USA > Missouri > Encyclopedia of the history of Missouri, a compendium of history and biography for ready reference, Vol. I > Part 2
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ACADEMY OF OUR LADY OF MERCY-ACADEMY OF ST. JOSEPH.
Academy of Our Lady of Mercy .- See "Joplin."
Academy of Science, St. Louis .- About the year 1843 five or six young men, among whom were Dr. W. G. Eliot and Dr. George Engelmann, met in the office of Judge Marie P. Leduc to found what for a time was known as the Western Academy of Science. Their organization purchased a few acres of ground near what is now Eighth Street and Chouteau Avenue, and on a small scale a botanical garden and arboretum were begun there by Dr. Engelmann; but the numbers were small, and the Western Academy of Science soon ceased to exist. On the 10th of March, 1856, some of these same men, with others, came together in the hall of the Board of Public Schools of the city, and then organ- ized what has since existed as the Academy of Science of St. Louis. Dr. George Engelmann was the first president, and that office has since been filled by such well known scientific men and representative citizens of St. Louis as B. F. Shumard, Adolphus Wislizenus, Hiram A. Prout, Dr. John B. Johnson, James B. Eads, William T. Harris, Charles V. Riley, Francis E. Nipher, Henry S. Pritchett, John Green, Melvin L. Gray and Edmund A. Engler. Under the constitution, active ment- bership is limited to persons interested in science, but it has never been the rule of the academy that they should be actively engaged in research. The roll of 759 members who have been elected since the organization of the academy, of whom 202 are now carried on the active list, includes many names of per- sons who stand high in the business and pro- fessional community. A considerable list of non-resident corresponding members has been elected, who are connected with some of the larger scientific establishments of the world and noted for their attainments. One person, Mr. Edwin Harrison, for eminent service and large donations to the academy, has been elected a patron.
The act of incorporation declares the object of the academy to be the advancement of science and the establishment in St. Louis of a museum and library for the illustration and study of its various branches. The constitu- tion provides for holding meetings for the consideration and discussion of scientific sub- jects, procuring original papers upon such subjects, publishing worthy scientific matter,
establishing and maintaining a cabinet of ob- jects illustrative of science and a library of works relating thereto, and the institution of relations with other scientific organizations.
The regular meetings of the academy are held at 8 o'clock on the first and third Monday evenings of each month, excepting the summer season, and they are open to all persons, without special invitation. They are devoted to the reading of technical papers designed for publication, and to the presenta- tion of more popular abstracts of recent inves- tigation or progress. Occasional public lec- tures, calculated to interest a larger audience, are provided for in some suitable hall.
Beginning with the officers for 1857, the charter, approved January 17, and accepted February 9, 1857, the by-laws and the record and papers from March 10, 1856, the trans- actions of the Academy of Science of St. Louis have now extended through seven oc- tavo volumes, averaging 700 pages each, in addition to which several special publications have been issued.
In its early years, the academy met in Pope's Medical College, where a small library and museum had been brought together; but in May, 1869, the building was destroyed by fire, and the academy saved only its library. The library now contains over 20,000 books and pamphlets, and is very rich in the proceedings of the learned bodies of the entire civilized world, with many hundreds of which the acad- emy stands in intimate exchange relation ; and, though it is not a circulating library, nor, in the proper sense, a public library, it is always available for consultation by persons wishing to make serious use of it, by arrange- ment with the proper officers. Since the loss of its museum the academy has lacked ade- quate room and funds for the maintenance of a public museum, but it is each year obtain- ing a firmer hold on the interest and affection of the community, through widened member- ship, and its officers are looking forward to the possibility, in the not distant future, of securing for St. Louis a carefully planned educational museum of natural history, which can not fail to be of great use in stimulating research and promoting popular education in science, especially through its availability for the use of the teachers in the public schools.
Academy of St. Joseph .- A private school at IIannibal, under the direction of the
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ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART, ST. CHARLES-ADAIR COUNTY.
Sisters of St. Joseph, whose mother house is in St. Louis. In 1864 the Catholic Church of Hannibal raised funds by popular subscrip- tion and purchased the building and grounds of the Hannibal Institute, an unsuccessful pri- vate school, and deeded the property to the Sisters of St. Joseph, who first opened the in- stitution as a parochial school, which was so successful that it was soon evolved into an academy. Extensive improvements have been made at different times, and the value of the grounds and buildings are now estimated at nearly $50,000.
Academy of the Sacred Heart, St. Charles .- An academy for young ladies at St. Charles. It was the first instituted in America by the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In 1818 Madame Duchesne, one of the first associates of the founder of the order, Mother Madeline Sophie Barret, arrived in New Or- leans from France. She soon came to St. Louis, accompanied by Octavie Berthold, Eu- genie Ande and others, with the desire of working for the conversion of Indians. Bishop Dubourg gave her plan his approbation, and St. Charles was fixed upon as a location. There a log cabin of two rooms was provided, but poverty soon drove the little band to St. Louis. They soon established a house at Florissant, where the school became success- ful. In 1828 Madame Duchesne, with Mes- dames Berthold, Lucille and O'Conner, ac- companied by Bishop Rosatti and several Jesuit Fathers, returned to St. Charles and erected a small chapel. October 29, Mes- dames Lucille and O'Conner opened school with five pupils, and in a few months this number was increased to fifty. In 1844 the property was enlarged to meet the require- ments of increased numbers of pupils, and ten years later large and substantial additions were erected. In 1875 one of the buildings was damaged by fire, and in 1876 by a tor- nado, but without loss of life.
Academy of the Sacred Heart, St. Joseph. - In 1853 four Sisters of the Sacred Heart went from St. Louis to St. Joseph and founded this institution, which is now the old- est school in the city. The foundation of the present convent building was laid in 1856. The institution is now one of the most popular of its kind conducted in the West under the auspices of this sisterhood.
Adair County. - A county in the north ern part of the State, bounded on the north by Putnam and Schuyler; east, by Scotland and Knox; south, by Macon, and west, by Sulli- van County ; area, 367,000 acres. The surface of the county is undulating, and about equally divided between prairie and timber. The Chariton River flows through the county from north to south, a few miles west of the center, heavy growths of timber extending for many miles on either side. The chief tributaries of the Chariton are Blackbird, Shuteye, Spring, Billy, Hog and Walnut Creeks on the west, and Hazel, Rye, Big and Sugar Creeks on the east. East of a gentle divide, which passes through the county from north to southi, east of the center, are South Fabius, Cottonwood, Lloyd, Steer, Timber, Bear and Bee Creeks, and Salt River, all flowing in an eastwardly direction toward the Mississippi. Beautiful forests of timber fringe these winding streams. The principal woods are maple, black walnut, different kinds of oak, elm, lind, hickory, hackberry and cottonwood. The soil is vari- able, but is principally a dark, sandy loam of much productiveness, and capable of growing great crops of the different kinds to which it is adapted. Corn yields an average of 30 bushels to the acre; oats, 23 bushels; wheat, 15 bushels, and potatoes, 100 bushels. About 75 per cent of the land is under cultivation, 10 per cent in pasture and the remainder in tim- ber. A stratum of bituminous coal underlies the greater part of the county, and a number of mines are extensively operated. Coal min- ing is fast increasing in importance, giving employment to about 2,000 hands in the county. The county contains abundance of limestone, sandstone and fire clay of great purity. The report of the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in 1898 the surplus pro- ducts shipped from the county were : Cattle, 3,406 head ; hogs, 25,290 head; sheep, 1,148 head ; horses and mules, 95 head; oats, 1,996 bushels; corn, 31,067 bushels; hay, 98,500 pounds ; flour, 635,740 pounds ; corn meal, 5,- 900 pounds, shipstuff, 58,750 pounds ; clover seed, 27,000 pounds; timothy seed, 87,020 pounds; lumber, 607,700 feet; walnut logs, 18,000 feet; piling and posts, 66,000 feet ; cross-ties, 18,614; cordwood, 156 cords; cooperage, 13 cars; coal, 58,320 tons; gravel, 8 cars ; lime, 24 barrels; tobacco, 400 pounds ; potatoes, 549 bushels ; poultry, 2,550,- 299 pounds ; eggs, 155,979 dozen; butter,
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ADAIR COUNTY.
51,190 pounds ; tallow, 21,855 pounds ; hides and pelts, 62,922 pounds ; apples, 790 barrels ; fresh fruit, 908,610 pounds ; vegetables, 15,400 pounds ; meats, 2,215 pounds ; canned goods, 40,000 pounds; nursery stock, 9,000 pounds ; furs, 7,752 pounds ; feathers, 28,960 pounds. Other articles exported were dressed meats, game, fish, molasses, cider and wool. It is a matter that remains in obscurity just who was the first white man to visit the territory now Adair County. As near as tradition can fix, the date of first settlement is 1828, when a number of whites settled near the present site of Kirksville, and the little colony became known to the Indians as the "Cabins of White Folks." There is little known of the members of this colony, where they came from or whither they went. It is generally thoughit that they came from Kentucky. They were in the settlement about a year when they were visited by a large band of Iowa Indians, who shamefully abused the women and committed numerous depredations. The settlers not be- ing of sufficient number to protect themselves, and becoming thoroughly alarmed, dispatched a courier to the settlements in Randolph County. On the night of July 24, 1829, the messenger arrived at the house of William Blackwell, who resided about four miles north of the site of Macon City, some fifty miles from the "Cabins." His story of the Indian outrages passed quickly through the settle- ments, and before the next evening a com- pany had been organized, and, under com- mand of Captain Trammel, marched to a point now in Macon County, called the "Grand Nar- rows," an opening in the timber bordering a prairie. There they camped for the night, and the following day marched to the "Cabins," a distance of more than forty miles. The next morning a council was held, and it was determined to request the Indians to re- tttrn to their homes. A march of several miles was made to the rear of the Indian encamp- ment. A call for an interpreter was made. As the Indians approached, one of the white men, named Myers, who was one of the colony at the "Cabins," shot and instantly killed an In- dian whom he recognized as one who had grossly abused his wife. Without parley the Indians began to load their guns, the squaws retreating. Captain Trammel gave his men orders to fire, which were obeyed, but his men, not waiting to reload, awed by the large nuin- ber of the Indians, retreated, followed for
some distance by the Indians. Going to the "Cabins," the women and children were bun- dled up, and the party marched all night and part of the next day, until they reached a place within five miles of Huntsville. There a short rest was taken, after which the women and children were sent to Howard County. Another company of about sixty-five men was organized, and, under command of Captain Sconce, returned to where the battle with the Indians had taken place. There they found the bodies of three nien, Winn, Owenly and Myers, who had been killed by the Indians, and also the bodies of three braves. The re- mains of the white men were buried, and those of the Indians were left where they were found. Returning to Howard County, a regi- ment was formed and placed under command of Colonel John B. Clark, and an expedition was made against the Indians, who were driven over into Iowa Territory. The trouble with the Indians prevented further attempts at settlement in Adair County territory until the spring of 1831, when a number of Ken- tuckians located upon land. Among these settlers were John Stewart, John Cain, An- drew Thompson, Robert Meyers, Frayel Mey- ers, Jesse Jones, James A. Adkins and Wash- ington and Lewis Conner. John Cain settled about five miles northwest of Kirksville; the Stewarts about six miles north of Kirksville, and near them the Adkins settled ; Jesse Jones settled south of John Cain, on the Chariton River. On the land located by Cain a fort was built, called Fort Clark, after Colonel John B. Clark, and one at the headwaters of Salt River, in what is now Section 36. Adair County was organized January 29, 1841, and named for a county in Kentucky, from which came nearly all the early settlers in Adair County territory. The creative act named Jefferson Collins, of Lewis County; L. B. Mitchell, of Clark, and Thomas Ferrell, of Monroe County, commissioners to locate a permanent seat of justice, and directed that a site be selected within two and a half miles of the center of the county. A public meeting was held at a place about one mile southeast of Kirksville on the day of the first meeting of the county seat commissioners, and an ef- fort made to have the county seat located there. Jesse Kirk had settled 'on a tract of land now part of the town of Kirksville. He had only a settlement right to the property, but offered to donate fifty acres of the tract to
ADAMS.
the county for county seat purposes. His offer was accepted, and the report of the com- missioners to that effect was made to the cir- cuit court, December 30, 1841. The report was not approved, as there was no perfect title to the land. Later the tract was duly entered and the title to the property perfected. The land was laid out in town lots, which were sold at public auction. The first courthouse was a log structure, and was built during 1843, and first occupied in October of that year. It oc- cupied the site where the National Bank of Kirksville now stands. This building was used for about six years, when it was replaced by a brick building, which was burned on the night of March 25, 1865. In this fire a few records were burned, though there was no serious loss suffered. From that time until 1898 the county had no courthouse, rooms for county offices and court purposes being rented. In 1898 a fine courthouse was com- menced, and completed in 1899, at a cost of $50,000. It is a beautiful structure from base- ment to roof, built of Ohio limestone, and finely finished throughout. It is one of the most substantial, artistic and best equipped courthouses in Missouri. Prior to the Civil War a small jail was built, and is still in use. The county has a small poor farm. The cost of keeping the county poor is about $1,000 a year. The first circuit court for Adair County was held at the house of John Cain, who lived about five miles northwest of the site of Kirks- ville, on April 23, 1841, Honorable James A. Clark, presiding judge, with David James, clerk, and Isaac N. Eby, sheriff. The mem- bers of the first grand jury were Jesse Jones, E. Braggs, James A. Adkins, John Warner, William Sholl, John Nickel, Westel Mason, David Floyd, Spencer Googan, Quitley Henry, William Hurley and Walter Crocket, and a few others whose names are not obtain- able on account of the partial burning of the first circuit court records. The first indict- ments returned were for trading with Indians, playing cards, slander, etc. The first lawyer to be admitted to practice in the courts of Adair County was E. Fish, of Massachusetts, who was granted permission to practice by Judge Clark at the August, 1841, term of court. From the April, 1842, term to Octo- ber 30, 1843, the circuit court met at the house of Jesse Kirk. October 30, 1843, the session was opened in the first courthouse of the county. The members of the first county
court were Jonathan Floyd, Benjamin Mor- row and one Wilson. The first meeting of the county court was held at the house of John Cain, and subsequent meetings were held at the house of Jesse Kirk until the first court- house was finished. in 1843. At the outbreak of the Civil War the sympathies of the resi- dents of Adair County were very nearly evenly divided, perhaps with a slight majority in favor of the Union. August 6, 1862, with a force of about 2,000 men, Colonel Porter, Con- federate, took possession of the town of Kirksville. He was pursued by McNeil's Federal troops, and a lively battle took place, in which the Confederates were defeated, with a loss of about 200 men, in killed, wounded and prisoners. Little damage resulted to the town during the fight. One of the most awful events in the history of the county was the cyclone of April 27, 1899, which passed over the central part of the county, leaving death and destruction in its path. The frightful storm caused the loss of forty-two lives in Kirksville and the surrounding country, and destroyed property to the extent of nearly half a million dollars. Recovery from the effects of this calamity was rapid, and while there were left many sorrowing hearts, a united ef- fort was made to rebuild the shattered homes, and in less than a year all evidence of the work of the cyclone was wiped out. Adair County is divided into ten townships, named, respec- tively, Benton, Clay, Liberty, Morrow, Nine- veh, Pettis, Polk. Salt River, Walnut and Wil- son. The assessed value of real estate and town lots in the county in 1899 was $3,656 .- 200; estimated full value, $10,500,000; as- sessed value of personal property, including stocks, bonds, etc., $1,302,925; estimated full value, $2,605,850; value of railroads, $565,- 301. There are sixty-six miles of railroad in the county, the Wabash passing through near the center from north to south; the Omaha, Kansas City & Eastern, from east to west, and the Atchison, Topeko & Santa Fe, cross- ing the southeastern corner. The number of schools in the county in 1899 was 78; teachers employed, 115 : pupils enumerated, 6,457 ; per- manent school fund, $50.374.99. The popula- tion in 1900 was 21,728.
Adams, Charles B., lawyer, was born August 26, 1861, in Boonville, Missouri. His father, Andrew Adams, came to Missouri from his native State, Kentucky, in 1812, and
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ADAMS.
located in Howard County, near Rocheport. There he resided for a number of years, and finally engaged in the Santa Fe trade, then so lucrative a calling. This line of business, to- gether with merchandising in Old Mexico, consumed about twenty years of his active life, at the end of which time he returned to Mis- souri and located at Boonville. There he died, in 1887. Mr. Adams' mother, whose maiden name was Sarah Flournoy, was born at Inde- pendence, Missouri, and came from one of the oldest and most prominent families in the western part of the State. The father of An- drew Adams, who was a native of Virginia, where the family lived in Colonial days, emi- grated to Kentucky and married a sister of Chief Justice Boyle, of that State. Washing- ton Adams, a well known lawyer of Kansas City, is a brother of the subject of these lines. Charles B. Adams attended Haynes Academy, at Boonville, Missouri, and graduated from that institution in 1880. He then entered the law department of the University of Virginia, and received his diploma from that institution in 1885. He removed at once to Kansas City, Missouri, where he arrived in September of the year last named, and has since been a resi- dent of, and practitioner in, that city. He was first associated with his brother, Washington Adams, who was then city counselor of Kan- sas City. This business relation continued two years, at the end of which time Charles B. Adams opened an office for the practice of law alone. In 1889 lie formed a copartnership with E. E. Porterfield, which existed three years. At the end of that time Mr. Adams became associated with N. F. Heitman, of Kansas City, and they practiced together for three years, after which he again associated himself with his brother. They are now to- gether in the conduct of much of their legal business, and a strong combination of talent and ability is the result. Mr. Adams has a general practice along civil lines. Politically he is a Democrat, but takes no active part in party affairs. He is identified with the Pres- byterian Church, in which faith he was raised ; is a member of the order of Modern Wood- men of America, the Kansas City Bar Asso- ciation, and other wholesome organizations of benefit to the individual and the com- munity. Although not old in years, Mr. Adams ranks with the most able lawyers in Kansas City, is a willing supporter of public enterprises, and, withal, a loyal supporter of
his city, his State and everything pertaining to the Commonwealth's best interests.
Adams, Elmer B., lawyer and jurist, was born October 27, 1842, in the town of Pomfret, Windsor County, Vermont, son of Jarvis and Eunice (Mitchell) Adams. He is a lineal descendant of that Henry Adams who received a grant of forty acres of land in Brain- tree, Massachusetts, in the year 1636, and soon afterward emigrated from Devonshire, England, with his eight sons, thus becoming the American progenitor of the distinguished family which has given to the country two Presidents of the United States and surpassed all other American families in the number of its illustrious representatives. Reared in New England, Judge Adams was fitted for college at Kimball Union Academy, of Meri- den, New Hampshire, and was graduated from Yale College with the degree of bachelor of arts in the class of 1865. Soon after his grad- uation he was commissioned by certain wealthy and philanthropic citizens of New York and Philadelphia to travel through the Southern States-then suffering from the blighting effects of the Civil War-to establish a system of free schools to be devoted to the education of the children of the indigent white people of that region. Under these auspices he erected schoolhouses, employed teachers and inaugurated schools, which were sup- ported for a year by the contributions of the New York and Philadelphia people. Return- ing to Vermont in 1866, he began the study of law under the preceptorship of Governor P. T. Washburn and C. P. Marsh-both emi- nent lawyers, practicing together at that time in Woodstock-and also attended a course of lectures at Harvard Law School. He was admitted to the bar in Vermont in 1868, and, coming to Missouri immediately afterward, was admitted also to the bar of this State. Entering upon the practice of his profession in St. Louis, his scholarly attainments and evi- dent ability and force of character soon gained due recognition, and as a practitioner he en- joyed a large measure of success. From 1872 until 1879 he was associated professionally with Major Bradley D. Lee, their partnership being dissolved by his election to the circuit court bench in the autumn of the year last named. He had been a member of the St. Louis bar and in active practice something more than ten years when he was made the
Thus BAdany
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ADAMS.
candidate of his party for the circuit judge- ship, and at the election following he was chosen over Judge David Wagner, an ex- judge of the Supreme Court of Missouri. Taking his place upon the bench, the youngest member of the judiciary of St. Louis, his phys- ical and mental vigor supplemented a broad knowledge of the underlying principles of jurisprudence and thorough familiarity with the forms and processes of law in such a way as to make his services to the public peculiarly valuable as a judicial officer. While on the State circuit bench, certain cases involving the validity of laws providing for the collec- tion of delinquent taxes and for winding up the affairs of insolvent insurance companies came before him for adjudication, which at- tracted general attention. In dealing with these cases, Judge Adams evidenced profound research and legal acumen, settling principles of law which had not previously been passed upon by the courts, and establishing prece- dents which have been far-reaching in their consequences. Admirably systematic in his methods, and having the happy faculty of facilitating to the greatest extent possible the business of the courts, he established an en- viable reputation during the six years of his term of service upon the circuit bench, and was pressed to stand for re-election, but pre- ferred to return to the practice of law. Upon his retirement from the judgeship he became a member of the law firm of Boyle, Adams & McKeighan, succeeded seven years later by the law firm of Boyle & Adams, both regarded as among the strongest law firms in the State. After an interval of ten years-during which he appeared as counselor and advocate in many of the most important cases tried in the State and Federal courts of Missouri and en- joyed a lucrative practice-he was again called to the exercise of judicial functions, which his tastes and temperament render peculiarly agreeable to him. In 1895 President Cleve- land appointed him United States district judge for the Eastern District of Missouri, and as a member of the United States judi- ciary he has gained additional renown as an able, impartial and accomplished jurist. Stu- dious, painstaking and thorough in his re- searches, he brings to bear upon problems presented to him for solution a clear concep- tion of the principles of law applicable thereto, aptness in analyzing the issues involved and a determination to spare no effort to reach cor-
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