township
946
*Galena Township
6,966
** Joplin Township
5,322
Jackson Township
1,416
Jasper Township
884
Lincoln Township
815
McDonald Township
1,181
Madison Township
1,234
** Marion Township
5,316
Mineral Township
1,892
Preston Township
1,048
Sarcoxie Township
1,545
Sheridan Township
913
Twin Grove Township
1,110
Union Township
1,431
32,019
·Joplin City In Galena and Joplin townships, 7,038.
*"Including Webb City. 1.588.
*** Including Carthage, 4,167.
**** Including Oronogo, 700.
***** Including Sarcoxie. 341.
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