USA > Missouri > Lincoln County > History of Lincoln County, Missouri, from the earliest time to the present > Part 37
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The present membership is twenty-seven, and the officers are J. L. Butler, W. M. ; J. F. Young, S. W. ; D. Y. Morris, J. W .; D. C. Reeds, Secretary ; H. M. Reid, Treasurer ; S. E. Estes, S. D .; H. H. Higginbotham, J. D., and Josiah Young, Tyler.
In 1882 this lodge and the high school board jointly erected a two-story frame building, 24x46 feet in size, at a cost of about $2,100, the former paying three-sevenths and the latter four-sevenths of the amount. The first story is occupied by the high school and the second by the lodge. The building is paid for, and no debt is pending with either lodge or school board.
On petition of two-thirds of the taxable inhabitants of Louis- ville, it was incorporated by the county court at its May term, 1874, under the name and style of " The Inhabitants of the Town of Louisville," and Edward Huntsman, A. J. Dixon, William H. Bartlett, F. M. Dixon and W. J. Wales were constituted the first board of trustees.
MONROE.
Monroe, or "Old Monroe," as it is commonly called, is situ- ated on the St. Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern Railroad, at the crossing of the Cuivre, the town being wholly on the north side of the river. It is located in the southeastern part of Lincoln County, and, having been the first county seat thereof, it is one of the most historic places in the county. It is also noted for the beautiful mounds that have been constructed there in former ages. The site is beautiful, but the town is small. The original town was laid out some time prior to 1819, by Ira and Almond Cottle and Nathaniel Simonds, the original proprietors. A large portion of it was donated in 1819 to the county for the seat of
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
justice. The large brick house now owned and occupied by Her- man Niemeyer was built some seventy-eight years ago, about the year 1810. The county was organized in this house, and the courts held therein while the county seat remained at Monroe. In August, 1820, Almond Cottle was licensed to keep a "tavern," the fee being $10 for a year. It is presumed that this is the house in which the "tavern " was kept. With the exception of the Niemeyer residence there had been nothing at Monroe, in the way of buildings, for many years, until the railroad drew near its completion, when it began to revive. It was re-surveyed in 1880 by Charles Du Bois, a civil engineer, and since that time the town as it now exists has principally been built. It contains two general stores kept, respectively, by Albert Isenstein and Herman Niemeyer; a hotel, grocery and livery stable by W. H. Pollard; a hotel by Henry H. Pieper, and a blacksmith shop by Herman Brunes. Isenstein also deals in furniture and farm implements. There is a daily mail between Monroe and Chain of Rocks. The railroad bridge, across the Cuivre at Monroe, has twice been swept away by the pressure of drift collected when the water was high. On the last occasion the drift contained 1,600 saw logs, which floated from the Cuivre and its tributaries. The present bridge is a magnificent one, made mostly of iron. During the last year immense cribs of stone have been con- structed in the river, above the bridge piers, to prevent the drift from striking them. It is believed that these cribs of stone will be sufficient to resist the pressure of any amount of drift that will be likely to collect in the future, and thus enable it to be broken and floated down between the piers without injury to the bridge.
MOSCOW.
Moscow (Moscow on the Cuivre) is situated on the western bank of the Cuivre River, and on the St. Louis & Hannibal (Short Line) Railroad, four miles southeast of Troy. It was laid out March 17, 1821, by John Geiger, Morgan Wright, James Duncan and Shapley Ross, the original proprietors. The plat was witnessed by Sylvanus Allison and Elijah Collard. The pro- prietors appointed C. K. Duncan, A. C. Woolfolk, Jeremiah Groshong, Andrew Miller and W. H. Robinson as a board of
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trustees of the town of Moscow to sell and convey lots. It was laid out as a competing point with Monroe, Troy, Alexandria and other places, for location of the county seat. Henry Martin was the first merchant of Moscow, having opened a stock of general merchandise soon after the town was laid out. He continued in business several years and made considerable money, after which he died and was buried there. At the time Martin did business at Moscow, Adolphus Foster and Thomas McCune also carried on a small business. William Hammer was the next settler in the town and he also engaged in merchandising. He was the first postmaster the town ever had, having been appointed as a Republican. He remained in business until 1884, when he re- tired. Next came A. M. Bouldin, who opened a grocery store, and C. & L. Branders and James Anderson, who opened general stores. All these were doing business at Moscow in 1885. A saloon was established there some three years ago by John Hor- ton. He was soon succeeded by Thomas Stuart, and he by Hammer, who continued the business until the Downing law went into effect. Next came James Cunningham, who continued the business for a time.
The grist and saw mill owned by Wing & Son has always been one of the greatest factors of Moscow's success. It was established about the year 1820, by Jeremiah Groshong. He sold it to John Geiger, and he to Henry Martin, who died while in possession of it. The heirs of Martin sold it to Thomas Mul- ton, who sold it to John Foster. The latter sold it to James and Ed. Leach, and in 1868 they sold it to Frederick Wing, the senior member of the firm of Wing & Son, its present owners. There is a large grain elevator attached to the mills. A bridge was built across the Cuivre River at Moscow in 1852. It fell in 1860, having been undermined by the strong current of water. The following is a list of the business of Moscow as it was written up and published in 1885: General stores, C. & L. Brandes and J. H. Anderson; grocery, A. M. Bouldin; saloon, J. C. Cun- ningham; hotel, Frank Hill; blacksmith, Louis Schroeder; Wing & Son, millers and dealers in grain; Fritz Durand, black- smith and wheelwright. Several beautiful residences, a union church and a schoolhouse.
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
In 1870, when the prospect for a railroad at Moscow was good, the proprietors of the vacant lots had the town re-surveyed, preparatory to selling them. The old corners, to some extent, had been lost, and in order to re-establish them the deposition of Joseph H. Shelton, who had personal knowledge of their location, was taken on the 16th day of September, before James D. Shelton and Wilson T. Harris, justices of the peace. With the infor- mation thus obtained, John C. Downing, surveyor of Lincoln County, made a complete re-survey of the town, beginning at the northwest corner of Lot 4 in Block 12, where he perpetuated the corner by placing a stone in it 26x9x4 inches in size. John Franklin and S. G. Wright were the chain carriers in making this re-survey. The town, as thus surveyed, contains nine blocks of four lots each, and fifteen blocks of eight lots each, the lots being 128x65 feet, except in Blocks 1 to 4 inclusive, where they are of the same width but greater length. Jacob Voepel's addition to the town of Moscow was surveyed and platted in June, 1882, by J. F. Wilson, the county surveyor.
The contract for the bridge recently built across the Cuivre, at Moscow, was let by the county court to Raymond & Campbell, of the Council Bluffs' Bridge Company, for $3,825; $3,000 to be paid by the county, and the balance by the citizens of Moscow and vicinity. The bridge is a substantial iron structure.
About 1879 a colored man by the name of Cavello Sydnor went over the dam in a skiff. Three days later his body was found one mile below. Soon after that fatal accident Miss Acsah Shultz, sister to the nurseryman, was trying to ford the river, when her horse became frightened and threw her off. She was swept by the current into deep water, where she was drowned. Her body was recovered about two hours later. The next case of drowning at Moscow was that of Pat Carney, which occurred about four years ago. He was supposed to have gone into the river bathing while in a state of intoxication. His body was found by the use of dynamite. It is no wonder that the people of Moscow were anxious for a good bridge across the Cuivre.
MILLWOOD
Is situated in the western part of Section 14 and the eastern part
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
of Section 15, in Township 50 north, Range 2 west, and is about twelve miles northwest of Troy. In 1843 an effort was made for the establishment of a postoffice near where Millwood now stands, and Dr. Hilary P. Mudd, who became the first postmaster, selected and forwarded to the department at Washington the name of Fairview for the new office; but there being already a postoffice in the State of that name it could not be adopted. He then sent on the name of Millward, after the name of the Federal marshal of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, who was at that time a prominent Whig politician. The postoffice department mistook the last syllable, " ward," for "wood," hence the name " Millwood." Joseph S. Wells built the first house in the village in 1851, and used it as a store and dwelling house. The second store was opened by William F. Elder. In 1853 Dr. H. P. and Judge H. T. Mudd formed a partnership, opened a store and continued the business together until about 1859, when the former retired. The latter, Judge Mudd, then continued the business alone until 1885, when he took in his son Daniel as a partner, comprising the firm of H. T. Mudd & Son, and they still continue in the business and keep a general stock of everything needed by the people. (They also have a general store and lumber yard at Silex. )
At present the village contains the general store above mentioned and two drug stores, kept respectively by Drs. H. B. Wommack and J. D. Mudd. The former, in 1871, established the first drug store ever kept in the place. The physicians of Millwood are the druggists here mentioned. Since the village was founded other business enterprises have existed. In 1866 William R. Mattingly commenced the business of wagon-making and blacksmithing, and in 1876 R. M. Elder opened a boot and shoe shop, and for a time J. Emmet Cummings sold drygoods and farm implements. Millwood has two schools, public and select. The latter is a high school wherein instruction in the higher branches is given. Prof. C. B. M. Thurmond, the efficient principal, has just closed the high school for the last year, and has given good satisfaction to his patrons. With the exception of a few years during the excitement of the war period, the postoffice has remained in the hands of the Mudds. Dr. H.
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
P. Mudd, the first postmaster, held the office at his dwelling house until some time during the war, when he was succeeded by William F. Elder. The latter was succeeded by James E. Mudd and he by Daniel H. Mudd, the present incumbent. Millwood is surrounded with a very good farming country, but being situated as it is within three and one-half miles of Silex, a leading shipping point on the railroad, it is destined to continue only a small village. A few things will remain with it, among which may be mentioned the large general store of Judge Mudd & Son, and the Roman Catholic Church and the convent school. The church and school will be mentioned elsewhere in this work.
The history of Millwood would not be complete without a personal mention of its founder, Joseph S. Wells, who was one of the pioneer settlers of the county, and who taught the first schools in the Millwood neighborhood. After leaving Millwood he went to Olney, and founded that village. He became a Bap- tist minister, did much good in the cause of Christianity, and was well liked by all who knew him. His wife was a Miss Sands, whom he married about the year 1844. After completing a period of very useful citizenship in this county, he moved to Texas, where he remained until his death.
NEW HOPE.
New Hope, a small village in Hurricane Township, was sur- veyed January 16, 1837, on land of Charles Cox, being the south part of the east half of the southeast quarter of Section 35, Town- ship 51 north, Range 1 east. The plat was acknowledged before Francis Parker, clerk of the circuit court. Being surrounded with an excellent farming country, it was formerly a place of considerable business importance. It is now only a post hamlet, containing a general store, postoffice, a couple of churches, and a few residences. Andrew Cochran was the first merchant at New Hope, and kept a store there during the thirties. It was then a wilderness all the way from there to what is now Elsberry.
NEW SALEM.
New Salem is a small hamlet, situated on Section 16, Town- ship 49 north, Range 2 east. It contains New Salem Lodge No.
.f . ) )
STATE OF MISSOURI.
270. A. F. & A. M., which was instituted in 1867, and chartered in that or the following year. The lodge had seventeen charter members. The first officers were W. H. Crenshaw, W. M. ; Dr. William H. Wise, S. W. ; J. H. Dryden, J. W .; Beverly Duey, S. D. ; D. T. Killam, J. D. ; B. F. Hardesty, Secy. ; William Magruder, Treas. ; John Bell, Tyler. The lodge owns a hall, which is the second-story of a dwelling house. The hall cost about $400. The present membership of the lodge is sixty-four. Its financial condition is good, and it is doing good work.
OLNEY
Is situated in the southwest corner of Section 22, Township 50 north, Range 3 west. It lies west northwest of Troy, and about fifteen miles distant on a straight line, and one mile east of the western boundary of the county. It is surrounded by a beautiful and fertile prairie country, the surface of which is slightly rolling, with here and there a visible grove of timber, which makes the landscape exceedingly picturesque. The town was founded in 1855 by Joseph S. Wells, who, in that year, built the first house but gave no name to the place. A few years later a post- office was established there by the name of Lost Branch, the name of the creek on which the town is located. This name originated, according to tradition, from the fact that on one oc- casion, when the old pioneer settler, John Hudson, was hunting near the source of the creek, and near the present site of Olney, he became lost, and had to lie out over night, " and would have frozen to death but for his faithful dogs, that lay on and around him, and kept him warm until daylight appeared, and he again dis- covered his bearings." For many years the town was regularly called Nineveh, but on the 17th of May, 1875, it was surveyed and platted by Surveyor John C. Downing for John C. Wells and the other proprietors, and was named Olney. As surveyed, it contained seventy-five lots of various sizes.
The first store in the place was opened by its founder, Joseph S. Wells, and continued until it was closed on account of the Civil War, after which it was again opened. Samuel Green opened a general store in 1876, and conducted it alone until 1881, when he took in M. P. Smith as a partner, comprising the firm
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
of Samuel Green & Co., with a capital of about $10,000. After- ward, Higginbotham & Reed kept a general store, with a like amount of capital. The town has grown so that at the present (June, 1888) it contains two large general stores, kept respectively by Samuel Green and Mason, Duvel & Co .; the well-filled drug store of Dr. Theron Ives, which he established in 1874; the hardware and agricultural implement store of William C. Logan; the furniture and undertaking store of A. L. Orr; the millinery store of Mrs. Kate Green; the millinery and dressmaking establishment of Mrs. Annie Jones; the blacksmith shops of F. C. Stroker and J. W. Williams; the extensive manufactory of wagons, buggies, plows, cultivators, etc., of F. C. Stroker; the grist and saw mill of Joseph Palmer, run by N. G. Cornelius; the Olney Hotel, erected in 1885, and since kept by the accommodating landlord, E. G. Dehart, and his lady. The physicians of the town are W. L. Northcut, Charles G. Moseley and Theron Ives. Dr. H. W. Sperry, an old practitioner, having practiced about forty years, now retired, is a resident of the place. Rev. J. J. Smiley, of the Methodist Episcopal Church, is also a resident. Olney contains two church edifices, the Cumberland Presbyterian and the Meth- odist Episcopal Church South. It also contains the following societies: Nineveh Lodge No. 472, A. F. & A. M., chartered October 15, 1874, with J. S. R. Gregory W. M .; A. S. Morris, S. W. and Joseph Myers, J. W .; present membership, thirty-one. The hall occupied by this lodge was erected in 1873 by a joint stock company. It is a two-story frame building, the lower story being used as a wareroom. Olney Lodge No. 190, A. O. U. W., chartered May 31, 1880, has fifty-four members, and meets on the second and fourth Saturdays of each month. Olney Lodge No. 18, Triple Alliance, chartered April 16, 1883, meets occasionally. Olney has a district school, and about eighty-five children of school age.
Olney Institute .- At the fall term, 1885, of the Lincoln County Circuit Court, the following petition was presented:
" To the Honorable Elijah Robinson, Judge of the Third Judicial Circuit of Missouri:
" We, the undersigned stockholders, herewith submit to your
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
honor our constitution and by-laws, together with a list of the stockholders, praying your honor to grant us incorporation.
" J. L. DUNCAN, President. "BEN. F. REED, Secretary.
"SAMUEL GREEN, Treasurer."
Then followed the names of over forty stockholders, and also a copy of the constitution and by-laws, and the following is a copy of the record of the decree of the Court:
" In the matter of the Olney Institute. Now at this day comes J. L. Duncan, president; B. F. Reed, secretary; and Samuel Green, treasurer of said Olney Institute, and submit to the Court the articles of association, together with a petition praying for a pro forma decree in manner provided by law, and it appearing to the Court that said petition has remained on file in the clerk's office of said court at least three days since same was presented to the Court, and the Court having duly examined said articles of association, and the purposes of the association as herein expressed come properly within the purview of Article 10, Chapter 21 of the revised statutes of Missouri, of 1879, entitled 'Benevolent, Scien- tific, Educational and Miscellaneous Associations,' and amend- ments thereto, approved April 2, 1885, and not inconsistent with the laws of the United States or the State of Missouri. It is therefore adjudged and decreed by the Court that the prayer of the petition be granted and that said petitioners pay the costs in this suit expended."
Prior to its formal incorporation the association had organ- ized and purchased a lot containing two acres, beautifully located on the north side of the village of Olney, and had erected thereon a handsome two story brick building, containing two schoolrooms on each floor, those on the second or upper floor being separated by folding doors so arranged as to throw them into one room when occasion required. The building cost $3,500, and was com- pleted in time for school to commence about the date of the incor- poration of the association. The first school therein was opened by Prof. Nichols, who taught and superintended the school for two years, and succeeded in giving it a good reputation. The third year of the school was taught and superintended by
HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
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the present able and efficient principal, Elijah Ford, B. S. His assistants were Miss Carrie Alloway, Prof. A. J. Marshall and Miss Margie Connell.
The course of study, expenses, etc., as copied from the pub- fished catalogue, is as follows:
Preparatory Department .- Reading, spelling, writing, geog- raphy, map drawing, English grammar (primary), mental arith- metic, written arithmetic, United States history, voice culture, compositions and declamations.
High School Department .- First year-English grammar, familiar science, natural philosophy, physiology, physical geog- raphy, higher arithmetic, civil government, elements of algebra, essays and orations. Second year-Rhetoric, elocution, univer- sal history, word analysis, political economy, mental philosophy, moral philosophy, higher algebra, geometry, essays and orations, Latin and Greek. Third year-Astronomy, chemistry, botany, geology, zoology, methods of teaching, trigonometry, navigation and surveying, essays and orations, Latin, Greek.
EXPENSES.
Preparatory department, per term. $ 9 00
High School 66 15 00
Contingent 1 00 66
Instrumental music, per lesson. 50
Use of instrument, per month. 50
Portraiture in crayon, per scholar
00
Vocal Music free.
Good board from $2 to $3 per week.
Tuition must be paid in advance.
-
Students pay tuition from time of entrance to close of term unless special arrangements are made.
No " family tickets " are issued.
No student's time will be counted on that of another.
No deduction for absence, unless caused by protracted sick- ness.
Departments .- Olney Institute is divided into four depart- ments; Preparatory, High School, Musical and Art.
Preparatory .- The aim in this department is to give the stu- dent a good common school education, and to lay well the foun- dation for a more advanced course.
27
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
High School .- This department embraces a thorough English, mathematical and scientific course.
The following is the announcement of Prof. Ford for the forthcoming school year :
The fourth scholastic year of this institution will begin Sep- tember 19, 1888, and continue nine months. Preparations have been made to accommodate a large attendance next year.
Miss Jennie Baker, of Danville, Mo., has been employed as teacher of English language and literature. Miss Baker is a regular graduate of the Danville Academy, receiving the degree of Mistress of Arts. She has taught successfully in the St. Louis public schools and in St. Charles' College.
Dr. W. L. Northcutt has consented to deliver lectures on special subjects in physiology and hygiene. His knowledge and experience in his profession eminently qualify him for this important feature of the work.
Mr. George Thomas will assist in the mathematical depart- ment during the second term.
Mr. Walter Barbee will have charge of the department of vocal music. He is a very successful teacher and has a wide reputation as such.
Miss Mattie E: Smiley will give lessons in instrumental music. She has received instructions from one of the best graduates of the St. Louis Musical Conservatory, and comes very highly rec- ommended.
Mr. Robert Stephenson will conduct the art department. His work speaks for itself.
Miss Margie Connell will have charge of the preparatory department. She is not a stranger, but a tried and faithful teacher. Her work in the school last year was highly satisfac- tory to all concerned.
Olney Institute has a well-selected library containing nearly one hundred volumes.
OWEN,
Or Owen Station, is situated on the St. Louis & Hannibal (Short Line) Railway, four miles southeast of Moscow. It was laid out and platted in January, 1884, on lands owned by James W. Owen
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
and S. P. Hill, and named in honor of the former. Madison Wommack opened the first store at this place, and in February, 1884, he sold it to Capt. Martin V. Moseley, who still continues in the business, it being the only store there. Mr. Moseley is also the postmaster.
SILEX,
A village containing nearly 300 inhabitants, is situated on the St. Louis & Keokuk Railroad, twelve miles northwest of Troy. In 1880 George P. Smith was engaged in the mercantile business at a point called Cave City, just beyond the rock-cut north of where Silex now stands, and when the railroad was completed to the site of Silex he moved his stock of goods there and opened. the first store in the town. Mr. Smith continued in business and boarded the railroad hands until 1882, and was then succeeded by L. C. Kimbler, who continued in business until March, 1885, when his property was destroyed by fire. He received $2,000 insurance and afterward rebuilt. The town was laid out and platted in 1882, by Portus B. Weare.
The second store in Silex was opened by the Jameson Bros., in a building which stood upon stilt legs, as it were, but in the fall of 1882 they built and moved into another building. This was all of the town up to 1834, when the Moseley Hotel was begun. This hotel is a very large, three and a half story frame build- ing, with business rooms on the first floor, and hotel rooms above. The erection of this hotel seemed to give an impetus to the further building of the town, and in the fall of 1885 the business directory was as follows: General merchandise, Porter & Crider; drugs, J. T. Henry & Co .; hardware, F. B. Martin, Mudd & Gift; hotel, Andrew Teague; boarding-house, Frank Dyer; liv- ery, Frank Dyer; lumber, Porter & Crider; saloon, T. J. Mat- tingly; builder and contractor, W. S. Henry; saw mill, W. C. Freeman; jewelry, S. E. Cruzen; general merchandise, W. D. Jameson & Co .; millinery and dressmaking, Miss S. E. Hudson; wagon and blacksmith shop, J. N. Mudd; physician, Dr. Slaughter.
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