USA > Missouri > Lincoln County > History of Lincoln County, Missouri, from the earliest time to the present > Part 39
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
town property, are included within the proposed corporate limits, it is therefore considered, adjudged and decreed by the court that the said inhabitants within the metes and bounds aforesaid, shall be a body corporate and politic, by the name and style of 'The Inhabitants of the Town of Troy,' and by that name they and their successors shall be known in law, have perpetual succession unless disincorporated, sue and be sued, plead and be impleaded, defend and be defended in all courts, and in all actions, pleas and matters whatever; may grant, purchase, hold and receive property, real and personal, within said town, and burial grounds and cemeteries outside of said town, and may lease, sell and dis- pose of the same for the benefit of the town, and may have a common seal, and make, break and alter the same at pleasure, and in general may have and enjoy all and singular, the rights and provisions specified and contained in an act of the General Assembly approved March 30, 1874, and Chapter 41, general statutes of Missouri, 1865. And it further appearing to the sat- isfaction of the Court that the number of inhabitants of said town of Troy is less than 2,500, the Court doth thereupon appoint George W. Colbert, Oscar T. Buswell, Charles Martin, Jr., W. W. Birkhead and John M. Ellis, a board of trustees in and for the incorporation of the town of Troy.
In 1881 Troy was incorporated as a city of the fourth class and some changes in the boundary lines were made so as to exclude certain farming lands from within the corporate limits. The change in the boundary line of the city was proposed in July, 1881, and afterward submitted to a vote of the electors, who were almost unanimously in favor of making the change. The present officers of the city of Troy are George W. Colbert, mayor; H. F. Childers, clerk; Preston Creech, marshal; Jesse Swinney, collector; J. A. Jackson, treasurer. Board of aldermen, J. R. Witt, D. C. Russell, R. A. Trail and W. H. Hutchison.
The population of Troy in 1880, as given in the United States Census, was 839. It will probably reach about 1,200 at this time (1888).
Societies .- Troy Lodge No. 34, A. F. & A. M., was chartered October 7, 1841, and is consequently the oldest lodge in Troy. The first meeting under the charter was held October 13, 1841,
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
at which time Brothers Thomas G. Hutt, R. H. Woolfolk and James M. Zimmerman were appointed a committee to make arrangements for the installation of the officers. Emanuel Block was appointed a committee on music, and E. J. Peers was appointed marshal for the occasion. The installation took place at the courthouse on the 3d day of November following, when the first officers were installed as follows: Francis Parker, W. M .; Eleazer Block, S. W. ; E. J. Peers, J. W .; Emanuel Block, Treas. ; J. P. Fuller, Sec'y; William Porter, S. D .; J. Davis, J. D .; L. Robinson, Tyler. There were twenty-three members of the lodge, and thirteen visiting brothers present, and a large number of ladies and gentlemen in attendance at the installation services. Prominent among those present were James H. Britton, Philan- der Draper, A. H. Martin, A. S. Buchanan, Col. Thomas G. Hutt and John W. Sydnor. Of the original members of the lodge A. S. Buchanan, James H. Britton, J. W. Sydnor and Col. Thomas G. Hutt are the only ones now living. Philander Draper was the first man made a Mason under the charter of this lodge. Many of the most prominent men of Lincoln County were initi- ated and became members of the Masonic fraternity in this lodge. Many, after becoming members, moved away and were demitted, and others have departed to join the lodge of the Grand Master of the Universe. The membership of the lodge at present is about forty-five, and the officers are Jesse J. Shaw, W. M .; R. H. Norton, S. W .; John E. Richards, J. W .; J. A. Jackson, Treas .; T. H. Harris, Secy .; George W. Colbert, S. D .; G. T. Dunn, J. D .; and D. C. Russell, Tyler.
The walls of the Masonic Hall building were erected about the year 1837, by Col. David Bailey, and the building stood in an unfinished condition until 1851 or 1852, and was then sold to the trustees of the Universalist Church, and the trustees of the Masonic lodge. These societies finished the building and owned it in partnership; the Masons occupying the upper story and the church the lower. Some time between 1855 and 1860 the church became disorganized, and then followed some trouble about the ownership of the building, and about the payment of the taxes thereon. Finally the property was sold for taxes, the Masonic lodge becoming the purchaser. The building is now a sub-
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
stantial two-story brick structure, and the lower story is used as a store-room. It stands at the east side of Main Street, on Lot 114, original plat of Troy. Prior to the completion of this build- ing the lodge held its meetings in the courthouse. The money for the purchase of the building in its unfinished state was raised by subscription, some parties contributing on behalf of the church, some on the part of the lodge, and some for both.
Troy Royal Arch Chapter No. 85, was chartered October 7, 1875, just thirty-four years to the day after Troy Lodge No. 34, A. F. & A. M., was chartered. The dispensation, however, had been granted on the 13th day of the previous March. The first principal officers were J. J. McElwee, High Priest; Marcus H. McFarland, King; J. P. Blanton, Scribe. The chapter has about thirty-five members at this writing, and the officers are Thomas H. Harris, High Priest; J. M. Wilson, King; W. A. Woodson, Scribe; George W. Colbert, Captain of Host; J. H. Alexander, P. S .; J. J. Shaw, R. A. C. The chapter, by paying half of the expense of repairs, is entitled to the use of the Masonic hall, where it holds its meetings.
Troy Lodge No. 68, I. O. O. F., was instituted in 1853, upon the application to the Grand Lodge of the State, made by Gen. John B. Henderson and four other members of Louisiana Lodge No. 28. The first meeting of Troy Lodge was held November 14, 1853. John . W. Sydnor was the first Noble Grand, and 'S. R. Woolfolk first Secretary. After this lodge was fully in work- ing order and a fair membership was secured, an exodus of its members to California took place, whereby it became so reduced ยท in numbers that it was compelled to suspend operations, the date of its last meeting being December 29, 1857. The Noble Grand at that time was A. V. McKee, and the Secretary, Lewis C. Wright. The latter was the Noble Grand-elect, but was not in- stalled on account of the suspension of the lodge. Troy Lodge No. 68, of this order, was reinstated upon the petition of Lewis C. Wright, A. V. McKee, Dr. James A. Ward, Thomas M. Carter and Samuel Shirkey, and a new charter was granted, bearing date of June 10, 1873. The lodge was reorganized by J. W. Pilcher, P. G. of Lodge No. 5 in St. Louis. The present officers of Troy Lodge are John D. Carter, N. G .; William A. Jackson, V. G .;
28
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
R. P. Boulton, Secretary; Samuel E. Kribs, Permanent Secre- tary, and Lewis C. Wright, Treasurer. The present membership of the lodge is forty-five. They rent a hall, where they meet, in the second story of the Withrow Building. The lodge is out of debt, and has money out on interest.
Troy Lodge No. 109, A. O. U. W., was chartered February 20, 1879, with twenty original members, including the follow- ing first officers, viz .: B. W. Wheeler, M. W .; Rev. W. B. Y. Wilkie, P. M. W .; Josiah Creech, G. F .; George S. Hutt, Over- seer; Newell Ackerman, Recorder; John A. Knott, Financier; H. W. Perkins, Receiver; E. G. Hammond, Guide; William Coose, I. W .; Jacob Metz, O. W .; Dr. William S. Hutt, Med. Ex. This society does not own a hall, but rents one in which to meet. Of the foregoing officers, two, Newell Acker- man and Dr. William S. Hutt, have since died. The present of- ficers of the lodge are James Linahan, M. W. ; L. J. Henry, P. M. W .; George S. Hutt, Foreman; William Coose, Overseer; B. W. Wheeler, Recorder; George W. Mohr, F .; H. W. Perkins, Re- ceiver; Stephen Cottle, Guide; William A. Ellis, I. W .; Charles Shumate, O. W .; Drs. D. W. Tice and Charles D. Avery, Medi- cal Examiners. The present membership of this lodge is forty- nine.
Maj. A. Bartlett Post No. 289, Grand Army of the Republic, was chartered October 13, 1886, with the following charter mem- bers, viz. : John W. Moore, J. W. East, L. Carter, J. Altman, M. Dalton, William Colbert, L. B. Sitton, F. A. Colbert, N. Dunard, J. J. Mallan, D. H. Cannon, James Murphy, W. B. Seay, J. W. Hunter, P. Herbel, L. Howell, F. Wirshing, W. P. Gladson, Joe Page, W. J. Cook, F. M. Howell and F. M. Campbell. At this writing the post has forty members.
This order has no parallel. It is composed of men who lived at a certain time, were soldiers of a certain army, and who have been honorably discharged therefrom. As a class the survivors of that army are on the downhill side of life, rapidly approaching the end of the journey; consequently the society cannot be per- petuated like those that have existed for ages, and their member- ships passed away with the succeeding generations, and whose future members are yet unborn. The G. A. R. must pass away
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
entire; it cannot long survive the present century. Those young men who, at the age of twenty-one, entered the army when first organized to put down the Rebellion, will, at the close of this cen- tury, if living, be sixty years of age, while the average age of soldiers, who will then survive, will be between sixty-five and seventy years. Thus it is demonstrated that the G. A. R. cannot long survive the present century.
The Temperance Benevolent Association, located in Troy, Lincoln County, was incorporated on the 27th day of September, 1884. The incorporators were Joseph B. Allen, Thomas H. Harris and A. H. Chenoweth, all residents of Troy. The object of this association is to promote the cause of temperance by restricting and prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors, and to provide for its members in case of death or disability, upon the cheapest and most equitable plan of assessments, where the temperate take no part of the risk of the intemperate. These objects are proposed to be obtained by organizing State associa- tions and local aid societies, which by moral and instructive lec- tures, and by teaching the principles of the association, to pro- mote the moral and social advancement of the members, and encourage them in the performance of the duties of good citizen- ship, and which will enable them to secure, by organized efforts, the fullest and most preferable considerations for themselves and their interest at the hands of the public generally.
To promote the cause of temperance by uniting all opposition to the licensed sale of all intoxicants as a beverage.
To encourage each other in business, and to assist each other in obtaining employment.
To further promote, incidentally, benevolence and charity, by establishing a charity fund for the temporary relief of indigent or suffering members and their families, and to provide for the aid and relief of the families, widows or orphans, or other de- pendents of their deceased members, and for assisting such of its members as may be sick or disabled, from the proceeds of assess- ments as authorized and provided by law.
Mr. Allen, one of the incorporators, devised and formulated the plan, with the view of blending a contract of a pecuniary and moral character, so as to make it to the financial interest of all
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who unite with the association to comply with the rules, and not to violate their pledge and agreements. His experience in the temperance work had taught him that men would readily agree to be temperate, but were easily led to violate the agreement, but if he was stimulated to keep the vows he had made by a valuable consideration, that he would be less liable to break them. This it is proposed to accomplish by issuing certificates of "benefits," wherein it is agreed they are to become void if the holders are found to use intoxicants as a beverage or to sign a petition for the sale of the same.
The association has made considerable progress, and found favor with the temperance workers of the State. It has been enabled to meet all its obligations, and has the advantage in push- ing its work, in that it does not force its workers to pass the hat for means to pay expenses, its beneficiary department having an income sufficient to pay all expenses incurred in the prosecution of its work. The beneficiary department is managed by a board of trustees, consisting of a president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer. The president, secretary and treasurer are elected once in three years. The vice-president is the president of the State Association, elected annually by the State conven- tions. The constitution provides that all presidents of State As- sociations, when organized, are to become ex-officio members of the board of trustees. The State conventions, to be composed of delegates sent from the local societies, have the power to appoint committees to examine the books and records of the beneficiary department, and make a report of their condition to the members of the convention. The first convention was held in Troy, Mo., November 17, 1886, at which time W. A. Monroe, of Memphis, Mo., was elected president, and D. M. Grandfield, of Troy, Mo., vice-president; Joseph J. Brown, of Monroe City, secretary; C. E. Cummings, of Canton, Mo., treasurer; Thomas H. Harris, of Troy, Mo., assistant treasurer, and George H. Adams, of Pied- mont, Mo., chaplain. A State constitution, and constitution and by-laws for local societies, were formulated and adopted.
The Secretary of the board of trustees reported $5,806.19 as collected and disbursed to date, and total membership 4,000. The incorporators of this association, like all various benevolent
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
associations of the State, deemed their plan of issuing certificates of benefits to be within the purview of the law of the State of Missouri, and it was so considered by the court that issued the de- cree of incorporation, but the commissioner of insurance claimed that their work was a violation of the insurance laws of the State, and brought suit against this association and several others. The Legislature passed a law in 1887 that was so framed that all benevolent asssociations could comply with its requirements. This association immediately arranged their plan so that it would, in every respect, conform to this new law, and thereby, as far as they were concerned, stopped the controversy. They now have a guaranty deposit, as required by law, in interest-bearing bonds, deposited with the commissioner of insurance.
The association makes annual reports to the department, and is licensed to do a life insurance business. Dr. A. H. Cheno- weth, the treasurer and medical director, died November 28, 1887. [See biography elsewhere in this work. ] His death created a vacancy in the board of trustees, and left them without a medical adviser. Ben. F. Reed, clerk of the circuit court of Lincoln County, was elected treasurer, and Dr. James A. Ward, medical director. Biographical sketches of these gentlemen are given elsewhere in this work.
The association has made considerable progress since. it arranged to conform its business to the insurance laws of the State. There is no longer any doubt about its hav- ing authority to do business, and that the business is done under the supervision of the insurance department of the State, which gives assurance that it must be conducted in a fair, as well as lawful manner, and that all moneys collected must be applied to the objects for which it is collected. Dr. W. A. Mon- roe, the president of the State Association, moved to Washington Territory in 1887, at which time he resigned as the president of the association. Mr. D. M. Grandfield, the vice-president, has acted as president, and is a member of the board of trustees. In 1886 Dr. John A. Brooks, president of the Temperance Benefit Union of Kansas City, made application to officers of the Tem- perance Benevolent Association for membership for members of the Temperance Benefit Union. It was agreed to admit all who
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
could pass a satisfactory medical examination. A number availed themselves of the offer. The business of life insurance is trans- acted largely through the mails, which adds largely to the in - come of the postoffice department, and the business of this asso- ciation, and of the Triple Alliance, also located in Troy, has made the postoffice at Troy a presidential office. The printing is also quite an item, and the amount of work furnished the local printers is considerable, as all this work is done at home.
Casualties .- Like all other towns, Troy has had its usual amount of casualties, the destruction of property by fire, etc., but during the last year it has suffered an extraordinary amount of loss from conflagrations. In January, 1876, an out-house belonging to William Worrick, in the southern part of town, and in which Aunt Minnie Cottle, colored, the oldest person in the county, was sleeping, was consumed by fire. All that was left of the body of the unfortunate woman was a few charred bones. Her age was not definitely known, but was not far from one hun- dred years. On the 8th day of December, 1885, before day- light, the large three-story frame building, with a basement story under it, the whole containing twenty-two rooms, owned and used at the time by Mrs. Hutt as a boarding-house, was con- sumed by fire. This house stood on College Street, near the schoolhouse. It was erected in 1867, at a cost of $8,000. At the time of its burning it was insured for $4,000, and the furni- ture within for $2,000. The boarders lost some property on which there was no insurance.
Troy has suffered great loss by fire within the last year. On September 1, 1887, the Jackson property, consisting of a wooden building, with two business fronts and a dwelling in the rear, lo- cated on the west side of Main Street, was consumed by fire. The loss on the building was about $2,500, and the insurance thereon was $1,250. The loss on Holmes' hardware stock in one of the rooms was $2,500, on which there was $1,200 of insur- ance. The loss of a millinery stock in the other business room was about $200, which was fully insured. The loss of the house- hold goods of Mrs. Brickey, who occupied the dwelling, was total, there being no insurance.
The Laclede Hotel, owned by O. F. Buswell, was burned
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
down in February, 1888. The loss of property was about $10,- 000, and the insurance thereon was about $9,000. It stood on the east side of Main Street, opposite the Colbert Hotel.
The following is the Free Press account of the last fire in Troy up to this writing, it having occurred June 17, 1888:
Tom C. Thornhill, George Jackson, Vilray Tice and John Ellis were awakened about half past two o'clock Sunday morning, in the front room over T. C. Thornhill & Co.'s, by a dense smoke that came up from the rear of the lower story. They at once began a hasty exit by way of the front windows and the awning to the street. On examination they found the flames had made considerable headway in the rear of the lower story, and the whole store was too full of smoke and heat to make it possible for them to save anything. The alarm was given by shouting fire, discharging firearms and ringing bells. At once a large company gathered, but too late to do more than turn their atten- tion to the work of saving the adjacent buildings. The brick store of Joseph Hart, across the street north, was not in immediate danger, but the frame building of F. S. Sweeney was only about twenty feet away, and without great effort would be ignited by the immense heat. Several dozen buckets were obtained from George Pratt's store, and a brigade began carrying water from the city reservoir in the park. The roof and the north side of Mr. Sweeney's house were kept wet until the flames had consumed the Thornhill house.
The firm of T. C. Thornhill & Co. lost their entire stock of goods and all their store fixtures, amounting to about $11,000, and bearing insurance as follows: In the North American Insurance Company $2,000, and $1,500 in the Phoenix, of London, for which companies O. H. Avery is agent, and $4,000 in companies represented by Josiah Creech. The building was a total loss. It was owned by A. E. and H. W. Bryant, of Hebron, Ind., and insured with O. H. Avery for $2,300.
The firm of T. C. Thornhill & Co., started in business this spring, and by square dealing and low prices had built up an excellent trade. The Free Press is glad to say that the proba- bilities are the same men will put a new stock of goods into an- other house and resume their business here at no distant day.
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STATE OF MISSOURI.
Cholera. When cholera visited this country in 1849, there were a few deaths from it in and about Troy, but they were so isolated that but little alarm was created. In the latter part of June, 1873, the alarm was sounded that cholera was approaching. The council met and appointed a sanitary committee, consisting of James D. Brown, George W. Colbert and John McDonald, and ordered the town marshal to notify all maintainers of nuisances to abate them at once. The Troy Herald, in its issue of July 2, announced that "cholera is in our midst," the first case, which was fatal, having been reported June 24, and another one on the 25th. After these deaths a few people left the town. During the week following June 28 two more deaths occurred, and on Monday, July 7, three deaths occurred. The exodus of the population then began in earnest, and in a very short time half the people had left the town. The mortality was unchecked, and during that week eight deaths occurred. On the 15th of July the sanitary committee reported as follows:
" First. That the town has been thoroughly cleansed and disin- fected, and that they have caused to be burned upon the streets 200 bushels of stove coal, besides a large amount of wood. They also desire to state that the citizens generally have responded to the orders of the committee in cleaning and disinfecting their premises.
" Second. That there has been thirteen deaths from cholera in the past fifteen days; no deaths within the last four days, and no new cases to report.
"Third. That thirty-four families and a considerable number without families left town, but fortunately, however, but one physician, and his place is now ably filled by Dr. McFarland, of Clarksville. * * We trust and believe that cholera has taken its leave from us.
" JOHN MCDONALD, - " G. W. COLBERT, " JAMES D. BROWN, -
Committee."
After the date of this report only one death occurred from the fatal disease within the corporate limits. On the 23d of July the sanitary committee made their final report, as follows:
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HISTORY OF LINCOLN COUNTY.
" The town has been thoroughly cleansed of all filth and nui- sances, and the general health is better at present than usual for this season. There have been fifteen deaths in the town limits, and five in the near vicinity, from cholera. The committee ap- prehends no further danger, and is satisfied that those who have fled to the country can return in safety. Many have already done so.
" JOHN MCDONALD, - Committee."
"G. W. COLBERT, "JAMES D. BROWN,
The first death that occurred in the town on this occasion, from cholera, was that of a negro, and the second was that of Samuel Shirkey, the first white man that died. Among others who fell victims to the fatal scourge were Mrs. Mary A. Martin, Miss Josephine Martin, Cyrenius Lay, Mrs. William Frazier, Miss Fannie Carter, a child of Mrs. Arcelia Frazier, a Mr. Rogers, Mrs. Joseph Hart and two children, Mrs. Thomas Sydnor and Mrs. C. Graff.
The Press. - The first newspaper printed and published in Lincoln County was the Troy Gazette, established by Ellis & Edrington, in July, 1854. It was the official paper of this, Warren and Montgomery Counties. The first editor was Judge E. N. Bonfils, who was succeeded, after a few weeks' service, by Henry B. Ellis, one of the proprietors. The first number of the second volume appeared with Maj. George W. Huston as edi- tor. In a short time he was succeeded by Mr. Ellis, who again took charge of the editorial department. In January following Ellis & Edrington sold the paper to A. V. McKee and H. W. Perkins. In March following Mr. Perkins sold his interest to Henry A. Bragg, and Mr. McKee continued, as he had been, the editor. June 13, 1856, they changed the name of the paper to the State Rights Advocate, and April 16, 1857, sold it to Ed- mund J. Ellis, by whom it was conducted two or three years. During the presidential campaign of 1860 he published the Tribune and Henry B. Ellis the Independent. During most of the war period there was no regular paper published in the county.
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