USA > Missouri > Buchanan County > St Joseph > History of Buchanan County and St. Joseph, Mo. : from the time of the Platte purchase to the end of the year 1915 biographical sketches of noted citizens, living and dead > Part 25
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50
Early on the morning of February 23, 1868, fire destroyed the Allen House stable on South Fourth street, owned by Brooks & Maupin. It was necessary to use water from an immense cistern, which was located south of the city hall. While walking around the engine, George Slocumb, engineer at Hauck's mill, fell into the cis- tern and drowned before assistance could reach him.
226
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH
On the night of December 15, 1868, the Pacific House burned. This was regarded as one of the most expensive conflagrations up to that time.
On Sunday morning, January 23, 1870, at about 4 o'clock, fire destroyed a brick row of buildings on the west side of Second street, near a bridge which then spanned Blacksnake creek. All the in- mates, with the exception of one young man, who was in an inebri- ated condition, in a room of a resort known as the "Rosebud," made their escape, and his body was afterward recovered, burned to a cinder. When the firemen had finished their work, and were pre- paring to leave, they were called back by the discovery of the re- mains of this victim. While engaged in removing debris, a wall fell, covering Frank Y. Heill, Arthur Colburn, Julius Sidekum, Blass Argus, Julius Gishe, all firemen, and John W. Clifford, a col- ored man. All were rescued, after heroic work, except Clifford, who was killed by the falling wall. Blass Argus, a member of the Hook and Ladder company, was so severely injured that he soon expired.
Perhaps the most disastrous storm in the history of St. Joseph occurred on the night of July 13, 1871. The weather had been sul- try and threatening all day, but the storm did not built until at about 9 o'clock at night. Francis Street Methodist church was struck by lightning and badly damaged. The Pacific House roof was removed, the Everett, the Neeley, the Webster and the Fourth Street Colored schools were unroofed. The convent of the Sacred Heart lost a portion of its roof, as also did St. Patrick's school on South Twelfth street. The estimated damages to property were over $150,000. No lives were lost in the city, though lumber and debris of all descriptions were flying about and the people panic- stricken. A sad affair occurred in the country. At the residence of James Keiger, five miles east of the city, were a number of people, among the guests being Mrs. Lucy Lovell and her two little children. When the storm was at its height Mrs. Lovell, who was with her babes in an upper story, brought them down and placed them in the bed of Mr. and Mrs. Keiger. While kneeling in prayer for their safety a bolt of lightning laid the loving mother low. Penetrating into the hallway, the same bolt struck and killed Harry R. Blake- more of St. Joseph, who was also a guest at Mr. Keiger's.
On the night of September 3, 1873, a tornado destroyed the exposition buildings that were in the course of construction near the present site of the K. C., St. J. & C. B. shops. Other serious damage was also done.
On Sunday, July 23, 1876, a boat containing a party of pleas- ure-seekers, capsized in Lake Contrary and five girls were drowned.
227
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH
The party was in charge of Otto Gross. Beside himself, seated in the boat were Misses Clara Kratt, Rosa Muench, Sophia Seitz, Mathilde Zimmer and Mathilde Gross, the daughter of Mr. Gross. A distance of about three miles had been traversed, and when re- turning, and when within less than a hundred yards from the shore which they had left, little Clara Kratt and Cora Muench, who occu- pied the seat in the rear of the frail craft, began to reach out and gather water lilies, causing the skiff to dip one side. This was con- tinued until the boat capsized, and in an instant the six unfortunate persons were struggling in twelve feet of water. Mr. Gross suc- ceeded in reaching each of the girls and placed their hands on the boat, but in their desperate efforts to regain a position in the boat it was again overturned and once more they were plunged under the treacherous waves. Mr. Gross again seized his child and attempted to save her, at least. With his burden he was making good prog- ress, when another one of the girls seized him about the neck. This action placed him in such a position that all hope was gone, and he was compelled to free himself from both in order to save his own life. He made for the shore, but ere he reached it he was taken with cramps, and but for the timely arrival of a man in a skiff, he, too, would have drowned. The bodies were all recovered. The body of Miss Zimmer was buried from the residence of her father on the following afternoon. The funeral of the others was an impressive affair. The fire department's hook and ladder truck was improvised into a hearse, which was draped in white and black crape, and beau- tifully ornamented with flowers and evergreens. The procession was formed in front of Mr. Kratt's residence on Messanie street, where the first coffin was placed in position. Each house of mourn- ing was visited in turn, and the four coffins placed side by side. The hearse was drawn by four white horses. The cortege then took its line of march to Ashland cemetery, preceded by Rosenblatt's brass band. Then came the hearse, and following this was the band wagon in which were seated a number of the girls who comprised the lake party when their companions lost their lives, each bearing in her hands a wreath of flowers. There were over 150 carriages and buggies containing sorrowing relatives and friends.
The Odd Fellow building at Fifth and Felix and the furniture store of Louis Hax, which joined it on the south, were burned on the night of January 29, 1879. . The Odd Fellow building was occupied by J. W. Bailey & Co,, with an extensive dry goods store. The entire loss was about $200,000. The site of these buildings is now covered by the block occupied by Townsend, Wyatt & Wall and the Louis Hax Furniture Company. The burned buildings faced Fifth street.
A grewsome accident occurred on the night of May 23, 1881. A negro resort was kept by George Cunnigan on the south side of Edmond street, between Sixth and Seventh streets, in a building
228
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH
owned by Dr. Wm. Leach. The basement of this building was divided into two parts, one part being used in connection with the resort and the other for the storage of an illuminant known as Dan- forth's fluid. On the night mentioned there were about twenty-five negroes in the saloon, playing cards and enjoying themselves. There was to be a rehearsal of a prospective minstrel troupe in the base- ment, and at about 8:30 John Hicks, one of the artists, went below stairs to light up the basement room. Forty barrels of the fluid had been stored in the adjoining basement room that day, and both rooms were filled with the fumes of the highly inflammable fluid. When Hicks struck a match an explosion occurred which was heard throughout the city and the shock of which was felt for quite a dis- tance. The building was wrecked. Hicks, Billy Williams and the bartender, Charles Dunlap, who weighed 320 pounds, were killed. Fourteen negroes, congregated about the place, were more or less seriously injured, and considerable damage was done to neighbor- ing property by the force of the explosion.
*
On the night of April 3, 1885, during a severe thunder storm, lightning struck the magazine of the Hazard Powder Company, located on Prospect Hill. The explosion that followed shattered many windows in the business district, the loss on plate glass hav- ing footed up over $2,000.
The following are the dates of some of the famous fires since 1880: Hannibal & St. Joseph elevator, Sixth and Lafayette streets, January 13, 1883; tank of Standard Oil Company, September 10, 1883 ; court house, March 28, 1885; C. D. Smith's wholesale grocery house, October 20, 1885; New Era Exposition, September 15, 1889; James Casey's sale stables, Fourth and Messanie streets, November 10, 1889; Hax furniture factory, Seventh and Angelique streets, December 13, 1890; Kennard Grocery Company, Fourth and Ange- lique streets, March 1, 1891; Gregg's elevator, September 23, 1891; Wyeth's hardware house, Third street, near Felix street, November 2, 1891 ; Union street car barns, November 30, 1891; J. B. Brady & Co., carpets, January 13, 1892; R. K. Allen's planing mill, Second and Francis, April 6, 1892.
Center block and Commercial block, at Sixth and Edmond streets, burned September 25, 1893. Center block was totally de- stroyed. It was occupied by the Townsend,. Wyatt & Emery Dry Goods Company. North of it stood the Hoagland building, occupied by the Regnier & Shoup Crockery Company. This building and contents were also destroyed. The Commercial block, opposite Cen- ter block was partially destroyed. The Carbry block, on the east was also damaged. The total loss was over half a million dollars. The fire started on the top floor of the Townsend, Wyatt & Emery Company's store, at about 9 o'clock in the morning, and spread rapidly. There was a strong breeze and the entire business portion of the city was in danger. The department could make no headway
229
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH
with the fire, and it was far into the afternoon before they got it under control. The burned buildings have been replaced, though the present Center block is not so high by one story as was the original.
The Bennett Lumber Company's stock, on Middleton street and Lincoln school, burned July 24, 1894. Meierhoffer's cooper shop, South Fifth street, was totally destroyed August 27, 1894. There was a fire at Joseph Tullar's livery stable in which eight horses per- ished November 24, 1894. The Union Depot burned on the night of February 9, 1895. The St. Joseph pump factory, on Lake boule- vard, burned May 13, 1895.
The old freight house of the Hannibal & St. Joseph railroad, located at Seventh and Olive streets, used by the Missouri Pacific road, was destroyed on Saturday morning, November 24, 1895. The office was the only portion of the building saved. This building was one of the landmarks of St. Joseph, having been built by the Hannibal & St. Joseph road in 1860.
Saturday night, February 22, 1896, the extensive feed stables and livery barn of Ducate & Grantham, on Edmond street, between Seventh and Eighth, were destroyed by fire, entailing a loss of nearly $50,000. Sixty horses and many fine carriages were burned.
The building at the corner of Ninth and Francis streets, owned by the Burnes Estate, was burned in February 1898, with a loss of $20,000, and was replaced by the King Hill building.
The old Pinger packing house, Jules and Levee streets, was burned December 5, 1899.
On March 17, 1901, the shoe factory of Noyes, Norman & Co. burned with a loss of $75,000. Two girls, Miss Louise Blondeau and Miss Dora Bates, were burned to death, and Miss Florence Terry, Mrs. Addie Berry and Miss Anna Gatewood were injured. The factory has been rebuilt.
Gregg Brothers' elevator, at Eighth and Oak streets, burned in October, 1902; loss, $26,000.
The Hudnut Hominy mills at Fifth and Monterey streets, burned in November, 1902; loss, $60,000. The mills were rebuilt and were again destroyed by fire January 16, 1915; loss about $100,000.
On December 23, 1902, the building occupied by G. W. Chase & Sons' candy factory, on Second street, near Felix, was burned. Misses Anna May Dakan, Rosa M. Kraus, Mattie E. Leslie, Sophia L. Mintos and Laura Crawford, employes, were injured. Miss Emma Gleich jumped from a second-story window, but was not hurt. The building was soon restored.
The most costly fire in recent years was that which destroyed a portion of the Hammond Packing Company's plant on Sunday, July 5, 1903. The loss was about $2,000,000. The plant was rebuilt and opened for business on May 20, 1904. It is not positively known that there were any fatalities, but one life is supposed to have been lost.
230
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH
Following is a list of the more important fires in St. Joseph in recent years :
September 21, 1904, South Park Elevator, $42,625; May 5, 1905, Roberts Parker Mercantile Company, $192,540; September 15, 1905, Hax-Smith Furniture Company, $150,000; December 3, 1906, Nate Block Clothing Store, $47,650; January 29, 1912, I. Rothbaum Clothing Company Department Store, $24,500; Decem- ber 4, 1912, American Sash & Door Co., $30,000; February 7, 1913, Jet White Laundry Company, $28,000; January 16, 1915, Ameri- can Hominy Mill Company, $75,000; January 16, 1915, St. Joseph Transfer Company, $25,000; July 25, 1915, C. H. Nold Lumber Company, $45,000; August 15, 1907, Viles & Robinson Packing Plant, $50,000; September 17, 1908, Swift & Company Packing Plant; December 27, 1908, Morris & Co. Packing Plant, $125,000; January 4, 1912, Union Rendering Works, $10,000; July 17, 1915, Morris & Co. Packing Plant, $50,000.
CHAPTER XXV.
THE FAIRS OF FORMER DAYS-THE FIRST EFFORT, WHEN THE GROUNDS WERE LOCATED ON NORTH ELEVENTH STREET-THE FAIRS AT THE EAST END OF FREDERICK AVENUE-THE ELABORATE EFFORT ON LOWER SIXTH STREET-THE INTERSTATE EXPO- SITION AT FOWLER'S GROVE-THE LIGHTS AND SHADOWS OF THE NEW ERA EXPOSITION-VARIOUS EFFORTS AT THE PRESENT FAIR GROUNDS.
Among the pioneers of Buchanan County were many men of intelligence, who early realized the importance of competitive ex- hibitions of native products in advancing the spirit of enterprise and consequent improvement of all that pertains to excellence in agricultural, mechanical and domestic pursuits. In 1854 a Fair association was formed with General Robert Wilson (afterward United States senator) as president, William M. Irvine as vice- president, Albe M. Saxton as treasurer, and Wellington A. Cun- ningham as secretary. Grounds were secured in what is now the northern part of the city, being on Eleventh street, south of Grand avenue, but what was then in the country. This fair was the first, and therefore a great event for the entire Platte country. Seven hundred dollars worth of gold and silver plate premiums were offered, and the world was invited to compete. September 19, 20 and 21, 1854, were the days, and The Gazette of September 20 says : "Yesterday was a proud day for our county. It was the first day of the first agricultural fair ever held in the county. There was a large concourse of ladies and gentlemen present. Great interest was manifested. The St. Joseph band was there and added much to the interest of the occasion. Mr. Silas Woodson delivered a very able and eloquent address on the subject of agriculture, and, though he had but little time for preparation, he did himself and the sub- ject great credit."
There were no races, but there was lively competition for pre- miums on live stock and the products of the housewife and the artisan, as will be seen by the following excerpt from the list of awards :
"Best specimen mixed jeans, a beautiful article-premium to Mrs. J. P. Bryan of Buchanan.
"Plaid linsey-premium to same lady, $2.
"White linsey-premium to William Gartin of Buchanan, $2. "Woolen blankets, premium to Mrs. P. J. Bryan, Buchanan, $5.
"Satinet-premium to N. Buel of Buchanan, $5.
"Cotton quilt-premium to Mrs. Rosana Porter of Buchanan,
$10."
232
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH
There were premiums for needlework, knitting, etc. Also for the best two-horse wagon, the best set of chairs and sofa manufac- tured. at home, best sets of harness, best saddles, best tinware, best flour, best buggy, best chickens, best butter, best fruits, vegetables, best jellies and preserves. In fact, it was a genuine old-fashioned fair, which was well attended and which pleased the people so well that it was repeated for six years in succession, the last time in the autumn of 1860.
The civil war put an end to fairs and no effort was made to revive them until July of 1867, when the St. Joseph Agricultural and Mechanical Association was organized with General Robert Wilson as president, Thos. B. Weakley as vice-president, Albe M. Saxton as treasurer and Charles B. France as secretary. The capi- tal stock was $15,000, divided into shares of $100 each, and the money was promptly subscribed. As an incidental evidence of the political condition of those times it may be mentioned that the rec- ords of this association state that at the meeting held August 6, 1868, the oath of loyalty was signed by all the directors, which oath was filed in the office of the county clerk. A twenty-acre tract, at the head of Frederick avenue, on which had formerly been located a rope walk, was purchased from Bassett & Ensworth for $400 an acre. The fair was held four days, beginning October 29, 1867, and was pronounced a success. The association continued with various fortunes until the end of 1871, its last fair being held in December of that year. The grounds had been mortgaged to the Life Asso- ciation of America and were sold under the deed of trust at the request of the stockholders. Goldsmith Maid trotted a mile in 2 :181/4 on the last day of the fair.
No fairs were held at St. Joseph during 1872, but in 1873 a grand effort was made. It was no longer a plain fair, but an expo- sition. An association was formed with Captain George Lyon as president, I. G. Kappner as treasurer and Edward Fleischer as sec- retary and general superintendent. Grounds were leased south- west of the city limits, and elaborate buildings erected. Every indi- cation pointed to success when an unexpected calamity befell. On the night of September 3, 1873, a tornado struck the exposition grounds, demolishing the main buildings and seriously damaging the art and power halls. The contractor, George Herbst, was finan- cially ruined by the catastrophe. The demolished buildings were promptly reconstructed and the exposition opened on the appointed day, September 29.
The receipts of the week were over $28,000, and but for the tornado, there would have been a handsome net financial result. In 1874 a new corporation was formed, assuming the debts on the buildings. The officers of this association were: James N. Burnes, president; George H. Hall, vice-president; George Lyon, superin- tendent and manager; H. R. W. Hartwig, treasurer, and J. M.
233
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH
Varnum, secretary. The exposition opened September 7, 1874, closing September 12, and the receipts were $22,500. There was a half-mile track at these grounds and there was good racing at each fair.
In 1875, with Colonel Burnes as president and J. T. Imbrie as secretary, the receipts were $20,000. The fourth exposition opened September 25, 1876, with Captain Lyon as president and J. T. Im- brie as secretary. A great feature of the exposition during its last. three years was the old settlers' meeting. The association was dis- solved at the close of the effort of 1877.
In 1878 Buchanan County had no fair. However, it was not in the nature of things that this should continue long. In August of 1879 the St. Joseph Exposition Association was organized with a capital stock of $12,000, divided into 1,200 shares of $10 each. The incorporators were Samuel M. Nave, John Abell, Edward Kuechle, L. G. Munger and Dr. J. M. D. France. The first officers were : Samuel M. Nave, president ; H. R. W. Hartwig, vice-president; Ed- ward J. Kuechle, treasurer, and J. T. Imbrie, secretary. A tract at the foot of Eleventh street and extending west toward Sixth, known as Fowler's grove, was leased for a term of ten years and suitable buildings and a race track were at once constructed. The grounds were accessible by two street car lines and also by railroad trains.
The first fair commenced Monday September 29, 1879, and con- tinued for a week. Though it rained every day, the venture was considered a success by its projectors and from that time until the end of the season in 1888 a fair was held each year, generally dur- ing the first part of September. Major Hartwig succeeded Mr. Nave as president; the late Charles F. Ernst succeeded Mr. Imbrie as secretary in 1881 and continued as such until the association dis- solved.
Early in 1889, when St. Joseph was proud with prosperity, when the spirit of enterprise was upon the people, and when noth- ing was too big to undertake, it was decided to have an exposition, the magnitude and novelty of which would overshadow not only all previous efforts at home, but elsewhere in the West. Sioux City had astonished the world with a corn palace, Denver with a mineral palace, Fort Worth, Texas, with a grass palace, and Ottumwa, Iowa, with a coal palace, but St. Joseph was to eclipse all of these with a New Era exposition.
The genius of this undertaking was H. D. Perkey, who had come here during the previous summer and who had but recently established steel car works at Brookdale. Mr. Perkey had been prominently connected with the Mineral Palace at Denver and was therefore in a position to take the leadership of this movement. On April 4, 1889, the National Railway, Electric and Industrial Expo- sition Association was formed, with a capital stock of one million dollars. The association was to continue for one year and was in-
234
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH
corporated under the laws of Colorado, because these laws did not require so large a proportion of the capital stock to be paid up as the laws of Missouri. It was to have a national scope and offices were to be established in every state capital. The incorporators were G. J. Englehart, John S. Lemon, R. E. Turner, C. B. France, A. M. Saxton, John Donovan, Jr., R. L. McDonald, D. M. Steele, George W. Samuels, Louis Hax, Wm. E. Hosea, D. D. Burnes, H. R. W. Hartwig, S. C. Woodson, F. M. Posegate, T. F. Van Natta, S. A. Walker, A. M. Dougherty, W. B. Smith, Harry Keene, J. Francis Smith, R. T. Davis and Winslow Judson. The directors were John S. Emery, Chas. A. Shoup, W. J. Hobson, Herschel Bart- lett, Robert Winning, J. C. Bonnell and H. D. Perkey.
A large tract of land east of the city, beyond Wyatt Park, and surrounding the Steel Car Company's plant, was secured and pre- pared during the summer. The car company had a building 80x960 feet, which was used as a shop. The western portion of this build- ing, which was two stories in height, was made the main hall of the exposition. The ground were dotted with beautiful pavilions, two score in number, of quaint architecture. "Korn is King" was the motto of the enterprise, and this idea was carried into every deco- ration. The pavilions and buildings were decked with cereals in various colorings and design. The effect was entrancing, especially at night, when the grounds were fully illuminated with electric lights. The most admired of the pavilions were the "Ladies' Pal- ace of Delights," the "Reporters' Lodge," "Pomona's Pavilion," "Cupid's Bower," "Pocahontas," "Mondamin," and "Horticultural Hall." Aside from the buildings there were artificial lakes, water- falls, an old grist mill and other picturesque novelties. The archi- tectural triumph, however, was the amphitheater, which had a seating capacity of eleven thousand and an arena of two acres.
The exposition opened on September 3, 1889, and continued to October 3. Bach's band, a famous musical organization of Milwau- kee, was engaged for two concerts daily in the amphitheater. Capt. Jack Crawford, the "poet scout," was director of entertainments in the arena, and he had, beside a band of cowboys, several hundred Apache Indians. General Russel A. Alger of Michigan formally opened the exposition. Hon. Jeremiah Rusk, secretary of agricul- ture, spoke in the amphitheater on September 18th, and on Septem- ber 23d Governor Larrabee of Iowa and Governor Francis of Mis- souri spoke there also.
The attendance was not what it should have been. If the time had been ten days instead of one month the effort might have met with better reward. Mr. Perkey doubtless had some good ideas, but they did not fit this case, and there were, consequently, disappoint- ments. However, the difficulties might have been overcome had not an irreparable disaster visited the exposition. On Sunday night, September 15, at about 9 o'clock, just as the crowds were leaving the grounds, flames burst from the roof of the main building. The fire was beyond control from the start and the entire building, with all of its contents, excepting two pianos and a carriage in which
235
BUCHANAN COUNTY AND ST. JOSEPH
General Lafayette had toured Virginia, were destroyed. The loss was $193,000, upon which there was only $50,000 insurance. One life was lost. Capt. John Foster, a guard, who had quarters in the building, near where the fire broke out, was burned to death. The fire is supposed to have originated from defective wiring. At a meeting of the board of trade on the following day it was decided to at once rebuild Machinery Hall, but this was not done. The exposi- tion continued until October 3, and then there was a benefit week for the employes.
The buildings stood until the following year and were grad- ually removed. There is nothing left to mark the location of the brilliant but ill-fated New Era Exposition, and it lives today only as a painful memory with those who backed it heavily.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.