USA > Missouri > Linn County > Compendium of history and biography of Linn County, Missouri > Part 23
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graded, trees planted and walks built. From time to time ornaments were added to the park, including a rifle cannon and mortar, relics of the Civil War, donated by the government of the United States, through the courtesy of Senator William J. Stone, Senator William Warner and Congressman W. W. Rucker. Ornamental fountains were built from which pour living streams to soften and cool the summer air, and on the bosom of the miniature lake, set like a mirror in the green carpet of the beauty spot, aquatic fowls disport themselves, and the graceful movements of snow white swans ever attract and hold the interest of the visitor. Lounging in comfort on the spreading lawns of this park, beneath grateful shade, the murmur of fountains and the moisture-laden breezes lulling to sleep the tired senses, our people have reason to remember gratefully the enterprise of Walter Cash and his live, progressive, wide-awake administration, and later the unselfish interest and untiring industry of R. M. Wrenn, whose labor and effort have added in no small way to the attractions of Ripley Square.
Up to the period when Mayor Cash took the oath of office the city was entirely without fire-fighting apparatus. Insurance rates were high, the fire record was bad and many of the first companies were clos- ing up their agencies and withdrawing from the town. Among the first acts of the new administration was the submission of a proposition to a vote of the people to bond the city in the sum of $1,500 dollars, the money to be used in the purchase of a "hand fire engine." The proposition carried almost without dissenting votes, the apparatus was purchased, a volunteer fire company organzied and thus a modi- cum of fire protection was afforded the citizens. While the machine was crude and, so far as the writer is informed, it never arrived in time to save the burning building when an alarm was turned in, yet to the good housewife "next door," whose home seemed doomed, whose chil- dren clung in terror to her skirts, the raucous clanging of its gong was seraphic music. The pump was operated by hand and the men worked for love of home and without hope of remuneration, and that they saved many homes from destruction which, but for their effort, would have gone up in flames with the property adjoining, entitles Marceline's earliest fire fighting to a place in the grateful remembrance of her people.
One of these early-day fires came near resulting in the undoing of one of Marceline's pioneer physicians-Dr. J. T. Martin. The doctor had come to the town with the first arivals, hung out his sign as a practitioner and opened a drug store on the northeast corner of Kan- sas and California avenues. He was a studious man, an indefatigable
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investigator and being yet comparatively fresh from college was not ready to give up his researches into the mysteries of the anatomy of man. To more intelligently pursue his favorite subject he had pro- cured a human body and had the cadaver reposing in his private study in the rear of the drug store awaiting a favorable opportunity to proceed with dissection at his leisure. One night the doctor was called out to see a patient and his clerk having gone home, he locked up the drug store, put his medical case under his arm and was off to minister to his patient. His visit was a distant one and returning he saw a red glow in the vicinity of Marceline, and watching it curiously he rode along not specially concerned, for the reason that fires were not rare in Marceline, and so had lost interest in a measure to those not directly concerned. As it was the fashion in those early days for the proprietor of the burning building to be in town, as a rule, when the fire broke forth, and conveniently located so that he could be found and informed of his misfortune, and appear properly shocked and grieved, Dr. Martin rode in all unsuspecting, and his amazement was sincere when he found his own drug store was in ashes. Meantime, the doctor, one of the most popular of men up to this time, was advised by his friends that he could not get away any too quickly if his per- sonal safety was to be assured, as a mob was forming threatening serious bodily injury to him and the more excitable ones were talking lynching. In answer to his excited inquiries, the doctor was informed that when the flames broke out in the roof of his building, people rushed to the spot, and not finding him there, broke into the building with a view to saving his library and other personal belongings. Among the first articles they uncovered was the cadaver, and as it offered no explanation of its presence, the cry was raised that the doctor was a grave robber, and excitement and indignation was at fever heat. The physician was persuaded by his friends to remain away until explana- tions could be forthcoming and excitement subside. This he did, and he produced evidence to convince his neighbors not only that he was not a murderer or a ghoul, but that he had come into possession of the cadaver legally and honorably, and so at the end of forty-eight hours the doctor returned to Marceline, hung his sign again and the inci- dent passed. His anatomical specimen, however, perished, as did his library and other office belongings, for every man who had rushed to that fire imbued with the idea of unselfishly saving Dr. Martin's prop- erty, had business elsewhere as soon as he caught a glimpse of the figure reclining on the doctor's sofa. This incident was in 1889 and was followed in 1894 by one very similar in first appearances, but of
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vastly different results. Dr. Fox was conducting a drug store at the corner of Kansas and Gracia avenues and had an ice box back of his prescription case. One day the dealer was delivering ice to the doctor and noticed the lid was partially off a very long, slender box, sitting nearby, and to his terror and amazement he beheld protruding from the box the feet of a woman. He did not stop to investigate, nor did he hesitate to talk, and soon the whole town and countryside were dis- cussing with bated breath the gruesome discovery in Fox's drug store. Fox was arrested, and tried in Chariton county on a charge of "body snatching," the fact having developed that the body was that of a young woman who had then but recently died in that county a few miles south of Marceline. The doctor's assistant, a man of excellent standing in the community, told the whole story on the witness stand, of a midnight ride in a buggy to the lonely cemetery; of the opening of the grave, over which the earth was yet new; of the return to town with the body between them in the buggy, and though there was no conviction in the case, it resulted in a radical change of the laws of the state of Missouri, so that now the hazard is too great, the penalty too severe for adventures of that kind and character. The little church- yard received again the poor, inanimate form so ruthlessly taken from its silent portals, and with the passing of Dr. Fox from the community the most grewsome incident in the history of the town was allowed to pass from the memory of the people. Perhaps it were as well had the gruesome story never been retold, but as the sun ever follows the shadow of the rain and as the dawn of right dispels and dissipates the darkness of wrong, so the restraining legislation that sprang from this incident has fully compensated for all the heartaches that its presence brought.
Thus far Marceline had struggled along, passing through the trials and vicissitudes incident to the early history of new towns, but in the early spring of 1903 rumors of important railroad additions to the city began to be heard. No one apparently knew from whence they came and but little credence was given them. The Chicago division of the Santa Fe had been divided, the eastern end being known as the Illinois division, the western end as the Missouri division, and in March of that year the announcement was made that the office of division superintendent of the Missouri division, general foreman of bridges and buildings, the division engineering department and all the additional forces that go with them, were to be located at Marceline without delay. A second story was added to the depot to accommodate the new offices and in that month R. J. Parker, superintendent, who
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had built up an enviable reputation in connection with J. H. Banker, the general foreman, in construction work on the mountain divisions, came to Marceline to locate, and with them came T. H. Sears as train- master. Mr. Parker remained at Marceline as superintendent until the double track building, which had been started by the Santa Fe, was well under way, and in 1906 went to La Junta, Colorado, as general superintendent of the Western Grand division of the Santa Fe system, which position he held until 1910, when he became general superin- tendent of the system, with headquarters at Topeka. Mr. Parker was succeeded as Superintendent by T. H. Sears, who, with A. Ewing as trainmaster, J. H. Banker as general foreman of bridges and buildings, G. J. Bell, division engineer, George W. Bailey, agent, and A. L. Crabbs, chief dispatcher, constitute the heads of departments at the date of the preparation of this chapter. Since locating here the importance of the division offices have increased to such an extent that more commodious quarters are required and bids are to be opened in Topeka, Kansas, the headquarters of the Santa Fe system, at an early date, on the contract for a $30,000 brick office building and pas- senger station at Marceline and for a $12,000 freight house. From six passenger trains per day in the early nineties, the business of the road has grown until eighteen passenger trains stop at Marceline daily, and over its 800 miles of double track, stretching from Chicago to Dodge City, Kansas, millions of dollars in freight are transported daily.
During all the time that the Santa Fe has been in operation from Kansas City to Chicago, prior to 1909, the subject of water at Mar- celine had been a vexed question. During the dry months of each summer tank trains ran regularly between Marceline and Carrollton, to supply the demand of the railway at Marceline for water, and strong talk of the need of a water system began to be heard on the streets. The excellent business administration of Wesley Ellis and L. E. Pan- cost were followed by the election of Dr. B. B. Putman, as mayor, in 1908. Dr. Putman was a man of determination and a financier of long experience. He took his seat as mayor in May of that year and at once discontinued the illegal practice which had prevailed since the begin- ning of the town of issuing city warrants where money was needed and none was in the treasury, thus putting the city on a cash basis. In July following, $3,600 in revenue that had been realized by the city each year since 1891, was taken from Dr. Putman's administration by the voting out of the saloons, the election occurring on July 7th of that year. Notwithstanding this decrease in revenue, Dr. Putman continued his policy of drawing warrants only when there was cash to
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cover, pursued a policy of economy, reduced the city's floating indebt- edness and in his general conduct of the city's affairs left a record that will give him place as the best executive in the history of the city down to his time. In November, 1908, a proposition was submitted to the city to vote bonds in the sum of $50,000 to erect a system of water works. The proposition carried with only thirty-six dissenting votes and the city at once entered actively into the work of the construction of its water works. The system was completed and in operation the following year. Under this administration came also the first paving and to give the work a start two blocks were paved on Kansas avenue, stretching from Ritchie to Gracia avenue, and in the fall of 1911 the preliminary steps were taken to continue the paving to other blocks and to other streets. During the four years, from 1908 to 1912, a num- ber of industries were located at Marceline. The plentiful supply of fuel and an abundance of water making the place attractive from a business view. The Standard Oil pumping station, with its great pumps assisting in the work of driving crude oil from the fields of Oklahoma, by pipe lines, to the refineries in the East, built massive concrete structures at Marceline and began active operation. The bottling works and creamery of B. McAllister & Sons began a success- ful business which has steadily increased. Enterprises already located increased their capacity and doubled their working forces and new business houses and handsome dwellings supplanted the temporary structures of early days. The Santa Fe Railway erected its library and recreation building for its employes on its right of way near Howell street, and here, through the winter months, are given lectures, concerts and high class theatricals by the very best talent traveling, without charge to the people and while Marceline was well provided with public parks and grounds, it remained for the year 1912 to give it the splendid pleasure resort in West Marceline of the Santa Fe Country Club Association. With the completion of the water works the Santa Fe Railway Company began taking water for its use from the pipes of the city exclusively. At the western part of the city the railroad owns forty acres of land on which it constructed at the town's beginning a great reservoir covering about twenty-two acres of the tract. This lake, thirty feet in depth, filled with clear, clean water, was formerly the source of the water supply of the railway, and when the railroad began to receive water from the city it abandoned the lake. Early in 1912 the employes of the Santa Fe began a movement to lease this ground, with its great lake, and convert it into a pleasure resort. They invited the co-operation of the citizens of the town,
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with the result that at the February term, 1912, of the Linn County Circuit Court at Brookfield the Santa Fe Country Club Association was incorporated and immediately a lease was consummated whereby the association came into possession of the grounds and lake of the railway company. The officers named in the articles of association were L. T. Sears, president; E. W. Tayler, vice-president, and D. L. Brown, secretary, and the association began at once the erection of a handsome clubhouse, purchased boats, planted trees and took all the necessary steps to beautify the grounds. This splendid resort will soon be thrown open to the people, but being a private enterprise can only be enjoyed by members of the association and their families.
Marceline has for many years enjoyed the music of a superior concert band made up entirely from the ranks of its laboring men. The membership has contained from time to time men who had played in European musical organizations, and under the leadership of Frank Strahal has been active, progressive and a source of much pleasure to our people. Its open concerts in the parks delighted audiences of chil- dren in the years gone by and those children, grown to manhood and womanhood, listen to its sweet strains today while their own children sit by their side. True, the personnel of the organization has changed, but the organization itself has remained intact, increasing in efficiency with accumulating years.
With the passing of the boom days came permanency in business. Real estate values became stable and normal; conservative, careful business men took the place of and superseded the speculator; legiti- mate amusement superseded the dance hall. But few of the original buildings, erected by the town's pioneers, remain in evidence today and what have not been razed to the ground or destroyed by flame have been removed to make way for better and more modern struc- tures. During the period from 1890 to 1900 conflagrations were almost of nightly occurrence and so desperate did the situation grow that at one time a large body of citizens, their faces masked, visited a num- ber of houses and took therefrom suspects. The suspects were roughly handled and given hours to leave town and they did so. What is known as the "Finn case" was an outgrowth of this period. In 1898 one John Finn was living in rooms over the Marceline Mercantile Establishment, at the corner of Kansas and California avenues. Other persons dwelling in the flat one day detected fumes of burning cloth and an investigation was started. Though the smell of smoke was plain the fire could not be discovered. Finally entrance was gained to Finn's room, where a hole was discovered in the ceiling which had been
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carefully covered with paper. Gaining entrance to the open space between the ceiling and the tin roof the astounding discovery was made that a large quantity of greasy waste had been placed in this gar- ret and a candle lighted and set up in the waste. When discovered the candle had burned low and the waste was smouldering and burning. Officers were notified who found Finn sitting in front of a business house on Kansas avenue. Seeing the officer approaching him, Finn scented danger and broke and ran, and though followed immediately, he seemed for a time to have dropped from the earth. Two days after- ward he was found hiding in a small cellar, approached by a trap door, under the floor of the residence of his brother-in-law, in the south part of town. When the officers entered this cellar they found there not only Finn, the fire-bug, but a large quantity of drugs, medicines and toilet articles as well, evidently the result of the burglary of some drug store. Nothing was ever known as to the place from whence these articles were secured and Finn was prosecuted alone on the charge of arson. On this charge he went to the penitentiary under a sentence of fifteen years.
Of the early arrivals in the commercial life of Marceline, but few remain in active business today. Of these J. Hemming, J. L. Potts, W. A. Campbell, W. N. Wheeler, J. A. Nickell, E. M. Randolph, Tom F. Hott, J. R. Wrenn, Sig Steiner, Dr. J. H. Perrin, Drs. J. S. and W. A. Cater and Dr. J. D. Thompson, are yet familiar figures on the streets.
The spring elections of 1912 brought into official harness, as Mar- celine's mayor, E. D. Haldeman, claims adjuster for the Santa Fe. He was elected on a platform declaring for reforms all along the line and with his administration came an increase in the number of aldermen by reason of the addition of new wards, making a board of eight members. In his initial address the new mayor made it clear that he believes with Carlysle that our grand business in life is not to see what lies dimly before us at a distance, but to do what clearly lies at hand, and entering vigorously into the performance of his duties, he carries with him the goodwill and support of the people.
If success in the building of cities means alone the assembling of many thousands of people at a given spot, dwelling in congested resi- dence districts and transacting vast business affairs in towering build- ings of brick and stone and mortar, then the millions of dwellers in the interior cities of the world have failed. But, if it means churches and homes and schools and libraries and societies and parks in the valleys, mountains and plains, where prosperity ever breathes its scented breath; if it means modest business in modest structures in the
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land of live and let live, where want and hunger never come, then the founders of Marceline have succeeded in their ambition and a city is built. Throughout the process of Marceline's building its women have added in no small way to the success of the enterprise. Coming on the townsite when it was a literal city of tents, the wives, mothers, sisters and daughters have stood day by day at the side of the builders, ready to assist in the work and lending encouragement and hope by the inspiration of their presence. Men are but machines in business affairs of every-day life, but as evening approaches the eyes turn involuntarily to the never-fading beauties of home, where
"Music on the spirit lies, Like tired eyelids on tired eyes,"
and where awaits him, with approving smile, the true inspiration of all his best effort, for "As the vine which has long twined its graceful foliage about the oak, and been lifted by it in sunshine, will, when the hardy plant is rifted by the thunderbolt, cling round it with caress- ing tendrils, and bind up its shattered boughs, so is it beautifully ordained by providence that woman, who is the mere dependent and ornament of man in his happier hours, should be his stay and solace when smitten with sudden calamity; winding herself into the rugged recesses of his nature, tenderly supporting the dropping head and binding up the broken heart."
BUCKLIN
(By George L. Joyce)
Bucklin was laid out originally on the east half of Lot 2; northwest quarter of Section 2, Township 57, Range 18, in October, 1854. William S. McClanahan, county surveyor, began the survey of the town on the eighth of the month and completed it on the eleventh. James H. Wat- son and Dr. John F. Powers were the owners of the land and were the chief promoters of the town.
At the time of Bucklin's creation a Major Bucklin was chief engineer of the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad, which was then in process of construction across the state. The town was named as a complement to the Major, and it was thought by the sagacious promo- ter, would result in the establishment of the division at Bucklin. It might be here remarked that many years later Bucklin also had similar aspirations concerning the Santa Fe Railroad, but was disappointed.
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It matters not; the town has grown with the county and is enjoying the facilities of two great trunk lines of railroad and the trade of a splen- did farming community. All it hoped for in the way of commercial prosperity has been well realized.
The original town was laid out something over half a mile north of the Hannibal & St. Joe track.
Some of the railroad people used to speak of the place as Bucklin- ville, and it must have gone by that name on the records of the com- pany, for Josiah Hunt, the land commissioner of the railroad, on Aug- ust 1, 1859, laid out the first addition to the place, and caused it to be recorded as "the first addition to the town of Bucklinville."
Towner & Stuenkel laid out an addition in February, 1877, and designated it as "an addition to Bucklinville," just as Hunt had done.
The word Bucklinville, however, is never heard of now. The town is located on a ridge between the Chariton and Grand rivers. It is high, well-drained and healthful.
The first structures in Bucklin were the railroad shanties. Noah Carter operated the first store. F. A. Davenport, son of Mr. and Mrs. Martin Davenport, was the first male child born in Bucklin, his birth occurring in December, 1855. Sarah, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Austin, was the first girl baby born in the town.
The first marriage was that of William Poole and Rachel Minnick. The ceremony occurred at the residence of Samuel Minnick in February, 1858, and was conducted by Squire Charles C. Clifton.
The first school house was built in 1858. It was entirely of frame and cost the modest sum of $350. Squire Shannon was the first teacher.
The Reverend Mitchell, a primitive Baptist minister, held the first religious services in Bucklin, in the residence of John L. Watson.
Dr. Rider is credited with being the first physician.
In 1858 a cemetery was laid out about half a mile north of the town. A United States postoffice was established in 1859, the year the Hannibal & St. Joe road began operating across the state. John Walker was the first postmaster.
Following the depression caused by the Civil War, Bucklin thrived rapidly. New stores were put up and various industries established. The Bucklin mills were built and put in operation by Messrs. Pounds & Stevenson in 1867. The plant cost between $5,000 and $6,000, and was the most complete of its kind in this section of the state. It diverted an immense amount of traffic to Bucklin.
Bucklin was incorporated in 1866. The following board of trustees was appointed by the county court :
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J. H. Wyett, Robert Wheeler, E. L. Carlton, Thomas Burke and George Sweeney.
The failure of Bucklin to secure the Santa Fe division had a depressing effect temporarily; business was quiet and enterprise lagged. Marceline, the place selected by the road for the division, was only six miles south, and it naturally developed fast. People from Linn and other counties were hastening there to get into business while the floodtide of prosperity was on.
But the stagnation of Bucklin did not last long. The people rea- lized that the loss of the division did not by any means threaten the standing of their town, and that its splendid location could not be taken away.
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