History of Cooper County, Missouri, Part 30

Author: Johnson, William Foreman, b. 1861
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Topeka : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1464

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Bank of Pleasant Green, Pleasant Green, Mo .- The stockholders of the Bank of Pleasant Green met on the 11th day of April, 1905. They organized by electing Judge J. D. Starke, chairman, and Dr. John S. Parrish secretary, with a capital stock of $10,000. At the same meeting they elected the following board of directors: R. E. Ferguson, J. S. Parrish, S. L. Rissler, W. B. Rissler, A. J. Read, W. E. Roberts, S. W. Roberts and J. D. Starke and George Stemberger. The board proceeded to organize by electing Dr. J. S. Parrish, president; A. J. Read, vice-president; W. B. Rissler, cashier ; and S. W. Roberts, secretary.

The bank did not pay any dividends until it had an accumulated and certified surplus an amount equal to the capital stock, which was in the year 1913. Since then it has paid an average dividend of 15 per cent. The following constitute the present Board of Directors: Adam Bergmann, T. E. Broe, E. W. Hite, J. S. Parrish, A. J. Read, W. B. Rissler, Geo. Stem- berger, C. E. Stone and J. W. Walker. The present officers are J. S. Par- rish, president ; A. J. Read, vice-president ; W. B. Rissler, cashier, and J. W. Walker, secretary. There has been no change in the officers since the beginning with the exception that of secretary.

The Farmers and Merchants Bank, Otterville, Mo., was organized in Sept., 1914, with a capital stock of $12,000. The first officers were: H. D. Case, president ; J. E. Golladay, vice-president; Joe G. Cox, cashier. The first directors were H. D. Case, J. E. Golladay, Joe G. Cox, James A. Laws, W. D. Ross, Charlie Hupp, L. C. Wilkerson, C. Rodenbach and August Schupp.

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The present officers are the following: H. D. Case, president; J. E. Golladay, vice-president; Allen H. Cox, cashier, and Mattie Belle Hupp, assistant cashier.

The present directors are the following : H. D. Case, J. E. Golladay, Joe G. Cox, J. S. Bane, W. D. Ross, Charlie Hupp, L. C. Wilkerson, C. Rodenbach and August Schupp.

The capital stock remains $12,000. The surplus is $5,000; undivided profits, $2,900; loans and discounts, $107,000. The total deposits are $136,000. The total resources are over $188,000.

CHAPTER XXI.

FLOODS AND STORMS.

FLOODS OF 1785, 1811 AND 1826-FLOOD OF 1844-GREAT DAMAGE CAUSED-DEVAS- TATING FLOOD OF 1905-REBUILDING OF BRIDGES IN THE COUNTY-BUILD- ING OF NEW COURT HOUSE-BONDS ISSUED-TORNADO.

The first unusual high waters of the Missouri River, of which we have any account, was in 1785, and of the destruction wrought at that time, we know but little. However, we know that there were no settlements in Cooper County, or upon the north side of the river.

In the spring of 1811, the waters of the Missouri rose to an unprece- dented height. The first settlements had been made in Cooper County, and in Howard County, opposite Boonville, the previous year. Hence there were no farms to be injured or crops to be destroyed.

We have no means of knowing how high the water reached that year. The high waters in the spring of 1826 set the seal of fate to Franklin. But by far the most destructive flood that ever occurred in the Missouri River was in 1844. It was caused as usual by continuous rainfall on the lower river, coming on top of the annual rise. The month of May had been attended with unusual rains, and for weeks previous to the 10th of June, the precipitation had been unprecedented.

On the 5th of June, the water began to overflow the banks, and the river continued to rise until the 18th, when at Jefferson City it came to a stand and began to recede.

The entire bottom from the mouth of the Kaw to the mouth of the Missouri was completely submerged, and from bluff to bluff, the river pre- sented the appearance of an inland sea.

The destruction of property, considering the small population, was enormous, and much suffering ensued.

Again in 1845, and yet again in 1851, there were unusual high water,

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but the damage was slight compared with the destruction of 1844. The next most destructive flood was in 1881. The second bottoms and low- lands were under water, and considerable damage was done, especially in the lower reaches of the river .. This flood, however, was different from the others, that had preceded it, in that it occurred in March and the first part of April. It was caused solely by the unusual rainfall, and not from the melting of snows in the Rockies.

It seems the circumstances that attended the flood of 1903 were sim- ilar to those attending the great flood of 1844. On Friday morning, June 5, at seven o'clock, 1903, the government gauge registered a stage of water in the river at Boonville, of 30.6 feet. This was just six feet higher than the mark of 1881, and lacked but about three feet of that of 1844.

However, by noon of that day, the water rose to 30 feet and ten inches above the low water mark, and remained on a stand until Saturday morn- ing, when it began to fall slowly. During the day, there was a fall of only two inches, but it was enough to bring gladnesss to the hearts of many, and a feeling of relief among those who had so anxiously watched for the good news.

Much damage was wrought by the flood in the vicinity of Boonville. Houses on islands and the lowlands were washed away, crops destroyed, and much livestock drowned. Cooper County alone suffered much from the destruction of ruined crops along the Missouri and Lamine Rivers, and the Petit Saline creek, which overflowed its banks from the Missouri and did considerable damage to the farms along its bottoms.

The destruction in the vicinity of Overton and Woolridge was greater than in any other part of the county. The greatest damage was done, how- ever, in the Howard County bottoms. Both up and down the river from Boonville, the water on the north side of the river presented the appearance of an inland sea. The water during the high stage reached almost from bluff to bluff, submerging land on which were crops of growing corn, and almost matured crops of growing wheat. Scarcely any land in this section was above the stage of the water. Much livestock was lost also.

The greatest losses, though, were experienced by those tenants, who had all their possessions carried away and destroyed. Many cases were reported in which tenants lost all their earthly possessions. Some of these were even thankful to escape with their lives, and the clothes which they wore.

As it was impossible at that time to approximate the amount of the losses occurring to the farmers in this territory, it is equally impossible to make an estimate at this time.

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HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

The citizens of Boonville responded nobly to aid the flood sufferers. Mayor W. G. Pendleton called meetings, and appropriate committees were appointed to raise the necessary funds to meet the temporary and im- mediate relief of the sufferers. Over one thousand dollars were raised and distributed to those who were most in need.

The road bed of the M. K. & T. on the north side of the river was greatly damaged and traffic upon that road was suspended for several days. Probably the greatest damage done the farming and railroad inter- ests in the Missouri valley below Kansas City, however, was in the bottoms between St. Charles and the rivers mouth. Here was a broad expanse of territory in a high state of cultivation and dotted over with residences and other buildings. Every vestige of the promising crop of wheat, corn, hay, oats, onions, potatoes, etc., was drowned out and washed away.

Losses to the people in close proximity to Boonville were heavy indeed, but compared with those of people in other parts, they did not seem so great.

Charles A. Sombart had every reason to remember the flood of this year, because of the threatened damage to his milling property. He had a rectangular solid stone about six feet in length planted at the northwest corner of his warehouse, on which is indicated by cuts in the stone, the highest point in the river June 4, 1844, and June 5, 1903. The latter mark is only about two feet and nine inches below the mark of 1844.

Grand and mighty old Missouri, blessing and destroying, blessed and cursed, the great artery of the continent! Old Joaquin Miller has struck a noble strain in his spirited poem to the "Missouri". He refers to her as a lord of strength, the yellow line and mad molder of the continent, and con- cludes with these words:

"Hoar sire of hot, sweet Cuban seas, ' Gray father of the continent,

Fierce fashioner of destinies,

Of states thou hast upreared or rent,

Thou know'st no limit ; seas turn back, Bent, broken from the shaggy shore;

But thou, in thy resistless track, Art lord and master evermore.

Missouri, surge and sing and sweep. Missouri, master of the deep,

From snow-reared Rockies to the sea,

Sweep on, sweep on eternally."

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HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

Again in Sept., 1905, the devastating flood visited Cooper County. The cause of this high water was similar to that of 1881. The local rains were so great that streams flowing into the Missouri overflowed their banks, and practically all the bridges in Cooper County were washed away and destroyed, entailing on the county a great loss in dollars and disturbance of traffic.

The county at that time faced a difficult problem because these bridges had to be replaced at a great expense. Prior to this flood the county court of Cooper County had called an election for a bond issue for the purpose of building a court house. By reason, however, of the great loss to the county caused by the high water of the various streams, the court saw fit and proper to call off this election.

While the need of a new court house was imperative and patent to the voters of the county, no agitation in behalf of the same was made until 1911. There being a demand on the part of the county votes that the city of Boonville should do something in addition, and beyond that done by the rest of the county, a proposition was submitted by the city council to the voters of Boonville to bond the city for $15,000 to aid in the con- struction of a court house.

The election was held June 5, 1911, and the vote in favor of the bonds was practically unanimous, being for, 724, against, 6. The county court upon the proper petition called an election for May 11, 1911, submitting to the people of the county the issue of a $100,000 5-20 5 per cent. bonds, from the sale of which to erect a new and suitable court house.

The Commercial Club of Boonville took charge of the campaign and appointed as managers of the same W. D. Pendleton, then mayor of the city of Boonville, and W. F. Johnson, then president of the club. The favorable result of. this election was a great surprise to many. The cam- paign was quiet and no public meetings were held. An appeal was made to the intelligence of the voters which resulted for the bond issue, 1,977; against 799.

It is needless to say that the result of this election caused great re- joicing, especially in Boonville, where great crowds gathered on the street after supper, as soon as the vote was announced, and by the playing of bands, speech-making and shouting manifested their satisfaction.

As soon as the sale of the bonds were negotiated, the contract for building the new court house was let by competitive bids to W. J. Cochran of Boonville. Something over a year was consumed in the erection of the present beautiful court house, the total cost of which, including the addi-

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tional site, together with furniture and fixtures, reached approximately $140,000.

Tornado .- About nine o'clock at night, on Tuesday, June 5, 1917, the most destructive storm that had ever visited Cooper County, swept a path 150 yards wide, and approximately 20 miles long through the northeast part of the county.

It began its destructive course at Lone Elm store, and swept in a straight northeastward direction, leaving the county at a point about mid- way between Woolridge and Overton, crossing the Missouri River, and doing much damage in Boone County.

At Lone Elm, a number of trees were blown down. The cattle barn of Henry Koenig, one mile east of Lone Elm, was unroofed, and scores of forest trees in the woodland pasture, where the annual Lone Elm picnic is held, were uprooted.

Mrs. Emma Schmallfeldt's residence, a nine room frame building, was unroofed, with the exception of one room, the walls blown in, and the furniture blown away. A part of the barn, a chicken house, and a sum- mer kitchen were blown from their foundations. Two chicken houses and a smoke house were unroofed. A granary was also demolished.

The entire east side of the residence of Henry J. Muntzel, located a few hundred yards southwest of the Clarks Fork Trinity Luthern Church was blown out and the house was unroofed on the east side. A summer kitchen was blown off into foundation, and a negro farm hand, Winston Carr, who was in the building suffered two broken ribs. A windmill was also blown down, as well as fences and trees. The wooden cross on the steeple of the large church building was blown down, and the walls of the building were cracked by the force of the wind. A new barn at the rear of the church parsonage was completely demolished. The school building just south of the church edifice was blown from its foundations, and a number of monuments in the cemetery were blown down.

A cattle barn on the farm of Mrs. George Myer was destroyed. The Walnut Christian Church, a beautiful edifice, which was erected at a cost of over $6,000, and dedicated July 25, 1915, was completely demolished and blown northward across a deep ravine, and the wreck was lodged in a grove of trees, or carried out into an adjoining field. The floor was swept clean of all the furnishings, with the exception of a few chairs and the organ, which was not damaged.

Of the scores of monuments in the church cemetery, only three were left standing. William Wisdom, of Prairie Home, who was in the build-

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ing at the time, in attempting to leave, was struck down, and blown from the building, without receiving serious injury. His horse and buggy was hitched near by. The buggy was completely demolished, but the horse escaped uninjured.

A pine timber 1x4 was blown through a tree about seven inches in diameter. Large monuments were blown over and the framing of the church building was completely demolished.

The barn of Jesse Newkirk was blown down, and his residence was damaged. The tenant house occupied by the Phipps family, on the T. B. Jewett farm was badly damaged, the house being blown off its foundation, and several of the rooms were wrecked. Lon and George Phipps had a narrow escape from death, when the roof fell in on the bed on which they were sleeping.

John Schmolzi and his family, who lived two miles east of Clarks Fork were great sufferers. Mr. Schmolzi grabbed his baby, and rushed to a small cave in the yard, and shouted to his wife and three other children to follow. However, they were too late, and the house of logs was blown down upon them. Mrs. Schmolzi and her young son, Willie, fourteen years old, were taken from the ruins of their humble home, badly injured. The mother received internal injuries, and the boy sustained a fractured skull. Every building on the Schmolzi farm was demolished, farm ma- chinery was blown away, the apple orchard destroyed and the poultry killed.

A freak of the storm here was the taking of a corn planter, twisting it to pieces, and then taking the axle of the planter with one wheel still attached, and driving it into the heart of a big oak tree twelve or fifteen feet from the ground.

A heavy road grader was lifted from the side of the road, crumpled into junk, and hurled across the road into a grove of trees. Two barns south of the residence of Hogan Freeman were destroyed. One was a new structure, 16x30, and the other was 42 feet square, and housed six head of work stock, all of which escaped injury. However, seven head o fcattle grazing in a pasture were killed by the flying debris from the ruined Schmolzi home and outbuildings.

Auntinie Overton and Nick Robertson, negro farmers, had their houses torn'down. The residence of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Oerly, located on the brow of the hill, a quarter of a mile northwest of Gooch Mill was completely demolished and blown away. Mr. Oerly was struck by falling

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HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

timbers, and his wife was found lying unconscious in a pool of blood sev- eral yards from the side of the house.

The young son of Nick Blank was in the house at the time and escaped uninjured.

The ground where the residence stood was swept clean of all debris, and the timbers carried for hundreds of yards. An automobile was turned into scrap iron, and literally scattered over a forty acre field. Cattle and horses were maimed and killed and dead poultry was to be seen on every hand.

Tom Christman's house, about a mile north of Gooch's Mill was demolished. Allene Oerly, the 13-year-old daughter of Will Oerly, a Woolridge merchant, was killed. All the family succeeded in reaching a cyclone cellar beneath the summer kitchen, when the storm in its fury, picked up Allene and hurled her away in the fury of the wind. Her body was discovered about 75 yards away from the cellar.

The residence on the Joe Hickman farm, occupied by Charles Phipps, was destroyed, but no one was injured. Tom Calvert's four-room house, where were Mr. and Mrs. Calvert and Thomp Clayton, wife and one child, was blown down without injury to any of the occupants.

In the household of Fred Fluke, Fred Fluke himself was crushed by falling timbers and killed, and other members of the family were badly injured. The storm moved the house of James Adair from its foundation, and broke Mr. Adair's leg.

About half way between Woolridge and Overton, the storm struck the home of Theodore Morchel, killed two children and badly injured the wife and mother.

This was the most appalling calamity that had come to Cooper County in years, and the property loss was great.

CHAPTER XXII.

THE WORLD WAR.

UNITED STATES ENTERS THE GREAT WAR-COOPER COUNTY'S FINANCIAL CON- TRIBUTION-LOYALTY OF CITIZENS-COUNCIL OF DEFENSE-PROCLAMATION -ARMISTICE SIGNED-LIST OF COOPER COUNTY SOLDIERS-COMPANY B, THIRD REGIMENT, CALLED-CASUALTY LIST-SUMMARY.

It is not in the province of the history of Cooper County, nor within the purview of this short chapter to attempt a history of the great World War that threatened the very foundation of civilization, and seriously affected every nation upon the face of the earth.

President Wilson, in his speech before Congress on April 6, 1918. used these eloquent and forceful words that found spontaneous response in the true patriotism of America:

"Let everything that we say, my fellow countrymen, everything that we henceforth plan and accomplish, ring true to this response till the majesty and might of our concerted power shall fill the thought and utterly defeat the force of those who flout and misprize what we honor and hold dear.

"Germany has once more said that force, and force alone, shall decide whether justice and peace shall reign in the affairs of men, whether right as America conceives it, and dominion, as she conceives, shall determine the destinies of mankind.

"There is therefore but one response for us; force, force to the utmost, force without stint or limit, the righteous and triumphant force which will make the law of the world, and cast every selfish dominion down in the dust."

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HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

Cooper County did generously and nobly her part in financing the great World War. According to the best information at hand, the county subscribed $2,598,481 to the various war activities. Of this amount, almost $100,000, to be exact, $97,131 was actually given by citizens to take care of the boys who fought for freedom and for right.

The Red Cross received splendid support, receiving $54,756, as nearly as can be estimated. The Y. M. C. A., $9,375; Salvation Army Fund, $1,000; United War Work Fund, $32,000. This vast amount was given with no hope of return, other than patriotically aiding in the war. In the Liberty Loans, our people invested over two and one-half millions dollars in government securities, the amount being divided between the four drives as follows: First Liberty Loan, $100,000; Second Liberty Loan, $525,000; Third Liberty Loan, $616,350; Fourth Liberty Loan, $846,000. Added to this amount is $414,000 invested in War Savings Stamps.

The above statement does not take into consideration the various sums contributed to other causes connected with the war, such as the Tobacco Fund, Armenian Relief, French .War Orphans, etc.

It may not be amiss to state here that Cooper County has no German citizens, but a goodly number of American citizens of German birth or parentage. As a class, they are frugal, saving, prosperous and honest, withall good livers.

Before our entrance to the great war, most of them were in sympathy with Germany, and such were not neutral. Germany's great propaganda, in which over $100,000,000 were spent, was insidious. The effect of many publications like "The Fatherland" had little to say in favor of their government, or of their institutions, but in practically every line culogized, praised and upheld the institutions and theories of the German Empire, in direct opposition to American principles and institutions. But with the unfurling of Old Glory from the housetops, their hearts beat true, and they at once sprang to action, and responded as a class to every call. If there were reservations in the minds of a few, the number was indeed small, and existed largely in the minds of the suspicious.

By reason of the peculiar situation of this class of our citizens, the editor feels called upon to pay this short tribute. We are Americans, regardless of the route each has traveled to become one. We are one in love of home and country. The names of our boys who toiled, suffered and bled in Flanders field are confined to no nationality. Each is a true American.

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HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

"About his brow the laurel and the bay Was often wreathed-on this our Memory dwells- Upon whose bier in reverence today We lay these imortelles.

His was a vital, virile, warrior soul;

If force were needed, he exalted force;

Unswerving as the pole star to the pole, He held his righteous course.

He smote at wrong, if he believed it wrong,

As did the Knight, with stainless

Accolade ;

He stood for right, unfalteringly strong, Forever unafraid.

With somewhat of the Savant and the

Sage,

He was, when all is said and sung, A

Man.

The flower imperishable of his valiant Age,

A true American."

We had no spies to watch in Cooper, yet following the precedent established throughout the country, A Board of Defense was appointed, consisting of the following gentlemen: Dr. A. W. Nelson, chairman; H. A. Jewett, A. H. Harriman, E. E. Amick, D. A. McArthur, A. A. Wal- lace, Homer Wear, Roy D. Williams and L. O. Schaumburg, secretary. Their activities were tame, for there was no necessity for unusual vigil- ance.

In Sept., 1918, the above Council of Defense of Cooper County, met and passed the following resolutions : *

"WHEREAS, a spontaneous sentiment from every quarter of the county, arising from the patriotic hearts of the citizenship of Cooper County, has appealed to the Cooper County Council of Defense to take action in the matter of suppressing the use of the German language in churches, schools, public meetings of every sort, including conversation over telephone lines, and also on the public streets and thoroughfares of the county ;

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HISTORY OF COOPER COUNTY

THEREFORE, it is unanimously resolved by the Cooper County Council of Defense that the citizenship of this county be and is hereby urgently requested to refrain from communicating in the language of our enemy in all public places and on all public occasions as above enumerated during the period of the war.

An appeal is made to our patriotic citizenship to aid with every means within our power in carrying out the provisions of this proclamation."

Early Monday morning, Nov. 11, 1918, the news was flashed through- out the country that the armistice had been signed. Great demonstra- tions were held throughout the county and especially in Boonville. It was a gala day from early morning till late at night. Bands were play- ing and demonstrations of all characters were being carried on in jubila- tion of the end of the most stupendous tragedy in the history of the world.

A treaty of peace has been signed and our boys are returning to their homes. The material is not at hand to give more than the names of those who gave their services to their country. We are not able to give the promotions or special deeds of valor of our boys, for any attempt so to do, with the meager information at hand would be unjust to many. The ladies of Boonville have also prepared a list, and upon comparing their list with ours, we find that they have apparently omitted a number of names which appear upon our list, and upon the other hand, we find that they have names that we have not secured. We therefore give first the list that we have secured, and after that, we give those that appear upon the list secured by the ladies, which do not appear upon ours. We do not vouch for the correctness of either.

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History of Cooper County, Missouri, Part 30

Author: Johnson, William Foreman, b. 1861 Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Topeka : Historical Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 1464

Author: Johnson, William Foreman, b. 1861
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Topeka : Historical Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 1464