USA > Missouri > Lafayette County > Alma > History Of Alma Missouri > Part 4
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The people of Alma community have always been proud of the splendid services of their doctors. Dr. J. W. Horner, successor of Dr. J. T. Morgan, practiced in the community over fifty-one years prior to his death in 1934. Dr. J. G. W. Fischer came to Alma in May, 1898, and continues active in his profession and as proprietor of the Alma Pharmacy. Dr. H. V. Melin, dentist, has built an extensive practice since he came to Alma in 1915. In 1935 he added a very practical service for his clients by installing an X-ray in his of- fice. Dr. Melin was elected head of the county association of dentists in 1936. For a few months in 1934 Dr. Theile, veterinarian, had his office in Alma. He later entered the
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government service.
It may not be generally known that Alma is the home of an insurance company, the Lutheran Benevolent Com- pany. It was organized on January 15, 1926, for the mu- tual benefit and protection of its members against loss by fire, lightning, hail, or tornado. The business of the com- pany has increased rapidly durng recent years. At present it has over $7,000,000 of business in force. Ed. A. Wendt is secretary of the company.
Brief mention should also be given to the skilled trades. At present George Schroeder is a contractor and builder; Walter Dieckhoff is a radiotrician; L. T. Francis, inter- ior decorator and painter; Ernest Franke and Henry Priess, painters and carpenters ; Ed. J. Rogge, F. Kammeyer, and E. H. Gerschefske, carpenters.
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ALMA CREAMERY
CHAPTER VIII Civic Organizations
Unfortunately, the minutes and records of the Alma civic organizations of the past have seldom been preserved. About 1930 the Alma Community Club was organized with a membership from among the citizens of Alma and the farmers of the community. This club sponsored a picnic and a few other activities during its two or three years of existence.
Then on February 4, 1935, a number of business and professional men of Alma met at the city hall for the pur- pose of organizing a club which would sponsor such civic projects and social activities that would be beneficial to Alma and the community. Terry McGuire acted as tempor- ary chairman of the group and James A. G. Petering as temporary secretary. Fifty-nine male citizens became mem- bers of the club that evening. The organization was named the Alma Civic Club. Officers elected for the first year were J. E. Fette, president; H. A. Dankenbring, first vice- president; Dr. H. V. Melin, second vice-president; James A. G. Petering, secretary; and Ed. A. Wendt, treasurer.
The first annual meeting of the club was held in the Alma High School auditorium January 14, 1936. A social meeting and luncheon was the first event of the evening, after which a business meeting was held. Officers elected for 1936 were S. B. Francis, president; H. A. Dankenbring, first vice-president; Dr. H. V. Melin, second vice-president ; James A. G. Petering, secretary ; and Ed. A. Wendt, treas- urer.
On January 21, 1936, a resolution was passed and unan- imously supported by all members to have the club sponsor and encourage a new canning project for Alma. With con- tinuous effort this new enterprise was brought about in the form of the Alma Canning Company, incorporated only a few weeks later. Many members of the club feel that this has been one of the major accomplishments of the organiza- tion. At present, the club is making plans for another Alma
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fall festival.
The first Alma brass band was organized about 1895 when Professor A. Eichmann and a score of interested mu- sicians decided that their musical talent need not lie dor- mant any longer. There were only eighteen members who played regularly in this band, however, there were several others who played intermittently with the group. Profes- sor Eichmann was chosen leader of the band, Henry Franke was named president, and William Deke, secretary. The names of regular members and the instruments they played are as follows :
C. Topel
Tuba Henry Franke Clarinet
Henry Wagner
Tenor Henry Stegeman Clarinet
Fred Stegeman
Tenor William Deke Clarinet
Herman Peters Tenor John G. Mueller Clarinet
Herman Lange Snare Drum Henry Horstman Clarinet
Charles Horstman Alto G. Wagner E. Clarinet
William Rolf
Bass Drum William Wagner
Cornet
Charles Niemeyer
Bass Drum Otto Horstman Baritone
Gust Peters Baritone
This band attained considerable notoriety and distinc- tion in 1896, when, during the famous Bryan-Mckinley cam- paign that year, it competed with thirty-two bands in a political rally held at Sedalia and won second prize. The "boys" really "strutted their stuff" that day, and no won- der-they were wearing their new suits for the first time. This group of talented musicians was very much in demand during those "good old days," and it soon became a self- supporting organization.
At the turn of the century this band began to decline in the number of members. By 1916 it had decreased to such a degree that more new members were needed to sus- tain it. With a little encouragement from the industrious Professor Eichmann and others, the band reorganized and began to practice and play regularly again. Those in the band that year were:
Henry Dankenbring Tuba E. H. Rolf Cornet
O. H. Rolf Snare Drum Alvin Tieman
Cornet
William Rolf
Trombone Louis Tieman
Cornet
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Henry Rolf
Trombone Arthur Fuchs Cornet
John G. Mueller Bass Drum Fred Wagner Cornet
Charles Horstman Alto H. J. Dieckhoff Alto
R. H. Lohoefener Clarinet O. E. Horstman Baritone George Hill Alto William Groves Clarinet
This band did not succeed as well as the first one as it did not have time to develop its musical talent. When the United States entered the World War in 1917, several mem- bers were taken to the battlefield, so the remaining group discontinued their interest in the band.
Not until the fall of 1935 did Alma have another band. A group of interested musicians met and organized by select- ing Walter Beyerlein as leader, Walter Steffens, president, and R. H. Lohoefener, secretary-treasurer. This group shows much enthusiasm and promise for a good band in Alma for years to come, due largely to the number of young members and the persistent efforts of its able leader. It has made a surprising development in membership as well as the quality of music produced. Following is the member- ship of the present Alma band :
Edwin Steffens
Trumpet Ernest Brockman Alto
Walter Rolf
Trumpet Warner Schumacher Alto
Alvin Tieman
Trumpet Leonard Rolf Alto
Walter Steffens
Trumpet Henry Schumacher Trumpet
Wilfred Karsten
Clarinet Bobbie Becker Trumpet
R. H. Lohoefener
Clarinet Elmer Schuette
Saxaphone
Herman Kramer
Baritone Arthur Fuchs Baritone
Herbert McGuire
Saxophone Lyman Francis Clarinet
Lawrence Krueger Saxophone Alfred Franz
Trombone
Henry Dankenbring
Bass Drum Henry Bargfrede Trombone
Frances Lee McClure Snare Drum Walter Schmidt
Trombone
Henry Rolf Bass Drum Fred Henderson
Trombone
William Rolf Snare Drum
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CHAPTER IX Recreation and Entertainment
One of the oldest sports in Alma is baseball. Years be- fore the present home of Sam B. Kaiser was built the base- ball diamond was located there. Then the diamonds were changed to the south part of town. Fifty years ago James Jackson, Jr., was a member of the Alma baseball club. At that time the team was also composed of a few players from Blackburn. An account from the "Alma Courier" relates that a game of baseball was played August 7, 1894 between the B. Q. S. C. (Quick-Steps) and the Dover club; the for- mer team won the game by a score of 31-15. Later players on the Alma team were Hugo Kleeschulte and J. Y. "Young" Jackson. The latter's son, J. Y., Jr., is a player on the pre- sent Alma team; this makes three generations of baseball players from the same family playing on the various Alma teams.
In recent years Alma baseball teams have played both independent and league-organized schedules. They have al- ways won a good share of the games played. Alma has rea- son to be proud of its baseball products; it has produced two outstanding big-league pitchers, Oscar E. "Bosco" Horstman and Louis "Lou" Fette. By 1915 the former ath- lete had worked his way into a western coast league and later, into the American Association. Before the World War in 1917 "Bosco" made the National League, pitching for the St. Louis Cardinals. One year he was among the leading pitchers in the National League. Then came the war and he enlisted in the army. After the war he return- ed to the Cardinals, and in a few weeks was one of several players injured in an automobile wreck. "Bosco" never re- covered his former pitching ability as a result of the injury sustained in this wreck.
Soon after "Lou" Fette graduated from high school in 1926 one would often see Horstman, former Cardinal star, teaching him in the alleys and side streets of Alma the fun- damentals of pitching. That summer and the next "Lou"
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put these instructions into practice by pitching for some strong independent teams. For a while he pitched for Brookfield in the old Illmo League. Then in 1927 he be- came a student at Missouri Valley college at Marshall, Mis- souri, where he became a star athlete. Soon his talent was recognized and he was signed by the management of the Kansas City Blues in the American Association. He was farmed out to the Pueblo, Colorado club for a brief period, after which he was recalled to the Blues. Fette was a successful pitcher for Kansas City and his prospect for ad- vancement came when St. Paul secured him in 1934. In 1936 he became the leading pitcher in his league, and was also one of the leading batters. On July 6 of that year he was traded to the Boston Bees of the National League.
After the players on the Alma High School basketball teams graduated there were several good town basketball teams. The original name of the teams was Alma Gorillas, but this was changed in 1934 to Alma Merchants. Then in 1935 the name was again changed to Alma Green Waves, chiefly because of the color of the suits which were purchas- ed by the merchants and boosters of the team. That year the team was a member of the Heart of America conference, winning the championship cup. Members of the team were "Lou" Fette, Walter "Sonny" Rist, Phillip Goodwin, Herman "Brownie" Rolf, Hosea Kappelman, and Garland T. Scott. A second Alma boys' town team was organized that year, calling themselves the Alma Green Ripples. One of the best girls' town teams was organized that year; the members were Ruby Evert, Erna Franz, Lydia Fuchs, Renata Rolf, Clara Newland, Vera Karsten, Marie Klaustermeyer, and Irene Fette.
Croquet has long been a popular game in Alma. The elderly men play on a court south of the Alma Pharmacy, while a court on which the younger men play is located east of the depot. A place near by is also prepared for pitching horseshoes.
For the past few years playground baseball has been
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played by several of the men and boys. Teams have been organized at various times and games with teams from other towns have been played. A few of the young people also play tennis. A favorite winter pastime in Alma is pinochle.
Most women in Alma have affiliated with one or an- other of the various ladies' aids. In these organizations quilting has become a recreation as well an an industry. About 1925 the Alma Friendly Neighbors' club was organ- ized. The women in this group usually have recreational as well as educational programs. One of the annual projects of this organization is to organize and sponsor a junior 4-H, club among the girls of the community.
The Alma Lutheran Men's Association was organized March 17, 1931. The purpose of this organization has been to foster Christian fellowship and sociability and afford ed- ucation and entertainment. At present this association has seventy-three members, many of whom are punctual at the semi-monthly meetings. The most popular entertainment of this organization has been the playing of dart baseball.
Alma has always had its share of picnics and festivals, and other days of celebration and entertainment. About 1902 a festival was held known as "Soup Day," so-called because vegetable soup was served to all who were present. Later Binder Days were celebrated prior to the wheat har- vest. Binders were displayed and paraded on the street and a festive time was had by all. Picnics, family reunions and Fourth of July celebrations were other events for which to look forward.
One of the outstanding celebration events that oc- curred in Alma was the Golden Jubilee of October 10-11, 1930, commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the city. On the afternoon of the first day a grand parade, headed by the Concordia band, took place. The school children and citizens portrayed the progress and development of the city and community with the use of floats and decorations. A series of vehicles in the parade, beginning with a covered
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wagon drawn by a cow and a mule and ending with the newest automobile in town, and a miniature airplane repre- senting the "Spirit of Alma" depicted the progress in trans- portation.
Features of the program included talks by H. A. Dan- kenbring, mayor of the city, and Dr. J. W. Horner, F. W. Lohoefener, P. H. Koppenbrink, Henry Stegemiller, Louis Meyerholz, Mrs. Catherine Horstman, Mrs. Anna Nordsieck, and Mrs. Anna Kurtz. There were also many amusing con- tests during both afternoons besides the various conces- sions. It is said that the crowds attending this jubilee were the largest to ever appear in Alma.
The first annual Alma Fall Festival, sponsored by the Alma Civic Club, was held September 20-21, 1935. Two bands participated in the programs, in which also were four parades. Exhibits of farm products, flowers, household arts, and antiques made up one of the most elaborate dis- plays the community has ever shown. The streets were crowded with concessions, rides, and stands of various kinds. Success in the first festival enterprise has made members of the club feel that it will become a permanent event.
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CHAPTER X The People
Alma boasted a population of more than two hundred people a decade after the village was incorporated. The census of 1900 revealed 248 inhabitants, while the one in 1910 showed 319. By 1920 the population had increased to 369, and in 1930 to 372. The present number of inhabitants exceeds the later figure and is probably near the four hun- dred mark.
A majority of the first settlers who came to the Alma region were originally from Virgina and Kentucky. They came by way of Waverly, the settlements being gradually extended southward years before the Civil War. Several descendants from these settlers still have their homes in Alma and vicinity. The first Germans who ventured into the wilds of Lafayette County came about 1840. Some of the familiar names in the eastern part of the county ten years later were Dierking, Frerking, Stuenkel, Franke, Mey- er, Schmidt, Brockman, Walkenhorst, and Thieman. A thriving German settlement was located south of Davis Creek long before the town was founded. Apparently the Germans generally came to the Alma vicinity from the mo- ther settlement at Concordia. Years ago several colored families lived in the Pleasant Grove neighborhood south of Alma; only three or four of these families have lived in Alma in recent years.
After the Civil War the advantages offered by the fertility of eastern Lafayette County soil and the prosperity of the inhabitants became known in the counties in the east- ern part of the state where older German settlements exist- ed. Beginning in the eighties, many farmers from this re- gion especially from Warren, St. Charles, and Gasconade counties came in great numbers. There were also some settlers who came to Alma direct from Germany during the last two decades of the century. The major portion of Ger- mans came from Hanover, Westphalia and Lippe-Detmold, or are descendants of immigrants from these sections of
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Germany.
The German farmer was a very potent factor in the development of the Alma community. His love for the soil made him an industrious, never-relaxing tiller. His pains- taking endurance and his thorough methods of farming in- creased the productiveness of the land, and thereby its val- ue. The Germans have always been a peace-loving people, and their social gatherings were well attended for a source of wholesome and refreshing amusement. They are a law- abiding people, and the criminal annals of the courts count but few German names on their pages. They have been patriotic people who, although upholding the traditions, the customs, and the language of their forefathers, are excellent citizens of whom Alma has been proud.
The political history of the Alma community shows that the majority political party of the precinct has chang- ed. In the early days most of the voters were affiliated with the Democratic Party. The Alma Courier of 1894-1895 was a very strong supporter of the principles of that party. After the German immigration in the eightes and nineties, there were many more Republican voters than Democratic despite the fact that several of the older German families remained true to the Democratic faith. Results of general elections of recent years usually show three Republican votes to every Democratic one.
William Young's History of Lafayette County, Missouri, is the only source which gives an account of a fraternal or- ganization in Alma. It mentions that by 1910 the lodges had narrowed down to the fraternity of Woodmen of Amer- ica and a branch of the Mechanics and Laborers' Aid So- ciety. For two or three years the Modern Woodmen had a camp here. No lodge is located in Alma today.
During the old saloon days prior to the World War, Alma had the reputation of being one of the "wettest" towns in the state. Indeed, it was given the name "Oasis of Western Missouri." As early as 1883 the need for a calaboose in which to place the drunken men was recognized.
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An account written by a citizen of Alma June 29 of that year reads: "We are glad to hear that the gentlemen of Alma are talking of building a calaboose. We also hope that they will not only talk about it, but will build it .. It will be a great benefit for the town and will learn men when they are drunk that they will have to behave themselves or go to the calaboose, and we do not think they will get it before they need it. If there had been one here Saturday it would not have taken long to have filled it with drunken men."
Later, when Alma was one of the few "wet spots" re- maining, the men coming to town by train would jump off the cars before they came to a stop and dash for the saloons to quench their thirst. It is said that some of the boys would have fun with the drunken visitors by tripping them with a rope as they came down the steps from the saloon. Some of the drunken men were known to have climbed to the top of the saloons where they delivered speeches. One man under the influence of liquor made a serious attempt to ride his horse into a saloon, while another is said to have bit off the head of a mouse for a reward of five dollars.
During this time it was necessary for Alma to have peace officers and a jail. When the intoxicated men be- came noisy and disturbed the peace, they were immediately placed behind the bars. The fine was usually five dollars and costs, which amounted to a total of seven or eight dol- lars. The fines and costs for one particular year amounted to more than $350.
In contrast to the conditions of pre-prohibition days, Alma became one of the most sober and peaceful towns in the state after the war. Drunkenness or disturbances of any kind are rarely committed today. The tranquility of the city is an index of the law-abiding character of the peo- ple. Its citizens love their homes and are loyal to the in- stitutions of the city and community. Most certainly the people of Alma are peace-loving, thrifty, and progressive; all of which are the qualities desired in a community where one wishes to live and make a living.
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In conclusion, we shall go from the records of the past to the thoughts of the future as expressed in an essay written by a pupil of the little frame school at Alma in 1883: ONWARD
Onward is the language of creation. The stars whisper it in their courses; the seasons breathe it as they succeed each other; the night wind whistles it; the water of the deep roars it; the mountains lift up their heads and tell it to the clouds; and Time, the hoary-headed potentate proclaims it with an iron tongue. From clime to clime, from ocean to ocean, from century to century, and from planet to planet, all is onward. From the smallest rivulet to the unfathom- able sea, everything is onward. Cities hear its voice, and rise up in magnificence; nations hear it and sink into the dusk; monarchs learn it and tremble on their thrones; con- tinents feel it, and are convulsed as with an earthquake. Men, customs, fashions, tastes, opinions, and prejudices, are all onward. States, counties, towns, districts, cities, and villages are all onward. That word never ceases to influence the destinies of men. Science cannot arrest it, nor philo- sophy divert from its purpose. It flows with the very blood in our veins, and every second chronicles its progress. From one stage of civilization to another; from one towering land- mark to another, we still move upward and onward. Thus did our forefathers escape the barbarisms of past ages; thus do we conquer the errors of our time, and draw nearer to the Invisible. So must we move onward with our armors bright, our weapons keen, and our hearts strong.
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