USA > Missouri > Jasper County > A history of Jasper County, Missouri, and its people > Part 47
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*Now county superintendent of schools.
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"When the Oronogo cyclone passed through this country, in 1883, this building with many others was blown away. Work was begun im- mediately toward the building of the old Central school, which has just been replaced by the new brick (1905). It was not completed until the middle of October, 1883. C. F. Cox, with three assistants, namely, Helen Jones, Allie Blackwell and Clara Byers. (During the term Miss Jones and Mr. Cox were married.)
"Henry Phelps and wife, who now live in Joplin, assisted by Allie Blackwell and Clara Byers, taught two more terms following. Mr. Davis and wife and Miss Rickman and Miss Nannie Woodward (now Mrs. Nannie Brown) taught the next year. J. C. Turk was principal during the next term. (Mr. Turk is now an attorney of Kansas City.) W. F. Bray was the next superintendent and it was under his administration that the school was graded. He taught two years. Miss Jennie Woods (now Mrs. Will Crenshaw) graduated under Mr. Bray and taught un- der him the second year of his stay. During the summer following Mr. Bray's teaching (1889) two rooms were added to the Central building. This addition was not completed until November. During this term the intermediate and graduating classes had half-day sessions only.
"Frank Magoon was the next superintendent and had five assistants -Lewis Daugherty, Jennie Woods, Allie Lillibridge, Kate Jackson (now Mrs. M. C. Terry) and May Underwood (now Mrs. Tom Burch, of Chandler, Oklahoma).
"During the summer following this term the North Heights, four- room brick building was erected, and C. B. Davis was elected superin- tendent of both schools. Mr. Davis was assisted in the first term in the new building by S. B. Garvey, Jennie Woods, Hester Gray (now Mrs. J. C. Lovell). In the spring of 1891 Arbor day was celebrated by the planting of shade trees at the Central, and also at the North Heights building appropriate exercises were held. John Gray was the superin- tendent of the Central building this year. Superintendent Davis taught two years in the High school and dismissed his classes at 3 o'clock each afternoon, devoting the other hour to visiting the other rooms. During the summer of 1893, the Johnstown building of four rooms was con- structed.
"A. A. Antles was elected superintendent, after having been su- perintendent of the Prosperity school for a time. Professor Antles served as superintendent of the city schools from 1893-4 to 1902-3, being nine years of continuous service. During the first two years of Mr. Antles' service Professor L. G. Knight was principal of the Central school. He was succeeded by his brother, Charles Knight, who served only a short time and disappeared and for a time his whereabouts were unknown. Miss May Tyler was then promoted to his position and held. the principalship of the Central building until 1903, when the building was sold and moved away.
"The Johnstown building was completed in the fall of 1893, and Professor J. W. Beddingfield was the first principal. Mr. Beddingfield has been for several years deputy county assessor.
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"Superintendent Antles taught the High School for five years in the North Heights building after which it was moved to the Johnstown build- ing, and Mrs. Ella Seeley placed in the High school and also of the build- ing. She held this position for two years and was succeeded by Professor O. N. Waltz, who also held the position for two years. J. R. Simonson (two years), Miss Ella Booher (one year) and Miss Esther Thorsell (one year) were the succeeding principals of the Johnstown building, during Superintendent Antles' administration. In 1896 Prosperity was in- cluded in the Carterville school district and remained a part of it for two years. During the first year J. M. Mccullough was the principal and the second year, C. L. Morgan. During the four years the High school was held at the Johnstown building, the North Heights building was under the principalship of Ellis Hummel for two years. In 1903 Professor O. N. Waltz was elected superintendent and is still holding the position. The Johnstown building was under the principalship of Miss Mamie Dodson during the first year, and the next year was placed in charge of Miss Pearl Mericle, who is at present the principal. The elec- tion of Professor Waltz to the position of superintendent vacated the principalship of the High school and Professor William H. Bishop was elected to this position and Miss Ella Boohler became assistant.
"During the first part of the school year 1904, the children who had formerly attended school in the old Central frame building were ac- commodated the best way possible in the same building which now occu- pies two lots owned by Dr. Clark at the east end of Wilson street. There was no principal during this part of the year, each teacher managing her own part of the pupils.
"In the early part of 1904 the work of constructing the present new Central building was begun and continued until now. School adjourn- ing for two weeks on Friday before Christmas, it reconvened in the new building on Monday morning, January 9, 1905.
"Having now reviewed the teachers and principals up-to-date, it is desired that the public know what the new Central building at Carter- ville is. It is a modern two-story, sixteen-room building, constructed of good brick with pressed brick facing. It is heated with hot air furnace and furnished with a dry closet apparatus. There are only ten recita- tion rooms. There is not a finer auditorium anywhere in this section in a school building than is found in this building. It was the intention of the board in having such a room to hold public meetings and enter- tainments in it. Heretofore all graduating exercises have been held either at a church or a hall in some business block. Elmer Boyd, a Car- terville contractor, has had charge of the entire construction of the build- ing. It cost the people about $26,000. It is by far the most convenient and best equipped building in Jasper county.
"The first pupils to finish the graded course after it was established by Professor Bray were Sadie Gray (Fishburn), Allie Lillibridge, Carrie Jones (Fountain), and Hattie Byers (Hagaman). Owing to some class trouble they did not have any class entertainments.
"The first graduating exercises were held in the M. E. church seven-
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teen years ago. The class included Quincy Sherman, Harley Nichols; Maude Fountain (Hummel), Mittee Helm (Southern) and Lilly Under- wood (Cody). This class graduated under Frank Magoon. (The two boys died the following summer.)
"Some other matters may be interestingly continued as part of Car- terville school history which have not been touched upon. When Pro- fessor C. B. Davis, now a citizen and business man at Carthage, took charge of Carterville and organized the High school, the course at first included two years' work. When Professor Antles assumed charge an- other year was added and still another year was added when Professor Waltz assumed the superintendency. Thus Carterville graduates now have a four-years' course to complete. To the first superintendent, Charles B. Davis, should be given the credit for mapping out ten years' work for the Carterville schools. This work which was just begun by Professor Davis was carried out very effectively and in excellent man- ner by his successor, Professor Antles.
"Some graduates who have been associated with the Carterville schools in the capacity of teachers are deserving of especial mention. Prof. Will Bishop, now principal of the High School, is one of these. Sterling Worth is also recognized in the nine years' service as teacher by each of the following ladies who were also graduates: Miss May Tyler, Miss May Hedges and Miss Tresa Daugherty. Mrs. Ella Seeley, although not a graduate of the Carterville schools, has perhaps served longer time in the teacher's position than any other person. She has done service among Carterville boys and girls for twelve years.
"It is a matter of regret on the part of the writer that the names of Carterville's first school directors could not be secured. It seems that no one knows anything about the old records. They do not seem to have been handed down from one clerk to another in succession, as the pres- ent clerk, C. L. Gray, has no knowledge about them. He has some of the records of later years, but none of the first records.
"Carterville does not take a back seat for any city of its size for a school record. The city is now finely equipped with ample room for growth for several years to come. The people now receiving the bene- fits will no doubt feel very grateful for years to come toward the present board which is composed of M. C. Terry, president; C. L. Gray, secretary ; John B. Boyd, treasurer; L. Pitman, J. R. Leathers and W. L. Hodson. J. B. Gilbreath has served as director on the Carterville school board for about twenty years.
CHURCHES
During the nineties, five churches labored for the betterment of Car- terville socially and the upbuilding of the kingdom of the Master. They were especially strong in their efforts along the line of civic righteous- ness and at the city election of 1893 elected a strong official board pledged to the enforcement of the law. The successful candidates at this election were called the Law and Order party. At this election C. B. Davis was elected mayor and W. Brown, marshal.
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AMONG THE LODGES
Progress Lodge No. 216, Knights of Pythias, was organized August 26, 1891, by R. M. Stultz of Webb City, then grand master-at-arms of the order. The following were the first officers: Chancellor commander, J. D. Rogers; vice commander, W. E. Poundstone; prelate, T. C. Hen- dricks; master of finance, M. Leon; K. of R. and S., F. P. Blair; master- at-arms, A. E. Blackwell; inside guard, Sidney Byers. At the conclu- sion of the installation ceremonies a banquet was served to the visiting Knights who assisted the instituting officers in initiating the class.
THE ODD FELLOWS
The three-linked fraternity had a great boom at Carterville during the early nineties and was a most influential order. On March 25, 1890. the Carterville Odd Fellows held a great meeting initiating a large class and concluding with a supper which was served at Uncle Billy Pound- stone's. . We speak of him as "Uncle Billy" because he was so well-liked by the boys that they delighted to call him "uncle" as a mark of their love for him.
The Rebekah Lodge also came into great prominence, the degree team being one of the best in the state. At the meeting of the State Grand Lodge, at Sedalia, on May 22, 1892, the Carterville Rebekahs carried off all the honors and won the first prize offered by the state authorities for the best exemplification of the work. At this same meeting Mrs. Allie Poundstone was elected state vice president and in 1893 passed the chair, making a most popular and efficient presiding officer.
The Ancient Order of United Workmen continued during the nineties to be the popular fraternal insurance order and sociability was a great factor in Carterville all during the decade. On October 27, 1891, Car- terville Lodge conducted a largely attended public meeting, commemorat- ing the twenty-third anniversary of the founding of the order. Four hundred members of the order from all over Jasper county were present. Speeches were made by Phil Hannum, S. A. Underwood, Joseph Blair and others, after which a much enjoyed lunch was served by the ladies' auxiliary.
The Carterville Masonic Lodge was instituted in April, 1893, with nineteen charter members. There were eighty-five members of the craft from neighboring towns present who assisted in the work. The first officers of the lodge were: W. W. Fewel, worshipful master; W. S. Daw- son, senior warden; E. M. Thornton, junior warden; Wilson Blanton, treasurer; Dr. W. Price, secretary ; J. W. Connor, senior deacon ; Joseph Fountain and George W. Story, stewards; W. McCollough, tyler. After the ceremonies the members with their ladies repaired to the Planters Hotel where a banquet was served, at which a number of eloquent after- dinner speeches were made.
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CARTERVILLE BANDS
In March, 1891, there was organized in Carterville a female band which, to use a modern business phrase, "made good" and gave to the music-loving people of that city some most excellent band music. The members of this musical organization were: Hattie Byers, Allie Lilli- bridge, Lizzie Duncan, Bertie Hightower, Belle Cass, Maud Roop, Ollie Cass, Kate Jones, Edith Moore, Lillie Underwood and Maude Fountain.
Carterville also maintained a cornet band and its reputation extended far and wide. Its maneuverings while on parade were very attractive and no parade was complete without this famous organization.
CARL JUNCTION
Carl Junction also made rapid strides during the nineties, almost doubling its population, and more than trebling its volume of business. Among the important factors in making a greater Carl Junction was the organization of a Commercial Club, which was effected December 5, 1890, with the following offices: President, J. W. Stroud; vice president, William Carter; secretary, S. A. Stuckey; treasurer, W. F. DeGarmo. This club brought the business men of the town closer together and they all worked in harmony for a greater business activity.
During this year nearly all of the great fraternities, among them the Masons, Odd Fellows and Knights of Pythias, organized wide awake and active lodges. The Baptists and Presbyterian denominations both built church edifices, and quite a number of substantial brick buildings were put up, among them the Carl Junction Hotel and the Chitwood Opera House.
We mention here a few of the incidents which happened in Carl Junc- tion during the decade.
The silver anniversary of the organization of the Grand Army of the Republic was generally celebrated by the old soldiers all over the county and one of the most pleasing of these celebrations was at Carl Junction, April 6, 1891. Seventy-three veterans answered the roll-call by which the meeting was opened. The address of the evening was given by Com- mander Hopkins.
On August 9, 1891, the Farmers Alliance of Jasper County held in the grove south of Carl Junction a county picnic which was a monster affair. Mary Ellen Lease, the noted populist orator of the Sunflower state, was present and delivered the address of the day, and in it reiterated her much-used advice for the farmers to raise less corn and more hell for the purpose of bringing to the attention of the lawmakers the condition of the farming and laboring classes.
The 1891 annual meeting of the Spring River Baptist Association was held in Carl Junction and was largely attended. The meeting was held in the new Baptist church. Delegates were present from twenty- seven churches.
The Bank of Carl Junction was founded in 1892 by William Carter,
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T. W. Cunningham and others, and the organization of this institution supplied a long-felt want in the town. From the very beginning the bank enjoyed a splendid patronage. This bank was burglarized Novem- ber 16, 1899, the thieves dynamiting the safe and making way with $4,000. The bank was fully insured against burglary and hold-ups and recovered the amount lost. The Chitwoods bought the interest of Mr. Carter and others and became the sole proprietors of the bank.
ORONOGO
Oronogo made a substantial gain in population and experienced a considerable size building boom. Better and more substantial houses were built and many new businesses established.
The Bank of Oronogo was established in 1892 by Robert Robyn, J. P. Newell, R. Stults, J. W. Stults and others. This bank lent a dignity to
ORONOGO AFTER IT WAS REBUILT
the town in a commercial way and not only supplied a long felt want, but established a sort of financial confidence in the town. The bank was burglarized in 1895, but was not seriously crippled. .
The Masonic lodge continued to be, as in the eighties, the principal lodge of the place, but a number of other orders were formed, among them the Woodmen, Independent Order of Good Templars and Knights of Pythias. The Grand Army of the Republic post was an important factor in the social life of the city and on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the founding of the order gave a patriotic entertainment to which the public were invited.
The school system was excellent and the moral tone was high, the rowdy element having left and the better citizenship of the town assert- ing itself. The personnel of the city officers was high and we regret that we could not record a list for publication.
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SARCOXIE
Sarcoxie pushed rapidly to the front during the nineties, making a substantial gain in population and greatly increasing its business.
The formation of the Sarcoxie Strawberry Growers Association brought the berry industry into great prominence, and all during this decade strawberries and Sarcoxie were, in berry time, synonymous terms.
ASBURY
The town of Asbury was laid out in 1896, was largely advertised by the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railway and attracted during that year a large number of investors. So rapidly did the town grow that before the close of the year there were six stores, two livery stables, two hotels and an implement house. The houses built were of a sub- stantial character and a good class of people came here to make it their homes. The population increased so fast that it was necessary to build a two-room school house. Asbury also had a well edited paper and a bank. The population in this part of the county, however, would not support so many businesses and toward the close of the decade some of the stores were moved away. Asbury, however, is an important place and a considerable business is transacted here. It is strictly a farming town.
Vol. 1 -28
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First Decade of the Twentieth Century
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CENSUS OF 1900
The County 84,018
Duval township including part of Neck City 1,026
Neck City, total in Duval and Mineral townships
528
Galena township, including Joplin 32,976
Joplin 26,023
Jackson township 1,678
Jasper township 1,175
Joplin township, including Webb City and Carterville 18,499
Carterville 4,445
Webb City 9,201
Lincoln township 665
McDonald township, including Avilla 1,203
Madison township 1,184
Marion township, including Carthage 11,056
Carthage 9,416
Mineral township, including Oronogo, Neck City and Purcell. 4,644
Oronogo township 2,073
Preston township, including Jasper City 1,597
Jasper City 627
Sarcoxie township, including Sarcoxie, Reeds, etc. 3,335
Sarcoxie City
1,126
Sheridan township
851
Twin Grove township, including Carl Junction Carl Junction 1,177
2,628
Union township 1,377
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CHAPTER XXXIX -
GENERAL COUNTY TOPICS
COUNTY POLITICS THE COUNTY SCHOOLS STATE COURSE OF STUDY- JASPER COUNTY TEACHERS' INSTITUTE-STATE UNIVERSITY S. W. MISSOURI ALUMNI ASSOCIATION-PURCELL-LA RUSSELL-BUILDING A CHURCH IN A DAY-SEMI-MILITARY SOCIETIES-RAILROADS VISIT OF THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA-THE DROUGHT OF 1901-THE OTHER EXTREME-WATERS ON A TEAR.
The election of 1900 was hotly contested, but the excitement which attended the campaign of 1896 was not in evidence to the extent that it was when Bryan and Mckinley were before the people the first time. William Mckinley was the Republican candidate for president and Will- iam Jennings Bryan had again been nominated by the Democrats. Jasper county went Democratic, but by a reduced majority over the vote of four years before. The result was as follows: Bryan, 9,640; Mckinley, 8,741.
At this election the following candidates were successful: Repre- sentative of Eastern district, Thomas Hackney; representative of West- ern district, Obe Whitmere; sheriff, Ab Rich; collector, Robert A. Wil- son; associate justice Eastern district, Henry Adkins; associate justice Western district, J. A. Ristine; treasurer, Wm. Lochrie; assessor, Sher- man Qualls; surveyor, T. V. Grebe; public administrator, John Arm- strong; coroner, Dr. W. A. Dumbald.
The election of 1902 was a Republican victory, the vote on the gen- eral election being : Republican ticket, 7,240; Democratic, 6,779. A mixed county ticket was elected as follows: State senator, Hugh McIndo; rep- resentative Eastern district, W. R. Logan; representative Central dis- trict, Charles E. Elliott; representative Western district, R. N. Graham; presiding judge of county court, C. W. Dykeman; associate justice, . Eastern district, E. Hubbard; associate justice, Western district, Allen Dixon; prosecuting attorney, A. H. Redding; circuit clerk, A. F. Car- mean; county clerk, L. L. Ashcraft; recorder, T. B. Hobbs; sheriff, James T. Owen; collector, S. J. Chitwood; treasurer, C. J. Smith; coroner, C. A. Eames; public administrator, J. W. Sennett.
The 1904 campaign was by far the most exciting of the decade, on account of the intense feeling in the Democratic party over the guberna- torial nomination centering between Mayor Reid of Kansas City and Circuit Attorney Jos. W. Folk, of St. Louis. The intense feeling in the Democratic party caused a bitterness that was kept at white heat during
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the entire campaign, and resulted most logically, in a Republican landslide.
On November 6, 1906, the county officers elected were as follows: Prosecuting attorney, H. Compton; circuit clerk, A. F. Carmean; county clerk, Lon. L. Ashcraft; collector, Robert M. Sloan; recorder, J. B. Chaffee; treasurer, J. B. Yaryan; presiding judge, C. W. Dykeman; associate judge, Western district, Allen Dixon; probate judge, Edward E. Hubbard; coroner, Ernest H. Baird; representative Eastern district, A. Clay Stemmons; representative Central district, Samuel F. Clark; representative Western district, James Roach.
The county officers elected November 3, 1908, were as follows: Prose- cuting attorney, Byron Coon; circuit judge No. 1, Henry L. Bright; Cir- cuit judge No. 2, David E. Blair; coroner, Ernest H. Baird; sheriff, Arch McDonald; Assessor, Ed. H. Chitwood; treasurer, J. B. Yaryan; sur- veyor, W. H. Kohlman; public administrator, Rob. N. Alexander; asso- ciate judge, east district, J. A. Wright; associate judge, west district, Allen Dixon.
On November 8, 1910, the county officers elected were: Prosecuting attorney, William Andrews; circuit judge, Joseph D. Perkins; county judge, Eastern district, J. A. Wright; county judge, Western district, Allen Dixon; probate judge, N. H. Kelso; circuit clerk, Della Sharp; county clerk, L. H. Thomas; county collector, R. L. Sloan; recorder, Frank B. Logan.
JASPER COUNTY VOTES FOR LOCAL OPTION, 1910
In 1910, and largely on account of the temperance agitation of the Rev. W. A. Sunday, who had conducted a very successful revival at Joplin in November and December, 1909, the county voted on the ques- tion of local prohibition. Joplin, Webb City, Carthage and Carterville voted separately on the question. The campaign was short but very ex- citing, and the result was as follows: Joplin, 6,504 votes cast, majority against local option, 814; Webb City, 2,506 votes cast, majority for local option, 67; Carthage, 2,176 votes cast, majority for local option, 176; Carterville, 980 votes cast, majority for local option, 134. The county at large, including the county precincts and all towns excepting the above, cast 4,752 votes and gave a majority for local option of 1,916.
THE COUNTY SCHOOLS
In 1899 State Superintendent Carrington prepared a uniform course of study for the rural schools of the state, covering eight years of work and corresponding with the eight years usually covered by the primary and grammar grades of the city schools. As an incentive for using this course of study it was provided that at the close of the school year the grades of the pupils throughout the county should be cast up, and those having successfully completed the eight-years' work were to be granted diplomas by the county superintendent certifying to the fact that they had finished the work mapped out for the first eight years of the state
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course of instruction and, on the presentation of this certificate of grad- uation, the holder was entitled to admission to the Freshmen class of any of the high schools of the state which he might chose to attend.
This course of study was generally adopted by the rural teachers of the county and Superintendent E. D. Dennison put forth every effort to carry to a successful termination the wishes of the state superintendent. Of course the classification of the pupils the first year was a difficult task and required great pains and labor from not only the superintend- ent but the teachers as well, but after numerous conferences and much hard labor the classification was satisfactorily arranged.
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